Pilgrim TheologyDecember 18, 2025 by Chris Peterson
Category: Uncategorized
As human creatures made in God's image, we are indelibly marked with the desire to interpret, to understand the meaning of our lives, the cosmos we live in, and the Creator we serve. The fruit of this quest for meaning is the study of theology (theo = God plus logos = word), which literally means "word related to God."


We are as humans, in our very essence, image of God, therefore it is most fitting to study the word about God. Since all creation was made to reflect the glory of God, humans add modifiers to theology to account for the various perspectives or lenses through which we study God, to name three, biblical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology. 
Biblical theology studies God's revelation of Himself and His activities through the storyline of redemption, moving linearly from Genesis to Revelation. Historical theology pays attention to the fruit of God's Word (for the gospel-word creates the body and congregation of the Messiah), a congregation that is centered on God's Word, so in effect, we pay attention to the creeds and confessions that arise out of the church's study of Scripture. Systematic theology recognizes that as interpreters of Scripture, we systematize the narrative and propositions revealed in Scripture as doctrine, the apostolic tradition, or what some may call dogmatics.  
We observe these three aspects of theology at work in the apostle Paul's epistle to Timothy, particularly 1 Timothy 1:15, 17. The apostle underlines the faithful confession regarding Christ or "the trustworthy saying": "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1:15). (Observe the redemptive story or biblical theology in the statement that Christ came into the world for the purpose of saving sinners.)
After providing a credal and confessional statement to be accepted by the church, Paul systematizes Scriptural statements made about God: "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1:17). The apostle Paul has categorized the teaching of Scripture regarding God's essence: immortal, invisible, only. 
Biblical, systematic, and historical theology serve to guard the church's sound doctrine and motivation for worship. We observe the benefit of theology pertaining to the sound doctrine of the church with Paul's statement to Timothy: "This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience" (1:18-19). Timothy's motivation (and implicitly, the church's motivation) to wage spiritual warfare involved both his gospel-theological charge and his prophetic calling. 
In summary, the redemptive plan of God regarding Christ (biblical theology), the trustworthy statement or confession concerning Christ (historical theology), and categorical propositions about God gleaned from Scripture (systematic theology) serve the church and her leaders in waging the good warfare by holding firm the faith. And we observe the worship of the church, often called doxology, in the apostle's praise statement: "be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." "Amen" is an individual and corporate statement of faith and worship that calls for the unity of the church in response to theology. Thus, theology drives doxology.
Consequently, the trustworthy statement, the confession of the gospel, reflected in historical theology gives the church WHAT is to be guarded. Biblical theology as it reveals the purpose of God regarding the redemptive work of Jesus Christ unfolded in Scripture explains WHY doctrine is guarded. Systematic theology that categorizes God, Christ, salvation, and the ministry of the church tells us HOW doctrine is protected (the guard rails so to speak). Each aspect of theology participates in one another, working together in unity, guarding the church in the faith for the glory of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. 
With all that said, hopefully vindicating the importance of theology for guarding the faith for the church's good warfare, Michael Horton has provided a great service in his systematic theology, Pilgrim Theology. This is a synthesized work of his book, The Christian Faith. Consider Pilgrim Theology the simple version of The Christian Faith, focused on the priorities of systematic theology, that is God, Christ, salvation, and the ministry of the church.

This book is not written specifically for the athlete but rather, its aim is for every reader whose identity is wrapped around his or her performance and approval. Doctor Ashley has observed, after many years of ministry, that an identity-built-on-performance mentality plagues every son and daughter of Adam.
In this short book of 75 pages, Ashley Null begins the first half of his book by laying the groundwork for understanding the gospel of grace rooted in the heart of God's love for sinners. In the second half of the book, Null offers two case studies for his readers.
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May 1, 2024 by Chris P
Category: Uncategorized
For this month’s book review, we are stepping back into the early 1800s to dust off a little book written by Octavius Winslow. Winslow was born in England and ministered as a contemporary of Charles Spurgeon and J.C. Ryle. He is noted for his high view of God, yet desire to flesh out the power of Christ’s supremacy in the believer’s daily life.

Consider with me for a moment Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 6:4: “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (6:10).
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How is it possible to be characterized by both sorrow and joy; having nothing, yet possessing everything? At first glance, they do seem to be contradictory or at the least, strange bed-fellows. At second glance, we recognize the harm it would be to experience a life of joy with no sorrow, or on the other hand, sorrow with no joy.

Imagine the danger of experiencing a drowning sorrow that knows no joy or the alternative - a triumphal joy that knows no sorrow. Would not a pure unmitigated sorrow be characterized of hell? And wouldn't a pure, undiluted joyful bliss be characterized of heaven?

Neither an unmixed joy nor an unmixed sorrow would be in touch with reality, which is our situation on earth. Neither mental states would reflect a healthy mindset. For as long as we live on this earth, in this temporal plane, sorrow and joy are mixed in our experiences. For this old-creation world participates in both the common curse as a result of the fall, and common grace as a result of God's Noahic covenant to preserve the world for the redemption of Christ.

And yet, all humankind participates in both common curse and common grace, thus experiencing mixed joy and sorrow, while awaiting the return of Christ who will indeed redeem and judge separating a new-creation heaven (and new earth) filled with joy from the old-creation hell filled with sorrow. But that's not really our topic for the moment. We are considering the mixed sorrow and joy of the believer-in-Jesus as a motivation for serving Christ today. 

​Omaha Bible Church: Omaha, NE > The Christian Ethic of Joy and Suffering

The gospel writer Luke recounts the time in Christ’s earthly ministry when he sat down for a great feast with a large company of tax collectors. The religious leaders, with great grumbling, asked Jesus’ disciples why he would be eating with sinners like tax collectors.
Aware of their complaining, Jesus responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). Jesus’ response is shocking and provocative.

Let’s observe some of the sins that identify the sinners that God saves to understand the shock value that the Pharisees experienced. God saves adulterers, perverts, murderers, pedophiles, traitors who betray and sell out Christians (like tax collectors), witches, sorcerers, and homosexuals, but He does not save the honest person, the faithful spouse, the one who sacrifices his life to save another, the religious church member, or the loving parent because of their good efforts.

This is a shocking, almost revolting statement of Jesus, isn’t it? As Paul noted in 1 Corinthians 6:11, with regard to these sins, “Such were some of you.” God does not save good, upstanding people. God does not let self-righteous people into His holy kingdom because humanity’s best efforts are actually filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6).

As to the matter of entrance into God’s kingdom, all humanity is equally condemned. There is no scale for God’s acceptance. There is only the righteousness of God and the self-righteousness of the flesh, which is rubbish to God. All of it.

Then what value does honesty and faithfulness provide? Ecclesiastes observes that both the do-gooders and the evil-doers end up in the same place – the grave (9:2). So, as to the pragmatic end, there is no benefit. As to the horizonal perspective, there is a temporary benefit for our neighbors in that we show love by being honest, kind, and sacrificial. 

But, as to the vertical dimension, with regard to God, Philippians 3:7-9 reminds us that it is all rubbish.

So, how do we explain God’s salvation of sinners, if he doesn’t save the righteous? The reformers delineated this apparent paradox whereby God saves sinners by describing Christians as sinner-saints.

READ MORE HERE!
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