Yearly Archives: 2015

Justification: A Paradigm Shift?

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PAUL’S CONCEPT OF JUSTIFICATION A Book Review, by Jack Cottrell Richard K. Moore has written a book entitled Paul’s Concept of Justification: God’s Gift of a Right Relationship (Wipf & Stock, 2015; pb, 221pp.). Moore is associated with Vose Seminary (formerly Baptist Theological College of Western Australia). In 1978 he wrote a doctoral dissertation which he reworked and expanded into three volumes published as Rectification (‘Justification’) in Paul, in Historical Perspective, and in the English Bible (Edwin Mellen, 2002-2003; 1,372pp.). The present volume is a less technical and updated summary of that work. Moore’s basic purpose is to examine how … Continue reading →

Homosexuality and the Biblical World View

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HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW © Jack Cottrell – July 17, 2015 [NOTE: I preached this as a sermon at First Church of Christ, Greendale IN, on July 19, 2015. There I gave it the title, “The Sermon I Don’t Want To Preach.” That title was literally true, since I would actually have preferred to preach on something else. But recent events in our country’s history have led me to conclude that we as a church need to know what the Bible says about gay marriage, and about homosexuality as such. That is the rationale for this message.] It … Continue reading →

My First Sermon on Homosexuality

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MY FIRST SERMON ON HOMOSEXUALITY Jack Cottrell – July 2015 The first time I preached a sermon on homosexuality was 42 years ago, on October 18, 1973. By that time the gay liberation movement was well under way, having begun with the Stonewall riots in June 1969. The occasion for my “sermon” was the official “coming out” program for gays at the University of Cincinnati. The theme of the program was “Gay Is Here”; the main speaker was Frank Kameny, a leading activist in the gay liberation movement. (He coined the slogan, “Gay is good,” patterned after “Black is beautiful.”) … Continue reading →

The Father’s Sacrifice: A Communion Meditation

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THE FATHER’S SACRIFICE — A COMMUNION MEDITATION BY JACK COTTRELL In the late 1970s, my family and I visited with the missionary family of Samuel Gonzalez in Merida, Mexico. This is located in the Yucatan Peninsula, the narrow pointy eastern projection of Mexico that points out toward the state of Florida. This was the northern edge of the homeland of the Mayan Indian group, and we saw many of the ruins of the Mayan culture. One place we saw was the famous Mayan pyramid known as Chichen Itza. Within a short walking distance from the pyramid is one of the … Continue reading →

JESUS CUT THE GORDIAN KNOT

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JESUS CUT THE GORDIAN KNOT — A LORD’S SUPPER MEDITATION The other day I was reading Romans 8:1-3 – “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh” (NASB). When I read “Christ Jesus has … Continue reading →

The Bible, the Church, and Catholicism

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THE BIBLE,THE CHURCH, AND CATHOLICISM Jack Cottrell – March 2015 QUESTION: My Roman Catholic friend says that the Bible is not our final authority. Rather, the Church itself (understood as the Catholic Church) is our final authority because the church is actually the source or origin of the Bible. My friend points out that there was a period of time after Pentecost when there was no Bible. All truth came through the apostles, who taught orally long before the Bible itself was written and compiled. This oral teaching was the original authoritative truth; it is still passed along to us … Continue reading →

Calvinism and Foreknowledge in Romans 8:29

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CALVINISM AND FOREKNOWLEDGE IN ROMANS 8:29 Jack Cottrell — March 2015 QUESTION: Romans 8:29 clearly says that God predestines people to heaven based on his foreknowledge. This seems to undermine the Calvinist view of unconditional election. But Calvinists argue that “foreknowledge” in this text does not mean simply to be aware of man’s future decisions; rather, it means God LOVES and CHOOSES certain people in advance. How can we respond to this? ANSWER: The main issue in Romans 8:29, according to Calvinists, is the meaning of the word “foreknow” (proginōskō). Since ginōskō means “to know,” and pro means “before,” it … Continue reading →

DID JESUS KNOW HE WAS THE DIVINE MESSIAH?

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DID JESUS KNOW HE WAS THE DIVINE MESSIAH? JACK COTTRELL – FEBRUARY 2015 Question: What did Jesus know about his own identity? Did he know he was the divine Messiah? Answer: This question is about an issue sometimes known as Jesus’ “Messianic consciousness.” Once in a while we come across people who deny that Jesus personally thought of himself as the incarnation of God and as the Messianic Savior of the world. Usually these are liberal theologians who do not accept the truth of the gospel records. Others accept the authenticity of the records, but still wonder if Jesus always … Continue reading →

MORE ABOUT JESUS’ OMNISCIENCE

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MORE ABOUT JESUS’ OMNISCIENCE JACK COTTRELL – FEBRUARY 2015 Question: Did Jesus know himself to be the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ)? Answer: The question of Jesus’ “Messianic consciousness” has been raised and addressed for centuries: Did Jesus know he was the Messiah? Did he claim to be the Messiah? If so, when did he begin to have this understanding? I will address these questions in two separate essays. Here we will set forth the general idea that Jesus was omniscient, and explain how that worked in his incarnate state. In the next essay we will look at … Continue reading →

Does Romans 9 Teach Calvinist Predestination?

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DOES ROMANS 9 TEACH CALVINIST PREDESTINATION? Jack Cottrell – February 2015 QUESTION: I have a friend who argues that the story of Jacob and Esau supports the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. But Genesis 25:27-34 says that Esau forfeited his birthright by selling it to Jacob. Thus it seems plain that it was not by God’s election but by Esau’s choice. How is this text so misinterpreted by those who teach this view of predestination? ANSWER: The use of Jacob and Esau to support the Calvinist view of election (or predestination) is based not on the Genesis account, but on a … Continue reading →