The semantics of immersion
Thursday, 07 April 2005
Some good conversation has come up lately about baptism. For the sake of clarity, I’m simply going to refer to it as immersion, because that is what the word meant to the first century believers. Why it has been transliterated in most Bibles rather than translated into English, I don’t know. But the meaning of
- Published in Commentary
Profound subtleties
Wednesday, 06 April 2005
Are our sins washed away when we’re added to the right body, or are we added to the right body when our sins are washed away? Do we meet together for the purpose of taking the Lord’s supper, or is edifying one another by remembering and proclaiming Jesus’ death the goal for our gathering? Do
- Published in Commentary
The blame game
Tuesday, 05 April 2005
One thing I’ve been thinking about is where the blame lies for the current state of factionalism in Christianity. As a parent, I don’t tolerate my children blaming someone else for their own unloving actions. “He started it,” I hear. When I follow up on the story, I usually find out a little more than
- Published in Commentary
Dialogue and rebaptism
Tuesday, 05 April 2005
NOTE: The following is a dialogue constructed by Alexander Campbell in 1832 to illustrate his view on the popular practice of rebaptizing someone who had already been immersed, but without the understanding that his sins were remitted at the time. The issue arose because immersion had been preached and practiced for some time in the
- Published in Alexander Campbell
Shout Hallelujah!
Thursday, 31 March 2005
I had the song “Shout Hallelujah” (sung beautifully by the a cappella Zoe Group) running through my mind yesterday evening, and for good reason. Another sweet niece of mine (Jamie) was baptized into Christ last night! God is so good, and real faith in Him is so infectious. I’m absolutely confident her gift for conversation
- Published in Updates
Tsunamis and the God of the gap
Wednesday, 30 March 2005
After yesterday’s earthquake off the coast of Indonesia, I read an article quoting a scientist who stated that there was a 100% chance of a tsunami in the region: “My personal view is that a tsunami has a 100 percent chance of happening,” US Geological Survey earthquake expert Kerry Sieh told journalists in Los Angeles.
- Published in Commentary
A toothless watchdog
Tuesday, 29 March 2005
If creeds are so useful for the truth they may contain, but are not authoritative for our salvation, then we might as well call Moby Dick by Herman Melville a creed. Scripture is quoted in the novel, so it contains some inerrant truth, right? People view creeds as watchdogs to protect a group from heresy,
- Published in Commentary
Sweet Fellowship
Monday, 28 March 2005
My first exposure to the singing group Acappella was their album “Sweet Fellowship” about 15 years ago or more. The title track is a great song, and very encouraging. I thought I’d post the words to it here, since the subject of fellowship features prominently around here: Fellowshipping with one another as we’re walking in
- Published in Commentary
Attributing good motives
Friday, 25 March 2005
It’s my experience that one of the most kind and useful things we can do to facilitate edifying relationships with other believers is to assume they have good motives. When I don’t recognize that a fellow Christian is sincere in what I perceive to be his error, it is far too easy to dismiss him
- Published in Commentary
Loveless unity? Impossible.