CLASSICISM OR CLASSICALISM - THE PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIC LITERATURE AND ART.
Many of us enjoy things of a classical nature and there is certainly nothing sinful in that alone. Whether it be music, art, or literature from those classical periods, they can be very beautiful and inspiring. What we must remember, however, is that the philosophy behind those things was not Christian in nature by a long shot, and in many cases didn’t even recognize the true God. The same thing can be said about the arts and literature of today. As Christians we can still enjoy some of those things, but we must be discriminating and never compromise our beliefs and convictions. Paul was a good example of this. When he found the many gods that the Athenians were worshiping he used their own literature to describe the true and living God to them. He didn’t compromise his principles, but he had obviously read and studied those works in order to know what they had said. (Acts 17:28) “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Paul used some of the literature of the people of Crete against them when he wrote to Titus. (Titus 1:12-14) “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. {13} This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; {14} Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” When some thing is good and true it can be used by the Christian, but things that don’t fit that description should be avoided. Some of what is commonly referred to as classical art is in actuality nothing more than an ancient form of pornography. A Christian is to have nothing to do with works of darkness. (Rom 13:12-14) “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. {13} Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. {14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” We can separate the good from the bad and we need to do so. There are some who say that all of this or that is evil and we should have nothing to do with it. There are few if any things in the world that truly fall into that category, however. Most things in the world today, like the men who make and/or use them, are both good and bad. Classical literature falls into this category. There are great truths presented in some of their works and great lies told in others. The music that was written in what we call the classical style is some of the most beautiful music ever written, in fact, we sing the tunes of some of that music in our worship to God. The men who wrote some of those things that are so useful in praising God lived some of the most morally impure lives that can be imagined. We don’t need to throw them out because of that. Some of the Psalms in our scriptures were penned by a murderer and adulterer, but God used those evil occasions for His glory.
Whether it is modern, classical, or other let us be discriminating and chose the good and abstain from the bad.
Many of us enjoy things of a classical nature and there is certainly nothing sinful in that alone. Whether it be music, art, or literature from those classical periods, they can be very beautiful and inspiring. What we must remember, however, is that the philosophy behind those things was not Christian in nature by a long shot, and in many cases didn’t even recognize the true God. The same thing can be said about the arts and literature of today. As Christians we can still enjoy some of those things, but we must be discriminating and never compromise our beliefs and convictions. Paul was a good example of this. When he found the many gods that the Athenians were worshiping he used their own literature to describe the true and living God to them. He didn’t compromise his principles, but he had obviously read and studied those works in order to know what they had said. (Acts 17:28) “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” Paul used some of the literature of the people of Crete against them when he wrote to Titus. (Titus 1:12-14) “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. {13} This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; {14} Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” When some thing is good and true it can be used by the Christian, but things that don’t fit that description should be avoided. Some of what is commonly referred to as classical art is in actuality nothing more than an ancient form of pornography. A Christian is to have nothing to do with works of darkness. (Rom 13:12-14) “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. {13} Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. {14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” We can separate the good from the bad and we need to do so. There are some who say that all of this or that is evil and we should have nothing to do with it. There are few if any things in the world that truly fall into that category, however. Most things in the world today, like the men who make and/or use them, are both good and bad. Classical literature falls into this category. There are great truths presented in some of their works and great lies told in others. The music that was written in what we call the classical style is some of the most beautiful music ever written, in fact, we sing the tunes of some of that music in our worship to God. The men who wrote some of those things that are so useful in praising God lived some of the most morally impure lives that can be imagined. We don’t need to throw them out because of that. Some of the Psalms in our scriptures were penned by a murderer and adulterer, but God used those evil occasions for His glory.
Whether it is modern, classical, or other let us be discriminating and chose the good and abstain from the bad.
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