(Author's note: In my last column, I mentioned that our third child was on the way. He was born on January 11th, 2005. Thanks to God, both he and his mother are healthy and doing very well.)

As we mentioned in the previous column, there are five classes of Greek conditional sentences. We discussed the first class conditional sentence in the previous column in which we noted that this condition assumed something to be true for the sake of argument. Hence, Satan uses this form in Matthew 5:3, "If you are the son of God, command that these stones become bread." The temptation was not to cast doubt that Jesus was the Son of God, but to tempt Jesus into obeying Satan for physical desires.

The second class conditional sentence represents that which the speaker believes to be contrary to fact. There aren't nearly as many of these in the Greek New Testament as first class conditionals (only about 50). We use this kind of conditional sentence quite frequently in English, most often when we express how we wish things to be. "If I were rich, then I could buy a new car." We use the past tense "be" verb "were," along with "if" to express this contrary-to-fact condition. There are other ways we express contrary-to-fact conditionals in English, but this example will best help us to understand the Greek. Hence, in Greek, a contrary-to-fact conditional contains the word "EI," (if) which must take either an imperfect or aorist verb (i.e. past tense verbs), in the conditional part of the sentence (the protasis) and the conclusive part of the sentence (apodosis) may or may not have the particle "AN," but will have a secondary tense verb (imperfect or aorist, that is, past tense verbs) in the indicative mood.

Some examples of the second class condition occur in the following passages:

Hebrews 8:4 "For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest ..." The point the writer is making is that Jesus is not on earth and so he isn't a priest according to the law, but according to the order of Melchizedec.

Galatians 1:10 "... if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Here, of course, Paul's point was that he was a servant of Christ, so he wasn't trying to please men.

1 Corinthians 12:19 "And if they were all one member, where were the body?" The whole context of this passage contains illustrative counterfactuals regarding the body. In verse 17, the verbs are not explicitly stated in the Greek, but they are implied, "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?" The point being that the body is not one member, but many.

The counterfactual can even be used to perpetrate a lie as in John 18:30, "... If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee" as stated by those who delivered Jesus to Pilate. Of course, the truth was that Jesus was not a malefactor, but the Sanhedrim didn't want Pilate to know that. Hence, the second class conditional is used to perpetrate a false counterfactual.

There are several other examples. It would be good to look for these as one studies through the New Testament.

by Tim Hall

A story carried by Reuter's Press on February 2, 2005 tells of a dilemma facing an exclusive prep school in the Boston area. The school, Governor Dummer Academy, is considering changing its name. Some fear that the school's name is the basis of wise cracks, and a marketing firm has advised that a name change would help student recruitment.

Not everyone agrees. After all, the school has been in existence for 242 years and the name honors the man whose donations helped begin the school. Wouldn't it be an act of disrespect to change the name simply because it leads some to snicker?

A similar situation has occurred among religious groups in our country. For many years, preachers among churches of Christ have charged that denominations wear unscriptural names. Instead of honoring Christ, these names point to influential founders or tout a doctrine the group considers paramount. In almost all of these cases, the names are nowhere to be found in the Bible.

It is true that the New Testament does not assign a name to the church. "Church of God," "churches of Christ," "church of the firstborn" and other such Biblical phrases are descriptive in nature. Besides, why even assign a name to (denominate) the church if the Lord had only one church in mind? That Jesus intended only one church is undeniable when considering the words of His prayer: "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word; that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:20,21, NKJV). No name has been assigned to the sun above us because there is only one. Why should the Lord's church need a name?

But because man has proliferated religious organizations, there must of necessity be some way to identify the Lord's church in the midst of all others. If an identifying label must be used, shouldn't it be one that is both Biblical and also honors the founder?

The religious world has now gone a step further. Afraid that the word "church" will conjure up negative images of structure, formality, and rigidity, many are moving away from that word. A quick glance at my local Yellow Pages under the heading of "Nondenominational Churches" reveals names like "Common Ground," "Joyful Praise Ministries," "Loving Faith Fellowship," and "Believers Family Worship Center." Names that avoid references to "church" will be more attractive, it is believed.

Whose idea was it to use the word "church" in the first place? (Hint: Read Matthew 16:18.) Doesn't that word mean something significant? What are we saying when we decide to abandon terms given to us by God in favor of labels human wisdom deems preferable?

Some scholars speculate that the name "Christian" was coined by unbelievers as a form of ridicule. Shall we change that name, too, since many associate abuse and exploitation with it?

"For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

by Greg Tidwell

"You're making a mountain out of a molehill," my more progressive friends would say. They assured me a decade ago that no one among churches of Christ intended to use instrumental music as worship. Over the ensuing years, however, these same friends have begun using instrumental music in their worship services.

"No one among churches of Christ doubts inerrancy," my more progressive friends assured me. "Certainly," they scoffed, "anyone denying inerrancy would leave the church." These same friends now publicly deny the total accuracy of the text of Scripture.

My more progressive friends have likewise shifted their position concerning the role of women in the church and the fixed plan of God's way of salvation. Everything seems to be in play, and nothing seems certain.

A Slippery Slope

Continually, on every issue imaginable, the progressive element in the church has shifted further to the left. Dialogue with proponents of the Community Church approach has become like playing football against a team that has the luxury of moving the goalpost any distance they choose.

Their guiding principle is not fixed and objective, but fluid and subjective. The overriding issue is not "what is right," but rather "who is right." My more progressive friends, as a matter of policy, are unwilling to drive a stake in the ground and set boundaries on any point of doctrine.

They now deny the reality of eternal punishment in hell, the essential nature of baptism for salvation, and the need for biblical authority to structure the work and worship of the church. Like watching the bar in a limbo contest, I keep asking, "how low can you go?"

The Full Assurance of Faith

I fear there is nothing to hold the Community Church Movement back from embracing every vile error imaginable. Apostasy is cumulative by nature, a duplicitous downward spiral. As the apostle Paul warned Timothy, "…evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13, ESV).

Consider the Disciples of Christ and the Episcopal Church. A generation ago, no one would have imagined either group embracing homosexual activism. However, the same disregard for Scripture that opened the door to the ordination of women has paved the way for practicing homosexuals to fill the pulpits of these apostate denominations.

I actually feel sorry for my more progressive friends. In compromising with the unbelieving world, they are abandoning the eternal assurance of the gospel. In denying the truths they find unpleasant or inconvenient, they are losing the framework that upholds all truth. In the end, having compromised everything, they will find themselves left with nothing.

by Mike Benson

Have you ever opened your refrigerator only to discover that something in there has ... well ... spoiled? You may not be able to identify the source of the odor (at least at first), but it's all too apparent that some sort of food item has gone bad. And whatever it is, it's been in there far too long and now it's soured.

So what do you do? Leave the moldy item in the refrigerator? Of course not. You've got only one option -- clean it out thoroughly. Find the source of the smell, then throw it out, and finally wipe the interior clean.

Perhaps you've never thought of it this way, but bitterness is sort of like spoiled food in the refrigerator. It's simply aggravation that has been left in the heart too long and then gone bad.

Do you have a problem with bitterness? Empty the refrigerator, find the source of the offending odor, and then dump it in the garbage. Isn't that what the Bible says...?

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you..." (Ephesians 4:31; cf. Psalm 19:12).

Think about it.

by Stan Mitchell

"A man who commits adultery lacks judgement; whoever does so destroys himself" (Proverbs 6:32).

A mother and her young son returned from the grocery store and began putting the groceries up. The boy took the packet of Animal Crackers, opened them up, and began to lay each animal out on the table. "What are you doing," his mother asked.

"The box says you can't eat these crackers until the seal is broken," the little boy replied. "I'm looking for the seal."

Here is a message especially for our young people. There are some things that should never be opened until the time is right. One of those is indulging in sex before marriage. God created humans with a desire that is strong, natural, and wonderful, if it is enjoyed in the correct relationship, the one where the act of sex is accompanied by the proper amount of commitment and love.

In our society there are many, many young people who wish to posses the privilege of sex without the responsibility of marriage. The wise man urges us not to "lust in our heart after" the beauty of the wayward woman (Proverbs 6:26). He warns us that if we "scoop fire into" our laps we will get burned (Proverbs 6:27). Sex is God's gift to the married couple; sex is the married couple's gift to each other. It is designed to be an expression of love that is uniquely shared with no one else!

But when we tamper with the seal, when we open it before its time, we have cheapened something wonderful and God-given. It is tarnished, diminished.

Young people, don't you want to offer that very special gift to your beloved at marriage? Don't you, deep down, want to offer that to the love of your life? Don't tamper with the seal until the right time!