culture

Peter’s Response to Criticism: A Lesson in Faith

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Acts 11:1–3, LSB)

People were saved, and yet there is criticism.

Note that even in the greatest blessings within the church, there is always at least one person (or two) willing to see the negative side. And notice that the problem they have with this is an unbiblical tradition that was broken. 

How does Peter respond? Here we have a wonderful example! Peter is calm and patient. He explains the situation, brings biblical clarity, and then humbly awaits the church to share its wisdom. In this instance, they concurred with Peter.

Had the majority agreed with the circumcision party, I do not think Peter would have bowed out and remained silent. However, his first response was to trust the Spirit to lead the leaders, and if they were not led by the Spirit, then I think Peter would have continued to passionately reason with them from the Word.

Here is the balance of Spirit and truth; shepherding and yet being shepherded. Let us learn both.

Biblical Truths vs. Ecumenical Unity

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

 “And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him to his face and said to King Jehoshaphat, ‘Should you help the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh and so bring wrath on yourself from Yahweh?’”  (2 Chronicles 19:2, LSB)

Working well with others is something we were hopefully taught as small children. Learning to get along with people, even people we don’t often agree with, is a mark of maturity and a necessity in any healthy society.

But when discussing religion, particularly Christianity, do the same ideas of cooperation and friendly interfaith dialogues need to be pursued? If you are ecumenical, you’d probably answer in the affirmative, pointing out that Jesus was a peacemaker and taught His disciples to love all people.

Those, such as myself, who don’t agree with the central ideas of ecumenism would agree that Jesus came to bring peace and that we are to love all people. We should treat all people with care and respect, not just those who believe what we believe or look like we do.

However, Christianity makes truth claims, and those propositional truths often come into direct conflict with the ideas and philosophies of the world and those of all other religions and traditions. Ecumenism seeks to flatten out beliefs in favor of the lowest common denominator so that we can work together in harmony. For instance, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity come from an Abrahamic root. All three religions are also monotheistic. But if you poke just below these surface truths, you will find a lot of disagreement. Enough that wars continue to rage because of these critical underlying differences.

I find it no small matter that God Himself doesn’t embrace this ecumenical spirit that some claim in His name. In the Old Testament, false idols and their altars are repeatedly torn down, and their prophets are put to death. In the New Testament, warnings against idolatry continue (1 John 5:21; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9),  with the result that external idols of wood and stone were still rejected, along with the internal idols of the heart.

In the above passage of 2 Chronicles 19, God rebukes the relatively godly king of Judah for working with the famously wicked king of Israel, Ahab. Ahab and Jehoshaphat partnered to fight a common enemy, which resulted in Ahab’s death in battle (2 Chronicles 18). And even though King Jehoshaphat forced King Ahab to seek out the Lord’s will before going to battle, as we see in the verse above, God was not pleased.

Hanani, the Lord’s prophet (called a “seer” in those days), went out for a face-to-face meeting with the king. God was angry, even though Jehoshaphat had maintained his godly reign, unlike so many other kings. Why? Because in partnering with Ahab to help him defeat an enemy, he showed love to one who hated Yahweh.

Some people justify their cooperation in ecumenical programs and fellowships because they say they will be able to maintain their biblical fidelity. Some even believe that they will be able to influence the ungodly and apostate by showing them what steadfast biblical faithfulness looks like. But let’s be honest, healthiness doesn’t spread like disease. It works the other way around. God knows that. That’s why He forbade the intermingling of the diseased with the healthy in His laws. That’s why it was such a big deal for Jesus to touch the sick and the dead. A rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. It never works the other way.

My biggest concern is not simply whether it works or doesn’t. Our biggest concern as Christians should be what God thinks about it. As we see throughout the Bible, and clearly in His response to Jehoshaphat, we risk bringing the wrath of God for the wicked upon ourselves when we love those who hate Him.

The Balance of Emotion and Truth in Worship

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“Now David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their strength, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and with trumpets.” (1 Chronicles 13:8, LSB) 

The modern evangelical church faces numerous challenges. Passion and “vibes” aren’t lacking, though. In fact, the modern evangelical movement emphasizes and showcases its emotional focus, often displaying its energy and excitement as proof positive that they love God. I’d argue that loving God with our hearts just as much as our minds is a biblical principle that many churches need to be reminded of. However, I’d also contend that too many churches ride the wave of emotionalism, believing that the outward expression of these “worship experiences” is God’s primary concern. It’s not.  

Now, if I were part of this movement of emotional excess, swaying to the moody singing with the lights down low and hands raised high, I wouldn’t need to provide any proof. After all, how I feel is enough. But I want to argue against that, and so I will offer biblical proof, the only true proof that really counts.

The passage from 1 Chronicles 13:8 is part of an intriguing section of the Old Testament. It is often cited to support emotion-driven worship. First, let me emphasize that God is concerned about us worshiping Him in truth. In John 4:24, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, LSB). I am not suggesting that we must choose between emotion and truth, but truth takes precedence over emotion. To worship the Lord in error, even if we are excited and passionate about it, is egregious. 

Along with truth, we must realize that God is holy and not like men. Hosea 11:9 says, “For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, And I will not come in wrath” (Hosea 11:9, LSB). In Isaiah 12:6, the Lord states, “Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 12:6, LSB). Holiness doesn’t only mean sinless; it also means not creaturely. Although Jesus came as a man, He is the God-man. He is unique and not created.

First Chronicles 13:8 describes the passionate and energetic worship of a small group of worshippers as they attempted to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. However, if you read a little farther in the chapter, you will find a shocked and terrified king standing beside a dead man. What happened? God struck down one of the men in the procession, named Uzzah, for daring to touch the Ark with his hands when it appeared to be falling from the cart it was being transported on.

Didn’t God see their passion? Didn’t God see that Uzzah only meant well? What happened? Again, God is more concerned with truth and His holiness than energy and passion. In chapter 15, we see that the lesson was learned. Verse 2 says, “And David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for Yahweh chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever” (1 Chronicles 15:2, LSB).

David had given up hope of moving the Ark of God, so he placed it in a nearby farmhouse after Uzzah died. It remained there for a time, but he wanted to bring it to Jerusalem again. This time, however, he remembered that God wants to be worshiped in truth and holiness as well as passionate energy. When he made his plans, he didn’t place the Ark on an ox-cart as he had done before. Instead, he enlisted the Levitical priests and informed them that this was how Yahweh chose to have his Ark moved. 

As he spoke to the priests, he ensured they were prepared to encounter this holy God. He instructed them: “and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; set yourselves apart as holy, both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it” (1 Chronicles 15:12, LSB). 

We also read how David arrived at this conclusion in the next verse: “Because you did not carry it at the first, Yahweh our God broke out against us, for we did not seek Him according to the legal judgment” (1 Chronicles 15:13, LSB).

Some within modern evangelicalism dismiss all of this, believing that truth and holy reverence stifle emotion and passion. They’re mistaken. It channels those feelings properly toward God and away from ourselves. Worship isn’t meant to be performative, yet it often is in the church today. Instead, it should elevate the heart to God, humbling us as we offer ourselves in reverent love as His people.

Once David had everything in order, according to God’s prescribed rules for worship, the Ark was moved. Was it somber? Was it more like a funeral march because truth and reverence were required? Absolutely not. Joy was evident. In verse 25 we read, “So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the commanders over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the house of Obed-edom with gladness” (1 Chronicles 15:25, LSB). That passion spread, and we read in verses 27-28, “Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. Thus all Israel was bringing up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres” (1 Chronicles 15:27–28, LSB).

What we observe is that even while adhering to the law, there was still joy, passion, gladness of heart, and a celebration of God. There wasn’t the wild and unregulated worship that the pagans practiced. Instead, the One True God was worshiped as He desires, in Spirit, Truth, and Holiness. 

Divine Warfare: What 1 Chronicles Teaches Christians Today

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“With them by their generations according to their fathers’ households were 36,000 troops of the army for war, for they had many wives and sons. Their relatives among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, recorded by genealogy, in all 87,000.” (1 Chronicles 7:4–5, LSB)

Although it’s not the most gripping read in the Bible, the opening chapters of 1 Chronicles are “…God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16, LSB), like every other passage of Scripture. I’ve tried to keep this in mind during my daily Bible reading as I move through this section of my devotional study.

This morning, what caught my eye was the repeated references to the number of men prepared for war among each of the tribes of Israel. Of course, these numbers were both dangerous and essential for the king(s) to know. They are dangerous because they could lead a ruler to rely on physical strength rather than on God, who is the One who fought for the nation. However, these numbers are also crucial for faithful preparation. As Jesus notes, “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:31, LSB).

The Bible is filled with references to war and battle, both physical and spiritual. Some Christians struggle with the concept of warfare, viewing it as problematic for New Testament believers to engage in anything from war to self-defense. For pacifistic Christian sects, they must grapple with the warfare language used throughout the New Testament (including Jesus calling his disciples to carry swords at one point, cf. Lk 22:36-38) as well as the extensive discussions of warfare found in the Old Testament.

Although we might be able to dismiss war in the Bible as the sinful actions of warmongering rulers and sinful soldiers, we cannot ignore the reality that God Himself is identified as “Lord of Hosts” and “warrior” and that He engages in war with His enemies (Ex 14:14; 15:3; Ps 24:8; Isa 42:13; Jer 20:11; Zeph 3:17). So, if warfare is sinful, then why does the Lord Himself engage in it, and why did the Holy Spirit inspire New Testament writers to use battle imagery when speaking about the Christian life?

I don’t deny that not all wars are equal. I also don’t deny that war and violence are ugly. The fact is that we live on a fallen planet where the wicked and the righteous must coexist. The righteous are called to live at peace with others, so far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18). But what happens when the peaceful are acted upon? What happens when women, children, and the helpless are threatened, and the lives of others are put in danger? Is it not righteous to protect the lives of others? The temple had guards. Things we value have locks, including our homes.

I found an interesting quote in Peter Craigie’s book, The Problem of War in the Old Testament. Referring to a study done by Elbert W. Russell, “…the more orthodox a Christian group or individual may be, the more likely it is that his attitudes will be militaristic.”1 As I stated above, the challenge for pacifist Christians is that the Bible is filled with references to war, warfare, and even God’s direct instruction to Israel on how it should engage in battle. Craigie identifies Russell as a Quaker, and as such, he highlights the paradox of why orthodox teaching on warfare does not deny the place of peace in Christianity. I would add that peace was also the goal of the Old Testament teachings of God to His people.

Some politicians and American presidents have touted the ideal of “peace through strength.” As I read through 1 Chronicles, I can’t deny that militarism and preparation for righteous warfare are not foreign to the Bible, and neither should they be to the lives of modern Christians. One day, we will hammer swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks (Isa 2:4), but that is awaiting King Jesus, who will rule with a rod of iron and be seated on His throne. Until that day, I am thankful for the men who protect the innocent on a daily basis all around the world.

  1. Peter C. Craigie, The Problem of War in the Old Testament. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978), 14. ↩︎

Shifting Focus from Celebrities to Christ

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

I came across the following quote from Gregory the Great (Bishop of Rome from 590-604 AD):

“That man is an enemy of his Redeemer who on the strength of the good works he performs, desires to be loved by the Church, rather than by Him [Christ]. Indeed, a servant is guilty of adulterous thought, if he craves to please the eyes of the bride when the bridegroom sends gifts to her by him.”1

A lot of Christians have noted that the “celebrity Christian” thing is weird and should be done away with. Yet, after one falls, another begins to rise to the top and quickly takes the last one’s place. There are a lot of issues related to the celebrity culture, but my aim in this post is to point out that the celebrity Christian thing is not only wrong, it’s adulterous.

When we put men or women on a pedestal, we divert the eyes of the world and other Christians away from Christ and onto a man. And when we seek to be the one on that pedestal, we desire to be the one who draws the eyes.

Tradition in the United States is that no other woman should wear white to a wedding other than the bride-to-be. Why? It is because the eyes of the guests, and especially of the groom, should be on the bride. So what happens when there are competitors? And not just wearing white, but seeking to catch the attention of the groom? Gregory is correct in stating that this is adulterous and marks such a person as an enemy of the groom, Jesus Christ.

Some who crave the spotlight would say that my comments and those of others who decry celebrity culture are simply a result of jealousy over their success, and that they are seeking a way to point others to Jesus. Yet, I don’t see these tactics used in the Bible. Instead, Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32, LSB).

May we see more Christians with the attitude of George Whitefield:

“Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified. Let my name die everywhere, let even my friends forget me, if by that means the cause of the blessed Jesus may be promoted. . . . I am content to wait till the judgment day for the clearing up of my reputation; and after I am dead, I desire no other epitaph than this, “Here lies G. W. What sort of man he was the great day will discover.”2

  1. Gregory the Great, Pastoral Care, trans. Henry David, Ancient Christian Writers 11 (New York: Newman Press, 1950), 75. Quoted in Harold L. Senkbeil, The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019), 117. ↩︎
  2. Arnold A. Dallimore, George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Revival (2 vols.) (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1980),2:257-258. ↩︎