Read Ebook: Around Old Bethany: A Story of the Adventures of Robert and Mary Davis by Berry R L Robert Lee

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"We have a good one," said Peter, "come and see."

"All right, we'll come," said Robert.

This prayer meeting was held at Fairmount school house, a fine school building situated on the brow of a lilac-covered hill at the bottom of which hill one of the finest and largest springs in the country gushed forth. It was, as stated, ostensibly a neighborhood prayer meeting, but Peter Newby just about dominated it, and was carrying it on just about to suit himself. The method pursued was to read a chapter, and follow with a free-for-all exposition of it. Everybody had a chance to speak and expound the texts, whether he knew anything about them or not. Some queer theories were advanced in these discussions, which we have neither time nor inclination to speak of now.

Robert Davis and Mary began to attend this prayer exposition meeting as soon as they could. The Book of Romans was being read and studied at this time, and chapter 5 was up for discussion. After the reading of the chapter, Peter Newby, as usual, was on his feet ready to tell the class all about it. He noticed Robert and Mary and, knowing that they were strangers, he put on his most condescending and insinuating air. Raising himself to his full height, and giving his grizzled head just the right angle for incisive speech, he said:

"What is the apostle Paul writing about? Now, if you want to understand what any given text means, you must know three things, my friends. First you must know who was writing; second, you must know to whom he was writing; and third, you must know what he was writing about." And then he cocked his head at a different angle, and shot glances around to see how his profound statement was being received. He looked especially at Robert and Mary, and some of the others glanced first at them and then at Peter, to see if there was a prospect of striking fire.

Giving his head a backward jerk, Peter continued:

"The apostle Paul was the writer of this epistle, and he was writing to the Romans. They were a Gentile church in Rome, and Paul was writing about how Christians were to live. Now, see here friends, we are all sinners, every one of us, sinners saved by grace. Paul said in one place that he was the chief of sinners. I am a sinner, but I thank God through Jesus Christ the Lord, that Christ died for us, and some day I expect to land in the glory world. I know there are some who say that they can't sin, but I am sure I sin and they do, too. No one can live without sin in this low land of sorrow." And Peter again poised his head at a quizzical angle, and glanced around to see how his talk was being taken. He paused a moment, and, before he knew it, Robert was on his feet, saying:

"I beg to differ with the brother who has just spoken about this matter of committing sin. Paul says, in the twentieth verse of this chapter, 'But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,' and in verse 17, 'For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.' And the very first verse says, 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' It is true that 'all have sinned,' as verse 12 says, but Jesus came to save us from our sins. Did you never read Matt. 1:21, 'And thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins'? Through Adam's sin we all became sinners, Paul says, but through Christ 'shall many be made righteous.' Through Adam we died in sin, through Christ we died to sin and live unto righteousness. This chapter teaches very plainly that Jesus came to bring grace sufficient to save us from our sins." And Robert sat down.

Peter Newby had been standing all this time. He looked at Robert very quizzically. Here was a new type of opponent, one who spoke with the utmost frankness and confidence, and yet without the least taint of braggadocio. But Peter never had been beaten in debate or argument; so he returned to the discussion with great vim and determination.

"What does this young upstart know about the Scriptures? Why, I have been a student of the Scriptures for fifty long years, many years before this young man was born. I have heard many great preachers in my time, and they all said that man was born unto sin as the sparks are to fly upward. 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' This is what the Scriptures say. And I have read where Solomon said that 'there is no man that sinneth not,' and did not John say, 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us'? Yes, he said that in 1 John 1:8. Ah, young man, you have much to learn yet about the Scriptures. As long as we are in this old sinful flesh we will commit sin." And Peter sat down, with an air of triumph.

Robert Davis arose immediately. Everybody present was on the tiptoe of expectation. What would his reply be? They had not long to wait. Turning directly to Peter Newby, he asked him a pointblank question:

"Sir, how much sin is there in this stove?" pointing to a stove that stood there.

"None, I suppose," answered Peter, rather feebly, as if he feared a trap were being laid for him.

"How much sin is there in the wood or stone of this house?" Robert asked Peter next.

"None, I suppose," he replied.

"Well, then," asked Robert, "how much sin will there be in this old body when it is dead?"

"I suppose there will be none," Peter replied in a tone that registered defeat.

"Well, then, will you make death the salvation from sin? You say that as long as we are in what you call the 'old sinful flesh" we must commit sin, and yet you admit, as you must, that there will be no sin in the body when it is dead. Where, then, does sin reside? Jesus answers this question once for all in Matthew 15:19, 20: 'For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' It is the heart that sins; 'the soul that sinneth, it shall die,' says the prophet Ezekiel in Ezek. 18:4. The body will die and return to dust from whence it came, but these immortal souls of ours will live on eternally. It is the soul that sins. When in our intentions we purpose to sin, we are guilty of sin before God. He that searches the heart, who looks not as man looks, who sees the secret motive, he knows when the will consents to do evil. Not a theft was ever committed, except that there was a will to steal; not an act of dishonesty, except that there was a will to deceive; not a lie was ever uttered, except there was a will to lie. It is our souls that must be saved. 'Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls' .

"Our text says, 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' I wish to publicly thank God for this peace in my soul. Jesus saves me from my sins. I know that the verse, 1 John 1:8, is a stumbling-block to many, yet it is simple when understood. John was stating fundamental propositions. He began by saying that, 'if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' Then, as if turning back to state the basis, or antecedent of his remarks, he said, 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' In other words, there was sin to be cleansed from the hearts of sinners, and to declare there was no sin to be cleansed from, was only to deceive themselves. The same arrangement follows in verses 9 and 10, where the truth is first stated that 'if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' and then John stated the basis or antecedent of forgiveness, which is the fact that all have sinned."

"Yes, yes, you can explain all you wish, young man, but you cannot get around those other texts I quoted. 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him.' That's Bible, I tell you," said Peter with vigor.

"Where is that in the Bible?" demanded Robert.

"It is there somewhere. I will find it soon," said Peter as he started thumbing his Bible. The congregation waited in expectancy.

"I will give you five dollars if you will find that in the Bible," said Robert.

"Oh, you don't think it is in the Bible? I will get it. Maybe I cannot find it now but it is there, and I will find it," said Peter. "But what about Solomon's sayings, 'There is no man that sinneth not'?"

"Solomon lived a thousand years before Christ, Mr. Newby, and do you not think that Christ did something for us that the law could not do? 'He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises,' says Paul, in Heb. 8:6. It was probably true that, in Solomon's day, no one lived free from committing sin, but since Christ came to redeem us from sin, we can be saved. Of course, anyone can sin, and there is danger of sinning, but if we live close to Jesus, He is able to keep us from falling, as Jude. 24, 25 says," replied Robert, as he sat down again.

Peter Newby closed the debate by saying: "Next week we shall study the sixth chapter of Romans. The young man who spoke tonight seems to know considerable about the Scripture, so we shall appoint him leader. I will find that text he asked for. It is in my old Bible at home." And the crowd dispersed.

THE SCHOOLHOUSE DEBATES

Robert Davis did much studying between the two prayer meeting nights. Peter Newby searched through his old Bible at home for "he that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar," but he could not find it. The nearest text he could find that was like it was 1 John 1:8, and he knew that Robert Davis had already explained it. Peter studied hard, however. He found several texts, such as Prov. 20:9; Matt. 19:16, 17; Rom. 3:10; 1 Tim. 1:15; Rom. 7, and others, which he thought supported his theory that no one could live free from sin. He reckoned without taking his opponent into account, however, and came off worse confounded in the second encounter than he did in the first. Romans 6 was rather hard on Peter's theory, and he decided it would not pay him to say much about it.

The prayer meeting was well attended on that night. The air was full of expectancy. Peter's long supremacy in debating caused several to wish secretly for him to be beaten; others took his side, and did all that they could to encourage him. A few were interested for truth's sake. After the chapter was read, Peter Newby was first on his feet and began his diatribe.

"Verse 4 means water baptism," he said, "and if a man is not baptized he cannot be saved. We go down into the water a sinner, and come up a Christian. Some of you people have never been baptized, and yet you claim to be saved.

"Now, last prayer meeting night, I promised to find that old familiar text, 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him,' but I have not found it yet. But I will find it, mind you. Moreover, I have some texts that prove my contention that no one can live free from sin while in this life.

"Prov. 20:9: 'Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?' This text can mean only one thing, which is that no one can be clean from sin.

"Matt. 19:16, 17, 'There is none good but one, that is God.' Now, how can any man call himself good in the face of this scripture?

"Read Rom. 3:10: 'As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.' No, not one! Do you hear it? No, not one!" Peter shouted.

"And Paul said that 'Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief' . And if Paul was the chief of sinners, do we think we can live free from sin? No, sir! we can not. And in Romans 7 he declared that he was carnal, sold under sin . I tell you we cannot live better than Paul did. But I am a Christian, for I was baptized fifty years ago in the Big Sandy river, and the Scriptures say that he that 'believeth and is baptized' the same shall be saved." And Peter again resumed that air of triumph that made him famous throughout the community. Then he cast his eyes around the audience, and poised his head at various angles, in token of his victory.

"The brother has gone a long way from his text for his material tonight," said Robert Davis. "He took what we boys used to call a 'running jump.' The text he quoted from Proverbs proves nothing whatever against a holy life. No man can save himself, for salvation is by faith, not by works. But, again, let me remind Mr. Newby that Christ has come since Solomon spoke, and surely Christ has done something for us. The other texts he quoted are easily explained. In Matt. 19:16, 17, Jesus was stating a primary truth, as all goodness comes from God, yet, he was trying to impress upon the young man that he, Jesus, was God. No man is good in and of himself. God must come in before he is good. God's people are righteous, good. John says, 'He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous' . Now, let us read Rom. 3:10: 'There is none righteous, no not one.' I wish Mr. Newby would read the verses following the tenth verse. What kind of people was Paul writing of? Christians? What! Do Christians have a throat like an open sepulchre? Is their mouth full of cursing and bitterness? Are their feet swift to shed blood? How about it, Mr. Newby? How about it friends? What is your verdict?"

"That cannot mean Christians," said a voice from the back of the room.

"Of course, it can not. Paul was describing the wayward sinner. As for Paul being actually the chief of sinners when he wrote 1 Tim. 1:15, it is preposterous. He does, indeed, speak in the present tense, 'I am,' but it is perfectly evident that he makes use of a rhetorical expression which is permissible, without being called in question as to his life. If he was, in reality, the chief of sinners at that time, he could hardly say, as he did, 'Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe' . And it is entirely inconsistent to believe that the Christ would permit a chief-sinner to be an ambassador for Him. Mr. Newby's text in Romans 7:14 will come up for discussion next week; so I will not speak of it now.

"You did not find your text, Mr. Newby. The five dollars is ready whenever you find it," said Robert Davis, as he sat down.

All eyes were now upon Mr. Newby. Here was an opponent that was not to be stampeded or intimidated, one who knew his ground, and kept close to his texts. It was easy to see that Peter Newby was nonplused. It usually had been easy for him to silence an opponent, or to get an expression of agreement, so that he smarted under the feeling that he was near to being defeated. His texts were gone. He had no more to offer, and he hardly dared to expound any of Romans 6, so there he sat, red in the face, his right hand pulling nervously at his stubby white mustache. It was either rise or admit defeat. So Peter Newby rose. His voice was cold and sinister.

"I do not propose, friends, to be browbeaten by an upstart of a preacher. I tell you I have been a student of the Scriptures, and I have heard many learned ministers of the gospel preach, and I have never heard one of them state that they lived free from sin. I try to do my best every day, but, I tell you, the devil is strong, and the flesh is weak, so I often fall into grievous sins and errors. But I feel that I am a Christian, nevertheless. I have been baptized, and know that I believe." And the old man sat down.

"Well, we have not discussed our chapter very much," said Robert. "Has any one any explanation to give?"

People glanced at Peter, but it was evident that he was about through for the evening. Robert then rose, and said:

"Friends, this sixth chapter of Romans is full of proof-texts favoring holiness of life. Paul asks, 'Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?' 'God forbid,' he answers. And then Paul asks a most significant and conclusive question, 'How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?' Mark the words, 'dead to sin.' What could Paul mean, except that we are to become dead to sin?

"Now, notice verse 6, please, 'Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.' Crucifixion means death. The 'old man,' which means the old fleshly, sinful life, is to be killed, so that he may no longer dominate the life. Praise God!"

When Robert said these last words all in the house looked at him. They were not used to such expressions. Robert was a little surprised himself, as that was the first time he had ever said them. But his heart was full of heavenly joy. He knew God saved him.

"Now, shall we notice verse 16 and down to the twentieth? We necessarily must serve God or Satan; we yield our members, such as the tongue or the hands, to do evil, or to do good. And to whom we yield these members, his servants we are. This is fundamental. A person who does right serves God; one who sins serves the devil. Nothing can be plainer than this. Suppose we read 1 John 3:8. 'He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.' This is plain teaching, yet it is entirely logical. Jesus said that no man can serve two masters. We cannot serve God and mammon at the same time.

"And, could anything be more emphatic than these words, 'For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness?' And these, 'But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life' ."

Peter Newby was plainly growing restive under these words of Robert's. He rose and said:

"I do not expect to sit here and be insulted by being called of the devil, and so forth. There are many wise men who have expounded the Scriptures, and they laid no claim to being saved from sin. There is a lot for this young man to learn yet."

After this the meeting was dismissed. But there were little groups gathering here and there, talking about the debate. Peter Newby was rapidly losing his prestige. Most of the people took sides and enjoyed the conflict, while a few were interested in finding the truth.

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