Those who worked to form this nation into a group of united people produced a document to govern them as a nation of civilized people. They had left Europe and other places coming to these shores to be able to flee from persecution. In the framework of the Constitution they placed amendments to ensure their future safety. Within the bounds of the first amendment was the idea of freedom of religion, the right of the individual to practice his religion. Our forefathers were deeply entrenched in the idea and power of religious life among its people.
We have seen an erosion of these principles by those in power in Washington. The theme now from Washington and various powerful groups is to say our forefathers wanted freedom “from religion”. Within this year a teacher took a Bible away from a student reading in their free time. Why would such an action be taken? Oh there must be a separation of church and state. I would hasten to add that no such wording is found in our Constitution or amendments. Those who do not believe in God spend a great deal of time trying to keep Him out of public life and forums.
What we need to do is to go back to our founding fathers and make a decision about what they wrote and determine the kind of country they were trying to establish. If, for example, we look to the second amendment, we see the idea of guns. How did our forefathers see a gun? It was a tool, much like a hoe, to hunt, protect or secure one’s personal safety. Any attempt today to misuse this amendment should be met with strong opposition from those who understand what our forefathers had in mind. There is no confiscation of weapons in their thinking.
What does all this have to do with us? Brethren, in the same way in which we go back to the time of our forefathers we likewise need to use the same type of thinking as we come to our standard of authority: that is, the Bible. The Bible is written by God using the hands of men to write it (II Tim. 3:16). He gave them the words to write (I Cor. 2:13). God’s nature does not change and we must all see Him as revealing Himself through all the scripture. When I look at what the men wrote I must see it from the position of truth. Truth, which can be best understood, if I look at how they would have understood the Word.
We see and hear much today about what is called the “end times”. People will go to Matthew 24; Mark 13 and Luke 21. In light of what we have been saying in this article, who is the audience who heard these teachings of Jesus? Mark tells us that the audience was Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mark 13:3). Jesus said they would hear of wars and rumors of wars (Matt.24:6). Who then would hear of wars and rumors of wars? The audience of Peter, James, John and Andrew. When they heard these words from Jesus, who would they have applied it to, but themselves?
Jesus, at the end of the signs, says this generation will not pass until all these things be fulfilled (Matt. 24:34). When Peter, James, John and Andrew heard these words how would they have understood the words “this generation”? As those today try to interpret the constitution based on how they want it to read, so does the religious world regarding the “end times”. Why put an interpretation of “this generation” to mean something two thousand years or more after these men? They would have understood it to mean, their lifetime.
It is required of all those who sincerely seek God to handle the Word of God in a right way (2 Tim. 2:15). The focal point of God’s work with man was the establishing of His kingdom on earth. That kingdom began in Acts 2 and it is called the church. No amount of false doctrines of men should be allowed to stand in our minds or in our midst. The integrity of God rests upon the fact that He does not lie. Peter, James, John and Andrew all saw the things fulfilled which Jesus spoke to them about. The Bible does not need amendments or thinking of men.