The resurrection of Jesus Christ happened almost two thousand years ago, yet it is still remembered, is still talked about, and continues to impact the lives of people throughout the world. The preaching of the apostles was filled with it (Acts 2:22-24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:38-43; 13:29-31; 17:31; 26:23). Today, we continue to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But why? And what evidence do we have that this event happened? Let us consider a few points.

Why the Resurrection Is Important

Before investigating the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection, we need to recognize why it matters. After all, being convinced that an inconsequential event happened will not make much difference in one’s life. However, the resurrection of Christ is anything but inconsequential. In fact, there is no event in the history of the world as important as this. What makes it so significant?

• The resurrection proved that Jesus was the Son of God – “Who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4). The Father already announced this plainly on two different occasions while Jesus was on the earth (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). Jesus also claimed to be the Son of God (John 5:17-18). If that claim were not true, God would not raise Him from the dead, because “we know that God does not hear sinners” (John 9:31).
• The resurrection proved that we are accountable to God – “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). This was the conclusion to Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill in Athens. Jesus was given authority to execute judgment (John 5:27), and will do so when He returns (Hebrews 9:27-28). Paul explained that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), and Jesus’ resurrection proves that we must take this seriously.
• The resurrection provides hope beyond this life – “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. […] For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22). Jesus’ resurrection was not just so He could defeat death for Himself. The Hebrew writer explained that He defeated death to free us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). And this hope is available to all those who obey the gospel (Romans 6:3-5).

What Happened After Jesus’ Death

Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross outside the city of Jerusalem. However, He was not the only one to suffer such a cruel and humiliating death. In fact, at the same time, two thieves were crucified on either side of Him (Mark 15:27). Yet what happened after Jesus’ death proved that He was unique.

• He was buried – “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:57-60). Joseph of Arimathea, in addition to being a disciple, was also a member of the Council (Mark 15:43). He did not consent to Jesus’ death (Luke 23:51). He gathered the courage to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus and he buried Him in his own tomb with the help of Nicodemus (John 19:39-40). This was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:9).
• The women visited the tomb – “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’ Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him’” (Mark 16:1-6). They saw the angels at the tomb (cf. Luke 24:4), who told the women to inform Jesus’ disciples (Mark 16:7). Jesus then appeared to one of them – Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-10).
• Peter and John visited the tomb – “So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes” (John 20:3-10). As John honestly pointed out, they did not understand what was transpiring. The disciples initially did not believe the women when they reported that Jesus was alive (Mark 16:11). They thought it sounded like “nonsense” (Luke 24:10-11). This is significant because it makes the change that occurred with the disciples later even more remarkable.
• Jesus appeared to His disciples – “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). After this, He ascended back to heaven while angels promised His disciples that Jesus would return again in the same way (Acts 1:9-11).

Evidences for the Resurrection

Understanding the significance of the resurrection and the uniqueness of Jesus’ death, how can we know that this really happened?

First, we can examine eyewitness testimony. Paul discussed the resurrection extensively in his first letter to the church in Corinth. He began by listing the eyewitnesses who saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Most of the hundreds of eyewitnesses were still alive when Paul wrote that letter, which meant that they could be questioned. The apostles, especially, were chosen to be witnesses of Jesus and His resurrection (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8, 21-22; 1 John 1:1-3). The presence of so many witnesses, who were able to confirm and corroborate one another’s testimony, made this a historical fact. All history is based upon verifiable eyewitness accounts, and the number of witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection means we can be assured that it really happened without having to take a “leap of faith.”*

Second, we can evaluate the claims of Jesus’ enemies. The chief priests and Pharisees, after orchestrating the death of Jesus, appealed to Pilate to “give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:64). The Roman governor granted their request and guards were assigned to guard the tomb. But when Jesus rose from the dead, the chief priests had to come up with a way to obscure the truth of what occurred.

“Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, ‘You are to say, “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.” And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.’ And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day” (Matthew 28:11-15).

After Jesus was raised from the dead, His enemies had to come up with a story to explain it away. The claim that Jesus’ disciples stole His body while the guards slept became the “official narrative,” but this story had significant holes in it.

• How would the guards know who stole the body if they were asleep?
• Why were none of the guards punished for their failure to keep the tomb secure?

Only those who refused to think critically or those who trusted that their leaders would never hide the truth from them would fall for this. Objectively, there was no way that this claim could have been accurate.

Third, we can see the change in the apostles. Following the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples were hiding in fear:

“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:19).

Yet forty days later, they were publicly and boldly preaching Jesus as the Son of God, who had been raised from the dead (Acts 1:3; 2:14-41). All of the apostles suffered for their preaching, and most of them were killed. Jesus even warned them this would happen so they could be prepared for it (John 16:2). Yet in the decades that followed, NONE of them disavowed or altered their testimony. They could not stop speaking about it (Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-33), and they rejoiced when they were persecuted for the sake of Christ (Acts 5:40-42).

Finally, we can consider the continuation of the church. Gamaliel, a prominent and respected teacher among the Jews, advised the council about how to handle the apostles’ continued preaching in Jerusalem.

“But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.’” (Acts 5:33-39).

Gamaliel’s advice was simple. If the apostles’ teaching and the growth of the church were not from God, they would fizzle out, and history had proved this to be the case, as he cited two examples. However, if it were from God, they would not be able to stop it. Two thousand years later, the Lord’s church is still here. Before His death on the cross, Jesus made this promise to Peter and the rest of His disciples:

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).

Establishing a kingdom from heaven that would never be destroyed was a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:44-45). If Jesus were a deceiver, the movement composed of His followers would soon have come to nothing. The continuation of the church is proof that Jesus is the Son of God who was raised from the dead.

Conclusion

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is a historical fact, and there is sufficient evidence for us to believe it. Because the apostles were sure of the resurrection, they boldly preached the gospel without fearing death. For us today, the resurrection of Christ provides hope for eternal life if we will faithfully follow Him.

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* For more on this point, see the article, A Leap of Faith.

The post The Vital Truth of Jesus’ Resurrection appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

Paul issued the following warning to the church in Corinth:

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-19).

What does it mean to be “bound together” or “unequally yoked” (KJV) with unbelievers? How does this instruction apply to us today? Let us consider a few points.

This Does NOT Mean Isolation from the World

We can conclude this from what Paul wrote in his first letter to the church in Corinth. In discussing how to handle the situation of one of their own who refused to give up a blatantly sinful lifestyle, Paul wrote this:

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:9-11).

He acknowledged that they could not go out of the world. Similarly, we cannot completely isolate ourselves from society, even as it moves further away from God. Instead, we are to “let [our] light shine before men in such a way that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We are to be an example to others and look for opportunities to share the gospel with those who need to hear it.

This Is NOT Just About Marriage

Often, brethren will immediately apply this passage to marriage. That is certainly one way this instruction applies, but we need to be careful about concluding that Paul was referring directly to marriage.

It is not a sin for a Christian to be married to a non-Christian. Paul told the brethren in Corinth that a Christian married to a non-Christian should work to keep that marriage together: “And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away” (1 Corinthians 7:13). Peter indicated that a Christian wife could help convert her non-Christian husband: “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior” (1 Peter 3:1-2). They were certainly not to leave their spouse because they were not a Christian.

That being said, it is much more difficult for a Christian married to a non-Christian. They do not have a common faith or a common hope. They do not have someone who will encourage them to wholeheartedly follow the Lord. The unbelieving spouse will often only tolerate the level of faith they are comfortable with their Christian mate having. Too many times, the unbelieving spouse will pull the believing spouse away from the Lord. It is also much more difficult to raise children to be Christians when only one parent is trying to pass on their faith to them.

So while it may not be a sin for a Christian to be married to a non-Christian, it is certainly not wise to enter that relationship. It could have eternally disastrous consequences for the believing spouse and any children that may be born in that home.

This Is a Warning Against Worldly Influences

If Paul was not referring to marriage specifically, what was he talking about? This is a warning about worldly influences of all types. He wrote in the first letter to this church, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). The people we associate with can have an enormous influence on our behavior, thinking, and priorities. Therefore, we need to be careful that we are not too closely associated with the wrong type of people.

There should be a difference between us and the world. Peter wrote, “For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you” (1 Peter 4:3-4).

Not only is there a difference, but Peter also said that the people around us should notice it. When they notice, this can provoke them to ask us about our faith, which is why we must be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks [us] to give an account for the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15). However, they will not ask if there is no difference between us and the world or if we hide or minimize our faith when we are around them.

These are the associations we need to avoid – ones where we are being influenced to compromise, remain silent about our faith, endorse their sinful behavior or lifestyle, or turn to sin ourselves. Instead, we need to be the ones who influence those around us.

Remember the Yoke We Are to Take Up

Instead of being “unequally yoked” with unbelievers, Jesus talked about the “yoke” we are to take up:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

We cannot take up His yoke and follow Him when we are trying to be yoked together with those who have no interest in doing the same.

The instruction about not being “unequally yoked” is based upon the command in the Law of Moses about having two types of animals yoked together:

“You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10).

Why was that command given? Theological reasons aside, it simply will not work practically. They are two different types of animals – different sizes, strengths, temperaments, etc. They cannot work together and accomplish anything worthwhile.

The same is true for us. We should avoid binding ourselves to those who do not share our faith. We need to avoid associations that hinder our service to God.

Conclusion

As Christians, we live in the world but are to be different from the world. We are to be a light that helps point people to Christ. However, we cannot do this by becoming “unequally yoked” with unbelievers. Rather than helping turn them to Christ, it will only hinder us in serving Him wholeheartedly.

We need to be an influence for good rather than allowing the world to influence us to sin.

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This article first appeared on Plain Bible Teaching for Today on Substack.

The post Do Not Be Unequally Yoked appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following” (1 Timothy 4:6).

A preacher’s job is not to find some “new” thing to present to his audience every time he preaches. If he has been preaching the truth, there is nothing “new” for him to teach without getting in trouble (cf. Galatians 1:8-9). A preacher is to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), which includes informing, challenging, and reminding.

In the passage above, Paul declared the need to “put the brethren in remembrance” (KJV). This can be applied broadly to anything taught in the word of God, but what did Paul mean in this specific context? Notice what he wrote in the verses leading up to this statement:

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

These were the things that Paul wanted Timothy to “point out” to the brethren. These reminders are still necessary today. Let us briefly consider these points.

The Spirit’s Explicit Warning

Revelation comes from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10), and through His work, we are able to say that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Hebrew writer explained that Jesus is the spokesman of the new covenant (Hebrews 1:1-2), and He sent the Spirit to reveal His message to the apostles:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26).

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me” (John 15:26).

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13).

Paul was not stating his opinion or making a prediction. He was relaying the Spirit’s explicit warning to Timothy. Why were Timothy and other brethren to pay attention? Paul explained that as he continued.

Some Will Fall Away

Many believe the doctrine of “once saved, always saved,” yet the Spirit explicitly refuted that theory. Of course, many religious errors are directly opposed to clear statements of Scripture. Consider how many in the religious world teach that we are saved without baptism, even though the apostle Peter plainly wrote, “baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21). So it is with this. Many will teach that once you are saved, you cannot be lost. Yet the Spirit said that “some will fall away from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1).

This falling away happens when brethren become hardened by sin, as the Hebrew writer explained: “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). They will fall away “from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1) or “from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). However, note that it does not say they will necessarily fall away from the church. They may still assemble and be involved, but their faith is dead (Revelation 3:1). In fact, this helps explain why “the church” drifted into apostasy after the time of the apostles and evolved into the Catholic and Orthodox denominations. Even today, it is common for people who have departed from the teachings of the apostles, which were handed down by the Spirit, to be part of some church. Being in a church does not necessarily mean that one is in the faith.

Description of False Teachers

The Spirit described them as “deceitful spirits” who proclaim “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). He was not warning about supernatural beings. Instead, these were false teachers, men who would “arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).

Consider what we learn from these descriptions:

• Deceitful spirits – Paul warned the saints in Rome that these false teachers “deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting” (Romans 16:18). Therefore, brethren need to be alert, and those who preach need to be on guard and warn the brethren about who is a danger to them.
• Doctrines of demons – They oppose God and His truth. James explained that the wisdom of the world, which is contrary to the wisdom from above, is “earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:14-15). Therefore, brethren need to practice discernment so they can tell the difference between the message of God and the message of the devil. Those who preach need to help brethren recognize this difference by proclaiming the truth and refuting error.

Consciences Can Be Seared

Our conscience is what causes us to feel guilt for sin. This is what Paul meant when he wrote to the Corinthians about being “sorrowful to the point of repentance,” and that “the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). A good conscience indicates sincerity, even if it is not always right (cf. Acts 23:1). Therefore, our conscience must be trained by the word of God (Hebrews 5:14).

However, one can have a “seared” conscience (1 Timothy 4:2) so that he no longer feels guilt for sin. We must never allow ourselves to read this point. When we teach, we need to continually emphasize the terribleness of sin so that brethren do not begin to think that sin is inconsequential, develop a casual attitude toward it, and then become calloused about it.

Some Will Bind Where God Has Not Bound

As long as the gospel has been around, man has tried to add more rules to it. The first major controversy in the early church arose because some brethren tried to bind the practice of circumcision on Gentile converts (Acts 15:1-2). When they debated the issue in Jerusalem, Peter said, “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10). Those who attempted to make a requirement that God never made were guilty of putting Him to the test.

In addition to circumcision, the Holy Spirit mentioned two other rules that the false teachers had added to the word of God:

• Some were forbidding marriage – Many today want to do the opposite and expand marriage to be for those who have no right to marry one another. We do need to respect the limits God placed on marriage (cf. Hebrews 13:4). At the same time, we must not forbid anyone who has a right to this blessing.
• Some were advocating abstaining from meats – It is fine for individuals to decide on their own that they are not going to eat meat, but this is not a matter of faith (Romans 14:1-3). On matters of opinion, we are not to judge others who do differently than we do.

We need to be content with the rules that God has given in His word. If we go beyond this, we lose our fellowship with Him (2 John 9). John issued this warning at the close of the New Testament: “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18). As preachers, we must not make rules that God never made, nor permit others to do this without opposing their error.

Everything Created by God Is Good

James wrote, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). The blessings that God provides are a “witness” of His goodness (Acts 14:17). Of course, it is possible to abuse God’s blessings, just as Noah did when he took the fruit of his vineyard, which was “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and “became drunk” and acted shamefully (Genesis 9:20-21). So we need to use the blessings God has given in the proper way, and “in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Conclusion

The Spirit gave some explicit warnings about falling away, false teachers, searing the conscience, and man-made rules in religion. We must remember that everything from God is good, including (and especially) the reward of heaven. We need to remain faithful to Him and not fall away so we can obtain that reward.

The post Point Out These Things to the Brethren appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

Paul used this basic principle of growth and maturity as an analogy for our spiritual lives.

“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).

In this article, we will consider some “childish things” we are to put away from a spiritual standpoint.

The Need for Miraculous, Direct Revelation

“Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:8-11).

In the context of his statement about putting away childish things, Paul was discussing the temporary nature of miraculous spiritual gifts. These would only last until “the perfect comes,” which refers to the completed revelation of God to man.* Until this was completed, miraculous prophecies, tongues, and knowledge were necessary (cf. Romans 1:11).

With the completed word, we have “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Through the word, we are able to grow (Acts 20:32), teach (1 Peter 4:11), and test what we are taught (Acts 17:11). We lack nothing that we need in this regard.

However, some are not content with the revealed word of God. They want more. They want there to be more revelation, even though Jude said “the faith…was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3), and Paul warned that anyone who brings a different message from the one revealed by the apostles “is to be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). Yet so many people want God to speak directly to them. This is a childish attitude. Instead, we must be mature and be content with what God has revealed.

A Limited Understanding of God’s Will

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20).

Some characteristics of children are to be emulated, and Paul mentioned one of them in the verse above (innocence). Other characteristics are to be avoided, including a limited understanding of God’s will.

Everyone has a period in their life of immaturity in regard to their knowledge of God’s word. Peter described the time of being “like newborn babes, [who] long for the pure milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2). But everyone should grow out of that into a state of maturity. The Hebrew writer rebuked his brethren for needing “someone to teach [them] the elementary principles of the oracles of God,” even though enough time had passed that they “ought to be teachers” themselves (Hebrews 5:12-14). But in order to teach, we must grow in our knowledge of God’s word.

How can we do this? There are a few practical things we can do:

• Read the word of God – “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13). While this verse is specifically about reading publicly, the fact that this is helpful in public proves that it is something we ought to do in private as well. Some people benefit from following a Bible reading plan. But whether you follow a pre-planned schedule or not, the most important thing is maintaining a regular habit of reading the Bible.
• Study the word of God – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This is more than reading. This involves effort to learn how to handle God’s word aright.
• Meditate on the word of God – “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. […] I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:97, 99). To meditate on God’s word requires us to commit it to memory, so reading and studying must come first. Once we do that, taking time to sit and think about God’s word will help us deepen our understanding of it.
• Write the word of God – “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). This is something we may not think about, but writing down the Scriptures will help us retain what we read in them. Related to this, it is often helpful to make notes about what we read and study as well.
• Hear the word of God – “Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:2-3). We can listen to sermons (whether in the assembly, in audio recordings, or streamed online) or recorded Bible readings as a way to hear the word of God.
• Practice the word of God – “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). The more we do the things the Bible teaches us to do, the more we will see the wisdom of God and understand why He told us certain things in His word.

All of that is doable for each one of us. A lack of understanding of God’s will is childish. We must “press on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1) instead.

Being Easily Swayed by Others

“As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

Christians are like children when they are easily persuaded by false teachers and accept anything that “sounds good.” We are to grow to maturity, and as Paul explained in this context, the church is designed to help this happen (Ephesians 4:11-13, 16).

We are not to believe everything we hear. John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). We are to “retain the standard of sound words” which was taught by the apostles (2 Timothy 1:13), while false teachers try to lead us to follow a different standard. Of course, there are times when we need to change (if we have a misunderstanding on a topic or believe something in error), but we need to be careful and test what we are taught. Paul admonished the brethren in Thessalonica, “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).

It is childish to believe everything that is said to us, or to follow someone for frivolous reasons. We must be mature, always holding fast to the word of God.

Being Completely Dependent upon Parents

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

In marriage, a man leaves his parents and forms a new household with his wife. This principle of independence from parents applies spiritually as well. Moses was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter, yet when he grew up, he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26). We need to have this same independent spirit, especially when it comes to choosing to follow God.

Jesus explained that pleasing God must take precedence over pleasing our family: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). Not everyone would follow Christ, and if our family members refuse to follow Him, we must side with the Lord.

Of course, we do want to recognize that children absolutely benefit from godly parents (Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15), and this benefit continues into adulthood. But it is childish to rely upon our parents for our faith. Our faith must be our own.

Conclusion

Growing up is a part of life, including our spiritual lives. Let us grow spiritually by being content with the word God revealed, growing in our understanding of it, refusing to be swayed by false teachers, and following the Lord no matter what anyone around us does. Growth is a process. We will not become spiritually mature overnight. We need to work at it every day so that we can please the Lord to the best of our abilities.

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* For a more in-depth explanation about how God’s revelation to man is complete, see this article: Is Divine Revelation Ongoing Today?

The post Put Away Childish Things appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

However, his Baptist brethren took exception to his preaching, and he was tried for heresy in December 1842. The charge against him was that he had “run fully into Campbellism” (The Life and Sermons of Jesse L. Sewell, p. 54), a label pejoratively given to those who allegedly followed the teachings of Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), a prominent figure in the Restoration Movement. Peter Ragan, a visiting preacher, offered this definition of “Campbellism”: “It denied faith, repentance and the influence of the Spirit, and made a God of the water” (ibid., p. 54). Sewell dismissed the allegation against him.

“If Campbell lived eighteen hundred years ago, and was the author of the New Testament, he had gotten his doctrine from Campbell, but not unless this is true” (ibid., p. 54).

The biographer added that Sewell indicated that he “did not remember ever to have read a page of Campbell’s writings in his life. He got his doctrine exclusively from the New Testament” (ibid., p. 54). Sewell may have agreed with Campbell, but that did not mean he was following Campbell’s teachings. Those are two very different things.

Today, we occasionally hear religious people charge us with being “Campbellites,” which carries with it the same negative connotation as “Campbellism.” However, whether we agree or disagree with Alexander Campbell is irrelevant. What matters is what the New Testament teaches. This is why Sewell said the only way it could be said that he got his doctrine from Campbell was if Alexander Campbell had written the New Testament!

The reason why “Campbellism” was denounced for making “a God of the water” was Campbell’s teaching on baptism. Because Sewell taught the same thing, he was charged with teaching “Campbellism.” When we teach what the New Testament says about baptism – that Jesus made it a condition of salvation (Mark 16:16), that it is necessary for forgiveness (Acts 2:38; 22:16), that it puts us into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27), that it saves us (1 Peter 3:21), and so on – some may charge us as being “Campbellites,” but in reality, we are simply teaching what the New Testament teaches.

After a delay, the trial concluded two months later, and the Baptists excluded Sewell from their fellowship. John Garrett, the moderator of their meeting, made the announcement and was asked what should be recorded as the reason why Sewell was put out.

Then the clerk asked how to make the record? To which John Garrett responded, make it “for teaching heresy.” To which Jesse replied, “That would be recording a falsehood, and that they could not make a true record in any other way, than by stating that he was excluded for preaching ‘faith, repentance and baptism, for the remission of sins.’” After some discussion it was agreed the record should be so made, which was done. (ibid. p. 55).

This was important. Condemning someone for “teaching heresy” marks them, but does not explain what they were teaching. After all, many doctrines could potentially be labeled as “heresy.” So Sewell pressed them to write down what he actually taught – “faith, repentance, and baptism, for the remission of sins.” This was the same message that Jesus commissioned His apostles to preach (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Luke 24:47), and the same message that began to be preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-38).

This teaches us a lesson about how to address accusations of teaching error. Rather than letting someone label us with a generic term like “heretic” or misrepresent us with a prejudicial name like “Campbellite,” we should, when possible, have them explain specifically what we teach that they disagree with. This will make future opportunities to study the Scriptures with them (or with someone else) more likely and potentially more productive if such studies happen. Instead of allowing them to frame the disagreement in a way that forces us to deny that we have “made a God of the water,” we want an open discussion in which we can positively affirm “faith, repentance, and baptism, for the remission of sins.”

While we may not face a formal trial for preaching “heresy,” we will face opposition for our teaching. Let us make sure we are getting our doctrine from the New Testament, not from any man. And let us call for clarity in any discussions on spiritual matters so that those who are honest will be able to do what the Bereans did and search the Scriptures to determine whether what they have heard is the truth (Acts 17:11).

The post The Heresy Trial of Jesse L. Sewell appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

I do not know where the quote originated, but I have often heard brethren say that the church is just twenty years behind the world. In other words, when certain behaviors or attitudes are embraced by the world around us (whether it is regarding divorce, the use of alcohol, gender roles, etc.), they often make their way into the church after twenty years or so.

For those of us in churches of Christ, another variation to this statement relates to the practices, doctrines, and attitudes that become popular in the denominational world. In twenty years or so, we can expect the things we see in the religious world around us to start appearing among our brethren.

If that is the case, we need to be aware of a trend in the religious world regarding attendance at the assemblies of a local church.

In a blog post on the Church Answers website, Thom S. Rainer made the following statement:

We have also noted that in most churches, a person who attends church at least twice a month is considered an active member. In fact, many leaders in a church will attend only twice a month. In other words, they are absent half the time, but they still qualify as leaders.

In my experience, if a church member was in attendance just twice a month (unless they had regular health problems or had an extensive travel schedule), that was a major warning sign of spiritual “lukewarmness” (cf. Revelation 3:15-16). However, it has now become so common, at least among denominational churches, that members will regularly miss, that they have lowered the standard of what is considered an “active member” to those who attend just twice a month. And according to the quote above, this is not just a tolerance of “lukewarm” members. Many times, the “leaders in a church” (however these churches would define that) only attend twice a month. In other words, this sporadic attendance is not just tolerated, it is accepted. (And to be fair to Mr. Rainer, he was critical of this shift in the blog post quoted above.)

Could churches of Christ follow this trend? Is it already happening? If so, is that a problem?

When we think about how often we should assemble, we need to consider the principle of church membership. The New Testament emphasizes the importance of each Christian being a part of a local church so we can work together, encourage one another, strengthen each other, and be held accountable.* Paul described this as being a member of a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:16). In order for a body to function properly, each part has to be present and working together with every other part. When members are absent, the body is hindered from functioning as it should (or as well as it could).

The Hebrew writer issued this warning regarding our assembling together:

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

Notice he said that some were in the habit of forsaking the assembling being done by the congregation of which they were a part. This habit of forsaking is developed as they get out of the habit of assembling regularly.**

So how often should Christians assemble with the church? As often as the church assembles.

When we “place membership” with a local church, we are making a commitment to join in the work that the church is doing in that place. This includes the assemblies of the church. If the church assembles twice on Sunday, that means we will assemble both times. If the church meets on Wednesday evenings for a midweek Bible study, we will be in attendance. If the church conducts a week-long gospel meeting, we will make plans to attend each service.

Obviously, if we are sick or traveling, we will not be able to assemble. This is not about earning a “perfect attendance” award. Instead, this is about making the local church and its assemblies a priority. This will involve arranging our schedule so that we can be in attendance and not allow worldly things – even things that are not inherently wrong (like family events and kids’ sports) – to interfere with our commitment as a member of a local church.

So how often should we assemble? When we are a member of a congregation, we should plan to assemble every time the congregation meets because of the commitment we made as a part of that local body.

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* For more on this point, see the article, Church Membership.
** For more on this point, see the article, Not Forsaking the Assembly.

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This article first appeared on Plain Bible Teaching for Today on Substack.

The post How Often Should We Assemble? appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).

When talking about spiritual matters with other religious people, we often find many things that we will agree about – God is the creator, Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead, there is hope that the faithful will have eternal life in heaven, etc.

However, there are also some significant differences between churches of Christ and other churches. Some who belong to other churches are curious about this, and we want to be ready to give an explanation for what we believe (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).

Before we begin, I want to be clear that there is no “official” position for churches of Christ. We do not have a written creed, nor do we have a denominational headquarters deciding on doctrine. I cannot speak for any other congregation that calls itself a church of Christ. However, there are some teachings and practices that are generally common among churches of Christ but differ from those of most other churches. In this article, we will look at some of these unique characteristics and briefly examine the New Testament to see why we believe and practice them.

Bible Authority

Generally, there is a strong emphasis on Bible authority among churches of Christ. To be fair, some denominations will also claim this, but their application of the Scriptures is different, which leads to some more visible differences (which we will notice in the points that follow).

Why is there an emphasis on Bible authority? We recognize the Lordship of Christ. Jesus told His apostles, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), and this was the basis for the commission He gave them to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20). Because Jesus is Lord, we must do what He says, hence the reason for His question, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Jesus has all authority, and His will is expressed in the Scriptures. They are “inspired by God” and make us “adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul admonished Timothy, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13, NKJV). We must be able to show “book, chapter, and verse” for everything we believe, teach, and practice, and we will be citing these for the other points we will consider.

Congregational Autonomy

Most churches in the religious world are part of a large denominational structure. Yet churches of Christ are independent and autonomous (self-governing). This is the reason I stated at the beginning that there is no “official” position for churches of Christ.

Why do churches of Christ practice congregational autonomy? God designed local churches to be overseen by elders. When Paul and Barnabas visited the churches they established on their first preaching tour, they “appointed elders for them in every church” (Acts 14:23). Paul told the elders of the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:17) to oversee the flock (church) among them (Acts 20:28). These passages are part of a consistent pattern in the New Testament that shows a plurality of elders overseeing local congregations. Furthermore, they did not appoint just anyone; these men had to meet certain qualifications in order to be appointed to this office (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

Peter instructed the elders, “Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness” (1 Peter 5:2). He then reminded them that they were answerable to “the Chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4), which was Jesus Christ. The New Testament describes no larger hierarchy to which the elders are answerable, and no position between Jesus and the elders of the local church.

A Cappella Singing

It is common for churches to use instrumental music in their worship, from simple piano accompaniment to the singing to a full rock band performing “worship” songs. However, churches of Christ do not have this (and this is often one of the first things people from other churches notice when they visit our assemblies). We worship using congregational singing (no choirs, solos, etc.), which is done a cappalla (no musical instruments).

Why do we sing without instrumental accompaniment? We are told to sing: “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19; cf. Colossians 3:16). The “instrument” that is specified for us to use is our voice. Many believe that musical instruments are permitted because the New Testament does not specifically prohibit them. Yet the Hebrew writer expressed the principle that when God specifies something, everything else is excluded. He explained that Jesus could not be a priest under the old law because He came from the tribe of Judah. The law did not explicitly prohibit people from the tribe of Judah from being priests, but God specified the tribe of Levi to serve in this capacity; therefore, no one from Judah – even Jesus – could serve as a priest under the Law of Moses (Hebrews 7:12-14). In the same way, the fact that the New Testament specifies singing as the type of music Christians use to worship God necessarily excludes other types of music, including instrumental music.

Some will object to this, pointing out that instruments were used in the Old Testament for worship in the temple. This is true, but the difference was that “the command” to use these instruments in the temple worship “was from the Lord” (2 Chronicles 29:25). However, as the church follows the instructions given in the New Testament, we do not use the commands in the Old Testament for our authority to bring in musical instruments (or animal sacrifices, a separate priesthood, or anything else). That law has been “nailed…to the cross” (Colossians 2:14), and we must go to the New Testament to find the pattern we are to follow as we worship God.

Weekly Lord’s Supper

Many churches observe the Lord’s Supper (communion) occasionally – monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. Yet churches of Christ partake of the Lord’s Supper each first day of the week.

Why do we observe the Lord’s Supper every week? This was the standard practice of the early church. When Paul came to Troas on his way to Jerusalem, Luke records this: “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7). The fact that Paul and his travelling companions could show up to a local church on a random Sunday and find them observing the Lord’s Supper shows that this was a standard practice. Also, Paul waiting in Troas for seven days, while he was in a hurry to get back to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6, 16), indicates that they were expected to meet with a local church on the first day of the week to observe the Lord’s Supper if at all possible.

This is parallel to the example of the Sabbath day under the Law of Moses. The people of Israel were commanded to work six days and rest on the seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11). Did this mean every seventh day? Of course it did, and this was so clear that God instructed a man to be put to death for violating the law of the Sabbath just one time (Numbers 15:32-36). While we are not under the same law today (as we noticed in the previous point), this is instructive (Romans 15:4). Just as the instruction to remember the Sabbath meant doing this every week, our following the example of the early church in partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week means doing it every week.

Baptism

Many churches do practice some form of baptism. Some will baptize believers, and others will baptize infants. Some will practice baptism by immersion, while others will sprinkle or pour water over someone and call it baptism. Some people will be baptized as a sign that they have already been saved. Others will be baptized in order to join a particular denomination. However, churches of Christ baptize believers for the purpose of salvation.

Why do we practice baptism in this way? First, we baptize believers because the prerequisites to baptism found in the New Testament exclude infants. These prerequisites include belief, repentance, and confession (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 8:36-38), and only those who have reached a certain level of maturity and understanding can do these things.

The New Testament also describes baptism as being immersion in water. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Paul wrote about being “buried with [Christ] in baptism” (Colossians 2:12; cf. Romans 6:4), which eliminates sprinkling or pouring.

Also, the Scriptures are clear that baptism is for salvation. Many will cite Paul’s statement to the saints in Rome – “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13) – and claim that we are saved by praying a “sinner’s prayer” or inviting Jesus into our hearts. However, when Paul recounted his conversion, he explained what it meant to call on the name of the Lord. Ananias said to him, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). He was not being baptized because he was forgiven, but to be forgiven. The same is true for us today. We “call on the name of the Lord” by being baptized in order to have our sins washed away. The Christians in Rome had already done that (Romans 6:3-4, 17-18), so they knew what Paul meant by that statement. Peter plainly said, “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). Many churches, even though they practice baptism in some form and for some purpose, teach that baptism does not save you. However, the inspired apostle said, “Baptism now saves you.”

Conclusion

There may be other differences we could point to, but these are a few of the major ones. Why does this matter? It goes back to the point we started with – Bible authority. We do not practice these things because they are our preference, opinion, or tradition. We do them because we find them taught and practiced in the New Testament. This is what we have been called to follow. Remember the commission given by Jesus to His apostles:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

As His disciples, we want to observe all that He commanded and follow those commands in a way that is pleasing to Him. We can do that by following the pattern handed down by the apostles and preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament.

The post What Makes churches of Christ Different? appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

The New Testament describes fellowship as something to be valued, built, and maintained among Christians. In his first epistle, John declared that the apostles taught the message of the gospel “so that you too may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). When the apostles in Jerusalem wanted to demonstrate their acceptance and approval of Paul and Barnabas, they “gave to [them] the right hand of fellowship” (Galatians 2:9).

The word translated fellowship is the Greek word koinonia. It contains the idea of association, community, communion, and joint participation (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). Because of this definition, this same word is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe a contribution made for needy saints (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 9:13) and participation in their support (2 Corinthians 8:4), a sharing in the body and blood of Christ as we partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16), and a participation with Paul in the work of preaching the gospel (Philippians 1:5).

While we sometimes think of fellowship in a generic sense and talk about the “fellowship” we have with Christians around the world (even those we have never met or even know of), the way the term is used in the New Testament has a much more limited scope. It is true that all Christians – whether they know one another or not – have a common bond in Christ. We are all brethren (1 Peter 1:22; 2:17) and part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). But fellowship – the sense of community, the close association, the shared communion, and the way in which we jointly participate in the Lord’s work – demands a more personal and localized view of fellowship rather than one that is vague and impossible to see how far it extends.

The reason this is important is because of the limits that we see in the New Testament on fellowship. There are certain people to whom we must not extend fellowship (not associate with them, not welcome them into the local church community, not commune with them, and not work with them in the cause of Christ). It would be impossible to respect the limits placed on fellowship if we were automatically “in fellowship” with others, whether we knew about them or not. 

What are these limits? Notice some of the people or groups we are not to have fellowship with:

• Unbelievers – “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). It is impossible to avoid all contact with unbelievers, because we would “have to go out of the world” (1 Corinthians 5:10). But we cannot join into fellowship with them. Instead, we are to “come out from their midst and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
• False teachers – “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 John 9-11). It is common in the religious world for people to overlook doctrinal differences and accept anyone who claims to preach Christ, regardless of the message he teaches. However, John warned that anyone who went beyond the teaching of Christ would lose his fellowship with God. If we join into or maintain fellowship with such individuals, we stand to lose our fellowship with God as well.
• Christians living in sin – “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:11). Not only do many professed Christians overlook false teaching [previous point], they often will also overlook sin so as to not disrupt their “unity.” Some even pride themselves on how “tolerant” they are by ignoring people’s sin. The brethren in Corinth did the same thing, and Paul rebuked them for becoming “arrogant” over their acceptance of a brother in sin when they should have “removed [him] from [their] midst” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2). Paul told the Ephesians, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).
• Christians who ignore New Testament teaching – “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. […] If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14). The apostles were commissioned to teach disciples “to observe all that [Jesus] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). We are to hold firmly to the traditions taught by the apostles (2 Thessalonians 2:15) and keep the Lord’s commandments (1 John 2:3). If we have brethren who refuse to do this, we cannot maintain fellowship with them.
• Those we believe to be in sin – “When [Saul] came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26). Prior to Saul’s conversion, he persecuted the church to such an extent that he was “entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, [and] would put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). When he returned to Jerusalem after his conversion in Damascus, many of the Christians there refused to accept him because they only knew him as “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent agressor” (1 Timothy 1:13). It was not until Barnabas explained to them that Saul was converted that they welcomed him into their fellowship. Before they knew that, they could not accept him. We are not omniscient like God is. We can only act based upon what we know. If we do not know that someone has been converted, or that a brother who has fallen away has repented and turned back to the Lord, we cannot have fellowship with them. We should be happy to accept them once we learn the truth about their good standing before God, just as the brethren in Jerusalem were with Saul (Acts 9:27-28). But until then, we cannot have fellowship with those we believe to be in sin.
• Those who refuse to have fellowship with us – “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church” (3 John 9-10). Diotrephes was so determined to maintain his control over this particular congregation that he would refuse to accept the teachings of the apostles. Those who did, he would “withdraw fellowship” from them, casting them out of the church so that others would not have fellowship with them either. Diotrephes needed to be confronted and called to repentance, and John said he would do that if the opportunity presented itself. However, until that happened, there was no way for the faithful brethren who were cast out by Diotrephes to maintain fellowship with their brethren in that group. Fellowship involves mutual acceptance and a willingness to work together. If there are brethren who refuse to accept us and will not work with us, fellowship is not possible with them.

Fellowship is one of the great blessings we have as brothers and sisters in Christ. However, there are limits to this fellowship – not just due to a lack of proximity to one another, but also due to sin, error, misunderstandings, and poor attitudes. To whatever degree we are able, we can work to remove these obstacles to fellowship. At the same time, we should strive to maintain fellowship with like-minded brethren as we all enjoy fellowship with God. Let us be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) so that we can continue to enjoy the blessings and benefits of fellowship as the Lord intended.

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The New Testament is clear that Christians are to keep their speech pure (Ephesians 4:29; Colossians 4:6; James 3:9-12; et al.). During the trial of Jesus, when Peter was desperate to convince others that he was not one of His disciples, he “began to curse and swear” (Matthew 26:74). Clearly, this type of language is not compatible with the life of a disciple.

However, a recent article from Time discussed the surprising health benefits of swearing. The article listed the following “benefits”:

1. It can help you tolerate pain.
2. You’ll work out harder.
3. It can help you regulate emotions.
4. It can make people feel closer.

Now, before we notice each of those points, we need to remember that this is a tactic Satan uses. He tempts us to sin by extolling the benefits (or perceived benefits) of sin. This is what he did when he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden:

“The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:4-5).

For more on this, see the article, The “Benefits” of Sin.

We need to remember that just because there is a perceived benefit to something does not mean it is good and right. And further, the “benefit” is inferior to the blessings that come from God when we follow His will.

So what about the so-called “benefits” of swearing? Let’s consider the claims made in the article in light of the Scriptures:

1. “It can help you tolerate pain.” Swearing may be a natural response if we are suffering, but it is not the best response. James said, “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:13-14). Rather than using bad language, we need to pray to God and call upon others who can help us.
2. “You’ll work out harder.” Even if this were true, does that matter? How “hard” do we really need to work out? Paul reminded Timothy, “For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Yes, exercise and working out are good, but whatever extra benefit we get from swearing during our workout is not worth compromising a life of godliness.
3. “It can help you regulate emotions.” Jesus said, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). We cannot hope for our heart (emotions, thoughts, motivations, etc.) to be right by using foul language. James wrote, “From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way” (James 3:10). If our heart is spiritually and emotionally healthy, it will not produce corrupt speech.
4. “It can make people feel closer.” If it does, it makes us feel closer to people whose hearts produce this type of corrupt speech. Paul wrote, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). If we want to build others up and develop closer relationships with them, we need to speak wholesome, edifying words.

While the world wants to view swearing as normal, acceptable, and even beneficial, Christians need to be different. As Paul wrote, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt…” (Colossians 4:6).

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This article first appeared on Plain Bible Teaching for Today on Substack.

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But why do people decide to become Christians? What motivates them to obey the gospel? We will briefly consider some possibilities in this article. However, we first need to understand what it means to obey the gospel.

Obeying the Gospel

When Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, he spoke about how they “became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed” (Romans 6:17). What is the “form” of teaching he referred to? He explained earlier in the chapter that they had followed the pattern of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).

The form of teaching they followed included repentance (becoming dead to sin), baptism, and continued faithfulness (walking in newness of life). Of course, belief is also implied (there is no reason to obey the gospel if one does not believe in Christ).

This is consistent with what we see in the preaching of the apostles and in Jesus’ instructions about carrying out the Great Commission. The “form of teaching” that we are to obey includes belief (Acts 2:37; Mark 16:16), repentance (Acts 2:38; Luke 24:46-47), and baptism (Acts 2:38; Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16). Following this, we begin our new life in Christ and follow the doctrine He gave His apostles to teach (Acts 2:42; Matthew 28:20).

The Result of Obeying the Gospel

In order to understand why someone would obey the gospel, we need to know what happens when they do.

When someone obeys the gospel, what happens?

• Their sins are forgiven – This was the promise from God that Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself” (Acts 2:38-39).
• They are added to the church – After the church was established on the day of Pentecost, God continued to add to it “day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
• They become a child of God – Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about the need to be “born again” to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Paul explained to the Galatians that we are sons of God by faith, as we are “baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).
• They receive the hope of heaven – In his first epistle, Peter explained that Christians are “born again to a living hope…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven” (1 Peter 1:3-4). This new birth is the same as the one Jesus described to Nicodemus (John 3:3, 5).

These are incredible blessings, but what motivates one to become a Christian in order to take advantage of them?

Different Motivations

There are a few possibilities as to why one would make the decision to surrender their life to the Lord and enter into Christ through the waters of baptism.

• Fear of hell – The Bible declares that it is “a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). Hell is a place of “eternal punishment” that has been “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:46, 41). Yet it will also be the fate of those whose names are “not found written in the book of life” (Revelation 20:15). Anyone who understands how awful this is will want to seek after the Lord so they can avoid this place. This is why Paul wrote, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:11).
• Desire for heaven – Paul told the brethren in Philippi that “our citizenship is in heaven,” and we “eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” to return and bring us home with Him (Philippians 3:20). This is why Jesus told His disciples that He was going to “prepare a place for [them]” (John 14:2). The reward of heaven would motivate them to faithfully follow Him, just as it does for us today.
• Sense of obligation – When Jesus gave the Great Commission, He began by reminding His apostles of His authority: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The authority of Christ is the reason why people were to obey the gospel when they heard it. Jesus said we are to adopt the mindset of “unworthy slaves” who simply do “that which we ought to [do]” (Luke 17:10).
• Love for God – The apostle John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments…” (1 John 5:3). Jesus made a similar statement to His apostles: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Love for the Lord should be sufficient motivation to obey the gospel He sent out to the world.

All of these are appropriate, and God put each in place in order to motivate us to follow Him. However, as we mature, our primary motivations should change.

• Fear becomes less of a terror at the prospect of eternal punishment. We are able to “have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming,” because we “[practice] righteousness” and are “born of Him” (1 John 2:28-29). Instead, fear becomes more of a reverent respect for God that produces continued obedience to His will. The wise man succinctly summarized our purpose in life: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, ESV).
• We will still desire heaven because it is a place of rest (Revelation 14:13) where we will be free from the troubles of this life (Revelation 21:4). But as we grow in the Lord, we will also look forward more and more to being in His presence. As John described, “The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face…” (Revelation 22:3-4).
• We must fulfill our duty to serve God because that is what “we ought to [do]” (Luke 17:10). However, the more we learn about God and His word, the more we see that His instructions are for our good. “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
• We love God because of who He is and what He has done for us, and this love should increase as time goes on. As we have already seen, love leads us to obey Him (1 John 5:3; John 14:15). We must strive to “please Him in all respects” (Colossians 1:10) and give our entire lives as a “living and holy sacrifice” to Him (Romans 12:1).

Conclusion

There are several valid motivations for one to obey the gospel. The ones we considered can be helpful in leading one to make the decision to become a Christian. Then, after one is converted to Christ, he must continue to grow and mature in his faith, strive to follow the Lord in every area of life, and look forward to being with the Lord for eternity.

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