Tag: theology

  • Am I not free? Religion 1 Corinthians 9

    Am I not free? Religion 1 Corinthians 9

    Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

    1 Corinthians 9:1 New Heart English Bible

    Freedom and Religion

    Eric Kress outlines two main points of application from the previous chapter of 1 Corinthians 8:

    Paul’s 4 questions intertwined in context and application

    Paul’s four-fold point (in the Apostle’s letter without chapter and verse) begins:

    οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος 

    ‘Not am I free?’ literally begins the Greek text.

    OR the King James begins:

    οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐλεύθερος

    ‘Am I not an apostle?’

    1 Corinthians 9:1 Bibles


    We won’t want to miss that the Apostle’s pivotal questions follow his concern regarding the idolatry of Corinth and communion between the saints of the Corinthian church with the revelers of the city.

    Freedom of religion

    Suppose for a moment that most every Sunday you go to some local church with an identifiable ‘christianNAME like:

    • such and such FREE church or
    • Our evangelical denomination brand church
    • City name Christian church
    • Korinthian cathedral and parish?

    Won’t most of the people who know you in town also know that:

    • you claim to be a saint,
      • part of you so-named christian church
    • worshiping some god JESUS
    • preached by some Apostle Paul

    • AND in this church occasionally inviting YOU
      • (of another sect celebrating other gods)
      • to go gather in community with these worshipers of One JESUS Christ their Lord?

    Shouldn’t these Corinthian christians come join our religious feasts and live the life of revelry and worship we do with our gods?

    Why should they?

    As we have learned previously in Paul’s letter, his question is not so much:

    • where the Corinthian saints go join in the community as much as
    • how they exercise their freedom publically as witnesses of Jesus Christ our Lord.

    To the Jews and by the Law food sacrificed to idols would seem to be the unlawful offence against the Lord God. (The Messiah Jesus [Yeshua] after all was hailed as the King of the Jews.)

    Community feasts and festivals were, after all, organized by Jews (a small minority in the city), Roman citizens, Hellenists or perhaps adherents of some other foreign religion.


    In a Common Era context, (perhaps Orthodox or Latin Catholic) religious communions and idolic festivals resemble that of the larger communities of like A.D. first century Roman Corinth.

    Authority of an Apostle

    4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

    5 Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

    8 Do I say these things according to human authority?

    Or does not the Law also say the same thing?

    Paul then quotes the Law of Moses. 

    And without getting into technical reasons why, the more authoritative KJV begins with Paul's apostleship. It then proceeds to freedom. And ALL of Paul's four questions lead us to his authority in personal witness of the risen Christ and the Apostle's ultimate authority over those gathered as the saints of the Corinthian church.

    Paul’s Deuteronomic illustration of the muzzled ox begs the question:

    .. Is God merely concerned about oxen?

    Or is He speaking altogether for our sake?

    Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.

    If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?

    1 Corinthians 9:11 LSB [context vs. 9-14]

    Paul’s Humble Witness of Christ

    If others share this authority over you, do we not more?

    Nevertheless, we did not use this authority, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

    1 Corinthians 9:12

    NO MAN IS FREE OF AUTHORITY.

    Paul points out that he and Barnabas, as apostles of the risen Jesus Christ, do NOT impose their true authority over the church for their own gain.

    Apostles of the Lord all take on the humility of Jesus for Christ’s sake.

    And Paul points out that community leaders who do have authority over feasts, festivals and cities must not see these ‘CHRISTIANS‘ as a hindrance to Christ — a Korinthian christian who becomes a stumbling block to true faith.


    14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel… For woe is me if I do not proclaim the gospel.

    The Religion of Paul’s saints

    Many of Paul's questions are rhetorical, designed to make us think through the logic connecting theology and religion,

    our knowledge of God with our witness of faith.

    Everyone practices religion. A Korinthian will get up early, stretch their mind and muscles, breathe in the life-giving air of mother self — and then go worship her at some celebration of community occasion of feasts in the name of some god of their passions.

    The Apostle knew the religion of Roman sailors and Corinthian guides to the temples of debauchery! So he cautions the saints of Corinth to abstain from such religion in all cases for the sake of Christ.

    Religion defined and maligned

    Men will write for religion, fight for It, die for it; anything but live for it.

    W. Cotton Commentary on James 1:26-27

    • I make myself a slave to everyone – 1 Cor 9:19b
    • To the Jews I became like a Jew v.20
    • To the weak I became weak -v.22

    Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

    James 1:26 NIV

    Even James writes warnings against hypocrisy; not against the Jews but the Hellenists of every town.

    And like James, the Apostle Paul cautions the saints of Corinth against getting caught up in an inclusiveness of the local religious practices of other religions.

    Adherents of Christian religion are NOT free to practice any anti-Christ religion in order to win someone to Biblical freedom of religion.


    Why is religion most maligned in the name of freedom by preachers from other churches freely claiming Christ?

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    I urge you, brothers and sisters, saints of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to drill down into thoughtful application of the definition of religion below. - RH 

    Strong’s G2356 – thrēskeia – feminine noun, From a derivative of θρησκός (G2357), adjective, from θροέω (G2360), verb

    θρησκεία – Religion, Worshipping –

    • religious worship
      • esp. external, that which consists of ceremonies
        • religious discipline, religion

    Strong’s G2357 – thrēskos adjective, (Probably from the base of θροέω (G2360): to cry aloud, make a noise by outcry

    religious (apparently from τρέω to tremble; hence, properly, trembling, fearful

    fearing or worshipping God

    to tremble, trembling, fearful


    Religious fear and worship such as this appears throughout the Bible.  (Today however we will not examine several religious encounters with the LORD from Old Testament.) 

    An Apostle claiming Corinthian saints for Christ

    Returning to Paul's first letter to the Corinthians: 

    Paul the Servant to All

    19 Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

    Imagine that! -- an Apostle and witness of the risen Christ Jesus -- a man with complete religious authority over the church, especially those saints who belong to Christ in places like Corinth to whom the Apostle writes his epistle. 

    23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

    Paul has already stated clearly:

    For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the gospel, not in wisdom of word, so that the cross of Christ will not be made empty.

    1 Corinthians 1:17 LSB

    In the opening of his epistle Paul continues:

    For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

    Consider that many who CLAIM "FREEDOM OF religion" truly argue for FREEDOM FROM RELIGION, which, of course, is "foolishness," since ALL men and women are religious about certain religious routines of   life and mortal limbs of dust. 

    .. you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

    Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.

    1 Corinthians 4:15b-16 LSB

    The Apostle claims the loyal saints of the Corinthian church for himself as their personal, loving father of the faith in Jesus Christ.

    If others share this authority over you, do we not more?

    Nevertheless, we did not use this authority, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

    1 Corinthians 9:12 LSB

    Are YOU a Korinthian falling down in your faith?

    What is your city of Corinth, with its festivals so licentious that that they call you Korinthian for your sins — what is the life here in Corinth like?

    And where does a saint of Christ Jesus fit into the milieu of these gods and your festivals?

    HOW WILL YOU ever reach the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ when the Lord calls to Himself all of His saints?


    Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?

    Run in such a way as to take the prize.

    Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline.

    They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

    The Apostle, father of the Corinthian saints once again makes an example of his own religion and faith:

    Therefore I do not run aimlessly;

    I do not fight like I am beating the air.

    27 No, I discipline my body

    and make it my slave,

    so that after I have preached to others,

    (And here is Paul's warning of our own witness to our community, neighbors, friends and family..) 

    I myself will not be disqualified.

    1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Berean Standard Bible


    And NEXT, the Apostle to the Gentiles will once again warn the Jews who have come to Christ AND again the local Greeks of the Corinthian Church.


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  • Everythingology for an all-inclusive church

    Everythingology for an all-inclusive church

    When did astrology become astronomy and science become ‘everythingology?’

    Each time adam sought to explain life separate of the glory of God and science dismissed the study of God.

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

    Let’s study it:

    The SCIENCE of false premise

    Last time I asked you, (my fellow ‘Christian’ with little interest in ‘theology‘):

    Does the person asking you about “Church really want to know what God said?

    AND

    I warned that not only is it unlikely any man or woman will ask you about your church, but that their least likely question to you will be about THE LORD GOD.

    IF & WHEN, however, you happen to identify someone telling you about their science and religion of atheism

    AND they want to prove to you WHY GOD is not,

    Recognize that the enemy of Truth cannot prove anything from every false premise.

    Take any observation of mankind:

    Scientific discoveries and claims as everythingology {explored and defined)

    James Webb Space Telescope Science
    The James Webb Space Telescope will be a giant leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our origins. JWST will examine every phase of cosmic history: from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our own solar system. The science goals for the Webb can be grouped into four themes:

    The End of the Dark Ages: First Light and Reionization – JWST will be a powerful time machine with infrared vision that will peer back over 13.5 billion years to see the first stars and galaxies forming out of the darkness of the early universe.

    Even the atheist must confess that they do not have the answer to WHY?

    i.e. WHY the Big Bang?

    (It is a theory with speculative premise, right?)

    (explain please in your COMMENT to this post about ‘everythingology‘)

    SO WHY does the ATHEIST persist in asking the CHRISTIAN, “Why?”

    THEY would bring believers down to the despair of THEIR own depths.

    Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    death shall be their shepherd,
    and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
    Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
    
    But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me. Selah
    
    Psalm 49:14-15 ESV

    Science-onomy & Science-ology

    At best, it’s speculative entertainment of an evolved brain of an ape, calculating how train B left the primordial station at the beginning of the line without a builder of its hypersonic engine, to arrive at their earth just in time for them to teach it as ‘proven science.’

    WHY so much ‘SCIENCE’ built on FALSE PREMISE?

    • Is their premise a veiled dismissal of God
      • (Most likely.)
    • and does their ‘SCIENCE‘ disprove God’s Word?
      • (The goal of their questions)

    Certainly NOT!

    There is NO CONCLUSION for the a-theist,

    because they understand that their END will be ashes and dust..

    But then, the JUDGEMENT!

    And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

    Psalm 9:8 [Lexicon :: Strong’s H1777 – dîn – to judge, contend, plead]
    1. Because the A-theist stands against the Lord God, THEY must continually QUESTION GOD: i.e. Did God really say..?”
    2. THEN (like Satan) an A-theist must reconstruct TRUTH
    3. into a PROOF of Another-truth, built on a FALSE PREMISE.
      1. Some claim their Alternative-truth as proven ‘science.’
      2. Others claim their Alternative-truth as speculative ‘history.’
      3. Still others claim their Alternative-truths as SCIENCE-ONOMY (with any number of familiar names).

    What can we know with certainty?

    WHEN SCIENCE side-steps LOGIC by tiptoeing around TRUTH, it becomes religion – the A-theist’s doctrine of the distrust of Almighty God, built on inconclusive false premises leading to NO conclusion.

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.COM
    • What can we know about sociology or psychology with absolute certainty?
    • What can we know about ecology or cosmology with absolute certainty?
      • Was a scientist nearby to record the age of the universe?
        • Could our mathematical (algebraical) calculations of the numerous variable unknowns of scientific presuppositions of geology and archeology be wrong (inconclusive)?
    • How did the archeologist measure rock formed before carbon?
    • Did some astronomer set out his telescope and tape to measure the light of Creation?
      • Were ‘light-years’ recorded with white light, curved light, ultraviolet light, x-ray, blacklight or with a nuclear flash?
      • Could Almighty God cause light to travel a varying speeds through some parts of space?

    Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

    Who is this who darkens the divine plan

    By words without knowledge?

    “Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man [for battle],
    And I shall ask you, and you inform Me!

    “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell Me, if you have understanding,

    “Who set its measurements? Since you know.
    Or who stretched the measuring line over it?

    Job 38:1-5 NASB20

    Science-onomy

    Origin & history
    From Ancient Greek νόμος (“law, custom”).
    Suffix
    -nomy
    a system of rules, laws, or knowledge about a body of a particular field; distribution, arrangement, management
    Derived words & phrases
    astronomy
    Deuteronomy

    “-onomy” – WordSense Online Dictionary (15th July, 2022) URL: https://www.wordsense.eu/-onomy/

    Is ALL Law perfect? & do ALL Customs establish FACT?

    Science-ology

    ology (English)

    Origin & history
    From the suffix -ology in the names of many sciences

    Suffix
    -ology
    1. Alternative form of –logy, used for phonological reasons when the preceding morpheme ends in certain consonant sounds.

    2. (often, humorous) added to an ordinary English word to create a name for a (possibly non-existent) field of study.

    -ology – branch of learning

    “definition 2 of -ology best describes “everythingology

    Everythingology –

    Everythingology definition:

    1. Endless study of everything;

    2. Theoretical theology of humanity as god.

    TalkofJESUS.com

    History & Evolution of the SCIENCE of Everythingology

    Compare to: Ancient Aliens (source: History Channel)

    Proponents of hell’s Devils [PhD’s] esteemed by the Universities of Everythinology preach from their pulpits of MULTIPLE TRUTHS with theoretical atheistic clubs of pointed QUESTIONS seeking to validate their rejection of God. These Doctors of Blurred Science matriculated through curricular gauntlets of eminent scholars of philosophy, who grade ALL their best teaching assistants on the curve and fail any logical conspiracy purists who support a single Truth.

    The indisputable EDUCATION of this great Blurred Science continues to evolve toward the perfection of self B.S. demands for our future generations. For example: the evolution of astrology evolves into astronomy — which in turn seeks to gain credibility under the cloak of astrophysics. ALL Science offers numerous examples of this progress away the ignorance of our primordial forebears who fought sabre-tooth and nail for our freedoms and survival.

    ALL PhD’s of U of E speculate WHY by teaching darwinology, as professor progeny of history’s fittest primates, hoping by their unspoken premise to strike a mortal blow to the head of logical truth. Their multiple truths must include EVERY human of any theoretical variant — inclusive of all, that is, EXCEPT a man or a woman insistent on One Way, one Truth and One eternal life lived for One God.

    Everything-ologists are Religious HUMANS

    You will learn SCIENTIFIC teaching [in-doctrine-ation] by HUMANS, cloaked in coats of many truths taught from every scientific discipline; in order that you may apply their theories to humankind, mother earth’s environment and the cosmos for your inner-evolvement of self and the future evolution of SCIENCE into the oneness of HUMANITY.

    Student Manual – Universities of Everythinology

    These humans hold high reverence for philosophy, rather than tolerate a philosophical reverence of Truth.

    By now, you no doubt see through the academic robes of these Everythingologists exposing their humorous backsides by so many QUESTIONS asking WHY about GOD and Christ's Church. Perhaps if they had studied Orwellian theory [i.e. Animal Farm, 1984], they would name their church: "MINISTRY OF TRUTH." 
    
    Perhaps in a not-so-humorous world of 2022 of 'the common era,' we have evolved into U.N. agencies of Everything-isms determined to bring the Church to Megiddo in a battle for Truth.

    REMEMBER: WHO IS ASKING?

    (And WHAT are they subtly teaching?)

    One ‘ology’ always absent in false teaching is “Christology,” the developed doctrine of Christ.

    Christology

    But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

    Letter of Paul to the Romans 5:8 NASB

    Already by the middle of the first century, the deity of Jesus was part of the faith of the universal church. It cannot and must not be compromised today.

    John Stott – CHRIST the Cornerstone, p.304
    We will hear much more uncompromised Truth from John Stott, Boothe, Murray, Carson, Lloyd-Jones, Bunyan and other Christian theologians as we continue this SERIES addressing the issues of a 21st Century RECALL of the CHURCH.
    
    Grace and peace, in our Lord Christ Jesus.
    RH
  • The Inerrancy Crisis by Stephen Nichols

    Inerrant TRUTH: Our reasoned Biblical Faith
    Inerrant TRUTH

    INERRANCY: ‘Why is THAT important,’ we ask?

    If you have been following my Saturday posts on Doctrine you will note at least three things:

    1. I believe the BIBLE.
    2. You should study the BIBLE.
    3. Other theologians can explain the BIBLE better than me.

    Last Saturday’s post with its focus on inerrancy precedes a post which will ‘call the question,’ so to speak. Dr. Nichol’s book, R.C. SPROEL – A life provides sound basis included in many doctrinal posts if this series. TODAY, in addition to his book, I recommend his personal preaching [36 min] on the topic from Ligonier Ministries.

    Please click on the secure link to Ligonier.org below:

    https://www.ligonier.org/learn/conferences/inerrancy-and-your-church-2015-winter-conference/the-inerrancy-crisis/?#

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