"...contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."- Jude 1:3

Monday, November 7, 2016

Gideons' International Statement About the Bible

The following statement about the Bible is found in many of the New Testaments printed and distributed by Gideons International. It seems to me (correctly or incorrectly) that there have been slight variations of the statement down through the years. At least from what I've seen online. Nevertheless, the following is the version I'm used to and prefer down to the paragraphing and punctuation.


THE BIBLE contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

CHRIST is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully.  It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.
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Saturday, November 5, 2016

The Atonement Studies by William Lane Craig


The Evangelical doctrine of Penal Substitution has always had detractors. Since the beginning of the 21st century the attacks have been more pronounced and sophisticated. The following are some brief lectures by William Lane Craig on the topic of the atonement where he goes through various theories and then defends the Evangelical doctrine of Penal Substitution.

I'm currently adding links to the videos as they are being posted. I'm not sure how many videos in total there will eventually be.

[[UPDATE: 
1. There are Lectures on the Atonement by Craig at the bottom of this blogpost.
2. There is also Craig's weekly Sunday School class Defenders where he addresses the doctrine of the Atonement. See THIS LINK or the link at the bottom of this blogpost.
3. For the meantime Craig's book "The Atonement" is freely available in pdf HERE or html HERE. ]]



Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part  11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part  16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

Part 22



Part 25

Part 26

Part 27

Part 28

Part 29

Part 30
(https://youtu.be/lQ0aoMRvZkk)

Part 31
(https://youtu.be/w6sa8fWaOtU)

Part 32
(https://youtu.be/9o2vxlH7TvY)

Part 33
(https://youtu.be/tp9sWfBvCgA)

Part 34
(https://youtu.be/qzaesa19bx8)

Part 35
(https://youtu.be/IKgAwhKTzuI)

Part 36
(https://youtu.be/HZO8hjD7CIs)

Part 37
(https://youtu.be/6rINAE6m7z0)

Part 38
(https://youtu.be/5-KA8etPFy0)

Philosophical Objections to the Atonement




Philosophical Issues in the Atonement:
The Coherence of Penal Substitution | Queen's University
(https://youtu.be/IoC-UTNh_6Q)





Divine Forgiveness & Legal Pardon | Houston Baptist University - October 2017
(https://youtu.be/pmGsrmu2yEo)





Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theories Today |
Craig, Moo, Seifrid, Porter - EPS at AAR/SBL 2017
(https://youtu.be/eHBF29W0NyU)





Q&A: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theories Today | Craig, Moo, Seifrid, Porter - EPS 2017
https://youtu.be/ccxhK-kyE7c





Does Penal Substitution Satisfy Divine Justice - Toronto 2018
https://youtu.be/pDYNoRQqNVE





Is Penal Substitution Biblical? | Harding University - February 2018
https://youtu.be/yNtZfaDUzIg





Is Penal Substitution Unjust? | Harding University - February 2018
https://youtu.be/G0g1IlCpiHc




Is Christ's Penal Substitution Incoherent? | Azusa Pacific University - September 2018
https://youtu.be/y3Q3KTpAmzg




Is Christ's Penal Substitution Unjust? | Azusa Pacific University - September 2018
https://youtu.be/63fMR3t4t9A





WLC on Eleonore Stump’s Critique of Reformation Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theories
(https://youtu.be/1FylkutYePk)





In Defense of Penal Substitution | EPS Plenary Lecture - November 2018
https://youtu.be/QsNqBOAU1_s



Craig also addresses the Doctrine of the Atonement in his Defenders Sunday school class. See part 8 of the Doctrine of Christ at the following link:

William Lane Craig's Introductory Lectures on the Trinity


Refusing to Soften the Atonement
(Reasonable Faith Podcast)


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Fire-Maker: How Humans Were Designed to Harness Fire & Transform Our Planet


(https://youtu.be/an98jVCyApo)

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Monday, October 17, 2016

Should We Pray for the Devil?



I saw the following meme on Facebook



The following was my response (with possible future typo corrections and additions):

1. It must be remembered that Satan sinned against greater light (i.e. knowledge) than all human beings, and probably than all other angels. He was probably one of the chief angels of God (if not THE chief; cf. Isa. 14 & Ezek. 28). He's the most guilty of all both in terms of greater light and in terms of being the greatest instigator of sin in others via temptation and lies down through the centuries. Satan probably led the angels in their falling away just as he instigated the Fall of Adam and Eve. Satan might also be the most gifted, powerful and intelligent of all creatures ever created (with the likely exception of resurrected and glorified human beings). So, Satan also sinned with greater accountability because of his superior intellect and powers.

2. It must also be remembered that grace (i.e. unmerited favor) and mercy are, by definition, not obligated. God didn't have to provide salvation for fallen creatures (whether human or angels). God would be righteous and just in never having provided salvation for either humans or angels.

3. Historic Christianity affirms God's exhaustive foreknowledge of the Future (whether Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Arminian, Lutheran, Molinist, Calvinist etc.). The Bible predicts and prophesies that the devil will not repent and has been destined for ultimate and final judgment (cf. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10; Gen. 3:14-15; Rom. 16:20). To pray for the devil's salvation would contradict God's revelation of the future and is therefore sinful because you're denying God's foreknowledge (and if a high view of predestination is true, like in Calvinism, then also denying God's foreordination).

4. For Protestants Christ died to redeem human beings. In the context of redemption and atonement the author of Hebrews states in Heb. 2:16, " For surely it is ***NOT ANGELS*** that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham."  There's no indication of Christ dying for angels. Yes, there's a sense in which Christ's redemption has a universal effect on all creation and so in that sense Christ redeemed it by His death on the cross. But in terms of penal substitution, Jesus only died for human beings. Additionally, Calvinists generally believe Jesus only died for the elect. I'm a Calvinist and I lean toward the Calvinistic doctrine of Limited Atonement, but I'm not dogmatic on it. I still think it could be false.

5. For Protestants, we interpret the Bible to teach that sinners (whether human or angelic) by nature cannot freely come to God in repentance and faith. That's because sinners are in bondage to sin (contrary to Pelagianism). It takes God's initiating/enabling grace to touch a person for them to be delivered from bondage to sin and to be able to now freely come to God (contrary to Semi-Pelagianism which says that sometimes man can self-initiate an application of grace). Catholics and Arminians are among those who believe this. If Calvinism is true, then God's grace is not merely initiating and enabling, but it's also sufficient and efficacious. Either way, God's grace is revealed in Christ's atonement, and that atonement also graciously makes possible the redemption of sinners. But as has been noted in #4 Christ died for humans and (in all probability) not for fallen angels.
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Thursday, September 15, 2016

Apologetics On Audio Format


The following are links to various apologetical resources in audio format. They come from a wide range of apologetical methods/approaches from Classical apologetics, to Van Tillian Presuppostional, to Clarkian Presuppositional, to Evidentialist etc.


http://www.credocourses.com/blog/2015/the-ultimate-list-of-christian-apologetics-podcasts/

https://theologicalresources.wordpress.com/category/apologetics-audio/

http://www.apologetics315.com/2008/03/ultimate-apologetics-mp3-audio-page.html





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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

The Dark Ages Were Not As Dark As You Have Been Led To Believe



How Dark Were the Dark Ages?



The Dark Age Myth: An Atheist Reviews “God’s Philosophers”
http://www.strangenotions.com/gods-philosophers/


The Myth of the Dark Ages (with many other links)
https://ischristianitytrue.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/the-myth-of-the-dark-ages/


The ‘Dark Ages’ were a lot brighter than we give them credit for by Richard Swan
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/our-voices/battle-of-ideas/the-dark-ages-were-a-lot-brighter-than-we-give-them-credit-for-8215395.html


5 Ridiculous Myths You Probably Believe About the Dark Ages
http://www.cracked.com/article_20615_5-ridiculous-myths-you-probably-believe-about-dark-ages.html


Top 10 Reasons The Dark Ages Were Not Dark
http://listverse.com/2008/06/09/top-10-reasons-the-dark-ages-were-not-dark/


15 Myths about the Middle Ages
http://www.medievalists.net/2014/06/27/15-myths-middle-ages/


History of the Crusades
http://www.apologetics315.com/2011/02/history-of-crusades-with-matt-philipps.html


The Myth that the Church Hindered the Development of Science
https://ischristianitytrue.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/science-series-the-myth-that-the-church-hindered-the-development-of-science/


Misconceptions about the Middle Ages, Debunked through Art History
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/misconceptions-about-the-middle-ages-debunked-through-art-history/


The Myth of the "Dark Ages":  Tricks the Dead Have Played Upon the Living
https://jtcontracelsum.blogspot.com/2011/04/myth-of-dark-ages.html


How the Middle Ages Really Were
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/how-the-middle-ages-reall_b_5767240.html


Top 10 Inventions of the Middle Ages
http://listverse.com/2007/09/22/top-10-inventions-of-the-middle-ages/


The Flat Earth Myth
https://ischristianitytrue.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/science-series-the-flat-earth-myth/


God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science by James Hannam
http://armariummagnus.blogspot.ca/2009/10/gods-philosophers-how-medieval-world.html


William Lane Craig Recounts the Good that the Christian Church Has Performed and Encouraged Down Through the Ages
(https://youtu.be/jhGgGnfF5zQ?t=1m49s)



Three Big Ways Christianity Supported the Rise of Modern Science
by Historian Michael Keas






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Richard Carrier, Bayes Theorem and the Historicity of Jesus


The odds form of Bayes's Theorem [Updated] by Lydia McGrew
http://lydiaswebpage.blogspot.com/2011/01/odds-form-of-bayess-theorem.html

Ï€ -ness Envy? The Irrelevance of Bayes’s Theorem
https://rjosephhoffmann.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/%CF%80-ness-envy-the-irrelevance-of-bayess-theorem/

Prior probabilities
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2012/04/prior-probabilities.html

The Jesus Process: Stephanie Louise Fisher
https://rjosephhoffmann.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/the-jesus-process-stephanie-louise-fisher/

Disproving Carrier's Proving History
http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2015/08/disproving-carriers-proving-history.html

 Reading Dr. Carrier’s ”Proving History”A Review From a Bayesian Perspective by Tim Hendrix
https://www.scribd.com/document/271358647/Richard-Carrier-Proving-History-Review

 Richard Carrier’s ”On the historicity of Jesus”A Review From a Bayesian Perspective by Tim Hendrix
https://www.scribd.com/doc/305750452/Richard-Carrier-s-On-the-Historicity-of-Jesus

A Book Review of Richard Carrier's On the Historicity of Jesus: Why We Might Have Reason for Doubt by Christina Petterson
https://relegere.org/relegere/article/view/702/791



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