tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55855820659929900032024-03-13T21:50:13.497-07:00BillyVs QuickhitsMy thoughts on religion, sports and popular culture. Good times!Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-9660225818616383222020-05-27T08:25:00.000-07:002020-05-27T08:25:46.495-07:00Thoughts on Power, Violence and the Pursuit of Justice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I think of the Church pursuing political power or advocating the use of violence in the name of justice, I reflect on the Servant of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Isaiah 42:1-4 - “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,<br /> my chosen one in whom I delight;<br />I will put my Spirit on him,<br /> and he will bring justice to the nations.<br /><b><sup>2 </sup></b>He will not shout or cry out,<br /> or raise his voice in the streets.<br /><b><sup>3 </sup></b>A bruised reed he will not break,<br /> and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.<br />In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;<br /><b><sup>4 </sup></b> he will not falter or be discouraged<br />till he establishes justice on earth.<br /> In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s look at the characteristics of this servant who embodies these words.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is not someone chosen for just a task or a job to do. God delights in this servant. God will put his Spirit on him. <b>He will bring justice, not only to the people of Israel, but to the nations, all of those who live outside of Israel</b>. This deliverance that the servant will bring is universal in scope. This is not mere vengeance of the Lord on those who have oppressed his people, <b>it is an offer of freedom to all people</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When it says he will not cry out, the idea is that <b>he will not attempt to dominate people or shout others down</b>. He will not raise his voice suggests that he will not go around promoting himself. In a way you see a quiet, unaggressive, unthreatening ministry. <i>To this servant nothing (or no one) is useless</i>. A bruised reed is not useful for as a support or anything else. A smoldering wick is about to be extinguished, and the servant will not snuff it out. <i>In our world, many of our great leaders are ones who bruise others and snuff out those who may be fading. But not this leader. He protects them and works for them</i>. The way this servant was to accomplish his commission is surprising. He would not be a street preacher or political rebel seeking to arouse the people. He would exercise his power in such a way that he would not even damage that which appears to be useless and ready to be discarded.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He will be faithful to his commission, even though it sounds like he may be under great stress.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we peak ahead at the next verse: read verse 5.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We see that God confirms the worldwide task of his servant and promises its success. It is the Lord God, the creator of and sustainer of all things. He has a purpose for all of the world. He longs to restore the goodness that it had at creation. Should a God who originates, maintains, controls and directs all things now forget his people or fail to keep his promises?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Whenever we look at someone who embodies faithful Israel, whenever we look for God to send someone to accomplish justice and deliverance, we need to look to Jesus. This is what the early church did. This is what the gospel writers did. This is how they understood the mission of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This gives us a template for leadership. What do we as Americans value in our leaders? Vision? Yes. Integrity? Hopefully. But if we are honest, often we value pragmatic values like power, access to wealth, physical might or strength, craftiness, the skills of a great warrior. Many times, we value someone like Cyrus. Cyrus accomplished God’s mission for him through military conquest and imperial power. And as we have seen, <b>Cyrus’ victory was temporary and limited</b>. Instead, we follow a leader who accomplished his commission in obscurity and through patient obedience. He did not impose his will on others, but he endured unjust judgment, contempt, suffering and death without complaining. Jesus rejects the methods of conquest that so many of us desire. One of the temptations Jesus faced in his period of fasting in the wilderness was the offer of all of the kingdoms of the earth, if he would only offer allegiance to Satan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is so counter cultural. Our world values power, and self-gratification and position and success (as we define it). This is not the way of the Servant of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are to be conformed into the image of Jesus. Jesus took the form of a servant. That is our commission as well. We serve one another and we serve the world as servants of the Lord who pursue justice and reconciliation for all of the nations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-17373660848317523822020-01-15T09:22:00.004-08:002020-01-15T09:22:44.205-08:00Survey of The Cross and the Lynching Tree - part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chapter 2 – “The Terrible Beauty of the Cross” and the Tragedy
of the Lynching Tree: A Reflection on Reinhold Niebuhr.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Reinhold Niebuhr is probably the most influential U.S. Protestant
theologians of the 20<sup>th</sup> Century. This chapter is filled with Cone’s dissatisfaction
with Niebuhr’s lack of passion and rage against lynching and racism. It is not
that Niebuhr didn’t speak on these things or that he didn’t work toward racial
equality, but Cone found his engagement wanting. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Cone begins this chapter again reflecting on the terrorism
of the lynching of black people in the U.S. He continues to make the connection
between the cross and the lynching tree. Both the cross and the lynching tree
were symbols of terror, instruments of torture and execution, reserved primarily
for slaves, criminals and insurrectionists, the lowest of the low in society.
The purpose for both was to strike terror in the subject community. It was to
let people know that the same thing would happen to them if they did not stay
in their place. He quotes NT scholar Paula Fredrickson that “Crucifixion first
and foremost is addressed to an audience.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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With these similarities, the connection between the cross
and lynching should be easy. Cone asks, “But how do we understand the failure
of even the most “progressive” of America’s white theologians and religious
thinkers to make this connection?” <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have to interject here. I am not as familiar with Niebuhr
as I should be. As I read this chapter, I sympathized with Cone in his
disappointment with one of his heroes, but at the same, I wonder if he was just
disappointed Niebuhr never made the analogy of lynching with the cross. Cone
does admit that Niebuhr was particularly sensitive to the evils of racism and
spoke and wrote on many occasions of the sufferings of African Americans. But
Cone finds it hard to believe that a theologian who was as focused on the cross
as Niebuhr was, couldn’t make the connection to “its most vivid reenactment in
his time.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cone believed that Niebuhr had a complex perspective on race
– at once honest and ambivalent, radical and moderate. Niebuhr called racial
hatred, “the most vicious of all human vices”. But at the same time, he believed
that the founding fathers, despite being slaveholders, “were virtuous and
honorable men, and certainly no villains.” He stated that Jim Crow laws of the
late 19<sup>th</sup> century were good doctrine for the day. He hailed the end
of public school segregation, but was also pleased with the phrase “with all
deliberate speed”. He wrote, “The Negroes will have to exercise patience and be
sustained by a robust faith that history will gradually fulfill the logic of
justice.” In Cone’s eyes, this makes Niebuhr similar to the southern moderates
on racial equality. He was more concerned about not challenging the cultural
traditions of the white South than achieving justice for black people. Niebuhr
wrote: “We can hardly blame Negroes for being impatient with the counsel for
patience, in view of their age-long suffering under the white man’s arrogance.”
Yet, he also wrote: “The fact that it is not very appealing to the victims of a
current injustice does not make it any less the course of wisdom in overcoming
historic injustices.” This does not sound like what leaders like MLK (inspired
by Niebuhr himself) advocated: “It is hardly a moral act to encourage others patiently
to accept injustice which he himself does not endure.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cone compares Niebuhr’s lack of passion to others like
Clarence Darrow and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Darrow was the defense attorney of a black
man who was accused of murder after shooting a white man during an episode when
the black man’s family was under threat of violence from a mob protesting his
family’s presence in the white neighborhood. Darrow, in his defense, had the
capacity to empathize with blacks and to persuade others to do so arguing that
blacks have as much right as whites to defend themselves when their home is
under attack. This was in Niebuhr’s town at the time. Niebuhr expressed some dispassionate
sympathy but also expressed regret at what he categorized as the bitterness of
Darrow’s speech.<o:p></o:p></div>
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During Bonhoeffer’s time at Union Seminary (while Niebuhr
was teaching there), he spent time reading African American history and
literature, he also attended Sunday School and church at Abyssinian Baptist
Church in Harlem. Niebuhr, in contrast, showed little or no interest in engaging
in dialogue with blacks about racial justice (although Cone will provide an
instance of a radio dialogue with James Baldwin). Cone notes that Niebuhr cites
no black intellectuals in his writings and in his language referred to blacks
as “our Negro minority” instead of “our brothers” as he referred to Jewish
people. This sounds like white paternalism to Cone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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After Niebuhr left his church in Detroit to go to Union
Seminary, conflict arose when several African Americans tried to join the
church. Both sides, pro and con, appealed to Niebuhr. Although Niebuhr was no
supporter of racism, he stated that he, “never envisaged a fully developed
interracial church at Bethel.” The church wasn’t ready for that. Niebuhr knew
that denying membership to people based on race was a problem but he was a
pragmatist who knew that white churches were not prepared to include blacks.
Niebuhr seems to feel regret that he did not prepare the church for that. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">While he spoke many times against racial
prejudice, there is no evidence that he endeavored to address race in a
practical way by trying to lead his church toward racial inclusion</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Cone notes again that Niebuhr spoke and said very little about
lynching. As a professor at Union, Niebuhr expressed concern for racial justice
not by seeking to establish it on the faculty and among the students but by
working with a cooperative farm organization in the south. Cone claimed that this
would be the closest and perhaps only time he would engage the black struggle
for justice. Niebuhr was much more interested in economic cooperation that he
was in challenging racial prejudices. Cone laments that most of Niebuhr’s writings
reflecting on race was not written in conversation with blacks. In the radio
dialogue with James Baldwin, Cone notes the lack of passion in comparison with
Baldwin’s rage against injustice. When Niebuhr wrote against liberalism, pacifism,
communism, and the easy conscience of American churches, he expressed outrage;
but when it came to black victims of white supremacy, he expressed none. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Cone does acknowledge that Niebuhr showed some signs of growth
in this regard later in life. Cone even acknowledges how some of his earlier
works were influential on Cone as well. What Niebuhr wrote about love, power,
and justice helped Cone understand that moral suasion alone would never
convince whites to relinquish their supremacy over blacks. As Niebuhr wrote in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moral Man and Immoral Society</i>, “The
white race in America will not admit the Negro to equal rights if it is not
forced to do so.” Even when Cone taught Niebuhr in seminary, he admitted that
his understanding of the cross is deeply influenced by Niebuhr’s perspective.
He never questioned Niebuhr’s greatness as a theologian, but instead admired
his intellectual brilliance and social commitment. What Cone did question was
his limited perspective, as a white man, on the race crisis in America. His theology
and ethics needed to be informed from critical reading and dialogue with
radical black perspectives. In spite of being a theological giant in Cone’s
eyes, he has this against him. Even though Niebuhr is called a prophet, and
Niebuhr believed that courage was the primary test of prophesy, he took no real
risks for blacks. Just as MLK learned much from Niebuhr, Niebuhr could have
deepened his understanding of the cross by being led by being a student of King
and the black freedom movement he led. And as I, personally, am still seeing
today from the attitude of many prominent white pastors and church leaders, white
theologians do not normally turn to the black experience to learn about theology.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br /></div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-26106381728458001942020-01-13T09:02:00.001-08:002020-01-13T09:02:38.314-08:00Survey of The Cross and the Lynching Tree (part 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chapter One – Nobody Knows De Trouble I See<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.” (Acts
10:39)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The paradox of a crucified savior lies at the heard of Christianity.
Crucifixion in the Roman world was recognized as the particular form of
execution reserved by the Roman Empire for insurrectionists and rebels. It was a
public spectacle accompanied by torture and shame. This required explanation as
the early church worshiped a crucified criminal (or a blasphemer if you were
Jewish). The cross however is a paradoxical religious symbol because it inverts
the world’s value system with the news that hope comes by way of defeat, that
suffering and death do not have the last word. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That God could “make a way out of no way” in Jesus’ cross
was truly absurd to the intellect, yet profoundly real in the souls of black
folk. Enslaved blacks who first heard the gospel message seized on the power of
the cross. Christ crucified manifested God’s loving and liberating presence in
the contradictions of black life that empowered them to believe that ultimately
at the end of times, they would not be defeated by the “troubles of this world,”
no matter how great and painful their suffering. There was no place for the
proud and mighty, for people who think that God called them to rule over
others. The cross was God’s critique of power – white power – with powerless
love, snatching victory out of defeat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The violence and oppression of white supremacy took
different forms and employed different means to achieve the same end: the
subjugation of black people. How would hope be found in the world of Jim Crow
segregation? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lynching tree joined the cross as emotionally charged
symbols that represented both death and the promise of redemption, judgment and
the offer of mercy, suffering and the power of hope. Both the cross and the
lynching tree represented a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst
determine final meaning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cone spends several pages detailing the accounts of lynching
throughout America, estimates of nearly five thousand victims. (He gives a
brief history of the term and the variety of people groups that have suffered
the fate of lynching). The focus of lynching upon the black community arose
after slavery was ended and Reconstruction began. Many southern whites were
furious at the very idea of granting ex-slaves social, political, and economic
freedom. White supremacists felt insulted by the suggestion that whites and
blacks might work together as equals. This extended to churches, colleges, universities
all the way to the political and social life of the nation. Southern whites
were not going to allow their ex-slaves to associate with them as equals.
Lynching became the means to keep ex-slaves subservient. A black person could
be lynched for any perceived insult to whites. The calls to do something about
lynching was ignored by ministers, congressmen, senators, judges and even presidents.
Supreme Court Justice Roger B Taney (the namesake of Taney County, MO) stated
in the Dred Scott decision that blacks “had no rights which the white man was
bound to respect”). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lynching wasn’t limited to the South. Whites lynched blacks
in nearly every state (Boone County, MO). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This wasn’t done in secret. Papers like the Atlanta Constitution
announced to the public the place, date, and time of the expected hanging and
burning of black victims. Often as many as ten to twenty thousand men, women
and children attended the event. These events could not have happened without
widespread knowledge and the explicit sanction of local and state authorities
and with tacit approval from the federal government, members of the white
media, churches and university. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cone shows how the music of the blues and religion offered
the chief weapons of resistance against white supremacy. These cultural
institutions affirmed their humanity and offered sources of hope that there was
more to life than what one encountered daily in the white man’s world. If the
blues offered an affirmation of humanity, religion offered a way for black
people to find hope. African Americans embraced the story of Jesus, the crucified
Christ, whose death they claimed paradoxically game them life, just as God
resurrected him in the life of the earliest Christian community. The cross
(with the specter of the lynching tree always present) symbolized divine power
and “black life” – God overcoming the power of sin and death. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a hymn like “Nobody Knows”, the source of hope is Jesus,
for he is a friend who knows about the trouble of his little ones, and he is
the reason for their “Hallelujah.” His divine presence is the most important
message about black existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
spirituals, gospel songs, and hymns focused on how Jesus achieved salvation for
the least through his solidarity with them even unto death. The cross was the
foundation on which their faith was built.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the mystery of God’s revelation, black Christians believed
that just knowing that Jesus went through an experience of suffering in a
manner similar to theirs gave them faith that God was with them, even in
suffering on lynching trees, just as God was present with Jesus in suffering on
the cross. The more black people struggled against white supremacy, the more
they found in the cross the spiritual power to resist the violence they so
often suffered. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the deck stacked against them in so many regards, what
could black people do except to fight with cultural and religious power and pray
that God would support them in their struggle for freedom? Black people stretched
their hands to God because they had nowhere else to turn. Because of their
experience of arbitrary violence, the cross was and is a redeeming and
comforting image for many black Christians. If the God of Jesus’ cross is found
among the least, the crucified people of the world, then God is also found among
those lynched in American history.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cone believes that the cross speaks to oppressed people in
ways that Jesus’ life, teachings, and even his resurrection do not. The cross
places God in the midst of crucified people, in the midst of people who are
hung, shot, burned and tortured. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cone surveys a few of the questions that black pastors and
theologians had about the Bible and the Christian experience. Why, after 300
plus years of oppression, was the liberator (seemingly) nowhere to be found?
Cone then acknowledges that the cross does something that other cultural expressions
do not do. <b>Even though God seemed to be silent during this period, it was not
the blues or other art that spurred resistance. The blues and the juke joint
did not lead to an organized political resistance against white supremacy. It
was the spirituals and the church, with Jesus’ cross at the heart of its faith
which gave birth to the black freedom movement that reached its peak in the
civil rights era during the 1950s and 60s. The spirituals were the soul of the
movement, giving people courage to fight, and the church was its anchor, deepening
its faith in the coming freedom for all. The blues sent people traveling, roaming,
looking for a woman or a man to soothe one’s aching human heart. But it was Jesus’
cross that sent people protesting in the streets, seeking to change the social
structures of racial oppression. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-43992541648216623782020-01-06T13:22:00.003-08:002020-01-06T13:22:45.830-08:00Thoughts on The Cross and the Lynching Tree - Introduction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There has been a debate on social media in regards to certain Southern Baptist seminary professors teaching about James Cone and his theology. I will admit that when I was in seminary, Cone’s theology had the label of “liberation theology”. In my time, that was linked with Latin American Marxist theology and even condoning the use of violence as a means to liberate the poor. I didn’t read any of his writings. In this current debate, there are many who feel that Cone's material has no place in any Southern Baptist seminary, and one seminary president called Cone "a heretic and almost certainly not a Christian."<br />
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Over twenty years later, I came across his book, <i>The Cross and the Lynching Tree</i>. I was intrigued to pick it up after reading this quote about why he wrote this book: he wrote for the purpose of “…<span style="color: red;">seeking to know about this Jesus in whom his parents believed in the face of mistreatment by others who claimed to be followers of this Messiah.</span>” That quote stuck with me. Knowing the history of how Black people have been treated in America over the past 300 plus years, I marveled at the fact that I knew so many black Americans with a rich devotion to Jesus, even though the Bible had been used to keep them enslaved or keep them segregated. This prompted me to read his book. <b>It was probably the best book I read in 2018. </b><br />
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I am planning on taking some time and blogging through this book over the next few weeks. Hopefully, at least one post per week. Mainly summarizing the chapters and providing my reactions from time to time.<br />
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<b>Introduction</b>: The cross and the lynching tree are separated by nearly 2,000 years. One is the universal symbol of Christian faith; the other is the quintessential symbol of black oppression in America. Though both are symbols of death, one represents a message of hope and salvation, while the other signifies the negation of that message by white supremacy. Despite the obvious similarities between Jesus’ death on a cross and the death of thousands of black men and women strung up to die on a lamppost or tree, few people have explored the symbolic connects between the two.<br />
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In its heyday, the lynching of black Americans was no secret. It was a public spectacle, often announced in advance in newspapers and over radios, attracting crowds of up to twenty thousand people…But as with the evils of chattel slavery and Jim Crow segregation, blacks and whites and other Americans who want to understand the true meaning of the American experience need to remember lynching. To forget this atrocity leaves us with a fraudulent perspective of this society and of the meaning of the Christian gospel for the nation.<br />
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The cross is the great symbol of the Christian narrative of salvation. But it has become detached from any reference to the ongoing suffering and oppression of human beings. The cross has been transformed into a harmless, non-offensive ornament that Christians wear around their necks, rather than reminding us of the “cost of discipleship.” Until we can see the cross and the lynching tree together, until we can identify Christ with a “re-crucified” black body hanging from a lynching tree, there can be no genuine understanding of Christian identity in America and no deliverance from the brutal legacy of slavery and white supremacy.<br />
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As Cone recalls his upbringing, he remembers the violent crosses of the KKK and white racists preaching a dehumanized segregated gospel in the name of Jesus’ cross every Sunday. And yet in rural black churches he heard a different message, as preachers proclaimed the message of the suffering Jesus and the salvation accomplished in his death on the cross. The church experience transformed them from nobodies in white society to somebodies in the black church. All of Cone’s work is rooted in the tragic and hopeful reality that sustains and empowers black people to resist the forces that seem designed to destroy every ounce of dignity in their souls and bodies.<br />
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His work has tried to reconcile the gospel message of liberation with the reality of black oppression. This is all colored by memories of hearing the gospel as well as primal memories of terror and violence that were part of the reality of growing up in the Jim Crow South. As a child, Cone recalls watching his mother and father deal with segregation and the threats of lynching and he was deeply affected by their examples, and by the sacrifices they made to keep their children safe.<br />
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It was the black church and theological texts that kept him wrestling with life and faith, trying to find meaning in a society and an intellectual discourse that did not even acknowledge that he existed. How could he find meaning in a world that ignored black people? He decided to speak about that contradiction.<br />
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As he studied in graduate school, he noticed his texts and professors ignored white supremacy and the black resistance against it, as if they had nothing to do with the Christian gospel and the discipline of theology. Silence about both white supremacy and the black struggle against racial segregation made him angry with a rage that had to find expression. This experience colored all of his studies and writings.<br />
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In earlier reflections on the Christian faith and white supremacy, he had focused on the social evils of slavery and segregation. How could whites confess and live the Christian faith and also impose three and a half centuries of slavery and segregation on black people? Self-interest and power corrupted their understanding of the Christian gospel. How could powerless blacks endure and resist the brutality of white supremacy in nearly every aspect of their lives and still keep their sanity? Cone concluded that an immanent presence of a transcendent revelation, confirming for blacks that they were more than what whites said about them, gave them an inner spiritual strength to cope with anything that came their way. He wrote because words were his weapons to resist, to affirm black humanity and to defend it.<br />
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He had avoided doing much research on lynching for the most part because it brought back painful feelings. But ultimately, reading and writing about the lynching nightmare, looking at many images of tortured black bodies, has been his deepest challenge and the most painful experience he had as a theologian. The cross helped him to deal with the brutal legacy of the lynching tree, and the lynching tree helped him understand the tragic meaning of the cross.<br />
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His primary concerns in this present book were to give voice to black victims, exploring the question: how did ordinary blacks like his mother and father, survive the lynching atrocity and still keep together their families, their communities and not lose their sanity? He believed that the cultural and religious resources in the black experience could help all Americans cope with the legacy of white supremacy and also deal more effectively with what is called “the war on terror”. If white Americans could look at the terror they inflicted on their own population – slavery, segregation, and lynching – then they might be able to understand what is coming at them from others. Black people know something about terror because they have been dealing with legal and extralegal white terror for several centuries. Nothing was more terrifying than the lynching tree.<br />
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Cone believed that the cross placed alongside the lynching tree can help us to see Jesus in America in a new light, and thereby empower people who claim to follow him to take a stand against white supremacy and every kind of injustice.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-35480563256388332222019-02-11T12:26:00.000-08:002019-02-11T12:26:17.962-08:00Get This Right! On 1 Timothy 5:19-22 and an Accusation against an Elder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is an excerpt on a sermon I delivered 1 Timothy 5:17-25. There is a section in this passage about an accusation of wrongdoing by an elder of the church. I have been thinking of this sermon in light of what is going on in SBC life in the last few days.<br />
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Paul takes up another item in regards to elders in the church, the matter of discipline. Do not entertain an accusation against an elder… Paul probably has to give this instruction because there were elders who were abusing their authority. Some were rightly accused, perhaps others were falsely accused.<br />
There should be no unsupported, unsubstantiated charges brought against an elder, but at the same time…there must be public rebuke of those who are found guilty.<br />
The point is accusations against an elder should not be brought unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Paul is not arguing for something that would be different for anyone else (see 2 Cor. 13.1; Deut 19.15 – “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” John 8.17; Heb. 10.28). This instruction is given, not so Timothy can take care of things behind the scenes, but for the sake of the church and the elders it is expected to be passed on to the church. This should protect the elders, who are in public positions of leadership, from being slandered when they are accused of something falsely. But also, it seems that some of the elders of this church are indeed sinning, they need to be called out.<br />
Jesus uses this same passage to instruct on conflict resolution. If there is an offense, go directly to the offender hoping for repentance. If there is no repentance, then take witnesses. If still no repentance, go before the church. If, after you taken all of these precautions to make sure you’ve gotten the accusations correct, and there is still no repentance, put them out of the church (for the purpose of prompting a sadness from being excluded from true, Christian fellowship).<br />
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If the accusation is credible, Paul wants the accusation(s) made publicly. This may seem a bit harsh and unloving, but as the next clause that Paul makes, it is for the sake of the whole community: so that the others may take warning. The point is that others in the church (be it elders or regular members) will experience “the fear of God” by such a public rebuke.<br />
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This has really hit home lately. Over the past few years, I have been reading about churches not dealing with accusations against their elders/pastors within these guidelines. One of the key features I have been seeing, is a cover up or a lack of accountability. One of the most egregious examples came to light earlier this year. A teenage girl was put into compromising position by her youth minister. He put her in a position where she felt she needed to please him in a physical way because of his position of spiritual authority and/or because of her safety. The youth minister begged her not to tell anyone after his guilt kicked in, and initially she kept her mouth shut. But her guilt and shame built up and she told his superior at their church. That pastoral staff member told her to stay quiet and that he and the senior pastor would deal with it. There was no public action by the staff and this young lady felt betrayed and angry and she told others that something happened. After it started to get out that something (not everything) happened, it was revealed that the youth minister made a poor decision and that he would need to leave the church. There was no restoration, no confession, no apology to this young lady. The man who had sinned was allowed to quietly leave the church with as little mess as possible. This young lady was left with whispers that something happened and that perhaps she was partly to blame. The dismissed youth minister went on to continue his ministerial career until this episode recently came to light again, years later, when he rose to a leadership position in a large church. This whole situation made evangelical churches look bad, because there was the appearance was that the church was more interested in protecting the institution (or reputation of the church) instead of calling out the sin of the offender and offering the victim a chance for healing. I wish this was the only story I know like this, but there are many. If you grew up in the seventies, you may remember this slogan, “the cover up is always worse than the crime”. This is biblical.<br />
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Paul adds the charge to do this without partiality or favoritism. Such judgments must be carried out without judgment in advance and taking sides because Timothy and the church also stand before a heavenly tribunal, before God, Jesus and the elect angels. The reference to the elect angels is a strange inclusion, probably standing as a contrast to fallen angels who rebelled in heaven (which Jude makes a reference to in his letter: “the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day”, verse 6). As I was studying this, I wrote in the margin of one of my commentaries: Get this right! Just as a false accusation can ruin someone’s life, to show partiality to an offender because of their position in the church, the community, their status, their wealth, is an egregious sin. We need to get this right when it happens. We get this right when we follow the instructions like this that are found throughout the Bible.<br />
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I saw this prayer in response to how the whole #metoo movement has come to the church. It really applies to any situation where our leaders are accused of wrongdoing. May it be our prayer too: Lord... help us to live a life that pleases you. Help us to make good decisions today. Give us guidance to know how to respond when both true and false charges made against us. Give our congregation wisdom. And help us to finish well.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-1315595001105275142018-01-11T08:13:00.001-08:002018-01-11T08:13:44.595-08:00Searching for a Biblical-Political Immigration Solution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have a great deal of respect for Oklahoma Senator James Lankford. I am aware of his ministerial past and I was appreciative of his presence at the MBC’s Great Commission Conference last year. Senator Lankford seems to apply his biblical worldview to his legislative work.<br />
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In a clip posted on his twitter page (https://twitter.com/SenatorLankford/status/950508679807291392), Sen. Lankford was puzzled that there used to be bipartisan agreement on border security, cracking down on illegal immigration and even bipartisan agreement on some sort of border wall (he references that there are already 650 miles of wall on the border right now). He laments, however, that it seems that since President Trump is for a wall and for tighter border security, there are people against a wall or stricter immigration reform solely because the president is for it. Could the president be to blame? Absolutely! His rhetoric has been fueled by fear and stereotypes (Mexican illegals “are bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”) If the president wanted to gain bipartisan support for border security, he would not begin with that kind of enflamed rhetoric and completely unrealistic promises, like Mexico is going to pay for the estimated $18 billion dollar wall. If he would ever put forth a policy statement that was based on the evidence of the harm that illegal immigration does to the security of this nation and our economy, he would win over moderates that he lost because of his fear and race baiting.<br />
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I want to interact a little bit with Sen. Lankford’s retelling of a conversation that he had with a pastor friend. The pastor stated that the church “has an obligation to reach out to individuals regardless of their legal status, but in government, there’s a different responsibility. The government has the responsibility to look at laws, what is legal and not legal and helping abide by those laws and enforcing those laws.” He is absolutely correct. We live in a pluralistic nation that is governed by laws enacted by a secular government. I wish conservative Christians were consistent with this viewpoint across a spectrum of political and societal issues. If I were committed to this separation of church and state (as this pastor just has laid out), then one of the laws of this nation is a woman’s right to an abortion at various stages of her pregnancy. Does that pastor, being consistent, say, “We as the church will work to provide abortion alternatives but it is the government’s role to enforce the abortion laws we have on record”? I doubt it. That pastor probably supports political candidates whom he feels will change that legislation. In the same way, if we want to heed Sen. Lankford’s call for a compassionate solution to the illegal immigration dilemma (or even the president’s desire to pass a “bill of love” concerning Dreamers), how should I, as a Christian who seeks to apply the Bible to my life and voting habits, petition my representatives to act? As a Christian, who wants to take part in the political process, then I need to support legislators who have a Christian view on immigration (both legal and illegal). How would, then, Jesus want us to deal with this issue? Since we are a nation of laws, can you see him advocating expelling over 200,000 immigrants who came to this country seeking Temporary Protection Status? Would he delay on securing the status of 800,000 Dreamers (people who came to this country by no choice of their own, but it’s the only home they have known)?<br />
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I do think that border security is an important issue. And if we are looking for compassionate solutions to our immigration problems, is a wall, or ending chain migration or basing policy on fear instead of the data the best answer? And, as a Christian, should I vote for candidates who want to pass non-compassionate (or unbiblical) legislation? As for me, I will petition my representatives to pass legislation (or change legislation) based on a biblical worldview of the issue and then expect our government to enforce those laws, keeping in mind how often the Bible talks about the issue of immigration and refugees.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-85588221834597699502017-11-10T07:25:00.001-08:002017-11-10T07:25:24.523-08:00Proof Texting and the Gun Control Debate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After the recent horrific church shooting in Sutherland Springs, TX I saw a lot of varied reactions on social media. Of course there were renewed calls for stronger gun control laws and there was the predictable defense of Second Amendment rights. Many of social media posts both for and against gun control came from self-identified Christians.<br />
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I believe that followers of Jesus should be vocal in this debate, but that is not subject of this post. I want to discuss the exegesis of some of the Christians who were defending taking their guns into churches for the purpose of defending themselves in the face of another armed attacker. When I displayed an amount of discomfort with the thought of many of my parishioners carrying their guns to church in order to protect themselves and others, I was countered with many Bible verses as to why this is not only acceptable but even should be seen as noble. There was one verse in particular that I want to interact with here.<br />
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Several people posted Luke 22:36 as a proof text that Jesus sanctioned the ownership of weapons: “…And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.” In spite of the many times that Jesus seems to admonish his followers to foreswear violence and revenge, this verse is cited as the rationale for Christian gun ownership. Is this good exegesis?<br />
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Exegesis is the study of ancient texts in their context to understand what the text meant to its original readers or hearers. Our job as students of the Bible is to find underlying principle in a text to apply to our situation today. So, is this verse a good defense for a follower of Jesus bringing a handgun to church for protection?<br />
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Let’s first look at the context, what has preceded this statement and what follows. Luke 22 begins with the chief priests and scribes plotting with Judas to betray Jesus. The preparation for the Passover follows, as does the meal itself, Jesus’ Last Supper. There was a dispute over which of the disciples should be considered the greatest. Jesus predicts Peter’s denial and then Jesus tells the disciples to be ready for trouble (including his statement about buying a sword). Following Jesus’ injunction to buy a sword is Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and his arrest by the chief priests and temple guard.<br />
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Should we take Jesus’ words in verse 36 literally or was Jesus speaking metaphorically? What was the point behind this uncharacteristic command? If we take Jesus’ words literally, that he was calling the disciples to be armed and ready for self defense, it seems to contradict his words elsewhere about how to treat those who abuse you (Luke 6:27-29: “Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also.”) Also, later in chapter 22, when the disciples mention that they have two swords, Jesus simply states, “That is enough.” Many commentators feel Jesus is displaying exasperation with them because they have missed the point, as in “Enough talk of this!” To be realistic, possessing two swords among the disciples would hardly be enough to defend themselves against the mob that was coming to arrest Jesus. When the mob appears, they ask “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” And one of them (identified in John’s gospel as Peter) puts his sword to use by cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus is not pleased with the act of self-defense and tells the disciples, “No more of this!” In Matthew, Jesus says “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt. 26:52). I think we can conclude that Jesus was not being literal about carrying swords for the purpose of defense against armed assault. So, what did Jesus mean?<br />
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Jesus is preparing his disciples for hard days to come. Earlier he had sent the disciples (as well as the 72) out without a moneybag, traveling bag or sandals. They were to receive what was offered to them by the people of peace they encountered on their travels. But now, Jesus is on the verge of arrest and crucifixion. He knows that difficulty will be their experience following his death. He wants them to be aware that these trials are coming so he uses the language of preparation for times of crisis. He is not telling them to be armed and ready for conflict. If that were the case, Jesus would have been disappointed at them only having two swords. It also would have contradicted every other saying he had on violence and revenge. We need to take into account all of Jesus’ teaching on a subject before applying a verse like that without its proper context.<br />
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The point I want to make is that when you want to make a case from Scripture about an issue as controversial and volatile as the possession and use of guns in our churches, then you must be painstakingly clear with your interpretation.<br />
We cannot make Jesus appear to affirm something that he did not. And we cannot be careless with our exegesis lest we misrepresent the Word of God and our Savior. There is too much at stake for us to appear to be thoughtless in our handling of the true sword of the Spirit.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-25139569040944756502017-08-10T11:00:00.002-07:002017-08-10T11:00:31.608-07:00Robert Jeffress' Use of Romans 13 and God-given Authority<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had two reactions when I heard Pastor Robert Jeffress
recently claim that President Trump had “God-given authority” to take out Korean
dictator Kim Jong Un. Dr. Jeffress appeals to Romans 13 to make his case: “That
gives the government…authority to do whatever…to quell the actions of evildoers
like Kim Jong Un.” My first reaction was, yes, God has ordained rulers to
maintain orderly societies. A sample of Rom. 13:1-7 states that, “The
authorities that exist have been established by God…the one in authority is
God’s servant for your good…They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer”(<a href="http://tinyurl.com/y7993f4g">Washington
Post interview</a>). So, in a way, Jeffress may have a case. But, my second
reaction was that his language as a pastor and a spokesman for the Prince of
Peace just didn’t sit well with me for some reason (and I believe he has read
more into Romans 13 that is there and he misunderstands the idea of God-given
government authority). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jeffress has claimed that if you have a problem with what he
has stated, it is because either you don’t read the Bible or you don’t believe
the Bible (<a href="https://youtu.be/AyW-HreDKRc">https://youtu.be/AyW-HreDKRc</a>,
see 2:32 to 2:46). <o:p></o:p></div>
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I do read the Bible, and I believe what it says, so I
thought I would take another look at Romans 13 to see if Jeffress is correct in
what he states about the president’s authority to use nuclear weapons against
North Korea. Jeffress states, “When it comes to how we should deal with
evildoers, the Bible, in the book of Romans, is very clear: God has endowed
rulers full power to use whatever means necessary — including war — to stop
evil…In the case of North Korea, God has given Trump authority to take out Kim
Jong Un.” I want to take a look at Romans 13 to see how clear the case is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paul is a Roman citizen who is writing to a collection of
house churches in Rome. At this portion of his letter, he is giving them
ethical instructions based on his presentation of the message of Jesus Christ.
Paul calls that message his “gospel”. Keep in mind, in the Roman world a
“gospel” message (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">euangelion</i>) was an
announcement about the emperor, celebrating his birthday, a military victory or
the anniversary of his accession to power. In Paul’s mind, the true ruler is
Jesus. But Paul also recognizes that God has given to the world governing
authorities to maintain orderly societies. Paul’s words in this chapter are
directed to Christians living within the power structure of the Roman Empire.
Paul’s words are not directed to the emperor dictating the boundaries of his
power. Paul is telling his fellow Christians in Rome to be good citizens. If a
citizen should step out of line, the government has the God-given right to
correct that citizen, even with force. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So really, this passage says nothing about the God-given
authority that rulers may have to wage war against enemy nation-states. But the
idea that political authority is from God is an idea within the Judeo-Christian
worldview. In Daniel 1:2, the prophet states that the Lord delivered Jehoiakim
king of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. So it seems possible that God
can put a godless ruler in power for God’s purposes. Later in Daniel, the
prophet writes that, “the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and
gives them to anyone he wishes…” (Daniel 4:17). One of the Deuterocanonical
books, the Wisdom of Solomon has the same idea, that the kings of the earth had
their power given to them by God: “For your dominion was given you from the
Lord, and your sovereignty from the Most High…” (Wis. Sol 6:3). Both of these
passages are followed by serious consequences for rulers who do not rule well.
Nebuchadnezzar’s story continues to show God humbling him and causing him to
lose his power for a period of time (Dan. 4:28-33).<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>The passage in Wisdom of Solomon contains a threat to those who do
not rule rightly…or walk according to the purpose of God, God will come upon
them terribly and swiftly, because severe judgment falls on those in high
places (Wis. Sol 6:4-5).<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the book of Romans, Paul is writing to people who are
living in a state whose “powers were exercised by a few by right of birth, or
connection, or wealth, or ruthless self-advancement” (Dunn, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Romans 9-16</i>, 770). That could very well
describe Kim Jong Un’s leadership. Could the people of North Korea then appeal
to Romans 13 as support for their leader’s positions against the U.S.? We have
to be careful when we read letters like Romans. They were not written to give
the president of the U.S. in the 21<sup>st</sup> century the authority to make
a pre-emptive nuclear strike or assassinate another leader. This passage was
written to help Christians be good citizens and help maintain order in the
society. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And as far as the rhetoric of a pastor
advocating the president to go to war with an evil world leader (and Kim Jong
Un is evil), is this the kind of message we need from a representative of Jesus
Christ? Jesus states, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God” (Matt. 5:9). Jesus tells us to “Love your neighbor as
yourself” (Matt. 22:39) and Jesus radically reinterprets who our neighbor is to
include those we may hate (The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37). In a pluralistic
nation like the U.S. I don’t expect the president to behave like a pastor, but
I do expect the pastor of a Christian church to speak words of peace and love. </span><!--EndFragment--></div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-76941804219692774292017-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:002017-01-30T10:36:13.213-08:00Does the Church Have a Say in National Security? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Huffington Post recently ran an article on three prominent evangelical leaders who voiced some support for President Trump's ban on Muslim refugees from seven predominantly Muslim nations. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-evangelical-refugee_us_5888d058e4b0441a8f722f12?)<br />
<br />
The common theme in their support is that the government’s job is not necessarily the Church’s job. The pastors agree that individual Christians and churches should show mercy to those in need, but that’s not the government’s job. Franklin Graham stated that our country “should have order and there are laws that relate to immigration and I think we should follow those laws.” Ronnie Floyd stated, “We don’t advise the government on questions of national security and they don’t advise us on who and how we serve people.” Robert Jeffress stated that, “the Bible never calls on government to act as a Good Samaritan.”<br />
<br />
I want to give all three of these men credit because they all affirm that individual Christians and churches should be taking care of those in need, that we should be Good Samaritans. I would imagine that all three of their Christian organizations provide some sort of support to immigrants and refugees. My main concern is how they have put this dichotomy between the government’s role in society and the church’s role in society. If the church has no right to criticize the government when it comes to national security, doesn’t the church lose it’s right to criticize the government when it comes to issues like marriage equality or abortion? Couldn’t someone with a secular viewpoint respond to Christian leaders who denounce same sex marriage and abortion rights with the call to stay out of it? Couldn’t someone counter Mr. Graham and say, “Our country should have order and there are laws that relate to abortion and I think we should follow those laws”? Secular opponents of a Christian worldview could easily say to Christians, “Determining who is worthy to be married is the government’s job, not the church’s job. Determining when human life begins is the government’s job, not the church’s job.”<br />
<br />
If the church has any voice in informing the government when life begins and how to define marriage, then it has every right to demand that the government be gracious and generous in its foreign policy, especially when it comes to serving and protecting those who are fleeing great danger.<br />
<br /></div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-32433643914928928932016-11-07T08:19:00.000-08:002016-11-07T08:23:08.871-08:00Some Undercooked Thoughts on Voting Biblical Values<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few months ago I received this email from Franklin Graham stating: </div>
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“I will be going to the capitals of all 50 states to
proclaim the Gospel, rally prayer for our country, and encourage Christians to
vote for candidates with biblical values.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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I began to think, what would it look like if Christians voted for candidates
who espoused biblical values? What would that platform look like?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Deut. 10:18-19 - He defends the cause of the fatherless and
the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and
clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were
foreigners in Egypt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Who are the candidates who are advocating for care of
orphans or for providing greater funds and resources for foster care? Which
candidates are proposing more resources to take care of the elderly? And in
light of the recent rhetoric about immigration reform and the need to place
millions fleeing from war torn countries, which candidates propose providing
food and clothing to the immigrants among us? Especially remembering that
almost all of those currently living in the U.S. are descendants of foreigners?
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Luke 4:18-19 - “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he
has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the
oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Let’s look at these biblical values to see where our
candidates line up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Which candidate’s agenda will be good news to the poor? Who
are the candidates who seriously consider prison reform? Which candidate will
make affordable health care a priority? Which candidate will tackle the issue
of debt forgiveness? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither
slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I recognize that this verse is talking about the equality of
Christians and not addressing society as a whole. But what if a candidate who
espoused biblical values applied this verse to their platform? Wouldn’t their
agenda be represented by a serious call at racial reconciliation? Wouldn’t
their vision include a call for trying to break down people’s value that is
based on their economic status? Wouldn’t there be a call for recognizing the
inequality of women in their work place?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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James 2:1, 6, 15, 16 - “…believers in our glorious Lord
Jesus Christ must not show favoritism (between rich and poor)…you have
dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? …Suppose a
brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them,
“Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, “ but does nothing about their physical
needs, what good is it?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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If a candidate wants to uphold these biblical values, they
will take special care of the poor, providing food and clothing while not
showing favoritism to the rich. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As I scan just these few verses, I can come up with a few
biblical values that I can evaluate any potential candidate. The “biblical
values” candidate will stand for:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-Taking
care of the elderly, orphan, and immigrant<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-Taking
care of the poor, prisoner, the sick and those bound by debt (and in <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>light of the Bible’s overarching desire to see
the vulnerable cared for, this should speak to care for the unborn as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-Working
for racial reconciliation and gender equality<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-Not basing
their work on who can do the most for them (showing favoritism <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to those who may be able to fund their
campaigns).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I recently looked at one “Biblical Voters’ Guide”. In spite
of the words over and over again in Scripture of taking care of the poor, they
did not think that that was something that should be undertaken by a
government. “In short, for both biblical and statistical reasons, addressing
poverty through the government should not be an election issue for Biblical
voters. They should instead remain focused on keeping first things first – on
keeping the four non-negotiables at the top of the list:<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Appointing originalist judges (preservers of the
Constitution)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Protecting unborn life<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Opposing the ennoblement of homosexuality<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Publicly acknowledging God and honoring Him in
policy<o:p></o:p></div>
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http://www.wallbuilders.com/downloads/BibleVoters_lowres.pdf
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I agree with number two above. I do find if interesting for
some pro-choice candidates talk about standing with the vulnerable but not
having more nuanced views on abortion. But I don’t know how 1, 3 and 4 can be
seen as biblical values in a pluralistic society. Especially seeing that no writer of any of the books of the Bible would have any idea what an "originalist judge" was. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><div class="MsoNormal">
Trying to find a candidate that truly espouses biblical
values? Good luck. Instead of placing your hope in any politician or party
platform, get involved with a church that is doing the things that God truly
values.<o:p></o:p></div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-61777292897765885022016-05-19T19:40:00.007-07:002016-05-19T19:40:47.462-07:00Didn't Make the Cut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
In the late 90s, I put a lot of thought into ranking my
favorite songs. I used to carry around a little notebook and as songs came to
my mind, I would write them down. I probably gathered well over 200 songs. I
decided to try to cut it down to 150 and then rank them from 1 to 150. I will
have to admit, that it was not an exact ranking, but I’d say that numbers
11-150 fell into the category of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“second
ten” for 11 to 20; “third ten” for 21 to 30 and so on. I tried to put the final
ten in order as best as I could.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were a few quirky rules. If this were really a list of
my top 150 songs there would be a lot of Beatles, U2, Radiohead, Wilco, etc. So
I made a rule, only one song per artist could make the list. Therefore, only
one Beatles’ song, one U2…There was an exception for work done as a solo
artist. Paul McCartney makes the list as a Beatle and as a solo artist (same
with Sting). But McCartney does not get a Wings exception.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I began to put together this list with copying songs off of
the cassettes and CDs I had (and recording the occasional song from a CD
checked out from the library). But in the early 2000s, the advent of P2P
sharing made copying these songs for carrying around much easier. I found the
remaining songs I didn’t have and then burned about 10 CDs to carry around. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So much music has come along in the last 15 years or so. I
have been thinking about doing this for a couple of years and I finally found
some time to spend thinking about this and re-ranking the songs. This was
much easier this time around; I had already done the hard work of slogging
through my music memory files, weeding out 30 years of music memories. Now I
had to account for the past 15 years. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This isn’t a perfect list. I basically went through my
iTunes songs and pulled all of the songs aside that I thought could make the
cut (and I looked through a couple of the Spotify playlists I had created). I
came up with almost 200 songs. Then I eliminated the extras to get to 150. And
I probably changed a few of the original songs from their original artists as
well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m going to post the songs that were originally chosen as
potentially worthy but didn’t make the cut to 150. These will be in semi-alphabetical
order.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Alarm</b> – Rain in the Summertime: reminds me of my waning
days of living in St Louis, my old softball buddies, “The Fugitives” and Andy
Crews, who I probably borrowed this CD for longer than I should have.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Blur</b> – Parklife: I missed Blur during the Britpop explosion
in the mid-90s. I saw a documentary on Britpop and this song kept coming in and
out of the break. Stayed with me for a few days.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>David Sanborn</b> – Bum’s Cathedral: this is a throwback to my
college disk jockey days at SLU. We played what we wanted. I went through a
late 80s fusion period. Sanborn is a fellow St Louis native.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Dee-Lite</b> – Groove Is in the Heart: I have always been a fan
of a funk groove, and Bootsy Collins provided it here. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Erykah Badu</b> – Time’s A-Wastin’: I’m a sucker for the
electric piano, and this song has that intro. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Herb Alpert</b> – Rise: Herb had a great run of instrumentals
making the pop charts. This song is about seven minutes long. Reminds me of
cold mornings getting a ride to school.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Hole</b> – Doll Parts<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The David Crowder Band</b> – Open Skies<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Housemartins</b> – Happy Hour: Mike Nash had a friend living
with him for a while named Dave Gudermuth. Dave was a great source for finding
new music. I remember Mike and Dave being captivated by the MTV “Hip Clip of
the Week”. I was captivated soon after.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Nicola Conte</b> – Bossa Per Due: I recently went through a
bossa nova phase on Pandora. I still am in that phase. This song comes up from
time to time. I bought it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Robert Cray</b> – These Things: another CD I borrowed from Andy.
Was on the previous list. A few songs dropped out all together. This one just
missed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Robbie Robertson</b> – Sweet Fire of Love: me and the softball
buddies (mainly Pete Vogel and I) were fascinated by another song on this CD
(Somewhere Down the Crazy River). But this song is better, features U2.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Rose Royce</b> – Car Wash: if you grew up in the 70s, you still
know the clapping in this song. I would clap it while playing the infield in
Little League games.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Rutles</b> – Goosestep Mama: this came very close to making
the Top 150. The Rutles are a fake band created by Eric Idle for a fake
documentary spoofing The Beatles. I couldn’t put a fake group in the Top 150.
(“You’ve got nothing to “ein, swei, drei fear…”)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sammy Davis Jr.</b> – The Candy Man: I have performed this song
live…twice! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Shawn Colvin</b> – Get Out of This House: another song that
dropped off the Top 150. This song was big while 93.3 The Zone in DFW was my
station of choice. Sunny Came Home was on this album but this song is better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Stan Getz</b> – Desafinado: I believe this song was written by
Tom Jobim, who I can’t get enough of. I believe I have four of his songs in
various forms on my lists.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Staples Singers</b> – Respect Yourself: Bruce Willis did a
cover of this. This song is fun to sing along to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Steven Curtis Chapman</b> – I Will Not Go Quietly: maybe the
biggest drop of all of the songs. I believe this was in the previous top 10.
From “The Apostle” soundtrack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tears for Fears</b> – Working Hour: this song was the hardest to
drop. It may move into the Top 150 if I fell short of my original count. (It
may take the place of number 150 as well).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Vince Guaraldi Trio</b> – Christmas Time Is Here: I almost had
another category for Christmas songs, but this brings back so many memories
(and melancholia).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>10,000 Maniacs</b> – Like the Weather<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Nicolette Larson</b> – Lotta Love: great sax intro, reminds me
of my radio alarm clock going off in 7<sup>th</sup> grade. It seemed like it
played every morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Queen</b> – Crazy Little Thing Called Love: shows the
versatility of the band (and Freddie’s voice).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Foreigner</b> – Urgent: during my freshman year of high school,
Foreigner “4” was a huge album, with “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “Jukebox
Hero”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Simple Minds</b> – Don’t You Forget about Me: from the Breakfast
Club. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Kajagoogoo</b> – Too Shy: it’s the opening bass line that grabs
me and Limahl’s androgynous voice that make a great combination.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'll try to have the Top 150 in various installments up within a week. I'm sure you can't wait.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-57541866064989234712016-05-10T06:51:00.002-07:002016-05-10T06:51:32.179-07:00"Well..."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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“Well…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is your favorite verbal crutch? We all seem to have at
least one, a crutch that helps us gather our thoughts or prepares our
conversation partners for what is to follow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Um…”, “uh…”, “like…”, “you know…” These are some of the
most popular verbal pauses. “Um…” is the preferred crutch of NBA owner Mark
Cuban (but it sounds much classier as it sets up Terry Gross’ next question on
“Fresh Air). If you want to do a proper JFK impersonation, you have to employ
the “Er…uh…” combo (or at least a decent Mayor Quimby).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You know…” is semi-understandable. It is probably short for
“Do you know what I mean?” It is almost like an insecure person wanting to know
if you are following along with what they are saying…you know? I used to listen
to a sports talk show in Dallas where they would take sound bites of athletes
and count the “you knows…” then they would divide that number by the length of
the sound bite. There would be extra points awarded for the double “you know…”
and the elusive triple. However, I notice that “you know…” is rapidly being
replaced in some circles with the one word “nowhatimsayin”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Like” may be my most frustrating crutch to listen to. “I
was all like…and then she was like…” In most cases it becomes the replacement
for “I said…and then she said…” A lot of the time it serves no purpose. “Then
my dad went, like, crazy after I told him about the car.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A few years ago, I noticed a verbal pause I never noticed
before, even though I’m sure I’ve used it hundreds of thousands of times:
“well…” I should probably capitalize it because it almost always comes at the
beginning of a sentence or a train of thought. “Well, if you want to know how
to make good tamales…” “Well, I think it is about time for me to head home…”
“Well” is typically used as a noun to signify, among other things, a deep pit
in the earth used to reach a supply of water (or other things like oil). “Well”
is also an adverb that is used to define an action done in a good, proper or
successful way. (It is often improperly replaced by the adjective “good” but
that’s another lesson).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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How did we begin using this as a verbal crutch that begins
our train of thought? I’ve even seen it in writing. It first came to my attention
while reading Tony LaRussa’s memoir, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One
Last Strike</i>. This book was even co-written by Baseball Hall of Fame
journalist, Rick Hummel. In several places, TLR begins to explain his reasoning
behind a decision by starting with, “Well…” Why wouldn’t you edit that out?
What purpose does it serve (other than perhaps to convey the sense that LaRussa
is having a conversation with you). I read a blog post by an academic who
started a thought with, “Well…” I’ve even received text messages that began
with “Well…”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have become self-conscious about my use of “well”. But I
still catch myself starting a discussion with it. Where did this come from?
What are we trying to convey? As someone who had to write a lot over my
academic career, I try to eliminate unnecessary words. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where did this come from? Is there a “well”, so to speak,
from which this all sprang? It is my goal to help you think this through, to think “well” on this subject. Perhaps it could be the beginning of a movement to
eliminate one unnecessary verbal crutch. If we could do that, it would be
s’well.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-32299618301866772712016-01-01T20:48:00.000-08:002016-01-01T20:48:24.361-08:00Fresh Air, Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse and the Dap Kings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I’m in a slump when it comes to writing, I always
revert to writing about music. I envy people like my friend Aarik who gets to
write about music for his job as an arts reporter for the Columbia Tribune.
Some music thoughts struck me today and I wanted to get them down. It is funny
how much of my original thoughts were lost because I didn’t originally write
them down. But here’s an attempt to give you a picture of my thinking about
music.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Today, I was doing what I do when I’m taking down the
Christmas decorations around the house: I was getting caught up on Fresh Air
podcasts. I was listening to Terry’s interview with record producer Mark
Ronson. They spent a bit of time talking about Amy Winehouse’s album, "Back to
Black", which Mark produced a number of the tracks. I was reflecting on that
album and how many of the tracks I really loved. It had a real 60s, R&B
feel. And I’m a sucker for a retro R&B sound. (That probably stems from my
mom playing Al Green and Motown records when I was a kid). What really makes
the record stand out for me (besides Amy’s voice and lyrics) is the back up
band, The Dap Kings. I enjoyed hearing Ronson give so much credit to them for
shaping the sound. I love the Dap Kings’ sound. I have many tracks by them
backing Sharon Jones. (I regret missing them when they were in Columbia a few
years ago, but I learned she was also on the verge of a cancer diagnosis, and
it wasn’t the best performance, understandably).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will give anything the Dap Kings play on a listen and,
more often than not, I will enjoy it. There are some cool tracks on the Sharon
Jones and the Dap Kings holiday album. I’ll call it “holiday” because the best
song on the album is a Hanukkah song.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A final thought on Ronson, he produced the song “Uptown
Funk” featuring Bruno Mars. You can hear the R&B/Funk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>influence. Some may even call it a rip off. I
hear “Jungle Love” by the Time, “Groove Line” by Heatwave, and another song I
can’t remember by The Gap Band. I loved all of those songs, so I will give Ronson
a break, but in the days of “Blurred Lines” lawsuits, I don’t know if the
original artists will give him the same benefit of doubt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-8317024222471368802015-10-29T13:22:00.000-07:002016-03-16T18:36:09.428-07:00A New Price! - Scenes of the Kingdom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4AmZfa0zZl4/VirxcbAqqYI/AAAAAAAAAiY/VCzgOHT_KIA/s1600/cover%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4AmZfa0zZl4/VirxcbAqqYI/AAAAAAAAAiY/VCzgOHT_KIA/s320/cover%2B.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
I wrote a book! So many books and communicators talk about the kingdom of God but at times it can be a very ambiguous concept without much anchoring in the gospels. That is why I wrote <i>Scenes of the Kingdom</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>Scenes of the Kingdom</i> is a book that provides background on the kingdom of God. It examines the royal titles used in the gospels to describe Jesus. It also looks at several of the passages where Jesus talks about the kingdom.<br />
<br />
I have had the opportunity to teach in a variety of settings around the world in the past several years. I have also taken my campus community on mission to Argentina. Sometimes these trips are supported, other times I have to raise support for my travel. I am publishing this book for the purpose of having funds available when these opportunities arise. One hundred percent of the proceeds from this book will go into future travels where I am teaching or traveling with Missio Dei or the Missouri Baptist Convention. Any money that I do not use for these purposes will go into the general ministry fund of Missio Dei.<br />
<br />
I am offering this book in two forms. You can purchase a physical copy of the book or you can choose an e-book. For the e-book, you can choose .pdf, .epub or .mobi format for the e-reader of your choice.<br />
<br />
If you would like to order online, please visit this site:<br />
<a class="sq-embed-button" data-style-background-color="#4c4e51" data-style-height="46px" data-style-width="260px" href="https://mkt.com/scenesofthekingdom">Order Online</a><br />
<script charset="utf-8" src="https://cdn.sq-api.com/market/embed.js"></script><br />
<br />
I will mail you a copy of your book through the USPS or email the e-book file.<br />
The paperback book is $10.00 (plus shipping). The e-book is $7.00 (it will read $4.00 plus $3.00 for shipping).<br />
If you would like to pay by check, please make your check out to Stonebridge Community Church (they are the overseers of our campus community) and send it to<br />
Bill Victor<br />
4521 Kentsfield Ln. #208<br />
Columbia, MO 65201<br />
<br />
Of course, you can buy it off of me personally as well. I'll bring it to you if I'm making a trip near where you are going to be.<br />
<br />
Here is the Table of Contents:<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Introduction
<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1. Why Study the Kingdom of God? <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2. Royal Titles for King Jesus<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3. The Kingdom of God is about Repentance<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4. How to Enter the Kingdom<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5. Jesus’ Message of the Kingdom<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6. The Kingdom Is Displayed in Power<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7. Least versus Greatest in the Kingdom<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>8. The Kingdom of God is Like…A Man Who <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sowed Good Seed in His Field<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9. With the Kingdom Comes…Persecution?<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "avenir book";">10. The Kingdom of God Starts
Small<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "avenir book";">11. Implications for Churches
Today<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-77379681917550383012015-05-12T19:37:00.001-07:002015-05-12T19:37:24.703-07:00Is That the Kingdom of God?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was listening to a retired pastor speak about an NGO he started. He began his discussion by asking his audience, "If an alien came to earth and asked you, 'What is the kingdom of God?' what would you say?" I was thinking through my answer when he gave me the "correct" answer. It was a version of an answer that I think many people would have given. He gave us the address of his NGO (non-profit business that serves the needy in third world countries). His organization was what the kingdom of God was all about. As he described what his organization did, I thought it was great. It did a lot of great things. There seemed to be kingdom people working on this project seeking to do good things to serve humanity. But it was not the kingdom of God. As he described the people who worked there, he bragged that there were Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, a Muslim and even a "devout" atheist who worked there. Again, it sounded great. But it wasn't the kingdom.<br />
Here is my point (and it may be controversial with some), unless involves repentance and being born from above (implying allegiance to King Jesus), the organization is not the kingdom of God. By its nature and description, bringing people under the allegiance of King Jesus (which implies transforming communities as precursors of new creation) is the kingdom of God. Not merely doing good works.<br />
(By the way, my writing project on the Kingdom of God is almost edited and proofread. I am looking to sell it to raise money for mission project/sabbatical leave. If you are interested, I'll be posting information on how to buy it soon.)</div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-41039802264303569782014-09-16T08:23:00.006-07:002014-09-16T08:23:52.290-07:00Top Ten Books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Bri Suitt challenged others and me to compose a list of my top ten or most influential books. I thought about it for a couple of hours, looked at my book cases and came up with this list. It is not in any order and I know I've probably left some books out, but these are all books I have either read more than once or would easily read again.<br />
<br />
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<i>Surprised by Joy</i> by N. T. Wright – this is the best book on
resurrection, Jesus’ resurrection and the resurrection of the believer. Wright
provides a biblical view of the afterlife (and the life after the afterlife).
Wright writes of the New Creation that is awaiting believers here on earth. In
light of that new creation, Wright challenges and inspires believers to be on
mission to give the world a taste of that new creation here and now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>One.Life</i> by Scot McKnight – I’m not a fan of the title (the
period in between the words in the title) but this is one of the best popular
works on discipleship. (I found it more “biblical” than David Platt’s Radical).
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Rise of Christianity</i> by Rodney Stark – Stark is a
sociologist (a Christian one). In this book, he examines how Christianity
spread over the first three centuries after the resurrection of Jesus. It
inspired me to think that Christianity could do the same thing today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Soul Tsunami</i> by Leonard Sweet – read this book in the late
90s early 00s. Sweet gave me insight into the world of postmodernism and how it
intersected with pop culture and how it could be a positive thing for the
church.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>October 1964</i> by David Halberstam – Halberstam examines the
cultural changes of the mid-60s and sees similarities in the World Series
participants of that year: the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees.
The Yankees were coming to the end of a long period of dominance and were
representing traditional/conventional values. The Cardinals had overcome a
rocky beginning of the breaking of the racial barrier in baseball to
representing a changing, multi-cultural, younger generation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Sherman: Fighting Prophet</i> by Lloyd Lewis – I went through a
Civil War phase in the 90s. I was fascinated by this prominent figure of the
War and his views on warfare and how to win.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<i>The Mission of God’s People</i> by Christopher Wright – Wright
examines the grand narrative of the Bible and shows how God’s plan of
redemption, beginning with Abraham, was about drawing a people to himself,
teaching them how to relate to a holy God so that they, in turn, could model
this life to all of the nations. He doesn’t skip the Old Testament in his
discussion of the grand narrative that so many others want to do (i.e.
Creation-Fall-Redemption [straight to the Cross after Genesis 3]-New Creation).
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>The Killer Angels </i>by Michael Shaara – a historical novel
with the setting of the Battle of Gettysburg. Vivid portrait of the war with
much of the perspective from Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Bold as Love</i> by Bob Roberts, Jr. – this book shows how
Christians should engage the world around them, including befriending those who
believe differently than we do. Bob loves interacting with people of many
faiths but does so without compromising Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Million Miles in a Thousand Years</i> by Donald Miller – this book
is based loosely on Miller and director of Blue Like Jazz trying to reedit the
book into a narrative (I wish they would have done a better job on the movie).
In the process of trying to edit his essays in Blue Like Jazz into a story,
Miller is inspired to craft a better story of his life here and now. In the
process, he inspires his readers to write better stories of their lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-39500554443019375012013-10-17T19:14:00.000-07:002013-10-17T19:14:14.396-07:00Favorite Songs - 1980<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Things are getting interesting. I'm inching close to high school. Music is definitely playing a bigger role in my life. Here are the songs that I remember impacting me in 1980.<br />
<br />
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Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads - one of the greatest music videos of all time. I remember seeing this video on SCTV. Was one of the weirdest things I had seen up til then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another One Bites the Dust – Queen - What a great bass line. Closest to disco Queen came.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And the Cradle Will Rock – Van Halen - Saw them in concert in 1982. I had some rivet-head tendencies at times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cars – Gary Numan - early New Wave song, iconic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Theme from New York, New York – Frank Sinatra - The Chairman of the Board. Originally done by Liza Minelli.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime – The Korgis - One hit wonders, Beck covered this song for the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here Comes My Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - this song still sounds fresh and he is still relevant to this day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Talk of the Town – Pretenders - this was in the punk rock(ish) movie "Times Square". Horrible movie, great soundtrack.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Canary in a Coalmine – The Police - Saw them in '83 (and 2007). From the same album that had "Don't Stand So Close to Me". This song stayed with me longer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Generals and Majors – XTC - they should have been bigger. Their lack of touring probably killed them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Turn It On Again – Genesis - love the live version of this song (saw them in 85)<o:p></o:p></div>
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London Calling – The Clash - iconic (post) punk song with a great melody<o:p></o:p></div>
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I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down – Elvis Costello and the
Attractions - Such a great pop songwriter. I liked his collaboration with the Roots this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Redemption Song – Bob Marley and the Wailers - I can't help but impose Christian imagery on this song.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Celebration – Kool and the Gang - if you grew up in STL during the 80s, this song holds a special place in your heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - as close as the Boss got to pop music in this time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Double Dutch Bus – Frankie Smith - is it sad that I probably remember all of the words to this song (or is it awesome?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington Jr. - with Bill Withers, this was a great album by Grover. I wore this cassette out during my fusion/jazz phase. I still love jazz (not fusion as much).<o:p></o:p></div>
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For what it's worth...</div>
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-74159429240048670822013-09-19T19:10:00.001-07:002013-09-19T19:10:28.062-07:00Favorite Songs of 1979<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is my list of my favorite songs (as best as I can remember) from 1979. Good mix of AOR, adult contemporary, pop and funk.<br />
<br />
Heart of Glass – Blondie - the opening sound was so captivating<br />
What a Fool Believes – Doobie Brothers - huge song from a big album of this year<br />
Shake Your Body – The Jacksons - I would dance to this at school dances (and I would literally shake my body down to the ground).<br />
I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick - everybody could mimic Robin's intro to this song. Live at the Budokan<br />
Boogie Wonderland – Earth, Wind and Fire and The Emotions - this song is featured in Caddyshack<br />
Lotta Love – Nicolette Larson - it seemed like I woke up to this song every day in eighth grade.<br />
Goodnight Tonight – Wings - everybody was experimenting with a disco beat. This was Paul's contribution.<br />
New York Groove – Ace Frehley - the best song by the four solo albums by the Kiss members. (Radioactive by Gene was second).<br />
Lay It On the Line – Triumph - Johnny Schorr and I saw them in concert at the Kiel<br />
Rise – Herb Alpert - an instrumental? Why not, it's Herb Alpert. We'll see him again.<br />
Walking on the Moon – The Police - if this isn't my favorite Police song it's close<br />
Take Me to the River – Talking Heads - great cover of an Al Green song.<br />
Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp - from Breakfast in America, stellar album (could have chosen Take the Long Way Home)<br />
Cruel to Be Kind – Nick Lowe - one of the more perfect pop songs of the new wave era.<br />
Soul Man – The Blues Brothers - had the album, not bad (with Rubber Biscuit by Dan Ackroyd).<br />
(What’s So Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love and Understanding – Elvis Costello and the Attractions - still holds up after 30 plus years.<br />
Rolene – Moon Martin - saw this song on a list of hits from the year. Stuck with me.<br />
Arrow Through Me – Wings - I love the bass line to start this song, I had the 8 track for this album<br />
Water of Love – Dire Straits - could have been Sultans of Swing, but went off the path for this.<br />
Big Shot – Billy Joel - they were all impressed with your Halston dress...<br />
Dreaming – Blondie - couldn't decide on a Blondie song so I chose two.<br />
Making Plans for Nigel – XTC - saw this on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert. Loved that show (and Midnight Special)<br />
Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen - kind of an early Elvis feel?<br />
Pop Muzik – M - novelty song that stuck with me<br />
Don’t Do Me Like That – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers<br />
Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure - I thought this came out later, one of my favorites by them<br />
Shattered – The Rolling Stones - not the biggest Stones fan, but I do like this.<br />
Good Times – Chic - best bass line for a pop/funk song ever?<br />
Train in Vain – The Clash - They had a pop side as well, thanks to Mick Jones<br />
Chuck E.’s in Love – Rickie Lee Jones - this song grew on me during that year.<br />
<br />
What did I leave out?<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-36334229709245210062013-09-13T19:31:00.004-07:002013-09-13T19:31:44.638-07:00My Favorite Songs of 1978<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been obsessed with researching and choosing my favorite songs of the years of 1978 to 1991. I then find those songs and create Spotify playlists. It doesn't take as long as you think. I am going to share them with you over the next couple of weeks. Sample some of these songs. You won't regret it (or you will, what do I care?)<br />
<br />
Deacon Blues – Steely Dan – from Aja, one of the best produced albums of the 70s.<br />
Turn to Stone – ELO – could have been Mr Blue Sky<br />
You and I – Rick James – there was more than Superfreak and Dave Chappelle<br />
Reminiscing – Little River Band – biggest surprise listing of this year. I loved this song. I could sing along in my register.<br />
On Broadway – George Benson – Love when he scats along with the guitar at the end.<br />
The Groove Line – Heatwave – could have been Boogie Nights from this band.<br />
Magnet and Steel – Walter Eagan - another surprise, one hit wonder, but it was a great hit that stayed with me for 34 years.<br />
Just the Way You Are – Billy Joel – David Sanborn played the sax solo of this song on SNL.<br />
Miss You – Rolling Stones – I know it was Stones’ disco, but it may be my favorite Stones’ song.<br />
Stop Your Sobbing – Pretenders – this whole album is great, tried to pick just one song per album.<br />
Is This Love – Bob Marley and the Wailers – saw a documentary on Bob on Palladia recently. I highly recommend it.<br />
Rockaway Beach – The Ramones – don’t like a Ramones’ song, wait just 2 minutes and it will be over.<br />
Life Begins at the Hop – XTC – one of the perfect pop songs of the 70s. They should have been bigger.<br />
You’re All I’ve Got Tonight – The Cars – I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t realize Ben Orr sang so many of their hits (not this one though).<br />
Can’t Stand Losing You – The Police – I believe Bruno Mars was trying to channel Sting of this era on “Locked out of Heaven”<br />
Jamie’s Cryin – Van Halen – my first real rock concert was Van Halen at the Arena. I believe that the concept of a “contact high” is a myth.<br />
Prove It All Night – Bruce Springsteen – I think many people of my generation (and just a few years older) overrate him, but he is still greatness.<br />
FM – Steely Dan – was the theme song to a movie of the same name. Song was much better than the movie.<br />
I Wanna Be Sedated – The Ramones – great pop song writers<br />
Boogie Oogie Oogie – Taste of Honey – didn’t realize how stupid this song title was. Great bass line though.<br />
Is She Really Going Out with Him – Joe Jackson – one of the pioneers of new wave music. Most ironic song on the list (google image search him and you will see why).<br />
One Nation under a Groove – Funkadelic - takes me back to sneaking listens to Majic 108 FM (didn’t do that in my neighborhood). Great band name.<br />
<br />
What did I leave out?</div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-32842580677436483582013-09-02T19:34:00.002-07:002013-09-02T19:34:51.837-07:00Some of My Favorite Songs of 1985<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was prompted to make this post after my iTunes shuffle stopped on "Voices Carry" by Til Tuesday. I loved that song and I brought back some great memories. So, to distract myself from grading discussion board posts, I quickly looked up a list of some of the great songs of 1985. Here are some thoughts:<br />
*"Sun City" by the Artists United Against Apartheid - my favorite song of the year. Written by Little Steven of the E Street Band (or Silvio Dante if you prefer).<br />
*"How Soon Is Now?" - The Smiths - if Johnny Marr isn't one of the greatest guitarist ever, then I don't know anything. (PS, have you seen the tumblr site This Charming Charlie? Worth your time).<br />
*"Don't You Forget About Me" - from The Breakfast Club, an anthem for people in their late teens.<br />
*"This Time" - INXS - over looked song by them that surprises me how much I liked.<br />
*"In Between Days"- The Cure - funny, at the time, I liked The Cure more than The Smiths. That is not the case today.<br />
*"Bad" - U2 - for awhile, this was my favorite U2 song. I bought Unforgettable Fire for my brother for Christmas. I listened to it more than he did.<br />
*"Stay Up Late" by the Talking Heads - Little Creatures had some great songs, this was one and "The Lady Don't Mind" was overlooked.<br />
*"Be Near Me" - by ABC - I know it's a love song, and I don't seem to be the love song type, but I still love this song.<br />*"Fortress Around My Heart" - Sting - made my original top ten favorite songs of all time. I saw him perform this live in 1985 at the Muny in Forest Park in St Louis. For a long time, that was my favorite concert.<br />
*"Slave to Love" - I'm a fan of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music.<br />
*"Can't Get There from Here" - REM - When the world's a monster/bad to swallow you whole...<br />
*"Tenderness" - General Public - who didn't love Ranking Roger's hair?<br />
*"To Live and Die in LA" - Wang Chung - title song from the movie which had one of the greatest car chase scenes ever.<br />
*"One World" - Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms was a huge album that year. Best song on it.<br />
*"Do They Know It's Christmas" - Band Aid - although Bono comes across as a little self righteous "Tonight thank God it's them, instead of you!" Why couldn't he say, "instead of us"? That's always bothered me.<br />
<br />
Thanks for indulging me.</div>
Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-52927193462211246992013-08-23T18:11:00.002-07:002013-08-23T18:11:55.670-07:00Great Songs under 155 Seconds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was thinking how much I love short pop songs. These are the kind of songs that you hate when they are over. I went through my digital music library and I pulled out some of my favorite songs that are under 2:35. Why that number? I wanted to keep it under 2 minutes, thirty seconds but I bumped it up five more seconds. Here they are:<br />
<br />
<b>Under Two Minutes</b><br />
Gimme Shock Treatment (1:53) - The Ramones - could have been 25 of their songs.<br />
Five Feet High and Rising (1:49) - shortest Johnny Cash song, we'll see another one.<br />
Fell in Love with a Girl (1:50) - One of the best pop songs of the early 00s. Guitar and drums. Short, simple, brilliant.<br />
I’ll Follow the Sun (1:50) - first Beatles song. A lot of their early catalog was under 2:30.<br />
Crazy for You – Best Coast (1:52) - one of the more recent songs. I think they are coming to Columbia soon.<br />
<br />
<b>Under Two Minutes Thirty Seconds</b><br />
Walkin’ After Midnight (2:01) - a Patsy Cline favorite.<br />
And Your Bird Can Sing (2:01) - underrated Beatles song.<br />
Girlfriend in a Coma (2:04) - The Smiths had a few songs under 2:30. One of their most popular here.<br />
For No One (2:05) - The Beatles - Is that a french horn on that song? (Yes it is).<br />
I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down (2:06) - Elvis Costello - A great pop song writer.<br />
Pink Moon (2:06) - Nick Drake - more well known for being in a VW ad in the 90s.<br />
His Latest Flame (2:11) - Early Elvis is hard to beat.<br />
Another Girl (2:12) - not fair, another Beatles song.<br />
Blitzkrieg Bop (2:11) - one of the more recognizable Ramones' songs (Hey! Ho! Let's Go!)<br />
Ain’t Got Nothin (2:15) - was glad to be able to include a song by Oasis (off their last [ever?] release)<br />
Question (2:15) - Old 97s - I bet this gets played a lot by guys about to propose.<br />
Don’t Panic (2:17) - Coldplay - opening song in Garden State<br />
Ace of Spades (2:17) - not from Motorhead but guitar twang virtuoso Link Wray.<br />
I Feel Fine (2:18) - Sorry, another Beatles' song.<br />
I Kicked a Boy (2:19) - Sweet sounding song from The Sundays.<br />
Agua de Beber (2:20) - Astrud Gilberto - I got into a bossa nova kick a while back.<br />
Not Fade Away (2:21) - Buddy Holly and the Crickets. I believe the guy on the drums is just hitting a big cardboard box.<br />
Level (2:21) - I know people who hated The Raconteurs. I liked this song and Steady as She Goes.<br />
No Depression (2:21) - written by the Carter family, but this is Uncle Tupelo's verson.<br />
Happy Hour (2:22) - The Housemartins - infectious pop song from the mid-80s.<br />
Connection (2:23) - Elastica - I couldn't get this song out of my mind in the early 90s.<br />
Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain (2:24) - Willie Nelson - my favorite song by him.<br />
Runaway (2:24) - Del Shannon - if there was a canon of American pop music, this would have to be included, right?<br />
Everybody Knows (2:25) - Ryan Adams - I hate it when this song ends<br />
Oregon Girl (2:26) - Put Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin on the map.<br />
Gone Daddy Gone (2:28) - the Gnarls Barkley version.<br />
Cry, Cry, Cry (2:29) - one of Johnny Cash's best early songs (in my opinion).<br />
<br />
<b>From Two Thirty to Two Thirty Five</b><br />
Canary in a Coalmine (2:30) - The Police - saw them in concert in 1983 (and 2007)<br />
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here (2:31) - She and Him - can't explain it, but I like this song<br />
Fly Me to the Moon (2:32) - The Chairman of the Board!<br />
Mambo Italiano (2:34) - Rosemary Clooney - again, can't explain why this song is in my library<br />
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg (2:34) - The Temptations - one of the classic Motown songs<br />
Outtasite (Outta Mind) (2:35) - Wilco - I had to stretch it to get Wilco on here.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-67785777435597244212013-04-12T06:37:00.000-07:002013-04-12T06:37:00.604-07:00When I Told the Atheist I Would Kill Him...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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(Or, what I should have said was…)</div>
<br />
In the words of Alanis Morrisette: “I recommend biting off more that you can chew to anyone (I certainly do)." That’s what I did this past week. I accepted an opportunity to dialogue with an atheist on the topic “Should You Believe in the Resurrection” at the Baptist Student Center at Missouri State University. I was paired with JT Eberhard who is a speaker for the Secular Student Alliance and blogs at www.patheos/blogs/wwjtd. You can also find many of his debates and presentations on YouTube.<br />
<br />
Although I do believe JT was being somewhat kind to me and not as vicious as his reputation, I do think I was doing all right in the discussion. I’ll admit, I didn’t always have answers to his points about science as the answer to everything, my goal was to give a viable reason why I believe in the resurrection, and my reason was grounded in historical method and not science.<br />
<br />
There came a time near the end of the night when the subject veered off of the resurrection and on to morality. The subject of the morality of Abraham’s decision to sacrifice his son came up. JT turned the question to me. Granted there is a God, and he told me to kill him (JT), would I do it. I hemmed and hawed. I didn’t know how to answer the question. If I said no, then I admit that I am more moral than God and don’t need him to make moral decisions. If I said yes, I reveal myself to be no different than someone like Andrea Yates (who drowned her children in a bathtub because “god” told her). We obviously don’t believe God told Andrea Yates that, and that is why it is hard to believe in anyone who tells you that God told them anything (especially when it comes to claims of the supernatural). I started by saying I felt the demand was something I felt that was out of character for what I knew of God on this side of the cross. But for some reason, I felt compelled to answer. I took the bait, and said yes, if God himself told me to kill JT, I probably would. And immediately I knew it was the wrong answer. The crowd (probably more skeptics than Christians) gasped. The BSU director threw his head back with his mouth agape as if to say, “I can’t believe you said that!” And of course, JT pounced. It is irrational to believe in the stories of the Bible where God tells someone to kill just as we wouldn’t believe Andrea Yates.<br />
<br />
I backtracked, admitted that I made a mistake and wished that I could answer again, but I didn’t feel that was fair. I said that the question was hard to answer because it was out of character for God. What I wish I had said was that I would probably not do it, for that very reason. The request was out of character for my understanding of the nature of God revealed through the person of Jesus Christ. I would decline the command and throw myself on His mercy. I would assume that there must be something wrong with me if I thought that God was asking me to do something like this. Perhaps I should have just refused the question, because it is an impossibility. You cannot imagine how many times I have kicked myself since last night.<br />
<br />
I definitely was out of my element last night. And that’s okay. I have very little experience in those of settings. It is amazing, however, how clever I was on the three-hour ride back home last night. I could think of many answers to the questions that were posed to me by both JT and the skeptics in the audience. If I want to continue doing this sort of thing, I guess I’ll need to get my reps in. (It will remain to be seen whether I want to continue to do this sort of thing, or even after this performance, anyone would even ask me to be a part. It will be on YouTube soon, so you can see the train wreck yourself).<br />
<br />
The experience was truly humbling and challenging as well. I interacted with sources that I normally do not. I went into the evening with the goal of representing Jesus well. I was asked to take part in this event, not because of my debating skills, but because of my relationship with the Christian campus director and his feeling that I would come across knowledgeable, but I would not damage relationships that he has been building with the skeptic community at Missouri State University. And while I did not match wits at time very well with JT, later I was told by several skeptics that I came across as cordial, honest and humble. I knew I wouldn’t win a debate, but if what they said about me was true, I met part of my goal.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-1775400126391665172012-10-05T07:58:00.004-07:002012-10-05T07:58:56.681-07:00A Review of The Just Church<br />
Jim Martin is the Vice President of Church Mobilization for International Justice Mission, a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.<br />
<br />
Instead of writing a book on social justice based on guilt and manipulation, Martin’s book, <i>The Just Church</i>, lays out a vision of a better future for oppressed people around the world. Martin acknowledges the overwhelming need around the world but provides a blueprint for churches to make an impact for justice locally and globally.<br />
<br />
The fight for justice is a call to discipleship as it works in step with the heart of a just God. Martin encourages churches to start “looking for trouble” in the sense that there are people who are in distress and it is God’s plan for the church to embody good news to those people and relieve their suffering. As churches look for trouble, they may find situations that put their faith at the “failure point”; that is that place where you encounter people in situations that may cause you to question how a good God could allow this happen to people. At these points where theologically pat answers do not suffice, the “failure point” of one’s faith has to trust that God is involved in these situations and that he cares for suffering people far more than you can. And that is why you are involved in the issue of social justice, because God has called the church to that work.<br />
<br />
This book is more than just the biblical mandate to social justice. Martin lays out a practical three-step process that churches have used to become “just churches”. The first step is “Encounter”, learning the heart of the God of justice in an unjust world. This is for the churches to be educated on the Scriptures’ call to be engaged in fighting injustice. The second step is “Explore”, finding real neighbors to love. The book provides great questions to ask of the church and the community at large to see how the church can get involved and harness the gifts and the passions already within the church. The third step is “Engage”. Here is where the church is encouraged to overcome its fear and get to work meeting the needs discovered in the “Explore” phase.<br />
<br />
The book closes with stories of churches both big and small that have gone through the steps and are actively engaged in their communities and globally in the fight against injustice. The book does not paint a rosy picture of how simple this will be. To engage in the long haul is both hard and scary but it is worth it. God commands it and people need it.<br />
<br />
Martin believes that believers grow in their faith by putting themselves in situations that require great faith. Engaging in the fight against injustice is really a dimension of spiritual development. For the church, engaging in social justice is the blueprint for revival.<br />
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Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-79140389263573456332012-02-20T10:50:00.000-08:002012-02-20T10:50:16.082-08:00Paul's Gospel to the Galatians<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<b>Paul’s Gospel to the
Galatians<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’ve ever read Paul’s letters or any literature on
Paul, you will see that Paul talks about “his” gospel quite a bit. As we are
going to see in Galatians, he is very protective of “his” gospel. He thinks
that it is “the” gospel. It is the message of salvation. In fact, he wishes
eternal condemnation for those that may distort his message of the salvation
provided through Jesus. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1:6-7 – I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning
to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all…some people are trying
to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should
preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s
curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to
you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can see, Paul feels very strongly about his version
of the good news of the salvation of Jesus. What I want to do with this message
is look at what that message might have been to the people of Galatia. We will
see how this played out in Acts 13-14. But before we do that, I want to provide
even more background into Paul’s story that we began last week. The bulk of
Galatians 1-2 contains the story of Paul receiving his gospel and some of the
things he had to go through to preserve it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The origin of Paul’s
Gospel</i> - Paul wants everyone to know that his message of the story of Jesus
came directly from Jesus himself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1.11-12<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul then goes on to tell the story of his pre-Christian
life (as a persecutor of the
church). He talks about his zeal for the Law (and for the institutions of
Judaism and the traditions of the elders). But like the prophets of the OT, God called Paul to his service. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1.13-16a.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He reveals that not only did he receive his message by
revelation from Jesus but also
his commission, to preach this message among the Gentile (the non-Jews). We see this account in Acts
9.3-19; 22.3-21; 26.12-23.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul goes to Arabia<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1:16b – 17 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul doesn’t tell what he did in Arabia, nor does Luke in
the book of Acts. Paul makes sure he tells them that he has not consulted
anyone (especially the apostles in Jerusalem). He wants everyone to know that
Jesus himself revealed to him the nature of his gospel. I believe that Paul
took his scrolls (OT) and began to read through them with a different lens,
that of his encounter with the risen Jesus Christ. Paul implies that Jesus may
have appeared to Paul to help him sharpen his message (one of a salvation for
Gentiles apart from the institutions of Israel). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Perhaps corresponds with his flight from Damascus in Acts
9.25).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul goes to Jerusalem<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1.18-19<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul finally goes to Jerusalem to visit some of the leaders
of the church. It seems he spent time with Peter and James. This may be when he
meets Barnabas (corresponding to Acts 9.26). He doesn’t tell us what they
discussed, but as my Galatians professor Jack MacGorman said, “They probably
didn’t discuss the weather”. Paul probably got filled in on some of the details
of the life and ministry of Jesus. Paul probably wanted to learn from those who
lived with Jesus and knew him during his earthly ministry. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul goes to Tarsus<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1.21-24<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul returns to his hometown and spends some time there
(more than likely spreading the good news about Jesus to the Jews and the
Gentiles there). This corresponds to Acts 9.30. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul goes to Antioch
(Syria)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Antioch was a major city in the biblical world. It was the
seat of the Seleucid (Syrian) Kingdom. Roman times? Acts gives a little more
details on ministry in this city. The persecution of the church in Jerusalem
(which Paul helped to start) spread the early Christians out throughout the
region and one of the cities they settled in was Antioch. This is shown in Acts
11.19-26. Jews were accepting the message about Jesus in Antioch and the
Gentiles were as well. When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that there
was this great outbreak of people becoming disciples of Jesus in Antioch, they
wanted to investigate and perhaps instruct the people further in the ways and
message of Jesus. They sent Barnabas. He sees the outpouring of the Spirit and
sees that the grace of God has caused this outbreak and he encourages the
people (and the church continued to grow there). Barnabas needs help discipling
these new believers. Perhaps the presence of these Gentile Christians (who were
not first Jewish converts or god-fearers) reminded him of someone who had
shared his heart for seeing Gentiles coming to Christ apart from the
institutions and rituals of Judaism; without becoming Jews first. He travels to
nearby Tarsus to grab Paul and bring him to Antioch to disciple these new
believers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Acts 11.25-26 - …called Christians first at Antioch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul confronts Peter
in Antioch<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul records a very contentious meeting between himself and
Peter in Antioch. Paul has this after his second visit to Jerusalem, but I
think it belongs here in the timeline. (Actually, Paul does not mention
specifically when it took place). It seems Cephas (The Aramaic name for Peter)
came to visit Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. And when he came, he would eat with
the uncircumcised Gentile Christians. This was something he never would have
done when he was a Jew. But it seems that some men came from James the Lord’s
brother from Jerusalem to Antioch as well. When they came, they must have
looked down on Peter. Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There were two significant aspects of Judaism that set them
apart from other peoples: one they were circumcised (while Gentiles generally
were not); and two, Jews did not eat with Gentiles, who were seen as unclean by
very religious Jews and it would impact their purity. (These, in a nutshell,
are the major issues of Galatians, mostly circumcision).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 2.11-14<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul lays out a brief understanding of his gospel in <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Verses 15-16 a person is not justified (that is declared not
guilty of his/her sin before God) by works of the law (that is rituals like
proper table guests and circumcision) but by faith in Christ. Our faith in
Christ justifies us. We will come back to Paul’s gospel in a second. The major
issue was that the Jews believed that salvation came through them (and
rightfully so: the promise of Abraham, Jesus). Thus, they believed that even
thought they believed in Jesus as their king and savior, one needed to become a
Jew in order to be properly related to our Jewish savior. In Paul’s experience
and call from Jesus, this was not the case. Paul believed that one did not have
to stop being a Jew if one already was one when called, but a Gentile did not
have to become a Jew to become a Christian.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was such a major issue of the early church that the
church had to call all of the major leaders from the early church to Jerusalem
and hash this out. When the evidence was heard from Paul (and from Peter who
also saw Gentiles touched by the power of the Holy Spirit), the church
ultimately allowed the Gentiles full membership in the church without the
belief that they needed to become Jews as well (submit to circumcision).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul visits Jerusalem
again <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 2.1-2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Response to a revelation, this may correspond to an episode
in Acts 11.27-30 where a prophet named Agabus predicted a famine that would
spread over the entire Roman world. The elders at Antioch sent Paul and
Barnabas with a relief offering for the poor in Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul presented his version of the gospel that Jesus revealed
to him, his Law free gospel for the Gentiles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 2.7-10<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul shows that the apostles at Jerusalem not only heard
Paul’s gospel but they approved of it and gave them the commission of going to
the Gentiles. After their time in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas return to
Antioch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul delivers his
gospel to South Galatia<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Acts 13.2-3 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have the account of the Holy Spirit setting apart Paul
and Barnabas for the task of spreading the good news of Jesus beyond Antioch.
In Acts 13 we have Paul and Barnabas going to Cyprus, then to Perga in
Pamphylia to Pisidian Antioch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Pisidian Antioch</u> - They begin their preaching in the
synagogues. If Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, why is he preaching in the
worship gatherings of the Jews? The network of synagogues throughout the Roman
world gave him an excellent platform to make disciples. In the synagogues,
there were Jews, of course, but also Gentiles who were interested in Judaism
(but who hadn’t submitted to circumcision so they were considered fully Jewish.
They were called “God fearers.”) Paul and Barnabas entered synagogue on the
Sabbath and were asked if they have a word of exhortation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the context of Jewish congregation, Paul retells the
story of Israel, election, prospering in Egypt, leaving the slavery in Exodus
and entry into Canaan (the promised land, modern day Israel). He tells them of
the series of the first real centralized leaders: Samuel, Saul and David. It is
through David that the savior Jesus came. <br />
Jesus was not recognized by the religious leaders, they conspire to have him
put to death under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate (on a cross). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But of course, Jesus was raised from the dead and was seen
by his followers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
13.32 – We tell you the good news: What God promised our
ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children by raising up Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This good news (gospel) was connected to Israel’s story. And
the good news was forgiveness of sins<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
13.38 - …through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed
to you. Through him everyone who believers is set free from every sin, a
justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, look at what Paul is proclaiming to the Jews here.
Forgiveness of sins took place before through the high priest’s sacrifice on
the Day of Atonement every year. And they thought they were justified (not
guilty) before God through their observances of the Law of Moses nor in their
status as Jews. Paul tells them they were not able to receive this justification
or be forgiven of their sins this way. It only came through faith in the
accomplishment of Jesus Christ. Note, it said nothing about circumcision or
becoming Jews. Salvation comes from a right relationship with Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were urged to speak again. Some people wanted to hear
more. And a large crowd gathered. (Acts 11.44 says the whole city gathered).
But some devout Jews understood what Paul was advocating (this salvation apart
from the institutions of Judaism). They began to stir up trouble and eventually
drove them out of town. (Remember this, perhaps it explains why the Gentile
converts may have slipped and gave into circumcision among other things). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But we do see the Gentiles of this Galatian town receiving
the message (11.48). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Iconium</u> - Paul moves to the next Galatian town,
Iconium and delivers his message there and Jews and Gentiles receive it. The
power of God allows Paul and Barnabas to display God’s power through signs and
wonders. But again, they encounter opposition from the Jews (along with some Gentiles
this time) and they move to another Galatian city, Lystra. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Lystra, they heal a man who could not walk. This powerful
sign was misunderstood as a sign that Zeus and Hermes had come to visit (Ovid’s
Metamorphosis). They try to deflect the praise to God. And again, opposition
arises from Jews of other towns (like Iconium). This time the opposition is so
fierce that they stone Paul and leave him for dead.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Derbe</u> - Paul is revived and departs for another
Galatian town, Derbe. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Acts 14.21<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul does not sugar coat his message (like he possibly could
after they saw all that he went through). When trying to become a member of the
Kingdom of God, hardships will enter your way. They go back through the towns
where they preached and raised up elders to lead the new churches that they
started in these Galatian towns. Then they returned to their base of
operations, Antioch with the intention of returning to these towns to
strengthen these churches (Acts 15.36).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was probably in Antioch that Paul caught wind that people
were going in behind him in Galatia and adding to his message.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Where do you stand with this message? This is basically the
message that we are all confronted with. I want to conclude with a summary of
the gospel of the Apostles as it appears in the book of Acts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->The life, death and resurrection of Jesus was
attested to by eye-witnesses<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->His ministry was foretold in the Hebrew
Scriptures<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->His death effects the forgiveness of our sins<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->Jesus’ death lead God to raise him up<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->Jesus is alive today and ruling from a position
of great prominence<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->There is no other names or way to be saved than
through Jesus<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> * </span></span><!--[endif]-->He is coming back<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> * </span></span><!--[endif]-->He will be the judge of everyone<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->This message elicits a response<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> *</span></span><!--[endif]-->The only proper response is faith in the name
and work of Jesus and we must pledge our allegiance to him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5585582065992990003.post-38870670253920398052012-02-14T08:51:00.001-08:002012-02-14T08:51:29.207-08:00Galatians Series - Background<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<b>Galatians <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Imagine being called by God to take the message of Jesus to
a certain group. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you displayed God’s
power and you delivered the message clearly. The group you were sent to
accepted the message. They began to live it out. God, then, called you to
another group, but you planned on returning to this group and encouraging them
in their faith.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While you are gone, some other “believers” came in behind
you. They said that your message was only part of the story. You weren’t fully
a part of the family of God. You needed to perform certain rituals in order to
be fully accepted by God. The people, who originally accepted your message,
accepted this message as well. How would
you feel? You would probably be angry at those who came in behind you. And you
would probably be frustrated over your flock because they were so easily led
astray. Remember, this message you were sent to them with was given to you
directly from Jesus. You displayed the power of God in their midst. You lived a
life of integrity and displayed your faithfulness to this message. But still,
your group was led astray. How would you respond?<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is basically the story of Galatians.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Several questions need to be addressed: The letter is
written by Paul. Who is Paul? He identifies himself as an apostle. What is an
apostle? Is that important? This letter is addressed to the Galatians. Who are
the Galatians? What relation does Paul have with these people? Why did Paul
write this letter to them? What does this mean to me?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Who is Paul? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>The Pre-Christian
Paul:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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We first encounter Paul in the Bible in Acts 7. A young
Christian man named Stephen is being tried on the count of blasphemy (a serious
crime in Judaism, liable to the death penalty in certain circumstances). When
Stephen reaches what his accusers think is the height of his blasphemy
(claiming to see Jesus at the right hand of God), they put him to death. And a
man named Saul is there. Saul was probably Paul’s Hebrew name, and Paul may
have been the name he used in Greco-Roman contexts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Acts 7:57-8:1 – At this they covered their ears and, yelling
at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city
and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet
of a young man named Saul.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Stephen lay dying, the text notes that Saul approved of
their killing him. (Dig? What did this mean?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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We see that this act led to a great persecution against the
Christians in Jerusalem. And this Saul: (8:3 – Saul began to destroy the
church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put
them in prison). <o:p></o:p></div>
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This persecution becomes so bad we see in <o:p></o:p></div>
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Acts 9:1-2 - Saul was still breathing out murderous threats
against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for
letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who
belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to
Jerusalem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What other clues can we glean from the NT as to what Paul
was like before he became a Christian? <o:p></o:p></div>
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In his testimony later in the book of Acts that he was a Jew
from Tarsus of Cilicia (Acts 22.3). Tarsus was a city in what is now
southeastern Turkey. It was then… <o:p></o:p></div>
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A little later in this testimony we see that he was brought
up in Jerusalem and was educated under Gamaliel and he was trained in the Law
of his ancestors. Gamaliel was a very important teacher in Judaism. He was a
member of the Sanhedrin (a type of Jewish Supreme Court. We see him in Acts 5).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Paul was a very religious man, who was very concerned about
following the Law of Moses to the letter. He believed that his service brought
him a sense of righteousness before God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Paul will tell the church of Philippi that he was from the
tribe of Benjamin and a Pharisee. His zeal for God was shown in how he
persecuted those who he felt were blaspheming God (by claiming that this Jesus
was God’s equal). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Paul’s Calling<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We see in Acts three accounts of Paul’s conversion (the
second two were Paul’s accounts during trials). We will look first at the
account as it flows in the narrative of Acts. We saw earlier that Paul was
actively persecuting the early church, from Jerusalem to Damascus (in modern
day Syria). It was on the road to Damascus that Paul encounters Jesus and it
changes his life, his vocation, his worldview and his theology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Read Acts 9:3-19<o:p></o:p></div>
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After Paul’s encounter with the Risen Jesus, Paul becomes a
powerful witness for the one he sought to destroy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We see another interpretation of this event in Paul’s letter
that we are about to discuss, Galatians. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gal. 1.11-17<o:p></o:p></div>
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We get another element to the story here. Paul reveals that
he went into Arabia. There has been much speculation on what Paul did in
Arabia, but more than likely, Paul began to study the Torah (and all of the OT)
with a new lens. He began looking for Jesus in the Hebrew Bible. He saw how the
entire story of God’s revelation of himself to the people of Israel was
pointing to the arrival of Jesus. He began to interpret the OT in light of what
Jesus had done (and was continuing to do in and through the Church). One thing
he became convinced of was that uncircumcised Gentiles could be put right with
God through faith in Christ without first becoming Jews. Key<o:p></o:p></div>
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After Paul had processed all of this, and after he gathered
information on the life of Jesus from his disciples, he began to tell others
about who Jesus was and why everyone should follow him. He spent a good deal of
the first part of his ministry back in his hometown of Tarsus. One of the
church leaders, an encouraging man by the name of Barnabas (who defended Paul
after his encounter with Jesus, when many in Jerusalem were rightfully afraid
of him), brought him to the hotbed of Christian growth, a nearby town called
Antioch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is the
connection to the Galatians?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Paul the Missionary<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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It was from Antioch that the Holy Spirit set apart Paul and
Barnabas and sent them on a journey to tell others about Jesus and to start
churches in those areas. This brings Paul to Galatia. This story is found in
Acts 13-14. He spent time sharing Jesus in towns of a Roman province called
Galatia (modern day central Turkey). Galatia gets its name from an ethnic group
of people called the “Gauls”. They have a connection to native French people
and actually run back to the ancient Celts. Paul spent time in the southern
Galatian cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. While in these
cities, Paul began to lead people to faith in Jesus but he also encountered opposition.
Most of this opposition came from Jewish people who had the same zeal for the
Law of Moses that Paul had before his encounter with Jesus. They had the same
zeal to stamp out this Jesus movement (and stamping out Paul as well. Paul was
stoned and left for dead in Lystra). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Galatians is basically a letter to the churches that Paul
started. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>Why is he writing
this letter to the Galatians? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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These Galatians were being deceived by some Jewish
Christians who were mixing Judaism and Christianity. What we will find is that
there was a group of Jewish “Christians” who believed that non-Jews (the
majority of the Christians in Galatia) needed to submit to certain Jewish
rituals in order to be accepted fully as believers. The major ritual was
circumcision for males. It was the sign that God gave to Abraham that his
people were to be set apart from the rest of the world. (The thought was that
Jesus was a Jew, the early church was Jewish, therefore Gentiles needed to
become Jews in order to properly become Christians). This would become a major
issue in the early church. We will see in this letter that two very important
church leaders got into a public confrontation over this issue (Peter and Paul
in chapter 2). Ultimately the early church called leaders from all over the
church at the time and had to solve this issue. We see this conference detailed
in Acts 15. (Recap?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Why should they listen
to Paul?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For one, he started these churches. Paul also claimed the
authority of an Apostle. What does that mean? From what we can gather from the
New Testament, an Apostle was someone who had seen the risen Lord and was
commissioned by him to proclaim the gospel and start churches. They had
authority in the churches they started. Other signs of an Apostle were signs,
wonders and miracles. Another task of the Apostles was the transmitting of the
words of the prophets and of Jesus to the church. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other notes of interest about Paul: he was not married (and
probably never married, despite what some will say about his role as a Pharisee).
He had some kind of physical affliction. It is mentioned in <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 Cor. 12.7-9<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and in our letter in Galatians 4.12-14<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the marks of an apostle was persecution. Paul also
suffered much for his decision to follow Jesus. We get a good portrait of the
persecution Paul suffered (as well as his compassion for his churches):<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 Cor. 11:21b-29<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why is this letter
important to us today?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you ever tempted to put your trust in anything other
than what Jesus has done for you? Are there things that you do that make you
feel like God owes you some sort of blessing? Does God owe you heaven or a good
life because you go to church, serve the poor, read your Bible, avoid “sinful”
activities? If so, you need to read this letter. Or, at times are you tempted to
think that your understanding of Jesus or your way of being Christian is better
than someone else’s? (Reword these two sentences). Close with Paul’s
understanding of the gospel: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eph. 2:8-9 - You have been saved by grace through faith -
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – no by works, so that
no one can boast. The sign that you’ve received this gift of grace is
repentance (a changed life that is devoted to following Jesus in the power of
his Holy Spirit).<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Bill Victorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00121117922676676023noreply@blogger.com0