By Daniel Johnson-Kim, Editor in Chief
In front of an audience of more than 2,000 people Sunday, Dr. Leroy Garrett challenged those filling the seats in Moody Coliseum to rethink how they define the Apostle Paul’s
writings on God’s righteousness.
Rather than accept what he called the popular translation of Paul’s words in Romans 1:17, Garrett told his audience of varying ages to define the “Righteousness of God” as the Lord’s grace given to all people who do not deserve it.
“The Gospel reveals how God because of what he did through Christ says to a sinful man, ‘Not guilty,’ even when he is guilty,” Garrett said. “In God’s court of law because of Christ we are treated as if we have never sinned at all.”
The 89-year-old scholar, who throughout his life was known as a radical and outsider in the Churches of Christ, was the keynote speaker for Summit and launched the Theme
Conversations that will continue through Wednesday.
Randy Harris, instructor of Bible, ministry and missions; Eric Wilson,senior minister at Fairview Road Church of Christ in Columbia, Missi., and Chris Seidman, senior minister at Farmers Branch Church of Christ in Dallas, are the three speakers remaining on schedule for the Summit Theme Conversations. Harris will speak Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wilson will speak Wednesday at 11 a.m. and Seidman will be the final theme speaker to present when he takes the stage Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Seven men were chosen to explore Romans and speak on the overall theme of the “Righteousness of God” in Moody Coliseum. Brady Bryce, director of ministry events, said each speaker would bring their style and interpretations of the scripture, and Garrett was the man to begin the examination of Paul’s first century letter to the Roman church.
“There was only one man I thought of to start us off, and that was Leroy Garrett,” Bryce said on stage.
Bryce introduced Garrett and alluded to Garrett’s life story and “quarrel” with the Churches of Christ, but said despite Garrett’s “lover’s quarrel,” as explored in Garrett’s autobiography A Lover’s Quarrell: My Pilgramage of Freedom in Churches of Christ, he was the perfect choice to launch the Theme Conversations.
As the scholar-who has a bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian College, a doctorate from Harvard University and post-graduate work experience at Princeton University-took the podium, he was greeted by a standing ovation. After thanking the audience and saying a quick joke, Garrett dove into the subject at hand: God’s righteousness and what it meant to the audience.
“Put a home spun way, I can say, ‘You are not OK, and I am not OK, but that’s OK,'” Garrett said to define his view to the audience.
In keeping with the conversational focus of Summit, after Garrett delivered his sermon, he and Bryce moved to two red couches on the side of the stage where Garrett answered questions from the audience sent through text messages and e-mails.
The scholar from Denton fielded questions about his message, his theology and even his age. Although the coliseum roared when he revealed he would turn 90 in December, he saw every day as a blessing and was looking forward to the day when God would say to him, “Well done my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”
“That will be my glory,” Garrett said.
