 THE CHURCH SHOULD ADAPT TO MODERN TIMES
Dear Bro. Waddey:
I believe it is not an issue of change, rather it is being able to relate to people of our time. If you consider Jesus took everyday items and presented a spiritual truth. (i.e. wheat and the harvest, fruit and gifts, light and darkness). I am not for change in reference to giving away spiritual truth. Rather I am for finding ways using things that are common to relate spiritual truths. E. H.
Dear Bro. E. H.:
You are correct in saying that we must be able to adapt our presentation of the gospel to communicate with the current generation of humanity. Our brethren have always done that. We have modern meeting houses, rather than log cabins. We have modern conveniences rather than primitive settings. We preach 30 minute sermons rather than 2 hour ones. We use electronic devices to illustrate our lessons rather than a chart on a bed sheet. We have educated preachers rather than unschooled men. We address modern problems that our ancestors never had to deal with, such as drugs, degenerate media, abortion on demand, gay-marriage etc. We confront modern philosophies that our fathers did not have to deal with. We deal with affluence and materialism such as past generations never knew. We use mass media, such as radio, television and the Internet which previous generations never saw.
These matters are not what the change movement is all about. They are pushing the following matters which are fundamentals of the Christian religion:
- That salvation is attain by grace through faith, before baptism.
- That the Church of Christ is not truly Christ's church, only a human denomination founded by Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone.
- That the Lord's Supper is not to be observed as a sacred memorial of his suffering and death, but as part of an ordinary meal which Christians share.
- That it really does not matter if you choose to use instruments of music, choirs, solos, etc. in congregational worship.
- That we should extend the hand of fellowship to all who believe in Jesus and feel they are saved, even if they have not been scripturally baptized or if they hold membership in denominational bodies.
- That women should be allowed to fill public leadership roles in the life and worship of the church.
- That the Bible is not to be considered "inerrant" i.e., free from mistakes or errors.
- That the New Testament should not be considered a pattern for us to follow.
- That it should not be considered a law, to which we should conform, even thought the apostolic writers referred to it as such.
These things are under attack and efforts are being made to change our thinking regarding them. It is because these are fundamentals of New Testament Christianity that we publish our little paper and send it forth. I am sure you would agree that the items listed above are essentials of the faith that we cannot allow to be supplanted if we wish to be a faithful church, which Christ will own and bless.
John Waddey |
