File Cabinet: Duane W.H. Arnold, PhD

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25 Responses

  1. Michael says:

    I watched a long time friend preach yesterday.
    The message was, as always, focused on how the church can be “victorious” in the culture wars.
    It also contained heresies that were ancient…and some I had never heard before.

    When is the last time someone threw in a word about the pre-existence of the soul in your hearing?
    Have you heard the “new” doctrine that God “raptured” Enoch and Elijah because on His return he must have humans with him because they have been given dominion and must be present to set things right?

    His people knew no difference…they clapped at this “revelation”…and prayed that God would give them an “open heaven”…

  2. CM says:

    MIchael,

    I have heard that the 2 Witnesses per some dispies will be Enoch and Elijah, so that one your friend mentioned must be a variant of that.

    The pre-existence of the soul sounds something like the spirit babies of Mormonism (HT BSG: “So say we all”).

    What were some of the ancient heresies he spoke of?

  3. Michael says:

    The pre-existence of souls goes back to Origen,at least.
    The need for Christ to bring humans with him denies the Incarnation.
    The entire message was an example of the theology of glory…which goes back to Satan…

  4. Jean says:

    Good lesson Duane!

    There is a book written by a 20th Century Lutheran theologian, Gerhard Forde, titled: Theology is for Proclamation. Forde’s assertion is that the study of theology should service the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    I think this principle applies at all times, including today.

    One thing some theologians observe is that popular culture is increasingly turning against biblical ethics which turn is in some respects unprecedented. What’s worse is that many churches have followed the culture’s rebellious move.

    Therefore, good theology must respond to the culture’s rebellion against God’s creational order if it desires to preserve and serve its function in the proclamation of the Gospel. Good theology is fighting on two fronts: 1) against the rebellion in culture which threatens the proclamation and adherence to the Gospel; and 2) the ungodly messages being sent out by false churches which embrace cultural evil.

    However, theology can be faithful without becoming partisan. God’s will is the same for all people, regardless of party affiliation. God’s will is against sin, regardless of party affiliation.

  5. Duane Arnold says:

    Michael

    With regard to heresies, it would appear that “everything old is new again”…

  6. CM says:

    Duane,

    Just ask the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which I understand are not fans of Santa Claus.

    So if we wanted to re-create the incident today from the Council of Nicea, does than mean a mall store Santa would be beat up a JW? 😀

  7. Em says:

    God takes no pleasure in the the death of the wicked
    Precious in the sight of the Lord are the deaths of His Saints

    Sadly, only the Redeemed ones understand this….. Perhaps, even sadder is the fact that most of us, who are redeemed, see so little need to stick our necks out to explain what we know of eternity…
    Question, we leave it to the preachers – is that God’s will? ? ?

  8. Duane Arnold says:

    Jean

    “Jesus did not come to set in motion some new idealism, some new political scheme or inspire some new heroism. Rather, he came to die for us, to die at our hands, and so to save us.”

    Gerhard Forde

  9. Jean says:

    Great quote Duane! Thanks.

  10. Duane Arnold says:

    Jean

    Forde really is very good!

  11. Dan from Georgia says:

    Duane, thanks for this post, and certainly nice to comment here with no content about (those items you mentioned in you next-to-last paragraph)!

  12. Dan from Georgia says:

    Also meant to say great post too!

  13. Duane Arnold says:

    Dan

    Many thanks! BTW, the paper issue seems to become more difficult with the passing years. The best I’ve come up with is to go through my personal files once a year… I do, however, become more and more ruthless when it comes to what I keep…

  14. Dan from Georgia says:

    Thanks Duane on your input. The longer I keep these papers the more and more convinced I too need to be ruthless!

  15. Dan from Georgia says:

    As an aside/corollary…more and more companies are keeping your “data” on their servers, so I am finding it is no longer necessary to keep paid bill stubs (paper or electronically), for example.

    Also nice is when I purchased a vehicle last March, all the paperwork was signed electronically and given to me on a flash drive!

  16. Xenia says:

    It’s not surprising that the JW’s don’t like Santa Claus, AKA St. Nicholas of Myra. Back at the first ecumenical council he smacked the arch-heretic Arius in the chops. Arius taught the same heresy the JW’s preach today, that Jesus is a created being.

  17. LInn says:

    i love theology, but I don’t always tell my Christian friends what I am reading. The response I usually get is “why on earth are you interested in THAT?” or “are you sure it’s not dangerous?” Meanwhile, they spout quotes from “Jesus Calling” (no offense if you like it-it’s just not my thing), and I wonder if they could come up with a defense of their faith if they were cornered.

  18. Duane Arnold says:

    Xenia

    It’s actually a myth… but a good one!

  19. Xenia says:

    I have no confidence in saving my stuff electronically because pretty soon this particular technology will be archaic, and you may not be able to access your stuff unless you upgrade everything to the latest technology. Remember the 8-track and the floppy disk. I have some photos on floppies that I cannot access with my current equipment. I am sure it’s possible to get a floppy drive, just as I can buy an old 8-track on e-bay, but since I won’t, these photos are lost to me. Did I have to buy a new cell phone to accommodate the latest cell technology? Why yes I did. I have no confidence a flash drive will work ten years from now, and I suspect not-so-distant computers won’t even have USB ports because something else will have been invented. I am imagining a day when none of my Kindle books will be accessible to me unless I convert to some new expensive deal. Put not your trust in the electronics of men!

  20. Xenia says:

    Duane, it is an Orthodox tradition so it is true.

  21. Duane Arnold says:

    Xenia

    Of course…😁

  22. Dan from Georgia says:

    Good comment Linn…It is more profitable and good for your faith to read theology than the latest Christian Living best-seller dujour.

    Xenia – good points about technology. it’s sad that we get used to one thing, and then they (the developer/engineers) change things up and force us to buy the latest. I am tempted to get VERY Ruthless with my papers and just close my eyes and grab the pile and be done with them!

  23. Linn says:

    LInn and Xenia,
    There’s always the old saying that we can’t take it with us. I try to be wise about what i hold on to, and I am getting more ruthless at purging the rest. I think part of what is driving it is the pickup load of stuff we took the commercial shredder after my mom died several years ago.

  24. Duane Arnold says:

    Linn

    You’re in good company…

    “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough. I wish I had studied more and preached less.”

    Billy Graham

  25. CM says:

    Xenia,

    That was the point of the comment and attempt to piggyback something humorous from Duane’s comment at 9:04.

    And for your amusement, some enterprising folks have done some parody songs of the incident to the tune of popular Christmas songs:

    https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas/stories-legends/traditional-stories/life-of-nicholas/bishop-nicholas-loses-his-cool/parodies

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