Category Archives: Bible

Why Institutional Theology Matters Now

Posted on January 6, 2026 by nathanalbright

Much of contemporary religious discussion assumes that theology is primarily about beliefs, texts, or personal spirituality. Institutions are treated as secondary—neutral containers at best, unfortunate necessities at worst. When institutions are discussed, they are often framed in managerial or political … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Theophilus: The Man Who Helped Give Us a Gospel and Acts

Posted on January 4, 2026 by nathanalbright

[Note:  This is the prepared text for a sermonette given to the Portland, Oregon congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, January 3, 2026.] When we open the New Testament, we tend to focus on the big names—Jesus … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, Sermonettes | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

White Paper: Misused Biblical Self-Identification: A Typology for Discernment, Governance, and Formation

Posted on January 3, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Biblical self-identification—seeing oneself reflected in a scriptural figure—can be a legitimate tool for moral reflection and spiritual growth. However, Scripture itself warns that misapplied identification can become a mechanism for evading correction, reinterpreting authority, or sacralizing disorder. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Ontology as Discernment: A Theological Defense of Foundational Analysis as a Diagnostic Tool

Posted on January 3, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Ontology—the inquiry into what is real, what kinds of entities exist, and where causation and responsibility meaningfully reside—has often been treated in contemporary discourse as speculative, abstract, or marginal to practical theological concerns. This paper argues instead that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Musings | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: The Proper Boundaries of Emergence: A Biblicist Framework for Authorized Order, Human Agency, and Moral Accountability

Posted on January 2, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The concept of emergence—outcomes arising from interaction rather than direct command—is often viewed with suspicion in biblicist circles due to its association with naturalism, moral diffusion, and anti-teleological thinking. This white paper argues that Scripture not only accommodates … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

White Paper: The Naming of Josiah: Parental Agency, Prophetic Foreknowledge, and the Nature of Named Deeds

Posted on January 1, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The naming of Josiah, king of Judah, occupies a unique place in biblical studies because his name appears in a prophecy approximately three centuries before his birth (1 Kings 13:2). This paper examines three closely related questions: Who … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, Maternal Lines, Musings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Innocence, Transgression, and Moral Knowledge: A Biblicist White Paper on Humanity’s State in Eden and the Biblical Meaning of Innocence

Posted on December 30, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This white paper examines the biblical concept of innocence, focusing first on humanity’s original state in Eden and then expanding to a broader scriptural theology of innocence across redemptive history. From a biblicist perspective, innocence is neither moral … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: A Biblicist Framework for Engaging the Political Nature of Contemporary Life Without Partisan Capture

Posted on December 29, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Contemporary life is unavoidably political. Questions of authority, justice, coercion, property, family, speech, education, war, and welfare permeate daily existence. Yet Scripture nowhere authorizes believers to subordinate moral reasoning to secular ideological systems—whether partisan, nationalist, revolutionary, technocratic, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church of God, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

White Paper: Sound Rhetoric in Sermonettes: Why Clarity and Economy Are Governing Virtues in This Genre of Speech

Posted on December 28, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Sermonettes occupy a unique rhetorical space within the life of the church. They are neither full sermons nor casual remarks, but compressed acts of instruction, exhortation, and framing delivered under strict time constraints and high expectations of doctrinal … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church of God, Musings | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

White Paper: The Bride of Christ and the Saints Before the New Covenant: A Biblicist Examination of Covenant Identity, Eschatology, and Scriptural Language

Posted on December 28, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This white paper examines whether Scripture identifies believers called before the inauguration of the New Covenant—that is, the faithful of the Hebrew Scriptures—as part of the Bride of Christ, or whether that identity is reserved for those called … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment