Is it wrong to ask a preacher to leave a church?

Sincerely,
Exit This Way

Dear Exit This Way,

If this question is asked by someone at our congregation – absolutely not :).  Otherwise, we’ll try and give you the Bible answer.  A preacher is simply someone who is proclaiming the news of Christ.  A congregation has the right to support a preacher (1 Tim 5:18), but they do not have to.  There is no requirement within the Scriptures that a congregation have a full-time, or even part-time, preacher.  Preachers certainly are expedient; they are able to teach classes, preach sermons, help strengthen a congregation against false teaching, etc., but they are not necessary.

If a preacher is teaching false doctrine or doesn’t meet the requirements for a preacher laid out in the Bible, then there is no doubt that a congregation should tell the preacher to leave (2 Jn 1:10).  But even if a preacher just isn’t a good fit for a congregation, there is no reason that a congregation can’t simply decide to stop supporting him as a minister.  A congregation must make sure it is using wisdom in how it teaches and admonishes mankind (Col 1:28), and wisdom might dictate that they ask a preacher to step down.  As a Christian, he would have a right to stay with the congregation even though he no longer served as a preacher.  Any preacher who puts the gospel before himself should be willing to step down if it is what is best for the congregation and God’s people.

     Should worshippers be able to bring guns to church?

Sincerely,
Packing

Dear Packing,

The Bible has no problem with guns and/or self-protection as long as they are legally carried.  After all, Jesus once asked His own apostles to get swords for the impending trials that were ahead (Lk 22:36-38).  The only Bible restriction upon firearms would be the legal issue.  God specifies that Christians should always seek to obey the laws of the land they are living in (Rom 13:1-2).  As long as it is legal for a Christian to carry a firearm, it isn’t a sin to do so.

Is gambling wrong?  If so, is it only wrong when money is the prize?  What about seemingly innocuous things like raffles and cake-walks?

Sincerely,
High Roller

Dear High Roller,

The Bible never specifically mentions gambling as a sin, but gambling is wrong for several major reasons.

1. Gambling focuses around money and greed.  God warns us clearly about being fixated with money (1 Tim 6:10, Heb 13:5).  God wants us to be satisfied with our income (Eccl 5:10).
2. Gambling is used as a means to gain money without working for it.  God finds pleasure in people working for their money (2 Thess 3:10-12, Pr 10:4).
3. Gambling wastes money because, ultimately, the house does always win.  God expects us to be good stewards (1 Cor 4:2) and save for the future (Pr 6:6-8).
4. Gambling and the places where gambling occurs are often associated with other sinful things.  There is a reason Las Vegas is called “Sin City”.  That industry is not one that a christian should be supporting (2 Cor 6:16-17).
5. Gambling is addictive.  We can only have one master (Lk 16:13).

All of these things deal with what is normally thought of as gambling.  Things like school raffles, cake-walks, penny-ante card games among friends, etc. fall into a grayer area.  So whenever considering these activities, use wisdom in comparing them to the concepts listed above.

I may be given an opportunity to be on the reality show ‘The Bachelor’.  Would this be bad?  Also, when you are dating, what point should the line be drawn at for intimacy?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Moment Of Fame

Dear Moment Of Fame,

The line should be drawn significantly before one begins cavorting semi-nude in a pool with a harem of women.  We admit that we have never seen the television show ‘The Bachelor’, but the commercials alone are enough to paint a pretty appalling picture.  Women are degraded and dress immodestly (1 Tim 2:9), love is replaced with lust (Rom 6:12), and men give a horrible example of what being a worthwhile mate should be (Eph 5:25, 1 Tim 5:2).

Christians are supposed to live godly and holy lives, leaving the intimacy of the sexual realm to marriage (1 Thess 4:3-5).  Reality television shows with this type of content shouldn’t even be watched by Christians.  We live in a world that panders to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jn 2:16).  Christians are to seek God with self-control (2 Pet 1:6).  The marriage bed is to be held in honor (Heb 13:4).  Shows like this neither teach self-control or hold marriage in a place of honor.  Yes, it would be bad for you to participate in ‘The Bachelor’.

Are both cremation and burial acceptable per the Bible?  If we follow Jesus' example, shouldn't we all be entombed?

Sincerely, Ashes to Ashes

Dear Ashes to Ashes,

Both cremation and burial are acceptable Biblical practices. The Bible makes it clear that your body is merely a tent that is discarded at death (2 Cor 5:1-4). Peter recognized that at death we leave this ‘tent’ of a body behind (2 Pet 1:14). Ultimately, your physical body will return to dust and dirt (Gen 3:19).It may sound morbid, but cremation simply speeds along the natural process of decay that will occur to all bodies eventually.

Furthermore, we have at least one account of cremation occurring in the Old Testament. Saul and his sons were cremated after they died in battle (1 Sam 31:12). The men that cremated Saul and his sons were later commended by David for their behavior (2 Sam 2:5). That same verse in 2 Samuel shows that David considered cremation a form of burial.David’s endorsement of cremation as a godly practice is worth noting.

The Bible does not seem to place much focus on how someone is buried. God’s emphasis is upon how we live (Gal 2:20), not what is done with our body after we die.