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│>Next│ Messages of Truth
by E. R. Henderson
MESSAGES OF TRUTH Copyright 1961 E. R. Henderson All Rights Reserved
Printed By THE ITAWAMBA COUNTY TIMES P.O. Box 400
Fulton, Mississippi
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PREFACE It is a pleasure for us to publish this small book of the work of Bro. E. R. Henderson who has been a personal friend for about 15 years. I feel that Bro. Henderson is one of the most outstanding men of God I have had the privilege of knowing. Being associated closely with the late Rev. A. M. Overton over a period of years it was only natural that we should come to love, also, one of his closest co-workers, Bro. Henderson. Bro. Overton paid many high and glowing tributes to the knowledge and ability of Bro. Henderson in my presence. He always praised him as being a man "who knows God" and who is "doing His work". This publisher prays that the reader will receive a blessing from the messages of truth contained in this booklet . . . and that if the reader has not accepted Christ as his Saviour, this booklet may be the means whereby the revelation of Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world—and of himself in particular—will be made to him. In His Name, Delmus C. Harden, Publisher The Itawamba County Times Fulton, Mississippi
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A SHORT HISTORY Of REV. E. R. HENDERSON In Pontotoc County, seven miles southeast of Pontotoc on July 17, 1879 Eustace Ruffin was born to Eld. J. L. Henderson and Mrs. Mollie Longest Henderson. While a young lad Eustace Ruffin Henderson united with Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Pontotoc County. Although his life was considered by others as being that of a perfect church member, the faithful gospel preaching of a number of preachers made him realize that he was not saved. One night in July while alone God revealed to E. R. Henderson that Jesus' death on the cross was for him and that through Jesus' death his sins were put away. His salvation was then and is now a great source of rejoicing. At the next baptismal service of the church he presented himself as a candidate for baptism. Soon after his conversion E. R. Henderson was ordained by his home church, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, to preach the glorious truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He entered Mississippi College at Clinton and after four years was graduated with high honors in 1906. In March, 1907 he was married to Miss Lillie Lowe at Bogue Chitto, Mississippi. Later he attended the Southern Seminary at Louisville, Kentucky. During his last two years at Mississippi College E. R. Henderson pastored churches in Yazoo County. Prior to being called to a pastorate he preached as often as he was called upon. During his active ministry he pastored churches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama. Thirty-four years of his fifty-six years of preaching he was pastor of Central Baptist Church in Grenada, Mississippi. A number of those years he preached to New Liberty Baptist Church in Montgomery County on Sunday afternoons. At VII
various times he sought out communities of the vicinity where there was little or no preaching and preached on Sunday afternoon or during the week. One of the great joys of E. R. Henderson's life has been helping preachers young in the ministry. For three years he was associated with Bro. A. M. Overton in the Fulton Bible School, Fulton, Mississippi. For several years after moving to Verona, Thursday night was set aside for Bible Study and many young preachers attended. His has been a long life of preaching the good news of God's salvation to sinful men. E. R. Henderson has a spirit of helpfulness and endeavors at all times to be a blessing to others. If one statement were used to characterize his ministry, it would be, "He always preached the gospel." Those who heard him once had at least one opportunity of hearing how God saves sinners. VIII
Contents
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Messages of Truth
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Chapter One
Scripture references: Matthew 3:1-2, 7-10; Luke 13:1-5; Acts 8:20-23; Hebrews 12:17; Genesis 27:34-38; II Corinthians 7:8-12; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 17:30. What is repentance? What is the experience which the sinner has before he is saved that is commonly called repentance? We might say what is the experience the sinner has before he can be saved, or before he will be saved? What takes place in the sinner when that experience comes to him? The first step in finding the answer to this question is to learn the meaning of the words repent and repentance. The New Testament was written in the language of the common people. The writers did not coin new words, neither did they give old words new meanings. This means they did not use words in a technical sense. Our question then is this: What did the people understand Jesus, John, the Baptist, and others to mean when they said repent? What was the concept formed in their minds when they heard the word repent? They evidently knew what it meant. It was a word in common everyday use. When they heard it, there was begotten in their minds a concept; just as when a mother says to her restless child "Go to sleep", it gets the concept that its mother wants it to fall into a state of unconsciousness and quiet. The child may not do this. It may not be able to do it, or it may not want to 1
WHAT IS REPENTANCE do it. However that may be, it gets the mother's meaning—so it was, with those who heard Jesus say repent. All the New Testament was written in the Greek language, not the classic Greek but the Greek in the time of the New Testament and the Greek of the common people. Therefore, it is not necessary for us to inquire what is the meaning of the English word repent or repentance, but what are the meanings of the Greek words that were used in the original writings. The word (for it is really one word, the noun and verb) that denotes the experience we call repentance is the same throughout the New Testament. This word is: the verb melanoeo and the noun metanoia. What do these words mean? What meaning did those who heard Jesus and John the Baptist and others get when they heard them say metanoeo and melanoia? We shall ask the scholar to give us the meaning of this word. We shall not ask the theologian; we shall ask the scholar. If we ask the theologian, he will undertake to give his idea of the doctrine rather than the meaning of the word. We do not care to have man's notion about what this doctrine is. We have been depending on man's notion too much and as a result, we have various and a very confused idea of what repentance is. We just want to know what is the meaning of the words metanoeo and meianoia. What was the meaning of the word as it was used in everyday affairs among those who used the Greek language? What did it mean when it was used about the ordinary things of life? For instance, if an employer said to an employee metanoeo, what did he mean? What ever he would mean by the word metanoeo and metanoia is just what Jesus meant when He used the word. What does the scholar tell us? Metanoeo, the verb, means to change one's mind. Melanoia, the noun, means a change of mind. This is what the scholar tells us and this is all we want. When the scholar turns preacher and undertakes to teach us the doctrine, he will give the word different meanings in different places. But we rule out all except the testimony of the scholar, and with this we can see for ourselves what each passage means. 2
WHAT IS REPENTANCE In understanding the scriptures or any other writing one must know not only the meaning of the words, but also the subject under discussion and the one to whom the scripture or writing is addressed. With the meaning of the word repentance—change of mind let us turn to the scriptures in which the words repent or repentance appear. Matthew 3:1-2 "In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand". Now we will apply the rules of interpretation, which are: What are the meanings of the words, what is the subject, and to whom addressed or applied. "Repent ye" means change your mind; the subject under consideration is the kingdom of heaven and its nearness; and the ones addressed are Jews only and Jews at the time of John before Jesus made Himself manifest. John was not addressing Gentiles of his day or now. He was talking to Jews and Jews only about the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. It was about the nearness of the kingdom they were to change their minds. Then this cannot be applicable today to Jew or Gentile for there is nothing said about the nearness of the kingdom after the rejection of the Lord Jesus by the Jews. Matthew 3:7-10 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance; and think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire". John was talking here to those Jews who thought their being Abraham's descendants made them children of God. John told the Jews to change their mind about being the children of God. It was on this particular point they erred in thought, hence the demand for evidence of a change of mind. By applying 3
WHAT IS REPENTANCE the rules of interpretation we can avoid confusion and can "rightly divide the word of truth". Turn to the words of the Lord himself in Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand". In this passage Jesus said the identical thing as John. He addressed the same people on the same subject, thus, what He said here does not apply today therefore does not teach us what that experience is that the sinner must have today before he comes to salvation. Another call to repentance or a call to a change of mind is found in Luke 13:1-5. "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices; and Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish". This passage is often quoted as applying to the lost man now, but notice to whom Jesus spoke and the subject. Some were present who told Him about Pilate killing some Galilaeans while they were worshipping, offering sacrifices, it seems. Jesus said, "except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish". He also referred to others upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and remarked again "except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish". It is true that those today who do not repent will perish, but it is clearly a misapplication of this scripture to so quote it. Jesus was talking to Jews and Jews only, and about some Jews who had suffered violent deaths; then He said, "This is the kind of death you are going to suffer except you change your minds, change your minds about Jesus being the Messiah". They did not change their minds, and they did suffer as Jesus had warned them when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem about forty years later. Our rules of interpreta- 4
WHAT IS REPENTANCE tion serve us here, and save us confusion. Those to whom the call was made to change of mind were Jews among whom their Messiah walked and whom they rejected. For this rejection their doom to violent deaths was already decreed, but Jesus still held out escape from this violence to every one who would change his mind about Him. We see the class here was peculiar to that day and to the Jews of that day: the subject the death because of rejection of the Messiah. Acts 8:20-23 "But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God; Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee; For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Peter told Simon Magus to repent, change his mind, from this thy wickedness. His wickedness was thinking that the "gift of God may be purchased with money". This man was not a lost sinner for verse 13 states "Simon himself believed also" that means he was saved for the believer has eternal life. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14, 15). The trouble with Simon Magus was his wrong thinking; wicked thoughts and Peter told him to change from this wickedness of thinking that the gift of God may be purchased with money. You see this is a special case, and there may be special cases today where this will apply but this command to repent is not that experience a sinner must have before he believes in Jesus. Hebrews 12:17 "For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears." Genesis 27:34-38 "And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry 5
WHAT IS REPENTANCE and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy Lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him; and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice and wept." Is Esau trying to repent? Is he trying to change his mind? Not at all but he is trying to get Isaac to change his mind. These passages do not apply to the lost man. II Corinthians 7:8-12 "And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more, For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent; for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season; Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing; For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death." This is a very interesting and instructive passage on the matter of repentance. What is the situation? There was a member of the church at Corinth who was guilty of having his father's wife. Paul learned about it and in his previous letter he administered to them a stinging rebuke. The rebuke brought them to sorrow and sorrow worked a change of mind which led them to exclude the offending member and thereby saved themselves, the church, from the stigma. This passage cannot in any way apply to the sinner. Paul wrote to "saints sanctified in Christ Jesus" and "justified". That about which they 6
WHAT IS REPENTANCE changed their minds was their attitude toward the crime committed by the member of the church. We now come to the scriptures, which do apply, to our subject—repentance and the lost sinner. Before proceeding further I would call your attention to the fact that the meaning "change of mind" as the translation of the word "meianoeo" fits perfectly in every scripture we have considered and in two or three instances that meaning was demanded by the context. Luke 24:46-47 "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent (change their minds)." Acts 20:21 "Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance (change of mind) toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." In the passage we have above we know that the lost sinners of today are being addressed here. We have the phrases "among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem", "all men everywhere", "both Jews and Greeks". Then notice Paul says, "The times of this ignorance God winked at (or overlooked), but now". The "now" is the present dispensation. Those called upon to repent or change their minds are Jews and Gentiles or Greeks. This call is to the lost of all nations today. What is it about which they are called upon to change their minds? Paul answers; "Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." That experience the lost sinner must have before he can or will believe in Christ Jesus is a change of mind toward God. Repentance as concerned in the salvation of a lost sinner is A CHANGE OF MIND TOWARD GOD. What is man's mind toward God before he is saved? The following scriptures tell us. Romans 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be". In Genesis there 7
WHAT IS REPENTANCE is the account of the perversion of man's mind by Satan: Eve believed Satan's lie, Genesis 3:4 "Ye shall not surely die", thus with Adam's sin bringing separation from God and condemnation to the human race. Romans 5:12 "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 3:9-12 "What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one; There is none that understandeth and seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." I Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." The mind in its natural state will not believe God. Man's corrupted mind toward God is inherent in all men, beginning with Eve's believing Satan's lie and with Adam's willful disobedience of God's command. From that time on man has believed Satan's lie in preference to God's truth. This is due to his ignorance of God and error he believed about God. When he has a change of mind toward God, he thinks right toward God and therefore knows God. He has repented and will believe what God says. He will believe all the record of His Son, the virgin birth, His deity, His vicarious death, resurrection, His present intercession for us in God's presence and His coming again to raise the dead. When one has repented, has changed his mind toward God, has the right conception of God, knows God— the true and living God, he believes all God says. One thing is as easy to believe as another. As soon as he is convinced that God says a certain thing he believes it. I shall close this article with a personal question to you. Have you repented? Asking another question may help you answer the first one. Do you believe in Christ Jesus: do you believe in Him because you take God at His word? If you do, then it is a fact to you that Jesus Christ is man and God, that He died for your sins, suffered your 8
WHAT IS REPENTANCE hell death, rose again for your justification, ascended to God's right hand for you and is coming again for you. Galatians 4:4-5 "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons." Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree." I Peter 2:24 "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed." I Peter 3:18 "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." Ephesians 2:1-10 "And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast. For are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them". I Corinthians 15:1-4, 20-23 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto 9
WHAT IS REPENTANCE you, unless ye have believed in vain, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures"—"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." Do you have that repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you have a changed mind toward God so that you believe what God says in His Word? 10 │>Next│
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