We went to Austin this weekend [Nov. 1999] to visit son Jeremy and daughter-in-law Kristy, and on Sunday morning we accompanied them to Hill Country Bible Church (HCBC) which they regularly attend. This congregation began in 1985 with 17 people, and now sees its $6 million worship center fill twice each Sunday morning with what appeared to be 700-1200 worshipers at the service we attended. A bulletin note indicated that offerings run $50,000 per week. I dug out these statistics after the fact -- nobody mentioned them during the service. The worship in song was both celebrative and … [Read more...]
Archives for March 2012
BAPTIST IMPROVEMENTS (2)
A Baptist pastor and gracEmail subscriber asks: "What practices and doctrines do you see in Baptist life and teaching that are not matching up to the Word of God?" * * * Baptists (like many other Christians today) generally lack an appreciation of the ongoing, present-day power and will of God to perform miracles and to bestow so-called "miraculous" spiritual gifts, as well as the realities of spiritual warfare in which Christians are all involved (1 Cor. 1:4-7; 12:4-11; Eph. 6:12). The one-man pastor system, common among Baptists, is a poor substitute for the leadership of multiple pastors … [Read more...]
BAPTIST IMPROVEMENTS (1)
A Baptist pastor and gracEmail subscriber asks: "What practices and doctrines do you see in Baptist life and teaching that are not matching up to the Word of God?" * * * I comment only because invited, since the Baptist household is not my regular home. I also speak in terms of Southern Baptists, since they comprise most of the diverse Baptist population in the United States. In keeping with Baptist emphasis on Bible authority, individual conscience and (limited) congregational autonomy, I see room for biblically-based improvement in the following areas. Baptists need to make clearer the … [Read more...]
JOINING THE BAPTISTS
A troubled reader writes: "I was a member of a particular Church of Christ for 13 years, where I came to know the Lord. However, the hostility toward anyone who didn't agree with everything the preacher said was overwhelming. Through much prayer and hurt, I left and eventually began to attend a Baptist church. My former preacher told me that Baptists are not part of the Lord's church, and that I have no chance of going to heaven. I still partake of the Lord's Supper at home weekly. Am I sinning against the Lord by attending a Baptist church?" * * * Knowing that I will have to answer to God … [Read more...]
WHY BAPTISTS BAPTIZE
"Baptists do not baptize converts scripturally 'for the remission of sins,'" complains a preacher who is not of that denomination. "The Baptists I know baptize only to join their local church." * * * I don't know what your Baptist neighbors do, but Baptist brethren of my acquaintance (whether Southern, American, National, Conservative, General Association, Free-Will, Missionary, Hard-shell, Seventh-day or Reformed) baptize for various biblical reasons, including: (1) Baptism follows Jesus' own example. (2) Baptism obeys Jesus' command for his disciples to baptize new converts. (3) … [Read more...]
BAPTISTS & CHURCHES OF CHRIST (3)
I beg the indulgence of readers who are not associated with Baptist churches or Churches of Christ, as we look in three gracEmails at those two groups of Christians, both particularly populous and highly competitive throughout the southern United States. * * * In the light of the gospel, we must say that both Baptists and Church of Christ people have often missed the real point by focusing on something we do, rather than focusing on what God had done for us in Jesus Christ. Baptists have often talked as though the saving event occurs when we believe ("accept Christ"), while Church of Christ … [Read more...]
BAPTISTS & CHURCHES OF CHRIST (2)
I beg the indulgence of readers who are not associated with Baptist churches or Churches of Christ, as we look in three gracEmails at those two groups of Christians, both particularly populous and highly competitive throughout the southern United States. * * * The Baptist flock provided many converts to Campbell's movement, particularly throughout the South. When Campbell preached in Nashville, Tennessee in the mid-1800's, a majority of the city's First Baptist Church membership was persuaded to join his reformation. Little wonder that the Southern Baptist Encyclopedia labels "Campbellism" … [Read more...]
BAPTISTS & CHURCHES OF CHRIST (1)
I beg the indulgence of readers who are not associated with Baptist churches or Churches of Christ, as we look in three gracEmails at those two groups of Christians, both particularly populous and highly competitive throughout the southern United States. * * * Baptists and Church of Christ folk have far more in common than either of them sometimes acknowledges. Right-thinking people in both places know that we must trust Christ's work on the cross for salvation. Neither group attaches any significance or value to baptism apart from faith-trust in Jesus Christ. Both groups baptize converts in … [Read more...]
A GOOD WORD ABOUT ANGLICAN CHRISTIANITY (2)
"How can you feel kindly toward the Episcopalians?" one asks. "Don't you know that the Anglican Church started when King Henry VIII wanted another wife and the Pope wouldn't agree, so KH-8 started his own Church of England?" * * * Most Protestant churches would be greatly enriched by a hearty dose of Anglican eucharistic liturgy (the Communion service) -- and few Protestants have a better statement of Reformation principles at their disposal than those reflected in the Thirty-Nine Articles and the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer. Nor do I know of any church which regularly reads … [Read more...]
A GOOD WORD ABOUT ANGLICAN CHRISTIANITY (1)
"How can you feel kindly toward the Episcopalians?" one asks. "Don't you know that the Anglican Church started when King Henry VIII wanted another wife and the Pope wouldn't agree, so KH-8 started his own Church of England?" * * * Although I was born and reared in the Churches of Christ, where God now has me placed for service, I find Anglicanism very appealing. Not because of the popular caricature stated above, but in spite of it. The truth is that Henry did "kick out" the Pope -- but the English kings had tried to do that for 500 years before he came along. My roots run deep into … [Read more...]
