Robert Bunger Thieme Jr. (April 1, 1918 – August 16, 2009) was pastor of Berachah Church, a nondenominational Christian church in Houston, Texas, from 1950 to 2003. Affectionately called "the Colonel" by his congregation, he was a dispensationalist theologian who wrote over a hundred books and conducted over 10,000 sermons on various theological topics during his 55 years as a pastor.
Biography Thieme was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Anna (Cloakey) and Robert Bunger Thieme. He was raised in Beverly Hills, California and attended Beverly Hills High School which included four years of Latin studies. Thieme's undergraduate work was at the University of Arizona at Tucson where he majored in Greek, and was elected to Phi Beta KappaBob Thieme's Teachings On Christian Living. Joe Wall, 1982. after graduating with honors in 1940. While attending university he met and married Betty Beal, the daughter of a Baptist minister.
Thieme's seminary studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) were interrupted by World War II service. During World War II he was in charge of training all Army Air Corps cadets at Luke Field, and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army Air Corps. After World War II, Thieme resumed his theological studies at DTS, where he graduated magna cum laude. His 1949 master's thesis was entitled Armageddon: An Investigation of the Campaign of the Great Day of God the Almighty.DTS Online Library Search. Search BIBLOS for "Armageddon Campaign Almighty." During his time at DTS Thieme held a part-time pastorate at Reinhardt Bible Church in Dallas, Texas.
Thieme became pastor of Berachah Church in Houston, Texas, in 1950, interrupting his doctoral work at DTS after Dr. J. Ellwood Evans recommended him to the church. He was pastor at Berachah Church until he retired in 2003 due to Alzheimer's disease. Thieme dedicated his life to intensive study of the Scripture and teaching his congregation. Gifted in intellect and indefatigable in production, Thieme held Bible classes most nights of the week and twice on Sundays. Requiring strict academic discipline from his congregation as well, he earned the genuine respect of those in regular attendance. Those close to him knew him as humble and gentlemanly.R. B. Thieme, Jr., memorial service. Over the years Thieme spoke at numerous Bible conferences and ordained many men into the ministry.For example, Joe Griffin of Grace Doctrine Church, Saint Charles, Missouri and Gary Glenney of Portland Bible Church. His recorded Bible classes and books are available free of charge.
After Thieme retired in 2003, his only son, Robert "Bobby" Thieme III, was elected by the congregation of Berachah Church to serve as the new pastor."Investiture Service: The Charge to the Pastor" GDC Media. Retrieved May 11, 2007. Around this time R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries began reformatting and revising existing material into modern formats (e.g. DVD and MP3).
Theology Thieme attended Dallas Theological Seminary and was influenced by its founder, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer. He can be described as a dispensationalist, non-denominational Christian who believed in Biblical inerrancy.
ICE Thieme's doctrinal study and unique vocabulary were based on a methodology he called "ICE": Isagogics, Categories, and Exegesis. Isagogics is the study of the Bible in its historical context, including the human writer, the recipients, and the time in which they lived. Categories refers to a topical compilation of doctrine, so that one can approach the Bible on a line-by-line-precept-by-precept basis, and cross-reference Scripture effectively. Exegesis, as defined by Thieme, involves studying the grammar, syntax, and etymology of the original languages of Scripture, so that one is not relying on intermediate translations which may obscure or lose meanings. Through the ICE method, Thieme sought to accurately communicate the truths of the Bible.A Critical Investigation of the Theology of Col. R. B. Thieme, Jr. D. Koopmans, California Graduate School of Theology, 1976.
Doctrinal emphasis Thieme built his ministry on the assertion that believers in Jesus Christ must learn the Word of God to know the will of God for their lives and to execute the plan of God for their lives. He defined Bible doctrine as the content of the Canon of Scripture, with emphasis on the communication of that content by teaching and instruction. Thieme covered most of the Bible with his congregation, verse by verse from the original languages using the aforementioned ICE methodology. He began every class by citing Hebrews 4:12, "The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword ..." and 2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be mature, thoroughly furnished unto every good work."
Thieme would then cite his responsibility under 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." Under this mandate, he emphasized doctrinal teaching on salvation and the post-salvation spiritual life of the believer in Jesus Christ.Thieme recorded lessons and publications.
Salvation through faith alone in Christ alone Thieme taught the biblical definition of faith as a non-meritorious system of perception wherein the merit lies with the object of faith, Jesus Christ. The status of the subject is irrelevant, as one need only express positive volition toward Jesus Christ to receive eternal salvation. God the Father imputed all the sins of the human race, past, present and future, to Christ on the cross and judged them, thus completing the work of salvation. Therefore, salvation is available to anyone who believes in Christ. Thieme said an individual has the option of expressing positive volition privately, forming the sentences in thought, telling God the Father he is trusting in Christ for salvation. Nothing more is required.
Thieme believed contemporary Christianity has superimposed a number of false actions on the Gospel message. Consequently, at least every Sunday, he would emphasize what did not need to be done for salvation:
Invite Christ into your heart Feel sorry for, or repent from personal sins Walk down an aisle Be baptized with water Join a church Give money to a church Give up something you enjoy
Thieme held that these actions, while some of them might be commendable from the human viewpoint, are an intrusion on faith. Faith is the absence of merit, and no human good of any form is acceptable to God for salvation. God extends the invitation to salvation, not the other way around. The Greek verb metanoeo, translated "repent" in the Bible, when used in connection with salvation, means to change one's mind about Christ and believe in him at the point of Gospel hearing. At that point, the grace of God does everything necessary to make faith effectual for salvation. The only personal sin that results in eternal condemnation is to die without having personally believed in Jesus Christ as Savior. God solved the sin problem, and made an issue of individual volition. God knows the thoughts of every individual, and is not constrained by geographical isolation or linguistic barrier in his dissemination of the salvation message to those who desire a relationship with him. Water baptism and legitimate church activities are post-salvation functions of the believer, not prerequisites for salvation.Thieme 1969 Basics series.
Thieme categorized the Christian's life into three phases: the moment of salvation, the post-salvation life of the believer on Earth, and the believer in eternity. These distinctions allow the proper interpretation of verses pertaining to salvation (e.g. Acts 16:31, Eph. 2:8-9, Gen. 15:6), and verses pertaining to the post-salvation function of the believer (e.g. Jas. 2:17), so as not to obscure the simplicity of faith alone in Christ alone for salvation.
Spiritual growth Thieme taught that believers in Jesus Christ grow spiritually from the daily intake of Bible doctrine communicated by their right pastor. He emphasized that no pastor is right for everyone, but that once a believer identifies a qualified, prepared pastor that is right for him, the believer must orient to the authority of that pastor, and consistently assimilate accurate doctrinal teaching from that pastor in order to grow spiritually. Thieme maintained that perception and application of Bible doctrine is the means by which believers fulfill their responsibility to God of growing in grace to spiritual maturity, and that without it believers will retrogress in their spiritual lives.
Mechanics for the spiritual life Having established the perception and application of Bible doctrine as the basis for spiritual growth, Thieme focused much of his ministry on teaching the protocol and mechanics for the spiritual life of the believer in Jesus Christ. Thieme's objective was to delineate, from the Scripture, God's plan for the Church-Age believer, and the numerous grace assets God provided in eternity past for believers to fulfill his plan. God provides equal privilege and equal opportunity for all believers in Jesus Christ to execute his plan and receive his highest and best for them.Thieme 1984 Protocol Plan of God series. Thieme compiled a list of forty benefits from the Scripture that God gives to every Church-Age believer at the moment of salvation. Among these is the power system God designed for the execution of his plan.
Thieme identified the scriptural mandates and objectives of the spiritual life as belonging to a single system of power and love. This power system was designed by God for Church-Age believers to become winners in human history. The system, or dynasphere, unifies God's grace provisions and mandates for believers, enabling them to keep his mandates, grow spiritually, and share the inner strength, virtue, and happiness of Jesus Christ. It is the same system used by the humanity of Christ to fulfill his mission during the First Advent. After his resurrection, ascension and session, Jesus Christ provided the operational system to his royal family on earth for them to glorify him.Thieme 1981 1 John series.
Through use of the rebound technique, the spiritual recovery procedure of 1 John 1:9, the believer is restored to fellowship with God, becomes filled with the Holy Spirit, and enters into the divine system. Inside the system, the believer learns Bible doctrine and orients to the grace and doctrinal thinking of Jesus Christ. Bible doctrine in the soul of the believer and the filling of the Holy Spirit are the power options for the spiritual life. They underscore the importance of consistent exposure to expository Bible teaching throughout the believer's life on Earth, under the principle that "man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). As the believer grows from metabolized Bible doctrine, and combines his perception of doctrine with the application of doctrine through the problem-solving devices of God's system, his spiritual growth accelerates. The growing believer advances to spiritual adulthood where he shares the motivational and functional virtues of Jesus Christ, acquires the spiritual skills necessary for advanced problem solving, and becomes productive in Christian service. As the spiritual adult continues his advance to spiritual maturity, and applies the problem-solving devices in undeserved suffering, he glorifies God to the maximum and fulfills his destiny in Christ. For growing and mature believers, God works all things together for divine good.