2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 – Can Christians ever partner with unbelievers?

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Tim Farley

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 reads:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?  Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  What accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?  What agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then 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.”

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

This passage is often referenced in relation to how Christians should approach marriage to an unbeliever.  However, it also referenced by some in relation to how Christians should approach their dealings with unbelievers regardless of the context.  In the minds of some, Christians should never form a partnership of any kind (be “yoked”) with an unbeliever.  If we attempt to apply this understanding of the passage, is it even possible?

When we vote, are we not “partnering” at some level with those we vote for (either the candidate or the party)?  What about when we make a political contribution?  What if we sign a petition protesting a political point (e.g. abortion, gay marriage, etc.)?  Do we need to be sure that the political candidates, parties, and other signatories are all from the same theological belief system as we are?

What about when we take a job?  Does our boss need to be a Christian?  What about all of our co-workers?  If we are athletes, do all of our teammates and coaches have to be Christians to not violate 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1?

I think you get my point.  It is impossible to apply this passage to every relationship / partnership that a Christian has.  It is not intended to be applied this way.

So then, what is the correct application?  The key to understanding this passage correctly lies in verse 7:1.  It is about maintaining holiness.  Christians are to avoid those relationships that have a potential to hinder their walk with God and influence their moral decisions.  Believers can have parnterships with unbelievers in any area where this type of influence does not exist.

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Have you signed the Manhattan Declaration?

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Tim Farley

Have you / will you sign the Manhattan Declaration?  If you are not familiar with it, please take the time to read through it.  It is not very long and it is sure to be discussed a great deal in the days ahead.  It will be beneficial to know its contents.

You can find the website for the Manhattan Declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org .  There, you can download a copy of the declaration, which is seven pages in length.  You can also view a list of well-known signatories.

A brief summary of the declaration is found on the website homepage.  It reads:

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

  1. the sanctity of human life
  2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
  3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

After reading the long version of the document, let me know what you think.  Will you / did you sign it?  Why or why not?

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How will you spend Black Friday?

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Tim Farley

Black Friday is coming.  It is only a little over two days away (less for those who choose to get in line early enough for the best deals).  If you are wondering, Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving.  It is the official kick-off for the heavy Christmas shopping season.  Why the name “Black Friday”?  Well, it’s the day that stores traditionally have begun to make money for the year.  From Black Friday on, stores are “in the black”, or making a profit.

The day has really become a holiday in and of itself.  I know many who year-after-year go out in the early morning hours in hopes of grabbing a bargain that is too good to be true while others go just to experience the excitement in the air.  I went out for the first time three years ago.  It was the last time for me.  The stores were packed at 7am.  The lines at Best Buy ran the entire perimeter of the store.  No deal was good enough for me to wait that long.

But Black Friday is more than just a special shopping day.  It is a day that seems to truly reflect our attitudes towards the Christmas holiday.  The day that Christians are to remember the birth of their Savior, in reality is nothing more than a material world in blatant self-indulgence.  How did it come to this?  How did our appetite for more become so bad that we now even have a shopping holiday?  How do you spend your Black Fridays?

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As Americans Go Hungry, Where Is The Church?

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Tim Farley

The USDA has released a report showing that 49 million Americans are short on food.  17 million of these are children.  That is an increase from 11% of Americans in 2007 to nearly 15% in 2008.

It is great that the government wants to set up programs to help these people.  However, I wonder what responsibility the church bears in this area.  How many churches have ministries to help those in their own community who lack the basic necessities for life?  If my experience is the norm, there are not many.

The Church has the ability to assist the world with their greatest need – their sin, which separates them from God.  However, if we are unwilling to help with basic physical needs, why would non-Christians turn to us at any time?

Has the Church become so specialized that it only deals with the “spiritual” and not the physical?  It seems that ministering to the whole person – both the spiritual and the physical – is the biblical way.  I am not sure we are doing that very well.

What are your thoughts?

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Do Babies Go to Heaven?

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Tim Farley

Most people agree that it is a tragedy when a baby dies.  It is a tragedy when anyone dies, but it is especially difficult when the life of a young one ends, regardless of the reason.

There is little comfort that can be given to one who is grieving such a loss, but would it not be helpful to know that the departed child is in the care of a loving and gracious God?  Well, that is the majority view in Christianity.  When a baby dies, the child goes to heaven to be with God.

However, what is the reason for this belief?  After all, the Bible does tell us that all have sinned (Romans 3:23).  This includes babies (Psalm 51:5).  The Bible also tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  Scripture is clear that all people are sinners from birth and that they deserve death and separation from God.  The only way to avoid death and separation is to place our trust in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, which is able to atone for our sins and give us eternal life with God.

A baby is not able to come to such a decision, so if it is true that a baby is “born into sin” as the Bible states, how could it ever be saved?  The most common answer I have heard to this question comes from theologically derived reasoning.  There is no specific passage of Scripture that gives us the answer, but instead we look at things we can learn from the text of the Bible and develop our reasons from there.

It is argued that babies go to heaven because God is just.  He is good.  And he is loving.  Would a just God send a baby to eternal punishment?  Would he do so if he was good and loving as well?  The answer we arrive at is usually “no” to these questions.  There is no justice in sending a baby to hell.  It is not good.  It is not loving.

There is nothing wrong with developing our understanding of God and his character through theological reasoning, but would it not be better if we had a specific verse to give us assurance?  Well, in this case, I believe that there is a passage that we can look at that gives us some insight into this issue.  I am surprised that this passage is not cited more frequently by those discussing the subject of child death.

In 2 Samuel 12:15-23, David’s young son is dying.  We find David in a state of mourning.  He is laying on the ground and not eating.  He is pleading with God to save his son.  Then the child dies.  David’s men are afraid to tell him about the death of his son for fear that David may harm himself.  If he was so distraught while the child was still alive, how is he going to respond when he learns that the child has died?

However, when David is made aware of his son’s death, something odd happens.  David ceases to mourn and returns to his normal routine of life.  The men ask him why he mourned while the child was alive, but stopped when the child died.  David responds:

While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’  But now he is dead.  Why should I fast?  Can I bring him back again?  I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. (1 Samuel 12:22-23, ESV, emphasis mine).

The words of David give us great insight into our topic.  David states in verse 23 that he expects to one day “go to him”.  That is, he expects to one day be reunited with his child.  David was no doubt a man of God.  Scripture presents him in no other way.  So if David expects to be reunited with his deceased child, while also expecting to be with God, we can have the same expectation.

I believe that those who die before reaching an age of understanding go to be with God.  I believe this for theological reasons.  I believe this because Scripture hints at this fact.  Losing a child is a tragedy.  I hope that having assurance of the child’s destiny can give us all some level of comfort.

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Free John Piper Audio Book – DESIRING GOD

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Tim Farley

Desiring-Godfree You probably know by now that I have a great respect for John Piper.  He is a tremendous teacher and Christian leader.  I fully recommend the resources that he makes available at his website: www.desiringgod.org .

If you are like me, you probably really like books.  Well, christianaudio.com is giving away free downloads of Piper’s popular book Desiring God all month long.  If you have not read it, you should take the time.  Since this is an audio book, you can even sit back and let someone else do the reading for you.  All you have to do is listen!

If you are interested in downloading the free Desiring God audio, click on the image and follow the instructions.  I hope you enjoy!

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How Different Generations View the Bible

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Tim Farley

bible-data-2009-10-19d

Barna has a new study out that reveals how different age groups view the Bible.  The chart above shows the results of the survey.  The Mosaic generation refers to adults who are currently ages 18 to 25; Busters are those ages 26 to 44; Boomers are 45 to 63; and Elders are 64-plus.

As you can see from the data, the attitude of the younger generation of adults has shifted to one of less trust in the Bible and more openness to sacred texts of other religions.  Here is how the Barna Group summarizes the attitudes of the Mosaic generation:

  • Less Sacred – While most Americans of all ages identify the Bible as sacred, the drop-off among the youngest adults is striking: 9 out of 10 Boomers and Elders described the Bible as sacred, which compares to 8 out of 10 Busters (81%) and just 2 out of 3 Mosaics (67%).
  • Less Accurate – Young adults are significantly less likely than older adults to strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches. Just 30% of Mosaics and 39% of Busters firmly embraced this view, compared with 46% of Boomers and 58% of Elders.
  • More Universalism – Among Mosaics, a majority (56%) believes the Bible teaches the same spiritual truths as other sacred texts, which compares with 4 out of 10 Busters and Boomers, and one-third of Elders.
  • Skepticism of Origins – Another generational difference is that young adults are more likely to express skepticism about the original manuscripts of the Bible than is true of older adults.
  • Less Engagement – While many young adults are active users of the Bible, the pattern shows a clear generational drop-off – the younger the person, the less likely then are to read the Bible. In particular, Busters and Mosaics are less likely than average to have spent time alone in the last week praying and reading the Bible for at least 15 minutes. Interestingly, none of the four generations were particularly likely to say they aspired to read the Bible more as a means of improving their spiritual lives.
  • Bible Appetite – Despite the generational decline in many Bible metrics, one departure from the typical pattern is the fact that younger adults, especially Mosaics (19%), express a slightly above-average interest in gaining additional Bible knowledge. This compares with 12% of Boomers and 9% of Elders.

 

Are you surprised by these findings?  What do you think the Church or Christian parents should do to correct the problem?

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Understanding “the least of these my brothers” in Matthew 25:40

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Tim Farley

It has been a while since my last post.  I apologize for that.  Hopefully, now that I have finished moving I will be able to post a bit more regularly again.

One of the most-often misunderstood Bible passages comes from Matthew 25:40.  Here Jesus states “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Jesus’ words above come on the heels of telling his hearers that those who will inherit the kingdom are those who gave him food when he was hungry, gave him something to drink when he was thirsty, welcomed him when he was a stranger, clothed him when he was naked, visited him when he was sick, and went to him when he was in prison (Matthew 25:34-36).

Many interpret verse 40 to mean that if we feed the hungry, help the poor, visit the imprisoned, etc., we are fulfilling Christ’s commands and that is what leads to eternal life (i.e. the kingdom).  If that is your understanding, you are not alone, but you are likely wrong.

To properly understand the passage requires a look at how two phrases or ideas are used throughout Matthew.  First, we need to understand how “least of these” is used throughout the book.  In at least five other places Jesus refers to his disciples as “little ones”.  Check out Matthew 10:42, 18:4, 18:6, 18:10 and 18:14.  In each of these verses the ones referred to as “little ones” are the disciples.  It is likely that “the least of these” is another way of saying “little ones”.

Not convinced?  There is even stronger evidence that Jesus is referring to the disciples when we take into consideration the phrase “my brothers” from verse 40.  Jesus refers to his brothers in two other places – Matthew 12:50 and 28:10.  In each of these it is very clear that those Jesus refers to as brothers are his disciples.  Jesus never refers to anyone but his disciples as brothers, which seems appropriate given his words in Matthew 12:46-50.

So, what is this passage about?  Taking into consideration the entire book of Matthew, Jesus is saying that those who treat Jesus’ little brothers (his followers) well by showing them kindness do the same to him by extension.  Dave Turner summarizes this well in his commentary on Matthew by writing:

Jesus taught his disciples to love all people, even their enemies (5:43–47), but there must be a special love and concern for one’s fellow disciples. Itinerant preachers would especially need the type of ministry mentioned in 25:35–36 (10:40; 3 John 5–8), but it is doubtful that they alone are in view here. Jesus is identified with his disciples and they with him. They are persecuted due to their connection with him (5:11; 10:18, 22, 25; 23:34). Thus, it is quite likely that the privation of Jesus’ little brothers in 25:35–36 is due to their testimony for Jesus. When one shows mercy to a follower of Jesus, in a profound sense one is showing mercy to Jesus himself. (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 11, 330.)

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End-Times Discussion Moderated by John Piper

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Tim Farley

Here is a great video clip of a debate between three Christian scholars representing pre-millennialism, amillennialism, and post-millennialism.  John Piper is the moderator of the debate.  If you have ever been curious about the different views or want to understand more about any one of them, check this out.  It is over 2 hours, but well worth the time.  Let me know what you thought after watching.

Sorry I could not get the video to work here, but I have supplied a link below.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/4262/Video/

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Shroud of Turin a Fake?

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Tim Farley

SCIENCE-US-ITALY-SHROUDAnother person has weighed in on the legitimacy of the Shroud of Turin.  An Italian scientist has figured out a way to reproduce the Shroud and the image it contains using material and techniques available in the middle ages.  Scientists have previously used carbon dating to determine that the Shroud was from somewhere between 1260 and 1390.  The ability to reproduce the Shroud seems to support this date-range.

I am sure some Christians will be up in arms over this and ready to defend the Shroud at all costs.  Personally, I do not really care.  In fact, I am probably one of the last people who will ever be convinced that the Shroud (or the Ossuary of James) is not a fake.  I think that many, if not most, Christians would concur with me.  That is why this story will not even be discussed at most churches in the coming days and weeks.  It simply is a non-issue.  (I write from a Protestant perspective.  Catholic Christians may have a much different view than mine.)

What do you think?  Am I wrong?  Should Christians be prepared to defend the Shroud at all costs?  Will your church discuss this issue any time soon?

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