By definition, every Christian is a theologian.
Unfortunately, many believers are not well taught in the various areas of theology and just 'parrot' tradition or what they hear others say. Such weak theological backing is a sign of Christian immaturity and a violation of Hebrews 5:11-6:9.
There exists in a large portion of the church today- regardless of ethnic makeup- a general ignorance of sound doctrine among believers. Scripture commands that we be able to give a well reasoned answer- an apologia (a well reasoned and argued defense)- for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15). Unfortunately, too many believers have been influenced by the relativistic post-modern philosophy which dominates our classrooms and our conversations. Sorry- there's no gray area when it comes to God.
As a result of
the aforementioned ignorance, believers being able to properly expound upon
their beliefs are relatively few in many cases. I'm not one of those
Okay, what defines an Evangelical Christian? Here's a few points:
Phrases like 'Born-Again
Christian' are redundant. Scripturally, it is not possible to be a non-born
again Christian 
By
definition, a Christian is one who is has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit
(Titus 3:5)- born from above (John 3:3-8)- and has the Spirit of God dwelling
in him/her (Romans 8:11). If you don't fall into this group, you're not a
Christian. Plain and simple.
Because of these points, many denominations share true fellowship and true unity in Christ, despite some of their superficial disagreements. This is why, for example, Baptists and Presbyterians can call each other 'orthodox', worship and fellowship with each other, yet still differ over secondary issues like church government.
The single most misconstrued and misdefined (even by some orthodox Christians!) doctrine in scripture. Here's a simple definition:
1. Scripture declares that there is one God (Deut. 6:4, Isaiah 43:10-11). No other God exists besides Him.
2. Scripture shows three Personalities ('persons, personas, centers of consciousness', NOT persons as in separate beings!) who are all equally called God and/or Yahweh.
3. Scripture declares each persona is co-equal, co-eternal and simultaneously co-existent with each other. The fullness (entirety, completeness,essence) of the entire Deity is present equally, simultaneously and fully in any one Persona (personality).
Summary: There is One Being called God who exists completely and simultaneously in three personas (personalities). The personae are called the Father (throughout the OT), the Son/Word (John 1:1-3,14), and the Spirit/Spirit of God/Spirit of Christ or Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4, 2 Cor. 2:17). The three are co-eternal (without beginning or ending), co-omnipotent and the totality or entirety of God exists simultaneously and completely in all three.
Don't understand? Deut. 29:29. It's there, I don't understand it, but I acknoweldge and believe it. God is unique in existence anyway, so I wouldn't expect to find anything in nature that perfectly illustrates His nature/existence.
What the Trinity is NOT
1. The Watchtower error:
Jesus is 'a trinity' or 'a part' of God. This is the Watchtower misrepresenting
what others believe. Jehovah's Witnesses leadership isn't honest enough to deal
with real arguments anyway 
The JW's are Arians- they believe Jesus is not God, but a created
being- Michael the Archangel.
2. The Mormon error: Three Gods - Tritheism/polytheism. Mormonism is NOT Christianity for the simple fact that they teach polytheism- multiple 'gods' exist in the Mormon theological system. When they say 'God is one', they mean one in purpose only.
3. The Apostolic/Oneness Error: Modalism- that Jesus is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. An ancient heresey promulgated in the early church because of an honest (yet wrong) attempt to understand the nature of God. Modalism (also called Sabellianism) denies the personas of the Trinity, making God a cosmic actor who wears different 'masks' (appears in different 'modes') throughout history. So all of the language of Jesus talking with His Father in Modalistic theology is just God talking to Himself.
4. Common anti-trinitarian error #1: mistaking or confusing the ontological (essence/substance) of the Triunity of God with the function (economical) of each persona in the Godhead. For example, the Word/Son willingly submits to the Father (greater--function- a quantitative term, not qualitative- John 14:28), but both are equally called God (Hebrews 1:1-12, Ps. 45:6, 102:25-27). In fact, in the Hebrews passage stated, the Father calls the Son 'God' (Hebrews 1:8) and applies terminology used of Himself to the Son equally (Ps. 102:25-27/Hebrews 1:10-12). We can speak and say that God created the earth by Himself (Isaiah 44:24), yet equally ascribe creation to the Father (Gen. 1:1), the Son (John 1:3, Col. 1:15-17) and the Spirit (Ps. 104:30). Each performs a separate function of creation (Father Speaks, Word Creates ex nihilo (out of nothing), Spirit gives life), but Creation is a function completely of God ALONE. This is the single greatest mistake than many anti-trinitarians commit when discussing the Trinity.
5. Common anti-trinitarian error #2: Strawman arguments. Oneness folks like to accuse Trinitarians of worshipping THREE Gods instead of one because that's what they are taught that Trinitarians believe. Believers need to be able to adequately and accurately define the Trinity and demonstrate it from scripture. Jehovah's Witnesses routinely misrepresent what others believe to make themselves and what they teach look good (i.e.- flat out LYING about an article in the New Catholic Encyclopedia in 'Let God Be True' on page 90). Believers need to be aware of these tactics and DEMAND that for the discussion to be 'fair' and 'truthful', the unbeliever/cultist use the SAME terminology the believer uses to define what he/she believes and to define it CORRECTLY.
Word to believers in Christ
when discussing the Trinity: Contrary to T.D. Jakes' weak cop-out in Charisma
Magazine recently on the subject of the Trinity (April 2000),
WORDS ARE IMPORTANT!! It's not just 'semantics' - is it just 'semantics'
to say that Buddah died for our sins? Or that Joseph Smith is God incarnate and
the second Person of the Trinity? Neither is it 'just semantics' to differentiate
between using Oneness terminology (manifestations) to describe God and Evangelical
terminology (hupostases or 'personas' or 'persons') to properly describe
God, as He appears and has revealed Himself in scripture. Believers who refuse
to sharpen their thinking are ASKING to be led into error.
I'll say it again - Make sure that your opponent (whether he/she be
a JW, Oneness
Pentecostal, Mormon, Muslim
or Moron) MEANS
the same thing you do when they use a specific term (like
'Trinity'). Cults and non-Christian religions are FAMOUS (nay, NEFARIOUS) for
using Christian terminology and pouring other meanings into it, OR arguing a
'strawman' (a false definition or charichiture of what we actually believe!).
This is especially true on the subject of the Trinity. Make sure YOU understand
what you believe and can accurately defend it. Make sure you can also identify
mistakes people make when arguing against you. Do not settle for a less than
accurate description of terms and words when discussing the truth of Christ.
Most of these folks are TRAINED to prey on Christians who are
too lazy to study their Bible. To quote the late Dr. Walter Martin, the average
JW can turn the average Christian into a theological pretzel in less than 15
minutes.
The theological system that bears John Calvin's name predates him by over 1200 years. Calvin's thought was summarized into five points by those who came after him in the acronym T.U.L.I.P. Each letter stands for:
T - total depravity. Humanity is totally and completely tainted by sin and cannot do anything apart from God to gain merit or salvation in the eyes of God. Even the ability to do good that we have now is a gift from God. Without God stepping in and actively seeking man (2 Cor. 5:19, John 6:44), man will/does NOT seek God. (Romans 3:10)
U - unconditional election. God, in eternity past, for His good pleasure and will, chose those who would obtain salvation out of humanity. (Eph. 1:4-12,Romans 8:29-30)
L - limited atonement. (also called definite atonement) God, in choosing those whom would receive salvation (the elect), chose to overlook others and did not provide any means of salvation for them. Christ's sacrifice was only intended for the elect, though it is of infinite value. (John 10:11)
I - irresistable grace. Those whom God has chosen will be irresistably drawn to Him to obtain salvation. Not against their will, but they will become changed internally (regeneration) so that when they hear the call of salvation, they will respond positively. (John 6:37)
P - perseverance of the saints. Those who recieve salvation shall retain in permanently and cannot lose it. (John 10:27-28, Phillipians 1:6)
Well, as of 12/00, I humbly concede on 'Limited Atonement' and I've become a full-blown 5 point Calvinist. I've been reading through Authur Custance's 'The Sovereignty of Grace' and he's made perfect sense so far. Many of my other resources have been helping as well, but most of all, I see that particular truth taught in scripture. Christ's sacrifice, while infinite in value, was only intended to redeem the elect. The mystery of why some are chosen and others are not are summed up in the same passage which has us wondering why God chose Jacob over Esau: "What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this?'" (Romans 9:14-20,NIV)
God isn't telling us the whole story on election because its' not our time or place to know yet (Deut. 29:29). As such, I'll let Him be God and decide what's fair and what's not. Since He's omniscient, I'm guessing He'll do a better job at it, even with things that don't seem 'fair' to us right now. "Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25)
Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes different ways that God deals with humanity throughout history. Each period of 'testing' ( referred to as a stewardship or dispensation) is marked by God giving humanity a set of commandments- humanity fails (duh!). A dispensation can be thought of as a stewardship- God gives you a set of commands to obey, eventually, humanity fails in this, God's judgement comes upon humanity as a result. Typically, modern dispensationalists recognize seven (or at least four) dispensations (forgive me if I don't remember it all right off hand):
Dispensationlists basically hold to this system (with some minor variation here and there). I'm a bit of a moderate dispensationalist - the overall 'system' of dispensationalism (as far as the concept) is cool, although I wouldn't agree rank and file with every normative dispensationalist (like the folks at dispensationalism.com). Dispensationalism's eschatology (end things) is the main reason why I still hold the system (premill, pretrib, distinction between national Israel and the church).
Also unique to dispensationalism (as opposed to covenant theology), dispensationalism recognizes a difference between God dealing with Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament. Dispensationalism takes the promises God made Abraham and Israel (that they would possess the land forever) literally and views the church as a 'pause' in God's plan for Israel 'until the times of the Gentiles (non Jews) are fulfilled' (Romans 9 and 10). As such, I reject all forms of 'replacement theology' which seek to ignore that even with the church present, God speaking through the apostle Paul still calls Israel 'His people' (Romans 9).
My study on dispensationalism has led me to examine (for their veracity and consistency) other conservative theological systems, such as the Covenant Theology (which can have me end up either historic premillennlial, amillennial or postmillennial in the area of eschatology or the study of the end times). In addition, I'm finding too many interpretation problems with the covenant position on any of the other millennial views which are not premillennial- they tend to blur together what scripture shows to be separate (ethnic/national Israel and the church). As such, I'm remaining dispensational. My views (as a point of reference) would probably match those of John MacArthur, President of the Master's Seminary in California.
Premillennial, Pretribulational
Premillennialism interprets the book of Revelation, specifically chapter 20, as a literal 1000 year rule that Christ will innaugurate on earth at His return. Prior to this, the saints of God are said to go thru a period of intense persecution- 7 years- called The Tribulation period. That time is divided (according to Daniel 9:24-27) into two time periods- both 3 1/2 years long. The first 3 1/2 years will be peaceful with the world following the false peace established by a coming world ruler whom many refer to as THE Anti-Christ and the second 3 1/2 years, where even greater persecution of those who choose not to follow him begins worldwide. In addition, during this time, God unleashes the greater part of His wrath on the world for their unbelief. Within the premil camp, there are three sub-systems which interpret the second coming of Christ at different times- postribulationism (meaning Christ will return after the time of Tribulation), midtribulationism (which states that Christ will take His saints off the earth before unleashing His wrath upon an unrepentant world) and pretribulationism (which teaches that Christ will take His church off the earth prior to the entire period of tribulation, which will primarily be to finish His dealings with Israel and judge the world for its' rejection of Christ as Lord and Savior).
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