I am sure many of you have seen what occurred inside Cities Church in St. Paul yesterday, and it should grieve us, but it should not shock us.

1. Expect Opposition, Yet Shepherd with Courageous Wisdom

The New Testament never conditions Christians to expect uninterrupted peace, cultural respectability, or protected religious space. It prepares us for resistance. Christ was unambiguous regarding this topic:

In all three scenes, heaven is not making a suggestion. God sovereignly comes down to tell His creatures what they will name their child.

If we’re honest, we often shrug at this because, well… Christmas. Of course, the angel shows up. Of course, it’s dramatic. Of course, God’s involved. But that’s exactly the problem: we can become so familiar with the glow of the story that we miss the gravity of what’s happening. Naming, from Genesis onward, was a sign of entrusted creaturely authority. So, when God directly assigns these names, it isn’t a random flourish. It’s a theological statement: redemption is not authored by parents, families, or human momentum. Redemption is authored by God.

I am writing this with the Saints of 5 Bridges Church in mind, and for those moving to the area who wish to understand my theological conviction and where I stand on several critical items that demand clarity and distinctions. We live in an era in which many congregants, members, or visitors of a local church do not know where their pastor stands on these issues. I believe that, as a pastor, it is my duty to be transparent with the people the Lord has placed in my care as a spiritual shepherd for their souls. I pray that this doctrinal manifesto provides clarity rather than confusion and strengthens those brothers and sisters who are members of 5 Bridges Church. I am calling it “The Battlefield Theologian Manifesto” as that is how I view the Christians duty in the 21^st century. A “Battlefield Theologian “is a Christian who forges doctrine in submission to Scripture while standing in the real conflicts of the church and the world, refusing both academic detachment and cultural compromise, and remaining faithful to Christ amid pressure, opposition, and suffering.The Battlefield Theologian doctrinal manifesto exists to articulate, without apology or ambiguity, the theological convictions, interpretive commitments, and pastoral instincts that govern all teaching, writing, preaching, and public engagement of Ethan Jago. This manifesto is not speculative, experimental, or trend-responsive. It is confessional, Scripture-bound, historically conscious, and pastorally accountable. It reflects a settled conviction that the church does not need novelty, relevance strategies, or ideological accommodation, but faithfulness to the Word of God, loyalty to Christ, and courage in an age of compromise.

Revelation uses numbers the way Scripture often does: not as a secret math puzzle for the elite, but as symbolic communication that reinforces meaning. Seven shows up constantly (completeness). Twelve shows up constantly (the people of God). Ten often conveys a sense of fullness of power or scope. Numbers in apocalyptic literature are not there to feed curiosity; they are there to form the imagination of the church and sharpen spiritual discernment.

So, if you approach 666 like a modern conspiracy hobby, “What politician’s name adds up to this? What barcode pattern looks like that?” You are already off track. You’re treating John like he’s inviting you into a numerological obsession with Tom Hanks rather than calling you into covenantal wisdom.

Have you ever wanted to study church history but weren’t sure where to start? While there are many approaches, beginning with the Church Councils provides a clear path that guides you chronologically through the story of the Church. This blog is designed to help you start that journey and explore the rich history of our faith.

When you follow the trail of Baptist confessions, the continuity is stunning. The 1689 London Baptist Confession gave Particular Baptists their theological backbone; the 1742 Philadelphia Confession carried it into colonial America; the 1833 New Hampshire Confession simplified but still reflected Reformed convictions; and in 1925, Southern Baptists formally adopted the Baptist Faith and Message, which was revised in 1963, 2000, and remains our doctrinal standard today. In other words, from 1689 to the present, our confessional lineage has consistently flowed out of the Reformed tradition. For many Southern Baptists, realizing this lineage—stretching from London to Philadelphia to New Hampshire and finally into the Southern Baptist Convention—should be nothing short of eye-opening.