On Being Neutral

by Robert F. Turner

"You are on the right road, and whatever you do, don't let anyone persuade you that you can successfully combat error by fellowshipping it and going along with it.

I have tried. I believed at the start that was the only way to do it. I've never held membership in a congregation that uses instrumental music. I have, however, accepted invitations to preach without distinction between churches that used it and churches that didn't.

I've gone along with their papers and magazines and things of that sort. During all these years I have taught the truth as the New Testament teaches it to every young preacher who has passed through the college of the Bible. Yet I do not know of more than six of them who are preaching the truth today.

It won't work."

Brother J. W. McGarvey gave this advice to bro. J. P. Sewell in 1902, when brother Sewell was preaching for the Pearl and Bryan Streets church in Dallas. It is taken from brother Sewell's lecture, "Biographical Sketches of Restoration Preachers" given at Harding College in 1950. Referring to this advice, brother Sewell closed his lecture with the following words: "This experience has been an inspiration to me, when I was ever tempted to turn aside and go along with error, to remember the warning of this great old man."

From an article by

James E. Cooper,

The Proclaimer, San Antonio, Dec. '63. Established -- (from pg. 4)

this, they are denied the fellowship of Christians. (1 Cor. 5:) A congregation of Christians who, collectively, no longer act in keeping with God's will is unworthy of a name and place among the churches of Christ. (Rev. 2) The Lord's church consists of people identified with the truth -- not just a people identified with a party.

God's Establishment Unchanged

What God established -- truth -- the New Covenant -- never changes. (1 Pet. 1:23-f) But the party -- the people could fall away. (1 Tim. 4:1-f) First their attitude toward divine authority is altered, then their practices, then, usually many years later, their terminology. Because the rule is one thing, and the people who supposedly follow the rule is another, Paul said we must not measure ourselves by ourselves. (2 Cor. 10:12-f)

One may "stay with the building" "stay with the preacher" "stay with the elders" "stay with 90% of the people" -- and yet leave the church which God established. In fact, this is precisely the history of denominationalism with its creed-bound people.

Christians today need to restudy their conception of Christ's church. We must rededicate ourselves, not to some "party" but to the Christ, and to His cause. I must know the truth, and obey it, regardless of the action of others---"in the church" or out of it. I must remember that it is the purified and cleansed church-- not the "party"-- that Christ promises to save eternally. (Eph. 5:26-27) What God really established is firm and sure, and cannot be shaken. Heb. 10:28

Plain Talk; January 1963

Why God Chose Mary

by Jeff Curtis

In the passage on the “worthy woman,” it is noted, “her children rise up and bless her” (Proverbs 31:28). The KJV expresses the thought this way; “Her children arise up, and call her blessed.”

Mothers are special. In a Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown said, “Everyone needs someone to love them, trust them, care for them, support them, laugh and cry with them.” Lucy responded, “That’s a lot of people.” Then Snoopy added, “Or one wonderful mother.” Of all who have believed in me and supported me, at the top of the list are two mothers: my own and the mother of my three children. Most of us could rise up and call our mothers blessed.

In Luke 1 we are encouraged to call someone else’s mother blessed. In verse 42 Elizabeth said to a mother-to-be: “Blessed are you among women.” That was a Hebrew expression meaning, “You are the most blessed among women.” In verse 48 the woman addressed replied, “For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.” Not only would her children call her blessed, but all people would acknowledge that she had been blessed of God. The passage speaks of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

All mothers are blessed, but Mary was especially blessed. Of all the Jewish women living at the time, God chose her to be the mother of His Son. As we consider this fact, we ask, “Why?”

God was not under compulsion to choose her. Nothing in the Word indicates that Mary was so good and perfect that was forced to choose her. Rather, we are told that God chose her as expression of His grace. He angel greeted Mary with the words “Greetings, favored one!” (Luke 1:28). “Favored” is translated from the charitoo, a form of charis, the Greek word for “grace” – and the word “grace” speaks of “unmerited favor.” Nevertheless, Mary must have had certain special qualities to be chosen by God. So, we ask again, “What were those qualities?” We can survey her life and discover “Why God Chose Mary.”

In Luke 1:27, we are told that the angel was sent “to a virgin engaged to man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David.” Joseph was a descendant of David the king, but the royal line had fallen on hard times. Joseph was a poor carpenter (Matt. 13:55) living in Nazareth (Luke 2:4). One way we know that Joseph and Mary were poor is that offered a sacrifice that the poor were allowed to make (Luke 2:24 & Lev. 12:6-8. J.W. McGarvey wrote, “Knowing the greatness of the child, Joseph and Mary would never have used the lesser sacrifice if they could have afforded the regular more costly one.”

Our text emphasizes that the Christ was a descendant of David (Luke 1:32,69). God told David that the Messiah would “come forth from” him (2Sam.7:12). Literally, God said that the Messiah would “proceed out of David’s bowels” (KJV). The NIV has “will come from your own body.” Since Jesus was not a fleshly descendant through Joseph, he had to be a fleshly descendant through Mary to fulfill this promise.

Mary was engaged – or betrothed – to Joseph (Matt. 1:18). In that day, most betrothals occurred very early in a young woman’s life, so Mary may have been a teenager when Gabriel appeared to her. On the other hand, Joseph may have been an older man. Joseph is never mentioned during the personal ministry of Jesus, suggesting the possibility that he died before Jesus was thirty.

When it comes to fulfilling God’s purposes, surroundings and circumstances are not that important. God can use anyone in any place. The passage also implies that one does not have to wait until he is old and wrinkled to be used by God. God’s angel came to a young girl, probably still in her teens, to enlist her help in fulfilling God’s divine plan.