Tag Archives: Obedience of Faith

INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART ONE: HISTORICAL DATA

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INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE, PART ONE: HISTORICAL DATA by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 3:59pm THE INERRANCY OF SCRIPTURE: DOES IT STILL MATTER? JACK COTTRELL – CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY – APRIL 2011 PART I. SOME HISTORICAL DATA Let’s begin with some history. Inerrancy was the general belief of Christendom from its beginning. In the early second century Clement of Rome (ch. 45) said, “Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit character is written in them.” In the mid-second century Justin Martyr (“Dialogue … Continue reading →

OUR AUTHORITY: SCRIPTURE OR EXPERIENCE?

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OUR AUTHORITY: SCRIPTURE OR EXPERIENCE? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 1:38pm QUESTION: How do we know God is in control? We say, during tough times, that “He is on the Throne.” But the question always haunts us: “If God is really in control, why is the world in such a mess? Why are all these bad things happening in my life?” How can we be sure He is really reigning over all things? ANSWER: How we answer this is the ultimate test of whether we really believe the Bible is our final authority or not, … Continue reading →

Is Baptism an Act of Obedience to a Command?

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Is Baptism an Act of Obedience to a Command? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 12:58pm QUESTION: In your book “Baptism: A Biblical Study” you say, “The Bible never treats baptism as a work of law or as a simple act of obedience in response to a command” (p. 139, 2006 ed.). Did not Christ command His disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing them (Matt. 28:19)? When the Jews asked Peter on the day of Pentecost, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), did he not command them to “be baptized” (2:38)? Was not their baptism … Continue reading →

The Age of Accountability and Baptism

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The Age of Accountability and Baptism by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 2:24pm QUESTION: Have you written anything that particularly addresses the age of accountability and the baptizing of children? I have heard many discussions lately concerning: “Is the child not accountable one moment and then accountable the next? Must the child reach the state in which he is lost, for whatever length of time, before he can be baptized? Must he go out of the kingdom in order to come back into it again?” What do you think? REPLY: On the age of accountability as … Continue reading →

What Is the Salvation Status of the Unevangelized?

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What Is the Salvation Status of the Unevangelized? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 2:54pm QUERY: Is there hope for those who have never heard the Gospel? ANSWER: Paul’s main point in the first section of Romans (1:18-3:20) is that no one can be saved by the law system, because everyone is a lawbreaker and stands condemned by the rules of that system. In 1:18-32 he applies this even to the Gentiles (those who have never been exposed to special revelation, and who thus know God only through the general revelation of nature and of the … Continue reading →

The Ten Commandments of Grace

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The Ten Commandments of Grace by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, January 15, 2010 at 1:43pm This note is a follow-up on my earlier note, “Grace, Law, and the New Covenant.” In my teaching about grace I make it quite clear that I believe traditional Restoration Movement thought comes up quite short on this subject in many ways. Certain concepts that are deeply rooted in Restoration tradition are in fact significant barriers to a right understanding of grace. I have tried to sum them up very briefly in a list that I call “The Ten Commandments of Grace.” All of … Continue reading →

Grace, Law, and the New Covenant

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Grace, Law, and the New Covenant by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 9:39pm QUESTION: What is the connection between the New Covenant and the “grace system,” to which you refer in your book, “Set Free! What the Bible Says About Grace” (pp. 50-51)? I have been taught by Restoration Movement teachers that grace is a New Covenant reality, i.e., that the New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant with its legal requirements, and that we are now saved under the New Covenant by grace. In other words, to be under the New Covenant is synonymous with … Continue reading →

What Is the Best Time for Baptism?

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What Is the Best Time for Baptism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 8:54am A RECENT QUESTION: We have had a number of baptisms lately during the week, i.e., not on Sunday. We keep our water warm and tell people we can do baptisms any time, when they have come to that decision, and will arrange for someone to be baptized on, say, Wednesday at 10 A.M. Of course, Sunday baptisms are always welcomed and encouraged, and we’ve had a number of those too. But my question is, is there a Scriptural reason to prefer having … Continue reading →

Tips for Preparing Lord’s Supper Meditations

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Tips for Preparing Lord’s Supper Meditations by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:55pm QUERY: Can you give some suggestions on how to prepare meditations for the Lord’s Supper? I hear many meditations that somehow do not seem to relate to the subject at hand. MY REPLY: It is important that the meditation have just ONE MAIN IDEA, and that this idea be related in some way to the CROSS or DEATH of Christ. It is also important that the meditation be brief (usually no more than four or five minutes). In preparing meditations, we must remember … Continue reading →

Are we justified by Christ’s LIFE or by his DEATH–or both?

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Are we justified by Christ’s LIFE or by his DEATH–or both? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 10:27am HERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION I received recently: “I have been following a discussion on a Calvinist blog re: the ‘active obedience’ view of the atonement. I read your section in ‘The Faith Once for All’ [p. 323], wherein you call this a ‘serious error.’ I’d be interested to know why this is such a serious error, i.e. what it in fact might lead to. Thanks for any help.” HERE IS MY REPLY: I usually speak of Christ’s “active … Continue reading →