Job 25:1-6 ESV
(1) Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
(2) "Dominion and fear are with God; he makes peace in his high heaven.
(3) Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not arise?
(4) How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?
(5) Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
(6) how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!"
We have to be careful when we quote Job's friends. They usually speak the truth, but they don't always understand what they're saying or how it applies to the situation. However, I think that we can take Bildad's counsel to heart for something glorious in our lives.
If we are in Christ we should be fully aware of our sinfulness apart from His atoning work. We have no way of being pure or right before God. And yet in His mercy He chose to set us free by dying on the cross for our sins.
We are maggots apart from grace, amen?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Back in the Race
Sorry for not posting yesterday. I'm back in the groove with school. I've got Hebrew on Mondays and New Testament on Tuesdays. I think I'm looking forward to Hebrew more than NT, but I do think I have a good paper topic in mind for NT. I plan on writing on text-critical criteria.
Ever notice how your Bible sometimes has passages in brackets with a footnote like "the oldest manuscripts do not contain..." the passage name? You will find this particularly in John 8 and the woman caught in adultery as well as in the end of Mark. There are thousands of other small ones throughout the New Testament too. Our English Bible translators have already dealt with these issues. I want to know how they did it so I can come up with my own opinion. Otherwise I'm just trusting the opinions of my translators.
I'm excited to work on my Hebrew homework. It's pretty easy so far, which is nice. I think I'm already prepared for my first quiz because I tried to get ahead. Hopefully I can stay ahead so the tests will be a breeze. We're having 4 tests this semester. I think this is a good thing, but it will require much diligence.
Ever notice how your Bible sometimes has passages in brackets with a footnote like "the oldest manuscripts do not contain..." the passage name? You will find this particularly in John 8 and the woman caught in adultery as well as in the end of Mark. There are thousands of other small ones throughout the New Testament too. Our English Bible translators have already dealt with these issues. I want to know how they did it so I can come up with my own opinion. Otherwise I'm just trusting the opinions of my translators.
I'm excited to work on my Hebrew homework. It's pretty easy so far, which is nice. I think I'm already prepared for my first quiz because I tried to get ahead. Hopefully I can stay ahead so the tests will be a breeze. We're having 4 tests this semester. I think this is a good thing, but it will require much diligence.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Counting the Cost
Luke 14:25-33 ESV
(25) Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
(26) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
(27) Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
(28) For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
(29) Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
(30) saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'
(31) Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
(32) And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
(33) So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
It pains me to see the weak and superficial faith of so many in the church. I know that I had a "faith" like that for a long time too. I think one of the reasons is the lack of teaching on this passage. We like to get people to "pray a prayer," "make a decision," or "walk an aisle." However, are these real conversion experiences?
The gospel is sometimes presented like receiving a free house. It is true that a forgiven mortgage is a great metaphor for what happened at the cross with the atoning death of Christ. However, what we sometimes fail to mention is that while we may get a free house, we also become slaves to the person who bought our mortgage.
Now the big difference is that slavery to Christ is a lot different than slavery to Citi Mortgage. Christ is a perfect Lord for our lives, so this is a good thing. However, I think that more needs to be said about this when we present the gospel. Otherwise we are guilty of a terrible bait and switch. It is no wonder that so many "lose their faith" if their faith never had roots to begin with.
(25) Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
(26) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
(27) Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
(28) For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
(29) Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
(30) saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'
(31) Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
(32) And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
(33) So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
It pains me to see the weak and superficial faith of so many in the church. I know that I had a "faith" like that for a long time too. I think one of the reasons is the lack of teaching on this passage. We like to get people to "pray a prayer," "make a decision," or "walk an aisle." However, are these real conversion experiences?
The gospel is sometimes presented like receiving a free house. It is true that a forgiven mortgage is a great metaphor for what happened at the cross with the atoning death of Christ. However, what we sometimes fail to mention is that while we may get a free house, we also become slaves to the person who bought our mortgage.
Now the big difference is that slavery to Christ is a lot different than slavery to Citi Mortgage. Christ is a perfect Lord for our lives, so this is a good thing. However, I think that more needs to be said about this when we present the gospel. Otherwise we are guilty of a terrible bait and switch. It is no wonder that so many "lose their faith" if their faith never had roots to begin with.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Open Theism
Psalms 47:1-9 ESV
(1) To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
(2) For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
(3) He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
(4) He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah.
(5) God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
(6) Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
(7) For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
(8) God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
(9) The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!
How can anyone subscribe to open theism unless this Psalm doesn't exist in their Bibles? Maybe I just don't understand open theism well enough, but to me it sounds like we are trying to put man on the throne. I don't want to be on the throne. God will do a better job.
(1) To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
(2) For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
(3) He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
(4) He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah.
(5) God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
(6) Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
(7) For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
(8) God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
(9) The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!
How can anyone subscribe to open theism unless this Psalm doesn't exist in their Bibles? Maybe I just don't understand open theism well enough, but to me it sounds like we are trying to put man on the throne. I don't want to be on the throne. God will do a better job.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Where is the Emphasis?
Luke 9:18-27 ESV
(18) Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
(19) And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen."
(20) Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
(21) And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,
(22) saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."
(23) And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
(24) For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
(25) For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
(26) For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
(27) But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
I want to make a doctrinal point today. Notice that this passage has a parallel in Matthew 16:13-20. The Roman Catholic Church takes the passage in Matthew to justify their belief in apostolic succession. In other words, Jesus made Peter the first pope and the rest have that authority as true apostles.
Why didn't Luke make a big deal about that? Here was a prime opportunity to reaffirm a key doctrinal point, right? Why didn't he emphasize it?
I think that arguing from silence is not particularly strong, but here the silence seems to shout.
(18) Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
(19) And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen."
(20) Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."
(21) And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,
(22) saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."
(23) And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
(24) For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
(25) For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
(26) For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
(27) But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God."
I want to make a doctrinal point today. Notice that this passage has a parallel in Matthew 16:13-20. The Roman Catholic Church takes the passage in Matthew to justify their belief in apostolic succession. In other words, Jesus made Peter the first pope and the rest have that authority as true apostles.
Why didn't Luke make a big deal about that? Here was a prime opportunity to reaffirm a key doctrinal point, right? Why didn't he emphasize it?
I think that arguing from silence is not particularly strong, but here the silence seems to shout.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
