Theology
The study of God.
Related topics: Authentic Christianity, Bible Literacy, Book Reviews, Worldviews
which gender pronoun would you use for The Holy Spirit?
As I sit in my Systematic Theology class, a big question comes up. "Which gender pronoun should we use for the Holy Spirit?" Okay, so we're obviously going to take one some BIG conversations in this class... And honestly, it's exactly the kind of conversation that...
reflections on the catechism: human nature
What does it mean to be human, especially from a Biblical Christian worldview? With all of the division (political, racial, etc) we see in the world today, it seems that understanding human nature would help us relate better to one another. We need to see each...
ephesians 6:10-20: the whole armor of God
[serialposts]My husband and I saw The Hobbit last night. An Unexpected Adventure as Tolkein titled it. It was an adventure indeed, full of courage from unlikely, small people, bloody battles, bravery and daring and the strength and victory that comes when those on...
ephesians 6:5-9: bondservants and masters
[serialposts]God Rewards Humble, Unseen Work I grew up needing to be noticed (and maybe I still feel that way, just not as much.) If I created something, I longed to show someone my masterpiece, practically swarming the person with my project, longing for sweet...
when you’re left scratching your head
I have a couple of friends who willingly engage in theological discussions with me. One is a Pastor with a Doctorate from Southern Seminary. The other is studying to be a Pastor and a Church Planter. Whereas I am just a guy who has too much time to think, so I am...
does God change his mind?
Do our prayers change God's mind on outcomes? There are many who believe that prayer can change God’s mind and usually cite Exodus 32:7-14 and Isaiah 38:1-6. But how can an omniscient and immutable [1] God change his mind? In Exodus 32:7-14, God is ready to consume...
book review: a primer on postmodernism
A Primer on Postmodernism does a great job at what the title suggests – it introduces the reader to the ideas and people who have helped shape and reflect upon the postmodern era. The book is divided into seven chapters each serving a unique purpose to...
metamelomai [regret, remorse, and repentance]
Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests," -- Matthew 27:3 (The Message) One of the words used in the Greek to help us understand repentance is metamelomai. It's...
hell: the conversation [12 quotes from rob bell and francis chan]
Hell. It's one of the most controversial doctrines in all of Christianity right now. Personally, I think it's great to get these conversations out there. One of the biggest problems in the church today is Biblical illiteracy, and it's these conversations that often...
man changes his mind: repentance
After the preliminary considerations in my study on the doctrine of salvation, we begin to take a look at the activity of man in salvation. This consists of three elements: repentance, faith, and conversion. First up, we'll look at some principles associated with...
the will of God in salvation
[serialposts]It's one question that seems to pop up in nearly every theological conversation I end up having. So many other things seem to ride on how you view the difference between predestination and free will. The Bible teaches both, but we often struggle trying...
understanding the millennium [part four]: evaluation, opinion, and impact
[serialposts]Now that we have briefly covered the essentials of the three major millennial views let's analyze the views in three ways. First, I will give a quick evaluation of the three (strengths and weaknesses). Second, my opinion on why I adhere to one in...
understanding the millennium [part three]: amillennialism
[serialposts]So what is amillenialism? The amillennialist believes essentially that there is not a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth. The "a" in amillennialism signifies the belief that there is not a millennium (as understood in the previous two...