“HONOR TO WHOM HONOR”
By Daniel Sommer
Apostolic Review, Vol. 71, No. 51 (December 18, 1928): 7
I suppose that J. D. Tant, of the Southland, has his peculiarities—like the rest of us. But he is one of the few in this part of this country who can see certain defects in the disciple brotherhood which are not seen by those who have become victims of those defects. This is evident in an article from his pen which the reader will find appended to these remarks, which article was clipped from that religio-secular journal titled “Gospel Advocate”, of Nov. 1, 1928.
I don’t think that the Salvation Army, so-called, is a good illustration of what we should do in any direction, for we cannot scripturally adopt any of the clap-trap on which that organization depends. And we may say the same concerning the human devices of all other religious organizations. Nor can the churches of Christ venture to adopt any of the wheedling that is common among those religionists that are clamoring for big audiences. They have all gone so far in the wrong direction tat they scarcely have one redeeming element!
Nor is this all. The corners of the streets are not as good places to preach as they were before the automobiles were introduced. Neither are the market places as good as we may suppose they formerly were, for hurrying is the common condition in this generation. Nor are Jewish synagogues as numerous nor as open to Gentiles as they were to Jews in Paul’s day as a personal preacher. The truth is that the only way to open to the real preacher of Christ in this generation is indicated by the statement—“daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5:42.) Next we come to Paul’s example “in his own hired house.” (Acts 28: 30, 31.) Then we are permitted to read of the church in the house of Aquila and Priscilla (see Romans 16:3-5), also of the church in two other houses. See Col. 4:15 and Philemon 2nd verse. There we find sufficient example to encourage all who wish to work for the upbuilding of the Lord’s cause in their own communities. Then in the apostle Paul’s example, by refusing to work in a field made ready to his hand, or where churches were already established, and his determination to preach “in the regions beyond”, we find more encouragement. See Rom. 15: 15-25, also 2 Cor. 10: 13-16.
But the apostle Paul’s example and all of his teachings on the subject of going forth and preaching the Gospel in new fields, or “in the regions beyond”, is ignored by the young gentlemen and certain older ones who have been “educated for the ministry.” They seek a “pastorate”, though they may not call it by that name.
Of all the young men whom I knew in Bethany College, who said they intended to preach, only one went into the field as an evangelist and remained there. All of the others sought pastorates, professorships or some other official position that kept them out of the field as evangelists. And, as far as I have learned, they have all died—several of them in early life. Whether they were incapable physically, mentally, morally and spiritually, of serving as evangelists, and for that reason sought some other position—the Lord knows, and he will be their final judge. But this I know—that men who are willing to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2:3) are very few, while many are disposed to be like Demas, who “loved this present world.”
But these are only a few remarks suggested by Bro. J. D. Tant’s article. Read it!
Are We Hiding Out?
By J. D. Tant
My work as a preacher has called me through Memphis, Kansas City, St. Louis and Louisville. In all these cities we have church houses located from one to five miles from the depot; and a stranger, not knowing the streets or car lines, seldom finds them. In the same cities one can hardly walk a block from the depot without running upon a band of devoted men and women in some hall on a main street where all can find them, preaching, singing and praying, under the head of the Salvation Army or mission kept up by the town. These meetings are held every night, and often their halls are crowded with common people. Some time ago I heard a man state that he was blacksmith, but had missed only two nights in seven years being out on the streets talking to people about Jesus, the Savior of the world.
It seems that Booth started the Salvation Army after Campbell began to plead for a restoration of primitive Christianity; and when I go back to this Christianity that Campbell wanted to restore I find that the early disciples, when scattered abroad, both men and women, “went everywhere preaching the Word.” (Acts 8:4.) I also find that Paul, one of the early preachers, did not hunt for a job as located minister in a fine church house, five miles out from the center of travel, where he could entertain the people thirty minutes each Sunday night and then lock the church house till the next Sunday night; but I find that he went right up on the principal streets where people could find him, and disputed in the market-places where people would trade “daily.” (Acts 17:17.) Not only did he dispute in the market-places, but he went into the denominational strongholds and disputed in the synagogues daily with the sectarian preachers. I do not know of a preacher in all the church of Christ, who could do as Paul did, if he so desired, without being dismissed by the church for fear he would hurt the feelings of what some call our “Baptist and Methodist brethren.” I have no brethren among the Baptists and Methodists, because I left them clean when I came out of the world!
Also I find it to be the custom of some of our big preachers in West Tennessee, in their big meetings (and they do just like the churches want them to do), to call on their Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian preaching brethren to lead in prayer in their meetings. These preachers know at the time they are acting the hypocrite! They are deceiving the people, because they do not believe these preachers are in Christ!
Also I notice that in the early church there is not a single report of a big meeting where the Sadducees and Pharisees all liked to hear Paul, Peter or Christ, and called in their meetings to hear them; but it seems to be the winning-card of many reports of the meetings, in our day and time, that all the churches called in their meetings to hear our big man, and all liked to hear him. This only gives our man a bigger name, and other churches will send for him because—he compromises the word of God to please the sects!
Not long ago I held a meeting for an old congregation in Kentucky, and as many as twenty of our big preachers have held meetings there, and they remembered with great interest four of these big men because the Baptists liked to hear them; yet not a single Baptist has been converted by the compromising preacher! I threw two gospel bombs into the Baptist camp, by showing them that they were without God and without hope, and I felt at the time that I was holding my last meeting for that church.
Also I notice that in the early church the Lord added to the church daily (Acts 2:47) when the brethren preached on the street and everywhere. Now our churches only count on the Lord adding yearly—only at “big-meeting time.” Today we number about one million and the Salvation Army about five million, yet we started at the same time. What makes the difference? The Salvation Army goes out on the streets and hunts for the common people, the class that heard Christ gladly. We build fine houses, far back, away from the people, and sit down and wait for them to hunts us up. Other people find them before they can find us!
If we did not hide out and spend all our money in building fine houses and in paying located ministers, but would go up on he main streets and get common halls, and put the common members of the church in those halls seven nights each week, to tell the common people what great things the Lord has done for us, we could soon take the world.
I am glad that Bro. A. M. Burton, of Nashville, sees the necessity of a daily church and is working along that line. I am glad that Bro. Burton is not a preacher, else I fear he would be dropped from the preacher ring for suggesting such a change in our practice.
Brethren, do not forget it; we are drifting!
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