Randy's Brew

An Elder

If you need spiritual guidance, if you need help in a time of crisis, to whom do you go? 1. An elder, because of his experience; 2. A bishop, because of his concern; 3. A shepherd, because you know he cares. These three men are one.

Salvation

It is noteworthy how often various aspects of salvation occur in the same book, and even in the same passage (Acts 2:38-39; 19:4; Galatians 3:26-27; Colossians 2:12).  When God’s word and the various aspects of salvation are viewed as a unity, as in the New Testament, the same effect can be attributed to all without contradiction and without difference in meaning, and this is what is evidently happening in the passages listed above.  They are not to be understood as “either/or”, but “both/and” since all are understood as obedient responses of faith.

Quenching the Spirit?

“Sadly enough, there is a kind of an anti-intellectualism among many Christians: spirituality is falsely pitted against intellectual comprehension as though they stood in a dichotomy. Such anti-intellectualism cuts away at the very heart of the Christian message. Of course, there is a false intellectualism which does destroy the work of the Holy Spirit. But it does not arise when men wrestle honestly with honest questions and then see that the Bible has the answers. This does not oppose true spirituality.”  Francis Schaeffer, Death in the City (Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press: 1969) 84-85

The Function of Miracles in Acts

1.  Apologetic

2.  Indicator of God’s Involvement in Human History

3.  Authenticate the Gospel Message

4.  Evangelistic Purposes

Rewind

I am a “cessationist.”  I believe the New Testament teaches that miraculous gifts have fulfilled their purpose and have ceased.  (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; Hebrews 2:3-4)  Although the “sign gifts” have ended, the Holy Spirit has not ceased working. He instills indwells every Christian.  He is God’s empowering presence. He is our distinguishing characteristic. God is still a God of healing and miracles. Divine intervention to the natural, ordinary, and observed order of human events still occurs. Some things can’t be explained.  As a cessationist, I can affirm that. God heals and works through faith, not a faith-healer. For many, God becomes an instrument who not only can heal, but must heal; they forget that God is sovereign. Our problem is that, although we claim that God can heal, we act as if he won’t or doesn’t.

Thinking about the Holy Spirit

“Sadly enough, there is a kind of an anti-intellectualism among many Christians: spirituality is falsely pitted against intellectual comprehension as though they stood in a dichotomy. Such anti-intellectualism cuts away at the very heart of the Christian message. Of course, there is a false intellectualism which does destroy the work of the Holy Spirit. But it does not arise when men wrestle honestly with honest questions and then see that the Bible has the answers. This does not oppose true spirituality.”  Francis Schaeffer, Death in the City (Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press: 1969) 84-85

A Favorite Expression of Luke

A favorite expression of Luke in both his gospel and Acts is "Filled/full of the Spirit"  (Luke 1:15, 41, 67; 4:1; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9, 52).  My understanding of this phrase is below:

• Intends to be continuous and maintained, but which may fluctuate.
• Normal characteristic of every faithful Christian.
• Often an endowment for a particular ministry or office.
• However, not so much for a lifelong office, as for an immediate task.
• The evidence of being filled with the Spirit or full of the Spirit is his fruit.  (Galatians 5:22-26)

Three Formative Components of Our Traditional Hermeneutic

1.  The Grammatico-Historical Method

2.  Dispensations  (Alexander Campbell, “The Sermon on the Law,” 1816)

     a.  Patriarch

     b.  Mosaic

     c.  Christian

3.  Tripartite HermeneuticCommand

     a.  Apostolic

     b.  Example

     c.  Necessary Inference

The Influence of the Reformation & the Enlightenment upon the Campbells

1.  The stress upon “Scripture alone”

2.  The call for a return to the 1^st century church

3.  A strong anti-traditionalism

4.  From Zwingli, the strong focus upon biblical forms and patterns

5.  The insistence on the right of the individual to read the Bible for himself

6.  To think that the surest way to Christian unity was to reduce religion to a set of essentials upon which all reasonable people could agree.

7.  To emphasize the importance of a rational faith, which was rationally formulated, which could be rationally defended, and which was predicated on the facts of a rational Bible.

Stone and Campbell: Not Always "Eye to Eye"

Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell agreed on numerous theological/doctrinal ideas.  Both accepted Scripture as the sole authority for Christian faith and denied that creedal statements be bound on Christians. Both pleaded for unity on the basis of a return to the Bible. Both had reacted against the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination and limited atonement—they believed that the gospel should be preached to all men and women and that anyone could believe and obey the Lord. Both rejected the sprinkling of infants.  Both practiced the immersion of believers. Both refused to wear sectarian names. Both regarded denominational organizations as unscriptural.

However, Stone and Campbell disagreed on numerous issues, as well. They disagreed about names.  Stone insisted upon “Christian.”  Campbell preferred “Disciple.”  They disagreed on the emphasis of baptism.  Stone was willing to accept the unimmersed.  Campbell did not and insisted baptism was for the remission of sins. They disagreed on the frequency of the Lord’s Supper; Campbell urged observance every Sunday, while Stone did not. Though both were evangelistic, their methodology was different.  Stone stressed the emotional side.  Campbell emphasized the mind and the role of reason in conversion. Other differences included the Trinity, the atonement, Church government, and the role of the Holy Spirit.