Monthly Archives: May 2011

BAPTISM FOR SALVATION: ITS BIBLICAL BASIS

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BAPTISM FOR SALVATION: ITS BIBLICAL BASIS by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 9:16am QUESTION: Not long ago I had your course on “The Doctrine of Grace,” in which you discuss the issue of baptism. Personally, I accepted Christ as my Savior as an adult, but was not immersed until some years later. What was my spiritual status during that interim between my acceptance of Christ and my immersion? ANSWER: The subject of baptism comes up in several places in my course on grace, but in that course I do not attempt to “set forth the Biblical … Continue reading →

THE BIBLE AND CULTURE

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THE BIBLE AND CULTURE by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 7:25pm I was asked to answer some questions about the relevance of the Bible for today’s (or any) culture. The following is the result. QUESTION #1 — Why do you believe the Bible continues to be relevant to our culture today? MY ANSWER: I believe the Bible is relevant to our culture because it is an unchanging message directed to an unchanging world. The fact that our culture is different from those of Bible times does not make it irrelevant for today. Matters of culture are … Continue reading →

INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART FOUR: AN APPEAL

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INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART FOUR: AN APPEAL by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 4:05pm THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: DOES IT STILL MATTER? JACK COTTRELL – CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY – APRIL 2011 PART IV. AN APPEAL. I have always been a part of the fellowship called “the Restoration Movement,” and I am still committed to its basic principles. For 43 years I have taught theology at Cincinnati Christian University (which began as The Cincinnati Bible Seminary). Today it is my earnest desire that every one of our students, and this school as such, and the Movement of … Continue reading →

INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART THREE: EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DENIED

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INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART THREE: EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DENIED by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 4:03pm THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: DOES IT STILL MATTER? JACK COTTRELL – CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY – APRIL 2011 PART III. AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THEOLOGY WHEN INERRANCY IS DENIED I have said that a denial of inerrancy leaves us at the mercy of subjectivism and relativism. I.e., in the end each of us as individuals will ultimately decide, based on our own subjective inclinations and preferences, what aspects of the Bible we will accept and what we … Continue reading →

INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART TWO: WHAT IS AT STAKE?

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INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART TWO: WHAT IS AT STAKE? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 4:01pm THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: DOES IT STILL MATTER? JACK COTTRELL – CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY – APRIL 2011 PART II. WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THIS MATTER OF INERRANCY? Does the inerrancy of Scripture still matter? The answer is yes. But what exactly is at stake here? We need to say, first of all, that the issue is not necessarily salvation. One can have saving faith in Jesus without accepting inerrancy, even though there is some inconsistency involved when this happens. … Continue reading →

INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART ONE: HISTORICAL DATA

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INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART ONE: HISTORICAL DATA by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 3:59pm THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: DOES IT STILL MATTER? JACK COTTRELL – CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY – APRIL 2011 PART I. SOME HISTORICAL DATA Let’s begin with some history. Inerrancy was the general belief of Christendom from its beginning. In the early second century Clement of Rome (ch. 45) said, “Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit character is written in them.” In the mid-second century Justin Martyr (“Dialogue … Continue reading →

ARE BABIES BORN IN ORIGINAL SIN?

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ARE BABIES BORN IN ORIGINAL SIN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, May 6, 2011 at 10:01am QUESTION: A friend of mine argues that babies are born in sin. She uses some specific Bible verses for this: Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:23, and Romans 5:12-19. She especially emphasizes Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned . . . .” Since it says “all,” she says it must include babies. Do these texts really teach that babies are born sinful? ANSWER: I have written quite a bit on this. For Romans 5:12-19, see my commentary on Romans, published by College Press. See also … Continue reading →

Brian Jones’ Book, “Hell Is Real (But I Hate To Admit It)”

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Brian Jones’ Book, “Hell Is Real (But I Hate To Admit It)” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at 1:14pm Brian Jones, minister at Christ’s Church of the Valley (Philadelphia), has written a book on the reality of hell, soon to be published by David C. Cook. I was asked to write an endorsement blurb for it and was glad to do so. Here is what I wrote: “I like several things about this book. First, it takes the Bible seriously, especially its teaching on the subject of hell. In a time when many are trying to … Continue reading →

WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM “FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”?

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WAS JOHN’S BAPTISM “FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS”? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 6:48pm QUESTION: Mark 1:4 says that John’s baptism was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Now, if those baptized by John had their sins forgiven there, how can John’s baptism be any different from the Christian baptism that began on the Day of Pentecost? Also, if people could receive forgiveness through John’s baptism, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross? ANSWER: There are two questions here; we will take the second one first. Let’s grant for … Continue reading →

IS BAPTISM A NEW CONDITION FOR SALVATION?

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IS BAPTISM A NEW CONDITION FOR SALVATION? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 3:45pm QUESTION: In your book, Set Free! What the Bible Says About Grace (pages 216-217), you say that baptism is a “new condition” for salvation. Was there any custom of baptism among the Jews, or any other people, prior to its introduction by John the Baptist? I know that the Jews practiced purification rites where they immersed themselves in water. Was this a shadow of salvation baptism to come? ANSWER: Lots of water ceremonies and baptism-like ceremonies existed around the time of the … Continue reading →