Tag Archives: Bible

UNITY OF TRUTH: NINE THESES

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UNITY OF TRUTH: NINE THESES Jack Cottrell – January 2018 I am working on a project I call “the unity of truth.” It is mainly a response to the common idea that we have to choose between the unity of the body of Christ and how we understand the truth of God’s word. I have developed nine basic theses, which I am simply affirming here, along with a few Scripture references that help to establish each. I plan to give a brief explanation of the last six of these theses at the Florida Bible Conference on January 24, 2018 (Wednesday) … Continue reading →

THE DOCTRINAL FOUNDATIONS OF CBS

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THE DOCTRINAL FOUNDATIONS OF CBS (CBC&S; CCU) — JACK COTTRELL, 1993 [While cleaning out my office and files after being recently “retired” from my professorship at CCU, I came across the following. It is a presentation I gave at a gathering of the faculty and students at “the school on the hill” 23 years ago, in August of 1993. (I don’t remember the nature of the gathering.) I thought it might be of some interest now in September 2016, in view of what has taken place “on the hill” within the past year.] My missionary friend Greg Waddell reports that … Continue reading →

THE MESSAGE OF ROMANS 1-8

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THE MESSAGE OF ROMANS 1-8 A DEVOTIONAL GIVEN BY JACK COTTRELL AT THE MAY 2016 MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CHRISTIAN RESTORATION ASSOCIATION I. INTRODUCTION. How can we discern what Paul is teaching in Romans 1-8, or what any other Biblical text means, for that matter? The issue is not just hermeneutics. Rather, to a great extent it depends on how we answer this question: who is the primary AUTHOR of the Bible? This is a watershed issue—in Christendom, in Evangelicalism, in the Restoration Movement, and in many colleges and seminaries. Christian orthodoxy usually agrees that Scripture … 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 →

What Is Central in Our Lives?

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WHAT IS CENTRAL IN OUR LIVES? JACK COTTRELL – AUGUST 2014 For decades I have tried to expose and refute a theological error I call “the Christological fallacy.” It is indeed a serious error in Christology, or the true understanding of the person and work of Jesus. It is also a serious error in theological method, and as such it is the source of many other errors in the interpretation and application of Scripture. What is this “Christological fallacy”? It is the attempt to make Christ an epistemological principle, rather than the Redeemer he came to be. It sees Jesus … Continue reading →

An Escape from Calvinism

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AN ESCAPE FROM CALVINISM: YOUNG, RESTLESS, NO LONGER REFORMED A Book by AUSTIN FISCHER Reviewed by Jack Cottrell, August 2014 Austin Fischer is not yet 30 years old, but he has experienced a very interesting theological pilgrimage which he describes in his book, Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed: Black Holes, Love, and a Journey in and Out of Calvinism (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books [Wipf & Stock], 2014; pb, 116pp.). He feels that his reflections on his journey might be helpful to others who are wrestling with the “mysteries” of Reformed theology. I agree that they may be of some help. … Continue reading →

SAY YES! TO THE BIBLE

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[NOTE: The following is a version of my commencement address, given to the graduating class of 2014 at the Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, NC, on May 10, 2014.] The Protestant Reformation commenced with a commitment to sola Scriptura, “the Bible alone.” The Restoration Movement commenced with this slogan (among others): “The Bible, and the Bible alone, is our only rule of faith and practice.” Today is another kind of commencement. You are commencing your career of ministry with a similar commitment to Biblical authority, after many hours and years of studying the Bible in a faithful school under … 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 →

HOW Should One Study the Bible?

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HOW Should One Study the Bible? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 4:31pm A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: How can a Christian who has no formal training in Bible backgrounds and Bible languages get the most out of studying the Bible? An earlier note addressed the question of WHY study the Bible; now the question is, what are some practical suggestions on HOW to study the Bible? MY REPLY: We acknowledge that Bible study is not necessarily easy; that’s why it is called a “spiritual DISCIPLINE.” It takes discipline and effort to pursue it. Here are some suggestions … Continue reading →

“Good Fruit” from the “Unbaptized”

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“Good Fruit” from the “Unbaptized” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 1:32pm QUESTION: “The idea of the visible and invisible church was a mystery to me until I read your book ‘Baptism: A Biblical Study’ (ch. 8). This includes the idea that only God knows who is truly justified. I was wondering though, how we can explain the tremendous fruit by such scholars of the day that don’t believe and have not been baptized for the forgiveness of sin, e.g., John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, and Norman Geisler.” MY REPLY: This is not an easy question, but … Continue reading →