What’s Really a Test of Fellowship? (Lipscomb Summer Celebration and Atlanta ElderLink, 2007). This is extracted from my book The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace: God’s antidotes for division within the Churches of Christ
Falling from Grace (ACU Lectureship 2006). This is extracted from my ebook Do We Teach Another Gospel?
Outlines from Harding lectureship (2005) and Atlanta ElderLink (2006)–
Business Law for Church Leaders
Business Ethics for Church Leaders
Pepperdine Lectureship, April 2008 —Why Are There So Many Divisions In the Churches of Christ?
For a fuller explanation of this material, go to the ebook Do We Teach Another Gospel?
Jay Guin,
I just listened to the CD from the Pepperdine Lectures on "Why There Are So Many Divisions." I thought it was very well done and I appreciate your reasoning and scriptural foundation.
I was particularly interested in the questionaire you use in your classes to demonstrate how none of us are in total agreement. It lays a great foundation about unity and diversity in a local church. Thank you.
Charlie Robinson, Minister
Charlie,
Here's link that will take you to some sample surveys. /2007/02/10/an-idea-for-tea…
Dear Jay,
I think Leroy Garrett hit the nail on the head many years ago. The dual thrust of the Restoration Movement "Unity and Restoration" lay the seeds for disunity and various schisms in the Churches of Christ. we must remember that the original movement was "Disciples of Christ", and the "Churches of Christ" came later when they hi-jacked the Restoration Movement from the Disciples. This happened in the late1800's when Daniel Sommer, a true legalist, led the new faction at Sand Creek. Their declaration severed the Churches of Christ from the Disciples, and this became "official" in 1906, when the Churches of Christ were listed as a new church in America. David Lipscomb, a great man of God got taken up into this by the Sommerites, and then we had the Southern wing of the COC. From there it splintered as various leaders and preachers saw different things to include in the New Testament Pattern that had to be believed and practiced (or not practiced) to be a genuine Christian. Now we have several versions of the COC and then the new hyper-legalist morph-clone of the International Churches of Christ (which has split into 3 groups-thanks to Kip McKean).
My rant is over. Unity and Restoration are irreconcilable, as good men and women of good faith see things differently and they are still Christians. We ARE all one in Christ through faith in Jesus. Yet we are not fully united as we see things differently (and that is just how it is).We all are still saved, redeemed and washed in the blood of Jesus.
Now my rant is really over.
Just read through the "Do We Teach Another Gospel" ACU Lectureship presentation. It is very well presented. Good job! I appreciate your work to put it together. I will use this…I promise. Thank you. Oh…and Jay…I really like your blog. You write good stuff. I just wish I had found it earlier. I don't know how I'm gonna find time to read all the way back to Jan 2007.
David,
Thanks for the kind words. And it's only about 1300 posts and a million words. Shouldn't take that long … 🙄
Hi I am pleased to have found your site.
I'm really interested in the material you have proposed:
"Overseeing Missions and other outreaches- rethinking the process"
I am hoping to read it over for an assignment on that same topic that I'm researching for.
When do you hope to have it online?
Appreciate the range of resources you are making available.
Kind regards
Mel J,
There are a series of posts indexed at /index-under-construction/m…. You might also want to look at /index-under-construction/o….
My God bless your research.
My dear friends,
Thank you for this wonderful research tool online. I enjoy the good, thought-provoking information and Bible Study.
I am from the Christian Church (Instrumental – Non-Denominational). I often sing acapella and am thoroughly convinced that it will have a great comeback in all churches … probably not exclusive to an entire plan of worship, but certainly a more prominent presence.
I often lead acapella worship in my meetings around town (nursing homes and independent living centers). I also lead our church in our first hour of worship (1st Service) without any musical instruments. It is certainly enjoyable and I know it pleases the Lord.
While I am not opposed to instrumental music, I am opposed to anything that stands in the way of worshiping in Spirit and in Truth. I believe in skillful use of instruments, including the human voice. I also believe that we do not lead our people well when the emphasis is on the musical instrument rather than on the human voice.
I have not always understood the Church of Christ stance; however, as I am getting older, (and I hope wiser), I am gaining a fuller understanding and appreciation.
I pray that you will consider me a brother in Christ – even if only a brother in error. I truly love you and cherish friendship and fellowship, grounded upon the Word of God.
Steve
Steve,
Very glad to have you here! And I readily accept you as a brother regardless of your views on instruments. I wouldn't even call you an erring brother, since you agree with me.
I, too, greatly appreciate good a cappella music and don't see it as commanded. It's certainly not a salvation issue.
I recall a couple of decades ago – OK, I'm not sure how long ago it was – that Bill Humble of ACU made mention of the instrumental churches as being "brothers in error" and then he added, speaking of himself, that he was also "a brother in error." BTW, that represented a dramatic shift in the position of an ACU professor from when I was a student there in Bill Humble's Restoration History class back around 1970
Aren't we all brothers and sisters in error? What could be more obvious! And shouldn't we accept each other as Jesus accepted us?
Peace,
Randall
Greetings brother Jay. This is just a note to say how much I appreciate both your spirit and scholarship. The articles you write are with a deep respect for Scripture, thought provoking and challenging. Someone wrote that "the mind expanded by a new idea will not return to its former size." At the age of 72, I'm still hungering and thirsting for truth. I try to keep my mind open (not to the extent that my brain's fall out, hopefully) to be challenged by new thoughts, about old teachings. Continue to stay Jesus Focused, Grace Oriented and Love Motivated (our motto in LifeCom). With fraternal love in Jesus, Bobby Deason
Bobby,
Thanks for the encouraging words. And don't worry. Your brains won't fall out, but your head might hurt. Mine does.
I'm going to bed.
sorry, I was referred here after a discussion on another blog about baptism. I was raised in the CoC. My father , an elder most of his life, many family members, including me who graduated from a CoC University. I ‘ve been a member of an independent baptist church for around 15 years now. My whole view and understanding of scriptures has grown by leaps and bounds since I started to really examine scriptures with the lead of the HS. So , I do believe the CoC has taught and is teaching a false gospel. I’m happy to see you trying to expand upon some of the issues. Unfortunately, one can’t build anything on a false foundation. I can honestly say that the CoC is cultish and Stone and Cambell were not great men. They claim to have restored Christ’s church? Please, true believers in Christ , Christ’s Church has always existed. The Church belongs to Christ and for Stone and Cambell to say they restored it. Right at that oment, something is wrong. Just think about it. I have all the writigs of Stone and Cabell and it’s so sad, the damage that was done by them. Sorry, but it’s so true.If I were a CoC minister, I would run to the a bible beliving seminary – Central Seminary in Minnesota, even Dallas Theological . I’d clean my brain from whatever the CoC theology is – it’s a strange and simplistic one – and read a good KJV and then buy Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie. I’d get on my hands and feet and ask the Lord for His mercy , His free gift of salvation and receive the gift of the HS and read the Bible, with the leading of the HS, and jump the CoC ship. Sorry, I really am. This emergent movement of Rick Warren and all those other guys are not helping the CoC…it is just another hoax that sells well.
Gina with all due respect Stone and Campbell never claimed to be restoring but reforming the church universal. As a matter of fact, Campbell fiercely debated against the dogma of the one true church(which in those days, each denomination claimed to the exclusion of all others).
They wanted none of that! But rather advocated a unity based solely on the word of God as opposed to creeds which were based on mere deductions and inferences of men. Opinions were find as long as they did not contradict the bible nor were raised to the status of law.