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By Roger A. Scully, Jr.
This past week I found myself once again faced with the ignorance of the religious world, when I received in the
mail a package containing a “Bible faith handkerchief.” Along with the “handkerchief,” which was not an actual
handkerchief at all, was a letter explaining why I was chosen to receive this “handkerchief,” and instructing me in
what I was to do with it. I have decided it to be most prudent to make this letter the subject of a portion of this month’
s Contender, seeing as how I am sure that I am not the only one who has received such foolishness.
The letter began by saying: “As a minister…I’ve continually read and reread, in the Holy Bible, how God instructs
ministers to send Bible faith handkerchiefs to people’s homes, and, as a result, miracles of blessings occur.” I can
only perceive this statement to be an absolute, boldface lie, for the Bible nowhere instructs anyone to send to
anyone something called a “Bible faith handkerchief,” or anything else, in order for “miracles of blessings” to occur;
therefore it is impossible that he has read and reread of any such thing. Further, he said that he read of this being
instructed of ministers. I challenge anyone to provide the book, chapter and verse where any such instruction is
given. However, there is one verse, recorded in the 19th of Acts, verse 12, where handkerchiefs are mentioned, and
it is this verse that these heretics use, or misuse, in an attempt to solidify their erroneous practice. However, this
verse records particular events concerning a particular apostle, and does not, neither explicitly nor implicitly, give
instruction for ministers to do the same. Let us now examine the passage, their misuse of it, and its true meaning.
Let us not make the mistake of beginning with verse 12, as they apparently did. For a proper understanding let
us begin with verse 11, which says: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.” This passage they, at
St. Matthew’s church, in Tulsa, OK, have failed to consider. For we are specifically told that God, through Paul, not
through St. Matthew’s church, wrought these “special miracles.” Verse 12 continues, then, by saying: “So that from
his body,” that being Paul’s body, “were brought unto the sick,” not unto those desiring a new car, “handkerchiefs or
aprons, and the diseases departed from them,” not their financial debt, “and the evil spirits went out of them.” 1st,
dear reader, do note that the “handkerchiefs or aprons,” were sent from Paul’s body, not from St. Matthew’s church.
2ndly, they were sent to the diseased. Yet they, at St. Matthew’s church, say, in their letter, “Pray for my family and
me for…A better job, to stop a bad habit, a home to call my own, a new car, a money blessing of this amount:
$_______________________.” These ideas are absolutely foreign to the Bible, for they are nothing more than
fleshly desires. 3rdly, “handkerchiefs or aprons were sent.” I do indeed wonder why they decided to send a
handkerchief and not an apron. But, the handkerchief they do send, and it is not an actual handkerchief at all. You
see, the word translated handkerchief in Ac 19:12 is the word soudarion, which literally means: a cloth used to wipe
perspiration. What they, from St. Matthew’s, send is nothing more than a colorful piece of copy paper, and this they
even admit, for they say, “I loan you…a paper.” That which they are doing is not even close to that about which we
read in Acts 19th. No, they do not fall into the category of verses 11 & 12, but they do fall, quite well actually, into
the events recorded thereafter in verses 13, 15 & 16. “Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon
them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth…And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in
whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of
that house naked and wounded.” Paul I know was able to do these things about which we read in the book of Acts,
but who are they at St. Matthew’s?
As the letter proceeds they state: “We’ve been on our knees. Praying over this address…because we feel
someone connected to this home needs God’s help and blessings.” This is nothing more than presumption, for how
do they know this to be reality? It may be, and it is, that this address is actually doing quite well. They then say, “As
we prayed, the Holy Spirit said, ‘If you want this home to be blessed, mail a biblical faith handkerchief like the apostle
Paul did, at Acts 19:11, 12, where miracle blessings began when people used these blessed handkerchiefs.’”
(1) The Holy Spirit told them nothing. This I know for the Holy Spirit communicates to man through the truth alone.
In the 13th of 1 Corinthians Paul was proceeding to explain a “better way,” than the way of spiritual gifts, which is the
way of love. As he continues the explanation he concludes by further explaining that the gifts in which they had put
much trust, and which they were causing to be the focal point of division, would, in fact, come to an end when God’s
revelation to man would be complete, but, however, the way of love would continue. Now, then, we know that the
revelation to man is complete (Cf. Jude 3), thus the gifts have ceased, and the manner in which the Holy Spirit now
communicates to man is through the truth, “sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth” (Jn 17:17). Therefore
(2), if the Spirit desires for man to be blessed, it will be revealed in the Scriptures, “How that by revelation he made
known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (Eph 3:3, 4). (3) The apostle Paul did not mail a handkerchief to anyone, people
brought them to Paul, who blessed them in some way, and then they were brought to those who were diseased and
possessed. (4) This is not where “miracle blessings began.” This point is so obvious it need not further explanation.
Now, then, let us move on to the instructions, which accompanied this “paper.” The instructions are as follows:
“Print your name and your most pressing problem, by faith, in the center of this Bible handkerchief. Then, open your
Bible to the book of Acts, chapter 19, verses 11 and 12, if you have a Bible. If not it’s okay. God sees. Then, lay this
Bible faith handkerchief on this scripture. Leave it there for tonight only. Please, in the morning, get this faith
handkerchief out of that Bible, put it into this self-addressed envelope and return it to us in the morning. I repeat,
please do not keep this faith handkerchief, and please do not break this flow of
God’s Spirit from our prayer group to your home.” If the Spirit has been communicating with them, as they so claim,
then why is it necessary for me to tell them my name and problem, why did the Spirit not tell them this? Further, they
are assuming that I have a problem; whether I do or not is of little importance, for they have assumed that I do.
Further, the Bible does not say that the people to whom the handkerchiefs were sent from Paul needed to be written
on, placed anywhere, or returned. They then say to place this handkerchief in your Bible, but if “you do not have a
Bible it is okay, God sees.” If this is the case, then why place it in the Bible even if a Bible is owned? And, if God
sees, why go through any of this process at all? Well, I guess I have broken the flow of God’s Spirit, for I did not
return the handkerchief, but at least I did not keep it either. No, I did not keep it; I threw it in the trash.
Finally, they admit that they are a man made institute when they say, “our church, which is 54 years old.” I guess
they feel that this is something about which they can brag, seeing as how so many denominations are sprigging to
life each day, however the church of the Bible is 2,000 plus years old.
But why, I do wonder, are they really sending this deceptive garbage? O’ yes, I see now, it says here, check this
space, “I am sowing my seed gift to God’s work of $______________. Ah, now it makes sense. This is but another
attempt to scheme money using religion. It is more of the health and wealth doctrine, which takes sending them
money so they can ask God for you to become healthy and wealthy. Thus their “testimonials,” which say: “used the
Bible handkerchief blessed with 6,000;” “I received the prayer blessed handkerchief from you and was blessed with
a large unexpected financial blessing;” “I sent the handkerchief back to you, and God blessed me to fix up my
house;” “The very next day, I received a big financial blessing.” I am curious, for in all of my laborious hours of Bible
study, I have failed to find the passage which promises financial blessings, so where is it? It simply does not exist.
Do not be deceived by these things, and encourage your loved ones and family members who do not know any
better not to be deceived either. These things are far from the work of God and can only be concluded to be the
works of Satan. “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”
