The expression to “throw the book at someone” applies to all possible criminal charges to a lawbreaker; to impose the maxim possible punishment or jail sentence against a convicted criminal.” It also means “to punish or reprimand someone as severely as possible.” However, neither of these definitions fit with my use of the expression in this article.
In my first full time work of preaching the gospel, Lois and I lived in northern Indiana, We visited a couple wanting to encourage them to attend the services of the church. The man, as I recall, was a member of the Christian Church. When I told him there was no authority in the New Testament for the use of mechanical instruments of music in worship, he threw a songbook at me. When one cannot answer the arguments on a subject, then the disputant may get angry and resort to attacking his opponent. When we saw that we were not making any progress in trying to reach this man, we left. But what I experienced was nothing compared to the prophets and apostles. The council threw stones at Stephen.
When Nehemiah and the Jews set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the enemies of the Jews, grieved exceedingly (Neh 2:10). Then Sanballat the Horonit, Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian laughed the Jews to scorn and despised the plan to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah answered them, “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.” (Neh. 2:20.) Nehemiah made it clear that these men had no right to participate with the Jews in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. We have no right to receive some who are not faithful members of the Lord’s church.
When Sanballat had heard that the walls were being rebuilt, “he was wroth, and took great indignation, mocked the Jews. As they mocked, Nehemiah prayed, “Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.” (Neh. 4:4–5.) The enemies of the Jews then conspired against them and determined to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder the work (Neh 4: 1,4-5,8). Those who were rebuilding the wall had a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other hand. In building up the church, it is necessary to edify and to defend the cause of Christ.
There will always be opposition to those who preach the truth. The truth spoken will cause some to get angry, mock, ridicule, or attempt to get Christians to compromise. On one occasion, W. L. Totty was in an argument with a member of the church who grabbed his ears pulling them till they bled. On another occasion, he was in a disagreement with another local preacher. The disagreement led to the other brother’s slapping brother Totty who did not retaliate.
Joe Blue, gospel preacher of the past generation in Arkansas wrote:
I have been stoned, beaten with green walnuts, and with eggs. I have had dynamite put under the pulpit while I was preaching. I have had to be guarded while I preached. I have had them to threaten to take me out of the pulpit and fix me so I would never be able to get in another one. I have had them to threaten to hang me. I have suffered all this for the cause of our Lord, and yet have not begun to suffer what our Lord suffered, or the apostles. (Arkansas Angels, p. 81.)
Jesus said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matt. 5:10–12.) Further, our Lord told his disciples, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26.)
The priests and the prophets said that Jeremiah was worthy of death (Jer. 26:11). He was beaten, put into prison, thrown into a pit of mire, and falsely accused. He was taken in chains, but released from Ramah to return to Jerusalem. All of this for delivering God’s message to Judah. In summary, the writer of Hebrews said, “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb.11:36–38.)
Peter and John had been threatened not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus, but they answered the council, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:17–20.) When they were released, they returned to their own company. After reporting what happened the apostles and the church prayed, saying, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.” (Acts 4:29.)
The apostles continued to heal the sick and preach. This angered the high priest and all the Sadducees and put the apostles in the common prison, but the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and told them to go, stand and speak “all the words of this life.” This they did and a report was received by the council which read, “Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.” (Acts 5:25.) This verse shows that the church has a scriptural precedent for Bible classes on Sunday and Wednesday. Note: (1) The men – plural; (2) all are standing in the temple – all the apostles were standing and (3) at the same time they were all teaching (Acts 5:25). The apostles again were beaten and threatened not speak in the name of Jesus. “Beaten” translates a word that means to thrash, to smite. When the apostles were released, Luke records, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).
Peter said, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (1 Peter 4:16.)
–Ben F. Vick, Jr.