How often do you compare other Bible translations with your favorite one? Today I want to give two personal examples of how failing to do this can be a HUGE mistake, and why comparing multiple Bible translations can greatly improve our ability to understand any passage in the Bible. 

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 86-98

Is theology simply a matter of knowledge? How do you know if your theology is correct? How does practice relate to theology? Today, Peter van Mastricht gives us an interesting litmus test for theology. He says that the only true theology is practical theology. To show this, he gives us four points of application for Christian theology. This episode is full of helpful considerations for our personal lives- so I hope you find it to be an important aid to your Christian life!

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The summertime is tough for disciplined Bible readers. With vacations and breaks from our normal routine, our Bibles and reading consistency can quickly go down the drain. So what should we do? How can we make the most of this natural break during the summer months? My advice is to pick one book of the Bible to focus on. Focus on quality over quantity. When the Fall comes around, you'll be glad that you took a tough situation and turned it into something memorable for your Bible reading! Here's why I'm choosing the gospel of John and why you should too!

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There are dozens of Bible translations available today, but which one should you use? I say, why limit ourselves to just one? Today we'll talk about why Bible translations differ from others and how to decide which ones are the best options for you. I'll also share my personal top three translations I recommend! 

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 80-86

Natural theology needs some ground rules. We can either embrace it too much and start having a low opinion of the Bible's value. Or we can reject natural theology of any value, but this makes us deny what the Bible says about God revealing Himself in nature, such as Psalm 19 and Romans 1. What are some careful ground rules for us to follow? Peter van Mastricht shares 4 questions for us to answer, which serve as a litmus test for our view of natural theology. 

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There's a ton of Christian literature available today, but how much of it is actually helpful? We can't possible read all the good material, and there's probably more bad than good on the market, which makes things even more complicated. But what does the Bible actually say about reading Christian books? While there's no way to deal with every example of doctrinal disagreement or scandals that discredit authors, there are some helpful ways to decide who to read and who to avoid. And to do that, we'll  look at a very important passage from the book of Hebrews. 

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From Theoretical-Practical Theology Volume 1, pages 73-80

Is theology a biblical term? What can we learn about God outside the Bible? How does Scripture relate to reason? These are all questions we answer today by looking at Peter van Mastricht's explanation of how theology is revealed in nature and Scripture.

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How difficult is it to read the entire New Testament in a month? Actually, it's much easier than trying to read the entire Bible in a year. We're a quarter of the way through the year, and that means that many of us are currently struggling with how badly we have failed in our Bible reading plans for 2022. In fact, you might be so far behind in your reading that you see no possibility of catching up. But there's still plenty of time left in the year, so what should you do? Annual Bible reading plans are marathons. They require you to follow a routine for 365 days. That's easier said than done. Monthly reading plans are sprints. You only have to discipline yourself for 30 days. So let's take advantage of sprints this upcoming month and find a way to achieve a great goal: Reading the New Testament in 1 month! Easy? No. Possible? Absolutely. Here's how to do it and why you need this as your recovery from failed reading plans. 

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Some people are bothered by the idea of systematic theology because they're afraid that this puts God in a box. But is this true? Today we'll talk about why the Bible commands us to have a certain method of theology, and how this protects, rather than limits, our understanding of who God is. To do this, we'll look at the biblical method of theology, which Peter van Mastricht describes as the connection between theory and practice, or to say it another way, the theoretical-practical.

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