Vol. Xlvll LEBANON, MISSOURI, JANUARY, 1976 No. 1 SINS OF
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Our purpose is "To continue speaking earnestly contend for the truth in love," the faith which was once OLD PATHS "endeavoring to keep delivered unto the the unity of the spirit saints, and to "prove in the bond of peace;" all things; hold fast that keeping the ordinances which is good." ADVO as delivered." "Thus saith the Lord, 'Stand ye in the ways, and see and ask for the Old Paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.' (Jer. 6:16) "And they that be of Thee shall build the old waste, places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shall be called, The Repairer of the b Breach, The Restorer of Paths to Dwell in." (Isa. 58:12). d Vol. XLVll LEBANON, MISSOURI, JANUARY, 1976 No. 1 SINS OF THOSE WHO HAVE OVERCOME THE MODERN SUNDAY SCHOOL by James D. Orten by Ronny F. Wade Overcoming hardships always changes men. It makes some The origin of any religious practice is important. Where men mellow and sympathetic toward those who are struggling and when did it originate, are factors that must be considered. up the mountain they have climbed. Others become hard, Did it come from God or man? The line of separation be- arrogant, and ever willing to give caustic advice to those tween what men say and what God says, is the line of distinc- beneath them. The man who has raised himself from poverty tion between truth and error. Paul affirms that the Holy Spirit to riches is often less tolerant of the poor than the one who can know and reveal the mind of God (1 Cor. 2:lO). What has always been wealthy. And the person who has success- the Spirit has not revealed cannot therefore be the will of God. fully lost weight can usually tell those who need to, just how Thus we ask, whence came the modem Sunday School or to do it. Bible Class System of teaching? Is it from God or man? Since The tragedy of this circumstance is that such people often the Bible is silent regarding Sunday schools, or Bible classes, do have good ideas and useful experiences to share, but these not giving us any command, example, or necessary inference get discounted because of the arrogant way they approach authorizing their use, we must look elsewhere tcl dixover their fellows. They forfeit the credit they have rightfully their origin. earned through their accomplishments and others negate the In his book The Mirror of a Movement, William S. Banow- benefit of their counsel. sky (preacher for the Church of Christ and currently associa- This fact of human life is what Jesus is discussing in his ted with Pepperdine University) devotes an entire section to famous parable of the mote and the beam (Matt. 7) ". first the Edification of the Church in which he says, ''IVhil.: long cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see granting that one of the most vital sources of edification was clearly to cast the mote out of they brother's eye." The coin- through the systematic study of the Bible, churches of Chirst cidence of arrogance and lost recognition for real accomplish- were very slow to organize Sunday Schools in their local con- ments described above had occurred with the people to whom gregations. In 1786 just three years after Great Britain de- Jesus was speaking. The Pharisees and Scribes had done a real clared the thirteen colonies to be a free and independent service by establishing Jehovah as the true God in Israel. Until nation, the first Sunday School was started on this side of the their time pagan worship had cursed Israel like a plague. The Atlantic. It was organized in the Virginia home of William Old Testament is a chronology of Israel's repeated falling Elliott, who arranged to have "white boys and girls instructed away into worship of strange gods and God sending a prophet in the Bible every Sunday afternoon". Since that time, the to bring them back. Sometimes no more than a generation Sunday School movement has helped to shape the very growth would elapse between cycles. and development of Protestantism in America." Banowsky When the Pharisees came on the scene they dedicated them- continues on page 235, "The Sunday School got off to a selves to a strict construction of the law. The Scribes among belated start among the disciples. In its first years the Resto- them copied it, wrote about it, and commented on it in such ration movement was nurtured almost exclusively by evangel- a way that pagan worship never again got a foothold in the istic preaching. No need for a Sunday School was felt. Be- nation. But their attitude became so hard and their spirit so cause of the close ties between the Sunday School movement ungodly that they lost their influence on others (even many and denominationalism, the disciples assumed an early pos- of their believing brethren) and became themselves as much ture of beligerent opposition." It can thus be seen that Sun- the children of hell as the pagans they sought to convert. This day Schools originated much too late to be apostolic in origin, is the background for Jesus' parable. and that even churches of Christ were reluctant to accept Perhaps we should say at this point that Jesus was not them when they were first introduced. However, as is often saying in this lesson that one should not take a strong stand the case, in time the Bible classes began to make inroads for the truth. In the same sermon in which he taught this among the disciples. parable Jesus talked about a man who built his house on a Opposition, which at first was firm and strong, soon began rock and another who built his house on sand. He said "he to weaken. In 1929 at the Abilene Christian College Lecture- that heareth these words of mine and doeth them not" is like ship, Banowsky quotes C. A. Norred as follows: "Let me a man whose house was founded on sand which washed away address myself particularly to gospel preachers who are here. when the flood came. The clear implication of the parable is Let me remind you that for the next twenty-five years you (Continued on Page 10) Page Two OLD PATHS ADVOCATE January 1976 will have a large influence among the churches. Let me appeal HEAVEN'S JUBILEE (Lev. 25) to you to make yourselves specialists in Bible school work. by Jack Cutter Master the principles of Bible school administration. Then, as you go among the churches, put the Bible school first. ." Every fifty years an event occurred in the life of the chil- And then Banowsky adds, "The twenty-five year period to dren of Israel which is difficult to believe. For a period of which Norred addressed his challenge saw his fondest dreams one year, they were not required to work, servants were reach fruition. That quarter-century witnessed an unparalleled allowed to go free, their debts were forgiven; and, besides growth in the Sunday School programs among churches of these blessings, there were many other benefits and privileges Christ. ." Another quotation that I find to be of particular enjoined upon them. It was truly a Jubilee unto them. interest comes from the April 16, 1970 issue of The Gospel Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could enjoy such an occur- Guardian. Writing under the caption, "The Sick Sunday rence? The truth is -we can! School", John D. Swatzell says, "There is a sickness in the There were three annual feasts of the Jews. First, there was average Sunday School. We may call it Bible Study or Bible the Passover which commemorated the salvation of the first classes, but the sickness is still there. Can we put our finger born in Egypt. Then, second, there was Pentecost which cele- on the trouble? Yes, we can if we are willing to take a long, brated the beginning of harvest; and, third was the fest of hard look into the history of the Sunday School movement." Tabernacles which commemorated their sojourn in the wilder- He continues in the next paragraph, "Robert Raikes, English ness. Each of these events was regulated by weeks of days. philanthropist, is credited with the beginning and development Furthermore, these three feasts all occurred within the first of the Sunday School movement. Earlier pioneers in the seven months of the year. field of this movement were Joseph Alleine and John Wesley. Pentecost and the Jubilee are alike in several ways: both Joseph Alleine ( 1934-1668) established a Sunday School in are typical events, they both have similar counts to mark the 17th century in England. John Wesley held classes in their beginning. (The difference being, one occurred the Savannah, Georgia in 1737. Yet, Raikes is justly regarded as fiftieth day and the other the fiftieth year). The count for the founder of the Sunday School Movement." From the Pentecost began on the first day of the week following the above quotations we can see that these men who believe in Passover regardless of the day of the week the Passover was and pratice Bible classes claim no Divine authorization for celebrated), and the count continued for seven full weeks their origin. The truth of the matter is that they came from (seven Sabbaths) of days. Now, seven full weeks count-up to men, not God. forty nine days, the following day (the 50th) was Pentecost Finally, I would like to notice one other quotation.