The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
November 1, 2009
In
This Issue:
Remain
in the Same Calling
by
Steve Klein
Seeing
as Jehovah Sees
Monte
Hampton
"Remain in the Same Calling"
Is it advisable for the Christian to be married? If a Christian is not married and desires to serve the Lord in the best way possible, should he get married? If he is married, should he try to get out of the relationship? These questions, or something nearly like them, were posed to Paul in a letter from the Corinthian church (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:1). The seventh chapter of First Corinthians contains the apostle's inspired response.
The answers are not cut and dried. Several things must be taken into consideration to determine whether it is best for a given Christian in a particular set of circumstances to be married. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul presents the variables to be considered in a three-part construct. First, the duties and sacrifices of marriage are weighed against its benefits and blessings (7:1-16). Second, consideration is given to the preeminent place the gospel call is to have in the Christian's life in comparison to any other calling (7:17-23). Third, for those Christians living in the first century, the ramifications of marriage in the "present distress" are taken into account (7:24-38).
It is in the middle of this involved discussion about whether Christianity requires a change in marital status that the apostle makes the following statements:
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"But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk" (7:17).
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"Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called" (7:20).
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"Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called" (7:24).
Are the Scriptures here affirming that when one becomes a Christian he may continue in ANY "walk," "calling" or "state" that he was in before he became a Christian? Surely not! Obviously, any sinful "walk," "calling," or "state" is not under consideration. Of course, those who want to remain in a sin (e.g. adultery) have often misused this scripture as an excuse to do so. But this passage no more justifies a new Christian continuing in a marriage which constitutes adultery (cf. Matthew 19:9), than it does continuing in a homosexual marriage, prostitution or drug dealing. This sort of abuse of this passage is not new. It has been noted that Tertullian, who lived from 160-240 AD, spoke of manufacturers of idols who "claimed this principle as justifying their continuing to earn a living in this way" (Reeves, p. 217).
What then is the meaning of these Scriptures? Simply this: The Lord, through His providence, has "assigned" (NIV) or "distributed" to us our stations in life (7:17a). When He calls us by the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14), it does not necessitate a change in any lawful human walk, calling or state. Rather, the Lord's calling overarches every other lawful calling, including marriage. Heeding the gospel call changes a person, and that change will result in a change in every legitimate relationship a person has, but not necessarily in a change of relationships.
To illustrate, Paul uses two examples of callings which are unrelated to marriage. The first is circumcision: "Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised" (7:18). The second is slavery: "Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave." (7:21-22).
The point is that one may serve the Lord regardless of his cultural background, occupation, education level or marital status. Instead of looking for a situation in which we can serve the Lord, we need to be looking to serve the Lord in our present situation.
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Reference: Tim Reeves. Is it Lawful: A Comprehensive Study of Marriage and Divorce, Allan, Dennis G. & Fisher, Gary (eds.). 1989.
-- Steve Klein
"But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah ; looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:6,7). So spoke the Lord concerning the man whom he would anoint to replace Saul as king of Israel. God had directed His prophet to Bethlehem and the household of Jesse. When Samuel met with Jesse's family, he was most impressed with Eliab, Jesse's eldest son. Looking upon him, Samuel concluded, ". . .surely, Jehovah's anointed is before him."
Samuel was a great man of God. He served as Jehovah's chief messenger at an immensely important juncture in the history of God's chosen nation. He not only saw Israel reject God's system of "judges" in favor of a King, but he also personally served as her final judge and, by anointing Israel's first King, functioned as a sort of bridge between the two periods. Samuel anointed Saul, a man of exceptional physical credentials. He was a "mighty man of valor", about whom Samuel wrote, "from his shoulder and upward he was higher than any of the people" (1 Samuel 9:2). Certainly, then, human wisdom pointed Samuel to Eliab - the eldest brother and one of favorable "countenance" and "stature" (v. 7). Judging by ostensible, earthly criteria, Eliab appeared the most qualified.
But Jehovah looks beyond the merely apparent. Saul was the right choice for his day, not essentially because of his physical credentials, but because God had selected him. Unlike man who "looketh on the outward appearance", the Lord "looketh on the heart". And he now saw something in young David that was unapparent from the human perspective. God sees differently than man sees.
From Mount Sinai to Mount Zion, man has demonstrated his unholy proclivity toward the "outward appearance". Precisely while Moses was receiving God's law, Aaron and the people were fashioning a golden calf -- a tangible object to which they could worship (Exodus 32). Little has changed since their day. It is not the Gospel but the "outward appearance" of a grandiose building that enamors so many today. The stained glass and towering spires are the "countenance" and "height of stature" through which God saw and past which Samuel was unable to see. Others take the "safety in numbers" approach and affiliate with the church boasting the greatest membership. According to Jesus, the "narrow gate," not the wide, leads to life (Matthew 7:13,14). Regardless of its appeal, religion of human origin is "vain" and "shall be rooted up" (Matthew 15:8-13).
But the tendency to emphasize the "outward" also exists with the Lord's church. Many content themselves with giving the proper form of worship without giving the true substance of worship. It is certainly necessary to follow the New Testament pattern of assembling for mutual exhortation (Hebrews 10:24-25), partaking of the Lord's Supper and discussing the Lord's will (Acts 20:7; praying (Acts 4:24ff), contributing financially to divinely authorized collective actions (1 Corinthians 16:1ff). These are not "magic acts" which appease some capricious god. They are divinely sanctioned methods of demonstrating our complete devotion to Jehovah. We must completely give Him ourselves -- as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1,2) -- before our outward "acts of worship" avail anything. Jehovah "looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
Samuel, of course, saw as Jehovah did, most of the time. We should seek to do the same. We must remember that, contrary to popular wisdom, "the things that are seen are temporal; but the things which are not are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). Now, then, as finite temporally oriented creatures, can we possibly see into the realm of eternity? The answer lies exclusively in the word of God and a resolute belief in the promises of God -- "faith is the conviction of things unseen" (Hebrews 11:1). By assimilating the revelation of the Eternal Father, we can look beyond the "outward appearance" and see as Jehovah sees.
Monte Hampton
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 12/8/96