Garreth L. Clair
Columbus, Ohio

1. The glory of the church of Christ does not reside in its great wealth, real or imaginary. There are some people today who are of the persuasion that a church is not very dignified, acceptable, pleasing to God, etc. unless it is possessed of great amounts of wealth (i.e., the Mormon Church or the Roman Catholic Church). There are many people today who are just too sophisticated to attend or even get interested in religion if the church does not present itself as a wealthy, sophisticated institution. The fact is Jesus recognized that there would be such people in his giving of the parable of the tares (cf. Matt. 13:22). The gloriousness of the church is not in wealth as we may observe from these few facts.
2. The glory of the church of Christ is not determined by the size of its buildings or the price of the physical structures where the saints meet. Today as in past ages men attempt to serve God with their hands and the products of their hands, yet even in the days of the apostle Paul, he instructed the religious minded people that the products of man’s hands were without significance to God (Acts 17:24). Therefore, the glory of the church is not found in material buildings of any kind.
3. This article attempts to establish in the mind of the reader a facet of the Lord’s church not generally appreciated. That the church of Christ is a glorious institution can be determined by the definition of the word “glorious”: “glorious, full of honor; illustrious; celebrated; magnificent; exalted; colloq., splendid, inspiring admiration. – adv. gloriously” (The Winston Simplified Dictionary, Advanced Edition).
   From the above definition we may progress to the Scriptures for information that will establish the church of Christ as a glorious institution; please observe the following facts:
   The glory of the church of Christ does not reside in great numbers. From examples found throughout the Scriptures God’s glory and the glory of his established institutions do not now, nor have they in the past, consisted in numbers, small or large. Note: 1 Samuel 14:6, “And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised. it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few” (KJV). From this passage, it is apparent that numbers are not the factor that makes the church of Christ a glorious institution.

The glorious nature of the church of Christ cannot be established by observing the great wisdom of its preachers or its members, nor by the complex theological concepts formulated in councils of its great theological leaders. No, the Scriptures adequately show us that the gloriousness of the church of Christ does not reside in the wisdom or sophistication of its members or of its teaching. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. . . . For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:18-21).
1.  No my friends the glorious nature of the church does not consist in any of those things we have just discussed. Now we want to look at that which makes the church of Christ glorious (Rom. 16:16; Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47; Col. 1:18). The glorious nature of the church consists in the following facets:The church of Christ has a perfect Head.- Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).
2. The church of Christ has a perfect law (James 1:25).
3. The church of Christ has a single message taught at each congregation world-wide (1 Cor. 4:17; Jude 3).
4. The government of the church of Christ is from above (Col. 3:1-2):
A. Christ is its only head (Eph. 1:22,23; Col. 1:18).
B. A plurality of elders, shepherds, bishops, overseers oversee each congregation (Acts 14:23; 20:17-28; James 5:14; Phil. 1:1; Tit. 1:7; 3:2; 1 Tim. 3:1; 5:1,17,19; Tit. 1:5). Would you believe that some teach that there is no such office!
C. Each congregation has its own deacons who serve the congregation under the oversight of the elders (Acts 6:1-6; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13).
The above order is the divine order for the proper function of each local congregation. In some cases much time may pass before this organization is in a local congregation, yet the Bible teaches that eventually each full grown congregation will be so organized.
5. The gloriousness of the church of Christ may be seen in its glorious origin (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:1-47).
6. Its glory also consists in the greatest mission ever assigned to any institution (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16).
7. The gloriousness of the church of Christ resides in the fact that it is based upon a seven point unity platform. Observe Ephesians 4:1-6:
A. “There is one body. ” From this fact we understand that to even suggest more than one is apostasy.
B. “One Spirit. ” The Holy Spirit that has given to every man the same set of facts to live by and go to heaven by (Jude 3).
C. “One Hope. ” The eternal abode of the righteous after a lifetime of faithfulness (Rev. 2: 10; 2 Tim. 4:6-8). All men have the same hope based upon the same standard.
D. “One Lord. ” Jesus Christ who is “Lord of Lords, and King of Kings”; indeed Christ is Lord of all the faithful (Acts 2:47).
E. “One Faith. ” “The faith once delivered for all time” (Jude 3). There is one faith that is seen by the fact that all independent/autonomous congregations teach and practice the same thing. That there may be those who wear the biblical name, yet do not follow the Scriptures on each point in no way changes the fact; it was the desire of the Lord that all Christians speak the same thing (John 17:20, 21). If they do not all speak the same thing does that fact negate the instruction of the Lord to his people? Not at all, they are still to be united on the one faith, the truth that has been revealed.
F. “One baptism. ” That baptism revealed in God’s word, is immersion (Rom. 6:14). Nothing is acceptable to God that is unauthorized in his book.
G. “One God. ” That is the God of the Bible not some false god such as Buddha, the sun, the moon, a cow; no, nothing but the God revealed in and through the Bible can keep all men acceptable to him and unified.
The church of Christ as designed by the Lord and brought into existence on Pentecost day (Acts 2) is surely the most glorious institution ever conceived or established in the history of mankind. We therefore suggest to you that the church of Christ in your community today is that institution. Please examine it by the Word of God to see if these things are so.

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Johnie Edwards
Bloomington, Indiana
There is much misunderstanding as to what the Bible teaches about tongue speaking. This misunderstanding is beginning to creep in among the people of God. Let me call to your attention eight things the Bible teaches about tongue speaking.

1. Bible Tongues Were Languages. When the apostles spoke in tongues in Acts 2, “the multitude was confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6). There were several different languages represented as Jews had come from all nations to keep the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:51). They heard the apostles speak in their “own tongue, wherein they were born” (Acts 2:8). So, Bible tongues were not just a lot of jabbering but languages which were spoken at the time.
2. Bible Tongue Speaking Was Associated With The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit.The Lord promised that He would send the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49). The Lord renewed this promise in John 14:26. Jesus told the apostles, “Howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (Jno. 16:13). In Acts 1:4, 5, 8, Jesus again tells the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. They wait in Jerusalem. According to Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes upon the apostles. “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Another example of tongue speaking being associated with the baptism of the Holy Spirit is in the case of Cornelius. Peter said, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). As a result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues. (Acts 10:45-46).  For people today to be able to speak in tongues as was done in the first century, they would first have to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is impossible to receive today!
3. Bible Tongue Speaking Was Associated With Spiritual Gifts. There are nine spiritual gifts as recorded in 1 Corinthians 12. One of these was tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. (1 Cor. 12:10). These gifts were imparted only by an apostle by the laying on of his hands. There is a case in Acts 19 where Paul taught and baptized about twelve men. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19: 6). For people today to be able to speak in tongues as was done in Bible days, they would have to receive the baptism of the Spirit as we just noticed or have an apostle lay hands on them, neither of which can be done today! Here is proof-positive that Bible tongues do not exist today.
4. Bible Tongues Were To Be Understood. Read 1 Corinthians 14:2-26. As you read these passages you will observe (a) “except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air” (v. 9) (b) “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue” (v. 19). If no one understands the tongue in which one is speaking, what good is accomplished?
5. Purpose of Bible Tongue Speaking. When Jesus told the Apostles to carry out the great commission, he also told them that the, could cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things and not be hurt and recover the sick. (Mark 16:15-18) Now, what was the purpose of these things? “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mk. 16: 20). Tongue speaking along with these other miracles simply confirmed the word. Paul told the Corinthians “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not. . .” (1Cor. 14:22). Since the word has now been confirmed (Heb. 2:3), we do not need tongue speaking to confirm it!
6. Use Of An Interpreter. One of the spiritual gifts was “the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor. 12: 10). Paul said, “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret” (1 Cor. 14:13). Again, Paul said, when there was tongue speaking, “let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Cor. 14:27-28). If one spoke in a language others did not know and there was no interpreter, it became unfruitful. (1 Cor. 14: 14).
7. Bible Tongue Speaking Was Orderly. “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that, by course . . .” (I Cor. 14:27). Again it is said, Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40). What little so called tongue speaking that I have heard, was everything but orderly!
8. Bible Tongue Speaking Has Ceased. Paul told the Corinthians that “whether there be tongues, they shall cease . . .” (1 Cor. 13-8) He further told them when tongue speaking would cease. He said that tongue speaking would cease “when that which is perfect is come” (1 Cor. 13: 10). That “which is perfect” is the word of God revealed in its completness. (Jas. 1:25) Now that the Word of God has come, now that it has been completed, tongue speaking has ceased. This occurred about A.D. 96 and there has not been a case of Bible tongue speaking since.

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By Al Diestelkamp
I suppose it’s only human nature to seek comfort in this life, and I reckon there’s nothing inherently wrong with doing so, as long as it is not attained by ignoring more important priorities. However, when our own comfort and contentment is based on our earthly surroundings, we risk making choices that result in ignoring the greater good.
No doubt, our culture encourages us to surround ourselves with every imaginable comfort and convenience. One who will “pull down his barns and build greater” so that later he can “take ease; eat, drink, and be merry,” is considered a huge success, regardless of Jesus’ warning (see Lk. 12:16-21).
One does not have to be super rich to fall prey to the inordinate desire for comfort in this life. Easy credit has allowed us to enjoy many comforts and conveniences we can’t  otherwise afford. In order to meet our obligation to pay for these luxuries we may find ourselves having to pass up opportunities to do good for the Lord and others.
The obsession for comfort and convenience is not limited to the “things” we can buy. It can be seen in many other choices we make in life.
Where to Worship
If you’re fortunate enough to live in an area where there are a number of sound congregations of the Lord within reasonable distance, a decision must be made regarding with which one you will work. How do you base that decision? Too many, I fear, base their decision on where they will “feel most comfortable.” Making comfort the criteria causes some to avoid struggling congregations that could really use some help. You may be turned off by any number of factors: i.e., if they don’t have a “full-time” preacher; if they are meeting in an out-dated building or a rented facility; if they can’t afford expensive Bible class materials (maybe they could with your help); if there aren’t enough children the ages of your children; and the list goes on.
Instead of choosing where to worship based on self-gratification, why not make that choice based on where you can do the most good. To adapt a famous quote from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, “Ask not what a congregation can do for you; ask what you can do for a congregation.”
I’m quite certain that some who read this will claim they choose more established congregations over struggling ones because they are thinking of their children’s spiritual welfare. Actually, I believe children who grow up in congregations where they see their parents having to be a vital part of the work do better spiritually than children in congregations where their parents can coast along with the crowd. Then when the children grow up and become Christians they will be prepared to serve, rather than to constantly be served.
Where to Preach
Preachers are not exempt from the temptation to seek maximum comfort. However, what preacher has not read the Spirit-inspired admonition to be willing to “endure afflictions” (2 Tim. 4:5) in his work as an evangelist? Of course, we are not to seek afflictions, but neither are we to completely avoid them.
There are some preachers who apparently think it is too much to ask of them to work with congregations without elders. No doubt, working with qualified elders is a blessing, and should be more “comfortable” for the preacher, but if they have truly qualified elders they don’t need a preacher as much as congregations without elders. To make that a litmus test in determining where to work might be a bit self-serving.
Then there are preachers who won’t consider suffering the indignity of having to beg for support from other congregations, and refuse to go where the local congregation cannot provide adequate support. Older preachers, who because of their experience and influence could easily raise needed support, often leave that task to young men who have great difficulty in doing so.
The inordinate desire for comfort may also explain why preachers flock to places where the climate is pleasant, leaving other brethren out in the cold to fend for themselves.
Retirement
Most people look forward to a time in life when they can leave the work force and   enjoy retirement.  A  faithful Christian, who is so blessed is afforded a unique opportunity to be of service in a place where the need is great. There are many struggling churches that could benefit greatly from the addition of a mature man and his wife. However, if comfort in this life is the primary goal, the retiree is likely to squander that opportunity.
Paul, the apostle, after many years of faithful service amid much discomfort did not consider himself “to have apprehended,” (Phil. 3:13-14). Even in his declaration that he had “fought the good fight” and “finished the race” (2 Tim. 4:7) you get the impression from later remarks that he still had work to do for the Lord.
I’m not suggesting that we purposely seek to bring discomfort into our lives. However, I am suggesting that in considering our options we make our own personal “comfort” a lower priority than the good we can accomplish. Our “comfort” is being prepared by our Lord (Jn. 14:1-4).

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Recently we again heard the argument that since our society is so diverse, with so many different kinds of persons with so many different needs, we need a variety of denominations to meet those needs.
We admit that there are multitudes with various needs, attitudes and feelings. However, we raise the following questions: First, did not Jesus know that was true when He built His church? There were twelve Apostles, each about as different from the other as one can imagine. Why did He not tell each one of them to start a different denomination? Second, what need does anyone have that could not be met in the Lord’s church?
Let us admit that there may be congregations that are so fossilized in their traditional way of thinking and doing that they might oppose having only one song and a prayer before the lesson. It is not improper for us to examine our traditional way of doing things and strive to find a more effective way of presenting the gospel.
Those of us who have been in other nations or cultures recognize that we may do things in various ways without the necessity of forming a denomination. If we were in a society in which there were those who were accustomed to taking their shoes off and sitting on the bare floor with crossed legs, there would be nothing unscriptural about starting a new congregation in which they did that. That is far different than advocating different denominations, or different doctrines or practices in worship that are not authorized by God. There is as much authority for sitting on the bare floor as there is for sitting on a padded pew.
If we can find that kind of authority for women elders, instrumental music or any of the other innovations that are being pushed by some, then we could properly fellowship another congregation that was doing those things, even if we did not feel comfortable with them.
We can properly worship with a congregation that does not have a Sunday morning Bible study as we normally have. We can worship with one where all the members drink the fruit of the vine from one container. We do not have a right to split the church about those things, or start a denomination that teaches falsehood about doing them. We need to make a distinction between the right of a person to conclude that it is best for all in the congregation to drink the fruit of the vine out of the same container, and the right of that person to make that conclusion a part of the plan of salvation, or teach that one will be lost if he does not believe that.
We do not need to form another church just because we do things in a different way, as long as both are scriptural. If a thing is wrong to practice, we certainly do not need to form another church to practice that.
T. Pierce Brown

by Wayne Brewer
The Lord’s work is being carried out at this moment by literally thousands and maybe millions of Christians around the world. Innumerable acts of kindness are done every minute by Christians in every nation (Matthew 5:16). Countless Bible lessons are being taught at this very moment in homes, church buildings, and many other public and private places on every continent (Matthew 28:19-20). Invitations are being given for Bible schools, Gospel Meetings, and other activities among brethren at this very moment (Mark 16:15). The Lord’s work is carried out by Christians that go and by the sacrificial giving of brethren that it might be done (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Sometime the question raised is; should I give or should I participate? In order words, should I write a check or actually go?
Obviously both are needed in order for the Lord’s work to be accomplished in any place. The members of the church in Jerusalem were taking food to the Jew and Gentile widows on a daily basis (Acts 6:1-7). Logically that means that funds were needed in order to purchase the food and good brethren to actually carry the food to the widows, or if they had a central place where it was picked up, brethren were needed to work at that location. The apostle Paul thanked the brethren at Philippi for the financial support they had provided to him as he traveled throughout the Roman Empire preaching the gospel (Philippians 1:3-7, 4:14-16). The Lord needs givers and the Lord needs goers in order for his will to be completed and there are blessings to be received by doing either or both. Paul reminded the elders at Ephesus of what Jesus had said; “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). There is a place for giving and a place for going.
Going to see a work that is being supported or to help in a mission area has great benefits to those that give, go, and are visited. Do you enjoy receiving a visit from a neighbor, your children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, or parents? Do you enjoy seeing them face to face, giving them a hug, and spending time conversing with them? Do you enjoy hunting or fishing with them, going to the zoo or a park together? I believe that the answer to these questions would be “yes” and we all know why. The same principle is true in the spiritual family of God. When brothers and sisters from the United States travel to Italy, Latvia, Costa Rica, Quebec, Mexico, Scotland, or wherever else in the world in order to see their brethren face to face there is a great encouragement that takes place. The time that is spent working together in the Lord’s kingdom is invaluable and a powerful motivation to continue on.
Let’s continue to do what we can whether it be giving to support the Lord’s work or going to support the Lord’s work, or both. May the Lord’s church as a whole and Christians individually never lose sight of the need to give and to go.

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