J File

Pastor, teacher, entrepreneur, husband, and father of 3. I desperately need Jesus. MDiv SBTS, ThM SWBTS, and PhD Dropout.

[J File @jfile76]

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.” Proverbs 18:2

[J File @jfile76]

@DannySlavich @SBTS You must have been right after me. I graduated in December 2004.

[J File @jfile76]

Brought to you by the people standing in front of your local county courthouse on the weekends.

[TheBlaze @theblaze]

The absolute state of the Democrat Party 😂

[J File @jfile76]

@JVartndesign @JoshPhillipsPhD Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Milton, and Shelley? I don’t think those pushing for the Western canon are leaving these authors out.

[J File @jfile76]

Let’s throw the name out and just consider substance. Morman doctrine is fundamentally in a different category than any historic branch—catholic, orthodox, or Protestant. When we say Mormon’s aren’t Christians, what we mean is that they are fundamentally not, and distinct from, what any historic branch of Christianity is.

[J File @jfile76]

Controversial take: Baptist churches don’t have altars.

Jesus was our once for all sacrifice. The altar belongs to Catholicism where they reenact Christ’s sacrifice in the mass. Baptists reject the mass for that reason. Therefore, Baptist churches don’t have altars.

[J File @jfile76]

@bourscheid Isn’t trying to solve the worlds problems exactly what Musk is trying to do?

[J File @jfile76]

That’s not a bad thing. Our local association disfellowshipped a church because they kept a pastor who had an affair and got the girl pregnant, left his wife and married the girlfriend, and he’s still preaching there after a few years have passed. This kind of thing happens, and it probably should be referred to the credentials committee.

[J File @jfile76]

@JoshPhillipsPhD @CathyYoung63 Probably because leftists hate Western Civilization for its colonization and “whiteness.” I agree that the Great Books belong to both, but there’s a reason for that perception.

[J File @jfile76]

@ArchetypeSAGE @JoshPhillipsPhD I came here to post that.

[J File @jfile76]

@TevinMacharia @JoshDaws @grok has this been verified?

[J File @jfile76]

Some are claiming the American dream is dead because of economic changes. They get the education, they work hard, and they aren’t living the dream.

I’m going to suggest that anyone making this judgment who is still under 40 is expecting it all to materialize too soon.

Whether you reach the American dream is better judged AFTER a lifetime, looking backwards, than when you’re young and you’re wondering why you don’t already have what it takes a lifetime to achieve.

[J File @jfile76]

@PreacherScott75 @Protestia I think 2/3 was a reference to the threshold needed rather than the actual percentage of the vote. At least that's how to interpret it as still correct.

[J File @jfile76]

@mattmillsap It is also not “I move to make a motion that,” it is “I move that . . .”

[J File @jfile76]

@Janet_Mefferd He shared his story of the change of mind:

https://t.co/i9XRisFPfL

[J File @jfile76]

@JoshPhillipsPhD This one has a similar thesis. I’ve read it. It doesn’t identify the Catholic Church as the source of Western Civilization, but rather the Bible. https://t.co/fXc67XZrn5

[J File @jfile76]

To be honest I’m using reason here.

In the article, I didn’t make a biblical argument for complementarianism. I could have done so, but others have done that and I accept their exegesis. I’m a convinced complementarian.

I just feel that it’s a matter of practical necessity that we all have to find where to draw lines. If we demand 100% agreement with us on every single issue, we will have an incredibly small group of people to fellowship with.

Regarding 1st tier issues, I think 1 Corinthians 15 shows us that to reject the resurrection is a clear indication someone isn’t a Christian. It would take significant argumentation, but 1 Corinthians 12:3 and other passages would support at least the deity of Christ being an essential first tier doctrine as well.

From there, if you don’t accept this framework or something like that, a person is apt to basically think anyone who disagrees with him isn’t a Christian.

Instead, I would argue that we currently live in an era where we “see through a glass darkly.” We do not have perfect knowledge yet and will not until Christ returns. Therefore, when Bible believing Christians disagree over things like baptism and church government, we necessarily have to have some category to recognize Christians who we disagree with.

Regarding how you determine what these are? I think it’s pretty foolish for a person to go out on their own as if these are all new questions. Christians have been dealing with these issues for hundreds or thousands of years. So I think one way to determine what belongs to which tier is to examine historic confessions of faith.

Where all historic confessions agree (such as the trinity) those are essential first tier issues). Where historic confessions differ and we find a dividing into different denominations based on those differences, those are second tier. Issues that may never have been addressed by any historic confessions from any denomination may belong to the third tier.

However, that isn’t a hard and fast rule either. For instance, some issues were never addressed by historic confessions because no one ever dreamed you would have to. For instance, homosexuality and transgenderism were never addressed explicitly in any historic confessions because they were universally agreed on. Now in the 21st century that is challenged. I would say that is an issue that is actually 1st tier because it completely distorts the gospel and tells sinners they don’t have to repent.

[J File @jfile76]

https://t.co/F9Bbkdy1es

[J File @jfile76]

1. The Bible (ESV)
2. Augustine
3. Calvin
4. C. S. Lewis
5. Homer
6. Shakespeare
7. Jonathan Edwards
8. Steinbeck
9. Dostoyevsky
10. Chesterton

My list is influenced by the fact that I’m coming from a theology background rather than one in the classics. I also chose a modern translation because I have confidence in the advances in textual criticism since 1611. I believe the modern translations are based on a Greek text closer to the original.

[J File @jfile76]

@JoshPhillipsPhD So hard to choose.
Old Testament: Genesis
New Testament Romans.

[J File @jfile76]

@JoshPhillipsPhD Mine arrived today. Ordered it last night and it’s already here.