Many years ago, Al Mohler published a widely-read article on doctrinal triage, a method for evaluating the seriousness of doctrines. Kevin Bauder then pointed out that this approach was something that mainstream fundamentalists had espoused for many years, with possibly more sophistication. I’ve thought for a while that we need something like that for the… Continue Reading
“John, we’d love it if you and Susan would join us for a meal on Thursday evening.” “Uh…well, Mike, thanks but…isn’t that illegal? I mean, doesn’t the lockdown prohibit that kind of social gathering?” “Oh, no, I don’t mean that you and Susan come to our home. We’ll host you online.” “I’m still not following.… Continue Reading
In 1 John 1:5–10, John is speaking to believers, those who “have fellowship with one another” and God (1 John 1:7; cf. 1:3). In 1 John 1:9 it is these believers who “confess” (homologeō) their “sins,” obviously to God. Broken apart, the Greek verb homologeō literally means “to say the same thing,” and its use… Continue Reading
The Greek word koinōnia is translated four times as “fellowship” in 1 John 1. John wrote the letter of 1 John to his readers to clarify what true Christian belief and living really were, primarily to assure them of the eternal life that they possessed (1 John 5:13). Assuming they held fast to what he… Continue Reading
Ephesians 4:4 requires every Christian to endeavor to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This exhortation assumes that Christian unity comes from the Holy Spirit. Christians do not create unity, but Christians can either damage it or maintain it. Parachurch organizations often specify the kind of churches to which they… Continue Reading
From their earliest days, Baptists have erected organizations to assist them in coordinating ministries that are beyond the ability of most individual churches. Among these organizations are both church associations and individual fellowships. Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to attend the meetings of three such organizations, two at the national level… Continue Reading
The word Schadenfreude first caught my attention during the mid-1980s, well before it was popularized by Lisa Simpson. The term designates the satisfaction or joy that comes from considering the troubles of other people—especially the misfortunes of one’s opponents. Schadenfreude may be one of the most universal human vices. Expressions of Shadenfreude can even be… Continue Reading
Yesterday I suggested that some kind of expression of union between brothers in Christ should be part of corporate worship, particularly as part of the observance of the Table, which is a celebration of our union with Christ and each other through him. I suggested that in the early centuries this was a kiss of… Continue Reading
OK, so I’m not really going to defend the handshake chorus as it’s practiced today. But I did want to address the importance and tradition of expressing fellowship among believers in the context of a worship service. Those with a more God-centered philosophy of church services (as opposed to a seeker philosophy or one more centered… Continue Reading
Churches that wish to be doctrinally thorough and promote theological literacy ought to have a pulpit that systematically teaches through Scripture, and support it with other means of increasing theological knowledge and depth. This post considers a third and fourth way of achieving this. A conservative Christian church should engage in the systematic discipleship of believers.… Continue Reading