The good, the bad, and the whatever

University College, Cork, Ireland

Some recent blog comments from me on other blogs:

THE GOOD: GGM

GGM: Avatar

I have not seen Avatar as of yet, but will aim to see it this week. James Cameron should stick to making blockbuster films and avoid attempts at proving that Jesus Christ has remains.

The Jesus Family

GGM makes interesting comments concerning the religious right in the Excited States of America and related intellectual thought. There is not much of a religious right in the Socialist Paradise of Canada or Ripoff Britain, which are my two official countries. We do have quite a religious left though.

I stated in his blog comments:

'Nothing is perfect in this world (although the perfect God works within).

All material whether secular or labeled Christian should be looked at critically.

Jason does well at this.'

THE BAD: Not looking at all human sources critically

There are many Christian and supposed Christian sources that misuse the Bible, theology and philosophy of religion and other disciplines. Error can be minor or major.

Certain views are not necessarily inherently more likely to be true because they come from a Christian source or an apparent Christian source.

THE WHATEVER



I enjoy his charcoal and pencil drawings and some of his finished painted work online in really fine. But in this sketch, which I realize is quick, those clouds do look like scribbles. What do you think?

THE GOOD: THE JEFF

THE JEFF on Islam

I stated in his comments concerning Islamic criticisms of the Bible:

'The various Biblical ancient copies from various ancient locations demonstrate minor differences with the same books. The theological accuracy and correctness of the inspired Bible via wide range copying has been kept. God did not maintain Scripture by dictating the originals and all the copies.

There is no supernatural force field or like.

The Bible is the very credible word of God.'

THE BAD: Dictation theory

God verbally inspires all Scripture Erickson (1994: 219). Each human writer (or his scribe) had a distinctive human style. Erickson (1994: 217). But this does not make Biblical vocabulary and content, therefore exclusively human. Erickson (1994: 218). God inspires a certain author to write certain things, but as Erickson points out, God had been influencing and working on that author for a long period of time. Erickson (1994: 218). God definitely directed the writing of the author but it is not dictation as if God was bypassing the education and thoughts of the author.

The writers of Scripture were not persons without individuality. As Thiessen states the dictation theory ignores the stylistic difference in authors. Thiessen (1956: 106).

I therefore believe in the doctrine of Biblical inspiration of Biblical authors, but not dictation theory. So, for example, Romans would not have read exactly the same if Peter had written it, instead of Paul. Even if both versions were equally inspired by God/The Holy Spirit.

I also reason that only the original autographs were inspired and inerrant, and not copies, although God has accurately maintained his word theologically through various copies from the old world. Technical differences in manuscripts do not alter central Biblical messages.

THE WHATEVER

Now, a woman sent me this!



THE GOOD: My online audio series provide me with lecturing experience.

I will continue with them. I really appreciate those that listen and as well those that participate.

THE BAD: Take one, take two, take twelve.

Plus I still have to do the academic and online research.

THE WHATEVER

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Reader questions (and hopefully exciting audio answers)

Summer clouds (Richard Wanderman)

This is a progressive post. I have received ten questions so far.

Please send your written, Wav, or MP3 question

thekingpin68@shaw.ca

Thanks

Question 1: January 29, 2010

'How tall are you? Philip. (No audio).'

Answer

Okay, I will answer this one with no audio. Five foot ten inches. I am about six feet tall when I have dress shoes on.

Question 2: January 29, 2010

'The Bible has imagery, types and anti-types to show us what will be or the fulfillment of what was previously shown. How can we understand the scriptures regarding Heaven? What types are given in the Bible?
Jim Leasure'

Answer

heaven finale.mp3

Question 3: January 29, 2010

Why do you like progressive music?

1.mp3

Answer

2.mp3

Question 4: January 29, 2010

What do you like about computer soccer?

3.mp3

Answer

4.mp3

Question 5: January 30, 2010

'Some advocates of the Prosperity Gospel argue, in order to support the idea that Jesus was materially wealthy, that the one-piece robe that Jesus wore was extremely valuable. Have you ever seen any evidence to support this? And, if so, would you say that lends any credence to the Prosperity Gospel?

Jeff Jenkins
http://jeffjenkinsocala.blogspot.com'

Answer

In a quick search I found nothing directly related, in fact this post was the first result on Goggle.

From:

apologetics press

Eric Lyons states:

'After being flogged with a dreadful Roman scourge, Jesus was taken by Pilate’s soldiers into the governor’s headquarters where the whole garrison gathered around Him. It was here that the soldiers placed a crown of thorns on His head, a reed in His hand, and a robe on His body. Skeptics maintain that a contradiction exists between the Gospel accounts because they describe the color of the robe differently. Whereas Matthew says that the soldiers “put a scarlet robe” on Jesus (27:27-28), Mark says that “they clothed Him with purple ” (15:16-17), and John states that the soldiers put “a purple robe” on Him (19:1-2). These differences have lead some to believe and advocate that the Gospel writers wrote under their own power with no help from a Higher Being, and thus they contradicted one another in their narratives. Because increasingly more people are swallowing such allegations blindly and rejecting the inerrancy of the Scriptures, logical answers are required. The question is, do such valid answers exist for the differences in the Gospel narratives concerning the robe placed upon Jesus after His scourging?

All would agree that we oftentimes see colors a little differently. What one person calls blue, someone else may be more specific and call navy blue. A die-hard football fan may refer to his team’s color as dark red, whereas someone else who sees the team’s faded uniforms for the first time at the end of a grueling season may conclude that the team’s color is more maroon. While coloring pictures for their parents, one child may color an orange-yellow Sun, while the other draws a Sun that is bright yellow. Surely no one would accuse these individuals of lying or being deceitful because one was more specific than another. Likewise, skeptics have no solid ground on which to stand when they disregard common sense and create biblical contradictions that do not exist. The simple fact is, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote from different perspectives; they did not participate in collusion. The same way that individuals today look at colors and see different tones, shades, and tints, the Gospel writers saw the activities surrounding the life of Jesus from different angles.'

5.mp3

Question 6: February 2, 2010

'Tex' asks the classic, 'Why do bad things happen to good people?', question.

6.mp3

Answer

7.mp3

Question 7: February 2, 2010

What am I looking for...?

8.mp3

Answer

9.mp3

Question 8: February 3, 2010

Jeff asks a question concerning:

Mark 3:28-29 (New American Standard Bible)

28"(A)Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter;

29but (B)whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"--

JeffsQuestion2.mp3

Answer

lecture reply.mp3

technical reply.mp3

Question 9: February 3, 2010

An anonymous question sent via Jeff on behalf of someone.

GenerationalCurses.mp3

Answer

generation cursed.mp3

Question 10: February 4, 2010

Son of God/Son of Man via Jeff

IfJesusIsTheSonOfGod.mp3

Answer

I think written will suffice for this one.

The term Son of Man is a controversial one, but from my reading I reason largely was used by Jesus Christ in the context of establishing himself in the mind of the follower and reader as the eventual ruler of humanity, the King of the Kingdom of God. So, the term Son of God has to do mainly with his deity and relationship with the Father, whereas the term Son of Man, primarily has to do with his humanity as Messiah and his position as King of the Kingdom of God.

References:

BAUER, W. (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

KENT, H.A. (1996) Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

MARSHALL, ALFRED (1975)(1996) The Interlinear KJV-NIV, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

MOUNCE, ROBERT, H. (1990) The Book of Revelation, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

SHORT, STEPHEN S. (1986) ‘Mark’, in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

STRONG, J. (1986) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.

Just received this by email...

Subject: What to do on a plane, train or bus if the passenger next to you is irritating:

1- Remove your laptop from its bag.

2- Open the laptop slowly and carefully.

3- Turn on the laptop.

4- Ensure the passenger next to you is watching.

5- Access the Internet.

6- Close your eyes for a brief moment, open them again, turn your gaze upwards to the skies as if in prayer.

7- Take a deep breath and open this site:

Click here

8- Observe the facial expression of your neighboring passenger.

Audio post: Free will theodicy versus sovereignty theodicy praxis

Durham Cathedral, Durham, England

Summary:

I speculate that theological praxis of sovereignty theodicy is more certain and comforting than free will theodicy, as transworld depravity is overcome by taking the primary choice of human belief in God away from corrupted human beings and placing it in the hands of a sovereign God.

Praxis:

Simon Blackburn writes that the term praxis originated in the era of Aristotle and included the concept of goal-directed action, the action in itself being part of the end. Praxis is not concerned with merely applying theoretical knowledge but adding to knowledge in the process of practically applying theory.

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

BRUCE, F.F. (1985)(1996) Romans, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Audio post:

praxis.mp3

By the way, primerically is a word I invented which is like primarily but means primarily with many numbers.;)


Art taken from You Tube by Jeff Jenkins of Thoughts and Theology in links. Image edited to fit by thekingpin68.

Thanks, Jeff!