Which is more important, correct doctrine or unity? You can’t say both because these are at odds with each other. Doctrine is divisive. Nearly 2000 years after Christ, people have yet to agree on a single overall theology or doctrine. There are probably more different doctrinal beliefs in existence now than in the past. (Interestingly
Category: Theology
How Important Is Correct Doctrine? (Part 1)
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that…” (James 2:19). Is it possible that demons have more accurate doctrine than we do?
8. Can We Find A Better Way Of Viewing The Future?
8. Can we find a better way of viewing the future? In order to answer a question about what is better, first I must ask what the alternative is. Or in other words, how do Christians view the future presently? Also, I’ll assume by “future” that we are talking about eschatology which is beliefs about
3. Is God Violent? (Part 3)
3. Is God violent? In my previous two posts, I looked at violence in the Old and New Testaments. My conclusion: there is violence in the world and God hasn’t been completely unaffected or uninvolved. However violence is not a core quality of God nor how he prefers to work. God’s plan has always been
3. Is God Violent? (Part 2)
3. Is God violent? In my previous blog I looked at violence in the Old Testament. Now I want to look at violence in the New Testament. Jesus—God incarnate—arrives and begins teaching about God in a seemingly new way. It’s no longer “hate your enemies” but rather “love your enemies”. Is someone mistreating you? Let
3. Is God Violent? (Part 1)
3. Is God violent? I can see this question going in a couple of different directions. First, people often ask about God’s instructions for the Israelites to go to war and kill people—sometimes even women and children—found in the Old Testament. Secondly, does God want his followers to use violent means, if necessary, to promote
Why I’m not a Calvinist
Over time I’ve interacted with several groups which have a Calvinist bent. My interaction with these groups recently has lead me to the desire to write my thoughts concerning the subject. To be clear, while I have done a fair amount of reading, I have not done a specific in depth study of Calvinism. My
Approaching Theology
I have observed that there are a couple of different possible approaches to building one’s theology. One approach is often taken by those who likely have the gift of teaching, those who love to really dig deep into the bible and study as much as they can about God. The bible is taken more as
A Jesus Manifesto
In case you haven’t seen it yet, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola have written a document they’re calling “A Jesus Manifesto”. It has been creating some buzz around the web right now. At the very least, it is something good to consider, though I think it is more than that. It makes me think of
Knowing God
Thought of the day: You can’t know God through facts. You can’t get to God through knowledge, logic, science or reason. Though the gap is small, there is a chasm between facts and God. One may think that if they can only dig a bit deeper, they will find the place where the two connect.