I wrote an article a few years ago in The Gospel Advocate. I was a teacher at Lipscomb [College / University] at the time. This article came out [in The Gospel Advocate publication] and within twenty-four hours twelve faculty members at the school were in the President’s office demanding that I be fired. He said, “Why?”

“Well,” they said, “this article!”

“Oh,” he said, “that article.”

They said, “Yes.”

“Well,” he said, “I read it before it was printed. I thought it was a good article. What’s wrong?”

“Oh! We didn’t know that.”

Wellll, I wasn’t fired. They went over to where I preached; made the same demand. The elders said, “You picked the wrong man. We’re not firing anybody.”

“Well, we think you ought to.”

“Well, we’re overseers [elders, shepherds] of this church, thank you!”

I stayed on.

Now, that doesn’t make you sleep well at night. That doesn’t make you feel real good. But, at some point, you have to be willing to say, “Whatever it costs me personally, I’m going to do my dead-level best to teach and follow the Truth of God and oppose what is not in harmony with Him.” Yes…Truth in love. Yes…gentleness. Yes…with long-suffering. But it must be done. If it is not, there will be those that do not know better who will be misled.

Fella came into my office some years back. I used to teach Greek, and there are those who said that it was hard. I said, “Of course it is! I teach it! Has nothing to do with the language. The language is easy. I’m just making it hard.” (That wasn’t so.)

This fella came in, “I’m gonna quit this class!”

And I said, “Well, what do want me to do?!”

He said, “I want you to approve…”

“Now, whoa now! You want me to approve. I’ll never approve it! I’ll sign it, but I won’t approve it!”

He said, “What do you mean?”

I said, “You’re asking me to approve you being a quitter!”

“Welllll…I..ah…uh…”

“That’s IT!!! Now,” I said, “what you’re asking me to do is to say I approve of you quitting when what you’re trying to do for the work of God becomes difficult! I’m not going to do it! The day may come when you’re the only man that stands between the church and false doctrine, and you may be a quitter then, and the church will be harmed! Now,” I said, “give me the paper. I’ll sign it! But don’t think I’m going to approve it!!”

“Well,” he said, “maybe I’ll just stay in the class.”

I said, “Suit yourself.”