The Berean Searchlight · PDF fileThe Berean Searchlight is published monthly ... The BBI Byline ... Slowly my friend began to understand the dispensation of Grace,

The

Berean SearchlightStudying God’s Word, Rightly Divided February 2005

INSIDE THIS ISSUE February 2005

The Purpose of the Berean Bible Society is to help you understand and enjoy the Bible.The Mission of BBS is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ by proclaiming the whole counsel ofGod according to the revelation of the Mystery. Our Goals are to evangelize the lost, toeducate the saved in “rightly dividing the Word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15), to energize theirChristian lives, and to encourage the local church.

The Berean Searchlight is the official organ of the Berean Bible Society,and is sent free of charge to any who request it.

Editor: Paul M. Sadler; Assistant Editor: Ricky L. KurthComposition and Layout: Kevin J. Sadler

Printing: United Press Inc., Elk Grove Village, IL

Questions, comments, orders? You can reach us at:

Berean Bible SocietyN112 W17761 Mequon Road

PO Box 756Germantown, WI 53022

Main Office: (262) 255-4750Fax Number: (262) 255-4195

Internet: www.bereanbiblesociety.orgE-mail: [email protected]

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CST

The Berean Searchlight (ISSN 0005-8890), February 2005. Vol. 65, Number 11.The Berean Searchlight is published monthly (except July) at no subscription price, by Be-rean Bible Society, N112 W17761 Mequon Rd., PO Box 756, Germantown, WI 53022-0756.Second-class postage paid at Germantown, WI. POSTMASTER: Send address changes toBerean Searchlight, N112 W17761 Mequon Rd., PO Box 756, Germantown, WI 53022-0756.

Feature ArticlesThe Importance of the Local Church (Part III)

Pastor Paul M. Sadler ......................................... 5True Spirituality

Pastor Cornelius R. Stam ................................... 11Ultra-Dispensationalism—A Personal Testimony

Pastor R. B. Shiflet ............................................. 17

DepartmentsMailbag Extra ......................................................... 4Question Box ........................................................... 16A Faithful Missionary Goes Home ......................... 21From Our Mailbag .................................................. 26The BBI Byline ....................................................... 28News and Announcements ..................................... 29

Dearly Beloved,We thank the Lord for the ministry of the

Berean Bible Fellowship that was establishedin 1968 for the preservation of grace truth. As

you may be aware, the Berean Bible Society and the Berean Bible Fel-lowship are often confused, which is understandable. Our names arenearly identical, and we both share the same purpose: to make all mensee what is the fellowship of the Mystery. Our Doctrinal Statementsare also similar. We are, however, two distinct grace organizationsthat are served by two different boards. The Berean Bible Society(BBS) is a publishing ministry that supplies literature and tapes tobelievers both here and abroad. The Berean Bible Fellowship (BBF)on the other hand is a national conference ministry that provides acommon place where those of like-precious faith can meet togetherfor fellowship and spiritual edification.

The 37th Annual Berean Bible Fellowship Conference is once againgoing to be held on the beautiful grounds of the Cedar Lake BibleConference Center in Cedar Lake, Indiana. The dates of the confer-ence this year are June 18th through the 23rd. If you are planning toattend, we would encourage you to make your reservations as soonas possible, as the grounds fill up quickly. In addition to the roomsavailable there are facilities with full hook-ups for travel trailers andmotor homes. For reservations, please contact the Cedar Lake Con-ference Center at (219) 374-5941.

The theme of the June conference is: If Any Man Love God. All ofthe speaking assignments will cover the last half of I Corinthians.The speaker for the daily Bible Hour, which is independent of themain conference theme, will be Pastor John Fredericksen. John isthe pastor of Grace Bible Church in Rapid City, South Dakota, andserves as one of the members of the BBF Board of Directors. Thesubject of these sessions will be Forgiveness: The Necessity, Misun-derstood, Defined, and Does Forgiveness Require Restoration?

If you have inquiries about the conference, please contact theBerean Bible Fellowship at P.O. Box 6334, Evansville, Indiana 47719or e-mail Pastor Floyd Baker at [email protected]. By the graceof God my wife and I have been attending BBF Conferences for overthirty years and have enjoyed the sound preaching of the Word, rightlydivided. Lord willing, we hope to see you at the conference in June!Until then, may God’s very best be yours in Christ Jesus.

In His service,

Paul M. Sadler, President

From theEditor to You:

4 Berean Searchlight

“In 2000, I was on several Christian ministry mailing lists, all weredifferent, and I questioned all of them. So I contacted a bloke I studiedthe Bible with back in 1989-1992 and I asked him, ‘What is right, how isthe Bible supposed to be read and understood?’ He said he had heard abloke on the radio called Pastor John Shriver (a yank) in Adelaide, offeringa booklet about grace teaching. He phoned Pastor John, who came to hishouse. Slowly my friend began to understand the dispensation of Grace,the Book of Acts, the authority of Paul, the Mystery as revealed to Paul,the Body of Christ, the difference between the kingdom ministry given tothe Jews and the heavenly calling of the Gentiles as given to Paul.

“My friend sent me booklets and books: Things That Differ, Full Knowl-edge of the Mystery, Berean Searchlights, and Amazing Grace. And doyou know what happened? It made sense, as clear as crystal. He sentme heaps of books and I was reading 8-14 hours per day for 12 months,all I could, and I am still now just as hungry.

“My friend introduced me to Pastor Shriver who is now at NorthsideBible Church in Joondalup, Western Australia. Pastor John sends methe Berean Searchlight and Amazing Grace each month. I have everybook that Pastor Stam has written; I saved for half a year to buy them. Istand up for Paul, the truth, and all I want to know is God and the Word,rightly divided, as I know that it is the only way that theBible is meant to be read and understood.

“Recently I read the August article on OvercomingDepression. The symptoms of depression listed are allspot on. I have suffered all of those symptoms at once for40 years. I read things in that article that I never heardfrom all the so-called professionals I have come acrossin the past 40 years. I know what it is like to put a shot-gun under one’s chin, to pull the trigger and it did not gooff, and then while crying, threw the gun to the ground and it went off. Bythe grace of God I am still here and still alive to tell the story.

“Thank all the Berean Bible Society team for the work they do, and foropening my eyes, and saving my life by what they teach and how theypresent it.”

Mailbag Extra

The following letter from aman in Australia was too longfor our Mailbag page, but toowonderful to keep to ourselves.

The Importanceof the LocalChurch (Part III)By Paul M. Sadler

If we were to choose a model ofleadership from the Old Tes-

tament, the honor would prob-ably go to Nehemiah, who wasthe cupbearer of the Persian KingArtaxerxes. The cupbearer essen-tially tasted all the food and drinkbefore it was served to the kingto ensure it wasn’t laced with poi-son. It was one of those high-riskpositions that came with hazard-ous pay. The concept was: carryout the cupbearer in a basketdead, but “long live the king.”

Cupbearer was a prestigiousposition that was only given tothose who were highly respectedby the king. Since leadership isbest defined as influence, a leadermust first earn the respect of oth-ers. Artaxerxes held Nehemiahin such high esteem that he didn’thesitate to grant his servant’s re-quest to return to Jerusalem torebuild the wall of the city. Heeven gave him the building ma-terials to complete the project(Neh. 2:5-8).

Another characteristic of effec-tive leadership is action. Leadersare people who get things donewhile others are pondering allthe obstacles. When Nehemiahlearned that his countrymen weresuffering afflictions at Jerusalem,the walls of the city lay in ruin,and the gates burned, he imme-diately sought the Lord in prayer.He humbly confessed the sins ofhis nation, in which he includedhimself, and reminded the Lordof His promise to Moses that ifthe nation turned back to God, Hewould restore them (Neh. 1:5-11).Although the problem seemed tobe insurmountable, Nehemiahfaced the crisis head-on. This isthe mark of a good leader. Ratherthan run for cover or dwell on theproblem, he sought to find a so-lution to the crisis (Neh. 2:11-18).Usually the Lord’s people arequick to point out trouble, butwhen the volleys begin to crossthe bow of a conflict, they are usu-ally nowhere to be found when


the smoke clears. Consequentlyleaders often find themselvesstanding alone!

According to the law of phys-ics, anytime something moves itcauses friction. This is also true inthe things of the Lord; not every-one is going to agree with a leader’sdecisions. No sooner had Nehe-miah announced his plan to re-build the wall of Jerusalem whenopposition arose to the project inthe form of personal attacks anddeath threats (Neh. 2:19; 4:1,7-11). Discouragement is often theweapon of choice for those whooppose the will of the Lord. Lead-ers are those who are willing toroll up their sleeves and becomepersonally involved. They lead byexample, yet at the same timethey know how to delegate author-ity to others to ease the burden.Essentially, Nehemiah had a ham-mer in one hand and a sword inthe other (Neh. 4:6,17,18,21-23).

LEADERSHIP IN THELOCAL CHURCH

“This is a true saying, if a mandesire the office of a bishop, hedesireth a good work.”

—I Tim. 3:1Godly leadership in the local

church is essential to the spiri-tual life of the assembly. Thosewho hold these positions are giventhe moral and spiritual oversightof the church, which is somethingthat should never be taken lightly.In regard to the appointment ofelders, the Lord strikes a balancebetween the human side and thedivine side. Humanly speaking,a man must desire the office of anoverseer. On the divine side, Paulstates to the Ephesian elders:

“Take heed therefore unto your-selves, and to all the flock, overthe which the Holy Ghost hathmade you overseers, to feed thechurch of God, which He hathpurchased with His own blood”(Acts 20:28). Note that God theHoly Spirit “made” or “appointed”the Ephesian elders as overseersto give guidance to the assembly.Here then we have two sides ofthe same coin—human and di-vine. Both are necessary in thecalling of an elder.

“If a man desire the office of abishop, he desireth a good work.A bishop then must be blame-less....Likewise must the deaconsbe grave....For they that haveused the office of a deacon wellpurchase to themselves a gooddegree” (I Tim. 3:1,2,8,13).

Before we consider the author-ity structure which God has or-dained for the local church, wemust first define our terms andaddress an unwarranted tradi-tion. The term “bishop” is theGreek word episkopos, which hasthe idea of overseer. Its corre-sponding part presbuteros or elderis defined as one who is older andmore mature. These two termsare often used interchangeablyand refer to the same individual.For example:

“For this cause left I thee inCrete, that thou shouldest set inorder the things that are wanting,and ordain elders (presbuteros)in every city, as I had appointedthee….For a bishop (episkopos)must be blameless” (Titus 1:5,7).

While some denominationspoint to Paul’s usage of “the of-fice of a bishop” to establish a hi-erarchy over their churches, we

February 2005 7

fail to see any such teaching inhis epistles. Denominationalistsessentially believe that a bishoppresides over other ministers andhas a superior rank in the admin-istrative affairs of their assem-blies. However, as we have seen,the terms “bishop” and “elder” aresynonymous; therefore, the officesimply refers to the function ofoverseeing. “Take heed thereforeunto yourselves, and to all theflock, over the which the HolyGhost hath made you overseers[bishops], to feed the church ofGod” (Acts 20:28). Notice that theHoly Spirit refers to the bishops(plural) as ones who were collec-tively working together to governthe assembly at Ephesus. The re-sponsibility of those who hold theoffice, especially those who laborin the Word and doctrine, is to feedthe church of God (I Tim. 5:17).

The bishop/elder then is anoverseer who provides spiritualleadership for the assembly. Inaddition to faithfully teachingthe Word of God he is to manage,maintain order, investigate griev-ances, and generally watch overthe things of the Lord.

The other office to which Paulmakes reference in his epistles isdeacon. “Likewise must the dea-cons [Gr. diakonos] be grave...”(I Tim. 3:8). The deacons are thoseleaders who attend to the physi-cal needs of the local assembly.Thayer describes those who holdthis office as “one who executesthe commands of another...a ser-vant, or attendant. One who, byvirtue of the office assigned to himby the church, cares for the poorand has charge of and distributesthe money collected for their use.”

Under the direction of the elders,the deacons are responsible to at-tend to the offerings, distribu-tions to the needy, building andgrounds, etc. They, too, are to bespiritually minded as they carryout the duties of their office to theglory of God (Acts 6:1-7 cf. I Tim.3:9,13).

Administratively, the positionsof elder/overseer and deacon arethe only two offices found in thespecial revelation given to Paul(Phil. 1:1).

GENERAL OBSERVATIONSAs we noted earlier, the term

“elder” implies age. Those cho-sen to hold this position in thelocal church should be seasonedand well-grounded in the faith.But what is the age requirement,if any, taught in Paul’s epistles?Although a specific age is nevergiven, there does seem to be ahint in the prophetic Scripturesas to what God deemed to be theage of maturity. Under the lawthe priests, who were the minis-ters of God, were not permitted toserve in the tabernacle until theyturned thirty years old (Num. 4:3).We also know that our Lord didn’tbegin His earthly ministry untilHe turned thirty, which was ap-parently classified adulthood inIsrael (Luke 3:21-23). I can speakfrom personal experience that


after I passed over this thresh-old I began to look at things moreobjectively. It amazed me howinsightful my father and grand-father became almost overnight.

In some cases, a younger manmay be more mature than a manmany years his senior; therefore,the leadership of the local churchmust exercise due diligence in theselection process.

Interestingly, there is alwaysplurality of leadership in the lo-cal assembly. According to theScriptures, there is wisdom in amultitude of counselors. In otherwords, “the whole is greater thanthe sum of the parts.” As Paul andBarnabas retraced their footstepson Paul’s first apostolic journey,Luke records: “And when theyhad ordained them elders in ev-ery church, and had prayed withfasting, they commended them tothe Lord” (Acts 14:23). There aretwo classifications of the positionof elder—the teaching elder andthe ruling elder. Paul wrote toTimothy regarding this matteraccordingly:

“Let the elders that rule wellbe counted worthy of doublehonor, especially they who laborin the Word and doctrine” (I Tim.5:17).

The teaching elder is the pas-tor or primary Bible teacher ofthe local assembly who opens theScriptures for all to partake of theriches of God’s grace. The rulingelders on the other hand are thosewho serve with the pastor to pro-vide spiritual direction for theassembly. While the main respon-sibility of the ruling elders is togovern they, too, must be preparedto minister the Word, if called

upon (I Tim. 3:2). Like the creamthat rises to the top, the teachingelder will surface from among thegoverning elders to serve as thepastor of the assembly. This iswhy they are counted worthy ofreceiving double honor. Thus theyare the point of the sword and asPresident Truman once quipped:“The buck stops here!”

The practical application of theabove is seen in the ministries ofPaul’s companions. Titus was in-structed by the apostle to remainat Crete to ordain elders (ruling)and set in order the things thatwere wanting (Titus 1:4,5). Butit was Titus that served as theirteaching elder who was challengedby Paul to “rebuke them [Cretians]sharply, that they may be soundin the faith” (Titus 1:13). He wasthe one who was to “put them inmind to be subject to principali-ties and powers, to obey magis-trates, to be ready to every goodwork” (Titus 3:1). Another ex-ample is Timothy, who headed upthe work at Ephesus. We knowthere were ruling elders minis-tering on behalf of the saintsthere, but Paul admonishes Tim-othy who served as their pastorin this manner: “I besought theeto abide still at Ephesus, when Iwent into Macedonia, that thoumightest charge some that theyteach no other doctrine” (I Tim.1:3 cf. Acts 20:28). We also knowthe above to be true today expe-rientially in our churches.

The question is often raised asto whether the spiritual leader-ship of the assembly or the con-gregation should appoint an elderto the office. A fairly strong casecould be made for either position,

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but the Scriptures seem to empha-size the spiritual leadership mak-ing the selection. They, of course,are the most qualified to makethe decision on behalf of the as-sembly. Note the emphasis placedupon the leadership appointingelders for the churches:

“And when they [Paul andBarnabas] had ordained themelders in every church, and hadprayed with fasting, they com-mended them to the Lord” (Acts14:23).

“For this cause left I thee[Titus] in Crete, that thou should-est set in order the things thatare wanting, and ordain eldersin every city, as I had appointedthee” (Titus 1:5).

Regarding the appointment ofelders, during the years I con-ducted my ministry in the localchurch I recommended that theboard of elders nominate two can-didates, both of whom were qual-ified to fill the position. At ourannual meeting we would havethe congregation cast their votefor one of the two nominees. Thisprocedure allowed everyone to beinvolved in the process. It alsogave me the consolation that theHoly Spirit could speak throughthe congregation to appoint theman of His own choosing (II Cor.8:16-24). But what if no one isqualified to hold the office accord-ing to the guidelines outlined inI Timothy 3? Our counsel wouldbe to leave the position vacant un-til there is a suitable candidate.

A plurality of leadership is thekey to a ministry that honors andglorifies God. We’ve always beenleery of a leader who refuses tohave others serving with him.Paul himself was accountable to

the leaders at Antioch who hadsent him out on his apostolic jour-neys. A group of elders provide acheck and balance in the minis-try, thus insuring that the bestinterest of the Lord’s people is al-ways in view.

QUALIFICATIONSOF AN ELDER

Paul writes to Timothy, “This isa true saying,” that is, it is trust-worthy, reliable, credible, “if aman desire the office of a bishop,he desireth a good work.” Buthow does a young man deter-mine whether his desire to be apastor is of the flesh or truly alonging to be used of the Lord?We believe there are two prereq-uisites that must be met to makethis determination.

First, does his Christian expe-rience align itself closely withthe qualifications to fill this of-fice? (I Tim. 3:1-7). Second, is hewilling to enter into a rigoroustraining program to prepare forfull-time ministry? (II Tim. 2:2).This may take the form of a “Paul,Timothy” type of training pro-gram where a senior Grace Pas-tor takes a pastoral candidateunder his wing to prepare him forthe Lord’s service. Of course, theother option is to attend a BibleSchool specifically established fortraining workers for the ministry.Whichever path is chosen the keyword is discipline. If a man is un-willing to endure the disciplineof three or four years of training,it is highly unlikely he will remainin the ministry very long.

“A bishop then must be blame-less, the husband of one wife,vigilant, sober, of good behavior,


given to hospitality, apt to teach”(I Tim. 3:2).

The long list of qualificationsset forth here by the Spirit is themeasuring stick for those whohave a desire to be an elder. Godhas set the standard so high thatthere are few, if any, who have at-tained to such a lofty goal. Thisis the ideal; therefore, we are tochoose those who are earnestlystriving to fulfill the standard. Agood rule of thumb is to look formen who measure up to the stan-dard, not to shape the standardto fit the man!

Although the portion before usis primarily addressed to the lead-ership of the local church, Paul’swords are far-reaching. This isa very practical section that isbeneficial for every believer inChrist. If this is the divine stan-dard for the spiritual leadershipof the church, should we not allstrive to meet this goal? How doyou measure up?

Blameless: The conduct of theone considered for this officemust be above reproach, lest thename of Christ be brought intodisrepute. Not sinless, but unim-peachable! Expositors says: “Itis not enough for him to not be acriminal; he must be one againstwhom it is impossible to bringany charge of wrongdoing such ascould stand an impartial exami-nation.” We believe this statementis true of both those within andwithout the household of faith. Itis our firm conviction that an el-der must abstain from even theappearance of evil.

The husband of one wife: Thosewho hold this position must bestanding on the moral high ground.An elder must not be a womanizer!

He is to be the husband of onewife and she is to be the apple ofhis eye. Paul’s statement here hasraised the question: should onlya married man hold this office?While it is preferable, we do notbelieve it is a prerequisite. As faras we know, Paul was unmarriedduring the entirety of his apos-tolic ministry (I Cor. 7:7,8). It alsoappears that both Timothy andTitus were single, yet both weregreatly used of the Lord.

Having said this, we believe awife adds a woman’s point of viewto the ministry which can be verybeneficial to her husband. Mostmen function best when they aredealing with one issue at a time.Some would say we are focused,which basically means we’reoblivious to other things goingon around us! On more than oneoccasion my wife has made an ob-servation during a time of crisisthat sailed right by me. Her in-sights over the years have beeninvaluable. A pastor’s wife bringsa whole new dimension to theministry, a dimension that greatlyenhances the Lord’s work.

Men can be rough around theedges at times, but a wife is God’sperfect tool to chip away at ourimperfections, not to mention tokeep us humble! Dr. & Mrs. Iron-side were having a spirited dis-cussion after holding a numberof meetings one Sunday when Dr.Ironside reminded his wife hehad spoken five times that day.“I’m tired!” Mrs. Ironside replied,“Yes, dear! But please don’t for-get that I was the one who had tolisten to you five times today!” Iwonder if Dr. Ironside enjoyed hisslice of humble pie?!

To Be Continued!

True Spirituality

The following is the first of a series of excerpts from Pastor Stam’s classicwork on true spirituality. Since this book never appeared as a series in theSearchlight, many of even our long-time readers may not be familiar withthese selections.

True SpiritualityBy Cornelius R. Stam

“He that is spiritual judgeth[discerneth] all things, yet hehimself is judged [discerned] ofno man” (I Cor. 2:15).

The truly spiritual man is sofar above the wisest sages of thisworld, yes, so far above the massof Christians with whom he comesinto contact, that he can under-stand them, but they can neverquite understand him.

We should all long to be trulyspiritual, but what is true spiri-tuality? This is the question weseek to answer in this book by theScriptures—and the Scripturesrightly divided.

Our libraries contain manybooks on this subject, written byable men of God. The reason forthe appearance of this, still an-other, however, is quite simple.

The professing church has solong built upon the false premisethat the present dispensation be-gan at Pentecost with the “pour-ing out” of the Holy Spirit, that thevast majority of the books writtenon spirituality take their readersback to Pentecostal days to findthe pattern for true spirituality.Most of these necessarily do thiswith reservations and qualifica-tions, since the pouring out of theSpirit at Pentecost was accom-panied by tongues, healing and

other miraculous demonstrations,along with a communal way of lifewhich is incompatible with God’sprogram for today, as revealedthrough the Apostle Paul.

We “believe, and are sure,” how-ever, that the present dispensa-tion began, not with Peter and theeleven at Pentecost, but with Paul,to whom the risen, glorified Lordlater revealed His will and pro-gram for our day. We thereforebelieve, further, that the truthabout the Spirit’s operation todayis to be found in Paul’s epistles andsuch other Scriptures as are com-patible with them.

True Spirituality first appearedas a series of articles in Truthmagazine, the official organ ofMilwaukee Bible College. With afew minor changes and correc-tions we now send it forth in bookform, praying that God will gra-ciously use it to lead many into asane, balanced and truly spiritualChristian experience.

SCRIPTURALSPIRITUALITY

What is meant by such termsas “he that is spiritual” (I Cor.2:15) and “ye which are spiritual”(Gal. 6:1) in the Scriptures? Whatis true spirituality in the Biblesense of the word?


In proceeding to answer thisquestion we must first observethat true spirituality does notconsist merely in the dominationof a man’s life by his spirit, ratherthan by his soul or his body, forwith the entrance of sin man’swhole being was “alienated fromthe life of God” (Eph. 4:17-19) andhe became, spirit, soul and body,a fallen creature. Moreover, as wehave seen, man’s perverted soulnow, rather than being the seat ofsimple self-consciousness, becamethat of self-importance and self-interest, and this had a devastat-ing effect upon his spirit, settingthe whole inner man at enmityagainst God (Rom. 8:7; Col. 1:21).

An examination of the Bibleusage of the word pneuma willsoon dispel the notion that thequality of spirit is in itself neces-sarily good. Again and again weread in the Scriptures of “unclean”and “evil” spirits (Mark 1:23; Luke7:21, etc.). In I Peter 3:19,20 weread of “spirits in prison,” whowere cast there for their disobe-dience to God in the days of Noah.Satan himself is, as we know, “thespirit that now worketh in thechildren of disobedience” (Eph.2:2) and believers are explicitlywarned that their warfare is notagainst flesh and blood, butagainst wicked spirits in theheavenlies (Eph. 6:12). Indeed,the fact that we are called uponto cleanse ourselves from all de-filement of “the flesh1 and spirit”(II Cor. 7:1) and that some do seekto be “holy both in body and inspirit” (I Cor. 7:34) indicates clearlythat man’s spirit did not remainundefiled in the fall.

Hence it is not enough that ourlives be dominated by our spirits.The whole man, spirit, soul andbody, must be dominated by theSpirit of God. Spiritual men, inthe Bible sense of the term, arethose who possess “the Spiritwhich is of God” (I Cor. 2:12) ap-preciate and respond to “thethings of the Spirit of God” (I Cor.2:14) are “led by the Spirit of God”(Rom. 8:14) and thus bear “thefruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22).

That Scriptural spiritualityhas to do with the work of theSpirit of God in the believer, isclear from I Corinthians 2:11,where the Apostle Paul pointsout that just as no one could un-derstand “the things of a man” ifit were not for “the spirit of manwhich is in him,” so no one canunderstand “the things of God”except by “the Spirit of God.”

The mere fact that fallen manhimself is, or has, a spirit does nothelp him to understand God or tobe more like Him. This fact shouldbe carefully noted by those whoseek to please God by constantly—and vainly—attempting to attainto their “higher” selves.

THE SPIRIT ANDTHE FLESH

In this connection the Paulineepistles have much to say aboutthe flesh (Gr., Sarx) in an ethicalsense, as signifying, not merelythe physical body, nor even thebody and the soul, but the fallen,Adamic nature in man, as it af-fects his whole being, includingeven his spirit.

In the flesh, says the apostle,“dwelleth no good thing” (Rom.

February 2005 13

7:18). He calls it “sinful flesh”(Rom. 8:3). He tells us that “theflesh lusteth against the Spirit”(Gal. 5:17) that it seeks “occasion”to do wrong (Gal. 5:13) and that“the works of the flesh” are allbad (Gal. 5:19-21).

It is important that we under-stand that more than the physi-cal body, or even the body and thesoul, is meant by the term “flesh”in such passages as these. Theapostle refers to the old natureas it operates in the whole man.

Often, to be sure, man’s fallennature expresses itself in theabandoned gratification of sen-sual passions, but on the otherhand it may express itself in anattempt to control those passions.The “old man” may be outwardlymoral and upright and, indeed,quite religious. He may faithfullyobserve fasts and feasts and holydays. He may strive to keep hisbody under control, disciplininghimself by participation in asceticpractices in “a voluntary humil-ity,” while actually he is all themore displeasing to God becausehe is “puffed up by his fleshlymind,” supposing that he is mak-ing something of himself. Andmeanwhile the “ordinances” towhich he “subjects” himself andeven his “neglecting of the body”fail to prove “of any value againstthe indulgence of the flesh” (Col.

2:18-23) for the simple reason thatall these efforts merely representan attempt by the flesh to improvehimself.

Little wonder that we read notonly that “he that soweth to theflesh shall of the flesh reap cor-ruption” (Gal. 6:8) but that even“to be carnally minded is death....Because the carnal mind is en-mity against God: for it is not sub-ject to the law of God, neitherindeed can be” (Rom. 8:6,7).

“So then, they that are in theflesh2 cannot please God” (Rom.8:8). This is important to remem-ber. No matter how educated orcultured or religious the natu-ral man may be, he CANNOTPLEASE GOD.

We have dealt with this sub-ject at some length in order thatthe reader may not be misled intosupposing that if only his spiritcould somehow get control overhis body he would be a betterman, for his spirit, soul and bodyare from infancy controlled by thefallen Adamic nature—the flesh.

What the sinner needs is a newnature, begotten of the Spirit ofGod, so that God Himself mayhave control.

PREVALENT FORMS OFPSEUDO-SPIRITUALITYBefore explaining from the

Scriptures how sinners may be-come “partakers of the divine na-ture,” something further must besaid about what spirituality is not.

In addition to sincere, thoughvain, attempts by the unsaved toimprove the old nature, there arevarious forms of pseudo-spiritu-ality which many, even among

“...the truth aboutthe Spirit’s operationtoday is to be foundin Paul’s epistles....”


God’s people, have mistaken forthe real thing, supposing that theyevidence a working of the Spiritof God within.

With some, pure emotionalismis taken for spirituality. Naturalemotional reactions to touchingstories, impassioned appeals orbeautiful sacred music is thoughtto be the working of the Spiritwithin, and those who react read-ily to these things are thought tobe quite spiritual.

With others solemnity is takenfor spirituality. They feel that truebelievers should be always graveand so they go about with bowedhead, a long face and a generallysober bearing or, perhaps, try toaffect deeper spirituality by sodoing, while others—who do notknow them well—remark on theirpiety.

With others again it is the veryopposite. They mistake cheerful-ness for spirituality and lookupon those who are quickest toshout “praise the Lord,” or whoseem always happy, as being mostspiritual.

Very often, of course, mere cer-emonialism is confused with spiri-tuality. Observing a “sacrament,”gazing at a “sacred” picture orstatue, kneeling at an altar; suchthings may be, and often are, mis-taken for spirituality.

Perhaps the most prevalentcounterfeit of true spirituality isthat which believers are least aptto suppose they would ever bedeceived by: superstition, whichplays so largely upon the imagi-nation. A young man seeks to de-termine the Lord’s will for his lifeby flipping his Bible open and let-ting his finger alight at randomupon some passage which is sup-posed to indicate the leading of theLord. A housewife seeks guidancefor the day by taking a promise atrandom from a “promise box”—apromise which may not at all ap-ply to her and which she will haveto “spiritualize” in some way tomake it fit. Another says: “I talkedwith the Lord about it and Hesaid....” Often the most unscrip-tural practices or courses of actionare justified in this way. Whenpeople tell us this we generallyinquire further into the matter.We ask: “Just what did the Lordsay to you?” “How did He say it?”“Did you hear His voice?”

We believe that God does in-deed speak to His children di-rectly in His Word and indirectlythrough circumstances, but evenin Bible times it was compara-tively seldom that man ever heardthe voice of God. Generally what“the Lord said,” in such cases asthe above, was nothing more thansome wholly human emotion feltor opinion arrived at—and aswholly unreliable. If what “theLord said” was a genuine convic-tion, based on the revealed will ofGod, then it may be said that Godspoke to the individual throughHis Word, doubtless in answer toprayer, but the impression should

February 2005 15

not be given that the Lord “said”or “whispered” something, whilethe individual was engaged inprayer. Those who imagine thatthey have such experiences andsuppose that this reflects somedegree of spirituality on theirpart should search the Scripturesand learn that in the days whenGod did speak to men by wordof mouth, or by angelic appear-ances, He did so to the wicked andungodly as well as to His saints.Doubtless our adversary wouldgladly have us occupied withimaginary “voices” and “revela-tions” and so displace the now-completed revelation in the HolyScriptures.

Let us not be misunderstood.We do not say that emotional

Endnotes1. Referring to the physical man when

thus linked with the spirit.2. I.e., live in the realm of the old nature.

See Page 24 to order True Spirituality at this month’s special price.

Introductory Tape Offer

True Spirituality—Book on TapeBy C. R. Stam

Audio Cassette Tapes(Narrated by Dave Allen)

Set of 3 Tapes with Album

Special Price: $10.00

THIS OFFER ENDS FEBRUARY 28, 2005(Extended 21 days for all foreign orders)

Orders up to $20.00, please add $3.00 for postage and handling.Orders over $20.00, please add 15% for postage and handling.

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*When ordering, please specify “True Spirituality—Book on Tape”

reactions or sincere solemnity orcheerfulness are wrong. We sim-ply say that they should not beconfused with true spirituality.The unsaved can experience simi-lar emotional reactions to thosewhich are felt by the saved. Theunsaved too may be cheerful orgrave. Certainly ceremonialismand superstition have a largeplace among the unsaved. Yet theunsaved, whatever their emo-tional experiences, however sol-emn or cheerful, however givenover to ceremonialism or super-stition, are far from spiritual.

New!


Question Box“My Seventh Day Adventist friend insists that I Corinthians

7:19 proves Paul taught we should keep the Law. What aboutthis?”

“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,but the keeping of the commandments of God” (I Cor. 7:19).

To begin with, this verse cannot be saying that we mustkeep the Law of Moses, for Paul clearly declares elsewherethat we are not under the Law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14,15).Besides, circumcision was part of the Law (Lev. 12:3). It wouldmake no sense to say, “Circumcision is nothing, but the keep-ing of the commandments is what matters” if circumcisionwas one of the commandments Paul had in mind. There mustbe some other explanation, and there is.

It is a mistake to assume that all of the “commandments”in Scripture are part of the Law of Moses. The Apostle Paulsaid in this very epistle:

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, lethim acknowledge that the things that I write unto you arethe commandments of the Lord” (I Cor. 14:37).

Surely in saying this Paul meant more than just theCorinthian epistle, but rather had all of his epistles in mindwhen he called his own writings “the commandments of theLord.” We know this to be so because of several other refer-ences to Pauline commandments that we find in his epistles:

“For ye know what commandments we gave you by theLord Jesus” (I Thes. 4:2).

“Now we command you, brethren…” (II Thes. 3:6).“Now them that are such we command…” (II Thes. 3:12).

These verses obviously refer to Pauline commandmentsrather than Mosaic commandments. And in addition to thesereferences, the imperative mood in Greek indicates a com-mand, and Paul used the imperative mood literally hundredsof times throughout his epistles. Thus many of the statementshe makes in his epistles are actually commandments.

And so we can conclude that just as the Law of Moses con-tained God’s commandments for the people of Israel, Paul’sepistles contain His commandments for members of the Bodyof Christ, living in the dispensation of grace. And it is to thesecommandments that Paul refers in I Corinthians 7:19.

—Pastor Kurth

Ultra-DispensationalismA Personal Testimony

By Pastor R. B. Shiflet

Ihave never met a man who admitted that he was an ultra-dispensationalist. I have never heard nor read a satisfactory def-

inition of one. I know that ultra-dispensationalism has a synonym,“hyper-dispensationalism.” Thus the propagandist who enjoys re-sorting to name calling may have his choice of the Greek prefix (hyper)or the Latin one (ultra) to hurl at this victim. I am aware that theseterms are sometimes thrown about promiscuously by Bible teacherswho have status in conservative circles. The terms are also repeatedparrot-like by thousands who are simply seeking notoriety amongfundamentalists.

Usually someone is referred to as an ultra-dispensationalist if hissystem of dispensational interpretation of the Bible goes beyond one’sown. That, of course, is the meaning of the prefix “ultra”—over orbeyond.

There is another, and perhaps even more deadly, ultra-dispensa-tionalism, for which little rebuke seems to be forthcoming from anyof the publications dedicated to the right dividing of the Scriptures. Iconsider this form of ultra-dispensationalism as practical ultra-dispensationalism, rather than doctrinal. I submit to you that whenwe become guilty of any of the following practices, we are “ultra” or“hyper” in our dispensationalism: that is, we go beyond the Scripturesand become practical ultra-dispensationalists.

Make a Sect of our Dispensationalism. We refuse fellowshipwith any who do not agree with us in every facet of our teaching onright division of the Word. By way of example: not long ago a womancalled our home to inquire about our church services. She was funda-mental in her beliefs and dispensational according to the Scofield-Darbysystem, but she belonged to an independent fellowship of fundamentalchurches. When she discovered that our church was not affiliated withher denomination with its system of dispensationalism, she became

R. B. Shiflet is one of our senior Grace Pastors who has faithfully stood inthe defense and confirmation of Paul’s gospel for longer than any one canremember. Having authored a number of popular booklets he has broughtmany dear saints into a fuller knowledge of the Word, rightly divided, throughthe written page. We are sure you’re going to enjoy his insights on the sub-ject of Ultra-Dispensationalism. Brother Shiflet is getting along in yearsand we’re confident he would appreciate receiving a note of encouragementfrom our readers.


aloof and would not attend our meetings, even though we assuredher of the soundness of our teaching and that she would be madewelcome in our assembly. This woman was so ultra in regard to herdenomination and its system, that she could not see the many, manythings we had in common and missed the sweet fellowship we couldhave enjoyed together as fellow believers.

To be honest, we must admit that some of the most sectarian groupswe have ever encountered were dispensationalists who took pridein the fact of their non-sectarianism. Many who boast in their being“non-sectarian Christians” are so hidebound in their dispensational-ism that they refuse to admit to their fellowship any who vary evenslightly from their particular “norms.”

Mutilate the Scriptures by our Dispensationalism. Foes ofright division of the Scriptures have often accused us of taking only aportion of the Word of God and casting the remainder aside. A well-known fundamentalist, who has been loud in his condemnation ofdispensational Bible study, usedto say that we took a slice of breadof God’s Word, while he took thewhole loaf. He was, of course, in-consistent. He claimed to preachthe “Great Commission” of Mark 16,but at the same time attacked withall his might the “healing preach-ers” who were attempting to carryout the sign program of the same commission. But the other side ofthe picture is that we of the “Grace Movement” have often been guiltyof preaching the Mystery and Pauline truths, while neglecting or ig-noring the remainder of the Bible. The error is not in preaching thegreat truths of Paul’s Epistles; it is in failing to give a balanced mes-sage, and so appearing to disregard or cast aside the rest of the Book.The revelation of truth concerning the Body of Christ needs the back-ground of the Gospels. The Gospels would not be understandable with-out the Law, the Psalms and the Prophets. Therefore, we need thewhole Book. Let us not become so ultra in our emphasis on dispen-sationalism (wherever we find the boundaries) that we neglect partsof the Word.

Miss the Sweetness of Spiritual Applications. Closely associ-ated with neglecting the Word of God other than Paul’s letters, is thefailure to see spiritual applications from portions belonging to otherdispensations. Dr. E. W. Bullinger said in his excellent book, How toEnjoy the Bible:

“All the sweetness, all the blessing, all the truth can beobtained by a wise application, without in the slightest

February 2005 19

degree impairing the true interpretation. This may be leftand preserved in its integrity, and yet something reallyspiritual may be appropriated by application—all, in fact,that can be desired—without doing any violence to theDivine Word....”

I think it was Dr. Henry Grube who called attention to the factthat I Corinthians 10:11 authorizes four types of Bible study: (1) “Nowall these things happened”—I can study the Bible as literally true,because these things actually happened; (2) “unto them for examples”(Greek, tupos, TYPES)—I can study the Bible for types and shad-ows; (3) “and they are written for our admonition”—I can study theBible for spiritual applications; (4) “upon whom the ends of the world[ages] are come”—I can study the Bible to distinguish the ages ordispensations.

Surely some of God’s elect from among the Plymouth Brethrenhave done the Body of Christ a great service through their detailstudies regarding spiritual applications of Old Testament truths!Who among us has not rejoiced with C. H. Mackintosh in many ofhis studies in shadow and type? If we become so dispensational thatwe miss the sweetness of these spiritual truths in type and shadow,we are Ultra.

Manifest the Spirit of Continuous Criticism. I believe that,by the grace of God, most of us who love Pauline teaching have grownout of this to a degree; but who among us cannot remember the timewhen a believer new in dispensational truth was almost afraid toopen his mouth around older believers for fear of being criticized forhis choice of words, choice of hymns, etc.? We did not dare refer to theOld Testament or the New without a dissertation on just when theOld was replaced by the New. We dared not use the words “Christ-mas” or “Easter,” lest someone think we were observing days. It washeresy to sing “Stepping in the Light” because we surely were not“Trying to walk in the steps of the Savior.”

In our zeal to stress the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ was a Jewaccording to the flesh, made of a woman, made under the Law, livingon Old Testament ground, and coming to die for our sins, not show-ing us the way but coming to be The Way, we forgot another side ofthe picture. While we do not follow our Lord in His Jewish religionwith its Sabbaths and ceremonies, we do (or should) strive to “let thismind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” As far as His humility,His kindness, His graciousness and His love are concerned, we mustremember that He left us an example that we should follow in Hissteps, not to be saved, but because He lives in us. In our zeal to “knowHim no more after the flesh,” we may have put a stumblingblock inthe path of weak Christians who did not even know what we were


talking about. If our life is a pattern of criticizing those who fail toagree with us in that which has almost become dispensational jargon,we are Ultra.

This message is not an appeal to minimize or de-emphasize theprecious truths of right division, nor is it designed to discourage any-one from making known the Dispensation of the Mystery. Surely,too few are doing enough to make these rich truths known. But I amconvinced that Satan sometimes uses the friends of dispensational-ism to be its greatest hindrance. This truth given to us by the risenChrist, through the Apostle Paul, was meant to stress the unity ofthe Spirit, the oneness of all believers in Christ. It is a sad commen-tary on our depravity that our message, through these forms of ultra-dispensationalism, has become a source of division.

A man of God of whom I have heard, and whose sweet spirit hasbeen an inspiration to me, even though I was never privileged to meethim face to face, was Brother Elmer Leake, a Texas pastor, who, be-fore any of us was born, was standing for many of the truths we holddear. He was quoted as having said, “Brethren, if a wall of separationor sectarianism is ever built between us and any other believers, let’slet them do the building.” In other words, this dear brother loved allbelievers and desired fellowship with them through the Lord JesusChrist. Brother C. R. Stam once wrote, “We look forward to the daywhen, in God’s grace, denominational walls will fall and we can allenjoy our oneness in Christ. Meantime we seek what fellowship wecan find with those who love and trust our Lord in truth, whatevertheir denominational affiliation.” This statement climaxed an articlethat Brother Stam wrote on, “The Practical Effects of the Mystery,”in which he gave an impressive, clear-cut message on the precious-ness of the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation ofthe Mystery, showing the practical effects this message should havein our lives.

When we become so concerned with the minute details of dispen-sationalism that we lose the realization of our oneness in Christ, wehave become Ultra.

If you would like to contact Pastor Shiflet, he can be reached bye-mail at: [email protected] or write: P.O. Box 473,Mineral Wells, TX 76068.

“...Satan sometimes uses the friends ofdispensationalism to be its greatest hindrance.”

A Faithful Missionary Goes HomeA Faithful Missionary Goes HomeGrace Missionary Sam Vinton Sr.

went home to be with the Lord onJanuary 2nd after a lifetime of dedi-cated service for the Lord Jesus Christ.His 75 consecutive years in the Afri-can Congo made him the longest serv-ing Protestant missionary ever, andendeared him to the hearts of the Con-golese people among whom he minis-tered. His son, Missionary Sam Vinton Jr., summarizes his lifein three words: obedience, commitment and contentment.

Obedience: When praise came his way for his willingnessto sacrifice and endure hardship and suffering, Sam wouldbrush it aside, insisting that he had merely been obedient.When he left home on March 12, 1928 for the Congo, he wasdetermined to walk in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, whowas “not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” he received onthe road to Damascus (Acts 26:19).

Commitment: Brother Vinton never lost sight of the awethat comes from serving God Himself. This produced in hima level of commitment that caused him to value God’s demandson his life more than conveniences, security, safety, and yes,even life itself. At 97, he was still looking for more challengesfrom the Lord, believing that his work was not yet complete.

Contentment: Sam Jr. attributes his father’s contentmentin the ministry as the thing that enabled him to endure theups and downs of missionary work. He often remarked uponthe importance of living in the light of Philippians 4:11,12,strengthened by the promise of Philippians 4:13.

The legacy of his life may per-haps be best summed up in hisson’s assessment that he “simplylived a life of obedience the wayall Christians are supposed to live.This does not mean that everyChristian would end up in Congo,

but every Christian should understand the teaching of nolonger living to self, but to Christ.”

February 2005 21

Spotlight on Grace ChurchesThis month’s church is:

Grace Bible Church

Location: 119 S. Washington Street, Hendersonville, NC 28739

Pastor: Curt Crist

Services: 10:00 a.m. Fellowship Time10:30 a.m. Message

Additional Ministries:• Grace cruises and gatherings• The annual Smoky Mountain Grace Bible Conference• GBC Media Ministries: Pastor Crist’s messages are reproduced on

audio cassette, CD, VHS and DVD, and are sent out weekly at nocharge. For information, write: [email protected].

• Sunday morning’s message is offered live on Paltalk.

Contact information: Pastor Curt Crist: 828-685-2243

Growing Up in GraceSunday School Ministries

“And that from a child thou hast known the holyScriptures which are able to make thee wise untosalvation...” (II Timothy 3:15).

The price per quarter is:$60.00—Church Use

$48.00—Single Family Use(Plus $4 postage and handling)

Second quarter of lessons is now available!

This first set of lessons addresses the junior level, ages 9-11. Toview a sample lesson or to obtain additional information, you can logon to our website at: www.growingupingrace.com. If you would liketo speak personally with someone about the curriculum, contact Pas-tor Mike Keshan at: (262) 255-4750 or e-mail: [email protected].

February 2005 23

Sheridan Bible ConferenceTheme: “To Make All Men See” (Eph. 3:9)

Location: Grace Fellowship Bible Church103 West PineSheridan, Arkansas 72150

Dates: February 26,27, 2005

Guest Speakers:

Pastor Paul M. Sadler, Berean Bible SocietyPastor Joe Watkins, Things to Come Mission

Kevin Sadler, Bible Teacher, Berean Bible SocietyBen Anderson, Director, Things to Come Mission

If you need additional information regarding accommodations,or directions, please contact Pastor Dick Ware—Church (870)942-2700; Home (870) 942-2799; Cell (870) 941-6110 or e-mail:[email protected]. Brochures are available upon request!

If you enjoy studying the Word, rightly divided,then these meetings are for you!

Black Hills Spring Bible ConferenceLocation: Grace Bible Church

23751 Pine Haven DriveRapid City, South Dakota 57702

Dates: March 25-27, 2005

Guest Speaker:Paul M. Sadler, President, Berean Bible Society

For additional information, please contact:

Pastor John Fredericksen at: (605) 341-9692or e-mail: [email protected]

May God richly bless these meetingsto the praise of His glory in Christ Jesus!

True SpiritualityTrue SpiritualityBy C. R. Stam

A Practical Guide to Living the Christian Life!




Orders: Berean Bible Society, PO Box 756, Germantown, WI 53022

Phone: (262) 255-4750; Fax: (262) 255-4195

www.bereanbiblesociety.org/literature

Do you long to be truly spiritual? If you do,True Spirituality may be just the book to helpyou. We should all long to be truly spiritual,but what is true spirituality? This is the questionPastor Stam seeks to answer in this book, by theScriptures—and the Scriptures, rightly divided.

True Spirituality deals with the believer’s body,soul and spirit, the old and new natures, walk-ing in newness of life, positional and practicalsanctification, the Holy Spirit and the believertoday, the cause and cure of retarded growth, thebeliever’s liberty in Christ, the relation of spiri-tuality to the Word and prayer, etc.

True Spirituality also deals with the many mistaken ideas as to spiritual-ity, putting them to the Berean test and demonstrating how they destroy,rather than promote, true fellowship with God.

HARDCOVER 209 PAGES

(With Scripture Index)


Pastoral Epistles

In conjunction with Pastor Sadler’s series on the local church, whichthis month focuses on church organization and leadership, we offer thisvolume, which expands upon these very themes. We trust that PastorStam’s keen insight into the pastoral epistles, as well as his rich heritageof experience, will prove to be a blessing to all.

HARDCOVER 299 PAGES


Pastoral EpistlesBy C. R. Stam

Pastor Stam’s Commentary on Paul’sLetters to Local Church Pastors




Paul’s personal lettersto Timothy & Titus

A guide to organizinga local church

Practical instructionsfor every believer

Addresses Qualifications forlocal church leadership

Describes the apostasyof the last days


From Our MailbagActs 14:27

From Wisconsin:“The other day at the plasma col-

lection center where I work a motherlamented that she had forgotten herbook to read while donating plasma.I offered her The Life and Letters ofthe Apostle Peter, knowing that as aChurch of Christ member, she is in-terested in the Scriptures. She tookit gladly and when she returned itshe said she enjoyed what she hadread of it. The next time she donatedplasma, she asked for it again andshowed me that she had brought apad and pen to write down interest-ing things she had learned from it. Itold her she may borrow it every timeshe comes to donate until she’s fin-ished with it. I’d give her the book,but this way I know she’ll really readit, as at home she is a busy mother....My son took a copy of your book withhim to Iraq, where I’m sure he’ll shareit with anyone interested also.”

From Ohio:“I wanted to drop you a line to tell

you how very much I appreciate yourexcellent message delivered at theBBF conference in June. I got to lis-ten to the tape this afternoon and wasreally blessed, learning much whichwill assist me in my Christian life. Iknow Pastor Stam would have beenthrilled to hear the way his typeset-ter can deliver such a meaningfulmessage!”

From South Carolina:“I would like to thank your group

for being faithful. Of all Christianpublications, yours has always comeand hasn’t stopped for 20 years.Thanks! It’s helped me and count-less others with the gospel of theGrace of God. The peace that passesall understanding is a priceless gift.”(One copy of the Searchlight: 50 cents.Peace that passes all understanding:Priceless.—RK).

GOD’S BLESSINGON BBS MINISTRIES

From Florida:“How can I thank you enough...I

cannot....You have made a difficultsubject easy to understand....I cannotbelieve how everything changes whenyou read the Bible AS IT SHOULDBE READ....I really think that‘rightly dividing’ is the only way anyof the Bible makes sense. I’ve beenwatching Les Feldick for severalmonths and I am brand new to thisway of learning. I cannot wait to startlearning all I can.”

From Maryland:“I have been an Acts 2 dispensa-

tionalist for about a year now, and Ifind your view interesting and wor-thy of careful study.”

From Texas:“A Christian pen-pal has been

bragging on your magazine, The Be-rean Searchlight, and your teachings.Please put me on your mailing list.”

From Wisconsin:“I have asked God to save me

many times. I’m studying the Bible,but I have tons of doubts and fearsthat bother me 24/7. Can a personreally know if they are saved?” (I John5:13 says that you can “know that yehave eternal life,” not just hope thatyou can get it.—RK).

From the Philippines:“I now have a better understand-

ing about Israel’s priesthood. Thanksagain. I am printing out this e-mailand will share this with my class-mates.”

From Florida:“Truly I have a new purpose in my

life because of all the saints at BBSand their effort put into getting thesematerials out. Now I can be moreproductive in spreading the revela-tion of the Mystery to others.”

February 2005 27

From Oregon:“There isn’t a whole lot of solid,

reliable teaching in this world. If itwasn’t for you folks, I don’t knowwhat we would do. Mid-Acts dispen-sational teaching is not exactly com-mon or appreciated out west.”

From Florida:“I have been blessed with under-

standing the Word, rightly divided forseven years now, thanks to PastorStam’s book Things That Differ. I in-troduced my mom to it a few years agoand after thirty years as a die-hardBaptist she finally saw it clearly.”

From Norway:“Thank you so much for answer-

ing me in such a thorough and con-vincing way. Now Romans 8 givesmeaning, and my heart is filled withjoy for the Grace of God. We are nolonger under the Law, but live andbreathe in God’s grace. One moretime: Thank you. The work you doin rightly dividing the Word resultsin focusing on Christ and His grace,and this work is more valuable thanyou can imagine. In my country, thereare only a couple of Bible teacherswho are focusing on dividing theWord correctly.”

From Indiana:“Your books and teachings have

been very helpful in my life.”

From Pennsylvania:“Things are so easily resolved

when you ‘rightly divide’ the Bibledispensationally, and accept what itsimply says on the page in front ofyou in black and white, without anypreconceived notions about what it‘must’ be saying because that’s whatyou’ve always been taught.”

From Texas:“Thank you so very much for

sending me the Berean Searchlightfor many years. Your studies in theBook of Revelation are so wonderfuland I have learned so much about theend-times. I am now 81 ½ years old,and Jesus and His marvelous lovegrow sweeter every day.”

From Wisconsin:“Everything from you goes to file

13.” (We are saddened by this, but en-couraged by Philippians 1:12. Oth-ers have testified that they learnedthe truth from a Searchlight foundin the trash.—RK).

From Florida:“My wife and I begin our day with

Two Minutes With the Bible. Thesebrief messages are timeless, just likethe Word of God. It is ‘the old, old story’and helps to prepare us along withprayer and Scripture to meet the chal-lenges awaiting us during the day.”

From India:“I have been reading your Search-

light which is really enlightening thelife of many people like me. It is in-formative and transformative andhas enriched my spiritual life.”

From Arizona:“Love the Berean Searchlight—

picked it up from a friend. Do you haveany study material that we could pur-chase for an at-home Bible study?”

From the Internet:“I forward your Two Minutes daily

devotionals to people who do not sub-scribe. I think they are reading thembecause it is opening a door for meto talk about spiritual things withthem. Thanks!”

“These [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, inthat they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searchedthe Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” —Acts 17:11


THE BBI BYLINE

The Apostle Paul starts the let-ter to the Ephesians with thesewords: “Blessed be the God andFather of our Lord Jesus Christwho has blessed us with everyspiritual blessing in the heavenlyplaces” (Eph. 1:3). This sets thetheme of the letter, which is thebelievers’ position “in Christ.” Thewords translated “blessed” and“blessing” come from the Greekroot word ulogeo. This word car-ries the general meaning of “togive honor to.” In other words,Paul is saying that the uniquelyhonored and highly exalted Godand Father of our Lord JesusChrist has honored the membersof the Body of Christ with everyspiritual honor in the heavenlyplaces. This is an astoundingstatement of spiritual fact. Thefirst three chapters of Ephesiansare built directly on this verse,and the last three chapters aredirectly related to it.

Paul’s prayer as recorded inverses 15-23 is an appeal that

A Prayer from PrisonEphesians 1:15-23

By W. Edward Bedore, Th.D.Executive Director, Berean Bible Institute

God would grant the Ephesiansspiritual enlightenment and un-derstanding of the blessings be-stowed on them “in Christ” asoutlined in verses 4-14. This re-quest, of course, is not only to theEphesian church but includesevery believer from Paul’s dayuntil now. These spiritual bless-ings are referred to as “the hopeof His calling” and “the riches ofthe glory of His inheritance in thesaints” (verse 18).

The Lord Jesus Christ is seatedat the Father’s “right hand in theheavenly places.” He has beenexalted above and beyond allothers in heaven and earth. Asbelievers, we who were dead insin have now been made alivewith Christ and made to “sit to-gether in the heavenly places inChrist Jesus” (Eph. 2:1-7). To un-derstand your calling “in Christ”read and re-read the first threechapters of Ephesians and askGod to grant Paul’s prayer onyour behalf.

Who will be the pastors, Bible teachers, and missionaries of tomorrow?None other than the faithful men and women who are preparing them-selves for service today. For more information about BBI, please contactDr. W. Edward Bedore at: Berean Bible Institute, 116 S. Kettle MoraineDr., P.O. Box 587, Slinger, WI 53086-0587, or phone: (262) 644-5504, fax:(262) 644-5507, e-mail: [email protected].

www.bereanbibleinstitute.org

February 2005 29

WEBSITE WOES: Our website (www.bereanbiblesociety.org) wasdown for several days at the end of December due to problems with ourweb host. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experi-enced during this time ordering literature, accessing Bible study articles,making donations, or receiving your Two Minutes With the Bible daily de-votional e-mails. We were encouraged to hear from some who feared wehad cancelled their Two Minutes subscription, and wrote to express howmuch they would miss these devotionals if they were terminated. Be as-sured that we will never cancel your subscription to Two Minutes or theSearchlight apart from your request.

*The picture of the lighthouse that appears on the front cover wastaken by Alan Neubauer of Evanston, Illinois. The Marshall PointLighthouse is located in Port Clyde, Maine. The 31 foot lighthousewas built in 1857 and is still an active aid to navigation.

Missionary Journey to thePhilippines

Things to Come Mission has invited BBS to join themfor a two week ministering tour in the Philippines

April 18-30, 2005

Meetings are tentatively scheduled for the cities of:

Manila, Legaspi, Cebu, Ozamis, and Davao

Guest Speakers:

Joe Watkins, Associate Director, Things to Come MissionBen Anderson, Executive Director, Things to Come Mission

Ricky Kurth, Associate Editor, Berean Searchlight

For additional information, please contact: Pastor Joe Watkins,Things to Come Mission, 2200 English Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46201,or e-mail: [email protected], or phone: (317) 262-8806.

Have you prayed for your missionaries today?


PRICE LISTBIBLE STUDY BOOKS BY CORNELIUS R. STAM—FOUNDER

(Hardcover—Gold Stamped)Acts, (Commentary) Volumes I & II ...................................................... $20.00Acts, (Commentary) Volumes III & IV (w/Bible Index) ........................ 20.00Author’s Choice, The ................................................................................ 10.00Baptism and the Bible ............................................................................. 9.00Colossians (Commentary, w/Bible Index) ............................................... 13.00I Corinthians (Commentary) ................................................................... 11.00II Corinthians (Commentary) ................................................................. 11.00Divine Election and Human Responsibility .......................................... 9.00Galatians (Commentary, w/Bible Index) ................................................ 13.00Hebrews, Who Wrote It and Why? .......................................................... 9.00Holding Fast the Faithful Word (w/Bible Index) ................................... 13.00Man, His Nature and Destiny ................................................................. 11.00Memoirs of Pastor Cornelius R. Stam, The ............................................ 12.00Pastoral Epistles (Commentary) ............................................................. 11.00Paul, His Apostleship and Message (w/Bible Index) ............................. 10.00Romans (Commentary) ............................................................................ 11.00Sermon on the Mount, The ...................................................................... 9.00Suggestions for Young Pastors ................................................................ 9.00Thessalonians (Commentary) ................................................................. 10.00Things That Differ (w/Bible Index) ......................................................... 11.00True Spirituality (w/Bible Index) ........................................................... 10.00Two-Fold Purpose of God, The (w/Bible Index) ...................................... 8.00Two Minutes With the Bible ................................................................... 11.00

(Paperbacks)Lord’s Supper and the Bible, The............................................................ $8.00Moses and Paul (w/Bible Index) .............................................................. 8.00No Other Doctrine .................................................................................... 8.00Our Great Commission (w/Bible Index) ................................................. 8.00Present Peril, The ..................................................................................... 8.00Satan In Derision ..................................................................................... 8.00Things That Differ (w/Bible Index) ......................................................... 9.00

WRITINGS BY PAUL M. SADLER—PRESIDENTExploring the Unsearchable Riches of Christ (HC, w/Bible Index) ..... $11.00Life and Letters of the Apostle Peter, The (HC, w/Bible Index) ........... 12.00Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (HC, w/Bible Index) ............................ 15.00Triumph of His Grace, The (HC, w/Bible Index) .................................... 12.00Are You Secure? (Booklet) ....................................................................... 1.00Historical Beginning of the Church, The (Booklet) ............................... 3.00Institution of Marriage, The (Booklet) ................................................... 4.00Supernatural Sign Gifts of the Acts Period, The (Booklet) ................... 4.00Trials and Temptations (Booklet) ........................................................... 2.00

SPECIAL OFFERSSet of Books by C. R. Stam (Hardcovers and Paperbacks) ................ $240.00Set of Current Booklets by C. R. Stam ................................................. 40.00Set by C. R. Stam (Books and Booklets) ............................................... 280.00Set on Acts by C. R. Stam (w/Bible Index) ........................................... 35.00

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BIBLE STUDY BOOKLETS BY CORNELIUS R. STAMAbiding Trinity ......................................................................................... $0.50Ambassadors for Christ ........................................................................... 0.50Charismatic Movement, The ................................................................... 0.50Faith of Christ, The .................................................................................. 0.50Hope for the Bereaved ............................................................................. 0.50Lord’s Prayer, The .................................................................................... 0.50Love of Christ, The ................................................................................... 0.50Methuselah and Paul ............................................................................... 0.50Now is the Time ....................................................................................... 0.50Our Oneness in Christ ............................................................................. 0.50Panoramic View of the Program of God, A ............................................. 0.50Pentecostal Signs Being Restored?, Are the .......................................... 0.50Rapture of the Church, The ..................................................................... 0.50Rome’s Greatest Blunder ......................................................................... 0.50Simple As Can Be .......... (Spanish Translation also available) ........... 0.50Sonship ...................................................................................................... 0.50Standing, Walking and Running With Paul ........................................... 0.50Truth Aflame ............................................................................................ 0.50Unanswered Prayer ......... (Spanish Translation also available) ......... 0.50Unpardonable Sin, The ............................................................................ 0.50When the Lord Became Angry ................................................................ 0.50Why Was Christ Baptized? ...................................................................... 0.50Will There Be Tears In Heaven? ............................................................. 0.50Answer to Catholicism, The .................................................................... $1.00Apostolic Authority of the Twelve, The .................................................. 1.00Believer’s Walk, The ................................................................................. 1.00Dimensions of the Mystery, The .............................................................. 1.00Early Ministry of Paul, The ..................................................................... 1.00God and Man ............................................................................................ 1.00God’s Plan of Salvation Made Plain ....................................................... 1.00Just Asking ............................................................................................... 1.00Logic of the Plan of Salvation, The ......................................................... 1.00Lord’s Supper, The .................................................................................... 1.00Paul the Masterbuilder ............................................................................ 1.00Power of God versus The Power of the Occult, The ............................... 1.00Preaching of the Cross, The ..................................................................... 1.00Saul the Sinner and Paul the Boaster .................................................... 1.00Seven Times a Failure ............................................................................. 1.00That Blessed Hope ................................................................................... 1.00This is That ............................................................................................... 1.00Water Baptism.......................................................................................... 1.00We Know a Secret .................................................................................... 1.00Is Salvation Certain? ............................................................................... $2.00Knowledge of the Mystery, The ............................................................... 2.00Writings of John ....................................................................................... 2.00Your Faith In God’s Word ........................................................................ 2.00

20% off on any order of 25 or more CRS booklets of the same title

1/1/05—PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE

Orders up to $20.00, please add $3.00 for Postage and HandlingOrders over $20.00, please add 15% for Postage and Handling

*Foreign Orders Must be remitted in U. S. Currency

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“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great na-

tion was founded, not by religionists, but by C

hristians; not on religions,but on the G

ospel of Jesus Christ.”

—Patrick H

enry, Founding Father

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The Berean Searchlight · PDF fileThe Berean Searchlight is published monthly ... The BBI Byline ... Slowly my friend began to understand the dispensation of Grace,