Defender “I am set for the defense of the gospel” Volume XXI 1992 January April July October February May August November March June September BELLVIEW CHURCH OF CHRIST PRESENTS DEFENDER Volume XXI January 1992 Number 1 WILLIAM S. CLINE 1940-1991 Editorial In Memory of William S. Cline Brother William S. Cline left this life for eternity with the redeemed Tuesday night, December 10, 1991. After almost three years of valiantly battling cancer and bearing its attendant pain, his passing was an easy one. Bill was born on November 9, 1940, in Columbus, Mississippi. He attended Auburn University and David Lipscomb College, and began to preach full-time in 1961 at Pleasantview, Tennessee. He worked later with congregations of Aberdeen, Mississippi; Leonard Street in Pensacola: and, Tabernacle, New Jersey; moving to Bellview in 1968. He graduated from Alabama Christian School of Religion where he was lauded by Rex A. Turner, Sr., as one of the top students to ever attend. Brother Cline worked with Bellview for a total of fifteen years. During that time, the church saw great growth and expansion into many areas of work. He began and edited a monthly publication, Defender, which begins its twenty- first year with this issue. He was the founder and first director of the Bellview Preacher Training School and began the annual Bellview Lectures and publication of the lectureship book. He encouraged the church to take on the oversight of the work of brother Ira Y. Rice, Jr. His influence brought many of the greatest preachers of this century to the Bellview congregation. Courageously, he opposed false doctrine and false teachers. Fearlessly, he upheld the blood stained banner of Christ against all foes. No wonder the members of the church at Bellview love him so. Brother Cline sought to master that to which he set his hand. He submitted himself to the Lord and, as one of his students said, he allowed himself to be mastered by the Master. An excellent Bible student, his knowledge was matched with his untiring zeal and deep desire to do all he could for the Lord’s church. He heeded the charge to “preach the word” and also saw the need to train others to preach (2 Tim. 4; 2:2), pursuing that endeavor at great sacrifice to himself and his family. From 1983, he served as editor of the Firm Foundation and as co-owner of the Firm Foundation Publishing House. He began and directed the Firm Foundation lectureships (now in three states). He, along with “Buster” Dobbs rescued the Firm Foundation from the hands of liberals and, at great expense to themselves, put the paper back on the right track. In addition to his heavy schedule of writing and speaking, Bill was also very active in mission efforts, especially in the Far East. He made several journeys there to preach and also served as board member and treasurer of the Four Seas College of Bible and Missions In Singapore. William S. Cline was a great preacher of outstanding ability and unyielding devotion. With a pure and tender heart, genuine love, and unfailing desire to bring glory to God and not to himself, he was a great encourager of good men and a great opponent of evil. To faithful preachers, he was a true friend. Throughout the nation and world, brother Cline was known, admired and loved by those who love and stand for the truth. From the standpoint of being the local preacher where Bill had labored for so many years, I have a great appreciation for his love for the truth, the church, his brethren and all faithful gospel preachers everywhere. Bill displayed his gracious concern and generous spirit and “ran interference” for me more than once. He was not jealous of the pulpit he filled for so many years nor did he try to tell me what to preach or how. Even more than that, he was a dear friend and beloved brother. His life inspired and encouraged us. His death reminds us of the frailty of humanity. Like Paul, he could say, at the end of life’s weary journey: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day” (2 Tim. 4:7-8). We rejoice in his reunion with dear departed saints and long to be with him, them, God and the angels after while. In a dedicatory preface to the 1989 Bellview Lectures book is the following. “This dedication is a testimony of the deep appreciation and abiding love which the Bellview Church of Christ has for brother Cline and for his selfless and untiring work for the cause of Christ here and throughout the world. Only eternity shall tell the far-reaching scope of his influence for good. Bellview has experienced great growth because of the preaching and work of brother Cline, and the example of his lovely and tireless wife, Jean, and loving and faithful children, Cathy, Mary, William, and Becky, all of whom have been a great blessing to the Bellview church.” Preach the word...do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry (2 Tim. 4:2-5) 2 DEFENDER JANUARY 1992 Upcoming Debate January 27, 28 and 30, 31, 1992 at 7:00 P.M. in the building of the Burbank Church of Christ; 9700 Fulton St.; Houston, Texas, brother David P. Brown will debate Bob L. Ross, Baptist. The propositions are: Monday and Tuesday nights: “The scriptures teach that in conviction, conversion and sanctification the Holy Spirit operates only through the word of God.” Affirmative: David P. Brown. Negative: Bob L. Ross. Thursday and Friday nights: “The scriptures teach that in bringing men to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit uses means, and he also exerts his personal power in accompaniment, or additional to the means.” Affirmative: Bob L. Ross. Negative: David P. Brown. Preaching the Gospel William S. Cline Men may speak of “the new day,” the “changing times,” and “the enlightened age”; but the world has not outgrown the need for simple gospel preaching! It is evident that Jesus and the apostles considered the gospel to be “the power of God unto salvation” to every generation (Rom. 1:16). It is still “God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). It !s not the mere act of preaching that saves. If this were true, it would not matter so much what one preached. But this is not true, it is the thing preached that saves. Unless the gospel is preached faithfully, the preaching will not save. It may entertain, it may tickle the ears, but i will not save! There is no acceptable substitute for plain gospel preaching. It is still the solemn, duty of all who stand in the pulpit as servants of the Lord to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2). Paul, the greatest preacher since Christ, said, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). He preached, “Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23). Christ commissioned His disciples to preach the gospel to every creature in all the world (Mark 16:18-16). The command to “preach the gospel” is as plain as God’s command to Noah to build an ark out of gopher wood. When God said “gopher wood” (Gen. 6:14) He only authorized gopher wood, and any other wood would have been wrong because there was no divine authority to use such. When Nadab and Abihu substituted “strange fire” in their service to God they were destroyed (Lev. 10) because they went beyond that which God had authorized. David’s “new cart” of 2 Samuel 6:1-11 was wrong for the same reason. He used that which God had not authorized! Thus, when preachers substitute something in their preaching for the gospel of Christ their preaching is no more acceptable to God than Nadab’s and Abihu’s “strange fire” or David’s “new cart.” When mere propaganda is substituted for gospel preaching and excitement is made to take the place of genuine conviction, it is no wonder that the “oxen stumble” and the cause of Zion suffers. New Testament evangelism and not modern denominationalism furnishes us the true pattern for modern preaching. Our preaching cannot pillow its head on the lap of sectarianism without being shorn of its power. It is high time that our preachers go to Jesus, Peter, Paul, James and Jude to learn how to preach. Far too many (as if one is not too many) have wandered in the camp of the sectarians and mounted our pulpits spouting the “language of Ashdod.” We often hear preachers applaud large numbers, and we would be the first to rejoice over every conversion to the Lord. But we need to learn that there is a vast difference between impressive numbers and genuine conversions. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psa. 19:7). If men are not converted by the Word of God, their so- called conversion is a farce. And it is a fact that there are many who are counted as members of the church who have never been converted to Christ. We have those, both in the pulpit and the pew, who will openly admit that they believe the church to be a denomination—one that just happens to be one of the best denominations around.