Antony Flew, a contemporary of CS Lewis and his fellow Oxfordian, has written a book akin to 'Surprised by Joy' by the famous Christian apologist albeit a little late in his life. Here is a colossal shift of mind from one that denies the existence of God to one of discovery. Yet, Flew says this is by no means a paradigm shift, as far as the modus operandus of his intellectual journey is concerned. He has simply been following the Socratic dictum as he always does 'to follow the evidence wherever it leads' and in the last two decades has undergone a slow turning of the mind to the weight of the evidence for the existence of God, defined by Aristotle as the Supreme Intelligence/Being, incorporeal, immutable, all-good, all-powerful, transcendent and omnipresent. This God incidentally shares many essential traits with the God of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
He's made clear that this is not the first time he has recanted his previous positions and his life has been characterised by quite a few revision of views, as is necessitated by a constant quest for truths wherever the evidence or argument points. While he has changed his view here on the existence of God, he has yet to be convinced that the after-life exists. He is not therefore placing a Pascalian bet with his conversion, as his critics have charged. Nor does his 'tergiversation' (apostasy from the atheist fraternity) have anything to do with the ravages of an aging mind. Quite the contrary, as would be evident to anyone who takes the trouble to read this book, the writing bears the marks of not only a lucid mind but a courageous, honest and humble disposition.
The first half of his writings (3 chp) is devoted to his atheist past and his eventual conversion to theism, or deism to be more precise - growing up in a Christian home (his father a methodist pastor), witnessing anti-Semitism in the wake of WWII, indifference to things religious, involvement with the Socratic club at Oxford with Lewis and an educational path towards philosophy under the influence of Hume, Wittgenstein, Russell - that led to a prolific writing, teaching and debating career that made him arguably the most outspoken and systematic atheist thinker of the last 100 years. The turning point came in the last two decades when he began to read and take seriously the theistic claims that were bolstered by a strong revival of Christian philosophy. The works of David Conway, Richard Swinburne, Gerard Schroeder and Roy Varghese were among the most influential in this regard, persuading him to reconsider the growing scientific and philosophical evidence for the theistic position.
The second half (7 Chp) outlines the major arguments that led to his shift. He points out that the proposition at hand belongs properly to the realm of philosophy, contra Dawkins who mistakenly thinks science per se holds the answer to this inquiry. He exposes Dawkins and his ilk as in fact very unsophisticated in their philosophical argumentation, however accomplished they are in the field of science.
The three key arguments for theism that have the greatest purchase for him were:
1. Origin of the laws of nature (the rational order/design)
2. Origin of the Universe (matter)
3. Origin of Life (autonomous agency)
The major objections or alternative explanations for the above such as the multiverse theory, spontaneous abiogenesis, Darwinian natural selection were discussed and shown to be sorely inadequate and for the most part speculative.
The introduction by Roy Varghese and the two appendixes are helpful in extending the readers' mind in considering Christian theism. Varghese basically counteracted the rhethorical waxing by the proponents of the 'new atheism' - Dennett, Harris, Dawkins which was shown to bear more heat than light, more verbal rhetoric than sound reasoning. They take aims at the abuses of organised religions than deal with the rational arguments as such. Varghese added his own take on the theistic argument such as the origins of consciousness, conceptual thought and the self, which cannot simply be waved away with the 'magic of huge numbers' and other conjuring tricks.
Flew's interview of NT Wright completes the book's thesis for the Christian truth claim. Wight shows how in 5 ways, Jesus embodies the Jewish concept and anticipation of God's return/presence in the world (as Word, Wisdom, Law, Temple and Spirit).He also shows how the twin facts of the empty tomb and resurrection appearances buttress the Christian historic claim for the bodily resurrection of Christ. Flew considers this argumentation by Wright to be 'fresh and very powerful'.
All in all, I enjoyed the book for its lucid expression and personal style. On a personal note, I find it a pity that Flew took so long to come to this point. At the risk of psychoanalysing him, I wonder if his coming to terms with the divine revelation as something to do with the negative experiences of poor Christian showings (anti-semitism and the like) in his early formative years. Be that as it may, it shows that the best of unaided human reason and observations can only come this far -a belief in the god of the philosophers. Pascal's wager aside, I had hoped that he would find the presence of mind in his golden years to cross the bridge from an intellectual assent on the Aristotelian god to a personal faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, who has made himself known in the face of Jesus, his Son. Alas, Flew passed away earlier this year. But this book may be his best, lasting legacy that caps off an illustrious career in philosophy.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Amazon Book Reviews 7
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A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology
by Scot McKnight
Edition: Paperback
Price: $12.24
Availability: In Stock
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a synthetic approach in understanding the atonement, April 12, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology (Paperback)
I appreciate Mcknight's synthetic approach to understanding the atonement in the light of the contemporary discussions that often tend towards polarization and the hardening of categories. The various theories or metaphors are discussed in a concise way - satisfaction, ransom, penal substitution, representation, moral example, Christus Victor, recapitulation and so on - showing the inadequacies of each model as well as its strengths and contributions and how we need to hold them together for a more balanced and holistic view of the death and resurrection of Christ. It augurs well with the Emerging Churches' ethos of generous orthodoxy, which seeks to embrace rather than exclude a diversity of viewpoints in Christian faith and practices. In taking this approach, the church can thus find its way towards charity and unity of faith as well as a more humble, mature and fuller grasp of the mystery, that is the atonement. He devotes several chapters towards the end to fleshing out the outworking of such a synthetic approach and how it could shape the church in her mission, fellowship, worship and work of justice.
I reckon that the book will be useful to one has already entered the contemporary discussion of the atonement for some time and is trying to make sense of the various approaches and theories but will probably prove a little daunting to a new reader who is just getting acquainted with the subject and its historical understandings. Mcknight skilfully steers us away from the slanted portrayals of those theories which have come under fire in some circles and provides us with a more nuanced picture of them, especially the penal substitutionary theory. Some readers might be tempted to charge him for going out of his way to agree with these positions (which he does not really buy, if pressed) for the sake of diplomacy. I doubt this critique is fair and would like Mcknight and synthetic thinkers like him to continue to expand on this work and thereby demonstrate more fully from Scripture and good theology how we do really need 'all the clubs in one bag'. I think even if one goes away disagreeing, one stands to benefit from the charity, humility and even-handedness that characterizes the spirit with which he writes. Comment | Permalink
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To Love as God Loves
by Roberta C. Bondi
Edition: Paperback
Price: $13.50
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28 used & new from $7.17
a simple, reflective companion to reading the desert fathers, April 11, 2010
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This review is from: To Love as God Loves (Paperback)
This is a short, simple companion to reading the desert fathers. Because the historical and cultural chasm that separates us from the desert fathers/mothers tradition, some of their practices and sayings can sound rather strange and bizzare. Bondi writes as an old friend to the tradition and gives some pointers to anyone with an open mind and heart to receive the gems of these ancient spiritual masters. Bondi advises us against absolutizing the desert fathers' sayings but instead to capture the essence of what they are driving at in some of their rather sometimes shocking statements. For example, the saying 'one hour of sleep a day is enough for the monk who is a fighter' probably goes against the basic rule of modern sleep hygiene. But, taken in context, it is aimed at subduing the body's many compulsions and indulgence so that the will is set free to love.
Indeed, the whole end of the desert fathers' many seemingly superhuman feats is not how far they can stretch their mortal bodies beyond normal breaking points but love. Hence, humility remains the main foundational virtue upon which the whole spiritual quest is built. It is really not in the heroic acts and death-defying stunts where love is nurtured but in the day-to-day small acts of service, hospitality and kindness.
The imagery of the sailboat is a helpful illustration of how the divine and the human come together in a beautiful synergy in the life of sanctification. Human efforts are like the steering of the sail whereas it is the powerful wind of God's grace that propels the boat forward. No desert fathers ever thought that one can make it on his own without the grace of God. Yet, few realize more than they the place of human co-operation and indeed struggles in the economy of real spiritual growth. Hence, even the murderer does not lie beyond the possibility of redemption in so far as he has the ability to cry out 'God, help me!' and yes, 'God has more pity on the murderer struggling to turn his heart and face to God than the thoughtless monk.'(loose paraphrase)
As for the approach to sanctification, Bondi identifies at least two prongs: the subduing of the 'passions' (understood here as the excessive and inordinate desires of the flesh) and a life of prayer. The discussion of the passions is done by giving a brief treatment of the classical seven deadly sins. Prayer is dealt with in the forms of the apophatic tradition - the wordless, imageless prayer of quiet - and the kataphatic tradition - using the psalms, a question, or imagery that reshapes our vision of God around biblical themes.
Overall, a short, easy companion that offers one helpful perspective and approach to harnessing the wisdom of the desert fathers, whose life's quest is to love as God does.
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Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church
by Walter Brueggemann
Edition: Paperback
Price: $14.96
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poignant, subversive and biblical., March 28, 2010
This review is from: Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church (Paperback)
Walter Brueggemann is not capable of writing a boring sentence. His words are well crafted, sharp and provocative, even if different readers will take issues with him on different points. Here is a scholar whose mind has been baptised with decades of deep study and reflection of the biblical materials; it is hard to pull apart the exegetical basis of his proposals, which are often subversive to contemporary habits of thoughts.
This collection of talks he gave on different occasions to the contemporary audience, brings the ancient texts of Scriptures to bear on the modern church, primarily in the American socio-political context but in many ways relevant to other modern societies as well. He basically circles around the theme of God's alternative society vs Pharaoh's/Philistine's/Caesar's empire. Hence it is God's life-giving command of the Sabbath against the quota-system of the urban world, God's invitation to rest in his abundant grace vs the harried and hurried quest for acquisition, consumptions and accomplishments that bolster the idolatrous self. Here, he unmasks the illusions of human greed and proposes instead a life centered around God and neighbour and that liberates the self for shalom - for art, beauty and play.
Being very much a part of the Pharaohic world myself, I have to take the leisurely pace to digest this book and hear the message it is intended to convey. Thankfully, Brueggemann is as much a poet as he is a careful scholar;his words have a way of stretching your imagination, evoking an alternative world and holding out hope for a world starving for a fresh script with which to order its existence. Most of us know that business as usual simply will not do. I thank God for Brueggemann who helps us to listen to the ancient texts again that are capable of speaking afresh to every generation in such a powerful and liberating way. Comment | Permalink
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The Ascent to Truth
by Thomas Merton
Edition: Paperback
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Merton's reading of John of the Cross - reason in the contemplative life, November 19, 2009
This review is from: The Ascent to Truth (Paperback)
The mystical literature of John of the Cross is known for its literary beauty and spiritual profundity but it is not always accessible. The Ascent to Truth is a clear and reliable guide to understanding him. Merton's Catholic and monastic background together with his literary gifts makes him an excellent expositor of St John. Merton devotes many pages to exploring the place of reason (understood here as spiritual discernment, good sense/moderation and biblical understanding) in the mystical life. This is a helpful corrective to tendencies of some readers of John and practitioners of contemplative prayers that elevate personal experiences over the intellect, almost treating the latter as a hindrance to be bypassed. While recognising the immediacy of mystical union and the passivity of the natural faculties when one is graced with infused contemplation, one never at any point dispenses with the need to stay rooted in the concreteness of the revealed word of God and in Christ. That is to say, a sound grasp of biblical truths is essential in preparing one to receive by faith a deeper apprehension of divine mysteries that go beyond the intellect itself as one reaches out to God in love.
Besides John of the Cross, Merton also draws lessons from the other great spiritual teachers such as John Ruysbroek, Teresa of Avila, Gregory of Nyssa and others that have left us some signposts along the mystical path that help one discern where one might be in the journey, avoid some of the pitfalls and know when one is ready to advance. Though the book gets tedious at times in its seemingly repetitive circling around the book's main theme - reason in the life of contemplation, Merton delights us with some fine touches every now and then such as these:
'Contemplation is one of the indications of spiritual maturity. It is closely allied to sanctity. You cannot save the world merely with a system. You cannot have peace without charity. You cannot have order without saints. Our nature imposes on us a pattern of development which we must follow if we are to fulfil our best capacities and achieve at least the partial happiness of being human. The pattern must be understood and worked out in all its essential elements. But it can be stated very simply: We must know the truth, and we must love the truth we know, and we must act according to the measure of our love.' (pg 8)
'All the deeper instincts of a true theologian warned Saint John of the Cross that the revealed word of God offered him greater security than did experience itself, where there was question of a supernatural order in which the ways were known with certitude by Him alone who had established them.' (pg 124) Comment | Permalink
A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology
by Scot McKnight
Edition: Paperback
Price: $12.24
Availability: In Stock
35 used & new from $8.98
a synthetic approach in understanding the atonement, April 12, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology (Paperback)
I appreciate Mcknight's synthetic approach to understanding the atonement in the light of the contemporary discussions that often tend towards polarization and the hardening of categories. The various theories or metaphors are discussed in a concise way - satisfaction, ransom, penal substitution, representation, moral example, Christus Victor, recapitulation and so on - showing the inadequacies of each model as well as its strengths and contributions and how we need to hold them together for a more balanced and holistic view of the death and resurrection of Christ. It augurs well with the Emerging Churches' ethos of generous orthodoxy, which seeks to embrace rather than exclude a diversity of viewpoints in Christian faith and practices. In taking this approach, the church can thus find its way towards charity and unity of faith as well as a more humble, mature and fuller grasp of the mystery, that is the atonement. He devotes several chapters towards the end to fleshing out the outworking of such a synthetic approach and how it could shape the church in her mission, fellowship, worship and work of justice.
I reckon that the book will be useful to one has already entered the contemporary discussion of the atonement for some time and is trying to make sense of the various approaches and theories but will probably prove a little daunting to a new reader who is just getting acquainted with the subject and its historical understandings. Mcknight skilfully steers us away from the slanted portrayals of those theories which have come under fire in some circles and provides us with a more nuanced picture of them, especially the penal substitutionary theory. Some readers might be tempted to charge him for going out of his way to agree with these positions (which he does not really buy, if pressed) for the sake of diplomacy. I doubt this critique is fair and would like Mcknight and synthetic thinkers like him to continue to expand on this work and thereby demonstrate more fully from Scripture and good theology how we do really need 'all the clubs in one bag'. I think even if one goes away disagreeing, one stands to benefit from the charity, humility and even-handedness that characterizes the spirit with which he writes. Comment | Permalink
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To Love as God Loves
by Roberta C. Bondi
Edition: Paperback
Price: $13.50
Availability: In Stock
28 used & new from $7.17
a simple, reflective companion to reading the desert fathers, April 11, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: To Love as God Loves (Paperback)
This is a short, simple companion to reading the desert fathers. Because the historical and cultural chasm that separates us from the desert fathers/mothers tradition, some of their practices and sayings can sound rather strange and bizzare. Bondi writes as an old friend to the tradition and gives some pointers to anyone with an open mind and heart to receive the gems of these ancient spiritual masters. Bondi advises us against absolutizing the desert fathers' sayings but instead to capture the essence of what they are driving at in some of their rather sometimes shocking statements. For example, the saying 'one hour of sleep a day is enough for the monk who is a fighter' probably goes against the basic rule of modern sleep hygiene. But, taken in context, it is aimed at subduing the body's many compulsions and indulgence so that the will is set free to love.
Indeed, the whole end of the desert fathers' many seemingly superhuman feats is not how far they can stretch their mortal bodies beyond normal breaking points but love. Hence, humility remains the main foundational virtue upon which the whole spiritual quest is built. It is really not in the heroic acts and death-defying stunts where love is nurtured but in the day-to-day small acts of service, hospitality and kindness.
The imagery of the sailboat is a helpful illustration of how the divine and the human come together in a beautiful synergy in the life of sanctification. Human efforts are like the steering of the sail whereas it is the powerful wind of God's grace that propels the boat forward. No desert fathers ever thought that one can make it on his own without the grace of God. Yet, few realize more than they the place of human co-operation and indeed struggles in the economy of real spiritual growth. Hence, even the murderer does not lie beyond the possibility of redemption in so far as he has the ability to cry out 'God, help me!' and yes, 'God has more pity on the murderer struggling to turn his heart and face to God than the thoughtless monk.'(loose paraphrase)
As for the approach to sanctification, Bondi identifies at least two prongs: the subduing of the 'passions' (understood here as the excessive and inordinate desires of the flesh) and a life of prayer. The discussion of the passions is done by giving a brief treatment of the classical seven deadly sins. Prayer is dealt with in the forms of the apophatic tradition - the wordless, imageless prayer of quiet - and the kataphatic tradition - using the psalms, a question, or imagery that reshapes our vision of God around biblical themes.
Overall, a short, easy companion that offers one helpful perspective and approach to harnessing the wisdom of the desert fathers, whose life's quest is to love as God does.
Comment | Permalink
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Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church
by Walter Brueggemann
Edition: Paperback
Price: $14.96
Availability: In Stock
42 used & new from $8.98
poignant, subversive and biblical., March 28, 2010
This review is from: Mandate to Difference: An Invitation to the Contemporary Church (Paperback)
Walter Brueggemann is not capable of writing a boring sentence. His words are well crafted, sharp and provocative, even if different readers will take issues with him on different points. Here is a scholar whose mind has been baptised with decades of deep study and reflection of the biblical materials; it is hard to pull apart the exegetical basis of his proposals, which are often subversive to contemporary habits of thoughts.
This collection of talks he gave on different occasions to the contemporary audience, brings the ancient texts of Scriptures to bear on the modern church, primarily in the American socio-political context but in many ways relevant to other modern societies as well. He basically circles around the theme of God's alternative society vs Pharaoh's/Philistine's/Caesar's empire. Hence it is God's life-giving command of the Sabbath against the quota-system of the urban world, God's invitation to rest in his abundant grace vs the harried and hurried quest for acquisition, consumptions and accomplishments that bolster the idolatrous self. Here, he unmasks the illusions of human greed and proposes instead a life centered around God and neighbour and that liberates the self for shalom - for art, beauty and play.
Being very much a part of the Pharaohic world myself, I have to take the leisurely pace to digest this book and hear the message it is intended to convey. Thankfully, Brueggemann is as much a poet as he is a careful scholar;his words have a way of stretching your imagination, evoking an alternative world and holding out hope for a world starving for a fresh script with which to order its existence. Most of us know that business as usual simply will not do. I thank God for Brueggemann who helps us to listen to the ancient texts again that are capable of speaking afresh to every generation in such a powerful and liberating way. Comment | Permalink
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The Ascent to Truth
by Thomas Merton
Edition: Paperback
Price: $10.20
Availability: In Stock
43 used & new from $1.85
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Merton's reading of John of the Cross - reason in the contemplative life, November 19, 2009
This review is from: The Ascent to Truth (Paperback)
The mystical literature of John of the Cross is known for its literary beauty and spiritual profundity but it is not always accessible. The Ascent to Truth is a clear and reliable guide to understanding him. Merton's Catholic and monastic background together with his literary gifts makes him an excellent expositor of St John. Merton devotes many pages to exploring the place of reason (understood here as spiritual discernment, good sense/moderation and biblical understanding) in the mystical life. This is a helpful corrective to tendencies of some readers of John and practitioners of contemplative prayers that elevate personal experiences over the intellect, almost treating the latter as a hindrance to be bypassed. While recognising the immediacy of mystical union and the passivity of the natural faculties when one is graced with infused contemplation, one never at any point dispenses with the need to stay rooted in the concreteness of the revealed word of God and in Christ. That is to say, a sound grasp of biblical truths is essential in preparing one to receive by faith a deeper apprehension of divine mysteries that go beyond the intellect itself as one reaches out to God in love.
Besides John of the Cross, Merton also draws lessons from the other great spiritual teachers such as John Ruysbroek, Teresa of Avila, Gregory of Nyssa and others that have left us some signposts along the mystical path that help one discern where one might be in the journey, avoid some of the pitfalls and know when one is ready to advance. Though the book gets tedious at times in its seemingly repetitive circling around the book's main theme - reason in the life of contemplation, Merton delights us with some fine touches every now and then such as these:
'Contemplation is one of the indications of spiritual maturity. It is closely allied to sanctity. You cannot save the world merely with a system. You cannot have peace without charity. You cannot have order without saints. Our nature imposes on us a pattern of development which we must follow if we are to fulfil our best capacities and achieve at least the partial happiness of being human. The pattern must be understood and worked out in all its essential elements. But it can be stated very simply: We must know the truth, and we must love the truth we know, and we must act according to the measure of our love.' (pg 8)
'All the deeper instincts of a true theologian warned Saint John of the Cross that the revealed word of God offered him greater security than did experience itself, where there was question of a supernatural order in which the ways were known with certitude by Him alone who had established them.' (pg 124) Comment | Permalink
Amazon Book Reviews 6
vision of worship with an eschatological focus, September 6, 2010
Ben Witherington with his characteristic way with words brings his expert NT knowledge on the subject of worship. This is a comparatively short book compared to the many academic tomes this prolific writer has churned out. It is probably targeted at the thoughtful Christian readers who sit in the pew wondering what the bible has to say about worship, given that worship cannot simply be a habit shaped by one's church tradition and the secular culture rather than what God has said about it. Witherington has some sharp things to say about Christians caught up in the 'what's in it for me?' culture of our time because he contends that worship is about God's glory rather than ours and more of what we do in response to his worth than what we hope to get out of the transaction. On another prong, he challenges the slavish carryover of Judaic practices such as Sabbath, priesthood, sacrifices and temple into Christian worship. While he notes the continuity with the old covenant, he puts the emphasis on the discontinuity as a result of what Christ has fulfilled through his life, death and resurrection. He therefore restores the Christ event to the center of Christian worship.
The Christ event does not simply call for a backward look into the past but calls us forward to the heavenly worship pictured in Rev 4-5. Our worship ought to recognise the inbreaking of God's kingdom with the first Easter as well as the advanced taste of worship in the new cosmos following the final Easter. This helps situates Christian worship in the proper place within the larger salvation historical narrative.
Witherington fleshes out this eschatological focus of worship by taking us through various NT texts that deal with the various components of Christian worship - preparing to be caught up in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, preaching, singing, the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Prayer and the labors of love. In reading this book, one gets the message that much of what gets passed for worship today suffers from some serious deficits - the narcissism, the shallow theological content, the disconnect between worship and life- to name just a few. This is therefore an important contribution to educating pastors, worship planners/leaders and all the people of God participating in worship. The discussion questions appended to each chapter will be useful for small group study.
If worship is the chief end of human existence, then Witherington's call to re-examine and reform our service to God in the light of scripture is an important one. But he does more than call. He has given us this basic primer with which to start exploring what it means to truly worship in the Spirit and in truth.
My only criticism is that it could be better organised around some logical structure or familiar liturgical movements. I find myself bogged down quite easily by the disparate concerns of the selected passages (as it is the nature of the NT materials to be occasion-based). This leads to the unfortunate glossing over of the Lord's Supper, which was strangely subsumed as a small subsection under the chapter devoted to talking about the sermon. In fact, if there is one place where eschatology should come to a sharp focus, it would be the Eucharist! Notwithstanding this flaw, Witherington's textual expositions are as in many of his commentary writings solid and inspiring. But readers need to keep in mind the overarching theme of eschatological worship to avoid getting lost in the interesting bits.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life
by Darryl Tippens
Edition: Paperback
Price: $10.19
Availability: In Stock
56 used & new from $0.11
a helpful retreat companion, September 5, 2010
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This review is from: Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life (Paperback)
I find this book to be a good guide to soul care.. to be put alongside books like 'Keeping the Sabbath Holy' (Dawn) and 'Testament of Devotion'(Kelly). The gentle, conversational tone immediately puts you in the state to receive soul food, soul care and rest. Indeed, in my own frantic world of speed, tight schedule and demands, this is a welcome reminder to slow down and take ourselves a little less seriously and let God be God. For example, I took his suggestion to sometimes take the slowest lane to deliberately drive at a lower gear! Tippens suggests helpful way to prevent the rigor of discipleship and vocation from becoming anemic for the lack of space and time to receive the fresh dews of God's nourishment through the practices of spiritual reading, hospitality, forgiveness, music, art, story-telling and rest. It is still a difficult discipline for me despite the number of very good materials I've read on the subject. The balance between work and rest remains a delicate one to maintain. But Tippens has a knack of slowing you down with every page and opening up a space amidst the clutter so we can breathe deep from the eternal source of life. It is however a different kind of book than what i thought the title suggests. Not exactly 'the way of Jesus in everyday life' as in the way of cross bearing and discipleship rigor but surely a helpful retreat companion for every serious Christ-follower who will benefit from a timely reminder to take breaks, care for one's own heart, travel light and enjoy the journey. For the weary, struggling, hurting and beleaguered pilgrims, Tippens has written a balm full of gentle wisdom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve (Plus)
by Lewis B. Smedes
Edition: Paperback
Price: $10.07
best book on forgiveness!, September 2, 2010
This review is from: Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve (Plus) (Paperback)
This is the best book I've ever read on the subject of 'forgiveness'. It is written with wit, biblical wisdom, practicality and compassion. It first disabuses you of all the caricatures of what forgiveness is - excusing, tolerating, condoning, etc. Then, as usual, Smedes comes at the subject with his typical hard-nosed treatment. In forgiving someone, the sin has to be grappled with for what it is - wrong, unfair, evil and hurtful. One should not simply gloss over and get over it but take it into account, experience deeply the horrendous evil that it is and call it to curse. It is in confronting sin as it is and coming to grips with the the deep hurts that it brings, that one could ever go on to slowly let go of the associated onslaught of anger and resentment. It is a long journey for most and one might have to forgive the same sin by the same person over and over again. One comes to know that forgiveness is beginning to bear fruit when one begins to see the adversary with new ('magic') eyes and the event of the hurt with a new perspective that sets one's heart free to love. While the goal of forgiveness includes the healing of the aggrieved, it also opens up the real possibility of reconciliation. But Smedes wisely cautions that reconciliation takes two parties and on this side of eternity, forgiveness needs not hang on reconciliation for its completion. This is as realistic as one can get.
In recent years, Smedes has been criticised for operating too much under the therapeutic mode and falls short of the reconciliation aimed at by the biblical ideals by such books as 'Embodying Forgiveness' by Gregory Jones. While the latter is a fine book to be read profitably in its own right, its critique of Smedes is in my reading wide off the mark. Smedes was charged as advocating a kind of forgiveness that is aimed primarily at healing the individual's hurts and ignoring the larger issues of sins, culpability, repentance and reconciliation. I think given Smedes' more modest aim in focusing on the discipline and experience of forgiveness in this book, he has simply been criticised for not writing beyond the scope of what he intends to focus on.I think this book should simply be taken on its own merits. One has to read it to see that Smedes writes not only with academic precision but also hard-won compassion culled from the tough work of forgiving your debtors in this broken world. It is an immensely liberating and life-transforming work!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy
by Ronald W. Pierce
Edition: Paperback
Price: $19.80
Availability: In Stock
23 used & new from $14.00
Currently the best one-volume compilation of essays on gender-egalitarianism, September 2, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy (Paperback)
This, I submit, is probably the best one-volume compilation of essays contending for gender equality and complementarity (what has come under the label of 'egalitarianism') currently available. It is a concerted scholarly response to the 'complementarian' counterpart 'Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood' that apparently does not, IMHO, quite enjoy the level of erudition that this book presents from a plethora of leading evangelical scholars such as Gordon Fee, Craig Keener, Howard Marshall and Stanley Grenz. I especially enjoy, though not necessarily endorsing its conclusion, the article by Rebecca Groothuis "Equal in Being; Unequal in Role", which of course challenges the notion that the genders can be essentially equal and yet functionally unequal. To me, this grasps exactly the nettle whereby egalitarianism and complementarianism part ways. She argues that the supposed paradox is a red herring since the so-called 'functional hierarchy' is maintained (permanently) on the basis of gender, that is the nature/essence of being a man or woman and hence cannot be compatible with equality in being.
I am also convinced that the popular label 'complementarianism' by which the opposing camp would like to be identified with is a facade for what is really gender hierarchichalism albeit in function, because at the heart of its position is a belief in male authority (over the woman), however one softens it with concepts like 'servant leadership', 'honor of headship', 'accountability', or 'shepherding', etc. On the other hand, the egalitarian contenders are really arguing for gender *complementarity*, the kind that does away with any notion of hierarchy or authority on the basis of one's gender; it is not simply advocating equality per se, which is often confused with identity/undifferentiation. Perhaps, the revision of the respective labels is an essential first step in clearing the confusion and maintaining the integrity of what each position is really pitching for. Both views in fact advocate complementarity; the difference is that one has the principle of male functional authority worked into it and the other does not.
This book is a pleasure to read for the gracious and intelligent way in which the egalitarian (ie. complementarity without hierarchy) view is laid out from a wide variety of angles. However, for all its erudition and scholarly work in exegesis, it still remains to be seen if it has produced a persuasive case against what seems to be derived from the 'plain sense of the texts', esp in Paul (1 Cor 11, 14, Eph 5, 1 Tim 2) which appear at face value to support male headship rooted in the intent of the Creator and perhaps even the nature of the economic Trinity(?), however 'incoherent' it may seem to our modern minds. Hence, the issue remains open for me and perhaps will remain so for a long time to come. In the mean time, the old adage is ever so relevant: 'unity in essentials, liberty in adiaphora and charity in all things!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World
by Lee C. Camp
Edition: Paperback
Price: $14.95
Availability: In Stock
31 used & new from $8.00
an anabaptist vision already championed by not a few writers, September 2, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World (Paperback)
I appreciate Lee Camp's contribution to the wider discourse of what Christian faith can and ought to be in contrast to the 'Constantinian' version in American Christianity. I was able to read through it fairly quickly, recognising most of it as a re-presenting of ideas readers of Yoder, Hauerwas, Clapp and Boyd would have been familiar with. In fact, a lot of the syntaxes and terms (even the provocative jargon!) are borrowed from these other writers as much as the concepts themselves. So while there is much in this proposal there is attractive in light of the hijack of the Christian gospel in the interest of a certain brand of American religio- politics, I am left somewhat disappointed when i lay the book down and wondering if an heir-theologian of the Stone-Campbell tradition has something more original to bring to the table even if it were a nuanced distillation of what one has learned from his mentor. It sounds too much like an echo of a lot of what these other thinkers have already said. I would recommend instead the works of Leonard Allen and John Mark Hicks for a more creative voice to come out of 'America's best kept secret', as Scot Mcknight called it - the Churches of Christ. Having said that, I can see how such a book could be helpful to Christians across the board who long for a more radical expression of the Christian faith though I suspect that a pacifist, anti-Constantinian, contra-Niebuhrian paradigm needs not be the only way of going about it. In this respect, John Stackhouse's Christian Realism articulated in his book 'Making the Best of It' could be a refreshing take in its own right.
Ben Witherington with his characteristic way with words brings his expert NT knowledge on the subject of worship. This is a comparatively short book compared to the many academic tomes this prolific writer has churned out. It is probably targeted at the thoughtful Christian readers who sit in the pew wondering what the bible has to say about worship, given that worship cannot simply be a habit shaped by one's church tradition and the secular culture rather than what God has said about it. Witherington has some sharp things to say about Christians caught up in the 'what's in it for me?' culture of our time because he contends that worship is about God's glory rather than ours and more of what we do in response to his worth than what we hope to get out of the transaction. On another prong, he challenges the slavish carryover of Judaic practices such as Sabbath, priesthood, sacrifices and temple into Christian worship. While he notes the continuity with the old covenant, he puts the emphasis on the discontinuity as a result of what Christ has fulfilled through his life, death and resurrection. He therefore restores the Christ event to the center of Christian worship.
The Christ event does not simply call for a backward look into the past but calls us forward to the heavenly worship pictured in Rev 4-5. Our worship ought to recognise the inbreaking of God's kingdom with the first Easter as well as the advanced taste of worship in the new cosmos following the final Easter. This helps situates Christian worship in the proper place within the larger salvation historical narrative.
Witherington fleshes out this eschatological focus of worship by taking us through various NT texts that deal with the various components of Christian worship - preparing to be caught up in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, preaching, singing, the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Prayer and the labors of love. In reading this book, one gets the message that much of what gets passed for worship today suffers from some serious deficits - the narcissism, the shallow theological content, the disconnect between worship and life- to name just a few. This is therefore an important contribution to educating pastors, worship planners/leaders and all the people of God participating in worship. The discussion questions appended to each chapter will be useful for small group study.
If worship is the chief end of human existence, then Witherington's call to re-examine and reform our service to God in the light of scripture is an important one. But he does more than call. He has given us this basic primer with which to start exploring what it means to truly worship in the Spirit and in truth.
My only criticism is that it could be better organised around some logical structure or familiar liturgical movements. I find myself bogged down quite easily by the disparate concerns of the selected passages (as it is the nature of the NT materials to be occasion-based). This leads to the unfortunate glossing over of the Lord's Supper, which was strangely subsumed as a small subsection under the chapter devoted to talking about the sermon. In fact, if there is one place where eschatology should come to a sharp focus, it would be the Eucharist! Notwithstanding this flaw, Witherington's textual expositions are as in many of his commentary writings solid and inspiring. But readers need to keep in mind the overarching theme of eschatological worship to avoid getting lost in the interesting bits.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life
by Darryl Tippens
Edition: Paperback
Price: $10.19
Availability: In Stock
56 used & new from $0.11
a helpful retreat companion, September 5, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life (Paperback)
I find this book to be a good guide to soul care.. to be put alongside books like 'Keeping the Sabbath Holy' (Dawn) and 'Testament of Devotion'(Kelly). The gentle, conversational tone immediately puts you in the state to receive soul food, soul care and rest. Indeed, in my own frantic world of speed, tight schedule and demands, this is a welcome reminder to slow down and take ourselves a little less seriously and let God be God. For example, I took his suggestion to sometimes take the slowest lane to deliberately drive at a lower gear! Tippens suggests helpful way to prevent the rigor of discipleship and vocation from becoming anemic for the lack of space and time to receive the fresh dews of God's nourishment through the practices of spiritual reading, hospitality, forgiveness, music, art, story-telling and rest. It is still a difficult discipline for me despite the number of very good materials I've read on the subject. The balance between work and rest remains a delicate one to maintain. But Tippens has a knack of slowing you down with every page and opening up a space amidst the clutter so we can breathe deep from the eternal source of life. It is however a different kind of book than what i thought the title suggests. Not exactly 'the way of Jesus in everyday life' as in the way of cross bearing and discipleship rigor but surely a helpful retreat companion for every serious Christ-follower who will benefit from a timely reminder to take breaks, care for one's own heart, travel light and enjoy the journey. For the weary, struggling, hurting and beleaguered pilgrims, Tippens has written a balm full of gentle wisdom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve (Plus)
by Lewis B. Smedes
Edition: Paperback
Price: $10.07
best book on forgiveness!, September 2, 2010
This review is from: Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve (Plus) (Paperback)
This is the best book I've ever read on the subject of 'forgiveness'. It is written with wit, biblical wisdom, practicality and compassion. It first disabuses you of all the caricatures of what forgiveness is - excusing, tolerating, condoning, etc. Then, as usual, Smedes comes at the subject with his typical hard-nosed treatment. In forgiving someone, the sin has to be grappled with for what it is - wrong, unfair, evil and hurtful. One should not simply gloss over and get over it but take it into account, experience deeply the horrendous evil that it is and call it to curse. It is in confronting sin as it is and coming to grips with the the deep hurts that it brings, that one could ever go on to slowly let go of the associated onslaught of anger and resentment. It is a long journey for most and one might have to forgive the same sin by the same person over and over again. One comes to know that forgiveness is beginning to bear fruit when one begins to see the adversary with new ('magic') eyes and the event of the hurt with a new perspective that sets one's heart free to love. While the goal of forgiveness includes the healing of the aggrieved, it also opens up the real possibility of reconciliation. But Smedes wisely cautions that reconciliation takes two parties and on this side of eternity, forgiveness needs not hang on reconciliation for its completion. This is as realistic as one can get.
In recent years, Smedes has been criticised for operating too much under the therapeutic mode and falls short of the reconciliation aimed at by the biblical ideals by such books as 'Embodying Forgiveness' by Gregory Jones. While the latter is a fine book to be read profitably in its own right, its critique of Smedes is in my reading wide off the mark. Smedes was charged as advocating a kind of forgiveness that is aimed primarily at healing the individual's hurts and ignoring the larger issues of sins, culpability, repentance and reconciliation. I think given Smedes' more modest aim in focusing on the discipline and experience of forgiveness in this book, he has simply been criticised for not writing beyond the scope of what he intends to focus on.I think this book should simply be taken on its own merits. One has to read it to see that Smedes writes not only with academic precision but also hard-won compassion culled from the tough work of forgiving your debtors in this broken world. It is an immensely liberating and life-transforming work!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy
by Ronald W. Pierce
Edition: Paperback
Price: $19.80
Availability: In Stock
23 used & new from $14.00
Currently the best one-volume compilation of essays on gender-egalitarianism, September 2, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy (Paperback)
This, I submit, is probably the best one-volume compilation of essays contending for gender equality and complementarity (what has come under the label of 'egalitarianism') currently available. It is a concerted scholarly response to the 'complementarian' counterpart 'Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood' that apparently does not, IMHO, quite enjoy the level of erudition that this book presents from a plethora of leading evangelical scholars such as Gordon Fee, Craig Keener, Howard Marshall and Stanley Grenz. I especially enjoy, though not necessarily endorsing its conclusion, the article by Rebecca Groothuis "Equal in Being; Unequal in Role", which of course challenges the notion that the genders can be essentially equal and yet functionally unequal. To me, this grasps exactly the nettle whereby egalitarianism and complementarianism part ways. She argues that the supposed paradox is a red herring since the so-called 'functional hierarchy' is maintained (permanently) on the basis of gender, that is the nature/essence of being a man or woman and hence cannot be compatible with equality in being.
I am also convinced that the popular label 'complementarianism' by which the opposing camp would like to be identified with is a facade for what is really gender hierarchichalism albeit in function, because at the heart of its position is a belief in male authority (over the woman), however one softens it with concepts like 'servant leadership', 'honor of headship', 'accountability', or 'shepherding', etc. On the other hand, the egalitarian contenders are really arguing for gender *complementarity*, the kind that does away with any notion of hierarchy or authority on the basis of one's gender; it is not simply advocating equality per se, which is often confused with identity/undifferentiation. Perhaps, the revision of the respective labels is an essential first step in clearing the confusion and maintaining the integrity of what each position is really pitching for. Both views in fact advocate complementarity; the difference is that one has the principle of male functional authority worked into it and the other does not.
This book is a pleasure to read for the gracious and intelligent way in which the egalitarian (ie. complementarity without hierarchy) view is laid out from a wide variety of angles. However, for all its erudition and scholarly work in exegesis, it still remains to be seen if it has produced a persuasive case against what seems to be derived from the 'plain sense of the texts', esp in Paul (1 Cor 11, 14, Eph 5, 1 Tim 2) which appear at face value to support male headship rooted in the intent of the Creator and perhaps even the nature of the economic Trinity(?), however 'incoherent' it may seem to our modern minds. Hence, the issue remains open for me and perhaps will remain so for a long time to come. In the mean time, the old adage is ever so relevant: 'unity in essentials, liberty in adiaphora and charity in all things!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World
by Lee C. Camp
Edition: Paperback
Price: $14.95
Availability: In Stock
31 used & new from $8.00
an anabaptist vision already championed by not a few writers, September 2, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mere Discipleship: Radical Christianity in a Rebellious World (Paperback)
I appreciate Lee Camp's contribution to the wider discourse of what Christian faith can and ought to be in contrast to the 'Constantinian' version in American Christianity. I was able to read through it fairly quickly, recognising most of it as a re-presenting of ideas readers of Yoder, Hauerwas, Clapp and Boyd would have been familiar with. In fact, a lot of the syntaxes and terms (even the provocative jargon!) are borrowed from these other writers as much as the concepts themselves. So while there is much in this proposal there is attractive in light of the hijack of the Christian gospel in the interest of a certain brand of American religio- politics, I am left somewhat disappointed when i lay the book down and wondering if an heir-theologian of the Stone-Campbell tradition has something more original to bring to the table even if it were a nuanced distillation of what one has learned from his mentor. It sounds too much like an echo of a lot of what these other thinkers have already said. I would recommend instead the works of Leonard Allen and John Mark Hicks for a more creative voice to come out of 'America's best kept secret', as Scot Mcknight called it - the Churches of Christ. Having said that, I can see how such a book could be helpful to Christians across the board who long for a more radical expression of the Christian faith though I suspect that a pacifist, anti-Constantinian, contra-Niebuhrian paradigm needs not be the only way of going about it. In this respect, John Stackhouse's Christian Realism articulated in his book 'Making the Best of It' could be a refreshing take in its own right.
Monday, June 21, 2010
sermon 'God will wipe away every tear'
Sermon preached at Bedok Church, Singapore on 25th April 2010
Before zeroing in the on the text in Rev 7:9-17, I would like to take us through Rev 6-7: the vision of the seven seals.
It follows a 4-2-1 pattern:
Four horseman (6:1-8)
Two questions (6:9-17)
an interlude (7:1-17)
One final consummation (8:1-5)
The four horsemen depict a world ruled by violence/domination:
1st horseman is white - bent on conquest
2nd horseman is fiery red - war
3rd horseman is black - famine; food is severely rationed (1 litre of barley for 1 day's wages barely enough to feed one person)
4th horseman is pale/greenish yellow - color of death
a natural progression of evil: conquest -> war -> famine - > death
It's a downward spiral of evil that begins with desire for conquest and ends in death. This desire for control is not only found in the dictators eg. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan but resident in everyone. As Tears for Fears sings 'Everybody wants to rule the world'.
5th seal : a minority of underdogs offer an alternative vision over and against the system of 'rule-by-conquest'; these are the martyrs who bear witness to the gospel of peace. They ask 'how long?''
'How long before justice is served? How long before evil is punished and the world put right again?'
6th seal is God's resounding answer in the form of an earthquake. The perpetratorswould rather be crushed by the mountains than suffer God's wrath. They ask 'who can stand the wrath of God?'
'Who can stand?'
In the interlude John saw a people who can *stand* for they stand in the presence of God and are kept from wrath.
He saw two complementary pictures of the same people in 7:1-8 and in v 9-17
the first he heard, the second he saw
the first is counted, the second is countless
the first is a nation of Jews, the second is an international gathering
the first is gathering for the Messianic war, the second is celebrating the victory of the Lamb
It is not two different people but one. the bible knows of only one people of God. 144000 symbolizes the whole people of God from the old (12 tribes of Israel) and the new covenant (the church founded on the 12 apostle)- therefore 12x12x1000= 144 000. heaven is not populated by factions or by individual christians loosely connected to each other. God is creating one people called by his name.
The mission
This people was first called forth through the election of Israel and then extended to the gentiles cos Israel was called to be a light to the nations.
In the same way, the church is called to preach the gospel to every nation. Salvation is for all.
This underscores the missional nature of the church. 'the church is the only organisation on earth that exists primarily for the benefits of its non-members'
This reminds us of the words of jesus to his disciples on resurrection day 'as the Father has sent me so do I send you!'
The tribulation
one of the elders explains that the multitude are they who have come of the great tribulation ('thlipsis') and washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb'
'thlipsis' means hard pressed on every side, like being thrown into a pressure cooker.,
this means for God's people - NO WRATH but PLENTY OF TRIBULATION.
wrath is what you suffer for sins, tribulation is what you suffer for doing what is right.
being washed in the blood of the lamb contrary to popular interpretation is not about being cleansed of sins, it refers instead to martyrdom.
this does not mean that every christian is called to physical martyrdom but to bear faithful witness to Christ no matter what it costs.
we should not be surprised when we face fiery trials as christians. one of marks of the church is suffering.
we may not suffer physical martyrdom in singapore, but if we are faithful servants of Christ, we expect to suffer no less.
-we suffer as we reach out to the poor, the sick and dying. it involves standing in the places of pain and brokenness and intercede, groaning with the pains of a fallen creation (Rom 8) and standing in solidaity with the needy. It requires sacrifice of resources.
-we suffer as we love our enemy and forgive our debtors - we do not return evil for evil but overcome evil with good, absorbing the damages and pains inflicted on us.
-we suffer as we seek to love one another within the community of God. Community-building involves risks, possible misunderstandings, frustrations, disappointments and being vulnerable to others, losing something of our selves in the process. when one member suffers, the whole body suffers with it.
If the Lamb overcomes the world not by wielding the sword and killing other people but by coming under the sword and being slain, his followers will do no less. The Christian answer to the problem of evil is the cross. God becomes a man and gets killed bearing the full brunt of evil upon himself and neutralizing it.
The victory
The gathered multitude sings the victory song 'salvation belongs to our God, to the one who sits on the throne and unto the lamb' and the angels, the elders and the four living creatures fell face down in worship saying 'praise and glory, honor and thanks, power and strength belongs to God forever!' All creation joins in worship - angels, humans and animals.
this shows that salvation is not an end in itself but worship is the goal of salvation history. we are saved to worship the Creator, the only one worthy of our worship,the rightful ruler of the world.
the language John uses echoes Isa 49 a Servant Song which pictures the Messiah as leading the people through the new exodus..God to pharaoh 'let my people go that they might go and worship me in the land I give them.'
now we are in the wilderness - hungering, thirsting, beaten by the desert heat , but the Lamb will lead us
to springs of living water. he will spread out his tent (ie tabernacle) to shield us. now we sow in tears but he will wipe every tear away.
Conclusion
Will you be there? Will you be counted among the 144 000?
Not an automatic process.
but if you would stand and be counted among his faithful NOW in the face of adversity, you will be counted in that number and stand before the throne...
if you would bear faithful witness to Christ and not shrink from hardships and death, you will be found in that festive throng
and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before zeroing in the on the text in Rev 7:9-17, I would like to take us through Rev 6-7: the vision of the seven seals.
It follows a 4-2-1 pattern:
Four horseman (6:1-8)
Two questions (6:9-17)
an interlude (7:1-17)
One final consummation (8:1-5)
The four horsemen depict a world ruled by violence/domination:
1st horseman is white - bent on conquest
2nd horseman is fiery red - war
3rd horseman is black - famine; food is severely rationed (1 litre of barley for 1 day's wages barely enough to feed one person)
4th horseman is pale/greenish yellow - color of death
a natural progression of evil: conquest -> war -> famine - > death
It's a downward spiral of evil that begins with desire for conquest and ends in death. This desire for control is not only found in the dictators eg. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan but resident in everyone. As Tears for Fears sings 'Everybody wants to rule the world'.
5th seal : a minority of underdogs offer an alternative vision over and against the system of 'rule-by-conquest'; these are the martyrs who bear witness to the gospel of peace. They ask 'how long?''
'How long before justice is served? How long before evil is punished and the world put right again?'
6th seal is God's resounding answer in the form of an earthquake. The perpetratorswould rather be crushed by the mountains than suffer God's wrath. They ask 'who can stand the wrath of God?'
'Who can stand?'
In the interlude John saw a people who can *stand* for they stand in the presence of God and are kept from wrath.
He saw two complementary pictures of the same people in 7:1-8 and in v 9-17
the first he heard, the second he saw
the first is counted, the second is countless
the first is a nation of Jews, the second is an international gathering
the first is gathering for the Messianic war, the second is celebrating the victory of the Lamb
It is not two different people but one. the bible knows of only one people of God. 144000 symbolizes the whole people of God from the old (12 tribes of Israel) and the new covenant (the church founded on the 12 apostle)- therefore 12x12x1000= 144 000. heaven is not populated by factions or by individual christians loosely connected to each other. God is creating one people called by his name.
The mission
This people was first called forth through the election of Israel and then extended to the gentiles cos Israel was called to be a light to the nations.
In the same way, the church is called to preach the gospel to every nation. Salvation is for all.
This underscores the missional nature of the church. 'the church is the only organisation on earth that exists primarily for the benefits of its non-members'
This reminds us of the words of jesus to his disciples on resurrection day 'as the Father has sent me so do I send you!'
The tribulation
one of the elders explains that the multitude are they who have come of the great tribulation ('thlipsis') and washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb'
'thlipsis' means hard pressed on every side, like being thrown into a pressure cooker.,
this means for God's people - NO WRATH but PLENTY OF TRIBULATION.
wrath is what you suffer for sins, tribulation is what you suffer for doing what is right.
being washed in the blood of the lamb contrary to popular interpretation is not about being cleansed of sins, it refers instead to martyrdom.
this does not mean that every christian is called to physical martyrdom but to bear faithful witness to Christ no matter what it costs.
we should not be surprised when we face fiery trials as christians. one of marks of the church is suffering.
we may not suffer physical martyrdom in singapore, but if we are faithful servants of Christ, we expect to suffer no less.
-we suffer as we reach out to the poor, the sick and dying. it involves standing in the places of pain and brokenness and intercede, groaning with the pains of a fallen creation (Rom 8) and standing in solidaity with the needy. It requires sacrifice of resources.
-we suffer as we love our enemy and forgive our debtors - we do not return evil for evil but overcome evil with good, absorbing the damages and pains inflicted on us.
-we suffer as we seek to love one another within the community of God. Community-building involves risks, possible misunderstandings, frustrations, disappointments and being vulnerable to others, losing something of our selves in the process. when one member suffers, the whole body suffers with it.
If the Lamb overcomes the world not by wielding the sword and killing other people but by coming under the sword and being slain, his followers will do no less. The Christian answer to the problem of evil is the cross. God becomes a man and gets killed bearing the full brunt of evil upon himself and neutralizing it.
The victory
The gathered multitude sings the victory song 'salvation belongs to our God, to the one who sits on the throne and unto the lamb' and the angels, the elders and the four living creatures fell face down in worship saying 'praise and glory, honor and thanks, power and strength belongs to God forever!' All creation joins in worship - angels, humans and animals.
this shows that salvation is not an end in itself but worship is the goal of salvation history. we are saved to worship the Creator, the only one worthy of our worship,the rightful ruler of the world.
the language John uses echoes Isa 49 a Servant Song which pictures the Messiah as leading the people through the new exodus..God to pharaoh 'let my people go that they might go and worship me in the land I give them.'
now we are in the wilderness - hungering, thirsting, beaten by the desert heat , but the Lamb will lead us
to springs of living water. he will spread out his tent (ie tabernacle) to shield us. now we sow in tears but he will wipe every tear away.
Conclusion
Will you be there? Will you be counted among the 144 000?
Not an automatic process.
but if you would stand and be counted among his faithful NOW in the face of adversity, you will be counted in that number and stand before the throne...
if you would bear faithful witness to Christ and not shrink from hardships and death, you will be found in that festive throng
and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sermon 'Unity in Christ'
'Unity in Christ' sermon preached at Bedok Church of Christ, Singapore on 20th Jun 2010
I shall begin my sermon today with 2 typical prayers from the Jewish-Greco-Roman world in the early centuries - both by non-Christians:
- prayer by RabbI Judah (second century AD): Thank God I am a Jew and not a Gentile, a free man not a slave, a man and not a woman.
- prayer by Diogenes Laertius (Greek philosopher 3rd century AD): I thank the gods that I am a Greek and not a barbarian, a man and not a woman, a human and not a beast.
These prayers indicate that in the ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman world, the sense of racial and male superiority and the practice of slavery are universal. Your lot in life is more or less determined by birth.
Paul ministers in such a world and sees the gospel as God's solution to the divided and segregated human condition. Gal 3:28 is the focus of our sermon this morning and has been hailed as the magna carta of the new humanity.
I would focus on the theme of 'unity in Christ' in this verse but let's first look at the context that begins from v 15.
Paul paints 2000 years of ancient Jewish history through 3 key historical figures: Abraham , Moses and Christ. This takes us through three pivotal historical moments of human history: the promise, the law (Torah) and the fulfilment in Christ.
God has promised to bless Abraham and his descendants (seed) and through them the world - Paul emphasises the singular 'seed' indicating the unity of the people who will be constituted around the Messiah. God intends to form one people/family out of the broken, divided world.
But the law that came 430 years after Abraham seemed to contradict the promise by appearing to create barriers and segregations through its boundary marker laws - circumcision, food laws, Sabbath. These laws reinforce Israel's covenant identity with is inseparably bound with her ethnic identity, and virtually keep the Gentiles out.
while the law provides for the care and protection of women and slaves, they are generally considered second and third-class members in the Jewish society.
Paul explains that the law serves in the intervening period a temporal custodian role 'because of transgressions' until Christ is born.
- it keeps Israel safe from the surrounding immoral and idolatrous cultures
- it exposes sins as transgressions ie. an offense against God
- it leads us to Christ by making us hungry for grace (cos the law declares the whole world prisoners to sin and powerless to be righteous before God)
2 images of the law: prison and guardian - the law plays a temporal protective and disciplinary role until Christ is born.
In Christ, all of God 's promises find their fulfilment. In Christ, all the walls are torn down, and it's time to live as one family!
'By faith you are sons of God in Christ, for all of you who were baptised have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slaves nor free, man nor woman for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise.'
IOW, in Christ there are no second-class, third-class memberships; all who are in Christ are first class citizens in God's family on the basis of faith. It is a society of equals.
Lessons for today:
Today the church continues to face the challenges of disunity. The church divides along many other lines besides birth distinctions - doctrinal differences, denominational distinctives, generation gaps, worship styles, etc. To date, there are 38 000 denominations. The figure can be depressing. What is the way forward?
Allow me to make 3 suggestions: we need to -
1. recognise that unity is a gift of God, not a human achievement. While we may see 38000 denoms, God sees one Church. Peace/reconciliation/unity has been secured on the cross. The burden of unity is not ours to bear but ultimately God's. Christ has born the burden at Calvary and finished his work of atonement! The Spirit of Truth will guide us into complete unity. Our task is to keep putting on the virtues of Christ in humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love and to walk in the Spirit and allow him to lead us to full maturity.
2. recognise that the sole basis of christian unity is 'faith in Christ'. The British bible scholar NT Wright calls 'justification by faith' the great ecumenical doctrine. There is no foundation that has been laid for the church other than Christ. It is our confession of Christ as Lord that is the Rock on which Christ will build his church and the gates of hades will not overpower it! let's not exchange that foundation for some other things or add to it other tests of fellowship. there are many important doctrines no doubt that Christians may disagree about but they should not compromise the one foundation upon which we stand together in Christ. However important our distinctives are, they should not be elevated to the test of fellowship as our faith in Christ is. Hence, we can imagine Paul saying, 'there is neither catholics nor protestants, calvinists nor arminians, acapella nor instrumental groups, complementarians nor egalitarians for we are all one in Christ.'
3. reclaim our baptismal identity as the deepest identity over all our other loyalties and distinctives - ethnic, kinship, professional ties! To the question: 'who are you?' the Church through the ages has consistently answered: 'we are baptised.' Note not 'we were' baptized but ' we are' - in other words, baptism is not simply a ritual we got over and done with in the distant past. rather, it *is* our badge of covenant identity. Baptism marks us out as God's people and is an eternal seal of our belonging to Christ. It is also the basic pattern for Christian living that is characterized by daily dying to the old self and rising to our new life/identity in Christ, that is, in God's family.
I shall begin my sermon today with 2 typical prayers from the Jewish-Greco-Roman world in the early centuries - both by non-Christians:
- prayer by RabbI Judah (second century AD): Thank God I am a Jew and not a Gentile, a free man not a slave, a man and not a woman.
- prayer by Diogenes Laertius (Greek philosopher 3rd century AD): I thank the gods that I am a Greek and not a barbarian, a man and not a woman, a human and not a beast.
These prayers indicate that in the ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman world, the sense of racial and male superiority and the practice of slavery are universal. Your lot in life is more or less determined by birth.
Paul ministers in such a world and sees the gospel as God's solution to the divided and segregated human condition. Gal 3:28 is the focus of our sermon this morning and has been hailed as the magna carta of the new humanity.
I would focus on the theme of 'unity in Christ' in this verse but let's first look at the context that begins from v 15.
Paul paints 2000 years of ancient Jewish history through 3 key historical figures: Abraham , Moses and Christ. This takes us through three pivotal historical moments of human history: the promise, the law (Torah) and the fulfilment in Christ.
God has promised to bless Abraham and his descendants (seed) and through them the world - Paul emphasises the singular 'seed' indicating the unity of the people who will be constituted around the Messiah. God intends to form one people/family out of the broken, divided world.
But the law that came 430 years after Abraham seemed to contradict the promise by appearing to create barriers and segregations through its boundary marker laws - circumcision, food laws, Sabbath. These laws reinforce Israel's covenant identity with is inseparably bound with her ethnic identity, and virtually keep the Gentiles out.
while the law provides for the care and protection of women and slaves, they are generally considered second and third-class members in the Jewish society.
Paul explains that the law serves in the intervening period a temporal custodian role 'because of transgressions' until Christ is born.
- it keeps Israel safe from the surrounding immoral and idolatrous cultures
- it exposes sins as transgressions ie. an offense against God
- it leads us to Christ by making us hungry for grace (cos the law declares the whole world prisoners to sin and powerless to be righteous before God)
2 images of the law: prison and guardian - the law plays a temporal protective and disciplinary role until Christ is born.
In Christ, all of God 's promises find their fulfilment. In Christ, all the walls are torn down, and it's time to live as one family!
'By faith you are sons of God in Christ, for all of you who were baptised have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slaves nor free, man nor woman for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise.'
IOW, in Christ there are no second-class, third-class memberships; all who are in Christ are first class citizens in God's family on the basis of faith. It is a society of equals.
Lessons for today:
Today the church continues to face the challenges of disunity. The church divides along many other lines besides birth distinctions - doctrinal differences, denominational distinctives, generation gaps, worship styles, etc. To date, there are 38 000 denominations. The figure can be depressing. What is the way forward?
Allow me to make 3 suggestions: we need to -
1. recognise that unity is a gift of God, not a human achievement. While we may see 38000 denoms, God sees one Church. Peace/reconciliation/unity has been secured on the cross. The burden of unity is not ours to bear but ultimately God's. Christ has born the burden at Calvary and finished his work of atonement! The Spirit of Truth will guide us into complete unity. Our task is to keep putting on the virtues of Christ in humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and love and to walk in the Spirit and allow him to lead us to full maturity.
2. recognise that the sole basis of christian unity is 'faith in Christ'. The British bible scholar NT Wright calls 'justification by faith' the great ecumenical doctrine. There is no foundation that has been laid for the church other than Christ. It is our confession of Christ as Lord that is the Rock on which Christ will build his church and the gates of hades will not overpower it! let's not exchange that foundation for some other things or add to it other tests of fellowship. there are many important doctrines no doubt that Christians may disagree about but they should not compromise the one foundation upon which we stand together in Christ. However important our distinctives are, they should not be elevated to the test of fellowship as our faith in Christ is. Hence, we can imagine Paul saying, 'there is neither catholics nor protestants, calvinists nor arminians, acapella nor instrumental groups, complementarians nor egalitarians for we are all one in Christ.'
3. reclaim our baptismal identity as the deepest identity over all our other loyalties and distinctives - ethnic, kinship, professional ties! To the question: 'who are you?' the Church through the ages has consistently answered: 'we are baptised.' Note not 'we were' baptized but ' we are' - in other words, baptism is not simply a ritual we got over and done with in the distant past. rather, it *is* our badge of covenant identity. Baptism marks us out as God's people and is an eternal seal of our belonging to Christ. It is also the basic pattern for Christian living that is characterized by daily dying to the old self and rising to our new life/identity in Christ, that is, in God's family.
'One True Gospel ' sermon
Sermon preached at Bedok Church of Christ, Singapore on 7th June 2010
The One True Gospel
Gal 1:1-12
1. Intro:
Before we plunge into the text, let's get a sense of the letter's tone and tenor.
Here there is an absence of any endearing/affectionate terms for the churches he writes to - no 'to my beloved brethren', 'saints' or 'holy and faithful brothers' - just a terse, formal address 'to the churches in Galatia'.
There too is an absence of thanksgiving/commendation section in the salutations: no 'i thank my God everytime i remember you', ' i thank God because of your growing faith and love..'
Rather, 'I am astonished at you... that you are turning to another gospel..'
'if any preach a different gospel to you let him be anathema!'
and he says it again 'let him be anathema!'
When the apostle Paul writes in this manner, with such sharp and uncompromising words, from the opening of the letter, you know all is not well with the church he's writing to. In fact, that it is the churches (plural) -not one congregation but several that is affected/infected - makes it all the more grave and sorrowful.
2. Background/exposition:
What is happening?
Paul in his first missionary journey had won converts and planted churches in Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch - an account you can read about in Acts 13-14. These are likely the churches referred to as 'the churches in Galatia'. Soon after Paul had left these churches, false teachers (the Judaizers) had crept in claiming to come from the mother church of Jerusalem. They told them that what Paul preached to them was not adequate. One has to be circumcised and obey the Torah, besides faith in Jesus, to be a full-fledged Christian. Until then, the Gentile converts have no place to sit at the same table (of communion) with the circumcised.
What is wrong with this 'gospel' preached by the Judaizers?
It is wrong both in its origin and contents.
Origin - the issue of apostolic authority
'apostolos' means 'messenger' - , one who is sent. In the NT, Twelve were first designated as 'apostles' in Luke 6:13. Paul on the other hand was on an independent basis/occasion during/after his Damascus' encounter of the Risen Christ been called to be an apostle too and his apostleship was confirmed by the leadership of the Jeriusalem church, including Peter, James (the Lord's bro) and John, pillars of the Jerusalem church. The task of the apostles is to give the authoritative eyewitness account of Jesus - who he is, what he taught and deed. They were personally chosen by Christ, taught by Christ and had seen the Risen Christ and were marked by extraordinary signs and wonders (2 Cor 12:12) as well as extraordinary sufferings for the faith (2 Cor 11:23ff). In short, Paul's apostleship is a bona fide one as is the gospel that he preached.
Contents - the issue of orthodoxy.
the 'gospel' that the false teachers preached is squarely incompatible to the gospel preached by Paul and the Twelve in 3 ways:
- it calls people back to the old law of Sinai - this implies that the new age/kingdom has not come. as if Jesus had not died, resurrected and the Spirit given.
- it calls people back to salvation by works rather than by grace through faith.
- it erects old walls that have been torn down by the cross: between Jews/Gentiles, slaves/free, man/woman.
How is the passage relevant to our time?
Are we in danger of losing the one gospel of Christ as the early church? No more and no less. Though we have the NT with us, we are 2000 years removed from when the gospel was first preached. It is easy for distortions to creep in and destroy the church if we are not vigilant.
3. Application:
Dangers we face toay:
A. Truth Decay - today's mood of postmodernism/relativism tends to deny the notion of absolute truth. 'My truth is my truth, your truth is your truth, let's just keep it that way since there is no absolute truth to judge bet right and wrong, good and evil.'
B. Many 'Jesus' and 'gospels' promulgated in the religious marketplace. - health and wealth gospel by Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, gnostic gospel of Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code), New Age gospel of Shirley MacLaine, Gospel of Positive Thinking by Robert Schuller, Norman Vincent Peal, Gospel of Judas/Thomas/Mary and many such 'gospels' that have long been rejected as non-canonical, even heretical by the church for very good reasons. 'Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - stick to them and you won't go wrong.' says NT scholar/historian Ben Witherington.
C. Decline of Biblical Literacy. Recent survey in America: '80% cannot name 3 out of the 10 commandments, 60% think the oft-quoted verse in the bible is 'God helps those who help themselves'.
It is a shame that many Christians today are not reading and studying the bible with the depth that it deserves.
Exhortation to devote ourselves to the study of God's word.
'Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will not pass away.' All scriptured is inspired by God and has no expiry date.
The gospel is not of human but divine origin. God has chosen to reveal his truths to us through Christ/apostles.
We were reborn by the word of truth, we need to feed on it to grow our faith and order our lives around the gospel.
let's be devoted to the apostles' teaching on a daily basis both privately and corporately. if we do so, the other gospels simply do not have a leg to stand on.
The One True Gospel
Gal 1:1-12
1. Intro:
Before we plunge into the text, let's get a sense of the letter's tone and tenor.
Here there is an absence of any endearing/affectionate terms for the churches he writes to - no 'to my beloved brethren', 'saints' or 'holy and faithful brothers' - just a terse, formal address 'to the churches in Galatia'.
There too is an absence of thanksgiving/commendation section in the salutations: no 'i thank my God everytime i remember you', ' i thank God because of your growing faith and love..'
Rather, 'I am astonished at you... that you are turning to another gospel..'
'if any preach a different gospel to you let him be anathema!'
and he says it again 'let him be anathema!'
When the apostle Paul writes in this manner, with such sharp and uncompromising words, from the opening of the letter, you know all is not well with the church he's writing to. In fact, that it is the churches (plural) -not one congregation but several that is affected/infected - makes it all the more grave and sorrowful.
2. Background/exposition:
What is happening?
Paul in his first missionary journey had won converts and planted churches in Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch - an account you can read about in Acts 13-14. These are likely the churches referred to as 'the churches in Galatia'. Soon after Paul had left these churches, false teachers (the Judaizers) had crept in claiming to come from the mother church of Jerusalem. They told them that what Paul preached to them was not adequate. One has to be circumcised and obey the Torah, besides faith in Jesus, to be a full-fledged Christian. Until then, the Gentile converts have no place to sit at the same table (of communion) with the circumcised.
What is wrong with this 'gospel' preached by the Judaizers?
It is wrong both in its origin and contents.
Origin - the issue of apostolic authority
'apostolos' means 'messenger' - , one who is sent. In the NT, Twelve were first designated as 'apostles' in Luke 6:13. Paul on the other hand was on an independent basis/occasion during/after his Damascus' encounter of the Risen Christ been called to be an apostle too and his apostleship was confirmed by the leadership of the Jeriusalem church, including Peter, James (the Lord's bro) and John, pillars of the Jerusalem church. The task of the apostles is to give the authoritative eyewitness account of Jesus - who he is, what he taught and deed. They were personally chosen by Christ, taught by Christ and had seen the Risen Christ and were marked by extraordinary signs and wonders (2 Cor 12:12) as well as extraordinary sufferings for the faith (2 Cor 11:23ff). In short, Paul's apostleship is a bona fide one as is the gospel that he preached.
Contents - the issue of orthodoxy.
the 'gospel' that the false teachers preached is squarely incompatible to the gospel preached by Paul and the Twelve in 3 ways:
- it calls people back to the old law of Sinai - this implies that the new age/kingdom has not come. as if Jesus had not died, resurrected and the Spirit given.
- it calls people back to salvation by works rather than by grace through faith.
- it erects old walls that have been torn down by the cross: between Jews/Gentiles, slaves/free, man/woman.
How is the passage relevant to our time?
Are we in danger of losing the one gospel of Christ as the early church? No more and no less. Though we have the NT with us, we are 2000 years removed from when the gospel was first preached. It is easy for distortions to creep in and destroy the church if we are not vigilant.
3. Application:
Dangers we face toay:
A. Truth Decay - today's mood of postmodernism/relativism tends to deny the notion of absolute truth. 'My truth is my truth, your truth is your truth, let's just keep it that way since there is no absolute truth to judge bet right and wrong, good and evil.'
B. Many 'Jesus' and 'gospels' promulgated in the religious marketplace. - health and wealth gospel by Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, gnostic gospel of Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code), New Age gospel of Shirley MacLaine, Gospel of Positive Thinking by Robert Schuller, Norman Vincent Peal, Gospel of Judas/Thomas/Mary and many such 'gospels' that have long been rejected as non-canonical, even heretical by the church for very good reasons. 'Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - stick to them and you won't go wrong.' says NT scholar/historian Ben Witherington.
C. Decline of Biblical Literacy. Recent survey in America: '80% cannot name 3 out of the 10 commandments, 60% think the oft-quoted verse in the bible is 'God helps those who help themselves'.
It is a shame that many Christians today are not reading and studying the bible with the depth that it deserves.
Exhortation to devote ourselves to the study of God's word.
'Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will not pass away.' All scriptured is inspired by God and has no expiry date.
The gospel is not of human but divine origin. God has chosen to reveal his truths to us through Christ/apostles.
We were reborn by the word of truth, we need to feed on it to grow our faith and order our lives around the gospel.
let's be devoted to the apostles' teaching on a daily basis both privately and corporately. if we do so, the other gospels simply do not have a leg to stand on.
Trinity Sunday sermon 'faith, hope and love'
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Trinity Sunday sermon: 'faith, hope and love' Rom 5:1-11
Today's Trinity Sunday. We shall reflect on the 3 theological virtues : Faith, Hope and Love. These are known as theological virtues because they have their source in God and are directed towards him. Mentioned together in various places in the NT eg Jn 3:16, 1 Thes 1:3, Col 1:4-5, 1 Cor 13:13 and in our sermon text Rom 5:1-8.
Rom 5:1-8 is a bridge bet Rom 1-4 and 5-8. It brings to a close Paul's arguments in the first four chap and anticipates the next four. We shall look at the text as the three virtues are fleshed out.
In the first 4 chap, Paul discusses the problem of the human race and the solution in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Faith
Humankind as a whole has come under the judgement/wrath of God because of sin and rebellion. Broadly, it can be divided into Gentiles and Jews.
The Gentiles though they know God from creation, have not acknowledged God as God and has fashioned idols out of created things. They have rejected God's created order and will and become a law to themselves, indulging in every act of immorality that defies God's creative intents. Theirs may be called the failure of the heart. Though they knew God, they *would not* acknowedge him as such.
The Jews on the other hand have been called to be a light to the world/nations so that God could be made known to the world. They have been given the Torah, the temple and covenant promises but they turn out to be part of the problem themselves than part of the solution. Though they have received a special revelation of God's will through the Law, they too were found to be disobedient and unfaithful because they share in the same sinful condition - the bible calls the 'flesh'. Theirs may be called the failure of the will. Though they were called to obey the law, they *could not*.
Now the solution is found in the one faithful Israelite, Jesus the Christ, whom God sent to do for the world what Israel could not do for itself because of the flesh. Through his life of perfect obedience to the will of God, he satisfies the righteous requirements of the Law. Through his death on the cross, he has become the sin offering, the Perfect Sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. Through his resurrection from the dead, he brings new life to the world under the penalty of death.
Our only appropriate response is Faith. Faith is what NT Wright calls the badge of our covenant membership. It marks us out as the new covenant people of God.
'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and have gained access into his grace in which we now stand.'
Faith is what admits us into the presence of God and the covenant community.
This reminds us that the Christian faith is not a self-help religion. The gospel is not 'God helps those who help themselves.' Rather it is 'God reaches out to us precisely to those who cannot help themselves.' As far as sin is concerned, we simply cannot pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We simply cannot save ourselves. Instead, the gospel is for those who recognise their powerlessness, their spiritual bankruptcy and cast themselves on the sheer grace of God. There is therefore no basis of boasting about ourselves. If there is any boasting to do, we boast rather in the work of God in our lives.
Hope
'we rejoice/boast in the HOPE of sharing in the glory of God...'
What is the glory of God?
This anticipates Romans 8 which pictures the cosmos/creation being renewed and set free from its bondage to decay and death. There is a cosmic dimension to our Christian hope. Many think of the Christian hope in a too individualistic and narrow way - the individual soul going to heaven after death. But the Christian hope is much larger - God is at work renewing the whole creation. This has a bearing on the Christian's responsibilty towards the created world - the environment, the animal and plant kingdoms. This harks back to God's first command to the first human couple to 'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, exet rcising dominion over the rest of creation.
The personal dimension of sharing in the glory of God has to do with the transformation of our character into the likeness of Christ.
That is why Paul goes on to say, 'not only so, we also boast in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character and character hope..'
An elephant sculptor was asked what was the secret of his work. How could he transform a lifeless piece of stone into a life-like elephant statue? To which he replied, 'I just keep chipping away what does not look like an elephant.' In the same way, we are in the process of being reshaped into the likeness of Christ so God will pare away from us what does not look like Christ.
Suffering is a necessary prelude to glory. There is no other way. Therefore we should not be surprised at the trials and hardships that come our way. Not any kind of suffering of course but the suffering we endure for the sake of Christ (for doing what is right, etc). God uses suffering as a means of pruning, purging and maturing our faith.
GK Chesterton: 'I believe in getting into hot water because it keeps you clean.'
The Korean Christians who suffer much persecutions say to their persecutors: 'Hit us harder. We are like nails. The harder you hit us, the deeper you drive us into Christ!'
Love
Then Paul says something interesting: 'hope does not disappoint..' He is anticipating the question 'how do we know if all this is not mere wishful thinking?' Remember the Christians in Rome were going through intense persecutions and from the world's point of view, they look rather foolish. What keeps them believing and clinging on to their hope? Paul has a ready answer for that: the love of God.
'For God has poured into our hearts the love of God by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.' Love is the deepest reason for our faith and our hope. The Holy Spirit brings into our heart a deep inner assurance that God loves us and we will not let us die nor the world to perish.
The example of Abraham in chp 4 is instructive. Abraham believed, hoping against hope, ..and it was reckoned to him as righteousness' Just as Abraham believed that God has the power to bring forth a baby out of a barren womb, we believe that God has the power to bring forth life out of an empty tomb.
Historically, the love of God is demonstrated on the cross. The essence of love is giving. The measure of love is indicated by two things: the cost of the gift and the unworthiness of the recipient.
God has given us not just a surplus part of his heavenly goods, nor a spare angel but his very own Son.
Secondly, Paul uses various words to describe us : powerless, ungodly, sinners and enemies. We deserve nothing from God but wrath!
Yet, see how Paul puts it all together:
'God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.!'
With a love like that, how could we not believe?
So, we answer that love of God with our answering faithfulness, our fervent hope and love.
Trinity Sunday sermon: 'faith, hope and love' Rom 5:1-11
Today's Trinity Sunday. We shall reflect on the 3 theological virtues : Faith, Hope and Love. These are known as theological virtues because they have their source in God and are directed towards him. Mentioned together in various places in the NT eg Jn 3:16, 1 Thes 1:3, Col 1:4-5, 1 Cor 13:13 and in our sermon text Rom 5:1-8.
Rom 5:1-8 is a bridge bet Rom 1-4 and 5-8. It brings to a close Paul's arguments in the first four chap and anticipates the next four. We shall look at the text as the three virtues are fleshed out.
In the first 4 chap, Paul discusses the problem of the human race and the solution in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Faith
Humankind as a whole has come under the judgement/wrath of God because of sin and rebellion. Broadly, it can be divided into Gentiles and Jews.
The Gentiles though they know God from creation, have not acknowledged God as God and has fashioned idols out of created things. They have rejected God's created order and will and become a law to themselves, indulging in every act of immorality that defies God's creative intents. Theirs may be called the failure of the heart. Though they knew God, they *would not* acknowedge him as such.
The Jews on the other hand have been called to be a light to the world/nations so that God could be made known to the world. They have been given the Torah, the temple and covenant promises but they turn out to be part of the problem themselves than part of the solution. Though they have received a special revelation of God's will through the Law, they too were found to be disobedient and unfaithful because they share in the same sinful condition - the bible calls the 'flesh'. Theirs may be called the failure of the will. Though they were called to obey the law, they *could not*.
Now the solution is found in the one faithful Israelite, Jesus the Christ, whom God sent to do for the world what Israel could not do for itself because of the flesh. Through his life of perfect obedience to the will of God, he satisfies the righteous requirements of the Law. Through his death on the cross, he has become the sin offering, the Perfect Sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. Through his resurrection from the dead, he brings new life to the world under the penalty of death.
Our only appropriate response is Faith. Faith is what NT Wright calls the badge of our covenant membership. It marks us out as the new covenant people of God.
'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and have gained access into his grace in which we now stand.'
Faith is what admits us into the presence of God and the covenant community.
This reminds us that the Christian faith is not a self-help religion. The gospel is not 'God helps those who help themselves.' Rather it is 'God reaches out to us precisely to those who cannot help themselves.' As far as sin is concerned, we simply cannot pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We simply cannot save ourselves. Instead, the gospel is for those who recognise their powerlessness, their spiritual bankruptcy and cast themselves on the sheer grace of God. There is therefore no basis of boasting about ourselves. If there is any boasting to do, we boast rather in the work of God in our lives.
Hope
'we rejoice/boast in the HOPE of sharing in the glory of God...'
What is the glory of God?
This anticipates Romans 8 which pictures the cosmos/creation being renewed and set free from its bondage to decay and death. There is a cosmic dimension to our Christian hope. Many think of the Christian hope in a too individualistic and narrow way - the individual soul going to heaven after death. But the Christian hope is much larger - God is at work renewing the whole creation. This has a bearing on the Christian's responsibilty towards the created world - the environment, the animal and plant kingdoms. This harks back to God's first command to the first human couple to 'be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, exet rcising dominion over the rest of creation.
The personal dimension of sharing in the glory of God has to do with the transformation of our character into the likeness of Christ.
That is why Paul goes on to say, 'not only so, we also boast in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character and character hope..'
An elephant sculptor was asked what was the secret of his work. How could he transform a lifeless piece of stone into a life-like elephant statue? To which he replied, 'I just keep chipping away what does not look like an elephant.' In the same way, we are in the process of being reshaped into the likeness of Christ so God will pare away from us what does not look like Christ.
Suffering is a necessary prelude to glory. There is no other way. Therefore we should not be surprised at the trials and hardships that come our way. Not any kind of suffering of course but the suffering we endure for the sake of Christ (for doing what is right, etc). God uses suffering as a means of pruning, purging and maturing our faith.
GK Chesterton: 'I believe in getting into hot water because it keeps you clean.'
The Korean Christians who suffer much persecutions say to their persecutors: 'Hit us harder. We are like nails. The harder you hit us, the deeper you drive us into Christ!'
Love
Then Paul says something interesting: 'hope does not disappoint..' He is anticipating the question 'how do we know if all this is not mere wishful thinking?' Remember the Christians in Rome were going through intense persecutions and from the world's point of view, they look rather foolish. What keeps them believing and clinging on to their hope? Paul has a ready answer for that: the love of God.
'For God has poured into our hearts the love of God by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.' Love is the deepest reason for our faith and our hope. The Holy Spirit brings into our heart a deep inner assurance that God loves us and we will not let us die nor the world to perish.
The example of Abraham in chp 4 is instructive. Abraham believed, hoping against hope, ..and it was reckoned to him as righteousness' Just as Abraham believed that God has the power to bring forth a baby out of a barren womb, we believe that God has the power to bring forth life out of an empty tomb.
Historically, the love of God is demonstrated on the cross. The essence of love is giving. The measure of love is indicated by two things: the cost of the gift and the unworthiness of the recipient.
God has given us not just a surplus part of his heavenly goods, nor a spare angel but his very own Son.
Secondly, Paul uses various words to describe us : powerless, ungodly, sinners and enemies. We deserve nothing from God but wrath!
Yet, see how Paul puts it all together:
'God demonstrates his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.!'
With a love like that, how could we not believe?
So, we answer that love of God with our answering faithfulness, our fervent hope and love.
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