THE TYRANNY OF THE PARADIGM Part 1

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

THE TYRANNY OF THE PARADIGM Part 1 Jack W. Cottrell             In 1986 Michael Denton wrote Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Adler & Adler; pb, 1996), in which he is severely critical of evolutionary theory.  He presented compelling arguments for intelligent design, especially from the living cell, before most of us ever heard of Michael Behe. This is significant because Denton is a respected molecular biologist and medical doctor—and a complete agnostic.  Though he argues for design, he professes ignorance as to who or what the designer might be.  Nevertheless, throughout this large volume, Denton offers many examples of scientific … Continue reading →

“A MAN MUST EXAMINE HIMSELF”: A COMMUNION MEDITATION

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

[This is a communion meditation I gave at the First Church of Christ, Greendale, IN, Oct. 6, 2013.] Just so you know, I definitely AM allowed to take communion today! I say this because I am holding in my hand a genuine COMMUNION TOKEN (which was a gift to me from my friends, Bill and Donna Jo Tucker). This token is oval in shape, about the size of a semi-squashed quarter. It verifies that I have been found worthy to partake of the emblems of the Lord’s Supper! At least that was its function when it was first issued. On … Continue reading →

THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: Who is the Holy Spirit? How is he related to the Father and the Son? Is the Holy Spirit a divine person, one of the three persons of the Trinity? ANSWER: I have addressed this issue in chapter one of my larger book on the Holy Spirit, Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit (College Press, 2007). This chapter is called “The Person of the Holy Spirit.” In it I establish three basic facts. According to the Bible, (1) the Holy Spirit is a person in the full and true sense of the word; … Continue reading →

“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 →

A TRIBUTE TO SAM GONZALEZ

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

ABOUT MY FRIEND AND FELLOW-LABORER IN CHRIST, SAMUEL GONZALEZ (1949-2013) By JACK COTTRELL JULY 31, 2013 [The following is the tribute I was privileged to give at the memorial service for Sam Gonzalez, one of the founders of the Yucatan Peninsula Christian Mission, who died on May 31, 2013 at the age of 63.] In one of his newsletters, Brother Sam quoted Jeremiah 48:10: “A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD’s work!” Then he said, “With this verse in mind we want to start the year making plans for serving the Lord to the most of … Continue reading →

THE LIMITS OF PATRIOTISM

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: I am becoming more and more pessimistic about the way things are going here in the United States. With ruinous economic policies, increasing governmental intrusion and control, and Supreme Court decisions supporting immoral behavior, I’m not sure what to do. I want to be a loyal American citizen and a Christian. Does this allow or require me to be in rebellion against my government? Should I continue to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States? Should I stand when the national anthem is played? ANSWER: Such ambiguous feelings are nothing new. Christians have been asking these questions … Continue reading →

The Holy Spirit and Acts 8

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: As Philip evangelized the Samaritans, many believed and were baptized (Acts 8:12). But verses 15-17 seem to say that the converts did not receive the Holy Spirit at their baptism, but rather when apostles from Jerusalem came and laid hands on them. Other texts also separate the receiving of the Spirit from baptism (e.g., Acts 10:44-48). How can we explain this, especially in light of Acts 2:38? ANSWER: All Zwinglians—those who separate baptism from salvation—love to call attention to such data from the book of Acts. They believe that the data show that there is no appointed connection between … Continue reading →