IN 1965, Ernest Knoch explained, Many
years ago, my father, A. E. Knoch, selected the name Concordant Publishing
Concern. The first word of this name, of course, indicated that the material to be
issued would be based on the Scriptures themselves, concordantly rendered, to assure
accuracy. The second word gave notice that the material was to be made available to the
public. [Thirdly,] he fervently desired that all who received help from the publications,
should be concerned about a number of things. A concern for each other, a concern
for the truth contained in the literature, but, above all, a concern for Christ Jesus, our
Lord.
The following
selections from Unsearchable Riches serve to explain the founding
philosophy and ongoing mission of the Concordant Publishing Concern, and Unsearchable
Riches magazine, in the words of one of its co-founders, A. E. Knoch.
We have often
been asked who composes the CONCORDANT PUBLISHING CONCERN. The term CONCERN
was carefully chosen, so as to include all who are interested in its work. If you are concerned
in our efforts to make God known through His word, you are a member of the CONCORDANT
PUBLISHING CONCERN! It is a non-profit making organization, at least in its
present activities. We are inclined to hope that there will be heavy dividends distributed
by Christ in that day! We trust that all our friends will consider themselves a member of
this large firm, and, as such take a vital concern in its efforts for the glory of God. It
has no money capital, but is entirely dependent on God.

UNSEARCHABLE RICHES
THE
MISSION of our magazine is a very simple one. It may be best expressed in the words of the
apostle; that we should present every man mature in Christ (Col.1:29). Like
Epaphras, we pray and labor that our readers may stand mature and complete in all the will
of God (Col.4:12). If this petition was necessary for the Colossians, how much more so in
these days of declension and apostasy! Almost all are subconsciously aware of their
immaturity, and express it when they speak of seeing through a glass darkly,
and looking forward to the future as the time when we shall be known as we are
known. These and similar quotations show the need of a ministry which will clear
away the mist from the eyes of God's beloved saints and give them a keen insight into His
great purpose and His plans for accomplishing it through Christ.
Two things are needed to bring
about this most blessed result in the hearts of our readersfacts and faith. For
faith to believe Him our friends must appeal to God Himselfwe cannot supply this.
But the facts of Scripture, on which all truth is based, are our special concern. And we
are confident that they will dissolve all the doubts and dispel all the illusions which
have made theology so unsatisfactory.
The solutions we offer for the
problems which have haunted theology for centuries are so much simpler, more
scriptural and satisfactory than the explanations usually offered, that it seems strange
that everyone does not embrace them.
Take the two greatest of all
problems, the origin and end of all things. How simple to believe the divine record,
all is out of Him
and into Him! This is satisfactory. This is delightful.
This is Godlike. But unbelief comes in and says, All is not out of God; some
things are of the devil. And so God's deity is destroyed, His sovereignty suspended,
and endless discussions arise to cloud the creation. So with the end. Theology, confusing
God's last judgments with His final consummation, insists that all is not for God,
but only the merest fragment is to be rescued from His disastrous experiment. Again, a god
who has such poor success is not worthy of the name. If his will or desire is good, his
ability is most limited.
The difficulty is that
theology reasons from unknown premises to results which deny and defy the plainest
possible statements that could be made. Our method differs in this, that we search the
Scriptures accurately, find the true premises, and reason backward and forward to exactly
the same conclusions as God has given in plain words.
It is the special object of
this magazine to publish facts and truth not to be found elsewhere. Herein lies its value
to our readers. We are not popularizing well-known doctrines, or the teaching of others.
We are searching the Scriptures themselves, in the original, and bringing out new and
unknown treasures, whose value bears no relation to the small pittance charged for
subscription. Some have told us how a single article was worth more to them than its cost
for a year. Others are at a loss to express its value. Many read it again and again, and
receive new light each time.
In this
little magazine we hope to share some of these finds with those who love God and who rely
on His revelation. We have found God much greater and more Godlike than He appears in the
creeds of Christendom. Christ is unutterably more glorious than He is represented in the
religious world. We hope to correct constricted views of Him based on tradition and
mistranslation and publish chiefly such fresh discoveries of His designs as have been
buried from view since the first century, which were only partially recovered at the
Reformation and by such later movements, as the so-called Brethren, and others.

CORRECTLY PARTITIONING
THE WORD OF TRUTH
Besides
attempting the utmost accuracy and consistency in our expositions of the Scriptures, we
shall seek to heed the apostles injunction to correctly partition the
word of truth. The present day method of applying the Word to all and sundry,
without heeding the clear indications in the Scriptures, has virtually made much of it
false and misleading. When God speaks of Israel He means Israel. When He speaks of the
Circumcision He refers to them alone. We have a greater grace and a more distinguished
destiny than they. The truth for this present secret economy comes to the nations only
through Paul. Once this is acknowledged, and the clouds of confusion are cleared away, our
hearts will be filled with His grace and overflow in exultation and adoration at His love.

THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
We
seek grace to stand firmly for the literal inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures in the
original. Not only are they trustworthy and accurate in the most minute particulars, but
they are instinct with life, and impart it as well. There is the same difference between
Holy Writ and human writings as exists between a fruit tree and an artificial flower. The
latter will not bear too close examination, but the plant has undiscovered perfections
beyond the power of the strongest microscope. The flower is dead and will decay. The tree
not only has life but will sustain ours with its fruit. Mens words will rot.
Gods Word alone is living and life-giving.

WE ARE NOT AUTHORITIES
We
make no claims except an honest desire to discover the facts of Gods Word, a patient
and orderly investigation of the evidence, and the publication, not only of our findings,
but of the data necessary for testing its truth. Above all we want no one to believe us.
God never intended His saints of this era to allow the interposition of priests or
professors between them and Himself, and we abhor such a mediatorial position. We ask all
to believe God, and we seek to make it possible for them to get into immediate
touch with Him and His Word, by giving such facts as will enable, them to hear the divine
oracles for themselves.

THE FOUNDATION OF FELLOWSHIP
We
make no doctrinal test and demand no exclusive fellowship. All who have the life of Christ
are members of His body and own Him as their Lord. We need no other nucleus, and heed no
other Head. We desire to have fellowship with all who are His, and urge all saints to open
their hearts to everyone who calls upon Him out of a clean heart. Fellowship should not be
founded on faith but faithfulness, not on the head but on the heart. It is humiliating to
acknowledge that thirty years ago some of us would have indignantly refused fellowship to
ourselves as we are today. Why? Because we have departed from the faith? By no means.
Because we have found some of the traditions false which we had been taught, and have
spent the long years in patient and systematic investigation of the facts. Hence we have
much sympathy with those who, depending on the teaching of men about the Bible, refuse to
listen to the Scriptures themselves. We know how much more difficult it is to unlearn than
to learn, especially when we think that we surely have the Bible back of us.

AN INTERNATIONAL WORK
Through
the medium of the English language God has graciously spread this message in many regions
of the earth. Originating in Los Angeles, California, in the United States, it spread
among the many nationalities in that region. Through them it has reached out to other
countries, as England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, through a Greek Unsearchable
Riches to Greece, through a Swedish magazine to many in that land, through literature
in Denmark, and in Germany.
It is our
conviction that this work may be used by God for His glory and for the blessing of His
saints beyond anything else that we know, and we invite the hearty cooperation of all who,
upon examination, are like-minded.

TO OUR READERS AND FRIENDS
We
realize that all of this is quite beyond our powers. Not only are we dependent on the Lord
for grace and strength, but upon the cooperation of His saints in the fostering and
furthering of the truth. While the Concordant Publishing Concern has responsible
executives, it is understood to be composed of all who make its business theirs. In
English the word Concern was chosen, rather than Company because
it embraces all who are concerned in its affairs. You are invited to become an
active associate in this enterprise. Membership consists simply in cooperation, in
whatever way you can, in the dissemination of the facts and truths of Gods inspired
revelation. There are no profits, and the rewards will not be distributed until that day
when our Lord Himself will test our service, and everyone shall have praise of God.
[This compilation is taken from the following issues of Unsearchable
Riches magazine: Vol. 56, Num. 5 (Sept. 1965), pg 193; Vol. 16,
Num. 5 (Oct. 1925), pg. 260; Vol. 16, Num. 1 (Jan. 1925), pg. 6-8; Vol. 23, Num. 3 (May
1932), page 217ff.] |