Ben Franklin regularly followed a plan to develop his character. Based on Philippians 4, Ben used the chart below as a tool to improve himself.

Check out the site Flamebright for a brief explanation and DIY Planner for templates you can print out.

His “Plan” was made up of 13 virtues, each with short descriptions:

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Technorati Tags: Ben Franklin, Virtue, Resolutions

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray’r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav’n replies

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Despite the opening misnomer (We three magi just doesn’t cut it…) and the speculation about the number of of them (we are never told, we are only told they brought three gifts), this song is a tremendous compilation of the Christmas story merged with the ultimate purpose of Christ’s incarnation:  Kingdom, death/sacrifice, resurrection.

The mention of the gifts is a connection to the Old Testament and the practices of bringing gifts to a king by visiting kings.  In Psalm 72 we read of the kings of Sheba and Seba bringing gifts to the righteous King of Israel:

In Isaiah 60:

These gifts signify the mission of the magi:  They have come to worship the King.

I love this video, recording is not the best but you can tell it was good.  My favorite part is that the singers names are Amr Abdel Salam, Hany Fakhry and Sherif El Dabaa…close to the heritage of the original (probably Persian) magi.

Last night at our Living Nativity we sang “Silent Night”.  Here are the words:

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth ”

My understanding is that the carol began simply as a poem by Joseph Mohr that was given to Franz Gruber to put into a song in because the organ at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf Germany was broken and they needed a song to be sung with guitar.  Hence our most popular Christmas Carol was born.  Click here for a more extensive rendition of the story.

My interest was peaked this year by the last line of the song:  “…Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.”

The emphasis on the deity of Christ even at His birth is an important statement in this song.  We believe that Jesus the Son became incarnate, or took on human flesh at His birth.  He has a human beginning, but as the Son, he is eternally one with the Father and as such has no beginning.  Hence, He is Lord at His birth because He is Lord at all times.  There is no time where Jesus is not Lord.  He doesn’t earn lordship, or become the son at a particular time in His ministry (ie at His baptism).  At His birth He is fully God.  This helps us to understand later statements of Jesus that seem to impugn His divinity (No one knows the day or time, only the Father, not even the Son).  Jesus at His birth, unable to talk, with all the requisite restrictions of humanity still retains His Lordship/Divinity.

This theological construction is called the Hypostatic Union.  We believe that Jesus is one person with two natures: human and divine.  They are distinct and not mingled.  He is not some sort of hybrid, or superman.  He is fully human.  He is fully God.  He is not 50% God and 50% man; he is not a mixture of the two.  He is not a man who has some special dispensation of godliness within Him, nor is He just a good embodiment of the principles of God.

This doctrine was outlined by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD:

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach people to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.

The theological terminology for the interaction of the two natures is Communicatio Idiomatum, Latin for “communication of properties”.  These doctrines are deserving of our time and study as many divergent theological positions held by aberrant Christian groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Oneness Pentecostals misunderstand and distort the truth of the nature of Christ at these points.

Silent Night got it right here:  Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

What is the Gospel?

Galatians 3

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Some of their observations:

•26% of those who attend religious services say they do so at more than one place occasionally, and an additional 9% roam regularly from their home church for services.

•28% of people who attend church at least weekly say they visit multiple churches outside their own tradition.

•59% of less frequent church attendees say they attend worship at multiple places.

Pew says two in three adults believe in or cite an experience with at least one supernatural phenomenon, including:

•26% find “spiritual energy” in physical things.

•25% believe in astrology.

•24% say people will be reborn in this world again and again.

•23% say yoga is a “spiritual practice.”

It is an interesting phenomenon that I encounter often as a pastor.  This article was no surprise to me, in fact, I was surprised that the numbers weren’t higher.  Here are some of my observations:

Anti-intellectualism

Thinking is not in vogue in the church.  Reading is not a common practice, and if it is, it does not include books that challenge the intellect and build a strong intellectual or doctrinal foundation.  It is the rare Christian who reads philosophy, has mastered logic or engages in apologetics.  Many Christians do not evaluate their belief system against the Scriptures nor do they engage in Systematics.  Can I add that many pastors are in the same category.  As a result, the beliefs of believers are muddled. They are regularly exposed to shoddy and contradictory preaching, rarely systematic, rarely doctrinal.  The result is Christians remain mixed up, and even worse feel that it is acceptable.

Scientific Climate and corresponding High touch climate

We live in a scientifically influenced society where people are desperate for corresponding scientific “proof” for their faith.   So we have institutions dedicated to Creation research/Intelligent Design.  We ignore science when it challenges our belief system, we appeal to it when it “supports” it.  We seek its solace as it brings “certainty” to our faith.  Yet on the other hand we ignore it when it comes to evaluating weirdness, like speaking to the dead.

In our scientific age, we crave a corresponding non-scientific, esoteric experience that is beyond explanation.  We base our conclusions on major and eternal issues on emotion and visceral reactions.  It is an odd combination:  Christians seek scientific affirmation of faith, then seek irrational affirmation of faith in their practice and in their “non-scientific” areas of doctrine.

Post-modernism

Post-modernism is a view that elevates the subjective and diminishes the objective (very simplistic definition of a very complex idea).  Post-modernism has infected the thinking of the average person in our culture.  It reveals itself in statements like, “It is true for you but not for me”.  The philosophical underpinnings of Post-modernism feed the propensity toward the mixed up ideas displayed by Christians.  It really isn’t necessary for people to have organized and consistent ideas, rather it is important for the subject to feel good about their ideas.

The subjective approach looks for doctrine and church to bring emotional satisfaction, not intellectual consistency.  This may not be true of the sophisticated post-modern who may go to great lengths to think and justify their philosophical position, but it is the effect upon the average church goer.

So even though communicating with the dead is outside the boundaries of Christian doctrine and science, the average Christian dispenses with those boundaries because they find comfort and solace in what speaking to their dead relatives brings.

Consumer mentality brought to spirituality

People treat church like they do shopping or picking a restaurant.  Denominational loyalty is diminishing and church’s marketing toward felt needs has produced a shopping environment when it comes to church.   I recall seeing an advertisement in the newspaper from a church offering a television as a prize give away item in an attempt to lure visitors.  Worship services are like concerts and sermons like motivational messages, geared toward the relevant and the cultural context. Graphics, titles and content all garnered from the media (TV and movies).

Hence people feel free to jump from congregation to congregation, hearing the same regurgitated sermons that are aimed at their felt needs.  Story, media and illustrations fill the sermons, content takes a back seat, doctrine is rarely spoken of at length.  They have very rarely had any long term systematic teaching.

Anti-authority

The most telling quote in the USA Today article is “In short, we believe our own experiences are authentic, and no “authority” can say otherwise.”

“Our own experiences rule the roost.”  This philosophy applied to the church is antithetical to the function of the church in the life of the believer.  Maybe the most challenged idea in our postmodern culture is the idea of authority.  The appeal of many of the evangelical/non-denominational movement is the diminishing of a clear cut authority.  The more traditional expressions of church, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Mainline  Protestant (Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian) found their people on a mass exodus to the free movement.  Now that the shine has worn off, many are moving back to some of those churches, but desiring the experience without the authority.

The equation of anyone’s opinion with the position of the church or the position of the pastor/elders is not a biblical one.  In fact the reversal is now the case, the individual is evaluating church and doctrine and elevating themselves above the church.  This is now seen as the norm.

Interesting.

QUESTION. In your opionion WHAT IS THE MARK BEAST IN REVELATION????? I know it is not a day, computer chip, but a number because of the letters that make 666? So what do you know and how far off am I??? Oh! Revelation speaks about receiving the mark in the right hand or forhead that gives you the mark; and what translations do you have that say what the mark really is???

First, as with all passages of Scripture, context is king.  Many fixate on the mark of the beast  (Revelation 13:16-18; 14:9; 20:4) as if the mark of the beast were the most important image in the book of Revelation.  It is not. It also does not occur in a vacuum.   In fact, in the passage that it is mentioned the mark of the beast is placed in contrast to the mark placed on the 144,000 (Revelation 7:3 and 14:1).  I raise this because the mark of the beast does not stand alone in Revelation but it is curiously always mentioned alone, or apart from the necessary contrast that is always made in the book.  This is an important contextual observation for the following reason:  If you are going to literalize the mark of the beast, then you must literalize its counterpart the mark that is places on the believers, the mark of Christ/God.
The context of Revelation is much more filled with the mark that is placed on those who believe and persevere than those who don’t believe and concede to the mark of the beast.  This marking (sometimes equated also with “naming”) begins in the letters to the seven churches in the beginning of the book.  In Pergamum those who overcome are given a new name and in Philadelphia this name is “written” on the overcomer, he is marked with this name.  In Revelation 5:9 the song of the Elders speaks of those “purchased for God” and this “marking” is an activity that speaks of ownership, you should think of the branding of cattle for a good corresponding action, in Revelation 14 those who are marked on the forehead are those who have been purchased.  In Revelation 7:3 the bond servants of God are described as those who will be sealed…on their foreheads.  In 9:4 the seal of God on the foreheads protects those who have it from the effects of the 5th trumpet.  This mark is summed up in 14:12 where we are told:  “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” and in Revelation 19 where Jesus is marked also with names written on Him and those names are described as one which no one knows, His name is called the Word of God, on his robe and thigh is written King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Revelation 22:4 pictures those in the new heavens and earth as those who have the name/mark on their forehead.   These are not meant to be understood as literal tattoos, but identifying marks characterizing obedience, allegiance, and action.
So the contrast is made to the mark of the beast, it is a reflection of the marking on the beast who has on his seven heads blasphemous names (13:1).  Those who follow the beast are characterized by allegiance and obedience to the beast, ie. they have his name written on them, they are marked by his mark.  The receiving of a mark is Revelation language for worshipping and following the beast and his ways which means denying the mark of Christ and His ways.  So also the whore of Babylon is marked with a name written on the forehead.  Again, not intended to be understood as a tattoo, but an identifierpointing to allegiance and worship and obedience.
Second, in order to understand Revelation we must travel backwards, not forwards.  What I mean by that is the book of Revelation is steeped in Old Testament imagery and reference.  When you don’t understand something in Revelation start looking first to the Old Testament.
These markings are reflected in the practice of the phylacteries:   “And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.  (Exo 13:9)  This obvious Old Testament imagery cannot be ignored.  The law of God was symbolically placed on the forehead and hand of Israelites to mark them as God’s people.  This is the important OT reference point for our understanding of the mark in Revelation.  The person who placed these symbols on their person was declaring an allegiance to God and a commitment to obedience as a covenant declaration.

I don’t believe that the mark has anything to do with verichip, bar codes or any such thing.  I think the numerological reference (666)  is adequately explained by the text:  it is the number of man.  If we need a more specific referent, I am most comfortable with identifying  666 with Nero.

Listen to the Sermon here

Watch the sermon here

Today we begin a new series on the topic of Heaven, Hell and Life after Death.  As we close out our brief and random look at the book of Isaiah, we must address a prominent emerging idea in Isaiah that is remarkably absent prior to his writings.  Isaiah stands as sort of a bridge between Old and New Testaments (as all of the prophets really do) and in Isaiah we begin to see a new stream in revelation, that of the global extent of the kingdom of God.  But before we get to actual texts from the book of Isaiah and other places instructive to our study we need to spend some time laying some groundwork.

Heaven, hell and life after death may be the most myth-filled area of the modern Christians mind.  I hear more “weird” stuff when I listen to Christians talk about these issues.  Funerals may be the place where these ideas run rampant and unchallenged.  Here are some of the ideas I want to challenge, tweak and adjust as we progress through this arena:

• People who have died have a “freedom” to go wherever they want and can see and keep tabs on events that occur on earth.  “Uncle John is looking down on us”, or “Mom is here with us right now” or “Dad will watch over us and take care of us”.
• “Heaven” is a geographical location within our present universe
• Eternity consists of disembodied spirits existing in some ethereal place (often characterized or with the caricature of chubby cherubs flitting about on clouds with harps).
• We become angels in the afterlife
• The earth/creation/body is evil and needs to be destroyed (Many believers are essentially gnostics)

Much of the Christian mind has been influenced in this area by comics and jokes, Funeral “myth”-ology, cultural mythology, and tradition.  In this study we want to discover solid Biblical teaching on the issues of heaven hell and the after-life.  So today we will begin with some substructure.  Our task includes identifying and attacking underlying myths and distortions we have about these issues, then reconstructing a solid Biblical theology of heaven, hell and life after death.

Technically area of theology is known as “Personal Eschatology”.  Eschatology (study of the things concerning the end) is traditionally divided into two areas: Personal and General Eschatology.  Eschatology comes at the end of the study of theology as well as being about the ends of all things.  It is placed there logically as well as chronologically.  What we mean by that is Eschatology rests upon other prior and foundational theological issues.  Eschatology builds upon the theological ideas of redemption, resurrection, the nature of man, Ecclesiology and any Eschatology that contradicts or ignores these other foundational issues typically distorts the Bible’s teaching of Eschatology.

So this morning we will begin with some important guidelines which impact our quest to understand these issues:

• Where will we get our information and what is our source and authority?  – Sola Scriptura
• What is the ancient context in which these ideas must be understood? – Cosmology and Language

Sola Scriptura
Since none of us has ever been to heaven or hell, nor have we experienced death yet, our experience and the experience of other people is not a valid source of information about these issues.  Science cannot help us as it is based upon empirical (sense perception and observation of repeatable events) observation.  If we are going to get information about these things we are left with revelation, God’s words to us with regard to heaven, hell and the afterlife.  As Protestants we appeal to the Scriptures as our final authority in any dispute over issues of faith.  We define sola Scriptura in this way:  all things necessary for salvation and concerning faith and life are taught in the Bible clearly enough for the ordinary believer to find it there and understand (I failed to note my source, will find and supply it for you…soon).

The following is an excerpt from an article by Dr. Robert Godfrey called “What do we mean by Sola Scriptura?”

Let me begin with certain clarifications so as not to be misunderstood. I am not arguing that all truth is to be found in the Bible, or that the Bible is the only form in which the truth of God has come to His people. I am not arguing that every verse in the Bible is equally clear to every reader. Nor am I arguing that the church — both the people of God and the ministerial office — is not of great value and help in understanding the Scripture. As William Whitaker stated in his noble work: “For we also say that the church is the interpreter of Scripture, and that the gift of interpretation resides only in the church: but we deny that it pertains to particular persons, or is tied to any particular see or succession of men.”¹

The Protestant position, and my position, is that all things necessary for salvation and concerning faith and life are taught in the Bible clearly enough for the ordinary believer to find it there and understand.

The position I am defending certainly is what is taught in the Bible itself. For example, Deuteronomy 31:9 states: “Moses wrote down this law. . . .” Moses instructed the people by writing down the law and then ordering that it be read to them “so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law,” Deuteronomy 31:9, 12.

Moses declared to all Israel: “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you, they are your life,” Deuteronomy 32:46, 47.

Notice the clear elements in these passages:

The Word of which Moses spoke was written.
The people can and must listen to it and learn it.
In this Word they can find life.

The people do not need any additional institution to interpret the Word. The priests, prophets, and scribes of Israel certainly function to help the people ministerially. But the Word alone was sufficient for salvation. The prophets, who were indeed inspired, came very much in the spirit of Micah who said, “He has shown you, O man, what is good,” Micah 6:8. The function of the prophets and priests was not to add to or even clarify the law; rather, they applied it to the people who were sinfully indifferent.

If this principle of the sufficiency and clarity of the Word is true in the Old Testament, we can assume that it is all the more true in the New. The New Testament gloriously fulfills what the Old Testament promises. But we do not have to assume it; rather, the New Testament makes clear that the character of Scripture is to be sufficient and clear. One example of that is found in 2 Timothy 3, 4. Here Paul writes to his younger brother in the faith, Timothy. He writes that Timothy — who was instructed in the faith by his mother and grandmother — has also learned all about Paul’s teaching (3:10). Timothy has been mightily helped by all sorts of oral teaching, some of it apostolic. Yet Paul writes these words to Timothy:

And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 3:12; 4:5)

You see, Paul reminds Timothy that the Scriptures are able to make him wise unto salvation in Christ Jesus (3:15). He teaches that the Scriptures are useful for teaching, reproof (rebuking), correcting, and training in righteousness (3:16). Because the Scriptures have this character, they thoroughly equip the man of God for every good work (3:17). So Paul tells Timothy that he must preach this Word, even though the time is coming when people will not want to hear it, but rather will want teachers to suit their fancy, who will instruct them in myths rather than the truth of the Word (4:1-4).

The force and clarity of the Apostle’s teaching here are striking. In spite of the rich oral teaching Timothy had, he is to preach the Scriptures because those Scriptures give him clearly all that he needs for wisdom and preparation to instruct the people of God in faith and all good works. The Scripture makes him wise for salvation, and equips him with everything he needs for doing every good work required of the preacher of God. The sufficiency and clarity of the Word are taught in this one section of Scripture over and over again. John Chrysostom paraphrased the meaning of Paul’s words to Timothy this way: “You have Scripture for a master instead of me; from there you can learn whatever you would know.”²

^{From Godfrey “What Do We Mean by Sola Scriptura”}

Closely related to our belief about the Scriptures being our sole authority is our idea of inerrancy.  The doctrine of innerancy is simply that we believe that the Scriptures do not affirm anything that is contrary to fact (Grudem, Systematic Theology).  Inerrancy does not mean that the Bible is a scientific source or document.  Ancient man believed things that we now know are not true from a scientific standpoint.  Even though we know that the earth rotates around the sun we still use archaic phrases such as the sun rises and sets.  Ancient man may have believed that but the Bible does not correct that error, in fact seems to affirm that error but in fact it does not. God does not correct every error in man’s thinking in communicating eternal truth to him.  This does not threaten inerrancy.  We interpret the Bible in its appropriate context.  This is important in our study, especially as we try to understand ancient understandings of the universe, that is, cosmology.

Cosmology

Cosmology is the study of the nature and origins of the universe.  Ancient man did not have the same luxuries that we have with regard to gaining knowledge about the universe.  No telescopes, space shuttles, Mars probes and satellites, etc.  Before the Enlightenment era (1500’s or so) man knew only what he could observe with the naked eye and his view of the universe was limited and erroneous.  Our present cosmology is still subject to correction and amending, we don’t conclude that we can’t know things because we don’t know all things.

Ancient man believed in what has been characterized as the “Three tiered Universe”.  The earth was seen as flat, having four corners supported on pillars much like a table top.  The sky had a canopy (expanse or firmament to use Bible terms), a sort of barrier between the water that surrounded the canopy (waters above and below).  This canopy had windows in it that were opened when it rained and the waters above then were able to fall upon the earth.  The sun moon and stars moved about in this “firmament”.  Cosmology developed to include many different levels of heaven, hence Paul refers to a “third heaven” and we retain an idea of the highest heaven would be characterized as the “seventh heaven”.

We now know that this ancient cosmology is incorrect.  God doesn’t correct ancient man’s erroneous cosmology and reveals spiritual truths using this uncorrected cosmology.  To understand the Scriptures we must take this into account.  This doesn’t threaten inerrancy, but ignoring this can distort your understanding of the Bible.  God communicates to man in man’s context.  He communicates using man’s present understanding, choosing not to say “Wait, before I tell you this lets talk about the heliocentric cosmololgy instead of your backward geocentric views.”  God lets ancient man be ancient man and it is anachronism to demand otherwise.

Ancient man believed that the place of the dead was “underneath” the tablet of the earth.  We no longer believe that sheol is an actual place underneath the earth’s crust. In the same way, we reject the idea that there is a place above the firmament that houses an actual throne room where an old guy with a beard sits with fat angels with halos.

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is an important word you should be familiar with as you read the Bible and as we try to understand God and the things of God.  As with ancient cosmology, God accomodates our humanity in revelation.  He has to, we are limited and He must speak to us in understandable terms.  When we talk to our children we speak to them with vocabulary they are familiar with and we paint pictures to help them understand abstract ideas, and we keep some information from them until they are able to understand, or until they have the maturity to grapple with the idea (eg. we don’t give sexual details to five year olds, we talk about babies coming from God, storks etc.).  Anthropomorphism is a term that simply means “human form”.  In the Bible context we use anthropomorphism to describe God because we are familiar with humanity but God is a little beyond our understanding.  We can’t see Him and He is Spirit.  He is “other” than us.  He talks to us about himself using our language because it is language we understand but we need to be careful to understand that when the Bible says God has eyes, hands, feet, is seated on a throne, has wings, etc., it is not being literal, it is using anthropomorphism so that we can relate.  This will be helpful as well as we explore the Bible’s revealing of “heaven” to us.   Symbol, metaphor, anthropomorphism fills the language of the Bible.  It is important to be familiar with how that works.

The following is an excerpt from the Jewish Virtual Library on the term Anthropomorphism:

An obviously anthropomorphic expression is found in Genesis: ẓelem Elohim (“the image of God”), and there are references to actually “seeing” God (Ex. 24:10–12; Num. 12:8). The limbs of the human body frequently serve as allegorical descriptions of the acts of God as perceived by man. Thus divine providence is referred to as “the eyes of the Lord” and “the ears of the Lord” (very common in Prophets and Psalms); “the mouth of the Lord” speaks to the prophets (both in Torah and Prophets); the heavens are the work of His fingers (Ps. 8:4), and the tablets of the covenant are written by the finger of God (Ex. 31:18). Striking figurative expressions are af (“nose”; i.e., “the wrath of the Lord”), “His countenance” (which He causes to shine or, alternatively, hides), yad, (“hand,” “His right hand,” “His arm,” “His sword”). At times the personification is startlingly extreme: God (or His voice) “walks about in the garden” (Gen. 3:8); He “goes down” in order to see what is being done on the earth (Gen. 11:5; 18:21) or in order to reveal Himself there (Ex. 19:18; 34:5), and He “goes up again” (Gen. 17:22; 35:13); He goes through the land of Egypt and passes over the houses of the Israelites (Ex. 12:12–13); He sits on a throne (Isa. 6:1), causes His voice to be heard among the cherubim who are over the ark of the tabernacle (Num. 7:89), dwells in Zion and in Jerusalem (Ps. 132:13; 135:21); the hair of His head is as wool (Dan. 7:9); Moses sees “His back” (Ex. 33:23). Anthropomorphic expressions abound in the song at the Red Sea (Ex. 15) and in the song of David (II Sam. 22; Ps. 18).

More important from a theological perspective are the anthropopathisms, or psychical personifications of the Deity. Scripture attributes to God love and hate, joy and delight, regret and sadness, pity and compassion, disgust, anger, revenge, and other feelings. Even if one explains these terms as being nothing but picturesque expressions, intended to awaken within man a sense of the real presence of God and His works, nonetheless they remain personifications. The basis for such terms is the conception of God as a Being who wills in a personal (though not exactly in a human) way. This personalized conception of the Deity, in conjunction with the axiomatic belief in His absolute transcendence, leads to unusual boldness in the use of anthropomorphic imagery.

Ultimately, every religious expression is caught in the dilemma between, on the one hand, the theological desire to emphasize the absolute and transcendental nature of the Divine, thereby relinquishing its vitality and immediate reality and relevance, and on the other hand, the religious need to conceive of the Deity and man’s contact with Him in some vital and meaningful way. Jewish tradition has usually shown preference for the second tendency, and there is a marked readiness to speak of God in a very concrete and vital manner and not to recoil from the dangers involved in the use of apparent anthropomorphisms.

However, this anthropomorphic style is frequently accompanied by mitigating expressions indicating reservations. The basic opposition to all such personifications is decisively formulated in the Decalogue. In addition, it finds expression in many verses which maintain that nothing can be compared to God, who has no form or shape, cannot be seen, is eternal and without end (very frequent in the Pentateuch, Former and Latter Prophets, Psalms, Job, and Chronicles). Yet, many of these verses appear to contradict others which describe God in corporeal terms (for example, Ex. 20:4; Deut. 4:15, as against Gen. 1:26; Num. 23:19 and I Sam. 15:29 as against Gen. 6:6; I Kings 8:27 as against Ex. 25:8, and other such examples). These verses emphasize the transcendent nature of the Divine, not in philosophical abstractions but in vivid descriptive expressions. In other places one finds attempts to avoid such personifications and to substitute less daring imagery; if it is said, on the one hand, that the Lord dwells in His sanctuary (Ex. 35:8), and also appears in the cloud over the cover of the ark (Lev. 16:2), on the other hand there are verses which speak instead of God’s kavod (“glory”) or Shemo (“His name”; Ex. 24:16–17; Lev. 9:23; Num. 14:10; Deut. 12:5, 11; 16:2, 6; I Kings 8:11). Some scholars (S.D. Luzzatto and Geiger) argued that the present vocalization of Exodus 34:24 “to appear before the Lord” was emended by the masoretes from original לִרְאוֹת (lirot; “to see”) to לֵרָאוֹת (lera’ot; “to be seen”), to avoid an objectionable anthropomorphism.

There is no evidence of any physical representation of God in Jewish history (in contradistinction to the worship of Canaanite and other foreign gods by Israelites). Even the golden calves of Jeroboam represented, according to the view of most scholars, only a footstool for the invisible God. In archaeological excavations no images of the God of Israel have been unearthed. Biblical Hebrew is the only fully developed language which has no specific term for the notion “goddess.”

Jewish Virtual Library

Intermediate State

Next week we will be covering the term Intermediate State.  Much of our mistaken ideas about “heaven” come from attributing features of the intermediate state to the final state.

Re-commitment to God’s Word

I ended the message with an exhortation to get back to the Scriptures.  If it is our authority and source of knowledge about God and the things of God, we should be much more familiar with it.

Here we are in the fall…preparation for New Year.

Read the Bible from cover to cover.
Study a particular book
Read a book on Bible study skills
Buy a bible study resource

Someone asked me for a reason to go to church, and what should be looked for if answered affirmatively.

This really is a legitimate question because there are so many options. In my links here on The Temple I have ample resources for people in terms of information, sermons, Bible studies, etc. With social networking I can keep in contact with multiples of people at the same time. I just spent sometime counseling on Facebook chat while watching the World Series, very efficient. ChurchTV broadcasts live church services complete with a time for offering. Twitter has Bible studies restricted to 140 character comments, really cuts down on that guy in Bible study who won’t keep quiet. So what do we need the church for???

Before I give my reasons for the importance of the live local church, let me be clear: Every Christian belongs in a church, without exception. There is no good reason to be apart from a local Christian fellowship (church) for any length of time. It is not optional. Here are the reasons, they are rooted in our understanding of the Trinity:

The Church and the Father
As a child of the heavenly Father I am not alone, He has many children. We are spoken of as adopted They are gathered together locally in the body of Christ, the Son. Fatherhood is not random nor does a Father isolate His children rather He gathers them together in family units, called the church.

The importance of community cannot be understated. Belonging and identity are solidified in the church. The Father draws us together into the body. There is an underlying strength that goes with belonging to a tribe, and the church is the best tribe as it is sired by the Heavenly Father. It is the best heritage available and to be a son or daughter of the most High God is the best source of identity available. This impartation of belonging and identity occurs in the church and not outside of it.

It is in the body that I find accountability, my weaknesses are exposed in community and good community helps me to strengthen areas of my character that need sharpening. The longer you stay in healthy community the more benefit you receive from this, as our real issues are hard to suppress in community over time.

The Church and the Son
Church and all that goes with being redeemed has to do with more than my individual experience. Healthy church attacks my inclination towards selfishness that is heightened especially in America with a utilitarian mindset, that is, if it isn’t practical or personally beneficial, it isn’t necessary. Church helps me destroy my selfishness. The church was founded by Christ, and he models the behavior and attitude that accompanies church attendance. You cannot be like Christ outside of the church as demonstrated by these two phrases, one said by Christ, one said about Christ: “The Son of man came not to be served but to serve” & “who considered others more important than himself”. These characteristics happen in the context of the church.

The Church and the Spirit
The Spirit of God is the great gift giver and the gifts he gives are intended to be used within the context of the body of Christ.  They are not personal or private, but corporate and public, intended for the edification of the body.  The Holy Spirit is the architect  and engineer as well as the contractor who builds the church.  He supplies the church with the tools necessary for success and for the growth of the church to the glory of God.  Much church weakness can be attributed to the missing members who fail to supply the necessary gifts given to round out the body.

The mission of the believer and the mission of the church have large areas of overlap, it is rare that individual Christian mission would fall outside of ecclesiological support or authority.

To place yourself apart from the body of Christ places you outside the will of God.  To place yourself outside the body of Christ places you outside of the purpose of God for you.  To place yourself outside the body of Christ is to ignore God’s creative intention.

I don’t stand behind these truths because I am a pastor,  I am a pastor because of these truths.