Categories
This website does not reflect the views of any specific denomination or church. (See – About Author) The articles are categorized as follows:
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- The Book of Daniel:
- Book of Revelation:
- Specific Topics
- Specific Books
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Antichrist in Daniel
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- Daniel 2 sets the stage for the identification of the Antichrist.
- Daniel 7 – Four beasts and eleven horns
- Daniel 8 – Three alternative views for the evil horn
- The animals of Daniel 7 and 8 reveal the Antichrist.
- Did the evil horn in Daniel 8 come out of a Greek horn?
- Daniel Eleven – Who is the “vile person?”
- Antiochus IV does not fit the profile.
Daniel 9
Daniel 9 – Specific Concepts
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- Introduction – Overview of the prophecy and major interpretations
- With which decree did the 490 years begin?
- The 490 years are an extension of God’s covenant with Israel.
- The 490 years ended when the Jews stoned Stephen.
- Who confirms what covenant with whom during the last 7 years?
- What is destroyed in verse 27?
- Does the prophecy list events in chronological sequence?
- When are the goals for the 490 years (verse 24) fulfilled?
- Translations differ with respect to WHEN Messiah will appear.
- Do all the prophecies in Daniel 9 describe the same crisis?
- Daniel’s prayer and the 490-year prophecy form a unit.
Daniel 9 – Interpretations
Daniel 9 – Related Articles
Is the Book of Daniel a forgery?
Revelation – General
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- Why is the title of this website BY and not FROM Jesus Christ?
- Does Revelation describe events in chronological sequence?
- Every main part of Revelation begins in the temple in heaven.
- Is a consistently literal interpretation appropriate?
- God’s throne is the control center of the universe.
- The Return of Christ
- Does the book of Revelation present Jesus as God?
- Jesus is worshiped. Does that mean that He is God?
- Are both the Father and the Son worshipped in Rev 5:14?
- Is there really a hearing/seeing theme in Revelation?
- What do the numbers in the Book of Revelation mean?
The Seven Seals (4:1-8:1)
Revelation 4
Revelation 5
Revelation 6
Revelation 7
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- The sealing of the 144000 (7:1-3)
- Who are the 144,000 “Sons of Israel” (Rev 7:4)?
- Who is the multitude before the throne of Revelation 7:9-17?
Revelation 8
Revelation 12
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- Who are the woman and her child in Revelation 12?
- What are the stars of heaven in Revelation 12:4 – angels or people?
- WHEN did the war in heaven begin and WHEN did it end?
- HOW did Christ’s death win the victory in the war in heaven?
- They overcame Satan by the word of their testimony. (v11)
- Why did God not make an end of evil after the Cross?
Revelation 13
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- What is the beast that comes out of the sea? (Rev 13:1-2)
- Which of the beast’s seven heads has the fatal wound? (13:3-4)
- The beast of Revelation is the mainstream church.
- Supporting articles:
Seven Last Plagues (Revelation 15-16)
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- Plagues 1-4
- Plague 5
- Plague 6
- Plague 7
- Purpose of the plagues
Revelation 17
Babylon – the Mother of Harlots
Revelation’s Beasts
Revelation – External Resources
Early Church History
(Key events which transformed the church from a sect of Judaism to an independent religion
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- At first, the church was a Jewish sect, based in Jerusalem.
- The Christians fled from persecution to Judea and Samaria.
- A dispute arose – Must Gentile converts comply with the Law?
- Acts 15 caused a separation between Jew and Gentile.
- This history provides context to Paul’s theology.
- Dates for key events in the first few decades
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Death, Eternal Life, and Eternal Torment
Eternal Torment
Eternal Life and Death
External Resources
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- Glenn Peoples’ article, Why I am an Annihilationist (rightreason.org).
- Rethinking Hell podcasts, including:
- What does the Bible say about the “Immortal Soul”?
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Atonement
How did Christ’s death atone for sin? What problem did His death solve?
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- The meaning of the word “atonement”
- Overview of the theories of atonement
- My proposed theory of the atonement: Christ’s death proved that God judges rightly.
- Paul’s metaphors of salvation must not be literally interpreted.
- The article Why Jesus had to die attempts to explain the theory of the atonement to a Moslem, without Bible references.
- A brief overview of these articles
- In the Book of Revelation, why did Jesus have to die?
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Related Articles
Recommended External Resources (mp3s)
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- Graham Maxwell
- Noah Worcester on Atonement:
Justification
“Justify” is one of many metaphors and we should not interpret metaphors literally.
“Live by” is an Old Testament expression that is equivalent to the New Testament concept of justify.
The Return of Christ
How Will He Return?
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- When and how will Jesus return?
- Christ’s return in the Book of Revelation
- What did Jesus mean by “the End of the Age“?
- Little Apocalypse – Christ’s description of the end
- Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 side-by-side
- The “kingdom of God” has a King, laws, and citizens. Its King is God. Jesus explained its laws.
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When Will He Return?
These articles discuss the statements Jesus made indicating that He will return soon:
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- “This generation will not pass away until …” (Matt 24:34)
- “You will not finish … until the Son of Man comes” (Matt 10:23).
- What does “the Kingdom of God” mean?
- “Some standing here shall not taste death until …“ (Matt 16:28).
- Jesus said and His disciples believed that He will return soon.
- Did He return “soon” through His Resurrection?
- Did He return “soon” through the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70)?
- Why did Jesus not return soon?
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The Sabbath
The Seventh Day – blessed at creation, counted by Noah, made a Sabbath by Moses, corrupted by the Traditions, reformed by Christ, nut a non-issue for Paul.
In the Old Testament
Jesus’ Sabbath Healing Miracles
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- A demon-possessed man and Simon’s mother-in-law
- The man with the withered hand (Matt 12:9-14)
- The crippled woman (Luke 13:10-17)
- The Paralytic At Bethesda (John 5)
- The man that was born blind (John 9)
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Jesus’ Sabbath Teachings
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- The Sabbath was made for man. (Matt 12:1-8)
- Christ deliberately contravened the Sabbath.
- The real reason they killed Jesus.
- His miracles gave Him the opportunity to teach.
- What did Jesus teach about the Sabbath?
- Jesus taught a different Sabbath.
- Jesus replaced the Law of Moses with the Law of Christ.
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The Sabbath in the New Testament
The Law of Moses
Does Galatians Contradict Jesus?
Paul wrote that the Law of Moses has been nullified and replaced by “the Law of Christ” (Gal 2:19; 6:2). However, Jesus said:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law …
not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law.”
The following articles explain this apparent contradiction:
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- The Law of Christ (Gal 6:2) replaced the Law of Moses.
- The Old Testament foresaw that the Law of Moses will become obsolete.
- Jesus replaced the old commandments with much higher norms.
- The Law of Christ is what God’s Law always was and always will be.
- The final article summarizes the previous four.
- The purpose of this article by Thomas Lee is to rebut my article on the Law of Christ.
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Sermon on the Mount
Gospel in Galatians
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- The doers of the Law will be justified but NOT by the Works of the Law. (Rom 2:13)
- If people are justified through faith, why will they be judged by their deeds?
- Is justification a legal process or does it mean that the person is changed?
- Christ’s death removed our sin and thus enabled the grace of God.
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External Resources
Graham Maxwell explains his view of God’s use of the law from the letter to the Galatians.
The Origin of Evil
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- Origin of evil – Evil began next to God’s throne.
- Why Satan thought he could win against God – A study of Job
- Rulers and Authorities are Supernatural beings that oppose Christ
- The Cross disarmed the rulers and authorities.
- War in Heaven – why and how do the angels war?
- Why evil continues after the cross
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Is Jesus the Most High God?
Specific Bible Books
Specific Bible Passages
Origin and Pre-existence
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- Monogenēs – Does it mean “only begotten” or “only unique?”
- Firstborn of all creation (Col 1:15) – Is He part of creation?
- Pre-existence – Did He exist before He was born?
- Creation – God created all things through His Son.
- Jesus in the Old Testament
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Jesus is subordinate to God.
The Word of God
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- Who is the word? – Jesus or wisdom personified?
- Why is Christ called the “Word of God?”
- Did Philo influence the Bible’s description of the Son of God?
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The translation of John 1:1
Jesus is called God.
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- The meanings of theos (translated as “God” or as “god”)
- John 1:18 – “the only begotten God”
- John 20:28 – Did Thomas say that Jesus is God?
- A study of the title theos (God) in John’s gospel.
- Romans 9:5 – Paul never refers to Jesus as God.
- Hebrews 1:8 refers to Jesus as theos.
- Overview of the verses that refer to Jesus as theos.
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Other Resources
I do not agree with Dale Tuggy’s Christology but I do recommend his podcasts.
History of the Development of the Trinity Doctrine
In this section, I also provide links to articles I posted on Stackexchange.
Christology of the persecuted church (first 3 centuries)
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- Ignatius of Antioch – the Father is the only true God.
- Polycarp – The “Lord God Almighty” is the Father alone.
- Justin Martyr – The Son is subordinate to the Father.
- Irenaeus – The Father is the only true God.
- Why did these fathers refer to Jesus as “our god?”
- Sabellius – Was he the first Trinitarian?
- Other sources:
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Arius
The Nicene Creed of 325 AD
The Nicene Creed is the most famous and influential creed in the history of the church. The following articles are available:
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- What was the dispute that led to the Council at Nicaea?
- Why does the creed use ousia and hypostasis as synonyms?
- Emperor Constantine controlled the Council of Nicaea.
- The emperor forced the Nicene Council to accept a minority view.
- What does the Nicene Creed really say?
- The meaning of “He is of another substance or essence“
- Should a Protestant accept the Nicene Creed?
- External Resources:
- What was the dispute that led to the Council at Nicaea?
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Post Nicene Developments
The end of Unitarianism
Authors on the Arian Controversy
These are extracts from the works of important researchers:
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- RPC Hanson: A lecture on the Arian Controversy
- What were the issues in the Fourth-Century Arian Controversy?
- Edmund J. Fortman, The Triune God – Nicene Creed
- Millard J. Erickson, God in Three Persons
- William Boyd, Union of Church and State in the Roman Empire
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Later Developments
Trinity Doctrine – General
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- What is the difference between the Trinity theory and Modalism?
- Is the Athanasian Creed consistent with the “Monarchy of the Father” of Eastern Orthodoxy?
- The Eastern Orthodox view of the Trinity.
- The Trinity doctrine contradicts itself.
- Elohim, translated as “God,” is plural. Is God more than one Person?
- What is the difference between the Trinity theory and Modalism?
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Romans
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- Romans 1: God will not override human freedom.
- Romans 2: The doers of the Law will be justified.
- Romans 3:1-8: Did God reject Israel?
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Romans 9 and 11
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- Romans 9-11: Who Israel is in the Book of Revelation?
- All Israel will be saved: Summary of the previous article
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Election
Romans 14
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- Romans 14:1-4 – The dispute was NOT over the Law of Moses.
- Koinós (unclean Rom 14:14) does not refer to unclean animals.
- The same dispute in Corinth over eating meat is idol worship
- Romans 14:5-6 – These days do not refer to the Sabbath.
- Romans 14:7-13 – God will judge people by their deeds.
- Romans 14:13-23 – Abstain from meat if a brother to stumble.
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Galatians
Galatians is important because it describes the very early power struggle between Paul and Judaising Jewish Christians.
Gal 1:1-5 – According to the will of our God and Father, Jesus gave Himself to rescue us from this present evil age.
Gal 1:6-9 – The Galatians accepted a dangerously distorted gospel.
Gal 1:10-12 – Paul received his gospel directly from Jesus Christ.
Gal 1:13-14 – The emphasis on outward behavior in Traditions of the Elders shifts the focus away from God to self.
Gal 1:15-24 – Short review of Paul’s history & Overview of Galatians 1.
Gal 2:1-10 – Paul took an uncircumcised Gentile Christian to the church leaders in Jerusalem. The church leaders accepted him.
Gal 2:11-14 – God instructed Peter to accept Gentiles without circumcision but he yielded to the Circumcision Party.
Gal 2:15-16 – The Acts 15 Church Council confirmed that Gentile Christians do not have to convert to Judaism.
Gal 2:17-18 – Paul’s teachings destroyed the law; the dividing wall between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Gal 2:19-20 – Christians are not subject to the Law of Moses but to the Law of Christ.
Gal 2:21 – To attempt to earn “righteousness” through the Law is to nullify “the grace of God.”
Gal 3:1-5 – The Galatians received the Spirit without the Law but want to continue in their own power.
Gal 3:6-9 – Those who believe are sons of Abraham.
Gal 3:10-14 – No one is justified by the Law because no one is able to comply with the law.
Gal 3:15-18 – Jesus Christ is Abraham’s true Seed. As such, He inherited the Covenant promises.
Gal 3:19-25 – When Christ came, He became our Tutor. We no longer need the Law.
Gal 3:26-29 – There is no need to circumcise Gentile Christians because Israel no longer has a separate role in God’s plan.
Overview of Galatians Chapters 1 to 3
Chapter 4 – Work In Progress
Transversal Topics
Galatians represents Paul’s arguments before the Jerusalem Church Council in Acts 15.
The Galatians were at risk of losing their eternal inheritance. What exactly did they do wrong?
Colossians
Col 1:1-8 – We thank God for the hope laid up for us in heaven.
Col 1:9-14 – The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness.
Col 1:15-19 – The Colossian deception claimed to have supernatural knowledge, but all knowledge is found in Christ.
Col 1:20-22 – Through Christ, God brought an end to the war in heaven.
Col 1:23-28 – The mystery which has been hidden, namely that Gentiles are fellow members of the body
Col 2:1-4 – Deceivers merged the gospel with mystery religions, arguing that Christ is not the only source of knowledge.
Col 2:5-8 – The Colossian deception was man-made pagan philosophy; not Old Testament law..
Col 2:9-10 – The deception claimed that people need more than Christ to become complete.
Col 2:11 – Circumcision without hands is a heart circumcised by the Spirit. It loves God and hates sin.
Col 2:11-14 – Canceling the certificate of debt is forgiving of sins.
Col 2:14
Col 2:15 – What rulers and authorities did God disarm through Christ?
Col 2:16
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- The Sabbath is heavily debated today but it was a not controversial issue in Paul’s day.
Festivals, new moons, and sabbaths is a technical phrase for “all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel.”
- “Sabbaths” refers to the weekly Sabbath; not to the annual Sabbaths.
- Meros – The Colossians were criticized for HOW they kept these days.
- Building …
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Colossians: Specific Topics:
Hebrews
1) Jesus became High Priest in the tabernacle in heaven through His suffering.
2) Jesus is a better High Priest because the Levitical priesthood was unable to do away with sin.
3) Jesus appears before God for us. He guarantees the promise which God made: “Their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Other Topics
Author – I have no formal Bible training and I am not part of any church group.
For general discussions of theology, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.