The Ohio Independent Baptist, December 1966

rutt , or 1 ti, T sta,11 nt B , Dr·. G o. l« wlor In I 1·i n1 1: 1. P.1t1l ,t c.ltc th at he a11 • f" '-''I tie .1c~t rd1ng t( 'I "ct n1- 111..111 l 11c 11 .. "'. <..1 f 'lll t ttr <1\ Jt)tt1 anc.i l J c,t1 l)lt r ht)11e. The \\ or<.i r011"'1 erc :l ,r, tht.:: .r\.\. ··co111111c1ntl - r11c•1 ~ 11itar:.(, tiert\ ctl frt)t11 the ' , c r1' er,11,1 ,, ,.. ··t"' Ln jl 1n t1pon. place tl J'•..' n .•1 ,1gn ~l pl) t lt) o r11eonc .. The 11 ttn l"'CCtt r , e,en t1n1e in the e\.\ c 1.1n1cnt. all 1n the Pat1ltne Fpi\tle~. ""'"' 11 1 t1niqt1el~ and ent1rel) Patil'~ cr 111 tron1 the H l! pirit. In I C r. -; . b . ,, here the ..1po. tie peak ab tit cerc .. tn 1tt1, t1on 1n the n1arr1ed life. he contra,t that \\ hich i b) " per- 111. , \ ic>11' ' and that \\hich i according t... ··co n1n1andn1en1·· ( epita r;ei11 ) . He t') nt ra t that \\ hich i human opi n- 1u n Jlthough it may· be in order, and that ,, hich 1 a direct, revealed con1- n1and from God: that "' hich i a piece f practical .. 1d\ ice and th at "'hich i~ the direct coun el 0f God. hence in– all ihle In the an1e chapter~ I Cor. 7:25, Puu tare \\ith regard to virgins. that he ha~ no "comn1andment" ( epitage– i11 fron1 rhe Lord . \Vhatever he may a) aboLtt thi matter would be hi O\\ n co n\'ict1on - although he i ti 11 \V r it ing ttnde r in pirati o n - but '') not to be regarded a a pecific d1\i ne con1n1and. In II Cor. 8: . \\ here the \\'Ord again occur . Paul U\e t in the ~ame manner of speak– ing. Ho\\'e\er 1n the fourth ren1ain– ing 1 le\\ Te5tament pas age . where the apo tie u e~ thi s te rm, 1t appea r in greater ign1t1cance. its full force heing apparent. In Rom. 16 · 26. Pau l sa 1 s the me age of the criptures conce rning Je u hri t a mani fe ted to the nation . i in accordance \\ 1 ith the ··con1mand.. ( epitar:ei11 ) of the e\'er– la ting God. \\'hen he \\'rote the fi r t epi t1e to Timothy. he began ( as pre, iou 1) noted ) h, testi f,,j ng that . - ..... DECEMBER, 1966 PAGE 10 h, •, I' l l ~ f IL·"' h 11 , , n ~ • t , , 1 l t I n g l, l t I 1 c \) l,l fll , l fll r\ ( e( lf(l~C'il l ) \lf ( I )lj \\ I, 11 , , , 1t1 1ig tr, I 1tus. ll c c. l · "' ll,r~s t I : ' .) th"t tJ1• \\C)lll \\hi fl he Jll' 'll fl' IS l ,111nlitlelJ It' llin1 I) 111 • "c<n1n,antl ' ' (c11tal!£i 11) t)l •l.lll . 1\ncl in "1~ittis I ~. tl1 · aJ'l' th: clirects 1 itt1 s t() st l"·•k. ·xhl)l'I. ancl rcl)ttk l! \\ ith al l "'.1t1tl,c rit " ( e1Jit<t,t:<' is • tl1c ftill ~1L1 - tl1 (,rit, l''lf lhl' \ l )t c ()r 1()(1. ~() tl1i. n1t,,t si~11ifica11t ,,t,rtl .1ctt1nll carric, .... t hl' \\l'tgllt () ftt]I clt\lllC Hlllhl)l'lty, t h l' J') l' I ( L' {" t I l) I l () f I n r( \ 11 i l) i ti t 't • t h c 1..'<)t1r1,l' I <)I tl1c \()\Crc1g11 C,otl : it i\ the ,,c)JCI c,I rc1\,ll ct1111n1anti . Consider The Se cular Greek In ,ccttlar (,reek.. the \vorc.l \.va t1,ecl t)f the ticcrcc~ anc.i statt1tes of the l,l\\. It \\,\~ ~rittcn that the lives ()f the K ing f -- gypt were different I f'<)Ol other . anc.i that they cot1 ld do ,n all n1alter as they pleased wit hot1t being held to in1n1ediate accot1nt bL1t that ",111 their act are regulated by tl1 c prescriptio,zs ( epita,(?ai) et forth 1n the law." The word occt1r five t1111e in the eptt1agint. For exa1nple. it i tt ed in E ther 1: of the "ro)·al co1t1111c1t1c/' ' of King Aha uerus. In Daniel 3 : 16, hadrach, Me hech , and Abednego refu e to bow to the "royal co111111a1zd'' of ebuchadnezzar. which ordered then, to wor hip the golden in1age . Clearl 1' the word has al l the \Veight and force of authoritative command. The u. e of the word in the papyri reveal it characteri tic sen e . It is ti ed in a letter in which a refere nce i. made to certain "orders" given to a group of fi hermen concerning their rights in certain waters . Isias dedi– cate an altar to the mother of the god "according to the co111111and'' of Cybele her elf conveyed in a drean1. Varia Pollio erects a pillar to the honor of the god , in obed ience to ' ' tl1e co ,11111arzd'' of God. A Roman officer receives a packet of "co112- 111andr; concerning us ' i.e. hi s reserve quadron of calvary. Thus there is no doubt as to the profound signifi– cance of thi term: it js the w0rd of roya l command . This Truth Is For Us uch, it bear<; great truth for tic;; today. The true ervant of Christ ha his commi ion directly from God by royal command . H e cannot evade it. and he mL1 t never cease to be aware of the fact that he is under orderc;; to Him. f oreover, the message of the Lord"<; true servant and the proclamation of that me sage are hi by divine command. When we stand to preach the Word of God. we are lllt:I C 1, , c ,,n111,i~S l()ll, IICC(lr(l i ng 1, lhr cc111,111 :,ntl ,,1 < ,t,<.I. nnt l \ c s11 'ak ith I ll ' Itill nul l1 t>1 ii , <lf 111 • 1 (ll'tl 's c.lii ·ct c o111n1:intl. \Vt· ~,r · l1ringi11g l)cfo,e 111 '11, ll(l( l>l lJ' ()Wll <Jl'>ini(lnS. < I' the () 1) i 11 i( 11 s () f O 1 }1 ' I's. t, l l l 1 h c a l1 I h() I i I n t iv .. co n1n1an{l s L) I I he ctcrnnl ,<1c.l . F: inall . every tru e l1clicvcr is tl1c , cc IJ)ten l <> f t hcsc co ,11 n,n n<ls. The Ii f e <) I every ( hr istian n1a11 an<l wo111an tlllt\l lie aclJtl~lc<I a11<I rcgLtl atcc.l ac– cc, rc.l1ng tc1 these c1i vi,1c ir111Jcratives. We have n )t c f1o~cn hri st - lie J1a~ cho en ti s. l1,,ach o ne of ti s holds a con1n1t <; io ,1 . We are not n1cmhcrs o I ,l profec;;<; io11 , we arc oh jcct ~ of n ca lling. We come to the ( hristian fa ith not hccat1se we have selected it as ,t career , ht1 t becat1sc Goe.I has cho en and ca ll ed t1<; to it. Ancl no n1an may dare to co ntemp1 a.tc the work o f the n1inistry t1nle~s he is tru ly aware that he h as recei vecl the Kin g' comn1is ion to it . Special Meetings At Struthers Tabernacle A week of meetings, September 6-1 l were condLtcted at Struthers Bap– t i t Tabernacle by Evangeli st John Carrara. The me sages were Christ in pi red and the presence of the pirit wa felt by all who attendee Two dec i io ns were made for Christ during the meeting . pecial music was brough t by members of the church and churche of the area. CLEVELAND HEBREW MISSION INC. _ Founded 1904 Witnessing to Jews in Cleveland, Ohio; Charleston, W. Va .; Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The largest staff in the history of the Mission augmented by a radio ministry at home and abroad, and a mailing ministry in the United States .• and abroad. Presenting Christ to our Lord's brethren by visitation, Bible classes, correspond· ence courses and literature. Staff members are happy to visit churches in the spirit of Acts 15:4 to present the work of the Mission through inspirational reports and by colored slides. " Brethren, my (our) heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.' ' Write for your free copy of ' 'The Trumpeter for Israel" our quarterly mag· azine devoted to the work of Jewish evangelism. Gerald V. Smelser, Supt. Cleveland Hebrew Mission P. 0. Box 1 8056 Cleveland, Ohio 44118 THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIS