Author Archives: Jay F Guin

About Jay F Guin

My name is Jay Guin, and I’m a retired elder. I wrote The Holy Spirit and Revolutionary Grace about 18 years ago. I’ve spoken at the Pepperdine, Lipscomb, ACU, Harding, and Tulsa lectureships and at ElderLink. My wife’s name is Denise, and I have four sons, Chris, Jonathan, Tyler, and Philip. I have two grandchildren. And I practice law.

Further on Elders (The Authority of Preachers)

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Jay F Guin

The argument is being made more and more frequently that the preacher has authority to ordain elders because Timothy and Titus had the authority to ordain elders. Maybe. But we really have to approach these questions with the greatest of humility … Continue reading →

Posted in Elders, Uncategorized | 25 Comments

Further on Elders (On Moralistic Therapeutic Deism)

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Jay F Guin

Some time ago, I posted a series on Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD), a term coined by Christian Smith, who wrote Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, with Melinda Lundquist. Smith and Lundquist found that most Christian American … Continue reading →

Posted in Elders, Uncategorized | 22 Comments

Further on Elders (Getting Rid of Bad Elders: Cure, Part 2)

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Jay F Guin

A church has a good eldership, except one elder really doesn’t belong. He should never have been ordained. Experience shows that he really doesn’t have the qualities of a shepherd/overseer/elder and the giftedness from the Spirit for the task. Most … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad Elders, Elders, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Further on Elders (Getting Rid of Bad Elders: Cure, Part 1)

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Jay F Guin

Now, let’s suppose we have man called “elder” who is not qualified. What do we do? Well, the Bible says very little on the subject, but there is some significant guidance. We begin with — (1Ti 5:19-20 ESV)  19 Do not admit … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad Elders, Elders, Uncategorized | 18 Comments

Further on Elders (Getting Rid of Bad Elders: Prevention)

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Jay F Guin

I’m not finished with the series on Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, but it’s time for a break. We’ll return in short order. One of the questions I’m most frequently asked is how to deal with bad elders. After all, even … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad Elders, Elders, Uncategorized | 30 Comments

Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Honor, Part 6 (Public vs. Private; Examples; Conclusion)

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Jay F Guin

We’re considering Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien — an excellent book. In summarizing the chapter, the authors explain, In the meantime, pay attention to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elders, Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Honor, Part 5 (Church Discipline)

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Jay F Guin

We’re considering Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien — an excellent book. There are a handful of references in the New Testament regarding church discipline. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elders, Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

New Wineskins

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Jay F Guin

I’ve been greatly saddened to read that New Wineskins will no longer be published. Keith Brenton, who’s edited the magazine tirelessly for the last few years, announced in a Facebook post that the magazine would be discontinued, with the published … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Honor, Part 4 (The Sermon on the Mount)

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Jay F Guin

We’re considering Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien — an excellent book. Understanding that Jews of Jesus’ day had an honor culture, we can re-read … Continue reading →

Posted in Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Honor, Part 3 (Fear Culture; Honor in the Gospels and Old Testament)

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Jay F Guin

We’re considering Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible, by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien — an excellent book. For additional reading on the subject, here’s an excellent article by a native … Continue reading →

Posted in Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Misreading Scriptures with Western Eyes, Uncategorized | 7 Comments