Corresponding Letter of the South Arkansas Association, 1959
We, the churches of the South Arkansas Association, of Primitive Baptists, have met in the one hundred eighteenth annual session of the Association at Cane Creek Church, Thornton, Arkansas.
Inasmuch as there has arisen much confusion among us over the question of fornication, we feel that it is right, and not only is it right, we feel duty bound to state our position in regard to fornication and adultery. We object to the idea that many, who are claiming the name Primitive Baptists, are advocating: That there is a difference in fornication and adultery, and it is possible that the act, even repeated acts of fornication may be forgiven and taken back into the fellowship of the church; that person that is guilty of the act or acts of fornication must be excluded and reform and repent on the outside of the church, then they may be taken back into the fellowship of the church. The reason we object to the above idea is because we understand the Bible to teach, and that Primitive Baptists have ever believed and taught, that there is not any difference in the sin of fornication and the sin of adultery when committed by a member of the church. Jesus said, "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." (Matt. 19:9.) In Genesis 2:24, God declared that husband and wife should become one flesh, the very fact that they become one flesh declares that it is not to be broken. If a husband or wife, either one, commits the act of fornication they have committed adultery. Because they have broken the marriage bond and thereby destroyed the sanctity of the home. The one guilty becomes dead to the other and must be put away. If the guilty one is not put away they both become guilty and neither one has any right to membership in the church. If the guilty one is put away the other is free as if they were dead. In such cases, he or she, as the case may be, has a right to marry and yet have membership in the church, but we say: Be careful whom they marry. Paul said, "The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord." (1 Cor. 7:39.)
We feel like these things should be taught by our ministers to the churches, that the members may know how to behave themselves as church members. In the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, after he spoke of how Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, he then said, verse 28: "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself." Verse 31: "for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." This teaches us that when a man and woman are joined together they become one flesh or one body. Now let us turn to 1st Cor. 6:13, 20 and read, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid! What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot, is one body? For two, saith He, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." We believe the apostle to teach in the above quotation that if a brother or sister commits the act of fornication, they sin against their own body and thereby defile the temple of the Holy Ghost that is in them, and cannot glorify God in their body in the church. It would not be a living sacrifice but a dead one. A man might covet to the extent that he would seek ways to cheat his neighbor out of something, he would be sinning against his neighbor, he could repent of that. A man might steal a bushel of corn from his neighbor; he could feel so condemned over that he couldn't rest; he could return the corn and say: I have sinned. I stole this corn from you. I am so sorry. I can't rest day or night. I beg you to forgive me. I will never do this again. His neighbor would gladly forgive him and rightly so, but the one that commits fornication sins against his own body and the result, is death. So, we conclude: Fornication is a sin unto death; that it would end our church life, or fellowship with the saints of God in the church of God.
In 1942 we declared we would not knowingly associate with such characters.
Click here to read the excerpt referred to in the minutes of the South Arkansas Association of 1942
We are not yet willing to do so. We are not willing for it to be advocated among us that such characters can repent and be forgiven and taken back into the fellowship of the church. We are not claiming to be Simon pure, but we are claiming to stand square against fellowshiping fornicators in the church. Those who oppose us in our position, refer us to the case of David and the woman that was brought to Christ taken in the act of adultery, and the prodigal son. It is true the Lord blessed David in many ways; but David had it in his heart to build the temple that Solomon built, which was a type of the true Church of Christ. But, God did not permit him to build it. So David was not permitted to enter the type of the church. The Scribes and Pharisees brought that woman to the Saviour tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. What He did proved what they were. That did not apply to the disciples or the church. If it did and they cannot vote against such characters being taken in the church because of their sins, the church would be no better than the world. If we are no better than the Scribes and Pharisees, there would be no way of telling us from the world. The Prodigal Son was a servant that left the church and joined some man-made church and hired to them to feed swine and was starving on such food. He repented and went home; and because his father was rejoicing and killed the fatted calf his brother became jealous and accused him of wasting his substance with harlots. The word harlot does not always mean one guilty of fornication. The above is our position briefly stated. We think our position is Scriptural and we are willing to stand by it. We have no ill feeling toward our brethren who differ with us in. the stand we have taken.
We, the churches of the South Arkansas Association that are agreed upon these principles, have been blessed once again to meet together in sweet peace and fellowship. We have a number of visiting ministers present and others also. To the associations and churches and brethren with whom we are in correspondence: We appreciate your correspondence, and especially your visitation. We desire, to the best of our ability, to live in such a way that we will continue to have peace and your fellowship. May we ever be found inquiring for the old paths wherein is the good way and walk therein, and thereby keep the sanctity of the church of our Lord.
Pray for us and visit us as often as you can. We trust you will continue to have the blessings of the Lord in your labors and services.
Your Sister Association,
SOUTH ARKANSAS ASSOCIATION.
Elder John R. Harris, moderator
Bro. Hartsel Cayce, clerk.
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