The Heaton File

Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them. (Hosea 14:9)

The Way Of The Lord

There is a law of absolute truth that has been in existence since the creation of the world. When God pronounced the first words of creation He said, “Let there be light” and there was light. This was not just an act of creation; it was a profound statement showing the character, majesty and power of the Creator. His word spoke the world into existence. Authority was firmly established that moment when God ordered the world into existence. Creating light first was necessary because nothing that follows could be created without the presence of light. All would die without the first day of creation. The world is held together by the same word that formed its being. On the sixth day God created man and infused in him the need for light – both physical and spiritual.

Creating man in His image, the Lord began as He did on the first day and said to man, “Here is light and without this light you cannot exist.” That light was His word. Tending the garden was the blessing of man as he walked in the midst of Eden. Two trees were in the center of the garden. One tree would give eternal life and the other would bring death. When Satan came to Eve, he attacked the light, the word of God. Challenging the word of God he said, “Has God indeed said?” Failing to walk in the light of truth, Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit. The darkness of sin shrouded the world. Jesus came as the Light of the world to remove the gloom of disobedience becoming the word of truth from the Father. Light must come first so that everything else can live. Without Jesus, there is no life.

The prophet Hosea concludes his message with the truth the word of God is right and there is no hope for man if he rejects it. This is an absolute. A wise man will heed the word of God because it is the only truth that can give him life. The foolish man will reject the word of God, which is like a man denying the presence of light. A wise man will understand there is no hope without the word of God because all of life is established on God’s word. The Lord is right about everything. He never lies! The world can only find peace when the Light of the world enters the heart and illuminates the mind to know the will of God. Wisdom and discernment are found in the ways of the Lord. The ways of man are futile because he was created last – light was created first. Creation could not exist without light being created first and man cannot live without the word of God.

The ways of the Lord are right. Period. The authority of God’s world is established by the word of God. Satan continues to whisper in the ear of foolish men who will not believe in the light of His word. Rejecting light does not make the light shine less bright. It only serves to show the foolishness of man. Refusing to believe in the word of God only highlights the failure of man to believe in the only truth that will save him. The ways of the Lord are right. Believing that will change your life.

Light gives testimony of itself … and is a witness itself that the light may be known. Likewise wisdom, the word of God. (Augustine, In Joan, 8, c. 416)

And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. (Galatians 5:3)

Circumcision And Instruments Of Music

The early church had many struggles as it grew from infancy to spreading the gospel to the whole world. There was a great conflict with understanding the role of the Law of Moses and the new message of salvation for the Christian. At Pentecost, three thousand Jews accepted the kingship of Jesus Christ and formed the core of the church’s beginning. Their baptism for the remission of sins changed their spiritual lives but they would find it difficult to remove many of the trappings of the Law from their beliefs. Life under the Law of Moses was not a philosophical system of belief alone but an integration into every part of life. The Law prescribed the family life, economics, political and social culture that made a man and woman accepted under the covenant of the Law of Moses. At the center of the Law was circumcised, ordained by God through Abraham. Without circumcision, there would be no covenant with God. This was hard for the early Jews to change in their belief that circumcision (under Christ) availed nothing. Many in the First Century taught salvation through obedience in baptism but circumcision was also necessary to be saved.

Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia addresses the problem of salvation through circumcision. The apostle reaffirms the doctrine of Christ to the saints showing the Law of Moses was an integral part of God’s plan but now served only as a schoolmaster to bring the Jews to the knowledge of the Son of God. The Law was no longer binding and to teach the necessity of circumcision bound the person to keep all of the Law of Moses. If the Jewish Christian used the Law of Moses to prove the need for circumcision, he would have to enforce others parts of the Law. Paul shows the fallacy of this doctrine as trying to justify themselves by law thereby falling from the grace of God. Keeping one part of the Law required keeping every other part of the Law.

The question of instrumental music in worship is the same question of salvation by circumcision. Both are contained in the Law of Moses and commanded by God. Under the Law, instruments of music were a large part of the worship. Thousands of musicians, singers, choirs and instruments were used under the covenant of God with the Jews. David made instruments of music. Arguments made today for the use of instruments of music all come from the Law of Moses. There are no references to instruments in the early church because the Lord did not command their use. He clearly defined their use in the Law of Moses and if He had wanted them to be a part of the New Testament covenant, He would have clearly defined their practice. On the day of Pentecost, the first people to become Christians were Jews. They knew everything there was to know about musical instruments in worship. Why did the early Jews not use instruments of music? They were given a pattern to follow that would not accept the authority of instrumental music. Rather, they accepted the new law prescribing singing only.

Defending instrumental music in worship for the Christian is binding a portion of the Law of Moses that requires keeping the whole law. When an argument crosses the boundary of the Law of Christ to the Law of Moses, authority is destroyed. Keeping one part of the Law of Moses requires keeping the whole. Paul affirms keeping circumcision will necessitate the keeping of the whole law and this is true for instrumental music. When a person believes God accepts instrumental music, the law of circumcision will also have to be bound as necessary for salvation. Truth requires the binding of both laws because they come from the same law. Attempting to be justified by the law (whether instrumental music or circumcision) shows a person to have fallen from grace.

The church rings with the noise of trumpets, pipes and dulcimers; and human voices strive to bear their part with them. Men run to the church as to a theater, to have their ears tickled. (Martin Luther;1483-1546)

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22)

Tingling Ears

The value of Biblical wisdom is learning the pitfalls of pride, gossip and malicious talking. James said the tongue is untamable and from it comes cursing and blessings. With the tongue, a man can be filled with pride and with the same words be shredded with lies. It has been observed the Creator gave man two ears and one mouth so that he could find wisdom in hearing before speaking. The wise man exhorts the importance of not believing everything people say because of the dangers that come from pride, gossip, lies, and malicious talk. It is necessary to listen carefully to what is said evaluating the validity of how it will affect our lives. The example of ‘speech fidelity’ is an important lesson to learn for the child of God.

Wisdom is rooted in the ability to listen carefully. Discerning words is a tool to sift through what could be attempts to exalt the heart with prideful boasting. This will also temper the words we say about others. There are many tingling ears that long to hear morsels of words to pass along to others. Their aim is not to build up but to destroy. Often stories are told that are misunderstandings that become torrents of gossip that cannot be stopped. Before it is finished, lives are destroyed and friendships ruined. This comes from hearts that take everything as true without filtering the truth from lies.

Pride is when we believe everything people say about us. “They must be right because they are talking about me,” we think and our hearts fill with self-worth. The angels laugh when men exalt themselves. Made a little lower than angels, created man is not as tall as he believes himself to be. Wisdom will measure a man’s worth by what God says about him. The only thing that matters is how we stand before the Lord because one day we will all stand before the Lord and learn how tall we really are. There is no difference in one man from another. Jesus died for all men because all men need Jesus.

Believe nothing against another but upon good authority; nor report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to others to conceal it. (William Penn, Some Fruits of Solitude, 1718)

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles — that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioners — not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “Put away from yourselves the evil person.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-13)

Helping Them Lose Their Souls

Love is an important part of the relationship children of God have with each other. We are bound by the same blood, the same sacrifice, the same Lord and the same Father. Entering a covenant with God in baptism, we put on Christ and become part of the body of Christ, the church. As fellow Christians, we help carry the burdens of life so we can all attain eternal life. We need one another. The church at Corinth needed to help one another and they were failing to show their love for a man who had his father’s wife.

It seems incredulous such a thing was being permitted within the church of God at Corinth. Paul decries the attitude of the brethren towards the man who was in sin because they were not concerned about his soul. The sexual immorality was of such a nature the Gentiles would not have condoned it. Why would the saints of God allow such a thing to continue? There can be many reasons but the conclusion drawn by Paul was the church continued to fellowship a man who was his own worst enemy standing condemned because of his sin. The apostle commands the church to take loving action against the man seeking his repentance and acknowledgement of sexual immorality. Their glorying or accepting this man into fellowship was not good. When a brother or sister in Christ turns away from the will of God refusing to repent; and the congregation continues to embrace the person in fellowship – sin will destroy both.

Accepting a person who is in sin is not seeking to save their soul but allowing them to believe they are saved in their sin. When a man and woman are in an unlawful marriage and fellowship continues to be engaged with the couple, who is being served? The marriage is unlawful according to the word of God. Turning a blind eye and continuing to act as if nothing is wrong allows the man and woman to believe their sin is justified. When a couple is disciplined by the church for an unlawful marriage and they leave to attend another congregation, keeping fellowship with them is rebellion against the will and word of God. The purpose of church discipline is to have the couple repent and change their lives. Brethren who continue to embrace the couple embrace their sin and help them lose their souls. Why would good-thinking brethren want to help someone miss Heaven?

Church discipline is hard. Punitive disciple is Biblical. It involves the pain of separation. What is forgotten in the process of church discipline is that sin lay at the root of the problem. These erring brethren are not enemies but we make them more the object of condemnation when we disobey the word of God and allow our emotions to embrace people who are going to lose their souls if they do not repent. Refusing to withdraw fellowship from disobedient brethren is sin and continuing to treat them as if nothing is wrong assures them of an eternity in Hell. This is not love. If we truly care for our brethren, we will do whatever it takes to help them see the error of their way and beg, plead, and admonish them to repent. Their eternal soul may depend on it.

We need a deeper and more tormenting sense of sin, a profounder consciousness of the eternal truth that a sin whether of indifference or intent against our brother or our sister is an offense against an outraged and indignant God. (C. S. Macfarland, Christian Service in the Modern World, 1912)

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:12-16)

Jesus In The Old Testament

The life of Jesus is extraordinary for many reasons. His miracles attest to His divine nature, His teaching the will of His Father and His love for all men evident throughout His life. One of the proofs of Jesus being the Son of God is fulfilling prophecies written hundreds of years before His birth. Matthew’s gospel is especially keen in pointing out numerous times how the Lord was the embodiment of every promise the Jews were told would be found in the Messiah. Jesus was from the lineage of Abraham. His birth in Bethlehem was the fulfillment of Micah’s book, fleeing to Egypt came from Hosea and many passages from Jeremiah and Isaiah fill the gospel of Matthew showing Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Son.

Following the conflict with the devil in the wilderness, Jesus came to Capernaum on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This would be a frequent place for Jesus to return as the Holy Spirit referred to the city as “His own city.” Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would find Himself in this insignificant city and what a change would take place for the people there. Walking by the Sea of Galilee Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him. Isaiah declares the people of the region would see a great light when the Messiah came. Jesus began teaching the multitudes repentance and the coming of the kingdom of heaven. No one had heard this kind of teaching before. His presence was not like the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus of Nazareth was a remarkable man with a remarkable message.

Jesus fulfilling prophecy was according to the will of God. It was necessary for the people to see the man standing before them was not just an ordinary man but one who could turn to scriptures from the Law and Prophets and declare it was speaking of Him. Jesus living in Capernaum was not evidence in the beginning but it was the start of a long list of testimonials rooted in the Law, Prophets and Psalms. The miracles of Jesus showed His power over disease, nature and demons. His teaching astonished the people. His life proved from prophecy that He was the Son of God.

The student of the Bible should realize the Old Testament is about Jesus. Fulfilling prophecy is the proof the man from Nazareth is the Son of God but it also directs the Bible student to learn more about the Son of God from the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. Matthew’s gospel unveils many of the Old Testament passages fulfilled in Jesus. As you study the New Testament, return to the passages of old that speak about the Christ and learn more about Jesus from the Old Testament. He is there in bold print. His message is clear. He is the Son of God, our Savior.

When we consider the Old Testament as written by divine inspiration, and preserved, beyond the time of its own Dispensation, for us Christians … we ought not surely to read any portion of it with indifference, nay without great and anxious interest … Christ and His apostles cannot have put the Law and the Prophets into our hand for nothing. (John Henry Newman, Parochial and Plain Sermons, 1843)

And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound. (Acts 24:24-27)

He Mythed Time

Marcus Antonius Felix was a Roman procurator of Judea when Paul met him. A riot in Jerusalem had set things in motion that brought the apostle before the governor in Caesarea. While waiting for the commander of the garrison in Jerusalem to come before him, Felix brought his Jewish wife, Drusilla to listen to the preaching of Paul. The apostle was most happy to tell the governor and his wife the faith in Jesus Christ explaining righteousness, self-control and the certain judgment that would come. Paul’s preaching was powerful and pointed. He did not cater to the political correctness of the occasion but spoke plainly to the governor about the truth of righteousness found in Jesus Christ. Preaching on self-control would have been a remarkable part of his sermon consider the kind of people Felix and Drusilla were. Pleading for repentance in light of the judgment of God would have stricken fear into the hearts of his listeners. The apostle succeeded.

Marcus Antonius Felix became frightened. He understood what Paul was preaching and knew how much he needed to change things in his life. The preaching of Paul had moved his spirit to fear and trembling. It was a golden hour for this Roman governor to boldly stand for Jesus Christ proclaiming the name of the Lord before all the witnesses gathered. His only defense was to send Paul away and think about it another day. The best means to dilute an indefensible situation is to run away from it and Felix ran. He ran hard to get the things out his mind Paul had taught him. He knew what he should do but Felix chose to do nothing. Convincing himself there would be a better day, he engaged with Paul on numerous occasions but after two years, he was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Like the seed that fell on the rocky soil, the heart of Felix would never accept the gospel.

The season of the gospel is always now. Quoted often, Felix is the minstrel who plays the soothing music of tomorrow by saying there will be a convenient time to obey God. That time never comes. He spent two years listening to Paul but never again to feel the fear of that first sermon. His death brought about the end of the convenient season and he was unprepared to meet God. The gospel is preached to hearts that believe a better time will come when they are ready to serve the Lord. They think it will better when they get out of school, after marriage, when the children leave or retirement – a convenient time never comes. Death is not convenient and it is final.

Those who myth the time of salvation will find greater sadness in the day of final judgement when they realize all the time they had. School was not as important, marriage, children and retirement have no meaning after death. Obedience to the will of God means everything. All the excuses in the world will have little meaning when the season of convenience is past. Salvation is a now proposition with eternal blessings. Are you ready? Are you waiting? Remember Felix.

God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination. (Augustine)

Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Daniel 9:17-19)

Daniel’s Prayer Of Humility

The prayer of Daniel is one of the most powerful statements of faith in scripture. Daniel had grown old in the captivity, as nearly seventy years have passed since he first came to Babylon. Reflecting on the words of Jeremiah, Daniel knows the purpose of God’s punishment was from the sin of the people. The Law of Moses declared the penalty for rebellion and God kept His word. It would be fair to say Daniel was one of the few righteous in Judah along with his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah when Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem. He and his friends overcame great tests of faith seeing the Babylonian empire dissolve before the might of the Persians. A new king sat on the throne but Daniel was undeterred. His faith in God was stronger than ever.

Reading the text of Daniel’s prayer (beginning in verse 4) a sense of shame comes from the heart of Daniel as he pours out a penitent spirit for the sins of the people. Their rebellion is his rebellion. The unfaithfulness of the people is his unfaithfulness. Humility flows through the confession of Daniel to his God. This man of God knows that presenting supplications before God cannot come from an arrogant heart. It is not because of the righteous deeds of Daniel prayer will be answered but because of the great mercy of a loving Father. Prayer is not defined by the pride of the petitioner but the compassion of a merciful God. Jesus defined the model of prayer by wrapping all the petitions of prayer with the understanding it was only according to the will of the Father. “Thy will be done” is the wing that bears the plea to the ear of the Lord God. What is man that he can demand anything from Jehovah?

Daniel’s prayer is a model of action. He implores God to hear, forgive, listen, act and not delay. The reason for prayer is so that God will be glorified. Answering the supplications of a humble man will bring the mercies of the Lord to bless those who seek him with a humble heart. Failed prayers come from hearts that demand things from God expecting the answer to be according to man’s will. Insincere prayer has ‘sin’ at its core. The prayer of Daniel exemplifies the powerful message of sorrow for sin, repentance, pleading for mercy and granting of God’s will. True prayer can be nothing less.

The measure of any Christian is his prayer life. (Vance Havner; 1901-1986)

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (Romans 13:1-2)

Christian Liberty And American Liberty

One of the most important lessons in Bible study is to understand the context of the message. Reading the New Testament epistles in light of the culture and period is paramount to gaining a better insight into how the letter was received. When Paul wrote his letter to the beloved of God in Rome, he was writing to a people that lived in the midst of Emperor worship. The government was as corrupt as any nation has been. Immorality was rampant, corruption was common, political assassination was not unheard of and the iron hand of the Roman army secured the peace in forceful oppression. This was not the land of the free and home of the brave.

The book of Romans is a great treaty on the foundation of faith and salvation. It included strong language for the Roman citizen who bore the mantle of being a Christian. Subjection to the Roman government was not a request but a command. The language of Paul would be incredulous suggesting God established the authority of the Roman government and resisting the powers would be sinful. However, the truth for the child of God is they served a higher purpose and subjected themselves to the authority of the Roman government because they were Christians. The Roman saints understood this subjection was measured by the words of Peter who declared obedience to God comes first before men. There are strong lessons for modern American Christians today that come from their example.

Living under the Roman rule was more oppressive than any time in the history of the United States. Ironically, what has caused more problems for the American Christian is the belief that God is bathed in red, white and blue. The Lord has been recreated in the totem of American patriotism allowing children of God to use their civil freedoms in the misguided notion to lambast, hurl vicious attacks and spew ungodly condemnation upon the administration of government. Freedom of speech and bearing arms has turned godly people into ungodly examples of rebellion against the governing authorities ordained of God. Resisting the authority of government is sin – plain and clear sin. Those who resist the government of the United States of America bring judgment against themselves.

We have no freedom but the freedom found in Christ and that comes from being a servant of God. Do not let the word ‘servant’ fail to impress the meaning of our relationship to the Lord. He is our master and we are slaves to His will and His will alone. This subjection to government applies to the citizens of the United States, Cuba, Brazil, France, Ethiopia, India, Russia, Liechtenstein and Nauru. Every nation in the world falls under this heading. Paul admonished the Christian living in the city of Rome to be subject to a government appointed by God. The Roman Empire fell because God destroyed it. Nations rise and fall according to the will of God. The United States will cease to exist one day because it has cast off the glory of the Lord. No matter what comes, children of God obey Him first.

Loyalty to Christ safeguards the lesser loyalties. (Ralph W. Sockman, The Highway of God, 1941)

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. (Proverbs 11:22)

The Pig And The Beautiful Woman

Beauty is said to be skin deep. For the pig, it does not go that far. For a creature that offers a bounty of tasty morsels, it fails in the beautiful class. Under the Law of Moses, the Jew was forbidden to eat unclean animals and the swine fell under that category. It represented everything that was contemptible to God and an abomination. Peter used the swine as a picture of the degradation of spirit that returns to the filth of sin. A hog can be washed and made to look clean but given the chance will return to the swill of a hog mire reveling in the filth. Taking a creature of such disrepute and putting a gold ring in its snout is an example of a beautiful woman who is without loveliness on the inside. The picture is vivid.

The Jews have a saying the snout of a pig is walking dirt. A ring in the nose reduces the rooting that is natural for a pig. Putting a gold ring is for show and is quite a contrast with the nature of the swine. A woman who is beautiful on the outside but has no redeeming qualities of character is like a hog with a gold ring. The blending of physical beauty and moral deformity is the image found in this proverb. Vanity has led many women (and men) to become so proud of their appearance they fail to see how disgusting they are on the inside. When sin entered the world, the vanity of fleshly beauty became one of the calling cards of pride. Women who exalt their outward beauty have no grace in their hearts. They believe that outward beauty is the most important thing in life spending thousands of dollars to keep the image of youth. The irony of the pursuit of beauty is that it is fleeting. Age is the great reminder that what is on the outside will perish.

A woman without discretion is quite the fool. Seeing a swine with a gold ring, we take note of the gold rather than the pig. A vain woman may be beautiful on the outside but she is empty on the inside. Parents who teach their daughters to be vain are creating a woman who will find little comfort in the knowledge of God. Like a gold ring in a hog’s nose, a woman with no moral compass is unclean. The wise man will conclude his admonition with the reminder that charm is deceitful and beauty is passing but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised. Outward beauty is a mirage. Inward beauty is eternal. It all comes down to whether the pig has a gold ring in its nose.

A pretty face and a very ugly soul. It is nice to be beautiful, but it is far better to be good. When you feel tempted to be proud because you are good-looking, ask yourself, “Is my soul good-looking and beautiful to God?” (J. J. Ellis; The Biblical Illustrator)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Teaching One God In Ephesus

Paul’s message to the Ephesian church was striking. He boldly declared the unity of the Spirit in the oneness of the body, spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism and God. This would be received with mixed emotions by his readers but how much more today. Standing on a street corner in Ephesus declaring there is one body probably did not ring a message of alarm. Earlier Paul had explained the body was the church and he declares that God only has one church. Painting a sign with “There is ONE church” and walking around the town square would bring more puzzlement than reaction. Changing the sign to read, “There is ONE God” would have brought a lot of attention.

When Paul visited Ephesus on his third missionary journey, a riot began thanks to the efforts of a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana. The temple of Diana was a centerpiece of idol worship to Diana and in the time of Paul the Greek god Artemis. Preaching there was one God would be an affront to the pagan worship of multiple gods. Standing on the street corner of America with a sign declaring, “There is ONE God” would hardly take notice and causes little stir. Returning to the early days of the church when Paul was in Ephesus and he stood on the street corner with a sign “There is ONE church” there would be little concern. It would be doubtful Demetrius would take notice or even care. Having a sign “There is ONE church” in modern day America would take great notice and probably great disdain. What has changed? The truth two thousand years ago is still the truth today. There is one God and there is one church.

It is difficult in a country filled with every variety of church to believe there is one church. People get upset when they hear preachers of truth declare the one church and one body. This is not unlike how Demetrius reacted when he heard Paul decrying there were not multiple gods. Jesus came and built one church because there is one God. One head can only have one body and Christ has only one church. Worshipping with the church of man’s choice is going back to the idol worship of Diana. The riot in Ephesus did not change the word of God. Refusing to believe there is one church will not change the word of God. Truth is founded on the certainty of one God and one faith. The teachings of the one church is the one hope and one baptism made possible by one Lord. There is one God and Father of all. Believing in one God demands belief in one body or one church. Jesus is the head over all things to the church, which is His body. There is one Jesus. There is one church. There is one body.

We desire unity of religion but not when purchased at the cost of the unity of truth. (Fulton J. Sheen, Communism and the Conscience of the West, 1948)