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Many Bible Believers Don't Believe The Bible

by Pierre Coovert  
1/10/2012 / Christian Living

Many who say they believe the Bible really don't. They believe it for most things, but not for everything. They often re-interpret passages to fit with what is convenient or to fit their presuppositions and prejudices. As a matter of fact, I suppose that all of us do this to some extent. I also suppose that few, if any, do it deliberately.

To illustrate my point let's look at Titus 2:1-6:

"But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded."

This passage is talking about the duties of people of all ages. It starts with the aged men and ends with the young men. I want us to take a closer look at what the aged women are to teach the younger women and in particular the phrase "keepers at home."

Before I get to that phrase there are a couple of other things that I think need to be dealt with. First I would like to point out that those things found in verses four and five are to be taught by the aged women to the younger women. What do you suppose is their most important tool in their teaching? It is there example.

Another thing that is missing in a lot of young women today is the love of their husbands and children. I don't mean this in the sense that they hate, or even dislike, them. The love I see in many is a self-serving love. By this I mean a love that is based upon the pleasure they get from them. The Greek root used in this passage is philos which means to be a friend. A wife should be her husband's and children's best friend. This means they are always to do what is right by them.

Another thing that must be understood about this love is that it can be learned. It is not a feeling, it is something that is done because it is right.

I wanted to look at these things first because they relate to the phrase "keepers at home." The best way to show their love for their husbands and children is to be a keeper at home.

The phrase "keepers at home" is the translation of one Greek word. This word is "oikouros" and it means to guard the home. The English word "keeper" means to have in custody for the purpose of security or preservation. Implicit in both of these definitions is the idea of physical presence.

I have heard more than one pastor reinterpret this phrase as "keepers of the home." The difference between the two is much greater than it may seem at first glance. To be a keeper at home means to be physically present in order to protect and preserve. Keeper of the home means to make sure that the home is kept up properly. It has nothing to do with being there beyond that time necessary to keep it in proper condition.

There are several important things that relate to this subject. First is the fact that the home is to be a place of comfort and refuge for the family. The husband is to go out into the world to provide for his family. This can, and usually is, very stressful. It is the job of the wife to prepare him a place where he can relax and regain his strength for the next day. She also is to keep the children safe from the attacks of the world. The wife is the one who instills values in the children. When she works outside the home she leaves this great responsibility up to strangers (day care workers, teachers, etc.) who may have completely different values.

Another important issue is that of the wife's submission to the authority of her husband. Of course this one is not too politically correct today. If a wife works outside the home she has two authorities. You can be sure that at some time the two authorities will clash. It is impossible to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

If we truly believe that the Bible is the Word of God we should desire to follow all of it. The issue of wives working outside the home is particularly sensitive at this period because we live in financially difficult times and in times where we think we need much more than we really do.

Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that if we seek God's Kingdom and righteousness before all else God will supply all we need. If we are where God wants us to be, doing what He wants us to do, we can be assured of His provision for our needs. This doesn't mean that we will give us all we may think we need, but all of our true needs will be met.

As my wife and I celebrate our 50th anniversary, we can testify to the truth of this principle. In fifty years, most of it in the ministry, you can be sure we have had some lean times. When I was in Bible college we had two teenagers to support. There were times when I had no job. I have been the pastor of small churches which could not pay well, and even one which could not pay at all. Jobs were hard to find. Yet through it all, without my wife working outside the home, we always had all we needed.

Let me share one example with you. When we went to France as missionaries we went with half the recommended support. The exchange rate had been five francs to the dollar for more than twenty years. Shortly after arriving in France the exchange rate went to nine francs to the dollar, nearly doubling the value of our support. If God can upset the economy of a country so one of His missionaries can do the work He has called him to, I think He can take care of any situation for any of His servants.

I could relate many more stories like this from my experience and from those of others. For brevity I will stop here.

What should someone who is in a situation where two incomes are needed to survive? I would not recommend that the wife stop working immediately without thinking things through and spending much time in prayer. There is another biblical principle that must be considered. We, as Christians, are to meet our financial obligations. However, I would recommend that a goal should be set to remedy the situation. There may be ways to lower expenses. There may be some way the wife can contribute to the income from home as did the woman of Proverbs 31. This issue is personal and God's leading must be sought.

God is able to meet every need we have. He will bless those who honor His Word. If He says it is better for wives to be at home to guard it, then we can be sure that it is the better way to do things.

One last point before I close. You will note that Titus 2:1 says that these are things that become sound doctrine. Verse 5 says that not to follow these precepts is to blaspheme the Word of God. If we are to stand on sound doctrine and if we don't want to blaspheme the Word of God, we must apply all of God's principles in our lives.

In this short article I can only scratch the surface of this subject. I can assure you from the Word of God, and from personal experience that God's way is the best way.

The bottom line is, Do we believe God and His Word?

Dr. Pierre Coovert been saved more than 50 years ago and has been a pastor, missionary, and evangelist for more than 30 years. The sad state of modern Christianity and the calling of God has led him to a ministry to call us back to the Bible.
His blog can be found at http://awaketorighteousness.com

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