Bible studies, church history, systematic theology, and Christian apologetics by Dr. Peter J. Carter, D.Min.
Most people study church history to prove what they already believe. That approach guarantees self-deception. The real goal of studying church history is to discover when doctrines and practices actually appear in the historical record -- and to be honest about what you find.
Why do we instinctively believe that every claim should be examined, reasoned through, and defended? That instinct was cultivated, sharpened, and defended. Trace the path from Socratic dialectic through Jewish covenantal culture to the intellectual DNA of Western civilization.
When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, He told them it was already among them. An examination of Luke 17:20–21 and the inaugurated kingdom—what the Pharisees missed, why it matters today, and the already-not-yet framework that makes sense of it all.
Matthew 2:23 claims Jesus fulfilled a prophecy by being called a Nazarene, yet no Old Testament verse says this. Examining the Branch hypothesis, the despised Messiah theme, and what Matthew actually meant.
Biblical prayer is not bargaining with an unpredictable deity. It is covenant appeal to a God who binds Himself by promise and cannot lie. Discover the Reformed covenantal basis for confident prayer.
From the War of the Worlds broadcast to the Charge of the Light Brigade to Philippians 2:12, missing context inverts meaning. Why the historical-grammatical method matters.
How did the biblical understanding of the afterlife develop from Sheol to the divided realm Jesus described? Trace the progressive revelation from Old Testament through the New.
Examine the historical evidence for the reliability of the Gospels: manuscript evidence, eyewitness testimony, early dating, archaeological confirmation, and more.