Dr Paul Allen

“In the early centuries, the church saw Christianity threatened by a number of theological heresies,” writes Michael A. G. Haykin for Southern Equip. While history never repeats itself exactly, the theological heresies of the past often resurface in many different ways. “Knowledge of how Christians in the past defended the faith against Gnosticism would provide helpful ways of responding to postmodern spirituality today.” History gives context:  John of Damascus sheds light on how the early church fathers approached false teaching against orthodox Christianity. “‘John here accurately relates the teaching of Islam that Christ was not crucified, but that “God raised him up to himself,’ which is actually an assertion inherited from Gnosticism!” Another topic of conversation was the Muslim critique of trinitarianism, which John of Damascus refuted. Christians are Trinitarian because the New Testament is Trinitarian. We have much to learn from the controversies and theological heresies ...

IRENAEUS (C. AD 130–202) Some might express surprise at Irenaeus's choice. He is best known for writing Against Heresies, a work that relentlessly dismantles early Gnosticism. Granted, the first two books of this lengthy work are often tedious because they recount and describe all the gnostic myths and errors. Sadly, however, many readers have failed to reach books 3–5 because they gave up before getting to these sections of the works. James Payton has done every student of the early church a favour by editing a condensed version of Against Heresies under the title Irenaeus on the Christian Faith. This work allows readers to focus on books 3–5, where Irenaeus provides a positive exposition of Christian teaching. ANTHANASIUS (c. ad 296 -373 Athanasius is one of the most significant fathers of the early church, primarily because of his contribution to the Trinitarian debates and his refutation of various forms of Arianism. His defenceIncarnation of orthodoxy led to his being exiled m...

Although it is common for my Calvinist, non-charismatic friends to point to church history in support of their cessationist position, it’s really a mistake for them to do so. A big mistake. Church history actually works against them. The first reason is the most obvious. Reformed cessationists, like me, are in the Protestant, rather than Catholic, camp of the church. That means that we believe that, in some very fundamental ways, much of the church lost its way through history, because of which a massive reformation was needed. Many Reformed Christians even argue that Roman Catholics are not Christians at all, meaning that roughly half of all professing Christians today are de facto disqualified. On what basis, then, does a Reformed cessationist appeal to church history, when so much of that history is rejected from the outset? If the argument is that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit which were normative in New Testament times gradually disappeared from church history, what do these ...

There are many stories of supernatural protection from angels. One inner‑city counselor claimed a seven‑foot angel protected her from a gang of thugs.1 On the other hand, Wolly Tope established a Christian ministry to people disillusioned by false and cultic teachings. In April 1992 he had an appointment with destiny. When he heard about riots breaking out in Los Angeles, Tope took to the streets and preached to the rioters. A gang of hoodlums beats him so severely that he fell into a coma. Tope died the following year, never regaining consciousness after his beating. Why didn’t angels protect Tope during the riots? If everyone or at least every Christian has a guardian angel, where was his guardian angel that night? Belief in guardian angels is nothing new. Ancient thinkers of the Greco-Roman world such as Plato, Plutarch, and Plotinus believed in spiritual guardians, as did Babylonian and Assyrian writers.2 Ancient Jewish traditions suggested that angels were assigned to everyone.3 S...

Nobody is exempt from the influence of the environment in which we live, grow, and learn, either for good or for ill. Generation Z (1997–2012) is my generation, and our greatest danger is also our most obvious blessing: the internet. We’ve never lived without it. Witnessing continual technological advancement—and receiving unhindered access to unlimited resources with constantly updated informational tidbits—is normative for my generation. Staying up to date on breaking news is effortless and almost inevitable; we could scarcely avoid it if we tried. Our favorite thing about the news is simply that it’s new. We are a generation obsessed with fads and trends; we want to talk about what everyone else is talking about and do what everyone else is doing. Otherwise, we might miss out and feel as though we have nothing to contribute. Many of us want to build a better future, not reminisce about the past. The former observation is commendable. The latter has devastating consequences. For my g...

What are the four types of theology? Biblical studies This pillar of theology is the critical examination and interpretation of theological texts. In Christian theology, this refers primarily to the Bible – but can also be extended to other texts that provide comment on the Bible. “Christian theology is rooted in the Bible – the Old and New Testament. Biblical studies allows us to learn how to read a passage of scripture and discern its implications. This process is called exegesis.” To study theology through exegesis means connecting deeply with a text and explore meaning within it. You also investigate how the historical period in which the Bible was written may have influenced the text and its interpretation. Church history As the name suggests, this is the study of how Christian theology has changed over time. How has it interacted, shaped and been influenced by historical events across the world.  After all, Christianity has shaped a great deal of human civilization’s recent h...

The most basic affirmation the Scriptures make regarding the nature of God is that He is one. The Shema of Deuteronomy 6 reads as follows: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one” (v. 4). These words that preface the great commandment are axiomatic to the biblical understanding of the nature of God. Old and New Testaments together bear witness to the eternal truth that there exists one God—monotheism.  Another term for monotheism is the word Monarchianism, meaning that the God of the Bible is a monarch. Monarch comes from a Greek word that has a prefix and a root. The prefix mono means “one” or “single.” The root word archē means “beginning, chief, or ruler.” We hear of archbishops, archenemies, archangels, all of which employ the root term archē. A monarchy is a form of government in which the rule is restricted to one person, a king or a queen, as distinguished from the rule of the few (oligarchy) or the rule of many (plutarchy). The doctrine of the Trinity, central t...

In this article, we’re going to take the long film reel of the church’s history since the apostles and zoom in on four key scenes that illumine the whole film. We will look at the early church first, at the great Augustine second, at the Reformers third, and finally at two giants in modern theology. Scene 1: The Early Church Let’s start in the first centuries after the apostles, where perhaps the dominating issue was this question: Who exactly is Jesus? The orthodox church had to fight for the truth that Jesus is truly God — and that he truly became human. And that was a fight for the fact that we truly see the glory of God in the face of Christ — and that his birth is good news of great joy. Truly Human Consider, first, the fight to uphold Jesus’s true humanity. In the early days after the New Testament, there were some who just could not believe that God himself could have become truly human. So they dismissed the very possibility and said that Christ must only have seemed ...

Why should anyone care about church history? Reading stories from the church fathers made history come alive. I’d like to share five arguments why I think Christians should think church history is great and take it seriously. 1) Church history helps us better understand the Bible and avoid theological mistakes Ever heard of a guy named Marcion? He was a second-century heretic who couldn’t reconcile what seemed to be a demanding, petty, cruel, and vindictive God of the Old Testament with the gracious, forgiving and loving Jesus of the New Testament. So, he concluded there must be 2 gods, the pathetic and insufferable “bad god” who created the world, and the kind and gentle “good god,” Jesus, whose purpose is to redeem us from the “bad god” (not to him).  So, Marcion unhitched his belief in Jesus from the Old Testament by getting rid of it. Good thing no Christian, especially an evangelical preacher , would ever make such a mistake today. 2) Church history is really, really i...

For many Christians, the early church is somewhat like an exotic foreign land. Perhaps we’ve heard stories about it or have read an article or two, but most of us have never taken the time to visit. If we’ve heard anything about it at all, we’ve become overwhelmed with thinking about it. There are so many people to see and places to go. Where would we even begin? I would like to suggest a means of becoming acquainted with the first five centuries of the church through the reading of primary sources—the writings of those who lived at that time. There are, of course, other options. One could begin with a book summarizing the names, dates, and important events of key church fathers, and that option has its advantages. For example, this approach provides the big picture within which the many individuals fit. For those who prefer this approach, I would recommend beginning with: Nick Needham’s 2000 Years of Christ’s Power, Vol. 1: The Age of the Early Church Fathers . While getting t...

How accurate is the inspired revelation of the 66 books of the Bible ? How do we know? Since Scripture is God ’s revelation given through inspiration, it is inerrant. Simply put, the inerrancy of the Bible means that the 66 books of Scripture are the truth, containing no error. In the original manuscripts, every word is entire without error. Whatever Scripture affirms is true and not contrary to fact. Whether speaking of the six-day creation, a global flood, the grace and mercy of God, the resurrection and the future bodily return of Jesus Christ , the Bible is true, factual, and without error. In other words, the Bible is absolutely inerrant. The question of inerrancy—how true is the Bible—depends upon the source and nature of the Bible. To understand the extent of the Bible’s truthfulness begins with asking, “What is the Bible?” and, “How did we get it?” First, the Bible is special revelation. That is to say, the very words are disclosure from God otherwise unavailable ...