Christopher Peppler | South African Theological Seminary (original) (raw)

Papers by Christopher Peppler

Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Sep 1, 2006

Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Mar 1, 2012

The Christocentric principle is a hermeneutic of interpreting all of scripture primarily from the... more The Christocentric principle is a hermeneutic of interpreting all of scripture primarily from the perspective of the revelation of nature, character, and purposeses of the Triune Godhead in and through the person, works, and words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The nature of the New Birth, (being "born again"), its connection to the doctrine of Regeneration... more The nature of the New Birth, (being "born again"), its connection to the doctrine of Regeneration, The Fall, human Trichotomy, and the role of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is our model in all things and so he is also our model for ministry. By ministry, I mean Sp... more Jesus is our model in all things and so he is also our model for ministry. By ministry, I mean Spirit-led and Spirit-filled words and actions that heal and build up the lives of others.

We know that we can know God because Jesus reveals Him fully and His life and words are faithfull... more We know that we can know God because Jesus reveals Him fully and His life and words are faithfully recorded in the Gospels, within the context of the fullness of inspired scripture. It gives us a consistent standard against which we can evaluate and better understand all of the Bible as well as life in general.

Some researchers contend that Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as non-Christians, but ... more Some researchers contend that Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as non-Christians, but this is misleading. Apparently, 60% of nominal Christians experience divorce but this applies to only 38% of committed Christians. Now, rather than debate the difference between nominal and committed Christians, let's rather take the point that 38% constitutes a problem and 60% is disastrous for families, church and society. So, in either scenario, divorce is an important issue for all Christians. So many scholars and pastors have written books and articles on this subject that it would be both presumptuous and tedious for me to attempt to evaluate the many different views. Rather, I want to set out my own understanding of the biblical position on divorce from an essentially Christocentric perspective.

An examination of the manefestation/gift of Tongues in the church today

Church unity is so important yet so illusive. In this article I attempt to describe some of the p... more Church unity is so important yet so illusive. In this article I attempt to describe some of the parameters for unity, its continuum and its locus, before coming to the tentative conclusion that networking seems to provide us with the only viable working model available. Having come to this point in my search I then sketch some simple building blocks. In the final analysis, only the Holy Spirit can forge a functionally united global church. Our responsibility is to seek the Lord's will and to be sensitive to His voice. We also need to place ourselves into interlinking relationship networks thereby making all of the church potentially available to all of its parts.

A way of interpreting apparently contradictionary texts that will assist unity between churches a... more A way of interpreting apparently contradictionary texts that will assist unity between churches and Christians.

The biblical references to and examples of hidden layers of truth indicate that we should expect ... more The biblical references to and examples of hidden layers of truth indicate that we should expect to find more than superficial layers of meaning in the scriptures

Priorities for Evangelical Theological Education, 2019

The management and biblical attributes required to lead a seminary

SATS Conspectus

This article briefly examines the current return to apostolic Christianity in various parts of th... more This article briefly examines the current return to apostolic Christianity in various parts of the world and references three earlier Christian movements that came into existence at approximately 100-year intervals, beginning with the Methodist movement in the 1700s, culminating with observations of a current apostolic movement that began in the early 1980s, known as New Covenant Ministries International, in an attempt to ascertain how they embraced early apostolic principles. The article highlights the strengths of several movements but also makes observations about how these movements lost their initial effectiveness by becoming institutional and, in many cases, forfeited their initial vision of impacting the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We examine possible reasons why these movements lost their fervour and discuss possible ways 1 The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the beliefs of the South African Theological Seminary. 2 Malcolm graduated with a Master of Theology from the South African Theological Seminary in 2007.

A students overview of 1 and 2 Corinthians designed as an introduction to the two letters that wi... more A students overview of 1 and 2 Corinthians designed as an introduction to the two letters that will stimulate further study.

Vagueness exists amongst Christians with regards to what it is like to experience divine guidance... more Vagueness exists amongst Christians with regards to what it is like to experience divine guidance practically. This problem is aggravated by conflicting perspectives on the will of God, whether or not His will is discoverable, and how Christians are to go about seeking it. This article seeks to reveal what we can reasonably expect to experience when God speaks by considering (1) perspectives on the will of God and its discoverability, and (2) the levels of awareness and certainty of divine communication as evidenced by select biblical characters. The article shows that the ways in which Christians experience divine direction are as unique and varied as each individual relationship with God is unique and varied. It shows, furthermore, that we should have, as our primary concern, a focus upon fostering a deep and intimate relationship with God, out of which direction and instruction will naturally and invariably flow. Finally, it shows that the primary way in which God communicates with us today is by means of the subtle and unobtrusive guidance and direction of our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit.

Theology is, in essence, ‘faith seeking understanding’, and Systematic Theology is the discipline... more Theology is, in essence, ‘faith seeking understanding’, and Systematic Theology is the discipline that seeks to bring together scriptural and church Faith in an organised and life-relevant way. God did not design the Bible as a comprehensive theological dictionary and so Systematic Theology plays an important role in making biblical truth accessible in a holistic and comprehensive fashion. As a discipline, it links with Biblical and Practical Theology to form a theological educational trinity. However, Systematic Theologies are written from historic, cultural, and dogmatic perspectives and so should be carefully evaluated against biblical truth. Good evangelical Systematic Theology is an indispensible part of any serious study of the nature, purposes, and ways of Almighty God.

Homiletics, like many other Christian disciplines, is hard to define adequately, but in essence, ... more Homiletics, like many other Christian disciplines, is hard to define adequately, but in essence, it is the study and practice of the preaching of the Word of God. There is a strong biblical basis for preaching, both in precedent and in injunction, and it has been a central feature of the church throughout all ages. The history of homiletics reveals a general shift of focus from the text, to the preacher, and then to the audience. Concerning the text, although there are several different terminologies, the main divide in approach is between expository and topical sermon form. The focus on the preacher, rather than the text, highlights the key issue of the source of authority for preaching. Concerning the audience, it is obvious that preaching is always in the context of a group of listeners and so their needs must be an area of concern. However, needs and cultures should never override the primary preaching responsibility of fidelity to the Word of God. While preaching cannot be divorced from its audience, neither should it be separated from the contexts of sound hermeneutics and of church worship and ministry.

This article deals with same-sex marriage from a Biblical Christian perspective. It is not a trea... more This article deals with same-sex marriage from a Biblical Christian perspective. It is not a treatise on homosexuality from either a Biblical or sociological point of view. The article deals with homosexuality, per se, only in as much as is necessary to examine the question of the Biblical Christian stance concerning same-sex marriage.
The article starts with a brief overview of the South African civil legal history of same-sex ‘marriage’ partnerships leading up to the current ruling by the Constitutional Court. The debate then starts with the Biblical definition of marriage before mining down to the two main arguments in favour of same-sex marriage and the homosexuality that underpins it – the appeal to the concepts of justice and love. Only then does the focus turn to the Biblical prohibitions concerning homosexual activity.
The second part of the article deals briefly with implications for church life, firstly from the perspective of how the church approaches same-sex marriage in general society, and then from the perspective of those within, or seeking to join, the church.

There are many different understandings of the word 'Christocentric' both among past and current ... more There are many different understandings of the word 'Christocentric' both among past and current scholars. In this article the author aligns with those who regard the life, teaching and person of the Lord Jesus Christ as the locus of doctrinal formulation and proclamation but applies this approach specifically to the hermeneutic enterprise. The key contention is that scripture should be interpreted primarily from the perspective of Jesus' character, values, principles, and priorities as revealed either directly or indirectly by the biblical revelation of what he said and did. This is called the Christocentric Principle. The article proceeds from interacting with other scholars who hold a similar view, to identifying the biblical support for the argument, to a brief example of how the principle can be applied. Before concluding, the author deals briefly with some objections to the central idea espoused.

Book Reviews by Christopher Peppler