Dr. Michael J. Svigel

Available for pre-order: The Story of the Future: The Hopeful Narrative of God's Coming Kingdom (Hendrickson, 2027). (See brief preview/excerpt below). a.co/d/002sSKvU

Theology 101: In many theological disputes, for every church Father you quote that agrees with you, I can quote one that agrees with me. The folly of scholastic theology was they thought all contradictions could be reconciled…and that they needed to be.

Theology 101: Any post on rapture, baptism, spiritual gifts, Israel, Calvinism, or women’s ordination = Controversy and rage. Some people love triggering. Other people love being triggered. All people need love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

Theology 101: Throughout the history of Christian theology, there are two opposite tendencies in Christian hopes for eternity: 1) “all the good things without this physical world” or 2) “this physical world without all the bad things” Where do you lean and why?

@becomelutheran Yes. Do you accept my trinitarian baptism as valid baptism? Or, if I were to join your church, would you rebaptize me? That’s what I mean.

@Svigel So when you say "valid" you're speaking about salvation, not matters of fellowship? As an example, when we deny non-LCMS members communion or the ability to preach in our church it's not because we think they are not Christian. You're thinking of something harsher?

Theology 101: Congregational, ecclesiastical, or denominational exclusivism of orders and ordinances is the epitome of schism.

@wendelltalks Because it is an article of the Christian Faith into which I was baptized.

Why do you believe the Bible is true?

I think if a church regards their ordination or their sacraments the only valid ordination or sacrament, this is a problem. Or better, if a tradition refuses to accept the validity of all other trinitarian baptisms or the validity of any other ordination, that’s schismatic. It is the sin of Novatianism and Donatism.

@Svigel "exclusivism of orders and ordinances." I'm not sure what you mean. Would something like closed communion fit into this?

You can find print and ebook editions here: a.co/d/05AWLrYJ

"Began reading this book when I was a child. My Dad was one of Professor Svigel’s students, so he bought me the book to read. I’ve read it many times over now and it’s one of my favorites. Now picking it back up at 21 and having not read it in several years, I still love it. Thanks for enriching my childhood and now adulthood!"

@blairwarner02 a.co/d/05AWLrYJ

@Svigel Where can I pick one up?

@HubmaierB In 1 Cor 3, yes, that is certainly corporate—the temple is the local church in Corinth in that context. Interestingly, in 1 COR 6 the temple is the individual body to be kept from sexual immorality. So Paul maintains a great balance between corporate and individual spirituality.

I was reading Meade and Gurry’s Scribes and Scripture and, if I remember correctly, they said that being the Temple of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians should be understood corporately too. Seems like an interesting view, so I’m open to read about yours over Ephesians :D Thanks for sharing!

Theology 201: What if the plural, passive command in Ephesians 5:18—“y’all be filled with the Spirit”—is to be realized corporately, not individually, by being fully immersed in the sphere in which the Spirit primary operates—the church? retrochristianity.org/2009/03/07/yal…

Theology 301: Excerpt from “The AItheist 3.0” chapter 27: “It’s called ‘mystery,’ YAR. It’s the Spirit of God, whose gracious work in our lives, in our hearts, in our minds makes faith, hope, and love a gift, not a reward. Remember, Christian theology is fides quaerens intellectum.” YAR translated: “Faith seeking understanding.” “Exactly. By the grace of God, we’re able to see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and understand with our minds. It’s like the picture on a puzzle box. We may have all the pieces, but without the picture, it’s extremely difficult to put the puzzle together.” YAR interjected. “Actually, Mike, I could easily put a puzzle together with just the pieces….I think a better analogy would be a Lego set.” I smiled. “A Lego set?” “Yes. Without a pattern and instructions, a box full of various-sized Lego bricks could be assembled in any number of ways. But the picture on the box and the instructions in the box tell us how the pieces were meant to fit together. Faith is like that. It tells us how to put the facts together.” “There you go, YAR. I think you got it.”

@wordsofthislife @EagleAndSparrow When one has a view of Scripture that does not obligate one to its details in all its parts, that’s what you get.

@EagleAndSparrow I know. It’s a classic case of a theory is used to override scripture. One ends up in a ridiculous place.

Wow - just listened to N. T. Wright butchering John 14:1-3. His no heaven doctrine is carried to a point where the "Father's house" of John 14, in his view, is in actuality the spiritual body of Christ.

It’s bad. The debate should be whether it’s intermediate state (dying and going to heaven prior to resurrection) or the same promise as 1 Thess 1:9-10; 4:17. Either way, there is a heavenly sojourn of some sort. While the over-emphasis on spiritual and heavenly has to be corrected, this is pendulum swinging par excellence.

I take John 14:1-3 as the intermediate state (dying and going to heaven prior to resurrection) and/or to the bodily assumption to heaven described in 1 Thess 4:17, before the Day of the Lord but prior to the millennium. I suppose if one took the latter but not the former, and if one had no span of time between assumption and kingdom, one could see that as affirmation of assumption to heaven as our eternal spiritual home. If one holds to some span of time between assumption and kingdom, that does not follow.

@NathaninSeoul @Svigel In the millennium there will be a link, the heavens will rule over the earth. In the new creation heaven comes down to earth (so to speak). The Lord promised He would take us the Father’s House first. Wright’s doctrine and Svigel’s are entirely different and opposed.

"The western going to heaven doctrine" N. T. Wright. Ah, the Bible originated in the east.

@TheStingisBack People forget he was the Antichrist in the third Omen movie. :)

@DPGBehler Except caffeine isn’t a downside. :)

🤩🤩🤩 Now make it cherry vanilla caffeine free Coke Zero, and I will literally never drink anything else.

Theology 101: Throughout history, the revelation of God, his works, and his ways have come to us by a variety of authoritative means. Your favorite media outlet is not one of them.