We Didn't Know Any Better

How we apply Scripture is to a great degree influenced by our culture. Making honest applications of biblical teaching requires us to also honestly assess our cultural assumptions. I'd like to give a couple of personal examples. Back in 1991, I was teaching in a school in Cincinnati, Ohio. One day I was having a conversation with a delightful retired teacher who had taught for many years. She was African-American. During the discussion I learned that she had grown up in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Fisk University. I shared with her that I had attended David Lipscomb College, and we shared some fond memories of life in the Music City. Without any real bitterness, she mentioned to me, "You know, I would not have been allowed to attend Lipscomb at that time because I am black." Feeling a welling of shame and discomfort, I said, "I am so sorry for that," not really knowing what else to say. "Don't you apologize," she said. "Those were different times then. People didn't know any better."

I remember hearing that from my parents when they told stories about life in Northeast Arkansas, and how blacks and hispanics were denied access to the town cinema; how there were separate schools for different races and separate water fountains, restaurants and churches. My mom shared a poignant story with me about migrant life during the Depression, when my grandfather moved the family from Arkansas to Southern California to work as a caretaker at a gun club. My mother was a little girl and had befriended a Japanese girl who lived in a colony near the ranch. When war broke out, the Japanese family was moved to an internment camp. This little girl sent my mother a letter, which my aunt, her older sister took from her and destroyed. "You won't get letters from the enemy!", she said. My mom often told me that those were different times.

As a young adult, I sat open-mouthed in an elders meeting. We had been planning the youth rally for months. I had invited a good friend of mine, a fantastic preacher and godly man to be the speaker. He was also black. My mouth was open because an elder of the church had just asked, "Can't you find anyone white to speak?" Apparently there had been some controversy at a previous youth rally because the speaker (who was black) had brought his white wife with him to the rally, which had scandalized some members. "We don't have a problem with it," I was told, "But there's no sense causing controversy when we don't have to."

I find a common thread in this lines of thinking. "Some people just didn't/don't know any better." That is a result of culture- a misinformed and warped culture, but one that formed over centuries. Many of us look at that in today's culture of tolerance and say, "How could a Christian believe that way? Didn't they read the Bible?" The fact is, many people read their Bibles with great devotion during different eras of history and still came to conclusions that many today find incompatible with the gospel of Christ. You see, the power of culture is much stronger than most of us would like to admit. It often influences how we read scripture, what we emphasize, or what we choose to apply. Even when we see something which conflicts with our tradition or culture, we are often afraid to go against that culture because of the social repercussions or even our own level of discomfort.

My question is, what is our responsibility as believers to the teachings of scripture. Is it a valid position to continue to hold to practices or traditions which are not taught in Scripture solely because to change that practice would bring resistance or discomfort? The Bible does not promote segregation by race or the denial of participation in ministry because of race. It does not promote slavery. However, in the past, Christians have used the Bible to justify those practices. We have been wrong before. I understand how that hurts, as well as the discomfort of examining the practices and attitudes developed over the past centuries. As we continue to study the scriptures, some of our historical practices may prove to be based upon a culture or tradition rather than on scriptural teaching. Some of our practices may prove to be scriptural indeed. We have to be willing to distinguish between the two if we are to be faithful to Christ and the word. We also need to committed to approaching change with humility, love and in the spirit of Christ. Let me be specific in reference to last week's class. The serving of the emblems in the Lord's Supper or the performance of baptism is not restricted to males in any passage of the New Testament. Neither is it an "authoritative" act relegated to "ordained" individuals. Traditionally in most Churches of Christ, these actions have been restricted to males. Why? Because some along the way decided that these were acts which men should perform to maintain the witness of the church to male authority. In other words, if a woman passes the tray down the aisle while sitting, it is acceptable. If she is standing, she is exercising authority over the men in the congregation. Ten year old boys can serve the emblems, but their mothers, who taught them the gospel would be "usurping" the authority of their son were they to do so. There is no scripture to support such a conclusion, only culture and tradition.

So why "rock the boat?" Does it really matter who serves? My response is that its not about rocking boats. It is about allowing what scripture allows and being honest enough to distinguish between the teachings of the Lord in those scriptures and the traditions of people which developed after the canon of scripture was closed. It is vital to our spiritual integrity and to the future of our cause that we be honest with scripture and apply it responsibly. When questioned about our practices, we owe it to those who ask to provide honest answers based upon a sound exegesis of scripture. We are all influenced by our culture, however in every age, faithful men and women have been brave enough to call that culture into question when it conflicts with the word of God. Many positive changes in our own society and even in our churches have been realized because people were willing to change in spite of enormous pressure by a status quo which "didn't know any better." We do know better--don't we?