I am not a girl with answers.
As much as I tend to live in a very black and white world simply due to my nature of being, not everything has a black and white answer.
Yet when it comes to matters of the faith, I’m pretty flexible. If you had to make a label and slap it on me, it would probably say something more along the lines of? “seeker” or “mystic” and less along the lines of “literal” or “exact.”
And as much as I’m fairly grey in describing my process for Scriptural interpretation, I am a big fan of resources. Of exploring context, history, and original text.
And I’m just not that smart to do it on my own.
Enter books like this week’s giveaway – Busted by Fred von Kamecke.
Fred Von Kamecke is assistant pastor at The Chapel in Graslake, Illinois and an adjunct professor at Bethel College. He has also served as an adjunct at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) where he also received his PhD in New Testament theology and exegesis. He teaches in the area of New Testament studies.
That means he’s really edumacated.
Fred wrote a book called Busted which researches misconceptions of the Christian faith.
From the back:
Following a brief summary of a recurring myth or misconception about the Christian faith, Fred explains why the myth is false and provides biblical and historical evidence in his response. He masterfully weaves together serious discussion with a touch of humor in his responses, all the while keeping the focus on the Scriptures. He avoids making fun of the people who hold views which differ from his own, but the views themselves are fair game.
Fred has generously given us ten copies to give away to FlowerDust.net readers. To enter, leave a comment with a question about the Christian faith you’ve always wondered about. A myth. Something you can’t find an easy answer for. I’ll randomly choose ten commenters next week and email the winners with instructions. Use the Tweet This link to get double credit.
Comments
57 responses to “BOOK GIVEAWAY: Busted by Fred von Kamecke”
I’ve always wondered what happens to those people who never hear about Christ? Those in remote locations? Does God reveal Himself differently there? I know we have a responsibility to share the Gospel to the world but there are still so many places that people have never heard about Christ.
I’ve always had questions on the whole “Abraham’s Bosom” thing. Did/does it really exist and why use the word “bosom” in its name?
i think you’ve got all the answers Anne!
so here’s my q:
why, in the midst of life’s challenges, does it sometimes seem like God is RIGHT THERE, and at other times, NO WHERE to be found?
i patiently await your reply… :)
Guy Chmieleski?s last blog post..a spirituality of journeying…
Where in Scripture does it state Jesus is God?
Not implied, not suggested – Son of God does not necessrily mean God (if your dad’s name is John does that make you John?); Born w/o a father – so was Adam;, I and my Father are One – One in what/how? Jesus states He’s the Son of Man. Not implied, not suggested – butactually states Jesus is God?
After much research I know the answer – but so many cannot answer that question – if not how then does one explain Jesus as Diety to others?
Hey–
is grace conditional or given freely without conditions? How do you justify rom 8.28 in light of the answer?
Thanks!!
I still struggle with the origin of evil. Beyond all the theories of where Satan came from, where did evil come from? At the end of the day, its my greatest theological question.
We’ve always heard that God doesn’t cause suffering, but that He only allows it. But when reading Job, God is directly responsible for suffering. How do you reconcile the fact that God is loving and comforting, but yet he is involved in causing us pain and suffering?
Faithengineer?s last blog post..What a week!
It may sound heretical and like I’m lacking faith, but I’ve always wondered how we can be sure that Scripture is divinely-inspired. I mean, I take it by faith, but I’ve always wondered how that exactly worked out. I’ve never heard a great answer, except the seemingly circular logic that Paul wrote that all Scripture is “God-breathed” and since his letters are in the Bible, then it means that it’s Scripture, and therefore inspired. I know that there’s more to it than that (i.e. Jesus quoted the OT extensively, the Hebrews accepted the Pentateuch, prophets, Psams, etc. as “canon” and that Peter refers to Paul’s writings as scriptural), but for some reason it still bothers me.
If I may jump in here, Tom, the Bible infers that Jesus Christ received his physicality from Mary and his inner man–the spirit of righteousness–from God. (Jesus is the only human being who was born into this world with that inner man.) This is why he called himself both the Son of Man and the Son of God. His righteousness is also what made his death on the cross so significant. When he gave his spirit back to God, he gave up his righteousness and at that point became sin (II Corinthians 5:21). When he died, the power of sin died, too. In one action, Jesus Christ demolished the wall Satan had insinuated between God and the human race in the Garden of Eden. And, he made the way for us to have that same spirit of righteousness created inside us through the new birth.
patriciazell?s last blog post..CREATION TIDBITS
I have always wondered why Christians feel entitlement to things (nice cars, money, etc) when we follow someone who was basically homeless.
Where do people get the idea that women aren’t allowed to preach?
Why does Satan keep trying to work his evil ways when he knows he’s already lost?
Dinosaurs; I’ve never heard a logical/convincing explanation of their place in biblical history. Aside from a few brief biblical mentions of the vaguely described “leviathan” and “behemoth”, there is no mention of creatures that resemble dinosaurs.
Colin?s last blog post..Poison Antidote
Hi folks,
First of all, thank you Anne for participating in this extrava-blog-za about BUSTED. These are all awesome questions. Allow me to wade through a few tonight and pick up again tomorrow. Mike asks about those who’ve never heard the gospel, a perennial favorite. Some say they’re fine so don’t mess with them; others say they?re damned, period; still others say they respond to the light given to them and are judged accordingly. This is based in part on Paul?s comments in Romans 2:14-15, Gentiles having the law of God written on their hearts. While I lean toward the last option, Paul makes the point that the real problem is that people still sin against this so-called inner light. However Jesus finally deals with these people, we know it will be based on his judgment and will be just. Meanwhile, the world-wide mission progresses and incredible things are happening on the mission field as we speak. The real point is for us who have heard. We have a responsibility to respond.
Jen asks about Abraham?s bosom. The use of ?bosom? in this context is an ancient image drawn from the practice of reclining at a meal. As one lexicon put it, ??being in someone?s bosom? denotes the closest association.? In the parable about Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16), it indicated being ?in the place of honor at the banquet in the next world? (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 557). The point Jesus was making was that the poor beggar who suffered at the rich man?s doorstep found relief in death, while the squirrely rich man who never gave him a second look wound up in flames. It’s powerful imagery, but it indicates realities that actually strain the ability of earthly words to express. ?Does it really exist?? is really asking if heaven does. To that Jesus gives a resounding ?Yes. I came from here for a little earthly visit; I returned here. One day I’ll make another visit to your neck of the woods. Being ready is a grand idea.?
Guy wants to know why God is ?RIGHT THERE? sometimes and [seemingly] ?NO WHERE to be found.? Good question. Since God is everywhere, all the time, always has and always will be (all those ?omni-? words), the real question is ?Why can we sometimes sense his presence but other times we can’t?? Now that’s a good question too, but I haven’t a clue. Of course, I can offer a guess. The prophet Isaiah once observed: ?Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel,? and within a few verses God declares: ?I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.? (Isaiah 45:15, 19). I think the real issue is our impression that he’s here one moment and gone the next. Whatever the case, it’s clear that God wants us to seek him, to know he’s there (regardless if our senses are tuned in), and ultimately to come to love him as the heavenly Father Jesus constantly told us about. This is the essence of faith?believing what we cannot see but are convinced of the reality nonetheless. This is what one NT writer said: ?And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him? (Hebrews 11:6). This was the thrust of Jesus? ministry: ?We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true– even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life? (1 John 5:20).
OK, one more: Tom asks ?Where in Scripture does it state that Jesus is God?? In John 1:1, we’re introduced to a person called the Word. ?In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God? (John 1:1). Whatever else we can say about this verse, notice the words ?the Word was God.? In v. 14 we find out that ?The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.? By v. 17 we finally learn that he’s talking about Jesus. God put on flesh and was called Jesus. Towards the end of the book of John, when Thomas sees the resurrected Jesus for the first time, he calls him ?My Lord and my God? (John 20:28). There are many more but this will do for now. All of this raises a bunch of questions about Jesus? humanity and ultimately about the Trinity, which are addressed in detail in the book.
Good night, see you tomorrow,
Fred von Kamecke
I’ve always wanted to know if someone was a believer and they committed suicide but before they died cried out to Jesus if they would go to heaven or hell. Also if they weren’t believers?
I often wonder how Paul would feel about women’s role in ministry if he were alive today? Was it just his opinion not to let women speak in church? Was it directly from God? And was it just in that particular circumstance? How should we apply that today?
Cindy?s last blog post..The Hole In Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns
Who says that Canon is closed?
If we understand that God is love and love does not seek its own way, then we can reason out why there is evil in our world. I have started blogging to share new understandings and new answers to old questions.
patriciazell?s last blog post..THE WORLD?S FIRST SCAM:WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN EDEN
These questions came up not too long ago w/ the leadership of our church: 1) What did God create first – Angels or Adam? 2) Were all the authors of the New Testament considered “apostles”?
And this one came from one of our teens: 1) Where in the Bible does it say that angels don’t have free will, since Lucifer was an angel and he “chose” to go against God?
Cynthia Hendrix (@CynHendrix)?s last blog post..Study?Study?Study!
Book looks awesome.
OK here’s mine:
If the Bible is inerrant, how come some translations put verses in the footnotes and say they are not in the original text? Would that not mean there are some errors?
Rick Apperson?s last blog post..5 Questions With Andy Park
Not really sure what has been asked so far but ….
Why did God sit down in a conversation with Satan over the life of Job? Seems rather odd to me.
Or an even bigger question…
Where did evil come from?
Jason Bunch?s last blog post..links
What exactly does it mean to “grieve the Holy Spirit”?
Kenyon?s last blog post..When it comes to serving?
I’ve been raised in church, the old school churches that we all know about, but now currently attend a new church that is what you can call a seeker church. My challenge or struggle is that for a good portion of my life (20yrs) i have been shown one way of doing church, with extreme fasting, after hour prayers, long sermons, but little results. Now i go to this new church that is bringing a ton of people yet i have not heard or seen the pastor fast or pray.
The whole thing is i feel like i’m stuck between two Gods. which group is right? am i wrong?
santos samayoa?s last blog post..How can I pray for you?
Why is it you can go to a Baptist Seminary, Methodist Seminary, or any other different denomination for that matter and come out with different interpretations of scripture. I know the primary differences are secondary issues but whose right? How do we know we’re right and their wrong? Or vice versa.
Why do we receive Grace everyday when we do not deserve it?
Well, back again. Olivia asks is grace is conditional or freely given, and how Romans 8:28 relates to my answer. Good thing I had a good breakfast. Grace, by definition, is freely given. The ready definition we usually hear is ?unmerited favor.? It can’t be earned and we certainly don’t deserve it. It is by grace (and faith), not our efforts, that we enter God’s kingdom. We’re then under the New Covenant. ?Covenant? always entails an obligation, and this is how conditions enter. God has his part: to graciously save those who place their faith in his Son Jesus. Our part is to follow the Lord in discipleship. The goal is to conform our lives to the pattern of the Son through loving obedience.
So, what about Romans 8:28? Paul tells us: ?And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.? This verse comes in the midst of a conversation about their being ?no condemnation? for those in Christ (8:1-2) because God has done for us what we could never do?live up to God’s righteousness (8:3-4). We’re not to live according to our natural, sinful instincts, but rather, by the Spirit (8:5-11). So, we have an obligation to live up to the Spirit of sonship rather than our sinful nature (8:12-14). The Spirit himself cries out from within us that God is our Father, using the same intimate term Jesus used, ?Abba? (8:15-17). These things are so great that Paul could look past being beaten to a pulp at every turn. In fact, all of creation moans and creaks like a leaky boat on a storm-tossed sea, waiting for the day of salvation (8:18-22). Christians are included in the groaning, and receive assistance from the Spirit, because he knows how to help us navigate the storm (8:23-27). God, you see, takes all of the events on the planet and is able to work them to the benefit of his beloved children, those he foreknew, predestined to conformity to Christ, those he called, justified and glorified (8:28-30).
Marysol asks about the origin of evil, ?beyond all the theories of where Satan came from.? If we search beyond the first trouble maker, that brings us to God. He made Satan in the first place, a glorious and powerful being, whose own pride brought him low. Evil is not an entity, but a relationship. It has no meaning apart from the existence of ?good,? perfectly represented in God. So the real question is how God could do that knowing that things would go so foul. Now we come to the easy answer?only God knows. He knew even before he let out the first ?Let there be . . .? since Jesus was ?slain from the creation of the world? (Revelation 13:8). In other words, before evil even entered God had the plan to deal with it.
We need to realize that the only way evil to be a problem in the first place is if there really is a good God. Here is a snippet from the chapter about that topic (?With All the Evil in the World, There Can’t Be a God?)
?She came here often, and if sheer repetition was any clue, it was her favorite. The food was always good; the drinks flowed freely, and her youthful vitality always turned heads. It was such a beautiful day, clear and warm. Her heart swelled with the simple joy of a pleasant meal among friends. She just didn?t know it was her last.
He watched carefully just out of sight. He?d done this before and would do so again, but it was more than a compulsion; it was life itself. He felt no guilt, no remorse ? just a controlled rush of adrenaline as all his senses focused on this carefully planned attack. He was ruthless, yet smart. He always chose his victim with the utmost care and waited for the right moment to make his move.
It came swift and brutal. No second thoughts, not even a hint of right or wrong: ?Kill! Now!? was all that could possibly register. The crowd?s panic was immediate as he rushed from the shadows; one glimpse and all scattered. All, that is, except for one. Her head was turned at just that moment. In the precious few seconds remaining of her young life she turned to see what had so frightened the others, rather than simply fleeing with them. Her last conscious thought was the hideous terror and searing pain of her throat being viciously torn open ? a crimson death on a sunny afternoon.
There were scores of witnesses, but none would ever testify. There would be no call to the police and no investigation. No one would ever go to court or darken the door of a jail. In fact, there had been no crime. Cheetahs kill gazelles everyday.
Nature shows are full of these beast-on-beast dramas. We may at times feel a tinge of remorse for the little critters biting the dust as the bigger critters devour them, but we know it?s just nature. There is no evil involved. But what if we change the scene slightly, from a river bank on the edge of an African savannah to a trendy bistro in a college town? Our characters are now a lively group of college students blowing off steam on a beautiful afternoon. The victim is a lovely coed; her attacker is a serial killer psycho-brute. Given the brazen nature of a broad-daylight assault, there would indeed be legal repercussions, but that’s only because we as a society have decided to frown upon such activities. He did nothing wrong; evil doesn?t exist. We are all just animals doing what feels right for the moment. Should someone want to interject that anything goes as long as no one gets hurt, I would then feel inclined to point out that such a person is merely weak (and likely a victim as well in the not too distant future). Our tender coed was weak; her assailant was strong. It?s survival of the fittest in a college-town caf?.
No crime, no foul. Nothing amiss at all, that is, if there is no God.
You Can’t Have It Both Ways
I find it a bit amusing when otherwise intelligent atheists complain God is AWOL when it comes to evil in the world. The fact that he doesn?t do anything to stop it is a sure sign to them that he?s not really there to begin with. This classic problem is usually posed something like the following:
(1) There is evil in the world.
(2) Christians believe God exists and is all-powerful and all-loving.
(3) But if God exists, either he really isn?t all-powerful since evil triumphs,
(4) Or, he really could stop it all but doesn?t, so he is not really loving.
(5) Therefore, given the evil, there can’t be a God.
We are, of course, talking about the problem of evil and attempts to vindicate God in the midst of it. Classically, this is known as ?theodicy.?
You’re probably waiting for the amusing part. Maybe ?ironic? is a better term. The irony is the acknowledgement that there actually is undeniable evil in our world. Even those who attempt to deny it on philosophical grounds cannot help but carry on in this life as if it really exists. Even philosophers lock their doors and keep their wits about them on the mean streets. The irony is being appalled at evil and using its existence to argue that God does not exist. Yet, if God does not exist, there can be no such thing as evil. The only way there can be ?evil? is if there is also something known as ?good.? You can?t transgress what is right without an ultimate standard by which to gauge it.
Take God out of the picture and all we have left are the random meanderings of eons of mutations on increasingly complex amino acids. Nature is all there is. No one is horrified when army ants invade termite hills and crunch every obstinate termite in their path. No one bats an eye when egrets prey on pollywogs. The slowest zebra is the one meeting a slow death courtesy of a predator?s claws and fangs. It?s survival of the fittest on the grand stage of nature. So what if some thug whacks a pretty sophomore?
The moment you say something is evil, then you have implicitly acknowledged a real standard of right and wrong that transcends nature. You can’t have it both ways. For God and evil to be a philosophical problem, they both must actually exist.?
This question came up in my small group recently. Is the sinner’s prayer biblical? Jesus never actually instructs us to say the prayer? Living in the bible belt we hear very often Christians instructing seekers to say this prayer to be saved without much to back it up. I would love to know your thoughts on that.
Janel?s last blog post..Catchin’ A Wave – A Thousand Words Thursday
I often think about the extra-Biblical books. How were the 66 books chosen and certain ones eliminated – the Apocryph or the Gospel of Thomas, for example?
There are some churches and denominations that don’t allow musical instruments. Why? Is there some biblical foundation for this view that I’m just totally missing?
If James 1:13 says God doesn’t tempt us, then why does Jesus tell us in Matthew 6:13 to pray that He won’t lead us into temptation?
Brenda?s last blog post..Day at the Museum
What is the Kingdom of God? How do you get in? I’m not asking your opinion, unless you have solid scripture to back it up.
Hi Brenda,
The first thing to recognize is that we’re dealing with a term that can mean different things in different contexts. In James, we’re clearly dealing with the totally negative idea of temptation to evil. God cannot be tempted like that and it is against his nature to do so to anyone else. Notice that James goes on to say that we are tempted because of our own evil desires?in other words, temptation is part of our fallen nature. God’s nature isn’t fallen. Matthew 6:13 refers to testing. That still leaves some problems for interpretation, but the likely scenario is a request not to be led into ?a testing of our faith that is beyond our endurance, but when testing does come, deliver us from the Evil One and his purposes? (Donald Hagner, Matthew 1-13, 151-152).
Fred von Kamecke
Hey Anne,
I think I’ve been answering all your questions. I just noticed the sidebar with MY questions. So much for edmucation.
Fred
This is great Fred. Thank you so much for being so engaged in this conversation!
jehovah-jesus-holy is a god damn worthless whore and motherfucker who doesn’t mind fucking people over. you can’t count on god for anything and jesus is not worthly to eat the shit out of my asshole.
Well then, I’ll do some more. Faithengineer has a question about Job, God and suffering. In Job 1 we see that God points out how righteous Job is, and Satan replies with a snarky ?That’s just ?cuz you’ve blessed him; take the stuff away and he?ll curse you to your face.? God then permitted Satan to do so, but didn’t cause it. Next, the snarky one challenges Job?s health, ?Take it away and he?ll curse you to your face.? ?OK,? says God, ?We’ll see.? Satan lost both times. God didn’t cause any of it, but he did permit it. The real question, then, is why God permits such suffering?which brings us back to the problem of evil, addressed in another post.
Jeff asks how we can be sure Scripture is divinely-inspired. Here’s a topic that fills libraries, but we can still observe a few things to get the conversation rolling. First, Paul’s comment that Scripture is ?God breathed? refers to the OT. It came to include the writings of the NT due to the authoritative thrust of the testimony about Jesus, a testimony confirmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. We can go round and round about whether it’s inspired or not, but we have to ask ourselves a simple question: is it trustworthy? Here’s what I said in the first chapter, p. 26
?Over the years I have encountered numerous arguments raised against Christianity in general, and the truthfulness of the Bible in particular. Yet, I have never encountered an objection raised that can withstand a clear, reasoned defense. When the facts come to light (and sometimes it?s a long wait), they always validate what the Bible has to say. I am unaware of any discovery that proves the Scriptures to be in error. With such a track record, in situations where the jury is still out, the Bible really deserves far more of the benefit of doubt than it is usually given.?
The trustworthiness is due to its source. Here’s another quote that traces the line from proclamation to written record. (From chapter 3, ?The Gospels Aren’t Reliable,? pp. 47-49; I’m in the midst of answering the charge that things were lost as the message was passed along.)
?Let?s Try This Again
As you would expect, the skeptics haven?t convinced me, so let?s look at this from another perspective. I propose that the following better fits the biblical evidence as well as the testimony of the early church fathers and various early historians.
The ancient Jews treasured their Scriptures, but not everyone could read. There was also a large body of teaching that was passed on by word of mouth. Rather than whispering snippets from person to person, the process was much more involved. A rabbi, having invested a lifetime in memorizing large blocks of Scripture and instruction under the watchful care of his rabbi, would teach his disciples over the course of years, making sure they were proficient at reciting it flawlessly. The sect that came to believe Jesus was the Messiah also attached great importance to their Master?s teaching.
The apostles, hand-picked and intensively instructed by Rabbi Jesus, proclaimed his teaching and deeds. When the time came to fill the gap left by Judas? defection, the replacement?s qualification was that he had to have been with the apostles from the time of Jesus? baptism all the way to his resurrection and return to heaven. In other words, he had to be an eyewitness to the whole saga of Jesus? life and ministry (Acts 1:21-22).
We are told specifically that, at the beginning of the church?s life, the believers in Jerusalem ?devoted themselves to the apostles? teaching? (Acts 2:42), which was an oral teaching of what Jesus said and did. The churches that sprang up did so under the watchful eyes of the apostles, whose credentials were that they were eyewitnesses of the events (his ministry, death, and resurrection), and ?ear witnesses,? if I may coin a term, of his teaching (John 19:34; 21:24; Acts 1:4; 2 Peter 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-5).
Keeping a Keen Eye on Things
Skeptics are notorious for denying the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, but the early church fathers were unanimous in affirming them. It is very likely that Mark actually wrote first, providing us with a summation of the preaching of Peter (again, according to the church fathers). Mark?s Gospel was written just before Peter?s death in the mid 60s. Current scholarship maintains Matthew and Luke wrote theirs after this time (later 60s, 70s, possibly 80s), and John wrote his Gospel after his exile to Patmos (sometime in the late 80s or into the 90s). In every case, these Gospels were written at the end of the lives of those who had access to first-hand testimony. They safeguarded the teaching of Jesus, faithfully passing it on to others.
As the church spread, the Christian community crossed over ethnic boundaries. Even though we must admit to local flavor and emphases, the early Christians were remarkably consistent in their core proclamation. This is so because they had such great respect for the teaching the apostles handed down to them (1 Corinthians 15:1-3; Hebrews 2:3; Revelation 3:3). The message they proclaimed was understood to be the powerful word of God himself (Galatians 3:5; Ephesians 1:13; 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:13), so there was great care taken in passing it on intact (2 Timothy 1:13; 2:2; Philippians 4:9; 1 John 2:24).
Rival movements also developed, which made accountability and oversight all the more important. When Philip evangelized Samaria, Peter and John paid a visit to see for themselves (Acts 8:14). Paul checked with the Twelve to make sure his message was on target (Galatians 1:1-10). Peter visited sites where Paul ministered (1 Corinthians 1:12; Galatians 1:11), and Paul even corrected Peter when he started to slide off base (Galatians 2:11-14). Peter later affirmed that Paul?s epistles testified to the true gospel, even putting them on the same plane as the Old Testament (2 Peter 3:15-18).?
There’s much more about this topic strewn throughout the book. But this should do for now.
Tracey wonders why Christians feel entitled to nice stuff when our Lord was ?basically homeless.? I’d modify the question by adding ?some,? even ?many.? It certainly is not a doctrine of Christianity. Christians going off base in this or that direction is the sorry trend of church history. But then again, so are the many reform movements that sought to bring correction. If God chooses to bless us with abundance, then we are specifically called to be generous. If we are living with scant resources, he calls us to look to him. God promises to meet our needs, not make us fat and sassy.
my question is basically the same as a previous commenter. should women be pastors? i attend a southern baptist church (i don’t necessarily agree w/ everything it touts but i do love my sunday school class and other things about the church) that doesn’t believe women should be in a “minister” position. i personally don’t have a problem with it although i can understand men not responding to a female leader.
Amy N?s last blog post..I probably shouldn’t have eaten a 3 Muskateers at 8 p.m.
I wonder sometimes what to make of Paul’s letters. If all scripture is inspired by God, then by definition Paul’s writings should be, but he makes statements that seem very odd or even wrong to my modern mind (example: women and head coverings in church). My mind is too logical, and I’d love to hear a logical argument to affirm (or disprove) my point of view. In fact, there are many odd things to me about scripture, such as some “inconsistencies” that have been found, most of which were pointed out to me in college, and the previously mentioned logical mind can’t quite get rid of! :-)
Josh Wagner?s last blog post..Open or Closed, Part II: License and Free(dom)
Amy N. and Josh Wagner both raise important questions. Mine is related. Why do we call the Bible “the Word of God” when the Bible calls Jesus the Word of God (John 1.1)? It seems that we make a leap from Scripture being inspired (“God breathed” as it states in 2 Tim. 3.16) to Scripture being this inerrant, perfect document, given to us from the very hand of God, with no meaningful human involvement. Isn’t there some space between those two views of Scripture? Need they be conflated? Because that second view, the one prevalent in so many theological texts (like Grudem’s), puts us in quite a difficult place when it comes to whether women can speak in church, whether people who have been divorced can serve in ministry, etc. Okay, I’ll stop there and continue this on my blog.
Michael Raburn?s last blog post..Prayer: For Ordering A Life Wisely
Okay. I posted the first part of a post: “The Bible is Not the Word of God.” Yikes. Am I going to get torched? Maybe. Second part will be “Jesus Is the Word of God” – if I live long enough to post it.
Michael Raburn?s last blog post..The Bible is Not the Word of God (part 1)
A lot of people are saying “yes” to Jesus with their mouth, but not with their lives.
When/where did we ever decide that that was okay?
Curious,
MEB ;-)
Mark B.?s last blog post..Tears of the Saints
What the heck was Paul’s thorn in his flesh? Can we also have thorns? What are they? Why does God allow them or put them there?
Blane, Paul’s thorn in the flesh was something that was really bugging him, and yes, we all have thorns in our flesh. Let me summarize what happened in Paul’s case. He had just had an experience that God was using to build Paul’s faith and to “exalt” him above the power of unbelief. Satan wanted to rob Paul of any benefit of that experience, so he afflicted Paul with something that tremendously bugged the man. Paul went to God three times and pleaded with God to take the thorn away. When Paul was ready to understand, God told him that His grace was sufficient for Paul’s weakness. What God meant was that what Jesus Christ did on the cross had enough power for Paul to overcome the thorn in the flesh. Paul understood and wrote words to this effect–“Hey, this is not about how weak I am, this is about the strength of what Christ did on that cross. I am not going to complain any more–because even if I am weak, Christ is strong! I can overcome through Him!”
patriciazell?s last blog post..#8 THE DIVIDING WALL
I always wonder….If we all read the same Bible, why is it that our churches/people are so divided on baptism, women pastors, preaching, etc?? Is there a “standard” for some things, but not for others?
Lisa?s last blog post.."We’ve Got a Once in a Lifetime Love"
Sure, I’d love the book!
Q: why do we give so little, when Jesus gave His all?
Chilly?s last blog post..still breathing
What I’m struggling with is a question of Christiology that seems to not have been covered enough. Simply put, did Jesus have to read the Scriptures in order to know what was in them? He was God; according to John 1 everything came into existence through him; his reference to Scripture suggests that he had such an intimate and thorough knowledge of it that he either had studied all of his life or else it was essentially apart of him. Yet, we can’t make the mistake of discrediting his full humanity, but where does that aspect end? He had to learn how to read, but did he have to learn to read in order to know what was in Scripture?
…much obliged…
Ryan?s last blog post..God’s Love In Jesus
looks like a good read…would like to have it to read and then pass on to another. thanks!
My big questions in life at the moment are why some people suffer so much and why others seem to have such a cruisy life. I used to believe it was simply about reaping and sowing, but I think that may be a little too simplistic now. I spin my head out thinking about what it really means to be blessed and eternity….
kazzles?s last blog post..Frugal Friday
Hi Anne,
Thanks for this opportunity! I think I fall along the same lines you do…more of a mystic and seeker in my approach to faith and theology, rather than literal or exact.
My question is this: If Jesus could go around forgiving sins during his lifetime by simply saying “your sins are forgiven” or “salvation has come to this house”…then why did he have to die?
Again, thanks and I’d love to read that book!
:o)
Erika Klipa?s last blog post..Reminiscing with Grace?
My question is two of them from the New Testament: First, when Philip baptizes the eunuch in Acts, it says he disappeared. Did he just vanish into mid-air? What’s up with that?
Second, Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. I’ve always found this story so interesting. I mean, I can deal with the Old Testament ways God dealt with people. But after Christ, while the early Church was known for sharing all they had and love each other endlessly, why do we see this story about Ananias and Sapphira, after withholding some of their possessions, get struck down DEAD?!
Would love to read this book!
John Alexander?s last blog post..Science v. Religion
“How could a loving guy like Jesus identify himself with the God of the Old Testament who sometimes comes off sounding like a murderous lunatic?”
I don’t think the Old and New testaments present two different deities, which is what makes this question so engaging and enraging at the same time. I still trust that God is loving and just (in all places in Scripture), but some of the accounts in the Old Testament just are really hard to accept.
Justin?s last blog post..Couldn?t say it in church? Try it here.
If Jesus gives his disciples the power to loose and bind and then says what is loosed and bound on earth will also be in Heaven, why are we not “binding” scriptures such as Paul’s writing that condemns women in ministry and seemingly accepts the concept of slavery?
One more, will Jews go to Heaven? Romans 4:16, 11:25-27 seem to suggest yes, but Christ said he was the only way…
Sam Mahlstadt?s last blog post..Act Justly and Love Mercy
Why did Jesus fast 40 days in the desert? Did he HAVE to fast 40 days?
My question is along the same lines of Josh’s… how do we know what to take as literal or instructional from Scripture, and what was written to a certain people in a particular context and not meant to still apply 2000 years later? And does it matter when/if we get it wrong?
brandi?s last blog post..Good things in June.
While I believe in God and have faith that the Bible is completely true, I have many struggles understanding. Would love Mr. Von Kamecke’s book to help me.
My question is this: If God made all the rules to begin with, why would he make sacrifice a requirement for forgiveness knowing that someday He would have to sacrifice his own Son for the world’s forgiveness. Also, and hopefully this doesn’t come across blasphemous, why would it be such a big sacrifice for God to let Jesus be born to die? This time for Him would be but a blink of the eye in His eternity. And knowing Jesus would not really be dead for long and would be with Him again in Heaven shortly kind of diminishes the sacrifice aspect doesn’t it? I realize the torture and crucifixion would be tremendously hard for any father to witness, but the short duration of it all seems to me to take something away. As a father myself, my worst fear would be to not see my son again and knowing he has no future. The knowledge I would be with him again shortly would lessen the blow.
Thanks for your consideration. God bless!
Here are some brief responses to a few questions: Matt asks why some churches forbid women preachers. One reason is 1 Timothy 2:12, ?I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.? The argument is over whether this is a cultural command (in need of updating) or one that transcends time. Mark wants to know why Satan continues his work even though he knows he’s lost. Who knows? But really, does insanity and blind rage need a reason? Colin wants to know why dinosaurs aren’t mentioned in the Bible. Actually, there are a lot of things not mentioned (or just breezed over). The Bible is simply focused on the plan of redemption for the planet. Whatever doesn’t directly fit into the overall narrative doesn’t get any play. Mary wants to know who closed the canon. Josephus (a first century Jewish historian) observed that the prophets ceased speaking around the time of the Persian king Artaxerxes (400s BC), so writings after that time weren’t accepted as (OT) Scripture. There was a council at Jamnia after the destruction of the temple in AD 70 that discussed some of the disputed books, such as Esther and the Song of Solomon. As for the NT, the early church accepted, or ?received? only those documents written by an apostle or associate, which give testimony of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, crucified, resurrected, ascended in glory, and who will come again. Later books not fitting these criteria were rejected.