Christianity, Climbing, and Commentary...that's enough, right?
Gideons
A Gideon asks you if he can come to your church and share their purpose and ministry for a few minutes in the Sunday morning service. Your response is...?
Absolutely yes, and although I am a Gideon I would have answered yes before I joined them. The Gideons distributed almost 79 million copies of God's Word last year all around the world. I have many dozens of testimonies of people who were saved through a Bible or Testament distributed by the Gideons, and if you'd like I can provide you some links to testimonies people give of how God worked through the ministry to reach and save them. 100% of the overhead is paid for by the Gideons or Ladies Auxiliary, something almost nobody else can say. It's an awesome ministry.
I would like to know where Mr. Loveable Southern Baptist gets his authority to carry out Great Commission work? The Great Commission was given to the Lord's Churches NOT to para church organizations like Promise Keepers or the Gideons?
Is the Gideon's a minsitry of a local Church somewhere? I know that the Gideon's themselves can be members from any given Church...some SBC, some charismatic probably many non denominationalists etc.
My question is about authority...distributing the Bible is to be done by the Lord's Churches and NO OTHER ENTITY has the authority from God to do such.
I would not have a Gideon present the work in our Church. I dont mind if any of our members want to give to see that done but I wouldnt sanction it from the pulpit that God has entrusted me with.
As far the comment that many have been saved as a result of reading a Gideon Bible...sure it has been blessed but one has to wonder how much MORE it could've been blessed had they gone with the Bible's plan and been a ministry of a local NT Church that preached and defended God's Truth.
Big J,..."distributing the Bible is to be done by the Lord's Churches and NO OTHER ENTITY has the authority from God to do such."
I see what you mean and you and I would agree that the Great Commission is given to NT churches.
However, if you bought your Bible from a Christian bookstore, did you not support a "para-church" entity?
For anyone reading, how many Bibles does your church distribute? Or do you just give them to people who are baptized?
Not defending the Gideons, but if others have no right to distribute (Gideons, bookstores,etc.) then our churches had better get the printing presses going.
I think we are getting into a fuzzy area, because I do not know of a single church who copies God Word to distribute it. We allow businesses and para-church corporations such as Nelson, Holmon, Trinity Bible Society, etc. produce Bibles and distribute them to all the stores. We then purchase those same Bibles, not only causing greater need for them to continue distributing to that store, but also supporting these causes with our finincial dollars by purchasing said Bibles.
I didn't see what you had posted. I read brother Hebert's comment, and began posting my reply. Afterward, I realized you and I said almost the exact same things. Sorry.
How do the Gideons/Samaritan's Purse/World Vision, etc. fit into this passage:
Mark 9:38 "...Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him because he followeth not us. 39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for thee is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that he can lightly speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is on our part.
Let me be honest...I just see some hypocrisy and lack of consistency throughout the ABA... we condemn the Gideons (because they are ecumenical and not "church based") yet we sing the Gaither songs in our hymn books. We buy Bibles from Christian bookstores, we sing songs written by Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc.
I'm not promoting the Gideons, it just seems to be a worthwhile ministry which I was pretty sure that commentors would throw rocks at. I remember going to school at SFA and seeing Gideons pass out King James Bibles to students (and endure scornful comments from some) while at that point in my Christian life, I would have been ashamed to do so. I don't know many (if any) ABA preacher friends who go out in public and pass out the Word of God.
It seems to me that if the ABA is not involved, it must be b-b-b-bad to the bone.
I share some of your sentiments, but not all of them. Just one bit of info. I pass out Bibles in the public when the opportunity is presented. I've passed purchased some to pass out at the DFC, I've passed tons out at churches, and I've passed some out at the Christian school at which I work. Also, one missionary passes out tape boxes of the book of John throughout the Philipines in their language (but I can't remember his name.) So yes, ABA churches, pastors, and preachers do indeed hand out Bibles for free.
I'm not sure if giving a Bible away or selling one is part of the Great Commission, so I'm not sure it is stepping into the bounds of any church authority.
As to the "non-ABA = evil Satanism", I've seen this a lot too. Even with the few faults the ABA does have, remember not all ABA people feel that way, and most ABA churches are still closer to the Scriptural model of a church than any other out there.
Concerning allowing someone to speak in a puplpit to a church, I don't think I'd fault someone for saying "no" to a Gideon, policeman, boyscout leader, government official, etc. It isn't that a preacher disagrees with what that person does. It is that they only want preachers (ABA in specific) preaching to their church, or church members speaking to the church. Of course they allow associative meetings, but they allow ABA preachers and singers to address their churches, and noone else.
As far as your comment...did Jesus say for the Disciples to join themselves unto them? Or did he simply say dont speak against them?
In my opinion he only discouraged brow beating of such. He did not say that we should include it in our services. One has to ask...how much more could these ministries be blessed and used of the Lord had they followed his will concerning "glory in the Church" and how He desires for these things to be of and from His Churches?
Agreed about including it in our services...perhaps we as Missionary Baptists need the vision of Gideons, the energy of Samaritan's Purse, and the zeal of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Sometimes, we seem to be just content with sitting on the truth and pointing our fingers at others. (Not all ABA churches, of course, nor all Missionary Baptists are this way)
NO!!!
ReplyDeleteOnce again I asked a yes/no question. Feel free to explain your answer if you want to.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely yes, and although I am a Gideon I would have answered yes before I joined them. The Gideons distributed almost 79 million copies of God's Word last year all around the world. I have many dozens of testimonies of people who were saved through a Bible or Testament distributed by the Gideons, and if you'd like I can provide you some links to testimonies people give of how God worked through the ministry to reach and save them. 100% of the overhead is paid for by the Gideons or Ladies Auxiliary, something almost nobody else can say. It's an awesome ministry.
ReplyDeletePlease go ask the pastor. He is the one who takes care of all that kind of stuff.
ReplyDeletevery astute you are
ReplyDeleteI would like to know where Mr. Loveable Southern Baptist gets his authority to carry out Great Commission work? The Great Commission was given to the Lord's Churches NOT to para church organizations like Promise Keepers or the Gideons?
ReplyDeleteIs the Gideon's a minsitry of a local Church somewhere? I know that the Gideon's themselves can be members from any given Church...some SBC, some charismatic probably many non denominationalists etc.
My question is about authority...distributing the Bible is to be done by the Lord's Churches and NO OTHER ENTITY has the authority from God to do such.
I would not have a Gideon present the work in our Church. I dont mind if any of our members want to give to see that done but I wouldnt sanction it from the pulpit that God has entrusted me with.
As far the comment that many have been saved as a result of reading a Gideon Bible...sure it has been blessed but one has to wonder how much MORE it could've been blessed had they gone with the Bible's plan and been a ministry of a local NT Church that preached and defended God's Truth.
Big J,..."distributing the Bible is to be done by the Lord's Churches and NO OTHER ENTITY has the authority from God to do such."
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean and you and I would agree that the Great Commission is given to NT churches.
However, if you bought your Bible from a Christian bookstore, did you not support a "para-church" entity?
For anyone reading, how many Bibles does your church distribute? Or do you just give them to people who are baptized?
Not defending the Gideons, but if others have no right to distribute (Gideons, bookstores,etc.) then our churches had better get the printing presses going.
I think we are getting into a fuzzy area, because I do not know of a single church who copies God Word to distribute it. We allow businesses and para-church corporations such as Nelson, Holmon, Trinity Bible Society, etc. produce Bibles and distribute them to all the stores. We then purchase those same Bibles, not only causing greater need for them to continue distributing to that store, but also supporting these causes with our finincial dollars by purchasing said Bibles.
ReplyDeleteSorry Brother Adrian,
ReplyDeleteI didn't see what you had posted. I read brother Hebert's comment, and began posting my reply. Afterward, I realized you and I said almost the exact same things. Sorry.
How do the Gideons/Samaritan's Purse/World Vision, etc. fit into this passage:
ReplyDeleteMark 9:38 "...Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him because he followeth not us.
39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for thee is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that he can lightly speak evil of me.
40 For he that is not against us is on our part.
Let me be honest...I just see some hypocrisy and lack of consistency throughout the ABA...
ReplyDeletewe condemn the Gideons (because they are ecumenical and not "church based") yet we sing the Gaither songs in our hymn books. We buy Bibles from Christian bookstores, we sing songs written by Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc.
I'm not promoting the Gideons, it just seems to be a worthwhile ministry which I was pretty sure that commentors would throw rocks at.
I remember going to school at SFA and seeing Gideons pass out King James Bibles to students (and endure scornful comments from some) while at that point in my Christian life, I would have been ashamed to do so. I don't know many (if any) ABA preacher friends who go out in public and pass out the Word of God.
It seems to me that if the ABA is not involved, it must be b-b-b-bad to the bone.
Bro. Adrian,
ReplyDeleteMy one word comment did not fully explain my position. I only let ABA people promote any thing from My pulpit. And not all of them.
I share some of your sentiments, but not all of them. Just one bit of info. I pass out Bibles in the public when the opportunity is presented. I've passed purchased some to pass out at the DFC, I've passed tons out at churches, and I've passed some out at the Christian school at which I work. Also, one missionary passes out tape boxes of the book of John throughout the Philipines in their language (but I can't remember his name.) So yes, ABA churches, pastors, and preachers do indeed hand out Bibles for free.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if giving a Bible away or selling one is part of the Great Commission, so I'm not sure it is stepping into the bounds of any church authority.
As to the "non-ABA = evil Satanism", I've seen this a lot too. Even with the few faults the ABA does have, remember not all ABA people feel that way, and most ABA churches are still closer to the Scriptural model of a church than any other out there.
Concerning allowing someone to speak in a puplpit to a church, I don't think I'd fault someone for saying "no" to a Gideon, policeman, boyscout leader, government official, etc. It isn't that a preacher disagrees with what that person does. It is that they only want preachers (ABA in specific) preaching to their church, or church members speaking to the church. Of course they allow associative meetings, but they allow ABA preachers and singers to address their churches, and noone else.
I fully understand your point Bro. Marlin, and agree. I also think that is basically what Big J was emphasizing also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for contributing Bro. Snyde...
ReplyDeleteAs far as your comment...did Jesus say for the Disciples to join themselves unto them? Or did he simply say dont speak against them?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion he only discouraged brow beating of such. He did not say that we should include it in our services. One has to ask...how much more could these ministries be blessed and used of the Lord had they followed his will concerning "glory in the Church" and how He desires for these things to be of and from His Churches?
Agreed about including it in our services...perhaps we as Missionary Baptists need the vision of Gideons, the energy of Samaritan's Purse, and the zeal of Jehovah's Witnesses.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, we seem to be just content with sitting on the truth and pointing our fingers at others. (Not all ABA churches, of course, nor all Missionary Baptists are this way)
I've read alot of Gideon Bibles in alot of hotel rooms in my 43 years. I am glad some Christian businessmen paid for that and then put them there.
ReplyDelete