Question:
Is it Scriptural for a church to bring in a comedian?
Answer:
More and more churches are sponsoring special “comedy nights” and inviting families to hear “Christian comedians.” One local “church of Christ” recently charged a dollar admission to hear a visiting comedian. The question real Christians should ask is not “Is this popular” but indeed, “Is it Scriptural?”
In Ephesians 4:11-12 Paul writes, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”
Many claim that the work of “comedians” falls under their broad heading of “edification” as they consider the work of the church Yet, in the above list Paul mentions the various roles God has ordained in the church “for the edifying of the body of Christ…” Somehow, we do not find the term “comedian” in there or anything close to it (jester, humorist, etc.).
This recent attempt at comedy is nothing new for the denominational world. Many have been trying, for years, to draw people to the church through social and recreational means. Some have festivals, others promise great food. Basically, everything but the gospel of Jesus Christ is used to get people in the seats. This type of advertising may be appropriate in the business world, but it was never intended to be God’s means of bringing people to the truth.
In John 6, Jesus was upset at the crowds more interested in His miracles than Him. In other words, like many today, they wanted to be entertained, not enlightened (John 6:26-27). He said in 6:44-45, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.”
The drawing power of Jesus Christ is still found in God’s Word. Let’s not try to sneak it in after baiting people with comedy and entertainment. It comes across as if we are “ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16). In addition, let’s not try to turn the Lord’s church into a business that will do anything to make an extra buck, even leave God’s divine pattern for the church’s mission and work. May we act within God’s guidelines, not by our own opinions (Col. 3:17).
February 2007