Theology 301: Reading the “falling away” passage in light of early Christian Two Ways instruction sheds light on a controversial text: www.retrochristianity.org/2007/03/26/b...

Theology 101: “Why would I read that book criticizing my beliefs? I’ve already found the truth.” A pretty good sign that you’re trapped in a cult-like religion. This was first said to me as I engaged a Jehovah’s Witness back in the 90s…and countless times since.

Theology 101: “I’ve never been happier” is among the worst apologetics for sin and apostasy.

Theology 101: Those who constantly accuse others of biblical ignorance are often blind to their own unbiblical arrogance.

I think the best leaders are those who stay close to people who can remind them that they’re not the best leaders.

Meet the voice behind The AItheist 1–3: Brian T. Schultz. NOT a synthetic, lifeless A.I. voice, but a talented voice actor who brings real heart to the characters and emotion to the story. If you listen to audiobooks, check out The AItheist Cycle!

Theology 101: Some say God is a product of human imagination. Actually, it's the other way around.

Theology 101: If your church’s elders are just a backroom board of directors and aren’t actively shepherding the flock, they’re failing at the main task assigned to them in Scripture. And if they aren’t qualified to shepherd the flock, they aren’t elders, they’re posers.

Theology 101: Both hasty converts and hasty apostates exchange one naivety for another.

When you’ve been told that your church’s doctrines and practices go all the way back to the earliest church fathers, then you actually read Didache, Barnabas, Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin, Irenaeus, Theophilus, Athenagoras, et al in their entirety and not just excerpts:

Theology 101: "Pastors, submit to the flock, under which you have been hired as an employee until they tire of you and hire someone else,” says no Bible verse.

Theology 101: The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the people of Israel—have been, are, and will continue to be a part of the Messiah’s plan for the redemption, restoration, and blessing of all nations and the world. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.

Theology 101: The authentic Christian life is more like wagon-training on the Oregon Trail than resort-hopping at Disney World.

Theology 101: In a trinitarian view of God, divine love is never self-centered but eternally other-centered.

Theology 101: The answer to bad teaching is not no teaching but good teaching.

Theology 101: “If you will not acknowledge any Church but that which is without blemish, then you will not acknowledge any.” (Bullinger)

Theology 101: Temptation is like fire. Feed it with sin, and its power will grow. Starve it with resistance, and its power will wane.

Theology 101: Our baptismal confession isn’t just a thing of the past, but something we’re to live out and live up to every day of our lives.

Theology 101: John Chrysostom: “The Church is not a theatre, that we should listen for amusement.” AmeriChurch, Inc.: “Can it, Johnny!”

Theology 101: You know your emerging post-Christian culture is getting you down when you yearn for the good old days of "Touched by an Angel."

Theology 101: There are few things more destructive than a preacher with his finger in the Bible saying “Thus says the Lord” while spouting his own opinions with the confidence of a prophet.

Theology 101: Too many people today confuse the true God who “IS love”—the Father, Son, and Spirit—and the false god “OF love”—Eros. The God who IS love forgives you and empowers you to escape your deadly sin; the god OF love encourages you to dive in and die in your life of sin.

“Idiocracy” was not comedy; it was prophecy.

Theology 101: If you can’t find the answers to life’s big questions in the Bible, you’re asking the wrong ones.

Theology 101: Belligerent party politics and culture-war tribalism are the last refuges of a people who have lost hope in the power of the gospel preached and lived to transform lives, families, communities, cultures, and the world.

Theology 101: The unbelieving world laughs at the laudable and lauds the laughable.

Theology 101: The unbelieving world laughs at the laudable and lauds the laughable.

Theology 101: For people who point out that Jesus was never married, I want to point out that he’s had the most high-maintenance bride in human history for almost 2000 years.

Theology 101: If a second-century Christian found himself in the twenty-first century, he would find no denomination or local church that looks exactly like his. And that’s okay.

Theology 101: My first year of seminary, I was a “Bible College Brat.” Trust me, we’re the worst. I’m not proud of things I said. Even less proud of things I thought. The worst fools are the fools who think they’re wise.

The Supergirl movie looks dumb.

The reasonable make friends with their detractors; the radical pick fights even with their friends.

How about a helmet/mask with one of these electric bug zappers attached to the front as I walk or ride my bike to “filter” (read: “execute”) flies, gnats, and other bugs that swarm in my path.

Me, as the internet is suddenly assaulting me from every direction with super whiny complaints that Elon Musk is a trillionaire and trying to make me uber-mad about it:

Theology 301: If you “read” this book but didn’t read the online excurses when prompted, you read 1/3 of this book.

Theology 101: I’m just as suspicious of people who never change their theological positions as I am of people who are always changing their theological positions.

Me, when someone posts that Dune isn’t the best sci-fi literature or Lord of the Rings isn’t the best fantasy or Empire Strikes Back isn’t the best Star Wars or Christopher Reeve isn’t the best Superman:

“I have accepted your ‘friend request,’ but I do not grant you the rank of friend.”

Theology 101: The doctrine of the inspiration and authority of Scripture is less and less relevant when we fail to let Scripture say what it says and instead make it say what we want it to say. We must stand under the Scriptures, not over them.

Theology 101: Doctrinal or practical error isn't sanctified by being filtered through 1000 years of ecclesiastical tradition.

Theology 101: We can't define the local church as "the body of believers," but then say "The church should do this or that..." meaning the paid staff.

Theology 101: Flexing your wealth is carnal.

Theology 101: In the narrative of the Christian faith, humanity is the exclamation point at the climax of God's purposefully ordered creation. In the narrative of naturalistic evolution, humanity is a tiny comma in nature's purposeless rambling fillibuster.

Theology 101: EITHER the ancient Nicene faith is true Christianity OR the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true Christianity (or neither is true Christianity). But IN NO CASE can they both be true expressions of the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Theology 101: Humans are the only creatures who say, "You know, I think we can do better than this."

Theology 101: Humanity too often forgets that the God of the rainbow is also the God of the flood.

Theology 101: I want to believe and behave in such a way that I would neither disappoint the saints of the past nor embarrass the saints of the future.