Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible

Narrator: The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals presents the timeless teaching of Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse.

Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse: We must be willing to face the problem frankly and ask ourselves, am I willing to pay the price of knowing the art of admonition? Do I really love the souls of men enough to spend time in spiritual preparation for myself, so that I may be an example for them, and so that I may be able to lead them and build them in Christ? Can I sink my own feelings into the love of Christ so that I can restore any who are overtaken by sin? Am I living such a spiritual life before the Lord that I can admonish those who need admonition as God would have us all do?

Oh, may the Holy Spirit admonish each one of us in our inmost soul, that we may please the Lord who has called us. And let us understand how we must be more like these believers in this early church, of whom the great apostle could say, I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are filled with all goodness, that you are filled with knowledge, and that you are able to instruct one another, able to admonish one another.

Narrator: Over a half a century ago, the late Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse, then pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, saw the need to spread God's word beyond the hearing of his local congregation. He started the radio ministry which has become known as Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible. The application of God's word as taught by Dr. Barnhouse is as relevant today as when he first taught over the radio airwaves decades ago. The message will be featuring on today's edition of Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible is entitled The Art of Admonition. Many believers today are uncomfortable with pursuing biblical confrontation and seek to avoid it at all cost. On the other end of the spectrum, many within the church are quick to criticize, judge, and condemn. But very few Christians have mastered the difficult yet necessary art of biblical admonition. How can the church recover this vital spiritual practice? Let's find out as today Dr. Barnhouse takes us to Romans chapter 15 and we're focusing on verse 4. Here once again is Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse with a message entitled The Art of Admonition.

Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse: Through the Lord Jesus Christ, we come unto the our Father and our God and in the Holy Spirit. We thank thee that thou hast bound us together in Christ and made it possible for us to live for thee in the midst of a world that lives for self. Teach us thy word so that we may be filled with goodness and knowledge and so that we may be able to help one another in our growth, so that we may all become more like Christ. And it is in his name and for his sake that we ask it. Amen.

Our text is in Romans 15:14 where Paul says to the Roman church, I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are able to instruct one another, to admonish one another. Now, Christianity does not consist merely in a method of rescuing sinners from hell and getting them into heaven. This phase of the Christian message is important and gets the most publicity since it is the constant theme of all evangelists. But for those who are pastors and teachers, there are other phases of the Christian message which must take priority. God has called some of us to be teachers. And while we obey the injunction, do the work of an evangelist, have a full rounded ministry, we nevertheless direct our ministry primarily to those who are already believers in order that they may become established and strengthened.

Our text shows us that every Christian should have this idea in his mind, not only for his own growth, but for the growth of every other believer. The church should be a mutual aid and improvement society. The fact that in many places it is little more than a social center with an hour or two a week given to spiritual things is a terrible indication of the position to which we have fallen. I think it's safe to say that in multitudes of our churches, people would feel some embarrassment if spiritual conversation were brought up at any but set times. Oh, it's quite proper to have a 15-second blessing before an hour's meal. And it's quite proper to have a devotional speaker to begin the hour's study on the condition of the heathen, but there are many who think that frank talk about spiritual things is slightly bad taste.

How many Christians are there who know the Lord well enough and who know the main purposes which he has for us in daily living, and who know other believers well enough to talk freely about him? Ask yourself, could you go to a friend's house and begin a conversation by saying, "Oh, I've found such a wonderful blessing this morning when I was reading my Bible," and then tell about it? When a group of women are talking together and one of them drops a bit of gossip about another woman, could you quite naturally say, "Let's stop a moment and pray for her"? In other words, does your religion spread out into the week, or is it imprisoned in a straightjacket, leased in by the hours of 11:00 to 12:00 on Sunday morning?

Paul was fully persuaded that the Roman believers were not only filled with goodness and filled with spiritual knowledge, but that they were able to teach, warn, and admonish one another. This word admonish in the original Greek, nouchetheio, is used a dozen times in the New Testament, and it's worth looking at more closely. In the King James version, we read that the believers were able to admonish one another. In the revision, they were able to instruct one another. But the word has an even wider usage than the terms admonish and instruct. It is the word that's used in the story of Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders when he told them that while he was with them for the space of three years, he had not ceased to warn them night and day.

Now, in addition to admonish, instruct, and warn, the Jerusalem Bible of the Roman Catholic Church translates this Greek word by French words that are the equivalent of reprimand, chide, and rebuke. In the light of all this, we should see that the main idea in our text is that the believers in Christ were so interested in the spiritual growth of all members of their community, that they were willing to help them, even if it were necessary to wound them in love. For the idea of love must be found in this word admonish, if we're to take out its deep meaning so needed in our day, when the art of admonition is almost a lost art.

Too many people major in criticism instead of in admonition. The reason why the church of the 20th century is so far removed from the church of the 1st century is that though we have the doctrine of the early church, we do not have the spiritual maturity of that church. And this is why we are not able to admonish one another in the same way that the members of the early church were able to do. In order to understand this spiritual art of admonition, it's necessary to know what it takes to achieve it. We must see why it was necessary for the early church to practice admonition. And we must look into the lives of those who were complemented by God through Paul for their ability to admonish one another.

The dictionary defines the verb admonish as follows: to warn or notify of a fault. To reprove gently or kindly but seriously. To exhort. To put someone in mind of something forgotten, disregarded, or neglected by means of a warning, reproof, or exhortation. Now, there's a sermon for you, straight from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. When I first read it, I thought for a moment that I could well make it the outline on which I could build this exposition of the text. But then I decided to use it merely as an illustration and to examine instead the passages in the New Testament that describe situations which brought forth spiritual warning and admonition.

Paul warned the Ephesians night and day for three years that they should be alert to the danger of foes from without and from within. From without, there would come grievous wolves not sparing the flock, and from within, from their own number, men would arise speaking spiritual perversions in order to draw away disciples after themselves. And following this warning, we must be on the alert lest any harm come to ourselves or to our brothers and sisters in Christ, whether from false doctrine from the wolves without or from false separatism from within which might divide us.

To the Corinthians, Paul wrote very frankly because of the great sins which had become evident in the church. Phillips translates the pertinent paragraph, "Oh, I know you are rich and flourishing. You've been living like kings, haven't you, while we've been away? I would to God you were really kings in God's sight so that we might reign with you. I sometimes think that God means us, the messengers, to appear last in the procession of mankind, like the men who are to die in the arena. For indeed, we are made a public spectacle before the angels of heaven and the eyes of men. We are looked upon as fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in the Christian faith."

Now, this, of course, is heavy with sarcasm. We are considered weak, but you have become strong. You have found honor, we, little but contempt. Up to this very hour, we are hungry and thirsty, ill-clad, knocked about, and practically homeless. We still have to work for our living by manual labor. Men curse us, but we return a blessing. They make our lives miserable, but we take it patiently. They ruin our reputations, but we go on trying to win them for God. We are the world's rubbish, the scum of the earth, yes, up to this very day.

Now, that's in the fourth chapter of First Corinthians. And after this comparison, which shows up their lukewarmness against the devotion of the apostles, our word admonish is used in verse 14. "I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children that you may realize facts." And following this admonition, we must be careful lest we be sucked into the ease of the American way of life, as the Corinthians were sucked into the ease of the Corinthian way of life.

Later in the same letter, he admonishes the Corinthians by all of the lessons that happened to the people of Old Testament times, that they should take careful warning from the judgments that came upon them because of their departures from God. With many of them, God was not pleased. To the Colossians, Paul wrote, "Warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ." And the context shows the nature of this warning and teaching. "You, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard."

Following this admonition, we must be careful of anything that could turn us away from the purpose which God had in saving us, that we might be presented holy and blameless and irreproachable before him. Anything that can cause a Christian to swerve from the divine purpose is a great peril, and all believers should admonish and warn each other, lest this peril affect their lives.

To the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, exhorting them to admonish the idle, to encourage the fainthearted, to help the weak, and to be patient with all. In that church, there were slackers who were willing to accept charity instead of earning their own living. Paul commanded that such should be refused the help given to the truly needy and continued, "For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work." And then comes the warning admonition. "If anyone refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."

Now, following this admonition, we must do everything we can to build strong discipline in the church, not only in spiritual matters but in our whole way of life. It is in this light that I admonish students, telling them that it is a sin for them to get a B if they are capable of making an A, and it is a sin to get a C if B represents their true intellectual level. Also, in this light, I tell workers that it is a sin to arrive late at work and quit early. To spend too long at the coffee break or at the water cooler. 10 or 15 minutes a day mounts up to an hour in the week, and if this time is stolen from the employer, the worker is a thief. Christians must not follow these practices of the unsaved world.

To sum it all up, all believers have been brought out of darkness into God's light. But since we all retain our old fallen sinful human natures, we are capable of any sin if we are not held in line by the conviction that should come with our new life. And this is why it is necessary for believers to admonish one another. Knowing this, we can understand the importance of Paul's commendation of the believers at Rome who had the gift or the art of mutual admonition. They were able to keep each other from going down wrong roads and to keep each other forging ahead on the right road.

Our Greek word for admonish was found on a piece of papyrus discovered in Egypt. And sadly enough, it concerned a Christian. Early in the second century, someone wrote a letter to one of the church leaders in Egypt, asking him to admonish, to put pressure on an elder of the church to deal justly with a letter carrier. Someone was exploiting a poor man, and the exploiter was a Christian. Now, what are the characteristics of a Christian who is in a position to admonish another Christian? Certainly, if one is living far from the Lord, he is in no position to speak to another about spiritual improvement. If he tries it, the victim is likely to tell him to save his breath to cool his own soup.

The secret of being able to admonish properly in order to help another to become stronger in Christ is found in a paragraph in Colossians which contains our word admonish. It is a perfect description of how Christian brethren should dwell together in oneness in Christ. Paul says, "As God's picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God himself, be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind. Accept life and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And above everything else, be truly loving, for love is the golden chain of all the virtues. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body, you are called to live in harmony. And never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you. Let Christ's teaching live in your hearts, making you rich in the true wisdom. Teach and help one another along the right road."

And that's our word for admonish. Help one another along the right road with your psalms and hymns and Christian songs, singing God's praises with joyful hearts. And whatever work you may have to do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through him. Oh, how revealing this is. If we are really impressed by the grace of God, we shall never seek to advertise our own piety, but we shall do all things in the name and for the glory of our Lord. We shall always be moved by the love of Christ.

Some time ago, in connection with a certain Christian work, I looked over an appraisal of a young man who was a student for the ministry. I will call him John Jones, though that, of course, is not his name. The appraisal had been carefully made by a mature man under whom the younger man had worked. It was a dissection of the spiritual anatomy of the young man. It was agreed that I should meet with him and read the four-page admonition to him and discuss it with him. I hadn't gotten much beyond the first paragraph when I could feel him react like a body that's being operated upon without anesthetic. I silenced him, and I told him to write down his points of criticism of the admonition.

Then I went on, sentence by sentence, to complete its reading, covering almost every phase of his life: spiritual, financial, social. It was obvious that he was deeply wounded. And when I had finished, he said, "Do you agree with that appraisal?" I waited a moment and I replied, "I do not know when I have read a paper that more deeply reveals a heart of love in the man that prepared it. If I had to write a title for this admonition, I would call it, 'How to Salvage John Jones for the Lord Jesus Christ.'" For this was exactly what it was. The whole document breathed the desire to help the young man so that its life, with its obvious gifts and strength, would not be lost to the cause of Christ through the weaknesses and faults which were evident to those who worked closely with him.

Since they were weaknesses which could be overcome and faults that could be uprooted by hard discipline, with the devoted love and care of those who were above him in his Christian work. Now, this is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Galatians in chapter 6, "Even if a man should be detected in some sin, my brothers, the spiritual ones among you should quietly set him back on the right path, not with any feeling of superiority, but being yourselves on guard against temptation. Carry one another's burdens and so live out the law of Christ."

How we need to be alert and loving and prayerful so that we may be aware of the needs of those around us, and bring to them the mature counsel that can help them in their weak places and encourage them in their strong points. Because young people seldom are willing to listen to their own parents, we must be ready to help the children of our friends and loved ones. Older women should watch for opportunities to tell the teenage daughters of their friends the things that they need to know. Point out the necessity of fleeing from youthful lusts as God tells us to flee. Admonish teenagers not to go steady.

Tell them that love must come slowly and that true love can always be discerned by one definite characteristic, love does not defile the beloved. And older men should keep their eyes open to give counsel to the sons of their friends when these boys are pulling against the reins of parental control. Point out to them the necessity of strong discipline. Urge them to hard work. Teach them what Paul meant when he said, "I keep my body under. I am my body's sternest master." And all should keep alert to admonish any who show a lack of temperance that can lead to alcoholism or to gross overweight or to any path of defeat that stops spiritual growth.

And this mustn't be done by wise cracks, but in gentle love and not before any other people, but alone to the person in need. All such counsel must be done from hearts that are pure, from love that is bathing the whole being. How wonderful it was that the believers at Rome were full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to admonish, to instruct, to warn one another. These stand as examples for each of us. We must be willing to face the problem frankly and ask ourselves, am I willing to pay the price of knowing the art of admonition? Do I really love the souls of men enough to spend time in spiritual preparation for myself, so that I may be an example for them, and so that I may be able to lead them and build them in Christ? Can I sink my own feelings into the love of Christ so that I can restore any who are overtaken by sin? Am I living such a spiritual life before the Lord that I can admonish those who need admonition as God would have us all do?

Oh, may the Holy Spirit admonish each one of us in our inmost soul, that we may please the Lord who has called us. And let us understand how we must be more like these believers in this early church, of whom the great apostle could say, I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are filled with all goodness, that you are filled with knowledge, and that you are able to instruct one another, able to admonish one another. And our God and Father, we pray thee that the Holy Spirit shall take these truths to our hearts and build thy church. That men may see that we are a band of holy people, knowing thee, loving thee, and loving one another. We ask it in the name and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Narrator: We must learn to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly and all wisdom as we seek to admonish and instruct one another toward spiritual maturity. We hope you have benefited from today's message entitled The Art of Admonition. To listen to more Bible teaching by Dr. Barnhouse, visit us online at alliancenet.org. An audio copy of today's teaching is available by calling us toll-free. 1-800-488-1888. Today's message again is entitled The Art of Admonition. Or simply request message number R15-20. We would also like to make available to you a free copy of our booklet entitled Sex, Marriage, and Divorce. God designed the marriage relationship to be a picture of our eternal union with Jesus Christ. And yet, Christian marriages often fall short of this lofty ideal. This free booklet shines biblical truth upon this vital subject. Chapter titles include Lust and Christian Marriage, Marriage and the Home, Divorce and Remarriage, and For Time and Eternity. Ask for your free copy of Sex, Marriage, and Divorce when you call or write.

Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible is a radio ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We exist to promote a biblical understanding and worldview. Drawing upon the insight and wisdom of Reformation theologians from decades and even centuries gone by, we seek to provide contemporary Christian teaching which will equip believers to understand and meet the challenges and opportunities of our time and place. We also produce the radio broadcast, The Bible Study Hour, featuring the teachings of the late Dr. James Montgomery Boice and Every Last Word, featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Philip Graham Ryken. For a full list of radio stations carrying our programs, visit our website at alliancenet.org. Would you like to build your own audio library of Dr. Barnhouse's timeless messages so you can listen to them anytime, anywhere? Then you will be interested in our Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible Audio Commentary Series. Visit our website at alliancenet.org or call us at 1-800-488-1888 to find out how you can sign up for the Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible Audio Commentary Series. Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible comes to you through the generous gifts of listeners like you. For more information or to make a contribution to help further our work, contact us by calling 1-800-488-1888. That's 1-800-488-1888. Write to us at Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Box 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103. Visit us online at alliancenet.org. Be sure to ask for a free resource catalog featuring books, audio teachings, commentaries, booklets, videos, and a wealth of other materials from outstanding reformed teachers and theologians including Doctors Donald Grey Barnhouse, James Montgomery Boice, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Philip Graham Ryken. Thank you for listening. Join us again next time for more classic teaching on Dr. Barnhouse and the Bible.