John 3:16 in the King James Version begins with the words, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” But what does the word “begotten”‘ mean?  Is it another word for birth or being born?  Was John saying Jesus was God’s firstborn son?  If so, then where was Jesus before he was born? Before he was conceived by Mary? Read the rest of this entry →

We’ve all stumbled our way through a dark room. We bump into the chair, the table, or step on a child’s toy while we desperately search for a light switch.  Once the light is on we are able to clearly see everything in the room.

The Bible can sometimes seem like a dark room.  We may read it, but we don’t understand what we read.  The light of understanding is still turned off in our mind, but once it is turned on then understanding comes. The process whereby God turns the light on in our Read the rest of this entry →

You’re sitting in the concert hall, having arrived a few minutes early.  You can hear the orchestra tuning up.  You may occasionally see the curtain move as someone or something moves behind it.  The lights are on, but you are in the dark about what’s happening on stage, except perhaps for a few educated guesses.

But then the time arrives, and the curtain goes up.  All that was once hidden is now open to view. Read the rest of this entry →

Soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, is the great theme of the Bible and the heart of the Christian faith. As such it contains many important terms and concepts that will take some time to work through. This article serves to introduce the topic and give a little review to place it in context. Read the rest of this entry →