This is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the Chief Cornerstone." Acts 4:11
Volume 12 * Number 4* January 22, 2012
Should Men Wear Religious Titles?
Something within us seeks approval from others. Only the callused of heart do not care what other people think of them. When we do a good job, we like to here “job well done.” When we give a gift, we like the receiver to acknowledge our generosity. When we receive a promotion, we like to have a fancy job title to go along with it. When we achieve academic excellence, we with honor wear the title Doctor ________.
No wonder this type of approval for achievement has flowed over into the realm of religion with the assigning and wearing of religious titles. Men have grown to expect and even demand a religious a title, such as Reverend, Father, Doctor, Most Holy, Bishop, Cardinal, Rabbi, or Pastor for achievements in religious training.
When we search the Scriptures however, we do not find the Christians of the early church wearing titles of distinction. It was found among the scribes and Pharisees whose hearts were far from God (See Matthew 23:9) but, it was not found among the men of the New Testament church. No apostle wore a religious title, not even Peter who is so revered today. Philip the evangelist of Acts 8 wore no religious title nor Timothy, Titus, Silas or Barnabas.
In Corinthians 1:12, notice that the Holy Spirit did NOT REVEAL that the people were saying “I am of Reverend Paul”, “I am of Pastor Apollos” or “I am of Father Cephas”. These men understood that religion had nothing to do with them and that it had everything to do with Christ.
Paul goes on to write, “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”(I Corinthians 1:13) The answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO! Christ is not divided, Paul was not crucified for you, Jesus was, and you are NOT baptized in the name of Paul, but IN THE NAME of Jesus. Pleasing God revolves solely around pleasing the Father by honoring His Son by abiding by revelation of the Holy Spirit.
When Cornelius sought to pay homage to Peter, Peter “took him up saying, Stand up: I myself also am a man.” (Acts 10:26) When the crowd witnessed the miracle that Paul was granted in the healing of the crippled man, they began to cry, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.” They began to identify Barnabas Jupiter (the god of sky and thunder) and Paul Mercurius (the messenger of the gods). The frenzy was so great that the priests of these false gods started to bring and offer their sacrifices unto them. Now here are some great titles and religious hoopla to honor your religious achievements, but notice what Paul & Barnabas said “Sirs why do you do these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God…”
The Christians of the New Testament would not stand for it and neither should any man today. Stacy Dean Crim
When church is Boring
Frank Himmel
What do you do when you find that church is boring? It’s time for a change! Now the question is, change what?
Many folks think the answer is to change the church. I just read an article about a new church created for men only, men who find church boring. Discarding more traditional environments, they meet in a gymnasium one Saturday evening a month. A rock band provides entertainment. The preacher speaks in front of the scoreboard, with the clock running. He guarantees to have them out in one hour!
Some might not go that far, yet they still insist on change. Contemporary music, drama, and short sermons that are little more than pep talks are the order of the day. Celebration and praise are the buzzwords.
Malachi lived at a time when people found “church” boring. Speaking of Israel’s worship, God said through the prophet, “You also say, ‘My, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it” (Malachi 1:13).
God proposed two changes in these who turned up their noses at His worship. One was to just stay home (1:10). The better solution – the change He preferred – was to repent (2:2). Notice what God did not approve of: changing the structure or activities of worship to accommodate individual tastes.
The preacher or the one who leads the prayer can give more thought to what he says and the song leader can try to select more meaningful hymns. But when worship as God directed is boring, the main change that is needed is in the heart of the worshiper. &
Living With Hideous Monsters
- by Ben May
A man visited a psychiatrist to talk about his dreams. "Every night," the man said, "I dream that these three hideous monsters are sitting on the edge of my bed, ready to attack me."
"Hmmm," said the doctor. "I feel sure I can cure you of this problem. But the treatment will cost you somewhere between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars."
"Thirty thousand dollars!" the man gasped. "Never mind getting rid of the monsters, Doctor. I think I'll go home and try to make friends with them!"
Sadly, many have concluded that sin is not so ugly after all either. Instead of taking steps to rid themselves of the "hideous monsters" they try to take the "ugly" off. Our society has found a way to make sin easy to live with.
According to modern man, homosexuality is no longer an abomination (Leviticus 18:22,23) or degrading (Romans 1:24) but an "alternative" lifestyle. A homosexual is not perverted, he or she is "gay." If you believe that it is immoral and sinful to be "gay" you are labeled a "homophobe." You are the one with a "problem" and in need of help, not the sinner. To further make friends with the "hideous monster", now they want marriage to include same sex couples. This would "legalize" the sexual relationship and further remove the negative social stigma from the homosexual community.
Heterosexuals are demonstrating much the same attitude and have a desire to make sin appear less sinful. Living together has become socially acceptable. Couples proudly announce the upcoming birth of their baby with no thought of marriage. After all, it's only a "piece of paper." Actually, it is only another attempt to make sin easier to live with. Sex outside of marriage is still fornication or adultery! An ugly monster indeed.
Many other examples could be given of the world attempting to make friends of the "hideous monster" the Bible calls sin. Remember James' admonition in James 4:4; "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." May we all continue to stand with the Lord.
The Cornerstone
Published to Support the Work of the West End Church of Christ, Richmond, Virginia
