Old Paths Advocate Volume 5 Number 1

FROM THE PUBLISHER OF THE “OLD PATHS ADVOCATE”

​I have reluctantly accepted the responsibility as Publisher of this religious journal, for I have thought that if I had any ability in the services of my Master, it was in the evangelistic field. This I still believe, but it seems to be the will of the editors that I undertake the arduous task of publishing the paper, and to this will I resign.

I appreciate very much the confidence manifested in selecting me to undertake this responsible duty, and I trust that I may ever merit this confidence. I feel very keenly my inability to carry on the work in the splendid way in which brother Harper has served as Publisher of “The Truth.” I have nothing to promise you but a conscientious effort to give the best there is in me, and to the best of my ability, give to all a square deal.

With Brethren Homer A. Gay, J. D. Phillips, and H. C. Harper on the editorial staff with me, with their influence and assistance, I feel that my burden is made lighter. I believe that these are true and tried friends, upon whom I can rely. And, too, Bro; H. E. Robertson, a consecrated Gospel preacher, of this community, has promised to assist me with mailing out the paper and otherwise as I may need his assistance. This will enable me to continue in the evangelistic work as I have in the past; otherwise I would not have undertaken the publication.

Finally, brethren, I ask you to be patient with my humble efforts and mistakes; pray for me that I may ever strive to keep the “Old Paths Advocate” true to the name, and that it may be a means of bringing us all closer together and of learning more of the Lord’s will concerning us. To Him who loved us and died for us be all the praise, glory and honor.

Yours for the “Old Paths,”
Homer L. King

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EXPLANATION

It is with much consideration and hesitation that I give my consent to allow my name to appear as an editor. My past experience with papers has been very unpleasant.

My observation has been that each religious journal endeavors to become a Ruling Head, drawing a circle around certain preachers who will boost the paper; consigning all those who do not, to the regions of endless night; thus forming factions. Many brethren desiring to find out where a man stands, will ask with what paper he stands identified. The Bible only, and not papers, man, men, or set of men, is the “Measuring Reed,” with me.

We believe, however, that the brethren and others will enjoy reading a clean religious newspaper, such as we propose to make of the “Old Paths Advocate.” We purpose to run a paper— not a bragging, begging machine.

​I have much confidence in Brethren Homer L. King and H. E. Robertson and their ability to manage the publication of the paper.

​Finally, my prayer is that we will all study the Bible more; love God and respect His word more; love each other better; and make a stronger effort to get closer together, instead of farther apart. Hear Paul, “Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory.” (Philippians 2:3). “Let us therefore, follow after the things which make for peace.”' (Romans 14:19).

Yours in Christ,
Homer A. Gay

REMARKS

Like brother Gay, no doubt many others have had “unpleasant experiences” with religious papers, and have thus held aloof from them for some ­time. We are asking, however, that you follow the example of brother Gay in giving one more trial, sending us your subscription. We promise you a fair and honest deal.

Publisher

WHY WE ADDED “ADVOCATE”

It was announced in the December issue of “The Truth” that the name of the paper would be changed to “Old Paths,” and we began intermediately to make our arrangements to that effect. Just about the time I was ready to send the copy to the printers, I received word from brother J. D. Phillips, relative to the fact that he had received word that there was already in existence a publication by that name, and advising that we change the name to something else. Hence, we have added the word “advocate” to the name, which does not materially change the thought expressed by the name, “Old Paths.” We hope that all will be perfectly satisfied. This has made us a few days late, getting the copy to the printers.

Publisher

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POLICY OF THIS PAPER

1. To judge no man’s loyalty to his God by his loyalty to the paper.
2. To “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3). And thus complete the restoration started by the Campbell’s and others a century ago.
3. To oppose every departure from the word of God in faith and practice; avoiding at the same time undue stress on any one sin, to the exclusion of others. We expect to wage a war of uncom­promising hostility against every sin both in and out of the church.
4. To make the paper an open forum, insofar as the issues being discussed are considered vital to the welfare of the church and the salvation of the soul.
5. To give the readers a balanced periodical, thus making it beneficial to both saint and sinner.
6. To manifest the spirit of Christ in dealing with all issues and controversies, thus avoiding personal thrusts and abusive language. We ask all our writers to say nothing in the columns of the paper that they would be ashamed or afraid to say in the Day of Judgment.
7. To make field reports a special feature. Therefore, we insist that all preachers and leaders of the loyal congregations send in reports and an­nouncements regularly; thereby encouraging others in the work.
8. Finally, to be true to the charge that God has given us; to glorify Him in all that we do or say; to urge upon all a closer walk with God; realizing that we have never dying souls to save, and to fit them for Mansions in the sky.

Signed:
J. D. Phillips          H. C. Harper
Homer L. King     Homer A. Gay

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Editorial

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Old Paths Advocate

This is the first issue of our new paper, “Old Paths Advocate.” We hope you will like it and become a regular subscriber. Its motto is Jeremiah 6:16 and Isaiah 58:12, and we are determined to keep it true to its motto. Its mission is the restoration of primitive Christianity. We hope to heal the torn and bleeding body of the Crucified One. This is the best work that can engage the attention of man. Yahweh promised us (Jeremiah 30:10-17) that He would “restore health unto thee (Zion) and heal thee of thy wounds.” But his loyal servants must “stand upon the walls of Zion, and cry aloud and spare not.”

The body of our ever blessed Redeemer is badly mangled. After the death of the Apostles, a bitter and fierce apostasy began to work as a corrupting leaven in the Church. “That man of sin, and son of perdition” was soon developed into “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots” (Revelation 17:1-7), the Roman Hierarchy (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5).

The Lord has shown by His prophets that the grape harvest is now ripe, and that the plagues of Sodom, Egypt, and Jerusalem are in store for Mystical Babylon. Her doom is graphically described in Revelation 17-18. The 1,260 years of her oppression will soon end (Daniel 7:25). The Lord is going to judge this adulterous breed, whether Mohammedanism or Catholicism, Protestantism or Digression, and give them over to the burning flame.

He has warned His people to come out of Babylon (Revelation chapter 18) and thus escape plagues, just as Jesus warned His beloved disciples to flee from Jerusalem when they saw the “abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet” (Matthew 24).

Many are conscious of the fact that they are seated “by the waters of Babylon” and they “weep when they remember Zion” in her ancient purity and simplicity—just as the ancient Israelites did. See Psalm 137:1-4. They have read, in tears, the announcement by the Lord of the awful doom of Mystical Babylon (Revelation 17) and the command to “come out of her, My people” (Revelation 18:4); but they do not know how to “come out of her.”

We need just such a paper as we are determined to make “Old Paths Advocate,” to lead earth’s meek and faithful into “the old paths” of Apostolic Christianity.

​Times are hard. We are poor. Babylon has and controls the money of the world. She says, “I am rich, and increased with goods,” and, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” You need the lessons we intend to give through the paper. Your friends need them. So the cause we plead is a good one. Satan is even now breathing out threatenings against us. Help us to defeat Satan, “the Accuser, who is the God of this world” and the leader of the forces of spiritual obstruction. The “Old Serpent” (Revelation 20:2) has been heard from. He has said that such an “impractical” venture as the undertaking of the publication of this paper during such “hard times” and apostasy is “folly.” Help us to prove that “the father of lies” is a LIAR! Your subscriptions and donations will do this. Of Satan it has been said:

“He says, if I do not worship him for a God,
I shall eat coarser food and go worse shod;
So as I don’t value such things as these,
You must do, Mr. Devil, just as God please”
(Blake)

So let us have your subscriptions and donations. Many sample copies of this first issue will be sent out. Let each one who receives one, send a dollar right now to, “Old Paths Advocate,” Lebanon, Mo.

J. D. Phillips

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Special Interest

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Important Notice

I am preparing a tract, or booklet, on The Cup of Blessing. I expect to make this the most exhaustive of any work ever written on The Cup Question. It will do for several generations.

Information Obtained: I have more than a dozen Greek-English lexicons from which I will freely quote. I have consulted such commentaries as Meyer, Hurt, Clarke, Lange, et al. From these, I have obtained valuable information regarding the literal and figurative uses of the word “poterion, a cup, a drinking vessel.” From histories, I have learned that one cup was used in each assembly of Christians in the Apostolic and post-Apostolic ages. Letters from dozens of professors of Greek, Hebrew, English, and History, in the universities, such as Bethany, Drake, Yale, and Harvard, give valuable information to the same effect.

​A Request: I want all brethren, who have commentaries, to copy, verbatim, all in them that bears on the Cup Question, and send to me. Also send letters from the scholars. Now, don’t say, “Bro. Phillips knows this already,” for I may not. If I do, I need these letters and statements to quote from, as I wish to make the booklet a reference work to be used by preachers, debaters, and writers in their work; and for individual study.

J. D. Phillips

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Articles

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The Day of the Lord

“But do not overlook this one fact, dear friends, that with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, in the sense that some think; he is really showing his patience with you, because he does not want any to perish, but wishes all men to be brought to repentance. The Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on it the heavens will pass away with a roar, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth and all its works will melt away. If all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what holy and pious lives you ought to lead, while you await and hasten the coming of the Day of God, which will cause the heavens to burn up and dissolve and the heavenly bodies to blaze and wilt! In fulfillment of his promise, we expect new heavens and a new earth, where uprightness will prevail,” 2 Peter 3:8-13.

The late Camille Flammerion, the noted French astronomer, has expressed his opinion as follows: “Were the earth suddenly stopped in its course, the shock would be transmitted by recoil, so to say, to all the constituent molecules of the terrestrial globe, as if each received a stunning blow? The whole earth would be instantaneously luminous and burning, and an immense conflagration would devour the world.”

​Therefore, dear friends, while waiting for this, make every effort to be found by him unstained, irreproachable, and at peace. Look upon our Lord’s patience as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul, with the wisdom that God gave him, wrote you to do, speaking of it as he does in all his letters. There are some things in there hard to understand, which ignorant, not steadfast people twist to their own ruin, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures. So you, dear friends, now that you are for forewarned, must be on your guard against being led away by the errors of unprincipled men and losing your present firmness. You must grow in the blessing and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Glory to him now and forever.” 2 Peter 3:14-18.

R. L. Ludlam, Jr.

Anglo-Israel

Those who hold to the Anglo-Israel theory are pushing their doctrine among all Anglo-Saxon peoples, and are obtaining a tremendous following, especially in England.

It is held that ‘the ten lost tribes of Israel’ migrated into Europe, and were finally pushed westward into the British Isles. It is contended that the Anglo-Saxons are Israelites, and the King of England is a direct lineal descendant of David.

The Theory ignores the fact that David was a Jew, of the tribe of Judah, rather than of ‘ten lost tribes.’ The adherents of the theory have gone so far as to claim that all the promises of God center in Great Britain, and that Great Britain is “the Kingdom of God” restored, and destined to break in pieces and destroy the other nations.

The other nations are supposed to be marshaling under the leadership of Atheistic-Communism, while “His Most Excellent Majesty, George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith,” is conserver of the Kingdom and Morals of Israel.

Although Jesus declared that “The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation,” it is claimed that the Anglo-Saxon peoples already control 650,000,000 of the world’s inhabitants, and have had a miraculous growth of population and power, in a century and a quarter. This is calculated to make a “Post-Millenialist’s” mouth water.

All this is calculated to make preachers turn from preaching Christ, to preaching politics. It might even make us wonder if a Kingdom is not better ‘politics’ than a democracy. And we had supposed that the Late War, was to make the world ‘safe for Democracy.’ We may as well lay down the ballot, and “Let George do it.”

But, what about “the ten lost tribes”? Were not a portion of the 42,000 who returned under Ezra, of the lost tribes? Were not the majority of Judah also ‘lost’? Were not all hopelessly lost to Israel, who ceased to practice Circumcision? Were they not “cut off”?

The remnant that returned is constantly referred to as “Israel.” No present, or ancient, genealogical records indicate that the ten tribes were lost. In the New Testament, Anna was of the tribe of Asher. Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin, of “the house of Israel.” The whole “twelve tribes, instantly serving God night and day,” were hoping for the resurrection, according to Paul. James writes his epistle to “The twelve tribes scattered abroad.”

The “Remnant” that returns to Palestine (of Israel), in the ‘last days,’ is to be gathered out of “all the nations,” but especially “from the North Country” (or Russia). Search, and see! The majority of all the Jews are in Russia today. But they are in “all nations.” Jeremiah 3:18; Jeremiah 31:8; Jeremiah 23:8; Ezekiel 37:21 (Read also Ezekiel 38-39).

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, and sinners have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. The Lord keep us from “preaching some other gospel.” They that take the sword must perish by the sword.

I am glad that all nations recognize that there is “A World Menace,” but we shall not be able to meet it with the arm of flesh, or by the wisdom of “mere man.” God has a “secret” behind the veil. Thence shall the armies of Heaven come, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all of their ungodliness. We wait for “that blessed hope.”

Let us not listen to, “Lo here!” or Lo there!” but “Look up, for our redemption draweth nigh.” “Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.”

Paul Hays

Jesus Rejected

“I was lately,” observed Mr. Gunn, “called to attend the death-bed of a young man at Hoxton. I found him in the greatest horror of mind. I pointed him to Jesus, the sinner’s only Friend, and to the glorious promises of the gospel; when, with an agonizing look of despair, he replied, ‘Ah! sir, but I have rejected the gospel. Some years since, I read Paine’s Age of Reason, - it suited my corrupt taste, I imbibed its principles: after this, wherever I went, I did all that lay in my power to hold up the Scriptures to contempt; by this means I led others to the fatal snare, and made proselytes to infidelity. Thus I rejected God, and now He rejects me.’ I offered to pray for him, but he replied, ‘Oh, no! - it is all in vain to pray for me.’ Then, with a dismal groan, he cried out, ‘Pain’s Age of Reason has ruined my soul!’ and instantly expired.”

Luke 22:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:25

“Likewise, also, the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the New Testament in my blood’.”

​I take it that we have here a metaphor. The contents of the cup constituted a fitting symbol of the blood - “which is poured out for you.” Like the bow in the clouds of which it is said - “the token of the covenant.” I do not see any especial help in critical Greek exegesis here, except that familiarity with the idioms of the language helps one to understand that this is a case of the common elliptical manner of expression. Compare, “This is my body” (Matthew 26:26). Note, Mark says (14:23), “This is my blood of the Covenant,” harking back to the blood with which Moses sprinkled both the book and all the people in the ratification of the “Old Covenant.” Matthew 26:28 puts it with a shade clearer expression - “All of you drink of (ek, out of) it. For this is my blood of the Covenant which is poured out for many unto remission of sins.” And as the next verse indicates, it is a memorial perpetuated until the Kingdom of God shall come. Understand, then, “This cup is the token of the New Covenant ratified by Jesus’ sacrificial death.” I hope this meditation may prove of some help.

Ben F. Battenfield

Reminiscence of Man's Sayings

1. Better: Would it not be better for the cause we love, to keep our preferences and opinions out of the public worship and make no rule on any point for the Church, unless we can read this rule in unmistakable terms in the Bible?
2. Actions Speaking: Action speaking louder than words says: For fear the Church will accept the rule, bound by the Spirit upon it, of using only one cup in observing the Lord’s supper as Christ did; I will say we are not bound to do as did he in this feast. Therefore, I will bind on it a rule to use two or more cups, to suit our convenience in its observance and thus subvert the binding rules upon the Church where Christ bound none?
3. Again This Man Says: I have brethren make talks at Lord’s day worship, not because it’s scriptural, but simply to get as far from the S. S. order of church teaching as I can.
4. Again, Before Baptism: We become Chil­dren of God by faith in Jesus Christ without a drop of water. Baptism is for remission of sins only. It’s for nothing else.
5. Again, No Perfection: We can’t be perfect, or be of the same mind as sayeth the scripture. It’s an impossibility.
6. Not Inspired: Some folks think every word of the Bible is inspired: But I say it is not. The letter to Philemon is not inspired. It’s a personal letter.
7. Not Sure: I don’t know that, “The Grecian widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (Acts 6:1).
8. Not Fulfilled: I believe Isaiah 11 not to be fulfilled now. But it will be during the Millennium.
9. It Don’t Reform: Christianity won’t make a thief honest.
10. A Proverb: 1 Corinthians 14:29, is a dark saying. (i.e. a proverb.)
11. The Fly: Who can take the fly out of the ointment, WHO?

B. M. Massengale

(Furnish the “man” that put it in, and l wilt gladly undertake the job. If he is not an infidel, he is bordering on infidelity. I will meet him before the public.)

Editor

A Live Church

For a church to be alive spiritually it must not mix up with the world. James teaches “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27. The above when fully understood and applied with involves just about the whole duty of a congregation. And when obeyed will put life into a church and cause it to live the spiritual life. Yes, we will be helping the needy, visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction and not be messing around in and with politics, lodges, shows, card, parties, dancing, prize fighting, marrying out of the Lord, attending baseball games, and all other worldly, entertainments. In short, for a church to “keep itself un­spotted from the world” it is to be “led by the spirit of God.” Romans 8:13-14.

God's Distillery

Give ear, o ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, o earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Deuteronomy 32:1:2. God is taking the physical (distill) to present or make more plain, the spiritual: the people in that age knew what distill meant; so do people of this age know what distill means (see Webster). There are two processes under consideration in this passage of scripture, the physical and the spiritual, each one of these processes when carried out according to God’s instructions or arrangement will make a perfect thing, or a perfect being, in other words it will take the leaven out of the soul, (sin, impurities) makes a perfect thing in either case.

Christ says in Luke 12:1: Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees. Leaven is a type of sin, yet when that soul passes through God’s distillery the sin (Leaven) is all taken out—made perfect; the same is true in the material side of this comparison, any kind of fruit juices when put through the material distillery, come out a perfect thing, the leaven has been taken out. Here is where they are still on a parity with each other. The perfect being can be corrupted, so can the material thing be corrupted. Take alcohol, made from grain, it is pure, it is a germ resistant, as also is wine. You can put centipedes or tarantulas in alcohol and it will preserve them; still they pollute the alcohol.

Just like when sin comes into the life of a newborn Babe in Christ, the leaven has to be kept out of the soul that has been distilled by the Lord’s speech. I will now give another scripture in substantiation of this one. Isaiah 25:6: “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.” When a thing is refined the impurities have been taken out or leaven as sin (leaven) is taken out of a soul of a being. The material and the spiritual are placed side by side so man might learn the lesson taught more easily and more perfectly.

I wish the grape juice adherents would select some scripture, and prove by the context that it is grape juice that would be more to the point at issue, than to bring up new Greek words in regard to new wine. Peter says, Acts 2:15: that new wine will make drunk, he did not say a certain kind of new wine would make drunk, therefore we can be safe scripturally in saying any new wine will make drunk. Is all King James, translations wrong on wine? The word wine is used, many times, and to render it to mean grape juice, a number of verses connected with the word wine would have to be changed to make it harmonize with grape juice, as even sweet wine if you please. They will just not make sense. For instance, the Bishops’ wives must not be given to much wine. If the wine here spoken of would not make drunk, what more harm in drinking it? Then it could not harm them any more than drinking water.

Now, I will say in conclusion, let’s get back to that old scripture saying, “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent.” Grape juice is not mentioned in the Bible, any more than the class system. Grape juice is what most of the congregations of Christ are using. Don’t make the mistake of believing the vine produces grape juice to the exclusion of others, of the fruits of the vine, the vine will produce grapes, and that is as far as it can go, but with man’s aid it produces several fruits of the vine.

​The grape vine without the aid of man would not have produced a drink element from the time of creation down to the present time. Brethren let’s not be deluded or delude ourselves.

Yours for the faith,
J. E. Spear

What Shall It Be?

Yes; God’s arrangement will make a perfect thing. Fermented wine is not made by distilling. "And it does contain yeast, a leaven. ‘The first step in the process of decay is fermentation.’ Leaven is “Any substance that produces fermentation.” (Webster’s International Dictionary) Leaven is, a synonym for corruption. The Scriptures condemn fermented wine in no uncertain terms; for example, Proverbs 20:1 and Proverbs 23:31. The grape sugar is consumed by the yeast, and alcohol is produced; and nothing else will produce fermented wine but yeast. “The effect, therefore, of fermentation is to change entirely the character of the substance upon which it acts” (Steel) “Fermented wine is essentially a diluted solution of alcohol.” (Webster’s Universal Dictionary) “Right here is where man steps in and stops the process of nature. He collects the alcohol and uses it as a drink.” (Dr. Culler)

Yes, alcohol will preserve a tarantula or a centipede; and it will produce in man outstanding “physical, mental, and moral injuries,” even to delirium tremens. And all alcoholic liquors such as fermented wine “contain as one product of fermentation, more or less of the inebriating alcohol (Steel), a toxin (poison) that produces the deadly thirst for more and more. Go to the insane asylum for proof; yes, go to the brothel, the jail, wrecked homes, which you find in the wake of this toxin, alcohol, a poison residue produced by the corrupting leaven, yeast.

“Wine is found in the cluster.” (Isaiah 65:8) This is the gennema (offspring) of the vine, a drink - Matthew 26:29. Grapes consist of this wine, held by the covering. “The vine” produces this drink, and nothing else will produce it. “The vine” does not produce a fermented drink. Yeast is the only thing that will produce fermented wine.

“The yeast is the ferment” that produces fermented wine. (Steel) “Wine was preserved in its unfermented state.” (International Encyclopedia, under Wine.) Grape juice is the gennema (Matthew 26:29) of “the vine.” Will you deny it?

I have no apology to make for the bewilderment caused by the King James version in its translation and mistranslation of the Bible. To render three original (words that do not mean the same thing — Gehenna, Hades, tartaroo) “hell,” is wrong. Neither is it correct to render twelve original words (words that do not mean the same thing) “wine.” Never could anyone get the thought of the original by following such blundering, call it what you please.

Suppose, for example, a man finds “baptism” in his Bible (?) and then goes to Webster to get the meaning, and finds sprinkling, pouring or immersion. Has he obtained a Bible idea? No. Suppose he finds “Easter,” and then goes to Webster for the meaning. Has he obtained a Bible idea? No.

​Yes, “Let us not be deluded nor delude ourselves.” The man who fears the truth stands in his own light. Study and open investigation are the key-notes of truth. Again I say fermented wine is not made by distilling; neither can you rid it of its toxin, alcohol (by distillation) and call what is left the offspring (gennema) of the vine, much less can you call the alcohol the offspring (gennema) of the vine. For as Steel, says, “The effect therefore, of fermentation is to change entirely the character of the substance upon which it (leaven, yeast) acts.” And the fermented wine contains yeast, a leaven. And “new wine,” also called “must” (Webster), will not intoxicate until the toxin (alcohol) has been made in it by yeast by the process called fermentation. Neither will refining rid it of this toxin (poison). Facts give way to nobody. Better face the facts than be sorry.

H.

Sound Reasoning

“I do not suppose that any student of the New Testament would claim that the apostles ever used instrumental music in Christian worship. I am sure they could not claim that the apostles commanded its use in the worship; for, if they did, then one could not worship without the instrument; and none are willing to go that far. They admit that the worship without the instrument is acceptable to God; then they are taking all the risk at this point, and those who do not use it are taking none. All the doubt is on their side of this question. If they are right, we are not wrong; but if we are right, they are wrong. I see no reason for taking a risk on this question. ‘Safety first’ is a good slogan for the Christian.”

F. B. Srygley
Gospel Advocate,
​November 13, 1930

Comment

Fine, brother Srygley, the Lord commanded the apostles to teach and no apostle ever used the “Sunday school,” “Bible class,” “Bible study” system, and I do not suppose that any Bible student would go far enough to say that the apostles ever commanded the use of such machinery in the teaching of the Bible; then why, brother Srygley, will you or others practice and insist upon others practicing a system that was neither used nor commanded by the apostles? Not only is this true, but the apostles by example and command specifically authorizes a system of teaching that when used prevents the use of the class system. The advocates of instrumental music can really make a better showing in defense of their practice than can the advocates of the class system as used in the Sunday school or Bible study practice.

R. F. D.
The Way,
​October 1931

Remarks

Superfine! Now, if the organ advocate, the Sunday School advocate, and the cups advocate “will stand hitched” to the Bible, we can answer the Savior’s prayer in the seventeenth chapter of John where he prayed “that they all may be one... that the world may believe.”

“We can use either (a cup or cups), and speak where the Bible speaks.” (J. N. Cowan.). The Savior commanded one, saying, “Drink ye all out of it.” (Matthew 26:27) And they obeyed, for “They all drank out of it.” (Mark 14:23) I do not suppose that any student of the New Testament would claim that the apostles ever used “individual cups” or “two or more cups” in Christian worship. Certainly they could not claim that the apostles commanded them in the worship. They admit that the worship without them is acceptable to God; then they are taking all the risk at this point, and those who use one are taking none. If they are right, we are taking no risk; if we are right, their course is wrong. I see no reason for taking such a risk. Why not follow the slogan, “Safety First,” and also bring the world to believe, and thus save them and ourselves? “Sound reasoning,” “Fine,” and Superfine!

H.