Therefore, I have tried to continually test my teaching not only in terms of biblical fidelity, but also in terms of confessional standards and respected teachers of theology. Thus far, that testing has encouraged me to continue to develop the birthline paradigm. As I have continued, I realize that what I have been learning is nothing new. In my view this is a restatement of matters that were carefully thought out by our fathers in the faith, but largely overlooked in our generation. The heart of the matter in this writing is not theology proper.
Ample material is available on the doctrine of salvation.
I cite many of these excellent resources as I work through the birthline. But what has been lost, in my view, is the skillful pastoral application of these doctrines in the cure of souls . In the language of the older teachers, the pastor was known as the physician of the soul . Using similar imagery, I describe our ministry of taking Christ to others as being that of a midwife rather than a salesman. Both the physician and midwife are skilled people who have given serious attention to understanding the process of birth and growth.