The following letter was written by a veteran servantof the Lord to his “son in thefaith” and is published inadaptedformnotonlyforthemessage which it has forthose who are young in thefaith, but also to furnish anexample to those who arecharged with the leadershipof young souls of how theymay encourage such to avoidthe dangers of life, and of howtheymayleadthemontogood works and to nourishand guard the “first love”.

My dearly belovedBrotherin Christ,May God keep and bless you!This letter shall be primar-ilyforyouand ________.Ina way it may apply to all the youngbrothersofthechurch,particularly those who havedwelt longer or shorter peri-ods of time in our midst.Iwanttotellyouwhatgreatlove I have for you youngbrothers. Perhaps it is in partbecause to some degree, atleast, you are the fruits of some of my labors in theLord. I have you in my heartand in my prayer, that Godmay continue in you all thegood work ofgrace which Hehas so mercifully begun. Youhave made a good beginningin the Lord. In Him you havefound your joy and hope.Your heart has been filled with His love. You have felt atremendous impulse to serveHim,to giveyourlifetoHim.What an auspicious begin-ning!Butexperiencetellsusthateverything, especially everygood thing, must be tried withfire.Youwillbe,youare,subjected to temptations.These will be varied, but nodoubt one of the greatest isone we oftendo not fearmost and,therefore, donot guardagainst withthe greatestearnestness. It is the dangerof a cooling enthusiasm, or,in scriptural language, thedeparture from the first love.

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“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

— II Timothy 4:2

Volume 1 Number 2 May, 1996

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In This Issue

“To Timothy, My Dearly Beloved Son” — Page 1

The Life of Samuel Heinrich Fröhlich — Page 3

Freedom From Sin — Page 5

Simon, Are You Asleep? — Page 6

FRATERNIZATION:Ecumenism in its Infancy— Page 7

The Lordship of Jesus Christ — Page 14

“To Timothy, My Dearly Beloved Son”

Ben Sommer

This article is taken from an outstanding publication enti-tled “The Fascination of the Race”, a collection of writings and essays on variousspiritualtopics written by Brother BenSommer just after the turn of the century. Many will knowthis departed brother notthrough personal acquain-tance, but by his authorship of the “Ye Must Be Born Again” pamphlet which has been widely circulated by the Apos-tolic Christian Publishing Company for many decades. It is a personal letter written by Brother Ben to a young brother whose name was re- moved fromthe lettertomain-tain confidence. Even though authored about one hundred yearsago,itisremarkablehowup-to-date and relevant the contents of this letter still are. Itcouldhavebeenwrittenonly yesterday by a minister or an elder to a young brother away from home, attending college perhaps.“The Fascination of the Race” is currently out of print, but is being prepared for a re- print in the near future.

“Everything,especially every good thing, must be tried with fire.”

May, 1996 Exhortations • 1

Sometimes enthusiasm isspontaneous; sometimes itmust be nurtured and en-couraged. Of course, it can-not always glow with equal warmth, but if the fire is keptburning it will be made toflame up with new brightnessfrom time to time by theblessings and experiences which God sends us. Thelower it ebbs,the more dif-ficult to fan itinto bright-ness. There-fore, my dearb r o t h e r s ,“Keep thehome firesburning” inthis sensealso.I realizethat this is abig order, but it is essential.Therefore try to fill it eventhough the cost be high. Per-haps this admonishment issuperfluous just now. Youmay be full and glowing withenthusiasm and joy in theLord.Ihopeyouareandthat you may always be. Even so,I would say, put this letter where you will come across itfromtimetotime.Perhapsatsome other time you mayneed just this very thing tospur you on to renewed dili-gence.You are living in a city where the scripture is ful-filled, at least in the main:“Darkness shall cover theearth, and gross darkness thepeople,” (Isaiah 60:2). Howimportant it is that you keep your light burning! First, sothat you yourself may not beswallowedupbythegreatcityand by the darkness; second,that you may be a light tosomeotherswhohavenotyetfound the Light.But how? That is alwaysthe question. The answer isnot so simple, and yet, in a wayitissimple.KeepclosetoGod! Cultivate the lifethatisplanted in you. “Take time tobe holy.” Be constant anddiligent in prayer. In this re-spect I judge your problem issomewhat different than when you werehome.Inawellordered Chris-tian family,prayer formsan importantpart of thedaily life, notonly on arisingand at retiring, where in theprivacy of ourchambers wemay kneel inprayer to the Almighty, but at meal time, where before and after eat-ing, we pray and give Godthanks.I have had the experience when on business trips, where one eats constantly inpublic places which do notoffer favorable atmospherefor concentration in prayer,thatoneisapttogetafeelingof being distant from God asno favorable opportunity forprayer is offered from morn-ingtillnight.Ijudgeyoumusthave the same problem. Youmust meet it some way. Notthat I think it is absolutelyessential to make formalprayer many times a day. It issomething like eating. If youcan’t eat often you must eatmore at a time. Of course, ina certain sense, a devout be-lieving soul is in constantcommunion with God, but

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

(I Corinthians 16:13).The Apostle Paul was gifted by God with a profound abilityto communicate masterfully. At times the topics he addressed were deep and complex; and no wonder — had he not studiedat the feet of Gamaliel, “a doctor of the law, had in reputationamong all the people”? (see Acts 5:34; 22:3). God was able touse the keen mind He had bestowed upon the Apostle Paul,this “chosen vessel”, to bring understanding and light to bearon many spiritual issues confronting the early Church. Howneedful this vision and clarity was as the Lord began to buildHis Church.Even the Apostle himself acknowledged, though, that hismeditationscouldbeponderous,forithadcometohisearsthatsome had said, “For his letters are weighty and powerful.” (seeII Corinthians 10:10).Perhaps it is for this reason that the four short phrases of ICorinthians 16:13 stand outwithsuchstrength.They resoundinourearslikethepowerfulringingblowsofamightyhammer,each of them bearing the earnest imperative of spiritual neces-sity. They are direct, to the point, clear, unequivocal.

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

The Apostle Paul gave this sound directive to the Church, withasoberviewofboththeopportunitiesandthedifficultieswhichlaybeforehim.HewasencouragedintheLord,andatthesametime mindful that the road ahead would not be an easy one:“For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and thereare many adversaries.” (v 9).Yet with confidence he pressed on.

“Watch ye, stand fast inthe faith, quit you like men, be strong,”

were words of temper-ance, of discipline, toward attaining the mastery of his calling.With deliberate patience he ranthe race that he might obtain theprize. And so must we in our time.

Exhortations

isthenewsletteroftheApostolicChristianPub- lishingCompany,Syracuse,NewYork.Itspurposeistodeclare andpromotetheoriginaldoctrinalstandpointsandpracticesof theApostolicChristianChurchthroughthepublicationofrele- vantarticles,bothhistoricalandcontemporary. Correspondenceregardingthisnewsletterandotherpublica- tionsidentifiedhereinmaybeaddressedto:ApostolicChristian PublishingCompany,P.O.Box416,Syracuse,NewYork13215- 0416. GregoryD.KufchakEditor GaiusW.LaubliAssociateEditor DavidM.FreundBusinessManager

“To Timothy, My DearlyBeloved Son”

“The answeris not sosimple, and yet, in a wayit is simple.Keep close toGod!”

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The Newsletter of theApostolic Christian Publishing Company

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2 • Exhortations May, 1996

that very constant commun-ion is based upon concentra-tion from time to time in ear-nest prayer whereby we drawclose to God to dwell in Himand He in us.Do you get to go to mid- week church services? Or isthe distance too great tomakeitpractical?Evenifyoudo, but particularly if youdon’t,youshoulddedicateanhour several times per weektodevotions.Perhapsyouaredoing all this and more. I want to encourage you in it.Perhaps you can meet with________, or is that too far?You might meet sometimesinyourroomsandsometimesathisapartments.Tosuchlit-tle devotional meeting youcould invite anyone who would be inclined to join youin them. Thus, this might bethe means of letting yourlightshinetohelpotherswhohave not yet found the Light.Your spiritual life that hasbeen generated in youthrough the Word of Godneeds cultivation. I am tryingto suggest ways and means tocultivate it. Whether you fol-low these suggestions liter-ally or not, find means to cul-tivateandexerciseyourselvesingodliness,thenthefirethatChrist has kindled in you willburnconstantlyandcanfromtime to time be fanned intorenewed brightness and warmth.Now a word about thenegative factors: undoubt-edly your work occupies you very fully. I trust, however, you have not undertaken somuch in your youthful ambi-tion, that your work will re-quire absolutely all your en-ergies to the exclusion of what I have suggested above.Do not let them! They areimportant, but not as impor-tant as your soul. Give theLord His tithe, also in thismatter of taking time to seekHis face.I have spoken a few timestoyouandotheroftheyoungbrothers about the tendency,at times, to too much levity.Thisisaveryrealdanger.Themerefactthatitisnotatoncedeadly does not change thefact that it is a depleting dis-sipation. Paul says, “Avoidfoolish talking and jesting, which are not convenient.”Theyarenotexpedient.Theyare not constructive.I will remember the ten-dency in thatdirectioninmy-self when I was about yourage. I know from experiencehow the spiritual energiesandthetreasuresoftheheartare depleted and dissipatedby an orgy of nonsensicaltalk, such as the youth of to-day indulges in so much andthinks so clever.Those who are spirituallydead are not harmed therebyexcept that it interferes withany serious thought whichmight lead them to seek thelife and the Light.But you,in whom a new life has beenborn,youhavemuchatstake; you have a treasure which you bear in earthen vessels.That is why we must watchandpray.Thatiswhywemustguard against every tendency which weakens us.YouknowthatIamnotone who cannot laugh. I appreci-ateagood,cleanjoke,Ithink,as much as anybody. A wholesome sense of humor will often help us over roughplacesifwecanseethebrightor humorous side of events

TheLifeofSamuelHeinrichFröhlich

Part2

Letter to the English ContinentalSociety

rue, I did not as yet grasp and understand correctly what I had said. Indeed I also did not as yet knowthe Lord Jesus Christ and the necessity for Hisatonement and redemption,foritwasnot yetthe burden ofmyload of sin which had driven me to the Savior of Sinners, butmerelytheconviction,‘Thoumustchange;otherwisethoucanstnot become a minister.’“From then on, with all earnestness and might, I wished toshun sin, which I now recognized as sin, and knew not that itdid not lie within my power to overcome a mastery which hadfor so long bound me with the chains of darkness. But it was asif the Lord, to Whom I had made my vow, had taken me at my word, although it was really He Who had taken me by my handand with all His goodness drawn me to Him.“Beginningwiththisday,thewholescenechanged.Heneverleft me. I found rest and peace nowhere. My whole body,indeed, the whole world, became too narrow for me. I soughtfor something which should fill the endless emptiness whichhad now arisen in my soul, and I did not find it. I went out intomountain and forest, knelt and prayed and cried out in lone-some places. My whole being was longing, sorrowfulness, andanxiety. I sought the Lord Jesus Christ with ardent fervor andmany tears. That was the first period of my awakening.“The first piece of literature that fell into my hands wasFenelon’s ‘Religious Works’, translated by Claudius. In it, Ifound for the first time a name for my spiritual condition, forup to this time, I had been an inexplicable riddle to myself andI did not know what was to become of me. Therefore, it was, ina measure, a consolation to see that others had experiencedsimilar things. Especially did I believe to recognize myself inthe14

chapterofthefirstpartwhichbearsthesuperscription:‘Concerning the inner workings of God, to bring man back tothe true end for which He created us’. As yet I was far fromseekingtoberepresentedtherein;itwasAnotherWhodidleadme, and He led me into an extraordinarily difficult and darkpath.“Now for the first time my suffering began. What I had to gothrough fromthen on,in aliteralsense,isinexpressible.Every-thing that fire and water, hammer or sword may bring about isasnothing compared withtheunfathomable seaoftroubleandmisery wherein I thought I must sink. I wept night and day and writhed like a worm in the dust when it is trodden upon. Had Ihad authority over myself, I would often have taken my lifethroughanguishanddespair.ButtheLordheldmeinHishand

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“

“To Timothy, My DearlyBeloved Son”

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