The Unity of Truth (Vol. 1)
The Unity of Truth
by Jack Cottrell
The first volume in a series entitled "The Collected Works of Jack Cottrell" - this book is a collection of essays derived from his 48+ years of teaching.
As Dr. Cottrell explains: "I am calling this first volume The Unity of Truth. A main theme of my whole career has been TRUTH; thus it seems appropriate to begin with this subject. The lead essay has the same title as the book, namely, “The Unity of Truth.” This is a brand new study, never before published. In length, it is sort of in between an essay and a book, so I will call it a “theologella” for three reasons. First, it is about theology. Second, short novels are called novellas; the length of this piece fits that pattern. Third, I like to make up new words.
The next three studies herein are of different lengths. Two have been published before, both in The Restoration Herald. One is called “In Matters of Faith, Unity; in Matters of Opinion, Liberty.” This goes back to the February/March 2009 issues of the Herald. The other is a slightly longer version of a piece called “Christian Truth for a World in Decay,” which appeared twice in the Herald: in the December 2016 issue, and in the June/July 2017 issues. The next piece here is entitled “‘Hold On!’ The Tyranny of Change.” This is a sermon first preached at the Greendale (IN) First Church of Christ (where I worship and work), then for a chapel service at the (then) Florida Christian College. This is its first time in print.
The next item is “The Peter Pan Syndrome: Churches and Christians That Won’t Grow Up.” This is one of my favorite compositions. I have presented it numerous times, beginning at a meeting in Louisville, KY, in 2014. It is based solely on Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 4:11-16. Next is my most recent composition (as of May 14, 2018). I was asked to speak on this subject for the April 2018 meeting of the Fi-County Ministerial Association in Mowrystown, OH, namely, “Is the Restoration Movement Still Relevant?” My answer is yes, but only if we decide to put faithfulness to God’s truth ahead of our quest for the unity of Christendom. This applies especially to the truth about baptism.
The final entry here is a paper I presented in Indianapolis, IN, in the fall of 1989, at a conference on the nature of Biblical authority sponsored by the Christian Theological Seminary (Disciples of Christ). Three main speakers were invited to present papers on the conservative, moderate, and liberal perspectives on this subject. I was asked to present a paper from the conservative viewpoint.
I am in the process of planning the next volume, which will probably be called God’s Word Is Truth. It will be a selection of pieces on Biblical themes. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this one." (Adapted from the Preface)