I've been studying so much lately and missing how often I used to write. Maybe I should just start on writing a book? I thought it would be cool sometime to write a book on the difference between evangelism and living a godly life. Many times people think they are synonymous. While they support each other, it's my belief that evangelism is active rather than passive. That would be a fun book to write.
So my Midterm for Hermeneutics is tomorrow, but I might take the exam tonight because I've just finished reviewing all my material from Lessons 1-5. All that's needed is some short review of terms. Johnny and I will be helping eachother study for our exams tonight. I've been studying so hard and due to the pace of the class, it's sinking in more for me now that I review it for the test. I'm grasping the concepts much better now and there is a level of excitement each time I sit down to study the principles of interpreting God's Word and learning new things all the time. I'm reaching more of a point where if someone asks me what I've been learning, I might actually be able to pull something together in a communicatable form and put it into words. It's been so intense that when someone asks about the class, my mind struggles to put into something people can understand.
Through it all I'm still so excited I have the privalege to study God's Word while I work to save money. I know time spent now will be so rewarding in the future wherever God leads. This morning in church I had desire rise up in me to teach. I miss actually preparing to teach lessons in CSM. It provided an avenue to let the passion flow in a form that would bless others and gain experience in the doing what I believe God has called me to do. I have so many tools in my reach for study that it will surely be a blessing when God opens those doors.
Recently I've been given an opportunity by a family at my church to watch over their home while they are on vacation. I was humbled and surprised they asked me for this. I would walk their dog, make sure he and the cat are fed, water the plants, and sleep in the home overnight for a week. They have the internet so it would be easy to do homework and it's actually closer to work. It will also be a paid opportunity. I'm looking forward to the experience as I've never done something like this before. It will be like a mini-vacation! I'll pack a suitcase for a week and bring some food from home and it'll be good. Their big dog's name is Samson and it looks like he likes me... while it may have just been the smell from my female dog.
I've also been asked by my best friend to baptize him on the 30th. This came as a surprising honor. He said I've been the primary spiritual influence on him since he's been a Christian. he came to the same conclusion I did about a year ago... that when I was first baptized, I probably wasn't really saved. So when I actually had assurance, I got re-baptized. I'll be skipping my weekly witnessing night to participate in his baptism service with great honor and pleasure in doing so. It's quite exciting!
Here's something for you from class... do you like terms?
Epistemology
Paul Feinberg defines epistemology as “the branch of philosophy that is concerned with the theory of knowledge. It is an inquiry into the nature and source of knowledge, the bounds of knowledge, and the justification of claims to knowledge ” (Feinberg 359).
From this definition, epistemology:
1. Inquires into the nature of knowledge
2. Describes limits (“bounds”) of what can be known
3. Evaluates whether or not claims to knowledge are just
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
What is Hermeneutics?
Well, they're having me open in Produce tomorrow morning. That means my alarm is set for 4 hours from now. My body is still tired from closing, but I'm not sleepy. Tomorrow will be an eventful day. After work I head over to the church to help out with moving furniture for VBS and whatever else they might need for a little bit. Then I head over to pick up my car... or at least pay for it. After that, I'm off to studying! I decided to take some money out of savings to buy some study resources for class that I will likely need. After buying them though, I realized I could have chosen somewhat more wisely for the purposes I have. I need to write a paper on the historical background and "Observation" of the book of James for class. I chose the book because it's my favorite.
With the money I've bought 1. a half tank of gas 2. soon.. dinner for my mom's birthday 3. Basic Bible Interpretation By Roy Zuck 4. NT Commentary on James By John MacArthur 5. Nelson's Bible Maps and Charts (outlines and brief historical info) 6. Vine's Complete Expository Bible Dictionary
Hopefully those will help in this assignment and many more to come. So I don't think I've answered this question with more than a basic definition of the idea of Hermeneutics...
Hermenutics is the science and art of biblical interpretation. It's a science because there is a systematic way of doing the job and an art because there is much growth in the process as well. It's not merely a boring task with huge words and overexhaustive reading... it's digging into the Word of God! It's not subjective as art usually tends to be, either.
The basic process for Hermeneutics is 1. Observation (Look at everything there is to know about the text... time period, date, author, audience, geography, culture, history, context, etc.) 2. Interpretation (What is the ONE meaning to the text?) 3. Application (What are the primary, secondary and so on ways we can apply the truth to our lives?) The first step will color/influence the rest and is the most important.
The word "Hermeneutics" comes from the Greek god Hermes, who was the "speaker of the House" (if you will) for the Greek gods. This god was the messenger.
Someone of importance once put it to me this way... we are to be "engineers of the scriptures." They told a story of a man who was an architect. He was commissioned to build a bridge for a city and was in the room with the decision makers, state department chairs, and city officials. They were wondering what to build the bridge out of. They all gave their opinions and presented their cases before the architect... Steel? Stone? Plastic? (There are some strong sturdy plastics these days) ...Meanwhile the engineer is looking at his fingernails with little concern for the opinions of those around him. Why? Because he is the engineer. He went through the school to be a professional at what he is doing. He doesn't have to be concerned with opinions of others because he knows exactly the way in which to proceed. This is similar to how educated and proficient we should desire to be.
With the money I've bought 1. a half tank of gas 2. soon.. dinner for my mom's birthday 3. Basic Bible Interpretation By Roy Zuck 4. NT Commentary on James By John MacArthur 5. Nelson's Bible Maps and Charts (outlines and brief historical info) 6. Vine's Complete Expository Bible Dictionary
Hopefully those will help in this assignment and many more to come. So I don't think I've answered this question with more than a basic definition of the idea of Hermeneutics...
Hermenutics is the science and art of biblical interpretation. It's a science because there is a systematic way of doing the job and an art because there is much growth in the process as well. It's not merely a boring task with huge words and overexhaustive reading... it's digging into the Word of God! It's not subjective as art usually tends to be, either.
The basic process for Hermeneutics is 1. Observation (Look at everything there is to know about the text... time period, date, author, audience, geography, culture, history, context, etc.) 2. Interpretation (What is the ONE meaning to the text?) 3. Application (What are the primary, secondary and so on ways we can apply the truth to our lives?) The first step will color/influence the rest and is the most important.
The word "Hermeneutics" comes from the Greek god Hermes, who was the "speaker of the House" (if you will) for the Greek gods. This god was the messenger.
Someone of importance once put it to me this way... we are to be "engineers of the scriptures." They told a story of a man who was an architect. He was commissioned to build a bridge for a city and was in the room with the decision makers, state department chairs, and city officials. They were wondering what to build the bridge out of. They all gave their opinions and presented their cases before the architect... Steel? Stone? Plastic? (There are some strong sturdy plastics these days) ...Meanwhile the engineer is looking at his fingernails with little concern for the opinions of those around him. Why? Because he is the engineer. He went through the school to be a professional at what he is doing. He doesn't have to be concerned with opinions of others because he knows exactly the way in which to proceed. This is similar to how educated and proficient we should desire to be.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Life and JW Convention
Well hello again,
I've been studying and working hard for school as always. I'm still astonished that I can call Bible College "school" with the same intensity and the same seriousness (if not more) as I did the college I just finished. I can hardly get over the excitement it brings to know you're actually getting credit and working toward a degree that is legitimate and you're studying the Bible! I'm sure anyone who finally digs into classes of their field can attest to this joy. I'm so glad to have finished my big paper and it looks like the assignments ahead of me before the Midterm will be doable. I'll be working hard this evening. One quote from my textbook that I thought was nice was... "Present-day Bible interpreters need to put themselves in the sandals of the writer and initial recipients, that is, they need to understand a passage from their perspective. Biblical writers did not have our situation in mind. they wrote from the perspective of their own circumstances, and we must understand their writings from that vantage point." -Intro To Biblical Interp. By Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard
In other news, Produce is working out for me at work. I worked in Produce for a couple years before transferring to my current store and then Deli for about a year and a half now. I've been "on loan" to the Deli and have been trying to get back into Produce ever since. It looks like I'll be there permenantly now. The Produce manager is rather excited. After the first night I closed, he came in and another manager looked at the department and said, "it doesn't look like it's supposed to." Produce manager replied, "what do you mean?" He said back, "it looks good." The Produce manager actually said he wanted to try and get me another raise. I was surprised. But hey, God works things in mysterious ways and I'm thankful I can praise Him through all of it... good and bad. Someone once said (while some may call it a negative outlook) that "you either just got out of a trial, you're in one right now, or you're on your way into one." That kinda keeps me humble in a way. Combine that quote with the sovereignty of God and we have a winner!
Today after church, I decided to drop by a church I was considering to join a while back since I got out early. It was their potluck lunch month and before I had been there 10 minutes, 3 people invited me to eat. I came at just the right time! It was nice to see a few people I used to know and the pastor there. I also spoke with a gentleman and his wife who were fairly new to the church. He brought up the subject the Calvinism and we had a friendly discussion about it. He was a pretty humorous guy. He said a pastor once told him when we reach the gates of heaven there might be sign at the front that says, "whosoever" and when you walk through it and turn around there will be a sign on the other side that reads, "chosen before the foundation of the earth..." We had a good laugh.
So I felt like mentioning last Saturday night. It was rather exciting. There was the good old Jehovah's Witness conference going on down there. Many of them wouldn't take our tracts (it's a policy I hear), but many also did take them. When Travis saw that they were there, he said it was time to preach. While we were surely terrified, we preached it up anyway. One older gentleman came by to talk with us. We found out he was a Jew turned JW. He had been a Witness for over 30 years, most of that time spent as an Elder in the church. This was the first of the JW's that actually came by to talk with us and pursued us. He was the nicest guy.
Travis carried most of the discussion and did an excellent job with the scripture that supports the deity of Jesus Christ. He also knew how their bible changed the relevant verses. The only thing the Elder didn't have an answer for was Revelation 1:17-18. Travis first brought him to Revelation 1:8 and he agreed that was referring to Jehovah God. Then when you jump down to v.17-18, it says the same person was once dead, now is alive. Alpha and Omega are the "first and last" letters of the Greek alphabet. He was saying He is the beginning and the end of everything. That can only be Jesus Christ himself! We parted on good terms and I thanked the man for being open enough to speak with us.
All of your prayers are appreciated as we take the gospel to the world of downtown Ft. Worth!
I've been studying and working hard for school as always. I'm still astonished that I can call Bible College "school" with the same intensity and the same seriousness (if not more) as I did the college I just finished. I can hardly get over the excitement it brings to know you're actually getting credit and working toward a degree that is legitimate and you're studying the Bible! I'm sure anyone who finally digs into classes of their field can attest to this joy. I'm so glad to have finished my big paper and it looks like the assignments ahead of me before the Midterm will be doable. I'll be working hard this evening. One quote from my textbook that I thought was nice was... "Present-day Bible interpreters need to put themselves in the sandals of the writer and initial recipients, that is, they need to understand a passage from their perspective. Biblical writers did not have our situation in mind. they wrote from the perspective of their own circumstances, and we must understand their writings from that vantage point." -Intro To Biblical Interp. By Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard
In other news, Produce is working out for me at work. I worked in Produce for a couple years before transferring to my current store and then Deli for about a year and a half now. I've been "on loan" to the Deli and have been trying to get back into Produce ever since. It looks like I'll be there permenantly now. The Produce manager is rather excited. After the first night I closed, he came in and another manager looked at the department and said, "it doesn't look like it's supposed to." Produce manager replied, "what do you mean?" He said back, "it looks good." The Produce manager actually said he wanted to try and get me another raise. I was surprised. But hey, God works things in mysterious ways and I'm thankful I can praise Him through all of it... good and bad. Someone once said (while some may call it a negative outlook) that "you either just got out of a trial, you're in one right now, or you're on your way into one." That kinda keeps me humble in a way. Combine that quote with the sovereignty of God and we have a winner!
Today after church, I decided to drop by a church I was considering to join a while back since I got out early. It was their potluck lunch month and before I had been there 10 minutes, 3 people invited me to eat. I came at just the right time! It was nice to see a few people I used to know and the pastor there. I also spoke with a gentleman and his wife who were fairly new to the church. He brought up the subject the Calvinism and we had a friendly discussion about it. He was a pretty humorous guy. He said a pastor once told him when we reach the gates of heaven there might be sign at the front that says, "whosoever" and when you walk through it and turn around there will be a sign on the other side that reads, "chosen before the foundation of the earth..." We had a good laugh.
So I felt like mentioning last Saturday night. It was rather exciting. There was the good old Jehovah's Witness conference going on down there. Many of them wouldn't take our tracts (it's a policy I hear), but many also did take them. When Travis saw that they were there, he said it was time to preach. While we were surely terrified, we preached it up anyway. One older gentleman came by to talk with us. We found out he was a Jew turned JW. He had been a Witness for over 30 years, most of that time spent as an Elder in the church. This was the first of the JW's that actually came by to talk with us and pursued us. He was the nicest guy.
Travis carried most of the discussion and did an excellent job with the scripture that supports the deity of Jesus Christ. He also knew how their bible changed the relevant verses. The only thing the Elder didn't have an answer for was Revelation 1:17-18. Travis first brought him to Revelation 1:8 and he agreed that was referring to Jehovah God. Then when you jump down to v.17-18, it says the same person was once dead, now is alive. Alpha and Omega are the "first and last" letters of the Greek alphabet. He was saying He is the beginning and the end of everything. That can only be Jesus Christ himself! We parted on good terms and I thanked the man for being open enough to speak with us.
All of your prayers are appreciated as we take the gospel to the world of downtown Ft. Worth!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Was Abraham Justified by Faith or Works?
I recently had to read a few passages for class in light of Ephesians 2:8-9 and post this message in the class discussion board. The passages and the issue are described below. This is an exciting study to dig into and ponder over. I thought might benefit from and enjoy taking a look at it...
In my morning quiet time, I've been studying through John Macarthur's commentaries on Romans and when I found this issue and compared it with James, I ran into a bit of a pickle. I was reading Romans 4:1-5. Verses 2-3 stood out to me particularly, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about?but not before God. What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'"
Here we have Paul saying Abraham was specifically justified by faith and James seeming to say the same Abraham was justified by works in James 2:21, 24. I've always heard James 2 taught to convey the message from (as our materials say) that James was simply placing a different emphasis on salvation. He was saying that true faith produces works in the life of a believer. While I must default to this position due to my presupposition that the Bible never contradicts itself and God's Word is always true, I have always wondered... are we departing from the Literal approach to interpretation to harmonize these two passages? If anyone can help me dig into this, I would appreciate it.
In my search for clarification on this a while back, I found Matthew Henry's commentary on James 2. In it he adds a valuable perspective that affirms what I've been taught with a logical conclusion. He says, "The justification of which Paul speaks is different from that spoken of by James; the one speaks of our persons being justified before God, the other speaks of our faith being justified before men: 'Show me thy faith by thy works,' says James, 'let thy faith be justified in the eyes of those that behold thee by thy works;' but Paul speaks of justification in the sight of God, who justifies those only that believe in Jesus, and purely on account of the redemption that is in him. Thus we see that our persons are justified before God by faith, but our faith is justified before men by works."
The whole commentary can be found at... http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jam/Jam002.htmlhttp://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jam/Jam002.html
In other news, I found out my car's fuel pump went out and will cost $500 to fix. Oh well.. God's still in control, right? I also finished the big paper I had to write for class. It was where I chose a passage to interpret and then had to critique it from an Allegorical, Literal, and Historical perspective. While the assignment was helpful in solidifying my understanding of these 3 schools of methodology. it was a grueling grind of an experience to squeeze out 6 pages to do this. I really should have chosen a better fuller passage that would give room to write with ease from each perspective. My Midterm is at the end of this week so please pray that I can diligently read and complete all the assignments (and there are MANY) early enough to have time to actually study for the midterm. Those prayers are GREATLY appreciated.
I heard recently a quote from Charles Spurgeon, "Don't let your fire go out while you're picking up sticks." I was reminded that I still need to continue seeking the lost for Jesus to save them even while I'm studying in Bible college and I'm looking forward to spending time out witnessing tonight for that very reason! Well... back to reading!
In my morning quiet time, I've been studying through John Macarthur's commentaries on Romans and when I found this issue and compared it with James, I ran into a bit of a pickle. I was reading Romans 4:1-5. Verses 2-3 stood out to me particularly, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about?but not before God. What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'"
Here we have Paul saying Abraham was specifically justified by faith and James seeming to say the same Abraham was justified by works in James 2:21, 24. I've always heard James 2 taught to convey the message from (as our materials say) that James was simply placing a different emphasis on salvation. He was saying that true faith produces works in the life of a believer. While I must default to this position due to my presupposition that the Bible never contradicts itself and God's Word is always true, I have always wondered... are we departing from the Literal approach to interpretation to harmonize these two passages? If anyone can help me dig into this, I would appreciate it.
In my search for clarification on this a while back, I found Matthew Henry's commentary on James 2. In it he adds a valuable perspective that affirms what I've been taught with a logical conclusion. He says, "The justification of which Paul speaks is different from that spoken of by James; the one speaks of our persons being justified before God, the other speaks of our faith being justified before men: 'Show me thy faith by thy works,' says James, 'let thy faith be justified in the eyes of those that behold thee by thy works;' but Paul speaks of justification in the sight of God, who justifies those only that believe in Jesus, and purely on account of the redemption that is in him. Thus we see that our persons are justified before God by faith, but our faith is justified before men by works."
The whole commentary can be found at... http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jam/Jam002.htmlhttp://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jam/Jam002.html
In other news, I found out my car's fuel pump went out and will cost $500 to fix. Oh well.. God's still in control, right? I also finished the big paper I had to write for class. It was where I chose a passage to interpret and then had to critique it from an Allegorical, Literal, and Historical perspective. While the assignment was helpful in solidifying my understanding of these 3 schools of methodology. it was a grueling grind of an experience to squeeze out 6 pages to do this. I really should have chosen a better fuller passage that would give room to write with ease from each perspective. My Midterm is at the end of this week so please pray that I can diligently read and complete all the assignments (and there are MANY) early enough to have time to actually study for the midterm. Those prayers are GREATLY appreciated.
I heard recently a quote from Charles Spurgeon, "Don't let your fire go out while you're picking up sticks." I was reminded that I still need to continue seeking the lost for Jesus to save them even while I'm studying in Bible college and I'm looking forward to spending time out witnessing tonight for that very reason! Well... back to reading!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Modern/Postmodern Survey... Where do YOU land?
I had to make this survey and interview someone under 30 and over 65. So far I've come up with some interesting results. Feel free to take it yourself and see if you lean more toward a Modern or Postmodern worldview...
1. If you were to find buried in your backyard a 1,500 year old letter written in another language, do you think it would be possible to find out what the author of the letter's purpose was in writing it, his meaning?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Maybe
2. In this process, what is the role and importance of the person reading the ancient letter?
3. Can the reader's conclusions about the ancient letter be wrong compared to another reader's conclusions? How so or how not?
4. Could there be more than one meaning to the statements made in the ancient letter?
A. Yes
B. No
5. Is there such a thing as absolute truth?
A. Yes
B. No
6. Can we know the absolute truth on a subject, especially if it is controversial?
A. Yes
B. No
7. Can we have an adequate understanding of a subject to the degree that we can take a stance?
A. Yes
B. No
8. Why do you personally think there are so many religions and faiths in the world?
9. Is it possible for there to be one faith that is correct and the others incorrect?
A. Yes
B. No
10. Which is a better course of action: 1. To search for a “correct” faith if one exists and adapt your life to that faith. Or 2. To discover your own personal faith journey and live by what feels best for you?
A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Both, because...
1. If you were to find buried in your backyard a 1,500 year old letter written in another language, do you think it would be possible to find out what the author of the letter's purpose was in writing it, his meaning?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Maybe
2. In this process, what is the role and importance of the person reading the ancient letter?
3. Can the reader's conclusions about the ancient letter be wrong compared to another reader's conclusions? How so or how not?
4. Could there be more than one meaning to the statements made in the ancient letter?
A. Yes
B. No
5. Is there such a thing as absolute truth?
A. Yes
B. No
6. Can we know the absolute truth on a subject, especially if it is controversial?
A. Yes
B. No
7. Can we have an adequate understanding of a subject to the degree that we can take a stance?
A. Yes
B. No
8. Why do you personally think there are so many religions and faiths in the world?
9. Is it possible for there to be one faith that is correct and the others incorrect?
A. Yes
B. No
10. Which is a better course of action: 1. To search for a “correct” faith if one exists and adapt your life to that faith. Or 2. To discover your own personal faith journey and live by what feels best for you?
A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Both, because...
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Cat Hermeneutics and My BC Friend got saved!
I got to thinking today... sometimes in the mornings before leaving as I feed my cat, I do something funny that could relate to hermeneutics. There is a right and wrong way to go about interpretation. Two simple terms for this are...
"Exegesis" - to "lead out" the meaning of a biblical text. This means to desire to draw the meaning of the Bible passage out.
"Eisegesis" - To read the meaning into a biblical text.
As I prepare for feeding my cat, he meows and rubs up against my leg. Often I'll say, "Aww, I love you too." You and I both know the cat isn't telling me how wonderful I am or how much he loves me... he's saying something like "food! food! I'm hungry!" While we don't know cat language, we CAN tell by looking at the context of the situation that the cat probably isn't saying that he loves me or speaking kind words of encouragement. For me to assume he was saying those things is obviously an example in Eisegesis... while my cat isn't a text.
Good news... on the way home from work today, I stopped by an old friend's house. We were friends for years before I was saved. Afterward there was a kind of falling out for obvious reasons. I decided to drop in and another of my old friends was there and He just recently got saved! him and his mom both! He said he was saved a while back but realized he really wasn't until just recently. He works for a small ministry locally. I also go to talk to his mom on the phone. She was excited to hear my voice and to know that I was going to Bible college.
He updated me on all the major things that have happened in his life and the things still to come. I praised God on the way home for the work He had done in this heart!
"Exegesis" - to "lead out" the meaning of a biblical text. This means to desire to draw the meaning of the Bible passage out.
"Eisegesis" - To read the meaning into a biblical text.
As I prepare for feeding my cat, he meows and rubs up against my leg. Often I'll say, "Aww, I love you too." You and I both know the cat isn't telling me how wonderful I am or how much he loves me... he's saying something like "food! food! I'm hungry!" While we don't know cat language, we CAN tell by looking at the context of the situation that the cat probably isn't saying that he loves me or speaking kind words of encouragement. For me to assume he was saying those things is obviously an example in Eisegesis... while my cat isn't a text.
Good news... on the way home from work today, I stopped by an old friend's house. We were friends for years before I was saved. Afterward there was a kind of falling out for obvious reasons. I decided to drop in and another of my old friends was there and He just recently got saved! him and his mom both! He said he was saved a while back but realized he really wasn't until just recently. He works for a small ministry locally. I also go to talk to his mom on the phone. She was excited to hear my voice and to know that I was going to Bible college.
He updated me on all the major things that have happened in his life and the things still to come. I praised God on the way home for the work He had done in this heart!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Car Problems
I had a busy day today... studying from 6-11am, picked up a dessert dish for the church picnic tomorrow, got a haircut, and went to my sister's birthday party. As I tried to leave, I noticed that the car wouldn't start. It "turned over," but it wouldn't start. We tried jumping it and still no success. We eventually gave up and my dad came to pick me up. The timing seems just right for another car problem. I didn't need any more issues with this thing. I can barely save money to replace the money I spent on class already! I guess I'll have to go back to being ultra strict with my money and try to study at home instead of going out places.
I have the old loaner car for now, but I've just gotta be careful. Thankfully my raise came in at work! it looks like I'll be doing nothing but saving money until I can get back to a comfortable place... I don't know what's wrong with the car yet or how much it will cost, but we'll likely have to have it towed. I wonder if the heat got to it or something?
By the time I arrived home, it was about 5 minutes before I would normally leave for downtown, I was hot and tired. Travis said he'd be out this weekend as well. So I ended up not going. This isn't usual for me. It will give me time to work on and likely finish a paper in advance for class, but is it worth the trade? I did get to take a short nap earlier.
No Hermeneutical tidbits today... it's time to tackle a paper!
I have the old loaner car for now, but I've just gotta be careful. Thankfully my raise came in at work! it looks like I'll be doing nothing but saving money until I can get back to a comfortable place... I don't know what's wrong with the car yet or how much it will cost, but we'll likely have to have it towed. I wonder if the heat got to it or something?
By the time I arrived home, it was about 5 minutes before I would normally leave for downtown, I was hot and tired. Travis said he'd be out this weekend as well. So I ended up not going. This isn't usual for me. It will give me time to work on and likely finish a paper in advance for class, but is it worth the trade? I did get to take a short nap earlier.
No Hermeneutical tidbits today... it's time to tackle a paper!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Views on God's Law ...the system.
Sup?
I've been studying away and I found something that might interest some of you. These are the dominant views of the Old Testament Law. I tend to lean toward Luther's view, in regard to the 10 Commandments being primary in that. In my studying I've also realized that I've taken up some of Aquinas' view at times to explain to people why the 10 Commandments are still valid. After some thought on the subject, I've come to a conclusion that is a bit more specific for understanding purposes. In my effort to explain why we used the law in evangelism to a nonbeliever, my zeal forgot the fact that "The law is a system. We are no longer under that system." -Dr. Mal Couch.
That being said, humanity is not under the law as a system, but it is under the fact that God requires perfection and no one is perfect. THAT is what the 10 Commandments show them (Romans 7:13, Galatians 3:24). They aren't given to show someone that they need to live better, but that they have already not lived good enough. So to answer the question... We present the moral commandments not because humanity is under Jewish law as a whole (because the system cannot be divided or compartmentalized), but because it shows someone sin in it's true light. It shows them they aren't "good" enough for God. That IS its' purpose. God used it to show His chosen people they need to run to His mercy in devotion because they weren't perfect... just as we can use it today in breaking ground for the gospel and the same purpose.
Antinomianism (from nomos=law):
Against the law—the Law has no proper role in guiding the life of the believer
Aquinas’ threefold division:
Distinguished between moral, civil, and ceremonial elements within the Law; and viewed the ceremonial as no longer needed in light of the work of Christ
Luther:
Emphasized how the Law points out sin
Calvin:
Emphasized the Law as a guide for Christian living
Theonomy/ Dominion Theology/ Christian Reconstructionism:
Desires to implement Old Testament civil laws in modern government in order to establish a Christian theocracy
Messianic Jewish Halachic Observance:
Some Jewish Christians encourage the observance of rabbinic rules as a measure of their spirituality
Also, I have the online discussion from my Hermeneutics class about the interpretation of women's roles and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 saved on a Word document if anyone wants it. It was a good discussion with a variety of angles on the passage. The teacher comments at the end. Just let me know...
I've been studying away and I found something that might interest some of you. These are the dominant views of the Old Testament Law. I tend to lean toward Luther's view, in regard to the 10 Commandments being primary in that. In my studying I've also realized that I've taken up some of Aquinas' view at times to explain to people why the 10 Commandments are still valid. After some thought on the subject, I've come to a conclusion that is a bit more specific for understanding purposes. In my effort to explain why we used the law in evangelism to a nonbeliever, my zeal forgot the fact that "The law is a system. We are no longer under that system." -Dr. Mal Couch.
That being said, humanity is not under the law as a system, but it is under the fact that God requires perfection and no one is perfect. THAT is what the 10 Commandments show them (Romans 7:13, Galatians 3:24). They aren't given to show someone that they need to live better, but that they have already not lived good enough. So to answer the question... We present the moral commandments not because humanity is under Jewish law as a whole (because the system cannot be divided or compartmentalized), but because it shows someone sin in it's true light. It shows them they aren't "good" enough for God. That IS its' purpose. God used it to show His chosen people they need to run to His mercy in devotion because they weren't perfect... just as we can use it today in breaking ground for the gospel and the same purpose.
Antinomianism (from nomos=law):
Against the law—the Law has no proper role in guiding the life of the believer
Aquinas’ threefold division:
Distinguished between moral, civil, and ceremonial elements within the Law; and viewed the ceremonial as no longer needed in light of the work of Christ
Luther:
Emphasized how the Law points out sin
Calvin:
Emphasized the Law as a guide for Christian living
Theonomy/ Dominion Theology/ Christian Reconstructionism:
Desires to implement Old Testament civil laws in modern government in order to establish a Christian theocracy
Messianic Jewish Halachic Observance:
Some Jewish Christians encourage the observance of rabbinic rules as a measure of their spirituality
Also, I have the online discussion from my Hermeneutics class about the interpretation of women's roles and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 saved on a Word document if anyone wants it. It was a good discussion with a variety of angles on the passage. The teacher comments at the end. Just let me know...
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