Theological Details
Theology is information. Theologians are people who study religious writings—many that come from a variety of sources. Eliminating unreliable sources brings a focus to writings that provide reliable and sound evidence.
Objective theological studies validate truthful writings that are supported by historical accounts, archeology, and even evidence from scientific studies and explorations. A theologian using reliable evidence can thus provide a defense of a faith, which is often called an apologetic.
Where faith evidence leads to is an ultimate decision that is offered to every human during their lifetime. That includes you! Accepting a relationship with God opens a door to an eternal life. And that simply is whether you accept the good news (a.k.a. gospel) as the opportunity this life offers you.
Reading The Bible
Many people for a first reading of the biblical text may think it difficult to read, simply a bunch of stories, groundless projections for events yet to come, and otherwise nothing of real concern. Such a conclusion distracts from digging deeper and developing a fuller understanding of why such a book exists.
Gaining an understanding of what the Hebrew (‘Tanach’ older covenant) plus Greek (‘Brit Chadeshah’ newer covenant) texts are describing is helped by studying what ends up being a network of information—from beginning to end of the overall text. The network connects the source of our existence to the beginning of space and time, the origin of man (and woman), and a foundation built upon themes and events that move forward in time. This is a starting point. There is a purpose to what follows and that leads to a series of chronological events (indeed some are yet to come).
The Biblical Network
Obviously, the Bible starts with an account for the creation of the heavens and the earth and that event is attributed to the God of Israel. There have been many different perspectives on the writings in the book of Genesis and the entire first five books of the Bible (the writings of Moses, the Torah). A general point of view is that from a beginning the text moves forward to a people who leave slavery in Egypt, to cross a wilderness, and then establish the land of Israel. What is called the Mosaic Law provides prescriptive directions to those chosen people to accomplish this phase of the Bible’s account.
A next significant phase in the Bible really comes with an account of the coming of the Jewish Messiah (Yeshua; Jesus; the exact year of appearance is found in a ‘riddle’ of weeks of years written in Hebrew by Daniel (9:24–27)). Messiah’s Law takes precedence over the Mosaic Law (as detailed in the books of Galatians and Hebrews). The turning point is when Yeshua states “It is finished” (John 19:30) and passes from life to death, but then in three days back to life again. While seemingly hard to accept, this becomes the crucial turning point to accepting Messiah’s Law and our (your) being open to accepting a relationship with a risen Lord.
However, the network of information from Science to Scripture raises an important question: “Will you decide to embrace a relationship with the One who is behind all science and all Scripture?”
So, important questions are: “Might you decide on life over death? Do you recognize the opportunity for eternal life is real? Have you taken time to explore and make the most important decision?”
In brief, and in simpler terms, the Bible describes:
- Origin of the universe (creation, ex nihlo (i.e., from nothing)
- Beginning of man
- Origin of the problem of sin
- How rampant sin is even to this day—repentance needs your attention
- A series of chronological events in the past leads to the future—including today and days yet to come -
- The bringing together of a people chosen for a purpose (Israelites) leading up to a reappearance of the Messiah (as noted in the biblical chronology!)
- What the Bible offers applies to both Jewish and Gentile persons
- Israel has a specific role in past, present and future—to be an example to all nations—an example biblically intended to motivate all people to seek a relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The information offered here is a simple overview and points to perspectives that don’t all need to be complex or misinterpreted. And indeed the scriptural evidence as a network of information does require some study to fully comprehend and accept as reality. When done, faith is not blind but founded on factual information. Just look at how archaeologists have uncovered many places referenced in Scripture.
And a look at design in nature is where science comes into view and points to an origin that is convincingly a mind—a mind is the source of complex and specific information (sources include: physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, cosmology, and even medical sciences).
Joining Perspectives in the WindowView
Window perspectives help highlight a harmony of science and Scripture—a harmony of the material existence to the spiritual realm. With the more recent scientific evidence there is actually more evidence for the validity to Scripture.
The Convergence Thesis presents more specific terms and added details that are further supported by more extensive pages describing theological and scientific details.
Two added areas are a page describing the Event Horizon, which looks forward with scriptural prophecy as the core line of evidence and further a simpler WindowView Summary that is descriptive of the initial development, purpose, and sources supporting this web site.
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Time spent looking ... through a window on life and choice ... brings the opportunity to see in a new light. The offer for you to Step Up To Life is presented on many of the web pages at WindowView. Without further explanation we offer you the steps here ... knowing that depending on what you have seen or may yet explore in the window ... these steps will be the most important of your life ...
