What makes a person Christian? It sounds like a simple question, but it has been complicated by sin and history. Jesus’ first sermon set the standard — “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Clearly, Christians…
Category: Christianity
Issues and opinions about Christianity
What Is A Christian – Part 2
Part 2 If you have not read Part 1, please do so first. It sounds like a simple question, but it has been complicated by sin and history. The first and most inclusive definition of a Christian is a person…
Statement of Faith
This statement of faith is an effort to summarize and capsulize our understanding of the essential principles that Scripture teaches. So, it is more a function of the biblical narrative than of prooftexting. All such statements at some level will…
Calvinism & Arminianism
Calvinism and Arminianism have offered rival biblical and theological interpretations for millennia. Both cannot be faithful to Scripture because they are mutually exclusive. It is our understanding that Calvinism trumps Arminianism in every measure as the more faithful interpretation of…
Agape
The Greek word agape is usually translated as love in the new translations of the Bible, but the old King James version, as well as the Modern King James Version, translates it as charity. Three-fourths of the time that the…
Christianity in China
Official Chinese surveys now show that nearly one in three Chinese describe themselves as religious, an astonishing figure for an officially atheist country, where religion was banned until three decades ago.
God’s Promises
“…because God’s promises pertain to those who agree to live in obedience to God’s will and to those who do not, it pertains to everyone alive.”
Apostolic Baptism – Introduction
If the church is going to get beyond the baptism wars, the whole issue must be reframed. The best minds have gone round and round about credo (believer’s) baptism versus paedo (infant) baptism to the point that we must remember…
Infant Baptism Reloaded
Why baptize babies? Of course, we all know that there is one category for church members (saved) and one category for others (lost). Understand that this categorization is based on God’s membership roles, and we don’t have access to them…
Gulf Crisis & God's Judgment
Perhaps the Lord has decided to treat us according to Romans 1, as if He is saying, Okay. Since you are lusting for oil and money I will give you up “in the lusts of (your) hearts to impurity” (Romans…