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Tuesday, February 20, 2024

A Healthy Approach to the Bible

 


Dr. Alice C. Linsley

For the sake of argument, what authority can the New Testament documents have without the doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration? This doctrine states that every word in the entire biblical text was inspired by the Holy Spirit so that there are no errors in the original Scriptures.

But what of discrepancies? When we consider the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection we find discrepancies that result from different perspectives. In fact, if the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John agreed in every minute detail, we would have evidence of collusion among the witnesses. We would have reason to be suspicious. Such discrepancies on minor details are actually evidence of authenticity.

Even to speak of "errors" is misleading. Are contextual incongruities errors? A contextual incongruity is evident in Genesis 6:4 which poses the Nephilim as fallen angels (a Rabbinic notion) while also presenting them as historical “heroes of days gone by, men of renown.” The term Nephilim is derived from the same root as the Aramaic npyl which means giant, as in great. This is equivalent to the Arabic nfy, meaning hunter. Noah’s great grandson Nimrod is described as a “mighty hunter” or a “mighty man” before the Lord. Nimrod was a Kushite kingdom builder who married a Sumerian princess. He was among the "First Lords of the Earth."

Some portions of the New Testament include Jewish Midrash which contradict other portions of the canonical Scripture. Hebrews 12:16 describes Esau as an immoral and godless person, yet Hebrews 11:20 describes Esau as blessed. Which is the inspired word? It cannot be the midrash which contradicts the picture of Esau in Genesis as one who forgave his brother Jacob for trying to steal his inheritance birthright and his father's priestly blessing. 

In Hebrew 7:20-28, the author states that the former priests did not take oaths. However, there are historical documents that attest to oaths among the Hebrew priests. These include oaths of office, of loyalty, and of truth telling. The priest took an oath that declared loyalty to the high king who he served, and the oath was declared before the appointed royal official or high priest under whom the priest served.

The author of Hebrews is honest about his lack of information. He admits that many of the religious practices of the period of the Exodus are not familiar to him. Of the Ark of the Covenant, the mysterious manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, he explains in Hebrew 9:5 – “Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” 

The Bible is indeed a miraculous codex. It contains all things necessary for salvation. It should be read as objectively as possible, apart from denominational interpretations, dispensationalism, or concerns about errors. The reader has a responsibility to apply reason. Today the amount of information available to help people understand the Bible is enormous. 

To those steeped in the mindset of "the plain meaning of Scripture" this might sound a strange teaching. There is nothing "plain" about the canonical Scriptures. They are dense, multi-layered, tightly woven, and provocative. They require intense study and close reading with great attention to details. This should be especially true for those who claim Scripture as their first authority (prima scriptura).

We are heirs to the empiricism of the twentieth century and we can legitimately draw on that heritage when investigating the Scriptures as objectively as possible. We may approach the Bible less polemically than past generations. We can understand difficult passages because of the work of learned Bible scholars, textual criticism, biblical archaeology, biblical anthropology, and the study of biblical languages and biblical populations. Today the available “ordinary means” of understanding the Bible are vastly greater and more diverse than in the past.



Saturday, February 10, 2024

The Church at Prayer

 


"Prayer is the nearest approach to God and the highest enjoyment of Him that we are capable of in this life." - Archbishop William Law


The Church is a great mystery, the nature of which is known only to God. The divisions among Christians reflect cultural and historical realities about which countless volumes have been written. 

It can be safely said that where the Church is there is prayer that aligns with divine revelation in Scripture and Tradition. The Holy Spirit inspires prayer and sometimes moves us to prayer in times of urgency. 

The single prayer upon which all Christians agree is the "Our Father" or "The Lord's Prayer". The authority for this prayer comes from Jesus Christ himself who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses (debts) as we forgive those who trespass against us (our debtors); and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Types of prayer range from personal prayer in daily devotions; extemporaneous prayers in public services of worship, and formal liturgical prayers. Christians believe that prayer is offered to glorify God, to render praise and thanksgiving, to intercede for others, to confess sins, and to consecrate, sanctify, and ordain.

The following prayers come from different Christian traditions, but all express what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.


This "General Thanksgiving" is found in The Book of Common Prayer (Anglican).

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all they goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men; We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord,, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end.


This prayer comes from the Ethiopic Liturgy.

Truly the heavens and earth are full of the holiness of thy glory, in our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, thy holy Son. He came, and was born of the Virgin, that he might fulfill thy will and make a people for thee. He stretched out his hands to the passion, suffering to save the sufferers that trust in thee; and was delivered of his own will to the Cross, that he might abolish death and burst the bond of Satan, trample on Hades, lead forth the Saints, establish a covenant, and make known his resurrection! 

These two prayers come from the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church:

Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings. Put us in fear also of thy blessed commandments, that we, trampling down all earthly passions, may follow after the life of the spirit; both thinking and doing always such things as shall be well pleasing to thee. For thou art the light of our souls and of our bodies, O Christ our God. (Attributed to St. John Chrysostom.)

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.


This memorial prayer comes from the Liturgy of the Apostolic Constitutions.

He who fashioneth all that are born into this world was himself fashioned in the Virgin’s womb; he who was without flesh became flesh; he who was begotten from eternity was born in time. He was holy in his conversation and taught in accordance with law, and he drove away all manner of disease and sickness from among men, and wrought signs and wonders among the people. He who feedeth the hungry and filleth all things living with plenteousness partook of food and drink and sleep. He manifested thy name to those who knew it not; he put ignorance to flight, rekindled piety, fulfilled thy will, and did finish the work which thou gavest him to do. And when he had duly accomplished all these things, betrayed by one diseased with wickedness he was seized by the hands of lawless people, priests and High Priests, falsely so called, and a rebellious mob; and having suffered many things at their hands, and having endured all kinds of indignity by thy permission, was delivered to Pilate the Governor. The Judge was judged, the Saviour was condemned, he who is impassible was nailed to the Cross, and he who is by nature immortal died.


Prayer for the Church (attributed to William Law).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.

This prayer comes from the Liturgy of the Coptic Jacobites.

O Longsuffering, of great mercy and truth, receive our prayer and supplication’ receive our petition, our penitence, our confession upon thy pure and holy altar in heaven. May we be accounted worthy to hear thy holy Gospel, and to keep thy precepts and commandments, and to bear fruit therein an hundredfold, and sixtyfold, in Christ Jesus our Lord, O thou who art blessed with him and the holy and lifegiving Spirit.


Anglican Prayer of Humble Access before reception of Holy Communion.

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.



Thursday, January 11, 2024

Was Jesus Omniscient?

 

Icon of the Second Council of Nicaea


Dr. Alice C. Linsley

The question of whether or not Jesus was omniscient is far above my paygrade. The Son of God becoming incarnate is a singular event and a great mystery. Far greater minds than mine have struggled to understand this at the early Ecumenical Councils and they concluded that Christ has two natures: fully human and fully divine, and that the two natures are neither mixed, nor separable. In other words, one nature does not overthrow the other. The two natures exist in perfect harmony in the God-Man Jesus Christ.

Jesus knew his destiny because he knew the expectation of his Hebrew ancestors concerning the Son of God: how he would be conceived by divine overshadowing (Luke 1:35); show his authority over wind and water, die, and rise on the third day. He predicts his death in Jerusalem. He draws on the story of Jonah being 3 days in the whale’s belly to speak of his third-day resurrection. He repeatedly called out the Jewish elite for obfuscating this Messianic Faith of their ancestors. They made it about politics. Jesus’ message was about our need for repentance and glorifying his Father in Heaven.

The Gospels often speak of Jesus knowing the thoughts of his enemies. Matthew 12:25 is an example: "And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them..." Did Jesus read their minds? That appears to overthrow what is within the realm of possibility for a fully human person. Rather, it means that Jesus knows the ways and manners of sinners and God-mockers. That fits the context of His dispute with the Pharisees in Matthew 12. This is not an example of omniscience, but proof that He knows the evil that resides in our hearts. 

It seems to me that the term “omniscient” may not be the best term to use in reference to Jesus Christ. It suggests the Greek philosophical attributes for the Godhead and is foreign to the Semitic way of thinking about God.

Omniscience means that Jesus was never surprised or disappointed, nor would He wonder about things. Jesus knew Judas would betray him, but that knowledge must have brought Him disappointment and sadness. In some instances, Jesus showed surprise or astonishment at the faith of Gentiles who approached him. Consider the stories of the Centurion (Matt. 8:10; Mark 6:6) and the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30). Our Lord condescended to the level of understanding of others out of love and compassion. This is what a good teacher does to increase the student’s understanding.

Jesus recognized that He is the subject of the Isaiah passage: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” 

He declared this in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:17-21).


Friday, December 22, 2023

A Blessed Feast of the Nativity

 


Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.


Sunday, November 12, 2023

Billy Graham Embraced the Call to be a Christian

 

Ruth and Billy Graham



"I believe that Billy Graham had a profound impact on the world because he first embraced the call, not of being an evangelist, but being a Christian." - Curtis Hunnicutt

The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham was a bold proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was his first priority and it often put him at odds with both liberals and conservatives. Billy Graham's irenic approach was not fully appreciated in the polemic of the mid-20th century. 

Writing for the Britannica, Randall Balmer explains, "In New York City in 1954, he was received warmly by students at Union Theological Seminary, a bastion of liberal Protestantism; nevertheless, the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, a professor at Union and one of the leading Protestant thinkers of the 20th century, had little patience for Graham’s simplistic preaching. On the other end of the theological spectrum, fundamentalists such as Bob Jones, Jr., Carl McIntire, and Jack Wyrtzen never forgave Graham for cooperating with the Ministerial Alliance, which included mainline Protestant clergy, in the planning and execution of Graham’s storied 16-week crusade at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1957. Such cooperation, however, was part of Graham’s deliberate strategy to distance himself from the starchy conservatism and separatism of American fundamentalists. His entire career, in fact, was marked by an irenic spirit."

I believe this was part of the secret to Graham's expansive influence. Perhaps the greater part was his insistence that the Word preached has the power to save sinners, to make disciples, and to bring change even to the troubled world. He once said, "When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is presented with authority - quoting from the very word of God - He takes that message and drives it supernaturally into the human heart."


Related reading: Billy Graham on Discipleship, Be Salt, Light Where You Are

Thursday, October 12, 2023

The Irrepressible Truth




“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
 (Matt. 28:18-20)


This has been called “The Great Commission" and it is delivered by the One who holds all authority as ruler and high priest over the cosmos. Jesus gave this command citing His absolute authority in "Heaven and Earth" (a merism). The divine Son's authority was perceived by people even before His Incarnation.

Disciples of Jesus Christ are found around the world and the number is growing, especially in places where the Faith is suppressed and denied. The Truth of the Gospel is irrepressible. It makes itself known even in the darkest places. Indeed, it always ultimately overcomes the darkness!

The biblical Hebrew recognized three types of authority: derived, attributed, and achieved. The deification of rulers required derived and attributed authority. Because the ruler was seen as God's representative on earth and the one to enforce divine law, his authority was believed to be derived from God.

If the ruler proved over time to be just or righteous in his actions and decrees, the priests would attribute deification. Deification or apotheosis was an expression of the flamboyant honor shown to royal masters by their servants.

Deification was indicated by the SR designation in the ruler's epithet and or royal name. The historical ruler Osiris was deified as is evident in his name O-SiR. Among the Sumerians and Akkadians SR designated a king (Å¡arrum) and a queen (Å¡arratum). The Akkadian itti Å¡arrim means "with the king".

None of the ancient rulers returned from the dead. They had no authority over death. However, the Son of God broke the hold of death. He tramped down death by His death. He leads his disciples to the Father and admits them to His eternal kingdom. This is the truth that can never be suppressed.



Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Angels Marvel at the Obedience of Faith




Edward F. Lundwall, Jr.


"Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:" (Rom 16:25, 26).

In this verse, the importance of obedience of faith is seen as the "the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures..." The obedience of faith springs from love of God Father, God Son, and God Holy Spirit. Without that love there can be no obedience, no true discipleship.

The relationship between faithful humanity and God is a matter into which even the angels desire to look (1 Peter 1:12).

In the Greek New Testament, there are only two words in this phrase: upakohn pistews -"obedience of faith." "Obedience" (upakohn) is in the accusative case showing that it is the designed result of God’s “grace” and “apostleship” (Rom. 1:5). Such grace is a cause of astonishment to the angels!

Grace (pistews) is a gift that cannot be earned. Apostleship is the God-given authority to convey the revelation of God’s salvation, to share the Gospel of saving grace. From the beginning, the Holy Trinity has been working out the salvation of all who turn to the Holy One.

This is the teaching point from Ephesians 3:9-10: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God."

The grace of God, the gift of faith, and the obedience of love are a cause of wonder among the heavenly hosts. These are to be celebrated in the Church and we are to pray for their increase.