Article, Christian Living, Church, Encourage, Other
A Vision for Unity in Community from 1 Cor. 12-13
The following is some notes my friend Norm sent me. They provide an excellent vision of what we are to strive for in gospel based communities which are to form the church of Christ.
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Alan Knox was asked to give a lecture on 1 Cor. 12-13 at SEBTS, apart from his own class lectures.
The Assembled Church
I. Introduction and Background
Andrew Chester – “The Pauline Communities” – A Vision for the Church: Studies in Early Christian Ecclesiology (ed. Markus Bockmuehl and Michael B. Thompson; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1997):
Paul’s vision for the communities that he wrote to can be summed up quite succinctly. He sees them as being a new creation in Christ, filled with the Spirit, possessing gifts of the Spirit and overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit, controlled above all by love; they are communities that should be pure and holy, mutually supportive and interdependent, completely united, transcending the oppositions and tensions between different groups within the community, and with every kind of barrier that would divide them in normal society broken down.
This brief summary may seem over-idealized; it may indeed seem somewhat grandiose and abstract, especially in the light of the occasional letter that Paul wrote to quite different communities, often on very specific and mundane issues… It is also to be said that theory and practice in any case often fail to coincide, and the way that a particular community lives can be very far removed from Paul’s vision of what it should be. Paul himself is made painfully aware of this. Indeed, it is probably true to say that we have a semblance of Paul’s vision for his communities, to a large extent, because of the problems that have arisen in a number of those communities and that Paul feels the need to counter. That is, Paul finds himself faced with what he considers false practice, or even a complete negation of his ideal of the Christian community, and hence has to urge those in these communities that he has founded to become what they know they should be, and not remain as they are. (105)
As Chester points out, we have Paul’s vision for the church because the churches that Paul wrote to were not living according to that vision.
The church in Corinth is a good example of a church that failed to live according to that vision.
Margaret Mitchell (Paul and the Rhetoric of Reconciliation) suggests that Paul’s purpose in writing to the church in Corinth was to reconcile the many factions that had formed. Why? Because division and factions were contrary to what he taught in all the churches.
12 Oct 2009 Shane Becker 2 comments
Article, Humerous / Interesting, Legalism, Other
10 Career Metaphors Guaranteed to Destroy Your Church
Author: David Fairchild
1. Traffic Cops. These individuals are well meaning dragons that
come to church not to serve, but to control the serving. You’re
certain one day they will show up with white gloves and a whistle so
they can direct traffic.
2. Seismologists. These are walking Richter scales, gifted in the
art of fault finding. If they don’t feel a quake, they’ll shake the room. Continue Reading »
11 Oct 2009 Shane Becker 4 comments
Article, Audio, Covenant Theology, Shane Becker
The Future of New Covenant Theology
Here is the audio and associated notes from the Think Tank in New York.
To download any files right click on the associated text and select ‘Save Target As . . .’
Session 1 NCT Journey (Joe Krygier)
Part 1 of 1
Session 2 Holy Spirit Dynamics in the New Covenant Community
(Moe Bergeron)
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 3 of 3
Notes
Session 3 A Re-examination of Atonement in the New Covenant
(Reid Ferguson)
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2
Session 4 Christ as a Covenant for the People (Chad Bresson)
Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2
Session 5 A New Covenant Approach to Biblical Counseling (Joe Krygier)
Part 1 of 1
Session 6 The Future of NCT (Ed Trefzger)
Part 1 of 1
Master Files: http://www.fbceny.org/audio/cherith/
05 Jun 2008 Shane Becker 5 comments
Article, Audio, Covenant Theology, Israel, Notes / Summary, Shane Becker, Theological
Christ’s Glorious Covenant - Notes, Audio, Video
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Treasuring Christ Fellowship Camp
AUDIO To download any files right click on the associated text and select ‘Save Target As . . .’ |
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New Covenant Person - Joe KrygierNew Covenant Person - Joe Krygier
New Covenant Power - Shane BeckerNew Covenant Power - Shane Becker
21 Aug 2007 Shane Becker 1 comment
Article, Christian Living, Encourage, Shane Becker, Theological
Gospel Sanctification 5 - Spiritual Repentance to the Glory of God
Applying the truths of Gospel Sanctification to Repentance means maintaining a deeply sorrowful sense of indwelling personal sin while also rejoicing in the present reality of the full and free forgiveness in Jesus Christ, looking forward with expectation to the final delivery ‘from this body of death’.
“. . . God’s kindness leads you toward repentance.†Rom 2:4
A high view of our Holy God mixed with a sorrow over our own personal sin leads to a treasuring of Jesus Christ and complete surrender to His wondrous, gracious and extensive Gospel promises, and gift of Himself, as the only way to return us to the embrace of our loving heavenly Father.
Repentance therefore ought to be coupled with a relishing of the full & free gospel promises of love, forgiveness, acceptance, justification and of union with Christ Himself. Otherwise, repentance can become a defeated and mournful wallowing in the very slough we are being saved from rather than a turning from it and glorying in the eternal happy state we are being saved to. Thus even your repentance ought to be to the heart-felt praise and glory of God!
Although we are miserable creatures, of ourselves, we don’t wallow in defeat or remain self-focused but rather look to God, with thankful heart, for the provision of a solution in Jesus Christ. True repentance leads to Christ-exultation:
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!†Rom 7:23-25
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen†1 Tim 1:15-17
Our repentance must not be characterised by wallowing or self-focus because, ” . . . whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.†Phil 4:8
When you are convicted over sin, don’t wallow in defeat, but simply confess your sin and weakness to God, thank Him that even in this Christ is sufficient to cover your sin and present you faultless before the throne of grace, and He is the one that will bring deliverance from the very sin you struggle with. He loves you anyway and always - thank and praise him for it. And in this you will glorify God in your repentance.
Is your repentance done to the heartfelt praise and glory of God?Â
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.â€
1 Cor 10:31-32
05 Jul 2007 Shane Becker 0 comments
Article, Christian Living, Encourage, Shane Becker, Theological
Gospel Sanctification 4 - Legalism’s Wrong Assumption
At one point I came to understand the need for the ministry of grace to strengthen believers. I struggled knowing exactly how or where the preaching of commandments came into things. I was challenged by a legalist to explain why we can’t simply take an ‘imperative’ text and preach it, by which he meant rebuke believers for their lack of faithfulness and exhort them to obedience ( i.e. club believers with the commands). After all, it’s in the Bible, we need to hear it, and be exhorted to obey, right? It took quite a while for me to figure out what was actually wrong with what he was saying (and doing).
I came to realise that an assumption was brought to the commands by the legalist that forgets that the indelible mark of a Christian is he “loves to keep God’s commandments because those commandments are no longer grievous” ( I John 5:1-3).Â
The assumption implicit (and sometime explicit!) in legalistic preaching is that believers don’t want to obey and need to be dragged against their will to obedience. Taken out of the equation is the new heart, the Spirit’s work, New Covenant realities, and ultimately Jesus Christ Himself. Â
Legalists underestimate the power of a believer’s new heart feasting on the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. So legalists turn their attention to subduing the flesh through rebuke and sharp exhortation.  Scripture teaches this doesn’t help bring about obedience but rather fuels the sinful nature by either leading to pride in those who feel successful or leading to despair in those that feel the burden of failure.Â
In one illustration, Walter Marshall says that much preaching is like telling a man to take his weapons and go and enter a battle. If the man is a soldier he will do it readily. But we are more like sick men on our death beds without the strength to so much as pick up our weapon. The question that needs answering is: How can I, without any strength in myself, perform such an overwhelming task?
The strength to enliven us, and give us power to get out of our sick beds to face the battle, is the gospel alone - to be embraced afresh every day. So our first duty is to believe on Christ and receive healing strength from the great physician who alone gets the glory.Â
“1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain? 5Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith– 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?” Galatians 3:1-6.
Resting in grace-
Shane.
30 Jun 2007 Shane Becker 2 comments
Article, Encourage, Notes / Summary, Shane Becker, Theological
Gospel Sanctification 1 - Piper’s Word for Joyless Pastors
I was recently part of a great discussion that all started with this short video clip:Â
http://www.desiringgod.org/media/video/vftp_promo05.mov
(Reference: Sound of Grace discussion Group April/May discussions: http://freegroups.net/groups/soundofgrace/)
Over the next few posts I’ll be explaining the importance of Gospel Sanctification, sharing some of the discussion details, and answering some of the questions raised - which were some of the very issues I have struggled with and perhaps some of you also struggle with.
Shane.
02 Jun 2007 Shane Becker 1 comment
Article, Author, Christian Living, Encourage, Other
The Morning I Heard the Voice of God
 By John Piper.
Let me tell you about a most wonderful experience I had early Monday morning, March 19, 2007, a little after six o’clock. God actually spoke to me. There is no doubt that it was God. I heard the words in my head just as clearly as when a memory of a conversation passes across your consciousness. The words were in English, but they had about them an absolutely self-authenticating ring of truth. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God still speaks today . . . . Read Entire Article.
27 Mar 2007 Shane Becker 2 comments