Sacred or Not-So-Sacred?

Sacred or Not-So-Sacred?

I was reading someone’s posts on Facebook and he used the expression “Sacred Cows”. It started me on that dangerous track known as thinking. I guess the Lord must have something to say else He wouldn’t have started me thinking.

Here are several sacred cows that come to my mind.

King James 1611 Bible – There is idolatry in the House of God in the way so many folk idealise the KJV. There are places where to use any other version is actually regarded as apostasy. People have been ejected and removed from fellowship for even carrying any other version. I find no more amazing example of a sacred cow than this. In the words of a theologian friend of mine, “The 1611 King James version of the Bible is no more representative of Christianity than a Model T Ford is representative of the motor industry.” To those who promulgate the KJV as the be all and end all of Bible translations I would simply point out that recent understanding and investigation of the original Greek scripts on which the KJV was based prove without any shadow of a doubt that it was, in fact, almost certainly the poorest translation. Certainly those translations based on both Greek and Aramaic scripts would appear to be provably better translations because of the better understanding of the use of certain words.

Women Leaders and Women preachers – There were a few woman leaders in the early church and quite a few woman preachers, as mentioned in Pauls letters, and the word “men” quoted by so many as being the confirming indicator of leadership is “humans” in the original Greek. People have just tried to take “men”, meaning mankind, as meaning literally the male of the species. I, as one of many others, find absolutely no scriptural foundation for debarring women from either leadership or the pulpit. Indeed Joel 2:29 says, “And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” God is usually quite logical and there would seem to be no point of Him pouring out His Spirit on women if they were to keep quiet about it.

Alcohol – the eschewing of alcohol arose from the temperance movement where temperance was translated as complete abstention rather than the Biblical reference to moderation and ‘being not drunk’. Paul’s letters actually call for people to “take a little wine with your meals” 1 Timothy 5:23 “Drink water no longer exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”

I know there will be cries of Romans 14:21 “The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him.” Paraphrase – ONLY refrain from meat or drink if it will cause your brother to stumble and fall back on old habits.

Still others will talk about Ephesians 8:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” Emphasis – Don’t get drunk on wine – not don’t drink any wine.

Yet more will sonorously intone 1 Timothy 3:3 “Not given to wine, not combative but gentle and considerate, not quarrelsome but forbearing and peaceable, and not a lover of money [insatiable for wealth and ready to obtain it by questionable means]. “ Paraphrase – Not given to wine IN EXCESS etc . . . .

There is one serious point to make in favour of not drinking at all and that is in the interests of not causing another to stumble. The Methodists understood this as did the Salvation Army – many of whose early recruits were often taken from the pubs and drinking halls and to whom just one drink could spell disaster by sending them back to their old habits. However, for those who do not nor have ever had a drink problem, there is no Biblical reason to abstain. If God speaks to you about it, then that is entirely a matter of obedience not of Biblical mandate. I personally know two or three people who know that they have been told by God to abstain – and they do so willingly.

Women’s make-up, mascara and lipstick etc, is yet another sacred cow. It is mostly a cultural thing. In America, there is hardly a woman who will leave the house without her make-up in place. In many European countries, make-up is almost regarded as not just sinful, but indicative of the pits of hell itself. I know of a great standoff between the wives of an American ministry team sitting at one table and the wives of local pastors sitting at another table. One group was saying “Look at those terrible Americans – they are wearing make-up.” While the other group was saying, “Look at those dreadful women – they are drinking wine.” It was all quickly sorted out and they all got on famously despite the cultural differences.

Much as I love some liturgy, I find the freedom of my personal Pentecostal worship much free-er. It allows me to worship my God in a way that liturgically bound churches can never manage. Yet there are those on both sides of the divide who insist that their way is the ONLY way for a church service to be run. Liturgy or freedom are both sacred cows whilst the reality is that both forms are acceptable to God. I have found that there is far less a sense of the presence of God where liturgy rules, but I accept that some people prefer it that way and I have met many Spirit filled liturgists too.

To name but a few, these sacred cows are only sacrosanct to those bound by them. Personally I take the view that Jesus expressed, “Leave them alone. If they are not against us, they are for us.” Mark 9:38-41