Christian Apologetics Blog: Recent Comments

Comment on Christian Apologetics?

2012-01-31T14:03:10Z

Thanks for your comment, Travis!

Comment on Christian Apologetics?

2012-01-30T01:52:59Z

"The Bible further claims that human beings were specially created by God to live in relationship with him and with each other and to steward the resources of the earth for our mutual benefit and God’s glory. The Christian believes that all of this is true, and that theology, philosophy, history, and science all converge in demonstration of this truth." This is an excellent point...theology, philosophy, history, and science do not exist in separate boxes, but they all ultimately point to the truth of God our Creator. Great introduction to Christian apologetics!

Comment on Discernment, Part 7: The Classical Virtues in a Free Society

2011-12-31T16:32:52Z

Hi, Michael,

Thanks for your contribution both to my blog and to the Body of Christ through your book. However, I could not find your book on Amazon under the title you have given nor did a Google search reveal it. Is there another location out there where one could find it?

Blessings,

Arnie

Comment on Discernment, Part 7: The Classical Virtues in a Free Society

2011-12-31T15:57:39Z

Thanks for your succinct explanation of the classical virtues. Even though I considered myself as a "mature," knowledgeable Christian before attending Biola in the early '90's, I was uninformed about their moral and theological significance until my education there. Because of my delayed exposure I later felt the need to introduce and discuss them with with younger Christians within the context of their spiritual formation, including my teenage son. Eventually, I discovered that the use of stories sparked the moral imagination in young people was far more affective than exclusively relying upon direct rational argument through lecture. The reading of fiction and biographies framed around the promotion of the virtues, both, classical and Christian, have proved helpful. In my convictions that young readers are best influenced by, and through, imagination, I published a fictional work titled The Doorkeeper: A Medieval Adventure. (available through Amazon Books). It is my hope that the Church will recapture the merits of using story to shape the hearts and minds of young people as they attempt to "work out their salvation." Our understanding and applying the virtues within our culture at-large groping for answers to life is surely akin to the mission of the Church.

Ne Cede Malis,

Michael

Comment on The Doctrine of the Trinity, Part 1: Trinitarian Soundings in the Old Testament

2011-11-26T20:00:56Z

Steve, I inadvertently included my reply within the body of your comment so I am repeating my reply here to avoid confusion.

You wrote, "Compare Matthew 28:19 with what the disciples did throughout the Book of Acts. They did baptize people in the name of Jesus because Jesus is the name of the Father, Son and Spirit."

Your suggestion that "Jesus is the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" is not correct. Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." This is God's full name. God is not Jesus only. There is no evidence in Scripture that would suggest that Jesus understood himself to include all three members of the Godhead. Jesus understood himself to be the personal Son of God, not the personal totality of God. He is the totality of God in essence, but not in person. That is a mystery that we can never fully penetrate, but it is a mystery that Scripture and the incarnate Son have revealed to us and which we must therefore accept by faith.

Arnie

Comment on The Doctrine of the Trinity, Part 2: Early Evidence from the New Testament

2011-11-26T18:48:35Z

Then that would suggest that both the Father and Jesus share the same divine essence.

Comment on The Doctrine of the Trinity, Part 3: Triadic Formulas in the New Testament

2011-11-26T18:45:55Z

Assuming it was one of the prophets who said this, that would be Yahweh.

Comment on The Doctrine of the Trinity, Part 5: The Final Battle

2011-11-26T18:40:34Z

Hi, Steve,

Certainly, if the only evidence we had for the Trinity was that it was widely accepted, we would not be satisfied with that. However, that all orthodox Christians accept it does compel us to ask why. The reason is that the Scriptures overwhelmingly support the reality of the Trinity, and no other allegedly inspired text does (including the Koran). I have made this case in the series that I have posted. If you seek further assistance in understanding the substance of this doctrine, I would encourage you to consult the resources that I have posted with these articles. You posted a question at my blog in May, to which I responded. I post that response here once again:

The short answer to your question [as to why baptizing in the name of Jesus was acceptable in the Book of Acts] is that Jesus is God. But this is not the same as saying that God is Jesus. Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. Therefore, Jesus and God the Son are identical persons, and to baptize in the name of one is to baptize in the name of the other. Furthermore, Jesus shares the same divine essence as the Father and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, baptizing in the name of Jesus is shorthand for baptizing in the name of the only true God of the universe: Elohim; Yahweh; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Apostles knew this and this is the tradition they passed down to their disciples.

Acts was written after most of the epistles and at least one of the gospels (Mark) had been written. In the epistles, the triune nature of the Godhead is clearly developed and assumed, as I have demonstrated in this series. Also, in Mark's gospel (written most likely in the 50's or early 60's and, therefore, before or contemporaneous with Acts) the understanding of Jesus as the Son of God is quite prevalent (See Mark 1:1; 3:11; 5:7; 9:7; 12:1-11; 13:32; 15:39). So by the time Luke wrote Acts, this understanding was firmly embedded in the hearts and minds of the leaders and members of the Church, and they knew that, as they baptized in Jesus' name, they baptized in the name of the Son of God, the second person of the triune Godhead, who shared equally in the divinity of the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the notion of the triune nature of the Godhead is not absent from Acts: "The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him" (Acts 5:30-32). Acts affirms that all three members of the Trinity cooperate in bringing salvation to the world, and, therefore, each member must be equally and fully divine. The triune, New Covenant name of God is the full revelation of God's triune nature, which he has had from all eternity, and in which Jesus Christ, God the Son, fully shares.

Blessings,

Arnie

Comment on The Doctrine of the Trinity, Part 5: The Final Battle

2011-11-22T23:28:35Z

I have had several discussions with people who believe the doctrine of the trinity is truth. Some have said that it is a widely accepted teaching so that makes it true. Those who are Islam can say the same thing so because something is widely accepted doesn't make it true.

Comment on The Doctrine of the Trinity, Part 3: Triadic Formulas in the New Testament

2011-11-22T23:25:31Z

Hi,

Can you tell me which person of the trinity speaks in the ot when we read "Thus saith the LORD"?