CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
May 18, 2008
25424 Aldine-Westfield, Spring, TX. 77373
www.geocities.com/adon77373/cypresswoodbulletin.htm
www.cypresswoodchurchofchrist.com
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Our congregation Various friends, relatives and co-workers
Our nation, military and leaders The spread of the good news
PREACHERS, PROPHETS AND PUNDITS
“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death” (Deuteronomy 18:20).
Over the years I have read a number of editorials or opinion pieces that claim to “know” scripture in one way or another. Most have tended to liberal perspectives on scripture speaking as if there is only one view and ignoring those who hold to a Bible believing perspective. Such was the case recently. One Rick Herrick wrote an opinion piece entitled “I’m Sick of pastors with big mouths” (Houston Chronicle, 3/26/08).
The comments came in the light of the Jeremiah Wright controversy and the remarks he made. Mr. Herrick complains about what Wright said and then explained that he wasn’t the only preacher making outlandish comments. He refers primarily to television preachers who have prophesied about this or that, which hasn’t come true. Others have stated that Hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on some of America’s sins (1) and another that Islam is a false religion (2). He sees such comments as arrogance. He states that he is tired of the arrogance that convinces those preachers that they can speak for God.
On that last point, I would agree. It can be a dangerous thing for anyone to think that they can speak for God concerning current events that God has not addressed. We can draw ideas and conclusions from scripture but there are many things we just do not know. The behind-the-scenes activity of God has not been revealed to us, so we walk by faith. For instance, we could say that in scripture, God used natural occurrences to judge nations. That should give us something to think about. Many times in tragic circumstances, people turn to God but some also turn away from God. These preachers who speak as prophets forget that there are a number of perspectives of judgment. God would draw a nation into battle only to defeat it.
Had Mr. Herrick stopped there, I would not be writing this. But he went future, into an area that he has a bias about. He wrote a book several years ago attempting to disprove key teachings of Christianity including the resurrection. This bias not only affects his view of preachers but of scripture as well. He states that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus and Paul all got it wrong in foretelling things. Of course, I think that many of these television preachers get it wrong as well and I think that Mr. Herrick is reading back into scripture his complaints.
His basic complaint is that a number of scriptures have not been fulfilled so these prophets misspoke. That is one way to look at it but it is not the only way. These prophets could have spoke in a way that the events were fulfilled in a way that one has to carefully examine. Another way is that the fulfillment is coming and we need to way patiently.
The first text he criticizes is Isaiah 19:16-25. The chapter is a prophecy of judgment on Egypt. Keep in mind that the prophets did two things in speaking. One, they announced something that was coming in the future. Surprisingly this is a minor perspective of the prophets. What they emphasized is the second point. They were announcing the sins of the nation or nations and the coming of judgment and the need for repentance. Ethics and morals are the primary aims in the prophets. After announcing judgment on Egypt, Isaiah continues with the idea of reconciliation of Egypt and Assyria with Israel. Has this happened? If we read the text literally, then most would say no. If we read the text figuratively, then how would we see what is going on? Is the highway spoken of referring to the spread of the gospel or the return of Israel from various regions. Remember that Assyria carried off the northern tribes to captivity and some from Judah fled to Egypt after the Babylonian occupation of Jerusalem. To say that the prophet misspoke because one cannot see this fulfillment does not mean that it is true. We sometimes must wait until all is fulfilled and given the Bible record of fulfilled prophecy, I cannot reject Isaiah of this one text (3).
Next, Mr. Herrick appeals to Jeremiah 3:14-18. He complains that “all nations will gather there in Yahweh’s name,” that is, in a glorious future Jerusalem. Never happened he says. Jeremiah was written to a nation quickly facing judgment and captivity. After seventy years the Jews would return to Israel and both the Temple and walls of Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Beyond that, Jerusalem would be the center of the major event of scripture, the death and resurrection of Jesus. All nations would come to “Jerusalem” in the sense of the event that occurred there. This fulfillment came in the good news of Jesus Christ that has spread throughout the world. Interestingly, Jerusalem still remains in the forefront of activity though some of it is overstated. But to say that it did not happened isn’t correct, if we understand God’s redemptive purpose.
Jesus misspoke as well according to Mr. Herrick. He says that Jesus spoke more than a dozen times about the kingdom of God coming in the first century, but it didn’t. Needless to say, Mr. Herrick does not understand what the kingdom is about and Jesus spoke about the kingdom in a number of ways. I think that Mr. Herrick sees the kingdom as a territory following a view of a number of people including the Jews of the first century and the television preachers of today. They see it as an area to be occupied, many seeing the establishment of Israel in 1948 as the beginning of the coming of the kingdom of God.
We in churches of Christ would answer that the kingdom was established on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and apply it to the church. While I think the church is part of God’s kingdom, this answer misses some important ideas.
The word “kingdom” means rule or reign, so we are talking about the rule or reign of God. Jesus came announcing that the kingdom was at hand, He was saying to a people waiting in expectation that God’s rule was at hand. How were people to live under that rule? The parables of Matthew 13 state that the kingdom of heaven is like…, each parable giving us an idea of how to live under God’s rule. The kingdom isn’t about territory but about humility. It is difficult even for Christians to acknowledge the rule of God in their lives. We get power and then think that what we say or do is God’s will, which brings us back to some of those preacher comments. When we pray, we pray that His kingdom or His rule will come in the lives and hearts of people (see Matthew 6:9-13). The church isn’t the rule of God but rather, as it acknowledges the rule of God, it or we live in the kingdom of God to do His will.
Mr. Herrick missed the boat because he look at scripture without understanding the overall context of the Bible, the purpose of prophets, and the meaning of words. We as Bible believers, need to be careful to understand all of these and more. It is comments and challenges like Mr. Herrick’s that cause us to reflect and reexamine scripture.
George B. Mearns
(1) How we view the natural processes of a fallen and sinful world and God’s activity in judgment on nations has been much debated. Many in the Christian community would understand a preacher’s comments on a hurricane in light of judgment texts in scripture, though others outside this community would not understand such.
(2) Calling Islam a false religion is a form of judgment, a politically incorrect view for many. Needless to say, Islam sees itself as the only true religion and is really not open to debate. In light of challenges to this, Islam often responds violently. Christianity has been challenged for centuries and is willing to examine all challenges with the truth of the Bible.
(3) I think that we probably should look at this text more figuratively in relation to New Testament fulfillment, but I’m open to a future fulfillment as well.