FOOLS FOR CHRIST’S SAKE

Paul, an apostle of Christ, called the apostles of Christ “fools for Christ’s sake” (1 Corinthians 4:10, ESV). April Fools’ Day measures the time I have served Southside Church of Christ, for I began my ministry on that day in 1987. At that time Southside was worn out by several changes in ministers. [...]

Freedom and Conscience: The Stewardship Issue

In Christian Unity I pointed out that the Apostle Paul’s path of Christian unity called for spiritual maturity in the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 1-3; see also the prayers of Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, and Ephesians 1:15-22 and 3:14-21). Leaders must discern the path that best follows Christ’s mind and soundly build upon [...]

Hermeneutics: Interpretation and the Wizard of Silence

“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” – The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz (1939). In hermeneutics (interpretation) silence is the man behind the curtain: a pretentious wizard with an odd collection of personal effects. Those who would interpret the Bible cannot ignore him. He may [...]

Hermeneutics: Interpretation and Our Defining Traditions

I and some other preteens and young teenagers of the Hixson Church of Christ were baptized in the same year. The leadership of the church responded to our need as young Christians with a new converts’ class. Brother Bob Ray, a favorite teacher of the youth because of his positive nature and ability [...]

A Summer Time Picture

Summer time use to go slow for me, when I was elementary school age. Of course summer weather stayed longer in Tennessee than in New York. Now though I almost want to shy away from small talk with other adults, because the dominate topic is about how fast time flies — how fast [...]