Arminius on the Sanctification of the Believer
While Arminius is often known for his disagreements with Calvinism’s five points, many other aspects of his theology are often neglected. One such issue is the doctrine of sanctification. Both Arminians and Calvinist ignore his teachings as if he never spoke of it at all. Yet this issue defines much of so-called Arminianism today. So what does Arminius teach about sanctification? To answer this question, let us first examine what...
Living in Light of the Kingdom: Reframing Our Eschatology
Among the many doctrines in Scripture, eschatology plays a vital role for the believer’s perseverance. Knowing what life holds for tomorrow helps us to live faithfully today. It provides hope for the hopeless, justice for the oppressed, and joy for the sorrowful. Without any knowledge of the “last days,” the Church’s trials and troubles would be unbearable and would make her task seemingly impossible to accomplish. And though this...
Theology or Scripture: Why Must We Choose?
“All I need is the Bible. Theology hinders interpretation.” This is unfortunately the mindset of many who approach the interpretation of Scripture. In modern scholarship, entirely too much focus has been given to a historical-critical reading of Scripture in the academy [1], effectively divorcing theology from Scripture. Of a similar mindset, pastors and laymen have taken a somewhat different approach. They have prevented the Church...
Rethinking Christian Liberty: How Much Freedom Do We Really Have?
Nowadays, it seems as if Christians are free to do as they please. One need only read the Barna Group’s various studies to understand that many professing Christians are living contrary to what their faith protests. Secular media has also taken notice of these trends. Recently, CNN made note of a study done by Relevant magazine, which stated that single Christians are almost just as sexually active as single non-Christians [1]. Even...
The Covenant Framework of Scripture: A Hermeneutical Lens for Understanding the Bible
At the core of Scripture’s teaching is the covenant relationship that exists between Yahweh and His most prized creation—humanity. An interesting subject theologically, it is also a very practical area of inquiry as well. First, it provides a framework to answer several crucial questions: “Why does the Bible teach that mankind is condemned before God? How does God plan to restore His broken relationship with humanity? What role does...
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