Things "Not Specifically Covered"

[Editor's note: Recently, a friend and brother from Oklahoma shared with me some brief remarks from a newspaper column. I doubt that anonymity is a crucial matter in this instance since the author of them made his views public, but we will just refer to him as Sheriff, and I will address my comments to him (rather than the one who sent me the article, who likewise disagrees with him.)]

Sheriff begins with a general statement that sounds, at first, harmless:

There are hundreds of things, which are specifically covered by Scripture, and on those things we mustn't compromise, especially where sin is concerned. But there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other issues which are not specifically covered in the Bible. What do we do about those things?

We can all rejoice that Sheriff is not willing to compromise where sin is concerned. Some people will. For example, some brethren will balk at standing firm for the faith when it comes to what Jesus taught on marriage and divorce (Matt. 19:3-9). Perhaps he could explain his views on the subject so that we can all be assured that he does indeed stand for the truth. Will he stand against fornication in the church of which he is a member? How about homosexual "marriage"? How much is he willing to stand by the Lord's teachings on this subject? It might be pointed out that if he would be in favor of homosexual marriage, then he could not be opposed to the sin of homosexuality, concerning which nothing is clearer throughout the entire Bible (Rom. 1:21-28).

Surely, he will stand with the Scriptures on these matters, but come to think of it: If he truly thinks hundreds of things are specifically covered in the New Testament, he should be willing to specify some of these. Then we would know more precisely what his thinking is—and where we share common ground.

Drinking Alcohol

But Sheriff goes on to list some things he thinks are not specified in the Bible. It's an interesting and diversified list, and the first one is curious—drinking alcohol. Does the Bible indeed not say anything about this subject? Passages condemning drunkenness abound. "Oh, but those don't say not to drink alcohol—just not to get drunk." Surely, it occurs to most people that, if they don't drink alcohol, they cannot possibly get drunk. Has anyone ever talked to someone suffering from a hangover who affirmed, "I didn't drink anything alcoholic; I was just looking at a picture of a martini on a restaurant menu"? No, probably not. Although a few people may set out to get drunk, most people just lean into it—gradually. Movies have been made on this subject for years. Ever heard of The Lost Weekend?

Ray Milland and Jane Wyman starred in this Billy Wilder movie from 1945; however, alcoholism has been around much longer than 75 years. Another significant film carried the title, Days of Wine and Roses. Blake Edwards directed this film, released in 1962, starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick as a couple that becomes engulfed in alcoholism. According to Wikipedia, this movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Even our society recognizes the severity of the problem. A significant percentage of the nation's 15 million alcoholics dies every year, but they are quickly replaced by more drinkers who find themselves increasingly unable to control their "problem."

But are the Scriptures silent concerning this matter? About a thousand years before Jesus, Solomon wrote: "Do not look upon the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothy; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper" (Pr. 23:31-32). Does "do not" sound like a suggestion? If "looking" is forbidden, how can imbibing be justified?

Some conscientious soul may point out that Proverbs is part of the Old Testament but that we live under the New Testament, which is, of course, true. But Sheriff did not require that the condemnation be in the New; he said the Bible. But a Christian should ask himself, "Is wine (and other intoxicating drinks) less seductive than they were back then? Does alcohol not still deceived people? Have the disastrous effects of it been eliminated?" The answer is, no; the problem is worse because wines made through natural fermentation are usually around 10%, but the wines sold today are likely to be 18%. The reason is that they are fortified with alcohol to make them stronger.

R-Rated Movies

So, how does drinking alcohol make the list of thousands of issues not specifically covered in the Bible? The next example cited is that of R-rated movies. Well, Sheriff got us there. One will search in vain for movies mentioned in the Bible, let alone R-rated ones. However, does the writer not know that the Bible sets forth principles that apply to things not yet invented?

A film may be rated R for vile language, nudity, or extreme violence. All a Christian need do is ask if he should subject himself to dialogue peppered with profanity? Remember how that Jesus said that evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies come from the heart (Matt. 15:18)? What about foul language? It doesn't come out of a Christian's mouth unless it was first in his mind. How many passages of Scripture warn us concerning what we let influence us?

Psalm 1:1 forbids one from walking in the counsel of the ungodly, standing in the path of sinners, or sitting in the seat of the scornful—even if you can enjoy hot buttered popcorn and a gallon of Cherry Coke.

Solomon warned his son not to be enticed by sinners and cast in his lot with them (Pr. 1:10, 14). He was to keep his foot from their path (v. 15). Solomon also said: "He who walks with wise men will be wise. But the companion of fools will be destroyed." Paul commented: "Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33, ASV). Perhaps the key word there is deceived. Do we imagine that we are immune to what we see on the screen?

Does not any verse in the entire Bible deal with the nudity one sees in R-rated movies? Jesus taught: "But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). Now we know that the violence on the screen is not real; no one was even hurt despite what it looks like. But the nudity is real; they are not using paper dolls. Can Sheriff not see that these principles apply to the subject?

Halloween

At its origin, Halloween would not be something Christians would want to observe. But for at least fifty years, it has had nothing to do with its origins. Children (some of them, anyway) get a kick out of getting more candy in one night than they can eat in a month. It's always fun to go to the house giving out the best treats in the neighborhood, and adults enjoy seeing the creativity put into making costumes.

In recent years, some have had parties where everyone can safely come and not have to risk knocking on strangers' doors. Will there be Halloween this year? Well, the kids do wear masks, but will they trust getting candy from the houses of others? Hmm.

Political Parties

One thing for certain is that the Bible does not mention political parties. Imagine how many there have been during the past two thousand years in all the various nations of the world. We have had several since our nation's founding, beginning with the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist parties. They have changed over the years. The Whig party vanished, along with several others. Since they are so changeable, why would a Christian have an emotional commitment to one (as Sheriff alleged)?

The Scriptures do not mention them, but it teaches us principles that we would like for our candidates to uphold. We would like for one to uphold the Biblical concept of marriage—not the version concocted by the Supreme Court in 2015. We would like one to uphold the sanctity of human life. Often, we have difficulty trusting any politician (based on history), but how can anyone be trusted who will not protect innocent human life? We would like a president to protect citizens from both foreign and domestic outlaws, since this is actually a Biblical purpose given for government (Rom. 13:1-7). We would like several other qualities upheld by a political party, but we are not going to get everything we want in this current cultural climate. These, however, are fundamental, but no political party may stand for or against these goals; one must examine each candidate and thus support the person most likely to uphold Biblical values.

Gambling

No, Sheriff didn't mention this one; we have dealt with all he specified. A few weeks ago, the question was asked (via the Question Box) where the Bible called gambling a sin. Of course, no verse says, "Thou shalt not gamble." But the Law of Moses did say, "Thou shalt not covet!" (Ex. 20:17). The New Testament is replete with warnings against the sin of covetousness, the root of gambling.

In the parable of the sower, our Lord described some who allowed "the deceitfulness of riches" to "choke the word," thus making a Christian unfruitful (Matt. 13:22). Paul made this observation:

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed concerning the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Tim. 6-10).

Does anyone need any more instruction to realize that gambling violates this principle? Gambling cannot be thought consistent with "love one another."

Someone might say, "Okay, the Bible does speak about alcohol, but what about marijuana, cocaine, various narcotics, etc.?" The Scriptures contain principles that deal with every moral issue man can ask about. Does something become an addiction? In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul answers the argument, "All things are lawful for me." He points out that not all things are helpful and that he will not be brought under the power of anything. Thus, anything addictive should be avoided.

Sheriff wrongly states: "But if Scripture does not specifically cover the issues then we can't hold them as 'law' (emph. his) over someone else." Christians don't make laws, but we do uphold what the Scriptures teach. It would be foolish to expect God to name specifically every sin that would ever be invented. But each one is dealt with in principle.

The Scriptures are given for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). If they did not contain principles to deal with every immorality and every doctrinal error, they would have been obsolete by the third century. God gave us the ability to think, reason, and apply His revelation to our lives. Let us not fail Him in what He expects of us.