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...]
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN CATHOLICS?
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...]
BIBLE CHURCH STIRS THOUGHT
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...]
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...]
