Restitutio

The 19th century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, believed that our desire for success, money, or love really went back to our “will to power.” Whereas other philosophies focused on calibrating our internal state to accept reality, Nietzsche focused more on conforming reality to our desires. Although it’s terribly out of fashion to admit one desires and pursues power, this counterfeit god is alive and well. We can get so involved with a political party, a social justice issue, or advocating some cause that we begin to live for it rather than God. We seek to make the world better and this often takes heroic sacrifice and commitment, which, in turn, can easily lead to removing God from the throne of our hearts and even defying how he says to live in the process. The solution is not to divest ourselves of power, but to submit our wills to God. Humility is the way God can redeem our influence for his purposes. In his earthly ministry, Jesus was powerful, but he did not let it go to his head; instead, he constantly recognized that God was the source of his words and works. In the end, God exalted Jesus, bestowing on him a name that is above everyone else. This is our example. Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Counterfeit Gods: Worshiping Love Worshiping Money Worshiping Success Worshiping Power Worshiping God Check out Off Script 16: Christians Discussing Politics For an excellent overview of this topic, listen to Tim Keller’s talk on Podcast 41: Counterfeit Gods or watch it on YouTube To purchase the book this series is based on by Tim Keller, go here Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Saint Patrick is one of the most courageous missionaries of Christian history. Although revelers mark his day with debauchery and drunkenness, he pursued holiness and risked his life to preach to the Irish barbarians. He held out to the ancient Irish tribes a promise of protection from their gods and demons, if only they would come to Christ. Not only is he an example of virtue and courage, he also shows how far forgiving and loving our enemies can go. After patiently waiting for years for his non-missionary-minded church to send him, he got to preach to the very people who had kidnapped and enslaved him as a teenager. Learn who the real St. Patrick was and how his life can inspire you to live for Christ in our post-Christian society today.   Notes: Sources I used for research on Saint Patrick How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill Let Me Die in Ireland by David Bercot Confessio by St. Patrick Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Everyone enjoys accomplishment and achievement, but what happens when we take success and make it our ultimate goal in life? When you reach the pinnacle of success in any field, it’s easy to get depressed, asking yourself, “Is this all there is?” Furthermore, you may begin to fear that you won’t be able to maintain your position as other star-eyed would-be achievers are climbing to the top in an effort to push you off. How can we guard against worshiping the counterfeit god of success without settling into complacency or laziness? In this episode we answer this question by embracing the goodness and joy of achievement while recognizing that our ultimate worth comes from God’s gracious offer of love, demonstrated on the cross of his dear Son. Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Counterfeit Gods: Worshiping Love Worshiping Money Worshiping Success Worshiping Power Worshiping God Watch David Foster Wallace’s entire commencement speech For an excellent overview of this topic, listen to Tim Keller’s talk on Podcast 41: Counterfeit Gods or watch it on YouTube To purchase the book this series is based on by Tim Keller, go here Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

The history of Christianity can sometimes be really depressing, especially when we look at the “heresy hunters.” From Justin Martyr and Irenaues in the second century to Athanasius and Epiphanius of the fourth century, as Christians we progressively came to define ourselves on the basis of what we don’t believe. As a result, so much energy focused on precisely defining and policing the boundaries of orthodox doctrine. This tendency continued to develop throughout the middle ages, culminating with the Catholic Inquisition in Spain where the church interrogated, tortured, and executed “heretics” (typically Jews who had been forcibly converted to Catholicism). In the sixteenth century, even Protestants executed heretics like the founders of the Anabaptists and Michael Servetus. Thankfully, the world has changed so much from the days when one could be executed for thought crimes. However, especially with the advent of the internet, the heresy-hunting impulse is alive and well within Christianity. Across countless blogs, chatrooms, and youtube channels, self-appointed orthodox defenders continue to bully and blackball other honest-hearted Christians for their unwillingness to accept their list of essential doctrines. In this eye-opening talk, Dr. Dale Tuggy discusses four approaches to heresy, including (1) Catholic, (2) Protestant, (3) “free” Protestant, and (4) apostolic. He argues that there is such a thing as heresy, and we should take it seriously, but it has a lot more to do with divisiveness than doctrinal errors. Ironically, the heresy-hunters are the ones guilty of causing αἵρεσεις (factions) in the body of Christ. Notes: Find out more about professor Tuggy at his website and subscribe to his excellent podcast in iTunes or via RSS or check out his YouTube channel. Here’s a transcript of this talk (pdf) Watch the full video of this talk (posted by 21st Century Reformation) Watch Tuggy’s screencast version of this presentation (includes slides) For information about this year’s Theological Conference, including to register, go here. Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  

I bet you don’t think you struggle with greed. In fact, I’ve never met anyone who told me this was a problem for him or her. But greed is subtle. It sneaks up on you when you think you’re just working towards financial security or building your confidence or taking control of your life. In this episode we discuss how greed lurks in the shadows as well as how to slay the beast through gratitude and generosity. Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Counterfeit Gods: Worshiping Love Worshiping Money Worshiping Success Worshiping Power Worshiping God For more on money, especially consumerism, check out Off Script 6: Consumerism For an excellent overview of this topic, listen to Tim Keller’s talk on Podcast 41: Counterfeit Gods or watch it on YouTube To purchase the book this series is based on by Tim Keller, go here Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

We all have competing impulses within us vying for our attention and expression. How do you know which ones to amplify and which to repress? How should we think of ourselves? Are we powerful and valuable creatures made in God’s image or accidental byproducts of time plus chance plus matter? In order to live out authentic humanity we need to grasp who we are and how God calls us to live. Only when we live in conformity with our designer and creator can we flourish and bring him glory. Notes: For more on authentic Christianity, take a look at Rosaria Butterfield’s testimony Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Today we are starting a series based on Tim Keller’s book, Counterfeit Gods, wherein we’ll consider a number of idols that vie for worship in our society. In this episode we consider Aphrodite, the ancient goddess of love, and her modern counterparts. We begin by examining the somewhat dysfunctional love story of Jacob and Rachel in the book of Genesis. We conclude that love and romance are goods God has given people, but they should not be our ultimate pursuit or what we look to for salvation. In addition, Rose rebukes the tendency among Christians to hold out romance and marriage to singles as an ultimate goal to find completion. Dan also shares some great advice about attracting a godly spouse. Whether you are married or single, this Off Script episode will help you think through the proper place you should have for romantic love in your life. Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Counterfeit Gods: Worshiping Love Worshiping Money Worshiping Success Worshiping Power Worshiping God For an excellent overview of this topic, listen to Tim Keller’s talk on Podcast 41: Counterfeit Gods or watch it on YouTube To purchase the book, go here Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

How should Christians relate to the government? In this sermon, Vince Finnegan works through Romans 13 to show how we should relate to the powers that be. Ultimately God is in charge of raising up and tearing down regimes and nations over the course of human history. Our goal is to love one another as examples of genuine faith rather than get overwhelmed with political concerns. Notes: Romans 13:1 – In order to stay constantly living for God, we must have the right mindset and proper behavior in relationship to the kingdoms of this world. Subjection is very common. Wives to husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24), children to parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), servants to masters [employees to employers] (Ephesians 6:5-8), younger to elders (1 Peter 5:5), and believers to church elders (Hebrews 13:17). Husbands tell wives to worship. Parents tell children to steal. Employer tells employees to lie. Church leadership tells people to have sex. Government tells clerk about marriage licenses to homosexuals. Daniel 3:18; Daniel 6:10; Acts 4:18-20; 5:29 Deuteronomy 13:4 Submission in human relationships is commanded, but never when it breaks God’s commandments. We must obey God rather than man. Romans 13:2 If we do not submit to the laws of the government, we will be judged by those laws. By no means is God saying to us that worldly governments are holy or that their reign is equitable, fair, and right. Governments are a temporary necessity in this present evil age to maintain a semblance of order until God’s perfect Kingdom comes. The main danger was that the early Christians would err in refusing submission, even when it was proper, rather than in undue conformity to idolatrous rites and ceremonies. Daniel 2:21; 4:17, 26, 34, 35 By God’s permission or appointment, those in office obtain their power. God often claims and asserts that He sets up one and puts down another. Romans 13:5 – The word “minister” could also be translated “servant” as it often is in other translations. Kings, presidents, governors are God’s servants just as Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus were. They were not serving us because they understood God’s Word and believed it, but because God is almighty and the supreme ruler of the earth. 7 – Mark 12:15-17; Matthew 17:24-27 8 – God does not want us to owe anyone because indebtedness may place us in a compromising position to be controlled or influenced by someone other than Him. Genesis 14:21-24 Abraham refused to be indebted to the king of Sodom when he was offered great wealth. Nor would he accept the land to bury Sarah without paying, so he remained free from obligation to anyone other than God 1 John 3:16; 4:11 – We all love because God loved us, and He commands us to love others. Romans 13:12 – We are to maintain an awareness of the urgency of our times. Each day, we are one day closer to his return or our death, whichever comes first. Ephesians 5:14-16 – We cannot afford to fall into a lackadaisical slumber and squander the time we could have with God. Romans 13:14 Check out this Off Script on patriotism for more on this subject Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Claudia Scott is one of the pillars of our church, a woman of faith who carries herself with dignity and poise. Growing up, she’s been an example to me of faithfulness and passion for God. Having only known her over the last twenty or so years, I was clueless about how much she had been through in her past. She suffered repeated sexual abuse for years as a child. Once she left the house, her life didn’t fair much better. When she met God and discovered his power to heal her, she began a journey that eventually led her to mental relief and peace of mind. This is her story. Notes and Links: Check out Interview 4: Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical Healing with Bill & Ann DeNenno Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

What is true freedom? We tend to think of freedom as the lack of restrictions so that we can do whatever we want. However, I want to make the case that freedoms is not the lack of boundaries, but finding the right ones to enable us to be our best for God. After God liberated the ancient Israelites form Egypt, they were free: politically, religiously, economically, etc. However, they continued to distrust God and hold to an enslaved mindset. We have much to learn from their example. Notes: Freedom: autonomy, independence, liberty, license, self-determination, self-governance, sovereignty Exodus 3:7-8 God tells Moses His plans to deliver His people from slavery. Exodus 6:5-8 God plans to rescue them so they can become His people and He can become their God. Exodus 12:30-32 After the ten plagues, the Egyptians released the Israelites. Exodus 14:27-31 God splits the Red Sea and then destroys the Egyptian army, freeing His people once and for all. Exodus 16:2-4 Remember sitting by the meat pots and eating bread to the full? Numbers 11:4-6 Remember the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic of Egypt? Numbers 14:1-4 Let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt! Numbers 20:4-5 Why have you made us come up out of Egypt? 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Let’s learn from their example and not desire evil or give ourselves to idolatry. Hebrews 3:7-4:2 Do you trust God? The issue comes down to belief. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” —Jesus (Mt 11:28-30) Check out this Off Script on tolerance for more on this subject Read more about a Christian analysis on tolerance here Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

What do you believe about baptism? In this interview, I ask Ken LaPrade, a house church pastor in El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico, to share his baptism journey. Coming from a Way International background, LaPrade learned that spirit baptism had replaced water. As a result he had interpreted the water baptisms in Acts to be incidents where the apostles held to an outdated methodology. Apparently, they had not realized that spirit baptism had replaced water. However, when LaPrade went back through the book of Acts, he failed to detect any negative remarks about baptism in water. He started to see how baptism in water and spirit actually went together in several conversion narratives in Acts. After careful study and much prayer, LaPrade decided to take the plunge himself and was surprised when he received significant physical healing as well. Whether you accept baptism or not, please take the time to consider LaPrade’s humble and honest-hearted approach to this important issue. Notes and Links: You can get in touch with Ken LaPrade at [email protected] Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

In this vintage message, Sir Anthony Buzzard makes the case that the gospel Jesus preached was about the kingdom. Although Jesus remains incredibly popular all around the world today, his message remains obscured even among many sincere followers. How can we call ourselves Christians if we are ignorant of Christ’s proclamation? The kingdom is not living in heaven nor is it a clever way of talking about the church or Jesus reigning in your heart. Rather, it refers to the age when Jesus returns to fulfill all the prophecies of the Hebrew bible, bringing wholeness, judgement, and God’s reign to our world. We’ve substituted the gospel of Jesus for a gospel about Jesus. Of course, we don’t want to lose out the magnificent truths of his death and resurrection, but we dare not re-contextualize these within an overall scheme that defies Jesus’ kingdom announcement. According to Jesus, “This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Mt 24.14). How can we hope to be faithful to Jesus’ commissioning here, unless we recover and proclaim “this gospel of the kingdom” that Jesus preached?

How are you at handling conflict? Do you withdraw and avoid conflict at any cost? Do you rush in headlong, eager to set the other person straight? Are you a compromiser who looks at everything like a contract where both parties inevitably have to make trade-offs to get some advantage? As with so many really important aspects of life, we rarely receive any instruction on how to confront one another or deal with conflict in a constructive manner. In this episode, Dr. Jerry Wierwille reviews David Augsburger’s book Caring Enough To Confront, which will help you learn which of the four main postures towards conflict you hold as well five helpful strategies to help you improve your skills. Notes and Links: Listen to Jerry Wierwille’s other interviews Interview 1: Jerry Wierwille on Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Interview 2: Jerry Wierwille on Hermeneutics Visit his website at JerryWierwille.com Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

The gospel is the message we believe in that results in immortality (2 Tim 1.7-10). If I were the devil, I would target the gospel message so that even if some Christians rustled up the courage to actually share it with others, they’d have a distorted or partial message. In fact, scripture tells us that the god of this world blinds the minds of unbeliever to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel (2 Cor 4.4)! We cannot just go along with the flow of evangelical or Catholic Christianity. We need to examine the scriptures to see what the original gospel was. When we do this, we discover a radically different message from what we hear on radio, TV, and in most churches today. In this message I make the case for a gospel with a minimum of three elements: the kingdom, the cross, and the resurrection. Take away or alter one of these and you no longer have the whole gospel. Notes and Links: Does Amos 9.11-15 seem strange to you? Two Major Problems most of us do not speak the gospel those who do speak it know a partial gospel Importance of Getting the Gospel Right Is the gospel like a paint color or a medical diagnosis? It is a matter of life and death (Galatians 1.6-9; 2 Timothy 1.7-10) the gospel is the pill of immortality, washed down with faith Three Elements kingdom (Matthew 4.23; 5.5; 6.9-10) cross (1 Corinthians 15.3; Romans 5.8) resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.4) Four Reasons the Kingdom Matters it is God’s idea it was Jesus’ primary focus it is gospel promotes stewardship Satan attacks the believing of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4.3-4; Matthew 13.19; Luke 8.12) But just knowing isn’t enough! believe repent persevere Check out Jacob Rohrer’s interview about his journey of getting the gospel right Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

What is the gospel? Growing up, Jacob Rohrer heard about Jesus dying for his sins so he could go to heaven. However, he’s come to see that this way of thinking is not only wrong, but goes against what Jesus himself taught. Listen in to Rohrer as he explains the five elements of the gospel, including (1) repentance, (2) kingdom, (3) Jesus’ death, (4) Jesus’ resurrection, and (5) obedience to Jesus. You may be surprised to discover that the gospel you received is not the whole message. Jacob Rohrer is a 2015 graduate of the Atlanta Bible College who is currently interning at Cornerstone in Gatesville, Texas. Notes and Links: Listen to Jacob Rohrer’s recent sermon from Revive 2017, “What To Do When You Fail“ Watch a number of his sermons on YouTube, here If you want to get in contact, email Rohrer: [email protected] You can read some of his work on KingdomUprising.com Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

We hear a particular narrative over and over: “Gay teen courageously comes out to Christian parents and faces consequences.” This is the hero’s journey of the early 21st century. From gay pride marches to hit songs to movies and TV shows, this story is ubiquitous in our culture. For example, I used to listen to the Moth podcast and heard story after story championing the gay lifestyle and supporting the choice to live “out and proud.” In the hundreds of stories I listened to, not once did I ever hear a story of someone who came to Christ, even though it is a much more common occurrence. It’s hard not to absorb the impression that LGBTQ folks are courageous and tolerant while Christians, especially bible-believing ones, are repressive and unloving. However, could it be that there’s an alternative narrative that few are hearing? Caleb Katenbach has an interesting story. He grew up with two moms and learned to hate Christians. However, when he unexpectedly became a Christian in high school, he had to “come out of the closet” to his moms. Were they supportive? Did they embrace his new sense of identity? Did they accept him for following his heart? No! They kicked him out and expressed intolerance. Of course, his story doesn’t end there. Listen to this fine interview between Darrell Bock and Caleb Kaltenbach to learn both how we as Christians need to repent as well a how we can reach the LGBTQ community. Notes and Links: Caleb Kaltenbach’s book, Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction, is available here Thanks to Darrel Bock for persmission to replay this episode. Check out his stimulating podcast, “The Table,” here Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.  

Dr. Joe Martin has taught at the Atlanta Bible College for over 25 years. He’s worked as an adjunct professor, full-time professor, academic dean, and the president. In this interview he talks about his favorite class to teach, his greatest challenge as a teacher, and his advice to those interested in going into ministry. He shares several stories about God’s mighty provision during his tenure as president, including one incident when he marched the staff around the building for seven days in prayer before a mighty miracle happened. His endearing spirit and passionate heart come through in this conversation along with his bold faith. “I will live and die by the simplicity of the word of God rather than orthodox credal systems.” –Joe Martin Notes and Links: To watch Dr. Joe’s sermons and theological presentations, check out the 21st Century Reformation youtube channel or his own personal channel For more information about the Atlanta Bible College, see this website For more about Martin, see Interview 10: Twenty Years of Missions in Africa Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Did you make any new year’s resolutions this year? We are now three weeks into 2017 and I bet many of us have already reverted to our old ways. However, what I want to propose here is not a new habit or a trick to stop an old one. Rather, I want to encourage you to adopt a particular perspective. Whether you gain weight or lose it, whether you go to bed early or stay up late, whether you get consistent with flossing or not, everything you do can and should be done to the glory of God. What’s more, living with this perspective doesn’t mean you have to give up pleasure. In fact, just the opposite is true. When we live for God’s glory, we can enjoy our lives more than ever before. Notes and Links: “Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake. Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever…4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.” — Jonathan Edwards (c. 1720) 1 Corinthians 10.31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God,1 and to enjoy him forever. 1 Corinthians 10.31 Do all to the glory of God Judges 6-7 God’s whittling down of Gideon’s army provides us a prime example of how important it is to God that he receives proper glory for what he does. He could have worked with thousands, but then they would have thought they had won the victory because of their own military prowess. 1 Peter 4.11 In everything we should give God glory through Jesus Christ. This is not limited to when we are here on Sundays or at other fellowships, but our whole lives. Matthew 6.1-18 Jesus teaches us about doing righteous deeds for God not people pray to God in private fast secretly so God sees not people give to the poor secretly Romans 16.27 To God be glory forevermore Ephesians 3.21 To God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus Philippians 1.11 Righteousness comes through Jesus to the glory and praise of God 1 Thessalonians 2.4 We speak not to please people but God who tests our hearts Jesus made his whole life about glorifying God Jn 5.41 “I do not receive glory from people” Jn 7.18 “The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent me is true, and in him there is no falsehood” Jn 8.50, 54 “Yet I do not seek my own glory…if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’” Jn 12.43 “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” John 5.30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. How to glorify God in 2017: Love God and Love People! John Piper, “God Is

Joe and Rebekah Martin have labored for twenty years in Africa to bring the gospel and humanitarian aid to some of the poorest people in the world. They minister primarily in Malawi and Mozambique, though the work in Kenya is now gaining traction as well. In this interview, you’ll hear how a single tract led to one believing family, which eventually resulted in more than 450 churches, 20 years later! In addition, the Martins share several stories of what they’ve seen God do in the missionary field. They’ve run missions trips virtually every summer with other pastors and students. I went myself (with Ruth) back in 2004. Now that they’ve reached the age for retirement, they’ve purchased a house in Malawi so they can spend even more time there each year. Notes and Links: If you would like to get in touch to contribute to their work (financial or volunteering), you can reach Rebekah at [email protected] For more about the Lord’s Harvest International (LHI), the missionary wing of the Church of God General Conference, visit their website or like their facebook page. For more information about the Atlanta Bible College where Joe Martin teaches, see this website Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Martin Luther King Jr. day is on Monday, so I thought this would be a good time to replay a phenomenal debate on the question of whether or not Christians should use violence or participate in the military. Peter Kreeft and J. Daryl Charles defend the classic just war position while David Bercot and Dean Taylor advocate for the Anabaptist view. The debate is cordial and the recording is top-notch. What’s more the speakers are evenly matched and the debate moves right along. If you’ve ever wondered about whether or not Christians can use violence, this debate will give you a window into how sincere Christians on both sides explain their positions. Notes and Links: Thank you to Followers of the Way for permission to rebroadcast this debate. You can watch the full video on youtube as well. Check out Podcast 15: A Theology of Nonviolence, which includes both the audio of my presentation at the 18th Theological Conference as well as the full text of my paper. For more research and resources on Christian pacifism, visit loveyourenemies.wordpress.com Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Let’s say you are sharing your faith with a friend and they say to you, “Well, I’m glad that Christianity works for you, but it sounds like no fun to me.” How would you respond? Is Christianity no more than a set of restrictions we set on our lives like a straitjacket? Listen in to this episode as we discuss how following Jesus is an exciting adventure worth pursuing. Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Check out Shane Claibourne’s book, Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Pastor Victor Gluckin of Living Faith Christian Church (Warwick, RI) shares about his journey of faith. He was Mr. Popularity in High School; everyone loved him. However, he was spiritually dead and lifted up with pride. His breaking point came when he left his small town and attended George Washington University in DC. He planned to study political science before launching a career in public service, eventually culminating in his election as the president of the United States. However, when he got to GW, he discovered that he was just one of many ex-high school presidents with big dreams. God humbled him and showed him the truth about his heart. Listen to this episode to hear the rest of his story as well Gluckin’s appeal to you to consider your own life. Notes and Links: You can find more sermons by Victor Gluckin on his church website and on youtube For another episode with Gluckin, check out Podcast 24: Now Is Our Time to Speak Check out his classes Son of David and Kingdom Story You can follow him on Twitter @vgluckin Listen to more testimonies here Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

The youngest part of the bible is nearly 2,000 years old. How can such an ancient book have any relevance to our complex and technologically advanced world? How would you answer this objection? It’s certainly undeniable that our world is so much different from the nomadic shepherds of three millennia ago. However, science, political innovations, and technology have failed to generate a golden age of tranquility and prosperity. Our world is just as fragmented and fraught with dysfunction and injustice as ever. The internet has enabled us to access an unprecedented amount of information from all around the world quickly and cheaply. However, the net effect has led to information overload as searchers find themselves paralyzed by all of the “authoritative” perspectives and “experts” clamoring for attention. Increasingly people are turning to ancient analog faiths for answers in our digital age. The luster of virtual reality has worn off for many as they find their souls empty and isolated after binging on the dainties of television shows and social media. Many are looking for something real, something tried and tested, something with substance. This is where the bible has fresh appeal for our age. When we compare the scriptures to other historical books, they stand head and shoulders above them in that they are better preserved, more accessible, and more practical than the others. Timeless moral principles, powerful motivation, and encouraging hope make the bible an elixir to the soul’s of countless readers worldwide. Listen in as we discuss how the bible remains relevant and powerful in our time. Notes and Links: Check out our Off Script episode on Progress where we talk about chronological snobbery and the invisible fictive force many believe is moving us towards a better world. More podcasts and resources on Apologetics available here. Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 15: Gender and Sexual Ethics (Objection 3) This lecture covers some basic Christian sexual ethics, including marriage, divorce, pornography, homosexuality, cohabitation, and adultery. Sadly, since this was the last lecture, time did not permit a thorough analysis of these subjects. Even so, I touched on each briefly and biblically in an effort to stake out a Christian position on each and give some evidence to equip you to give an answer to those who critique us. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: on all of these controversial issues comes down to whether or not the bible is true and authoritative how to interpret the bible statistics of success/failure reason from creation (again depends on scripture) remember Satan is working on culture to make it hard to understand the gospel (Mt 13.19) and to blind people’s eyes from seeing it (2 Cor 4.4) Marriage live together before marriage divorce of you don’t get along God invented sex for marriage who do you think designed our genitals, packing them with a ridiculous concentration of erotogenic nerve endings? God’s vision of the world included: naked vegetarians living in a garden making lots of babies God proclaimed the first two people married (Gen 2.23-24) Jesus speaks on divorce & remarriage “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Mt 19.3-9) Paul speaks on singleness vs. marriage (1 Cor 7.1-17) good to be single wife does not have authority over her own body..husband does not… don’t deprive each other of sex except for a time of prayer otherwise Satan will tempt you b/c of your lack of self-control remain single better to marry than burn (with passion) Lord says: wife should not separate from her husband if she does anyhow, she should remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband if spouse is unbeliever, don’t divorce him/her spouse is made holy by believer (and kids too) if unbelieving spouse separates, let it happen marriage represents relationship between Christ and the church (Eph 5.31-33) three views of marriage western: it’s good so long as I’m happy or at least not miserable the individual is at the center of the western cultural view towards marriage traditional: it’s good so long as it helps the family/clan biblical: my marriage is a living illustration of Christ and the church Sex Outside of Marriage God designed sex for marriage in the beginning. Thus, sex within marriage is godly and holy and enjoyable and not shameful. problem is when someone takes sex out of this boundary it’s like a nuclear reactor so long as it is contained behind a lead barrier w/ plenty of cooling systems functioning all is well and this immensely powerful reaction does good but take it out from that protected system and you have Fukushima or Chernobyl Jesus on sexual purity Mat 5.8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mat 5.27-30 don’t look at a woman w/ lustful intent same as committing act of adultery need to be extreme here (gouge out eye, cut off hand): he’s really talking about lust! Paul on purity 1 Thessalonians 4.3-8 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you

We take a break from our normal Off Script format to share some seasonal reminiscences and lighthearted banter about Christmas past and present. In this somewhat silly episode you’ll learn what Christmas song Rose hates, Dan’s most cherished childhood present, and Sean’s Christmas-eve meal preference. Other exciting topics discussed in this podcast include: why Handel’s Messiah is awesome, how to poach a Christmas tree from state land, and when it’s ok to start listening to Christmas music. Additionally, Rose will reveal an ethnic secret about herself that you won’t want to miss.

Apologetics 14: Science (Objection 2) Although our culture commonly pits science and faith against each other, as if they’ve been at war for centuries, the truth is that faith gave birth to science. In this lecture, you’ll learn about some of the main science objections that skeptics bring against Christianity and how to respond to them. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Why Isn’t God’s Existence Obvious? no scientific test you can use to prove God’s existence “Confronted with the Almighty, [Bertrand Russell] would ask, ‘Sir, why did you not give me better evidence?'”[1] Isaiah 45.15 talks about the hiddenness of God Dembski’s point in In Defense of the Bible ch 14 is that God is hidden enough not to coerce belief God is visible enough to be found by those who seek him “This seems to be the pattern in God’s revelation of himself: provide enough evidence to convince those who are honestly seeking truth but not so much evidence as to force belief on those who prefer to believe a lie.”[2]   Theists Pioneered Most Branches of Science belief in God led to belief in rational universe belief that external world cohered w/ our observation/perception belief that God used stable physical laws belief that studying creation was a good b/c it indirectly extolled the Creator Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, James Clerk Maxwell “To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.” –Nicolaus Copernicus, the mathematician and astronomer (1473-1543) who formulated a heliocentric model of the universe “…Those laws are within the grasp of the human mind. God wanted us to recognize them by creating us after his own image so that we could share in his own thoughts.” –Johannes Kepler, the German mathematician and astronomer who discovered the laws of planetary motion “If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.” —Lord William Kelvin, who was noted for his theoretical work on thermodynamics, the concept of absolute zero and the Kelvin temperature scale based upon it. “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.” “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”—Sir Isaac Newton, who is widely regarded to have been the greatest scientist the world has ever produced. “There can never be any real opposition between religion and science; for the one is the complement of the other. Every serious and reflective person realizes, I think, that the religious element in his nature must be recognized and cultivated if all the powers of the human soul are to act together in perfect balance and harmony. And indeed it was not by accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were deeply religious souls.” —Max Planck, the Nobel Prize winning physicist considered to be the founder of quantum theory, and one of the most important physicists of the 20th century, indeed of all time. “The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on that truth, we become in tune with this great power.” –Nikola Tesla, the inventor and futurist scientist known for nume

In this episode, we pick up the conversation where the last lecture in my Apologetics class left off. We review six reasons the bible gives for suffering as well as how to face pain and hardship. By looking at Jesus and Paul, we see that God did not spare either of them from adversity. Jesus came into this world as a hunted refugee, faced conflict and opposition his entire ministry, and then, in =the end, faced torture and execution. Similarly Paul endured rejection, whippings, beatings, shipwreck, and martyrdom. We can learn from these examples about how we can deal with difficulty in our own lives. Also, we discuss the prosperity gospel and play a clip from John Piper who puts his finger on why such a theology is so dangerous. Lastly, we draw inspiration from the words of the prophet Habakkuk who cried out to God to do something to deal with the rampant injustice of his day. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to first listen to podcast episode 62: Why Does God Allow Suffering? before listening to this episode. It should be the one right before this one. Here now is off script episode 19: more on why God Allows Suffering Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 13: Problem of Evil (Objection 1) Now that we&#8217;ve established the existence of God, the historicity of Christ&#8217;s resurrection, and the bible&#8217;s veracity, we come to objections commonly brought against Christianity. The chief classical question posed to Christians throughout the eons is, &#8220;How can you believe in God when there is so much pain and suffering in the world?&#8221; Thankfully, the bible provides a range of answers to that question though, it&#8217;s not always clear which answer applies to a given situation. In what follows I address the logical argument against God&#8217;s existence before going on to cover 6 major reasons why God allows suffering, including: (1) the Fall, (2) the devil, (3) God&#8217;s judgments, (4) using suffering for good, (5) lack of faith, and (6) time and chance. Lastly, I explore some of what the scriptures teach us about dealing with suffering. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. &nbsp; Notes: The Problem of Evil This is a serious problem I don’t have the problem of evil totally figured out, however this is the way I understand it right now. Your thoughts, doubts, and comments are appreciated. “The problem of evil is the most serious problem in the world. It is also the one serious objection to the existence of God. More people have abandoned their faith because of the problem of evil than for any other reason. It is certainly the greatest test of faith, the greatest temptation to unbelief. And it&#8217;s not just an intellectual objection. We feel it. We live it.” –Peter Kreeft[1] outline show how this objection fails to disprove God’s existence explore reasons why God allows evil consider how to deal with suffering &nbsp; 1. How the POE Fails to Disprove God’s Existence The problem stated and some possible solutions the problem of evil is “If there is a God then why is there so much pain and suffering?” Proof against God’s existence God is all-loving God is all-powerful Evil exists \There is no God Some suggested solutions God is not all loving: He really can stop all evil but he doesn’t care enough about our puny lives to put forth the effort. he is distant (deists) hard predestination (you’re a worthless maggot to whom God owes nothing) molinism (God’s arranged the proper amount of suffering to maximize the number who would freely choose him) his focus is not on individual but the group (utilitarian) God is not all-powerful: Harold Kuschner: “God does not reach down to interrupt the workings of laws of nature to protect the righteous from harm. This is a second area of our world which causes bad things to happen to good people, and God does not cause it and cannot stop it”[2] reformulating the proof proof God is all-loving God is all-powerful evil (still) exists God has not eliminated evil yet can’t prove God doesn’t have some reason(s) for allowing evil a world w/ minimal suffering might not be best from God’s perspective a world w/ constant gratuitous evil would probably crush people’s faith a world w/ lots of suffering, lots of beauty, lots of kindness would probably maximize the number of people who turn to God and freely choose to put their faith in him evil points to a source of evil shouldn’t presume the absence of a source of good<

In part two of our series on objections to Christianity, we look at the issue of hypocrisy. Many are unwilling to even consider Christianity as a viable option because they&#8217;ve witnessed or heard about some horrible act of hypocrisy by a Christian leader. It&#8217;s hard to deny that hypocrisy is a major problem in Christianity today. Whether we look at child molestation among Catholic priests, evangelicals who fall into adultery, or prosperity gospel preachers who squeeze every penny out of their poor congregations, hypocrisy is a black eye on the bride of Christ. How can we talk to skeptics and unbelievers about this issue? How can we avoid hypocrisy in our own lives? The cure lies in the teaching and example of Jesus. Listen to this frank discussion and learn how to respond to this ubiquitous objection. Notes and Links: For more on Rosaria Butterfield&#8217;s story, see this post. Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: &#8220;Protofunk&#8221; by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 12: New Testament Trustworthiness For the New Testament we can employ several of the same lines of reasoning as the Old Testament, though there are a couple more to consider like internal evidence and messianic prophecies that help bolster the case. Furthermore, many people&#8217;s lives have been changed by reading and believing the words of the New Testament. No other book has such a legacy for radical life transformation. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Reason #1: Archeology Supports the Bible Handout from Skeptics Search for God pages 227 to 234 Handout from Case for Christ pages 92-99 Building Belief, pages 145-146 In Defense of the Bible ed. by Cowan and Wilder pages 236-239 Reason #2: Unflattering Honesty Consider the heroes of faith and their recorded failures: If they made it up, why would they paint themselves so true to life (moles and all)? Peter’s denials (Matthew 26.69-74) Paul’s persecution of the church (Acts 8.1-3) All of this is evidence that the Bible is legitimate—it honestly chronicles what happened. And if we can trust it when people would be inclined to change it for the sake of embarrassment, we can certainly trust it on matters such as the kingdom and the crucifixion/resurrection of Christ. Reason #3: Changed Lives There is an old story about an atheist who challenged a Christian to a debate. The Christian responded, if you can provide me with one person who has been delivered from alcoholism, drug addictions, sexual perversion, violence, or another significant vice by atheism then I will debate you. And I will bring a dozen who have drastically changed as a direct result of their belief in the Bible. Reason #4: Preservation Antiochus Epiphanes tried to destroy the Hebrew bible and Jewish practices The Roman Emperor Diocletian, following an edict in ad 303, attempted to destroy every New Testament 25 years after Diocletian, the next emperor, Constantine, paid for 50 more bibles to be copied Voltaire (18th century) predicted within a hundred years the bible would be gone, but 50 years after he died, the Geneva Bible Society used his house and printing press to produce many more bibles Today the bible is available in more languages than any other book (over 500) This reason alone does not prove the bible is true, but it coheres with the idea. In other words, if the bible were from God, we would expect he would have his hand on it to preserve it throughout the centuries Reason #5: Internal Evidence What sort of books are the Gospels? What did the writers think they were doing? Luke 1.1-4; 2 Peter 1.16; 1 Corinthians 15.6 they claim to have reported historical facts accurately Reason #6: Messianic Prophesies Ralph Muncaster has calculated the odds of 118 non-messianic historical prophecies being true to be 1 chance in 10118. Thus it is more likely that the Bible is true than this pen will hit the floor when I drop it! In other words, to not believe in the Bible is more suicidal than to jump off a cliff and think that the law of gravity will not take effect! Promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 22:18) (Acts 3:25-26) Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) (Acts 3:22-23, John 1:43-49, 6:13-14) Raised from the dead (Psalm 16:10) (Acts 13:33-37 </

With this episode we are beginning a series on overcoming objections to Christianity. To start with we want to address the criticism often leveled at bible-believing Christians today that our perspective on salvation is too narrow-minded and exclusive. Who are we to say that all the other religions are wrong? In order to tackle this issue, we begin with the words of Jesus himself who said, &#8220;I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me&#8221; (John 14.6). If we remain committed to scripture then the question is not, &#8220;Is Christ the only way to salvation?&#8221; but &#8220;How is that fair?&#8221; What about the old lady in Fiji who never got a chance to hear about Jesus? Listen in as we explore five answers to this important question. Notes and Links: For a masterful presentation concerning Christian exclusiveness, check out Tim Keller&#8217;s lecture at Berkley. See also Podcast 51: Pluralism, Post-Modernism, Relativism, and Truth Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: &#8220;Protofunk&#8221; by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. &nbsp;

Apologetics 11: New Testament Transmission With the New Testament we can&#8217;t argue for a reliable transmission on the basis of meticulous Hebrew scribes. More often, especially early on, the Christian scribes focused more on quantity than quality so they could get the word out as quickly as possible. However, the sheer number of manuscripts that survived and the relatively early date of several ensure that we can employ a range of strategies to recover the original text with 99.5% accuracy. In fact, when we compare the New Testament to other ancient literature it is almost embarrassing how much better it is than the others. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: How To Determine Reliable Transmission Two factors that need to be tested to prove reliability number of copies time span between extant copy and autograph extant means the existing copy autograph means what was originally written A Wealth of Manuscripts extant means currently in existence Uncial manuscripts all-capital Greek letters 306 manuscripts dating to as early as the third century (200’s ad) Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus (both date to around ad350 about 250 years between the completion of the NT and the first full copies of it Minuscule Cursive writing emerged in ad 800 2,856 manuscripts Lectionaries Contain NT Scripture in the sequence that it was to be read in the early churches at appropriate times of the year 2,403 manuscripts Total Greek Manuscripts = 306 + 2856 + 2403 = 5,565 currently (according to Bruce Metzger) Also there are ancient translations Approximately 10,000 copies of the Latin Vulgate 9,300 copies in Ethiopic, Syriac, and Aramaic. Grand Total = over 24,000 manuscripts critical editions NA28 \ all modern translations for the NT are based on one of these UBS4 / Stephanus[1] (KJV was translated from Stephanus) see footnote and next page originated from Erasmus’ 1516 critical edition and complutensian polyglot of 1522 based on 20 to 25 mss, mostly medieval 8th c. or later notable differences Comma Johanneum two later additions that still appear in our Bibles are Adulteress woman and long ending of Mark resources Bruce Metzger’s A Textual Commentary of the Greek New Testament NET Bible Translations major strategies formal equivalence (word for word) dynamic equivalence (thought for thought) translations using outdated Greek manuscripts KJV, NKJV, YLT, ASV, Amplified range of Bibles from most literal to least NASB HCSB ESV NRSV NET NAB NJB NIV NCB GNB CEV NLT Living Message Time Between Autograph and Extant Manuscript see chart on pp. 142-143 in Building Belief The John Rylands papyri manuscript found in Egypt, which is a small portion of the Gospel of John, is dated from ad 117-138. This means that we have a manuscript within nearly 30 years of the autograph. (Only 30 years between Gospel of John and P52 – John Ryland’s Papyrus) Variants between Manuscripts If we

What do you believe about holiness? Do you view it as an impossible ideal? Slogans like &#8220;I&#8217;m not perfect, just forgiven&#8221; and &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be holier than thou&#8221; show how uncomfortable we are with this whole subject. Even so, God calls us to be holy as he is holy. We cannot ignore or dismiss such a calling. There must be some way to live up to his ideals. In this episode, Keith Daniel, the revival preacher and evangelist from South Africa, brings a convicting and much needed message about holiness. &nbsp; Notes and Links: Other Restitutio podcasts with Keith Daniel Find more Keith Daniel sermons at Sermon Index To get more information about Winter Teen Camp in RI (Dec 28-30, 2016), visit http://livingfaithri.org/events/wtc For our young adult retreat, Revive, held in CT (Jan 6-8, 2017), visit http://lhim.org/register/?id=205 Intro music: &#8220;District Four&#8221; by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. &nbsp;

Apologetics 10: Old Testament Trustworthiness Last time we looked as reasons to believe the Jewish scribes reliably transmitted the Old Testament so that what we have today is what they actually wrote. This time you&#8217;ll learn five main reasons why we believe the Hebrew bible is true: (1) archaeology, (2) medical insights, (3) unflattering honesty, (4) predictive prophecy, and (5) martyrdom. Although some of these are stronger than others, cumulatively they establish the veracity of scripture quite convincingly. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Five reasons to believe the bible is true: archeology medical insights brutal honesty predictive prophecy martyrdom Reason #1: Archeology Supports the Bible Archeology is a soft science based on hard evidence. The clay pot is hard evidence but when it is dated and what it means are based on interpretation. The longer that archeology exists the more detail we get on antiquity Why would the author take the time to report so many things accurately and then make up a story in between? Many times when Israel had conflict with other nations we can look in the secular history and find corroborative evidence of the event Sennacherib’s Prism chart on pp. 140-141 in Building Belief Reason #2: Miraculous Medical Accuracy Leviticus continues incredible medical insights far ahead of its time http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&amp;article=2024&amp;topic=102 8th day circumcision http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=13&amp;article=1118 Reason #3: Brutal Honesty If they made it up, why would they paint themselves so true to life (moles and all)? Consider the heroes of faith and their recorded failures: Noah gets drunk (Genesis 9.20-24) Abraham is deceptive about Sarah (Genesis 12.19; 20.5) Moses disobeys and speaks presumptuously (Numbers 20.7-12) David’s sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11.1-27) Reason #4: Predictive Prophesy Prophecy is an objectively testable criterion that could prove the bible true or false. Objective is true no matter who believes it; Subjective is true depending on how it is perceived. Amazingly, the bible repeatedly predicts historical events before they happen! This is the strongest argument for the bible being true because it is testable. The bible is made falsifiable by predictive prophecy. Some allege that it is easy to predict the future. Try predicting the weather, stock market, gambling, lottery ticket (and don’t forget that if you are wrong once, then you are stoned to death!) Nostradamus made extremely vague prophecies. For more information on what he prophesied and how it has to be twisted in order to fit modern events see EvangelicalOutreach.org/nostradamus.htm “Jeane Dixon’s supposed “prediction” about John F. Kennedy’s election and assassination. In reality, her prediction in Parade magazine in 1956 said that “a Democrat” would win the election and would “die in office.” This was far less specific than predicting “John F. Kennedy would be assassinated,” as some later retold the “prophecy.” Just how amazing was this prediction?” Let’s figure out the odds here: Dem

Kegan Chandler joins me once again to talk about the history of theology. If you haven&#8217;t yet heard his story, check out Interview 8: A Restorationist Finds the God of Jesus. In this episode, I ask Chandler about his book, The God of Jesus in Light of Christian Dogma. If you are at all interested in the history of ideas that influenced what Christians in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries believed about Jesus, this show is for you. Chandler address the how Plato&#8217;s Greek philosophy influenced Christian theologians as well as how the Gnostics not only anticipated much trinitarian language, but also how they influenced &#8220;orthodox&#8221; theology. After exposing the pagan influnences on the development of the Trinity, Chandler goes on to offer a better way of reading the New Testament&#8211;through the lens of second temple Judaism. Instead of reading later ideas into scripture, why not read it in light of the Hebrew bible and contemporary Jewish literature, like the Dead Sea scrolls. &nbsp; &nbsp; Notes and Links: Review Kegan Chandler&#8217;s The God of Jesus in Light of Christian Dogma: The Recovery of New Testament Theology on Amazon. Chandler&#8217;s websites include: thegodofjesus.com and burieddeepblog.wordpress.com R. P. C. Hanson wrote the definitive history of 4th century doctrinal development in his The Search for a Christian Doctrine of God. Richard Rubenstein wrote a much shorter, easier history of Trinity history in his When Jesus Became God. Intro music: &#8220;District Four&#8221; by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 9: Old Testament Transmission What reasons do we have for believing the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) was reliable transmitted from antiquity to today? This lecture provides four arguments: (1) Jewish scribes were competent, (2) people memorized large portions of the text, (3) the consequences for false prophecy, and (4) the Dead Sea Scrolls function as a time capsule. The Old Testament is excellently preserved, especially in comparison to other ancient texts. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Introduction Circular reasoning: Why do you believe that there is a God-&gt;the Bible says so-&gt;How do you know that the Bible is true?-&gt;God wrote it This is the fundamental question of Christianity: “Anyone who knows the content of the Bible knows that its reliability is the single most important question in the history of humanity.” (Can You Trust the Bible by Ralph Muncaster, p. 4) Remember 1Peter 3.15 Question:=&gt;Too many translations, how do you know which is right? The Bible was written in Greek, translated to Aramaic then to Latin then to German and then to English. Answer:=&gt;We have more than 5,000 manuscripts extant today and there are several million people who speak the original language. We do not depend on a translation. (Pass around the Hebrew and Greek Bibles) a. OT written in Hebrew b. NT written in Greek OT Manuscript Tradition manuscripts (hand written) Hebrew Aleppo Codex (a.d. 920) Leningrad Codex (a.d. 1009) Dead Sea Scrolls (250 b.c. to a.d. 70) early translations Aramaic Targum (5th c. a.d.) Samaritan Samaritan Pentateuch (11th c. a.d.) Syriac Peshitta (5th c. a.d.) Greek Septuagint (fragments from 2nd c. bc, complete from 4th c. a.d.) Theodotion, Aquilla, Symachus (before 3rd c.) (extant?) Coptic Crosby-Schoyen Codex (3/4th c. a.d.) Latin Codex Amiatinus (5th c. a.d.) critical editions Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia based mostly on Leningrad Codex but with variants from other sources as well last updated1997 Biblia Hebraica Quinta incorporates Dead Sea Scrolls 20 volumes partially published since 2004, to be completed in 2015 Oxford Hebrew Bible Project extensive critical edition underway at Berkeley, California Scribal Argument Only master scrolls were used for duplication Scribes were highly trained (noble profession) Held in training until age 30 Ceremonial washing before copying Scripture Any time the name of God was written a sanctification prayer was said. (6,824 times in the NASB) Memorization was a problem so they visually confirmed the letters one by one Each letter was counted and compared to master Each word was counted and compared to master The middle letter in each scroll was located and compared to the master If there is one mistake, the scroll was discarded Scrolls are buried ceremonial when they wear out Memorization argument Object Lesson: driving laws What do you do when school bus stops and you are driving towards it? What do you do at a stop sign? Yield sign? Green, yellow, &amp; red lights? What do you do at a four way stop? What is the cell phone law? Why do you have all of t

Kegan Chandler grew up as a bible-believing Christian in Texas.&nbsp; His grandfather, Pat E. Harrell, was a leader within Church of Christ who founded their Restoration Quarterly publication.&nbsp; As a result of his grandparents&#8217; and parents&#8217; passion for God, Chandler grew up in a family steeped in bible study and theological reflection.&nbsp; One day the Mormon&#8217;s came knocking and Chandler, the consummate apologist and champion of orthodoxy, licked his lips at the chance to set them straight.&nbsp; However, in the course of that conversation, one of the missionaries asked Chandler, &#8220;Well, who do you say that Jesus is?&#8221;&nbsp; Strangely enough, this one question caught him off guard.&nbsp; The young man wasn&#8217;t asking, &#8220;Who do your parents, your pastor, or your seminary say that Jesus is?&#8221; but &#8220;Who do you say that Jesus is?&#8221;&nbsp; The intensely personal nature of this question started Chandler on a quest to firm up his orthodox answer, which eventually led to a complete reconsideration of his beliefs about God, Jesus, and the spirit.&nbsp; Over the course of several years, he came to see the bible from a more Hebrew perspective.&nbsp; After intense bible study and a thorough investigation into church history, he discovered the God of Jesus.&nbsp; Here is his story. Notes and Links: The conference we met at was Restoration Fellowship&#8217;s Theological Conference.&nbsp; Next year the date for this weekend is May 18-21, 2017. For &#8220;the Protestant burden&#8221; see Jason David BeDuhn&#8217;s book, Truth in Translation. Chandler referenced my presentation, &#8220;Five Major Problems with the Trinity.&#8221; (This video now has over 33,000 views.) Chandler&#8217;s book, The God of Jesus, is now available on amazon. Chandler&#8217;s websites include The God of Jesus and Buried Deep For J. Dan Gill, visit the 21st Century Reformation website as well as his voluminous youtube channel. For Anthony Buzzard, visit the Restoration Fellowship site or watch his videos on youtube. Intro music: &#8220;District Four&#8221; by Kevin MacLeod.&nbsp; Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 8: More Evidence for the Resurrection Because secular historians don&#8217;t accept the inspiration of the bible, they don&#8217;t trust the Gospels as reliable witnesses about Jesus. Consequently, they&#8217;ve come up with various &#8220;criteria of authenticity&#8221; to sift the sayings and deeds recorded in the Gospels into historical and mythical categories. Last time we saw how Jesus&#8217; resurrection still passes with flying colors when employing such a skeptical approach. This time we&#8217;ll discuss another historical consideration under the able guidance of N. T. Wright. He enumerates seven mutations within Judaism that cry out for an explanation. In the end, history seems to have a hole in it about the size and shape of an actual resurrection. The most plausible explanation is that God really did intervene in the middle of history and perform a miracle. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Criteria secular historians use to determine authenticity: multiple attestation: the more independent witnesses the better dissimilarity: if something is dissimilar from Jewish historical context and later Christian tradition it is more likely to be historical embarrassment: if something would have been embarrassing it is more likely to be historical (i.e. disciples not getting what Jesus is saying, Peter cutting ear off, aramaisms: sayings that align with Aramaic: “straining out the gnat (galma) and swallowing a camel (gamla)” coherence to Jewish context coherence to early Christian tradition coherence with other authentic material anachronism Two indisputable facts about Jesus (according to Paula Fredriksen) Jesus died by crucifixion attested by Paul, Gospels, Tacitus, Josephus Romans were involved w/ his death None of Jesus’ followers were crucified with Jesus pulls in the opposite direction Jesus as apocalypticist (Ehrman, Fredriksen, Sanders, etc.) Fredriksen, &#8220;w/o apocalyptic framework a conviction of resurrection is incoherent&#8221; N.T. Wright has articulated seven mutations from the Jewish understanding of resurrection in the early Christian communities which cry out for an explanation. It turns out that the explanation of the missing event which would make sense of these mutations takes the exact shape of a grave-emptying bodily resurrection. His seven mutations are as follows: Though the early Christians came from a variety of backgrounds there was virtually no spectrum of belief about what resurrection meant to the early Christians. In Judaism there were quite a few different views, that of the Pharisees, that of the Sadducees, that of Philo, and so on. However, the Christians leave no room for speculation as to what resurrection means and what it looks like. Resurrection has moved from a peripheral idea to the central focus of the early Christian community. The word “resurrection” appears 43x in NT as opposed to none in the OT. In Judaism it is often rather vague regarding what sort of body the resurrected will possess but in Christianity there is unanimous agreement that the body will be a transformed physical body which will use up the matter of the old body though it will itself also possess new properties. The Christians saw The Resurrection as having been split into (at least) two stages—first Messiah is raised and then the rest at his return. The resurrection means that God’s future (the resurrection is always seen in the OT as an end times event) has arrived early in the person of Jesus. This means that now his followers are i

This election cycle American political discourse has sunk to a new low. Rather than presenting facts and offering persuasive arguments based on policies, we&#8217;ve seen a whole slew of false claims and personal attacks. The exchanges between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been so caustic and shameful that when I discovered my ten year-old was watching one of the presidential debates with his mom, I immediately ushered him out of the room, muttering that such language and behavior was inappropriate for him to see. (He had weaseled his way in to watch it on the excuse that he couldn&#8217;t sleep.) What does it say about the way politics works itself out on national TV that I felt horrified that my son was exposed to such bickering and animosity among those who are vying for the highest and noblest governmental office in the land? I could deal with all of this, but what I can&#8217;t handle is the fact that Christians don&#8217;t seem to carry themselves any differently than their worldly counterparts. Social media channels and email boxes overflow with vitriol and exaggeration as each side shouts ever louder, trying to drown out the sound of the other. In this episode of off script, we offer some suggestions on how to think and behave when engaging in political discourse as Christians. We begin by discussing an episode of Ira Glass&#8217; This American Life podcast episode &#8220;Seriously?&#8221; in which he addressed how misinformation and lies dominate political conversations. Listen to the first 20 minutes to hear the part we discuss. Also, we engaged with Justin Brierly&#8217;s Unbelievable? podcast episode &#8220;Should Christians vote for Trump?&#8221; where Republican John Zmirak and Democrat Christina Rees discuss what Christians should do. For Zmirak&#8217;s &#8220;dead moose&#8221; comment, skip to 18 minutes. Intro music: &#8220;Protofunk&#8221; by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 7: Evidence for the Resurrection During this lecture, I played a video of William Lane Craig making a case for the historicity of Jesus&#8217; resurrection from the dead. What&#8217;s so brilliant about Craig&#8217;s approach is that he doesn&#8217;t assume the bible is true to make his case. He treats the Gospels and Paul&#8217;s letters as normal historical sources and uses the standard historiography of skeptics and atheists to establish this ancient miracle. He employs the minimal facts strategy, arguing that (1) the honorable burial, (2) the empty tomb, (3) the appearances, and (4) the resurrection belief are agreed to by critical scholars. Thus, the hypothesis, &#8220;God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead,&#8221; is the best historical explanation of facts. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Four Historical Facts Agreed upon by Most Historical Jesus Scholars 1. Honorable Burial: Jesus was buried by Joseph Arimethea in a known grave attested by very old tradition in 1 Cor 15 uses technical rabbinic terminology for tradition formulaic Paul received this within 5 years of his crucifixion burial story is part of an old source used by Mark when he wrote most of Mark is like pearls on a string, but once we get to the passion narrative it is smooth and chronological….which suggests that the passion narrative was from an actual written source gospels don’t diverge until after the burial account as a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea is unlikely to be a Christian invention strong resentment toward Jewish leadership responsible for the execution of Jesus so it is highly improbable that Christians would invent that a member of the very court that condemned Christ would be the one to give him an honorable burial no competing burial story exists no controversy over the issue if it were false, we should expect to find some historical trace of what really happened 2. Empty Tomb: On Sunday after the crucifixion women found the empty tomb empty tomb is in pre-Markan passion source Mark’s source did not end with burial but with empty tomb old tradition in 1 Cor 15 implies an empty tomb “that he was buried and that he was raised” clearly implies an empty grave was left behind apostolic preaching in the book of Acts Mark’s story is simple and lacks signs of legendary embellishment compare to Gospel of Peter (from 2nd half of 2nd century)…tomb is surrounded by Roman guard and by chief priests, Pharisees, and a huge crowd….suddenly during the night a voice rings out….three gigantic figures come out of the tomb with heads reaching to the sun….the cross comes out of the tomb and speaks women’s testimony was less trustworthy than men counts in favor of the women’s role in the discovery of the empty tomb Josephus says, “due to the levity and temerity of their sex, women should not be allowed to serve as legal witnesses in a court of law” any later legendary account would have made male disciples like Peter and John to be the first to discover the empty tomb earliest Jewish allegation that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body presupposes that the body was in fact missing from the tomb 3. Appearances: on multiple occasions and under a variety of circumstances, individuals and groups of people experienced appearances of Jesus after his death list of eyewitnesses quoted by Paul in 1 Cor 15 Paul actually knew these people

Halloween comes from the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain when the Celts believed the boundary between our world and the spirit world grew thin, allowing spirits, fairies, and disembodied souls to enter our realm. Consequently, they employed several strategies to appease and misdirect these nefarious ghosts from messing with them. However, in our secular age, most Americans who participate in Halloween neither believe in this ancient mythology nor are they even aware of it when they dress their children in costumes and ring doorbells for free candy. What&#8217;s a Christian to do? On one end, the purists refuse to participate and put signs on their doors alerting trick-or-treaters not to disturb them, and on the other, Christians decorate their lawns with grizzly scenes from horror movies and encourage their children to dress up as ghosts and monsters. Listen to this episode of Off-Script as we discuss this seasonal issue.

Apologetics 6: Historical Jesus Have you ever heard of the Jesus mythicists? They teach that Jesus never existed, that he&#8217;s a myth. How would you go about debunking this claim? Are you aware of what historical sources mention Jesus and early Christianity? In this lecture you&#8217;ll learn what&#8217;s out there from biblical authors, historians, and hostile witnesses. The cumulative case for the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth is nothing short of staggering. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: New Testament is not one witness. It was not originally published as a single volume. Pre-Pauline Quotations 1 Corinthians 15.3-4 Philippians 2.6-10 Paul (wrote between a.d. 51 and 62) earliest written documents that mention Jesus written 20 – 30 years after death of Jesus born of a woman (Gal 4.4; Rom 1.3) had disciples (1 Cor 15.5) had brothers (1 Cor 9.5; Gal 1.19) Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11.23-25) crucified (1 Cor 2.2; 11.23; Gal 3.1) put to death by Jews (1 Thes 2.15) buried (1 Cor 15.4; Rom 6.4) raised from the dead (1 Cor 15.21) ascended into heaven (Eph 1.20-23) James (a.d. &lt;62) slave of Jesus (1.1) Jesus is Lord Messiah (1.1) he is coming back (5.7) coming is near (5.8) Peter (a.d. &lt;62) Christ suffered, sinless, bore our sins, did not revile (1 Peter 2.21-24) eyewitness of his majesty (transfiguration) (2 Peter 1.16-17) he is coming back (2 Peter 3.2-4) Jude (?) slave of Jesus several mentions of him, but not historical, mostly future Mark (a.d &lt; 62) got his gospel from Peter miracles some sayings passion narrative resurrection stated Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15.21)…as if his audience knew Alexander and Rufus Matthew (after Mark) eye-witness birth narrative extensive teachings miracles passion narrative resurrection appearances Luke (after Mark) investigator, second hand birth narrative extensive teachings miracles lots of dinners passion narrative resurrection appearances ascension continuity with the church (Acts) Hebrews (after 62 before 70) mostly theological concerned with making the point that Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, Aaron, etc. because he is priest after Melchizedek, better covenant, better promises, etc. Christ died (9.26; 10.12; 12.2) tempted yet sinless (4.15) made like his brethren in all things (2.17) John (&lt;a.d. 100) eye-witness pre-ministry miracle (wedding at Cana) miracles as signs attending festivals self-revelatory (“I am… statements) resurrection appreances Flavius Josephus (a.d. 93) first non-Christian to write about Jesus Passage 1 (about James) “but this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees, {a} who are very rigid in judging offenders, above all the rest of the Jews, as we have already observed; when, therefore, Ananus was of this disposition, he thought he had now a proper o

Horror movies inspire fear, causing our hearts to beat faster and our adrenaline to flow. Their monsters, murder, and jump scares have won them a dedicated following. In this episode, we discuss whether Christians have any business watching horror movies. We talk about where to draw the line and what exactly is problematic about this genre. Furthermore, we talk about haunted houses and the idea of using such fear tactics to win people to the Lord. Whether you love horror or hate it, this episode should help you to think through this issue from a biblical perspective.

Apologetics 5: Arguments for God (Part Two) In this lecture, you&#8217;ll learn four more reasons for God&#8217;s existence, including the cosmological argument, moral argument, miracles argument, and the ontological argument. These are each quite different from each other, which is great because it increases their cumulative effect. Last of all, you&#8217;ll learn about &#8220;Pascal&#8217;s Wager,&#8221; which is really just an appeal to self-interest, so you can share your faith effectively with skeptics. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: First Cause (Cosmological Argument) Here are all the possibilities for thinking about the beginning of the universe: Three step argument Everything that has a beginning has a cause of its beginning The universe has a beginning 2nd law of thermo (Meister, p. 93-94) big bang theory(Meister, p. 96) cannot cross an actual infinite series of events (Mesiter, p. 99) The universe has a cause of its beginning The universe did not cause itself because it did not exist before its beginning The cause of the universe must be external to it (i.e. super-natural) This cause must be sufficiently powerful to bring the universe into existence There are only two kinds of causes: personal or impersonal processes If a process caused the universe to come into existence then how does one explain the fact that the universe did not always exist? Can an impersonal process one day begin to do something? Thus the cause must have been personal (i.e. a being or beings with a will(s)) Two drawbacks to this argument it does not rule out multiple gods it does not rule out the possibility of an infinite succession of gods Who made God? God was always there. Since he does not have a beginning he does not need a cause. then the universe could have always been here and we don’t need to posit the existence of a god to explain it theoretically this is correct except for one thing: all scientists now agree that the universe did not always exist (2nd law of thermodynamics) &nbsp; Argument from Morality Some actions are morally wrong (like torturing children for the fun of it) These actions are moral absolutes If there are moral absolutes there must be some moral law by which they can be determined If there is a moral law then there must be a moral law giver or else it must be produced by natural processes Assuming naturalism one social “law” becomes apparent: might makes right (also called survival of the fittest) If this is the true law by which morals are to be determined then it is moral to do anything one wants so long as he or she is strong enough to accomplish it This legalizes rape, murder, genocide, and torturing children for the fun of it But we have already said that torturing children for the fun of it is absolutely morally wrong Thus, morals are not determined by nature and there exists (or existed) a moral law giver who is itself the locus of true morality this doesn’t mean athiests are not moral people, they may be, they just don’t have a grounding or foundation for being moral &nbsp; God Experiences miracles defined as an event that could not happen based on the laws of nature there are many claims to miracles throughout time and also in our own day </

In my previous interview with Professor Dale Tuggy, we discussed his journey of faith.&nbsp; In this conversation I ask him to discuss logical and biblical problems with the Trinity.&nbsp; This is a higher level conversation, but well worth the listen if you are at all curious about the Trinity or are interesting in hearing how analytic philosophers approach complex doctrines. For more about Professor Tuggy and his work, including his amazing podcast, visit trinities.org. &nbsp;

Apologetics 4: Teleological Arguments for God&#8217;s Existence If someone asked you, &#8220;Why do you believe in God?&#8221; How would you answer? Sadly, most of us would flounder around, maybe talking about the bible or second-hand miracles. However, philosophers have long identified three classic approaches to reasoning about God&#8217;s existence: the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments. In this lecture, you&#8217;ll learn several versions of the teleological argument&#8211;evidence for intelligent design&#8211;so that you can reason from the complexity of creation to the existence of the creator. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: introduce three main arguments cosmological: cause and effect teleological: order and design ontological: reason alone general approach for teleological arguments: the universe exhibits a certain level of order and design a design requires a designer a designer of the universe exists what proof is there that a painter exists? a painting what does a building prove? a builder exists what about a tree? it is more complex than a painting or building, doesn’t this prove a tree-maker exists relating to design or purpose especially in nature (m-w.com) it is based on order and design Romans 1.18-20 and Psalm 19.1-4 Advantages to the teleological argument It is very easy to prove because it is in experience The argument uses well established scientific facts to prove the existence of God True science will always lead to God. In the end science it the study of the creation and thus an indirect study of the Creator. “The conflicts between ‘science’ and ‘religion’ occur in historical science, not in operational science.” (Answer’s Book, p. 21) classic formulation: William Paley’s Watchmaker Argument Suppose you were walking along the beach and saw a watch on the ground… How many parts are in the watch? biological complexity, cosmic complexity, the just right conditions for earth (distance from sun, etc.) Cell Complexity (Biological Teleological Argument) Consider a human cell blood-clotting mechanism, the bacterial flagellum, photosynthetic apparatus, pupal transformation from caterpillars to butterflies, complexity of human brain, “The most reasonable inference from such observations is that outside intelligence was responsible for a vast original store of biological information in the form of created populations of fully functioning organisms. Such intelligence vastly surpasses human intelligence…” (Answer&#8217;s Book, p. 29) Information in DNA (Origin of Code Approach) it is an encoding/decoding system the sequence represents something other than itself (i.e. the genes contain the information about what an organism will be) It has an alphabet and a syntax (the combinations of letters mean something) A DNA sequence can be copied and stored on other media without a loss of information (only language has this property) In fact even committed atheists will refer to it as the DNA code (code is a language; think of Morse code or computer code) The DNA code contains information which is neither matter nor energy (though it is stored/transmitted/encoded/decoded by matter and energy) Language comes from a mind (there are no languages that do not come from a mind) this argument hinges on this assertion <

In this interview with philosopher Dr. Dale Tuggy, I ask him questions about his personal spiritual journey.&nbsp; Dr. Tuggy is an analytic philosopher who works on world religions and the doctrine of the Trinity.&nbsp; He&#8217;s a tenured professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Fredonia.&nbsp; Furthermore, he runs a popular website called trinities.org where he blogs and hosts a podcast of the same name.&nbsp; Dr. Tuggy also wrote the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on the Trinity, an excellent read, including a very informative supplemental reading called &#8220;unitarianism.&#8221;&nbsp; In what follows I interview Dr. Tuggy about his own journey of faith, including how he became a Christian, what got him into philosophy, how he came to doubt the traditional doctrine of the trinity, and where he sees the future of the biblical unitarian movement going. To get in touch with Professor Tuggy, visit Trinities.org or his personal bio page.&nbsp; Also, you can subscribe to his podcast on iTunes or Google Play and follow him Youtube.

Apologetics 3: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism In Building Belief, Chad Meister uses a worldview comparison chart to simplify all the religions of the world into three broad categories: theism, atheism, and pantheism. This strategy will help you to compare and contrast five major aspects of these three worldviews, including theology, ontology, epistemology, axiology, and anthropology. Next, you can evaluate each of the three main possibilities on the basis of logic and livability. This way of looking at world religions can especially help you in talking to others about the faith. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Here now is lecture three: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism. Notes: worldview: “a collection of beliefs and ideas about the central issues of life…the lens through which we ‘see’ all of reality” (Meister, 39)[1] theology: is there a God, if so what is God like? ontology: what is ultimate reality? epistemology: how do we acquire knowledge? axiology: what is the basis for morality? anthropology: who are we as human beings (Mesiter, p. 40) origin, meaning, morals, destiny the worldview approach is so helpful because there are thousands of religions and no one would have the time to study and evaluate them all since they can be categorized into three main worldviews, we can immediately eliminate huge numbers of them if we can disprove or prove one of these to be correct According to Meister, there are three worldviews: atheism, theism, and pantheism common objection1: how do you know that Christianity is right and all the other thousands of religions are wrong? how can you be so arrogant? common objection2: all religions are just the same anyhow like the blind man and the elephant &nbsp; paradigm atheism pantheism theism God/gods/divinity (theology) no supernatural arguments for God God is everything; everything is God if God has a mind then he can&#8217;t be a rock; if he doesn&#8217;t have a mind then he is not a person one or more gods exist apart from nature problem of evil; no empirical test for supernatural beings reality (ontology) naturalism (big bang + evolution) big bang needs cause, origin of 1st life, Cambrian explosion no distinction between creator and creation why can&#8217;t I read minds if there is only one mind? physical and spiritual realities both exist; spiritual first then physical God of the gaps knowledge (epistemology) scientific method can&#8217;t prove logic, can&#8217;t understand love or altruism can&#8217;t trust senses; learn through meditation; look with in then I don&#8217;t need to listen to you teach me how to think about pantheism (only ideas I conceive of are true) knowledge gained through senses (scientific method) and revelation (divine insight) what about wackos who say God told them to kill their children? morality (axiology/ethics) socially constructed, determined by evolution if no absolute source for morals, then why follow them? selfishness leads to dysfunction evil is an illusion; eliminate attachments can&#8217;t detach from loving my children God sets absolute standard for right and wrong Euthyphro dilemma humanity (anthropology) physical only, electro-mechanical machines difficult to explain consciousness spiritual only, physical is a deception but I know I have a physical body! both physical and spiritual brain damage affects personality atheism description: theology: no God or supernatural ontology: naturalism (big bang + evolution) nothing outside of nature exists epistemology: scientific method, empiricism <l

What standards should Christians have when it comes to entertainment? Can the bible offer any guidance for such a modern issue? Every day shows, movies, books, and songs bombard us with all kinds of ideas and depictions that constantly nudge us in different directions. Although, we like to think of ourselves as impervious to the subtle effects of violent movies, sex scenes, foul language, and so on, the truth is we are more like sponges than stones. This is an important topic worthy of your consideration.

Apologetics 2: What Is Truth? In order to establish any of the claims of Christianity, we must first make a case for truth itself. How can you hope to provide reasons for God&#8217;s existence or Christ&#8217;s resurrection if the person your talking to claims, &#8220;That&#8217;s just your truth, and I&#8217;m glad it works for you, but it&#8217;s not true for me?&#8221; Learn how to use the law of non-contradiction to help explain what an objective truth claim is. Although many prefer the mushy relativism of our age, in the end, as Christians, we are stuck with Chris who claimed to be &#8220;the way, the truth, and the life,&#8221; and that &#8220;no one comes to the father but through me&#8221; (John 14.6). If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: pluralism/multi-culturalism definition: a theory that there are more than one or more than two kinds of ultimate reality a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups maintain and develop their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilization when Christians and non-believers are the only two options, life is simple throwing in Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Diana Eck’s four points on pluralism[1] First, pluralism is not diversity alone, but the energetic engagement with diversity. Diversity can and has meant the creation of religious ghettoes with little traffic between or among them. Today, religious diversity is a given, but pluralism is not a given; it is an achievement. Mere diversity without real encounter and relationship will yield increasing tensions in our societies. Second, pluralism is not just tolerance, but the active seeking of understanding across lines of difference. Tolerance is a necessary public virtue, but it does not require Christians and Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and ardent secularists to know anything about one another. Tolerance is too thin a foundation for a world of religious difference and proximity. It does nothing to remove our ignorance of one another, and leaves in place the stereotype, the half-truth, the fears that underlie old patterns of division and violence. In the world in which we live today, our ignorance of one another will be increasingly costly. Third, pluralism is not relativism, but the encounter of commitments. The new paradigm of pluralism does not require us to leave our identities and our commitments behind, for pluralism is the encounter of commitments. It means holding our deepest differences, even our religious differences, not in isolation, but in relationship to one another. Fourth, pluralism is based on dialogue. The language of pluralism is that of dialogue and encounter, give and take, criticism and self-criticism. Dialogue means both speaking and listening, and that process reveals both common understandings and real differences. Dialogue does not mean everyone at the “table” will agree with one another. Pluralism involves the commitment to being at the table &#8212; with one’s commitments. challenges of pluralism compete for adherents, financial contributions, legitimacy, political influence intermarriage (raising children), national identity, public education (Halloween for Christians), workplace (prayer time for Muslims, Sabbath for Jews) specific challenge to Christianity is Jesus really the only way? are all non-Christians going to hell? (more than 2/3 of the world) isn’t it intolerant and bigoted to say we have the only right way to God? cultures have their own moral standar