What I am about to tell you is so important when trying to understand the information in the Bible, that to overlook it causes mass misunderstanding among most of the world’s population. And as sad as I am to have to say it, the same is true among members of the church of Christ.

As the first example, let’s start by reading this verse of Scripture;

Acts 22:16 (NKJV)

16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

As a member of the church of Christ, you have no trouble understanding that this passage is telling you that Baptism is required to have your sins forgiven. The phrase, “wash away your sins”, is perfectly clear in giving us the message the Holy Spirit intended us to understand.

But consider this; thousands if not millions of people in denominational religions, who claim to be Christians, read this Scripture just as much as you do and they breeze right through it and never give a second thought as to Baptism being required for salvation. How in the world can that be? Well, the answer is really very simple; they do not want the Scripture to say that Baptism is required for salvation. There is an accepted world view among denominational religions that salvation is by faith alone and any Scripture that would contradict that view is simply ignored as though it did not exist. Other Scriptures are chosen instead that would seem to support their views on faith only salvation when allowed to stand alone without considering all the verses together. After all, doesn’t John 3:16 say; 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. There is nothing in this verse about Baptism being required for salvation.

Do you see how this works? Here are 2 Scriptures about salvation and both do not support a world view of salvation by faith alone. So what would you have to do to hold to one and ignore the other? Simple, just allow one Scripture to trump the other in importance and authority. That very thing happens every day, everywhere. And let’s not think it only happens with denominational religions; it happens with people in the church of Christ as well.

The world’s culture is changing with every generation and there is such an urge and a desire to conform with it that hardly anyone can resist it. How does it make you feel if you do something that is viewed “politically incorrect”? We are all like sheep and there is an overpowering need to “follow the herd”. People in the church have that same problem and want to be just like everyone else        in the churches and in the world around us.

There are many things in the church of Christ that we have practiced for years that seem to be very restrictive when we compare them with the practices of others in the world and in other religions. It is very, very tempting to use the “Scripture shell game” just like the denominations do to make the Bible seem to say what we want it to say. Take a look at this passage and tell me what it means;

 2 Corinthians 6:15 (NKJV)

15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 

 

Do you have any trouble understanding this? I seriously doubt that you do. What does the word “believer” mean here? Is this not a clear reference to a believer in Christ, a Christian? And because we will need to know this later, the Greek word here from the original Bible is “pistos”, which means “believer”.

Now what motive could a Christian have that would want “pistos” in this Scripture to mean anything other than a Christian. Tell me, is there any other meaning this Scripture could have that would suit you better. Just setting here on the page it seems very clear, doesn’t it? But do you know that some Christians reject it when they read the rest of what it says? Let’s look at the rest of the topic here.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NKJV)

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness      with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

 

When people look at this verse and start realizing that this would apply to marriage, suddenly the understanding and explanation is more than some folks are willing to accept. Now it becomes easy to just “read over” this text and go on to other passages that are more “culturally” correct.

There is another place where the Greek word “pistos” is used and it can become a “culturally incorrect” Scripture for many.

Titus 1:5-6 (NKJV)
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you–
6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.            Faithful is from the Greek word “Pistos”.

 

Just like 2 Cor. 6:15 the word  “pistos” is used here too, having to do with the qualifications of elders and this time it is translated “faithful”. It is the very same Greek word that was translated “believer” in 2 Cor. 6:15. And this describes the elder’s children.

The ASV translates this word like this; Titus 1:6 (ASV)

            6 if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe,

 

So why would this verse cause a problem for anyone? Well, there again, what a person really wants this verse to say about the children of elders will likely depend on the situation he is in. Does he have a reason to want to excuse an elder whose children are not “faithful”? If someone was in this situation how would he handle this verse that says, plainly, that an elder’s children need to be faithful believers?

You know what, if you stop to think about this for just a minute; this command about an elder’s children is just as clear in this Scripture as the verse about Baptism in

Acts 22:16 (NKJV)

16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’   

Those who have a desire for a “faith only salvation”, look for other Scriptures to “soften” these words and dilute this command.

Well, there are no exceptions made here about the qualifications of an elder’s children being “softened”, so where can we find someplace where they are? Let’s look at another Scripture dealing with the same topic.

1 Timothy 3: 4 (KJV)

4 One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

 

The purpose of redirecting the attention to this verse and leaving Titus 1: 6 is to try to show that all elders do not have to have “believing children”. If it could be proven that an elder’s children are too young to be baptized believers then it might follow that the command in Titus 1:6 is not really binding. OK with all that in mind, let’s look back at 1 Tim. 3:4.

The Greek word for house as used here is “oikos—Strong’s Greek & Hebrew Dictionary” which can be translated family, home, house, household, or dwelling, either literal or physical. So in order for a man to be qualified as an elder he must rule his own family or his household well. And in addition to that he must have his children in subjection. Now if this was the only Scripture we had, there is not one shred of genuine proof as to any reference to the children’s ages or to whether or not they are baptized believers. Look carefully at the words in this Scripture. “4 One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;” Since there is no reference to any ages or salvation condition, any information about it that we try to provide will only come from a personal deduction by the person trying to decide. Now sometimes accurate information can come from personal deduction and analytical thinking, but many times it will only be a preprogrammed world view and a bias for what we want the text to say. On the other hand, there is definite information about the condition of an elder’s children in Titus 1:6 (ASV). “ if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe,” 

Here we have 2 verses about an elder’s children. One is very precise and clear and it says with no doubt that an elder’s children are to be believing Christians. Now if we want to alter this clear command, we need another verse that is equally just as clear. You won’t find that information in 1 Tim. 3:4. The only way you can make it say that is with personal deduction.

At this point I would reference back to beginning of this article. I would point out that the way these verses are handled in this example is the same way the verses about Baptism are handled in an attempt to generate and create a meaning that fits a world view that we feel better about. Would we allow one Bible verse to have more authority than another and allow one verse to “trump” another or would we not try to “meld” the Scriptures together with both having equal authority and respect. If one verse has a clear command, would we not want that command to influence the way we interpret another verse where there is no clear command?

Many people with good and honest hearts form opinions about life based on a sincere desire for what seems to them to be compassion for the welfare of others. If we were to submit to a doctrine that says “Baptism is required for salvation” then many of our friends and loved ones would be condemned to everlasting hell because they were not baptized. No wonder so many people reject what the Bible says about baptism.

The same is true about the qualification of elders with the condition of their children, their status about wives and marriages, and all the other qualifications where a personal judgment has to be made. Many people with good and honest hearts just don’t feel like it is right to withhold a position of honor from another person who is well liked and respected. Let’s be honest here with ourselves. Have you ever questioned how you would advise someone who was discovered to be in an unscriptural marriage? What if it had gone on for years and there were children and maybe even grandchildren involved? Could you see yourself being the one to tell these people they have to separate? Thank goodness it is not our job to “enforce” but to “inform”. Any enforcing is to be done by the church as a group, and not one person.

These scenarios are not the only ones where accepting Scriptural commands come hard. And with every generation of new culture it gets harder to accept some of the things the Bible tells us to do. This next one is so hard and so criticized by the culture of today that to hold on to what the Bible has to say about this has become so very difficult that no mention of these Bible verses will likely be found anywhere near a pulpit today. If anyone does dare read these verses it is likely a rapid disclaimer will quickly follow or the person risks being ostracized and ridiculed and “shunned” for bringing it up. But the Bible lists these commands and even makes it clear that these commands “come from God and do not come from men”. Read this;

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (NKJV)

34 Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are      to be submissive, as the law also says.

35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is   shameful for women to speak in church.

 

And in case you wonder if this is really what God wants, read these parts of this verse;

34. “…. but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.”

 

            …. And read this ….

 

35 And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is   shameful for women to speak in church.

36 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? 

 

The law that is being referenced here predates the Law of Moses and goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden to woman’s sin with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Now for me to explain this concept would be more than you would want to read in this publication. But I will be happy to give you a free book written by me entitled, “American Women Are Out of Control” if you will request it and I will pay for the shipping. Contact me at ccooperapp@aol.com.

I did not realize this article would be so long when I started it. I hope you did not wear out reading it. Perhaps it is a chapter in a future book someday. Time will tell.

 

 

 

Carl O. Cooper