Tag: Notes

Who Is A Spiritual Teacher?

Domenic MarbaniangLeave a comment
  1. Teachers are those who themselves have been taught (Tit.1:9)
  2. They hold fast to the faithful word they have been taught (Tit.1:9; 2Thess.2:15 – either by word or letter; 2Tim.1:13 –pattern)
  3. They are rooted and built up, abounding in the Word (Col.2:7; Jude 1:20; Matt.7:24)
  4. Teachers are skillful in the word of righteousness (Heb.5:13)
  5. Teachers are mature (Heb.5:14)
  6. Teachers have trained senses to discern both good and evil (Heb.5:14)
  7. Teachers have their spiritual eyes opened (Luke 6:39; Eph.1:18)
  8. Teachers are perfectly trained (katartizo, NKJ) (Lk.6:40; Eph.4:12)
  9. Teachers will receive stricter judgment (Jas 3:1)
  10. There are elders who rule and elders who especially labor in the word and doctrine. Teachers, especially, are to be counted worthy of double honor (1Tim.5:17; Gal.6:6)
  11. Teachers rightly divide the word of truth (2Tim.2:15)
  12. Spiritual Teachers bridle their tongue (James 3:1-18; Eccl 12:11)
  13. Spiritual Teachers don’t engage in foolish disputations of words (2Tim.2:23)
  14. Spiritual Teachers are patient in teaching (2 Tim.2:24)
  15. Spiritual Teachers are meek like their Master (2 Tim.2:25, Matt.11:29)
  16. Spiritual Teachers don’t load students with burdens they themselves cannot carry (Matt.11:30; 23:2-4). True wisdom brings rest.

Marks of the Truly Learned

Domenic MarbaniangLeave a comment

The truly learned are:

  1. Mature. Skilled in the understanding of the word and able to discern both good and evil (Heb.5:13,14)
  2. Consistent. Not unlearned (amathes) and unstable (asteriktos) (2Pet.3:16; Eph.4:14-15)
  3. Efficient in Ministry (Eph.4:12-16). Training (perfecting of saints) precedes work of the ministry. Work of ministry (as each fitly joint contributes) helps in edification of the Body.

Philosophy of Medicine Vs Medical Philosophies

Domenic MarbaniangLeave a comment


It’s proper to understand the difference between “Philosphy of…” and “…philosophies”. For instance, philosophy of religion refers to the philosophical study of the epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical aspects of the phenomenon and concept of religion, including questions raised by it; whereas a religious philosophy is a particular philosophical viewpoint of a particular religious tradition–examples include samkhya, yoga, advaita, shunyavada. There are religious philosophies in the same manner that there are secular philosophies. While the start point of the former is revelation, tradition, or faith, the start point of the latter is reason. Following are some examples of the above distinctions:

1. Philosophy of Religion – Existence of God, Essence of Divinity, Death and Afterlife, Knowlege of God, etc.
Religious Philosophy – Calvinist Epistemology, Advaita, Yoga, Zen

2. Theology of Religion – Essence of Religion, Goal of Religion, Salvation
Religious Theology – Catholic Theology, Hindu Doctrine of Rebirth, Sikh Theology
Secular Theology – Panentheism, Deism, Existential Theology, Political Theology

3. Philosophy of Science – Epistemology of Scientific Method, Matter and Mind, Definition of Life
Scientific Philosophy – Darwinism, Utopianism, Scientism

4. Philosophy of Medicine – Epistemology of Medical Research, Mind and Matter, Ethics of Medical Practice
Medical Philosophy- Allopathy, Homeopathy, Taoist Medical Philosophy, Chi Philosophy, Ayurvedic Philosophy, Yoga

Skeptical Fideism

Domenic MarbaniangLeave a comment

The Enlightenment thinkers felt that reason had come to age and elevated it above faith. But, mathematics is not the book of life. It is impossible to expel faith. As the wise sage Pascal observed, reason has to be find support on something, and that something can’t be reason itself, to avoid circular reasoning. Reason is also based upon faith. Again, he showed that reason cannot irrefutably prove God, but it can neither disprove His existence. It proves nothing.

Spiritual skepticism is the willingness to concede that our minds cannot have certainty alone by themselves. This is not to deny certain certainties that are axiomatic and undeniable. For instance, one can’t contradict the law of non-contradiction. However, it certainly means that one has no confidence in his own reasoning and wisdom. Only this form of skepticism regarding self can truly set us free to find our fullness and certainty only in Him.