Posts

Showing posts from August, 2024

Old Roman Creed

I believe in God the Father almighty. And in Christ Jesus, His only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried, on the third day rose from the dead, ascended into the heavens, he sits at the right hand of the Father, from which He will come to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit, the holy Ecclesia, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the body (the life everlasting). ____________ This is an early version of what later became the Apostles’ Creed, called the “Old Roman Creed.” It was in use as early as the second century (Kelly, Creeds, 101). It was the only doctrinal requirement in the early church. It was confessed before baptism. Translated from the Latin by Jay N. Forrest

The Liberal Bogeyman

“We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us.” – Pogo (Walt Kelly) As an Evangelical Christian, I was warned about liberal theology. It was of the devil. I am told that the enemy is the Liberal. I have met the enemy and it is me. When you actually look up the word liberal, you find out it is not a bad word at all. The Oxford English Dictionary defines liberal as “relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.” What’s so bad about that? Maybe because it interferes with big money, political power, and corporate greed. John F. Kennedy once said, “But if by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties—someone who believes we can break through the stalemate a...

Translation of 2 Timothy 3:16

The most common translation of 2 Timothy 3:16 is similar to the King James Version, which reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV). But is this really correct? The English Revised Version of 1885 corrected this to read: “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” The American Standard Version of 1901 did the same: “Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” Because of the fundamentalist backlash, the Revised Standard Version of 1952 decided to return to “All scripture is inspired by God.” They moved the correct translation to the notes, where it reads: “Every scripture inspired by God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in right...

The Core Values of Progressive Christianity

By calling ourselves Progressive Christians, we mean we are Christians who: 1. Believe that following the way and teachings of Jesus can lead to experiencing sacredness, wholeness, and unity of all life, even as we recognize that the Spirit moves in beneficial ways in many faith traditions. 2. Seek community that is inclusive of all people, honoring differences in theological perspective, age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, class, or ability. 3. Strive for peace and justice among all people, knowing that behaving with compassion and selfless love towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe. 4. Embrace the insights of contemporary science and strive to protect the Earth and ensure its integrity and sustainability. 5. Commit to a path of life-long learning, believing there is more value in questioning than in absolutes. Source: https://progressivechristianity.org/

The Failure of Naturalism

“Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things God has made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20). First, lets defines two terms. The first term is materialism. Materialism is “the doctrine that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications” (OED). This term has gone out of favor with many others because it also means “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.” And this latter definition is what people usually think of when they hear the word materialism. The second word is naturalism. Naturalism is “the philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted” (OED). This has become the more common word for this belief system. Of course, they try to hide the fact that it is a belief system by adding the ad...

God's Plan for Your Life

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8). I’m afraid that most people have been told a lie. God’s plan is not to make you happy and healthy. God’s plan is to test you and form you into the image of Christ. God’s plan is to give you the tools and then let you learn to apply them yourself. These tools include a Divine purpose, Divine principles, and a Divine prototype. I might stop to emphasize this again. God’s plan is not a ready-made path. God wants you to make your own path. God wants you to walk your own way. God wants you to live your life according to his principles. Many people mistakenly think God has a ready-made plan for them. And all they need to do is discover that plan, and walk that path. That is false. God wants you to take his Divine purpose, his Divine principles and his Divine prototype and apply those to your life. He wants you to learn to live godly. He wants you t...

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

About

Dr. Jay Forrest is a Christian Philosopher, Certified Meditation Teacher, Independent Researcher, and Specialist in Christian Mysticism. Jay did his undergraduate work at Central Bible College and Global University, and received his Doctorate of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Christian University. Jay has been an ordained minister for four decades and is the Author of 23 books.

Scripture Quotations

Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scriptures marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.