Some Christians are eager to defend sound doctrine. Well, and good. But is the unity of the body of Christ one of those doctrines we jealously guard? .... the unity of the church is one the objects of Christ’s death (Eph. 2:14). This, as much as anything, is what the New Testament calls us to cherish and uphold. Therefore, our zeal for theology must never exceed our zeal for our actual brothers and sisters in [...]
A brief summary of their beliefs. - Followers of this belief hold that the Lord God's election is limited to Israel alone. They create a division based on biological descent. One group is considered children of God, His covenant people, and the other is considered children of the devil. - They believe that the devil had relations with certain women, resulting in the group of children of the devil. Thus, trying to convert them with [...]
"God" is a general term that takes on many meanings in many different cultural contexts. Various pantheistic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and New Age cults, define "god" as an impersonal force that is in some way equated to an eternal universe. The idea of a pantheistic God is in direct conflict with the idea of a theistic God. The monotheistic religions of the world (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) view God as personal and separate from [...]
When Jesus walked the earth, the New Testament had not yet been written. So whenever He referred to “the Scriptures,” He was speaking of the Old Testament. What He believed and taught about the Old Testament reveals a great deal about its authority — and even points forward to the New Testament. 1. Jesus Affirmed the Divine Authority of the Old Testament Jesus often used the phrase “It is written” — more than 90 times! [...]
You are looking for ways to meet Jesus. You are trying to meet him not only in your mind but also in your body. You seek his affection, and you know that this affection involves his body as well as yours. He became flesh for you so that you could encounter him in the flesh and receive his love in the flesh. But something remains in you that prevents this meeting. There is still a [...]
Every worldview attempts to explain the significance of pain and suffering, as well as the existence of evil. The atheist argument frequently makes God the direct object of these talks in the majority of these discussions. There are times in the Bible when God's activities are viewed as causing harm or disaster. It should be noted that Christians do not find these comments problematic in any way, and there are several points of view that they [...]
Over a decade ago I even planned an entire book challenging prosperity teaching. The prospective publisher turned it down, shortsightedly complaining that no one believes in prosperity teaching anymore. I knew from wide experience that this death knell was premature, but the book would not likely have accomplished much anyway; I would have been preaching to the choir. I would probably go further against prosperity teaching than most people. I am committed to living simply [...]
The "one-self" and "three-self" models of Trinitarianism are terms that are often used to discuss different theological understandings of the Trinity. Let me explain the differences between them: One-self Trinitarianism (also known as Monarchianism or Modalism): This perspective emphasizes the unity of God and suggests that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are different modes or manifestations of the same divine being. According to this view, there is only one self or person within the [...]
The Greek Fathers and the Latin Fathers, representing the Eastern and Western Christian traditions, respectively, had some differences in their views of the Trinity. These differences were influenced by various factors, including cultural, linguistic, and theological contexts. Here are some key points of contrast: One significant difference between the Greek and Latin Fathers was the language and terminology they used to discuss the Trinity. The Greek Fathers, such as Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, [...]
Should I expect miracles today? In the first part of this article, I dispelled the idea that miracles only took place in a very short period in the Biblical era. There seems to be a plentitude of faith healers and Churches that seem to think so. A significant proportion of the future Church in Africa seems to hold that miracles are normative, and we can expect God's supernatural way of dealing with our everyday lives. [...]
