Category: Theology

The event of the Incarnation of the Son actually happened within our human history.  This astonishing news bears enormous significance for how we are to interpret this event of our salvation. The more clearly we understand the implications the more meaning this has for us and our relationship with God. Jesus Christ is God's action towards humanity to show who God actually is in Himself and, at the same time, it was not for His own sake that He came but He came for our sake; to stand in our place and represent us all as the suitable response towards God as man. He came to us to show us Himself in such a way that He could be comprehended within our frail and weak mental capacity so that we…

At theological college, there was a course called theological foundations.  In this course, the lectures outlined the necessary things one should know as the starting point for understanding theology.  These were the required pre-requisite that would determine and shape the way one would see God and the subsequent gospel message. It began with the types of revelation and proceed to cover all aspects of theology such the doctrine of God, doctrine creation, doctrine of the fall and somewhere near the end there was the introduction to the doctrine of Jesus Christ.  This "frame" or a way of seeing and knowing God was essential to grasping the rest of the course.  The majority of the faculty and the students accepted this theological foundation course as the assumed knowledge that is part…

In the ancient world, there were formal ways of putting forth ideas in the academic sections of the community.  An idea was proposed, it was presented and open to critical analysis where opposing solutions were suggested and then it would often eventuate in a combining of ideas that might satisfy most parties concerned.  This is the dialectic.  A thesis is put forward.  An antithesis is the response and a synthesis or a combining of the thesis and antithesis, or a blend of ideas might be the result.  It is like skiing down a hill moving left to right from thesis to antithesis but progressing forward to a synthesis. In a nutshell, Christian theology does not work like this.  When it moves into this style of discussion, all it does is divide and conquer, exponentially creating disunity over time…

In my previous two posts it may seem like I am advocating a free for all or as some might say, "Going soft on sin."  This could not be further from the truth.  If one draws such a conclusion to what I have written, then though they may see, they are blinded by their own sin without even realising it.  They key here to apprehending the truth of the gospel is our own understanding of who we believe Jesus Christ is.  There has to be a careful examination of how we do this so that we can take the wheel clamps off the gospel vehicle and allow it to go forward under its own power.  There are two many ministers in established churches who are trying to assert their own…

The way we interpret the issue of ethics can only be undertaken in the Light of Word of God, who being the eternal God with the Father, becoming flesh is now dwelling amongst us.  It is the Eternal God joining and uniting Himself with the fallen human race and making Himself 'One" with us.  We must not take the narrow view of focussing on the Passion and the events immediately surrounding it.  We end up with theology that is grossly truncated and a tendency to be full of legalism far from the context of the true nature of the whole of the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the impassible God who dressed Himself in passible human flesh and allowed Himself to experience the true nature of humanities passions,…

In Australia we are about to undertake a plebiscite regarding the issue of marriage equality.  It is a clumsy effort by our government to try and address the issue of whether or not the marriage of same sex couples should be permitted.  Many Christians will see this as an opportunity to take a moral high ground, based on their interpretation of Scripture, that marriage is a Christian institution and same sex marriage should not be permitted.  What kind of message does this send to the wider community? How is the church's so called moral position a reflection on the heart of the gospel in the Person of Jesus Christ? The announcement of the Incarnation to the shepherds in their field was of tremendous news: Luke 2:10-14 But the angel said…

It is interesting as one reads through the ancient father's writings how they all say the same thing in regard to the origins of what it is they are trying to teach.  I have found that there is a strong theme of the New Covenant woven throughout their writings.  This is of vital importance.  If it was not for the fact that Jesus Christ has come and through the witness of the New Testament Scriptures written by those closest to Him, we would all have nothing to say. We would all still be blind in our sin to the ways and works of God.  The teachings of Jesus Christ have been received by the first communities of the church in the years that followed closely after Pentecost and pen was…

There appears to be a growing trend of resistance towards Trinitarian theology.  This is unfortunate.  However, it is not surprising.  How can we establish a sound understanding without going so deep as to exasperate those who are trying to grasp its importance?  The Trinity is more about understanding where the ground of all our knowing and understanding of God resides.  Understanding God as Triune helps us to see Him like a Light on top of a hill for all to see.  It is not hidden and reserved for the privileged few.  It is exposed in such a way that all who desire to see and know, will see and know.  Therefore to know God is to begin with God as the starting point.  If we start anywhere else apart from…

Union is the overriding theme throughout the gospel according to the Trinity.  The implications are far beyond what we are able to fully grasp within our feeble human minds.  Even in history, there appeared to be a certain degree of apprehension on the part of the ancient church as they tried to grapple with this concept in the face of the enemies of the apostolic tradition.  Through healthy and robust conversations between the significant theologians, the idea of union had to be categorically stated to prevent the heresies of Arius, Sabellius,  Apollinarius and Nestorius as well as many others from gaining a foothold within the church.  If union was undermined in any way, the impact is like a domino affect.  Each time there is any hint of even a slight…