Archives for March 2012

A gracEmail subscriber asks, "What exactly does 'Protestant' mean? I've always been taught that I am neither Protestant nor Catholic but only a 'Christian.' Can you help clear this up?" * * * Originally the word "Protestant" referred to followers of the 16th century reformers Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, whose work many celebrate the last Sunday each October. The noun is formed from the Latin verb protestari meaning "to make a declaration." The Reformers "declared" that God justifies sinners by grace through faith, that all believers are God's holy priesthood and that Scripture takes … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber asks, "What are your thoughts about the Promise Keepers movement? Is it an organization with a political agenda, a Spirit-driven phenomenon or perhaps a great awakening?" * * * Promise Keepers appears to me to be a mighty work of the Holy Spirit with historic repercussions. Through PK and other such movements, God is lighting fires of revival and reformation among many of his people from a wide assortment of Christian backgrounds. The result, by God's grace, just might be the spiritual transformation of our country, now filled with family and societal violence, … [Read more...]

Several gracEmail readers have inquired about the group known as International Churches of Christ (ICOC or ICC) and its connection, if any, to the Churches of Christ. In response to those questions, this gracEmail is longer than usual. * * * (This was written in February 2007, and many ICOCs have experienced major reform since that time. Kip McKean is no longer ICOC leader but has begun a different movement. Following is an earlier history of this group.) One of the more rapidly-growing religious movements around the world today, the International Churches of Christ promotes itself as … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber writes to say that he is part of a group of believers from various denominations and nondenominations who wish to form a home-based community for Bible study, prayer, worship and outreach of various types. "Our intention is not to provide a substitute for existing congregations," he explains, "but we will let the needs of the group shape the direction of development. Any suggestions or warnings?" * * * In 1975, Sara Faye and I found ourselves in a similar situation in Athens, Alabama, when we began an open-invitation Tuesday evening mutual edification meeting at our … [Read more...]

The misconception is widespread that the various Christian denominations and fellowships have little in common, or that they constitute different "faiths." From a biblical standpoint, there is but one Christian faith, which exists throughout the church universal, although its specific external expressions vary with time and place as well as with denomination. There is not a Presbyterian faith or a Baptist faith or a Church of Christ faith. There is one great house of God, though many rooms; one family whose members all know God as Father; one fellowship of the Spirit whose participants all … [Read more...]

A Church of Christ sister in New Mexico writes: "The terms 'fundamentalist Christian' and 'evangelical Christian' confuse me. What is generally meant by these terms and what is the difference between them?" * * * By the mid-20th century, fundamentalism in the U.S. had largely lost its voice, and when it spoke, few people outside its own family listened. Meanwhile, American Protestant Christianity clearly needed an infusion of gospel clarity, conviction and commitment to communicate the faith to others. If these goals were to be reached, reasoned a number of prayerful academicians and … [Read more...]

A Church of Christ sister in New Mexico writes: "The terms 'fundamentalist Christian' and 'evangelical Christian' confuse me. What is generally meant by these terms and what is the difference between them?" * * * The terms "fundamentalism" and "fundamentalist" became popular in 1909 with the publication of a 12-volume set of books called "The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth." These books were written by leading theologians and biblical scholars from across Protestantism, most having earned doctorates in their disciplines, who set forth orthodox Christian teaching concerning Christ's … [Read more...]

A friendly but curious subscriber asks, "In view of your book's title (The Sound of His Voice: Discovering the Secrets of God's Guidance) and some recent gracEmails, I wonder whether you have become one of those charismatics." * * * If one defines a "charismatic" Christian as a person who thinks we hold the controls to manipulate God according to our own will, or that every Christian must possess some particular spiritual gift, or that believers who exercise certain grace-gifts are spiritually superior to believers who receive different gifts, then I wholeheartedly reject the label, and … [Read more...]

A gracEmail subscriber in Maine writes, "We had considerable discussion in my Sunday School class on the text which says, 'whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' What do we 'bind' or 'loose?' Isn't this passage used to establish the Roman Catholic priesthood and papal system?" * * * Jesus first gives power to "bind" and "loose" to Peter (Matt. 16:19) and later to the believing community (Matt. 18:18). In the first passage, he also gives Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," a figure not mentioned in the second text. … [Read more...]

A concerned parent writes, "My child is about to marry a very sweet person who is Roman Catholic. I have always regarded Catholics as 'outside the pale,' so to speak. Is my child's future spouse possibly an evangelical Christian also?" * * * Catholics, like Protestants and Orthodox Christians, are individual people. In some parts of the world, many of them believe and practice a lot of nonbiblical superstitions -- some of which stand quite opposed to the gospel of justification by grace through trust in Jesus Christ. Many other Catholics, particularly in the USA and Western Europe, do not. … [Read more...]