Ohio Yearly Meeting's Podcast

Session #015 is devoted to chapter 10 on T he True Christian’s Faith and Experience towards the universal love of God towards all mankind. The true Christian believes that God’s grace which brings salvation has and does appear to all mankind. God gives a manifestation of his spirit to everyone. He likewise has given mankind his unique Son, the true light that enlightens everyone who comes into the...

This podcast contains Appendix #1 of the book Traditional Quaker Christianity, which is titled Eldering and Oversight Readings. The first reading is A Plea for Strong Eldership from Seth Hinshaw's blog piece from 3/28/2010 in Chronicler's Minutiae  at chronicler-3.blogspot.com . The second reading is  Insights into the Practice of Eldering in Ohio Yearly Meeting, taken from the minutes o...

This podcast contains sections H & I of chapter 7 in the book Traditional Quaker Christianity .    That is: An Example of Faithful living - John Woolman and Our Lamb s War Today. Readings for Section H: John Woolman: David Sox, John Woolman, Quintessential Quaker (2000); Bill Samuel, Review of David Sox (quakerinfo.com); John Wollman, Journal and Major Essays (Phillips Moulton, ed.). The words...

Session #014 is devoted to the last half of chapter 9 on the true Christian’s faith and experience concerning the Lord’s Supper. The first half (covered in episode #13) dealt with the true Christian’s faith and experience of the true spiritual baptism ordained by Christ. What does it mean to eat the Lord’s flesh and drink his blood and partake at his supper? Friends have understood there to have b...

This podcast contains sections F & G of chapter 7 in the book Traditional Quaker Christianity . Section F:  Simplicity and Plainness.   Readings: Matthew 6:33;  1 Corinthians 11:5;  1 Timothy 2:9; Thomas Hamm, The Quakers in America,  p 101-108;  RULES OF DISCIPLINE OF THE YEARLY MEETING HELD IN PHILADELPHIA (1806) Plainness; NORTH CAROLINA YEARLY MEETING (CONSERVATIVE) DISCIPLINE (1983) Simpl...

Session #013 is devoted to the first half of chapter 9 on the true Christian’s faith and experience concerning Baptism.   After passing through the work of regeneration, mortification, self-denial, sanctification and justification, the true Christian is baptized, i.e., immersed into Christ. This is an immersion into the Holy Spirit and inward and spiritual fire that truly clean the inward man. Thi...

The process of justification follows God’s work of sanctification. In justification the true Christian is found  righteous or upright in the eyes of God. He is justified. He is pardoned/vindicated/exonerated. By the free gift of God the true Christian’s ego is no longer at work and his self righteousness is destroyed. His righteousness now exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes, Pharisees and hy...

Subsequent to the process of a true repenting, the true Christian now becomes engaged in the washing and cleansing from sin and sinning, i.e., sanctification/becoming holy. He is now dwelling in a sanctifying power which preserves him from sinning further. His compelling  realization that he is a temple of the Holy Spirit keeps him from sinning. He has come to the one everlasting offering, Christ...

The true Christian witnesses a daily mortification (putting to death) to that nature and mind which have had a life in sin (or sinning) until it be killed. He remains in spiritual warfare until a victory is obtained. He makes self (or ego) have no privileged honor, burying it in a death on the cross.  The quote in our introduction is paraphrased from the 56th Epistle of George Fox . A complete lis...

Understanding the nuances of a language becomes essential when translating the Bible from the original Greek into another language.            What do we mean by sacrifice? What gets in the way is a modern, North American lack of understanding of the meaning of true sacrifice as portrayed in the Holy Scriptures. The concept of making our lives a living sacrifice is very difficult for most American...

Session #009 is devoted to the reading and discussion of Chapter 5 on the true Christian’s faith and experience of true repentance. The true Christian believes he must obey and live according to the teachings of Christ and his apostles. The first and foremost teaching is repentance which is not a simple regret for sin, but rather a complete transformation of one’s mindset with a focus on the power...

Session #008 is devoted both to chapter 3 on the true Christian’s faith and experience concerning the Holy Spirit, and to chapter 4, on the Holy Scriptures . The true Christian believes in the Holy Spirit and obeys it. He witnesses being led by the Holy Spirit in the way of holiness, and is made holy and is purified from the cravings of the flesh. He is taught by the Spirit. The law of the Spirit...

Podcast #007 covers the whole of Shewen’s Chapter Two which is devoted to belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter Two may be found on pages 30-34 of  The True Christian’s Faith and Experience Briefly Declared .   This, and other documents can be found in our library on the ohioyearlymeeting.org website.            The true Christian demonstrates his faith by his obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ...

Podcast #6 covers the whole of Shewen’s Chapter One of The True Christian’s Faith and Experience Briefly Declared which is devoted to the topic of God, the infinite, incomprehensible. Chapter One may be found on pages 25-29 of the above link on the ohioyearlymeeting.org site .   Very different experiences of God are noted in the Holy Scriptures. At one end of the spectrum he is terrifying, scary....

The podcast begins with a quick review of some of the difficulties in understanding caused by the changes in the meanings from 1600s English to today’s English. There are some mistranslations in our Bibles of those 1600s words (especially of the 1600s words “slave” and “servant”) into today’s English.                 Henry compares the description of the “last supper” in Mark 14 with 1 Corinthians...

This is a study of William Sewen's The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared ,  the last part of the third preface, pages 23-24. In the third and last preface, Shewen continues his warning to those who are Christians in name only. He states that if you are not united with that Spirit of God in you to some degree, you are open to all sorts of worldly, non-spiritual influe...

Using the Journal of George Fox, Volume II, 1891 edition (as it is excerpted in “ A Brief Synopsis ”) and the Holy Scriptures, the podcast discusses early Friends’ beliefs of Jesus.  [Quoting George Fox from his Journal ] “We [Friends] desire also to affirm our belief in the virtue of His atoning sacrifice on Calvary for the sins of all mankind, as through the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts...

This is a study of William Sewen's The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared ,  the first part of the second preface and first part of the third preface, pages 16-23. The last portion of the second Preface continues with further excerpts from Holy Scripture which are foundational to his distinction between a true and nominal Christian. Shewen also admits how at one time...

In the beginning of Mark, Jesus chooses His disciples. This was unusual. Usually in ancient Israel a student would choose one’s teacher. Jesus underscores this variance in John 16:15, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.”              An extended discussion ensues over Jesus’ disciples calling Him “master” or “lord” (Greek: kyrios), The far deeper Greek meaning of “kyrios” is of one who...

This is a study of William Sewen's The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared ,  the first part of the presentation on the second Preface Pages 12-16 Early Quakers sought the guidance of the holy Spirit of Christ for all aspects of their lives. This inward guide was essential in reading and interpreting Holy Scripture. Shewen’s work (as is true with so many faithful Frien...

This podcast focuses on the 1698 publication, “Gospel Truths” (by William Penn and three other early Friends) which is found as an appendix to this edition of William Penn’s Primitive Christianity Revived .   Section 5            “ Christ is the great Light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh into the world . . . and by His light and grace He inwardly appears to man and teaches such a...

This is a study of William Sewen's The True Christian's Faith and Experience Briefly Declared ,   the second part of the presentation on the first Preface Pages 8-12  There is a source of guidance for a Christian: the Guide which is the Spirit of Christ within, the Light within. William Shewen again refers to himself as to having been a Christian in name only, but in discovering and foll...

Mark 13:28-31 includes the parable of the fig tree. To the ancient Israelites, the fig tree could also be understood as a symbol for the nation of Israel. In ancient Hebrew, the expression “heaven and earth will pass away” was understood to mean that everything in the entire Universe would be gone. However, the plural form, “heavens” refers to the place Heaven. Often, early Friends saw the events...

Starting with this episode we begin a new series.  How closely do our lives mirror the life of Christ? Are we true Christians, or are our lives pale, hypocritical imitations of Christ Jesus, so that we are Christians in name only? William Shewen (1631?-1695), a first generation Friend, in his 1675 work, The True Christian’s Faith and Experience called out and challenged all who called themselves “...

Fundamentals #21  This podcast focuses on the 1698 publication “Gospel Truths” (by William Penn and three other Friends) which is found as an appendix to the edition of William Penn’s Primitive Christianity Revived . The first four (of thirteen) sections are read with commentary..  Section 1 The “Scriptures of Truth”: an early Quaker name for the bible. God is a “rewarder of all who fear [have rev...