A Letter from Will Jones
Missionary in Brazil
From The Baptist Examiner, Marion, KY
One of the main purposes of this paper is to encourage and stimulate scriptural missionary work. For that reason we are glad to give space to reports and letters concerning this kind of work. In a previous issue we have referred to Will Jones, who is being supported at Belem, Para Brazil, by the churches of Old Bethel Association. Brother Jones is one of the soundest, most zealous, ard untiring missionaries we have ever known. He stands for the whole counsel of God regardless of consequences. That is the only kind of missionaries we care to have fellowship with. Brother Jones is known by face to many of our readers, and we are sure that others with them will enjoy reading his letter, which we give below: (TPS)
"Belem-Para-Brasil - S. A.
Caixa Postal No. 684."
"May the 7th, 1931.""Dear Tom: A dearly beloved brother in the Lord you are, to me. May God bless you is my prayer in the name of Jesus. "Have just received The Baptist Examiner, No. 2, and wished for the first copy. Have read it all, and enjoyed it — you don't know how much. "THE ETERNAL GOSPEL," by Bro. Hubbard was sure fine, and the piece on "JUSTIFICATION, in my judgment, could not be surpassed. Also "THE EMPTY TOMB" was just as good as pie. I thank you oh, so much for remembering me and sending your paper. every bit of it has my endorsement.
"I feel sure that God has located you where he wants you, and I am sure glad. We need men that will tell the truth — I mean all of it — to edit Baptist papers, as well as to preach the gospel; and I believe you are one that will do it. May God bless you in the work.
"Say, it is very inconvenient for me to send you money from down here, but I sure do want your paper. If it is satisfactory to you to send it to me and wait on me for the money, I sure will appreciate it, and will pay up when I have an opportunity. But if this is asking too much of you, don't do it; and I will not be one bit offended.
"Well, I will just give you a bit of news from this part of the Lord's vineyard. We are still moving along, ever busy in the work, and looking to him that has all power for results; and occasionally we see a dewdrop here and there. God remembers us in mercy, and is blessing our feeble efforts. I can see his hand moving in our work each day, and that is sure worth something to me. For me not to see his hand move means a dark day for me. But the promise of Matthew 28:20 is being daily fulfilled with us in the work we are attempting to do, and that makes all rough places smooth and bitter cups sweet.
"We are writing and distributing gospel tracts by the thousands. We have preaching here in our home each Tuesday night, and a Bible class each Sunday morning. We are having good results now, although it was a bit rocky when we first began. On account of different views between myself and the Baptists here, it seems that we can't work harmoniously together; so I am doing my work in my way, and they are doing their work in their way. It it with me as it is with the Baptist church of Engenho deDentro, Rio de Janeiro. Pastor Petrowsky took a stand for the Lord's supper as a local church ordinance, and not as a denominational ordinance. Also he fought bobbed hair, women speaking in mixed assemblies, loose church discipline, immodest dress, and all manner of worldliness. His church voted to stand with him, and was excluded from the Brazilian Baptist Convention last November by a vote of 254 to 6. The messengers from his church were not permitted to be enrolled before their exclusion. He was so badly treated together with his church that the pastor of the church where the convention convened asked the convention not to come back to his church the next day on the ground that they had not shown a Christian spirit toward this church and pastor. So you can see that all is not smooth sailing among the Baptists in Brazil. While I am contending for the scriptural view to be practiced in our Baptist churches in the Amazon valley, we have some few in the South that are standing for something too.
"May the 12th, five days from last writing. I could not get this letter ready in time for the other boat and have had to wait for another; so I have been doing other things, but will now write a bit more.
"We are all well enough and much better than we deserve. But it is just like our gracious God to be better to a sinner than he deserves. We had a fine time Sunday morning studying the Book. We are studying the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Next Sunday we begin on speaking with tongues and other effects that followed the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost — which came that day once for all time to come. We are studying this subject because, when we began our Bible class, we began with Matthew, and when we came to chapter three we met with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We skip nothing, but just take it clean as we go. Also we have some members of the Pentecost Church in our class, and they are anxious to study the subject. Therefore, I was glad for the opportunity to teach it. We are sure having a good time in the word. Pray for great results for the glory of God, for the salvation of sinners, and for convictions on the part of the saved to stand firm in the doctrines of the word of God. One of the greatest needs of the people of God today is for convictions to stand firm.
"Sunday was Mother's Day here in Belem for two of the three Baptist churches; and is being followed this week in the First Baptist Church by a great union meeting, with Pastor Mesquita, Baptist; Pastor Joao Daniel, Baptist; Deacon Augusto Feireia, Baptist; Dr. Gueiros, Presbyterian; Linard Harris, Interdeonmiantionalist - who believes half way between, the Methodists and Pentecostians; and the Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church as the speakers. A lady by the name of Amilha Gama is director of the services. They are expecting a great time.
"Some like union meetings and some don't. Some are wanting to withdraw and begin a work on a sounder basis. Perhaps it may develop soon. The churches are exceedingly cold and worldly. They are following the traditions of men rather than the word of God. They fill full the prophecy of 2 Timothy 4:3, 4. The First Baptist Church here in Belem has gone a way back in spirituality in the last three years. They voted to permit women equal rights with men in speaking, with the exception of preaching. They also voted that women could cut their hair at their own will, and that they could dress as it pleased them; and many of them dress very indecently. Also the Baptist churches of Brasil give the Lord's Supper as a denominational ordinance, and not as a local church ordinance; i. e., they give the supper to all members of other Baptist churches that are present. And they give it with common light bread and grape juice, which is absolutely unscriptural. Read Matthew 26:17-28. The supper was instituted in the time of the Passover, at which time no leaven was allowed in the camp. See Exodus 12, 14, 15, 17-20; 13:3, 6, 7. Besides this, leaven throughout the Bible represents sin and evil, and how can bread full of that which represents evil symbolize the body of the Lord Jesus? Common light bread bought out of the store full of laven, and grape juice full of ferment, symbolizing the body and blood of our blessed Lord Jesus!
"Pray for us all.
"As ever your brother in grace.
W. H. JONES."[From T.P. (Thomas Paul) Simmons, editor, The Baptist Examiner, No. 2, July 1, 1931, pp.4-5; via digitized version by Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, Chesapeake, Ohio. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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