Fundamentalism

Toward the Development of Christian Aesthetics in Music

For centuries, economists struggled to answer the seeming disparity between the value of diamonds and the value of water. This paradox was discussed by great thinkers such as Copernicus, Locke, and Smith. Water is essential for life and has many purposes but is far less valuable than diamonds which are mostly appreciated for their beauty alone. Shouldn’t water carry the greater value?

Rarely does God’s Word seem so practical as when we go through deep waters. Solomon has much to say to the current dilemma surrounding MBBC, and I hope to share some words “fitly spoken” (Prov. 25:11) to help hurting souls react in a Christlike manner. I read many websites, blog comments, forum posts, and personal emails related to the situation. Some were healthy; some were toxic. I have received phone calls from those on “both sides” of the issue. It’s not the volume of correspondence that concerns me. It’s the passion behind them. What does God want us to do?

Of all the issues I have come across, possibly the most difficult in which to determine my position is the belief in personal and ecclesiastical separation. Having spent more than a full year on SharperIron, I have concluded that I am not the only one with questions in these areas. But I think perhaps my confusion stems from a misunderstanding of the doctrine of unity. Many of us are familiar with passages like Ephesians 4:1-6 and 1 Corinthians 12, but have we thoroughly considered them in regard to unity?

Paul Chappell picked a theme for this “special twentieth anniversary conference” – “panta iskhuo en to endunamounti me Christo,” very fitting for a church family characterized by a position of using only the King James Version of the Bible, especially when the eclectic text (NU) replaces “Christ” with “Him” in Philippians 4:13.