Dear Friend,

Attention! This is a negative piece, a critique of church practice, and I realize I may lose some readers. But I am unapologetic. Why?

I believe what I have to say is for the spiritual health of Christ's church. A Christian friend recently relayed to me how his friend in another city played a key role in his church's Christmas drama. I was non-responsive initially. Then he probed, asking, what's wrong?

Simply this: when the American Church is already suffering from chronic lukewarmness, an ongoing love affair with the things of the world, sin of every kind running rampant throughout its ranks ... when it is largely unconcerned with biblical righteousness and holiness, unaware that God wants us seeking more intimacy with Jesus daily, insufficiently informed that all church practices should pass the test of scripture, unaware that America is already under divine judgment, and ignoring Christ's imminent appearing, should we be making God's house of prayer our house of drama?

Our meetings are so few and short, we need to use them for edification, not entertainment, even religious entertainment. There's no time to waste. Satan certainly isn't taking any time off. He's trying to tempt, deceive, divert, discourage, or destroy us every day! Every hour! We can't afford to waste time, even one meeting.

Please understand, I'm not condemning drama, or acting, whether in plays or movies. If such productions are decent, there is no harm in Christians participating or observing. But our question is, is the church to be used as a theatre?

Our city has a drama club that produces plays seasonally. There's nothing wrong with this, as long as the content is not offensive. Or with the growing Christian movie industry. One of the most successful evangelistic efforts ever is the Jesus Film (c 1979). Millions have been saved or healed observing its dramatization of the gospel. So, the question is not, is drama okay? Or, is using drama to present the gospel okay?

It is rather, should drama be conducted within God's house - His current temple, the church? When His ancient house, the Jewish temple, was used for trade and money changing instead of teaching and worship, Jesus objected vigorously. So vigorously, He was violent! He rushed into the Royal Porch with holy fire in His eyes - and tables, papers, coins, chairs, and cages went flying, and animals and merchants fleeing. Do we know this Jesus? Who is fervently jealous for what goes on within the walls of the "holy" place - or place set apart exclusively for God's work and worship?

His Words then speak to us now: "Take these things from here; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise" (John 2:16). Or, simply, "Get these things out of here!" Note He did not say "destroy them," or "these things [activities] are wrong or immoral!" No, His objection was the place they were in: "from here." Selling sacrificial animals and exchanging coins were not sinful activities. Far from it, they were necessary to facilitate the people's worship.

Many worshipers were diaspora Jews, who had travelled far and were unable to carry sacrificial animals such distances. So, they bought them in Jerusalem, and then offered them in the temple. Many had only Greek or Roman coins, which bore idolatrous images, and were thus unfit for offering to Yahweh. So, they exchanged their pagan coins for Hebrew shekels, and then gave to the temple. Then why did Jesus object?

His protest was soundly rooted in God's Word. The Torah (Pentateuch) dictated how the temple was to be used, and it did not authorize business activities, even religious business, within its courts. Israel's Priests, Levites, and worshipers were ordered to conduct many holy activities there, but not money-changing or animal sales! So, Jesus was simply saying these biblically unauthorized activities should be conducted outside the temple courts. Was this a mere whim or passing impulse?

No, Jesus did this on not one but two occasions (John 2:13-17; Mark 11:15-19). This shows us He was intentionally purging His Father's house. And why? So He could use it for more vital, authorized ministries, like teaching God's Word, healing the sick, and delivering the possessed (Matthew 21:14).

Today, I would merely repeat His instructions: "Get these things out of here!" Let Christian actors join their local drama club. Let Christian writers write their scripts. Let them host and conduct their performances independently. But don't use the church's holy space, precious time, limited energies, and vital resources for this.

Succinctly, church drama is not authorized by Scriptures, the apostles, the [exemplary conduct of the] early church, or church history, nor is it found in persecuted churches worldwide. Let's discuss these briefly.

The Scriptures say nothing of thespian activities. They are loudly silent on the subject. Not a word in not one letter. Perhaps this is because Roman plays involved overt physical nudeness, sexual acts, violence, and murder (including using prisoners and slaves used for not pretended but real sexual abuse or violence). So, for three centuries the Christians had no desire to bring such overt evil into their holy house churches.

The apostles seemed equally uninterested in church dramas. Perhaps this is because heretics were providing enough "drama" by trying to fill the churches with false teachings about Christ's divinity, His bodily death on the cross, His resurrection, the holy Trinity, Gentiles becoming Jewish proselytes, and many other issues. Enough drama!

And, as cited above, the early churches simply did not produce church plays. They dedicated all their meeting times to holy, spiritual, edifying activities: prayer, songs (often psalms) of worship, Scripture reading, recollections of the apostles (our Gospels), testimony, sharing biblical insights, prophecy, the Lord's Supper, fellowship meals, baptisms, and so forth (see Acts 2:46-47; 1 Cor. 14:26, 23-40). They had no time for staged dramas - and plenty of unplanned, spontaneous dramas, as their brave witness of Jesus often sparked mockery or abuse from Jews and pagans.

Also, try as I may, I cannot envision the spiritually strong founders of the major church groups down Christian history - those first, biblically studious, spiritually hungry, kingdom-focused generations of Reformers, Pietists, Mennonites, Separatists, Baptists, Methodists, Scotch Presbyterians, Restorationists, Pentecostals, and Charismatics - staging dramas in their assemblies. These dead-serious, fully abandoned Jesus-followers were simply too focused on biblical things, spiritual living, godliness, their Christian missions, preparation for Jesus' return, and other eternally important things.

Finally, I believe today's persecuted churches are equally uninterested in church dramas. Most are not theologically preoccupied (thank God!) but are rather simple, Bible-believing, Bible-studying, Bible-following believers in Jesus. If the Bible revealed drama is a normative part of church life, they would embrace it. But it's not in their Bibles, so it's not in their churches.

These persecuted churches - especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, Laos, North Korea, the Middle East, many African countries - are subject to sudden, terrorizing intrusions, arrest and detainment, brutal interrogations, murder, and mayhem night and day. So, when they meet, they're serious. Deadly serious. Many of their family members have disowned them and neighbors betrayed them. So, they know they need spiritual strengthening every time they meet. In their hostile environments, meetings are about survival, not entertainment. Rather than seeking more drama in their lives, they use their limited hours together to grow in knowledge of God's Word, faith, worship, prayer, testimony, fellowship, and giving to ministries and missions building God's kingdom. Focused on faithfulness, they're uninterested in and undistracted by despiritualizing activities.

So, there it is. Let me clarify again. I don't despise sacred dramas. But the church is holy and our meetings brief. I write only because I hear these words ringing in my ears: "Take these things from here!" Can you hear them now?

For the church's health,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries