Paul got to Athens before Silas and Timothy, and while there contemplating the spiritual condition of Athens, Paul becomes vexed about idolatry, and here is a potent missional issue: discernment of spiritual condition. Notice what is said of Paul in Athens and his ascent onto the Areopagus: 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset because he saw the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the... Read more
Scot has posted a few time over the last month on the topic of anthropogenic global warming (AGW), either as a short question or as part of Weekly Meanderings. One of the things that surprised me in the ensuing conversation, both on the blog and on facebook, was the sentiment expressed by some that global warming was theologically and scientifically impossible. In connection with my post last week on a related topic, Bob Robinson made reference to a document from... Read more
Robin Parry’s (aka, Gregory Macdonald’s) book The Evangelical Universalist examines whether or not Jesus believed in an eternal conscious hell and, by the time he’s done, he suggests there is a text that might suggest Jesus moved in a universalist direction. Gehenna, Parry argues, did not refer to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem but was an image from the prophets for a place of destruction and burning. Thus he refers to texts like Isa 30:33 and 66:24. Gehenna for Jesus meant a... Read more
I cannot comprehend how the hapless Bears could have won the last two weeks. They beat the best team in the NFC, the Minnesooooda Vikings, and then they beat the Lions. Two weekends in a row, two wins in a row. And I’m beginning to think the Commish needs to investigate. Some teams, like the Colts, just rolled over the last two weeks to protect their players from injuries so they could be rested and healthy for the playoffs. So,... Read more
We resume our series now on the Book of Acts and the theme of Mission. One church whose singular description has become a stereotype is that of Berea. There is a memorial today in modern Verria to Paul’s preaching in Berea. Here is the text from Acts: 17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 17:11 These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they... Read more
Those who “like” or “find delight” in the Book of Revelation remind me of those who watched The Titanic and thought it was romantic and cute but failed to miss that thousands died a brutal, terrifying and tragic death. Robin Parry’s (aka, Gregory Macdonald’s) book The Evangelical Universalist examines the Book of Revelation because, if truth be told, the guts of the Christian belief in hell and judgment emerge as much from this (violent) book as much as from anywhere else. Can... Read more
it is not uncommon for an innocent Bible reader to read a text like the flood of Noah or the death of the firstborn in Egypt and wonder how in the world God can be involved in such actions, and then to ask what such acts would inform the Bible believer about what God is like. Some just tell such folks to knock it off or to silence such critical thoughts or they offer thoroughly unacceptable theories, but others want... Read more
Social justice folks need to read this; those nervous about social justice folks also need to read this book: Tight Fists or Open Hands?: Wealth and Poverty in Old Testament Law . Why? This is a careful, descriptive, and fair-minded examination of what the Old Testament says about all the things that concern anyone concerned about social justice concerns. That is, David L. Baker (the Australian David Baker), examines each of these themes over against their Ancient Near Eastern contexts:... Read more
From the NYTimes: Bono makes ten suggestions for the next ten years. What do you think of his suggestions? (You can see his top ten at the link above.) IF we have overindulged in anything these past several days, it is neither holiday ham nor American football; it is Top 10 lists. We have been stuffed full of them. Even in these self-restrained pages, it has been impossible to avoid the end-of-the-decade accountings of the 10 best such-and-suches and the... Read more
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Read more
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