Christ and Common Sense

Thoughts from a Central Valley Pastor

Category: Christ (Page 2 of 9)

The Most Important Activity in Life

September 29, 2023 /

What is the most important way to spend your time as a Christian? Is it serving others? Is it reading God’s word or making disciples? Sinclair Ferguson, a pastor and theologian from Aberdeen, Scotland believes “The single most important activity of your life is to worship God. You were made for this – to offer your whole life, in all its parts, as a hymn of praise to the Lord.” 

I think that is a beautiful picture of the Christian life. Our lives are to be a hymn of praise to God. No matter what we are doing we are to do so to bring honor and glory to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (English Standard Version) Seeking God’s glory is a form of worship because we are seeking to bring honor to God and to point others to the creator of the universe. 

The word “worship” comes from the old English word worshippe. It means to place worth in something, to count a person or thing as honorable and worthy of praise. You can worship God in any area of your life as long as you are seeking to live a holy life and bring glory to God. You can worship God when you do chores, when you play sports, and when you serve others. 

We often think about worship in terms of singing, but true worship goes deeper than the words we sing. Worship is an attitude of the heart. If your motive is to be thankful to God and be focused on him, then your entire life can be one of worship. This is why worship is the most important activity in life. All of life can fit under the umbrella of true worship. In Romans 12:1 Paul wrote to believers in Rome,  “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” The apostle Paul wanted Christians to see their bodies as a living sacrifice, which was constantly committed to God. 

This worshipful mentality can have a dramatic impact on how we live the Christian life. We can learn to be content in even the most menial tasks because we can see how it fits into God’s greater plan to bring worship to him. We can learn to think like the Psalmist who was constantly thinking in terms of worship. Psalm 96:1-2 says, “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” 

The Psalmist wanted to bring new worship to God. His day was full of finding reasons to thank God and praise his name. The Psalmist filled his day with worship. There was no sense of being “bored” or “growing weary” with the monotony of life. The Psalmist saw opportunities to worship God all around him. Psalm 96:3-4 says, “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;” A life of worship is full of declaring the goodness of God. It is being thankful and bring grateful to God for his abundant blessing. 

James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” That means that we can worship God whenever anything good happens in life. We can give credit to him for blessing us in even the smallest ways. This attitude should grow down deep into our souls so that we will be ready to live a life that is full of worship of our glorious God. 

green bushes on desert
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels.com

How Did Jesus Resist Temptation?

September 8, 2023 /

Last week I wrote about a passage in God’s word that gives a concise strategy on how to resist temptation. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (English Standard Version) This week we are going to look at how Jesus resisted Satan’s hand-picked temptations after fasting for forty days in the wilderness. 

Luke 4:1-13 gives some hints into how Jesus was able to resist three epic temptations that had been customized by the devil specifically for him. The first hint is seen in the start of the passage, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit…” One reason Jesus Christ was able to resist Satan’s temptations was by relying on the Holy Spirit. This is easy to overlook when considering Jesus’ temptation because of a belief that Jesus’ deity gave him an advantage in resisting sin while on the earth. It is important to remember that Jesus was “tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) He did not draw on his divine nature as God to resist these temptations. He relied on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to help him win a resounding defeat of the enemy. 

The next clue into how Jesus resisted temptation is much more obvious. It has to do with the source of each of Jesus’ responses to Satan. Jesus’ strategy for resisting temptation came by quoting God’s word. He knew exactly what passage to quote to shut Satan down. This required Jesus understanding the nature of each temptation and it required Jesus knowing the right passage to use in response. We know this proved to be an effective strategy because the end of Luke 4:1-3 says, “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him.” Jesus used God’s word like a defensive sword blade. 

Now that we have seen Jesus’ strategy to resist temptation, lets take a closer look at how he used the book of Deuteronomy to refute Satan’s attacks. 

The devil tried to entice Jesus to sin by tempting him to turn a rock into food. Satan knew Jesus was getting close to the point of starvation and exhaustion, after fasting for forty days in the wilderness. Jesus was ready. He relied on the Holy Spirit for strength and he quoted from God’s word for security. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 which says, “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” This was a perfect response because it revealed Jesus’ spiritual resolve was much stronger than physical temptation. 

The second temptation had Satan tempting Jesus to bow down and worship him so that Jesus would be given authority over the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:13, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” This passage is a perfect response to the enemy. Satan recognized that there is no greater authority than God’s word and he did not argue Jesus’ point. He moved on to the third and final temptation. 

This is a strange temptation because Satan quoted Scripture to try to convince Jesus that if he jumped off the pinnacle of the temple he would be saved by a host of angels. John MacArthur, in his sermon from May 14, 2000, suggests that it is possible to visit a place on the Temple Mount that is 450 feet above the Kedron Valley. If Jesus had jumped from this point he would have died, like any other human, but Satan wanted to trick Jesus into thinking God the Father would not allow that to happen. Satan wanted to deceive Jesus into trusting in God “presumptuously” as MacArthur puts it. 

This might not seem like a very effective temptation to us, but for Jesus it would have provided a way for him to expedite the start of his Messianic reign. If the Jewish people saw this miraculous sign they would have made him king and ushered in a new era for the nation. This temptation is similar to how John 6 describes the crowds of people trying to force Jesus to become their king before the appointed time. In that case, Jesus resisted the temptation by withdrawing to the mountains (John 6:15). 

The third temptation might have been the strongest temptation, but Jesus was able to flee from it by quoting the perfect passage in Deuteronomy 6:16 when he said, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” Those words poured spiritual light onto the darkness of Satan’s scheme. Once the temptation was revealed, it was stamped out by God’s word. Satan understood he couldn’t argue against Scripture and so he left. 

Personally, I think Jesus’ example in resisting temptation is incredibly helpful for us. We need to recognize that we can not resist sin by our own strength. We must look for outside help! We must rely on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We must cry out to God the Father in prayer. If we do these things we can trust that what James 4:7 says will be true for us as well, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Resisting Temptation pt. 1

September 1, 2023 /

As Christians, we are called by God to resist temptation (2 Tim. 2:22). One Biblical strategy for doing so is first to use God’s word to recognize sin and then to use God’s word to resist it.

The Bible does not shy away from the existence of sin and temptation. In fact, God’s word lists some of the most heinous sins known to man, idolatry, robbery, adultery, murder, lust, greed, and hatred to name a few (Ex. 20:2-22). The Bible never sugarcoats sin. It never describes sin in a gratuitous way. Instead, the Bible compares the holiness of God to the thoughts and actions of man, which reveals we all fall woefully short of His standards, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 ESV) 

Once a sinner has repented of his sin and trusted in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross, he is to commit his or her life to Christ and live as a saint, a person who has been “set apart” from the world (2 Tim. 2:21, Rom. 10:9-10). This does not mean temptation will end, in fact, living for Christ means there is a constant battle to think and act in a way that is pleasing to God. 

This is why every believer needs to know God’s expectation for resisting temptation. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” God’s strategy for living a holy life is straight forward. First you have to recognize what youthful passions are. These are not desires that can only be experienced in your youth. The desires of lust and licentiousness may be more prominent at younger ages, but they can be very real temptations at later stages of life as well. 

Once sin has been recognized it must be rejected. The apostle Paul uses the Greek word “Feúgo,” in 2 Tim. 2:22, which means “to avoid, shun or flee from something.” A great illustration of this is when Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife in order to resist her temptation (Genesis 39). 

The next step in holy living is to pursue “righteousness, faith, love and peace.” This can be most clearly done by reading God’s word. This is the storehouse of all that is good and right. Jesus was referring to the word of God when he prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Christians can grow in godliness by meditating on God’s word throughout the day. This will transform the way they think because their thoughts will line up with the way God wants them to think. 

The last step in resisting temptation is to “pursue…those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” This step is often overlooked because our lives are so busy and we think we can handle sin on our own. We must realize that this is a command from the Lord. We are to surround ourselves with believers who are also wholeheartedly pursuing God. Proverbs 4:12 says, “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” This is true spiritually. Two or three brothers in Christ will be able to resist the temptations of the world more strongly than if they each try to live for God on their own. 

One of the reasons why Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness was so difficult was because he had to face it alone. And yet even though he was alone, he was able to resist each of the temptations by using God’s word with a surgeon’s razor-sharp precision (Luke 4:1-12). Next week I’ll take a closer look at how Jesus used God’s word to flee from evil. 

Living for this Life or the Life to Come?

August 11, 2023 /

Our society runs at a frantic pace. We like to fill our days with endless activities like work, play, exercise, hobbies, church, sports, food, and travel. All of these things may be good in the right quantity, but  many Christians struggle to know how to use the time they have been given. The Christian needs to remember that we are not on the same schedule as the rest of the world. We do not need to live out the American dream. Instead, we are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Mt. 6:33).

One of the struggles of living in the modern world as Christians is that we often try to please the traditions of the world and God at the same time. It’s important to realize that God’s expectations are completely different from those of the world. Our society says “another day, another dollar.” God says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) The world says, “If it feels good, do it.” God’s word says “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Tim. 2:22) 

Our society says “Work like crazy so you can retire early.” The Bible wants us to be careful with our time and money. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:19) 

The Bible expects time to be used for God’s purposes first and foremost. If a Christians is saving money for retirement it is not primarily to spend it on themselves. It is to use the funds for the kingdom of God. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Of course a Christian retiree is going to spend some money on himself, but he is always thinking about God and others. He will think about how to use his retirement for the kingdom of God. He will think about his family. He will think about those in need. 

There is one passage in particular that is very helpful for understanding God’s perspective on work and rest. It is Psalm 127:2 and it says, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go latetorest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” Whenever I read this I think about our society because we are so busy. We wake up early and go to bed late. What does it mean to eat the “bread of anxious toil?” This is an ancient description of what we would call “being in the rat race.” You are on a treadmill that never stops. There is always more money to make. There are always more things to buy and more places to visit. It never ends. That is what the Psalmist described as “eating the bread of anxious toil.” As Christians we need to ask ourselves if we have fallen into that trap. We may fill our lives with really good things, but the question is are we prioritizing the things God wants us to prioritize? 

The last phrase in Psalm 127:2 is a beautiful description of God’s natural plan for how believers should live. It says, “For he gives to his beloved sleep.” This means that all Christians need to prioritize rest and sleep. This is a wonderful gift from God. If our activities are cutting into getting a good night’s rest then we need to pull back from something. Are we staying up late reading or watching things? We are taking away from the blessing of sleep that God wants to give us. Are we in such a stressful work situation that it is difficult to let our minds relax and sleep through the night? Then that is a warning sign that we need to reconsider our workload. 

Jesus said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)  That is a great question to ask as a Christian living in a society that tells us “The world is your oyster, you can do it all.” God’s word should make us question that mindset. The world is God’s creation. He is our Lord and we are his servants. Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mt. 6:33) Seeking first the kingdom of God means to prioritize God, family, the church family, and making disciples. If those things are prioritized then it becomes much easier to say no to the incessant clamoring of the world. 

I am not saying that it is easy to live according to God’s expectations. We can not do it on our own. We need the guidance of God’s word, the help of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of believers to live the way God wants us to. My prayer is that this short article will help believers consider their lives and seek to constantly align themselves with the kingdom of heaven. 

Social Media: Five Questions to Ask from Josh Johnson’s New Book

August 4, 2023 /

Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion about social media. Should Christians use it or refuse it? Should followers of Christ spend time on Facebook or instagram as tools to share the truth of Scripture or should they shun it as a waste of time? This short article will be geared towards those who use social media, but the principles mentioned can be applied to any type of communication, whether written or spoken.

A recently published book by pastor Jeff Johnson gives some helpful guidelines to consider when using social media. The title of his book is Taming the Fingers: Heavenly Wisdom for Social Media. Pastor Jeff recognizes the need to give guidelines to Christians who use social media. He writes, “Social media can be a wonderful tool to communicate, connect with people, and share a measure of our lives with one another. However, unless we understand how to use social media wisely, we will be accessories to Satan’s destructive purposes.” 

I appreciate his candor on the subject. He brings years of experience as a Biblical counselor to the issue by applying principles from the book of Proverbs to how we communicate. He has a formula for Facebook (and every other type of social media) that is built around five questions that help the reader question their motives and attitude in communication. I will list each question along with a few thoughts of my own. My hope is that you’ll be impacted by what you read and go pick up a copy of the book yourself (www.heritagebooks.org) 

The first question to ask when using social media is “Am I Controlled?” This is also the title of the first chapter and it is built around several Proverbs that prove the importance of self-control in communication. Proverbs 29:11 is wonderfully succinct, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Pastor Jeff makes a good point about how different electronic communication is to others forms of speaking and writing. He writes, “The technology that has given us social media has taken away much of the quality control that governs communication.” The author makes a strong case from Scripture for believers to be cautious about what they write online. There is no special “free speech” pass for Christians to say whatever they want on the internet. God is aware of our words and direct messages, even before we write them!

The second question is “Am I Calm?” This is specifically focused on not responding out of anger online. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Pastor Jeff believes that one reason so much anger is expressed online is because people believe it will bring about change. He makes the argument that venting online rarely makes lasting change in the mind of the viewers. I would certainly agree. Christians need to remember that the ends do not justify the means. We are called to a higher standard than the world and this means we need to constantly consider our motives for what we say and write. 

The next question is one that is often overlooked on social media. It is the question “Am I Careful?” Proverbs 12:11 says “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.” The author of Taming the Fingers encourages believers to calculate the risks involved in communicating online. It can be difficult to anticipate the impact a certain phrase or image may have once it is posted online. I did not realize this until I lived overseas. I came to see that many of my posts could come across as boastful and excessive to people in poorer countries or communities. 

The fourth question is “Am I Compassionate?” Pastor Jeff makes an interesting point in this chapter about true compassion. He distinguishes between false compassion and true compassion as seen in Proverbs 12:10, “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” The “mercy” of the wicked is actually false mercy or false compassion. This would be the kind of “good works” that someone does just to be seen on social media. Jesus spoke very strongly about doing righteous deeds with the right motives. He said, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4 

The last question is “Am I Conscientious?” The author really hits home in this chapter because he warns against acting differently online than we would in person. He writes, “How we use social media should be a matter of conscience.” We should follow the apostle Paul’s model from Acts 24:16, “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” This last question is very practical because it allows each person’s conscience to guide what they read and write on social media. It is possible for someone’s conscience to be weakened by what they see online. Those who use it must constantly feed themselves the truth of God’s word to make sure that their conscience is being informed by Scripture, not by worldly influences online. 

I have read helpful articles and blog posts about social media before, but I think this is the best treatment on the subject because it is Biblical and practical. I appreciate how the author uses the book of Proverbs as a practical guide for communicating online. His guidelines will go a long way in helping believers engage with the “digital town square” with grace and truth. 

Treasures of Bible Translation pt. 2

July 21, 2023 /

Last week’s article focused on explaining the texts and documents that make up the Old and New Testament. This week’s edition will explain how the Bible was brought from the original manuscripts and copies into the English language. 

The English language has a wealth of Bible translations. Over the last century, over 500 English versions of the Bible have been created. There are currently close to 100 English versions in print. One website, called biblegateway.com, provides sixty-two different versions of the English bible that can be compared and analyzed to see which translations communicate the original author’s words and meaning the most accurately. 

The reason there are so many translations in English is because of differing goals and philosophies on the translation teams. The method of translation is often depicted on a chart with the most narrow “word-for-word” translations on one side and the most broad “paraphrase” translations on the other side of the chart. I refer to “word-for-word” translations as narrow because the translators are seeking to match each word from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek with the closest English equivalent. 

The New American Standard Bible (1995), the English Standard Version (2001) and the Legacy Standard Bible (2022) are considered “dynamic equivalent” translations. They all share the same narrow philosophy of translation, which seeks “accuracy and consistency.” (LSB, 1). This has been the same goal of translators throughout church history, although not all translators have been able to meet that goal with the same results. One famous example of this is the “Place-makers Bible,” which is also known as the Geneva Bible of 1562. In it the printers created a typo and printed “Blessed are the placemakers” instead of “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Even though mistakes have been made in translation, modern translators are able to see them and ensure they are removed from current translations. 

All English translations are derived, at least in part, from the three most ancient copies of the Old and New Testament. These copies are called codexes and are often referred to by their symbols, which are Codex A, Codex ℵ or Aleph (The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet), and Codex B. The latter represents Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-350), which is located in the Vatican Library in Rome. Codex Aleph is also known as Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360). Codex A refers to Codex Alexandrinus (AD 400-440). These last two codexes are located at the British library in London. These documents are unique because of their age and the large amount of the Old and New Testament that are contained in their pages.

The next major translation of the complete bible was into Latin. This version of the bible is called the Vulgate and was translated by a man named Jerome in the 5th century. This bible was used by the Roman Catholic Church for hundreds of years. You might be surprised to learn that the English language can trace its roots to almost a hundred years after the Vulgate was written. Old English developed from Anglo-Saxon immigrants to England in the 5th century. The language continued to change with the Norman conquest of England in 1066. This is when the language changed into Middle English. The first translation into English is actually a part of the Middle English era. This is when John Wycliffe was compelled to give his countrymen a version of the Bible that they could understand. The Wycliffe Bible was completed around AD 1395. 

In 1525, the Tyndale Bible was printed in English. This was not a complete version of the Bible because the author, William Tyndale was imprisoned before it was completed. This Bible was printed amidst huge controversy because at the time it was illegal to have the Bible printed in English. William Tyndale was eventually executed for going against the government’s orders. The English used in this translation is a part of Modern English and although it would be difficult for a modern English speaker to read, it would be understandable.

Once the Tyndale Bible was translated, it opened the way for many other English translations to be completed. The Coverdale Bible (1535), Matthew’s Bible (1537), and the Great Bible (1539) were all printed in short succession. A significant breakthrough occurred with the Geneva Bible of 1560 because it was the first time an English Bible was printed that had been translated in full from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. This bible included annotations and notes to help readers understand the meaning of Scripture. This is the Bible that became the foundation for the King James Version of 1611 and many other modern versions of the English Bible. 

Should Churches Fundraise?

July 21, 2023 /

This is one of those questions that must be guided by God’s Word and common sense because there is no chapter and verse that specifically addresses the many fundraising options available to churches today (silent auctions, firework stands, raffles, etc). The leadership of each church has freedom on how to decide these matters, but they should always make an informed, prayerful decision. 

Let’s start with raffles. Every now and then someone will ask if it would be possible to raise money with a fundraising raffle. The most helpful way to address this issue is to first understand what a raffle is. The State of California Penal Code Section 320.5 describes a raffle as a “scheme for the distribution of prizes by chance among persons who have paid money for paper tickets that provide the opportunity to win these prizes.” In order to protect against a raffle being considered an illegal lottery, it has to be operated in-person by a registered charity or non-profit organization and at least 90 percent of the profit from the raffle must go “directly to beneficial or charitable purposes in California.” Religious organizations do not have to report the income from raffles, but all other charities and nonprofits have specific guidelines for registering and reporting raffles with the Attorney General’s office. 

The fact that the state of California includes raffles in their penal code should give a pretty good hint about the wisdom of churches using them. As Christians, we are to be “above reproach,” which means “not being a lover of money.” (1 Timothy 3:2,3) We should always prefer to seek an income by good, honest work, which means avoiding games of chance and gambling (1 Thessalonians 5:22, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, Hebrews 13:5). The fact that the California penal code includes raffles as a game of chance makes it clear that this method of fundraising should be avoided by churches. 

Silent or live auctions do not involve lotteries, but they are still regulated by the state. In this case I would recommend seeking legal advice regarding sales tax and the need for each church to receive a California Seller’s Permit. This website has some helpful information www.fplglaw.com/insights/california-charity-auctions. Silent auctions can be effective fundraisers because generous donors often give items to the church that can then be sold to raise funds for the church. Both the party donating the items and those buying them need to have documentation to prove that the church is raising funds with integrity. 

It is important for churches to seek wise financial advice regarding all forms of fundraising because there are many traps that can have a negative impact on the testimony of the Church. Jesus told his disciples, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16). The context of this passage is referring to his followers preaching the gospel, but I believe the principle is true for how Christians and churches handle finances as well. Our Lord and Savior is very interested in how churches invest the resources they have been given. 

Luke 19 contains a profound parable that Jesus taught about a nobleman who gave money to ten of his servants before leaving on a journey. When the nobleman came back he praised the servants who had invested the funds wisely, while he cursed the servant who did not invest what he had been given. He said, “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Luke 19:11-27) Jesus Christ promised to build his church, but he wants the church to be wise and thoughtful in how they use the funds they have been given. 

The apostle Paul understood that the ultimate source of all church funds come from God. In his second letter to the Corinthian church he wrote, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” As it is written,“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” This last quotation comes from Psalm 112:4, which describes the blessings that come to those who fear the Lord. This is the main principle that should guide all church fundraising. It should be done in a way that honors God. In the early church, if one church had a need, it would be communicated to another church, which would prepare a financial gift for the needy church. The attitude of giving was to be one of joy, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7) This example of giving suggests that the primary source of local church funds should come from believers who are motivated by their love for God. This does not mean that Christians can’t give towards a silent auction or a Tri-tip fundraiser, but it does mean that they are carefully considering their motives whenever they give. 1 Corinthians 10:31 is a helpful motto, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

My prayer is that those reading this article will be motivated to do the work of research and study with the funds they have been given so they might be considered good stewards of all God has given them. 

Treasures of Bible Translation pt. 1

July 7, 2023 /

The sixty six books of the Bible should be considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. What other book was written over a period of 1600 years (starting in approximately 1500 BC to AD 100)? What other book has such a consistent message and yet was compiled by more than 40 ancient authors who included kings, prophets, patriarchs, and men of great renown? What other book had such a profound impact on human history? What other book contains ancient prophecy that accurately described the rise of the Babylonian, Media-Persian, Greek, and Roman civilizations? What other book claims to be inspired by the triune God who created the universe? (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21) Is there any other document that gives such accurate historical evidence of the words and works of Jesus Christ? What other book contains prophecy for the end of time that describes such a clear judgment against the sin of humanity, the destruction and restoration of the world, and the ultimate creation of heaven on Earth? 

Although the Bible has had an irreplaceable impact on human history, it has also become one of the most overlooked books today. This is why it is so important for Christians to have a renewed interest in how the Bible was preserved and translated into the version of the English Bible that we use today. This will be the first of two articles on the subject. Today’s article will focus on the ancient witness of the Bible and the second article will describe how the original texts were translated into English. 

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic on stone, clay, and leather. It was written from around 1500 – 400 BC. As books were added to the canon of Scripture, they were compiled together and written on large scrolls of leather. Later the material was changed to papyrus. These scrolls were copied with meticulous detail by scribes who were trained specifically to insure the accuracy of the writing. When I was in school I was amazed to learn that the Masoretic text of the Old Testament included guidelines at the end of each book that helped the scribe copying the text to know the total amount of letters in the book, as well as what letter was in the exact middle of the book. This way the scribe would know if he had accurately copied that book or not. 

The New Testament was written in an ancient version of Greek called Koine Greek. It was written from approximately AD 45 – 100. The original copies of the New Testament do not exist, but there are over a hundred ancient copies called “New Testament Papyrus” that are registered as authentic ancient copies of the New Testament. The most famous is called Papyrus 45, which is a part of the Chester Beatty Papyri, named after the man who purchased them. Papyrus 45 contains portions of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the book of Acts. By examining the letters and handwriting, scholars have dated this papyrus to the 3rd Century. 

The most impressive evidence for the integrity of the sixty-six books of the Bible is contained in the thousands of Biblical manuscripts that have been found all over the ancient Mediterranean world. One of the greatest modern discoveries of Biblical texts took place when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. A Bedouin shepherd found a hidden cave that was full of clay pots that contained religious scrolls. The cave contained nearly 1,000 manuscripts that had been written between 300 BC and AD 70. The scrolls removed all doubt about the accuracy of the modern copies of the Old and New Testament. I was able to see an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls in San Diego back in 2007. It was surreal to look at a scroll of Isaiah that was over 24 feet long and over 2000 years old.  

The manuscript evidence of the New Testament is even more impressive. There are around 5600 copies of the original that have been dated to within 100 years of the original writing of the New Testament. In comparison, there are only 7 copies of what Plato wrote and there is a gap of 1200 years from when he spoke the words and the earliest written copy of his words. Also, there is a remarkable consistency between the Biblical manuscripts. This allows scholars to decipher what was originally written. If other languages than Greek are added to the list of ancient copies of Scripture, then the number of New Testament manuscripts jumps to 24,000! Clearly, the New Testament was an important book, which was copied thousands and thousands of times to insure that the people of God would have God’s word available in their own language. 

One of the greatest proofs to the importance of the Bible today is that it is still the most translated book in human history. There are over 7,000 different languages spoken in the world today. According to Wycliffe Global Alliance, almost half of them, 3,589 languages, have portions of the Bible in translation (www.wycliffe.net/resources/statistics). The website states that 724 languages have a full Bible available, while 1,617 have the New Testament available, and 1,248 languages have portions of the Bible available. The amount of time it has taken to translate the Bible from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into thousands of languages is staggering! Why would people take the time to do such meticulous work? It is because they believe they are helping people hear the very words of God and there is nothing as important as that! My prayer is that people will appreciate the amazing gift we have in the sixty-six books of the Bible. I hope Christians will be encouraged to study it more and I pray that those who have never read God’s word would be motivated to do so. 

Saddleback Church and the SBC

June 30, 2023 /

On Wednesday, June 14, 2023 the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) announced Saddleback church of Orange County, CA had been voted out of the denomination. The vote was recorded as 9,437 votes (88.46%) supporting the removal and 1,212 votes (11.36%) rejecting the removal. This ended an ordeal that officially started at the 2021 SBC annual meeting in Nashville, TN. At that time a member of the SBC named Shadd Tibbs stated to the convention, “[I move that] we the Southern Baptist Convention, of June 2021, break fellowship with Saddleback Church, as they have ordained three ladies as pastors…at the very least, I am asking that the validity of this matter be looked into and report given at the 2022 Convention…” https://www.philipmeade.com/southern-baptist-convention/sbc-2022-annual-meeting-summary/ A committee was formed to consider whether Saddleback church was “in friendly cooperation with the Convention” or not.  

The following year the SBC met for an annual meeting in Anaheim, CA on June 14-15th. A special committee was formed to determine whether Saddleback church was using the title of “pastor” appropriately or not. This was an interesting question because from a Biblical perspective the role and office of pastor is the same as that of an elder and overseer of the church (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1-7, 5:17-19; Titus 1:5-7) . The leadership of Saddleback had  separated the ministry of shepherding or pastoring people from the office of pastor/elder/overseer. The argument was made by the leadership of the church that women could be given the title of “pastor” because they were serving in pastoral roles without infringing on the Biblical guidelines for men to fulfill the office of a pastor. 

At the time the SBC document “The Baptist Faith & Message” stated: “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” In 2022, Pastor Rick Warren spoke from the floor at the SBC annual meeting in Anaheim. He called for unity within the SBC and asked the convention “are we going to treat each other as allies or adversaries?” He stated that he did not expect to return the following year. It seemed likely that Saddleback church would be disfellowshipped from the convention. 

In September of 2022, pastor Rick Warren retired from his role at Saddleback church. He was replaced by his successor, pastor Andy Wood who became the executive pastor of the church. Pastor Andy’s wife Stacie, became the main teaching pastor at Saddleback church. 

On February 21, 2023 the SBC Executive Committee ruled that three churches would be removed from the denomination. The churches appealed and on June 14th, the entire Southern Baptist Convention, was given the opportunity to rule in support or in rejection of having Saddleback church and the two other churches removed from the church. 

The 2023 SBC convention took place in New Orleans, LA from June 13-14.  Over twelve thousand SBC members, who are known as messengers, attended the convention. They were allowed to hear an appeal from pastor Rick Warren from the floor of the convention. With the three minutes he was given, he asked the convention “why should this one issue cancel our fellowship?” In response, Dr. Al Mohler spoke on behalf of the Executive Committee. He put the issue in historical perspective and reminded everyone that the words “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture” was inserted into the SBC documents because “thirty years ago this issue threatened to tear this denomination apart.” Dr. Mohler said, “This is not just an issue of church polity. This is not just a matter of hermeneutics. It is a matter of Biblical commitment, a commitment to the Scripture that unequivocally, we believe, limits the office of pastor to men.” After hearing the appeal and the response the convention voted to remove Saddleback church from the denomination. 

The Executive Committee also agreed to change the wording of the Baptist Faith & Message document to state that every church in the SBC “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” This addition will need to be approved for two years in a row and then it will be officially added to the SBC documents. 

I am not a part of the SBC, but I still find it helpful to follow this story because it brings clarity to an issue that churches around the world struggle with. Can women be given the title of pastor without serving in the office of elder/pastor/overseer? Can the title of pastor be separated from that of an elder? 1 Timothy 3:2 makes it clear that only men should be elders. It states, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife.” There should be no disagreement over the gender of an elder and a careful reading of the original intent of Scripture reveals that there should be no disagreement over the gender of a pastor as well. 

Physical Wealth or Spiritual Health? 

June 9, 2023 /

Is it easier to live as a faithful Christian in a rich country or a poor country? Is it better for your spiritual health to be surrounded by possessions and the temptations of wealth or to live in a poor country with less distractions? I had to spend time living outside the United States before I realized that wealth can be one of most dangerous enemies of the Christian life. 

The Bible teaches about the dangers of wealth. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (English Standard Version) Jesus Christ surprised his disciples when he said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24) I know American Christians would agree with this statement, but how many of us would call ourselves rich? How many of us want to admit that we are a part of the group that would find it difficult to enter heaven? 

This is important to consider because we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are not wealthy. Many American Christians wouldn’t think of themselves as rich because our society often uses that term for the upper 1% of a society. The truth about wealth, that is often overlooked in our country, is that the majority of Americans are richer than the most of the world. I found a website that lets you enter your income and family size in order to see how much of the world is richer and poorer than you. (howrichami.givingwhatwecan.org) I entered the average US income from 2021 ($70,784) with two parents and four children into the wealth calculator. The results are that if you made that much you would be richer than 89.9% of the world! 

During my research for this article I also learned that America has had the largest economy in the world every year since 1871! This means that even though the country went through immense difficulty during the Great Depression, we were still the largest economy in the world. This also means that people whose families have been in this country for the last one hundred and fifty years have become accustomed to a culture of wealth. It is the air we breathe. We may not think of ourselves as rich, but compared to the majority of people in the world, we certainly are. And if you compare the wealth of American Christians today to the people that Jesus was speaking to in Matthew 19, then the difference is even more stark. 

In Jesus’ time the majority of people were living in what would be described today as abject poverty. Most people were subsistence farmers who did not own the land they farmed. They had to pay significant taxes to the land owners and to tax collectors who kept a large percentage of profits for themselves and gave the rest to their Roman rulers. If people from Jesus’ day could come and see how we live today, they would think we were even wealthier than the rich young ruler. They might have been impressed with the many possessions that he had, but what would they think about the cars we drive or the homes we live in? What would they think about air conditioning? They wouldn’t even have a category to describe the kind of wealth we have and take for granted. 

I think this is fascinating to think about because Jesus’ point in Matthew 19 is that it is difficult for rich people to enter heaven. Rich people, like the rich young ruler, have “great possessions” that can get in the way of their relationship with God. The rich young ruler went away “sorrowful” because he knew he would have to give up the idol of his wealth in order to serve God faithfully. I often think about this in terms of living in the United States. It is a common occurrence to see Christians get drawn into the rat race of riches. It is easy to find yourself looking around, thinking that we need more wealth to be happy. I have to constantly remind myself that God does not want me to store up treasures here on earth, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:19) He wants me to live for eternity. He wants me to live ready to give up any of my physical possessions to follow after him. He doesn’t want me to be sorrowful when I think of giving up time and money for him. He wants me to be joyful! 

When I read the account of the rich young ruler, I am sobered because I know I am in danger of acting like the rich man. I am in danger of being caught up with the temptations that wealth and comfort bring. I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to live in less affluent countries like Albania, Malaysia, and Thailand. My time in those countries convinced me that with wealth comes spiritual apathy. Instead of relying on God for our daily bread, people in wealthy countries often forget about God (Proverbs 30:8-9). Instead of learning to walk by the Spirit in slower economies, American Christians often feel the need to keep apace with the frenzied pace of an affluent society. I often think about how different life would be if people couldn’t afford the automobile or internet access. Would we immediately discover that we have more time to fellowship with people the way believers did in the early church. We would have time to practice the “one anothers” as we are commanded to in Scripture (1 Cor. 11:33, Gal. 5:13, 6:2, Eph. 4:2). 

I have been rushed to even write this article. There are deadlines and responsibilities that come from living in California that keep everyone busy. I wish I had time today to write about the other dangers to spiritual growth that come with wealth and comfort. The dangers of spiritual laziness and complacency. The danger of fearing man rather than God. These are very real symptoms of a life that is devoted to the pursuit of wealth.

God may bless you with wealth and great possessions, but the Christian must always remember that this world’s wealth is transitory. The wealth that God is concerned about is spiritual wealth and riches and that can only be found by keeping focused on God and dependent on him. 

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