Babbling or Building?

Babbling or Building?

The creator of the world became flesh and lived as a man upon the earth.  During his time as a man, He lived in a manner which was obedient to God in both word and deed.  The significance of His life reached its pinnacle in His sacrifice for the sins of mankind as He willingly allowed himself to be crucified, taking on the punishment of the sins of all mankind from Adam forward.  He had been building, not babbling. His sacrifice demonstrated that God is just, merciful, and righteous.  Jesus, resurrected from death, following three days and nights in the grave, appeared to many and before His apostles He affirmed the promise of the Father, that the Holy Spirit would come, teach them, and bring to their remembrance all things Jesus had taught them.  In this final action, Jesus initiated the building of His Church to all mankind.  The gathering of mankind in Christ is the first such action by God since He separated them at Babel.  Four things existed during that early period of time following the flood that are essential for men to be recognized as the Church of God today: Cohesion, Communication, Commitment, Creator.

Cohesion is the characteristic of being united. In the era of Genesis 11, the people of the world were united in their mind, speech, and actions.  Unity is a beneficial characteristic in relationships and endeavors to accomplish most tasks.  Who wants disfunction and division within a family?  No one!  The result is pain, suffering, and alienation.  Not just temporarily, but potentially permanently.  Who wants a coworker who sabotages the work of his crew?  Objectives are not achieved, tempers flare, injuries, or death are possible.  Who wants a Church whose members fight, struggle to hold power, or whose interests are all about self rather than the whole body?  Unity is the absence of these troubles.  It is the working together with one another in a way that maximizes success.  This was the mindset of those people in the Land of Shinar who embarked upon building a tower unto the heavens – that which we call the “Tower of Babel”.

A man dying of thirst wants a glass of water.  A “good Samaritan” wants to be able to help.  The two of them have to be able to communicate to be able to express and understand the need of the dying man to obtain water.  The men of the early world were able to unite because they were able to communicate.  They all spoke the same language.  They journeyed together and dwelt in the same place.  They communicated and agreed upon the goal of building a tower to the heavens so they could have a memorial/marker for themselves.  The purpose of this was so they would never be scattered upon the earth.  Communication is critical in so many aspects of our lives.  Within the Church, it ranks near the top.  The gospel is spread by the foolishness of preaching.  Faith is built by hearing the Word.  Forgiveness/reconciliation is sought and given through communication.  Adherence to truth is eased when communication is understood and emphasized as a necessity.

Of course, people can be of the same mind and be able to communicate their concerns, desires, wishes, goals, etc.  However, if they are not committed to work to completion what they wish to accomplish or avoid then they will fail.  They will not be building, but merely babbling.  Building a tower to the heavens is an enormous task.  If everyone thinks it is a great idea, but no one is willing to work, then the plan will fail.  This was what happened with the Temple wall in Jerusalem when Nehemiah went to rebuild it.  For years, the people thought it was a good idea to have a wall… but it wasn’t built.  When Nehemiah got the people engaged and they had a mind to work, they built the wall in 52 days.  In 70 AD, when the Romans of one mind and commitment built a siege wall around Jerusalem, they did so in 3 days.  In regard to the Church, congregations are shrinking and disappearing across America because though everyone has communicated, they want to see the Church grow, few are committed engaging in the behavior to make it so.  Their words were just babbling.

Cohesion, communication, commitment, these three attributes make it hard for any plan or effort to fail.  However, those at Babel know why they failed.  Their plans were broken and the people were scattered because they did not revere the Creator and seek to obey His command to be fruitful and multiply throughout the world.  Their desire was to be in one place.  They were working against God’s Will.  Gamaliel spoke of this same type of behavior in Acts 5 before the Sanhedrin when they sought to stop the apostles sharing the gospel.  The bottom line, if it is of God, they could not overthrow it and even worse they would be found trying to fight against God.  In the realm of the behavior and attitudes of the Church, they may choose to worship in various manners, teach popular doctrines, and appeal to the masses, but if they are not following the pattern established by God, they are mere babbling and will be judged as lacking by God’s very Word.

The Church Christ established is cohesive, communicative, committed, and reverent to the Creator’s Will.  They properly acknowledge the failures of mankind from Adam, to Babel, to Israel, to those playing church today.  The yoke Christ put upon the Church is easy and His burden is light. All the teaching we have ever needed is before us in the written Mind of God.  Let us in a united mind and effort proclaim the Gospel of Salvation to a dying world so that we might Honor our mighty God.

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Hebrew’s Letter: Application, Silence

Hebrew’s Letter: Application, Silence

The Hebrew’s letter provides a great deal of information from which present day Christians can learn.  Prior to pondering a few thoughts from this book, consider some of its finer points.  The book has no declared author, Paul is often suggested, though I would lean to the side of Peter.  Other scholars would put forth different guesses.  Its audience appears to be the Jewish Christian.  Furthermore, it is a common belief that the book was written to those in and around Jerusalem.  The time frame is believed to be prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD with some suggesting the writing perhaps during the pause in the siege when Vespasian heads back to Rome following the death of Nero.  There is a lot of speculation about specifics in what has been written so far, because there are a great number of specific points about the letter we just do not know.  hebrews

What is known about the Hebrew’s letter is that it has a tone of urgency in convicting its readers that the covenant under Christ was better in all respects in comparison to the Law of Moses.  Additionally, the audience of this book is not the reader 2000 years later.  Yes, the contents can be learned from and applied generally in numerous ways and there are eternal principles which are to still be followed today, however, Hebrews was written to a specific group who lived in the first century encouraging them regarding the pressure they were enduring during their time of distress. Therefore, it is wise to always keep in mind the audience, timing of the letter, use of language, and context before trying to make personal application to Christians today.  Having laid these thoughts before the reader, the objective in this article is to draw an eternal principle out of Hebrews 7 and consider its impact on the function of the Church today.

Beginning in the latter part of Hebrews 4, it is put forth that Jesus, the son of God, is the High Priest of those faithful to God.  The purpose of a high priest is that they are to act as an intermediary between man and God provide gifts and offerings to God.  Jesus was made high priest being appointed by God because of the suffering He endured and the obedience He demonstrated being hung upon the cross.  In this role, he became the source of eternal salvation to all that obey Him (Hebrews 5).  The writer of Hebrews had concern about the state of mind of the Jewish Christian.  He was in the process of sharing words of great importance to the salvation of his readers, but he knew they had become dull of hearing.  After expressing this sentiment, the writer forges on encouraging them in regard to the earnestness of their Christian walk, their imitation of the pattern of the faithful of God, and their faith in the promises of God.  He then continues with the consideration of Jesus as High Priest.

The High Priest’s of Israel had always served upon the earth, in the tabernacle and temple.   They were appointed to this service by God, during the time in which the people of God were under the Law of Moses.  The care of the tabernacle/temple and its service was given only to those descended from the tribe of Levi as God commanded (Numbers 1, 3, 8, 18, etc.).  Everyone of Israel knew this truth.  Yet, Jesus was of the tribe of Judah and He was in heaven.  If any Israelite had been asked, can someone from the tribe of Judah become high priest?  The answer would have been “No!”.  There would have been no hesitation at all.  God’s command was clear.  God never said, “Thou shall not allow anyone from Judah to be high priest.”  He didn’t have to do so.  In regard to such a statement, He was silent. The command had already been given in regard to what God had wanted.  The Hebrew writer points out this issue of Jesus’ lineage in Hebrews 7:14. So how is this possible?  The only way that Jesus becomes high priest, is by the Law of Moses being replaced by the new covenant in Jesus.  Indeed, this was done because of the weakness of the Old Law in that it required continual remembrance of sin through perpetual offerings and sacrifices.  The Hebrew’s letter  exposes this truth and presents Jesus as a high priest who through a one time sacrifice for mankind, established a perfect covenant, a better one, and then took his seat at the right hand of the Father.

Today’s Christian never lived under the law of Moses.  We were never subject to having to live under a system of continual sacrifices for our sin at the hand of a succession of high priests.  That scenario cannot be replicated, and it highlights the futility of trying to make ourselves the audience of the book of Hebrews.  An eternal principle that can be applied to Christians today is that of Biblical silence.  When God gives a command, it is understood, he does not have to give a “thou shalt not” for everything he did not command.  Here are a number of examples of that principle which the Church can observe today by God’s command:

  1. Singing of psalms, hymns, spiritual songs – not playing instruments, singing patriotic songs, or singing secular songs
  2. Unleavened bread and fruit of the vine – not leavened bread, kool-aid, cheese, meat, buffet.
  3. Man and woman joined together – not man and man or woman and woman.
  4. Proclamation of the Word – not drama, acting, theatre, puppets.
  5. Reverence in Worship – not entertainment, festivity, self-indulgence
  6. Male Leadership of the Church – not female

The principle of God giving a command and not having to say “thou shalt not” is seen throughout scripture.  This principle of “silence” is something the Israelites understood and it is something that Christians need to understand today.  The Hebrew writer utilized this principle in explaining the fact that the Law of Moses was not something the people should try to return to following.  A new covenant had been established with a better High Priest.  While the letter is to a specific people, at a specific time, for a specific reason, it does not stop the reader from being able to learn and grow and observe eternal principles which are timeless.  Apply what is given to apply, observe what is given for learning, and keep everything in the context it belongs.

 

 

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Accusation Against an Elder

Accusation Against an Elder

I Timothy is a letter in which the Apostle Paul writes the evangelist Timothy covering many topics.  As Paul rounds into the portion of the letter identified as chapter 5, he provides a number of instructions regarding both the male and female Christian.  The focus of this article comes in verse 19: “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.”  This verse has been frequently abused and sadly by elders who do not want to be questioned or disagreed with by others.  What does the verse mean?  Can a Christian disagree with an elder?  Can a Christian tell an elder he is in sin?  Finally, can a Christian say anything in opposition to what a preacher or elder has said or done publicly?

Over the years, I know of two different elderships who have utilized this verse to state that someone had made an accusation against them.  In both circumstances, an individual approached an elder privately.  With the first case, the individual informed the elder that he knew that he had told a lie and had done so before the entire congregation.  In the second case, two elders were individually and privately informed that the Christian disagreed with a decision that had been made regarding the congregation.  In neither instance did the individual desire to take the actions further out of concern for the disruption of peace in the congregation and fear of potential division that might arise.  As mentioned, however, the elders declared this was making an accusation against them without witnesses and therefore was sinful.  Is this what Paul meant when he wrote Timothy?

The apostle Paul was a Hebrew Christian, an Israelite, a Pharisee.  His nation operated under the Law of Moses and though Christ freed Israel from the Law, their knowledge (and Paul’s specifically) of how to deal with “legal” issues was strong.  From their time spent in the wilderness forward, this is what they were taught: “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.“ (Deuteronomy 19:15)  What Paul shares with Timothy is not the Law of Moses, but the reality that the principle is the same.  If you are going to tell others a man has done something wrong and are seeking to publicly make a stand against him, then you need to have other witnesses.  Those with the power to punish the man (the congregation) cannot do this by one witness alone.  They need to be certain and if they take the word of only one man, not only may he be wrong, but the accused may see their reputation ruined.  Note: this is not a private issue Paul and Timothy are discussing.  The issue is a public one where a public remedy is being sought out.  Therefore, in neither of our two cases mentioned where an individual approached individual elders to express his concern privately would the situations appropriately apply to I Timothy 5:19.  That the elderships did not know this should be of great concern seeing that the qualifications to be an elder include the fact that they should not be novices with the scriptures (I Timothy 3:6) and they should be strong enough to rebuke those contradicting the scriptures (Titus 1:9).

Can a Christian disagree with an elder or tell Him he is in sin?  Yes.  They can certainly do so in regard to opinion issues such as discussed in Romans 14.  What about scriptural interpretation?  Let me answer this with some questions.  Do elders ever disagree with one another?  Yes.  Are they inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore infallible with doctrinal teaching?  No.  We know Christians can make accusations against elders or Paul would not have given Timothy a process for doing so.  I greatly appreciate the Berean Jews checking to see if the things the apostle Paul said were the truth (Acts 17:11), certainly, we can do so for elders today.  Elders are not “special” case Christians.  Matthew 18:15-18 covers dealing with their sins as it does everyone else’s.  Additional scriptures in regard to this include 2 Timothy 4:2, Titus 2:15, James 5:20 and Jude 1:23.

Finally, can a Christian say anything in opposition to what a preacher or elder has said or done publicly?  Yes.  When a preacher or elder does anything, people watch and listen.  These are men who are very visible before a congregation and hopefully in the community.  I Corinthians 12 does a great job of breaking down the importance of everyone in the Body of Christ. “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”  We all have the responsibility to care for one another.  We have a greater responsibility than the Berean Jews to validate what has been taught and discuss it.  Again, today, no one is inspired.  We can look at scripture and say, I don’t think that man’s interpretation is correct.  And if it is important enough and he will listen, we can approach him like Aquila and Priscilla and teach him the way more perfectly.  When we do so, we rely upon the authority of the scriptures and what they say.  We rely upon the authority of the gospel, not fallible man.

Elders are men who are to provide proper leadership to the Church in both behavior and scriptural knowledge.  Sometimes, they are mistaken.  Sometimes, they behave poorly.  They require the same care and compassion that you would give any other brother.  Paul tells Timothy in regard to the older (elder), “encourage him as a father”.  Follow the pattern God has given in regard to dealing with brothers and sisters and their opinions or error.  However, do not fear disagreement.  Do not fear correcting privately or publicly when necessary.  If approaching an elder privately, you can do so as you would any other Christian.  If you are indeed going to make an accusation in a public manner seeking possible discipline against an elder as Paul instructs Timothy about, then bring your witnesses and make the accusation.

 

 

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There is a Time to Speak…

There is a Time to Speak

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “…a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; …”

Over the last couple of years, I heard it asserted that if a Christian brother or sister refuses to have a biblical discussion with another Christian who desires to speak with them, they are in sin.   This is a foolish blanket assertion that no mature Christian should be trying to establish.  Unfortunately, brothers and sisters have been disfellowshipped by this belief.  Christians have been shamed, harassed, and broken down into sleepless nights, stress, and tears by it.  Division has occurred over it. speak

Let us understand that communication is very important to develop strong, healthy relationships. Consider the following article I wrote previously regarding 10 Tips to Improve Communication.   How would we be able to develop a relationship with God if we could not hear of Him (I Corinthians 1:18-21, Romans 10:17)? Without communication our encouragement to others would be extinguished (I Thessalonians 5:11).  Communication engages the proclamation of the Word, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting.  Communication can encompass accusation, concern, love, discussion, revelation, reconciliation, and abandonment (Matthew 18:15-20).  Communication should not be minimized as not important.

Communication needs to also be guided BY ALL PARTIES with self-control and characterized by the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22).  The first characteristic listed, “love”, has in itself a very important trait.  “Love does not seek its own / Does not insist on its own way” (I Corinthians 13:5).  Should anyone be exposed to someone endlessly until they are forced to state they agree or were wrong?  Unity is important, but it is unlikely to come with the lack of kindness in a “communicate now, according to my rules, over anything we disagree about” type attitude.  Any communicator, preacher, elder, that thinks everyone is going to or has to agree with them all the time about everything in regard to the Bible is mistaken.  Hebrews 12:14 – “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”  Sometimes, communication expresses itself best, by being silent.  It is in silence where peace can be found.  Proverbs 17:27-28 – “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

The last verse mentioned brings us directly to the assertion that: if a Christian brother or sister refuses to have a biblical discussion with another who desires to have the discussion, they are in sin.  The Bible acknowledges that there are times it is good to close your mouth.  That is part of wisdom.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, identifies there is a time for everything under the sun. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.  The apostles shared the gospel to Jew and gentile. Sometimes, those people were done hearing what was being said.  Did the apostles keep on beating a dead horse?  No.  Matthew 10:14, “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” Of course, this can be done from the side of the listener as well.  I know a preacher who called another demanding to address a spiritual issue with him.  He would not reason with or listen to the preacher he called.  Ultimately, the preacher who had received the call had to hang up.  Christians do not have to be held hostage to someone who is unreasonable and continually harassing them, demanding they communicate, and showing a lack of courtesy.  Sometimes, the listener just gives up, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6).  The Bible is very clear that sometimes silence is acceptable.  It is not sin. Proverbs 10:19  “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”  Proverbs 26:4 “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.” Proverbs 21:9 “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.”  Proverbs 17:14 “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”

Finally, it is important to address this issue with some common sense as Jesus provides an example of in Matthew 22:23-33.  It is common sense to understand that sometimes someone does not want to speak to you face to face.  Perhaps you have a temper.  Perhaps that person is a female and they have had an abusive husband or family member and they do not want to speak to you face to face.  Perhaps the person would prefer documentation, time to think about what was said before they respond, time to research what was said to see if it was true (Acts 17:11)?  Have you ever had children?  A typical day for a parent of a small child sounds like “why, why, why, why”.  Eventually, the parent sends the child outside or off to play in a room for a little while. Why?  Because they have other more important things to do.  Many people have busy lives and if they know that a conversation is going to be extensive, ongoing or even unreasonable, they are not going to continue to carve large amounts of time out of their life for it – especially if they have heard the other side detail their thoughts already.  Common sense dictates that some information is none of someone’s business.  I know a family who was publicly ostracized by a former eldership, because the family did not want to discuss with them the beliefs of their new congregation.  Books could be written about why someone does not have to sit down and have a conversation with someone else every time they desire to do so.  Not having a conversation every time someone wants to do so is not a sin.

Are there passages in scripture that encourage communication? Yes.  There are also passages which provide a clear message that talking is not always encouraged or necessary.  Wisdom understands that time in the hearts of God’s faithful brings many answers, changes of heart, and peace.  Wisdom understands that pressuring or forcing yourself upon others will more than not bring about the opposite reaction that you are trying to achieve.  Someone isn’t necessarily in sin if they refuse to talk to you.  Certainly, they are not in sin if the issue is that you want to force the mode of communication upon them.  However, your behavior may very well be the reason they do not want to communicate with you and you may find yourself in sin or creating division if you continue pushing yourself upon them.

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The Electricity Is Out

The Electricity Is Out

We had a nice snow front move in last night.  Overall, it left about seven inches of snow on the ground.  It was the type of snow that makes perfect snowmen, not too wet, not too powdery.  I had to run out early in the morning and help my son get his car out of a ditch, like a lot of other people, the slippery roads got the best of him.  While I was out, my wife texted me and told me our power had gone out.  We are pretty well poor weather prepared.  We heat with wood, have cell phones to call out, cook with propane, and have a pantry prepared enough so finding food is not an urgent matter.  Water?  We have a generator to pump a well (and run appliances) if necessary.  However, when the electricity goes out, it still makes you realize how reliant we are on power today.  For a few moments, let’s consider power introduced in generations past.

For some people, when they think of power, their mind turns to electricity.  An image of Ben Franklin, a kite, and lightning may pop into their thoughts.  However, it is believed that electrical experiments and even batteries were created thousands of years before Ben Franklin came upon the scene.  Other people, when they contemplate power, may envision mighty leaders of men and nations.  Perhaps Pharoah, Solomon, Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes, Alexander the Great, or Pompey are remembered with their ability to influence, conquer, or rule?  All of these men are but creations of the one and true God of all.  His power created the heavens and earth.  Pharoah was dominated by the power of God.  Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by it.  It is God who breathed into the lifeless form of man and brought him into being from the dust.  No power compares to that of God.  No ruler reigns except by the authority of God.

Man, living in a world powered by God, disrespected God through disobedience in the garden.  God’s power was not diminished by this action, but rather it gave opportunity for the righteousness and mercy of God to be displayed (Romans 3:21-26).  This was done through the offering of Jesus upon the cross for the sins of the created.  This same Jesus came sharing the gospel to Israel.  His apostles also shared that gospel. Last of all, the apostle Paul came sharing the mystery of that great gospel, the power to save all mankind, the Jew and the Gentile.  Man did not have the power to save themselves.  Only God could offer it.

Was this good news of Jesus and the apostles truly powerful enough to extend through eternity?  Was it truly of God?  There were some who doubted it. Yet, to confirm the Word, the Holy Spirit provided confirmation through the power of miracles, signs, and wonders (Acts 2:22, Hebrews 2:4).  The sick were healed, the lame walked, the blind received their sight, rains were stopped, skies opened up, God Himself spoke from heaven, Jesus calmed the seas and walked upon the water, and Jesus became the firstfruit of the grave having spent three days and nights in the tomb.  All of this is/was only possible by the mighty hand of God.  Without His power, all would be dark, there would be no light, there would be no salvation.

There are certainly many images of power that man can envision, electricity, physical prowess, or influence among many possibilities.  However, nothing in heaven or earth can act save by the will of God.  It is God’s will which gave us the mighty Christ.  It is through the man wherein deity fully dwelt that the gift of eternal salvation was/is offered.  It is by the Spirit of God that the magnificent Word of salvation has been confirmed.  No power, no storm, no creation above or below, no entity past, present, or future can change, delay, or divert that which God has set in motion.  The light which burns bright and forever has promised and His Word is truth.

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