Theology Corner

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

Theology Corner

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?

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?

WHOM DOES GOD CHOOSE?

After you pray the prayer of salvation:

 

Almighty God, I come into your presence

Confessing my sin nature and behavior,

Having remorse in my heart,

Wanting to repent,

Asking Your forgiveness,

Forgiving those who have sinned against me

And believing I am saved from eternal damnation

By faith, the grace of God and the Substitutionary Atonement of Jesus Christ

 

I pray that the Holy Spirit will

Occupy and purify my heart,

Make known to me the will of God,

Help me discern the truth,

Be Lord of my life

And keep me on the path of repentance, faith and obedience,

Continually reaffirmed and renewed.

 

Amen

 

what comes next?  Here are some general guidelines:

 

If you prayed this prayer to the depths of your soul,

You’re redeemed from the bondage of sin.

Serving God is now your primary goal,

He will work hard to make sure you win.

 

You are born again by the Spirit of God,

And baptized with His Spirit as well.

Your soul has transformed by His wink and His nod,

And you’re no longer headed for Hell.

 

Should you tell those who may not believe it?

Should you reveal what you know to be true?

How can you help them receive it?

Let God lead them to truth via you?

 

You must help the lost cross the finish line,

After God brings them one step away.

God says, “I want to possess what has always been mine.”

We must double our efforts today.

 

But should we not wait until God calls us to something specific?  For example, didn’t God specifically call Isaiah to a prophetic commission (Isaiah 6:8)?  Shouldn’t we wait for a burning bush experience?

Many years ago, a missionary, to the far-east, described to me his Walmart Theology.  Suppose, hypothetically, you are trying to decide whether to apply for a job at Walmart.  You drive to the Walmart parking lot early in the morning and get on your knees facing the door.  You say, “God, if You will cause that door to open when no one else is near, then I will know that I should apply for a job at Walmart.” My missionary friend said, “The door will never open!  God is a God of action.  He expects you to get up and walk through the door. You may not get the job.  Or you may get the job and, after a while, decide it’s the wrong job for you.  But until you get up and walk through the door, your life is in neutral.”

When Jesus said: For many are called, but few are chosen (Mat 22:14), perhaps He meant multitudes are called but few prove themselves the chosen ones.  Perhaps God did not specifically address the call to Isaiah when He said: Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? (Isaiah 6:8).  Perhaps Isaiah simply overheard God make an appeal to many.  Isaiah overheard the call and accepted the mission.

The call of God is not for a special few, it is for everyone.  The chosen ones are those who hear the still small voice questioning all the time: Who will go for Us?  It is not a question of God singling out a person and saying: Now you go.  God neither pleads nor compels you to service.  He simply says to everyone, Follow Me!  (Chambers, January 14th)