Author: Kam Weng Ng

Answering Contemporary Academic Challenges to Christ’s Divine Pre-existence

Earlier post – “Cosmos to Cradle: From Pre-existent to Incarnate Christ.”

I. Contemporary Challenges to Christ’s Pre-existence
Several prominent scholars have recently challenged the orthodox doctrine of Christ’s divine pre-existence. This article provides a response to their challenge from the standpoint of historic Christian orthodoxy.

A. John Hick’s Mythological Interpretation
John Hick contends that the doctrine of the Incarnation is not a literal truth but a mythological construct developed by the early Church. In The Myth of God Incarnate, he writes:

I suggest that…the idea of divine incarnation is a mythological idea. And I am using the term ‘myth’ in the following sense: a myth is a story which is told but which is not literally true, or an idea or image which is applied to someone or something but which does not literally apply, but which invites a particular attitude in its hearers. Thus the truth of a myth is a kind of practical truth consisting in the appropriateness of the attitude to its object. That Jesus was God the Son incarnate is not literally true, since it has no literal meaning, but it is an application to Jesus of a mythical concept whose function is analogous to that of the notion of divine sonship ascribed in the ancient world to a king…it offers a way of declaring his significance to the world; and it expresses a disciple’s commitment to Jesus as his personal Lord. He is the one in following whom we have found ourselves in God’s presence and have found God’s meaning for our lives. He is our sufficient model of true humanity in a perfect relationship to God.1The Myth of God Incarnate (SCM, 1977), pp. 178-179.

For Hick, Jesus is not ontologically divine but is a uniquely God-conscious human being whose life invites existential commitment. The Incarnation, in this view, is a symbolic affirmation of Jesus’ exemplary humanity, not a metaphysical reality.

B. Bart Ehrman’s Developmental Theory
Bart Ehrman argues that belief in Jesus’ divinity and pre-existence was not held by His earliest followers but emerged gradually over time. In How Jesus Became God, he writes: Continue reading “Answering Contemporary Academic Challenges to Christ’s Divine Pre-existence”

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    The Myth of God Incarnate (SCM, 1977), pp. 178-179.

Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Civilization (Pt. 3/5)

Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Civilization (Pt. 3/5) Creation Mandate 

Creation Mandate

God’s purpose for humanity is expressed in the Creation Mandate. Understood in context, it is to turn the rest of the earth outside Eden into Eden. It involves building a global civilization that is in fellowship with God and consistent with his will. After sin came into the world and humanity was driven out of Eden, the mandate could no longer be fulfilled as intended. The mandate was derailed but not defeated because God cannot be defeated. Through Christ the Creation Mandate is reclaimed so that it will be fulfilled as intended. This is seen in the Great Commission, which is about making disciples of all nations so that they observe everything Christ has commanded in every aspect of their life (a global civilization consistent with God’s will); and Christ is with disciples of all nations through the Spirit (a global civilization in fellowship with God). It is crucial to recognize that the Great Commission is the renewed Creation Mandate. For it means disciples of Christ cannot dichotomize the spiritual from the secular in any aspect of their life—a problem that has been plaguing modern Christianity.

You can view the full video at
Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Civilisation (Pt. 3/5) Creation Mandate

What is Worship? Theological and Liturgical Outline

In response to my post, “Loud Music in Worship?”, one question invariably arises: What is worship? The following outline seeks to provide a balanced account of God-centred, holistic Christian worship, integrating theology, liturgy, and lived response.

A. What is worship?
Ralph Martin defines worship as: the dramatic celebration of God in his supreme worth in such a manner that his ‘worthiness’ becomes the norm and inspiration of human living.

Worship is heart-occupation with Christ. Worship is the overflow of the heart that has no request to make. To worship God is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God; to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God. (William Temple)

Worship is the activity of the new life of the believer in which recognizing the fullness of the Godhead as it is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and His mighty redemptive acts, he seeks by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Biblical worship is holistic as it is centred on the Triune God and it ministers to the whole person. to render to the living God the glory, honor, and submission which are His due. (Robert Rayburn)

Biblical worship is therefore holistic: It is Trinitarian, Christ-centred, and directed to the whole person’ s mind, will, affections, and body.

Continue reading “What is Worship? Theological and Liturgical Outline”

Van Dyke’s “Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee” is (Religious) Universalistic. A Rejoinder

I have already left behind my thoughts on van Dyke’s hymn posted several days ago & moved on to other issues. Re: Loud Music in Church Worship? However I received two challenges to my understanding of van Dyke’s hymn.

Both essentially argue that I am unjustifiably over-reading & attributing universalistic elements (“eisegesis rather than exegesis!”). Even if it is granted that my theological “rebuttals” in content are correct BUT “there is no such intent in this case. If you assume Van Dyke wrote this with the intention that it be sung by believers, everything is pretty sound.”

My Response:
First, I am not legislating whether someone may or may not sing van Dyke’s hymn. Continue reading “Van Dyke’s “Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee” is (Religious) Universalistic. A Rejoinder”

Loud Music in Church Worship?

Someone posed to me a question regarding the dominance of loud music in contemporary worship. Sharing here a very concise response since this is the first time I have put down my thoughts on this issue in words.

First, Christianity should be fun without being frivolous as Christians come together for fellowship and worship.

1) Worship must be governed by what God has commanded in Scripture, not by human preference or popular culture. When music becomes the central focus, it sidelines prayer, preaching and sacraments. There is a risk elevating human creativity and sensuality above God’s ordained means of grace.

2) Word-Centered Worship – Excessive reliance on music can shift attention from what God has revealed in his unchanging Word to fluid emotional experience. Worship becomes more about how we feel (human centredness) than what God has said. A word-sacrament centred worship will be God-centred and Christ-centred even as we rejoice in God’s presence.

3) Reverence vs Performance – Dominance of (loud) music distracts us from the simplicity and reverence that ought to accompany our encounter with the holy God. Performance ‘worship’ undermines corporate and individual participation in worship even as individuals come to worship meetings to 1) nourish their faith by participation in the Lord’s Supper which is a means of grace and a renewal of our covenant with God, and 2) to have our faith nourished by the Word of God.

In short, while music is a good gift from God to enrich our worship, it must remain a secondary element and not the dominant element in worship.

Good and bad theology in hymns and worship songs Continue reading “Loud Music in Church Worship?”

Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Personhood (Pt. 2/5)

Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Personhood (Pt. 2/5)

God created humanity “in his image.” The meaning of “the image of God” matters; it is our identity as human beings. Today there is a tendency in OT scholarship to confuse the purpose for being made in God’s image with the meaning of being made in God’s image. This video gets beneath the English translation and concludes that to be made in God’s image is to be like God in some ways—in terms of humanity’s God-like nature of personhood, qualities of love and justice, and abilities to communicate and create. All this is so that humanity could fulfill God’s purpose for them. Persons can think, reason and make decisions; God’s design for personhood is for humanity to think, reason and make decisions in a way not independent of God and his will. Humanity began to deviate from this design when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To appreciate why in modern civilization humanity is on a path to self-destruction we need to return to what happened in the garden of Eden.

You can view the video at

 

Cosmos to Christmas Cradle: From Pre-existent to Incarnate Christ

I. The eternal backdrop and significance of Christmas

A. Theological Treasures in Christmas Carols
To many, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Yet its deeper significance lies in the mystery that the eternal Son who was pre-existent with the Father from eternity entered human history as a newborn child.1“The term pre-existence refers to the idea of an entity having a heavenly existence before its earthly, historical or eschatological manifestation, sometimes even before the creation of the world.” [DPL, p. 743.] Pre-existence is the logical implication of the more scriptural term σὰρξ ἐγένετο (sarx egeneto), became flesh “incarnated”. This theological truth elevates Christmas beyond a sentimental birthday celebration, transforming it into a cosmic event of unparalleled depth and consequence.

Without the doctrine of Christ’s pre-existence, Christmas risks being reduced to a seasonal myth, akin to pagan narratives of cyclical dying-and-rising gods tied to nature’s rhythms. In contrast, the incarnation is a singular, unrepeatable act: the eternal Word becoming flesh. This truth is richly embedded in the lyrics of traditional Christmas carols, which often carry profound theological insights beneath their melodious tunes.

1) Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This carol is particularly rich in theology concerning Christ’s divine nature and pre-existence.
a) Christ, by highest heav’n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord! Come, Desire of Nations, come, Fix in us thy humble home.
The phrase “everlasting Lord” anchors the incarnation in eternity. The invocation to “come” presupposes a divine being who already exists and is now entering creation
b) Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity! Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel.
This stanza offers one of the clearest affirmations of the incarnation. The “Godhead” voluntarily veils His eternal glory by assuming finite human nature (“flesh”) to dwell among us.

2) O Come, All Ye Faithful
“God of God, Light of Light, Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, Begotten, not created.”
These lines echo the Nicene Creed: “God of God, Light of Light” and “Very God, Begotten, not created” are definitive statements of Christ’s eternal, divine nature. The carol resists any notion of Christ as a created being. Instead, it proclaims that Christ who is eternally “begotten” of the Father entered the world through the “Virgin’s womb.”

3) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Though primarily about messianic longing, it includes a line revealing a pre-temporal identity:
“O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily.”
“Emmanuel” means “God with us.” The one who “orders all things” is the divine Logos – pre-existent, sovereign, and active in creation. The carol thus links messianic hope with cosmic authority.

Christmas carols, often sung with simplicity or sentimentality, are in fact theological treasures that encapsulate the profound doctrines of the Christian faith. Continue reading “Cosmos to Christmas Cradle: From Pre-existent to Incarnate Christ”

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    “The term pre-existence refers to the idea of an entity having a heavenly existence before its earthly, historical or eschatological manifestation, sometimes even before the creation of the world.” [DPL, p. 743.] Pre-existence is the logical implication of the more scriptural term σὰρξ ἐγένετο (sarx egeneto), became flesh “incarnated”.

Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Humanity. Pt. 1/5

Genesis 1–11: God’s Design for Humanity. Pt. 1/5

Genesis 1–11 is about the beginning not only of the universe, but also of humanity, civilization, nations, and even government. This video is the first in a series of five on God’s design for humanity based on Genesis 1–11. In today’s intellectual climate, even God does not make sense, let alone his design for humanity. Modern civilization has deviated from God’s design for humanity in a way unprecedented in human history since the days of Noah. There are two consequences: humanity seems to be heading toward self-destruction (the problem); God and his design for humanity (the solution) no longer make sense. So modern civilization is such that the only solution to the intractable problem it has created does not make sense! This series of videos seeks to show that God and his design for humanity are indeed the solution to the problem. This first video is to reorientate our thinking so that God and his design for humanity make sense even today. It thus sets the stage for the other four videos, which are about God’s design for personhood, civilization, nationhood, and government.
You can watch the full video at

 

Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: A Kierkegaardian Critique

A “repetition” of the ancient path with Soren Kierkegaard.1For Kierkegaard true repetition goes beyond simply repeating acts in conformity to social expectations. He rejects inauthentic existence where one simply conforms to social expectations. Repetition is a philosophical and existential act of renewing everything that one had in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of one’s personal life and relationships. It seeks to reassess one’s life commitment and intentionally takes personal responsibility for choices made in order to create a new, authentic self

Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: A Kierkegaardian Critique
The contemporary call to “reimagine church and Christian faith” is often presented as a bold attempt to jettison outmoded church beliefs and practices in order to initiate a creative response to new cultural realities. However, we are mindful of cultural analysts who note with irony that youths who rebel against the social conventions of their parents end up wearing the same clothing fashions, listening to the same pop music and repeating the same platitudes to express support for diversity and social justice. In reality, these youths are merely exchanging one form of social conformity to another in the name of creativity.

It is ironic that churches also conform to the latest religious fashion in the name of “reimagining church and Christian faith”. 2Several prevailing characteristics of the contemporary “reimagine church and faith” movement (following its predecessor, the Emergent Church Movement) include the following: 1) A culture of experimentation and innovation to create seeker-sensitive services. 2) Use of multi-media and bands which incorporate contemporary music styles and art to attract a new generation of youth growing up in a culture of musical performance and entertainment. 3) Relevant messaging where practical advice and personal faith stories replace “mystifying” spiritual and doctrinal teachings of the traditional church. 4) Inclusive approach to Christian faith without demands for adherence to a set of clear-cut theological doctrines.
While these adaptations in church structure and faith practices to engage contemporary culture are not inherently problematic, the concern arises when these innovative external expressions of seeker-sensitive services have in practice inadvertently diminished the timeless truths of the gospel and supplanted inward spiritual passion and obedient discipleship. This dynamic raises important questions about the extent to which these shifts reshape the church’s spiritual identity and doctrinal continuity. Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) would diagnose this call for innovation  as a symptom of a deeper spiritual sickness – the sickness of an age that has lost its inward passionate commitment of faith and its sense of eternity. In such an age, truth is reduced to nothing more than fashionable opinion. For Kierkegaard, when the church thoughtlessly follows the latest fashion, it is simply accommodating itself to “the spirit of the age” (Zeitgeist). It ceased to be the Church of the New Testament. It has become what he calls Christendom – Christianity domesticated and made respectable, a form without inwardness, reflection without obedience. Continue reading “Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: A Kierkegaardian Critique”

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    For Kierkegaard true repetition goes beyond simply repeating acts in conformity to social expectations. He rejects inauthentic existence where one simply conforms to social expectations. Repetition is a philosophical and existential act of renewing everything that one had in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of one’s personal life and relationships. It seeks to reassess one’s life commitment and intentionally takes personal responsibility for choices made in order to create a new, authentic self
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    Several prevailing characteristics of the contemporary “reimagine church and faith” movement (following its predecessor, the Emergent Church Movement) include the following: 1) A culture of experimentation and innovation to create seeker-sensitive services. 2) Use of multi-media and bands which incorporate contemporary music styles and art to attract a new generation of youth growing up in a culture of musical performance and entertainment. 3) Relevant messaging where practical advice and personal faith stories replace “mystifying” spiritual and doctrinal teachings of the traditional church. 4) Inclusive approach to Christian faith without demands for adherence to a set of clear-cut theological doctrines.
    While these adaptations in church structure and faith practices to engage contemporary culture are not inherently problematic, the concern arises when these innovative external expressions of seeker-sensitive services have in practice inadvertently diminished the timeless truths of the gospel and supplanted inward spiritual passion and obedient discipleship. This dynamic raises important questions about the extent to which these shifts reshape the church’s spiritual identity and doctrinal continuity.

Recommended Books for Defining and Defending Inerrancy

Recommended Books for Defining and Defending Inerrancy. IAB Part 10/10

J.I Packer, Fundamentalism and the Word of God.
B.B. Warfield, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible.
Norman Geisler, ed. Inerrancy.
John MacArthur, ed. The Scripture Cannot be Broken.
G.K. Beale, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism.

Gleason Archer, Encyclopaedia of Bible Difficulties
Norman Geisler & Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask.
D.A. Carson, The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures

Next upload: New Video series: Genesis 1-11 and God’s Design for Humanity by Dr. Leong Tien Fock.