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SINNING IN THE COPYRIGHT (Coming Short Of God’s Glory) By HERB EVANS, Ltt.D. 157 PATTIES PLACE PORTERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA 16051 E-Mail: herbevans@juno.com Historically, copyrights grew out of the same system as royal patent grants, by which certain authors and printers were given the exclusive right to publish books and other materials. The purpose of such grants was not to protect authors' or publishers' rights but to raise government revenue and to give governing authorities control over publication contents. This system was in effect in late 15th-century Venice as well as in 16th-century England, where the London Stationers' Company achieved a monopoly on the printing of books and was regulated by the Court of Star Chamber. -- Encyclopedia Britannica 1999 Copyright in the United States allows an author or his assignee the exclusive privilege of printing, reprinting, publishing, and selling his own exclusive right of property to his work for a certain length of time. After a number of years the copyright expires but can be renewed again only once. We do not know when the earliest copyrights by Christians occurred, but it was a sad day to see that sin entered our camp. Still, it couldn’t have been more than two hundred years ago that the laws were formulated. Whatever place or however important the copyright is in the business world, we wonder what Christians were doing for centuries without the copyright. In short, the law tells us that it is the author’s property. That being said, from a Christian point of view, it was his property before he ever copyrighted it. From a Christian point of view, property is the owner’s to give or to keep under lock and key as he desires. Still, once he gives it, he gives it. Just like Ananias and Sapphira, if he gives it, he should really give it. If he keeps it, he should really keep it to himself. If he sells it, he should sell it free of any strings attached and without trying to still maintain control of it.
Trying To Control Things Given By God
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: FREELY ye have RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. -- Matt. 10:8 The principle given to us in God's word is that since we have freely received from God, we should freely give to others. We are living in a day, when Christians become ever more entangled with the government and the Babylonian system of government, i.e., license, incorporation, copyright, legal permission to do things. If the copyright is not a sin against the express commands of scripture, it is a sin against the principle of scripture. The copyright falls into one or all of three categories of Christian motives. 1. Desire to make filthy lucre on spiritual things. 2. Desire for credit and glory for that which God has accomplished. 3. Desire to control what God gives them. The Copyright For Filthy Lucre
Not given to wine, no striker, NOT GREEDY OF FILTHY LUCRE; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous . . . Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, NOT GREEDY OF FILTHY LUCRE . . . -- 1 Tim. 3:3, 8 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, NOT GIVEN TO FILTHY LUCRE; -- Titus 1:7 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; NOT FOR FILTHY LUCRE, but of a ready mind; -- 1 Pet. 5:2 If God's people attend to the things of God full time, they are NOT EMPLOYEES nor are they in business — they are ministers. They, especially preachers, ought not to be guilty of being greedy of filthy lucre. Should they receive love offerings from the churches? The scriptures are clear that the ox that treadeth out the corn is not to be muzzled, but we are not talking about that. Church and Christianity are not businesses. In fact, the Book of Acts shows us that Christianity puts some people out of business. The Christian ought not to copyright his songs, his books, his articles, or his poems. Yet, what if someone copies them and sells my stuff and makes money on them? Do you think that is not happening with Charlie Spurgeon’s works? What is that to thee? Still, he is dead! So? Some men's works go before, some after. Do you mean that Christians, who go to the trouble of publishing a tract or a book or a song, should not charge or try to get reimbursed for their cost? No, but they should not expect to profit off a ministry that God has intrusted them or to profit from God’s people or to be greedy of filthy lucre. Most folks, including myself, always come up on the short end of the stick in this regard. If you price yourself to break even, you won’t have to worry about others making money off you; they won’t be able to compete with your prices. Copyrighting Your Accomplishments
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING. -- John 15:5 EVERY good gift and EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, and cometh down from the Father of lights . . . -- James 1:17 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and WHAT HAST THOU THAT THOU DIDST NOT RECEIVE? now if thou didst receive it, WHY DOST THOU GLORY, as if thou hadst not received it? -- 1 Cor. 4:7 A copyright is a statement that God had nothing to do with what you accomplished. It is as bad as boasting how many souls you won to Christ, when it is God that gives the increase and not you. God also is responsible for every good and every perfect gift that you receive. What you are saying in the copyright is that nothing of it was good nor perfect nor from God. If you really received it from God, why in the world would you glory in a copyright? Pride? Proud of what? Your flesh? Afraid that men will steal your work? You better be afraid of stealing God’s work and taking the credit for it.
In The Copyright, One Has A Fool’s Reward
. . . He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. -- 1 Cor. 1:31 . . . But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. -- 2 Cor. 10:17 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a [copyright] trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that THEY MAY HAVE GLORY OF MEN. Verily I say unto you, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD. -- Matt. 6:2 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, GIVING GLORY TO GOD . . . -- Rom. 4:20 I have therefore whereof I may GLORY through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. -- Rom. 15:17 Of such an one will I glory: YET OF MYSELF I WILL NOT GLORY, but in mine infirmities [you may copyright your arthritis and diabetes]. -- 2 Cor. 12:5 For though I would desire to GLORY, I SHALL NOT BE A FOOL for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. -- 2 Cor. 12:6 Let us not be DESIROUS of VAINGLORY, provoking one another, envying one another. -- Gal. 5:26 NOR OF MEN SOUGHT WE GLORY, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. -- 1 Th. 2:6 Seeking the glory of men has always been a problem to God’s people and also to the lost. One unsaved fellow was fed to the worms, not giving God the glory. Folks tend to be sounding their trumpets, when they do something great. This is what the copyright is, a sounding of the trumpet and vainglory. Obviously, it accomplishes exactly what Paul warned about and said he did not do in 1 Thess. 2:6, i.e., vainglory, provocation, and envy. This goes right in line with the world's biggest Sunday School, church, or bus route and those who give out the biggest banana split or hot dog. Paul tells us that you are not going to catch him playing the fool. He would not allow himself or others to think himself above what he was. Paul chose to glory in his infirmities. Now, that is a good idea; get a copyright on your infirmities, your arthritis and diabetes, the things, which pertain to God, glory in Christ not yourself. Glory in the Lord. Stop sinning and coming short of God's glory, because your copyright is going to run out one day. Nevertheless, you have your reward. Are we for breaking the copyright laws. Heavens, no! We would honor other Christians wishes on their material without the copyright, like it has been done for hundreds of years before the copyright. I am well aware that this article will hit friend and foe alike, but you see I am an Independent Baptist that needs no one but my Lord, my pastor, and my church. Some of the same folks that would find fault with this article will criticize the copyrighting of the modern bibles. Why? ¢ |
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