God is revealed in Scripture to be spiritual in nature as described in John 4:24, therefore God could never be proven to exist through the empirical, scientific testing of matter.
Twitter version II
Science is therefore a discipline outside of the realm of the supernatural.
June 24, 2021
The first cause, the primary cause, the uncaused cause, God, is infinite and by definition, beyond finite, time, space and matter. God cannot be proven empirically, but God works within creation. Creation is empirical as is God's key historical, revelation as the God-man, God the Son, God the Word, the incarnate, Jesus Christ, that provides salvation for those regenerate persons (John 3, Titus 3) that believe in him (John 1-3).
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
DUBRAY, C.A. (1911)(2007) ‘Naturalism’ in New Advent: Catholic Encyclopedia, New York, Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10713a.htm
HEIMBROCK, HANS-GUNTER (2005) ‘From Data to Theory: Elements of Methodology in Empirical Phenomenological Research in Practical Theology’ in International Journal of Practical Theology, Volume 9, December, Berlin, Walter D. Gruyter.http://xolopo.de/religionswissenschaften/data_theory_elements_met
hodology_empirical_15063.html
KRIKORIAN, K. (1944)(2007) (ed.), Naturalism and the Human Spirit, New York, Columbia University Press, in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University.http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/naturalism/
OXFORD DICTIONARY OF SCIENCE (2010) Oxford, Oxford University Press.
PETERS, KARL, E. (1992) ‘Empirical Theology in the Light of Science, in The Journal of Religion and Science, Volume 27 Issue 3 Page 297-325, September, Oxford, Zygon, Blackwell Publishing.
2010 Theodicy and Practical Theology: PhD thesis, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter
Edited from PhD
Twitter version I
Lyon discusses the Christian Church & social changes, & explains that the cultural memory of some aspects of Christianity has been eroded. Lyon (1998: 279).
Secularization may have played its part in this erosion. Lyon (1998: 279).
Twitter version II
Edited from PhD: David Lyon discusses the Christian Church & social changes, & explains that the cultural memory of some aspects of Christianity has been eroded. Lyon (1998: 279)
---
David Lyon warns against the dangers of fundamentalism and hedonism/nihilism and states that the goodness and grace of the Christian God is the only hope for the world. Lyon (1998: 294). In a secularized Western culture (Lyon (1998: 279), the Christian Church needs to restructure where necessary, certain practices without denying the Biblical revelation which provides hope for persons.
June 21.2021
Cultural erosion, at times, may or may not be a negative for the modern Christian Church. This depends often on individual churches and sometimes at denominational levels, I reason. For example, the presentation of modern, contemporary worship music (CWM) may mean the end of the use of older hymns in some churches. Some within the Church will argue the hymns need to remain or return because they have more solid, theological, material than the more modern music. Others will state that CWM is more relatable to young (er) generations that need to keep local churches in existence as older generations will die off first.
My example at times will be connected to Lyon's mention of the dangers of fundamentalism, when certain people at Church take radical, confrontational views against opposing views.
But denying biblical revelation in context, and central core, biblical Christian theology is a definite negative and with 'progression' and 'evolution', supposedly with theology and Christian worldview, will turn a biblical church into an apostate church.
The dangers of secularism, for one. Or any other contrary worldview within the Church.
Galatians 1: 6-9: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you [c]by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [d]accursed! 9 As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be [e]accursed!
c Galatians 1:6 Lit in
d Galatians 1:8 Gr anathema
e Galatians 1:9 Gr anathema
In regards to Galatians, 1, Marshall provides eteron euaggelion 'another gospel'.Coad states one that preaches such as gospel is 'eternally condemned' -anathema. Coad (1986: 1418).
ἀνάθεμα: Is translated as 'a curse' 'let him be' estw in Alfred Marshall's Greek Lexicon.
Bauer documents ἀνάθεμα: it is the 'object of a curse' in Galatians 1: 8 forward. Bauer (1979: 54).
Strong's also uses ἀνάθεμα: A religious ban or excommunicated thing or person-accursed, anathema, curse x great. Strong (1986: 10).
Concepts of being everlastingly condemned, being cursed/anathema seem stronger than simply a perversion of the true gospel, or aberrant theology. It appears from the level of Paul's critical critique it is quite possibly beyond legalistic religion that is actually being discussed.
It is presumptuous to assume that core orthodox doctrines were still held to, although this is a possibility based on scholarship.
Rather in being a different gospel means there is a reasonable possibility the particular Judaizers involved had fallen back into the Law to a point where they had theologically and practically rejected the atoning work and resurrection of Christ in soteriology.
Therefore they may have in fact had a different gospel, a different religion.
In the Galatians case, the Apostle Paul, was likely discussing Judaizers, but theologically a false gospel can be any form of worldview and theologies that replaces the biblical, New Testament gospel within a Christian Church.
BAUER, W (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
COAD, F. ROY (1986) ‘Galatians’, in F.F. Bruce (gen.ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/ Zondervan.
MARSHALL, ALFRED (1975)(1996) The Interlinear KJV-NIV, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
LYON, DAVID (1998) ‘Memory and the Millennium: Time and Social Change at the Fin de Siecle’, Timothy Bradshaw (ed.), in Grace and Truth in the Secular Age, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.
Photo: Facebook Fans of Criminal Justice, June 12 2013, the header stated it was her first day on the job.
Edited from PhD
Twitter version
The atoning & resurrection work of Christ for believers must remain an essential element of Christian preaching, teaching and ministry.
---
However, Brown believes the Bible teaches that there is hope for those in the world who are poor and oppressed. Brown (1984: 14). Gebara (2002: 107).
Brown explains that if God sided with these suffering persons in Biblical times, he also does today. Brown (1984: 14).
I can grant this proposition, Brown (1984: 14), and state that although the salvific work of Christ for humanity should remain the core of Christian faith and philosophy, simultaneous to this Christians must help in an earthly physical sense, those they are attempting to assist in a spiritual sense. This is an important and essential way of making theology practical.
June 17, 2021
Theologically, regardless of practical, social and political considerations, for a Christian ministry to remain, truly biblical, it must proclaim the New Testament gospel contextually and accurately.
Non-exhaustive examples from the New Testament...
2 Timothy 2:15 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who [a]does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
Footnotes a0 2 Timothy 2:15 Or has no reason to
2 Timothy 3: 16-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
16 All Scripture is [a]inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [b]rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man or woman of God may be [c]fully capable, equipped for every good work.
Footnotes a) 2 Timothy 3:16 Lit God-breathed b) 2 Timothy 3:16 Or reprimand c) 2 Timothy 3:17 Or proficient
2 Peter 1:19-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture [a]becomes a matter of [b]someone’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Footnotes a) 2 Peter 1:20 Or comes from someone’s b) 2 Peter 1:20 Or the prophet’s own
prophecy of scripture its own interpretation not is
Any prophecy of scripture is not its own interpretation.
William Barclay writes that the Apostle Peter insisted that scripture is not up to a person's private interpretation. (314). Scripture is revealed to a person through the Holy Spirit, that guides the interpretation. (314) The original scriptural writers were guided by the Holy Spirit to accuracy as should be the readers of scripture to avoid significant error.
There is biblically and within biblical theology, no room for biblical reinterpretation that departs from the original gospel message.
BARCLAY, WILLIAM (1976) The Letters of James and Peter, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press.
BROWN, ROBERT MCAFEE (1984) Unexpected News, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press.
GEBARA, IVONE (2002) Out of the Depths, Translated by Ann Patrick Ware, Minneapolis, Fortress Press..
GEBARA, I, AND M. BINGEMER (1989) Mary Mother of God, Mother of the Poor, New York, Orbis Books.
Photo: Bell Tower in the middle of Resia Lake (South Tyrol)! Italian National Tourist Board Canada
ANDERSON, RAY S. (2001) The Shape of Practical Theology, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.
Edited from my PhD
Twitter version I
The Church must work within the world without being worldly at the expense of being true to the Holy Spirit. This is no easy task for a large institution such as the Church.
June 15, 2021
Twitter version II
And I will add, the Church must remain true to the Scripture in context.
2010 Theodicy and Practical Theology: PhD thesis, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter
