Christianity at a Great Bargain

The way the economy is today, people are always looking for the best bargain.  We look for discounts, sales, freebees, and products at the best value.  We look for deals on clothes, groceries, furniture, and just about everything else.  It isn’t surprising then for people to look for Christianity at a bargain as well.

What do we mean by “bargain Christianity”?  Think of it this way, every denomination claims to be able to show how to get to heaven, but nearly every one of them has a different way to get there.  As a result, many people end up settling for the brand of Christianity that requires the least amount of effort to get to heaven and seems to fits them the best.

Let’s say there are two form of Christianity we are considering.  One follows Scripture very closely and puts incredible effort into following every command found in the New Testament.  People following this form will strive their entire lives to sin less, to be closer with God, and could even miss the heavenly reward if not followed.  The other form simply asks that we have faith in Jesus and make him our personal savior, thereby saving us and making it impossible to ever fall away from grace, no matter what we do.  People following this form can literally never be lost in sin ever again, no matter how bad or sinful the rest of their lives are.  If both of these brands of Christianity were going to get you to heaven, which would you choose?  Obviously we would choose the second option because it’s much easier and seems to be a better bargain.  The problem is, this doesn’t fit with the Christianity in Scripture (Galatians 5:4; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 7:21-23; etc).

Even though denominations seem like a steal, they are actually gimmicks and knockoffs of true Christianity.  Scripture has always made it clear that there is a very specific and limited way to reach heaven.  Jesus said in the singular tense, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).  To make it even clearer, Jesus talked about one, and only one, road that leads to life, and the other road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  The inspired apostle Paul reinforced this idea by saying, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

In reality, there is no such thing as “bargain Christianity.”  According to Scripture, either we are a part of the one and only church found in Scripture (Acts 2), or we are being deceived by Satan and those who are “disguised as servants of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15; 4:3-4; Matthew 7:21-23).  The only way to know the truth is to follow the Bible’s commands.

The Christianity God offers to all people could not come at any better price as it is!  There is only one true form of Christianity; all other brands are gimmicks and knockoffs.  Thankfully, Scripture gives very specific guidelines for salvation, worship, and the organization of the church to make true Christianity easier to identify.

Are you part of the one church found in Scripture?  Would you like to know more about the Christianity found in the Bible?  Do you have questions?  If so, please let us know so we can study and find the truth together.

SINGING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING: "NIGHT, WITH EBON PINION"

Neal Pollard

Another song we often sing prior to the Lord's Supper is "Night, With Ebon Pinion."  Written in 1854, when Schumann and Liszt were composing, Dickens and Thoreau were writing, and Nightingale was nursing, Love Jameson wrote this beautiful hymn.  However, its wording has puzzled many a thoughtful singer.  Filled with beautiful poetry, it is nonetheless enigmatic at points.

The first verse begins, "Night, with ebon pinion." The Praise for the Lord songbook has notations for difficult words and phrases.  Thus, at the bottom of the song is an explanation.  "Ebon pinion" means "wings of darkness."  So, the complicated beginning can hamper our comprehension of the next phrase ("brooded o'er the vale").  Though the word "brood" has several meanings, including those related to birds, the thought here seems to be that dark night hovered closely over the place (which context suggests is the Garden of Gethsemane).  The verse paints the picture of darkness and silence, except for the sound of the wind.  In that lonely setting, Jesus, in profound sorrow, intensely prayed, completely overcome with emotion and exhaustion ("prostrate").  Jameson appeals to Luke's record of events in this verse (Lk. 22:44).

The second verse begins with an allusion to Isaiah 53, blending together several ideas from that prophetic chapter which foretells the events of the crucifixion.  It also bears resemblance to Romans 4:25. But, then Jameson returns to the lonely scenes of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed while Peter, James and John slept (cf. Mark 14:33-37).

The last verse begins by again alluding to Mark 14, where Jesus, in deep sorrow, pleads to God, "Abba, Father" (36). This is a special, Aramaic word.  It is the language of a child to his father, but its meaning is also of one who is an heir.  The songwriter seems to be drawing on the intimate, personal aspect of the relationship between Son and Father. The rest of the verse alludes back to Jesus' prayer (Mat. 26:39 and Luke 22:42).

Taken together, this song is meant to lift a single facet of Jesus' diverse suffering, His time in agonizing prayer in prospect of His arrest, trial, scourging, mockery, hanging, and all else that He endured.  It helps us remember the anxiety our Savior, all-man as well as all-God (Heb. 5:7).  If we comprehend and contemplate its meaning, it can aid our mental preparation for the Lord's Supper as well as remind us of God's great love for each of us! 

Who Ruined Ray Fosse's Career?

Neal Pollard

One of the most unforgettable moments in all of sports history must be the 12th inning of the 1970 All-Star game, when the young Cleveland Indians' catcher, Ray Fosse, was violently upended by Mr. "Charlie Hustle," Pete Rose, of the Cincinatti Reds.  It was such a hard hit, many wrongfully credit Rose with ruining Fosse's promising career (he would retire before the end of the decade). Rose did separate Fosse's shoulder, but closer investigation uncovers more clues as to what happened to Fosse.  

Fosse actually spent five tours on the disabled list, for everything from a side muscle pull to a neck injury suffered while breaking up a fight in the clubhouse (Reggie Jackson and Billy North got into a brawl and Fosse suffered a crushed disk trying to stop them from hurting each other, bleacherreport.com).  He was also hit by a cherry bomb, thrown from the stands, that blew up by his foot, "badly burning the arch of his foot and causing a shock" (baseballlibrary.com).  

Sometimes, when we suffer and struggle, we look for a scapegoat--something or someone to blame.  We may blame the church as a whole or a congregation where we attend.  We may blame someone who mistreated us or a bad series of events in our life.  If we are not careful, we may be placing the blame in the wrong place.  Others, from the outside looking in, may think our troubles are from one source when they actually are from quite another.

Others who cause us to stumble share responsibility for our fall (Lk. 17:3).  We are influenced by outside influences.  However, ultimately, no one else can be blamed for our lostness if we allow ourselves to fall and do not overcome it.  Elders will give an account for their oversight (cf. Heb. 13:17). Preachers and teachers must be careful about their preaching and teaching (1 Tim. 4:16).  So must more mature Christians (Rom. 15:1ff). But, let us remember, "Each one of us will give an account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12) and "each one will be recompensed for his deeds in the body" (2 Cor. 5:10). 

1 Corinthians 11 And Women's Role In The Church

Neal Pollard

For about a generation or so, there has been a significant, ever-growing push within churches of Christ to put Christian women into an "egalitarian" (equal) role with men in the worship and, sometimes, leadership of the church.  Sometimes, such a movement was prompted by perceived cultural pressures.  Emotional arguments have been made. At times, scriptural arguments have been put forth.  About a decade ago, I was asked to participate in a book project in which I was assigned the subject, "The Role of Women In The Church" (Dyer, Haynes, and Jenkins, Redeeming the Times, 128-140). My task was to show the many things Christian women can do in the church, as well as examine New Testament passages that "legislate" (no doubt, an unsavory word to some) the role of women in the church.  Consider a brief excerpt from this book, where I dealt with just one of several passages (1 Cor. 11:2-16):

There Is An Ordained Model For Gender Roles (3)

Actually, Paul points out three relationships: man in relationship to Christ, woman in relationship to man, and Christ in relationship to the Father. Only one of these relationships involves gender--the second. yet, all three are hierarchical (by which this writer means an arrangement according to order of role). In each pair, one is "head" and the other is to be in subjection to that head. Some maintain that an ambiguity exists about whether "husband" and "wife" rather than "man" and "woman" is intended in this passage. In light of the larger context it seems that these gender roles are applicable with regard to function and role within the church. To limit it to the home or stretch it to mean all situations is to do violence to the text. Paul seems to be addressing church matters, so the verse is best understood as addressing the function of men and women within church life and work.

This Model Could Be Violated (4-7a, 14-15)

Though the example seems obviously cultural in nature, Paul references it to show that the Christian man and the Christian woman could potentially be guilty of violating the gender roles established by God. At the end of the thought begun in verse four, Paul gives the underlying rationale for why the cultural practice was to be observed. Yet, the mention of head-coverings here, a matter that was "obligatory and temporary," seems to serve as an example of how the Corinthian Christians were violating their gender roles. In any age, though cultural variables and norms may change, the man or woman could be guilty of violating the biblical model for gender roles in the church.

This Model Is Established By Order Of Creation (7b-9)

The reasoning given by Paul is tied to creation. The why of the order of creation may be endlessly debated. That it is a fact cannot be denied. The very reason why woman was to recognize man as head goes back to Adam and Eve. 

This Model Is Maintained For A Heavenly Reason (10)

The mysterious statement in verse ten may refer to angelic involvement and interest in the activity, obedience, and worship of Christians. Whatever it means, it is given as support for the woman to observe the cultural symbol of subjection to the man.

This Model Does Not Allow For Abuse (11-12)

While the model has certainly been abused, the scripture makes neither allowance nor permission for such abuse. Each gender is dependent upon the other. Interdependence has primary significance in the marriage relationship (Gen. 2:18,23), but it also seen in the church. The very propagation of the human race is a matter of interdependence (12). Therefore, neither gender has cause to boast. The church is complete because of the presence of men and women. Neither gender is superior or inferior because of the roles given them by God!

Nightmare Vacation Cruise

4,200 people thought they were embarking on a luxurious cruise in the Gulf of Mexico.  Those high hopes came crashing down when a fuel leak led to a fire in the engine room.  Besides crippling the engines, the fire also disabled the ships power and support systems.  As a result, the freshwater systems and sewage systems were put out of action.  People soon had to deal with backed up plumbing, overflowing toilets, food shortages, and rooms without heat or air conditioning.  Some even had to sleep on sewage soaked carpets and ate meals consisting of candy and ketchup on buns (New York Times).  No one could wash themselves and people were starting to get sick.  Thankfully, some of the support systems were restored partially, but the boat was still left crippled, stranded, and drifting for five days.

Finally help arrived.  Several tugboats came to pull the ship back to port.  Unfortunately, one of the towlines snapped, causing further delays.  With high winds also working against them, it ended up taking four tugboats to bring the ship back to port.  The tragedy wasn’t quite over for some though.  Upon arriving on land, the passengers were provided with buses to shuttle them back to certain locations.  One of the buses heading to the New Orleans airport ended up breaking down on the highway.  Once they finally reached the airport, the flight they were scheduled to take was delayed because of an electrical failure (New York Daily News). This ended up being one of those trips were almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

It’s safe to say this vacation didn’t quite go as planned.  People had expected a fun and relaxing getaway, but ended up in a nightmare.  Whether it came about because of negligence or coincidence, all it took was one little leaky fuel line to cripple the “900-foot long, 101,509 gross ton” Triumph cruise ship (Wikipedia).

It’s ironic that a massive operation can come to a screeching halt because of one small problem. This can be seen in most parts of life, the most dangerous example being in our spiritual lives.  An alcoholic is born by just having a sip.  A drug addict gets hooked by just trying it once.  A habitual liar starts with a little white lie.  A family is quickly torn apart by adultery because a thought was at one time entertained.

We are warned in Scripture to never “give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:27).  We are reminded, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough” (Galatians 5:9).  Just a small amount of sin can grow to destroy individuals, families, and entire congregations.  It is vital that we destroy even the smallest sins that have a grasp on us.  Our salvation could depend on it.