Of Genealogies and Family Roots

 

Introduction

Years ago, my mother had gotten into the hobby of Genealogy and spent numerous hours researching our family. She managed to trace our family back to Germany; on my father’s side, and Holland; on my mother’s side.

Overall, there isn’t really anything interesting to report from my ancestry. However, there seems to be some that take so much pride in their family’s heritage, that it would override everything else that might come along. Are your family roots really that important?

 

Roots Run Deep

A couple years ago, we had a young man joined our congregation and was a very willing participant in the service. He led prayers, songs, and even helped at the Lord’s Supper table. Although he seemed to be a strong Christian, his scripture knowledge was lacking. This isn’t a bad thing except for the fact that he always commented, “My family’s roots run deep in the church.”

Not sure what this means when he states this. Is he bragging that his family goes back 2 or 3 generations in the church? Or is he riding on the family coattails; assuming that he doesn’t need to be as knowledgeable in the scriptures as the rest of us.

What about those of us who are first generation Christians? Does that mean we are forced to study longer and harder simply because those ‘family roots’ aren’t there?

 

Are You Raised in the Church?

From his statement, I assumed him to be one who was “raised in the church.” Although this isn’t a scriptural phrase, people use it often; but it can be seen as both a negative and positive aspect.

As a negative, young people look at “raised in the church” as something inherited; such as a last name. Teenagers, especially, might want to get away from religion; having it forced on them by their parents and, once they move out on their own, would live their lives their own way. Usually, leaving religion and living an ungodly life.

Another negative is that a child could simply presume they are bound for Heaven because their parents are Christians. But what does it say in Ezekiel 18:20? “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” In other words, just because the parents are Christians, doesn’t automatically make the child to be a Christian as well. They have to follow the same method as all those who desire to become a Christian.

As a positive, though, it falls under Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. It’s also found in Ecclesiastes 12:1, Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”.

Either way, it’s up to the child, when they reach the age of accountability, as to what they do with their lives. If they have enough of a desire to know God’s word, then they will continue in it when they become baptized (Acts 2:42). Then, later, instill it in their own children.

 

The Jews and Genealogy

  Many of the Jews spent countless hours researching their family lineage; looking for connections to give them privileges of a certain family of the tribe of Israel. Commentary by William Burkitt said it this way,

…endeavoured to prove themselves sons of Abraham and Isaac, privileges which they highly valued themselves upon, and rested in, saying, We have Abraham to our Father.

John the Baptizer referenced this quote in Luke 3:7-8, Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

The genealogy of Jesus is laid out in Matthew 1:1-16 and he is from the tribe of Judah. This also explains why Joseph had to return to Bethlehem, with his wife, for the census (Lk. 2:1-5). This proves that he is descended from the tribe of Kings. The genealogy found in Lk. 3:23-38, is to prove that Jesus is of human descendants and it is of Mary’s lineage; tracing all the way back to Adam.

You will also notice that Jesus never talked about his family as if it was the most important thing. He didn’t try to “strong arm” anyone simply because he was of the tribe of Judah. He was a simple man; a carpenter’s son.

This is what the apostle Paul was referring to in his letter to Titus; But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3:9) As stated earlier, the Judaizing Christians were looking for ‘favors and privileges’ based on their family’s history to curry favor within the congregation.

Are You Grounded?

The young man who kept talking about how his family’s roots run deep makes me wonder if we are to be impressed by this. Could his family be connected to those of the Restoration Period? Men like: Barton Stone, Alexander Campbell, Benjamin Franklin, and others. Either way, it does not make this, or any individual, a Christian automatically.

What you do with your life is more important that what your family has contributed. As stated earlier, some prefer to ride the coattails of the family and let them speak for the individual. They would rather say, “Well, my great-grandfather’s view on baptism was…” rather a “Thus sayeth The Lord.”

One needs to be grounded in the truth as the apostle Paul writes in Colossians 1:23, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

 

Conclusion

Tracing your family’s history through genealogy is not a sin. However, it shouldn’t be a project to be obsessed with either. Too much time spent looking at the past will derail your present and, even, your future.

I, personally, am a first-generation Christian. My family are/were involved in the denominations. I have nothing to brag about in regard to my family’s roots. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t brag about them anyway as it is my own soul that will go either to Heaven or Hell based on what I do (2 Cor. 5:10), not what my family did.