(October 2002 Edition)
Editorial - Two Points to Ponder - and Put into Practice
At the Lord's Table - "A Humble, Thankful Heart"
Editorial
Two Points to Ponder - and Put into Practice
Here are a few statements of the royal law from just one book of the Bible, the Proverbs. They concern the poor. Many Christadelphians do not accept that they apply to us, or in our world today. It is said that our age is so uncertain we all have to be very prudent and cautious with money. Or we say that any assistance may be abused. But are such objections scripturally or soundly based? Even in our own brotherhood, brothers and sisters range from fairly wealthy to almost destitute. So, in a practical way, how can we “lend to the Lord” today? Discussion, then practical application, are needed.
Lending to the Lord
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto
the Lord; and that which he hath given will he give to him again”
(Prov. 19:17). “He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he”
(14:21). “He that honoureth [God] hath mercy on the poor” (14:31).
“Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry
himself, but shall not be heard” (21:13). “He that hath a bountiful
eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor” (22:9).
“Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in
the gate: for the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those
that spoiled them” (22:22-23). “The righteous considereth the cause
of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it” (29:7). “[The
virtuous woman] stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth
her hands to the needy” (31:20).
“So
hath the LORD ordained”
“Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the
things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers with
the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel
should live of the gospel” (I Cor. 9:13-14).
“Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a
vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock, and
eateth not of the milk of the flock?” (I Cor. 9:7). “He that
thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope” (I Cor. 9:10).
“The labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7). “Remember them…who
have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the
end of their conversation” (Heb. 13:7). “Let the elders that rule
well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the
word and doctrine” (I Tim. 5:17).
The Scriptural principle is clear. The Lord Jesus has ordained – that is, made it a rule – that within his body, the church, “those who preach the gospel” should be financially assisted in their work. Moreover, those who are especially notable for “labour in the word and doctrine” are to be generously supported by the brotherhood (“worthy of double honour”), not a measly minimum. Like Paul, they may forego it, but it is a right to which by ordinance of the Lord they are entitled.
In practice, most Christadelphians refuse to accept the Lord’s instructions, saying that they don’t apply today, and that preaching of the gospel should be spare time and unsupported. No valid scriptural reasons ever seem to be given for this, and the real reason may be fear of the kind of financial abuse we see in many churches of the apostasy. A small minority of Christadelphians do accept these instructions heartily, and generously support dedicated preachers who go forth into the Lord’s harvest fields – though there never seem to be enough to reap the ripening crops or tend the lambs.
The facts are incontrovertible: in the Caribbean, as almost everywhere else, whenever and wherever supported preachers of the gospel have gone, large numbers of converts have been made, strong ecclesias have grown and flourished, and God has been glorified (John 17:22). Whenever and wherever supported preachers have died, been withdrawn or left, the work of the Lord has tended to languish. That has been our experience in the Caribbean since 1888. In every other region the situation has been, is, and will be the same, depending on our policies. That, obviously, is the very reason why the Lord “ordained” his chosen missionary system. “Hearken! Behold, there went out a sower to sow…” (Mark 4:3). Discussion, then practical application, are needed.
My great-great grandfather, Abraham Alexander Lindo (1775-1849), is of great interest to me as a Christadelphian. In the early 19th century, Jews all over the world were struggling to re-define their identity. Under the enormous pressures of persecution, they were giving up their historical consciousness and trying to blend socially and culturally into their host societies, projecting themselves as merely a religion but not a nation. The Lindos would have none of it. Abraham Lindo made a great stir among worldwide Jewry with his speeches demanding the full right of Israeli nationhood.
Though presently without a country or temporal prince, we are as completely a nation as when first established as such, for we acknowledge ourselves now, as then, as being under the immediate government of the Sovereign of the Universe...We are a despised people, living in hope of one day being restored to our country, but as no man knoweth the time of our return to Zion, we have long felt, and it is commanded us so to feel by our God, that the peace and prosperity of any country which shelters and protects us is entitled to our prayers. The Jews must remain an instrument for the redemption of mankind.
It seems God used the Lindos to further His plan and purpose with His Land and ancient people. More than one hundred years after those prophetic words were uttered, they were dramatically fulfilled in 1948 as the nation state of Israel took its seat at the United Nations.
Around that time, I was living in the Maxfield Avenue area of Kingston, and some Jehovah’s Witnesses started calling at the home. They were trained to be very persuasive, and I started some studies with them. Whenever I moved, like bloodhounds on the trail, they followed me. Several of us used to meet to read from their books.
At this point Providence intervened. We met Hugh Tingle, who was a Christadelphian, a religion which we had not heard of before. He was partially deaf, and not much of a talker, but like Paul what he did say was “weighty and powerful.” He invited us to some regular Bible classes he was holding with two other Christadelphians, Bernard Lloyd and Sheila Edwards. We gave up studying with the J.W.s and began to take an interest in Hugh’s biblical faith. It took a lot of persuasion for me to join them. Eventually an ecclesia was started with about fifteen members, including most of my friends. I obeyed the call to follow Christ on July 28, 1957. From the point of view of my Jewish forbears, I was now a “dead man.” But in truth I was alive unto God.
I invited a young friend to our Bible classes who was a stubborn Roman Catholic. Over many months of quiet scriptural discussion and encouragement his obduracy melted into submission, and brother Sydney Tomlinson was born again in Christ. He was a truly great-hearted brother, beloved by all, spiritually wise far beyond his years. His exhortations were the fruit of hours of prayerful meditation, and always deeply moving expositions of the Word. Tragically, he fell asleep in Christ after only a few years in the Faith.
My wife, Sis. Mavis, followed me to newness of life in January, 1975, but our children, though at one time keen Sunday school scholars and youth circlers, have not yet seen their way to obey the truth, though like all their forebears they have prospered well in their chosen professions.
Roy Lindo
[Thanks to the staff of the Elsa Goveia Collection at the University of the West Indies, Tom Lindo, two Roy Lindos and various other Lindos, and especially Jackie Ranston, the archivist of the Lindo family, for information].