New Wine or Old?

A Traditional Vintage of Trinitarian Wine

Christians have been drinking a traditional vintage of trinitarian wine for quite a while now and many of us feel the time has finally come for something new. Maybe what we are thirsting for is really something so ancient that it just seems new to us. Something refreshing. Old dogmas and traditions don’t truly satisfy and we thirst for something better. Still, no one denies that there is something comforting and familiar about old wine. Maybe that’s why traditional dogma still maintains its “market share” in spite of its failure to touch the heart or enlighten the mind. This was made clear by Jesus when He said, “No one having drunk old wine desires new because he says the old is better”.

Old Wine is on the Shelf Everywhere

One thing that can be said for the old wine of trinitarian dogma is that it is on the shelf everywhere and is easy to find. Because there is so much of it the price is pretty good too! All you have to do is attend a church that espouses the dogma of the trinity and you’ll probably feel that you’re in pretty good shape spiritually. That’s not a high cost at all and it’s no wonder that this kind of old wine is so popular and well known. The liquor stores (churches) that still sell the trinity carry on as if everything is just fine but in the words of Bob Dylan, “The times they are a changing.”

Something is Changing Indeed!

When you consider the long arc of history it starts to become apparent that something is changing indeed! Trinitarian theologians bemoan the fact that we are living in a “post-Chalcedonian age”. That’s just a polite way of saying that Christians aren’t as impressed (intimidated perhaps?) by church councils, creeds and the doctrine of the trinity as they were in earlier times. This development is regarded as catastrophic in some circles but we think it’s a good thing. Many Christians in our time have re-discovered a very ancient wine that knows nothing of three divine “persons” or the heady intellectualism of platonic philosophy. Instead, we proclaim a gloriously simple gospel that insists on One God and His only begotten (and human) son, Jesus Christ our Messiah.

Although the ancient wine we offer at wonderfultheology.com may not be widely available in mainline churches it is readily available on the pages of your Bible. Take a look with fresh eyes and take a drink with your old thirst and see for yourself.

Here’s New Wine Worth Drinking

There is but one God. He is the God of Israel and He is the God of Jesus. His only begotten Son, the man Christ Jesus was born of a virgin and tempted in all points like we are. He was one of us! He was filled with the Spirit of God without measure and went about doing good. The rulers of Israel hated Him because He defied their man-made traditions and so they crucified Him but God raised Him from the dead and now He sits at the right hand of God. The glorious offer He makes to us is the promise and blessing of immortality. This understanding of God and Christ is new wine worth drinking and these are things worth thinking about. Why not take a sip and see for yourself?

Mary Annoys Martha

There’s an interesting account in the New Testament of a time when Jesus was teaching his disciples and Mary annoyed Martha. Martha’s complaint was that Mary was just sitting around listening to Jesus and wasn’t helping out with dinner! Mary annoyed Martha so much that Martha went to Jesus and complained about her. Jesus acknowledged Martha’s complaint but said “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her.” Now there’s no doubt that dinner is important and sharing the labor is important too. The problem was that Martha was tuned into making dinner and Mary was tuned into hearing from Jesus. That was the cause of friction between the two sisters.

This is really a story about the age old conflict between earthly things and spiritual. It’s a conflict that is still going on today and we see it all around us. These days there is no shortage of disputes that can pull us away from Christ and into the storms and passions of the world. Some Christians are passionate about elections and vaccines. Others have strong opinions about immigration and elected officials. Christians who are passionate about these earthly issues are seriously annoyed with other believers who disagree.

There are culture wars being fought and political lines have been drawn. Christian brothers are being set against each other. In the past year I have been shunned by a few Christian friends over earthly and cultural issues and another Christian brother even sent me a threatening text message. Current events just illustrate the conflict between earthly and spiritual things. People who try to follow Jesus need to be careful. Careful not to get so wrapped up in disputes about earthly things that they begin to despise their brothers and sisters in Christ. Careful to repent of darkened hearts and attitudes.

People are prone to giving their loyalty to leaders who claim to have the answers to all our problems but Christians should know better. The only leader who has any solutions to our dilemmas is Jesus Christ and when His administration takes office the world will be a far better place. In the meantime we should beware of individuals or groups that want to enlist us in their conflicts and earthly causes at the expense of Christian unity. Our banner is not red or blue. God has called us to be peacemakers.

Welcome to Wonderful Theology

We don’t know by what invisible pathway or providence you have come to this website but we are glad you’re here! There is something quite wonderful happening in the Kingdom of God and somehow we are all destined to have a part in it. God has been removing the scales of tradition from our eyes and we are finally beginning to see! At long last, we have started to read the scriptures about God and Christ, the Father and the Son clearly. We are glad to be freed from the distorting lens of philosophy that has clouded the church’s vision for so many long centuries. God has been gracious to us… and we are thankful.