Theology Nerds Only

Martel

@Puff_Dougie

Doug, your blog traffic might go up.  Was having an online conversation about authorized worship and linked to your book.  Someone else quoted something that sounded like part of your book, but was actually an online article by Greg L. Price summing up the regulative principle, I shared your stuff with the guys on the thread.

The guy who quoted Price keeps beating me to punches as we talk about how the application of the RP and understanding "accidents" and "circumstances" differently has lead to a multitude of divisions within the Reformed tradition.  We've been talking about how, in my tradition, which was founded by a couple of Presbyterians-who-left, specifically one who was a minister in the Old-Light Anti-Burgher Seceder Presbyterian tradition, and started the movement with a principle of unity (because they didn't like all those adjectives, I guess), the unwritten application of the RP has ironically developed a number of schisms around the issue of worship.

Gawd, preachers can be boring folks.  

Anyway, anyone else have any deep theological insights for the day?  I'm done.

webmost

Martel said:

We've been talking about how, in my tradition, which was founded by a couple of Presbyterians-who-left, specifically one who was a minister in the Old-Light Anti-Burgher Seceder Presbyterian tradition, and started the movement with a principle of unity (because they didn't like all those adjectives, I guess), the unwritten application of the RP has ironically developed a number of schisms around the issue of worship.

Now there's the kind of sentence you don't see every day.

peter4jc

Ima have to do some research before being able to contribute.  The only RP I know is the one we all love to hate on.

Martel

RP=Regulative Principle: only those things instituted by God through direct command, example, or good and necessary inference from the Bible are permissible in the worship of the church AND anything NOT commanded or instituted by example or necessary inference is prohibited.

So for some, you can only sing Psalms.  For others, instruments are forbidden and only the human voice can sing.  Use of things like candles, drama, etc. that aren't mentioned are prohibited.  But there's some leeway in those "inferences" which lead to the problems.

Also, dispensationalism comes into play in some iterations.  In the Stone-Campbell or American Restoration Movement, which lead to the Disciples of Christ, Independent Christian Churches, and the Churches of Christ, the understanding was only that which was authorized in the New Testament was allowed.  This is my heritage; we're a bunch of Marcionites-lite.  I love my people, but some of us a surely heretics.  Then again, I think we've got some stuff right, too.  

webmost

Beware Parson: Exegesis can lose more worshippers than the need to praise can ever recruit.

johnnyB

We had a family leave our church because we sang as many hymns as psalms.

Amos_Umwhat

Boy, this opens a whirlwind of thoughts for me.  For the sake of brevity I'll leave off about 2 pages of references and the thoughts and experiences leading up to my own personal beliefs, and offer two things.

First, I believe that the RP was succinctly addressed by Jesus Christ.  The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  Those who wish to impose an "RP" are Pharisees who worship an institution, and not a Living God.

Secondly, for those who are interested in these things, I recommend Frank Viola and George Barna's excellent book; Pagan Christianity.

I have no credentials or training other than a lay persons interests in Philosophy, and a personal experience of the Holy Spirit which moved, and I mean moved and changed me, dramatically.  But I love discussing these things. 

My thanks to all those here who do also.