John Mark Hicks

Texts: Exodus 40:34-38; Joshua 11:23; 1 Samuel 8:4-9 Days 17-19 in Around the Bible in Eighty Days. God led Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness to Sinai where God dwelt upon the earth. The purpose of the Exodus was not only liberation from slavery but encounter with God at Sinai whey they would become […]

2019 Christian Scholars Conference Presentation, Lubbock, Texas Part of my academic work has sought to identify and characterize the theological dynamic that shaped students at the Nashville Bible School (now known as Lipscomb University) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This dynamic has its roots in Barton W. Stone and Tolbert Fanning prior […]

Yesterday I posted on Mark 12:13-17 where jesus encounters the “Caesar tax” question as part of my regular blogging on my Sunday morning Bible Class.  It was not an agenda piece but rather part of working through the text of Mark as I understand it. My views, however, are generally similar to those of David […]

In the second issue of the rebirthed Gospel Advocate in 1866, Lipscomb addresses the question of how God was or was not involved in the Civil War which ended eight months ago. He asks, “Does God Take Part in the Conflicts of the Kingdoms of this World?”  His answer, “Yes!” God has a role in everything within […]

In 1878 Lipscomb was chastised by George W. Hanlin, a fellow-Tennesean, for his views on civil government.  The writer doubted whether we would have the freedom to worship God if the “good, truly pious mean of 1776” had not framed our government. Christians should participate in politics because “laws were made to restrain bad people, […]

In 1875 David Lipscomb was asked a question about whether one should exclude those who voted from the local congregation as a test of fellowship, just as some advocated should be done with those who participate in dancing and drunkenness. Below is Lipscomb’s response in part (Gospel Advocate, 1875, 399-402).      We suppose we […]

In 1909 David Lipscomb received a note from Nankin, Ohio, describing how Allen county voted “wet” by 36 votes when 800 “dry” Mennonites refused to vote. The angry author laid the “responsibility of the result” at the feet of the Mennonites. The writer noted that since the “supreme power in our government is lodged with […]

Towards the end of 1909 David Lipscomb fell seriously ill and was unable to write for the Gospel Advocate. When he returned to writing in 1910 he had much to say as he approached his 80th year of life. What is Most Important To Him.  In the first issue of 1910, Lipscomb summarized his primary interest […]

One of the more significant differences between the Tennessee and Texas Traditions is eschatology. I use “eschatology” in the broad sense of the term. It is not simply about millennialism (though the Tennessee Tradition was generally premillennial). Rather, it involves how one understands the kingdom of God, how the kingdom relates to “worldly kingdoms” (civil […]

During the last election seasons (Fall 2004 and Fall 2006), I was living in Vienna as I taught in Lipscomb’s study abroad program.  I wish I were there now and blissfully ignorant of all the rancor, sniping, and despicable comments. And not so much from the candidates themselves (though they cross some lines) but from their supporters, bloggers, […]