Pastor Brian Chilton

By: Brian G. Chilton, Ph.D. | July 27, 2026 Recently, I came across quite a few people who have asked a similar question. Some have been patients, congregants, and even other pastors who have been approached with the same kind of questions. The question that resonates with so many is this: “If I cannot see God, how can I believe in him?” Or, in other words, “Can I believe in a God who cannot be…

By: Brian G. Chilton, Ph.D. | July 27, 2026 Recently, I came across quite a few people who have asked a similar question. Some have been patients, congregants, and even other pastors who have been approached with the same kind of questions. The question that resonates with so many is this: “If I cannot see God, how can I believe in him?” Or, in other words, “Can I believe in a God who cannot be…

By: Sherene Khouri, Th.M., Ph.D. | July 12, 2026 The Kingdom of God: More Than a Place The expression “the Kingdom of God” appears throughout Scripture and occupies a central place in biblical theology. An important question arises: Does this expression carry the same meaning throughout Scripture, or does it take on different nuances depending on its context? This paper examines the concept of…

A BRICKMAKER Defense for God’s Existence By: Brian G. Chilton, Ph.D. | June 21, 2026 Being that it is Father’s Day, one of the greatest Father’s Day gifts is knowing that young people have good reasons to hold to their Christian faith. Recently, several people have approached me and asked if there are good, simple ways to defend the existence of God. Some have said, “You cannot see God, so how do…

By: Daniel Sloan, PhD | May 17, 2026 The question of who authored the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), has generated significant scholarly debate since the Enlightenment and the rise of critical scholarship. While modern critical theories often attribute these books to multiple sources compiled over time, a strong case can be…

By: Brian G. Chilton, PhD | April 19, 2026 Let’s face it. The current climate is replete with skepticism and conspiratorial thinking. Among all the modern claims, one of the most bizarre is the idea that the earth is flat and not round. Oddly, some of the proponents of the flat-earth theory argue that the Bible teaches as much. But is this true? Does the Bible teach that the earth is flat? People…

By: Brian G. Chilton, PhD | April 5, 2026 (Easter Sunday) Happy Easter! As the angels proclaimed to the women at the tomb, their words ring just as true nearly 2,000 years later, “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; see, here is the place where they laid Him” (Mk. 16:6, NASB). Reflecting on Easter this year is especially important as it…

By: Deanna Huff, Ph.D. | March 15, 2026 Most people expect others to tell the truth, and we can witness this expectation in many spheres. In law, truth is taken so seriously that people must be sworn in by raising their right hand and making an oath to tell the truth. In football, referees are accountable for making calls based on the truth. In business, people are expected to be truthful…

A Case for an Eternal Hell (Part 3): The Case from Theology and Philosophy By: Brian G. Chilton, M.Div., Ph.D. | March 8, 2026 In the past couple of entries of my defense for an eternal hell, we have explored the concept from a biblical and historical perspective. We have looked at the texts of Scripture and the historical theology of the early Patristic writers, along with the four most…

By: Anthony Williams | February 8, 2026 The Book of Jonah is very short, only four chapters long. It tells of a prophet named Jonah who was told by God to go to the great city of Nineveh and warn them of a coming judgment. Jonah goes the opposite way on a ship, but a violent storm ends with Jonah being tossed overboard by the sailors because they learn he is fleeing from God. Jonah is swallowed…

By: Brian Chilton, PhD | January 11, 2026 In our last entry for a case for an eternal hell, we offered a biblical defense for the view of eternal conscious torment. Granted, the viewpoint is not the most delightful to hold. In some ways, I often wonder if maybe God uses some form of anesthesia for a person in hell, though the person would not be destroyed. Of course, that is far beyond the scope…

How precepts, principles, and preferences shape authentic Christian maturity Tom Knoff | January 4, 2026 Tensions often flare up among believers when personal convictions are elevated to the level of divine command and when those convictions are imposed on others as measures of faithfulness. The issue is not a reverence for Scripture, but a failure to discern how Scripture is to be understood and…

By: Brian Chilton, PhD | January 1, 2026 As we come to the close of another year and begin 2026, it’s time to reflect on the year of ministry at Bellator Christi and observe which articles were your favorites. This is a chance to hear from you, our readers, and to see the topics you found most interesting and compelling. For this article, we will examine the Top 10 articles read in 2025, note the…

By: Brian G. Chilton, Ph.D. | December 13, 2025 Recently, the Christian world was abuzz with the news that popular Christian star Kirk Cameron had considered switching his view of hell from the traditional view to annihilationism.[1] While I will not engage the specific comments made by Kirk Cameron on his podcast, I do think that it is important to discuss the topic of hell’s duration,…

By: Jerry Bogacz, M.A., M.A.S. | November 16, 2025 Irenaeus of Lyons (130 AD—202 AD) is the first prominent second-century Greek patristic to engage with Gen 1:26-27 and the image of God. Against Heresies[1] was the first major work of Christian theology and the best surviving description of heretical Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a diverse and potent theological and philosophical threat from the…

By: Tim Woods, M.Min. | November 2, 2025 On a recent trip to North Carolina, my wife and I witnessed the devastation caused by the hurricane and flooding. In each valley we drove through, we had different experiences. Some were utterly devastated. Some looked like nothing had happened at all. However, there was one area near Asheville that was very intriguing. Some of the buildings were no more…

By: Anthony Williams | October 26, 2025 There have been many reasons people have refused to take on the Christian faith since the time Christ was on earth. Some couldn’t believe in miracles. Some rejected Jesus’ claim to be the only way to God. Others didn’t want to abide by God’s rules for living and chose to risk the threat of an eternity separated from their Creator. Today, those reasons seem…