Kingdom Triangle, ch. 5

A lot of ground is covered in this chapter... Moreland uses Green's "Evangelism in the Early Church" to suggest three factors in the early church's success:

1. ability to engage in persuasive apologetics

2. transformed character and biblical compassion of believers

3. manifest power of the Kingdom of God by the Spirit through healings, demonic deliverance, and prophetic ability clearly from another realm

Moreland then covers knowledge and how it works citing many passages that talk about the role of knowledge. He describes three kinds of knowledge: by acquaintance, propositional, and know-how. He then offers three features: it does not require certainty, can know something without knowing that you know it or how you know it. It is here that he unpacks the 'Problem of the Criterion'.

Knowledge by acquaintance impacted me because, if true (which I believe it is), means that we can encourage people to interact with God and can really grow me as I listen daily to God's voice.

Moreland then offers thoughts on faith describing the content of belief, the strength of belief, and the centrality of a belief. He then offers three ways to grow in knowledgeable confidence in God and His Truth through the following:

1. Be ruthless in assessing the precise nature and strength of what you actually believe and develop a specific plan of attack for improvement - a. target and clarify, b. assess the strength of that belief

2. Take appropriate yearly risks that stretch your faith - how much of my life and ministry required the existence of God to explain it?

3. Read books about and share stories of God's miraculous actions in other people's lives as an encouragement to your own faith.