Church

Training Pastors Without Using Seminaries

Seminaries. I’ve heard many churchmen say just how necessary seminaries are to the health of God’s church. There are two problems with this idea: 1) history doesn’t support this, 2) neither does the Bible.

This article won’t focus on the problems with seminaries (though they are many). Neither will we look at much history, except to note that some of the more notable Christians in the last 500 years weren’t trained in seminaries (and yes, seminaries existed back then, though they didn’t go by that name).

One such man wrote the most popular Christian book in history (other than the Bible). His name was John Bunyan and he wrote the book Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan was a pastor with no seminary training.

One of the most famous Bible commentaries over the last three centuries was written by Matthew Henry. Henry was also a pastor who did not go to seminary. The man known as the “Prince of Preachers” is Charles H. Spurgeon (a pastor as well); again, no seminary training.

While this shows that a seminary education isn’t required to make an impact for God’s kingdom, our main arguments about any subject ought to come from the Bible. It is to the Bible we now turn.

First, we must note that God did not establish seminaries to train the “Bible-teachers” in OT Israel (the priests). Furthermore, Jesus didn’t start a seminary either, and neither did the apostles. Why not? They knew about the universities of the pagans, and yet they didn’t copy that model of education. Instead, they employed another method for educating church leaders. This method of education is found all throughout Scripture; it’s basically a mentor/apprentice method of training.

In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, this type of education is employed by parents when teaching their children. Parents are to teach by verbal instruction, but the children will also be observing the parent’s life as they “sit in their house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise up.”

Jesus also used this method for teaching His disciples. He lived life with them for three years. During that time, He gave them verbal instruction, but they also got to observe the way He lived, the way He acted, and how He behaved in different situations. This is basically how pastors are to be trained as well.

A student will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40). The best way to become a good pastor is to observe and follow the example of a good pastor. A seminary isn’t a church, and even if the seminary professor is, or was, a pastor (and they’re usually not), he can’t model how to be a pastor in the classroom. He can only do that in a church setting.

But would following the Bible really thoroughly equip a man to be a pastor? Paul, in 2 Tim. 3:16-17, answers “yes.” Here’s how a man could be “thoroughly equipped” for the good work of pastoring:

First, if a boy was raised in a Christian home, his parents (especially his father) would be teaching him the Bible (see Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:7; Eph. 6:4; and many others). If this boy were a true Christian, he would also be reading the Bible on his own.

If, in addition to this, our hypothetical young man was in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church (and a godly family should be), he would be learning good, solid theology from the pulpit for decades. The young man I’ve described so far would already know more than many seminary-trained pastors by the time he was twenty!

But this would not be the extent of his training. For a man to be a pastor, he must have shown that he can lead a family (1 Tim. 3:1 + 4; Titus 1:5-6; note: the words bishop, overseer, and elder are all names for a pastor). Leading a family would give him experience in handling the conflicts that are sure to come up in any church he may pastor.

Furthermore, in teaching his own children, he will be gaining experience in communicating deep theology in a way that’s easy to understand.

When his pastoral training did begin, he would already have experience in leading a group of Christians (his family), and he would have spent decades studying and learning the Bible, theology, and church history. Then, he would be taught how to preach and to shepherd the flock through a mentor/apprentice relationship by another church leader (see 2 Tim. 2:2). This man would be thoroughly trained! This type of training would equip him far more than four years of seminary lectures could.

At this point one may ask, “but where is a man going to learn Greek, Hebrew, church history, etc., if his own church doesn’t have anyone who knows those things?” Here’s where the rest of Christ’s body can come in and help. If a man needs some training that his church cannot give him, there are likely other churches in his area with men who are knowledgeable on these subjects. He can go to them for training in those subjects.

So, the church of today must ask and answer these questions: Are we smarter than Jesus? If He didn’t use the seminary model to train church leaders, why do we think we must? Jesus certainly could have used the seminary model, but He didn’t. He has a better way, and He has shared this way with us in His word.

If we ignore Jesus’ way of training pastors, they will be ill-equipped for their task. If pastors aren’t equipped, the church will be weak. If the church is weak, our society will fall apart. We have ignored Jesus’ way of doing things, pastors are ill-equipped, the church is weak, and society is in shambles. Coincidence? You be the judge.

2024-05-06T20:33:41+00:00May 6th, 2024|Categories: Church|Tags: , , |

Building Christian Civilization in Your Church

The idea of a Christian civilization is something most modern Christians don’t talk about unless they’re giving a history lesson. But the idea of a Christian civilization (also called “Christendom”), isn’t a concept that only belongs in the past, it’s important to the future as well.

Our commission from Christ says we are to teach the nations everything that Jesus commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). We tend to think that Jesus really meant, “teach some of the people in those nations some of My commands.” But that’s not what He said. The command is to teach whole nations to obey everything that Jesus commanded. Since Jesus is God, this means that the “commands” we are to teach the nations include all the commands in Scripture. Of course, a handful of OT commands are repealed in the NT (such as sacrificing animals), but they should still be taught since they are in our Bibles, even if we are not bound to keep them anymore.

While the commission isn’t an explicit command to build Christian civilizations, that’s exactly what obeying this commission would produce. There are commands and principles in Scripture that pertain to every area of life: art, dress, music, business, health, the family, worship, education, etc. A Christian civilization is one where all of these areas of life (and more) are conformed to God’s word.

The goal of “Christianizing” our nation is a large one. But for a nation to be discipled (Christianized), we must work from the local level to the national level. How “local” does this process start? Really local, like in your heart. But from there, it will work its way out to others as you obey God’s word and teach others to do the same.

While one person can be a “city on a hill” (Matt. 5:14) in some sense, a “city” implies more than one person. A “Christianized” church would be a better example of a city on a hill than an individual would (as would a family or a literal town that was Christianized).

To start building a Christian civilization in a local church, this concept must be taught from the pulpit. Preaching that teaches people how be saved from their sins is good. Only teaching people how to be saved is not good. Again, the goal of the commission is to see all of God’s commands being lived out. A church’s preaching must reflect this.

Of course, the people in the congregation also have responsibilities in this area: they must desire preaching that applies God’s word to everything.

It’s easy to pick on pastors for not teaching the whole Bible, but often the people in the congregation don’t want to hear it! They’re fine with the preacher telling them how to get to heaven when they die, but they don’t like being told that they have to obey God in every area of their lives. Many don’t like to hear that they have to follow God’s rules for their job, money, entertainment, who they vote for, etc.

Nevertheless, every Christian should be one who is willing to learn about (and do!) what the Bible says about every aspect of their life and the society in which they live. So, the pastors and teachers of a church must learn what the Bible says about every area of life and society, and teach the congregation those things.

While the pastors/teachers are responsible to know what the Bible says about all areas of life, it is impossible for them to be an expert in everything. This is why God gifts every Christian with certain knowledge and skills. As 1 Corinthians 12 says, God does this “for the profit of all” (v. 7).

Every Christian needs to know the Bible, and since the Bible has something to say about every area of life, every Christian should know a little bit about every area of life. But again, it is impossible for anyone to know everything. This is one reason you need others. Also remember, the pastors/teachers are not to do all the work of ministry; they are to equip others to do that work (Eph. 4:11-12).

We should seek to find out what skills and knowledge those in our congregation have. Of course, this can be done simply by talking to them, but pastors may find it helpful to have those in the congregation write out their jobs, hobbies, and interests. After these skills are known, encourage people to teach others in the congregation.

For example, if someone works as a doctor, have them learn all they can about medicine from a biblical perspective. Then, have them teach the rest of the congregation about health.

If someone has an interest in economics, have them learn all they can about economics from a biblical perspective. Then, have them teach others.

If someone is skilled in gardening, have them learn all they can about gardening from a biblical perspective. Then, have them teach everyone else.

If someone has an interest in fashion, have them learn all they can about clothing from a biblical perspective. Then, have them teach others in the congregation.

When a congregation begins to learn and do what the Bible says in all areas of life, a mini Christian civilization will begin to form. We cannot build a larger, nation-wide Christian civilization until the churches can model it to the rest of the nation. We must start local.

One final note: if you aren’t sure about where to get information about what the Bible says about a certain topic, feel free to contact me. I’ve been blessed to meet authors, speakers, teachers, etc. who are knowledgable on a wide variety of topics (including all the ones I mentioned in this article). I’d love to pass on the name of a book or a sermon on those topics and others.

You can email me at:

mike@5thKingdomMinistries.com

2023-06-01T02:07:52+00:00June 1st, 2023|Categories: Church|Tags: , , |

Missionaries Focus Too Much on Planting Churches

Christians in America, and missionaries overseas, need to stop focusing so much on planting churches. Please notice I didn’t say, “stop planting churches.” Church planting is necessary, but sometimes people overemphasize this aspect of our mission. It’s good to plant churches, but if that is seen as the primary goal of missions, our understanding of the Great Commission is lacking.

I’ve had the privilege of knowing and speaking with many missionaries over the years. I admire their courage and diligence to minister in areas where many people wouldn’t want to live. But in my observation, there’s a short-sightedness in most mission endeavors. The goal of missions is often seen as getting enough people saved to plant a church. Let me be clear, starting churches and seeing people saved are great things. But this is not an adequate view of the Great Commission.

In Matthew’s version of the Great Commission, Jesus says to disciple whole nations. He also says to teach those nations “to observe everything [He] has commanded” (Matt. 28:18-20). Since Jesus is God, and God has given us commands that pertain to family, business, education, economics, worship, law, charity, government, etc., the Great Commission involves teaching the nations how to obey God in all of those areas (and more!). When all of these things are taught, it leads, not just to people being transformed, it leads to whole societies being transformed! In other words, it’s not just churches that will spring up, but a Christian civilization. If that’s not the goal of missions, the goal is too small.

Also notice, the Commission doesn’t just say to teach God’s commands, but to teach the nations to “observe [obey] God’s commands.” The best way to teach others how to apply the Bible to all of life is for you to apply the Bible to all of life. It’s one thing to tell someone what to do, it’s another to show them.

God’s method of teaching incorporates this principle. In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Israelite parents were to teach their children the word of God, not only by talking about God’s commands, but also by having their children accompany them as they sat in their homes and when they were out and about. Their children would learn by listening to what the parents said, but also by watching what they did (see also Prov. 23:26; John 5:19-20). This method of teaching was how Jesus taught His disciples: they lived with Him for about three years and in that time they not only heard Him teach, but they also observed His life.

So, how then can a single missionary show unbelievers how to raise a godly family, or show how a community should function, or form a civil government, etc.? How can a lone missionary show unbelievers what Christian civilization looks like? He can’t. At least, not by himself. An individual can’t teach those things very well, at least not by example.

This is why Christians used to send groups of believers into a land as missionaries, not just a couple of them. In times past, ten or twelve Christian men, and their families, would go to a foreign land and settle there. They would build a Christian community, a small Christian civilization. They would form a “city on a hill,” so to speak, and be a light to those who observed them (Matt. 5:14-15).

This was actually God’s plan for His OT people as well. He put Israel at the intersection of three continents (Asia, Europe, and Africa) and in the path of several trade routes. People from many nations would be traveling through Israel. When they did, they would see what a godly society looks like and would praise Israel’s God (Deut. 4:5-8).

While many unbelievers will hate the “light” (John 3:20), our example is often used by God to bring the lost to Himself (1 Pet. 2:12).

Those in church history who used the “city on a hill” method of missions often had great success (as God blessed their efforts). Societies that haven’t been affected by the gospel are not pleasant places to live in. And, when unbelievers saw what a community built on the Bible was like, they often wanted to learn more. A society built on God’s instruction will always be superior in every respect to any other society.

One of the best examples of a “city on a hill” missionary endeavor is the nation you’re living in now. While the modern U.S.A. isn’t quite the godly example it once was, it was built by those who wanted to be a city on a hill, a light to the rest of the world. In 1630, the Puritan John Winthrop preached a sermon to a group of Christians headed from England to America. He said that the community they would establish would be seen as “a city on a hill.” Also, in speaking of the Pilgrim colony, their governor William Bradford said, “as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea, in some sort to our whole nation.”

Planting churches is a part of the Great Commission, but it isn’t the whole mission. A vision of missions that sees the goal as only saving people and starting churches denies that God has given instruction for all of society, and that our job is teach the nations all that God has instructed. It’s time for a bigger vision for missions.

2023-03-19T18:27:08+00:00March 19th, 2023|Categories: Church, Theology|

How to Attract the “Right” People to Your Church

Some forms of discrimination are sinful, but some are not. Churches should be discriminating against certain people. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t want everyone to come to our churches. By the way, everyone believes this.

If a fire-breathing conservative Christian were attending a very liberal church, and that Christian stood up in every Sunday service and read aloud verses in the Bible which talk of stoning those who practice homosexuality (Lev. 20:13), wouldn’t that person be asked to stop attending that church? And likewise, if a liberal “Christian” were attending a more conservative church and would not stop spreading blasphemous heresies, wouldn’t they be asked to leave as well? So really, every church discriminates.

How then do we get the “right” kind of people to come to our church? First, we must define who the right people are. The Bible does not divide humanity primarily by race or ethnicity, or economic status, etc. It does divide humanity by a person’s standing in Christ. A person is either in Christ or in Adam; saved or lost; a believer or an unbeliever; a sheep or a goat; elect or non-elect.

The true church (i.e., all true Christians) is made up of only those who have been regenerated (born again). Our local churches should ideally be made up of those same people. Of course, since we can’t see into the hearts of people, we can’t know for certain who is truly a believer and who is not.

We also need to take into consideration that even a true member of God’s elect may not yet be converted. God’s electing of people happens even before they are born (Eph. 1:4), so even while the apostle Paul was unconverted, he was one of the elect.

How then do we attract the right people (the elect) to our churches if we can’t even be certain about who the elect are?

Simple: do what God has told you to do. God knows everything. He knows the hearts of people and He knows the future, so He knows how attract the “right” people. If a church does what God has told it to do, no less and no more, it will mainly attract the elect. Of course, no church will be totally pure; even the best churches will have a mixture of believers and unbelievers amongst its members. But following the Bible will do much to weed out the pretenders. Generally speaking, the more closely a church follows the Bible, the higher the ratio of true Christians to false Christians will be.

The subject of what the Bible tells a local church to do is a large one, but here are a few ideas that will help your church attract the right people (i.e., the elect):

1. The preaching.

The preaching of the word of God is the most foundational aspect of a church. It is here where most churches have problems. If you are preaching sermons that are carefully crafted to not offend the unbeliever, then you will attract mostly unbelievers. This means, your church will soon be filled with people who are not true Christians (but who think they are). This is what happens when your preaching gives people the impression that they are “all right” in God’s eyes.

While preaching doesn’t have to be rude for rudeness sake, it does have to incorporate the whole Bible, and many of the Bible’s teachings are quite offensive to unbelievers! And yet, if an unconverted person is one of the elect, even bold preaching won’t scare him away (Acts 2:36-37).

Many churches today are filled with people who think that they are not in need of grace. These people often make up their own rules and think that because they obey their own rules, somehow that means they are right with God. Preaching that salvation is totally a work of God, and not us, will do much to drive these pretenders away.

On the other hand, in many churches there are people that live sinful lives, and yet they think they are right with God because they’ve been told that following God’s law isn’t that important. So, teaching that true salvation is always accompanied by good works (Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 5:3) will drive away those who believe that obedience to God’s commands is optional.

2. Church music.

Rick Warren once said that a church’s music will have a big impact on the type of people that come to your church. While most of what Warren says about church music is wrong, he is right on this point. Churches which worship God with music that mimics the music produced by a godless culture will mostly attract “worldly” people. These people aren’t true Christians (Jam. 4:4). And, just as truly biblical preaching will offend the non-elect, songs that are rooted in Scripture (and not just the “happy” verses) will not be preferred by unbelievers either. Even a quick perusal of inspired songs shows that God’s songs aren’t exactly “seeker-friendly” (Ps. 5:5-6; 7:11; 9:5, 17; etc).

3. Church discipline.

Not many unbelievers would want to be members of a church that practices biblical discipline. While we ought have grace, love, and humility toward our fellow church members, a true church will discipline members who continue in unrepentant sin.

4. Christian fellowship.

Even though close, loving fellowship can be attractive to unbelievers, many fake Christians prefer to attend churches that don’t have close fellowship. Many people want to belong to a community, but not many unbelievers want to have people asking about how their walk with the Lord is going.

Sharing meals together is great fellowship. But if everyone at the table is talking about the things of the Lord, that will tend to make a false Christian a little uncomfortable. Many false Christians attend megachurches because they don’t want fellowship! They’re there to check off their “went to church” box, not to actually invest their time caring for others.

Following the Bible won’t guarantee that a church will have no fakers in its midst. But not adhering to what the Scriptures say about church practice will generally attract mostly false Christians. Those who are numbered among the elect will be drawn to a biblical church; the non-elect will not be. A church should discriminate, but that discrimination should be organic, not forced. Just do what God has told you to do, and the good kind of discrimination will follow.

2022-03-09T02:34:19+00:00January 31st, 2022|Categories: Church|Tags: , , |

24 Biblical Principles Applied to the Corona Crisis

The Bible applies to every situation you will ever face. There are several Bible verses and biblical concepts that need to be considered in light of the Covid-19 virus and the response to it. This would include the lockdowns, the effect on the economy, etc. There is actually quite a bit more that could be said, but here are some things for you to consider:

1. God causes bad things.

It is very common in modern churches to hear that God allows bad thing to happen. This isn’t true. The Bible is clear that God causes bad things to happen (Isa. 45:7; Amos 3:6). All viruses, economic hardships, etc., are ultimately from the hand of God.

2. Confusion and fear are God’s judgment.

Some have suggested that this virus is God’s judgment on America and other countries. This may be true (Deut. 28:21), but I think it’s more accurate to say that the response to the virus is God’s judgment. This virus isn’t all that severe. Of course, for some it is. In fact, for some, it can be deadly. But, all in all, this is by no means even close to the most deadly thing out there.

The Bible does say that confusion and fear are also part of God’s judgment (Deut. 28:20, 28; Lev. 26:36). This, I believe, is more of a judgment than the virus.

3. Fear God, not people or things.

Did you know that fear can be a sin? It indeed can be (Rev. 21:8). Fear leads us to obey the thing that we are afraid of. If we fear men more than we fear God, we will obey men rather than God. Jesus was clear: don’t fear those who can kill us, but rather, fear God (Matt. 10:28). This doesn’t mean that we should do foolish things, or tempt God (Matt. 4:5-7), but neither can our lives be marked by fear.

4. Science apart from the word of God is bad.

Science is the process of trying to learn things by observation. Science is a wonderful tool that God has given us to learn about our world. However, true science must be connected to the word of God. If science runs contrary to the Bible, then the science must be assumed to be wrong, not God’s word.

This current virus, and all viruses, were caused by placing science (observation) over the word of God. All sicknesses are the result of Adam & Eve’s sin. Their sin was rooted in the fact that they trusted their eyes (observation), and a self-proclaimed expert (Satan), over what God had said (Gen. 3:2-6).

We are getting so many different “scientific” opinions on the nature of this virus and what our response should be. How do you know which of these medical opinions to trust? The ones that are the most in line with the Bible are going to be the most accurate.

5. The real death rate for those with Covid-19.

There has been much talk about what the actual death rate of this virus is. Some say the numbers of deaths are being inflated. Though I expect this to be the case, I can’t prove it. However, even if we use the official numbers, the death rate is still far below other causes of death (heart disease comes to mind, or even higher still: abortion). We’ve never taken such drastic measures against heart disease, so why are we so terrified of this? Proverbs 28:1 comes to mind.

But in another sense, I do know exactly what the death rate is for those who contract Covid-19. It’s 100%! Everyone who gets this virus will die at some point. Everyone who doesn’t get this virus will also die at some point. Death is a part of life. You shouldn’t seek it, but neither should we act like we can avoid it. God can take you out at any time, whether or not you have Covid-19. You will die, and you will face your Maker (Heb. 9:27). Are you sure you’re going to heaven? You can be (John 3:16; Rom 6:23).

6. Quarantine laws.

The Bible actually does have something to say about quarantining the sick. These laws are in Leviticus, so many Christians don’t know about them, but they are there (Lev. 13-14). In the Bible, the sick are the ones to be quarantined, not the healthy. Some may say that because the current virus is contagious even when an infected person isn’t having any symptoms, everyone should be locked down. I would just note that we really don’t know for sure what the “leprosy” in Leviticus 13-14 was. It could be that this ancient disease was contagious before symptoms appeared. And yet, God would still only have us quarantine the sick. I would also note that the flu is contagious before a person has symptoms, and we don’t quarantine the whole population during flu season, even though many die from it as well.

7. You were made to live on planet earth.

God made you to live on this planet (Gen. 1). True, this earth is under the curse of sin, but we are designed to handle the viruses, bacteria, etc., that also inhabit this world. Most of the time (though not always) our bodies can fight diseases, if we give them what they need to do that.

8. Health comes from God (through your lifestyle).

All good gifts come from God (James 1:17). Ultimately, He is the source of health (3 John 2). The healthiness of a society is somewhat dependent on their obedience to God (Exo. 15:26; Deut. 28:21-22). One of the means through which God gives the gift of health is by us living a lifestyle that God prescribes (Prov. 3:7-8; 4:20-22).

9. We are told to work.

God made man, then He put him to work (Gen. 2:7, 15). We are commanded to work (Exo. 20:9). Any response to this virus should do all that it can to allow people to work. I realize that in some cases that may not be possible, but in most cases where people were forbidden to work, they could have continued working without endangering others. Our government officials could have done much better by being less restrictive.

10. We are told to provide for our families.

God has some harsh things to say to those who choose not to provide for their families (1 Tim. 5:8). Again, the lockdowns that were perpetrated by our government officials were way too severe, and needlessly (and I would add, callously) prohibited people from providing for their families. God forbids taking away a person’s livelihood (Deut. 24:6).

11. God commanded us to proclaim the gospel and disciple the nations.

This is our mission (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). The lockdowns have been an impediment to this mission. Kudos to those who have found ways to obey the Great Commission in creative ways at this unusual time, but for the most part, the actions of our governments have been more of a hindrance than a help to the church’s mission.

12. We are commanded to assemble.

We are not to forsake the assembling of God’s people (Heb. 10:25). We are to “come together” (1 Cor. 11:33; 14:23). There may be some instances where assembling as a church may temporarily not be a good idea. But, closing church buildings for months over a sickness that for about 99% of people isn’t fatal, is not a good reason to forsake assembling. If someone is sick, or has a compromised immune system, they should stay away from the gathering of the saints for a time, not everyone else.

13. Facebook isn’t assembling.

I’m not opposed to technology because the Bible isn’t opposed to it. Facebook, Zoom, etc., can be useful tools. But, these tools should never be considered a replacement for actually meeting together. “Meeting” online is not the best way to “meet.” We can utilize communication technologies, but face to face meetings are best (2 John 12; 3 John 13-14).

14. Holy kiss.

There was a cultural practice in the early church to greet one another with a kiss (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20). While this practice may not have to be done today exactly the way it was in those days, the principle of being (appropriately) affectionate in our relationships with one another is, I believe, still something that God would have us do. And, it could actually be healthy for you. “We need closer interactions with other humans, because that exchange of microbes is important for your immune system,” says Kiran Krishnan, a microbiologist and chief scientific officer for Microbiome Labs.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should go around licking people who are sick. But to think, as the health experts and news media are suggesting, that even standing within 6ft. of a healthy person is going to lead to death is going a bit overboard.

15. Elderly dying from despair.

There is an interesting story out of Mexico. At a state run hospital, the patients in the Covid ward were not allowed visits from their family, and the nurses there weren’t supposed to have much contact with those patients either. One nurse said that most of the patients in that ward seem to “die of sadness.” This nurse began defying the rules and began actually caring for those patients, even letting these elderly patients communicate with their families over video. Conditions in that ward subsequently improved.

God made us in such a way that we need other people. We are built for relationships. At least in that hospital in Mexico, the “care” that the medical experts prescribed was actually doing more harm.

16. Can’t preach the gospel to the dying.

Everyone is going to die and face the judgment (Heb. 9:27). While everyone needs to hear the gospel, those who are nearest death have a more urgent need to hear the good news. There has been a longstanding tradition in Christendom to go to those who are dying and give them the gospel. How many people in history have been born spiritually even as they were dying physically? Yet, the way things are being handled with this virus, those with the good news are not allowed to be with those who need it the most.

17. The civil government is God’s minister.

The job of the government is to serve God. Romans 13 calls it God’s “minister” (v. 4). The civil government, like other ministers, must obey God. If the pastor of a church was demanding that his congregation rob banks to fund that church, or engage in communal fornication, would that minister be a good one? Should he be obeyed? Wouldn’t that church (hopefully) get a new pastor?

So it is with the government. If government officials command what God has forbidden, or forbid what God has commanded, they are no longer functioning as God’s minister, and therefore are not be obeyed and are to be replaced with government officials that will act as God’s minister.

18. Interposition.

The doctrine of interposition (and the “doctrine of the lesser magistrate”) teaches that tyrants can, and even should, be resisted. A lower magistrate (like a mayor, sheriff, etc.) can interpose himself between a higher magistrate (such as a king or governor) and the people the higher magistrate is trying to tyrannize. Also, an individual can interpose between a tyrant and the object of their tyranny. The church, likewise, can resist the civil government if they are trying to do things that are the church’s responsibility.

Examples in the Bible are numerous, including: Exo. 1:15-21; 1 Sam. 14:44-45; 2 Chron. 26:16-20; etc. It is interesting that some in California, of all places, have declared that they will not go along with the unlawful orders of their governor. Some sheriffs have said they won’t enforce those orders, and many pastors have stated they will disobey those orders if their churches aren’t allowed to open by a certain date. Who would have thought that some Californians would be more liberty minded than some of the more “conservative” states?

19. Snitching.

Many bad governments want their citizens to “snitch” on others who follow their (unlawful) orders. In the Bible, if someone is violating God’s law and committing a sin that is also a crime, then the people have the duty to report that person. However, when the government is acting unjustly, those who report others to the government are condemned. One such example is David and Doeg. David was being unjustly pursued by Saul. Doeg ratted him out to the government (1 Sam. 22:6-9). How does God view this “snitch”? Not very highly. In Psalm 52, this is what God says about Doeg’s snitching: “You love evil more than good…God shall destroy you forever…”

20. WHO and the UN.

Jesus was given authority over all the nations (Ps. 2; Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 2:26-27). Any person, or group of people, who pretend to have authority over the nations are attempting to dethrone Christ. That is an obvious no-no. The United Nations is one such organization. It is the duty of every Christian to oppose the UN and any group connected with them, like the World Health Organization.

21. Fiat money.

In order to save our crashing economy, the Federal Reserve is creating more money out of thin air. God condemns those who increase the money supply by creating money out of worthless materials. “Nothing” isn’t worth very much. In Isaiah 1:22-23, people were making money out of “dross” (worthless metals). God calls this theft, and this is one of the reasons He destroyed His own people. America won’t fare any better, unless we repent.

22. You don’t define loving your neighbor.

In the Bible, loving God is defined, not as by having certain feelings for Him, but by obeying Him (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Likewise, loving our neighbor is defined as obeying God’s commands (2 John 5-6). In other words, if you are “loving” your neighbor in ways that are contrary to God’s commands, then you aren’t really loving them, no matter how you feel about them. “Love” that isn’t rooted in God’s word isn’t love.

23. You’re not receiving prophecies that Jesus is coming soon.

This crisis has sparked a new emphasis on Christ’s return, and many are claiming to receive dreams and prophecies that reveal the second coming is going to happen soon. These supposed revelations are in clear contradiction to Scripture.

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling and reigning (Eph. 1:20-21). He is going to be on that heavenly throne until His enemies are made His footstool (1 Cor. 15:24-26; Heb. 10:12-13). In other words, He’s not leaving heaven to return to earth until His enemies are subdued. Those enemies include rebellious nations (Ps. 2). We have been given responsibilities in this nation-subduing mission as well (Matt. 28:18-20). Look around you. Are Christ’s enemies subdued? They’re not, so we’ve probably got a long way to go before His return.

24. God is building His kingdom through this.

Hebrews 12:27-28 gives us a principle: God shakes things up from time to time in order to bring down things that are opposed to His kingdom (Heb. 12:27). This “shaking” clears the ground for His unshakable kingdom to grow (Heb. 12:27-28). Clearly, this virus, or rather the response to it, has shaken things up. This shaking can be rough to live through, but with faith, we can rejoice that God is building His kingdom even as He’s bringing down the kingdoms of man.

How are you going to respond to this shaking (and the ones to come)? Will you be sad when the wicked institutions that the ungodly have built come crumbling down? Will you hunker down and wait for God to rescue you? Or, will you get busy doing what God has called you to do? Now’s the time for building and fighting, not retreating (Nehemiah 4:14, 17).

2020-06-01T20:49:19+00:00June 1st, 2020|Categories: Church, Eschatology, Family, Government, Money, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , |

Three Criteria for Church Music

The “battle” over what type of songs and music we should have in our worship services is a contentious debate. While the Bible may not explicitly say “Thou shall not play Rock music, etc., to thy God,” it does give us much guidance on the issue of church music.

Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are some of the more clear statements on church music in the New Testament. Of course, these aren’t the only verses, and the NT isn’t the only place we find instruction on this topic, but they are a good summary. There are at least three criteria for church music either stated or implied in these verses.

#1. Sound doctrine in the lyrics. This point may not be very controversial, but it isn’t always diligently applied. While I would assume that, if pressed, most Christians would say that the lyrics we sing to God ought to be true, many act as though how a song makes them feel is more important than the doctrine the song is teaching.

In Col. 3:16, Paul says to:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you [the church in Colosse] richly…teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs…”

If our songs don’t contain true doctrine, they won’t be causing the word of God to dwell in our churches. The lyrics in our songs must be biblically accurate. They must be true.

But should we only be concerned that the lyrics are merely true? I would argue, no. This verse also says that the word of Christ should dwell richly in us, and that our songs have a teaching element in them as well. If I were to sing “God is great, God is great, God is great,” I would be singing truth. But those lyrics wouldn’t be expressing deep, rich truths. Furthermore, saying “God is great” over and over again doesn’t teach me very much about why God is great, or in what ways He is great.

Not all modern songs are bad, but many of them don’t teach you very much. Even some of the church music from the late 1800’s can be rather shallow. There is a place for simple, straightforward expressions of praise, but let us remember that shallow songs generally lead to shallow churches.

#2. A style of music that is fitting for worship. Because the words “Southern Gospel” or “Rock & Roll” aren’t in our Bibles, many people have a tendency to think that any style of music is acceptable for use in a worship service. While the Bible may not give specific instructions in this area, it does give us guidance.

Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 say that we are singing “to the Lord.” God is a holy God, the King of all creation. He is majestic beyond anyone’s imagination. The music we sing to Him ought to reflect these truths. Even music that isn’t “bad” may not be fitting for worship. T. David Gordon, in his book Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns, uses the example of playing a kazoo at a wedding (or maybe it was a funeral?). There’s nothing immoral about playing a kazoo, but it doesn’t fit an important occasion like a wedding or a funeral.

Again, the Bible doesn’t give specifics, but certain genres of music just don’t communicate that we are singing to a holy, majestic God.

#3. Congregational singing. This last criteria is less clear in Scripture, so I’m not as dogmatic about it. But in these two verses, it appears that the singing in our churches should be congregational. By “congregational” I mean that when a song is sung, it should be the whole congregation doing the singing.

While I don’t have space to make a thorough case for this view in this short article, notice that these verses say that we should be “speaking, teaching, and admonishing one another in song.” There are many “one another” commands in Scripture given to local churches. These commands are given to tell each member of a church their duties to every other member of their church. So, the command to admonish one another in song, implies that the singing is to be done by every member, not the praise band, soloists, etc.

When you begin to apply these criteria to church music, you’ll see that a lot of modern church music ignores these criteria. You’ll also see that much of the older music follows these criteria more closely (By the way, when I say “older music,” I mean church music that is 150 years old or older). This is not to say that all modern music is bad, or that all older music is good. But the Christians who produced the church’s music in prior centuries were much more diligent in applying the Bible to how we worship God.

I know this short article won’t end the worship wars, but hopefully it will give you some things to think about.

2020-04-13T18:08:36+00:00April 13th, 2020|Categories: Church|Tags: , , , |

Seven Ideas For Rebuilding the Church

Jesus died for His church. The church is Christ’s bride, and the pillar and ground of the truth. Jesus will build His church. But that doesn’t mean that the church in a particular time and place can’t fall into ungodly, unbiblical behavior. The church in America is in big trouble, and much of it is her own fault. Again, it is Jesus who builds His church, but He does this work through His people. What can be done (from a human perspective) to rebuild the church? Here are seven ideas.

1. Return to biblical worship. There are different definitions of what “biblical” means, so let me tell you mine (I did not make up this view, it is the view that many Protestant Christians have held to throughout history). For worship to be biblical, our practices must come from the Bible. God has told us in His word how to worship Him. We have no right to invent new ways of worshiping God. God’s word, not our desires or emotions, should determine how we worship in the weekly gathering of the church.

One of the common (false) views concerning the Sunday morning worship service, is that how we worship is a matter of personal preference. I challenge you to find a verse where God says to His people “Worship Me in whatever way you think best, just so long as your heart is sincere.” When we begin to think that God is happy with whatever style of worship fits our personal preference, our worship services will tend to become focused on people and not God. To make older people happy we have the traditional service (with older gospel songs). For the younger crowd we have the contemporary service (with Pop/Rock music). If that doesn’t float your boat, we’ve got Cowboy churches, Biker churches, etc. When the preferences of people become the thing that drives how we worship, we have ceased worshiping God, and are now worshiping man. The only Person whose preference matters is God. We learn what God prefers by reading His word.

2. Have a correct view of the gospel. A correct understanding of the gospel will be rooted in the Bible. It seems that this would go without saying, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. If we were to compare the modern “gospel” with one that is derived from the Bible (all of the Bible), we would see some significant differences.

First, there is no such thing in the Bible as “the sinner’s prayer.” While it is highly appropriate to pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins, the modern church has taught millions of Americans (and others around the world) that if this “sinner’s prayer” is prayed with sincerity, then the one who said that prayer is now born again. Again, the Bible teaches no such thing. Salvation is a work of God, not the result of saying a prayer, even if that prayer is said with sincerity. The gospel is not: “pray this prayer and be saved.”

Second, while the Bible does teach that we have the ability to make choices, and that we must repent and believe to be saved, it also teaches that we humans don’t naturally seek after God. The Bible’s description of us before conversion is that we love our sin more than we love God. How then do we go from loving sin, to loving God? God must do a work in our hearts. We cannot change ourselves, God must do it. The gospel is not that we first come to God, and then He saves us; it is God who seeks us. If God simply offered salvation and then waited until we accepted it, He would be waiting forever because we would never naturally want to turn from our sins and turn to Him. You can’t save yourself, and neither do you assist God in saving you. The good news is that God saves those who can do nothing to save themselves.

Third, a biblical gospel is one where you are saved from your sins, not just the eternal punishment that comes as a result of your sins. In other words, if you are still loving your sins, you have not experienced true saving grace. Of course, Christians still sin, but when God saves someone, He also changes them. It is a packaged deal. We are saved through faith, not by good works. But true, saving faith is always accompanied by good works.

Fourth, in the Bible, the gospel is often referred to as “the gospel of the kingdom.” God’s kingdom, as defined by the Lord’s prayer, is where His will is done on earth. The gospel then, isn’t only about saving people’s souls, it is about God’s will (His word) being done in every area of life and society. This, of course, starts with God saving people, but it doesn’t end there. If your gospel doesn’t change families, communities, society, the laws of governments, etc., then your gospel is too small.

3. Do biblical evangelism. A biblical understanding of how a person becomes born again is going to lead to biblical methods of evangelism. Thinking that God offers salvation and then waits for us to accept that salvation, will lead to the idea that evangelism is all about persuading people to make that choice.

This is why the modern church says things like “the methods may change, but the message never does.” If the desires and tastes of people change from culture to culture, and generation to generation, then doesn’t it make sense that the way we package the gospel must change? This is what marketing is all about: how to package the product in such a way as to persuade someone to choose your product.

But evangelism is not us trying to persuade people to make a choice. The Bible describes the human condition before salvation as being spiritually dead. You can’t persuade a dead man to do anything. Only God can cause someone to be born again. Salvation is a work of God alone. But the means through which God does this work is the proclaiming of the gospel. Our innovative methods only produce fake converts. The proclaiming of the gospel, whether from the pulpit or over coffee, is what God uses to make real converts. The means through which the gospel is proclaimed may change (like with the invention of the radio, internet, etc.), but the “method” does not. The methods given in the Bible are still the methods we should be using.

4. Adult education. The most commonly referenced “Great Commission” passage is the one found in Matthew’s gospel. The focus of this commission is teaching. While the education of children is the responsibility of families, the education (discipleship) of adults is given to the church.

We tend to think that discipleship means teaching people how to pray, read their Bible, and do evangelism. While those are obviously important things, there is so much more that the Bible addresses. The modern church has abandoned the Great Commission, but the world hasn’t. Unbelieving humanity is more than happy to fulfill the Great Commission. Only they aren’t teaching the commands of Jesus, they are teaching the commands of the secular humanists. There is a Christian view of law, finances, history, government, biology, astronomy, economics, medicine, business, art, etc. There is also a humanist view of these things. Right now the humanists are doing a much better job of discipling the nations with their views. This needs to change.

5. Fellowship. The fellowship that the church is supposed to have among its members doesn’t only include eating together. The Greek word often translated “fellowship” is a word that relates to sharing or community. Christians need to share life together! While this would include Christians other than the ones you meet with on a weekly basis, it certainly should include those in your local church.

Sharing life together can be a messy business. Many are attracted to the megachurch because they can come and go without really having to get to know anyone. But the local churches we see in the Bible were more than just a group of people who saw each other once a week, they were their own community. When members of your church are having financial difficulties, do they go to the government for help, or the church (if their family is unable to help)? Instead of sending people to a godless college to study a particular subject, maybe they could find someone in their church to mentor them on that subject. This is how a community of believers should function.

Though fellowship is about more than eating together, God has ordained eating as a way to promote relationships. Having a weekly (or monthly) meal where everyone in your church can fellowship is a biblical way to strengthen relationships. Having others from your church into your home for meals or at other times is also a powerful way to build community.

6. Church government/leadership. In the Bible, the word “pastor” is another name for elder, bishop, or overseer. Often, when the Bible speaks of the leaders of a local church, it refers to those leaders in the plural (it is interesting to note that the word “pastor” is not found in most versions of the Bible. The KJV uses it once, but that is in the OT. The word “pastors,” however, is found in the NT). In the early church, congregations were lead by what is known as a “plurality of elders (pastors).” Instead of one senior pastor being the leader of a church, the biblical pattern is to have more than one pastor. The only other office in the local church is that of deacon.

The pastors of a local church do have responsibilities. These responsibilities do not include being able to tell funny stories or coming up with new marketing schemes to reach the community. The two main responsibilities of these leaders are: 1. studying God’s word so that they can teach sound doctrine and protect their congregation from heresy, and, 2. “shepherding the flock” (caring for their congregation, counseling them, etc.). In order to fulfill the last responsibility, pastors need to know those in their care. There is no way the pastor of a church with 5,000 members can do this.

7. Churches working together. While there are many drawbacks to megachurches, the one advantage they have is the amount of resources they possess. But another option is to have several smaller churches pool their resources. For example: an event (such as a conference) that is too costly for one church to fund could be supported by several churches.

Money is not the only resource that churches have. Just as God gives certain abilities and strengths to different people, He often does the same with churches. Let’s say that some in your church would like to know Greek. If no one in your church knows Greek, there might be a church down the road with someone who does.

As Christians become more and more marginalized in society, it will become more and more important for churches to get to know and work with other churches. I’m not saying that we set aside our core beliefs just to get along. But surely you can find some churches in your area that are similar enough in doctrine to be able to partner with in certain things.

2017-03-28T21:26:21+00:00January 23rd, 2017|Categories: Church|

What About “Children’s Church”?

Many American Churches have a practice that is commonly known as “Children’s Church”. During the sermon (or sometimes the whole service), the younger children of the church are taken to another room where they have their own “church”, and where the instruction is geared more toward their age level.

This practice is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. Throughout most of church history, this practice did not exist. There is a reason for that. It used to be that when Christians wanted to know how to do things, they would read a particular old book that gave them instruction in every area of life. In more modern times, Christians tend to get their ideas from the traditions of men, rather than that old book. That book, of course, is the Bible.

Does the Bible teach that children should have their own separate “church”, while the adults go to big people’s church?

In the Bible, when God’s people assembled, God wanted them to bring their children with them. Here are some verses that show us this:

“All of you stand today before the LORD your God…all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives…” (Deut. 29:10-11, all quotes are from the NKJV)

“…you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones…that they may hear and…learn to fear the LORD…” (Deut. 31:11-12)

“There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones…” (Josh. 8:35)

“Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD. (2 Chron. 20:13)

“Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing babies…” (Joel 2:16)

These passages also speak to the reasons that most churches make use of the Children’s Church. One common reason is that children make noise and therefore are a distraction for the rest of the congregation. Did God not know that children sometimes make noise? Surely He did, and yet He still wanted children (even “nursing babies”) to be present in the gatherings of His people. Sometimes adults make noise in church (especially during cold & flu season), but we don’t kick them out of the service. If a baby or child is being particularly distracting, the simple solution is to take them into the foyer until they calm down.

Another reason given for removing the children from the worship service is that children simply can’t understand the sermon and therefore need their own simplified instruction. While there certainly is a need for children to be taught at their level, I would argue that this should be done by their parents (Deut. 6:7, etc.). But again, did God not know what a child can understand and what they can’t? God does know that a “little one” won’t grasp everything that is said in the sermon, and yet, God wanted those little ones there anyway. Furthermore, when God called His people together (including the “little ones”), it was for the reading of “all the words of the law” (Deut. 31:11-12; Josh. 8:34-35). I’m sure there was a toddler or two in that assembly that didn’t fully understand the whole book of Numbers or Leviticus! But God wanted them to be present anyway.

Children do, however, pick up more than you might think. There is a story from Scotland, in the 1600s, about a preacher named John Brown who was charged by his own church with sorcery. His crime? He taught his son to read and write in English and Greek. His son was four years old at the time. People couldn’t believe that a child that young could be literate in two languages at that early of an age; sorcery had to be involved. Fortunately, Brown was found innocent, and the charges were dropped.

The idea of having children present during the whole worship service is not just an Old Testament idea (though we should assume it carries over into the New Testament, unless the NT shows us otherwise, and it does not). Over in the New Testament, if we look carefully, we can see the same idea.

The New Testament epistles (written by Paul, Peter, John, etc.) were letters that were often written to a particular church and were read to the congregation of that church (compare Rev. 1:3 with 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:7, 3:14). These epistles were also passed around to other churches to be read during the weekly gathering of the church (Col. 4:16). In the book of Colossians, Paul gives commands to various family members (3:18-21). First, he says “Wives, submit to your own husbands…”, then he says “Husbands, love your wives…”, and “Fathers, do not provoke your children…”. Paul doesn’t say “Pastors, tell the husbands/fathers and wives to do such and such…”, but rather he address the husbands and wives directly. This assumes that both husbands and wives would be present in the meeting to hear the instruction being given as Paul’s letter was being read to the congregation. But Paul doesn’t just address spouses and parents, he also says “Children, obey your parents…” (see also Eph. 6:1). This assumes that children would be present in the meeting of the church even when Paul’s letters (that are full of difficult doctrine, 2 Pet. 3:15-16) were being read to the congregation.

There is no command, pattern, or example in Scripture of anything like Children’s Church. It is an invention of man. The Bible is clear: when God’s people gather to worship, the children need to be present there as well.

2016-06-17T23:24:51+00:00June 17th, 2016|Categories: Church|

Best Youth Program Ever!

   Does God care about the discipleship of youth and children? If so, do you think He would tell us how to best disciple them, or would He keep that information to Himself? If He did decide to share with us the best method of youth/children’s discipleship, how would He do that?

   I firmly believe that God does care about youth and children. I also believe that God is smarter than we are, and therefore His methods are better than anything that we could invent. Furthermore, I believe that God has chosen to tell us how to disciple youth and children, and that He reveals those methods in His word.

   When God led His people out of Egypt to start a new nation, the nation of Israel, He gave them laws which, if obeyed, would ensure that their nation would be godly and prosperous. In Deuteronomy 6, God gives His people the greatest commandment: “Love the LORD…with all your heart….”(v. 5). This law (and others) was to be taught by parents to their “children…when you sit in your house,…walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (v. 7). This command is repeated in Deut. 11:19. In Deut. 32:46-47, God’s people are told to set their hearts on obeying God’s word, and to teach their children to do the same. Loving God and teaching your children to do the same is “not a vain thing for you…it is your life…” (v. 47). The command in Deut. 6:7 gives us the who, what, when, where, and how of discipling youth and children:

Who: This command is clearly given to the parents, “you shall teach…your children” This is not the only command given to parents to disciple/teach/educate their children. In fact, every command in Scripture to disciple children is given to the parents. There are no commands given to the state (government) or even to the church to disciple children. God has given that role to parents.

What: The word “them” in verse 7, refers to the “words” of verse 6. This was the word/law of God. The curriculum that parents are to use in training their children is the word of God. This does not mean however that parents are only to teach “spiritual” things to their children. Remember that the word of God speaks to every area of life, not just the “spiritual” things (Ps. 119:128, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). If you want your children to be smarter than “the ancients” like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, teach them the word of God (Ps. 119:97-100). The Bible is not simply one subject that should be taught, but rather it is the foundation for understanding all other subjects. There is a biblical view of history and there is a secular view. It’s the same way with biology, economics, civics, and even grammar.

When: According to Deut. 6:7, the discipleship of children takes place every minute of every day, when you are sitting in your house, when you are out and about, when you lie down, and when you rise up. This verse not only tells us what should be, but it also tells us what is. Not only should your children be discipled throughout the day, they are being discipled throughout the day. Your children are constantly being taught by what they hear and the things they see. Every textbook they read, every peer they hang out with, every song they listen to, and everything they watch on TV, is discipling them.

Where: Since children are to be discipled primarily by their parents, we would think that much of that discipleship would take place in the home. That is exactly what we see in Deut. 6:7, “you shall teach…your children…in your house”. But we also see that you are to teach your children “when you walk by the way”. Though the home is an important place in relation to the discipleship of youth and children, one goal of this discipleship is to train your children to be able to function in society. Likewise, when you go out from the home, take your children with you so that they can learn how adults do things in the real world.

How: The method of discipleship given to us here has been termed by some as the “walk along/talk along” or “relational” method. While there is a place for a “lecture” type of teaching (like preaching a sermon), much of the discipleship we see in scripture is done in a walk along/talk along manner. You spend time with and invest your life in the one you are teaching. They go with you wherever you go so that they can learn by your example. Most of what we learn is “caught” rather than “taught”. But as you go, you are to talk to your children and explain how God’s law/word applies to every area of life. This is the method used by Jesus to disciple His disciples. He didn’t start a university or seminary, He invested His life in them. They went with Him wherever He went, and as they went, He talked to them about how to live for God.

   Jesus Himself was educated in this manner. Though in one sense He needed no education (He is God, and God already knows everything), in another sense He had to grow in wisdom (Luke 2:52). It seems as though Jesus was educated by His earthy father Joseph. Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3) and it was likely that He was taught this work by His earthly father (Matt. 13:55). Furthermore, the Pharisees made note of the fact that Jesus had not gone to school (John 7:15). How then did Jesus know so much? Why, He had also been discipled by His heavenly Father, of course (John 7:16)! God the Father spoke to His Son, that is how Jesus learned (John 8:28; 12:49-50; 15:15). This is the “talk along” part of discipleship.

   God the Father also had a “walk along” relationship with His Son. Father and Son were working together (John 5:17). The Father loves the Son and so He shows the Son everything that He does (5:20). The Son watches what His Father does, and then follows His Father’s example (5:19). This Father/Son, teaching/learning relationship that Jesus had with His heavenly Father was the same kind of relationship spoken of in Deut. 6:7.

   This is God’s “youth program”. It is far superior to anything that the world or even the church has invented. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it time consuming? Yes. Is it at times a frustrating, heart-breaking endeavor? Yes. But by God’s grace it can be done, and it should be done. It is the best youth program ever.

2016-05-03T22:46:35+00:00May 3rd, 2016|Categories: Church, Family|

Should the church try to be “all things to all people”?

   There is a phrase in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that says “I [the apostle Paul] have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.”. This phrase is one of the most used and misused phrases in the Bible. On the surface it seems as though Paul is saying that he was willing to become like the people he was trying to reach with the gospel, and that he would use any method necessary to accomplish the goal of bringing people to Christ. In our day churches often take this passage to mean that we must become a little like the culture around us in order to reach the lost. This verse is also seen as giving the church a blank check, so to speak, for any and all types of evangelistic methods. After all, it says to use “all means”.   

    Is this what Paul meant? Did he really want churches to mimic the culture in order to win the lost? Can we truly use any evangelistic method we want, so long as it accomplishes the goal of saving some?

    In order to know what Paul meant, we need to take into consideration some rules for interpreting and understanding the Scriptures. First, we must measure our interpretation against the rest of the Bible. If our interpretation contradicts other verses, then our interpretation is wrong and we need to find another interpretation. Second, we must read any passage in its context. We must look at the verses (and even chapters) that come before the verse we are interpreting. Third, we must recognize that the most accurate translation is not a translation at all, but rather the original manuscripts (or copies of those manuscripts). With those few points in mind, let us reexamine 1 Corinthians 9:22.

1. If 1 Cor. 9:22 is teaching that we must mimic the culture or give people what they want in order to win them, then there will be other passages that teach the same thing. To my knowledge, there are none. The Greeks of Paul’s day liked drama, and yet there are no commands or examples where Jesus or the Apostles told the church to start drama clubs in order to attract lost Greeks. The Romans liked sports, and yet there is no hint in the Bible of any church starting a sports league. This is not to say that sports or drama are inherently wrong. But God didn’t tell us to give people what they want so that they will be won to Christ. In fact, earlier in 1 Corinthians (chapter 1), Paul says that the Jews wanted signs and the Greeks wanted wisdom (v. 22). Did Paul give them what they wanted? No. He gave them what they didn’t want: he gave them the gospel, and he gave it to them in a way that they found unattractive (v. 23).

    Also, we must note that when it comes to the culture we are never instructed to mimic the culture. In fact, we are told just the opposite. We are told to be holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). To be “holy” means to be different from the rest of the world. It is difficult, if not impossible, to make a case from the rest of Bible that we should act a little like the world in order to win the lost.

2. What then did Paul mean when he said that he became “all things to all people”? In order to understand that, we must look at the context of that phrase. If we back up to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul is talking about eating things offered to idols (vv. 1-13). Paul says that he would give up his rights to eat certain things so that he would not offend his brother (v. 13). In chapter 9, he mentions several rights that he had as an apostle (vv. 1-14). But Paul says that he had “not used this right” (v. 12; see also v. 15). When we come to chapter 10, he is still talking about giving up our rights (vv. 23-28), so that we don’t cause unnecessary offense as we proclaim the gospel (vv. 32-33). So, one main theme of chapters 8-10 is giving up things that we may have a right to do, so as not to cause unnecessary offense. This is what Paul means by becoming all things to all people.

3. But isn’t Paul telling us to use any and every method to reach unbelievers? After all, he said “by all means”. This is where it is helpful to know the Greek from which our New Testament is translated. The three English words “by all means” are actually taken from one Greek word, the word “pantos”. Pantos is used only nine times in the New Testament, and it is only translated as “by all means” one other time (Acts 18:21). It has been translated using many different English words or phrases like “no doubt”, “doubtless”, “surely”, and “certainly”. Paul was not saying that we are to use whatever methods our clever minds can invent, rather, he was saying that in giving up some of his rights for the sake of the gospel, God was pleased to use him to bring people to Himself. Paul encourages us to do the same (1 Cor. 10:32 – 11:1).

    Salvation is a work of God and God alone. He doesn’t need our help or our creative evangelistic methods. He does, however, graciously choose to involve us in His work. He works through us. But, again, He doesn’t need our innovative techniques. God works through the simple proclamation of His word and the gospel (Acts 2:36-41; 8:30-37; Rom. 10:14-17; 1 Cor. 1:18,23; etc.). This “method” may not have all of the pizzaz of our modern methods, but the results don’t fade as quickly either. God’s methods (as revealed in the Bible) are always best.

 

2016-05-03T22:23:43+00:00April 14th, 2016|Categories: Church|

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