Hermeneutics is required to provide adequate controls for interpretation. To find God's point is the important thing. Our ideas may be nice, but God's Word is quick and powerful - Heb 4:12. We may have a high view of inspiration; we may believe strongly in verbal and plenary inspiration; that the Scripture is inerrant and infallible; and these are necessary (see Appendix A); but, if our concepts of hermeneutics are faulty, we have just negated our high concepts, above, and by faulty interpretation, turned God's Word into something that is not God's Word. This book in various forms have been taught in "home" bible studies from 1972 until the present, and as part of a Bible School curriculum taught in local churches in Colorado, Bible Colleges in Alaska, Oregon, and Colorado, and Seminary in Oregon. In fact, it was also taught at lunchtime at the Raytheon plant in Wayland Ma. This set of studies was taught by the author to those involved in a very dangerous pseudo-Christian cult (Children of God). The Holy Spirit used the material to free two of their elders from this group and one of these men is today (circa. 1980) serving God on the mission field. As Cult watcher G. Richard Fisher said at the 1996 "The Culling of Christianity" conference in Saint Louis: "the Church is losing the knowledge of a systematic study of the Scripture." He continued, "Many in the Church no longer view the Bible as 'adequate for godliness and maturity.' Consequently, the door is open to thought that relies on extra biblical experiences." At this same conference, James Bjornstead, president of Evangelical Ministries to New Religions (EMNR) stated, "Hermeneutics today is reduced to one sentence: The Spirit told me." An example from the writing of one of those turncoat "evangelicals", Dr. C. Peter Wagner is given, below. In his book Christianity With Power, pg. 55, Dr. Wagner states: "Jack Deere and myself are just two traditional evangelicals and former cessionists among rapidly increasing numbers of others who believe that a valid source of divine knowledge comes through what some would call "extra biblical revelation." I dare say that the standard-brand evangelical doctrine of "logos only" that we were taught might now find a place on an "endangered doctrines" list, about to become extinct." May the reader extract God's points from his study of this Biblical material and so keep him from serious error.
The author was formerly president of Aerospace Associates Inc.(AAI) of Colorado Springs CO. In the Defense Industry, he has held many positions, notably; he has been employed as a Radar Systems Engineer, a Senior Software Engineer, and a Radar Site Analyst. In this industry through AAI, he was an industry consultant for 25 years. As founder and president of AAI, Mr. Carlson has done research in agriculture, aquaculture, railroad safety and monitoring. He helped design and install some of our largest Missile warning radar systems, BMEWS and PAVE PAWS. He developed Requirements Analysis Specifications including mathematical specifications for several space projects (DSP and MCCC) He has taught courses and tutored students in the areas of algebra, trigonometry, calculus, differential equations, vector analysis, theory of equations, and Radar systems. He is presently retired from scientific endeavors. He is an ordained minister of the Gospel, and was also a full time missionary pastor/teacher, helping to start 4 local churches; three in the Colorado Springs Area and one in Alaska. He has taught Greek, Hebrew, Hermeneutics, Homiletics, Systematic Theology, and New Testament Textual Criticism in home, Church school, Bible College, and Seminary programs. As a pastor he has addressed several Bible Conferences including the western regional conference for the American Missionary Fellowship. As a professional musician, he played in various concert bands and orchestras. In this area he played in small combos for dances around the Seattle area and also in Alaska. After his conversion to Christianity in 1964, he appeared as a soloist at the greater Fairbanks Crusade for Christ, the Evangelical Booksellers National Convention in Colorado Springs, the Navigators International Spring Fling at Estes Park Colorado, many performances at churches as a representative of the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary. He made three LP recordings, one of which has been remastered and is available on DVD. Swede was a professional ski instructor from 1987 until 1999. He started skiing in 1945. His list of Aerospace and other scientific publications include more than 250 documents (some of book or larger sizes) generated for many employers in the defense industry. One of these written in 1962 is a book on orbital mechanics. In the area of Biblical Studies he has written and or edited 14 books. He is founder and President of the Colorado Free Bible College.
