Getting in the Mood, Part 3

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Thanks to Roll Bama Roll.

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Happy New Year!

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Thanks to the Sacred Sandwich.

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Surprised by Hope: 2 Peter 3:10-13 — A New Creation

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Jay F Guin

We can’t read “new heavens and new earth” and not recall Genesis 1, where God created “the heavens and the earth.” Obviously, this phrase is intended to refer to a re-making of the first creation. Or is it a replacement of the old creation?

But the new heavens and new earth aren’t the only new creation spoken of in the Bible. There’s another important one we have to consider.

(2 Cor 5:17)  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

(Gal 6:15)  Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.

When we are saved, we become a “new creation.” The work God will complete in us at the end of time has already begun to such an extent that we are a “new creation” already. But we are still very much a part of this old, decaying creation (as amply evidenced by our old, decaying bodies). Continue reading →

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Getting in the Mood for Thursday, Part 2

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Tradition can be a very good thing … when it reinforces very good things.

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Replanting a Denomination: The Original Restoration Plea

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

A reader posted a comment, suggesting that the original Restoration Plea was not as I characterized it in the last post of this series, asserting —

In actuallity, the concept of teaching “the correct doctrines of baptism, worship, and church organization, and to unite all people by persuading them of these doctrines” was in place well before the movement even got off the ground.

In his book “Reviving The Ancient Faith,” Richard Hughes noted that Alexander Campbell himself “could not avoid defining ‘New Testament Chrsitianity’ in concrete terms, laying out its terms of admission, its organizational structure, and its order of worship.” Hughes further noted, “And when he (A.C.) did this, many of his followers inevitably identified nondenominational Christianity with the particular movement that, in the early days, they called ‘Churches of Christ’ or ‘Disciples of Christ.’ More than anything else, Campbell’s insistence on immersion for the forgiveness of sins and salvation encouraged that identifiction.” p.7.

If Hughes is correct, then the teaching of “the correct doctrines” was more responsible for the growth of the Churches of Christ than any demise.

Thomas Campbell, in his “Declaration and Address,” stated the aims of the Restoration Movement before Alexander traveled to the US. Continue reading →

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Revised Index

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Over in the left margin, there’s a section titled “Pages.” It includes a listing of every series I’ve ever posted. It’s not new.

What is new is the organization of the Pages. I’ve classified them in hopes of making the list a little more accessible. I hope it’s helpful when you try to find an older post. Please let me know if you think of any way to improve the listing.

If the Pages list proves helpful to you, I’ll probably delete the Index tab, because the Pages list and the Index tab are now essentially the same thing.

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Progressive Discussion Groups

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

I just added a new page over on the left of the screen for Progressive Discussion Groups. I know many readers also participate in these groups, and some produce excellent conversation. I thought a listing might be helpful.

I’ve listed three groups I’m familiar with, and I’m sure there are many more. Please let me know what other links I should add.

The goal isn’t to be comprehensive, though. Only send me links that you’d recommend.

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Replanting a Denomination: The Growth Cycle

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Over the last few weeks, I wrote a series of posts on replanting a church, the idea being to consider how a church might work to change itself to be more nearly the church Jesus wants it to be. Reader Bill Perkins pointed me to some material on how a church can change from being plateaued to growing, and I thought it would be interesting to consider that material in denominational terms, rather than congregational terms. And so, the materials we’ll be considering apply very well to congregations, too.

The next posts in this series will be built on the Church Life Cycle PowerPoint I’m borrowing from the Episcopal Church.

Now, consider the following graphic in terms of the Churches of Christ as a denomination —

Continue reading →

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Surprised by Hope: 2 Peter 3:10-13 — On Reading Figurative Language

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

As we work through the passages dealing with the end of time, we need to keep a few things in mind about how to read figurative language in the scriptures. Let’s start by clarifying how we speak of such things.

First, “literal” is the opposite of “figurative.” When the scriptures say “The Lord is my shepherd,” the scriptures speak truth, but it’s a figurative truth, not a literal truth. God is not literally my shepherd, or else I’d be a literal sheep, and I’m not. In fact, I’m allergic to wool.

Someone got the idea years ago that we should argue that the scriptures are the “literal truth,” which is a ridiculous claim. They are true. The truths expressed in scriptures are sometimes expressed in literal language and sometimes expressed in figurative language. Both kinds of language express truths. Therefore, to say that the scriptures don’t always express a literal truth is to state an obvious reality. The scriptures often use figurative language. Continue reading →

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Getting in the Mood for Thursday …

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Jay F Guin

I’ve been whiling away the holiday watching football, cheering on SEC teams (even Auburn and Tennessee).

The SEC bowl games are over now — all but one.

And the anticipation of Thursday’s game is killing me.

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