Theology

There is a lot of talk about Israel right now. Some Christians believe supporting Israel is a biblical obligation. Others think modern Israel has no theological significance whatsoever. Some defend every Israeli policy reflexively. Others treat Israel as uniquely illegitimate among the nations. Both extremes miss something important. Christians should support Israel — but not blindly. Before explaining why biblically, morally, and geopolitically, let me say this: I have spent

The Gospel is the foundation of Christianity. It is the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ, given first by Jesus himself and then passed down through the apostles and the Church for the past 2000 years. At its heart, the Gospel proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, God’s chosen King, and that through him God is establishing his Kingdom on Earth. This, however, leads to the natural questions: why do we need the Gospel? Why do we need Jesus as our King? The Problem Why do we

Christians do not treat morality as a matter of personal preference. We affirm that objective moral truths exist . Just as we do not merely subjectively prefer that Nazism and Marxism be rejected, but we recognize the real objective and measurable harm such ideologies produce. Committed, consistent, and logical Christians know that moral truth has consequences for real people living in real communities. Because of this, Christ calls His followers to love their neighbors not

Immigration, borders, and the way we treat people from other countries are pressing issues in our world. These subjects come up in politics, online conversations, and classroom discussions. If you're interested in faith or want to know the Bible's perspective, it's valuable to look directly at what Scripture teaches. The Bible addresses real-life challenges and offers principles about justice (fair treatment), mercy (genuine kindness), laws, human dignity (recognizing every p

The apostle Paul once rebuked the Galatian church with a startling question: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1) Paul was not suggesting that the Galatians had lost their free will or become metaphysical puppets. Quite the opposite. He was holding them responsible for allowing deception to take root—for failing to guard their minds against ideas that undermined truth and freedom. In other words, Paul assumed that being deceived does not eliminate res

Recently, David Pallmann shared an Arminian critique of Molinism and argued that Simple Foreknowledge is the superior view. While his post is confident in its conclusions, it relies on several philosophical assumptions and category mistakes that require careful examination. I believe David’s critique rests on a number of misunderstandings—both philosophical and theological. In what follows, I will quote Pallman in segments and respond directly to each major claim (the entiret

I've been attending the Evangelical Philosophical Society (EPS) meetings since 2015. They are always a highlight of my year as I get to travel to new cities and meet thousands of like-minded people from around the world. Many of these people are my heroes. Many others are my “frienemies”—brothers and sisters in Christ who love me but oppose some of my theological positions (and that sentiment is mutual). One thing is for sure: it’s always iron sharpening iron (Prov. 27:17). I

In recent years, many Christian leaders—most famously the late Pastor Tim Keller—have promoted what’s often called a “Third Way.” Keller’s idea was that Christians shouldn’t become pawns of either political tribe. Instead, we should resist culture-war polarization by emphasizing gospel-centered principles that critique the imperfections of both the Left and the Right. There’s wisdom in that impulse. And I agree that the Kingdom of God transcends every imperfect human politica

Is Kirk Cameron a heretic? In a recent podcast he discussed a change in his view of hell and eternal conscious torment.

In the past few years while I was researching and thinking about a possible challenge to Perfect Being Theology, I stumbled across the argument I’m sharing here. [1]  So far the other philosophers and theology minded people I’ve shared it with have all received it positively. I do think it’s interesting or perhaps ironic that I only came to these conclusions after Eden was diagnosed. So there is a broad consensus in philosophy of religion that our world is not the best of all

Part 1: We Can Know How, not Why: But we really want to know Why. "He who has a why to live, can bear almost any how." -Fredrick Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols. [1] "Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!"-God, Job 38:4-5 If you don’t know my family you wouldn’t know this, but our three-year-old daughter Eden has inoperable and incurable brain cancer. Absent an extreme medical breakthro

Due to recent events, the world has been shaken. The various murders, and specifically the assassination of Charlie Kirk, have left many Americans with questions of justice, the future, and truth. Our world has never seemed so dark, and the divide in America has never seemed so wide. Yet despite the horror and darkness of the past few weeks, hope is on the horizon. Revival. Never, in recent years, has the Church had such a potential harvest laid at our feet. God is truly turn

Recently, I wrote a review of Pastor Brandan Robertson’s book Queer and Christian (read it here: Queer and Christian Book Review ) but had to leave much of the critique of his arguments on the cutting room floor. However, his work is important enough that I believe more must be done to address the specific arguments he makes concerning scripture and its relation to human sexuality and identity. Because of this I am writing responses to specific chapters in his book. Some wil

The Changing Religious Landscape In the past couple of years, we have seen a new interest in Christianity from the younger generations. This is an exciting turn of events for the Church which has lost the interest of many young people. However, though this may seem like a turn in the tides, the overall trend in the past 20 years has seen a steep decline in US adults who identify as Christians and those who attend church. This has been due to the extreme secularization of our

Recently, I had the opportunity to assist my colleague Dr. Tim Stratton in an online debate with Colton Carlson concerning 1 Corinthians 10:13 and its relation to libertarian freedom. In this article, I want to expand on that exchange—not merely to come to a friend’s defense, but to make a specific, academic point grounded in the Greek text itself. I will argue (in line with leading Greek scholars today) that 1 Corinthians 10:13–14 most naturally supports C-Ability (Catego

Introduction This dialogue brings together Colton Carlson and Dr. Tim Stratton in an extended written exchange about the meaning of Paul’s assurance in 1 Corinthians 10:13. At issue is whether the apostle’s statement—“you are able”—supports a libertarian understanding of human freedom (C-Ability) or whether it can be explained within a compatibilist framework (W-Ability). Across the discussion, Carlson presses Stratton to demonstrate why libertarian freedom is the stronger re

Introduction The debate over 1 Corinthians 10:13 , freedom, and responsibility continues. In this exchange, I (Dr. Tim Stratton) respond to Colton Carlson’s ongoing attempts to redefine “ability” in ways that obscure Paul’s plain assurance. Colton insists that his dispositional compatibilism can capture Paul’s promise, but as you’ll see, the very foundations of his view collapse under scrutiny. In what follows, I engage Colton point by point—addressing his appeals to authori

Introduction This written debate between Dr. Tim Stratton and Mr.Colton Carlson centers on the meaning of Paul’s promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 : that God always provides a “way of escape” when believers face temptation. At stake is whether this passage affirms categorical ability (C-Ability) —the genuine, libertarian power to do otherwise in the actual world—or whether it can be sufficiently explained by weaker notions of ability (W-Ability) consistent with compatibilism

In a recent exchange, in the YouTube comments under a video featuring Leighton Flowers , Colton Carlson offered a detailed attempt to defend a compatibilist-friendly reading of 1 Corinthians 10:13. He leaned on Vihvelin’s notion of “W-Ability” (dispositional ability plus opportunity) to argue that Paul’s words need not entail categorical ability (C-Ability) or libertarian freedom (LFW). Below, I’ll first share Mr. Carlson's case in his own words, and then respond point by poi

Introduction: A High-Stakes Exchange on Freedom and Scripture Few biblical texts strike as deeply at the heart of human responsibility as Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:13 : “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” For centuries, theologians and philosophers have debated what this verse