Category Archives: Bible Study

What is Open Theology?

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | February 4, 2012

This post is the first in a series that examines Open Theology. My hope is to examine the subject in a tone that is productive and amicable.

What is Open Theology?

David Woodruff defines Open Theology as “a form of relational theology” that starts “with the belief that God desires to be in a relationship with creation, and uses that belief as a basis for interpretation and explanation of other aspects of the divine nature” (Woodruff, 2008, p. 53). It is in light of this desire for relationship with His creation that Open Theists believe that God voluntarily self-limits His sovereign control over mankind and grants mankind genuine freedom of will. As a result of the freewill God’s creation possesses, Open Theology posits that while God has a perfect knowledge of the past and the present, His knowledge of the future is limited. God’s limitations in regards to future-knowledge is not attributed to any weakness of His own; rather, it is impossible for God to know the future because “the future free acts of human beings are not yet reality [because they have not yet happened] and, therefore, cannot be known” (Pinnock, 2005, p. 238). Thus, Open Theology concludes that while God’s knowledge of the future is limited, it is still perfect because He knows everything about the future that can be known. Even though God knows as much as can be known, the future is still open as a result of freewill. According to Open Theology, mankind’s freewill and God’s limited knowledge of the future work together to create a relationship between Creator and creation that is real and genuine. It is a relationship that mirrors all others and includes risk and faith on the part of Deity and man.

Open Theology is an attempt to make sense of Scriptures that seem to suggest that the God of the Bible does not have an exhaustive knowledge of the future. As a system, Open Theology offers the believer a lens through which to understand why there is so much evil in the world and the impact of Christian prayer. Additionally, Open Theology makes certain assumptions concerning the nature of time. Future posts in this series will offer an examination of Open Theology as it relates to each of these issues.

Sources

Pinnock, C. H. (2005). Open theism: An answer to my critics. Dialog: A Journal of Theology, 44:3, 237-245.

Woodruff, D. M. (2008). Examining problems and assumptions: An update on criticisms of open theism. Dialog: A Journal of Theology, 47:1, 53-63. 

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What is the Proper Bible Translation for Study Purposes?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Clark Goble| 2 Comments
By Clark Goble | January 18, 2012

If you are beginning a Bible study you may be wondering what translation you should use. If you ask your Christian friends you will probably get a wide range of responses. Most Christians place a high value on the Bible and are incredible loyal to their preferred translation. In truth, you should probably aim to find a reliable translation that will inspire you to read it more often; however, if your goal is to select the translation(s) that will best help you in your studies, I offer the following advice:

When choosing a translation it helps to be familiar with the methods translators use; basically, there are two methods – formal equivalence (word for word) and functional equivalence (thought for thought). Formal translations are accurate in that they translate word for word from the original, but they are difficult to read because they follow the sentence structure of the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. Functional translations increase reader comprehension because they translate the thoughts of the original text into a form that can be easily read.

Here is a list prominent (and reliable) translations:

Formal Translations: King James, New American Standard, English Standard.

Functional Translations: The Message, Contemporary English Version, New International Version and the New Living Translation.

The best advice I can offer is to have several translations at hand. For my studies I like to have one of each type. I prefer using the New American Standard along with the New International. While I listed the NIV as a functional translation, its editors made an attempt to strike a balance between formal and functional. Having access to both types will help with your comprehension. I frequently consult various translations and you may find that you prefer to read from different translations than your friends – that’s okay. The important thing is that you are reading the Bible.

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Eliminating the Ands

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | January 3, 2012

A.W. Tozer

In his book Pursuing God, A.W. Tozer challenges readers to identify what it is in addition to God they are seeking. Tozer puts it this way, “The evil habit of seeking God-and effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the ‘and’ lies our greatest woe. If we omit the ‘and’ we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.”

As I read Tozer’s words for the first time the other day, I couldn’t help but fill in the ‘and’. What I discovered was frightening. It seems there has always been an ‘and’ in my life. Rather than seeking God alone, I have tended to attach other desires to Him and elevate them to equal status. Financial security, doctrine, influence, recognition, love of the world … I could probably fill this page with my list of ‘ands’.

Ironically, not all ‘ands’ are bad. For instance, there is nothing wrong with praying for and striving to achieve financial security for your family. The danger, however, is when we elevate the ‘ands’ to equal status with God. It turns us into fair-weathered Christians who recognize and praise God only when our ‘ands’ are being attended to.  Our love for God becomes contingent upon the fulfillment of those sacred desires we have attached to Him.

When our ands suffer, we find ourselves turning away from God.

God promises that He is all we need. The Bible suggests that that if we seek God first all our other needs will fall into place (Matthew 6:33). I’ve reached a point in my life where all I want is God. I want to let go of my ands and allow Him to sustain my life.

I’m not confident I can do it. But my deepest desire is to seek Him first. I want to elevate God to the proper station in my life. I want Him set above and beyond all other desires of my heart. I’m confident that if God comes first I can survive the loss of everything else.

You may ask how I plan to achieve the elimination of my ands. As I write this, I only have the vaguest of plans. I hope to begin by taking the advice of 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and offering praise to God in all circumstances. Too often, I praise God when things go well for me and curse Him when things go awry. By praising God in all things, I hope to blur the line between the secular and the sacred. I want every moment of my life, even the mundane moments, to be cast in His shadow.

I have come to realize that nothing but God will ever truly satisfy me. And my prayer is that this is the year I put things in their proper order.

How about you? What are your ands? Is there anything in your life you have placed on equal status with God? If so, pick up a copy of Tozer’s Pursuit of God and join me in eliminating them.

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Creation as a Performance

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | November 1, 2011

3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. – John 1:3 (HCSB)

How did the world we live in come to be? We live in a world where many suggest it was merely a cosmic accident. The right chemicals mingled at the right time and the end result was the planet earth with its myriad of life. On the other hand, the Book of John clearly articulates that all things were created through Jesus Christ. What does the Bible mean when it speaks of creation? The word the HCSB translates as “create” is the Greek “ginomai” (ghin’-om-ahee). Strong’s Greek Dictionary defines ginomai as “to cause to be.” Thayer’s Dictionary adds that it is akin to a man who “come(s) upon the stage” and appears in public with the intention of performing. Unlike an actor, however, Thayer’s continues on to say that there is an element of “ginomai” that is miraculous.

When John writes that all things were created through Him (Christ), he is asserting that there was a point in time when God appeared on the stage of history and miraculously caused everything, as we know it, to come into existence. When we consider the word “ginomai” on this level, we begin to understand how Christ fit into Creation. Colossians 1:15 teaches that Christ is the image of the invisible God. In the context of our study it becomes evident that it was Christ, the image of the invisible God, who appeared on the stage of creation. God the Father was the director and Christ Himself was the actor providing His personal touches to the performance. And what a performance it was! Paul writes in the first chapter of Romans, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made …” (Romans 1:20 NASB). Christ’s performance was one that has provided witness to God’s existence since the beginning of time.

There is an artistry and beauty in creation. So much so that every time we act, write, or perform we are merely imitating that First Great Performance!

We may quibble over the means of Creation, but there should be no debate over the identity of that First Great Performer. Looking at the word “ginomai” at greater depth helps to clarify this important Biblical assertion.

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How Christians Ruin the Gospel

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | September 26, 2011

As I study the Bible I am impressed by how mysterious and beautiful the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. It is amazing to me that Jesus Christ died for all mankind, while we were sinners, and that all we have to do is respond in faith to step into a relationship with God that is abundant with grace (Romans 5:1-11). I don’t understand it all and I expect that on this side of eternity I will never completely understand the glory of Christ, but I appreciate it … and I believe in it.

Paul used the example of Abraham to illustrate how we are saved by faith rather than deeds.

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3)

Notice what Paul doesn’t say. He doesn’t claim that Abraham understood it all. He never claims that Abraham understood how God was going to give him and his wife children as such an advanced age. The how was a mystery to Abraham; yet he believed God anyway.

In the same way, the Christian doesn’t have to understand how Christ’s act on the cross allows access to God … rather, the Christian need only to respond in faith. On my day of conversion I understood little about God, the Bible, or the debates within theological circles. I knew only one thing … Christ was beautiful and died for me. I understood that my acknowledgement of Christ’s sacrifice somehow allowed me to approach a God whom I had never believed in and ask for forgiveness. More than anything, I felt the overwhelming affirmation that God loved me and expressed that love through Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we often ruin the Gospel.

We make the Gospel message about so much more than the mystery of Christ. We add rules and superfluous beliefs to the mix. Here’s a top ten list of things we Christians love to add to the gospel of Christ:

  1. You must be a republican.
  2. You must be a democrat.
  3. You must be against abortion.
  4. Marriage is between one man and one woman. Homosexuals need not apply.
  5. The Bible is infallible in every sense of the word.
  6. All drinking, swearing, smoking, and any other visible sins must cease immediately.
  7. Divorced people are one step above sewer scum.
  8. Hell is a real tangible place and you’re in danger of being sent there every waking minute of your life.
  9. Let’s not even mention evolution.
  10. Prayer belongs in schools!

Make no mistake, Christ will shape how a person views every item on that list, but that’s not the point … here’s the point – it’s often not enough for Christians that an unbeliever would come to Christ … sure, we want them to come to Christ, but more than anything we want them to come to Christ while agreeing with us on every single issue. Isn’t it overwhelming enough for a nonbeliever to entertain the thought of Christ as Savior without being forced to make up their minds on every facet of life?

The Bible just tells the unbeliever to come to Christ in faith.

Without a doubt, salvation will eventually shape the way a believer sees everything in his or her life. My views on nearly every subject have done a 180 since Christ entered the equation; however, none of it happened on day one. Christ has slowly worked me. My views have slowly changed and I have become more graceful in my daily walk. I thank Christ for changing me and pray that He will continue to chip away at my person until I look more like Him.

I pray for those I love to have that same experience.

Just come to Christ in faith.

Beautiful.

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