Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 1
August 18, 1949
NUMBER 15, PAGE 7

The Overflow

F. Y. T.

Diocesan elders For many years we have heard sectarians speculate on the idea of a centralized eldership for each town or city, but not until this summer have we heard of any gospel preacher seriously advocating the idea. Comes now a Lubbock preacher (not from the Broadway church) contending that there must have been many congregations in Jerusalem, but the Bible mentions only one eldership for the city; hence, that one group of elders must have exercised authority over the whole city. And, to clinch the argument, this brother asks that those who don't believe his idea prove that it isn't so! We'll turn him over to the freshman class of preacher boys in any of "our Christian colleges", and if they can't answer him, then we will indeed tremble for the future of the church.

—O—

Preacher We regularly receive quite a number of church bulletins. Nearly all of them list some man as "Minister" or "Evangelist." There are two notable exceptions we remember having seen. Jack Meyer at Tenth and Francis church in Oklahoma City and Lyle Bonner at Westside in Phoenix are listed as "Preachers." Somehow, we like the sound of that. The word "minister" can be applied to many in the church; the word "preacher" is more descriptive of what ought to be the function of most of those listed as "ministers". It may be that we have been left a bad taste by the word "minister" having been used by so many sissy sectarian pastors we've known. But it strikes us that "preacher" or "evangelist" is a shade more accurate and specific than the generalized "minister" designation.

—O—

Who is the "sponsor"?

It seems that some of the brethren on the West Coast are having quite a little trouble with a mysterious radio broadcast originating out there. We say "mysterious" because it is developing into a super mystery as to who is sponsoring the broadcasts. The announcer says that the program is "sponsored by the churches of Christ in Southern California" (recently changed to "sponsored by a number of Churches of Christ in Southern California"), but still interested brethren seem unable to find out just which (if any) churches really are sponsoring the program. For what it's worth we pass on this hint or clue. George Pepperdine College receives more advertising over the program than all the churches of Christ in California put together. Maybe that will give the brethren out there a lead to follow up in their search for the real "sponsor".

—O—

Letters

"The Bible Banner was a good and worthwhile paper. The Gospel Guardian is a worthy successor. I enjoy it a lot, and appreciate the firm stand it takes on issues before the church."

-Jeslie Diestelkamp, Milwaukee, Wis.

—O—

"I have received the Gospel Guardian and want to say that I appreciate it very much. The policy and the writers both have my approval in every way."

—H. A. Mathews, San Angelo, Texas

—O—

"Late edition of the Guardian quite interesting. Did the party who classified religious papers with "gadgets of the devil" include instrumental music and human societies? We are left to wonder if putting all three, and such like, 'under the control of some congregation of the church of Christ' would make all scriptural? Or would it merely win the approval and support' of a few? Do human institutions become scriptural when put under the control 'of some church of Christ as a work of the church'?"

-J. E. Wainwright, El Segundo, Calif.

—O—

Know your man Bro. G. K. Wallace calls our attention to what he views as a real danger advocated in a recent article we carried by Bro. Luther Blackmon. Bro. Blackmon had said, "I have personally urged churches to send assistance to some of the men who are laboring in foreign fields; but I have urged them to send it to the preachers in the field and not to the "sponsoring!' church." Bro. Wallace says, "Can you imagine what some men would do, who are good promoters, if they were to go to a foreign field and could go among the churches, getting churches to send to them personally. There would be no check whatsoever on the number of churches contributing nor upon the amount received. A good promoter could raise for himself a hundred thousand dollars a year by such procedure."

We recognize the weight of Bro. Wallace's observation. And we would certainly urge the churches to send to no man unless you have absolute knowledge of the man and his need. That it is right, however, to send directly to the man in the field as per Blackmon's suggestion is very evident from the practice of the Philippian church sending directly to Paul rather than to Antioch — his "sponsoring" congregation. That it is also right to send help to a needy field to be used under the direction of the elders of a church is clear from Acts 11:30. Due care must be exercised in either case — whether the money is sent directly to the man on the field or is sent to some "sponsoring" church.

—O—

Gross exaggeration Did you read those sensational stories in the daily press concerning that "glamorous" California Baptist preacher who was accused by some of his flock of having "more than forty mistresses" within his own congregation? Friends of the pastor rushed to his defense in hot indignation. They branded the accusation of "more than forty mistresses" as a wild and malicious lie — four, or five, maybe, but forty? Preposterous!

—O—

"Thy word is truth"

"We search the world for truth. We cull The good, the true, the beautiful From graven stone and written scroll, And all old flower fields of the soul;

And, weary seekers of the best, We come back laden from our quest, To find that all the sages said Is in the book our mothers read." —Whittier.

—O—

If you cause a man to think that he is right when he is wrong, you are a hypocrite.

—O—

Praising yourself to the skies won't get you there.