4th century BC
Plato
- Idealism — forms over particulars
- The Republic ethic: “God is not the author of evil”
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It is a pleasure for me to write a foreword to this groundbreaking Systematic Theology by my long-time friend and gospel associate Brandan Kraft. Our fellowship goes back 23 years, throughout which we have always appreciated the biblically learned insights of each other in our writing and personal conversation in different venues. Most of our focus has not been a mere revival or recovery of past advances in gospel teaching; namely those occurring since the Reformers, the best of the Puritans, or even well-published important discoveries and advances in biblical, systematic, and historical theology from the last two centuries. We are committed to continuing Reformation, holding fast that which is good from the past while seeking to recover those gems of gospel truth still suppressed and denied by the established religious and denominational hierarchies of Protestantism and longstanding tradition of nonconformist sects. These have both come to dominate and control what can and cannot be studied to question if falsehood has occurred in the history of accepted dogma.
In examining this history of dogma, I can find no better argument on what is essentially wrong with the ‘scripture + tradition’ notion than what occurred early in post-apostolic history to establish the perpetual virginity of Mary as an undisputed fact. There is much debate on when this started, since Jerome in the 4th century claimed (though there is no historical evidence in any manuscripts) that Ignatius, Polycarp, and Irenaeus taught it. The notion originated in a 2nd century apocryphal gospel named the Protoevangelium of James. It argued that if Mary ever had sexual relations with another man after the birth of Jesus, she would have been confirmed ‘impure’ and unfit to be the mother of God! So, the physical relationship between a man and woman that God ordained in creation causes an impurity that would invariably defile Mary as unfit to birth Christ ‘after the event’, in spite of the fact that she later personally viewed his atoning sacrifice on the cross as her own salvation from sin, which was as great for her as any other elect sinner! I have no further comment. But we need to understand that the above example shows how absurd false teaching easily became reckoned as truth in the dominant and almost universal view of the established ‘church’ (both Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy) ever since. Even Luther and Calvin did not give up this strange tradition within their lifetimes after leaving and condemning the Roman Catholic Church. Luther not only upheld this doctrine his entire life but also defended it in Lutheran confessions of faith, including the 1537 Smalcald Articles.
Brandan’s use of IT software components, terminology, and structure to define a baseline of his systematics rings true with me, since most of my own career history was also in that industry. It is not my own style of writing, as I have always preferred to state my convictions outright and straightforward to avoid a misunderstanding of my meaning as much as possible, for those genuinely interested in learning whatever truth I might have to present. There are some matters non-essential to the gospel on which my perspective might differ to some degree, however, on the major issues of systematic, biblical, and historical theology I recommend the entirety of his scriptural evidence as the same arguments I would present.
Brandan is very clear and uncompromising that there is only one sovereign Will of God that determines all history. He also champions the immutability (entirely unchanging) nature of God and that God has no passivity in all that is predestined. I especially appreciated his denial of Kenotic Theology in Christ’s incarnation, as we live in a time where most ‘conservative’ and Bible confessing seminaries in our land are infected with a doctrine of Christ’s peccability and the surrender of essential Divine attributes in His incarnation, wherein His omnipresence and other prerogatives were regained only after His resurrection.
The exposure of the failure of traditional ‘church’ ecclesiology and its utter dissimilarity to the Apostolic Ekklesia is excellent. The same goes for the history of false teachings on Eschatology and how these replaced the simple New Testament perspective of a Last Day Parousia, final resurrection of just and unjust, and New Earth after the Present Age of gospel proclamation is finished.
The final Chapter 30 on what constitutes proper charity for gospel believers is written in the right spirit. For me, the standard of judging who is a true believer will always be difficult. A credible profession of faith is necessary. However, when there is also a large amount of falsehood affirmed or sin continuously indulged, we face the dilemma of judging whether the falsehood or sin is so overwhelming that it clearly invalidates the profession. I believe we can only prayerfully seek the Lord’s wisdom on such matters.
The most important historical observation presented is how Platonic (Hellenistic) Theology gained ascendancy and is the source of destruction for both Judaism and Christianity. In both the birth of Pharisaism (after the Maccabean revolt, 2nd century BCE) and rise of Christian Nomism (2nd century CE), the doctrine of Justification in God (Christ) alone received and assured by faith alone was replaced with a teaching of works-based justification grounded in personal transformation of the soul. The Thanksgiving Hymns of the Dead Sea Scrolls, authored by the famed “Teacher of Justification”, reflect the perspective of the Old Testament prophets. The later sectarian writings found in the scrolls full of ‘rules’ for governing just communities do not reflect the original views of this Teacher. Neither do the writings found there defending Zealotry.
The gospel taught in this excellent work of Theology is the same gospel that I embrace. Such clarity of teaching is unquestionably rare in our current age. May the uncompromised gospel of our Lord Jesus go forward in His abundant blessing and bring many out of darkness into the light of Christ!
June 2026
Robert R. Higby
Copyright © 2026 by Brandan Kraft. All rights reserved.
Published by Pristine Grace Publishing · pristinegrace.org
ISBN: 979-8-234-05049-6 · First Edition, 2026
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I spent the majority of my adult life building something I didn't know had a name. It started with the Scriptures and a lot of late nights. It ended with one sentence that generates every theological position I hold, from the nature of God to the nature of heaven and hell, without contradiction. One sentence. Thirty chapters. Sixteen appendices. And if you accept the sentence, everything else follows.
Most systematic theologies start with a list of doctrines and work through them one by one. This book starts with an ontological claim - that everything that exists is a thought in the mind of God - and derives everything from that single proposition. This is not a rearrangement of existing theology. This is a paradigm shift. Since Augustine imported Plato's metaphysics into the church in the fourth century, every major system of Christian theology has been built on a foundation the Scriptures never laid. This book identifies that foundation, names it, traces its influence across sixteen centuries, and replaces it with an ontology derived from Scripture alone. If the claim holds, this is the most significant shift in the theological starting point since Augustine. And I believe it holds.
This is not a devotional. This is not a commentary. This is a systematic theology built from the ground up by a computer programmer with no seminary degree, no denominational backing, and no one's permission. It uses the vocabulary of information theory, computer science, and quantum physics to describe realities that traditional theological language has never been able to reach. If you are a scientist who suspects that information is fundamental to reality but can't bring yourself to call it God, this book speaks your language. If you are a sovereign grace believer looking for a system that follows the logic all the way, this book does that. And if you have been told that the sharpest doctrine produces the coldest heart, this book ends with the widest arms you have ever seen in a Reformed theology.
The digital edition is free. The truth doesn't come with a price tag. - Brandan Kraft
Imports both:
Fuses them with Scripture.
Aquinas · Calvin · Luther · Westminster
Gill · Clark · Berkhof · Grudem · Hoeksema
Every system in the comparison above stands on this foundation.
Stands on a different foundation: Scripture, on its own terms (John 1:1; Heb. 11:3; Col. 1:17; Isa. 45:7).
The architecture is idealism, because Scripture teaches it — mind precedes matter, the invisible is more real than the visible.
Rejects what Augustine inherited:
“Everything that exists is a thought in the mind of God, sustained by His will, authored by His purpose, and held together by personal covenants of love.”Read Now
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Isaiah 53:10, Rom 8:28-30, Psalm 23, grace, love one another
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