VOLUME 1______________________________________________ NUMBER 5 Traditional Infallibility By Lewis Willis, Macon, Missouri There are many fields of evidence us- settled. But we see that the infallibility ed by the Roman Catholic Church in of tradition is contingent upon the in- her attempt to prove that the church is fallibility of the church. We wage a infallible. One of these is the traditions protest against such "circular reason- of the "Church Fath- ing." If tradition is going to be used to ers" that have been prove the church infallible, one should verbally transmitted not argue for the correctness of that tra- throughout the cen- dition on the basis of the infallibility of turies. We want to the church. briefly examine some Also, if apostolic tradition, as sup- points in connection posedly handed down through the with tradition. "Church Fathers," is to be accepted, it First of all, Catho- must be accepted in its entirety. The lics make a definite church cannot accept part and reject distinction between human and divine the rest. We notice an example of this tradition—human being that which is later. handed down by fallible humans subject Again, if tradition is necessary to to change and error, while divine is a godly living, the apostles, in their writ- part of the infallible teaching of the ings, must have left out something that church. It is contended, and correctly Christians should know and do. Who so, that only a part of the teachings of could reasonably suppose that inspired Jesus and the apostles has been com- men would write a book, by which men mitted to writing, this making up the will be judged, and include things NOT New Testament. This is proved by John necessary for salvation, yet leave out 20:30,31. The rest, Catholics maintain, things that ARE essential for salvation? has been infallibly preserved by the in- Paul speaks contrarily to this when he fallible church. says that the written word is complete. Canon Smith says in The Teachings (2 Tim. 3:16, 17.) of the Catholic Church, Vol. 1, p. 28, The traditions of the Roman Church Christ "instituted a visible society to are too much like those condemned by the rulers of which he gave power to Paul when he says, "Beware lest any teach infallibly; in other words, he man spoil you through philosophy and FOUNDED A LIVING TEACHING vain deceit, AFTER THE TRADI- AUTHORITY." (Emphasis mine, L. TION OF MEN (My emphasis, L. W.) If Christ did this, the question is W.), after the rudiments of the world, Heaven By Irvin Himmel, St. Louis, Missouri All our lives many of us have heard 7:21.) Jesus taught the disciples to people speak of heaven. We have sung live so as to glorify "your Father which such songs as "How Beautiful Heaven is in heaven." (Matt. 5:16.) The eter- Must Be," "When We All Get to nal abode of the Father is in heaven. Heaven," and "No Tears in Heaven." Jesus' Dwelling Place What is this place When Jesus entered into the world called heaven? He came down from heaven. "And What can we say nomanhathascendeduptoheaven,but with certainty he that came down from heaven, even about it? the Son of man which is in heaven." No one can (John 3:13.) Our Master declared, speak of heaven "For I came down from heaven, not from the view- to do mine own will, but the will of point of his own him that sent me." (John 6:38.) He personal experi- came from heaven and has since return- ence. One woman ed to heaven. "Seeing then that we have claimed she went a great high priest, that is passed into to heaven and was told that the Sab- the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let bath was not nailed to the cross. This us hold fast our profession." (Heb. is the exact opposite of what the apostle 4:14.) "For Christ is not entered into Paul taught in Col. 2:14-16. Surely the holy places made with hands, which God would not teach someone in heaven arethefiguresofthetrue;butinto that he should contradict what an apos- heaven itself, now to appear in the tle was divinely inspired to teach on presence of God for us." (Heb. 9:24.) earth. And that same woman was un- Peter wrote that Jesus is "gone into able to produce a single witness to heaven, and is on the right hand of verify her story! God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." All we know about heaven is what (1 Pet. 3:22.) God has revealed in the Bible. Many curious questions must go unanswered Place From Which Spirit Came Down for the time, but some facts are clearly As Jesus neared the end of His min- stated. istry on earth and made plans for re- turning to heaven, the apostles were God's Dwelling Place promised the Holy Spirit to guide, com- While there is a sense in which God fort, and bear witness unto them. They is everywhere present, His personal were told that they would be endued dwelling is always pictured as in heav- with power "from on high." (Lk. 24: en. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, 49.) On the day of Pentecost the Holy "Our Father which art in heaven." Spirit came upon them. Peter connected (Matt. 6:9.) Again He said, "Not this with Christ's "being by the right every one that saith unto me, Lord, hand of God exalted." (Acts 2:33.) Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of The same apostle later said the Holy heaven; but he that doeth the will of Spirit was "sent down from heaven." my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. (1 Pet. 1:12.) (2) Abode of Angels EN. Why would the reservation be We look to heaven as the dwelling there if we expect to stay somewhere not only of the Father, Son, and Holy else eternally? Jesus said, "I go to pre- Spirit but also of the angelic beings. pare a place for you, and if I go and Jesus spoke of the angels of God as prepare a place for you, I will come "in heaven." (Matt. 22:30.) When He again, and receive you unto myself; prayed in great agony, "There appear- that where I am, there ye may be also." ed an angel unto him from heaven, (John 14:2,3.) strengthening him." (Lk. 22:43.) When New Jerusalem the apostle John had a vision of the throne of God in heaven, he heard the In the last two chapters of Revela- voice of many angels round about the tion the glorified state of the righteous throne, "and the number of them was is described in highly symbolic lan- ten thousand times ten thousand, and guage. The heavenly realm is pictured as "the holy city, the new Jerusalem." thousands of thousands." (Rev. 5:11.) John visualized it as coming down from It is in heaven that the angelic hosts God as a bride adorned for her husband. dwell. This does not mean that the saints Place From Which Jesus Will Descend will dwell in a literal city, nor that the The Bible teaches that just as surely new Jerusalem will be let down liter- as Christ is now in heaven He will come ally from heaven. It rather portrays again. "For the Lord himself shall the beauty and sacredness of the eter- descend from heaven with a shout, with nal dwelling of the saints. The old the voice of the archangel, and with the Jerusalem was sacred to the memory of trump of God . ." (1 Thess. 4:16.) fleshly Israel; heaven is sacred to the He will "be revealed from heaven with minds of Christians, hence called the his mighty angels . ." (2 Thess. 1:7.) "new" Jerusalem. At His ascension the angels announced, "This same Jesus, which is taken up No Tears, No Pain from you into heaven, shall so come in "And God shall wipe away all tears like manner as ye have seen him go from their eyes; and there shall be no into heaven." (Acts 1:11.) more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: Eternal Dwelling of the Saints for the former things are passed away." Despite the teaching of some that the (Rev. 21:4.) If there were any place saints will dwell eternally upon this on earth where we could go and be earth, the Bible points to heaven as the assured of freedom from suffering, pain, eternal habitation of the faithful. "For sorrow,andagony,nodoubtweall we know that if our earthly house of would be anxious to go there. No such this tabernacle were dissolved, we have place can be found on earth, but heaven a building of God, an house not made offers more than that — no tears, no with hands, eternal in the heavens." dying, no pain, no sighing, no crying! (2 Cor. 5:1.) Peter spoke of the in- What bliss! heritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in No Temple in It heaven for you." (1 Pet. 1:4.) When John wrote, "And I saw no temple one makes reservations in preparation therein: for the Lord God Almighty and for a trip, he expects to stay where he the Lamb are the temple of it." (Rev. has his place reserved. Our eternal in- 21:22.) Old Jerusalem had a temple heritance is RESERVED IN HEAV- where the Jews worshiped and where (3) God's presence was manifested.