'Long Forgotten': Lay preacher delves into biblical topics he says too many churches neglect
Greg Sutton, a church elder and lay preacher, didn't initially set out to write a book. His desire was to figure out what he actually believes and strengthen other Christians’ faith in the process.
A small business owner, former church elder and lay preacher, Sutton spent years quietly studying Scripture on topics he felt many American churches gloss over: marriage, parenting, sanctification, the nature of suffering. That personal study eventually became the focus of his book, Long Forgotten: Rediscovering Biblical Topics Neglected by the American Church, released earlier this year.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Sutton said his “primary reason” for writing the book was “an overwhelming desire from the Lord to do so” as he developed a “desire to be more involved in ministry.”
“The book was kind of an outlet as I was beginning to study things and to kind of get my feel for my own theological positions and why I was holding the views that I held,” he explained. “So, it just kind of became an outgrowth of my own time in study.”
Sutton spoke with CP about the book's central themes and how Christians should think through thorny questions such as Sabbath observance, suffering, healing and whether parents should spank their children.
The following is CP's Q&A with Sutton, lightly edited for clarity.
CP: In the preface, you say, "I have no credentials that would typically qualify me to do this. I have never been to a Bible college, or any college for that matter, and have never taken a single accredited class in biblical studies of any kind." So, with that noted, why should people listen to what you have to say?
Sutton: I think it helps people to hear a voice that's not necessarily someone who went to Bible college, who is paid vocationally as a minister of some kind.
It doesn't require someone who's actually in vocational ministry or who has had the time and financial availability to go to Bible college, because, unfortunately, the reality is, it's expensive to go to Bible college.
In my own personal experience, being an elder at the church that I was a part of for a long time, and preaching there quite regularly, that was one of the main feedbacks that I got from people. Them knowing me and knowing that I was raising a family, running a business at the same time, kind of gave people the inspiration to be able to say, “Hey, this guy can do it, he makes time to do it, sort of thing. So, I can too.” Even though they themselves are also working a job and raising families.
CP: What has led you to conclude that American churches are largely avoiding the topics you discuss in the book?
Sutton: At least in my own anecdotal experience from churches I have been a part of, and I have been a part of quite a few since I was a kid — I went to a more conservative church growing up and then switched to the charismatic side — and when I was in the charismatic stage, I visited a lot of churches.
One of the things that was actually kind of cool about that stream of Christianity was that there's a lot of camaraderie between different charismatic churches, especially in our area.
Even though I went to one specific church, there's probably five or six other churches that I would go to on a regular basis, for conferences or even just to visit on a Sunday morning, because I had friends there and stuff like that. My own basis for churches, at least locally in this area, has been pretty broad.
Much of the content that I put in the book was “I've never been taught any of that, or it wasn't even really mentioned for the most part.” And on top of the anecdotal experience, you know, talking to other people and their experiences and them saying, “Hey, I've never heard of this either.” My own experiences, plus other people that I talked with over the years as I was contemplating the idea of writing the book.
CP: In Chapter 1, you focused on the inerrancy of the Bible. How would you say that your defense of biblical inerrancy contrasts with other published works?
Sutton: At least from my own perspective, limited though it be, I'm taking more of a tact of looking at it from more of an abstract, like philosophical standpoint to try to prove the necessity of inerrancy rather than from an internal consistency standpoint.
I mention that in the chapter that it’s necessary that we understand and know the internal consistencies, the scientific integrity and all those certain things within the confines of Scripture.
But those only get you so far, I think, in proving. You can prove that it's accurate, but that doesn't still require that it be infallible or inerrant. And so, I think, my approach kind of looks at it from more of an abstract view.
I'm sure other people have espoused similar things before. It's probably not a new concept. But to me, it was something that was more of an original thought as I was thinking through things.
CP: In Chapter 4, titled "The Sabbath," you described the importance of resting in God. What is your opinion of businesses like Chick-fil-A that close their doors on Sundays, or the blue laws of past generations that made it illegal to work on Sundays?
Sutton: I actually take a different approach theologically to the question of the Sabbath. So, traditionally-speaking, I've viewed, as you just pointed out, most people have held to this idea that the Sabbath, because it is one of the Ten Commandments, it was still in place to the same effect essentially as Ancient Israel had it in place, which is that you just don't work on one day of the week.
We typically relegated that to Sundays just in our culture, which is fine. I even say in the chapter that I don't think there is anything wrong with that; I think it’s good to take a day of rest. I myself, running a business and stuff like that, I need a day for my family where we're not running like crazy doing sports and different things, so we do take our Sundays to really kick back.
So, I think that's good practical advice that people should take, but as it pertains to the Sabbath law itself, I actually take the approach that the Sabbath itself is fulfilled fully in Christ and it’s no longer about working or not working on a particular day, it’s about resting in Him from our works to achieve salvation.
Because, and I lay this out in the chapter, that one of the things that we see in the book of Numbers is this man who Moses and Aaron find gathering sticks on the Sabbath. And, ultimately, they go to God for what to do with this man. God says we need to stone him, and so they stone him outside the camp. And to most readers who read that passage, they go, "Well, that seems really harsh."
But I think that passage gives a clarification to us on what exactly the Sabbath was meant to communicate even back then, and that is to not adhere to the Sabbath is to die, or perish, as the New Testament would put it.
So, I think Christ being the fulfillment of that Sabbath is basically the Scriptures' way of saying that in order to actually achieve salvation we need to rest in Christ, which is to put away our own works and to trust fully in His work for our salvation. And to not do that is equivalent to death, separation from God.
CP: In Chapter 6, which is centered on suffering and trials, you mentioned that while churches do often address the question of suffering, all too often they don't handle it from a biblical perspective. What is the biblical model, and how are many churches not following it?
Sutton: So, that particular chapter is more against the charismatic side that I came from. So, I don't know that I would say broadly that every church necessarily is doing that, but particularly in the charismatic space.
One of the, I'll say, qualifying factors for this idea of suffering within charismatic spaces is this theological statement that God never wants anyone to suffer; that He always desires for everyone to be healed, immediately.
It creates this kind of impetus on the person to receive this healing because if they don't, then there's something wrong with them or something like that.
Now, of course, healing is a thing that happens. I have seen healing happen. So, I believe God does want to heal, but I don't know that the Scripture points out that it is always His will in every circumstance here and now for us to be healed. And, obviously, in eternity, that is always the case, He will heal everyone of all diseases and everything once He comes back.
But, from the practical standpoint, for the here and now, having a large swath of the Christian church — that being charismatic and more Pentecostal side — teaching parishioners that they ought to every time see healing … has been a major problem and caused a lot of people a lot of hardship that was never meant to be carried by them.
CP: In Chapter 8, you delve into the great spanking debate. You mentioned that while you use physical discipline for your children and the Bible implies support for it, it's ultimately not a sin for a Christian parent to avoid spanking their child. Why do you believe it is not a sin to avoid using corporal punishment?
Sutton: I would say because of the sparsity of the implication of physical correction that we see in Scripture, particularly as it pertains to, it's exclusively in the Old Testament, it's exclusively in the Proverbs that we see it. And I lay it out in the book that the Proverbs are meant to be taken with a degree of non-literalism.
And so, for that reason, I would say I think it's acceptable not to use physical discipline. However, some discipline of some kind, as the New Testament points out, they must be disciplined, they must be chastised, they must be brought up in the admonition of the Lord, is necessary.
If somebody is just outright not disciplining their kids at all, then that would for sure be sin, but I think certain children may respond better to certain types of discipline than others.
CP: Overall, what do you hope readers get from your book?
Sutton: First and foremost, that it would really just be something that they can grab hold of and that would ultimately shift their life in some small way at least towards more godliness, godly character.
But, as the undertone of the book, that they would really be able to grab hold of studying Scripture.
That's my testimony; that beyond getting saved — going from saved but really not effective for the Kingdom — to being someone who now I really feel like I'm actually starting to do things.
It's God Who works, but we have to partner with Him in that. And so, I hope that they are able to grab hold of really what I was able to grab hold of by the grace of God, which is that when you study Scripture, when you really dive into the Scriptures, it changes your life. Even if you are already saved, it doesn't mean we can't be sanctified more through the study of Scripture and through pressing into His Word.
