In This Issue

• JESUS WAS ALIVE BUT HIS DISCIPLES DISBELIEVED

• TWISTING THE PICTURE WON’T HELP THE SCENE

• PRAISE TEAMS

• MORE INFORMATION...

JESUS WAS ALIVE BUT HIS DISCIPLES DISBELIEVED

Jesus was crucified the day before the Sabbath, Mark 15:42. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had quickly anointed His body so that it could be placed in the tomb before sunset. The women who had followed Him from Galilee observed His burial, then returned to their lodging and prepared spices with which to further anoint His body after the Sabbath. Then they observed the Sabbath according to Moses’ law, Luke 23:55-56.

“Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away--for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples--and Peter--that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe,” (Mark 16:1-9).

These women, who had been among Jesus’ closest followers, had not expected Him to rise from the dead. They expected Jesus to still be dead, and they expected Him to stay dead. As they traveled to the garden where Jesus’ body had been buried, they wondered who would help them roll away the stone that sealed the tomb but when they arrived there, the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was gone.

It was apparently at this point that Mary Magdalene ran to find Peter and John and tell them Jesus’ body was missing, John 20:2. An angel at the tomb told the other women that Jesus had risen, and reminded them that He had earlier told them that He would, Luke 24:4-8. Then the angel sent them to tell His disciples—and Peter—that Jesus would meet them in Galilee.

It is interesting that Peter was singled out -- “tell His disciples—and Peter.” Scholars suggest that this was because the last time Peter was mentioned he had vehemently denied that he was a disciple of Jesus, even cursing and swearing that he was not. Of course, when Peter had fully realized his sin, he had wept bitterly, Matt. 26:75. And subsequent history shows that Simon Peter was restored and served Jesus faithfully even unto a martyr’s death.

Evidently, after telling the apostles that Jesus’ body was missing, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and Jesus appeared to her, as recorded in John 20:11ff. The women told the apostles of the angels’ words, but the apostles did not believe them. Mary Magdalene told the apostles that Jesus had appeared to her, but still they disbelieved. Though Jesus had often foretold His death and resurrection, His followers were not prepared for either.

-Clarence R. Johnson

TWISTING THE PICTURE WON’T HELP THE SCENE

We once read of a New York enthusiast who had an outstanding collection of etchings, one of them being the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which hung over his writing desk. For a long time he noticed that it persisted in hanging crooked despite the fact that he straightened it every morning. At last he spoke to the maid, asking her if she were responsible for its lopsided position each morning. “Why, yes,” she said, “I have to hang it crooked to make the tower hang straight.”

Perhaps you wonder why reference is made to such an account as this. Simply this: That is exactly how a lot of people, not recognizing the real position and beauty of the Scriptures, deal with the Bible. They twist the word of God in order to justify their own actions and doctrines hoping to make them all appear right. Peter stated that Paul wrote some things hard to be understood, “which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, (twist NKJV) as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:16)

The denominational doctrine of salvation prior to and without baptism is such a twisting of the Scriptures. Its position is that “he that believeth and is saved may be baptized.” But such is plainly the wrong view of the thing, because Jesus said that instead of salvation being before baptism, it was exactly the other way around: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Whoever has the impression that salvation is before or without baptism has a perverted view of it. The Galatians were reminded: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). Salvation is only to be found in Christ and only those baptized into Christ are in Christ where this salvation is to be obtained. It takes a great deal of twisting to keep from seeing that baptism is essential to salvation!

Prayer is one of the most glorious privileges God ever granted to mankind. But here again a beautiful privilege is twisted to justify the actions and doctrines of men. The Scriptures teach that prayer is granted to those who obeyed the Lord. Contrary to this, alien sinners are told repeatedly to “Pray for the Lord to save you, pray for the Holy Spirit, pray for remissions of sins.” All this, an alien sinner is advised to do by people who possess more zeal than knowledge. To instruct a sinner to pray is to lead him into a thing the God of heaven has not even suggested that anyone but a child of His do. We note what Peter said about prayer: “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (I Peter 3:12). The wise man wrote: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination” (Proverbs 28:9). The individual who instructs an alien sinner to pray for remission of sins is twisting the word of God. The Scripture says with reference to the sinner’s obtaining the remission of his sins: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Act 2:38).

It is a serious thing to tamper with the Word of God (Galatians1:6-9). But that is just what so many people continue to do. They twist the truth in order to justify their own actions and doctrines. Jesus stated: “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). One of the impossible things is trying to deceive God. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). It is a foolish thing to twist any portion of the Scripture to fit our deeds, for in the judgment we will surely meet the word of God in all of its purity. And friend, twisting the picture won't help the scene. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10).

–Bobby K. Thompson

PRAISE TEAMS

The "praise team" is one of the sinful innovations that some of the congregations of the Lord's church have copied from the denominations. Whenever the denominations come up with new innovations, many congregations of the churches of Christ are only one step behind them and are anxious to try anything they do. It does not matter if it is not scriptural.

Just as the children of Israel in Samuel's day wanted to be "like all the nations" around them (1 Samuel 8:5) with their sinful practices, today many congregations of the Lord's church also want to be like all the denominations around them with their sinful practices.

Praise teams usually start in a congregation by miking certain people, including women, in the audience who have "great voices". After the congregation has become accustomed to this, then the praise team is moved to the stage in front of the audience where they perform. The congregation ceases to worship God, and is now being entertained by a choir. The worship service has now been changed to a performance and God is no longer being worshipped.

The whole congregation is to worship God with their singing. Every Christian is commanded, "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19). Also we read in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Here we see that all Christians are to speak, teach, and admonish one another as we worship God in our singing.

With praise teams, women with the aid of microphones are taking part in leading the singing. Here we have women taking a leading role over man. This is forbidden in God's word, "And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve" (1 Timothy 2:12-13). Does it really matter if God's word does "not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man" in the worship service? Apparently not, because some have chosen to ignore what God says and to do things their way.

This is sinful and blatant disobedience of God. This disrespect will cause people to lose their souls in eternity. Concerning our worship, Jesus says, "God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). The word "must" is an imperative, which expresses compelling authority and absolute necessity. The only way that our worship will be acceptable to God is if it is "in spirit and in truth". How do we worship God in truth? Jesus says to God in His prayer in John 17:17, "Your word is truth". So to worship God in truth, we "must" worship Him according to His word. One cannot worship God with a "praise team" and worship Him in truth.

The Bible says, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17). Everything we do in worship to God is to be done "in the name of the Lord" which means by His authority. But where in the New Testament can you find the authority that a congregation is to be entertained by the performance of a praise team choir and with women taking a leading role over man. There is no authority for this since it came from man and not from God. Jesus says, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). 

When our worship becomes vain, it becomes useless and we will lose our souls as a result. Let's not lose our souls by following the denominations in their sinful practices.

-Ron Boatwright via BibleStudy.net

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