Fundamental Baptist problems

In the #MeToo era a good bit of sexual allegation appears more as gobbledygook seeking some certain civic, social, and/or political advantage. This obscures the darker problems, such as the very real problem of sexual assault and sexual abuse in some fundamental circles that exalt pastoral authority to God-like proportions. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a new series dealing with the topic.[i]

• Hundreds of sex abuse allegations found in fundamental Baptist churches across U.S.
• These ‘men of God’ sexually abused children. Then they found refuge at other churches
• ‘It’s ruined me.’ Former independent fundamental Baptists describe life in the church
• ‘My earliest memory of being molested was when I was 4 years old. It was Sunday school’
• How the Star-Telegram investigated sex abuse in fundamental Baptist churches

Since “independent Baptist” represents a broad class of Baptists who are “independent” – often unaffiliated (with any body beyond the local church) – these allegations and problems should not be projected on to all independent Baptists (or all Baptists for that matter).[ii] Be aware such renegades may hide, or try to hide, in any church. Nevertheless, this is especially problematic in churches where a leaders or a few leaders are given an inordinate amount of authority.[iii]

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[i] “The Fort Worth Star-Telegram interviewed more than 200 members, ex-members and clergy and reviewed hundreds of documents during its eight-month investigation into sexual abuse at independent fundamental Baptist churches.” A link to the series can also be found on the newspaper’s website HERE. If you don’t have a subscription you probably won’t be able to read all five articles linked, but may be able to find some of them reposted elsewhere where you can read them. For example, Hundreds of sex abuse allegations... at Pulpit and Pen, and ‘It’s ruined me.’ Former independent fundamental Baptists... at Black Christian News Network One.

[ii] I have written briefly and randomly about independent Baptists, for example, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

[iii] Beware of the “Touch not God’s anointed” mentality. Do not separate the children from their parents for worship or Bible study. Let all worship together. Let pastors when visiting ladies of the church be accompanied by their wives. All the falderal that so many churches add and attach to expand the simple church gathering not only creates a biblical “unorthopraxy” – it sets up new areas of “ministry” where duplicitous dealers can swoop in and take their prey.

Air Force failed, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Air Force failed 6 times to report Texas church gunman -- "The Department of Defense inspector general’s report details Devin Patrick Kelley’s decade-long history of violence, interest in guns and menacing of women."
• Am I Less Human If I’m Sexually Unfulfilled? -- "The most fully human and complete person who ever lived was Jesus Christ. He never married. He was never in a romantic relationship, and never had sex."
• Euthanasia Not About Ending Uncontrollable Pain -- "The euthanasia movement fear mongers its agenda as a means of preventing an agonizing death in pain that cannot be controlled. It’s all a false pitch. That’s not why it’s actually done."
• Florida School Drops Common Core – Soars To Number One -- "A school in Florida has soared to the number one position in the State’s top schools list, after it ditched the Common Core program in favor of traditional teaching methods, according to government statistics."
• Focus on Texas: High Contrast -- "Admire the stark realities captured by our readers’ cameras."
• Franklin Graham Shows Support For Christian Virginia Teacher Fired For Not Using Transgender Pronouns -- "Last week, a school board in Virginia unanimously voted to fire Peter Vlaming, the French teacher at West Point High School. He had worked at the school for nearly seven years."
• In salute to Bush, a nod to passing of ‘greatest generation’ -- "He governed with virtues that most closely resemble those of ... men who believed in causes larger than themselves."
• James Ussher, “The Annals of the World” -- "Ussher’s chronology represents a considerable feat of scholarship. It required the Bible to be firmly anchored in history, which needed a huge depth of learning in ancient history, including the rise of the Persians, Greeks and Romans."
• Lawsuit says church missed child abuse caught on security camera -- "A South Carolina megachurch is under scrutiny after the arrest of a church volunteer reportedly caught on security video molesting 14 preschoolers in the last three months."
• Rand Paul Calls Trump’s Nomination Of William Barr For Attorney General ‘Very Troubling’ -- "I’m disturbed that he’s been a big fan of taking people’s property ― civil asset forfeiture ― without a conviction."
• South Carolina church honors memory of enslaved members -- "A South Carolina congregation took an official step to honor the memory of past members of the church who were enslaved prior to 1865."
• The World: Born in 4004 BC? -- "James Ussher (1581-1656), the famous and respected Archbishop of Ireland in the seventeenth century, is today greatly ridiculed for declaring that the world was created in 4004 BC."
• This is Not a Day Care. It’s a University! -- "Everett Piper, who is the President of the school, wrote a letter to the students admonishing them that playing the victim, blaming others and not admitting mistakes is not a way to live a productive and meaningful life."
• W. C. Fields, advocate for a free Baptist press, dead at 96 -- "With innovations such as setting up a media-style press room at annual meetings of the SBC, he built a network of Baptist journalism professionals trusted by people in the pew and respected by the secular press."

Sourpuss Spotted

Oh, the look upon your face
as if you’ve sucked a lemon,
your nose disjointed from its place,
and ate a raw persimmon.

From a burning hell to a blissful heaven

From a burning hell to a blissful heaven; from endless wrath to eternal glory; from the dreadful company of devils and damned spirits, mutually tormenting and tormented, to the blessed companionship of the glorified saints, all perfectly conformed in body and soul to the image of Christ, with thousands and tens of thousands of holy angels, and, above all, to seeing the glorious Son of God as he is, in all the perfection of his beauty, and all the ravishments of his presence and love.

J. C. Philpot (1802–1869)

A Dying Savior

Anne Steele wrote the following long meter hymn, “A Dying Savior,” which was found in her Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, 1760. It is often set to the tune Zephyr by William B. Bradbury (written 1844).

1. Stretch’d on the cross, the Savior dies;
Hark! his expiring groans arise!
See, from his hands, his feet, his side,
Runs down the sacred crimson tide!

2. But life attends the deathful sound,
And flows from ev’ry bleeding wound:
The vital stream, how free it flows,
To save and cleanse his rebel foes!

3. To suffer in the traitor’s place,
To die for man, surprising grace!
Yet pass rebellious angels by—
O why for man, dear Saviour, why?

4. And didst thou bleed? for sinners bleed?
And could the sun behold the deed?
No, he withdrew his sick’ning ray,
And darkness veil’d the mourning day.

5. Can I survey this scene of woe,
Where mingling grief and wonder flow,
And yet my heart unmov’d remain,
Insensible to love or pain?

6. Come, dearest Lord, thy pow’r impart,
To warm this cold, this stupid heart,
Till all its pow’rs and passions move,
In melting grief and ardent love.

Come for the music, and other music quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify when possible.)

Sacred Harp: "Come for the music, stay for the food, come back for the people."

"It was Christians who wanted to use rock music in church who first began to deny the morality of music. Even the secular world initially objected to rock on the basis of its core sexual and rebellious meaning." -- Scott Aniol

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." -- Henry David Thoreau (Walden, 1854, p. 348)

"The problem is not the old hymns of the faith nor the music that has been handed down. Sadly, many professing Christians have lost out in communion with God, and today’s leaders are turning to the world’s style of music to animate the lifeless souls." -- Statement of FBC Radio, Dunn, North Carolina

"Let us go singing as far as we go; the road will be less tedious." - Virgil, Eclogues

"The nature of worship determines the proper mode of its expression. As it is an act of the heart, it should be expressed in the language of the heart." -- Baron Stow and Samuel F. Smith, The Psalmist, Preface, 1844

"Everybody needs to sing." -- Chuck Reece

"Everybody in the whole round world wants to sing. And there is a special joy in singing together, with others. But most human beings forgo that pleasure because they believe they can’t sing a lick." -- Chuck Reece

"Nothing improves the morals more surely than good songs...The man who sings the best songs of the Sacred harp from the heart will never have to go to jail for crime." -- J. R. McLendon, The Luverne Journal, Thursday, June 10, 1909, page 1

"The best, most beautiful, and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other is by music." -- Jonathan Edwards

"No created powers can mar our Lord Jesus’ music, nor spill our song of joy." -- Samuel Rutherford

A Sound Memory, and other music links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• A Sound Memory -- "An antique upright piano, a cherished donation to an 1870s country church in Coryell County, inched across the scarred oak floor."
• Exploring Sacred Music in the South -- "Shape-note singing harks back to an early American tradition where musical notation was recorded in the form of shapes as a way of memorizing tones, which allowed people without musical training to be able to both sight-read music and sing in harmony."
• Hymns for a Lifetime: Poetry added to music makes not only hymns, but memories -- "Which can you more likely recite over Sunday lunch after worship: a point from the sermon or a refrain from a hymn?"
• Let Everybody Sing -- "Deep in the antebellum bowels of Southern history, there emerged a style of gospel music called the Sacred Harp."
• Psalm 130 in the Hands of the Great Composers -- "For those who might be interested in exploring some of the settings of Psalm 130 in the sacred classical music tradition, I put together this Spotify playlist..."
• Singing in the Worship Service of the New Testament Church -- "Someone might ask why the New Testament is silent on music in the worship service. Actually, it is not silent regarding music."
• Should western music be transplanted to missions church plants? -- "Culture is a visible expression of worldview. It is religion externalized."
• The Reformation Brings New Approach to Sacred Music -- "By the late Middle Ages, Dawson said, the performance of sacred music was relegated mainly to professionals who could understand its polyphonic structure."
• The Southwest Texas Convention -- "Thankfully, the singing in McMahan (just up the road from Lockhart) is as good as the BBQ (maybe better)."
• When Gospel Music Sparked a ‘Worship War’ -- "As the Great Migration drew thousands of African Americans to the North, many new residents had little interest in the music of these congregations."

A wrong approach

In the “you can’t make this stuff up” category, I found that certain followers of Peter Ruckman have gone so far as to create a text to “prove” the 1611 King James Bible is mentioned in the inspired word of God. I referenced this in a previous post last year, but decided to expand on it just a bit.

Timothy S. Morton in “An ‘Unconventional’ View of the Scriptures” mentions that some guy, identified only as “The Carpenter,” came up with the idea of making a biblical text which changes the printed numbers (as words) into Arabic numerals. “To aid in seeing the numbers, they need to be changed from text into digits (3 for ‘three,’ 80 for ‘fourscore,’ etc.)…As a result we produced a new edition of the Authorized King James Version like no other in existance (sic). We call it the Authorized Version, Numerical. It is identical to the regular Authorized Version in words and meaning. The only differences are the written out number words are changed to digits, with brackets around the digits for clarity (basically just a spelling change), and the text is broken at sentences, questions, and the digits.” These Gnostics have found the key to the Scriptures – the key to proving, to their own satisfaction, that the scriptures themselves prove, in so many numbers, that the King James Bible is the word of God. “It appears the Lord hid a key in the Scriptures nearly 2000 years ago that He kept hidden until 2009.” They found a sequence of verses/sentences that has a 1, then a 6, then a 1, and then another 1 – John 11:52-12:5.[i]

“Who says the 1611 is not found in the Bible! As far as we know this is the first time this has been revealed. This sequence transcends language and translation. The digits 1611 are found in any true Bible text in any language!...as a simple test try to find the dates that some of the ‘new Bibles’ were published in sequence like 1611. How about,

1885, (The Revised Version that was destined to ‘replace’ the AV) — Nope

1901, (The American Standard Version)  — Nope

1952, (The Revised Standard Version)  — Nope

1967, (The New American Standard Version)  — Nope

1978, (The New International Version)  — Nope

1982, (New King James Version) — Nope

2001, (English Standard Version) — Nope

...and many more!

Thus the only major Bible translation with its publication date found in order among the numbers of the Scriptures is that of the Authorized King James of 1611!

Furthermore, what is indeed ironic is the 1611 sequence is found in all the new versions while their own publication dates are not! How is that for an insult?

Apparently the Authorized Version, Numerical is available on the Version 4.8 of the Bible Analyzer software program. While I agree with Timothy Morton and “The Carpenter” that the King James Bible is the word of God, I reject such defense of it as bordering on the nonsensical. Such an argument is “preaching to the choir” that will convince none but the already convinced.

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[i] They also found 1611 backwards – 1161.

Origin of “The Great Commission”

Ever wonder who coined the term “The Great Commission” in reference to Matthew 28:18-20? Reading a piece in the Themelios journal, I noticed this account of the origin of the term:

“In all the commentaries I had used...none addressed the question...Who coined the term ‘The Great Commission’?...It turns out this passage got its summary label from a Dutch missionary Justinian von Welz (1621-88), but it was Hudson Taylor, nearly 200 years later, who popularized the use of ‘The Great Commission’. So, it seems like Welz or some other Post-Reformation missionary probably coined the term ‘The Great Commission’ and since that time, the passage has been the theme for countless mission talks and conferences...What I realized both from my exegetical work, and somewhat confirmed by this historical find, was that for the first 1600 years of the greatest exponential mission-driven expansion of the life of church, this passage was read and understood as the trinitarian foundation of ecclesiology, not as fanfare for missiology. The disciples, as the apostolic authority of the soon-to-be-empowered-Church, are called together in order to be drawn into, to be called into, the on-going mission of the triune God.”

From “The Last Word: The Great Commission: Ecclesiology,” by Robbie F. Castleman, Themelios, Vol 32, No 3, April 2007, p. 68

[Castleman mentions finding “this bit of history” in a book about the history of world missions, which belonged to a colleague of hers at John Brown University. She does not mention the name of the book. According to the Gospel Fellowship Association piece on von Welz, he was “the son of Austrian nobility…born in 1621 into a Lutheran family…migrated to Lutheran Germany. His school days were spent in the Netherlands.” Castleman may have called him “a Dutch missionary” because of his time spent in the Netherlands, coupled with where he went as a missionary, Dutch Guiana in South America.]

Are Arminians “Saved,” reprise

In 2006 I created a brief post, Are Arminians “Saved”?. It included a link to a website called Outside the Camp. Apparently that link is not good any longer. For that reason, I am posting some material from an article on that site – “Three Reasons Why Arminians are not Saved,” by Christopher Adams. This is a good example of the flavor once available on “Outside the Camp.”

One of the most important issues faced by those who profess to believe the doctrines of grace (commonly called “Calvinism”) is how to relate to professing Christians who reject the doctrines of grace. Should they be approached as brothers in Christ? Should we take their “conversion experience” at face value? In answering these questions, the writer would like to submit the following “Three Reasons Why Arminians Are Not Saved.”

Reason Number One: Arminians are not saved because they worship an idol. By an idol, I mean “a god who cannot save.”...Arminians have fashioned a god in their own image. They are no more saved than the Jews who had done exactly the same thing.

Reason Number Two: Arminians are not saved because they do not believe the truth. This is related to the previous reason but has more to do with the evidence of a person’s salvation.

Any Calvinist who defends the salvation of Arminians must explain 2 Thessalonians 2:12, which says, “That they all might be damned who believe not the truth...”...Again, a saved sinner may not necessarily use all the same words that I have used here, but he will never believe the opposite of these doctrines, nor will he ever oppose them when confronted with them (1 Cor 2:12).

Reason Number Three: Arminians are not saved because they hate the truth. This reason also has more to do with the evidence of a person’s salvation...

The very fact that there is any debate over this issue indicates that the majority of professing Calvinist churches are not true churches at all.

The fact that Arminians are unsaved also leads us to a few conclusions:

1. We must not fellowship with Arminians...2. We must treat them as unsaved...3. We must be willing to exercise church discipline on those who turn out to be Arminians or consider Arminians to be their brothers in Christ...

These “Outside the Camp” people even come to the conclusion that “Calvinists” who think “Arminians” are saved, are not themselves children of God!

More on A. M. Stewart

I have found some more bits of information on Angus McAlister Stewart, from copies of a few issues of the Harvest Gleaner, published at Phenix, Alabama by J. H. Jenkins, a Free Will Baptist minister. Thanks to Robert Picirilli for supplying scans.

Corresponding the Harvest Gleaner periodical – published October 28, 1896, p. 4 – Angus M. Stewart wrote,

Bryan, Texas.

Bro. Jenkins,

            “Have just returned from our Association. Had a most pleasant session. It was the best attended in the history of the association, a spirit of progress and aggressive work seemed to pervade the entire body. A cultured and intellectual minister, who had held important pastorals in this state and Nebraska, united with us from the Missionary Baptist denomination, evidently actuated by the most conscientious convictions.

            “Had it not been for the hard times the Gleaner would have some substantial help, all that could be done was to recommend that the ministers and delegates do all possible toward its support rustling subscriptions.

            “At the same time and place a preliminary organization of a convention of Texas Free or Freewill Baptists was made. The constitution is such that all Liberal Baptists, the main feature of whose work is identical, may participate in its work. The main object of this convention is to unite the various bodies of Free or Liberal Baptists, and to secure co-operation in general church work in the state. Officers are A. M. Stewart, Bryan, Tex., president, Joseph Apperson, Lone Star, Tex., and A. G. Graham, Aldorado, Tex.,[i] vice-presidents, C. W. Turrell, Taylor, Tex.,[ii] secretary, J. W. Orr, Hollis, Texas, assistant secretary, and W. T. Wood, Welborne, Tex., Treasurer. We invite correspondence with all Liberal Baptists in the State.

A. M. Stewart”

In September 16 through October 7, 1896, of available issues of the Gleaner, A. M. Stewart’s address is St. Louis, Mo., but in the October 14 issue (p. 4) he is listed at Bryan, Tex., with this note from the Editor:

STEWART.

“Rev. A. M. Stewart has changed P. O. from St. Louis Mo. to Bryan Tex. We are glad to welcome brother Stewart back, and still gladder to note that arrangements have been made, that he will continue in the field, as an evangelist. He has been very successful in the West, and we expect much good to result from the action of the Texas association. We congratulate them, and pray for God’s blessing upon the work.”

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[i] Aldorado, Tex is probably an error. There is Eldorado in Schleicher County, Texas, and Alvarado in Johnson County, Texas. A. G. Graham may be Arthur George “A. G.” Graham buried at Salem Cemetery, Lavaca County, Texas. This A. G. Graham was in Glen Rose, Somervell County in 1899, which is a neighbor to Johnson County.

[ii] C. W. Turrell is identified in another note by the editor, J. H. Jenkins, as the “cultured and intellectual minister” who came over from the Missionary Baptists. Turrell’s church hosted a convention of Missionary Baptists meeting at Taylor on June 4 (The Galveston Daily News, Thursday, June 4, 1896 page 3; Austin Weekly Statesman, Thursday, June 11, 1896, page 11), but he was with the Free Will Baptists by October. C. W. Turrell apparently moved on to the Christian Church and served with them (The Lampasas Leader, Friday, December 30, 1898, p. 1).

63% of Non-Citizen Households, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 63% of Non-Citizen Households Access Welfare Programs -- "Of non-citizens in Census Bureau data, roughly half are in the country illegally. Non-citizens also include long-term temporary visitors (e.g. guestworkers and foreign students) and permanent residents who have not naturalized (green card holders)."
• An exploding meteor may have wiped out ancient Dead Sea communities -- "A superheated blast from the skies obliterated cities and farming settlements north of the Dead Sea around 3,700 years ago, preliminary findings suggest."
• Child Euthanasia without Parent Approval Pushed for Canada -- "Remember, the issue here is whether doctors should be allowed to kill children. One would think that — at a bare minimum — such homicides should require parental permission. But no."
• Coptic Woman Details Horrors of Living as a Christian Female in Egypt: ‘It’s Hell’ -- "Magdy stated that Christian women are afraid to file reports because they fear police will discriminate against them if they do."
• Character Matters: George H. W. Bush -- "George Bush was beacon of civility in a cruel profession."
• Does God Try? -- "Think about the notion of God ‘trying’ to do something. Is the idea of God ‘trying’ actually a sound way to think about Him?"
• Missionary Martyrs: Are We Paying Too High a Price to Evangelize the World? -- "In following Christ by laying down their lives, Charles and John did no more than follow the example of Jesus."
• New CPRC Research: Mass Public Shootings are much higher in the rest of the world and increasing much more quickly -- "The U.S. is well below the world average in terms of the number of mass public shootings, and the global increase over time has been much bigger than for the United States."
• Pontius Pilate’s Name Is Found on 2,000-Year-Old Ring -- "The language of the ring’s inscription is Greek, which Roman officials used to communicate with the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean."
• Southern Baptist agency warns ‘eugenics is real’ in Supreme Court brief about Down syndrome and abortion -- "This country will one day shudder at the thought of a child being snuffed out in the womb simply because that child had an extra chromosome. The abortion industry’s defense of abortions based on sex, race and disability exposes their thirst for profit."
• The decision to close BTSR was gut-wrenching. It was also necessary. -- "There were many difficult but honest discussions, sometimes leading to tears and always undergirded with prayer."
• The substitute teacher who told kids Santa wasn’t real gets the boot -- "School officials say a substitute teacher who told first-grade students in New Jersey that Santa Claus isn't real will not be returning to the school."
• Video: Man Confronts Teacher Who Put His Grandson in a Dress -- "Irate leftists have posted the video, originally shared by the grandfather, to demonstrate his homophobia and bigotry."

Grace and its obligations

Grace lays us under the greatest of all obligations to its free and bountiful Giver, and especially to render a believing obedience to his revealed will and word. It is his free, sovereign, and distinguishing grace alone which makes and manifests us to be his children, and therefore it demands of us, as a feeble and most insufficient tribute of grateful praise, that we should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, and glorify him in our body and spirit which are his.

J. C. Philpot (1802–1869)

Give to the Winds Thy Fears

Short Meter, Double.

1. Give to the winds thy fears,
Hope and be undismayed.
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head.
Through waves and clouds and storms,
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou His time; so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.

2. He everywhere hath sway,
And all things serve His might,
His every act pure blessing is,
His path unsullied light;
When He makes bare His arm,
What shall His work withstand?
When He His people's cause defends,
Who, who shall stay His hand?

3. Still heavy is thy heart?
Still sinks thy spirit down?
Cast off the world, let fear depart
Bid every care begone.
What though thou rulest not;
Yet heaven, and earth, and hell
Proclaim, God sitteth on the throne,
And ruleth all things well.

4. Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command;
So shalt thou, wondering, own that way,
How wise, how strong this hand.
Far, far above thy thought,
His counsel shall appear,
When fully He the work hath wrought,
That caused thy needless fear.

5. Thou seest our weakness, Lord;
Our hearts are known to Thee;
O lift Thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee!
Let us in life, in death,
Thy steadfast truth declare,
And publish with our latest breath
Thy love and guardian care.

Paulus Gerhardt (1607–1676) 1656 in Pietatis Melica Praxis; translated from German to English by John Wesley, 1737

On the Lighter Side, Sort of

“Scripture passages marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, NavPress Publishing Group.”

“MSG can be bad for your health in large amounts.” – Dr. Ryan Phasouk, St. George’s University School of Medicine

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Our local news Tuesday morning reported on a song that had run afoul of the #MeToo movement – “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” This isn’t a song I am familiar with, so I had to look it up. Here’s a couple of links on the brouhaha.

Radio station stops playing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” after listeners voice concerns about lyrics in #MeToo era

The song was written by popular Broadway composer Frank Loesser, who originally performed it as a humorous number with his wife. But the lyrics, in today’s context, have taken on somewhat more sinister connotations.

Star 102 Abruptly Stops Playing This Christmas Song. Here’s Why

Now, I do realize that when the song was written in 1944, it was a different time, but now while reading it, it seems very manipulative and wrong. The world we live in is extra sensitive now, and people get easily offended, but in a world where #MeToo has finally given women the voice they deserve, the song has no place.

I won’t lose any sleep over the absence of this song. It doesn’t fit my Christian viewpoint. Nevertheless, I wonder why it in particular got picked on? The various musical media is full of vile and vulgar songs that are available for regular consumption. This one seems “sinister-lite” in comparison.

Righteousness without tears, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify when possible.)

"Righteousness without tears is arrogance." -- Heard

"Nothing can be lonelier than the creature dissatisfied with his creator’s will, for he does not even have fellowship with himself. He has given up knowledge of himself as he really is to cling to a fantasy of himself as he wishes to be." -- Matt Bell

"Truth is that which corresponds to the mind of God." -- Jason Lisle

"Be a glow-in-the-dark Christian." -- Church sign

"The King’s speech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian and Latin, is still the King’s speech, though it be not interpreted by every translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere." -- King James Bible translators

"It doesn’t help the world for Christians to hide their allegiances, placing their lamps under baskets." -- Mark Ward

"How do two parents - two human parents - create offspring that is not human, but later becomes so?" -- Scott Klusendorf

"Only a fool seeks peace by inciting violence." -- Heard

"When the high spring of gratitude to God fails at the top of the mountain, soon all the pools of thankfulness begin to dry up further down the mountain. And when gratitude goes, the sovereignty of the self condones more and more corruption for its pleasure." -- John Piper

"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." -- Theodore Roosevelt

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." -- G. K. Chesterton

Why is the Lord’s Supper reserved for believers only?

In the past Baptists have debated over the restrictions on communion, often using the terms open, close, and closed.[i] A decade ago I wrote about “theoretical unrestricted communion” as the belief that there are absolutely no restrictions placed on who can take communion. In practice, this would mean actively soliciting members of other religions and even the non-religious to participate in the observing of the Lord’s Supper. My understanding at the time was that for Baptists this could only be theoretical, in that they at the least believe the Lord’s Supper is for God’s people and is ideally restricted to them. Probably that was not accurate then, but I am certain that it is not now true. As ecumenism, liberalism, and tolerationism have made their inroads among Baptists, many of these now ask, “Why is it reserved only for born again believers?” The answer, to many, is that there is no limitation or barrier to observing the Lord’s Supper, and all who wish to participate are welcomed.[ii]

The Lord’s Supper is intended for the Lord’s disciples. This can be seen in the following.

1. It is a memorial or remembrance of the Lord’s death (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
2. It is an expectation of the Lord’s coming (1 Corinthians 11:26; Matthew 26:29).
3. It was observed when the church came together out of the world rather than in the world (Acts 2:42; 20:7ff; 1 Corinthians 11:18).
4. It is the new “Passover feast” of those who observe it in sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; cf. John 4:24).
5. It is a communion for the partakers of “that one bread,” Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
6. It is not ecumenical, in the sense of embracing other religions (1 Corinthians 10:20-21).
7. It requires a self-examination and discernment in relation to the body and blood of Jesus Christ, with associated judgment (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).

The points above might be fleshed out for greater edification, but I present them in skeleton form for the time being. The point of this post is not to jettison the idea of closed communion for a more open version for all who believe, but to briefly point out that “all who believe” is the lowest common denominator for communion, and we must begin building on the biblical truth from that foundation.

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[i] Although these terms don’t always mean the same things to all Baptists.

[ii] John Wesley, for example, believed that communion was a means of grace and that someone invited to the table might be converted to Christ at the table (The The Works of John Wesley, Bicentennial Edition, Richard P. Heitzenrater, editor, Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1984, Volume 19: Journal and Diaries II (1738-1743), p. 159). While I disagree with Wesley, his motivation was not the same as modern ecumenicists. He viewed these as unbelievers in need of being born again. Many ecumenists, on the other hand, believe all religions are valid expressions on the way to God – therefore receiving with open arms and free communion those who reject Jesus as the only way whereby we must be saved.

Can People Learn to Read, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• BreakPoint: Saving Some, Killing Others -- "Prenatal Surgery Exposes Abortion for What It Really Is"
• Can People Learn to Read the English of the KJV? -- "Exactly how is a pastor, with all his other duties, supposed to 1) notice when people are misunderstanding KJV English and then 2) teach them to read it?"
• Can the Ussher Chronology Be Trusted? -- "Up until fairly recently, nearly all printings of the King James Bible included dates in the marginal notes which helped place Biblical events in their chronological context."
• Can we all have press passes into the REAL seat of power – the courts? -- "... to demand that the government take a definite action left up to the executive branch, not the judiciary, such as granting a visa or a press badge, is beyond any scope of judicial power."
• Church seeks to intervene in lawsuit over IRS tax exemption -- "A Baptist church in the nation’s capital is requesting a day in court before a federal court rules in a lawsuit by an atheist group that lost its tax-exempt status for failing to file a form not required for churches and other religious organizations."
• Court Bars Father from Teaching 6-Year-Old Son that He Is a Boy -- "A Texas court has barred a father from teaching his 6-year-old son that he is a boy or from dressing him like a boy – even though the child chooses to be a boy around the dad."
• Democrat Corruption is a Clear and Present Danger to America -- "The mystery is why so many Democrat candidates who are so obviously ethically challenged won in races that should not have even been close."
• Five Advantages of Church-Based Counseling -- "Many of the secular counseling paradigms advocate no contact with counseling clients outside of the counseling office. But being in the same church helps..."
• Flawed Media Coverage of Obama Hurts America Still -- "One of the more frustrating aspects of our current political debate is the extent to which differences from administration to administration are exaggerated and distorted."
• If, Then, But, Therefore: How Psalm 124 Instructs Us for Thanksgiving -- "Psalm 124 is a psalm of corporate thanksgiving, a psalm that instructs us how to thank God together. This psalm also instructs us as to one of the ways for how to thank God as well."
• Jewish Leaders Demand Bible Publishers Print “Anti-Semitism” Disclaimers In New Testament -- "Translations of the New Testament, the Qur’an and other Christian or Muslim literatures need marginal glosses, and introductions that emphasize continuity with Jewish heritage of both Christianity and Islam and warn readers about antisemitic passages in them."
• John Allen Chau and the Ethics of Christian Missions -- "Pulpit & Pen contributor Seth Dunn addresses those questions in an episode of his podcast, The Christian Commute."
• Mom Dresses Six-Year-Old Son As Girl, Threatens Dad With Losing His Son For Disagreeing -- "A Texas custody case splits a 6-year-old child’s gender identity in two."
• On the Road Looking for God’s True Church -- "All of the churches in this post are Baptist churches located in Monroe, Michigan — a city of 21,000 people. Polly and I have never seen this many Baptist churches in a Northern community this size, especially when you consider that this post does not list all of the Baptist churches in Monroe."
• Our Founders never thought the courts had the final say — and neither should we -- "Restoring this balance of power away from judicial supremacism as our Founders envisioned does not require a constitutional amendment the same way it would if we wanted to alter a presidential veto or congressional control over the purse."
• Roy Clark, country guitar virtuoso, 'Hee Haw' star, dies at 85 -- "Country Music Hall of Fame member and versatile entertainer Roy Clark died Thursday at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma,  after complications from pneumonia, his publicist said."
• The Common Core, (Hopefully) R.I.P. -- "Untold hours of effort and massive amounts of money were used to write, train teachers, and implement the Common Core agenda. Yet, it has failed."
• The Geneva English Bible: The Shocking Truth -- "The Geneva Bible was ‘killed’: but it is alive."
• Thoughts on Suicide -- "There is perhaps no more difficult and heart-wrenching situation than for someone to take their own life.

The Bullying Breakthrough, and other reviews

The posting of book reviews does not constitute endorsement of the books or book reviews that are linked.

• Book Review: Art Lindsley’s C.S. Lewis’s Case for Christ -- "The section of Lindsley’s study that a reader is destined to find most helpful concerns the coherence of Lewis’s apologetic scheme."
• Book Review: The Bullying Breakthrough -- "I give The Bullying Breakthrough five out of five stars!"
• Christian Pacifism: Fruit of the Narrow Path – A Review -- "This book runs just under 100 pages, but it packs quite a punch. It’s written by an ex-marine gone pacifist..."
• Mapping the New Mating Market: A Review of Cheap Sex -- "It is very difficult to dispute Regnerus’ map or his cautious assessments of future trends. For those hoping to curb cheap sex and its negative effects, the book is a framework for future action."
• Profit Motive: What Drives the Things We Do -- "Ultimately, the author succeeds in making his case for the importance of profit motives, and anyone interested in enhancing a business or building up a community will profit from reading this book."
• Review: It’s Dangerous to Believe, by Mary Eberstadt -- "This book is a diligent concatenation of stories of anti-Christian liberal prejudice in the modern West. Not one was new to me."
• SBC FAQs answers your questions -- "The book includes the SBCs guiding documents and the mission assignments of all the entities."
• ‘Unfriended’ Author Shares Harmful Impact of Social Media, How to Get Back to True Community -- "In Unfriended, the New Jersey native wishes to help readers shake off their digital fatigue and get back to ‘real-life, real-world relationships with real people’."
• Woke Church by Eric Mason: A Book Review -- "Mason calls for us to open our hearts and minds and listen to each other even if we disagree. I found my heart aching with Mason through many of the stories he shared."