tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53353060713496151672024-03-09T11:17:15.783-08:00Stan.PointScholarly commentary on culture, communication, religion, and politicsStan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-22970262050976394022024-03-09T11:16:00.000-08:002024-03-09T11:16:41.165-08:00Excessive Righteousness 2: Monotheism<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">Pharisees … asked Him a question …<b><sup> </sup></b>“Teacher,
which is the great commandment in the law?”<b><sup> </sup></b>Jesus
said … </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">“‘You
shall love the </span></i></span><span class="small-caps"><i><span style="color: black; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;"> your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind.’</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">This is the first and great commandment.”</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(Matthew
22:34-38</span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">)</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTq0Bbf-ZE48CZpIymJwgMPogtzBlSCVMJeJv-nfgsTkDVYQRY2D6Q6kAGI2Gz9t-QP7baKl95RnKNx5m_Hj7wZ2xt3-NT7IBwdjOXdBLl1MTFgkdl1FppVFL5w-gJK6p5JvXZFaYr0T14WlyqQcTYF43KIaV1-kAeNxrZZ9rfvWMx2fAD5CpXoRj9vHw/s1500/Greatest-Commandment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="1500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTq0Bbf-ZE48CZpIymJwgMPogtzBlSCVMJeJv-nfgsTkDVYQRY2D6Q6kAGI2Gz9t-QP7baKl95RnKNx5m_Hj7wZ2xt3-NT7IBwdjOXdBLl1MTFgkdl1FppVFL5w-gJK6p5JvXZFaYr0T14WlyqQcTYF43KIaV1-kAeNxrZZ9rfvWMx2fAD5CpXoRj9vHw/s320/Greatest-Commandment.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><br />Matthew 5:20 (NKJV) records Jesus’ warning: </span><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“Unless your righteousness exceeds</span></em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="woj"><i>the
righteousness</i> of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter
the kingdom of heaven.” </span><span class="text">If one would have righteousness
that exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees (and righteousness can be
defined as “fulfilling the commandments”), it is prudent to begin with what
both Jesus and the Pharisees agree is the greatest <i>commandment</i>. Matthew
22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27 all record the saying of Jesus cited at the
first of this post. While the saying of Jesus in Matthew and Luke is truncated from
the full command from Deuteronomy, Mark and the Jews emphasize the <i>full</i>
text of what they call the <i>Shema</i>. The term <i>Shema</i> is translated
“Hear!” and the entire <i>Shema</i> is as follows:</span> “Hear, O Israel: The <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span> our
God, the <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span> <i>is</i> one!
You shall love the <span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span> your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV). Jews believe that their righteousness with regard to
this command exceeds the righteousness of Christians because of the emphasis of
the Shema on <i>monotheism</i>: The LORD our God … is one. They suggest that
Christian teachings of the Trinity set up three Gods, rather than just the <i>one</i>.
Before we consider <i>how</i> to fulfill the greatest commandment, we need to,
first, tackle the question of who God is.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="va-top" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOU0XbxWzA_KCekSn7Rkqc1T7BfLvjI_0TaY9PjkD2m240rzB-puRT025pyBje8hHMFZO149FTeg8PHQRrU-WcQupwLfww9bcOs17m3dO9GfnVmdmcnzb4Byj3rRrqFudTPKl_Bn6sshKcbk-T8Wpln-uk7H3bLZ9O7womm2H9_w4vOPCCZiIePTcBSyFp/s1280/trinity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="1280" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOU0XbxWzA_KCekSn7Rkqc1T7BfLvjI_0TaY9PjkD2m240rzB-puRT025pyBje8hHMFZO149FTeg8PHQRrU-WcQupwLfww9bcOs17m3dO9GfnVmdmcnzb4Byj3rRrqFudTPKl_Bn6sshKcbk-T8Wpln-uk7H3bLZ9O7womm2H9_w4vOPCCZiIePTcBSyFp/s320/trinity.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />Henry
Fischel, my (Jewish) major professor of Hebrew at Indiana University pointed
out to me that the word “Trinity” appears in neither the Old Testament nor the
New Testament. Nevertheless, the words “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” do appear
together in the baptismal formula of Matthew 28:19 (NKJV): “</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit.” On the day of Pentecost, Peter, however, used a somewhat
different baptismal formula: “<span style="background: white;">Then Peter said to
them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38 NKJV). Paul was told by Ananias in </span>Acts 22:16
(NKJV) “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of
the Lord.” And, <span style="background: white;">Paul simply mentions baptism
into “Christ Jesus” in Romans 6:3-4 (NKJV): <span class="text">Or do you not know
that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism
into death.” It seems to me that <i>any</i> of these baptismal formulas is
acceptable—so long as it is <i>Jesus</i> into whom one is baptized. Acts 19:1-5
recounts Paul’s rebaptism of twelve individuals in Ephesus who were baptized
only with John the Baptist’s baptism—a baptism of repentance, with no reference
to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Paul baptized them “</span>in the name of the Lord
Jesus.” Then Paul (an apostle) laid hands on them and they received gifts of
the Holy Spirit—tongues and prophecy. Spiritual gifts were conferred only by
the laying on of the hands of apostles (Google: “Stan.Point Logic of Christianity
17”). Yet, all Christians who are baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ …
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 NKJV). What exactly that “gift
of the Holy Spirit” is will be considered momentarily.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Another passage that
uses the </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">words meaning Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit together is actually not in the earliest texts; it is a
later <i>textual addition</i>—1 John 5:7 (NKJV): </span><span class="font-bold"><span style="border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">For there are
three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit;
and these three are one.” Although Christians often cite this passage as
evidence of a doctrine of Trinity, the words “the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Spirit” are not in the earliest texts of 1 John. The vast majority of
recent translations recognize this fact by excluding the terminology from this
passage--</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/csb/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Holman
Christian Standard Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/esv/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">English
Standard Version</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">New American
Standard Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">New
International Version</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">New Living
Translation</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">New Revised
Standard</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/asv/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">American
Standard Version</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ceb/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Common English
Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">The Complete
Jewish Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/dby/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">The Darby
Translation</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Good News
Translation</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/gw/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">GOD'S WORD
Translation</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/leb/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Lexham English
Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ncv/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">New Century
Version</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/nirv/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">New
International Reader's Version</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/rsv/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Revised
Standard Version</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/web/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">World English
Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
and </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/wnt/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Weymouth New
Testament</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
The </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/sblg/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">SBL Greek New
Testament</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
and even </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/vul/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">The Latin
Vulgate</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
have also eliminated the language. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">As cited above,
the New King James Version retains the language, as it seeks to remain close to
the old King James Version, published in 1611 (before modern textual criticism
demonstrated that the words were a late addition). Other old translations--</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/wyc/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Wycliffe</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> published from <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">1382 to 1395, </span></span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/tyn/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Tyndale</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">published </span>c.<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> 1522–1535, the </span></span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/rhe/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Douay-Rheims
Catholic Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
published 1582, and </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/wbt/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">the Webster
Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
published 1833<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">—have the Trinitarian language, along with lesser known recent
translations--</span></span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/jub/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Jubilee Bible
2000</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
</span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/tmb/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Third
Millennium Bible</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
and </span><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/ylt/1-john/5-7.html"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt solid rgb(229, 231, 235); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: solid #E5E7EB .25pt; padding: 0in;">Young's
Literal Translation</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">.
One should not base one’s Trinitarian doctrine on the 1 John 5:7 passage. It
was not in the original text.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Holy Spirit</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFA0ZcOBPZislFTvZVUpx3j-V6poBFz5_v-hUuXdfa5ro11EQiTQroiEw3kMskYEu1NZDfD22npKAKyWxq9DBDoKJVXedK4D8KZTxhLJKpFyZfVtGyF8pDp4Hn2s1djBr63buZuEQDqECfpSqX8OLV_nmSIzSNjU1C_KlHYnGINX7s6t9D59cxkT-BkLW/s1781/Holy-Spirit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1781" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFA0ZcOBPZislFTvZVUpx3j-V6poBFz5_v-hUuXdfa5ro11EQiTQroiEw3kMskYEu1NZDfD22npKAKyWxq9DBDoKJVXedK4D8KZTxhLJKpFyZfVtGyF8pDp4Hn2s1djBr63buZuEQDqECfpSqX8OLV_nmSIzSNjU1C_KlHYnGINX7s6t9D59cxkT-BkLW/s320/Holy-Spirit.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />It is not blasphemous to
suggest to a Jew that the Holy Spirit exists. There are more than sixty
passages in the Hebrew Old Testament explicitly mentioning the Holy Spirit (aka
the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the LORD, Your [i.e., God’s] Spirit, the
Spirit, My [i.e., God’s] Spirit, Your [i.e., God’s] good Spirit, a new Spirit,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the
Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the <span class="sc"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span>). These passages mentioning
the Holy Spirit begin in Genesis 1:2 with the Spirit of God hovering over the
face of the waters at the beginning of Creation. Furthermore, Jews understand
that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prophecy. That means the Holy Spirit is
that which God placed <i>in His prophets</i> to deliver His messages to humans.
The Pharisees believed that the operation of God’s Holy Spirit to inspire
prophecy ceased with Malachi—which they assumed to be the last <i>inspired</i> book
of the Bible. For this reason, they could not accept John the Baptist as a
prophet, let alone accept the early Christian prophets. Nevertheless, they
still believed that God could speak to humans through the occasional words of
children and the mentally handicapped (indelicately called “fools” by the Jews).
This was still the Holy Spirit operating. Jesus alluded to this phenomenon on
Palm Sunday in Matthew 21:15-16 (NKJV): “</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">But when the chief priests and scribes saw … the children
crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they
were indignant<b><sup> </sup></b>and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these
are saying?’</span></span><span style="color: black;"> <span class="text">And Jesus
said to them, </span><span class="woj">‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of
the mouth of babes and nursing infants</span> <span class="woj">You have
perfected praise” [Psalm 8:2]?”</span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Pharisees also believed that God’s spirit
continued to speak to humans through what they called a Bat Qol (or Bat Kol: a
mysterious voice from Heaven). According to “</span><a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/bat-kol-a-divine-voice/">Bat
Kol: A Divine Voice | My Jewish Learning</a>”:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><em>[B]at kol</em>, literally “daughter of a voice,” refers
to a heavenly voice that proclaims God’s will or a divine judgment in a matter
of legal dispute. The term itself doesn’t appear anywhere in the Hebrew Bible,
though God’s voice is heard frequently in the Bible. Later sources indicate
that there were bat kols in biblical times that were not recorded in the text,
as in the <span class="m-tooltipcontainer">Talmud</span>’s declaration that
a bat kol announced the death of Moses. The clearest statement of the
nature of the bat kol is the Talmud’s declaration that the bat kol served as a
means of communication between God and humankind after the end of the prophetic
era. Though this teaching clearly connects a bat kol to the prophecies of the
Bible, instances of the latter indicate explicitly in the text that it is God
speaking, while the language of “daughter of a voice” concerning a bat kol
suggests it is some sense a lesser (yet still divinely originating) voice. The
Tosafot, commenting on a passage concerning a bat kol in Tractate Sanhedrin,
distinguishes it from a voice that descends directly from heaven (which might
refer to traditional prophecy), comparing it instead to an echo, a voice that
emerges from within another voice. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">The term appears only twice in the Mishnah, but it is found
frequently in the Talmud.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Bottom Line:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pharisees also believed that God’s Spirit
was/is active in the Bat Qol. Christians will note: a Bat Qol occurs at Jesus’s
baptism and another at his transfiguration. Furthermore, a Bat Qol of Jesus’s
voice speaks to Saul of Tarsus at his conversion. The fact that Christians
believe that the Holy Spirit is still active (though, like the Jews, believing
that the age of prophecy is <i>now</i> ceased) does not suggest that Christian
doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit is blasphemous or even inferior to the
views of the Pharisees. The Jews have no problem believing that the existence
of the Spirit of God does not compromise their doctrine of monotheism. Why
should they contend that Christian belief in the Holy Spirit would compromise a
doctrine of monotheism?</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The “Talmud’s
declaration that the bat kol served as a means of <i>communication between God
and humankind</i>” (emphasis mine) is a fair description of all activity of the
Holy Spirit (not just the Bat Qol). The Holy Spirit spoke through prophets,
children, the Bat Qol, angels, the written word, and directly (from God to
humans). Jewish scholar G. F. Moore links three terms together in his chapter
entitled, "The Word of God:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Spirit," Moore states, "God's will is made known or effectuated in
the world not only through personal agents (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ANGELS</i>),
but directly by his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WORD</i> or by his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SPIRIT</i>" (emphases mine). The Apostle
Paul, in Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV), is in agreement with Moore’s observation: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And take … the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Although the English is
confusing, the word “which” in this passage cannot be referring back to the
term “sword,” since, in the Greek, “sword” is a feminine noun and “which” is a
neuter pronoun. The only neuter noun “which” could refer back to is the neuter
noun “Spirit.” <i>The Spirit is the word of God</i>, just as Moore
demonstrates. (Incidentally, the Greek word for “word,” here, is not <i>logos</i>,
but <i>rhēma</i>, from the same root as “rhetoric.” This might indicate that in
the armor of God, His Spirit of <i>persuasion</i> is the sword we wield;
whereas, God’s Word/<i>Logos</i> in John’s Gospel might refer more to His
powerful spoken <i>fiats</i> of creation. (Since my Ph.D. is in Communication,
I pay close attention to such distinctions.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since Jesus
emphasizes that God is spirit (John 4:24) and the facts that the “Spirit of
God” is hovering over the face of the waters and God is speaking “words” are
all found in Genesis 1:1-3, the possibility of the Word/<i>Logos</i> of John
chapter 1 being identified as the Spirit of God is a distinct possibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God and His Word are one and the same. There
is no threat to the doctrine of monotheism when God and His Spirit are
mentioned as existing together any more than there would be the implication
that my words when uttered are somehow different from me as a single human
being. Later in the first chapter of John, the <i>Logos</i>-becomes-flesh (as
Jesus) and dwells among us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The fact that God (His
Spirit) <i>speaks</i> to the darkness (creating light), to the waters (creating
a firmament and, later, creating sea creatures, birds, beasts, cattle, and
creeping things), to the land (creating vegetation), etc., does not preclude
God from <i>communicating</i> with humans, as well, through His Holy Spirit. 2
Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) states: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” While
Jesus purchased “grace” for us, and God so “loved” the world that He gave Jesus
to us, the Holy Spirit offers us “communion with Him.” The word translated
“communion” is the Greek word <i>koinōnia</i> (frequently, translated
“fellowship”). It means, sharing or having things in common. The English words
“common,” “communion,” and “communication” have the same root. As a professor
of “communication,” I can assure you that you will have great difficulty in
“communicating” with another human, unless you have things <i>in common</i>
with that individual (especially, a <i>common</i> language). Japanese-speaking
and English-speaking individuals have great difficulty communicating until they
learn each other’s language. In John 14:16-18 (NKJV), Jesus promises: “I will
pray the Father and He will give you another Helper [<i>paraclete</i>,
literally: one whom you call alongside you, such as a friend or companion],
that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth … you know Him, for He
dwells with you and will be in you.” This is what Peter meant on the day of
Pentecost, when he promised that those who are baptized will receive the “gift
of the Holy Spirit” <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(Acts 2:38 NKJV). God doesn’t need to give you miraculous
gifts of prophecy, healing, miracles, tongues, etc. for you to simply enjoy His
company and communicate with Him.</span> <span style="color: black;">Everything
you would hope to find when communicating with your best friend—<i>liberty</i>,
<i>righteousness</i>, <i>peace</i>, and <i>joy</i>—you will find in God’s
companionship through His Holy Spirit.</span> “Where the Spirit of the Lord is
there is <i>liberty</i>” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NKJV). Romans 14:17 (NKJV) states
that there is “<i><span style="color: black;">righteousness</span></i><span style="color: black;"> and <i>peace</i> and <i>joy</i> in the Holy Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) even adds to the benefits of being the companion of
the Holy Spirit: “<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">the fruit of
the Spirit is <i>love</i>, <i>joy</i>, <i>peace</i>, <i>longsuffering</i>,
<i>kindness</i>, <i>goodness</i>, <i>faithfulness</i>, <i>gentleness</i>,
<i>self-control</i>.” The words of the genie in the Disney movie “Aladdin” should
more accurately be applied to the Holy Spirit: “You ain’t never had a friend
like me!” Not only is He our friend, He is our teacher, the One who reminds us
of things God has commanded us. “</span></span><span style="background: white;">He
will teach [us] all things, and bring to [our] remembrance all things that [Jesus]
said to [us].” (John 14:26 NKJV). <span class="text">He will guide us “into all
truth” (John 16:12). That’s true communication. That’s communion. That’s the
Holy Spirit.</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Father and the Son</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWBaObIKadFtTNWlcily1nc5i49XZAHl9leFn4Gm-qEILKZXLsQmkioVy0-e6IAklW699wgBTFS0P_HCdyOsEDZfsdG2Z3hMzP4ZX9IFDhxEXYPO8Ai5O2ZoifwipDzaytJf3Gl1t1Z7dEoModoezwsqqyIqbpAfjSlIRsTnp1NScjSpt3sufBSe6F2iV/s1296/God's%20Throne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1296" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWBaObIKadFtTNWlcily1nc5i49XZAHl9leFn4Gm-qEILKZXLsQmkioVy0-e6IAklW699wgBTFS0P_HCdyOsEDZfsdG2Z3hMzP4ZX9IFDhxEXYPO8Ai5O2ZoifwipDzaytJf3Gl1t1Z7dEoModoezwsqqyIqbpAfjSlIRsTnp1NScjSpt3sufBSe6F2iV/s320/God's%20Throne.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />The
Pharisees would have no problem believing in God the Father. Several Old
Testament passages—Deuteronomy 32:6, Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 3:19, Psalm 68:5,
Jeremiah 31:9, Isaiah 63:16, and Malachi 2:10—all refer to God as Father.
Several other passages refer to (especially Israel as) His son/s. To say that
Christians believe in God the Father is not problematic, although, most
frequently, the father-son relationship of God in the Old Testament is with
Israel as His son. Perhaps, the reason some Jews might shy away from the
“Father” language—except to say that Abraham is their father—is that Christians
use the terminology in connection with His relationship to Jesus. This is the
stumbling block over which two millennia of Jews have tripped. When the New
Testament refers to Jesus as the Son of God, Jews consider that to be
polytheistic rather than monotheistic. This Pharisaic thought process is
encapsulated in John 10:33-36 (NKJV): </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but
for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="text">Jesus answered
them, </span><span class="woj">“Is it not written in your law,</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">‘I said, “You are gods”’?</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">If He called them gods,</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">to whom the word of God came (and the
Scripture</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">cannot be
broken),</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">do you say of Him</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">whom the Father sanctified and</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">sent into the world, ‘You are
blaspheming,’</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">because I
said, ‘I am</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">the Son of God’?”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus is, here,
defending Himself for claiming to be the “Son of God.” To defend Himself, Jesus
cites Psalm 82 (NKJV):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="line" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">God stands in the congregation of the [gods,
re: LXX];</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />
<span class="text">He judges among the gods.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="line" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></sup></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">How long will you judge unjustly,</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />
<span class="text">And show partiality to the wicked? <i>…</i></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="line" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I said, “You <i>are</i> gods,</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />
<span class="text">And all of you <i>are</i> [sons] of the Most High.</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><o:p></o:p></sup></b></span></p>
<p class="line" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">But you shall die like men.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Michael S. Heiser
(2008, page 3) states: “many scholars consider Psalm 82 to be either a vestige
of polytheism overlooked by monotheistic redactors or perhaps a deliberate
rhetorical use of Israel’s polytheistic past to declare the new outlook of
monotheism. After the exile, so it is put forth, the gods of the nations are
relegated to the status of angels.” Jesus and John, apparently, did not get that
memo. Even “angels” is not an appropriate translation for “gods” in this
passage for Jesus, John, and, implicitly, their Jewish audience. I discuss both
the John 10 and Psalm 82 passages in my book <i>Angels and Demons</i> (page
82):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus is quoted in John 10:33-36 as clearly implying
that the term “sons of the Most High” (from Psalm 82:6 …) refers to “human
judges.” Human judges are even called “gods/ELOHIM” in both Psalm 82:6 and
Exodus 22 ... Jesus was making the point that it was not blasphemous for him to
be called “god” or “son of God,” if even humans (judges) could be called “gods”
and “sons of the Most High.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Those whom God has
called “gods” and “sons of the Most High” in Psalm 82 will “die like men.”
There are no accounts in the Bible of gods or angels dying.” Isaiah 14:15 does say
that Lucifer will die, but Lucifer is not an angel or any kind of divine being.
In <i>Angels and Demons</i> (page 96), I observe: “Granted, if we begin reading
in the middle of [Isaiah chapter 14], at verse 12, Lucifer can appear to be a
powerful angel who has fallen because of his attempt to rebel against ‘the Most
High.’ That is, until we reach verse 16 (where it is clear that Lucifer is a
man): ‘They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee,
[saying, Is] this the MAN that made the earth to tremble, that did shake
kingdoms?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Verses 18-20 (KJV),
furthermore, point out that Lucifer is a ‘king.’”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">On page 108 of his
book, Bauckham states: “Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions … always accepted
the existence of … [other] supernatural beings: angels … demons.” Without
further belaboring this point, I will direct any interested readers to my book <i>Angels
and Demons</i>, where I dispute the unambiguous existence of fallen angels in
the Bible and point out that the Gospel representations of demons are
misunderstood. Fallen angels and demons exist in non-canonical writings between
the Old and New Testament and (later) in the patristic writings, however. Jewish
scholar Bernard Bamberger admits that point, but concludes in his book <i>Fallen
Angels</i> (page 55): “The astounding thing is that, after some centuries of
experimentation with this idea, [by the first century AD] the authoritative
teachers of Judaism dropped it altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>… The main line of Jewish thought returned to an uncompromising
monotheism in which there was no room for satanic rebels.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Certainly, according
to Jesus and John, the 82<sup>nd</sup> Psalm is not to be taken to suggest that
there are other “gods”—the various gods of the nations who meet from
time-to-time in congregation with God Almighty. Such an interpretation is
polytheistic; it also would make absolutely no sense for Jesus to use such a
passage (with such a doctrine) to defend himself against a charge of blasphemy.
From Jesus’s statement in the John 10 passage, alone, one might even infer that
Jesus saw Himself as a mere human (judge?) and not as a divine being at all.
However, John who records the event, sees something quite beyond a mere human
judge in Jesus. John chapter 1 will be discussed momentarily.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Another tack one
might make concerning a Christology of Jesus is found in Revelation 4-5. While
Jesus identifies Himself as the “Son of God” to the church at Thyatira in
Revelation 2:18, typically Revelation refers to Him as the Lamb. (Note that
Revelation 14:1 refers to the Lamb and His Father.) Just looking at Revelation 4-5,
however, Jesus is presented as newly worthy of praise along with the Father—a
new development in Heaven. I point out on pages 116-118 of my book <i>Apocalyptic
Apologetic</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">No Jew would
object [to Revelation chapter 4] … All are agreed that all creation should
“worship” the Lord God Almighty because of his creation of all things. The <i>Baruch
Atah</i> prayer of the Jews from the time of the Mishnah (</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Ber. 6:1)<span class="text"> unto
the present time attests to that. The Shema of Israel attests that the Lord our
God is One.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">Then
comes Jesus, in chapter 5 … the great stumbling block for many Jews. Chapter 5
has the audacity to explain how Jesus, like the Lord God Almighty, is now also
“worthy” of praise and worship and blessing. … “every creature which is in
heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea”
[Revelation 5:13] … say: “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto
him that sits upon the throne, <i>and to the Lamb</i> forever and ever” (KJV).</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">What
made him worthy? He “was slain and … redeemed us to God by [his] blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation” (verse 9). Therefore, … angels,
living creatures, and elders … proclaimed: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory,
and blessing” (verse 12).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Jesus
and God are, thus, now both worthy of worship. This is what Jews stumble over.
Christians worship </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">both</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> God and Christ.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Even so, perhaps,
these two chapters could be taken to suggest that God Almighty is the only God.
In my book <i>Revelation: The Human Drama</i> (page 127), I point out: “Jesus
is never referred to as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pantokratôr</i>
(the Almighty)” in Revelation. Perhaps, it could be argued that Jesus (as a
man) is worthy of worship because <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">He
“was slain and … redeemed us to God by [His] blood out of every kindred and
tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). God is worshiped as Creator.
Jesus is worshiped as our supreme sacrifice who redeemed us.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmj1FY4hicRrlJ8nb55NMCN9z_J8uqYhbhO18yVyM5hPyyl1Vh3WtLQrWurqwB8ftck6NJjXndS6BjhWaep2R_p8ZieTqeKinRX0pQyDjj1onCxXo6jS6hhDsFlte2rPS-a0LmSebxWbElQeIz8i_uBYntmeXCR07ac8_mvfNO136cLp48Q4u_xwnlCp2/s218/ImplicitRhetoric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="134" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmj1FY4hicRrlJ8nb55NMCN9z_J8uqYhbhO18yVyM5hPyyl1Vh3WtLQrWurqwB8ftck6NJjXndS6BjhWaep2R_p8ZieTqeKinRX0pQyDjj1onCxXo6jS6hhDsFlte2rPS-a0LmSebxWbElQeIz8i_uBYntmeXCR07ac8_mvfNO136cLp48Q4u_xwnlCp2/s1600/ImplicitRhetoric.jpg" width="134" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />On the other hand, Jesus is explicitly
identified as the “beginning (<i>archē</i>) of the creation of God” in
Revelation 3:14. Some translators interpret this passage to suggest that Jesus
was the first being whom God created. Possibly, sensing that viewing Jesus as
the “beginning” of the creation of God, in Revelation 3:14, presents problems
for Christology, G. K. Beale (p. 298), elaborately takes <b><i>archē</i> </b>in
the verse as the equivalent of <b><i>prōtotokos</i> [first-born] of all
creation</b><span style="background: white;"> in Col 1:15 and </span><b><i>prōtotokos</i>
[first-born] from the dead</b><span style="background: white;"> in Col 1:18).
Beale admits that “most commentators think … the titles in 3:14 … link Jesus to
the original creation.”</span> Nevertheless, Beale argues, that <b><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;">the beginning of God’s creation</span></b>
in Rev 3:14, instead, designates “Christ as the sovereign inaugurator of the
new creation … not over the original creation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, the terms <b><i>archē</i>/beginning</b> and <b><i>telos</i>/end</b>,
are used by Revelation to refer to <i>both</i> God and Jesus (21:6, 22:13). In
21:6, <b>the <i>archē</i> and the <i>telos</i></b> is a title for God. In
22:13, <b>the <i>archē</i> and the <i>telos</i> </b>is a title for Jesus. Since
Revelation would never suggest that <i>God</i> had a “beginning/efficient
cause” or an “end/final cause,” John is probably referring in these<b> <i>archē</i>
and <i>telos</i> </b>formulas, instead, to a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">process</i> that has a beginning/efficient cause [<b><i>archē</i></b>],
namely, God’s <b>creation</b> (3:14). </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Jesus is not just a man—He is the <b><i>archē</i></b>
of creation, for John. What does that mean? Craig Koester tries a translation
taking <b><i>archē</i></b> to mean “ruler” (of creation), but that does not
work, because John’s word for “ruler” is <span class="italic"><b><i>archōn</i></b></span>
(see Revelation 1:5), not <b><i>archē. </i></b>Furthermore, since John employs
the polar opposites<b> <i>archē</i> and <i>telos</i></b> in 21:6 and 22:13 in
parallel with the polar opposites<b> alpha and the omega</b><span style="background: white;">, plus in parallel with </span>the polar opposites<span style="background: white;"> </span><b>first and last</b><span style="background: white;"> in 22:13, John’s use of</span><b> <i>archē</i> </b>as “ruler” does not
make sense. What would be the polar opposite of ruler? Servant, perhaps, but
not<b> <i>telos</i>/end</b>.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: 0.2pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some New Testament
passages suggest that Jesus was the creator of the universe. Related to 1
Corinthians 8:6, Richard Bauckham (<i>Jesus and the God of Israel</i>, p. 29) sees
something <i>entelechial</i> in his discussion of Rom 11:36a, wherein “from
him, and through him, and to him [are] all things”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“refers to God.” Yet, “in 1 Corinthians 8:6,
Paul has divided it between God and Christ, applying to God two of the prepositions
that describe God’s relationship as Creator (“from” and “for” or “to”) and the
third of these prepositions (“through”) to Christ. …That God is not only the
agent or efficient cause [understand: <b><i>archē</i></b>]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of creation (“from him are all things”) and
the final cause or goal [understand: <b><i>telos</i></b>] of all things (“to
him are all things”), but also the instrumental cause [which also figures in
entelechy] (“through him are all things”) well expresses the typical Jewish
monotheistic concern that God used no one else to carry out his work of
creation, but accomplished it alone, solely by means of his own Word … Paul’s
reformulation in I Corinthians 8:6 includes Christ in this exclusively divine
work of creation by giving to him the role of instrumental cause.” <a name="_Hlk160622314">Similar language is also used in Colossians 1:16-17, with the
agent or efficient cause (understand: <b><i>archē</i></b>), the instrumental
cause, and the final cause (understand: <b><i>telos</i></b>) all being applied
to Christ.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Furthermore, that
most important <b><i>Logos</i></b> Hymn of John states that all things were
made by the <b><i>Logos</i></b>. As discussed earlier in this blogpost and
quite frequently in several of my previous posts, I am inclined to understand <b><i>Logos</i></b>
as the Holy Spirit or Word of God. But God’s Holy Spirit also took on flesh and
dwelt among us in the person of Jesus (John 1:14). How is it possible that
Jesus took on flesh somewhere around 4-6 BC and yet was present <b><i>en archē</i></b>
to create the universe? Through the principle of entelechy:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Consider
the way that one-celled amoeba/protozoa reproduce by simply dividing themselves.
There is no way of knowing which of the two “daughter cells” thus produced is
the parent and which is the child, and yet <i>both</i> of them were active in
the actions of the original amoeba/protozoa. If God and Jesus were active
together “as one” <b><i>en archē</i></b>, they both participated in creation,
even if Jesus took on flesh at a later date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Consider
the various passages that suggest that children, grandchildren, great
grandchildren, and beyond are active in the loins of their fathers (John 3:3-4,
Hebrews 7:1-10, Romans 5:12-21, and 1 Corinthians 15:22). If all of Adam’s
offspring preexist in the loins of Adam and are somehow held accountable for
the actions of their father Adam, because they participated in his sin, then
God and Jesus were active together “as one” <b><i>en archē</i></b>, as they
both participated in creation even if Jesus took on flesh at a later date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Consider
that, mystically, when they become husband and wife, two individuals—man and
woman—become <i>one</i> flesh. In like fashion, when Jesus’s life in the flesh
is completed, He returns to God and becomes “<i>one</i>” with Him again (John
10:30, 14:10-11, 20).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since entelechy observes that all
endings (<b><i>telos</i></b>) are implicit in their beginnings (<b><i>en archē</i></b>),
and since the Father and Son are both called <b><i>archē</i></b> by John in
Revelation, and the <b><i>Logos</i></b> is present <b><i>en archē</i></b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in John 1, verses such as the following are
much easier to understand from the perspective of entelechy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eph
1:4: “He chose us ἐν <b>[<i>en</i>] </b>Him before the foundation of the
world.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
17:24: “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">1
Pet 1:20: “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Matt
25:34: “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Matt
13:35: “I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">2
Tim 1:9: “grace which was given to us ἐν <b>[<i>en</i>] </b>Christ Jesus before
time began.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Heb
9:26: “He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the
world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Acts
15:18:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Known to God from eternity
are all His works.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 89.3pt; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 0in 89.3pt; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Not only are all
of God’s works known to Him from eternity, but they are also known to <i>Logos</i>
and <i>Logos</i>-become-flesh. </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">If, therefore, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit know absolute
truth, concerning everything, there is no point of disagreement between them concerning
anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People do not disagree about
things that are considered “known facts.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(The only room for rhetoric—the art of persuading someone that something
is “probably or possibly” true, as opposed to simply stating that something is
“definitely” true—is if there are questions that have at least two
possible-but-unknown answers.) If people have trouble understanding how the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can rule the universe, without any conflict among
them, it is because they <i>never argue</i>; they <i>never disagree</i>, they
don’t have differing <i>opinions</i>, because they <i>know</i> “absolute truth”
for certain. The great theological danger of polytheism is not the idea that
God has a Son and a Spirit (explainable by entelechy). It is that he had a
divine <i>rival</i>, an <i>opponent</i>, a Lucifer, a Beelzebub. This is where
one’s theology begins to approach committing the “unforgiveable sin” (Matthew
12:24-32, Mark 3:22-30, Luke 11:15-20). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is a very important area in which one’s righteousness must exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. More on that in my next post: “How
to Love God.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-189510709896015742023-10-09T13:31:00.000-07:002023-10-09T13:31:00.989-07:00Gog and Magog Watch<p> </p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Sw3WXDt2GQhYyAzgmPWapLFfmcA4cGeHWtpYUHzbAondWvut3VIj_niIBFF6uDX-uaXYZlmzkow_t4z9lzwz_zURmt8pKT6XVI3SN30K0caShyTkWWK2wUtinDEqH7pC_UcRESge6nDFOPH1RTmQ8ACsakFk5mX9tE55vahAmIs6Dr3wDslSskDGUuJp/s600/Hurricane.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Sw3WXDt2GQhYyAzgmPWapLFfmcA4cGeHWtpYUHzbAondWvut3VIj_niIBFF6uDX-uaXYZlmzkow_t4z9lzwz_zURmt8pKT6XVI3SN30K0caShyTkWWK2wUtinDEqH7pC_UcRESge6nDFOPH1RTmQ8ACsakFk5mX9tE55vahAmIs6Dr3wDslSskDGUuJp/s320/Hurricane.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Living in Florida, I realize that there is a big
difference between a Hurricane Watch and a Hurricane Warning. When I lived in
the Midwest, I knew that there was a difference between a Tornado Watch and a
Tornado Warning. I grew up living in the Sangamon River Valley (we called it
the “bottoms”), which was prone to flooding from time to time, from an
overflowing Sangamon River. My own parents house was wiped out by one of those
floods before I was born. I know the difference between a Flood Watch and a
Flood Warning. Similar to Tornado Warnings and Flood Warnings, “<span style="color: #050505;">Hurricane warnings indicate that hurricane conditions …
are <strong><i>expected</i></strong> somewhere within the specified
area. … A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions … are <strong><i>possible</i></strong> within
the specified area” (</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/watch-warning.html"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/watch-warning.html</span></a>).
The mistake many well-intentioned preachers and bible interpreters make when</span><span style="color: #050505;"> discussing eschatology is to issue <i>warnings</i> when
only <i>watches</i> are called for. With the warnings vs. watches distinction
in mind, I think it might be prudent to issue a Gog and Magog Watch at this
point—not a <i>Warning</i>, but a <i>Watch</i>.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24p4AQntlvAjo7XIVayj0OcRVLOdgk8mnnAahkIT79ha4zBeSwGktnUaJm_namPhuGuYnUSErwG2sr4QMbXRJJfDVdaZM4rwM8LWoHj3tzF8yBXLB5gZZO6Bu8ckMMuOteiP_kk8PmUC7UW1Z0wMZ-rIWNB_fbgXRwL7tJC6dylnP7c8Mqt7FCoZoIq_T/s768/MuslimLGBTQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24p4AQntlvAjo7XIVayj0OcRVLOdgk8mnnAahkIT79ha4zBeSwGktnUaJm_namPhuGuYnUSErwG2sr4QMbXRJJfDVdaZM4rwM8LWoHj3tzF8yBXLB5gZZO6Bu8ckMMuOteiP_kk8PmUC7UW1Z0wMZ-rIWNB_fbgXRwL7tJC6dylnP7c8Mqt7FCoZoIq_T/s320/MuslimLGBTQ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In my previous post, I wrote approvingly of
those “Muslims who … took my courses at Loyola University Chicago, in the 1990s.
… They agreed with my position that we should not drink alcohol. They agreed
that we should practice sexual purity. They agreed that abortion was
unacceptable. They agreed that God should be revered.” I applauded “M<span style="background: white;">uslim parents [who] delivered passionate speeches
against elementary schoolchildren in Maryland's Montgomery County Public
Schools being forced to learn LGBTQ sexuality curriculum against parents'
wishes at a [June 27, 2023] school board meeting.” On the other hand, </span>I
also condemned those “Muslims who engage in atrocious behavior, such as the
Islamic terrorists who murder innocents, and hate Christians and Jews.”<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2IjvkqqUJQ03tO_kLT-h5FblCQB5xesbBr1BF4ERIh9sA1fj6s_HctFI41T5P3wujYAQQVmQTKvLgqedt7zfKqJo67k6S1NnqE1pRc_Ryw-9SCiQa5HffPSOxK_B9tBOnY7UWyWhL0ooNxDimUiCfXqi-PCENheigUMK-cbcGwQjRvOtqmlhHfGS-OEO/s2980/9-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1960" data-original-width="2980" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2IjvkqqUJQ03tO_kLT-h5FblCQB5xesbBr1BF4ERIh9sA1fj6s_HctFI41T5P3wujYAQQVmQTKvLgqedt7zfKqJo67k6S1NnqE1pRc_Ryw-9SCiQa5HffPSOxK_B9tBOnY7UWyWhL0ooNxDimUiCfXqi-PCENheigUMK-cbcGwQjRvOtqmlhHfGS-OEO/s320/9-11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />With the Hamas
attack on Israel, this past Sabbath, we have seen that atrocious behavior
repeated—what has been called Israel’s 9-11. I wrote in my blogpost Apocalyptic
#39: The Final Battle of History (posted January 13, 2022), which also appears
in my soon-to-be-released book <i>Apocalyptic Apologetic: Nails in the Coffin
of Atheism</i>, the following observation: <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The end of human history, according to Revelation, is focused
around four entities: 1. the Dragon (who raises up world empires),
2. his final Beastly protege(s)—Gog and Magog—and, once again, 3.
the “land” and “the beloved city,” along with an additional entity, 4. “the
camp of the saints.” Revelation 20:7-9 tells us:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 1.0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan
will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations
which are in the four corners of the earth (land), Gog and Magog, to gather
them together to battle, whose number <i>is</i> as the sand of the
sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth (land) and surrounded the
camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of
heaven and devoured them.</span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 1.0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE4XsVZ8o5sSyY9wTH8c5VYc9beSmMhUML7PsUdPs6yMYqj80YlqXHGa8L3o8h985aX0eQeqQYS0BwLdxlhOIwSuWkGzSh5PblkwPO2W6TpaNxkttOkDWvzApkwWF-13IOkVWAr2IITEh6wK4wGoq-XRPUSGUko3s-UZ_H-U957u-MazKa3NM3KvPidPV/s1096/fireFromHeaven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1096" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE4XsVZ8o5sSyY9wTH8c5VYc9beSmMhUML7PsUdPs6yMYqj80YlqXHGa8L3o8h985aX0eQeqQYS0BwLdxlhOIwSuWkGzSh5PblkwPO2W6TpaNxkttOkDWvzApkwWF-13IOkVWAr2IITEh6wK4wGoq-XRPUSGUko3s-UZ_H-U957u-MazKa3NM3KvPidPV/s320/fireFromHeaven.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I
offered the following caveat at the beginning of that earlier post: “<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Allow
me to acknowledge, at the outset of this blogpost, that much of what I write in </span><u style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">this specific post</u> is speculative.” I make no claim
to be a prophet, just a student of God’s Word. There is certainly the possibility
that my speculative interpretations are in error. As Kenneth Burke stated, “<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">[A]n
interpretation can be wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence, a
point of view introduces the possibility of error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But where there is the possibility of a wrong
interpretation, there is also the possibility of a right one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The freedom to err argues a freedom to be
right” (PC 257). In that spirit of optimistic humility, I speculated the
following:<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9MaPB9iuhTnIlG71YSdweCdm0Fw9ciZCVHhcsFN1xpqy-JuvVitPa82tqRyTltQivumh5HeAae1FFX6YpUN75hplBzbpS_XtMl4u73h0LFkk_VJcNUjrXI6i6y8LIatescjhvFkvcWHa6b8-TTUU6x2YvwyGS5S9qgNninInwq7S9_NhlydGVgPTzjQM/s640/Jerusalem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9MaPB9iuhTnIlG71YSdweCdm0Fw9ciZCVHhcsFN1xpqy-JuvVitPa82tqRyTltQivumh5HeAae1FFX6YpUN75hplBzbpS_XtMl4u73h0LFkk_VJcNUjrXI6i6y8LIatescjhvFkvcWHa6b8-TTUU6x2YvwyGS5S9qgNninInwq7S9_NhlydGVgPTzjQM/s320/Jerusalem.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The
words “the ... city” in Revelation ALWAYS refer to Jerusalem, but sometimes to
the old Jerusalem and sometimes to the New Jerusalem. In the first 90% of
Revelation … referring to the old (earthly) Jerusalem … In the final 10% of
Revelation … referring to the New Jerusalem … ONLY ONCE does John refer to “the
BELOVED city” … here, in Revelation 20:9—placed CONSPICUOUSLY BETWEEN
John’s two divergent uses of the term “the . . . city.” This does not seem
sheerly accidental; it seems intentional. … By simple deduction,
since the New Jerusalem will not arrive until a new heavens and new earth are
created, John must still be referring to the earthly Jerusalem. We,
therefore, may feel confident that we know who the “beloved city” is
(Jerusalem) and what the “land/HA-ARETZ/earth/GĒ” is (the Land of
Israel). Jerusalem (along with the Land of Israel) is the central scene
of the final battle of history.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who,
then are Gog and Magog? … Gog and Magog were understood to be the final
anti-Jewish political forces who would invade the land of Israel in the final
conflict in the history of the world. … Yet, Gog and Magog would be
destroyed in the land of Israel, as they proceed to attack. This is
interesting, since the Jews were not even in control of the land of Israel from
the year AD 70 until the year AD 1948. With the emergence of the State of
Israel in 1948, the stage could be set for a possible invasion from Gog and
Magog.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">[T]he
term “camp” is most likely referring to a military entity … it is not referring
to a heathen military entity. This entity is a military entity of the
“saints.” … In 14:12, John makes clear that the </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">saints “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">,” so they are Christians.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zywyN2LZR_JEGtJEhnEXtpq4pPAia9gIxXRtSo1PlR_ZylcJW3OXL2kGytFmH4oMIZxc63q-AUIZ3qmegRGuGHfhJ88JphUB2idFJ4Nl68xnBE5NEPOX9CMhoto_KFdOKMlCKxPiuV1GB1tSrrfjGPFnos5IDAmVwSvfWyrhU7XleV7yWqw95QgevolO/s352/army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="352" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zywyN2LZR_JEGtJEhnEXtpq4pPAia9gIxXRtSo1PlR_ZylcJW3OXL2kGytFmH4oMIZxc63q-AUIZ3qmegRGuGHfhJ88JphUB2idFJ4Nl68xnBE5NEPOX9CMhoto_KFdOKMlCKxPiuV1GB1tSrrfjGPFnos5IDAmVwSvfWyrhU7XleV7yWqw95QgevolO/s320/army.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />If, then, the “camp of the saints” is a Christian military entity,
there is really only one major “Christian” military entity in the world, right
now: the armed services of the United States of America. …<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It turns out … that the two strongest western
allies, at present, are the United States and Israel. If I were to
speculate concerning the identities of the “camp of the saints” and “the
beloved city,” in the current environment, I would guess that this alliance of
the strongest Christian country and the Jewish nation of Israel might be the
co-targets of Gog and Magog. I would, then, be on the alert, if any major
military movement against Israel (the land) and Jerusalem (the beloved city)
begins. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">…</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While it seems to me, at the present, that the most likely enemy
of Israel (and the U.S., for that matter) would be a Muslim country, such as
Iran, there is no more powerful political and economic adversary of the United
States, right now, than Communist China. Gog and Magog could be a conglomeration
of Muslim countries or it could be a multi-national alliance of Communist or
former Communist nations. … Nevertheless, with Muslim Pakistan in
possession of nuclear weapons and Muslim Iran rapidly developing them and
Muslim Afghanistan in possession of the extremely large sophisticated weapon
cache left behind when the Biden administration pulled out and with the
significant wealth and power of Muslim Syria, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia
(not to mention Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, and perhaps
even Iraq, etc.), the development of an anti-Israel (and anti-American) Islamic
confederation is certainly not out of the question, with these countries
existing, as Revelation puts it, on the “four corners of the land” of Israel
(Revelation 20:8). It appears to me that the Egyptian-based Muslim
Brotherhood, the Syrian and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and the Palestinian-based
Hamas are continually trying to provoke such a conflagration between Islamic
countries and the US-Israeli alliance. I would keep an eye on such
possibilities. The fear of “mutually-assured destruction” has generally
held sway in the conflict between America and her Communist foes, but Islamic
terrorists display no such fear. They even seek the reward of dying in a
Jihad. Hence, that is my greater concern.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h1 style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Those were my speculations from nearly two years ago.
Are there any indications that those speculations might apply to the current
Hamas-Israeli War? Clearly, “<b>Hamas</b>” invaded the “<b>land</b>” of Israel.
According to <i>Politico</i> (“How Big is This Going to Get? What to Watch for
in the Israel-Hamas Battle” 8 October 2023,” there are reports that “</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hezbollah</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">” has also launched attacks against Israel. <i>Politico</i>
also states, “</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a data-rapid_p="11" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:Hamas spokesperson reportedly said;elm:context_link;itc:0" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-spokesman-says-iran-gave-support-for-surprise-attack-on-israel/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hamas spokesperson reportedly
said</span></a><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> <b>Iran</b> supported the weekend attack,
and Iranian officials have cheered it. A </span></span><a data-rapid_p="12" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:Wall Street Journal report;elm:context_link;itc:0" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25?mod=breakingnews" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Wall Street Journal</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> report</span></a><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> Sunday, citing senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah,
said Iranian security officials had helped plan the attack.</span></span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> …
</span><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As Hamas attacked, <b>Saudi Arabia and other
Arab states</b> issued statements more sympathetic to the <b>Palestinians</b>
than Israel.”</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHQrOQyWo0tM8Yei-X7SwZV1KfeZoSJNFsSEhMf_lhDU6DMFz2KGyytSPT8-jgrTm0BQO4iqZaW9o5mLParL9snIPqcxGplyPXjuGJxd6DTIMETD05o6-JZM-nuXSViTMubUbpMesPsbHv2tkyWNNntPhznDredKOTugAts2DNXhEdHYdfga8xdkzIsZV/s1778/afghanistan%20pullout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1778" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHQrOQyWo0tM8Yei-X7SwZV1KfeZoSJNFsSEhMf_lhDU6DMFz2KGyytSPT8-jgrTm0BQO4iqZaW9o5mLParL9snIPqcxGplyPXjuGJxd6DTIMETD05o6-JZM-nuXSViTMubUbpMesPsbHv2tkyWNNntPhznDredKOTugAts2DNXhEdHYdfga8xdkzIsZV/s320/afghanistan%20pullout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />According to <i>American Military News</i>:<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">At least nine <b>Americans</b>
were killed in the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel over the weekend, the U.S.
State Department <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/08/hamas-attack-israel-americans-killed-hotages-gaza" style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: medium; transition: all 0.5s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">confirmed</span></a> on Monday. The rising death toll comes
amid reports that American weapons left behind in <b>Afghanistan</b> ended up
in the Gaza Strip and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1710990380336885825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1710990380336885825%7Ctwgr%5Ea59b83404c84ce5a8ad82cb10a0fec9c17257cbb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstpost.com%2Fworld%2Fdid-the-weapons-hamas-used-against-israel-come-from-ukraine-or-afghanistan-asks-us-congresswoman-13221822.html" style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: medium; transition: all 0.5s ease 0s;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">concerns</span></a> that those weapons may have been used to
kill Americans in Israel.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; background: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/israel-worries-us-weapons-ukraine-are-ending-irans-hands-1806131" style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: medium; transition: all 0.5s ease 0s;" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">According to</span></a> a <i>Newsweek</i> report that flew
under the radar earlier this year, an Israeli commander warned that U.S.
weapons abandoned in <b>Afghanistan</b> during President Joe Biden’s deadly
withdrawal were seen in the hands of <b>Palestinian groups in Gaza</b> (https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/10/us-military-weapons-from-afghanistan-may-have-been-used-to-kill-americans-in-israel-report/).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>Communist China</b>, as an ally of
Iran, is also possibly indicated in this mess. The thousands, perhaps millions,
of <b>male military age illegal aliens</b>—including those from Muslim
countries--streaming across the southern (and northern) border of the U.S. (plus the pro-Hamas demonstrations in US cities, over the weekend). gives
one pause regarding whether internal terrorist attacks will soon occur in the United
States. Is Gog and Magog arriving? I do not know. But there are enough elements
at work to at least consider this a Gog and Magog Watch. (if not yet a Warning.) Hebrews 10:25 (KJV) is worth thinking about: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of some </span><em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">is</span></em><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">; but exhorting </span><em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">one another</span></em><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-15546971065460044552023-07-02T14:52:00.001-07:002023-07-02T14:52:39.756-07:00Excessive Righteousness 1: Sodom, et. al.<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">“We’re here,
we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.”</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(Queer March
Chant, 6/25/23</span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">)</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwejhXhpz_wj6rkLBbcMlga8bcyHcB65p4x-TqX0f81B1jAG2sT9sCpXKDzSsIDfwNBKSC9w0wfdEri6il9GD7VvcwjhjjdydudHJMmxP2XcJNrviipLjPIsSG49hexp91-yCqmhbg61rKN9vWOP-fos-hJuKIEX_zzOSECU_gEad8mjxonD88Hv4wDFap/s2200/QueerMarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="2200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwejhXhpz_wj6rkLBbcMlga8bcyHcB65p4x-TqX0f81B1jAG2sT9sCpXKDzSsIDfwNBKSC9w0wfdEri6il9GD7VvcwjhjjdydudHJMmxP2XcJNrviipLjPIsSG49hexp91-yCqmhbg61rKN9vWOP-fos-hJuKIEX_zzOSECU_gEad8mjxonD88Hv4wDFap/s320/QueerMarch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In
late June, the chant quoted above was shouted by marchers in the Queer March in
Manhattan. NBC News defended the chant, saying that it had been “used for years
at Pride events.” Not true. The chant “we’re coming for your children” originates
from lyrics sung by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Choir in 2021 (https//thepostmillennial.com/nbc-news-defends-were-coming-for-your-children-chant-at-nyc-drag-march-arguing-its-been-used-for-years-at-pride-events).
Other lyrics from that song are: “<em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">We’ll convert your children, happens bit by bit,</span></em><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">quietly and
subtlety and you will barely notice it” (https://www.standingforfreedom.com/2021/07/gay-mens-choir-performs-song-with-the-lyrics-were-coming-for-your-children/).
NBC News implies that it’s just gays joking about this unfounded charge leveled
against them, but that’s not really true, either. We have only to look at Walt
Disney World, in my own back yard, to see that this is not a joke. The LGBTQ+ movement
is very serious about converting your children.</span></em></span><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></em><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;"></span></em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOFbjRyrrnX1lzXo3mFsih0xE-gLHDS4K0N-E8DZYPc8uBlanDEFof_X7EvbFyeORV7G8OC_Guzo8v8AfKvynS6QY4rc1paLlQmj6WR8wOqSTIVja2M0t1_mribDQfAzkKF1ICjGnbhnXSpybY7ZUUxRuwTpLxPU4aZTvLk3Abp38oLJ13rTc3S3pXe68/s2048/DisneyPride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="2048" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOFbjRyrrnX1lzXo3mFsih0xE-gLHDS4K0N-E8DZYPc8uBlanDEFof_X7EvbFyeORV7G8OC_Guzo8v8AfKvynS6QY4rc1paLlQmj6WR8wOqSTIVja2M0t1_mribDQfAzkKF1ICjGnbhnXSpybY7ZUUxRuwTpLxPU4aZTvLk3Abp38oLJ13rTc3S3pXe68/s320/DisneyPride.jpg" width="320" /></a></em></div><em><br />They are also
serious about quieting any resistance from you. Corporation after corporation
is being enlisted in an effort to “normalize” what was generally considered “abnormal”
behavior a few short decades ago. The corporations and colleges have DEI codes
and re-education programs to ensure that their employees and professors fall in
line with their new “normal.” </em><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></em><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">“UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS … [SODOM]” (Matthew
5:20)</span></b></em><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">If Mark’s
Gospel is the </span></em><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: .25pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Gospel of Extreme Self-Denial and Luke’s Gospel is the Gospel
of Extreme Impoverishment and John’s Gospel is the Gospel of Extreme Faith,
then Matthew’s Gospel is the Gospel of Extreme Righteousness. Only Matthew (in
5:20 NKJV) records Jesus’ warning: </span><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">“Unless your righteousness exceeds</span></em><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span><span class="woj"><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">the righteousness</span></i> of the scribes and Pharisees, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.</span>” Righteousness that
EXCEEDS can be called “Excessive Righteousness,” the main title of the next
several blogposts in this series. While Luke’s account of the Beatitudes
states: “Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled”
(Luke 6:21 NKJV), Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) states: “<span class="woj">Blessed <i>are</i> those
who</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">hunger and thirst for <b><u>righteousness</u></b>,</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="woj"><span style="background: white;">For they shall be filled.</span>” Along with Matthew,
the very first New Testament book written, according to J. A. T. Robinson (the
book of James), emphasizes personal righteousness. As Jesus’ own brother, James
corroborates how important “righteousness” was to Jesus. The concept of
righteousness permeates Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Since our
righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees in order for us to
enter the kingdom of heaven, we will be considering the righteousness of the Pharisees
in the next few blogposts, for comparison.</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCQf4i3vvjTILpDnCB21-TI4A0w9bQfN0ktdVu5cd8P5pqgxF8VrnJ_lQHo_RunKxXU6wNy3tjsGmYiKk9Ujhrg--u1EaVpvryXCBHPNFHY9iqdG8Z5lC_VE0ZRweBbWNarLFJpKvKf62zrd--l1vTBOvS5HArag75K7PMIc8_0VT2tORNTI_rtKUP1fs/s800/sodom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCQf4i3vvjTILpDnCB21-TI4A0w9bQfN0ktdVu5cd8P5pqgxF8VrnJ_lQHo_RunKxXU6wNy3tjsGmYiKk9Ujhrg--u1EaVpvryXCBHPNFHY9iqdG8Z5lC_VE0ZRweBbWNarLFJpKvKf62zrd--l1vTBOvS5HArag75K7PMIc8_0VT2tORNTI_rtKUP1fs/s320/sodom2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It is no great
leap to suggest that, if our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the
Pharisees, it must most certainly exceed the righteousness of the inhabitants
of Sodom. You may be currently attending a church that welcomes LGBTQ+ activities.
The Roman Catholic Church released a document on June 20, 2023 stating: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Roman Catholic
bishops should discuss how the Church can be more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people” (<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/vatican-document-urges-talks-welcoming-123153676.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">https://news.yahoo.com/vatican-document-urges-talks-welcoming-123153676.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall</span></a>).
Other denominations have already been more welcoming: Association of Welcoming
& Affirming Baptists<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>AWAB<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, </span><span class="mw-page-title-main"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Affirming Pentecostal Church
International, Episcopal Church (United States)</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, <span style="background: white;">Evangelical
Anglican Church In America<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>EACA<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, Alliance of Baptists, Cooperative
Baptist Fellowship<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>CBF<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, </span>Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>ELCA<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, United Methodist Church<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>UMC<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic
Pentecostals<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>GAAAP<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, Gay Apostolic Pentecostals, Presbyterian
Church (USA)<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">,</span> Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Reformed
Church in America<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>RCA<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, United Church of Christ<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>UCC<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, Friends General Conference<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>FGC<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, Mennonite Church USA<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> (</span>MC USA<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">)</span>, to name a few (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations_affirming_LGBT_people"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">htt</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations_affirming_LGBT_people</span></a>).
One might suggest that there is a difference between engaging in such sexual
sin and tolerating or supporting or welcoming those who do so engage. Nevertheless,
those in Sodom who stormed Lot’s home in order “to (carnally) know” the angels
who were his guests may have been a minority of the citizenry of Sodom (since,
for instance, the city also contained women, yet, no women were mentioned as
being guilty of the active crime). These remaining citizens, however, apparently
tolerated or supported or welcomed those who so engaged. Genesis 18:19 states
that Abraham’s family should “do righteousness,” but in Genesis 18:24, Abraham
negotiates with God to save the city of Sodom, if there were only 50 “righteous”
in it. Then, Abraham re-negotiates for saving the city if there were only 45 “righteous”
(verse 28), then 40 (verse 29), then 30 (verse 30), then 20 (verse 31), then 10
(verse 32). Hence, the “unrighteous” included many who did not seek to commit
the sin against the angels, but the entire city was destroyed with fire and
brimstone (except for Lot, his wife, and two daughters).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsDpgDXGPJycEk1NKvzFUn7Su23YjwPqVx77tKpRea7Q7JQRkNeAeFH2lNguoiVmIF2STV610LY-o-s08Hc1HFELYCotK4CBu464aIo_bZtVXYOw6cCuF_egTqLlQFhM1c2oo8hY0fTKXqTN42mq3_syEc31VNWUlw5f3XBbUcmgeeo3oDYlZrBs28Pe7/s923/sodom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="923" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsDpgDXGPJycEk1NKvzFUn7Su23YjwPqVx77tKpRea7Q7JQRkNeAeFH2lNguoiVmIF2STV610LY-o-s08Hc1HFELYCotK4CBu464aIo_bZtVXYOw6cCuF_egTqLlQFhM1c2oo8hY0fTKXqTN42mq3_syEc31VNWUlw5f3XBbUcmgeeo3oDYlZrBs28Pe7/s320/sodom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">“UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS … [ISLAM]” (Matthew
5:20)</span></b></em><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Exceeding the righteousness of the inhabitants
of Sodom sets the bar pretty low, but what if the bar is set at a level that
many Christians look down on: Islam? There certainly are Muslims who engage in
atrocious behavior, such as the Islamic terrorists who murder innocents, and
hate Christians and Jews. Nevertheless, I had many Muslim students who took my
courses at Loyola University Chicago, in the 1990s. Far from hating me, they
loved me as a professor, perhaps, because I took a stand in my classes for
morality. They agreed with my position that we should not drink alcohol. They
agreed that we should practice sexual purity. They agreed that abortion was
unacceptable. They agreed that God should be revered. Although I had fewer Muslim
students at Florida State University, I found that they also agreed with my
positions on these matters. Although not all Muslims resist the LGBTQ+ movement,
most Muslims do. “M<span style="background: white;">uslim parents delivered
passionate speeches against elementary schoolchildren in Maryland's Montgomery
County Public Schools being forced to learn LGBTQ sexuality curriculum against
parents' wishes at a [June 27, 2023] school board meeting” (https//www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/muslim-activist-gives-powerful-speech-against-forced-lgbtq-curriculum-our-people-are-not-backward/ar-AA1d9jdD).
</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6P6lH22h9u-rSvSLHdM9Jynh0O8iBDGmmGmlIAGhPV-omoQfXNDwczF1lwZBSWCk1iVkKoV_OW9ZA_N1UF5C2ERSHcqLFOWIW571GcgeSN0uzw3_Dl7NgE5w10_AXq-p4LX0VZEbQwwVC5baJM93rZLkOEhVyJbJuMR2u9i7yZKFhb2qqDNtU1yzSlPL/s768/MuslimLGBTQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6P6lH22h9u-rSvSLHdM9Jynh0O8iBDGmmGmlIAGhPV-omoQfXNDwczF1lwZBSWCk1iVkKoV_OW9ZA_N1UF5C2ERSHcqLFOWIW571GcgeSN0uzw3_Dl7NgE5w10_AXq-p4LX0VZEbQwwVC5baJM93rZLkOEhVyJbJuMR2u9i7yZKFhb2qqDNtU1yzSlPL/s320/MuslimLGBTQ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This is consistent with Islamic teaching throughout the world. An opinion piece
in the Islamic publication al-Jazeera put it this way:<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 15.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 5.0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As
Muslims, we refuse to be coerced into believing something our faith
categorically condemns. This is not a political stance. It is a moral
principle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A <a href="https://navigatingdifferences.com/clarifying-sexual-and-gender-ethics-in-islam/?fbclid=IwAR3Y9o9EELVBy4A0b_ooSGXX1px4omc13bfjCB2LV0bvGrCcA2D127Z0xCY" style="box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">recent statement</span></a> … titled “Navigating
Differences: Clarifying Sexual and Gender Ethics in Islam”, has been signed and
endorsed by more than 300 Islamic scholars and preachers across North America.
In this document, we explicitly and clearly lay out the non-negotiable,
normative Islamic position on sexuality and gender ethics (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/6/19/muslims-opposed-to-lgbtq-curricula-for-their-kids-arent-bigots).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The intolerance of Muslims, here,
is a good example for Christians to follow. Stepping away from LGBTQ+ issues, for a
moment, look at the morality of drinking alcohol. Islam condemns it. The
university with which I am currently affiliated—Liberty University—also opposes
it. “<span style="background: white; letter-spacing: -.05pt;">Liberty University’s
code of conduct, known as the </span></span><a href="https://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=1417" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="background: white; color: black; letter-spacing: -.05pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Liberty Way</span></a><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: -.05pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, prohibits the consumption of alcohol for all
students living on or off campus. This policy applies not only to those under
the age of 21, but also those who are 21 and older.</span>” Mormons also oppose
it, but an overwhelming majority of evangelical churches (including the one I
have attended for the past decade) now accept it. I have had debates with the preachers
and elders of my church and have succeeded, at least, in discouraging their
preaching from the pulpit the acceptability of drinking. Between 1920 and 1933,
Prohibition was the law of the land—and the consensus agreement of Christians
throughout the U.S. Nevertheless, as things now stand, there is a good
possibility that, in this area (and even in the LGBTQ+ area), the righteousness
of Muslims exceeds the righteousness of Christians.</span><span style="background: white; letter-spacing: -.05pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">“UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEEDS … [PHARISEES]”
(Matthew 5:20)</span></b></em><em><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jesus, however, is
not satisfied with our righteousness exceeding the Muslims or the citizens of
Sodom. He demands that our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees. Put
away the anti-Pharisee prejudice instilled in you by Sunday School for the next
several posts and, with me, look afresh at the impressive righteousness taught
by the Pharisees. This is the bar that we must exceed. This is the standard
above which we must rise. There are 613 commandments adhered to by the Pharisees.
We will consider them, as we look at the Laws the Old and New Testaments impose
upon us. The process should result in our being much humbler, rather than our
thinking of ourselves as “holier than thou.” One can have “excessive
righteousness” without being “holier than thou.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-17661628308794368542023-05-30T11:25:00.002-07:002023-05-31T08:55:12.100-07:00Home Economics is Stewardship (Money 4)<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29zES_MEMLXQotFF_CNaoBXznb-7j4YjwjO2oiio7V6Nv8l62K_kBvNeOa5Rf4JFI3gL64jxf7oOUKVsU7aCEZpGlzQqwiXxy5_zKQVhCfNbtfNXgX03HyzT6aVOAE-vms4e6nRQ7v3pJJyvSwbRVVvFIBlc9y8GwOsIstpyeI4zIcX--UZN5VRyFmg/s278/Home%20Ec.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="278" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29zES_MEMLXQotFF_CNaoBXznb-7j4YjwjO2oiio7V6Nv8l62K_kBvNeOa5Rf4JFI3gL64jxf7oOUKVsU7aCEZpGlzQqwiXxy5_zKQVhCfNbtfNXgX03HyzT6aVOAE-vms4e6nRQ7v3pJJyvSwbRVVvFIBlc9y8GwOsIstpyeI4zIcX--UZN5VRyFmg/s1600/Home%20Ec.jpg" width="278" /></a></i></div><i><br />“Give an
account of your stewardship.”</i><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"> (Luke 16:2</span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> NKJV)</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When I attended a
small-town high school (in Easton, Illinois, population 350), virtually every
female student in the school took courses in Home Economics, while virtually
every male student took courses in Agriculture. My older brothers, Tim and Rod,
and I studied “Ag, “while my older sisters, Marilyn and Barb, studied “Home Ec.”
According to <i>Wikipedia</i>:</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0.5in;"><span style="color: #202122;">Much less common today, [Home
Economics] was, and is, most commonly taught in high school. Home economics
courses are offered around the world and across multiple educational levels.
Historically, the purpose of these courses was to professionalize housework, to
provide intellectual fulfillment for women, to emphasize the value of “women's
work” in society, and to prepare them for the traditional roles of sexes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #202122;">Nevertheless,
the phrase “Home Economics” itself is redundant. It is unnecessary to repeat
the term “home.” The term “economics” is comprised of two Greek roots: OIKOS/eco-
(which means “home”) and NOMOS/-nomics (which means “law”). Put them together
and you have “the law of the home.” Another word for home is “household.”
Today, the root “eco-” even carries the sense of “earth-as-our-home” as with
the word “eco-logy.” </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkiCW3_pONy2-RUpQBh6GW6LbhMdBxo49WFXgIEdz3X3X6Rc79DP8sKcoQ5EAI05O8F8zCTmIol4z74UtMPcM89tTaPnrsVPGarPceWo5t1-m1zK-JILEMBl1qmq8Yastz-2iN4ZiWKQo4b0vrxddXqpUIC6Cg0bFUQXUvvxzrt3C0sKoEOMekYMWeA/s334/ecology.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="334" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkiCW3_pONy2-RUpQBh6GW6LbhMdBxo49WFXgIEdz3X3X6Rc79DP8sKcoQ5EAI05O8F8zCTmIol4z74UtMPcM89tTaPnrsVPGarPceWo5t1-m1zK-JILEMBl1qmq8Yastz-2iN4ZiWKQo4b0vrxddXqpUIC6Cg0bFUQXUvvxzrt3C0sKoEOMekYMWeA/s320/ecology.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />LOGOS/-logy means the study or logic of something (such as
the earth). But “ecology” carries a slightly different connotation from the
similar word “ge-ology” which also means the study or logic of the earth. The
Greek word for Earth or land is GĒ/ge-, as in “ge-ography” in which we map (or graph)
the Earth or land. The slightly different connotation between ecology and
geology is involved with the concept of “stewardship.” Ecology pertains to “stewardship”
of the Earth, just as Economy pertains to “stewardship” of the home or
household.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since there is so
much discussion of “stewardship” among modern-day churches, it is surprising
that only one of the four Gospel writers in the New Testament employs the
OIKONOMOS/OIKONOMIA (=economist/economy) “stewardship” terminology: our friend
Luke—the money management expert. The Apostle Paul (with whom Luke was well-acquainted)
and the Apostle Peter (who, like Paul, used Silas [aka, Silvanus] as a
secretary/amanuensis) also use the terminology. Peter’s only use, in 1 Peter
4:10 NKJV, commands: “<span style="background: white; color: black;">As each one
has received a gift, minister it to one another, </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">as good stewards of </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">the manifold grace of God.</span>” In 1
Corinthians 9:17, Paul views the preaching of the Gospel as something he has
been entrusted with—a “stewardship.” Likewise, in Ephesians 1:9-10 and 3:9 and
Colossians 1:25, he views the “mystery” of God’s will which he has received as
an </span>OIKONOMIA/stewardship for which he is answerable. In 1 Corinthians
4:1-2, he refers to himself, Apollos, and Cephas all as “stewards” of the
mystery of God, and states: “<span style="background: white; color: black;">it is
required in stewards that one be found faithfu</span>l” (NKJV). In
Ephesians 3:2, it is the OIKONOMIA of the grace of God. In 1 Timothy 1:4, Paul
appears to pass the responsibility for stewardship of the word/OIKONOMIA along
to Timothy. In Titus 1:7, Paul tells Titus to appoint elders in every city who
will be God’s “stewards.” In a purely secular example, Paul states in Galatians
4:2 that children are not under their own authority and control, but are placed
under “stewards.” In Paul’s only purely money-related use of the terminology,
Romans 16:23 mentions Erastus, the treasurer (steward) of the city. In the “treasurer”
sense, it is interesting that the role of treasurer among Jesus and his twelve
disciples was given to Judas Iscariot (John 12:6 and 13:29)—undoubtedly, a poor
steward, who even sold Jesus to the high priests for thirty pieces of silver.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OaaDwqtPMDcf7-T-4QMfBb-dk-el9sWjp5W7upGHJ1aFam0VC58BPaCJuhg4D8Cg7fjBlwcMbtyb_1SutsnFwaaIJJa0dZH4YQ7xWtPMAJENHwbA3-emOHj_n9kOu6oSPvDKaHFwCdqvm0YMjmJhcg_PtNBIPkGCDYA_L8ghXjMYo-6WzB-WO-8eoA/s500/Stewardship.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="500" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OaaDwqtPMDcf7-T-4QMfBb-dk-el9sWjp5W7upGHJ1aFam0VC58BPaCJuhg4D8Cg7fjBlwcMbtyb_1SutsnFwaaIJJa0dZH4YQ7xWtPMAJENHwbA3-emOHj_n9kOu6oSPvDKaHFwCdqvm0YMjmJhcg_PtNBIPkGCDYA_L8ghXjMYo-6WzB-WO-8eoA/s320/Stewardship.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The notion,
however, that we must be good stewards of the money with which we have been
entrusted by God is found in neither Paul nor Peter nor in the other New
Testament writers—other than Luke. In my article in the <i>KB Journal</i>, “Burke,
Perelman, and the Transmission of Values:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Beatitudes as Epideictic Topoi,” I write:<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Only Luke records two parables on
stewardship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the parable of the steward
who forgave many debts that were owed to his “rich” boss who was firing him,
his boss commended him because he had [subsequently] done wisely. In the
parable of the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus, both die and the rich man
finds himself in torment while the poor man is relaxing in Abraham’s
bosom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abraham tells the rich man: “Son,
remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus
received evil things; but now here he is comforted and you are in anguish”
(Luke 16:1-26).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although the rich
man and Lazarus parable does not specifically contain the terminology of
stewardship (OIKONOMOS/OIKONOMIA), it follows shortly after Luke’s key parable
of stewardship in chapter 16, and appears to be grouped by Luke along with the
earlier parable about dealing with money, including the statement by Jesus in
16:13 (NKJV), also found in Matthew 6:24: “<span style="background: white; color: black;">You cannot serve God and mammon</span>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The other Lukan parable about stewardship is found in Luke 12:42-48
(NKJV):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; margin: 6pt 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom <i>his</i> master
will make ruler over his household, to give <i>them their</i> portion
of food</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">in due season?</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Blessed <i>is</i> that servant whom his master will
find so doing [having his waist girded and</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> his</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> lamp
burning</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,</span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> waiting for his master, when he returns from the
wedding and knocks so that he may open to him immediately] when he comes.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that
he has.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="en-NKJV-25505" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My
master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female
servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">the master of
that servant will come on a</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">day
when he is not looking for <i>him,</i> and at an hour when he is not
aware, and will cut him in two and appoint <i>him</i> his portion
with the unbelievers. … For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will
be required</span>.”</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Stewardship Principle #1: Do Not Waste<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">While the parable
about a faithful and wise steward “appears” to pertain to the management of
money (and home/household economics), its true significance, as Luke employs
it, is directed towards being constantly prepared for Jesus’ return.
Nevertheless, the comment about eating, drinking, and being drunk seems to
equate to the Luke 16:1 accusation lodged against the steward that he had been “wasting”
(DIASKORPIZŌ, literally “scattering”) his master’s goods. This is the same term
Luke uses in the previous chapter (15:13) to describe how the Prodigal Son “wasted”
his substance with riotous living. Seemingly, “wasting” one’s money on alcohol
and riotous living is unacceptable “stewardship.”</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm_Hoskcf6RCdwV3U4oXYNzFn3aYNqltXFYbPNSUz9xa--51i5zUykEa0fNLiFjNPUlFlyI8_PaddNkEBiEsg3-n9fmiWQBh9E5Ar_SQnMlaOP9Xx9_64VkmrmNpz4bn8CYATDJyMRy5KtLDOpmrY6gkeJzN8OAxyqgW53ygOrTxJEFM8PAXjvzo8hQ/s236/prodigal%20son2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="146" data-original-width="236" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm_Hoskcf6RCdwV3U4oXYNzFn3aYNqltXFYbPNSUz9xa--51i5zUykEa0fNLiFjNPUlFlyI8_PaddNkEBiEsg3-n9fmiWQBh9E5Ar_SQnMlaOP9Xx9_64VkmrmNpz4bn8CYATDJyMRy5KtLDOpmrY6gkeJzN8OAxyqgW53ygOrTxJEFM8PAXjvzo8hQ/s1600/prodigal%20son2.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="lang-en" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">On the other hand, giving away
that money that belongs to one’s master is not necessarily poor stewardship. It
seems counterintuitive that the steward in Luke 16 who was charged with “wasting”
his master’s goods would be subsequently praised for forgiving various debts
owed to his master. He went to each of his master’s debtors and forgave each a
portion of their debt. Would this not constitute being further wasteful of his
master’s goods? Not, if his master were a champion of debt forgiveness. Jesus
taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (Matt.
6:12).” (In Matt. 18:28-34, Jesus condemns an individual who refused to forgive
a debt, after he had been forgiven an exponentially larger debt.) Furthermore, both
the master and the previously wasteful steward in Luke understood an important
public relations principle:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pHCga9ot1LkAwepq2XlzJTD7c8eZ4tGewdKaHy77kspt7VamNa51-swW0NelnTKGLicnEJQygiLWu8i3IeERQ7iVs56x6KR_oel16AGiKCAQx4xFEDd-e4hgi0hHDs_G43xOtxRGmZWXiSiW0LW472t7HUxX9y4UQlo8VhyVrWbS81rZNzc7RTer7w/s320/ForgiveDebt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pHCga9ot1LkAwepq2XlzJTD7c8eZ4tGewdKaHy77kspt7VamNa51-swW0NelnTKGLicnEJQygiLWu8i3IeERQ7iVs56x6KR_oel16AGiKCAQx4xFEDd-e4hgi0hHDs_G43xOtxRGmZWXiSiW0LW472t7HUxX9y4UQlo8VhyVrWbS81rZNzc7RTer7w/s1600/ForgiveDebt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="lang-en" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“<span class="words-of-christ"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">[A] </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">certain</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">creditor</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">… </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">had</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">two</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">debtors</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">. </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">One</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">owed</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">five</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">hundred</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span>denarii</span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">, </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">and</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">the</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">other</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">fifty</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> … he freely forgave them both.
... [W]hich of them will love him more?”</span></span> … <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“I suppose the </span><i><span style="outline: 0px;">one</span></i><span style="outline: 0px;"> whom he forgave more.” … “You have rightly judged.” </span>(Luke
7:41-43 NKJV). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span face=""Source Sans Pro",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since the “wasteful”
steward desired the good will of those whom he forgave debt, he was called “shrewd”
by his master. Whether the courts end up agreeing or disagreeing with President
Biden’s plan for America to forgive student loans, for instance, it is clear
that the president’s intent is to purchase “goodwill” (in the form of votes)
from those voters whose debts will have been forgiven. Even his “attempt” to proclaim
forgiveness of student loans appears to have garnered some support from young
voters in the 2022 midterm election. There is a clear public relations factor
in debt forgiveness. Jesus’s example in Luke 7, however, was a parable pertaining
to Jesus forgiving a sinful woman whose reputation was terrible. Jesus made the
forgiveness parable, using debt forgiveness as a metaphor. He is offering an example
of the good will that is generated by forgiving debts as well as sins. Nevertheless,
forgiving debt is never condemned in Luke, or anywhere else in the New
Testament. It is not “wasteful.” Often, in a public relations sense, it is
excellent stewardship. At the very least, if one has been forgiven, it is
incumbent upon that individual to forgive others.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Stewardship Principle #2: Do Not Abuse
Those in Your Household<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYlbFuK0UJNWGqx7wj1lOgdEGfQx__hr9vqbWoHaUdAm81JgoJx2FtGHX8jyCoLF5CirqfJrLxTmsiqlyHSjHet77wgSZwK1wBrQzBBSm-iyOio4bLSPb1VEizSahFccaIzmQmvPPSAPvjcaPU8LZ6TrRfFSEpSUtXBPdGaK8wNR9hcPodrQwmoNSOA/s600/drunkenViolence.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="600" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYlbFuK0UJNWGqx7wj1lOgdEGfQx__hr9vqbWoHaUdAm81JgoJx2FtGHX8jyCoLF5CirqfJrLxTmsiqlyHSjHet77wgSZwK1wBrQzBBSm-iyOio4bLSPb1VEizSahFccaIzmQmvPPSAPvjcaPU8LZ6TrRfFSEpSUtXBPdGaK8wNR9hcPodrQwmoNSOA/s320/drunkenViolence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In the <span style="background: white; color: black;">Luke 12:42-48 (NKJV) parable, Jesus states concerning the <span class="woj">“faithful and wise steward, … <i>his</i> master will make [the
steward] ruler over his household, to give <i>them their</i> portion
of food</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">in due season.” The
wicked steward, however, “begins to beat the male and female servants.” Females
from my generation will understand that this is a principle of Home
Economics/Stewardship. While my dad engaged in a good-sized farming operation,
my mom generally served as household steward of the profits he reaped. Don’t
get me wrong. Dad still made the decisions about buying all of the farm
machinery used to make his business go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He negotiated the purchase of land, seed, fertilizer, fuel, pesticides,
herbicides, etc. He made the car deals. But Mom managed all of the money for
the household. She bought the groceries, the clothes, the furniture, the
household items. I remember going on shopping trips with her to Springfield,
Illinois, for clothing; to the grocery store in Havana, Illinois, for food. I
loved shopping for items at the Havana bakery with her, because I would wind up
with cream horns or “fudge squares.” I never asked my dad to purchase such
things, because it was always understood that those matters fell under Mom’s
stewardship. I didn’t always receive everything I asked for, but I always
received my “portion of food</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">in
due season.” I received my fair share of spankings as a child, but my parents
never “beat” me. <o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvb3DEYslnHcy8vd3c2lw4x_tSyArjkh2MJdk_4cs6wQxKcPyoaSZn-Kt_g0ZwF_7z6np2_ha5AxmPOnbKmRsVzSSjLvQ7SN6ev1F_YSXueZkPb-XqEw9NyPA_rpjko3uIhq7i-bmRMET674wTpc2vQZA-10uatG8JqzPFRJFtOuDfczAIRl1MGyppw/s5312/StanBaby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5312" data-original-width="2988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvb3DEYslnHcy8vd3c2lw4x_tSyArjkh2MJdk_4cs6wQxKcPyoaSZn-Kt_g0ZwF_7z6np2_ha5AxmPOnbKmRsVzSSjLvQ7SN6ev1F_YSXueZkPb-XqEw9NyPA_rpjko3uIhq7i-bmRMET674wTpc2vQZA-10uatG8JqzPFRJFtOuDfczAIRl1MGyppw/s320/StanBaby.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br />If one has received the “gift” of a household (spouse,
children, grandchildren), one has an obligation (debt) “to give <i>them
their</i> portion of food<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">in due season,”
to refrain from abusing them (though painful-but-not-harmful spankings may,
occasionally, be required for small children). Even leaving an estate for one’s
children at one’s death can be considered good stewardship. Paul, in 2 Corinthians
12:14 (NKJV) asserts: “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">the children ought not to
lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.</span>” My parents
did this. Prior to her death (and following my dad’s death), my mom sold their
farm and divided the profits equally among my five siblings and me. That gift
allowed me to pay cash for the home in which I now live. My wife and I have,
ourselves, now saved up a fair-sized estate that we do not anticipate
dissipating during the remaining years of our lives (Good Lord willing and the
creek don’t rise!). I expect that my own children will be able to divide our estate
equally to help them in their retirement years. While this teaching from 2
Corinthians allows me to justify my persuasive efforts when I was a financial
consultant, it is just one matter pertaining to the next stewardship principle.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Stewardship Principle #3: Be Constantly
Preparing to Give an Accounting (Luke 16:2)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPPziwD5FclAHhHEn4sHT_gU3ug79PmxfOoX6vaUkdruW6D6b_-yVXvx1xwKFtzxXQBHc-Gm-LtsN2lNL8dUauWO3pqWeHwOiCaua504S2KG0gOKnUh2eNHA1PAdzNnRdpHxLS16ySYZPVPM5dnb7cLrMxLyH_2CPOehcs2uDUvIjpHysv7drFnHH4w/s1280/accounting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPPziwD5FclAHhHEn4sHT_gU3ug79PmxfOoX6vaUkdruW6D6b_-yVXvx1xwKFtzxXQBHc-Gm-LtsN2lNL8dUauWO3pqWeHwOiCaua504S2KG0gOKnUh2eNHA1PAdzNnRdpHxLS16ySYZPVPM5dnb7cLrMxLyH_2CPOehcs2uDUvIjpHysv7drFnHH4w/s320/accounting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Even if, as in the
case of the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-22, Matthew 19:16-29, Luke 18:18-30), you
never personally sold all of your possessions and gave the money to the poor …
even if, as in the case of Barnabas and the early church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:44-45,
4:32-37), you never personally sold all of your possessions and laid all of the
profits at the feet of the apostles, still, you do not “own” what are
putatively considered your possessions and wealth. All you have belongs to God
(Deuteronomy 10:14). You are only the steward. To view yourself in that way is
to be “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). As a steward, you are personally poor,
but responsible for how you manage all of the things God has entrusted to you
(money, health, skills, intellect, and the gospel). This past week, my family
considered how even our vacations could provide opportunities to be stewards.
What things do you do on vacation that advance God’s kingdom?<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">So long as you are
not “wasting” what God has given you, you have been given considerable latitude
as to how to invest His resources. Just be prepared to justify your
investments. (There is a grey area between “justifying” and “rationalizing” one’s
stewardship decisions.) If the criterion for successful stewardship is found in
the parable of the Talents, where the good stewards were successful in doubling
the wealth of the master, I have, at times, been a poor steward. When the Walt
Disney Corporation took a stand against the State of Florida decision to prohibit
woke sexual instruction in kindergarten through 3<sup>rd</sup> grade schools, I
established a website: NotWaltsFault.com (now available only by Googling “NotWaltsFault.com”)
and produced hundreds of Tshirts, but with no profit. However, at least, I can
offer an accounting. I did what I thought might advance the values system of
the Bible and protect our children. In the past, I wrote and recorded some
Christian music without profit. I also collaborated with a former music
professor on two full-length Christian musicals without profit. Even the
writing and publication of this blog has generated no financial return, but I
have had hundreds of thousands of hits on various posts, so I can give an
accounting. Some of my ventures have also been financially successful, but I
think the accounting of being a steward is to be found in the motives of our
stewardship, not in the financial results. Even the “wasteful” steward was
applauded by his master for forgiving debts owed to the master!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">My mother was
quite good at home economics/stewardship (in addition to the stewardship of her
biblical knowledge). She didn’t generate extra money for the family, except for
those occasions in which she served as a substitute teacher, but she managed
well the household funds that my dad generated. I don’t recall her ever having
to give an account, but I’m sure that she could have easily done that. She didn’t
waste. She didn’t abuse the household. She was faithful and trustworthy in her
role. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:2: “<span style="background: white; color: black;">it is required in stewards that one be found faithfu</span>l”
(NKJV)</span>. As Jesus asks in Luke 12:42 (<span style="background: white; color: black;">NKJV</span>): <span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black;">“Who then is that faithful and wise steward?” Do you and I
meet the standard as stewards of God’s wealth?</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-34502378001113452092023-04-12T11:39:00.001-07:002023-04-13T10:53:50.811-07:00“That’s All I Need … I Need This!” (Money 3)<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[A]ll who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought
the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the
apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had <b>need</b>.<span style="background: white;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(Acts</span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
4:34-35 NKJV; see also Acts 2:45)</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7y_YYScG-hkiU0tXs9XVquXAluVp8pP-yziAjv1r_YYj_7c24dNre7e4Q60SafqOVtP72-Hlt-vmLUmuey5v-VmqKfOVLwl3heuSefg6sLjg4Ivr_c8ZqcgsaQOfeHUuzitiqWhC65yUNHT8dnaQ2o4hl8bR3UQ0C8ZGUdS3d1mfCsp_Tx5OFtDUYGg/s686/jerk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7y_YYScG-hkiU0tXs9XVquXAluVp8pP-yziAjv1r_YYj_7c24dNre7e4Q60SafqOVtP72-Hlt-vmLUmuey5v-VmqKfOVLwl3heuSefg6sLjg4Ivr_c8ZqcgsaQOfeHUuzitiqWhC65yUNHT8dnaQ2o4hl8bR3UQ0C8ZGUdS3d1mfCsp_Tx5OFtDUYGg/s320/jerk.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><span> </span>When Steve
Martin’s character in the movie “The Jerk” exhausted all of the wealth he had
accumulated, he became destitute. He was forced to leave all of his wealth
behind. He rationalized his situation by proclaiming that he really didn’t
“need” all of that wealth. Walking out of his mansion, he listed a few basic items
and said “That’s all I need.” A second later, he saw something else that he
wanted to keep and exclaimed “I need that! And that’s all!” Thus, he continually
did as he left the mansion. What did he actually “need”? As mentioned in the
previous post<span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, for
Luke, the use of money to handle the “<b>needs</b>” of each believer is an
acceptable and positive use of money. In this blog, we consider what might
constitute actual “needs.” Fifty years ago, some very close friends of ours
announced to my wife and me that they were not going to acquire anything except
that which they actually “needed.” It could be argued that what we actually
“need” is almost nothing. We do not even “need” to live. Therefore, we do not
need anything that sustains life, such as water, food, clothing, shelter,
transportation, medicine, health care, etc. Of course, we “need” Jesus and his
grace to save us, but that does not cost us any money. It cost Jesus dearly,
but He gives us this gift of salvation freely.</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nevertheless, Luke, in Acts 2:45
and 4:34-35, describes the (quasi-communist?) practice of the early church to
pool all of their possessions and distribute them to the believers, as they had
“need.” Acts 6:3 even names the (distributing) office of the first seven
deacons the office of “need” (χρεία the same term as in 2:45 and 4:35). Taking
care of believers’ “needs” became too big a job for the apostles, so deacons
were chosen to care for the believers’ “needs.” Note that the church’s “needs”
ministry was for the well-being of the <i>believers</i>, not for poor people in
the general public. In Acts 20:33-34, Paul reminded the Ephesian elders that he
had not coveted their gold or silver or apparel, as he ministered to them, but
his own hands had supplied whatever “needs” he experienced. He mentioned
“apparel” as a <i>need</i>, but shelter and food generally are considered the
equal of clothing, in terms of <i>needs</i>. This practice, said Paul (in verse
35), was an “example” for the elders. Paul, therefore, did not practice any
type of voluntary “communism,” as some have suggested was the case for the
early church in Acts 2-6. Following Paul’s example, it is good for us to work
with our hands to supply our own “needs.” Paul tells the Thessalonians (2
Thess. 3:10 NKJV): “I</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">f anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Of course, Paul
encouraged free-will “offerings” on the part of his gentile churches to assist
the Jerusalem church in their times of need, but this was not a quasi-communist
practice. It was much more of a quasi-capitalist practice, where those who are
financially successful freely donate assistance to the less fortunate. Luke
3:10-14 (NKJV) supplies John the Baptist’s prescription for freely donating to
the less fortunate:</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyhAP8xhyPpgnqg4nOWB4te9lt8o1jHJ_rQzBwAjkQiswM1KJBkO9GSXM_RiSq5EsvgzZ9Zy76g0mAFyzXXwSoPlQ8niwXaTDgWTZGj2KxmBPpNOnGki8Zv8e8JThg601Jehs8-UXSXA1977DxrUpQKu6kP19M4r0jdt-9HTf4lBi1gRdVadeMJrd1Q/s300/baptismJesus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="300" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyhAP8xhyPpgnqg4nOWB4te9lt8o1jHJ_rQzBwAjkQiswM1KJBkO9GSXM_RiSq5EsvgzZ9Zy76g0mAFyzXXwSoPlQ8niwXaTDgWTZGj2KxmBPpNOnGki8Zv8e8JThg601Jehs8-UXSXA1977DxrUpQKu6kP19M4r0jdt-9HTf4lBi1gRdVadeMJrd1Q/s1600/baptismJesus.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="text">He answered and
said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none;
and he who has food, let him do likewise.”</span></span> <span class="text">Then tax
collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we
do?”</span> <span class="text">And he said to them, “Collect no more
than what is appointed for you.”</span> <span class="text">Likewise the
soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”</span> <span class="text">So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse
falsely, and be content with your wages.”</span><span class="text"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul56nImz7YKkmPNmsgOxl84mXeWUyzWwUotE889_r85-alhDFe0VPXfWrMRc1CCylqddVsMmuGElqneYxes1YaoSq-FNg8KhVSE6yO5upWlQLjZtJVHjJLl3MhxlVKDMF5EYnsCvNSvrWryeullyvbQePtlLgRnwa3DOsuFwHE3i052BufPjjNaTj5Q/s1920/physician.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhul56nImz7YKkmPNmsgOxl84mXeWUyzWwUotE889_r85-alhDFe0VPXfWrMRc1CCylqddVsMmuGElqneYxes1YaoSq-FNg8KhVSE6yO5upWlQLjZtJVHjJLl3MhxlVKDMF5EYnsCvNSvrWryeullyvbQePtlLgRnwa3DOsuFwHE3i052BufPjjNaTj5Q/s320/physician.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Luke 5:31 (NKJV) records Jesus
answering his critics for eating with publicans and sinners: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Those who are
well have no <i>need</i> of a physician, but those who are sick.” It is a
simple deduction that Luke understood that health care was a <i>need</i>, just
as the saving grace of Jesus was a <i>need</i> of publicans and sinners. Luke
9:11 states that Jesus cured those that had a <i>need</i> of healing. Along
with Jesus’s gift of salvation, our <i>needs</i> include medicine, health care,
and health insurance.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In Luke 10:42 (NKJV), Jesus corrects
Martha who had complained that Mary was not assisting her with serving a meal.
Instead, Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus’s feet and listen to His teaching.
Jesus answers Martha: “One thing is <i>needed</i>; and Mary has chosen that
good part, which will not be taken away from her.” It may sound self-serving,
but I justify my expenditure of years and years, along with huge sums of money,
spent to pursue education in biblical studies at Lincoln Christian University,
Indiana University, the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin,
and Purdue University. The student loans were quite large and I only finally
paid them off after I turned 71. Did I <i>need</i> to spend that money? I
appeal to Jesus’s answer to Martha. Do Christians <i>need</i> to support and
learn from teachers in the local churches and Christian colleges? I think so.
There are such individuals as “autodidacts” who teach themselves Christianity,
and that is certainly good, but even they <i>need</i> to buy (or borrow) books.
Furthermore, they might not be able to readily distinguish between Bible-believing
scholars and liberal, skeptical scholars (wolves in sheep’s clothing). They
need devout Christian mentors to guide them. Paying for </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kX6QPtpLYVmYSYBbPa84J1K23lM_JyLzHjCPwzJVV93CYvD3Xuou_JeKQFqZtqRI6g4P2QdGOPf45352Vdo_9rev4cSxsjSRGlMKowxOcoe1V2Sl8xt7SFU3ivj5uV7Y_u_KS2OByavda4GMjcIEHQnQSMX-cyryOVksQq6NAycDwJJJIOi9WCP6oA/s320/ArguMentorPic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kX6QPtpLYVmYSYBbPa84J1K23lM_JyLzHjCPwzJVV93CYvD3Xuou_JeKQFqZtqRI6g4P2QdGOPf45352Vdo_9rev4cSxsjSRGlMKowxOcoe1V2Sl8xt7SFU3ivj5uV7Y_u_KS2OByavda4GMjcIEHQnQSMX-cyryOVksQq6NAycDwJJJIOi9WCP6oA/s1600/ArguMentorPic.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />the teaching and
guidance of Christian leaders is a worthy <i>need</i>.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjdF_mzkPaj3Y7ybD3H-56Xju1CsHOXO5NvEkzrfhw_iaJKwDjTRM3LNtdnrJVzSF8IChCpvLu3FDyOthEogDvk8s3k_dEXC61GbwCxUm-JEiu-FHo3LW0hq6OCHHy98nJnFzNUI5EfOblrq228DOtWNnvyAOgSfvNpKBkVu0OCRBrJXWe8e-FcCN2A/s269/PalmSunday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="252" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjdF_mzkPaj3Y7ybD3H-56Xju1CsHOXO5NvEkzrfhw_iaJKwDjTRM3LNtdnrJVzSF8IChCpvLu3FDyOthEogDvk8s3k_dEXC61GbwCxUm-JEiu-FHo3LW0hq6OCHHy98nJnFzNUI5EfOblrq228DOtWNnvyAOgSfvNpKBkVu0OCRBrJXWe8e-FcCN2A/s1600/PalmSunday.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br />Before Jesus entered Jerusalem on
Palm Sunday, He sent his disciples into Jerusalem to borrow a donkey upon which
He would ride in his triumphal entry. Luke 19:31 and 34 (NKJV) record the
instruction to tell the donkey’s owner: “The Lord has <i>need</i> of it/him.”
The donkey, of course, served as Jesus’s mode of transportation. Transportation
is often a need. We may debate whether our transportation <i>need</i> involves a
wheel chair, a bicycle, a golf cart, a taxi, a new automobile, an SUV, an
electric car, a train fare, a plane ticket, or even the purchase of a private
Jet or helicopter. The individual Christian should be free to justify his/her
transportation choice on the basis of stewardship. Jesus lived His entire
earthly life in a country the size of New Jersey. He, therefore, walked much of
the time (probably, a healthier approach), but he also rode boats across the
Sea of Galilee and, as mentioned, He rode a donkey into Jerusalem. His pregnant
mother Mary, we believe, rode a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem before His
birth, and the two of them, no doubt, rode a donkey from Bethlehem to Egypt and
back.<span class="text"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7FL6G5Xb0r3mu0374Rhsr5tlfRdjwXRZ6d5YseWFEnhOxB5pjfzkd-o6Ez3OOEbkLt55I-NgGImyss_XawRNxgqGzNm9Sa1QYJWJMTtM6Bs0CI-9WXXtn_hNxoc5l984oiPgzdJuh_WbkTYk7RluEaX4TOlmlcNcne5ry6U7ZdhrcyO_NxFj5q8hmg/s474/DailyBread.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7FL6G5Xb0r3mu0374Rhsr5tlfRdjwXRZ6d5YseWFEnhOxB5pjfzkd-o6Ez3OOEbkLt55I-NgGImyss_XawRNxgqGzNm9Sa1QYJWJMTtM6Bs0CI-9WXXtn_hNxoc5l984oiPgzdJuh_WbkTYk7RluEaX4TOlmlcNcne5ry6U7ZdhrcyO_NxFj5q8hmg/s320/DailyBread.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In Matthew 6:8 (NKJV), Jesus introduces the Lord’s
Prayer with the caveat: “<span style="background: white;">Your Father knows the
things you have <i>need</i> of before you ask Him.” “Daily bread” would, no
doubt be among those things, therefore, that are considered <i>needs</i>.
Whether one’s “daily bread” consists of simple sliced bread or an extravagant
cuisine is another matter of personal stewardship.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Regarding shelter, Luke 9:58 (NKJV)
quotes Jesus: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">have</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">His</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> head.”</span> This quotation might be mistaken to indicate
that, for Jesus, shelter was not a need, but John 1:38-39 (NKJV) clearly
indicates that Jesus had lodging/shelter: “‘What do you seek?’ They said to
Him, ‘Rabbi’ (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), ‘where are You
staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’” Once again, considerations
concerning how elaborate one’s home might be pertain to the issue of
stewardship. Churches, incidentally, which ask you to give money to their
ministry, face a similar dilemma when it comes to the buildings that house the
church activities. How elaborate is too elaborate? Would less elaborate
quarters diminish the ministry of the church? What is the stewardship involved?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLQ9IEobocz42z94a-AUC2rwYxECsapi76T5hB0yKTo-yK-XJJTqYBpebGHXMGcOi-UAiAfXy7SjQqFp1zBCiFFOJYQrgg9VQ3wNbNtzKhLJU4zovuCmkKS8n-1LE3FOllI7stUpe_n3HT-FYZsW3u3t86IKD55fw0NZYxleI2IkchZY0V5TVeCUYWA/s474/CrystalCathedral.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="474" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLQ9IEobocz42z94a-AUC2rwYxECsapi76T5hB0yKTo-yK-XJJTqYBpebGHXMGcOi-UAiAfXy7SjQqFp1zBCiFFOJYQrgg9VQ3wNbNtzKhLJU4zovuCmkKS8n-1LE3FOllI7stUpe_n3HT-FYZsW3u3t86IKD55fw0NZYxleI2IkchZY0V5TVeCUYWA/s320/CrystalCathedral.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Clearly, the list of items upon
which we spend money in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century far exceeds the list of
what we might term “needs.” And, even those items that might be termed “needs”
vary greatly in terms of elaborateness. Our meals, our clothing, our health,
our shelter. Luke provides some discussion of stewardship, which we will
consider in the next post. The sum of money entrusted to stewards in Luke’s
various discussions is rather large. 21<sup>st</sup> Century Christians often are
also made stewards of large sums of money. Even those whom we might consider “poor”
among American Christians are extremely wealthy by comparison to the “poor” in
Jesus’s age. Does this mean that we all are actually the “rich” upon whom Jesus
pronounced “woes”? We’ll look at that, next time.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Meanwhile, I leave you with two
hierarchies pertaining to “needs” in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century. The first hierarchy
is a financial planning triangle I taught to my clients when I was in the financial
planning business. On pages 157-158 of my book <i>Making Offers They Can’t
Refuse: The Twenty-One Sales in a Sale</i>, I describe it:</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Virtually
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">all financial experts</b> refer to this
as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the financial triangle</b>. Notice
that it is divided into <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">three layers</b>.
The bottom layer is marked “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">safe</b>.” The
middle layer is marked “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">low-risk</b>.”
The top layer is marked “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">high-risk</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">… You
need to build your financial future the same way you would build a house. You don't
start at the roof and build downwards; you start at the foundation and build
upwards. … [The first level] is the foundation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is marked “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">safe</b>.” Before
you begin to invest in low-risk areas such as mutual funds, there are four
areas which financial experts encourage you to keep absolutely safe. I use an
acrostic. I use the letters of the word “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">s-a-f-e</b>”
to help you remember them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The
letter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“s”</b> stands for “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sickness</b>.” You need health insurance to
pay for doctor and hospital bills so that, if there is a special surgical
procedure or medication or treatment that would save your life, they can
perform it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The money will be
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your sickness results in disability,
so you can't go to work, you need an income to replace the income that you
lost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The
letter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“a”</b> stands for “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">after 65</b>.” According to social security
statistics, only 10 out of 100 Americans born 65 years ago are well-to-do
today. … [M]ake certain that, when you reach age 65, you will be one of the ten.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The
letter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“f”</b> stands for “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">fatality</b>.” When you are married and
have a family, you will need at least ten times your annual income in life
insurance. In other words, if you make $40,000 per year, you will need $400,000
in life insurance. …<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The
letter <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“e”</b> stands for “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">emergency funds</b>.” You need a savings
account of some variety. Experts say that you should save up at least two or
three months’ income, in case of an emergency. …<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Once we have set up the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“safe”</b> level for you, you may consider
yourself free to invest in some of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">low-risk</b>,
and, eventually, maybe even <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">high-risk</b>
areas.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">That “safe” level
comprises those matters that financial planners deem to be “needs.” You may not
ever invest in low-risk or high-risk areas, but you <i>need</i> to take care of
the “safe” level. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkhQcG276VWjzQIs45BHxghPAlQaQPMTzg0z1rkKji5IhhO7UwYIs8Jjr03nP9PnHlvOiYvv2ta9P0VBI_ffFB-AAHv9EKUAhDjPBz38YlE5jvoG7mKtbtPZHs723DlzwbJy1WuWR0bcUS31mLDCPRJkovFXmHgA30gBm45wIRcVKA033ierqgIZGcA/s320/Maslow.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="320" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkhQcG276VWjzQIs45BHxghPAlQaQPMTzg0z1rkKji5IhhO7UwYIs8Jjr03nP9PnHlvOiYvv2ta9P0VBI_ffFB-AAHv9EKUAhDjPBz38YlE5jvoG7mKtbtPZHs723DlzwbJy1WuWR0bcUS31mLDCPRJkovFXmHgA30gBm45wIRcVKA033ierqgIZGcA/s1600/Maslow.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />The second
hierarchy is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Starting, once again, at the
bottom rung of the hierarchy, such basic needs as food, water, and sleep are
mentioned. Think of a poor individual seeking any kind of job that would
provide enough money to provide food and shelter (somewhere to sleep). The
worker might even accept a dangerous job (coal mining, off-shore drilling, policeman
in New York, etc.) to receive an income that would meet these “physiological <i>needs</i>.”
But then, that worker realizes that s/he <i>needs</i> safety, as well, so the
worker bumps up to Maslow’s second tier of needs. He could lose his health in
the coal mine. S/he could lose his/her life as a police officer. He could lose
his family with an off-shore drilling job that kept him away from home. The
prospect of a loss of family moves him to his third-tier set of needs: love and
belonging. Perhaps, an individual would even pay money (or accept a lower
income) to be able to spend more time with his/her family. Or, perhaps, an
individual would accept a lower income in order to gain more <i>esteem</i> (the
next tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). We have a “need” for the respect of
others, for the sense that we are achieving something. Finally, one might throw
away one’s entire career in order to do what one believes one is “meant to do,”
what s/he was “put on earth to do,” what s/he has the “aptitude and desire for.”
This final need is the need for “self-actualization.” When someone experiences
a mid-life crisis, this need may be the culprit.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Maslow’s list may
go beyond what Luke would count as “needs” in Luke and Acts, but I believe the
list is worth considering. After all, we know that we need food, water, and
sleep, but if health is on Luke’s list of needs, wouldn’t safety be, also? Love
is a need that prompted God to give his only begotten Son for the world. Jesus praised
(i.e., blessed) his disciples in the Beatitudes, so He surely thought they
needed to receive esteem, even though the world may not have esteemed them.
Jesus, above all men, understood what He was “meant to do,” what He was “put on
earth to do,” and he paid an ultimate price to be self-actualized. What do you
actually “need”? Give consideration to these things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the next post,
the subject of stewardship.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-40515403621119636972023-02-18T12:23:00.001-08:002023-02-18T12:57:30.169-08:00“Money is a God Term”--Prestige (Money 2)<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><i>Ananias,
with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept
back part of the proceeds.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Acts
5:1-2 NKJV)<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFV_00A0Z16FklIWySnIWHde8dMtbVdokbIypi7NNfg1dW_WBh8UStkQfg_z5eaFrRBjwV94wtSIjPZH9eWnGfeR2yKMf2a7lajJm_gOLYwQ9vYjF8cdAlwWvkAnem2FU8TOxStinmv15OTxf4b8N22-hTsdiltJ_pazKPlb7DuVingFQCsV9jrjbCw/s236/Burke%20Bust.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="236" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFV_00A0Z16FklIWySnIWHde8dMtbVdokbIypi7NNfg1dW_WBh8UStkQfg_z5eaFrRBjwV94wtSIjPZH9eWnGfeR2yKMf2a7lajJm_gOLYwQ9vYjF8cdAlwWvkAnem2FU8TOxStinmv15OTxf4b8N22-hTsdiltJ_pazKPlb7DuVingFQCsV9jrjbCw/s1600/Burke%20Bust.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br />According to
Kenneth Burke, while he was teaching a course at the University of Chicago, as
a visiting professor, the conservative rhetorical scholar Richard Weaver (who
was, at the time, a full professor at the University of Chicago) sat in the
back of Burke’s classroom, each day, taking notes. In that course, Burke
introduced his notion of what he called “God terms.” After Burke concluded his
course at Chicago, Weaver published a work describing <i>as his own</i> concepts:
“God terms”<em><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and “devil terms.” Burke was angry with Weaver, believing that Weaver
had stolen his terminology, without crediting Burke. Their feud, developing
from this issue, lasted throughout both of their lifetimes. Although I like
Weaver</span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> (and agree with his Conservatism more than
with Burke’s liberalism)</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, I find Burke’s notion of “God terms” to be much more </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">useful
(and original)</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> than Weaver’s, so in this blog, I use Burke’s definition of
“God terms</span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">,</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">”</span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
not Weaver’s.</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></em><em><span style="background: white; font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></em><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><em><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span></em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXGgCEoZ0sP4CyzeH9tDLk44ptsTfSUyjenDvzp3oHyyq5JZGSliNmd8s1OtLPAFPvmoPY3qXfSCYr3TgbrKPuZCMH7632FoIz5lo67fH9noXn-IBSWguGnLMMpyB0bY0f73ijwi9-040sScwZ4L7uKViM1C94Vs6PP2lAgWf2GaOz0HAHJ896X06cA/s200/Weaver.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="145" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXGgCEoZ0sP4CyzeH9tDLk44ptsTfSUyjenDvzp3oHyyq5JZGSliNmd8s1OtLPAFPvmoPY3qXfSCYr3TgbrKPuZCMH7632FoIz5lo67fH9noXn-IBSWguGnLMMpyB0bY0f73ijwi9-040sScwZ4L7uKViM1C94Vs6PP2lAgWf2GaOz0HAHJ896X06cA/s1600/Weaver.png" width="145" /></a></em></div><em><br /></em><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In The Complete White Oxen (293), Burke equates “God term”
with a “summarizing title.” In The Rhetoric of Religion (2-3), he equates it
with “summarizing,” then equates it with a “title of titles” (33). In </span></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Tactics of
Motivation,<i>” Chimera</i> 1 (1943): <em><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">28, he calls it an “ultimate title.” I take Burke
to mean, by all this, that <b>there are certain “terms” that many other terms
may be translated into</b>. I think Burke’s best example of such a summarizing
or ultimate title of titles is the term “money.” </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Burke
is not suggesting that money is somehow a “God.” It is only a ”God term.” </span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In A Grammar of
Motives (355), discussing capitalist systems, Burke comments: “Money would be …
[a] ‘God term.’ For a God term designates the ultimate motivation, or
substance.” </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(Capitalists are ultimately motivated by
money.) </span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Money is a summarizing title, because virtually anything may be
translated into money</span></em></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">. “<i>Time</i> Is
Money is an aphorism that is claimed to have originated … in ‘Advice to a
Young Tradesman,’ an essay by </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin" title="Benjamin Franklin"><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Benjamin Franklin</span></span></a></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> that appeared
in George Fisher’s 1748 book, <i>The American Instructor: or Young Man’s
Best Companion</i>” (<i>Wikipedia</i>). What this means is: I can buy someone’s
time by offering them money, when I hire them to complete a project or to do
something for me. In the same sense of using money to buy things, <i>food</i>
is money, <i>clothing</i> is money, <i>shelter</i> (a home or apartment) is
money, <i>health</i> (even longer life) is money (I buy the services of a
doctor or pharmaceutical products), <i>transportation</i> (whether car, gas,
airplane, train, bus, etc.) is money, </span></span><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">security (and
peace of mind) in retirement is money, security (and peace of mind) against
criminals (whether robbers, </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">murderers,
or </span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">rapists, etc.) is money. Some might even suggest
that love is money—that it can be bought—although the Beatles’ song disagrees: Money
Can’t Buy Me Love!</span></em><em><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><em><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglISr70Ia54HK6HPoAMoj_C44xtsZgcmsGC49Lys0T3syYLcC7ZjXHLNKUs6uwn3_kk1HNbzJ0-C87qBYgtqRUWBBmkkHjTmM9S8iBm6CXM7GlB9fumIV9MzrJLJAfdabkkZzn7fkasdqQuju_foEh1OBSrDHIGGV0ao3xNMRkNbmN-S_tmuxovZgG8g/s225/BeatlesMoney.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglISr70Ia54HK6HPoAMoj_C44xtsZgcmsGC49Lys0T3syYLcC7ZjXHLNKUs6uwn3_kk1HNbzJ0-C87qBYgtqRUWBBmkkHjTmM9S8iBm6CXM7GlB9fumIV9MzrJLJAfdabkkZzn7fkasdqQuju_foEh1OBSrDHIGGV0ao3xNMRkNbmN-S_tmuxovZgG8g/s1600/BeatlesMoney.jpg" width="225" /></a></em></div><em><br />Obviously, even in Luke’s writings, despite </em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">emphasizing
“Blessed are you ‘poor’” (Luke 6:20 NKJV) and “Woe to you who are rich” (Luke 6:24
NKJV) and “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13 NKJV), </span><b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">not every use</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> of money is
condemned</span></em><em><span style="background: white; color: black; font-style: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. For example, Luke 7:37-38 speaks
approvingly of: </span></em><em><span style="background: white; font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></em><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBJz0Vy6YeLjETcDWO2pVi0ETayz3DK8eusOOJYPUIsoJZ5HCfY8cMmk-gwCM63_4LYa2O75-qexs5QKql92q56U1rholXD0Mc868kR6t9Up9_IKbAqXDfxiiZAXl6BnD-Le5M42K32p80vCHXbi0lRb2QqNU5EcGEpwFioeAK0T_k0eOMchKD6-WhQ/s1280/JesusFeetAnoint.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBJz0Vy6YeLjETcDWO2pVi0ETayz3DK8eusOOJYPUIsoJZ5HCfY8cMmk-gwCM63_4LYa2O75-qexs5QKql92q56U1rholXD0Mc868kR6t9Up9_IKbAqXDfxiiZAXl6BnD-Le5M42K32p80vCHXbi0lRb2QqNU5EcGEpwFioeAK0T_k0eOMchKD6-WhQ/s320/JesusFeetAnoint.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />[A] woman in the city who was a
sinner [who], when she knew that <i>Jesus</i> sat at the table …
brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil [which Matthew identifies as a ‘precious
ointment’] … and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped <i>them</i> with
the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed <i>them</i> with
the fragrant oil.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Spending money exorbitantly in the
service/worship of Jesus is not wrong. (Hence, the Magi who gave exorbitant gifts to Jesus in Bethlehem were acceptable.) In Acts 4:34-35 (NKJV), Luke reports: “</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">all who were possessors of lands
or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and
laid <i>them</i> at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to
each as anyone had need.</span>” Therefore, for Luke, the use of money to
handle the “<b>needs</b>” of each Christian is an acceptable and positive use
of money. In the next blog, we will consider what might constitute actual “needs.”
As an example, par excellence, of the early church’s practice of selling real
estate and giving the proceeds to the apostles to distribute, Luke mentions
Barnabas in <span style="background: white;">Acts 4:36-37 (NKJV):</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> “<span class="text">And … Barnabas …
a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold <i>it,</i> and
brought the money and laid <i>it</i> at the apostles’ feet.</span>”
Apparently, this selfless act (at least, in part) produced some “<b>prestige</b>”
for Barnabas, since Barnabas shows up in the church history of Acts multiple
times, thereafter (9:27; 11:22, 30; 12:25; 13:1, 2, 7, 43, 46, 50; 14:12, 14,
20; 15:2, 12, 22, 25, 35-37, 39). Paul mentions him in his letters (1
Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:1, 9, 13; Colossians 4:10). In the previous post,
I mentioned that, in </span>Acts 13, Barnabas was Paul’s companion when the two
of them encountered the <i>magus</i> Elymas, while they were on a missionary
journey together (Acts 13-14). The story of Barnabas’s relationship with Paul
begins in Jerusalem in Acts 9:26-27, as Barnabas vouches for Paul’s conversion
when the leaders of the church, there, had been afraid of him. Barnabas seems
to carry a lot of influence (or <b>prestige</b>), because the church, then,
accepts Paul. After that time (Acts <span class="text">11:22-25</span>), the
church at Jerusalem sends Barnabas to the newly developing church in Antioch to
establish the church. Barnabas feels he could use the assistance of Paul, so he
travels to Tarsus to fetch him and, together, they establish the Antioch church.
When a prophecy, later, foretells a coming famine in Israel, the Antioch church
sends financial help to Jerusalem, by the hands of Paul and Barnabas (Acts <span class="text">11:30</span>). In Acts 15, they travel together to Jerusalem to
defend their mission work with the Gentiles. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">With
all of this <b>prestige</b> bestowed upon Barnabas, a married couple in
Jerusalem (Ananias and Sapphira) attempt to replicate Barnabas’s self-less act
of selling real estate and donating the proceeds to the apostles to distribute.
But their “<b>motivation</b>” was not identical to Barnabas’s. Recall Burke’s
definition of a “God term” in <em><span style="background: white;">A Grammar of
Motives (355)</span></em><em><span style="background: white; font-style: normal;">:
“</span><span style="background: white;">For a God term designates the <b>ultimate
motivation</b></span></em><em><span style="background: white; font-style: normal;"></span></em></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmQqTnprHKCnuroV7CQCs8z7XMWMf8ighUPHqHs3lBX8JxDO4pSW7rcEa7GGbwFlshsx_0v77t5gJSDcZKzKgXoTxF_ALvPMwA9Zt5dE6V_e3-pI46Mn9xlZZ1c_qMUoOFF8RmmPkDINp5T070nZiVimPh27gzumzOC2LT94myQqxv2KMGwqX1tdIng/s308/barnabus.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="273" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmQqTnprHKCnuroV7CQCs8z7XMWMf8ighUPHqHs3lBX8JxDO4pSW7rcEa7GGbwFlshsx_0v77t5gJSDcZKzKgXoTxF_ALvPMwA9Zt5dE6V_e3-pI46Mn9xlZZ1c_qMUoOFF8RmmPkDINp5T070nZiVimPh27gzumzOC2LT94myQqxv2KMGwqX1tdIng/s1600/barnabus.png" width="273" /></a></em></div><em><br />.”
Barnabas’s donation of all of the proceeds of his real estate sale to the
church is <b>motivated</b> by a concern to share with his fellow Christians,
with no regard to his own financial well-being. That he did not keep back any
of the proceeds from his real estate sale is evidenced by the implication in 1
Corinthians 9:6 that Paul and Barnabas, alone among the leaders of the church, find
it necessary to “work” for their living, while preaching the Gospel. This self-less
<b>motivation</b> of Barnabas in selling real estate and giving away the
proceeds is <span style="background: white;">not the motivation</span></em><em><span style="background: white; font-style: normal;"> of </span></em>Ananias and Sapphira
in Acts 5:1-11. They sell real estate, and <i>pretend</i> to donate the full
proceeds to the apostles, but secretly “keep back” part of the proceeds. What is
their <b>motivation</b>? Apparently, it is purely to gain the <b>prestige</b>
that Barnabas has. They both deny to the apostles that they kept anything back;
thus, they lie to God (5:4); they lie to the Holy Spirit (5:3). Why would they
lie about it? The apostles tell them that it would have been acceptable for
them to keep the proceeds (5:4), but they lie, no doubt, because they covet the
<b>prestige</b> given to Barnabas.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZn0lBzPGEhZK5BVR9Q6fYjXkz5E8W--2M61t9yQ6lsPn02lHJQjXbmGCgRDJXIkfyuJ67YP5jOyiFc56-u7jLH2puBqJAs4M7Fvb-8FCKNZHaU6nXUntcuE71UIZ8VX3tBIHE6aVeFY6QtwjqxE2kkZobraH3mOtaRxGFyrOWKnu3TWR_wli2JxSDg/s1288/prestige.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZn0lBzPGEhZK5BVR9Q6fYjXkz5E8W--2M61t9yQ6lsPn02lHJQjXbmGCgRDJXIkfyuJ67YP5jOyiFc56-u7jLH2puBqJAs4M7Fvb-8FCKNZHaU6nXUntcuE71UIZ8VX3tBIHE6aVeFY6QtwjqxE2kkZobraH3mOtaRxGFyrOWKnu3TWR_wli2JxSDg/s320/prestige.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br />Motivation
is often the key to understanding Luke’s emphasis on money. In the previous
post, Simon (<i>Magus</i>) is <b>motivated</b> to use his money to buy “<b>power</b>”
in the church—the capacity to grant miraculous spiritual gifts. In this post, Ananias
and Sapphira are <b>motivated</b> to use their money to buy “<b>prestige</b>”
in the church. Is the purchase of anything that supplies <b>prestige</b> a
fatal sin? From athletic shoes to jeans to handbags, Americans engage in the
purchase of <b>prestigious</b> brands. In 2020, I bought my first “Lincoln”
automobile. Prior to this time, I had purchased many new vehicles (plus used
vehicles), and then driven them until they wore out, usually putting 300,000 or
400,000 miles on each vehicle before it dropped. My business practice required an
exorbitant amount of travel and I “needed” reliable transportation. The new vehicles
generally carried the “Ford” trademark, although there were a couple of Chevys,
plus a Mercury, a Buick, and an Oldsmobile, along the way. One <i>used</i> vehicle
I bought, my wife and I nicknamed the “crunch.” It was a tiny Ford Festiva that
had been involved in an accident and was smashed in on all sides, the back, and
the top, <i>but</i>, it only had 40,000 miles on the engine and I got it for
almost nothing. I replaced the broken window glass with Plexiglass that I
fastened to the frame by screws. I used a crowbar to bend the wheel wells out enough
to accommodate the free movement of the wheels—but if someone rode in the
backseat, the wheel wells would rub on the tires. I filled in the spaces where
the doors didn’t quite fit close together with foam insulation. I (and my son
Tristan) drove the vehicle until it quit. In other words, I have driven cars
that supplied no <b>prestige</b>, whatsoever (the Festiva, for one)! However,
in 2020, I retired from full-time teaching at Florida State University, and I
found a super deal on a new Lincoln MKZ. $9000.00 off list price! I couldn’t
resist it. I sold my Ford that had only 300,000 miles on it and bought the
Lincoln. Was I motivated by the “<b>prestige</b>” of owning a Lincoln? Yes, I honestly
think I was, even though I was also motivated by the super deal. Have I
witnessed increased <b>prestige</b> in they eyes of my neighbors and friends?
Yes, I have. Many more compliments! To keep me humble, I park it alongside my
2009 Ford Ranger pickup truck, so no one will think of me as a snob. Did it buy
me any new <b>prestige</b> in the church? No, I don’t think so. Did I “<b>need</b>”
a vehicle that was reliable (even if it also supplied a little “<b>prestige</b>,”
along the way)? Yes, I think I did. As mentioned, my next blog will discuss that
issue of “<b>needs</b>” and how Luke interprets Jesus’s teaching, there.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nevertheless,
it is clear, even in New Testament times, that money was used to obtain <b>prestige</b>
(even privilege) in the church. James 2:1-4 (NKJV) cautions:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oO5sMJJRkpZsitoKbXOjMzpYNfjBeo0tFYc8mnZVjGV9Vn5H0HAz3IVu8PybOumZf_04NWHb0zvn6roEX0qnINL67g7Yu8q1NbqnKuWD4eS6nEYt0JUGf5SuTunOPQqo1YULpWsRt1hYIbuQaUme3qOspoLZLKmAjLP6LgtEDM0In0njWgQTNMOrVg/s451/goldRings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="451" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oO5sMJJRkpZsitoKbXOjMzpYNfjBeo0tFYc8mnZVjGV9Vn5H0HAz3IVu8PybOumZf_04NWHb0zvn6roEX0qnINL67g7Yu8q1NbqnKuWD4eS6nEYt0JUGf5SuTunOPQqo1YULpWsRt1hYIbuQaUme3qOspoLZLKmAjLP6LgtEDM0In0njWgQTNMOrVg/s320/goldRings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />My brethren, do not hold the faith … with partiality. For
if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel,
and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay
attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in
a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my
footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges
with evil thoughts?<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">James, being Jesus’s brother, might have held some added
insight into what Jesus may have meant by his “Blessed are the poor” beatitude.
In the situation James describes, the rich do not even need to sell their
property and give it away to receive <b>prestige</b>, even though Luke
emphasizes the superiority of the <b>prestige</b> for those (like Barnabas) who
do so (with the proper motivation). Perhaps, Matthew’s version of the beatitude
(“Blessed are the poor <i>in spirit</i>”) correctly indicates that those who
may have money should not flaunt it (gold rings, fine apparel) or accept
deference because of the size of their bank accounts. They should exercise a “spirit”
of being poor, even if they are not. They should not be <b>motivated</b> by the
<b>prestige</b> of having money or of giving money away. We should check our motives.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-77395636237176915152023-01-05T11:15:00.000-08:002023-01-05T11:15:42.517-08:00The Other Magi—Simon and Elymas (Money 1)<p> </p><p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><i><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black;">“</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem
of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east
arrived in Jerusalem.”</span></span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; tab-stops: center 3.25in left 299.75pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Matt
2:1 NASV)<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">“</span></i></span><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">Now a man named Simon had previously been
practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria.</span></i><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">”</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Acts 8:9 NASV)</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">“</span></i></span><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">Elymas the magician (for so his name
is translated) was opposing them</span></i><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">”</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(Acts 13:8 NASV)</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wCl-aeH65zs5BAfFfrUrRjpd0chNaG7mTCtPj_nB_RzgIgjJdfV8Hbtk6KxaDjWff7spBECfNR8sInGwioyKYmkYG8HdUVBKETpk_Rb6_qLwgmFZ7SBykTc6rRL_iAQQ_doa4EMy0JPHMR8SCRVO62XtFDdH4YWMsM4wuppEZV8GgZV9zRYfwQXdbw/s1200/three-king-day-1-1200x834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1200" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wCl-aeH65zs5BAfFfrUrRjpd0chNaG7mTCtPj_nB_RzgIgjJdfV8Hbtk6KxaDjWff7spBECfNR8sInGwioyKYmkYG8HdUVBKETpk_Rb6_qLwgmFZ7SBykTc6rRL_iAQQ_doa4EMy0JPHMR8SCRVO62XtFDdH4YWMsM4wuppEZV8GgZV9zRYfwQXdbw/s320/three-king-day-1-1200x834.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Tomorrow (January 6th) is Three Kings Day. Have you ever noticed that Matthew is the only gospel
that provides an account of the Magi at Jesus’s birth (Matt 2:1-12). The number
<i>three</i> became attached to the group, since they brought <i>three</i>
gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In light of these gifts, they were,
apparently, rich guys. However, we do not actually know the exact number of the
Magi; Matthew never informs us of that, but that’s not the point of this post. I’m
beginning a series of posts on Luke’s teaching about Christians and <i>money</i>.
For Luke, there are several <i>monetary</i> landmines Christians need to avoid,
if they wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. While Luke’s infancy narrative
does not mention the Magi at Jesus’s birth, Luke mentions another magus
(singular of magi), as he writes in <span style="background: white; color: #001320;">Acts
13:8 (NASV): “</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">But Elymas
the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to
turn the proconsul away from the faith.” The Greek word translated “magician”
in </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">13:8 </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">is the same word—magi—as in the birth
narrative in </span>Matt 2:1-12—<i>magus</i>/<span style="background: white; color: black;">μάγος. While Luke does not use the term </span><i>magus</i>/<span style="background: white; color: black;">μάγος to describe Simon (often referred to
elsewhere as “Simon Magus,” in Acts 8:9-25, he uses the cognate noun </span><i>mageia</i>/<span style="background: white; color: black;">μαγεία in </span>Acts 8:11 to refer
to Simon’s “magical arts.” He is also called “Simon the Sorcerer.” Elymas and
Simon, the magi, both appear to be “rich guys,” as were the Magi in Matthew’s
account, but they are presented (only by Luke) in <i>negative</i> contexts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAOp3rxGjgrTd1A19AXBhjmyVuqIUXWh0amoRdjqMS3QSsJIJi_j2ODFUyfTjVwgbf-7d_Ar1USBqFnv_sbEyUUjKMtxpLAQBK0oR3J4L_dOjU0SdH08q-bWA5CXzYT2yR1vpZI7ni4tirQNZj_DfTKI3FYH0SUR2zeC1WYuWz8CEMq5HnNkC6mwq7w/s639/SimonMagus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwAOp3rxGjgrTd1A19AXBhjmyVuqIUXWh0amoRdjqMS3QSsJIJi_j2ODFUyfTjVwgbf-7d_Ar1USBqFnv_sbEyUUjKMtxpLAQBK0oR3J4L_dOjU0SdH08q-bWA5CXzYT2yR1vpZI7ni4tirQNZj_DfTKI3FYH0SUR2zeC1WYuWz8CEMq5HnNkC6mwq7w/s320/SimonMagus.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I mention </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">in
my article in the <i>KB Journal</i>, “Epideictic oratory [which I argue is the
genre of the gospels] … strengthens the disposition toward action by increasing
adherence to the values it lauds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew has no problem lauding the “rich guys”—the Magi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke, however, does not even mention them,
and, instead, lauds the “humble” (poor man’s) view of Jesus’ birth. In Luke
1:48, before Jesus is born, Mary comments on her own “low estate.” In 1:52-53
(CEB), she exalts God: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He has pulled the
powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. </span>He has filled
the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed.”<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Luke 2:7 says
that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Since God
saved the first-born sons of the Israelites, Exodus 13 demands that the
first-born males (even of livestock) be redeemed by a sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first-born male donkey, for example, was
to be redeemed by the sacrifice of a lamb. When Jesus was redeemed (being
Mary’s first-born son) in Jerusalem, Luke 2:24 reports that Joseph and Mary
offered up two turtle doves or two young pigeons, as the price of his
redemption—a poor man’s redemption price. Matthew includes <i>none</i> of these
humble origins of Jesus.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycIlqMefYQy5c23heDK02OT2I8JQ8-VMWqPDg-0rrL5lqm1GKfOfu92tCm4i1dxn2FSK2tFJCPNoU7RpiD3iFPYHwEUL_vNPZCWJUA_g4UFdV6tobj0Itol2YSfFKg_yho3BS5P0w7xTnstbSWdLGSHr7p9GLobslx-IOIB3WiPCoO3bJtjHUuxm9vg/s910/pigeons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="910" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycIlqMefYQy5c23heDK02OT2I8JQ8-VMWqPDg-0rrL5lqm1GKfOfu92tCm4i1dxn2FSK2tFJCPNoU7RpiD3iFPYHwEUL_vNPZCWJUA_g4UFdV6tobj0Itol2YSfFKg_yho3BS5P0w7xTnstbSWdLGSHr7p9GLobslx-IOIB3WiPCoO3bJtjHUuxm9vg/s320/pigeons.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Why
is this true? As I mentioned in a previous post, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Luke
lauds the value of EXTREME IMPOVERISHMENT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By comparing the Beatitudes in Luke with the Beatitudes as Matthew
presents them, we see that Luke lauds poverty more than does Matthew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke’s beatitude “Blessed are you who are
poor” becomes Matthew’s “poor in spirit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luke’s “Blessed are you who are hungry now” becomes Matthew’s “hunger
after righteousness.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke follows-up
his Beatitude with the statements, “Woe to you who are rich . . . woe to you
who are full now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew does not.
Luke is the only gospel to provide the Good Samaritan parable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acts (also written by Luke) tells of
Christians like Barnabas who sold their possessions and brought the money to
the apostles. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hence, we come to a differentiation
between Magi in Matthew and Luke. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dispensing with the good Magi who brought
gifts to the baby Jesus and the bad magus Elymas who opposed Paul and Barnabas,
and whom Paul temporarily blinded for that opposition, we turn for an
understanding of Luke to the one who is called in history “Simon Magus.” Much
legendary material was produced in the second century concerning Simon, which I
do not trust. Looking only at the biblical account in Acts 8:9-24, we find the
account, written by Luke.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe9f7Qz8jLZfYkl4LQjOrediUPEgeEbd0IqoVgrD3p3Ck7SW1NqnWeukDylpa9qw6z04l36T-DmvHNL28qpxnxNoPw-cG1i9W816Xbl-y7XHy0OZLDVVz5gAcx8QKTX4Y3m4-6JuSMC-Cr7DD3P3UgSUjcEXdNNJVeX554W6V3jQtfd0U5B7h77fXlQ/s740/Philip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="740" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe9f7Qz8jLZfYkl4LQjOrediUPEgeEbd0IqoVgrD3p3Ck7SW1NqnWeukDylpa9qw6z04l36T-DmvHNL28qpxnxNoPw-cG1i9W816Xbl-y7XHy0OZLDVVz5gAcx8QKTX4Y3m4-6JuSMC-Cr7DD3P3UgSUjcEXdNNJVeX554W6V3jQtfd0U5B7h77fXlQ/s320/Philip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">To
summarize the account: the apostles Peter and John came to Samaria after the
deacon (from Jerusalem) Philip had evangelized and converted the first Samaritans
to Christianity. Philip had baptized the new Christians, but none of them had
received a charismatic gift—a miraculous gift of the Spirit, such as Philip and
Peter and John had. (Philip, apparently, had no ability to confer these gifts
of the Spirit to anyone. Then, the apostles Peter and John laid hands on some
of the new Samaritan Christians and those who had received the laying on of
hands of apostles received miraculous charismatic gifts (8:13). “Simon saw that
through the laying on of the apostles’ hands” these spiritual gifts were
conferred, so he offered to buy this ability to confer spiritual gifts on
people from the apostles (8:18-19). Peter blasted him (8:20 NKJV): “Your money
perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased
with money!” Peter told him to repent, and apparently, he did. End of story.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lxZnYST7HENIM-OZDCd18OdJcF1EG-pHoFW2kghnrsC1tiHxotTUR6bUVKrK-ic5jwQQdkWWbQUQ4MVeNURD3mqPSKfewByyzsukHbTRv-7bjsdhY2GxPhbhZK9W4SHWef_hDT3YuBqUHrM0-NE2hRFEkOGkHZEN_8bR2KFqzhb5CoLDKLsVs63P-A/s474/SpiritualGifts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="474" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lxZnYST7HENIM-OZDCd18OdJcF1EG-pHoFW2kghnrsC1tiHxotTUR6bUVKrK-ic5jwQQdkWWbQUQ4MVeNURD3mqPSKfewByyzsukHbTRv-7bjsdhY2GxPhbhZK9W4SHWef_hDT3YuBqUHrM0-NE2hRFEkOGkHZEN_8bR2KFqzhb5CoLDKLsVs63P-A/s320/SpiritualGifts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In
addition to offering another indication of Luke’s attitude toward money, this
passage is the clearest evidence that modern-day spiritual gifts are non-existent.
Spiritual gifts can only be conferred by the laying on of apostles’ hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since there are no apostles alive, today,
there are no spiritual gifts, today. While I don’t always agree with
Calvinists, I do agree with John Calvin<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">who wrote: “</span><em><span style="background: #FEFEFE; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">It pleased the Lord that those visible and
admirable gifts of the Holy Spirit, which he then poured out upon his people,
should be administered and distributed by his apostles by the laying on of
hands . . .</span></em><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i> </i></b><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">since that gift has ceased to be conferred, to what end is the
laying on of hands? . . . Assuredly . . . those miraculous powers and manifest
operations, which were distributed by the laying on of hands, have ceased. They
were only for a time” (Inst</span></em><i>.</i> 4.19.6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUG0inWV-z2k2xY6dz-9euvjxGC31QdNox-N57YCMPHZ3794zUkHoFMNye_aOxob47I-iGl0aReXql7dF3a4KGVK84SdAvEjv1l6unEdGTTGGJGII-7Pml5ak56vSda78vqpFplgIdX_gQuW11Ba3oPoYZWHDA9SKHOM3n715GHMxql_v1ymKHVmW4Q/s738/MakingOffersCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="624" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUG0inWV-z2k2xY6dz-9euvjxGC31QdNox-N57YCMPHZ3794zUkHoFMNye_aOxob47I-iGl0aReXql7dF3a4KGVK84SdAvEjv1l6unEdGTTGGJGII-7Pml5ak56vSda78vqpFplgIdX_gQuW11Ba3oPoYZWHDA9SKHOM3n715GHMxql_v1ymKHVmW4Q/s320/MakingOffersCover.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I
turn, now, to the <i>monetary</i> implications of Luke’s message, with some
trepidation. For a decade of my life, I earned a living as a financial planner—primarily,
as a life insurance agent. I sought to persuade mostly young college graduates
that they should plan for their financial future, especially for the prospects
of unexpected illness, disability, or death, plus the more expected needs of
retirement. I recommended products that I also purchased for myself, my wife,
and my children. I still have these products in force, on my family, forty
years later. I wrote a book regarding my persuasion methods and my products
that has been used (with a few upgraded editions) as a college text at multiple
universities. The current title of the book is <i>Making Offers They Can’t
Refuse: The Twenty-One Sales in a Sale</i>, 3<sup>rd</sup> ed. My trepidation
comes as I begin this series on Luke’s theology of money. Jesus says, in Luke
18:25 (NKJV), “<span class="woj">For it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”</span>
Matthew 19:24 and Mark 10:25 record the same saying of Jesus, but with
different Greek words for “the eye of a needle.” (Interestingly, the three gospels
used three different Greek words for “eye,” but that’s insignificant since
Jesus spoke in Aramaic and, hence, all Greek is translation.) What <i>is</i> significant,
however, is that being “rich” is everywhere presented as being an extreme
barrier to entering the Kingdom of God.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVxJCAXdBNDJh6fMLXjuxTTjZv9-sl3SQ0eezXp9Re1XEBIw6oUHs333U8Uxd3UboBycVon6OI7etd3ROnRGxg81CrvmnCQjG_7EqiagbGW9ddr2PojceTfCEqmf25IJs7ipPrsClu0TozQFCzCcFxFL_pq-5MdVF1NIkj0pp8Ku3HHdFebtlhP8y9A/s2793/CoinsGreek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2793" data-original-width="1985" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVxJCAXdBNDJh6fMLXjuxTTjZv9-sl3SQ0eezXp9Re1XEBIw6oUHs333U8Uxd3UboBycVon6OI7etd3ROnRGxg81CrvmnCQjG_7EqiagbGW9ddr2PojceTfCEqmf25IJs7ipPrsClu0TozQFCzCcFxFL_pq-5MdVF1NIkj0pp8Ku3HHdFebtlhP8y9A/s320/CoinsGreek.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br />I might be wading
into a mine field by considering the <i>monetary</i> teachings of Luke.
Perhaps, I will step on landmines that could be devastating to myself, as well
as my readers, but, wade we must! For the next several posts, we will consider Luke’s
<i>monetary</i> teachings, one-by-one, starting here with Simon Magus. Contrary
to those who later coined the term “simony,” meaning “to buy a religious
office,” Simon was not attempting to purchase any ecclesiastical office. He just
wanted power and he believed that everything was for sale. Once he determined
who held the source of miraculous power—the apostles—he was willing to offer “the
big bucks” in exchange for some of that power. Kind of a quid pro quo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuxVNr0I9pLc1Tx08Of2Erlc_eTu776R5jo1NuZFe5SBXfGTgdXC709NPkc8sbp8wp-K3vQO5nyC5vJ2Ze1nGRkfll4HgcNGCbRe8K7ZIALcpnrjYvp5IYxtl1q2ruWZQj_5dYuUo4ndvSFNpGcc9AmZvaAgS73mK4vVqPZn1vbWYNpDx0nj4kphiow/s474/OfferingPlate1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="474" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuxVNr0I9pLc1Tx08Of2Erlc_eTu776R5jo1NuZFe5SBXfGTgdXC709NPkc8sbp8wp-K3vQO5nyC5vJ2Ze1nGRkfll4HgcNGCbRe8K7ZIALcpnrjYvp5IYxtl1q2ruWZQj_5dYuUo4ndvSFNpGcc9AmZvaAgS73mK4vVqPZn1vbWYNpDx0nj4kphiow/s320/OfferingPlate1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black;">I cringe when I have
witnessed church boards and ministers who were unwilling to confront the sinful
behavior of certain members of the church, on the grounds that they are “such good
givers.” I worry that multi-million-dollar church building programs, with the
attendant debt, create scenarios in which the church owes its soul to the
congregational wealthy. What happens if the rich in the church get offended and
pull the plug? What happens if the “wealthy woke” decide that the church should
accept abortion or homosexuality or living together before marriage or adultery
or transgenderism among its members? (Not accepting these behaviors does not
mean we should not love the sinners, by the way.) Are the wealthy, in those
instances, not exerting a Simon-like attempt at buying power? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black;">The Magi who
visited the baby Jesus may have been wealthy, but they sought no quid pro quo
from the baby or Mary or Joseph. Their purpose in giving was to worship, not to
purchase power or influence. Lest we be tempted to expect some quid pro quo
from our giving, we should be on constant vigil to avoid stepping on the Simon
Magus landmine in our financial dealings with God. Next, we consider the landmine of buying prestige.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-28396094380406019042022-12-12T10:36:00.004-08:002022-12-13T09:59:09.695-08:00The Importance of His Flesh in Entelechy (Gospels 11)<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">“</span></i></span><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">And the Word </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">became </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">flesh</span><span class="woj">.”</span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(John 1:14 NKJV)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACk2-XNwlYnuIrN_qO101U1YnD6cm3jnvyaHJKhAA9jTJnSikmERhBbAN-NKPrEOhncPhvhUKgcA_Jgmxk2B1HlJgxcLeHZ3ISFKCFLIB7mQjxl6VeU7FAqvxzu73gIIsg7dZfjyRXlAWS1Iw9TCTASNAEMOr_3hgnMNu4YU6SxOzwTR1o4dqz8alnw/s1024/incarnation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACk2-XNwlYnuIrN_qO101U1YnD6cm3jnvyaHJKhAA9jTJnSikmERhBbAN-NKPrEOhncPhvhUKgcA_Jgmxk2B1HlJgxcLeHZ3ISFKCFLIB7mQjxl6VeU7FAqvxzu73gIIsg7dZfjyRXlAWS1Iw9TCTASNAEMOr_3hgnMNu4YU6SxOzwTR1o4dqz8alnw/s320/incarnation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">“unless</span></i></span><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you
have no life in you.”</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(John 6:53 NKJV)</span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUM_k7MKsRzb9g5N38lviCFhW04jVmDYVLCbzgf0ze3fJQd0CrTl164bpp9EIbv6XZbYyBSc1gqGFzDFZuvgXOUWqG6a9z66CvF7n9SPkQdzrYJPZhTwodT_IOgYwcM_-nYApYbw--Y89q2QfF-s7DXjB8XAK_Im3GdMixqW5sSfsO2CCM3AC2uMtZSg/s284/Peter'sVision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="220" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUM_k7MKsRzb9g5N38lviCFhW04jVmDYVLCbzgf0ze3fJQd0CrTl164bpp9EIbv6XZbYyBSc1gqGFzDFZuvgXOUWqG6a9z66CvF7n9SPkQdzrYJPZhTwodT_IOgYwcM_-nYApYbw--Y89q2QfF-s7DXjB8XAK_Im3GdMixqW5sSfsO2CCM3AC2uMtZSg/s1600/Peter'sVision.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />Imagine that you
are Jewish, at the time of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like
Peter, in Acts 10:13, you refuse to eat any foods that are not kosher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No pork, no shellfish, no rabbit, not even Jello
(if it had been invented back then; it’s made of pig parts). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No catfish, shark, or sturgeon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No escargots, no insects (other than certain
varieties of locust).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t eat an
egg that has blood in it, because the blood indicates an unborn embryo that was
not properly killed, and, besides, you cannot eat <i>anything </i>with blood in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, along comes Jesus who tells his
disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not only is drinking any blood a violation, but eating his flesh even
smacks of cannibalism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Justin Martyr’s </span><em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">First Apology</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"> (Chapter
5 & 6) indicates that the Romans accused the early Christians of
cannibalism, perhaps, based somewhat on this passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ saying even scandalized many of his
disciples in Capernaum who heard it: “</span></em><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard <i>this,</i> said,
‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ . . . Jesus . . . said to
them, </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">‘Does this</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">offend you?</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">’ </span>. . . </span><b><sup><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></sup></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">From that </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">time</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> many of His disciples went </span>back
and walked with Him no more.</span><span class="text">” </span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(John 6:60-61
NKJV).</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: .5in;"><b style="color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u>Material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Many commentaries on John have wrestled with the </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">John 6:53-61 passage</span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, but my purpose, here, is to see if the concept of entelechy
sheds any new light on its meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is possible that the </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">John 6:51-63 passage </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">is where the concept of </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">hulē</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/ὕλη plays a most important role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I mentioned in my post </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The “Form” of God and Entelechy (Gospels
6)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">,
“<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black;">all (natural) </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> (<u>including
“flesh”</u>) was “made” by (or through) the Logos.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the New Testament only once uses the
term <i>hulē</i>/ὕλη, John makes considerably more use of the term flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">using the term eleven
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of those eleven times, eight are
in the John 6:51-63 passage, now under consideration, where Jesus also claims
to be the living bread that came down from heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span></u></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8rsj0XjhW_yGbXrCWgzKiNu70CPyaOmT071rDNxpbdcFw4uJWJ-9kDI6SuCScPkPVh4tAiDUqheYQp-tJgSkG7qy5wQRR0geXj3bpQ0d9gfnXtzKoMgJluh3cFpE6NgfDTbrSOokGJYJJYWgmCQlb0J3_9_gh36-uZGmM8k4ZCud9ZXEH_WWPZvFVw/s220/metaphor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="220" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8rsj0XjhW_yGbXrCWgzKiNu70CPyaOmT071rDNxpbdcFw4uJWJ-9kDI6SuCScPkPVh4tAiDUqheYQp-tJgSkG7qy5wQRR0geXj3bpQ0d9gfnXtzKoMgJluh3cFpE6NgfDTbrSOokGJYJJYWgmCQlb0J3_9_gh36-uZGmM8k4ZCud9ZXEH_WWPZvFVw/s1600/metaphor.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></u></b></div><b style="background-color: transparent;"><u><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Incarnation: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">σὰρξ</span></u></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It is not enough to say that John’s
account of Jesus is employing the trope of metaphor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It clearly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question is how extensive the metaphor is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, Jesus’ body is not literal bread
or manna (John 6:31-33), yet he does assert that he <i>literally</i> did come
down from heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His use of the verbs
to eat and to drink pertain to the bread and manna metaphor, so they are not
literal, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Importantly, however, when
Jesus refers to his own </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ (and blood), he is being quite <i>literal</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><u>Seeing</u></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Other than the John 6 passage,
perhaps, the most important (entelechially-enlightening) passage in John is
1:14, where John tells us that the Logos became </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We celebrate this verse at Christmas time,
calling Christmas the “incarnation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In-<b>carn</b>-ation,
features the flesh element, since the root “caro/carnis-” is Latin for “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ,”
as in “carnivore” and “carnival.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
combination of Logos and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ, according to 1:14, allows us
to see/<i>theaomai</i>/θεάομαι his glory—as of the only begotten of the Father—full
of grace and truth. This “<b>seeing</b>” (or perception of Jesus’ glory) is the
more literal equivalent of “eating” and “drinking.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
metaphor of eating and drinking indicates “ingesting” into one’s own </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ
the nutrients that are, then, to be “assimilated” into one’s own </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John uses three Greek words meaning “to see”
interchangeably:</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">theaomai</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/θεάομαι, </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">horaō</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">/</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ὁράω</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"></span>,<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: .25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">theōreō</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/θεωρέω.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWC30Nn_y3MTAmDFbyvIEKv1px2HxQ3CCJTy_nDDlx3UeHTVx4Zl-1ywLq6LY0z8ebxYBjmXjc2MSStbJypg4TXsUA6RPqf7r_j-ouSgAdm7zgJso0oHFBw0pJr6_KPPazaA1SPTM_RXV2hkCczFdzco_hdD6DlZE8ZGgHJLgKKvaokim6hpilppNSw/s1920/eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1920" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWC30Nn_y3MTAmDFbyvIEKv1px2HxQ3CCJTy_nDDlx3UeHTVx4Zl-1ywLq6LY0z8ebxYBjmXjc2MSStbJypg4TXsUA6RPqf7r_j-ouSgAdm7zgJso0oHFBw0pJr6_KPPazaA1SPTM_RXV2hkCczFdzco_hdD6DlZE8ZGgHJLgKKvaokim6hpilppNSw/s320/eyes.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br />Theōreō</i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/θεωρέω may have the etymological implication of seeing as
God helps one to see, according to Wiktionary’s notes on θεωρός.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note the prefix “the-” at the first of the
word <i>theōreō</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The-” is the first
part of the words <i>theos/</i>θεὸς</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (God) and
theology (the study of God).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The English
words “theory,” “theorist,” and “theorize” come from the word see/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word see/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω is
employed by Aristotle in <i>On Rhetoric</i>, to suggest that the discipline of
rhetoric helps one to “see/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω” the available means of
persuasion in any given situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aristotle is not interested in mere spectatorship on the part of his
readers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is interested in truly
in-depth “seeing,” the kind of seeing that would enable one to fully grasp all
implications of an issue, “theoretically, so to speak.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, John, in his gospel, wants his
audience to fully grasp all implications of Jesus and his work as
Logos-become-flesh: specifically, his glory—as of the only begotten of the
Father—full of grace and truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants
his disciples to ingest and assimilate the implications of what they “see” him
accomplish in his </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">flesh/<i>sarx</i>/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Odeberg (p. 36) puts it, “they will see
the conne[ction] being brought about between the celestial appearance, the
Glory, δόξα [<i>doxa</i>], of Christ and his appearance in the flesh.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This connection, according to Odeberg, is
what the disciples will observe when they “see the angels of God ascending and
descending on the son of man,” as discussed in the previous post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as it pertains to the simplest term for
seeing (to “see”/<i>horaō</i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">ὁράω), Odeberg (p. 40) credits
Abbott with showing that, in John, “the choice of the verb ὁράω . . . always
refers to the spiritual sight, the spiritual perception . . . [which] in [John]
presupposes the entrance into the spiritual reality.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is as when one says “Oh, I see!” to
indicate that one, at last, fully comprehends all of the implications in something
that has been said or done.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><u><i style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Theōreō</b></span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;"><b>/θεωρέω</b></span></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When John states that people
believed-in/followed him when they saw/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω the signs he did (2:23,
6:2, 40), or the Samaritan woman saw/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω that he was a
prophet (4:19), he indicates what Jesus says in 12:45: “whoever sees/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω
me sees/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω Him who sent me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In contrast to his disciples, Jesus says in 14:17 that the world cannot
receive the Spirit of Truth because it neither sees/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω him
nor knows Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 16:10, 16, and 19,
Jesus tells his disciples that, when he goes to the Father, they will see/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω
(interchangeably phrased: see/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω) him no longer, but then in a
little while, they will see/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω him again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, Jesus is clarifying this “in a
little while” reference in 17:24 when Jesus prays to his Father that his
disciples might be where he is, to see/<i>theōreō</i>/θεωρέω his glory, just as
John 1:14 says we saw/<i>theaomai</i>/θεάομαι his glory—as of the only begotten
of the Father.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><u><i style="background-color: transparent;">Theaomai</i>/θεάομα</u></b>ι</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In other uses of to “see”/<i>theaomai</i>/θεάομαι,
John 1:32 states that John the Baptist saw/<i>theaomai</i>/θεάομαι the Spirit
descend from heaven like a dove on Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In John 4:35, Jesus calls upon his disciples to see/<i>theaomai</i>/θεάομαι
that the fields are white unto harvest, as the Samaritans were coming out to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 11:45 many Jews who had seen/<i>theaomai</i>/θεάομαι
him resurrect Lazarus believed in him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
word for seeing also implies great depth of understanding, and ingesting and
assimilating.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><u><i style="background-color: transparent;">Horaō</i><span style="background-color: transparent;">/ὁράω</span></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It is not enough to have great
understanding of Jesus; eating his flesh involves bearing “witness” to what one
has seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 1:34, the word “to see”/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω</span>
is connected with bearing “witness.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John the Baptist says that he has seen/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω and borne
witness that Jesus is the Son of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
1:50-51, Jesus tells Nathanael that he will see to see/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω
greater things; he will see/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω angels ascending and
descending on Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 3:11, Jesus
connects his own “witness” with what he has seen/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω with
God above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the primary passage under
consideration in this post (in 6:46), Jesus says he is the only one who has seen/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω
the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 8:38, those things he has
seen/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω with his Father are what he speaks about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 11:40, before he raises Lazarus, he tells Lazarus’s
sister Martha that, if she believes, she will see/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω the
glory/δόξα/<i>doxa</i> of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In John 14:9, Jesus tells Philip that whoever has seen/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω
him has seen/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In 19:35, John summarizes why he has written his gospel: “He who saw/<i>horaō</i>/ὁράω
it [i.e., John] has borne witness . . . that you also may believe.”<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><u><b><span style="background-color: transparent;">Testimony</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">/</span><i style="background-color: transparent;">martyria</i><span style="background-color: transparent;">/μαρτυρία</span></b></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The three words for seeing, as John
uses them, are virtual synonyms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
noted, it is necessary, but not enough, for his disciples to “see” the things
that Jesus did in the flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I wrote
in the previous post, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Odeberg
connects the <b>testimony</b>/<i>martyria</i>/μαρτυρία of Jesus with the <b>believer’s</b>
testimony. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_F2iRfoDgV8ARYYb74Gw3j9_ipphlCXqAeb7pWrbbueUzUDV2mR5y0p6g9BvDgyYYNdm6r_N1JBZZPpruQ9Qiw9wM_6XO0cP5_o0F6aSaHz_6cc4s8pAOT0bZt3_NajnosxjcWAvqAMlafYWj4We3DLU4kVyAhQwsHl8veZjKiIY5VZCQIQ7j-SGiw/s3182/witnessSwearing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2384" data-original-width="3182" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_F2iRfoDgV8ARYYb74Gw3j9_ipphlCXqAeb7pWrbbueUzUDV2mR5y0p6g9BvDgyYYNdm6r_N1JBZZPpruQ9Qiw9wM_6XO0cP5_o0F6aSaHz_6cc4s8pAOT0bZt3_NajnosxjcWAvqAMlafYWj4We3DLU4kVyAhQwsHl8veZjKiIY5VZCQIQ7j-SGiw/s320/witnessSwearing.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />As Odeberg notes in his
comments on Lazarus’s resurrection (pp. 120-121), those who are eye witnesses
of the resurrection supply <b>testimony</b>/<i>martyria</i>/μαρτυρία concerning
the Divine power of Jesus, emanating from a personal experience of that
power.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His disciples could not have
supplied “eye witness” testimony, if they had not “seen” Jesus, in the flesh,
doing his works. As they “see” Jesus’ mighty works and ingest and assimilate
the truth about him and his glory as a result, they engage in the process (entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια)
of eating his flesh (<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">sarx</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">) and drinking his blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ words may be spirit, but what humans
actually “saw” him do was in his flesh (</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">sarx</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σὰρξ</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One cannot “see” spirit, but one can “see”
flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John 3:8 points out that, like
the wind, one cannot “see” spirit, even though it is active around one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ flesh—the </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">hulē</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/ὕλη</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">—is supremely important in order for his
disciples to “see,” <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">ingest, and assimilate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore, Jesus’ spirit was not tempted; his flesh was tempted, as
when he hungered after fasting in the desert, but he did not sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His spirit did not die; his flesh died on
Calvary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were it not for the death of
his flesh, there would be no forgiveness of sin—no sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When priests offered a sin offering for the
people, they would eat of the flesh (Leviticus 10:12-15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Israelites offered an acceptable sacrifice
of thanksgiving, they themselves ate all of it on the same day (Leviticus 22:30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John is unique among the gospel writers in
asserting that Jesus was crucified on the very day that the Passover lamb was
slain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John the Baptist asserts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the
world’s sin (John 1:29).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once Jesus died
on the cross, his body was placed in a tomb for three days, then resurrected
and ascended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one ever literally ate
his flesh, but those who saw his flesh, believed in him, and witnessed to his
deeds in the flesh ingested and assimilated his flesh and blood into their own
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His flesh was of the utmost
importance!</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-30439961427247623082022-11-15T10:33:00.001-08:002022-11-15T10:33:56.716-08:00Jacob’s Ladder and the Locomotion Entelechy (Gospels 10)<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i>“Most assuredly, I say to you,</i></span><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> <span class="woj">hereafter</span> <span class="woj">you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man.”</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #001320;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #001320;">(John 1:51 NKJV)</span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnsWEAz6YbhRyHlk5oYgDndou9d2opIBrtJHhTCoH4kkMgNoxRp4mSM64goDMXSXkFczBdwScrFZZjvNM6XiMUHdbaU820HJvDw2tTvRZqW8bvix2bTtZWlhaICmDMxog8oJ1kfwG11SniBJwMJw35tx-DL_07VbUKZVbz3iQ690G4e-prXVfA23FSg/s1537/Jacob's_Ladder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnsWEAz6YbhRyHlk5oYgDndou9d2opIBrtJHhTCoH4kkMgNoxRp4mSM64goDMXSXkFczBdwScrFZZjvNM6XiMUHdbaU820HJvDw2tTvRZqW8bvix2bTtZWlhaICmDMxog8oJ1kfwG11SniBJwMJw35tx-DL_07VbUKZVbz3iQ690G4e-prXVfA23FSg/s320/Jacob's_Ladder.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br />While most other
interpreters (including visual artists of the last few thousand years) depict Jacob’s Ladder as angels climbing up and down on a ladder, the Gospel of John
cites Jesus as saying that the angels would be ascending and descending <u>on a
person</u>, <u>instead of a ladde</u>r (specifically, on Jesus Himself). At first glance, one might think that John
and Jesus must be making a very loose application of the Jacob’s Ladder
incident in Genesis 28:12 by having the angels ascend and descend on a person. Hugo Odeberg (p. 35), however, instructs that
“there is the record of the <u>two</u> variant interpretations put upon the
[Hebrew word commonly translated ‘on it’] of Gen. 28:12, one taking it in the
sense of ‘on the ladder,’ the other in the sense of ‘on [a person].’” Specifically, this second variant would be
literally translated “on him.” If one
looks only at the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), the
translation must be “on <u>it</u>.” Nevertheless,
the Hebrew word is <span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">בו</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> “<i>bō</i>.” Writes Odeberg: “Burney has pointed out that
the [Johanine] interpretation presupposes a direct reference to the Hebrew
original, and cannot be derived from the LXX [Septuagint].” Like the interpretation in the rabbinic text,
<i>Genesis Rabbah</i>, John and Jesus are translating the Hebrew word as “on <u>him</u>.” <u>Jesus</u> is the ladder (or train track, a
slightly updated metaphor) to and from Heaven on whom angels are ascending and
descending (in a locomotion sense).
Train tracks have the railroad ties that cross the tracks at intervals,
resembling the rungs of <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh35P9pcDw40-XtaGe8a7vY24hENoN8z2Q6JrgtmtSV1NsdFK2e8esSKiHcBjL8h5OR7HJ92QdXbmcexilAgXDoXFamf8TDIUYelC7Y7nemd_EeKbbZI1KXWdBT5P0OlB0QMrVu6Id3bQ_QhrO1oE1sfKs2RjGEvXIoRe7iLk2pZDoN3hXrPKn2vE2qQ/s474/railroadTracks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="474" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh35P9pcDw40-XtaGe8a7vY24hENoN8z2Q6JrgtmtSV1NsdFK2e8esSKiHcBjL8h5OR7HJ92QdXbmcexilAgXDoXFamf8TDIUYelC7Y7nemd_EeKbbZI1KXWdBT5P0OlB0QMrVu6Id3bQ_QhrO1oE1sfKs2RjGEvXIoRe7iLk2pZDoN3hXrPKn2vE2qQ/s320/railroadTracks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />a ladder, so the updated metaphor may be easily
visualized.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The clearest
Aristotelian entelechial language in Jesus’ John</span><span class="Heading1Char"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> 1:51</span></span><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">comment to is
Aristotle’s description of the fourth type of </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">kin</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">ē</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">sis/</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">κίνησις</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“in <b>respect of locomotion</b>, <i>upwards
and downwards</i>” (<i>Physics</i> 201a5ff.). Hugo Odeberg (p. 38) observes that the
Johannine interpretation of Jacob’s ladder “<i>is necessarily and essentially
bound up with the Son of Man</i> . . . there is no <b>ascent</b> and <b>descent</b>
of the angels, no ‘heaven opened,’ no union of the celestial man with the
terrestrial <i>without</i> the Son of Man.” Jesus is, most likely, understood to be the
“gate of heaven” referred to by Jacob in Genesis 28:17. Odeberg (p. 36) quotes Bauer who says, “the
from heaven <b>descended</b> one (3:13) . . . will also be <b>elevated</b>
thither again (3:14, 6:62, 8:28, 12:34) in order to receive the glorification
(12:23, 13:31).” There is a “locomotion” entelechy when one “<b>descends</b>”
from heaven (to earth) and another “locomotion” entelechy when one is “<b>elevated</b>
thither [to heaven] again.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudr2ydCy4mxVaT-OfCoL1ewuLr-4_pDvy54PEV7R4OnLA8o56SIXmHVonwgsmTlYeIqc2R51khAmkeQ_5HkTMziw4Z2x2TW0vg-3Q3Q1DNnuHtw-fDzFbRRgDD6XQU7tBEzETvu8fMGKQAvfB_2hVS-td_xxn5HMevMEWXkz29DmCGvHBTZh0ufFsOg/s910/JesusAscending.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="910" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudr2ydCy4mxVaT-OfCoL1ewuLr-4_pDvy54PEV7R4OnLA8o56SIXmHVonwgsmTlYeIqc2R51khAmkeQ_5HkTMziw4Z2x2TW0vg-3Q3Q1DNnuHtw-fDzFbRRgDD6XQU7tBEzETvu8fMGKQAvfB_2hVS-td_xxn5HMevMEWXkz29DmCGvHBTZh0ufFsOg/s320/JesusAscending.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The <b>angelic</b> descending and ascending, however, is
different from that of <b>Jesus’</b> descending and ascending. My uncle Beauford H. Bryant, in his
commentary on John (p. 68), draws my attention to the extraordinary (opposite) directional
sequence of the <b>ascent</b> and <b>descent</b> of the angels. One might typically think of angels, <i>first</i>,
descending to Earth from Heaven PRIOR TO their ascending back to Heaven from
Earth, but the Genesis 28:12 and John 1:51 accounts both have the angels
“ascending,” first, and then, “descending,” second. The order of Jesus’ own (circular?)
locomotion entelechy appears to be a “descending” to Earth, first, followed
later by His “ascending” back into Heaven. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhifVs9sLMIPZCOL3K7M1ZnIPLh3bZ-GEXhUEn7vH5D5qlnOLkUdGqNpGR-PQ3UI54M3H6nbM2dzzBdcVvU5NwNIaskSzLFIa4uKnRvqh8JuOCsUI820Lfso1hiQ1f8t1eE8iWw3CUq28yvNV983OcrvEniO-rRAHBdG8APXlgsw2QuP22Okv8JXsCg/s250/uncleBeauford.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhifVs9sLMIPZCOL3K7M1ZnIPLh3bZ-GEXhUEn7vH5D5qlnOLkUdGqNpGR-PQ3UI54M3H6nbM2dzzBdcVvU5NwNIaskSzLFIa4uKnRvqh8JuOCsUI820Lfso1hiQ1f8t1eE8iWw3CUq28yvNV983OcrvEniO-rRAHBdG8APXlgsw2QuP22Okv8JXsCg/s1600/uncleBeauford.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">In John 3:13 (NKJV), Jesus says: </span><span class="text"><b><sup>“</sup></b></span><span class="woj">No one has <b>ascended</b>
to heaven but He who <b>came down</b> from heaven, <i>that is,</i> the
Son of Man</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">who is in heaven.”
</span><span class="woj"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">In John 6:32-33 (NKJV), Jesus says: “Most
assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">My
Father gives you the true bread from heaven.</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">For
the bread of God is He who <b>comes down</b> from heaven and gives life to the
world.” </span><span class="woj"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">In John 6:38 (NKJV), Jesus says: “For
I have <b>come down</b> from heaven,</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> <span class="woj">not to do My
own will,</span> <span class="woj">but the will of Him who sent Me.</span>” </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">In John 6:42 (NKJV), the Jewish
skeptics ask concerning Jesus: “</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">How is it then that He says, <span class="woj">‘I have <b>come down</b> from heaven’</span>?” </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">In John 6:50-51 (NKJV), Jesus says: “This
is the bread which <b>comes down</b> from heaven, that one may eat of it and
not die.</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">I am the living
bread</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">which <b>came
down</b> from heaven.” </span><span class="woj"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">John 6:60-62 (NKJV) reports: “</span><span class="text">[M]any of His
disciples . . . said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’</span>
<span class="text">. . . Jesus knew . . . that His disciples complained
. . . He said to them, </span><span class="woj">‘Does this</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">offend you?</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj"><i>What</i> then if you should see the Son of Man <b>ascend</b>
where He was before?</span><span class="text">’”</span><span class="text"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Angels,
God’s Word, and God’s Work<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 93.75pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisd3mvfZ8mT23oZPs3m2U3cbtB2LGKVXHJx0jBx5yH03rs1xbRZrmCgCehUs210X9pgP-JQlnXwVGiIQvF8ZuNS3CnQjZhfd9I2RpZgiOMtlpahctRz0Pzb_9hF42MnXjeGNvH1gHjGKT_RLU8ZPeR76vONFK8L-I3_qV1a46G_mCuHwFNv706x7JEg/s512/Jacob's_Ladder2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="512" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisd3mvfZ8mT23oZPs3m2U3cbtB2LGKVXHJx0jBx5yH03rs1xbRZrmCgCehUs210X9pgP-JQlnXwVGiIQvF8ZuNS3CnQjZhfd9I2RpZgiOMtlpahctRz0Pzb_9hF42MnXjeGNvH1gHjGKT_RLU8ZPeR76vONFK8L-I3_qV1a46G_mCuHwFNv706x7JEg/s320/Jacob's_Ladder2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />John’s record of Jesus’
descent to Earth uses <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος-</b>related entelechial language as
Jesus views his being <b>sent</b> (down to earth) to achieve an <b>end/<i>telos</i>/τέλος
</b>for God’s “<b>work</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
John 4:34 (NKJV), Jesus says: <span style="background: white;">“My food is to do the will of Him who <b>sent</b> Me, and to <b>finish</b>
[</span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōsō</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειώσω from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white;">] His <b>work</b>.”</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
John 5:36 (NKJV), Jesus says: <span style="background: white;">“[T]he <b>works</b> which the Father has given Me to <b>finish</b>
[</span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōsō</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειώσω from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white;">]—the very <b>works</b>
that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has <b>sent</b> Me.” </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">In
John 17:3-4 (NKJV), Jesus says: <span style="background: white;">“[T]hat they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom You have <b>sent</b> . . . I have <b>finished</b> [</span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōsas</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειώσας
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white;">] the <b>work</b> which You have given Me to do.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In the previous blogpost, I note that John 19:30 (NKJV) indicates
the precise <b>end/</b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">telos</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">/τέλος </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">of Jesus’ race (or course) to
Earth, when Jesus, on the cross, declares “<span style="background: white;">’<span class="woj">It is <b>finished</b> </span>[<i>te</i></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>estai</i>/τε<b>τέλ</b>εσται
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white;">]<span class="woj">!’</span> And bowing His
head, He gave up His spirit.” </span>In
answer to the question posed at the end of the previous blogpost, Jesus <b><i>begins</i></b>
His Race when He <b>comes down</b> from Heaven.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">What is the Father’s <b>work</b> that Jesus is <b>finishing</b>? Odeberg (pp. 191) is certainly cognizant of
the fact that, according to John, “the Son does the Father’s ‘<b>works</b>’”
which Odeberg identifies: “he gives life, ‘makes living’ the dead’ . . .
executes judgement [sic], is the judge of the world,” based on John
5:22-29. If <u>giving life to the dead</u>
is one of the <b>works</b> of God, then Jesus accomplishes this same <b>work</b>. He raises the widow’s son in the town of Nain
(Luke 7:11-17), the daughter of Jairus (8:40-56), and Lazarus (John
11:1-44), not to mention himself. If <u>executing
judgmen</u>t is one of the <b>works</b> of God, not only will Jesus execute
judgment in the future (John 5:27-29), but He also “forgives sins” (and, thus,
executes judgment) while He is on Earth for the woman who anoints His feet
(Luke 7:48) and the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12). Note that the scribes remark, in Mark 2:7
(NKJV): </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“Who can forgive sins but God alone?”</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ92MhsA-Pb8azjxkef2Bl_56pnzDQtAc4AWIaKzfJqAVc6NPwDqI-w2TAoF6ZbwHJfvWBghVHLxjZoFW6JwImFY2sht_j-xVlv1ei6IBeyCFOF74X3jOGr0eVyzpD7lINEWJXfqaPWGIQnSopQE_NrGfERw-2K54I-dqRSdxiee4Y-d-cdblS3NQfg/s660/Lazarus3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ92MhsA-Pb8azjxkef2Bl_56pnzDQtAc4AWIaKzfJqAVc6NPwDqI-w2TAoF6ZbwHJfvWBghVHLxjZoFW6JwImFY2sht_j-xVlv1ei6IBeyCFOF74X3jOGr0eVyzpD7lINEWJXfqaPWGIQnSopQE_NrGfERw-2K54I-dqRSdxiee4Y-d-cdblS3NQfg/s320/Lazarus3.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Rabbis could agree with Jesus that God’s work of <i>judgment</i>
“is continually active from the beginning of time unto eternity,” according to
Odeberg (p. 202). The Rabbis, however, think
God’s <b>works</b> of “creative fiats” are no longer in progress. They think God has “rested” on the seventh
day (Sabbath) from those <b>works</b>. Therefore,
God would not allow any “<b>work</b>” to be done (such as healing) on the
Sabbath. Jesus, however, claims in John
5:17 (NKJV): <span style="background: white;">“My
Father has been <b>working</b> until now, and I have been <b>working</b>.”</span>
The <b>work</b> of “executing judgment,” which Jesus (and God) do, involve Him
making “pronouncements” or using “<b>words</b>,” such as “your sins are
forgiven you.” Giving life to the dead
typically involves Jesus making “pronouncements” or using “<b>words</b>,” such
as “Lazarus, come forth!” The biblical
understanding of God’s <b>creative and life-giving work</b> is that it was
accomplished by making pronouncements, using creative fiats or “<b>words</b>.” In my book, <i>Angels and Demons: The Personification of Communication—Logology</i>
(p. 153) I cite Kenneth Burke regarding “<b>Words</b>” used by God.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Burke calls the type
of <b>words</b> God uses in creating the world (capitalized) “<b>Word</b>”: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxacaS-Mrw37UoTruIW8u1BX8306UbbUxTvcV_Bdv33hKrfQLLjhB6memW1MV9fhf7x6F1eHp47rBCvWDq8zJAN0MOfTdIrF28g3WK-BC5URTpQSteSfRkV3stX6sVL4Ut7ULr8OnPzSfIjkXYlHB_BEv4ypuRPUcf-2l1NkC0X26vXwOS7ZUeYZvnYQ/s218/ImplicitRhetoric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="134" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxacaS-Mrw37UoTruIW8u1BX8306UbbUxTvcV_Bdv33hKrfQLLjhB6memW1MV9fhf7x6F1eHp47rBCvWDq8zJAN0MOfTdIrF28g3WK-BC5URTpQSteSfRkV3stX6sVL4Ut7ULr8OnPzSfIjkXYlHB_BEv4ypuRPUcf-2l1NkC0X26vXwOS7ZUeYZvnYQ/s1600/ImplicitRhetoric.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br />If God speaks a “Word,” that Word has “<i>omnipotence</i>” (or, at least, the total power necessary to complete
its task). In<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> Genesis 1:3</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
God speaks a Word (“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">And God said, ‘Let the</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">re be light’”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">. The very Word he speaks has the “omnipotence”
to produce light. Psalms 33:9 confirms
the power of this (capitalized) Word: “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> spoke</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">, and i</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">t
was done; he commanded, and [the universe]</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> stood
fast.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Word</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">of</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
God has</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> tremendous power. Isaiah 55:11 goes so far as to suggest that
God’s Word is <i>infallible</i>--it cannot
fail: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me
empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Furthermore, these creative fiats/<b>Words</b> are understood by the
Rabbis to generate <b>angels</b> who accomplish the <b>works</b> demanded by
the fiats. On pages 155-156 of <i>Angels
and Demons</i>, I connect the Rabbinic teaching on <b>angels</b> with God’s
spoken <b>Words</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMB2VbBq50LGNTQ4827sx-mOQ2-K6dltWvKBbaZ87XFBG8VTG2vyH46RwwTCcewsF8lMc6UzPdyxt4TdipctbWt7HhhXU0uRjfzZqIX8fb7CXluMGOdIEnh_xjTrTKCnueTFuFYMR6TheQ0P4HshhN62w1bRFfyqzQW9gilsgSvxMFo37Q7r8F5P9Jg/s500/AngelsCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMB2VbBq50LGNTQ4827sx-mOQ2-K6dltWvKBbaZ87XFBG8VTG2vyH46RwwTCcewsF8lMc6UzPdyxt4TdipctbWt7HhhXU0uRjfzZqIX8fb7CXluMGOdIEnh_xjTrTKCnueTFuFYMR6TheQ0P4HshhN62w1bRFfyqzQW9gilsgSvxMFo37Q7r8F5P9Jg/s320/AngelsCover.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />[A]ngels
were considered by Jewish teachers to be . . . generated by God’s use of “Word”
(capitalized). When [Louis] <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ginzberg [vol. V,
p. 21] states, "Out of every word uttered by God angels are created,"
he is picturing angels as the personification of God’s creative fiats. He presents these angels, not as the free
moral agents humans are, but as the commissioned forces that are charged with
making certain that God’s Words are infallibly fulfilled. . . .
When God says, “Let there be light,” an Angel of Light (Gabriel?) is
created who infallibly produces light. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">In his <i>Dictionary of Angels</i> (p. 25), Gustav Davidson describes <b>angels</b>,
in the rabbinic fashion, as nothing more than personified <b>spirit</b> forces
that are charged with carrying out the terms of God’s creative <b>fiats</b>. Hence, whenever Jesus pronounces creative
fiats, He also generates <b>angels</b> who would, then, ascend to Heaven (after
accomplishing their explicit tasks).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorw9qfvYyqZg0tqORO_NwoDTL1SVYWsNSXhsMmFe84QgvckdNEVSQGE8Q42rMbNwKPb9_zIDoRycqHdyA-H8X8IehSMrNHo3pedkZ66Z659f_IPoy1KnF-5Rgsb05sW3l8dgiihVNl7Caa8dJ4pLeYpxLT1OjaDR3r02gGV9hs_YrpdPEwjWIyqTJrQ/s640/AngelsDavidson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorw9qfvYyqZg0tqORO_NwoDTL1SVYWsNSXhsMmFe84QgvckdNEVSQGE8Q42rMbNwKPb9_zIDoRycqHdyA-H8X8IehSMrNHo3pedkZ66Z659f_IPoy1KnF-5Rgsb05sW3l8dgiihVNl7Caa8dJ4pLeYpxLT1OjaDR3r02gGV9hs_YrpdPEwjWIyqTJrQ/s320/AngelsDavidson.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br />Consider the “creative
fiats” of Jesus on Earth. From the time
of Jesus, and down to the present day, the blessing Jews recite at their meals
make two basic acknowledgements: (1) It is God who “brings forth bread from the
earth” and (2) It is God who “creates” the “fruit of the vine.” (Compare these two creations—bread and wine—with
the Lord’s Supper.) Note that, in the
very first “sign” that John lists in his gospel, Jesus changes water into wine
at Cana of Galilee. This is evidence
that, like God, Jesus <b>creates</b> the fruit of the vine. In another sign, the feeding of the five
thousand, Jesus <b>creates</b> enough bread to feed the multitude and, then,
take up twelve baskets of left-overs.
This is evidence that Jesus, like God, brings forth bread from the
earth. Jesus accomplishes this sign by a
pronouncement (blessing) over the five loaves belonging to a boy in the crowd. A Christian Rabbi might say that by speaking
“<b>Words</b>,” Jesus generates <b>angels</b> who fulfill the <b>works</b> of
the <b>Words</b> He has spoken.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Furthermore (illustrating
another approach to “<b>words</b>” as “<b>angels</b>”), Odeberg (p. 217)
credits J. Lindblom with pointing out how important for John was the
“conception of ‘the <b>testimony’</b>” (<i>martyria</i>/μαρτυρία), which would also
be “<b>words</b>.” According to Odeberg,
Lindblom “lays stress on [Jesus’] function as <i>bearer</i> of the <i>testimony</i>
from the celestial to the terrestrial world.”
Odeberg also connects the <b>testimony</b>/<i>martyria</i>/μαρτυρία with
“the <b>believer’s</b> testimony” and classifies it with <b>descending</b> and <b>ascending</b>
(κατάβασις and ἀναβασις). Odeberg
juxtaposes: <i>“[T]he Divine μαρτυρία . . . the Divine-spiritual reality,
brought down</i> to earthly men (κατάβασις) . . . [with] <i>the self-expression
of that reality in man</i> (ascending ever upwards in his experience of Jesus (ἀναβασις).” As Odeberg notes in his comments on Lazarus’s
resurrection (pp. 120-121), those who witness the resurrection supply “<b>testimony</b>
[<i>martyria</i>/μαρτυρία] concerning the Divine power of [Jesus], emanating
from a personal experience of that power.”
<b>Testimony</b> (especially Divine testimony), whether it emanates from
God (and descends to man) via Jesus or whether it emanates from the <b>believers</b>
who have witnessed the Divine power of Jesus, exists as <b>words</b> (that are,
effectively, personified as <b>angels</b>). Odeberg (p. 218) writes, further: “The Son
gives μαρτυρία (to the world), he receives μαρτυρία (from the Father on one
side, and from the believer . . . on the other).”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why, then, do <b>angels</b> “ascend” first and
“descend” second? <b>Angels</b> are
God’s <b>Words</b> personified. If God
the Father were the only one whose <b>Words</b> become personified, then the <b>angels</b>
would naturally “descend” first. But,
Jesus, who is already on Earth when he meets Nathaniel generates His own <b>angels</b>
of communication with God (thus, His <b>angels</b> ascend). This ascent is followed by God’s communication
back with Jesus (thus, descending), and so on, back and forth. Jesus’ identity <i>as God</i> is indicated by
the “ascending” of <b>angels</b>. Jesus
and his Father are communicating back and forth with each other (their <b>Words</b>
personified as <b>angels</b>). As
Odeberg’s comments (in the previous paragraph) seem to suggest, Jesus can be
both the creator of <b>angels</b> (the Word/Logos) and the <b>Way</b> by which
His <b>angels</b> “ascend” to God. This
is a Locomotion entelechy. Since I use
the word “connectivity” to describe Jesus as He relates to humans and God, we
might even attempt even more modern metaphors, however reductionist, of a
spiritual telephone wire (or internet cable) to describe Jesus as Jacob’s
Ladder. Messages (Word/Logos) are sent
both ways, using the same telephone line/internet cable. As Odeberg’s comments suggest, Jesus may be
understood as both the creator of the messages He sends to God and the
metaphorical-phone-line-connection that delivers that message. The point is: Jesus is “connected” to both
God and man. Jesus, both “delivers <b>Words</b>”
to God and “receives <b>Words</b>” from Him, delivering them on to man. Put more plainly, the <b>words</b> Jesus teaches
on Earth are the <b>angels</b> that Jesus receives from above and His <b>words</b>
to God on behalf of His believers are the <b>angels</b> Jesus sends back to
God. What kinds of messages (<b>angels</b>)
does Jesus communicate from God to us and from us back to God (on our behalf)? Most importantly, Jesus communicates to us
God’s <b>love</b> for us and He communicates back to God that we <b>believe</b>
in Him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The locomotion entelechy of <b>angels</b>,
however, is not the primary interest of John’s Gospel. The back-and-</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYglcKWKiayF3RFdgGAxNcv_6EwIz5yFhfrFoxAHjGsKq8qjnOppoZgivrkOfPDG_Js-yGOz2XsTKQ_Nqpca2Z0QdVJpmDdFZj2mhOsRs1a8pejf3I43UdDzu76B6myO1S3mcGmLg2I58gPU_0_fOfjzI7uxmrlNTUF6aPOfX6lq508axybBFERcz4A/s655/OdebergGrave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="655" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYglcKWKiayF3RFdgGAxNcv_6EwIz5yFhfrFoxAHjGsKq8qjnOppoZgivrkOfPDG_Js-yGOz2XsTKQ_Nqpca2Z0QdVJpmDdFZj2mhOsRs1a8pejf3I43UdDzu76B6myO1S3mcGmLg2I58gPU_0_fOfjzI7uxmrlNTUF6aPOfX6lq508axybBFERcz4A/s320/OdebergGrave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />forth locomotion of <b>angels</b>
is designed to communicate between God and man.
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” not to save <b>angels</b>. Rather,
<b>angels</b> ascend and descend on the Word-become-flesh in order to connect
God with man, to communicate God’s “<b>love</b>” for the world and to allow
mankind’s “<b>faith</b>” to be communicated back to God, in order to “<b>save</b>”
mankind:<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj">In John 3:13-17 </span><span class="text">(NKJV), </span><span class="woj">Jesus says: </span><span class="text"><b><sup>“</sup></b></span><span class="woj">No one has ascended to heaven but He who
came down from heaven . . .</span><span class="text"><b><sup> </sup></b></span><span class="woj">that whoever</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj"><b>believes</b> in Him should</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">not perish but</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">have <b>eternal life</b>.</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj"> For God so <b>loved</b> the world that He gave His only begotten</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">Son, that whoever <b>believes</b> in Him should not perish
but have <b>everlasting life</b>.</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be <b>saved</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In John
3:35-36 </span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">(NKJV), </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">John the Baptist testifies: </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup>“</sup></b></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Father <b>loves</b>
the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who <b>believes</b> in
the Son has <b>everlasting life</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->John
20:31 (NKJV) states: <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">“These are written that you
may <b>believe</b> that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that <b>believing</b>
you may <b>have life</b> in His name.”</span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Can you personally see the <b>angels</b>
ascending and descending on the Son of Man?
Can you see the <b>love</b> of God being sent to you via Jesus? Are you sending back your <b>faith</b>
testimony through Jesus? Jesus assured
Nathaniel that he would see the <b>angels</b>.
We need to see them, as well. Jesus
and God are both <b>working</b> identical <b>works</b> for an identical
outcome. As Jesus said: </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Most assuredly, I say
to you, the Son can <b>do</b> nothing of Himself, but what He sees the
Father <b>do</b>; for whatever He <b>does</b>, the Son also <b>does</b> in like
manner. For the Father <b>loves</b> the Son, and <b>shows Him</b>
all things that He Himself <b>does</b>; and He will <b>show</b> Him greater <b>works</b>
than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father <u>raises the dead and
gives life to <i>them</i></u><i>,</i> even so the Son <u>gives life
to whom He will</u>. For the Father <u>judges</u> no one, but <u>has
committed all judgment</u> to the Son, that all should honor the Son just
as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the
Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I
say to you, he who hears My <b>word</b> and <b>believes</b> in Him who
sent Me has <b>everlasting life</b>, and shall not come into <b>judgment</b>, but
has passed from death into <b>life</b>” (John 5:19-24 NKJV).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Jesus, in John 5:36
(NKJV), pulls it all together, entelechially: “</span><span class="woj" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span class="woj">I
have a greater <b>witness</b> (</span></span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">martyrian</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">/μαρτυρίαν<span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">) than John’s; for</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> <span class="woj">the <b>works</b> which the Father has given Me to <b>finish</b> (</span></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōsō</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειώσω
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">)—the very</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> <span class="woj"><b>works</b> that I do—bear <b>witness</b> (</span></span><i>martyrei</i>/μαρτυρεῖ<span class="woj"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">) of Me, that the Father has <b>sent</b>
Me.”</span></span></span> </p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-25915652798257348102022-10-27T14:12:00.001-07:002022-10-27T14:12:36.459-07:00The Locomotion Entelechy and Jesus’ “Race” (Gospels 9)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span class="content"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dtWLP1MiXCfbgufab2mKr9NnClt9itqmxBkAMYcnihbTH_gL_wT3gjvMGtMFaognmlZTPJV6ttLUOiEtn6t-NZC3dfyqr4UI3JPzZjHE6KUD__I2BvnLITcIrVkEOm1iM0B1yRw-TDbXgpprnPzVUta5n5Q1VZpGkqvV-VJf90Yy8RXI_tfk_xledA/s1920/RaceFoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dtWLP1MiXCfbgufab2mKr9NnClt9itqmxBkAMYcnihbTH_gL_wT3gjvMGtMFaognmlZTPJV6ttLUOiEtn6t-NZC3dfyqr4UI3JPzZjHE6KUD__I2BvnLITcIrVkEOm1iM0B1yRw-TDbXgpprnPzVUta5n5Q1VZpGkqvV-VJf90Yy8RXI_tfk_xledA/s320/RaceFoot.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br />Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> [</span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">archē</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">gon</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/<b>ἀρχ</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">η</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">γόν</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> from the root<i> <b>archē</b></i><b>/ἀρχή</b></span><span class="content"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">]</span></i></span><span class="content"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and finisher</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> [</span></i></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">tel</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">ei</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ō</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">t</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ē</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">n</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/<b>τ</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ε</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">λ</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">ειωτὴν from the root</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <b>telos</b></span></i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/τέλος</span></b><span class="content"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">]</span></i></span><span class="content"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.</span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></i><p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV)</span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Coming to Aristotle’s fourth and final type of
entelechy or </span><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">kinēsis</span></i></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, we encounter it as a
metaphor, as it pertains to Jesus, such as in the “race” referred to in the
Hebrews 12:1-2 passage (above).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul is
also fond of the “race” metaphor for his own life, and sees his life as having
been a race, in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NKJV</span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">)</span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">[T]he
time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for
me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have
loved His appearing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A race is an
example of Locomotion Entelechy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In addition to the
“race” metaphor, the book of Hebrews uses entelechial terminology (cognates of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">of <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή and <i>telos</i>/τέλος</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">) in describing
the <b>beginning </b>and<b> end</b> of the work Jesus came for:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hebrews
2:10 (NKJV) says: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by
whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the <b>captain</b>
[</span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">archē</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">gon</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/<b>ἀρχ</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">η</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">γόν</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">from the root</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <b>archē</b></span></i><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/ἀρχή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">] of their
salvation <b>perfect</b> <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[</span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōsai</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειώσαι from
the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">]</span> through sufferings.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; tab-stops: 259.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 259.5pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hebrews
5:9 (NKJV) says: “And having been <b>perfected</b> <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[</span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōtheis</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειωθεὶς
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">], He became the <b>author</b> [i.e., <b>cause</b>/<i>aitios</i>/αἴτιος—indicative
of Aristotle’s four “<b>causes</b>” of </span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">kinēsis</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">or entelechy (of which
one is </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">archē</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/ἀρχή)</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">]</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> of eternal salvation to all who obey
him.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Loco-Motion
and<i> Kinēsis</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 93.75pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwEOejopbOuX-ivIN3Oygp1nz6piTegZgyUSRtbGaEtDwCjQs58jgv2DGvzZh9zfQ4JoPsD4RGnTl1IgF3XiR6yQCJ1VgDOhgRHmeGMLLbFw8qX3dD-x4x7l4zhY1NQsNFTl4LmTbmFgltor3QHfEP0V8qoEm06Xj25EYHNimSuvTqin4f4gTciPSew/s1920/Train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwEOejopbOuX-ivIN3Oygp1nz6piTegZgyUSRtbGaEtDwCjQs58jgv2DGvzZh9zfQ4JoPsD4RGnTl1IgF3XiR6yQCJ1VgDOhgRHmeGMLLbFw8qX3dD-x4x7l4zhY1NQsNFTl4LmTbmFgltor3QHfEP0V8qoEm06Xj25EYHNimSuvTqin4f4gTciPSew/s320/Train.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Kinēsis</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> generally means motion or movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, in order for entelechy to exist, there
must be some type of motion/<i>kinēsis</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In English-speaking countries, we know the word <i>kinēsis</i> from such
phrases as “kinetic energy,” the energy that exists when something, such as a
train, is in “motion.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An advertising
slogan for Trane HVAC Heating and Cooling uses the play on words: “It’s hard to
stop a Trane.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, they want you
to picture in your mind a “train” in motion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The kinetic energy of such motion is so great that, even if the fuel is
removed, the engine stopped, and the brakes applied, the train will continue to
move forward, due to kinetic energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is why one would not be wise to remain in a vehicle that is stalled on a
railroad track with a train approaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s hard to stop a train!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
the motion described in the train example is only one of Aristotle’s four types
of <i>kinēsis</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type is appropriately
entitled “locomotion.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I point out on
page 43 of </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Implicit
Rhetoric</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> that the four types of <i>kinēsis</i> are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(1) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">substance</b>--the one is positive form [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morphê</i>], the other privation [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sterêsis</i>];
(2) in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quality</b>, white and black; (3)
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quantity</b>, complete [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">teleion</i>] and incomplete [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">atelês</i>]; (4) in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">respect of locomotion</b>, upwards and downwards or light and heavy. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Physics</i> 201a5ff.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Types #1, #2, and #3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We have already encountered the first three types of <i>kinēsis</i>
(or entelechy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Type #1 was involved in
the “growth” of Jesus’ human body. His body increased in physical substance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Type #2 was involved in the qualitative
change of Jesus’ form from the human form to the form of God (at his transfiguration)
to the form of a servant (again) to the resurrected form to the ascended form. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His form changed in quality. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Type #3 was involved in Jesus’ filling his
mind with knowledge/wisdom and filling up his authority until “all authority”
had “been given to” him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an increase
in the quantity of knowledge and authority Jesus possessed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Type #4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Since trains are often called “locomotives,” I used the train
example for <b>type #4.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice that
the word “loco-motion” includes both the term “motion” and the root of the term
“location.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type of change or <i>kinēsis</i>
involves a change of <u>loc</u>ation, moving upwards or downwards, or (as a
train does) moving from place (<u>loc</u>ation) to place (<u>loc</u>ation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqu76jvVLRKWDoGlrQGwINadhkxHAwB4uP_STGZhI7ZZjUyErLmssbhNq0P34OegDDbHLNBzQBcgNi1ERLZMCb91uE0mroD1mUBboFZ-tcN1OsqFDedZda5NJ8R5schzqHf4PELwF1KgxB6WO-O35DeTwrwioNER55ZLj7GhLSmOYKMhbhoMCi4fe1g/s474/AlphaOmega.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="474" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqu76jvVLRKWDoGlrQGwINadhkxHAwB4uP_STGZhI7ZZjUyErLmssbhNq0P34OegDDbHLNBzQBcgNi1ERLZMCb91uE0mroD1mUBboFZ-tcN1OsqFDedZda5NJ8R5schzqHf4PELwF1KgxB6WO-O35DeTwrwioNER55ZLj7GhLSmOYKMhbhoMCi4fe1g/s320/AlphaOmega.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One
may observe that in the “locomotion” entelechy, there is no need for the
concepts of <b>form/</b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">eidos</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/εἶδος</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> or <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a need for both of these terms in a
“substance” entelechy, because the </span><span class="Heading2Char"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">form/</span></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">eidos</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/εἶδος</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is either
“growing” (as in the seed example or as Jesus’ <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>
“substance” began to grow in </span><span class="Heading2Char"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">form</span></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/morphē</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/μορφή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> in Mary’s womb)
or it is withering/decaying/diminishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There may sometimes be a need for both terms in a quality entelechy, but
if the quality of Jesus’ body changed again, at the ascension, to a purely
spiritual essence, the terms would be unnecessary, there. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is sometimes a need for both of these
terms (</span><span class="Heading2Char"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">form/</span></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">eidos</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/εἶδος</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> and <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>)
in a “quantity” entelechy, because the </span><span class="Heading2Char"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">form/</span></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">eidos</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/εἶδος</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is either a
complete “filling” (“full” <b>form</b> as in the grain tank example and the <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>
“substance” with which it is filled is grain).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, when it comes to Jesus’ “filling” his head with knowledge or
filling his authority, it is hard to see that knowledge or authority acquisition
has an actual <b>form/<i>morphē</i>/μορφή</b> or <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We return, therefore, full circle to an
observation I made in my earlier blogpost <b>The Logos and Entelechy (Gospels
3)</b>: “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The Book of Revelation employs the same
important terminology that is fundamental to Aristotle's concept of
entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I note, especially, the
language of <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή and <i>telos</i>/τέλος, usually translated ‘the
beginning <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή and the end <i>telos</i>/τέλος’ with which
Revelation refers to God and Jesus.”<i> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>These two terms, <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή and <i>telos</i>/τέλος,
are required and fundamental to all four types of entelechy</u>, including (4) <b>locomotion</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas, the terms “</span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">form/</span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">eidos</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/εἶδος” and “material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη”
are important or required only in the entelechies of (1) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">substance</b>, (2) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quality</b>, and
(3) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quantity</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I conclude that, wherever there is discussion
of the two primary terms (causes), </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">archē</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/ἀρχή and <i>telos</i>/τέλος, in the New Testament, an entelechial
interpretive perspective is appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Other Biblical
Examples of Locomotion Entelechy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 93.75pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0u58KZNRQoK35UgvpHZq_UJCKsZmjToveeEob9zJyrRr-W8fRuKNaK_rWrh6F6TFJztkmzaSp-YgwTTHMxb85OHeVgzlZ1XZ0h0Z6oIe8U6oGYlxpDgZAjnuXDLYfoYkmPcdSf1n8_oBNjFt_TB72B1SiVLdNzk7qzw1l9xTLXBhRsCWb4zQsW5hfA/s2100/universe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2100" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0u58KZNRQoK35UgvpHZq_UJCKsZmjToveeEob9zJyrRr-W8fRuKNaK_rWrh6F6TFJztkmzaSp-YgwTTHMxb85OHeVgzlZ1XZ0h0Z6oIe8U6oGYlxpDgZAjnuXDLYfoYkmPcdSf1n8_oBNjFt_TB72B1SiVLdNzk7qzw1l9xTLXBhRsCWb4zQsW5hfA/s320/universe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One
can easily recall numerous locomotion entelechies in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heavenly bodies God created usually
travel on circular routes (around other heavenly bodies).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Earth (to put things simply) completes a
circular entelechy of locomotion around the sun, once annually, just as the
moon orbits the Earth each month (or 28 days).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These circular motions starting from one relative location and ending at
the same relative location comprise entelechies of locomotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all entelechies of locomotion are
circular, however, and not all are matters of “nature.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When God told Abraham to leave his home in Ur
of the Chaldees in order to go to the promised land, Abraham began an entelechy
of locomotion—motion from one location to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, in Exodus, when Moses led the Israelites out
of Egypt to the promised land, they traveled from an Egyptian location to the
land of Canaan location, with various important (middle) stops in the
wilderness, in between (such as the Red Sea and Mt. Sinai).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Jesus’ Locomotion
Entelechy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 93.75pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; tab-stops: 148.5pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uybiAGSuSF4n4YAWOnggj_K-JeTMcklry3v5BoSE1UokKBqB0v4tswmO4JxTkIZEn97ScP8f5HaFo6Ii_CFPqCLMOrePrjOUgPPhdoGlixLg65uup0EarALIXfuWyOPgTexiq5u2ak2vBTU2ctDhTWwj2YV6m2Dowh1S3_KoEXK12yBVuT-TgFMH9w/s640/crucifixion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="640" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uybiAGSuSF4n4YAWOnggj_K-JeTMcklry3v5BoSE1UokKBqB0v4tswmO4JxTkIZEn97ScP8f5HaFo6Ii_CFPqCLMOrePrjOUgPPhdoGlixLg65uup0EarALIXfuWyOPgTexiq5u2ak2vBTU2ctDhTWwj2YV6m2Dowh1S3_KoEXK12yBVuT-TgFMH9w/s320/crucifixion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Gospel of John 19:30 (NKJV) indicates the precise <b>end/</b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">telos</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">/τέλος </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">of Jesus’ race
when Jesus, on the cross, declares “<span style="background: white; color: black;">’<span class="woj">It is <b>finished</b> </span>[<i>te</i></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>estai</i>/τε<b>τέλ</b>εσται
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">]<span class="woj">!’</span> And bowing His
head, He gave up His spirit.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">John 19:28 (NKJV) had prepared us for this <b>final</b> declaration
by Jesus with the observation: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">After this, Jesus, </span>knowing that all things were
now <b>accomplished</b> [<i>te</i></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>estai</i>/τε<b>τέλ</b>εσται
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">], </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">that the Scripture might be <b>fulfilled</b> [</span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōthei</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειωθῇ
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">], said, </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">“I thirst!”</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When
Jesus left Samaria, writes Luke, “<span style="background: white;">it came to
pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He
steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was “purposeful” motion on Jesus’
part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus knew that a </span><b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span style="background: white;"> awaited him at the Jerusalem <i>location</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, when Hebrews 12:2 uses a “race” analogy
for Jesus, it is not far removed from the actual, literal locomotion entelechy
of Jesus going to Jerusalem: “<span class="content">Jesus [was] the <b>author</b>
[</span></span><b><i>archē</i></b><i>gon</i>/<b>ἀρχη</b>γόν from the root <b><i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white;">] and <b>finisher</b> [</span></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōtēn</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειωτὴν
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white;">] of our <u>faith</u>, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (</span></span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus’ “race,” like all races had a starting line (</span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">archē</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/ἀρχή</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">) and a goal line (</span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">telos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/τέλος</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ll consider his starting line in the next blogpost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus (as he was both </span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">archē</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/ἀρχή</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"> and </span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">telos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/τέλος </span></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">in Revelation) serves as our paradigmatic
example of <span class="content"><b><span style="background: white;">author</span></b><span style="background: white;"> (</span></span><b><i>archē</i></b><i>gon</i>/<b>ἀρχη</b>γόν
from the root <b><i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white;">) and <b>finisher</b> (</span></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōtēn</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειωτὴν
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white;">) of our <u>faith</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul, who wrote to Timothy that he had “</span></span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">finished [</span></span><span class="content"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">te</span></i></span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">tel</span></i></b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">eka</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/τε<b>τέλ</b>εκα from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white;">]</span></span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"> the race [and] . . . kept
the <u>faith</u>” (2 Timothy 4:7), understood who defined the race for the <u>faith</u>
by his own example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus defined the
starting line </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(</span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">archē</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/ἀρχή</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">) and goal line (</span><b><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">telos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/τέλος</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">) </span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">for each Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus’ race, therefore, serves as what Kenneth Burke would call our ”representative
anecdote.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His “race” entelechy
“represents” ours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">In terms of Jesus’
and Paul’s respective races, as well as our own by extension in Hebrews 12:1-2,
our “finish line/end/<i>telos</i>” (<b>enduring the cross and sitting down at
the throne of God</b>) is implicit at our “starting line/<i>archē.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hebrews 12:1-2 spells out the entelechy: “<span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[L]et us run with endurance the race that is set before
us, looking unto Jesus, the author [</span></span><b><i>archē</i></b><i>gon</i>/<b>ἀρχη</b>γόν
from the root <b><i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">] and finisher [</span></span><b><i>tel</i></b><i>eiōtēn</i>/<b>τελ</b>ειωτὴν
from the root <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">]
of our <u>faith</u>, who for the joy that was set before
Him <b><u>endured the cross</u></b>, despising the shame, and has <b><u>sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God</u></b>”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus is the </span></span><b><i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and </span></span><b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b><span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> of our own
individual “races.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul may well have
died a martyr’s death, but (despite church legends from the second century) we
do not know for certain when or where that may have occurred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, not every Christian dies a martyr’s
death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even will every </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh387M31R-hs6vgL7-gARGlR9Qi1YH3LWN0LM6VgNFRjyaWqvz0sPVUZ0DyH1Xelr3oIOIlljJBnABLXTbHM91fOS3LOD_wqGS2j0k1hcxQklFRRtgO6e9cVP5AGDDGRfQ-PA2GkIGipsH6oF5lfABAebT4_dZGEghvS6N2JSmtuwEDQk5RRFDEctVaxg/s1200/ThroneOfGod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh387M31R-hs6vgL7-gARGlR9Qi1YH3LWN0LM6VgNFRjyaWqvz0sPVUZ0DyH1Xelr3oIOIlljJBnABLXTbHM91fOS3LOD_wqGS2j0k1hcxQklFRRtgO6e9cVP5AGDDGRfQ-PA2GkIGipsH6oF5lfABAebT4_dZGEghvS6N2JSmtuwEDQk5RRFDEctVaxg/s320/ThroneOfGod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Christian
“die.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Paul observes, “<span class="text">We shall <b>not</b> all sleep, but <b>we shall all be changed</b>
. . . the dead will be raised incorruptible, and <b>we shall be changed</b>” </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(1 Corinthians 15:51 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, as Mark sets out the entelechy
(See my blogpost </span><b>The Four Extremist Gospels (Gospels 2</b><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">), every Christian must be <i>prepared
to</i> die a martyr’s death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: .25pt;">“</span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Whoever desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">For</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake
and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:34-35 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the entelechy of locomotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The life of Jesus represents the starting
line and the finish line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When one becomes
a Christian, one begins the “race.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
point at which Jesus began his “race,” as I mentioned, is grist for the next
blogpost.</span></span><b><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-45516293182575471952022-10-15T10:37:00.001-07:002022-10-15T11:05:05.549-07:00Your Own Resurrected “Form” and Entelechy (Gospels 8)<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAz4pnT8o_26Yg6oDPH3z4r1pxceyrbKvoHtSBM9RZyl6WQpZIU02ZEtKPU6p8zHBKvnTp9RyugKJ5NXGticIC7YjAVLaBqFvHyDpGhTg_3aU-GLJsfjsb8NbEUbQ0AOvlUG8ysNcmBfrGdSMVZe06eR8Af2D6OQMGKKgXhl_79Uq0NDDNqw1K3rsQQ/s210/ClothedInWhite.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="210" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAz4pnT8o_26Yg6oDPH3z4r1pxceyrbKvoHtSBM9RZyl6WQpZIU02ZEtKPU6p8zHBKvnTp9RyugKJ5NXGticIC7YjAVLaBqFvHyDpGhTg_3aU-GLJsfjsb8NbEUbQ0AOvlUG8ysNcmBfrGdSMVZe06eR8Af2D6OQMGKKgXhl_79Uq0NDDNqw1K3rsQQ/s1600/ClothedInWhite.png" width="210" /></a></i></div><i><br />But someone
will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” <o:p></o:p></i><p></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. . . So
also is the resurrection of the dead </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. . .<b><sup> </sup></b>It
is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. .
. flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">nor does
corruption inherit incorruption </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. . . We shall
not all sleep, but <b>we shall all be changed</b> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. . . the dead
will be raised incorruptible, and <b>we shall be changed</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality.</span></i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(1 Corinthians 15:35-53 NKJV)</span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">To what form will
resurrected Christians be changed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
mentioned in the previous blogpost, Paul, in Romans 12:2, uses the verb <b><i>metamorphoō</i>/μετα<u>μορφ</u>όω</b>
(the verb of metamorphosis) to indicate the “transformation” that comes about
by the renewing of your mind when you are not conformed/<b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">συ<u>σχημα</u>τίζω</span></b>
to this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, he hints at a
“transfiguration”-experience-of-sorts that is available to Christians, not just
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to the Romans 12 passage,
Paul supplies a seemingly-related Philippians passage: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[W]e also eagerly wait for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will <b>transform</b>/<b>μετα<u>σχημα</u>τίζω</b>
our lowly body that it may be <b>conformed</b>/<b>σύ</b></span><b>μ<u>μορφ</u>ος</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> to His glorious
body”</span><b> </b>(Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In these two passages, Paul uses the roots of the words <b>μορφή/form/morph
</b>and <b><u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σχῆμα</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/shape/scheme </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">interchangeably<b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>In the Philippian passage, Paul
flip-flops the roots </span><b>μορφή/form/morph </b>and <b><u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">σχῆμα</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/shape/scheme</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, in such a way
as to result in a combination of </span><b><u>μετα</u>- </b>and <b><u>μορφ</u></b>
pertaining to “our” resurrected <b>body/<i>sōma</i>/σῶμα</b> that appears to
indicate that Christians will experience a metamorphosis similar to that of
Jesus’ glorious <b>body/<i>sōma</i>/σῶμα</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Paul confirms this doctrine in the 1 Corinthians 15:35-53 passage (printed
above).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He twice asserts “we shall (all)
be changed”—into a spiritual, non-flesh-and-blood, incorruptible, immortal
body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">But Jesus Still Had a Physical “Form” After his Resurrection<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 146.25pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIw3g1OtbzNB768y-LDrhDXItjbefqycp6Bc5Lv8LAXEHHNeoDcRDwot17LRWB2BPUkfrT-sR9snWbX_V3IZscIDhl-gj8hP9T1Y-Ciry1QaOd9UGFDe_zMTd8kf_JGTRvPdWdgpBdpp3QYC8yaLJxy_HCYj30OYOqzkGcFPuYW_xgohq4VB8cVGNdJg/s617/MaryJesus2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIw3g1OtbzNB768y-LDrhDXItjbefqycp6Bc5Lv8LAXEHHNeoDcRDwot17LRWB2BPUkfrT-sR9snWbX_V3IZscIDhl-gj8hP9T1Y-Ciry1QaOd9UGFDe_zMTd8kf_JGTRvPdWdgpBdpp3QYC8yaLJxy_HCYj30OYOqzkGcFPuYW_xgohq4VB8cVGNdJg/s320/MaryJesus2.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />The many post-resurrection
appearances of Jesus demonstrate that he (unlike God?) still had a <b>μορφή/form</b>
after he was resurrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two times,
this <b>μορφή/form</b> was not recognized immediately (with Mary, in the garden,
and on the road to Emmaus); at other times, it was completely recognized (as
with Thomas, in the upper room).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only instance in which we are told Jesus’ form went unrecognized for an
extended period of time was while he was <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">on the road to Emmaus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, his “<b>other/ἑτέρᾳ/<i>hetera</i></b> <b>form/</b></span><b>μορφῇ</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">” (from Mark 16:12
and Luke 24:13-31) was certainly <i>different</i> from his pre-crucifixion “<b>form/</b></span><b>
μορφή</b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">”
and it was also <i>different</i> from his upper room post-resurrection
appearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hugo Odeberg (p.68) quotes
E. F. Scott: “John involves himself in a view which may fairly be described as
semi-physical.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were indicators
(such as the women on his day of resurrection grabbing hold of his feet and
worshiping him [Matthew 28:9]) that indicate that he had a definite <b>physical</b>
form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This incident appears to me to be the
same incident described in John 20:17, where “touching/ἅπτω” Jesus was strangely
forbidden to Mary Magdalene because he had not yet ascended to his Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since touching his body was not forbidden
(and was even encouraged by Jesus) to the eleven, especially Thomas, and since
the Matthew 28:9 uses a term for the women who “grabbed hold” of his feet that
almost means “to seize forcefully,” we must assume that simple “touching” was
not what Jesus was refusing for Mary Magdalene in John 20:17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although the KJV and ASV translate the term ἅπτω
as “touch,” the CEB, NIV, NRSV, and CEV versions translate it as “hold on
to.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NKJV, NASB2020, ESV, and CSB
translate the term as “cling to.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
the latter two translations is preferable, in light of the Matthew 28:9 description.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BRdRbHirhCYtJf2O3gvrfnAySv5BRXY_s2gXu4nvm9PigsiwRYQa4RAjHAVheQluta-isjQt5q8saRpnLhivvOxJnAGKa4ly9SY4DLihsWY0pKZpLg2SJHdGHdmkNNWLncIyPf_TqVt8juKNCtdw1MnMpyk5_QeQAUIc3tTBRVqlNEs6ZCCx__jGbQ/s218/Revelation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="143" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BRdRbHirhCYtJf2O3gvrfnAySv5BRXY_s2gXu4nvm9PigsiwRYQa4RAjHAVheQluta-isjQt5q8saRpnLhivvOxJnAGKa4ly9SY4DLihsWY0pKZpLg2SJHdGHdmkNNWLncIyPf_TqVt8juKNCtdw1MnMpyk5_QeQAUIc3tTBRVqlNEs6ZCCx__jGbQ/s1600/Revelation.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><br />It
is possible that Jesus’ post-resurrection form was very-similar-to-but-not-quite-the-same-as
the forms of Adam and Eve before the Fall—not “mortal” (because Adam and Eve
had not yet sinned) but still flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently,
the wild beasts that Adam “named” in Genesis 2:19-20 represented no physical
threat to Adam, just as Jesus’ severe wounds in his hands, feet, and side
represented no physical threat to Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Perhaps, that is what Paul meant by "incorruptible." </span>Just as Jesus “ate” in the presence of his disciples, Adam and Eve were
given every tree in the Garden (except one) as food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was important to Jesus that he demonstrate
by empirical proofs that his resurrected body was still fleshly, not a “spirit”
form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 24:36-43 (NKJV) reports: <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Jesus Himself
stood in the midst of [the twelve minus Judas], and said to them, “Peace
to you.” But they were . . . frightened, and supposed they had seen a
spirit. And He said to them, “Why . . . do doubts arise in your
hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me
and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When He had said this,
He showed them His hands and His feet . . . He said to them, “Have
you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some
honeycomb. And He took <i>it</i> and ate in their presence.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While Jesus’ </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">post-resurrection/pre-ascension form,
however, changed in its perceptibility from time to time and appeared and
disappeared at will, we find no evidence that Adam and Eve experienced similar
phenomena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, Adam and Eve,
in their pre-Fall naked existence were just exactly as God had created them
(seemingly in the prime of life) with no “growth” or other kinds of form changes,
such as Jesus experienced, to account for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That might explain some of Jesus’ and Adam’s differences, but not
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, when Paul says that we will be
transformed into the likeness of “His glorious body”</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(Philippians
3:20-21 NKJV), this Adam-esque type of body (immortal, but semi-physical) may
be what Paul promised—but with a difference? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5o-0rvEmdsdvM3Jdj8PVLpTYdoxuZNdMc0V9Tr8i4eki3UTAhU6wJr6stSnYekYQURC5O_oXLrplaRxYFH4uKQLIXssO95WwVqfRJpbwK25FDsdmxEFtVFt6bBHB-WToMnrV6b1Kvdqk0aHxKPR2cblSCodABPG42qpXeiLPBuDrf5tRqD8miojKOA/s699/ascension.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="699" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih5o-0rvEmdsdvM3Jdj8PVLpTYdoxuZNdMc0V9Tr8i4eki3UTAhU6wJr6stSnYekYQURC5O_oXLrplaRxYFH4uKQLIXssO95WwVqfRJpbwK25FDsdmxEFtVFt6bBHB-WToMnrV6b1Kvdqk0aHxKPR2cblSCodABPG42qpXeiLPBuDrf5tRqD8miojKOA/s320/ascension.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />On the other hand, all of these pre- and
post-resurrection/pre-ascension forms (<b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">μορφή</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">) seem to be different from his transfiguration <b>form/</b></span><b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">μορφή.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nowhere, among the
post-resurrection/pre-ascension appearances, do we see Jesus’ form as being <u>shining
and white</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nevertheless, at the
transfiguration, the </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος </span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(Luke 9:29)<b> </b>or <b><i><u>morphē</u></i><u>/μορφή</u>
</b>of Jesus’ <u>face/πρόσωπον was shining</u> like the sun (Matthew 17:2) and
his <u>clothes were glisteningly white</u> (Mark 9:2 and Luke 9:29).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This same picture of Jesus’ <u>face and
clothing being bright and white</u> is found in John’s Revelation (1:12-16
NKJV), describing the “<b>ascended</b>” Jesus: “<span class="content"><span style="background: white;">I saw . . . <i>One</i> like the Son of Man .
. . <u>His head and hair <i>were</i> white like wool, as white
as snow . . . and His countenance <i>was</i> like the sun shining</u>
in its strength.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white;">This post-ascension picture of Jesus that matches his
transfiguration picture even smacks of a description of God Almighty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These descriptions in Revelation may have
been simply borrowed from Daniel, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The question remains: Was there a <i>further</i> transformation of Jesus
following his ascension that would have been equivalent to his transfiguration
appearance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul says in </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">1 Corinthians 15:50 (NKJV)</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, </span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“[F]lesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If there was </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">a <i>further</i> transformation of Jesus following his
ascension that would have been equivalent to his transfiguration appearance,
would that transfiguration and post-ascension appearance be similar to the
picture of Jesus in the loins of his Father before Logos became flesh and dwelt
(tabernacled) among us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I comment in
my blogpost </span><b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Apocalyptic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#14:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Morphing Jesus—Which Jesus do YOU see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Rev. 1:9-20)</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">: </span><i><o:p></o:p></i><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">To Daniel’s description of the Son of Man, John in
Revelation borrows the following element from </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(Daniel 7:9 NIV)</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">: “</span></span><u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">the Ancient of
Days</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> [i.e., God Almighty] took his seat. His <u>clothing was as white as
snow; the hair of his head was white like wool</u>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John, however, in Revelation 1:14, says <b><u>concerning
the Son of man</u></b>: “</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">The <u>hair
on his head was white like wool</u>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus,
John describes Jesus after his ascension in language that Daniel had formerly
used to describe God Himself (the Ancient of Days).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Viewing Jesus and Our Resurrected Forms Entelechially<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 146.25pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">Is there a concept
that accommodates all of these various “forms” of Jesus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a word, it is “entelechy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though Odeberg is unaware of Aristotle’s concept of entelechy, Odeberg (p. 68)
recognizes the same phenomenon: “In [John’s] complex of ideas, the dominating
notions of the <b>present</b>, <b>preceding</b>, and <b>following</b> contexts
are recognizable.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shall we add to
Odeberg’s comment the words “simultaneously and instantly”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this not another way of saying that the
end and the middle are implicit in the beginning (Entelechy)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I ask in the afore-mentioned “Morphing
Jesus” blogpost,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzm6OOwkw7OjQ_rTiR1bPHDDTYR7Jrm1ZT-3bMnKtwE5igoPw97e51W1qDHv248qcGseNXinOnmjL7WM1ux71k--KdfmuV9e-HyDA549tsRX2FkkDDIog_ECZfXK2W0aq6xGrhAc1b_AtSwUrTPtmC8YRNbdnwYrkFOqgaBQhwh9GsYdAHHunLeJrwA/s172/baby.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="115" data-original-width="172" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzm6OOwkw7OjQ_rTiR1bPHDDTYR7Jrm1ZT-3bMnKtwE5igoPw97e51W1qDHv248qcGseNXinOnmjL7WM1ux71k--KdfmuV9e-HyDA549tsRX2FkkDDIog_ECZfXK2W0aq6xGrhAc1b_AtSwUrTPtmC8YRNbdnwYrkFOqgaBQhwh9GsYdAHHunLeJrwA/s1600/baby.jpg" width="172" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioZjrHqhXGOjej55qjNHb5pwz8ZF_p8O76N-iMyoAW0qoWjRnJNnzF-abBl5z9rP7sHSyTQN5rMM2Ai3wkfcSkJg6a_9_eKz60-du9h9bUC_r77vF9y0BnF9hsPr2kY6eMRXbvcjbn8mgcpGXYIvbmdzCy8iLNHQ0jDVaez37NSt1i_JJNYTFiaFTRA/s640/crucifixion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="640" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioZjrHqhXGOjej55qjNHb5pwz8ZF_p8O76N-iMyoAW0qoWjRnJNnzF-abBl5z9rP7sHSyTQN5rMM2Ai3wkfcSkJg6a_9_eKz60-du9h9bUC_r77vF9y0BnF9hsPr2kY6eMRXbvcjbn8mgcpGXYIvbmdzCy8iLNHQ0jDVaez37NSt1i_JJNYTFiaFTRA/s320/crucifixion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />[W]hen you “see” Jesus, what Jesus do YOU
see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . a baby in a manger, a
carpenter’s assistant, a twelve-year-old boy questioning the Jewish scholars in
the Temple, a young man whose mother asked him (before his time) to solve a
problem with the lack of wine at a wedding feast in Cana, a man coming to John
the Baptist to be baptized, a healer of diseases, a preacher to 5000 on the
side of a mountain, a form walking on water at night, an individual being
transfigured into a brilliant image, a shamed convict being crucified, a corpse
being wrapped in a shroud and laid in a tomb, a resurrected man whose hands,
feet, and sides show the crucifixion wounds?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or do you see the “lion from the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:3) or the
“lamb that had been slain” (Revelation 5:6)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, morph your picture of Jesus into what John, in chapter 1 of
Revelation, is “seeing.”<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Perhaps, the best answer to the
question just asked is “Yes!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at
all of these descriptions of the “form” of Jesus, we might be able to recognize
him instantly and simultaneously in many different forms, just as we are able
to recognize our middle-age children in the photos of their childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the genius of viewing matters
entelechially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">final=<i>telos</i>/τέλος form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος<span style="background: white;"> (along with all middle forms) is implicit in the beginning=</span><i>archē</i>/ἀρχή
form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος and <i>vice versa</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aristotle proves that the logic of entelechy is operative in the cosmos
by looking at the seed (earthly thing) and understanding that every future “form’
the plant will assume is already implicitly present in the seed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this way, Jesus’ followers would be able
to “see” Jesus, as a baby, a lad of twelve, a form walking on water, a
brilliantly transfigured individual, a voice talking to Mary, an ascended Son
of Man, or a friend of Thomas with nail and sword wounds, instantly and simultaneously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The Third Type of Entelechy:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quality<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 146.25pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx7JH3oz5e1qwHq5uE_FdEUHmjNbyzVz_4lbiMP0wXIs4mFe7KzAC6wCy2B1uBpnbJBaE3jEa2N21SnLxafECIl6rWCDHgJMwim73_gEaPWFIYNmdJVzKrnHOoj-LZMwmxbnXcgzs_u-Psh88aQ_x9KMtzhjZhY3-LUkj77zzsPFoLyGD1TEB5WQOcA/s800/COPPERTONE.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx7JH3oz5e1qwHq5uE_FdEUHmjNbyzVz_4lbiMP0wXIs4mFe7KzAC6wCy2B1uBpnbJBaE3jEa2N21SnLxafECIl6rWCDHgJMwim73_gEaPWFIYNmdJVzKrnHOoj-LZMwmxbnXcgzs_u-Psh88aQ_x9KMtzhjZhY3-LUkj77zzsPFoLyGD1TEB5WQOcA/s320/COPPERTONE.png" width="240" /></a></div><br />With
the possibility that Jesus’ post-ascension existence, like his transfiguration
existence, might be on a still-different level, we consider our own resurrected
bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If our bodies will be changed to
be like his glorious body, which Paul says will not be flesh and blood, Jesus’
existence at the right hand of God may, again, be “qualitatively” different
from his post-resurrection/pre-ascension existence, which was, itself, “qualitatively”
different from his earthly/fleshly/servant <b>form</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, we simply observe that the trans<b>form</b>ations
of Jesus from the Logos (en archē/ἐν ἀρχῇ) to the Logos-become-flesh to the
transfiguration <b>form</b> to the servant <b>form</b> to the resurrected <b>form</b>
to the ascended <b>form</b> are neither of the two types of entelechy we have
considered, thus far—neither <b>substance</b> (growth) nor <b>quantity</b>
(filling).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, these trans<b>form</b>ations
are a third type of entelechy—<b>quality</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Aristotle’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Physics</i> lists the
four types of entelechy as: (1) in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">substance</b>
[such as the “growth” examples]; (2) <u>in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quality</b>,
white and black</u>; (3) in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quantity</b>
[such as the “filling” examples], (4) in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">respect
of locomotion</b> [which we will consider in the next blogpost]. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Physics</i> 201a5ff.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The change of quality (as in white to black)
occurs whenever a Caucasian gets a suntan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is neither “growth” nor “filling” involved in the “process.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet there IS change/<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">κίνησις.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
Caucasian’s tanned legs are “qualitatively” different from his/her pasty white
legs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Trust me, I live in Florida and
am an eye witness of such qualitative phenomena.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, the legs are neither larger nor
smaller when they are tanned, so there is no change/</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">κίνησις in <b>substance</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, there are no additional legs or
reduced number of legs when they are tanned, so there is no change/</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">κίνησις in <b>quantity</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, the legs have simply changed in <b>quality</b>
(from lighter to darker).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly,
when Jesus’ form changed from the Logos-become-flesh <b>form</b> to the
transfiguration <b>form</b> to the servant <b>form</b> to the resurrected <b>form</b>
to the ascended <b>form</b>, his <b>form/</b></span><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">morphē</span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/μορφή</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> changed in “<b>quality</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When Christians
are resurrected, their bodily </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">form</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">s
(</span></b><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">morphē</span></i></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/μορφή</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">)</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">will
also be </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">changed</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> (</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">κίνησις</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> in “<b>quality</b>.”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It is
possible that, in the world to come, we will recognize (know) each other “entelechially.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is to say, we might be able to see in a
split second, so to speak, any or all the variations of form of anyone, just as
we recognize all the snapshot variations of form for each of our children,
regardless of their current ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Past,
present, and future forms converge, in entelechy, into a single essence that
might well be fully comprehensible to us in the world to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the time being, as Paul comments in I Corinthians
13:9-12 (NKJV): “</span><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For we <b>know</b> in
part . . . But when that which is perfect (</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">τέλειον</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, from the same root as <b>τέλος</b></span><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">) has come, then that which is in part will be
done away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now we see in a
mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I <b>know</b> in part, but then
I shall <b>know</b> just as I also <b>am known</b>.” </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">n their mortal bodies, Jesus’ followers were not
always capable of seeing the full entelechial picture of Jesus’ form (perhaps,
only various synecdochic <b>parts </b>at different times).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence, the two on the road to Emmaus and Mary
in the Garden did not, at first, <b>know</b> Jesus, but at a later point, they
did, even as his “twelve” (<i>sans</i> Judas) disciples did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the final τέλος arrives in the world to
come, entelechial knowledge will be perfected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whatever “form/s” our resurrected bodies assume, we will know fully,
even as we also are known.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-65468046469435311792022-09-29T14:13:00.001-07:002022-09-29T14:13:31.523-07:00Jesus, Entelechy, and the “Form” of God (Gospels 7)<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">“Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus:</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">Who, being in the <b>form</b> </span></i></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(<b><i><span style="background: white;">morphē</span></i><span style="background: white;">/</span>μορφή</b>) <span class="text"><i>of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:</i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;">But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the <b>form</b> </span></i></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(<b><i><span style="background: white;">morphē</span></i><span style="background: white;">/</span>μορφή</b>) <span class="text"><i>of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:</i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><b><i><sup><span style="color: black;"> </span></sup></i></b><i><span style="color: black;">And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV)</span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrMd9vM7jxIzvs-Wa28B_AljF71IvqGMfdxKNVqVtSok_6ei9qQ79u22CZrKAIzSMJhBJ44tww_l7_Iq17ttW3GtUtojNe8va-AiX75MTp_ebPh9_h7A6n8AT6-vAzNFROiF6ZYmsxXhzOm76AI9X1dxWscZRvlmFXT4VM94R9YIFGKYGIB8CyDhZSA/s300/transfiguration1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="242" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrMd9vM7jxIzvs-Wa28B_AljF71IvqGMfdxKNVqVtSok_6ei9qQ79u22CZrKAIzSMJhBJ44tww_l7_Iq17ttW3GtUtojNe8va-AiX75MTp_ebPh9_h7A6n8AT6-vAzNFROiF6ZYmsxXhzOm76AI9X1dxWscZRvlmFXT4VM94R9YIFGKYGIB8CyDhZSA/s1600/transfiguration1.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Does God Have a “Form”?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt; tab-stops: .5in 1.0in 146.25pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">If
God has no “<b>form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος</b>” (or, at least, no one has </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">seen His </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος,
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">as confirmed by </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">John 5:37), how can Paul say that </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">that Jesus was “in the <b>form/<i>morphē</i>/</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">μορφή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">
of God” in Philippians 2:6-7?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, one
easily notes that John and Paul use two different words for “form” (<b><i>eidos</i>/εἶδος</b>
and </span><b><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">morphē</span></i></b><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">μορφή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">),
which Aristotle’s "entelechy" vocabulary, at times, uses interchangeably (as
synonyms).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, in the previous
blogpost, I commented that </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">change/</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">κίνησις or </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">entelechy/<i>entelecheia</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">/ἐντέλεχεια
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">is effected by four potential causes: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(1)
<i>archē</i>/ἀρχή or “efficient cause,” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(2)
<i>telos</i>/τέλος or “final cause,” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(3)
<i><u>eidos</u></i><u>/εἶδος </u></span></b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(aka,
<b><i>morphē</i>/μορφή)</b></span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> or “<b>formal</b>
cause,” and <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(4)
<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη or “material cause.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">With respect to the use of <b><i>eidos</i>/εἶδος</b>
in John 5:37 and the use of </span><b><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">morphē</span></i></b><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">μορφή</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> in
Philippians 2:6-7, I believe that the two terms are fundamentally interchangeable
(synonyms), with only a slight differentiation by Aristotle: When Aristotle
discusses the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">change/</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">κίνησις or </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">entelechy/<i>entelecheia</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/ἐντέλεχεια </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">of <b>substance</b>
(i.e., usually “growth”) he makes this distinction: “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">substance</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">--the one is positive <b>form</b> (<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morphê</i></b>), the other privation (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sterêsis</i>)” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Physics</i> 201a5ff.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other
words, when a plant is changing its substance by “growing” (positive), <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morphê</i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> is involved; when the plant is changing its substance by “withering
away” (privation), </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sterêsis</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> is involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another example of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sterêsis</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> (besides a plant withering) would be a body decaying; whereas, when it
was alive and growing, it was in the process of positively increasing in </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morphê</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since, in addition to discussing Jesus being
in (“the </span><b><span style="background: white;">form/<i>morphē</i>/</span></b></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">μορφή </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">of God) </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">in Philippians
2:6-7, Paul also discusses Jesus taking on him “the </span><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">form/<i>morphē</i>/</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">μορφή </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">of a
servant” (susceptible to death), we begin discussing this issue in terms of
Jesus’ </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">human body,
his </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">physical/fleshly
</span><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">form/<i>morphē</i>/</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">μορφή.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Embryology:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How Was Jesus’
Human “Form” Generated?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOvI7ilKz9h_luaZn6_255fw2e4sebRKFLfcnvXXHy9JAgL4U2UzJQBUWTmS0dN9UMp-QU57OMnrPmDQCaAiabhRBIvZUiFVWmCToD0rMxIzSFnvCsMUmygO0Drab5447HN_6XOusnLpapFZ6ciD1e9nQdTxfSOL1eMQ-ftvmwk9opAE6xL_2mnz-CQ/s1920/MaryJesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="1920" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOvI7ilKz9h_luaZn6_255fw2e4sebRKFLfcnvXXHy9JAgL4U2UzJQBUWTmS0dN9UMp-QU57OMnrPmDQCaAiabhRBIvZUiFVWmCToD0rMxIzSFnvCsMUmygO0Drab5447HN_6XOusnLpapFZ6ciD1e9nQdTxfSOL1eMQ-ftvmwk9opAE6xL_2mnz-CQ/s320/MaryJesus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We,
here, face a difficulty with the Athanasian Creed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It states<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> that Jesus (while he is “<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">God from the
essence of the Father,</span> <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">begotten before time”</span></i>) is “<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">human from the
essence of his mother</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">.”
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>R. C. Sproul, a Reformed leader who
embraces this creed, states that his co-religionists are willing to allow for
errors in creeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He writes in <i>The
Last Days According to Jesus</i> (p. 168): “[S]trong advocates of [the
Reformation principle of] <i>sola Scriptura</i> historically have had great
respect for the historic creeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
advocates have not considered the creeds infallible, but . . . held in . . .
high esteem.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be one situation
in which the Athanasian Creed was fallible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The phrase “</span><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">begotten before time”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">
can be easily dealt with, using an entelechial perspective (since the
beginning, middle, and end are all implicit in each other), but the “human”
part is problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one in the first
century AD, when the gospels were written (or even in the fourth century AD,
when the Athanasian Creed was formed) knew anything about X and Y chromosomes and,
therefore, </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">no
explanation is offered in the Bible concerning the chromosomal issue. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We now know that a Y chromosome is required in
order for the child to be born a male, as Jesus was, and the female Mary could have
only (due to the laws of nature/</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">phusis</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">) </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">contributed an X chromosome to the embryo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, there is the complication that Jesus
is frequently called the son of David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke
1:32 says that David is Jesus’ father and Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies
trace Jesus’ lineage back to David and beyond. Since Matthew’s and Luke’s
genealogies trace, respectively, Joseph’s and Mary’s lineage, the point at
which the two genealogies diverge is at David himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew follows the lineage of David’s son
Solomon; Luke follows the lineage of David’s son Nathan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, somehow the addition of a sperm from
David himself (or, at least, a Y chromosome from David, created by the Logos)
would appear to have been necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Possibly countering this conclusion, it is noted that Jesus, in Matthew
22:42-45, Mark 12:35-37, and Luke 20:41-44, questions the idea of calling the
Christ the “son of David” and John (7:42) is the only gospel that specifically
mentions the Messiah as being of the “seed/sperm/σπέρματος” of David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at that point in John’s gospel, the
issue is presented as a question asked by participants in an argument,
suggesting that Jesus might not qualify as Messiah, if he were not of the
“seed/sperm/σπέρματος” of David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, Acts 13:22-23, Romans 1:3, and 2 Timothy 2:8 all affirm
that Jesus was of David’s “seed/sperm/σπέρματος.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HRPJ4YeFlYGsBdYWrju4VnbXsq0z_sRpqovXvBXWZjO5he425eqeIBtSqpsgS3XNUvYPJYaKka4mJs-1Ni_m_LmEytCJjRw4w0i5gHy37FM3BJVZ76xK9ChrcT7PeWDZzyhHtpfFc3yJGscJGuwe3-N_Vc0yPZtfm0GqihBdSFvxqc61ICsDL4F5Nw/s971/DavidSculptureFlorence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HRPJ4YeFlYGsBdYWrju4VnbXsq0z_sRpqovXvBXWZjO5he425eqeIBtSqpsgS3XNUvYPJYaKka4mJs-1Ni_m_LmEytCJjRw4w0i5gHy37FM3BJVZ76xK9ChrcT7PeWDZzyhHtpfFc3yJGscJGuwe3-N_Vc0yPZtfm0GqihBdSFvxqc61ICsDL4F5Nw/s320/DavidSculptureFlorence.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Michael Pope, in a 2019
article in the <i>Journal of Biblical Literature</i>, explores “Luke’s Seminal
Annunciation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Embryological Reading
of Mary’s Conception.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not seeming
to be aware that he is dealing with entelechial terminology (even though his
article is, certainly, replete with entelechial terminology), Pope discusses <i>dynamis/δύν</i>αμις
(also transliterated <i>dunamis</i>) in connection with <i>sperma/</i>σπέρμα
and <i>pneuma/πνεῦμα</i> (spirit). The two terms <i>dynamis/δύν</i>αμις and <i>pneuma/πνεῦμα</i>,
he points out, are “the named agents of conception in Luke 1:35” (p. 791).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can definitely see that <i>pneuma</i>
(spirit) is an “agent” of conception/change in Luke, and therefore, it would be
classified as a <i>dynamis/δύν</i>αμις.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would classify it as the <i>dunamis/δύν</i>αμις </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">archē</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/ἀρχή. </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, the
Holy Spirit (<i>pneuma/πνεῦμα</i>) was the “agent” or “efficient cause” of the
conception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the previous blogpost, I
identified <i>dunamis</i> as the entelechial term describing any one of the
four causes of change: “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">C</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">hange/</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">κίνησις, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">is effected by four potential (<b><i>dunamis</i></b><i>/dunamai</i>)
causes:<b> <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</b> . . . <b><i>telos</i>/τέλος</b> . . . <b><i>eidos</i>/εἶδος
</b>(aka, <b><i>morphē</i>/μορφή)</b> . . . <b><i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>.”</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> While, Pope attempts to
pull the term <i>sperma</i>/σπέρμα into the Luke account (suggesting that
Jesus’ conception was, somehow, a normal human conception), he is ultimately
unsuccessful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term <i>sperma</i>/σπέρμα
is simply not there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He states: “In the
end, we cannot know whether Luke’s inclusion of the impregnating agents <i>πνεῦμα</i>
and <i>δύν</i>αμις is meant to induce his audience to consider σπέρμα as well”
(p. 805). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could, however, speculate
that the Logos either specially created the </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> of a complete
biological embryo (combining both Mary’s ovum and a sperm from David) or just a
sperm/<i>sperma</i>/σπέρμα[τος] from David (or, at least, the Y chromosome to
be added to Mary’s genetic makeup in the ovum).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If the Logos supplied the entire biological embryo, we have a scenario
similar to what is produced in <i>in vitro</i> fertilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This problem is certainly not insurmountable
from Matthew’s, Luke’s, and John the Baptist’s perspectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Matthew 3:9 and Luke 3:8, the Baptist informs
those (Pharisees and Sadducees) who come out to his baptism and are proud to be
children of Abraham that God is able to raise up children to Abraham out of
stones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is possible that this comment
of the Baptist is a play on words in the Hebrew, since the Hebrew words for
“stones” and “sons” very closely resemble each other, but the point regarding
God’s ability is a valid one, nevertheless, reported by both Matthew and
Luke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether God used “stones” or gold
coins or thin air, it is definitely within the capability of God to raise up
children to Abraham long after the death of Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, what would be the problem with the Holy
Spirit/<i>πνεῦμα</i> raising up a Davidic sperm, if that is indeed what He did?</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Metamorphosis:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Was
Jesus in the “Form” of God?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Although
it is commonplace for Christian exegetes to assume that the scene in which
Jesus was “in the <span class="text"><b>form</b> </span>(<b><i><span style="background: white;">morphē</span></i><span style="background: white;">/</span>μορφή</b>)
<span class="text">of God,” in </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">Philippians 2:5-8, was “the (pre-creation) beginning,” before
Jesus came to Earth, the possibility of that being the case seems to fly in the
face of logic, if God has no <b><u>form</u></b></span><b><i><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></u></i><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος </span></u></b><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">or <b><i>morphē</i>/μορφή</b></span></u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As mentioned in the previous blogpost, the term <i>eidos</i>/εἶδος is
missing from</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRc7uo2NuouFgJjO5bZVQOJtGM-5yd33nsLycumrStMNxcHjz-X2nv041KSNh2lAGieNMHP-AOqzpuijCXkBmq_TQ0DGXgaGhmM2EVOy4BtZbqnvD-xtf_H1r1np4Z9-Odzy7jM7THjYVKzZMfLf-c_-LtfpdB7D4pokdnskwziEKfG4qJzyEzZAKVg/s1280/metamorphosis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1280" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRc7uo2NuouFgJjO5bZVQOJtGM-5yd33nsLycumrStMNxcHjz-X2nv041KSNh2lAGieNMHP-AOqzpuijCXkBmq_TQ0DGXgaGhmM2EVOy4BtZbqnvD-xtf_H1r1np4Z9-Odzy7jM7THjYVKzZMfLf-c_-LtfpdB7D4pokdnskwziEKfG4qJzyEzZAKVg/s320/metamorphosis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Revelation—but present in Luke’s (3:22) description of the “form”
of the Spirit at Jesus baptism and Luke’s (9:29) description of the
transfigured Jesus’ <b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, as well as in John’s (5:37)
discussion of the </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of those mentions of the term <i>eidos</i>/εἶδος,
the John 5:37 mention establishes that no one has seen God’s form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is due to the fact that God cannot be
limited to a </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luke’s (3:22) description of the “form” of the Spirit at Jesus baptism refers
to a visible form (the </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> of a “dove”), not actually the </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
of “God,” since no one has seen God’s </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Luke’s (9:29) description of the transfiguration,<u>
</u>Jesus’ face is called a </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">: the </span><b><u><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">form</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/eidos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/εἶδος</span></u></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">
“of his face was altered” (NKJV) and “his robe became white and
glistening.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compare Matthew’s (17:2)
and Mark’s (9:2) discussion of the transfiguration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both use the other term for “form” (<b>μετα<u>μορφ</u>όω
</b>from the root<b> μορφή/form)</b> when referring to Jesus’ “form” being
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They say his face shone like
the sun (in Matthew); his clothing became exceedingly white (in Mark).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word <b><i>metamorphosis</i></b> IS the noun
translated “transfiguration,” corresponding to the verb <b><i>metamorphoō</i>/μετα<u>μορφ</u>όω</b>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">A
final mention of <b>μορφή/form</b> occurs in Mark 16:12 (NKJV), pertaining to
the form of Christ in a post-resurrection appearance: “<span style="background: white;">After that, He appeared in another form [</span><b>μορφῇ</b><span style="background: white;">] to two of them as they walked and went into the
country.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did Mark mean by “<b>other/ἑτέρᾳ/<i>hetera</i></b>
<b>form/</b></span><b>μορφῇ</b><span style="background: white;">”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word “<b>other/ἑτέρᾳ/<i>hetera</i></b>”appears
in the English word “<b>hetero-</b>sexual.” As opposed to a “homo-sexual,” who
is attracted to the “same” sex, a “<b>hetero-</b>sexual” is attracted to the “<b><u>different</u>/other</b>”
sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, Jesus’ </span><b>μορφή/form</b><span style="background: white;"> was not the same </span><b>μορφή/form</b><span style="background: white;"> he had been in; it was a <b><u>different</u></b>/<b>other/ἑτέρᾳ/<i>hetera</i></b>
<b>form/</b></span><b>μορφῇ</b><span style="background: white;"> (but <u>not</u>
a different sex, lest the reader become confused by my illustration of the
meaning of the term <b>other/ἑτέρᾳ/<i>hetera</i></b>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke describes the post-resurrection
appearance in more detail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not
using the term </span><b>μορφή/form</b><span style="background: white;">, Luke 24:13-31
(NKJV) supplies elaboration of the very same incident, which helps to explain
the resurrected “form” of Jesus:</span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[T]wo of them were traveling . . .
to a village called Emmaus . . . And they talked together of all these things
which had happened . . . while they conversed . . . Jesus Himself drew near and
went with them. <u>But their eyes were restrained, so that they did
not know Him</u>.</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text"><b><sup> </sup></b>And
He said to them, </span><span class="woj">“What kind of conversation <i>is</i> this
that you have with one another as you walk”</span> . . . <span class="text">Cleopas
answered and said to Him . . . “have You not known the things which happened .
. . in these days?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . The things
concerning Jesus of Nazareth . . .<b><sup> </sup></b>and how the chief
priests and our rulers delivered Him to be . . . crucified . . . today is the
third day since these things happened . . . and certain women of our
company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. <b><sup> </sup></b>When
they did not find His body</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpaEQBbvt1VIEx8uM5-7uOdrDrJgJRWcc698fk7x9DYtYTRymHaio3M7_uDOetbcGcFCPZDvQpet-ouluv2UzeZPr-FACjSNK6Mx3XdATqzmYeGDl0zc3tGh3CEOQzXw3-mrdPfR_Du-AS3glSXzG5f5cxQUfm0WhNJndAPMK6SAuQNa_7fjrGKweXw/s586/Resurrection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="586" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpaEQBbvt1VIEx8uM5-7uOdrDrJgJRWcc698fk7x9DYtYTRymHaio3M7_uDOetbcGcFCPZDvQpet-ouluv2UzeZPr-FACjSNK6Mx3XdATqzmYeGDl0zc3tGh3CEOQzXw3-mrdPfR_Du-AS3glSXzG5f5cxQUfm0WhNJndAPMK6SAuQNa_7fjrGKweXw/s320/Resurrection.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />, they came saying that they had also seen a vision
of angels who said He was alive. <b><sup> </sup></b>And certain of
those <i>who were</i> with us went to the tomb and found <i>it</i> just
as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text">Then He said to them, </span><span class="woj">“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the
prophets have spoken!</span><span class="text"> <b><sup> </sup></b></span><span class="woj">Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into
His</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">glory?”</span><span class="text"> And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets,
He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they drew near to the village where they
were going, and . . . they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with
us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay
with them.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text">Now
it came to pass, <u>as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread,
blessed and broke <i>it,</i> and gave it to them. Then their
eyes were opened and they knew Him</u>; and <u>He vanished from their sight</u>.</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">From
Mark’s and Luke’s account of the Road to Emmaus incident, we see that Jesus’
resurrected <b>μορφή/form</b> was, at first, <u>unrecognizable</u> to his
disciples (as it was when Mary Magdalene encountered Jesus after his
resurrection in the garden, John 20:14-15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Incidentally, we recognize individuals not only by “sight,” but by all five
sense perceptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, like the blind,
recognize individuals by the sound of their voices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dogs recognize individuals by their smell and
taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaac attempted to recognize
Jacob and Esau by touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it was with
Jesus. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus <i>spoke</i> to the two in
Emmaus in such a way that he was recognized (as he was when he <i>addressed</i>
<i>Mary</i> Magdalene <i>by name</i> in the garden, John 20:16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Jesus disappeared completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as Jesus disappeared at Emmaus, Jesus suddenly
appeared in the upper room on Easter evening, even though the door was closed
(John 20:19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that time, he also ate
food (Luke 24:41-43)—whereas, he had blessed the food for the Emmaus travelers
and cooked the food for his disciples, later, at the Sea of Galilee—and, in the
upper room, he had a body that was completely recognizable to his closest
disciples, even down to the nail holes in his hands and the sword wound in his
side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Thomas, who at first doubted,
could not resist this demonstrable evidence, addressing Jesus as “my Lord and
my God” (John 20:28).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strangely, Jesus
had forbidden Mary Magdalene to touch him in the garden, because he had not yet
ascended to his Father (John 20:17), even though he permitted his eleven
disciples to touch him (John 20:27, Luke 24:38).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had these individuals encountered Jesus “in
the <b>μορφή/form</b> of God”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <b>μορφή/form</b>
of Jesus following his resurrection was certainly different (<b><span style="background: white;">other/ἑτέρᾳ/<i>hetera</i></span></b>) from the earthly
<b>μορφή/form</b> into which he was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, these post-resurrection appearances cannot account for
Paul’s comment about Jesus being in the <b>μορφή/form</b> of God in Philippians
2:6-7, because Paul says that Jesus exchanged that <b>μορφή/form</b> of God for
the <b>μορφή/form</b> of a servant, and was obedient to death on the
cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The preponderance of textual
evidence favors neither a pre-creation form nor a post-resurrection form, but an
understanding that the point at which Jesus was in the <b>μορφή/form</b> of God
was at his transfiguration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explain on
pages 75-76 of my book <i>The Logic of Christianity: A Syllogistic Chain</i>:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGp89CPIJBAuCCYIlRWxcRKYQGmR9BEM0cKo7JUM0vZ_-WdOiG4tcvtUBxzdslQnj1ZuqmS1Du-e94PfVzGwUe-SfA6Qpm9Io9HfUPpvn8P1-RewO-T-GZsrSeMt7_DkWzaGjeoAGj0blHb-S0NqXQMK9TTjxwnMMCgePw-wVQlUo_cOM4vrHveBBwg/s300/transfiguration2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="204" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGp89CPIJBAuCCYIlRWxcRKYQGmR9BEM0cKo7JUM0vZ_-WdOiG4tcvtUBxzdslQnj1ZuqmS1Du-e94PfVzGwUe-SfA6Qpm9Io9HfUPpvn8P1-RewO-T-GZsrSeMt7_DkWzaGjeoAGj0blHb-S0NqXQMK9TTjxwnMMCgePw-wVQlUo_cOM4vrHveBBwg/s1600/transfiguration2.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 81.75pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Greek word . . . translated
“form” . . . is . . . [</span><b>μορφή]</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">, as in the word METAMORPHOSIS . . .
translated TRANSFIGURED in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reading the Philippians Hymn from this interpretive
perspective, we are encouraged to be SELFLESS, as Jesus was when he found
himself transfigured into an immortal form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, unlike Moses and Elijah, Jesus did not consider this immortal form
something to be grasped, but returned to his earlier [</span><b>μορφή]</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (that of a
servant, a mortal), thus humbling himself and becoming obedient to death—EVEN
THOUGH HE HAD PERSONALLY ACHIEVED IMMORTALITY! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, his death was not an ordinary
death . . . His death was the long, painful, excruciating death on a cross—the
sentence of the very worst of criminals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, therefore, because Jesus had paid the death penalty of even the
worst criminals known to man, since he himself was worthy of immortality, the
payment was not needed for his own account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was applied to the account of EVERY SINGLE SINNING HUMAN FROM THE TIME
OF ADAM TO THE END OF THE WORLD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
why God exalted him. That’s why every knee bows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why every tongue confesses that Jesus
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Notice
that in the passage just cited, I used the following terminology: “Jesus did
not consider this immortal form (i.e., equality with God) <b>something to be grasped</b>,” rather than
the NKJV translation cited above: “<span class="text"><i>thought it not <b>robbery</b>.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek word translated “robbery” in the
NKJV is the word ἁρπαγμόν.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the
only occurrence of this word in the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Foerster, writing in Volume I, pages 473-474
of Kittel’s <i>Theological Dictionary of the New Testament</i> offers the translation
“to grasp eagerly.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He adds: “[W]e are
not to link ἁρπαγμός with any thought of robbery or seizure by force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against all expectation, Jesus did not regard
equality with God as a gain to be utilised.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an
aside, Paul, in Romans 12:2, uses the verb <b><i>metamorphoō</i>/μετα<u>μορφ</u>όω</b>
to indicate the “transformation” that comes about by the renewing of your mind
when you are not conformed to this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thus, he hints at a “transfiguration”-experience-of-sorts that is
available to Christians, not just Christ, but this use may be metaphorical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More about that and <u>our own</u> resurrected
<b>μορφή/form</b> next time.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-40371131671692419372022-09-24T13:21:00.002-07:002022-09-24T13:49:53.772-07:00The “Form” of God and Entelechy (Gospels 6)<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">“And the Father Himself, who sent Me,</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">has testified of Me. You have neither
heard His voice at any time,</span></i></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">nor seen His form.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p>
<p align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;"><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">\</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(John 5:37 NKJV)</span><i><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The Importance of “Form” in Entelechy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">When
John calls Jesus and/or God the <b>ἀρχή/”beginning”</b> and the <b>τέλος/”end”</b>
(Revelation 21:6, 22:13), he </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDeGpqvrUH0MIr2W1l05DRn2_ZKqOGYG6_fsh0CzYftRX-OwhnB9ijjVqAwKpXabagiJMzNwzjFAtotCsoGjyhoqbcEZe1VOWtc_3jYujZlDj9EgkTfPXRDnd772VQybWge4Bua6yZXzNHMmuZjxBv4tjzH69jmO8V6uRhtb2FDpbJHO5VebT_hCytQ/s1024/Aristotle4Causes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDeGpqvrUH0MIr2W1l05DRn2_ZKqOGYG6_fsh0CzYftRX-OwhnB9ijjVqAwKpXabagiJMzNwzjFAtotCsoGjyhoqbcEZe1VOWtc_3jYujZlDj9EgkTfPXRDnd772VQybWge4Bua6yZXzNHMmuZjxBv4tjzH69jmO8V6uRhtb2FDpbJHO5VebT_hCytQ/s320/Aristotle4Causes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />appears to be tapping into Aristotle’s <u>four
causes of entelechy</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Greek word εἶδος/eidos (translated “form” in the John 5:37 passage, just cited)
is one of the four causes of change/</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">κίνησις
and of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">entelechy/<i>entelecheia</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">/ἐντέλεχεια
according to Aristotle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">C</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">hange/</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">kinēsis/</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">κίνησις, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">is effected by four potential (<i>dunamis/dunamai</i>)
causes: <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(1)
<i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> or
“efficient cause,” translated “beginning” in Revelation, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(2)
<i>telos</i>/τέλος</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> or “final
cause,” translated “end” in Revelation, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(3)
<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(aka, <b><i>morphē</i>/μορφή)</b>
or “<b>formal</b> cause,” and <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">(4)
<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> or
“material cause.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">While<b>
<i>archē</i>/ἀρχή</b> and<b> <i>telos</i>/τέλος</b> feature prominently in the
Book of Revelation (usually translated “the beginning and the end”), the term <b>form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος</b>
is completely missing from Revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nevertheless, it is present in Luke’s description of the “<b>form</b>”
of the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism (3:22) and in Luke’s description of the
transfigured Jesus (9:29) in addition to the John 5:37 discussion of the “form”
of God, cited above. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>
is also missing from Revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
term only occurs once in the New Testament, in James 3:5, where it refers to
the amount of “<b>material</b>/wood/timber” that is kindled by a small fire (in
a metaphor of the power of the tongue).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is never used to refer to the “material” of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the New Testament use of <b>μορφή/form</b>,
see <b>μεταμορφόω</b> (metamorphosis/transfiguration) in Matthew 17:2, Mark
9:2, and Romans 12:2, plus <b>μορφή/form</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>in Mark 16:12 (of Jesus) and Philippians 2:6-7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Henry A. Fischel frequently asserted that New
Testament writers knew Rabbinic teachings, Rabbinic writers knew Christian
teachings, and <u>they all knew Greek teachings</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fischel states: “It is fortunate that at this
stage of scholarship no further defense has to be made for the assumption that
Greco-Roman situations were well-known.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Why Do “Form” and “Material” Get Overlooked in Revelation?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Logically,</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu8ZMNY078IrygbLYPpSxH2mbuV9jV-6h-u2MyDh-6BEQtealkWiEmmupsTZqiSsCPP2t6hvj5lVndomPv1WFf2XoGF0ayG97gP2GMvSeN1HIeO_f9Ip6UX2RYxIzfi12DFVRI0zsOr5he1iro_UXQHPZBI_Bas2flxvZz9bEmIvHpNMlsTSZ7zkCeA/s220/Matter1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="220" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAu8ZMNY078IrygbLYPpSxH2mbuV9jV-6h-u2MyDh-6BEQtealkWiEmmupsTZqiSsCPP2t6hvj5lVndomPv1WFf2XoGF0ayG97gP2GMvSeN1HIeO_f9Ip6UX2RYxIzfi12DFVRI0zsOr5he1iro_UXQHPZBI_Bas2flxvZz9bEmIvHpNMlsTSZ7zkCeA/s1600/Matter1.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br />
the terms “<b>form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος</b>” and “<b>material/hulē/ὕλη</b>” <u>should</u>
be missing from any discussion of God's characteristics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
writer of Revelation appears to be aware of that fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though Jesus as God’s Son (in the flesh)
on Earth experienced physical entelechies, God Almighty did not experience a
physical entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be useful
to point out, here, that Aristotle used the terms “physical” <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">and
“physics/<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">φυσική”
to refer to any “natural” object or occurrence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nature includes not only biology, but also geology, and astrology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Logos of God was NOT “natural” or “physical”
(yet, Jesus on Earth WAS physical).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Logos “created” the natural/physical world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John 1:2-3 (NKJV) says the Logos<span class="text"> “was in the beginning
with God. <i>All things were made through Him</i>, and without Him nothing
was made that was made.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence, all (natural)
</span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> (<u>including “flesh”</u>) was “made” by (or
through) the Logos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, then we
are presented with three logical <i>absurdities</i>: (1) If God were composed
of <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>, God <u>would have been “made” by</u> the
Logos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, if the “Logos-become-flesh” were <i>solely</i>
composed of <b>material/hulē/ὕλη</b>, the “Logos-become-flesh” <u>would have
been “made” by</u> the Logos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(3)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, if we treat the <i>earliest</i>
mentions of Logos in John as indicating “Jesus,” we have the strange situation
of Jesus creating his own “flesh.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now,
let’s try to dig our way out of this quandary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Absurdity #1 is easily resolved: God is <u>not</u> an entelechy,
since God does not consist of <b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b>. Nor has </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">anyone seen His </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος,
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">as confirmed by </span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
5:37. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">This
is one reason the second Commandment says: </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness
of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that
is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them”
(Exodus 20:4-5 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is
incorporeal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the Jews were
commanded to build the Ark of the Covenant (containing the Ten Commandments),
they made images of Cherubim to place on top of the Ark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the “invisible” area just above where the
wings of the Cherubim touch each other was what was known as the “mercy
seat.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This invisible area symbolically
identified the location of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I state
on page 64 of my book <i>Disneology: Religious Rhetoric at Walt Disney World</i>:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAnPNhCGhQSpNoIsO5sLU_cZ8nrwa2n6QtZFzPDbDGaDmMH0dZD8IfBp7msPAitVWU8wYcHd5W9j7VrOpwnEQ2WS_zeGOQKEhZWNOaZqezaBqblDrSoIQMCuUCy1z4IYMdcuXFENpUem50BBKiSNOsna5W3ANpQMTv948RPHI4Ko-4R1ustO7wDNjTw/s220/ArkCovenant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="220" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAnPNhCGhQSpNoIsO5sLU_cZ8nrwa2n6QtZFzPDbDGaDmMH0dZD8IfBp7msPAitVWU8wYcHd5W9j7VrOpwnEQ2WS_zeGOQKEhZWNOaZqezaBqblDrSoIQMCuUCy1z4IYMdcuXFENpUem50BBKiSNOsna5W3ANpQMTv948RPHI4Ko-4R1ustO7wDNjTw/s1600/ArkCovenant.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Logically speaking, a God who
created nature cannot be restricted to the laws of nature . . . Judaism adds to
the description of God<span style="color: #222222;"> . . . “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">invisible</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>The Ark
of the Covenant (as presented visually in the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raiders of the Lost Ark</i>) was designed to symbolically make this
point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">All other gods</b> presented at WDW are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">visible</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Hebrew God is
invisible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Absurdities #2 and #3 are more difficult, but might be
resolved by understanding that God is <b>spirit</b>, not flesh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had mentioned in my blogpost </span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Logos and Entelechy (Gospels 3)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">On page 150 of my book <i>Angels
and Demons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Personification of
Communication</i>, I write:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTshf6FsKH2oVZxkCjM35UK5GjxCJzK6P19LxwEbyVTxQWzo-km6IjtGjD6DRWii-oHtAiT7rhsZlviDtOY3fzZAZWC3FIH7rSbwsMRSLbvwL2CfDfy999F6dymFYFwHl2IU86vM6QJtMOurovyiRsQoosJ9_ouPknWxloAD4kkhLfdfYVjHRWDfSp1w/s500/AngelsCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTshf6FsKH2oVZxkCjM35UK5GjxCJzK6P19LxwEbyVTxQWzo-km6IjtGjD6DRWii-oHtAiT7rhsZlviDtOY3fzZAZWC3FIH7rSbwsMRSLbvwL2CfDfy999F6dymFYFwHl2IU86vM6QJtMOurovyiRsQoosJ9_ouPknWxloAD4kkhLfdfYVjHRWDfSp1w/s320/AngelsCover.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 1.0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 1in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jewish scholar G. F. Moore links . . . three terms . .
. together quite easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his chapter
entitled, "The Word of God:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Spirit," Moore states, "God's will is made known or effectuated in
the world not only through personal agents (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ANGELS</i>),
but directly by his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WORD</i> or by his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SPIRIT</i>" (emphases mine).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Since John himself (quoting Jesus) emphasizes that God
IS spirit (John 4:24) and the facts that the “Spirit of God” is hovering over
the face of the waters and God is speaking “words” are all found in Genesis
1:1-3, the possibility of the Logos being identified as the Spirit of God is a
very definite possibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Identifying
the Logos-become-flesh as Jesus may be a later development in the entelechy [of
creation].<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Identifying
the Logos as the Spirit of God seems to have some corroboration in Matthew’s
description of the virgin birth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew
1:18 (NKJV) states: “<span class="content"><span style="background: white;">His
mother Mary . . . was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 1:20 (NKJV) has the angel saying:</span></span></span><span class="content"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #121212;"> </span></span><span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Joseph . . . do not be afraid to take to you Mary your
wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”</span></span><span class="content"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #121212;"> </span></span><span class="content"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Luke 1:35 agrees: “</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And the angel . . .
said to her, “<i>The</i> Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is
to be born will be called the Son of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If the Logos is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, then the statement
that the Logos/Spirit of God/Holy Spirit “became flesh and dwelt among us”
would be very consistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The logic would look like this:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Premise 1</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">: The Logos discussed
by John in 1:1-5 is the incorporeal Word or Spirit of God that existed
simultaneously with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Premise 2</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">: The Logos <i>was</i>
God and the Logos (God’s Word) created all matter (=material), including “flesh.”
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Premise 3</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">: “Flesh” was what
the Logos, in the fullness of time, “became” (an entelechial action) during the
time God’s Son <i>dwelt</i> on Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deduction</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">: In contrast to
the absurdity #2 listed above, the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“Logos-become-flesh”
would NOT <i>entirely</i> have been “made” </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJXtMhQnkiJv5VAQTnuDUwWxpkbtC_iUKyxnPfYS0xr2nRjHjllrh3NjiAlRefmTL9LV23pzDVmFy5KAjya8vMcT3aNmgFA4DRi0UHeoN8abboaPBFo-a_-d-lzvxa17EkCqJOJC9dig-XrgBMUwsNI_qNs-gF4kxZc1oIAWgHnvmdcFNE9j-lk8Psw/s910/DoveHolySpirit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="910" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJXtMhQnkiJv5VAQTnuDUwWxpkbtC_iUKyxnPfYS0xr2nRjHjllrh3NjiAlRefmTL9LV23pzDVmFy5KAjya8vMcT3aNmgFA4DRi0UHeoN8abboaPBFo-a_-d-lzvxa17EkCqJOJC9dig-XrgBMUwsNI_qNs-gF4kxZc1oIAWgHnvmdcFNE9j-lk8Psw/s320/DoveHolySpirit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />by the Logos; only his “flesh” would
have been made by the Logos. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Logos,
then, would only have “dwelt” (an entelechial action) in the fleshly (material)
<b>tabernacle</b>, which he had created (just as humans dwell in houses those
humans have made).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only part of
Jesus that was corporeal was the “flesh” (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">material/hulē/ὕλη</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">) that he acquired
from his mother, Mary, while he was growing in her womb and up until the time
he was resurrected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In contrast to the
absurdity #3 listed above, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">we would NOT have the
strange situation of Jesus creating his own “flesh.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This view is entirely “monotheistic” in the
sense that God and His Word are a unity (just as my words that come out of my
mouth are a part of me); whatever Word/Logos God speaks is very much a part of
Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, my words have a power
of their own. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I severely criticize
someone, but not to his/her face, my words might still be very damaging to that
person when someone else conveys my words to that person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just so, God’s Words (Logos), once they leave
His mouth have tremendous power, in themselves, to create light, firmament,
seas, vegetation, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we find God’s
Word (Logos) has the power to not only create “flesh” but also to “become (or
put on) flesh.” In view of the use of the “<b>tabernacle</b>” metaphor, it
might be preferable to translate the words “became flesh” as “put on flesh”
(i.e., in the sense of becoming one who came to exist in a fleshly <b>tabernacle</b>).<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The Tabernacle of Flesh/Material/Hulē/ὕλη<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">John 1:14 says that God’s Word/Logos (having become
or put on flesh) “dwelt among us.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picture
this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s Word (Logos) dwelling in a
fleshly “<b>tabernacle</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is how
John describes Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek word
translated “dwelt” actually means “<b>tabernacled</b>” (<span style="background: white;">σκηνόω).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus “dwelt” in a <b>tabernacle</b>,
just as God “dwelt” in a <b>tabernacle</b>, following the Exodus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does not diminish the divinity of either
God or Jesus to say that they “dwelt” in “<b>tabernacles</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, the <b>tabernacles</b> of both God and
Jesus </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIi9MptCQ52fs0TJuEeKz5T2aHcbY4F7k3HjGjrPatTtJXaD4gV5pPEEqF00-SHckAfTmNUG4JNl0jWF8-ICO9EFpSkY34nJ4wueL5AsiommiMcp1tbkDJliDnw-e9yeRkMxqgS1FOMkshEHZpHdw-K7rzfwMoFIbY1s0L4EdJLaeqJAoGMx6jajN1g/s640/tabernacle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIi9MptCQ52fs0TJuEeKz5T2aHcbY4F7k3HjGjrPatTtJXaD4gV5pPEEqF00-SHckAfTmNUG4JNl0jWF8-ICO9EFpSkY34nJ4wueL5AsiommiMcp1tbkDJliDnw-e9yeRkMxqgS1FOMkshEHZpHdw-K7rzfwMoFIbY1s0L4EdJLaeqJAoGMx6jajN1g/s320/tabernacle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />were constructed of physical/earthly/<b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b><span style="background: white;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
difference between God’s <b>tabernacle</b> and Jesus’ <b>tabernacle</b> is
that, despite both of them being composed primarily of organic matter/</span><b>material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</b><span style="background: white;">. Jesus’ <b>tabernacle</b> was <i>living</i> (his
flesh), while God’s <b>tabernacle</b> was built of no-longer-living timbers, flax
fibers/linen, etc. and also included such non-living geological materials as
gold overlays. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another difference is
that, God’s <b>tabernacle</b> was made “with human hands” in the wilderness,
whereas Jesus’ <b>tabernacle</b> was not made with human hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was made by the Logos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In a possibly-related passage, Hebrews
9:11 (NKJV) reports: “Christ came <i>as</i> High Priest of the
good things to come, with the greater and more perfect <b>tabernacle</b>
not made with hands.”</span><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Even so, Stephen,
in Acts 7:48-50 (NKJV), says: </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the
prophet says: </span></span><span class="oblique"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">‘Heaven</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <i>is</i> </span></span><span class="oblique"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My throne,</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="oblique">And earth</span><span class="text"> <i>is</i> </span><span class="oblique">My footstool.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="oblique">What house will you build
for Me? says the</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="oblique">,</span> <span class="oblique">Or what</span><span class="text"> <i>is</i> </span><span class="oblique">the place of My rest?</span> <span class="oblique">Has My hand not</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="oblique">made all these things?’</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul and
Peter both understood their own bodies to be “tabernacles.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="text">Peter, in 2 Peter 1:13-14
(NKJV), anticipating his own death, described his impending death as a putting
off of his <b>tabernacle</b></span></span><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">: “I think it is
right, as long as I am in this tent [<b>tabernacle</b>], to stir you up by
reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent [<b>tabernacle</b>],
just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Paul’s comments in 2
Corinthians 5:1-4 (NKJV) are further instructive. Although Paul is speaking of
his own body (=<b>tabernacle</b>), which he predicts will be “destroyed” and in
which he now “groan[s],” he looks forward to having God’s new kind of <b>tabernacle</b>—one
not made with human hands, in which mortality is swallowed up by life (i.e.,
immortality/“eternal in the heavens”).</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">For we know that if our earthly house, <i>this</i> tent
[<b>tabernacle</b>], is destroyed, we have a building from God, a
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. <b><sup> </sup></b>For
in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be <b>clothed</b> with
our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed,
we shall not be found naked. <b><sup> </sup></b>For we who are in <i>this</i> tent
[<b>tabernacle</b>] groan, being burdened, not because we want to be
unclothed, but <b>further clothed</b>, that mortality may be swallowed up
by life.</span></span><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Surely, in the heavens, Jesus is no
longer living in a fleshly/physical/earthly/</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">material/<i>hulē</i>/ὕλη</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <b>tabernacle</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How his new body (and/or </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“<b>form/<i>eidos</i>/εἶδος</b>”) </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">is apprehended and experienced will be grist for the next
blogpost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, as Paul suggests for
himself, Jesus is now clothed with a habitation immortal, “eternal in the
heavens.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having undergone the earthly
entelechies of growth, learning, and authority (and even birth and death), the
Son has reverted to the heavenly majesty he experienced as part of God and His
Word/Logos (in the beginning) </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“en archē/ἐν ἀρχῇ.”<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This entelechial understanding of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit—as all one person </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“en archē/ἐν ἀρχῇ” in <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">John 1—illustrates
how there can be one monotheistic God whose Son pre-existed with him (and
“acted” with Him) in His loins and whose Word/Logos/Spirit created all things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His Word/Logos/Spirit, then “<b>tabernacled</b>”
with us in a fleshly/physical/earthly/</span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">material/hulē/ὕλη </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">body
made by the Logos. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Logos, while
dwelling in that <b>tabernacle</b>, took on Earthly “entelechies” in his “flesh.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned in the previous post, </span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“‘Sonship’ is Not an
Entelechy . . . </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">one does not gradually ‘become’ a son; one ‘is’ a
son. The son even has a pre-existence in the loins of his father . .
. Sonship . . . is a state of being (not a ‘process,’ with a beginning,
middle, and end). One NEVER STOPS being a son.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, Jesus’ “entelechies” were limited
to the time when he was on Earth in his </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">fleshly/physical/earthly/</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">material/hulē/ὕλη </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“<b>tabernacle.</b>”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
remain undiscussed, so far, some embryological issues in Jesus’ “male”
existence that should be considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, Mary could not have contributed a Y chromosome to Jesus’
flesh, thus, making him a male embryo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such
entelechial matters pertaining to Jesus’ earthly </span><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">form/morphē/</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">μορφή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">
will be addressed in the next blogpost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Also, next time, we will
consider what Paul means when he says that Jesus was found “in the <b>form/morphē/</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">μορφή</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">
of God” in Philippians 2:6-7.</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-59961009494351820482022-09-12T13:06:00.003-07:002022-09-24T22:06:29.672-07:00Sonship and “Learning” and “Authority” Entelechies (Gospels 5)<h1 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature, and in favor with God and men.</span></i><i><span color="windowtext" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></h1>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">(Luke 2:52 NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8rJE2eraU_bU_w-LOKWBSewJ7eflVylDTi_AQmWaahqu_c1VrJD4fbn3f67stIITiBN_kGdJPUGL78tvtm-A72KMwT5tlOwEMvyl3HWDZtIG1q5F2paWtyiOTXxJFreO5UfFwVlpBKDAJgW_HV6YzV3w-zjxO1PoX59AkZaTrWEtvZoWT_AWsDyuxQ/s2047/facial2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="1779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8rJE2eraU_bU_w-LOKWBSewJ7eflVylDTi_AQmWaahqu_c1VrJD4fbn3f67stIITiBN_kGdJPUGL78tvtm-A72KMwT5tlOwEMvyl3HWDZtIG1q5F2paWtyiOTXxJFreO5UfFwVlpBKDAJgW_HV6YzV3w-zjxO1PoX59AkZaTrWEtvZoWT_AWsDyuxQ/s320/facial2.JPG" width="278" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Learning Entelechy<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Did Jesus (on
Earth) have less <b>knowledge</b> than God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have never yet met a person who argues that Jesus understood and spoke
perfect Aramaic on the day he was born—the day when the Logos “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">became </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">flesh and dwelt among us, and </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father</span>”</span> (John 1:14 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
only did Jesus not <b>know</b> Aramaic at birth, neither did he <b>know</b>
and speak every other language and dialect ever spoken in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, there is no evangelical
Christian alive who would suggest that the Father THEN and Jesus NOW do not understand
and communicate in every language and dialect ever spoken in the world, since they
hear and answer the prayers of all. Why did Jesus say, in Mark 13:32 (NKJV): “<span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black;">But of that day and hour</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">[of his Second Coming] <span class="woj">no one <b>knows</b>,
not even the angels in heaven, <b>nor the Son</b>, but only the</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Father</span>”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was, therefore, something that Jesus did NOT <b>know</b> concerning his Coming;
yet, Jesus DID <b>know</b> that “</span>this generation will by no means pass
away till all these things take place” (</span>Mark 13:30 NKJV). Was Jesus’ <b>knowledge</b>
“partial” at this point in his life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hebrew 5:8 (NKJV) states: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">though He was a Son, </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">yet</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> He <b>learned</b> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">obedience by the things which He suffered</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ “suffering” was at the end of his
earthly life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was he still “learning” at
that point?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Needless to say, Jesus apparently
experienced a “learning” entelechy while on Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning is an entelechy of </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkUVa8a3plYOrBsVJ5XtJY93-VbXHcEZpTSZpR6Z-sAJh7HpNZ1k-1rBg650YrOzXLPYNznbFG8jycBCbsXmLZN6MKhe0BamuNWjikywVH9l2Qm_0IDjhyZzc_h7wyPV5x22yIPlRo9bZENc11yDtwjbZfF1b51zl3ln7VuTntQn-XI6exD2x0HQqzQ/s480/jesusAge12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkUVa8a3plYOrBsVJ5XtJY93-VbXHcEZpTSZpR6Z-sAJh7HpNZ1k-1rBg650YrOzXLPYNznbFG8jycBCbsXmLZN6MKhe0BamuNWjikywVH9l2Qm_0IDjhyZzc_h7wyPV5x22yIPlRo9bZENc11yDtwjbZfF1b51zl3ln7VuTntQn-XI6exD2x0HQqzQ/s320/jesusAge12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />the same variety
as <b>filling</b> the grain tank <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">at the top of the combine<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> and <b>filling</b>
time, described in the previous post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Learning involves “<b>filling</b>” something up to completeness—namely,
the mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I observe on page 31 of my
book <i>Implicit Rhetoric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenneth Burke’s
Extension of Aristotle’s Concept of Entelechy</i>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aristotle offers examples of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entelecheia</i>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"When the
buildable [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oikodomêton</i>] . . . is
fully real [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entelecheia</i>], it is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">being built</i> [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oikodomeitai</i>], and this is build<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ing</i>
[<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oikodomêsis</i>]" (201a16-18).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, he offers the terms <b>learning (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mathêsis</i>),</b> doctoring (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iatreusis</i>), rolling (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kulisis</i>), leaping (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">alsis</i>), ripening (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">andrunsis</i>),
and aging (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gêransis</i>) (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cf.</i> also <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metaphysics</i> 1065b20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of
these examples of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entelecheia</i> end in
-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sis</i> as does the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kinêsis</i>, itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kinêsis</i> (which Hardie and Gaye have translated "motion")
is Aristotle's key term for describing something that is in a <b>continuous
process of change</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When
Luke 2:52 states that “Jesus increased in wisdom,” Luke indicates that Jesus
was in a <b>continuous process of changing (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kinêsis</i>)
from less wisdom to more wisdom—filling </b>up his mind with wisdom and
knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke makes the just-mentioned
observation following Jesus’ trip to the temple, as a twelve-year-old, where
Luke 1:46-47 (NKJV) reports: “<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Now
so it was <i>that</i> after three days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them
questions. </span><span id="en-NKJV-25021" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">And all who heard Him were astonished
at His understanding and answers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
point in time, recorded by Luke, is somewhere in the “middle” of the learning
entelechy for Jesus—with the Logos becoming flesh at the</span></span> <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή
and Jesus’ resurrection and/or ascension to Heaven at the <i>telos</i>/τέλος.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once Jesus was resurrected and ascended, he
is presented by John in Revelation as knowing all truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(See my blogpost Apocalyptic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#19:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does
Absolute Truth Exist?)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“Sonship” is Not an Entelechy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 93.75pt 172.5pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In the Jewish mind, one
does not gradually “become” a son; one “is” a son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The son even has a pre-existence in the loins
of his father. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Refer back to my previous
blogposts, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Amoeba/Protozoa
Theology (Gospels 1) and Genealogies and Entelechy (Gospels 4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sonship, on the other hand, is a state of
being (not a “process,” with a beginning, middle, and end).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One NEVER STOPS being a son, for
example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, sonship is not an
entelechy, yet, all “sons” go through entelechial processes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human sons go, of course, through the growth
entelechy, just the same as grains of wheat do, when planted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will recall that growth is an entelechy of
<b>substance (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morphê</i>),</b> and, once
Mary became pregnant, Jesus’</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">earthly body morphed </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">in utero</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">, until he became
an infant at Bethlehem.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Then, just as
Luke reports, “</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">And Jesus increased in wisdom and <b>stature</b>, and in favor
with God and men”<i> </i></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">(Luke
2:52 NKJV). Therefore, the</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqJLGatDhC7QHJ2IZipQLMktdJwLa0oO9s_oTy4zSKREvJx7Yh85IPmUtyhQxfK65R_qc1So6c9St09QM8PoTjkO9x9exORLz9EKzQ9hogtgdGP88JQL-L6d3VWuZxoDXOtZkZPno8MWwe8zLBRK_vEXsiKuSVaQ3oHccK-M70-3FWlcdLeT59bGMpg/s200/babyinwomb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="200" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqJLGatDhC7QHJ2IZipQLMktdJwLa0oO9s_oTy4zSKREvJx7Yh85IPmUtyhQxfK65R_qc1So6c9St09QM8PoTjkO9x9exORLz9EKzQ9hogtgdGP88JQL-L6d3VWuZxoDXOtZkZPno8MWwe8zLBRK_vEXsiKuSVaQ3oHccK-M70-3FWlcdLeT59bGMpg/s1600/babyinwomb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />entelechy of <b>substance
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">morphê</i>) </b>was a first type of entelechy
that Jesus experienced on Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Physical growth is almost entirely devoid of “free will,” except for
such matters as intentionally getting proper nutrition, exercise, and
sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenneth Burke would call growth
an entelechy of “motion,” as opposed to “action.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No thought process is necessary in “motion”;
whereas, “action” requires thought and conscious purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One can “grow” while one is asleep or
unconscious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus begins “growing” from
the point of his conception in Mary’s womb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As an aside, this discussion of the growth entelechy is also an argument
that Aristotle’s entelechy supplies for the pro-life position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I discuss on page 67 (and elsewhere) in my
book <i>Implicit Rhetoric</i>: “Once <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kinêsis</i>
[growth] begins (at conception), I believe that Aristotle would classify the
entity as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entelecheia</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, life begins at conception,
according to Aristotle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember,
however, that Jesus, in the Jewish mind, existed in the (metaphorical) loins of
his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only his earthly,
human, body that experienced growth.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 8.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The Authority Entelechy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0dFPXO3w4wj_pTvC-rCo8n0uF4fxlZLkPovHK8Zl6N7OFCOh_QDcrXZ-1RqSuWSnMdP7OEWU4u1g99El_H1eoDcCgbtw6RT8yYh4HnLU_Nv1My2-6NHtwBSqHBbDHjJZKnfB2O4g3WDn1qkxwIifBVOi9WIB7h4lWLVud13xww_zdh7sqitkYKAspA/s225/lion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="225" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0dFPXO3w4wj_pTvC-rCo8n0uF4fxlZLkPovHK8Zl6N7OFCOh_QDcrXZ-1RqSuWSnMdP7OEWU4u1g99El_H1eoDcCgbtw6RT8yYh4HnLU_Nv1My2-6NHtwBSqHBbDHjJZKnfB2O4g3WDn1qkxwIifBVOi9WIB7h4lWLVud13xww_zdh7sqitkYKAspA/s1600/lion.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />As
discussed in the first section of this post, a second type of entelechy that
Jesus experienced on Earth was the entelechy of “learning”—something that
definitely involves “action.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One “chooses”
to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning is one example of an
entelechy of <b>quantity</b> (completeness or filling), as was the grain tank “filling”
on the combine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another example of an entelechy
of <b>quantity</b> experienced by sons, to which we now turn, is the entelechy
of “<b>authority</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did Jesus
exercise control over his own bodily functions as a baby?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did Jesus exercise <b>authority</b> over Mary
and Joseph from the point of his birth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he exercise <b>authority</b>
over them from the time he was twelve years old?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luke 2:48-51 (NKJV) reports on the situation: <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .7in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.7in 6pt 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look,
Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="text">And He said to them, </span><span class="woj">“Why
did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">about</span><span class="text"> </span><span class="woj">My Father’s
business?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="text">But they
did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then He went down with them and came to
Nazareth, and <b>was subject to them</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="text"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">When Mary stated to Jesus, “your
father and I have sought you,” Jesus discreetly corrected his mother’s explicit
mis-identification of his father as Joseph: “</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Did you not know that I must be</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">about</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My Father’s
business?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus <b>knew</b> who his
Father was by age twelve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless,
Jesus “actively chose” to be <b>subject</b> to his mother and her husband, Joseph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was
still demonstrating submission to his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>John 2:3-7 (NKJV) records the account of the wedding feast at Cana of
Galilee:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span class="text"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[W]hen they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said
to Him, “They have no wine.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
said to her, </span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Woman,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">what does your
concern have to do with Me?</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My hour has not
yet come.”</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></sup></b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He
says to you, do <i>it.</i>”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of
purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. </span><span id="en-NKJV-26103">Jesus said to them, </span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Fill the waterpots with water.</span>”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Though Jesus (remaining totally in
character with his twelve-year-old incident) is still gently resisting his
mother’s implicit commands, he complies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why does an earthly mother appear to be exercising authority over her
thirty-year-old son, who is the Son of God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It probably has something to do with the Fifth Commandment: “Honor your
father and mother” (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Matthew 15:4 and 19:19,
Luke 18:20, and Ephesians 6:1) even if your father and mother are not
completely wise in certain matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus is voluntarily “choosing” to submit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it not, then, make sense that, as a Son,
Jesus would also voluntarily “choose” to submit to his true Father?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, Jesus defers to his Father’s
authority in the matter of who would sit on his right and left hands, in
Matthew 20:23 (ESV): “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine
to grant, </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">but it is for those for whom it has been </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">prepared by my Father.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also, in John 12:49 (ESV) asserts: “For <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">who sent me has himself given me </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">a commandment—what to say and what to speak.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, since Jesus IS God’s <b>Word</b>/Logos-become-flesh,
<u>his “words” ARE God’s Words</u>.<span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Even though Jesus
chose to submit to his mother and to his Father, his own personal “authority,”
by the time he began his ministry, was very much in evidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Jesus had <b>power</b> over the
winds and waves; “even the wind and the sea obey[ed] him” (Matthew 28:27).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had the power to “bring forth bread from
the earth” (feeding of 5000) and he “created the fruit </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAYBq_oXUTjvhArsuhGInBMjPzxU_Uy6lbfmAGK7QbnNasPqsMVd2gwDzhH9jnKzaahSvgYwG00QEC_3R9mhkqvI_tnsgxSybyN1atJ7jF5wr6UFP5rvX1eniWp35pLqeiF4LxBkqvDZJhh5vO0AP5IbZJxwUjAqfbRfzpEnFNQL1vWanhJLbLxcfBQ/s480/JesusCalmsSea.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAYBq_oXUTjvhArsuhGInBMjPzxU_Uy6lbfmAGK7QbnNasPqsMVd2gwDzhH9jnKzaahSvgYwG00QEC_3R9mhkqvI_tnsgxSybyN1atJ7jF5wr6UFP5rvX1eniWp35pLqeiF4LxBkqvDZJhh5vO0AP5IbZJxwUjAqfbRfzpEnFNQL1vWanhJLbLxcfBQ/s320/JesusCalmsSea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />of the vine” (at the
wedding feast in Cana).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two feats
(creating bread and wine) are the basis of the Jewish prayer at meals in the
Mishnah—capabilities that are attributed only to God, whom the Jews bless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had the <b>power</b> to heal the sick,
raise the dead, curse the fig tree, walk on water, etc.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Matthew 7:29 (NKJV, also Mark 1:22
and Luke 4:32) observes: “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He taught them as one having <b>authority</b>, and
not as the scribes.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, in <span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Matthew 9:6, Mark
2:10, and Luke 5:24 (NKJV) asserts: “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">the Son of Man has <b>power</b> [<b>authority</b>]
on earth to forgive sins</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Mark 1:27 (NKJV, also Luke 4:36) bystanders observed, “For with <b>authority</b>
He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, in <span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Matthew 10:1 (NKJV, also Mark 3:15
and 6:7 and Luke 9:1 and 10:19), Jesus gave his twelve apostles “</span></span><b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">power</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> [<b>authority</b>] </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">over</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all
kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John 5:27 (NKJV) reports that God “has given
Him <b>authority</b> to execute judgment.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus even has the <b>authority</b>/<b>power</b>
over his own life, according to John 10:17-18 (NKJV): “<span class="woj">I lay
down My life that I may take it again.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">have <b>power</b> [<b>authority</b>] to lay it down, and I
have power [<b>authority</b>] to take it again.</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">This command I have received from My Father.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These actions are matters of “<b>choice</b>” and
“<b>free will</b>” for Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is not
the passive victim of someone else’s will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is “<b>voluntarily</b>” submitting to death, even though Jesus prayed
in Matthew 26:39 (NKJV): “O My Father, if it is possible,</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless,</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">not as I will, but as You <i>will.</i>”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus had the <b>authority</b> and <b>free
will</b> to forego the crucifixion, but he executed the plan as the Father
designed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It clearly was a
very gut-wrenching choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Certainly, by the end of his
ministry, Jesus was claiming complete authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In John 17:2, towards the end of his life,
Jesus prayed to God: “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">You have given Him [God’s Son] <b>authority</b>
over all flesh.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In Matthew 28:18, Jesus asserts: “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">All <b>authority</b>
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">telos</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">/τέλος<span style="background: white;"> of the </span>entelechy of <b>quantity
(the filling up of Jesus’ authority)</b> had now been reached.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“Sonship” is the Key to Understanding these “Filling” Entelechies<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul’s comment in Galatians 4:1-2
(NKJV) is very helpful in understanding these entelechies: “<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Now I say <i>that</i> the heir, as long as
he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all,</span></span><span style="background: white;"> but is under guardians and stewards until the time
appointed by the father.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
the Logos “became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory . . . as of
the only-begotten of the Father,” he voluntarily entered into some earthly
entelechies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among those entelechies
were the </span>“growth” entelechy, what Aristotle called a change of “<b>substance</b>”
or “form,” as he “grew” in stature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
second kind of entelechy, what Aristotle called a change of “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quantity</b>, complete and incomplete,” was
the “filling” </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWCAoElBfpVASxUz3SbwLLwQ6HQsMVJIYV5a72G_hQpJqDmjOTrTjcXiVH3uyOHls1FDdoBVHgI8iQT2k9wh8050IgZPgXrGXDwyZmO3zjeehmG6YseRxC1WRA3-obUOnwXVZnb2vjCWchwXOzcPwuh8d9GFk7GDFFV10E1FGaQek83quvgn7IdHJrA/s1000/hands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWCAoElBfpVASxUz3SbwLLwQ6HQsMVJIYV5a72G_hQpJqDmjOTrTjcXiVH3uyOHls1FDdoBVHgI8iQT2k9wh8050IgZPgXrGXDwyZmO3zjeehmG6YseRxC1WRA3-obUOnwXVZnb2vjCWchwXOzcPwuh8d9GFk7GDFFV10E1FGaQek83quvgn7IdHJrA/s320/hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ mind “filled”
with knowledge, as he “grew” in wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, his power/authority was also increasing until, ultimately, he
claimed that “all authority” had been given to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Paul observes, when Jesus was “a child,
[he did] not differ at all from a slave, though he [was] master of all, but
[was] under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the Father.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Indeed, Jesus saw his role
on earth as that of a servant. </span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Entelechially speaking, the “essence” of his Sonship
–being master of all (based on his preexistence “in” the Father)—was “spread
out” over time. Kenneth Burke refers to
such a factor in entelechy as the “temporizing [the process of spreading out
over time] of essence” (See <i>Philosophy of Literary Form</i>, 19). </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the growth (in stature) entelechy and the filling entelechy (learning wisdom and gaining authority) occur gradually over
time, entelechially, one sees them as a time-condensed snapshot of sorts, all
existing “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Refer
back to the first post in this series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hence, entelechially-speaking <span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(since
the end/</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">telos</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">/τέλος
</span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">is implicit in the beginning/</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">ἐν ἀρχῇ</span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">)</span>, Jesus has <i>always</i> possessed
(entelechially) all wisdom, knowledge, and power/authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “earthly” concept of entelechy helps us
to understand the “heavenly” concepts of theology, just as Jesus was teaching
Nicodemus <span style="background: white; color: #001320;">(John 3:12).</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-22407757196531501452022-08-29T14:17:00.000-07:002022-08-29T14:17:06.668-07:00Genealogies and Entelechy (Gospels 4)<p> </p><p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of
David, the Son of Abraham.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Matthew 1:1 NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Now Jesus . . . being (as was supposed) the son of
Joseph, the son of Heli . . . the son of Adam, the
son of God.</span></i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Luke 3:23-38 NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="background: white; color: black;">And the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(John 1:14 NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Preachers joke that
the genealogies are the part of the gospels that people like to skip over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audience </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWpVjwyfqJlbGAbKcti4nA5XI_wUsK5PPoGIdolafBGQ4xSWFzNdJ3wgyuDKjHotDd_NcBgN1ZGsZON94HhFagjq0ngpb15_0mT1uMJxH0UHCnBM4Cn09oILmKbpttf1VWzGirFU8oKFOLXAHn-V6u1K5saJslg3loQeLL753f2jfpYPfHDDAcNzGKw/s1920/family-tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1509" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWpVjwyfqJlbGAbKcti4nA5XI_wUsK5PPoGIdolafBGQ4xSWFzNdJ3wgyuDKjHotDd_NcBgN1ZGsZON94HhFagjq0ngpb15_0mT1uMJxH0UHCnBM4Cn09oILmKbpttf1VWzGirFU8oKFOLXAHn-V6u1K5saJslg3loQeLL753f2jfpYPfHDDAcNzGKw/s320/family-tree.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br />usually laughs, knowingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, there is much gold to be mined
concerning entelechy in the genealogies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We’ll look at the four gospels, individually, as we mine.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mark<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHTeLUaJ6dTptDltxQHaeSItEgOpYoyyNwq3zHFrNYl7q-JF4ZdG2KOl-sko9gCzPiv_UbSrFYifb5Es4uumAxf5H0jNJH0dwJBjKGOl1330PNscYVrxcjOZygz-cQisl3Gaa0-Z-D_m858biG1jVeRE32ocgBubf-XxEGJjb3pDAAathcC_Q4594aQ/s500/GreekNT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHTeLUaJ6dTptDltxQHaeSItEgOpYoyyNwq3zHFrNYl7q-JF4ZdG2KOl-sko9gCzPiv_UbSrFYifb5Es4uumAxf5H0jNJH0dwJBjKGOl1330PNscYVrxcjOZygz-cQisl3Gaa0-Z-D_m858biG1jVeRE32ocgBubf-XxEGJjb3pDAAathcC_Q4594aQ/s320/GreekNT.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />Textual critics
have debated whether the words “Son of God” were in the original text of Mark
1:1 (“the gospel of Jesus Christ [son of God].”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The United Bible Societies’ Greek text produced by Aland, Black,
Metzger, and Wikgren (1966) includes the words [but, in brackets]; the United
Bible Societies’ Greek text produced by Nestle and Aland (1969) excludes them,
but both show that the language existed in many ancient copies of the text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on their conclusion that the words “Son
of God” are textual additions, some skeptical scholars suggest that Mark did
not view Jesus as being God’s Son—only as the messiah/Christ. (Mark does not
include in his gospel an elaborate genealogy.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we pointed out, however, in the blogpost before the last, Mark is not
even disposed in his narrative to identify Jesus as the “Christ/Messiah” until
after Peter’s confession in 8:29.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
must be noted, however, that, very early in his gospel, Mark has God speaking
in a mysterious voice (what Jews call a “bat qol”) on two occasions—once, in
1:11 (paralleled by Matthew 3:17 and Luke 3:22), at Jesus’ baptism and again,
in 9:7 (paralleled by Matthew’s account in 17:5 and Peter’s testimony in 2
Peter 1:17), on the Mount of Transfiguration—making the assertion: “<b><span style="background: white; color: black;">You are (this is) My beloved Son</span></b><span style="background: white; color: black;">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
these two accounts, an implicit genealogy might exist in God’s assertion:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that Jesus traced his genealogy directly to
God Himself (“My Son”), unless when Luke 9:35 adds “<b>whom I have chosen</b>” indicates,
somehow, that Jesus is only “chosen” to be God’s Son, not genealogically “begotten”
as God’s Son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some translators,
attempting to explain these words, use the terminology “<b>my chosen one</b>,” instead
of “whom I have chosen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hebrews 5:5 complicates
the idea of what is meant by “begotten-ness” by citing Psalm 2:7, from which
these sayings may derive, more fully, saying “<b>You are My Son; today I have
begotten you</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note the word “today.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was Mark suggesting that Jesus was the Son of
God in the sense of having been designated as such just “today” (as opposed to
eternally)?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cctntCC_bNO7x7lW1B7w0Z5pm4GfTMEwdmphukzYgOgMpK5p7xJMVLYGmLrTSEnj8TgsxtB3WLSUtSZ0j0PVGCOYy7NiXUwtyAkmaOFysM3KRLzjHMaB5LyvWK-8AqnjFWvZH3e49kIHXUh9vYDRrowA5pwUFm0-SsfPZciBmGKDE9kXet6oI2dycA/s300/baptismJesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="300" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cctntCC_bNO7x7lW1B7w0Z5pm4GfTMEwdmphukzYgOgMpK5p7xJMVLYGmLrTSEnj8TgsxtB3WLSUtSZ0j0PVGCOYy7NiXUwtyAkmaOFysM3KRLzjHMaB5LyvWK-8AqnjFWvZH3e49kIHXUh9vYDRrowA5pwUFm0-SsfPZciBmGKDE9kXet6oI2dycA/s1600/baptismJesus.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="greekheb"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Interestingly, “<b>unclean spirits</b>” (3:11, 5:7) address Jesus
as the “son of God,” but we might be inclined to be suspicious as to whether Mark
accepted the word of “unclean spirits.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus’ <b>neighbors in Galilee</b> identify him as the “son of Mary” (6:3)
and the blind man <b>Bartimaeus</b> called him “son of David” (10:47-48),
indicating an earthly genealogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus
seems to self-identify simply as “<b>the Son</b>” but he identifies in this way
in the context of the “Father” and the “angels” (13:32).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though Jesus almost always identifies
himself as the “<b>Son of man</b>,” his association of the terms Son, Father,
and angels is repeated as Jesus says that the Son of man will come “in the
glory of his Father with the holy angels” (8:38). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Mark 14:61, Jesus is at his trial. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The High Priest asks him point blank: “<b>Are
you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?</b>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus replies explicitly: “<b>I am</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would seem to settle the matter, for
Mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the final mention of “son of
God” in Mark’s gospel (15:39), the centurion at the cross remarks, “<b>Truly,
this man was the son of God</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seems clear that Mark understood Jesus to be the Son of God, whether by human
genealogy or by divine genealogy, leaving further discussion of both of these
genealogical possibilities to the other evangelists (i.e., gospel writers).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="greekheb"><b><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="greekheb"><b><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matthew<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="greekheb"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Matthew begins his gospel with an elaborate genealogy, but he
sets the limits of his genealogy to tracing Jesus’ lineage only back to David,
and thence, to Abraham, whereas Luke traces through those important figures plus
on back to Adam, and thence, to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew is not attempting to make the same argument with his genealogy
that Luke makes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew’s purposes in
using a genealogy were (1) to demonstrate Jesus’ thorough-bred nature as a Jew
by tracing him all the way back to the father of the Hebrews, Abraham, and (2)
to demonstrate his genealogical bona fides, his messianic credentials, as the
offspring of David. In the previous blogpost, I had identified “</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Aristotle’s
doctrine of entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια . . . [as] describe[ing] any process that has
a <i>beginning</i>, a middle, and an <i>end </i><u>implicit</u> throughout the
process.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave the example of the seed
in a “growth” entelechy and compared it with the “creation” entelechy, that had
a beginning, a middle, and will have an end, as the old heaven and earth are
destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we are looking at a second
kind of entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first (“growth”)
entelechy is what Aristotle called a change of “<b>substance</b>” or “form.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This second kind of entelechy is what
Aristotle called a change of “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">quantity</b>,
complete and incomplete.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxY3DbVNaPXUP-eQ4-xzdqWf2zcDyipDZ8oN8tofev4AiEbSg5NLZ5XxeX3_PBXzOfnU1lLsxwxdN8IA7ajdbHG2XSIxy_RhuiPRhAgpQDaErtpXmJnc48KBdCgx24igdVByhfKJ9kPFQu7M9cZgQg8H32B8CWnv39FjQkcMooYXl-Nsc5h6MzwAVb7Q/s1800/combine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxY3DbVNaPXUP-eQ4-xzdqWf2zcDyipDZ8oN8tofev4AiEbSg5NLZ5XxeX3_PBXzOfnU1lLsxwxdN8IA7ajdbHG2XSIxy_RhuiPRhAgpQDaErtpXmJnc48KBdCgx24igdVByhfKJ9kPFQu7M9cZgQg8H32B8CWnv39FjQkcMooYXl-Nsc5h6MzwAVb7Q/s320/combine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">To explain what a
complete “quantity” entelechy would be, we might return to that seed entelechy
and advance to the entelechy of the harvest stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a kid who grew up on a farm, I can testify
that the harvest process contained many “quantity” entelechies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad would operate his combine in the
fields, with the grain that was being picked and processed flowing into a grain
tank at the top of the combine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
that grain tank was full, one could say that an entelechy had been
completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the “beginning,” the grain
tank was empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the “middle,” the
grain tank was filling (in quantity).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once the grain tank could hold no further quantity, one could say that
the quantity was complete—the entelechy had ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, two other quantity entelechies
were about to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the grain tank
was full, it had to be emptied using an auger in a side pipe called an
unloader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The side pipe was positioned
over the bed of a truck or trailer that would be able to hold several grain
tanks full of grain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The grain was augered
out until the grain tank was empty, thus preparing the grain tank for a new
entelechy of harvesting and filling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile,
the “quantity” entelechy of filling the truck or trailer for transportation to
the grain elevator had just begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Load
after load of grain from the grain tank on the combine were deposited into the
truck or trailer, until it was full; the truck/trailer-filling entelechy was now
complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the truck was driven to
the grain elevator where a third “quantity” entelechy would be in-process as
the various trucks from multiple farmers waited in line to pull up to unload their
cargos into the grain elevator—until the grain elevator was full and had
completed its own filling entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then the grain was loaded onto a barge or into train cars, etc. as new
quantity entelechies were generated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdljPSunZ9_loKgkrigN7OTQEG3m-egrAs1HPc_DXnw2bpIxlbQXIzneFk314SNswAzoATAfqRGv1P7Y5AdiOlfdlG8f5_u5PKwUJuylG3hPhaAjKA1rTOBYwyCJi8TSlB13XKvbYDK5_XYyCHbDdjEEkIf_-222oxsPsgvepodQohyIEG0bpUK3KLw/s900/punchClock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdljPSunZ9_loKgkrigN7OTQEG3m-egrAs1HPc_DXnw2bpIxlbQXIzneFk314SNswAzoATAfqRGv1P7Y5AdiOlfdlG8f5_u5PKwUJuylG3hPhaAjKA1rTOBYwyCJi8TSlB13XKvbYDK5_XYyCHbDdjEEkIf_-222oxsPsgvepodQohyIEG0bpUK3KLw/s320/punchClock.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />So, back to
Matthew, but using some texts from Paul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Time” (like grain) is also a quantity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every employee who has punched in a time clock at 8 a.m. and punched out
at 5 p.m. knows that an entelechy (even if s/he has not called it by that term)
has just been completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The time for
working has been completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Paul, in
Galatians 4:4-5 <span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">(NKJV) </span></span>says: “<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">But when the
<b>fullness of the time</b> had come, God sent forth His Son, born of
a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption as sons.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Ephesians 1:10 (NKJV), he says that in “</span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">the <b>fullness
of the times</b> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">He might gather together in one </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">all things in Christ, </span>both which are in heaven
and which are on earth—in Him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Similarly, Matthew 1:17 <span class="text">(NKJV) </span>seems to think in
terms of a fullness of time entelechy as he concludes his genealogy: “So all
the generations from Abraham to David <i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">are</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> fourteen generations, from David until the
captivity in Babylon </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">are</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> fourteen generations, and from the captivity
in Babylon until the Christ </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">are</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> fourteen generations</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus was born in the fullness of time.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Besides completing requisite “time,”
Matthew argues that the appropriate list of individuals (especially Abraham and
David) have also been completed in Jesus’ lineage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, then, Matthew faces a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He soon indicates that Mary became pregnant while
she was betrothed to Joseph, but before they “came together.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, genetically, Joseph could not have been
in Jesus’ lineage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a problem because,
as pointed out three posts ago, Jews understood that humans preexisted “in the
loins of their human fathers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But,
Jesus DIDN’T HAVE a human father, did he?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew may have reasoned that, having been “betrothed” to Joseph, the
biblical principle from Genesis, repeated by Matthew in 19:5-6 NKJV—"'<span class="woj">a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">the two shall become one flesh’?</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.</span>”—applies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Matthew traces the lineage of Jesus
through Mary’s other half of “one flesh,” Joseph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, Matthew 1:16 (after having included the
parentage of David and Abraham) completes the genealogy with these words
(NKJV): “</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">And
Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is
called Christ.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew uses the term “begat”
for every transitional person in the genealogy, except the Joseph/Mary to Jesus
transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, he simply states that
Jesus “was born” of Mary.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcQDcwyPaIFK1tLBqut0Zn7hcoxNt99opOzPLk4VebXq3TxeCrnCgFuPLQ51NRKm71OpUvSnjet_beOy0W9c8Z52AQd5swLtr5dnR8rzQkQ1BcOKYZ1BLv8xHUEaVvMdDRpUeQ5s8vs2IU4MIQn-sOE3U9oE0gbKMpD1xNo87aLCxHJPvwfT_s7DmOg/s300/CreatureChristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="300" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcQDcwyPaIFK1tLBqut0Zn7hcoxNt99opOzPLk4VebXq3TxeCrnCgFuPLQ51NRKm71OpUvSnjet_beOy0W9c8Z52AQd5swLtr5dnR8rzQkQ1BcOKYZ1BLv8xHUEaVvMdDRpUeQ5s8vs2IU4MIQn-sOE3U9oE0gbKMpD1xNo87aLCxHJPvwfT_s7DmOg/s1600/CreatureChristmas.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Luke</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As opposed to Matthew’s genealogy, Luke avoids
the “begat” terminology altogether, starting from the end product (Jesus) and (seeming
to use “[the son] of” terminology) works backward in 3:38 to “[<i><span style="background: white;">the son<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">]</span></span></i><span style="background: white;"> of
Enosh, </span>[<i>the son<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">]</span></i> of Seth, </span>[<i>the son<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">]</span></i> of Adam, [<i>the son<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">]</span></i> of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Actually, the words “the son” are implied at each transition, not
explicitly stated, except in 3:23, where Luke states that Jesus being “the son
AS WAS THOUGHT [of] Joseph,” (implied:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was
actually) “of Matthat, [the son] of Levi, [the son] of
Melchi,” etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white;">Luke may have reasoned that, since Jesus was not actually the son
of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joseph “AS WAS THOUGHT,” would have been
considered to be of the seed of Mary’s father, Matthat.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yQSBu7mkW3TsGYimByt6FpnD-hWWD3UdpdDCbHZYUmJ64dwfdIwIjHN-Mlt8OjGmxh7PiCchytiBQ5ecQwlUqkvRwy9BAmX9cFMvfUnqy-SlOFxEh0wTali6ODxfRukOvXi977PfSFC8K9kkag3I0l9fDeS-TnWIatTsNEXTghvoVKHnWLVUgcpgBA/s800/MichelangeloGodAdam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="800" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yQSBu7mkW3TsGYimByt6FpnD-hWWD3UdpdDCbHZYUmJ64dwfdIwIjHN-Mlt8OjGmxh7PiCchytiBQ5ecQwlUqkvRwy9BAmX9cFMvfUnqy-SlOFxEh0wTali6ODxfRukOvXi977PfSFC8K9kkag3I0l9fDeS-TnWIatTsNEXTghvoVKHnWLVUgcpgBA/s320/MichelangeloGodAdam.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Of course, Luke (and Matthew
and Mark) knows all along that Jesus is actually the son of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is no accident that Luke places his
genealogy immediately following the mysterious voice (bat qol) at Jesus’
baptism, at which time God says, “You are My beloved son.” (3:22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By continuing the earthly genealogy all the
way back to “Adam, [the son] of God,” Luke displays his purpose as indicating
not simply (as Matthew did) that Jesus is the son of David and Abraham, but
also that Jesus was related to gentiles (before the Hebrew people began) and,
especially that Jesus’ ultimate father was God Himself.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">John</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">This brings us to the Gospel According
to John, who understands that we can dispense with human genealogies,
altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue that none of the
evangelists disputes is “who Jesus’ father is.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The answer is resounding: “God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, John introduces us to the creation entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does not go back to a time before
creation, because it is unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“En</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ) refers to the
time when the “grain tank” was empty, using the harvest entelechy as a metaphor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process of creation had not yet begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nevertheless, in the emptiness of the grain
tank, certain things were implicit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was implicit that the “purpose” or “end” or <i>telos</i>/τέλος of what was
about to begin was to “fill it up with grain.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was implicit that an agent would be needed (my father) to operate the
combine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that an agency
(the combine) would be used to accomplish the “purpose” or “end” or <i>telos</i>/τέλος.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that a scene in which
ripe grain had grown in the field would be needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that the process of
harvesting the grain would require a certain amount of time to complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that various harvesting
processes were incorporated into the overall activity of the combine, such as
cutting grain stalks, feeding them through the combine, threshing, separating,
chopping the straw, cleaning the fan, and auguring the grain. Not all of these
processes would occur simultaneously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some would occur in the “middle” of the process.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPojt5IWbsBcf58UvdciDsKB3b_GfmYHW5iHeuStrFMMs_SDkzf6iVnYS8eLyzizToONKoQS-Wt2k6KC23cTCCoQSeMCJu70JLyFf2UJIiFfdwgCQ3c4mtVcKG8-_EYr4BMa9OWQJZANew4T7cl4f3AtlqQebYC6KhijVZPt-1oQAdER5GxFIQRK-a1w/s615/InTheBeginning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="615" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPojt5IWbsBcf58UvdciDsKB3b_GfmYHW5iHeuStrFMMs_SDkzf6iVnYS8eLyzizToONKoQS-Wt2k6KC23cTCCoQSeMCJu70JLyFf2UJIiFfdwgCQ3c4mtVcKG8-_EYr4BMa9OWQJZANew4T7cl4f3AtlqQebYC6KhijVZPt-1oQAdER5GxFIQRK-a1w/s320/InTheBeginning.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Likewise, in the archē of the creation
entelechy, certain things were implicit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was implicit that the “purpose” or “end” or <i>telos</i>/τέλος of
what was about to begin was, as Paul said, <span class="text"><span style="background: white;">that in “</span></span><span style="background: white;">the
<b>fullness of the times</b> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">He might gather together in one </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">all things in Christ, </span>both which are in heaven
and which are on earth—in Him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was implicit that an agent would be needed (God) to begin and
complete the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit
that the means (the spoken word, or Logos, or Spirit of God) by which God
accomplished His purpose existed with God and was God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that that Logos would “become
flesh and dwell among us”—that we would know him as Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that in him was
life (as opposed to the machinery made by humans) and that that life was the
light of man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that man
would sin and fall (Adam) and need a savior (Jesus).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was implicit that death was necessary to
pay for sins and that Jesus would voluntarily take on that task, due to the
implicit love of God and the Logos.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Jesus’ human body can be traced to Mary, and by
extension, through Mary’s husband, Joseph and through Mary’s father,
Matthat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ true genealogy, however,
ultimately must be traced to God, as the son always pre-exists in the loins of
his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why, then, do we find that
the Bible sometimes limits Jesus’ status, or knowledge, or will, or authority?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That will be the subject of the next
blogpost.</span><o:p></o:p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-13807639810575412992022-08-16T11:03:00.004-07:002022-08-16T13:15:20.539-07:00The Logos and Entelechy (Gospels 3)<p> </p><p align="center" class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In
the beginning [of] God created the heavens and the earth . . .</span></i></span><i><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> And the Spirit of God was
hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said . . .</span><o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">(Genesis 1:1-3 NKJV, with the addition “</span><span class="text"><i>[of]”</i></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQk1uoGRER-7QhKmBfRa0PDaKTUhEiznxDepuGvsI-uHZCUxhUB3Ng4AU_063HOyVbtspmrnl2y-EsB6bxNqdE214SCBYjkCdjoQlSg9xYHSibwSkzVzb2h0qB2iIfGo3G53y9ojk4RNncpi8GrwekKP30mCsTjzdaBjQWQRxgm0AYWKkBFE8FjZj3A/s638/PlatoAndAristotle2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="638" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQk1uoGRER-7QhKmBfRa0PDaKTUhEiznxDepuGvsI-uHZCUxhUB3Ng4AU_063HOyVbtspmrnl2y-EsB6bxNqdE214SCBYjkCdjoQlSg9xYHSibwSkzVzb2h0qB2iIfGo3G53y9ojk4RNncpi8GrwekKP30mCsTjzdaBjQWQRxgm0AYWKkBFE8FjZj3A/s320/PlatoAndAristotle2.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br />Why isn’t the
Logos mentioned in Genesis 1?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Logos is a Greek word and Genesis
was written in Hebrew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there any
suggestions of the Greek Logos in any Hebrew words in Genesis?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian writers have long pursued the
connections between John’s Gospel and Plato, Aristotle’s teacher; however, they
have not been as interested in pursuing the connections between John and Aristotle
(Plato’s student). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plato and Philo<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIJPZaUnySe_4nSr6fJhw8uyWfUHAoXuNvjvQUR4JOIh9rRLUWlNBfkVrQkxyhMKQ-XlBtQM519DAqHWxCUVkkaD3-Zaqsn5HL_-GpCbqzACmuz0CPhbn633mk8XuTke1Lqk7VDjPymnH4z49Ydd4dGskXmBuu2W4RZ8lnhnxRgmm92mV_2j_-2B-ig/s1024/philoJudaeus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIJPZaUnySe_4nSr6fJhw8uyWfUHAoXuNvjvQUR4JOIh9rRLUWlNBfkVrQkxyhMKQ-XlBtQM519DAqHWxCUVkkaD3-Zaqsn5HL_-GpCbqzACmuz0CPhbn633mk8XuTke1Lqk7VDjPymnH4z49Ydd4dGskXmBuu2W4RZ8lnhnxRgmm92mV_2j_-2B-ig/s320/philoJudaeus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Brittanica.com
explains how Philo Judaeus, who was a contemporary of Jesus and lived in
Alexandria, Egypt, may have provided some of the backdrop for the first chapter
of John:<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="topic-paragraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Philo <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconciled">reconciled</a> his
Jewish <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/theology">theology</a> with
Plato’s theory of Ideas: . . . he posited the <b>Ideas as God’s eternal
thoughts</b>, which God then <b>created</b> as real beings before he created
the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philo saw the <b>cosmos as a
great chain of being presided over by the </b><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/logos"><b>Logos</b></a> . . . the
mediator between God and the world, though . . . he identifies the Logos as a <b>second
God</b>. Philo departed from Plato . . . using the term Logos for the <b>Idea
of Ideas</b> . . . In anticipation of Christian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/doctrine">doctrine</a> he
called the <b>Logos the first-begotten Son of God</b> . . . the <b>image of God</b>,
and <b>second to God</b>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="topic-paragraph" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDqy6RySruv1b0cxPv84B2q8sHv4XlQZmdTPFBCc7tjS4esKlaWmk6jdFT9iMi8iF6R5vwknTmjqKrFi2r9w7WbzQ-4CU04fQJYtQYaK8I2BZ0RfHzYfhkn4aLJp5VzQoW8T7R-vytSa5r1pOhAICVq-BHvcxzuZPEcZ6EeRoGjltilVNee3_bhrWDQ/s500/AngelsCover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDqy6RySruv1b0cxPv84B2q8sHv4XlQZmdTPFBCc7tjS4esKlaWmk6jdFT9iMi8iF6R5vwknTmjqKrFi2r9w7WbzQ-4CU04fQJYtQYaK8I2BZ0RfHzYfhkn4aLJp5VzQoW8T7R-vytSa5r1pOhAICVq-BHvcxzuZPEcZ6EeRoGjltilVNee3_bhrWDQ/s320/AngelsCover.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />In <i>some</i>
respects (<u>though, certainly, not exactly</u>), Philo’s notion of God’s <b>thoughts</b>
being, in essence, created and personified (“as real beings”) parallels my
observations in my book <i>Angels and Demons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Personification of Communication (Logology)</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I credit the existence of <b>angels</b> to
God’s words being personified, in a fashion I deduced from the considerable
discussion of the subject in both rabbinic and New Testament texts, but I would
never suggest that God somehow “created” his own Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In contrast to Philo Judeus, the first
chapter of John does NOT identify the Logos as an Idea of Ideas, something which
God <b>created</b>, or as the mediator between God and the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John does NOT see the cosmos as a great chain
of being presided over by the Logos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Genesis Parallel<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Rather, John sees his
Logos as coexistent with (even identical to?) God “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek phrase ἐν ἀρχῇ is virtually always
translated “in the beginning,” which (since it sounds like the first word/s of
Genesis) conjures up the creation story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One can easily envision God’s spoken word (=Logos=the fiats of creation,
such as “let there be light”) as existing simultaneously with God “in the
beginning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was John, then, personifying
the spoken word (=the Spirit) of God and naming it Logos?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not exactly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On page 150 of my book <i>Angels and Demons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Personification of Communication</i>, I
write:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jewish scholar G. F. Moore links . . . three terms . .
. together quite easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his chapter
entitled, "The Word of God:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Spirit," Moore states, "God's will is made known or effectuated in
the world not only through personal agents (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ANGELS</i>),
but directly by his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WORD</i> or by his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SPIRIT</i>" (emphases mine).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since John himself (quoting Jesus) emphasizes that God
IS spirit (John 4:24) and the facts that the “Spirit of God” is hovering over
the face of the waters and God is speaking “words” are all found in Genesis
1:1-3, the possibility of the Logos being identified as the Spirit of God is a
very definite possibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Identifying
the Logos-become-flesh as Jesus may be a later development in the entelechy,
though Jesus is explicit as the beginning (ἀρχῇ) of creation in Revelation 3:14,
the verse to which we will return momentarily.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aristotle’s
Entelechy<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOOwNV8hmd3Y2-04D0xoSUG_tMAlGl8WNhlLK1zuLOUmKJJwpf6FFxAtN8QaVCctNoPdvz4DCzIPHvwDE3lKEq4LF2UkYK8wutmPRkmd97CyJdC-nOBVnL6xV9m8iEoByjDSMXbn-tswNad_OMboNiYP0COCKDtBq0atIVXkJRENowCVJ2SzyOrC0Wg/s218/ImplicitRhetoric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="134" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOOwNV8hmd3Y2-04D0xoSUG_tMAlGl8WNhlLK1zuLOUmKJJwpf6FFxAtN8QaVCctNoPdvz4DCzIPHvwDE3lKEq4LF2UkYK8wutmPRkmd97CyJdC-nOBVnL6xV9m8iEoByjDSMXbn-tswNad_OMboNiYP0COCKDtBq0atIVXkJRENowCVJ2SzyOrC0Wg/s1600/ImplicitRhetoric.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>According to John,
Logos existed simultaneously with God in the ἀρχῇ of creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The terminology --ἐν ἀρχῇ strikes me as more
of an Aristotelian-than-Platonic concept, found in Aristotle’s doctrine of entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια—a
word coined by Aristotle to describe any process that has a <i>beginning</i>, a
middle, and an <i>end </i><u>implicit</u> throughout the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incidentally, “implicit” is the first word of
the title of my book <i>Implicit Rhetoric: Kenneth Burke’s Extension of
Aristotle’s Concept of Entelechy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
the word ἐν forms the first two letters of the word ἐντέλεχεια, the <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">τέλος </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">root
(meaning end or purpose or goal) comes after the ἐν, rather than the ἀρχη root
(meaning beginning or that which causes a process to begin).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aristotle’s entelechy is interested, however,
in both beginnings and ends and how they are interrelated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One might even over-simplify the matter by
saying that “the end is implicit in the beginning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenneth Burke’s handiest example, then, of
Aristotle’s entelechy is the “seed,” which even though it has not yet begun to
grow holds implicitly within itself the entire history of what the plant will
be throughout its lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another way
to put it is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">τέλος is implicit in the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">ἀρχη.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The “explicit” is that which one has specifically heard or seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “implicit” has not yet been heard or seen,
but is clearly understood to exist whenever one hears or sees another
thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, when we “explicitly”
see a stalk of wheat, “implicitly” we know that a grain of wheat was involved
somewhere in a growth process, and conversely, whenever a grain of wheat is “explicitly”
seen planted, we know that the root and stalk and leaves and future grains are
all “implicit” in the process of the growth of that seed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, Aristotle even thinks of the agent/person/individual who begins the process of change as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">archê</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">archê</i> (or builder) is
separate from the art (or house) that he builds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, implicit in the builder (agent/person/individual)
is his “purpose” or end or goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
contains (in his mind) the blueprint and picture of the final design and
purpose of the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">archê </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">can be the cause that begins a process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">archê </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">can </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">be</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> the </span>agent/person/individual—while
also <i>containing</i> the agent/person/individual who also contains the
purpose or end (</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">telos</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">/τέλος</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">) of the process.<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4LSIl6tqlMN91EZd1LSrzHNEcOKffpg01FOhRb6aTso53-04s9SwoNR4twsJOw4xrBoAIw3dNyRJfJtn_hdKvvo4e4jHkB8eD5KhNceHpyc8l6EXRGdK6WWaos0vl6QyXiHI6xSfNurYBz5IAq68yBlxfyys7ERTp1bPjyJG2qR6fEDJEUFspyFizA/s218/Revelation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="143" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4LSIl6tqlMN91EZd1LSrzHNEcOKffpg01FOhRb6aTso53-04s9SwoNR4twsJOw4xrBoAIw3dNyRJfJtn_hdKvvo4e4jHkB8eD5KhNceHpyc8l6EXRGdK6WWaos0vl6QyXiHI6xSfNurYBz5IAq68yBlxfyys7ERTp1bPjyJG2qR6fEDJEUFspyFizA/s1600/Revelation.jpg" width="143" /></a></div><br />The Book of Revelation employs the same important terminology that
is fundamental to Aristotle's concept of entelechy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I note, especially, the language of <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή
and <i>telos</i>/τέλος, usually translated “the beginning <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή and
the end <i>telos</i>/τέλος with which Revelation refers to God and Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation uses the term <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή in
3:14, referring to Jesus as the <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή of God’s creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation uses both terms <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή and
<i>telos</i>/τέλος (along with the First and the Last) in 21:6, as a title for
God and (along with the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last) in 22:13, as a
title for Jesus. Surely, Revelation is not suggesting that God had a “beginning,”
so John must be referring to the process which has the beginning or <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή,
namely, “God’s creation” (3:14). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
author of Revelation, God and Jesus WERE the beginning or <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή of the
process of creation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beginning or <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή
also, in a sense, CONTAINED them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
enlightening to examine such entelechial terminology to see how it helps to
explain the Apocalypse as well as John’s Gospel (and other New Testament books).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aristotle coined this extremely significant
term: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>entelecheia</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">/ἐντέλεχεια</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that Aristotle
coined the word, because it does not exist in Plato’s writings or any time earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <i>Implicit Rhetoric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenneth Burke’s Extension of Aristotle’s
Concept of Entelechy</i> (pp. 40-41), based on a study of Aristotle’s use of
the term, I define Aristotle’s term entelechy/<i>entelecheia</i> as:<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">[T]he
started-but-not-completed (<i>atelēs</i>) process of changing (primarily in a <i>kinēsis</i>
sense) a substance, object, or being (in one of Aristotle's senses of changing)
from what it was into what it by nature (<i>phusis</i>) should become (i.e.,
its <i>telos</i> or purpose)--which process is characterized by the condition
that the substance, object, or being possesses (in one of the four senses of <i>echein</i>)
within itself (<i>en</i>-) implicitly the fully-developed goal or end (<i>telos</i>)
toward which the change (<i>kinēsis</i>) is progressing explicitly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Granted, I have just given you a lot of information to unpack, so
let me take it bit by bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will return
to this definition frequently, as I continue to explain entelechy/<i>entelecheia</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">/ἐντέλεχεια and
how Aristotle’s concept helps to understand the Gospel According to John, which
I perceive as the <i>Gospel According to Entelechy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, for the time being, let’s just
consider the seed example and see how this “earthly thing” helps us to
understand what John calls “heavenly things.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoixj8hUFmADM9fLTPL3CoEaZqJ0iW-g_VuYKFCetBvgBI6ereJE4qrmgvTV1mnTlPwvOmMdlEgeoas8tLiamYXkoyrqZXu81Sm9eCGNNwCdkO-mTS66s0vgrkylEIuEHVAUVcpA4Tw4_AJchz_hNhtQIdPTHBJwy0EXTYJJHnSolm2CDJzrfgoKcPeA/s618/Wheat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="618" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoixj8hUFmADM9fLTPL3CoEaZqJ0iW-g_VuYKFCetBvgBI6ereJE4qrmgvTV1mnTlPwvOmMdlEgeoas8tLiamYXkoyrqZXu81Sm9eCGNNwCdkO-mTS66s0vgrkylEIuEHVAUVcpA4Tw4_AJchz_hNhtQIdPTHBJwy0EXTYJJHnSolm2CDJzrfgoKcPeA/s320/Wheat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A seed, once it begins to grow has “started-but-not-completed
[the] process of changing” from a seed into roots, stalks, leaves, and future
grains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the process is “completed” (i.e.,
once the plant has grown to complete maturity, or <i>telos</i>/τέλος), the
entelechy is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is no longer an
entelechy, but each seed that has been produced in the previous entelechy is
now capable of starting a brand new entelechy (growing roots, stalks, leaves,
and more future grains).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Nevertheless, all roots, stalks, leaves, and
future grains are already “implicit” in the original seed that was originally planted,
even though each stage or part will not become an “explicit” stage or part
until sometime later.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The “one of Aristotle's [four] senses of
changing” that is involved in the seed entelechy is the sense of “growth” (or,
as Aristotle describes it, a “positive” change of “substance” or “form”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aristotle’s word for form, here, is </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">morphê,</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> from which we
get our word “meta</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">morph</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">osis” as when a caterpillar </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">morph</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">s into a butterfly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The seed is constantly
morphing into a full-grown plant.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBq_mn59bnKGyxm6PZvPajm0N3_FNoTKtLJuDap-tJ100DqluvgSACITJ-dN8WTHYGaOR9qqtzv8-LFRiYzMpR-Sh0ADUOzen8bzH0UEPChMJXYnpbZiQS6VSGt4E5SScC7T1o9hWQgYTnq7z7fLM_dazzK-iWDcklo7y-O76E0OnXVzaP4NgRscPnw/s1280/metamorphosis.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1280" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBq_mn59bnKGyxm6PZvPajm0N3_FNoTKtLJuDap-tJ100DqluvgSACITJ-dN8WTHYGaOR9qqtzv8-LFRiYzMpR-Sh0ADUOzen8bzH0UEPChMJXYnpbZiQS6VSGt4E5SScC7T1o9hWQgYTnq7z7fLM_dazzK-iWDcklo7y-O76E0OnXVzaP4NgRscPnw/s320/metamorphosis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The seed develops “by nature” into what it “by
nature” is destined to become (“its </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">telos</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> or purpose)—the full-grown plant with its own seeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a “wheat” seed, so “by nature” it
cannot develop into an oak tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its
future form was “implicit” in the original wheat seed before it was planted and
began the “process” of growing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Therefore, we can say that the wheat seed “possesses
within itself (<i>en</i>-) implicitly the fully-developed goal or end (<i>telos</i>)
toward which the change (<i>kinēsis</i>) is progressing explicitly.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Application of Entelechy to Logos in John<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Think of the <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή of the Creation entelechy in terms
of the “process” that was “started-but-not-completed” from John’s perspective. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, of course, might look forward to a
subsequent entelechy (a <i>new</i> creation, with a <i>new</i> heavens and <i>new</i>
earth, in Revelation), but considering the original Creation entelechy, certain
elements clearly existed implicitly in the process of Creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among those elements that clearly existed in
the <i>archē</i>/ἀρχή of Creation were God and His Word (Logos).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By His Word, everything was created:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spoke everything into existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkG8-Pq7c-Cklm3bZG2JRbmYaFlcZb9kcLxWX1YQxouTq6XzWddj0OmMqvoloAB1hPhyubOfM0Hi7azHcQHlANU6rEz1yEJU56PaUUtAzdauDcGZYjxRf3n4MmppXUMweYrtmDxyw9YLNFOdQkdCzUSnClrfFAK1vLRm-n3wmHuiXnl2bTdjQVJ-tMVw/s320/CreationOfUniverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="320" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkG8-Pq7c-Cklm3bZG2JRbmYaFlcZb9kcLxWX1YQxouTq6XzWddj0OmMqvoloAB1hPhyubOfM0Hi7azHcQHlANU6rEz1yEJU56PaUUtAzdauDcGZYjxRf3n4MmppXUMweYrtmDxyw9YLNFOdQkdCzUSnClrfFAK1vLRm-n3wmHuiXnl2bTdjQVJ-tMVw/s1600/CreationOfUniverse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />This is not to say that either God or His Word were NOT in
existence BEFORE the beginning of the Creation process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both God and Jesus identify themselves as “I
AM,” implicitly indicating the eternally “present,” as opposed to “past” or “future.”
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is “implicit” in His Word; His Word
is “implicit” in God. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t have one
without the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t disagree
or conflict with each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is
absolute monotheism. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitionally, God
and his Word/Spirit are one and the same.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The end <i>telos</i>/τέλος or purpose of creation was also
implicit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God had a “purpose” (<i>telos</i>)
in creating the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(This is not to say
that either God or His Word will NOT be in existence AFTER the end of the
Creation process.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even inventors and
home builders have a “purpose” in what they make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “purpose” of the inventor of the clock
was to “keep time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does not mean
that the inventor was not in existence BEFORE he began to invent the clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor does it mean that he was not in existence
AFTER the clock was invented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise,
God and his Word (Logos) were in existence BEFORE they began the process of
creating the world and will be AFTER it is destroyed, according to Revelation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The entelechy, then, that John had in mind as he wrote, was, most
likely, the “creation” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">entelechy
as signaled by Revelation 3:14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
would not be news to Christians of the last two thousand years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have thought, all along, by translating
the first two words of John (ἐν ἀρχῇ) as “In the Beginning” that we were
referring to the same subject matter as our translation of the first word of
Genesis (</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">בְּרֵאשִׁית</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">) “In the
Beginning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What IS news is that John may
well be focused on the entire entelechy (from beginning to end) when he uses
the words ἐν ἀρχῇ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an entelechy, the
end (<i>telos</i>) is implicit in the beginning and the beginning (ἀρχῇ) is
implicit in the end (<i>telos</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s
more, everything in-between (such as roots, stalks, leaves, etc. in the seed
analogy) is implicit in both the beginning (ἀρχῇ) and the end (<i>telos</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why entelechy is Aristotle’s term to “describe
any process that has a <i>beginning</i>, a <i>middle</i>, and an <i>end </i><u>implicit</u>
throughout the process.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">If John is (either
consciously or unconsciously) relying on Aristotle’s entelechy/<i>entelecheia</i>/ἐντέλεχεια
in his use of the phrase ἐν ἀρχῇ, the eventuality of the Word-becoming-flesh is
also implicit in the ἀρχῇ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also included
in the ἀρχῇ will be every single step/development of the entire entelechy, so
that, for example, reference to “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world” (Revelation 13:8) makes sense, entelechially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also making sense entelechially are verses
such as the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ephesians
1:4: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He
chose us in Him before the foundation of </span></span><a href="https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/library/sermon/id/440/christian-and-world-part-one.htm" id="audio-440-1862" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="library"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">the world</span></a>.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
17:24: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">You
loved Me before the foundation of the world.</span>”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I Peter 1:20: “He indeed
was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these
last times</span>.”<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Matthew 25:34: “inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world</span>.”<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Matthew 13:35: “<i>I
will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">II Timothy 1:9:<i> “</i>grace
which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/bible.show/sVerseID/30132/eVerseID/30132" target="_blank"><span color="windowtext" style="font-weight: normal; text-underline: none;">Hebrews 9:26</span></a></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He then would have had to suffer often since
the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has
appeared to put away <a href="https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/library/article/id/489/what-sin-is-does.htm" id="sr-489-16754" style="box-sizing: border-box;" title="library"><span color="windowtext" style="text-underline: none;">sin</span></a> by
the sacrifice of Himself.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/bible.show/sVerseID/27461/eVerseID/27461" target="_blank"><span color="windowtext" style="font-weight: normal; text-underline: none;">Acts 15:18</span></a></span></strong><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Known to God from eternity are all His
works.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">My goal (</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">telos</span></i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">) in the entelechy of
this blogpost series is to challenge you to be thinking entelechially, when
reading John.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I surmise that John’s original
audience consisted of a number of deep thinkers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may or may not think of yourself as
one, even though farmers and mothers are often far more familiar with the biological/earthly things with which Jesus compares the heavenly than are university professors of theology or philosophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, when I suggested, in the
previous blogpost, that John’s Gospel was, like Matthew, Mark, and Luke, of an
extremist nature, I did not mean to suggest that <u>we should shy away from
attempting to develop the extreme faith</u> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">lauded </span>by John, any more than I
would suggest that we shy away from the extreme righteousness <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">lauded </span>by Matthew
or the extreme self-denial <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">lauded </span>by Mark or the extreme voluntary impoverishment <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">lauded </span>by Luke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should, rather, seek
to <i>grow</i> (an entelechial <i>process</i>) in all these areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, as your children attending public
schools and universities are constantly exposed to the deep philosophies of
Satan, you owe it to them to study deeper, yourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deeply-rooted parents are the last, best hope
of your children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More of the <i>Gospel
According to Entelechy</i> to come, next time.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-90020251423029985442022-08-06T09:21:00.000-07:002022-08-06T09:21:14.794-07:00The Four Extremist Gospels (Gospels 2)<p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span class="text"><i><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a
narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among
us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and
ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also
. . . to write to you an orderly account . . . that you may know the certainty
of those things in which you were instructed.</span></i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">(Luke 1:1-4 NKJV)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvxu75dITBB1rfTdoE6sTTbegwKkZuxuvpDjV3N8fHC2M7sXLYNzDRnt3djTwpRXJvwg56Y6TwsXpE1blGtT6oJSJhFtGVaIQdwIuuj6kvFw0PRh8Di54-afF4bvIcEY9iZF__11ht16TzwArBTjAQL4LHGxbJL21KuIVbrRjcEbdQonnMB2Y1j4afg/s225/Goldwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="225" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvxu75dITBB1rfTdoE6sTTbegwKkZuxuvpDjV3N8fHC2M7sXLYNzDRnt3djTwpRXJvwg56Y6TwsXpE1blGtT6oJSJhFtGVaIQdwIuuj6kvFw0PRh8Di54-afF4bvIcEY9iZF__11ht16TzwArBTjAQL4LHGxbJL21KuIVbrRjcEbdQonnMB2Y1j4afg/s1600/Goldwater.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />Barry Goldwater,
the 1964 Republican nominee for President, was labeled by his opponent, Democrat
President Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ), an “extremist.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goldwater famously retorted: <span style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.
Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This retort by Goldwater seems to have
foreshadowed the current divide, often along extremist lines, between the
Republican and Democrat parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
Wilkinson points out in his blog: “<span style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">As Karl
Hess</span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I1J7LU?keywords=karl%20hess&qid=1446495106&ref_=sr_1_5&sr=8-5"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"> noted in his memoirs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">, shortly after
Goldwater delivered his famous speech, Malcolm X . . . connected ‘extremism in
defense of liberty’ to the idea of black Americans defending their rights by ‘any
means necessary.’”<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">When I refer to the Gospels as being extremist, I do not interpret the
term “extremist” in the same way Malcolm X or Will Wilkinson did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Gospels do not incite anyone to use
violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite to the contrary, Jesus
and his followers (the deacon Stephen, the Apostle James, Jesus’ brother James,
the Apostle Paul, et. al.) willingly became the victims of violence, often as
martyrs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TheFreeDictionary.com defines
an “extremist” as “a person who advocates or resorts to measures beyond the
norm.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, willing acceptance of martyrdom
is much more extreme (beyond the norm) than is murder or mayhem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those activities (murder and mayhem) have
increasingly become the “norm” in many American cities, such as Chicago. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Mark’s Gospel of Extreme Self-Denial<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Indeed, extreme self-denial (martyrdom) is the ideal value to which the
Gospel of Mark points its readers. While I certainly do not accept the premises
of the redaction critics—especially, the premise that the Gospel writers felt
free to “compose” sections of their gospels in order to support their
individual theologies—I do think that there is merit in the observation by
various redactionists, including Norman Perrin, citing H. E. Tödt, that in Mark
(beginning with his account of the Caesarea Philippi incident of “the
confession of Peter and the subsequent teachings of Jesus on </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA4Ezr-mkGTm1ogpUjk5EhOSka8UJjSdcAX25y9_9wcjP3f74UnNi6MjMjTfNs1tYAS8cne-LtmeKSWJ9oXhj5LFFEvUUQ7b7G0UbjN8xUJ7MuLj5KenjWhXSHFX0d67la4uNQ5zEdkSRuamyWB2LrnX9s-MisJCqegnXEBpYHgF4g4JrwAoxwGcAGg/s218/Foxe'sBookOfMartyrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="141" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA4Ezr-mkGTm1ogpUjk5EhOSka8UJjSdcAX25y9_9wcjP3f74UnNi6MjMjTfNs1tYAS8cne-LtmeKSWJ9oXhj5LFFEvUUQ7b7G0UbjN8xUJ7MuLj5KenjWhXSHFX0d67la4uNQ5zEdkSRuamyWB2LrnX9s-MisJCqegnXEBpYHgF4g4JrwAoxwGcAGg/s1600/Foxe'sBookOfMartyrs.jpg" width="141" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><br />discipleship (Mark
8:27-9:1 with its parallels, Matt. 16:13-28 and Luke 9:18-27),” Jesus began to
teach his disciples that the Son of man must suffer, be killed, and rise
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to this point in Mark,
there is no hint of a suffering Savior—only a remarkably gifted man who performs
a myriad of progressively more impressive healings and miracles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This culminates, in Mark 8:29, as Peter concludes/confesses
that Jesus is the Christ, but nothing further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peter seems to be unaware of what his confession had entailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, then, for the first time in Mark,
speaks in third person of the “Son of man” who will die and rise again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is extreme in Mark is that Jesus, after
revealing his own coming suffering and death on the cross, asks his disciples
to willingly follow him in that self-denial: “</span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Whoever desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">For</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">whoever desires to save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s
will save it” (Mark 8:34-35 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
message in Mark is one of EXTREME SELF-DENIAL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perrin writes: “[I]t reflects the Marcan conviction that, as went the
master, so must go the disciple, with all that this implies.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If an otherwise strong Christian, today,
experiences stress concerning the prospect of becoming a martyr for Christ, he
is experiencing the stress of following Mark’s EXTREME SELF-DENIAL value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, other New Testament books testify
to this value, but for Mark, it is essential to his Gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read through Mark again, looking for the extreme
self-denial value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will not find it
before Mark 8:27, but after that, it is the whole point of the Gospel.</span></span><span face=""Open Sans",sans-serif" style="letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Luke’s Gospel of Extreme Impoverishment<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxm3nX-f_mVL2-LBiwFZbPjeZHyRqEumte_SWXRXDXovXZSD02z8Mb-MEQgaeGHY-RKt4RCmurzMlIb1g2BTKPzJ7auZgNPHFtTKNpW0uU_QmgG7Xsw8hQmiCNsEYRz4n-CMFKDRONv2h7Mj16hSQzn6d4ftX-MdhN0BASdB9VbfWoMyrlYrosXRKvw/s220/poor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="220" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxm3nX-f_mVL2-LBiwFZbPjeZHyRqEumte_SWXRXDXovXZSD02z8Mb-MEQgaeGHY-RKt4RCmurzMlIb1g2BTKPzJ7auZgNPHFtTKNpW0uU_QmgG7Xsw8hQmiCNsEYRz4n-CMFKDRONv2h7Mj16hSQzn6d4ftX-MdhN0BASdB9VbfWoMyrlYrosXRKvw/s1600/poor.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />In
my article in the 2016 <i>KB Journal</i>, available online, I introduce
Epideictic criticism of the Gospels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
article was my first criticism and response to what I see as the incorrect premises
of redaction criticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Genre studies in
the Gospels have long considered literary genres, but Kenneth Burke pointed to
the “rhetorical” element in literature. Which rhetorical element, then, could
he have had in mind? Aristotle offered three rhetorical genres: judicial,
deliberative, and epideictic. Of these, the gospels relate primarily to
epideictic rhetoric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Epideictic rhetoric
views its audience as composed of “theorists” who decipher the “values” that
are implicit in the narratives of epideictic rhetoric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as Mark’s audience could decipher the
value of EXTREME SELF-DENIAL pointing toward martyrdom in Mark’s Gospel, I
demonstrated that the extreme value in Luke is the value of EXTREME (voluntary)
IMPOVERISHMENT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Twentieth Century
rhetorician Chaim Perelman observes that “Epideictic oratory . . . strengthens
the disposition toward action by increasing adherence to the values it lauds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, Mark lauds the value of EXTREME
SELF-DENIAL and Luke lauds is the value of EXTREME IMPOVERISHMENT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By comparing the Beatitudes as Luke presents
them with the Beatitudes as Matthew presents them, we see that Luke lauds
poverty more than does Matthew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 6:20
quotes Jesus as saying “Blessed are you who are poor.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew quotes the words as “poor in spirit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke quotes Jesus as saying “Blessed are you
who are hungry now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew adds the
words “after righteousness.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Luke
is emphasizing the “literally” poor is demonstrated by the fact that he
follows-up his Beatitude with the statements, “Woe to you who are rich . . .
woe to you who are full now.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke is
the only gospel to provide the Good Samaritan parable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acts (also written by Luke) tells of
Christians like Barnabas who sold their possessions and brought the money to
the apostles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">If an otherwise strong Christian,
today, experiences stress concerning the prospect of actively becoming
impoverished for Christ, he is experiencing the stress of following Luke’s
EXTREME IMPOVERISHMENT value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read
through Luke-Acts again, looking for the extreme poverty value. It is the major
“values” point of the Gospel and Acts.</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Matthew’s Gospel of Extreme Righteousness<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
Matthew quotes Jesus as saying “</span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Blessed <i>are</i> those who</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">hunger and thirst for
righteousness” (5:6 NKJV) rather than Luke’s version, </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Blessed are you who
are hungry now,” he signals his extreme value:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>EXTREME RIGHTEOUSNESS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it
is aimed at males, how many male Christians have experienced stress when
reading “</span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">whoever</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="woj">looks at a
woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (5:28
NKJV)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, Jesus’ solution?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pluck out your eye and cast it from you in
order to avoid hell! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, what Christian
of either sex doesn’t experience stress at the thought of going to hell (not
for committing murder) but for calling someone a fool or a moron (5:22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who doesn’t chafe when commanded by Jesus to
love, not just your friends, but also your enemies (5:44)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew’s (and Jesus’) point is that you are
the light of the world (5:14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
don’t allow your light (extreme righteousness) to shine, the world will not see
your “good works” and glorify God (5:16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The scribes and the pharisees, with whom Jesus and Matthew’s audience
interacted, were extremely concerned with righteousness, so Jesus (and Matthew)
says “unless your righteousness exceeds</span> <span class="woj"><i>the
righteousness</i> of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter
the kingdom of heaven (5:28 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If an
otherwise strong Christian, today, experiences stress concerning the difficulty
of living an extremely moral life, he is experiencing the stress of following
Matthew’s </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span class="woj"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MmSvi5ovtOhFHE2k3BtHixKAWnR69I7rJMn7dkzeK4WlJjlq2OK0LcWMieCIvwkkp68A3NLC64JJC7byKW53QKkyIjpvUXKd2JRI6gLTDXAao8-lAkobh4zI7Z8liNgVukslXFYrwjfs5qctaAej4J0xV_7gJNTd0OqFdziicXNDbeEtUFv-vIKQiQ/s474/PityTheFool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="474" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MmSvi5ovtOhFHE2k3BtHixKAWnR69I7rJMn7dkzeK4WlJjlq2OK0LcWMieCIvwkkp68A3NLC64JJC7byKW53QKkyIjpvUXKd2JRI6gLTDXAao8-lAkobh4zI7Z8liNgVukslXFYrwjfs5qctaAej4J0xV_7gJNTd0OqFdziicXNDbeEtUFv-vIKQiQ/s320/PityTheFool.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span class="woj"><br />EXTREME </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">RIGHTEOUSNESS</span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read through Matthew again, looking for the
extreme </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">righteousness</span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> value</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Seek first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness” <span class="woj"><span style="background: white;">(6:33 NKJV) is the major “values” point of the Gospel.</span></span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">John’s Gospel of Extreme Faith<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It is, perhaps, the best-known
verse in the New Testament, if not the Bible, altogether:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John 3:16 (KJV): “For God so loved the world
that He gave his only-begotten Son that whosoever <b>believeth</b> on Him shall
not perish, but have everlasting life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Faith</b>
is the key value in John’s Gospel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John
20:31 (NKJV) spells out John’s entire purpose in writing his Gospel: <span style="background: white;">“These are written that you may <b>believe</b> that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that <b>believing</b> you may have
life in His name.”</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: Roboto; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As I wrote in
my blogpost <b>Apocalyptic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#19:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does Absolute Truth Exist? (Rev. 3:14)</b>, I
owe my brother Dennis for producing the groundwork for seeing the <u>connection
between “faith” and “truth” or “knowledge”</u> in Johannine literature. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What seems to count as “faith,” however, for
many, today, is NOT John’s EXTREME FAITH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There have even been “evangelists” who walk the streets and ask people
(in a fashion similar to a political poll), “Do you believe in God and
Jesus?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the answer is yes, they say:
“Praise God!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are saved!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without rehashing all of my commentary from
Apocalyptic? #19 (Google it, if you want to rehash!), I will point out: “Dennis
indicates (p. 188) “the line of </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrVPhT1Qn9W-7msQFRmXhUBdboit0rxBIzaG0uoMomx21Vz6YiCMvZaGIX43doCVS2-Kg0FYTnvmrZNS7NgAkh7xLW0n2sl1nGzCxKvGP44TD4P8x4XiZ6Sf6mRNHupCJcv4iBTy7QGeJFZJ2s-o2_Qit8o807-X2epYuGCHqJz0m4lDmMFB76fCfZQ/s263/faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="263" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrVPhT1Qn9W-7msQFRmXhUBdboit0rxBIzaG0uoMomx21Vz6YiCMvZaGIX43doCVS2-Kg0FYTnvmrZNS7NgAkh7xLW0n2sl1nGzCxKvGP44TD4P8x4XiZ6Sf6mRNHupCJcv4iBTy7QGeJFZJ2s-o2_Qit8o807-X2epYuGCHqJz0m4lDmMFB76fCfZQ/s1600/faith.jpg" width="263" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><br />distinction . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>between the biblical . . . faith and the
secular . . . faith” is that the New Testament CANNOT adopt a stance that
“Christic Faith” could be only “probable” truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, if faith/PISTIS “denot[es] an
attitude and manner of steadfastness, confidence and trust in the midst of a
life-threatening situation,” one’s faith must be an absolute faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One must believe that Jesus and God are
“absolutely true.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, therefore, both
God and Jesus know absolute truth, concerning everything, there is no point of
disagreement between them concerning anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People do not disagree about things that are considered “facts.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If people have trouble understanding how God
and Jesus can BOTH rule the universe, without any conflict, it is because they
never argue; they never disagree, they don’t have differing opinions, because
they both know “absolute truth” for certain.</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">While God and Jesus know
everything absolutely, we humans do not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How can we have EXTREME FAITH in something/someone we do not know
absolutely?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, John’s Gospel takes on
the task of explaining who God and Jesus TRULY are, so that we may believe in
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This brings us back to the topic
of the previous blogpost and the <i>Gospel According to Entelechy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to have EXTREME FAITH in Jesus, one
must KNOW who he is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, beginning with
the first verse of the first chapter of his Gospel, John starts to unpack the
identity of Jesus and his relationship to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are some EXTREME FAITH assertions in John:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
Logos is God “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ) and the Logos took on flesh,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He
is the Light of the World who made all things,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He
was before John the Baptist and, even, Abraham,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
angels of God ascend and descend upon him,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Unless</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="woj">you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man and drink His blood, you have no life <i>in</i> you,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">He
is the way, the truth, and the life, the only way to the Father,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The
Father is <i>in </i>Jesus and Jesus <i>in</i> Him; The Spirit of Truth will be <i>in
</i>you;<span style="background: white;"> <span class="woj">I am <i>in</i>
My Father, and you <i>in</i> Me, and I <i>in</i> you,</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Jesus
had glory with God before the world was.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Even
so, John’s Jesus asserts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“My father is greater than I”
(14:28), </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“I ascend to my Father and your
Father, and to my God and your God” (20:17),</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in; tab-stops: 264.75pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">If
an otherwise strong Christian, today, experiences stress concerning the
difficulty of believing in Jesus and what exactly that means, he is
experiencing the stress of following John’s EXTREME </span></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">FAITH<span class="woj"><span style="background: white;"> value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read
through John again, looking for the extreme </span></span>faith<span class="woj"><span style="background: white;"> value</span></span>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;">Why Are There Four Gospels?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.25pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<h1 style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0in; tab-stops: 136.5pt 210.0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we have seen, there is always room for
growth in one’s Christian life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one
is EXTREMELY RIGHTEOUS, one might still need to grow in the Lukan value of
EXTREME IMPOVERISHMENT (as did the Rich Young Ruler).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one has become voluntarily EXTREMELY
IMPOVERISHED, one might still need to grow in Mark’s value of EXTREME
SELF-DENIAL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one is facing the
prospect of martyrdom, one might still need to grow in John’s value of EXTREME
FAITH in who Jesus is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one has
EXTREME FAITH, one might still need to grow in Matthew’s EXTREME
RIGHTEOUSNESS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While plucking out one’s
eye may well be hyperbole, the goal is to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is
perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of us are there yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjJk4RDJpnLad85y2ZwHXaw0Y5M7RJqHMQI-g0l5eq_2CqLo2POwqach6F-IGHm2g5TV1cJK3OZTedSoVGhP6MuZqp_Dd1mZrsr9HDtzIbUpZEMA2lqquBPh2qgV9Tr8DZZM-yxNxeM0Wv0BJJnpw_NkT3YON3ky1UxAU2QwGQPo7ufJ-NcejCiYgkA/s1024/four-gospels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjJk4RDJpnLad85y2ZwHXaw0Y5M7RJqHMQI-g0l5eq_2CqLo2POwqach6F-IGHm2g5TV1cJK3OZTedSoVGhP6MuZqp_Dd1mZrsr9HDtzIbUpZEMA2lqquBPh2qgV9Tr8DZZM-yxNxeM0Wv0BJJnpw_NkT3YON3ky1UxAU2QwGQPo7ufJ-NcejCiYgkA/s320/four-gospels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We will resume the entelechial study
of who Jesus is and his relationship to God in the next blogpost.</span></span><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><br /><p></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-82319390725161564072022-07-27T14:20:00.001-07:002022-07-28T07:48:47.549-07:00Amoeba/Protozoa Theology (Gospels 1)<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWA005LHS9h2o8O_P8viqHnN-9RVE6P54Cv0B6tn-8MZBPzt091eQVJfeRAV2_VcFvHaYWfPMAzLteYetwlsNreUtcd3Y2XnpdLLDCPK6B7jBY4Sx2cEYz9tqdFiJLX0iBvxNenS78zshpk7rKcojrKVX8tckjJZpcIefbKa7Jm4PaG6tC4gXjZ5K3g/s612/amoeba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="612" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWA005LHS9h2o8O_P8viqHnN-9RVE6P54Cv0B6tn-8MZBPzt091eQVJfeRAV2_VcFvHaYWfPMAzLteYetwlsNreUtcd3Y2XnpdLLDCPK6B7jBY4Sx2cEYz9tqdFiJLX0iBvxNenS78zshpk7rKcojrKVX8tckjJZpcIefbKa7Jm4PaG6tC4gXjZ5K3g/s320/amoeba.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br />If I have told you
earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you
heavenly things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">(John 3:12 NKJV)</span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 427.5pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here is the great
theological puzzle: Ever since the second century, Christian theologians have
tried to reconcile scriptures that appear to present Jesus as subject to or subsequent
to God the Father with scriptures that appear to present Jesus as equal to or
preexistent with God the Father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
post begins to take another stab at that issue, this time, based on extending Aristotle’s
concept of entelechy, his concept of what happens in the physical world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We begin with a consideration of one-celled
plants and animals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What happens when an
asexual protozoa (one-celled animal) or an amoeba (one-celled plant)
reproduces?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The single-celled organism
splits into two separate single-celled organisms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process is called “binary fission.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biologists term these two newly produced
single-celled organisms both “daughter cells,” perhaps, because there is no way
of knowing which of the two thus-produced organisms should be considered the
parent and which the offspring. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is, of course, no sexual identification to be attached to the term “daughter
cell,” since the protozoa (and the amoeba) are asexual. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrdhLe3FPOiCAqodU5pMWEOekX_dE_v2uR-U8BeaOE5ch5yR38tP6B6mtsURS8TccUCOViTtaWnCD2LD3TSidAfUV4dNSVl4gtUAWbhNl-UmR0-jbfAJ0qu-etna8aZyZFth2Ca4wC2Uj0UzE_XGHmMbudQDRVHlgIsljhSXyeeAElWJxujWSQNlUUQ/s800/protozoaFission.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrdhLe3FPOiCAqodU5pMWEOekX_dE_v2uR-U8BeaOE5ch5yR38tP6B6mtsURS8TccUCOViTtaWnCD2LD3TSidAfUV4dNSVl4gtUAWbhNl-UmR0-jbfAJ0qu-etna8aZyZFth2Ca4wC2Uj0UzE_XGHmMbudQDRVHlgIsljhSXyeeAElWJxujWSQNlUUQ/s320/protozoaFission.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />These issues, then, exist:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which resultant organism can claim prior
existence over the other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did not both
new organisms preexist simultaneously in the original organism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A similar point could be made when one considers
identical twins, since they both have preexistence in a single zygote.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a “binary fission”
analogy, just cited, Jesus and God might have been “one” in the Beginning; then
have become “two,” with each retaining His preexistent claim and His equality
claim. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would such a biological
phenomenon (“earthly thing”) solve the theological riddle (“heavenly thing”) pertaining
to Jesus’ and God’s equality/subjection or preexistence/subsequence in John’s
Gospel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, because it does not account
for the “Father-Son” terminology applied throughout the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, it might serve as a first step of
a type of explanation Jesus used with Nicodemus, as cited in John 3:12 (above)
to the effect that we may understand heavenly things by understanding earthly
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For our discussion of “earthly
things,” we will consult Aristotle, who is considered the father of biology (the
study of “earthly things,” i.e., biological life forms) and who was certainly well-known
at Jesus’ and John’s time, even in a Jewish milieu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, before we get to Aristotle and his term entelechy, we move to a discussion of the Jewish view of Father-Son relationships
in human reproduction in John’s milieu and Gospel, whence I have retrieved the
verse highlighted at the first of this blogpost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nicodemus and New Birth<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Pharisee Nicodemus comes
to Jesus by night (a non-controversial setting), presumably, in order to honestly
pick Jesus’ brain (John 3:1-2), since he believes that God is “with” Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that occasion, Jesus attempts to explain spiritual
life (the heavenly) using the linguistic terms of biological life (the earthly),
telling Nicodemus that, in order to see the Kingdom of God, one must be “born
again” (3:3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicodemus counters: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Can [a grown man]
enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”</span> (3:4 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This very question of Nicodemus introduces a
foundational Jewish concept of human birth and progeny, which most interpreters
overlook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Nicodemus’s proposed scenario
refers to the “second time” the man “enter[ed] . . . into his mother’s womb,”
there is the definite hint that the “first time” he “enter[ed] . . . into his
mother’s womb,” as Nicodemus understood it, he had had a prior </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">existence
(before he entered his mother’s womb).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">More
specifically, though alas, less delicately, the man was already considered a
man (in the sense of a separate agent) even when he “enter[ed] . . . into his
mother’s womb” in the semen produced in the loins of his father.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">This concept of the preexistence of humans BEFORE
they enter into the womb of their mothers is consistent with other statements
in the Bible regarding the preexistence of humans in the loins of their human
fathers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The other </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr-98ts_LcLXy2CxCzOiIHnx2KuNrwRxR5DbxKBi66XCWs5ZAX5s3_QZpqkEETxTe9khhuKHWTusaL29G-460x2jjHCi5BHGPPPwMQwwT8U8g1dZ7c_TOAhppN8kv4F6K29YeFoP1yFRANoVhY1JRMeg0Oy4b6vWFSyqSDLXVqzrA4c_uQBUagnJxdQ/s712/nicodemus-visiting-jesus-1899.jpg!Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="712" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr-98ts_LcLXy2CxCzOiIHnx2KuNrwRxR5DbxKBi66XCWs5ZAX5s3_QZpqkEETxTe9khhuKHWTusaL29G-460x2jjHCi5BHGPPPwMQwwT8U8g1dZ7c_TOAhppN8kv4F6K29YeFoP1yFRANoVhY1JRMeg0Oy4b6vWFSyqSDLXVqzrA4c_uQBUagnJxdQ/s320/nicodemus-visiting-jesus-1899.jpg!Large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />statements will be considered,
momentarily.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In answering </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nicodemus, Jesus compares
and contrasts being born of the water (the earthly) with being born of the
spirit (the heavenly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Marsh’s
translation of Rudolph Bultmann’s <i>The History of the Synoptic Tradition</i> (p.
43) explains that God “creates a man out of water (human semen).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Bultmann is, here, illustrating an
argument used in the Babylonian Talmud regarding resurrection, not the John 3
passage, he equates “water” with “semen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hugo Odeberg in his 1929 book <i>The Fourth Gospel</i> (p. 48) agrees: “[The
phrase Nicodemus uses] does not mean ‘return to’, but ‘enter a second time’ . .
. in other words, what is to enter a second time is not the child that has once
been born, but the semen that is to give birth to the child.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicodemus (not understanding Jesus’ teaching)
is asking Jesus if a man must return to “water” (=semen) and reenter his mother’s
womb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ response to Nicodemus seems
to indicate that there are two separate births—one the result of water/semen
(the earthly), the other the result of spirit (the heavenly).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there is much theology to be mined from
Jesus’ teaching of the new birth, to pursue this discussion of the new birth
further, at this point, would take us far afield from the primary issue I am
getting at:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that Jews understood that an
individual has a preexistence in the loins of his father before he is even
conceived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, we shall corroborate that
point with two additional examples.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Melchizedek, Abraham, and Levi<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Hebrews 7:1-10 (NKJV) states:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="chapter-1" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 5.0pt;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">Melchizedek . . . <b><sup> </sup></b>to whom also
Abraham gave a tenth part of all, . . . remains a priest continually.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now consider how great this man <i>was,</i> to
whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . <b><sup> </sup></b>Even Levi, who
receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham . . . for he was still in the
loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Levi, being the son of Jacob, who was the son of
Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, not only had a preexistence in the loins of
his father Jacob, but also in the loins of Jacob’s father Isaac, as well as in
the loins of </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3ZXuAt2MoSmKe9GPWyvqI2y9fvlXG6zKMX0mNpzsa-LWapRLJ5SbnAL7paVVIe1s89wnSopXgXnCoPCSE_RcI5t2s6L9FKB3EKARLPpJMo3pHjA7xKuBPR-6mLSpuWnjlJeh7PVKYOKbwoCjONFE7QZ6PqKDO9dLxI0yklfVs_Q2Mvha86GVG4pBWA/s648/abrahamandmelchizedek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="648" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3ZXuAt2MoSmKe9GPWyvqI2y9fvlXG6zKMX0mNpzsa-LWapRLJ5SbnAL7paVVIe1s89wnSopXgXnCoPCSE_RcI5t2s6L9FKB3EKARLPpJMo3pHjA7xKuBPR-6mLSpuWnjlJeh7PVKYOKbwoCjONFE7QZ6PqKDO9dLxI0yklfVs_Q2Mvha86GVG4pBWA/s320/abrahamandmelchizedek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Isaac’s father Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And,
even in that historically remote preexistent past, Levi engaged in ACTION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He paid tithes to Melchizedek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Hebrews seems to suggest is that Levi is
JUST AS RESPONSIBLE for the action of paying tithes to Melchizedek as is
Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, Levi recognizes long
before his birth that the priesthood of Melchizedek is superior to his own
priesthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Levi is the tribe from
which all priests in the Jewish system come.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But, why stop with Abraham and Levi?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of mankind is represented in the Adam example.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adam and the Original Sin<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul explains in Romans
5:12-21:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .6in; margin-top: 5.0pt;"><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">[J]ust
as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and
thus death spread to all men . . . death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam
. . . For if by the one man’s offense many died . . . if by the one man’s offense
death reigned through the one . . . the gift of righteousness will reign in
life through the One, Jesus Christ . . . For as by one man’s disobedience many
were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made
righteous.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As I understand Paul’s teaching, the sin of Adam
produced death, and Adam’s offspring until the time of Moses, even though they
did not possess the Law and, therefore, “<span class="text">had not sinned
according to the likeness of </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXc2xQE-zWA-fGLvVb339sAUGZkWVcrn3pKgVvXIZd47cu2YGpyq9AyEZ1j8BfgYm2fGqIy85AT0CRndzu17PadeHkCinzKAJCCLEkvUjSZxVa5ehzI1QvsonZxX1LIWFpQ9EGsgzt9P0ewmvGbJ6FuxXhF234jQnkzGxiZXWiu9NCIfabZ2QBNJOYJA/s620/adam-and-eve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="620" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXc2xQE-zWA-fGLvVb339sAUGZkWVcrn3pKgVvXIZd47cu2YGpyq9AyEZ1j8BfgYm2fGqIy85AT0CRndzu17PadeHkCinzKAJCCLEkvUjSZxVa5ehzI1QvsonZxX1LIWFpQ9EGsgzt9P0ewmvGbJ6FuxXhF234jQnkzGxiZXWiu9NCIfabZ2QBNJOYJA/s320/adam-and-eve.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />the transgression of Adam,” continued to pay the “death”
penalty for that original sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, Paul is comparing and contrasting the sin of Adam (and its consequences
to all Adam’s “earthly” offspring) to the righteous act of Jesus, dying on the
cross (and its consequences to all Jesus’ “heavenly” offspring).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The penalty for Adam’s original sin was not,
incidentally, hell, but rather, death—a penalty that is still being paid by every
one of Adam’s earthly offspring, to this day—those who are born of the water
(semen).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus, on the other hand,
according to I Peter 3:18 (NKJV), “<span style="background: white;">suffered
once for sins, the just for the unjust . . . being put to death in the flesh
but made alive in the Spirit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
Corinthians 15:22 (NKJV) states: “For as <i>in</i> Adam all die, even so <i>in</i>
Christ all shall </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">be made alive.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The most
important term in the I Corinthians passage is the word “in” (“in Adam” and “in
Christ”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek word for “in” is
spelled “en/</span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">ἐν.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This two-letter Greek word forms the first
part of the Greek word entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια, where it indicates “preexistence.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The way Paul seems to describe it, we all
ACTIVELY participated in the sin of Adam (when we were “in” his loins) in the
same way Levi paid tithes “in” the loins of his Great-Grandfather Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the “semen existing in the loins of the
father” analogy, just cited, Jesus and God might have been “one” (“in” God the
Father) in the Beginning; then have become “two,” with each retaining His
preexistent claim but not necessarily an equality claim. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The argument advanced by Jesus in Mark
12:35-37 (also in Matthew 22:41-45 and Luke 20:41-44, NKJV) seems, however, to convey
an equality or even superiority by a “son” over his “father”: <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 5.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="words-of-christ"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;">How</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span><i></i></span><i><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">is</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">it</span></span></i><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">that</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">the</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">scribes</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">say</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">that</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">the</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Christ</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">is</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">the</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Son</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">of</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">David</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">?</span></span><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;"> </span></b><span class="words-of-christ"><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-color-alt: windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="outline: 0px;">For</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">David</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">himself</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">said</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span>by</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">the</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Holy</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Spirit</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">:</span></span> “<i>The<span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-variant: small-caps;"></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Lord</span></span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">said</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">to</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">my</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Lord</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">,</span></span> ‘Sit<span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">at</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">My</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">right</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">hand</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">,</span></span> till I make Your enemies Your footstool.</i>’”
Therefore, David<span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">himself</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">calls</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Him</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span><i></i></span><i><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">‘</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">Lord</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">’</span></span></i><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">; </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">how</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">is</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">He</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span><i></i></span><i><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">then</span></span></i><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">his</span></span><span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"> </span></span>Son<span style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;">?”</span></span><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For that matter, it
is clearly taught that Jesus, the “son of Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38) is
far superior to his “father” Adam, but not to his Father God? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would such a biological phenomenon (“earthly
thing”) solve the theological issue (“heavenly thing”) pertaining to Jesus’ and
God’s equality/subjection or preexistence/subsequence in John’s Gospel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s look at John 1.</span></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">ἐν</h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Logos Hymn in John 1</span></b></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Greek word “en/</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">ἐν” is also the
first word of the Gospel of John, which I think relies on Aristotle’s “earthly”
concept of entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will
be explaining entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια in future posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, I point to the fact that, according
to John 1, both God and the Logos existed simultaneously in a scene that has
been (incorrectly, I think) translated “in the Beginning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in mind that John did not use the explicit
term “Jesus” or “son” when he first said that “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ) was the
Logos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first two words of John’s
Gospel are the Greek words “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a word study of “Logos” is also needed,
the words “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ) have very deep meaning in Aristotle’s concept of
entelechy/ἐντέλεχεια.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will consider
the meaning of all of these terms (and, certainly, others, such as “light” and “only
begotten”), in future posts, as we progress in this series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For now, consider the amoeba/protozoa analogy
alongside the “loins of the father” analogy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just as both “daughter cells” preexisted as one amoeba/protozoa, and
were ACTIVE together, so God and the Logos are presented as being preexistent
together and equal “en archē” (ἐν ἀρχῇ).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Father/Son relationship, however, is not introduced until the 14<sup>th</sup>
verse of chapter one. There, the “loins of the father” analogy may contribute
to an understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have just begun
to scratch the surface of the <i>Gospel According to Entelechy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-42559089372735767792022-06-26T14:11:00.002-07:002022-09-11T13:04:19.993-07:00Happy Half-Christmas Eve 2022!<p><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-size: 13px;">Christmas is on December 25th, so 6 months later on June 25th is Half Christmas. I jotted down this poem as a memorial of Half-Christmas Eve, June 24th:</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br clear="none" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnEZDobLcgepMXtuTtWsHoq5L13vmDwgPntNStwkBbhU9wxct6cEin-ai7SvVjomeydFievI4NBdWZSgY2d9JCAYg8feFjynfrmXpXwOl_N46YpcR1kvv2zvvNthuUD6Ma00Qht44ouWl5lXIgOPi8YhSdpRJESqzVVmExkzue6J6UYn2u_yBQD6MFA/s200/babyinwomb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="200" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnEZDobLcgepMXtuTtWsHoq5L13vmDwgPntNStwkBbhU9wxct6cEin-ai7SvVjomeydFievI4NBdWZSgY2d9JCAYg8feFjynfrmXpXwOl_N46YpcR1kvv2zvvNthuUD6Ma00Qht44ouWl5lXIgOPi8YhSdpRJESqzVVmExkzue6J6UYn2u_yBQD6MFA/s1600/babyinwomb.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />On the day before Half-Christmas all through the land . . .</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Abortions occurring were suddenly banned,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The killing of innocents called to a halt,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">As the country repented its wickedest fault. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYelPXSvzRpamsyTX0mmtdFdVyy2IFX0tDZBS2LQScrX8GAo8dhNSEy-JJ69Ic37e5OpnEL6UnmIUd5zBWGjXLPccvmvVMJLjlwhZj4jkmIqHgqLvuC79QJqSbqDqRfAivRGfhvxlJsnQZrg319x2k1AzzgshFf9v7wPAuQCZBFeDgUolFmE8CumIRA/s1920/babyChristmas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYelPXSvzRpamsyTX0mmtdFdVyy2IFX0tDZBS2LQScrX8GAo8dhNSEy-JJ69Ic37e5OpnEL6UnmIUd5zBWGjXLPccvmvVMJLjlwhZj4jkmIqHgqLvuC79QJqSbqDqRfAivRGfhvxlJsnQZrg319x2k1AzzgshFf9v7wPAuQCZBFeDgUolFmE8CumIRA/s320/babyChristmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The reverse of King Herod's Bethlehem slaughter . . .</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Would rescue a son and many a daughter. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They tried to kill Jesus and Moses before,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But God's love for innocents can't be ignored. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOxDJ5apzwJliVk-zIN57VewkG7aWYzf1SbJlgJ10meHLm4sB8tFo3mhbgTXyIU9UnF1OQyUDoFvHclUOJcFL1KmR2n7WpqOqy-ASb3VPMNd5FlXtoKyXHA4DAVxbe7ls03mkG4AyB3Rd8rUysptzpPVwdC8JmiBVHD8mhnfxNYqUUgjk8HnpaoyGaA/s800/reindeerSanta.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOxDJ5apzwJliVk-zIN57VewkG7aWYzf1SbJlgJ10meHLm4sB8tFo3mhbgTXyIU9UnF1OQyUDoFvHclUOJcFL1KmR2n7WpqOqy-ASb3VPMNd5FlXtoKyXHA4DAVxbe7ls03mkG4AyB3Rd8rUysptzpPVwdC8JmiBVHD8mhnfxNYqUUgjk8HnpaoyGaA/s320/reindeerSanta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />So like the nine reindeer of Santa Claus' sleigh,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nine high court justices rose up that day. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The initials of Santa, the S and the C. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Now stand for Supreme Court the way it <i>should </i>be. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cwBqNCWB1hkPTqiJIS5pUegGZWCSb5JaAvZYYku3PW7DFMs8qa5ZDyJKMEZBe5VALdfO42PM93GdXvWZUiMIB8p6VLjqkawVYtKxH6D_zHlWlO38MG_uOD3FTuo8mhwWEe3H5OxM3HV54X4r-eUt3q517LLsGMQfsvpIkPQP6p25BPZUD2SrScwIhA/s665/Justices.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="665" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cwBqNCWB1hkPTqiJIS5pUegGZWCSb5JaAvZYYku3PW7DFMs8qa5ZDyJKMEZBe5VALdfO42PM93GdXvWZUiMIB8p6VLjqkawVYtKxH6D_zHlWlO38MG_uOD3FTuo8mhwWEe3H5OxM3HV54X4r-eUt3q517LLsGMQfsvpIkPQP6p25BPZUD2SrScwIhA/s320/Justices.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8l2zo3TNq-iPzMoaKYIe0qVBg7Ertxh5vmN6NTloMLW0qf5HKj_tPOUkCrNHCZNe4Jp7Ym4MyAwhs9f0KXJ47P4xheJIy4H6nnU_a_HaxrNVDODL6F284jRT0p17ja9Y3davKpkWyIEYxH_yryr8RXnBxIL2dlm3dCoEv-0euqdIMXStf1eOVFvNdA/s1200/supremecourt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8l2zo3TNq-iPzMoaKYIe0qVBg7Ertxh5vmN6NTloMLW0qf5HKj_tPOUkCrNHCZNe4Jp7Ym4MyAwhs9f0KXJ47P4xheJIy4H6nnU_a_HaxrNVDODL6F284jRT0p17ja9Y3davKpkWyIEYxH_yryr8RXnBxIL2dlm3dCoEv-0euqdIMXStf1eOVFvNdA/s320/supremecourt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It's fitting that Half-Christmas Eve was the day . . . </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Killing of Innocents by law went away. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Celebrate Life on each Half-Christmas Eve . . . </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For life is still precious to those who believe. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br clear="none" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Happy Half-Christmas Eve 2022!</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://say-press.square.site/" target="_blank">NotWaltsFault.com</a><br /></div>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-55074991339187414122022-05-19T11:36:00.003-07:002022-05-19T22:22:41.525-07:00Apocalyptic? #41: New Heaven and New Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAGymWx7Hi5eJ-2B05O339Em6xQiLJFAlphb-3t8rQeY-uNLBZyLPPJ_Tvb57lTVlqKQxtyrIg0mksVU5Rbm9hqpizK8OTQI88-umlgLbXKPMtoLJtoYayhaPUH6nU2MSGFu2qoEy8k6ewiwBiQVCKcECQWFwoQVoAa8yJHV2SlVOef-mWSknL8shvQ/s220/Heaven1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="138" data-original-width="220" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAGymWx7Hi5eJ-2B05O339Em6xQiLJFAlphb-3t8rQeY-uNLBZyLPPJ_Tvb57lTVlqKQxtyrIg0mksVU5Rbm9hqpizK8OTQI88-umlgLbXKPMtoLJtoYayhaPUH6nU2MSGFu2qoEy8k6ewiwBiQVCKcECQWFwoQVoAa8yJHV2SlVOef-mWSknL8shvQ/s1600/Heaven1.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">What will our
existence in the world to come be like?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenneth
Burke analyzes human activity in terms of a Dramatistic Pentad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word <b>pentad</b> means “<u>five</u> (as
in a <u>pent</u>agon—a five-angled or five-sided shape) perspectives or
motives” that are found in all human action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The word <b>dramatistic</b> indicates that we see all five of these
motives whenever we watch a “drama” performed at the theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The five terms are scene, act, agent, agency,
and purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They correspond to the
one-word questions Who (agent), What (act), When/Where (scene), Why (purpose),
and How (agency)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All <b>acts</b>
(things the performers [or <b>agents]</b> do) occur within some <b>scene</b>,
the backdrop for the drama. The various props (or <b>agencies</b>) the
performers use to complete their acts are also found within each scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No performer/agent performs an act in the
drama without some <b>purpose</b> in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Otherwise, the drama seems to be pointless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>Why</u> (purpose) did Colonel Mustard
(agent) kill (act) Mr. Boddy in the kitchen (scene) with a knife (agency)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you even have a <b>Clue</b>®?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need all five terms to understand what is
happening in the drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s now consider
these five perspectives as we view Revelation’s description of life in the New
Heaven and New Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zWGEHlJ8CK6lryLDwRa48Wo_r3M0JvIb6eKeSMKMuXuQ0i9em-BvfkTOw_QINyoizXVBdt3UBQ8F_hd_gdcG8mhUs-6hN7vt6qXMfjkCKgjN6aPspMyNMExgwfKSfhX7Sg0p78MInkk8g5EqdLNY_IrNW6Ycr4XcIet8hm1TlUI3ZqfFohhVfiqp0w/s2100/universe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2100" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zWGEHlJ8CK6lryLDwRa48Wo_r3M0JvIb6eKeSMKMuXuQ0i9em-BvfkTOw_QINyoizXVBdt3UBQ8F_hd_gdcG8mhUs-6hN7vt6qXMfjkCKgjN6aPspMyNMExgwfKSfhX7Sg0p78MInkk8g5EqdLNY_IrNW6Ycr4XcIet8hm1TlUI3ZqfFohhVfiqp0w/s320/universe.jpg" width="320" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br />Scene:<o:p></o:p></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">When God promises
a new creation, there are elements of His older creation scene that He
preserves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By using the terms “new
heaven and new earth (21:1),” there remains the sense of a cosmos or universe
similar to our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation promises
a “scene” for future existence that, at the very least, “resembles” the scene
in which we currently exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, it
is even the <i>same</i> scene we currently have, but purged of every <i>curse</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">22:3 (NKJV) says: “</span><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">And there shall be no more <i>curse</i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">There was nothing at
all wrong with this scene as God originally designed it in Genesis until Adam
and Eve sinned and the world was <i>cursed</i> on their account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God declares on each of the six days of
creation that his work is either “good” (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) or
very good” (Genesis 1:31).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever wanted
to see the world or even to travel through space?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your new, immortal body will be like Christ’s
(Philippians 3:20-21); surely, you will be capable of encountering such scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ body was capable of appearing in an
instant in various locations where the door was locked and of ascending up into
the heavens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaMysNJ9-k2gasyxFf-bcufPeOSbX1FTutblPPb2__eCI66HpU1pR00KyiYiK7uQbYrGCT4nIKvHH01zbX7e1_r9iHO6bHAerEnbUuyBzJGZv-hHOFcWiIkTNRDcniv5KQwaIQ1XLW3NcgwyOr1n_AxAkn_I9PZb6ACBxcUc2AW5eCSjJOl4PiR-kGQ/s700/Creation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="700" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwaMysNJ9-k2gasyxFf-bcufPeOSbX1FTutblPPb2__eCI66HpU1pR00KyiYiK7uQbYrGCT4nIKvHH01zbX7e1_r9iHO6bHAerEnbUuyBzJGZv-hHOFcWiIkTNRDcniv5KQwaIQ1XLW3NcgwyOr1n_AxAkn_I9PZb6ACBxcUc2AW5eCSjJOl4PiR-kGQ/s320/Creation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Just as there are
elements of His older creation scene that God preserves, there are also elements
of His older creation that He eliminates:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">No Sea</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(21:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps, this implies the elimination of any safe haven for the Dragon
(Leviathan, at the shore of the sea) and/or the Beast who came up out of the
sea (13:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This detail may, therefore,
be symbolic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is possible that the
seas will continue to exist in the new Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To where else would the river/fountain of the water of life (21:6) flow?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then, the River of Life may, itself, be
symbolic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See below.</span><u><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">No tears, death, sorrow, crying, or
pain</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(21:4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are all curses and “corporal stresses”
that are eliminated, as discussed in Apocalyptic? #8.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Zv1zSquSMK0Lty34ZBsR6vufvzIvmK0BAM5ThYnI1O8BGVw9kaeCXQ6DU9hkIMdCwlm8G3u_pRONzdpIulJ5pIKrR9vv81ZDSldk9pRsWSibNGqh1js0NZpVfd4szebQ8ag4eKFgj9e6Qa-8KGM1gpu7leIINzeYNSLTNc8zT40TlDVa_1w2gxGPWw/s1920/tears.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="1920" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Zv1zSquSMK0Lty34ZBsR6vufvzIvmK0BAM5ThYnI1O8BGVw9kaeCXQ6DU9hkIMdCwlm8G3u_pRONzdpIulJ5pIKrR9vv81ZDSldk9pRsWSibNGqh1js0NZpVfd4szebQ8ag4eKFgj9e6Qa-8KGM1gpu7leIINzeYNSLTNc8zT40TlDVa_1w2gxGPWw/s320/tears.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><u><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></u><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">No curse</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">
(22:3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death, pain in childbearing, and
a curse on the ground were the major curses from Eden, thus, “corporal
stresses.”</span><u><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">No</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually
immoral, dogs, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars; they are cast into the Lake of
Fire (21</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">:8, 27; 22:15). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
this list of characters absent from the New Heavens and New Earth, God
eliminates this possibility of “community stress” from having to interact with these
types.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Citizens of the
New Jerusalem will not have to encounter these individuals any more:</span><u><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Cowards</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;"> stand in contrast to the “conquerors” who
were willing to die for Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike
the conquerors, the cowards continually shrank back and hid or denied their
Christianity in order to save their own physical lives (and/or their incomes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Unbelievers</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;"> refers to those who heard the message
about Jesus, but continually refused to believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Would atheists be included, here?)</span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">The Abominable</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;"> refers
to those who continue to commit certain very detestable sins that are called,
in the Law of Moses, “abominations.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
every sin was called an “abomination,” but the following sins were explicitly
called abominations:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[a.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">offering your children to Molech (Deuteronomy
12:31 and 18:10-12—compare to modern-day abortion), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[b.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>having
sex with a man as you would with a woman (</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;">Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 23:18</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[c.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>witchcraft/divination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12),
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[d.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>women wearing men’s clothing and men wearing women’s clothing
(Deuteronomy 22:5), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[e.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>prostitution whether by males or females
(Deuteronomy 23:18—“dogs” were actually male prostitutes), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[f.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>remarrying
a wife you have divorced after she has married someone else (Deuteronomy 24:4;
perhaps, God was attempting here to protect the sanctity of the new marriage
from the incursion of the former spouse), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[g.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(merchants)
using differing measuring scales in order to cheat customers (Deuteronomy
25:16), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[h.]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and worshiping idols (Deuteronomy 27:15 and
elsewhere).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These types of activities
were practiced in the religious activities of the nations of Canaan that God
was expelling before Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;">Leviticus 18:</span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">25-30 says, “You shall not commit any abominations . . .The
men of the land that lies before you have committed all of these abominations,
and the land is defiled.”</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Murderers</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those who kill their own children are not the only murderers, of course.</span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">The
Sexually Immoral</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"> (those practicing
porneia) refers to the prostitutes mentioned above and below as “abominations,”
as well as other sexual sins.</span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="text"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Dogs</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;">Deuteronomy 23:18 also calls “dogs” [male prostitutes] an
“abomination” similar to female prostitutes (see above).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, the name “dogs” came from some often-embarrassing
activity of male dogs, interacting with humans.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Sorcerers</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Greek word for the practice is “pharmakeia” from which we get the
English term “pharmacy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drugs (pharmaceuticals)
were used to induce strange experiences for non-medical purposes, as they are
today, whether or not sorcery is involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The divination/sorcery (mentioned above) was also called an abomination.</span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Idolaters</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;"> are also very frequently listed as an
abomination (see above).</span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.05in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.05in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Liars</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
who feel they are not guilty of the activities of other types of individuals
found in the Lake of Fire might still have some conscientious stress (feel
guilty) concerning this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example, did I lie when I told my children there was an Easter Bunny?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides the three passages mentioning that
liars will be in the Lake of Fire, John in Revelation only uses the “lying” terminology two other times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once, in
Revelation 14:5, John says that no “lie” is to be found in the mouths of the
144,000, for they are without fault before the throne of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, all of their untruths—including the
Easter Bunny thing—have been forgiven and, thus, they stand without fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only other time John (and Jesus) calls
someone a “liar” in Revelation is in 2:2, where Jesus commends the church at
Ephesus for “<span class="woj">test[ing] those</span> <span class="woj">who
say they are apostles and are not, and [finding] them liars.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rather suspect that John had this weightier
accusation of “liars” in mind as he compiled the Lake of Fire list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is to say, lying in matters of
consequence would be the important factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the serpent told Eve, “You shall <i>not</i> surely die,” it was a
matter of grave consequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the
Ten Commandments say “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” they imply a type of
court scene where witnesses perjure themselves, causing grave consequences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When false apostles (and false prophets) lie
about themselves and their messages, it is a matter of grave consequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is clear in the false apostles’ example
is that there will be “so-called” Christian leaders who find themselves cast into
the Lake of Fire.</span></span><span style="background: white; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Agents:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Besides God and
Jesus, the agents in the New Heavens and New Earth will be Christians (which
term I will use from here on out for all whose names are in the Lamb’s book of
life (21:27), the New Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb (21:2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I explained in Apocalyptic? #8, their new
nature will be different from the “cursed” nature that followed the Fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the Fall, humans experienced every kind
of stress (corporal, competence, community, confusion, conscientious, chrono,
and cash stresses).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, John offers us
a glimpse of an existence in which there is no stress at all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Described as a “city” that comes down out of
heaven from God, this list of Christians’ attributes seems more symbolic than literal,
however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What many confuse as a
description of the scene of our existence is actually a description of the
perfection of God’s people:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4t59RLtiMJF-b00Z_ECb-ntEAgldPZPeaj1D8NSCtU0THH6nqRhJUacUrG3GeqfiqcAlUI_TGG55vozc8Yxe3ytJ4hBlmSI2zNPpKNZ5lh3DPdGX2svdqDIjVOzwulh7lrHGm1Zcg-d_j-qLvBoeSE61ayQDxbNjcT1b-Qpk6f8xNNIohLtWes2MyNA/s338/NewJerusalem.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="338" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4t59RLtiMJF-b00Z_ECb-ntEAgldPZPeaj1D8NSCtU0THH6nqRhJUacUrG3GeqfiqcAlUI_TGG55vozc8Yxe3ytJ4hBlmSI2zNPpKNZ5lh3DPdGX2svdqDIjVOzwulh7lrHGm1Zcg-d_j-qLvBoeSE61ayQDxbNjcT1b-Qpk6f8xNNIohLtWes2MyNA/s320/NewJerusalem.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Shaped
like a huge Holy of Holies (21:16).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
is a perfect cube; the measurement would be in cubic miles rather than square
miles, as a city on earth now might be measured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its width, length, and height are each 1380
miles (=12,000 stadia), whereas, the width, length, and height of the Holy of
Holies in Solomon’s Temple were each 20 cubits (II Chronicles 3:8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This symbolism suggests that the Christians will
now be the dwelling place of God, just as his presence was seen to dwell in the
Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>New Jerusalem, unlike the old Jerusalem, has no temple, for God and the
Lamb are its temple (21:22).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will
be no community stress between Christians and God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no separating wall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Containing
the Tree of Life (22:2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This symbolism
suggests that the Christians will have access to the Tree of Life (from Eden),
and hence, will live forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will
be no chrono stress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Containing
the River (Fountain) of the Water of Life (21:6, 22:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This symbolism suggests that, as Jesus said
to the Samaritan woman at the well,<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> <span class="woj">“whoever drinks of the water that I
shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him</span> <span class="woj">will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting
life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is another reference to the
eternal life of the Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, there
will be no chrono stress</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Having
as her light, the Shekinah/Glory of God and the Lamb (21:11, 23; 22:5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What light is brighter than the Sun and every
star in the universe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Shekinah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It totally illuminates even the darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No confusion stress; we will know all things.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Having
great high walls (1380 miles high) with twelve gates on which were written the
names of the twelve tribes of Israel (21:12-13).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>City walls are for the protection of those
who dwell inside the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
symbolism suggests that, since the height, like the width and length, is 1380
miles (=12,000 stadia), there is perfect “protection and safety” for the
Christians (including those Jews represented by the “twelve tribes of Israel”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be no corporal or community
stress.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Having
twelve foundations for the wall on which were written the names of the twelve
apostles (21:14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The apostles’
doctrine (New Testament) is the foundation or basis for the Christians’
existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no confusion stress;
we know the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Having
precious stones adorning the twelve foundations for the wall--</span><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius,
chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst—no doubt,
corresponding to the twelve stones on the high priest’s breastplate, worn
whenever approaching the Shekinah.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (21:19-20).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This symbolism suggests that Christians
collectively are the high priests who can enter into the presence of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation 20:6 (NKJV) says that Christians “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">shall
be priests of God and of Christ.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
will be no competence stress.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Having
“pearly gates” (21:21)—each gate was a pearl—along with having “streets of
gold” (21:21).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are not
descriptions of the scene in which we will act; they are descriptions of the
beauty and worth of Christ’s bride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
say the least, however, Christians will have no “cash stress.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To corroborate, John even says that the New
Jerusalem will hold the glory of the nations in it (21:24-26).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Acts:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9PkhmN6eproGrwfw51wz3VwDqPZrZI3P5q9Ke5J70xBbFKLFnkf_R3u8fFbHe0SDBQgHBilIZk0QrqXPSPPprpZbsLTSjP8OGFrFpDv1icBV2AM0Y223Y9a2rIv7it7aQOuawy4_09S4Z3sSvWsj3O31ZMFrUhbeo_ji89BMl7YzCOc2ysU3NpFkAA/s293/kissingTiger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="293" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9PkhmN6eproGrwfw51wz3VwDqPZrZI3P5q9Ke5J70xBbFKLFnkf_R3u8fFbHe0SDBQgHBilIZk0QrqXPSPPprpZbsLTSjP8OGFrFpDv1icBV2AM0Y223Y9a2rIv7it7aQOuawy4_09S4Z3sSvWsj3O31ZMFrUhbeo_ji89BMl7YzCOc2ysU3NpFkAA/s1600/kissingTiger.jpg" width="293" /></a></div><br />By definition, an act is
something one does, purposefully, of his/her own free will and accord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone will be the times of the evil
inclination in the human heart, so whatever one does will be within the will of
God. The specific act of humans mentioned in Revelation is “reigning” (22:5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This seems like the same activity given to
man in the first creation, before the Fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Genesis 1:27-30 (NKJV) states: <span class="text">“</span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">God
created man in His <i>own</i> image</span> . . . </span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">male
and female He created them</span> . . .</span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and God said to
them </span>. . .</span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span>‘</span><span class="text"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">have dominion</span></i></span><span class="text"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living
thing that moves on the earth.’”</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such “activity” as reigning and having
dominion implies complete freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without the physical restrictions, even of time and location, Christians
may well be able to explore all parts of the universe, to engage with the plant and animal worlds as Adam and Eve did, and to interact with all
other Christians from every generation (as God saw that Adam needed Eve with
whom to interact) as well as with God and Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8uzURjaOU0ajK_6NpMcVJoIEwFS_l5-1j7DcNLDTnQ1rbWyRUclHhZm2f4OE4LRdL9Du4e0ISGz7JAjupQQdLL-UVN9oRfXMAgkW8mpBqPnQLwwi2nLirNb1qJezLUuqJCn7NeHCZwWCTqddk4yj8I_AGj-gVBOS3Z6aoF5-VSgu9avr1388ceU5wQ/s2350/marriage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1780" data-original-width="2350" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8uzURjaOU0ajK_6NpMcVJoIEwFS_l5-1j7DcNLDTnQ1rbWyRUclHhZm2f4OE4LRdL9Du4e0ISGz7JAjupQQdLL-UVN9oRfXMAgkW8mpBqPnQLwwi2nLirNb1qJezLUuqJCn7NeHCZwWCTqddk4yj8I_AGj-gVBOS3Z6aoF5-VSgu9avr1388ceU5wQ/s320/marriage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Incidentally, Jesus says that
there will be no more marriage when we rise from the dead (Mark 12:25), but
that doesn’t mean that we won’t interact with our loved ones from our earthly
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We <i>need</i> each other
socially (although “socially” is still too weak a term to express our intense interaction
needs), as God saw when He created Eve, and as God Himself probably felt when He
created man, in the first place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam
and Eve certainly interacted before they sinned and ate of the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only after
they ate did they notice that they were naked and were <i>only then</i> told to
be fruitful and multiply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex (and
reproduction) was a consolation prize for having lost eternal life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we will have regained eternal life,
there will be no further need for the consolation prize of reproduction and
sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some portions of Islam differ from
Christianity partly in the sense that some Muslims look forward to sexual
gratification in paradise (72 virgins), and Christians are not thus obsessed
with sexual gratification.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The picture often painted by
preachers of the entirety of human activity being spent eternally singing “Holy,
Holy, Holy!” and “Worthy are God Almighty and the Lamb” (while there will automatically
be that kind of activity as part of our interaction with God and Jesus) was
largely drawn from Revelation 5 and 6. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
chapters were designed to depict God’s and the Lamb’s united rulership over the
cosmos during this world, not a picture of the New Heaven and New Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Agencies:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGSjJshVwoPiIb1r-spqSUOZZmSd4b_KHkngv6KS2xqGndW2PSuzuJ68CpaPLqRAobz4RznG-UjCff3CW97rPpVSEMLGcBPyaszvYAeLfhdm7vEZAqAxU50dOjKdRVgc3lkpltFjuTm5EPuqjgcXtBZg7gsyt4-Dn84xjr_piSJcGLI8qLryqdP202Q/s640/superman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="640" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGSjJshVwoPiIb1r-spqSUOZZmSd4b_KHkngv6KS2xqGndW2PSuzuJ68CpaPLqRAobz4RznG-UjCff3CW97rPpVSEMLGcBPyaszvYAeLfhdm7vEZAqAxU50dOjKdRVgc3lkpltFjuTm5EPuqjgcXtBZg7gsyt4-Dn84xjr_piSJcGLI8qLryqdP202Q/s320/superman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />New existence will, almost
certainly, call for new agencies, the methods by which acts are performed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These agencies will exist primarily within the
capabilities of the glorified bodies inherited by Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since communication and creativity are parts
of the image of God humans were given at Creation, there will certainly be
communication and may well continue to be creative agencies employed by
Christians.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Purpose:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On pages 41-42 of my book <i>The
Logic of Christianity</i>, I wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">What PURPOSE would motivate [God]
an AGENT capable of ACTING to create and sustain life forms through the AGENCY
of LOGOS to do so? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abraham Maslow might term such a PURPOSIVE motive as
“self-actualization.” . . . [God] created logically-reproducing life forms
“because [He] could.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, given the
existence of human AGENTS who are capable of ACTION, themselves, we must assume
that this self-actualization PURPOSE extended to the desire/PURPOSE of creating
and sustaining other AGENTS who (like [Himself]) were also capable of ACTION,
COMMUNICATION, and forms of CREATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From Maslow’s motivational theory, we see that motives include not only
the ultimate motive of self-actualization, but also the social motive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the LOGOS could create a being, similar to
[Himself], capable of ACTION and COMMUNICATION, that LOGOS must also have a
SOCIAL PURPOSE/motive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SOCIAL <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PURPOSE
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>motivated <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AGENT
[God] <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>create <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CREATIVE,
COMMUNICATIVE, ACTION-BASED life form [mankind] with which [God] LOGOS THE
AGENT could communicate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4UhcLbnWEWp8y21PQEVtv1e1o7aSpBPQRLEMQ3s6Mkr9SFRCBArVruCtGq2Q9BjxAn27h8ri1IdVDI1IfXW5MMs9kRi-geSYWF51yFHuTZktl5NDuCHQYjbiyt4fJqAqgAY5kGpKXOGBNqqPRRciB0L8Euj7QoUomMvDHWJvNiz5FTcjhMPEXW6jqA/s1838/group%20hug.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1838" data-original-width="1300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4UhcLbnWEWp8y21PQEVtv1e1o7aSpBPQRLEMQ3s6Mkr9SFRCBArVruCtGq2Q9BjxAn27h8ri1IdVDI1IfXW5MMs9kRi-geSYWF51yFHuTZktl5NDuCHQYjbiyt4fJqAqgAY5kGpKXOGBNqqPRRciB0L8Euj7QoUomMvDHWJvNiz5FTcjhMPEXW6jqA/s320/group%20hug.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />If God has a
social purpose and His created humans have a social purpose, it only makes
sense that the primary <i>purpose</i> for our activity in the New Heaven and
New Earth will be to interact and communicate with God, Jesus, and our fellow
citizens of the New Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">POSTSCRIPT:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My goal in writing <i>Apocalyptic
Apologetic:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nails in the Coffin of
Atheism </i>was not to condemn atheists to the Lake of Fire or to gloat that
those whose continual “acts”—however <span style="background: white; color: black;">cowardly, unbelieving,
abominable, murderous, sexually immoral, dog-like, drug-related, idolatrous, or
false—might secure their part in the fiery Lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was (as I believe John’s was in writing
Revelation) to demonstrate in history the trustworthiness of biblical apocalyptic
prophecy and to warn, and thus, divert those prone to practicing such acts from
the Lake of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Atheists who take
solace in the possibility presented in the previous post that annihilation
(rather than eternal torment) might await them should instead take note in this
final post (of the much more positive motivation): <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>all the things they will be missing in the New
Heavens and New Earth . . . and repent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t want you to be annihilated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I really want to see you and interact with you there!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-56175368731047385262022-04-14T12:23:00.001-07:002022-04-14T12:23:28.158-07:00Apocalyptic? #40: The Lake of Fire<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS8TcsoxggOAIHnWOsKZ5XE4WlH3VLCtTsLAl0YHBm6aEUFBBLQChufB7EuD-w4ofuksho1J9_iPSxGTsevUCK7kZiDCjcNwj1CC-V7oyZjwWLqYPWFBunc9iieKMfQAzhmxBOgIBlh2AonBdelAGABcFvC70X-B7p82hglito-C67baK_0NcUTzCgQ/s1600/RingOfFire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="1600" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMS8TcsoxggOAIHnWOsKZ5XE4WlH3VLCtTsLAl0YHBm6aEUFBBLQChufB7EuD-w4ofuksho1J9_iPSxGTsevUCK7kZiDCjcNwj1CC-V7oyZjwWLqYPWFBunc9iieKMfQAzhmxBOgIBlh2AonBdelAGABcFvC70X-B7p82hglito-C67baK_0NcUTzCgQ/s320/RingOfFire.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Prior
to celebrating the New Heavens and New Earth, in the New Jerusalem, one final
negative scene must be considered—the Lake of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has now been more than three months since
I published my last blogpost, but I hated to replace it on my blog’s landing
page since it continued to receive hits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As it turns out, in a timely fashion, I published the post entitled “The
Final Battle of History” on January 13<sup>th</sup> of this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it, I speculated concerning problems with
Russia, China, and Iran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, on
February 24<sup>th</sup>, Russia invaded Ukraine and the world has been
obsessed ever since with viewing the genocidal war crimes Putin has committed
(like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and more recently, Muslim terrorists and Xi Jinping—although
we shouldn’t forget Planned Parenthood in our list of killers and atrocities).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These entities, like the Beast and False
Prophet, may well be candidates for induction into the Lake of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Russia has received support from China, as
both China and Russia have allied themselves with Iran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I had written as “speculation” was
happening before our eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unbelievably,
the Biden administration is still using Russia to negotiate a treaty with Iran
for us (which could threaten the very existence of Israel)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>China is breathing out threats concerning
invading Taiwan and Iran is still breathing out threats about annihilating
Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, the blog series
must continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are nearing the end (I
mean the end of the blog series, not <i>necessarily</i> the world).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKARLaf4vBl7VDikoAj-4IGeg0JQQWHnd8_YZ8VGC7-RMHlcjBVWDIglbIBakNlGvmUidHtOyqnkboKfIk5PJAHCtDiJEMnJYuJF03yDtmrLDuTUIMPVFjLQ5rgMuWt2BTXt7HuCETHqf2GpCuzxI4QM0NKAWlgPTRLm9_QFIOAu2ZJkxfD9rdn--AUw/s1280/coffin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKARLaf4vBl7VDikoAj-4IGeg0JQQWHnd8_YZ8VGC7-RMHlcjBVWDIglbIBakNlGvmUidHtOyqnkboKfIk5PJAHCtDiJEMnJYuJF03yDtmrLDuTUIMPVFjLQ5rgMuWt2BTXt7HuCETHqf2GpCuzxI4QM0NKAWlgPTRLm9_QFIOAu2ZJkxfD9rdn--AUw/s320/coffin.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One
might refer to the final negative scene of the Apocalypse as the ultimate “nail
in the coffin of atheism.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I point
out on pages 6-7 of my book <i>ArguMentor</i>, the agnostic philosopher Kenneth
Burke observes in <i>Attitudes Toward History</i> (p. 52-53):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Atheism
(and, in keeping, a categorical denial of immortality) is a statement of faith
that necessarily cannot be substantiated by a “weighing of all the
evidence.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you find a man who is
exceptionally eager to deny the possibility of immortality (as though he “could
not rest” without a constant “secular prayer” to the effect that death is
absolute) you may legitimately grow quizzical of his intensity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why such zest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Might it not come from a fear of punishment
after death?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For it is obvious that, if
the possibility were either death or heaven, there would be no incentive for a
man to become engrossed in the denial of immortality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would let the matter slide, content to
await his sojourn in paradise when it came, and to go about his business in the
interim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, on the other hand, the
possibility of immortality contained for him the likelihood of his taking up
permanent residence in hell, he would have “good emotional reasons” for wanting
to “pray” immortality out of existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hence, when we see a man who goes out of his way to amass evidence that
“proves” mortality, we should take his engrossment as a somewhat unwieldy and
roundabout way of cancelling guiltiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The man . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who says
“absolutely not” is driven by . . . the fear of immortality (which could only
derive from a latent fear of hell that stimulated him thus indirectly to
“legislate” the possibility out of existence).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Therefore, before looking
toward the happy features of the world to come in the next blogpost, it is
fitting that this unhappy scene of the cosmic drama be first considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKQidbyrPmkEG4mT6cPr_TaucKUkw2wFHrbSMSA7R5AlZ1M7rrpuAuxbLnvZ6d3TSyiZXQ21KHl1VWVTYm_z6K5drxcqN5Fcp8N98NRtKYq1ykub8sbZDaEFwscwJKy22cbzIN7WUuEGeyzjixuhokM7Ii_YuEt9et_N7713n_iK8E-g1VjO1OUb8XA/s269/gavel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="269" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKQidbyrPmkEG4mT6cPr_TaucKUkw2wFHrbSMSA7R5AlZ1M7rrpuAuxbLnvZ6d3TSyiZXQ21KHl1VWVTYm_z6K5drxcqN5Fcp8N98NRtKYq1ykub8sbZDaEFwscwJKy22cbzIN7WUuEGeyzjixuhokM7Ii_YuEt9et_N7713n_iK8E-g1VjO1OUb8XA/s1600/gavel.jpg" width="269" /></a></b></div><b><br />Judgment</b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Revelation
20:14-15 (NKJV) describes a <b>judgment</b>, just prior to the creation of the
new heavens and new earth: “<span class="content"><span style="color: #121212;">This
is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of
Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.” </span></span>Revelation 21:8 (NKJV)
elaborates: “<span class="content">[T]he cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have
their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death.”<span style="color: #121212;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span>These passages are not John’s first discussions of the Lake of
Fire, however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Revelation
19:20, the first individuals to be cast into the Lake of Fire were </span><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">the beast (understand:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nero) and the false prophet (understand:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Jewish high priesthood). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This initial consignment to the Lake of Fire occurred
at least 1000 years before the Dragon/Devil/Satan was finally cast into the Lake
of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation 20:10 (NKJV) reports
that, after his 1000 years of incarceration in the Abyss, and after he raised
up Gog and Magog, only to see their destruction: “The devil, who deceived them,
was [THEN?] cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone where the beast
and the false prophet <i>are.</i> And <i>they</i> will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9fAZqi4gpElENyK2UUeUCI8gi7j7YLYGsZ3139nDoVWhWZ2bWiowazunE0KOYSdyFU8qSAL6LEMJFrBYAKInb6opQ66mD5ti9AgjMY3XSope3UqdmPT64Yy7fd0y2bRPLLd0lxxqOlmofUGQEDBYuVtxce5BY5iTc5IIcMxz5zCOKNU-XO_WUYWAYg/s1920/StreamOfFire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1920" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9fAZqi4gpElENyK2UUeUCI8gi7j7YLYGsZ3139nDoVWhWZ2bWiowazunE0KOYSdyFU8qSAL6LEMJFrBYAKInb6opQ66mD5ti9AgjMY3XSope3UqdmPT64Yy7fd0y2bRPLLd0lxxqOlmofUGQEDBYuVtxce5BY5iTc5IIcMxz5zCOKNU-XO_WUYWAYg/s320/StreamOfFire.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Stream of Fire</b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In
Apocalyptic? #32, under my categorization of <b>hapax legomena</b>, I observed
that, prior to John’s Apocalypse, no one had ever used the expression “Lake of
Fire.” Nevertheless, Daniel had used the expression “stream of fire” (Daniel
7:10) and we are, therefore, able to logically deduce what John means by his
expression “Lake of Fire.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On page 72 of
<i>Revelation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Human Drama</i>, I
comment: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">For John, as for
other Jews of his generation, a concept of a whole from which parts spring up
and to which they return is the concept of the Nehar di-Nur (the "stream
of fire").<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Louis Ginzberg
states:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Thus there are angels who
spring up daily out of the stream Dinur (='stream of fire'; comp. Dan. 7.10);
they praise God, and then disappear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out
of every word uttered by God angels are created."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ginzberg says that the Rabbis further
connected this stream with at least one star:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>"The stream of fire in which the sun bathes, is identical with the
Nehar di-Nur."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An easy connection
would be to see other . . . "stars," bathing in and arising out of
the stream of fire, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">John equates “stars” with “angels” in
Revelation 1:20 (NKJV): “<span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The seven stars are</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> <span class="woj">the</span> <span class="woj">angels of the
seven churches.”</span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Revelation 12:3-4 (NKJV), in an allusion to “fallen angel stories,”
describes Satan as: “<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black;">a
great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on
his heads. <b><sup> </sup></b>His tail drew a third of the <i>stars</i>
of heaven and threw them to the earth.”</span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI",sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Revelation 12:9 (NKJV) continues, “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">So the great
dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and
Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him.</span>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On page 151 of <i>Angels and Demons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Personification of Communication (Logology)</i>, I comment: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">John is familiar
with the "stream of fire."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
does not mention this stream, but he describes a "Lake of Fire" into
which the Devil and his angels are thrown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not only is John familiar with the "stream of fire," he even
adds a twist to the concept:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A “stream”
keeps on flowing, but a "lake" is the end of the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water flows into a lake, but does not flow
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Ginzberg, later Jewish
writers speak of souls passing through the river of fire where "the
wicked" are "judged."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whether these Jewish writers originated the idea of a river of fiery
judgment or picked up on John's "Lake of Fire" is uncertain, but
their concept does seem to demonstrate the ease with which fiery judgment and
the stream of fire may be connected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkTnmQwxL26QRiuJPTRh9PwBo98R5_J9S6qk423ZfV41b1O9j2v6s7--p5zyIKETEzXvsTpOjY2JnLNCCRVtbC96_wf-SFiL52ubqhHr4AFM2MWQVntOl9hpw9OAUTcPlbUvQoKBu5xjlH--OkUfDAfovbKqbSJeBj3tbaBWAhIDGJmTvz3oarT6lzQ/s800/hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="800" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkTnmQwxL26QRiuJPTRh9PwBo98R5_J9S6qk423ZfV41b1O9j2v6s7--p5zyIKETEzXvsTpOjY2JnLNCCRVtbC96_wf-SFiL52ubqhHr4AFM2MWQVntOl9hpw9OAUTcPlbUvQoKBu5xjlH--OkUfDAfovbKqbSJeBj3tbaBWAhIDGJmTvz3oarT6lzQ/s320/hell.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Fiery Punishment</b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Matthew
25:31-46 (NKJV), while not using John’s “Lake of Fire” terminology, appears to
be discussing the same phenomenon, but he adds the notion that this everlasting
fire (Lake of Fire?) was actually “<i>prepared for</i> the devil and his
angels.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Lake of Fire was
PREPARED FOR THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS, it seems only appropriate that (after
the Beast and False Prophet), the first entity consigned to the Lake of Fire at
the end of history would be the Dragon/Devil/Satan—followed, of course, by “the
goats” (or, as Revelation 20:14-21:8 puts it: “<span class="content"><span style="color: #121212;">anyone not found written in the Book of Life was
cast into the Lake of Fire . . . t</span>he cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<span style="color: #121212;">Death and Hades”
of 20:14 might be understood as either the devil’s angels (for example, the
Angel of Death) or the inhabitants of the abode of the dead (Hades) whose names
were not written in the Book of Life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew cites the words of Jesus:</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">“When the Son of Man comes in His glory . . . All the nations will be
gathered before Him, and</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">He will separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divides <i>his</i> sheep from the goats.</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> <b><sup> </sup></b></span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">. . . Then the King will say to those on
His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">inherit the kingdom</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">prepared for you from the foundation of the world . . . Then He will
also say to those on the left hand,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">‘Depart from Me, you cursed,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">into the everlasting fire <i>prepared for</i></span></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">the devil and his angels</span></i><span style="color: black;"> . . . And</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into
eternal life.”</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVHW02jB532rvmLVQFIIuNBfjm8uu9e1eDPXBp8eRrpFkbi1t1JJTmgXk7olCNujQNKzYXej_VnGWTbuyxh2pLmvEW0ii0__NbWUfMztm-QSs8A9VaXR_Q2laDk98UCDggzpvx7LQYpEaKpEanx_q6_JOEtf5tXn7rvpRkTfTiITSQ2TvGNHNUQ1LLA/s577/Molech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="577" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVHW02jB532rvmLVQFIIuNBfjm8uu9e1eDPXBp8eRrpFkbi1t1JJTmgXk7olCNujQNKzYXej_VnGWTbuyxh2pLmvEW0ii0__NbWUfMztm-QSs8A9VaXR_Q2laDk98UCDggzpvx7LQYpEaKpEanx_q6_JOEtf5tXn7rvpRkTfTiITSQ2TvGNHNUQ1LLA/s320/Molech.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Gehenna</b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Besides
calling this scene “everlasting fire” and “everlasting punishment,” Matthew
also refers to the scene as Gehenna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
John never uses this “Gehenna” terminology, I state on page 54 of my book <i>The
Logic of Christianity:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Syllogistic
Chain</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Hebrew word for Hell is Gē Hinnom (the Valley of Hinnom), the name of an area
outside of Jerusalem where apostate Israelites had sacrificed their innocent
children to the false god Molech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to
this SCANDALOUS practice of killing children, Gē Hinnom became a name that
forever after was considered cursed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hell in both Judaism and Christianity is referred to as the Valley of
Hinnom (Gehenna, in the Greek New Testament).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus and his brother James do not always use the term
Gehenna as a place of torment to which humans will be sent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>James 3:6 <span style="background: white; color: black;">(NKJV)</span>, writing to Jewish Christians, refers to
Gehenna as the fiery source for the negative use of the tongue: “<span style="background: white; color: black;">And the tongue <i>is</i> a
fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that
it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and
it is set on fire by hell (Gehenna).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew, also writing to Jewish Christians, uses the term more times
than does any other New Testament writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luke and Mark, whose gospels are addressed more to Gentile Christians, each
use the term Gehenna in one instance only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luke 12:5, in reporting the same teaching of Jesus that Matthew 10:28
records, warns not to fear those who kill the body, but, instead, to fear Him who
has the power to cast into (i.e., destroy both soul and body in) hell
(Gehenna).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, here, certainly sounds
like a destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark 9:43-47, in
reporting the same teaching of Jesus that Matthew 5:27-30 and Matthew 18:6-9 record,
recommends (using hyperbole?) cutting off your hand (or foot) or plucking out
your eye rather than having both hands, (feet,) and eyes to be cast into hell
(Gehenna).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, hell also sounds like a
destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 5 cites Jesus using
this teaching with regard to the issue of adultery and looking at a woman to
lust after her, while Mark 9 and Matthew 18 cite Jesus using the teaching with
regard to the issue of causing “one of these little ones who believe in me to
sin/stumble.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark repeatedly adds and
emphatically that the fire of Gehenna shall never be quenched.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">To these two teachings of Jesus regarding
Gehenna, Matthew 5:22 (NKJV) adds, “<span class="woj">[W]hoever says [to his
brother], ‘You fool (moron)!’ shall be in danger of</span> <span class="woj">hell fire” (</span>another use that sounds like a destination<span class="woj">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, in another unclear use
of the term, Matthew 25:1-15 </span>(NKJV) <span class="woj">describes Jesus’
criticism of the scribes and Pharisees: “</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay <i>them</i> on
men’s shoulders; but they <i>themselves</i> will not move them with
one of their fingers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . [they]
travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, [they] make him
twice as much a son of</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">hell (Gehenna) as [them]selves.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jesus’ comment in Matthew 16:18 IN THE KING JAMES VERSION that the
“gates of hell shall not prevail against” the Church translates as not Gehenna,
but <b>Hades</b>, as hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The NKJV
corrects the translation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw4QqU-EUl-6KXuYd-PL2QRtU0e_7zj9F8FrTILAC2K7ycIxsDZcHWZ4DLwz2Dh6i0OmU3k3OIZTAmjoBicSTyCA_oYmgoN45pyD0v9yMUcXXxYLWo7F6AkWzElsxj9K6r6Vq6q3vI5dhuca-QO1hxnGhCgKXjxdGZW-a6fzv4XZCQ2QbhEhcdQZjgw/s400/volcano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw4QqU-EUl-6KXuYd-PL2QRtU0e_7zj9F8FrTILAC2K7ycIxsDZcHWZ4DLwz2Dh6i0OmU3k3OIZTAmjoBicSTyCA_oYmgoN45pyD0v9yMUcXXxYLWo7F6AkWzElsxj9K6r6Vq6q3vI5dhuca-QO1hxnGhCgKXjxdGZW-a6fzv4XZCQ2QbhEhcdQZjgw/s320/volcano.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Is Hell Annihilation or Unending Torment?</b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This
much seems certain:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fire of the Lake
of Fire (aka, Gehenna) is described as being permanent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mark 9:43-47 <span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">repeatedly calls it an unquenchable fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>Matthew
25:31-46 refers to <span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">everlasting fire.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There is some suggestion that the fire, while unquenchable and
everlasting, may be the only part of the Lake of Fire/Gehenna that is
permanent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This thought leads some to
believe that annihilation is the result from being cast into the Lake of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That interpretation will be discussed
shortly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, John’s point, however,
is that there is never a return or release from being cast into the Lake of
Fire/Gehenna, whereas, the Dragon’s incarceration in the <b>Abyss/Bottomless
Pit</b> in Revelation 20:1-3 and 7 was only temporary (albeit, for one thousand
years).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Revelation 9:1-11, the plague
of locusts (see Apocalyptic? #28) <i>emerged</i> from the Abyss/Bottomless
Pit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Revelation 11:7 and 17:8, the
Beast <i>ascends from</i> the Abyss/Bottomless Pit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If entities may, at some point, <i>leave</i>
the Abyss/Bottomless Pit, incarceration there is not permanent
consignment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One might also compare the
temporary torment of the Rich Man (vs. Lazarus) in Jesus’ parable (Luke
16:19-31).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luke 16:23 states that the
Rich Man was in <b>Hades</b>, not in Gehenna, but that he was, nevertheless,
experiencing fiery? torment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term
here used for torment is from the same etymological root as John’s term for the
eternal torment of the Lake of Fire in Revelation 20:10. Nevertheless, since
John in Revelation states that Hades is cast into the Lake of Fire, Hades is
probably understood by John to be a temporary abode of the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation 1:18 states that Jesus holds the
keys to death and Hades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lake of
Fire, on the other hand, even if torment is experienced in both it and in Hades,
is permanent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesFiNW_t2pWtCQspB5dyhhrDZcAS28OsDVoKE6AXrUts-HOwPsXFeqj8vMGfiMWv_iQpfz5JnPkWid9yMxJyft_qaAEbyc5zb4tHl7kukJt9bjz6rJzv_nfF2uQbpyZ4JDX1Ds_70oa5ZiEzGHkLKAsLrV5288MOg0K2daZ4fJoWuW-hjiDH3vzUZ5Q/s615/torment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="615" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesFiNW_t2pWtCQspB5dyhhrDZcAS28OsDVoKE6AXrUts-HOwPsXFeqj8vMGfiMWv_iQpfz5JnPkWid9yMxJyft_qaAEbyc5zb4tHl7kukJt9bjz6rJzv_nfF2uQbpyZ4JDX1Ds_70oa5ZiEzGHkLKAsLrV5288MOg0K2daZ4fJoWuW-hjiDH3vzUZ5Q/s320/torment.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />What Constitutes Torment?<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke 16:23(-28), the
Rich Man petitions Abraham </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">to
“</span></span><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">send Lazarus that he may dip the tip
of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the fact that this
torment is not permanent because it is in <b>Hades</b>—not in Gehenna or the Lake
of Fire—this is the closest parallel to </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Revelation 20:10 (NKJV) in which:
“The devil . . . was cast into the Lake of Fire and
brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are<i>.</i> And
<i>they</i> will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the devil is a “celestial” entity,
Jesus’ assumed power to “torment” demons was posited by one claiming to be
demon-possessed in </span><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Mark 5:7, Luke 8:28, and
Matthew 8:29. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, the man who
believed he had a Legion of demons assumed that Jesus had the power to
“torment” the demons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the
appearance is that, at least, the devil and his angels (plus the beast and the
false prophet) will be tormented forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a style="mso-comment-date: 20220411T0039; mso-comment-reference: SL_1;"><o:p></o:p></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="mso-comment-continuation: 1;"><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Not all “torment” </span></span></span><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">discussed
in the New Testament (or even Revelation) seems to be the variety in which
flames of fire cause the torment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According
to Matthew 4:24, Jesus healed those with diseases and “torments.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 8:5-6 reports that the centurion’s
servant was “tormented” by paralysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Matthew 14:24 and Mark 6:48 report that the disciples in their boat (on the
Sea of Galilee) were “tormented” by waves and the difficulty of sailing in
rough seas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Parable of the
Unforgiving Servant, Matthew 18:34 narrates that the unforgiving servant was
placed with the “tormentors” until he should repay all that he owed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2 Peter 2:8, Lot’s righteous soul was
“tormented” by seeing and hearing the filthy conduct of the wicked in Sodom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In
Revelation 12:2, the process of giving birth was associated with “torment.” Women
who have given birth can empathize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Revelation 11:10, the two witnesses (Moses and Elijah/the Law and the
Prophets?) “tormented” those who inhabited the land of Israel. In Revelation
9:5, there was “torment” (but not death) inflicted by the plague of Locusts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using Josephus, I explain this plague in Apocalyptic?
#28 as the rape of the land by </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Simon son of Giora in 69
A.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Revelation 14:9-11 (NKJV), <span class="content"><span style="color: #121212;">those who worship “the beast and his
image . . . shall be <i>tormented</i> with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the
smoke of their <i>torment</i> ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest
day or night.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this sounds as if
it might be Lake of Fire torment, the Lake of Fire is not mentioned here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does this passage mean that the torment of
the Beast worshippers will last forever or does it just mean that “the smoke of
their torment” will ascend forever?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
this the same smoke of their “torment” alluded to in Revelation 18:7-8, where
Jerusalem/Babylon’s “torment . . . will come in one day—death and mourning
and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire.”</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two passages sound similar
to Revelation 18:9-10 (NKJV): “</span><span class="content"><span style="color: #121212;">the smoke of her burning . . . fear of her torment . . . ‘Alas,
alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!</span></span></span><span class="content"><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">”</span></span><span class="content"><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(See also 18:15.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This specific torment of Jerusalem was
experienced in <i>history</i> (in 70 A.D.)—not in the Lake of Fire.</span></span><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywndYqC3A5lwqg0JXYmMlX7vVEgC83VIHMMiYHsHJg6FoQy1c9AKOPOiQZdn11WxC4spFCeXQzxYW3bwP42El_5eM-XSMBP00kyFZpCt_8-evunSx8uyIdAcVSZB_R0FkaqD36mV9HwH06UdU5EXBa-DtH2m0Fh6RoeVA_HAdwLMOUBFuEiXgjoGwQg/s1024/Dragon7heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1024" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywndYqC3A5lwqg0JXYmMlX7vVEgC83VIHMMiYHsHJg6FoQy1c9AKOPOiQZdn11WxC4spFCeXQzxYW3bwP42El_5eM-XSMBP00kyFZpCt_8-evunSx8uyIdAcVSZB_R0FkaqD36mV9HwH06UdU5EXBa-DtH2m0Fh6RoeVA_HAdwLMOUBFuEiXgjoGwQg/s320/Dragon7heads.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbBK7d8moypX6aXhVKsS9_EpIfX1pTzMZiUmCalvuBbe-u3thYZJ6vR9B0gj1ZfD8Y7AvutTEd13hByQD2Io5IKZojQUlT5U_7RcHQsjATgBH-cKcsWPJsUk7OXF3rLVta1TguhhWu7ar54XgGUNItQgLRlZ240DRmhA6wj3V8sBSXMP7DjQfzbpJXQ/s615/dragon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbBK7d8moypX6aXhVKsS9_EpIfX1pTzMZiUmCalvuBbe-u3thYZJ6vR9B0gj1ZfD8Y7AvutTEd13hByQD2Io5IKZojQUlT5U_7RcHQsjATgBH-cKcsWPJsUk7OXF3rLVta1TguhhWu7ar54XgGUNItQgLRlZ240DRmhA6wj3V8sBSXMP7DjQfzbpJXQ/s320/dragon2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />What Constitutes Everlasting Punishment?<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Since
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Matthew
25:31-46 (NKJV) quotes Jesus as promising to<span class="woj"><span style="color: black;"> “say to those on the left hand,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">‘Depart from Me, you cursed,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">into the everlasting fire <i>prepared for</i></span></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">the devil and his angels</span></i><span style="color: black;"> . . . And</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">these will go away into everlasting punishment,” two things seem clear:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fire of the “Lake of Fire” is everlasting.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Those
whom Jesus designates as “goats” will experience “everlasting punishment.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What
is not quite as clear, however, is that the everlasting punishment of those
humans cast into the Lake of Fire will be an everlasting “torment.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John calls this everlasting punishment,
resulting from being cast into the Lake of Fire “the second death.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What that description means will be
considered, momentarily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also
problematic is the </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Matthew
10:28 warning not to fear those who kill the body, but, instead, to fear Him who
has the power to “destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).” If both soul
and body are “destroyed” in Gehenna, what sort of existence remains to be “tormented”
forever?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would the permanent personal
destruction of one’s body and soul be considered “everlasting punishment”?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt;"><span class="woj"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3Rkhz8w_y_MTkYMT77d9rUg_wXmYFbwq6oZtyJiZ93xR-DGmRErINJgn1A7cilALhJ-f8EbBzLDzBleU19I5ufwSpDkt4dMmqx1WR1Ah2lZFlr897eu6tqT9tqTNtg4eTf7mh12AKVO4mH4KhuQD2mLTu35glR4wYVagBTowCzlnJKXC6-Uy5jpglA/s642/secondDeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="642" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3Rkhz8w_y_MTkYMT77d9rUg_wXmYFbwq6oZtyJiZ93xR-DGmRErINJgn1A7cilALhJ-f8EbBzLDzBleU19I5ufwSpDkt4dMmqx1WR1Ah2lZFlr897eu6tqT9tqTNtg4eTf7mh12AKVO4mH4KhuQD2mLTu35glR4wYVagBTowCzlnJKXC6-Uy5jpglA/s320/secondDeath.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Second Death<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Revelation
20:14-15 (NKJV) describes “<span class="content"><span style="color: #121212;">the
second death,” the fate of “anyone not found written in the Book of Life [who]
was cast into the Lake of Fire.” </span></span>Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) specifies:
“<span class="content">[T]he cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers,
sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part
in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation 2:11 assures the
faithful church at Smyrna that whoever overcomes will not be hurt by the second
death and Revelation 20:6 assures those who are part of the first resurrection
that the second death will have no power over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Unfortunately,
the phrase “second death”—like the phrase “Lake of Fire”—is another hapax
legomenon of John’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phrase appears
nowhere else in the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When one
interprets the Lake of Fire in terms of the second death, one is effectively
interpreting one hapax legomenon through the lens of another hapax legomenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a happy picture!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, something still might be
learned from Daniel’s “stream of fire” terminology to assist in understanding
John’s “second death” terminology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
we posit that the everlasting fire was actually prepared for the devil and his
angels (</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Matthew 25:31-46<span class="content">), Jewish
understanding of the stream of fire in </span>Daniel 7.10 presents the rest of
the picture:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the view that angels only
exist to carry out “words” uttered by God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once the word from God has been accomplished/fulfilled, the specific angel
generated by that word is no longer necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The angel comes out of the stream of fire only to accomplish his task
and then, once it is complete, he returns to the stream of fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether or not Daniel 7:10 supplies this full
explanation is irrelevant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that
John and his Jewish-Christian audience were aware of it is all that was
necessary for John to utilize and adapt the concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since John never specifies a “sin” of which
the devil and his angels are guilty, but only states, in Revelation 12:7-11,
that Satan’s role as “accuser” in heaven is eliminated because of Jesus’
sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Satan/the Devil/the Dragon is
“cast out” of Heaven to Earth (the Fall of Satan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned in Apocalyptic? #23, this
amounts to <u>Progressive Step One</u> in the ultimate destruction of Satan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Progressive
Step Two</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> occurs in Revelation 20:1-3, immediately following
the Battle of Armageddon (the conclusion of the seals and trumpets and plagues)
as Satan is bound and thrown into the Bottomless Pit/Abyss, thus ending for
1000 years his role as the raiser of world empires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is then released from the Abyss for a
while, following the 1000 years, in order to raise world empires once more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Progressive
Step Three</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> occurs in Revelation 20:7-10, at the conclusion of
the 1000 years, after he has gathered Gog and Magog from the four corners of
the “Land” (of Israel) to surround and attack the Beloved City and the Camp of
the Saints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fire comes down from Heaven
and destroys Gog and Magog and the Devil is cast eternally into the Lake of
Fire.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Since,
according to the Rabbinic understanding of the “stream of fire,” once any angel
has accomplished his task, he returns to the stream of fire, it appears that
the purpose for the Lake of Fire as it relates to the Devil and his angels is
to finally and completely <i>eliminate</i> all of the tasks of the Devil and
his angels—tempter, accuser, executioner (death angel), raiser of world
emperors, (in short) to ELIMINATE EVERY SINGLE CURSE that was placed on mankind
as a result of the Fall of Adam and Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Revelation </span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">22:3 (NKJV) states
regarding the New Jerusalem/New Heavens/New Earth: “</span><span style="background: white; color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And there shall be no more <i>curse</i></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death, pain in
childbearing, and a curse on the ground were the major curses from Eden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Ugaritic texts (ancient
Semitic texts at least as old as the earliest Biblical Hebrew texts) refer to
Leviathan, the dragon as described in Revelation, as "the <i>accursed</i>
one of seven heads."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew
25:31-46 (NKJV) quotes Jesus as <span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">saying
“to those on the left hand,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">‘Depart from Me, you <i>cursed</i>,</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">into the everlasting fire <i>prepared for</i></span></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">the devil and his angels</span></i><span style="color: black;"> . . . And</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="color: black;">these will go away into everlasting punishment.”</span></span></span><u><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Again, according to Ginzberg,
"Out of every word uttered by God angels are created."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of those words uttered by God are <i>curses</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lake of Fire was designed to take out (of
circulation) every one of those <i>curses</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, while He is at it, those who are “<span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">cursed</span></i><span style="color: black;"> [will He cast] into
the everlasting fire <i>prepared for</i></span></span><span class="text"><i><span style="color: black;"> </span></i></span><span class="woj"><i><span style="color: black;">the devil and his angels</span></i><span style="color: black;">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Associating the concept of “death” (as in second
death) with the Lake of Fire, perhaps John is thinking of the <i>Dead</i> Sea, a
thousand feet below sea level, down into which all of those dead Jewish bodies
floated in the Plague of Water turned to Blood (Apocalyptic? #25).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No water ever flows out of the Dead Sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>Lake Asphaltitis is the Roman name
for the <b>Dead Sea</b>, which was <b>full of dead bodies that were carried
down into it by the river</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John was,
perhaps, envisioning such a dead lake, out of which nothing flows, as his Lake
of Fire, tying in the stream of fire concept associated with angels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If all of that was in John’s mind, he may
well have envisioned an annihilation of those humans whose names were not found
in the Book of Life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A major role of Satan
ever since the Garden of Eden was “tester.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He tested Eve with the forbidden fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She failed the test.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Down through
the ages, he has tested all humans, even Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV) states that Jesus “<span style="background: white; color: black;">was in all </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">points</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> tempted as </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">we are,</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">yet</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> without sin</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to Jesus receiving a grade of 100 on his
test, all those who remain faithful to him are promised forgiveness and eternal
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His test score is imputed to all
of his followers, just as Adam and Eve’s failing test score had previously been
imputed to their offspring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If the <i>possibility</i> that the Lake of Fire will simply end with the
annihilation of non-Christians somehow brings comfort to atheists who hope that
mortality is the end, what can I say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
by Jesus saying that they will be “destroyed,” he means destroyed—rather than
tormented day and night forever—and that somehow brings them comfort, I pity
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could understand, however, if
God simply wanted to be rid of them along with the devil, his angels, and all
curses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have no faith and “</span><span class="content"><span style="color: #121212; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">without faith </span><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">it</span></span></i></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">is</span></span></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> impossible to please </span><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">[God],</span></span></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and </span><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">that</span></span></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, this is just my <i>opinion</i> on the
eternal consequences of the Lake of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I could be wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Atheists, don’t
just take my word for it!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: comment-list;"><!--[if !supportAnnotations]-->
<div style="mso-element: comment;"><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript"><br />
<!--[if !supportAnnotations]--></div>
<!--[endif]--></div>
</div>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-33812912026658785582022-01-13T16:38:00.002-08:002022-01-26T10:31:17.447-08:00Apocalyptic? #39: The Final Battle of History!<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOwQ31_pg6BBbp0YLPDv99kvK26WHNz5FaBXWDa7HzUpL7AQOnFTYR1RtmDt75yVkgwQunoSJjdOOJotePkvOQ0ZgjqCCFsctGgFWUZ68Q6XMSV0f66G0JKFRyt3T364lHnRxM5BkVUonqDePqL46okDjSwG_JUH4Gi15vvBZMPXLqEemUzDG0M8LMvA=s612" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="612" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOwQ31_pg6BBbp0YLPDv99kvK26WHNz5FaBXWDa7HzUpL7AQOnFTYR1RtmDt75yVkgwQunoSJjdOOJotePkvOQ0ZgjqCCFsctGgFWUZ68Q6XMSV0f66G0JKFRyt3T364lHnRxM5BkVUonqDePqL46okDjSwG_JUH4Gi15vvBZMPXLqEemUzDG0M8LMvA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Allow me to
acknowledge, at the outset of this blogpost, that much of what I write in <u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">this
specific post</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is speculative.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have
already accomplished in the previous posts one major goal of this blog
series:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I have hammered nails in the
coffin of atheism.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Atheists have charged
that Jesus and John were false prophets—that their prophecies did not come true
during the timeframes in which they promised that they would.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The previous 38 posts considered prediction
after prediction and demonstrated that they had been fulfilled at the times
they were prophesied to occur.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This
final battle of history was not given a timeframe.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Atheists are not permitted to claim that my
speculations in this post must meet the rigor of proof demanded of John’s and
Jesus’ prophecies in the previous posts.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is true that Jewish rabbis from the first century have speculated
that the reign of the messiah would last for 2000 years, after which would come
the end and the world-to-come (as I discuss in blogposts Apocalyptic? #4, #5,
#21, and #37).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I find their speculation
fascinating, and believe that John was familiar with such speculation when he
prophesied the 1000-year confinement of the Dragon (i.e., the millennium). </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I might even mention that the Christian writing the so-called the Epistle of Barnabas (which J. A. T. Robinson dates in the early 70s A.D.--just years after Revelation, but not considered inspired and in the New Testament canon--states something similar to the Jewish Rabbis. In Barnabas 15:4-5, it says:</span><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">Give heed, children, what this meaneth; <i>He ended in six days.</i> He<br />meaneth this, that in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all<br />things to an end; for the day with Him signifyeth a thousand years;<br />and this He himself beareth me witness, saying; <i>Behold, the day of<br />the Lord shall be as a thousand years.</i> Therefore, children, in six<br />days, that is in six thousand years, everything shall come to an end.</p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><i>And He rested on the seventh day.</i> this He meaneth; when His Son<br />shall come, and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall<br />judge the ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and the<br />stars, then shall he truly rest on the seventh day.</p></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">According to Eusebias, this was also the view of Papias (110 A.D.). </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, as I state in #37, John, in
Revelation does not write “</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">two</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> thousand years;” he writes “</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">one</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">
thousand years.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Furthermore, in my book
</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Revelation: The Human Drama</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, page
25, I write:</span></div><div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMr2GWnXg_qnEfD5CcwePrQk7LFXkGNQAtrVpe-goWt62KqnZRVs752MqCrk0x9zo9U84LBMfPxhWgyMu7Hu-m-LWKcPqlpE3Wi76pybWm2b5vHV-Z91WL9yf7AeQ_n2SEct5_UveCr5SNOYwLgloWJz3apaLp0ZHPqOBx2IpdBizvXAQlTacGRpN4KA=s615" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMr2GWnXg_qnEfD5CcwePrQk7LFXkGNQAtrVpe-goWt62KqnZRVs752MqCrk0x9zo9U84LBMfPxhWgyMu7Hu-m-LWKcPqlpE3Wi76pybWm2b5vHV-Z91WL9yf7AeQ_n2SEct5_UveCr5SNOYwLgloWJz3apaLp0ZHPqOBx2IpdBizvXAQlTacGRpN4KA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />John does not explicitly paint himself into a corner regarding
time frames, as do Yehoschua and the school of Elias. John does indicate that there would be at
least one "thousand years" period.
During these thousand years, "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who
is the devil, or Satan," would be "bound" and thrown "into
the Abyss . . . to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the
thousand years were ended" (Revelation 20:2-3). Following these "thousand years,"
however, John does not appear to promise an immediate end to human
history. Instead, "After that, [the
dragon] must be set free for a short time" (Revelation 20:3).<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu9DglT2vZDd4wNpsqZ_Bl68WDHSwUzzoTqA-rj9YHEAGt77G4Gpgdj7gN3vTg-FunSVPnwB7J9IuelTkDONHebhz50HHdKbnjHNEq6OXvF344AIlhLeOJKp2LUVetY2aL3EW5jjSiUzrVd-w-0vsUT3gUZA1xQJab_CT8kX3G_B5UVe7fv37I0Ip4bw=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu9DglT2vZDd4wNpsqZ_Bl68WDHSwUzzoTqA-rj9YHEAGt77G4Gpgdj7gN3vTg-FunSVPnwB7J9IuelTkDONHebhz50HHdKbnjHNEq6OXvF344AIlhLeOJKp2LUVetY2aL3EW5jjSiUzrVd-w-0vsUT3gUZA1xQJab_CT8kX3G_B5UVe7fv37I0Ip4bw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />While I am fascinated
by the notion that we may be nearing the end of the final 2000 years of history
(admittedly, partly because it helps me cope with the corrupt world situation
as it presently exists), I readily admit that this speculation of a 2000-year
period from Jesus’ generation to ours is NOT inspired prophecy. Conversely, neither is it purely baseless
speculation. The rabbis of the school of
Elias based it on their interpretation of Psalm 90. It has, therefore, some logical support, and
should be kept in mind. Nevertheless, the
end of world history, clearly, is still “futuristic” from our perspective. The end of human history, according to
Revelation, is focused around four entities:
1. the Dragon (who raises up world empires), 2. his final Beastly protege(s)—Gog and Magog—and,
once again, 3. the “land” and “the
beloved city,” along with an additional entity, 4. “the camp of the saints.” Revelation 20:7-9 tells us: <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be
released from his prison </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four
corners of the earth (land), Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle,
whose number <i>is</i> as the sand of the sea. They went up on
the breadth of the earth (land) and surrounded the camp of the saints and the
beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.</span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: Roboto;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-y75J--_dLrBoGEgs-PD1t5c5gi5aB5B4gl9TgxTVtZ36Yhuj3q4rUBLd6-i-X-af5J28jdpBqwxuCJMf499QpG5_2ZEAKTTpGK0M3wlqT6GR8L4m-Y1kgU0Lu997JaHt5smYNQJkZYRYpP7k9vs9bKaa2DUt5BvsUXqU5gaquTVPrV1LDlownNa4pw=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-y75J--_dLrBoGEgs-PD1t5c5gi5aB5B4gl9TgxTVtZ36Yhuj3q4rUBLd6-i-X-af5J28jdpBqwxuCJMf499QpG5_2ZEAKTTpGK0M3wlqT6GR8L4m-Y1kgU0Lu997JaHt5smYNQJkZYRYpP7k9vs9bKaa2DUt5BvsUXqU5gaquTVPrV1LDlownNa4pw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Identity of the
Beloved City<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The words “the . .
. city” in Revelation ALWAYS refer to Jerusalem, but sometimes to the old
Jerusalem and sometimes to the New Jerusalem.
In the first 90% of Revelation—when referring to the old (earthly) Jerusalem,
whom John also calls, negatively, “Babylon,” “Sodom,” and “Egypt”—the word
“great” is usually inserted between the words “the” and “city” (hence, “the
great city”: Revelation 11:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:10, 16, 18, 19, and 21). In the final 10% of Revelation—when referring
to the New Jerusalem—the word “holy” is sometimes inserted between the words
“the” and “city” (hence, “the holy city”: Revelation 21:2, 10, and 22:19), but
it is notable that, in Revelation 11:2, the old Jerusalem is referred to, also,
as “the holy city.” ONLY ONCE does John
refer to “the BELOVED city.” That
instance we find right here, in Revelation 20:9—placed CONSPICUOUSLY BETWEEN John’s
two divergent uses of the term “the . . . city.” This does not seem sheerly accidental; it
seems intentional. It seems as if THIS Jerusalem is a transitional
entity—midway between the old earthly Jerusalem that was destroyed and the New
heavenly Jerusalem that will occupy the New Heavens and New Earth. First Century readers (and modern readers, as
well) will easily recall Jesus’ “love” for the earthly city of Jerusalem,
despite his prophecies of its doom. Matthew
23:37-39 NKJV (and Luke 13:34-35) records that love: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">and stones those who are sent to her! How often</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers
her chicks</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">under <i>her</i> wings, but you were
not willing!</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I
say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say,</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">‘Blessed <i>is</i> He
who comes in the name of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span></span><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">!’”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="woj"><span style="background: white; color: #770000; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">By simple deduction, since the New Jerusalem will not
arrive until a new heavens and new earth are created, John must still be
referring to the earthly Jerusalem. We,
therefore, may feel confident that we know who the “beloved city” is
(Jerusalem) and what the “land/HA-ARETZ/earth/GĒ” is (the Land of Israel). Jerusalem (along with the Land of Israel) is
the central scene of the final battle of history, as it was the scene of the
Battle of Armageddon, nearly two millennia ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbB3g4hFUm4O6tLFepKS-5ggYDpJpHeS5WB2nlc5CBhkFJq5TtdmJk5aZrj1q4GFtdOSC85BZM_RXoi9Nrrnc68B6SWvPvzbDw1v1uQtb6YsU7xHiGEmasgxZeRzTwPruN8FnXmQSRrzIcSZxdCWXZj6aKfTbn7F3c0HSIuus-gjlFKZgTMFMwIuuKnQ=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbB3g4hFUm4O6tLFepKS-5ggYDpJpHeS5WB2nlc5CBhkFJq5TtdmJk5aZrj1q4GFtdOSC85BZM_RXoi9Nrrnc68B6SWvPvzbDw1v1uQtb6YsU7xHiGEmasgxZeRzTwPruN8FnXmQSRrzIcSZxdCWXZj6aKfTbn7F3c0HSIuus-gjlFKZgTMFMwIuuKnQ=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Identity of
Gog and Magog<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">We already know
who the Dragon is (Satan, in his role as the raiser of world empires). Then, who are Gog and Magog? Are they now in existence? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From
John’s perspective, the thousand years of Revelation separate two major
battles--Armageddon, in which “the beloved city” was left desolate, and
Gog and Magog, in which “the beloved city” will be rescued. The Jews
of the first century believed that they were engaging in the battle with Gog
and Magog, thinking that they (the Jews) would prevail, but John corrected
them. The Battle of Gog and Magog was still at least 1000 years
away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are definite similarities and important differences between
the Battle of Armageddon and the Battle of Gog and Magog. Most importantly, the end is different.
The present-day signs Christians believe they are seeing might be pertaining
to the Battle of Gog and Magog. Ezekiel 38:16 promises Gog: </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“You will come up against My
people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land.” Although this specific language
is not used in Revelation, it describes what happens in both battles. Ezekiel 38:19 speaks of “a
great earthquake in the land of Israel</span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">.”</span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> An earthquake is also mentioned in Revelation
6:12 pertaining to the Battle of Armageddon and explained in my blogpost
Apocalyptic? #32. There, I point out that earthquakes are common in the land of
Israel. They have certainly happened
more than once. Ezekiel 38:20 mentions
“mountains” and “walls” falling. Ezekiel
38:22 mentions pestilence and bloodshed, hailstones, and fire. All of these events occurred in the Battle of
Armageddon, as well, but were directed against Babylon (Jerusalem), not Gog and
Magog. This time, God’s fury is against
the opponents of Israel. Ezekiel 39:1-4
records God saying: “Behold, I <i>am</i> against you, O Gog . . . I
will turn you . . . and bring you against . . . Israel. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> . . . <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Some
have speculated that Gog and Magog are (participants in or the aftermath of)
the Battle of Armageddon, because Ezekiel 39:4 states concerning Gog: “I will
give you to birds of prey of every sort and <i>to</i> the beasts of
the field to be devoured,” just as Revelation 19:17 declares, “</span><span class="text">Then I saw an
angel . . . saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come
. . .<b><sup> </sup></b>that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of
captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on
them, and the flesh of all <i>people . . . </i>both small and great.’” Nevertheless, this kind of language is
typical of military slaughter and, clearly, represents the gory aftermath of a
militarily defeated foe. In the case of
Revelation 19, such language was the somber warning that “the beast, the kings
of the earth, and . . . the false
prophet . . . were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”</span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Jews who were
waiting for their salvation on the temple mount in 70 A.D. were quite likely
actually expecting the fulfillment of Ezekiel 39:6: <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“And I will send fire on Magog .
. . and I will not <i>let them</i> profane My holy name anymore.” Those
Jews had surely thought that Rome was Gog and Magog and that God would rescue
them, even at the final moments. John,
however, was telling the first Century Jews that the positive conclusion they
were anticipating would not occur for at least another thousand years. At that (later) time, John was predicting the
defeat of Gog and Magog, the time when, according to Ezekiel 39:23-29: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></p>
<p class="lang-en" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">“The Gentiles shall know that
the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were
unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into
the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. According to
their . . . transgressions I have dealt
with them, and hidden My face from them . . . Now I will bring back the
captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel</span> . . . <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">then they shall know that I <i>am</i> the <span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> their God, who sent them into
captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left
none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from
them anymore,’ says the Lord <span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">God</span>.”</span><span face=""Source Sans Pro",sans-serif" style="color: #3d3d3d;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Who, then are Gog and Magog? How far back should we go? There was a historical Magog--Noah’s son
Japheth’s descendant—born after the Flood, according to Genesis 10:2. Nevertheless, more recently, according to Jewish
interpretations and legends of Gog and Magog, citing Louis Ginzberg, in <i>The
Legends of the Jews</i>, Gog and Magog were understood to be the final
anti-Jewish political forces who would invade the land of Israel in the final
conflict in the history of the world.
Gog, according to Ginzberg, will be annihilated with hail, fire, and
brimstone (II.356). The king of Magog would
be a king of all nations (III.252-253) who would die on the mountains of
Israel. Gog and Magog would be destroyed
on the plains of Jericho (III.443).
Gog’s destruction would be God’s final destruction (III.455). King Saul, when he was innocent, prophesied
that the war of Gog and Magog would be the last judgment (IV.66). The Jews understand that Psalm 2 is the Psalm
concerning Gog and Magog (VI.266). “Why
do the heathen rage? God laughs at
them.” It is easy to see that the Jews
expected the battle of Gog and Magog to be the final battle on earth and that
the enemy (Gog and Magog) would be a confederation of the enemies of the Jews
on earth. Yet, Gog and Magog would be
destroyed in the land of Israel, as they proceed to attack. This is interesting, since the Jews were not
even in control of the land of Israel from the year 70 A.D. until the year 1948
A.D. With the emergence of the State of
Israel in 1948, the stage could be set for a possible invasion from Gog and
Magog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTFxnSQWkc0WyptAIRI7fT6WrG_j_-k6jIewrRwCGc62DY9pcqIKdMEbvmvk-cg2Fc5YMhd4yQpBqecwiMSnaB4lrA8G9_sW6p4PMSoaCBlfqzdVUa2K7MUtK0cZWNvk7DZoav3O48WxIPcfUm15l6TEV81T9mzyTgeJLVZyi85THdbhzjG_wynbr0MQ=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTFxnSQWkc0WyptAIRI7fT6WrG_j_-k6jIewrRwCGc62DY9pcqIKdMEbvmvk-cg2Fc5YMhd4yQpBqecwiMSnaB4lrA8G9_sW6p4PMSoaCBlfqzdVUa2K7MUtK0cZWNvk7DZoav3O48WxIPcfUm15l6TEV81T9mzyTgeJLVZyi85THdbhzjG_wynbr0MQ=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Identity of the
Camp of the Saints<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">John uses the Greek word (PAREMBOLE/παρεμβολή)—translated
“camp” in this location—only one time in the Apocalypse. The New Testament writer who uses the term
most frequently is Luke, in the book of Acts.
Acts uses the term six times (21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, and 32) and a
seventh time, in a textual variant, in 28:16.
Other than the textual variant (which, apparently, is not deemed to be
the original text by the translators of the NKJV), the NKJV (mis)translates all
six uses in Acts as “castle.” Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich, in <i>A Greek Lexicon
of the New Testament</i>, more correctly identify the word as “the barracks or
headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem.”
This identification seems quite apparent, as it refers in every one of those
six instances to the area where the Roman troops kept Paul in protective
custody when the non-Christian Jews were attacking him in Jerusalem. If the textual variant, in 28:16, is
considered the correct text, Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich identify the term as
“the barracks in Rome where the soldiers who accompanied Paul were quartered”
(when Paul was finally brought to Rome to appeal to Caesar). For other Greek writers, the <i>Lexicon</i>
states that the term is “mostly used as a milit[ary term] . . . a fortified
camp . . . [or] an army in battle array.”
Thus, as the only other New Testament book employing the term, Hebrews
11:34 uses the term to signify heathen “armies” who were put to flight by
Hebrew judges and kings. In Hebrews
13:11 and 13, the term might refer to Jerusalem as a “fortified city,” since
the reference there is to Jesus suffering outside the gate and his disciples,
therefore, going forth to him outside the “camp.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Clearly, in Revelation 20:9, while the term “camp” is
most likely referring to a military entity (barracks, headquarters, fortified
camp, or army in battle array), it is not referring to a heathen military
entity. This entity is a military entity
of the “saints.” Who, then, are the
“saints”? John mentions the prayers of
the “saints” in God’s presence in 5:8, and 8:3-4. The “saints” are listed, along with God’s
servants the prophets who will be rewarded in 11:18. The “saints” will be conquered (martyred) by
the Beast in 13:7, so they must have patience and faith (in 13:10). In 14:12, John makes clear that the <b>saints
“keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus</b>,” so they are
Christians. Their blood was poured out
in 16:6, 17:6. They “rejoice over” the
destruction of the old Jerusalem (Babylon), along with the apostles and
prophets, in 18:20. They were slain,
along with the prophets, in 18:24. They
are the “righteous” in 19:8. They are the final group referred to in Revelation
22:21: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Speculation<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, allow me to speculate . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRwKJPacUNtG6xMsCA5NGy36fSB5YFpZ8ZVuUuAeDvgbkX2ba4GOGBSXnHqKgsVeNNZb8O0yC2MPrT_ydghAsW5JTYFF0m0tipZ7lSu2PZ-XZPJMDHZ70RodpxMnqJyAagKREXzaIOQ37x1LInTxsDu9HhvFE1T9xbyLu_3tgPrCrszAyP0MnJJU2bGg=s700" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="700" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRwKJPacUNtG6xMsCA5NGy36fSB5YFpZ8ZVuUuAeDvgbkX2ba4GOGBSXnHqKgsVeNNZb8O0yC2MPrT_ydghAsW5JTYFF0m0tipZ7lSu2PZ-XZPJMDHZ70RodpxMnqJyAagKREXzaIOQ37x1LInTxsDu9HhvFE1T9xbyLu_3tgPrCrszAyP0MnJJU2bGg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />If, then, the “camp of the saints” is a Christian
military entity, there is really only one major “Christian” military entity in
the world, right now: the armed services of the United States of America. True, there are other “Christian” nations,
but their militaries are not large. Our
allies in NATO, for example, are notably dependent upon the military decisions
of the U.S. Our major military adversaries
are not notably “Christian”—Communist China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and the
recently-heavily-armed-at-our-expense military of the <span style="background: white;">Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It should be said, however, that Russia does
contain a strong and growing Christian population (as do Iran and China,
although the Christians there are not necessarily welcomed by the state). If we expand our view over the last century
of “the camp of the saints” fighting to protect a “Jewish” entity in World War
II, perhaps even Russia could be counted, along with our western allies,
Britain and France, in the camp of the saints.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It
turns out, however, that the two strongest western allies, at present, are the
United States and Israel. If I were to
speculate concerning the identities of the “camp of the saints” and “the
beloved city,” in the current environment, I would guess that this alliance of
the strongest Christian country and the Jewish nation of Israel might be the
co-targets of Gog and Magog. I would,
then, be on the alert, if any major military movement against Israel (the land)
and Jerusalem (the beloved city) begins.
How likely is that? Fairly! The threats from Iran to annihilate Israel
and to destroy America are constant. True: President Carter helped to broker a sometimes
“iffy” peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. With the Abraham Accords,
President Trump was able to decimate ISIS and forge peace treaties between Israel
and several of its Muslim neighbors, however tentative they may be. Nevertheless, anti-Israeli rhetoric is still
pervasive in many of those Muslim countries.
Will the peace agreements hold, if some significant Muslim neighbor
attacks Israel? </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDAVRLdjIwW7th0mEcD1BxTA9cgs31aqIA-A0QP0bjLnoiEZw9yCliEy4gPq7t0fUw-4fsPDU20T2wlIPOq4HlsjwyJbKFcgy6I1lhZ_mfAounlZUq0kImv0eAZhPLuVIpFYLlrDGRjm4rkXwmEDGhDgar-JIz3lRQg1Jc4UIBzA67_dpQC5Uhq22T4g=s3080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2055" data-original-width="3080" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDAVRLdjIwW7th0mEcD1BxTA9cgs31aqIA-A0QP0bjLnoiEZw9yCliEy4gPq7t0fUw-4fsPDU20T2wlIPOq4HlsjwyJbKFcgy6I1lhZ_mfAounlZUq0kImv0eAZhPLuVIpFYLlrDGRjm4rkXwmEDGhDgar-JIz3lRQg1Jc4UIBzA67_dpQC5Uhq22T4g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />While
it seems to me, at the present, that the most likely enemy of Israel (and the
U.S., for that matter) would be a Muslim country, such as Iran, there is no
more powerful political and economic adversary of the United States, right now,
than Communist China. Gog and Magog
could be a conglomeration of Muslim countries or it could be a multi-national
alliance of Communist or former Communist nations. However, while these countries may be
adversaries of America, it is difficult to see why they would have a particular
animosity towards Israel. On the other
hand, the majority of nations of the United Nations do seem to hold a general
animosity toward the State of Israel.
The United States is continually called upon to exercise veto powers to
kill anti-Israeli resolutions at the U.N.
Perhaps, there remains enough anti-Semitism in the world to fuel such
enmity. There certainly was sufficient
anti-Semitism in Germany (and other nations) to produce the Holocaust, in the
last century. Recent news stories
suggest that such anti-Semitism has not dissipated, in Europe. Nevertheless, with Muslim Pakistan in
possession of nuclear weapons and Muslim Iran rapidly developing them and
Muslim Afghanistan in possession of the extremely large sophisticated weapon
cache left behind when the Biden administration pulled out and with the
significant wealth and power of Muslim Syria, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia
(not to mention Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Lebanon, and perhaps
even Iraq, etc.), the development of an anti-Israel (and anti-American) Islamic
confederation is certainly not out of the question, with these countries existing,
as Revelation puts it, on the “four corners of the land” of Israel (Revelation
20:8). It appears to me that the
Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood, the Syrian and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and the
Palestinian-based Hamas are continually trying to provoke such a conflagration
between Islamic countries and the US-Israeli alliance. I would keep an eye on such
possibilities. The fear of
“mutually-assured destruction” has generally held sway in the conflict between
America and her Communist foes, but Islamic terrorists display no such
fear. They even seek the reward of dying
in a Jihad. Hence, that is my greater
concern.<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCqSOHAm7JFMxbq_SHLq5Iog0zpME5H5X5LXLydZq5Emjm-nd9v1yvlHAw_rndJG9OsyqQLq2UZMoqIlvO1-TQJmiw32bbtc90qwxmydxootgjNxveQ1CvbdhcgFmJ8we2L9KpnxC15gtbk2mDGD0v68pI6aP8S3AjyJfYNIvyeZbwve_hYuxtcs6kOQ=s1096" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1096" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCqSOHAm7JFMxbq_SHLq5Iog0zpME5H5X5LXLydZq5Emjm-nd9v1yvlHAw_rndJG9OsyqQLq2UZMoqIlvO1-TQJmiw32bbtc90qwxmydxootgjNxveQ1CvbdhcgFmJ8we2L9KpnxC15gtbk2mDGD0v68pI6aP8S3AjyJfYNIvyeZbwve_hYuxtcs6kOQ=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />How Will it End?<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In a word: <b><u>Fire</u></b>. Revelation 20:9 states:
“<span style="background: white;">And fire
came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” In Jewish legends, cited above, </span>Gog,
according to Ginzberg, will be annihilated with hail, fire, and brimstone
(II.356). That sounds considerably like
Ezekiel <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">38:22 where he mentions pestilence and bloodshed, hailstones, and
fire. Lightning frequently accompanies a hailstorm. Perhaps, God will use lightning to
specifically pinpoint those on Earth He wishes to destroy. Or, perhaps, the “hailstones” are to be
interpreted as John did in his military plague of Hail (Apocalyptic? #30),
projectiles fired at the enemy. In that
case, the hundreds of rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza and Israel’s
retaliatory strikes may be called to mind.
Perhaps, even more sophisticated precision attacks—such as the precision
drone strike that took out Iranian terrorist leader</span><span style="background: white;">
Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian major general, at Baghdad International
Airport</span> on January 3, 2020—are indicated. Maybe, even nuclear attacks delivered by
guided missiles or hypersonic propulsion missile systems or laser weapon
systems or taser shockwave or satellite-based warfare. At the very least, if humans are able to
develop such precision targeted projectiles, God certainly can, if He decides
to. But, is that the method by which God
will send fire down out of heaven?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Advocates of “global warming” theories might have us
envision a slow conflagration, as the earth (over hundreds of years) will
succumb to environmental destruction, but that doesn’t seem to fit with John’s
description. Perhaps, an asteroid will
strike the earth (as some suggest happened 66 million years ago to wipe out the
dinosaurs). We can then assume that, at
least, cockroaches will survive to populate the new earth. Is that the method by which God will send
fire down out of heaven?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">II Peter 3:10-13 (NKJV) paints a different picture: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the
elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in
it will be burned up . . . all these things will be dissolved . . . the
heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt
with fervent heat? Nevertheless we . . . look for new heavens and
a new earth in which righteousness dwells.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">This picture seems to
align much more closely to the Revelation picture. Revelation 21:1 says: “<span style="background: white;">Now I saw a
new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away.” Thus, we come full circle. The world began with creation and at the end,
when the old heaven and earth are destroyed, there will be a new creation. The topic of my next post.</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-68184614185705655222021-12-18T15:18:00.003-08:002022-01-26T10:33:13.072-08:00Apocalyptic? #38: Release the Dragon!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxO4m2wPAy3kk9R6nJcb5tIJygQ68RisBwIyqa8zzgHMPxYD3fLC_CfI-t6PlCRrdBpxWX6mOsnYzwZwdp70NjP1GabDrS5-xmfC_jPAiYa4ZiUFbr3dFHfnb_bZRD8ucvTN7OeDmeeSS5UvtajvA-e-xwMNNaItTxPNMhBmc0Novj0Kf6rsFXv5LQwQ=s1110" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1110" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxO4m2wPAy3kk9R6nJcb5tIJygQ68RisBwIyqa8zzgHMPxYD3fLC_CfI-t6PlCRrdBpxWX6mOsnYzwZwdp70NjP1GabDrS5-xmfC_jPAiYa4ZiUFbr3dFHfnb_bZRD8ucvTN7OeDmeeSS5UvtajvA-e-xwMNNaItTxPNMhBmc0Novj0Kf6rsFXv5LQwQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do you think a major conflagration/war is developing between
Good and Evil during your lifetime?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do
you worry that your children are being taught Evil in the school system? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you sense that sexual perversion is in the
process of being normalized—as it was in the eras of the Greek and Roman
Empires (Daniel’s Beasts Numbers 3 and 4)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you feel a sense of being coerced into keeping your mouth shut about
it—as Babylon threatened Daniel with lions and his three companions with a
fiery furnace (cancel culture)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
Christian literature dominated the thousand years from the Christianization of
Rome to the Renaissance, have you noticed that Christian literature is being
increasingly suppressed and censored in the schools and universities and the
broadcast and electronic media?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it
surprise you to learn that the United States and Communist countries China and
Cuba, plus formerly Communist countries Russia, Latvia, Hungary, Mongolia, and Bulgaria
have the highest abortion rate(s) in the world (20-25%)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Conversely, would it impress you that Mexico
has the lowest abortion rate in the world, at .01%?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sources:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wikipedia (Russia) and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/abortion-rates-by-country">Abortion
Rates by Country (worldpopulationreview.com)</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it concern you that genocide is much
more rampant in the world in the past two centuries?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you noticed that nationalism has been on
the rise since the Renaissance? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does it
appear that wars are becoming more devastating and the potential for further World
Wars always seems to be on the horizon? What about the development of
biological warfare (that may have been the plan in the engineering of COVID) and
space warfare added to atomic warfare? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
has happened?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>The dragon has been
released.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It happened immediately
upon the end of his 1000-year imprisonment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Revelation 20:7-8 (NKJV) states: “<span style="background: white; color: #121212;">Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from
his prison and will go out to deceive the nations</span>.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivvTywkiDUnQZUAgb1pU3BTEvrml04l6HFZsmzhc7WPLfkpO1Bv5puwJkOORGQfraezCjvdw445i-gh_NLOH71ZvJO01VwtpV3bJK_GKhmEFDx8tvntIiZbigdfJ8gr_77bAYdNMnTIQmeeUYmCa_08on22c3bvLK7_sHTCPDTBGBIwepBdz4lrWvLQw=s615" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="615" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivvTywkiDUnQZUAgb1pU3BTEvrml04l6HFZsmzhc7WPLfkpO1Bv5puwJkOORGQfraezCjvdw445i-gh_NLOH71ZvJO01VwtpV3bJK_GKhmEFDx8tvntIiZbigdfJ8gr_77bAYdNMnTIQmeeUYmCa_08on22c3bvLK7_sHTCPDTBGBIwepBdz4lrWvLQw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I write on pages 171-172 of my book <i>The Logic of
Christianity:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Syllogistic Chain</i>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">John Thomas Didymus, and his article
“Failed End-of-World Predictions of Jesus’ Coming:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Montanists and the Ecumenical Council (1000
A.D.)”: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Ecumenical Council sitting in 999 declared solemnly that the world would end on
January 1, 1000 A.D. That was the signal for mass madness. On the last day of
the year, St. Peter's at Rome was filled with a crazed mass of people, weeping,
trembling, screaming in fear of the Day of the Lord. They thought that God
would send fire from heaven and burn the world to ashes . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But New Year came and passes [sic] and
nothing happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Article Source: </span><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/5476263"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://EzineArticles.com/5476263</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkf2kt-Q6qsTXN_eCkrTCVpptMM_Ty1VpVavGQEoJLoz_mgO0Wh7XetSaKINlF4XB15kXF9GMliJl4f7tqDhiMGYf6yh-Q5bEr39cWD1giDrxCwW-Xhdc40AzVZvxE2ESpuPcVml5LvqrorOnvNC-Nz48kydP-KZaisn-IX8zve7sAhbqFuKnRb71KKw=s971" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkf2kt-Q6qsTXN_eCkrTCVpptMM_Ty1VpVavGQEoJLoz_mgO0Wh7XetSaKINlF4XB15kXF9GMliJl4f7tqDhiMGYf6yh-Q5bEr39cWD1giDrxCwW-Xhdc40AzVZvxE2ESpuPcVml5LvqrorOnvNC-Nz48kydP-KZaisn-IX8zve7sAhbqFuKnRb71KKw=s320" width="224" /></a></div><br />I credit . . . that 1000 A.D. event (or
lack of an event) for shocking the world into the Renaissance (a logical
abandonment of the teaching of the Church), because the Church had relied on
the Book of Revelation . . . in predicting that Jesus’ reign on earth would
last one thousand years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, the
Ecumenical Council believed that John’s Revelation was predicting that the
BEGINNING of the thousand-year reign and the thousand-year imprisonment of the
Dragon (aka, the Millennium) would be during the First Century A.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The impetus for the Renaissance began when
Christians’ faith in the end of the world did not materialize at the time they
expected it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only did the
Renaissance bring with it a rebirth of humanism, but also a new rise in “nationalism.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to <a href="http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/11/FC79"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/11/FC79</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">: <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Just as the turmoil of
the Later Middle Ages had cleared the way for sweeping economic, cultural, and
technological changes in Western Europe, it likewise produced significant
political changes that led to the emergence of a new type of state in Western
Europe: the nation state.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 1in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkKnxKuoBDHMwhSHrype6etWQ_7y7Z6j3ds6o5-CRmkEBnh1fqHMGvINb1BUFhVvA0LysN3A6YZ2Owu-JLKM8JYYGTfu4_s_Ybl-znuZxfFz9hZOqSKtuLR46GludIRjJb1OfDKxADu5LATcnDstLXgLvTgcZ_KOcmRNdaYy6303X_5B6jOGdVA8saiA=s1168" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkKnxKuoBDHMwhSHrype6etWQ_7y7Z6j3ds6o5-CRmkEBnh1fqHMGvINb1BUFhVvA0LysN3A6YZ2Owu-JLKM8JYYGTfu4_s_Ybl-znuZxfFz9hZOqSKtuLR46GludIRjJb1OfDKxADu5LATcnDstLXgLvTgcZ_KOcmRNdaYy6303X_5B6jOGdVA8saiA=s320" width="295" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Is it mere coincidence that
Revelation predicted a millennium in which the Dragon (who raised up world
powers) would be inhibited in his “deceiving the nations” only to be released
at the end of the thousand years to “deceive the nations” again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, this happened!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . “</span></span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Rome suffered nearly 400,000 casualties without batting an
eye.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By contrast . . . during the
millennium following the Roman Empire, “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">warfare . . . was defined by quick
skirmishes<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>fought between tiny
forces. There were no campaigns, no decade-long struggles.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, once the thousand years were concluded,
the deceiving of the “nations” begins again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From the Hundred Years War of the 14<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup>
centuries to the War of Roses to the Italian Wars to two World Wars of the 20<sup>th</sup>
Century, clearly, nationalism and attempts at creating new world empires have
been rising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation’s predictions
are, once again, true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dragon has
been released.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It's Noticeable in the History of Church
Growth<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I presented a
table of the uninterrupted growth of Christianity in the previous blogpost—from
500,000 in the first century to 80,000,000 in the twelfth century (1100s).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, notice the twelfth through the fourteenth
century numbers:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h3>
<h3><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Growth of the
Church in Numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 70%px;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Era<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Estimated
Christians<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Twelfth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">80,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Thirteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">75,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fourteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">80,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt;">The Christian population was at a stand-still for three hundred years—and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">even dipped by 5,000,000 in
the thirteenth century.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">This was, I
believe, due to the release of the Dragon, and the resulting Renaissance of
Greco-Roman culture. Of course, the bubonic plague in the last half of the
fourteenth century could have contributed to a slower growth of Christians in
that era, but the Church had begun its rebound by then.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The thirteenth century (1200-1300) was a
statistical low point.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">What happened in
that century?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The Renaissance began.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjottT_a1VG9lROX-d85UmxcGg94rIMeM2PQkL3euJMy0BmslfnvkNEpHg4_pLgoDUmkzz6sTJdjnFtWIzMrgJuKhcDZKkDuqr3MjcueDKBHge00kSVLuGML4m7FJcRTROc6X42ovMuuEytuVNtpB3xlKgPi9VvZXYRrU_vx3R1QiWEBHGBblyHI5opqg=s736" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="736" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjottT_a1VG9lROX-d85UmxcGg94rIMeM2PQkL3euJMy0BmslfnvkNEpHg4_pLgoDUmkzz6sTJdjnFtWIzMrgJuKhcDZKkDuqr3MjcueDKBHge00kSVLuGML4m7FJcRTROc6X42ovMuuEytuVNtpB3xlKgPi9VvZXYRrU_vx3R1QiWEBHGBblyHI5opqg=s320" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Renaissance<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wikipedia dates the Italian
Proto-Renaissance “from around 1250 or 1300” while the Renaissance in general
is typically placed in the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries:</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The intellectual basis of the
Renaissance was its version of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_humanism" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Renaissance humanism"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">humanism</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, derived from the concept of Roman </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitas" title="Humanitas"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">humanitas</span></a></i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> and the rediscovery of </span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Greek_philosophy" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Classical Greek philosophy"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">classical Greek philosophy</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, such as that of </span></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protagoras" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Protagoras"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Protagoras</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, who said that "man is the measure of all
things". This new thinking became manifest in art, architecture, politics,
science and literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239); color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Certainly, not everything pertaining
to the Renaissance is negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have twice
enjoyed visiting the birthplace of the Renaissance (Florence, Italy), along
with other major Italian Renaissance centers (Venice, Genoa, Bologna, and Rome).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also visited Belgian Renaissance
centers (Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian
scholarship was actually enhanced during the Renaissance:</span><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239); font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS3j9RXHA67oxtqSsyARsDDOl54_h_i_T89cQqaYDy_WbQTN4dXMCKIu3dVZj1FqzA_r-4YKu4QijzbPrbHFZtwt0Tfx_6Ixq4qdy2OapEJNS-XAYtAOiWyrScduqHO_yyGK521PV1Qm65l_HIHW7mgOHrCnAV3pe635nZM0h-p7iopolPfvXgtoXPFw=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="1200" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS3j9RXHA67oxtqSsyARsDDOl54_h_i_T89cQqaYDy_WbQTN4dXMCKIu3dVZj1FqzA_r-4YKu4QijzbPrbHFZtwt0Tfx_6Ixq4qdy2OapEJNS-XAYtAOiWyrScduqHO_yyGK521PV1Qm65l_HIHW7mgOHrCnAV3pe635nZM0h-p7iopolPfvXgtoXPFw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />[T]he Greek New Testament [documents
were] brought back from <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Byzantium"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Byzantium</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> [Constantinople—center of the Greek Orthodox
Church]<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> to
Western Europe and engaged Western scholars for the first time since late
antiquity. This new engagement with Greek Christian works, and particularly the
return to the original Greek of the New Testament promoted by humanists . . .
would help pave the way for the Protestant Reformation (Wikipedia).</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Nevertheless, that “<b>human</b>”-centered
biblical scholarship would get carried to extremes by Modernist biblical
scholars in the nineteenth century, as Mark Noll reports on page 45 of his book
<i>Between Faith and Criticism</i>, which I cite in my book <i>The Logic of
Christianity:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Syllogistic Chain</i>,
page 107:</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Noll observes
that, after 1900, “a new paradigm emerges for the practice of normal science
(The Bible, however sublime, is a <b>human</b> book to be investigated with the
standard ASSUMPTIONS that one brings to the discussion of all products of <b>human</b>
culture [emphasis mine]).”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiFZxSOxIvzkDgxkgfRSZa5h_m8N_dJMzTf6mbaE-PLmKyGay0Ap6N6re9q9rX-IRxJtVmNqHGy5HOTrDWL7osJnWq4nQhd6nIyTatM1ynSfng4AzThNAzhEBP6l6CleQJpxUxx6fGU2EZeUjD4EJKbaiCdsoQfSbgiVjUlupC3aRqnl96ZFqowp9s4g=s615" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiFZxSOxIvzkDgxkgfRSZa5h_m8N_dJMzTf6mbaE-PLmKyGay0Ap6N6re9q9rX-IRxJtVmNqHGy5HOTrDWL7osJnWq4nQhd6nIyTatM1ynSfng4AzThNAzhEBP6l6CleQJpxUxx6fGU2EZeUjD4EJKbaiCdsoQfSbgiVjUlupC3aRqnl96ZFqowp9s4g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Humanism:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The “Worship” of Humans<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">What
is “worship”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of it as “<b>worth</b>-ship.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the mind-set that believes that any one
particular individual or group of individuals is supremely “<b>worthy</b>” of
praise and honor and obedience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Worship”
was exemplified in Revelation chapter 4, as God Almighty was proclaimed <b>worthy</b>
“to receive glory and honour and power: for [He has] created all things, and
for [His] pleasure they are and were created” (4:11).</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“Worship” was exemplified
in Revelation chapter 5: “</span><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Worthy</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> is the Lamb that was slain to receive power,
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing”
(5:12).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was found “<b>worthy</b> . .
. for [he was] slain, and has redeemed us to God by [his] blood out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation</span>”<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
(5:9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, “<b>worth</b>-ship” is
conferred upon those who accomplish the seemingly impossible—such as creating a
universe, redeeming mankind from the wages of sin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The angel in Revelation 14:7 exhorts the
world: “<span class="text">Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the
sea and the springs of water.”</span></span><span class="text"><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Revelation,
however, also shows that the Beast received “worship.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several individuals argued that the Jews could
not possibly “war with the Beast (Rome).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Revelation 13:4-7 (NKJV) states: <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“So they worshiped . . . the
beast, saying, “<b>Who <i>is</i> like the beast? Who is able to make
war with him?</b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These who worshiped
the Beast were, in effect, of the mind-set that Rome was capable of accomplishing
the seemingly impossible—they could defeat any foe on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>The High Priests Ananus and Jesus,
along with Josephus (and perhaps, John the Son of Matthias) represented the
kings whom John could have described as “<span class="text">giv[ing] their power
and authority [and kingdom] to the beast” and “worship[ing] the beast”</span> if
“worship[ing] . . . the beast,” in Revelation 13:4, consists in “saying ‘Who is
like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’” By John’s definition, <b>Ananus,
Jesus, and Josephus were all worshiping the beast</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsSd3zam1gcrtlOdY67aTTQm6RoZ4rkodamMhJuuUzC8Go_SmFupZlCjydIRtP8ZYk7TKDsLof7EvlysJRlPRm-pNXyxb8rYIkrmlxr502CsvHNDHL2ndQxUOMTBoBAUT4Qovjj-sjDJGmo8J9sysZW0P0ekGRKEdLKS3SxBTcU4ZFP65mieYlW8gieg=s484" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="484" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsSd3zam1gcrtlOdY67aTTQm6RoZ4rkodamMhJuuUzC8Go_SmFupZlCjydIRtP8ZYk7TKDsLof7EvlysJRlPRm-pNXyxb8rYIkrmlxr502CsvHNDHL2ndQxUOMTBoBAUT4Qovjj-sjDJGmo8J9sysZW0P0ekGRKEdLKS3SxBTcU4ZFP65mieYlW8gieg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Since the Renaissance, the trend has been toward
worshipping “<b>humans</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
impressed society was with the great philosophical, political, and mathematical
geniuses of the Greeks—Socrates, Plato, Aristotle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The term “Renaissance,” itself, indicates the
rebirth of our reliance on <b>humans</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Renaissance scientists, too, have claimed our adoration—from Ptolemy to
Copernicus to Galileo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renaissance
artists have commanded our respect—Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Botticelli,
da Vinci.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inventors down through the
years, since the Renaissance, have become our idols—Gutenberg, Edison, Franklin,
Tesla, the Frenchmen who invented flight, Berners-Lee, and Lumiére (and don’t
forget the Greeks like Archimedes and Thales), but the list is becoming too
long!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, there are the medical miracle-workers—Pasteur,
Fleming, Snow, Röntgen, Crick, Landsteiner, and Jenner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small wonder that Joe Biden could successfully
run a campaign for U.S. President by promising to put the “scientists” in
charge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never mind that science is not set
in stone; there are always dissenting opinions and research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many nations in the world have bowed the knee
to “science”—at least that science that is produced by the WHO.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO-NH5gqesHKPc08LjrgFJggJAFsIKXGk8ItWt2g2qbTnWuLvD8MXQUMLy5Qzyx4BJffOsr2vPFJoeR2ICSc49F-n1Hrozd0b5bPoPGlDi6Q8oryXe9kxVE3qUmD2ERDSLxTjRDWNuZQrtfJlPbv_OXWS4GzFvBKhX81L28pLLeqze_S1BpwXt1Ylh-w=s620" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="620" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO-NH5gqesHKPc08LjrgFJggJAFsIKXGk8ItWt2g2qbTnWuLvD8MXQUMLy5Qzyx4BJffOsr2vPFJoeR2ICSc49F-n1Hrozd0b5bPoPGlDi6Q8oryXe9kxVE3qUmD2ERDSLxTjRDWNuZQrtfJlPbv_OXWS4GzFvBKhX81L28pLLeqze_S1BpwXt1Ylh-w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Of course, humans were created in the image of God and
told to “subdue” the earth, because they were given such capacity by God, but
since the Renaissance, there has been a particular bent for declaring “humans” <b>worthy</b>,
rather than God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dragon has been
released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t need the world to
worship him; he is quite content that the world worships the Beast or any graven
image or false god, or even other humans—so long as the world does not worship
God and Jesus.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In my next blogpost, I will turn to that portion of
Revelation that predicts what is still in the (earthly) future—the Battle of Gog and
Magog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since John’s predictions
throughout the first 19 ½ chapters have been so amazingly accurate, readers can
take confidence in the fact that his future predictions will be accomplished,
as prophesied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-58738419735882116282021-11-29T10:46:00.003-08:002021-11-29T12:07:41.747-08:00Apocalyptic? #37: Then Came the Millennium!<p><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitua1cdTM1Rzbnk3QbVM01vBF3XZNmoLAMywYqD2QTBW9PsMGEKh7Va_nTMRLopV89nicpWnzp-kWKqo4n3eZNGadDfn0VJZ2odqkRpIhWUhP45YivtorMdzkDS_etHsoq_yvjp-2S84x7/s940/millennium.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="940" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitua1cdTM1Rzbnk3QbVM01vBF3XZNmoLAMywYqD2QTBW9PsMGEKh7Va_nTMRLopV89nicpWnzp-kWKqo4n3eZNGadDfn0VJZ2odqkRpIhWUhP45YivtorMdzkDS_etHsoq_yvjp-2S84x7/s320/millennium.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />Are John’s 1000 Years Literal?</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes, John’s thousand years are to be understood
literally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This point is the <u>very
reason</u> we attempt to determine the “<b>genre</b>” of Revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned in Apocalyptic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#9:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Revelation 1:1-3 Commentary: “The literary genre in which Revelation is
placed most frequently is the literary genre ‘apocalyptic.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . The Greek word for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">revelation</i> is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">apokalupsis </i></span><span class="verse-1"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">from which derive the
English terms:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apocalypse and
Apocalyptic</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
does it mean to identify a certain work as being of any given genre?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Burke, genre classifications would
receive consideration in a discussion of "form"--specifically,
"conventional form" (CS 126ff.).</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, Burke defines “form” as the “arousing
and fulfilling of expectation.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Since,
prior to Revelation, the book of Daniel is the primary exemplar of the
apocalyptic genre, John's use of the apocalyptic genre has “aroused” in John and his audience an “expectation”
that John’s apocalypse should be interpreted in the same manner as Daniel is
interpreted.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If
Daniel’s 70 Weeks of Years are literal (and Jesus seems to interpret them as
literal), and Jesus’ “this generation” timeframe for the Fall of Jerusalem and
the coming “abomination of desolation” is literal (and Josephus confirms that it
is), then John’s 1000 years are literal. G. B.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Caird
writes:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"We return therefore to the
question raised by the very first sentence of the Revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did John think was 'bound to happen
soon'?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly not the End, which was
at least a millennium away [from 69 A.D., when he wrote Revelation]."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caird, along with other Revelation scholars,
definitely understood the millennium in Revelation to be a literal thousand
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian scholars are not the
only ones who believe a literal thousand year kingdom was predicted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised when I learned from my (non-Christian)
Jewish major professor at Indiana University, Henry A. Fischel that the rabbinic
Jews of the first century A.D. were very much interested in how long the
messianic kingdom (a.k.a., the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven) would
last, in which the Jewish messiah would reign over the world, just as Babylon,
Persia, Greece, and Rome had reigned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without me raising the question, he stated that it was commonly expected
to last for one thousand years. Rabbi Eli`ezer ben Hyrkanus (c. 90 A.D.), for
example, taught that it would last 1000 years, based on Psalm 90:15.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lO1Kf5aXhPGD74zTK5L_h0_AsYBQwi9eP5RQ2G3i8oTobHfjzrw6XsdHOkJ9J4OID11rp276lYQeujLKDcN_SpkU053ezk5P0zp9yiMiLHgU5oRqBvnsIaEt6bTP4fsFVwsEUycFL4iP/s2048/ThousandYears.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1760" data-original-width="2048" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lO1Kf5aXhPGD74zTK5L_h0_AsYBQwi9eP5RQ2G3i8oTobHfjzrw6XsdHOkJ9J4OID11rp276lYQeujLKDcN_SpkU053ezk5P0zp9yiMiLHgU5oRqBvnsIaEt6bTP4fsFVwsEUycFL4iP/s320/ThousandYears.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />As I discussed in Apocalyptic? #4 (published way back
in April of last year): <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">At about the time John wrote the Book of Revelation, a
respected school of Rabbinic (Jewish) thought, the school of Elias, was
teaching a peculiar interpretation of history that attempted to sum up all of
human history--past, present, and future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The German scholar, Paul Billerbeck, observes that, according to the
school of Elias, humankind would exist on earth for a total of six thousand
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two thousand years would be spent
without the Law; two thousand years with the Law; and two thousand years would
be spent under the rule of the Messiah. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">But, John, in
Revelation does not write “<b>two</b> thousand years;” he writes “<b>one</b>
thousand years.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my book <i>Revelation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Human Drama</i>, page 25, I write:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Billerbeck acknowledges that John may be aware of
Yehoschua's interpretation of history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, John does not explicitly paint himself into a corner regarding time
frames, as do Yehoschua and the school of Elias.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John does indicate that there would be at
least one "thousand years" period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During these thousand years, "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who
is the devil, or Satan," would be "bound" and thrown "into
the Abyss . . . to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the
thousand years were ended" (Revelation 20:2-3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following these "thousand years,"
however, John does not appear to promise an immediate end to human history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, "After that, [the dragon] must
be set free for a short time" (Revelation 20:3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John predicts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"When the thousand years are over, Satan
will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the
four corners of the earth [or 'land']" (Revelation 20:7-8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An indeterminate amount of time follows the
"thousand years" of the book of Revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John's Revelation does not preclude the claim
of Yehoschua and it is at least possible that John's vision partially
corroborates the view of Yehoschua and/or the school of Elias.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCiQk1PnmL02dineTiQ2XIZiU5uMSeg9YyX_vUXN17J1_ktezZGXC9eEB5kSYxd34OUnhCxfPBrg7ytTx2kwOL1i7n4lz_pxYcKTu8IZtTl4pjWQycf49tT4CNjp_MZDnbW8MoszoHdzb/s1537/Jacob%2527s_Ladder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCiQk1PnmL02dineTiQ2XIZiU5uMSeg9YyX_vUXN17J1_ktezZGXC9eEB5kSYxd34OUnhCxfPBrg7ytTx2kwOL1i7n4lz_pxYcKTu8IZtTl4pjWQycf49tT4CNjp_MZDnbW8MoszoHdzb/s320/Jacob%2527s_Ladder.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br />Freedom from World Empires Marks the
Millennium<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As I commented in Apocalyptic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#21:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thy
Kingdom Came! (Rev. 6-20):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My
. . . blogpost . . . </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Angels
& Demons 20: Jacob’s Ladder, with the Guardian Angels of Each Nation—Rising
and Falling . . . can be easily accessed by clicking on the link under “Popular
Posts” to the right of this post. [There], I provide an account of the rabbinic
teaching concerning the Kingdom of Heaven/God.
To summarize, the rabbis taught that each nation (Rome, Greece, Media/Persia,
Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, etc.) has a national guardian angel, just as Israel
has Michael . . . Using Jacob’s Ladder .
. . these . . . angels took turns
climbing the ladder to rule the world.
However, each national guardian also experienced a descent down the
ladder, as their specific nation lost power . . . <span style="background: white;"> (also to be found in my book <i>Angels and
Demons: The Personification of
Communication</i>, page 130):</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 1.0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 1in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">. . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
Roman Empire effectively “Christianized” . . . shortly after 300 A.D., this
tiny sect, led by a Jewish teacher (Jesus) . . . was finally catapulted to a
position of international repute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
not until the Renaissance of a thousand years later that Greco-Roman literature
would begin to rebound from a situation in which Judeo-Christian literature and
thought dominated much of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. .
. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two thousand years after the great
Roman Empire . . . The God of Abraham is the King of the World!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOB5N6eEzJYBTQd8HAacvg3z4R0wfGbNsvQ94JE70bsCkizlnIejpdi6dc3zstfK6vnTyMTLZFUlzf7NChmWF_jetmFbUEe4iZM-j1rK4V7ZKZ8wljYJGLPA9YFl_b97FhbOFZvtextB_S/s800/AbrahamIsaac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOB5N6eEzJYBTQd8HAacvg3z4R0wfGbNsvQ94JE70bsCkizlnIejpdi6dc3zstfK6vnTyMTLZFUlzf7NChmWF_jetmFbUEe4iZM-j1rK4V7ZKZ8wljYJGLPA9YFl_b97FhbOFZvtextB_S/s320/AbrahamIsaac.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Whole World Worshipping the God of
Abraham Marks the Millennium<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;">For the thousand years prior to the Renaissance--as my professor of
Ancient Greek Poetry at Indiana University, Willis Barnstone (</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">nominated four times for the Pulitzer
Prize in Poetry</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;">), first brought to my attention—Christian literature
dominated the world and secular literature was progressively destroyed “FOR A
THOUSAND YEARS.”</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Psalm 22:7, 86:9, and Isaiah 66:23, predict that all nations
of earth will bow down/worship God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Daniel 7:27 (NKJV) says: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Then
the kingdom and dominion,</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And the greatness of the
kingdoms under the whole heaven,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Shall be given to the people,
the saints of the Most High.</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">His kingdom <i>is</i> an
everlasting kingdom,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And all dominions shall serve
and obey Him.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Micah 4:1 (NKJV) says:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now it
shall come to pass in the latter days</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span class="text"><i><span style="background: white;">That</span></i><span style="background: white;"> the mountain of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">’s house</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Shall be established on the top
of the mountains,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And shall be exalted above the
hills;</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And peoples shall flow to it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-right: 0.5in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Isaiah 2:2-3 (NKJV) says:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now it
shall come to pass in the latter days</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<span class="text"><i><span style="background: white;">That</span></i><span style="background: white;"> the mountain of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">’s house</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Shall be established on the top
of the mountains,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And shall be exalted above the
hills;</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And all nations shall flow to
it.</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">Many people shall come and say,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">“Come, and let us go up to the
mountain of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;">,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">To the house of the God of
Jacob;</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">He will teach us His ways,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And we shall walk in His
paths.”</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">For out of Zion shall go forth
the law,</span></span><br />
<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">And the word of the </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;"> from Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">God is
NOT JUST ruling in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and Jesus
are ALSO RULING ON EARTH!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Instead of leaving
the world’s stage, a reconstituted church has literally taken over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4bexyfHCVwdTRcYfnf_w4Vgmv9F77J3Xw5VRtpSfFZvgXMc2I4CFcQ-_1EVsKMVjdmCRam4HXycPOxeoOr71AkDK2kqjQCyJYbBkInWvdzCX4BBxQlhe1Wx1dpkuTkEXSfZg6nip4f2u/s265/Cathedral.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="265" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4bexyfHCVwdTRcYfnf_w4Vgmv9F77J3Xw5VRtpSfFZvgXMc2I4CFcQ-_1EVsKMVjdmCRam4HXycPOxeoOr71AkDK2kqjQCyJYbBkInWvdzCX4BBxQlhe1Wx1dpkuTkEXSfZg6nip4f2u/s0/Cathedral.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />Growth of the
Church in Numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 70%px;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Era<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Estimated
Christians<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">First
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">500,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Second
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">2,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Third
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">5,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fourth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">10,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fifth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">15,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sixth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">20,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Seventh
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">24,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Eighth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">30,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Ninth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">40,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Tenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">50,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Eleventh
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">70,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 12;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Twelfth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">80,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 13;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Thirteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">75,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 14;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fourteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">80,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 15;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fifteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">100,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 16;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sixteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">125,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 17;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Seventeenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">155,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 18; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Eighteenth
century<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0.75pt;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">200,000,000<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">How many Christians are there in the world,
today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sourcing <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.learnreligions.com/christianity-statistics-700533"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">www.learnreligions.com/christianity-statistics-700533</span></a>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 8pt; tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239); color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">According to the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a data-component="link" data-ordinal="1" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/04/05/christians-remain-worlds-largest-religious-group-but-they-are-declining-in-europe/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: linear-gradient(to right, rgb(249, 181, 64) 100%, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px) 0px 80% / 100% 23% repeat-x rgb(253, 245, 239); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; text-align: start; transition: none 0s ease 0s; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"><span color="windowtext" style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Pew Research Center</span></a><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239); color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, in 2015, there were 2.3 billion Christians of
all ages living in the world. The </span></span><a data-component="link" data-ordinal="2" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=9&ved=2ahUKEwjE4ouy7-roAhUOVd8KHWsPBYgQFjAIegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgordonconwell.edu%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F13%2F2019%2F04%2FStatusofGlobalChristianity20191.pdf&usg=AOvVaw05twYVwTFSSbXHgbnIcAbc" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: linear-gradient(to right, rgb(249, 181, 64) 100%, rgb(255, 255, 255) 0px) 0px 80% / 100% 23% repeat-x rgb(253, 245, 239); box-shadow: none; box-sizing: inherit; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; text-align: start; transition: none 0s ease 0s; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"><span color="windowtext" style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary</span></a><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239); color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">, reported that the number of Christians in the
world edged <b><u>past 2.5 billion</u></b> in 2019.</span></span><span style="background: rgb(253, 245, 239);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, the Old
Testament passages cited above (<span class="text"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Psalm 22:7, 86:9, Isaiah 2:2-3, 66:23, Daniel 7:27, and Micah
4:1</span></span>) only specify that <b>the God of Abraham</b> will be <b>worshiped
by the nations</b>, not just Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This can include those worshipers of the God of Abraham who are called
Muslims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wikipedia cites<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> “a study in 2020
[claiming that] Islam has 1.9 billion adherents</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>This number of God worshipers,
obviously, also includes those worshipers of the God of Abraham who are called Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wikipedia states: “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">As of 2019, the world's
"core" </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" title="Jews"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Jewish</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> population (those identifying as Jews above all else)
was estimated at 14.7 million, or 0.2% of the 7.89 billion worldwide population</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adding together, Christians, Jews, and
Muslims, who all worship the God of Abraham, nearly 4.5 billion of the total world
population of 7.89 billion today worship the God of Abraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is <b>the majority (56%) of the world’s
population—those who worship the God of Abraham</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end of the millennium will not spell an
end to Christ’s Kingdom, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As <span class="text">Daniel 7:27 (NKJV) says: </span></span><span style="color: black;">“<span class="text"><span style="background: white;">His kingdom <i>is</i> an <b>everlasting
kingdom</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation repeats this
point:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="text"><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="text"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span class="content"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">“The kingdoms of
this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His
Christ, and He shall reign <b>forever and ever</b>!” (Rev. 11:15 NKJV).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">God’s “servants shall . . . reign <b>forever and ever</b>”
(Revelation 22:3-5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosaLRjP5G6wegjuEs4BjrlwUxC9h58yAXWdx4uQK_KLc0qKText6PeJ4VP0buSdGyKgPFp4NzdKBa29Cxhl5G2Y2YbX9B1FPjykThlRK2mKIOlsNWb8YYt4ppxTy-lTSDTDV2q2eY-yNK/s1024/Dragon7heads.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1024" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosaLRjP5G6wegjuEs4BjrlwUxC9h58yAXWdx4uQK_KLc0qKText6PeJ4VP0buSdGyKgPFp4NzdKBa29Cxhl5G2Y2YbX9B1FPjykThlRK2mKIOlsNWb8YYt4ppxTy-lTSDTDV2q2eY-yNK/s320/Dragon7heads.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Release of the Dragon Marks the End of
the Millennium<o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in 0in 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The only thing that John predicts will happen at the
end of the thousand years is that the dragon will “be set free [from his chains
and imprisonment in the Abyss] for a short time.” Therefore, when the atheist John
Thomas Didymus gloats that Revelation prophecy failed in 1000 A.D., he simply does
not realize the role 1000 A.D. played in the fulfillment of Revelation’s
prophecies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that is the subject of
my next blogpost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5335306071349615167.post-5073644136155014512021-11-15T10:15:00.001-08:002021-11-17T10:23:43.986-08:00Apocalyptic? #36: Wrapping Up the Rapture!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB0Ln7Qi6nagzKH2UG9dx92mjCXCboVdjyULr7kZGytF506zJDJXUcGZN61ZK1LPP7MhDQIDB1kxA4Q5jRJd8QQO6WFqjtFhZwYIlM-wZIuiVnZ_WSFGtiReibV0b84tVBx5_Qgjll1di/s2048/twoPlusTwo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCB0Ln7Qi6nagzKH2UG9dx92mjCXCboVdjyULr7kZGytF506zJDJXUcGZN61ZK1LPP7MhDQIDB1kxA4Q5jRJd8QQO6WFqjtFhZwYIlM-wZIuiVnZ_WSFGtiReibV0b84tVBx5_Qgjll1di/s320/twoPlusTwo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Putting 2 and 2 together<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s now time to put 2 and 2 together:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Since every other prophecy made by Jesus in
the Olivet Discourse (and elsewhere in the Gospels) concerning the beginning of
the Messianic Kingdom can easily be placed <b>as having been fulfilled</b>
within the 40-year time limit imposed by Jesus (as I have demonstrated, citing
primarily Josephus), and<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Since every other prophecy made by John in
Revelation concerning those things that “must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1) from
the perspective of 69 A.D. (when John wrote the book) can easily be placed <b>as
having been fulfilled</b> within the seven-year war time limit (as I have
demonstrated, citing primarily Josephus), and<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Jesus said that
the Parousia would occur in the following time frame: “</span>[S]ome who are
standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His
kingdom” (<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Matthew
16:28,</span> Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27), “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[T]his generation shall not pass, till all these
things be fulfilled” (</span>Matthew 24:32, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32), and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since<span class="text"><span style="color: black;"> John, </span></span>in 69 A.D., states that
Jesus is "coming soon" (Revelation 3:11, 22:20), that the dragon’s
"time is short" (Revelation 12:12), and that these things “must soon
take place" (Revelation 22:6), and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> the Parousia is
described by Paul as happening “in the twinkling of an eye”</span> (I
Corinthians 15:52) and, by Jesus, as happening as rapidly “<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">as the lightning
flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west” (Matthew 24:27), and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> so many Jews
(including Jewish Christians?) were either slain or escaped into hiding at that
time that no one would know if they had been raptured, killed, or just gone
into hiding, and </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Since<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> Church historian
S. G. F. Brandon observes: “[F]ar more amazing is the fact that . . . Christian
Literature contains no record of the fate of its Mother Church in this calamity
. . .</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Is it such a leap of
faith for Christians to simply trust that Jesus’, Paul’s, and John’s prophecies
of the Parousia (Rapture) actually occurred in the time frame in which they
were predicted to occur?</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHSYNvAmBRPHJu3rkOCyJ4XhS_aH5DbqtyiUrV5J3U3IfJuLg6ny-_DUQxrnagLQMu3b2_06Mj3cakifEQGocWwPgclhztpm_L6MKKJvF_94v6CZcIGdbJpdm6iu1SEkfxA_dMNw0-K3B/s1920/runningAway.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1293" data-original-width="1920" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHSYNvAmBRPHJu3rkOCyJ4XhS_aH5DbqtyiUrV5J3U3IfJuLg6ny-_DUQxrnagLQMu3b2_06Mj3cakifEQGocWwPgclhztpm_L6MKKJvF_94v6CZcIGdbJpdm6iu1SEkfxA_dMNw0-K3B/s320/runningAway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Tracing the Exodus of the Jewish Church—Dead
Ends<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Where did the Jewish church go, as they followed the
directions of Jesus to flee Jerusalem and Judea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could not flee to <b>Cesarea</b> (in
Samaria), <b>Ptolymais</b>, or <b>Tyre</b> (land that was once the property of
the tribe of Asher), because those towns emptied themselves of Jewish
inhabitants before the war even began. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
the Northwest area of the Decapolis (land that was once the property of the
tribes of Issachar and Manasseh), the cities of <b>Abila</b>, <b>Gadara</b>, <b>Scythopolis</b>,
<b>Geraza</b>, and <b>Pella</b> were significant in the first century A.D. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Josephus had reported concerning Vespasian’s
general Placidus that “Crossing over the Jordan into <b>Perea</b> (east of the
Jordan and north of the Dead Sea—territory originally apportioned to the tribes
of Manasseh, Gad, and Reuben in the time of Joshua), Placidus took the towns of
“<b>Abila</b>” (<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wars</span></i> IV.IX.1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span class="text">Before the war with Rome began, the people of the city
of <b>Cesarea</b>, in allegiance to Florus . . . massacred 20,000 Jews “and <b>all
Cesarea was emptied of its Jewish inhabitants</b>” </span>(<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wars</span></i>
II.XVIII.1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, <b>Scythopolis</b>
killed 13,000 (<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wars</span></i> II.XVIII.3), “<b>Askelon</b> slew two thousand five
hundred [2500] . . . <b>Ptolymais</b> two thousand [2000] . . . <b>Tyre</b>
also put a great number to death . . . those of <b>Hippos</b> and . . . <b>Gadara</b>
did the like . . . as did the rest of the cities of Syria” (<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wars</span></i>
II.XVIII.5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even the city of <b>Alexandria</b>
(in Egypt), which had long been a safe haven for Jews in the Roman Empire, attacked
(with two Roman legions) and killed 50,000 Jews (<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wars</span></i> II.XVIII.8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, Vespasian and his commander
Placidus “plundered <b>Gadara</b> . . . insomuch that all Perea had either
surrendered themselves, or were taken by the Romans” (<i><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Wars</span></i> IV.VII.6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Tracing the Exodus of the Jewish Church—Pella?
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Don’t Think So.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There is a tradition (cited by fourth century church
fathers E</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">usebius and
Epiphanius of Salamis</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">) that the Jewish Christians had escaped
to <b>Pella</b>, just across the Jordan River in the Decapolis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Craig Koester [Koester, Craig R.
“The Origin and Significance of the Flight to <b>Pella</b> Tradition.” <i>The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly</i> 51, no. 1 (January 1989): 90–106]:</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Gerd
Lüdemann argued that the tradition arose in the second century among Jewish
Christians in <b>Pella</b>, who claimed to be the successors of the original
apostolic church in Jerusalem.2 Lüdemann observes that pseudonymous writings in
the NT tried to legitimate their form of Christianity by ascribing it to an
apostle. He suggests that Christians at <b>Pella</b> traced their origins back
to the original Jerusalem congregation in order to legitimate their form of
Jewish Christianity (90).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . [H]e did
not need to mention the place of relocation. Most scholars believe that
Eusebius drew his information from a source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>. . . Lüdemann . . . plausibly suggests Aristón of Pella, a Jewish
Christian who lived in the mid-second century.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">While
“Lüdemann . . . concludes that Epiphanius based all his Pella texts on
Eusebius,” Koester concludes: “Epiphanius probably learned of the <b>Pella</b>
tradition from an unknown source other than Eusebius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . [T]he most plausible explanation for
the origin of the tradition is that it recalls actual events of the first
century.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">F. F. Bruce (<i>A New Testament Commentary</i>, page 651) comments
regarding the Revelation 12:6 passage (“and the woman fled into the
wilderness”): “A reference to the flight of the Palestinian church in A. D. 66,
at the outbreak of the Jewish revolt; according to Eusebius, she found a refuge
in the territory of <b>Pella</b> beyond Jordan—but did some members settle in
the <b>wilderness of Judea</b>?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later,
regarding the Revelation 12:15-16 account (“The serpent poured water like a <b>river</b>
out of his mouth after the woman . . . the earth opened its mouth and swallowed
the <b>river</b>”), Bruce (652) comments: “This may refer to some incident . .
. which threatened to cut off the church’s escape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . [perhaps] a literal flood, like that
which prevented the Jews of Gadara from escaping across the <b>Jordan</b> from
the Romans in March A.D. 68.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, perhaps,
it was the opposite of a flood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps,
the <b>Jordan</b>—rather than flooding—dried up substantially so that Christian
Jews could virtually walk across the Jordan on dry land, thus, leaving the
Promised land in the same manner as in the miracle of crossing the Jordan to
enter the Promised land in Joshua 3-4 (“the earth opened its mouth and
swallowed the <b>river</b>”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of
this is speculation, of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruce
speculated a “wilderness” settlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have speculated a possible “parting of the Jordan” event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, we really do not even know if the
destination of the Jewish church’s flight was <b>Pella</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We simply seem to have good evidence that the
church fled <i>somewhere</i>.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">S.
G. F. Brandon in his book <i>The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church</i>
(176) cites “[t]he great English authority on apocalyptic matters, the late Dr.
R. H. Charles” regarding the incident just discussed—the waters out of the
mouth of the serpent being swallowed by the earth—they “refer to the flight of
the primitive Christian community to <b>Pella</b> before the Fall of
Jerusalem.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, Brandon (170ff.)
argues that Christian Jews <b>could not have fled to Pella</b>, because Jews—in
response to Cesarea’s killing of Jews—had sacked <b>Pella</b> in retaliation in
66 A.D. and there would have been extreme animosity among the Gentiles in that
city toward Jews of any variety who came to their city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asks (172): “[O]n what did they rely for
their economic support in devastated <b>Pella</b> among embittered Gentiles? .
. . [W]hatever may have been the fate of the Jerusalem Church, it is not
credible that it migrated as a body to the Greek city of <b>Pella</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not Pella, then where?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Alexandria</b>, Egypt?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roman legions had already killed 50,000 Jews
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the war began, according
to Josephus, Agrippa had argued to the Jews against being provoked into a war
partly because of the difficulty of fleeing to safety:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">[W]hen the
Romans have got you under their power, they will . . . burn your holy city, and
utterly destroy your whole nation; for those of you who shall survive the war
will <b>not be able to find a place whither to flee</b> since all men have the
Romans for their lords already . . . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nay, indeed, the danger concerns not those Jews that dwell here only,
but those of them who dwell in other cities also; for there is no people upon
the habitable earth which have not some portion of you among them, whom your
enemies will slay, in case you go to war . . . and so every city that hath Jews
in it will be filled with slaughter” (<i><span style="background: white;">Wars</span></i>
II.XVI.4).</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">For example, when Vespasian defeated the city of Gadara, he sent
his general: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Placidus
against those that had fled from Gadara . . . [who] ran together to a certain
village, which was called Bethennabris . . . the most courageous of them fled
to the wall of the village.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now
those that guarded the wall . . . though they could not bear the thoughts of
excluding these that came . . . the guards prevented them and shut the gates .
. .so they got together in great numbers and fled to Jericho . . . but Placidus
followed them and slew all he overtook, as far as the Jordan . . . there was no
place whither they could flee . . . fifteen thousand of them were slain” (<i><span style="background: white;">Wars</span></i> IV.VIII.4-5). </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLErLcwuwIkdsGtrbVF6Ar7n-Kbmh11Xhrjuh78i0tRhi41Uq8LJs3r4U20wiTy9_zKNo_s6gQFesvBzfL4bAcYHtnGBa5tA5ixYJ3ms4nh1ft1gOQqMl9fDE8z0an6CgVMaSDj4Z1peo/s640/runningAway2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLErLcwuwIkdsGtrbVF6Ar7n-Kbmh11Xhrjuh78i0tRhi41Uq8LJs3r4U20wiTy9_zKNo_s6gQFesvBzfL4bAcYHtnGBa5tA5ixYJ3ms4nh1ft1gOQqMl9fDE8z0an6CgVMaSDj4Z1peo/s320/runningAway2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Tracing the Exodus of the Jewish Church—The
7 Churches of Revelation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">It would seem that the location of the seven churches in Asia Minor
would be a good possible alternative (least of all possible evils) destination
for flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know, from Acts, Paul’s
writings, and Revelation, that there were Jewish and Jewish Christian
communities living in these seven cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These cities were far enough away from Judea that the Jews and Jewish
Christians were not being strongly attacked for being Jewish (while those in
cities nearer to Israel were already being slaughtered by the gentile
citizenry).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In light of Agrippa’s
argument, one can understand the PORNEIA of the “synagogue of Satan” in the cities
of Smyrna and Philadelphia, as the non-Christian Jews attempted to save their
own skins (and Jezebel, the Balaamites, and the Nicolaitans in the other cities
as the Christian Jews attempted to save their own skins).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The seven churches were far enough away from
Rome that they were not suffering terribly from Nero’s persecution of the
Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If, when John states in
Revelation 1:9 (NKJV), <span class="Heading2Char"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I,
John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation
and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called
Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ,” he is
indicating a common plight of Christian Jews—that they had fled (rather than
were banished) to regions around Asia Minor and had arrived primarily by sea (some
of the 7 cities being near a seaport; the others on a major ground route
connecting to seaports), it may be an indication that </span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Asia Minor</span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> had become a primary destination to which Jewish
Christians fled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, it may be that
Jewish Christians fled in </span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">several
different directions</span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, but what happened to them after 70 A.D.?</span></span><span class="Heading2Char"><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, frankly, do not know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They just simply disappeared.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHomnqTiJJL2RKIt8wBhhxHVxCyemjSEsXN4Sa8yUrexWlX_P1YhTWYaG1XU_z5H8GyVTLvxBZjqQAC6kfjOllG5MlTte570SCsitumMowsb1w6D8AGPvHMFE9kc2zjeC2R7VU3vX_9Z6/s1200/NotreDameRebuilding.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHomnqTiJJL2RKIt8wBhhxHVxCyemjSEsXN4Sa8yUrexWlX_P1YhTWYaG1XU_z5H8GyVTLvxBZjqQAC6kfjOllG5MlTte570SCsitumMowsb1w6D8AGPvHMFE9kc2zjeC2R7VU3vX_9Z6/s320/NotreDameRebuilding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">How Long Would it Take to Reconstitute the
Church?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Jews reconstituted (rabbinic) Judaism, following
the destruction of Jerusalem and annihilation of the sacrificial worship system
in 70 A.D., in the Mediterranean coastal city of Jabneh (aka, Javneh, Jamnia,
and Jamneel), located between Joppa/Jaffa and the former Philistine city of
Ashdod.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to William F. Albright’s
article in <i>The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">At the time of the destruction of Jerusalem [70 A.D.],
Johanan ben Zakkai, a member of the Sanhedrin, who had fled from the city,
established a small community of sages at Jabneh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became the head of a Beth Din (court)
there which, with certain changes, took over the functions of the
Sanhedrin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vespasian granted the request
of Johanan ben Zakkai to found an academy there, and from that time on, Jabneh became
the center of a new Jewish spiritual life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rabban Gamaliel II was the successor of Johannan as the president of the
new Sanhedrin and the academy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[Gamaliel
II remained as president until 90 A.D.]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">We have no similar
historical records for the continuation of the Church, despite a “concern for
apostolic succession” expressed in I Clement (which John A. T. Robinson dates
in 70 A.D.) and “Ignatius’ plea [Ignatius died either in 108 or in the 140s
A.D.] for unity around the monarchical bishop (quintessential interests . . .
of ‘emergent catholicism’)” (J. A. T. Robinson, <i>Redating the New Testament</i>,
p.9).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned in an earlier post,<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> the epistle from
the church at Rome to the church at Corinth that is attributed to Clement as I
Clement (although Clement’s name does not appear in the epistle) is neither
canonical nor inspired, yet it shows internal evidence of having been written
before 70 A.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It mentions the temple as
still existing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concept of “apostolic
succession,” however, as taken from I Clement has been used to justify the
catholic concept of Peter as first pope and Clement as his successor.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There is NO
DISCUSSION WHATSOEVER of a monarchical bishop in the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What has occurred by around 100 to 140 A.D.
is what Robinson calls “emergent catholicism.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Catholic Church has, by the second century, begun to be the “reconstituted”
church, but it is almost completely devoid of Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is no conclusive proof of any sort
of succession of the church from the Apostolic age, although legends attempt to
supply proof of such matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church
is now being run by Gentiles, despite the fact that not a single New Testament
book was written by a Gentile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ignatius
of Alexandria, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp of Smyrna are the three most
prominent leaders in the reconstituted church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While there is a wealth of New Testament literature from the 50s and 60s
A.D., there is <b>NO</b> Christian Literature that is undisputedly from the
late 70s to the early 90s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Epistle
of Barnabas (sometimes mistakenly assumed to be written by the New Testament
ally of Paul) could have been written as early as 70 A.D. or as late as
132.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Shepherd of Hermas was written,
most likely, late in the first half of the second century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church has both “literally” and “literarily”
gone away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">How Could a Church be Reconstituted if There
Were No Christians Left?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfVgkYqILk7nJeiehxoKmC8rDsS1aFwQvngnf4OvG1MDxniXtR636P_u6Kzf2URfn4-1F6bRdDKc33IKUBmt61JEgDGwuef_MG9xRQLzXHLXKvqHc2q5S2-Aw_x0_9SThzCq3hpFMBMv_/s720/LeftBehind.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfVgkYqILk7nJeiehxoKmC8rDsS1aFwQvngnf4OvG1MDxniXtR636P_u6Kzf2URfn4-1F6bRdDKc33IKUBmt61JEgDGwuef_MG9xRQLzXHLXKvqHc2q5S2-Aw_x0_9SThzCq3hpFMBMv_/s320/LeftBehind.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />The 1969 Christian
Folksong (“I Wish We’d All Been Ready”) that inspired the Tim LaHaye “Left
Behind” books and movies states lyrically: “The Father spoke, the demons dined,
the Son has come, and you’ve been left behind.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is that true?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Rapture
occurred in the 70s, were some “left behind”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Not every Christian
was promised that s/he would be raptured.<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not
yet completely convinced that the promised rapture included, for example,
Gentile Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The promise may have
been intended only for Jewish Christians (those that were “standing here” in
Jesus’ audience; the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, Paul indicates that “we
shall all be changed” (I Corinthians 15:51), possibly indicating that some
Gentiles in Corinth may be among the raptured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whatever the case may be concerning Jews and Gentiles, Matthew 24:41
describes the Rapture event: “Two women shall be grinding at
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hence: “Left behind!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revelation 16:15 and Matthew 24:42-43 warn
that Jesus is coming like a thief, so we need to be ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The parable of the Ten Virgins reinforces the
point in marriage imagery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Peter 4:17
(KJV) warns that “judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first
begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, we should assume that not every
Christian was raptured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did those who
were “left behind” reconstitute the church?</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">If so, they were given the
opportunity to repent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, those “Christians”
who supposedly remained did not seem to have clear information concerning who
the authors of the gospels, or the book of Hebrews, the Epistles of John, or the
book of Revelation were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Virtually all
of the attributions of authorship have to do with “internal” evidence—things that
might be learned by any novice studying the texts for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are legends (again, based perhaps on
interpretations of “internal” evidence) that Paul and Peter were killed in Rome,
but these legends are also suspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Peter
5:13 (NIV), for example, places Peter in “Babylon”: “She who is in Babylon,
chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These “Christians” assume that Babylon means
Rome, but, if as I and others have argued, Babylon does not refer to Rome, but rather
to Jerusalem, Mark’s home town, and the site of the church that meets in his
mother’s house (Acts 12:12), we may have Peter dying in Jerusalem instead,
where also Jesus’ brother James died in 62 A.D.—as substantiated by Josephus (</span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Antiquities</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
XX.IX.1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would the reconstituted Church
not know these basic historical matters?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Could it be because the “Christians” who reconstituted the Church were among
those “left behind” or <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">by novices studying the texts for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they don’t know these things, how would
they have any idea of the fate of the Jewish church?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I grew up in the Restoration
Movement, the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, who live by the motto:
“No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If the reconstituted Church cannot be relied upon for basic historical
information concerning the transition from the Church of the New Testament to
the Catholic Church, why should we rely upon their “creeds”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why should we look to them to interpret Jesus’
Olivet Discourse and the Book of Revelation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Modern scholarly methods are superior and our knowledge of archaeology
and textual criticism lend much support to revisiting long-held interpretations
without interference from centuries-old creeds.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 55.9pt 333.2pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0GeBkAdt0jTk8lNSyejZpT_Kp4Zqe2pdXuslBtaGTqfViIEuCcXgXO41WYAtDj5lciWJOVwVxchWpgMCwjI6lpAZl_zvpausaqyC4D6yQQcVLceNVTa6RMWWroakgS0_XlyVGfAHGnpJ/s1280/coffin.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0GeBkAdt0jTk8lNSyejZpT_Kp4Zqe2pdXuslBtaGTqfViIEuCcXgXO41WYAtDj5lciWJOVwVxchWpgMCwjI6lpAZl_zvpausaqyC4D6yQQcVLceNVTa6RMWWroakgS0_XlyVGfAHGnpJ/s320/coffin.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Why is That Not Bad News?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Atheists—since they desire to disprove the thesis that
God exists—seize upon the fact that the New Testament writings (including the
gospels, Pauline literature, and Revelation) place a time limit on the period
before Christ’s coming (which event, they argue, did not happen within the
specified time limit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, they
seek to prove that Jesus and John were false prophets and, thereby, to discredit
the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By arguing that the
Parousia did arrive on schedule, we are pounding <b>a major nail in the coffin
of Atheism</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Atheists can be right
about the New Testament placing a time limit on the period before Christ’s
coming, and yet fatally wrong in their assessment that the event did not happen
within the specified time limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise,
critical biblical scholars have lost a major premise upon which to hang their
doctrine of the “delay of the Parousia” speculation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, these critical scholars are prisoners
to their own prejudiced assumption <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">“that supernatural events are not possible” (Noll, 20),
anyway, so they would never admit that the Rapture could have happened at all. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6c3HwRmZyXoX8ZPqsWQLIL8FHmS9RXefjMaC184i_mKHnEmEPRUz4_fQ3mt9c0A7dF_c2gBPZvDmFmZNew7ZpzCoRffCLXo4_zOo5rFsAZSKBqDmsjUoquOP35YUOi-CE6xdzXcf1Aay/s800/rapture2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6c3HwRmZyXoX8ZPqsWQLIL8FHmS9RXefjMaC184i_mKHnEmEPRUz4_fQ3mt9c0A7dF_c2gBPZvDmFmZNew7ZpzCoRffCLXo4_zOo5rFsAZSKBqDmsjUoquOP35YUOi-CE6xdzXcf1Aay/s320/rapture2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Some Christians might look at the conclusion that the
Church was raptured in the years following the Fall of Jerusalem as a source of
huge disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The song lyrics
state: “you’ve been left behind.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
that true?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Rapture occurred in
the 70s, were you “left behind”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No,
because you were not alive in 70-73 A.D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Furthermore, you have had the advantage of the tremendous growth of
Christianity world-wide over the past two millennia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You live in Western <b>Christian</b>
Civilization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This civilization has been
growing for more than a millennium—nearly, two thousand years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Jesus and John promised in Revelation,
Christ’s followers have been reigning with Him for all this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, yet, Revelation predicts another coming
test for Christianity—the rise of Gog and Magog—in our future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following the rise of Gog and Magog, you must
be ready for the final act of human history—the end of the world and the
beginning of the World to Come, the New Jerusalem dwelling in the New Heavens
and New Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will begin to look at
those events in subsequent blog posts.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Meanwhile, have you ever wondered about the <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I Peter 4:17
(KJV) warning that “judgment must begin at the house of God”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you wondered whether God’s judgment on
the Church would be so severe that only one-tenth or one-fourth or one-half of
the Church would be saved?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you
wondered if you would “make the cut”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then, take heart from the almost total dearth of (especially, Jewish) Christians
left in the world after the Rapture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re just simply all gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That fact seems to me to bode well for the Christians who will be around
for the last round-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The implication
is that God will be taking with him <b>ALL</b> who are true believers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is not willing to have <b>ANY</b> of his
people “left behind” (II Peter 3:9).</span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Stan A. Lindsay, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09225173346705344752noreply@blogger.com0