Biblical Illiteracy

A number of years ago I was teaching an adult Bible class and made the passing remark that many people think that the forbidden fruit of which Eve ate was an apple but that the Bible does not actually identify the fruit.  An elderly lady from the back of the class spoke up and said that the Bible did say it was an apple.  I kindly suggested that we turn to Genesis 3 and read the account.  Of course, when we did so, it was easy to see that the kind of fruit of which Eve (and, later, Adam) ate is not identified. Not to be outdone, the good lady said, "Well, itcould have been an apple!"  We all had a good laugh, but the point was made that many people often think the Bible says a certain thing, teaches a certain doctrine, or authorizes a certain practice when, upon investigation, many of the things frequently attributed to the Bible are not actually found in the Scriptures. 

Tradition says that three wise men came to visit the child Jesus, yet when the biblical record is consulted one does not find the number of the wise men given (Matthew 2:1-12).  The title "Reverend" is commonly applied to preachers, yet the word appears but once in our English translations (Psalms 111:9), and there it is applied to God.  And while it is true that the root from which the word comes is found in many places in scripture to refer to holy and sacred things, Jesus forbade the wearing of religious titles of distinction (Matthew 23:8-9).

When I was a very young preacher I was conducting a meeting in a southern state and staying in the home of one of the leaders of the church.  He was a good man, loved the church, and had raised a good family of faithful Christian children.  How shocked I was when one evening after the services he asked, "Hugh, how old was Jesus when He joined the church?"  Since I thought he was being facetious, I came within a gnat's whisker of laughing in his face.  I caught myself just in time to realize that he was dead serious.  Now, it is certainly true that Christ and the church enjoy an intimate relationship.  The church is the body of which Christ is the head.  For an understanding of Christ's relationship to the church one needs to read and digest the first three chapters of Ephesians.  But the church did not exist in historical reality during the earthly ministry of Christ, and Jesus never "joined" the church in the sense in which people today talk about "joining" the church.  In fact, the whole concept of "joining" the church is deserving of deeper study, for the Bible speaks more in terms of a person being saved from his or her sins and being "added" to the church than it does of "joining" the church (Acts 2:41, 47).

In a certain city where I once lived a preacher of a particular denomination conducted a daily radio program designed to spread the beliefs of his church.  His knowledge of both the Scriptures and basic grammar was highly suspect.  On one occasion he cited Paul's admonition, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11).  He then observed, "Yes, the Bible says the devil is wild, and he is getting wilder ever' day!"  While his observation likely was true, there is a vast difference between the "wiles" of the devil and the fact that the devil may also be "wild." 

We need to be diligent students of the Bible.  People sometimes show their ignorance of the Bible by speaking against things the Bible clearly endorses. Desiring to appear to know more than they do, they oppose things the Bible commends.  At the same time, not everything that is said to be taught in the Scriptures is actually taught in the Scriptures.  Of the Bereans it is said: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so" (Acts17:11).  Paul exhorted: "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21).  We need to be diligently engaged in such today.

Hugh Fulford

April 24, 2012

Murder on Music Row

I must issue a sincere apology to several of my readers for the fact that a bogus edition of "Hugh's News & Views" recently was sent out over my name, but of which I was not the author. Fortunately, the perpetrator of the hoax did not have my complete mailing list, and only a relatively few of my readers (mainly a score or so of preacher friends in the greater Nashville area) received the bogus issue.

While the counterfeit edition touched on a number of irrelevant matters, at its heart was the effort to make it appear that I love contemporary country music, falsely so called.  Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth, as those who know me know.  Garth Brooks is NOT country; he is a frustrated "Rock" star who gets his kicks out of busting up guitars on stage.  Kenny Chesney is NOT country.  The only thing "country" about Kenny is that he always appears to have a "dip" of snuff in his lower lip (not saying that he does, only that he appears to).  And I wish the boy would get some shirts that had the sleeves in them.  I would recommend that he consult with the company that makes "Little" Jimmy Dickens' stage clothes, or those who made Porter Waggoner's outfits, or even the fashion consultant of the late and lamented Dave "Stringbean" Akeman.  Most anything would be an improvement over Kenny's current wardrobe.

Admittedly, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and little Miss Taylor Swift (bless her heart, she's pretty, but she can't sing a lick) are sweet people with some limited talent, but to list them as country music stars makes ol' Hank turn over in his grave. Calling them "country" is the height of irreverence for such true greats as George Jones, Merle Haggard (I go back and forth between The Possum and The Hag as to which is the greatest male country singer of all time), Charlie Louvin, Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, the recently deceased great Earl Scruggs, Porter Waggoner, "Little" Jimmy Dickens (90 + years old and still going strong on the Opry), Tammy Wynette (the greatest female country singer of all time), Loretta Lynn (close second to Tammy), Jean Shepherd, "Mother" Maybelle Carter, the late, great Patsy Cline, and many others who brought honor and fame to the true country music genre. 

So, in spite of the imposter's efforts to make it appear that I appreciate "modern country," I must expose his impetuosity and total disrespect for the "true actual facts."  My real sentiments are lamentably expressed in the following song penned by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell.  I hope all will stand and that the men will remove their hats or caps as they read and reflect on the lyrics of "Murder On Music Row."

Nobody saw him running from 16^th avenue

They never found the fingerprints or the weapon that was used

But someone killed country music, cut out its heart and soul

They got away with murder down on music row

The almighty dollar and the lust for worldwide fame

Slowly killed tradition and for that someone should hang

They all say "Not guilty!" but the evidence will show

That murder was committed down on music row

For the steel guitars no longer cry and the fiddles barely play

But drums and rock 'n' roll guitars are mixed up in your face

Ol' Hank wouldn't have a chance today on today's radio

Since they committed murder down on music row

They thought no one would miss it once it was dead and gone

They said no one would buy them ol' drinkin' and cheatin' songs

Well there ain't no justice in it and the hard facts are cold

Murder's been committed down on music row

For the steel guitars no longer cry, and you can't hear fiddles play

With drums and rock 'n' roll guitars mixed right up in your face

Why the Hag wouldn't have a chance today on today's radio

Since they committed murder down on music row

Why they even tell The Possum to pack up and go back home

There's been an awful murder down on music row 

Yeah.  Sad—so lamentably sad. 

Speaking Schedule: I have just completed a three-week stint (Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening) with the Bethlehem Church of Christ near Lebanon, TN.  I will speak at all services at the Nashville Road church in Gallatin,TN on April 22 and again on Wednesday evening, April 25.

Hugh Fulford

April 17, 2012

BRYCE'S VIEW OF THE ORIGIN OF THINGS

Recently, our fourteen year old grandson Bryce had a school assignment in which he chose to contrast the Big Bang Theory with the teaching of the Bible concerning the origin of things.  Unknown to his parents or grandparents, he got on the internet and found an article by Wayne Jackson on the subject. Bryce had no idea that Wayne Jackson is a member of the church of Christ, a gospel preacher, an astute student of the scriptures, as well as of contemporary culture and of threats to biblical faith.  This week I am presenting Bryce's view of the origin of things.  I have left it entirely in his words, only supplying a bit of punctuation, a word here and there to clarify the thought, and quotation marks where appropriate.

The Big Bang Theory vs. God’s Word                                                                                                                     Written By: Wayne Jackson                                                                                                                                  Summarized By: Bryce Fulford

There are two points of view when it comes to how the Earth and Solar System were created. The first is what most scientists believe, which is known as the Big Bang Theory. The second one is what most churches go by, which is that God is the creator of the Earth which is found in (Genesis chapters 1 and 2) where God created the world in six days, resting on the seventh. The Big Bang Theory states that some 20 billion years ago all matter of the universe was packed into a microscopic cosmic “egg.” Astonishingly, scientists now think everything in the universe grew from a region billions of times smaller than a single proton. In a book written by Dr. Robert Jastrow he says  “all matter in the Universe was compressed into an infinitely dense of hot mass.” The flaws in the Big Bang is that the Bible says that God created the world in seven days which was seen by Adam from the Garden of Eden and the Big Bang Theory was not seen by a single person. Even though the Bible has proof, scientists still say that the days of creation were not a full week but long periods of time. The Big Bang Theory supposes that the universe started with a chaotic explosion which then proceeded toward order. The Bible teaches the exact opposite. Godcreated the universe as a beautiful and orderly masterpiece, but it has been degenerating toward disorder in the intervening millennia. The Bible says that the human family came into existence the same week as the universe (Genesis 1; Exodus 20:11). Man has thus existed from the beginning of the creation (Isaiah 40:21; Mark 10:6; Luke 11:50; Romans 1:20). With that said, the Big Bang Theoryand God’s Word are the two ways that scientists think the world was created.

Opinion By: Bryce Fulford. My opinion is that Godcreated the world in seven days and that the Big Bang Theory is not true. I am going to prove my point with some Bible verses. The first one comes from         (Genesis 1: 1-31 ) 1- "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." My next verse comes from (Exodus 20:11 ) 11- "For [in] six days the LORD made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." In (Isaiah 40: 21-22 ) 21- "Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood [from] the foundations of the earth? / 22- It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in." In (Mark 10:6) 6– "But from the beginning of creation, Godmade them male and female." My next verse comes from (Romans 1:20 ) 20- "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." My next few verses are to further prove that God is ruler of the earth. In (Hebrews 11:3) 3- "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of the things which are visible." My next verse goes along with the verse we just read which is (Romans 10:17) 17- "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word ofGod." I can look at the beauty of nature and know that an accidental explosion did not create this fantastic world. So in my opinion, the world was formed and created by God the creator of the world.

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I think Bryce did a great job of summarizing what the Bible teaches about the origin of the universe and mankind.  His teacher must have thought so too, for he gave Bryce 100 on his paper.  I am extremely proud of Bryce and of his faith in God and the Bible as the divinely inspired word of God. He does not attend a private school, but a large (over 1400 students) public middle school.

Hugh Fulford                                                                                                                                                                     April 10, 2012                

A LIttle More About Paducah

This week I will tell a little more about my work with the Clements Street church in Paducah,Kentucky during the summer of 1957.

The four elders of the church were brother Penn (I cannot remember his first name or his initials, but he went by the name of Tam), brother Lee Tucker, brother Vick (I do not remember his first name or initials, but he was the father of O. K. Vick who preached for many years in Memphis), and brother Robert Waller, Sr.  I thought of them as some of the best and wisest men I had ever known, and, in reality, they were.  They and their wives took me "under their wings," treated me as if I were their own son, and gave me much encouragement as a young minister.

As I reported last week, I lived in the men's dressing room next to the baptistery of the building.  I did not have a TV set, but I did have a radio.  Many of my evenings were spent listening to Cardinals' baseball games.  Though I was aMilwaukee Braves' fan, folks in Western Kentuckywere big Cardinals' fans and it was fun listening to their games.  Stan Musial was the Cardinals' star, and Lindy McDaniel, a member of the church of Christ, was on the pitching staff.  His younger brother, Von McDaniel, came to the Cardinals that summer straight from high school and was a single season pitching sensation.  About once a week I would drive to a city park and watch kids play baseball.

I also used my evenings to read, study, and to begin my first efforts at writing for publication.  I submitted my first article to Dillard Thurman, editor of Gospel Minutes in Fort Worth, Texas, and later that fall my article appeared in that publication.  While I do not now recall all the books I read that summer, I do remember reading S. H. Hall's Sixty Years in the Pulpit, Gus Nichols' newly-published volume of sermons Speaking the Truth in Love, and the Porter-Tingley Debate.  With two sermons and two adult Bible classes to prepare each week, as well as a Monday through Friday fifteen minute radio broadcast, it was necessary for me to keep my nose in the Bible and in good resources to enable me to meet my preaching and teaching responsibilities.  But while challenging, it was a time of great mental and spiritual growth.

One week I recorded two or three days of radio messages prior to their presentation so that I could be out of town for a few days.  Billy Penn, the son of one of the elders, and I drove to Carroll County, Tennessee to hear my friend Alan Highers engage in his first formal public debate.  Alan had barely turned twenty years old when he met L. H. Brown, a seasoned Baptist preacher and debater in his fifties from Jackson, Tennessee, in a debate under a large tent in the rural community of Poplar Springs in Carroll County.  Among other topics, they discussed the gospel plan of salvation (whether one is saved by faith only, or if baptism for the remission of sins is involved in being saved).  Alan affirmed: "The Scriptures teach that water baptism to a penitent believer is essential to salvation from alien sins." What a grand time we all had during this event!  Alan vindicated himself and the truth magnificently against the veteran, cagy Brown!  It was the first religious debate Billy had ever attended, and he was absolutely thrilled by it. 

Following my summer's work in Paducah, I made a quick trip to my folks' home in Northwest Florida, then returned to Loudon, Tennessee where Jan and I were united in marriage on September 7, 1957.  It was a great summer—a summer of personal growth, of gaining experience in what I earlier had committed to being and doing.  I shall forever be grateful to the Clements Street church and her elders for the tremendous privilege and opportunity they gave me, for the friendships that were formed, and for the pleasant associations in Western Kentucky that continue until today.

Hugh Fulford

April 3, 2012