The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
July 18, 2004
In
This Issue:
Is
Less than Excess Allowed?
by
Steve Klein
Wearing
the Partial Armor of God
by
Jonathan Dvorak
Is Less Than Exess Allowed?
The Bible condemns the excess of many things. Examples include overworking to be rich, over eating, drinking much wine, and engaging excessively in riot. It is sometimes ASSUMED that when the Lord prohibits the excess of something that He is automatically allowing for it to a lesser extent. This is a poor assumption. It's about like saying that the parent who tells his child to "stop tracking so much mud into the house" is actually giving the child permission to track a little less mud into the house. The fact is that some things that God prohibits in excess He allows in smaller quantities, but others He does not. How do we know which are which? We must take "the whole counsel of God" and correctly handle "the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 20:27). We must be willing to look not only at the passages where the Lord condemns the excesses, but also at the ones where He either forbids or allows the lesser amounts.
I love honey. It's sweet and it's good for me! But the Scriptures teach that "it is not good to eat much honey" (Proverbs 25:27). Does the fact that I shouldn't eat "much honey" mean that I can't have any honey at all? Certainly not! For the Scriptures also teach, "My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste" (Proverbs 24:13). So just because an excess of honey is condemned, doesn't mean that a lesser amount is forbidden. It would not be good for me to eat a 1/2 gallon of honey at one sitting, but smearing a little on my biscuit might be a very good thing. I know that I may eat honey in moderation, for the Scripture says, "Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit" (Proverbs 25:16).
Moderation is the key to many things in life. Someone has said that too much of anything will spoil everything. There are many things that are neither good nor bad in and of themselves, but become wrong when they are excessive or enslaving. Paul seems to be making this point when he says that "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Corinthians 6:12). So the Scriptures condemn certain things when done to excess, but also reveal to us that these things are perfectly fine in amounts that are less than excessive. Eating honey is one thing that plainly falls into this category. So does eating food generally.
There are other things however that should be abstained from altogether. They are wrong in both small and large amounts. For instance, James 1:21 instructs us to lay aside the "overflow of wickedness" (NKJV) or "superfluity of naughtiness" (KJV) and "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." Obviously, this passage is not giving us permission to engage in a little wickedness or a little naughtiness. Condemning the excess of wickedness does not imply that even the smallest amount of wickedness is being permitted! Similarly, the fact that Christians should not run with people of the world to an "excess of riot" does not mean that it is OK for us to run with them to a little bit of riot! (1 Peter 4:4).
While most people can clearly see that 1 Peter 4:4 is not giving permission for Christians to engage in any degree of riot, many fail to come to the same clear conclusion on the preceding verse. It says, "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries (1 Peter 4:3, KJV). Note the phrase "excess of wine." Does the fact that Christians should not partake of an "excess of wine" permit them to drink wine as long as it is not excessive? Certainly not! The prohibitions against "excess of wine" or "much wine" (1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 2:3) or "drunkenness" neither forbid nor allow the use of wine in lesser amounts. The fact is that the New Testament allows taking "a little wine" for medical reasons (1 Timothy 5:23), but prohibits the drinking of wine for social or recreational purposes ("banquetings" or "drinking parties," 1 Peter 4:3), and forbids the drinking of it entirely if doing so would cause a brother to stumble (Romans 14:21).
Assumption is the mother of misinterpretation. If we would understand God's will, let us be careful to take ALL of what He says on any subject. Let us not assume that something that seems logical to us is the will of God. The things He has prohibited in excess He may or may not allow in lesser amounts. Let God speak. "The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever" (Psalm 119:160).
by Steve Klein
Every suit of armor ever devised has been made for the goal of protecting those wearing it. Some suits have been more successful than others, but all armor strives for this common goal. Some nations in history had problems with their suits of armor. There were chinks! There always seemed to be some area (whether it be the face, or under the arm, etc.) that was vulnerable to attack. The development of armor began focusing on minimizing those weak spots.
Warriors in ancient and medieval times would study the armor of their opponents and look for weaknesses so they knew where to attack. Satan looks at us the same way. He does not attack us at our strong points, but in the areas that he knows are relatively unprotected. With that in mind, it becomes immensely important to wear the whole armor of God. Paul exhorts the Ephesians to do exactly this.
"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:11-17).
The interesting thing about this passage is that Paul does not tell the Ephesians that if they wear the armor of God they will never be attacked. He tells them that Satan will hurl fiery darts at them, but because of their "armor" they will be able to survive the attack. If we are defeated by Satan, the armor is not at fault. Instead, we are defeated by Satan because we have not worn the full armor or we have used it ineffectively.
By Jonathan Dvorak