Please watch the following video and let’s discuss in the comments. We have a major problem with how we typically read the Bible. We miss important meanings because we are looking for the wrong things. We find things that aren’t there because we are looking for the wrong things.
Understanding how to read the Bible is essential to the disciple because this is how we learn to understand what Jesus said and what Jesus meant when he said what he said. So please tune in and let’s have an honest discussion on this topic in the comments below. Let us spur one another on toward love and good works!
Blessings,
Matt
2 Responses
Matt, some very good points and dead on.
A major problem in the conservative coC is thinking that we are right, thus how we determine scripture is right, because that rightful determination makes us right. It is cyclical thinking at best. It causes us to skip right over scriptures that don’t agree with us so we can get to scriptures that prove our points as you note.
In regards to the church building and meeting in houses, I once went to the ARE blog site and was told that having assembly in the home was a sure step towards apostasy, because this would be the first of many moves towards things that aren’t scriptural…which I assume would be having the Lord’s Supper around a table as a meal, etc.
The collection for the saints is one of these things where we have just enough scripture to make a command, despite the context of that scripture that points elsewhere as you note.
1. It was all predicated upon Paul personally collecting the funds. 2. The church or assembly is not mentioned in the text or context. 3. The money was going for a purpose to feed the needy saints, so any thought that the money would be filtered through and repurposed for let’s say a church building, air conditioning, flyers, class material, etc. was not on the table. Starving people came first. 4. Giving was a first principle of the saint towards other saints, as expressed by Jesus. It wasn’t a church activity, but a saint activity. 5. It was not ceremonial in nature. I still have never found where they pray before a collection that was gathered on the altar. 6. It was not part of the Lord’s Supper, which also was ceremonial in nature. In all accounts of the Lord’s Supper…taking a collection is not there and we claim to be doing things exactly as they did in the scriptures.
Unfortunately even though we preach against traditions of men being equal with God’s word, we cannot seem to tell what are traditions and what aren’t. We bind and thus are bound.
Great talk.
Matt, some very good points and dead on.
A major problem in the conservative coC is thinking that we are right, thus how we determine scripture is right, because that rightful determination makes us right. It is cyclical thinking at best. It causes us to skip right over scriptures that don’t agree with us so we can get to scriptures that prove our points as you note.
In regards to the church and meeting in houses, I once went to the ARE blog site and was told that having assembly in the home was a sure step towards apostasy, because this would be the first of many moves towards things that aren’t scriptural…which I assume would be having the Lord’s Supper around a table as a meal, etc. Ironically we have just condemned the early church.
The collection for the saints is one of these things where we have just enough scripture to make a command, despite the context of that scripture that points elsewhere as you note.
1. It was all predicated upon Paul personally collecting the funds. 2. The church or assembly is not mentioned in the text or context. 3. The money was going for the sole purpose to feed the needy saints, so any thought that the money would be filtered through and repurposed for let’s say a church building, air conditioning, flyers, class material, etc. was not on the table. Starving people came first. 4. Giving was a first principle of the saint towards other saints, as expressed by Jesus. It wasn’t a commanded church activity, but a saint activity of love. 5. It was not ceremonial in nature. I still have never found where they pray before a collection that was gathered on the altar. 6. It was not part of the Lord’s Supper, which also was ceremonial in nature. In all accounts of the Lord’s Supper…taking a collection is not there anywhere near it.
Unfortunately even though we preach against traditions of men being equal with God’s word, we cannot seem to tell what are traditions and what aren’t. We bind and thus are bound.
Great talk.