Recent Additions

Posted on by Matthew Gage

Just a quick update on some of the recent additions to this website from the last couple of months.

First, I have been working to digitize some books, pamphlets, and sermons that I possess that to my knowledge are not available online elsewhere. I just finished adding the ten sermons from B.H. Carroll‘s 1913 book Baptists and Their Doctrines, including Ecclesia – The Church, Distinctive Baptist Principles, and The Baptists One Hundred Years Ago. I have also added the first few sermons from the book Messages on Prayer.

Also in the past few months I have added some sermons and pamphlets by J. Frank Norris. I have added probably his most famous sermon, But God, along with his Inside the Cup sermons from 1930 in which he gives his account of the history and battles to that point of his pastorate in Ft. Worth. Also added is the text to a Norris pamphlet Did the Jews Write the Protocols? in which he takes a stand against antisemitism.

Two other books were also added. The first is a pamphlet named Election Made Plain which deals with Calvinism and was recommended by J. Frank Norris. The second is the text of The Key of Truth, a document that may have ties back through the centuries to the Paulicians. I have seen it mentioned numerous times as proof that Baptist principles are far older than many modern historians give credit.

Second, I have added a couple of new research articles on J. Frank Norris. The first is some of the information I have tracked down regarding his 1905 graduation from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The second is some information regarding Norris speaking at the 1926 National Baptist Convention in Ft. Worth. That might not seem like a big deal from the title, but many of Norris’s critics may be surprised to find him speaking at a convention of Black Baptists and also inviting them to attend Sunday services at his own church.

Third, I continue to add new pdf notes that I use for Sunday School and Wednesday nights at Faith Baptist Church in Decatur, TX. Recent additions include notes from a series on Prayer and another on Jonah. I have just started two new series: one on the book of Micah and the other on prophecy. Look for these in the coming weeks and months.

As to what is coming up in the future, I have a few projects in progress. I have more works by B.H. Carroll and J. Frank Norris that I am preparing to add. I am looking a few other various books and sermons to add also. Of course the lesson notes that I prepare each week will be added.

I have a couple of posts that I am refining that I hope to add in the near future. One is on the logic used to defend and attack the KJV. Another is on the Bible college system, its shortfalls and possible solutions.

Another thing I hope to add soon is a study I have been working on regarding the uses of ekklesia and church in the New Testament. I am very excited about it but still have some work and study. As a sneak peek, let me share with you my current (subject to change) conclusions:

  • There are 120 uses of either ekklesia in Greek or church in English (KJV).
  • That includes 5 uses of church or ekklesia which should be omitted from the count.
    • 1 use of church in Acts 19:37 which is not ekklesia and likely not about a Christian church.
    • 1 use in I Peter 5:13 as ekklesia is not in the Greek text.
    • 3 uses that appear in the subscripts to Paul’s epistles.
  • Which leaves 115 uses of ekklesia in the Greek New Testament.
    • 6 uses that are not related to a Christian church.
      • 1 use in Acts 7:38 refers to Israel and not a Christian church.
      • 3 uses in Acts 19:32, 39, and 41 refer to a civic assembly.
      • 2 uses in Hebrews are special cases that when examined do not describe a Christian church.
    • 3 uses spoken by Christ in Matthew that are less definite.
      • 1 use in Matthew 16:18 is a general definition introducing the idea.
      • 2 uses in Matthew 18 are general teaching about non-specific local church function.
    • 64 uses clearly speak of a local church or groups of local churches.
    • 42 uses which many see as general/universal/invisible, to which I will offer that a local church is a better interpretation.

As I said, that is still a work very much in progress. I am working to further understand a few of the less definite or special uses. Also I am considering expanding the study into other areas, such as the descriptions of the church with a body or bride.