What I Believe

Angelology

(Angels) I believe that Angels in the Bible are Messengers of God. They can be both natural (human beings) and supernatural (the stereotypical angel wings and all). Some Supernatural Angels appeared in the form of human beings and others in their heavenly stereotypical form. I believe that the angels referred to in the Book of Revelation to the 7 churches of Asia were simply the human messengers who were tasked with delivering the "mail" so-to-speak.

Bibliology

(Bible) I believe that the "Protestant" Canon of the Holy Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God in written form. I believe that translations are "finicky" in their details but ultimately I believe that Truth can be understood in any translation of the manuscripts from Greek/Hebrew with enough effort. I prefer word-for-word literal translations yet easy to read and comprehended for the 21st century English speaker. I don't speak any other languages so any Bible translation other than Modern 21st Century American English would be a hindrance to my studies rather than a help. I will at times use alternate translations as an aide in comprehension but most study I do comes from Modern English Translations. My preferred translation currently is the ESV. Most passages I have memorized though come from the NKJV and few are memorized in the KJV from my youth. I believe there are some writings not in the canon that may be safely studied while not impacting the sanctity of the existing Canon. These writings while informative must be studied with care. I believe it is possible that there are inspired writings outside of the Canon but choose not to make claims of inspiration beyond my capabilities to determine such.

Christology

(Jesus Christ) I believe that Jesus Christ is the "Monogenes"/Only Son of God. I believe Christ while on earth was the physical manifestation of the One True and ONLY God. I believe that God Himself appeared to us as a Man in the form of Yeshua of Nazareth. I believe that God then allowed Himself to be persecuted and crucified by His contemporaries both Jews and Gentiles in order to save the human race from destruction in the second death which is the lake of fire. Accomplishing this He returned to that Holy Place where God dwells and lives forever more as intercessor for all who would come to Him in faith. I Believe He pre-existed Creation and all things were created through Him. He is who He is.

Demonology

(Demons) I believe Demons are fallen angels. I believe they were corrupted at some point that was either not revealed to us in full or was revealed by God to a prophet and recorded outside of the current canon. The Books of Enoch and other apocryphal books that shed light on the subject of demons and their origin is something of interest to me but I always try to stick to what scripture reveals about them and outside of that is merely speculation.

Ecclesiology

(Christian Church) I believe the Church is strictly the people. Specifically those people who are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ and grafted to the New Covenant of God through the answer of a good conscious toward God by Full Immersion in water (aka Baptism). I believe the Church is best expressed organically. I do not conform to what the majority of the world describes as the "Church". I do not believe in the institutional form of "doing church". I believe scripture shows us how God wants His people to interact and I believe what is desired by Him is more organic than artificial.

Eschatology

(End times) I believe that all prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled since, at the latest, AD 1096. And at the earliest AD 70. This is what is known as a form of the "Preterist" position. I believe the "End times" that was the focus of all the NT AND OT writers was the End Times of physical Israel. I believe that after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans, what we call the "Christian Church" (see my definition of "Church" above) is what remains of Spiritual Israel.

Hamartiology

(Sin) I believe that sin is any thought or action that contradicts God's will for mankind as revealed in the Holy Bible. I believe Sin is the cause of all human suffering. The only way to remove the condemnation of sin (which is the second death in the "lake of fire"), is the saving blood of God's Son Jesus Christ. I believe that after sin was introduced to the world, (through Satan/The Devil) it spread like a plague and corrupted all of mankind save for Noah and his family. All of Mankind was wiped out and Noah and his family were chosen to repopulate the Earth.

Hermeneutics

(Bible interpretation) I believe in letting Scripture interpret Scripture. I believe that one must approach Bible interpretation without presuppositions. I believe this to be the only way to remove human error from scriptural interpretation. I believe it is the responsibility of every human to find Truth in God's written Word. This often includes abandoning long held beliefs by the individual and the Church as a whole. I believe that tradition, while important, does not and can not usurp scripture in what it says. Audience Relevance, time statements, and historical context are all important factors in interpreting the Scriptures.

Homiletics

(Preaching) I believe God intends for preaching to consist of discussion and not rhetorical forms that do not allow for interaction, whether it be questioning or interjection. I believe the common practice of one person lecturing to an entire group of people whether it be 1 or more leads to laziness and stunted spiritual growth among the Church. I believe it also serves to elevate a class of Christians above other Christians in a spiritually unhealthy way.

Israelology

(Israel) I believe that the Christian Church is Israel. I believe physical Israel was eliminated in AD 70 never to be revived. I believe any modern claims to the area of Palestine as being the same Israel of the Bible are false and dangerous. I believe the modern state of Israel is merely socio-political in nature and has nothing to do with prophecy or the "end times".

Paterology

(God the Father) I believe that God the Father is that characteristic of God that we relate to as our Creator, Designer, and Spiritually Paternal God. While not a "different" God, He is the part of God that we refer to when we pray from this physical form and existence. We cannot come to God without acknowledging the work He performed as "the Son".

Pneumatology

(Holy Spirit) I believe that all believers receive the Holy Spirit of God upon our Immersion in water (aka Baptism). This is the part of God that sustains us. This is the part of God that manifests in us through our deeds. It is the cause of our existence as children of God. The Holy Spirit is literally God in us. The Holy Spirit guides our actions and our thoughts in every GOOD way. Submission to this gift of God during our time on Earth will perfect us in every way. When we act against God's Spirit we sin.

Soteriology

(Salvation) I believe that salvation is only gained through repentance and obedience to God through Jesus Christ His Son. I believe that the "sacrament" of what is commonly called "Baptism" which I believe is Full Body Adult Immersion in Water, is a necessary step in being granted salvation through Jesus Christ. Upon this faithful Immersion in water, one is considered "saved". I believe this salvation CAN be lost should the individual make a conscious decision to turn away from God and reject Christ.

Theology

(God) I believe God to be the Creator of EVERYTHING both physical and spiritual. I believe He exists outside of His creation, and as such, is not subject to our understanding of time and space in the physical universe. I believe God to be "that" which is, was, has always been and always will be. I believe His creation testifies to His existence and His nature. I believe God has in times past revealed His Will to mankind through those He deemed worthy, whom we call "Prophets". I believe He chose and used Abraham of Mesopotamia and in particular his descendant Jacob (Israel) to bring forth the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), to save us all from the destruction of Sin which entered in through the disobedience of the first humans Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden who were deceived by Satan/The Devil.

Cosmology

(Origins) I believe Genesis to be a literal account of what took place at the dawn of creation. I believe we are all descended from Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And by extension descended from Adam and Eve. I believe the Earth to be approximately 6000 years old according to the lineages and ages of the people mentioned in scripture. I believe that all historical and observational scientific evidence, when interpreted objectively, proves this to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt.