Author's Notes

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     Having come to Christ late in life (in my mid-sixties), I have felt that I might possibly be able to bring a fresh insight into what Scripture says on some issues. I have been led to write these few papers, on subjects that were very much on my heart, and I wanted to share them with any others who might be interested.

     My focus is on what Scripture says, rather than what others have said about Scripture. Thanks to the resources of the computer it is now relatively easy for a layman to do research which was formerly the province of experts. I have tried to express my thoughts in terms that are not tied to any particular denomination or school of teaching, and are not limited by conventional theological conceptions. I have also tried to avoid using technical theological terms.

     At times what I have come up with may seem surprising. It has sometimes surprised me. But I suggest that we all need to do as the Bereans did and search the Scriptures to see whether these things are true (Acts 17:11).

     Scripture is not a theological treatise. At times it says things that may seem to rub against each other, and not always to fit together by human logic. When this happens I think we need to accept and follow everything that Scripture says, and hope that, as we progress in our knowledge of God, the Author of Scripture, our human understanding of his words will catch up.

     Paul wrote that while we are here on earth we can only see imperfectly and understand in part (1 Corinthians 13:12). I believe this applies to our understanding of Scripture. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) but at the same time his judgments are unsearchable and his paths beyond tracing out (Romans 11:33). I think we need to learn to live with both of these principles simultaneously.

     I tend to quote a lot of Scripture. My desire is to let Scripture speak for itself, in its own words. The words of Scripture are "living and active"; they judge "the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). I encourage any who read these papers to look up the Scriptures for yourselves, read them in context, ponder them, and allow them to work in your heart. Scripture tells us to be transformed, and I hope that I may, perhaps, have been successful in pointing some of my readers to words in Scripture that will transform them.

Acknowledgments

     I want to thank my wife, Frances and daughter, Maria, for many helpful suggestions and proofreading. I thank my son Robert Morrisson for designing and setting up this website and for dragging me, kicking and screaming, into the computer age.

     08/19/2007