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This guest editorial originally appeared in the September 17, 1982, issue of our magazine.

Charles Jones, a leader of the church, has some ideas his friends think would be helpful to a wider audience. "Why don't you publish them as a book, Charlie? I get a lot more from you than I do from most books I read."

But Charlie says, "Oh no, I'm no writer!" And there the matter rests. Eventually, however, someone suggests that Charlie seek the help of a capable writer.

So Charlie approaches him. "Money isn't my main object," he says. "I just want to be helpful to more people. Will you at least talk to me about my ideas? I have some notes, too."

"Yes," says the writer.

In the course of time an agreement is signed. The writer interviews Charlie extensively to discover his views, looks over Charlie's scattered notes, and listens to tapes of some of his talks. The writer spots the key issues, works out the general outline with Charlie's aid, and then writes a draft in his own words.

No ethical problem so far.

Then Charlie begins to think, "After all, these are my thoughts. Why should I share credit for them with anyone?" He begins to visualize the book jacket, The Christian View of Holiness, by Charles Harmon Jones. It has a good ring to it. He says it over aloud a few times. It grows on him.

Finally he tells the writer, "I want to give you credit for your help. I couldn't have done it without you. But instead of putting your name on the cover with mine, I'll say in the preface how much I owe to you. Of course this won't change our financial agreement."

The writer, gulping once, says with false modesty, "Well, Charlie, if that's what you want, I guess I can go along with it."

Then a publisher is found. "There is no question in my mind," he says, "that this has to be solely in Charlie's name. He's the one with the name recognition. We'll sell a lot more books that way."

So publisher, writer, and source all agree; the book appears, and Charlie is swamped with praise.

"Charlie, I never knew you were a writer. That was a fine book. Clear and easy to read, but it packed a wallop. Thank you for writing it." Charlie finds himself maneuvered into the position where he has to accept credit for both what he did and what the writer did. He says, "Thanks, Jack, I just thank the Lord for his help."

Let's analyze this biblically. First, Paul says " … We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:2, NIV).

But can Charlie commend himself in this way? If one of those readers who had complimented him on his writing ("I didn't know you were a writer, Charlie!") were now to find out that the book had two authors, Charlie and Jim, how would he feel? A bit let down? A bit deceived?

The commandments, surprisingly, may apply here. The eighth says, "Thou shalt not steal." Is there a sense in which Charlie (supported by his publisher, and with Jim's limp-wristed acquiescence) has stolen credit due Jim? God gave a gift of writing to Jim that he didn't give to Charlie. Yet Charlie received acclaim as a man of both insight and writing ability.

Now, of course, Jim should count others better than himself (Phil. 2:3). But do we not feel a sense of loss, a certain failure of the fellowship, a lack in community when the body of Christ at large does not have the opportunity to turn to Jim and say, "You did a good job with Charlie's ideas, Jim. Thank you."

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March (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46