Viewpoint Brief Bible Studies #44 & #45 |
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JESUS calls US to be |
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The Christian religion is the worship and service of Jesus Christ. It’s not Mary we worship, but her Son. We worship neither saints, angels, a law code, nor even God’s Spirit. It’s JESUS who is to be honored. The Bible is our guide. |
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(Additional comments about Viewpoint study #27)
More about what's behind the idea of
"worship services" for Christians.
They were quoted also in study #43. Some say these two passages deal with gatherings of the saints of God:
CONSIDER WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS -- Paul writes, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col. 3:15-17 NIV)."
In Ephesians 5, Paul says the same thing, calling for us to love one another always, and to exhort one another with loving words and appropriate tunes. "Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Please put these words in YOUR heart. God calls YOU to live a life of worship and praise to Him...
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TWO VIEWS of Christianity were explained in a debate held at Hillcrest Church of Christ in Neosho (MO) in mid-April 1988. ALAN E. HIGHERS of Henderson TN affirmed that "the use of mechanical instruments of music as an element of Christian WORSHIP is without Scriptural authority and (is) therefore sinful."Note that the heart of the problem we now face about Christian meetings is what this debate was about. Are we under law? Must we perform certain "authorized" acts when we meet in Christ's name? Are all other acts forbidden?
That is the view held and defended by Highers. He says we dare do only what we are commanded to do or "authorized" to do by implication or example. We're under law, says Alan Highers.
GIVEN O. BLAKELY, now of Joplin MO affirmed that "the employment of instruments of music in the singing of praise does not transgress the law of God, is harmonious with the faith of Christ, and is inoffensive to God; hence, it is Scriptural and (is) in harmony with the Word of God." The debate was published by VALID PUBLICATIONS, 312 Pearl St, Denton TX 76201. My comments follow:
As seems to usually be the case, this debate was just an exercise in abuse and twisting of the scriptures on the part of one, and an attempt on the part of the other to preach the gospel to folks whose minds were already made up that they knew the truth and weren't open to anything contrary to what they already believed.
Both Highers and Blakely believe that Jesus is God's unique Son and is the Word of God. Both agree that the Bible authoritatively reveals God's will for man. Both showed themselves to be honest and forthright in this debate. They explained and defended differing views.
At issue was the same thing we ALL are today concerned about -- How should Christians use the Bible to understand and obey the Lord Jesus?
Soon after the Neosho debate, in a journal edited by Highers was an article about congregational singing in which he stated, "If Ephesians 5:19 could be obeyed by one singing a solo to another, then every member would have to sing a solo at each assembly in order for there to be mutuality and reciprocity." His suggestion is an absurd misunderstanding of what Paul says in the passage, but it does clearly express Higher's concept of a gospel of law. He thinks the passage is written in order to instruct Christians in exactly what they are allowed to do in their public services. But that's not Christianity, and it's not at all what Paul said.
Paul wrote to Corinthian Christians about what they should do when they met together. But the Ephesians and Colossians passages do NOT refer particularly to meetings. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul makes clear that those who were led to share in any meeting must give way to others if others also wanted to speak or sing. They were to take turns, and no more than three were to testify or share a song in any one service.
Highers surely knows that this is Paul's admonition. He ignores it in order to make it seem Paul has a totally different idea in the Ephesians passage. Since the one is about meetings and the other is not, they are NOT parallel passages, of course.
The concept that says we are only allowed to do in our services what we have been told we MUST do there is not a Christian concept. Yet that is what many people today do believe and teach. That's what Alan Highers attempted to prove in the Neosho debate. And those who came there believing in a law code for Christians continued to agree with Highers, so far as I could tell.
Those who study Paul's words to the brethren in Corinth concerning what they could and should do in their meetings are apt to get a totally different idea about what Christian assemblies are for and how they should be conducted. When they have done so, they'll not want a worship leader in charge of their meetings.
AND NOW Viewpoint Study #45
picks up the discussion --Those who think the hour of "worship" each week is critical and the other hours of our week relatively unimportant seriously misunderstand the gospel of Christ.
Since I believe the heart of the misunderstanding some have about Christian worship lies in their supposing that the gospel of grace is just another code of laws by which sinful men are governed, let me present some thoughts about living under law. Highers says that using musical instruments "in worship" is wrong because it's not commanded. This is basing his teaching upon law. What's required, by a three-prong testing concerning direct commands, implied commands, and plain old logic, Highers says we are required to do. Everything else is forbidden.
Submitting to a law code demands the giving and receiving of a code of law. Remember that AFTER God had spoken and revealed the code to Moses, the Israelites agreed to submit to the law as given by Moses.
We can turn to the pages of the Old Testament where that code is spelled out in detail. God made no changes in the code after giving it. Modification came as MEN added "better" rules, or found ways to circumvent rules they found inconvenient. The code was from God through Moses, and we can read it in our Bibles.
If Jesus replaced the code which came through Moses, let's turn in the New Testament to where the different code is spelled out, then received and acknowledged by those early saints of God. Since the new covenant is seen to have been in effect since Pentecost (Acts 2), the giving of the new law no doubt preceded that Pentecostal glory.
Establishing a code of law is not done by hiding the rules and regulations in writings that follow the giving by thirty or forty years. Those who lived prior to their having received the FULL law would be doomed to death simply because they were ignorant of what the law demanded that they do. This is such an obvious and simple thought, it's no wonder that advocates of gospel law hadn't thought about it, for they're digging deep into word meanings trying to convert facts into commands, comments into commandments. They're eager to CREATE a code of laws, for they surely can find none in the New Testament.
They find no code of laws in the New Testament for the reason that Jesus gave no code of laws. Christians are not living under law. There are NO "authorized" and unauthorized acts of worship. The gospel makes us FREE rather than enslaved to any code of bondage. Our bad thoughts and wicked desires are checked by LOVE, which converts us into righteous men and women. Because we receive God's love, we learn to love and to live in love. But there are no laws specifying exactly what we can and must not do "in worship" or any time.
It's a hopeless task for lawyers to seek a law code in the N.T. But that's what Highers did, and what all do who think particular acts are acceptable in our meetings and others are unacceptable to God. Anything God's children do because they love Him is received by God as worship -- because the intention is right.
Yes, some things are inappropriate. That's what Paul says in writing to Corinth. But that's because they are NOT done from love. Those who pushed to the trough first without regard to others did NOT love God. They did NOT love their brothers. Paul says their act was not acceptable.
Then Bro. Highers and Bro. Hadwin say that Paul also told them, by words later directed to brethren in Colosse and Ephesus and cleverly disguised in meaning, that the use of musical instruments (HOW did they get in here?) when they sang "in worship" was a terrible sin.
Where IS the commandment these brothers call on us to obey? Please read the passages above (the introduction) and see what is commanded of Christians. DO those words demand that we must sing praise to God? Are we required to sing?
Or are we invited to sing because of what's in our heart that by singing we can express?
Eager to find a command to sing, my legalistic brothers create a command where none exists. And, to be part of a code of law for the Christian covenant, the command would have to have been given prior to the day when the church began, which we read about in Acts 2. The apostolic letters came along at least 25 years too late to be bringing in a code of laws under which Christ's church was obligated to live. But the apostles were NOT stating a law code. Their letters are simply misunderstood and misused by all legalists.
From: rprugh@mebac.umr.edu
To: outreach@sofnet.com (Ray Downen)
Date sent: Mon, 28 Sep 1998
Subject: Re: A Viewpoint on 9/26/98 -- Study #44Ray, Those who feel that a prescribed, regulated worship service exists for those practicing New Testament Christianity seem to ignore Hebrews 8:13 - 9:10. That passage SPECIFICALLY states that regulated worship acts belonged to the Old Covenant, and have passed away with the establishment of the New Covenant. Until I began my escape from legalism, I never saw that clear teaching in Hebrews. I guess that shows that scripture is often interpreted by the color of the glasses through which you are reading. Your brother in Christ, Rick Prugh
From: rprugh@mebac.umr.edu
To: outreach@sofnet.com (Ray Downen)Date sent: Mon, 12 Oct 1998
Subject: Re: Viewpoint News & Views - Study #45Ray, I formerly subscribed to that "legalistic" view of worship, until I read the Bible completely through in 1990. I was also reading articles and books at that time that were advocating "freedom in Christ." As a result, I experienced a learning epiphany where I constantly found myself saying in regards to regulated worship and other previously held dogma, "That's not in there!"
In fact, once I removed the veil from my eyes (II Cor. 3:13-18) I began seeing truth more clearly. I'm not saying my understanding is now perfect, but that it is better developed because I no longer read the New Testament as a legal document.
In view of your lesson on the removal of regulated worship practices, I personally believe that no scripture speaks any clearer to this fact than Hebrews 8:13-9:10. Regulated worship was for the Old Covenant, which has now been replaced by the New Covenant with Jesus Christ.
Thanks, Rick Prugh ~ Salem, MO
Brief Bible Study #44 & #45 from Ray Downen. To go back to Viewpoint's first page, click < here. Or here to go on to Viewpoint Study 46.For Ray's concluding remarks, click HERE.
