Blogogetics

Giving an apologia (defense) for the faith we have

Posts Tagged bible

Personal Worship

Sep 23

Posted by Luke Shiras in Worship | No Comments

The following are notes from a study I did about Personal Worship. We were looking at the tree analogy of roots, trunk and branches (study, affections, and fruits). More specifically, I was looking at how within each of these are three aspects; personal, social (small/intimate group) and corporate (church). Many of my notes come from Directory for Worship with some additional notes from Experiencing God Through Private Worship

Worship
William Temple defined worship this way, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.” (Psalm 29:2, 1 Chronicles 16:29) The word worship comes from the old Anglo-Saxon word “worthship”. It literally means to attribute or ascribe worth to some one. It carries the idea of declaring the object of worship as being worthy of honor. The Greek word in the New Testament that is most often translated “worship” is the word “proskuneo.” This word means to “kiss the hand of one in a token of reverence, also by kneeling or prostration to pay homage.” The second most common word is “sebomai”, this word means “to revere”. Other words are used, but these are sufficient to teach us that the Bible sees worship as an act of honoring God because of His great worthiness to be honored. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pastoral Thoughts on Politics

Aug 19

Posted by Duane Smets in Goverment | 1 Comment

Biblical Government – Theocracy

1 Samuel 8:7 “The LORD said to Samuel…they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” The Biblical worldview combined with the common grace of general revelation teaches man that God is King and ruler over the earth and that mankind ought to worship and serve him as governing King over our lives, families, and societies.

Biblical Theocrat – Jesus is King

John 18:37 “Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’” For Christians, Jesus is our God and King and we listen to his voice. Jesus clearly demonstrated and stated that he is king, regardless of whatever current men may be ruling in a particular geographical local or country.

The Dual Advent of King Jesus – A Kenotic Incarnation

Philippians 2:5-8 ” Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. In Jesus’ first coming he refrained from displaying his military power and political glory in order to live a perfect life and die for those he came to save.
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God

Aug 11

Posted by Sam Shin in General Info | No Comments

Introduction

God’s nature and character have been the central topic for many theologians throughout the centuries. This is not to assume that anyone is able to completely understand and know God for His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). However, it is to say that there is no greater joy than to desire to know God.

This section is only a cursory glance at the attributes of God, as this whole study will be examined for weeks to come. May the Lord grant you His wisdom as you worship Him in the study of His Word.

His Nature and Character

Incommunicable Attributes – Those attributes that God does not have in common or “communicate” to human beings.

1. Independence – God does not need anything from human beings to make up who He is. God is completely independent from His creatures. (cf. Acts 17:24-25; Job 41:11; Psalm 50:10-12). God never “needs” human beings to satisfy loneliness. Indeed, God’s glory was always full and wondrous even before the creation of the world: “5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5). This correlates to the community nature of the Trinity, which assumes that there is full independence from creation, in light of the dependence between Father, Son, and Spirit.

2. Unchangeableness/Immutability – J.I. Packer writes:
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Orthodoxy Before There Was a New Testament

Jul 15

Posted by Guest Author in By Others | No Comments

A lot of people argue against Dogma and Orthodoxy on the grounds that the early church had neither. To answer that position, Darrell Bock points to four areas of activity in the earliest churches and their worship services. Those four areas are Scripture (i.e., the Hebrew Bible, what we call the Old Testament), Schooling (Doctrinal summaries), Singing (early Christian hymns), and Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Table).

Those of you familiar with my work known that I have discussed an alternative expression of Christianity I have called “Jesusanity.” (See Dethroning Jesus) It is a view that says Jesus’ teaching is an important religious guide, but his person and work are not central to Christian teaching. Such a view also argues that there was no such thing as orthodoxy in the earliest period of the movement Jesus started. Rather there were alternative views of Jesus that were not really compatible. Part of the argument goes that in the earliest period of the development of the movement, when theology was taught orally, there was room for a great deal of theological development because there was no functioning theological authority like the New Testament in place. Part of this argument is true, because the materials we have show that the New Testament, as we know it, did not really start to emerge and be used extensively until the late second century (ie, books that began to be read as a functioning unit like the four gospels and Paul’s letters). A community might have one gospel or two but predominantly operated with a variety of oral means of passing on the teaching of the community. So was there a way to pass on theology before there was a functioning New Testament? Can one speak of a core orthodoxy or proto-orthodoxy? I think one can. Let me explain…

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Women According to the Bible

Jun 25

Posted by Duane Smets in Relationships | No Comments

prolegomena
- the purpose of this work is to record my thoughts and study concerning the subject of women in the family and ministry and to establish our church’s stance on the subject.
- the two primary positions on this subject, within evangelicalism, are the complementarian view and the egalitarian view. the complementarian view is that men and women are different both physically and nonphysically in their makeup as human persons and that these differences are intended to complement each other in human relationships and communities. the egalitarian views is that men and women may be different physically but internally are not different in any way and that such a makeup intends for men and women to function in any role they desire.
- I knowingly enter this discourse aware that there are a significant number of Godly men and women scholars1 on both sides of this issue. due to this fact, I believe this subject ought to be approached in much humility and much charity with a fervent commitment against dogmatism.2
- I also enter into this discourse with the craving intent to allow Scripture and reason to have the first and foremost authority subjugating to their final say whatever emotions, experiences, and presuppositions i may have or have ever had. to their final say it is my prayer that I would pour contempt on all my pride and
humbly bow my head before the holy instruction of God in heaven. on any issue the whole counsel of God’s Word ought to be both our goal and commitment.
- in light of the above statements, I would also like to add that I consider this issue adiaphora, a matter of non-essentialness. essential relativity3 is a misnomer4 in matters of doctrine. I consider matters of essentialness to strictly be matters pertaining to salvation. I believe that in all areas of non-essentialness that fellowship and instruction may and ought to take place within the unity we have as the body of Christ (sometimes the common quip “to agree to disagree” and love one another is also used to describe this friendship and bond that differing Christians may have). in addition, I believe areas of non-essentialness ought never to divide or disjoin believers in Christ, but we ought always to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3).”
- the contour of this study appears first in the form of 37 reasons why I have been persuaded from a previous position of egalitarianism to a complementarian position, followed by 15 responses to the arguments/objections of the egalitarian position.
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