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Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper

By Dave Cruver on April 14, 2007 10:37 PM |

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Thinking along the same lines as I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found.

New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons)

This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament."

Scripture 4 All
Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing.

Linked Word Project
Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless.

Blue Letter Bible
The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids.

English Standard Version
I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time!

Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car?

What other resources do you recommend?

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Adoption

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

Apologetics

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

Biblical Resources

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

Christian Worldview

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

Family Blogs

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

Gospel Blogs

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

Gospel-Centered Audio Sermons

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

News

I have previously written regarding reading and understanding Scripture, I would like to point you to a few resources that I use quite often and even a resource or two that I just found. New Testament Transcripts Prototype (HT: Philip Gons) This site looks really good. Of course, you need to be familiar with Greek. It is definitely on the technical side of Scripture study. This one is not for the novice, however, it can be a good tool to learn Greek as well. As Philip explains, it "allows you to read and compare many of the extent [sic] manuscripts of the Greek New Testament." Scripture 4 All Scripture4All has become one of my favorite resources. They provide an interlinear program called Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (FREE download), as well as each chapter as its own PDF document for quick referencing. Linked Word Project Many people do not realize Bob Jones University has provided a resource for Bible study. Based on the TDNT (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) and TWOT (Theological Word Book of the Old Testament), it is a good way to help understand the etymology of words, as well as, the various meanings each word/phrase possesses. However, they do not provide any help for which meaning should be used in any given context. They simply provide all of the meanings for each word regardless of context. This is not a bad thing. It's a good resource, nonetheless. Blue Letter Bible The Blue Letter Bible provided by the Blue Letter Bible Institute is a good resource that is similar to the Linked Word Project, yet I believe BLB is slightly better simply because they offer more options for study, such as, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Concordance of Hebrew/Greek, Links to many commentaries, Hymns, Images, and Maps, side-by-side comparison of versions, as well as, dictionary aids. English Standard Version I believe my favorite translation of Scripture is the ESV. They have provided a great resource where one can read Scripture from any internet-enabled computer, as well as the ability to listen to the spoken Word. And with its (advanced) search capabilities, it is a wonderful resource. And if you want to take it with you, $50 isn't too bad for their audio mp3. I use those constantly. Again, I reiterate that it is not only a good thing to read Scripture, it is a good thing to listen to Scripture as spoken Word and even better when you can both read and listen at the same time! Although I can not remember where I found this (recently), I read that if you listen to Scripture being read audibly for 17 (or so) minutes a day, you will be able to listen to all of Scripture in a year. Just think, how much time do you drive your car? What other resources do you recommend?" >Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper
Chris Gonzalez posts a portion of an email from a young woman in his college ministry. She writes,
Ok. Lately I have had this unsettled feeling like there is something more than simply going to school, going to work, coming home, going to church, hanging out with friends, bla, bla, bla. Part of me wants to just pack up, no, not even pack up anything, just go. I don't know where I would go, but I want to live with the poorest of the poor, the children, and the people who are just broken. I feel like I could grow and learn so much more by spending my time with them, rather than sitting in a class room. And I know this sounds pretty dramatic, and I would not actually do it, simply because I do not think it would solve anything. But, I don't understand how me sitting in class, studying, and carrying on with daily activities is really glorifying God with Everything I am. And I know I can make little differences to those around me, but I don't feel like it's enough. Maybe school is just a stepping stone to grow...maybe I am supposed to be learning patience...
Chris calls this "tension" Kingdom Angst. You'll have to click on that link for his definition of Kingdom Angst. Chris also provides Advise [sic] and Reassurances for Kingdom Angst like: "Redemptive Promise is right under your nose", "Tear down the curtain of the secular / sacred divide", "Sociology, Business, Art and Engineering ARE Kingdom majors", and "Kingdom Angst is (un)natural". This is good stuff! Thanks Chris for showing how to look at life through the eyes of the Gospel!" >Chris Gonzalez on "Kingdom Angst"
To read the rest of Alistair's article Legalism and the Rhetoric of the Gospel, click here." >Thoughtful Thursday: Legalism or Freedom (Cultivating Ethos, Not Enforcing an Ethic)
Thoughtful Thursday: The Dominion of Humanity
The Council of Chalcedon issued a statement concerning the person and nature of Christ, of which is perhaps the most significant Christological statement in the history of the church:
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [coessential, of the same substance] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeable, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us. (You can read a brief explanation as to why they established such a statement here).
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry explains,
Jesus is God in human flesh. He is not half God and half man. He is fully divine and fully man. That is, Jesus has two distinct natures: divine and human. Jesus is the Word who was God and was with God and was made flesh, (John 1:1,14). This means that in the single person of Jesus is both a human and divine nature. The divine nature was not changed. It was not altered. He is not merely a man who "had God within Him" nor is he a man who "manifested the God principle." He is God, second person of the Trinity. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word," (Hebrews. 1:3, NIV). Jesus' two natures are not "mixed together," nor are they combined into a new God-man nature. They are separate yet act as a unit in the one person of Jesus. This is called the Hypostatic Union.
With the Hypostatic Union in proper perspective, what does that mean in relation to Jesus' miracles? For example, Jesus walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and Jesus appearing to his disciples (John 20:24-29). May I propound for discussion that Jesus, God Incarnate, demonstrated what it is to be truly human and this is evidence of true human dominion; not to mention the eschatological reality of our glorified state. Thoughts? (hint: This is the opportunity to make a comment to (hopefully) further the discussion)
Steven Weinberg, who takes Richard Dawkins to task for his equal opportunity antipathy toward all religions: "Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced. I share his lack of respect for all religions, but in our times it is folly to disrespect them all equally." Weinberg is right in this regard: Islam is a religion that sees peace coming only through submission to Allah. (HT: WorldMagBlog). Thoughtful Thursday presents ruminations on various and asunder topics not necessarily striving for a conclusion but for further thought." >Thoughtful Thursday: Christianity Bad; Islam Worse

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Tips and Helps for Reading and Understanding Scripture - Going Deeper

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