Articles
Getting Back To Jesus
A preacher began a new work at a congregation, and after a few months he felt the need to explain his sermon choices. Every sermon thus far had been based on the gospels. The reason for this, he said, was simple. He’d grown up in a church where he had learned all about the rules for worship and the doctrines that come from the epistles. His faith had been centered around religion rather than Jesus. He did not want his children to grow up in the same environment, so he had decided to focus on the gospels instead of the epistles.
I imagine that many people in the American churches of Christ can relate to what this preacher is saying. Often, there has been a focus on rules and doctrines. For a long time, there has been a focus on who has the right doctrine on just about every imaginable subject and meticulously defining every rule. No instrumental music. Amillennial and not premillennial. Lord’s Supper every Sunday. What about a second serving Sunday Night? Need to have a special series on that one to make certain we get the right answer. On and on the debates and studies have gone.
What was lost in all of that? Jesus, apparently. Is it true that the churches of Christ in America have gotten so caught up in religion that they lost sight of Jesus? I can’t say for certain, but I know there is a sense among many of my peers that this is true. If it is, it is a tragedy. What is the point of Christianity if it is not centered on Christ?
Having said that, abandoning the epistles in favor of the gospels is not the solution.
The epistles are not what draws us away from a focus on Christ. They can’t do that unless we are reading them incorrectly. In a quick word search (looking up words like Jesus, Christ, Lord, Savior, etc.) I found that Jesus is referenced well over a thousand times in the epistles. On average, every page of the epistles will reference Jesus ten times. The numbers may not be precise, but the picture is clear. If we are reading the epistles and are not focused on Jesus then the problem isn’t the epistles, it’s the way we are reading them. We are glancing over Christ. We are ignoring the authority and the reasoning behind the doctrines and rules. And if that is what we are doing, that is a horrible mistake. But turning our focus away from the very texts that mention Jesus ten times a page seems like a poor way of refocusing on Jesus.
Go back and look at those doctrinal issues churches get caught up in. Odds are, you’ll find a reference to Jesus in the relevant passages. Are you studying about roles in marriage? You’re talking about Jesus (Eph. 5:22-30, “as to the Lord…” “just as Christ…” “just as Christ…” etc.). Are you studying about women speaking in the assembly (I Cor. 14:34-36)? You’re talking about “the Lord’s commandment” (I Cor. 14:37). Are you studying about singing? You’re talking about letting “the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Col. 3:16). Jesus is absolutely a part of these doctrinal issues. If he isn’t, the problem is our approach. We’ve lost sight that Jesus is the guiding light, the example, and the motivation behind all these things.
Further, a focus on Jesus actually leads to the epistles. While on earth, Jesus did not reveal everything we needed to know (John 16:12-13). The full revelation would come from the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) and would be granted to us through the words and work of the apostles. Jesus Himself points us to the epistles. Once there, the Holy Spirit does not distract us from Jesus. Instead, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you” (John 16:14). Jesus is still the center of the message.
It is worth examining ourselves to see if Jesus is still at the center of our faith, our doctrine, our religion, our motivation, our everything. If He isn’t, something has gone horribly wrong. But don’t make the mistake of throwing out the very things that Jesus wants us to focus on in an attempt to recenter on Him. Doctrinal issues matter… but only in the context of Jesus.
