A few months ago I was fortuitously tasked with giving a brief lecture on some of the similarities that are shared by two of the most captivating texts in all of Scripture. This presentation, which revolved around the books of Ezekiel and Revelation, was intended to be one of two introductory lectures that set up a new comprehensive Bible study on John’s Apocalypse that would soon take place at the church in which I serve, Cedar Grove Baptist. My task... Read more
All who dip their toes into the world of ecumenical thought should immediately recognize the relevance of John 17:21 to the project of Christian unity; it is an excerpt from an earnest prayer spoken by the Son of God that directly pertains to, and asserts, the necessity of oneness among the members of His Body. Because Christ prayed that it would be, oneness is indeed necessary. But contemplating the notion of unity betwixt Christians brings along with it some very... Read more
In my last post, I argued for the study of the Scriptures in their original languages as a means of detecting the significance of linguistic nuance, and how such nuance can inform allegorical and homiletical interpretations of the Biblical text (see pt. 1 here). This entry will conclude my written thoughts (for now) on that topic; in what follows, specific examples of what I have dubbed “etymological allegory” shall be provided as I attempt to show how crucial the original... Read more
What do you believe is enclosed within the words of the Holy Bible? Is a literal interpretation of Scripture all that is advocated by its heavenly author, or are layers of meaning lying in waiting within the Bible’s spiritually adorned letters? If you gravitate toward the latter notion, that there is much to be uncovered within the Biblical text beyond its plain interpretation, perhaps the following declaration will strike you as significant: By reading the Bible exclusively in English, one... Read more
For those among my readership who consider themselves Christians of any ilk, please take a few moments to reflect on the following three questions: Should we pray for a united Church? What steps would need to be taken for the Church to dissolve its divisions? If the Church were to become whole once again, who would be among its members? These are significant questions, some of which form the very foundation of ecumenism; their purpose with regard to this... Read more
Before we dive back into the difficulties which surround the doctrine of the Fall of Man, let us first review the analogy that I presented in part one. (See original post here). In our imagined scenario, you, the reader, are seated comfortably at the head of a dining table in the midst of an elegant eating establishment; you are prepared to enjoy a nice meal and have brought the required appetite. However, on this fictitious occasion, things aren’t quite what... Read more
In the first chapter of the book of Leviticus, displayed vibrantly are the statutes which regulate the holy rite of the burnt-offering. Here we locate the charges of the temple priest, for it is a son of Aaron who sprinkles the blood of a slaughtered beast ‘round about the altar; it is he, the cohen (priest), who strips the animal’s flesh from bone, carves it into pieces, and offers its unblemished remains upon a fiery altar as a sacrifice unto... Read more
Imagine for a moment that you are sitting at the roomy end of an upscale dining table. The temperature of the space is perfect, and, apart from your timely desire to eat, you are ferociously comfortable. On this particular occasion, you experience feelings and happenings that are supernatural. For example, your hunger is infinite (not in a horrifying way, but in a manner not unlike your current desire and need to breathe) and likewise is your ability to eat and... Read more
In the Guide for the Perplexed, Moses Maimonides, the most lauded of all Medieval Jewish philosophers, argues for the inherent rationality of ritual sacrifice, and does so by echoing a familiar sentiment that was common to at least one religious thinker who had come before him. Not unlike the early Antiochene Christian exegete Theodoret of Cyrus (see my previous post here), Maimonides saw the sacrificial system of the ancient Israelites as an institution established by God for the express purpose... Read more
The ancient theologian and once bishop of Cyrus, Theodoret, begins his series of questions on Leviticus by making a rather confident theological assertion: “I suppose not even a fool would deny that God is without need.” [i] But if the Almighty does not require ritual supplication for His own supernatural benefit, then why establish the sacrificial system for the Israelites? Theodoret suggests the following: 1. He permitted the sacrifices already practiced to safeguard from unholy reverence. Those Israelites who... Read more
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