Women do much of the work in most congregations. Jesus was served by a number of women who followed Him during His earthly ministry. As is often noted, women were “last at the cross and first at the tomb.” Mary Magdalene out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons, Mary the mother of John Mark, and Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus, were among them. Jesus gave honor and respect to women in an age in which they were largely thought of as property or chattel. In an age in which Rabbis were forbidden by Jewish tradition to teach women, Jesus commended Mary as having “chosen the better part” as she listened and learned from Jesus (Luke 10:42). [Editor’s Note: Women. What would we do without them in the home or in the church? ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians NKJV). We cannot always control our circumstances, but we can control our reactions to them. The Bible does not say be thankful for all circumstances but in all circumstances. When my first wife died, I could not be thankful for her death, but I could be thankful for the 62 years we had together as man and wife. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). That does not say that everything that happens is good, but that whatever happens, God will work it with all other things for our good. We, therefore, can give thanks for the good God brings. [God’s vantage point exceeds that of humans, and like with an unimaginably giant jigsaw puzzle, through His providence, He puts all the pieces in the right places to accomplish His will. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] When any faithful child of God dies, we can rejoice at the joy they experience. Christians have “the hope of the resurrection” (NRSV). Our corruptible will become incorruptible, our mortal will become immortal, and our dishonorable will become glorious, guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection!

My stepbrother’s mother was determined that he should go to church on Sunday. When he and his wife were at a period in their lives when they were not attending, his mother would call him early on Sunday mornings and let it ring until he or his wife answered. His mother would say, “I know you are not going to church this morning, but you are not going to sleep in either!” and then hang up. Another one of the phone calls was to say, “I don’t know how I am going to be happy in Heaven without you there, but God says I will be happy, so I’ll just have to trust Him, because I don’t think I’ll be seeing you there” and hang up. She would call every Sunday morning with some saying like that. When my daughter Betty was asked why she returned to the Lord, she replied, “My mother never stopped praying for me.” “My mother told me what mattered was my relationship with God, not what others are doing with God.” My stepbrother Charlie and daughter Betty are now active servants of the Lord in His church. [Editor’s Note: Taking the Gospel to the whole world (Mark 16:15-16; James 1:5:19-20) begins with one’s own family. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

“Christ-mas” was originally a special Roman Catholic Church mass that focused on the birth of Christ – the incarnation. Since the date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, the RCC chose the pagan festival for the rebirth of the sun, when in the northern hemisphere the daylight hours start getting longer. In a much-used tactic, they gave Christian meaning to a pagan festival. So, Christmas traces back to a pagan festival and a Roman Catholic Mass. The church, though, is not authorized to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Consequently, many in churches of Christ oppose giving Christmas any religious significance, celebrating it just as a family holiday gathering. I remember a tag line on a church bulletin, maybe even announcing a sermon topic, that read, “Keep Christ out of Christmas.” That was decades ago, but I remember thinking then, “I do not want to keep Christ out of anything or anywhere.” Today, secular humanists want to keep Christ out of everything. I want to be their strongest opposition. I do not want to be their ally. A little boy was told, “No one knows the actual birthday of Jesus; somebody just made up a date to celebrate.” The boy said, “Wow. If we didn’t know when mine was, I would want somebody to make up one for me.” A passage in Romans directly addresses how Christians should deal with special holidays, but it is rarely quoted or mentioned in most of the sermons and articles that tell us we should not preach or sing about

“The Jews demand signs” (1 Corinthians 1:22 ESV). Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He worked “mighty works and wonders and signs,” which “attested to” (guaranteed) the truth of who he claimed to be (Acts 2:22). Throughout the Gospel records, He healed the sick, casts out demons and raised the dead. Yet, frequently, He was asked by His doubters and enemies, “Show us a sign!” The signs and wonders He was doing were eminently suitable for a divine King of a spiritual kingdom, the kind of kingdom He came to establish (John 18:26). They show Him to have power over sickness, demons and death. Jesus’ enemies were not satisfied. They wanted a material kingdom to defeat Rome, freeing them from Roman domination and establishing a kingdom in which they would rule over the nations, the Gentiles. So, they wanted some kind of sign of military power, maybe like Satan suggested: “Go up on the temple tower and jump off; the people will be amazed when angels bear you up and keep you from harm” (paraphrase of Matthew 4:5-6). Jesus usually answered the request for a sign cryptically, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 16:4). In Matthew 12:40, He added, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The

Paul told Titus, “But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:9-11 ESV). Among the “works of the flesh” are “enmity, strife… rivalries, dissensions, divisions.” These are numbered right along with “sexual immorality… idolatry… orgies.” “Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19- 21). God strongly opposes those who, because they are eager for arguments and love to pick fights, bring division among brothers.

Jesus said of Satan, “He is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44 ESV). Even if his words have a grain of truth in them, his assertions will always be half-truths, designed to deceive. I sometimes preach a sermon to young people I call, “All Satan’s Apples Have Worms.” Satan told Eve, “You will not surely die, For God knows that when you eat of it, you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5). Indeed, as the name of the tree suggested, when they ate, they knew good and evil, but not like God. They knew evil by disobeying God and thus participating in it. God never knew evil by doing evil. Satan lied again.

The first sermon preached each Sunday is not by the pulpit preacher but by you. You preach a message about the importance of the Scriptures when you bring your Bible. You preach a message of good cheer when you say “Good Morning!” to those you meet when you park your car and when you are in the hallway and classroom. You preach a message of hope and joy when you sing enthusiastically during the song service. You preach a message about the power of prayer when you fervently enter into our time of prayer together. You preach a message of respect when you listen attentively while the preacher is speaking. You preach a message of love when you smile, say “Hello” and introduce yourself to visitors. You preach a message of faith when you give your offering. Many messages are preached before the preacher stands up to bring his message. If your message is positive and consistent, then the message from the pulpit will be much better received. Come each Sunday prepared to preach your sermon.

“I don’t have any problem with instrumental music,” a brother or sister affirms. Such statements are heard more frequently from people with long standing connections to the church. Since I believe there are good biblical reasons for rejecting instrumental music, I am distressed at hearing such declarations. Often, I believe, they are symptoms of larger problems. The quest for a “new hermeneutic” that received so much attention a few years ago was, in my opinion, a search for a way of reading the Bible that would enable “us” to be accepted by Evangelicals, to be no longer considered outsiders. The “new hermeneutic” leads to acceptance of instruments in worship, allows for wider use of women in worship leadership and enables preachers to say baptism is essential for salvation while still accepting unimmersed people as Christians. Becoming an accepted denomination among denominations seems to be the reason for it, and complete loss of every distinctive element of the restoration plea is the fruit of it. [Editor’s Note: For the same reason as the foregoing, I started writing a book, the title and thesis of which is, “Converting the Church to Christ.” There is an apparent disconnect by many Christians and several congregations from biblical authority and the distinctive characteristics of the church for which Jesus Christ died and over which He is the Head, as well as the children of God for whom He will come back to retrieve. There is an obvious need for a brotherhood wide demonstration of conviction and

The proposal that the earth is billions of years old is based on calculations as to how long it takes for organic material to turn into oil, for example. If you could have met Adam the day after he was created, how old would you have guessed him to be? He was, of course, created full grown. There is no reason not to assume that other things created were also created full grown. A full-grown earth, planned by a Creator who knew what would be needed, would have had mountains, canyons, hills and petroleum. That is easier to believe than that the earth began with nothing and gradually, accidentally became the earth we now have. That is our choice: an intelligent, all-powerful Creator or nothing becoming something, accidentally evolving into, not only a full-grown earth but intelligent, rational beings capable of seeing, hearing and talking. Take your choice. I have made mine. “…What may be known of God is manifest in them [mankind], for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20 NKJV).

Everyone is saddened by the thousands of young people, devout altar boys and female seminarians, sexually abused by priests, those who should have been their spiritual mentors representing Christ to them. The Roman Church hierarchy is corrupt both in doctrine and in morals. Corruption of doctrine leads to corruption in morality. The sexual drive is one of the strongest human urges, right alongside self-preservation, thirst and hunger, all implanted in us by our Creator. God speaks to this in Scripture. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1 Corinthians 7:2-5 ESV) To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Corinthians 7:8-9) Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15 NKJV). Among professing Christians, that may be the most disobeyed passage in the Bible. The normal reaction to “If your brother sins against you” is “Go tell several other people what he has done.” Incidentally, if you realize you have offended a brother, Jesus says, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Whether you are the offender or the offendee, you should meet one another on the way to make it right.

Since “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV), God is Scripture’s ultimate Author. One may correctly say, “God said,” introducing a quote from Scripture. However, God allowed each human author to have his own distinct style and vocabulary. In some cases, different authors may use a word or phrase with their own distinct meaning. “Eternal life” in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) and Paul’s epistles refers to life as in heaven (Mark 10:30). John, however, in his Gospel account and epistles, says, “We have eternal life” using “eternal life” as equivalent to forgiveness of sins. In Scripture, death is often “separation” from God. When our sins are forgiven, we have “life” again. The nature of that life is not physical but eternal – reconciliation to God.

It is popular in some circles to say, “Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.” It is certainly an often-overlooked truth that Christianity is a relationship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Lord and Savior. It is, however, also a “religion,” in the original sense of the Latin word “religio,” which means “bond,” “obligation” and “reverence.” Our relationship with Jesus is as Lord. He has laid on us bonds and obligations, “religio.” He himself asked, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:45 ESV). Today’s culture downplays authority – of policemen, of parents, of elders and of even of the Bible, which is the Word of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The fact that all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) is an unequivocal assertion of biblical authority over the lives of believers and the church. All authority is being questioned. Christianity, while it does involve a relationship with Jesus and God, is a faith with content. It is not just a warm, fuzzy feeling. Christianity is a religion founded on a relationship with One Who is Lord and God.

Preaching gets a bad rap in the population at large. Along with product advertising and political speech, except for those who already believe, people typically listen to preaching with suspicion or just disregard it altogether. Some of the negative attitudes toward preaching are well-founded (e.g., reactions to some television evangelists). Some preachers counter negative reaction to preaching by trying to sound like they are not preaching. Instead of proclamation or exhortation and rebuke, they share reflections and musings. This is weak preaching of the wrong sort. The apostle Paul’s preaching “in weakness and fear” was a renunciation of rhetorical eloquence (“lofty speech”) and theological speculation (“wisdom”). It was a simple, straightforward proclamation of Jesus Christ, crucified and raised! Rejected as a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, the preaching of the cross is nevertheless declared to be both the power and wisdom of God. “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).

Because of the uncertainty of life, people are frequently exhorted to be baptized “because you may die.” Death can come at any time, to the old or to the young. We must be ready when death comes. On the other hand, the Christian life is an “abundant life” (John 10:10). The fellowship of fellow Christians – brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers in the Lord, people who will help you when you need them – is ours in Christ (Mark 10:29-30). Real joy is found in loving your neighbor – in feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely, mowing the lawn of the infirm, helping others anonymously, being good even to our enemies – as Jesus commanded. Even if there were no Heaven, the Christian life is still the best life to live. So, become a Christian or be more faithful because you may live! [Editor’s Note: Allurements to be baptized because the baptistry water is warm or because this is a convenient time, etc. are not valid reasons for being baptized. Rather, conviction ought to be the factor that leads to conversion. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Job’s three friends were a comfort to him for a full week. They were silent, but there (2:13). When they spoke, they were “worthless physicians” (13:4) and “miserable comforters” (16:2). A little girl was “adopted” as a grandchild by a couple next door. The wife died; the girl went next door and sat outside with the old man for a couple of hours. When she came home, her mother asked, “What did you say to him?” “Nothing,” she said. “I just sat with him and helped him cry.” When death or other tragedies occur, often there are no appropriate words to say. To be of genuine comfort, just be there.

First principles, as enumerated in Hebrews 6:1-2, need to be retaught because some who need to grow beyond them have forgotten them (Hebrews 5:12). For some, first principles mean faith, repentance, baptism, the church and acceptable worship. Those, too, need to be kept before us. However, let’s be sure we do not forget some important things the Bible also labels as first. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-38).

Most of us can identify with Paul in Romans 7. “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (15 ESV). “For I have the desire to do what is right, but I do not do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (19-20). If we do actually identify with Paul, the following statements are also true of us. “Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good” (16). “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being” (22). I “hate” the sin that I am doing (15). “I have the desire to do what is right” (19). Paul cried out in anguish, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Then, he answered his own questioning cry, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (24-25a). Yet, even after thanking God for his deliverance, he acknowledged the struggle continues. “So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (25b). His next words are, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1). There are two stated qualifications to be one for whom there is no condemnation: be “in Christ Jesus” (8:1) and

A truth undergirding the call for freedom of speech is that truth is shown to be truth when it is arrayed against error or untruth. When one idea feels it has to shout down another so that it cannot be heard, it is admitting its view cannot stand the light of truth. Charles Krauthammer, a favorite writer of mine, now deceased, said, “I believe the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking.” Long ago, a call went out to opposing ideas, saying, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18).

“When brothers and sisters differ with one another, how we differ is just as important as the fact that we differ or as the subject about which we differ” (Joshua Fullman, Chapel, Faulkner University). A dog owner was trying to force-feed his dog some cod liver oil. The dog was resisting violently. As the “fight” continued, some of the oil was spilled on the floor. The dog eagerly lapped the cod liver oil off the floor. It wasn’t the medicine the dog was rejecting, but it was the method of delivery to which he objected. Some of us seem to feel that one honestly mistaken about some doctrine needs to be rebuked and condemned rather than taught. When we do this, we often do more harm than good, solidifying people in their error. When we are correcting a brother overtaken in a fault, we are to do so with gentleness and humility (Galatians 6:1). When we answer those who ask for a reason for our hope, we are to answer them with gentleness and respect (2 Peter 3:16). Whenever we speak, we are to speak truth with love (Ephesians 4:15). [Editor’s Note: There is a difference between an impenitent false teacher (Romans 16:17-18) or divisive person (Titus 3:10) and someone who did not know something and who is teachable (Acts 18:26). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Preachers in Acts preached the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:20). Paul decided to know nothing “except Jesus and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). We are to preach Jesus, His teachings, His life as our example, His death, His resurrection and His ascension to heaven, where “He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Preaching Jesus to the Ethiopian treasurer included preaching baptism (Acts 8:35-38). When the Ephesians “learned Christ,” they learned a more moral and holy lifestyle, different from the pagans (Ephesians 4:17-20). Biblical preaching how husbands and wives are to treat each other (Ephesians 5:22-23), conduct in the workplace (Colossians 3:22-24), responding to unjust suffering (1 Peter 2:21) or being kind, gentle and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32) is all related to Christ. Preachers can neglect other essential things, but no one can preach Jesus too much.

An honest young man saw the truth from the Bible that he needed to be baptized into Christ to put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). He hesitated, though. He loved and honored his honest parents, and they had never been baptized. He could not bring himself to do something that might imply they did not go to Heaven. His parents owned a country store. The teacher suggested, “Suppose, unknown to them, their scales were not correctly calibrated. Every time they charged for a pound, absolutely incorrect, the customers received less than for which they paid. Then, suppose a man from the State Bureau of Weights and Measures came by and showed them their scales were off. Wouldn’t they immediately change them?“ If they saw the truth that you now see, wouldn’t they obey? Wouldn’t they want you to obey the truth?

If Christ is not raised, I and every other preacher may as well quit preaching. We have nothing of value to say. All we have believed is a lie. Jesus is dead and powerless. We have no hope of life. Our loved ones who died in Christ are perished. However, He is risen, and He lives. Those who came to the tomb to anoint His body were asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but, is risen.” Two popular images of Jesus are a baby in a manger and a body on the cross. Both, taken by themselves, are images of weakness. He is no longer a babe; suffering made Him our perfect Savior (Hebrews 2:8-9). He lives and makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). When we think of Jesus’ death, even in taking the Lord’s Supper, we should not leave Him in the grave. He is risen; He lives. He conquered Satan, Hell and death. Through Him who loved us, we are more than conquerors.

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word, And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and prayed and laid their hands on then. (Acts 6:1-6) Murmuring “A complaint by the Hellenists arose.” The KJV translates, “there arose a murmuring.” Murmuring is a serious sin (1 Corinthians 10:10), and Christians are warned not to engage in it (Philippians 2:14). “Murmuring” is not an acceptable way to communicate a problem to the leadership. However, instead of condemning murmuring, the apostles listened and understood there was a genuine problem. Solving problems, pacifying people and keeping peace were all deemed more important, so the apostles responded as if the problem had been called to their attention the right way. Delegation The apostles needed to continue giving their

A broadcaster was giving reasons why he thought a person was not qualified for an office he was seeking. He included, “He doesn’t believe in evolution.” The unstated conclusion he expected us to draw was, “He is ignorant, uneducated and, therefore, unfit to hold any office.” The statement, “He doesn’t believe in evolution,” regarding most people, is not true. Evolution is a common occurrence. Every educated person “believes in it.” It accounts for different breeds of dogs, for Angus beef cattle and Jersey milk cows, etc., and on that scale, within species and “kinds,” it is readily observable. What the accused person likely did not believe, as I do not, is that evolution is sufficient to account for the great diversity of plant, animal and human life, where supposedly something came from nothing. That theory of evolution supposes life was accidentally produced by non-life, and for instance, something so complex and perfectly designed as the eye came into being by accident. The eye alone would take hundreds of beneficial accidents all happening at the same moment. Intelligent design is more reasonable, and therefore, it is more scientific than the theory of evolution as an explanation for the existence of anything. That the complexities of the universe and life all happened accidentally is more of a religion than a scientific theory.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm. It is also the longest chapter in the Bible. It is an acrostic. Each verse in each section of eight verses begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, through 22 sections in (Hebrew) alphabetical order. Quite a literary feat! In addition, every one of the 176 verses contains a synonym for God’s Word: “law” verse 1, “testimonies” verse 2, “ways” verse 3, “precepts” verse 4, “statutes” verse 5, “commandments” verse 6, “rules” verse 7, “statutes” verse 8, etc. God’s Word is our joy and delight. “In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches” (14). “I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (16). “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors” (24). “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (72). “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (97). God’s Word keeps us from sin. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (9). “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (11). God’s Word is eternal and unchanging. “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (89). “Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true” (142). “Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live” (144). “The sum of your word is truth, and every

The Gospel, as defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, consists in the facts “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas…” What is often cited as three facts of the Gospel are actually four: Christ died, was buried, was raised and appeared. First Corinthians proceeds to name others who saw Him also. That He appeared is what enabled Peter to say on Pentecost, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). In writing Acts, Luke said Jesus presented Himself alive to the apostles “after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Among the “many proofs” of the resurrection are the fact of the empty tomb and the reliability of the eyewitnesses. The witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection are for the most part men who had traveled, eaten, conversed and slept in His and one another’s company for a period of about three years. They would hardly have been fooled by an imposter. They were men who were fearful, not believing that He would rise from the dead as He had said, running away from His accusers lest they be accused. However, after seeing the risen Lord, they were transformed and emboldened. Peter, who had trembled before a servant girl and denied he had even known the Lord,

Abraham raised his hand to plunge the knife into his son, Isaac, the son of promise, when the angel of the Lord stopped him with a word. Then, the Lord said, “Now I know that you fear God seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:12). Isaac was loved by Abraham, as all fathers love their sons. Beyond that, however, Isaac was the son of whom God had said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named” (Genesis 21:11). Every promise God had made to Abraham was to be fulfilled in Abraham’s descendants through Isaac, not in Abraham himself. So, Abraham had faith that God would keep his promises to raise up children through Isaac, even if he also had faith enough to kill Isaac as God commanded.

A specific commandment authorizes; silence about similar things prohibits. The apostolic command is to sing; silence about other kinds of music intentionally omits them. That is a common hermeneutic that we all learned as children. When mama said, “Go play in the backyard,” “backyard” was specific. It commanded an enjoyable and a familiar play place. We learned quickly that her silence about other play places prohibited: playing in the street or inside Phillip’s house next door, for example. Why do we understand that so readily in every venue except in worship to God?

A “Bible class” in which each participant shares “what this verse means to me” can become an exercise in sharing ignorance rather than a learning experience. Someone must pull together and cite the Bible, correctly understood and applied. Private discussions of ethical and religious differences are worthless until someone points to a biblical principle or passage that speaks to the question at issue. The principle is well stated by Balaam: “If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the Lord speaks, that will I speak” (Numbers 24:13). However, though Balaam said that just right, he did not want to do it right. He coveted Balak’s riches. He knew that pronouncing a curse the Lord Himself had not pronounced would do him no good, but he kept rationalizing, following Balak along, until he figured out a way to entice Israel to sin and thus bring a curse on themselves. A religious discussion is not settled until (1) the Bible is correctly cited and (2) the parties to the discussion accept and do what God says.

We sing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” to worship God and to teach and admonish one another (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Many efforts have been made to define the three terms in ways that distinguish among them, but no definitions have found wide acceptance. It is recognized, however, that “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” as a group are distinguished from drinking songs, love ballads, war songs, comic ditties, etc. The sentiment and the words of the songs accomplish the purposes for which we are directed to sing them: praising God and teaching and admonishing one another. Tempo and harmony are important, but the words are more so. Singing can accomplish both teaching and admonishing. Organs, pianos, keyboards, guitars and drum sets accomplish neither.