A great lesson to learn

If you do not know what happened in Acts 15:37-41, then you will miss out on a powerful lesson contained in II Timothy 4:11. Paul told timothy, “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” It was nice to know how much Paul appreciated Mark. Reading Acts 15 gives a much deeper understanding though.

Paul and Barnabas had gotten back from their first missionary journey (Acts 14:28). During the trip, John Mark was with them and returned home sometime during that trip (Acts 13:13). We are not told why John Mark returned to Jerusalem instead of continuing on with Paul and Barnabas.

Shortly after their first journey, Paul approach Barnabas and wanted to head back out on a second journey to visit the new converts from the first journey (Acts 15:36). Barnabas was ready and willing to go with Paul, but he wanted to bring Mark with them again (verse 37). Paul adamantly did not want Mark to come with them (verse 38). Barnabas did not agree with Paul and insisted they take him. In the end, neither Paul nor Barnabas would give in, so they went their separate ways (verse 39-40). 

Both men had their reasons, but they were fundamentally disagreeing about an opinion rather than something doctrinal. Paul could have written Mark off and held a grudge against him and Barnabas, but he did not. When Paul told Timothy to bring Mark “for he is useful to me”, the apostle was willing to accept the maturity and ability of Mark. Paul did not let pride get in the way.

Let us not forget Mark in all of this. It is foolish to think that he did not know what Paul thought when he and Barnabas disagreed about brining Mark on the second journey. Mark could have easily held something against Paul and refused to work with him. Grudges are easy to harbor, so we need to learn from these men. I would even go so far as to suggest that even Barnabas had a role in not driving a permanent wedge between Mark and Paul. May we learn from them.

                                                                                                                                     Chuck                                                                                    

The church is not a franchise 

In last week’s bulletin, we discussed the subject of church funds and examined what you can and cannot use these funds for. What we need to discuss further is the relationship between churches. After all, some religious groups are organized like a fast food franchise. In other words, you might own a local McDonalds, but as a franchise you send money to the corporate head to cover licensing costs, advertising, etc.

Churches of our Lord that you read about in the bible are not franchises. They did not send money to a centralized organization in charge of erecting church buildings, advertising, placing preachers, printing teaching material, etc. Instead, the local churches are self-governing and autonomous. With Christ being the head of the church (Col. 1:18), every local congregation takes care of its own business.

To be clear, God recognizes no universal church of Christ “organization”. There is no pattern or authority for this in the Bible.  The New Testament contains no faithful religious organization larger than the local church. Consider why seven letters were written to seven different churches of Christ in Asia (Rev. 2-3). There was no “head church” to filter a message through. Instead, a letter was written to each independent church.

Of course, this system of organization is very different from most denominations today. Most groups have an earthly headquarters, appoint people to various centralized leadership positions and devise their own bylaws for the organization. These rules are enforced, and those who do not abide by them might be ousted.

As for the Lord’s church as described in the New Testament, a local group that wanders away from following Christ will not have a direct impact on any other church that is His. Why? They take care of their own business and have Christ as their head. A local church may stray, but this will not drag down the “universal” church belonging to Christ. Contrast this with the denominational model described earlier. If the “head church” strays from Christ, then the entire organization will stray (and because they are using a non-Biblical organization model, they are already straying).

Because the churches of Christ are independent, each local group decides what they can afford to do – TV programs, radio shows, paying for a preacher full time, owning a building to meet within, etc.  These are all local decisions – no other church of Christ can interfere with the decision-making.

This does not mean that local churches have nothing to do with each other. In New Testament times, brethren had fellowship with one another. Paul visited many churches and even sent greetings from churches (Rom. 16:16). While Christians are encouraged to visit and worship with faithful congregations when travelling, they do not have a right to interfere with their affairs.

If two local, independent churches are both faithfully following the head – Christ – there should be no doctrinal differences. This makes sense because to abide in Christ’s doctrine of Christ means we are right with our God (II John 9). If you visit a place that teaches different things than where you have been going, that means they do not have the same doctrine. One group might be right while the other is wrong, or they might both wrong. If they differ on doctrinal matters, though, they both cannot be right (I Cor. 1:10)!

As you seek for the truth (Matt. 7:7), keep in mind that the denominational/franchise concept many religious groups use today is not found in the Bible. Instead, there is the church Jesus built (Matt. 16:16; Acts 20:28). Make sure you seek that one.

                                                                                             Chuck 

One, the other, or both 

Some people wonder if a church should pay their preacher. Others might think that the preacher should have a secular job. Still others might think that the preacher should have both a secular job and be supported partially by the church. The scriptures have much to say about whether men should be paid to preach. As we will see, all three ways can be acceptable.

When Paul was at Corinth, he met up with a couple named Aquila and Priscilla. We are told that all three were tentmakers by trade. Thus, the apostle stayed with them and they worked together (Acts 18:1-3). There is nothing wrong with a preacher working with his hands in order to provide for his needs. It is wrong to consider someone a “lesser” preacher if he has other means to support himself.

We also find out that Paul was financially helped by the church at Philippi. They sent help to him on more than one occasion (Phil. 4:16). Beyond these brethren help, Paul was also supported by other churches for teaching the word (II Cor. 11:8). All of this reveals that a man is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7; I Tim. 5:18). Having read these verses, let’s answer some potential questions.

Can a preacher be supported by more than one church?  Yes. Paul said that “churches” send wages to him for his work (II Cor. 11:8).

Can an evangelist preach at a local church that does not support him? Yes. Paul said he preached at Corinth for free while getting support from other places (II Cor. 11:7).                                                                             
 

Do preachers take a vow of poverty as some religious groups teach? No. The Bible does not teach this.

If a preacher is supported by a local church, does he still participate in the weekly contribution? Yes. The preacher is a Christian and responsible for obeying the commands of our Lord (II Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:7).

Can churches send money to another local church to support a preacher? No. Recall in the earlier verses that the church sent to his needs (Phil. 4:16). Churches support the man directly – they do not send their money to the church to then give to the man.

Can a local church stop supporting a preacher if he teaches error? Yes. Churches need to know who they support and what is being taught. If a church knows that the preacher is teaching error and he does not repent, they are sinning by supporting him (II John 9-10).

Who decides how much a preacher is to be paid? The Bible has no specific number. This should be a discussion between the preacher and the church(es). The preacher does not have to live below the poverty line, nor does he need to live better than the brethren. Remember, Paul spoke about churches meeting his needs (Phil. 4:16).

Beyond his regular support, should churches pay for unexpected expenses? No. When one of the members breaks a tooth or has car trouble or breaks their glasses, they do not expect the church to pay for it. They budget their income for things like this, and the preacher is no different.  Failure to provide for your own due to poor planning is wrong (I Tim. 5:8).

Should one preach because of the money? No. If someone wants to preach simply to make money, they are preaching for the wrong reason. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Chuck 

Questions and answers

about church money

Can church funds be used for any good work? No. Paul told Timothy that the church was not to use their money to help someone in need if family was available to help (I Tim. 5:16).

Can the church use its funds to help anyone in need? No. Churches are to help needy saints (I Cor. 16:1). Individuals can help anyone they want, but the local church is limited.

Can the church use its funds to finance senior trips, summer camps, sports leagues, etc.? No. The funds are used for evangelism and edification as described in the first article (Eph. 3:10).

Can churches take up collections whenever they want? No. The Lord gave authority for churches to take up a collection on the first day of the week (I Cor. 16:2).

Should churches tell the members to tithe? No. Tithing was done under the old law and is no longer binding (Col. 2:14). Christians give as they purpose in their hearts (I Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:7).

Should the amount a member gives be made known by the church? No. In the passages used above, they clearly state that giving is an individual activity. According to II Cor. 8:12, saints give according to what they have, not what they do not have. In other words, it is none of my business what other members give.

Based on the last question, does it even matter if Christians contribute financially? Yes. To not give as one has prospered is to go against the command of God (II Cor. 9:6-7).

Should members know what the funds are being used for? Yes. To give purposefully, one needs to know what the church is doing. If the funds are used inappropriately, then those who give are in error (I Cor. 16:1-2). Christians must be aware of how the funds are used.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Chuck                                                                

How sharp are you? 

Most readers have probably never been asked the title’s question before. However, it is something we all ought to consider. This thought comes from the text in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”  Now we can see why it is important that we be sharp.

Knowing that iron can help iron get sharp when rubbed together, we ought to rub off on our friends. Let’s consider ways we can help others better themselves.

Help them with their speech

You cannot be friends with someone you do not talk to. Conversations between good friends have a natural flow, so we know their “truest” speech. Because we know them so well, we can help our friends speak properly by using our own tongues properly. The Proverb writer penned, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips,” (27:2). When our words praise others and not self, we are teaching a valuable lesson. When your friends learn this, they will do the same and then you sharpen each other.

Help them accept kindness

The best way to lead anyone, especially our friends, is by example. It is good to do things for others, but we must also be willing to accept help from time to time. Seeing you accept help will be an example for your friends on how to overcome their own pride (Prov. 16:18).

It takes a humble person to show genuine gratitude for what was done for them. We demonstrate appreciate with a handshake and the words “Thank you so much.” Or we might offer an unsolicited act of kindness in return. When they learn from your example, iron sharpens iron!

Help them learn to acknowledge their errors

This point also relates to pride. Nobody enjoys admitting that they were wrong about something, especially in front of friends. However, being willing to admit you were wrong shows you have an open mind and are more interested in truth than in defending a known lie (Prov. 14:5). If you want your friends to have a love for the truth, hone this skill because iron sharpens iron.

Help them see your priorities

True friends enjoy being with each other, and they know what is most important to each other. When a friend sees you turn down an opportunity to enjoy something fun that they know you love in order to do something more important, they will see you live out a great lesson (Prov. 10:9-10).  A true friend is willing to show their love for the Lord and provide for his family spiritually, emotionally and physically (I Tim. 5:8). Demonstrating this consistently will have iron sharpening iron.

Help them provide sound correction to others

In some ways, this point might seem to be the easiest. Recognizing error is generally easy, but pointing this out to a friend can be difficult. Consider again these words from Proverbs: “He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue,” (28:23).  We can also find a good summary thought in Proverbs as well: “He who walks with the wise men will be wise. But the companion of fools will be destroyed,” (13:20). Keep these verses in mind as you ponder how sharp you truly are.

                                                                                               Chuck