Expert: Marvin Howard - 11/24/2008

Question
I saw your profile, and I, too, wonder why someone who is not a member of the church is answering questions.  What does he answer regarding instrumental music and missionary societies?  If someone asks him a question on our site, I presume he will totally misrepresent the truth on the matter.  Does the Christian Church not have their own site?  I read your comments and totally agree:  the Christian church has well nigh just become another denomination.

Brent Jobe, DVM

Answer
Hi!

Brother Brent, I believe Marc Thomas gives the standard answers you would expect from a denominationalist, as does Hoyt Robertson. The only difference between them is the name they use to designate their group. Hoyt believes people sprinkled in denominations are saved because they are sincere, and Marc believes the instrument is a matter of opinion when it is doctrine.

You must remember the disadvantage under which we Christians labor. To the world, we are just another denomination among many; founded by Stone and the Campbell's. If they believed otherwise, it would remove their self-appointed and self-applied justification for existence. Besides the supposed Christian Church, and the supposed Disciples of Christ, there are 24 denominations (or more by now) that claim to be churches of Christ; from the ultra-liberal to the ultra-conservative. The world lumps us all together as Restorationists, having been misled all their lives.

I am not sure if this site has a separate category for the supposed Christian Church. If they do, I have yet to find it. If I am having so much trouble, imagine what it would be like for someone who has not been dealing with AllExperts.com for 5 years.

Brother Brent, thank you for taking the time to look at my profile. I am glad to know it is doing some good. With your question answered, as pitifully as that may be with the limited information available, I would like to take this opportunity to ask a favor.

I invite you to examine The Online Academy of Biblical Studies (OABS). If you have never heard of it, they teach college level courses online, with the Bible and Christianity as the only subject matter. They do not follow the accreditation process, as they do not want to be required to teach other subjects by the government, or to be non-discriminatory by accepting unqualified instructors. Otherwise, they give the same level of Biblical education as the Brotherhood colleges and universities. However, they have not started (or nearly finished in many cases) the slide into liberal apostasy.

Tuition is free. The only expense is a very few text books in addition to the Bible. I believe I counted the cost for a four year program to be just over $500.

I believe this will be an excellent source for training preachers to fill the pulpits today, as many congregations are unwilling to hire from other institutions to keep from leaving the Old Paths. Knowledge of this school and its work needs the widest possible dissemination by word of mouth. If you find it as sound as I do, please demonstrate it to your home congregation and discuss it with your contacts; wherever they may be. We have students from around the world. I am only a student, but I find it to be one of the most rewarding and challenging things I have ever done (even with my pulpit experience), and I am only finishing my first year.

OABS may be found at this URL:

http://www.oabs.org

Brother Brent, thank you for the question, and thank you for listening to me. I am available to answer (or try) any question you may have, even helping when someone throws you a curve on this site.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
preacherman_1962@yahoo.com