Category Archives: legalism

legalism

by Anthony Baker | November 24, 2010 · 5:57 pm

“May They be One, as We are One…”

I want thank all the people in Lookout Valley who attended our annual community-wide Thanksgiving service held at Lookout Valley Baptist Church. At least seven (7) different congregations from 4-5 different denominations were represented. It was a great evening of fellowship and friendship.

Each year our community has a Thanksgiving service in which all the Christian churches are encouraged to attend and participate in some way. I guess, others in the community would be welcome, but the overall emphasis of an evening like this was to give thanks unto God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, for all of His blessings. As believers in Christ, we have more reasons to be thankful than anyone else. Besides being blessed beyond measure by being allowed to live in a country such as ours, we have been forgiven of our sins, made heirs of the Kingdom, and have become part of a universal family of God. A Thanksgiving service like this is more like a family reunion around the dinner table of the Father.

Pastors Bill Akers and Anthony Baker (United Methodist and Southern Baptist)

This year’s speaker was Pastor Bill Akers, from Wauhatchie United Methodist Church. During his sermon he shared his testimony, gave thanks to God for sparing his life, and even gave out some peanut M&Ms. To be honest, I have never seen a Methodist preacher with so much energy. I don’t even move around as much as he does.

Last week I tried to encourage my congregation to attend the service last night. I wanted them to do the best that they could to show a spirit of familial love, which shouldn’t be too hard, considering we were all part of the same spiritual family. Jesus Christ Himself prayed that we would do no less when He prayed to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.

John 17:20-23 I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me. I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me. – HCSB

In the seventeenth chapter of John, Jesus prays for several things, but one thing that He repeats is the desire that we all be unified in the Father and the Son. Through this unity, as Jesus prayed, the world may see the love of the Father towards Jesus, and believe on Him (vs. 21 & 23). Sadly, it would seem that so many believers in Jesus want to keep this prayer from being answered. How sad is this, and how ludicrous?

It is possible for a prayer of Jesus to be denied?

If Jesus prays, then you know His prayers get answered. As a matter of observation, the only one of the requests made in chapter 17 that has not been fulfilled is the request that we be made one. Does this mean that Jesus’ prayer will never be answered? I don’t think so, but we should really think about this seriously. What is it going to take for this prayer to be answered? Will it happen after we all reach heaven? Then what would be the point of doing it so the unbelieving world could see?

I think that it is a crying shame when certain groups cannot look past minor differences in secondary doctrines, even for just one night. There were at least two other congregations in our community that did not participate in our community service. Both were Baptist. Both were independent. Now I can understand the Church of Christ not coming. Many of them believe that the rest of us are going to hell, anyway, so why meet with us. The same thinking persists with the Adventists, also, because we’re anti-sabbatarians. But for the Baptists, you would think that just because your brother or sister in Christ uses a different Bible translation, or wears pants instead of a dress to church, one night wouldn’t be so hard; but not so. The doctrine of Separation is much, much more important than honoring the prayer of our Savior.

One day, I fear, there may come a day in this country to rival those in other countries around the world. Here, we are so spoiled and pampered that we can afford to be separate. We have the option to spend all of our money on different denominational specifics. We have all the space in the world to plant a new congregation every time we disagree with each other. We have all the freedom of speech and the freedom of time to harp more on our differences than work together to fulfill the Great Commission. If we ever wind up having to worship underground, we won’t have it so easy. Denominational monikers will become a thing of the past.

Are there differences between some of our denominations that are serious? Of course. I am not denying that we have doctrinal issues worth debating with passion. I am fully aware that there are some out there that call themselves believers in Christ, but are actually sheep in wolves’ clothing. However, aside from that, we are still a family that needs to stick together whenever we can. We have the same Father. We were washed in the same blood of the Lamb.

After all, we are going to be spending eternity together.

What is it going to take for us to make an effort to put some of our petty things aside so that a lost and dying world would see Jesus? I am just so glad that there are a few churches in Lookout Valley that love Jesus more than arguing 100% of the time over unknown tongues, eternal security, election, translations, or conventions. We can do that 90% of the time. The least we can do is give God His 10% in a tithe of brotherly love and unity.

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Filed under baptist, Christian Living, Christian Unity, Independent Baptist, legalism, Relationships and Family, Southern Baptist

by Anthony Baker | November 10, 2010 · 2:56 pm

Smoking…The Legalists are Alive and Well

DISCLAIMER…DON’T THINK I AM TRYING TO PROMOTE SMOKING. I AM JUST TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT.

Sherlock Holmes contemplating the evidence.

If I were to say that I want a new pipe for Christmas, would you think less of me? Would you think of me as less spiritual or godly? Would you be disappointed in me for some reason? Why? Some of you would go so far as to suggest that I resign from ministry. If that is you, there is a really good word that describes you…

…LEGALIST

Yesterday, a middle school boy asked me, “What is a legalist?” Do you know the answer? Simply put, a legalist is a person who judges another’s spirituality or relationship with God based on a perceived list of acceptable/unacceptable actions. To give an example, a legalist could place a hero on a pedestal, only to jerk the hero down to earth later when he does something tradition labels as “wrong.” Smoking is a good example. Never mind that everything else the hero did was perfect in the legalist’s eyes, the one act of condoning and participating in a supposed “vice” would demand the following judgment….the spiritual hero is no longer right with God.

Legalism was rampant in Jesus’ day. The Gospels are full of examples showing how the Pharisees were more concerned with the letter of the law, than the spirit of the law. The Pharisees (legalists) even accused Jesus’ disciples of being ungodly all because they did not wash their hands before eating (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23). Regulations established by men in order to set boundaries which determine holiness were unacceptable to Jesus. They should be unacceptable today.

Does NOT smoking make one spiritual? How many heathen never touch tobacco? Are they right with God? What about the person that loves the Lord with all his heart, seeks to bring glory to the Father, hides the Word in his heart; yet, he puffs on a pinch of cherry Cavendish in a pipe every now and then? Is he less spiritual by fault of his consumption of burning leaves (the legal kind)?

You see, there are some things which we are told by the Bible not to do. Smoking is not one of them. Tobacco is amoral. In other words, there is nothing moral, or immoral about it…it just is. The point that something amoral becomes immoral is in the way it is used. Similarly, some of the things the legalist would accept as moral, but which are actually amoral, would be very sinful if done out of order or to excess, such as sex or eating food. Adultery and fornication are definitely sins mentioned in the Bible, but without sex the human race would cease to exist. Food is neccessary to live, but eating too much is called gluttony and bad stewardship.

The key is wisdom and maturity, which leads to moderation, and the proper use of God’s creation within the framework of spiritual freedom and grace.

Thank you for reading this far, for now I want to say something else. Cigarettes are nasty, stinky, trashy, chemical-laden cancer sticks. The person that usually smokes them finds themselves hooked and dependent upon them, all the while having their body ravaged and aged before its time. I hate cigarettes. But even though I hate cigarettes, that does not give me the right to question a person’s relationship with the Savior, even though I may question their judgment. Pipes and cigars are different, even though they, too, can be used to excess. I don’t advise either, necessarily, but I REALLY don’t advise cigarettes. The moral line is much easier to distinquish when the use of a product is so capable of bringing one under bondage.

The use of the amoral (that which is neither moral, nor immoral), if used to satisfy an addiction, could thereby be considered a sin.

Lastly, even though I know I have not covered this issue as well as needed, I want to include a post from the blog of Steve Brown. Dr. Brown is a seminary professor, Bible teacher, author, and well-respected Christian radio broadcaster. You may have heard him on Moody Radio in the past. Just read what he had to say on this issue.

Smoking

Steve BrownAugust 1st, 2007

I know, I know.

I probably shouldn’t have permitted the picture of me smoking my pipe in the last Key Life magazine or, for that matter, on this website.

Look. It’s the only sin I have left and, if I didn’t have that one, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Everybody knows that perfect Christians don’t associate with imperfect Christians…me being the perfect one (sans pipe) and you being the imperfect one.

So my pipe, you could say, is my effort at true “koinonia.”

What about my health?

Good point that, to wit, when it’s my time to die, I don’t want to be like a sinking ship with nothing to throw overboard.

A friend of mine, Jim Lee, wrote to me after seeing the picture…

You have entered into the ranks of Luther on this one, Steve! Reminds me of when I smoked a cigar in front of one preacher, saying I was “killing the Pharisee within,” but that was nothing! Your picture could very well end up gracing the bulletin boards of Moody, Dallas, Bob Jones, and others. Before all of the calls start coming in to say you aren’t saved, “please cancel my subscription,” etc., I want you to know you blow me away with this and I appreciate your making the point in this way.

Frankly, I never thought I would see the day!

If things get really bad and you need a backup plan, I may be able to help. Here are some possible suggestions :

(1) You could say “It wasn’t me! Somebody at the printers is out to get me, and they morphed my picture onto that pipe! It’s easy to do with ‘photoshop’! The devil is trying to ruin my testimony!”

Or (2) “I was at the park and had a root beer lollipop. If you look closely you can see that it’s just a cloud behind my head!”

Or (3) “I was teaching in seminary and was attempting to illustrate a point about Jesus coming in the clouds.”

Jim’s words made me laugh (as he often does); but, frankly, I can’t deal with the guilt.

No, not the guilt of smoking.

The guilt of quitting and then sneaking around.

I once announced to a church congregation where I was the pastor that I had stopped smoking. There was applause. Not only that. I started getting piles of candy and chewing gum from my concerned parishioners who wanted to help me in every way they could.

It lasted about two weeks before I started sneaking smokes. I could have lived with that.

It was the preaching and teaching about honesty and authenticity that got me.

So I announced my fall from grace from the pulpit. I said, “Just so you know, I’ve started smoking again. Let us pray…”

I didn’t say it, but could have said, “And after this service, I’m going to get out my fine briar pipe and my aromatic, freshly mixed tobacco and have a smoke.”

After a dull sermon, a boring faculty meeting, a hard day, etc., etc., one needs something to look forward to. In that way, smoking is like heaven. It, of course, isn’t heaven, but it will do until then.

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Filed under Christian Living, General Observations, legalism

Tagged as Pharisee

by Anthony Baker | November 3, 2010 · 1:46 pm

An Army of One…God, that is.

Back to the basics…or at least one of the reasons for this blog.

My formative years were full of instruction in the ways of legalism an legalistic thought. Because of this, my view of the Body of Christ was limited. To me, if you weren’t Baptist (Independent, that is) you were probably not going to heaven. At the least, and I do mean very least, if you were not Independent Baptist, or if you used any translation of Scripture other than the King James Version, you were a liberal awaiting the chastising hand of God. I did not work well with other denominations.

Since that time, I have learned that the Christian church is not limited to Independent Baptists,

…but is comprised of many other denominations, also. Some of these denominations I have yet to even learn of, for there are so many smaller ones in other places of the country and the world. It is true that denominationalism (the tendency to seperate into various factions) has hurt the Church. The unbelieving world has used our schisms as evidence that the True Faith is not even real. Some even say that the many different, competing, and even warring denominations are proof that Christianity is nothing more than man-made. That being said, however, just because people within the Body of Christ choose to operate differently in their own context, one should not automatically assume that Christian group “A” is that much different than group “B,” at least not until the particular core elements of the faith are examined. For that matter, just because a congregation claims to be Baptist, does not mean that they hold an orthodox view of Christianity…just look at that group from out west that protests funerals (I will NOT associate with them!).

Well, in an effort to battle against the legalism and denominationalism of my past, I continue to reach across the divides to other brothers and sisters in Christ with an offer of fellowship and understanding. Does this mean that I have become Ecumenical? No, it does not. What it does mean is that I want to reunite family. I want to consolidate forces. I want to bring healing and strength back to the Army of God which needs to unite in spiritual battle (and I did say, “spiritual”). This applies even to churches within the same denomination who may fear competition (competition is not a good thing in this case).

In our community of Lookout Valley, there are several churches of various denominations. Most are very supportive of each other, but a few still maintain strict adherence to the Doctrine of Separation (see my post on this doctrine). The ones that feel freedom in Christ to participate have come together each year to hold a community Thanksgiving service. Today I met with a small room full of other pastors in order to plan for this service. Present were Baptists, Church of God, Assembly of God, United Methodist, and Presbyterian. Not an unkind word was spoken. Each shared in prayer for our community and for each other. Coffee was even provided by Troy Walliser, the pastor of Lookout Valley Baptist, who has a taste for the “foo-foo” stuff (I just had to get that in). We had a good time and look forward to worshipping together on the 23rd of this month, along with our congregations.

Why do I bring this up? I say all of this because Christians have a common Enemy. That enemy, Satan, is always in the process of uniting his forces in league against God’s church. The battle lines are drawn on many different fronts and his forces are continually amassed and reinforced, waiting for orders. The school prayer thing is just another example of a unified front. It is at this time when the true believers in Christ Jesus, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, put on the whole armor of God and come together to make a stand. The example of Nehemiah 4 is alway relevant. Our forces will never be more than Satan’s. We will always have to come to the aid of our fellow soldiers in their time of need. But just as that is true, so is it also true that where we gather to stand against an enemy attack, “the Lord our God will fight for us.”

I thank God for the pastors of Lookout Valley who know that though we may have our differences, we are still on the same side.

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Filed under Christian Living, Christian Unity, General Observations, Independent Baptist, legalism, Relationships and Family

Tagged as Baptist, Body of Christ, Christian, Christian Church, Independent Baptist

by Anthony Baker | October 28, 2010 · 11:22 am

When you hear the sound of the trumpet…

Last night I had the honor to participate in an event of community prayer. I was invited to speak by Shelton Brown, a student at Soddy Daisy High School. If you don’t know what happened, a whole bunch of people gathered together in the park to celebrate our right and freedom to pray, even though it was recently mandated that prayer be stopped before football games. This meeting was organized by students who decided enough was enough.

In my closing remarks (I spoke for 7 1/2 minutes) I brought up the story of Nehemiah, specifically a part in chapter 4, verse 20. Nehemiah, in response to threats from enemies intent on stopping them from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, set people on the wall as lookouts. Being that the wall was big and spread out, and being that there were few people, Nehemiah came up with a plan. He said :

The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

To me, and I am just little ol’ me, there should have been a lot more people present last night. Why? A trumpet was sounded for the body of Christ to come to the aid of not only Soddy Daisy, but for all of Hamilton County. An attack on our freedoms, as both Christians and Americans, has come to our soil. Why is it that our schedules and programs and our own sections of the wall are more important than stopping the enemy somewhere else?

Last night was your typical “Wednesday night prayer meeting” night. Besides the fact that prayer is rarely the object of attention at most of these meetings, what would have been wrong with jumping in the church bus and heading to where the trumpet was sounding? Where there may have been 500+ at this event last night, there should have been 1-2000. Why were they not there? Because it was more important for local congregations to remain safe and snug in their own little sections of “the wall.” Here was a prime example of LEGALISM in action, for many did not want to participate in an event that featured speakers that weren’t of a particular denomination. Here was a prime example of LAZINESS, for it may have been difficult to get people together to go somewhere on a weeknight, especially if it wasn’t to Ryan’s or the bowling alley. Here was a prime example of DENIAL, PRIDE, and APATHY, for there were others that did not attend because they either didn’t think there’s a problem; it wasn’t their idea; or they just really didn’t care. Folks, what has been “typical” needs to be trashed.

This past Sunday I told my congregation that I would be in Soddy Daisy on Wednesday night because a trumpet had been sounded. I went to stand in the gap with my brothers and sisters that cared enough to make a public stand against the tyranny of a few over the wishes of the people. In the future, when other trumpets are sounded, I pray that the churches of our county and our country will rally together in defence of the few walls we have left in this nation that, for now, claims to be “under God.”

May our God truly fight for us, for we don’t seem to want to fight for oursleves.

…Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. – Nehemiah 4:14

The Other Side of a Coined Phrase

You can talk all you want about what we’re NOT supposed to do, but we DO it all the time. Who hasn’t seen the video of the panel of judges that were totally awestruck, not to mentioned very embarrassed, when Susan Boyle began to sing? Judging by her looks, this was not supposed to be a superstar singer. The whole crowd was guilty of thinking the same thing…”What is this ugly woman doing on stage?” Subconsciously they were thinking, “Only beautiful people can sing beautifully.” Oh, how wrong they were!

I have heard it said all my life, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Since I have done some research, that would mean I would have to be younger than 70, because that phrase wasn’t even coined until the mid 1940’s. Anyway, I have been taught, as most people have, that we are not supposed to make assumptions about people simply on the basis of appearances. As a matter of fact, long before “don’t judge a book by its cover” was coined, Benjamin Franklin said, “Don’t judge men’s wealth or godliness by their Sunday appearance.” We all know that we shouldn’t judge a man’s character by his appearance (or even by the color of his skin, as Martin L. King, Jr. would have said). But with all that said,

I can’t help but think that there is another side to this coin (coined phrase, that is).

While it may be true that we shouldn’t come to a conclusion about someone based solely on appearance, how many books would you pick up and open if on the outside there was nothing describing the inside? How much money is spent these days on cover design, I wonder. Go to any bookseller and browse any isle and tell me what you find. Are any of the books simply bound with only the title and the author printed on front? Probably not. Every kind of trick imaginable is employed to catch your eye and cause you to open the cover to see what is inside. Now, not every cover will appeal to every reader, but the author will know ahead of time what type of audience he is trying to reach, therefore he will have a cover designed to appeal to the reader that will most likely buy the book. How foolish would the writer be if he spent thousands of dollars for a design that appealed to the wrong crowd? Even more, what would be the purpose of writing a book that had a cover which said nothing hinting of the content?

The other side to this “book-judging” coin is that even though we should not pre-judge a book by what is on the cover, the cover should give us some clues to what is on the inside.

For example, take a look at the title of the book to the right. If you were to pick this book up at a book store, you would assume that on the inside there should be at least a hundred recipes, correct? Really, the title of the book should give you confidence that inside resides the answer to all those questions you’ve had recently about how long you should roast a kangaroo tenderloin. Shouldn’t it? It says “How to Cook Everything.” Well, by dang, I would assume, based on the cover, there should be, by my judgement, a kangaroo recipe in there somewhere. I don’t know if there is or not, but do you see my point? If you say you’re something, or if you want to give a certain impression, then be what you say you are, or kangaroo eaters are going to be disappointed.

Now, Jesus did say in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” He also said, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). The problem is that when we say that we should not judge a book by its cover, we imply that we can NEVER make ANY judgment based on what we see. Seriously, how practical is that? Jesus never said that we could never make righteous judgments. As a matter of fact, consider these words of Jesus as found in Matthew 7, verses 15-20:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

We are not supposed to come to any rash, prejudiced conclusions about people. That is a fact. We have no way of knowing whether a nice, fluffy sheep is a wolf, or not. By outward appearances alone, all we can determine is that if it looks like a sheep and sounds like a sheep, it must be a sheep….until it starts to act like a sheep-eating wolf. Then, when a sheep starts baring fangs at us, it is safe to judge, and there is no sin to be added to our account.

Righteous judgment, as Jesus mentioned in John 7:24, CAN be made if it is in reference to the fruit being inspected. The fruit of a wolf is different than a sheep. But here’s the point:

If a sheep claims to be a sheep, it should act like a sheep, not a wolf!

What is on the cover of a book SHOULD tell what is on the inside. What we look like on the cover SHOULD make others want to read what is inside. What we look like on the outside SHOULD mirror the message of the Author’s Word. As believers in Christ, we claim to be something special. We have the imprint of our Saviour written on our binding. Jesus has a reputation as an Author, and what is inside our covers should not bring shame to His writing ability. It may be wrong to judge a book by its cover, but it is equally wrong to claim to be a book that you’re not.

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Filed under Christian Living, General Observations, legalism, World View

Tagged as Agriculture and Forestry, Benjamin Franklin, False prophet, Jesus, Livestock, Matthew 7, Never judge a book by its cover, Sheep, Susan Boyle

by Anthony Baker | September 23, 2010 · 11:52 pm

Does Divorce Disqualify?

I will never forget the phone call I got from a church in Rome, GA about 14 years ago. Someone on the other end of the line was part of a search committee looking for a new pastor. They had gotten my resume and were impressed enough to give me a call. Everything was going well until they asked a very pointed question, “Bro. Anthony, does your wife have a spouse that is still living?” I responded with a cold, clinched-teeth, squinted-eye “Yes,…..ME.” Unfortunately, this would not be the last time something like that happened.

What I encountered on the telephone that day was not unusual, nor unexpected; but it hurt. You see, I had chosen to marry a woman who had been divorced, even against the wishes of our (then) pastor, who said marrying Valerie would “put the final nail in the coffin” for my ministry. However, even knowing that many disagreed, we married, anyway. I was aware of the Scripture (1 Tim. 3:2) being used, but I was also in the process of becoming free from the legalism that had bound me for so long…legalism that oozed with a self-righteousness that wanted to limit me based on another’s determination of my spirituality, not Biblical truth (and it didn’t hurt that the late Dr. Spiros Zodhiates gave his approval).

Let me be clear about a few things…

First, I have never been divorced, so for me the whole argument of 1 Timothy 3:2 should be moot. Second, my wife was abandoned and left with no choice but to divorce (she was the innocent party), and it happened before she was a believer. Thirdly, her ex-husband remarried and divorced again before I even met her. By all accounts, both she and I were clear from any “adultery” issues. Also, I am the husband of one wife, and Scripture NEVER said “must be the husband of one wife who was the wife of one husband ever.”

What DOES Scripture say?

1 Timothy 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife...” Also, verse 12 says, “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife...” The difficulty with these verses is not what is being said, but how it is interpreted. Is Paul telling Timothy that in order to be a pastor or deacon or elder in a church, you must have only been married once? Could it be possible that Paul is even saying that a man of God MUST have a wife, because being single would disqualify one from ministry? These are things that have been debated for centuries. Some believe that a pastor or deacon or elder should have never been divorced (or married to a divorcée) . Others believe that in order to be a proper leader, one must be married. Still, many commentators believe that the proper rendering of the Greek is “one-woman man,” implying faithfulness and character over the number of wives. What the Scripture says is one thing, but as William D. Mounce put it, “The Greek gives us a range of possibilities, but our theology is going to determine our interpretation.” (http://www.koinoniablog.net/2009/03/can-an-elder-be-divorced.html#comment-captcha)

I think there’s another way to look at it…

Take a look at 1 Timothy 3. Read through verse 12. The best I can figure is that there are between 16 and 17 qualifications for the bishop, and between 6 and 8 for the deacons. All of these are preceded with a literal or an implied “must be,” as in “must be blameless,” or a “must have.” How does this affect the argument that an elder must have only been married once, never remarried, or never divorced? Well, think of any great pastor that you know of. Think of any great man of God that has stood behind the pulpit and faithfully proclaimed the Word of God. Has he always been blameless? Has he always been on his best behavior? Did he ever get drunk, covet, lose his patience, or curse his wife or children in anger? Was he ever a novice, a beginner subject to pride? If so, then according to the logic of some, he should never be able to preach or lead in God’s church, for just as a man “must be the husband of one wife,” so he also must be “blameless, vigilent, sober, well-behaved, given to hospitality, patient, never greedy, and always in control of his house and children.” Do you see it? If your interpretation leads you to believe that the bishop must have only had one wife ever, then the same hermeneutic (the study of the principles of interpretation) should apply to the other “must be’s.” “Must be the husband of one wife” = never divorced. “Not a novice” = never been a beginner in the faith. Doesn’t make sense, does it?

1 Timothy 3:1-12 is in the present infinitive tense (i.e., must be / dei einai). The requirements listed are ones that describe a man of character and faithfulness, of sobriety and gravitas; not a beginner or one untried and unproven. What I see is a list of requirements that may not have always been present in a man, but should be NOW, after God has done a verifiable work in his life. In other words, the Bible says a bishop “must be,” not “must have always been,” or “must have never done.” Paul said, “and such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

Here’s my point…

I believe that there are plenty of men and women (especially men) that are sitting back or hiding out because someone has convinced them that they are used up and un-usable. For instance, I can think of men right now, who because of whatever reason, are divorced. Yet these men, now Christians, are sold-out, God-fearing, faithful, Spirit-filled fathers and husbands with proven testimonies and unimpeachable character. Sadly, however, because of mistakes made when they were young, unsaved, and stupid, they cannot serve as deacons, much less as pastors. On the other hand, I can think of several pastors today who were once murderers, drug dealers, fornicators, extortioners, and abusers of mankind (gay, for those of you in Rio Linda). They are accepted and given full reign as leaders in the church, but not the ones who were divorced. So, like I said in a previous post…

if the Pharisee and the Publican sat down with a pulpit committee in the average Baptist church, which one do you think they would hire?

Answer:

Depends on which one “had a living spouse.”

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Filed under baptist, Divorce, General Observations, Independent Baptist, legalism, Relationships and Family, Uncategorized

Tagged as Bishop, Divorce, First Epistle to Timothy, God, Marriage, Religion and Spirituality, Theology, William D. Mounce

by Anthony Baker | September 14, 2010 · 10:34 pm

You Don’t Have to be Perfect to be Used

So, a Pharisee and a Publican walk into…let’s just say…a search comittee meeting…

You know the story of the Pharisee and the Publican, don’t you? Jesus told the story, as recorded in Luke 18:10-11

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”

Imagine that instead of the temple, they walked into a search committee meeting. A meeting of people designated with the task of finding, let’s say, a new pastor for a church (at least that’s the way we do it in the Baptist denomination). They walk in, introduce themselves, compare resumes, and one gets the job. Which one? The one that fits the picture of what every Christian fit for service should be – perfect.

Sunday night I shared with my congregation that God doesn’t just use perfect people, but people who have made mistakes, REAL people. But sadly, within the church today, there are many men and women who have felt inferior and useless because of sinful and broken pasts. They are the people who sit on the pews, week after week, doing all they can to be faithful in life, but are forbidden to hold positions in the church. They are much like the Publican, men and women who know they have failed before, but want to be forgiven and start new. They are not the ones that look down on others for mistakes they’ve made. They’re not Pharisees.

Have you ever considered how dysfunctional the characters of Genesis were?

I read through the book of Genesis last week in a couple of sittings. Reading a book of the Bible that way, especially in a different translation, can help you see the story from a new perspective. This time I was just astounded at how messed up these people really were! There was so much “stuff” going on that if it were today, it would make an episode of Jerry Springer, or TrueTV look tame! Consider, if nothing else, the sad story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel. This was a seriously messed up family with real marital problems. At one point, Leah and Rachel get into a jealous argument over a son’s mandrakes. Just imagine you were a marriage counselor and listened in to the following story…

Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Leah, Rachel asked, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” But Leah replied to her, Isn’t it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want my son’s mandrakes?”

“Well,” Rachel said, “you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob slept with her that night. – Geneses 30:14:16 HCSB

Twice Abraham told other people that his wife, Sarah, was his sister so that he would not be harmed. Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him to traveling salesmen. Jacob and Esau were seriously at odds. Leah, poor thing, kept trying to have children so that her husband, Jacob would love her. Jacob’s father-in-law, Laban, got him drunk on his wedding night and gave him the wrong wife – on purpose. The son’s of Jacob (founders of ten of the tribes of Israel) lied to a bunch of men about making a covenant, then proceeded to slaughter all of them after they had convinced them to be circumsized. It just goes on and on. Messed up, I am telling you!

Nevertheless,

God told Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” How is this even possible? If God can use Abraham and his family with all their problems to bless the nations, then He can SURELY use ANYBODY!

Check in next time, and I will continue my thoughts on this subject. I will be addressing the legalistic applications of 1 Timothy 3, the portion of Scripture most likely used to keep the Pharisees in the pulpit, and the Publicans in the pews.

Here’s a teaser: should divorce keep one from serving as deacon or pastor?

Tell me what YOU think.

1 Comment

Filed under Christian Living, General Observations, legalism, Relationships and Family, Uncategorized, World View

by Anthony Baker | August 12, 2010 · 6:52 am

Why I Hate Traffic Cameras

So, you’re just doing your own thing, minding your own business, when all of a sudden it seems like a cameraman with a huge flash took a picture of your car. You look around and see nobody, but someone is looking, alright. In a few days you receive a ticket in the mail. Some flash, while others do not, but these traffic cameras are always watching, always ready to snitch on the least little infraction.

I was wondering just recently why it is that I cannot stand these cameras. Supposedly, they are instrumental in saving lives by causing people to drive slower and safer. Maybe. I haven’t seen the statistics. But if they are good at saving lives, then why do I abhor those electronic tattle-tales?

The reason these cameras make me so angry is that they are insulting. Quite frankly, they are un-American (seriously). They insult every one who has earned the right to be trusted to act mature. They imply that I am no more responsible than the teenager who can’t be trusted with his parent’s car.

Every year more laws are added to the books by people who seem to feel that if they don’t write laws, then they won’t get re-elected. We don’t need more laws! We also don’t need spying, tattle-telling, big-brother eyes everywhere. Every day that passes brings us closer to a day when this society will crawl in diapers, drink from government-issued bottles, and never think or make decisions for themselves.

The basis for our laws, I believe, is the Ten Commandments. The beauty of our government, as originally intended, however, is that it was to govern a people who were moral, having the law of God written on the heart (Ps 37:32; Jer 31:33). Maturity has a lot to do with it, also. A moral, mature, self-sufficient people don’t need to be monitored at every curve. It’s a lot like grace.

1 Comment

Filed under legalism, Uncategorized

by Anthony Baker | July 27, 2010 · 8:52 am

Wearing Crocs to the Hospital

Life has happened pretty fast over the last year. I just looked and it has been almost a year since I last posted anything. How sad!

I think that one reason for my long absence was my lack of things to say, especially in the light of so many other blogs that have so much content. Does it ever cross anyone’s mind as to what these people do fo a living? I pastor a church, drive a school bus (which I hate), and go to school full-time (I just started back this summer on-line at Tennessee Temple). Well, I have something on my mind today.

What should a preacher wear to visit a church member in the hospital? I have always been accustomed to dressing up, at least in such a way that looked dress/casual. Today is going to be different. It is going to be 100 degrees again. Our only car just lost its air conditioning. So what am I going to do?Wear a silk camp shirt (untucked with palm trees on it), blue jeans, and a pair of crocs with no socks. Is this wrong?

Appearances do have a lot to do with how people perceive us. In reality, going to the hospital to visit the sick, especially the dying, may not be best accomplished with Crocs and a cool shirt. There are times when tact and wisdom are needed. In other words it is very un-cool to wear a t-shirt to a funeral. Pastors are real people, though. Sometimes our congregations want to feel like you are accessible now and then. When they want a friend, they like the blue jeans. When they need a spiritual rock, a leader, a prophet of God, I think they usually prefer the suit and tie.

The Doctrine of Separation Examined

There are so many destructive teachings that are simply corruptions of actual truth. One of those is the doctrine of separation. Practiced within the more independent and fundamental sects of Christianity, this doctrine is mainly derived from 2 Corinthians 6:17, ” Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you…” The idea is that if one group does not agree with another in all areas, then association is considered sinful, or at least liberal.

I personally believe that this has been taken way too far within the body of Christ.

A few Sundays ago I was at a church where a missionary was speaking. I really enjoyed hearing what he had to say. What disappointed me was what was on his prayer card. Listed on the back, in his statement of beliefs, was the “doctrine of separation.” However, during the message that he preached, he spoke of how it was good to be able to talk to a Charistmatic believer in Mongolia. He spoke of how it was good, in a land that so few missionaries frequented, to find anyone to talk to that was a Christian. But when it came to working together, that was a different story.

Years ago, in 1992, I was given the opportunity to travel to Romania for a month. Long story short, in order to do some first-time evangelical work in a small village, two other young guys and myself were priviledged to hire a young interpreter to help us. Actually, he was helping a Pentecostal church group rebuilding grain silos during the day. Because he was free in the evening, he helped us. He even helped us make friends with the Pentecostal group. We didn’t have services together, but we did get to have friendly contact. Ultimately, because of this unplanned cooperation (the Church of God folk paid the interpreter for us) around 80 souls came to accept Christ as their Saviour in one week.

When I got back to the U.S., thoughts crossed my mind about how Baptist missionaries could develope ways to work together with other Christian missionaries in third-world countries, especially where the work was great. Pooling local resources and manpower for mutual benefit seemed something totally logical to me; but not to BIMI, the mission agency with which I had traveled. Unlike Southern Baptist missionaries, independent Baptist missionaries have to raise their own funds to reach the field and to stay there. To me it seemed that being able to work with other Christians to accomplish like goals was a no-brainer, but not according to the doctrine of separation which BIMI held true to, as do most independent Baptists with which I have been aquainted.

The belief that Christians cannot work together, worship together, or evangelize together to reach a common desired goal is crazy. There are areas that make Baptists (of which I am) different from other denominations, and rightfully so. These differences, however, are more often than not of little eternal significance. Baptists believe in baptism by submersion, for instance, while Presbyterians normally do not. Is that worth saying that when it comes to winning the lost for Christ that we must remain separate in all things? Even if a friend of mine is a five-point Calvinist, does that mean that I can’t walk down a street with him as we both preach salvation through Jesus alone? I like what article XIV of the 2000 edition of theBaptist Faith and Message has to say on the subject:

“Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for the extention of Christ’s Kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ’s people. Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.”

When it comes to the legalists and the Pharisaical crowd that promotes separation to the extent of mutual exclusion, finger pointing and self-glorification (i.e., “I am right with God and you are not, because you don’t believe the same as me.”), maybe isolation isn’t that bad. More people than not, I truly believe, think that working together for the greater good of the Kingdom is biblical. Only a small minority of so-called “fundamentalists” within the Christian faith feel otherwise. However, the problem is not so much that we believe that working together is good as long as there is no compromise, it’s getting us to actually DO it. Let the “separatists” stay separate if they wish, but let the rest of us unite where possible to form a true Nation of Christians, the body of Christ.

Say what you will about the “herd mentality,” but it is the loners that the lions and wolves look for first. There truly is strength in unity.