My Wife

I have been sitting here wondering what exactly I did in my life to wind up with a wonderful woman like my wife. As I am reflecting and going through my walk with the Lord it has become apparent what it was that brought her to me. God.

Genesis tells us that God created woman to be a compliment to man. To complete the man. If you read Genesis and the story of creation you will see that there was only one time where God says that it wasn't good. That was the day that He created man alone, God immediately rectified this problem by creating the woman to compliment/complete the man. So what has happened so drastically that we as men look at our wives as more of a possession and or servant and not as an equal.

The fact is there are very few instances in the Bible where the woman is not equal to the man. In fact in almost every case we are (both men and women) created equal, and seen as equal in Christ. Some men don't see this and take advantage of what they perceive their station in life to be to make their wives seem almost like a slave. If you are one of those men, I beg you to please go back and read the Bible a little to see exactly what we as men were commanded by God to do.

In the beginning God gave us men the charge/commandment to be the spiritual head of our house. What exactly does this mean? Does this mean that everything that I say my wife has to immediately agree with and do? I personally do not believe so. What I believe it means is that it is our responsibility as men to take charge of the house and act in the best interest of the household. This does not give us free reign to take advantage of that commandment. Take a look at the story of Adam and Eve. What is widely known is that Eve was approached by the Satan (the serpent) and was deceived into taking a bite of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. We also know that it was commanded by God that they could eat from any tree but that one. But lets actually take a look and see who is truly at fault. Right now all  the men reading this are cheering saying, "yeah if it hadn't been for Eve we wouldn't be in this situation." Is this true, lets take a look.

And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." (Genesis 2:17) Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his compliment." (Genesis 2:18) So here we see that God commanded Adam not to eat from that tree, then He realized that it was not good for man to be alone and created his compliment. The next few verses go into the creation of the woman from the rib of man and so on. What I see is important is that when we get into the temptation story, God instructed only Adam and not Eve, it was Adams responsibility to impress upon his wife the importance of not eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Which if you read the text in Genesis 3:2-3 you can see that Adam had informed Eve about this, but did he truly stress the importance of this command. I don't think he did because as we men like to look over in this story, Adam was present throughout the entire process. "So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Even though Satan targeted Eve he did so in the presence of Adam, it was Adams responsibility to stand up and take the God given leadership role and stop this action and he failed, and for that we all are born into sin because of his failure.

Why did I chose to write this you might ask? Well that is simple, I have been going through and trying to figure out exactly what it means to take the leadership role in my home. My wife has been studying and trying her hardest to assist me in this endeavor and let me tell you it is not easy. I can say though that if it was meant to be easy then God would not have been so emphatic when He commanded us men to take this role. I thank God everyday for giving me a loving and caring wife, who through her own pains continues to push me to live up the role that God has commanded me to. I do not do this with hopes of controlling my wife, but to protect her and complete us the way God intended. I encourage any of the men who might read this to think about that the next time they decide that they are going to get something because they are the bread winner, and deny their wives some simple things that they want. Our job is to protect and provide for the families, not to provide for ourselves and then our families. When we get it wrong, we are disobeying God's plan and to do that is just plain sinful.

Gods Everyday Dude

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Eternal Damnation

Eternal Punishment

The age old question of what will happen when I die has become a debated topic amongst different religious organizations over the years. When addressing this subject you must decide if you are coming at it from a biblical perspective or not. When I read the bible I believe that the bible clearly defines where you will go when you leave your physical body. This paper will attempt to address some of the different views as well as my own.

There are three common thoughts within the religious community about what will happen when your time is up and those are eternal punishment, annihilationism, and universalism. Eternal punishment is the belief that the sinners who chose not to accept Christ as their saviour will be eternally punished and tormented in hell.[1] Annihilationism is the belief that some, if not all, human soles will cease to exist after death.[2] Finally you have universalism, which is the doctrine which asserts that all men will eventually be reconciled to God.[3]

The bible has many different names for hell, but most commonly stated in scripture are Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna. Sheol is related to the grave in numerous scriptures in the Bible, but it is more commonly described as an intermediate state in which soles are dealt with according to their lives on earth. Jesus conquered Sheol when he was resurrected, and in affect turned this final resting place into a changing room where one could change out of their current state into their final state, whether that was eternal glory or damnation. Hades is almost the same as Sheol as it is defined as the abode of the dead.[4] Gehenna is biblically the most accurate depiction of hell due to the sacrificial practices that were conducted there. Gehenna is even stated as being a place of shame the will become the punishment place of by God.[5]

So what do I think about eternal punishment of the unsaved? That is simple; I believe those that do not accept Jesus as their saviour and repent of their sins will be punished for eternity. It is stated throughout the Bible that if you refuse to accept Christ as your saviour and repent that you will not receive eternal life instead you will receive eternal punishment. I believe the best passage that states this is in the book of John right after one of the most quoted scriptures in history. “Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned.”(John 3:18) If you look further into the bible you will also find that in the book of Romans chapter 8 we are compared and described as slaves. The point of this passage is to let you know that you truly have only 2 choices in life. First to become a slave to God and live in eternal glory, or to become a slave to the Devil and live in eternal damnation.

Mathew 25:46 states “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” This is an interpretation of the second judgment. They refer to those who have turned away and denied God, and the righteous are those who have submitted. The word eternal is exactly that, eternal. There is no other way to interpret this scripture than the way that it reads. Only those who are looking for a reason to not believe in eternal punishment will try and disprove this.

The opposition to my view and the biblical view on eternal punishment usually will come from the universalism side of the house. There are those out there that just want to see the good of God and not the wrath. Their arguments are usually based on their idea that a loving God would never subject His creation to such a hideous punishment. To support their view I wish I could provide you with some biblical evidence but the fact of the matter is that there is none. When you hear people try and contradict the theory of eternal punishment with watered down scripture keep this in mind. “But to interpret such passages as meaning that in the end all will be saved is to go beyond what the writers are saying and to ignore the fact that in the contexts there are usually references to God’s condemnation of the wicked or to the final separation between good and evil or the like.”[6]

Is it fair for a God who loves us so much to condemn His own creation to a life of eternal damnation? My answer is simply yes. God created us perfect with Adam, but He also created us with free will. He wanted us to be able to make up our own minds on whether or not we would glorify Him and we chose wrong. This fact and action requires consequences and those consequences result in eternal damnation. This final disposition is not some big mystery, anyone who reads the bible can read what is expected of them from their creator and what happens should we chose not to be obedient. Yet people choose to make that decision that condemns them to eternal punishment. Is it fair that we as the creation choose not to honor a glorious and loving God? That is the question that truly needs to be answered.

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[1] Morris, L.L. "Eternal Punishment." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell, 395-396.

      Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001.

[2] Nicole, R. "Annihilationism." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell, 64. Grand Rapids ,

      MI: Baker Academic, 2001.

[3] Root, J.R. "Universalism." In Evangelical Book of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell, 1232-1233. Grand Rapids ,

      MI: Baker Academic, 2001.

[4] Motyner, J.A. "Hades." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell, 532. Grand Rapids , MI:

      Baker Academic, 2001.

[5] Cruz, V. "Gehenna." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell, 480. Grand Rapids, MI:

      Baker Academic, 2001.

[6] Morris, L.L. "Eternal Punishment." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell, 395-396.

      Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001.

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1st Theology Essay

Short Essay on Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Bible

What does it mean that the Bible has authority? Who gives the Bible authority? What was the inspiration for the Bible? What does it mean to say that the Bible is inerrant? These are the questions that this essay is going to address and hopefully answer. By looking at the Bible itself and other outside sources, this paper will provide the reader with proof and insight into the answers of these often sought after questions.

Authority is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as the right and power to command, enforce laws, exact obedience, and determine or judge.[1] The Bible commands people, judges and determines guilt or innocence, makes and enforces laws, and exacts obedience. So who gives the Bible this authority that is listed above? The simple yet complicated answer is that God gives the Bible its authority. Simple in the fact that the authority of the Bible is established by its own claims, it is the word of God.[2] John 1:1 states that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  When the unnamed angel was talking to the prophet Daniel he said “No one has the courage to support me against them except Michael, your prince. However, I will tell you what is recorded in the book of truth.” (Dan 10:21) There are plenty of other scriptures that show the absolute authority of the Bible but its authority is best stated as the Bible being the book of God’s truth; and such truth is, as the Westminster Catechism says, “infallible truth.” As it is wholly trustworthy regarding its truth, so must it be wholly trustworthy regarding its facts.[3] The Word of God, book of truth, or the Bible as it is called now, has stood the test of time.

Biblical inspiration is defined as a supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit upon divinely chosen agents in consequence of which their writings become trustworthy and authoritative.[4] So what does it mean to say that the Bible is inspired, and who is it inspired by? Once again, the answer is fairly simple as you look at it. The Bible is the authoritative Word of God and is inspired by God and the Holy Spirit. It is true that the Bible was written by man, but it was written by man with the help of the Holy Spirit to ensure the accuracy of God’s Word. This theory of inspiration is called plenary inspiration and the main principles of this theory are (1) God is the author of the Bible, in varied ways; (2) the focus of inspiration is the writers of the Bible – there is an author rather than text orientation (as seen in the emotions displayed in Romans 9:2 and Galatians 3:1); (3) the writers have been inspired in all that they have written, though in varied ways (revelation).[5] Inspiration is found within the scriptures themselves as seen in the OT from Moses. “Then the Lord said to me. They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brother. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”(Deut. 18:17-18) Inspiration is also found within scripture as seen here in Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth. “We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.” (1 Cor. 2:13) It is evident through scripture that the Bible is the inspired or “breathed” word of God written by man through the Holy Spirit.

Inerrancy is the view that when all the facts become known, they will demonstrate that the Bible in its original autographs and correctly interpreted is entirely true and never false in all it affirms, whether that relates to doctrine or ethics or to the social, physical or life sciences.[6] My personal view on the inerrancy of the Bible falls in line with the above definition. As a believer and follower of Christ I completely believe in the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible. How can one be so sure that what is written is inerrant, the key in the definition is the singling out of the original text. When the Bible is in its original manuscript and it is translated properly it is the Word of God and as such is without error. Paul writes in the pastoral letters, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17) For further proof of the inerrancy of God’s Word within the scripture see 1 Pet. 1:20, Matthew 4:4, Eph. 3:1-5, and Gal. 1:11-12.

So what is the relationship between inspiration and inerrancy? With relation to the Bible you can’t have one without the other. Inspiration and inerrancy must feed off each other in order for the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible to have authority over a believer’s life. Inspiration comes from God therefore any of his products must be inerrant, hence the Bible is inerrant.

              I close this essay by telling you, the reader that the way that I am structuring my life and the life of

my family completely relies on the inspiration, authority, and inerrancy of the Bible. Without these things

making the Bible what it is, myself and many other followers of Christ would be completely lost. Whenever I

find myself addressed with questions about the Bible and its authority, inerrancy, and inspiration I remember

the following statement and equation. If God is the cause of inspiration, it (the object of Gods inspiration) will

represent or take on His characteristics, mainly His Holiness. Inspiration equals infallibility which equals

authority which equals inerrancy.

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[1] McDonald, H. D. "Bible, Authority of." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 153. MI, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.

[2] (Ibid. 154)

[3] McDonald, H. D. "Bible, Authority of." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 154. MI, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.

[4] Henry, C. F. H. "Bible, Inspiration of." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 160. MI, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.

[5] Rennie, I. S. "Plenary Inspiration." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 929. MI, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.

[6] Feinberg, P.D. "Bible, Inerrancy and Infallibility of." In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, 156. MI, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.

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