Theology Corner

Addressing commonly asked questions about Christianity from the perspective of a non-theologian

Theology Corner

1.
WHAT HAVE CHRISTIANS ALWAYS BELIEVED?

1.)  AREN'T ALL RELIGIONS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME?

2.)  WHAT IS YOUR THEOLOGY?

3.)  WHAT ARE THE CORE BELIEFS OF CHRISTIANITY?

4.)  IS THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT THE ULTIMATE ACT OF LOVE?

5.)  WHAT IS THE GREATEST OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY?

6.)  IS THERE AN INTERMEDIATE PLACE?

7.)  WHAT ARE THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

8.)  WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO AFTER YOU DIE?

9.)  WHAT IS THE APOSTLES' CREED?

10.)  WHAT IS THE NICENE CREED?

11.)  WHAT ARE THE DECREES OF GOD?

12.)  WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THE INTERMEDIATE STATE?

13.)  WERE THE OT TEN COMMANDMENTS REPLACED BY THE NT GREAT COMMANDMENT?

14.)  WHEN DOES GOD MAKE HIS DECISION ABOUT YOUR FINAL DESTINATION?

15.)  WAS JESUS TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY?

16.)  SHOULD WE ASPIRE TO UNBROKEN COMMUNION WITH GOD?

17.)  WHAT WERE THE ATTRIBUTES OF JESUS DURING HIS INCARNATION?

18.)  WHAT IS THE MYSTERIOUS LAW OF RESERVE?

19.)  CAN CHRISTIANS DEFEND THE TRINITY AND THE INCARNATION?

20.)  WHY NOT CALVINISM?

21.)  WHO WAS JAMES ARMINIUS AND WHAT DID HE DO?

22.)  WHO WAS JOHN WESLEY AND WHAT DID HE DO?

23.)  IS JESUS CHRIST THEANTHROPIC?

24.)  WHAT IS THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST?

25.)  WHAT MIGHT A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT?

26.)  WHAT MIGHT A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT THE TRINITY?

27.)  WHAT WERE THE ORIGINAL FIVE POINTS OF THE REMONSTRANTS?

2.
WHAT ARE SOME DOCTRINAL ERRORS?

1.)  CAN GOD'S WILL BE THWARTED?

2.)  DID GOD ELECT ONLY A FEW FOR SALVATION WHILE CONDEMNING THE GREATER PART OF MANKIND TO HELL?

3.)  FAITH OR SALVATION: WHICH COMES FIRST?

4.)  DID GOD THE FATHER BEGET JESUS CHRIST?

5.)  WHAT ARE THE TWO NATURES OF CHRIST?

6.)  WHAT IS ANTINOMIANISM?

7.)  WHAT IS SABELLIANISM?

8.)  WHAT IS PELAGIANISM?

9.)  DOES LOVE REALLY WIN?

10.)  IS YOUR WILL REALLY YOUR WILL?

11.)  CAN TWO THEOLOGIES BE TESTED FOR COMPATIBILITY?

12.)  WHAT IS THE FRAUD OF FIDEISM?

13.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES THEOLOGY?

14.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH CHRISTIAN SCIENCE THEOLOGY?

15.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH MORMON THEOLOGY?

16.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS THEOLOGY?

17.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH SCIENTOLOGY THEOLOGY?

18.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH UNIFICATION CHURCH THEOLOGY?

19.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH THE WAY INTERNATIONAL THEOLOGY?

20.)  IS CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD THEOLOGY?

21.)  IS REPENTANCE REALLY NECESSARY?

22.)  WHAT ARE SOME MUSINGS OF A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN ON LIMITED ATONEMENT?

23.)  WHAT ARE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO TEACH A LIMITED ATONEMENT PROVIDED ONLY FOR THE ELECT OF GOD?

24.)  WHAT WERE CALVIN'S ACTUAL WORDS?

25.)  WHAT IS GNOSTICISM?

26.)  WHAT IS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN?

27.)  IS CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY COMPATIBLE WITH PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY?

28.)  CAN CALVINISM BE SENT TO THE DUST BIN?

29.)  IS YOUR FREE WILL AN ILLUSION?

3.
WILL YOU RECEIVE GOD’S GIFT?

1.)  WHAT GIFTS DOES GOD GIVE YOU AT THE INSTANT OF SALVATION?

2.)  WHAT IS REDEMPTION?

3.)  WHAT ARE FORGIVENESS AND JUSTIFICATION?

4.)  WHAT IS ADOPTION?

5.)  WHAT IS REGENERATION?

6.)  WHAT ARE SANCTIFICATION AND GLORIFICATION?

7.)  WHAT ARE RECONCILIATION AND UNIFICATION?

8.)  IS GOD PLEASED IF WE MAKE A 'DECISION FOR CHRIST'?

9.)  CAN YOU OBEY THE MORAL LAW?

10.)  HAVE YOU BEEN CONVICTED OF SIN?

11.)  HAS JESUS KNOCKED AT THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART?

12.)  CAN YOU FIND GOD IN OUR WORLD AND BEYOND?

13.)  WHAT IS THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS?

14.)  WHAT MIGHT A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT ASSURANCE OF SALVATION?

15.)  WHAT MIGHT A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION?

16.)  CAN REFORMED AND WESLEYAN/ARMINIAN THEOLOGY DEMONSTRATE ANY MUTUAL COMPATIBILITY?

17.)  WHAT MIGHT A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT REGENERATION AND SANCTIFICATION?

18.)  WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT REDEMPTION?

19.)  IS ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION A GRADUAL PROCESS OR AN INSTANTANEOUS EVENT?

4.
WILL YOU SEEK GOD’S HOLINESS?

1.)  WHAT IS HOLINESS?

2.)  WHAT IS PREVENIENT GRACE?

3.)  LOOK AT JESUS THROUGH THE LENS OF YOUR HEART; WHO DO YOU SEE LOOKING BACK?

4.)  CAN THE YOKE OF JESUS GIVE YOU REST?

5.)  WHAT IS THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

6.)  COULD CLAIMING ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION BE RISKY BUSINESS?

7.)  DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTEMPLATE THE DEEP THOUGHTS OF GOD?

8.)  WHAT ARE SOME PERSONAL MEMORIES OF PREVENIENT GRACE?

9.)  WHAT DID JOHN WESLEY TEACH ABOUT PREVENIENT GRACE?

10.)  WHAT DID ARMINIUS TEACH ABOUT PREVENIENT GRACE AS A FOIL FOR TOTAL DEPRAVITY?

11.)  HOW HOLY IS GOD?

12.)  WHAT MIGHT A WESLEYAN THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT EFFUSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST?

13.)  WHO WERE THE CHOSEN FEW WHO RECEIVED EFFUSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST?

14.)  ARE WE PREPARED TO SAY, "LORD, MAKE ME HOLY?"

15.)  HAVE YOU BEEN ENCOURAGED TO 'CHOOSE' JESUS CHRIST?

5.
DOES PRAYER HAVE POWER TODAY?

1.)  WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER?

2.)  WHAT GOOD IS PRAYER?

3.)  HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE GOD'S RESPONSE TO OUR PRAYERS?

4.)  DO YOU PRAY FOR MIRACLES?

5.)  DOES YOUR INTERCESSORY PRAYER REFLECT THE WILL OF GOD?

6.)  IS ALL PRAYER EQUALLY EFFECTIVE?

7.)  DOES GOD SOMETIMES ANSWER PRAYER WITH SILENCE?

8.)  WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PRAYERS GOD DOESN'T ANSWER?

6.
IS HEALING PRAYER FOR YOU?

1.)  WHAT IS A PROPER CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON HEALING?

2.)  DO YOU LACK THE FAITH TO BE HEALED?

3.)  SHOULD THE HEALING ACTIVITY BE ADMINISTERED TO A PROXY?

4.)  WHAT IS HEALING IN A NUTSHELL?

7.
IS LIFE AFFLICTED WITH UNCERTAINTY?

1.)  WAIT FOR AN UNAMBIGUOUS SIGN OR STEP-OUT IN FAITH?

2.)  IS THERE ANY EXTERNAL EVIDENCE YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN?

3.)  WHAT BAD THINGS DO YOU UNDERTAKE IN THE NAME OF JESUS?

4.)  WHAT IF GOD SPOKE TO US IN WORDS?

5.)  ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH?

6.)  CAN THE LIVES OF THOSE BROKEN BY OUR SIN BE RESTORED TO WHOLENESS?

7.)  HAVE YOU FAILED AN ASSIGNMENT FROM GOD?

8.)  HAVE YOU ABANDONED YOURSELF FOR GOD?

9.)  DOES GOD EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM CHRISTIANS?

10.)  CAN WE LOVE WITH THE INTENSITY EXPRESSED IN THE GREAT COMMANDMENT?

11.)  ARE YOU MORE THAN A SOLDIER IN THE ARMY OF JESUS CHRIST?

12.)  DOES JESUS DEMAND TOO MUCH?

13.)  ARE THE TRIALS OF LIFE A TEST OF FAITH?

14.)  CAN CHRISTIANS RECEIVE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION?

15.)  DOES SCRIPTURE TEACH ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED?

16.)  HOW DID 'SPEAKING IN TONGUES' ORIGINATE IN AMERICA?

17.)  SHOULD WE STRIVE TO BE SUPER-SPIRITUAL?

8.
DOES THE BIBLE EXPOSE EVIL?

1.)  WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF EVIL? WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?

2.)  IS 'YOU SHALL NOT KILL' A COMMANDMENT OF SCRIPTURE?

3.)  DOES THE BIBLE PLACE THE LABEL OF SIN ON THE PRACTICE OF HOMOSEXUALITY?

4.)  DOES GOD OVERLOOK THE SIN OF CHRISTIAN LEADERS?

5.)  IS ABORTION MURDER?

6.)  WHY WERE YOU BORN WITH A SIN NATURE?

7.)  DOES GOD TEMPT ANYONE TO SIN?

8.)  CAN YOU REMEMBER THE EVIL IN YOUR PRE-SALVATION SOUL?

9.)  IS SIN JUST A MINOR NUISANCE?

10.)  CAN SALVATION BEFORE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY GIVE A PASS TO SIN?

11.)  CAN YOU RID YOURSELF OF SIN?

12.)  WHAT IS THE SIN OF PRESUMPTION?

13.)  WHAT IS OUR INBRED SIN?

14.)  WHY EXACTLY DID JESUS DIE?

15.)  CAN YOU JUST INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR HEART AND BE SAVED?

16.)  DOES UNRESTRAINED ABORTION ON DEMAND TRULY SET US FREE?

17.)  WHAT IS THE MONSTER FROM THE ID?

9.
IS SATAN ALIVE AND WELL?

1.)  IS SATAN ALIVE AND WELL?

2.)  IS SATAN NEARER THAN YOU THINK?

3.)  HAS SATAN ALREADY BEEN BANISHED FROM HEAVEN?

4.)  WAS SATAN GIVEN POSSESSION OF ALL CREATION?

5.)  IS JESUS CHRIST INTERCEDING ON YOUR BEHALF?

6.)  WHAT IS THE SATANIC REBELLION THEODICY?

7.)  DID SATAN HAVE ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT?

8.)  DID BILLY GRAHAM BELIEVE SATAN WAS ALIVE AND WELL?

9.)  WHAT WAS SATAN'S FINAL ONSLAUGHT AGAINST JESUS?

10.
IS CHURCH IN DOWNWARD SPIRAL?

1.)  WHY IS THE PROTESTANT CHURCH DYING IN THE UNITED STATES?

2.)  ARE CHRISTIANS ENTITLED TO WEALTH?

3.)  COULD YOU DEFEND YOUR CHURCH TO JESUS?

4.)  DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE A VISION?

5.)  IS YOUR LOCAL CHURCH IN TURMOIL?

6.)  DOES THE VISION OF YOUR CHURCH RESEMBLE THE VISION OF SOCIETY?

7.)  HOW MUCH OF YOUR CHURCH ACTIVITY REPRESENTS OBEDIENCE TO GOD?

8.)  WHAT IS PREACHING THE CROSS?

9.)  WHAT CONSTITUTES A PERFECT STORM IN CHURCH?

10.)  SHOULD CHRISTIANS SEEK A MONASTIC LIFE?

11.)  HOW DO CHRISTIANS VIEW THE CHURCH?

12.)  WHY IS THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN TURMOIL?

13.)  WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PREACH THE NEW TESTAMENT MESSAGE?

14.)  ISN'T LIVING A HOLY LIFE ALONE WITH GOD THE EPITOME OF ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION?

15.)  DO PREACHERS PRESENT TO GOD WHAT GOD IS SEEKING?

16.)  CAN CHRISTIANS BE HUMILIATED?

17.)  WHY DOES 'CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS | REASON FOR HOPE' EVEN EXIST?

18.)  WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REFORMATION?

11.
WILL YOU GIVE GOD OBEDIENCE?

1.)  ARE CHRISTIANS EXPECTED 'TO DO' OR JUST 'TO BE'?

2.)  ARE YOU A STICK OF WOOD FOR GOD?

3.)  WHAT IS THE GREAT COMMISSION STRATEGY FAILURE?

4.)  CAN WE BE SAVED BY OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW OF GOD?

5.)  HOW DO WE DEMONSTRATE OBEDIENCE?

6.)  WHOM DOES GOD CHOOSE?

7.)  WHAT IS THE MYSTERY OF BEING BORN AGAIN?

8.)  IS OBEDIENCE AN ILLUSIVE OBJECTIVE?

9.)  WHAT IS THE PROPER CHRISTIAN PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT?

10.)  COULD THE PROCESS BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OBJECTIVE?

11.)  WHAT ARE THE SACRAMENTS OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH?

12.)  WHAT DOES OBEDIENCE TO GOD ENTAIL?

13.)  DO CHRISTIANS VIOLATE THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT BY OBSERVING SUNDAY AS THE SABBATH?

14.)  WHAT DID 'CLEMENT OF ROME' SAY ABOUT REPENTANCE?

15.)  DOES GOD COERCE YOUR OBEDIENCE?

16.)  IS FAITH THE KEY TO AN EASY CHRISTIAN LIFE?

12.
CAN YOU GLIMPSE GOD’S ATTRIBUTES?

1.)  WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD?

2.)  DOES GOD CHANGE HIS MIND?

3.)  DID GOD HARDEN PHARAOH'S HEART?

4.)  IS RETALIATION IN KIND THE LAW OF GOD?

5.)  IS JESUS CHRIST A PACIFIST?

6.)  WHO DOES GOD HATE?

7.)  DOES GOD WORK ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD?

8.)  DID JESUS SEEK TO BE THE GREATEST TEACHER?

9.)  IS JESUS MORE THAN A ROLE MODEL?

10.)  ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD REALLY NECESSARY?

11.)  COULD THE INCARNATE JESUS HAVE SINNED?

12.)  WHAT ARE SOME MYSTERIES OF THE INCARNATION?

13.)  ARE UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION AND LIMITED ATONEMENT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD?

14.)  COULD EARLY CHRISTIANS EXPLAIN THE THEANTHROPIC JESUS CHRIST WITH A SIMPLE POEM?

13.
CAN TRUTH FREE YOUR HEART?

1.)  IS CHRISTIANITY COMPATIBLE WITH POSITIVE TOLERANCE?

2.)  CAN WE HAVE A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENY THE POWER THEREOF?

3.)  WHAT IS THE GREAT WAR?

4.)  SHOULD PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED FOR IMMORALITY?

5.)  WHO SAID MOSES WAS HUMBLE?

6.)  COULD CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE BENEFIT FROM WOKE REVISION?

7.)  DID EINSTEIN BELIEVE ALL CHRISTIANS WERE CALVINISTS?

8.)  WHY IS MARXISM A MAGNET?

9.)  WHAT IS TRUE SCIENCE?

10.)  CAN YOU LOSE YOUR SALVATION?

11.)  WHAT ARE THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS?

12.)  WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS?

13.)  WAS PAUL ENTIRELY SANCTIFIED?

14.)  ARE YOU LIVING IN A WORLD AT WAR?

15.)  WHAT IS THE DIRECT METHOD FOR PROVING A CONDITIONAL PROPOSITION IS TRUE?

16.)  WHAT IS THE CONTRAPOSITIVE METHOD FOR PROVING A CONDITIONAL PROPOSITION IS TRUE?

17.)  WHAT IS THE CONTRADICTION METHOD FOR PROVING A CONDITIONAL PROPOSITION IS TRUE?

18.)  WHAT MIGHT A METHODIST THEOLOGIAN SAY ABOUT PURGATORY?

19.)  WHICH BIBLE PASSAGES ELUCIDATE CORE ASPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY?

20.)  DO SELECTED NIV VERSES ELUCIDATE CORE ASPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY?

21.)  DO SELECTED AKJV VERSES ELUCIDATE CORE ASPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY?

22.)  DO SELECTED YLT VERSES ELUCIDATE CORE ASPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY?

23.)  DO SELECTED 'VOICE' VERSES ELUCIDATE CORE ASPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY?

24.)  COULD THE CONCEPT OF 'SALVATION ONLY FOR THE ELECT' HAVE BEEN ROOTED IN THE MIND OF AUGUSTINE BEFORE HE EMBRACED CHRISTIANITY?

25.)  DID AUGUSTINE RECEIVE PUSHBACK FOR HIS TEACHING OF 'SALVATION ONLY FOR THE ELECT' DURING HIS LIFETIME?

14.
IS THE UNIVERSE EXQUISITELY OLD?

1.)  WERE THE CREATION DAYS 24 HOURS IN LENGTH?

2.)  WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE BEGINNING?

3.)  WHAT EVENT MIGHT FIX TIME ZERO FOR GOD?

WHAT IS THE SIN OF PRESUMPTION?

Scripture says:

 

And he [Satan] led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written,

 

He will give His angels charge

Concerning You to guard You;

 

And on their hands they will bear You up;

Lest You strike Your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12)

 

And Jesus answered and said to him,

 

It is said, ‘You shall not put the lord your God to the test.’ (Deut 6:16)

 

(Luke 4:9-12)

 

This temptation of Jesus, by Satan, defines the sin of presumption. 

If you presume to know God’s will and then try to force His hand, you have committed the sin of presumption.  Imagine, for example, you are standing on the curb of a busy street and see a bus coming toward you.  You say to yourself, “I am going to jump in front of that bus and when God saves me, I will give Him all the glory.”  You are about to commit the sin of presumption and you are about to be run over by a bus.

A common example involves the financial affairs of a church.  Suppose, for the past year, church expenses have exceeded income by an average of $5000/month.  This could be the result of: (1) an aging congregation now on fixed incomes, (2) the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) a church split triggered by Calvinism, (4) people leaving the church because they don’t like the pastor, (5) a congregation of 100 staffed for 700 or some other common reason for expenses exceeding income.  To stay afloat, the church has consumed the life insurance from a deceased member and even moved money from the designated category to the general fund.  Good stewardship would suggest that the Finance Committee should reduce next year’s budget by $5000/month.  But some on the Finance Committee want to follow a different path.  They say, “We know we are doing God’s work and we know God does not want us to reduce our budget.  Therefore, we will not reduce our budget and we will put the burden on God to work a miracle.”  God will not work a miracle.  The church will default on certain debts and some staff members will be abruptly terminated.