Allen: maintaining doctrine

Tuesday, June 9, 2020
    Feast of Columba, Abbot of Iona, Missionary, 597
    Commemoration of Ephrem of Syria, Deacon, Hymnographer, Teacher, 373
Meditation:
    This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
    —1 John 3:10 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The [early] Church maintained her doctrine by thinking it so clear that any one could understand it: we maintain our doctrine by treating it as so complicated that only theologians can understand it. Consequently, the Church then was quite prepared that any man who believed in Christ should teach others what he knew of Him: we are only prepared to allow men whom we have specially trained to teach it.
    ... Roland Allen (1869-1947), The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and the Causes Which Hinder It, London: World Dominion Press, 1949, reprint, Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1997, p. 65 (see the book)
    See also 1 John 3:10; Ps. 19:7; Acts 4:13; Rom. 1:18-19; 1 Cor. 3:18; 2 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 3:8-9; 2 Pet. 3:15-18
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, let simplicity in Christ be my guide. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    Jonah    Ruth