A Lover’s Quarrel: Joining the church of Christ

Posted on January 15, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Garrett’s fifth wish for the Churches of Christ is —

Let us become part of the body of Christ at large, cooperating with other Christians in the work of redeeming the world.

We can do this without surrendering any truth we hold, and without approving of any error on the part of others. We can work with other believers, not because we agree on every doctrinal issue, but because of our common devotion to Jesus Christ. …

As we experience unity in mutual service with other Christians, we may all come to see the inappropriateness of our sects and denominations. Like Barton W. Stone, we may eventually be willing to say of our own Churches of Christ, “Let this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the body of Christ at large.” When that day comes — no more denominations, just the body of Christ — we will have realized the dream of our pioneers.

There are certain tensions here we’d do well to acknowlege. Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Misguided Faith, Part 3

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Jay F Guin

One of the most challenging passages in the New Testament is 1 Cor. 5:9-13.

9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people– 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Now, most Christians readily enough accept the teaching of vv. 9-11. We understand that we are not to condone sins of this nature. However, we rarely teach–much less obey–vv. 12-13.

Paul plainly prohibits us from judging those outside the church. A Christian who slanders or is sexually immoral is to be disfellowshipped–shunned–in hopes of bringing the sinner to repentance to preserve his soul. But a non-Christian slanderer or sexual sinner is not to be judged at all. Why not? Because that’s God job–not ours. In other words, those outside the church are lost and will not be less lost because we judge or condemn them. Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Misguided Faith, Part 2

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Jay F Guin

The scriptures on the powers

Recent New Testament scholarship has brought a new focus to Paul’s teachings about the “powers.” When Paul refers to the “powers,” he is sometimes referring to spiritual opponents of Jesus and other times referring to those having power on earth. Often it’s hard to tell which. For example,

(Col. 1:16) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

In Paul’s mind, there may not have been much of a distinction between demonic powers and a Roman emperor who insisted on being worshiped as a God. Either way, the powers were usurping the place of God. Continue reading →

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A Lover’s Quarrel: Preserving Our Heritage

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Garrett’s fourth wish is —

While we are to continue to be Churches of Christ, let us become what Churches of Christ truly ought to be — in the light of Scripture and our own heritage

I disagree with those progressive, avant garde Churches of Christ who seek to escape legalism and sectarianism by leaving their heritage and becoming some other kind of church. … If one’s mission is to help renew and reform the church, it is a mistake to leave. Changes are best effected from within.  …

We do not help our people by leaving. Those we can help the most are our own people.

Amen. Continue reading →

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Faith Lessons by Ray Vander Laan: Misguided Faith, Part 1

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Jesus’ followers should imitate his methods as well as his teachings. Hence, the Crusades were a mistake because the European Christians used violence to spread the gospel of peace.

Vander Laan shows us a European fort on Palestinian soil, complete with moat — the Heights of Issachar, “Belvoir” in the French. The castle held 450 soldiers and 50 knights.

Saladin, the Muslim military leader, laid seige to the fort in 1180 but couldn’t take it. But the knights finally surrendered when the rest of Palestine fell to the Muslims. They were given safe passage to leave, and they sailed back to Europe. Continue reading →

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A Lover’s Quarrel: Instrumental Music

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Garrett’s third wish is —

Let us, in particular, repudiate our historic position of making instrumental music a test of fellowship and a cause of division.

Obviously, those who claim to stand in the shoes of Thomas Campbell while damning those who use instruments (such as the Gospel Advocate) never read Campbell. As shown in the previous post, Thomas Campbell saw the path toward unity as including a rejection of division based on inferences. And the teaching that instrumental music is sin is an inference. (If it’s not, where’s the command or the example?)

And yet, contrary to our heritage, we decided to divide over the instrument — not just into a new denomination, but into a denomination that damns those who use the instrument. Stone, the Campbells, and Walter Scott would have all disagreed. Indeed, Alexander Campbell would have declared such thinking heresy. Continue reading →

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Prophecy Is Where You Find it

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Jay F Guin

From 15 years ago! (In most browsers, click on the cartoon to make it bigger.)
calvin
I don’t usually post on particular political issues, but this was too good not to share.

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A Lover’s Quarrel: Renouncing Sectarianism

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Leroy Garrett’s second wish for the Churches of Christ is —

Let us resolutely and absolutely renounce our more recent sectarian heritage

It’s not unusual for us to have four or five different kinds of Churces of Christ in the same community, none of which have any fellowship with the others. We often “solve” problems by dividing. We have divided over both opinions and methods, which is contrary to the principles that gave us birth as a people.

Garrett reminds us that the Restoration Movement began as a unity movement. The original plan certainly wasn’t to create three new denominations, with one divided into dozen of sub-denominations that consider the others damned. Continue reading →

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A Lover’s Quarrel: A Unity People

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Garrett’s first wish for the Churches of Christ is —

Let us recover our heritage as a unity people

The Restoration Movement was “born of a passion for unity, and unity has been its consuming theme,” as Robert Richardson puts it, and its mission was “to unite the Christians in all the sects.” …

Once we see ourselves as the unity people we are supposed to be, we will position ourselves to be a blessing , not only to ourselves but to the larger church as well. Continue reading →

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Changes in Church Demographics: Conflict, Part 3 (High-handed Elders)

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Jay F Guin

[Moved from preceding post and revised.]

The most common way I’ve seen where even a grace-centered church can split is where the elders are perceived as acting in a high-handed way, often despite the elders’ conscious efforts not to be high-handed.

Church members, especially older, longtime members, get very upset when major changes are made without their input. As a result, major decisions often require that time be spent being sure the memberships feels heard. Even when the elders already know how the members feel, it’s often essential that the members feel heard. Continue reading →

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