by Robby McAlpine | May 9, 2017 | Christology, Soteriology, Theological Studies
It’s always been a head-scratcher for me — this obsession that some people seem to have with pitting various viewpoints on the Atonement against each other, as if they are mutually exclusively (and therefore bitter enemies). I’ve always seen them more as the differing...
by Robby McAlpine | Feb 8, 2017 | Charismatic Theology, Christology, Church History, Ecclesiology, Epistemology, Gospel, The Kingdom of God, Theological Studies
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16) Some people don’t like doctrinal statements, viewing them as a tool of oppression and exclusion. They would...
by Kenny Burchard | Nov 15, 2016 | Christology, Gospel, Israel, Sin, Soteriology
One of the most familiar stories in the Bible is the Passover narrative in Exodus 12:1-42. In God’s dramatic deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity and slavery, and his protection of them from the death plague about to fall on all the first born males in...
by Kenny Burchard | Oct 7, 2016 | Christology, Sin, Soteriology, Theology Proper
My first course in Seminary was called Theological Understandings of Jesus. It was taught by professor Mark D. Baker. On the first day of the class, he asked us to talk together about (get ready for some nerdy terminology) the hypostatic union. You know, Jesus is...
by Luke Geraty | Mar 31, 2016 | Baptism, Christology, Ecclesiology, Multiple Views, Theological Studies
Throughout the 2,000 year history of the Church, the subject of baptism has produced a wide variety of approaches. It is essentially impossible to suggest that the Church has a monolithic approach to the topic because history proves otherwise. And while baptismal...
by Kenny Burchard | Jan 14, 2016 | Christology, Gospel, Theological Studies
There are lots of ways to work through the Gospel of Mark. One of the most insightful ways is to see a recurring set of questions that run through the entire narrative. A composite of all of these questions might be something like… “Who is this...
by Kenny Burchard | Jan 6, 2016 | Baptism, Christology, Gospel, The Kingdom of God, Theological Studies
Before we jump in here, just a reminder that there are actually five great commission texts (at least) in the Gospels and Acts. This post is about the one in Matthew’s gospel. In my post surveying the Greek text of Mat. 28:19-20, I noted that I think Matthew...
by Robby McAlpine | May 15, 2015 | Charismatic Theology, Christology, Ecclesiology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies, Worship
“Our computers work just fine. I’m a generous person, that’s all.” The Barista tossed her head as she laughed out loud at the quizzical expression on the Elder’s face, one lock from her dark mane of hair falling over her face to augment...
by Luke Geraty | Apr 23, 2015 | Baptism, Charismatic Theology, Christology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Eucharist, Pneumatology, Sacramentalism, Theological Studies
My early Christian experience was largely in church traditions that were about as far from any form of sacramentalism that one could get. Our family attended churches within the Evangelical and Charismatic movements, none of which ever used the word “sacrament.”...
by Kenny Burchard | Oct 25, 2014 | Christology, Theological Studies
My hope is that this post will be the first of many focusing on Lukan Christology. Speaking of “Christology” To begin with an aside, I wish we could come up with another primary word for the theological understandings of Jesus besides Christology. I think...
by Kenny Burchard | Mar 25, 2014 | Christology, Theological Studies
The first class I ever signed up for in seminary was actually the result of a fluke (which means that I didn’t know how to use the online registration, so I just picked something that seemed interesting, and signed up). The class was called “Theological...
by Luke Geraty | Mar 24, 2014 | Christology, Gospel, Theological Studies
“Nero did not throw Christians to the lions because they confessed that ‘Jesus is Lord of my heart.’ It was rather because they confessed that ‘Jesus is Lord of all,’ meaning that Jesus was Lord even over the realm Caesar claimed as his domain of absolute...
by Kenny Burchard | Mar 7, 2014 | Christology, Theological Studies
Much has been made of the important theological idea of the Imago Dei (Latin for “image of God”). See: Gen. 1:26–27, Gen. 5:1–3, Gen. 9:6. There has been plenty of work discussing it in… Psychological terms (e.g., the capacity to think, to reason,...
by Luke Geraty | Nov 27, 2013 | Christology, Theological Studies
What is Christ’s relationship with the OT? Berkouwer writes, “Christ himself declares that the Old Testament scriptures “are they which bear witness of me” (John 5:39). The Old Testament to him was not a book of significance to the Jews only but a book...
by Kenny Burchard | Oct 5, 2013 | Christology, Gospel, New Testament, Reviews
As a student of the New Testament, I collect “Jesus Books.” I don’t agree with the conclusions of all the authors, but I buy them and read them anyway. That’s because I like to talk about Jesus, and I like to listen to others talk about him...
by Kenny Burchard | Oct 3, 2013 | Biblical Studies, Christology, Gospel, Israel, New Testament, Soteriology
We Jesus-following Christians rightly enjoy discussing the purpose and significance of the death of Jesus in primarily christological, soteriological, and generally theological terms. “Why did Jesus die?” Our answer; “Why, to save us from our sins,...
by Luke Geraty | Aug 2, 2013 | Christology, New Testament
I keep getting asked, “Have you read Reza Aslan’s new book on Jesus?” No, I haven’t. And I don’t plan on reading it. I flipped through it and found the same old ideas that have been suggested in certain wings of “scholarship”...
by Luke Geraty | May 25, 2013 | Apologetics, Biblical Theology, Christology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, The Kingdom of God, Theological Studies
I’m often asked by pastors which books by Wright they should read and I used to always refer them to the Christian Origins and the Question of God series because, quite frankly, you can’t be into NT studies without having interacted with his works in that...
by Luke Geraty | Mar 31, 2013 | Christology, New Testament
This past week I read a lot on the Resurrection. This time of year always gives me opportunity to turn afresh to books that I haven’t looked at for awhile. So I read a lot of books and articles on the subject. I wanted to post a quote, today, on the...
by Luke Geraty | Aug 17, 2012 | Christology, Eschatology
In preparation for this coming Sunday’s message on the four parables of the Olivet Discourse, I read a fantastic statement by Michael Wilkins: “The way one thinks about the Lord’s return will eventually influence what one says and how one acts. Perhaps the...
