We live in a time when brethren have left the old paths and are wondering lost in the ditches.  This could be due to a lack of leadership in many congregations.  We know that when the blind lead the blind both will fall into the ditch (Matthew 15:14).  We are in a generation in which brethren are looking outside of the Scriptures and outside of the teaching that should be going on in the local church, to other resources.  In this time many have looked to some who see themselves as “brotherhood preachers”.  Some are looking to the unauthorized works of the “Christian College”.  Some are looking to periodicals and commentaries for their sources on spiritual matters.

     Before some half-cocked nut case starts rambling on that I am opposed to brethren reading books or magazines, let me say that I am not at all.  I believe there is value in reading literature by faithful brethren who support their words with Scripture.  If I were opposed to uninspired literature I would be a hypocrite in writing this article. Having made that clear; let me say that I am opposed to those sources becoming the primary tool of instruction among brethren.  My problem goes further than that to the cause of much ignorance among brethren today which is simply shown through an over dependence on works of men.  Many brethren today display an attitude that plays into Catholicism.  They act as though they cannot understand the Scriptures unless someone explains those Scriptures to them.  In the case of a babe in Christ, I am not denying at all the need for them to be taught.  I am speaking of the "mature" who display the attitude of “I cannot understand this”.  This is contrary to the word of God (Ephesians 3:1-4).  WE NEED TO GO BACK TO BEING THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK.

     We ought to be a people that could be complimented by statements such as “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).  We ought to be a people who are known for being searchers within the inspired word of God (John 5:39).  We ought to be a people who are known for being able to give an answer from the word of God when we are asked to (I Peter 3:15; 4:11).  We ought to be a people who are set for the defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1:17).  We ought to be a people whose delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law we would be know to meditate day and night (Psalms 1:1-2).  We should be a people who have the attitude of the Psalmist: “Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes” (Psalms 119:12).

     If we are a people of the book (the word of God) we will be mighty and able to accomplish much in this present world.  If we are a people of the book we will be effective in preaching the Gospel to the lost (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15-16, and I Corinthians 3:6).  If we are a people of the book we will be effective in helping our brethren to grow as we learn and handle aright the word of God (II Timothy 2:15).  If we are a people of the book we shall be built up, for the word of God edifies (Acts 20:32).  If we are a people of the book we will be able to overcome the devil as we will not be ignorant of his devices (II Corinthians 2:11).  If we are people of the book we will be able to use the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17), against any attack upon the body of Christ.

     When the desire to go back to the “old paths” exists among brethren we will be once again the people of the book.  In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah the restoration of God’s people came about from being a people who went back to the book.  Notice the following passages: “And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.  And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.  And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.  And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up” (Nehemiah 8:2-5).  “Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.  And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.  And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God” (Nehemiah 9:1-3).  As we march forward today in trying to bring brethren back to the book, we must understand that ignorance does abound.

     There are some things we should be able to assume when teaching saints of maturity.  A teacher should be able to assume that when we mention the works of the church we should not have to define them.  However, that is not always the case today.  Teachers should not have to define fellowship, but many today will ignorantly misunderstand the term if it is not defined.  On and on we could go with a list of first principles that brethren often need explained.  The point is that it is hard to assume a level of understanding among many brethren in our day.  This is one reason that division is so rampant.

     Many brethren need too much of the milk spelled out for them today.  This prevents teachers and preachers from moving on with the meat.  I had a discussion with a supposed elder some time ago.  Our discussion surrounded the subject matter of fellowship.  I was taken back to find out that we were talking of two different subject matters.  Though we were talking about spiritual matters he was defining fellowship in a very broad way to include any participation or interaction with anyone.  I was speaking of fellowship from the Scriptures in the way John defines fellowship (I John 1:3-7).  We then had to define the word as we both were using it differently.  I would have thought that since we were talking about fellowship within the local church and abroad with false teachers that the term usage was obvious.  Yet, we cannot assume today that brethren understand Bible terms, for in many cases they do not understand the word of God at all.

     Paul noted: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (II Timothy 2:24-26).  James said: “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20).  If we love our brethren we will teach them.  We must understand that the problem is widespread and will take some patience.  At the same time, patience does not mean we are to tolerate error (II John 9-11).

     Ignorance will not be overlooked by God (Acts 17:30).  Many of our brethren are ignorant willfully, as some desired to be even in the days of old (Isaiah 30:9-11).  We must understand however, that some have fallen to ignorance because they have never been taught.  It is those whom we may be able to reach, for if we love our brethren we should be taking them BACK TO THE BOOK.

     All of us grow continually.  We will mature more and more in knowledge (II Peter 3:18).  This fact is no excuse for the widespread depth of ignorance we see today.  Even so-called preachers cannot properly exegete first principle passages.  If the church today will continue down the path it is headed, the church of tomorrow may be grim.  Ignorance is the cornerstone of denominationalism.  The many departures from the truth we witness today are due, in part, because many just do not know the difference between opinion and Scriptural authority.  It is time to stand up and do something in this time of ignorance to make positive changes.