issues and opinions

Christmas as a Religious Holiday

Should Christians Invent Religious Holidays?

By Carl O. Cooper

            It is that time of the year again. You hear Christmas music coming from your TV and all the department stores, and there are beautiful light displays and even nativity scenes in people’s yards. There is a warm feeling for all those Christmases from the past when the kids were small and there was the tree and the presents and the joy of family and friends for Christmas dinner. I have to admit, there is great joy in celebrating Christmas. Is all this wrong for a Christian to enjoy? Let’s look at a few logical conclusions about Christmas.

            Well, let me say this. Most of the religious world will have no interest in the logic of what I am about to say. Only those Christians who understand and respect the concept of restoring the “original New Testament church” will have any respect for this line of reasoning at all. I hope you are one of those who understand how important this concept really is.

            When we look around us and see just how many religious churches there are we should be concerned that people who profess to be Christians are so divided. And not just divided by church name and denomination but also by doctrines and beliefs as well. Churches who teach totally different and contradicting doctrines with each other are actually telling people that it is really OK and all these doctrines that don’t agree and contradict one another are really all true and OK with God. Do you realize how wrong this is? When two doctrines contradict each other, then either both are wrong or at least one is wrong. Do you really think God thinks this division is OK with Him? Not if you believe the Bible. Look at this Scripture in John 17.

John 17:20-21 (NKJV)

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that      the world may believe that You sent Me.

            Jesus prayed this prayer when He was in the garden of Gethsemane just before He was arrested to be crucified. God’s desire for all who would call themselves Christian is to be united as “one”. As He and Jesus are one. By being united in what we teach, the world can be convinced that the Gospel is true. How can they believe a message that contradicts itself?

            What does this have to do with Christmas? Plenty!

            If we are going to be united as “one” with one Gospel and one doctrine that does not contradict, then we will all be united into one church. Well, which church will that be?

            In the first century when the church was established, there was only one church. All Christians were a part of it. Don’t be fooled, it was not the Catholic Church. That church came several hundred years after the apostles and first century Christians were already a part of the first church. The first church had no other name than “The Church”. Sometimes it was identified as the church that belongs to Christ, or the church of Christ.

            Now if we wanted to unite into “one body” as the Bible puts it; that church would be the church we want to be a part of today. We need to “Restore” that church. That’s not as hard as you might think. All we have to do is “plant the seed for that church” into the hearts and minds of Christians today. You can do that by discarding all the creeds and statements of faith and manuals used by churches today that spell out the differences that make them the denomination that they are. If you want to produce a Baptist, you plant the seed of a Baptist church into a person’s heart. The seed is the books that tell a Baptist what he is suppose to know to make him different from a Methodist or some other denomination. Without these books there is no “seed” to divide us. If we discard these books then we must start planting a new seed. That seed is the Bible only. If we only plant the “Pure Original Seed” we will only grow members of that first church.

            The problem comes in when the “original seed” is altered. Men have been doing this for hundreds of years. This is why we have all the division we have today. So it is vitally important that the seed is not altered. The only way to protect the seed is to be very; very cautious that we never, never add or take away anything the Bible tells us to do. We speak where the Bible speaks and we are silent where the Bible is silent.

            This is where the celebration of Christmas as a religious holiday comes into the picture. You see, there is no authorization in the Bible to invent another religious Holy day for our worship to God. We are clearly taught in the Scriptures to observe Christ’s death every first day of the week and we are told to worship God in specific ways every Sunday. God has designed the worship we are told to engage in and we are not authorized to invent to ourselves new forms of worship that God, Himself, did not design. To do so, alters the seed.

            When we invent new worship to God that is not described for us by God in the Bible we create a new church because it is not the exact copy of the original one started by the apostles in the beginning.

            We do not have the authority to invent to ourselves new religious Holy days that God did not design.

            Can Christmas be celebrated without it being celebrated as a religious holiday? Of course it can. My family has done so for years. We have always understood the “seed principle” and we do not have nativity scenes and baby Jesus and we do not sing religious songs to celebrate Christmas. We have Santa Claus and a Christmas tree; and we have gifts and our children have an exciting time. We have family and friends for Christmas dinner and we build great memories.

            Yes, you can celebrate Christmas without altering the seed of the word of God in the process. Don’t ever forget, God has instructed us all to be one. This means “one body” and we must “teach the same things”. Don’t forget Jesus’ prayer for “all to be one”. That is the written will of God. This means one church for all Christians who dwell together in unity. And let’s not forget what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV;

            10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Carl O. Cooper

Saved By Faith?

It’s true, we are saved by faith

By Carl O. Cooper

            Yes it’s true. We are saved by faith. The Bible declares it in more than one place. Almost everyone who knows anything about the Bible can quote John 3:16. Look at John 3:16 but look at the verse before it to understand the context.

John 3:14-16 (NKJV)

               And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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.

            Now what in the world does “Moses lifting up the serpent” have to do with the faith that saves us? How could lifting up the serpent save anyone? Well, before we go into that, let’s explore some other things that have saved people.

            Another common and well known Bible story is Noah and the ark. God destroyed the world by a great flood but Noah was saved. Look at these Scriptures.

Genesis 6:13-14 (KJV)

                And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

¹⁸ but with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark,

22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

            So Noah did all that God commanded him to do. He built the ark according to the pattern God gave him and at the proper time he entered the ark. By doing all that God told him to do, he was saved.

            Now, tell me. Why did Noah build this ark? It took many years. Don’t you know this was asking a lot to have a man follow these complex directions year after year? Would it really sound reasonable that a great flood would come upon the earth and float a huge ship such as the one Noah built? So why did Noah do it? We know the answer, don’t we? It was faith. The only reason Noah followed God’s instructions was because he had enough faith to do so.  Now we are not talking about “belief”. That type of faith is just not enough. Look at how James describes that type of faith.

James 2:14 (NKJV)

            What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

            Be honest with yourself here. If Noah had refused to obey God and refused to build the ark, would he have been saved? Or just suppose Noah had reasoned to himself that the ark was just too big, or suppose he decided that cedar is a better wood than “gopher wood”, would this have been enough faith to save Noah? No, Noah was saved because he had enough faith to obey God and do exactly what God told him to do.

            And then there was Abraham.

            There are several stories about Abraham. In every case recorded Abraham displayed great faith. Enough faith, in fact, to obey everything God told him to do without question. But look at the story about the time God told Abraham to kill his son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice to God. Look again at what James has to say about Abraham’s faith.

James 2:20-24
                    But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.  You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

            So just like Noah, Abraham’s faith saved him. But also like Noah, would Abraham’s faith have been enough to save him if he had refused to obey God’s instructions about sacrificing his son? According to James it was Abraham’s faith that caused him to obey God. James says that this is the kind of faith it takes to save anyone. It is a faith that is strong enough to obey whatever God tells you to do. You see, faith alone is not enough. James says the devil has that kind of faith, and that is just not enough to save. The kind of faith that is counted to us as righteousness is the kind of faith that Noah and Abraham had. It is the kind of faith that will cause us to obey anything God tells us to do.

            Now, fast forward up to today. If faith alone will not save us, then what kind of faith will it take to save us? Has God given us any special instructions such as the instructions He gave Noah and Abraham? Well, yes, He has. God told us to have faith, alright. But He told us He requires some other things to be saved as well. Do we have enough faith for our faith to be counted as righteousness, like Abraham and Noah? One other thing God told us to do is to “repent”. Look at this Scripture.

Luke 13:5 (NKJV)

                I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Acts 17:30 (NKJV)
                    Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

            Any doubt about it? It is as clear as can be that repentance is required by God in order to be saved. Once again we see that James understood that “faith alone will not save”.

            But there is still more instructions from God about our salvation. Check this out.

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)

                that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Matthew 10:32 (NKJV)
                     “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

            There is still more to the Gospel that saves than repentance and confession.  We know that the type of faith that saves us and is counted to us as righteousness, (like Abraham and Noah), is the kind of faith that does not refuse to obey anything God tells us to do.

            Look at the passages about baptism. Remember the type of faith that saves us.

Acts 2:36-38 (NKJV)

                “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 22:16 (NKJV) And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the                                                   name of the Lord.

1 Peter 3:20-21 (NKJV)

               who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

            So there you have it. What kind of faith saves us? You can see that it is the type of faith that Noah had. And it is the type of faith that Abraham had. It is the type of faith that causes us to obey anything God tells us to do. And, like Abraham, we don’t have to fully understand why God requires it. We just have to have the type of faith that causes us to obey God no matter what. This is the kind of faith that James describes and this is the kind of faith that is counted to us as righteousness.

            Now how about that story of the bronze serpent that Moses made for the children of Israel? Look at the Scripture.

Numbers 21:9 (NKJV)

            So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

            What did it take to be healed by this bronze serpent? Well, first it took the type of faith that would cause someone to look up at the bronze snake. Faith alone would just not do the job. It took action on the part of the person who wanted to be saved. It was simple enough, but something besides faith was required. And as you can now clearly see, that has always been the way people have been saved by faith.

Carl O. Cooper

Wine in Judges 9:13

                              ¹² “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’ ¹³ But the vine said to them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go to sway over trees?’  

            When I first read these words “Which cheers both God and men”, it caused me to stop and question what this could possibly mean? Could this be referring to alcoholic, fermented wine?  If it is, then it literally flies in the face of all the Bible has to say about wine in many other Scriptures that condemn drinking alcoholic drink.

            But a closer inspection of the verse reveals another mystery as well.

            Did you notice when you read this verse that the “wine” referred to here is specified as the “new wine”? You see, that presents a problem if you wanted this “wine” to be fermented, alcoholic wine. “New wine” is always referring to fresh squeezed grape juice and is not “aged and fermented” to produce alcoholic wine. So that is the first mystery solved. But even that is not the end of the explanation here.

            I did a search of the original translated text used here to see how this was written before it was translated into English. You can do this yourself. All it takes is a Bible program that gives you the “Strongs” numbers and the definition of the original words. Here is a sample from the Gospel Advocate’s Bible Program.

¹² Then said <H559> the trees <H6086> unto the vine <H1612>, Come <H3212> thou, and reign <H4427> over us. ¹³ And the vine  <H1612> said  <H559> unto them, Should I leave  <H2308> my wine  <H8492>, which cheereth  <H8055> God  <H430> and man  <H582>, and go  <H1980> to be promoted  <H5128> over the trees  <H6086>?

            Notice here that the word translated “wine” by the English translators is Strongs #H8492. Now, the question is; what is the real definition of this word?

Hebrew Strong’s Number: 8492

Hebrew Word: ‏תִּירוֹשׁ‎Transliteration: tîrôsh

Phonetic Pronunciation:tee-roshe’

Root: from <H3423> in the sense of expulsion

Cross Reference: TWOT – 2505

Part of Speech: n m

Vine’s Words: None

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Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:    

wine 38    [Total Count: 38] or tiyrosh, tee-roshe’;

from <H3423> (yarash) in the sense of expulsion; must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by implication (rarely) fermented wine :- (new, sweet) wine.

—Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary

            So, a proper definition of the Hebrew word used here, translated “wine”, is “must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out);”.

            No wonder the text refers to this juice as “new wine”.

            Another mystery solved.

            But just to point out the context here, let’s back up in the text to verse 8;

Judges 9: 8 “The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ ⁹ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men, And go to sway over trees?’

            These statements are a literary form of poetry which allows inanimate objects the ability to take human characteristics to drive home a point. We sometimes refer to this as “personification”.

            These statements with the olive oil and the grape juice are showing the great value of the products already being produced by the trees and the vines and how foolish it would be to take on a new type duty which they obviously were not created to do. God gave these trees and vines the ability to do what they do and to continue in doing it honors God and men.

            And while we are at it, consider the logic of what is said again in verse 13.

Should I leave  <H2308> my wine  <H8492>, which cheereth  <H8055> God  <H430> and man  <H582>,

            Now anyone can see how men can get high and cheerful drinking alcoholic wine. But how would God get high and cheerful if men drank alcohol? Well that causes us to take another look at Strongs #H8055. This word has many, many meanings but it is translated 95 times in the Bible as “rejoice”. Just suppose the translators had used the word “rejoice” rather than “cheereth”? How would this have influenced your decision about this “new wine” being alcoholic? Consider the word “rejoice” written in “personification style” like the “olive oil”.

            Should I leave my “new wine” in which both God and Men “rejoice”?

Carl O. Cooper

Does Racism Exist in Black Christians?

            When we consider the relationship between black and white Christians today, I think we can readily see that all is just not well. I recently came upon a “Blog’ by a black Christian preacher in the church of Christ. He had dozens of articles on-line which he implied were views of the black Christian community. He was a Christian black man in his 70’s.  His blog articles were all about how black people were treated when he was a boy and about how he was stopped by the police when he was a young man with his family in the car. He mentioned the “terrible way” black people are currently being treated by the police and he referenced George Floyd and the way he was treated by the police when they tried to arrest him. All of the blogs on this church of Christ web site were about “race” and the unfair treatment of black people in America. This man even expressed a belief that black people were not being allowed to properly vote in elections. In my opinion, this man is spreading “racist hatred” like a virus spreading through the black Christians of the church. Now this is just one example and I hope and pray that it is an exception among Christian people and not the normal. I do believe it is the normal among the general black population but I can only hope and pray it is not the case with Christian people.

            Here is a Bible example of “racism” among Christians in the early church.

Galatians 2:11-13 (NKJV)

                Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.  

            I would ask black Christians; does this sound familiar? For hundreds of years the Jews shunned the Gentiles and would not have contact socially with them. They would not intermarry with Gentiles and they even refused to eat at the same table with them.

            And then one day God told the Christian people that all men were equal in Christ and there was no difference in the Jew and the Gentile. But even good men were slow to endorse this new freedom for Christian people. Here in Galatians 2 we find the Apostle Peter being “racist” against Gentile Christians. And it was not just Peter alone. It was all those Christian Jews who came to Antioch from James. They refused to eat at the same table with any Gentiles. The Apostle Paul saw that this racism was wrong and he said, “Peter was to be blamed”.

            Now this very same thing has happened to black Christians in America. Many good white Christian men have treated black Christians wrong. And like Peter they are to be blamed. But like Peter, they were caught up in the long standing culture of the day and it took time for many white Christians to learn that “racism” was ungodly and wrong.

            Now let me ask you this; how should we feel about the Apostle Peter? And how should he be written up in the history books? Should we think hard and bad thoughts about him and write him in history books as an evil and racist “white man” because of what he did? Nothing in the Bible tells us that Peter repented for his “racism”. I think we can conclude that he learned better and did repent. And he went on to be a great man and he gave his life for the Gospel. Peter is to be honored and not condemned.

            There have been many white men who have made racist comments about black Christians. Some have gone on to become very respected Gospel preachers. During the course of their lives they understood their actions were racist and wrong and they have repented of what they did. Now, how should we remember them? Like Peter, they made a grave mistake. And like the Gentile Christians of Peter’s day, our duty is to forgive and to forget what they did in the past.

            Now this is how black and white Christians should treat each other. I don’t really think I need to explain this mindset but it doesn’t seem to be accepted in the general black population in the US. However the great majority of black America (just like white America) is not made up of Christians. I can only hope and pray that black Christians are not influenced to hold a grudge against white Christians who treated them like Peter did the Gentiles.

Carl O. Cooper

The Plea of the Churches of Christ

The “plea” of the churches of Christ is; “that all those who believe in Jesus Christ and who call themselves Christians be joined together into one church and teach the same things”.

            Well, I understand, you might say; but how could this be possible as divided as we are? Well, first, why are we so divided? Don’t we all have the same Bible? Yes, we have the same Bible, but it is not the Bible that divides us. To understand this, let’s ask a couple more questions.

Question #1. How does a denominational church prove its distinction and differences from the other denominations? Answer; a creed or a statement of faith that points out their beliefs that make them different. This creed or statement of faith is the seed that spawns new members of that denomination. If you plant this creed or this statement of faith into someone’s heart the plant that springs up is another member of that denomination. If you stopped planting this seed into the hearts of men, the denomination would cease to exist. However, the people who accept this seed become one together and the denomination is perpetuated as “one Body”. But they are only one body with their specific denomination.

Question #2. Suppose every denomination was to use the same creed book, what would happen? If you sow the same seed in everyone’s heart, would they not then all be one body of the same church?

And that brings us to the solution of the problem. You see, the problem is not the Bible. The problems are all the different creeds and statements of faith written by men. Without these books all denominations would fail to be different and would soon cease to exist. If all these books were discarded and everyone used the Bible as their creed or statement of faith then all would be one with the same original church in the Bible, the body of Christ.

Carl O. Cooper

How Can We All Learn To Teach the Same Things?

How Can We All Join Together Into “One Body”?

            This information is for everyone who respects what the Bible has to say about “All Christian people teaching the same things”.

            The Bible tells us to be “Joined together into one body” and “To be united as one, like God and Christ are one”. Let’s review these Scriptures together.

John 17:20-23 (NKJV)

             “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

             Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NKJV)

            For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free–and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Ephesians 5:23 (NKJV)

            For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  

Colossians 1:24 (NKJV)

            I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

Now, what have we learned with these Scriptures?

1. Jesus prayed for everyone who would believe on Him, that we would all be united as one as He and God were one. This means we are to be united in our beliefs, our doctrines, and      our fellowship. He did not intend for the church to separate into denominations, each with        different doctrines and statements of faith and creeds. In spite of Jesus’ prayer for unity,         people who call themselves Christian are not “one, as Jesus and God are one”.

2. We also learned from these Scriptures that the Apostle Paul gave instructions about unity in           our teaching. “that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no      divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and      in the same judgment.”  Paul spoke from inspiration and his words are inspired by the       Holy Spirit. We know these words are from God.

3. We also learned that we are all members of “The one body”.

4. We also learned that Christ is the head of the church and the church is the “body of       Christ”. “Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body”.

            And also; for the sake of His body, which is the church,  

            When we put all this information together we have learned this; Jesus and the Apostles instructed and pleaded with us to be unified into one body, the church. We are to teach the same things in unity and we are not to divide the “one body”. Jesus said in His prayer in the garden, that we are to be united as He and God are united “that the world might know that You sent Me.”  How true that statement is. The Devil has convinced the people of this world that division of the church is good. And somehow, even as illogical as it is, he has convinced people who call themselves Christians, that all these denominations somehow all are teaching the truth about Christian religion even though their doctrines are different and even contradict each other. You all know that what I am saying is true. Brothers, this is not right. We just read Scriptures that tell us that this division into denominations is not what God and Jesus had in mind for the “One Body, The Church”.

            The “plea” of the churches of Christ is; “that all those who believe in Jesus Christ and who call themselves Christians be joined together into one church and teach the same things”.

Carl O. Cooper

All Things Are Lawful For Me

1 Cor. 6:12 and 1 Cor. 10:22

1 Corinthians 6:12 (NKJV)

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I    will not be brought under the power of any.

            I’ll be the first to admit that this is a difficult verse. That is, until you take the time to study and to really think carefully about what is said and what is at stake here. When Paul says “all things are lawful to me”, would it make any sense, whatsoever, that Paul is saying that he is immune to the condemnation of sin? Of course after I really stop to think about and study this scripture, I really don’t believe it is as complicated as it seems when we first read it.

            But I really do believe that just about everyone who reads this verse has a serious hard time (at first) trying to get these words of Paul the Apostle to agree with what we read in the Bible about the restrictions placed on many things that the Bible calls sin. Just before Paul wrote this phrase he listed many acts that are contrary to God’s will and he lists them as sins; Sins that will keep us from being saved. Look at these many sins that Paul lists that are forbidden for the Christian to be associated with. These are sins listed by Paul that the “law of Christ” has condemned.

Galatians 6:1-2 (NKJV)

1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a      spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Notice this phrase)

            There is a law of Christ and it forbids the Christian from engaging in certain acts that are described by the Word of God, the Bible, to be sin. We are not to be involved with sinful things. The Bible is clear about that. In fact, Paul lists many of these things just before he makes the statement that “all things are lawful for me”. Look at some of these in the preceding verses.

1 Corinthians 6:8-11 (NKJV)

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be             deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor             sodomites,

10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the             kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were             justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.  

            Well, these things are certainly not lawful. I think we can readily see that anyone who engages in these behaviors without repentance has no part in the kingdom of God. These acts clearly violate the “law of Christ” and will cost those who violate these commands their eternal soul.

            So what could Paul possibly mean when he says “all things are lawful for me”?

            What law is Paul referring to?

            Well, I think the answer to that is really pretty obvious, don’t you?

            Paul is referring to the freedom from the Jewish law which was a brand new religion that all Christians now had because of the death of Christ on the cross. Very few people in Paul’s day understood this new freedom from the law they had. They didn’t understand the new freedom from the Law of Moses and they didn’t understand that the Gentiles were now a part of God’s chosen people. This was especially true with the Jewish “clergy” and most of all the other Jews as well.

            The people of Corinth were struggling with many sinful things. The Bible tells us that they were accepting a man who had taken his father’s wife in an unscriptural union and in addition to that, we are told about their struggle with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. And even that’s not all the sins they were having trouble understanding. Verses 8-11 list many sins contrary the law of Christ and the text plainly says that “such were some of you”.

            It would not be an unrealistic stretch at all to conclude that much of the confusion in Corinth about sinful things involved a misunderstanding of whether or not the Law of Moses condemned some of these acts and were they really forbidden by the Jewish Law? Many of the commentaries agree with this concept and I think the context of these verses point to this conclusion.

            This misunderstanding about the Jewish Law leads the Apostle Paul to remind the Jewish people that we are “not under Law” as God’s people have always been in the past. There is a freedom from “Law” with this new Christian religion that Christ had brought into the world.

            Paul says, “All things are lawful for me”. And he is referring to the fact that he is no longer bound to the many, many ordinances and statutes placed on God’s people by the Jewish Law. Today we understand this concept much more than the average Jew did in the days of Paul. We know the Bible tells us that the Law changed at the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 (NKJV)

13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made   alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary          to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  

            Who would think that there would be religious people today who would actually want this passage to mean that there are no rules and restrictions on anything we would desire to engage in today? But there are. Of course, very few if any would actually want this freedom from any form of law to really be “all inclusive”.  Most would place some kind of limit on just how far this “lack of law” would actually go. And generally it is governed by this part of Paul’s comments.

1 Corinthians 6:12 (NKJV)

12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 

            This part of this verse can easily be explained in such a way that it would appear that Paul is talking about drinking alcohol. And this is one of the main reasons why some religious people would like for these comments by Paul to say that there is nothing off limits for a Christian to engage in if only he does not become addicted to what he is doing.  But the fact is, there are many sinful things that a Christian just cannot be involved with, in any amount, and in any way at all. Fornication is one of these sinful things and Paul singles it out in following verses in this chapter just to make it clear. But there are many others and he lists them in the verses we have already quoted.

1 Corinthians 6:8-11 (NKJV)

8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be             deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor             sodomites,

10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the             kingdom of God.

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were             justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 

            The conclusion is this; there is a Law of Christ and there are sinful things that a Christian just cannot do in any amount. But this is not what Paul is trying to explain to the Jews in Corinth. His explanation is the freedom that Christians have from the centuries old Jewish Law that was so embedded in the minds of the Jews.

Carl O. Cooper

Baptism in 1 Peter 3:21

21 There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God),

            The one thing that is perfectly clear here is the phrase “Baptism now saves us”.

            No matter how you interpret any part of this verse, we cannot ignore this simple statement, “baptism now saves us”.

            Now I know that there are many religious people who do not want baptism to save us and so they quickly pick up on the second part of the verse which says “not the removal of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God”. They use this part of the verse to say that the filth of the flesh is sin and if baptism does not remove sin then it cannot “save us”.

            But this verse has to be understood as one thought with all parts of the verse interconnected. There is no doubt that baptism now saves us, the Bible declares it right here. However, it also tells us that “baptism alone” does not save us. The second part of this verse clearly tells us that there are 2 parts to this salvation process. There is a physical part which is the submersion in water called “baptism”, and there is the Spiritual part which is a heart (or conscience) that is repentant and submissive and ready to be obedient to God’s will.

            If we stopped with the first part of this verse and said baptism “alone” now saves us, then we could go out into the world and capture people and drag them to a swimming pool and “baptize” them and we could “save” the world.

            But, of course, that won’t work. We know that. The “conscious” (heart) has to be involved in the salvation process to make it valid. The water we are dipped in during baptism is not magic water. The water “alone” will not remove the “filth of the flesh”. There is more to it than that. In order for baptism to “save” it has to be accompanied with Faith, repentance, and confession that Jesus is God’s Son. In other words, the “conscience” (heart) has to be involved in the salvation process.

            So, to paraphrase and explain this verse, 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism (but it will not remove sin alone, it is accompanied with a good conscience toward God),

Carl O. Cooper

Advice To a Married Man.

Keeping a Marriage Healthy

By Carl O. Cooper

            I’ve been married 52 years. I’m now an old man. But I was young once and I remember full well what I was like as a young married man. I didn’t do everything right, I admit that. And looking back on my own life and watching how things have turned out for other men, have taught me a thing or two which I would like to pass on to you. Wisdom comes from experience. There is so much to be learned by watching how things begin and watching as they progress through the years and then seeing how they turn out in the end. This is a genuine learning experience that teaches life by living it. I have seen many marriages start out and watched as they progressed through time, including my own. I have seen things that caused marriages to fail and things that could have been corrected if there had only been an effort to keep the marriage healthy.

            Young married men are tugged at from every side. Everyone and everything wants part of your time. From my own experience I can tell you that there is always something that seems to demand your time. There is your family and church, but there is also your job. The job seems to make big demands on your time and attention and it never seems to be satisfied with a small part. It requires constant attention if you expect to be a success and get ahead in your career. Most of the time, no one else seems to realize and understand what this job means, except you. Not only are you constantly measured and judged by your co-workers and managers, but you also measure yourself. You judge your own value and worth by how you measure up in your work. Most all men measure themselves in two ways; how do you measure up in your work and how do women think you look. If a man fails to measure up with at least one of these areas, he will do many things to try to compensate for this. Some of the things will cause a man to self destruct.

            Another thing that pulls and tugs at a young man’s attention and time is personal recreation. A huge mistake that a young married man makes, that many times causes a marriage to fail, is personal recreation “with the guys”. This is almost a sure way to destroy your marriage. Stop and think for just a minute. A young wife has needs that cannot be overlooked and ignored. A young woman has a need for fun and recreation just as much as a young man does. However, the activities that are required are much different than a man in both type and motive. Her recreation needs to include some attention to her that lets her know that her husband loves her and wants to be with her. She needs your attention and your appreciation so that there is no doubt that she is the most important thing in your life. You may be controlled by your job in ways that cannot be avoided, but you can avoid leaving your wife alone to go out with the guys. Never, never, and I say never, choose the “guys” over your wife when you plan your recreation activities.

            Another thing that causes marriages to fail is a man who will place his mother on a higher pedestal of importance than his wife. I am not saying that you should not love your mother. But you must never love her more than your wife. Remember what the Bible tells you to do about your parents when you get married.

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall    become one flesh.

            There is a Godly separation that takes place with a man and his mother, and the wife is now the most important person in his life.

            Never choose your mother’s opinions about how you raise your children, how you run your house, and never side with your mother in a disagreement with her and your wife.

            Now I know mothers can sometimes be wise and sometimes they can have good advice, but if a disagreement arises between your mother and your wife, support your wife. Of course, you know that I am not talking about anything immoral or against Bible principals. The rule is this; never give any cause for your wife to think that you hold your mother’s love to a higher degree than you do hers. Do not go to your mother to seek advice, without taking your wife with you and only then if your wife thinks it is a good idea.

            As a general rule, a woman is motivated by emotion more than a man. She needs attention, she needs romance, and she needs you to show how much you care by the way you treat her. This need is exceptionally strong in a woman. It was placed into her by God himself. A woman needs this emotion, this tenderness, and this loving nature to fulfill the role of a woman in taking care of babies and children and in being a loving wife to a man. Look what the Bible says about these emotions and desires.

Genesis 3:16 (NKJV)

16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain     you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall             rule over you.”

            A woman has a strong desire for the attention of a man. If you neglect these emotions in your wife then one of two things will happen. Either you will be the cause of a miserable existence for her, or you are looking at a failed marriage for you when she finds this attention from someone else.

            There is another thing that you need to know to help you to have a happy and successful marriage. Never take your wife or allow her to go where alcoholic drinks are being served. Without a doubt, alcohol can ruin your marriage. The Bible declares it and tells you what to expect if either of you involve yourself with social drinking. The Bible tells us, flat out, that social drinking can cause flirtation and improper sexual thoughts between your wife and another man. Surely, you don’t want to take this chance. Look at what the Bible tells you that wine causes in people’s lives.

Proverbs 23:29-33 (KJV)

29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath     wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it             moveth itself aright.

32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

            Keep your wife away from any place where drinking is going on and stay away from there yourself. The Bible does not lie. When it says your wife will be tempted to look on other men in an improper way, you know it is true and you would be a foolish person to allow your wife to be tempted in such a way. Do not, ever, be involved in drinking alcohol with your wife. This is a sure way to ruin your marriage.

            The next thing I would advise you to do is to develop common interests. Your wife needs to be your best friend. Take her places often, where she finds enjoyment. To some women it is a place where she is expected to dress up. In fact, most women like this. Almost all women love to go out places where they are expected to dress up to the 9’s and dazzle their husbands and have the feeling of being something special in your eyes. If you are smart you will find ways to set up “dates” with your wife. And there are other things as well. Find things you both can enjoy together. Sometimes women like the outdoors. Many women like hiking, fishing, boating, golf, and sports events. Just make sure whatever you do is centered on your wife and includes her in such a way as to never let her have a doubt that she is the most important thing in your life. After all, she is. Can you imagine what your life would be like without her?

            One last thing you need to know. As a man, you are the head of your house, as Christ is the head of the church.”

            The Bible explains it like this; your wife is expected to run your household. She has the authority to take care of the children as she sees fit. She has the authority to make the purchases for the house as she sees fit. And in general, she is the manager of the house.

             If there were to come a time when there is a decision that needs to be made  and the two of you cannot agree on a decision, then as the head of the house you become the tie breaker. But remember, you are to love your wife as Christ loves the church. Christ would never hurt the church. And you should never hurt or be unfair with your wife.

            However, the organization of the church is not a democracy for members to vote on how it is set up. Christ is the head. But he loves the church and he only does what is best and good for the church. We look to His word to settle disputes and make discussions. This is how it is with a husband and a wife.

            The two of you need to settle this in a calm and loving way before a problem comes up.

            You cannot expect your wife to understand this principal unless she understands and respects what the Bible has to say about these matters. As head of your house, you need to lead your family into a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Do not delay in this. Start that process now before it is too late for your marriage relationship. Unless you and your wife understand and become committed to a Godly way of life found in the Bible, there is no absolute standard to govern your life and your marriage. You need this standard and if you and your wife are both committed to it you will never argue and question what “is the right thing to do.”

            So, be a “man”. Stand up and lead your family into a relationship with Jesus, and be the leader of your wife and family as Christ is the head of the church. Most women respect a husband who leads.

            Unfortunately, by the time you are reading these words your marriage may already have fell on hard times. If you want to save it and if your wife is willing to be included, it is not too late to start practicing these things I have told you to do. You fell in love once and you can do it again. Love can be rekindled between two people if they behave in such a way as to let it happen. Give these suggestions a try. There are not many women that would not respond if you treat them the way I have advised you to conduct yourself in this book.

Carl O. Cooper

Black and White Christians and Politics

By Carl O. Cooper

            It has always been a mystery to me as to why black and white Christians can read the same Bible and listen to the same sermons week after week and then have different and contradicting opinions as to how they should vote in political elections. And what’s more, they do not talk about their differences and they do not communicate as to why they have different motives and world views.

            Recently it has come to my attention through more study and information, that I may have found what seems to me to be a reasonable explanation as to why this condition exists.

            Until recently I thought, like most white people do, that the black vote was motivated by an unrealistic memory of the history of slavery in our country. And although that was a dark and evil part of the history of our country, no black people alive today have ever been slaves. In fact, not even any of the parents of any black people alive today have ever been slaves. For over 150 years there have been no slaves in our country. I also think I would be safe in saying that no one today, black or white, would ever want another slave to exist in our country at all. I can say this as a white Christian who is 78 years old and have never met a white man who would want slavery introduced into our country ever again. In my world, which I feel would be a typical white Christian’s environment; all the white people I know would only want all people to be equal under the constitution of the US government.

            White Christians in the world I live in would tell you that all people should be equal and they should be treated alike and there should not be any special privileges for any special groups or races. Americans as well as Christian Americans should be united as one people with no special groups or privileges for anyone. America should be a world where every person should have an equal opportunity to excel to the limits of their ability with no person or group standing in opposition to their success as long as it is morally obtained. Of course, all people will not excel to the same level because all people are not created equal by God. Some are exceptionally intelligent and some are mentally challenged. Some are exceptionally strong and fit and some have physical disabilities. No one objects to a responsibility for people to help the poor and the disabled but most of the people I know would object to a socialist view of penalizing those who excel and confiscating what they have accumulated to take care of those who for whatever reason have not been able to excel in the same environment where everyone exists.

            Now these views are coming from me as a white Christian.

            But what I have discovered is that black Christians may not have a world view that corresponds to a white Christian’s view at all. 

            I don’t think that a black Christian is thinking about the history of slavery when he steps into a voting booth. I think his thoughts are on a much more recent history than that.

            When a white Christian enters a voting booth, his thoughts are concentrated on the moral issues of the day. Can we elect leaders and judges that will reverse the moral decay of our society? What can we do to eliminate abortion and same sex marriage? What about the rise in divorce and couples living together without marriage? What about the changes in laws making it a crime to teach against homosexuality and false science in our school systems?

            What about the indoctrination and perversion of the minds of our children in the public school system? How about the rise in credibility of the religion of Islam within our government?

            These are just a few of the issues white Christians are concerned about. Race does not enter into the mind of white Christians when they vote.

            On the other hand race relations are very much on the mind of black Christians when they vote. Many black Christians remember the way blacks were treated in the 1950’s and the 1960’s. In fact, I remember those days myself. I remember the “white” and “colored” water fountains in public places. And I remember when black people could not enter a restaurant and eat with the white people setting at the lunch counters and tables. I watched black people being served their food in paper bags by handing it out the back door. Even in some churches many black Christians were forced to have their own meeting places and churches or being placed in the back of the room away from the white people who were there. This was a dark time in our history and I lived through it myself. I will say this, I did not think it was right then but like most of the people in my world around me there was nothing I felt like I could do about it and so I just accepted it as a normal part of life. There was nothing anyone could do about it as just an average citizen. This behaviour was too much imbedded into the culture of the day and the times. It took a revolution of the black people to change this behaviour and culture of our country.

            These memories are driving the votes of black people everywhere and that also includes black Christians. Yes, black Christians care about the moral issues facing Christians today, but there is a memory of a dark and degrading recent past on the minds of voting black people everywhere. Black Christians fear a return to those recent days of disrespect and this need for proper treatment from white people overshadows their need to correct the moral issues of the day. The black vote is biased on the recent treatment to them that has been disrespectful and degrading.

            But that’s not all. There is another thing driving the black vote. I am not sure that black Christians fully understand this part themselves. I will give the benefit of the doubt and say they do not. But many black people in our society today carry a grudge against the white race because of what our fathers did to them. In fact many of the people are still alive that were disrespected and many people who disrespected them are also still alive. I would have to include myself in that last category as well. Although I did not approve, I did little to change anything that was going on either. I will say this in my defense, I worked in a tobacco field for a black man as a teenager and he fed me and other white teens at his table as his employees. I did many things such as this during this time. But acts like that did little to change the culture of America in those days.

            There is a great majority of black people who do carry a grudge against white people for what white people did to them. I wonder how I would feel if it were reversed?

            This anger and grudge against white people is driving the racist environment we are in today. This is causing the revolt against the police to the point that a policeman cannot even arrest a black criminal if some force is required to make him cooperate without being attacked by an angry mob of other black people blaming the cop. This anger is driving black people to punish white America by voting our country into a fear of a capitalist’s government and rushing into a socialist / Marxist form of mild communism. This anger is causing black Americans to hate American history and to intentionally vote against anything that white America appears to want to happen. This anger overrides any attempt by white Christians to vote with any consequence to correct the moral conditions that are spiraling out of control in our land.

            How will all this end?

            Personally, I do not see Non-Christian white people and black people just agreeing to get along. I do not think it can be that simple. If history teaches us anything, we know that governments do not last forever. None ever has. Unless white people and black people can come to terms and stop the hatred and revenge; the country will continue to slide farther and farther into moral decay. This will destroy our land. God will not continue to bless a country that holds His name and His laws in disrespect. Do you think this will stop the anger of black America? I think not.

            If the anger and revenge of the black people in America continues as it is then there will come a time when their power will be so great in government and the judicial system that there will be no restraint on their political and judicial power. When that day comes the revenge on white people will be unrestrained and the result will be that white people could very well be at the same level the black people were in the 1950’s. The white people in America will not resist this change and most will not even know or believe it is slowly happening until it does.

            You have probably heard by now that a plan is being floated as a trial balloon in hopes of convincing members of government to enact a law forcing restitution payments to be made to the ancestors of black people who were mistreated in days gone by. This law is likely to find more and more support as our government is controlled by more and more minorities.

            I don’t think Christians would support a law such as this, regardless of whether they were black or white. All Christians know the Bible teaching on such as this;

Ezekiel 18:20

20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him;

            Black Christians would not be in favor of a world such as this but they are very likely to do exactly what I did in the 1950’s and 60’s, nothing. I did nothing and the world changed around me without my help. The same would likely happen to black Christians as well. On the one hand what they would witness would be unchristian and they would be against it. But on the other hand what they would be witnessing would not directly affect them personally so there would seem to be nothing they could do about it except let it happen. That’s what happened to me.

            For black and white Christians there is hope of a peaceful co-existence. But I doubt that this will be the case for non-Christians in America. There are forces at work with political and selfish agendas that do not want racism to be resolved. To separate races and people into separate groups gives political power to other groups and causes separate groups

to vote in certain ways. There is a political advantage in causing groups of people to hate and distrust one another.

            Christian people are required to follow the laws of the land as long as they do not contradict God’s laws. But all Christian people, black or white, should “esteem others better than themselves”. All Christians should love and respect one another and above all, be obedient to how we are supposed to think and behave found in the Word of God.

            Before our generation dies, or at least before our children and grandchildren die, we may escalate to a very violent society. There could be unfair laws enacted and discrimination against people that is excessive and cruel. As Christian people, and as Americans, we have the right to make peaceful protests as long as we do not include riots, destruction, looting and burning and sinful behaviour in the process. Christians cannot be associated with these sinful behaviors regardless of whether or not you are a black or white Christian. And above all, Christian people must never allow their behaviour to interfere with the fellowship of Christians in the church or anywhere else.

            I suspect that God, Himself may be behind what is going on in America. We know from reading the Bible that a country that forgets and disrespects God will lose His protection and be destroyed. God can cause other nations to rise up and punish a nation that disrespects Him. And many times in the Old Testament God caused internal strife within a nation to rise up against itself and destroy and punish a people that disrespected Him and His laws. Our government is disrespecting God in every way you can imagine. It could be, like Sodom and Gomorrah that there are more than 10 righteous people still serving God and preventing our destruction for now. It could be that the black and white people who are Christians and getting along are part of this group preventing our destruction as a nation for now.

Carl O. Cooper