The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 1961

Apri l, 196 1 -=---------------·- 01ne one i ill. Tl1e pas tor is u uallv called a11d rusl1es to the bed ... , side, pra)'S and gives ncouragen1e1 t to the ailing 011e. vVhen a little one arri, ,es \\ 1 ho is a1nong the firs1 to p eek through the , vii1do\ of tl1e 11t1rsery a11d co11gratul a te the p1 ou<l parents? vVho is ca 11 ed to sb·aigl1 te1 Johnnie out ,vhen he b econ1es a p rob .. iem child from too much parental lo,,e? \ ho u ually leads that lc>ved one to Christ and baptizes him? A loved one passes on. ometime~ it's the p astor ~ 1 ho breaks the news He's the one who consoles the mourn.. ers with a ,vord of encouragement. He is asked to conduct tl1e services and does a ,vonderful job. Yet h e is often criticized b ecause h e did not mention \Vhat a swell guy John was, or because h e tells the r elatives they need a Sa,,iour. Then there's choir practice. Be careful , pastor! Mrs. . might 11ot come back if you t ell her she sang off key. A HARD JOB \Vho is blamed for all the failures and discord in church ? The p as tor , of coursel \¥ho is accused and dis– cussed more than any one else in the world? The pastor. But let's stop to think. He is humanr He has the same family b·oubles as the rest of us. H is children create as ma11y problems as ours. There is just as much sickness in his famil y. Hi financial problems are as great or greater . His h ead ach es, h e has sor– ro,vs, disappoi11hnents and t empta– tions. Our pastor needs ow· prayers, not our d inner table discussions; our praise, not our complaints; our sup– port, not our grumbli11gs. We should remember when we belittle him be– fore our loved ones or frie11ds, that some day \\'e may wa11t him to help lead them to Clrrist. I-low ca1 he, if ,ve have maligned him before them? We should thank God for a pray– ir1g, Bib1e-s tudying, patient, humble pastor. Yes , \Ve sl1ot11d tha11k l1im also for tl1e ti1nes he sp et1ks sharply, lJecause o<l kr1ows ,ve 11ee<l tha t too i11 order to grow i11 gr~l(:e. "I \;\,rill !, t up !,hep11 rd~ over the1n wl1icl1 s}i ,tll f >e<l tl1 111: a11<l tJ1 y sl1a]l f >ar 110 1nor , 1101 l)e dis1nayed , 11 ~itl1er sl1all tl1ey b ~ Jacki11g, s, it]1 tJ1 Lor<l 1 ' Jr. 23:4. ---------- • THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTI T COU .. IL O DIVOR E (Continued from page 5 ) The conce1sus of opi11io11 vvas tl1at p erso1 s \vl10 had b e11 clivorcecl sl1ol1lcl be r ec iv d into 1nen1bership, but 11ot hold th office of cleaco11. Tl1ose holdi11g 0L11 r offices sl1ol1ld be tes ted to prove themselves-Jiv– i11g a co11secratecl life for tl1e Lorcl. WHE THE A \ TED DJ\TOR E The second phase of the discl1 ssio11 dealt \vith perso1s , vho l1ave bee1 saved a11d then divorced. P astor Rogers stated that ma11y Cl1ristians l1ave the attitt1de that because of I J 011 1 :9 they ca11 order tl1eir lives as they please. Althot1gh God clear– ly teaches it1 cripture tl1e preserva– tio11 of the Cl1ristia11 , we are to live holy, blameless lives. o 01 e g ts away , vith si11 before God . Several stated tl1at upon res tora– tion and confession , st1cl1 parties are received into tl1e cl1urch membership. Confession , h owever, is not rnade b e– fore the public. Pastor Willetts said, "I am afraid that vve are a little careless with the t e1m 'rep entance.' It is one thing for a p erson to go ot1t and si11 and come back witl1 chin up a11d repent. It is another thing for a person t o sho,v gent1ine repenta11ce with evi– dence that they won't rep eat tl1at sii1 . ,, again. H e gave a11 example of a cot1ple which came from a11otl1er st,1te a11d ,vanted to join tl1e cl1t1rch. It vva not 1 ecessary for the l1t1sba11d to go i11to detail abot1t his p ast, bt1t }1e did and confe secl that l1e \vas 11ot jt1stified i11 l1is divorce. I-le ho\ cl ge1 t1ine repe1 ta11ce a1d a1 evid 1c that he would 11ot do it c.1g,1i11. Tl1e cot1ple was accepted ii1to tl1e cl1t1rch as m e1nhers. The qt1cs tio1 \v,1s r,1isecl , "If 011 \villft1lJy disob ys Goel , ca11 it be r c– tifiecl?" It ,vas poi11tecl ot1t fro111 xa1nples i11 tl1e lives of Olcl T sla– m 11t cl1aracters Sti ch as at1l , D,1, ,icl ancl Jacob tl1at it c,11111ot ,1l\v:1ys be. T l1 1nocl rator ask cl t l1c cc>t111- il rtl)ot1 t takirl g tl1 se clivorcccl IJCO– plc i11to tl1e 1ne1n l)ersl1ip of tl1e Joc~1I t·l111rc.-l1. "'' itl1ot1 l e c:eptio11 , tl1 y t1gr cl tl1a t it is 1) r1l1iss il)l . Ell \ '1 ..E I TIIE ,H J{ ~II ,.r11e l"tsl !),11 l of tllt" clisc.· t1ssic>11 cle,tlt vvi lh sc.' rvi('t"' i11 tl1t~ cl1t1r ·11 Jc>1 tl1ost' \Vl1 0 J1,1cl l) 11 cli\ ore.· cl a11 (l re111,1r1 ie(l. It \\ as f i1 st s t1gg ~stc~cl tl1,t l tl1e 1)a1 t JC!) s11<)t1J cl lJ~ gi\(' 11 ,l lc>11g 1 t i111t~ le> 1>ro, <" tl1 e111s ~1 es ,t11 <l 4:, }1c>t1lcl 1>' s ttUJCl' l tel tl1 ~ ,11)pr<>\ al <)i tl1 > ·l1t11 cl1- 11ol tl1c• (.'()l Ill l l l 1111 t y . <{lt ~s t1 c)tt \\ , ts 1,11sccl <·c> tt{'t ' r11i11g Page Seven ------- t ,1chi1g. IIow will they teac11 1)) exa1nple wh c11 appro,1cl1 ecl wi tl1 tl1e probJ 1n of clivorce? Th ans\ver \,yas ti1ne- time to prove the1nselves. rrl1e churcl1 p eopl cl1angc ov r a periocl of years a11 cl n1a11y of tl1e pcopl - ,vill 11ot l)e a\,,are of the pas t of a person. Refere11 ce to I Cor .5: 1 a11cl II .. or . 2: 6-11 l)rot1ght ot1t tl1e qt1 stio1 of a n1en1l)er wl10 co1n1n its t1clt1ltery. Ever 1 case l1 ,1s to be cl alt vvit11 011 its o,v1 merits. 11 agreed tJ1at a party co1n- 11itti11g ,1clt1ltery sJ1ot1lcl l)e removecl fro111 the me1nl)er l1ip a11cl cliscipli11ecl. After ge11ui11e re1)e1ta11ce 011 l)-' sl1ot1lcl they be r -instat cl . The at1clience ,vas a Jio,v cl to par– ticipate i11 tl1e c1t1estio11 p eriocl ancl 011e me1nber asked , "\,Vhat i bl.1e rep ent,111ce?" It , vas clefi11ecl a a cha11ge of n1i1 d. The ew Te ta– n1e1 t t1sag is a chc111ge of 1nind ,vith the pt1rpose of l1eart 11e \ 1 er to repea t the act. Or i11 other \VOr{ls, to be so sorry for yot1r ins that you will 11e er do them agai11. "Tl1en ," askecl anotl1er me1nber, ~'if the \\T01nan in Mark 10: 12 ,vas tn1ly rep 1 ta11 t, was she till living in con– ti11t1ot1 adt1ltery? Was he truly re– penta11t?" The 1nodera tor e1nphatically poi11t– ed ot1t that thi , :voma1 \Va a l1ar– lot a11cl as st1cl1 \\ 1 as co11ti11t1ing to live i11 t1dt1lte1y . A pa tor quotecl I J 011 l :9 and saicl , " i11s are co11fe eel , forgi\ 1 e11 , forgotte1 .' 1 Tl1e poi11t \\ras macle t11 at \,,here there i r p 11ta11ce, there is r 111issio11 of si11. If tl1e c:011 ti11t1ecl n1arriage relatio11sl1it) i acll1lter), , tl1ere ca11 l)e 110 fello\,·sl1ip \\ 1 ill1 tl1c Lorcl. Bu l tl1ere ,l r 0111e \\'}10 h :1, ·e 1) 1 1n,1rriee,l , cli,·orc cl , n11cl rc111ar– riecl \vl10 pt1 t 111 ,111)'" otl1er Cl1ristia11 , to l1c1111e i11 tl1eir l)r:.l'}'er life ,u1cl tl1eir li, 1 i11g for Goel. Tl1 111oclerator c:l1,1lle11gc(l tl1e co1 - greg,1tio11 \\ 1 itl1 tl1e t11c)t1gl1t: "Lc\t t1 . ask C>t1r · l\ 1 s, ~ r ,,, clc>i11g tl1i i11 lo\ 1 e or i11 l)ite?' ,, Ile (.'()llCltt(lccl l)) c·a11i11g attc11tio11 tc) 1n.tt11 ,, <>1 , ,111cl 111e11tio11i11g a f \\ c)f tl1 ~ cl1ar,1c– t r i11 tl1 g 11 alog} c>f ( :l1rist tl1at l1:.1cl si11 l>lc> tti11g tl1' ir l)ast . ) "<\t t11l, \\ ere i11c:lt1clccl i11 tl1is list 1.,IIE "OLT~ rc~Il "' ' l,~~<~0 \1 ~ 1I~ l) t\ 1., IOl\ After gc> 111g 111t c> t•l<>~ec.1 St'~..;1(>11 , tl1t C:C)llll Ci l ll1~tt1<..' til t' fc>l]tl\\ lttg l l'l'()tll– J llt.\ll Cl tl li<>ll "i : \\ <.' , tl1< <.'<>t1 11<: il , c.111ecl I>, \l 1cl, ll' ' ' l3n1)lis l ( .l1t1r ·11 \\ 1~)1 t<> st.tlt' tl1at ,, ,ti t ,, l1 <) lt~l1 t~<11 tt•<ll)' aga111"t tlt\ <>I l't' \\' c> tl1 t"'1 1 lt'<'<>111111t' tl<l : ] • }>('f'il)ll\ l ttl\ Ill~ llt'l'll tit\(_\\ t 'l \ I < --. o u t 112 u ecl on J>a g e 9