Theology

The following points are not all equally important. In fact, some are trivial in comparison with others. (Click on the hyperlinks for more info.)

• The non-negotiable core of the good news is Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. This is summarized by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
• The good news of Jesus Christ is ultimately a divine revelation for the whole world.
• The four Gospels are the best sources we have for the life of Jesus.
• We have good reasons to trust the four Gospels.
• The New Testament narrative reveals a Trinitarian God: Father, Son (Jesus), and Spirit.
• God created everything out of love not necessity. The process of creation, however, is debatable.
• We were made in God’s image and this image is our origin and destiny.
• We have turned our back on God yet God continually reached out to us in love.
• God wants to be with humans. And in Jesus God became human.
• “God is love.”
• God is good. John writes, “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5).
• God is sovereign. While God is the ultimate authority, he gives humans a certain degree of freedom. I don’t have all the answers to the Calvinist-Arminian debate, but I think there are serious character flaws with the way God is presented in traditional Calvinism. Here’s an overview of the Calvinist-Arminian debate. And I definitely think there are fatal theological flaws in Calvin’s doctrine of double predestination.
• Since God is sovereign and good, God does not stand behind evil in the same way he stands behind good.
• Divine violence in the Old Testament in comparison with Jesus’ nonviolent teaching and example is a challenging theological problem and I don’t currently have the solution. (Many church fathers solved this problem by allegorizing OT violence.) Here’s the best I can do for now on the problem of herem warfare in the OT.
• While the Bible describes cherubim and seraphim as having wings, angels are not described as having wings. This does not mean that angels cannot appear with wings, only that the Bible does not depict them with wings.
• Believers look forward to new transformed bodies.
• Christian history has given us three major views of the ultimate fate of the wicked: eternal conscious torment, annihilation, and universal restoration in Christ. I do not believe the Bible teaches eternal conscious torment. However, that does not mean evildoers will not experience anguish or suffering after death. (See my book for more info.)
• It’s important to consider more than one perspective when wrestling with a topic.

Ministry

• Church is not a building; it is a congregation of believers. The first Christians met in homes.
• Manipulation and coercion can occur in any setting, including Christian settings. Much of this is done by hypocritical leaders who are greedy for money and attention. Remember that Jesus was hardest on the religious leaders of his day.
• God still performs miracles, but there are many false claims made by false teachers.
• God still gives the gifts of the Spirit to individual believers, but no specific gift is given to every believer. The Pentecostal doctrine that every believer should speak in tongues is unbiblical.
• If prophecies are given, they should be tested by the hearers (1 Thess. 5:19-22).
• No one should be excluded from a specific area of Christian ministry based solely on gender.
• Prayer is an important part of the Christian life.
• Learning about other religions helps us better understand our own faith as well as fulfill the greatest command— “love your neighbor as yourself.”
• The New Testament does not teach that believers are required to tithe or give ten percent of their income to the church. They are, however, encouraged to give willingly, generously, and cheerfully.
• The apostle Paul had a regular job, which serves as a challenge to modern ideas of ministry and compensation.
• Food is controversial, but the Bible does not directly promote vegetarianism or veganism. On the other hand, there are strong reasons outside the Bible to consider a non-meat diet.
• The topic of gender and sexuality requires careful consideration. For people who have been sexually abused as young children, there are no words, other than it’s not your fault. Actually, the words of Jesus come to mind, “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble” (Lk. 17:1-2). In general, at this time, I am more of a traditionalist regarding marriage. However, I withhold judgment of intersex people, whether they are intersex due to internal or external sex organs, chromosomal or hormonal abnormalities. Christians who are intersex should be faithful and monogamous within their marital relationships, but who can judge who an intersex person should be attracted to? The church should become more accepting of intersex people.

On the Edge

• Many people—religious and nonreligious—have had near-death and deathbed experiences. In most cases, people who have had these experiences become more convinced of life after death. (Here are my posts on these unusual phenomena.)
• The Shroud of Turin is one of the most fascinating artifacts in the world. It may be Christ’s actual burial cloth.
• There have been many strange UFO sightings reported by credible people. I do not think they should all be dismissed as hallucinations, lies, etc.

Finally, we possess knowledge—important knowledge—but it is partial and provisional in comparison with the full, clear, and direct knowledge we will enjoy in the future: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

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