Friday is for Friends

Last updated on: August 3, 2007 at 12:30 am by Scot McKnight

Friday is for Friends 2007-08-03T00:30:30-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The 8th chp of Jonathan Wilson’s study, Why Church Matters, has to do with baptism, eucharist and footwashing, and in today’s post I will take issue in a way that I hope will generate a good conversation.

Wilson contends that baptism initiates a life of discipleship, that it makes sense only in light of the kingdom (death to the old life and resurrection to the new life), that the community needs to play a far greater role in the significance of baptism, and that baptism should become more central to the community of faith — in space and calendar and teaching. Namely, is the one being baptized entering into a community that understands itself as a community of discipleship.
Now here me out: Many, like Jon Wilson, are attempting to get the church to resurrect baptism and to revive it and many have been asking themselves for years why we work so hard at trying to revive it and make very little progress. Jesus had little to do with baptism; Paul’s comments in 1 Cor 1:17 (“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power”) make many think that baptism wasn’t that central to his theology; and we don’t see it that much in the New Testament. Now, no one wants to wipe it off the map, but many who argue for the centrality of baptism are using language to construct a theology of the gospel that is shaped by baptism language. In other words, it is a language game and not an exegetical game. Thus, to say that discipleship is a life of baptism is a nice, thick, theological expression — but it is language and not the way the NT talks about discipleship.
No one disputes that baptism occurs in some major passages — Romans 6; 1 Pet 3 — but how central was it?
Now here me out on another point: try as hard as we can, baptism just doesn’t mean all that much to most people today. And I’m talking mostly about those who are baptized upon profession of faith as adults — I rarely hear them express their faith in baptismal categories.
Now here me out: I’m not sure what I agree with in the above comments so have at it!
On Eucharist: it is the sustaining practice of the Church by providing communion with the provision of new life. Wilson brings up good themes: reconciliation, living remembrance, communal meal, God’s hospitality, and the concrete value of participating in preparing for the Lord’s supper.
On footwashing: Wilson grew up in a footwashing community and contends that it was central to the early church — and indeed it was since it was a central task in hospitality customs. He urges to renew its practice.
By the way, in footwashing we raise the issue of the redemptive movement hermeneutic — of adjusting culturally to a new day. Is this the way to address footwashing or do we need to return to this custom?

Books

Theology

Previous Post

August 3, 2007

Missional Jesus 10 (again)

Next Post

August 4, 2007 Weekly Meanderings

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which tribe of Israel did NOT receive a land inheritance?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Benjamin Gad Judah Levi