Business Bible Lectureships
Tim Haile
Some businesses that produce religious materials or
that provide religious services sponsor Bible lectureships. The most common
businesses to do so are religious schools, colleges, publishing companies and
bookstores. By “religious” I mean
that these businesses produce religious materials or provide religious
services, such as Bible instruction. The practice of business Bible
lectureships has been around for so long that many people have grown accustomed
to them, and have never felt the need to question them. Most people defend
these lectureships on the basis that the gospel is preached and it gives them
an opportunity to renew past friendships. I have also heard people say that
they enjoy the singing that is done in such large assemblies. Though there is
nothing wrong with any of these reasons in themselves, there is a much
larger issue at hand, which needs to be examined. Is it scriptural and right
for business organizations to conduct Bible lectureships?
As with examinations of any other religious
practice, there is first the question of divine authorization: Do the
Scriptures authorize the practice? But before one can properly apply
biblical principles to a particular practice he must be sure that he has
clearly defined that practice. Due to the diversity of practice in different
business Bible lectureships, and because of my lack of specific details
regarding the methods and motives of various businesses in conducting these
lectureships, I intend in this article to take an “if…then…” approach to
addressing the subject. I will state certain possible scenarios and examine the
consequences of each.
Some
Words About Motives
The subject that I am addressing is an emotionally
charged subject. People take great pride in their business institutions, and
they are particularly protective of their business if it provides some religious
product or service. I have often observed that any criticism of such businesses
puts the business owners and supporters into an immediate defensive posture. My
personal experience has been to have my motives questioned when I have
questioned the practices of some of these institutions. This is a very common
tactic of error. And though it is quite frustrating to have it used against us,
we cannot allow ourselves to be silenced through such godless efforts of
intimidation.
In order to make the points that need to be made
and that men need to consider, I will use hypothetical cases any time my point
involves motives. I will construct scenarios in which both the purpose and
the practice are specified. I will make no charges relating to
the motives of any particular religious business that may be operating
today. I will make observations about the practices of some businesses
(Matt.
In other articles I have demonstrated the unscripturalness of non-church evangelistic collectives (“Human
Religious Institutions,” and “A Review of the ‘Jesus-Group’ Argument” –
biblebanner.com). In this article I will show that it is possible for
business Bible lectureships to actually denigrate both the gospel of Christ and
His church.
How Business Bible Lectureships Denigrate the Gospel
1. The Gospel is denigrated
when it is preached for the purpose of selling a product.
Surely,
all will agree on this point. I have observed that people tend to be
comfortable with business Bible lectureships provided that the hosting business
produces some religious material or
provides some religious service.
However, most people tend not to be so accepting of the notion of a
business-sponsored Bible lectureship if the obvious purpose of the gospel
preaching is to merely sell a product.
They are comfortable with items being sold provided that the selling is only a by-product of the preaching and not the
very purpose for the preaching.
Clearly, if the gospel is preached for the sole purpose of promoting some
business or selling some product, then the gospel is denigrated. Such would constitute
a clear adulteration of the precious gospel of Christ, and no sincere saint
would be comfortable participating in that.
Some argue that the Bible lectureship is a
demonstration of the kind of product or service that is offered by the
business. They reason that the lectureship promotes the gospel in the
same way that the business promotes the gospel. However, some of the businesses that host
Bible lectureships also produce and provide products that are not religious within themselves. Would it then be
right for a business to use the gospel as a means of attracting people to its non-religious product or service? For
example, some companies manufacture church furniture, such as pews, baptistries, toddler tables, tract racks…etc. Some
companies sell recording equipment and media. The economic survival of such
companies depends upon Bible-believing/teaching people buying their products.
Would it be right for such a company to host a Bible lectureship for the purpose of attracting
biblically-minded people to its place of business? Pay careful attention to the
question. Notice that, in this hypothetical scenario, I have stated the
company’s motive for conducting the lectureship. I am not assigning motives to
any companies that may be actually providing these services. In this
hypothetical case the gospel is used as an advertisement to sell items that may
be used as expedients by the church. The gospel becomes a gimmick to attract
people to the products that are being advertised. The gospel is cheapened by
this practice. All can see the wrong in this.
But one might argue that though the above products
are not spiritual or religious in themselves, they still facilitate in various religious
exercises, and, as such, are indirectly connected to the Bible, being
authorized by the Bible. This is true, but many non-religious things fall into
this category. The Bible authorizes people to eat food (1 Tim. 4:3-5).
Does this authorize restaurants to
conduct Bible lectureships in order to advertise their services? The Bible
authorizes people to take shelter
(Acts 28:30). Does this authorize residential
contractors to conduct Bible lectureships in order to advertise their
services? The Bible authorizes people to clothe
themselves (1 Tim. 2:9). Does this authorize clothing stores to conduct Bible lectureships in order to advertise
their services? There is no more Bible authority for the one than there is for
the other.
Please observe that I am judging the motives of no
one. I cite the above scenarios to make a point. I do not question the motives
of business sponsors of Bible lectureships. Some may hold lectureships for no
other purpose than to teach Bible truths.
2. The Gospel is denigrated
when it is used as an advertisement for some product or service.
I have heard several people defend college and
bookstore Bible lectureships as “advertisements” for their products and
services. Some of the bookstores that I know sell other products in addition to
Bible teaching materials (communion trays, communion cups, communion bread,
Bible covers, bookmarks, attendance and song number display boards, baptismal
garments…etc). Most bookstores also sell books and materials containing
soul-damning error. Is their Bible lectureship an “advertisement” for these
things as well? I hope not. Brethren have obviously not considered the
difference between the preaching of
the gospel and the selling of
religious materials. If a bookstore sells
a book containing soul-damning error, it is understood that the buyer assumes
responsibility for the material in the book. If the bookstore invites the
author of the same book to come and preach
his soul-damning error, the bookstore becomes partaker in the evil deeds of the
false teacher and stands in clear violation of 2 John 10, 11!
Bible colleges teach subjects other than just the
Bible. Does the college’s “Bible” lectureship serve the purpose of also
advertising their secular instruction? The “advertisement” argument is
faulty to the core. The only way that a true Bible lectureship could be an
“advertisement” for a bookstore or college would be if the bookstore sold only
accurate Bible teaching and nothing else, and the college taught only the Bible
and nothing else! Of course, there remains a big problem. Though there is
nothing wrong with advertising a product,
there is certainly something wrong with using the gospel of Christ as an
advertisement to promote the business’s product or service. Such action
cheapens and degrades the gospel of Christ. It is a misuse of the gospel. The
New Testament records many instances of gospel preaching, and it was always for
the purpose of instructing either saints or sinners. The gospel was never
preached as a means of advertising some other product, service or
activity.
It is important to note that businesses conduct
their Bible lectureships in their
business’s name. Why is this
done? I cannot say why any particular college or bookstore conducts its Bible
lectureships in its own name, but what if we did know? What if we were told by
business owners and operators that they were conducting the Bible lectureship
in their own name in order to advertise and promote their business products and
services? What does this do to the gospel? It denigrates the gospel! One might
argue that local churches also function through their name. This is
true. The rule of autonomy implies distinct local church identity, hence an
identifying and distinguishing name. The churches of
The Denigration of the
As I said before, men love their religious
institutions, and they take great pride in them. Some supporters of some such
institutions claim to provide a spiritual
service to individuals and churches. Some Bible colleges claim to provide a
spiritual atmosphere for their
students. I realize that such schools
are trying to show the difference between themselves and non-religious schools,
but they claim far too much. Are they suggesting that a “spiritual atmosphere”
does not exist elsewhere? Do young people need to come to their college in order to be a part of a “spiritual atmosphere”? Is
it not possible that young people could be a part of a “spiritual atmosphere”
in their relations with members of the local church where they are? Couldn’t
young people work to establish a “spiritual atmosphere” through their example
in exerting a good influence over others wherever
they are? And at whatever college they attend? Is it possible that the supporters of some
human institutions see their institutions as actually being spiritual in their nature? I certainly
hope not, for Christ built the only one to exist – His church. There is
a way for those who are close to these institutions to test themselves to see
whether or not they have overestimated the value of their institutions. Such
people should ask themselves if they have ever wondered how brethren and
churches would survive and function without the products and services that they
provide. Those who believe that churches would not survive, or would be weaker
without them, obviously think far too highly of their “religious”
organizations. They over value their institutions, and devalue God’s
institution.
The local church is the only evangelistic organism
known to the New Testament. It is also self-edifying (Eph.
Some Thoughts on “Lectureships”
Why do businesses call their Bible instruction
series “Bible lectureships” and not “gospel meetings?” Is there a reason for
using terminology that is different from what most local churches use to
describe their Bible teaching series? I do know for a fact that many, if not most of the “lectures” that are preached
in business Bible lectureships are also preached in the pulpits of local
churches. However, for some reason they are magically transformed from
“lectures” into “gospel sermons” when preached in those church pulpits. Why
does the description change? People will sometimes refer to a Bible series as a
“lectureship” due to the use of multiple speakers. Others will call it a
“gospel meeting” whether it is one speaker or many. Some call a sermon a
“lecture” because it is scripted. But I know several preachers whose sermons
are done from manuscript. I admit that I do not know why businesses call their
gospel meetings “lectureships,” but I do know that many people would be
offended if the business were to call its “lectureship” a “gospel meeting.”
Gospel meetings are generally seen as being a work of the local church,
and not of some human religious organization.
In reality, this is a matter of sound over
substance. The gospel message is the same either way, whether it is called
a “lecture” or a “sermon”. Many of us have heard business Bible “lectures”
preached in church building pulpits. If it is right for the business
organism to preach the gospel, then it is right for that business to refer to a
gospel series as a “gospel meeting.” After all, the same activities occur at
the one that do at the other – preaching/teaching, singing and prayer.
Of course, it would also be right for them to call these sermons “lectures.” I
do not object to the language. Words are subject to definition. I wish merely
to draw attention to the possible reason why certain language is used, and
other language is not used.
Conclusion
A brand new institutionalism is on the horizon.
Brethren are looking past God’s simple design in the New Testament church, and
they are having visions of glory and grandeur at the prospects of what their
own minds have conceived, and what their own hands might accomplish through
their own human religious institutions. Looking back, I believe I was taught
well by brother Roy Cogdill when he reached forth one
of those long swooping arms, placed a large hand on my shoulder and proceeded
to instruct me with regard to the self-sufficiency and the all-sufficiency of
the New Testament church. Now, after all of these years, my own brethren have
resurrected some of the very arguments that he and others so decisively cast
down. Let us not fear. Those arguments were answered once and they will be
answered again.
Tim Haile