(Electronic Edition)
(Romans 1:16)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation . . . .”
April, 2002 Vol. 1 - No. 2
The Gospel Spotlight is a
publication of the Sixty Fifth St. church of Christ
7115 West Sixty Fifth St.
P.O. Box 19062
Little Rock AR 72219-1062
Editor and Evangelist
Don McClain - donmccla@msn.com
Contents:
What Kind of
Worshipper Are You? DM
The Christian And Government - Cooper VanDevender
Do We Need A New Hermeneutic? - Don McClain
Let's Take A Look - From Jim Sasser
History Speaks - From Jim Sasser
What Then - Poem, -Anonymous
What Kind of
Worshipper Are You?
There are all different kinds of
worshippers - Please seriously consider the following examples -
The Spasmodic
Worshipper - attends worship
services whenever he takes a notion - (and that is not too often). Don't
look for him to show up at any of the Bible classes, gospel meetings, or any
other assembly, except for Sunday morning worship. He comes just enough to keep
the brethren off his back. Apparently, he is not too concerned about what God
thinks about him, nor is he too concerned about his influence on others. What
does the spasmodic worshipper reveal about his love for God and his
interest in the work of the church? (Matthew 6:33; Hebrews 10:24,25; Psalms
106:2)
The
Irreverent Worshipper -
Whispering, passing notes, and giggling are sometimes noticed. Even manicures
during worship are not unheard of, nor is looking at pictures, playing with the
baby in front of them, or day dreaming about the big buck that got away.
(Hebrews 10:28; . . . . let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear: 29For our God is a consuming fire.). What does
the irreverent worshipper reveal about his respect for The Almighty God?
(Ecclesiastes 12:13).
The Bored
Worshipper - watches the clock on
the wall, or his watch constantly during worship services. He habitually thinks
to himself, - The song leader sings too many verses of the songs, The man
leading the prayer ALWAYS prays too long, And there has never been a sermon
short enough. What does the bored worshipper reveal about his affections for
God, and His grace? (Amos 8:4-8; Psalms 122:1; Psalms 63:1-3)
The Tardy
Worshipper - is habitually late.
NO, they're not habitually late for work - why they know they'd get fired.
Their children aren't habitually late for school - they don't want their
children to get a tardy slip and detention. (Maybe we need to start giving
tardy slips and detention?). They are only habitually late to events that are
not extremely important to them, (did I say that?). Consider what the
Psalmist said - "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of
the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."
(Psalms 84:2.), Do you think a person with such an attitude would be habitually
late for worship? What does the tardy worshipper reveal about his hunger for
spiritual things? (Matthew 5:6; Psalms 42:1,2)
The Worldly
Worshipper - may have been seen
at the dance hall the night before, or conducting a shady business deal during
the previous week. Such a person ought to know that his worship is not accepted
by God, (Psalms 66:18). But, then again a person doesn't necessarily have to
commit some obvious sin to be classified as "worldly." Some worldly
thing, that may not be wrong in and of its self, has captured his heart. This
person simply hasn't obeyed Paul's instructions as found in Colossians 3:1,2
and Romans 12:1,2. The love of the world is in this person's heart - not
serving God. The person who lives for the "here and now" is a worldly
person. What does such a worshipper really reveal about his priorities?
(Matthew 6:33; James 4:4; Matthew 15:8).
The Observant
Worshipper - If it were God's
instructions being stringently observed that'd be great, but - this is not the
case with the kind of worshipper under our consideration here. This individual
is constantly looking around at what others are wearing, doing, and thinking.
Yes, you caught that right - "thinking!" If you don't believe
it, just ask him or her. There is certainly a sense in which we ought to be
observant - we ought to observe who's absent so that we can check up on them,
who's in need so that we can help them, and who has fallen away that we may
strive to restore them. But, the worshipper under consideration becomes
distracted from his worship by that which is being observed. (John 21:20-22; 1
Corinthians 4:5). What does the worshipper who constantly observes others
reveal about his focus upon his worship?
The True
Worshipper - will be consistent
in his attendance - including Bible classes, (because he wants to study and
learn all he can about God). The true worshipper will have his attention
focussed upon his worship. - He will be punctual when it comes to his
attendance, after all it is something that he really wants to do. He will also
be consistent in his life - in other words he will not live for the devil
during the week and show up on Sunday to play the hypocrite. He will be deeply
concerned about both the "what" and "how" of
his worship. - "Are the acts of my worship according to God's word - do I
have scriptural authority?" . . . "Am I approaching God in sincerity
- Is my heart truly in my worship?" Suuch an attitude reveals one’s reverence, and devotion in the presence
of his Creator. (John 4:24; 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalms 5:7; Psalms 99:5)
"Give unto the LORD the glory due
unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalms 29:2)
There is ONLY one kind of worshipper that
is pleasing and acceptable to God. What kind of worshipper are you? - - - DM
Cooper
VanDevender
(Cooper
is a member here of the 65th St church of Christ, he is 12 years old )
Should a Christian obey government
regulations? Should a Christian pay taxes? What does the Bible have to say on
this subject? When are we to apply the answers to these questions? These are
common questions in many places around the globe.
Should a Christian abide by government
rules? The answer is yes, except when the regulations and law don't comply with
God's laws. The Bible says in Romans 13:2, "Therefore whoever resists
authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment
on themselves." If you coalesce this verse with Acts
5:29b, "We ought to obey God rather
than man", you learn that you should obey only those rules that obey God's
laws. In other words, there is no reason why we shouldn't obey the laws that
tell us to go to school, etc.
Should a Christian pay taxes? Yes, a
Christian should pay taxes. Romans 13:6, "For because of this you also pay
taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very
thing." and Matthew 22:21b, "Render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." are examples of passages
in the Bible that show that taxes are right in the eyes of God. Some taxes may
be unjust, but it is our duty to pay all taxes, tributes, fines, et cetera.
The result of these scriptures is that we
are to obey the government, no matter how unjust it might be, unless the laws
are against God. May we all obey the law, no matter what!
By Don McClain
Herman who? What’s wrong with Herman?
Does he need some kind of new fangled physical therapy? No, . . . Herman needs
the same thing that Joe, Sue, Billy Bob, Sally, Don McClain, and everyone else
needs – A correct understanding of God’s
Word! - “Therefore
do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is,” (Ephesians 5:17). The instruction to the
Ephesians to understand implies that they could, and later he tells them they
can come to that understanding when they read his words, (Ephesians 3:3-5). So
it is with us, when we read God’s
word, we can understand that which He wants us to know. We can understand the
teachings of the Bible alike. Even further, if we PROPERLY understand the
scriptures – we WILL understand them alike!
The term “hermeneutic”
means – “The science and
methodology of interpretation, especially of scriptural text.1”.
There are several faulty methods in use today by professed Bible students,
(Mystical, Spiritualistic Rationalistic, Hierarchical, etc.), thus contributing
to the misunderstanding, confusion and division that exists in the religious
world. How does one come to a correct understanding of Biblical teaching? Do we
need a new way of interpreting the Bible?
For communication to be successful, there must be
for the learner or hearer, a “coming to terms”1 with the teacher,
speaker, or author. There is only ONE method that accomplishes this ‘coming
to terms,’ or successful communication between God, the
Author of the Bible, and the disciple, i.e. Bible Student. –
This method is commonly referred to as – “The
Inductive Method.”2 This method, in
summary, is the compilation of all references to the subject under
consideration, including direct statements, approved actions, and necessary
implications. When all the evidence is compiled and sifted through using the
laws of communication, including contextual considerations, then the true
meaning and the current application can be arrived at. Communication has its
basic laws, which cannot be violated or ignored without misunderstanding being
the inevitable result. God communicated His mind to mankind using human terms –
words, the means of human communication. Therefore, we must use the correct
laws of communication to understand the will of God, (Ephesians 3:3-5; 1
Corinthians 2:12,13).
To say that we need a new method of interpreting
the scripture implies that there is something wrong with the methodology of
proper communication. Those advocating “The need for a new
hermeneutic,” have failed miserably to supply evidence
suggesting that such is the case. The common approach is to ridicule the idea
of needing and using “Approved actions, and necessary implications”
in establishing authority. Never mind the fact that Jesus, Peter, Paul, and
many others used these very things to arrive at the truthfulness, correct
understanding, and the practical applications of certain Old and even some New
Testament passages.
For example, Jesus took the Pharisees to an Old
Testament passage in order to answer a question they had regarding divorce, (Matthew
19:3-9). How did Jesus answer their question, and how did He do it in such a
way that they would not dare question His conclusion?
1. He used an approved example or act:
“Have
you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ (vs 4, quoting from Genesis 1:27).
2. He then referred to a direct statement:
5“and said, ‘For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh’?
(verse 5 is a quote from Genesis 2:24)
3. He then drew a necessary inference from
the implication of the text:
6“So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
His exegesis was not faulty but rather produced a
conclusion that was accurate and plain. If such hermeneutic principles were
sufficient for my Lord, then they are sufficient for me! Why can’t
these folks clamoring for change, who by the way shout loudly “we
need to follow Jesus,” not follow Him when it comes to establishing
authority and the process of coming to terms with the author of the Holy
Scriptures? [Also: Consider Jesus’ use of a scriptural
implication in teaching the Sadducees the truth regarding the resurrection, (Matthew 22:23-32)].
What about Biblical examples? Please read the
following passages and consider a few instances in which the apostle Paul
explicitly stated that we should follow him as he followed Christ.– (1
Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 1
Thessalonians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 3:9; Philippians 4:9)
The goal of the New Hermeneutic crowd is to do
away with such a stringent method of exegesis, and to establish a loose and
liberating method. The truth is “The ‘New Hermeneutic’ is rooted in
subjectivity and relativism.”3 - “The ‘New Hermeneutic’
is NOT the result of simple Bible study and a sincere search for truth. Rather
it is born out of a reactionary attempt to express dissatisfaction with the
status quo and thus to undermine the past.”4 The foundation of this ‘New’
plea is freedom from restraint, freedom from authority, unity in diversity –
the denominational concept of – “The
Man Without The Plan,” - is at the heart of it all.
The desire is to create an appeal to certain
denominational or secular ideologies. For example –
the creation issue that has erupted has this New Hermeneutic ring to it –
“We
need a new interpretation of Genesis 1.” Why? Interpret a
narrative? Shouldn’t we simply believe it? Is it an attempt to make
the Bible more appealing to scientists? Or is it an attempt to interpret the
Bible with a greater faith in the accuracy of science than the sacred text?
Either way – they say, “We need a new way to
interpret Genesis!”
Change is the name of the game, conformity to a
lesser demanding ideology is the desire, and all who oppose this trend is
legalistic and pharisaical. “The underlying current
of it all, - Subjectivism, Agnosticism, and misology, (hatred for logic)”5
The ‘New Hermeneutic’
crowd ridicules the idea of “Holding fast to the
Pattern” (2 Timothy
1:13). Instead of searching for
truth by considering the sum total of what God has said about a thing,
and thereby finding God’s
prescribed pattern for it, they implement the ideology of the Sixties – “Free love, Free expression,
Rebellion against the establishment, believe what you want and don’t condemn anyone that
believes differently.” The following statements
indicate this clearly . .
"Because of our tie
to the _constitutional pattern approach_ we have grown farther and farther away
from the intentions of the writers of the New Testament in our use of some of
those writings...and farther and farther away from the legitimate cry of
today's human heart." (Randy Mayeau, Nashville 12/88) [Emphasis
mine, D.M.]
"Over the years our
position in churches of Christ has been that if we can restore the pattern of
New Testament Christianity there will be unity among our churches. Our basis
for restoring that pattern has centered around the three principles of
Hermeneutics known as Direct Command, Approved Apostolic Example, and Necessary
Inference. These three principles of
Hermeneutics have led us into a hard-line, _patternistic formalism_."
(Bill Swetmon, Nashville 12/88) [Emphasis mine, D.M.]
Is it wrong to say that
everything God has said about the plan
of salvation provides us with the pattern for salvation for
every accountable individual, and that all MUST comply or be lost? Is it
incorrect, and legalistic to say that all that God has said about the New Testament Church is a pattern to
which we must conform, and by which
local churches can be identified as
sound or unsound? Is it bigotry and self righteous to say that
everything that God has said about the acts
of worship constitutes the pattern for our worship, and that we must follow
this pattern? If God truly has given us everything that we need to know in
order to serve and worship Him then the answer to the above questions ought to
be obvious to any rational individual, (2 Timothy
3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3). Instead of changing the gospel
to meet the “cries of today’s human heart,” Shouldn’t we be just as hard-lined and patternistic as the Bible
demands?
Does it matter whether we follow God's pattern or
not? Ask David and Uzzah. (1 Samuel 6:1-7; 1 Chronicles 15:13). Does it matter
whether we follow the instructions of God exactly? Ask the prophet who was sent
to Jeroboam, (1 Kings 13). - What difference does it make if we do most of what
God says, but yet not fully or exactly? - Ask Saul after he spared Agag and the
best of the Amalekites flocks and herds to
offer sacrifices to God – (1 Samuel 15). - Does
it matter if we don't follow God's instructions exactly as long as we get the
results we are looking for? - Ask Moses after he got water out of a rock in
Numbers 20. Remember, Paul said these things were written for our learning,
(Romans 15:4).
Do we need a New Hermeneutic? No! God gave us a
Book that we can read and understand! What do we need to understand it? - An
honest heart; - a great love for the Word of God, i.e. –
“TRUTH,”
and a strong desire to serve him in humble obedience. (Psalms 10:17; 199:97-104). – The problems that we
face in understanding or misunderstanding the scriptures by and large are not
hermeneutical in nature, but motivational – “an
unwillingness to understand and fully comply with the will of God!”
(Acts 17:11)
Like Jeroboam of old, men today have changed every
aspect of God's pattern and seek to find ways around doing that which God
expects and demands of us, (1 Kings 12:25-33; Romans 16:17; Galatians 1:6; John 12:48; 2 John 9-11). The New
Hermeneutic movement will take those that follow it to the same spiritual
condition as the children of Israel during the days of the Judges, “6In those days there
was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his
own eyes,” (Judges 17:6, 21:25). We Must Search for the Old Paths,
Not Create New Ones – “Thus says the Lord:
"Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way
is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We
will not walk in it,” (Jeremiah 6:16). Will we walk in the Old Paths?
We’d better!!
Don McClain
2112 Cedar Ridge
Benton AR, 72015
We sometimes get in the habit of placing an
interpretation upon the commands of God which will suit our own desires. By
doing so we are showing disrespect to the Word of God, and in reality following
"commandments of men." Let's take a look at some of these commands
after we have "revised" them by our interpretations.
For God's command in each case check the
Scripture reference.
1. Children obey your parents --UNLESS THEY ARE TOO STRICT. (Eph. 6:1).
2. Honor thy father and mother -- EXCEPT WHEN YOU FEEL THAT THEY DO NOT DESERVE HONOR. (Eph. 6:2).
3. Remember NOT thy creator in the days of they youth -- THERE ARE TOO MANY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT NOW. AFTER ALL YOU ARE ONLY YOUNG ONCE (Eccl. 12:1).
4. Lie not one to another -- EXCEPT IN CASES OF NECESSITY. SOMETIMES IT IS THE EASIEST WAY OUT OF AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION. (Col. 3:9).
5. Be not drunk with wine -- UNLESS THEY CALL YOUR "CHICKEN". (Eph.
5:18).
6. Thou shalt not steal -- UNLESS IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET WHAT YOU WANT. (Matt. 19:18).
7. Thou shalt not kill -- EXCEPT IN CASES OF SELF DEFENSE. (Matt. 19:18).
8. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is -- AT LEAST ON SUNDAY MORNING WHEN WE COME TOGETHER TO OBSERVE THE LORD'S SUPPER. (Heb. 10:25).
9. Speak not evil one of another -- UNLESS IT IS THE TRUTH. (Jas. 4:11).
10. Adorn yourselves in modest apparel -- EXCEPT IN HOT WEATHER OR AT THE PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL OR ON THE BEACH. (1 Tim. 2:9). ---From Gospel Tidings.
"The disposition to amend and change
the appointments of God was at work and was restrained in its growth by Paul's
authority as an apostle of the Lord; But when he was take out of the way it had
free course and developed rapidly.
It is not difficult to trace its growth
through the succeeding centuries, culminating in hierarchies for Which God's
Word made not provisions. But that principle is not con- fined to one or two
churches. Its presence is manifest in a greater or lesser degree in all the
churches, in the changes in the order of worship, in the ordinances of the
church; and in the multiplication of societies and organizations that seem for
a time to add to its beauty and activity, but which in the end, as parasites,
sap the life out of the churches. This principal is manifest especially in the
organization of the churches themselves into societies and ecclesiasticisms
that first usurp the work of the churches and then control them and come between
man and God." -----David Lipscomb, taken from Stone Street Sword &
Shield, Vol. 1, No. 10.
Jim Sasser - Bible Matters mailing list -
4-13-02
When all the great plants of our cities Have turned out their last finished work:
When our merchants have sold their last yard of silk, And dismissed the tired, weary clerk;
When our banks have taken in their last dollar, And declared their last dividend;
When the Judge of the World says "Closed for the night,"
And asks for a balance, WHAT THEN?
When the chorus has sung its last anthem, And the preacher has said his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon, And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the altar, And the pews are all empty of men;
When we all stand facing the record And the great Book is opened, WHAT THEN?
When the actor has played his last drama, And the mimic has made his last fun;
When the film has flashed its last picture, And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished, And gone out into darkness again;
When the Trumpet of All Ages is sounded,
And we all stand before God, WHAT THEN?
When the bugle's last call sinks in silence, And the long, marching columns stand still;
When the Captain has given his last orders, And they've captured the last fort and hill;
When the flag has been hauled from the masthead, And all wounded soldiers have checked in;
When a world that rejected its Savior, Is asked for a reason, -WHAT THEN?
-Anonymous
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