Often, when I am asked a question, inquirers are
looking for brief answers rather than lengthy discussions. Sometimes
rather than answering the question directly, I attempt to point
them to materials where they can find their answers. I do this
not only to encourage people to study on their own but also to
familiarize them with good religious books they can read for profitable
study. One of the books I go to repeatedly is Questions &
Answers by Guy N. Woods.
The book is a collection of questions that were
asked of brother Woods and his answers to the questions during
the Open Forum at Freed-Hardeman College (now University) Bible
Lectureship. We sometimes get nervous when another person asks
us a question, or maybe we get nervous about being asked a question
when we teach a class. Imagine being asked any religious question
on any subject in front of thousands of people! Imagine these
questions being asked during a Bible lectureship in front of multitudes
of preachers, professors, elders, etc. Brother Woods did this
each year during the Open Forum for nearly 30 years! Unfortunately,
I did not have the opportunity to hear brother Woods on the Open
Forum. Fortunately, several of the Open Forum tapes exist from
when Guy N. Woods was moderator and can be ordered from Freed-Hardeman
University Recording Services.
Questions & Answers, Vol. I is indexed
both by scriptures and subjects for easier reference. I encourage
members to purchase this work and keep it in their cars to read
when they have unexpected parking time.
Christians should seek out and read the writings
of brother Woods. All of his writings are excellent and worthy
of our attention. He has written commentaries on books of the
New Testament that are in the Gospel Advocate Commentaries.
Because of my enormous respect for Woods' scholarship, I will
not teach a class on a book on which he has written a commentary
before reading what he has stated on the subject. His commentary
on James is still one of the best, and I have several books
on the Epistle of James by other authors in my possession
at this time. One should be extremely careful to know the author
of a book he is reading, especially when the subject deals with
controversial issues. This book is a prime example of one dealing
with controversial issues. Woods' views were put to the test not
only during the Open Forum, but he also publicly debated over
100 times in his career. I encourage members to request the Gospel
Advocate to send them a copy of the February 1994 issue dedicated
to Guy N. Woods so they can read for themselves what a monumental
scholar Guy N. Woods was. Brother Woods passed away December 8,
1993. He was eighty-five years old. Guy N. Woods donated his library
to Freed-Hardeman. The actual number of books donated from his
personal library to Freed-Hardeman University was over 7,000.
Indeed, brother Woods has left us an example worthy of imitation!
-29 Flora Dr., Bedford, OH 44146-2011. DRKenney@email.com