Daniel Tomberlin – Page 20 – Reflections of an Undeconstructed Pentecostal

December 20, 2021December 20, 2021

An Ancient Christmas Sermon – Augustine

St. Augustine was the Bishop of Hippo (in Northern Africa) from AD 395 – 430. Some of his Christmas sermons have been published in the Ancient Christian Writers series – St. Augustine: Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany (The Newman Press, 1952). Following are selected excerpts that summarize his Trinitarian Christology.

Listen, dearly beloved, and see what sound advice the Apostle has for us when he says: As therefore you have received Christ Jesus our Lord, walk ye in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and confirmed in the faith. With this simple and solid faith we ought to persevere in Him, that He may Himself make known to the faithful what is hidden in Him; for, as the same Apostle says, in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.^[1]

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December 18, 2021December 18, 2021

A Christmas Sermon: The Pathos of Advent

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind (John 1:4).

The Incarnation of the eternal Son is situated within human experience. In other words, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) means that God experienced the fulness of human experience, and humans might experience the fulness of God. Pathos is an expression of emotion, or passion. So, to speak of the pathos of Advent is to reflect on how the coming of Christ moves us towards faith in God. The pathos of Advent is illustrated in the candles of the Advent wreath. As we moved towards the celebration of Christmas, we light a candle and reflect.

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December 3, 2021December 3, 2021

The Theology of Christmas

Christmas is about theology. During this season of the year, we read selections of Scripture that tell the story of the Virgin conception of the Son of God. We sing hymns like O Come all Ye Faithful (Wade) that are replete with theological phrases:

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November 1, 2021

Who is the Gospel For?

Who is the Gospel for? That may seem like a ridiculous question. And of course, the proper response is that the gospel is for everyone. The Gospel is God’s remedy for humanity disordered by sin. But a church disordered by its surrounding culture has often missed the mark in practicing the Gospel.

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October 31, 2021October 31, 2021

Social Justice/Critical Race Theory and the Church

October 18, 2021July 18, 2024

Sometimes Feminine Imagery is Used to Talk about God

Centuries before the modern feminist movement, Christian theologians used feminine imagery to talk about God. It’s a mistake to assume that feminine references to God are a capitulation to radical feminism. Even the divinely inspired scriptures use feminine imagery in reference to God.

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October 12, 2021February 15, 2022

I Believe in God the Father

The Christian revelation that God is Holy Trinity is firmly established in Jesus’ commission to his disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This is remarkable when we realize that God is called “Father” less than a dozen times in the Old Testament. However, the “fatherhood” of God is woven throughout message of the New Testament. But what does it mean to confess, “I believe in God the Father?”

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