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	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Experience? Part 5
	August 25, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   We have considered how and why we should take the Trinity seriously over the months of this summer. In the last few weeks I have sought to show how we can recover the doctrine of the Trinity in our practical Christian experience. This is not a doctrine for scholars to debate but a truth that feeds and nourishes the soul of the Church and each believer personally. This has been my purpose—to show how this truth can and does feed the human soul at the deepest levels.
	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Experience? Part 4
	August 18, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Perhaps the most pressing personal question we face at the beginning of the new millennium is: “What does it mean to be a human person?” Scientists and social scientists work from every angle seeking to give Western people a reason to have meaning and purpose. I suggest the recovery of the doctrine of the Trinity, in our human consciousness and experience, is the only meaningful answer to our quest.
	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Experience? Part 3
	August 11, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Non-Christians often seek to understand the doctrine of the Trinity and find it totally incomprehensible. The famous American, Thomas Jefferson, was one such person. He called the Trinity “incomprehensible jargon.” The medieval Catholic theologian, Thomas Aquinas, would have agreed with Jefferson, but he would have also said that which is “incomprehensible” is “not unintelligible.”
	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Experience? Part 2
	August 4, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Theologian Charles Lowry has called the doctrine of the Trinity “the most comprehensive and the most nearly all-inclusive formulation of the truth of Christianity” (“What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity,” in Millard J. Erickson, ed., The Living God, Vancouver: Regent College Reprint, 1973, 419). I believe the doctrine lies at the heart of the Great Commission in Matthew 28 and thus it is vital to the true mission of Christ’s Church. I also believe that Karl Barth was correct when he said “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” is rightly the “Christian name” of God
	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Experience? Part 1
	July 28, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   In five previous articles we have surveyed the importance and development of the doctrine of the Trinity in the history of the Christian Church. I have maintained that modern Protestant Christians pay way too little attention to this central Christian truth. Whether it is out of sheer ignorance, or from a dismissive assumption that we already know this truth, it does not really matter if we are not committed to the confession of, and our personal and corporate experience of, the divine Trinity. Our preaching, prayer life, worship and music all reflect the virtual absence of Trinitarianism, in both our private lives and in our church practice. The results are serious. So how do we get this truth back and then begin to take it very seriously in our Christian experience?
	Rightly Recognizing God as Trinity, Part 4
	July 21, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   On a Sunday, during the era of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther entered his pulpit to preach on the doctrine of the Trinity and said: This article is so far above the power of the human mind to grasp, or the tongue to express, that God, as Father of his children, will pardon us when we stammer and lisp as best we can, if only our faith be pure and right (cited by Lloyd A. Arnett, Taking the Trinity Seriously (in the Anglican Agenda Series, published by Anglican Essentials, Milton, Ontario, Canada, 2007). No doctrine, as we have already seen, is more profound than that of the Trinity. And no doctrine is more important to the life and health of orthodox Christian faith and practice. Luther gets it right. The human mind cannot grasp it and the tongue cannot adequately express it. I had a professor who once said, “If you try to figure this doctrine out you will lose your mind, but it you deny it you will lose your soul.” Surely this is the article of faith, the article by which true Christians will stand or fall. Before we turn our attention, in several forthcoming ACT 3 Weekly articles, to the practical benefits of a robust doctrine of the Trinity I want to offer a final reflection upon the truth of the Trinity itself. We have looked at the East, and thus to the contributions of the Cappadocian Fathers. Now we look at Augustine and the West.
	Rightly Recognizing God as Trinity, Part 3
	July 14, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Too much of American Christianity has been reduced to slogans about Jesus that can be placed on bumper stickers and billboards. To some extent this is the result of marketing the Christian faith in popular culture. I am more concerned with the loss of the doctrine of God which is behind this marketing. We have a doctrine of God that is both distorted and undeveloped.
	Rightly Recognizing God as Trinity, Part 2
	July 7, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   By the early fourth century a number of the important issues surrounding the doctrine of the Trinity came into much clearer focus. A very popular leader by the name of Arius became a star in northern Egypt, at one of the most important centers of early Christianity. His claim was straightforward and clear. He believed that there was only one eternal, invisible God. As a consequence Arius argued that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was begotten from God, and thus created. The Son had a beginning before which he did not exist. In a letter to Eusebius, Bishop of Nicomedia, Arius argued that the Son “was fully God, only-begotten, unchangeable” while at the same time he argued that “before he was begotten or created . . . he did not exist.”
	The President’s Report 2008
	June 30, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   This edition of the ACT 3 Weekly is different. Usually I write a biblical or theological commentary on some aspect of the Church’s faith, life, or mission. This week I want to tell you about ACT 3. Who are we? What do we do and why do we do it? What are my dreams and hopes for the future of this unique mission?
	Rightly Recognizing God as Trinity, Part 1
	June 23, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   In the full flush of the overwhelming joy of the resurrection of Jesus, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the earliest Christians were profoundly constrained to come to grips with the question: “Who is God?” A passage like 1 John 1:1–7 made it clear to them that they had seen the living and true God in Jesus Christ. Here divine revelation (“that which was from the beginning . . . the Word of life”) was linked with human sensory perception (“heard, seen, looked at, touched”), thus revealing that the apostolic witness was to a person who had two natures, one divine and the other human.
	The Proper Basis for True Christian Faith
	June 16, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   True Christian faith is distinctly rooted in the settled conviction that the one, unique God is revealed to us as triune, existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The word triune points to the historic but mysterious Christian belief that God is revealed, and known, as both three and one. No truth has prompted more debate, more scandal and more misunderstanding. And no truth is more important to the renewal of Christian faith in our time.
	Recovering Real Wisdom in an Age Gone Mad
	June 9, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   James M. Houston writes: “The reality of Christ as Creator-Redeemer makes little or no sense to our society because the world is no longer seen as creation” (I Believe in the Creator, 148). The structure of Western life is built on the Creator/creature distinction, a distinction that allows us to understand that we are vice-regents made in the image of God, the designer. But we have rejected the roots of the West, the very roots which nourished art, music, literature and freedom for centuries. The result is that our age has gone mad, that is, “wildly disordered or insane”.
	Learning to Live Wisely
	June 2, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Can there be any serious question that ours is an age preoccupied with technology? We want to know, almost more than anything else its seems, “What works?” Thus we no longer marvel at the question: “What is wise?” Or, “How do we get real wisdom in the first place?” We marvel at our newest gadgets like iPods and iPhones, while we pass by the holy and the divine with little or no abiding interest. This way of living so permeates our culture that we rarely see how much it is a routine part of our daily lives. But it is there with us, influencing all we do and say, night and day. Simply put, we have come to value our technicians, not our sages. And this spirit has captured the Church in a deep way, making it crave techne much more than pneuma, the Spirit’s power. Is there a solution?
	The Dangers Inherent in Getting Divine Providence Wrong
	May 26, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   We began, a few weeks ago, to consider the way in which divine providence can provide a gentle and powerful reminder in this election year that the nation is in God’s hands. This confidence can embolden Christians to live righteous and godly lives in times when terrorism and fear grip many of us. We then looked at the definition of the doctrine of providence and how theologians have constructed this definition over the last twenty centuries. Finally, I would like to show some of the dangers that are inherent in getting this truth “by the wrong end of the stick.
	Constructing a Theology of Divine Providence
	May 19, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   At times well-intentioned Christians treat theology as if it were an exact and precise science through which they can construct a logical and humanly reasonable system of thought. They then conclude that this reasonable system parallels God’s revelation in virtually perfect ways. This is not only an abuse of the task of good theology but it leads to human pride, in both theologians and those who embrace this type of theology. Individuals find a “system” they can believe and then rely upon the logical proofs and arguments related to this system to make the case that their system is tantamount to God’s Word. This has been particularly true with regard to how the Church has tried to understand and confess the doctrine of divine providence.
	The Providence of God
	May 12, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I tried to show how we can face the future without fear because the Word of God plainly says: “Heaven rules” (Daniel 4:26). This whole subject is what we call, in theological language, the doctrine of providence. My spiritual life is deeply rooted in this doctrine and has been for as long as I can remember. But the longer I ponder it the deeper it takes me and the more facets I see in the truth.
	24: Some Reflections on Heaven's Rule Prompted by a Television Series
	May 5, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I have previously written that I went through the first five seasons of the Fox television series 24 last year. I actually did it rather quickly, which is a sure sign of addiction at some level. (I dare you to sit and watch one or two episodes of 24 and not watch another and then another if you have the time to do it.) Anyone who watches the show will confess to a certain level of "addiction" once you get started. I was forewarned, but now so are you. It is a combination of (bits of) reality and (a lot of) fantasy that makes for gripping drama and an emotional thrill ride.
	Equipping Lives for the Ministry of the Gospel, Part 3
	April 28, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   In the past two ACT 3 Weekly articles I laid out several of the points I shared with a seminary class in Florida in March. I was asked to contribute from my own experience to the preparation of these students in a divinity school setting. In this third and final installment of my three-part series, I add these further points that I made to the seminary class in Florida.
	Equipping Lives for the Ministry of the Gospel, Part 2
	April 21, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I began a mini-series on the life of the minister of the gospel based upon my teaching at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando in March of this year. I gave four points from my presentation. This week I begin with the fourth point and expand it and then go on to three more points.
	Equipping Lives for the Ministry of the Gospel, Part 1
	April 14, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I am often afforded the unique opportunity of teaching future ministers in a seminary setting. I was given such an invitation recently, by my good friend Steve Brown. I thus spent several hours in a class at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando in mid-March talking to future ministers. To prepare for this class I jotted down some thoughts and then spoke out of the experience of my own life from these simple notes on a hotel scrap. I then thought that I should write out some of what I spoke that morning and thereby share it now more widely. I make no claim to being profound in these insights. I do think there are some practical things here that might be helpful to many readers, whether you are in the ministry or not.
	Positive Affirmations Are Genuinely Powerful
	April 7, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I would never have thought, even ten years ago, that I would write an article praising the idea of positive affirmations in the Christian life. Let me explain before I proceed to my argument.
	The Church as Many and One
	March 31, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   As you read the book of Acts and then the New Testament Epistles, it becomes increasingly apparent that the early church took shape and form beyond what we read in the teaching of Jesus and in Acts 1 and 2. For example, the latter chapters of Acts and the letters clearly present a growing organizational pattern that included leaders and members.
	What Constitutes a True Church? - Part 2
	March 24, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I previously addressed the question: “What constitutes a true church?” (ACT 3 Weekly, 3/17). I traced the development of ekklesia (church or congregation) from the Old Testament through the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels and into the first chapter of the Book of Acts. I pick up my answer in this second article by looking at the second chapter of the Book of Acts. What we concluded before was simple, but profoundly important. The idea of ekklesia was not a novel creation that Jesus dropped on people out of nowhere. Nor did Jesus’ disciples introduce into history, after the resurrection, the idea of a church for the first time. Israel was clearly God’s ekklesia, as the LXX demonstrates (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament Scriptures). No one who related to God in faith, under the old covenant, would ever think of relating to him outside the community of Israel. (This does not mean that no one else could have been saved since it appears quite clear that the Ninevites were saved and never became a part of Israel. There are other illustrations provided in the Bible.) But my central point stands—salvation meant inclusion in the community. The Church was not, and still is not, unimportant or secondary.
	What Constitutes a True Church? - Part 1
	March 17, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   It is important that we establish the essential elements of what constitutes a true church. Calvin said there were three marks of a true church: (1) A right preaching of the gospel; (2) A right administration of the sacraments, and; (3) Discipline. I have suggested elsewhere that mission is also a mark of a true church and a friend has said the fifth mark should be commitment to the poor. I suppose such a list could be shrunken or expanded based on how we read the Scriptures and tradition both.
	The Transfiguration
	March 10, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   During this season of Lent some Christian traditions focus on the account of what we commonly call “The Transfiguration.” This event is recorded for us in all three synoptic Gospels: Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:2–8 and Luke 9:28–36. So many Christians know this story so well that they have ceased to wonder at the mystery of this strange event.
	Sexuality and the Lord’s Supper: Part Two
	March 3, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Christianity should have a strikingly different view of sexuality than other non-Christian religions or philosophies for one primary reason—we cherish creation, and thus believe sexuality is fundamental to our humanity as creatures made in God’s image. Christians believe, if they are orthodox, that the human body is good. The body is central to all other Christian teaching. God creates our bodies and then draws us to himself in the human flesh and blood of the man, Christ Jesus.
	Sexuality and the Lord’s Supper: Part One
	February 25, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   The linking of the two terms in my title seems rather shocking at first glance. What does sex have to do with Communion? How can any Christian theologian connect the two this closely? Well, the fact is this—this is exactly what theologians have done for centuries, and for very good reason. My defense for this connection comes from none other than the apostle Paul himself. In 1 Corinthians Paul moves from the subject of sexuality to that of union with Christ in the Eucharist and then back again. Thus this connection has always been rather deeply rooted in the best of Christian tradition. It is we moderns who have broken this link, especially in the last three centuries, and thereby we have destroyed sexuality as Eucharistic.
	Why Lent?
	February 18, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   My own spiritual tradition never mentioned the season of Lent. My first recollection of Lent was, therefore, quite negative. I remember Catholics getting ashes on their forehead on a Wednesday (there weren’t many Catholics where I grew up in the 1950s) and I thought in my simple mind that these very confused people were just showing their piety off in public. My second thought, formed a few years later, was that Lent was a time to abstain from something you enjoyed (ice cream, chocolate, hamburgers, etc.) so that you could help add something to your good works in the hope that you would get into heaven when you died. Even when I entered the ministry, and remained a pastor for twenty years, I never thought about participating in Lent. It was, put simply, foreign territory for my spiritual life.
	Fundamentalism and the Renewal of the Church
	February 11, 2008 by John H. Armstrong