Tag Archives: John Mark Hicks

The Blue Parakeet: Corollaries — Positive Law

We’ve worked through several examples about how this Story/narrative approach to Bible study pushes us to rethink some familiar passages. Now that the quarter is nearly over, I want to sort through some additional hermeneutical principles built on the narrative … Continue reading

Posted in Blue Parakeet, The Blue Parakeet, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

CENI: The Laws Behind the Curtain

What’s really going on? Why do our leaders feel so comfortable — so insistent — that their interpretations are right, when it’s obvious that the scriptural support for many of their positions is very, very thin? Well, it all goes … Continue reading

Posted in CENI, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 37 Comments

The Baptists’ Evolving View of Baptism (and the Churches of Christ, too)

One of the most pronounced identity markers of the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches is our view of baptism. In contrast to most evangelical churches, we reject infant baptism, insist on baptism by immersion, and consider baptism the moment … Continue reading

Posted in Baptism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Fixing Our Universities: Harding and Abilene Offer Free Ministry Training

For a while now, I’ve been complaining that our Christian universities burden our future ministers and missionaries with heavy tuition, while giving away free educations to athletes, who sometimes have no interest in the things of Jesus. It’s a strange … Continue reading

Posted in Fixing Our Universities, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fixing Our Universities: Harding and Abilene Offer Free Ministry Training

Are We Sacramentalists? The Lord’s Supper

[I’m reposting this to get it in right order within the series.] Most Protestants consider the Lord’s Supper to be a sacrament. The Churches of Christ do not. Rather, we follow the view of Zwingli that the communion is purely … Continue reading

Posted in Sacramentalism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Are We Sacramentalists? The Lord’s Supper

Are We Sacramentalists? Baptism

It’s hard to deny the sacramental character of baptism as taught in the Churches of Christ. Although Zwingli taught “external things are nothing. They avail nothing for salvation,” the Churches of Christ have always taught that baptism is the event … Continue reading

Posted in Sacramentalism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Are We Sacramentalists? Baptism

Are We Sacramentalists? Introduction

“Sacramentalist” just sounds kind of cool, doesn’t it? Lots of alliteration and sibilance. But it’s not a word you hear much in Church of Christ circles. We’ve been accused by many of teaching baptism as a sacrament. We usually figure … Continue reading

Posted in Sacramentalism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Are We Sacramentalists? Introduction