A gracEmail subscriber in Europe asks about the purpose and practice of church discipline. Is it ever proper to exclude someone from the faith community? If so, when? * * * Because Christian fellowship and hospitality are so meaningful to believers, it is a very significant matter to exclude a professing disciple from the Christian "family circle." But sometimes it must be done. The person who is equipped to carry out church discipline effectively -- and hopefully to restore the wayward brother or sister -- is the one who seeks to build up others and not tear them down (2 Cor. 12:19); who … [Read more...]
Archives for 2012
CONNECTING AT THE HEART LEVEL
A brother involved in a new church ministry writes that his parishioners are "older and nice," although they don't verbally respond much to his teaching. This minister friend has been teaching in Romans, and wonders how much of it is sinking into his congregation's minds. A church elder, who has missed several classes due to illness, keeps reminding him that "we must do our part to stay saved." * * * Let me encourage you not to miss the opportunity (if it comes along) to connect with this older brother and others like him at a heart-level which will enrich both of you forever. Perhaps you … [Read more...]
LENGTHY SERMONS
A parishioner in one state wants to tactfully suggest that his minister shorten the sermon, while a preacher in another state inquires how to make his sermons more effective. Both invite my opinion on the subject. * * * I am instinctively sympathetic toward preachers, having personally delivered two sermons each Sunday for about 20 years and still enjoying the pleasure of preaching from time to time. The truth is that a few listeners are bored by a sermon of any length and they need our love and prayers. However, preachers also need to remember the truth discovered by an African missionary … [Read more...]
REBUKE AND BALANCE
A missioner in South America writes: "I sometimes preach messages of rebuke to people who tend to be lackadaisical in their walk. How do I do this with a balance helpful to the hearer and pleasing to God?" * * * The New Testament Scriptures themselves certainly contain various rebukes -- for indifference, failure to grow and learn, immoral conduct, improper attitudes and twisting the gospel. When contemporary life circumstances parallel the circumstances to which such scriptural rebukes are addressed, I believe that it is appropriate for us to repeat and apply those scriptural rebukes. We … [Read more...]
RUDE MINISTER NEEDS PRAYER
A gracEmail subscriber writes that his minister is very knowledgeable but he is sometimes mean and rude to anyone who crosses him or gets in his way. To make matters worse, no one seems bold enough to confront the preacher about his destructive attitude and manners. Can I offer any counsel? * * * All who follow Christ are called to imitate the Savior in his humility, gentleness and self-restraint as in other godly traits (Matt. 11:29; Phil. 2:1-8; 1 Pet. 2:21-23). Knowledge can be useful, but without love it feeds arrogance and amounts to nothing. By contrast, love builds people up … [Read more...]
LAZY PREACHERS
A sister in Mid-America writes that she loves her minister and his family but that the man is simply lazy. Wouldn't it be better, she asks, to divert the considerable sum of money paid in salaries to preachers every year to needy people or other good works? * * * Neither Scripture nor common sense encourages people to support someone who will not work, whether that individual stands behind a pulpit or sits quietly in a pew (2 Thes. 3:10-12). Since preachers are normal people, they manifest all the traits of human beings in general, both good and bad. While larger churches of most varieties … [Read more...]
WOMEN TEACHING MEN
A gracEmail subscriber writes, "Paul said he didn't allow a woman to teach a man (1 Tim. 2:12). What do you think Paul meant?" * * * In making this strange statement, the apostle was undoubtedly correcting some specific misbehavior at Ephesus, for it is inconsistent with the rest of the New Testament if taken as an absolute and unqualified rule. Two of Timothy's own most significant teachers from infancy had been his Grandmother Lois and Eunice his mother (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:14-16). However, women's teaching was not directed solely to little children, for Priscilla (as well as her husband Aquila) … [Read more...]
POLITICALLY CORRECT?
A gracEmail subscriber in California writes: "I would appreciate your comment on why Jesus did not select any women as Apostles. I have noticed that you do not interpret scriptures literally when there is a need to comply with contemporary tradition. I assume that you are being politically correct." * * * I do not know why Jesus chose only male Apostles, or only Jews, or so many fisherman, or only Galileans (except possibly Judas), and it would be presumptuous for me to speculate beyond what Scripture reveals. We may be certain that it was not because God automatically rejects women in … [Read more...]
FEMALE ‘COVERINGS’ AT CORINTH
A gracEmail subscriber asks about Paul's instruction to the Corinthians that women be veiled in public worship (1 Cor. 11:2-16). * * * When I was growing up in the Churches of Christ in North Alabama in the1950's, many preachers taught and many women believed that this text required the sisters to wear a hat or veil on their head whenever they were "in church." If asked why, these Christian women would explain that it was a symbol of their submission to men, or at least to their husband if they had one. On the other hand, these particular sisters never said a word aloud "in church" (except … [Read more...]
‘AUTHORITY’ ON HER HEAD
A Christian sister asks, "Please explain the passage which says, a woman should have 'authority on her head because of the angels'" (1 Cor. 11:9). * * * This passage in 1 Corinthians 11 has always held a special fascination for me because I grew up among churches whose women wore hats or veils of some sort whenever they "went to church," based on this text. What is Paul saying here? Numerous interpretations have been offered, but the following one makes the most sense to me. 1. Paul writes to a largely messianic-Jewish audience which assumes that women are subordinate to men (at least … [Read more...]
