| OUR CHANGING WORLD |
I
join brethren everywhere in expressing sorrow over the passing of J.
W. Roberts of ACC. J. D. Thomas and Reuel Lemmons assisted in
the funeral at the College Church of Christ in Abilene, April 17. J.
W. and I graduated from ACC in the same class, and back in those days
we were in hot competition for speech awards and student pulpits. We
have kept in touch through the years as fellow editors and professors
as well as friends. Among the last letters he received was one from
me, commending him for what must have been the last of many articles
in the
Firm
Foundation.
And
already I had marked that article for attention in this column, so
reflective it is of our changing world.
Under
the rather daring title of
How
Many Articles in Your Creed, Brother?,
Prof.
Roberts reviewed the struggle of our pioneers against creedalism,
pointing to the incident of Isaac Errett drawing up a synopsis of
faith “for the information of the public,” but not
intended as a creed. Benjamin Franklin and Moses Lard in their papers
reproved Errett for scandalizing the Movement and called upon the
brotherhood to repudiate it.
J.
W. believed that we should continue to be free from creedalism, but
he was lamenting some recent developments. He spoke of a proposal for
“a doctrinal test” for teachers in Christian colleges
that he resented, not that he would not personally pass it, but
because he did not believe in creeds. He also told of a congregation
in Tennessee that has devised a doctrinal test for its teachers,
covering such items as verbal inspiration, evolution, work of the
Spirit, miracles, tongue-speaking, essentiality of membership in the
Lord’s church, possibility of salvation in denominationalism,
essentiality of water baptism, instrumental music, and even necessity
of attending all services.
Our
deceased brother said that such creedalism is insulting as well as
sectarian, and he pointed out that even Paul would not be able to
teach in said’ congregation since he believed in the personal
indwelling of the Spirit, which the creed disallowed. J. W. further
insisted that the number of services one attends must be left to
one’s own freedom in Christ. But his most serious objection was
that the creed calls for “the elders to control the thinking of
the individual by binding him to reveal to the elders any change in
his thinking.”
This
kind of creedalism has long been with us, albeit few have dared to
make it a
written
creed.
And you will notice that a creed sets forth the
distinctive
features
of a sect, not those that belong to the universal church. J. W.
mentioned this too, observing that the Tennessee creed said nothing
of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith or Christian
ethics.
It
is encouraging to find such wholesome teaching as this in such an
influential journal as the
Firm
Foundation
and
from such an important place as Abilene Christian College. I deeply
regret that the author will no longer be around to write more of
them.
**********
The
Eighth Annual Unity Forum will be in Tulsa, July 5-7, and it promises
to be an exciting affair, with an excellent program and a rare slate
of participants. Subjects will include the nature of brotherhood, the
meaning of our disciple heritage, the ministry of women, a critique
on some of our slogans, and an extended study of the ministry of the
Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. The first two subjects will
be treated by Carl Ketcherside, editor of
Mission
Messenger,
and
Perry Gresham, chairman of the board, Bethany College. Three women —
yes, I said
women
— will discuss the woman’s ministry in the Body. These
are Gloria Bradshaw of Tulsa, Ruth Ash of Dallas, and Cleona Harvey
of Bloomington, Indiana, who touch three different age groups as well
as that many backgrounds. This will be something of a first among us,
having women discuss the work of women. But anything can happen at
Tulsa and it usually does!
Thomas
Langford of Lubbock, Stan Paregian of Stroud, Ok., and Waymon Miller
of Tulsa will discuss the slogans, with an evaluation by Vic Hunter,
editor of
Mission.
Warren
Lewis of West Islip, N. Y. and Marvin Phillips of Tulsa will lead a
study on the Spirit, which will go through two sessions (some five
hours in all, with an evaluation by Carl Ketcherside. There will also
be sharing sessions each day led by Leroy Garrett. All sessions will
be on campus of University of Tulsa. Larry Bradshaw, 10841 E. 34th
St., Tulsa 74145, will help you with housing arrangements or other
information. Call him at 918-622-8119.
**********
Writing
in a recent issue of
Theology
Today
(Princeton),
Richard I. Coleman says that one of the paradoxes of our times is
that we are being forced to choose between Christian union and
Christian truth. He sees COCU as a symptom of that choice, for it has
given priority to some kind of organic unity while being intolerant
of strict definitions of truth. He thinks COCU calls for a premature
unity in that it is seeking to bring into union people who have not
yet learned to accept each other as brothers. Coleman says that
fellowship must have priority over forms and doctrines, and once we
accept each other in love, we can move toward maturer levels of
organizational oneness. But the scandal of Christendom is not
denominations, but that believers seek status in doctrine and form
rather than in love. If COCU dies, Coleman believes the cause to be a
lack of theological guts. We can “talk out” and “pray
out” our differences, perhaps, but only if we can start with a
minimal “core faith” in the uniqueness of Jesus.
Ecumenical efforts tend to renounce the necessity of the Christian
faith in favor of a syncretistic religion, he points out.
It
is interesting that this same question of unity and truth is a basic
problem in our own efforts. We must identify the “core faith”
that forms the basis of brotherhood. Across the country and in this
journal I have identified the core as the seven ones of Eph. 4, which
ought to be a safe place to stand since it is there that the apostle
pleads for “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
But if the basis is made to include everything from societies and
organs to classes and millennial theories unity is impossible. If
COCU fails for lack of strictness, we will fail for too much
strictness.
**********
Sincerity is the indispensable ground of all conscientiousness, and by consequence of all heartfelt religion. — Immanuel Kant