I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the … Continue reading Walking in the Spirit
Category: Sword and Trumpet
Social Media Epistemology
In the last several editorials we’ve been thinking about thinking, considering the things which shape our ideas and values. So far we’ve covered tradition, culture, philosophy, experience, and technology. A sixth influence is social media, the topic of this editorial. I’m sure not all of our readers use social media. But even if you aren’t … Continue reading Social Media Epistemology
Did the Early Anabaptists Believe in Justification by Faith Alone?
A Short Apologetic Here we are again, talking about justification by faith. If you keep up with this column, you know that I have written about this doctrine frequently over the last few years. Why another article on the same issue? Isn’t this merely a theological nicety? It may be important for accurate theology, but … Continue reading Did the Early Anabaptists Believe in Justification by Faith Alone?
Smart Phone Epistemology
Since the invention of the iPhone in 2007, our world has been changing. It’s not that the iPhone changed the world by itself, but it provided a key ingredient in an experiment which potently combined several technological developments. The internet, which predated the smart phone, gave us a meta-database containing nearly everything that we know, … Continue reading Smart Phone Epistemology
Common Objections to Justification by Faith Alone
Justification by faith alone is on hard times among the Anabaptists. Some set it aside because they think it is evangelical or Reformed. Others hesitate to accept it because they think that emphasizing the sinner’s righteousness in Christ encourages people to remain comfortable in their sin. After all, if we are accepted by God because … Continue reading Common Objections to Justification by Faith Alone
Cypress Epistemology
The Monterey cypress grows in a few mottled groves along central California’s rocky coastline. It grows quickly, reaching heights of 40-70 feet. In its natural habitat, it is frequently buffeted by wind shear and the salty sea, which batters it into a “sculpted, windswept appearance.” As it grows, it yields to the forces of nature, … Continue reading Cypress Epistemology
Three Marks of Moralistic Preaching
What Is Moralism? Moralism is thinking that God loves good people most. Or we could say, it’s thinking that God’s love for you is primarily determined by how well you obey Him. This mindset is pervasive. Every religion other than Christianity assumes that God’s favor (or that of the gods) is given or withdrawn based … Continue reading Three Marks of Moralistic Preaching
Skyscraper Epistemology
The next sphere of epistemology I will consider is philosophy. The word philosophy comes from philein which means “love” and sophia which means “wisdom.” It refers to the love for wisdom and subsequent pursuit of it. It was originally embodied by Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates asked probing and provocative questions … Continue reading Skyscraper Epistemology
What is Dispensationalism? A Brief Introduction
I had intended to move on to other topics after publishing a pair of articles on dispensationalism and covenantalism. But I’ve received a fair amount of feedback from those articles, which revealed that not everyone has the same idea of what constitutes dispensationalism. So I decided to write another article outlining some basic features just … Continue reading What is Dispensationalism? A Brief Introduction
Wet Fish Epistemology
In our current group of editorials we are thinking about thinking, answering questions like: Why do we believe what we believe? What supports and shapes our presuppositions and our conscious convictions? What are we standing on? I’ve divided our survey of epistemology into seven spheres: tradition, culture, philosophy, experience, technological media, social media, and Scripture. … Continue reading Wet Fish Epistemology