Public comments in regards to my recent postings where I stated:
Another good friend, my friendly neighbour, has told me repeatedly that I should present nature videos with theological input and insights, as does the much, much, more well-known than me, Bishop N.T. Wright.
I am thankful (imperfectly) for the part I do in Christ.
I seek in my imperfection, God's perfect will for the work I should accomplish.
Ephesians 5:20
New American Standard Bible
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to [a]God, even the Father;
Footnotes
Ephesians 5:20 Lit the God and Father
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
New American Standard Bible
16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic [a]utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every [b]form of evil.
Kool image from Florida on the left with me on the right. Sir Robin is not a 007 villain.
A friendly, intellectual discussion on gun control: Norway, Florida, Alberta, British Columbia.
Bonus snoring included...
Sir Robin recounts his 2002 visit to Maple Ridge and his phone call on my behalf to my friendly neighbour, Mr. Bobby Buff: The most beautiful man in Maple Ridge. /span>
'The most enlightened example of civil legislation prior to Moses comes from the Babylonian ruler Hammurabi, who pre-dates Moses by at least 200 years. In this discussion, a comparison and contrast between the two great law-givers is provided, with a focus on the extent to which the law given through Moses shows a clearly superior approach to jurisprudence. For more free resources, please visit www.brucegore.com.'
End citation
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In his brief lecture, Professor Bruce Gore with reasonable objectivity acknowledges the critiques of higher criticism that aspects at least, of the Mosaic Law, are borrowed from earlier ancient sources. Gore briefly admits a few of the similarities and also briefly explains a few crucial differences that counter claims from higher criticism and modern critiques that the Mosaic Law is 'other' ancient mythology. In other words, with no divine source.
Not surprisingly for me, based on Canadian Christian, bible school and seminary training, and British secular education, ancient morality, ethics and law is documented in non-biblical, religious and non-religious contexts. From non-biblical sources, the morality, practical ethics and law would be presented from significantly different worldview perspectives. As I have noted in another recent post, rather than making the Hebrew Bible a 'rip-off' of older versions of world events, and therefore just different mythology, the Hebrew Bible versions claim and present as legitimate religious history with God that revealed self in several texts through scribes and prophets.
Within Christian tradition, this religious history culminates in New Testament era manuscripts and the New Testament books of the modern Bible.
As my background is British, MPhil/PhD work with both theology (biblical) and philosophy of religion (non-biblical) there are many parallels in regards to reasonable truths for God, humanity and reality. There are also significant differences and the revelatory nature of biblical theology and the bible on philosophical theology, as God communicates to humanity in reason, adds the component of God 'speaking for self' through scribes, prophets and apostles. This is different to philosophy of religion that on points can equally be God's truth, but relies on philosophy both religious and secular, with human reason, apart from revelation, in regards to God, humanity and reality.
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BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.
ELLISON, H.L. (1986) ‘Genesis’, in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
ELWELL, WALTER AND YARBROUGH, ROBERT W., Third Edition (2013) Encountering The New Testament, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic.
FRETHEIM, TERENCE E. (1985)(2005) ‘The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective’, in Theology Today, Volume 1, Number 1, Bookreview17. Princeton, Princeton Theological Seminary. http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1985/v42-1-bookreview17.htm
FRETHEIM, TERENCE E. (1994) ‘Is Genesis 3 a Fall Story?’, in Word and World, Luther Seminary, pp. 144-153. Saint Paul, Luther Seminary.
GORE, BRUCE (2015) Moses and the Code of Hammurabi, April 15 2015, You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWXbt667Y6U&t=2s
HAMILTON, VICTOR P. (1988) Handbook on the Pentateuch, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
JACKSON, JOHN G. (1941)(2006) Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth, New York, Truth Seeker Co. http://www.nbufront.org/html/MastersMuseums/JGJackson/ChristMyth/ChristMythPart1.html
LA SOR, WILLIAM SANFORD, DAVID ALLAN HUBBARD, AND FREDERIC WILLIAM BUSH. (1987) Old Testament Survey, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
MCDONALD, H.D. (1996) ‘Bible, Authority of', in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
MCRAY, J.R. (1996) ‘Bible, Canon of', in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
PAILIN, DAVID A. (1999) ‘Deism’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
PAILIN, DAVID A. (1999) ‘Enlightenment’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
PAILIN, DAVID A. (1999) ‘Process Theology’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
SCHULTZ SMAUEL J, AND GARY V. SMITH, (2001) Exploring the Old Testament, Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books.
