Volume  3    Issue   36   July 13th, 2003

A publication of the:
Butler church of Christ

Our meeting location is:
201 5th Ave.
Butler, PA 16001
724-287-0628 (building) / 724-282-9417 (home/office)

Assembling Times:
Sunday Bible Class - 9:30 AM
Sunday Worship – 10:30 AM
Wednesday Bible Class – 7:00 PM
 

Editor / Preacher –
Brian A. Yeager
 

Check out the web site:

http://www.wordsoftruth.net

    If a person will take someone else’s money and spend it in ways that the owner of those funds has not authorized, we would call that theft [an unlawful taking (as by embezzlement or burglary) of property – Webster].  Such “theft” occurs all the time among “Institutional” churches of Christ.  They claim that whatever the individual Christian can do with his or her money, the same can be done with the Lord’s.  Many of them see no difference between the Lord’s money and the money belonging to a Christian.  They do not see that there is a difference between my money and the Lord’s money.  This point was made clear in Acts 5:4.  An individual’s work and the work of the collective are different (I Timothy 5:16).  So, when looking for a faithful congregation with which to worship, one should examine how they spend the Lord’s money.

    It is very clear in the New Testament that the church collectively aided Christians.  Such is clear through the pattern of examples laid out for us in the New Testament (Acts 2:44-45, Romans 15:25-27, I Corinthians 16:1-4, II Corinthians 8:4, 9:1; 12, and I Timothy 5:3-16).  It is rather sad that many liberal brethren have given money to non-Christians out of the treasury and then after the fact have tried to find scriptures giving authority for it.  Clearly we do need authority for what we do (Colossians 3:17), but that must come BEFORE we do things.  In attempt to defend modern day practices of general benevolence, many Institutional folks who truly do not understand the issues, reach back to arguments of the pioneers of the Institutional movement.  They reach back to Galatians chapter six and try to make that addressing the collective because of the words “we” and “us” in verse ten.  I wonder why they do not try to argue that the church was collectively baptized because of the words “we” and “us” in passages speaking of baptism (Romans 6:3-4).  They also fail to recognize that the whole context is to individual Christians in that chapter, speaking of spiritual things.

    Institutional brethren then try to justify sending money to human institutions by arguing that James chapter one verse twenty-seven authorizes such.  However, as they do in Galatians 6, they fail to realize that James is talking about an individual’s religion that is to be pure and undefiled before God (v. 26).  Finally, they reach to areas such as second Corinthians nine verse thirteen, wherein again they try to insert non-Christians into a context dealing only with Christians beginning in chapter eight and verse four and reaffirmed in chapter nine verse one.  It is not non-Christians in the context as non-Christians are not going to be praying for the saints (v. 14; cf. Isaiah 59:1-2 and I Peter 3:12).

    A local church is limited in how the Lord’s money can be spent.  An individual or a group of Christians using their own money concurrently could do great works as they ought to (Matthew 25:31ff. and Acts 11:29-30).  If a congregation will misuse the Lord’s money they are certainly not sound in the faith.  They are no better than Judas who wanted to have his own way with the Lord’s money (John 12:3-6).  The way a congregation views Bible Authority will be clear in how they spend the Lord’s money.  For more on this issue see: http://www.wordsoftruth.net/studyofinstitutionalism.htm

Those Serving Today:
Announcements – Brian Yeager
A.M. Song Leader – Terry Nannie
Lord’s Table – Jay Wagner
Assisting – Young Jay Wagner and Bill Graham
First Prayer – George Papp
Closing Prayer – Steve Burgoon

Those In Need of Our Prayers:
Tony Sassano (Carol’s niece’s husband going through chemotherapy for cancer), Joan Croyle, Marie Glunt (a friend of the Papp’s who is suffering from cancer), Brenda Graham (having knee problems), Beth Deemer (recovering from surgery), and Julie Rado (a friend of the Graham’s who has been diagnosed with breast cancer).

Traveling:
The Imbarlina’s are in Canada and the Lockwood’s are in Maine.