Category Archives: Doctrine

May 17 2022

Baptism: Born for Battle: 'May 9, 2022'

 

Among other things, the early church understood the significance of baptism in “military” language. Not in a sense of obnoxious aggressiveness, nor charismatic spiritual warfare. but rather, that the life of a follower of Jesus will be characterized by struggle and adversity for which, at baptism, a candidate was “signing up” like a loyal soldier. This facet of understanding is virtually unknown today in many parts of Western Christianity.

 

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

Mar 14 2022

Atonement – To Whom?: 'March 14, 2022'

 

In the Hebrew scriptures the word kippur (atonement) never has God as the object of the atonement. Rather, the object is the enslaving power of sin. God does not have to “conditioned” with anything to love and forgive.

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

Mar 7 2022

If You Only Knew: 'March 7, 2022'

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to bear witness to, to make known Christ and the Cross. The Holy Spirit does not do magical, automatic Bible interpretation for a believer. So-called “Holy Spirit downloads” do not take the place of the hard work of understanding even the simplest thing from Scripture. Take the little word “if” for example . . .

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Copyright 2022. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

Jan 8 2022

Drama in Galatia: 'Video Seminar'

This introductory video session is provided free of charge. For those who would find the whole series of interest, it is available at the link provided below.

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Aug 9 2021

The Just Shall Live by Relational Trust: 'Monday Morning Musings August 9, 2021'

 

Faith is more than a private intellectual posture of assent toward biblical propositions of truth. Faith, defined as a first-century Jew would define it, is relational trust. It is social. By definition it speaks of relationship with another be they God or human beings.

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

 

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Jul 27 2021

The Wrath of God: 'Monday Morning Musing July 26, 2021'

How we define wrath is going to shape our theology and our God-image. The ancient church fathers rightly taught that God is not moved by the same kinds of passions that we are as humans. So, whatever concept of wrath we may hold, it cannot be just a bigger, badder, and more vindictive version of our own anger at sin and injustice.

 

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

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Jul 19 2021

Vengeance or Justice?: 'Monday Morning Musings - July 19, 2021'

Vengeance is based on a self-need for vindication, or satisfaction. It is rooted in desires of having experienced a personal wrong that requires some sort of “equilibrating” payment. There is no self-need in God, of any kind, period. Therefore, our human understanding of vengeance, including that which supposedly belongs to God, needs to be abandoned and a more scripturally sound concept, faithful to both the nature of God and Scripture needs to be embraced. Vindictive retribution is an insult to the nature of God in Christ.

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

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Jul 12 2021

His Justice is Not Like Ours: 'Monday Morning Musings - July 12, 2021'

 

In our world justice is static and inflexible. Our image of justice is a blind woman with a balance and a sword. This speaks of something precisely balanced, evened out, equal, proportional–implemented by force and the threat of violence if necessary. The prophets had a different idea. Amos says that God’s justice flows like a mighty river. It is something dynamic and full of surging life and power. It is not precise. It is uncontainable, fluid and brings CLEANSING, HEALING and LIFE wherever it goes, not PUNISHMENT and DEATH. God’s ways are not like our ways and this applies to our understanding of divine justice.

 

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

Photo by Lauren Jolicoeur on Unsplash

Jul 5 2021

Who’s Your Daddy? Your God-Image Matters: 'Monday Morning Musings July 5, 2021'

 

Our image of God as Father is so important. It will shape how we relate to God, and how we relate to others. If our God-image is skewed, distorted, bi-polar, dual-faced, etc., we will be confused personally as well as in our message and mission to the world.

 

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.

 

 

 

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Jan 25 2021

Meekness – Jesus Style: 'Monday Morning Musings - January 25, 2021'

Biblical meekness, like humility, is also not a personality type. It has nothing to do with an external demeanor of diffidence. It does not involve being an emotional eunuch. It is about being fully alive, experiencing all range of emotion, but having those emotions under the rein of the governance of Christ. It does not mean I live as a doormat for others to abuse or degrade me.

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Copyright 2021. Dr. Stephen R. Crosby. www.stevecrosby.org. For video and audio resources, sign up as a student here. You will find a mix of both free resources and those with cost. This ministry is sustained by the freewill offerings of those believe in the message of a radical grace in a new covenant understanding. If this blog article has been a blessing to you, would you prayerfully consider making a contribution through our Paypal button to help? Stephanos Ministries is NOT a 501-c-3 corporation Click here to understand why. Thank you and God bless you.