Christians Are Still Under Law

/ W. Keith Brenton / 6 Comments

“… a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” ~ Galatians 2:16

Yes, I am fully aware of Paul’s words to the believers in Galatia – and am in full agreement. Believers in Christ are not under the law – the law given to Moses – but we are still under law.

What law is that?

Paul, writing to Rome, within a very few verses describes the law to which he is still bound as both “God’s law” and “the law of the Spirit”:

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” ~ Romans 7:25

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” ~ Romans 8:1-2“

When he writes to Corinth, he calls it both “God’s law” and “Christ’s law”:

“To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.” ~ 1 Corinthians 9:21

Obviously, Christ’s law is different from the law given to Moses; the “law of sin and death.”

So what is the law of Christ?

It is a law written on our hearts, for that is the way Jeremiah reveals it to be under the reign of the Messiah:

” ‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ ” ~ Jeremiah 31:33

And the writer to the Hebrews twice declares that this time has come to pass (Hebrews 8:10; 10:16).

What kind of law is written on the heart?

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” ~ Jesus, Matthew 7:12

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” ~ Matthew 22:37 (See also Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:26-28)

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” ~ Paul, Romans 13:8-10

“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” ~ Galatians 5:14

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” ~ Galatians 6:2

The law which is written on the heart – the law of Christ, under which all of His followers are slaves – is a law of love. This love is three-fold: It loves God. It loves others. It is active.

Does the law of love mean that we are not to obey any of the commandments in the law given to Moses? Of course not. All of the ten commandments, save the one regarding the Sabbath, are affirmed in the New Testament. For the believer, every day should be regarded as a Sabbath to the Lord, in which we rest in reflection on His grace toward us (Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Acts 2:42-47 – but in which we also work to care for His creatures (Luke 13:15) and rescue His lost children from the pit (Luke 14:5). And many other commandments given through Moses are specifically repealed in the new covenant: kosher laws, sacrifice, required feasts.

Some have concluded that any commandment given through Moses but not specifically affirmed in New Testament scripture should not – indeed, must not – be obeyed by the believer. They have concluded that, in view of God’s cancellation of the whole law, His silence on a given matter in the New Testament must be interpreted as prohibition – especially with regard to gathered worship.

I strongly disagree with this “law of silence” or “regulative principle”, and I do so on several grounds:

  • It is nowhere explicitly expressed in scripture as a commandment to be obeyed as a guiding principle of interpretation. (And the scriptures cited to support it as examples rely on leaps of imagination and bounds of assumption that go far beyond the logical limitations of a necessary inference.)
  • Other exceptional rules must be appended to it in order for it to justify practices which are already in place that are not specifically “authorized” in scripture, usually under a “law of expediency” which is also not explicitly expressed in scripture and whose citations are torturously manufactured.
  • A “law of silence” speaks where God has not spoken. Instead of letting His silence express that He does not desire to express a preference – or does not have one – it assumes that He forbids.
  • A “law of silence” is absurd on its face. If that which is commanded under the old covenant – instrumental accompaniment for worship in song, for example – is forbidden under the new covenant unless specifically affirmed, then:

    That’s why those who are adamant about their “law of silence” are so careful to limit it to gathered worship; they can sense the absurdity of it if applied to life generally – even if they are blind to the absurdity of it with regard to worship as well. For scripture makes no distinction between behavior/obedience in gathered worship and in living one’s daily life. Trying to ferret out such a distinction in scripture is impossible; un-Christlike behavior in gathered worship is unacceptable; un-Christlike behavior in life is unacceptable. You do not have to read 1 Corinthians more than once to discern that.

Paul shares with the believers at Corinth – and us – a snapshot of love so that we will know how to obey the law of Christ and behave with one another before God in Jesus, our Savior:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Just in case we’ve forgotten – like they had.

Love is the mindset that led Christ to empty Himself, take the form of a servant, and be obedient even unto death on a cross (Philippians 2).

You won’t find just five acts of worship in the law of Christ; instead, you will find this teaching:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” ~ Romans 12:1-2

Love transforms us to lead a life of worship. And did you see? It leads us to discernment of God’s will.

Love for God goes hand-in-hand with obedience:

But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. ~ 1 John 2:5a

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. ~ John 14:23-24

Love is not one-sided; it is wholly reciprocal. And that shouldn’t surprise us; it was God who loved us first.

We love because he first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19

If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. ~ Deuteronomy 7:12

The law of love is the law God obeys, too; it is His very nature, character, and being:

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ~ 1 John 4:8

Oh, there’s lots more to be shared on the subject, but that’s the short version of why I believe Christians are still under law. Not Moses’ law. The law … of love.

The Abolition of Christmas

/ W. Keith Brenton / 6 Comments

Marley confronts Scrooge

“When Jesus died on the cross, he abolished the observance of holy days. They are no longer valid. They cannot be observed today with God’s authority.” ~ “Christmas: From Heaven or From Men?”, Seek The Old Paths, November 2010

This is the level of absurdity to which one can sink when:

  • One assumes that every conceivable action is either morally right or morally wrong
  • One assumes that the moral rightness of every conceivable action must be established by God’s authority; if unauthorized, that activity is condemned
  • One has the infallible skill to accurately apply his own judgment and logic to determine that moral rightness for one’s self and everyone else.

When you read articles like this, it’s good to keep in mind how much is being assumed … and presumed upon … by the author.

And remember, too, that it is so very disrespectful to God, His word and one’s readers

  • to isolate scripture from its context,
  • to interpret it to reach the desired conclusion instead of letting scripture lead one to a conclusion, and
  • to ignore other scripture which clearly refutes the conclusion one desires to reach (such as, in this case, Romans 14).

Observing or not observing Christmas as a holiday – or a “holy day” – is a matter for one’s own conscience, not someone else’s.

Even Scrooge did not presume to rob others of the joy of the season.

“Nephew!” returned the uncle, sternly, “keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.” ~ A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

We All Want To Have It Right

/ W. Keith Brenton / 2 Comments

Calculator or calcunow ... it's all the same to me.You can count on the fingers of both hands the number of times in the New Testament when someone is recognized as being “right” or “correct,” in the sense of having deduced things accurately – and you’d never have to use your thumbs and still have one finger left over.

  1. Mark 7:6
    He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
  2. Matthew 15:7
    You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you …
  3. Mark 12:32
    “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
  4. Luke 7:43
    Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
  5. Luke 10:28
    “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
  6. John 4:17
    “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.”
  7. John 13:13
    “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.

At least, that’s all I found. (Other than a couple more where people thought they were right but were wrong!) Now, I’m not talking about the times the word “right” is used in the sense of “opposite of left” (as in “right hand”), “moral/holy” (as in “do right”), or “innate privilege” (as in “my rights”). I’m just counting the ones having to do with people cogitating correctly.

Because we think that’s pretty important, don’t we?  We all want to have it all right in our heads. Right?

But the numbers for knowing right don’t add up to the number of New Testament verses that feature “do right” or “do what is right.” I found eight of them:

  1. Romans 12:17
    Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
  2. Romans 13:3
    For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
  3. 2 Corinthians 8:21
    For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
  4. 2 Corinthians 13:7
    Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
  5. 1 Peter 3:6
    like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
  6. 1 John 3:10
    This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
  7. 1 Peter 2:14
    or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
  8. Revelation 22:11
    Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Now, I’m not trying to minimize knowing what’s right as compared to doing what’s right; you have to know what’s right before you can do it. Right?

But if you add them together, you still only get 15. Add “do good” / “doing good” and you get about 25 more. Factor in “obey” and “obedience” and you get about 56 more. All that still doesn’t begin to compare to the number of times that the New Testament talks about righteousness or being righteous:

137

In the NIV, that is; from which I’ve drawn all these numbers and comparisons. (Your results and versions may vary. But not that much. I mean, I want to be right all the time. I just don’t have time to be right about all the different versions and counts and numbers and stats. It’s driving me nuts. However, I digress …,)

We all want to have it right in our heads, and some of us want to have it right through our hands, feet, lips, hearts and wallets. Hardly any of us, though, want what it takes to actually be righteous. And that’s okay, because we can’t. Not on our own. Not ever.

Oh, of course, we want to be righteous. We just can’t muster what it takes to be perfect.

That’s okay, too.

Yes, Bible Fans, I’m talking about Romans 3 here. And John 13:15. 1 Peter 2:21-24. It’s pretty simple to correctly deduce:

All we have to do is be like Jesus, and let Him be righteous for us.

You’ll fail. So will I. (Romans 3:23)

We’ll get up and try again, and again, and again; because our Example is perfect (Matthew 5:48; Hebrews 5:9). Yet through His sacrifice, He makes us perfect (Hebrews 10:14).

I’m pretty sure I’m right about that.

If not … I’m sure you’ll set me right!

Every Day or Sunday Only? Unauthorized Worship, Part 6

/ W. Keith Brenton / 4 Comments

Tongues of Fire on PentecostI have nothing against worshiping God together on Sunday. Worship has been practiced among believers on Sunday since the early days of the church.

What I oppose is the notion that gathered worship can only take place on Sunday; that it is only “commanded” on Sunday; that it only has significance on Sunday.

Really? Where in scripture do we read that?

Oh, I’m fully aware that Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.”

I’m also completely certain that 1 Corinthians 16:2 has the instruction: “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

But to insert the word “only” at the beginning of each sentence and to bind the example of the first passage and the instruction of the second as a command for all believers for all time – I believe – is going beyond what the word of God says.

I’m also cognizant that as early as about AD 107, Christian writers were urging the observance of gathered worship on Sunday to especially commemorate the resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1):

  • AD 107: ” … let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days of the week. (Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians, chp 9. Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, pg. 62-63.)
  • AD 130: “Moreover God says to the Jews, ‘Your new moons and Sabbaths 1 cannot endure.’ You see how he says, ‘The present Sabbaths are not acceptable to me, but the Sabbath which I have made in which, when I have rested [heaven: Heb 4] from all things, I will make the beginning of the eighth day which is the beginning of another world.’ Wherefore we Christians keep the eighth day for joy, on which also Jesus arose from the dead and when he appeared ascended into heaven. (15:8f, The Epistle of Barnabas, 100 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, pg. 147)
  • AD 150: “But Sunday is the day on which we hold our common assembly, because it is the first day of the week and Jesus our Savior on the same day rose from the dead.” (First apology of Justin, Ch 68)
  • AD 150AD: “And on the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a city or a rural district. … We all make our assembly in common on the day of the sun, since it is the first day, on which God changed the darkness and matter and made the world, and Jesus Christ our Savior arose from the dead on the same day. For they crucified him on the day before Saturn’s day, and on the day after (which is the day of the sun the appeared to his apostles and taught his disciples these things.” (Apology, 1, 67:1-3, 7; First Apology, 145 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , Vol. 1, pg. 186)
  • AD 190AD: He does the commandment according to the Gospel and keeps the Lord’s day, whenever he puts away an evil mind . . . glorifying the Lord’s resurrection in himself.” (Clement of Alexandria, Vii.xii.76.4)

I think that’s great! And I even understand why morning would be a preferable time for that observance! But although there is a special reason to commemorate – even celebrate! – the resurrection … where is the word “only” which limits us to this one day?

For those who require scripture to “authorize” everything that a church does … where does the authorization come for gathering to worship on any other day of the week – say, for instance, Wednesday? (And if it ain’t authorized, then worship must be forbidden … right?)

The earliest believers in the first century had no scriptural authorization to meet on the first day of the week; what scripture commanded was to observe the Sabbath.

(I suppose the “authorization” for Sunday nights would be John 20:19, though that’s really stretching it!)

Well, I’ll tell you where everyday worship comes from, if it must indeed be “authorized” by scripture: Acts 2:42-47.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Did you notice all the things they did? They shared to the apostles’ teaching. They enjoyed fellowship. They broke bread (the term used in Acts 20:7). They prayed. They were awestruck. They shared. They took Jesus seriously at His encouragement for them to sell their possessions and give to the poor (Luke 12:33). They met at their place of worship, the temple courts (where women would not be excluded). They opened their homes and dined together. They praised God.

Is it any wonder that they also enjoyed the favor of all the people and that the Lord added to their number daily those that were being saved? (One would have to assume that, given the events recorded a few verses before, they were also baptizing people daily.)

They were doing all of the things we do in church – and so much more – and doing them daily. And if we try to fit all of the possible acts of worship (see Gonna Need More Fingers) into one day a week – rather than each day of our lives, as Paul recommends in Romans 12 – we’re gonna need more hours in the day!

We folks of the Restoration Movement have a kind of pride in the notion that, a couple of hundred years ago, some of our forebears in faith sought to restore the New Testament church to the glory that it had in the first century.

When you look at Acts 2, don’t you think they might not have gone far enough back?

We need to look back to a time when believers were being restored in their relationship to Christ … doing every little thing He had suggested … celebrating with thanksgiving the grace that had been given to them through His death and resurrection by generously giving and graciously receiving … dining together to perpetuate His ongoing table ministry with loving hospitality.

In other words, the earliest believers were doing everything they could to become more and maybe just like Him.

Every single day of every week of every month of every year – even Sabbaths! – just like Jesus did.

If our hearts were so afire as the tongues of Pentecost and the hearts of the believers who heard them, we wouldn’t need any command, example, necessary inference or authorization to worship God all the time … would we?

The Thirteenth Apostle’s Thanksgiving

/ W. Keith Brenton / 3 Comments

A Prayer of ThanksgivingIt’s that season again – my favorite of each year – when we gather and give thanks, and I just wanted to take a moment to share something that I’ve found the apostle Paul was thankful for … in just about every epistle he wrote:

  • I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:4
  • For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ~ Ephesians 1:15-16
  • I thank my God every time I remember you. ~ Philippians 1:3
  • We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people … ~ Colossians 1:3-4
  • We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ~ 1 Thessalonians 1:2
  • We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. ~ 2 Thessalonians 1:3
  • I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ~ 2 Timothy 1:3
  • I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, … ~ Philemon 1:4

So it’s not really a surprise when Paul urges believers to do what he has been faithful about doing:

  • I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2

This Thanksgiving holiday – among all the other blessings (and challenges!) for which we thank God – perhaps we should include the fellowship of believers, the church, the nations, their leaders, and individual brothers and sisters whose faith and love has inspired us.

Those we know … those we’ve heard of. Even the writers and readers of blog epistles like this one. Even when we may not be right all the time. Even when we may not get all of our facts straight.

I am prayerfully grateful for each of you.

(And you thought I was going to blog about Matthias.)

Stuff My Tweet Page Says

/ W. Keith Brenton / 4 Comments

How Tweet It IsHey, if they can make a TV series from a blog with a word in its name that can’t pass the censors, I can compile some of the mindless and worthless aphorisms I’ve shared via Twitter.

But I won’t. I’ll just share a few of the ones that are less mindless and worthless.

  • Most of us Christians don’t mind cruising aboard the Fellowship. But we’re not even sure where the Discipleship is docked.
  • The depth of my theology rarely goes beyond, “Jesus loves me; this I know.” But then again, it rarely needs to.
  • If a sermon isn’t about Jesus or doesn’t point to Jesus, it isn’t ‘gospel.’ It’s just ‘spell.’ Gospel is good news. Don’t misspell it.
  • Have you prayed that God will speak powerfully through His servant – your minister – this (Sunday) morning?
  • Have you prayed this (Monday) morning that God will speak powerfully today through His servant – you?
  • keith_brenton is sure that even when he praises froggy-voiced and off-key, God can hear his heart sing like Caruso or Bocelli. “All things are possible.”
  • “It’s dry here, Lord. You send Your rain on the just and unjust. Surely we are one or the other. Amen.” – prayer during 1998 Abilene drought
  • I hate politics. More than that, I hate the hating which has become intrinsic to it. We need fewer politicians and more statesmen.
  • If the doctrine that “Biblical silence forbids” is proven solely w/Old Testament scripture, how can one also say the Old Law is passed away?
  • You have to understand God’s sovereignty or the reason for suffering or how literally to take scripture before you believe? Job didn’t.
  • If all week isn’t worship, then Sunday’s a sham. (Romans 12:1-2)
  • I will say I respect Stephen Hawking, who thought deeply on the matter and reached a conclusion – unlike millions who could care less.
  • Man’s arrogance leads to the conclusion that God has fully revealed Himself – and that we can fully comprehend Him. Why not “sufficiently”?
  • I scanned the land of brave and free/to restore its faith and history./The truth I found was hard to see:/what needed changing most was me.
  • If your ambition is to restore America, it’s too small (Matt. 28:16-20) & not personal enough (Matt. 5:14-16). Restore relationships to God.
  • Jesus didn’t require people to have their lives all straightened out before He fed or healed or loved them. (Or died for them.) Do we?
  • Like him or not, when was the last time you prayed for your President? 1 Timothy 2:1-2
  • I don’t want to be saved in the end. I want to be saved now.
  • Meditation on God’s word may not be transcendental, but it is transforming. It helps us realize that He wants us to change; become like Him.
  • keith_brenton wants for my reaction upon encountering a person for the first time to be: “There’s someone for whom Christ died!”
  • If you only teach the plan but not the Man, you’ll have converts to a system – not the Savior.
  • Shouldn’t churches be more concerned about finding the lost than losing the fault-finders?
  • King David was a seriously messed-up guy … but he always had a heart for God. I should be so messed up.
  • It’s no surprise that those who dispense criticism without grace usually have trouble receiving criticism with grace.
  • Too many churches teach behavior modification rather than Savior glorification.
  • If you go to a Church of Christ tomorrow, shouldn’t you reasonably expect to hear Him mentioned more often than just at the end of prayers?
  • C’mon, admit it. We all award ourselves platinum medals. Sometimes in events we don’t even compete in. Right?
  • Today, I am the gospel. I am part of Christ’s ongoing Story. It’s not enough to tell it; I must live it; BE it. It’s true for you, too.

That’s enough for now. Probably that’s enough for a long, long time.

Covenant-Appropriate Hermeneutic

/ W. Keith Brenton / 8 Comments

New Wineskins - The Instrumental Music IssueI’ll say it right out: I think the CENI (Command, Example, Necessary Inference) hermeneutic can be really useful.

It may not help your appreciation of Hebrew poetic literature or prophecy or history, true. But CENI can really help you determine what God’s law and will was in the Old Testament. And, chances are, the verses you may have heard/seen/read to support this hermeneutic (method of viewing scripture) mostly or all come from the Old Testament.

I think that’s telling. The Old Covenant was about law, the law of Moses. It would seem that the rabbinical schools of thought which emerged at the close of the era chronicled by the Old Testament used something like CENI to create interpretations and traditions.

Many of those included interpretations and traditions that Jesus never failed to surgically explore, to excise any falsehood – and, when necessary, to pronounce dead on arrival.

But a New Covenant requires a new hermeneutic – or two, or maybe even more.

You see, the New covenant is not about law, but grace.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ~ John 1:17

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~ Romans 5:19-21

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. ~ Romans 6:14

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! ~ Galatians 2:21

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ~ Galatians 5:4

Law can’t save. Law can only condemn. (Romans 8)

I’m afraid that many people who apply an Old Covenant hermeneutic to the New Covenant – trying to establish what is both written and unwritten in it as only law that must be obeyed to the tiniest jot and tittle – many of those people eventually become very good at doing what law itself is good at doing:

Condemning.

It can start innocently enough with simple correction (even lovingly delivered), but it can also snowball out-of-control into accusation, insinuation, judgment, and condemnation of others.

All because the wrong hermeneutic for that covenant is in play.

I’m sure I’m not the first to propose A Jesus Hermeneutic (Luke 24:27; John 5:39-40) – one which looks at scripture and seeks to see Jesus Christ yet to come, fully present, returned to heaven and/or yet to come again. It puts all of scripture in perspective for me. It has application for my own life and choices. It implicitly asks the Charles Sheldon question, “What would Jesus do?” and all of its other forms.

But I would be the first to admit that while it can accomplish that purpose, it is not of ultimate value in helping determine the answer to procedural questions, especially with regard to church and worship. (It is still of great value there, but as an overarching rather than specific hermeneutic.)

Al Maxey has done a great service to his fellow Christians by proposing A Reflective Hermeneutic in this relatively brief New Wineskins article. That’s not enough space to fully develop the concept, of course, but the proposal alone that you’ll find there is extraordinary.

He recommends a method of discernment that goes well beyond the simplistic everything-must-be-right-or-wrong viewpoint of the CENI hermeneutic, especially when coupled with the Regulative Principle. That view served the wandering and settling tribes of Israel in a dark, violent, barbaric era. But it cannot deal with the complexity of procedural questions like those Paul dealt with in Romans 14. There are some matters about which God expresses no preference – and He expects us to respect the preferences of others in these situations, not to make law for them or judge them.

But what I want you to notice in the article is that Al doesn’t dip heavily into Old Testament scripture to form or exemplify the Reflective Hermeneutic; he quotes the New Testament to answer the questions which fall under the New Covenant.

Here are the four queries that the Reflective Hermeneutic asks us to make regarding any interpretation of scripture (and I would like to add some scriptures which I feel/agree are supportive of asking these questions):

Is it BIBLICAL? (Matthew 22:29; Acts 17:2, 11; Romans 4:3; 2 Timothy 3:16 and many, many others)
If not, is it NON-BIBLICAL? (Al cites Romans 14; I would add Mark 7:1-23; 1 Corinthians 7:10-13, 1 Corinthians 7:25)
If neither, is it ANTI-BIBLICAL? (Matthew 15:3-6; Colossians 2:8; 1 John 2:22, 4:3; 2 John 1:7)
Finally, is it BENEFICIAL? (Al cites 1 Corinthians 10:23; 1 Corinthians 6:12; I would add Romans 6:21-22; Colossians 2:22-23; Hebrews 13:9)

Is that to say there is no law at all in the New Testament or New Covenant? No, not at all; but a Reflective Hermeneutic paired with a Jesus Hermeneutic does recognize these simple facts:

  • that not all scripture is intended to be law;
  • that while obedience testifies to our faith in God’s grace, it does not earn nor merit it;
  • that law can still only condemn and only grace can save.

What Constitutes Heresy?

/ W. Keith Brenton / 17 Comments

At first glance, that might be hard to answer. You won’t find the word “heresy” in your Bible very often.

Unless, you have the King James Version; there, you will find it in Acts 24:14. There it’s used to describe what the pagans called “The Way” – Christianity.

Peter uses its plural, once, to warn:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ~ 2 Peter 2:1

There are, however, plenty of false teachings and descriptions of false teachers and what they do outlined in New Testament scripture:

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. ~ Romans 16:17-19

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. . . . Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. ~ Colossians 2:8, 16-23

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. ~ 1 Timothy 4:1-5

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. ~ 1 Timothy 6:3-5

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. ~ 2 Timothy 2:14-18

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. ~ 2 Timothy 3:1-9

For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. . . . They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. ~ Titus 1:10-11, 16

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. ~ Hebrews 13:9

I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work. ~ 2 John 1:7-11

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. ~ 3 John 1:9

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. . . . These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. . . . These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. ~ Jude 1:3-4, 12-13, 16

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. ~ Revelation 2:14 . . . Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ~ Revelation 2:20

These are the false teachers and what they taught and did, whether out of Jewish exclusivity or pagan inclusivity … whether out of piety or selfishiness.

You learn a lot about these false teachers from those phrases I put in italics. They love to be first and call themselves prophets; they slip in secretly; they will lie, lie about where their teaching came from, flatter, cajole, take control of others, take over their homes, will not welcome others, and cause divisons and controversies. They are boastful, proud, arrogant, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, treacherous, rash … the adjectives go on and on. (You’ve got to admire Jude’s very poetic description of them!) They like to quarrel about words. They are control freaks. They must have their own way. And some of them hope to make money from teaching what they think they know. If that were the worst of it, one could teach them and ignore them – keep away from them; not associate with them – if they ignored the teaching, so that they would be shamed.

But it’s what they teach that makes it impossible for them to repent; they confidently assert the rightness of it; their consciences have been seared. And what they teach include these heresies: impose circumcision and kosher dietary laws; cause trouble over celebrating holidays; encourage participation in idolatry; teach myths and genealogies as crucial; add worship of angels; forbid marriages; that Christ has already come; deny that He is Lord; and deny that He came in the flesh.

All of these things stab at the very heart of Christian faith: the sufficiency of the blood of Jesus manifesting the love and grace of the one and only God. They contradict the gospel of Jesus Christ.

These were no mere quibblings over what can or can’t be done in worship; who can or can’t preach Christ and Him crucified; or how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

But hear me out on this, please.

When quibblings are elevated to a level that rivals the sufficiency of Christ to save, they become heresies. They don’t even have to produce the kind of personalities described above, although they can and probably will. Whatever empties the cross of its power and causes divisions (1 Corinthians 1:20) almost always is – or becomes – extricated with personalities and ego and personal preferences.

Those are the kinds of personalities Jesus had to deal with among the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had elevated their human teachings to the level of law and attributed them to God – even though some schools of human teaching didn’t agree with others (Matthew 2:22-23).

Quibbling matters are earthly things (Colossians 3:1-17); and when they become elevated to something more than they are, these teachings of men render worship vain (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7).

Ultimately, they bring swift destruction to the one who teaches them.

Are We Commanded to Sing?

/ W. Keith Brenton / Leave a comment

Is every scripture stated in the imperative mood (“You do this”) automatically a command for all people of all generations to follow? I don’t think so, or we’d all be going into Jerusalem to look for a man with a donkey’s colt, drawing water for Jesus at a well near Sychar, and taking a little wine for our stomach’s sake and our frequent illnesses.

Is every scripture stated in the imperative mood even necessarily a command at all?

Here are the two that have generally been identified as commands to sing. I’ve heard a cappella-only advocates describe them that way; I’ve heard accompanied-praise advocates describe them that way. I’ve probably even described them as commands myself.

But I’m reconsidering:

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.~ Ephesians 5:18-20

This instruction does seem to address gathered worship (“speaking to one another”; “to the Lord”), but not necessarily exclusively gathered worship. Yet what begins the imperative of the instruction is a call to sobriety. Being filled with spirits “leads to debauchery”; being “filled with the Spirit” leads to something quite different. And “be filled with the Spirit” is the second imperative, modified with the result of it. The third imperative is double: “Sing and make music from your heart”. If one sings to the Lord, it should come from a grateful heart that prays such praise through Christ. Plus, if there is some reason that a worshiper is prevented from singing, he/she is still heard by God for the music of the heart. No one is excluded (as some – many – were from worship under the Old Covenant).

Should the New Covenant be known and characterized by commands which, by their very nature, exclude certain things, practices and people? Or should it be seen primarily as instruction, encouragement, mentoring, promise, blessing – and, yes, very few but very important commands (like loving God wholly and loving others as one’s self)?

What about the second imperative:

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:16-17

This also seems to describe a situation of gathered worship (“teach and admonish one another”), though again not exclusively.

Here, the imperative is to let the gospel enrich the believers – modified by “as you teach and wisely admonish one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs AND “singing to God with gratitude”.

How often do we describe “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly” as a command to be followed? Or “teach and admonish one another”? This is not just a question of emphasis – though I’m trying to point out Paul’s emphasis in phrasing these instructions – but a question of intent. Are these all commands, or are they more accurately described as instruction, encouragement, mentoring, promise, blessing …?

Are they intended for all believers for all time? Or for those who couldn’t/can’t remember how to behave in gathered worship … what and whom/Whom to remember while worshiping … or even that worship and mutual encouragement is supposed to be taking place?

Do we miss the point of both of these passages by classifying them as “commands”? Something to be done and checked off our order of worship in church, having done it in some way “correctly”?

Isn’t the point of both of them that we lift up each other in our musical worship and do so through Christ? That we should not forget each other nor Him?

Now, where I think we really miss the mark is when we re-classify passages which are examples as being “commands,” thereby promoting them to new prominence in our hierarchical CENI (command, example, necessary inference) hermeneutic. Because Jesus or Paul did something, are all people of all generations commanded to exactly repeat and imitate it? I don’t think so, or we’d be riding donkeys into Jerusalem and having all of our Timothys circumcised (but not our Tituses).

What are the examples of singing in the New Testament? (I list only these because there would be too many in the Old and too many who do not accept what they do not wish to accept from the Old anyway.)

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord …” ~ Luke 1:46

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ~ Luke 1:67

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ~ Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.” ~ Romans 15:8-9

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. ~ 1 Corinthians 14:15

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ~ James 5:13 (Okay, not strictly an example, but an imperative in the singular – bear with me for the reason it’s here.)

And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. ~ Revelation 5:9

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. ~ Revelation 14:3

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: ~ Revelation 15:2-3a

I think that’s it. I believe that’s all. If I’ve missed any, I apologize and will add them if you’ll point me to them.

But I think what these ten examples reveal may explain why they outnumber the imperatives five to one.

Let me cut to the chase. In each of these examples, was there anyone singing who had to be commanded to do so? Was there anyone who was not deeply motivated in some way – joy, sorrow, challenge, need, awe, reverence, thanksgiving, missional enthusiasm – to sing? Did they have to wait for someone to show up with a bound book of New Testament scripture bookmarked to the first two imperative passages above?

My point is simply this: Believers who recognize the kindness and severity and justice and mercy and grace and all-consuming love of God the Father expressed exquisitely in Christ confirmed powerfully by the Holy Spirit through the church throughout all generations do not have to be commanded to sing their fellowship and brotherly love and mutual encouragement and praise and gratitude and adoration and submission and petition and joy and sorrow and reverence.

Those who don’t always perceive these things might need to be reminded to remember each other and Christ when they do sing. They might need to be urged not to let their gatherings cease worshiping and get out of hand when they worship in song. They might need to be persuaded to stay grateful.

But the believers who don’t need those nudges; people who are literally and figuratively inspired … you don’t have to order them to sing.

You can’t stop them.

Children’s Questions Offer Deep Insight

/ W. Keith Brenton / Leave a comment

Eight years ago, I wrote a column for the Abilene Reporter-News – a newspaper for which I still worked remotely as online content editor even though my family and I had moved from Abilene, TX to Little Rock, AR. (My blogging buddy Deana Nall used to write a wonderful, somewhat-similar column for her hometown newspaper, The Baytown Sun.) While I’m trying to take it easy on my carpal-tunnelled wrists and still try to keep up with New Wineskins editions and work on my book, I thought I’d re-post a few of mine, as she has occasionally done with some of hers. My column was called “Parenting on Purpose.”

(originally published November 15, 2002)

You never know what’s going to come out of the mouths of your children, but as a general rule you can bet it will come straight from their hearts.

Sometimes they have insights that go deeper than we can imagine.

When Laura was just 4, and romping at the play place of the fast food restaurant at the corner of the Mall of Abilene’s parking lot, she began to notice skin color. Her playmates looked as if they had been cast in Hollywood, they were of such diversity. Her concern was for two African-American children.

“Daddy,” she whispered hesitantly, then pointed. “Are those people OK?”

The question took me by surprise, and I didn’t know how to answer.

“I don’t know what you mean, sweetheart.”

“Are they … burnded?”

Well, I couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t racial sensitivity she was expressing, but concern.

“No, hon, they’re just fine. God makes people of all different colors to make the world a prettier place.”

She thought a moment, and said brightly: “Like a rainbow?”

“Yes! Just like a rainbow,” I told her and gave her a hug.

Then she went off to romp with them some more. A Hispanic mommy nearby traded grins with me.

I know Laura’s not the first person to make that connection; the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition predates her by decades. But the fact that she made it at age 4 made Daddy proud.

I’m not as proud of my response to Matthew, who as a barely-more-than-babbling toddler one night asked the question, “Daddy, why is the moon?”

I started guessing.

“Do you mean, ‘why is the moon in the sky?’”

He shook his head.

“Why is it round?”

Nope.

“Why is it bright? Why is it white? Why did God make the moon?”

No, no, no.

Nothing I suggested was anything close to the question Matthew wanted to ask.

We got a little frustrated with each other, and I finally had to apologize for my ignorance and tell him I could not understand the question.

He looked up at me as if to say I surely must be the most stupid person ever to walk the earth and to look up at the moon — if in fact I ever had looked up at the moon.

It may have been our first intergenerational communication failure.

At the time, I chalked it up to the fact that he just lacked the words he needed to express the question.

Sometimes I wonder if it wasn’t just one of those questions whose depth goes way, way beyond words.

Either way — sadly — Matthew does not remember it now. So I am left with the question.

I haven’t looked at the moon the same way since.

Keith Brenton is the father of Matthew, 9, and Laura, 6. He and his wife, Angi, are adoptive parents. As content/media editor, he helps maintain Reporter-News Online and works at home. You can reach him by e-mail at [no longer active], but he admits he doesn’t have all the answers.