The Berean Searchlight · Pastor Stam’s article, Not Ashamed on page 13. Ed.) From Florida:...

The

Berean SearchlightStudying God’s Word, Rightly Divided September 1999

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The Triumph of His GraceBy Paul M. Sadler

This volume is a comprehensivestudy on the doctrine of the pretrib-ulational Rapture of the Church.Midtribulationism, Pre-wrath,Posttribulationism and the PartialRapture theories are also thor-oughly examined under the micro-scope of the Word, rightly divided.The Triumph of His Grace containscharts, outlines, time lines andnumerous comparisons to help thereader understand that the Bodyof Christ will be “delivered fromthe wrath to come.”

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Exploring theUnsearchable Riches

of ChristBy Paul M. Sadler

If you are planning to introducea friend to the Grace message whois entangled in the web of tradi-tion, begin with Exploring theUnsearchable Riches of Christ.This volume will guide the readerstep by step through the two pro-grams of God. And it takes a freshlook at what we mean by thephrase “rightly dividing the Wordof truth.”



September 1999 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUESeptember 1999

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

Printing: Lithocolor, Westchester, IL

Questions, comments, book orders? You can reach us at:

Berean Bible SocietyN112 W17761 Mequon Road

PO Box 756Germantown, WI 53022

Internet: <www.bereanbiblesociety.org>

E-mail: <[email protected]>

The Berean Searchlight (ISSN 0005-8890), September 1999. Volume 60, Number 6. 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, Ger-mantown, WI 53022-0756. Periodicals postage paid at Germantown, WI. POSTMASTER:Send address changes to Berean Searchlight, N112 W17761 Mequon Road, PO Box 756,Germantown, WI 53022-0756.

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

The General Epistles: Where Do They Fit In? ........... 7

Not Ashamed ................................................................ 13

Question Box ................................................................ 17

A Father’s Tears ........................................................... 18

Freedom From Bitterness ........................................... 19

The BBI Byline ............................................................. 20

Fall Bible Conferences ................................................. 22

BBF Fall Conference .................................................... 23

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

4 Berean Searchlight

From the Editor to You:

Dearly Beloved,Shortly after our dear Brother Maurie

Reynolds stepped down from the BBSBoard of Directors due to age related prob-lems, we began to search for someone tofill his vacancy. Since the majority of ourboard members normally serve well be-yond their retirement years, we are slowto fill these positions until a qualifiedcandidate is available. The Berean BibleSociety Board of Directors has earned areputation over the years as being con-servative, fundamental, objective, andwilling to stand uncompromising forPaul’s gospel, come what may. Further-

more, we have sought to avoid the perils of new evangelicalism, yetmaintain a balance in regard to the inroads of extremism.

After months of deliberation and prayer, we extended Pastor RollinWilson an invitation, which he graciously accepted, to join the BBSBoard of Directors. Pastor and Mrs. (Jetty) Wilson have five childrenand nine lovely grandchildren. Brother Wilson is a graduate of the oldMilwaukee Bible Institute where he sat under the ministries of PastorJ. C. O’Hair, C. R. Stam, and Charles Baker. In addition to being a mem-ber in good standing of the Berean Bible Fellowship, Rollin is presentlythe senior grace pastor of the Grace Bible Church located in Altoona,Wisconsin. We deem it important that Brother Wilson has been triedand tested through the years, yet he has never wavered in his stand forthe truth of Paul’s gospel.

With the appointment of Pastor Wilson, we now have a full compli-ment of directors. Our current board is comprised of the followingmembers: Pastor Paul M. Sadler, President; Pastor John Fredericksen,Chairman; Pastor Jeff Seekins, Secretary; Mr. David Brown, Treasurer;Mr. Donald Weffald; Mr. Stephen Shober; and Pastor Rollin Wilson.You may also be interested to know that the election of Officers onthe board takes place yearly in accordance with the Constitution andBy-Laws.

Please pray without ceasing that God will give us a special measureof grace to remain a guiding light to the confused masses that have yetto see the distinctive apostleship and message of Paul. May our feebleefforts be used to the praise of His glory in Christ Jesus.

Paul M. Sadler, PresidentBerean Bible SocietyBoard of Directors

September 1999 5

From Our MailbagActs 14:27

From Pennsylvania:“Thank you for the packet you sent

in response to my request for the BereanSearchlight! I read each booklet andinformation about the Berean BibleSociety and passed them on to otherfamily members. They are so helpfulin my spiritual life and I praise Himfor each and all of you involved in theBerean ministry!”

From New York:“I would like 10 of the bookmarks you

offered in your last letter. Really appre-ciate it. It is great. I have enjoyed theSearchlight for a long time. Really likethe Lighthouse pictures on the front.Thank you for your faithfulness. Godbless each one and supply each need.”

From Ohio:“I want to let you know how much I

enjoyed the article Y2K—Hype, Hyste-ria, Hope by David Havard. Thank youfor the many years of Berean Search-light, a blessing to my heart. A checktoward the Searchlight is enclosed.”

From Michigan:“You have a very good little booklet.

Thank you for sticking with me all theseyears. Please forgive me for not con-tributing these many years. May Godalmighty bless your fine work. Thankyou.” (He abides faithful; therefore, weseek to abide faithful. Ed.)

From Florida:“We have been receiving the Search-

light for many years now and can hardlywait each month for it to arrive in themail. When it does arrive we immedi-ately read it from cover to cover. Whatjoy it brings to our hearts to hear andread the Word of God, rightly divided.We were first introduced to the Gracemessage and the Word, rightly dividedover 20 years ago through Pastor Stam’sbook, Things That Differ. That messagehas never dulled or become routine forus. It has only shined ever brighter overthe years. Thanks be unto God for Hismarvelous grace towards us.

GOD’S BLESSINGON BBS MINISTRIES

From New York:“I pray God’s presence to guide and

bless each one who is there getting outthe message of His Word, rightly di-vided. May each one be strengthenedand grow in grace.”

From Wyoming:“Thank you for sending me the Berean

Searchlight. It is helping me a lot inunderstanding the Grace message. Weare blessed to have a church where theGrace message is taught. I also attendtwo Bible study classes where we usePastor Stam’s books to help us in ourstudy.”

From Iowa:“Thanks for continuing to send me

the Searchlight which I continue to readfrom cover to cover before loaning it toothers who are interested in it. I amenclosing my regular check to help incontinuing your message of Christ to alistening world.” (Although the worlddoes its best to tune us out, we must bejust as persistent to broadcast the meri-torious work of Christ. Ed.)

From the United Kingdom:“Please accept my gratitude for the

latest Berean Searchlight—April 1999,it is very, very much appreciated. Asusual, a great selection of items whichboth challenge and bless. The articleon Tradition, How Shall We RegardIt?—Cornelius R. Stam, is the best I’veread on the subject. Thank you somuch indeed!!!! I agree totally, andmore, the Church isn’t only sick, it isdead. I well remember a church in myhome town was going to put on filmsto ‘get the people in.’ An elderly mansaid to the minister and its members,at a business meeting, ‘By the meansyou get people in, so by those samemeans you will keep them.’ Very apt,I thought.”

From Illinois:“Thanks for sending me the Search-

light. It’s been very exciting. What joyto read such truths.”


From Connecticut:“Praise be to God for His marvelous

provisions through Grace! I consider ita privilege to be able to give to His work,and I vow to give faithfully as He sup-plies the means (I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 8:12).Please add 5 copies of the Searchlightto my monthly mailing. I work in anarea hospital and would like to leavethem in the lobby and visitor’s waitingrooms. I am also ordering some of yourSpanish pamphlets as there are manyHispanics who come to our facility, andI want to reach them with la palabrade dios!”

From Oregon:“We thank you for continuing to send

the Searchlight to us when we could nothelp financially to help publish it. Weare so grateful for the help it has beenthrough the years. May God continueto bless the Word as it goes forth.”

From Florida:“Again I would like to thank you for

May’s issue of the Searchlight (and ev-ery issue). I continue to get blessedeach and every issue. I would like torequest that my parents be put on yourmailing list to receive the monthlySearchlight.”

From Kentucky:“I read and very much profited from

the article Supernatural Sign Gifts,part V by Paul M. Sadler in the May 1999issue of the Berean Searchlight. I waswondering if the whole series was avail-able as a package and if so how I mightobtain them.” (Thanks, beloved, for yourencouraging words. Lord willing, weplan to place this series in booklet formin the very near future. Ed.)

From Ohio:“Thank you for all the wonderful

editions of the Searchlight. This offer-ing is in memory of one who has trea-sured the message you send forth.”

From Michigan:“Please use this where needed most.

God bless you all. We enjoy the Search-light very much. Thank God we havethose that stay true to Paul’s mes-sage. What a wonderful Savior wehave.” (Thankfully there are still someOnesiphorus’ around. Be sure to readPastor Stam’s article, Not Ashamed onpage 13. Ed.)

From Florida:“Studying the Word, rightly divided

in the Berean Searchlight is a bless-ing to me and most enjoyable reading.Enclosed is an offering for your work.May God continue to bless you and yourstaff.”

From Iowa:“Our prayer is that God will bless

you and supply your needs, and thatmany will come to know Christ Jesusas their Lord and Savior. We thank Godfor His Son Christ Jesus and that weknow we are redeemed by the cleans-ing power of Christ’s sinless blood shedfor our sins at the Cross.”

From New York:“The Berean Searchlight is such a

blessing. I find the notes and lettersprinted in the mailbag so interestingand informative of how the Searchlightis blessing and just to get the messagesis a great fellowship blessing. The ar-ticles are very informative and we canlearn much from them.”

From West Virginia:“I have been setting aside checks

twice a month since the first of the yearwanting to write a letter and tell youhow much I enjoy the Berean Search-light....It is so amazing how much myeyes and heart have been opened bystudying and rightly dividing the Scrip-tures. The Grace message is so power-ful. Keep up the great work to keep thatbeautiful message alive.”

“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

September 1999 7

The General Epistles: Where Do They Fit In?By David M. Havard

INTRODUCTIONThose of us who understand

Paul’s unique apostleship andmessage usually have a prettyclear understanding of his epistlesand how they apply to us today.We also tend to have a good graspof the prophetic nature of the gos-pels and how they fit into thekingdom program. Through thegospels and up to and throughPaul’s epistles, we seem to recog-nize the proper dispensationaldistinctives. But after Paul’s epis-tles things seem to get a little fuzzyfor some of us. “What about theGeneral Epistles? Where do theyfit in? How do they apply to theBody of Christ today?” Such ques-tions are typical of those we receivehere at BBS about the books thatfollow Paul’s Epistles.

While many Grace pastorspreach and write about Paul’sepistles (which they certainlyshould do), some of them unfortu-nately neglect the rest of the Bible.This leaves many Grace folks hav-ing to get their instruction on theGeneral Epistles from teacherswho do not understand Paul’sunique apostleship and message.While we certainly want to empha-size the teaching and preaching ofthe dispensation of the grace ofGod committed to the ApostlePaul, we do not want to neglect theother Scriptures because we knowthat “ALL Scripture is given by

inspiration of God, and is profit-able for doctrine, for reproof, forcorrection, for instruction in righ-teousness.” Our goal should be toknow and understand the entireBible in light of Paul’s gospel.

Why are the General Epistlesseemingly ignored when it comesto sermons and dispensationalcommentaries? Go to just aboutany dispensational Bible confer-ence and you will likely find nu-merous commentaries on Paul’sEpistles but nothing dealing withthe General Epistles. Perhaps partof the reason is that the GeneralEpistles raise some issues andquestions not found in the Gospelsor Paul’s Epistles.

Those of us who understandPaul’s unique apostleship andmessage usually have a prettyclear grasp of where the gospelsfit in dispensationally. We under-stand that the gospels presentJesus’ prophesied earthly minis-try to the nation of Israel. (Evensome non-Pauline dispensation-alists understand that Christ’searthly ministry was “but to thelost sheep of the house of Israel”and did not include the Body ofChrist—and how could it, sinceeven according to an Acts 2 dis-pensationalist the Body of Christdid not start until Pentecost?)Up until Paul, we know that Godhad been dealing specifically withIsrael.

FYI: Pastor Sadler is hard at work trying to finish up his Ephesianscommentary and he asked me to fill in for him on this issue—somethingthat I was pleased to do. Don’t worry, he’ll be back!


Everything in the gospel ac-counts has to do with the prophe-sied earthly kingdom and salvationcoming to Israel. In the book of Actswe see the offer of the kingdom toIsrael—an offer which they reject.Following Israel’s rejection of thekingdom proclaimed by Peter, wesee the transition from Law toGrace at the calling of Paul afterthe stoning of Stephen. By theend of the book of Acts we knowthat the Law (and Israel’s positionas the chosen nation) has been setaside and that the gospel of thegrace of God is now the salvationalmessage for this dispensation.

Up until this point, most Gracebelievers are in agreement. Upto and through Paul’s epistlesthere is confidence and clarity asto the right division of Scripture.Why then do we see hesitancyand confusion as to how to rightlydivide the Scripures after Paul’sepistles?

12 IN OR OUT?There may be a number of is-

sues that cause Grace expositorsto be more tentative when it comesto teaching on the General Epis-tles. One issue that has cloudedthe understanding of some re-garding the General Epistles iswhether or not the 12 Apostlesand the kingdom saints becamemembers of the Body of Christ. Inthe past, a person’s position as tothe “12 in or out” has caused need-less division and loss of fellowshipbetween believers. And because(it is commonly said) our positionon this issue will affect our in-terpretation of these books, thispotentially divisive issue may bewhy more Grace teachers have not

dared to venture into expositionof the General Epistles.

Some are reluctant to teach onthe General Epistles because theybelieve that they will have to stakeout a claim as to whether or notthe 12 are in the Body of Christ.And since they do not want tocause any dissension or divisionover the 12 in or out issue, theysimply avoid the General Epistlesaltogether. This is unfortunatebecause such an issue should notreally affect our understanding ofthe General Epistles.

Even if the 12 Apostles and therest of the kingdom saints becamemembers of the Body of Christ, itshould not change our interpreta-tion and application of the Gen-eral Epistles. Merging kingdomsaints into the Body does notchange the fact that Paul is ourapostle, not Peter, James, Jude, orJohn. It does not alter the factthat our doctrine has to come fromPaul’s epistles. Paul never tellsus to learn from any epistles otherthan his own (although Peter doestell the Jews to learn from Paul(II Pet. 3:15-16).

In addition, if kingdom saintsbecame members of the Body ofChrist, it would not change theprophetic and kingdom nature ofthe General Epistles. Regardlessof where we place the 12 and king-dom saints after the formation ofthe Body of Christ, it does notchange to whom these books arewritten.

Perhaps an illustration willhelp. Let us compare the Body ofChrist to the United States andthe kingdom Church to a Terri-tory. In this analogy, Paul is thepresident of the United States and

September 1999 9

Peter is the governor of the Terri-tory. Years later, we find a direc-tive written by Peter. We ask thequestion, “How does Peter’s direc-tive apply to us as citizens of theUnited States?” “Did Peter’s Ter-ritory become a state?” “Was it apart of the United States?”

Maybe you know where thisanalogy is going. You see, whetherthe Territory became a state or notdoes not really affect the impact ofPeter’s directive on us. Whether astate or a Territory, Peter’s citizenscan only be kingdom Jews; we can-not belong to Peter’s group—weare not eligible for citizenship. IfPeter’s group remained a Territory,it is obvious that what he wrotedoes not apply to us because weare in a different country. Thiswould be equivalent to saying thatthe 12 did not become membersof the Body of Christ.

Now let us say that Peter’s Ter-ritory did indeed become a mem-ber of the United States (theequivalent of the 12 becomingmembers of the Body of Christ).Now what effect would Peter’s di-rective have on us? It would be thesame; nothing has changed. Evenif the kingdom Jews were a state,something written by their gover-nor would have no jurisdiction onthe residents of another state.

An individual state is a subsetof the United States. The federalgovernment can dictate to thestates, but a state cannot dictateto other states or to the federalgovernment. If the 12 becamemembers of the Body of Christ(subsets), Paul could write to them(just as the president can give di-rectives to the states), but Petercould still write only to his sub-set, the Jews (or returning to ouranalogy, as governor of a state,Peter could still write to residentsof his state but it would not havejuristiction or authority over theother states).

Because Paul is our Apostle andbecause we get our doctrine fromhis epistles alone, we know thatthe General Epistles are writtenfor us, but not to us. In practicalterms, this means that their pri-mary application is to Israel. TheGeneral Epistles will find theirprimary application to the king-dom saints during the tribula-tion. We may draw applicationsand principles from the GeneralEpistles but we must never forgetthat they are written to kingdomsaints with a decidedly propheticemphasis.1

With that lengthly introduction,let us try applying what we havesaid to I Peter and see if we cananswer a few basic questions.

FIRST THINGS FIRSTThere are some basic questions

that we must ask before we canproperly understand any portionof Scripture. The first question ofauthorship is not debated. Peter,one of the twelve apostles, wroteI Peter. The next thing to deter-mine is to whom the epistles were

“Because Paul is ourApostle and because

we get our doctrine fromhis epistles alone, we know

that the General Epistlesare written for us, but not

to us....their primaryapplication is to Israel.”


written. The fact that Peter wrotethese epistles should let us knowthat they are not written to ussince we know that Paul is ourapostle. But even if we don’t knowthat fact, the first verse of I Petertells us that Peter wrote to “strang-ers scattered throughout Pontus,Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, andBithynia,” i.e., Peter wrote theseepistles to the dispersed Jews.

Therefore, verse 1 gives us tworeasons why I Peter is written forus but not to us: (1) It is written byPeter, not Paul and (2) It is writ-ten to the dispersed Jews, not tothe Body of Christ. Even if we donot agree that Paul is our uniqueApostle, we still cannot escape thefact that Peter’s epistle is writtento the Jews and not to us.

Answering these first two ques-tions correctly is very important.People often ask us a questionbecause they are concerned abouta verse or passage in either theGospels or the General Epistles.At first glance the passage inquestion seems to say that we canlose our salvation, or that we haveto work for salvation, or that wecould be guilty of the unpardon-able sin (just to name a few). Butwhen we ask these two questionsabout the particular passage, wesee right away that they are notwritten by our apostle and neitherare they written to us. We mustnever lose sight of these basicprinciples of biblical interpreta-tion (or to use the fancy word,hermeneutics).

NOW WHAT?Having established the author-

ship and audience of Peter’s epis-tle, now what? What exactly do

we mean when we say that a bookof the Bible is written for us ver-sus to us? Books that are writtento us are those books from whichwe build our doctrine. As membersof the Body of Christ, that meansthat we must be careful to makesure that all of our doctrines arefounded upon Paul’s epistles (Ro-mans through Philemon). Booksthat are written for us include allof the rest of the Bible. Becauseall Scripture is profitable we canfind principles and applicationsfrom the entire Bible, but we mustbe careful to build our doctrine onPaul’s epistles alone. This does notmean, however, that we throw outthe rest of the Bible. It simplymeans that until we can properlyunderstand the primary interpre-tation of a passage of Scripture(who wrote it, to whom, and why)we will be unable to make a properapplication of the passage.

WHY?Now that we have established

the authorship and audience ofPeter’s epistle, we need to under-stand why he wrote the books.What condition or problem washe trying to address?

Referring back to verse 1, wesee that Peter is writing to theJews who are “scattered abroad.”Why are they scattered abroad?They were scattered abroad fol-lowing the persecution of the king-dom church that followed thestoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1; 11:19;James 1:1).

WHAT IT MEANT TOTHEM THEN

When you compare I Peter towhat he said in the book of Acts,

September 1999 11

you see that some things havedefinitely changed. In Acts, wesee that Peter was preaching theimmediate return of Christ andthe inauguration of the millen-nial kingdom—contingent uponIsrael repenting and believing onJesus Christ as her Messiah (Acts3:19-26).

But as we know, Israel did notaccept Jesus as her Christ (Acts4:1-3). While a few thousand Jewsbelieved, Israel as a nation con-tinued in unbelief. Then, in Acts7 we have the stoning of Stephen,followed by the dispersion of theLittle Flock from Jerusalem. Aswe read in Acts 8:1,“And at that timethere was a great per-secution against thechurch which was atJerusalem; and theywere all scatteredabroad throughoutthe regions of Judaeaand Samaria, exceptthe apostles.”

We should be awareof a prime mover inthis persecution. Acts8:3 tells us that Saul (Paul) “madehavock of the church, enteringinto every house, and haling menand women committed them toprison.”

Rather than experiencing theearthly blessings of the proph-esied and long-awaited kingdom,the Jews were persecuted, impris-oned, killed, and dispersed. It isto address these trying circum-stances that Peter writes his epis-tles to the kingdom Jews scatteredthroughout the Roman Empire.

I Peter has double applicationfor the Jews. When it was written,

Peter’s first epistle addressed theproblem of the kingdom saints’ dis-persion from Jerusalem and of theirpersecution under an Antichristof sorts—Saul of Tarsus. Speak-ing of Saul in his preconversionstate, we read in Acts 9:1 that hewas “yet breathing out threaten-ings and slaughter against thedisciples of the Lord.” Just likethe Antichrist who is to come, Saulwas intent on destroying the fol-lowers of Jesus.

These early saints were nodoubt confused as to God’s planfor them. After all, hadn’t they be-lieved on Jesus as their Messiah?

Had not God promisedthem the kingdom?Had they not beengiven a foretaste ofthe kingdom to come(Acts 2:1-21; Heb.6:4)? But instead ofexperiencing the uto-pia of God’s kingdomcome to earth, theywere being pursuedand persecuted fortheir faith. Has Godforsaken Israel? What

about the promises to Abraham?What about the promised king-dom? It is to answer questionssuch as these the Peter wrote hisepistles to the Jews.

WHAT IT WILL MEAN TOTHEM LATER

Likewise, these same questionswill need to be answered by thetribulation saints. They too willbe persecuted, pursued, impris-oned, and killed by the real Anti-christ, of whom Saul of Tarsus wasjust a prefiguring. The Antichristwill have the same hatred and

“...instead ofexperiencing theutopia of God’s

kingdom come toearth, they werebeing pursued

and persecutedfor their faith.”


single-minded intent of eradicat-ing the followers of Jesus. It isduring this time of the GreatTribulation that I Peter will haveits primary application to theJews. I Peter tells them how toperseverse with hope and holi-ness under God’s planned timeof suffering for them. The themeof I Peter is suffering, sanctifica-tion, and salvation. Just as king-dom saints of years ago werecomforted and challenged by itsmessage of victory over suffering,tribulation saints will be like-wise edified by what Peter wroteby the inspiration of God. ThatPeter fully understands God’s gra-cious purpose in all of these thingsis indicated by his conclusion inI Peter 5:10:

“But the God of all grace, whohath called us unto his eternalglory by Christ Jesus, after that yehave suffered a while, make youperfect, stablish, strengthen, settleyou.”

WHAT IT MEANS TO USWhile we do not receive direct

application of I Peter, we canlearn many vital lessons abouthow we should respond to suffer-ing in this dispensation of Grace.I Peter can teach us the prin-ciples of submitting ourselves toGod’s sovereignty in the midst ofsuffering.

Suffering as a tool of God is com-mon in all dispensations. Humannature seems to be such that ourbest lessons are learned throughthe fire of suffering. To a greatextent, responding properly tosuch things will determine ourpractical growth as believers.

Even in this dispensation ofGrace, God allows suffering to play

a part in our spiritual development.The Apostle Paul wrote about theplace of suffering and tribulationin our lives today—something ofwhich he had first-hand experi-ence (II Cor. 12:7-10). He alsowarned us in II Timothy 3:12 that“all that will live godly in ChristJesus shall suffer persecution.”

CONCLUSIONWhile I Peter can give us edifi-

cation and teach us how to havethe proper outlook regardingsuffering in our lives, we mustnot forget that it’s primary appli-cation is to Israel’s tribulationsaints.

The General Epistles and espe-cially the book of Revelation makemuch more sense when we under-stand their unique application tothe prophetic program. The king-dom phraseology and emphasisthat used to make us wonder nowmakes perfect sense in light of itsproper dispensational context. Seeif you notice the difference whenyou read them now too!

Endnote1. Some are confused by what they con-sider “Paulinisms” in the General Epistles.Whether the 12 technically became mem-bers of the Body of Christ or not, it seemsobvious that they read and learned fromPaul’s epistles. Apparently it was from Paulthat Peter fully learned why the kingdomwas put on hold (Rom. 9-11; II Pet. 3:15-16).Therefore, it is no wonder that we find theinfluence of Paul in Peter’s later epistles.Just as Peter’s epistles are for us but notto us, likewise Paul’s epistles were for thekingdom saints but not to them. Of course,this depends on your view of 12 in or out. Ifyou believe the 12 were in, then you wouldsay that Paul’s epistles were to them. Buteither way—to them or for them, theylearned from Paul’s epistles about the newdispensation of Grace and why Israel’s king-dom was not forthcoming.

September 1999 13

Not AshamedBy Cornelius R. Stam

The faithful proclamation ofthe “gospel of the grace of

God” entails suffering. That itentailed suffering in Paul’s day isevident from the very passage inwhich this term occurs in Scrip-ture. Having already suffereduntold affliction and persecutionfor proclaiming this glad news,and about to suffer more, the apos-tle of Grace declared:

“But none of these things moveme, neither count I my life dearunto myself, so that I might finishmy course with joy, and the minis-try which I have received of theLord Jesus, to testify the gospel ofthe grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

But why should the good newsof God’s grace stir up antagonism?

THE HEART OFTHE MESSAGE OF GRACE

The answer is that at the heartof “the gospel of the grace of God”lies “the preaching of the Cross”(I Cor. 1:17-25), and the Cross, aspresented in the Pauline epistles,has always been an offense to theworld, the flesh, and the devil.

By the Cross the world is cru-cified to the believer and he to theworld.1

“But God forbid that I shouldglory [boast], save in the Cross ofour Lord Jesus Christ, by whomthe world is crucified unto me andI unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).

Indeed, the crucifixion of Christexplains why in every age God hascalled upon His people to live as“strangers and pilgrims” in theearth (Heb. 11:13; I Pet. 2:11).

The Cross spells death to theflesh, the Adamic nature, too.

“What shall we say, then? Shallwe continue in sin that grace mayabound? God forbid! How shall wethat are dead to sin live any longertherein?...our old man in crucifiedwith Him....reckon ye also your-selves to be dead indeed unto sin,but alive unto God through JesusChrist our Lord. Let not sin there-fore reign in your mortal body,that ye should obey it in the luststhereof” (Rom. 6:1-12).

Finally, we learn from the rev-elation committed to Paul that theCross spells Satan’s utter defeat.Satan, in God’s providence, was,and still is, “the prince of the power[government] of the air” (Eph. 2:2).Even Michael, the archangel, didnot dare to “bring against him arailing accusation” (Jude 9).

However, because our Lord is“rejected of men,” and Satan in-stead is “the god of this age” (II Cor.4:4); because they worship him in-stead of Christ, God in His sover-eign wisdom has allowed Satan toretain his position until the com-ing “war in heaven,” when he willbe cast out (Rev. 12:7-9). Mean-time, we are assured that hisdoom has been sealed, by theCross, where Christ “died for oursins,” “redeemed us from the curseof the law,” overcame death andstripped Satan of every claimagainst us.

“...having spoiled [vanquished]principalities and powers, He madea show of them openly, triumphingover them in it” (Col. 2:15).


“...the Apostle Paul callshis ‘preaching of the

Cross’ ‘the gospel [goodnews] of the glory ofChrist’ (II Cor. 4:4).”

For submitting to “the death ofthe Cross” to gain these victoriesfor us,

“...God also hath highly exaltedHim, and given Him a name whichis above every name;

“That at the name of Jesus everyknee should bow...” (Phil. 2:9,10).

Or, as the Ephesian epistle sobeautifully expresses it:

“...He [God] raised Him from thedead, and set Him at His own righthand in heavenly places,

“Far above all principality, andpower, and might, and dominion,and every name that is named, notonly in this world [age], but alsoin that which is to come” (Eph.1:20,21).

This is why the Apostle Paulcalls his “preaching of the Cross”“the gospel [good news] of theglory of Christ” (II Cor. 4:4).

SATANIC ENMITYWith all this in view it is not

strange that Satan and his hostsshould do all in their power tooppose the proclamation of theCross and all the riches of graceinvolved (See Eph. 6:10-12). EvenPaul had to pray for boldness toproclaim this blessed message(Vers. 18-20); but God answeredhis prayers in abundant measure,for again and again we read of hisGod-given boldness; again andagain we hear him say: “I am not

ashamed,” and hear him encour-age others not to be ashamed.

The title of this message, NotAshamed, however, has mainly todo, not with the Apostle Paul, butwith a humble, courageous be-liever named, Onesiphorus.

FORSAKENIn II Timothy, Chapter 1, espe-

cially the closing verses, we learnin an intimate way of some of thesufferings and heartaches theimprisoned apostle was calledupon to endure for his stand.But there were also encourage-ments—refreshing examples ofChristian fidelity.

In Verse 15 he says: “All theywhich are in Asia2 have turnedaway from me.” This is sad in thelight of Acts 19:10, where welearn that after two years of teach-ing by Paul in “the school ofTyrannus...all they which dwelt inAsia heard the word of the LordJesus....”

Is it possible that all the believ-ers in Asia had now turned awayfrom the truth? No, for it appearsthat Timothy was at this time stillthe pastor at Ephesus, minister-ing to the believers there. Theyhad rather, as the passage states,turned away from him, from Paul,the prisoner. They had forsakenhim in his hour of need, ashamedof his bonds, afraid that if theystood with him or even visitedhim, they themselves might be-come implicated. They wereafraid to become involved.

It appears that it was at Ephe-sus that Paul was arrested for thesecond time, and that it was inthis vicinity that the stampede,the flight of his many friends

September 1999 15

took place. There is an implica-tion in Verse 15 that Phygellusand Hermogenes may have beenthe leaders in this defection.

Now that he was in prison atRome, circumstances had notchanged. Of his few remainingcompanions in Rome, Demas hadforsaken him, and Crescens andTitus had gone elsewhere (4:10).Only Luke, that beloved and faith-ful physician, was now with him(Ver. 11). The apostle’s heart nodoubt ached as he looked back athis “first answer” before Nero,when “no man” stood with him.All this must have been especiallydisappointing as he recalled howthe Ephesian elders had wept andembraced and kissed him, andhad sorrowfully accompanied himto the ship on his last journey toJerusalem before being sent toRome (Acts 20:36,37).

Without doubt the most bitteringredient in Paul’s suffering wasone which he shared in commonwith his Lord, that his closestfriends deserted him when heneeded them most. Yet he was notbitter, but rather said: “I pray Godthat it may not be laid to theircharge” (II Tim. 4:16).

NOT ASHAMEDIn addition to Luke there was

one other notable exception to allthe fear and cowardice that hadgripped Paul’s “Asian” brethren.This was Onesiphorus.

It must have meant much toPaul at such a time to have thisbrave Christian look him up in hisRoman dungeon.

Onesiphorus might well havesaid: “I couldn’t find him,” for II Tim-othy 1:17 indicates that he had

not found it easy to locate Paul.But to Onesiphorus’ everlastingcredit we read Paul’s gratefulwords:

“But, when he was in Rome, hesought me out very diligently, andfound me” (II Tim. 1:17).

And more:“...he oft refreshed me, and was

not ashamed of my chain” (Ver. 16).What a picture! A good, brave

man, risking his life again andagain to encourage, doubtlesswith food to refresh, clothing towarm, and comforting words tohearten the valiant warrior forChrist.

Many others loved and honoredPaul, but not enough to risk lifeor liberty to stand with him. Theyshould have thanked God for himevery day, but now they were care-ful to stay away. It was the old,sad story of cowardly infidelity:“Don’t get me involved.” We stillhear it on every hand in word andaction—or rather in failure to act:“Don’t get me involved.” Howmany Christians there are, yesand Christian leaders, who in thefinal analysis think first, not ofobedience to the written Word ofGod, or to the Christ who died forthem, but of themselves and theirtemporal welfare. They fail to re-alize that this is exactly how tomiss the blessing of God, the pow-er of the Spirit in their ministry,and rewards at the JudgmentSeat of Christ.

We all need this exhortation.As we have seen, Paul himselfneeded prayer for boldness and,now that he was in prison inRome, it was necessary for him towrite even to faithful, conscien-tious Timothy:


“...God hath not given us thespirit of fear; but of power, and oflove, and of a sound mind.

“Be not thou therefore ashamedof the testimony of our Lord, norof me His prisoner; but be thou par-taker of the afflictions of the gos-pel according to the power of God”(II Tim. 1:7,8).

But there is more still that in-terests us about Onesiphorus. Didhe bring his wife and children withhim to visit Paul in prison? Didhe allow them to jeopardize theirwelfare for Paul’s sake? Verse 16may well imply this, for the apos-tle prays for God’s special mercy“unto the house ofOnesiphorus,” thoughOnesiphorus himselfdoubtless took thelead in the matter.Just think what bless-ing and encourage-ment this would bringto the heart of theweary soldier! Butwhether or not hebrought his family,Onesiphorus, who hadalready “ministered” to Paul atEphesus in “many things” (II Tim.1:18) had now searched for Paul,had found him, and had refreshedhim again and again, in spite ofthe danger involved in being thusassociated with him.

Surely this brief but touchingpassage about Onesiphorus hasbeen given to us for our encour-agement and inspiration.

Paul is now gone, but the battleover his God-given message stillrages. Some are too ungrateful toever subject themselves to suffer-ing or sacrifice for the One whosuffered and died to purchase for

them all the riches of grace. Theyare just glad they are saved andon their way to heaven, and seemto feel the more “spiritual” for ex-periencing this joy. Others, likeDemas, have focused their atten-tion and interest upon “this presentage,” rather than the message forwhich Paul suffered and died.Still others, like devoted Timothy,need encouragement to stand forthe truth of God and for faithfulmen of God in times of crisis. Butthere are always some noble soulswho, like Onesiphorus and hisfamily, show true Christian cour-age in times of severe testing.

We now find our-selves in a time oftesting. Rather thanaccept “the preachingof Jesus Christ ac-cording to the revela-tion of the mystery,”many Christian lead-ers have embracedthe New Evangelical-ism in a vain attemptto bring unity to a be-wildered and divided

Church. Sheep-like, multitudesfollow them into an artificial“unity” which is based, not on theWord of God, but on the will of man;not on a recognition of our trueoneness in Christ, but on unionby compromise. Meanwhile theopposition against God’s remedyfor the Church’s malady continuesunabated as it did in Paul’s day.

Let each one of us, then, “exam-ine himself” in the light of the Wordat this critical period in the his-tory of the Church, and at the veryleast let each one who has come,by God’s grace, into an under-standing of the glorious revelation

“Paul is nowgone, but the

battle overhis God-givenmessage still

rages.”

September 1999 17

Endnotes1. We refer, of course, to organized human-ity (Gr., kosmos), with all its outward showand inward corruption, the “world” whose“course” is directed by Satan (Eph. 2:2). Thisworld had no use for Paul, and the feelingwas mutual; he had no use for it.2. A province in Asia Minor, of which Ephe-sus was one of the chief cities and Paul’s head-quarters for three years and six months.

QUESTION BOX“Please, can you help me with a question about the Church

after the Rapture. Will we come back to earth or not? I personallythink that we, the Body of Christ, will be in the heavens. Peopleseem to be really confused on the matter.”

We do not believe that the members of the Body of Christ willbe numbered with those who return with Christ in His SecondComing to establish the kingdom. Enoch, the seventh fromAdam prophesied “...Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thou-sands of His saints to execute judgment upon all...” (Jude 14,15).Since the Body of Christ was yet a mystery when Enoch utteredthese words we can safely conclude that only the prophetic saintsare in view.

Those who suggest that we will be present during the judg-ments at the beginning of the kingdom reign usually appeal toI Corinthians 6:2: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judgethe world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye un-worthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that weshall judge angels?” This passage, however, has nothing what-soever to do with the kingdom age. According to prophecy, theseparation of the wheat (just) from the tares (unjust) is confir-mation of this conclusion. Remember, there shall be two in thefield; “the one shall be taken” (unbeliever removed from theearth) and “the other one left” (saved) to enter into the bless-ings of the kingdom. Therefore, it is clear that the judgment ofthe world awaits a future day following the Millennium (Matt.13:24-30 cf. 36-43; Matt. 13:47-50 cf. 24:38-42).

Clearly the Body of Christ will reign with Christ in the heav-enlies during the kingdom age, which is consistent with thedistinctive character of the two programs of God (Eph. 2:6,7 cf.II Tim. 2:12). But when will the saints judge the world andfallen angels? We believe as time gives way to eternity at theGreat White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).

—Pastor Sadler

committed to Paul, join with himin praying:

“...that utterance may be givenunto me, that I may open my mouthboldly, to make known the mysteryof the gospel....that therein I mayspeak boldly, as I ought to speak”(Eph. 6:19,20).


A Father’s TearsBy David Wasson

Brent:From the flavor of these tearsMy mind goes back across the yearsThrough all the heartache, doubt and fearsGod’s grace sustains me, draws me near.

All my needs have been suppliedThe love of Christ I have inside—Overflows my soul...my spirit cheersFrom the flavor of these tears.

My son’s been spared by God’s great handUnlike His own...midst angel bandHe gave His Son, so pure, so dearOh sinner, can’t you see? Won’t you hear...The sweet flavor of that tear?

Confuse not...tender love with lack of strengthAcross life’s breadth and o’er its lengthBeloved...he my conscience searsWith this gulf of flavored tears.

Someday the clouds will part, I’ll leaveThis old world, no more to grieveWith my Savior evermoreNo more tears...He’s closed that door.

I love you,Dad

GOD’S PROVIDENTIAL CAREThe above poem was written by our dear Brother David Wasson while

his son, Brent, was undergoing surgery from a gunshot wound that hesuffered in the line of duty. We are happy to report that Brent is doingwell and still rejoicing in the Lord. Later this year he is going to needadditional surgery on his right arm to correct some nerve damage.Hopefully, this will give him more mobility in two of his fingers.

The Wasson family wanted me to convey their sincere gratitude foryour cards, letters, phone calls, and outpouring of love. They were trulytouched by your thoughtfulness. —Ed.

September 1999 19

Freedom From BitternessBy Pastor John Fredericksen

Each of us struggles againstthe emotion of bitterness

when someone treats us with in-sensitivity or selfishness. Butbitterness is like a cancer to oursoul. Hebrews 12:15 tells us it cangreatly “trouble you, and therebymany [can] be defiled.” There-fore, we must follow God’s bibli-cal path to freedom from theemotion of bitterness. It is thepath of H-E-A-L-I-N-G!

Healing begins by HANDINGthe offender over to God! Romans12:17-19 reminds us “Vengeance”is God’s job, and in His wisdom He“will repay” the wrongdoer. Ourobligation is first, “to recompenseto no man evil for evil.” Gettingeven only sinks us deeper intobitterness.

When EMOTIONS are given toGod, healing continues. Thatmeans we act and react on the ba-sis of biblical instruction, insteadof on how we feel. It also meanswe forgive the offender, so that wecan heal. Positive emotions willeventually follow right actions.

ACCEPTING the consequenceof the offense is critical for healing.Few wrongs can truly be undone,so we have to live with it anyway.Believers can trust that our sov-ereign God can use even hurtfulsituations to our good. Thereforewe can accept the wrong.

LOOKING for God’s lesson inthe midst of trial also speeds thehealing process. It enables us totake our focus off of what makesus bitter, and place it on to howGod wants to make us better!

INVESTING good in the of-fender is the next step towardhealing. Romans 12:20-21 tellsus “if thine enemy hunger, feedhim...be not overcome with evil,but overcome evil with good.” Notonly is it hard to stay bitter to-ward someone you’re truly tryingto help, it’s also difficult for awrongdoer to continue to hurt uswhen we’re doing them good.

NOTING our responsibility inScripture to forgive, is a powerfulforce in destroying bitterness. If we“have a quarrel against any” ourobligation is to forgive “even asChrist forgave you” (Col. 3:13). Thisis not the natural thing to do, butwe have supernatural strength todraw upon, especially when follow-ing the above steps to freedom.

GOING on with life is the laststep to healing bitterness. Insteadof reliving the past offense over andover again, we can make the spiri-tual decision to leave the past behindus and go on. After doing everythingelse God has told us to, He will en-able us to focus on serving the Lordin the present and the future.

If this subject and study hasstruck a chord of need in your life,you may want to reread the accountof Joseph in the book of Genesis. Hefollowed all seven of these prin-ciples after being terribly wronged,and it enabled him to heal. Butperhaps the thing you need to dofirst is prayerfully begin rightnow to implement what you havejust learned. “The peace of God”is waiting to “rule in your hearts”(Col. 3:15), if you only will.


Jesus Christ is the reason for everything that Berean Bible Insti-tute does and stands for.

He is both the beginning and the end as well as the means bywhich we exist and function. We do not merely name Christ as aformal facade for otherwise secular or religious pursuits and activi-ties. He is not a figurehead, but the Living Head of the Church,which is His Body. The members of the Body of Christ are called toserve Him by making known the Gospel of the Grace of God. At BBIwe do this by teaching and preaching “Jesus Christ according to therevelation of the mystery” to our students, in both words and actions,preparing them to go out and do the same (see Rom. 16:25-26; II Cor.5:14-21; Eph. 3:1-12; II Tim. 2:1-15).

Will you join us in the most noble of endeavors that a man or womancan become engaged in, that of making Jesus Christ known to a lostand dying world? If you won’t, who will?

For information or an application contact: Dr. W. Edward Bedore,PO Box 40, Germantown, WI 53022, or phone: (414) 255-4094, fax:(414) 255-4195, e-mail: <[email protected]>.

Our Lord’s DescensionBy Kevin J. Sadler

THE BBI B YLINE

“For the Lord Himself shall de-scend from heaven with a shout...”(I Thes. 4:16).

The wording here by Paul al-most gives a sense of amazement,that the Lord would descend fromheaven to meet us in the air. Forhe says, “the Lord Himself shalldescend.” Stop and really thinkabout this for a moment.

He is the exalted, glorified Lordwho is “Far above all principal-ity, and power, and might, anddominion, and every name that isnamed, not only in this world, butalso in that which is to come” (Eph.1:21). He is “the great God and ourSavior” (Titus 2:13). And to thinkthat He would descend from heavento personally meet us in the air!How humbling this should be toundeserving sinners like us.

The fact that He died for me isbeyond my comprehension. Thefact that I am seated together inheavenly places in Christ Jesus,that I am in Christ is beyond whatI can fully understand. The factthat I am blessed with all spiritualblessings in heavenly places is un-explainable. And to think that Hislove for me and for us, His Church,will cause Him to come down tomeet us and usher us all into Hispresence to forever be with Him.How can we explain such amazinggrace? Our words are worthlessin trying to explain an infinitelygracious and loving Lord.

All Christ has done for us shouldcause us to realize that the veryleast we can do for Him is to bringglory to Him through our serviceand the way we live our lives.

September 1999 21

AUDIO CASSETTE OFFERBy Paul M. Sadler

For a limited time we are offering the following two taped messagesby your Editor.

Tape 1: The Victory of the Gospel(Philippians 1:12-20)

Tape 2: Increasing in the Fruitsof Righteousness(II Corinthians 9:6-12)

Set of Two Tapes and Album

Special Price: $8.00

THIS OFFER ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 1999Orders up to $20.00, please add $2.00 for postage and handling.Orders over $20.00, please add 10% for postage and handling.


HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT

“It does not matter where He places me or how. That israther for Him to consider than for me. For the easiest posi-tions He must give grace; and in the most difficult His graceis sufficient. So, if God places me in great perplexity, mustHe not give me much guidance? in positions of great diffi-culty, much grace? in circumstances of great pressure andtrial, much strength? As to work, mine was never so plen-tiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strainare all gone. His resources are mine, for He is mine.”

—J. Hudson Taylor

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is madeperfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I ratherglory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may restupon me” (II Cor. 12:9).


ALTOONA BIBLE CHURCHFall Bible Conference

Dates: September 18-22, 1999

Location: Altoona Bible Church3017 Union AvenueAltoona, Pennsylvania

Theme: The Whole Armor of God

Speaker: Pastor Paul M. Sadler

For times of services and additionalinformation, please contact:

Pastor Ken Peebles (814) 942-2131

MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS THESE MEETINGSTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY!

MIDWEST GRACE FELLOWSHIP

11th Annual Fall Bible Conference

Dates: September 24-25, 1999

Location: Pearl City Station(near the Mississippi River)Muscatine, Iowa

Theme: Great Truths of the Gospel

Keynote Speaker:Pastor Ivan Burgener

For additional information, please contact:Pastor Ken Lawson (217) 623-4014 or

Don Rickles (319) 263-0606

ALL ARE WARMLY WELCOME!

September 1999 23

BEREAN BIBLE FELLOWSHIPANNOUNCES

THE

1999 FALL BIBLE CONFERENCEto be held at

Grace Bible Church23751 Pine Haven DriveRapid City, South Dakota

October 7-8,1999

Theme: Truths For Today

While you are in the area plan to visitHistoric Mount Rushmore!

For directions, lodging, and more information, please contact:Pastor Joel Finck (605) 341-3257

For conference brochures, please contact: Pastor Ivan Burgener,President, Berean Bible Fellowship, P.O. Box 6, Collinsville, IL 62234or phone: (618) 344-6741.

SPECIAL MEETINGSto be held at

Grace Community Church5800 West 49th Street

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Date: October 10, 1999

Speaker: Pastor Paul M. Sadler

For additional information, please contact:Pastor Jeff Seekins (605) 361-3393

COME FOR A GREAT TIME OF FELLOWSHIP!


*The picture of the lighthouse that appears on the front cover was takenby Mrs. Betty France. She is a freelance photographer who we had theprivilege of meeting at a craft fair in Milwaukee. The lighthouse is locatedin Ireland. We will be sharing more of Betty’s work with you in futureissues of the Berean Searchlight.

BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE FELLOWSHIP: Brother John Willsonwanted us to pass along a special word of thanks to all those who donatedScofield Reference Bibles to BCF. He writes: “Please tell your readershow much we appreciate their care for the forgotten brethren in prison.We have already sent out many of the Bibles to deserving students whohave completed the advanced courses in Dispensational Relationshipsand Things That Differ.” Here’s a sample of the excerpts that Brother Willsonsent to us:

From Walla Walla, WA: “Thank you very much for the Bible! I love it! Itopens up a whole new level of understanding for me! Please be sure tothank the one who gave them to you. This is one of the best gifts I haveever received, and by far the best Bible I have ever owned.”

THE GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP of Citrus County, Florida would liketo extend a warm invitation for those who live in the area to join them inworship. The assembly meets at 2780 N. Florida Ave. #17 in Hernando,Florida located in the Hernando Plaza on U.S. Highway 41. For additionalinformation please contact: Brother Edwin R. Jones, P.O. Box 1323,Hernando, FL 34442 or phone (352) 344-5330. God’s very best to thesedear saints as they make known the riches of His grace.

ADVANCE NOTICE: This year’s Fall Bible Conference sponsored bythe Grace Bible Church of Altoona, Wisconsin is scheduled to be held atthe Ramada Inn, 1202 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Octo-ber 22-24, 1999. The guest speaker for these special meetings is PastorJoel Finck. For more information, please contact: Mr. Fred Lewis at 1-800-522-8399. More next month!

JUST A REMINDER: If you have a question, request, or you’re simplyplacing an order, it will only be necessary to use the following address:Berean Bible Society, P.O. Box 756, Germantown, WI 53022.

Of course, if you are using the Business Reply envelope, simply drop itin the mail, all the pertinent information is already provided. Please note ,however, if you are sending us a package it will be necessary to use thestreet address located on page 3, especially if you are sending it UPS.Heartfelt thanks!

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

September 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, The .............................................................................. 9.00_______Baptism and the Bible .......... Special ‘til September 30: $7.00 .......... 8.00_______I Corinthians (Commentary) ................................................................. 10.00_______II Corinthians (Commentary) ............................................................... 10.00_______Divine Election and Human Responsibility ........................................ 8.00_______Galatians (Commentary) ....................................................................... 12.00_______Hebrews, Who Wrote It and Why? ........................................................ 8.00_______Lord’s Supper and the Bible, The ... Special ‘til September 30: $6.00 ... 7.00_______Man, His Nature and Destiny ............................................................... 10.00_______Moses and Paul (w/Bible Index) ............................................................ 7.00_______Our Great Commission (w/Bible Index) ............................................... 8.00_______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, The (w/Bible Index) .................................... 7.00_______Two Minutes With the Bible ................................................................. 10.00_______50th Anniversary Memorial .................................................................. Free_______

(Paperbacks)No Other Doctrine .................................................................................. 5.50_______Our Great Commission (w/Bible Index) ............................................... 5.50_______Present Peril, The ................................................................................... 5.50_______Satan In Derision ................................................................................... 5.50_______Things That Differ (w/Bible Index) ....................................................... 7.00_______

WRITINGS BY PAUL M. SADLER—PRESIDENT(Clothbound—Gold Stamped)

Exploring the UnsearchableRiches of Christ ............ Special ‘til September 30: $8.00 ............ $10.00_______

Triumph of His Grace, The ..... Special ‘til September 30: $9.00 ...... 11.00_______Are You Secure? (Booklet) ................................................................... 1.00_______Historical Beginning of the Church, The (Booklet) ........................... 3.00_______Institution of Marriage, The (Booklet) ............................................... 4.00_______Trials and Temptations (Booklet) ....................................................... 2.00_______Water Rite, The (Booklet) .................................................................... 1.00_______

SPECIAL OFFERSAll 25 Clothbound Books by C. R. Stam,

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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 ........ 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20% off on any order of 25 or more CRS booklets of the same title

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AUTUMN BOOK OFFERS

THESE OFFERS END SEPTEMBER 30, 1999Orders up to $20.00, please add $2.00 for postage and handling.Orders over $20.00, please add 10% for postage and handling.


The Lord’s Supperand the Bible

By C. R. Stam

In seeking the truth as to theLord’s Supper we must go to theWord of God alone. Here man’sopinions and preferences are val-ueless and worse, for these areexactly what caused the confusionon the subject in the first place,and have perpetuated it in manyquarters to this day. As you willsee, Pastor Stam presents a clearcase for the proper observance ofthe Lord’s Supper during the ad-ministration of Grace.



Baptism and the BibleBy C. R. Stam

There is no other subject thathas caused more confusion in theChurch than “water baptism.”Since God is not the author of con-fusion, the problem unquestion-ably lies with a faulty system ofinterpretation. Pastor Stam iso-lates the problem in this work andpresents a simple solution to thematter that the Church has over-looked for generations.



THE BEREAN SEARCHLIGHTN112 W17761 MEQUON ROAD

PO BOX 756GERMANTOWN, WI 53022-0756

PERIODICALSPAID AT GERMANTOWN WI

“Life FORMS us,Sin DEFORMS us,

School INFORMS us,But only Christ TRANSFORMS us.”

The Berean Searchlight · Pastor Stam’s article, Not Ashamed on page 13. Ed.) From Florida:...

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Transcript of The Berean Searchlight · Pastor Stam’s article, Not Ashamed on page 13. Ed.) From Florida:...