tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86454050968546253772024-03-12T18:53:29.235-05:00The Happy WifeMy adventures of being modern stay-at-home mom.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger497125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-21187090303120199482024-03-11T18:55:00.001-05:002024-03-11T18:55:00.131-05:00church history discussion 13b: jarena lee<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cAeXcBsQIrz69CLeJ81DqBIHBitGTTnOKdSzzthh_r-PBhMZuZvQSXqgc4Siq3KQyxotBe0OB8-bNn-bRV5bZrkyu8w6h3qtHMT7m2SUrs-h96sQM3sbMc2E7aXZa5mm2dyl1kgZu7PuGjyB7wFhgJq2_5hlpHWmoTobBzOYIyaQmfxN9kCUpJQM80Q/s600/jarena%20lee.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cAeXcBsQIrz69CLeJ81DqBIHBitGTTnOKdSzzthh_r-PBhMZuZvQSXqgc4Siq3KQyxotBe0OB8-bNn-bRV5bZrkyu8w6h3qtHMT7m2SUrs-h96sQM3sbMc2E7aXZa5mm2dyl1kgZu7PuGjyB7wFhgJq2_5hlpHWmoTobBzOYIyaQmfxN9kCUpJQM80Q/s320/jarena%20lee.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6066bcbe-7fff-a204-6736-2777504f97fe"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 13b (optional): Jarena Lee</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What do you notice about Jarena Lee's understanding of the Holy Spirit?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">or, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What observations can you make about her calling to preach? How is this calling affected by her being a woman?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://archive.org/details/religiousexperi00leegoog/page/n6/mode/2up" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://archive.org/details/religiousexperi00leegoog/page/n6/mode/2up</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">—</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jarena Lee’s writing is captivating. Even with the old font which makes it difficult to read as the letters blur together, I find I can’t stop reading this fascinating tale. She was something of a philosopher without even knowing what that is. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With how tortured her soul was before hearing the gospel message, it is no surprise that she would want everyone else to know that their souls do not need to be tortured. She went to several churches and while encouraged or convicted she was never shown any hope for salvation. She knew it must be there somewhere but it was quite some time later when she finally found salvation.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"Preach the Gospel; I will put words in your mouth, and will turn your enemies to become your friends."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“I took a text and preached in my sleep.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“For as unseemly as it may appear now-a-days for a woman to preach, it should be remembered that nothing is impossible with God. And why should it be thought impossible, heterodox, or improper for a woman to preach? seeing the Saviour died for the woman as well as for the man.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“If the man may preach, because the Saviour died for him, why not the woman? seeing he died for her also. Is he not a whole Saviour, instead of a half one? as those who hold it wrong for a woman to preach, would seem to make it appear.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Did not Mary first preach the risen Saviour, and is not the doctrine of the resurrection the very climax of Christianity — hangs not all our hope on this, as argued by St. Paul ? Then did not Mary, a woman, preach the gospel? for she preached the resurrection of the crucified Son of God.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This account of her calling to preach is beautiful, and the logic she uses against naysayers is spot on. I love it. </span></p><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-64626885610649588042024-02-26T06:00:00.001-06:002024-02-26T06:00:00.239-06:00church history discussion 13: william j. seymour "pentecost has come" in "the apostolic faith"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmeEnL5iWLgCJgZNd75dxvzYnwZ3SztK8sVL2EwSeWYoQYjxTm-ED3CtyZWqcSbDApWHqrUYZLxhKX2p8w78GEO8g-yyLFTIOL-obyfJ55oQniU555tqXgRzjB4KcSdkRqbRX3LkLnny4qDj6wQdqeTpj-DBgZjcCAryS_jP-LTLRJ2nZ0K1-cWt-e5I/s691/william-seymour-standing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmeEnL5iWLgCJgZNd75dxvzYnwZ3SztK8sVL2EwSeWYoQYjxTm-ED3CtyZWqcSbDApWHqrUYZLxhKX2p8w78GEO8g-yyLFTIOL-obyfJ55oQniU555tqXgRzjB4KcSdkRqbRX3LkLnny4qDj6wQdqeTpj-DBgZjcCAryS_jP-LTLRJ2nZ0K1-cWt-e5I/s320/william-seymour-standing.jpg" width="185" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dfab0648-7fff-9804-4839-660d64091644"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 13: William J. Seymour, "Pentecost Has Come" in "The Apostolic Faith"</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Seymour reports here about the work of God at the Asuza Street Revival. Considering what you learned in class about the Holiness Movement which began sixty-five years earlier with its call for a "Second Blessing," or "Second Act of Grace," that is, the gift of entire and immediate sanctification, how is this new movement different? What does Seymour say is lacking in the Holiness tradition? What was added in the Pentecostal revival and movement? How does sanctification relate to this new, third blessing?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><a href="http://articles.ochristian.com/article3480.shtml" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Here is the link for the article: "Pentecost Has Come."</span></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXzTIuIMf6tL4Rmf6wjy6vLpI43MZNYUwMHog6xG_YKsI06ouj-THdd_DPcreMk2DflRnveQ60u8-uyPfaqnHuN0X9Qpy00RwPce-8UIJVuCy4oOKFkQi2xymfy1kd9EZIHnWXf8PwYJAJ0MOI9uSTuHiW5gIlcJkeITe3f8y9NeQUVd-E_CD6aSSR2c/s300/apostolic%20faith%20newspaper%20discussion%2013.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="300" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXzTIuIMf6tL4Rmf6wjy6vLpI43MZNYUwMHog6xG_YKsI06ouj-THdd_DPcreMk2DflRnveQ60u8-uyPfaqnHuN0X9Qpy00RwPce-8UIJVuCy4oOKFkQi2xymfy1kd9EZIHnWXf8PwYJAJ0MOI9uSTuHiW5gIlcJkeITe3f8y9NeQUVd-E_CD6aSSR2c/s1600/apostolic%20faith%20newspaper%20discussion%2013.gif" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— —- — - - —--</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How is this new movement different? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> The Azusa Street revival’s focus seems to be on individual expression of the baptism of the Holy Ghost whereas the Holiness movement was so named due to devotion to John Wesley’s teachings on sanctification (Gonzalez 338). Phoebe Palmer introduced the holiness revivals that conceived of the idea of the second blessing after conversion but also emphasized social actions of love (Gonzalez 339). Holiness churches would often incorporate speaking in tongues, miraculous healing, and prophetic utterances.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> The Azusa Street revival was started by a former slave William Seymour and had a mix of black and white people in the movement. It moved across the nation and beyond the Wesleyan tradition and into other denominations. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What does Seymour say is lacking in the Holiness tradition? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Seymour said that the holiness preachers claimed “sanctification was the baptism with the Holy Ghost. But yet they did not have the evidence at the second chapter of Acts, for when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost, they spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What was added in the Pentecostal revival and movement? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In the Azusa Street revival a “third blessing” that is understood to be a baptism of the Holy Spirit was added to the holiness tradition. Speaking in tongues was emphasized. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How does sanctification relate to this new, third blessing?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Sanctification is seen as a stepping stone to the third blessing of “full salvation”.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Seymour lists Atonement as following:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First. Through the atonement we receive forgiveness of sins.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Second. We receive sanctification through the blood of Jesus. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Third. Healing of our bodies.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fourth. And we get the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire upon the sanctified life. </span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-50464090926674202152024-02-12T14:28:00.015-06:002024-02-12T14:28:00.177-06:00church history discussion 12: john wesley "witness of the spirit"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm6gpWxsZrkhkxD8lpDj_12UN7Ug8RVE2RsNteX_JucJCSm4SIKWJ7BJmKhUXEQbGbOL_hBRFgp6Hmh5pMF4EBvR_eMHbbwDSvkOcoCCrl3RRXG-ew0WlU94oaBs5tpPg8Mnt3uwHJHjLsxc4kHwyn6YEMsG_xKAUvPeLvO2dbFZFr1wMvRZqGz793nI/s2093/JohnWesley-LongsIllustrated1875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2093" data-original-width="1840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDm6gpWxsZrkhkxD8lpDj_12UN7Ug8RVE2RsNteX_JucJCSm4SIKWJ7BJmKhUXEQbGbOL_hBRFgp6Hmh5pMF4EBvR_eMHbbwDSvkOcoCCrl3RRXG-ew0WlU94oaBs5tpPg8Mnt3uwHJHjLsxc4kHwyn6YEMsG_xKAUvPeLvO2dbFZFr1wMvRZqGz793nI/s320/JohnWesley-LongsIllustrated1875.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 12: John Wesley, "Witness of the Spirit" and Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"</span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6300bc61-7fff-3403-1622-e93b930bb562"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Post Discussion Comments for </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">either</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Wesley's sermon </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">or</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Edwards sermon as follows:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Wesley: <a href="https://www.ccel.org/ccel/wesley/sermons.v.xi.html" target="_blank">Sermon link</a>, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_QTaMFPz_eeM5opVtA4ifwN574FudYKA5CXrNoImFAI/edit?usp=sharing">alt link</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are you drawn to about how John Wesley describes the work of the Spirit in individual lives? How might this be different from earlier texts you've read (i.e. the Reformers) or similar (i.e. the Pietists)? (It's a broad question, so don't worry about how short or long your answer is!)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Can you identify the four points of "Wesley's quadrilateral" (scripture, reason, experience, tradition) in this sermon?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Edwards: <a href="https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/sermons.sinners.html" target="_blank">Sermon link</a>, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Q_ImudnSSmJm0xyQs5i-nair5jSqVQdSGfbuAMqLSb4/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">alt link</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Based on what you've learned about Puritan theology and its Calvinist roots, what do you notice about Jonathan Edward's sermon? Can you say anything about "covenant theology" and his exposition? (Israelites). Knowing that his sermon helped kick off the evangelical Great Awakening with its emphasis on the Spirit and heart awakening, what about this message, if anything, depicts a shift?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— —- —- —- [maybe I will get to Jonathan Edwards in the future]</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Wesley:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are you drawn to about how John Wesley describes the work of the Spirit in individual lives? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">That the Spirit bears witness with us that we are the children of God is one of the “peculiar privileges of the children of God” is encouraging. I hadn’t thought of the Spirit bearing witness to me as a privilege. Wesley continues by asserting that the immediate result of this testimony is the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians. I have met many people who did not resemble the fruit but who “knew” they were saved because of some arbitrary reason. It is important to note that “being at peace” with one’s sins is not the same as approval by the Spirit. That is not the Spirit’s witness. That is self-deception. Much of this is addressed in Wesley's sermon.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How might this be different from earlier texts you've read (i.e. the Reformers) or similar (i.e. the Pietists)? (It's a broad question, so don't worry about how short or long your answer is!)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The reformers were heavy into head knowledge. They “knew” they were saved based on correct doctrine. They then turned around and committed atrocious acts against fellow Christians. Without action to back up the good thoughts, faith is dead as James 2 describes.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Can you identify the four points of "Wesley's quadrilateral" (scripture, reason, experience, tradition) in this sermon?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As best as I can see:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Wesley’s scripture is Romans 8:16</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">His experience is outlined in point II where he discusses “But what is the witness of the Spirit?” He says, “The word of God says, every one who has the fruit of the Spirit is a child of God; experience, or inward consciousness, tells me, that I have the fruit of the Spirit; and hence I rationally conclude, “Therefore I am a child of God.””</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">His reason is partially covered in his experience and continues with the expanding of other supporting scripture. He further addresses common objections.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">His tradition surfaces first in his reasoned argument against the arguments especially of note is the fear of being justified by works. </span></p></li></ul></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-58980049887765834332024-01-29T10:31:00.007-06:002024-01-29T10:31:00.127-06:00church history discussion 11: the sorrow songs<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-433aa2dc-7fff-011a-d268-2556434de616"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 11: "The Sorrow Songs"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjst0EZ6FyDfKtpgDZvDgr-Wto9zAUge-iJltTJMyIOcqkakLasZiK9H3rohS9OdsyBHjZEKey6NV4VKXfj77I4WD4udy6bMFmTYlXuiiUv0Ze4y0fkFjpeD9TRJX_LpXsth3yaVCrMNyGVb-zoR_P2ddS2-IumCIbUNhkK0xn3dS2EBv2CAdv65S1I3yM/s304/dubois285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="285" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjst0EZ6FyDfKtpgDZvDgr-Wto9zAUge-iJltTJMyIOcqkakLasZiK9H3rohS9OdsyBHjZEKey6NV4VKXfj77I4WD4udy6bMFmTYlXuiiUv0Ze4y0fkFjpeD9TRJX_LpXsth3yaVCrMNyGVb-zoR_P2ddS2-IumCIbUNhkK0xn3dS2EBv2CAdv65S1I3yM/s1600/dubois285.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DuBois</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 9pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On page five of his introduction, Cone refers to the "inseparable bond that exists between black life and black art so that the art is a natural function of the life." </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How does DuBois' reference</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (below and PowerPoint) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to the "double consciousness" </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">African Americans often sense</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> apply</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, if at all? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">DuBois said: "It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness,--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He also observed: "They that walked in darkness sang songs in the olden days--Sorrow Songs--for they were weary at heart... Ever since I was a child these songs have stirred me strangely. They came out of the South unknown to me, one by one, and yet at once I knew them as of me and of mine... And so by chance, the Negro folk song--the rhythmic cry of the slave--stands today not simply as the sole American music, but as the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side of the seas."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In other words, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">how are African American "Sorrow Songs" art that reflects human existence? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— — — — </span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEyohQmEoOC0Puwlc4XdfLlB8aSqroU2Cbni4g5vGPyB92UrL4ur9ruVvCARnNlVeqwDO3wn9_MrdH9VgYexoThry5kvPDcbeHhCTB7jv2bgR6-0wBIOsrPxgEkO2enz07OETIeM-mXnOCVHIGZXB_vNmwS_NIVeooT7dLFtbrjaZykCfCCr-Fau95Ac/s2048/JamesCone_1024x1024@2x.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1808" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEyohQmEoOC0Puwlc4XdfLlB8aSqroU2Cbni4g5vGPyB92UrL4ur9ruVvCARnNlVeqwDO3wn9_MrdH9VgYexoThry5kvPDcbeHhCTB7jv2bgR6-0wBIOsrPxgEkO2enz07OETIeM-mXnOCVHIGZXB_vNmwS_NIVeooT7dLFtbrjaZykCfCCr-Fau95Ac/s320/JamesCone_1024x1024@2x.webp" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://kellylatimoreicons.com/products/james-cone</td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">African American Sorrow Songs reflect human existence in that it expresses the pent up emotions of simply being a foreigner in one’s own home. As Cone said, God was breaking into people’s lives and building them up where they had been torn down by society (Cone 2). The African Americans were learning to “steal away to Jesus” while they were stolen from their African homes. Perhaps then DeBois’s “double consciousness” reflects human existence in that human experience in black music contains the “paradoxical affirmations” that so many relate, such as “I love the blues, they hurt so nice.” (Cone 5). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While some insisted that the African American slaves' music was merely imitation of other national music, James Johnson said it actually magnified it (Cone 11). Alain Locke said the richness of black music “affirms a universal ideal for the whole American nation” (Cone 11). According to Cone (13) DeBois “related the songs to the cultural history of black people striving for humanity in a society of oppression and racial hatred” and was “fascinated by the tension in the spirituals between hope and despair”. These feelings are reflected in many of the Psalms and in the pinings of individuals who do not share in racial oppression. While many will never understand the depths of the pain foisted on African Americans, those who feel the struggles of this world can be encouraged by the African American faith that state that trouble isn’t forever. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The trials of human existence is more profound for some but exists for everyone especially those who take their heavenly citizenship seriously. John Lovell showed that the black spiritual shared themes of a desire for freedom, justice and judgment, and a strategy to gain an eminent future. These themes can be translated from the Bible as well and express the human condition in that a Christian desires freedom from sin’s bondage, justice here on earth and judgment for those who hurt the oppressed, and the strategy of turning to Christ to gain the future of eternal life. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>African slavery is the ultimate evil</b> that Satan and humans have collaborated on to gain the dehumanization of people created in the image of God. The black spiritual is an affirmation of the dignity of enslaved Africans. Just as death is not the master of life, so the oppressor is not the master of the enslaved, God is. And God is going to redeem, is redeeming, and has redeemed. The black spirituals give testimony and encouragement to these facts (Cone 17). “...the spirituals affirm a complete trust in God to make right in the next world what was done wrong in this world,” Cone quotes Benjamin Mays. While Satan and human oppressors try to destroy, God makes beauty out of the ashes. He continues to do so. Black spirituals and sorrow songs are more than beautiful, they convey a deep understanding that this world is not our home.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-57223045398620610482024-01-15T10:14:00.001-06:002024-01-15T10:14:00.127-06:00church history discussion 10b: second helvetic confession<p> <span style="color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion on the Second Helvetic Confession </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4P9d8nGluT2DVgxWAKDRD3NB3ZSFqgMwDK2_L4aM1HmTEPfwFtBVJ9DSVue_q904AXtjkALmXw7UA3WxYQhImJwTYR_q0k2FHMQ9RJHleqYacqiVtdPjt0rOuWJ4RI5xkLIpdyu_-rAtz9igCskQi4K6sQW2wGm90ho51N9be2RILDdnlvHjni7qo14/s4032/PXL_20230521_173027985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4P9d8nGluT2DVgxWAKDRD3NB3ZSFqgMwDK2_L4aM1HmTEPfwFtBVJ9DSVue_q904AXtjkALmXw7UA3WxYQhImJwTYR_q0k2FHMQ9RJHleqYacqiVtdPjt0rOuWJ4RI5xkLIpdyu_-rAtz9igCskQi4K6sQW2wGm90ho51N9be2RILDdnlvHjni7qo14/s320/PXL_20230521_173027985.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-67a1e0ce-7fff-e5dc-53d8-9453e9a545d1"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><a href="https://www.ccel.org/creeds/helvetic.htm" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Click here to review the Second Helvetic Confession</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Questions regarding the theologies in this creed are taken from specific chapters where you should focus your attention. You can respond to one or more of these questions, as you wish.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Chapter I-III, regarding the Word, the Trinity, and Scripture over Tradition: What here is consistent with what you've learned about the reformations so far, concerning Sola Scriptura? What do the Swiss hold to regarding the Trinity, and how do they describe the connection between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Do you find these explanations helpful in your own understanding of the Trinity? What is significant about the Swiss assertions in Chapter II regarding the Holy Fathers, councils, and traditions of men with regard to the historical context we've discussed?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Chapter IX and X</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If it interests you, discuss the Swiss understanding of Free Will and Election in chapter IX and X. What do you suppose is significant about these assertions from a theological and historical perspective?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Chapter XIX</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What do you think the writers meant when they said "sacraments are mystical symbols," and "of signs and things signified?" How is this understanding of the sacraments familiar or different to your own faith tradition?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— — —- — —-</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Chapter I-III, regarding the Word, the Trinity, and Scripture over Tradition: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What here is consistent with what you've learned about the reformations so far, concerning Sola Scriptura? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From chapter I, I was surprised to read </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">THE PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WORD OF GOD.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> It seems they are saying that whatever a preacher preaches is now also the Word of God. Am I reading that right? That does not seem consistent with Sola Scriptura as I previously understood. Alternatively they may be saying that preachers are only allowed to preach what is in the Word which would be consistent with Sola Scriptura.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In chapter II, the confession states no private interpretations “thus we do not allow all possible interpretations” which seems to be in line with wanting to have multiple people be convinced of an interpretation before accepting it as such, but definitely nothing from “the Roman Church”. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What do the Swiss hold to regarding the Trinity, and how do they describe the connection between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The confession states that God is one in three persons. It states “Father has begotten the Son from eternity, the Son is begotten by an ineffable generation, and the holy Spirit truly proceeds from them both, and the same from eternity and is to be worshipped with both.” It unironically claims this to be “without confusion”. Of course, it didn’t mean </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">my</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> confusion. They mean the Father is distinct from the Son and the Spirit. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do you find these explanations helpful in your own understanding of the Trinity? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This explanation is in agreement with how I already viewed the Trinity. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What is significant about the Swiss assertions in Chapter II regarding the Holy Fathers, councils, and traditions of men with regard to the historical context we've discussed?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With the Fathers, I enjoyed reading how they didn’t outright reject everything written because “they all, with one consent, will not have their writings equated with the canonical Scriptures, but command us to prove how far they agree or disagree with them, and to accept what is in agreement and to reject what is in disagreement.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With councils, “we do not admit any other judge than God himself” as every single religious organization so claims despite having many litigators in their ranks and many people ready to point their finger at heretics when there is simply a difference of opinion on minute issues. This is enough to make me roll my eyes. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Likewise we reject human traditions,” only to replace them with new ones. But I appreciate that they at least want to reject bishops etc who contradict the previous bishops etc since such assertions would mean that God had changed his mind on some issue, which is against the claims of scripture.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Chapter IX and X</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If it interests you, discuss the Swiss understanding of Free Will and Election in chapter IX and X. What do you suppose is significant about these assertions from a theological and historical perspective?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It is humorous that “MAN IS NOT CAPABLE OF GOOD </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Per Se</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">”. In my opinion, I have seen this idea so horrifically abused that it has driven people away from the Church and from God. Without explaining that Biblical goodness is not the same as the common nomenclature of what </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">goodness</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> is, claiming “man not yet regenerate has no free will for good” will always seem utterly ridiculous. People will always compare kidnapper/enslaver George Whitfield and any moral atheist today and say that it is offensive to think Whitfield was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">good</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> while an atheist who lives a moral and self-sacrificing life is not. Instead, we should emphasize that Biblical </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">goodness</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> is not merely doing good acts and abstaining from bad acts. It is an alignment of God’s </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">goodness</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. So an atheist by definition will always be opposed to God just as they are opposed to the very idea of God. However, this does not make Whitfield a good person. He was a very bad, morally bankrupt person. His sins so blinded him that he called evil good. That does not mean we need to continue this heresy. Whitfield may have said some “good” things–certainly any number of horrific dictators have said some “good” things. A broken clock is right twice a day. But that clock is no good. Whitfield and others are broken clocks and should be done away with much like a broken clock. Telling an atheist that his good works are not good, when they clearly are, reveals a limited imagination. Can God use anything? Can God use anyone? Should an atheist stop doing good because his heart is opposed to God? This type of theology is useless and does nothing to draw people to Christ. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Historically it is repugnant to think that Bloody Mary was good. Or that her sister Elizabeth was good. Or that any number of heresy hunting murderers were good simply because they were “Christian”. Were the crusades good? Was the rape and burning of anabaptist women good? Certainly not! Then to claim that goodness is only possible by regenerates would put a different litmus test on who is saved and who isn’t. And perhaps that is called for in light of Matthew 21:28-32.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-12108413489278556842024-01-01T10:27:00.001-06:002024-01-01T10:27:00.126-06:00church history discussion 10a: john locke 'the reasonableness of christianity'<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f24eefb4-7fff-00bf-3c3e-e9e46a37d526"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9yZft4q8JyeNQ1tdKoy1glzap4h9wpe1lMYh-MZZaCXOXFRx9x6Xfs_QVFZrMutaw1mXZiwaMu7K7JdXanz0FWo0GnT082lk3aVWjp1xmzNTM5-9AfevQ7iyp13pBuC0v3O0GKYnRXvUZ7HzEYi0aqABZlPSXtRm5A-2TgChhgb9jascW15IcY5aUKI/s552/Screenshot%202023-08-01%20at%2011.29.04%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="552" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9yZft4q8JyeNQ1tdKoy1glzap4h9wpe1lMYh-MZZaCXOXFRx9x6Xfs_QVFZrMutaw1mXZiwaMu7K7JdXanz0FWo0GnT082lk3aVWjp1xmzNTM5-9AfevQ7iyp13pBuC0v3O0GKYnRXvUZ7HzEYi0aqABZlPSXtRm5A-2TgChhgb9jascW15IcY5aUKI/s320/Screenshot%202023-08-01%20at%2011.29.04%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Discussion 10: John Locke, "The Reasonableness of Christianity"</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><a href="https://www.thefederalistpapers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Reasonableness-of-Christianity-by-John-Locke.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Click here to review Locke's "The Reasonableness of Christianity"</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aclmSLZLgQRKxttVE8SFXu7apWmSN8dG/view?usp=drive_link" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Alt link</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You do not have to read this whole piece! Please just read the middle of page 83 through 84 as printed on the document, which is 84-85 at the top in PDF formatting.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As you read, pay special attention to words like, "reason," "rational," "revelation," "wisdom," and "truth." As you understand it, what is Locke saying hindered "the multitude" or "the world" from grasping truth? How were people blinded to "the works of nature" and the "multitude of miracles" God provided? Why were they unable to see these "evidences" as truth?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Feel free to discuss with each other, and respond to each other's comments. It's not necessary to post a report. Let's try shorter comments and "listening" to others. Imagine I'm asking these questions of all of you in the classroom. There are no "wrong" answers.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— —-- —-- —-</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As you understand it, what is Locke saying hindered "the multitude" or "the world" from grasping truth? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“reason, speaking ever so clearly to the wise and virtuous, had never authority enough to prevail on the multitude</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“given up to superstition”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> It seems like he’s calling them dumb.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How were people blinded to "the works of nature" and the "multitude of miracles" God provided? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“the world made so little use of their reason, that they saw him not, where, even by the impressions of himself, he was easy to be found. Sense and lust blinded their minds”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">People thought they were too smart for God. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Why were they unable to see these "evidences" as truth?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“vice and superstition held the world.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They chose a willful ignorance via refusing any nudge to repent but rather choosing a love for superstitions.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-18595683343425460702023-12-24T11:01:00.022-06:002023-12-24T11:01:00.140-06:00the great christmas debate again<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkBKLpmaLWBfpPxL0m2tLqWl7NDHQsM7UlFZIEWWzAHJRfYWSONqnJhgDxWXexjgmrHYOOVQR8wKHBrmyx2EJyLqL8_vI6NKt-FBczRyYArGAO6L-wluFn5yBEuG9z39PvjJ-KJNFKg2PwazUzsUBRB_i3b7CzglLYHkzBbhINwjarSdUot5lWUcnP44/s4032/PXL_20221203_200935856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkBKLpmaLWBfpPxL0m2tLqWl7NDHQsM7UlFZIEWWzAHJRfYWSONqnJhgDxWXexjgmrHYOOVQR8wKHBrmyx2EJyLqL8_vI6NKt-FBczRyYArGAO6L-wluFn5yBEuG9z39PvjJ-KJNFKg2PwazUzsUBRB_i3b7CzglLYHkzBbhINwjarSdUot5lWUcnP44/w150-h200/PXL_20221203_200935856.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /> I'm always surprised when this debate comes up. We will never get to the heart of Christianity if we keep debating these useless topics. We need to get beyond whether we can celebrate holidays and move on to the more important matters of loving people well. To love God with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mark 12:33 <p></p><p>To set the stage, I received an email:</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"></span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">I wonder if I can ask you about Christmas celebrations?? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We have just had a sunday lunch with a friend who is a believer.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">He brought up the fact that their family do not celebrate Christmas,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">at all. He said that it had roots in the Canaaites' rituals that it</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">came from Molek pagan rituals mentioned in Deuteronomy. Which</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">immediately perked up my ears as we have just studied Deuteronomy. I</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">recall Molek, but I do not know how this is linked to Christmas? Am I</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">missing something?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Our family celebrate Christmas - knowing that the dates may not be</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">accurate. But that Jesus was born! Our friend said that the Bible</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">tells us nowhere does it say to celebrate Christmas or even Easter.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">But that the Hebrews are to have other celebrations (which Derek and</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">his family partake in.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are your thoughts on this?</span></p></blockquote><p>Now I wanted to start with how ridiculous these TheoBros always behave. But since she didn't ask me about how should she handle her friend, I didn't address that to her. But I will address that below. </p><p>To her, I wrote:</p><blockquote><span id="docs-internal-guid-977c9854-7fff-a9fe-94cc-f7d246d3f78d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I love these types of questions. So I’ll answer in depth. Maybe too much depth. I don’t know how to keep this short. Ha! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In summary, that’s ridiculous and you have freedom even if there was a link to Molek once upon a time, there is no current link.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So the history of Christmas is debated. The biggest part of why I enjoy celebrating Christmas in winter is that it’s a symbol of light when all else is dark. But I still see the world as a dark place in need of light year round and so I celebrate year round. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">One historical story is that the solstice is on or around December 25. So while the pagans were celebrating their debauchery, Christians seized the opportunity to have their own worship service undisturbed. The Christians were truly persecuted. They found a way to celebrate God while their persecutors were celebrating something else. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Another historical story is the Christmas tree origins. Allegedly, some pagans were performing a ritual or sacrifice with a tree and a Christian said to stop and declared the tree holy. Christ was sacrificed on a tree after all. A tree is neither holy or not holy. What we do with trees determines its holiness.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve heard of origins from Saturnalia and something from Sweden. And I heard one guy say that the passage from the Bible, Jeremiah 10, was talking about the origins of the Christmas tree. They didn’t have Christmas trees back then. It is 100% not talking about a Christmas tree. It’s talking about idols and not even Asherah poles. One guy discusses this</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BionQkX2i7w" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">HERE</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (this is not a blanket endorsement of everything from that guy). There’s no real historical evidence that Christmas trees and Asherah poles are anything similar. Only a bunch of TheoBros claim this without evidence. It just sounds good to them. TheoBros and Heresey Hunters enjoy causing issues for others and in general don't walk in love - they'll define love as something mean and harsh which goes against logic and the Bible, but I digress.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A silly checklist:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Do you celebrate Satan on Christmas? If not, good, carry on. If yes, stop. That’s sinning. There’s no way to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">secretly</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"> celebrate Satan. That’s a superstitious way of looking at spirituality. Satan isn’t waiting around for you to mispronounce some word so he can gain access to you and your family. He isn’t waiting for you to stand in a certain position, sing a certain melody, eat a certain food, watch a certain show, or wear a certain outfit. He is out to bind your conscience, to steal your joy, to kill your spirit, and to destroy your freedom. Paul says in </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">1 Corinthians 10:30</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"> that the weak in faith should leave him alone in his freedom. We can see an entire story in </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Acts 15</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;"> where the new Gentile converts were being told they had to follow old parts of the Law. But the conclusion is that they do not. Neither do you need to be concerned about such things.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is it sinful to have plants inside your house, to decorate, celebrate Christ, celebrate his life, death, and resurrection, sing songs about Jesus, sing songs about winter, to give presents in the name of Christ, to wear green and red, to build gingerbread houses, eat pie? No. None of those things are sinful and they don’t magically become sinful on December 25.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is Jesus’ conception and birth, and the delivery of gifts from wisemen included in the Bible? Yes.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">If wise men celebrated Jesus’ birth, can we celebrate Jesus’ birth? Yes. The Bible may not mandate the celebration of Christ’s birth but it does record that several people did this without rebuke. They were following Old Testament prophesies that led to the genocide of every Jewish baby under the age of 2. It is quite possible that no one wanted to celebrate Jesus’ birth because he was the only one his age. To celebrate his age back then would be painful for all the parents who lost children to Herod. That’s speculation though.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Can you celebrate every part of Christ’s life or only the parts? Certainly every part. Christ loves to be celebrated. Part of his perfect life is his perfect conception and perfect birth.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Was Christ born on Christmas? No. That’s why I celebrate Christmas year-round!</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is it possibly sinful to sing some of the “Christmas” songs that are more a celebration of hedonism and loose sexuality? Quite possibly. So don’t sing those. Or do, knowing that those are silly songs and really have nothing to do with Christmas.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is it sinful to eat a joyful meal? No. If Derek doesn’t approve of Christmas ham (ham is unclean), don’t eat ham in front of him.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is Santa Claus/Father Christmas sinful? No, he’s a myth. We treat him as any other fictional character on TV or in a storybook. He can be whatever because he’s fake.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is Saint Nicholas sinful? No. He was a real man, who was really saved by grace through faith, and stood strong for Christ at the Council of Nicea. </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is Santa giving gifts to good little boys and girls sinful? No, but it does represent an earned righteousness that seems to always favor the rich who can get their kids a lot of gifts and makes poor kids feel bad for not getting as much. So we don’t do that.</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Is telling kids that they better behave or Santa won’t get them something sinful? Yes. In my opinion. But I don’t pass judgment on those who do this. But I think it’s lying. </span></p></li></ul><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Bible repeatedly says for us to live in freedom. We have a God who redeems. Christ is in the Bible. His birth is in the Bible. The liturgical calendar follows a series of celebrations that are listed in the Bible as real events. Jesus celebrated Hanukkah despite there being no Biblical mandate to celebrate it. It is not listed in the seven feasts of Israel and yet Jesus still honored it (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">John 10:22</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">). My God is sovereign over everything. There is no secular and sacred. Everything depends on how and why you celebrate. Does Christmas help you to love God and love people? Then it is good and holy. If it interferes with loving God and loving people, then stop or change how you celebrate. Same with Easter. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Besides everything else, our God is a God who redeems. If we only did things that were expressed in the Bible, we couldn’t speak English. Jesus didn’t speak English so I can’t either. Jesus didn’t use a refrigerator, it’s a defiance to the natural laws of God to allow things to decay. We can’t use vehicles as it is in defiance against God as we try to be omnipresent instead of where we are supposed to be. We can’t use horses and wagons because they have their roots in Greek chariots of war that celebrated the god of Ares. As you can see, we can come up with ridiculous limits on ourselves and reasons that seem spiritual. Even Handel (of Handel’s Messiah) was considered unrighteous for using secular music to celebrate God. How dare he! His concerts were so packed that ladies couldn’t wear their hoops in their skirts and men had to leave their swords at the door. So tight clothing and a weapons ban to sing “hallelujah”. Is there anything that God can’t redeem? No. Are you worshipping God on Christmas? Yes, then carry on. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There are those who constantly change the litmus test of Christianity to be something other than simply trusting that Jesus is Christ and following him as Lord is best. But the Bible is very clear (to me at least) that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Romans 14:17–18</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">). And that if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Romans 10:9–10</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">) And nothing innately about celebrating Christmas is going to compromise your salvation unless you are outright using an explicit sin such as burning your children in a literal fire while having an orgy is going to get in the way of that. If Christmas starts weighing on you to become overly commercialized and overly secular, then you may want to look at why. It could be sinful </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">for you</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> but it is not sinful in the way I celebrate it. -same for any holiday. Even the Seven Feasts of Israel can be celebrated in a spirit of worship or in a spirit of superstition and self-righteousness. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Here’s a </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@adrianbliss/video/7178171229503802630?lang=en" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">funny skit</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> and another </span><a href="https://youtu.be/D11jAEKgB2o" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Adam Ruins Everything skit</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Here’s a more accurate </span><a href="https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">History</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> page and a </span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-the-tradition-of-christmas-trees-start" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Britannica</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> page. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ll leave with Jesus’ own words on these types of matters:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">but their hearts are far from me. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">7 They worship me in vain; </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">their teachings are merely human rules.’ </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mk 7:6–8.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are the commands of God?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you… Mt 28:19–20.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And what did Jesus command?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Mt 22:37–40.</span></p></span></blockquote><p><br /></p><p>For you my readers, I will add a bit about the types of people who complain about Christmas. </p><p>First, I don’t want to disparage Derek’s character. So this isn't about him. This is about other people who always have issues when there is no issue. This does not apply to him specifically. </p><p>Typically when I encounter this type of issue it comes from what I call a “heresy hunter” and what others call a “TheoBro®”. These men (and some women) enjoy looking for ways to twist what others do so they can say “ah ha! I am better than you. Let me teach you and one day you’ll be as spiritual as me.” They enjoy finding heresies where there’s a simple difference of opinion. They create strawmen arguments and create silly parallels. They twist scripture. </p><p>The TheoBros like to team up with each other and point out how they as a group are so much better than everyone else. They are largely uneducated and simply make up their own info. Sometimes they are educated but refuse to accept that they could be wrong about anything. So if someone is this type of man who always sees himself as being right and is never able to accept correction (especially from a woman) then I would simply not listen to anything he says. These types of men think they only need good theology and do not walk in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (<b>Galatians 5:22-23</b>). </p><p>I know a lot of superstitious Christians though who aren't TheoBros or Heresy Hunters and are simply scared of everything. The idea in <b>Romans 14</b> is that there are some people who are weak in their faith that even though others are able to walk in freedom they feel tied to only keep certain food laws and certain holiday customs. This is a weak faith. His faith says that since the Law says such and such we must do that and no other. <b>Romans 14:13 </b>says for you to leave him alone. If he wants to do that, it’s fine but if he starts to pass condemnation or becomes judgmental toward you, then you are welcome to correct him. He could genuinely be a scared person who is living in fear for himself and others. <b>1 Corinthians 8:9-13</b> says that we should be careful to not make these individuals feel worse. So don’t invite him to your Christmas party or talk about it excessively with him if it’s making him uncomfortable. <b>1 Corinthians 10:23-33</b> also talks about this. Essentially, don’t throw it in his face. </p><p>Typically non-Jewish heritage individuals will pick and choose which parts of the Law they follow. They’ll still eat bacon, but they like a proper seder Passover meal. Not eating bacon doesn’t really draw a crowd or a reaction out of people but not being able to hang out on the Sabbath and following a proper Seder makes them look super spiritual. These individuals aren’t really weak in their faith so much as they are weak in redemption. In plain English, they enjoy being jerks who twist what “love” means to be something like “I have to be mean because that’s true love.” Which of course defies logic and the Bible.</p><p>So if you are curious about Christmas, I've listed why I celebrate Christmas and why I have no problem Biblically doing so. If you still have issue, then don't celebrate it. But know that others have freedom in Christ to do so. </p><p>If you are a Heresy Hunter or a TheoBro, just remember that the Pharisees also looked for ways to get Jesus and they eventually won and murdered him. So decide if you want to win, or humble yourself and follow Christ which means losing everything in the name of love. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Oh! One fun TheoBro discussion I was in a man with no children said "we train kids to pee in their diapers" off-handedly. He wasn't going to let his kids use diapers. That's fine. He can do whatever he wants. But in that conversation he was piling guilt onto people who use diapers. Absurd! </p><p>Others like to throw around the "clarity of Scripture" and say "you're not arguing with me, you're arguing with Scripture" when clearly 😏 you're arguing with their interpretation of Scripture. They never understand the difference between Scripture and their interpretation of Scripture. What they say the Bible says is the same as what the Bible says. They don't have a high view of Scripture - they have a high view of their opinion of Scripture. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-7071299120359964862023-12-17T20:24:00.024-06:002023-12-17T20:24:00.141-06:00church history discussion 9:spencer, pia desideria <p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2c82c92f-7fff-713a-818e-02408df3db69"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7Ttp6xN6btb9y9DX1agzU8WmeETWG5N4L0S4xEVL7LDC1z862IDXWdHvFjtGss5xfsXhn_i40agqopV6ch97oYXkA-DCauoeKC2M_9Xo3Q-r1vE-BKW_tO3zJAauocg2zcXtkXJkAM7L964n5BIF4GTi7b7r2NddL1v5WiPaB_RXccPyehet6gjfBDM/s1094/pia%20desideria.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7Ttp6xN6btb9y9DX1agzU8WmeETWG5N4L0S4xEVL7LDC1z862IDXWdHvFjtGss5xfsXhn_i40agqopV6ch97oYXkA-DCauoeKC2M_9Xo3Q-r1vE-BKW_tO3zJAauocg2zcXtkXJkAM7L964n5BIF4GTi7b7r2NddL1v5WiPaB_RXccPyehet6gjfBDM/s320/pia%20desideria.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>Discussion 9: Spener, Pia Desideria</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After his suggestions about </span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">reading</span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> and </span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">teaching</span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> scripture, describe the third thing Spener suggests would be edifying for the body of believers. What benefit do you see coming from an arrangement like this? Do you think Spener is realistic when he describes the potential good that would come from following this pattern?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— — —</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spencer articulates that reading, teaching, and the reintroduction of “the ancient and apostolic kind of church meeting” [the og small group] would benefit the body of believers, which sounds very similar to today’s small groups but with an actual ministry leader and not a simple volunteer. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After reading the Pia Desideria, I am surprised it was written in 1675. It seems like it would fit in perfectly with today’s society. I wholeheartedly support the idea that “all Scripture, without exception, should be known by the congregation.” (p31) Even today, pastors find their pet passages and even if they go verse-by-verse through entire books, they typically neglect entire books altogether. Smaller groups allow for better dissection of the entire Bible if led by someone with authority and not someone who simply felt like volunteering. (Too often I have attended churches that had small groups led by volunteers with no authority. When issues arose with those volunteers, church leadership would say, “Well they don’t need to be held to Titus or 1 Timothy standards because they aren’t </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">really</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> leaders, more like facilitators.”)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spencer’s small groups, led by actual ministers, allow the entire body to participate in the fellowship of the saints. I don’t understand the function of a “church” that only has preaching. If no one knows if you come or go, now or in the 17th century, and if no one knows what your struggles are, then the pastor or priest is merely a motivational speaker and the church is merely a country club. So I find myself in a quasi-agreement with Spencer when he says the smaller meeting would allow preachers to learn and get to know the members of their own congregation (p33) so that they could minister to their needs. It leaves me wondering what function the great meetings serve, but that’s a discussion for another time.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">[Today, I am still left wondering why we gather to listen to someone play a song and another recite a speech. If a preacher misspeaks, there is no opportunity to question. If I sit in the back, I can leave before others even notice my presence. I can sing on my own. I can read sermons on my own. If I am not a participant, I don’t see why I should go. I realize this is quite the statement from a seminary student, but I have wondered why we do things this way since I was a teenager, while I was a ministry leader, while I was the Director of Theology for a Bible curriculum company, and now after a year of seminary I still don’t have the answer except that our CEO-pastors like it that way. Some denominations make up rules about who is allowed to read in public, who is allowed to administer baptism and communion, but those are all just made up traditions and not founded in Scripture.] <i>This section was originally omitted from the submitted essay.</i></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I am in agreement with Spencer in that more extensive use of the Word of God should be among us. In my own book I highlighted several of the disciplines he mentioned. I emphasize the need of developing these disciplines in a community. While the disciplines can be practiced in isolation, the fruit of community is that it allows for correction when erroneous doctrines are entertained or sins committed. A pastor can’t do that if he doesn’t know you. I have often said if your pastor doesn’t know you, he isn’t your pastor. I maintain that for 1675 too. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Just as Spencer admonished the papal politics for keeping the people in ignorance, many protestant churches essentially do the same by failing to have them demonstrate any knowledge. They hear a sermon and go about their week. They return, hear who to vote for (or why the king is evil), and go about their week. They read their pastor’s social media post (or latest theses), make sure their bank account is secure, and go about their week. There’s no real engagement. This is partially why so many celebrity Christians (“the so-called spiritual estate”) are able to do as they please. (p35)</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Whether it is “realistic” or not doesn’t concern me as much as if it is biblical. But I think not only that it is biblical it is also realistic. If anything, the big meetings aren’t realistic which is why they continuously fail individuals and corrupt leaders. My presence will be felt if I miss small group, whereas in many churches no one will notice if one person is missing. Big meetings might serve to keep people “in line” and show who’s in the “in crowd”, but it will have little effect on inner piety. I completely agree with Spencer that without someone to ask questions and get answers, people will fall away from the faith or become stagnant. Not everyone has a natural community of Biblically inquisitive people. Congregants today are being discipled by cable news and social media. (What were they being discipled by back then if not the church? Stoicism? Humanists? Community gossip?) If pastors want to pastor, the hard work is not preparing weekly speeches. The real work of pastors needs to be in developing relationships with every congregant. In my opinion, if there are too many congregants to realistically do that, the church is too big. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I know it’s simplistic and naive of me but still I want a church that looks like this: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42–47)</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Thought should be given to a more extensive use of the Word of God among us.”</span></p><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-34940042070144154812023-12-03T18:50:00.056-06:002023-12-03T18:50:00.129-06:00isaac long's barn - practical application research project for ch500<p> CH500, Practical Application Research Project - Lauren Mulford</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCtoOrwOxo-loTXM-J51HBNrLw1ahTgLBfz4KsINUcxdCrm9exfsfsc4L5-ow4JG0URts0OC2S99_8ytqD7uyghSwbdVsYdUhf_dQ9sCW6Ww1GsLwEIp5BQSyQ0768_RxL0GjB3_ys9skDEO846DQh2qf0yUCv7SsOuMMLPBT1gV1mT5uoM6oycosqbk/s4032/PXL_20221209_002635121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFCtoOrwOxo-loTXM-J51HBNrLw1ahTgLBfz4KsINUcxdCrm9exfsfsc4L5-ow4JG0URts0OC2S99_8ytqD7uyghSwbdVsYdUhf_dQ9sCW6Ww1GsLwEIp5BQSyQ0768_RxL0GjB3_ys9skDEO846DQh2qf0yUCv7SsOuMMLPBT1gV1mT5uoM6oycosqbk/s320/PXL_20221209_002635121.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span> </span>My natural starting point for the church history journey was in my city in Michigan. On my 0.2-mile walk to church every Sunday I pass 5 churches. All these churches have been here since the 1800s. I thought it was fortuitous that the weekend after CH500 started there was a church history tour in my city. I toured 4 churches. It was interesting. </span></p><p><span> </span>All these buildings have been here for close to 200 years. What were once vibrant congregants of a few hundred have all dwindled to 25 or fewer congregants and each with an average age in the 70s. </p><p><span> </span>The local Historical Society organized the tour but when I contacted them about specifics, they neither answered the phone, returned messages, nor replied to emails. The same result occurred with each church I contacted. </p><p><span> </span>As for my own church, I learned that the building we meet in was allegedly the first in the city and was established by the same man who settled the town. While initially, First Baptist met in the building, the congregation that continues there today is not Baptist. Much of the connection to the historical congregation has been lost. I was not able to verify most of the information given for my own church or any of the churches in the city. </p><p><span> </span>Besides being very frustrating, it was disappointing to not have access to information. Here we have amazing, beautiful historical buildings, and yet their history is based on rumor and unverifiable stories. More disappointing than the loss of history though is the loss of congregations as every church has lost about 90% of its congregation.</p><p><span> </span>After encountering so many dead ends, I pursued a vein in church history I only discovered existed last year. Before 2022 I had not ever heard of the United Brethren in Christ. In fact, when I first heard the name, I assumed it was a cult and researched its origins out of morbid curiosity. But I learned that the origins were quite beautiful and fully Christian. The pursuit of the UB church led me to find a photograph of Isaac Long’s Barn as found on a historian’s website and in the book History of the Long Family of Pennsylvania . </p><p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheObwtjl-5u8SKgEO6zpXvdFp1PkdIlD5_VY1UxFow9CwgjJOZDcEcaE_aWem2W4QeH8L5j9CqN5OBkbhXJOSmFUn9aPOMf7z7RZyFsjtY2J7WT9RnTsAG0rzVarCwVWz175BNVfGBUQAvKynW8a8FWCx01h5J-CiLq5nrhq2GS9c3dy2F5JFtzraN6IY/s1958/ilb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="1958" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheObwtjl-5u8SKgEO6zpXvdFp1PkdIlD5_VY1UxFow9CwgjJOZDcEcaE_aWem2W4QeH8L5j9CqN5OBkbhXJOSmFUn9aPOMf7z7RZyFsjtY2J7WT9RnTsAG0rzVarCwVWz175BNVfGBUQAvKynW8a8FWCx01h5J-CiLq5nrhq2GS9c3dy2F5JFtzraN6IY/s320/ilb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Figure 1. The barn of Isaac Long, located six miles northeast of Lancaster, Pa., where the first American born denomination was organized in 1766– “The Church of the United Brethren in Christ.” </span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>On June 5, 2023, in personal correspondence with the author of the page and owner of the photograph, I learned that she, the historian Deborah Hershey, has been researching central Pennsylvania family lineages since 1975. The original photograph belonged to her cousin “Bill”. According to Hershey the back of the photograph reads, “Isaac Long barn at Landisville, Lancaster Co, Penna. From this [sic] from David Long came to Pfoutz’s Valley in 1812. My earliest known ancestor Signed by Effie Long Bell.” The photograph has been passed around her family. Hershey edited the caption to reflect its historical significance. </p><p><span> </span>The initial question that arises from the caption is whether the UB Church is truly the first American denomination. I had previously read the UB website that claims this to be true and was excited to discover the UB Church offers a course about their origins. While I have no interest in becoming an expert on the church’s origins, the page was helpful in finding several books to help in my research. </p><p><span> </span>At this point, I want to highlight a difficulty I had in finding information on this Church. The UB Church goes by several different names. While officially called The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, that has been shortened to The United Brethren Church, or The UB Church, many times. The Evangelical United Brethren Church got its name after a partial merger of the United Brethren in Christ with the Evangelical Church in 1946 . Initially, I was concerned that I was reading information on different churches but instead, it seems the combinations of “United Brethren”, “in Christ”, and “Church” seem inconsequential. These variations are all referring to the same church. The number of variations is not limited only to these obvious variations but from the beginning, there were several other names in use. </p><p><span> </span>With the official name since 1800 being The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, some confusion may occur. A separate group since 1727, The Moravians, were well established as “United Brethren”. The UB general conference decided they needed to distinguish themselves from the Moravians. Thus, “in Christ” was added to the American church . Now that I had a better understanding of why there were so many variations of the church’s name, it made understanding the connection to Isaac Long’s barn much simpler. </p><p><span> </span>The American frontier of the 1700s was still fraught with trying to take land from the native tribes already established on the continent. European settlers were encroaching on this unsettled land and establishing European forts and towns. I did not read anything that spoke to the defense of any native people or people groups. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh0-dYlBqyULXCvTLGUnAX5mmeU5ceSvTHjazU-jRZSEdvITJkdFWQdmQm_rTxpq1cw2lBLd7V5Ko4gTRjxxgKgEgrqI6ZBOJNjXO_3fP3-KPWTOxKYOkDDyuPnqaXzucU-GUXqv7iiFI8eyPGB_1lPQiJu3mYFQtNzQEbZSnVI4Rvjfrme6hDXep4e8/s1900/Mural-confroom-banner1900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="1900" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnh0-dYlBqyULXCvTLGUnAX5mmeU5ceSvTHjazU-jRZSEdvITJkdFWQdmQm_rTxpq1cw2lBLd7V5Ko4gTRjxxgKgEgrqI6ZBOJNjXO_3fP3-KPWTOxKYOkDDyuPnqaXzucU-GUXqv7iiFI8eyPGB_1lPQiJu3mYFQtNzQEbZSnVI4Rvjfrme6hDXep4e8/s320/Mural-confroom-banner1900.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://ub.org/about/history/</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span> </span>Enter Martin Boehm, a Mennonite of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Boehm became bishop in the Mennonite church of the German colony of Lancaster area in 1761 when he was 36. With the American Great Awakening still happening, Boehm started holding great meetings in barns, orchards, larger churches, and any open-air area large enough to contain huge crowds. Both Germans and English speakers of numerous denominations participated in the multi-day events. One of these events was held at Isaac Long’s Barn . </p><p><span> </span>There is no record of the exact year that this specific meeting took place. It is believed to be between 1766 and 1768 which is why 1767 is generally accepted of this specific great meeting. Boehm preached in the barn while others were preaching in the adjacent orchard. During his preaching, he shared his testimony of how he came to salvation. A German Reformed Church pastor, William Otterbein, heard him preach and proclaimed, “Wir sind Bruder,” (“We are brethren” in German). </p><p><span> </span>It is interesting to note that while the Mennonite pastors did not have a problem with great meetings with multiple denominations present, once Boehm started a closer personal affiliation with other denominational pastors, they called Boehm to repent. When he persisted and said he would rather follow his conscience, they excommunicated him .</p><p><span> </span>Philip “William” Otterbein was born in Germany. He was a student at a Reformed school in Herborn and was especially interested in missions to America. He arrived in New York on July 27, 1752 . He accepted an invitation to pastor in Little York, Pennsylvania in 1965. While pastoring to the Reformed Germans of Pennsylvania, he was invited to attend the great meeting at Isaac Long’s barn which still stands. “It is a visual reminder of the heritage of the church and its roots in colonial America.” </p><p><span> </span>After this initial meeting in Isaac Long’s Barn, the two pastors, Otterbein and Boehm, continued their affiliation with each other. As the years progressed, the men assembled a bit of a following among preachers. With the desire for more supervision and organization, a small conference was held at Otterbein’s home in Baltimore in 1789 . That led to their first general conference in 1800. It was not until 1815 that the denominal held official status. Otterbein died in 1813 and Boehm in 1812. Even though the denomination only became official after the initiators died, it is unquestioningly accepted within the denomination that it was at Isaac Long’s barn that the denomination had its origins.</p><p><span> </span>Why was such a historic group so little known? One discovery that I found shocking was that in 1903 the two sons of Milton Wright , a UB itinerant pastor, invented the airplane. Another surprising fact is Otterbein University, the first UB college, always admitted women since it opened its doors in 1847. Before American women had the right to vote in politics, they were allowed to vote in UB churches. While initially, women were not generally permitted to be preachers, within years local women were permitted to preach. The official stance was established in 1889 to allow female preachers. </p><p><span> </span>While no Africans were explicitly mentioned in the meetings, the colonies were expressly German. My educated guess is that no Africans or African Americans, or anyone other than Germans and German-Americans, were present at Isaac Long’s historical great meeting in 1767 unless they were enslaved. However, since its inception, Otterbein College did accept black students .</p><p><span> </span>Another happy discovery I read was in 1863 that “for more than 40 years we have refused membership to slaveholders.” It was further encouraging to read that no matter the financial and personal loss felt by the UB Church and its members, they refused to participate in one of America’s greatest sins. Members were killed and persecuted for upholding the rights of the enslaved and fighting for their freedom . </p><p><span> </span>With such great standings on slavery and women, why is the UB Church not more well-known in America? With such famous historical characters as the Wright brothers in their ranks, I would have assumed the denomination would have used such clout as a way of bolstering numbers. But when I consider their modern tagline, “All for Christ” , perhaps any attempt to steal the spotlight from Christ would detract from their goal and mission of drawing people to Christ. The UB Church’s new podcast, For the Neighborhoods and the Nations , with a humble 7 reviews, further highlights that the church is focused on a non-capitalistic model. They have stayed the course and fought against worldly means of success. The 1980 Board decided to even “work to keep the local churches in business – not to keep the institutional United Brethren Church in business.” </p><p><span> </span>There are other reasons the UB Church remains unknown. The denomination has a focus on keeping the universal church uplifted even at its own demise. From the beginning, the initial pastors of the UB Church encouraged congregants to stay with their own churches but bring in a newly refreshed vision for following Christ. Otterbein was wont to say, “I ask you not to leave your church. I only ask you to forsake your sins.” </p><p><span> </span>According to one author the United Brethren had been considered “fundamentalists” by some. This surprised me knowing the history of their position of women in ministry and slavery. Two such clues to this label are their stance for “quiet” Sabbaths as well as their opposition to the manufacture and use of alcoholic drinks, both of which may be seen as legalistic. The UB Church also never embraced radio evangelism when that was the main form of evangelism in the early 1900s for other churches. Not being in “fundamentalist” circles myself also contributes to having never heard of this denomination. </p><p><span> </span>Interestingly, this American-born denomination has focused much of its growth in other nations. According to the UB Global website, “Since venturing into Sierra Leone in 1855, United Brethren have established churches in nearly 20 countries and sent missionaries to several dozen more.” Without radio or televised broadcasts as well as focusing on other nations and never trying to “steal” congregants, it is not surprising they have stayed small and off the radar.</p><p><span> </span>Quite sometime after that initial meeting in Isaac Long’s barn, a Women’s Missionary Association was formed . Unfortunately, the entire UB Church was rocked when a schism between “modernists” and “fundamentalists” resulted in legal proceedings, and the WMA was disassembled in the crossfire. In recent years, missions and Women’s Ministry events have continued under new names.</p><p><span> </span>My concluding thoughts are overwhelmingly positive. Given the state of Christianity in America today, I am often left discouraged. I read news headlines and allegations against Christian leaders, and it seems that no church or individual can become “successful” without losing the message of Christ. Pastors associate themselves with ungodly politicians while hurling insults and demonization against opponents. Instead of loving one’s enemies, pastors and Christian celebrities seek platforms and capitalistic ideals. </p><p><span> </span>Although I have never attended a UB Church and have no branches near me, knowing that an ecumenical church exists even if it has had its own turmoil and testing is encouraging. My own interaction with UB parishioners left me feeling that I would be welcomed even if we disagreed with peripheral issues. The UB website for that specific congregation summed up their beliefs in about 12 sentences and allowed for such disagreements between Wesleyans and Calvinists, for example. And even today they offer on their own website other churches to consider for attendance. Instead of making the church about their own organization, they continue to make it about Christ and his work in our lives. </p><p><span> </span>Hopefully, Isaac Long’s barn will remain standing as a monument to God quietly working in the background. Isaac Long and his barn are not well known outside the UB. Isaac Long was an unknown farmer whom God used for a purpose of quiet greatness. For me, Isaac Long’s barn and the history that poured out is the embodiment of 1 Thessalonians 4:11 to make it one’s ambition to live a quiet life.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLs_fyAWT38jjaY8qiBEmP0u6pakIau39T4aXSD24it-s4W_Etf09f57KZ2UVu4MwA0JFhWoVrPH-4HNmxynC7tGnRdY2ZCQjZ2bLDOboaMx9UHS-7KQSRoMJoIGIWsUXQaFGvDGVLmLUfoiFMrxMbxFC4jFx-SjgK7KR6CQ-R0TqDDMDKL3_Oh6AEZg/s680/isaac%20long%20barn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="680" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLs_fyAWT38jjaY8qiBEmP0u6pakIau39T4aXSD24it-s4W_Etf09f57KZ2UVu4MwA0JFhWoVrPH-4HNmxynC7tGnRdY2ZCQjZ2bLDOboaMx9UHS-7KQSRoMJoIGIWsUXQaFGvDGVLmLUfoiFMrxMbxFC4jFx-SjgK7KR6CQ-R0TqDDMDKL3_Oh6AEZg/s320/isaac%20long%20barn.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Bibliography</p><p><br /></p><p>5 Minute History of EUB Church, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaRX_n-pCdY.</p><p>Church of the United Brethren in Christ USA. “For the Neighborhoods and the Nations.” Accessed July 9, 2023. https://neighborhoodsandnations.captivate.fm/listen.</p><p>Ciangi, Linda. “End of an Era: First Baptist Church Poised to Close after 178 Years.” Ionia Sentinel-Standard, October 26, 2012. https://www.sentinel-standard.com/story/lifestyle/2012/10/27/end-era-first-baptist-church/49321390007/.</p><p>DEB. “Isaac Long Barn Remembered.” Generations Remembered (blog), January 22, 2021. https://generationsremembered.net/isaac-long-barn-remembered/.</p><p>Dennie, Steve. All for Christ, Vol. 2: The Church of the United Brethren in Christ 1981-2017. 1st edition. Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 2017.</p><p>———. All for Christ, Volume 1: The Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 1981-2017. 1st edition. Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 2017.</p><p>“Factsheet | Church of the United Brethren,” August 10, 2011. https://ub.org/about/factsheet/.</p><p>Fetters, Paul R. Trials and Triumphs: A History of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. Huntington, Indiana: Church of the United Brethern in Christ, 1984.</p><p>Flickinger, Daniel Kumler. Fifty-Five Year of Active Ministerial Life. Dayton, Ohio: United brethren publishing house, 1907.</p><p>Harbaugh, Henry. The Fathers of the German Reformed Church in Europe and America. Sprenger & Westhaeffer, 1872.</p><p>HUDSON UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH. “Hudson United Brethren Church.” Hudson United Brethren Church. Accessed July 9, 2023. https://hudsonchurch.net/home-page.</p><p>Long, W. G. History of the Long Family of Pennsylvania. Huntington, West Virginia: Long Family Organization of Pennsylvania, 1930.</p><p>Spayth, Henry G. History of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. HardPress Publishing, 2014.</p><p>UB Global. “UB Global About.” UB Global About. Accessed July 9, 2023. https://ubglobal.org/about/history.</p><p></p><p>“UB History Course | Church of the United Brethren,” October 21, 2011. https://ub.org/events/ubhistory/.</p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-44768952503954467742023-11-19T14:45:00.013-06:002023-11-19T14:45:00.147-06:00church history discussion 8: the english reformation<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5H-lIBuF0Y9_rR_VJxMiv-04A2DNf3ZjS58ye36Nw94dLhUmwWjzVtOojihOg9ntQLKcwCZLCABWoTpaDZskTiBrSWKYyMn5_Unh1MHCszrtvt08zfIQ7yWOKdDohzQ9n5Vo5RHb4i4uAso-IN1QKZLiiJw5anpOkTO53X3_uFjcFu2DYm2FS9a0Sps/s2800/geneva%20bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="2800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5H-lIBuF0Y9_rR_VJxMiv-04A2DNf3ZjS58ye36Nw94dLhUmwWjzVtOojihOg9ntQLKcwCZLCABWoTpaDZskTiBrSWKYyMn5_Unh1MHCszrtvt08zfIQ7yWOKdDohzQ9n5Vo5RHb4i4uAso-IN1QKZLiiJw5anpOkTO53X3_uFjcFu2DYm2FS9a0Sps/s320/geneva%20bible.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geneva Bible</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Discussion 8: The English Reformation</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">After watching Dr. Brown's lecture on "The English and Scottish Reformations," answer the following question:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">What was unique about the English Reformation?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The English Reformation had typical infighting over political and religious leaders. What was especially unique was that King Henry VIII named himself as head of the church after fighting with the Pope. His daughter Mary Tudor tried to return the nation back to Catholicism, but Elizabeth I shifted back to Protestantism. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Under Elizabeth’s reign of 45 years she was the only female head of any church up to that point. She was able to institute the 39 articles that formed the Church of England. She balanced a lot of the quarreling and brought back to England many of the Protestants that Mary had driven away. By bringing those Protestants back from places like Switzerland, she brought in the influences of Calvinism. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">And although this isn’t about England, I think it is so ambitious of Scotland to require every household with means to purchase the Genevan Bible. That is certainly unique. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HpZMYSHi42Ddmwnkv7KUrvZzte4OhvAlnfYKskDB9vQrdPc2TyIs3M0QBuLfP72e53Z0RVEZyGpoK_YwombA58TcgrKJD8tZRu8fY_ivMoqybBc8BgTeayhZU-3Ul0WCQ97qmrBxHpSq-t7-FZFzdMqRmjGdG2AohN0sUsy0qRyJdgNLFBDjUX3a89c/s1110/wholebookeofpsal00ster_2_0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="733" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_HpZMYSHi42Ddmwnkv7KUrvZzte4OhvAlnfYKskDB9vQrdPc2TyIs3M0QBuLfP72e53Z0RVEZyGpoK_YwombA58TcgrKJD8tZRu8fY_ivMoqybBc8BgTeayhZU-3Ul0WCQ97qmrBxHpSq-t7-FZFzdMqRmjGdG2AohN0sUsy0qRyJdgNLFBDjUX3a89c/s320/wholebookeofpsal00ster_2_0005.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://archive.org/details/wholebookeofpsal00ster_2/page/n3/mode/2up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-78741662704785524372023-11-05T09:16:00.032-06:002023-11-05T09:16:00.138-06:00church history discussion 7(alt): the swiss reformation<p>disclaimer: this was a very boring discussion. </p><p>But the BIBLE was fascinating! The Zurich Bible is on</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSWT0H4wYJMkSYVGSwdEXrE476y_ZEFIjh81HM9fIWzTRdTlL1hsZhMyggl9kPL2_g_JWMXNpT4sLxq8kGQb7AyMhERudaNF6VwftXfJaWlBrp-HQhL7Po2vtJZU19adwNKRRdE4xH1-ok8Y-ojSiu2SvfxAn192rI6OfXunaONYnpdrVZbEdc8MiBYQ/s724/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%2010.23.00%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSWT0H4wYJMkSYVGSwdEXrE476y_ZEFIjh81HM9fIWzTRdTlL1hsZhMyggl9kPL2_g_JWMXNpT4sLxq8kGQb7AyMhERudaNF6VwftXfJaWlBrp-HQhL7Po2vtJZU19adwNKRRdE4xH1-ok8Y-ojSiu2SvfxAn192rI6OfXunaONYnpdrVZbEdc8MiBYQ/s320/Screenshot%202023-06-28%20at%2010.23.00%20AM.png" width="214" /></a></div><br /> display at the <a href="https://grossmuenster.ch/-4/visit~3492/discover~3494/-discover~3736/i---bible-collection---/81040/" target="_blank">Grossmunster</a> in Zurich. Visiting is way cheaper than it should be but that makes it accessible for people of all wealth classes. That's beautiful! The entire Bible has been <a href="https://www.e-rara.ch/zuz/content/zoom/1929196" target="_blank">scanned</a> and uploaded as well. Such a beauty!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2SnqzIpdY7Uk9jw3i_9v79-ipCkcKA6wXbvFnooNiMRqTkIyiMtL-3c9Z96pfiACt142ESBJEivYQc18eFZh81OTfZvMJQMJNWuT0_Jyq7eViz3VMXKlDoZ1iv7jtvPEiwlwCymB5vVHhNekW1nHwLg79fPYy44cl1AuGUEAxMetaS6fztokGPj9ZQA/s1000/Bible%20Collection.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2SnqzIpdY7Uk9jw3i_9v79-ipCkcKA6wXbvFnooNiMRqTkIyiMtL-3c9Z96pfiACt142ESBJEivYQc18eFZh81OTfZvMJQMJNWuT0_Jyq7eViz3VMXKlDoZ1iv7jtvPEiwlwCymB5vVHhNekW1nHwLg79fPYy44cl1AuGUEAxMetaS6fztokGPj9ZQA/s320/Bible%20Collection.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiW4e_0UFl8r081dPG_RN6Z-L4I2xodeM-mlErtiy7FLzquz5U1VA8IJA9Fh-yqvIA3KzbdoAXlfCw0XwadbAyyerIDIlbwWPk1omeSBRRNLvmoLpSUohRdePbFbFS8bVRNe0IUphGklxDavzTC9BH22GjHhKjaCsMbrVKG0jScRpEnSZsa4B6G_MhZWs/s1000/Bible%20page.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiW4e_0UFl8r081dPG_RN6Z-L4I2xodeM-mlErtiy7FLzquz5U1VA8IJA9Fh-yqvIA3KzbdoAXlfCw0XwadbAyyerIDIlbwWPk1omeSBRRNLvmoLpSUohRdePbFbFS8bVRNe0IUphGklxDavzTC9BH22GjHhKjaCsMbrVKG0jScRpEnSZsa4B6G_MhZWs/s320/Bible%20page.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> <span style="color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 7 (alt): The Swiss Reformation</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 9pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">1. Focusing on the early part of the chapter on "church building" and the section toward the end on "morals courts," how did Zwingli's theology on the covenantal relationship between God and humanity distinctly shape Swiss society? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">How were Church and State linked in the Reformed Swiss Cantons? (Not all cantons in the Swiss Confederation became Protestant).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Zwingli’s interpretation of the covenant between God and people led to a tightly wound secular court and church court. Since God told Israel that he would be their God if they obeyed his commands, Zwingli thought the same applied to the Swiss. A distinguishing characteristic was his attempt to order the world in accordance with God's will, essentially </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Be holy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Since God called people to pietism, the Swiss courts sought to also enforce human behavior, namely, “drinking too much, dancing, wearing inappropriate clothing, or beating their wives and children.” (229) Zwingli believed the laws of the OT were relevant to the Christian church, excepting ceremonial and dietary laws. The morals Laws still formed the basis for christian conduct.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Secular and ecclesiastical authority was apparent as each church official had a corresponding secular official. Together they would keep true religion, peace, and order. Also, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Ehegericht</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> and synod was a mixture of church and political leaders. (254-255)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">2. Why is education such a distinctive part of the Reformed (Swiss) tradition, particularly for ministers? What was required of reformed pastors during the time of Reformation? What was their distinctive role? (see the bottom of page 248, as well as the section on Education and ministry).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Since much of the Reformation emphasized personal piety which was dependent on obedience to the Scriptures, access to the Scriptures was needed. Luther proclaimed </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">sola scriptura, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">after all. With abysmal literary rates, it was necessary for at least the ministers to be capable of instructing and guiding. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Reformed pastors were to instruct and guide. Zwingli felt the trained scholars should then serve the church. They were trained in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. They were expected to read the Vulgate and then explain. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">3. What did you learn about the Swiss (Zurich) Bible from this chapter?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Zwingli started planning a German edition of the Bible in 1523, which is how he came to start the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Prophezei</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> that emphasized learning the ancient languages. Froschauer was the printer. It was Froschauer who traveled to book fairs and helped make Zwingli known. The New Testament was the combined efforts of (likely) Zwingli, Jud, and Pellikan, and appeared in 1524. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The 1524 version of the New Testament was adapted from the Basle edition (linked to Luther) that Pellikan had worked on. For the Zurich edition many of the terms were changed from Luther’s edition with helpful notes in the margin. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">One note that was very interesting to me was reading how Luther had emphasized that God’s grace was brought by preaching the word over the bread and wine whereas Zwingli kept man and God apart and attributed everything to God alone. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Another note that seemed odd was how Zwingli felt about icons and yet kept them in his Bible. It makes sense though since most pictures are intended to convey meaning to those who aren’t strong readers. I like that they included a map because I, as well as many others, do not have first-hand knowledge of Biblical lands. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">Prphetenbible</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> appeared in 1529 which came from the “preachers of Zurich”. I like that Zwingli didn’t feel the need to plaster his name all over what was clearly his brain child. In 1531 the Zurich Bible appeared with chapter summaries from Zwingli as well as a concordance. I am thoroughly impressed that someone with no computer was able to produce over 14,000 parallel texts and 1,800 marginal notes with two appendices. (Having looked up pictures, I really want to travel to Grossmünster in Zurich to see it myself. The church has tours for only € 5.) The Zurich Bible of 1534 corrected some of the errors of the earlier edition and was produced by Jud, as Zwingli had died shortly after the release of the first edition. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">4. What is unique, distinctive, or surprising about singing in the sixteenth-century Swiss Reformed Church?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">There was no singing in Zurich. In Basle there was psalm-singing. St. Gall and Schaffhausen had hymn books. Berne initially had no singing but once a school choir started singing. Bullinger did not take a hard stance either way while Zwingli defended those who did not sing. Eventually singing came to the Swiss since Ludwig Lavater wrote that singing was common in the home.</span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9427fb5c-7fff-dbaa-f2e9-3373ebb49f03"><br /><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-89373375858843443092023-10-22T20:37:00.008-05:002023-10-22T20:37:00.138-05:00church history discussion 7: luther's smalcald articles<p> <span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="color: #2d3b45; font-size: 20pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 7: Luther and the Smalcald Articles</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-14dd8c2a-7fff-fe26-042e-cbfdd403d1ec"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJpGvpoh6NISfo7jAqDnqc6U2UkyDi6jKvhx43e1AnR9_kCwE8GVp7YpErWCaWK9O0RZ5uKic8_Y5YBGRFrxpGg9wJaNOOrZKvl__RLhrtepBXoNDG6vc23_yxfLOkZVJmD9BpisCMLsBDFNPJ8vGkUpjybMhIDmf-ht-bA-eLiLwHRbNlnXQfyPI2Vc/s3400/Lucas_Cranach_d.A%CC%88._-_Martin_Luther,_1528_(Veste_Coburg).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3400" data-original-width="2148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJpGvpoh6NISfo7jAqDnqc6U2UkyDi6jKvhx43e1AnR9_kCwE8GVp7YpErWCaWK9O0RZ5uKic8_Y5YBGRFrxpGg9wJaNOOrZKvl__RLhrtepBXoNDG6vc23_yxfLOkZVJmD9BpisCMLsBDFNPJ8vGkUpjybMhIDmf-ht-bA-eLiLwHRbNlnXQfyPI2Vc/s320/Lucas_Cranach_d.A%CC%88._-_Martin_Luther,_1528_(Veste_Coburg).jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Luther By Lucas Cranach the Elder - GalleriX, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23260036</td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What type of document do the </span><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/273/273-h/273-h.htm" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Smalcald Articles</span></a><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> appear to be? What are Luther's primary grievances against the Church? Do you notice anything about Luther's style of writing and delivery? Do you like Luther? Why or why not? Can you see from this document anything distinctly Protestant that resonates with your Christian practices or beliefs today? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">—</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What type of document do the Smalcald Articles appear to be? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luther wrote, “I was directed to compile and collect the articles of our doctrine [in order that it might be plain] in case of deliberation as to what and how far we would be both willing and able to yield to the Papists, and in what points we intended to persevere and abide to the end.” </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">His paper is meant to defend his views and attack his opponents. His articles are supposed to lead to an evaluation of the merits of his arguments and beliefs. He doesn’t think anyone in the papacy will give it an honest read because if they did that, he claims, they would abandon their beliefs for his beliefs and arguments.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are Luther's primary grievances against the Church? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luther’s primary grievances against the Church are that since the Mass has a history of being abused by the selling of the mass, it should be abolished. Especially since God did not command the Mass, it was man’s invention, Luther argued that they should not put such a burdensome emphasis on it. He called the Mass “the greatest and most horrible abomination” since it took away from the glory of Christ being all anyone needed to secure forgiveness of sins. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luther attacked several of the main tenets of scholastic theology of the time with his Ninety-Five Theses. He specifically attacked the sale of indulgences. Luther questioned the efficacy of indulgences and emphasized their exploitation. Luther argued that if the Pope was able to free souls from purgatory, he should do it out of love, not in an effort to raise money for church buildings.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do you notice anything about Luther's style of writing and delivery? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Luther’s style of writing and delivery is very harsh. It would be difficult for many people, even those who agree with him, to not harden their hearts against such attacks. His accusations were more than just at actions or beliefs but at the heart of the people. Perhaps the cultural difference is too much for me to comprehend, but I would much rather he had attacked ideas than people. I don’t know anything about Pope Leo X (or anyone in the papacy). He could be the devil incarnate. But he could have also thought he was genuinely being loving. I personally know many people who felt they could essentially exploit a situation to benefit themselves and it wasn’t until someone lovingly pointed it out that they changed direction. It’s very easy to attack people we don’t like - such as modern Christian celebrities selling tickets to “worship” gatherings. It seems disgusting and completely ungodly and yet we are immersed in these gimmicks. Are they real Christians or are they using the name Christian in vain to get money? I don’t think that’s my job to judge. But maybe Luther was called by God to call out the sins in the papacy. I wish he had done it with more grace but maybe he used all the grace he needed. After all, many people felt he was too timid (41). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Romish court is so dreadfully afraid of a free Christian Council</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the Pope would rather see all Christendom perish and all souls damned than suffer either himself or his adherents to be reformed even a little,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">they may most shamefully pervert and corrupt our word in every letter. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">neither the bishops nor canons care how the poor people live or die</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">wantonness, lewdness, extravagance in dress, gluttony, gambling, idle display, …exactions [and most exorbitant selling prices] of the peasants</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">these chief matters commanded of God are neither regarded nor observed?</span></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: #faebd0; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do you like Luther? Why or why not? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I hesitate to say whether I like Luther himself or not. What I can say is that the way he presents himself leaves me uneasy because he is rather aggressive and not very compassionate. He could be correct in every single thing he has ever written, and yet his writing sounds like our modern politicians who claim perfection on their side and nothing but sinister, vile deception from the opposition. It reads very much like political propaganda. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I like Lutheran doctrine and have attended many Lutheran churches. The differences in dogma from my own beliefs and those of modern Lutherans is, in my opinion, negligible. I can worship God alongside any Lutheran and call him and her my brother and sister. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I am grateful for Luther’s contribution to Christianity. I also come across as harsh and arrogant sometimes so I want to recognize that without a face-to-face conversation, and without the knowledge of God, I can’t say if I like </span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">him</span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Can you see from this document anything distinctly Protestant that resonates with your Christian practices or beliefs today?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Yes. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First, I do not believe in the “buying and selling of masses”. Nor do I believe the idea of “Purgatory” to be Biblical. I am also in agreement with Luther on alms; I don’t see them in the Bible and do see that Christ is all we need for the propitiation of sins. Pilgrimages, while fun, are completely unnecessary. Relics, too, while holding historical value, have no eternal value. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I am in complete agreement with Luther on “For the merit of Christ is [apprehended and] obtained not by our works or pence, but from grace through faith, without money and merit; and is offered [and presented] not through the power of the Pope, but through the preaching of God's Word.” I also agree that Christ is the head of Christendom and not any Pope. However, I don’t think the position of Pope is equivalent to the antichrist any more than any Protestant leader who claims to have a full understanding of the Bible is, of which there are many. But maybe they both are and we should be careful of any Protestant leader who claims “You cannot do XYZ and be a Christian” since this goes completely against the teaching of Romans 10:9. Putting a barrier between Christ and people seems very “antiChrist”. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I agree that “it will not do to frame articles of faith from the works or words of the holy Fathers,” and I think that too many Protestants have replaced the Catholic Papacy with a Protestant one in the form of favored pastors and confessions such as Westminster. For example, without reading the Bible for themselves or reading Calvin’s </span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Institutes</span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, many protestants claim to be “Calvinist”. Many Protestants follow John MacArthur or John Piper without ever once questioning if those men are right. Protestants are guilty of “being Baptist” without being Christian. Too many Protestants view their interpretation of Scripture as the same as the actual Word of God with no room to admit error. All these idols reveal a lack of trust in God and instead in men perhaps out of laziness or tribalism. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While I don’t think he meant that Christians can live without a church community, as for the church service, the mass, “It is an unnecessary thing, which can be omitted without sin and danger.” This bothers many people, but I can have a complete worship service without going to “church” Sunday morning. I can sing songs, present a sermon, partake in communion, pray, etc. I wish more churches would embrace the community aspect of Christianity. There has to be a reason to go to church. If I can attend church, sit in the front row, give the sign of peace, take communion, and leave without anyone knowing that I am struggling to pay for groceries or that my child is sick, why am I going? If I can get everything out of attending service online as I do in person, then going to church is stupid.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For instance, most Church services are a “pure invention of men”. Not only in Catholicism but also in every Protestant denomination that I’ve attended. While this isn’t distinctly Protestant I think it bears highlighting since so many Protestants think they have somehow discovered the true way to do a worship service. I have never read in the Bible of people singing 5 songs and listening to a 40 minute sermon. I haven’t read the liturgy of Presbyterian, Lutheran, Anglican, or Episcopalian services in the Bible even though I have read from those denominations their justification and explanations for why they think they are true and accurate. I do not think they are sinful though. These are man’s expressions of worship, trying to grasp and glorify God. </span></p><br /></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-23084017017961248902023-10-08T20:42:00.019-05:002023-10-08T20:42:00.143-05:00church history discussion 6: collapse<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSILeSZx9XSR6OvtivyNex8FmCpkC2VnmisA9EY4sSn8k4swEdUcgOQsJF--uqgRdFfQm2vpl9LuKs0IHq3O244hkRhsM2K_4biaizCbO-_hkA4xgFA1xcdWmBgGx0u5XdEjeW4eCVf2v5CkcQ8DDLQ1XsdXa6v7BsRoYHm6rXrn1FaLCLU9JJgbw9GsQ/s2290/Holbein-erasmus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2290" data-original-width="1618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSILeSZx9XSR6OvtivyNex8FmCpkC2VnmisA9EY4sSn8k4swEdUcgOQsJF--uqgRdFfQm2vpl9LuKs0IHq3O244hkRhsM2K_4biaizCbO-_hkA4xgFA1xcdWmBgGx0u5XdEjeW4eCVf2v5CkcQ8DDLQ1XsdXa6v7BsRoYHm6rXrn1FaLCLU9JJgbw9GsQ/s320/Holbein-erasmus.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erasmus By Hans Holbein the Younger <br />Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2319</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p> <span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="color: #2d3b45; font-size: 20pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 6: Conditions that Led to Collapse</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1008644b-7fff-ad68-ab09-abcc7cda36f6"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">List the political, economic, social, cultural, and religious conditions that led to the demise of medieval Christianity and the impulse for reform. Your list can contain both negative and positive conditions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— —- —-</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As I began this section, I was fascinated by which events preceded and instigated change as Christianity was changing. For a brief moment I was amused at how similar the events of the 1500s were to current events, but that was almost immediately replaced with sorrow realizing we will never get beyond such bigotry, divisiveness, and corruption this side of eternity. Just as there was a new way to be human then and therefore a new way to be Christian (p14) so now we must adapt our understanding without compromising the truth of the gospel. But I want to avoid making this a current events essay.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">To start the list of conditions that led to change has to start with papal corruption. As we read previously, it was gross. Monasteries were less like temples of contemplation and more like soiree houses. As Gonzalez notes, how could laity trust the given sacraments of penance from such sinful clergy (p8)? It was difficult to have trust in the position of the papacy with the men who occupied those roles. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Peasants were exploited by their landowners and the poor no longer felt the church was their defender. Gonzalez writes that this led to the idea that the antichrist had gained possession of the church. This led to peasant revolts and calls for new order.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Politically and culturally, the feudal system was ending. Monarchies were being established as well as nationalism. Naturally, language was being solidified as countries separated and developed their own cultural distinctions. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As these cultural and political changes occurred, and the church was full of corruption, so travel outward was gaining momentum. The “new” world was discovered by Europeans as other voyagers started further east. As physics, math, and astronomy (although not mentioned, this was Galileo’s time period) were developed, so understanding that we are not the center of the universe nor even the center solar system. Such turmoil is understandably unnerving. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Combine that with receiving new philosophers who highlight the interpolations that had been adopted without realization as well as the introduction of the idea of returning to the original Greek of the Bible, it is not surprising that many would find it difficult to embrace so many changes at once. With Constantinople fallen and the discontent of citizens, change was needed. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Then, many Bishops became inquisitors and the Inquisition started. The forced conversion of Moors and the torture of many people led to rebellion. With the printing press and Byzantine scholars, the world was seeing a “new way of being human” which in turn meant a new way of being Christian (p14). </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Erasmus was known as the Prince of Humanists. He pursued tolerance, moderation, and stability. He taught obedience was greater than doctrine, righteousness was greater than orthodoxy. I found it odd that as a “true soldier of Christ” that trained for practical, daily life that he also looked down on common Christians as not in complete obedience. He maintained that real Christianity is one of inwardness. But before the world could see what his form of reformation would look like, the protestant reformation overshadowed him. Both sides of that reformation would claim he voted for the other guy. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There are so many parallels to what I see in today’s society. It’s painful. It’s discouraging. I don’t know how this current reformation will end but perhaps it won’t always be so corrupt and sad. Maybe we are currently going through our own purging that will result in a purified Christianity. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-87312851398533697922023-09-24T20:43:00.001-05:002023-09-24T20:43:00.138-05:00church history discussion 5: the crusades<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_6h7Niy7RDw4vyFeO1-Fi6Az6WKBO45MbdznQEak-hBNhsEDhDF2ReXR-5wS1kK4B45L14mP7U2dvLqFSLAs0EV-iBdXkJdYL_JiVoHZhRGx2IeLnt8kwjiyWF-BSFHpWi-OKBzmhTQui7lAiCA8yFwtBADMvzcxopiWIvt3Op4T_PUQ_9pgtOME/s2880/Screenshot%202023-06-11%20at%209.45.44%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2880" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_6h7Niy7RDw4vyFeO1-Fi6Az6WKBO45MbdznQEak-hBNhsEDhDF2ReXR-5wS1kK4B45L14mP7U2dvLqFSLAs0EV-iBdXkJdYL_JiVoHZhRGx2IeLnt8kwjiyWF-BSFHpWi-OKBzmhTQui7lAiCA8yFwtBADMvzcxopiWIvt3Op4T_PUQ_9pgtOME/s320/Screenshot%202023-06-11%20at%209.45.44%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Stained glass window in Brussels cathedral depicting First Crusade commander Godfrey of Bouillon. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Fewer times has it been more appropriate to call an event "God damned". If you want to talk about taking the name of the Lord in vain, talk about the God-damned crusades. It's amazing how twisted a view of Scripture can lead to such horrendous acts of violence and sinning. </p><p>We don't praise rape because a baby is born.</p><p>We don't praise corrupt politicians because we got our guy on the Supreme Court.</p><p>We don't praise insurrections because we want to be the winners.</p><p>We don't praise sexual predators behind the pulpit because "the message" is getting out.</p><p>We don't praise sin just because God can redeem situations.</p><p>It's shocking to me how difficult this is for some to comprehend. God doesn't need sin to win.</p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fe9f564d-7fff-6050-eaeb-cbcf94bb34b7"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 30.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">DISCUSSION 5: The Crusades</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What do you find surprising about how the Crusades became popular with "the masses?" What social conditions led to the acceptance of military alliance and drew men to become soldiers in the "Holy War?" </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do you feel Christians were justified in taking back the Holy Land?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">—</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I didn’t find anything unusual or surprising about how the Crusades became popular with people. Whenever people get depressed with how life is going and they feel there is nothing they can do about their circumstances, people will start to pursue happiness elsewhere. Adding to that poor theological interpretation that people on earth could seize the “apocalyptic millennium” by literally going to conquer Biblical lands, I am not surprised. Greed plus twisting scripture equals disaster every time. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The environmental conditions were the failing crops and rampant disease. Even if people weren’t exactly depressed, wanting to go to the Promised Land which is flowing with milk and honey (not to mention an automatic remission of sins) was overwhelmingly enticing. I can imagine that some people felt their unrelated sins were spiritually responsible for the crops and disease. Thus we see that the environmental conditions led to some of the social conditions. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Other social conditions include the veneration of the Holy Land and especially the pilgrimages of devotion. And on a practical note, the Seljuk Turks were now threatening the Byzantine Empire. With the church divided between the West and the East, part of the crusade was to reunite the church. If it’s for the church, then it must be for God and as we read </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Deus vult [God wills it]</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I can not overemphasize how wrong and completely unjustified taking back the Holy Land was. The Crusades is a huge blemish and embarrassment to all Christendom. I would be surprised to find anyone who disagreed. Without getting into a sermon, the Bible reiterates continuously how motives and intentions are linked to our actions. No matter the outcome, sin is never justified. No one can read about all men being killed, women raped, and children thrown against walls (349) and think this is what Christ would want. How could anyone read of the “Children’s Crusades” with gladness? </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The lasting injury of mistrust between Christian and Muslims (and even between different groups of Christians) reiterates how wrong the Crusades were. Instead of uniting the church, it divided it. The Holy Land itself was only in the hands of the West for a century before being lost again and if I remember correctly was never fruitful. The one good part of the crusades was that it led many crusaders to personal piety but even that was distorted by turning their spiritual gaze to esteeming relics. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The use of weapons to demand holiness not only lacks sense but also lacks imagination. How much better would it have been if the crusades were not to conquest militarily but instead peaceful pursuits of spiritual conquest? God didn’t need our weapons when Christ was on the cross, he didn’t need them during the Crusades, and he doesn’t need them now. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-86483916657812882822023-09-10T20:26:00.001-05:002023-09-10T20:26:00.140-05:00church history discussion 4: eusebius<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5gw6bdPcRrTpkL6-QpS-Jsc3kUbADHvnlTjWLyfAkJ_g9zqddAbmr0_6km6f5ljLUMTQTfo6A0ovwgFc5tfyg65mhXvkMX-kFcI_b6tuAKLHTJMO21tq9jmklJzLeG0vPYymASi_HCpTzlewGdj8oblm7AJAMP1vJwgIF9QPPwRNENm5yUuTU8No/s636/eusebius-14709.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="636" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5gw6bdPcRrTpkL6-QpS-Jsc3kUbADHvnlTjWLyfAkJ_g9zqddAbmr0_6km6f5ljLUMTQTfo6A0ovwgFc5tfyg65mhXvkMX-kFcI_b6tuAKLHTJMO21tq9jmklJzLeG0vPYymASi_HCpTzlewGdj8oblm7AJAMP1vJwgIF9QPPwRNENm5yUuTU8No/w400-h255/eusebius-14709.png" title="Eusebius (public domain)" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eusebius (public domain)</td></tr></tbody></table><p> I started to get really excited with this one. So I edited part of it out. I have a tendency to come across much more <i>fierce</i> than I intend to in print. I had one professor contact me once to be like "why u mad bro?" And I was like "I'm not?" lol. And he was like, "Yeah, I thought it was weird for you. You don't sound like yourself." And so that's when I was like, I have to make sure I don't sound angry when I'm just like "hi guys!" So in an effort to sound less excited, I edited out the part that is in <span style="color: red;">red</span> below. But YOU get the full response! woo hoo, so luck!</p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a23f3872-7fff-d41e-5622-1528086f70a4"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 21.5pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 4: Eusebius and the Exodus</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What did you learn in your reading about the way Eusebius and other Christians saw Constantine's defeat of Maxentius and his end (together with Licinius) to Christian persecution? What can you say about the divine narrative they placed on these political and historical developments? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Can you think of any other examples in history (near or distant) when a group of Christians interpreted political or social events through a biblical or divine lens? Do you see any difficulty with this kind of interpretation?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">—-</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Everything about Constantine’s life was new information to me. The previous information I thought I knew was from people telling me things in casual conversation or from sermons. This is the first time I read about Constantine from an original source. The account is not what I expected and wholly different from the account told to me, apart from “conquer by this”. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">One thing in particular that I found fascinating was the idea in Chapter XXIX of </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Life of Constantine</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> that the sign of the cross was given as a command by God to use as a safeguard in every engagement with his enemies. If someone did this today, I would think they were being superstitious. That isn’t to say that Constantine wasn’t commanded by God in a dream but simply that I find it fascinating. I have many depictions of the Chi Rho cross in my house. I did not know it started with Constantine. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Eusebius depicted Maxentius as a Pharaoh type and Constantine as a Moses type. There’s a saying: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">history is written by the victors</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. For that reason, I am hesitant to say </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">God</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> intended this parallel. Projecting the Bible onto current events is not a precedent that I want established, but it has obviously been well established throughout history and continues today.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Every political group for the entirety of my life used the Bible to defend whoever agreed and attack anyone who disagreed. Every presidential election since I can remember was between “God’s anointed” and “the antichrist”. Every election cycle there has been the “Christian” candidate and the devil. The difficulty with interpreting the Bible onto current events is that these voices are usually wrong and now people in my generation can hardly take seriously anyone who claims antiChrist sightings. Church attendance is drastically down, anecdotally, because we are told that everything in the world is something to be feared. Once one poor interpretation is discovered people are more likely to dismiss everything instead of sorting through what was true and what was not. I don’t blame them. They feel manipulated and deceived because they were. Using the Bible as a weapon to gain power is wrong. </span></p><div><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: red;">The very real problem with interpreting the Bible onto current events is that it cheapens the Bible while inflating the egos of "prophets", and essentially takes the name of Christ in vain.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: red;">-It cheapens the Bible by making it a disjointed set of prooftexts. People start to see themselves always as the hero of every Bible story and every enemy as Babylon or Satan. Instead of revering the Bible as a story in which God chose to reveal himself, it is seen as a way to gain power and manipulate through fear. The Bible is meant to bring hope to the hopeless, not power to the power-hungry.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: red;">-It inflates the egos of people who claim they are the ones with true vision. Only they know what God is really saying. The logic says “I am a Christian, I know the truth, therefore whatever I say is true even in areas I have no experience in”. Those of us who aren’t scared “aren’t paying attention”. Maybe they call themselves prophets or maybe they call themselves real Christians as opposed to those over there who are compromised or worldly. I am often one who has an inflated ego and I have to regularly stop myself and remember that I am not special. God has not assigned me a special dispensation to correct all who are wrong. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: red;">-It takes the name of Christ in vain by labeling anything “us good guys” do as for Christ and anything whatsoever done by “those bad guys” as anti-Christ. They are figuratively taking Constantine’s Chi Rho cross and saying, “by this we will conquer.” Then anything that gives them power they place the Christian label on it. Without defense, they say it’s Christian because they are Christian. Therefore their desires are Christian. The logic is unsound and sometimes evil. By scapegoating, coercion, and manipulation these “prophets” use people’s fears to gain power.</span></span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-59765111267272856782023-08-27T20:23:00.001-05:002023-08-27T20:23:00.146-05:00church history discussion 3: baptism<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptism" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1159" data-original-width="860" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4hTlOB1x-uwPzRKdmpqWfPsyyvBiZfSVaso6rXWwlEP7oZzLjRfY5HRd4C9pDdUTO_qjVJhuI72i0sac3ZqM4YQDOSSCtKZLumSK6L4c-eapBBBY-4YiWiPR6JHXN9bPSBMZZUOr3uKRLQx6unTRBIuVyTu1dX42GvNSF7fMh5Av9OukJJJb0DeR/s320/Battesimo_dei_neofiti_2.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>I wonder if the practice of baptizing naked led to more people claiming that it was only proper to baptize infants. Hmm...<p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6b22635e-7fff-ab30-7cf3-95764f266c8a"><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Discussion 3: Cyril of Jerusalem and the Baptismal Rite</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A "catechumen" is a Christian convert under instruction before baptism. Cyril's </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mystagogical Catechesis </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">are sermons, or lessons, to teach the catechumens the meaning of the baptismal rite.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After reading his lecture on the baptismal rite, describe something new you learned about how baptism was practiced among Christians in (and before) the 4th century. What did you find interesting or unexpected?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><a href="https://holytrinity-oca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/The-Catechetical-Lectures-of-St-Cyril.pdfLinks%20to%20an%20external%20site." style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Click here to read Cyril of Jerusalem, "Lecture XX: The Rite of Baptism, pp. 318-321 (pp. 263-266 in the original text): </span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">— — — </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I was surprised they stripped naked. That would definitely not be popular today. I understand the reasoning (there’s nothing to be ashamed about, strip yourself of the old sinful man, leave the old man behind) but I don’t see the Scriptural justification. Naked baptism isn’t mentioned in scripture anywhere. But if I remember correctly, Jewish custom is to “baptize” (mikvah, had to look that up) completely naked and is quite intrusive. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Full immersion three times was surprising. I’ve seen three cups over an infant’s head. It makes me wonder if their baptism was a bend backward at the waist or a squat or a full in and out of the water. Did it matter how quickly it happened? Who was allowed to baptize? So this piqued my curiosity and I’ll have to read some of the other chapters to see if they give any clues.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-22110723121620596282023-08-13T20:06:00.009-05:002023-08-13T20:06:00.148-05:00church history discussions 1&2 (1: primary source, 2: canon and creeds)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEd0Mccli1HqQh0pfoNgIDXBULV8jkmb-A6taF8qKIP0S9cufY6Qj4f3iw03-8mSeVvcfMdWpwqWfow71ef53hWp4OQ3IqgT4yWYAHbAswWRQXZESa5Hn3OLxSSAy9jvt_avYdJZfvvpPcMmdNCIZkh1dJOxd-0Fi6tYNE9zPj0dDklnlQ_fUaKFW/s4032/PXL_20230612_011515802.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEd0Mccli1HqQh0pfoNgIDXBULV8jkmb-A6taF8qKIP0S9cufY6Qj4f3iw03-8mSeVvcfMdWpwqWfow71ef53hWp4OQ3IqgT4yWYAHbAswWRQXZESa5Hn3OLxSSAy9jvt_avYdJZfvvpPcMmdNCIZkh1dJOxd-0Fi6tYNE9zPj0dDklnlQ_fUaKFW/w113-h200/PXL_20230612_011515802.jpg" width="113" /></a></div> For my summer seminary course, I'm taking Church History. Some of the discussions are technical and not interesting such as these first two which I really didn't put much effort into. There's a lot more that could be said. But I thought the discussions were going to be postings that other people replied to so I didn't write everything all at once. BUT GUESS WHAT? No one every reads anyone else's pots. Except me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯<p></p><p>So here's the first two that are not as interesting because of that:</p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></h2><blockquote><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Discussion 1: What is a Primary Source?</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In historical research and study, we use both primary and secondary sources. From the materials you've examined so far (Table of Contents in course text books, video lessons, and your reading selection) describe one insight or observation you've made about what a primary source is and how you can use it in historical study.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">—- — —- — </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It is interesting to see that most secondary sources are a reflection or interpretation of a primary source, with a primary source being the first-hand account or artifact being studied. But what is sometimes a secondary source can become a primary source if the secondary source itself is being studied. For instance, the Bible is the primary source (hopefully) for most sermons. But then as history progresses, someone might study the sermons or writings of Karl Barth or the theology of the 1400s. Primary sources can be used in historical study by offering an unadulterated view of events. They might contain opinions and erroneous conclusions, but they will be true to that person/time, whereas a secondary source will always have someone else’s interpretation and will be dependent on their cultural and circumstantial influences. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Discussion 2: Canon and Creeds</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">According to what you find most interesting in chapter 8 of the Gonzalez text, talk about either:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 19pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The non-canonical gospels and why they were not included in the New Testament canon, or</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #2d3b45; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 19pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Creeds, and what they were used for in the early church</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 9pt; margin-top: 9pt;"><span face="'Helvetica Neue',sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #2d3b45; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Feel free to engage with each other's points by comment on or adding to them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">—- — —- — </span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What I found interesting was that the creeds were used to combat specific heresies. While it is plainly obvious that they serve that purpose in a general sense, I did not know that they were specifically aimed against Marcion and the gnostics. I was under the impression that they were used to convey truth to a largely illiterate congregation as a type of theology lesson. But here I see that it was meant to be a type of litmus test.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I love that the church thought to do this. It’s a simple set of statements, easily memorized, and easily used in baptism. I also find it interesting that they called the creed “a symbol”. And I love that part of the symbol of a true believer is that they must believe in the “catholic” church meaning it’s inclusivity with no one church holding “the truth” away from others. “Only the Church Catholic, the church “according to the whole,” could lay claim to the entire apostolic witness.” (81) All these years later we have found other distinctions to fight over but sometimes we remember that we are still united in Christ. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Ok, and that's it. But I feel like an entire essay could be written on how secondary sources become primary sources as they become part of history. And I feel like the formation of creeds deserves at least an essay showing how they combat heresy. ammirite? Anyway, I highly recommend Justo L. Gonzalez's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Story-Christianity-Vol-Church-Reformation/dp/006185588X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686532489&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><i>The Story of Christianity</i> </a>Volumes 1&2. It's available on audible. I actually read as Audible reads to me. I pause to take notes. It helps me stay focused. He has so many good insights. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That is a non-affiliated link so you don't have to worry about helping me in any way by clicking on it. I share it to simply benefit the reader. </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-12811365717067834602023-07-30T19:46:00.001-05:002023-07-30T19:46:00.145-05:00deuteronomy 5<p> It will come as no surprise to those who know me personally that Deuteronomy is my favorite book of the Bible. I talked my previous employer into doing Deuteronomy for the entire org. I feel like if Jesus is going to go around quoting it all the time we should probably study it. And then a couple of months ago, the Park Forum also announced they would be going through Deuteronomy and asked for volunteers to write devotionals. So I volunteered. </p><p>I'll be honest with you: I was disappointed with my final draft. I feel like I've written better in the past and if I had been allowed more than 400 words I could have expounded quite a bit more. That is something I will have to work on - being concise. </p><p>Also, I want to say what an honor it was to be the first to write for the volunteer month. I feel like that speaks to their trust in me although I think a lot of that was just whoever responded first. I still felt honored to go first.</p><p>But I really enjoy this graphic!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknG7GPG3TJFgYixuNYu26ywp5sirNuwGPBT0JD1I4zyBucjvW5aeXLhhIOWmIrRP7iyh6-OfoFuDZECCv-Amzag9v4VTiIzKokrDhbDsbm45LhYQHdtTFxWqD2cyOmaMiIrF9KpuG_-dzpiMlrXwcubbdVw9_kSz7OjqKoAxZCdtFhc0SJxgWg7Dt/s1200/deuteronomy%20park%20forum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknG7GPG3TJFgYixuNYu26ywp5sirNuwGPBT0JD1I4zyBucjvW5aeXLhhIOWmIrRP7iyh6-OfoFuDZECCv-Amzag9v4VTiIzKokrDhbDsbm45LhYQHdtTFxWqD2cyOmaMiIrF9KpuG_-dzpiMlrXwcubbdVw9_kSz7OjqKoAxZCdtFhc0SJxgWg7Dt/s320/deuteronomy%20park%20forum.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Read the entire devotional at its original location <a href="https://theparkforum.org/843-acres/the-heart-of-christ-in-deuteronomy/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. This link includes the proper formatting and additional prayers.</p><p>For just my essay, read below!</p><blockquote><div class="post-title" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 34px; outline: 0px; padding: 42px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 40px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 60px; margin: 0px 0px 27px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Heart of Christ in Deuteronomy</h2></div><div class="post-metas" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 34px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><ul style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; float: left; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19.8px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">JUNE 1, 2023</li><li class="separator" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; float: left; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19.8px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">/</li><li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; float: left; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 19.8px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">PARK FORUM</li></ul><div class="clear" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><div class="post-content" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.8px; margin: 0px 0px 40px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 5.28-29<br /></strong>28 The Lord heard you when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, “I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. 29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! </p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflection: The Heart of Christ in Deuteronomy<br /></strong>By L E Mulford</p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We see the Ten Commandments illustrated clearly in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5-7&version=NIV" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #006e7e; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matthew 5-7</a>). Christ expounded on the Ten Commandments, showing his desire for his people just as God the Father showed his desire for his people here in Deuteronomy 5.</p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This desire is deeper than a cursory obedience to the Ten Commandments. Christ referenced the sixth commandment in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5.21&version=NIV" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #006e7e; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matthew 5.21</a>, but more than to “not murder” he wants us to find the root cause of why we murder. Hanging the Ten Commandments in a building just for show requires no more faith than a nail in a wall. Writing the Law of Love in our hearts puts nails through all our sins (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31.33&version=NIV" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #006e7e; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeremiah 31.33</a>). Christ takes each commandment and goes to the heart of each sin. </p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ’s message shows that the Ten Commandments were intended to be a gateway to loving God. The people heard God’s voice and were afraid (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+5%3A29&version=NIV" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #006e7e; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Deuteronomy 5.29</a>). But just as God had graciously shared his heart with them, he wanted their hearts in return as demonstrated by the first commandment: you shall have no other gods before me. Christ repeated this idea by stating that the greatest of all the commandments is to love the Lord (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22.37&version=NIV" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #006e7e; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Matthew 22.37</a>).</p><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But do any of these laws apply to us today? “In the land the Lord your God is giving you,” in verse 16, seems only to apply to ancient Israelites. And yet, in verses 3 and 4, Moses says that when God spoke to the Israelite ancestors, he was speaking to every Israelite. God is still speaking to us today. He wants more than mere obedience or lip service. He wants to write this law on our hearts.An overemphasis of the 10 Commandments in our lives makes us lose focus on Christ’s desire for our entire hearts: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10.27&version=NIV" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #006e7e; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Luke 10.27</a>) By following Christ in his selfless pursuit of love, we will more than surpass the legal requirements of the Ten Commandments. God gave us a glimpse of his heart with the Ten Commandments and gave us his entire heart in the gift of his son. How is the Spirit calling you to give more of your heart to him?</p></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-45200927951115162952023-07-16T11:20:00.047-05:002023-07-16T11:20:00.143-05:00teenager<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tlBqVa_HQNFnP4lDUUJ3rnZLEsjH9qqRbxUZYEEX2qk5KGeIIL5kEOQzuPCWHI2EM5CFDZcliMdlanusVSx2wZk1qpYAKHcW6zduUqxRxEc4R0gmzDmPOZNZlZMFdG-D30S4Cx9llm-rRaVa67sdvRAvnuyUDOSh-uvSOgbfrtEous5nFczEmts2/s4032/PXL_20230120_133648922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tlBqVa_HQNFnP4lDUUJ3rnZLEsjH9qqRbxUZYEEX2qk5KGeIIL5kEOQzuPCWHI2EM5CFDZcliMdlanusVSx2wZk1qpYAKHcW6zduUqxRxEc4R0gmzDmPOZNZlZMFdG-D30S4Cx9llm-rRaVa67sdvRAvnuyUDOSh-uvSOgbfrtEous5nFczEmts2/s320/PXL_20230120_133648922.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> Change of pace here. I am now a parent of a teenager. I can scarcely believe it.<p></p><p>He's always been extremely happy. He always tried to get out of doing chores and schoolwork. He always loves getting a new sibling. He's always been an amazing brother. He's always been an amazing son. </p><p>Here's what we did to celebrate his birth into his teen years.</p><p>I really wanted to get him 13 gifts for his 13th birthday. But I needed it to be funny. I wanted to do 13 paperclips, 13 staples, 13 pencils, etc. But I was running out of time. So I got him a few good gifts such as a tee shirt and Zelda manga. But then I also got some gag gifts such as clippers and a hand mirror. </p><p>Before that though I wanted to pull a prank on him (he LOVES pranks). So I told him I got him 13 presents and then I individually wrapped 13 gummy bears. It was so funny. He has such a good sense of humor. </p><p>We went to Chick-Fil-A to get his favorite meal. And the restaurant gave him a little cow. We tried to do a pinata, but it was ridiculously difficult to burst. AND I only had what was lying around because Felipe forgot to get the candy when he was at the store, ha! Everyone enjoyed it anyway because my kids are amazing! Caleb is a very gentle and kind person. Caleb won't give you up, let you down, run around, or desert you (because he loves a good Rick Roll).</p><p>Here's a video summary:</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r8QI6-xGgkE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-7278997869481089582023-07-02T19:48:00.062-05:002023-07-02T19:48:00.145-05:00the christian world liberation front<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA3CY3TFklhBAfSXg650jheuHZoAukjiNdxNvw2humV6x8kIY6c51dlMKvDCXBUdYv9TI-bhewY1Cwu8WLnC-hQD9dGMGlklhP1cSafN56_milRTO-HaLtMjbJDmYsDqVBuOrK3F-SAt9sKlndkK9cI1Uvi494HfUfjrAkP9kz6CClVfMqcqWo9aG/s1000/cwlf.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkA3CY3TFklhBAfSXg650jheuHZoAukjiNdxNvw2humV6x8kIY6c51dlMKvDCXBUdYv9TI-bhewY1Cwu8WLnC-hQD9dGMGlklhP1cSafN56_milRTO-HaLtMjbJDmYsDqVBuOrK3F-SAt9sKlndkK9cI1Uvi494HfUfjrAkP9kz6CClVfMqcqWo9aG/s320/cwlf.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is not a book review. In fact, I don't review the book hardly at all here. My official book review will be linked here when it becomes available.</span><div><br /></div><div>This book presents itself as being a model for the postmodern church on how revival and reform once happened in America in the 60s and 70s. When I was asked to review this book, I was beyond excited and jumped at the opportunity. I myself am a second-generation descendant of the Charismatic Renewal of the Catholic Church and am greatly appreciative of the Jesus Movement and its sub-movements such as CWLF (Christian World Liberation Front). <br /><br /><br />As the post-Christian world emerges, it is my hope that another Jesus Movement could stir in the hearts of broken individuals as they seek to find their true citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven rather than our current fallen countries. Since this book offers first-hand accounts from the leaders of CWLF, perhaps those in my generation and younger can humbly learn how to seek Christ in a way that offers hope to the lost and love to the hurting. <br /><br /><br />What you will find in this book is many first-hand accounts of how the CWLF affected individuals and communities in the 1970s. In my opinion, there is so much more to tell. This is but a chapter in America’s history of Christianity. What happened after the final chapter? <b>Where are these people now and how have they retained their commitment to Christ over country and culture?</b> This book only whets one’s appetite for the story of Christ in the late 20th century. It stirs our imagination and challenges our desire to hope that maybe the country is not too lost to be saved in the 21st century.<br /><br /><br />Sprinkled throughout the book hints of how the revival began. Each testimony shares ideas of taking Jesus truly at his word and not allowing tradition or fear of “those” people to stand in the way of sharing Christ’s love. The gospel is not for the churched but for sinners. The church can be anyone in any form anywhere. <br /><br /><br />The book starts with a memorial chapter dedicated to Jack Sparks, the “CWLF Founder”. The two components of this chapter emphasize Sparks’ desire to “fully, radically, and simply present in the culture as a disciple of Jesus” (p2) and his method of loving outreach via various channels. CWLF was not an “angle” or trick to get people to come to church. It was born out of a genuine concern for poverty, homelessness, sexism, racism, warfare, and violence. It did not lead Sparks to strategize how to manipulate people into giving him power but rather led him to concrete actions both politically and socially engaged.<br /><br /><br />What made the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s so impactful and special was that it saw what the Bible taught about Jesus and not just what one side of a political aisle claimed it taught about Jesus. As DeFazio says (p8), “the Jesus Movement drew from both camps,” meaning those in evangelicalism who emphasize sin and repentance and those in the mainstream who emphasize Christ’s love and care for marginalized people. <br /><br /><br /><b>It seems that the Jesus Movement is what happens when people let the Spirit do as he wishes whereas perhaps some other revivals are what happens when the Spirit works within the limitations humans place on him. </b>Certainly, we see this in the sense that there is not one person or church or even location where the Jesus Movement was prominent (p9). The CWLF in Berkley was just one branch of what Jesus was doing last century. He was moving in the Northeast as well as throughout the Catholic Church even. Even in writing for newsletters such as <i>Right On!</i> People were not trying to make money or gain influence. They were trying to share the love of Jesus, sometimes not even mentioning their own names in the articles they wrote for it.<br /><br /><br />The CWLF was not made up of a single church pushing an agenda or program on a city. CWLF was made up of a diverse intercultural community that accepted people no matter their background. Businessmen, drug addicts, theater groupies, and anyone tired of the “establishment” was welcome. Anyone who wanted to join could join. There was no quiz, no monetary investment required, no church affiliation needed. <br /><br /><br />DeFazio mentioned that CWLF members seemed uniquely gifted for their time and place (p33). She quotes Peggy Vanek-Titus saying that CWLF made Christianity palatable (p37). Perhaps we need a palatable version of Christ for the 21st century too. But I am curious as to how many of the people mentioned in this book have retained their desire to make Christianity palatable to fringe groups and how many have embraced their corporate roles in society. Is a second Jesus Movement sustainable? Was the original Jesus Movement sustainable? Was the CWLF sustainable?<br /><br /><br />I had a pastor (also a product of the Jesus Movement) say that whatever we strive to obtain we must strive to maintain and whatever Jesus obtains he will sustain. <b>Did the CWLF members fizzle out or are they still going strong with Bible study invitations to drug addicts and conversations with the homeless? </b>Are those unique giftings still being used? Is it still true that “each member’s memories of the time and place are not just nostalgic, but embrace all the wonders and beauty of living out the gospel with the love of Jesus, knowing Jesus and one another in Christian community?” <br /><br /><br />I hope that it is still true but I have seen firsthand having been under the teaching of a prominent Calvary Chapel pastor who was personally mentored by Greg Laurie and Chuck Smith that many of the Jesus Movement members have left the fire and settled for corporate power and position of authority, refusing to listen to anyone that might question the new status quo, the new “traditional formulas”. The book does a fantastic job at laying the foundation of historical context and anecdotes. I need a part two that discusses “where are they now”.<br /><br /><br />Working off DeFazio’s premise that CWLF was not a random historical incident (p43), what has continued? If it is part of a “continuum of historical awakenings within the American church” what is the next step? <br /><br /><br />The subtitle of the book is <i>The Jesus Movement's Model of Revival and Social Reform for the Postmodern Church</i>. But I need to know if it worked first. The author says it was more than just nostalgia. But was it more than just ideological and naive youth with energy? Are these members still going strong? Because I doubt it. Then, they had nothing to lose. They loved God and loved everyone. They saw the misery of the world and knew there must be something better. But much like the seeds that grow and get choked by the cares of the world, where are they now? Now, we hear nothing. We see Republicans, largely of that age group, voting to save guns. How can these be the same people? If they didn't fizzle out, why isn't the Jesus Movement still going?</div><div><br /></div><div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe6fUnuJuJ0G3HhMaGUz9zyB8ngxXEtU9YFs9lNNN5xpPwO1OrT56gC7xA126rswfamuNc0E4U9oQX51AMyEl6p76zGbYJZ-e-OVOPSLQIW86AyfJmCqrWg8qJt_yQe-k7Q67KF5FJ3VXqzKw3kVvLUPlp-BP4awp-dD0Op5pbShkrZEesuixjtJ2/s3000/jesus%20revolution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe6fUnuJuJ0G3HhMaGUz9zyB8ngxXEtU9YFs9lNNN5xpPwO1OrT56gC7xA126rswfamuNc0E4U9oQX51AMyEl6p76zGbYJZ-e-OVOPSLQIW86AyfJmCqrWg8qJt_yQe-k7Q67KF5FJ3VXqzKw3kVvLUPlp-BP4awp-dD0Op5pbShkrZEesuixjtJ2/s320/jesus%20revolution.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />The Jesus Revolution</i> is a movie that came out a few months ago that highlights another branch of this same Jesus Movement. </div><div><br /></div><div>Both Chuck Smith and CWLF made the pages of TIME magazine in 1971. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,905202,00.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXBwbf9AKlhxdqVCS2JsOxh7GFJoE4WZU8Q_nnX7l-yNvKqaZefTQ_1z5iK8at-KBS1uXky_a4-ES_jvGtcvV2G8OKgQm1LTrAKuQSwfg0SAyVT6H4iHCBYSIq0IosDt_uAUGPZfBfLJU3GcWndUgjDUHhDYztcceN9DOdKjKGc66acmaEcBygn96/w152-h200/time.jpeg" width="152" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to read TIME article</td></tr></tbody></table>My reaction to the movie was both excited and saddened. It was exciting to hear the Word preached. It was exciting to see people excited about Jesus. But as the TIME article reminds us, most of those people have fallen away. The overwhelming majority of people have fallen away. Celebrities jumped on the bandwagon and left it once the high was over. People replaced one drug with another. Very few had a genuine faith. How could that be anything but sad? </div><div><br /></div><blockquote><div><div>16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.</div><br /><div data-reactroot=""><a href="https://ref.ly/res/LLS:NIV2011/2022-01-10T15:21:49Z/4541939?len=447"><span style="font-style: italic;">The New International Version</span></a> (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mk 4:16–19.</div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-46667250796017170672023-06-18T05:42:00.041-05:002023-06-18T05:42:00.129-05:00esv issues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoH1s17w6fj1xdUggXUqFvr3FFxOVEKzsvcWBKhCjKGe_QG7Be4pmJYUqqC8tPD4U_6J9mz8Sq45lLuTn2XK5yyT1_A9bRNRmxr6OEO_6aisZgMx8JOqYgTzxEXT7JtmAoTw6Bv1nnTDBMleKQisJnjH1wezBWyNS3XzWKuaiR6OrweXB4KA3mLlU/s654/Screenshot%202023-01-26%20at%2011.30.55%20AM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoH1s17w6fj1xdUggXUqFvr3FFxOVEKzsvcWBKhCjKGe_QG7Be4pmJYUqqC8tPD4U_6J9mz8Sq45lLuTn2XK5yyT1_A9bRNRmxr6OEO_6aisZgMx8JOqYgTzxEXT7JtmAoTw6Bv1nnTDBMleKQisJnjH1wezBWyNS3XzWKuaiR6OrweXB4KA3mLlU/w76-h200/Screenshot%202023-01-26%20at%2011.30.55%20AM.png" title="Christianity Today artwork" width="76" /></a></div><br />When the ESV first came out, I was thrilled. ESV had amazing PR. I had no idea that the ESV was not its own translation. Turns out, the ESV is only a tweaking of the RSV. And why? Because the "translation" committee wanted to emphasize a downgrading of women. So anywhere a verse actually elevates women, the ESV would switch little innocuous words to put women in their place below men. <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-february/bible-translation-devil-in-details.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a Christianity Today article about how ESV purposefully mistranslated sections. <div><br /><div>But in the meantime Samuel Perry tweeted this recently:</div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">You can observe how ESV editors adjusted key texts toward more complementarian readings by comparing it with its parent text, the 1971 RSV. Here are a few tables I made for an article on this topic. Far right column explains implications. I'll include <a href="https://twitter.com/bethallisonbarr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bethallisonbarr</a> here too. <a href="https://t.co/sai0DLB3hG">pic.twitter.com/sai0DLB3hG</a></p>— Samuel Perry (@profsamperry) <a href="https://twitter.com/profsamperry/status/1382431381519618049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2021</a></blockquote><p>In case it gets deleted here are the screengrabs:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ60XwgmqSjJ4CP8sOByfpQET1CpvdGjd0FF6_Al3_nn8TPrvi1pqX70fO9V2acvgnfgUR_m_sACy1MHd873TnYa5e6FGFc8fhSEHKI5Q7tBQwekIA7blnfSMQK0zu-DwanqoXRx-x9U6uL3tCHqNbQC7qTR5ZNArawdZgl9rsFyPU3XiHX16ftCbI/s1496/Screenshot%202023-01-26%20at%206.49.42%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1496" data-original-width="1212" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ60XwgmqSjJ4CP8sOByfpQET1CpvdGjd0FF6_Al3_nn8TPrvi1pqX70fO9V2acvgnfgUR_m_sACy1MHd873TnYa5e6FGFc8fhSEHKI5Q7tBQwekIA7blnfSMQK0zu-DwanqoXRx-x9U6uL3tCHqNbQC7qTR5ZNArawdZgl9rsFyPU3XiHX16ftCbI/s320/Screenshot%202023-01-26%20at%206.49.42%20AM.png" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwORWSWF5x5vn4C9mzec2_yWoXFqU0ysiRHGwmAGWiq6cwQzBTSxjqNBNM7r1q3GXkT5nvEiycO5FEWQFB5rqdoeoNyDzROcqgFoAwpxUzCrL_b4McxuCva8yTukruRWwNDFhX9OA2DX5cBqXJ0sbrlwyrf7g_lbkHyRIJCpwm62YWNEbp4dYuxLtL/s926/esv%20part1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwORWSWF5x5vn4C9mzec2_yWoXFqU0ysiRHGwmAGWiq6cwQzBTSxjqNBNM7r1q3GXkT5nvEiycO5FEWQFB5rqdoeoNyDzROcqgFoAwpxUzCrL_b4McxuCva8yTukruRWwNDFhX9OA2DX5cBqXJ0sbrlwyrf7g_lbkHyRIJCpwm62YWNEbp4dYuxLtL/s320/esv%20part1.png" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisH2CrJFD20h2KG8dltFvFx-T9Ixs9VhrNDUcmlvEo7ILayVjbG58uwyolbSPJi4SlsdOW08sgwl4yaNi8EgHbqpFVs9xhNmLlmilfbi2nQmu15AZetGugKwEXHAbr7wUlbeSIPeafz-_5XzmTSRahyqk7ZxnNGwo380jwi0vk054YxDWzWJ1FnShb/s741/esv%20part%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="741" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisH2CrJFD20h2KG8dltFvFx-T9Ixs9VhrNDUcmlvEo7ILayVjbG58uwyolbSPJi4SlsdOW08sgwl4yaNi8EgHbqpFVs9xhNmLlmilfbi2nQmu15AZetGugKwEXHAbr7wUlbeSIPeafz-_5XzmTSRahyqk7ZxnNGwo380jwi0vk054YxDWzWJ1FnShb/s320/esv%20part%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuieCMp3dQlZskXN3D6Jlz8tNUCxgOZNQcG6hCJH4tmuVzzWsZIAPvYr1jRUbz2hc1hKcBuIZN8wh9466t7MjzOKnmHJ3KN5jeiBzjsTmKdSmvfz_KuyvARLBniNfB5O5eM62g8PzclCozIO5ScgunwVefFMAMfGAEfbc5J2Q0gRL1GgTWT9nGXSU/s733/esv%20part%204.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="733" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuieCMp3dQlZskXN3D6Jlz8tNUCxgOZNQcG6hCJH4tmuVzzWsZIAPvYr1jRUbz2hc1hKcBuIZN8wh9466t7MjzOKnmHJ3KN5jeiBzjsTmKdSmvfz_KuyvARLBniNfB5O5eM62g8PzclCozIO5ScgunwVefFMAMfGAEfbc5J2Q0gRL1GgTWT9nGXSU/s320/esv%20part%204.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The article he wrote can be found <a href="https://t.co/Ump3i6z1RH" target="_blank">here</a> but you need access.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Edit to add: I recently came across this video that is very shareable and accessible:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://youtu.be/FsBxa0HoHz4" target="_blank"><b>3 Problems with the ESV</b><br /></a> <p></p> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FsBxa0HoHz4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-14626300508967351242023-06-04T07:44:00.055-05:002023-06-04T07:44:00.136-05:00the lords prayer and the jesus prayer<p> I designed this using Adobe Express: <a href="http://www.adobe.com/express/" target="_blank">www.adobe.com/express/</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS1DWuYeIvos-b3uNjQsY89Cmx9cDksiAO3peXGmH2MLqNW3NfQuS7LhIIWRX1NlmA72Tjgpg8rErZ3jXwNihQQRZ4WuEnebz3xhe0Pfa8YYIFYdl2HJaYFGmc-dqI2Yr3ib-n3ichiiKPoKplPL-dw0enqBIhh68ypoBZ3vWnN5F2DBtwipdereS/s4032/PXL_20230109_133936377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="4 by 6 inch postcard, beigi, ornate cross in background, Greek print in foreground the Lord's Prayer" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlS1DWuYeIvos-b3uNjQsY89Cmx9cDksiAO3peXGmH2MLqNW3NfQuS7LhIIWRX1NlmA72Tjgpg8rErZ3jXwNihQQRZ4WuEnebz3xhe0Pfa8YYIFYdl2HJaYFGmc-dqI2Yr3ib-n3ichiiKPoKplPL-dw0enqBIhh68ypoBZ3vWnN5F2DBtwipdereS/w150-h200/PXL_20230109_133936377.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>I want to memorize The Lord's Prayer in Greek. I printed many of these postcards using our local <a href="https://photo.walgreens.com/store/home" target="_blank">Walgreens</a>. I had a coupon code so they came out to about $1 each. Walgreens regularly advertises its own coupon codes on its website. I just wait until there's a good one. <p></p><p>The Jesus Prayer icon I used is an ancient icon that's free use. I say The Jesus Prayer regularly. I find it soothing to recognize that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and God, and merciful to me, a sinner. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19. </p><p>I designed The Jesus Prayer postcard directly in the walgreens website.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z6i8e27p8SKFnGKGKDsUhGAlbWEKQZUDqppPA2Ld3RFtXTIUvgReZF-rS5aIxKL2C_HupRFi3B3iZkIGp5RZBWWid66Sq1_QgwDWGH1Kkcj2hnNnRxZBoLQ9eUiJ0NLAVLBjJPgTytthQklyEhJoL_75Uy1QzP8QSIgCVJ0_p1DGK0-OmDKqIdVT/s4032/PXL_20230109_141256986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z6i8e27p8SKFnGKGKDsUhGAlbWEKQZUDqppPA2Ld3RFtXTIUvgReZF-rS5aIxKL2C_HupRFi3B3iZkIGp5RZBWWid66Sq1_QgwDWGH1Kkcj2hnNnRxZBoLQ9eUiJ0NLAVLBjJPgTytthQklyEhJoL_75Uy1QzP8QSIgCVJ0_p1DGK0-OmDKqIdVT/s320/PXL_20230109_141256986.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I realize that this isn't hugely impressive, but if you'd like one, I can mail you one that I printed or send you the pdf. Don't be afraid to ask. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iLnd07LzXEIImLNsgwgUDyMyWzZCyiY4ckLdmkHYM0l21P4fyhH7blZfi165R3RKWS1QQ3TM44O11OiGHPYUnDvAJ0iZuEt6o0LsAQn06d-_ev2uzrYj4sAewxPmMxIpi0TuSl8DHCKDF4AF8sPQcd7vtLmGdG5yGHEDCk0HAEHTtspb7w2As-qg/s4032/PXL_20230109_134043057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iLnd07LzXEIImLNsgwgUDyMyWzZCyiY4ckLdmkHYM0l21P4fyhH7blZfi165R3RKWS1QQ3TM44O11OiGHPYUnDvAJ0iZuEt6o0LsAQn06d-_ev2uzrYj4sAewxPmMxIpi0TuSl8DHCKDF4AF8sPQcd7vtLmGdG5yGHEDCk0HAEHTtspb7w2As-qg/s320/PXL_20230109_134043057.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-53850810657600792672023-05-28T21:54:00.008-05:002023-05-28T21:54:00.138-05:00god in effigy<p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">The idea of <i>imago Dei</i> and its implications has been a constant source of inspiration toward how I fulfill the commandment of Jesus in Mark 12:31. How am I to love my neighbor? Who is my neighbor? Jesus answered both questions in a similar discussion in Luke 10:25-37 with the story of the Good Samaritan. When I see someone in need and help them, I am a neighbor to them. Every person in need is my neighbor. My neighbor is whoever is created in the image of God, every person.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">When I heard Professor Hilber claim that what happens to an individual, happens to God in effigy, I ached as I thought of all the people I have hurt. Similarly, from the reading this week, the idea that humans most fully inhabit the identity and role of <i>imago Dei</i> when we live in communion with each other, caused more ache because of all the people I have hurt.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Community is difficult for me. Living with others is a constant strain on my self-idolization. Loving others is difficult because it means I must sacrifice. Sometimes a sense of familial affection makes self-sacrifice easy; such as for my children. Other times my own cultural background makes it difficult, such as when a neighbor asks for help repeatedly with difficult chores and yet never reciprocates.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">Jesus teaches that love is not reciprocal though. It is not transactional. The Good Samaritan helped the stranger he found and continued to help without the prospect of ever being repaid. In 1 Corinthians 13, there is no mention of love being compensated. Rather, in reading Ephesians 5:2 we see that Christ gave himself up for us. He is the fully embodied image of God. Christ, the perfect human and the perfect image of God, is our example. "To be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ is to become more fully and truly human.” (Hall and Hall 50)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">Barth noted (Hall and Hall 56) that the <i>imago Dei</i> is not in individuals alone but in the “person-in-relationship.” I agree and want to emphasize that if the image is only found in persons-in-relationships then those not in-relationships (homeless, wanderers, coma patients), or not in proper relationships (the outcasts), are not carrying the image or carrying less of the image. Instead, I want to recognize that just as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are each fully God and yet also altogether God, his image is carried out by each individual but also all people together.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">Recognizing the <i>Imago Dei </i>in every individual compels me to find people who are not being loved. Jesus sought out the lost and vulnerable. How can I “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37)? Previously my search led me to my next-door-neighbor. Other times to the mentally handicapped at church who needed a friend. And as I progress through life, I see too many people dying alone. There are too many people in nursing homes who have no one visiting them. There are too many people dying without anyone to help them pass or mourn their absence. Even one is too many. Every person created in the image of God should be given human dignity in their life and death. It is easy to ignore the dying because the dead do not complain. Caring for the dying and dead is not glamorous.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">In our world of celebrity Christianity with Christian leaders who are more concerned with their platforms than with people, I see fewer pastors focused with the “ugly” side of pastorship, the side not displayed on social media and is not readily available to exploit for personal gain on cable TV. I want to seek obscurity. I want to serve the least of these. I want to subdue evil, as Prof. Hilber articulated. It is evil for society to neglect the vulnerable.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px; text-indent: 36px;">The idea of all people carrying the image of God and Christ’s command to love my neighbor propels my personal mission of finding the forgotten and remembering them, honoring them, recognizing their <i>imago Dei</i>, and caring for them in love as for Christ (Matthew 25:40). My desired vocation is best realized in a hospital, nursing home, or hospice care serving the dying.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcqrOBfTSrZgCU4PFV1zlr_NavKOONOeRYzqLZ7Pty9_f0F0GHkMf1Ytr5sdetfc6rhXqCQoVUzb6a7Sc4JruOKp2RdflZW65ycuCGUB2uWVJkXSLtHBjAjVZBCPZu6Y7B88hUnvy50iA5xzB-Zh8fZSM04XMNHKCazT1zI0Wa2FRvbgTYfu74c41/s518/Screenshot%202023-01-08%20at%2010.56.40%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="518" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcqrOBfTSrZgCU4PFV1zlr_NavKOONOeRYzqLZ7Pty9_f0F0GHkMf1Ytr5sdetfc6rhXqCQoVUzb6a7Sc4JruOKp2RdflZW65ycuCGUB2uWVJkXSLtHBjAjVZBCPZu6Y7B88hUnvy50iA5xzB-Zh8fZSM04XMNHKCazT1zI0Wa2FRvbgTYfu74c41/s320/Screenshot%202023-01-08%20at%2010.56.40%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="p3" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px 28.4px; text-indent: -28.4px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px 28.4px; text-indent: -28.4px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px 28.4px; text-indent: -28.4px;">Hall, Todd W., and Hall M Elizabeth Lewis. <i>Relational Spirituality: A Psychological-Theological Paradigm for Transformation</i>. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central, <a href="http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cornerstone-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6548783"><span class="s1" style="color: #0b4cb4;">http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cornerstone-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6548783</span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-54477102082716378862023-05-21T21:36:00.013-05:002023-05-21T21:36:00.241-05:00sensible shoes<p> <i>Sensible Shoes </i>by Sharon Brown (I did not really like this book)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.christianbook.com/sensible-shoes-book-1/sharon-brown/9780830843053/pd/843053?event=ESRCG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="462" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvgLHhDYIHPWwik41dSZ7LFaN4JGWpWvsp4n2ZrVBi1vSaTJGnX9eFgBYVrMcRPXdbL2PqJ9J8bksfVig_DX255lRYJeURl_GhT4Gghg6P2F_Rktz2wjcwerS3hrIPk2yQHtLi0zaI3i8_A4i_pMfF39usu3Sl9G1nqcfn2KdKNcvAFVlWDMusmUG/w133-h200/sensible%20shoes.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<ol>
<li style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 8.000000pt;">
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">With what tone of voice do you hear God ask the question, “Where are you?” Why do you think you hear God that way?
</span></p>
</li>
<li style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 8.000000pt;">
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). Do you trust God to </span><span style="font-size: 8pt;">search and know you, revealing your sin? Why or why not? What does your longing or resistance show you about your life
with God right now?</span></p>
</li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">I loved this part of the story. I tried to imagine God’s tone to me. I tried out multiple tones. But
the first one and the one that made the most sense to me was gentle. He was not mad or sad.
He was informative but not robotic. It was an invitation to consider for myself where I am. I think
I hear him in this tone because he is not angry or sad. The punishment for my sin has already
been taken care of.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">He is not disappointed. He already knew I was going to sin. He simply wants me to consider if
I </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">feel </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">like it was worth it. Was sinning worth the consequence? Did it make sense? Do I even
realize what I have done? He is not accusing me. He is inviting me back to himself. He is not
snide or snarky. He is saying, “Hey wait. Slow down a sec. Do you see where you are? Wouldn’t
you rather be over here with me?” I think he uses that tone with me because he loves me and
wants me to be more like him.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">I trust God to search me and know me. There is no other way to be purified. Even when it
hurts it is always better to embrace correction than to turn away from it and drag it out.
Eventually God wins me over anyway but I will have caused a lot more damage by dragging my
feet. There is an old saying, “Just swallow the frog.” You have something unpleasant to do, so
get the unpleasant part done with so you can move on (although I am at a loss as to why
anyone would need to swallow a frog). I tell my kids, “The longer you take the longer it’s gonna
take.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Sometimes I still drag my feet about repentance though. But God is faithful nonetheless and
keeps asking me if I see where I am. Sometimes when I get upset about my circumstances I
feel like he says, “Ok, well let me know when you’re done with your temper tantrum. I’ll be here.”
I feel like he is being really kind and patient. He knows that I already have the head knowledge
of what he wants from me. And he knows that I will do what he wants. Every now and again I
drag my feet and he stops to wait for me without judgment or condemnation or rejection.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">My longing to stay with him, knowing that he is patient and gentle, seems good to me. I see
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and his control in him
toward me. That makes it really easy to follow him and have him search my innermost being. It
makes it easy to repent. It makes it easy to say sorry - to God and to others. </span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8645405096854625377.post-86701786396894140082023-05-14T21:16:00.018-05:002023-05-14T21:16:00.147-05:00o come o come <p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">The prophecy given in Isaiah 7:14 to King Ahaz has three distinct parts: the declaration </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">of the Lord’s sign, a miraculous conception, and the birth of a promise. While the preceding
verses in context are an encouragement that Ahaz and Judah will not be overcome by the
Israelites, the prophecy judges Ahaz for his lack of faith and simultaneously gives hope that God
will be with his remnant. Ultimately this prophecy finds fulfillment with the birth of Christ as
revealed in Matthew 1:23.</span></p><div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">King Ahaz was not a good king and did not do what was right (2 Kings 16:2 NIV). He
sacrificed his son in fire, offered sacrifices and burned incense against what God commanded,
and eventually turned to Assaria to save him from the invading forces of Israel.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The Lord told Isaiah to go to Ahaz. His message was that Ahaz and all Judah would be
saved from the invading forces of Israel. God gave encouragement that Israel’s threats will
amount to nothing and told Ahaz to request a sign that God is with him. When Ahaz refused to
choose a sign, Isaiah rebuked him (v13), gave a sign of God’s choosing (v14), and ended with a
foretelling of Judah’s exile to Assyria (v17). In the context of this larger narrative, the sign of
God’s choosing is significant because of Matthew 1:23 which claims that Christ is the fulfillment
of the virgin birth of Immanuel.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">When the Lord chose a sign for himself, it was because Ahaz had already decided to defy
whatever the Lord was trying to do. An initial reading of not putting “the Lord to the test” might
remind the reader of elsewhere in scripture where Israel was commanded to not put the Lord to
the test (Deut 6:16). But Ahaz’s motives were not pure and godly. He was skirting the issue </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">because he intended to use Assyria to save Judah, not God</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 7pt; vertical-align: 5pt;">1</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">, as 2 Kings 16 reveals. The Lord was
choosing a sign as judgment against Ahaz.</span></p></div></div></div></div><div class="page" title="Page 2"><div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">As Golingay points out</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">2 </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Isaiah initially offers a sign from Ahaz’s (</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">your</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">) God but after the
refusal of a sign, Isaiah speaks of Isaiah’s (</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">my</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">) God. Some scholars believe this is the point
where the Ahaz changes the trajectory of the house of David</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">3</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">. By refusing to align with God and
his offer to save them, Ahaz establishes his resolute lack of faith and unwillingness to return to
God. By refusing God’s offer Ahaz will continue in his fearful shaking from verse 2.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Isaiah stated, “Therefore,” in verse 14 indicating that it was because of the previous
verses that the Lord chose a sign for himself. Those verses rebuke Ahaz for not asking for a sign.
“Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also?” (v13)
Ironically, Ahaz was trying the patience of God by refusing to “put God to the test.”
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Williams agrees</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">4 </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">and further states that Ahaz was reducing God’s power as meaningless
as men’s power. Ahaz will not test God because he does not think God can save him. Jerome
states that had Ahaz believed God and asked for a sign then that would have been acknowledging
God’s rightful place over Judah but instead Ahaz wanted to rule on his own accord. Ahaz did not
want to glorify God and a sign would have accomplished that.</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">5
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">A sign indicated that God was still with the House of David. Offering a sign
demonstrated God’s covenantal love.</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">6 </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Ahaz refused the sign and in so doing refused the
covenant. Soon after this event, Judah is taken by Assyria.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">Nevertheless, God was still faithful. He assured Ahaz that he would remain with Judah
and the House of David as Immanuel, meaning “God with Us”. But this prophecy was not
beneficial to Ahaz</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 7pt; vertical-align: 5pt;">7 </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">as the end of the prophecy indicated (Isa 7:17).</span></p></div></div></div></div><div class="page" title="Page 3"><div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">As for the virgin birth of Immanuel, is this prophecy fulfilled in the next chapter of Isaiah
or in the birth of Christ as Matthew 1:23 asserts? The debate lies in the meaning of “virgin”.
What does </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">mean?
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">A child was born, named Immanuel, in the next chapter (Isa 8:8). It might seem that this
prophecy was fulfilled. The disagreement comes in that the Immanuel born in Isaiah 8 has a
mother who was not a virgin. Is </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">better translated as “young woman” then?
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Some state the English translation of </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">to “virgin” is incorrect (some argue it is
uncertain</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">8</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">) and it should be translated as “young woman”. If so, the reader can be satisfied that
the prophecy was fulfilled. A young woman did give birth to Immanuel.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">But “young woman” is </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">naarah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">not </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah, </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">and “virgin” is </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">bethulah</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">seems to be
something else. Then perhaps the prophecy is not fulfilled in the next chapter with Isaiah’s son.
Since the Septuagint interpreted </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">as the Greek </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">parthenos</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">, and </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">parthenos </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">means “virgin”,
therefore </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">could mean “virgin”</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">9</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">This is a weak argument since one could simply argue the Greek was an improper
translation to begin with. Someone who is looking to dispute the claims of Matthew 1:23 would
hardly accept the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Greek interpreters.
And those who eagerly look to find Christ everywhere in the Old Testament quickly dismiss any </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 12pt;">claim to the contrary. For the Christian, the explicit claims of Matthew 1:23 solidifies the
meaning of this otherwise obscure text.</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 7pt; vertical-align: 5pt;">10 11 12</span></p></div></div></div></div><div class="page" title="Page 4"><div class="section" style="background-color: rgb(100.000000%, 100.000000%, 100.000000%);"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Rather than choosing between the two options, by choosing a unique word for this
specific prophecy, the prophet allows for its interpretation to be both historical in Isaiah’s day
and suspended to the day of Jesus. As one author wrote, “[</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">means a] hidden virgin, that is,
not merely virgin, but a virgin and something more...”</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">13 </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">I and others agree. By choosing a word
with a rich diverse meaning, the prophet allows for it to be used in multiple ways.</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">14
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">With this understanding of </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPS'; font-size: 12.000000pt; font-style: italic;">almah</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">, Isaiah’s prophecy can be viewed on two levels. Isaiah
may have only known of the initial interpretation but interpreting in light of the New Testament,
the reader can see that Isaiah’s prophecy was fully fulfilled in the birth of Christ.</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">15 </span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">This double
prophecy is foretelling both in Isaiah’s day and in the far future when Christ would be born.
Isaiah might not have intended for it to have multiple meanings</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 7.000000pt; vertical-align: 5.000000pt;">16</span><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">. However, Matthew 1:23
asserts that Christ does fulfill this prophecy.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">The ultimate fulfillment of the virgin-birth of Immanuel in Christ is demonstrated in New
Testament passages. Mary was a virgin who conceived (Matt 1:18, Luke 1:27). As Jesus himself
professed, he was one with the Father (John 10:30) and thus truly God was with them as he
always will be.
</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1203995091/mary-nursing-jesus-art-our-lady-of-la?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=mary+jesus+baby+nursing&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&frs=1&bes=1&sts=1&organic_search_click=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="1588" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YvV-Xy-IQgJvIHcuXWErz50CdB1ruX4z2cYALTyYE1tYwhZbzvPI7EKccmyKGoOlms2dyNa3s6v0P5jTz4ryvds2rIc9wWf1xUkeVIrMHQ3qHDwPNWjMTe33emlk5zIfFI3PMgPzPcbsFBTr4d-pmZ3PG5aZnGg6AQWUz38JGs9hqsGHa3CIXsaQ/s320/marybabyjesus.webp" width="252" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">1 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">John N. Oswalt, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 15d.<br /></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">2 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">John Goldingay, Robert Hubbard, and Robert Johnston, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995), 106.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">3 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Oswalt, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39</span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">, 15d.<br /></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">4 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Jenni Williams, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">The Kingdom of Our God: A Theological Commentary on Isaiah </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">(La Vergne: Hymns Ancient & Modern, 2019), 32.<br /></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">5 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Steven A. McKinion and Thomas C. Oden, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah 1-39 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2004), 60. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">6 </span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Oswalt, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39</span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">, 15c.</span></p><p></p><div class="page" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Page 4"><div class="section" style="background-color: white;"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"></div></div></div></div><p></p><div class="page" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Page 3"><div class="section" style="background-color: white;"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">7<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Goldingay, Hubbard, and Johnston,<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah</span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">, 106.<span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">8<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Goldingay, Hubbard, and Johnston,<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah</span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">, 110.<span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 6pt; vertical-align: 4pt;">9<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">Goldingay, Hubbard, and Johnston,<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah</span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 10pt;">, 111.</span></p></div></div></div></div>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">10 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Introduction to Biblical Interpretation:
Third Edition</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">, Third edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2017), 251.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">11</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Oswalt, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">, 15d.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">12 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Claire Mathews McGinnis and Patricia K. Tull, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">As Those Who Are Taught: The Interpretation of Isaiah
from the LXX to the SBL </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">(Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006), 149.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">13 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Steven A. McKinion and Thomas C. Oden, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah 1-39 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2004), 27.
</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">14 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Oswalt, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">, 15g.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">15 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Klein, Blomberg, and Jr, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Introduction to Biblical Interpretation</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">, 251.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 6.000000pt; vertical-align: 4.000000pt;">16 </span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">Klein, Blomberg, and Jr, </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 10.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Introduction to Biblical Interpretation</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 10.000000pt;">, 251.
</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT'; font-size: 12.000000pt;">Bibliography
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Goldingay, John, Robert Hubbard, and Robert Johnston. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. Grand Rapids: Baker
Books, 1995.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Klein, William W., Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Introduction to Biblical
Interpretation: Third Edition</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2017.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">McGinnis, Claire Mathews, and Patricia K. Tull. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">As Those Who Are Taught: The
Interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">McKinion, Steven A., and Thomas C. Oden. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">Isaiah 1-39</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. Downers Grove: InterVarsity
Press, 2004.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Oswalt, John N. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1986.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">Williams, Jenni. </span><span style="font-family: 'Arial'; font-size: 11.000000pt; font-style: italic;">The Kingdom of Our God: A Theological Commentary on Isaiah</span><span style="font-family: 'ArialMT'; font-size: 11.000000pt;">. La
Vergne: Hymns Ancient & Modern, 2019. </span></p>
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