Interracial Marriage & the Bible

“Does the Bible teach for or against interracial marriage?” Neither. The Bible teaches that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman who are, in the sight of God, permitted to enter into the relationship for life. The Bible does not teach that this relationship can exist between two people of the same gender, because one of the purposes God had in mind for marriage from the very beginning of time, when he said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it . . .” is thwarted when two people are of the same gender. Since they cannot fill all the purposes for which marriage was brought into existence, they cannot lawfully marry in the sight of God, and for them to do so is an abomination, no matter what the State of New Hampshire may say! The only time, to the best of my knowledge, the Bible speaks even indirectly to the subject of an interracial marriage was in the case of Moses who married a second wife who was an “Ethiopian” woman (Numbers 12:1). You will recall that the first wife of Moses was a woman of another nationality who was a Midianitess named Zipporah. We are not told all that transpired regarding this marriage, but by the time we come to Numbers Twelve, we find Moses marrying another woman. Perhaps by this time Zipporah was dead, or perhaps this second wife was a case of polygamy. At any rate, …

Death Angel?

At the Passover in Exodus, was it actually the Jehovah God himself or an angel of the Lord that passed over the Israelites? Did God Himself come to Egypt to pass judgement on them or did He send a messenger? From what research I have done I am inclined to think Jehovah God did the passing over. Please comment. Thank you, Carol Weekley This is one of those questions, that though interesting, over which lack of agreement incurs no serious doctrinal ramifications. Clearly, at times, in both testaments, God used a destroying angel to accomplish his purpose. “And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it . . .” (1 Chronicles 21:15; 2 Samuel 24:16-17). “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses” (2 Kings 19:35). “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:23). According to Exodus 12:12-13, 29, Jehovah God passed over the Israelites and killed the firstborn children and animals among the Egyptians. “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD [Jehovah, …

Pre-Campbell Christianity

The following is an excerpt from an article by Carroll Sites that has been found in a number of bulletins over the last few years: Many people identify churches of Christ as owing their roots to Alexander Campbell in 1813. This is a common tendency among people thinking in denominational terms. Thus in some circles, we have held the dubious distinction of being referred to as “Campbellites.” I have in my files an interesting quotation from documentary research of a Dr. Robinson, principal of Overdale College, Birmingham, England. It reads as follows: In the Furness District of Lancashire in N.W. England there existed in 1669, during the reign of Charles II, a group of eight churches of Christ. Most of them are not now in existence. An old minute book has been found of the year 1669 and it shows that they called themselves by the name church of Christ, practiced baptism by immersion, celebrated the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s Day, and had elders and deacons. There was also a church of Christ in Dungannon, Ireland in 1804 and in Allington, Denbeighshire. In 1735, John Davis, a young preacher in the Fife District of Scotland was preaching New Testament Christianity twenty-five years before Thomas Campbell (Alexander Campbell’s father) was born. This Dr. Robinson mentioned above did indeed, at one time, serve as principal of Overdale College which was a school operated by the Cooperation of Churches of Christ in Great Britain. This Cooperation was in fellowship with the Disciples of …

Salvation Is By God’s Grace

Salvation by God’s grace is clearly taught in the Bible. How people are saved by God’s grace is just as clearly taught in the Bible. Sin Gives Grace Meaning Only when we realize how God sees our sins are we able to appreciate the meaning of God’s grace. When we realize how bad our sins are before God, we can appreciate that God is really and truly being gracious when he saves us from our sins. The grace of God by which people are saved is not something mystical that might strike you, or might not strike you. Instead, the Bible is very practical in its teaching about God’s grace that saves. Grace Teaches The grace of God that brings salvation teaches us how not to act, and how to act (Titus 2:11-12). This grace is inseparably connected with the truth, which is the Gospel of salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Jesus is full of grace and truth (John 1:14)! Jesus brought grace and truth (John 1:17). The dispensation or allotment of grace that God gave to Paul involved the revelation of how to be saved in the one body, which is the church for which Christ gave himself. This grace involved preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:1-8; 5:25). By Grace Through Faith Salvation by grace is through the kind of faith that is produced by the preaching of the Gospel or the unsearchable riches of Christ. This salvation is not by works of the Law of Moses or any …

The Truth About Truth

An editorial’s reaction to the news that our nation’s youth have at best a casual attitude toward truth is interesting. The column begins by citing a news report that “76 percent of the nation’s brainy 16-, 17- and 18-year olds admit to cheating,” that is “88 percent of those listed in Who’s Who Among American High School students also admit to the sin,” and that 60 percent of those explain their response by saying that “It didn’t seem like a big deal.” Now for the interesting part. The editors begin their next paragraph by observing that, “This spells out a frightening message: Today’s teenagers apparently have not been brought up with a sense of values about right and wrong” (“Students don’t get it: Cheating is wrong,” Atlanta Journal, November 17, 1997, A10). To borrow a popular response from the teen culture, “Well, duh!” While I appreciate the call the editors make for character education, and specifically for teaching that “cheating is spelled W-R-O-N-G,” I am more than a little puzzled at their apparent surprise in learning that “today’s teenagers apparently have not been brought up with a sense of values about right and wrong.” We have long lived in a culture where it is not only taught that truth is relative, but where that notion has been absorbed. Once we accept relativism, it is a small step to the conclusion that whether or not we are truthful is no big deal. It’s not as if we’ve not been warned. In the mid-80’s, …

Look Before You Leap

We all are aware of the large number of divorces that are taking place across our nation. Some statistics say as many as one out of every two marriages will be broken in a courtroom. Add to that figure those marriages that are not officially broken in a courtroom, but are broken in the heart, and we have a rather staggering figure. I believe that one of the causes for this present situation is summed up well in the following poem entitled, “Nice Nite In June.” It goes like this. Stars shine, big moon.In park, on bench,With gal, in clinch.Me say me love,She coo like dove.Me smart, me fast,Never let chance pass.“Get hitched,” me say.She say, “Okay.”Wedding bells, ring, ring,Honeymoon, everything.Happy man, happy wife,Best time in life! ‘Nother nite in June,Stars shine, big moon.Ain’t happy no more,Carry baby, walk floor.Wife fuss and scream,Me yell, get mean.Wife sad, me mad,Everything go bad.Nagging wife, bawling brat,Life one big spat.Me realize at last,Me just too fast! Don’t spend months preparing for a wedding that will last an hour, and neglect to prepare for a marriage that is to last a lifetime. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it; . . .So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, . . .Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love …

Just Do What’s Right

Have you ever heard about the man and his grandson who went on a journey, walking and leading a donkey? They soon met a passer-by who said, “How foolish for both of you to be walking.” So, the man put his grandson on the donkey and went on their way. The next person they met said, “How dreadful that a strong boy should be riding while an old man walks.” So, the boy got down and the grandfather climbed up on the donkey, and they went on their way. They then met another passer-by who said, “I can’t believe a grown man would ride and make a poor little boy walk.” So, the man pulled up his little grandson and they both rode. This seemed to be the solution until the next person they met said, “I never thought I would see anything so cruel in all my life — two intelligent humans riding on a poor defenseless donkey.” Well, as the next person passed by, they heard him whisper under his breath, “I thought I’d seen it all, but I’ve never seen two people carrying a donkey before!” The point? If you know what’s right, do it, regardless of what others might say. After all, you will never be able to please everyone, so why not just be sure you please the Lord. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). Copyright …

Spiritual Self-Examination

My first good paying job ($1.00 per hour) was for Thorne’s Super Market. The store was part of a chain of stores owned by Harry Thorne of Parkersburg, West Virginia. I began as a stockboy, putting the stock from the “backroom” onto the shelves. Then, I gradually worked my way “up” to sacker and then to cashier. During the interim, I did everything from being produce manager to cutting meat in the meat department (All for $1.00 per hour — no increase.) In those days, as it is today, it was not uncommon to have those with whom I worked to complain about working conditions. They had even given some thought to forming a union. But, it was always a period of examination to determine whether this was where I wanted to be in my life. During the last part of December and sometimes into the first part of January, we had to take inventory of all the stock, large as well as small items. Have you ever tried to count “small” items? It is time consuming, but I learned a great lesson in all of this. Regardless of the circumstances in life, we must take time out to examine it or, to say it another way, to take inventory or stock of ourselves. The most difficult thing for most of us to do in this life is to see ourselves as we really are. We like to kid ourselves about our condition: “My hair is not really that gray” or …

Walking with God

In one of the most beautiful “biographies” contained within the pages of Holy Writ, Moses records, “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Genesis 5:21-24). For Enoch, walking with God was not an empty ritual or a few minutes of devotion here and there; walking with God was his life. It was a personal journey through the daily routines of life that kept God as his guide and companion. Such a life included marriage and family but these did not interfere with his walk with God; they were part of it. Enoch’s walk with God was a lifetime adventure, growing closer to him each step of the way. Enoch was not old when God took him; he was quite young for his day. The end of life was also different than others, because it was God’s action–not death (1 Corinthians 15:55)–that ended his earthly walk. What a wonderful life! May we all determine to walk with God today (1 John 1:5-7), just as Enoch did then, that we may join Enoch in his walk with God for the rest of eternity. Copyright © 2000 Louis Rushmore. All Rights Reserved.  Conditions of Use

I Hear You

I recently noticed something about myself that needs to improve dramatically. This is not a confession as such but rather a recognition and determination to improve. In-fact, this particular shortcoming may not have been noticed by anyone but myself.  It is, nonetheless, disturbing and it may have serious consequences. After thinking on this for sometime, I realized that I may not be the only one who needs to improve in this area. If this article strikes a chord with you, I hope that you will also try to improve. I believe the problem begins with our manner of conversation. We, in our society, are uncomfortable with silence. When we engage someone in conversation, we are accustomed to filling every moment with words. We will say anything to fill that awful silence. Perhaps this fundamental means of conversation is wrong. Think about that for a moment. Since we are so very uncomfortable with silence in our conversation, what must we do while someone else is speaking? We must digest what they are saying and assemble our reply at the same time. Now, here is the shortcoming I have noticed in myself. At times, I find myself giving more thought to my reply than to what the other person is actually saying. What will I say?  How will I say it? What will the other person think about my reply? Will they believe it to be an intelligent reply? Will they think it to be a silly reply? Have you ever found …

Beverage Alcohol

An Overview “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). Sin, though approved by society and allowed by civil law, is no less sin before God, the consequence of which is (spiritual) death (Romans 6:23). Civil government in general is ordained of God (Romans 13:1-7). However, God does not authorize a particular kind of government (e.g., Roman Empire, democracy, etc.). God does not pre-authorize specific laws of any government either. The apostles found it necessary to disregard civil government on occasion when it required of them something unlawful in God’s law (Acts 4:18-20; 5:28-29). However, they only disregarded civil law to the extent it required them to violate God’s law. The apostles were still bound by the balance of man’s law under which they lived. When civil government allows, tolerates, legalizes, taxes or sponsors sin, to that extent faithful Christians must resort to the higher law of God over man’s law. Governments sometimes legalize sin, but usually do not require participation in the same (e.g., abortion on demand [murder], prostitution, immodesty and even nudity, unscriptural remarriage, gambling, alcohol, etc.). Christians must persevere in righteousness in spite of legal permission or even compulsion to commit sin. Alcohol and Government Liquor was outlawed in the U.S. and its territories between 1919 and 1933, though Rhode Island and Connecticut never ratified the 18th (prohibition) Amendment. In 1929 Utah became the 36th state to renounce prohibition, and later, the 21st Amendment rescinded the 18th Amendment. Several other nations also practiced prohibition …

Materialism

In the society in which we live today, we hear a great deal of talk about Materialism. Some people praise it, some people, especially preachers, condemn it, and around the holiday season of the year we hear many complain that the real meaning of the holiday season has been lost due to the commercialism and materialism. But, we need to ask ourselves the question, “Just what is materialism?” Obviously, there are some things of a material nature that we must have in order to live. We actually need food, clothing, shelter, and all these things belong to that class of things known as material. As a matter of fact, God has taught us in his Word that we are to pray for these things, and that he will provide them for us through his divine providence. So, if we are going to refer to materialism as being something bad, then we must define the word before we can condemn the concept, or accept it, for that matter. Materialism is defined as follows: “A theory that physical matter is the only fundamental reality and that all being, processes, and phenomena can be explained as manifestations or results of matter.” The philosophical materialism simply leaves God completely out of the picture, and so one would have no real reason for celebrating anything connected with God, nor would one have a reason to worship if all that is in the universe is material. Still another definition of “Materialism” is what one might call economic materialism, or communism. It …

The Sin of Backbiting

A backbiter is a person with back trouble — not his own, but someone else’s. He is a pain in another person’s back. How is your neighbor’s back today? The word “backbite,” according to Webster, means “to say mean or spiteful things about (one absent): slander.” The word in the Hebrew from which backbite comes suggests the idea of “to play the spy.” That is, the backbiter attempts to spy out the faults and defects of another person’s life or to circulate reports unfavorable to others by low and petty remarks as well as those which may be malicious and slanderous. It is conveyed in the New Testament by the word “evil speaking” (James 4:11; 1 Peter 3:16). The sins of the tongue are many and they are serious. The tongue is not steel, but it cuts and it wounds. Its wounds are not always to the face, but more often to the back. The scorpion harms only the one it stings, the snake only the one it bites, and poison only the one who ingests it, but the backbiter hurts, wounds and slays both near and far, at home and abroad, and spares neither the living nor the dead. There is an amazing scarcity of material on problems such as this one. It is little wonder that there is so much wrangling, bitterness and backbiting in the church today. Granted, we have many doctrinal problems, but we also have many personal problems (Galatians 5:15). In writing this article, I simply went to four passages in the …

Adventures in Arkansas

While a student at Memphis School of Preaching, one Sunday I “filled in” for a fellow student who was out of town and unable to fulfill his preaching responsibility. The small rural Arkansas congregation for which he preached was about 80 miles from Memphis. Probably never before and perhaps never again will I experience so many comical incidents in a single day — while attempting to preach the Gospel. That Lord’s Day I was accompanied by a teenage foster boy who lived down the street from our residence in Memphis. We traveled a great distance on paved highways before turning on to a dirt road. We literally drove until there was no more road. Finally, we parked the car and walked across railroad tracks into a small, isolated community. For this northerner, the collection of frame houses with tin roofs and built on stilts was a curiosity. The only church building there was our destination. We arrived way early since we were uncertain of the hereto unproved directions or of the time it would take us to find the building. The directions, though, were perfect and we allowed ourselves more than ample time. Upon our arrival, our initial concern was locating a rest room. We were unable to find such in the meeting house and the “his and hers” outhouses were overgrown with briars. Evidently, they were not used in recent years. So, we approached the only brick home in the community, which was owned by members of the church. …

Jesus, the Object of Angelic Worship

Text: Deuteronomy 32:43. (LXX) “Rejoice, you heavens, along with him, and let the sons of God worship him. Rejoice, you nations, with his people, and let all the angels of God ascribe might to him. For he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.” (Dr. James E. Smith’s rendering of the verse from the Septuagint.) Introduction: As we can see, the rendering of this passage in theSeptuagint version of the Old Testament is somewhat different from the common translations that are known today.  For example, the NKJ reads as follows: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” Nothing is said in our common translations of this text about the angels worshipping the Messiah. But, “On the basis of Hebrews 1:6, Deuteronomy 32:43a must be regarded as personal Messianic.  The writer of Hebrews was utilizing the Septuagint text which differs somewhat from the traditional Hebrew text which simply reads, ‘Rejoice, O you nations, with his people.’  A pre-Christian Hebrew manuscript discovered at Qumran makes clear that at this point the Greek translation represents the original text.” (James Edward Smith, What the Bible Teaches About the Promised Messiah, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, 1993, p. 71.) “In accordance with divine direction (31:19) Moses composed a prophetic poem (32:1-43) which he recited to the people just before his death. The written record …

Take a Name

When a person has done what is necessary to qualify to play for a professional sports team, that person will be hired by that team. The person would become a member of that team. The person would want to be called by the name of the team. The person would take honor in being called by that name. Any time he participated in the sport, he would know he was representing his team. When a person travels from his home country to another country, he must get a passport. This paper of identification allows the person to travel from his country to other countries. While in other countries, he will be identified by his passport as a member of his home country. He will take honor in being known by his home country. He will believe he is representing his home country in any activity he performs. In Acts 11:25-26 we read, Some people have tried to say that the name Christian was given to followers of Christ as a bad name. It is thought that others were trying to make fun of them or make them feel bad by being called this name. But the Greek term used for “were called” was used by the Greeks for the name someone used in ordinary life or the name by which a person wanted to be called. It was used to describe the name by which a person conducted his daily business. God wanted the followers of Christ to use this …

And God Created The Earth Without Form And Void

“And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness moved upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2). In verse two of the Book of Genesis, we are given by God details about the early moments of creation. The earth that had been created is now described. God says that it was without form, and void. The Hebrew words here are “tohuw” and “bohuwand” and Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionary gives several concepts for the definition. It denotes the idea of a worthless thing, an empty place, confusion, a desolation, to lie waste, and an indistinguishable ruin. The King James translation of something without form and empty is a good and accurate rendering of the original words from everything I can read. The reason that this is such an important point is the fact that this is a verse where some in the world and even in the church turn to support their ideas. They go here to provide time for events that the scientific community says had to happen for the earth to form. When one looks at the earth, it appears to be old. It is said coal takes millions of years to form; the fossils of fish, plants, dinosaurs and other life forms make it look like the earth is of vast age. These facts and others are interpretated as being proof of a vast age for the earth. There are some who want to believe that the Bible account is true and that God did create the world, but they also do not want …

The Church Jesus Built

Jesus said, “. . . I will build my church . . .” (Matthew 16:18). He did build the church on himself; “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Speaking of Christ, Acts 4:11 reads, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” First Peter 2:4-8 repeatedly refers to Jesus Christ as the chief corner stone of a “spiritual house.” In this same passage Christians are called “stones,” also a part of the same “spiritual house.” The church Jesus built is not made of brick, wood or stone; it is comprised of souls. The church Jesus built is spiritual. You too can be a “stone” in the “spiritual house” of God by becoming a Christian. To become a Christian you must rely wholly on the Gospel, believe it, be changed in mind and conduct by it, begin telling the world about Jesus the Christ and obey the Lord’s commands — starting with being baptized for the remission of your sins. For more information on how to become a member of the church Jesus built, especially study the book of Acts. The churches of Christ will gladly assist you in that study. Copyright © 2000 Louis Rushmore. All Rights Reserved.  Conditions of Use rushmore@gospelgazette.com

Baptism

In his letter to the Ephesian church in Chapter Four and Verse Five, the apostle Paul told Christians that only one baptism remained. When writing to Christians at Rome, the same apostle taught that this one baptism is a burial or a planting, which means that Bible baptism is immersion. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6:3-5). The apostle Peter stated the purpose of baptism in Acts 2:38, “. . . Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .” Peter later wrote that Christian baptism occurs in water, and though it may appear to unbelievers to be a bath, really it cleans the conscience and saves the soul. “…in the days of Noah, while the ark [ship] was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of …

Make a New Friend Out of an Old Enemy

The Bible calls death “the last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26), and most people view death as the enemy. They don’t like to talk about it; they don’t even like to think about it. They go to expensive extremes to postpone it — even for a few months. But Jesus came so we can make a friend out of this old enemy. Jesus told Martha that “. . . whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die . . .,” then asked if she believed it (John 11:11-15). He did not mean believers never die physically. A Christian’s body dies like everybody else’s. Jesus was inviting her to see the old enemy, death, as a new friend that opened the door for the spirit to eternal life. Paul looked forward to dying because he knew he would then be with God (Philippians 1:22). Jesus wants us to look at death from God’s perspective. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalms 116:15; Revelation 14:13). Why? God Sees Deathas Just Going to Sleep To Jesus, Lazarus had just “gone to sleep” (John 11:11). Parents do not fear their children going to sleep; rather they plan for it. They work family schedules so there will be plenty of hours for naps and sleeping. Jesus saw raising a dead man as no more difficult than for us to wake someone from sleep (cf. Matthew 9:24). On resurrection morning, Jesus will wake all those in the grave with the angel’s “alarm clock” …

The Parable of the Net

Matthew 13:47-50 Introduction The illustration that Jesus used in this parable called to mind the popular vocation of fishing.  Jesus uttered The Dragnet in Capernaum, a city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The first four parables in this series were spoken by Jesus, as he stood in a boat, to a crowd on the shore of the lake. Our Lord presented The Dragnet to his apostles, many of whom were professional fishermen (Luke 5:1-11). When Jesus called them from their ships and nets, he told them: ” . . . from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5:10). The net to which Jesus referred was a seine net. It was weighted at the bottom so it would drag the bottom of the lake. The net had floats at the top to keep it at the surface of the water. Perhaps a half mile long, after the net was stretched to its full length, its ends were brought together to trap the fish. All kinds of fish were caught and consequently, after the net was brought to shore, usable fish were sorted from the rest that were discarded. The Parable The Parable of the Dragnet bears similarities to The Parable of the Tares in the same series of Matthew 13 parables. Tares: “The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world: and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. …