2 of 2

When in 1738 John Wesley started the religious group known as the Fetter Lane Society, he said that he did so "in obedience to the command of God by St. James, and by the advice of Peter Böhler." The reference is to James 5:16 ("Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed").

Wesley came to understand—as other Christians have learned—that Christians don't naturally confess to each other. It takes the kind of trust and openness that develops only in some form of face-to-face community. That is the way churches know what it means to "be healed."

Howard A. Snyder is professor of the history and theology of mission at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

A ready-to-download Bible Study on this article is available at ChristianBibleStudies.com. These unique Bible studies use articles from current issues of Christianity Today to prompt thought-provoking discussions in adult Sunday school classes or small groups.

Earlier Good Question columns include:

Experiencing God's Presents

What role does baptism play in faith and salvation?

How is it that not all prayers for the salvation of others are answered?

If God is in us, shouldn't it be easier to love one another?

What do we gain from a bodily resurrection?

What is the difference between the brain and the soul?

How can I reconcile my belief in the inerrancy of Scripture with comments in Bible translations that state that a particular verse is not 'in better manuscripts'?

Is there a biblical principle behind the punishment of those who break the law?

Is it unscriptural for a Christian to be cremated?

Won't heaven's joy be spoiled by our awareness of unsaved loved ones in hell?

Where exactly do "Oneness" Pentecostals stand in relation to orthodoxy?

Do a man and a woman become married after having sex or after exchanging vows?

How Do You Know That You Have Truly Forgiven Someone?

Who Are We to Judge?

Should We File Lawsuits?

Can We Expect God to Forgive Unbelievers Who 'Don't Know What They're Doing'?

Is the Stock Market Good Stewardship?

Is Satan Omnipresent?

Is Suicide Unforgivable?

Was Slavery God's Will?

A Little Wine for the Soul?

Should We All Speak in Tongues?

Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?

Take, Eat—But How Often?

Is Christmas Pagan?

Are Christians Required to Tithe?

Is Revelation Prophecy or History?

You're Divorced—Can You Remarry?

If Grace Is Irresistible, Why Evangelize?

Does the 'Bible Code' Really Exist?

What's the Unforgivable Sin?

What Bible Version Did Jesus Read?

Did God Die on the Cross?

You Must Be Born Again—But at What Age?

Was the Revolutionary War Justified?

Can the Dead Be Converted?

What Is the Significance of the Shroud of Turin?

Is Hell Forever?

Why Are There Denominations?

Did Paul Baptize for the Dead?

Do Demons Have Zip Codes?

What Is the Gospel of Thomas?

first page |  2 of 2

share this page

October 2003, Vol. 47, No. 10