Ready!
Set! Go!
"They shall mount up with wings like eagles"
(Isaiah 40:31)
Volume 5—Number 6—June/July 2003
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
READY: Necessary Inference
SET: Spiritual Kingdom
GO: Gospel to 171 Nations
A Monthly Publication of the Church of Christ at Duluth, Georgia
to equip the saints in reaching
the lost through example and evangelism.
Editors
Skip Andrews
3239 Highway 120
Duluth, GA 30096
770 476-2159
email: Skip Andrews
Bobby Wood
1410 Flat Shoals Road
Conyers, GA 30013
770 922-8341
email: Bobby Woods
Produced under the oversight
of the
elders at Duluth, GA
Rod Rutherford
Dennis Hatchett
Skip Andrews
This paper is sent free to all who request it.
Ready! Set! Go! has been a very rewarding project as we attempt to encourage Christians to be strong and effective in influencing this world for good.
Keep in mind that the goal of our paper is to promote evangelism—primarily personal evangelism. We do this by three main methods. These methods are connected with the columns on pages 2, 3, and 4. Page two supplies helps for personal workers; such as helps in how to use the Bible, how to deal with specific circumstances, and various tools of personal evangelism. Page three supplies help by promoting true Christian living on the part of all Christians. Page four supplies motivation for going to the lost by describing various opportunities for evangelism.
I would like to encourage you to contact us regarding future articles and themes. We want to be as helpful as possible—and part of that is accomplished when you help us with our input. So, feel free to give us your ideas.
— Skip
“Necessary Inference”
What is an inference? An inference is a conclusion derived from facts or premises. Contrary to what some have taught, an inference is not an assumption. An assumption is either something we take for granted to be true, or it is a supposition which is a belief based on probability. An inference, on the other hand, is a logical deduction from facts. The Bible often teaches by implications. We, as the students of the sacred text, must infer what God has implied within the pages of holy writ. Often inferences come in the form of a syllogism. If A equals B, and B equals C, then A also equals C. The two premises of the syllogism imply the conclusion (A equals C), and we, then, must infer that A equals C.
Like anything, implications, inferences, and syllogisms are abused. Someone might say, All Israelites have brown eyes. Jesus was an Israelite. Therefore, Jesus had brown eyes. If the premises are true, then the conclusion is also true. However, the first premise is not humanly possible to prove, and thus the conclusion is in error. On numerous occasions, someone has said, All dogs have fur. All cats have fur. Therefore, dogs are cats. Wrong! Why? Because the premises does not prove the conclusion. The right conclusion is all dogs and cats have fur.
Question: Should women partake of the Lord’s supper? How do you know? The Bible implies the answer, and we must infer it. Paul instructed the Corinthian church to partake of the Lord’s supper. Women were part of the Corinthian church. Therefore, women were instructed to partake of the Lord’s supper.
Consider also this question: may a woman serve as a elder of the church with God’s approval? Again, how do you know? The Bible implies the answer, and we must infer it. By inspiration of God, Paul wrote that elders must be the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2). No woman can be the husband of one wife. Therefore, no woman may serve as an elder of the church with God’s approval. Because these two examples are so simple, probably most of us never even thought about them. Yet, the conclusions we have drawn are inferences from that which God implied within His word.
In addition to the examples above, there are inferences within the Scriptures themselves. In Matthew 22:32, Jesus infers from Exodus 3:6 that God is not the God of the dead but of the living. The present tense, “I am” indicates Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore, God is the God of the living, and Jesus inferred what God implied when He made the statement.
Also consider this example: In Acts 2:29-31, Peter infers from Psalm 16:10ff that Jesus is He of whom David spoke. David’s tomb is full. Christ tomb is empty. Therefore, David spoke about Christ.
Further, Hebrews 7:11 infers what Psalm 110:4 implies. David wrote there would be a change of the priesthood. A change of the priesthood necessitates a change of the law (Hebrews 7:12). Therefore, since there was a change of the priesthood, there was a change of the law.
Coupled with this, what does Hebrew 7:24 imply? Since Christ “continueth ever” and “hath an unchangeable priesthood,” then there will be no change in the law.
In addition, the “fifth seal” (Revelation 6:9) implies that slain souls live. The souls under the altar were crying out, told to rest and wait (verses 10,11). Only living souls can cry out and obey the command to rest and wait. Therefore, the souls under the altar were alive.
Finally, is the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine the literal body and blood of Jesus? Of course not, but how do you know? Implication and inference. Jesus was alive in body and blood when He instituted the Lord’s supper. Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper with unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. Therefore, the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine only represented His body and blood which He possessed.
The list of examples could go on and on, but these will suffice the honest and sincere seeker of God’s will.
— Chuck Northrop
Conway, AR
Have you told anyone about this?
The Bible has all
the answers to all the questions that matter!
CHRISTIANS LIVE IN A WORLD OF OPPOSITES
According to Colossians 1:13, the dividing line between this pair of opposites is implied by the phrase “hath translated.” This word (meth-is-tay-mee) means “to transpose, transfer, remove from one place to another” (Thayer, p. 395). This translation occurred when the Colossians obeyed the gospel by being buried with Him (Christ) in baptism (Colossians 2:12).
— Skip Andrews —
Accepting the challenge
to let our light shine so
that our Father
might be glorified!
HELP US SEND
THE GOSPEL TO
171 NATIONS
One of the many facets of Truth for the World, the multi-media mission work carried on under the oversight of the Duluth Church of Christ, is publishing a quarterly gospel magazine which is simply called, “Truth for the World.” This quarterly contains short articles written in international English on about the sixth grade level. It is primarily designed for those who speak English as a second language, although many thousands of native English speakers benefit form it also. Presently, thirty-six thousand copies are printed of each issue. They are sent to contacts in 171 different nations and territories, including the United States.
The quarterly serves several purposes:
It is a means of taking the gospel to those who have not yet heard.
It is mainly designed as a follow-up way to teach those who have completed
all our Bible courses but have not yet obeyed the gospel.
It is also an effective tool for grounding and strengthening Christians
in the faith.
Preachers in foreign fields who often have no books other than the
Bible to study use it as a source of sermon material.
Many congregations which have no Bible school literature use it for
their Bible classes.
We were due to put out this year’s second issue of the quarterly in June. However, we lacked the funds to do so. The cost of printing and mailing each issue is $6,000. This is a very small price to pay for such a wide coverage and such good results. We were unable to do the June issue because we have only $2,000 on hand. We need another $4,000 to get this issue out. We will then need an additional $12,000 to print and post the remaining two issues for this year.
We have at times discussed ceasing publication of the quarterly teaching paper. We have so many “irons in the fire” in our work that it is hard to keep up with all of them. However, so many people are dependent upon this little paper for so many different purposes that we keep trying to hang on.
Can you help us? Contributions in any amount are useful. What would really be good would be for congregations to put the quarterly teaching paper in their missions budget and give monthly for it. If you can help, please make your checks payable to Truth for the World, and mail it to us at P.O. Box 5048, Duluth, GA 30096-0065. An acknowledgement of your contribution and a tax deductible receipt will be sent to each contributor.
May God bless you for reading this article and for your interest in saving lost souls around the world.
Rod Rutherford
770 622-1525
e-mail: tftworld@aol.com
web site: www.tftw.org
5 x 5
5 Steps Through Time
5 Steps from God to Man
5 Steps of Man to God
5 Steps of Man with God
5 Steps of Man with Man
What Is Your Goliath?
Do you need help with discouragement,
fear, lack of faith, family problems, etc.? This is a series of 12
video lessons using “five smooth stones” to conquer these “Goliaths.”
Order these videos from:
World Video Bible School
130 Lantana Lane, Maxwell, TX 78656
Phone: 512 398-5211
E-Mail: biblestudy@wvbs.org
Equipping ourselves to go everywhere and tell everyone!