HIJACKING THE LANGUAGE

I Was Just Thinking About - - - 

One of the trends within the contemporary culture is redefinition of words and terms. The latest attempt is with the word “thug” (a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer). Those who are contributing to the widening racial divide in the United States are now suggesting an equivalency of “thug” with the “N”-word. A direct derivative of “thug” is the noun,  “hoodlum” and the Thesaurus possibilities also include the synonyms: (a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another in the language): “bandit, bully, criminal, gangster, hood, rioter, rowdy, troublemaker, delinquent, ruffian, gang member, hired killer, professional killer.” The particular synonyms that stand out are: (1) Bully - “to be loudly arrogant and overbearing; to intimidate and domineer.” (2) Rioter - “violent or wild disorder or confusion; an unbridled outbreak; to take part in a riot or disorderly public outbreak.” (3) Troublemaker - “a person who causes difficulties, distress, and worry for others, especially one who does so habitually; a matter of malice.” The synonyms for “troublemaker” are: “instigator, fomenter, inciter, rabble-rouser.”

When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He was soon viewed as a “rabble-rouser” or as one who had a political agenda. This was also the case for the Apostles after Jesus had ascended into Heaven. There is sone indication of this suspicion and reaction in Acts 5:17-18 (ESV), “But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.” Miraculously, the Apostles are freed from prison by an Angel of the Lord. Verse 23 expresses the officer’s perplexity when they report to the high priest, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.” As the high priest ponders incarceration or some other physical restraint, Gamaliel, a Teacher stood up and gave the following orders: “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men..I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God! So they took his advice.”

As a contemporary Biblical Christian living in the twenty-first century culture of changing values and vocabulary, how would you respond to threats, beatings, imprisonments and directions to cease and desist living the Biblical Christian life, as well as maintaining silence about the Gospel? What would you do? This should be the time to review and renew your commitment stated in Philippians 1:20-21, 27-30 (ESV) where Paul reminds the people of God,  “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents…For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

The words of Paul to the Church at Philippi should resonate with the twenty-first century Church. Overall, the visible Church has been too accommodating and complicit with the cultural trends and demands of the day. Is there any occasion where the Bible suggests or allows that the visible Church can set aside the foundational principles and moral values of the Holy Scriptures. Did Elijah do it with King Ahab and Jezebel? Did Daniel and his friends do it before the Babylonian kings, Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar? Did John the Baptist do it before King Herod? Did Paul shrink back from King Agrippa? Did Peter cower before the menacing acts of Nero and the power of Rome? We cannot and should not allow the reprobate climate of our times to cause us to cringe before the thugs and bullies of our times. In the first century, when Polycarp stood before the Governor, who “still went on pressing him. Take the oath…Revile your Christ. Polycarp replied: Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” And with that response ringing in their ears, Polycarp was burned at the stake. Should we be or do any less in the twenty-first century than Polycarp willingly did in the first century? Consider these things with me!