Is Col 3:16 prohibitive to any other mode of teaching and admonishing than the ways listed in the verse?

Sincerely,
Sing And Be Happy

Dear Sing And Be Happy,

If Col 3:16 were the only verse we had to read, we would have to say that the only way we should teach people is through singing songs… but we have a lot of other verses in the Bible.  Ps 119:60 says that the sum of God’s Word gives us the truth, and the Bible gives many modes of teaching.

1. 1 Pet 2:21 says that Jesus’ lifestyle was a way of teaching, and Matt 5:14-16 says that our lives should be a way of teaching people.
2. 2 Tim 3:16 talks about every Scripture being profitable for teaching, and 1 Tim 4:13 says that the Scriptures should be read publicly in order to teach.
3. Acts 20:7 gives the example of preaching as a method for teaching people (Paul did it until midnight one time!), and Neh 8:8 shows that someone explaining the Scriptures through preaching can be very beneficial.

The Bible condones many ways of teaching people about God and many ways of teaching in the church.  Col 3:16 is just one of those ways.

      Are dramatizations of Bible stories acceptable forms of teaching in a worship service?

Sincerely,
Acting Up

Dear Acting Up,

It would seriously depend on a lot of factors.  In order for something to be acceptable as part of a Sunday worship service, it must fit into the pattern found in the New Testament.  There are several principles to consider:

• The pattern we see in the New Testament says that men are to be leading the worship service, and women are to remain silent (1 Cor 14:34).  That means that any “dramatization” that involves women would be forbidden.
• Everything must be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40).  The goal is to teach, not to entertain.  Many church activities that we see in the denominational world are about thrumming up enthusiasm at the expense of teaching.
• Though the Bible is full of teaching that uses examples, illustrations, and parables, it is a bit of a stretch to say that acting out Bible stories was a regular part of worship found in the New Testament.  That alone should make us wary.
• The pattern of teaching that we see is men standing before the congregation preaching – like Paul in Acts 20:7.  We must always remember that the pattern we see in the Bible is not only the safest; it is what God shows us to be the most effective.  Solid Bible preaching has always been the tried and true method of teaching found in the early church’s worship.

When you consider all these things, most “dramatizations” that we can think of would be at best unwise and at worst outright sinful.  But, it is best to lay out the principles and make a decision on a case-by-case basis in such matters.

My question is about asking forgiveness of sins.  Is it okay to simply say, "Please forgive me of my sins" and leave it at that when praying, or do I need to list each sin out specifically?  Do I only need to mention the big ones by name, or is it okay to lump them all together generically?

Sincerely,
Taking My Lumps

Dear Taking My Lumps,

It certainly isn’t wrong to list all of your sins out specifically, but a more generic statement is also acceptable.  Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matt 6:12).  That is a generic way to ask for forgiveness.  Moses mentioned in the Psalms that we have “secret sins” (Ps 90:8).  In reality, you can’t list all of your sins in prayer because you don’t even know all of the different sins you commit.  There is nothing wrong with generalizing in your prayers, as long as it is still sincere.

Is it wrong for a woman to lead a prayer when men are present?  Specifically at a large family gathering before a meal?

Sincerely,
Giving Thanks

Dear Giving Thanks,

God makes it clear that a woman is not supposed to have authority over a man (1 Tim 2:12).  This command does not apply to every area of life, but it does specifically apply to the spiritual realm.  In the worship service, women are forbidden from any leadership position (1 Cor 14:34-35).  Leading a prayer is most definitely a spiritual leadership position.  Yes, it would be wrong for a woman to lead a prayer when christian men are present.

I now believe as you do regarding miracles and why they ceased to exist when they did.  Also, you enlightened me on why God today uses unseen influences to make good things happen for us when we pray as if we're asking for a miracle.

My question: what is happening in these charismatic meetings when people report blind people seeing again, limbs growing, all the things you read about in their literature?  I hadn't given it much thought, not seeing it myself, until a neighbor told me she went to Oklahoma to a huge meeting some years ago, and a preacher, who has since died, would just walk by a portion of the congregation, and everyone would fall out on the floor, start speaking in tongues, people in wheelchairs getting up and running, etc.

Then you hear about some of the people 'losing their healing' some time later.  Are they actually receiving something, or is it all in their minds because they've been 'ramped up' during these meetings?

I'd like to know your opinion and what the Bible has to say about these groups because it seems like they're just going for all the right reasons, believing that they'll get healed.

Sincerely,
Caring For The Sick

Dear Caring For The Sick,

Charismatic preachers are false teachers that take advantage of the vulnerable.  People in their darkest hours of sickness seek hope from any source.  Faith healers prey upon this.

The meetings that you are talking about where people fall over, start randomly speaking gibberish, and supposedly are healed are infamous for being rigged.  Many journalists have investigated these tent meetings and found that they are specifically designed to work people into a frenzy.  During that frenzy, the evangelists will tell people they are healed, and the adrenaline of the moment gives some the momentary feeling of being healed.  There are documented cases of patients going to these meetings and being told that they had been cured of their cancer only to have the doctors diagnose them as terminally ill days later.  Other “healed” people are deceivers planted within the audience that pretend to be sick and throw their crutches away to add to the charade.

Those who go to these meetings are vulnerable to false teaching and are consequently deceived.  They are seeking a cure, and the false teachers know what to say to raise their hopes (2 Tim 4:3).  The faith healers are false teachers, and they will be judged by God for their wicked deceptions (2 Pet 2:1-2).  A teacher is more strictly judged (Jas 3:1), and therefore, these preachers will be held accountable for their lies.  It is our duty to try and undo their deception by bringing the truth to those who have been deceived.