Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Whosoever Will: A Review Essay, C. Fred Smith

Fred O. Smith Jr.

No abstract provided.

The Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).Pdf, Charles Sabo

Charles Sabo

Will And Grace: The Essence Of The Pelagian Debate, Steve Curtis

Steve Curtis

The early centuries of the Christian church saw a number of clarifying councils and theological treatises directed at objective doctrines such as the triunity of God and the hypostatic nature of Christ. By the late fourth century, the discussions were becoming more subjective: to what extent does man possess a free will? What is the cause of sin? What are the theological implications involved in salvation, and to what extent does the grace of God hold sway? Such questions naturally led back to the very beginning of time and to the nature of Adam and the consequence of his sin …

God Is His Own Interpreter, And He Will Make It Plain, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

Religion, in its mystical, emotional or practical expression is, to me at any rate, of little value if divorced from intellectual integrity. I think that the reason “many believers” are so repulsive is that they don’t really have faith but a kind of false security. They operate by the slide rule, and the Church for them is not the body of Christ but the poor man’s insurance system. It’s never hard for them to believe because actually they never think about it. Unfortunately the reality is simply that it is not easy to get vast masses of men to think …

The Jewish Nature Of The First Century Church, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

“When men realized that the teaching of God was no heritage that one accepts passively but rather a heritage that has to be won, they began to see this relationship to the Bible as a religious obligation. It became a supreme commandment to “study”, to explore the Scriptures. To explore means to consider the Bible as a challenge rather than a gift…..The duty to “explore” requires further rethinking: each end becomes a new beginning and each solution a new problem…Once Today’s Church is fully aware of the vast importance of learning, it too will realize that it cannot afford to …

The Bible, Same-Sex Sexual Activity, And The Parameters For Flourishing (Part 3), A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

The Bible, Same-Sex Sexual Activity, And The Parameters For Flourishing (Part 2), A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

The Bible, Same-Sex Sexual Activity, And The Parameters For Flourishing (Part 1), A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

A Theology Of Vacation, A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

A Theology Of Good Works: The Apostle Paul’S Concept Of Good Works Within The Context Of Second Temple Judaism, Martin E. Sheldon

Martin E Sheldon

The apostle Paul lived and ministered within the context of Second Temple Judaism. Following just over three decades of adherence to and immersion in Pharisaic Judaism, Saul of Tarsus converted to Jesus Christ and in consequence, conducted several missionary journeys proclaiming the gospel of Christ and writing letters to the newly established churches. While the Hebrew Scriptures provided the theological foundation for the apostle Paul’s teaching, his concept of good works was forged within the historical context of Second Temple Judaism. Inasmuch as this is the case, it is essential to explore the concept of good works within the OT …

A Reinvestigation Of "The Creation Of Woman" From A Hebraic Viewpoint, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

This paper looks at the role of women in society and the church while investigating the original creation story in Hebrew without the sociological intervention and gross misinterpretation of the text by modern man so often used to show the "superiority" of men because of the "after thought" in the creation of woman. Because of the misinterpretation of ideas and words, such as submissive and helpmeet used in the Biblical text, many men claim "superiority" over women in a spiritual sense when nothing is further from the truth.

The Author Of The Gospel Of John, Gary E. Silvers Ph.D.

Gary E. Silvers Ph.D.

Who actually wrote the gospel John? Many have debated this issue for years. This paper explores the arguments that against the apostle John as the author. The paper concludes that both the internal and external evidence points to non other than the apostle John the son of Zebedee as the author of this gospel.

A Theology Of Worship, University Church Of Christ, Malibu, California, N. Hanks, Carolyn Hunter, Rich Little

N. Lincoln Hanks

No abstract provided.

The Sin Of Ham, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

Is the sin of Ham simply Ham looking at Noah's Nakedness or is it something more?

Arguing With God: An Honest Conversation, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

For the Jew, “I beg to differ” has been an enduring tactic of achieving and affirming identity. The Jew had addressed the same caveat to God—not in self-contradiction, but in dialectic aiming at attainment of fuller realization of who he is, as Jew and as human being. In asking about God, we examine our own selves: whether we are sensitive to the grandeur and supremacy of what we ask about, whether we are wholeheartedly concerned with what we ask about. Unless we are involved, we fail to sense the issue.

God Is His Own Interpreter, And He Will Make It Plain, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

Religion, in its mystical, emotional or practical expression is, to me at any rate, of little value if divorced from intellectual integrity. I think that the reason “many believers” are so repulsive is that they don’t really have faith but a kind of false security. They operate by the slide rule, and the Church for them is not the body of Christ but the poor man’s insurance system. It’s never hard for them to believe because actually they never think about it. Unfortunately the reality is simply that it is not easy to get vast masses of men to think …

The Fate Of The Unevangelized, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

The debate of what happens to those who never hear the word of God. Do they go to Heaven or Hell? This topic can also be referred to as the Unevangelized Debate.

The Doctrine Of Baptism And Its Controversies, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

Throughout the history of Christianity, Baptism has been a topic of strong debate both theologically and practically. There are two major sections of debate that are currently fought in Christian circles. The first is the question of for whom is baptism intended? The second question is how should one be baptized? The questions have long been argued for both sides and there are favorable evidences for the various positions on all sides. The sides can be divided into two main groups, Protestants and Catholics. However, within the two main groups there are also sub-groups that add many beliefs to the …

I Am The Light Of The World: An “I Am” Statement Of Jesus, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

The Gospel of John contains eight “I AM” statements of Jesus. “I AM” is the term God first used of Himself when speaking to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). By using this statement, Jesus was aligning Himself with God. One specific use of the statement in John comes in chapter 8 verse 12. Jesus states that He is the light of the world. His claim showed and declared that He has come to take away darkness from the world and give them the light of life. The statement showed His power, and His Deity and His relationship with …

The Signs And Miracles Of Jesus In John’S Gospel, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

The Gospel of John is also known as the “Miraculous Gospel” or the “Gospel of Signs.” In his book, John records 8 signs that prove the Deity of Christ. Jesus came to display His Deity to the world. Though the other Gospels record many other miracles, the eight that will be explored here are specific to proving that Christ is the Messiah.

Sound Learning, Vital Piety: The Life And Legacy Of Charles Hodge, Steve Curtis

Steve Curtis

On a tombstone north of the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, there can be found an epitaph that reads: Charles Hodge Beloved teacher of more than 3000 students He stood for sound learning and vital piety This is the legacy left by one of America’s first full-time academic theologians. It is not unreasonable to suppose that most are familiar with Charles Hodge primarily through his magnum opus, Systematic Theology. This is certainly a significant example of his “sound learning.” Many, however, because of the polemic nature of most of his writings, may not be as conscious of …

The Spirit Of Calvin And The Synod Of Dordt, Steve Curtis

Steve Curtis

Beginning in November of 1618, in the Dutch city of Dordrecht, the Reformed Church of the Netherlands convened a synod to examine and consider the positions being promoted by a group of pastors and theologians known as the Remonstrants. Chief among the disputed points were the doctrines of soteriology, though there were other, ancillary issues that had developed from this time as well, such as the proper relationship between church and state and church polity. A number of countries sent delegates to the synod which met over 180 sessions. In the end, the Synod denounced the Remonstrance and confirmed the …

The Old Perspective On Second-Temple Judaism: Covenantal Nomism, Justification, And Perseverance, Steve Curtis

Steve Curtis

Beginning with the seminal work of E. P Sanders, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, in 1977, there has been a concerted effort to redefine the Pauline references to the “works of the law” (mentioned explicitly five times in his epistles and implicitly several more times). It is the contention of those in this movement (most notably beside Sanders are James Dunn and N. T. Wright) that the Reformers, in their reaction against the multi-faceted errors of Rome and, particularly, in their defense of the doctrine of sola fide, read too much into Paul, and that first century Judaism in general was, …

A Scientific Rationale For Belief In God?, Philip E. Graves

PHILIP E GRAVES

This paper presents a concise scientific rationale for the existence of God. The works of Ray Kurzweil and the many other artificial intelligence researchers provide a backdrop to the central thesis. An entity (computers or humans, it not mattering which) will eventually approach all-knowing. How much time passes before this occurs is not important. All-knowing is likely to be all-powerful insofar as knowledge leads to power, as has been our experience. One would suspect that this would be inclusive of time travel. The methods by which knowledge grows require “seed” facts to begin working. The seed facts can easily be, …

Theology And Life: Attending To The Gap, Miroslav Kis

Miroslav Kis

No abstract provided.

Is Adventist Theology Compatible With Evolutionary Theory?, Fernando L. Canale

Fernando L. Canale

No abstract provided.

Between Law And Grace: Ritual And Ritual Studies In Recent Evangelical Thought, Gerald Klingbeil

Gerald Klingbeil

No abstract provided.

Book Review Of The Craft Of Theology: From Symbol To System, By Avery Dulles, Fernando L. Canale

Fernando L. Canale

No abstract provided.

Are We Ready To Cast The First Stone?, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

A short thought on the honesty of study as opposed to the closed mind that believes that all truth has been sought and found.