Blasphemy

In a recent article in Christianity today Mark Galli, senior editor of Christianity Today was accused of Blasphemy. Here is a quote from his article Holy Incarnation.

But the real question is whether Christians can ever avoid the charge of blasphemy: "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary; first definition).

In his The Heretical Imperative, sociologist Peter Berger noted that the word heresy is based on the Greek root meaning "to choose for one's self." To commit heresy is to choose one's belief, rather than submitting to the teaching of the tradition one is born into. Today few are born into an unquestioned tradition. In a pluralistic world, each of us must choose our beliefs. Even those who choose traditional, orthodox faith are still choosing, and thus are practicing "heresy." Today, argues Berger, we have no choice but to choose our beliefs, that is, to commit "heresy."

Given the nature of Christian claims about who God is and what he has done in Christ, I wonder whether we also have something like a "Blaspheming Imperative." Or more precisely: Can we ever escape scandalizing people from time to time?

Indefinite Adolescence

Mark Driscoll writes a good article for The Washington Post on American manhood. There are a lot of points that resonate; it is worth the read.

Unlikely Christ Figure

One of the first movies I ever saw in the theater was E.T. After seeing it as a 5-year-old boy I was enthralled. I caught E.T. fever and had all the E.T. paraphernalia you could think of, well almost. The basic idea is; I loved the movie. So I was delighted to come across this quote:

"Steven Spielberg's character E.T. is, I think, a genuine Christ figure: recall the themes of preexistence, growth, teaching, miracle, healing, death, resurrection, and ascension. Spielberg denied this parallel, but in my view it is objectively there, even if Spielberg was unconscious of it. The reason is that the human mind has a need for the gospel like that of the New Testament. Those who don't accept the gospel often instinctively give to their idolatrous inventions powers parallel to those of Christ."

---John Frame (P&R 2008) 902

The Reign of Kindo

I stumbled upon The Reign of Kindo about a year ago. I was very impressed with their level of musicianship as well as their infusion of rock and jazz. There sophomore album Rhythm, Chord, & Melody is one of my favorite finds of last year. They just put out their new album this week entitled, This is What Happens. Here is a taste.

Thank You, I Needed That.

Is There Such a Thing as Moral Heroism?

It is evident from Scripture that there are those things we are commanded to engage in and abstain from . We know that there are clear Scriptural obligations. Are there acts of love that go above and beyond? Since Scripture is our rule for life, in belief and duty, should there be a commandment for every good deed or moral obligation? Frame writes:

"If we are obligated to do something, there will be a biblical command to that effect. If there is no biblical command , there is no obligation. Once we have obeyed all those specific commands, we might imagine, we will be right with God. So it might be possible to codify our obligations fairly concisely. But a number of incidents recorded in the Bible discourage such a project."

He gives the following examples of events in Scripture that would discourage such a "project".

1. The story found in 2 Samuel 23:13-17. King David longs for water from the well of Bethlehem. David's three mighty men valiantly break through the Philistine lines to draw David the water. Frame asks:

"Were these men ethically obligated to perform this action? One looks in vain for any text of the Torah or elsewhere in Scripture that commands such a thing."

2. The example is given of the widow in Mark 12:44.

"The same question can be asked about the widow in Mark 12:44 who gave two small coins, all that she had, to the temple treasury. The law mandated only a tithe. Was she, then, performing a work of supererogation, doing more than the law requires, adding to the work of God? Or was she doing something she was not actually obligated to do?"

3. Barnabas selling his property and giving it to the church, see Acts 4:37.

4. Paul giving the gospel without charge despite the fact that he states it is his "right" to be paid by the church, 1 Corinthians 9.

Back to our original question, is there such a thing as moral heroism? Or, are the actions/good deeds aforementioned obligations? Well, in one sense God may not be asking us to do exactly what those mentioned did. On the other hand, we are obligated.

" Moral heroism is an obligation. Because overall obligation is to be like Jesus: to love as he did (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:9-12) in his most extreme sacrifice, and to serve others as he served us (Mark 10:45).

---John M. Frame Doctrine of the Christian Life (P&R 2008) 196-199

In light of Frame's reflections on love and law--

May we, as Christians look to do extraordinary and excruciating acts of love and service unto Christ; for it is our delight and our obligation.

Under-Realized Angelology

I am currently reading John Frame's, The Doctrine of the Christian Life. It is Frame's 1069 page opus on Christian ethics. I have been wading through it and it has been most beneficial. As I read through, I thought I would post some interesting/challenging quotes and ideas presented by Frame.

In chapter 15 entitled, "Our Ethical Situation", Frame asks, "how does the Bible characterize our ethical environment?" He states, "there are various levels of facts that we deal with in the world. These include God, angels, human society, individual existence, and nature." Angels, I have to be honest, are not beings I often consider when making ethical decisions. Here is an excerpt:

"Part of the problem is that modern people have lost touch with the supernatural and preternatural. They have become skeptical of any world or any beings beyond those that are detectable by our senses. Christians believe in God, But they have absorbed enough of the antisupernaturalism of modern culture that belief in angels seems foreign to them. It seems that belief in God is hard enough. Why add further difficulty by bringing angels into it? And if God is sovereign, what need do we have for preternatural beings? God is the one who judges and blesses us, sometimes in extraordinary ways. Why are angels important?

But Scripture itself mentions angels over three hundred times. This suggest that we need to take angels into account in our ethical decisions. Being a modern person myself, I don't pretend to have gotten very deeply into the doctrine of angels, but I would cautiously venture the following thoughts."

The main ideas are as follows:

1. "The doctrine of angels rebukes the smallness and impersonalism of our cosmology."

2. "Angels participate in kingdom warfare. The main point here is that we should not base either our hopes or our fears on the empirical situation alone."

3. " Angels are witnesses to human salvation. Although angels participate in the redemptive drama, there is another sense in which they are spectators rather than participants. Redemption doesn't extend to them." He goes on to say, "It is our privilege to teach the angels by our words and life."

4. "The doctrine of angels is a measure of the greatness of our salvation in Christ, for salvation lifts us above the angels."

See Hebrews 2:9 and the implications of the church sharing in Christ's exaltation.

---John M. Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life (P&R 2008) 253-256

For a further study on angels I would recommend Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them by Peter Kreeft.