Aim for Restoration” in 2 Corinthians 13:11

by Dr. Barry Cole Poyner Table of Contents

1 Restored Relationships...... 7

2 Restored Balance...... 13

3 Restored Health...... 19

4 Restored Soul...... 25

5 Restored Finances...... 30

6 Restored Land...... 36

7 Restored Home, Temple, and Priesthood...... 42

8 Restored Kingdom...... 47

9 Restored Fortunes...... 53

10 Restored Position...... 58

11 Restored Justice...... 64

12 Restored Worship ...... 70

13 Restoration Surprises...... 77

Notes...... 84 Introduction

First-century Christians were too busy being the church to think much about restoring the church. So—if and when—they did think about “restoration,” what were they considering? This study probes what early Christians thought and practiced with implications for 21st– century believers. Understanding these themes and practices may both surprise and enrich our efforts at being God’s people today. The author desires to capture the heart and thrill of restoration, not to put forward a history. I contend that the early Christians thought of a variety of things needing to be restored before they turned to the notion of a restored “kingdom.” Even more remote would be the notion of restoring the newly established spiritual kingdom, the church. My interest in this topic may be credited to daily devotionals. My wife was reading in her new English Standard Version and noted the expression “aim for restoration” in 2 Corinthians 13:11. That rendering prompted me to consider “restoration” from a new perspective and stimulated me to write a devotional in Power for Today, a daily devotional guide published by 21st Century Christian, which appeared June 14, 2016. It further energized me to conduct a topical adult Bible class on the theme that was well-received. What do we learn from history? Sadly, it’s that we do not learn from history! Books on Restoration Movements of the New Testament church in America or biographies of preachers are not best-sellers. The entire Bible is an effort to restore relationships, sometimes with God, sometimes with people, and sometimes with objects—such as health, position, lost fortune. The Book of Judges demonstrates a microcosm of restoration efforts. God can bless those efforts, but I am convinced that social movements to restore only emerge when individuals are dedicated to restoration in their lives. On a societal level, our goal is not to keep a single restoration movement alive because most social movements are quite short-lived. They are failures or meet with success and end. What is within my capabilities is a resolve to keep restoration alive in my life.

4 I will weave some communication theory into the book, helping readers both define and better understand social movements, in- cluding the frustrations accompanying them. However, I promise not to overwhelm with theory, only to enlist its help in making applications. Along the way, I also hope to acquaint a new generation with a love for the rich literature and body of work associated with efforts to restore New Testament Christianity. For more advanced students of church history, I promise to challenge thinking about the nature of social movements with questions to answer, research to conduct, and applications to try. I have opted to use the phrase “Restoration Movements of the New Testament Church in America” more often than I use the phrase “Stone-Campbell Movement.“ This may puzzle readers who think in terms of one, continuous movement. I have opted for this expression because there have been numerous, independent efforts not tied to Barton W. Stone or Thomas or Alexander Campbell. I am aware that the expression “Stone-Campbell Movement” as coined by Leroy Garrett has become the accepted term,1 but I am also concerned with movements before and after it. When appropriate in the timeline, I will refer to the Stone-Campbell Movement. So, what needed restoring in the first century? Let’s begin!

About the Author

Dr. Barry Cole Poyner is a student of restoration history and regularly teaches a class on social movements at a public university. He is the son of Billy and Ann Poyner of Graves County, Kentucky, now of Paducah. He is a graduate of Sedalia High School, Sedalia, Kentucky, and received a B.A. in Speech Education and Religious Education from David Lipscomb University in 1984. Poyner graduated from Louisiana State University with a M.A. and Ph.D. in Speech in 1986 and 1990, respectively. Both his thesis and dissertation focused on figures in the American Restoration of the church, George W. DeHoff and James Shannon.

5 Since 1990, Dr. Poyner has taught in the Communication Depart- ment at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, and is advisor to Ekklesia Campus Ministry. He is a life member of the Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri and serves as parliamentarian to the National Communication Association and the National Education Association. Dr. Poyner has served as an evangelist and elder with the Kirksville Church of Christ. He is married to Catherine Lenoir Poyner of Huntsville, Alabama. They have two children Benjamin Cole Poyner of Kirksville and Bethany Poyner Manning of Columbus, Georgia. He is a frequent contributor to Power for Today.

Gratitude

The author is thankful for the Friends of the Restoration Movement who promote scholarly work in Restoration History and provide a program at the Freed-Hardeman University annual lectureship. Scott Harp maintains a helpful website http://www.therestorationmovement. com that the author recommends. Both Dr. Sam Hester and Dr. Doug Foster were gracious in sharing materials and syllabi when I taught a special topics seminar on Social Movements and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement at Truman State University. Their contribu- tions informed my views. I miss my friend, Dr. Mike Casey, who left us too soon. We shared many conversations about the church and social movements at the National Communication Association. For this work, I am grateful to Dr. Stafford North, Dan and Gaylene Green, and Scott Harp for their suggestions and proofing. I especially appreciate the efforts of Dr. Carroll B. Ellis who steered me toward Louisiana State University for graduate work in Speech Communication. My early mentors were teachers and evangelists especially Dr. Batsell Barrett Baxter, Dr. Marlin Connelly, and Dr. Tom Holland. Brother Holland officiated our wedding. Lesson 1 Restored Relationships: The Theme of the Bible

Daily Readings 2 Corinthians 13:1-14; John 8:1-11; 1 John 4:20-21; James 2:8-13; 1 Peter 3:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; Romans 12:14-21

As a child, I enjoyed mastering the vertical and horizontal moves on my Etch-a-Sketch. I drew some elaborate buildings by turning those knobs. Because I thought my drawing was so good, I even briefly toyed with the boyhood dream of being an architect! Life has a way of shaking us up though, and just like the art on an Etch-a-Sketch, our goals, dreams, hopes can be quickly and repeatedly erased. Have you ever wondered what Jesus was drawing or writing on the ground when the accusers of the woman taken in adultery were pressing Him for an answer (John 8:8)? This side of heaven we can only guess, but I wonder if he drew a vertical line and then a horizontal line depicting our relationship to God and to fellow humans, respectively. Scripture asks whether we can claim to love God if we hate our brother (1 John 4:20-21). If our horizontal relationship with others is not right, our vertical relationship with God is impaired, even our

7 prayers (1 Peter 3:7). Conversely, if our vertical relationship with God is not right, our relationship with others is negatively affected. For this reason, all the commandments can be said to swing from the two pillars of a suspension bridge: Love God and love your neighbor. All have sinned and are worthy of capital punishment (James 2:8-13). Stop playing the blame game, and realize that restored relationships begin with self! That is a stone on which to step, not to throw. When you think about it, the whole story of the Bible is about restoring relationships. From Genesis to Maps, as Ken Saner a fellow elder used to say, God seeks to bridge the gap that sin created. So, should it surprise us when first-century Christians thought about “restoration” that a chief theme was restored relationships? Restoration is a biblical theme!

The Corinthian church was a talented, spiritually gifted church, but the members were immature. Immaturity had led to division and interpersonal conflict. Today we want to restore the ideal of the New Testament church, not necessarily their church problems. What needed restoring in Corinth? The Corinthians were at odds with one another and with the Apostle Paul. The carnal Corinthians were worldly, not spiritually minded. Accordingly, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11). I had read that passage many times before, but never thought of it in terms of “restoration” until my wife, in her devotional reading, pointed out the way it was translated by the English Standard Version. It may surprise you that the leading 19th Century restorers of New Testament Christianity enthusiastically supported new or updated

8 translations of the Bible. Restoration of the church in their minds could only proceed if the biblical text itself had been accurately and reliably translated. For instance, they pointed to the transliteration of baptizo and maintained that “immersion” should have been the rendering. For the modern reader, new insights may be gained by reading different translations of the same passage, and that was the case when my wife drew my attention that the ESV rendered the Greek word in verses 9 and 11 of our text as “restoration.” The Greek word is kataritizo. Restoring involves mending, repairing, completing, perfecting, furnishing, equipping. Let’s examine some different translations of the verses. The NASV and NKJV render the word “complete.” To be restored is to be made complete. The NIV speaks of being “fully restored” and “full restoration,” respectively, not a partial mending. The RSV opts for “improvement” and “mend your ways.” Restoration is not just a theoretical construct; it compels action. The Living Bible paraphrases by saying “mature” and “grow in Christ.” Phillips prefers “true Christian maturity” and “maturity.” To offer one more different wording, the Good News Bible renders “perfect” and “strive for perfection.” According to 2 Corinthians 13, how can such restoration be achieved? Self-examination is required. Paul urged them to examine, to test themselves (verse 5). Improvement can come by setting goals and holding ourselves accountable to others. Relationships can improve if I improve myself: The reality is that you cannot control anyone else, only yourself and your reaction. Relationships will be less frustrating when we realize that! Restoration also involves repentance (verse 7). That means we do the right thing even if others do not. I once counseled an adminis- trator not to be overly punitive to an employee whom she felt had not respected her authority. The employee had already been repri- manded—in my estimation, there was no place for additional action or being vindictive. We do the right thing with no expectation that we will receive praise or reciprocal favor.

9 Praying for others and seeking their best interests can change your view of them and bring about restored relationships. We can desire their perfection, restoration (verse 9). In this way we can love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). It is hard to keep an enemy when we pray for him/her and seek the best. The book and movie Ender’s Game (2013) ponders that theme. Daniel Sommer, a preacher in the Midwest, used to say that he had no enemies, only “friendly friends and unfriendly friends.” By changing our frame of reference, the relationship has the possibility of transformation. To be honest, I had little regard for a faculty member on our campus that I thought was loud-spoken; however, I found that my attitude changed when I sent him a sympathy card upon hearing his father had passed. Humaniz- ing, not demonizing, helped me to develop empathy. Our role is not to condemn or to seek vengeance. The Apostle Paul urged, “repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all” (Romans 12:17). Use words to build up, not destroy (verse 10). Affirming words can keep us from negatively spiraling. Make a conscious effort not to use emotionally laden language. Try to interpret emotional language, not react to it. “Why is Barry so upset?” If anyone deserved a “cussing out” it is likely the devil, but Jude advised restraint, lest we become what we despise (Jude verse 7-9). Affirming behaviors (11-14) such as comforting one another, rejoicing, agreeing, living in peace, and greeting others aid restoration of relationships and indicate God is in our midst. Our singular and corporate behaviors should be to edify, not to demolish.

In an earlier letter to the Corinthians, Paul longed for unity (“perfectly united’) as a result of restoration: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the

10 name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The thought had not yet occurred to them that the church needed restoring, though other aspects of life did. The gospel-restored and the church-restored have been momentous accomplishments in the American restoration of the church. It is important to have a clear and comprehensive definition of a social movement. I rely on the work of communication scholars Stewart, Smith, and Denton who define a social movement as: “an organized, uninstitutionalized, and large collectivity that emerges to promote or resist change in societal norms and values, operat- ing primarily through persuasion encountering opposition.”2 To put in in simple language, movements are loosely organized from the bottom up, not the top down. A movement is more than a cam- paign. Mature movements create institutions of their own known as social movement organizations (SMOs), but these may outlive the movement and the mission that called them into being. Examples might be churches, schools, periodicals, etc. As we will explore in later chapters, movements proceed in predictable stages from birth to death. All movements need dedicated individuals. To apply these ideas to restoring the church in America, I would contend that there have been numerous efforts to restore New Testament Christianity in America. Chief among them was the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. Restoration is ongoing and must be personal. What needs restoring in your life? We may despise our shortcomings, our weaknesses, but it is in our weaknesses the power of God can shine and transform. There we especially meet God. Consider again, the woman taken in adultery—where was the man? He missed the blessing of Jesus’ forgiveness. It’s time to stop trying to entrap others or one up them. Restored relationships begin with oneself.

11 Remember that affirming behaviors such as rejoicing, comforting one another, agreeing, living in peace, and greeting others aid restoration and indicate God is in our midst. Your brothers and sisters need uplifting. A dear relative of ours, Jesse “Sonny” Henderson loved to “Amen.” He was an encourager. Often he would add, “Way to go, brother” My sister Kelly and I wondered if there could be an equivalent expression for females. We found it: “Way to go, Bro! Holy kiss, Sis! Aim for restoration, and God is in your midst!”

Discussion Questions 1. What relationship needs repair in your life? Today, now, pray for the person. This week do something positive for the person. Regardless of whom you think is in the wrong, make the first move. 2. Remember to the degree that we forgive others, we will be forgiven. Does that scare you or encourage you? What attitudes do you need to change? 3. Is it refreshing to think about restoration in terms of how first- century Christians viewed the concept? What surprised you in this study? 4. Explain how devotional reading can help launch deeper studies of the word. Share an example from your own study. Why are these moments vital for restoration? 5. List ways we can achieve restored relationships according to 2 Corinthians 13.