The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 1970

DR. OR6E LAWLOR tl1t1I i11 cJ1 11 " ''l (>le Ii/ ' we 11111 t l1c (Ill 10 J Ji111 , anu that l'Vl' II f>tlr t/1 011g /1/ ... Ii/<' i t r> IJ' ' .re1111Jlt1r ,. ~111 " \\'( f'{I al s cc l1rs ir1 T i111. :tl . \Vl1·r' th' ~c rvant of the r ... orcl is :1tl111<,ni~l1c<I tl1ilf, having taken his "Ii vi ncl y-tlccrcctl 11<)\i l io11 hef ore J, i 11cc11,lc n ncl l,i s own hot1schol(I. he is to rc111ai11 there\ st1perintcncling well - ancl if n11{l wl1cn there arc chil(lre11 i11 tl1c ho111c. contintlir1g to have tl1c c l1ilcJrcn in LtlJjcction with all dignity a11d reverence (paseis se111noteito\). THE WORD OF REVERENCE n ( ' hr1st1an man hould function well as J1cad of hi own house, estab- 1i hing and maintaining discipline in the family, with all dignity and rever– ence-but the ervant of God must take the lead in thi vitally important matter. One who fails to maintain a hou ehold in which there i dignity. di cipline, and reverence is not fit to enter the ministry. "For if a man doe not know how to superintend hi own hou e, how will he take care of the church of God?' ' (vs. 5). 111- trained, unruly, undisciplined children reflect on any pastor, not m erely be– cause they are rebellious and injur– ious examples to the other children in the church, but still more because they show that the father is incom– petent for his office. 1 n Phi I. 4 ~ a 1 is t f ite 01 ap– t\l' .._~ . 111.1rk.1ng ()tit the thing~ ,, ith .... .... ,, ht 11 t1r n11nd" art: to h re koning. t "' ' ~1rd ,, 1 hi h our h art are t be n tantl,, tt1rned The e thing are 111atter f do tr1n and practice, and all Jr inter-related t the other. True thing are at the an1e time hone t - and JU t. etc. each predicate ap- pl1e t e, er) other item in the li t. The e are the thing \\ hich are to cup) our thinking. e er taking ac– unt of them for '"hat they are, al,, a~ reckoning ,, ith them a the greac and genuine \ 'alue which mark the de ire and de ign of the believer's heart. never entertaining any but them. It i the e thing which our n1ind and heart are to embrace our inner energie fully at work upon the.m. al,va) gravitating toward pur– po e and practice that are godly and thu commendable and right. The econd item in the list is of pecial intere t in our present day: ·\,·hat oe\ er thing are l1onest". The \\1 0rd tran lated ..hone t' ' in the KJV i the Greek se111nos, and refers to that characteri tic of a person or thing which entitles to reverence and re pect. It de cribe that which is honorable. \\ orthy of being venerated. ,\'hatever i se111nos may show its face at an)r time and be respected, honored, and revered as true and reverend. The ,,,ord i derived from sebomai, ··ro re, ere. to worship", and thus connotes what is divinely dignified and august, and v. ortby of \\'orship- . ful re,Terence. In the pap)·ri and inscriptions the \\'Ord in 1ts various forms appears frequentl)' . A ,vife describes herself a being ··\\'Orth) of more respect" se111non) than she was apparently recei\ 1 ing from her husband. The city of Herrnopolis is described as a ·'most august cit)' .. (se111notateis). ero in– , ,ited the pre ence of certain Greeks t 2 APRIL, 1970 at orinth in 67 A.O. and wrote that he de ired · to requite mo t noble Hella for her good will and piety ( e11sebeia ) tO'-'' ard me." The people of Priene are prai ed by the Praefect for their "religious piety ' ( to theion e1tsebeia) . Both Euripide and Plu– tarch u e the word to de cribe a tateline ,, of form. Such i the word cho en by the Holy Spirit to de cribe a significant a pect of the true play of the inner thought-life of the believer , in Phil. 4: 8. All things that are char– acterized by reverence and godly veneration - reflect rea on reckon up tl1ese things. Of course it is true that all of u s have many thing to think upon, which are ecular in nature: related to business trade profe ion, occupation, etc. But this will not deflect the true flow of the mind's reasonings and the heart's hopes. Things that are sacred, pious and reverend will find direction and place in the thoughts, when we re– member that we are the Lord's and In an age of rebellion again t con– stituted authority when reverence and piety are not popular, nevertheless the true servant of God is admonish– ed to "exercise himself with respect to godliness' ' ( eusebeian), i.e. rever– ence, dignity and devotion to God, (I Tim. 4:7). In Tit. 2: 1, 2, Gods true servant i instructed to engage in healthy teaching so that older men may be ' ' temperate, dignified (sem– nous) ' ', i.e. venerable and reverend, honorable, and devoted in the Chris- (Continued on page 14) THE CLEVELAND HEBREW MISSION P. 0 . Box 18056, Cleveland, Ohio 44118 Founded 1904 ' FUNDAMENTAL - BAPTISTIC - EVANGELISTIC Evangelizing the "kinsmen" of our Lord in Cleveland ' Ohio Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil OFFICERS: - 1r. George B. Dunn, President Dr. Ralph H. Stoll, Vice President Rev. Gerald V. Smelser, Superintendent Rev. A. Paul Tidball, Asst. Supt. Mr. Earl Helfrick, Sec'y-Treas. REFERENCES:- Dr. John G. Balyo, Cleveland, Ohio Rev. Paul Van Gorder, Atlanta, Ga. Rev. Vaughn Sprunger, South Bend, Ind. Rev. Lloyd Morris, Flint, Mich. Dr. Robert Ketcham, Chicago, ID. Rev. Joel ~ettenring, St. Paul, Minn. Re,,. Melvin V. Efaw, Huntington , W. Va. Dr. Frank C. Torrey, Boca Raton, Fla. Dr. Kenneth Masteller, Haddon Hts., N.J. 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