For generations in the American form of the Church of Christ, the primary emphasis has been on knowledge. Knowledge was approached as if knowledge of scripture is the single key to dedication to God's will. In this same period of time, with great emphasis on knowledge, the American culture primarily focused on the sciences.
There has been a continuing battle between the concept of science and the concept of religion. Science typically declares the key to correct knowledge is human logic. Christian religion [in a fundamentalist focus] declares the key to correct knowledge is revelation from God. There is the continuing conflict between a scientific focus which honors human logic first and a fundamentalist Christian focus which honors revelation from God first. This conflict frequently flares regarding the route to correct knowledge, but both agree that the key is knowledge.
In congregations of the Church of Christ, knowledge has been the center of everything. Missions is knowledge based. Worship is knowledge based. Congregational programs are knowledge based. When we wish to justify any action we take, we appeal to knowledge. If Christians openly consider including mystery in understanding God's will and work as did Paul (Ephesians 1:9; 3:1-6; 3:8-10; 5:32; 6:18-20), many are anxious and become seriously concerned.
In the New Testament, knowledge is just part of the key to devotion to God and His will. An important part of the key is also praise. From the perspective of the American culture, the path to honoring God is the path of human logic. From the perspective of the Bible, the path to honoring God also must include praise. Through a fundamentalist Christian perspective, many congregations of the Church of Christ conclude that God is praised by possessing knowledge. The Bible does not use those two concepts interchangeably.
In every Bible age, people who knew God praised God. In the fundamentalists' religious concept of today's America, knowledge is the unemotional language of human logic, and praise is the emotional language of appreciation. Those in the first century who knew what God did for them in Jesus Christ praised God for what He did for them in Jesus Christ. That fact is the foundation of a significant conscience crisis in congregations of the Church of Christ. We are fundamentalist! We honor the Bible as God's word, and we seek all basic understandings through God's word. God's word is the foundation of our standards and values.
Some understand praise is an important way to express appreciation for what God did and does in Jesus Christ. They understand it is important to praise God for forgiveness, sanctification, righteousness, and redemption. To declare their praise for God, they want to bow, or to cry, or to voice joy, or to raise hands--just as God's followers did in both the Old and New Testaments. Others feel totally uncomfortable being part of an assembly in which some people bow, or cry, or sound joyous, or raise hands. If the first group is to honor consciences, it is essential that they use body and voice to praise God. If the second group is to honor consciences, it is just as essential that they not use body and voice to praise God.
Can God be the God of both groups of Christians? Absolutely! God knows why each Christian is acting like he or she acts! Consider Romans 14:1-4 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
The Christians who bow, cry, use their voices joyously, and lift hands must not consider themselves more spiritual than the Christians who do not do those things. The Christians who do not do those things must not impute motives to the Christians who do them. Both groups belong to the Lord, not to each other. The Lord knows why each person does what he or she does. The Lord can make both groups stand.
When Christians resort to controlling other Christians in their expression of praise to God, these Christians take their focus off of the Lord and place the focus on their own desires and comfort. Christians urgently need to understand exercising control over other Christians results in violations of conscience. The goal must never be to throttle consciences. The goal always must be to have people grow in standards and values. To force a Christian to raise holy hands in violation of his/her conscience is to force that Christian to sin. To force a Christian to hold his/her hands down in violation of his/her conscience is to force that Christian to sin.
One Christian's conscience is not based on another Christian's standards and values. Both believers repented, were baptized into Christ, declare Jesus as his/her Lord, and seek to serve God's purposes in his/her life. Will both reach the same conclusions concerning the praise of God? No! Must each Christian praise God in a manner that honors his/her conscience? Yes!
Then what is our goal as a part of God's family? The goal MUST be defined by genuine consideration given in godly respect and peace in Christ.
For Thought and Discussion
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 3