Methodist Theology the Key Emphasis of Wesley's Theology Relates to How
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The Future of Evangelicals in Mission: Will We Regain the Kingdom Vision of Our Forefathers in the Faith? Ralph D
1 From (Frontiers in Mission, 327-43) The Future of Evangelicals in Mission: Will We Regain the Kingdom Vision of Our Forefathers in the Faith? Ralph D. Winter, W1489C.14, 3/9/08 A flood of light on the future of the Evangelical movement and its mission vision can be deduced by looking closely at its roots. Evangelicals happen to have a rich heritage of faith and works, extensively forgotten, that can once again inspire and instruct us as we seek to bring a complete gospel to every tribe and tongue. Evangelicals? Who Are They? The word evangelical in the Catholic tradition refers to those people who take the four Evangelical gospels very seriously—specifically, members of Catholic orders. Later, in the Protestant tradition, the word evangelical came to refer to a political party where the evangelici, adhering to the authority of the Bible, were opposed to the pontifici who supported the authority of the Pope. However, at the time of the Reformation other things were going on besides tension between two parties. There were the Anabaptists and later on Pietists and still later a still different kind of “Evangelical,” namely Quakers, and eventually, the Methodists, who became a global force. As a broad generalization, all of these additional “third force” movements came to understand the word Evangelical to mean more than correct belief. The word began to refer to those individuals who had had a personal “evangelical experience,” by which was meant something real had happened in a person’s heart and life not just purely mental assent to a prescribed intellectual creed. -
Law and Gospel Article
RENDER UNTO RAWLS: LAW, GOSPEL, AND THE EVANGELICAL FALLACY Wayne R. Barnes∗ I. INTRODUCTION Many explicitly Christian voices inject themselves frequently and regularly into the current public policy and political discourse. Though not all, many of these Christian arguments proceed in something like the following manner. X is condemned (or required) by God, as revealed in the Bible. Therefore, the explicitly-required “Christian position” on X is for the law to prohibit or limit the activity (or require it), in accordance with the advocate’s interpretation of biblical ethical standards. To be clear, I mean to discuss only those scenarios where a Christian publicly identifies a position as being mandated by Christian morality or values --- i.e., where the public is given a message that some law or public policy is needed in order to comply with the Christian scriptures or God’s will. That is, in short, this article is about explicit political communications to the public in overt religious language of what Christianity supposedly requires for law and policy. As will be seen, these voices come quite famously from the Christian Religious Right, but they come from the Religious Left as well. Political philosophers (most famously John Rawls) have posited that pluralism and principles of liberal democracy strongly counsel against resort to such religious views in support of or against any law or public policy.1 That is, in opposition to this overt religious advocacy in the political realm (though, it should be noted, not necessarily taking a substantive position on the issues, per se) is the position of Rawlsian political liberalism, which states generally that, all things being equal, such inaccessible religious arguments should not be made, but rather arguments should only be made by resort to “public reason” which all find to be accessible.2 Christian political voices counter that this results in an intolerable stifling of their voice, of requiring that they “bracket” ∗ Professor, Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. -
Nicodemus and the New Birth
SESSION EIGHT Nicodemus and the New Birth SESSION SUMMARY This session depicts a conversation in which Jesus taught a religious leader, Nicodemus, about the mystery of regeneration—what He described as “being born again.” Christians have been born again by the Spirit of God, through faith in God’s Son. The new birth is the basis of our confidence that God is at work transforming us and all who believe in the gospel. SCRIPTURE John 3:1-21 86 Leader Guide / Session 8 THE POINT Regeneration is God’s supernatural transformation of believers. INTRO/STARTER 5-10 MINUTES Option 1 Toy commercials are usually filled with action. They show kids having fun as they play with whatever product is being promoted. They highlight the gadget’s best features in a way that appeals to a child’s sense of imagination. But at the end, a narrator usually comes on and makes a disclaimer: “Batteries not included.” Most likely, there were numerous occasions when well-meaning parents or guardians purchased a toy their child wanted without realizing there were no batteries in the box—unbearable disappointment in the eyes of a child! The kid feels duped, the parent is embarrassed, and the moment of bliss fades away because the toy can’t function. • When have you been disappointed by something not functioning as you thought it would? What was the reason for the item’s inability to function? As Christians, we believe salvation is a gift. God our Father has shown us grace in giving us salvation. But unlike those disappointing toy commercials, this gift doesn’t need a disclaimer that says “batteries are not included.” The good news about God’s gift is that, alongside forgiveness of sins, we receive the Holy Spirit. -
THE TRUTH in SONG PSALM 95:1 O Come, Let Us Sing for Joy to the Lord
THE TRUTH IN SONG Lesson 34 THE TRUTH IN SONG PSALM 95:1 O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord… Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. www.barahministries.com PASTOR RORY CLARK Barah Ministries www.barahministries.com Hi there! Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark. Songs do a great job of communicating the Word of God. Today, you’ll hear a song from June Murphy’s latest album…the You Ran After Me album…available for purchase on iTunes…today’s song is BORN AGAIN. TODAY’S SONG Born Again I can remember being called that once … “You aren’t one of those ‘born agains’ are you?” Well I have to admit it…yes I am. In John, Chapter 3, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One and Only Sovereign God of the Universe, talks to a religious man, highlighting the importance of being one of those “born agains…” JOHN 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews… He was from the strictest sect of the Pharisees…and a member of the Jewish ruling council. JOHN 3:2 …and this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher…for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” SONGS ©® 2017 Barah Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 THE TRUTH IN SONG Lesson 34 Nicodemus, by calling the Lord a Rabbi, is reducing the Lord to his level, rather than acknowledging the Lord as God. -
Total Depravity
TULIP: A FREE GRACE PERSPECTIVE PART 1: TOTAL DEPRAVITY ANTHONY B. BADGER Associate Professor of Bible and Theology Grace Evangelical School of Theology Lancaster, Pennsylvania I. INTRODUCTION The evolution of doctrine due to continued hybridization has pro- duced a myriad of theological persuasions. The only way to purify our- selves from the possible defects of such “theological genetics” is, first, to recognize that we have them and then, as much as possible, to set them aside and disassociate ourselves from the systems which have come to dominate our thinking. In other words, we should simply strive for truth and an objective understanding of biblical teaching. This series of articles is intended to do just that. We will carefully consider the truth claims of both Calvinists and Arminians and arrive at some conclusions that may not suit either.1 Our purpose here is not to defend a system, but to understand the truth. The conflicting “isms” in this study (Calvinism and Arminianism) are often considered “sacred cows” and, as a result, seem to be solidified and in need of defense. They have become impediments in the search for truth and “barriers to learn- ing.” Perhaps the emphatic dogmatism and defense of the paradoxical views of Calvinism and Arminianism have impeded the theological search for truth much more than we realize. Bauman reflects, I doubt that theology, as God sees it, entails unresolvable paradox. That is another way of saying that any theology that sees it [paradox] or includes it is mistaken. If God does not see theological endeavor as innately or irremediably paradoxical, 1 For this reason the author declines to be called a Calvinist, a moderate Calvinist, an Arminian, an Augustinian, a Thomist, a Pelagian, or a Semi- Pelagian. -
Understanding Baptism
UNDERSTANDING BAPTISM At some point in your journey with Embrace Church you may have a question about baptism. Our hope here is to answer some of those questions and convey how we understand and practice baptism as a United Methodist Church. We recognize that a number of people who engage with Embrace Church may come from various faith backgrounds or denominations, thus spurring a number of good questions around baptism. A Wesleyan Understanding of Baptism………….Page 2 Infant Baptism……………………………………….Page 2 Beyond Baptism, The Role of Confirmation…….Page 3 Frequently Asked Questions……………………...Page 4 Vows of the Baptismal Covenant…………………Page 7 Further Resources…………………………………..Page 7 2 A WESLEYAN UNDERSTANDING OF BAPTISM As United Methodists, our primary understanding of the act of baptism is that of a “sacrament”, simply meaning an act where God uses a common element (in this case, water) as a means of offering his divine grace. In this sacred act God bestows upon a baptized person the presence of the Holy Spirit, marks them with an identifying seal as God’s own, and implants in their heart his inheritance as a son or daughter of God. We also believe baptism to be God’s sign of initiating us into his new covenant that was first established through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This word “covenant” is a Biblical term that describes God’s initiative in choosing us to be his people with a special mission in the world, and our response in a life of faithfulness. We understand the baptismal covenant in light of Jesus’ baptism where God said, “This is my son.” And while Jesus’ relation to God as Son is unique, for Christians, baptism means that God has also chosen us as sons and daughters and knows us intimately as a parent. -
John Wesley's Teaching Concerning Perfection Edward W
JOHN WESLEY'S TEACHING CONCERNING PERFECTION EDWARD W. H. VICK Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan Wesley has often been characterized as Arminian rather than as Calvinistic. The fact that he continuously called for repentance from sin, published a journal called the Arminian Magazine, was severe in his strictures against predestination and unconditional election, engaged in controversial cor- respondence with Whitefield over the matter of election, perfection and perseverance seem to indicate a great gulf between his teaching and that of Calvin. Gulf there may be, but it need not be made to appear wider at certain points than can justly be claimed. The fact is that exclusive attention to his opposition to predestination may lead to neglect of his teaching on the relationship between faith and grace. This is not to deny that Wesley was opposed to important Calvinistic tenets. In his sermon on Free Grace, delivered in 1740, he states why he is opposed to the doctrine of pre- destination : (I) it makes preaching vain, needless for the elect and useless for the non-elect ; (2) it takes away motives for following after holiness ; (3) it tends to increase sharpness of temper and contempt for those considered to be outsiders ; (4) it tends to destroy the comfort of religion ; (5) it destroys zeal for good works ; (6) it makes the whole Christian revelation unnecessary and (7) self-contradictory ; (8) it represents the Lord as saying one thing and meaning J. Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions, I (New York, 1827)~ 13-19. 202 EDWARD W. H. VICK another: God becomes more cruel and unjust than the devil. -
Wesleys Trinitarian Ordo Salutis
JOURNAL A Quarterly for Church Renewal VOLUME 14 . NUMBER 4 . 2005 Wesleys Trinitarian Ordo Salutis Corrie M. Aukema Cieslukowski Elmer M. Colyer INTRODUCTION .If)ne of the curious facts evident to anyone who spends ~ even a brief amount of time examining the secondary lit erature on John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) and his theology is how little has been written on Wesley's doctrine of the Trinity, save for a spate of recent articles.} Indeed, there is scant discussion of the Trinity in many books devoted to Wes ley's theology. This dearth of attention to the Trinity is especially clear in the area of Wesley's soteriology, his understanding of the ordo salutis (order of salvation). A classic example of this is The Scripture Way of Salvation: The Heart of John Wesley's Theology, a significant work by one of the premier contemporary experts on Wesley's theology.2 There is no chapter, and not even a subsection of a chapter, that deals with the Trinitarian deep structure of Wesley's understanding of salvation.3 In fact, there is no reference to the Trinity in the index and hardly any mention of the Trinity anywhere in the book despite the fact that Wesley understood the ordo in Trinitarian terms. Another example is Randy Maddox's book, Responsible Grace: John Wesley's Practical Theology.4 Maddox's study is out standing, possibly the best summary of Wesley's theology to WESLEY'S TRINITARIAN ORDO SALUTIS 107 106 WESLEY'S TRINITARIAN ORDO SALUTIS THE TRADITIONAL READING come into print in the past twenty years. -
Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals Into Confessional Lutheran Thought
Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 9-23-2013 Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought Matthew Richard Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Richard, Matthew, "Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought" (2013). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 138. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/138 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY STUDIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 Concordia Seminary Saint Louis, Missouri Advisor DR. ROBERT -
A Theology of Good Works: the Apostle Paul's Concept of Good Works Within the Context Of
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY A THEOLOGY OF GOOD WORKS: THE APOSTLE PAUL’S CONCEPT OF GOOD WORKS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM PRESENTED AT THE FIRST ANNUAL EVERYDAY THEOLOGY CONFERENCE MARCH 20, 2015 BY DR. MARTIN E. SHELDON A THEOLOGY OF GOOD WORKS: THE APOSTLE PAUL’S CONCEPT OF GOOD WORKS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM Introduction The apostle Paul lived and ministered within the historical context of Second Temple Judaism.1 Following just over three decades of adherence to and immersion in Pharisaic Judaism, Saul of Tarsus converted to Jesus Christ and in consequence, conducted several missionary journeys proclaiming the gospel of Christ and writing letters to the newly established churches. While the Hebrew Scriptures provided the theological foundation for the apostle Paul’s teaching, his concept of good works was forged within the historical context of Second Temple Judaism. Inasmuch as this is the case, it is essential to explore the concept of good works within the OT and Second Temple Literature in order to accurately assess the apostle Paul’s theology of good works. This inquiry will assess Paul’s theology of good works in comparison to the Old Testament (OT) Pseudepigrapha, OT Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, and Philo in order to determine how Paul’s concept compares to that of the relevant Second Temple literature. Second Temple literature emphasizes the necessity of performing good works such as virtuous living and morality, alms-giving, prayer, and fasting; and exemplifies God’s people as those who adhere to the Mosaic Law. -
Theological Contributions of John Wesley to the Doctrine of Perfection
Andrews University Seminary Studies, Vol. 51, No. 2, 301-310. Copyright © 2013 Andrews University Press. THEOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF JOHN WESLEY TO THE DOCTRINE OF PERFECTION THEODORE LEVTEROV Loma Linda University Loma Linda, California Introduction The doctrine of perfection is biblically based. In Matt 5:48 (NIV), Jesus declares, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” However, the meaning of the term “perfection” is contested, with many different interpretations ranging from one extreme to another.1 At one end of the spectrum, it has been concluded that perfection and Christian growth is not possible, while at the other it is thought that humans can attain a state of sinless perfection. Within this range of understandings, scholars agree that no one has better described the biblical doctrine of perfection than John Wesley. For example, Rob Staples proposes that this doctrine “represents the goal of Wesley’s entire religious quest.”2 Albert Outler notes that “the chief interest and signifi cance of Wesley as a theologian lie in the integrity and vitality of his doctrine as a whole. Within that whole, the most distinctive single element was the notion of ‘Christian perfection.’”3 Harald Lindstrom indicates that “the importance of the idea of perfection to Wesley is indicated by his frequent mention of it: in his sermons and other writings, in his journals and letters, and in the hymn books he published with his brother Charles.”4 John Wesley himself affi rmed that “this doctrine is the grand depositum which God has lodged with the people called Methodists; and for the sake of propagating this chiefl y He appeared to have raised us up.”5 This article will examine Wesley’s basic contributions to the doctrine of perfection. -
Reformed Tradition
THE ReformedEXPLORING THE FOUNDATIONS Tradition: OF FAITH Before You Begin This will be a brief overview of the stream of Christianity known as the Reformed tradition. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Church in America, the United Church of Christ, and the Christian Reformed Church are among those considered to be churches in the Reformed tradition. Readers who are not Presbyterian may find this topic to be “too Presbyterian.” We encourage you to find out more about your own faith tradition. Background Information The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is part of the Reformed tradition, which, like most Christian traditions, is ancient. It began at the time of Abraham and Sarah and was Jewish for about two thousand years before moving into the formation of the Christian church. As Christianity grew and evolved, two distinct expressions of Christianity emerged, and the Eastern Orthodox expression officially split with the Roman Catholic expression in the 11th century. Those of the Reformed tradition diverged from the Roman Catholic branch at the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Martin Luther of Germany precipitated the Protestant Reformation in 1517. Soon Huldrych Zwingli was leading the Reformation in Switzerland; there were important theological differences between Zwingli and Luther. As the Reformation progressed, the term “Reformed” became attached to the Swiss Reformation because of its insistence on References Refer to “Small Groups 101” in The Creating WomanSpace section for tips on leading a small group. Refer to the “Faith in Action” sections of Remembering Sacredness for tips on incorporating spiritual practices into your group or individual work with this topic.