The second paragraph of the body of the church covenant continues with commitments intended to strengthen our testimony with loved ones and the unsaved community.
“…to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger…”
Sins of the tongue are notoriously difficult to put to death. James understood this when he said, “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” In other words, if you could control your tongue perfectly, it would be a sign that you are in complete control over all of your impulses. None of us can claim to be so mature that we no longer struggle with sin in our bodies, so we must commit to putting away all sins, especially those of our lips. Tattling, in modern usage, means “to report another’s wrongdoing”, but the older definition that was prevalent when J. N. Brown wrote this covenant was “to talk idly or tell tales.” So to avoid tattling, we must control our tongues to avoid speaking carelessly and without being determined to always tell the truth. To backbite is to slander someone who is absent. As members of this church, we have committed that we will never say about someone what we would not say to them. And also, we are to avoid excessive anger. Brown does not say how much anger is appropriate, just that we should not be angry to excess. He may have had Psalm 4:4 or Ephesians 5:26 in mind, which say, “Be angry and do not sin.” Certainly, whatever we do as Christians must always be governed by self-control which is a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit.
“…to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating beverages…”
It is interesting that, when it comes to anger, Brown believed that Christians could exercise spiritual self-control, so he called for us who affirm the covenant to avoid excessive anger. On the other hand, when it came to the issue of alcohol, Brown’s position is that church members should avoid all drinking rather than practice moderation and self-control. When we affirm this covenant, then, we are agreeing to refuse to sell or use alcoholic beverages. Does this mean that we must believe that drinking alcohol in any form is sin? Not necessarily, but by our affirming this covenant, we are committing ourselves to practice abstinence from alcohol, regardless of any personal opinion we may have on the subject.
“…to avoid all appearances of evil…”
This is another phrase that can be difficult to interpret. On one hand, it appears to be a reference to 1 Thessalonians 5:22 which says in the KJV, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This verse has been understood by some to teach that we must avoid any activity which might appear to be evil, even if it is not actually sinful. Is this what Brown meant? That we should avoid any evil-appearing activities so that our testimony for Christ is not hindered in any way? Without further explanation, it is impossible to tell. However, what Paul was actually telling the Thessalonian Christians was that they were to avoid evil in every form. In other words, they were to apply the truth of God’s word to every area of their lives and leave no place for sin. If we are to practice this commitment of our covenant, we will have to strive for holiness in every area of life.
“…to avoid all worldly practices which might bring reproach to the cause of Christ…”
Defining what is worldly can be very difficult, but Brown’s statement here is helpful, because it qualifies worldliness as those things which “bring reproach to the cause of Christ.” Our focus isn’t so much on coming up with lists and categories of worldly practices to avoid, but on what our speech and behavior say to those who are without Christ. In a positive sense, this means that we are to remember that we belong to Christ and our actions, priorities, language, and associations have the power to communicate to sinners that we are children of God. On the other hand, it is possible for us to live in such a way that our words and choices cause unbelievers to turn away from the gospel. We must consider the impact that our lives have on others and be careful not to harm the testimony of Christ and the church by our worldly living.
“…and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.”
This also is a statement that requires some careful thought to affirm. It is popular with many Christians today to believe that the church is equivalent to the kingdom of Christ, and this is probably what Brown had in mind when he wrote these words. In the NT we are told that we will enter the kingdom only through trials, that we will inherit the kingdom, that we are to walk worthy of the kingdom, and that we have been translated into Christ’s kingdom, but never are we told to “advance the kingdom.” In fact, when Nebuchadnezzar saw a vision of the kingdom, the prophet Daniel told him it was a stone cut without hands. In other words, it was not advanced by any human effort but was completely divine. The church is not the kingdom. We do not advance the kingdom of Christ by our efforts. He will usher in his kingdom at the end of the age when he returns in glory, and none of our zealous efforts will in any way impact when that happens or what it will look like when it does. Instead of seeking to advance the kingdom – something we cannot do – Brown ought to have said that we will be zealous in our efforts to make disciples and teach them to walk in obedience to our Lord.