On Bad Elders: Removing Lousy Elders, Toward a Solution, Part 2

Posted on July 11, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Public rebuke of sin

In 1 Tim 5:19 we are taught how to “rebuke” an elder —

(1 Tim 5:19-20) Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The “Gospel” Verses

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Jay F Guin

We’re getting close to the end! Thanks for your patience. Before drawing any conclusions about the nature of the gospel, it only makes sense that we take a look at a few of the verses that actually speak of the gospel.

Now, I’m not trying to define “gospel,” as it’s not so easy to do as I once thought. For example, if we define “gospel” as the availability of salvation by faith in Jesus, we have to deal with the fact that Jesus preached the gospel long before he announced that he is the Messiah. And John the Baptist preached “good news” before Jesus was baptized, much less known to be the Son of God (Luke 3:18). Continue reading →

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On Bad Elders: Removing Lousy Elders, Toward a Solution, Part 1

Posted on July 9, 2008 by Jay F Guin

In the last post, I proposed three much-need reforms, one of which is coming up with a mechanism for getting rid of elders who shouldn’t be elders.

The difficulty of judging an elder

As problematic as it is to come up with a removal mechanism, it’s just as hard to figure out who is a lousy elder. Here’s why — Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Communion (1 Corinthians)

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Thanksgiving

(1 Cor 10:15-17) I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Paul adds to the Gospels the idea of thanksgiving. It’s the “cup of thanksgiving.” The ESV translates more literally: the cup of “blessing.” But in the Passover meal, the blessing offered over the cup was a thanksgiving to God for the meal, so the NIV has the correct sense.

The meal, of course, is the sacrificed Jesus. We not only remember Jesus, we remember what he did for us. Continue reading →

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Pagan Christianity and Congregational Autonomy, Part 1

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Pagan Christianity is a new/old book by George Barna and Frank Viola. Viola wrote an earlier version called, confusingly enough, Pagan Christianity, which attracted much less attention. But this edition, with the well-known statistician George Barna listed as co-author, has attracted much more (Amazon rank of 1,667 vs. 215,610).

I’ve not read this edition, but I read the earlier one, and it’s very much in line with the thinking of the Restoration Movement, seeking to find a purer, better form of Christianity by getting back to First Century roots. However, unlike Restoration Movement churches, the authors make a strong push for house churches as truer to the scriptural pattern. Continue reading →

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On Bad Elders: Thinking Out Loud

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Jay F Guin

One of the biggest challenges facing the Churches of Christ today is how to deal with lousy elders. Of course, many churches have excellent elderships, but there are far too many congregations being held back by weak, ineffective, or downright sinful elders and elderships.

This all-too-common problem has led to several very unfortunate tendencies —

* to interpret passages to weaken the influence of elders (or to overstate their authority)

* to operate outside the eldership, by asking for forgiveness rather than permission

* to turn a youth or campus ministry into a sub-congregation of which the minister is pastor Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Communion (the Gospels)

Posted on July 6, 2008 by Jay F Guin

As we continue to investigate the central theme of the gospel — particularly the gospel as it applies to those who’ve been saved — it only makes sense to look at baptism and communion. After all, these are universal practices designed to teach or remind us of what it means to be a Christian.

I’ve posted several communion meditations on this site, several of which seek to interpret the Lord’s Supper — and I doubt I’ll ever exhaust the subject. And so I’ll try to be brief — but it’s favorite subject of mine, and so it’s going to be hard to do. Continue reading →

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Which Gospel? The Gospel of Baptism (Paul), Part 3

Posted on July 6, 2008 by Jay F Guin

The end of regulations

(Col 2:11-17) In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Continue reading →

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I Am No Music Scholar

Posted on July 6, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Fascinating post from Dan Kimball on reactions to musical innovations. Here’s a sample —

I am no music scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church music when I hear it. Last Sunday’s new hymn – if you can call it that – sounded like a sentimental love ballad one would expect to hear crooned in a saloon. If you insist on exposing us to rubbish like this – in God’s house! – don’t be surprised if many of the faithful look for a new place to worship. The hymns we grew up with are all we need.

This letter was written in 1863 and the song they were concerned about was the hymn “Just As I Am“.

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Buried Talents: That’s All I Have to Say About That

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Jay F Guin

This is the end. (Well, for now.)

Several weeks ago, I wrote about a perfectly good hallucination, and some folks got upset because I had drug-induced delusion about female elders. And so I figured it was a topic worth studying in some depth. After all, there are a LOT of women in our churches — and the ones I know have been unbelievably gifted by their Maker. Continue reading →

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