eBook #4 released!

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eBook #4

eBook #4

The fourth section of Revisiting Scripture is finished and available from Kindle ($2.99). It centers on things to do with church… buildings, meetings, singing, leadership (including the role of women), ceremonies such as baptism and communion, marriage, divorce, and giving. While I interact with folks who are gently or even violently opposed to the institutional church… abbreviated IC, despite the fact that everyone knows those letters stand for Integrated Circuits… there is no denying that the vast majority of Christians are still involved in that setting. As with the earlier parts, my goal is to encourage you to examine what you have believed was taught in Scripture to see how that belief holds up.

In an effort to avoid proof texting, the eBooks all include the entire passages with their contexts… right there so you don’t even have to look them up. In my effort to use a relatively new translation without incurring restrictions and high costs from copyright owners, I have been drawn to the New English Translation. It is abbreviated NET, which reflects their focus on making it freely available on the Internet. I have found it to be slightly more conservative than the New International Version (NIV), but the most interesting aspect it the extensive set of translation and study notes that are available. You can read a verse and know most of the issues and alternatives surrounding the final choice, so you get a good idea of the range of possible meanings.

I am needing reviews! If you have reviewed the first part and would like to read and review the rest, contact me at schultz@pei.sympatico.ca and I will arrange for you to get the later parts at no cost.

Women in Ministry

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[More from my soon-to-be-released 4th eBook]

There has been a strong tradition in Christianity of prohibiting women from ministry or leadership roles, based on perceived teachings of Scripture—primarily several passages in Paul’s epistles. The key passages follow, but first, I should clarify the issue. With the cultural changes brought about by the feminist movement, there is a strong desire to find… or invent, if necessary… Scriptural support for women’s equality. For many centuries, most Christian cultures relegated women to background roles in the church, and some present day theologians are working to prove that does not properly reflect New Testament teaching. The patriarchal perspective of the Old Testament, reflected in many of the rules under the Jewish law, lined up with many non Judeo-Christian cultures over the ages. Only in the last century or two has women’s equality become a prominent issue. Lagging behind the general trend, a gradual shift is taking place in Protestant denominations to allow for woman ministers, with the more conservative groups being the last to succumb.

There are some Scriptural reasons to see early Christianity as more radical than tradition would suggest. Some of Paul’s writings admonished Christians to treat all believers as equals. To the extent that actually happened, the early church may have been quite radical in its acceptance of all classes equally:

Galatians 3:26-29(NET) For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for ALL OF YOU ARE ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

I have recently heard it taught that Christians in the early church, while they differed in sex and status on the outside, when they entered the doors of the assembly, became equals. At least that was the goal that Paul sought for them. Continue reading →

Church Meetings

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It seems the early church meetings were quite different than present practice. As best we can tell based on these few verses, the first church meetings were held in an outer court of the temple and happened every day. That would account for the healing of the lame man who routinely begged at the temple, as well as the antagonism of the Jewish leaders—they were right in their face! In addition they apparently met and ate together in their homes:

Acts 2:41-47(NET) So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.

Acts 5:12-14(NET) Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high honor. More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, crowds of both men and women.

Next is a passage addressed to the church in Corinth, a pagan city, which probably included a significant proportion of non–Jews. This was not Jerusalem with the Jewish temple to meet in, so the best guess is that they met in someone’s home. Note, however, in the last verse, Do you not have houses so that you can eat and drink? This suggests either that they were not in a home or else that those who were hungry should eat at their own homes before coming to the home where the meeting was to occur so they did not gobble everything before others could get there. The Lord’s Supper of that day must have been much more than a tiny bit of grape juice and a crumb of bread!

1 Corinthians 11:17-22(NET) Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For in the first place, when you come together as a church I hear there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident. Now when you come together at the same place, you are not really eating the Lord’s Supper. For when it is time to eat, everyone proceeds with his own supper. One is hungry and another becomes drunk. Do you not have houses so that you can eat and drink? Or are you trying to show contempt for the church of God by shaming those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this!

1 Corinthians 11:33-34(NET) So then, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that when you assemble it does not lead to judgment. I will give directions about other matters when I come.

It may be that the modern church supper… potluck… carry–in… pitch-in… is closer to an early church meeting than the modern worship service.

How deep the Father’s love

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As I was editing on the 4th eBook, I came to a part where I talk about songs in the church and inserted this as an example of a song that is both moving and accurate to Scripture:

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us[1]: Having taken issue with songs from ancient to modern, let me insert a song that has amazed me with its complete alignment with both the words and intent of Scripture:

How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure,

Romans 8:38–39(NET) For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:17–19(NET) …that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

That He should give His only Son, To make a wretch His treasure.

Romans 7:24–25(NET) Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

John 3:16(NET) For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

How great the pain of searing loss; The Father turns His face away

Isaiah 53:3–4(NET) He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.

Mark 15:34(NET) Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

As wounds which mar the Chosen One, Bring many sons to glory.

Isaiah 52:14-15(NET) …(just as many were horrified by the sight of you) he was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man; his form was so marred he no longer looked human —so now he will startle many nations….

Hebrews 2:9–10(NET) …but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Continue reading →

Third eBook now available!

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Cover of third eBook in Revisiting Scripture series

Cover of third eBook in Revisiting Scripture series

Polishing and finishing each section seems to take about 6-7 weeks, and the third one about topics relating to living as a Christian is now up on Kindle. If you liked the emphasis of the first two, this should be satisfying as well. It consists of two parts… the first about topics relating to the Christian walk and the second visiting Christian holy days.

Aspects of walking as a Christian from Scripture include:

  • Trust like a little child
  • Walk one day at a time
  • Overcome a critical spirit
  • Love one another
  • Encourage one another
  • Affirm what God id doing
  • Forgive
  • Be intimate with God
  • Learn the secret of rest
  • Walk by grace
  • Be generous
  • Be holy
  • Do what pleases God
  • Dress right
  • Understand the will of God
  • Pray and intercede
  • Obey the graat commission
  • Fight the Christian battle
  • Put on the armor of God
  • Deal with discouragement
  • Hang on to the future

Among the topics with particularly new perspectives are parts about Sanctification–can it be achieved in this life, prayer–why do we have to pray long and loud, and is intercession something new, and the armor of God–why have we made it offensive when Scripture clearly says it is defensive?

The section about Christian holy days starts with an extensive exploration of Sunday and Sabbath keeping… which day, how it should be observed, and what is Christian freedom. Moving to Christmas, there are lists of traditions that, while perfectly fine, are NOT part of the Scripture narrative. Good Friday and Easter sections get into discussions of chronology, did Jesus descend to Hell (and if so, what would He do there?), and the arguments against the resurrection. Oh, yes, there is an extensive passage about angels with very little commentary.

So, if you liked the earlier eBooks, you should find lots of interesting topics here. As always they are accompanied by lots of Scripture, copied into the text and including the context. The goal is to again look at what Scripture REALLY says.


 

The Empty Tomb Revisited

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[here is another excerpt form my very-soon-to-be-released third eBook]

While there is some grumbling among Christians about the fact that the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection came to be mixed in with pagan festivals of spring… in our modern secularized culture it has reverted to that!… a fresh look at Scripture provides at least indirect confirmation of the factuality of the event. Some of these insights are to be found in the sequence of events on Easter morning.

Despite the predictions, no one expected it: Long before the Resurrection was understood, the disciples knew the tomb was empty:

Luke 24:1-3(NET) Now on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the aromatic spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

In the accounts we find the impetuous Peter vs. the more cautious John. Here too we see the sudden opening of the eyes of Mary who was the first to see him and thought he was the gardener:

John 20:1–18(NIV) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:1-18(NET) Now very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Then Peter and the other disciple set out to go to the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, and the face cloth, which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, came in, and he saw and believed. (For they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.) So the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni” (which means Teacher). Jesus replied, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said to her. Continue reading →

Descended into Hell?

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[Here is another excerpt from my very-soon-to-be-released third eBook: Revisiting Scripture: How to Live] Jesus death came at 3 PM after having been on the cross for ‘only’ 6 hours. What happened after He died? Some hold, as an early creed says, He descended into Hell. One model of the atonement… discussed my second E-book… postulates Jesus waging a war with Satan down in Hell and finally, after a long and exhausting fight, arising victorious 3 days later. To me this is building a lot on only one verse… and probably a misunderstanding at that.

Jesus’ final moments on the cross are certainly are marked by remarkable events… unnatural darkness and an earthquake as well as dead saints appearing to people… but no indication is ever given as to what Jesus was doing or where He went:

Matthew 27:50–54(KJV) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Luke 23:39–47(KJV) And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

The only Scripture we have about His time in the grave comes from Peter’s sermon where he says that death could not hold him and God raised him from the dead. The terms Hell, Hades and Sheol are discussed in my sixth eBook, but basically Hades was the place of the dead… the grave… not specifically Hell, which is to be the final place for Satan. Notice that the reference is to experiencing decay, and the power was that of death, not Satan:

Acts 2:22-28(NET) “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know—this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. For David says about him, ‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope, because you will not leave my soul in Hades,[1] nor permit your Holy One to experience decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of joy with your presence.’

The only passage that could remotely be a descended to Hell proof is in Ephesians 4, but it does not have in view what is traditionally meant by Hell. Continue reading →

Good Friday Revisited

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Here is a portion of Revisiting Scripture which will be in eBook #3:

The New Testament gives the most coverage of any event to the crucifixion… multiple chapters in all four Gospels. Tradition has it taking place on a Friday about noon, with Jesus having already died by mid–afternoon. The next day… traditionally held to be Saturday… was the special Sabbath… the Passover. This is theologically significant because Jesus was being sacrificed as the Passover lamb… the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world:

John 19:28-37(NET) After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty!” A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth. When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs broken and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus, first the one and then the other. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately. And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe. For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

Without question, all accounts have the resurrection the first day of the week (our Sunday) and even the angels agreed the promise He would “on the third day be raised again“ was fulfilled: Continue reading →

Noah’s Ark

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One of the sailing forums I follow got off into boat-building issues for Nah’s Ark. The discussion wandered far afield…as it often does…in this case to how Noah only produced three children over some 600 years! But returning to the details of the ark, the children’s illustrations and plastic models of the ark are fun, but they probably don’t fit the details in the Scripture account. Here is part of the account:

 Gen 7:11-18(NET) In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month — on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And the rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives. They entered, along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings.  Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. Those that entered were male and female, just as God commanded him. Then the LORD shut him in. The flood engulfed the earth for forty days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth. The waters completely overwhelmed the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters.

 A few things to note:

  1. Your presuppositions matter: A.If you discount a voice from God, you have nothing…no instructions, no call to enter the ark, no drawing of the animals to Noah. So in that case you have simply a rollicking good story with no reason to start worrying about details. B.If you are committed to taking it literally then you have to agonize over unstated details and even go looking for the remains of the ark in the mountains of Turkey. C.If you take the story as true in a storytelling sense then you focus on the main point it is saying about men and God and can freely allow poetic license for the rest. [I  draw your attention to a Revisiting Scripture: Assumptions available as a Kindle eBook on Amazon]
  2. The arrival of the animals was not said to be Noah’s doing. The implication is that it was in some way orchestrated by the Lord. Issues of what they were fed and how they were kept from eating each other are never addressed in the account…just that Noah was responsible for getting the food into the ark in advance.
  3. There is no particular reason to expect anything but a square bow and stern on the ark…its only job was to float upright…speed through the water was not an issue. There is no mention of wind…just heavy pouring rain for 40 days…so I presume the ark would just have to float without rolling over.
  4. The discussion went off into construction methods including some sort of pegged log-cabin-style construction. The account does indicate it took 120 years. One tongue-in-cheek suggestion is that Noah had to use steel with “arc” welding!
  5. The boat-builders of the forum debated the issue of wood preservation for 120 years. As someone noted, the implication is that rain was something unknown…possibly in an arid region…or possibly a collapse of a water canopy. If it was a very dry area, how he got the wood would be an issue. But rot was apparently not a problem…either due to the type of wood or the climate…unlike humid tropical regions!
  6. Longevity is a question, and various explanations have been proposed. I for one would not care to begin a major boat-building project at age 480…or 67 for that matter!