It has been quite some time since I donned a fisherman’s attire, along with the necessary equipment to successfully bring home a morsel of fish for supper. I made a futile attempt several years ago when my son, and a couple of the grandchildren made our way to a local pond, baited a couple of hooks, and made a pretense at what might otherwise be called “fishing.” But who were we kidding. The minnows were half dead by the time we got them in the water, the grand-kids were throwing rocks from the shore, and the worms were being slowly “set free” by little Benjamin (he hated to see us torture those precious little worms, so he became the self-proclaimed liberator of our squirmy, wiggly friends). After about an hour of the hot sun, disinterested grand-kids, and the dream of better things to do, we packed it in and headed for home, soothing our conscience that at least we had tried.

That experience was quite a contrast to a trip I once made with some more dedicated and experienced fishermen. I was holding a meeting in Paris, Texas and brother Haskell England, Grover Self, Billy Casey, and myself got up early in the morning and headed to the lake. Now these three men were serious about their fishing: tackle boxes the size of suitcases, at least three fishing poles per man, two boats with outboard motors and smaller trolling engines, and an assortment of bait and lures that would make Baskin-Robbins 32 flavors pale in comparison. Likely you can guess the outcome of each of these two fishing expeditions. In the first the only thing we caught was the “fisherman’s blues,” while in the second we enjoyed the fisherman’s bounty and brought home a stringer full of fresh fish for dinner. I learned something from that fishing trip with those men. If you are going to be successful in fishing, you have to equip yourself well, get the hook in the water, and be serious about catching fish. Jesus promised His disciples that if they would follow Him that He would make them to be “fishers of men.” That same promise extends to you and me. The very purpose of our existence is to catch men and bring them to the Lord. Recognizing that it is God Who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:7), there is still a part that we play in bringing men to Christ.

First, we must be properly equipped. We must first make sure we have the proper equipment, and that we know how to use it. The equipment is the gospel, “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16-17). But just because we have the Bible is no guarantee that we will use it correctly. Thus the admonition to “study” in order that we might “rightly divide” God’s word and thereby “handle it aright” (2 Tim. 2:15).

Second, we must be serious about the business of winning souls. No halfhearted attempt will get the job done. I cannot stand on the bank and simply “wish” I could win souls. I cannot allow myself to get distracted over the “worms” and the “rocks,” or allow my mind to become preoccupied with the cares of the world that might hinder me from the task at hand. This is serious business; this is my “Father’s Business.”

Finally, with the equipment at my disposal, I must eventually put the hook in the water. The boat, the tackles, the bait, the outboard motor, and the rods and reels are superfluous if the fisherman does not put that hook in the water. So it is with you and me. Until and unless we sow the seed, actually get in the water and “fish for men,” our stringer will remain empty. And we will wring our hands and wonder why in the world we are not converting more to Christ than we are, and, like those hot, weary, empty-handed fishermen who made a half-hearted effort at catching fish, we will go away with the “fisherman’s blues” rather than the “bounty.” Meanwhile our Lord will remind us, “behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest” (John 4:35).

Tom Wacaster

In 1 Timothy 6:13 Paul said that Jesus, “before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.” The confession is found in Matthew 27:11: “Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest” (See also Mark 15:2 and Luke 23:3).

John goes into more detail (John 18:29-38). Pilate asked Jesus, “Art thou king of the Jews?” Jesus replied with a question, “Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell it to thee of me?” With that question, Jesus put Pilate on trial. As governor, Pilate would have to decide whether to render his own judgment concerning Jesus, or to capitulate to the Jew making the accusation out of envy. Matthew 27:18 says of Pilate, “He knew that for envy they had delivered him.” Pilate knew this was not a political matter for him to deal with, but a religious dispute of the Jews. He had already said, “Take ye him and judge him according to your law,” but the Jews wanted Jesus put to death. Pilate said to Jesus, “Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done” (John 18:35). Jesus said to Pilate, “my kingdom is not of this world” (v.36). Pilate understood. The kingdom of heaven was spiritual in nature. It did not pose a threat to civil governments acting within their civil authorities. If it did, then Jesus would be guilty of insurrection under Roman law, but Pilate said, “I find no fault in him at all” (v.38).

Jesus had already made this good confession before the high priest. Ananias said to Jesus, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said” (Matt. 26:63-64). There is no question what Jesus meant by his answer. As a Jewish idiom, it was an emphatic way to answer in the affirmative, much as we may say, “You said it!” To what was perhaps a non-Jewish audience Mark interpreted the answer, “The high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am” (Mark 14:61-62). We can dismiss the bold and uninformed affirmation some make that Jesus never claimed to be the Christ.

When Paul wrote of the “good confession” he was talking about the one Jesus made before Pilate, rather than Ananias. It was the same confession, but before the high priest, it was preliminary; before the governor, his confession would mean his crucifixion, and still, Jesus “witnessed a good confession.”

Jesus expects us to confess the same concerning him. In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” In Acts 8:36-37 we read, “They came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Some dismiss this confession because they do not find it in their new Bible versions, but the translators of their new Bibles are not so quick to dismiss it. The ones I have consulted include a reference to the confession in a footnote. It is not a translation issue, but a text issue. The newer versions are translations of a newer text derived from a small family of older manuscripts. The older Bibles are translations of an older text derived from a large family of later manuscripts.

The manuscripts are not the only witness. In the year AD 180 Irenaeus wrote that the believing eunuch said to Philip, “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.” In the year AD 250 Cyprian wrote, “In the Acts of the Apostles: Lo, here is water, what is there which hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart you may.” Both of these New Testament quotations are older than the oldest New Testament manuscripts.

Paul wrote, in Romans 10:9-10, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The confession in Romans 10:9 is a “one time” (aorist tense) confession. The confession is Romans 10:10 is a “continuous” (present tense) confession. We make the good confession before we are baptized, and we continue to make the good confession after we are raised to walk in newness of life.

It is said of Josiah, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left” (2 Kings 22:2). Here was a bright star in the dark night of sin. His father and grandfather had been wicked and Josiah was only eight years old when he begins to reign. What does it mean that, “he...turned not aside to the right hand or to the left”? Moses, when giving final instruction to the children of Israel, told the people they would want a king. He describes the kind of king they should have. He said, “That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel” (Deut. 17:20). In Numbers 20 Moses sent messengers to the King of Edom and ask for permission to go through their land. He said, “we will not turn to the right hand or to the left” (Num. 20:17). The King of Edom refused their request. We see this phrase again in Proverbs. Solomon is encouraging the reader to keep his heart with all diligence and he said, “Turn not to the right nor to the left” (Prov. 4:23-27). There are lessons we can learn from these statements.

1. Stay Focused. Moses said to the King of Edom, we just want to go through your land to get to Jordon. We will stay focused. We’ll not eat your food or drink your water but if we do we’ll pay for it. Moses was focused. So many folks start the journey of the Christian life and after a short time they fall away (Matt. 13). Why? They don’t stay focused. Peter admonishes us to “make our calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:5-11). Many brethren start sowing the seed and as soon as someone objects or begins to criticize and complain, they stop sowing. In Matthew 13 the sower didn’t stop sowing to go chase birds. He kept sowing. There will always be birds to chase.
   
2. Do Not Be Tossed To And Fro With Every Kind Of Doctrine. Some turn aside to the right hand or to the left at every new doctrine that comes along. It is not difficult to identify those congregations who will accept a new doctrine. Paul said, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14). Notice those congregations that start hand clapping after a baptism. The next thing they will do is to put microphones in the hands of certain members in the audience (they say to help their singing). It won’t be long until they have those with the microphones up front leading the singing. If the denominational world comes up with something different, they will soon adopt it. They are turned aside to the right hand or to the left.
   
3. Know Where You Are Going. Moses knew where the children of Israel were going. They were going to the land of Canaan. It is easy to be lured aside to the right hand or to the left when you don’t know where you’re going.

Larry Acuff