Dear Diotrephes: What's Our Position?These letters were written to various friends, critics, and inquisitors who were trying to learn our position on the prevailing issues in the Church of Christ. Asking for help was enough to uncover other issues. Everyone felt compelled to ?take a stand? on every issue.I was searching for help due to my failing eyesight and a concern for my wife and six children. When I asked whether James 5:14 had really ?passed away,? as they said, where could I go for help? I learned that hardly any of them believed the Bible. They just said they did.I was told that there were 27 branches of us. The introduction of the healing question doubled the number, so we had 54. The Holy Spirit question caused further division, so we had 108 sects. Speaking in tongues, professional clergy, and fellowship issues made 216 socio-religious sects. Voila! How is that for growth? |
Contents
Cover Letter | 19 |
Chapter Two Who Invented Brotherhood Mathematics | 47 |
Chapter Three The Twelve Apostles Deity | 61 |
Chapter Four When is What an Apostle? | 81 |
Chapter Five Why We Abolished the Office of Apostle | 109 |
Chapter Six OUR Thorn in the Flesh Paul | 119 |
Chapter Seven We Withdrew From Paul | 133 |
Chapter Eight Read it Again Gaius | 155 |
Chapter Thirteen Brother Fud and The Variable Assumption | 229 |
Chapter Fourteen Why We Prefer Fruit | 251 |
Chapter Fifteen The Church of Immaculate Assumptions | 263 |
Chapter Sixteen Its Honest John Time | 291 |
Funny Confession of a Neophyte Believer | 301 |
Funny Things Along the Way | 311 |
How the Blind See The Unseen Hand | 329 |
The Trip from Nazareth | 337 |
Chapter Nine Our Spiritual Pandoras Box | 163 |
Chapter Ten Our Doctrinal Obituary Column | 175 |
Chapter Eleven What About That Gibberish | 189 |
Chapter Twelve The Ultimate in Religion American Style | 207 |
Toward Becoming a Believer | 349 |
If You Can But Believe | 355 |
There are Some Whisperings in the Air | 363 |
Common terms and phrases
12 Apostles Acts Adverbial Participle Ananias answers anyway asked assume assumption ASSUMPTIONIST baptized in water become a BELIEVER Bible says book of Acts Brother Fud bunch chapter church Dear Diotrephes devil disciple doctrine Elders Ephesus Erring Brethren Erring Brother Evangelists explain fact FAITH FATHER feel folks fruit funny things Gaius Gestapo God's going Golightly Gospel hands happened healing hear heard Holy Spirit I'M A BELIEVER insist Interpreters Jerusalem Jesus John keep Ker-plunk knew letter look Lord Luke miracles Nazareth necessary inference never Nicepersons passed Paul Paul's Peter Pharisees Phillip position POWER pray preachers pronouns questions RECEIVE THE HOLY religious scriptures someone sound speaking in Tongues SPIRIT OF PROMISE spiritual gifts started sure taught teach tell thought tion told tradition truth TWELVE APOSTLES Unbelievers verses water baptism wonder word written