OT: GLENO34 re: religions of the world
GLEANO, since I think I started this conversation with my post this morning please indulge my post now. I did think about waiting until the weekend but the issue is burning within me. So MUCH APOLOGIES to those offended by the OT post. Please feel free to move on now to the next post if you wish too.
As well, this is what I found to be good for me to understand.
The Christian faith says that there are three levels of Revelation within the human experience, that is events, not the Bible book. What I mean is that there is 'revelation' within nature, the prophets/law, and Jesus. Now think about this. What view of God does man have within each level of revelation?? If he stays within the first level of nature then he can become a nature worshiper or Pantheist. What he knows is totally what he can perceive, study, analyze and postulate about from physical evidence in the world around him. He may even extend god-like qualities to this and 'worship' it. Not very personal is it, I am relating to an 'it'?? If he moves on to the words of the prophet(s) then he has a Word from God, but he has just words, codified oftentimes in a code of conduct or worship. He has the Law and is bound by it. He may even extend god-like qualities to this and demand that others obey and follow and 'worship' it. Not very personal is it, I am relating to an 'it'?? If he moves on to Jesus then he has God himself. God himself speaking to and walking with the people?? That sounds personal to me, it sounds relational. And this is where the struggle began and continues. You should know that the struggles that people have today with Jesus are the same as they were two thousand years ago. There was an immense theological conversation within the early church over the aspects of whether he was God or man or somehow both, pre-extistance, incarnation, sinlessness, resurrection, atonement, faith, etc. They had conversation about the Holy Spirit and his continuation in a personal and real way in our lives since the physical event of Jesus. And the Holy Ghost is another subject of great depth. Some of the concepts the church defended against were labeled, such as adoptionism, subordination, sabellianism, modalism, docetism, ebionist, etc, etc. Each had the approach to either render Jesus as a mere man with no resurrection/atonement ability or as all spirit with no substitution ability. That is, bring Jesus down to our human level and keep him there or say that he was a spirit and not real anyway. It is not too difficult to see where the contentions come about. Most of these are resurrected today in some form or another with their sponsors unaware of the early ecumenical councils of Nicea (325ad), Constantinople (381ad), Ephesus (431ad), Chalcedon (451ad) and the decisions that were made. But it was out of this crucible that the centrality of the doctrine of Christ was established. Much of the result can be summed up as to who Jesus was via the "Apostles Creed". Were there 'politics of the times' as a influencing factor?? Sure, they did not operate in a vacuum. But to say the results are somehow errant is to say that God cannot activate his Will because of this or in spite of this. Not a very big God if thats true. Were there also issues regarding other writings concerning Jesus and those that would be included in the New Testament canon?? Sure. The decision regarding them was based primarily upon the consistancy of themes that were accepted doctrine due to the conversations above and who wrote them. This is a whole other vast issue on which much has been written. Is Christianity perfect?? No, Peter said to the lame begger at the temple gate, "silver and gold have I none but what I have I give you in the name of Jesus, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6ff). Unfortunately the church has silver and gold but do we have Jesus?? But isn't that what its all about?? Sin and Redemption?? The perfect substituting for the imperfect?? I like the analogy said by my evangelism professor, "Christianity is one begger telling another where bread can be found". Are there parallels to other religious, mythology stories?? Sure. There are non-Hebrew, non-Christian parallels in abundance for Bible stories. However, there are differences in theme regarding the redemptive work and character of God and man, as well as oftentimes unnoticed detail differences. Consider this detail, the 'virgin birth' is a misnomer and should really be the 'virgin conception'. Jesus was born as other men are but not conceived as other men are. And finally, what are we to make of the resurrection?? Did it happen?? Did the disciples or Romans steal the body, did he recover himself after his crucifixtion because he merely passed out, did the disciples lie about him?? If not what are we to do with this empty tomb, this resurrected Jesus?? Jesus was not just another type, he was different in kind. And all of this is with the background of Judaism. You cannot understand this without understanding the Judaism that Christianity came out of; God's creation as the Hebrews saw his handiwork and the Law and the Prophets as they wrote about him. The archeologically sound Old Testement has much prophecy, and some of it is for him. So we have come full circle.
Bottom line. Its about faith and following, as opposed to 'unbelief'. There are excuses a plenty for dismissing him and I do not contend with any man over it. It is each ones decision; 'no decision' is still a decision. I have lived long enough to know what I believe and why I believe it, and to agree to disagree.
Anyway, thats just my small take on it. This is the 'cliff notes' of the 'cliff notes' of the 'cliff notes'. I would strongly recommend some readings in church history, particularly the early church, and theologians. I would be so bold as to recommend the following. Emil Brunner's books such as his three volume Dogmatics and his book, Man in Revolt. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, primarily known for his, Cost of Discipleship. For some good story telling, Charles H Spurgeon, Around the Wicket Gate. As a fun and challenging reading, Charles Sheldon, In His Steps. As fun reading with a surprise, Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. They can be found on Amazon.com. They tell about Christianity as it is supposed to be understood and lived. You will not be the same afterwards.
Thanks and good nite to all,
gym is in less than six hours,
kovu
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
