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Berean SearchlightStudying God’s Word, Rightly Divided February 1999

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February 1999 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUEFebruary 1999

From the Editor to You ................................................ 4

The Supernatural Sign Giftsof the Acts Period (Part II) ...................................... 7

Question Box ................................................................ 12

Your Only Qualification ............................................... 13

What Difference Does it Make? .................................. 17

Suppose ......................................................................... 21

The BBI Byline ............................................................. 22

Book Offer ..................................................................... 23

News and Announcements .......................................... 24

The Berean Bible Society is an organization for the promotion of Bible study by meansof newspaper series, recorded Bible lessons, and the distribution of Bible study literature.It is a non-profit organization, a work of faith supported by the gifts of Christian friends.

The Berean Searchlight is the official organ of the Berean Bible Society,and is sent free of charge to any who request it.

Editor: Paul M. Sadler

Composition and Layout: Kevin J. Sadler

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The Berean Searchlight (ISSN 0005-8890), February 1999. Volume 59, Number 11. Nosubscription price. The Berean Searchlight is published monthly (except July) at no sub-scription price, by the Berean Bible Society, N112 W17761 Mequon Road, PO Box 756,Germantown, WI 53022-0756. Periodicals postage paid at Germantown, WI. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to Berean Searchlight, N112 W17761 Mequon Road, PO Box756, Germantown, WI 53022-0756.

4 Berean Searchlight

From the Editor to You:

Dearly Beloved,The Book of Ephesians has been called the

Alps of the Pauline Epistles. It most assur-edly brings us to the pinnacle of Body truthwhere the doctrines of grace might be viewedin their fullest sense. I asked Pastor Stamover dinner one evening why he had neverwritten a commentary on Ephesians. Heexplained that years ago Ephesians was sofrequently preached in our churches thathe felt most Grace believers had a fairlygood understanding of the epistle. Thus,when Brother Stam began his writingministry he directed his attention to thoseareas of Paul’s revelation that weren’t dealtwith as extensively from the pulpit.

I guess it seemed to me that Ephesians was the logical place to begin,although I could see Pastor Stam’s point, having gone through the latter partof the era he was speaking of. But times change! Today, the grace messagehas spread around the world from its humble beginnings here in the Midwest.Only a small percentage of our readership has the unique privilege of attend-ing a Grace assembly. Consequently, a large number are dependent uponour Grace organizations for sound literature that they might grow in thegrace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the Mystery.

With this in mind, the past three or four years your Editor has been writinga commentary on Ephesians. To say this has been a challenge time-wise wouldprobably be a gross understatement. Trying to juggle Searchlight deadlines,teaching at the Institute, speaking engagements, and administrative duties isenough to give anyone an Excedrin headache. But, by the grace of God, we aremaking headway, even though sometimes it’s at a snail’s pace.

Having known Brother Stam for nearly twenty-five years and havingworked with him fifteen of those years, I am beginning to understand whyhe planned his schedule so meticulously and had such rigid rules that heexpected others to follow. For example, he used to take what he called“writing trips.” Usually, only two people knew what state he was visiting—his secretary and me! If you called Pastor Stam while he was on one ofthese trips, you better have had a good reason. Something akin to the roofcollapsing. Those calls, like most calls to Brother Stam, lasted three minutes,and it was back to work.

So if you phone BBS in the near future and ask for Pastor Sadler andour receptionist says, “He’s on a writing trip,” you’ll know I can’t be reachedwithout placing a staff member into a state of fear and trembling. Thanksso very much for your interest in the ministry. Please pray that God willgive a special measure of strength and wisdom as we labor to make thecommentary on Ephesians a work that will bring honor to His name.

Paul M. SadlerPresident

February 1999 5

From Our MailbagActs 14:27

From New Zealand:“We enjoy very much reading the

Berean Searchlight and also having ac-cess to acquiring Pastor Stam’s booksand booklets. It was approximately 3years ago that we were introduced torightly dividing the Word of truth andfound it very exciting to finally be givenvalid answers to our previously unan-swered questions. We are thankful forthe faithfulness of the person who stoodfor the dispensational truths and intro-duced us to them. From there it goesup the chain to the Berean Bible Soci-ety and ultimately to the faithfulnessof the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.” (“Itis required in stewards, that a man befound faithful.” Why? First, withoutfaith it is impossible to please God.Secondly, faithfulness will insure thatyou’re available when a poor, confusedsoul is searching for the truth. Ed.)

From California:“I look forward to receiving the

Berean Searchlight. Thank you. Sucha blessing to read the article on Mrs.Stam. A wonderful lady.”

From Florida:“I do appreciate you keeping me on

your mailing list. The Searchlight andwhat you send continue to give me guid-ance and encouragement so woefullylacking through the chaplaincy here.Your consideration with my persistentrequests wasn’t honored in vain. After5 years of often intense and thoroughBible study, I’m coming to a firmerstance (doctrinally) of who Christ istoday and who I am in Him. May Goduse you in a special way at this time ofyear to point people to who Jesus Christreally is.”

From Iowa:“I want to express my thanks to you

for the Berean Searchlight and its manyarticles which I read cover to cover, be-fore giving it to a friend at church whoalso reads them completely. I have en-closed my regular gift to you to help inthe Lord’s work.”

GOD’S BLESSINGON BBS MINISTRIES

From Pennsylvania:“I came into the knowledge of the

Word, rightly divided, about 10 yearsago through a great teacher I met atmy church. Only then did so many life-long questions get answered and peaceand joy began to reign in my life insteadof fear and guilt. Your literature helpssupplement the wonderful things Ilearn in my Bible study. Keep up thegood work. I’m also including a gift forwherever it is most needed.”

From Michigan:“We praise God for your ministry.

May our Lord Jesus Christ greatly useyou in your labors for Him. The Lordbless and protect, guide and direct youand your ministry.”

From Tennessee:“Really enjoy how the Searchlight

helps me to understand what God isdoing today. By understanding whatGod is doing dispensationally, I canserve Him best. May God bless youand your ministry.” (The Mystery is likea compass, it points you in the rightdirection. Ed.)

From Arizona:“I have a sincere Christian brother

who still lives under the law, or at leastbelieves in tongues and signs, and can’tsee the different program of Gracewhich we live in resulting from a fail-ure to rightly divide the Word of truth.I discovered this truth from BBS backin 1992 and it has been a blessing eversince. It clears up the confusion andremoves all condemnation. I wish toorder the book, Exploring the Unsearch-able Riches of Christ to give to thisbrother in the hope that he will discoverthe truth for himself.”

From New York:“God the Holy Spirit enlightened me

to Grace through II Corinthians 9:8 asrecorded in a copy of the January 1981Amazing Grace booklet which I had onhand. As to Brother J. C. O’Hair, surelyRevelation 14:13 does apply.”

6 Berean Searchlight

From New York:“I pray God’s blessing on each of you

as the printed messages go to heartsthat are waiting and ready to receivethe truth of the Word of God.”

From Indiana:“I apologize for not sending a mon-

etary gift sooner and also a word ofthanks for sending me the BereanSearchlight. Oh, how I am enjoying itand learning from it. I was not evenaware of BBS until I attended a LesFeldick Seminar and a dear lady fromPennsylvania told me about BBS andrequested that I be placed on your mail-ing list. It’s been several years now thatmy husband and I learned through LesFeldick’s teaching about the grace ageand God’s Word rightly divided. And nowhow thrilling it is to read the Search-light and discover someone teaches asLes does. Pastors Sadler and Stam’sarticles always seem special. I enjoyevery aspect of the Searchlight includ-ing news and announcements. We hopeto attend a conference sometime.”

From Colorado:“I want to thank God for the minis-

try He has given you and for your faith-fulness to it in the midst of difficulttimes. Your leadership has further en-hanced the ministry of the Berean BibleSociety.” (We thank the Lord for Hisgrace and the opportunity to serve Himin this capacity. Thanks so very muchfor your thoughtful words of encourage-ment. Ed.)

From Virginia:“Thank you for your ministry. My

cousin added my name to your mailinglist. I am slowly getting started usingthe many materials to aid in my Biblestudy. Thank you for rightly dividingthe Word of truth. May the Lord richlybless Berean Bible Society. May youcontinue to search the Scriptures asdiligently as those at Berea.”

From Iowa:“Enclosed is our donation to help

with the ministry at BBS and BBI. Wethank God for your stand and procla-mation of the gospel of Grace. It is sovery sad and heartbreaking to seeChristian colleges and schools thatonce stood for dispensational teachingsfall back into the so-called Covenant-Kingdom-Lordship-Works-progressiveDispensational theology. We certainlyare living in the ‘signs of the times’ spo-ken by the Apostle Paul....It looks likeeveryone else had the same thoughts Idid when I read Pastor Paul’s first in-stallment on the Institution of Marriage.We need ‘Grace’ writers writing aboutpractical topics such as marriage, etc.Instead of leaving it up to the ‘psycho-babblers’ and ‘Christian counselors.’ ”

From Canada:“I sure enjoy reading the Berean

Searchlight. Look forward to it eachmonth, so I am sending a donation toshow our appreciation.”

From Illinois:“I’m glad you put the articles The

Institution of Marriage in booklet form.I saved them all and will give them tomy daughters and to a friend.”

From Wisconsin:“I truly find the Searchlight a true

light to rightly dividing the Word oftruth. God has richly blessed yourwork. I pray that it will grow by leapsand bounds. Thank you for your glori-ous help in reaching others for Christ.What a marvelous reunion there willbe when Christ comes again to take ushome.” (I was sharing with a friend re-cently that I was confident I would pre-cede him to glory when the Raptureoccurs. “Oh! how’s that,” he said. Well,I just know that I am going to have acoronary arrest when I hear the soundof the trump. And as Paul says, “Thedead in Christ shall rise first.” Ed.)

“These [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, inthat they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searchedthe Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” —Acts 17:11

February 1999 7

The Supernatural Sign Giftsof the Acts Period (Part II)

By Paul M. Sadler

“For to one is given by the Spiritthe word of wisdom; to another theword of knowledge by the sameSpirit; to another faith by the sameSpirit....”

—I Cor. 12:8,9

Having touched upon the giftsof wisdom and knowledge in ourlast lesson, we now come to thegift of faith. Clearly this has noth-ing to do with the regenerationof the soul as some teach. TheCorinthians had been saved formany years prior to the time Paulpenned this letter; in fact, theapostle calls them saints in I Co-rinthians 1:2. The supernaturalgift of faith, which many of theseCorinthians possessed, was theability to perform the impossibleas a result of their deep and abid-ing faith in God.

Near the end of our Lord’s pil-grimage here upon the earth, as Heand His disciples journeyed fromBethany to Jerusalem the Lord be-came hungry. It was soon thereaf-ter that they came upon a fig treethat had leaves but was barren.Consequently, our Lord cursed thetree and said: “Let no fruit grow onthee henceforward for ever. Andpresently the fig tree witheredaway. And when the disciples sawit, they marvelled, saying, How soonis the fig tree withered away!” Notonly did the leaves whither away,but the entire tree from its roots(Matt. 21:18-20; Mk. 11:20-24).

Of course, the fig tree representedthe nation Israel, who like Adam,sought to cover herself with the fig

leaves of religion. However, she wasspiritually barren. Her leaders,again and again, failed to heed thecries of John the Baptist to bringforth fruit fit for repentance. Thus,the kingdom was taken from themand given to the “little flock” whowould bear fruit (Matt. 21:43).

“Jesus answered and said untothem, Verily I say unto you, If yehave faith, and doubt not, ye shallnot only do this which is done to thefig tree, but also if ye shall say untothis mountain, Be thou removed,and be thou cast into the sea; it shallbe done. And all things, whatsoeverye shall ask in prayer, believing, yeshall receive” (Matt 21:21,22).

If the disciples thought the with-ering of the fig tree was remark-able, this was merely a precursorof the miraculous manifestationsthat will be performed leading upto and during the millennium. Thegift of faith allowed them to dem-onstrate their unshakeable confi-dence in a sovereign God who does“...according to His will in the armyof heaven, and among the inhab-itants of the earth: and none canstay His hand, or say unto Him,What doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35).

There are those who believe theLord was merely speaking figura-tively when He stated: “...if ye shallsay unto this mountain, be thouremoved, and be thou cast into thesea; it shall be done.” In otherwords, those who possessed thisgift would simply be empoweredto perform incredible acts. Whilethis is plausible, we have alwaysbeen of the number who believe

8 Berean Searchlight

He was speaking literally. Wedoubt there are many who wouldquestion the judgment of the figtree was literal; therefore, we cansafely assume that the prayer offaith could move mountains offtheir foundations and in somecases even cause them to disap-pear (Rev. 5:8 cf. 6:9,10,14; Rev.8:3-8 cf. 16:17-20).

Another example of the use ofthis gift would be Stephen. As weknow, he was chosen by the king-dom Church to be one of the firstdeacons. He was said to be a man“...full of faith and power, [who]did great wonders and miraclesamong the people” (Acts 6:8). In-terestingly, when Stephen ran upagainst the intelligentsia of hisday regarding the teachings of theMessiah, “...they were not able toresist the wisdom and the spiritby which he spake.”

This is an example that somebelievers possessed more than onegift. In the case of Stephen, thegift of faith enabled him to trustGod in spite of the fact he was star-ing in the face of death. He pro-claimed the Word of God with suchboldness that those with whom hewas disputing were unable to an-swer his argument, even thoughthey had attended the Ivy Leagueschools of their day. Stephen spokewith such eloquence and persua-siveness, because he also had thegift of wisdom, that his adversar-ies were left speechless.

These same gifts were bestowedupon the members of the Bodyof Christ in accordance with ourdispensation. They were a dem-onstration that God was makingknown His secret purpose amongthe Gentiles.

THE GIFTS OF HEALING“...to another the gifts [or acts] of

healing by the same Spirit” (I Cor.12:9).

Today, many so-called faithhealers claim to have power toheal the sick. But, most timestheir healing practices are farfrom convincing. Normally theyinvolve people being healed of mi-graine headaches, blurred vision,back pain, etc.—things that wouldbe difficult to substantiate at best.These types of healings do, how-ever, provide a convenient meansthrough which to deceive.

Some years ago, my father wastravelling home from Pittsburghand decided to stop at a roadsiderestaurant to pick up a cup of cof-fee. As he was waiting for the wait-ress to fill his order he overheardtwo men talking to a friend sittingin the booth behind him. Theywere sharing how they had justcome from a church in downtownPittsburgh where a well-knownfaith healer was holding services.Apparently these gentlemen wereinvited to appear on stage and tosimply say they had been healedof a particular ailment. My dadrecounted that they were laughingabout it as he went out the door,stating: “It was the easiest fiftydollars they had ever made!”

But what about those healingservices where someone has beenlegitimately healed—surely thislends credibility to the practice offaith healing. While we do not dis-pute this can and does happen attimes, we must ascertain whetheror not the healing was the resultof God working through someonewho has the gift of healing or wasit merely a ploy of Satan. As we

February 1999 9

have seen, the sign gifts of the Actsperiod have ceased—more will besaid about this later. Therefore,either the healing was some typeof elaborate deception or Satanperformed it.

Remember, if Satan can inflictillness, such as he did in the caseof Job, surely he can also removeit if he so desired. Job’s journal ofaffliction records for us Satan’s pe-tition: “Put forth Thine hand now,and touch his bone and his flesh,and he will curse Thee to thy face.And the LORD said unto Satan,Behold, he is in thine hand; butsave his life. So went Satan forthfrom the presence ofthe LORD, and smoteJob with sore boilsfrom the sole of hisfoot unto his crown”(Job. 2:5-7).

But what does theDevil possibly hope toaccomplish by usingthis kind of unseemlyscheme? Simple! Ifhe can cause unsus-pecting souls to fol-low experience, rather than theliving Word of God, he has won amajor victory. If you have everspoken to those who regularly at-tend healing services, the tenor oftheir conversation usually revolvesaround those who were supposedlyhealed, what they were healed of,and the emotional high they ex-perienced. Nevertheless, the Wordof God must never stand in theshadow of experience.

The healing program that Godemployed in time past was char-acterized by individuals beingmade completely whole. The beg-gar who had been lame from his

birth didn’t go limping off the stageat Pentecost when Peter miracu-lously healed him. Nor did he needtherapy sessions three weeks af-ter he was healed like many today.“Then Peter said, silver and goldhave I none; but such as I havegive I thee: In the name of JesusChrist of Nazareth rise up andwalk. And he took him by theright hand, and lifted him up: andimmediately his feet and anklebones received strength. And heleaping up stood, and walked,and entered with them into thetemple, walking, and leaping, andpraising God” (Acts 3:6-8).

To further illus-trate the extraordi-nary workings of Godin those days, at Eph-esus they broughthandkerchiefs andaprons from Paul’spresence and the sickwere healed of allmanner of diseases.On another occasionPaul healed Publius’father who was near

death, which naturally drew oth-ers to the apostle to be healed oftheir infirmities (Acts 19:11,12;28:7-9). In regard to the propheticprogram, these acts of healingwere a foretaste of a future timeof blessing in the kingdom whensickness and disease will be theexception rather than the rule(Isa. 35:1-10). On the other hand,Paul’s healing ministry amongthe Gentiles was a sign to Israelthat God was setting her aside inunbelief (Rom. 11:25,30-32).

Although the sign gift of heal-ing has served its purpose, Godcan and does heal today as it is

“The healingprogram that

God employedin time past wascharacterized byindividuals beingmade completely

whole.”

10 Berean Searchlight

according to His will. He is stillthe Great Physician. Let’s notlimit God through unsound theol-ogy. During Paul’s latter ministry,not long after the sign gifts hadpassed from the scene, we know forexample that Epaphroditus washealed, undoubtedly in response tothe prayers of the saints at Philippi(Phil. 2:25-30). We’re sure mostpastors could probably cite caseswhere God has intervened andhealed someone of a terminal ill-ness in answer to the ferventprayers of the saints. It’s simplyunexplainable! Even the attendingphysician is often at a loss for wordswhen he compares the x-rays.

But most times God’s responseto our maladies is the same thatthe apostle received:

“For this thing [Paul’s thorn inthe flesh, probably ophthalmia] I be-sought the Lord thrice, that it mightdepart from me. And He said untome, My grace is sufficient for thee:for my strength is made perfect inweakness. Most gladly thereforewill I rather glory in my infirmities,that the power of Christ may restupon me” (II Cor. 12:8,9).

MIRACLES“To another the working of mir-

acles” (I Cor. 12:10).

It was during our Lord’s post-resurrection ministry that Hechose to dispense the final install-ment of the Great Commission toHis disciples. It included a num-ber of startling statements: “Andthese signs shall follow them thatbelieve...they shall take up ser-pents; and if they drink any deadlything, it shall not hurt them.”

These two facets of the commis-sion have so troubled commenta-tors that they argue the closing

verses of Mark’s gospel were fraud-ulently inserted into the text;therefore, there is good reason toquestion their genuineness. How-ever, any evidence to support sucha claim is nonexistent.

While it is true the Sinaiticusand Vaticanus manuscripts do notcontain the last twelve verses ofthe gospel according to Mark, itis generally accepted that thesemanuscripts have been proven tobe corrupt. Attempting to surgi-cally remove these passages tomerely get around a controversialsection doesn’t resolve the prob-lem because the sign gifts listedhere are clearly taught in theother Gospels.

We firmly believe that theseparting instructions were includedin the original biblical text. Theproblem is not textual; rather, itis a failure on the part of thesesame commentators to rightlydivide the Word of truth.

A short time ago, a story airedon one of the national newsmaga-zines, which had to do with the“religious practices” of a Full-Gos-pel church down south. This par-ticular assembly believed thatthey could handle snakes basedon Mark’s gospel. Of course, whenthe interviewer questioned thewisdom of such a practice, the pas-tor opened his Bible and pointedto the text in Mark and said: “Butthat’s what God’s Word says, righthere, and I believe it.”

The media was conducting theinterview because one of the mem-bers of the small congregation hadbeen bitten by a rattlesnake anddied. Another member had alsobeen bitten and was at home ex-periencing cold sweats from a high

February 1999 11

fever, but he was expected to live.The interviewer was quick to pointout, but the Bible says, “No hurtwill come to them?” To which thepastor replied: “Apparently, theydidn’t have enough faith.”

Beloved, the sign gifts of the Actsperiod were not dependent uponone’s spirituality or lack thereof;they were performed in fulfillmentof God’s plans and purposes at thetime. This is a good example thatit is possible to be Scripturally cor-rect, but dead wrong (literally, inthis case) dispensationally.

There is good reason to believethat those who performed theworking of miraclesdidn’t specifically con-duct snake-handlingservices. If those whowere carrying out theGreat Commissionaccidentally steppedon a poisonous snakethey were given thefollowing promise:“Behold, I give untoyou power to tread onserpents and scorpi-ons, and over all the power of theenemy: and nothing shall by anymeans hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

Let’s suppose that a little onecame face to face with a deadlyviper; those who possessed thegift of miracles would be able totake it up without any harm com-ing to anyone. In short, the work-ing of miracles was never meantto be a staged event. This couldbe said of all the sign gifts forthat matter.

At Melita Paul didn’t hold upthe poisonous reptile that cameout of the fire before those presentand say, “Oops! he bit me, but I

have the gift of miracles so noharm will come to me.” Paul wasjust as surprised as those whowere with him that day when thevenomous snake latched onto hishand.

“And when the barbarians sawthe venomous beast hang on hishand, they said among themselves,No doubt this man is a murderer,whom, though he hath escaped thesea, yet vengeance suffereth not tolive. And he shook off the beastinto the fire, and felt no harm.Howbeit they looked when heshould have swollen, or fallen downdead suddenly: but after they hadlooked a great while, and saw no

harm come to him,they changed theirminds, and said thathe was a god” (Acts28:4-6).

This miraculousmanifestation, andthe other signs Paulperformed, gave cred-ibility to his apos-tleship that he wasindeed sent from God.The signs of an apos-

tle confirmed that he was the di-vine, authoritative spokesman ofGod. We should add that theworking of miracles sometimesentailed the pronouncement ofjudgment. This came throughloud and clear to Bar-jesus, whosought to turn Sergius Paulusaway from the faith. Paul exposedthis enemy of righteousness forwho he was and caused blindnessto come upon him for a season(Acts 13:6-11).

The phrase “and if they drinkany deadly thing, it shall not hurtthem” is also to be understood inthe context of every day ministry.

“...the workingof miracles wasnever meant to

be a stagedevent.”

12 Berean Searchlight

This, too, fell under the working ofmiracles, but it did not mean thosewho were given this gift purposelydrank poison to test the Lord. Itwas not uncommon for believersin Christ to find themselves in lifethreatening situations. They con-sistently lived in the face of realand present danger. The threatsthat were made against themweren’t idle tales; actual attemptsto kill them were quite common(Acts 4:21; 5:40; 12:1-4; 23:12-22).So it is not beyond reason to con-clude that poisonings were in therealm of possibility.

“For I [Nehemiah] was the king’scupbearer. And it came to pass inthe month Nisan, in the twentiethyear of Artaxerxes the king, thatwine was before him: and I tookup the wine, and gave it unto theking...” (Neh. 1:11-2:1).

We note that even ancient kingstook precautionary measureswhen it came to poisonings. It wasa rather convenient way to dis-pose of an enemy. Thus, the cup-bearer was more than someonewho merely brought the king hischalice of wine. He first drankfrom the cup to insure that no onehad poisoned the drink. The con-cept was, let death come to the cup-bearer, but long live the king.

Whether those who carriedforth the gospel were purposelypoisoned to silence them, or if theydrank something accidentally thatwas obviously deadly, no harmwould come to them. This particu-lar sign gift allowed those whopossessed it to walk away frompotentially life threatening situ-ations to the glory of God.

To be continued!

QUESTION BOX“Pastor, I understand that we are secure in Christ, but how would

you explain II Corinthians 6:1-3? ‘We then, as workers togetherwith Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God invain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in theday of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the acceptedtime; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed.’”

If we remove Paul’s parenthetical thought for a moment it be-comes clear that the apostle had the ministry in mind, not salva-tion, when he used the phrase “that ye receive not the grace ofGod in vain.” As ambassadors, representing Christ in His absence,the Corinthians should have been living exemplary lives. How-ever, their conduct was far from beyond reproach, thus placingtheir ministry which they had received by the grace of God injeopardy of being ineffectual.

With the re-insertion of Paul’s parenthetical phrase, the apos-tle was seeking to show the Corinthians the gravity of the situa-tion. While they were busy squabbling among themselves, lostsouls were perishing.

—Pastor Sadler

February 1999 13

Your Only QualificationA Word to the Unsaved

By Cornelius R. Stam

“Fools make a mock at sin.”—Prov. 14:9

Increasing thousands all aboutus are throwing moral restraintto the wind “to enjoy the pleasuresof sin.” Loose living is one of thecharacteristics of the age. Thosewho dare to go farthest are con-sidered the most daring. They“make a mock at sin.”

As we look about us today wemust bow our heads in shame andacknowledge that God’s indict-ment against humanity is true.

“And even as they did not like toretain God in their knowledge, Godgave them over to a reprobatemind, to do those things which arenot becoming;

“Being filled with all unrigh-teousness, fornication, wickedness,covetousness, maliciousness; full ofenvy, murder, debate, malignity;whisperers,

“Backbiters, haters of God, de-spiteful, proud, boasters, inven-tors of evil things, disobedient toparents,

“Without understanding, cove-nantbreakers, without natural af-fection, implacable, unmerciful:

“Who knowing the judgment ofGod, that they which commit suchthings are worthy of death, not onlydo the same, but have pleasure inthem that do them” (Rom. 1:28-32).

What reckless folly! They knowthe judgment of God awaits them,yet they will not face it. They tryto “laugh it off.”

And what about you, unsavedfriend? How do you stand beforeGod? You say you are not nearlyso bad as those whose sins are

listed above? We too once arguedthat we were as good as many andfar better than some, but while itis true that there are differencesin the character and the degree ofmen’s sins, there is surely no dif-ference in this, that “ALL HAVESINNED and come short of theglory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

This means that all of us—youtoo—must either trust in Christas Savior, or stand some day tobear the judgment for sin our-selves. There you have the simpletruth as God’s Word gives it tous, and our consciences bear wit-ness that the proposition is morethan just—it is infinitely graciousand kind.

In the Bible we have preservedfor us letters which were writtenalmost 2,000 years ago by theApostle Paul to Timothy and Titus,two young pastors whom he hadstationed at Ephesus and Crete.

In these letters he passes on tohis two sons in the faith a num-ber of “faithful sayings;” truthsimportant enough to justify fre-quent repetition. The very firstof these is perhaps the principalone of all, at least it is of primaryimportance. Unless we heed itthere is no point in even troublingourselves about the others. It isfound in the first chapter of hisfirst letter to Timothy:

“This is a faithful saying, andworthy of all acceptation, that ChristJesus came into the world to savesinners; of whom I am chief” (I Tim.1:15).

14 Berean Searchlight

It is strange that such a simpleand blessed truth should haveneeded such constant emphasis,but it did and it still does today.

There are some who try to makethemselves and others believethat they are not sinners. Whatthey need to know is that “ChristJesus came into the world to savesinners,” not the righteous, butSINNERS. What need have “good”people of a Savior? How can Hehelp those who do not feel theyneed His help?

On the other hand, however,there are many people who hesi-tate to come to Christ for salva-tion because they feel they are notworthy. They feel that they mustfirst learn to live better lives.They turn over new leaves; theymake frequent resolutions to dobetter; they promise themselvesthey will take their religion moreseriously—all because they feelthey are unworthy to come to Himas they are.

To such this “faithful saying”comes with equal force. Whomdid Christ Jesus come into theworld to save? Sinners! Sinners!SINNERS! Do you feel you are asinner? Then Christ Jesus cameinto the world specially to saveyou. Do not try to better yourselffirst, for you will never succeed.Sinners need a Savior. And howcan He save you from your sins ifyou do not come to Him with yoursins, as you are?

It is remarkable that this pas-sage was penned by the chief of sin-ners. When, according to prophecy,Jew had joined Gentile in rebellionagainst God and His Christ, it wasSaul of Tarsus (or called Paul) wholed the world rebellion.

“But where sin abounded, gracedid much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).

In the greatest demonstrationof love and grace this world hasever seen, outside the Cross itself,God reached down and savedSaul, the blasphemer and perse-cutor, appointing him to go forthwith the gospel of the grace of God,the glorious message that anyoneanywhere may find salvation fulland free by grace through faith inChrist alone.

God saved the chief of sinnersso that you, sinner friend, mightknow that He is willing and readyto save you, for Paul, by the Spirit,explains in this same passage ofI Timothy:

“Howbeit for this cause I obtainedmercy that in me first Jesus Christmight show forth all long-suffering,for a pattern to them which shouldhereafter believe on Him to lifeeverlasting” (I Tim. 1:16).

Will you learn the great lessonGod is trying to teach this sin-cursed world?

Not everyone is qualified totake a place in a college footballteam. Not everyone can join theArmy or the Navy. There are cer-tain qualifications which must bemet. Even in seeking employment,education and experience make agreat deal of difference. But ouronly qualification for salvation isour need—our sin. It is the onlyqualification that must be met. Itis the only one we can meet.

CHRIST DIED FOROUR SINS

Sin was no joke to Him. Heknew its horrible results. He knewtoo the dreadful penalty whichjustice must visit upon it. Yes, and

February 1999 15

He also knew that “all have sinnedand come short of the glory of God”(Rom. 3:23). Yet He left the glo-ries of heaven and stooped to bearthe guilt of a sin-cursed worldHimself! Yes, “Christ also hathonce suffered for sins, the just forthe unjust, that He might bring usto God” (I Pet. 3:18).

As the cruel, wicked wretchesdrove nails through His blessedhands and feet they emphasizedtwo of the greatest facts men canever learn—the unspeakable wick-edness of which the human heartis capable and the infinite love ofGod, for “He bare our sins in Hisown body on the tree.”

This infinite grace has touchedthe hearts of millions. It accom-plished what the law could never

do, for these millions now seek toplease Him, not from fear, butfrom sheer gratitude and love.As the Apostle John puts it, “Welove Him because He first loved us”(I John 4:19).

Friend, do you feel you are asinner? Good! That is the firststep toward heaven, for—listenonce more—“Christ Jesus cameinto the world to save sinners.”

God loves you. Christ died foryou. “Believe on the Lord JesusChrist and thou shalt be saved.”

“For I delivered unto you firstof all that which I also received,that Christ died for our sins ac-cording to the Scriptures; And thatHe was buried, and that He roseagain the third day according tothe Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3,4).

NEWS FROM BIBLE CORRESPONDENCEFELLOWSHIP, NEOSHO, MISSOURI

For many years we have been grading correspondence Biblelessons for prisoners and others. Most of these students havebeen referred to me from Prison Mission Association for the ad-vanced courses in Things That Differ and Dispensational Rela-tionships. However, in recent years we have had a great increasein beginning students as the word gets around, especially in theprisons.

We have been supplying booklets and reading material to thosewho desire to study and learn, but sometimes an advanced stu-dent asks if we have any Scofield Reference Bibles available. Wehave been able to send only a few of these (mostly used ones), butthere are always requests for more. If anyone has a used Scofieldon the shelf (any condition), we would greatly appreciate it if youwould send it to us to share with those who can’t afford one. Sendit by BOOK RATE to Bible Correspondence Fellowship, JohnWillson, Field Rep., 407 W. Hickory St., Neosho, MO 64850-1726.Thank you!

—John Willson

16 Berean Searchlight

WEARY IN, NOT OF, THE WORKGeorge Whitefield preached judgment in the fields of both old and New

England. Near the end of his life, a friend advised him to go to bed ratherthan keep a preaching appointment. But Whitefield prayed, “Lord Jesus, Iam weary in Thy work, but not of it. If I have not yet finished my course, letme go and speak for Thee once more in the fields, seal Thy truth, andcome home and die!” A few hours later he preached his last sermon, thendied the following morning.

—Selected

EARTHEN VESSELSGod uses earthen vessels,All battered and scarred,As clear ringing bells,Tho’ the bell is so marred.It’s the music so clearWith God’s message to tell,That first catches the ear,Not the sight of the bell.God pulls the heart-stringsWith His message true,That even the bell sings,As tho’ it was new.God in a marred vessel,Now that is a pair;With God ringing the bellMusic fills the air.The vessel gets older,But polished inside.It’s sound is louderWith God there to abide.Alive, tho’ once crucified!The sound seems to swell.Arose to glorify!Behold a shining bell.

II Corinthians 4:7

—Mrs. Anna Lee Walker

February 1999 17

What Difference Does it Make?By David M. Havard

Although no one may actu- ally come right out and say

it, when it comes to the distinc-tive ministry and message of theApostle Paul, many believers ap-parently think, “What differencedoes it make?” While such a ques-tion is understandable when itcomes from someone unfamiliarwith Pauline dispensationalism,the question is quite disturbingwhen it comes from those withinthe “Grace Movement.”

The “third generation syn-drome”1 that afflicts Christianityin general also seems to affect theGrace Movement. By the thirdgeneration, we see many descen-dants of Pauline grace believersgoing back to denominationalismor other belief systems. Whenasked why they are reverting backto what their grandparents or par-ents came out of, they often answer,“What’s the big deal?” or, “Whatdifference does it make?”

While those of us who stand forthe Grace message may chafe atsuch a question, it is still vitallyimportant that we know the an-swer to such a question. What dif-ference DOES it make?

The answer to the question,“What difference does it make?” willdepend largely on whether or notwe place a high premium on God’sWord. If we take God’s Word andliving a God-honoring Christianlive seriously, the Grace messagemakes a tremendous difference.But if we are noncommittal to God,apathetic to His Word, and don’tcare to live a Christ-honoring life,

then it will not make much of adifference at all.

But let us say that you take theBible and your walk before Himseriously. If you do, then theknowledge of God’s Word rightlydivided will affect all areas ofyour life. However, for the sake ofdiscussion, we will focus on justthree areas: Bible Interpretation,Evangelism, and our ChristianWalk.

BIBLE INTERPRETATIONUnderstanding the distinctive

ministry of the Apostle Paul is ab-solutely necessary if we are goingto be able to consistently interpretthe Word of God. Many times crit-ics of the Bible say that they can-not believe it to be true because itis full of contradictions. Of course,we do not believe that it is “fullof contradictions,” but it is truethat without a full understand-ing of God’s different dispensa-tions the Bible does appear tocontradict itself.

Proper MethodThe only method of biblical in-

terpretation that allows the Bibleto mean what it says and saywhat it means—to whom it waswritten—is the literal method ofinterpretation. By literal interpre-tation we mean letting the Biblespeak with the normal meaning ofwords. While the Bible is a super-natural book, we read it as wewould any other book, letting thenormal rules of grammar andword meanings speak to us.

18 Berean Searchlight

Even those who do not acceptdispensationalism admit that ifyou stick to a literal method ofinterpretation you will have to bea dispensationalist. If you do notbelieve in dispensationalism thenyou are forced to explain away thecontradictions in the Scriptures —which are not contradictions whenproperly understood in their dis-pensational context.

Many dispensationalists under-stand the difference between Israeland the Body of Christ. That sucha distinction exists cannot bemissed if you literally interpretPaul’s epistles. Many dispensa-tional Bible teachers of the past andpresent (such as Scofield, Darby,Chafer, Walvoord, McGee, Swindoll,etc.) understand that we are nowin the dispensation of grace, or assome call it, “the Church Age.”

But unfortunately, they fail tosee the distinctive message andnature of Paul’s apostleship. Byfailing to see and accept thisclearly stated distinction they failto see the kingdom nature of thegospel accounts and read the Bodyof Christ back into them. They un-derstand the principle of progres-sive revelation and know not toread doctrines about the Body ofChrist back into the Old Testa-ment, but they do not see that thissame principle should also applyto the gospels as well.

They constantly take us back tothe earthly ministry of Christ tothe Jews as our model of conductfor today. They do this in spite ofthe fact that even they themselvesdo not believe that the Church, theBody of Christ began until Pen-tecost. This leaves the questionof how Christ can be speaking to

the Body of Christ in the gospelswhen it did not come into exist-ence until afterward?

It is also hard to understandhow dispensationalists who claimto interpret the Bible literally canbelieve that the Body of Christ isin the gospels when even ChristHimself clearly states that He didnot come to the Gentiles (Matt.10:5-6; 15:24). How can they notbelieve and accept Paul’s uniqueapostleship and message when heproclaims it so clearly? (Acts 9:15;22:21; 26:17; Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:8-9; Eph. 3:1; 3:8; Col. 1:27; I Tim.2:7; II Tim. 1:11).

Proper MessageOnly by interpreting the Bible

literally and being a consistentdispensationalist will we arrive atthe proper message for us today.There are many preachers andBible teachers who proclaim thetruth of salvation by grace throughfaith alone. They quickly run toPaul’s epistles to expound on thegreat doctrines of the Christianfaith. They do not go to the gos-pels or the general epistles toprove salvation by faith alone—because you will not find it there!As the late C. I. Scofield said inthe preface to Paul’s epistles in hisoriginal reference Bible:

“The Epistles of the ApostlePaul have a very distinctive char-acter...Through Paul alone weknow that the church is not anorganization, but an organism,the body of Christ; instinct withHis life, and heavenly in calling,promise, and destiny. Throughhim alone we know the nature,purpose, and form of organiza-tion of local churches, and the

February 1999 19

right conduct of such gatherings.Through him alone do we knowthat ‘we shall not all sleep,’ that‘the dead in Christ shall rise first,’and that living saints shall be‘changed’ and caught up to meetthe Lord in the air at His return.But to Paul was also committedthe unfolding of the doctrines ofgrace...Paul, converted by the per-sonal ministry of the Lord in glory,is distinctively the witness to aglorified Christ, Head over allthings to the church which is Hisbody, as the Eleven were to Christin the flesh.”

It is unfortunate that the editorsof the New ScofieldBible chose to waterdown Dr. Scofield’sclear teaching on thedistinctive nature ofPaul’s apostleship.

Many Bible teach-ers today properlyteach salvation bygrace through faithalone for this dispen-sation, but becausethey fail to under-stand Paul’s uniqueapostleship and message to theGentiles, they often take us backto the gospels or general epistlesfor many teachings today.

While Paul himself says that allScripture is profitable, we muststill understand the difference be-tween what is written for us andwhat is written to us. Only Paul’sepistles are written to us, but allScripture is for us. That is, webuild our doctrine from Paul’sepistles. We are then free to studyall of Scripture in light of Paul’sgospel and draw application andprinciples from all of the Bible and

apply it to our life (Rom. 15:4; I Cor.10:6; II Tim. 3:16).

EVANGELISMProper Message

We are often criticized for ourlack of emphasis on evangelism.Thankfully, many grace believersare starting to develop a renewedemphasis on evangelism. How-ever, before we can evangelize, wefirst need to know what messageit is that we are proclaiming forsalvation.

It is interesting that even thosewho reject Pauline dispensation-alism go to Paul’s epistles to get

the majority of theirevangelistic texts.This is because any-one who is saved inthis dispensation issaved by believingthe gospel of the graceof God as given to andthrough the ApostlePaul. In a way, ALLbelievers today are“grace believers.” NOONE is saved todayapart from under-

standing Paul’s gospel of faithalone in the finished work of JesusChrist on our behalf.

There is only ONE gospel forsalvation today—Paul’s gospel.Some balk at calling it that, butunder the inspiration of the HolySpirit this is what it is called (Rom.2:16; 16:25; II Tim. 2:8). This goodnews is clearly laid out for us inI Corinthians 15:3-4 and it includesthe death, burial, and resurrectionof the Lord Jesus Christ.

“But what about Peter?” youmay be thinking. “Didn’t hepreach the same thing as Paul?”

“ ‘But whatabout Peter?’you may be

thinking. ‘Didn’the preach thesame thing as

Paul?’”

20 Berean Searchlight

It is true that he also preachedabout the death, burial, and resur-rection of Christ, BUT he preachedabout it in keeping with Israel’searthly kingdom program. Whenwe look at Acts 2:22-36 and 3:13-15, we see that he preached aboutthe crucifixion of Christ as thecause of judgment upon the Jews.You do not find Peter preachingfaith alone at Pentecost.

Peter told the Jews to repent ofkilling Jesus Christ. If they wouldrepent (as a nation), then the timesof refreshing from God would comeupon the nation Israel. While it istrue that Jesus Christ is the sourceof the good news for both Jew andGentile under both the propheticand mystery programs, we cer-tainly cannot say that Peter under-stood the gospel of the mystery atPentecost (after all, it was not re-vealed until the Apostle Paul).

When Paul preached about thedeath, burial, and resurrection ofJesus Christ, he did it not accord-ing to prophecy, but according tothe mystery,:

“Now to him that is of power tostablish you according to my gospel,and the preaching of Jesus Christ,according to the revelation of themystery, which was kept secret sincethe world began, But now is mademanifest, and by the Scriptures ofthe prophets, according to the com-mandment of the everlasting God,made known to all nations for theobedience of faith” (Rom. 16:25-26).

The proper application of thegospel in this dispensation of graceis FAITH ALONE. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly states, “For by grace areye saved through faith; and thatnot of yourselves: it is the gift ofGod: Not of works, lest any manshould boast.”

“What difference does it make?”It makes a BIG difference! If wedo not understand Paul’s distinctapostleship and message we maywrongly try to evangelize bypreaching the gospel (the death,burial, and resurrection of Christ)according to prophecy and notaccording to the revelation of themystery.

Ephesians 2:8-9 flatly contra-dicts the message of faith plusworks as the expression of theirfaith that we find in the gospel ac-counts (Matt. 5:19-20; 12:50; 23:3;Mark 11:26; Luke 3:10,12,14; 6:46;8:21; 10:28; 17:10; 18:18-20). If wefail to “rightly divide” the Scrip-tures we will have a contradictorygospel. The New Testament clearlyteaches both the gospel accordingto prophecy and the gospel accord-ing to the mystery. In an attemptto harmonize the Scriptures, mosttheologians do one of three thingswhen faced with these facts:

•Superimpose the kingdomgospel into Paul’s gospel

•Read Paul’s gospel back intothe kingdom gospel

•Rightly divide the ScripturesThe first choice is what some

Bible teachers have done in anattempt to make sense of the king-dom gospel and the gospel of thedispensation of the grace of God.An example of this is the LordshipSalvation teaching of Pastor JohnMacArthur.

The second choice is what mostevangelicals and fundamentalistsdo. They understand the gospelof salvation as revealed in Paul’sepistles. They teach that salva-tion today is apart from works andtotally by faith alone in the fin-ished work of Christ. They are

February 1999 21

forced to explain away, rational-ize, or spiritualize the clear teach-ings of the gospels that teach faithplus works.

The third choice, right division,is the only choice that allows God’sWord to say what it means andmean what it says. Understand-ing Paul’s unique apostleship andmessage allows the Bible to teachwhat the literal sense of the wordsclearly indicates—a message offaith plus works to the Jews inkeeping with their earthly pro-phetic program under the dispen-sation of law and a message of

Endnotes1. The “third generation syndrome” is thetendency for third generation Christians towalk away from the faith. The first genera-tion of people saved tend to be enthusiasticand “on fire” for the things of the Lord. Thechildren of the first generation are in churchand saved but tend to be less enthusiasticfor the things of the Lord. By the third gen-eration many children are typically nomi-nally involved in church, or not involved inthe things of God at all, or in worse casescenarios, not even saved.

faith alone to everyone today inkeeping with the heavenly mys-tery program under the dispensa-tion of the grace of God.

To be continued!

SUPPOSESuppose it were true that a person once saved could be lost again.Suppose such a person, to gain heaven, would then have to be saved

all over again.But suppose the person in question never did get saved the second

time and, departing this life a lost man, went finally to the lake of fire—afterhaving once been “saved”?

In what sense, then, was he first saved? What was he saved from? Washe saved from the penalty of sin? No, for he did not escape the lake of fire.Was he saved from the power of sin? No, for he fell back into sin and dieda lost man. And most assuredly he was not saved from the presence ofsin. None this side of heaven have yet been saved from that.

What was he saved from then? The answer is: Nothing at all.He may have thought he was saved. He may have felt saved. He may

have acted as though he were saved. His friends may have thought hewas saved but, in the final analysis, he was saved from nothing.

Salvation, to be anything more than a mere term, must be everlasting.Any person who has been saved has been eternally saved. No one issaved until he is eternally saved. Anyone who dies in a lost conditionnever was saved at all.

Does this mean we must wait until after this life is over to find out? No.We may be saved now and know it. This is evident from such passages asI Corinthians 1:18, where the Apostle Paul refers to “us which are saved.”

How can we be saved?“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”—that’s what to do.

“And thou shalt be saved”—that’s when you get it (Acts 16:31).And “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”—

that’s how long it lasts (Rom. 6:23).—C. R. Stam

22 Berean Searchlight

“I have no YESTERDAYS,Time took them away;

TOMORROW may not be—But I have TODAY.”

Who will be the pastors, Bible teachers, and missionaries oftomorrow? None other than the faithful men and women who arepreparing themselves for service today. For more information aboutBerean Bible Institute contact: Dr. W. Edward Bedore, PO Box 756,Germantown, WI 53022-0756, or phone: (414) 255-4094, fax: (414)255-4195, e-mail: <berean@execpc.com>.

II Timothy, Paul’s Last Will and TestamentBy Dr. W. Edward Bedore

Director, Berean Bible Institute

THE BBI B YLINE

During Paul’s final imprison-ment at Rome he was confined toa jail cell. The notorious Nero,emperor of Rome, had instigatedpersecution against Christians totake the public mind off of his ownevil doings. It was during this timeof incarceration that Paul wrotehis final epistle. He well knewthat he would shortly be put todeath at the hand of a Roman ex-ecutioner. This letter to Timothy,his son in the faith (I Tim. 1:2),serves as Paul’s “last will and tes-tament” in which he explainswhat is to be done with his valu-ables after his death.

Having very little of materialvalue, Paul charged Timothy withthe responsibility of carrying onthe stewardship of the dispensa-tion of the Grace of God which hadbeen committed to him by the res-urrected, ascended, and glorifiedLord Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:1-12).Paul’s real treasures and richeswere found “in Christ” and he

wanted others to share in them.Paul’s letter contains four keyswhich unlock the rewards that arefound in faithfulness to Christ.

First, he admonishes Timothynot to be ashamed of his faith inJesus Christ or of Paul, His ap-pointed apostle, but to be will-ing to suffer for the gospel (1:8).Second, Timothy is told to befaithful to Paul’s message and toteach others who would in turnbe able to teach. This, of course,incorporates the principle of“rightly dividing the Word” (2:1-2,14-15). Third, Paul pointed outthat perilous times were aheadand that the faithful believercould expect to encounter perse-cution (3:1-13). Fourth, Timothyis charged to keep the gospel pureand to proclaim it at every oppor-tunity (4:1-5).

These words are as valid todayas they were when Paul pennedthem. Great riches are to be foundin faithfulness.

February 1999 23

The Triumph of His GracePreparing Ourselves for the Rapture

By Paul M. Sadler

This volume is a comprehensive study on the doctrine of the Pretrib-ulational Rapture of the Church. Midtribulationism, Pre-wrath, Posttrib-ulationism and the Partial Rapture theories are also thoroughly examinedunder the microscope of the Word, rightly divided. The Triumph of HisGrace contains charts, outlines, time lines and numerous comparisons tohelp the reader understand that the Body of Christ will be “deliveredfrom the wrath to come.”

CLOTHBOUND GOLD STAMPED

(Includes Scripture Index)

Special Price: $9.00

THIS OFFER ENDS FEBRUARY 28, 1999Orders up to $20.00, please add $2.00 for postage and handling.Orders over $20.00, please add 10% for postage and handling.

*Foreign orders must be remitted in U. S. currency!

24 Berean Searchlight

*The picture of the lighthouse that appears on the front cover was takenby Mrs. Betty France. She is a freelance photographer who we had the privi-lege of meeting at a craft fair in Milwaukee. The lighthouse is located inDover, England and was built by the Romans about the first century A.D.It is said to be the oldest existing lighthouse in the world. We will be sharingmore of Betty’s work with you in future issues of the Berean Searchlight.

NEW RELEASE: Our good friend C. O. Griggs has authored anothertimely work entitled: According to the Scriptures. This 40-page bookletaptly shows how God has met man’s greatestneed. We’re sure you will find this work a hand-some addition to Brother Griggs collection of writ-ings. If you are interested in ordering a copy, simplyrequest:

According to the Scriptures—$2.00 each or 3 cop-ies for $5.00.

Orders up to $20.00, please add $2.00 for post-age and handling. Orders over $20.00, please add10 % for postage and handling. Foreign orders mustbe remitted in U. S. currency!

A SPECIAL REQUEST: With Mrs. Stam’s passing the family has re-quested that all mail for Pastor Stam be sent to: Cornelius R. Stam, TheJohnson Health Center, 110 Windsor Park Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188.Since Brother Stam’s correspondence must be read to him, please limit yourgreetings and thoughts of appreciation to ONE SHORT PARAGRAPH.

ADVANCE NOTICE: For those who are planning their summer itiner-ary the Berean Bible Fellowship Conference is scheduled to be held at theCedar Lake Bible Conference Center, Cedar Lake, Indiana on June 19-24,1999. Pastor Joel Finck will be the “Bible Hour” speaker this year.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRACE CAMPBeautiful Family Camp Setting

Location: Long’s Peak Inn, Estes Park, ColoradoDates: July 12-17, 1999

For additional information, please write: Pastor James Harley, 541East 99th Place, Denver, CO 80229 or call: (303) 452-9148.

“...according to theScriptures.”

C. O. Griggs

February 1999 25

PRICE LISTBIBLE STUDY BOOKS BY CORNELIUS R. STAM—FOUNDER

(Clothbound—Gold Stamped) QuantityActs, (Commentary) Volumes I & II ................................................... $18.00_______Acts, (Commentary) Volumes III & IV (w/Bible Index) ...................... 18.00_______Author’s Choice ...................................................................................... 9.00_______Baptism and the Bible ........................................................................... 8.00_______I Corinthians (Commentary) ................................................................. 10.00_______II Corinthians (Commentary) ............................................................... 10.00_______Divine Election and Human Responsibility ........................................ 8.00_______Galatians (Commentary) ........ Special ‘til February 28: $10.00 ........ 12.00_______Hebrews, Who Wrote It and Why? ........................................................ 8.00_______Lord’s Supper and the Bible, The ......................................................... 7.00_______Man, His Nature and Destiny ............................................................... 10.00_______Moses and Paul (w/Bible Index) ............................................................ 7.00_______Our Great Commission (w/Bible Index) ............................................... 7.50_______Pastoral Epistles (Commentary) ........................................................... 10.00_______Paul, His Apostleship and Message (w/Bible Index) ........................... 9.00_______Romans (Commentary) .......................................................................... 10.00_______Satan In Derision ................................................................................... 9.00_______Sermon on the Mount, The .................................................................... 8.00_______Suggestions for Young Pastors .............................................................. 8.00_______I & II Thessalonians (Commentary) ..................................................... 9.00_______Things That Differ (w/Bible Index) ....................................................... 9.00_______True Spirituality (w/Bible Index) ......................................................... 9.00_______Two-Fold Purpose of God (w/Bible Index) ............................................ 7.00_______Two Minutes With the Bible ................................................................. 10.00_______50th Anniversary Memorial .................................................................. Free_______

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26 Berean Searchlight

BIBLE STUDY BOOKLETS BY CORNELIUS R. STAMAbiding Trinity ....................................................................................... $0.50_______Ambassadors for Christ ......................................................................... .50_______Ant and the Raven, The ......................................................................... .50_______Charismatic Movement, The ................................................................. .50_______Courage for the Conflict ........................................................................ .50_______Faith of Christ, The ................................................................................ .50_______Fulfillment .............................................................................................. .50_______Hope for the Bereaved ........................................................................... .50_______Lord’s Prayer, The .................................................................................. .50_______Love of Christ, The ................................................................................. .50_______Methuselah and Paul ............................................................................. .50_______Now is the Time ..................................................................................... .50_______Our Oneness in Christ ........................................................................... .50_______Panoramic View of the Program of God, A ........................................... .50_______Pentecostal Signs Being Restored?, Are the ........................................ .50_______Rapture of the Church, The ................................................................... .50_______Rome’s Greatest Blunder ....................................................................... .50_______Simple As Can Be .......... (Spanish Translation also available) ......... .50_______Sonship .................................................................................................... .50_______Standing, Walking and Running With Paul ......................................... .50_______Truth Aflame .......................................................................................... .50_______Unanswered Prayer ........ (Spanish Translation also available) ........ .50_______Unpardonable Sin, The .......................................................................... .50_______When the Lord Became Angry .............................................................. .50_______Why Was Christ Baptized? .................................................................... .50_______Will There Be Tears In Heaven? ........................................................... .50_______Answer to Catholicism, The .................................................................. 1.00_______Apostolic Authority of the Twelve, The ................................................ 1.00_______Believer’s Walk, The ............................................................................... 1.00_______Dimensions of the Mystery, The ............................................................ 1.00_______Early Ministry of Paul, The ................................................................... 1.00_______God and Man .......................................................................................... 1.00_______God’s Plan of Salvation Made Plain ..................................................... 1.00_______Knowledge of the Mystery, The ............................................................. 1.00_______Logic of the Plan of Salvation, The ....................................................... 1.00_______Lord’s Supper, The .................................................................................. 1.00_______New Evangelicalism, The ...................................................................... 1.00_______Paradoxes and Puzzles .......................................................................... 1.00_______Paul the Masterbuilder.......................................................................... 1.00_______Power of God versus The Power of the Occult, The ............................. 1.00_______Preaching of the Cross, The ................................................................... 1.00_______Saul the Sinner and Paul the Boaster .................................................. 1.00_______Seven Times a Failure ........................................................................... 1.00_______That Blessed Hope ................................................................................. 1.00_______This is That ............................................................................................. 1.00_______Water Baptism ....................................................................................... 1.00_______We Know a Secret .................................................................................. 1.00_______Writings of John ..................................................................................... 2.00_______Your Faith In God’s Word ...................................................................... 2.00_______

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PASTOR STAM’S COMMENTARY

ON

GALATIANSA fresh new look at a number of age-old problems!

This volume is a comprehensive study on the unique character ofPaul’s apostleship and message. Pastor Stam also effectively showshow legalism had sapped the spiritual vitality of the Galatians and thecourse of action the apostle took to deal with the matter. Needless tosay, Brother Stam is in top form when he tackles those difficult questionsthat most commentators avoid like the plague.

CLOTHBOUND GOLD STAMPED

(With Scripture Index)

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