One In Jesus

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

“Reverend”

We’re now getting to even more picayune peculiarities of the conservative Churches of Christ. (I’m starting to get really embarrassed by this. I mean, I attend a Church of Christ myself.)

“My friend, don’t ever call a man reverend,” Randall said. He wasn’t criticizing, nor was his tone harsh. He was simply instructing. “What’s wrong with that?” I laughed. “The only place you’ll find the word reverend in the Bible is in Psalms 111: 9: Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Chapter 27, continued

Randall illustrates the exclusionary principle that underlies the Regulative Principle —

“Mike, what did the Lord use in the communion meal?” I thought about it for a second and said, “Unleavened bread and wine from the fruit of the vine.” “That’s right Mr. Mike! But why not use meatloaf and ice-tea? Jesus didn’t say we couldn’t use them, did He?”

(Kindle Locations 5684-5688).

Can you believe that anyone would fall for that? I mean, using an instrument adds to the singing — it does not prevent the singing from happening. If you replace communion bread with meat loaf, you’ve not used the bread at all. There’s an obvious, huge difference between replacing a commanded element and adding to a commanded element. Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Chapter 26

The Five Acts of Worship

Randall next makes a presentation on the Five Acts of Worship: Lord’s Supper, Prayer, Singing, Giving, Preaching.

Randall argues that if you dropped denominational names, you’d recognize the true church by its practices, and since the true church has these and only these practices, the Churches of Christ are the true church.  Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Chapter 22

Shank becomes upset with the divisions resulting from “denominationalism.”

Each denomination teaches an opposing set of practices and beliefs. Their idea of unity is to keep their individual beliefs, practices, and doctrines, while accepting all other differing – even conflicting beliefs, practices and doctrines. That’s not unity. That’s tolerance. Tolerance is not Christ’s teaching of unity.

(Kindle Locations 4437-4444).

But what about —

(Rom 14:3-6 ESV)  3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.  4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Chapter 19

The Ethiopian eunuch

We next find Shank studying the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch together. Randall had introduced them to the story, saying it’s important to know that Philip preached Jesus.

“Preached Jesus!” I thought — at last Randall and Shank get to the heart of our salvation and the gospel, he who died for us — but no such luck.

Now, why is it important to point out that Philip preached Jesus to the Eunuch? It’s important because the Eunuch said to Philip in verse 36, “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Chapter 16

Shank gets into a discussion with another friend about Acts 2:38.

I’m going to cut short the long litany of Baptist vs. Church of Christ baptism arguments at this point because most readers have heard them all and, I’m sure, don’t care to hear more of the same arguments once again. Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Chapter 12

Shank describes a family gathering at which his aunt tried to pray for him to receive the gift of tongues. She prayed in tongues as part of the process, and yet she failed to summon the “gift of the Holy Ghost,” which she understands to mean the gift of tongues. Shank was not impressed with her understanding of the Spirit.

The rest of the chapter deals with Shank asking family members where the Sinner’s Prayer is found in the Bible. No one knew.

Chapter 13

Shank ruminates on the ignorance of his family as to the doctrine and history of their various denominations. He considers whether we can trust our subjective feelings. Continue reading →

We are considering Michael Shank’s book Muscle and a Shovel.

Nick Gill commented earlier, and I completely misunderstood his question (my fault), and I wrote a 2,000-word reply to the wrong question. But the essay addresses issues that are being vigorously debated in the comments. And so I figure some other readers might be interested in my thoughts.

The issue I addressed (unasked) is whether the “baptism with the Holy Spirit” is in fact different from ordinary Christian baptism.

Contrary to traditional Church of Christ teaching, I think every saved person is baptized with the Spirit. This is just another way to say “receives the Spirit.” Therefore, I reject the notion that baptism with the Spirit necessarily involves miraculous manifestations.

Rather, there is one type or “measure” of the Spirit available to Christians, going back to Pentecost, but the gifts of the Spirit associated the gift (singular) of the Spirit (i.e., the Spirit) vary depending on the Spirit’s will, as described particularly clearly in 1 Cor 13. Continue reading →