Monthly Archives: August 2013

“CALLED” TO THE MINISTRY?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: A friend of mine says he feels “called” to the ministry. What does this mean? How can one know whether he or she is thus “called”? ANSWER: There is considerable confusion over this issue. One reason is that there is no really clear Biblical teaching on the subject. The teaching that best seems to address the question is the material about what we call “spiritual gifts.” For example, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11). The “giver” in this verse is actually Jesus; but … Continue reading →

HE DRANK IT ALL! A Communion Meditation

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

As the King James Version translates Matthew 26:27, this happened during Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper: “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink ye all of it.’” (The 1901 American Standard Version puts it the same way.) “Drink ye all of it.” What does this mean? How should we understand it? This English translation is ambiguous. Some have taken it to mean, “Drink every drop of juice out of your cup!” Years ago I heard of a local congregation where an elder patrolled the aisle as communion was passed, sternly checking … Continue reading →

A NEW BOOK ON BAPTISM: A REVIEW

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

I really like this book! It is arguably the best book on baptism (except my Baptism: A Biblical Study, of course!) since George R. Beasley-Murray’s Baptism in the New Testament appeared in 1962. The book is called Recovering the Evangelical Sacrament: Baptisma Semper Reformandum (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013; 403p., pb.), written by Anthony R. Cross. Like Beasley-Murray, Cross is a British Baptist. A member of the faculty of theology and religion at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, Cross is an expert in Baptist history and doctrine and in the theology and practice of baptism. This work is … Continue reading →

IS IT WRONG TO QUESTION GOD?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: Yesterday our class had a discussion about questioning God and being angry with God. My understanding is that questioning God is acceptable if done with the proper attitude and “heart,” but that being angry with God (blaming God, accusing God) is never acceptable. What say you? ANSWER: I think your way of summarizing the answer is on target. One place I have discussed this is in my original book on the providence of God, entitled What the Bible Says About God the Ruler (College Press, 1984). This book has a chapter on prayer and providence. It seeks to analyze … Continue reading →