This assignment will tackle different theological discussions, dialogues and debates by theologians. The discussion of the resurrection being a myth is so vast that this assignment plans to isolate the period and highlight certain discussions of importance, which will help answer the question. This discussion will be isolated mainly around modern theologians of today and just a bit before our time. However, there will be a looking into the early church for a small portion at the beginning of the answer. Next to it, the resurrection is probably the largest discussed topic and there are so many angles to take. We are going to tackle this from the angle that we are providing evidence that Christ rose from the dead and to state from findings that it cannot be a myth and argue against this with different discussions. In addition, because this is a discussion, we will be bouncing back and forth off different thoughts, ideas and theologies. This assignment will into dive into a few non-Christian scholars that back the resurrection as well as those who do not. First, we will explore what a myth is in more detail, and what demythologizing is and what is meant by the resurrection. Then we will examine evidence for the resurrection being a myth or being a miracle. Following this, we will look at the resurrection within the bible and how it can be interpreted. We will then look into Paul and 1st Corinthians 15 with all the arguments surrounding him and this text. Finally, we will look into the disciples’ behavior before and after the resurrection and the rise of Christianity from this.
Resurrection
What does the term ‘resurrection’ mean? The resurrection Christ spoke about to his disciples about was to do with was coming back from the dead, rising back to life, a physically rising. Even in Jesus’ time, the term ‘resurrection’ was used to explain something that did not happen.[1] Even when it came to myths, the idea of resurrection was not, tampered with. N.T. Wright writes, ‘Not even in myth was it permitted. When Apollo tries to bring back a child from the dead, Zeus punishes both of them with a thunderbolt.’[2] Lets look at a Bible dictionary’s definition of the resurrection, ‘resurrection, a rising to life from death. The concept of resurrection is derived from Jewish apocalyptic literature. In earlier writings there is no belief in life after death (ps. 115: 17).’[3] After some time however resurrection came to exist but only in the form of the dead, not in the form of immortal souls.[4] N.T. Wright looks into more detail at the word ‘resurrection’. He says, ‘The meaning of the resurrection as life after death “life after death” cannot be overemphasized…’[5] What Wright means here is the what we call resurrection is not the same as what other people did then and that we have got the words muddled up somewhere over time.
Myth
To answer the question is the resurrection a myth, discuss, we must first find out the meaning of the word myth. McGrath explains myth as, ‘a form of thought which seeks to represent a transcendent reality in this-worldly term’. C.S.Lewis looks at myth as a positive form of story telling which has an impact that moves us emotionally. Another definition is according to the new shorter oxford English dictionary. The word myth means, ‘A traditional story, either wholly or partially fictitious, providing an explanation providing an explanation for or embodying a popular idea or concern some natural or social phenomenon or some religious belief or ritual;’[6] There are large amounts of discussions that have taken place over the last 2000 years. Many scholars have looked into claims that resurrection is a myth. There is a danger within every age and time when it comes to theological interpretation, including such doctrines as the resurrection. Geraint explains to us that that it has become a tradition almost in every age and time to make what he calls, ‘the experiment of thinking out the meaning of the Christian faith in terms of the most appropriate to the intellectual climate of the time,’.[7] In other words, people of a generation find it hard to believe in the stories of another time and generation if it does not line up with their thinking or philosophy. We could argue here that this provides well enough evidence that calling the resurrection a myth is one of these schools of thought and thinking to debunk and explain where the story of the resurrection came from.
Theological Argument
One interesting point to note is that in argument against the resurrection is that for out mind today this is a mind-blowing event if it ever happened at all in our times. However, John Hick in his book, ‘The Myth of God Incarnate’ makes a point that this was a normal occurrence in those times. Therefore, these things used to happen and do not happen today making the idea of the resurrection being a myth flawed.[8] Alternatively, these are myths and stories, which were made up. However, this is not the whole truth. For John Hick to say this is out of line with the bible. The bible records the reactions of people. They were shocked. In Luke 8:49-56 we find the story of Jairus’ daughter and Jesus had gone to heal her. Notice two things in this story. When Jesus had got there, she was dead. He said that she was only sleeping and everybody laughed at him in verse 53. Then when Jesus raises her from the dead, the bible says in verse 56 that her parents were ‘astonished’.[9] These resurrections were miracles. The reactions are as normal as normal person today would react to something so amazing and mind blowing. Which shows us that this seems more like a realistic account, rather, than what a myth would sound and seem like. The real problem though lies in the different accounts the gospels hold. Pinchas Lapide speaks of the gospel saying that in no other place are there so many contradictions and opposites than in the area of the resurrection stories.[10] Other views that could suggest that the resurrection is a myth is from a Professor Guignebert who makes the argument that there is a possibility that Jesus body was thrown into a pit with the executed by the Roman soldiers’.[11] Some would count the resurrection as a myth because we cannot call it historical, meaning we do not have any first hand access to Jesus rising form the dead. In N.T. Wright’s book, ‘The Resurrection of the Son of God’ he talks of a scholar called Willi Marxsen. Wright says, ‘Marxsen denies that we have any access, as historians, to the resurrection itself. The maybe a target somewhere, but we can not see it and so can not shoot at it’.[12] There is also a claim that Jesus was not really dead but was still alive, and then the disciples came along and took him away, that Jesus could have survived by the cool air in the tomb. There are problems with this that the tombstone was massive to move and was guarded by roman soldiers. The Jewish authority had even asked to have these guards placed there for the very reason that they were afraid the disciples would steal Jesus’ body. There was a law that if the guards did not perform their duties they would have been, burned alive.[13] The other problem is the condition that Jesus would have been in. To be crucified in that way, then to go three days without food and water, he would have needed serious medical attention and still would have probably died. There is no way that this argument holds. The other argument is that the seal was broken, this was punishable by crucifixion up side down. People feared this because it was such a horrible punishment to suffer.[14] There is another argument that the women visited the wrong tomb. The tombs are in a rocky area, which it is very possible to mix up and visit the wrong tomb.[15] The problem with this theory is that it does not line up with the evidence we already have, how do we explain the man who speaks to the women and says, ‘he is not here, but see where he laid.’[16]
There are a load of different claims, which were, made by the early church, which are fine by certain scholars, and big churches. Wright goes into five of these points. Let us take a closer look at them. Theses are:
That, the Jewish, culture and communities had a certain mindset about what the resurrection was.
That, Paul the Apostle himself did not believe in a bodily resurrection but in a spiritual one.
That the early Christians did not believe in the bodily resurrection but in the glorification and ascension of Christ going into heaven.
That the resurrection stories are just stories to excite people in their faith and walk.
That Paul went through an internal change rather than external and the earlier Christians experienced hallucinations.
These ideas are not necessarily, the view of Wright or other Scholars but in fact some statements about the earlier church, all are found in Wrights book.[17]
Paul on the Resurrection.
Did, the crucifixion and the resurrection all sound like a myth or tale? Yet it is argued that Christianity unlike other religions is a reasonable religion and we find that debate of the resurrection being a myth is fought back and forth and there has never been any hard evidence to totally debunk the resurrection. The Resurrection is the absolute core and foundation to Christianity, the backbone to all it stands for, and which has kept it going for all this time. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ Christianity simply cannot exist. Christians have no future hope to look forward to. Paul the apostle knew this as well when he wrote 1st Corinthians 15:1-58. What is different about this resurrection is the type of resurrection Jesus was, raised into which causes a lot of debate. Was it bodily; was it spiritual, psychological or even both bodily and spiritual? This question is, mainly raised around what Paul writes. There are suggestions that Paul took myth, stories that people knew and applied it to the resurrection. Nevertheless, whatever the case let us look into the passage that Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 15. Paul has a lot to say in this text, he starts by stating simple sentences’ to a generation of people whom really only learnt by stories. This is why Paul simply says, ‘Christ died for our sins, just as the scripture said. He was buried, and was raised from the dead on the third day…’[18] After this in verse five he goes on to talk about whom Jesus was seen by, ‘He was seen first by Peter then by the twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time…’[19] Question, earlier we looked at claims from N.T Wrights book, that some people in the early church believed that the earlier Christians experienced hallucinations and that Paul never believed in the bodily resurrection. How then can Paul write this if he did not believe in the bodily resurrection? Surely saying 500 people experiencing hallucinations is not possible in this instant, unless it was some pointless miracle, which is unlikely. The context Paul writes is that Jesus was put to death physically, and was buried physically, and rose physically. It is common sense to talk this way, if Jesus had risen in a different way then Paul would have changed his style of communicating this message. The only challenge against this is to say that Paul never really wrote 1st Corinthians 15.
As we have seen the people and culture of the day understood resurrection in different terms than that of today.[20] People did not believe that people could be, raised from the dead and come back to life in the physical; these were all metaphors that were used by people of the time. This is why Paul writes in verse 12 and 13, ‘…Why are some of you saying that there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either.’[21] Paul continues to talk of the resurrection, talking of both physical and spiritual. You can rather tell he is speaking of bodily resurrection even though he does not mention it. He speaks of it as a completely new thing in the world, something so amazing and powerful. Then he goes on to speak about the spiritual resurrection. Later in verse 35 Paul talks of the resurrection Body. It is here that we realize that the resurrection Paul is talking about a new body like Christ’s resurrection body. A body that was physical and spiritual. A body, which could, goes through walls and eats. It was the same body Christ had but glorified as well. Super physical we could say. In verses, 42 and 43 Paul makes his belief in the bodily resurrection clearer than ever. He speaks of being raised forever and in spiritual bodies, a body is physical.[22] N.T. Wright argues that this was a bodily resurrection that people in the early church were talking about, ‘resurrection did not mean that some one possessed a heavenly and exalted statues’ he goes on, ‘It meant bodily resurrection; and that is what the early Christians affirmed.’[23]
Disciples
The bible holds the answers for many of the arguments against the idea of the resurrection being a myth. One main observation is the behavior of the disciples. These disciples behaved very differently after the resurrection had happened and they knew for sure that Christ had risen from the dead. Before the resurrection, they were ordinary men that trembled in fear of authority. When Christ was taken to be crucified, these close friends of his ran away and hide if fear for their lives in case they were caught and crucified along with him.[24] Peter one of his disciples denied Christ three times.[25] Then we see a complete turn around after the encounter their risen Lord Jesus Christ. They become bold and start to preach this Jesus knowing that they would be killed for doing so. Question, how is it that these people trembling in fear for their lives are now risking their lives for the sake of a man that is supposedly dead? Who risks their life for a dead man? The answer can only be explained in that, Christ really rose from the dead and that this is a miracle. Nevertheless, next to this an argument can be made that these stories are just all myths as well and that none of these events took place. The problem with this challenge is the rise and rapid spread of Christianity. Surely if there is no resurrection there can be no Christianity? If anyone had taken his body, they would have only reproduced it to the silence the disciples and this would have killed the rise of Christianity instantly. If the disciples had hide Christ’s body then how can you explain their change in behavior, their hope and their excitement? These were changed men forever. They must have encountered the risen Lord.
In conclusion, this assignment aimed to look at different theological discussions, dialogues and debates by theologians. We aimed to look and highlight certain discussions and to Isolate the period. In addition, we planned to explore, modern theologians and to provide arguments against arguments against the idea of the resurrection being a myth, to bounce off discussions from different sources. This assignment did this by first presenting a clear understanding of what the word, ‘resurrection’ meant. Then what is meant by ‘myth’. Then, we worked around arguments and objections against the resurrection of Christ. While at the same time providing different arguments for and against to the idea of the resurrection being a ‘myth’. We also looked into Paul’s theology on the resurrection and the events that took place in the bible with the disciples and how the written facts out weigh the evidence that the resurrection would have been a myth. If there was a view that had to be taken into mind upon researching this question it would have to be the existence of Christianity and the disciples claims. People who trembled in fear and were normal men like everybody else became sure and bold to proclaim a message that would later, see them killed for and they did this fearlessly, proclaiming a God who died in flesh, buried in flesh, and rose again on the third day in flesh, then finally ascended to heaven. If this was a lie, why were these men ready to die on the bases of a lie? The answer, it was no lie, Christ had risen.
Bibliography
Wright.N.T. The Resurrection of the son of God (Bath: CPI-The Bath Press,
Hick.J. The Myth of God Incarnate (Guilford & London: SCM Press Ltd, 1977)
Jones.G.V. Christology and myth in the New Testament (London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1956)
Harper&Row. III. Bible Dictionary (Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited, 1985)
McDowell.J. The Resurrection Factor (Harpenden: Scripture press foundation UK LTD, 1988)
Lapide.P. The Resurrection of Jesus (Kent: Whitstable Lito Ltd, 1983)
Clark.N. Interpreting the Resurrection (Guilford:SCM Press Ltd,1967)
Orr.J. The Resurrection of Jesus (London: Hodder and Stoughton, date unknown)
McDonald.J. The Resurrection (Cambridge: University Press, 1989)
Robinson.J. Honest to God (Guilford & London: SCM Press Ltd, 1963)
Ladd.G. I believe in the Resurrection of Jesus (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1975)
Williams.R, Resurrection Interpreting the Easter Gospel (Bath: The Bath Press, 2002)
Footnotes:
[1] N.T.Wright, The Resurrection of the son of God(Bath: CPI-The Bath Press, 1989)p33
[2] N.T.Wright, The Resurrection of the son of God(Bath: CPI-The Bath Press, 1989)p33
[3] Paul J. II. Harper & Row. III. Bible Dictionary(Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited, 1985)
[4] Isaiah 26:19)
[5] N.T.Wright, The Resurrection of the son of God (Bath: CPI-The Bath Press, 1989)p31
[6]L.Brown, (ed) The new shorter oxford English dictionary: volume 1(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993) p.1874
[7] G.V. Jones, Christology and myth in the New Testament(London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1956)p.61
[8] John Hick, The Myth of God Incarnate (Guilford & London: SCM Press Ltd, 1977)p65
[9] (Luke 8:49-56) NIV
[10] Pinchas Lapide, The Resurrection of Jesus (Kent: Whitstable Lito Ltd, 1983) P.34/35
[11] Josh McDowell. The Resurrection Factor (Harpenden: Scripture press foundation UK LTD, 1988)p.84
[12] N.T.Wright, The Resurrection of the son of God (Bath: CPI-The Bath Press, 1989)p15
[13] Josh McDowell. The Resurrection Factor (Harpenden: Scripture press foundation UK LTD, 1988)p76
[14] Josh McDowell. The Resurrection Factor (Harpenden: Scripture press foundation UK LTD, 1988)p71
[15] Josh McDowell. The Resurrection Factor (Harpenden: Scripture press foundation UK LTD, 1988)p86
[16] Josh McDowell. The Resurrection Factor (Harpenden: Scripture press foundation UK LTD, 1988)p86
[17] N.T.Wright, The Resurrection of the son of God (Bath: CPI-The Bath Press, 1989)p7
[18] (1st Corinthians 15:3-4) NLT
[19] (1st Corinthians 15:5-6) NLT
[20] Paul J. II. Harper & Row. III. Bible Dictionary (Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Limited, 1985)
[21] (1st Corinthians 15:12-13) NLT
[22] (1st Corinthians 15:42-44) NLT
[23] N.T.Wright, The Resurrection of the son of God (Bath: CPI-The Bath Press, 1989)p209
[24] (Matthew 26:56) NLT
[25] (Matthew 26:75)NIV
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Nothing without Christ
Main Text: Jeremiah 1:4-10: Sub text: Luke 4:21-30,
There was once a 12 year old boy, who's father was a minister of a church that would go out and evangelize(preach) on the streets most Sundays after Church. But one Sunday after church it was raining very heavily and the Minister said to the church that Sunday that they wouldn't go out because of the rain. His Son challenged his dad and said that He wanted to go. His dad the minister said no. But the Boy got his gospel tracks and still went out on the streets to knock door to door and handing out tracks. He got to the last door and knocked on it. There was no reply, but he felt like he should keep knocking, so he did. Upstairs was a woman about to hang herself, the knocking was so constant she came down to open the door and the boy handed her a leaflet that said Jesus Loves you. Two weeks later the lady went to the boy's church. She stood up at the front and said, "two weeks ago I was going to kill myself and someone from this church handed me this leaflet and told me that Jesus loves me" All the ministers puffed themselves up expecting her to say it was one of them. She said" it was that little boy who stopped me from jumping to my death and hanging, a and reminded me that someone loves me, so I saw the address and came here today" The boys dad immediately realized what he had done and fell to his knees and repented.
This story looks at different peoples lives and where they are at. And I hope you will see in the message where each life applies to each part of my message. I want to go through a journey with you, my sermon is called, nothing without Christ. Let me ask this first. Who were you before God called you? Do you remember what life was like before you became a Christian? God called you and choose you! Before you were born, before you knew Jesus, while you where struggling in your sin. God knew you; God had a plan for your life, purpose by design.
While I was still lying on that floor in my misery, some of us remember that we were nothing when God called us out of our secular lives. Some of us where called right of the secular and sent right back into the secular world to preach. Jeremiah, God said 'I knew you before I formed you'.
My next point is this, may I ask, do you remember when God found you? Do you remember the hope, the joy, and the freedom? Were you scared, excited, nervous? When I became a Christian it was really funny because I was trying to run away from God, but when the person that God had sent to me started to tell me about Jesus, I could not move my feet. Then to try and escape I said I'll accept Jesus. I was joking but as soon as he had finished praying for me I felt such a peace I could not explain, I ran all the way home screaming am born again! I just didn't care what anyone thought, although I heard one of them say, 'he's become one of them' I felt so much joy, but you see that just my story but now that you had become a Christian. You started to think. Well what will my friends say? What will I tell them? How do I tell them about this amazing thing that has happened to me? For Jeremiah, God called him, and he didn't know what he would say, but God touch his lips, God gave him a word to go and talk to people, God's given you a word today to speak into people lives, It does not matter what you do, what job, who you are, don't feel like you can't don't feel small, your not small, your growing. We may think of our selves as inadequate but God sees us as valuable. You see God has given us the fruits of the Spirit and these help us day to day to fulfill what God has called us to do and to be more like him, people know us by our fruit.
But now what about the future? Because we obviously do not know what it holds? But if we have God in our future we can trust that God knows, look at this passage before God touches Jeremiahs lips, God tells him not to be afraid, that he will be with him. We have to learn to trust in God to guide us. Remember the Son and daughter of who you are, your father is the highest king! Do not be afraid be strong! The joy of the lord is your strength! If you could do it in your own strength you would brag about you ability to do and to say things. But if you have a challenge that you know only God can fix then you brag about God's ability. In your lives not all the time we are going to get the response that we want, people wont always agree with what we say, we will end up saying something that will upset the people listening, Even Jesus had this response. God called you, therefore he will equip you, and its God's mission not yours. The first thing God did was give Jeremiah a Vision, The second was provision, the third was to go. God holds the vision for our lives and he provides and helps us along the way no matter how bad it seems sometimes, we need to trust his Holy Spirit to Guide us and keep us safe every day as we walk in his will.
Dear God, Just like Jeremiah we sometimes come before you seeking your help not knowing what to tell people, or what to do, help us to know that you have called each one of us and equipped each one of us to do your work, help us to trust in you and keep our eyes and faith on you!
In Jesus name, Amen
There was once a 12 year old boy, who's father was a minister of a church that would go out and evangelize(preach) on the streets most Sundays after Church. But one Sunday after church it was raining very heavily and the Minister said to the church that Sunday that they wouldn't go out because of the rain. His Son challenged his dad and said that He wanted to go. His dad the minister said no. But the Boy got his gospel tracks and still went out on the streets to knock door to door and handing out tracks. He got to the last door and knocked on it. There was no reply, but he felt like he should keep knocking, so he did. Upstairs was a woman about to hang herself, the knocking was so constant she came down to open the door and the boy handed her a leaflet that said Jesus Loves you. Two weeks later the lady went to the boy's church. She stood up at the front and said, "two weeks ago I was going to kill myself and someone from this church handed me this leaflet and told me that Jesus loves me" All the ministers puffed themselves up expecting her to say it was one of them. She said" it was that little boy who stopped me from jumping to my death and hanging, a and reminded me that someone loves me, so I saw the address and came here today" The boys dad immediately realized what he had done and fell to his knees and repented.
This story looks at different peoples lives and where they are at. And I hope you will see in the message where each life applies to each part of my message. I want to go through a journey with you, my sermon is called, nothing without Christ. Let me ask this first. Who were you before God called you? Do you remember what life was like before you became a Christian? God called you and choose you! Before you were born, before you knew Jesus, while you where struggling in your sin. God knew you; God had a plan for your life, purpose by design.
While I was still lying on that floor in my misery, some of us remember that we were nothing when God called us out of our secular lives. Some of us where called right of the secular and sent right back into the secular world to preach. Jeremiah, God said 'I knew you before I formed you'.
My next point is this, may I ask, do you remember when God found you? Do you remember the hope, the joy, and the freedom? Were you scared, excited, nervous? When I became a Christian it was really funny because I was trying to run away from God, but when the person that God had sent to me started to tell me about Jesus, I could not move my feet. Then to try and escape I said I'll accept Jesus. I was joking but as soon as he had finished praying for me I felt such a peace I could not explain, I ran all the way home screaming am born again! I just didn't care what anyone thought, although I heard one of them say, 'he's become one of them' I felt so much joy, but you see that just my story but now that you had become a Christian. You started to think. Well what will my friends say? What will I tell them? How do I tell them about this amazing thing that has happened to me? For Jeremiah, God called him, and he didn't know what he would say, but God touch his lips, God gave him a word to go and talk to people, God's given you a word today to speak into people lives, It does not matter what you do, what job, who you are, don't feel like you can't don't feel small, your not small, your growing. We may think of our selves as inadequate but God sees us as valuable. You see God has given us the fruits of the Spirit and these help us day to day to fulfill what God has called us to do and to be more like him, people know us by our fruit.
But now what about the future? Because we obviously do not know what it holds? But if we have God in our future we can trust that God knows, look at this passage before God touches Jeremiahs lips, God tells him not to be afraid, that he will be with him. We have to learn to trust in God to guide us. Remember the Son and daughter of who you are, your father is the highest king! Do not be afraid be strong! The joy of the lord is your strength! If you could do it in your own strength you would brag about you ability to do and to say things. But if you have a challenge that you know only God can fix then you brag about God's ability. In your lives not all the time we are going to get the response that we want, people wont always agree with what we say, we will end up saying something that will upset the people listening, Even Jesus had this response. God called you, therefore he will equip you, and its God's mission not yours. The first thing God did was give Jeremiah a Vision, The second was provision, the third was to go. God holds the vision for our lives and he provides and helps us along the way no matter how bad it seems sometimes, we need to trust his Holy Spirit to Guide us and keep us safe every day as we walk in his will.
Dear God, Just like Jeremiah we sometimes come before you seeking your help not knowing what to tell people, or what to do, help us to know that you have called each one of us and equipped each one of us to do your work, help us to trust in you and keep our eyes and faith on you!
In Jesus name, Amen
Honesty Vs Hidden Lives!
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. KJB
Recently I have been in a personal struggle, finding myself stuck between a rock, and a hard place. I must start by confessing I am not really doing what God would be pleased of, and do feel ashamed. However, why should I run around saying that it is all ok and there is nothing to worry about? Yes, the bible says to rejoice in hard times, but I cannot help but wonder how hypocritical and false it is of me to claim to be one thing and to behave in another way. The teaching that Christianity provides would be one of repentance, turn from your shameful ways, and back to God. But, what if you cannot turn back to God at this point in time, and your amongst a community of Christians? What do you do? How do you explain to them how you feel, and then explain to your friends who are not Christians knowing that they might be questioning your action?
I am figuring I could say, 'ah well, people are, people are they not?'
However, this is no excuse! In addition, they are bound to judge you regardless, even more possibly because of you are witness of Christ, even if you shut your mouth people are bound to say something about your actions. Therefore, we have a Challenge, you, God, fellow Christians, and non-Christian friends. A constant battle, it should be, you are a human! Honesty is a good hint to what to do. I cannot provide an answer yet as to all this many questions, I have raised. Nevertheless, I do know honesty helps, to tell someone you trust that you are struggling and to be open with people how you feel. Yes, people will always judge, but in the dark night of the soul it would be better to be a witness that is honest than one that is trying to hide their faults away from people. Rubbish cannot stay under the rug forever. People can see right through falseness and that is damaging to mission of God in society.
Since this struggle, I have found myself praying a pray daily; Dear God, regardless of my walk, where I am with you or how far I fall away remember me, do not forget me. I am finding it hard God. Remember me when I fall behind. Let all I do continue to witness for you so that my future when thing get better than they are now I can live for you as you need me to. In Jesus name. Amen.
Nevertheless, who am I but a student doing a degree in my second year at university trying to figure what I feel God is saying to today's generation? Therefore, if I have written anything as if I 'know' it all and I am wrong then it is only because I have not learnt things, which could take away or add to what I have just written. Please feel free to comment in the box below...Blessings!
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. KJB
Recently I have been in a personal struggle, finding myself stuck between a rock, and a hard place. I must start by confessing I am not really doing what God would be pleased of, and do feel ashamed. However, why should I run around saying that it is all ok and there is nothing to worry about? Yes, the bible says to rejoice in hard times, but I cannot help but wonder how hypocritical and false it is of me to claim to be one thing and to behave in another way. The teaching that Christianity provides would be one of repentance, turn from your shameful ways, and back to God. But, what if you cannot turn back to God at this point in time, and your amongst a community of Christians? What do you do? How do you explain to them how you feel, and then explain to your friends who are not Christians knowing that they might be questioning your action?
I am figuring I could say, 'ah well, people are, people are they not?'
However, this is no excuse! In addition, they are bound to judge you regardless, even more possibly because of you are witness of Christ, even if you shut your mouth people are bound to say something about your actions. Therefore, we have a Challenge, you, God, fellow Christians, and non-Christian friends. A constant battle, it should be, you are a human! Honesty is a good hint to what to do. I cannot provide an answer yet as to all this many questions, I have raised. Nevertheless, I do know honesty helps, to tell someone you trust that you are struggling and to be open with people how you feel. Yes, people will always judge, but in the dark night of the soul it would be better to be a witness that is honest than one that is trying to hide their faults away from people. Rubbish cannot stay under the rug forever. People can see right through falseness and that is damaging to mission of God in society.
Since this struggle, I have found myself praying a pray daily; Dear God, regardless of my walk, where I am with you or how far I fall away remember me, do not forget me. I am finding it hard God. Remember me when I fall behind. Let all I do continue to witness for you so that my future when thing get better than they are now I can live for you as you need me to. In Jesus name. Amen.
Nevertheless, who am I but a student doing a degree in my second year at university trying to figure what I feel God is saying to today's generation? Therefore, if I have written anything as if I 'know' it all and I am wrong then it is only because I have not learnt things, which could take away or add to what I have just written. Please feel free to comment in the box below...Blessings!
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
The Church has to be asleep?!
The church is asleep. Surely we are not accomplishing our purpose for these times. One only has to look at our youth to realise that we are failing in many areas. Recently, I went to preach in a church and my experience left me shocked and perplexed. I was asked by a lady if I was the preacher and if I was going to be done preaching within the hour because her husband was going to come and pick her up. This disturbed me because I had come to give a message to this church from God and I felt like I was on Countdown with the huge clock ticking in the background. Unfortunately for this lady, the Holy Spirit had other plans for her evening. The angle for my Sermon changed and subsequently, an hour and a half later, I was still preaching. When I finished preaching, she told me that I had put her in her place during my sermon because I had asked the question: Why do we come to Church? Do we come to church to fulfil a routine of sitting in pews and timing the preacher, or do we come to Church to hear the message of God and worship him, with the intention of putting that message to practice?
I challenge the Church to wake up and respond actively to the vision that God has given her. To start with, every church should have a vision which every member of that Church should be aware of. However, this is just the beginning. Once that vision is put in place, the Church should no just sit on it. At the moment, we are all sitting on our visions. This is nobody’s fault in particular. It is to do with the structure of denominations and traditional practice which does not appeal to today’s generation. However, I should say at this point that inasmuch as we need to identify with today’s generation, we should be very wary of sugar coating the gospel to make it more appealing. We are not ‘selling’ anything, the message we possess is the way, the truth and the life. It is undeniable fact.
We can keep our denominations and traditional practice but the condition of our hearts needs to change. We need to rediscover the passion and drive that fuels our desire to speak the truth. It is easy to be godly on Sunday and switch to worldliness on Monday but we have to learn how to step out every day of the week and be a church in society not a church attached to a building.
Some people in the church who appear to be there for religious reasons are intercessors. They pray constantly for our mission. However, some people are so entangled in religiosity that they miss huge opportunities for mission work because someone happens to be sitting in their pew, the sermon has gone over by ten minutes or ‘fellowship’ is spelt incorrectly on the notice sheet. There is a third group lurking within the church. This group is the group that grabs hold of theology and won’t let go. They lose their sensitivity to what the Holy Spirit of God wants to do within the church because they focus so much on human interpretations of Scripture which by the very fact that they are ‘human’ interpretations, are flawed.
An example of this is the attitude of some members of the church to gospel rap because they don’t like it. Who says they have to love it? We are losing a generation out there because we can’t identify with them. This is about the great commission and reaching anyone with the gospel at any cost to our personal ambitions. The Apostle Paul said ‘I have become all things to all men, so that in doing so, some might be saved.’ The key to evangelism is love and love requires acceptance. This ultimately ties in with a desire to go out and bring people to Christ.
But who am I but a student doing a degree in my second year at university trying to figure what I feel God is saying to todays generation? So, if I have written anything as if I 'know' it all and I am wrong then it is only because I have not learnt things which could take away or add to what I have just written. Please feel free to comment in the box below...... Blessings!
I challenge the Church to wake up and respond actively to the vision that God has given her. To start with, every church should have a vision which every member of that Church should be aware of. However, this is just the beginning. Once that vision is put in place, the Church should no just sit on it. At the moment, we are all sitting on our visions. This is nobody’s fault in particular. It is to do with the structure of denominations and traditional practice which does not appeal to today’s generation. However, I should say at this point that inasmuch as we need to identify with today’s generation, we should be very wary of sugar coating the gospel to make it more appealing. We are not ‘selling’ anything, the message we possess is the way, the truth and the life. It is undeniable fact.
We can keep our denominations and traditional practice but the condition of our hearts needs to change. We need to rediscover the passion and drive that fuels our desire to speak the truth. It is easy to be godly on Sunday and switch to worldliness on Monday but we have to learn how to step out every day of the week and be a church in society not a church attached to a building.
Some people in the church who appear to be there for religious reasons are intercessors. They pray constantly for our mission. However, some people are so entangled in religiosity that they miss huge opportunities for mission work because someone happens to be sitting in their pew, the sermon has gone over by ten minutes or ‘fellowship’ is spelt incorrectly on the notice sheet. There is a third group lurking within the church. This group is the group that grabs hold of theology and won’t let go. They lose their sensitivity to what the Holy Spirit of God wants to do within the church because they focus so much on human interpretations of Scripture which by the very fact that they are ‘human’ interpretations, are flawed.
An example of this is the attitude of some members of the church to gospel rap because they don’t like it. Who says they have to love it? We are losing a generation out there because we can’t identify with them. This is about the great commission and reaching anyone with the gospel at any cost to our personal ambitions. The Apostle Paul said ‘I have become all things to all men, so that in doing so, some might be saved.’ The key to evangelism is love and love requires acceptance. This ultimately ties in with a desire to go out and bring people to Christ.
But who am I but a student doing a degree in my second year at university trying to figure what I feel God is saying to todays generation? So, if I have written anything as if I 'know' it all and I am wrong then it is only because I have not learnt things which could take away or add to what I have just written. Please feel free to comment in the box below...... Blessings!
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Do you hate Church?
Is the church a bunch of hypocrites or is it a few people within the church that make us appear this way?
The answer to the first question is 'no' and the answer to the second question is 'yes'.
Let's look at three points of view. The first is the view of someone who doesn't believe in Christianity and looks at Christians from outside the church.
Whenever I speak to someone who doesn't consider themselves a Christian, as soon as I mention that I am a Christian, I usually get two responses. The first is a question: Do you go to Church every Sunday? The second one is the most frequent one: So you are one of them, are you very religious? The second question is sadly the most common one. People have various views and disagreements with the church which have widespread origins. Some of these views come from personal experience, some from word of mouth and yet others from watching Christians around them. This develops a negative attitude towards church life and church-goers which causes a fear of stepping into the institution itself.
The second view is that of believers within the church institution. Unfortunately, believers have discovered the imperfections of the church and have become frustrated with it. They have consequently developed a deep hatred for the Church. Some of these people only like the idea of the church but are not committed to it. They like to pick and choose what makes them comfortable even if it means denying being in church every Sunday.
What I have come to learn as someone who slowly developed a dislike for the Church is that the church is not full of hypocrites and I would strongly oppose the idea that the church is full of hypocrites. I understand people's arguments against the church. However, the church is an imperfect institution. It has never claimed to be perfect. People have built an expectation that the church should be perfect because it is tied in with the notion of holiness and religiosity.
From the birth of the Church in the book of Acts there have been disagreements amongst its leaders and followers. In a recent lecture that I sat in Archbishop of York John Sentamu was quoted as saying that 'The church has the engine of a lawnmower and the breaks of a juggernaut'. The idea being that we're not very good at moving and we can be easily stopped. To those who do not believe in the church but have a strong disagreement with it, I would challenge you with the statement that the church is not perfect but is loved by God. If it can still exist today since its origins in the book of Acts, there is no question that the hand of God must be on this institution. To the believers within the Church, are you committed in your love for the Church? Do you love the bride of Christ or do you just fancy her? If we look at the church of Philadelphia in Revelations 3:10, we discover that Jesus loves the church that loves his word and keeps his name. It might have little power but as long as it loves his word and keeps his name, this is the church which Jesus loves and we as believers are called to love the church. We may not like certain aspects of the church and even want to change it, but we need to learn to challenge and encourage those individuals who do not want to move. We also need to be careful of which individuals we challenge because some individuals may seem immobile because they are silent in prayer for the church. We need to be gentle in our approach and prayerful.
People are always going to come into the church with their own ideas and try to introduce systems that they think will work to give the church a better reputation. This is valid because we don't technically shed all our pre-conceived notions of the church when we become Christians. These notions are consequences of internal influences such as our generation or personal ambition. However, we need to take great care when implementing these changes because in all things, the Holy Spirit has to take authority within the church and we have to trust that God knows exactly what plans he has for the Church.
To address the question from non-believers who mistrust the church, we need to respect their opinions and be completely aware that their feelings should be respected. We also need to show the imperfect side of the Church. We need to show that we too have misgivings and failures which are washed constantly by the blood of Jesus. It is in this that we become accessible and recognisable as human beings within a body that Jesus loves despite its imperfections. How can we reach out to the people around us if we place ourselves upon a holy pedestal?
But who am I but a student doing a degree in my second year at university trying to figure what I feel God is saying to todays generation? So, if I have written anything as if I 'know' it all and I am wrong then it is only because I have not learnt things which could take away or add to what I have just written. Please feel free to comment in the box below...... Blessings!
The answer to the first question is 'no' and the answer to the second question is 'yes'.
Let's look at three points of view. The first is the view of someone who doesn't believe in Christianity and looks at Christians from outside the church.
Whenever I speak to someone who doesn't consider themselves a Christian, as soon as I mention that I am a Christian, I usually get two responses. The first is a question: Do you go to Church every Sunday? The second one is the most frequent one: So you are one of them, are you very religious? The second question is sadly the most common one. People have various views and disagreements with the church which have widespread origins. Some of these views come from personal experience, some from word of mouth and yet others from watching Christians around them. This develops a negative attitude towards church life and church-goers which causes a fear of stepping into the institution itself.
The second view is that of believers within the church institution. Unfortunately, believers have discovered the imperfections of the church and have become frustrated with it. They have consequently developed a deep hatred for the Church. Some of these people only like the idea of the church but are not committed to it. They like to pick and choose what makes them comfortable even if it means denying being in church every Sunday.
What I have come to learn as someone who slowly developed a dislike for the Church is that the church is not full of hypocrites and I would strongly oppose the idea that the church is full of hypocrites. I understand people's arguments against the church. However, the church is an imperfect institution. It has never claimed to be perfect. People have built an expectation that the church should be perfect because it is tied in with the notion of holiness and religiosity.
From the birth of the Church in the book of Acts there have been disagreements amongst its leaders and followers. In a recent lecture that I sat in Archbishop of York John Sentamu was quoted as saying that 'The church has the engine of a lawnmower and the breaks of a juggernaut'. The idea being that we're not very good at moving and we can be easily stopped. To those who do not believe in the church but have a strong disagreement with it, I would challenge you with the statement that the church is not perfect but is loved by God. If it can still exist today since its origins in the book of Acts, there is no question that the hand of God must be on this institution. To the believers within the Church, are you committed in your love for the Church? Do you love the bride of Christ or do you just fancy her? If we look at the church of Philadelphia in Revelations 3:10, we discover that Jesus loves the church that loves his word and keeps his name. It might have little power but as long as it loves his word and keeps his name, this is the church which Jesus loves and we as believers are called to love the church. We may not like certain aspects of the church and even want to change it, but we need to learn to challenge and encourage those individuals who do not want to move. We also need to be careful of which individuals we challenge because some individuals may seem immobile because they are silent in prayer for the church. We need to be gentle in our approach and prayerful.
People are always going to come into the church with their own ideas and try to introduce systems that they think will work to give the church a better reputation. This is valid because we don't technically shed all our pre-conceived notions of the church when we become Christians. These notions are consequences of internal influences such as our generation or personal ambition. However, we need to take great care when implementing these changes because in all things, the Holy Spirit has to take authority within the church and we have to trust that God knows exactly what plans he has for the Church.
To address the question from non-believers who mistrust the church, we need to respect their opinions and be completely aware that their feelings should be respected. We also need to show the imperfect side of the Church. We need to show that we too have misgivings and failures which are washed constantly by the blood of Jesus. It is in this that we become accessible and recognisable as human beings within a body that Jesus loves despite its imperfections. How can we reach out to the people around us if we place ourselves upon a holy pedestal?
But who am I but a student doing a degree in my second year at university trying to figure what I feel God is saying to todays generation? So, if I have written anything as if I 'know' it all and I am wrong then it is only because I have not learnt things which could take away or add to what I have just written. Please feel free to comment in the box below...... Blessings!
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