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	New Covenant People & the Present Order
	August 2, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   It must be frankly admitted that the modern concept of human rights, though rooted as I have attempted to show in Christian ideas and ideals, is not textually normative within the Bible. Add to this the admittedly bad record of the church over the centuries and there is sufficient reason to humbly express a measure of serious consternation about the role Christians have actually played in advancing human rights.
	The Role of Love & Justice in Human Rights
	July 26, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Since human rights are rooted in the Creator we have a responsibility to care for the whole creation (Genesis 1:26-27). This view limits human rights in some sense. When human rights are exploited by attacking nature, by plundering people, by needlessly mistreating animals or the earth, then the abuse of human rights must be addressed by the stewards of planet earth, human beings.
	The Ethic of Reciprocity
	July 19, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   In a previous article I mentioned the German experience and the blatant denial of human rights in Nazi Germany. The church plainly failed to understand its mission when the German state assumed too much power and then systematically abused it. The German church had lost all meaningful connection to the biblical story and the practice of the early church. When this loss of faith transpired the people of the light, and the people of the darkness, were so blended together that German patriotism became more important to most Christians than prophetic fidelity to the gospel. Eventually it was hard to tell any significant difference between a Christian view of human rights and a Nazi German view. Because of this tragic compromise the church (on the whole) failed to save the lives of the weakest and most vulnerable in society. The result was a virtual loss of all credibility to the mission of Christ.
	The Impressive Contributions of the Early Church to Human Rights
	July 12, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   I believe the modern church faces some significant challenges regarding the understanding and application of human rights. The story changes, given a particular political and social context, but the need to embrace and defend human rights will always remain. The intricacies of human rights issues will continue to challenge us if we are faithful to Christ’s call to be “martyrs” who bear true witness to the grace of God. We can see the seeds of this witness in the first centuries of the Christian Church. Let me elaborate.
	The Christian Relationship Between Theology & Human Rights
	July 5, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   We saw last week how the modern understanding of human rights developed from classical Greek and Roman law through the teaching of the early Christian church fathers. This emphasis was not lost in the Middle Ages but it wasn’t fully developed either. Eventually the Reformation opened new opportunities for rethinking a Christian contribution to defining and defending human rights. I previously showed how the Enlightenment had a deep impact upon human rights thinking and practice. But in considering this historical development the tendency, of both Christians and non-Christians alike, has been to miss the vital role that Christian theology had in these historical developments.
	Human Rights: What and Why?
	June 28, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   The subject of human rights has gained a great deal of attention in my six-plus decades of life. Following World War II the world community began to engage in significant discussion of this idea. Until more recently I have personally considered the subject very little. I was aware of the term, and even acknowledged the danger of various threats to human rights (whatever they were), but I saw little or no organic connection between the modern movement and the message of the Bible
	The Value of Proper Worldview Thinking: Restoring the Christian View of Grace and Nature
	June 21, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Philosopher and theologian A.M. Wolters says the idea of a worldview, the subject that we have considered for the past several weeks, is often restricted to differences among Christians with respect to how they see the world. If we restrict the worldview concept to the traditions of historic Christianity (i.e. where adherence to the ecumenical creeds of the early church is central) then we are able to distinguish four types of Christian worldviews. These four distinctions are based, at least theologically, upon how we understand grace and nature. H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic book, Christ and Culture, was built on this very type of thinking, as some will readily see.
	Can Good Worldview Thinking Make a Comeback?
	June 14, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   The now popular concept of worldview came originally from the German word Weltanschauung, which initially seemed to have had no unique importance in its earliest use. Over time this German word came to denote a global outlook, something like a comprehensive philosophy without rational pretension (A.M. Wolters). Educated Germans knew the idea and seriously talked about it by the 1840s. By the end of the 19th century the word had reached a level of popularity in both academic and popular circles. It even began to find expression in other languages. By 1858 the anglicized equivalent assimilated this German idea into our English word “worldview.”
	Why Worldview Thinking is Misused By So Many Modern Christians
	June 7, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   For several weeks I have critiqued the widely used concept that is popularly called “a Christian worldview.” For some this type of thinking has been used to promote THE Christian worldview. I have sought to show why this approach is as harmful as the opposite, namely a pious reaction to all serious worldview thought based upon a private, personal faith that has no coherent understanding of how Christian faith can/should work in modern life. While I reject the checklist of so many conservative worldview schemes I also reject the abysmally weak opposite extreme which has no interest in speaking and living the faith missionally in the marketplace.
	Using the Concept of Worldview Well
	May 31, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   A worldview, as we’ve previously seen, is a conceptual scheme by which we attempt to place or fit everything that we believe into a framework through which we can then interpret and judge reality (Ron Nash). Missiologists speak of differing worldviews because of their study of various people groups and how hear and receive the gospel and put it into practice. The term worldview actually comes from eighteenth century German philosophy. (I’ll write more on this subject next week.) For many conservative Christians in America the term has come to refer to a systematic approach to theology.
	The Worldview Debate: Are You a Scribe or a Real Disciple?
	May 24, 2010 by John H. Armstrong
	A Whole Lot of Assuming Is Going On
	May 10, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I wrote about the concept of worldview as it is often employed by modern Christians. In popular usage the term worldview refers to nothing more than a particular point of view. It is a way to look at something. Most of us have such a worldview whether we think about it or not. People will often say that they will not talk about religion and politics but in both cases they generally have strong views on both subjects. In effect they are saying, “Do not discuss these with me as my worldview on the matter is settled.”
	True Faith Does Not Necessarily Equate with a “Christian” Worldview
	May 3, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Somewhere, in my intellectual formation as a young Christian, I was taught that one of the most important things that I could do, if my faith was to become intelligent and robust, was to develop a coherent and extensive Christian worldview. I still generally agree with this perspective if the terms are carefully explained. But I have come to question how we employ this concept of “Christian worldview,” especially in some circles.
	The Problem of Belief, Part Two
	April 26, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   What we saw last week is that Jesus regularly called people to believe in him and follow him. (He did not separate believing from following.) But he also understood what was in the human heart and thus knew that we find it difficult to believe. It’s as if he is saying, “I know a phony when I see one but I also know how hard it is to truly believe.”
	The Problem of Belief, Part One
	April 19, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   I am sometimes accused of asking for trouble. I plead guilty. I do enjoy thinking beyond the expected formulas and probing things more deeply. I have enjoyed “thinking outside the box” for as long as I can remember. Because of this I have gained a reputation for asking questions. Some years ago I wrote a series of articles titled: “How I Changed My Mind.” Of all that I have written over the years nothing has been more often criticized, and more frequently used against me, than those six articles on changing my mind. I thought they were honest, reflective and very orthodox.
	More Questions About Your Church Is Too Small Part Three
	April 12, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   The last two weeks I have answered some of the questions that I will be asked by radio hosts during the month of April as I promote the readership of my new book, Your Church Is Too Small. Now that the book is formally published, and it is being discussed in interviews, on blogs and in various public forums by speakers, I want to candidly address some of the important questions that flow out of the content of this book. I have covered six questions so far and will conclude with four more in this last article.
	More Questions About Your Church Is Too Small Part Two
	April 5, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I mentioned that I was asked to prepare ten questions for radio interviewers to ask me about my new book, Your Church Is Too Small. We looked at three of these questions last week. I want to give you answers to three more questions this week by providing short response to each of them.
	Some Questions on the Book Your Church Is Too Small
	March 29, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   I mentioned last week the launch event for my new book. That event was held last Monday evening at the Billy Graham Center. I begin this week’s ACT 3 Weekly by thanking all of you who attended last Monday. I also want to thank all of you who prayed for this special evening, both near and far. Remember, the whole evening will be posted online soon.
	Why Unity in Christ’s Mission is Vital to the Future
	March 22, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   There is a certain sense in which the comments that I write this week are the answer to the question: “Why did you write your new book, Your Church Is Too Small?” The reasons I want to write about the book are several. First, on Monday evening, March 22, we have a special book launch event at 7:30 p.m. at the Billy Graham Center in Wheaton. We will gather in the Wilson Suite on the Fourth Floor from 7:30 until 9:00 p.m. If you live in the Chicago area please come. The evening will include much more than a presentation by me. Three wonderful friends will respond to the book, having already read it before its release. Fr. Wilbur Ellsworth, an Orthodox priest and former chairman of the ACT 3 board, will speak. Fr. David Turner, a priest who serves at Benedictine University in nearby Lisle, Illinois, will also respond. And Dr. George Kalantzis, director of the Center for the Study of the Early Church at Wheaton College, will speak as well. Rev. Chris Castaldo, author of Holy Ground and a pastor at College Church in Wheaton, will moderate the event. For those who cannot attend we plan to post a video of the event on our new Web site in a few weeks. That new book site is: www.yourchurchistoosmall.com. You can order a book through this site and this means of getting the book from Amazon.com actually helps ACT 3 in the process as we get 4-5% of the sale when you go through our site. You should also tab this site and follow the book and the various events around the country that will follow its public release this week.
	Leadership That Makes Real Disciples, Part Three (Number Eighteen in a Series on Discipleship)
	March 15, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   In this, my final installment in this series on discipleship, I want to conclude with a summary of different leadership styles we’ve seen, based upon the Nygren/Ukeritis study. I will show how this directly impacts the making and equipping of real disciples. Finally, I will summarize several of the things I have said to this point to conclude the series with a few points of remembrance.
	Leadership That Makes Real Disciples, Part Two (Number Seventeen in a Series on Discipleship)
	March 8, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   I believe that every true Christian is called upon to engage in the making of disciples. But I also believe that this does not mean that every true Christian is called upon to become an evangelist or to be a leader, or a teacher of the faith. I think when we personalize these texts to us as individuals we make a huge mistake. The Great Commission was not given to Joe, Jim, Sally or Sue. It was given to the apostles who passed along the story of Jesus, and his teaching, to the next generation so that the gospel would be announced to the whole world. All who now believe the good news, nearly two thousand years after the apostles, are mystically united with this same apostolic community in the one holy catholic church. As a member of Christ’s one church we all (collectively and personally) bear responsibility for the mission of that church. But our gifts differ and our service will never be the same. To promote the idea that very Christian must “make disciples” personally is a great mistake. The reasons are complex but the point I wish to make here is simple: we should cultivate genuine diversity in real unity.
	Leadership That Makes Real Disciples (Number Sixteen in a Series on Discipleship)
	March 1, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   In the late fall of 2009 I began this series on discipleship by suggesting we desperately need to recover a new understanding of discipleship and disciple-making. No term, or what we think of when we hear or use the term, seems to have become more clearly associated with programmatic, cookie-cutter techniques and outcomes.
	The Significance of Vision, Strategy & Structure (Number Fifteen in a Series on Discipleship)
	February 22, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   If the essence of visionary discipleship is seeking new possibilities and developments how are we to respond to actual closed doors? How can we truly hope for something better when things seem so plainly closed up to us? I think we best understand the way imagination actually works to open new doors by examining vision, strategy and structure. When we take this approach we can see a way forward that has real promise and hope.
	The Significance of Imagination, Part Four (Number Fourteen in a Series on Discipleship)
	February 15, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   I have previously demonstrated that God uses our imagination to lead us toward repentance and living faith. The prophets showed us the way this happened in ancient Israel. The principles are still the same, though the times and context is quite different. We follow the spirit of the prophets, as Jesus followers, when we walk in their footsteps and we walk in their footsteps by imitating their bold faithfulness.
	The Significance of Imagination, Part Three (Number Thirteen in a Series on Discipleship)
	February 8, 2010 by John H. Arnstrong   I embarked some weeks ago on a series of articles about discipleship. I am convinced that we have reduced the meaning of this extremely important word to: (1) Learning information from the Bible, or content about faith, and; (2) To relating our lives to the local church and its programs. In the process we have emptied the word disciple of deep meaning and allowed people to profess a faith that does not require them to imagine what can or should be done as radical followers of Jesus Christ.
	The Significance of Imagination, Part Two (Number Twelve of a Series on Discipleship)
	February 1, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I ended with a reference to Acts 2:17 where the apostle Peter refers to the day of Pentecost as “the (beginning of the) last days.” A balanced understanding of the Scripture reveals that these last days” will continue until the end of this present age. I concluded that experience, reason and common sense—as important as they are when properly used—often restrict our imagination and fail to inspire in us the hope of a new and better day. Spirit-filled disciples, living in the shadow of Pentecost, will never reduce their lives to reason and common sense, not as long as they believe that they have been called to live as faithful disciples.
	The Significance of Imagination, Part One (Number Eleven of a Series on Discipleship)
	January 25, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I wrote of the balance that disciples of Christ need between a faithful conservatism and a healthy imagination. We must always make sure that we conserve the truths that are vital to confessional Christianity. At the same time we must be completely willing to imagine new ideas which can impact a new world. My late friend Robert Webber called this kind of Christianity: “ancient-future faith.” I share that perspective.
	When Discipleship Becomes Creative (Number Ten of a Series on Discipleship)
	January 18, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   I argued in my last ACT 3 Weekly that it was time for Christians to ask: Why not? It is time to also ask: What if? As I personally embrace what is the final phase of my public ministry life the temptation is to accept what has happened as the expectation for what should or will happen. I am determined to think and live otherwise. Because I embrace the virtues of faith, hope and love as the core of my being I ask how living as a mature disciple can make a real difference in the lives of others, especially those who come behind me.
	The Disciple of Jesus Must Learn to Ask the Right Questions (Number Nine of a Series on Discipleship
	January 11, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   Most Christians see the world in an extremely limited way. They only see what is, not what God has promised or what he assures us will eventually come to be. Most of us pray for the “kingdom to come [on earth] as it is in heaven” but we do not really believe in the present reign of Christ. The kingdom of God has no real bearing on how we actually live from day-to-day. Some of us have embraced a particular brand of eschatology, a theology that buys into pessimism and defeat. Others have become locked into the indicative mood. When this happens we live in a way that can only describe what appears to be. We lack imagination about the future.
	The Limits of Our Christian Language (Number Eight in a Series on Discipleship)
	January 4, 2010 by John H. Armstrong   The Holy Spirit is always working in the disciples of Jesus bringing about “new creation.” Ultimately, the Lord himself will bring about the final work of the new creation when he comes to create the new heavens and new earth at the end of this age. For now the church faithfully prays, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) God hears this kingdom plea and equips us (personally and collectively) do kingdom work on earth in his name/authority. His name, remember, refers to the very same Jesus who inaugurated his kingdom in the first century. It is through this same authority that we now experience his work on earth, especially on the margins of society.
	How You Can Get Involved with ACT 3
	December 28, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Each week, for the past seven years, I have published an article that has been sent to subscribers via the Internet. I did not originally plan for these articles to be done every single week. The response was so encouraging in the early days that a habit was established and I have been writing one each week ever since. I want to end this year by telling you a bit more about why I write these articles and what the ministry of ACT 3 means. My goal is to encourage you to become more involved in the mission of ACT 3 in 2010.
	The ACT 3 Story: Advent 2009
	December 21, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Each year churches and missions express gratitude to their benefactors at the end of the calendar year. Most will also appeal for year-end gifts. I have followed this pattern for seventeen years. But this year we have done something different. We mailed a special thank-you gift to all 425 of our donors. This gift was a new 29-minute video: “The ACT 3 Story.” Here our friends can see and experience the unique vision that God has given to me. I now invite you, the 3,000 plus subscribers to the ACT 3 Weekly, to see this same video. You can watch it on our Web site at: www.act3online.com. It will download as soon as you open the homepage so plan to take a half hour and watch our story at your earliest convenience.
	Equipping Leaders for Unity in Mission: The Campaign for ACT 3
	December 14, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The evidence is clear that the church in America is in spiritual, moral and numerical decline. Since the Second Great Awakening (1800-1830) we have not seen decreases like those we now see in the American Church. The church seems to have become a dysfunctional family with little or no impact. God’s solution is found in the prayer that Jesus prayed in John 17. It is that we would be united in Christ, and that thereby we would advance his mission. Christ’s call to all churches and Christians is to embrace this apologetic of love, because only by this means may people know that God the Father is real. Please prayerfully consider what is presented in these few pages, especially in light of how God has called you to serve Him in His Kingdom.
	How the Spirit Disturbs the Disciples of Jesus, Part Two (Part Seven in a Series)
	December 7, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   It might seem, at this point my series, that I am suggesting Christian discipleship consists primarily in the capacity to become a presence that disturbs others. The truth is that far too many conservative Christians have settled for such an idea. Conservatives tend to think this happens by proclaiming the gospel so boldly that opposition to their preaching and public stance on cultural issues invites a disturbance. Liberal Christians fall into the same trap, believing that their political stance on various public and social issues disturbs those that oppose them so strongly.
	How the Spirit Disturbs the Disciples of Jesus, Part One (Part Six in a Series)
	November 30, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I began this series on discipleship and imagination six weeks ago by saying that true discipleship is rooted in divine joy. But this joy will create a real disturbance when we encounter the living God. I showed last week that the Holy Spirit will sometimes bring chaos to the church in order to lead the church into the way where it can be used to renew the cosmos. Sometimes the church resists the Spirit’s ministry, thus we quench the flame of God among us. This is what Ephesians 4 is all about.
	Do Not Put the Spirit’s Flame Out (Part Five in a Series)
	November 23, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Catholic writer Anthony J. Gittins correctly speaks of the “relative disarray in which the Christian churches find themselves today” (Gittins, 22). I agree and think this very simple observation cannot be overstated. Nothing can trip up a football team quite like over-confidence. The same could be said about the general attitude of churches and their leaders. Over-confidence is leading us from one loss to another.
	A New/Old Understanding of Mission (Part Four in a Series)
	November 16, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I grew up in a context where following Christ’s mission to the ends of the earth, what has been technically called missio ad gentes, was continually stressed. I believe in this mission to reach unreached peoples that I heard from meeting missionaries from all over the world. At one time I thought I would become such a career cross-cultural missionary. I often wish that I could have gone to some far flung place to preach Christ to people who had never heard of him. One of the greatest thrills of my life was two extended periods of time I spent in India in the 1980s when I had the joy of preaching Christ to thousands upon thousands of people, many of whom heard Christ’s good news for the first time, multitudes of whom entered his kingdom. I prayed over the sick, assisted in casting out demons and baptized many new converts. It was an amazing experience. If I could do that full-time I would be crazy not to do it. But God called me in a different way and to a different mission context.
	Discipleship and the Mission of Jesus (Part Three in a Series)
	November 9, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The past two weeks I have reflected upon the call of Jesus to “follow” him in humble faith and obedience. I have defined discipleship in terms of call and commission. This is what we find in the narrative of the four Gospels. I would further suggest that the word Christian, a term so commonly misunderstood today, might actually have become a real hindrance to our living and sharing the faith in our modern post-Christendom context.
	Searching for Meaning as Christ’s Disciples Part 2
	November 2, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Millions of people have ceased being active followers of Jesus Christ in the last two decades. A British theologian has written that in two generations historical-geographical Christendom has collapsed. American Christians are only now discovering the implications of this collapse as most churches and denominations are experiencing significant decline. Until recently only the older, so-called mainline, groups were in decline. In 2008 a noticeable change began to surface as both the Roman Catholic Church and many of the evangelical churches experienced a net loss in membership and attendance. I expect this trend will continue unless we see a spiritual awakening of immense depth and power.
	The Real Challenge of Christian Discipleship
	October 26, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The poet William Wordsworth wrote a poem in 1798 titled “Tintern Abbey.” Wordsworth was not a Christian; at least he was not in any normal sense of the term. From what I can tell he viewed nature as synonymous with divinity. But the ruins of a twelfth-century Cistercian Abbey prompted him to write “Tintern Abbey.” This poem still has the power to disturb those who hear it. I find its words a fitting place to begin a series of articles on imagination and Christian discipleship. Wordsworth wrote:
	My Vision and a Personal Appeal for ACT 3
	October 19, 2009 by John H. Armstrong and S. Michael Craven   The ministry of ACT 3 faces a great new opportunity in the months ahead. With the publication of my book in April, Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ’s Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church (Zondervan), we will enter an uncharted course of incredible missional opportunity. Let me explain.
	How the Filioque Impacts the Way We Live
	October 12, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   At various points in Christian history and doctrinal development Christians seem to have lost sight of the personal character of God as a fellowship of three divine persons. I believe this danger is quite obvious in our own day where we have exchanged a robust understanding of God for a popular misconception that speaks not of God as a Trinity of persons but more in terms of a philosophical construct. This danger, as we’ve already seen, is not new.
	Does One Word Really Impact the Doctrine of God?
	October 5, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Face it—the doctrine of the Trinity remains a great mystery. The late evangelical theologian Harold O.J. Brown wrote: “We may say that further efforts of Christian thinkers to deal with it do not advance significantly beyond the limits set by the theology of the Cappadocian Fathers [those Fathers of the church in Cappadocia in the latter part of the fourth century; e.g., Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory of Nazianzus]. While the East was preoccupied with the Christological issues that arose out of the doctrine of consubtantiality of the Son with the Father [meaning the Father and Son have the same essential nature], in the West Augustine made a monumental but only partly successful effort to develop the theology of the Trinity” (Heresies, Harold O.J. Brown. New York: Doubleday, 1984, 154).
	The Filioque: Does the Debate Really Matter?
	September 28, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Most thoughtful Christians, who study classical Christian doctrine carefully, will soon realize that differing views of the Trinity have often troubled the church. Some of these differences are crucial to a solid confession of faith. Others are slightly less important. Many can and do make a real difference in faith and practice.
	Jesus, the Crucified, Reigns: Part Two
	September 21, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   In a moving essay on the subject of divine power and human evil, author Donald McCullough writes:   Jesus, the Crucified One, reigns as our suffering Lord. That means he understands and participates in our pain; his regal throne sits not in the clouds but in the middle of broken human life. Therefore we assert that the essential character of his power is not domination but suffering love. We need a revolution in our thinking. We may no longer think of power as control over something or someone; the Lord who freely takes our pain unto himself teaches us that authentic power reveals itself as power for self-sacrifice with and for others (“If Jesus Is Lord, Why Does It Hurt?” in The Reformed Journal, 35:7, 1985, 14).   It should now be very obvious that I completely concur with McCullough’s words. “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” When I think of this almighty God as the sovereign God I remember that his reign is clearly centered in his suffering, sacrificial love, not in a naked power that flows from an impassible God of first cause.
	Jesus, the Crucified, Reigns: Part One
	September 14, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   For some weeks I have considered the perennially vexing question of God’s goodness and the presence of real evil in the world. We have placed this issue under the microscope of God’s revelation and looked at the probing questions that all thinking people ask who read the Word of God with any degree of care. We even looked at this question from the perspective of the Jewish response to the Holocaust, the representative problem of good and evil in the twentieth century.
	The Limitations of Our Ability to Speak of God
	September 7, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The longer I have wrestled with the nature of God and the problem of evil, the more I am drawn to see a major part of a solidly biblical answer involves what is called apophatic theology. This word, apophatic, is new to most readers, I am sure, so before I explain the value of this theological concept let me define it as simply as possible.
	How Can One Believe in the Face of the Holocaust?
	August 31, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Classical Christianity affirms that God is truly good. This is why the unmitigated evil that we see in the world prompts us to seriously question if God is really all powerful. It seems utterly incomprehensible that God could be truly good and not stop the great evil that we see around us. But classical Christianity also affirms that God is almighty. These affirmations prompt the faithful to ask questions.
	God’s Nature and Character Revealed
	August 24, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   When it comes to understanding the problem of evil and God’s nature there is no more important text than that of Exodus 33:18–23. Here we encounter the very character and nature of God revealed to his servant Moses.
	The Lessons of Job
	August 17, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   We have seen that we can resolutely affirm the goodness and love of God and confess with the creed: “I believe in God the Father almighty!” When we affirm that God is the Father almighty we do so believing that he is the omnipotent sovereign who suffers, sacrifices and governs the world in powerless humility through the Lamb seated on a throne. This sovereign is non-violent and seemingly weak. He is not a potentate like the kings of earth, seated on a throne dispensing his will as arbitrary will so as to fulfill his monarchical purpose. He is the crucified and risen Lord who is King of kings and Lord of lords. With the Father and the Holy Spirit he deserves our praise. The enigmas and tragedies of human life baffle us but we rest in the God of love who “does no wrong, upright and just is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4b). This is the God of Abraham, a God who will judge all the earth and “do right” (Genesis 18:25b).
	Evil and the Triumph of God
	August 10, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Over the last four weeks I have looked at the problem of providence and the power of God. I have stated that there are three non-negotiable truths that Christians must affirm if we are to remain faithful to the witness of Scripture and the creedal tradition of the Christian church. First, God is almighty. Second, God is all-loving. Third, evil is utterly real.
	The Weakness of God Is Stronger Than Human Strength
	August 3, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   With the ecumenical creeds of the early Christian church I have strongly affirmed God’s almighty power in my three previous articles. I have also indicated that God’s almighty power is the “superior power of holy love.” This gives the Christian a “well-founded hope” without creating the problems of a sovereign power that causes (or delights in) death and evil. God’s redeeming power is thus “a gracious unwillingness to be almighty, without us and against us . . . so he has involved himself in a history with us” (The Christian Faith, 146).
	A New/Old Understanding of Divine Power
	July 27, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   In two previous articles I looked at the question of God’s providence and the problem of evil. Dr. I. John Hesselink suggested in the 1986 lecture that I previously cited that there are two approaches to reconciling God’s power, justice and love with the tragedies and mysteries of human life. Last week we considered the first, found in process theology. This thinking, popularized in the 1960s, eventually impacted some evangelicals who developed a perspective that is seen in different versions of the openness of God paradigm. Open theists share an affinity with process theologians since their view of the world is open by necessity. For open theists, this openness is an act of God’s freedom. We see this thinking in a small group of evangelical writers that have created a significant discussion.
	The Nature of Divine Power
	July 20, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I stated that no question has more often troubled Christian theology since the middle of the twentieth century than this: “How can an all-powerful God be a God of both love and justice?” This question takes us to the very nature of God and divine power.
	If Jesus is Lord Then Why Does Evil Increase?
	July 13, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   No question has more often troubled Christian theology in the twentieth century that this: “How can an all-powerful God be a God of love and justice?” In a world where evil often prevails how can we still believe in a sovereign, loving God?
	The Chosen Nation: What Should We Make of America’s Identity?
	July 6, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   For some weeks now I have looked at the role that the American jeremiad has played in shaping our national understanding. This rhetorical device, rooted in a particular understanding and lamentation over our past, has been powerful in shaping social and political movements in America. We have seen that it has been used by both liberals and conservatives.
	Is the Past the Model for the Future?
	June 29, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Over the last several weeks I have examined how the Christian Right (CR) has used the unique rhetorical form of the jeremiad to place itself at the center of partisan politics. I have not argued that the jeremiad, in and of itself, is wrong. It is a rhetorical device that helps us understand our past, present and future. This device has been used by liberals and conservatives, or progressives and traditionalists if you prefer a different way of stating it.
	How to Understand America’s Origins
	June 22, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I hinted in a previous article that Abraham Lincoln embraced the American jeremiad but later came to refine his views about this subject considerably. Other thinkers and religious leaders, including many who were quite conservative and orthodox in their theology, have done the same since Lincoln’s time. Lincoln is, for me, a model of how we can hold a high view of providence while at the same time we refuse to read our understanding of God’s mind into acts of providence. It is healthy that we have a national awareness of God’s role in our public life, but it is not healthy to act as if we know precisely what he means through his actions in our present or historical past.
	Civil Religion and the “Christian Right”
	June 15, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I can still recall, as vividly as if it was yesterday, when it dawned on me that conservative and fundamentalist Christian leaders were going to try to mobilize political power to change America. President Carter had been chosen, in 1976, because Americans wanted a reformer to clean up the mess of Watergate. He was also seen as a Washington outsider who was decent and “born again.” (This last phrase captured media interest through a number of sources, including an interview in which he discussed the sin of lust with Playboy magazine.)
	America's Civil Religion from the Civil War to Today
	June 8, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Last week we considered the influence civil religion had on America before and during the Civil War. What we saw in this era has continued to impact American civil religion down to the present, especially in the form of the jeremiad. We have heard a number of classic expressions of the American jeremiad from ministers during the last thirty years or so. Many of these jeremiads have made it into the mainstream and created quite a discussion, or one might say quite an adverse reaction. Here is one modern jeremiad, which is an illustration of many I could provide:
	America’s Civil Religion on the Eve of the Civil War
	June 1, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I have defined and explained the American jeremiad, a form of national, cultural lamentation about our present moral situation that is deeply rooted in a very specific understanding of our past. This understanding is often couched in biblical terms like covenant, compact and “a city set on a hill.” Such jeremiads have done three things in the American context: (1) They have been used to identify problems that show our decline vis-à-vis the past; (2) They have been used to identify specific turning points, and; (3) They are calls for reform, repentance or renewal. We grow up on simple cultural narratives that join calls for political reform with specific particularities in America’s development. Sociologist Robert Bellah has argued that the American jeremiad is part and parcel of “civil religion.” We saw last week how civil religion is used by the Left and the Right to explain and motivate their views of social change. President Obama is the most recent example of this phenomenon, from the Left, while President George W. Bush also strongly employed the same method, from the Right.
	The Root and Fruit of American Civil Religion
	May 25, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   During America’s moral decline, spanning now over five-plus decades, a number of prescriptions have been offered. Most of these have been advocated by Christians. Since the mid-1970s the majority came from conservative Christians. These prescriptions grew out of what we’ve defined as the American jeremiad. The jeremiad is a lamentation, a form of complaint that heavily relies on an Old Testament form of rhetoric. Many social movements in America’s history have been heavily influenced by drawing a sharp contrast between a glorious past and a lamentable present.
	America: “A City on a Hill”
	May 18, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught his disciples (Matthew 5:1) what life would be like in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God, in the teaching of Jesus, is all-embracing, i.e., nothing in this life falls outside his authority. Those who are his disciples enter this kingdom by grace and obediently follow his way.
	America’s Moral Decline and the Role of the Jeremiad
	May 11, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   No Christian I know seriously doubts that America has declined morally. Evidence abounds inside and outside the church. What is to be questioned is the correct way to respond to this decline. Both evangelicals and progressives have commonly responded with political and religious rhetoric that draws heavily on a tradition that is almost universally misunderstood by Christians.
	How the Gospel of the Kingdom Produces Missional Apologetics, Part Five
	May 4, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   In this, my final article in this series on apologetics, I want to show you how the gospel of the kingdom creates Christian unity and how this unity establishes missional apologetics in actual practice. In our modern context, where postmodernism and post-Christendom are developing realities, I have argued that we need to reexamine the questions that non-Christians are actually asking about Christianity. And if apologetics is removing the roadblocks that keep people from the highway that leads them to saving faith in Christ then we need to develop new strategies for spiritual and intellectual rubbish removal.
	How the Gospel of the Kingdom Produces Missional Apologetics, Part Four
	April 27, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Theologian and apologist William Dyrness suggests that there are three main elements found in all true apologetics. Dyrness, who has mission experience in a non-Western context, understands clearly that the message of the kingdom of God is central to the apologist’s response. He also understands that there are historical and theological questions that must be engaged in serious apologetics.
	How the Gospel of the Kingdom Produces Missional Apologetics, Part Three
	April 20, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Some years ago a very popular song asked the probing, almost haunting, question: “Is that all there is?” This refrain still rings in my mind. (Music does have a way of super-gluing things in your memory!)
	How the Gospel of the Kingdom Produces Missional Apologetics, Part Two
	April 13, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   We saw last week that the loss of a proper emphasis upon the gospel of the kingdom has had major impact upon the church. It has radically altered how we do apologetics and present the gospel. This loss must be overcome if the church is to be renewed by the Spirit.
	How the Gospel of the Kingdom Produces Missional Apologetics, Part One
	April 6, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The Bible is a book of truly big ideas. We often miss the really “big ideas” because we spend too much time on the lesser ones, often the ideas that we enjoy debating with other Christians. If we are to become missional apologists then this all has to change, sooner than later. I believe we must return to the one really big idea of the gospel of the kingdom.
	A World Marked By the Love of God
	March 30, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   If this is a world marked by the love of God (cf. John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9, 10) then observing and interpreting culture, and inviting wholehearted response to the God who loves the world, is always an appropriate goal for Christians. As I have attempted to show, this is where my apologetic originates.
	The Postmodern Turn: Is it Antithetical to Christian Faith?
	March 23, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I have tried to show, in previous articles, why the present condition in which we present the story of Christ is very different from the cultural context in which I grew up in the 1950s and 60s. I have referred to this change as a shift from modernism to postmodernism or, if you prefer, hypermodernism. I have also shown why these labels are not that important. What is very important is our understanding of this new context for mission, an understanding that is quite vital for serious apologetics and faithful evangelism.
	Modern Apologetics: Learning to Paint
	March 16, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Each person is unique thus each conversation with another person is unique. This truth is rooted in both the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of God. And no two of us has had the exact same experience of life. We often make the mistake of misreading the Scriptures at this point and the result is harmful. A more careful reading of the text would disabuse us of several false views about apologetics.
	Doing Apologetics in the New Context
	March 9, 2009 by  John H. Armstrong   I have argued that the cultural context in which we do apologetics and evangelism has radically changed and will likely continue to change even more with each passing year. The regnant position of modernism has been eclipsed by a new social and cultural reality, a reality that we call postmodernism or hyper-modernism. Along with this cultural change the role of the church within the culture is changing every year. The goal is to always be the same: to make obedient disciples of Christ who are true worshipers. The evidence for the change I am writing about is overwhelming. But many are still unaware, blissfully or otherwise.
	Engaging in Missional Apologetics
	March 2, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (13:8). This means Christ is changeless. His nature will always remain the same, thus the reality of his person and work is eternal. This confession follows a verse in which the writer had spoken of the faith of faithful leaders who had taught the Christian faith to the Jewish readers of this epistle. The word “today” here is very likely a reference to the words of the eyewitnesses who observed Christ (cf. Hebrews 2:3). The Christ these eyewitnesses had seen was still the same Christ now that he had ascended into heaven and was seated on a throne. And that same Christ remains the same now, nearly 2,000-plus years later. This truth about the changeless and eternal Christ is not one for this age and then a different one for another age. What the eyewitnesses said about him at the beginning, and thus the witness they bore to him in the first century, remains unchanged in the twenty-first century. He is the absolutely supreme Lord over all!
	Are We Ready to Be Apologists in a Brave New World?
	February 23, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   We cannot ignore what is going on around us in the culture. All our lives are caught up in the massive religious and social changes that are coming at us at a speed that no one could have imagined only a few decades ago. We tend to feel as if life is changing so fast that we cannot grasp it all. “The good ole days” no longer exist and the future seems uncertain at best. Many are fearful and more than a little confused. Some retreat into escapist eschatologies and lifestyles that are geared to preserving their own families while everyone else goes to hell.
	The Postmodern Context and Apologetics
	February 16, 2009 by  John H. Armstrong   Christians have engaged in various types of apologetics down through the ages. The reason for this is rather simple—the questions that each age poses to the faith have required us to provide “a reason for the hope that we have within us.” Doing apologetics is actually as basic as being obedient to Christ. If we love God with all our “heart, mind, soul and strength” we can never afford the luxury of avoiding the questions and issues of our own time. The church must engage in mission and mission requires us to know and understand our own age. This will lead us to engage in apologetics as a critical part of our mission.
	Reason, Rationalism and Waterbuffalo Theology
	February 9, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Apologetics is not exactly a household concern among modern Christians. Generally speaking, those who know much about the subject at all are people who have a mathematical or philosophical bent of mind or they simply love to debate ideas with non-Christians. This propensity to take up apologetics as a form of intellectual combat does fit a particular mindset or temperament type that has hindered everyday Christians from seeing the importance of this subject.
	The Criticism of Pascal's Apologetics
	February 2, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Pascal's "wager," which I have advocated as a useful apologetical method for defending the ultimate reality of Christ and the truth, has been variously criticized by both Christian and non-Christian alike. There is much more to this debate than initially meets the eye. In order to show you some of "the much more" I will take up the "wager" one more time in this series on apologetics.
	Pascal's Wager: Not the Proof of God but the Way of Wisdom
	January 26, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   I ended last week's article by introducing and explaining the concept of Pascal's "wager.â€� Here is a summary of Pascal's very important point in his own words: Either God is or he is not. But to which view shall we be inclined? Reason cannot decide this question. Infinite chaos separates us. At the far end of this infinite distance a coin is being spun which will come down heads or tails. How will you wager? Reason cannot make you choose either, reason cannot prove either wrong. . . .
	Pascal: "The Wager" and the Modern Context
	January 19, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   We discovered, in two previous articles, that apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith) is both important and biblical. In fact, every Christian is an apologist, in one important sense, because we are called upon to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone . . .â€� (1 Peter 3:15). We have further discovered that apologetics rightly became a field of academic study in Christian thought early in Christian history. And it has continued to play an important role in disseminating the faith down through the ages. Whether the church has been required to answer skeptics, or the earnest questions of inquiring disciples, apologetics has served a
	The Reason for Apologetics
	January 12, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   Many Christians in America have grown so comfortable with their own language, culture and context that they are isolated from the people who live around them. This is why the arguments they often find satisfactory are inadequate for their neighbors.
	Be Prepared: The Necessity of Christian Apologetics
	January 5, 2009 by John H. Armstrong   The Boy Scouts have a well-known motto: “Be Prepared.” I think this motto should be emblazoned on the minds and hearts of Christians and churches everywhere. We are often unprepared for many of the important challenges that we face day-to-day. And the typical church is not doing a good job in helping us remedy this problem.
	A Year-End Appeal for ACT 3
	December 29, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   For the past seventeen years I have sent a letter to our donors and friends in the month of December asking them to prayerfully consider giving a special gift to ACT 3 before the year ends. This year I sent a recorded appeal on CD a few weeks ago. (Some of you no doubt received this appeal and if you did not we can send you one or you can hear it online.) Included on this CD was the sermon preached by Steve Brown at our seventeenth birthday celebration in September. My desire was to give those who are interested in this mission a better perspective on our current needs and financial challenges.
	The Four Classical Marks of the Church, Part 2
	December 22, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Some say the word catholic simply means universal. While this is true it is much less than the whole truth. As I've already noted some have changed the word in the creed to say, “I believe in one, holy Christian church.” This is not only weak but wrong. It is redundant since biblically there is no other church but the Christian church.
	The Four Classical Marks of the Church, Part 1
	December 15, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   When I first began to deeply reflect upon the words of the Apostles' and the Nicene Creeds1 I was brought face-to-face with a single word that troubled me: catholic. I now believe this one word is so important that it is difficult to remain faithful to Christian truth without it. For me this has become a word that is just too precious to give up. The reasons for the importance of this word lie in the way the early Christians used it and what was meant by it in the classical Christian tradition.
	Church Next: Christ at the Center
	December 8, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   The Christian church has been around for 2,000 years. What will the next 1,000 years look like if Christ doesn't bring the curtain down on this present age? This question engaged me recently as I pondered again the impressive work of Philip Jenkins. Jenkins has written a number of important books on the way the church is growing and changing around the world.1 Then I came across a brilliant article titled: “The Next 1,000 Years of Christianity.”2
	The Divided Church and Our Sense of Oneness
	December 1, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   We have seen how our Lord prayed for the unity of all his disciples. We have recognized that this is an incarnational reality that results in a relational/co-operational unity that existed between the Father and the Son during his earthly ministry. And we have seen that this unity is the basis for our unity with other Christians. We have also begun to see that this unity is inextricably bound with the success of Christ's mission in the world.
	Love is the Center
	November 24, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   As we previously saw the love of God is the greatest force in the entire universe because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). There has never been any serious disagreement in the Christian tradition over the centrality of this understanding of God's nature. The love of God is central to who God is and can best be seen in the unity of the divine life: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). This unity was a unity of redemptive purpose (John 17:20–26) thus the love that God has for the world was demonstrated in the giving of his unique Son to save the world. In response to the love that God has for us our love is thus to go back to God: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). This can seem remote and sentimental unless we understand words like these: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Thus the whole of God's will is summarized in these words: We are to love God and our neighbors (Luke 10:27). And Jesus plainly said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). There is no dispute here between various Christian churches or people, or at least there shouldn't be.
	Our Greatest Apologetic
	November 17, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I teach apologetics formally. Apologetics is the “defense” of the Christian faith against anti-Christian ideas. The late Francis Schaeffer was a great evangelical apologist who once said that the greatest apologetic for evangelism was the oneness of Christians. He also said that our truest identifying mark is love, thus when we love one another the world will observe this love and hear our message. I tell all my students, “Schaeffer was right. Now what will we do with this challenge and how does this work?”
	Why Does It Matter If We Pursue Unity?
	November 10, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I have argued that relational unity is the central point of Jesus' prayer in John 17:20–23 But why is this so important? In the prayer Jesus plainly says that his mission hangs upon our becoming the corporate answer to his prayer. The mission of Christ is so closely linked with the church relationally that the world will not understand and experience God's love until we are “brought” to experience this unity.
	The Unity Jesus Actually Prays for in John 17
	November 3, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   We saw last week how badly some have misinterpreted John 17:20–23 in their attempts to make this prayer fit with the present realty of the divided church. Even many local congregations have used this kind of interpretive approach to justify their continual divisions and arguments. The question we need to ask now is what does this text really mean, positively?
	The Jesus Prayer for Christian Unity
	October 27, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   The prayer Jesus offers in John 17 is that he will be specifically glorified in his impending death and resurrection. He further prays for his immediate disciples who will be commissioned to carry on his work. His words to them are deeply moving. This prayer, if considered in a strictly biblical sense, is “The Lord's Prayer.” It is a prayer that only our Lord could offer to the Father, not one that we could ever pray as a model. And it is the longest and most sweeping recorded prayer Jesus ever prayed. But note carefully that Jesus doesn't pray for his immediate disciples only but for entire church; i.e., for all of those who will believe in him throughout all the ages to follow. He prays that all believers “may be one as we [Father and Son] are one.”
	How a Deeply Conservative Christian Discovered the Catholic Church
	October 13, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Seventeen years ago I completed a twenty-one year pastoral ministry and began the work of ACT 3 (formerly known as Reformation & Revival Ministries), a ministry of mission and renewal to the whole church. This new work has been my God-called ministry ever since. During the last two years of my pastoral experience I began to preach through the Gospel of John. I never finished the entire Fourth Gospel, to my consternation. But it has since seemed more significant to me that I finished my expositions of John with the words of Jesus in John 17:20-26.
	A Portrait of Christian Unity
	October 6, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Beginning around the middle of the first century the nascent Christian church found itself involved in open disunity. Paul's Corinthian letters in the New Testament bear ample witness to the truth of my statement. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought (1 Corinthians 1:10).
	Questions & Answers: Part Three
	September 29, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   This is the last installment in a three-part series answering common questions addressed to me about the mission of ACT 3. These three articles provide me with a bridge to the subject of church unity which I will take up next week in a new ACT 3 Weekly series.
	Questions & Answers: Part Two
	September 22, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Last week I began a three-part series answering common questions addressed to me about the mission of ACT 3. I am using these three articles as a bridge to the subject of church unity which I will take up next in the ACT 3 Weekly series. These forthcoming articles will share some of the work I have done in writing my forthcoming book: Your Church Is Too Small.
	Questions & Answers: Part One
	September 15, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I am asked a lot of questions in the course of my ministry. The next several weeks I will do a question and answer series that provides a response to some of the most commonly asked questions that I receive about ACT 3 and my ministry. Since I just completed a long summer series on the Trinity, and will soon launch a mini-series on the unity of the church, I would like to use the articles over the next few weeks as a bridge to the things that I will write for the ACT 3 Weekly in coming months
	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Mission?
	September 8, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   In this final article, in my extended summer series on the Trinity, I want to end where all good theology should always end—with the mission of Christ in this world. I am committed to making the missional mandate of Christ central to the renewal of the Church in the new millennium. I am convinced that no doctrine can more adequately help us restore the mission of Christ to its proper place than the doctrine of God and thus, in particular, the doctrine of the Trinity.
	Can We Recover the Doctrine of the Trinity in Our Experience? Part 6
	September 1, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   When we begin to consider the truth of the Trinity seriously we have questions about prayer as well as worship. How should the doctrine of the Trinity affect our experience of God in prayer? We turn to this question as we further consider what this vital truth means for the Church catholic.
	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   What is fundamentalism? We hear the word used routinely in the wider culture today. From the news media to the pulpit the term is used to describe various people and groups, ranging from Muslims to Christians. Scholar Bruce Lawrence says fundamentalism can be defined as “a twentieth-century phenomenon, with ‘historical antecedents, but no ideological precursors.”' I find this observation extremely useful since fundamentalists generally claim to uphold the orthodoxy of the past, believing it has been eroded by the compromises of modernism and contemporary thought. In point of fact, fundamentalists have often used “modernism” as the one word description of all that is wrong in the Church. (The irony, as some of you know, is that fundamentalism relies heavily on a modernistic philosophical foundation to make its central points, proving to be captive to modernism in a different form.) Since fundamentalists generally look at the world from a reactionary perspective they eventually developed their own set of traditionalist forms to express their theology. These forms often become crucial to theological and ecclesiastical debate.
	The Difference Wisdom Makes
	February 4, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I have tried to show over the course of two previous articles to demonstrate that what we most need, right now, is divine wisdom. I have shown what that wisdom is and how it is to be related to Christ who is “the wisdom of God” for us. By our union with Christ, and through the ministry of the Advocate he has given to live in us, we are to become like the one who astounded and amazed people. We are to reflect the manner in which he spoke and lived, and thus demonstrate that we have authority from God.
	Finding True Wisdom
	January 28, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   I previously cited Richard Rohr's question, in the book Simplicity: The Freedom of Letting Go (Crossroad Publishing: New York, 1991), about how he asked himself at the commencement of a new year: “What is the most important thing for Christians (in the West) for the future?” Rohr says he seriously considered that the answer was love. After further contemplation he chose wisdom. I proceeded to demonstrate why I agreed with Rohr by defining biblical wisdom and then by showing how we moderns have plainly lost it and don't know it.
	What We Really Need Is Wisdom
	January 21, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, is a noted author and retreat leader. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On several occasions I have had friends suggest to me that some of my thoughts have the ring of Richard Rohr about them. The truth is that I had never read Rohr when these comments were made. I decided that I should read Richard Rohr since I kept hearing about him from people I highly regarded who commended his contemplative insights and commitment to Christian simplicity.
	Coming to the Eucharist as God’s Gift
	January 14, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   In November, a book that I had edited and done extensive writing for myself was finally released. That book, Understanding Four Views of the Lord's Supper (Zondervan), forced me to think a great deal over the past eighteen months about the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist. The book clearly brought me into fresh contact with the views of serious Christians like Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics and Reformed Christians. The more I studied the subject, and reflected upon my own experience of the Lord's Supper over five plus decades as a communicant Christian, the more I came to ask a simple, practical, question: “How do I get more out of the celebration of this meal when I come to it as a Christian?”
	The Faith of Epiphany
	January 7, 2008 by John H. Armstrong   Yesterday marked the ancient Christian practice of celebrating the epiphany. Different Christian traditions have varying practices (liturgies) and thus there are several ways in which they remember this ancient Christian tradition. The simple historical fact is that the celebration of epiphany predates the celebration of December 25th as the birthday of Jesus. Epiphany always falls twelve days after the Christmas date. Epiphany was originally associated in the East with the baptism of Jesus and eventually, in the West, with the nativity. It also ranked with Easter and Pentecost as the one of the three central feasts of the Church. But none of these feasts, or their specific dates, is given to us by Scripture, which in itself is not an argument pro or con for the celebration of such an event by the Church.
	The New Political Year Ahead
	December 31, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   I often tell friends that I am a political junkie. I love politics. I first got interested in 1956, at the age of seven, when I wore an “I Like Ike” button. By 1960 I was engaging in debates with school kids about Nixon vs. Kennedy. By 1964 I was involved at an emotional level that had me hooked. I thought I knew my future. Study government, go to law school, run for office, become the governor. I loved the whole process. I even kept signed pictures of political leaders, from both parties, as a hobby. By college I chose to major in history, with an emphasis on American political history, and minor in political science. Only the Lord's calling to “preach the gospel” changed all of this dramatically. But I still enjoy politics, just in a different way. This is one reason I write so much about the subject on my blog spot: www.johnharmstrong.com.
	Christmas as a Christian Holy Day: Why Secularists Have Successfully Attacked It
	December 24, 2007 by P. Andrew Sandlin   What is the origin of the Christmas holiday (Holy Day)? Jesus' birthday is obviously not observed in the Bible, so when did this observation start, and why?1
	Let No Doubt Stand in Your Way
	December 17, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   Doubt is common to Christians, indeed to all people. But most of us fear our doubts, even equating them with unbelief. I have thought a lot about this during Advent as I studied the gospel text, Matthew 11:2–11, set aside in the lectionary for the third Sunday of Advent this year. I was invited to preach in a Lutheran Church and the congregation follows the lectionary. The readings for this third Sunday (December 16) were: Psalm 146, Isaiah 35 and Matthew 11:2–11. There is an appropriate connection here since a great deal of what is being said in Isaiah links very clearly to this gospel reading itself.
	Is the Church Sleeping Through the Death of Christendom?
	December 10, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   The German film Good Bye Lenin, a charming and witty comedy that works very well, is a 2003 production that won a number of prestigious awards, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for best foreign language film and the Academy Award in the same category. It won nine German film awards and six European. It's a truly delightful film that will make you laugh out loud and then ponder its story with a large degree of amazement at the same time. In the end it is simply a wonderful and humorous family story which makes a great point about reality and how we all try to deal with change. The point the film makes is one that I think is extremely valuable for Christian leaders more than ever. Are we passing through a time of upheaval in our culture that will force change on Christian churches whether they ultimately want it or not?
	On Walking Through the Valley: Reflections on the Recent Death of My Mother
	December 3, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   Many of you already know that my mother passed into the presence of Christ on November 19, 2007, just two days before her ninety-second birthday. You also know that I was afforded a unique opportunity to arrive at her bedside a few days before she died and to be present at the precise moment she took her last breath on this earth. For all who followed this journey with me in prayer over recent weeks I say, from the depths of my heart: “Thank You.” You will never know, nor will I, how much this meant in God's plan and purpose. I believe in a prayer hearing and prayer-answering God who loves his children and who grants them great mercies because of intercessory prayer. You have given to me and I want to give, in this short piece, something back to you.
	Humility: One of the Greatest Rarities of Our Time, Part 2
	November 26, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   The great doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, is admired by all Christians who bother to read his life and work carefully. You may disagree with him, as I do, but you cannot ignore him unless you intend to refuse to listen to one of Christianity's greatest voices for truth.
	Humility: One of the Greatest Rarities of Our Time, Part 1
	November 19, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   In Dante's Divine Comedy there is a graphic picture of the burden of the whole human race. Characters are walking about with great weights bearing down mercilessly upon them, bending them low with the crippling and unbearable burden of pride. If you are a Christian living in North America you must surely agree that the church is in continual need of being reminded that pride is a major part of our present spiritual condition. The Puritan, John Flavel, understood our modern problem centuries ago and thus said: "To see a man humble under prosperity is one of the greatest rarities in the world."
	I Believe in One Church
	November 12, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   I believe in ecumenism. I really do. This confession makes many conservative Christians uncomfortable. It even tends to raise their level of distrust in me personally when I confess this belief with such open passion. The reason that I believe in ecumenism is rather simple—I believe it is the will of our Father in heaven based upon the prayer of our Lord in John 17. Here is what our Lord prayed:
	What Does it Mean to Bear the Cross? Part 2
	November 5, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). In the first part of this two-part article we considered the need for the church to rethink the role and place of suffering in the West. We considered the message of the cross and our call to co-suffer with Christ, a message almost never heard in the pulpits of our time. I suggested that the voice of the martyrs, past and presents, was desperately needed again.
	What Does it Mean to Bear the Cross? Part 1
	October 29, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Every Christian has been called to live life under the cross. There are no exceptions. But what exactly does this mean in the West where a fading Christian consensus, and the lingering impact of Christendom, still allows us to live freely with little serious opposition to our daily choices and lifestyles? We still preach from the Scriptures, invite people to embrace the good news, and even get involved in public issues, especially in opposing what we do not like. And we do all of this with little or no threat to our personal safety.
	Keeping Christ Primary: Still the Church’s Greatest Task
	October 22, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   "Primary: earliest, original, of the first rank, of first importance, chief." So reads the entry in the Concise Oxford Dictionary (1976). What, I ask you, is the church's primary task? Not what are the many good things the church should be doing, since there are a number of good answers to this question. But rather, what is really of first importance in the life of the church? How should leaders in your church think about doing the primary thing, that which is truly of first importance?
	The Ultimate Gift: A Delightful Movie
	October 15, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   The film, The Ultimate Gift, is based upon a hugely successful novel (it sold in excess of three million copies) of the same name (River Oaks, 2000), written by Jim Stovall. I confess that I have not read the novel. I have seen the film, which came out on DVD in September. Only twice have I devoted an entire article to a film (The Apostle and The End of the Spear), but this film was so completely charming and genuinely valuable that I have to recommend it as widely as possible.
	Learning to Do Theology as a Tapestry
	October 8, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   Doing theology is a continual faith process that the Church has pursued throughout the ages. The Church must pursue this work in the twenty-first century as well. This work of doing theology feeds the Church. It also protects it from heresies and foolish mistakes. Further, it helps to keep the streams of pure water clean and challenges all who believe to practice their Christian faith faithfully. This is why J. I. Packer referred to his work as a theologian, some years ago, as that of a faithful "plumber."
	Weeping in the Desert
	October 1, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   In this third, and final, look at how Christians live in the desert, I want to stress at the outset that the perfection we seek (Matthew 5:48) is entirely different from the success that we generally think of as moderns. Biblical perfection is most definitely not worldly success. Nor is it something that we achieve or a self-idealization of my own personal likeness to God. We all instinctively know these things but we make all kinds of personal deals within ourselves that cover this up and make us look like we are making it by our good efforts. The perfection that we seek comes only as a divine gift, not as a human achievement. We long for wholeness, for true integrity. I suggest that the desert experience is where we discover and complete it, always by grace and never without a limp here and a bump in the road there.
	Believers Dying in the Desert
	September 24, 2007 by John H. Armstrong   Previously I tried to demonstrate how the ancient tradition of the desert fathers impacted the way Christians sought to preserve personal godliness while living in a perplexing time. This desert experience bec