Well some folk have taken to playing this game online…basically
poking fun at ourselves by coming up with a list about our own denominations.
So here goes my list. You know you’re a Plymouth Brethren when:
Sy Asks About Jesus
I couldn’t believe it when my wife told me but I was still
touched. Normally he looks at a story books re-telling the life of Jesus and
points out key features…but when he gets to the cross he asks about Jesus’
booboos.
Lift him up David and Beth in your prayers. I don’t know his
exact situation but you can feel the pain in the man as he writes the
following:
“Please pray for me as I have been in much repentance and
inner healing but have been under much attack and have strayed. I need to truly, love accept and trust Jesus
with all my heart. Inner healing and
deliverance are needed in my life. Also,
please pray for Beth and that I will learn to let her go and trust god to help
her.”
Anyone who has been following the study should notice a few
things. Firstly, the method is a variation of my (now) usual method of
studying. I’m ignoring the role of the specific baptismal narratives within the
context of the letter. For instance, that huge list of questions for each
specific baptismal event in the book of Acts largely ignored the greater
question of the reason those stories were even put into Luke’s letter anyway.
My approach here has been closer to systematic theology in that I have gathered
the baptismal stories and usage and then have put them next to each other to
study them.
It’s been 6 weeks of steady Monday-morning posting by our Brother
Russ. In fact, one of those weeks he even hit us with a couple of goodies to
mix into the bag. There’s been some great commenting going on (which I have to
port over to the commenting system so don’t get upset if you don’t see that
your two cents didn’t make it over yet) and there’s been some overspill onto
other sites. I’d like to thank Brother Russ for his consistent posting,
friendly tone, diligent intelligence and reliance on Scripture. I’ve asked the
brother to stick around and God willing he’ll start something else in the
future—perhaps something I could interact more with since I was pretty much out
of commission with my new baby. Anyway, here’s the series in its entirety: Russ
seeking out something beyond Calvinism and Arminianism.
Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible
Grace, Perseverance Preservation of the Saints, Sovereignty of God and an aside
On Faith: extra thoughts on Unconditional Election.