17 April 2004 - Saturday
Whatever is excellent, part II
Part I is here.
When evangelicals discuss media propriety, someone always seems to bring up a particular Scripture passage. It is difficult to conduct a conversation of, say, the morality of watching certain kinds of movies, without hearing this verse. For some time the passage was emblazoned across the redirect page of the university's Web filtering system.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.Many invoke this verse to prove their point -- or at least to render their point more appetizing. Some view it as implying that anything "impure" should not be "thought on" at all; others merely find it helpful as a guide to the development of refined taste and habits. While few argue that the verse prohibits anything in particular, many seem to think that their weaker brethren will find it a helpful subject of meditation the next time they feel tempted to slip an insufficiently uplifting CD across the checkout counter.
Philippians 4:8 ESV
The odd thing about this phenomenon is the fact that Philippians 4:8 is not a prohibition. It tells its audience what should be embraced, not what should be avoided. The words are "whatever is," not "only what is." It does not paint a picture of restraint, but of passion -- the pursuit of everything that is worthwhile.
The verses immediately preceeding this one tell the audience to rejoice in the Lord, display "reasonableness," be thankful, and allow the peace of God to guard their hearts. The verses immediately following it encourage the practice of the things of the Lord. None of the immediate context seems to have anything to do with avoiding contact with evil.
The preceeding chapter, however, does concern the avoidance of evil. Specifically, it warns believers to watch out for legalism (3:2-7). The book as a whole speaks of a purity that is found in service and humility. Believers are to set an example in their unity and diligence, not their separation from the world (1:27-28). Blamelessness is found in doing good; it is a blamelessness of involvement, not distance (2:12-16).
When 4:8 says "if there is anything worthy of praise," why do some evangelicals read instead "if there is nothing worthy of censure"?
Much evil exists in the world. Much evil is depicted -- indeed, advocated -- in the world's communications. This has always been the case. Christ ate with sinners and paid taxes to an emperor who called his father a god. Paul based sermons on pagan shrines (Acts 17:22-23) and quoted pagan poetry into the Holy Writ (Epimenides and Aratus in 17:28). The followers of Christ face the task of communicating with a world full of sinners just like us.
Why are we so preoccupied with preventing unbelievers from influencing us? Is the truth weaker than a lie? Can Christianity not withstand the very evils for which it promises forgiveness? Is the blood of Christ less potent than the sins it covers? Is our beacon so weak that we cannot be let out of doors after dark?
Christians are susceptible to every influence that works on the rest of the world's population. In the theaters we are apt to be seduced; in the cloisters we are apt to become Pharisees. Jesus preached against the Pharisees a lot more than against the actors.
No amount of separation will ever change the fact that we are sinners too. Nothing will ever make us better than our neighbors. But at least we can avoid the mistake of the priest and Levite; we can stop to help the bloody Samaritan (Luke 10:31-32) -- even if we require another bath or two afterwards.
"Let me write the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws," said Daniel O'Connell (among others). We run the risk of separating ourselves from the thoughts and questions and desires and heartbreak of the world, if we cut ourselves off from its art. As for sin . . . we will sin on regardless.
To my relief, Gene Edward Veith interpreted Philippians 4:8 in a similar fashion when he wrote the article that prompted the first part of this post. In his explanation of World's movie review policy, Veith said:
At the same time, since Scripture enjoins us to think about "whatever" is excellent and of good report (Philippians 4:8), we want to pay attention to quality work, whether it has explicitly Christian themes or not, since all of life, including the aesthetic realm and the so-called "secular" sphere, is God's dominion. . . . While we will point out their shortcomings, movies like these deserve a "good report."I can agree with that.
| Posted by Wilson at 20:56 Central
| TrackBack
| Report submitted to the Humanities Desk
Why are we so preoccupied with preventing unbelievers from influencing us? Is the truth weaker than a lie?
I agree with what you've said in this post overall, but I wanted to respond less for the purposes of argument and more to prompt further discussion on a way cool topic. (Translation: I am not here to debunk you, but rather to clarify your position.)
How do you reconcile the repasted text with the verses that talk about being unequally yoked and light being unable to fellowship with darkness? (1 Cor 6)
While I understand that Jesus hung out with sinners and Paul converted the unholy, that doesn't mean they immersed themselves in their culture, right? I know that the Truth is more powerful than darkness, but this tenet is neither a catchall nor a license for putting oneself into a position to be negatively influenced.
All I'm saying is that while Truth is more powerful than the world and Light is more powerful than darkness, to say this and ignore the obvious exhortation to not be influenced by evil might be less than honest.
What are your thoughts?
(excellent post, BTW)
The thoughts of Quaid on 29 April 2004 - 18:26 Central+ + + + +
Great question.
My first reaction is to view 2 Cor 5-7 in terms of group identity and loyalty. That is, I think Paul is asking Corinth to identify with their fellow believers rather than with the pagan society. In that collectivist culture, this would be a matter of allegiance and kinship, not merely communication.
The specific problem addressed seems to be a lack of hospitality and generosity, not a lack of purity.
6:11-13 is a plea for "open hearts":
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. (ESV)It appears that Paul has experienced rejection at the hands of the church in Corinth. He ascribes this to the fact that the church is under pressure to conform to the rest of society. The next verse is the famous one: "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?" Paul therefore urges the Corinthian brothers to separate and cleanse themselves in order that they may embrace their kinship identity with his party. 7:2 returns to the original problem and begs, "Make room in your hearts for us." The next verses honor the church as a zealous body of believers. Then 8:7 says, "But as you excel in everything -- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you -- see that you excel in this act of grace also." The "act of grace" seems to be generosity of the sort shown to Paul by the churches of Macedonia (vv. 1-2).
If the church in Corinth is failing to meet the needs of Paul, that probably indicates that it is beginning to identify with the unbelieving society. Its kinship ties have shifted, or are at least in danger of shifting. Paul urges the church not to allow this "unequal yoking."
I believe this interpretation is consistent with a primary focus of the Corinthian correspondence, which seems to be that the church should unify as an alternative "court of reputation," a substitute for the corrupt values of the Greco-Roman world.
I do not see any of this as necessarily relating to media today. An individual Christian may find a connection, but I do not think he or she can argue that others must. It is possible that avoiding exposure to certain evils would fulfill part of this passage, but it is not necessarily so. Paul is not telling the Corinthians to abstain from all the things of their culture, but rather to value the truth (and the people of the truth) above the demands of their culture.
The thoughts of Wilson on 30 April 2004 - 0:04 Central+ + + + +
I really appreciate this discussion VERY MUCH. It is rare to find intelligent comments on Philippians 4:8 and its application to culutre. I think that Paul particularly had culture and beauty in mind when he penned these words.
It is difficult to balance the "in the world but not of the world" issues. Perhaps the best answer to the balance is to be alert to ones own feelings and the impact culture has on us. For example, the brain processes events we see in movies as though they really happend (according to Richard Restak in "The New Brain"). I know movies affect my mentality sometimes for days, so I rarely watch any but the most simplistic and escapist. Other people are not affected in the same way.
Not that it is all subjective: I think we can draw clear boundaries. But within those boundaries, I think that (sometimes) what is constructive to one person might be destructive to another (e.g., a child who gets nightmares vs. an adult who is not phased; why do we think the only differences are age?).
The thoughts of Ed Vasicek on 2 November 2005 - 21:37 Central+ + + + +
(You must preview your comment before posting it)
Brilliant and beautiful. Thank you so much. I sat reading this, thinking, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"
I know, sometimes I can be very articulate.
The thoughts of Dixon on 29 April 2004 - 13:06 Central+ + + + +