Where do you draw the line?
Monday, 10 January 2005
Good people have made the point that those who argue against drawing lines in the sand with regard to Christian associations have lines themselves and they are really just arguing about where the line goes. Not so. Lines in the sand provide security and a comfort zone. On that basis, it may scare some of
- Published in Commentary, Unity
Watered down Christianity
Wednesday, 22 December 2004
God forbid that we ever water down our faith. Unfortunately, though, sometimes we have an inverted idea of what it means to do that. You see, when you water a mixture down, you decrease its strength. You add things to the mix that make it less effective at doing what the full-strength solution was intended
- Published in Commentary, Unity
Things are different now
Saturday, 18 December 2004
The problem with unity is that there are too many opinions that didn’t exist in the formative days of the church, we say. Things are different now. The church in its earliest state didn’t have denominations vying against each other, we are quick to point out. Factions didn’t battle each other for supremacy, and a
- Published in Commentary, Unity
Factories for men: an allegory
Friday, 17 December 2004
A church is a local gathering of the citizens of Heaven intended to work together as a factory for godly men and women. It is not so much a factory for creating saints, per se, but for them to have some value-added work done on them. They are to be taught and encouraged to live
- Published in Church, Commentary, Unity
The almost-ancient order of things
Tuesday, 14 December 2004
Sometimes I think those of us who find ourselves wanting to restore the “ancient order” of the New Testament church don’t really want to bring the church back to its most primitive state. It is much more comfortable for us to bring the church back to the almost-ancient order of things–perhaps the end of the
- Published in Church, Commentary, Unity
The slippery slope of the slippery slope
Thursday, 09 December 2004
Is accepting brothers as brothers without dividing into sects a slippery slope? Some of the most clarifying thoughts are the simplest ones–like the fact that the slippery slope argument itself can be seen as a slippery slope fraught with danger. “Where will it lead?” is the question most often asked. “Look at the slope you
- Published in Alexander Campbell, Commentary, Unity
Another gem
Wednesday, 08 December 2004
Here is another gem from the interview of Carl Ketcherside as recorded in his book. Q: What has been the end of all previous reformation and restoration attempts? A: Every such attempt has invariably ended by producing another sect, generally more narrow, intolerant and uncharitable than those which have preceded it. As men concentrate on
- Published in Church, Commentary, Unity
Restoration: A movement or a monument?
Wednesday, 08 December 2004
This is from an interview transcribed in a Ketcherside book I just ran across called “In the Beginning.” I’ll try to post a PDF of the book in the near future. Q: Has progress in restoration been as rapid in the last fifty years as before? A: Not at all! Those who were the spiritual
- Published in Commentary, Unity, W. Carl Ketcherside
Disputing the indisputable
Friday, 19 November 2004
There is historically some disagreement on the application of Romans 14, and it appears to be a dispute over what Paul means when he writes about receiving brothers who hold “disputable” opinions. In verses 1-3, he writes: “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes
- Published in Commentary, Unity
Playing it safe