http://www.google.com/reader/view/?tab=my#stream/user%2F09514611898906178851%2Flabel%2FBiblical

Here is another take on science and religion.

Loving enemies

Check out the featured sermon here...in video format.

http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/resources/sermons/library.asp

A sermon by Andy Saperstein

http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/resources/sermons/index.asp?id=488

Forvgiving

Check this out

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctmovies/2009/10/forgive-someone-who-murdered-y-1.htmlForvgivness

Listen to this

http://www.vineyardcolumbus.com/resources/sermons/index.asp?id=487

English translations of the Bible and the original languages

Here is a link to Scot McKnight talking about English translations of the Bible and the original languages.

So, what is the best English translation, or is there one?

Matthew 1

Here are a few observations I made recently after reading Matthew chapter 1.  They are not real in depth but pretty basic.  However, a book could easily be written on all of these points (I'm sure some have already). 

1.  The genealogy or Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  I think the book of Matthew is stressing that Jesus is 1) the royal seed descended from David and therefore the legitimate Messiah (cf. 2nd Samuel 7 // 1 Chronicles 17) and 2) a descendant from Abraham, the person through whom all nations would receive blessing (Genesis 12:1-3).  Wow - how significant are these? 

2.  There are a number of flawed people in Jesus' genealogy, just as there are a number of flawed individuals in Jesus' family...and among the disciples, and among the early church, and among the patristics, and among ancient Israel, and among the modern church...a reoccurring theme in biblical and church history.  This raises a good question: what is the difference between a flawed person God can work with and one he cannot?

3. The virgin birth is critical, as it allows for Jesus to be both 100% human and 100% divine.  Certainly many books written on this.






4.  Jesus mission is described as saving his people from their sins.  What a mission.  It is interesting to note that the job of the king in ancient Israel was to fight the peoples battles (see the books of 1 Samuel 8:20).  Here, the text explains that it is the Jesus the king is fighting everyones personal battle - the battle with sin.  Also note the need of the Hebrews of the exodus to be saved not only from the Egyptians but also from their own sin (see the golden calf incident).

5.  Jesus is Immanuel.  I think we all know this means "God with us." Matthew is stressing the divinity special status of Jesus by wordplay on the name of (probably) Isaiah's 8th century son (see Isaiah 7).  Note the end of Matthew, where the text ends with Jesus saying "I am with you always."  This must be a significant theme in the book.

Science, religion and McGrath

Here is a link from Science and the Sacred of Alister McGrath on science and religion.  Check it out.

Hilarious

 Look what I found...a $250,000 Price is Right showcase bid.

Genesis 1

Its been a while since I've posted on this blog. I will try to be more active as this coming school year begins.

I have started to read Dr. Scot McKnight's entries on Dr. John Walton's new book, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. I hope to read this book myself, as I have read some of Walton's work before, and I have been impressed.

Here is a link to McKnight's first entry; be sure to read it:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/08/genesis-one-1.html

Is Genesis one ancient cosmology, according to Walton? If so, what are the implications?

The answer is yes, Genesis one is in fact ancient cosmology, and the implications are huge, especially since Christians rely on a misinterpretation of Genesis one as science!

There are two big issues in the Church that I would like to deal with.

One is the whole "science vs. religion" debate. The truth is, this debate is so misunderstood by Christians, that Christians have pushed intellectually gifted young people away from Christianity and into atheism. The conflict between evolution and Christianity has been fabricated by Christians. There is, in reality, no way evolution can in any way destroy Christian faith. However, it has, based primarily on scientific interpretation of Genesis one by Christianity. The conflict between evolution and Christianity is a self-made problem (by Christians!). **By the way, I have not said that I (1) support evolution or (2) believe evolution to be true. However, we should note that there are many Christians who believe in evolution.

The second is homosexuality. The church is in shambles over this issue, parts of the church being almost homophobic and other parts falling apart because they are welcoming homosexuality into the pulpit. The biblical stance is quite clear regarding homosexuality, as both the OT and NT state that it is incompatible with the Christian life.

I hope to write on both these issues on this blog in the near future. For now, I would like to leave you with the question above, is Genesis one ancient cosmology, and what are the implications? I would like to ask another question, what is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah doing in Genesis? Why is it there? What is its function?