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Aim for Restoration” in 2 Corinthians 13:11

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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 applica- tions. 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 so- cial 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
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