COMPLETING STUDIES IN DECEMBER

Two of our forty-four students (including full-time, part time, and extension classes) will be finishing classes December 12.
Robyn Miller is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. She graduated high school in 2006, and shortly after enrolled in the school. While the Lord does not authorize women to preach (1 Tim. 2:12), they are welcome to increase their Bible knowledge and spiritual strength. Robyn has been on mission campaigns to Costa Rica and Mexico, where she has been involved in teaching children. She plans to continue her education, and at the time of this printing, was interviewing for a job to work with troubled children.		Derrick Brown came to us from the church of Christ at 201 10th Ave East in Bradenton, Florida. He is originally from Swainsboro, Georgia. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1989-1993. In addition to his working with the 201 church of Christ, he also preaches at least twice a month for the Peace River church of Christ in Punta Gorda, Florida. He and his wife, Niki, have four children. At the time of this printing, Derrick was still looking for full-time work. He will make some congregation a fine preacher.

2008 Lectureship Book Preview
“Do You Understand Restoring the Erring?”

by Brian R. Kenyon

Our 34th annual lectureship, “Do You Understand Restoring the Erring?,” will be held January 19-22, 2009. Since our 1994 lectureship, we have printed hard bound books containing the lectures and additional material relating to each year’s theme. This year’s book is our sixteenth; it consists of 568 pages; and it is dedicated to James W. Huggins, who served the school for a number of years as an instructor and board member. This book will be a very useful addition to any person’s library, especially elders, preachers, teachers, and all concerned Christians! In this article, we wish to give each reader a taste of this tenth volume in our “Do You Understand...?” series of lectureship books. Following are some excerpts we hope each reader will find Biblically informative, spiritually insightful, and seriously motivating to positively approach the subject of restoring the erring.

In his chapter, “Gentleness and Peacemaking Are Essential for Restoration,” Miles Peeples writes,

The Golden Rule requires Christians to treat a brother overtaken in any trespass with fairness. To treat someone fairly is to stay with the facts pertaining to his situation, while giving him the benefit of the doubt in any unclear and murky area. To treat someone fairly is to refuse to attribute his behavior to unwholesome or evil motives unless it is clearly evident what his motives are. Jesus commanded that his disciples “judge with righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24). Righteous judgment is that judgment which results from our adhering to only the known facts and applying correctly the Law of Christ.

Some who have wondered from the truth blame others, thinking that this relieves them of responsibility. In addressing this misconception, Gene Burgett, in his chapter, “Insight from the Christian Graces,” writes,

Some say they have turned from God because of the behavior of some members of the church. Jesus teaches that those who cause God’s children to fall away can expect to answer for their actions (Mt. 18:6-9). However, the prophet Ezekiel also reminds us, “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezk. 18:20). The fallen need to be reminded that if someone has done them harm, the one who harmed them acted sinfully. Suppose, however, everyone turned away from God when another wounded him or her? All that would be left in the church are those who wound others but have not yet been wounded. Turning from God under this circumstance is to fall short in the grace of virtue. Moral courage allows one to get past personal recrimination.

Though some seem to minimize the role of being a peacemaker, David Stearsman, in his chapter, “Insights from the Beatitudes,” puts peacemaking into focus.

To bring peace to a situation where there is strife can be an exceedingly difficult task. While some believe that active spiritual warfare is best waged by always being on the warpath, Jesus taught that peacemaking is a noble task. Doubtless, there are some who consider the reckless nature of such brethren to be noble. However, the apostle Paul heaped praise on those who were able to “walk worthy” in the faith with “all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-3). While a peacemaker should never compromise the truth, he should realize that there is power in restraint.

Earl Edwards, in “Should Marking and Withdrawing Be the Last Step?,” writes concerning a common objection some brethren raise about withdrawing fellowship.

A final objection to withdrawal that is often presented is, “They have already withdrawn from us.” The Bible says nothing about letting Christians who have lapsed into sin “withdraw from us.” By this we generally are confessing that we have known they were sinning for a long period of time and have done little, if anything, about it, and they are not attending services at all at this time. Again, I say the above is an admission that we are guilty of not following God’s way. Any time the brethren of a congregation know a brother is at “fault,” or sinning—which would include forsaking the assembly, they are responsible before God to “restore such a one” (Gal. 6:1). Obviously, if he refuses to be restored, then he ought to be withdrawn from (2 Thes. 3:6).

Also, the above reasoning denies the validity of the two major purposes of discipline that we discussed earlier. One purpose is that through impressing the seriousness of the sin on the offender (by withdrawal), there is greater hope of restoring him (1 Cor. 5:5). The other major purpose is to keep the whole church from being “leavened” (1 Cor. 5:6), or led into disobedience by the sin left unrebuked in the offender.

I am ready to affirm on the basis of Galatians 6:1 and Second Thessalonians 3:6 that a church has forsaken its responsibility to God and the offender when it allows a person to just drift away into the condition that generally prevails when we say, “They have withdrawn themselves.”

This is just a sampling of the excellent material in our 2009 lectureship book. The local church will be made much stronger when the Biblical truths presented here are learned and applied. Why not obtain a book for yourself, your preacher, elders, and/or church library? Call to reserve your copy today!