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“Come to him, a living stone though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,” I Peter 2:4-5. Hmmm. What does it mean to be a living stone that can be built into a spiritual house? Perhaps the best clue is found by ignoring the chapter breaks in the Bible and consider what the writer said just before he mentioned the living stones.
How are we to understand the male and female, image and likeness of God, within the human creation? The name, Elohim, Creator of all that is seen and unseen, is introduced in Genesis 1:1, as a Hebrew noun in masculine form. Ruach, the Spirit of Elohim that moves about over the waters, is introduced in Genesis 1:2, as a Hebrew noun in feminine form. Thus, from the beginning of the priestly story of Creation, both masculine and feminine gender terms are present, within the context of Elohim’s stated existence.
The idea of biblical inerrancy is one of the most invasive weeds in Christianity’s wheatfield. The weed might produce lovely looking flowers wherever it is allowed to grow, but the notion of inerrancy ultimately chokes out the inherent goodness of the Bible. Notice the defining difference between biblical inerrancy and the inherent goodness of the Bible.
Throughout the ages, humankind has investigated and explored the Creation. As we continue to discover the depths and heights of the unknown, it becomes increasingly obvious that humanity is incapable of creating from nothing. We can only create from something that is already in existence. Hence, I continue to believe in the existence of a Creator of all things seen and unseen.
Certainty is a real killer of spiritual insight. Yet many Christians tout their certainty about everything! The spirit of certainty exposes Christian tribalism at its finest. One of my personal favorites is the certainty many people adopt regarding John’s Revelation. Four distinct tribes of people will defend their interpretations, to their death if necessary! Well, okay, maybe stopping short of martyrdom, or murder.
In this final blog of the series, I think it’s important to ask, “What did Jesus’ death and resurrection truly accomplish 2,000 years ago?” Do we know? Or, are we still figuring it out? At the present time, I believe we are just beginning to uncover the true nature, of Jesus’s overthrow, of a lesser spiritual government. I think we are only beginning to appreciate the deeper layers of deception, that Jesus knew all too well.Read more
Part IV of this series continues with Steps #3 and #4 of the scapegoating process. Remember that the process occurs over a passage of time. So the clock, that lives inside the human mind, plays a significant role in enabling an escalation of emotion. To continue looking at the process, I will follow the actions of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of John.Read more
Part III, in the blog series, will demonstrate the first two steps in the scapegoating process. Remember, scapegoating requires the passage of time. The voice of temporal time, ever present in the human mind, plays a significant role in the process. It is a lesser spiritual government that manipulates the process by escalating emotional, psychological, and spiritual discomfort, as minutes, hours, days, or months pass by.Read more
In Part II of this blog series, the Gospel of John, invites us to watch Jesus taunt the ancient serpent. He goads the devil that hides behind timekeeping images. He reveals the accusatory nature of its voice, diminishes its authority, and exposes the idolatrous worship of the lesser government. Jesus repeatedly provokes those who listened to its voice, elevated its authority, and worshiped the images where the satan hides.Read more
How did Jesus understand the spiritual interplay between the eternal and temporal realms of time? Was he able to make clear distinctions between the greater government of eternality, and the lesser government of the human clock? We cannot know for certain, yet John’s gospel suggests that he had full knowledge of both realms. Over and over again John tells us Jesus claimed a sense of ownership regarding time. Jesus said, “MY hour.”