The Aristophrenium

Proclaiming the truth of the gospel and the centrality of Christ in all things

Christology Archive

Sunday

25

November 2012

0

COMMENTS

Taking Back the Season—For the Gospel

Written by , Posted in Christology, Religion, Theology, Witnessing

It is one month to go until Christmas. In preparation for that, I wrote this for my church’s December newsletter. I am reposting it here on The Aristophrenium for the benefit of all the brethren. Christians seem to have all sorts of attitudes when it comes to Christmas. Many lament the secularization and commercialization of the holiday, and do their best to “put Christ back in Christmas.” Others try to dissociate themselves from the holiday altogether, citing its association with non-Biblical traditions as reason for doing so. Others just want to go about celebrating the holiday as usual, singing Christmas hymns, buying presents for loved ones and taking time out to be with them. I will argue that the one thing that is missing from all of these perspectives is the missional focus. Christmas is a time when we remember God’s incarnation in the person of Jesus, as this coming [...]

Monday

29

October 2012

2

COMMENTS

Fitrah and the Noetic Effects of Sin

Written by , Posted in Apologetics, Christian, Christology, Elenctic Apologetics, Religion, Theology

I have made a significant observation over my years of debating with Muslims on the nature of God. Most Muslims, when arguing for the Islamic concept of God over against the Christian concept of God, will make some variation or another of the following argument: “Leave aside all revelation for a moment, and imagine you lived in an island without any prior exposure to any religion. You would reasonably conclude that God exists, since creation is evidence for a Creator. You would also reasonably conclude based on the fact that you have a conscience that this God has set standards of good and evil, and will reward those who are good and punish those who are evil. Most importantly, you would conclude that this God is totally other than His creation, and cannot change, and because of these facts He cannot enter His creation the way you Christians believe He [...]

Saturday

30

June 2012

0

COMMENTS

Jay Mohr: Catholic, but not Christian

Written by , Posted in Apologetics, Christology, Soteriology

So this afternoon I read a story by Billy Hallowell at The Blaze about actor and comedian Jay Mohr who converted to Roman Catholicism four years ago, transitioning “from ‘spirituality’ to embracing Jesus Christ.” He may have technically converted to Roman Catholicism, but by no stretch of the imagination has he embraced Jesus Christ or embarked on a Christian path. And given what Hallowell discloses in his piece about the beliefs Mohr how holds, I would argue that he is still compelled to describe his faith “generically” and that his responses are still “less than stellar,” and it has a lot to do with the fact that he is “rooted in a more theologically liberal footing.” According to Hallowell, Catholic leaders patiently described and assisted Mohr in understanding the “core beliefs of the faith,” but I have to wonder what they think those core beliefs are. (His church considers itself [...]

Friday

30

December 2011

1

COMMENTS

Review of the White/Kunde Incarnation Debate

Written by , Posted in Apologetics, Christology, Ecumenical Dialogue, Elenctic Apologetics, Philosophy, Religion, Theology

I don’t often make reviews of debates, but when I do, it’s usually when I hear a debate that was exceptionally good and is worth commenting on. Perhaps one of the best debates I’ve heard this year was the one between Dr. James White and Abdullah Kunde on the doctrine of the incarnation. The debate took place in Australia back in September 17 of this year. The video of the debate can be viewed below:

Saturday

24

December 2011

0

COMMENTS

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep

Written by , Posted in Christology, Introspection

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Christmas Bells,” The Complete Poetical Works of Longfellow (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1893). I heard the bells on Christmas Day; their old, familiar carols play. And wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good will to men! And thought how, as the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom had rolled along the unbroken song of peace on earth, good will to men! Till ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved from night to day. A voice, a chime, a chant sublime of peace on earth, good will to men! Then from each black, accursed mouth the cannon thundered in the South; and with the sound the carols drowned, of peace on earth, good will to men. It was as if an earthquake rent the hearth-stones of a continent, and made forlorn the households born of peace on earth, good will to men. [...]

Thursday

8

December 2011

2

COMMENTS

The Trinity in the Torah

Written by , Posted in Apologetics, Christology, Philosophy, Religion, Theology

God does not change. His nature is the same now as it as has ever been and will ever be throughout eternity. What this means is that the God who reveals Himself in the New Testament is the same God who reveals Himself in the Old. And while the New Testament gives a fuller explanation His nature, aspects of these revelations are nonetheless present in the Old Testament. This is particularly true of God’s triune nature. Even back in the time of Moses and his contemporaries, aspects of the Trinity are already partially revealed in the pages of the Torah.

Thursday

1

September 2011

0

COMMENTS

1 Kings 8:27 and the Incarnation

Written by , Posted in Christology, Elenctic Apologetics, Religion, Theology

One of the theological debates that takes place between orthodox Trinitarian Christians and heretical cultists and other non-Trinitarians of various stripes is whether the Old Testament confirms or contradicts Trinitarian doctrines such as the existence of plurality within the Godhead and the reality of the incarnation. A full treatment of this subject is outside the purview of this article, partly because there are already plenty of excellent articles that tackle this topic (Such as this and this), and partly because there are too many verses that are relevant to this, that we will only be focusing on one. In particular, there is one verse in 1 Kings that contains a statement by King Solomon which is sometimes cited by non-Trinitarians (particularly Muslims) against the idea that God could enter into His creation: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how [...]

Friday

22

April 2011

2

COMMENTS

Miscellaneous Essays

Written by , Posted in Apologetics, Christology, Philosophy, Religion, Soteriology, Theology

I have just recently finished my one year program at Toronto Baptist Seminary, and I’ve produced four essays for four different courses that I thought would be a good idea to publish online because of their value in Theology and Apologetics. I hope people find these articles useful in helping to better explain the issues at hand. The Christian Doctrine of God Explained and Defended for Muslims Contrasting Christian and Muslim Views on the Female Gender The Divine Logos: The Christology of the Gospel of John He Will Save His People: A Case for Particular Redemption  

Wednesday

30

March 2011

4

COMMENTS

The Trinity: A Necessary Christology

Written by , Posted in Bibliology, Christology, Theology

I’ve been listening to Mark Driscoll’s 13-part Doctrine Series.[1] In the first session Mark discusses the doctrine of the trinity. He begins by quoting Augustine, whose contention was “If you deny the trinity you lose your soul. If you try to explain it you lose your mind”. I know what he means. Of particular interest was Driscoll’s response to the challenge that it took such a long time for the doctrine of the Trinity to develop, with the formal doctrines we use today not appearing until the 4th and 5th centuries. The inference being that the church merely decided upon (or, invented) the Trinity long after the events recorded in the New Testament. To quote Driscoll loosely:[1] Some say that it seems like it took a long time for the doctrine of the trinity to develop. Well, when the whole church is suffering persecution, people are being fed to lions, [...]

Tuesday

1

March 2011

1

COMMENTS

Brief Thoughts on the Gospel of Thomas

Written by , Posted in Apologetics, Christology, Ecclesiology, Theology

William Lane Craig discusses an argument by the Jesus Seminar[1] for the early dating of the Gospel of Thomas,[2] (hereafter, “Thomas”) and therefore, its alleged claim as an appropriate authority on the life of Jesus to rival the accounts given in the canonical gospels (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). I have summarized Craig’s critique of their reasoning in flowchart form. Dr. Craig continues: And so around and around it goes. New Testament scholar Thomas Wright says, ‘It’s like Winnie the Pooh following his own tracks in the snow around a clump of trees and every time he comes around and sees more tracks he takes this as evidence that his query is even more numerous and more real then he thought before.’ It’s no wonder that the fellows of the Jesus Seminar haven’t been able to persuade very many of their colleagues on the basis of arguments like this. [...]