Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

THE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAUL: WRIGHT IS WRONG

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THE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAUL: WRIGHT IS WRONG JACK COTTRELL — 2ND EDITION – JUNE 2016 I begin with this caveat: I am not an expert on this subject. I am pursuing it because it is one of the most significant CHALLENGES to traditional theology, and because it is being taught by one of the most respected and influential Biblical scholars of our day: Nicholas Thomas (N.T., Tom) Wright, who is sometimes credited with coining the expression,“New Perspective on Paul” [NPP] (Justification, 28). [Most quotes here are from Wright’s Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision (IVP 2009). Some are from … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #1 — GRACE ISN’T FAIR, BUT THAT’S GOOD!

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Almost everyone develops a “fairness mentality” to some degree. We are conditioned from childhood to respect and seek fairness, otherwise known as justice. We know what it means to deserve (or not deserve) something. Very early in life, kids learn to say, “That’s not fair!” Most of the world, including many groups and individuals within Christendom, try to apply the fairness mentality to salvation itself. The assumption is that only those who are “good enough” go to heaven. Long ago I saw the results of some random answers to the question, “What are your chances of going to heaven?” One … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #2 — SAVED BY GRACE, NOT BY LAW

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Think of heaven (just for the purpose of this illustration) as a gigantic city enclosed by an impenetrable and unscalable wall. You can see this city from afar, and you desperately want to enter into it. Your life is a journey toward it. As you begin to get closer to this heavenly city, you can see that there are two gates that allow entry through the wall. Soon you can see that each gate has a large sign above it. Over one gate the sign says “LAW,” and over the other the sign says “GRACE.” And then you understand. Theoretically … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #4 — SAVED BY GRACE, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

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Romans 3:24-25 says, “We are all justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation—a sacrifice of atonement—through faith in his blood” (composite translation). The only way to be saved from sin is by grace, and the only source of grace is what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Here we are seeking to understand exactly what Jesus was doing on the cross to make salvation by grace possible. I. GRACE COMES BY JESUS CHRIST. The general or generic meaning of the Greek word for grace … Continue reading →

Sunday: The Church’s Special Day

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Sunday: The Church’s Special Day by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 8:41pm SOMEONE HAS ASKED, “How do we get Sunday as a holy day?” I.e., why do we keep Sunday as the church’s special day, rather than Saturday? And why should the church gather for corporate worship on Sunday, rather than on Friday or Saturday? Is there something special about Sunday? MY ANSWER: Sunday is indeed the church’s special day, and has been so since Jesus arose from the dead. This is so because world history is divided into two main epochs, the dividing point being … Continue reading →

Heb. 6:4-8 and “Once Saved, Always Saved”

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Heb. 6:4-8 and “Once Saved, Always Saved” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 10:03am A RECENT QUERY: “We are doing a study in Hebrews and this week chapter 6 rears its ugly head regarding eternal security. I know that I have at least 2 with a strong calvinistic background in my class, and we will be addressing the ‘once saved, always saved’ problem. Any thoughts?” MY REPLY: In my book, “The Faith Once for All,” I have a whole chapter on the subject of assurance of salvation (ch. 21). In this chapter I give a strong … Continue reading →

Is Faith a Gift?

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Is Faith a Gift? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 9:42am A RECENT QUERY: “I came across a church website that says (slightly abbreviated): ‘We share the values of the Reformation, the five “Alones”: ●Christ Alone: We believe that Jesus Christ was, is and always will be fully God (Hebrews 13:8) and that he became fully human, taking the very nature of a man (Philippians 2) and that he came to show us what God the Father is like; when you see Jesus you see God the Father (John 14:9). ●Grace Alone: Our relationship with God … Continue reading →

Can Christians Be Called “Sinners”?

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Can Christians Be Called “Sinners”? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 7:37pm THIS IS A RECENT REQUEST (edited): “Someone asked me if it is OK to call a Christian a sinner. The one who asked seemed to think it is not. He reasons that the Bible refers to Christians as Overwhelming Conquerors, Saints, those who have the Righteousness of God in Christ, etc. So how can it be OK for a Christian to be called a Sinner and a Saint at the same time? Is this not a contradiction?” MY REPLY: This is simply a matter … Continue reading →

Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All?

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Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:26pm A QUESTIONER ASKS, what Scriptures disqualify (I take this to mean disprove) Total Depravity in human beings? And if Total Depravity is ruled out, does that mean we are PARTIALLY depraved? MY REPLY: Depravity as such has to do with the sinfulness of our human nature, i.e., having a nature that has been infected with sin like the body can be infected with disease. It means having a sinful, evil, spiritually diseased or dead nature. The first issue is WHETHER a sinner’s … Continue reading →

“Common Grace” in Calvinism

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“Common Grace” in Calvinism by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 9:17am A STUDENT WRITES, “Calvinists talk about ‘common grace.’ The idea seems to be that whatever joy we experience in this life is attributed to God’s grace. I don’t remember you mentioning this in Doctrine of Grace. Do you agree with this notion?” MY REPLY: Not all Calvinists see eye-to-eye on the “common grace” concept. One of my Westminster Seminary professors, Cornelius Van Til, was its main defender. I do mention this concept in my grace course but do not dwell on it. See the section … Continue reading →