Theological Treatises

  The Weirdness of Religion/How To View People Religion is one of those  strange  things, with which we are all "stuck."  There is no way  around  it; and there is no  escape  from it.  It represents the very  best  in humans created in the image of God; and it also expresses the very  worst  in humans created in the image of God.   This little paper is designed to try to help us understand how we should view people--all of whom are, in fact, "religious."  At the same time, I intend to write about those who are "seriously" religious; and about those who are not.   Ironically, when it comes to religion, we want our unbelieving friends and neighbors, co-workers and fellow-students, et. al., to  *not*  be "serious" about their professed religious faith.  For instance, to use three examples, employing the three great "faiths": Christianity, Judaism, and Islam--we desire our reg...

  Women In Worship The church's Christian women are to be treated with the  highest  levels of respect, dignity, honor, and deference.  They are to be given the  loftiest  places in the church; and they are to be regarded, in one sense, as being "above" men.  Adam was made of the dust; Eve was formed from Adam's rib.   And though it is true, that God constituted men in such a way that  they  are to lovingly  shepherd  His church--this "difference" does not make men better, or higher, or more important than women, (the women that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, in particular).   The fact that uniquely-called and -qualified men are to do the preaching of the gospel in the church's convocated Sunday (Sabbath) Worship Services, does not make them superior to women.  The same may be said of the administration of the sacraments of the church; and the leading in her (the church's) prayers and confessions of f...

  The Third Temple Sometimes I catch wind of people talking about "the third temple."  Though I have no interest in investigating their imaginings about this, I assume they are dreaming of a third physical "temple" in the earthly city of Jerusalem.  My own inclination is to ascribe this notion to either dispensationalism and/or some kind of conservative Jewish movement.   But, in fact, there  really  was, (better-said,  is ), a "third temple"; and my design in this paper is to briefly expose it.  The "third temple" actually began to exist at the very moment of the Holy Spirit's causing of Jesus Christ to be conceived in Mary's womb.  The "third temple" was inaugurated at the Messiah's incarnation, the moment of the hypostatic union of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity to a human body.   But there is  more  to this "temple."  It grows and grows until it reaches its last stone being laid on anoth...

  Living Above The Fray/Below The Radar It seems to me, that the  ideal  place for a Christian to be in culture, is *outside*  of  (or "above") the chaotic rancor of society's seemingly-interminable "web" of argumentation and division; and also *outside*  of  (or "below") the "detection devices" of social media (and other) "look-outs."   This  place and perspective is especially sweet for the church's Christ-called shepherds, who do not need to be wastefully entangled in the world's snares.   It is always intriguing to me how our blessed Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and all of His original disciples (especially Paul)  escaped  these traps.  Obviously, a big part of this was simply the grace of God; but it is also the case that this grace worked through God's servants in such a way, that they did  not *seek* out  unnecessary attention and acclaim.   Because of this, the Lord Jesus, Paul, and the other...

  Loving God As The Ultimate Good Recently, in reading Augustine's  City of God , I was struck by his (Augustine's) teaching, that God is to be loved with  no reference to anything else .  In other words, God is to be loved for  who He is  without any appeal to anything else.  Of course, the great church father affirms and insists on the fact that this knowledge and love of the true God is only possible through the mediation of His beloved Son (The Word) of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.   When we love anything  else  in the universe--even properly and lawfully--we, in a sense love that thing/being/person/angel with reference to something  else,  even higher than the thing/being/person/angel.  We can love a rock, knowing that it could be a jewel; we can love a jewel, knowing that it could be a gift; we could love a gift, because it blesses a receiver; we can love a receiver (human person), because we want their...

  How Real Christians Love People  On the Other Side of the Political Spectrum This issue (above) is a very active one today; and it seems clear to me that a lot of God's people are at their wits' end trying to figure out how they can love people who are so diametrically-opposite them with regard to politics (in particular).  Hopefully, what I have to share will be some help to you. . . .   First of all, it is important to note, that we do not have the option of  not  loving people.  Politics is certainly  no  excuse for this.  Second of all, learning to love someone you are not naturally inclined to (even) like, is really exciting, and liberating .  But certain principles should first be discussed. . . .   Foremost among these is the nature of real (not fake) love.  If we love someone, we desire their very  best  (ultimately in Jesus, of course).  So, loving people on the opp...