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

Film Comment: KJB: The Book That Changed the World

KJB: The Book That Changed the World (2010) is a sort of narrated documentary drama. Modern actor John Rhys-Davies walks among the actors portraying persons from the late Sixteenth and early Seventeenth centuries.  The film documents the events which led to the creation of the King James Version of the Bible, a masterpiece of scholarship, translation, and literary English.

The film concentrates on the childhood and education of James Stuart, who, as James VI,  became King of Scotland in 1567, when he was thirteen months old.  When James was named as her successor by the childless Queen Elizabeth, he became also James I, King of England.  James was superbly educated by his tutor, James Buchanan and became a writer, linguist, intellectual, and theologian.  KJV depicts his political maneuvering for power and respect.

 

The actual places are shown where the fifty scholars spent seven years producing the English translation of the Hebrew and Greek documents.  Checks and double-checks and strict rules of translation were practiced.

The KJV was not instantly accepted and James did not live to see its worldwide acceptance.  His historical reputatiop as a king has been highly controversial but respect for his rule has grown in recent years.

I very much enjoyed this film as history.  I would personally like to see the producers make a sequel which focused on the translators.

About the Church of Satan

In a recent post, I reported on rumors that Alice Cooper, a rock musician who has been promoted as a "born-again Christian," has now publicly declared himself as a member of the Church of Satan.  This may all be some sort of publicity seeking April Fools prank.

Some information on the Church of Satan: first and foremost, this is not the baby-killing devil worshippers of the public imagination as depicted in such films as Rosemary's Baby, Race With the Devil, The Devil's Rain, or Michel Soavi's The Church. Members of the Church of Satan are emphatic that they do not worship or even believe in the Christian Devil.  Peter Gilmore, the current High Priest of the Church of Satan, has said, "My real feeling is that anybody who believes in supernatural entities on some level is insane. ... Satanism begins with atheism."

The Church of Satan was founded in the late 1960's by Anton Szandor LaVey (d. 1997) who wrote The Satanic Bible in 1969.

Satan is seen as the ultimate representation of the individual self.  This is not benign "rational self interest."  This is placing one's carnal self and will above everything else.  One's self is the only god that exists.

http://www.google.com/search?q=anton+szandor+lavey&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3gduUdv7A5TU9AT8ioGgAw&sqi=2&ved=0CIsBEIke&biw=1202&bih=812

Unusual Christian Places: Inflatable Churches

Inflatable Churches

http://www.inflatablechurch.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2wRE-fdm8s

http://condo-user.pamjundy.com/?p=2381

http://www.inreview.com/archive/topic/3274.html

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584894

My response to this is that any place can be the church; a beach, the racetrack, or your living room.  There are even churches which meet in bars.

Modern Names of Biblical Places: Ur of the Chaldees

“Ur of the Chaldees” (aka: Urin, Uru) is first seen in history in the 26^th Century BC/BCE.  The first recorded king of the Sumerian city-state Ur is the 25^th Century BC/BCE King Mesh-Ane-pada (aka: Mesannepada).  This is the city from which Abram (later renamed Abraham) was called by God.  This would mean that Abram, the father of the nation of Israel, was originally a Sumerian/Chaldean.  The city is mentioned in Genesis 11:31 and in Nehemiah 9:7.

The ruins of the ancient city are now located at Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Kim Il-sung: (b.1912, Japanese Korea –d. 1994; Eternal President of the Republic) Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1948-1994) Raised as a Presbyterian, became a Communist, then a Socialist.

Kim Hyong-jik: (b. 1884, Korea – d. 1926) Father of Kim Il-sung.  Presbyterian.

Kang Pan-sok: (b. 1892, Korea – d. 1932) Mother of Kim Il-sung.  Presbyterian, then Communist.

Kang Dong-wook (b. Korea; aka: Kang Ton Uk) Maternal grandfather of Kim Il-sung.  Protestant minister.

Kang Ryang-uk: (b. 1904, Korea - 1983; aka: Kang Yang Wook; Kang Lyanguk)  Former Methodist minister, school teacher, non-Communist.  Kim Il-sung made him his Vice President.  Kang was a cousin of Kang Dong-wook.

Since the Alpha

Three persons in One,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
One since the alpha.

Female Images of God: Hosea 13:4-8

Loving mothers are known to be fierce in protecting their children.  Imagine facing an angry mother bear. 

“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.” Hosea 13:4-8

A Possible Interpretation of the Parable of the Unjust Steward

Jesus strikes me as having been pleasant and calming rather than strident and militant.  He was willing and able to express anger, but probably more often than not made his disciples smile or laugh.

I recently posted about the hard to understand Parable of the Unjust Steward.  What I said in the first paragraph may hold a key to understanding the parable.  Jesus seems to be praising the Unjust Steward.  I think He was.  He was using the Aramaic/Hebrew form of humor expressed as sarcasm or irony.  I believe that the parable probably struck His disciples as humorous in a wry sort of way.

If you are going to serve money, do it as well as you can.  If you are going to serve God, do it as well as you can.  You cannot serve two masters.  If you try, you will serve neither well.  God despises lukewarmness.

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  Revelation 3:16  

Don't Say That!

Has this ever happened to you?  The day is going well at work and you comment about how pleasant the day has been.  Looking very concerned, your co-worker sternly sys, “Shhh! Don’t say that!  You’ll jinx us!”

My response is always that, if my words can affect the universe, then I have some very big plans.  Actually, I believe that the attitude exhibited by the admonition is rank superstition.  I amounts to a belief in the practice of magic, the use of secret words and knowledge for power over the physical world.  It may also belie the insulting belief that God is watching and will interfere if it seems that you may be happy about something.

Non-believers see us as being riddled with irrational superstition.  In fact, Christians are firmly grounded in historical facts attested to by eye-witness observers.  We have no reason to resort to superstition, magic, or the occult.

Alice Cooper Has Become a Member of the Church of Satan?

Rock musician Alice Cooper has become a member of the Church of Satan?????  For years, he has claimed to be a “born-again Christian.”  Cooper’s actual religious heritage is Bickertonite.  The Bickertonites are a small Trinitarian Mormon sect named for Wlliam Bickerton, but actually formed by the fascinating Sidney Rigdon. (Rigdon was a ubiquitous American religious figure from the nineteenth century who was quite fractious, becoming involved in one religious argument after another and moving rapidly among religious denominations and then quickly becoming a prominent leader in each of them.  Rigdon was in rapid succession, a leader among the Baptists, the Campbellites (Disciples of Christ), the main Joseph Smith Mormon group, and several Mormon schismatic sects.  Rigdon usually ended up disassociated or excommunicated by his former affiliative groups.)

Bickertonites  http://www.thechurchofjesuschrist.org/index.cfm

http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=113546

http://www.mormonwiki.com/Bickertonites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_(Bickertonite)

http://graceforgrace.com/2008/02/18/lds-church-vs-church-of-jesus-christ-bickertonites-vs-rlds-community-of-christ/

For the record, many people believe that this is an elaborate April Fools Joke being perpetrated by Alice Cooper for the publicity it will engender.

Swahili Gospel Music: Prince of Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nTaz4ICLRk

This is a Swahili Gospel song by the singer Solomon Mukubwa.  The song title is Mfalme Wa Amani (Prince of Peace) from the album Mungu Mwenye Nguvu (God Beatification Power). 

http://www.google.com/search?q=solomon+mukubwa&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=enlcUZqbC4W29QSQgoG4Cg&sqi=2&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=1202&bih=812

You Tube appears to have disabled their embed feature so only the link is available.

Film Comment: Ancient Relic

The general consensus of the internet discussion about Ancient Relic (original title: Das Jesus Video), a German language made for television movie, is that it is rather lackluster and mundane.  The film will nevr win any awards.  It is a competent but obviously low-budget production.

Basically, the plot of Ancient Relic is this: an archeological crew in Israel discovers a previously unknown 2000 year old burial chamber containing a skeleton.  Nothing unusual there.  Then they notice that some of the skeleton’s teeth have modern amalgam fillings.  Then they notice the titanium rod and screws in the leg.  Then they notice the camcorder instruction manual.  Things really heat up when they find the word “Jesus” handwritten on the manual.  This would indicate that a time traveler may have made a videotape of Jesus.

Nefarious types suddenly appear and everyone begins trying to capture the young graduate student who discovered the tomb.  Everyone is convinced that he knows more than he actually does. Bullets fly, chases ensue, people are murdered, and the movie becomes a violent political chase thriller.  The persons pursuing the student are revealed to be associated with the Roman Catholic Church.

In case you think you might actually want to view this film, be aware that this next section contains SPOILERS.

A company owned by the ruthless man who has financed all the mayhem just happens to have also financed time travel research.  When the camcorder itself is actually found, the recording reveals that the graduate student is the time traveler.  The recording also reveals the dessicated corpse of a bearded man, presumed to be Jesus.

The film portrays the Roman Catholic Church as a giant political organization willing to use any means, even murder, to get what it wants.  The film is also a direct denial of the truth of the Resurrection.

On a simple story level, there are numerous plot holes present in this film.  The most glaring question: would a person not be expected to recognize his own handwriting?

Are You Bored With Your Life?

If we are bored with life there is something wrong with our concept of God and His involvement in our daily lives.  Even the most dull and tedious days of our lives are ordained by God and ought to be used by us to glorify Him."  Jerry Bridges, The Navigators

Every job is meaningful, every life is meaningful.  God may have you in place to perform one action in His plan for the life of one person, or numerous persons.  You may never know what you have done.  How do you know that you have not already done it?

Joseph probably was not thrilled when his brothers sold him into slavery.  He was being placed into a position in which he could save his people.  Esther probably was not thrilled to be forced to become essentially a sexual slave for a brutal king.  She was in position to save her people from genocide. Brother Lawrence was an uneducated man not suited for any monastery duties except cooking and washing dishes.  He cheerfully devoted his duties to the Lord and became known worldwide for his pious example.

Amazing Grace Performed on the Zither

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFExzG0CF7g

The zither is a stringed instrument which is strummed or plucked.  The strings do not extend past the sounding box.