Viewpoint Study #59 -- How DO We Save Ourselves?

Last updated on **2/8/99**
Viewpoint Brief Bible Study #59
		JESUS calls US to be members of His church



The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide.

What's Required of Christians? (Considering teachings
of Bobby Key and Don Deffenbaugh, proclaimers of the gospel)
Logic Is Logical -- Or Is It?

LOGIC is helpful to understanding what people say or write. And use of good logic helps speakers say what they meant to say and helps writers write what they mean to write. And we use logic in understanding what was said or written. Some use poor logic. Some even use BAD logic, perhaps.
In THE 4-STATE GOSPEL NEWS which is edited by Bobby Key and Don Deffenbaugh, each issue is apt to contain a mixture of good news from Don, good brief messages from many writers, and editorials from Bobby or Don. Much of the writing is very well done. The publication has been received with pleasure by many for over twenty years now.
In his editorial in the August 1997 issue, Bobby says something which I believe he thinks is correct and logical, but which every reader may see is neither correct nor logical. His editorial's subject is "OUR MESSAGE." He begins,
Just prior to his ascension into heaven, Christ commissioned his disciples to go into all the world and "preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15,16). From this account, together with the other (parallel) accounts of the same commission, we learn that "the gospel" included faith, repentance, baptism, and remission of sins (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47)....
Comment -- Sound right to you? What do you think the gospel story is? The truth is that baptism is NOT any part of the gospel story. I say this even though I'm aware of Acts 8 where the evangelist taught the traveler about Jesus (with no mention of Philip saying anything about baptism) and when they came near a body of water, the eunuch spoke of it and asked if he might be baptized. THAT passage implies that telling the story of God's love must include mention of how hearers might respond to it. But the gospel story itself is NOT about baptism, but about what GOD has done and what His invitation is. That's the GOOD NEWS which is the gospel itself.
The great commission referred to above speaks of the gospel as that story which is told so that folks can know of God's love so that they will want to respond by trusting God, repenting of their sin, being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit within and remission of sins.
   But "the gospel" does NOT include what sinners can do in response to the gospel. The gospel tells of what GOD has done through Jesus who died in our place so that we CAN respond and receive. The gospel story includes the birth of a babe in Bethlehem, the teaching of a man from Galilee, and the death of a lamb of God on Calvary. The GOSPEL story ends with the happy fact of new life received by the risen Lord who DIED in our place.
   We do NOT learn from the giving of the great commission that "the gospel" includes faith, repentance, baptism, and remission of sins. So every reader should be aware from the second sentence in this otherwise-excellent editorial that its writer is either ignorant of correct logic or else careless in applying logic.
   I call on every reader to realize that we need to be careful to make our thoughts and speech (oral or written) LOGICAL and TRUE. If this wrong statement were pointed out to Bobby, he would likely admit that the true thing to have said was that preaching the gospel LEADS TO the responsive actions he mentions. It seems likely he would not make an incorrect statement and stick to it after it was pointed out to him that it was wrong.
   In the paragraph where the absolutely wrong statement was made, Bobby goes on to point out that as Peter put into practice what had been commanded, that he preached the gospel to many on the next Day of Pentecost. AFTER Peter had preached the gospel, he was asked by hearers what they could DO about the gospel they had heard.
   THEN Peter spoke to them about what THEY could do, and mentioned these facts. Bobby chooses to place the responsive acts as part of the gospel sermon, where Luke carefully does NOT place it. So that makes two errors in one paragraph.
   And still we know that Bobby means to tell only the truth. It IS the truth that neither Jesus, in giving the commission, nor Peter, in applying the great commission preached about what sinners were to do. They carefully told as the GOSPEL what GOD had done. The gospel is the facts about God's goodness and mercy and love. Proper response TO the gospel is what any sinner can do because of having heard the FACTS which are the gospel.
   After these two absolute errors, the rest of the editorial is excellent, calling on Christians to hold to truth and to preach the gospel to all they can reach with that good news. He concludes, "May this message, the simple message of Christ, ever be the theme of our preaching." And all the people said, "AMEN."
Ray remarks -- On 1/8/98 I received a later edition of the 4-State Gospel News, courtesy of Bobby and Don (Thanks!). The editorial briefly looks back over the years of publication. It reports on monies received and spent in the past year. And in it Bobby Key calls on each reader to do even better in coming days. He writes,

As the new year begins, both Don and I challenge you to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Never before have so many needed the rule of the kingdom, for never before have there been so many millions of people living on this planet. The explosion of population and the explosion of "knowledge" since the beginning of the 4-State Gospel News in 1962 is awesome. The king's business requires haste.
From the genesis of this little paper we have been dedicated to the spread of New Testament Christianity. We abhor the apathy and division which exists among those who believe in God as revealed in Christ. We have no desire or interest in spending time, talent, or money to promote sectarian Christianity or in propagating the creeds and traditions of men. Time is too short and eternity too long to do anything less than preach Christ and Him crucified.
[COMMENT -- These are wonderful statements indeed. They well express the aims of all who truly love Christ.]

We would have all people to come to a knowledge of the truth, and by the new birth become citizens of the kingdom of God. We are not pleading for men to belong to the right sect or party, but to be simple New Testament Christians, living under the rule of Christ, our King.
[COMMENT -- Bobby thinks these statements are true, no doubt. In fact, Bobby and Don are members of a rigid sect that is far from being simple New Testament Christianity. For they have added an unscriptural "law" to the gospel. They teach that since the New Testament doesn't demand that we sing with accompanying musical instruments, then obviously it's a sin to do so -- all singing in church meetings must be a cappella. Simple N.T. Christianity includes no such prohibition. If they preferred a cappella singing for themselves (as I do), this would be within the bounds of what Bobby pleads for. We have a right to sing without musical accompaniment if we like. But they go beyond liberty and write an unscriptural law which says that ALL Christians must sing a cappella. Bobby's claims are not supported by the facts.]

... The kingdom will spread when the seed of the kingdom is sown. God does not ask us to be responsible for results, but for sowing and watering. He alone can give the increase. ... Put Christ's kingdom first! Pray for it. Take time for it. Speak of it. Love it. And support it with your finances.
[COMMENT -- The suggestion about finances obviously refers to putting money in your local church offering plate, which is somewhat different from "Christ's kingdom" which is worldwide. We best support the kingdom of Christ when in Christ's name we share whatever we have with those who need it more than we do. Christ's kingdom in Joplin includes saints who attend services in many different buildings. Bobby's appeal is for gifts to a local "Church of Christ" which holds to the same creed that expresses the faith of Bobby Key and Don Deffenbaugh.]

If you are not yet a part of the kingdom, follow the acts of conversion in your New Testament. Believe in Jesus Christ as God's Son. Repent of your sins. Confess your faith in Christ before other people. And be buried with Him in baptism, to rise and walk in a new life. Be assured that when this is done, God will translate you out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
[COMMENT -- Amen! And the translation occurs without regard to the faith or life of the baptizer, or of the words spoken in the baptism, or of the congregation into which the convert is assimilated. Jesus saves. In this editorial Bobby Key has spoken beautiful truths we wish all men knew. I wish also that all he claims in this editorial were true in fact. We all need to recognize as brothers and sisters all who in faith turn to Christ and obey Him as best they understand His leading.]

<<Don Deffenbaugh now ministers to the church of Christ which meets at 26th and Connecticut in Joplin. The newsletter from that congregation is always well done and often an encouragement to every Christian to continue doing well for the Lord. In the newsletter received today (reporting on attendance, etc. for 4/12/98) is one article that seems to me to be less than good. Our brother says,
<<Come Worship With Us -- "God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth" (John 4:24)."
[Ray remarks -- Applying this verse to church attendance, Don next quotes a verse which DOES apply to church attendance.]

"Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more, as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25 NASB). [Ray remarks -- Do note that the inspired writer speaks, not of listening to one man exhort everyone else, but rather of mutual edification, of brethren "encouraging one another." If this is what is done in our services where one man leads songs and another man prays and another man does the "encouraging," I still doubt that that's REALLY what the inspired writer was speaking of.]
<< For some strange reason there seems to be reluctance on the part of some members to faithfully worship God. Perhaps they come on Sunday morning but they refuse to come on Sunday night or Wednesday evening for Bible study.
[Ray remarks -- My brother is implying that worship is done at the church building, and only there, and that it's at the church building that Christians are to encourage one another. I don't see that either quoted text applies to what Don's talking about!]

<< Why is that? Is it because they were never really converted? Is it because of the pull of the world? Is it because of pressure from the family? Is it because of trouble in their life? Is it because of their job?
<< Outside of illness or circumstances beyond one's control, a failure to worship with the Lord's people is a grievous error. It is here (at church gatherings) we have fellowship with one another, "teaching and admonishing one another." It is here that we may pour out our heart in adoration of the heavenly Father.
<< If you are not now faithful in your attendance at all services of the church, you need to take a long look at the love you have for the Lord. Come worship with us.
[Ray remarks -- This is a good--faith effort on Don's part to call to repentance some who do not faithfully attend Christian assemblies for various reasons, some better than others. But it's a shame to use Bible verses to say what they in fact do NOT say. It's grand when Christians get together. But nothing in the New Testament would lead us to hire a pulpit pounder to do ALL our encouraging of one another, nor do we have justification for calling unfaithful to Christ those who choose to attend fewer than every service held in the church building. Is that building the only place where Christians can worship?
Is the church building even the place where brothers and sisters have the best opportunities to witness to one another and learn from one another. Not when all the public teaching is done by ONE brother.
Is it scriptural for congregations to get together twice on Sundays and then once in the middle of the week? Is it sinful for some of the saints to do other things when "church services" are being held? I wonder if perhaps Don has not this time said more than he meant to say?]

Brief Bible Study #59 from Ray Downen. To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here.   Or here to go on to Viewpoint Study 60. For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.