“LET IT BEGIN WITH ME”

Daniel Sommer (1850-1940), a gospel preacher, foresaw the controversy and division among brethren over the issues of the missionary society and instrumental music. He opposed such innovations. In the excerpt below, he wrote about the different attitudes he saw among brethren while he was still in college at Bethany.

“But before leaving that eventful period of my college life altogether, and taking the reader’s mind to my after life, I regard it important to retrospect and chronicle a few items of interest. Early in my life at Bethany I saw there was a difference between disciples and disciples. It became evident that some disciples were of the primitive or apostolic type, while others were of a modern or plastic type. Those constituting the former class I saw had stability, while those constituting the latter class had flexibility. The former disciples held that the world should bend to the church; the latter disciples held that the church should bend to the world. This was to me a saddening discovery! When I went to Bethany the name ‘disciple of Christ’ was to me a synonym for all that was true, upright, honorable, in religious character. Hence when I was compelled to recognize there was a difference, and that two classes of characters were found among disciples, I felt unhappy! The word ‘disciple’ then came to have a two-fold meaning. It thenceforth meant professed Christians who were entirely satisfied with what was written in the word of God, and professed Christians who were in certain respects unsatisfied with what was therein written. In other words, the term ‘disciple’ came to mean those who taught that the Bible is a perfect revelation from God to both sinners and saints, also those who held that the Bible was perfect revelation for guidance of sinners, but not for guidance of saints” (Daniel Sommer: A Biography, pp. 91-92).

OBSERVATIONS: Do you recognize such a difference in disciples today? If this situation exists, is it not a kingdom destined to fall (cf. Mark 3:24)? The ‘old paths’ still must be honored and practiced (Jeremiah 6:16). The “faithful word” must be the regular diet for the flock. Sound doctrine produces healthy disciples (Titus 1:9). As hymn title #150 in our supplement says, “Let It Begin With Me”.