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Thinking about God and His Word

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:9

Why Theology?

(Click here to see my posts on theology topics or

Jump Down to a List of Older Articles I have Written)

Here are a few of the Biblical scholars whose writings have influenced and inspired me over the years.

A few of them I have met personally, but most of them I have just admired from afar.

This listing should show that I am an "independent" theologian, as the basic theology

of these gentlemen span the gamut from Calvinism to Arminianism,

and includes Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Southern Baptist traditions.

Chair of New Testament and

Early Christianity ,

University of St. Andrews

N. T. Wright

Vitae

N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the world’s leading Bible scholars. He is now serving as the chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. The author of over 70 books, he writes prolifically about theology, Christian life, and the relationship of these two things. He advocates a biblical re-evaluation of and fresh approach to theological matters such as justification, women's ordination, and popular Christian views about life after death. He has also criticized the idea of a literal Rapture.

Archpriest, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese,

Chicago

Patrick Henry Reardon

Vitae

Fr. Reardon is an archpriest of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, author, lecturer, podcaster, and senior editor of Touchstone. He is a prolific writer as well as a popular pastor, homilist, and teacher. In addition to his responsibilities as a teacher and retired pastor at All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, he is author of more than 500 articles, editorials, and reviews in numerous popular and scholarly journals, including more than 200 for Touchstone Magazine and at least ten books.

President of

Apologetics Research Society

Chemistry Professor,

Christian Author

San Diego


John M. Oates


Vitae

John Oates earned a BS in Chemistry at the University of Connecticut in 1977 and a PhD in chemical physics from the University of Colorado in 1984. He currently works as a professor of Chemistry at Grossmont College, San Diego. He is the president of Apologetics Research Society, a California non-profit corporation, where he teaches Christian apologetics. He has authored 11 books on Biblical topics and theology.

Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology

Christian Author

Kansas City MO

Andreas Köstenberger

Vitae

Dr. Kostenberger is Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and founding director of the Center for Biblical Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an evangelical scholar, author, and founder of Biblical Foundations, an organization devoted to encouraging a return to the biblical foundations in the home, the church, and society. His primary research interests are the Gospel of John, Biblical Theology, and Hermeneutics.

President of

Southern Baptist Seminary,

Louisville, KY

Albert Mohler

Vitae

Dr. Richard Albert Mohler Jr., is an American historical theologian and the ninth president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Mohler also serves as president of the Evangelical Theological Society. He has been described as "one of America's most influential evangelicals.

Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical School

Deerfield IL

D. A. Carson

Vitae

Dr. D. A. Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. He has written or edited more than fifty books, and is is the editor of three commentary series.

Research Professor of Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminary, Phoenix. Arizona.

Wayne Grudem

Vitae

Dr. Wayne Grudem is a New Testament scholar turned theologian, author, and Research Professor of Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminary, Arizona. Grudem served on the committee overseeing the English Standard Version translation, and is the author of Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, which, advocates a Calvinistic soteriology, the verbal plenary inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.

Senior Minister of

Preaching and Teaching,

Saint Andrew's, Sanford FL.

R. C. Sproul

Vitae

Dr. R.C. Sproul (d. 2017) was a Reformed theologian and pastor. He was the founder and president of Ligonier Ministries, taught at numerous colleges and seminaries, and was a prolific author, having written more than 70 books and many articles for evangelical publications, where he had been an ardent advocate of Calvinism.

Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church,

Lenoir, NC.

Alan Carr

Vitae

Dr, Alan Carr is the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Lenoir, NC. He holds the Doctor of Theology degree and currently teaches at West Lenoir Baptist School of Ministry. In the graduate program; his courses are Christology and Manuscript Evidence.

Former Preacher and Teacher,

Love Worth Finding

Adrian Rogers

Vitae

The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, preacher/teacher of Love Worth Finding Ministries and long-time pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis TN, had a zeal and love for Jesus that resonated in every message. He possessed a marvelous speaking ability, was a prolific writer, and his legacy continues to reach around this world,

Past President and Professor,

Asbury Theological Seminary,

Wilmore, Kentucky

J. Ellsworth Kalas

Vitae

The late Dr. J. Ellsworth Kalas served for 38 years as a pastor in churches in Wisconsin and Ohio, five years as an associate in evangelism with the World Methodist Council, then became professor of preaching and systematic theology at Asbury college for 22 years, where he became its president. Kalas authored over 35 different books and many additional published articles. As well as 13 adult study quarterlies for the United Methodist Publishing House.

Why Theology?

Theology is basically the study of things about God. You might ask why I am interested in theology. My answer is twofold. First, I am a scientist by education, training, and profession. I have an innate desire to explore in some depth various topics that come to my attention. Of course, I make a conscientious selection of topics I choose to delve into. I was raised by parents and grandparents who were practicing Christians, so I attended church regularly, and most of my close friends have been Christians. As I studied the Bible on my own, it occurred to me that this book had a lot of information about the history of Israel, the Jewish people, Jesus and His followers, and about the Apostle Paul. I found the book of Revelation something of a puzzle, so I didn't study it much until my later years. I also found in the Bible some good advice on how to live my life. Thus, as I continued my life as an adult, I studied the Bible a bit as I focused primarily on my professional education.

Second, I came to sense as I studied the Bible that I somehow seemed to gain insights that I later learned agreed with those of more learned theologians. I also remember a moment when as an eleven year old, I experienced an inspirational moment as I studied microscopic living things through a homemade microscope, a moment when I realized that our world was created, not just a happenstance of reality. It was as if a voice spoke to me and said, "I made that." So I began to realize as I grew older that God was active in my life, not only through what I was learning, but through the actions of other Christians in my life. I had strong urges to learn more about God and to share my understandings with others.

As a scientist, I did not just accept what others had to say about the Scriptures. I did learn from various theologians, I marvel at the spiritual depth of men like the ones I've mentioned above. I feel I stand on their shoulders as I learn more, but I tried to understand Scripture on my own, gaining insights from my own personal inspiration. More and more, I was amazed at what I found in the Scriptures. When I read the statement where Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." I was startled by what that meant. I realized that Truth was not something I could discover on my own. It was embodied in the Man who claimed to be the Son of God. I needed to learn from Him what life was all about. Through the prophet Isaiah, God said "My thoughts are higher than your thoughts." So I became a lay theologian.

Late in life, after I retired from my profession, I was ordained into the Christian ministry, primarily so I could serve in prison ministry as a clergy person. This was important in dealing with men in prison - they could share confidential information with me knowing that it would not be shared with others. Most of my ministry involves Christian Education, mostly teaching, but also administering education programs in the churches where I have served. I created these pages to share some of what I have learned related to theology, I hope others can learn something from what I have discovered and written, simplistic as it may be.

The following is a list of older articles on theological topics

I have written over the past several years.

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