Boyce Digital Repository (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
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Equipping Church Leaders for Biblical Marriage Counseling Through Reach Tanzania Bible School in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Get PDFThis project aimed to equip church leaders for biblical marriage counseling through Reach Tanzania Bible School (RTBS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Chapter 1 describes the historical and ministry context of RTBS, focusing on marriage and counseling issues, and includes the goals for this project. Chapter 2 provides an exegesis of five passages of the Bible (Eph 5:21-33; Gen 2:18-25; Phil 2:1-11; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-37) to demonstrate that biblical marriage counseling points to Christ to reorient a spouse to love God and the closest “one another.” Chapter 3 explores cultural issues in disagreement with biblical values particular to Tanzania that marriage counselors must understand and address. Chapter 4 presents the project itself, describing the specific curriculum’s process, content, and methodology. Chapter 5 evaluates the effectiveness of the project by its measurable goals
Equipping the Members of Grace Fellowship Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in the Practice of Biblical Discipleship
Get PDFThis project sought to equip the members of Grace Fellowship Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in the practice of biblical discipleship. Chapter 1 presents the history and ministry context of Grace Fellowship Church. Chapter 2 provides exegesis of several passages that support discipleship as means for Christlikeness through the practice of spiritual disciplines, obedience to the Word, and making more disciples. Chapter 3 shows how Spirit-dependent biblical discipleship practices have been observed in the examples of many believers in the history of the church, serving as an example to modern-day Christians on how to actively be genuine disciples that replicates and pursuit Christlikeness at all cost. Chapter 4 describes the project itself, recounting the content and teaching methodology of the specific course curriculum. Chapter 5 evaluates the efficacy of the project based on completion of the specified goals. Ultimately, those chosen by God grow into Christlikeness by active involvement in discipleship, including active practice of spiritual disciplines, active pursuit of obedience to the Christ’s commandments, the fellowship between believers, and intentionally making others disciples
Salvation as Victory: A Study on Divine Grace and Human Responsibility in Salvation in the Book of Revelation Through the Lens of the Conquering Motif
Get PDFVery little has been written on the themes of divine grace and human responsibility for salvation in the book of Revelation. This dissertation argues that the conquering motif, conveyed by the verb νικάω and grounded in the theme of Old Testament holy war, serves as an effective soteriological framework through which to analyze the intricate relationship between divine grace and human responsibility in salvation as understood within the context of the symbolic thought-world of Revelation. The rationale for this argument is that the concept of salvation in Revelation is generally understood in terms of “victory.”
Chapter 1 introduces the thesis, history of research, and methodology. Chapter 2 examines all three instances of νικάω occurring in reference to Christ’s victory (3:21; 5:5; 17:14) and portraying Christ as the divine warrior (the Son of Man, the slain lamb, and the warrior lamb/divine warrior), suggesting that the conquering of Christ is to be interpreted as the warring activity of divine warrior. However, such images as the “exalted Christ,” the “slain lamb,” and “robe dipped in blood” reinterpret his warring activity in terms of his death and resurrection, indicating that Christ’s death and resurrection are the primary means through which the salvation of God’s people is achieved. Each occurrence of νικάω performs a specific soteriological function: initiation of salvation (5:5), motivation in the present (3:21), and consummation of salvation (17:14), indicating that salvation, from beginning to end, is a matter of divine grace.
Chapters 3–5 address human responsibility in salvation. Chapter 3 lays an interpretive foundation for how to analyze the notion of human responsibility expressed by the application of conquering language to believers (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7). The burden of this chapter is to demonstrate that the nature of human responsibility for salvation is not mere human work but the external proof of one’s inner saving faith. Chapter 4 builds on this foundation by thoroughly analyzing 12:11 and 15:2, where νικάω occurs in reference to believers’ conquering, and demonstrating how believers’ victory, while a human act, is divinely enabled through Christ’s victory. Chapter 5 investigates the role of the Spirit in salvation, focusing on how the Spirit applies Christ’s accomplished victory to believers, enabling them to conquer and consequently inherit final salvation.
Chapter 6 probes the central role of the Old Testament holy war tradition in shaping the concept of salvation as victory in Revelation, arguing that in light of the typological relationship between the Old and New Testaments, Revelation contains the two essential typological ideas drawn from the monergistic pattern of holy war and uses them to shape its ideas of divine grace and human responsibility in salvation. These two basic ideas are: (1) God fights on behalf of his people with no human involvement, showing that God’s saving grace is monergistic; (2) faith on the part of God’s people is the sole requirement for them to win victory. These ideas are carried over into the conquering of Christ and that of believers. Chapter 7 synthesizes the study’s findings
How Should We Then Respond? A Christian Philosophical and Theological Response to Transgender Ideology
Get PDFIn this dissertation, I argue for the rejection of the core tenets of transgender ideology. At their foundation, transgender identities result from an ideology that affirms (1) the existence of gender identity and (2) that gender can, and sometimes does, misalign with biological sex. I offer both a philosophical and theological rebuttal to these assertions. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to this study. In chapter 2, I present an overview of today’s transgender cultural moment. I define key terms and describe the impact that transgender ideology has had on popular culture, politics, education, business, and medicine. In chapter 3, I offer an explanation of how American society arrived at a place where transgender identities are understood as rational. I argue that the path stretching from Friedrich Nietzsche to Michel Foucault to feminism to Judith Butler has led to a denial of human nature and morals, as well as a redefinition of sex and gender. These denials and redefinitions result in the philosophical and theological heterodoxies present in transgender ideology. In chapter 4, I present a philosophical rebuttal to such heterodoxies. I argue that sex and gender cannot misalign in any rational way without the employment of rigid gender stereotypes. By using Thomas Nagle’s article “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?” I show that a person cannot claim to be a member of the opposite biological sex in any rational way. Additionally, I contend that “gender” has become too broad and diverse a category and is, therefore, confusing and unhelpful in modern discourse. In chapter 5, I move beyond the philosophical and contend theologically. I demonstrate the gnostic nature of transgender ideology’s sharp mind-body split and juxtapose it with the value and meaning that Scripture communicates about the human body. I argue that sexed-embodiment is the natural state of human existence and is therefore good as a part of God’s created order. I contend that any attempt to change God’s created order (the attempt to change a person’s sex/gender identity) is an affront to God’s authority and an endeavor to usurp God’s good intentions for His image-bearers. Chapter 6 concludes this study
Evaluating a Comprehensive, Transferable, and Collaborative Church Replanting Process for Texas Baptists
Get PDFThe purpose of this project is to evaluate a comprehensive, transferable, and collaborative process for replanting Texas Baptists churches. Chapter 1 briefly presents the history of the TXB replanting process and introduces the project goals and research methodology. Chapter 2 describes the project’s biblical basis, drawing inspiration for the replanting process from the seven letters to the churches (Rev 2–3) that emphasize Christ as the source of hope, renewal, comfort, identity, and purpose. Chapter 3 details the organizational and practical issues of replanting churches across different contexts and cultures. Chapter 4 reviews the project implementation, in which a panel of church revitalization experts agreed on the essential characteristics of the church replanting process. This consensus was used as a rubric to grade the current replanting process being piloted by Texas Baptists and recommend improvements. Chapter 5 evaluates the project based on completion of specified goals
Discovering Ministry Best Practices Among Worship Pastors of Canadian Churches With an Attendance of at Least Six Hundred
Get PDFThis research project is intended to gather ministry best practice ideas from worship pastors of Canada’s larger evangelical churches. Demographic and ministry data is useful for worship pastors seeking wisdom in the areas of theology, discipleship, artistry, and leadership. Chapter 1 introduces the context and rationale of the project, plus goals designed to meet stated challenges. Chapter 2 delves into the Scriptures as the biblical basis for pastoral ministry in worship, focusing primarily on passages from 1 Chronicles, Acts, Colossians, and 2 Timothy. Chapter 3 summarizes the writings of modern authors on the theoretical, practical, and historical issues related to the role of worship pastor. Chapter 4 unveils survey and interview data compiled from forty Canadian worship pastors. Demographic and ministry statistics are summarized in written and chart form. Chapter 5 includes an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the project, including the author’s theological and personal reflections. Ultimately, this project seeks to encourage and advance the local church in Canada and around the world by strengthening and resourcing its musical leaders
Equipping the Members of Community of Grace Church in Buffalo, New York, for Disciple-Making Ministry
Get PDFThis project seeks to help Community of Grace Church in Buffalo, New York, equip its members for disciple-making ministry. Chapter 1 presents the history and ministry context of Community of Grace and the goals of this project. Chapter 2 provides an exegesis of seven passages of Scripture to demonstrate that the church’s mission is to make, mature, and multiply Christlike disciples who glorify God and impact others with the gospel. Chapter 3 presents the practical steps a disciple-making church needs to take to equip its members to fulfill the church’s God-given mission. Chapter 4 describes the project itself, recounting the disciple-making knowledge and readiness assessment, the content and teaching methodology of the specific course curriculum, and the results of the disciple-making readiness interviews. Chapter 5 evaluates the efficacy of the project based on the completion of the specified goals
Measuring the Usefulness of the Discipleship Pathway Assessment in the Local Church
Get PDFThis ministry project was designed to measure the usefulness of Lifeway’s Discipleship Pathway Assessment in local churches. The chapters show why there is a need for an assessment tool that measures spiritual growth while also compiling the research gathered to measure the usefulness of the DPA. Chapter 1 explains the context, rationale, purpose, goals, and methodology of the project. Chapter 2 focuses on the biblical calling of a church to grow their people spiritually by examining Hebrews 5:11-6:3, 1 Peter 2:1-3, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and Ephesians 4:11-16. Chapter 3 provides a brief history of how the DPA came to be along with theoretical support from other resources affirming the 8 Biblical Signposts as useful. Chapter 4 details the planning, preparation, and implementation of the ministry project while also analyzing the results of the project. Chapter 5 presents an assessment of the purpose, goals, strengths, and weaknesses of the project, and concludes with suggested changes, and theological and personal reflections
Equipping Parents at Beverly Hills Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, to Disciple Their Children
Get PDFThis project seeks to equip parents at Beverly Hills Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, to be primary disciple-makers of their children. Chapter 1 presents the historical and ministerial setting and goals of this project. Chapter 2 explores and exegetes the relevant biblical data establishing parents as primary disciple-makers of their children (Deut 6:4-9; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 1:8; 22:6; Eph 6:1-4). Chapter 3 considers the variety of ministry models in modern churches that seek to equip parents as primary disciple-makers of their children and seeks to promote the Family-Equipping Model as strongest. Chapter 4 describes the project as the teaching series is carried out week-by-week. Chapter 5 evaluates the project based on completion of the specified goals. The final purpose of this project is to equip parents to understand the urgency of carrying out discipleship in their home with their children and not relying on anyone else, even the church, to do this important work for them
"Their Peculiar Redeemer": Robert Sandeman and the Doctrine of the Atonement
Get PDFRobert Sandeman (1718–1771) was a Scottish minister who begat the Sandemanian movement that carried into the early nineteenth century. Though Sandeman is widely known for his controversial view on the nature of saving faith, his stance on the nature and extent of the atonement underpinned many of his theological and ecclesiological beliefs. This paper explores the history of Sandeman’s life, the discussion regarding atonement theories in the eighteenth century, and his own writings on the cross of Christ