Author Archives: MikeB

5 things to know about the false teachers in 1 John

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The Apostle JohnThe writing we call 1 John is written by the Apostle John to deal with a specific situation occurring in the churches he oversaw in Asia Minor. False teachers had caused his flock to doubt that they possessed eternal life (1 John 5:13).

1. The false teachers (or prophets) were part of the Johannine Community. They have left the church, or perhaps were forced out. They likely were in leadership positions based on their influence and the fact that they are teachers (1 John 2:18-19; 2 John 1:7-11; 4:1). Continue reading →

Top Posts of 2013

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I want to thank everyone who swung by to read and explore theology with me this year. Here are the top 10 viewed posts on the blog in 2013. Many of these posts are parts of a series, so to make things easier for those who want to check out the rest I added a Series page in the menu bar that groups related posts.

And whether you are a new reader or regular reader, consider subscribing to the blog (via email using the “Sign Me Up” button on the Home page) and exploring theology with me in 2014.

Rank Post
1 The Five Act Hermenuetic (Scripture and the Authority of God by N.T. Wright) takes the top spot for the 2nd year in a row. This post takes a look at NT Wright’s 5 act hermeneutic (a fancy word for framework) that focuses on the story line that runs through the pages of scripture from Genesis to Revelation and finds its climax in the hero of the story Jesus.
2 John Wesley On Original Sin and Total Depravity. This post is part of an occasional series that explores the theological writings of John Wesley. In this post Sermon #44 and What is an Arminian explore Wesley’s views on the fallen state of man. Continue reading →

Origen on Free Will

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This is a series that will be updated periodically that captures the early church views on free will. Check the Series page for the other posts.

OrigenWhat prompted this series was an assertion made by Charles Spurgeon in his sermon “Election“, that throughout church history only heretics held to a view of free will:

Were I a Pelagian, or a believer in the doctrine of free-will, I should have to walk for centuries all alone. Here and there a heretic of no very honourable character might rise up and call me brother.

In this post we will examine the views that Origen held on these topics.

If you have heard the name Origen before then you probably know that he had his run ins with various church leaders (during his lifetime through to today) due to his hermeneutics and speculative views on various doctrines. But reading about his life and digging into his writings it is evident that his life was focused on Jesus Christ. We evaluated his basic views and whether they were orthodox in a prior post. Continue reading →