"LIGHT FOR OUR AGE"

Feature One: Editorial

ADDING TO THE HERMENEUTIC 

         For generations serious Bible students have considered three things to help them understand what the Bible is teaching them to do: "direct commands", "examples", and "necessary inference". Now, however, there are those that want to change the way we understand what God wants us to do by adding a new element. That addition is the word "culture". One of our sister congregations decided to study the role of women in the church. A quotation from their minister to children shows this addition. She said, "I believe the Downtown shepherds have done so well over the years in going back to scripture and context and culture and trying to find a place that will not limit our influence in the church." 

            In that our culture allows women to take a leadership role in society they have concluded that it is permissible for women now to take a leadership role in the church. They may preach, teach classes with men present, serve as elders (or elderettes?), in essence, doing whatever men do. But the old adage, what proves too much proves nothing is really true in this case.

         In our culture marriage laws violate the law of Christ. Divorce will be granted for almost any reason. Yet Jesus said in Matthew 5:31-32 "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." It sinful for two people that do not have the right to be married to marry one another. In the July, 2019 issue of this periodical there is the following statement and quotation: "(Jesus) does say 'anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of un-chastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.'" Then (the minister) Neal continues, "If we honored this position today, it would adversely affect a significant percentage of United Methodists." Notice his wording: "If we honored this position today..." Do you not see that this is our culture today? If culture is to be acceptable equal to God's word, then we must stop teaching that this condition is sinful. Therefore, if we follow culture do we accept that Jesus' words are now void? Evidently some would. But let us continue.

   In our culture homosexuality is considered an acceptable lifestyle. If culture is now an equal standard along with the Bible, we must, to be consistent, accept homosexuality as acceptable behavior in the church even if the Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV) "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." Romans 1:26 teaches us that women also left their natural sexual role for other women. This is clearly shown in the Easy-to-Read Version which says, "Because people did those things, God left them and let them do the shameful things they wanted to do. Women stopped having natural sex with men and started having sex with other women."

        Yet, tragically, this is our present culture. These people will be lost eternally according to God's word. Yet there are those among us that want to place culture along with God's word to determine how we should live and worship God. 

         Allowing women to act in unauthorized ways places their souls in danger. Do you remember what God's word taught us about King Saul and his making the sacrifice in place of Samuel?

         Saul was God's king, yet he was not authorized to offer that sacrifice. He did so and it cost him his kingdom. In that Romans 15:4 teaches us that we are to learn from what the people of the Old Testament era did, what does that say about those who would encourage women to do that which God instructs us is against His will.

         There is no place in the Bible that teaches or even indicates that the role of women is inferior to that of men. They are different roles, certainly, but equal though different. As proof of this will not faithful women earn the same heavenly reward as do men that are faithful to God's will? If a company hires one man to fix plumbing problems and pays him $25.00 per hour, and hires another man to fix electrical problems and pays him $25.00 per hour; are the jobs not equal in the eyes of the company? Yet the jobs are different. 

         We must never, never, allow anything to be placed on equal footing with God's word when it comes to our obedience to His will.

Feature Two: an article by R. C. Oliver

ANSWERING A QUESTION ABOUT:

THE NAME OF THE CHURCH

(Edited from a Radio Sermon in the 1950's)

THE CHALLENGE FROM A WRITER: "The New Testament uses the term 'Church of God' more often than any other. Therefore, if we are to follow what the New Testament uses most of the time then we will be forced to discard the name 'Church of Christ' and use 'Church of God'. Of course this is being very technical but that is what the sect 'Church of Christ' professes to do."

         There are two statements in this quotation which I wish to point out and discuss. The first statement is what he has to say about the two appellations: church of Christ and church of God. One gets the idea from what he says that he thinks that God teaches certain things "most of the time," but then for some unexplained reason changes His mind and teaches us contradictory things the rest of the time. How confused can a man's mind become?  To what length will a man go in order to justify himself? It is not a question of obeying either what God says "the most of the time," or what He says the rest of the time. We ought to accept all that God says to us all of the time! Neither are we to understand that there is any contradiction between the two appellations: "church of Christ" and "church of God", for they are synonymous expressions in the nomenclature of New Testament writers, both terms being applicable to the same institution, which institution is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one! Note Ephesians 4:1-6, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

         Now the second point to which I wish attention directed is the statement in which he personates the church of Christ. When personating the church, he says, "This is being very technical but that is what the sect 'Church of Christ' professes to do."

         Please note that he calls the church of Christ the "sect". In this, yet it remains a fact that he is not the first to refer to the church of Christ as a sect. As we read the flattering speech of the attorney Tertullus, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Acts, a speech the attorney had hoped would cause the death sentence to be passed upon one of our Lord's most noble servants, the apostle Paul, we hear the attorney say "We find this man a pestilent fellow...and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." When one therefore speaks of the church of our Lord as a "sect" today, whether consciously or unconsciously, he is throwing his influence on the side of those who, down through the centuries have gone about misrepresenting, persecuting and killing the Lord's disciples. I therefore trust that this minister will reconsider what he has done, and having reconsidered will repent and obey. I realize that if our religious leaders are wrong, then all those who follow after them will be destroyed; for it is written: "The leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed."Isaiah 9:16.

         In the language of the apostle Paul I say "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy,[ or in this case, a sect]  so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:" I do not wish to be a member of a church the doctrine of which cannot be supported by the word of God! 

Feature Three: Sandy's Women's Corner

MY PLACE IS AT WORSHIP

         A few weeks ago, one of the girls in my Bible class broke her ankle playing soccer. I think it happened on a Friday, and I didn't expect to see her on Sunday morning. When I arrived in my classroom, there she was crutches and all.

         I told her I was surprised to see her; but her reply was, "Of course I'm here". She didn't miss a single service during her recovery.

         Several weeks later, there was a big soccer tournament over a weekend. Since this girl had not played in weeks, I didn't know if she would be able to play in the tournament.

         When class began on Sunday morning, there she was in her regular place. She told me that she had been allowed to play some on Friday. She said, "I would have probably been allowed to play this morning, but I couldn't go. My place is at worship."

         She did participate on Sunday afternoon, but she and her family were back at worship on Sunday evening. There was no question in this child's mind where she would be when the church assembled on Sunday morning and evening.

         It seems that the decision was made long before a soccer tournament was scheduled on a Sunday morning. The decision was made that this family would worship with the saints on Sunday morning and Sunday evening.

         I often hear from people today that worshiping once on Sunday is enough. I also hear that if you can't be at worship, you can just have a devotional at home. There is also the opinion that Sunday evening worship isn't required. Some congregations are even advocating "family time" on Sunday evenings or dismissing Sunday evening worship.

         I am so thankful that there are families that still put the Lord first. They value the time we spend in worship, and they understand the importance of being present for the remembrance of the death of Jesus as we take the Lord's Supper.

         We need to all be like this family. They truly know what it is like to put God first.

Feature Four: Our Communication

Feature Five:      Bible Question

How can God love me if I sin?

A good way to begin this answer is to ask a question. If you have children, do you continue to love your children when they disobey you? If you do not have children, did your parents continue to love you when you disobeyed them? It is not a question about love ceasing, rather a question of deeply hurting or disappointing them. It hurts when children disobey. It hurts because parents understand the harm that will come their way if they do not obey. We hurt God because He really wants us to be with Him for eternity. He created us for that purpose. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Also keep in mind the Bible reminds us in Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Satan is in a battle for our souls. God has done all He can do for us in that He wanted us to have free will. He will not make us be obedient. He sacrificed His "only begotten Son" to make it possible for us to be with God for all eternity, but now it is up to us. Remember, God will not send us into the fires of Hell, but our sins can.

Humor

In Closing 

abiblecommentary.com/lightforourage

Bob Oliver, editor

boboliver32446 AT gmail.com