What Kind of Holster?

“And when we heard their qualifications, we would believe them as brothers in Christ, and put our doctrinal revolvers back in the presbyterial holster. But when we say things like this (and we do, honestly), our qualifications after the fact do not matter. To extend the metaphor, the doctrinal bullets continue to whistle through our heretical hair. Oh, well.”

The Auburn Avenue Chronicles, p. 116

Stipulated Vocabularies

“I recognize that James and Paul have differing stipulated vocabularies. ‘Works’ is a word that does not refer to the same thing for the two men. Paul is at war with dead works, and James is at war with dead faith. We are the heirs of both men, and ought to be at war with both dead works and dead faith. The enemy is death, not faith or works. Works for James is fruit for Paul. But within the clear usage that James gives us, it is indisputable that works is the animating principle of faith.”

The Auburn Avenue Chronicles, p. 92

New Covenant Apostasy

“The book of Hebrews was written to a new covenant people, and it was written in order to head off a looming apostasy. That is what the entire book is about. In this verse [Heb. 10:29], we learn that the sanctions of the new covenant are more severe than the sanctions under Moses—“sorer punishment.” The new covenant does not contain “no sanctions.” It contains “more severe sanctions” . . . . Members of the visible church can and do fall away from Christ.”

The Auburn Avenue Chronicles, p. 79