by Greg A. Tidwell

It was bound to happen; only a matter of months since Islamic terrorists violated our nation's security, and yet an anti-war movement is growing.

Since the 1960s, our nation's media elite has worn a disdain for American institutions, and especially a contempt for the American military, as a badge of honor. These opinion leaders were temporarily silenced by the nation's outrage at the World Trade Center attack, but have steadily and stealthfully attempted to undermine the national resolve to seek justice through military action.

When There Is No Peace

Is war ever desirable? In one sense, no Christian needs to even reflect to answer. Our Lord is "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Violence is never, in itself, preferable to peace: "for God is not a God of confusion but of peace," as the Apostle Paul noted. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Sometimes, however, sinful men thrust violence into human affairs, and integrity requires the use of force to oppose the force of injustice. Violence is justified in preventing injustice, and violence is required in rendering justice in extreme situations: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." (Genesis 9:6)

A Just War

War, while always regrettable, is often admirable and sometimes demanded by honor and integrity. God authorized human government "to punish those who do evil." (1 Peter 2:14) One aspect of faith commended among God's people is that they "became mighty in war." (Hebrews 11:34)

Beyond the clear right of the United States to use military action in self-defense, she has an obligation to protect the innocent. Twice in the last century America went to war in Europe to deliver nations, notably France and Germany, from oppression. Ridding Iraq of its evil dictator is a moral goal, as was freeing Germany from the grasp of Hitler. Christians, and indeed all men of good will, should support the liberation of the Iraqi people from this cruel tyrant.

Greg A. Tidwell

Catholics and Protestants historically divided over doctrinal issues - the worship of Mary, for example. A recent trend, however, attempts to blur the distinctions between the Catholic and the Protestant religions.

The brushing aside of doctrinal differences is an outgrowth of a mindset which downplays truth and accentuates experience. Much of the current aberration in American religion is a result of ignoring the truth of what one believes (the content of faith) and focusing on the experience of faith itself (how one feels).

Idols of Emotion

This same error is tearing apart the Churches of Christ as confidence in experience (man-centered religion) is replacing confidence in revelation (God-centered religion). A Christian college, for example, recently offered a class in Catholic mysticism as part of its annual lecture program.

As the church moves away from obedience to Scripture, it moves toward the unbelief of secularism and liberalism or it moves toward experiential religion - either exuberance as seen in the Charismatic movement, or ritualism as presented in various Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

The Power of Truth

The power of the gospel, however, is not this or that experience - it is the truth that Jesus Christ died, that he was buried, and that he rose again from the dead according to the Scriptures. The proclamation of the gospel is not "cultivate a suitable feeling," but "believe that Jesus is the Christ and express penitent faith in confession and baptism." The church must preach genuine faith in Christ as presented in Scripture, not a counterfeit faith of human invention.

Only as we return to belief in Scripture alone as the basis for doctrine, government, and worship will we be the church which submits to Christ. Reasserting the basic principles of the Restoration Movement, with its insistence upon the foundational doctrine of Scripture alone, we can stem the depletion of truth which threatens the Lord's church.

by Greg A. Tidwell

It has been thirty years now; thirty years of unrestrained killing, thirty years since abortion became lawful throughout the United States.

Faithful Christians should consider three points in evaluating the enormity of this situation:

1. God Champions the Helpless

The Lord reveals Himself in Scripture as an advocate of the weak and oppressed; the champion of innocent victims. The application of this truth to the abortion debate is obvious. Whatever injustices and inequities exist in life, the unborn child is not to blame and has no means to protect himself or herself from the violence of abortion.

2. Responsible Actions Have Consequences

While "hard cases" are often put forward to shield the true atrocity of abortion from being clearly discussed, most abortions have nothing to do with rape, incest or the physical health of the mother. Most abortions are simply an alternative method of birth control. The abortion crisis is a devastation growing from a society bent on self-gratification. Christians, who are called to deny themselves in serving God and others, must oppose indulgence which destroys responsible choices.

3. Life is Sacred

The Bible is clear. God fashioned man from the dust of the ground. Humanity is the result of special creation, not merely evolution from animals. Human life is different from animal or plant life. Human beings are marked with the image of God. Human life is sacred. Abortion destroys the life of a child, and is therefore a tragedy to be mourned, not an impulsive option to be indulged.

Keeping these three principles in mind, let us with humility and fear pray God's deliverance for these most innocent victims of our nation's selfish excess.

by Greg A. Tidwell

"It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World" has remained one of my favorite movies. Picking up on a dying man's last words, a madcap group of strangers compete against each other in a wild race for stolen treasure buried under "a big W." Each member of the all-star cast throws himself into the great comic roles with ecstasy. The viewer hardly realizes the movie's epic length because of the fast paced gags that punctuate the storyline.

But what if you were trapped in that sort of world -- a world where real dialogue could never exist because every meaning is twisted and turned into the punch line of a gag? It wouldn't take long for your laughter to change into tears. Part of the joy of comedy is that it provides a temporary escape from the real world. Its enjoyment rests on its transient nature. Perpetual farce quickly changes from comedy into tragedy. The joys found in "Hotel California" become a terror if "you can never leave."

Stranger than Fiction

There are many strange stories I could tell you concerning the sad state of American religion, where entertainment (and even farce) have taken the place of the Lord's service.

There is the denominational church, for example, where the ministerial staff took lessons from professional wrestlers so as to put on an exhibition for their Sunday assembly.

Or the church of Christ where the preacher sent the congregation into the parking lot with the bottles of bubble-blow to send a "bubble offering" up to God.

As isolated events, these travesties might be amusing, but as part of a trend enveloping the religious landscape, they are terrifying. In the Lord's church we must say, "Enough is enough." Rather than smiling indulgently at strange teachings and practice, we must hold ourselves accountable to a high standard of truth and reason.

One of the most important advances in Biblical studies was the release of The English Standard Version by Crossway Bibles in 2001. Edited by J. I. Packer, this translation has been gaining a sizable following among Conservative scholars over the past several months.

Two doctrinal considerations commend the English Standard Version, the translators’ commitment to the complete truthfulness and their assurance of the ultimate unity of Scripture. Both convictions spring from a belief that the Bible ultimately has one Author, and that He neither lies nor makes mistakes.

The translators of the English Standard Version were all committed to inerrancy, believing Holy Spirit guided the writers of scripture so that what they wrote was fully and completely the word of God.

The doctrine of inerrancy greatly influences our approach to Bible study. While paraphrases and Bible storybooks have their place, for study and worship Christians should use a version that helps the reader understand, in his or her own language, the words God inspired. An important feature of the English Standard Version is that it allows readers to trust the words it uses to be the Word of God. Any translation is only as reliable as its faithfulness to the original words that God inspired. Many modern editions, such as the New International Version, use an approach of “dynamic equivalence,” paraphrasing “thought for thought” rather than translating “word for word.” Such renderings may be useful as commentaries, but they fail to do justice to our faith that God inspired not just the general thoughts but also the specific words.

The weakness of the New International is apparent as it obscures the actual words used in the inspired text. Paul, for example, opened and closed the book of Romans using the phrase “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). In the first passage the New International reads: “the obedience that comes from faith,” and in the second: “so that that all nations might believe and obey him.” These renderings are useful commentary, perhaps, but not accurately Paul's words. The reader of the New International would never guess that the apostle used exactly the same words in both texts and could not appreciate the way Paul develops this theme throughout the book of Romans.

The English Standard, in contrast, permits us to more closely approach the actual words God inspired, using “obedience of faith” consistently both in Romans 1:5 and 16:26. This approach proceeds from a conviction that the words of the Bible are the very words of God. The words themselves being from God—not just the outline or concepts—each word deserves to be translated with accuracy and precision.

Emphasizing the words God inspired enables a reader to consider the text effectively for studying a text begins with understanding the words. There is no other way to begin.

The English Standard further emphasizes the unity of the Bible, embodying the old principle that “Scripture shines in its own light.” Much modern scholarship has abandoned this truth.

The Revised Standard Version, for example, renders Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The Hebrew word here could be translated either as “virgin” or “young women.” The English Standard, however, translates the word as “virgin,” because Matthew 1:23 quotes the passage and uses a Greek word that clearly means “virgin.” One passage of Scripture, in this way, informs the translation of another.

Beyond these doctrinal considerations, most readers of the English Standard will appreciate its dignified beauty. Unlike many of the trendy modern versions, the English Standard does not attempt to use artificially “inclusive” language, but maintains generic masculines reflected both in the original language of Scripture and in traditional English usage.

The English Standard Version has quickly gained acceptance among Conservative scholars and should be a valuable tool for serious Bible study for years to come.