This past week I had a person inquire about the term “pastor.” I explained that the word is referring to elders (Eph. 4:11) and that to become an elder one must meet the qualifications found in Titus 1 and II Timothy 3. I also went on to tell her that Jesus condemned the use of titles (Matt. 23:7-9). The problem with elevating religious leaders is not new. The church at Corinth faced this, and Paul rebuked them sharply (I Cor. 1:12-15).

Her response was to ask “What do people call you – by your name?” Yes, that is exactly what people do. The Bible describes those who proclaim the gospel as being preachers, ministers or evangelists. I pointed out that I am “Chuck who preaches,” not Preacher Chuck. Unfortunately, many in the religious realm who claim to be teachers demand that they be called Pastor so and so.

This problem is so ingrained into the minds of people that they find it very hard to reject. Many editions of the Bible – some in print for hundreds of years – list the authors of the first four books of the New Testament as Saint Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The fact is, all Christians are saints (II Cor. 1:1). So again, I am to be a saint, but I am not Saint Chuck.

Here is the fundamental question – have religious leaders earned the right to have a designation that is different from the rest of the flock? Man was responsible for coming up with a clergy/laity distinction. It is not a Biblical concept. (This distinction is also why certain religious leaders feel compelled to wear a special garment to make them distinct from the rest of the congregation). These practices are contrary to the word of God but are accepted by many today.

I realize the use of the titles “Pastor”, “Reverend”, “Saint”, and the like are not going away. However, we do not have to follow this unauthorized path. Instead, let us give God the glory He is due by doing only what He has authorized. If you want to discuss religious titles further, please reach out.

Chuck

Over the years I have seen people get baptized in an animal’s water trough, in a swimming pool, in a lake, in a church baptistery and even in a household bathtub. Can any body of water really work for someone wanting to be baptized? Let’s take a closer look at this and learn some valuable lessons.

No power in the water

The first thing we need to talk about is the water itself. Throughout Biblical history, water has often been connected with powerful events.  In every case, the power is not in the water itself. Whether it be Moses turning the waters of Egypt into blood (Ex. 7:2), the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 1421), Naaman dipping seven times in the Jordan river to remove his leprosy (II Kings 5:14), Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:8-9) or people being baptized (Acts 2:41), there was no inherent power in any of those waters. The power was always God’s.

Does not matter where the water is

In Acts 8, the Ethiopian saw water and said “See here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (vr. 36). Was he looking at a pool, pond, river or lake? It does not matter. The emphasis was on the water, not where the water was located. Some think that because John baptized Jesus in the Jordan river, all baptisms need to be done in a river. Is this correct? No. Certain characteristics are required of the water used in a baptism, but there are no requirements placed on the location of the water (the geographic spread of even just the early church supports this).

More than a puddle

When we are talking about water, we are not talking about a small amount. When Peter asked “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47), he was not speaking about a cup of water to sprinkle them or pour on them. The word baptize means to immerse, to plunge. The water that is required must be enough for a person to be totally submerged in. 

Can a bathtub really work?

Just because someone uses a bathtub it does not mean they are taking a bath. That’s is the very point Peter was making about baptism. He said the baptism was not for removing the filth of the flesh but rather the answer of a good conscience (I Pet. 3:21). Obviously, the average bathtub is just not going to work for everyone. If a person cannot be totally immersed (covered by the water), than some other source of water must be used. It might seem like a mockery of God to use a bathtub or water trough, but please keep in mind the purpose and urgency of baptism.

Being baptized into Christ

I once baptized a man in the Ohio River. I was not baptizing him into the Ohio River, I was using the Ohio River to baptize him into Christ (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27). Jesus preached from boats and on mounts. Those places were used as a means to an end – to get the message out. Similarly, swimming pools, rivers and baptistries are just a means to an end. They can all be used to immerse people into Christ’s death for the remission of sins (Acts 22:16; 2:38; Rom. 6:4-7). If a person’s heart is not right, if they do not believe in Christ, do not confess Him and do not repent, then the person is just getting wet (Acts 8:36).

By turning baptisms into a ceremony with all the pomp and show, religious groups offer vain conversions. Many even think a special garment must be warn. Let’s beware of the danger of mishandling the words of truth.

Chuck

In line with the first article, I shall share something that happened. During the Bible class, I made a point in passing, as to what some people believe. I stated that there are many who teach that once you become a Christian you cannot fall away. In other words, you cannot so sin as to lose your salvation. After saying such, one said to me, “I was taught that, how is that wrong?”

This is what happens in Bible studies, people hear things contrary to what they might already believe to be the truth. We then proceed to study what the Bible teaches. In this case we went to James 5:19-20. In this text we are told, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”  From this we learn that if one does not return they will die spiritually not having taken care of their sins.

Paul spoke about those who had their faith shipwrecked (I Tim. 1:19). To believe that if someone falls away they were never a Christian in the first place, would be like saying a person suffered shipwreck without being on the ship! It is true someone might pretend to obey, but there are many passages that teach people leaving the faith. Remember, you can’t leave from a place you have never been (Heb. 3:12, etc.).

What was interesting about this was the fact that the person didn’t get angry for having (what they believed to be) the truth challenged. After all, I didn’t get upset when I was challenged to prove what I believe is right. I actually liked the fact that I was told to prove it. The last thing I would want is someone to believe just because I said it. Remember, the apostle commended those who searched the scriptures to see if what he was teaching was right (Acts 17:11).

We must acknowledge that there are many examples in the Bible where people thought they were right but were not (Acts 19:1-5; Acts 15:1; Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 2-3, etc.).

Chuck

This past week a gentleman called, who said he has been watching our weekly TV program. He said, “Yes, every Sunday morning at 9:30 on FOX, I watch Study the Word.” He finally mustered enough courage to call and take me up on my offer for a home Bible study. After he called, we decided to meet at McDonalds, with him and a couple of friends. We then went back to his place to study. This is now a weekly class and they are excited about studying the Bible. Even though they have read much of the Bible, they have lots of questions.

The reason I mention this is to illustrate just how easy it is to set up a weekly Bible class. Whether it is just with one person, or if they gather a few together, the goal is to study the word of God. I assure you that when it comes to studying, James 1:19 is put into place. We are to be swift to hear and slow to speak. This isn’t a dictator setup. If someone doesn’t agree, they speak up. If there is something misunderstood, they speak up.

When Jesus said that those who seek will find (Matt. 7:7), He is affirming that there are those who will seek. As the title mentioned, it is refreshing to see the desire that people still have in wanting to learn the word of God. One does not have to be totally ignorant of the Bible to desire a class. Some have invited me who were actual teachers of the Bible. Why get together then? The truth is, the only thing that suffers from investigation is error. If error is taught and exposed, then we all can be a winner. You can’t know what error is without knowing the truth.

It is not our place to follow blindly (Matt. 15:14), nor is it our place to put our head in the sand and not test those who say they have the truth (I Jn. 4:1). This means that everyone is to be aware of the need and responsibility to examine themselves to make sure they are right (II Cor. 13:5). There is an obvious reason why we read in so many places that we should not be deceived. It’s because many fail to keep their guard up.

You might wonder what we talked about in our first meeting this past week. Well, as we talked about the word of God, I asked if I could take the next three classes (40-45 min. ea.) to teach the whole Bible. This is to get them familiar with the “big picture” of the Bible. Then the fourth class would be on understanding the differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament. From there, we will study about Christ and His plan of salvation for man and His church. It will be during these studies that many of the questions and confusions will be cleared up.

The goal of these classes that we have is NOT to get anyone to come to the church I attend. The goal is to provide enough Biblical instruction so they can rightly divide the word of God on their own. No one wants to believe false teaching, so the more knowledge one has, the better armed they are. As the Psalmist put it, “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.” (119:104). The less one knows, the more vulnerable they are (Eph. 4:14).

Another benefit of these classes is to confirm what one knows to be the truth. When people have the attitude of, “If I am wrong I want to know it”, nothing but good will come. If you learn that what you believe is correct, it will strengthen your faith. If it doesn’t, you will have the opportunity to get on track. Studying he Bible is not just for those who doubt, it is for those who are convinced they have the truth. I study believing what I believe is right. However, if I am shown from the scriptures to be in error, I will take hold of that which is right.

This article was to encourage you to see the value in having a Bible class. If this appeals to you, don’t hesitate or email today. Phone –

812-550-6234 or email: studytheword@wowway.com

Chuck

If you have not heard the term, the “social gospel” modifies the gospel of Christ to try to make it more appealing to man. This is nothing new. The church at Corinth combined social activities with the work of the church, and they were rebuked for it (I Cor. 11:22). Is there anything wrong with Christians being social? Of course not. But when you make it a work of the church, you have erred.

Many religious groups organize “trunk and treat” events for kids. The appeal to both the members of the group and the broader community is obvious – the community enjoys a free event, and the church makes contact with new people. Churches also attempt this by organizing camps and building gyms and recreation halls.

Many people are attracted to fun and frolic. Churches must keep offering these things to keep them though. Moreover, churches must keep making their events bigger and better to compete with the other churches offering fun. Where is the gospel amid all this? This sounds just like what got Israel in trouble. They wanted to be like the other nations and demanded a king (I Sam. 8:5). This did not go over well because they were rejecting God as their true ruler (verse 7).

Some churches do not use social activities to create openings to teach the gospel. They might only use them to get their own members together. If that is the case, these activities are problematically being used to maintain members rather than the gospel (Eph. 4:11-12).

People have always made compromises in the name of “good intentions.” The problem is, good intentions without Biblical support is nothing more than glorified rebellion.  When people start to reason, “What’s the harm?” they have forgotten the most import question, “What does God say?” Whether attracting new members using social activities or only offering them to existing ones, churches are substituting fun for the gospel. May we respect the Lord and what He has said by making sure we have Biblical authority for everything that we do.

Chuck