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Michael J. Svigel

@svigel.bsky.social

420 followers 87 following 740 posts

Theology professor, department chair, patristic scholar, writer, husband, father. Passionate about the one Lord and his church.

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · Nov 29

‘THE FATHERS ON THE FUTURE’—About 30% history and patristic eschatology, 20% systematic and practical theology, and 50% biblical theology, exposition, and exegesis.

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 5h

Coming out November 18… these’ll make a great set for personal study, one-on-one mentoring, small group, church-based training, or undergrad theology.

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 6h

Trader Joe’s is great at selling you things you didn’t know you needed (or even existed).

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 6h

It would be a great handbook for leading someone through basic theology.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 20h

Great to hold this in my hands. To be released November 18th!
For information and a link to a free downloadable PDF of the “Field Guide”:

bakerbookhouse.com/products/978...

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 2d

Theology 101: “A true realist, if he is not a believer, will always find in himself the strength and ability not to believe in miracles as well, and if a miracle stands before him as an irrefutable fact, he will sooner doubt his own senses than admit the fact.” (Dostoevsky)

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 2d

Theology 101: “No king, however powerful he may be—no scholar, however educated, wise, and clever—can fashion a single cherry.” (Luther)

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 2d

Theology 101: “The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” is not in a context of the permanence of spiritual gifts or of one’s eternal calling to salvation per se; the context is explaining why one day all Israel will be saved as God promised in Scripture.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 2d

Theology 201: Resting your eschatology on a disjunction between Revelation 19 and 20 is exegetically problematic to say the least. They are one single, progressive vision, and the return of Christ as judge precedes—it does not follow—the 1000 years.

fathersonthefuture.com/__static/277...

fathersonthefuture.com

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 2d

This isn’t true. The earliest Christians were trinitarian. See our chapter in Urban Legends of Church History. People say this, but when you read the earliest church fathers you see they affirmed deity of Father, Son, and Spirit.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 2d

Theology 101: The mechanism by which Roman Catholicism declares a dogmatic development that was not present in the earliest church to be divinely willed is itself a dogmatic development that was not present in the earliest church.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 3d

Hide your parenting books from your children, or they’ll start forming counterstrategies.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 3d

Theology 101: “The statements of holy Scripture will never be discordant with truth.” (Tertullian)

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 5d

Did you know this exists?

a.co/d/ga4Wzpt

Amazon.com

a.co

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 5d

Theology 101: I’m surprised at the number of folks who reject the perspicuity of Scripture who seem to embrace the perspicuity of the church fathers. Like, you can’t understand the Bible without the Fathers, but with minimal effort you’re a patristic scholar?

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 7d

Theology 101: Depraved humanity’s godless attempts at ascending out of darkness result in descending deeper into the abyss.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 7d

Theology 101: If somebody introduces himself or herself as an “eschatologist,” run. Don’t ask questions. Don’t look back. Just run.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 10d

Theology 101: God owes me nothing, I owe him everything; I can’t pay him anything, he paid everything.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 10d

Theology 301: In light of the “futurist view of Revelation started in the 16th century” absurdity, I’m more convinced that I didn’t write the book on eschatology most people want, I wrote the book on eschatology most people need.

fathersonthefuture.com

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fathersonthefuture.com

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 10d

Theology 101: Now they’re saying the futurist view of Revelation was invented by a Jesuit in the 16th century. Listen, people, Irenaeus’s Against Heresies Book 5 is available for free online and anybody can read it. Hippolytus’s on Christ and Antichrist is, too. Good grief!

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 10d

This original intent, tragically, was by-and-by betrayed by damning legitimate opinions within historic diversity of doctrine and dogmatizing demonstrable doctrinal novelty.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 10d

It was not their intent to settle disputes over matters for which true Christians enjoyed freedom of opinion and diversity from the start; nor was it their intent to dogmatize new doctrines developed in the course of history.

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 10d

Theology 101: The express intent of the first ecumenical councils was to confess in unity as the church catholic—against novelties of heretics—the apostolic faith believed everywhere, always, and by all.

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 12d

Theology 101: The promises of God are just as reliable as the promises of politicians aren’t. Place your faith, hope, and love in the right one.

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Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 12d

Theology 101: Anybody who says “It can’t get much worse than this” hasn’t read Revelation. Anybody who says “It doesn’t get any better than this” hasn’t read Revelation.

Michael J. Svigel @svigel.bsky.social · 12d

Theology 101: No, Church History is not “the study of how everybody misinterpreted the Bible until we came along.”