One In Jesus

Having considered the broader context of John 4:23-24 in the last post, let’s now look at the context in John’s Gospel.

Spirit

In chapter 3, John had just related the story of Jesus and Nicodemus (“born of water and Spirit”), and earlier John had quoted John the Baptist –

(John 1:33 ESV) 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

The indwelling Spirit is a major theme of the preceding chapters of John.

Early in Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus offers here “living water,” which is the indwelling Holy Spirit. John makes certain we don’t miss this later in the Gospel – Continue reading →

I’ve written on John 4:23-24 several times. It’s a critical passage in understanding the New Testament’s doctrine of worship — and much, much more. And it’s one of those passages that is almost always misunderstood because we come to looking for answers to the wrong questions.

(Joh 4:21-24 ESV)  21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Traditional reading

In many denominations, especially those who teach the Regulative Principle, the passage is explained as a contrast between the Jews and Samaritans. The Jews have the truth (meeting in the right location according to the right rules) but lack the spirit (have hard hearts). The Samaritans lack the truth (once worshiped on Mt. Gerezim) but have the right spirit (have tender hearts anxious to worship). Jesus, it is argued, therefore wants use to have both the right rules and the right hearts. (And the rules will be found by applying CENI and the Regulative Principle). Continue reading →

We pick up with Minghui’s responses to my examples for authorized things that do not meet the standards of CENI.

(For those readers coming in late, I’m attempting to show that CENI/the Regulative Principle are not real rules, and indeed foreign the scripture, by showing what would happen if we were to consistently apply them. To do this, I take on the role of someone willing to let CENI take him wherever it leads.)

[JFG:] “There is no authority for church buildings to be owned by a church. And yet the rightness of the practice is widely accepted by even the most conservative Churches of Christ.”

[Minghui] There is authority for us to assemble. The exact location is not specified; we have the liberty to decide to assemble at someone’s house, at a church building, at a rented place, etc. Continue reading →

Last week, I posted “An Email about Authority and Mathematics” in response to a question I received re a young brother, a mathematician, with questions re certain traditional Church of Christ teachings.

On Tuesday, my mathematician brother, whom I now know as Minghui, responded in some detail.

I will repost his entire response, with my comments inserted throughout.

I am the young brother. Thank you for your article. The logic is mathematically very clear. Continue reading →