It is often difficult to get people to "think thru the text." Why? There are several reasons.
Many people do not want to exert the mental industry necessary to study the scriptures.
They like to be told what to believe. This is why some people ask, "What is the 'church of
Christ' position on this subject?" Others ask, "What is the 'brotherhood' position' on this
subject?" We should care less about a 'church of Christ' or 'brotherhood' position on any
subject. The proper question to ask is, "What do the scriptures teach?" In order to
determine what the scriptures teach, we must think thru the text. Thinking thru the text
may lead to the same conclusions that were derived by people of former generations, but
we must be careful not to believe and practice anything just because they did so. We want
to be certain that we believe and practice only what sacred scripture authorizes, even if it
brings us into conflict with those around us. Fidelity to God and his word trumps loyalty to
the opinions and traditions of human beings. This is not always the easy position to occupy,
but it is always the right stance to take.
It is not sufficient to merely quote human "authorities" whether they are preachers,
editors, professors, elders, or other learned men in order to determine the correctness of
a point of doctrine or practice. The issue is not what men have said, but our desire is to
ascertain what God says in the holy scriptures. "If anyone speaks, they should speak as
one who speaks the very words of God." (1 Peter 4:11, NIV-2011) We should put our
Bible in hand, open its pages, read what it says, and think thru the text.
This attitude is exemplified in what Luke writes about the Jews in Berea. Paul and
Silas were sent away from Thessalonica by the brothers who lived there. They arrived in
Berea, and they "went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble
than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the
scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not
a few Greek women of high standing as well as men." (Acts 17:10-11, ESV-2011) Paul
was the Lord's apostle, and Silas was Paul's companion and a good man, but the Jews
appealed to the scriptures to see if what they were teaching the people was true to the
word of God. They found the things to be true, and Luke said, "many of them therefore
believed." This included both women and men! They became followers of God's way,
not the way of men. This is the way it should be. Luke commended them for "examining
the scriptures," or thinking thru the text.
Thinking thru the text is a good safeguard against leading others astray or being led
astray. Too many people accept the words of teachers and preachers without question.
Too many people hesitate to challenge the inaccurate conclusions drawn by those who
guide them. Those who instruct in religious circles are sometimes blindsided by their own
prejudices or theological presuppositions. Jesus said, "If the blind guide the blind, both
shall fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14, ASV-1901) When we approach God's word with
the intent of proving what we have already decided to believe, we will inevitably fall into
the trap of either distorting or misreading the text. This is not good biblical exegesis! As
Job asked, "Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?"
(Job 13:7, ESV-2011)
I have heard, and at one time believed, that the word fellowship in the New
Testament always refers to spiritual things, and never to anything material or physical.
When we think thru the text we discover that the statement is not accurate. It is not
only false, but it misrepresents God's word. Fellowship (koinonia) is sharing,
communion, or joint-participation. It not only refers to our communion with the deity
(1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:5-7), but it is also used with reference to things that
are material or physical. In the early portion of the book of Acts, we read about
believers, under the guidance of the apostles, enjoying or experiencing fellowship
in physical things. (Acts 2:44) In 2 Corinthians 9:13 koinonia is used to denote the
practical expression of fellowship through sharing "the generosity of a contribution." In
Romans 15:25-27 Paul uses the word to refer to sharing in material blessings. We
learn this by thinking thru the text.
I understand why it is often said that fellowship is always used to describe spiritual
things. We have heard the statement from others and we want to be sure that we do
not give people a reason to believe congregations are worldly social clubs, political
organizations, or entertainment societies. The goal is worthy, but we will not promote
God's cause by perverting scripture or speaking falsely for God. It is wrong to do so.
We do not allow denominations to succeed in distorting the scriptures; neither
should we twist the holy word of the eternal God.
R. Daly
Copyright, 2013
Many people do not want to exert the mental industry necessary to study the scriptures.
They like to be told what to believe. This is why some people ask, "What is the 'church of
Christ' position on this subject?" Others ask, "What is the 'brotherhood' position' on this
subject?" We should care less about a 'church of Christ' or 'brotherhood' position on any
subject. The proper question to ask is, "What do the scriptures teach?" In order to
determine what the scriptures teach, we must think thru the text. Thinking thru the text
may lead to the same conclusions that were derived by people of former generations, but
we must be careful not to believe and practice anything just because they did so. We want
to be certain that we believe and practice only what sacred scripture authorizes, even if it
brings us into conflict with those around us. Fidelity to God and his word trumps loyalty to
the opinions and traditions of human beings. This is not always the easy position to occupy,
but it is always the right stance to take.
It is not sufficient to merely quote human "authorities" whether they are preachers,
editors, professors, elders, or other learned men in order to determine the correctness of
a point of doctrine or practice. The issue is not what men have said, but our desire is to
ascertain what God says in the holy scriptures. "If anyone speaks, they should speak as
one who speaks the very words of God." (1 Peter 4:11, NIV-2011) We should put our
Bible in hand, open its pages, read what it says, and think thru the text.
This attitude is exemplified in what Luke writes about the Jews in Berea. Paul and
Silas were sent away from Thessalonica by the brothers who lived there. They arrived in
Berea, and they "went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble
than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the
scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not
a few Greek women of high standing as well as men." (Acts 17:10-11, ESV-2011) Paul
was the Lord's apostle, and Silas was Paul's companion and a good man, but the Jews
appealed to the scriptures to see if what they were teaching the people was true to the
word of God. They found the things to be true, and Luke said, "many of them therefore
believed." This included both women and men! They became followers of God's way,
not the way of men. This is the way it should be. Luke commended them for "examining
the scriptures," or thinking thru the text.
Thinking thru the text is a good safeguard against leading others astray or being led
astray. Too many people accept the words of teachers and preachers without question.
Too many people hesitate to challenge the inaccurate conclusions drawn by those who
guide them. Those who instruct in religious circles are sometimes blindsided by their own
prejudices or theological presuppositions. Jesus said, "If the blind guide the blind, both
shall fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14, ASV-1901) When we approach God's word with
the intent of proving what we have already decided to believe, we will inevitably fall into
the trap of either distorting or misreading the text. This is not good biblical exegesis! As
Job asked, "Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?"
(Job 13:7, ESV-2011)
I have heard, and at one time believed, that the word fellowship in the New
Testament always refers to spiritual things, and never to anything material or physical.
When we think thru the text we discover that the statement is not accurate. It is not
only false, but it misrepresents God's word. Fellowship (koinonia) is sharing,
communion, or joint-participation. It not only refers to our communion with the deity
(1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:5-7), but it is also used with reference to things that
are material or physical. In the early portion of the book of Acts, we read about
believers, under the guidance of the apostles, enjoying or experiencing fellowship
in physical things. (Acts 2:44) In 2 Corinthians 9:13 koinonia is used to denote the
practical expression of fellowship through sharing "the generosity of a contribution." In
Romans 15:25-27 Paul uses the word to refer to sharing in material blessings. We
learn this by thinking thru the text.
I understand why it is often said that fellowship is always used to describe spiritual
things. We have heard the statement from others and we want to be sure that we do
not give people a reason to believe congregations are worldly social clubs, political
organizations, or entertainment societies. The goal is worthy, but we will not promote
God's cause by perverting scripture or speaking falsely for God. It is wrong to do so.
We do not allow denominations to succeed in distorting the scriptures; neither
should we twist the holy word of the eternal God.
R. Daly
Copyright, 2013
