At Both Barrels’ Media, we have been getting emails and comments about whether the phrase ‘both barrels’ is spiritual and/or if it’s biblical. There has even been Google searches on it. Well, we’d like to address our reasoning behind the term Both Barrels.
We know that the term ‘both barrels’ has generally been interpreted as being extremely critical or getting an earful in an argument. But that’s not how we look at it. And, at both barrels, we look at it as biblical. Let’s look at some of the reasons. Here are just three of the various reasons why with we see both barrels as biblical or Christian.
Reason # 1
Reason 1: The Alpha and Omega. Let’s start with the one of the earliest form of a Christian symbol, the chi rho. The Chi Rho dates all the way back to the time of Christ. It is the first 2 letters of ‘Christos’ in Greek or “of Christ” in English. And, in ancient artifacts, we see the Chi-Rho; the first 2 letters of Christos in Greek, flanked by the Alpha and the Omega. At Both Barrels Media, we use both of these timeless icons often.
So, we have the XP as a symbol that means “to Christ”. And, on both sides of the Chi-Rho, we have the Alpha and the Omega. Or, the beginning and the end, generally thought of as the father and the son. The Alpha and Omega are the 1st and last letters of the Greek alphabet. So, the title of God, or Christ and God, is the beginning and the end, the 1st and the last.
This is normally interpreted to mean that Jesus has existed for all of eternity and that God is eternal. Essentially, we look at it in its entirety as the fullness, or the wholeness of Christ. There is nothing else. It is the beginning and the end. Just as God is the fullness of truth, so also is Christ.
We at both barrels wanna take that fullness or that wholeness of Christ and not sugarcoat it. We want to discover the simple truths, in the fullness of Christ, and shout it loudly. When we don’t know, we’ll say that too.
Reason # 2
The second reason is love or charity. Tragically, people today have a misinformed idea about what love is. Love is relationship. But it’s relationship beyond ourselves. It’s our relationship with other people. Today, people don’t wanna get involved in other people’s lives. It’s live and let live. That’s where relativism comes from. Your truth, may not be my truth. But, that’s not truth at all. At both barrel’s, we like to call it what it is, it’s opinion.
God doesn’t hold anything back, He disciplines those that He loves. And, He expects us to receive rebuke and admonishment. Granted, we need to do this in love, but that still doesn’t work well today. People just don’t receive it. They don’t wanna hear it. This is where the term ‘relativism’ comes from and today’s world is filled with relativism. We become wrapped up in our own thoughts. It’s what we think is most important and that isn’t love, unless it’s self -love.
But, when we love somebody more than ourselves, we will tell them the truth no matter what. Because, that’s what God does. No one wants to be rebuked and no one wants to be admonished. Not only is wise counsel rejected, wisdom itself is rejected in lieu of what we think as individuals.
This self-love causes people to ignore their problems and they refuse to see them. This creates more relationship problems with others. It’s never, “hit me with your best shot”. It’s leave me alone. Just accept me as I am. Don’t try to help me. And that ties into the third reason.
Reason #3
The third reason is the Apostle Paul. St. Paul confirmed the Chi-Rho and at the same time, he also confirmed the Alpha and Omega. He wrote, In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. Hence, the revelation of God in Christ sets before us the full scope of truth. It’s like getting hit with, you guessed it, ‘both barrels’.
St. Paul, then, referred to this as the whole counsel of God, and, he saw it as his responsibility to “shout it loudly” it in its entirety. St. Paul believed that he would be free of the guilt of someone’s falling away, because he taught the the whole Divine counsel of God.
This responsibility also holds for all of us, to bring the ministry of the word. Believe this, God holds the teacher responsible if a person strays and is ruined for lack of having been taught the full truth of Christ. So, teach the full council. Seek it out!
Will do. Many people still appreciate a straight shooter because they don’t have to guess what they really think. So, It’s give it to me straight and tell me the truth; the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Also, be ye lovers of the truth. Seek it out.
So, there you have it
We have used the Alpha and Omega symbol in our logo quite often. And, maybe we shouldn’t. But, we’re not trying to say that we’re more important than God. We’re trying to say that it represents God. God gives us both barrels. He doesn’t leave any doubt, He’s the fullness of truth.
As difficult as that may be, God wants us to receive it, and not get lost in her own thought . We, at Both Barrels, interpret this as something akin to a verse in a Pat Benatar song, “hit me with your best shot… Fire away” And, our answer is… will do Pat, will do.
Flannery O’Connor
We also like how Flannery O’Connor put it, just a different way.
“My own feeling is that writers who see by the light of their Christian faith will have, in these times, the sharpest eyes for the grotesque, for the perverse and the unacceptable…. Redemption is meaningless unless there is a cause for it in the actual life we live, and for the last few centuries there has been operating in our culture the secular belief that there is no such cause.
The novelist with Christian concerns will find in modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make these appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural…When you can assume that you audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal means of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock – to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures.“
Ok, let’s bring it to a close
OK, enough about both barrels I think you get it. But we wanted to make sure that you understood that we’re trying to find the truth and proclaim it. Now it’s finally time move. Next up on “A View From The Pew” and the specific topics the divide us, we’re going to dig into the battle surrounding Matthew 16:18. But, don’t worry, we’ll get to politics soon! But our next episode will be on Matthew 16:18 and the rock. I think we can finally put that one to rest for good!
I look forward to discussing that and hope you tune in Make sure you like and subscribe, and look for our next Episode. Till then, have a good and blessed day.
Signing off, Pat
