"How are you able to believe when you receive glory from one another and the glory from the only God you do not seek?" John 5:44
Jesus here ties belief to taking honor from someone. So we can't believe God if we're not seeking His praise. I don't quite understand this principle.
As I'm reading Religious Affections I'm wont to say that belief and honor-seeking must pass through the same region of the soul, the affections. So what we love, what we hope in, has to do with whom, or for whom we seek it. We believe in God because, or perhaps I should say "and," one of the things we believe about Him is that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And if we're not seeking Him, His blessing, His "yes!," then how genuine can our claims of belief be?
Medieval divines divided faith into three parts: knowledge, assent, and trust. Belief that fails to seek it's object's praises, the rewards inherent in seeking a good and gracious God, fails the test of faith on the third mark. It understands the claims of faith and even agrees with them, but it does not put its weight on Him, does not lean on Him, does not live for Him.
Or, from this angle, if we receive praise from men, then what need have we of God's approval? If we are satisfied with the paltry honors of this life, then what need do we have of the honors to come? And if we have no need of our eschatological hope, then what need do we have of our everyday hope? Hope in what? That which I already enjoy in satisfying measure? Bah.
This verse raises many other questions. What other issues can you see here? Or, please patch up my understanding above.
30.1.08
29.1.08
Hard to...everything
Why do I always feel guilty when I read the epistles of Paul? The fire hose letters; the joy, the commands, the goals, or the combination of them gives me spiritual gas. I feel guilty because I'm only just reading them.
And that, I would say, is good guilt. Guilt that will drive a fellow to more in-depth study.
Though I must say, for "the Apostle of Grace," Paul demands a lot. Everything Jesus tells through stories and wink-nod word pictures Paul spells out in technical, jargon-filled arguments. It's glorious and great, but, gosh, grueling.
Thank You, Father, for Paul's writings, for Your Word. "Hard to understand." Yeah, and hard then to hear. But life to the soul, and hope and help. Thanks.
And that, I would say, is good guilt. Guilt that will drive a fellow to more in-depth study.
Though I must say, for "the Apostle of Grace," Paul demands a lot. Everything Jesus tells through stories and wink-nod word pictures Paul spells out in technical, jargon-filled arguments. It's glorious and great, but, gosh, grueling.
Thank You, Father, for Paul's writings, for Your Word. "Hard to understand." Yeah, and hard then to hear. But life to the soul, and hope and help. Thanks.
25.1.08
Jesus in full time ministry
Watch the painful movement of John 6.
Jesus feeds 5,000 plus. This scene crescendos in verse 15 as the crowd begins to move to make Him King. He ducks out and later walks on water.
Then! Then Jesus makes an off-putting speech about flesh-eating and blood-drinking. Many of those following Him leave. He turns to the twelve and gives them the opportunity to exit too.
Then, while they are professing their allegiance, begrudgingly, Jesus prophecies that one of them will betray them. Not just leave; Betray. Not desertion; opposition.
So, in one chapter Jesus moves from almost being made King by force, so passionately did the crowds feel for Him. By the end of the chapter the crowd was leaving Him, and they were upset. Not only that but He voices the realization that one of His twelve is going to turn against Him.
How would you respond?
Jesus feeds 5,000 plus. This scene crescendos in verse 15 as the crowd begins to move to make Him King. He ducks out and later walks on water.
Then! Then Jesus makes an off-putting speech about flesh-eating and blood-drinking. Many of those following Him leave. He turns to the twelve and gives them the opportunity to exit too.
Then, while they are professing their allegiance, begrudgingly, Jesus prophecies that one of them will betray them. Not just leave; Betray. Not desertion; opposition.
So, in one chapter Jesus moves from almost being made King by force, so passionately did the crowds feel for Him. By the end of the chapter the crowd was leaving Him, and they were upset. Not only that but He voices the realization that one of His twelve is going to turn against Him.
How would you respond?
23.1.08
Emmanuel
The Gospel of John is carefully crafted, and chock full of evidence, to show that the carpenter from Galilee is YHWH of the Old Testament. Amazing! Jesus was not determined to be God by the later church; His closest friends became aware, believed, and defended the fact that YHWH was Jesus. What an upside down world it must have felt like for them? The weak are strong; the poor, rich; the hungry, filled; The LORD, among us.
22.1.08
Killing Me
I read this essay and wanted to throw up:
When Loving You is Killing Me: Thoughts on Pastoring the Small Church
That is, I wanted to throw up because it was so good, so dead on. And the comments too. Holy Ick! It should be required reading at every seminary. It should be read out loud to the graduating class by the most popular professor.
So here's where I'm at:
I get so angry when I think that the vast majority of churches out there are the kinds of churches Michael describes.
But I don't know what to do with that anger.
1. Start a new church somewhere. I'd have to tent make, except the only tents I know to make are sermons.
2. Go oversees. I just had someone chew me out for this, like, "So you think African churches are perfect?" Okay.
3. Go to a small church and...? Get the crap kicked out of me.
Are these the options? Who goes to small, backwater, family-run, dying churches and lives to tell about it? I used to cluck my tongue about pastors lasting three years. Now I can't believe they stay so faithful. Still, what gives? Is this the way things are supposed to be? What's a brother to do?
When Loving You is Killing Me: Thoughts on Pastoring the Small Church
That is, I wanted to throw up because it was so good, so dead on. And the comments too. Holy Ick! It should be required reading at every seminary. It should be read out loud to the graduating class by the most popular professor.
So here's where I'm at:
I get so angry when I think that the vast majority of churches out there are the kinds of churches Michael describes.
But I don't know what to do with that anger.
1. Start a new church somewhere. I'd have to tent make, except the only tents I know to make are sermons.
2. Go oversees. I just had someone chew me out for this, like, "So you think African churches are perfect?" Okay.
3. Go to a small church and...? Get the crap kicked out of me.
Are these the options? Who goes to small, backwater, family-run, dying churches and lives to tell about it? I used to cluck my tongue about pastors lasting three years. Now I can't believe they stay so faithful. Still, what gives? Is this the way things are supposed to be? What's a brother to do?
21.1.08
Canonical Theology
Might I suggest another "theology" that could subsume biblical theology, and subvert systematic: Canonical Theology.
This the Interpretive process done with a view to the whole canon. Traditional hermeneutics performed with a special sensitivity to the increasingly canonically formed worldview of the authors and readers of scripture. Give priority to what we might now call "popular conception." The myths, stories, legends, symbols, etc., that stabilize the worldview of the authors and readers of the bible grow and gather the further along the history of redemption we go.
So Creation is retold in the Exodus, which is retold in Ezra-Nehemiah, which echoes into the Intertestamental period, which is the ache into which Christ steps. Eden is the image upon which the Tabernacle is built, which settles in the temple, which Jesus rebuilds on the third day and points to the re-Eden of Revelation. God acts in Creation, in the flood, in the Exodus, in the conquest, in the deportations and in the returns and so the people hold their breathes for hundreds of years for Him to act again. Only some don't hold their breathes and so, well, the New Testament account.
Canonical Theology marks the build up of worldview markers that each successive author uses to communicate his unique message and that each successive generation of readers both learn from and come to look for in the writings of their people.
UPDATE: looks like I'm johnny-come-lately.
Sailhammer
Childs
Henry
Well, I can't complain about the company.
UPDATE II: My definition of Canonical Theology is much less adventurous than Child's. He, according to Henry, was giving priority to post-canonical communities of faith and their interpretation of the passages. My proposal is merely to be sensitive to the intra-canonical web of shared stories, shaping expectations, and thus, finally, the ways in which Jesus interacts with, fulfills, and reinterprets them.
This the Interpretive process done with a view to the whole canon. Traditional hermeneutics performed with a special sensitivity to the increasingly canonically formed worldview of the authors and readers of scripture. Give priority to what we might now call "popular conception." The myths, stories, legends, symbols, etc., that stabilize the worldview of the authors and readers of the bible grow and gather the further along the history of redemption we go.
So Creation is retold in the Exodus, which is retold in Ezra-Nehemiah, which echoes into the Intertestamental period, which is the ache into which Christ steps. Eden is the image upon which the Tabernacle is built, which settles in the temple, which Jesus rebuilds on the third day and points to the re-Eden of Revelation. God acts in Creation, in the flood, in the Exodus, in the conquest, in the deportations and in the returns and so the people hold their breathes for hundreds of years for Him to act again. Only some don't hold their breathes and so, well, the New Testament account.
Canonical Theology marks the build up of worldview markers that each successive author uses to communicate his unique message and that each successive generation of readers both learn from and come to look for in the writings of their people.
UPDATE: looks like I'm johnny-come-lately.
Sailhammer
Childs
Henry
Well, I can't complain about the company.
UPDATE II: My definition of Canonical Theology is much less adventurous than Child's. He, according to Henry, was giving priority to post-canonical communities of faith and their interpretation of the passages. My proposal is merely to be sensitive to the intra-canonical web of shared stories, shaping expectations, and thus, finally, the ways in which Jesus interacts with, fulfills, and reinterprets them.
20.1.08
Hermeneutics
Here's another pass at the Hermeneutical Process:
First, examine the Text as Literature. What is it? The thing itself: words, phrases, genre, literary shape. Example: "tabernacled" in John 1.
Second, examine the History behind and surrounding the Text. Where is it coming from? The Causes. Geographic location, politics, stories, worldview. Example: the Exodus event.
Third, examine the Theology of the Text. What is it for? The Reasons. About God, Humanity, the People of God, the Future. The function of the theology: didactic, hortatory. Example: Jesus is True Israel.
First, examine the Text as Literature. What is it? The thing itself: words, phrases, genre, literary shape. Example: "tabernacled" in John 1.
Second, examine the History behind and surrounding the Text. Where is it coming from? The Causes. Geographic location, politics, stories, worldview. Example: the Exodus event.
Third, examine the Theology of the Text. What is it for? The Reasons. About God, Humanity, the People of God, the Future. The function of the theology: didactic, hortatory. Example: Jesus is True Israel.
18.1.08
Handling Proverbs or Being Handled?
How do we handle proverbs?
They are not promises; they're things that tend to happen, generally true statements.
So, like Proverbs 29:19, "By mere words a servant is not discipline." What else besides "mere words"!? Threats? Beatings? Deprivations? This is not New Testament guidance, though it is a true-ish statement.
We shouldn't follow it, but we should learn from it. Or, should we follow it?
They are not promises; they're things that tend to happen, generally true statements.
So, like Proverbs 29:19, "By mere words a servant is not discipline." What else besides "mere words"!? Threats? Beatings? Deprivations? This is not New Testament guidance, though it is a true-ish statement.
We shouldn't follow it, but we should learn from it. Or, should we follow it?
17.1.08
God Poem
Imply God?
No, confess.
Include God?
No, seek.
In addition to,
among others,
ALSO, God?
No.
Alone,
All-in-All,
Above,
In, Through, For,
All-encompassing
YHWH
No, confess.
Include God?
No, seek.
In addition to,
among others,
ALSO, God?
No.
Alone,
All-in-All,
Above,
In, Through, For,
All-encompassing
YHWH
16.1.08
Ecclesiastes
What a depressing book! Full of enigma, natural wisdom, and hopelessness.
I wonder if we can only understand Ecclesiastes if we view it in its canonical place; that is, the story of the curse driving the people of God to brute foolishness. Is it the furthest effect of the philosophical reach of the curse, this sense of despair and futility.
I would also venture to suggest that chapter 12 was added later either by Solomon or by another and stands against the rest of the book, as God's inspired evaluation of the previous chapters ("of the writing of books there is no end," i.e. never mind all that).
I wonder if we can only understand Ecclesiastes if we view it in its canonical place; that is, the story of the curse driving the people of God to brute foolishness. Is it the furthest effect of the philosophical reach of the curse, this sense of despair and futility.
I would also venture to suggest that chapter 12 was added later either by Solomon or by another and stands against the rest of the book, as God's inspired evaluation of the previous chapters ("of the writing of books there is no end," i.e. never mind all that).
15.1.08
Corinthian churches
The letters to Corinth make me sad. Why is this the way it is? Why are most churches Corinthian churches? Why are they such bogs of dysfunction? Why are gospel-hearers such marked, ludicrous people?
Things didn't become this way because of America or Christendom; they've always been this way! Always.
Sometimes my faithless self hears the bible say, "All things work together for pain, anxiety, frustration and conflict for those who love God." But no, the text says,"...good..." "Good." So then I ask, "Is life so much pain, etc.?" Yes. "Then is it that the badness is good?" No; rather, it is "all things."
The problem is my faithless impulse to interpret "things" as results and not hope in the good that's being worked. I mean, to see the pain of life in the grammatical location of "good," so instead of good, we receive bad.
But instead the badness of life is "all things" which result in "good." It's hard. Faith needs much courage.
It's hard, Father. Hard. Help me believe, and yet also spare me and my family from being made spectacles. I don't understand right now and my flesh speaks foolishness in my heart. Forgive me, Father, and give me wisdom, faith and love. Let me see You above all and nothing shall interpose. Only share that vision with my loved ones.
Things didn't become this way because of America or Christendom; they've always been this way! Always.
Sometimes my faithless self hears the bible say, "All things work together for pain, anxiety, frustration and conflict for those who love God." But no, the text says,"...good..." "Good." So then I ask, "Is life so much pain, etc.?" Yes. "Then is it that the badness is good?" No; rather, it is "all things."
The problem is my faithless impulse to interpret "things" as results and not hope in the good that's being worked. I mean, to see the pain of life in the grammatical location of "good," so instead of good, we receive bad.
But instead the badness of life is "all things" which result in "good." It's hard. Faith needs much courage.
It's hard, Father. Hard. Help me believe, and yet also spare me and my family from being made spectacles. I don't understand right now and my flesh speaks foolishness in my heart. Forgive me, Father, and give me wisdom, faith and love. Let me see You above all and nothing shall interpose. Only share that vision with my loved ones.
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