Earlier text: DAVID'S DISTRUSTTRIBULATION WORKETH PATIENCE.
By National Presbyterian
THE influence of trouble in the formation of character depends upon the attitude of the heart, upon the temper with which it is borne. When the apostle says, "Tribulation worketh patience," he is speaking of the renewed heart, and he assumes that the subject is receiving the trials to which he is subject in a submissive and obedient spirit. He is telling us what should be, not giving us a uniform rule of operations in the moral world. To one who is animated by a rebellious or unsubmissive spirit, the effect of trials is likely to be the reverse of that ascribed to them by the apostle. Tribulation is likely to work impatience and rebellion. It hardens the heart and renders it more desperate in its impenitence and opposition to the character and will of God. When it fails to soften the heart and to exert a subduing influence upon a violent and ungovernable temper, it confirms the character in its natural inclination to a course of evil. It is of the first importance, then, to learn to exercise self-control. If we would overcome our tendencies to sinful indulgences, and confirm our character in a course of virtue and piety, we must learn to exercise a patient and submissive spirit.—National Presbyterian. Faithfulness in Little Things
By Selected
No man is fit for God's service who is not willing to do little things. The people who are always waiting for an opportunity to do some great thing, never accomplish anything. If you want to be wise in winning souls, you must be ready to do just what God wants you to do.—Selected. Sunday as the Test of Christianity
By Editor
"WE rejoice," says the New York Observer, "that the liberal newspaper of Boston appreciates the Sabbath as a precious spiritual opportunity, and that it speaks boldly in favor of its being kept sacred to the highest service of man in the service of God." How the Investigator, "the liberal newspaper of Boston," and a most outspoken infidel sheet, can "appreciate the Sabbath as a most precious spiritual opportunity" is altogether more than we can imagine. Of course by "Sabbath" is meant Sunday, but still that fact does not explain the appreciation of "precious spiritual opportunities," and we await more light before commenting further on that point; but the latter part of the quotation presents almost as great a difficulty. How could such a paper consistently express the sentiment which the Observer here attributes to "the liberal paper of Boston"? If that paper had simply said that it was in favor of Sunday being kept sacred to the service of man, the solution would be simple enough, for many even among infidels think that a stated day of rest is well-nigh essential to man's highest physical good, but when it comes to so "liberal" a paper being in favor of the "Sabbath" for the "service of God," we confess that we don't understand it. Will somebody explain? One thing we can understand, and that is that the keeping of Sunday will soon be the one test of Christianity, and no matter what a man's opinion of the Bible may be, he will be counted "Christian" if he but observes Sunday. This will be the bond that will unite infidels and churchmen, and which will thus tend to the complete corruption of the church. The above statement by the Observer, a staunch Presbyterian paper, shows that a few words in favor of Sunday, by a "liberal" sheet, will cover up a great deal of infidelity. SOMETHING ABOUT SABBATH-KEEPING.
By Editor
A GENTLEMAN in Chicago, who has received a few copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, writes to us expressing his appreciation of the paper, and asks some questions, which we are very happy to answer. The first is as follows:— "If that particular day [the seventh day of the week] is essential, is it possible that God would have permitted the Christian church, whom he designed for such a glorious work, through all these eighteen hundred years to make such a great mistake?" We might ask in reply why, if pure Christian morality is essential, the Lord would let "the church" for more than a thousand years become a sink of corruption? If the Bible is essential, why did the Lord let "the church" burn all the Bibles it could get hold of? Or we might go farther back, and say, If the worship of one God is essential, why did the Lord allow almost the whole world to go into idolatry? To all of these questions, which are the same, two answers may be given:— First, the Lord has placed men on this earth as candidates for immortality. That can be given only to those who do well. But in order that men may do well, they must be given an opportunity to "do,"—they must be left free to choose for themselves. There is no virtue in the performance of right, when the individual could not possibly do anything else. There are thousands of men who do not drink, smoke, steal, nor commit any crime whatever, yet we do not call them models of virtue, nor do we attribute any virtue at all to them. The reason is that they are in jail, and cannot do any of those things. So if God should, by the exercise of his almighty power, compel all people to walk in the right path, there would be no virtue, and none could be fitted for the freedom of Heaven. The Lord's servants are free, but such men would be slaves. God sets before all men life and good, and death and evil, and offers them their choice. If they deliberately choose the evil, they cannot blame him for the result. In the second place, as just stated, God has done everything possible on his part to prevent people from making a mistake. Even the heathen are without excuse, for they have in the things that are made abundant evidence of the existence of one God, and of his great power. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Ps. 19:1. But when we come to "the church," who dare hint of excuse? In addition to the light of nature, which they have in common with the heathen, the members of the church have God's own plainly revealed will, written by holy men who were inspired by God's own Spirit, and this will is able to make them wise unto salvation. The Bible read just the same a thousand years ago that it does now; but if men chose to burn it rather than to read and study it, why should God be charged with allowing them to make mistakes in duty? Or if men to-day prefer the opinions of "the Fathers" or some other uninspired men, to the simple declarations of God's word, who is to blame if they err from the truth? What more could God do that he has not done? He could do no more toward keeping men from making mistakes, except to destroy their freedom of choice, and compel them to go in the right path; but then they would be machines, and not men. Moreover, there have been a few men in every age who have preserved the pure doctrine of the Bible. There has never been a time when there have not been some who have kept all the commandments of God. Now if one man in the world could know the will of God, there is no reason, except their own perverseness, why all men should not know it. No one can charge upon God the mistakes of men. In the Judgment, every mouth will be stopped. The next point upon which our correspondent desires information is stated as follows:— "So far as my observation has extended, I have found that all who practice this keeping of the Sabbath, are either engaged in religious work, and so are independent of an employer, or else they live in communities large or small, and so render strict observance not only possible but easy." Our friend's observation has evidently been very limited in this particular. He seems to imply that only those keep Sabbath who can do so just as easily as not. The fact is that more than nine-tenths of those who begin to keep the Sabbath of the Lord, do so at a personal sacrifice, not only of money, but often of friends. Take, for instance, a large part of those who are engaged in religious work. It is true that they are in a sense "independent of an employer," but how did they become so? Simply by giving up the employment in which they were engaged, and taking hold of missionary work at one-half, one-fourth, one-fifth, and even one-tenth of their former earnings. Now this is possible for anybody, but it ought to be patent to everybody that it is not exceedingly easy. Those who keep the Sabbath are from every class of people, and from all occupations. While there are a few comparatively large churches, there is not a community where they form more than a small minority of the inhabitants; and scores and hundreds of them live by themselves, where they do not see another Sabbath-keeper for a year at a time. In cities, some who have trades are fortunate enough to retain their situation by voluntarily losing one day's work and wages each week. In fact, there are very few who would not find it much easier to conform to the practice of the majority. Yet we have never heard anybody complain. We make these statements so that our friend, who evidently cannot keep the Sabbath without suffering some inconvenience, may know that if he takes hold of it he will have the company of thousands of others. The idea that "we must live, you know," has taken so deep hold upon people that it is hard for them to begin to keep the commandments of God when doing so will result in the loss of their business. But as a matter of fact, there is no use for a man to live if he doesn't live as the Lord wants him to. Since we could not live a moment but for the power of God, and since everything that we earn comes from him, it would certainly seem more reasonable to expect a living when serving him than when trampling upon his precepts. So the psalmist says: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Ps. 37:3. True, he does not say that such ones shall be fed on dainties; but "a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked." We like to read the story of those heroic men and women of past ages, who preferred death to disobedience of the commandments of God. It is not very probable that anybody in this age will be called upon to suffer martyrdom for the truth's sake; but are we so much better than they that we cannot suffer a little inconvenience for it? How many people are there who fully understand the eleventh chapter of Hebrews? w. SURROUNDINGS OF THE EARLY CHURCH.
THE first chapter of Romans affords a glimpse of the heathen world which enables us to understand something of what Christianity had to contend with in making converts, and also to comprehend to some extent the strength of the corrupting influences which surrounded the early church. The apostle not only gives a comprehensive view of the state of morals among the heathen, but he tells the steps by which they reached the depth of degradation which is there revealed. He first notices the fact that at one time the people did not know God. Verse 21. From the Mosaic record we learn the same thing. We know that in the years immediately following the creation and the flood, all the inhabitants of the earth had the knowledge of the true God. Adam and Noah—the two fathers of the race—served the Lord, and they would of course teach their children about him and his requirements. There could, therefore, be no excuse for the gross ignorance which afterward prevailed. Even had this oral teaching been wanting, there would have been no excuse for the abominable idolatry, and the ignorance of God, which characterized nearly all of the inhabitants of the earth, because nature itself reveals not only the existence, but also the power of God. In speaking of the heathen, Paul indicates the justice of God in pouring out his wrath upon them, "Because that which may be known of God is manifested in [to] them; for God hath showed it unto them." Rom. 1:19. The next verse tells how God revealed himself unto them. As we quote it, we transpose the clauses, to save the necessity of explanation by comment: "For from [i. e. since] the creation of the world, the invisible things of him [God], even his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; so that they [those who deny God] are without excuse." More than this, the same apostle tells us that God "left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:17. The psalmist also tells us that "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Ps. 19:1. So plainly does nature teach the existence of God, that he who even in his secret thought says, "There is no God," is justly called a fool. Ps. 14:1. Such an one may be said to be ignorant of the a b c of knowledge. Nevertheless it is a fact that the nations did forget God; and Rom. 1:22-32 is an accurate description of their condition in consequence. The truthfulness of this description is attested by the heathen themselves. They deified the most profligate men and women, and worshiped vice instead of virtue. Their gods were male and female, and mythology, i. e., the535 history of the gods, is little else than a record of licentiousness. The Baal and Ashtoreth of the Canaanites were the Jupiter and Venus of the Romans and Greeks, and every heathen nation had gods corresponding to them. The temples erected to them were magnificent brothels, and their priestesses were prostitutes. Licentiousness was not simply allowed, but it was commanded as an act of religion. Among the Babylonians it is said that, "once at least in her life, every woman was obliged to prostitute herself in the temple of Bel."—American Cyclopedia, art. Babylon. Heathenism "had made lust into a religion, and the worship of its gods a school of vice, penetrating all classes of society." Let the reader first read Rom. 1:18-32, and then compare it with the quotations that follow. Professor Stuart, in his "Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans," says on the twenty-seventh verse of the first chapter:— "The evidences of the fact here stated by the apostle are too numerous and prominent among the heathen writers to need even a reference to them. Virgil himself, 'the chaste Virgil,' as he has been often called, has a Corydon amabat Alexin [Corydon loving Alexis], without seeming to feel the necessity of a blush for it. Such a fact sets the whole matter in the open day. That at Athens and Rome sodomy was a very common and habitual thing, needs no proof to one who has read the Greek and Latin classics, especially the amatory poets, to any considerable extent. Plutarch tells us that Solon practiced it; and Diogenes Laertius says the same of the stoic Zeno. Need we be surprised, then, if the same horrible vice was frequent in the more barbarous parts of Greece and the Roman Empire?" In the heathen worship there were "mysteries," to which only the initiated were admitted. These were celebrated in the inner temples, and it is doubtless of them that the apostle Paul speaks when he says: "For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret." Eph. 5:12. If the things recorded in the first chapter of Romans were done openly, what must have been the depth of the wickedness that was done in secret, and of which it is a shame even to speak? But let it be understood that the heathen themselves felt no shame for any of their practices. They gloried in them, as things which brought them nearer to the gods. The more licentious they were, the more nearly they resembled the gods which they worshiped. The worst abominations were done in secret, not out of a sense of shame, but to show that certain ones had advanced beyond the common people in matters of "religion." On this point, Professor Stuart, in commenting on Rom. 1:24, says:— "The imputation is, that in apostatizing from the true God, and betaking themselves to the worship of idols, they had at the same time been the devoted slaves of lust; which indeed seems here also, by implication, to be assigned as the reason or ground of their apostasy. Everyone knows, moreover, that among almost all the various forms of heathenism, impurity has been either a direct or indirect service in its pretended religious duties. Witness the shocking law among the Babylonians, that every woman should prostitute herself, at least once, before the shrine of their Venus. It is needless to say, that the worshippers of Venus in Greece and Rome practiced such rites; or that the mysteries of heathenism, of which Paul says 'it is a shame even to speak,' allowed a still greater latitude of indulgence. Nor is it necessary to describe the obscene and bloody rites practiced in Hindostan, in the South Sea and the Sandwich Islands, and generally among the heathen. Polytheism and idolatry have nearly always been a religion of obscenity and blood." Summing up the evidence against them, Paul says that they were "filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." Rom. 1:29-31. And to crown all, he adds that they not only did these things, but had pleasure in those who did them. Nothing could exceed such depravity. As Professor Stuart says:— "It is often the case, that wicked men, whose consciences have been enlightened, speak reproachfully of others who practice such vices as they themselves indulge in. Few profligate parents, for example, are willing that their children should sustain the same character with themselves. But when we find, as in some cases we may do, such parents encouraging and applauding their children in acts of wickedness, we justly consider it as evidence of the very highest kind of depravity." "It is of such depravity as this that the apostle accuses the heathen. And justly; for even their philosophers and the best educated among them, stood chargeable with such an accusation. For example; both the Epicureans and the Stoics allowed and defended sodomy and incest, numbering these horrid crimes among things indifferent."—Comment on Rom. 1:32. This was the state of morals, not alone of the lower, uneducated classes, but of the philosophers,—those who instructed the youth in "virtue." That the apostle uses the term, "without understanding," with respect to the morals, and not the intellect, will be readily seen from the following quotations:— "Truth was but of small account among many, even of the best heathens; for they taught that on many occasions, a lie was to be preferred to the truth itself! To which we may add, that the unlimited gratification of their sensual appetites, and the commission of unnatural crimes, was common even among the most distinguished teachers of philosophy, and was practiced even by Socrates himself." Horne's Introduction, vol. 1, chap. 1. In confirmation of the statement that the philosophers encouraged lying, Dr. Whitby collected many maxims of the most eminent heathen sages, from which Dr. Horne quotes the following:— "A lie is better than a hurtful truth."—Menander.
"Good is better than truth."—Proclus.
"When telling a lie will be profitable, let it be told."—Darius, in Herodotus, lib. iii, c. 62.
"He may lie, who knows how to do it, in a suitable time."—Plato.
"There is nothing decorous in truth, but when it is profitable; yea, sometimes truth is hurtful, and lying is profitable to men."—Maximus Tyrius. Mosheim says of the time just preceding the introduction of Christianity:— "The lives of men of every class, from the highest to the lowest, were consumed in the practice of the most abominable and flagitious vices; even crimes, the horrible turpitude of which was such that it would be defiling the ear of decency but to name them, were openly perpetrated with the greatest impurity."—Historical Commentaries, vol. 1, chap. 1, sec. 21, of Introduction. But while the people were abominably licentious they were no worse than their religion taught them to be. The following from Dr. Schaff will serve to give the reader some idea of the nature of their religion and of the character of the gods which they worshiped:— "How could there be any proper conception and abhorrence of the sin of licentiousness and adultery, if the very gods, a Jupiter, a Mars, and a Venus, were believed to be guilty of those crimes? Modesty forbids the mention of a still more odious vice, which even depraved nature abhors, which yet was freely discussed and praised by ancient poets and philosophers, practiced with neither punishment nor dishonor, and likewise divinely sanctioned by the lewdness of Jupiter with Ganymede."—History of the Church, vol. 1, sec. 91. It was from this state of degradation that the gospel essayed to lift men; from people addicted to such practices, the early Christian churches were formed. When we consider this, instead of wondering at the heresies that crept into the church, and the disorderly conduct that was sometimes tolerated even in the apostolic churches (see 1 Cor. 5:1, 2), we are amazed at the heights of piety to which many attained. The fact that even among that corrupt mass thousands were found who would give, not only their property, but themselves also for the advancement of the cause of truth and holiness, is a wonderful monument to the regenerating power of Christianity. But great changes are not made instantaneously. Even though men are converted, they need instruction, since they are then but babes in the truth; and this fact shows that old habits of thought and practice cannot at once be entirely forgotten. We do not mean to intimate that the converted man has any license to sin, or any excuse for it; but pardon for sins is not sanctification; the one who has been pardoned is not perfect, but is to "go on to perfection;" and he still needs an advocate with the Father, that his imperfections may still be pardoned and overcome. Now men are always tempted on the side of their natural inclinations; if the converted man gives way to temptation, it will be his old sins that he will commit; and when, as is too often the case, a man joins the church without having been thoroughly converted, of course the old habits will continue unchanged. Let the student of church history remember this, and at the same time bear in mind what has been quoted concerning the moral condition of the people among whom the gospel gained its victories, and it will throw light on many phases of professed Christianity. It will also prevent him from attaching too much importance to the precepts and practices of even the foremost of those in the Christian church who had been brought up in heathenism. He will always compare every act or saying of those men with the Bible, to see to what extent their early training was allowed to bias their course. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF CHURCH OFFICERS.
THE officers of the church named in Scripture are, as we have shown, bishops and deacons. The bishopric or eldership of a church is a most important office. This is evident from three considerations: First the Scripture says so; secondly, it is the highest office in the church; and thirdly, it is evident from the number and nature of the qualifications which the Scriptures require shall be found in him who is to be chosen to the office. These qualifications we shall notice fully and in detail as they are given in the directions to Timothy and Titus: 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1. 1. "A bishop then must be blameless." This word in itself tells all that it means. It cannot be made much plainer than it is. The definition of the Greek word is, "not open to be attacked." Webster's definition is: "Without fault, innocent, guiltless, not meriting censure." "We speak of a thing being blameless when it is free from blame, or the just imputation of fault, as a blameless life or character." "A bishop then must be blameless" signifies therefore one whose life is so fully conformed to the rules of right that no one can justly lay blame upon him, or find fault with him. 2. "The husband of one wife." This needs no explanation. We might however observe that we do not think that the meaning is that he shall be a married man; but that he shall not have more than one wife. 3. "Vigilant." That is, "attentive to discover and avoid danger, or to provide for safety, wakeful, watchful, circumspect." The word "circumspect" is from two Latin words, circum, around, and specere, to look; that is, to look all around a thing. "A man who is circumspect habitually examines things on every side, in order to weigh and deliberate."536This idea is in the Greek word rendered vigilant in the text. The importance of this qualification is evident at once in view of the many different dispositions that are brought together in church relation-ship, and the readiness with which so many accuse one another. The one who is chosen to deal with all these, as for those for whom Christ died, must be one who will not only be attentive to avoid danger and provide for safety, but who will examine things on every side before he decides or acts in the premises. 4. "Sober." This word signifies one of sound mind, a well-regulated mind, collected, discreet, self-controlled. "Sober supposes the absence of all exhilaration of spirits, and is opposed to flighty." One who is "not wild, visionary, or heated with passion," but who exercises "cool, dispassionate reason" in all things. 5. "Of good behavior." The Greek word here is kosmion, from kosmeo, which signifies "to adorn, decorate, embellish;" and it conveys the same idea as is expressed in Titus 2:10, "adorn the doctrine." The meaning of the expression, "of good behavior," therefore, is that he must be one who is "desirous of order and decorum; one who is "modest, orderly, decent, and becoming;" one who will so conduct himself as to "dignify," and "be an honor to" the position to which he is called: not exalting nor magnifying himself, but exalting his calling and magnifying his office. 6. "Given to hospitality." This word signifies, literally, "loving strangers," "kind to strangers." Thus he must be "one who receives and entertains strangers, with kindness and without reward;" "with kind and generous liberality." 7. "Apt to teach." He must be one who is skillful in the word of knowledge, so that he may be able to instruct by proofs, and "show by argument." 8. "Not given to wine." The word here rendered wine is defined by Liddell and Scott, "the fermented juice of the grape." Therefore he must be one who does not drink the fermented juice of the grape. 9. "No striker." Not "one who is contentious, or given to reproaches." 10. "Not greedy of filthy lucre." Not a lover of money. Nor is this all, the word signifies not a lover of wealth or abundance of any kind; or, as is said further on in the verse, "not covetous," close, or stingy, but "liberal and generous." 11. "Not a brawler." Not disposed to fight, not quarrelsome or contentious; not a complainer, nor one who scolds. 12. "But patient." Reasonable, fair, kind, gentle, yielding. 13. "One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;" or, as is said to Titus, "Having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly." And the reason for this qualification is plainly given: "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" The man who will allow his children to be disobedient, or unruly, or self-willed, and allows them to domineer in the family, will allow the same elements to rule in the church; and under such a man the church will be just anything but what the church ought to be. Upon this point God has given to fathers a lesson for all time. Eli was descended in the right line in a house which God had established in the priesthood, but his two sons were a pair of hoodlums. And "the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord." This is another great evil that would spring from having a man as elder who did not govern his own children. Their unruly conduct brings reproach upon his office, and other men seeing it are led to despise the worship and service of the church. Because of the wickedness of Eli's sons, "men abhorred the offering of the Lord." "And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." 1 Sam. 3:11-13; 2:12-36. 14. "Not a novice." Not a new convert, not one newly come to the faith; and here also the reason is given, "Lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." Let him grow up, and build up, in the faith, but never do anything that will tend to puff him up. "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity buildeth up." 15. "Moreover he must have a good report of them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." The church must have a care for the opinion of those who are outside of the church. We must "walk in wisdom toward them that are without." "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." Eph. 5:15. It is a most proper—yes, a necessary—question to ask in choosing a man for a bishop, How does he stand toward those who are without? How do his neighbors look upon him? We do not say, How do they look upon his faith? for they may despise his faith; but how do they look upon him as a man, and as a neighbor? Is he neighborly? Is he kind, gentle, and accommodating? Is he straightforward and honest in all his dealings? Does he pay his bills promptly? or is he careless about running into debt? "He must have a good report of them that are without." 16. "Not self-willed." Titus 1:7. Not governed by his own will; "yielding to the will or wishes of others; accommodating or compliant;" not dogged, stubborn, nor presumptuous. 17. "But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." Titus 1:8, 9. There are the qualifications which the word of God requires in him who is to be an elder of the church of God. The qualifications to the office of deacon are much the same, for says the word:— "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." 1 Tim. 3: 8-13. It is very likely that many, as they have read the foregoing, have said within themselves, "Where can such a man be found?" Well, he ought to be found in every church in the land. He ought to be found in the very church to which you belong. He ought, in fact, to be found in yourself. See: These are the qualifications which the word of God requires that there shall be in the officers of the church. The officers of the church are to be chosen from among the membership of the church. Therefore these are the qualifications, these are the virtues, which the word of God requires shall be found in every member of the church. If these qualifications are not found there, then whose fault is it? It is your own fault. And if such persons as are here required are not found in the church, then whose fault is that? It is still the fault of the individual members. For every member of the church of God is required by the word of God to be just such a person as is described in these scriptures. J.