If I Could

On the dry erase message board in the laboratory where I work someone wrote “If I could.”  The phrase was obviously calling for responses, so I wrote, “I would.”

“If I could” assumes that I can’t.  It assumes a lack of ability.

Could, would, and should are helper verbs, also known as modal verbs. Modal verbs are defective verbs without true infinitive forms. They express the subjective mood. Could carries the verbal idea of to be able to. Would carries the verbal idea  of to be willing. Should has no infinitive forms at all but carries the idea of some type of obligation. Yes, English verb conjugation is highly irregular.

The subjective mood expresses possibilities based on the speaker's emotions, opinions, moods, attitudes, personal thoughts, etc.

Christians are indwelled by the Holy Spirit.  We can. When God assigns us tasks, He never asks if we are able to perform them.  He assumes that we are able.  We are able to perform our assigned tasks because of the empowerment we receive from the Holy Spirit who lives within us.  God has ownership of the unlimited resources of the universe.  If we are performing a task assigned by God, we absolutely have whatever is necessary to complete the task.

“For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Isaiah 14:27. The obviously expected answer is no one.

Ephesians 2:10.

What is Theology?

Jesus is the full, total, and final revelation.  Theology is our feeble attempt to understand.

Modern Names of Biblical Places:

Iconium, mentioned in Acts 14:1, is the modern Konya, Turkey.  Images of modern Konya.

"And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed." Acts 14:1

What They Think of Us: Emo Philips

Emo Philips is a standup comedian whose comedy persona is that of an idiot savant.  He seems to be rambling and speaking nonsense and then suddenly he thrusts in his knife blade.  I do not know his religious affiliation, if any.  Here are two of his acid comments on Christians.

http://www.emophilips.com/video/video/140

With Italian subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRLPr5biDhs

http://www.religiouscriticism.com/christianity/emo-philips/

Negative Grammatical Constructions

William Shakespeare is almost universally recognized as the greatest writer of the  English language in history.  He is known to have used double and triple negative constructions for emphasis.

A double negative has two negative words in one sentence.  The effect of two negatives is that the second negative negates the first, rendering the meaning as a positive statement.

In a triple negative construction, the third negative returns the meaning of the sentence to a negative form.  Think of “No, not never!”

The Puritan preacher Thomas Lye (d. 1684, England) pointed out such a construction occurring in Hebrews 13:5.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5

Lye said that this construction could be translated as "I will not, not leave thee; neither will I not, not forsake thee."  Effectively, this is a quintuple negative.

ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος, ἀρκούμενοι τοῖς παροῦσιν. αὐτὸς γὰρ εἴρηκεν, οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω,  οὐ is translated in English as "no," or "not"  God will never leave or abandon us.

What They Think of Us: Blasphemy?

Yesterday, I posted information about Good Salt, a company which licenses religious imagery which is treated in a reverent manner.

The links below display unorthodox images of Jesus which do not treat Him in a reverent manner.

http://nedhardy.com/2013/02/26/this-is-kind-of-blasphemous-in-a-funny-kind-of-way-jesus-everywhere-20-pics/

http://www.dailydawdle.com/2011/07/funny-blasphemy-jesus-ymca-pic.html

http://loljesuspictures.blogspot.com/2011/12/blasphemy-its-jesus-killing-t-rex-with.html

http://sandrarose.com/2012/10/blasphemy-the-games-new-album-cover-portrays-jesus-as-a-gang-banger/

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Blasphemous-picture-of-Jesus:-calm-returns-to-Punjab,-state-to-repair-damaged-Christian-property-17703.html

These are ABSOLUTELY NOT the worst which can be found. 

Thousands of Images of Jesus

Good Salt identifies itself as “The world’s leading source of religious imagery,”  It licenses Christian art for publishing, church ministries, advertising, and websites.  The company was founded in 2000 by Lars and Kim Justinen, who are both illustrators.

http://www.goodsalt.com/search/jesus.html