In recent decades, many Christian leaders and scholars have insisted that the questions of how and when God created the world should not be considered as a test of orthodoxy. They have argued that the “how” and “when” of creation are matters of secondary or even tertiary importance over which Christians should agree to disagree. … Read more
The task of this paper is to focus on one towering figure in Baptist theology, John Gill (1697-1771), to determine whether and to what extent his ecclesiology is in line with the four marks of the church found in the Nicene creed (one, holy, catholic, and apostolic). Therefore, this paper will examine the writings of … Read more
In his celebrated treatise On the Incarnation, Athanasius defends the divinity of Christ in a manner that has shaped Christian theology for centuries. This paper highlights his climactic apologetic for the divinity of Christ, namely, the transformed lives of those who believe in him. In his first volume Against the Gentiles, Athanasius exposes the folly … Read more
The Creeds of Nicaea and Constantinople were not novelties that characterized innovations in theology or ecclesiology in order to combat the novel threats of Arianism and Eutychianism but were rooted in longer traditions that predated even Irenaeus’ and his own battles with the Marcionites and other gnostic teachers. As for back as the Didache, we … Read more
This paper investigates select contributions of Trinitarian Hermeneutics and Nicene Docmatics presented in On Classical Trinitarianism (Matthew Barrett, ed.) as they interpret texts in John 14-16. In that volume, seventeen authors analyze various biblical texts to identify the necessity of approaching Scripture via the lens of Classical Trinitarianism. For these authors, Nicea defined Trinitarianism, offering … Read more
The Nicene Creed is undeniably one of the greatest theological statements in Christian history. But the strongest orthodox statement also needs to be fortified with teaching in orthopraxy. John Wesley famously suggested that “orthodoxy is but a slender part of religion, if it could be counted a part at all.” Statements like the Nicene Creed … Read more
This paper attempts to hold together three strands of literature that have each grown in recent years, yet frequently grown apart: (1) classical, dogmatic Christology [e.g., Pawl, Cross, Duby, Wellum, McFarland], (2) biblical theological accounts of worship and glory [e.g., Lamport, Block, Beale, Peterson, Kaiser, etc.], and (3) philosophical accounts of humanity’s “chief end” [e.g., … Read more
The relationship between confession, ecclesiology, and authority in protestant literature has been variously appraised. Dorner considers confession as a product of the certain character of Christian faith; Bavinck considers confession as arising genetically from Scripture; and Webster posits that confession is act of the eccentricity holiness of the church. Norwegian Lutheran dogmatician Gisle Johnson (1822-1894), … Read more
Over the past forty years, a growing body of literature has emerged to provide theological and practical guidance for evangelical worship. In response to A.W. Tozer’s famous complaint that worship is evangelicalism’s “missing jewel,” evangelical theologians have sought to define and offer a more theologically robust foundation for the practice of worship. This paper surveys … Read more
Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matt. 26:42, NIV) suggests that redemption could only come through the crucifixion. However, in the Summa Theologiae (ST III.46.2), Thomas Aquinas argues that redemption was … Read more