Dear Bro. Turner:

Is it scriptural to pay a sister's "expenses" to come to a church and teach some needed subject to women of that church? R.B.

Reply:

If the thing being done is scriptural, it seems there would be nothing wrong in paying for it. Money is but a medium of exchange — the means by which much (even most) of church work is done.

When Paul wrote Titus to speak the "things which become sound doctrine," he included: "That (the aged women) may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." It seems obvious that Titus could have taught these things Paul was doing so), but Paul (guided by the Spirit) seemed to realize that certain type teachers are best suited to certain students. A mature woman, well taught by study and experience, may today be brought to a church to do what Paul said such a woman was able to do (Titus 2:1-f), and the church could "pay expenses".

Bro. Turner:

Give us some teaching on being a child of God. E.P.P.

Reply:

One needed phase of this broad subject is to understand we are children of God in a figurative sense — so obvious, yet so often forgotten. "Of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures" (Jas. 1:18). Begotten of God means His word was planted in our heart, grew there, produced a change in our life so that we "conform to the image of His son" (Rom. 8:29). Divinity made truth available, but "through knowledge of Him" we "partake of the divine image" (2 Pet. 1:3-4). The means of oneness with God (forgiveness of our sins) was made available by His grace (the blood of Christ), but we must respond to this grace by faith; and our acceptance of Him is called a new birth, "born of water and Spirit" (Jn. 3:3-5). "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:13) to become the family of God (Eph. 3: 15; 2:19). Thus we become His child.

BEING His child is a slightly different figure. Jn. 8:33-f. shows that He continues to regard us as His children only if we do His works. Parental characteristics must be seen in our life. "Love your enemies ... that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven..." (Matt. 5:44-f). "His seed remaineth in him" (1 Jn. 3: 6-10) is a way of saying a faithful follower continues to show God-likeness in his conduct. If we act like the devil, we are in fact children of the Devil, and not children of God.