Where does theology come from? Many would say that it comes from the Bible. However, the Bible is not a theological work--- it is a work of revelation. Theology is first interpreted (Hermeneutics), and this should be done based on what it says in the context of it being originally said (Grammatical-Historical Exegesis). But theology …
Category: Mission Theology
Can We Speed Up the Return of Christ (If We Are of a Mind To)?
Can we speed up the return of Christ? Up until quite recently, I would have given a resounding NO!! However, more recently, I have drifted into the "PROBABLY NOT, BUT MAYBE" response. My reason for the resounding NO in the past was that there were two common arguments that I heard. Argument #1. Matthew 24:14 …
Continue reading Can We Speed Up the Return of Christ (If We Are of a Mind To)?
In Missions, Awesome Stats Can Be a Big Problem
Many years ago, my wife and I were involved in medical mission events in the Philippines. At these events, we would also evangelize. I would track the responses. Commonly, around half of the people who come would "say the Sinner's Prayer," which in Evangelical circles is often equated with converting from unsaved to saved. Should …
Continue reading In Missions, Awesome Stats Can Be a Big Problem
Free Missiology Book that is Actually Good
I got a notification from Tom Steffen. He is a missiologist whose recent specialization is in Orality Missions—how to reach out to, evangelize, and disciple people who cannot read, choose not to read, or prefer to learn through methods other than reading. His recent book "Character Theology: Engaging God through His Cast of Characters," coauthored by …
Southeast Regional Conference of the Evangelical Missiological Society 2026 (Part 1)
My wife and I were able to join the EMS 2026 Southeast Regional Conference, April 11, 2026. It was held at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Like last year (the only other one I have so far attended). it was really a lot of information jammed into too little time. Nevertheless, it …
Trying to Align Current Events with Prophecy was Bad Enough, BUT…
I used to be very involved in End Times prophecy. I suppose this depends on how you use the word "Very." I certainly read a lot and listened a lot back in my college days (40 years ago). Back then Hal Lindsey and Jack Van Impe were all over the place. This was before the …
Continue reading Trying to Align Current Events with Prophecy was Bad Enough, BUT…
Defining Christian Missions… Again
I was looking at an old post of mine from 2011 (Missions: A Self-Reflection – Missional Thoughts and Theology). I saw there some comments I had written on defining missions, and I really liked them. I am not sure I would use them to replace some other definitions I have come up with (such as …
Were There Evangelists in the Early Church?
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. -Ephesians 4:11-13 This …
Continue reading Were There Evangelists in the Early Church?
When is the Great Commission “Finished”?
Since the late 1800s, it has been common in Christian mission circles to have slogans or rallying cries around "finishing the task" or "fulfilling the Great Commission." Whether it be "this generation" or "2000 AD" I have never liked the slogans. For one, they have often been used to promote one-sided missions (evangelism rather than …
Reading Revelation Differently and It’s Impact on Missiology— Part 2.
So in the previous post I gave reasons for why I moved from a position of Dispensational Premillennialism (DP) to something else. Now I want to speak about how such a change may have a positive role in missiology. But first, you may ask what my view is. If I sort of reject DP, then …
Continue reading Reading Revelation Differently and It’s Impact on Missiology— Part 2.