hey wesley, looketh over there! where? ha-ha! i madest thou looketh! dids’t thou? don’t you mean...
TRANSCRIPT
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Bishop’s Brown Bag Book StudyChapter 7 – Church: More Catholic than Magisterial
Chapter 8 – Ministry: More Empowering than TriumphalCentral Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church
Bishop Mike Lowry, Winter 2015
Hey Wesley, Looketh over
there!
Where?
Ha-Ha! I madest thou
looketh!
Dids’t Thou? Don’t you mean that God hath predestined that I would looketh since
before time began? Surely you don’t suggest that I looketh of
mine own free will?
Yeah, well at least I can grow a beard.
More Catholic than MagisterialThe Nature of the Church
1. Faithful to historic creedal affirmations2. Only one church3. More invisible than visible4. The Church is holy due to Christ’s work
Reformed Definition1. “Wherever we see the Word of God purely
preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to Christ’s institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists” [cf. Eph. 3:20]• Word• Sacrament• Order (implied)
2. Outside the church (elect) there is no salvation (and we can’t be sure who is elect even if they are in the church!)
Context Duly Considered
1. All assumed one church; the issue was “which one?”
2. Strongly anti-Roman Catholic church as an institution
Calvin’s Magisterial Understanding
1. Collaboration between church & state (state churches of Europe)
2. High teaching authority of clergy3. A Christendom view of church4. Strong church discipline
Faithful Beliefs, Faithful Living1. Connection of belief & practice2. Orthodoxy / Orthokardia /
Orthopraxis – inseparable 33. Allowed latitude on doctrine &
theology (within boundaries)4. Live and die an Anglican
Catholic Spirit1. A hallmark of Methodist
ecclesiology2. “Now, wherever doctrine is
preached, where there is not discipline, it cannot have its full effect upon hearers.” (p. 101)
3. Distinguishing marks: holy, catholic, and apostolic
Wesley’s Context
1. Radically open for its day2. Civil authority should provide
for religious freedom3. Church & State complementary
not collaborative as in Calvin’s point of view
InterludeWhat would you describe as the distinguishing marks of the church? Are they one, holy, catholic, and apostolic? Are they the preaching of the pure word of God (the Bible), and the proper administration of the sacraments? Both? (#2)
What is the role of church discipline? How important is it for the life of the church and its members? How ought church discipline to occur? (#4)
Ministry:More Empowering
Than TriumphalA Common Core
1. Both were involved2. Both held to a high
preaching ministry
Calvin higher teaching ministry
Wesley much more involved missional activity
Thorsen: “Wesley represents a more compelling role model” (p.107)
Varieties
Calvin’s View – Context Revisited
1. Working to restore orthodox Christianity
2. Emphasis on the “Word of God”3. Working to establish a new or
“renewed/restored” church – the triumph of Reformed Theology
4. Offices: pastor and teacher (Eph. 4:11)5. Cessationism, the Holy Spirit &
Sola Scriptura
Wesley’s View –Counterpoint
1. Episcopal – superintending structure2. Conference/Society/Class meeting3. Social holiness – corporate fellowship
& accountability4. High doctrine of the Holy Spirit!5. High understanding of the role of lay
ministers, including women!6. Care of the poor as a constant focus
TULIP or ACURA
Calvinism – TULIP Wesleyanism – ACURA1. Total depravity 1. All are sinful2. Unconditional election 2. Conditional election3. Limited atonement 3. Unlimited atonement4. Irresistible grace 4. Resistible grace5. Perseverance of the saints
5. Assurance of salvation
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Calvinism and Wesleyanism
HEARTFELT APPRECIATION Thank you all for your participation.
Our next topic will be Christology & the meetings hopefully to be held in
the South or Central District
Watch ctcumc.org/BishopBrownBag for details.