Tim Archer on the Christian and Alcohol

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Over at “The Kitchen of Half-Baked Thoughts,” Tim Archer has just completed a thoughtful series of posts on the Christian and alcohol.

The Christian and Alcohol (Alcohol abuse)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 2 (Alcohol in the history of the U.S.)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 3 (Seeing what the Bible says about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 4 (What the Pentateuch says about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 5 (What the rest of the Old Testament says about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 6 (What Proverbs and Ecclesiastes say about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 7 (What the gospels say about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 8 (What the rest of the New Testament says about alcohol)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 9 (Additional passages to consider)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 10 (Additional passages to consider)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 11 (Modern concepts forced onto an ancient text)
The Christian and Alcohol, Part 12 (Tim’s conclusions)
Bloggers and others discuss alcohol and the Christian

Tim has done good work with this material, doing thorough exegesis before reaching conclusions.

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Election: Romans 10, Part 3 (why didn’t Israel believe?)

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 10:18) But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Paul quotes Ps 19:4, which speaks of God’s self-revelation through the Creation (vv. 1 – 6) and then his self-revelation through the word (vv. 7 -14). God has sufficiently revealed his will to Israel that they should believe!

(Rom 10:19) Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

Paul quotes —

(Deu 32:20-22)  “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. 21 They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. 22 For a fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains.”

Here, near the end of Deuteronomy, God speaks of his wrath against Israel when she is unfaithful. And he says I will provoke Israel to jealousy through other peoples. Continue reading →

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Barna Study: Churches Going Straight to Helvetica

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Breaking news from the Sacred Sandwich —

Revealing further evidence that American churches are sinking deeper into apostasy, a new nationwide survey by The Barna Group discovered that almost 23% of U.S. churches are now using Papyrus typeface in their logos and church bulletins.

According to Barna’s polling data acquired by a random sampling of churches around the country: 57% of American churches continue to use the traditional Times Roman typeface, while 23% have succumbed to Papyrus, 15% have abandoned written language altogether and only communicate with YouTube videos, and the remaining 5% use Old English font because “that’s what King James used.”

“I think it’s safe to say that the Apocalypse is very, very near,” said Bob Vincent, spokesman for The Barna Group. “We thought things were bad when our past research showed that a large number of professing Christians didn’t believe in Jesus, but this insidious Papyrus lettering fad is clearly a sign of the end times.”

Remember: you read it here first!

For those unfamiliar with this controversy, the font at issue appears below (PARENTAL ADVISORY: MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY) — Continue reading →

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Election: Romans 10, Part 2 (“faith comes from hearing the message”)

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 10:11-13) As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Again, our Reformation eyes put the emphasis on salvation coming through trust and calling on the name of the Lord — which is true. But Paul made that point back in chapters 1 – 8. Here his point is that this promise is for both Jew and Gentile and on the very same terms.

Verse 11 paraphrases Isa 28:16, plainly referring to trust in the Messiah.

(Isa 28:16)  So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.”

Verse 13 refers to the same passage on which Peter built his Pentecost sermon —

(Joel 2:28-32)  ‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. Continue reading →

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College Football and Christianity

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Jay F Guin

It is (finally!) that time of year, the time when there are about 5,000 college football games on TV every weekend … the time we Alabama football fans live for. And the time when Florida just destroys Tennessee on national TV (sorry Matthew).

For some reason, people around here keep saying that football in the SEC is nearly a religion. Even the preachers say stuff like, “Why can’t we get as excited for church as we got for the big game yesterday?” Evidently, they think football and church are comparable things.

So I figure it must be time to compare major college football to church. It’s long overdue. Continue reading →

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Election: Chapter 10, Part 1 (“righteousness for everyone who believes”)

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 10)  Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

Paul returns to the thought that began chapter 9, his desire for Israel to be saved. He is not changing subjects, but rather is going to the next step in his argument — reminding us of what his concern is. (It is easy to forget.)

(Rom 10:2) For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Here we have a much-controverted passage. You see, the Greek doesn’t say “righteousness that comes from God.” It says: “God’s righteousness.” N. T. Wright, and many others, argue that in Romans “God’s righteousness” means God’s faithfulness to his covenant with Abraham.

Thus, Paul is saying that the Jews failed to see God honoring his covenant in Jesus, and therefore they seek to establish their own means of salvation.

As Paul explained back in chapter 4 —

(Rom 4:16-17)  Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed — the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

God’s covenant was for the promise to come by faith and grace — and also for Abraham to be a father of many nations. Continue reading →

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A Theology Wiki?

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Jay F Guin

A reader writes,

Jay:

It occurred to me the other day that a great way to begin getting a systematic progressive theology put together would be to start a theological wiki.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a “wiki” is a website that allows multiple authors — even the general public — to add posts to create a large body of knowledge on the internet. The classic example is the Wikipedia, which allows anyone (nearly) to write articles for the online encyclopedia.

What if something like this were attempted for the progressive Churches of Christ? Good idea?

(I assume we couldn’t open authorship up to the general public. What would be the point of seeing articles re-written every 5 minutes as competing factions try to get their preferred theology posted?)

Any point in such an effort? Who should be allowed to post? Who gets to be an editor?

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Election: Back to Romans 8

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Reflect back on chapter 8 —

(Rom 8:29-31)  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Read this from Paul’s perspective, as a Jew who sees Jesus as the culmination of God’s redemptive plan that had been worked out through Israel. Whom, then, did God foreknow? Well, the same people whom God will glorify, right? And that means believers in Jesus. And that means very few Jews.

Thus, at this point in Paul’s epistle, he realizes that God foreknew and predestined only a remnant from among the Jews to be glorified. And this is a serious issue because it goes so contrary to expectations — and Paul’s wishes for his countrymen.

You see, we have to be careful not read “us” as “me”! We unconsciously translate in our minds as —

(Rom 8:29-31)  For [me whom] God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn [with this] brother[(me)]. 30 And [me whom] he predestined, he also called; [me whom] he called, he also justified; [me whom]he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall [I] say in response to this? If God is for [me], who can be against [me]? Continue reading →

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Election: Grace According to Calvin

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Jay F Guin


Thanks to Jerry Starling, here’s a commentary on election from Calvin himself. Not that Calvin. That Calvin isn’t funny at all

Is there a lesson here?

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Election: Romans 9, Part 5 (“a righteousness that is by faith”)

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Jay F Guin

(Rom 9:30)  What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

And so Paul sets up the contrast. The Gentiles are among the elect because they have faith in God’s Messiah.

(Rom 9:31-32)  but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”

Notice the arrow of causation. Paul plainly declares that election comes from having faith and not the other way around. He does not say: because you are not elect, you don’t have faith. Rather, the Jews are lost because of how “they pursued” God’s righteousness.

Paul’s distinction is that those who have faith in Jesus are elect and those who do not are not. And he is speaking of the Gentiles and the Jews as nations, not as individuals. After all, if he were speaking at the individual level, he could hardly say that “Israel … has not attained it [righteousness]” as Paul and many other individual Jews had indeed attained righteousness through faith. Plainly, the context is at a national level, just as are the prophesies Paul refers to. Continue reading →

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