Tag Archives: Jay Guin

Jay Guin

Jay Guin

If the doctors are right, Jay Guin will soon leave this life. When I learned that he had gone into hospice, I shared this with some friends:

Wow! What a loss for the Kingdom. Jay is such a prolific, thoughful writer. Generous with his work, he has touched so many for good. I pray that God will have mercy on us, but should he choose to take him, I’m happy for Jay and the glory that will be his.

Jay’s site at oneinjesus.info has blessed many. Jay wrote regularly, posting thousands of words on a daily basis. His articles were often deep, theological treatises, though the Crimson Tide made regular appearances there. Jay read and researched, thought and prayerfully studied, then sat to write. Because of this, his analysis of scripture, the church, and modern society blessed many.

I only met Jay once, but I consider him a friend. We exchanged ideas regularly. We disagreed in healthy ways; I’m saddened to know that I won’t get to challenge one idea he presented to me, because I’d love to hear his analysis of my disagreement. He helped me grow, and I hope to have done the same for him, if only at times.

The most read articles on my website are those where Jay encouraged his readers to come look at something I’d written. In an era where most personal blogs have turned to dust, Jay’s website still attracted hundreds, if not thousands of regular readers.

The one time I met Jay, I also got to hear him teach in person. It was as much of a blessing to me as reading his writings have been. I envy those who heard him on a regular basis.

There’s been a hole in my daily reading since Jay has been in the hospital. Now I know that hole will have to be filled in different ways from now on. Not sure that anything else will really fit there. Thanks, Jay, for sharing so generously with me and so many others. I’m glad for you on this transition to glory, but hurting for myself and many others.

May God grant peace to the Guin family and all who know and love Jay.

Buried Talents by Jay Guin

Jay Guin is a prolific and thoughtful writer, unafraid to follow his study wherever it may lead him. He’s even willing to change positions, as he admits to in his book Buried Talents. This book is an important resource in the discussion of men and women in the churches of Christ. While I admit to not agreeing with his conclusions, I have high regard for the process that led him to those conclusions.

I’m not fond of beginning with conclusions, but I’ll make an exception in this case. On page 142, Guin states his position clearly:

The Bible says that in God’s eyes there is neither male nor female. It means what it says. Passages that apparently limit women’s role are written for a temporary cultural situation that no longer exists (much like the command of the Holy Kiss). Genesis 3 is a curse not a command. Genesis 1 and 2 define how men and women should relate in Christ, who came to undo the Fall of Man—they are both made in God’s image and husbands and wives should be one flesh, much as Jesus and God are one.

I know that statement leads to delight for some and dismay for others. Again, I encourage us to consider the process, how he gets there. Whether or not you agree with Guin’s conclusions, you owe it to yourself to see how he came upon them.

Briefly, let me state my points of divergence:

  • I do think that Genesis 1-3 is crucial to this discussion. I also agree that the idea of man “lording over” women is part of the curse, not part of the original design. Anyone lording over anyone in the church is a direct violation of Jesus’ teachings. However, as I’ve discussed, I see much in the creation story that leads me to see a divine plan behind maleness and femaleness that goes beyond biological reproduction.
  • I don’t think the concept of form and function is fully explored. Guin relies too heavily on the Holy Kiss argument (pages 22, 28, 135, 141, 142, 143, 177, and 178) as a means of saying that certain commands can be disregarded because of their cultural ties. He admits that the idea of greeting one another still carries weight, but doesn’t flesh out that correspondence to the commands about women. [I’ll insert that I think we COMPLETELY misunderstand the statements about greeting with a holy kiss… but I’ll save that for another time]
  • I think that Guin and many others exaggerate how much the early church bowed to cultural pressure. It’s worth noting that Paul (and other writers) made note of when they were making such concessions (Acts 16:3; 1 Corinthians 7-10; Romans 14). No such statement exists regarding the differences between men and women.

These differences lead me to a different place than Guin. But, as I said, I still think he brings a lot of unique insights to this discussion. You’d do well to read his work.

[I would note that Jay’s site is frequently hard to access. Be patient.]

Rethinking Mission Work

On Fridays, I sometimes recommend other blogs that I think have some especially worthwhile reading. I want to steer you over to Mark Woodward’s blog today. He has done an insightful series called “Rethinking Mission Work.” It’s an analysis of how we in the churches of Christ have selected and funded missionaries and mission efforts. I don’t agree with everything he says, but I do find the discussion to be very timely. You can find the series here:

Besides reading the blog on Mark’s site, you can join in on a post-by-post analysis of this series which Jay Guin is leading over on his site. You’ll find more discussion on Jay’s blog:

Happy reading, folks!

For those keeping score at home, I lifted the image straight from Mark Woodward’s blog.