01.12.11

KJV Direct Mail Outreach

Posted in Bible, Outreach at 11:48 am by Administrator

The Sunday following our King James Bible Conference we undertook our first Direct Mail Outreach of the year. Last year we took on the Watchtower by bulk mailing a pamphlet about the Jehovah’s Witnesses out to the entire community. This year we tackled the Bible issue. We obtained a large quantity of Dr. Terry Watkins (Dial-the-Truth Ministries) KJV pamphlet entitled “Bible Version Comparison”. We sent this, a short explanatory note, and a gospel tract out to around 2,700 Brewton residence. This will probably not win us many friends among the local religious community, but we’re hopeful that some truth-loving Christians will honestly examine this important issue. We had close to one-hundred percent participation for the outreach following the evening service. We have a fine group of committed believers that are not ashamed of the KJV!

King James Bible Conference

Posted in Bible, Uncategorized at 11:46 am by Administrator

In honor of the quadricentennial of the King James Bible, we held a King James Bible Conference on January 2nd through 5th. Six Bible-believing preachers participated in the four-day event covering eight different topics pertaining to the purity and preservation of our four-hundred old English Bible. All of the sermons (and many of the .pdf notes) are available on our website under “Online Sermons”. Thank God for this Perfect Book!

01.10.11

The Translators and the Translation of the KJV

Posted in Bible at 11:38 pm by Administrator

Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Ecclesiastes 8:4

The King

Seventy-five years before the publication of the King James Bible, William Tyndale, often referred to as the father of the English Bible was burned at the stake for translating the Bible in to English. This is the Tyndale that declared, by the help of God he would cause the English plowboy to know more of the scriptures than the Pope. Tyndale’s dying prayer was “Lord, open the eyes of the King of England.” In answer to this prayer we have a perfect book today that bears the name of a king.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) there was a draft for an act of parliament for a new version of the Bible, but it would not be until 1604 that our own English Bible would be authorized by Elizabeths’ successor King James I. King James (1566-1625) was actually King James VI of Scotland before he was King James I of England. He reigned in Scotland from the time that he was 13 months old until the time that he assumed the English throne in 1603 where he would seek to unite the two kingdoms. Over time King James has been slandered and vilified by those that despise his Bible, and it is true that he was not particularly known for his piety (he indulged in sports on the Lord’s day and as with most monarch’s was given to certain excess), however he was a Biblically literate King with a deep interest in religious matters. (He even wrote a commentary on Revelation and a devotion on the Lord’s Prayer.)

Immediately following his accession to the throne King James was given the Millenary Petition, so-called for the more than one-thousand signatures of Puritan Christians and ministers across England. The petition graciously outlined their objections to Popish practices within the Anglican Church. The fruit of this petition was the Hampton Court Conference, a meeting of the King with his deans, Bishops, a privy council, and moderate Puritans. This conference convened in January 1604 and while a new translation of the scriptures was not among the issues to be discussed at this conference it proved to be the only development of lasting significance to come out of the three day meeting. On day two the notable Puritan Dr. John Rainolds made a formal request that a new version of the Bible be undertaken. After Rainolds produced a handful of examples of translation errors in other contemporary version the King concluded the matter by saying, “Let errors, in matters of faith, be amended, and indifferent things be interpreted and a gloss added to them.” And so the King James Bible was authorized. It seems fitting that a King named James (an English form of the name Jacob, the father of the Twelve Tribes) would be providentially directed to authorize the translation of the incorruptible seed of the word of God; and it is likewise fitting that the nation that would give us standardized time and location (Greenwich), standardized temperature (British Thermal Units), and the universal language of the last days (English), would produce the standard Bible for the Body of Christ, for the homestretch of the church age.

And so the task was forged, as Miles Smith would later describe it, “to deliver God’s book unto God’s people in a tongue which they understand.” The diligent progress of the new version was of interest to the King; Bishop Bancroft wrote shortly after the Hampton Court Conference, “… you will scarcely conceive how earnest his majesty is to have this work begun.” Bancroft also stated that the king wanted to know all who had “taken pains in their private study of scriptures” and so he sought out, as Bancroft put it, “all our principal learned men within this our kingdom.” In a short time a list of fifty-four learned men was produced and the translation process was undertaken. The original list was shortly reduced to forty-seven due to death or withdrawal; while these were not officially replaced there were a number of other men that contributed their linguistic expertise to the work of translation. In spite of the far-reaching impact of the King James Version (the best-selling book of all time), most Bible-readers have never so much as seen a list of these learned men, the vessels of honor that God used to give us His purified words.

The Translators

A list of translators organized by the translation committee they served with is listed below:

These learned men were men of flesh as were the original writes of the Holy Scriptures. It’s said that Richard Thomson seemed to be given somewhat to wine; it’s documented that Lancelot Andrewes and George Abbot condemned a man to death for heresy; Bishop Bancroft was not shy in his persecution of puritans; and John Overall had some embarrassing domestic problems: his wife ran off with another man, but was dragged back home by indignant bystanders. Yet, the overall character and credentials of these men is well-reported and unparalleled in modern textual scholarship. Time would not permit a thorough biographical sketch of each translator; however a selection of facts may illustrate the scholarship and spirituality of “the learned men”. Following is a sampling of their learning as well as their devotion to the Lord.

  • Dr. Lancelot Andrewes mastered fifteen languages in his day. It was said that he could have been the “interpreter general at the confusion of tongues”.
  • Dr. John Layfield, in addition to being an accomplished Greek and Hebrew scholar, was a world traveler with a taste for biology and botany, but more importantly he was a skilled architect whose expertise would have been much used in the description of the tabernacle and temple.
  • William Bedwell had an extensive library of astronomy and mathematics books. His expertise in Semitic languages was so thorough that he wrote a five-volume lexicon of Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, and Arabic. He also began a Persian dictionary and an Arabic translation of the Gospel of John.
  • Dr. Laurence Chaderton was learned in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, Spanish, and Italian. Such a familiarity with ancient and modern foreign languages doesn’t seem to be the exception among the translators, but the rule.
  • Dr. Thomas Harrison was not only said to have possessed exquisite skill in Greek and Hebrew idiom, but was a poet. His expertise as such was likely very useful in the translation of the poetical books which he was assigned.
  • Dr. John Rainolds was known as “the most learned man in England” and was referred to as “a living library, a third university.” He became a fellow at Corpus Christi College at the age of seventeen. It’s said that he had read every Latin and Greek father along with every ancient record of the church that he could get his hands on.
  • Dr. Thomas Holland was “so familiarly acquainted with the fathers as if himself had been one of them, and so versed in the schoolmen as if he were the seraphic doctor.”
  • Dr. Miles Smith, who wrote the preface for the Bible and saw the work to its completion, was said to have Hebrew at his fingers’ ends and was so conversant with Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, that he made them as familiar as his native tongue. He was so well acquainted with the Greek New Testament that he could turn to any word it contained.
  • Dr. Richard Brett was versed in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Arabic, and Ethiopic.
  • Dr. George Abbot entered Oxford University at the age of fourteen and became Master of University College at age thirty-five.
  • Sir Henry Savile was the tutor to Queen Elizabeth I, he established professorships of mathematics and astronomy at Oxford and translated, edited, and published an eight-volume work of the writings of the early church father Chrysostom.
  • Dr. John Bois began to read Hebrew at the age of five and could write such by the age of six. He entered Cambridge University at the age of fourteen and its reported that he read thirty-six grammars. For the ten years that he was chief Greek lecturer at St. John’s College he would conduct lectures in his own room at 4:00 in the morning, which were well attended.

It seems as though most generations have some outstanding learning and ability to contribute to the human race. In our own day it would be advances in information technology and computer science. In generations past it might have been advances in industrial technology, or art, or music, or exploration. The outstanding field of advancement in seventeenth century England (the days of William Shakespeare and John Milton) was a linguistic one; its greatest linguistic contribution being the Authorized Version.

Not only were the AV translators men of tremendous learning they were also generally noted for their virtue and spirituality. Thomas Holland was a powerful preacher whose sermons read like those of great revivalists of days since. Dr. Rainolds was not only known for his learning, but for being “pious, courteous, modest, kind, and wholly honest.” Dr. Abbot appealed the King’s decision to permit sports on the Lord’s Day. Dr. Ward, the youngest of the translators, made diary entries confessing sins such as over-sleeping, over-eating, and forgetting his final thought from the day previous. Dr. Andrewes at one time was said to spend “a great part of five hours every day… in prayer”; his piety was so well respected by the King that it was said that the King would “desist from mirth and frivolity in his presence”. John Bois, whose mother is reported to have read the Bible through twelve times, often fasted twice a week. Dr. Chaderton was credited with the conversion of forty of his fellow clergyman.

While this group of translators was quite diverse, they did have one characteristic in common that is worthy of mention: they were all staunchly opposed to Romanism. The English Reformation occurred slowly, but its effects were more far-reaching than any other in Europe. Laurence Chaderton was raised a Roman Catholic, but forsook the Romanist doctrine for the doctrines of Protestant Reformation. His father offered him an allowance of thirty pounds if he’d simply renounce Protestantism and leave the University; this, he refused. “Otherwise,” his father wrote, “I enclose a shilling to buy a wallet – go and beg”. Dr. Rainolds was assigned by his tutor to write a paper against Romanism in an effort to convert a young Papist confined in the tower of London. This he did in 600 pages. Francis Dillingham also wrote a paper with the intent of converting Romanists. It’s been said that whenever Thomas Holland would leave for a long journey he declared to his fellows “I commend you to the love of God, and to the hatred of popery and superstition.”

The Translation The translators were divided in to six groups meeting at the three universities: Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster. The Biblical text was divided amongst these three groups along with the Apocrypha which was translated for its historical value, though understood by the translators not to be scripture itself (thus placed in between the Testaments). The translators were guided by fifteen well-publicized rules for translation. Though the Bible was carefully translated out of the original tongues they were also careful not to neglect the work carried out by their predecessors. They gave attention not only to the Greek and Hebrew, but also compared their work with the Chaldean, Syrian, Latin, Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch translations at their disposal. They also gave special attention to the English translations that led up to the Authorized Version. In the words of Miles Smith in the Bible’s Preface “Truly (good Christian Reader) we never thought from the beginning, that we should need to make a new Translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one,… but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against, that hath been our endeavor.” So committed were they to this task that the Old English preserved in the Authorized Version was not the common speech of the day, but that of the Bibles that preceeded King Jame’s version. Indeed, approximately ninety percent of Tyndale’s ground-breaking English New Testament is retained in our own Authorized Version of 1611.

The general translation work of the six groups went on for approximately four years. The portion of scripture assigned to the whole was distributed to each individual member of the group, who would independently carry out their own translation. As they completed a particular book they would come together and compare their work with each other until there was a consensus reached as to an acceptable translation. One writer describes this early process of revision as follows, “…they met together, and one read the translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either of the learned tongues, or French, Italian, Spanish &c. If they found any fault, they spoke; if not, he read on.” This means that in its first phase of translation, so far as the guidelines were followed, each portion was subject to anywhere from 7-10 revisions depending on the number in the group.

Once any book was completed as agreed to by the whole group it was then sent to each of the other five groups for their independent review. If any part of the original groups work was objected to, it was annotated and sent back to the original company. If no change could be agreed upon it was to be referred to a general meeting of the translators. By this standard each portion of the King James Version was reviewed seven to ten times by the individuals within the six groups, then at least once by the group as a whole, then by every other group (meaning five more reviews), then by a general committee (meaning another full review), and finally by Miles Smith and Bishop Bilson who put the work in to its final form. This means that the final product was carefully scrutinized at least fifteen times.

The general committee’s work went on for nine months at which time two translators each from the Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge groups met at Stationer’s Hall for a final official review and revision. These men (of whom John Bois and Andrew Downes are named) served as editors of the whole, likely concerned with any remaining disputed meanings or variations from the earlier process. At last Smith and Bilson put the finishing touches to the King’s Bible adding and editing grammar and punctuation as needed and polishing it for unity of prose. Miles Smith was charged with writing the Preface and then the Authorized Version was printed by the King’s printer, Robert Barker, in 1611. In due time the Authorized Version eclipsed the usage of previous translations (Geneva, Bishop’s, etc.), until, within twenty-five years of its translation the KJV was the only one being printed.

For four-hundred years now the King James Bible has been the standard for all other English and foreign-translation Bibles, selling approximately one-billion copies and being translated in to at least 300 foreign languages. In the words of Gustavus Paine, “Like a mountain, the King James Bible gives us much to do if we are to learn much of it, and like fire in the air it plays for us with changing lights. When all is said and done, we have lived too long with the land, air, and water of 1611, with its people, their concepts and actions, to change with ease. When a true masterpiece is done, it stays done, it live alone.” It is the 1611 Bible that paved the way for every great revival the church has ever seen as well as the modern missionary movement that has taken the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. This is no accident and it could never have been carried out by learned men alone, but as we believe, by the superintendence of God Himself.

In the words of Miles Smith, “…in what sort did these assemble? In the trust of their own knowledge, or of their sharpness of wit, or deepness of judgment, as it were in an arm of flesh? At no hand. They trusted in him that hat the key of David, opening and no man shutting…” How appropriate for Dr. Smith to connect the work of the translators to Him that hath the key of David, for this is the very designation with which Jesus Christ addressed the Philadelphian Church, which we now know to represent the greatest period of evangelistic advancement in church history. Why was it that the Lord opened so great a door which no man could shut to this Philadelphian church period? Jesus Christ explained that it was because they had “a little strength and hast kept my word” (Rev 3:8).

06.29.10

Bible Institute Classes to be Offered

Posted in Bible at 8:56 am by Administrator

We’ll begin offering some local church Bible institute classes beginning in September. The classes will meet on Monday and Thursday nights beginning September 13th at the church. The classes being offered in this first semester will be Old Testament Survey, Gospel of John (two nights), and Manuscript Evidence. We intend to offer two semesters of classes annually that will provide a thorough Bible education over a three-year course of study.

06.16.10

What About Cremation?

Posted in Bible, Discernment at 4:27 pm by Administrator

The practice of cremation, or the incineration of the body, has become increasingly popular in our society as frugal, practical Americans have wearied of the after-death racket of fancy caskets and pricey burial plots. But as with all matters, believers ought to seek out the mind of the Lord in the pages of scripture as to the disposal of the body after this life over. In truth, the matter of cremation versus burial is not one in which the Christian is left to his own fancy, or even the dictates of his own conscience; it is, rather, an issue on which the Bible has a good deal to say.

The Divine Precedent

The question we must ask is, “How would God go about disposing of a human body?” The answer to this question can be easily answered from the scripture. There is one place in the Bible where God Almighty conducted a funeral. The scene is set forth in Deuteronomy 34 and the deceased is the Lord’s servant Moses. Moses died “according to the word of the LORD” (v. 5) and then you’re told that God buried him. No one assisted in these arrangements for no one knew where his sepulcher was located (v.6). Granted, funeral expense was not an issue, but God could just as easily burnt the body as buried it, yet he chose the latter.

Perhaps an even more salient example would be the Lord Jesus Christ. The details of his burial were not happenchance, but the careful fulfillment of an age-old prophetic plan (Isa 53:9). When God came to earth in a body of flesh He chose to be buried, and so significant is this detail that it stands out as one of three distinct parts in the definition of “the gospel” as disclosed by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:3-4). When we apply the popular test of “What would Jesus do?” in this matter the answer is clear.

If the question be asked, “Did God ever practice cremation?” the answer is yes, in a way. He burnt the bodies of the inhabitants of Sodom in Genesis 19. He burnt Nadab and Abihu when they offered “strange fire” in Leviticus 10. He saw that Achan and his household were burnt with fire following the sin that led to Israel’s defeat at Ai (Joshua 7:25). The Lord even commanded that those guilty of incest or whoredom be burnt in Leviticus 20:14 and 21:9. In each of these cases the fire from God represents His judgment as it does throughout the scripture. To have the body burnt in hell is the eternal lot of the lost soul (Matt 10:28), and for whatever convenience an urn with ashes may afford I’m reminded that the conversion of the body to dust is the result of the curse upon man for sin (Gen 3:19).

There’s not a single Biblical example where any saint or patriarch chose to have their body burned after death. In fact, the burials of the patriarchs seem to be an important theme beginning with Abraham’s family right on to the burial of Joseph (Joshua 24:32). This stands in stark contrast to what appears to be the essentially pagan practice of cremation. The practice of causing one’s seed to pass through the fire was a distinctively idolatrous exercise originating among the heathen (2 Chron 28:3, 33:6, etc). The Lord even pronounces a curse upon Moab for his practice of cremation according to Amos 2:1-3.

The Defining Principle

For the believer the issue is of even greater consequence simply because our body does not belong to us. Our bodies belong to God, in life (Rom 12:1) and in death (1 Thess 4:16), and this possession was obtained at a great price (1 Cor 6:19). When speaking prophetically of His own death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus compared his body to a seed in John 12. The seed only bears fruit upon falling in to the ground and dying (12:24). This is why the burial of Jesus Christ was so significant. It was an empty tomb, not a missing heap of ashes, that testified to His victory over death. Likewise, the believer’s body is compared to a seed in 1 Corinthians 15. The context is the resurrection and five times in that passage you’re told that this seed is sown (15:35-44). Seeds are for planting, not burning. The point to all of this is that cremation simply does not look forward to the resurrection. Obviously, this is not to say that the charred remains of saints can not be put back together by the power of God, for many a believer has given his life at the stake for the very cause of a resurrected Savior. However, death is not the end of God’s plan and purpose for this earthly tabernacle. Though this body be ever so vile and sinful, some day it shall be transformed, fashioned like unto His glorious body (Phil 3:20-21).  With that in mind a proper burial becomes a distinctively Christian practice, for if the scripture be true, there will likely be those that stand over our empty grave some day, even as others looked in to an empty tomb nearly two-thousand years ago, and the only explanation will be, “He is not here, for he is risen”!

06.11.10

Family Devotions on Soul-Winning

Posted in Bible, Family, Soul-Winning at 1:09 pm by Administrator

We recently began a new series of lessons on Sunday nights on the subject of soul-winning (in time these recordings will be available on our website as well as our Sermon Audio page). In an effort to compliment this subject and encourage our families to worship God and study scripture in the home, we’ve prepared some family devotions on this subject. We’ve done what we can to distribute these lessons in a printed format at church, but the lessons have also been uploaded to our website under “Family Devotions” or you can access these lessons by clicking here. The issue of personally leading people to Christ is of great importance obviously, but there’s probably nothing that will more positively impact a home spiritually that actually conducting family worship. The old adage is that “the family that prays together, stays together.” If that’s true, there are an awful lot of families that aren’t praying together and I feel sure there are even more families that rarely if ever read or study God’s word together. There are nine-weeks worth of lessons in these soul-winning devotions, with three devotions per week. Whether you use this or just pick a Bible subject or book, regular family devotions will be a blessing to any home.

06.10.10

The Contention of Music

Posted in Bible at 9:43 pm by Administrator

(With our Singing School coming to a close, I thought I might pass along an article setting forth some of the Bible’s principles concerning this very controversial issue of music.)

Over ten years ago, in the liberal periodical “Christianity Today” a Roman Catholic contributor wrote an article regarding the struggle over modern church music, and he made the following statement:

“Our new sectarianism is a sectarianism of worship style. The new sectarian creeds are dogmas of music. Worship seminars are the seminaries of the new sectarianism; their directors are its theologians. The ministers of the new sectarianism are our church worship leaders.”

What he is saying is that what has become the primary practical dividing line in popular Christendom is not Bible doctrine or denomination, but musical and worship style. I would go so far as to say that among many seekers (be they saved or lost) one of the primary considerations in selecting a church has become the issue of music.
I had one guy tell me on a number of occasions “If I could have your preaching and their music it would be great”, Another family was honest enough to explain, “Well we love your preaching, but the music at such and such a church is really good.” What do you think these folks went for at the end of the day, the word of God or the praise and worship band? You got it, they forewent the preaching that fed there soul for the music that moved their body.
Trust me when I say that it is tempting to compromise what I consider to be spiritual music for what they call “contemporary” music.

The same author went on to say,

“When one chooses a musical style today, one is making a statement about whom one identifies with, what one’s values are, and ultimately, who one is.”

And here we see a liberal Catholic that has more sense the average “conservative” Baptist church member. The statement he is making is true. You are associating yourself with something by the music that you listen to and a church will identify itself, at least in part, by the style of “worship” (the standard modern un-scriptural designation for music) that it practices and espouses.

Music is one of the most controversial subjects in all of Christianity and because of that it is one of the most divisive subjects in the modern church. I don’t believe our church isn’t divided over music. We might have some different ideas and tastes and preferences and opinions among our membership regarding music, but I wouldn’t say we’re divided.  I’d say that a church that has to have two kinds of services (contemporary and traditional) is divided over music. I’d say that a church that has one standard of music for the kiddies and another standard for the teenagers and another standard for the middle-aged adults, and another standard for the older folks, I’d say that church is divided.

So because this is such an important and even divisive issue I’m going to give you a basic Bible study on music.

The Creation of Music (Job 38:7)
God created music. We already knew that, but we ought to be reminded that God came up with this thing and in its proper context, serving its proper purpose music is good, because God came up with it. Like every other thing that God ever created, music was created for God’s pleasure (Rev 4:11 “things”).
Music is a pleasure to God when used to worship Him. That is what pleases the Lord is for us to worship him. Because of this we’ll find music to be a central part of worship throughout the word of God.
• The children of Israel sang to the Lord following their deliverance from Egypt (Exod 15) as well as their provision of water in the wilderness (Num 21).
• Music was a central part of worship at the temple (1 Chron 6:31).
• The longest book in the Bible is a Jewish song book!
• Men like Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, and Hezekiah wrote songs to worship the Lord.
• Jesus Christ and the Apostles sang together (Matt 26:30).
• Paul and Silas sang together in prison (Acts 16:25).
• And there is singing going on in heaven (Rev 5:9).

The Corruption of Music (Isaiah 14:13)
The Devil has a special interest and association to music. Lucifer was the original “Song Director” in heaven. His very being was created to produce beautiful music in worship to God. In the same way that Lucifer utilized his beauty and wisdom for his own evil purposes after his fall, he has always used music, the wrong kind of music, for his own purposes and ends. There can be no question that modern Rock n’ Roll, and Rap, and many other genres’ are of a satanic origin.
The Devil desires worship just as God does. This is the original sin. And just as God desires worship through God-honoring music, Satan likewise desires worship through song. And even if he can not obtain direct honor, he desires to pollute and leaven that which is good, and holy and right (just like anything else). Music was central in the worship of the golden calf in Exodus 32 and in the image of gold in Daniel 3, and there can be no doubt that this music was inspired by Satan.
Mankind apart from the dictates of scripture and the leadership of the Holy Spirit will always tend to degenerate in any discipline, including music. We know clearly from the scripture that things are not winding up, but rather winding down. The entire story of the scripture is a story of revival and degeneration. The ages and dispensations are marked by this pattern, and this pattern can even be identified within the ages and dispensations, but there can be no doubt, that man left to himself will corrupt and pollute what God intended to be pure (1 John 2:14-15).

The Capacity of Music (1 Chron 25:1)
Music is important. Obviously music is of tremendous importance in the scripture (mentioned 500+ times). And we can all agree that it is of tremendous importance in public worship as can be seen by the great emphasis placed on music in the Old Testament Temple. There was a tremendous amount of preparation and organization made to insure that the music was good (note the leadership v. 6, and the instruction v. 7).
Music is powerful. Music, whether used by God or the devil, is a very powerful tool.
• 1 Chronicles 25:1 – Those instruments were said to prophesy! I’ve heard some instrumental music that most certainly “spoke” unto edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor 14:3).
• 1 Samuel 16:23 – It was David’s harp playing that refreshed Saul and caused the evil spirit that plagued him to depart. Conversely, even today, witchdoctors and shamans will call up evil spirits using music.
• 2 Kings 3:15 – A minstrel prepared Elisha to prophecy. It was only after the music was played the hand of the Lord came upon him.
• 2 Chronicles 5:13 – It was as the instrumentalists were playing and the singers singing that the glory of the LORD filled the newly constructed temple.

[It’s worth noting that instrumentation is common in the scripture and the kinds of instruments used were diverse. The Bible speaks of stringed instruments such as the viol, the harp, the psaltery, the sackbut, and the dulcimer. You’ll also find wind instruments like the trumpet, cornet, flute, and organ, as well as percussion instruments like the timbrel (tabret) and cymbal.]

The Content of Music (Eph 5:20)
Christian music comes in three kinds. While we may not be at liberty to be too rigid in defining these terms, all music that is acceptable to God should fit in to one of these three categories:
• Psalms – These are sacred songs or hymns written on a scriptural subject or in praise of God. The key is that they are sacred. Examples would be “In the Garden” or “Send the Light”.
• Hymns – This is a song in honor of God that concentrates on magnifying Him. Examples would include “To God Be the Glory” or “How Great Thou Art”. It’s a song sang to HIM.
• Spiritual Songs – A song is pretty much anything else with sung with a spiritual, scriptural theme.

All music has distinctive components.
• Melody – This is the part of music that will primarily speak to the spirit of man and it is clearly supposed to be central in spiritual music. This should be the part that stands out in whatever music is played and sung.
• Harmony – This is the part of music that will often move the soul. This is when various parts are sung to blend with the melody.
• Rhythm – This is the part of music that primarily appeals to the body. This is the timing of the song (all music has some kind of rhythm). It is the “pulse” of the song. It’s kind of like salt. It is good when it is used in moderation. You can easily get too much (so that music becomes fleshly).
• Dynamics – This is the modulation in volume. Soft, loud, medium loud. Obviously this affects what the song is trying to communicate.
• Lyrics – Clearly these are to be scriptural in order to qualify as Christian music (Prov 8:6-8). As you can see, while lyrics are extremely important, they are only one part of most songs (with the exception of a capella music). Good lyrics with bad music (i.e. rock ‘n roll) does not make good music. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one (Job 14:4). You wouldn’t eat a biscuit out of a septic tank would you?

The Correct Kind of Music (Col 3:16)
Music begins with the heart. If your heart is rotten, it doesn’t matter how good your voice is. If your heart is right, it will go a long way in the sight of God in making up for poor pitch. Good congregational singing is based primarily on the heart condition of the people (not that a little training wouldn’t help).
• In Ephesians 5 you’ll notice that the right kind of music is accompanied by submission (v. 21).
• In Colossians 3 you’ll find that the right kind of music is preceded by kindness, humbleness (v. 12), forbearance (v. 13), and charity (v. 14).
• When you look at the character and lifestyles of so many CCM and Southern Gospel artists (Sandi Patti, Amy Grant, Michael English, Clay Crosse, Kirk Franklin, Ray Boltz, Reba Rambo) it begins to matter less and less how musically talented they are.
The lyrics should be Biblical. It doesn’t necessarily need to come directly from the Bible, but what we sing should be doctrinally sound. So much of what passes for “Christian” music only passes as such because of the modern Biblical ignorance that is so prevalent. The praise and worship song “I am Friend of God” is about as Biblical as Jingle Bells. Another good example would be the song “Let the Weak Say I am Strong”. That is taken from a quotation of the enemies of God in Joel 3:10.
Music should be orderly and distinctive (1 Cor 14:7-8). Out goes rock n’ roll.
Music should be understandable (1 Cor 14:15). Do you know what “Beulah Land” is?
Outside of these few Biblical principles music is an area of Christian liberty and conscience. This means all of the standard texts on Christian liberty apply (Rom 14, 2 Cor 8, Gal 5). Don’t let your liberty be an occasion to the flesh or cause for a weaker Christian to stumble. We should abstain from all appearance of evil. All of our music should pass the test of Philippians 4:8. We’re instructed to “prove what is acceptable” (Eph 5:10), and “try the spirits” (1 John 4:1). All music has a spirit behind it.

06.06.10

Spurgeon on Wholeheartedness

Posted in Bible, Character at 10:10 pm by Administrator

I lately heard a reading of one of Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions on the radio about the subject of wholeheartedness. This devotion, drawn from the text of 2 Chronicles 21:31, is salient and refreshing. The evening devotion for March 15 is reproduced below in its entirety.

“He did it with all his heart and prospered.”
–2 Chronicles 31:21

This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is He pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it be done with all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it deserves far more. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but He does not encourage our idleness; He loves active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of His salvation. Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, “It is the Lord’s work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in His strength I will accomplish it.” Christian, art thou thus “with all thine heart” serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was His! He could say, “The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up.” When He sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden He had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when He poured out His heart, it was no weak effort He was making for the salvation of His people. Was Jesus in earnest, and are we lukewarm?

02.22.10

Great Bible Conference

Posted in Bible, Church at 3:03 pm by Administrator

We hosted our second annual Winter Bible Conference this past week and it was a tremendous success. We had Pastor James Knox from the BIBLE Baptist Church of Deland, Florida. Bro. Knox taught the Book of Philippians and handled the book masterfully as he represented it riches in their context applied personally to each and every one of us. We had two sessions each night anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. The first night we worked through chapter one, the second night chapter three, and the third night chapters two and four. The meeting was well attended and God used his word to meet many needs in our church and in our individual lives.

02.08.10

The Faith of Christ

Posted in Bible at 10:00 am by Administrator

One of the greatest Bible truths to be grasped in establishing one’s assurance is that of the faith of Christ, the perfect, divine faith of God’s own Son which is imputed to us when we exercise our own feeble, human faith in His finished work (Rom 3:22). I have many times dealt with those who through personal sin, or a feeble mind, or an overactive conscience, though trusting in Christ alone, begin to struggle with the simplicity which is in Christ with questions as to whether they had the right kind of faith or enough faith in order to be saved. The doctrine of “the faith of Christ” is generally the blessed truth that diffuses such doubts. Personal faith is a necessity in the new birth (John 3:15-18). The Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of the whole world (1 John 2:1), but His saving virtue must be individually appropriated by personal faith in the gospel (Rom 3:26). But thank God, though our faith is often weak and beggarly, the wavering and failure of our faith does not result in the condemnation of our souls (1 Tim 2:13), because we have been justified by “the faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16). Have you ever considered who the first person to believe the gospel was? It was the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 12:39-40, Matt 16:21). Thus He is the author of our faith. And praise be to God, He is likewise the finisher of our faith, for his faith is unfailing (Heb 12:2). Christ’s faith was God’s gift to us (Eph 2:8) when we believed. And now we can look toward eternity with the very same confidence as the great apostle Paul, not having our own righteousness… but that which is through the faith of Christ (Phil 3:9).

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