Barnes church of Christ

It is certainly true that God is a loving and kind God, but it is also just as true that He is perfect in His justice, judgment and punishment which necessitate His warnings (negative preaching).
Doesn’t the person who makes the claim that no one should preach/teach negatively (i.e., concerning sin and what not to do) realize that he is doing the very thing he forbids?! Such a claim is not a biblical teaching because it is both hypocritical and self-contradictory – – neither of which does God commit (Mat. 23:13-14; Titus 1:2).
Furthermore, it is impossible to make a positive statement without implying a negative statement. To preach the positive statement: “Jesus is the Son of God,” is to imply the negative statement: “Jesus is not merely a man” (as many critics maintain). Thus, those who claim there is to be no negative preaching are implying negative statements every single time they preach a positive claim!
A casual reading of the Bible quickly reveals that God required much negative preaching. There was negative preaching toward Adam and Eve,1 Lot and his wife,2 in eight of the ten commandments,3 and in hundreds of the old law.4 It was negative laws by which Jesus overcame Satan.5 Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is full of negative preaching.6 Jesus’ Apostles and prophets spoke and wrote continuously with negative preaching.7 Truly, all throughout the Bible, God required negative preaching.
Why does God require negative preaching? The answer: for our admonition so that we should not sin.8 Thus, as it turns out, negative preaching is an act of love! Hence, what kind of act is it to withhold negative preaching?!!

1Gen. 2:17. 2Gen. 19:17. 3Ex. 20. 4Lev. 4:2. 5Mat. 4:4,7. 6Mat. 5,6,7. 7Acts 2:36; 3:13-15; 7:51-52; 8:21-23; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 4:2; etc. 81 Cor. 10:6-11.
Gary Henson

It Was Built By No One Other Than Jesus.
“I will build my church” (Mat. 16:18).
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).

It Began At No Location Other Than Jerusalem.
“…and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).
The church began (Acts 2) in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12).

It Began At No Other Time Than The First Pentecost Following The Resurrection Of Jesus.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1ff).

It Has No Head Other Than Jesus.
“And he is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18).

It Has No Organization Other Than:
Elders/Bishops [when certain qualifications are met (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)].
Deacons (1 Tim. 3:8-13).

It Worships In No Way Other Than:
Praying (Acts 12:5).
Preaching (Acts 20:7).
The Lord’s Supper (Mat. 26:26-28).
The Contribution (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
Making Music Only By Singing (Eph. 5:19).

It Has No Creedbook Other Than The Bible.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Gary Henson

Question: When Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, is Jesus referring to a small door in the wall of a city or the eye of a sewing needle? And, how much money can a person have before he is classified as being rich?

Answer: The account of this teaching is located in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; and Luke 18:25. The New Testament was written in the Greek language (an extremely precise language) and the word for needle in Matthew and Mark is ραøφισ (pronounced: RHAPHIS). The word used in Luke is βελονησ (BELONE). The monumental lexicon by Arndt and Gingrich reveals that RHAPHIS is “needle, esp. one used for sewing” (p. 734), and BELONE is defined by the scholarly lexicon by Thayer as “a. the point of a spear. b. a needle” (p. 100). In Vine’s excellent dictionary, after defining RHAPHIS “to sew,” and BELONE as “a dart, denotes a sharp point, hence, a needle,” adds: “Note: The idea of applying ‘the needle’s eye’ to small gates seems to be a modern one; there is no ancient trace of it. The Lord’s object in the statement is to express human impossibility and there is no need to endeavor to soften the difficulty by taking the needle to mean anything more than the ordinary instrument. Mackie points out (Hastings’ Bible Dictionary) that ‘an attempt is sometimes made to explain the words as a reference to the small door, a little over two feet square, in the large heavy gate of a walled city. This mars the figure without materially altering the meaning, and receives no justification from the language and traditions of Palestine’” (Vine, vol. 3, p. 106-107).
Furthermore, the disciples’ reaction (“exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?”) and Jesus’ reply (“With man this is impossible”), is not the reaction to a (supposed) common and not impossible practice of a camel squeezing through a small door, but is rather the reaction to the thought of a camel going through the eye of a sewing needle.
What, then, is Jesus teaching? Is He teaching that rich people cannot go to heaven? Obviously not: Job was rich; Abraham was rich; Christians who are rich can still have the hope of the time to come (I Tim. 6:17-19). Rather, Jesus is teaching, that like the rich man who had just chosen riches instead of God (see the account in Mark), so are they who love money and what money buys instead of loving God, and trust in riches rather than in God. Such a person cannot be saved. Yet, as I Timothy 6:17-19 teaches, the rich man who realizes that he has been blessed by God and that his riches are not his, but they belong to God, and who uses these to accomplish God’s will, can certainly be blessed, both here and in eternity.
Gary Henson

There was a time when the kings and their armies of four cities united and rose up against the kings of five other cities. The four were easily victorious over the five (which indicates their power and strength). As spoils of war, the invaders took captive some of the inhabitants of the defeated. One of whom was a man named Lot. Abraham, Lot’s uncle, in spite of the four kings display of might in their preceding victory, pursued with only 318 men. One would think a victory for Abraham to be humanly impossible. Yet, he was not only victorious, it was described as a slaughter. How could this be? From whence came Abraham’s power? One in a most unusual position stated that truth when he spoke to Abraham: “Blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand.” Yes, Abraham’s impossible victory came by the power of God (Genesis 14).
Today, with God’s Word, we can do the same. Works, efforts and conversions which appear hopeless to our eyes, are possible with God. Without a quiver in his voice, Paul could say: “I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God” (Rom. 1:16). As we do God’s things in God’s ways, the strength in our efforts is of God. He said His Word “shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please” (Isa. 55:11). True, hardened hearts may not respond to the Gospel, and good works may be unfulfilled by those who doubt, but this is due to the weakness and wickedness of man who hinder the truth (Gal.5:7).
Yes, our enemies may be great: evolution, humanism, denominationalism, apostasies, etc., but God is greater and with the proper attitude (Jam. 2:8), proper disposition (Col. 4:6) and proper use of The Power (Rom. 1:16) we can “do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).
Gary Henson

Yes, the Bible teaches that there will be a Judgment, heaven and hell and that all are lost because of their sins. However, the Bible also teaches that you can be forgiven of sins because of what Jesus did.
Jesus was Deity—the Son of God. He left heaven and lived upon earth as a man (Philippians 2:5-7) being miraculously born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23). As Jesus lived His life, many did not believe He was the Son of God. Yet, this truth is made abundantly clear. The first verse of John chapter one reveals: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then, in verse fourteen, the Word is identified as Jesus. Thus, Jesus, Who was God, “was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
Also, upon two different occasions, God the Father clearly told us: “This is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). Jesus Himself acknowledged He was Deity (Matthew 26:63-64). Even those who were His enemies conceded this truth (Mark 1:24). The New Testament, which is the inspired Word of God, refers to Jesus with the words “Son of God” forty-seven times. When other words which also refer to Him as Deity (such as: “Christ,” “Lord,” “King,” etc.) are considered, the count is greatly increased.
Yes, Jesus is the Son of God, and He came to earth to be the Savior of man. Man is heading toward Judgment lost in sin, but “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). His birth was announced to the shepherds in the field with these words: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11), and His parents were to “call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus said that the reason why He came was “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus is able to save man because He gave Himself on the cross for the sacrifice for our sins. Several verses make this clear: He came “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26); “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14); “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh” (1 Peter 3:18); “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4); “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Truly, Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of man. It is all summed up in these words: “…the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:13-14).
Gary Henson

The word “fail” means to let down or to be unsuccessful in accomplishments. A student may fail a class; a dog may fail to heed its master; a hunter may fail to get a deer. Jesus Himself was failed by others. Consider two and the lessons they present.
HEROD failed Jesus. Herod sought the life of the infant. He failed Him because he thought Jesus was a threat to his own interests. Today, there are many who attempt to kill Jesus by attempting to kill the church—not literally, but intellectually or academically. Atheistic philosophers, evolutionistic scientists, movie script writers and lawmakers have moved a nation away from God and against the church. Why? God, and that which pertains to God is against their interests. The light is painful to the dark (John 3:19-21).
However, Christians can likewise regard Jesus as a threat to their own self interests. So, they spend money they ought to be giving; be elsewhere when there is an assembly; think upon things below instead of things above (Col. 3:1-3).
Yes, Herod failed Jesus because He was a threat to his own interests—and so have many others.
His OWN PEOPLE failed Him. In John 1:11 it is said, “He came unto his own and his own received him not.” They received Him not, and thus failed Him, because they thought He was too common place (Mat. 13:54-58). Today, many people fail Jesus because the life He asks of us is too low-keyed, humble and simple. Thus, they go for the ear tickling promoters of present day miracles, Armageddon and sensationalism.
Yet, Christians can likewise fail Jesus by viewing Him as common place. There are those who view the church which Jesus established as just another man-made denomination. Others view it as just another organization among the many in which they participate: Garden Club, athletic organizations, bowling league, etc. The church is just on a list of things “to do”. However, the church is not common place (Acts 20:28; Mat. 16:18; Eph. 5:23).
Yes, Jesus’ own people failed Him because they thought He was too common place—and so have many others.
Brethren, may we not be among those who fail Jesus today. Rather, let us exalt Him as Lord God and Savior in our minds and souls.
Gary Henson

Attention has been called to the fact that numerous Christians, as well as entire congregations are falling away from the faith. Such is a result of the work of false teachers (2 Thes. 2:1-12). Currently, and for the past several years, there have been false teachers who have graduated beyond the initial stage of advancing false doctrines (by teaching secretly in homes and small classes) to the stage of bold openness.
Concerning false teachers, God tells us to mark and avoid them (Rom 16:17). That you may know who some of these men are and what they are teaching, a few quotations are provided here which were made years ago that set the groundwork and reveals the reason for the erroneous beliefs of many today.

“Under grace, you can only be justified by faith. Our salvation arises entirely and only from grace…not by one act of duty, not by one deed of obedience, not by one righteous thing we do. It is entirely of grace through faith.” –Rubel Shelly, “A Christian Antinomy” at the 1991 Jubilee, “Room at the Cross.”
“We do not contribute one whit to our salvation.”—Rubel Shelly, Love Lines (Woodmont Hills bulletin, 10/31/90).
“I’m not sure there is any sense in which the law of Moses is abrogated.”—Rubel Shelly, Ibid.
“I reject pattern theology…I am not looking for a pattern;…Acts and the epistles have been core documents in our restoration project. I think this is a mistake…we do not need to start in Acts and the epistles. If we start in Acts and the epistles, we are copying a copy…We are not trying to reproduce the first century church…eccentricity, a foolish thing to do…the church has never existed…true church–an arrogant claim…the one thing that will cut us off from God is to make that kind of arrogant claim.”—Rubel Shelly, Missouri Street, West Memphis, AR, April 20-21, 1990.
“Let’s not limit the kingdom of God to the size of our brotherhood…this is what I heard…the only people that could go to heaven were in churches of Christ…I’m going to suggest to you not only is that not Biblical, but it is in fact a violation of the very restoration plea to which we are heirs.”—Rick Atchley, sermon entitled “Don’t Bother Your Brother” preached at Richland Hills Church of Christ, Ft. Worth, TX on 10/14/90.
[I am from] “the non-instrumental group of our fellowship…I don’t go around the country preaching against instrumental music…” –Jeff Walling, speech at Ozark Christian College (a Christian Church school) at Joplin, MO, 1987.
“I really hesitate to do this on tape. Turn the tape off. I have preached and believed, I believe deeply that the New Testament teaches that salvation is a free gift of God, period. You are saved by grace alone.” –Randy Mayeux, sermon “The Church of the 90’s Will Celebrate Genuine Diversity” delivered at Lubbock Civic Center, Oct. 16-19, 1990, Jubilee speaker 1991.
“I pray that God will bless the preaching of Billy Graham behind the Iron Curtain. I pray that unashamedly…” –Randy Mayeux, Lubbock sermon, 10/90.

Accepting mechanical instruments of music, the church of Christ is not the true church, God accepts all people who only believe, fellowshipping those in denominations, helping denominations grow, praying for the success of false teachers behind the Iron Curtain, rejecting the Bible as a pattern to follow—such are devilish false teachings!!! And the writings and speeches of such teachers are to be avoided!!
Gary Henson

Discussions about salvation between members of the church of Christ and those of denominations eventually (if not initially) focus upon the subject of baptism. Since virtually all in denominationalism object to the statement: “Baptism is essential for salvation,” they will usually have some objection to offer. One such objection is this: “Since Jesus was baptized to fulfill righteousness, and since Jesus did not have sin, then He was not baptized to have His sins forgiven. Thus, since we are to follow in His steps (1 Pet. 2:21), then we are not baptized to have our sins forgiven.”
However, reasoning like that would also make the following to be true: (1) Since Jesus had no sin, and since Jesus confessed that He was the Son of God, then He did not have to confess faith in Jesus as the Son of God to be saved—and neither do we! (2) Since Jesus had no sin, and since Jesus never repented in order to have His sins forgiven, then He did not have to repent in order to be saved—and neither do we!! (3) Since Jesus had no sin, and since Jesus believed that He was the Son of God, then He did not have to believe in order to have His sins forgiven—and neither do we!!!
The truth of the matter is, Jesus is different in regard to sin. He NEVER had any sin; He NEVER had to be saved. We cannot follow His example in salvation because there is no example of Him being saved—He was never lost!
How, then, are the lost saved? By belief (Mark 16:16), AND repentance (Acts 2:38), AND confession (Rom. 10:9-10), AND baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).
Gary Henson