Light, Life & Love (An Anglican in Exile!)

This blog is for those who seek a Judeo-Christian witness, in a fallen, broken and dark world!  “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (St. John 1: 4-5)  Theology may be defined as “Revelation upon the divine revelation given and received, which yields the truth of God in the form of precise language, with truths related to truths”. But we are to preach Christ – not theological systems as such, but – Christ crucified! (1 Cor. 2: 2) St. Paul does not mean a dead Christ, as if he had begun his thinking at Bethlehem and moved on to Calvary. He begins from the present moment and looking back through the Resurrection to the cross. His crucified Christ is the living Christ, still bearing the marks of the cross, as the perfect tense suggests. Always our task is therefore to relate theology to our preaching and teaching of Christ!  The trained mind and the warm heart together read what cold scholarship so easily can miss. So we can always know: “Your life has been hidden (and therefore is now invisible) with Christ in God.” ( Col. 3:3) But He is Lord of History, in control of events, master of all that is.

“The non-theological christ is popular; he wins votes; but he is not mighty; he does not win souls; he does not break men into small pieces and create them anew.” ~ P.T. Forsyth

I am a 72 year old, father, husband. I am an Anglican priest & presbyter, but now semi-retired (a non-stipendiary priest for several years now) I was born in Dublin Ireland and later educated in or from England. I hold both the D.Phil. & Th.D. (Luther’s: The Ontology of the Cross / Pauline Studies, Romans 7: 13-25 ).

I am always a conservative, both biblically/theologically (this includes being a “Biblical” Zionist, historical and premillennial). Right now, I am inclined to the Post-trib. position on the so-called rapture. But I am pressed towards “something” of the Progressive Dispensational position also, but a true dispensational scheme is always central to the proper division of God’s purposes and word, (1 Cor. 10: 32). Though I am certainly covenantal & reformed on the Doctrines of Grace (generally a neo-Calvinist). I have changed my views here somewhat i.e. eschatology, and will continue to grapple with the biblical text on this subject; the Timing of the Rapture, etc. But not the classic division of the centre of Dispensationalism, which is Israel and the Church!  The Church and culture is certainly moving closer into the great eschatological end.  Romans 13: 11-14 has been very real to me of late!  So I always hold the right to revision and change as a Reformed and Reformational Christian!   It is quite obvious that I am open and able to change my views on some things, but as far as the so-called “orthodox” aspects and truth.. I am an Anglican Churchman and follow the Ecumenical Councils, especially the Nicene Creed, etc.

Fr. Robert

PS..I should note and state, that I believe and am devoted to the detailed study and analysis of the Scriptures (Old & New), rooted in the foundational belief that they are truly the written word of God, that they are entirely sufficient unto themselves, and that as such they must be allowed to interpret themselves!

“So having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” ( St. Paul,  Acts 26: 22-23, NASB, Updated Edition, 1995)

I close this with a great quote, from a great man of God, and say amen too for myself, in some simple and little measure:

“I am inexpressibly grateful that the Lord of my life has granted to me in such abundance these opportunities to take part in the life of his ecclesia and to bear witness to the Living Christ in so many places and in so many ways.” —Emil Brunner