Theology for the Rest of Us

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148: What is the “Seeker Sensitive” Movement? Sep 03, 2016

Show notes

The desire of church leaders to reach irreligious or unchurched people is certainly not a new desire, and there have been many movements throughout church history influenced by that simple desire. One of those movements influenced by that desire is a modern movement within North American Evangelical circles now known as the “seeker sensitive” movement.

This modern movement has its roots in the philosophies of mega-church Willow Creek Community Church (pastored by Bill Hybels) in the Chicagoland region.

In this episode, Kenny starts off by giving us the multiple definitions and understandings of the term “seeker sensitive” and some of the ramifications of this modern movement. He also highlights the core values of this modern movement, as well as its pros and cons.

Kenny makes it clear that he believes church leaders ought to be cognizant and aware of the fact that there might be people in the church service that do not understand the Gospel, the Bible, modern Christian lingo, or modern Evangelical sub-culture, therefore we ought to be cautious about how we articulate certain things from the pulpit, being sensitive to their lack of knowledge.

In his typical simply style, Kenny gives us illustrations and key points as to how we ought to view “seekers” in the church and how church leadership ought to approach unbelievers in the midst of the worship gathering.

Kenny believes that the Gospel itself is offensive to the natural human mind, so when the Gospel is proclaimed, it will offend some people (and it should). So, with that in mind, Kenny believes preachers and church leaders ought to be cautious not to offend unbelievers with any non-Gospel-related topics.

The other important element Kenny highlights in this episode is the primary purpose for church services. Kenny tells us that New Testament themes point to the fact that church services ought to be the place where Christians gather together for worship and to hear the Word preached. While we certainly ought to be sensitive to the fact that there might be “seekers” in the room, we must always remain faithful to this primary purpose.

Kenny says that this is where many churches get it wrong; being too seeker sensitive, sometimes even catering to the seekers or seeking to entertain unbelievers to ensure that those unbelievers come back to church. This is where many churches end up compromising the quality of the worship service or they neglect rightly preaching the Word of God.

Highlighted Passages

Romans 1:16

Romans 10

Hebrews 4:12

Psalm 119

1 Corinthians 1:18

147: Do the Angels Really Celebrate When a Sinner Repents? Sep 02, 2016

Show notes

There is a common saying in modern Evangelical circles that whenever someone repents and comes to faith in Christ (often called “getting saved”), the angels in heaven “throw a party.” Is this true? Do the angels indeed celebrate?

In this episode, Kenny explains the passage of Scripture that this idea comes from (Luke 15:7-10) and he highlights what those verses are actually saying. The Bible does indeed tell us about a form of rejoicing and abundance of joy that is in heaven whenever humans repent, but when we examine the passage closely, it becomes obvious to us that the source of the joy and rejoicing isn’t the angels.

146: What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls? Why Do They Matter? Aug 31, 2016

Show notes

In 1947, an incredible archaeological discovery was made in some desert caves located near the Dead Sea. Several hundred scrolls from ancient times were found; more than 200 hundred of them were manuscripts of Biblical text.

Since the discovery, the region around the caves have been excavated and examined. The Dead Sea scrolls have been called the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times.

In this episode, Kenny explains these scrolls and why every Christian ought to be familiar with this incredible discovery. The Dead Sea Scrolls have had an incredible impact on how many scholars view our modern Bible.

145: Has the Bible Been Changed Over the Centuries? Aug 31, 2016

Show notes

A common question asked by new believers and those inquiring about the Christian faith, “How do we know the Bible hasn’t been changed over the course of centuries since the early Church? How can we be confident that the words have not been edited, rewritten, or altered in any way?”

This is also a topic often brought up by critics that would seek to undermine the authority and credibility of the Scriptures.

One of the primary tenants of the Christian faith is the authority of the Scriptures, but if we cannot prove that the writings are authentic, then how can we know that they are authoritative? The answer has to do with the manuscripts and fragments of manuscripts discovered by archaeologists.

In this episode, Kenny uses a fun animated narrative to teach how textual critics reconstruct writings from the ancient world. Then, Kenny examines the number of manuscripts we have today for many popular works from antiquity and compares those numbers with the numbers of manuscripts we have today for the Bible. The evidence we have for the authenticity of Bible is overwhelming!

Recommend Resources

How We Got the Bible (Timothy Paul Jones)

The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (FF Bruce)

The Books and the Parchments (FF Bruce)

The Canon of Scripture (FF Bruce)

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Norm Giesler)

The Text of the New Testament (Bruce Metzger)

144: How Was the Bible Compiled? Aug 29, 2016

Show notes

One of the primary tenants of the Christian faith is the authority of the Scriptures. The Bible is heavily relied upon by many people for the development of theology and doctrine as well as personal guidance and advice. But where did the Bible come from? How was this book compiled?

In this episode, Kenny makes the point that we cannot understand the Bible, and its authority, unless we understand the history surrounding the Bible. Once we understand the first century context of how these letters were written, then we can understand how and why it was compiled.

Kenny highlights the overall history of the Bible by using a fun animated narrative. Then, Kenny talks through the important moments and ecumenical councils throughout church history that solidified the ultimate compilation of Scriptures into the singular book we now call The Holy Bible.

Recommend Resources

How We Got the Bible (Timothy Paul Jones)

Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Norm Giesler)

The Canon of Scripture (FF Bruce)

143: Who is Josephus? Why Does He Matter? Aug 26, 2016

Show notes

The name “Josephus” is a name that is “thrown around” in many Jewish and Christians circles on a regular basis; but who was this man? And why does he matter to our lives today?

In a previous episode, Kenny interviewed Dr. John Morris about extra-Biblical evidences for the resurrection of Jesus, and the primary source mentioned in that episode was the works of Flavius Josephus. In this episode, Kenny gives us a glimpse into the life of this influential man.

Josephus was a Jewish religious leader who later became a military commander for the Jewish people in the “Jewish Wars” of the first century and then eventually became the state-sponsored historian for the Roman Empire. He wrote extensively about the Jewish people and their way of life. PBS ran an article about Josephus wherein he was referred to as “our primary source” for understanding the first century context of the Judean region and reconstructing first century history.

Recommended Resources

Josephus: The Complete Works edited by J.I. Packer

Resurrected! by Dr. John Morris

142: Are All Sins Equal? Aug 25, 2016

Show notes

There is a common belief among many Christians that “all sins are equal”… but is idea this true? In this episode, Kenny dives into the history of this common belief and what passages of Scriptures, if any, that this idea is rooted in. Then Kenny gives us a more holistic Biblical approach to properly comparing sin.

Yes, it is true that all sins have the same eternal consequences for your soul if you do not repent, so in that sense all sins are equal. But overall, all different types of sins have a variance of their impact on our own souls and upon others. Some sins cause more damage than others, therefore, in that sense, they are not equal.

141: Should Preachers “Call-Out” Other Preachers? with Kenneth Freire Aug 24, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, our host Kenny interviews theologian Kenneth Freire about preachers publicly “calling out” other preachers with whom they disagree. Freire says that there is indeed a time and place for preachers to call out other preachers, but he warns against doing so too fast or too flippantly because of the repercussions such actions can have on that preacher’s reputation.

Kenneth Freire has a Bachelors degree in Biblical Studies from Liberty University and an M.Div. from Regent University. He has more than eight years of experience with leadership development, having trained over 500 men and women in leadership and theology. Kenneth Freire currently serves as a part of the ministry leadership team at Bethany Global University in Minneapolis, MN where he serves as a professor as well as serving as one of the Directors of their Lead Internship gap-year program.

Read Kenneth Friere’s Blog: www.kenfreire.com

Follow Kenneth on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kenneth.freire

Check out the Lead Internship: www.leadintern.com

140: What is the Covenant of Redemption? Aug 24, 2016

Show notes

The system and framework of theology which asserts that the covenants are essential to overall hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation) is known as Covenant Theology, and it is typically contrasted against Dispensationalism.

Within the system of Covenant Theology, there are typically two overarching covenants that govern how we interpret the Bible. However some people within Protestantism assert that there is actually a third covenant, known as the Covenant of Redemption.

In this episode, Kenny explains the Covenant of Redemption and the divide among Protestants over this doctrine. The Covenant of Redemption is an eternal agreement (or pact) amongst the members of the Trinity in which the Father appointed the Son to become a human, to suffer, and to die as the federal head of mankind in order to make an atonement for the sins of the elect. In return, the Father promised to raise Christ from the dead, glorify Him, and give Him a people (the elect).

139: What’s the Difference Between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology? Aug 17, 2016

Show notes

This episode is a follow-up to our previous episode about Covenant Theology. As stated in the previous episode, there are two primary frameworks used by most Protestants today to interpret Scripture: Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism.

Dispensationalism considers Biblical history as divided deliberately by God into specific time periods (dispensations). In each dispensation, God governs and relates to his people in different ways. According to dispensationalists, each time period is thus administered in a certain way, and humanity is held responsible as a steward during that time.

In this episode, Kenny highlights the key differences between the two theological systems. Then Kenny explains a few examples of how dispensationalism would interpret certain passages of Scripture versus how most theologians would interpret those same passages by taking a covenantal approach.

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