Tag Archives: Mary

SUFFERING AT THE CROSS

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SUFFERING AT THE CROSS — A Communion Meditation Jack Cottrell – Greendale First Church of Christ – October 2017 [Author’s note: I gave this meditation on the same Sunday when I preached a sermon dealing in part with the subject of the Trinity. In the sermon I was pointing out that it was necessary to reveal the fact that God is a Trinity of persons at the beginning of this New Covenant age, because that was the time when God was carrying out the mighty works of redemption (incarnation, atonement, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Holy Spirit). The necessity for … Continue reading →

“WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL”

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION. In Luke 1:51-53, Mary appears to be speaking under inspiration when she says of God, “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away” (ESV, from which most quotes are taken here). My questions are these: do these words imply that God is against the rich? Do they imply that Christians should support a socialistic economic theory? Should we … Continue reading →

WAS MARY MARRIED WHEN JESUS WAS BORN?

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WAS MARY MARRIED WHEN JESUS WAS BORN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Sunday, December 25, 2011 at 3:11pm QUESTION: Luke 2:5 says that when Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born, Mary was only “engaged” or “betrothed” to Joseph. Does this mean Jesus was born to an unwed mother? ANSWER: Some think we cannot really answer this question for sure, but there are considerations that lead us to conclude that Mary and Joseph were indeed married when Jesus was born. One problem is the meaning of the Greek word (verb) used in this verse, i.e., mnēsteuō, which … Continue reading →

Original Sin and the Incarnation

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Original Sin and the Incarnation by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 10:07am SOMEONE asked me this series of questions: How does an Augustinian (e.g., Calvinist) correlate original sin and the incarnation? Can Jesus be fully human and miss out on original sin? Can his work of redemption be complete if he is not like us in every way (except for sin, of course)? HERE IS MY REPLY: The issues here are these: if all human beings are infected with original sin, and if Jesus is truly a human being, how can he himself AVOID being infected … Continue reading →