I submitted the manuscript for my next book to the publisher—three months early. This one’s a popular-level book. I love the academy, but I love the church more. This one’s for her.

Theology 101: For some people out there, it seems their theology is a costume with props and memorized quips. It’s classic Clichéanity. Looking like, acting like, and displaying the hobbies and habits of your movement’s leaders and heroes isn’t “imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

Theology 101: One day, it will be as clear as eternal day which areas of my firmly held theology on secondary issues are completely wrong. My goal is to live in light of that day.

Theology 101: In the kingdoms of this world, people seek earthly power to exercise authority and make servants of others. In the Kingdom of Heaven, God grants people divine power to divest themselves of authority and become servants of others.

Theology 101: It’s not gnostic to distinguish spiritual from physical baptism any more than it is to distinguish humanity and deity in Christ. To conflate the two is to fall into a monophysitic view of baptism. Incarnational theology distinguishes without separating, unites without conflating.

Theology 101: In traditions that have dogmatized later doctrinal developments, the very mechanism that dogmatizes the developments is itself a dogmatic development which must resort to self-validation in its own dogmatization.

Theology 101: It seems to me that God delights in demolishing the idol of ministry methodology. I’m convinced “methodolatry” is one of the reasons why what always seemed to work before doesn’t seem to work today. The Spirit always uses means, but he will not be bound to a method.

ARIANISM: TRUTH OR HERESY? -- a Bill's Bible Basics series #Arianism #Arius #Arians #Truth #Heresy #Trinitarians #Trinitarianism #HolyTrinity This Bill’s Bible Basics 4-part series can be read at: https://www.billkochman.com/Articles/Arianism-Truth-or-Heresy-1.html

Another fun fact is that I studied Catholic theology for a year. Until my professor of Christology took me aside and said, ‘This course of study is not for you. You ask too many questions. This is about faith.’ Instead, I studied sociology and became a w🐎. 🤝

Theology 101: What the few apostles taught at the start—not what countless churchmen began to teach later—is the sole standard of apostolicity.

Theology 101: More Christians (including me) must embrace the virtue of just saying “I don’t know” and humbly admitting that we’re all seeing through a glass dimly.

Theology 101: “We live in a world, in the real world…that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power….These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.” This kind of thinking doesn’t end well in God’s economy (Dan 11:38-39; Rev 13:4).

Theology 301: THE RAPTURE REJECTED: Is the catching up of the resurrected and transformed saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 an actual event or a metaphor? youtu.be/H52MIVbTScI?...

Theology 101: There are two kinds of Christians in need of reformation: those who fail to live up to the truth they proclaim and those whose proclamation fails to measure up to the truth. Neither group is beyond repentance and reform.

When someone says, “No offense, but…” prepare to be offended. When someone says, “With all due respect…” prepare to be disrespected. When someone says, “Not to be rude, but…” prepare to be belittled.

Theology 101: Temptation is like fire. Fuel it with indulgence, and your passions will rage into a consuming flame. But starve it through resistance, and you’ll snuff out its power over you.

(1/44) The Duality of Dominion by Sunsing A Theological and Sociological Analysis of Guilt Constructs, Suppressed Gnosticism, and the Awakening of Christ Consciousness

Theology 101: It is not spiritually mature to leave a church over minor doctrinal variations. It is not spiritually mature to remain at a church with major doctrinal deviations. Discerning the difference requires spiritual maturity.

Theology 101: By grace, God justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies us sinners. In disgrace, we sinners justify, sanction, and glorify our sin.

After ischemic stroke, recurrence risk is reduced by identifying the stroke mechanism and targeting modifiable risk factors. Early diagnostic evaluation, prompt preventive therapy, and ongoing monitoring are central to care. Learn more: nej.md/3OFpJ2C #MedSky #NeuroSky

Theology 301: This week’s featured title: Essentials of Christian Theology. Don’t forget the free PDF companion Field Guide available here: fathersonthefuture.com/__static/jdj...

I’m not all that troubled by people who feel forced to choose the better of two bad options. That’s life in the real world. What troubles me is when people then incessantly justify, passionately defend, and exuberantly praise that bad option they say they were forced to choose.

Theology 101: In case we forgot, God is not a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent; he doesn’t obsessively watch FOX, CNN, or NPR to inform his perspective; he cares deeply about truth, not about our opinions; and he is a just avenger of those of us who act wickedly.

A BIRTHDAY WISH... Dear followers: my birthday is on Jan 30. Would you consider donating to a Dallas unsheltered and homeless ministry, OurCalling, to help meet their needs, especially during this time of freezing weather? Please "like" and "repost." Blessings! ourcalling.harnessgiving.org/donate/

Theology 101: To forsake the deep historic roots of Christian biblical interpretation, devotion, theology, and ministry is to weaken the branches of the modern church.

Theology 101: Bullying and belligerence have no place in the body of Christ. Leaders too often mask these behind the proud labels of boldness and bluntness. They are not the same.

Theology 101: When my son was a toddler, I gripped his hand and kept pulling him away from the edge of the Grand Canyon and back onto the path because I love him. Similarly, calling people from destructive sin to the path of righteousness should not be motivated by hate but love.

Theology 101: False prophecy isn’t a “faux pas,” or a “my bad,” or a “whoops,” or an “oh well,” or a “gimme another chance.” False prophecy is a presumptuous sin against God and against the church. False prophecy is spiritual fraud. It should end one’s ministry immediately.

Theology 101: The pulpit is for preaching and praying, not for posturing, politicking, pandering, or propagandizing.

Theology 101: Expecting Christians to follow Christ’s teachings is not being legalistic. Expecting Christians to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit is not being progressive. Expecting Christians to live by classic Christian morality is not being radically right-wing.

My general rule of thumb: Exercising discernment in today’s instant-info society means I should be slow to believe a report that contradicts my opinion…but even slower to believe a report that confirms it.

Nice to see people are taking advantage of this reading/discussion guide I wrote myself for the Essentials of Christian Theology book. It’s available on Amazon, BUT you can also download and reproduce as many copies as you need for your ministry needs for FREE, too!

Theology 101: Being rebuked for folly or reprimanded for stupidity is not the same as being persecuted for righteousness.

Call me a cynic, but I strongly suspect that if the only books published were authored by people who could actually write a book without a ghost writer or ghost editor, the books released each year might be reduced by half.

Mortimer Adler assigned me Genesis in this year's Great Books reading list. Reading the story of Sodom and Gamora reminded me of Ezekiel s commentary on the story, "the sin of your sister Sodom ... They did not help the poor and the needy." Have we been using 'sodomite' wrong? #booksky

Theology 101: Regardless of whether we are premillennial, amillennial, or postmillennial, one day we will all look back to the fulfillment of Revelation 20–21 as the culmination of our deepest hopes.

Them: “Join the church that gave you the Bible.” Me: “Nah, I’ll stick with the historical facts, thank you.”

Theology 101: It is not consistent with Christian virtues of truth and love to flay a book you haven’t read, a movie you haven’t seen, a song you haven’t heard, a church you haven’t attended, or a person you haven’t met.

Beware of the “yoosta fallacy.” It goes something like this: “I yoosta be ____, but now I’m a lot smarter. Anyone who stills believes in ____, is obviously stupid.” The assumption is the person is too smart to have actually gone from better to worse, so the abandoned belief is self-evidently wrong.

Theology 101: “I consider the principal enemies of the Gospel to be, not the pontiff of Rome, nor heretics, nor seducers, nor tyrants, but bad Christians.” (Calvin)

Theology 101: Christians cannot serve as the conscience of the kingdom if they are servants of any political party.

Naram-Sin didn’t rule by divine right. He declared himself divine. ⚡👑 Ancient Akkad shows how sovereignty can absorb holiness and turn obedience into worship. Political theology didn’t start in the medieval era. #AncientHistory #Akkad #Brewminate

Theology 101: Yes, alas, I believe the sons of God in Genesis 6 are super-celestial beings, and I’m not sure what to do with that, and I know all your objections, but I think our angelology and anthropology need to adjust to the text, and not the other way around.

We are all Chief Brody this week.

Jesus taught his disciples to live like he did because loving and cherishing each person is the only way to happiness and to grow our humanity and thus in union with our Trinitarian God.

If it is not clear, they are arresting Black activists & journalists b/c they can’t deport them legally & state terror can serve a dual purpose of chilling dissent & labeling Black folks as rioters (read-anti nationals)./1 A 🧵 showing how this worked in India from 2014-2019.

True love is never missing a footnote. ❤️ This Valentine's Day, see what's improved in Logos. Study Assistant and Smart Search make it easier than ever to find every reference, every source, every time. Save 10% through March 1. Save now: https://bit.ly/4rVq2Fd

I'm so grateful to my committee: Tom Reynolds, Simon Coleman, Willie Jennings, and Valentina Napolitano, and especially my supervisor Natalie Wigg-Stevenson. And the biggest thank you to Blakeley for all her support, and making it possible for me to finish this process. I'm so happy to be Ph.Done!

This week’s Stranger reflection: God’s presence doesn’t stay behind in holiness—it moves with an ordered people through the wilderness. 📖 open.substack.com/pub/eyesforu... #TheologySky #FaithSky #BibleStudy #StrangerTheology #EyesForUnseen

We’ve reimagined Logos for Church to equip your entire congregation with deep study tools. ⛪️ How can we best serve your community’s discipleship? Join the conversation and share your feedback directly with our team here: https://bit.ly/3MCJjvT