The second commandment says, “Make no likenesses of anything” (in 3 of 5 different versions this is the exact language).  Am I going too far to think that we shouldn't even be making photos?

Sincerely,
Camera Shy

Dear Camera Shy,

The verses you are referring to are in Ex 20:3-5.  The commandment is to never make a likeness or graven image for the purpose of worship (Ex 20:5).  God commanded them that they not worship anything but Him (Ex 20:3).  There is nothing wrong with sculptures, paintings, or photos.  The problem is when we worship something other than God.  It has always been a problem for mankind to worship the creation instead of the Creator (Rom 1:22-23).  Even though animals, plants, and the natural world are truly magnificent… they pale in comparison to the One that made them.  The creation speaks of God’s glory (Rom 1:20).

We read somewhere that we are not to pray for people with a reprobate mind or a sinner.  Now we cannot find it.

Sincerely,
Verse Seeker

Dear Verse Seeker,

The verse you are looking for is 1 Jn 5:16.  That verse states that there is a certain time in which we shouldn’t pray that someone be forgiven.  When someone is “sinning unto death”, we shouldn’t ask God that they be forgiven.

Any time someone does something contrary to God’s Word, they sin (Rom 7:7).  However, many times christians sin inadvertently, accidently, or in a moment of weakness.  These sins can and are forgiven by God (1 Jn 1:9).  However, if someone chooses a lifestyle of sin, that is a different story.

When we reject God’s Word and flagrantly commit sins in full knowledge that it is rebellion against God, there is no longer a sacrifice for our sins (Heb 10:26).  If you know someone who has actively turned away from God, you are not supposed to pray that God forgive them; they have committed the “sin unto death”.  Their only hope is to turn again and repent of their sins (Acts 3:19).

Our congregation is small, and we have a small Spanish group that meets in the rear of our building on Sundays and on Wednesday evenings.  On Sundays, the group from the back joins us for the invitation song, the taking of the Lord’s Supper, and the closing prayer.  We have an English prayer led and then a Spanish prayer for both the Lord’s Supper and the closing.  It sometimes gets confusing because we do not speak Spanish and vice-versa.  In doing so, many of our congregation are saying, “Amen” to the Spanish prayers; also, sometimes our preacher goes over with his lesson while the Spanish group is waiting patiently, listening to something they do not understand.  My question is: would this be a violation of 1 Corinthians 14:23-33?  It surely is very confusing.  Thank You.

Sincerely,
Bilingual Brouhaha

Dear Bilingual Brouhaha,

The whole point of 1 Corinthians 14 is that things should be done in an orderly fashion.  The Corinthians were shouting over each other instead of taking turns, and Paul said they should keep things to a maximum of two or three speakers who take turns (1 Cor 14:29).  Furthermore, the Corinthians were speaking in multiple languages (miraculously in their case) when no one could understand the language.  Paul condemned this behavior (1 Cor 14:28).  The answer to the problem was to:

1. Speak understandably with meaning and purpose, so that the people listening were able to comprehend what was being taught (1 Cor 14:7-11).
2. Speak one by one and take turns (1 Cor 14:29-32).
3. Let only the men speak (1 Cor 14:34-35).

Now let’s use that criteria to analyze your situation:

1. Everything that is said has meaning and purpose, so that a portion (either English-speaking or Spanish-speaking) of the congregation can comprehend the teaching.  There is a concern over the fact that not everyone can understand everything, but fundamentally, this criteria is being met.
2. From what you have said, all of the speakers are being diligent to take turns and not shout over each other.  There may be ways to improve the organization, but we would be hard-pressed to say that there is no organization already.  Any improvement would be an issue of fine-tuning, not removal of error.
3. You never address women speaking, so we will assume this is also being handled scripturally.

The criteria of the Scriptures is clear, and as long as your congregation remains diligent to stick to those ideals, it will be fine.  We will admit that having two languages in the same congregation can be a little unwieldy, but in truth, this wouldn’t be too uncommon of a circumstance in the first century church.  We would chalk this up to an opportunity to “bear with one another” and show patience as you try to overcome the struggles of the language barrier (Eph 4:2-3).

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.

Is it wrong not to pray before a meal?

Sincerely,
Let’s Eat

Dear Let’s Eat,

It is easy to get caught up in constantly asking, “Is it wrong to...”; in many circumstances, thinking about things in the negative can be the wrong approach.  Christianity isn’t merely about avoiding bad choices but also about making good choices.  So the positive version of this question is, “Should we pray before meals?”  The answer to that question is: yes.

Christians are to imitate Christ (Col 2:6).  Our lives are supposed to be modeled after His pattern of living (1 Pet 2:21).  Jesus gave thanks before eating a meal (Matt 15:36).  The apostle Paul also told us to imitate him (1 Cor 11:1).  Paul gave thanks before he ate (Acts 27:35).  Paul even told Timothy that we are to receive food with thanksgiving (1 Tim 4:3-4).  Jesus told us to pray for our daily bread (Matt 6:11), and then later we are told that whatever we pray for we should also give thanks for once we’ve received it (Col 4:2).  It is appropriate and godly behavior to constantly give God thanks for the blessings we receive in this life.  After all, all our blessings flow from Him (Jas 1:17).