Saturday, May 27, 2006

Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches

Is He Lord or Merely a Beloved Symbol?

The present position of Christ in the gospel churches may be likened to that of a king in a limited, constitutional monarchy. The king (sometimes depersonalized by the term “the Crown”) is in such a country no more than a traditional rallying point, a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty much like a flag or a national anthem. He is lauded, feted and supported, but his real authority is small.

WOW...

Friday, May 26, 2006

religion as culture

Religion as culture and what emerges is a religious culture. People
learn to be "Christians" like they learn to be Americans or Chinese or
what ever cultural group they happen to belong to. They learn the
beliefs, words, behaviors and activities that go with that particular
brand of religion. The results are multitudes of religious people who
appear to be Christians, but are complete strangers to the new birth.

This was quoted from a book entitled "Light In This Present Darkness"

picked up from a new forum: TheSchoolOfChrist

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Living Together When Christ Is All in All

Living Together When Christ Is All in All: "His aim in creating new people was that they would stop boasting in their distinctives (that separated them) and boast in Christ (who united them).
That's the point of verse 11: referring back to verse 10 where the new self has been put on and is being renewed, Paul says that in the fellowship created by these new people who are chosen, holy and loved, 'there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all and in all.'
In other words, God is creating a new community out of people who have sloughed off their old selves and put on their new selves. And the mark of this new (chosen, loved, holy) community is [first] that the people in it stop cherishing the things that separate Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman. The new people in the new community do not boast in ethnic distinctives or language or intellect or culture or race or homeland or social status. Those things have passed away. And the number one, primary mark of newness in the new people and the new community is that Christ is all and in all. Don't miss that all important climax at the end of verse 11: 'But Christ is all and in all.'"