Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Herald of Truth Audio Herald of Truth Records 11-15-1953 Churches of Christ Salute You with a Herald of Truth: Why Not a Supplement to the Bible? James Willeford Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/hot_audio Recommended Citation Willeford, James, "Churches of Christ Salute You with a Herald of Truth: Why Not a Supplement to the Bible?" (1953). Herald of Truth Audio. 224. https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/hot_audio/224 This Audio is brought to you for free and open access by the Herald of Truth Records at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Truth Audio by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. Why Not 11 Supplement To The Bible? WHY NOT A SUPPLEMENT TO THE BIBLE ? Page 3 Wily Not 11 Supplement Since Christ said the H oly Spi rit would guide the apostles into all truth, we can say confidently that all spiritual truth To Tile Billie'! was revealed in the first century for there have been no true apostles since that time. To be an apostle of Chr ist one ha d By James D. Willeford November 15, 1953 to be a witness of the resurrected Lord (Acts 1 :22). When J esus selected Saul to become an apostle, He said to him, "I have appear ed unto thee . .. to make thee a m inister and A f?w weeks ago a friend of mine said, "I used to work a witness" (Act s 26 :16). !or a rallr?a d. Among other duties I hAlped prepare bills cover· m g the shipment of freight. Every tariff book would have from An apostle had t o be a witness, and witnesses do not have ?ne to half a dozen supplements. One was always wondering successors. To illustrate: Suppose you see an accident a nd If he had all the supplem ents to a particular tariff. There were you are called into court to testify as a witness, but before you also supplements to the table of express rates and to t he tele· are called you die? Do you suppose any judge in the land gra ph company's ~ari ff book. Nearly every set of instructions would permit a friend of yours to give your testimony on the by any company IS soon_ obsolete and r eplaced by a new set, grounds that he was your successor? No, because witnesses or supplements must be Issued to the original instructions As cannot have successor s. The apostles of Christ were witnesses I _cont;mplated this situation one da y, the question c a~e to of the Lord, andit was to these men that the Holy Spirit gave mmd, Why not a supplement for the Bible?' " "all truth." This is why P aul could say, "I declared unto you a ll the counsel of God" (Acts 20: 27). The question asked by this railroa d man is a lso asked by ~ number of people throughout the la nd today. The question That all the tr uth was delivered to the apostles is further IS understandable because a ll man-made things change Last verified by J ude who said, "Beloved, while I was giving all year's telephone directory is out of date. Our school t.exts of diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was ten years ~go ~ave to be replaced or supplemented as new constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnest­ k!lowledge IS gamed. Scientific theories are being revised or ly for the faith which was once for all deliver ed unto the saints" discarded ~nd n~w theories take their place. We are in a (Jude 3) . This inspired writer was pleading for that which ~?t~stant Whirl trymg t? keep pace with the ever-changing con- had already been revealed and which was then in common I Ions about us. In VIew of this situation we can understand possession of all saints. He declared t hat the faith had been ~hy men who are not acquainted with God's word may ask delivered once for all. It was delivered one time for all time. Why not a supplement for the Bible?" ' This is an indictment of those who come to us with new reve­ lations or visions or dreams. The Lord did not intend that H is Thou_gh we a?mit that man-made things cha nge because will should be made in installmen ts, or supplements as the of their ImperfectiOns, we deny that the Bible needs a ny sup­ centuries roll by. He deliver ed the faith once for all and it plement.. It was not man-made and it does not have humanity's was complete when He gave it. 1mperfe~t10ns stamped upon it. It is perfect · hence complete It contams the complete will of God to man. All that God want~ In reading the New Testament we learn that the faith and us to know about righteousness, He has revealed in the Bible. t he gospel are the same thing. In the first chapter of Galatians Paul said, "I preached the gospel," and in speaking of this . Christ selected the apostles through whom to reveal His work he said, "I preached the fa ith" (Gal. 1:11, 23). The gos· Will a nd .~o ha ve it written in the New Testament. He said pel was delivered in the fir st century once and for all, a nd at to them, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye can· t hat time it was the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1 : 16). !lot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth In r eferring to this gospel Paul said: "F or therein is the right­ xs. come, he will _guide you Into all truth" (John 16: 12, 13) ~ eousness of God revealed." Since the first century t he perfect Dx? the Holy Sp1ri.t guide the apostles into all truth? J esus will of God has been revealed through His perfect law of liberty. S~Id He would. Did he? If J esus spoke the truth, verily he did. That bein.g the case, the will of God was completely re· W e have further proof that the Bible is all-sufficient in an vealed to men m the days of the apostles, the inspired ambas· inspired statement of the Apostle P aul. He sa id, "Every scrip­ sadors of th~ Lord .Jesus Christ. James recognized that the tur e inspired of God is also profitable for tea ching, for r eproof, Lord kept His pronuse to reveal all truth to the a postles and for correction, for instruction which is in r ighteousness; that he calls the gospel they preached "the perfect law of lib~rty , the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto The word translated "perfect" means "brought to its d every good work" (II T im. 3: 16, 17). P aul said the scripture finished; want~ng nothing necessary to ?ompleteness." Th: ; e; is profitable for four things. Not e how comprehensive they gives James 1.25 as a reference followmg these definitions. are : ( 1) for doctrine and teaching; (2) for reproof ; (3) for correction ; ( 4) for instruction in righteousness. You cannot Page 2 imagine any condition or need of mankind but that one or the other of these statements will meet it. The Bible will com- ~·~~~~~~~----------------------------------------~--~--------~--~~~--~--~ z~ r------------YOU MAY HEAR THE HERALD OF TRUTH OVER THES£ STATIONS'-----------. ALABAMA- ILLINOIS- NEBRASKA- Johnson City WETH 791 6 lo p.m. I ~o p.m.. Chicago . WENR-WLS 810 I:SO p.m. Lincoln . KFOR 1240 10:10 a.m. l( nox ville .... WBIII 1~40 Albertville • • • • . W A VU ISO 4:80p.m. ~lt'mphis ... Willi(/ 660 9 SO p.m. Anniston . • • • • . WHMA 14&8 1:00 p.m. M•llne . WQUA 1230 7:00 a.m. N. Platt ....... KNBR 97t 9:00 a.m. Quincy WGEM tHO 8:10 a.m. Owaha . KOIL 1290 6:88 P·•· M onl•town WCHI<i 141>0 9 00 p.m. Aubur.n .....•. WAUD 12SO 1:00 ••m. 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