Posted: 8/18/06

Wayland dean & chemistry prof on the roll 23 years

By Teresa Young

Wayland Baptist University

PLAINVIEW—Don’t expect to find Emmitt Tipton in his office at Wayland Baptist University around 11 a.m. on Thursdays. And if you’re looking in the chemistry lab for Professor Harold Temple around that same time, don’t bet on finding him, either.

The two have worked at Wayland Baptist University for several decades, and for nearly all that time, they’ve shared a Thursday morning ritual that has touched the lives of hundreds.

Tipton, dean of students at Wayland and a former business professor, and Temple, a chemistry professor and layman at College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview, share a Meals on Wheels route in Plainview, a service project they first started in 1983.

Wayland professor Harold Temple, a layman at College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview, reaches through the back window to grab a meal and bread for the next home delivery during a recent Meals on Wheels route run.

The route began as a project of the Plainview Breakfast Lions Club in the early 1980s under President John Matsler. When Temple joined the Lions Club in 1983, he and Tipton picked up the route as their service project for the Lions.

The routine stuck.

“We’ve loved doing it, and our time schedules would allow us to do it, so we’ve just always done it,” Tipton said. “We just made sure over the years not to schedule any classes on the 11 o’clock hour.”

The route changes from time to time as people are added or taken off the rolls, but Tipton said it averages out to about 12 people each week.

Tipton and Temple have the route down to an art, from the moment they pick up the meals and milk carrier from the Covenant Hospital Plainview dock to the time they return the empty carrier and get back to work. Tipton often drives his vehicle, with Temple in the passenger seat with the milk carrier and address cards.

As Tipton pulls into the driveway, Temple gets ready to grab a meal. After the delivery, they’re back on their way to the next stop.

“We’re a little faster if I deliver,” Temple jokes.

“He moves faster than I do,” Tipton adds with a smile.

Along the route, the pair enjoy visiting with each other, swapping “grandpa” stories or just catching up on life. Over the years, they’ve built quite a friendship and enjoy each other’s company.

But they really enjoy getting to visit—however briefly—with the folks on their delivery route, sharing an encouraging word or asking about family.

“The neat thing is getting to minister to so many people,” Tipton said. “I like to talk, and sometimes that slows us down. But we’ve gotten to know so many people over the years.”

“Most of our route is elderly ladies, and they are always very appreciative of the visit,” Temple added. “Sometimes we’re the only people they get to see that day.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting all the people you wouldn’t ordinarily know, and I like our chance to visit as well.”

The involvement doesn’t always end once the meals are delivered. Tipton acknowledges he’s made additional visits during the week to some people he knows just to visit longer. And the two keep a keen eye out for other needs the individuals may have. For instance, the Lions Club painted one woman’s house that was in great need, and they’ve reported the need for repairs or other problems at clients’ homes.

When an unavoidable scheduling conflict arises and one of the delivery duo is left alone for the route, Tipton often picks his granddaughter up to help or asks a Wayland student to come along.

Even after decades of driving the route, both Tipton and Temple admit they’ve just plain forgotten the route every now and then and had to call and remind one another. But except for the occasional memory lapses, everything else has gone smoothly.

“We’ve only dropped one meal in all these years, and I did it,” Tipton said, laughing. “We had to go back to the hospital and get another one.”

And the pair plan to continue the route as long as they’re physically able.

Posted: 8/18/06

RIGHT & WRONG?
Social issues vs evangelism

“Our church receives denominational literature that suggests we should address social issues. Doesn’t this smack of pulling us away from missions and evangelism endeavors?”

In order to answer this question, it is important to define what is meant by “social issues.” For some folks, that means “political issues.” For others, it means “societal issues” or the problems we face as a society. And for others, it means the attempt to address human need. I am going to answer this question as it relates to all three of these understandings.

Although we should value and respect the efforts by denominational leaders to communicate their beliefs, we should make our decisions about such matters based upon biblical teachings and the example of Jesus. Does the Bible teach that we should be involved in social issues? It clearly does.

In the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law was given to the people of Israel so they might abide by God’s desires. Those laws are very specific about how one should treat a stranger, a neighbor, a person in need or a family member. All are to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. For example, in Exodus 22:21, the Israelites were instructed, “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”

The Hebrew prophets also were concerned with social issues. They warned against political alliances that God does not bless (Isaiah 31:1-2). They condemned political bribery and graft (Micah 7: 1-3). They condemned economic exploitation. For example, the passage that begins with Amos 5:11 gives a warning to those who “trample on the poor.” Ezekiel 34:4 gives an indictment against the leaders of Israel: “You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.” Amos 5:24 expresses God’s desire for his people, “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.”

Did Jesus address social issues? Of course, he did. In his teachings, we find the same kind of emphases we find in the Old Testament prophets. Jesus issued a series of “woes” upon the religious leaders of Israel who “have neglected the mort important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” When Jesus described the final judgment in Matthew 25, he said those who will be welcomed into the kingdom are those who have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited the sick and imprisoned.

So, obviously we have a biblical mandate to be involved in the social issues of our day. This does not mean we do not have other mandates from God. We have a mandate to take the gospel to the entire world. We have a mandate to live godly lives. These mandates do not cancel our mandate to meet human need, oppose evil and transform society. In fact, when we do those things, we also are proclaiming the good news. There is no conflict in the New Testament between doing good and telling the good news.

For most of us, there is another problem. We don’t always know where to come down on a particular social issue. We aren’t always sure what God wants us to do. That’s why we need help from our leaders—denominational and church leaders. We need accurate information and biblical instruction so that we may discern what the will of God is for us.

Philip Wise, pastor

Second Baptist Church

Lubbock

Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.

Posted: 8/04/06

CYBER COLUMN:
Looking back

By Berry Simpson

I was thinking about the dinner my wife, Cyndi, and I attended in China with three other Midland couples and former Dongying Mayor Lei.

It was a fun evening with lots stories. Mayor Lei dominated the evening; he talked 75 percent of the time, and one of his favorite topics was how China is 5,000 years old and the United States is only 200 years old, yet the United States is the leader of the world. He thinks China had a lot to learn from us. He said China is too proud of its past and keeps looking back and bragging, while the West is always looking forward to the future. The mayor repeated, “China must learn to look forward.”

It’s not always easy to know when to look forward and when to look back. Both our future and our past are important.

Futurist Alvin Toffler wrote: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Leonard Sweet adds, “At all times, we must be open to the possibility that what we thought we knew is wrong.” It isn’t that the truth itself changes, but that our understanding and perception and application changes as we learn more. Often we have to forget the past and learn the future.

We just made a big decision in our church about how we were going to worship on Sunday mornings—with guitars or pipe organ. Would we leave behind the foundation of traditional worship that has been the hallmark of our historic 100-year-old church, during the flagship hour of worship, 11 a.m. Sunday, and move boldly into the future in the direction of growth and youth? That was the question. During our Sunday night business meeting, the membership voted to make the change—guitars won! It wasn’t a simple decision. It was clear that whichever way the vote went, we were bound to lose some people who felt their church had abandoned them. Russ Taff sings, “It’s hard to know which bridge to cross and which bridge I should be burning.” I think we made the right decision.

I have been surprised that the older I get, the more I embrace change. The more I read and study and teach, the more I realize I haven’t yet learned, and the more willing I am to change my mind. It’s kind of exciting, actually, to wonder what will be important to me 10 years from now.

And yet, at the same time, with my 50th birthday barely one month old, I enjoy looking back at the roots of my life and reliving the things that created the man I am today. Recently, I had a great opportunity to cross a bridge into my history and experience some of those deep roots.

Cyndi and I attended Drum Corps International’s Thunder in the Desert in Midland. Superb marching bands made up of young musicians from all over the United States compete for honors. It was amazing. The music was phenomenal, and the marching was creative and innovative and entertaining.

At the end of the contest, I was invited to help hand out awards to the top band. It was an honor to be part of the presentation, but more than that, it was a joy to be on the sidelines when the Carolina Crowns played their encore music. I love being at ground level when they play. I love having my ears and heart on the same level with their horns, and feeling the vibrations on my chest when they play. The music floods my ears and head and soul, and it makes me happy.

I spent a lot of my formative years in marching bands. I marched for Kermit Junior High, Kermit High, Hobbs High and the University of Oklahoma. That translates to thousands of hours of practicing music and marching in the blazing sun and cold wind and sometimes rain, and, I should add, being yelled at by band directors. Playing my trombone in band was a foundation of my life poured during my most impressionable years, and it was so important I still play my horn today, 30 years later.

And I think the fact I still play my horn is the reason why flashing back to marching band days is so significant. I am still living daily with the impact of all those practices and performances.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Stand at the crossroad and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Looking back at those ancient paths, those roots, those foundations, is important only if we use what we’ve learned on our trek into the future. We shouldn’t burn those bridges behind us that lead to our past, but we must continue to cross the bridges in front of us going boldly into God’s future.

Berry Simpson, a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Midland, is a petroleum engineer, writer, runner and member of the city council in Midland. You can contact him through e-mail at berry@stonefoot.org.

Posted: 8/15/06

Farmersville church vandalized;
members respond by 'tagging' for God

By Gregory Tomlin

Baptist Press

FARMERSVILLE (BP)—Members of First Baptist Church in Farmersville arrived for Sunday morning worship Aug. 13 to find anti-Christian and communist slogans scrawled across their church’s property.

But instead of merely scrubbing the messages off the building and walkways, church members responded by writing messages of their own about God’s love for sinners.

“After the service, the whole church went out with chalk from the children’s area and wrote scriptural responses,” said Pastor Bart Barber. “The congregation wrote everything from ‘Jesus loves you’ to ‘God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.’ We were trying to respond in the way Christ would have us respond.”

This was not the first time someone had “tagged” the 350-member church with graffiti, Barber said, but never before had the messages been so extensive or anti-Christian.

“When the chairman of the deacons called me, he began describing the content of the messages and I knew we had to call the police,” Barber said. “When I got to the church, I was upset and at a loss for words. … Many of the comments implied that Christians and the church were worthless and even dangerous to society.”

Police arrived to inspect the graffiti left by “Val” and “Sal,” as one inscription read. The vandals were apparently well-educated. Barber said many of the messages—fortunately written in chalk rather than paint—included phrases borrowed from well-known authors and Karl Marx, the father of communism.

“Some of the sayings included things like, ‘Sunday is a fit conclusion to an ill-spent week,’ ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses’ and ‘Two great narcotics: Alcohol and Christianity,’” Barber said. “Another read, ‘The masses of men lead lives of quiet desperation,’ a line from Thoreau.”

Some of the most troubling comments were ones that referenced the failure of Christians and the church, Barber said. He and his congregation, he said, were both “puzzled and hurt” by them.

Barber said his initial impulse was to remove the graffiti before church members arrived, but he later thought that the experience of seeing the vandalism could be a “teaching moment” for his congregation.

“We had the opportunity to ignore it, but I wanted to give the church the opportunity to affirm each other and affirm the words of Jesus,” Barber said.

“This does not arrive at anywhere near what other people experience when they are persecuted for their Christian faith. It is nowhere close to people around the world who are physically abused for following Christ—as to the intensity of it—but the sentiment behind it is the same.”

Police said the vandalism only warranted a charge of criminal mischief since the messages were written in chalk. But those charges could be enhanced since the property is a house of worship, Barber said. “That’s really a matter for the district attorney.”

The messages written by the First Baptist members were slated to remain on the property for several days, Barber said. He said the congregation hopes that the persons responsible for the vandalism will drive by the church and read the messages of God’s love and forgiveness and the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. He said the vandals also would find the church forgiving.

“If I could get on a loudspeaker and speak to Farmersville, I would tell them that we are aware that Christians and churches are not perfect,” Barber said. “We are the first to acknowledge mistakes in history perpetrated in the name of Christ. Their deeper questions, however, were not bad questions. Unfortunately, they were posed in such a way that there was no opportunity for us to answer. … But I would like to sit across the table from them and talk about their ideas.”

The 106-year-old sanctuary at First Baptist Church was not affected by the vandalism, Barber said.

Posted: 8/15/06

Judge orders Missouri Baptist Convention,
university to try mediation again

By Vicki Brown

Missouri Word & Way

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP)—The Missouri Baptist Convention and Missouri Baptist University must sit down and discuss possible solutions to their ongoing legal battle.

In 2002 the convention sued five of its agencies that decided to elect their own trustees—a right previously granted to the convention.

In the latest ruling, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Brown ordered mediation after listening to arguments at a hearing Aug. 7. Brown asked: “What about getting together just to find out” if mediation would work? He added he usually does not force litigants to try mediation. But he did so in spite of objections from convention attorney Stanton Masters.

Masters noted the convention would not be interested in discussing issues if the university does not have a new proposal to offer.

“We’ve been down that road with the college,” he said, because the university’s insurer had asked the convention to consider mediation last fall.

University Attorney Clyde Farris argued for mediation as a means “to get the matter out of the lawyers’ hands.” A lot of time and too much money already have been spent on litigation, he added.

When the judge asked if any flexibility exists in the university’s position, Farris responded that Missouri Baptist University is “interested in talking,” but he added he is unaware of specific changes the university would consider.

In 2000, the Baptist Home, a Missouri Baptist agency, changed its charter to allow the institution to elect its own trustees. The following year, the university, Word&Way newspaper, Windermere Baptist Conference Center and the Missouri Baptist Foundation took similar actions.

The convention filed legal action against the five entities in August 2002 in an effort to force the institutions to rescind the charter changes in order to return control of the trustee election to the convention.

In 2002, the convention and the heads of the five entities briefly considered arbitration, rather than mediation, as an option to avoid taking the matter to court.

Early in 2002, a convention task force mentioned the possibility of settling the issues through binding Christian arbitration. But convention leaders and agency heads understood the term differently. At the time, both sides said they wanted to find a process through which underlying issues—Baptist polity and control—could be dealt with, as well as legal issues.

Although task force leaders said they wanted to discuss those underlying issues, they asked agency heads to sign an agreement that only included a binding Christian arbitration option. The agreement did not mention mediation as a first step.

In mediation, a third party helps disputing parties determine a fair and mutually acceptable agreement. Mediation does not always end in a resolution. In binding arbitration, a third party leads disputing sides to a legal settlement that all parties must accept. The settlement is determined out of court but is legally binding.

The five agency heads said they could not pursue binding arbitration because only their board members—not the agency presidents—have legal authority to make such decisions.

A breakthrough seemed at hand when both sides met in May 2002, when then-MBC President Bob Curtis, legal task force chairman Gary Taylor and the agency heads discussed ways to find a solution to which all parties could agree. At that time, conciliation and mediation were discussed.

However, after that meeting, Curtis called for a special session of the convention Executive Board in which board members authorized legal action against the agencies. The agency heads said they felt the MBC had issued an ultimatum—rescind the actions or the issue would be settled legally, either by an arbitrator or in court.

Posted: 8/15/06

BaptistWay Bible Series for August 27

The gospel transforms human relationships

• Philemon

By Joseph Matos

Dallas Baptist University, Dallas

Looking back over history, we can see the institution of slavery clearly was wrong. And even though the institution in the ancient world could not compare with that of the last few centuries, it still was a system that treated some classes of people as property. Unfortunately, in the past, the Bible had been used in support of slavery; while others read the same Bible and concluded slavery was wrong. The reality is that the Bible does not overtly condemn slavery.

One might think Onesimus’ conversion and this letter to Philemon would afford Paul the perfect opportunity to speak out against the institution. But Paul does no such thing.

The New Testament offers hints that people should no longer be regarded as slaves. Among Paul’s own writings are statements declaring that in Christ there is neither slave nor free (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11). Also, in 1 Corinthians 7:17, 20-24, Paul says everyone should stay in the state they were before they came to Christ. This applies to slaves as well. However, he follows it up with a brief comment that if they can gain their freedom, they should do so. Then in both Ephesians 6:5-9 and Colossians 3:22-4:1, Paul instructs believing slaves regarding their conduct.

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Incidentally, these passages also set the standards for how believing slave owners should treat their slaves. So, while the institution was not condemned entirely, Paul could see changes needed to be made.

In the letter to Philemon, though Paul does not overtly condemn slavery, we get a clue as to what Paul truly desired in this regard and the means by which he sought to accomplish it.

Greetings to and commendation of Philemon (vv. 1-7)

The letter to Philemon opens in much the same fashion as Paul’s other letters. Paul identifies himself as the sender, Philemon (and others associated with him) as the recipient, and a word of salutation and greeting (vv. 1-3).

He then offers encouraging words to Philemon, acknowledging he is thankful to God for Philemon’s faith in Christ and his love for others, and spurring Philemon on to continued fellowship of faith. Philemon’s ministry had the effect of “refreshing the hearts of the saints” (vv. 4-7).

Paul’s appeal to Philemon (vv. 8-25)

After his commendation of Philemon, Paul turns his attention to the matter at hand. He has a request of Philemon. Paul informs Philemon he could impose upon Philemon his request, instead he appeals to Philemon “on the basis of love” (vv. 8-9).

What was Paul’s request? He was sending Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave, back to him. The circumstances surrounding Onesimus’ conversion are unknown. The only reference to this event comes from Paul’s words in this letter.

Using language found in the pastoral letters with respect to Timothy and Titus, Paul reveals to Philemon that Onesimus has become his “son” while Paul has been in chains. Though Paul would like for Onesimus to stay with him, he is sending Onesimus back to Philemon.

Perhaps Paul sought to reverse Philemon’s low view of Onesimus, because he played on the meaning of Onesimus’ name to assure Philemon Onesimus is not the same person he was. Onesimus (which means useful) at one time was considered useless; but now he became useful. Paul certainly saw this trait in Onesimus and wanted Philemon to know it as well (vv. 10-11).

Again, it appears Paul wanted Onesimus to stay with him, even in some way to take Philemon’s place in helping Paul while he remained in prison for the gospel. But he did not want to force this decision on Philemon. Rather, Paul wanted Philemon to respond out of the character that he had exhibited. Furthermore, Paul suggested Onesimus’ departure may have been in the will of God, so that Philemon could have Onesimus back in a new relationship—no longer a slave, but a beloved brother in Christ (vv. 12-16).

In a further display of confidence, Paul offered to repay any loss Philemon incurred because of Onesimus. With that gesture, Paul demonstrated he did not condone Onesimus’ actions (whatever they may have been) but did want to communicate to Philemon his confidence in Onesimus’ change.

Just as Philemon had “refreshed the hearts of the saints” (v. 7), so Paul requests that he “refresh (his) heart in Christ” (v. 20). By this did Paul mean himself or Onesimus (whom Paul calls his “very heart,” v. 12)? Regardless, Paul remained confident of Philemon’s positive response (v. 21).

The letter ends with Paul’s instructions to Philemon to prepare a guest room for him, trusting he would be released in answer to their prayers. Then Paul extends greetings to Philemon from other fellow workers with him (vv. 22-25).

Though Paul did not use this letter as a forum by which to condemn slavery, this letter to Philemon indicates he saw a higher standard in play—the new relationships that result from a shared faith in Christ. Such a relationship transcends institutions.

Conclusion

All of us can relate to Onesimus in one way or another. We may not have been slaves in the same sense as he was, but both Jesus and Paul state that apart from salvation we remain slaves of sin (John 8:31-36; Romans 6:15-17). At some point, all Christians need someone to intercede on their behalf.

Discussion questions

• Paul mentions Mark in the closing verses of this letter. This is the same Mark who had deserted Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. On the second missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas divided over the decision to take Mark. Barnabas supported Mark; Paul rejected him. Now Mark was restored even in Paul’s eyes. Could Barnabas’ support of Mark (and Mark’s demonstration of his trustworthiness) in some way have influenced Paul in his letter to Philemon?

• How might Barnabas’ support of Paul after his own conversion influenced him?

• Why do we accept some new believers more easily than we do others? Why do we differentiate some people’s past from that of others?

• Do you know of any new believers who could benefit from someone’s (possibly your) intercession?

• Are you an Onesimus in need of acceptance, or are you a Philemon who needs to accept someone else into a new relationship?

Posted: 8/15/06

Family Bible Series for August 27

Maximize the opportunities God provides

• Acts 19:1-5, 8-10, 23-28

By Greg Ammons

First Baptist Church, Garland

Last month, I had the privilege of leading 35 church members on a trip to Greece and Turkey. As we traveled, we traced the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey.

One of the most impressive stops on the journey was the ancient city of Ephesus. It is located in western Turkey near the modern port city of Kusadasi. Many of the ancient ruins of Ephesus have been unearthed, and you could envision Paul’s ministry there. It was a wonderful experience to stand at the locations where Paul stood and read the passages he spoke.

This week’s lesson shows how Paul made the most of the opportunities God gave him to minister in Ephesus. From this passage, we can learn how believers can sharpen their effectiveness in serving Christ.

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Communicate clearly (Acts 19:1-5)

Paul left Corinth and traveled through the interior of Greece to arrive at Ephesus (v. 1). He found some disciples and asked if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed. They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (v. 2).

Paul asked what baptism they received, and they replied it was John’s baptism. Paul then explained John the Baptist’s message and how Jesus, who was greater than John, came after him. “On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5).

It was Paul’s desire to communicate the gospel clearly. He wanted the disciples to know, very plainly, that Jesus was the awaited Messiah. There was to be no confusion over the importance of John the Baptist with that of Jesus.

Today, we also must communicate clearly the message of Jesus to those around us.

Psychologists tell us people communicate in a variety of ways. They say 7 percent of our communication comes from what we say, 38 percent from how we say it and 55 percent from how we look while we say it. In order to be the most effective communicators of the gospel message, we need to be aware of all the ways in which we communicate. What we say, how we say it and our corresponding actions while we speak all are vital to clearly communicate the good news of Jesus.

Be available (Acts 19:8-10)

While in Ephesus, Paul entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly about the kingdom of God. He continued doing this for three months (v. 8). But some of the listeners became obstinate, refused to believe and publicly ridiculed the gospel. So, Paul left them, took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (v. 9). Paul did this for two years, so people throughout the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (v. 10).

One characteristic of Paul is striking. He was available to serve wherever God created an opportunity. He stopped at closed doors and moved on to open doors. The great apostle always was available for God to use.

Availability, not necessarily ability, still is the key in serving God. A great Christian missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, once said: “I used to ask God if he would come and help me. Then, I asked if I could come and help him. Finally, I asked God to do his own work through me.” The greatest service is accomplished from willing and available workers who simply allow God to work through them.

Don’t let controversy deter you (Acts 19:23-28)

During Paul’s extended ministry in Ephesus, a great disturbance arose over the gospel he preached. A silversmith named Demetrius made his living by fashioning gods for the people to worship (v. 24). He called the craftsmen of the city together and complained about Paul’s message.

Demetrius said, “He says that man-made gods are no gods at all” (v. 26). Demetrius was afraid his business would suffer and Artemis, the goddess among the Ephesians, would be disgraced by Paul’s preaching. The citizens of Ephesus heard the discussions, and a riot ensued. They began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (v. 28).

Any time the gospel is presented in power, there will be opposition. The evil one will make sure of it. Effective Christians cannot allow controversy, which the devil creates, to stop them from ministry.

An influential leader in the 19th century said, “No great advance has been made in science, politics or religion without controversy.” As we attempt to advance the kingdom of God in our communities, we can expect the controversy. Don’t allow it to discourage you or stop your efforts.

Discussion questions

• Do you present the gospel clearly in all of the ways you communicate?

• Would you say you are available for God to use any time?

• Why do you feel Christians allow controversy to deter them so easily?

Posted: 8/15/06

Explore the Bible Series for August 27

The love song of the Old Testament

• Song of Songs 1:1-8:14

By James Adair

Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio

Imagine a reader standing before the congregation on a Sunday morning: “Our Old Testament lesson today,” he begins, “is from Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. ‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. …’”

Such a reading might raise a few eyebrows. Some congregants might be indignant. “Why is he reading that? That’s clearly not Scripture!” Others might find it refreshing. “Well, we finally have a reading that’s a little bit different!” Others might just find it amusing. “Someone must have tricked this guy into reading love poetry instead of the real reading. What a dope!”

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This week’s lesson is from a collection of love poems known as the Song of Solomon, the Song of Songs or Canticles.

Some people over the years have disputed this book’s right to a place in the canon. Others have allegorized it so that it is read as an idealized description of God’s love for Israel, God’s love for the church or the soul’s search for God. The allegorical interpretation probably best explains its acceptance into the canons of both Judaism and Christianity. Its attribution to King Solomon probably sealed the deal. How else would a collection of love poems gain recognition as sacred text?

The historical-critical approach to biblical interpretation that has been prevalent for the last hundred years or more has little use for allegory. Conservative detractors of the historical-critical approach largely agree with their opponents that a more literal approach to the Bible is better. However, it can be argued an allegorical approach to this particular book has some value, particularly if we are interested in how it has been understood by previous generations of believers.

The first Christian of whom we are aware who interpreted the Song allegorically was Hippolytus of Rome, around the year 200. Only fragments of his commentary remain, but it is clear he took a decidedly non-literal approach to interpreting the book.

A few decades later, Origen, the greatest biblical scholar of his day, produced a 10-volume exposition of the book, four of which have been preserved in Latin translation. Origen, heavily influenced by Greek philosophy as were many other contemporary Christian leaders, believed earthly, fleshly love was far inferior to heavenly, spiritual love, and he interpreted the Song accordingly. In commenting on Song 1:4, he says, “There is a love of the flesh which comes from Satan, and there is also another love, belonging to the Spirit, which has its origin in God; and nobody can be possessed by the two loves.”

Most other Christian commentators throughout antiquity and the medieval period, including Athanasius, Jerome, the Cappadocian Fathers and Bernard of Clairvaux, read the Song allegorically, as a picture of Christ’s love for the church. Bernard’s allegorical expositions were so detailed he preached 86 sermons on the book—and didn’t even reach the end of the second chapter.

At least one prominent theologian, however, Theodore of Mopsuestia, interpreted the Song literally, believing it was a literal love poem Solomon wrote to his Egyptian bride. Theodore’s views were not widely accepted, and in fact his teachings on the subject were condemned by the Council of Constantinople in 550, albeit more than 100 years after his death.

Perhaps the most provocative advocate of the literal view of the Song was a Roman monk named Jovinian. Although he lived an ascetic, celibate life himself, Jovinian disputed the notion that asceticism was superior in virtue to a more ordinary Christian life. Even more shockingly, he questioned whether celibacy was superior to marriage. He regarded the Song as a literal description of marital bliss, replete with explicit references to sexual fulfillment between husband and wife. He was opposed roundly by most of the ecclesiastical powerhouses of his day, including Ambrose, Augustine and Jerome.

Most of the Reformers and their successors, including Luther, Calvin and Wesley, continued to read the Song allegorically. Some who did see it as a literal, erotic love poem suggested it was unworthy of inclusion in the Christian canon. Others, beginning in the 18th century, saw value in the frank expressions of love the Song reveals when read literally. It is this literal interpretation of the Song as a love poem, or a collection of love poems, that predominates today.

Song of Songs 2:8-13

For purposes of illustration, we will look at a single passage from the Song and consider how it might be read either literally or non-literally. Taken allegorically, this passage paints a luscious portrait of God’s love for believers. God is likened to a gazelle, running swiftly over the mountains, leaping high in the air, beautiful to behold (v. 9). And this exotic, mysterious being longs to share our company! “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” (v. 10). This reading of the passage reminds us we don’t seek God; God seeks us. God initiates the relationship, and if we respond to God’s overtures, our lives will never be the same.

When we move from an allegorical to a literal (or, better, literary) approach, the poems in this book say something profound about the love of one human being for another. Human love at its best inspires, exalts and transforms us.

When two people love each other, their lives together are more than just the sum of the two individuals, for their love causes each one to grow. “Now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” (vv. 1-12). Love makes the heart feel like spring. Without love, life is drained of its joy.

Discussion questions

• Do you think the Song of Songs was accepted into the Jewish and Christian canons as an allegory or as a collection of sometimes erotic love poems?

• Is there room in modern interpretation of Scripture for a non-literal approach? If so, what are the benefits and limitations of such an approach?

• What is the significance of the fact that almost all of the most prominent Christian leaders prior to the 18th century—including Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Luther, Calvin and Wesley—interpreted the book allegorically?

• If we read the book literally, what is its overall message? Are the topics discussed by the poet or poets the sorts of things appropriate to discuss in a typical church setting (e.g., a Sunday school lesson or a sermon)?

Posted: 8/11/06

Lebanese Baptist schools sheltering
refugees wonder about academic year

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

BEIRUT (ABP)—As international negotiations to end the war in Lebanon proceeded slowly, Lebanese Baptist leaders questioned whether two Baptist schools—now housing hundreds of refugees displaced by the conflict—will be able to begin the academic year on time.

Meanwhile, Baptists around the world continue to solicit prayers seeking an end to the conflict and aid for relief and rebuilding work in the ransacked nation.

In an Aug. 8 e-mail update, two prominent Baptist leaders in Beirut thanked Baptists from around the world for their prayers and support in the nearly month-old crisis.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to express our heart-felt appreciation to all of you who continue to lift us in prayer and to those who send us beautiful encouraging emails,” said Elie Haddad of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary and Nabil Costa of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development.

“We’d like to thank as well friends and partners all over the world…who blessed us with the poor widow’s two copper coins. God bless you,” they wrote.

But the two leaders also lamented the continuing violence.

“Friends, we are optimistic as we hear of the on-going political negotiations but not as we see the effects of the bombings,” they wrote. “As you may have heard in the news, there were three massacres yesterday in three different parts of the country. Each was caused by an air raid that brought a building on the heads of its occupants. Yet, the reason of our hope is him to whom we pray in anticipation.”

The seminary and nearby Beirut Baptist School have provided shelter and food to an estimated 1,000 people displaced by the conflict. Most of the refugees have come from hard-hit Shiite regions of Lebanon to the relative safety of the Christian parts of Beirut. International Baptist relief workers, including a medical team from Hungarian Baptist Aid and church groups from the United States, have provided other services to the refugees.

Costa and Haddad said the seminary has canceled the “intensive” month-long courses it normally offers in September, but officials “are planning, in faith, a regular start of the semester in October.”

They also said the seminary should be able to reopen for classes then, “even if most of the displaced people are still with us.”

However, the situation at Beirut Baptist School “is different,” Costa and Haddad wrote. “What will happen to the displaced families there? Will we be able to open our doors for a new academic year before the displaced people go back to their homes? We don’t have all the answers, yet we live each day at a time trusting in the Lord, knowing that he is sovereign and in control.”

Meanwhile, in a speech during the American Baptist International Ministries’ annual missions conference, a stranded Lebanese Baptist academic again urged American evangelical Christians who strongly support Israel to take another look at the conflict.

“Theologically and biblically, their unquestioning equation of the modern state of Israel with biblical Israel is the starting point of an erroneous reading of the Bible,” said Martin Accad, dean of the Beirut seminary, according to the American Baptist News Service. The conference took place in Green Lake, Wis.

Accad’s point was reinforced when televangelist Pat Robertson, traveling to Israel, told CNN that Christians should support Israel because the current conflict fits into biblical prophecy about the end of the world. “We believe that God will fight for Israel,” he said.

Accad, who had been guest lecturing at a California seminary, was stranded in the United States after hostilities erupted July 12, essentially cutting Lebanon off from the rest of the world. Since then, he has written a series of guest editorials for the website of Christianity Today magazine challenging the pro-Israel stance of many American evangelicals.

“It’s very easy for North Americans who have not lived in a context of conflict to take very lightly the massacre of Palestinians for the sake of fulfillment of prophecy,” he continued. “If we see Middle East events as leading towards the second coming of Christ, then we can justify the massacre of people, we can justify injustice being repeatedly done to whole peoples.”

International Baptists have continued to promise prayer and support for their Lebanese brothers and sisters in the midst of the ongoing conflict—and in the future rebuilding of the nation. In response to pleas from Lebanese Baptists, Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz wrote a letter expressing the group’s solidarity.

“We are in sorrow with you over this tragic war and attack upon Beirut and its infrastructures,” he said. “With the psalmist we cry out, ‘How long, O Lord? How long?’ Please know that Baptists around the world are praying for you and the safety of the people of Lebanon.”

Regina Class, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Evangelical Free Churches of Germany, issued a similar statement of support. “In this time of need, we want to support our brothers and sisters and the civil population in the whole region with our prayers and beseech God for wisdom for the political decision-makers.”

The European Baptist Federation, a BWA affiliate and umbrella group for 50 regional and national Baptist denominations in Europe and the Middle East, sent an “emergency appeal” regarding the Lebanese situation to its participating organizations.

“The situation is changing daily, and for the sake of the lives of the people of Lebanon, we hope and pray for a cease-fire very soon. But what is clear is that much of Lebanon’s infrastructure has been destroyed and that there will be an urgent need for help with reconstructing and the rebuilding of lives when this terrible conflict is over,” the appeal said.

The leaders of several Baptist groups around the world—including the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the American Baptist Churches and the European Baptist Federation—have called for an immediate cease-fire in the conflict, mirroring calls by many in the international community.

Posted: 8/11/06

CYBER COLUMN:
God and science

By Brett Younger

When I was in the eleventh grade, I was in A.W. Dolan’s chemistry class. He had been a research chemist, but at the age of 60, he decided to spend the rest of his working days with teenagers. He knew a lot about chemistry, but not a lot about 16-year-olds. He was easily flustered and wasn’t always fair. For instance, he kept count of how many test tubes we broke and at the end of the year he presented us with bills. I’m not complaining for myself. Mine was not the largest. I finished second. My parents, who weren’t always fair either, insisted I pay the bill myself even though it was clearly an educational expense.

In Ohio, you were supposed to take chemistry in the tenth grade, but I had transferred from Mississippi, where science was not our strong suit—football was our strong suit—so I was a little behind. My lab partner was Randy Zur, because we were in alphabetical order. The alphabet also dictated that Zurbo and I were in the far corner of the lab and were always the last to receive whatever chemicals we were experimenting with.

One winter day, we were mixing ingredients to make something or do something I don’t remember. Dr. Dolan was pouring liquid into the mixtures, but when he got to us the bottle was empty. By now, the people at the front, the Aarons, Browns and Carpenters were getting restless, so Dr. Dolan said, “Brett, get your ferrous sulfide out of the cabinet. It’s in powdered form. It’s concentrated 10 times. Just add water.”

I was paying careful attention, so when I got to the cabinet I got 10 times as much of the powder, because it was 10 times concentrated. Zurbo added water, and blue smoke filled the room. We thought it was odd that didn’t happen to any of the others. Dr. Dolan shouted, “What did you do?” We told him what we had carefully combined, even as we noticed that the room suddenly smelled like rotten eggs. He seemed a little tense as he explained that we were supposed to use 1/10 rather than 10 times the powder.

Dr. Dolan yelled: “Everyone stop breathing. There are hydrogen sulfide fumes in the room. Run out of the building in an orderly fashion. Do not breathe.” In 30 seconds, we were all standing in the snow, because Dr. Dolan believed pneumonia was a lesser threat than the poisonous acidic carcinogenic vapors Zurbo and I had created.

This experience was one of many that led to the conclusion that God didn’t want me to pursue a career in the sciences. Lots of Christian people who didn’t make an A in chemistry decide that science isn’t for them. Religion and science have been engaged in a head-butting match for a long time.

The church has often acted as if science is the enemy. In the 16th century, Copernicus had the audacity to argue that the earth circled the sun instead of the other way around. Galileo defended Copernicus. The Church condemned Galileo and Copernicus as heretics, because a superficial reading of the Bible suggests an earth-centered universe. The Book of Joshua says the sun stood still, so the sun must move around the earth.

In the 19th century, Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection suggested that creation is the result of a long and complex process of biological evolution. Darwinism threatened a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 that life began with individual acts of creation. In 1925, at the Scopes Trial—the monkey trial—William Jennings Bryan proved to be a public relations disaster for fundamentalism, but creationists continue to argue that the earth is no more than 10,000 years old, even though the oldest rocks on the earth date back 3.8 billion years.

Creationists push school districts to teach a six-day, 144-hour understanding of creation. Then when young people raised in fundamentalism go to college, they suddenly confront scientific reality that challenges what they were told at church. Some biology professor points out that there are 3,700 species of cockroaches. That statistic alone should keep biblical inerrantists awake at night when they remember that Noah’s family had to catch two of everything to bring on the ark.

Conventional wisdom used to be that science and religion just need to recognize the boundaries. Science is the study of how the world works, and religion is the study of why we are here. The problem is that the boundaries are disappearing. It’s impossible to keep how and why separate.

Science journals are filled with articles on the creation of the universe, the nature of consciousness, and the destiny of the cosmos. In the July 1 issue of Science News, researchers suggest that homosexuality has a biological origin. They believe that a mother’s immune system is affected by carrying a male infant. The study claims that sons with older brothers are more likely to be gay because the mother’s uterus has been changed by the presence of the earlier infants. That kind of research is hard for some people to deal with.

Embryonic stem cell research raises complicated moral questions. Global warming challenges Christians to be good stewards of the earth. Genetic engineering brings up a variety of religious issues.

But the church is mistaken when we’re afraid that science threatens our belief in God. When religious teachings require belief in false claims about the world, they force intelligent people either to reject science, a choice that’s terrible and unnecessary, or to leave the church. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The religion that is afraid of science dishonors God.” Any God who can be threatened by research is too small.

Religion and science are both pursuing truth. When truth and belief come into conflict, it’s better to change our belief to fit the truth than to change the truth to fit our beliefs. What’s true is never in opposition to genuine faith. All truth is God’s truth.

Evolution, for instance, might make us rethink the manner in which God created, but not the existence of a creator. The theory says nothing about the existence of God. Many scientists who are Christians believe that evolution is the miraculous providential guiding hand of God, leading the creation on. In 1996, Pope John Paul II endorsed evolution as part of God’s master plan. Ironically it was just four years after he rescinded the Roman Catholic Church’s 350-year-old condemnation of Galileo. Instead of being concerned with what science may teach us, we should be in awe of what God has done.

Amazement is the appropriate response whenever we see even a hint of the wonder of creation. Science invites us to a deeper faith. Albert Einstein said, “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”

Most scientists now agree that the universe had a beginning, a big bang. If the universe began to exist at a certain time, it must have had a cause. What cause could there be other than God?

William Paley argued that if you found a watch on the ground, you would assume a designer. How much more so the universe or the immensely complex structure of the human eye?

Creation is the result of complexity we are only beginning to understand. Truth is connected in marvelous ways that seemed impossible a generation ago. If we look carefully at the rules of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it seems clear that there’s something beyond blind chance. God is at work within and ahead, drawing all of creation towards God’s self.

Scientists have an important perspective when they talk about God. On July 25, The New York Times ran an article, “Faith, Reason, God and Other Imponderables,” on three new books about faith by scientists. In The Language of God, Francis Collins, the geneticist who led the American government’s effort to decipher the human genome, describes his journey from atheism to committed Christianity, a faith he embraced after he became a physician. In God’s Universe, Owen Gingerich, a professor of astronomy at Harvard, tells how he is “personally persuaded that a super intelligent Creator exists beyond and within the cosmos.” In Evolution and Christian Faith, Joan Roughgarden, the daughter of Episcopal missionaries and an evolutionary biologist at Stanford, tells of the connections between what she believes and what she has learned.

When we were in the eleventh grade, what some of us learned at church and what we learned at school didn’t fit together, because we were led to believe that God is in the pages of Scripture, but not in the pages of a science textbook. God wants us to discover that God is at work in the universe in ways past our understanding. God wrote the rules for chemistry, set the planets spinning around the sun and created in ways beyond our comprehension. Thanks be to God who is bigger than we’ve imagined.

Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and the author of Who Moved My Pulpit? A Hilarious Look at Ministerial Life, available from Smyth & Helwys (800) 747-3016. You can e-mail him at byounger@broadwaybc.org.