Hi everyone!
Here is a reminder that our Christmas Eve service will be at 11pm on Saturday 24th December, 2005 at St Andrew's Pioneer Church at the top of Mission hill (the one in the cemetery, not the other St Andrew's church at the bottom of Mission Hill). We shall be joining with some of the folks from Living Word Episcopal Church.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Our Savior, God and Man
Here is an excellent meditation as we contemplate the incarnation of our Lord. It has been borrowed from an Eastern Orthodox Blog in the Southern USA known as "Orthodixie".
Our Savior, God and Man
We confess one and the same individual as perfect God and perfect Man. He is God the Word Which was flesh.
For if He was not flesh, why was Mary chosen? And if He is not God, whom does Gabriel call Lord?
If He was not flesh, who was laid in a manger? And if He is not God, whom did the angels who came down from heaven glorify? If He was not flesh, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes? And if He is not God, in whose honor did the star appear?
If He was not flesh, whom did Simeon hold in his arms? And if He is not God, to whom did Simeon say: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace?
If He was not flesh, whom did Joseph take when he fled into Egypt? And if He is not God, who fulfilled the prophesy: Out of Egypt have I called my Son?
If He was not flesh, whom did John baptize? And if He is not God, to whom did the Father say: This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased?
If He was not flesh, who hungered in the desert? And if He is not God, unto whom did the angels come and minister?
If He was not flesh, who was invited to the marriage in Cana of Galilee? And if He is not God, who turned the water into wine?
If He was not flesh, who took the loaves in the desert? And if He is not God, who fed the five thousand men and their women and children with five loaves and two fish?
If He was not flesh, who slept in the ship? And if He is not God, who rebuked the waves and the sea?
If He was not flesh, with whom did Simon the Pharisee sit at meat? And if He is not God, who forgave the sins of the harlot?
If He was not flesh, who wore a man’s garment? And if He is not God, who healed the woman with an issue of blood when she touched His garment?
If He was not flesh, who spat on the ground and made clay? And if He is not God, who gave sight to the eyes of the blind man with that clay?
If He was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if He is not God, who commanded him to come forth out of the grave four days after his death?
If He was not flesh, whom did the Jews arrest in the garden? And if He is not God, who cast them to the ground with the words: I am He?
If He was not flesh, who was judged before Pilate? And if He is not God, who frightened Pilate’s wife in a dream?
If He was not flesh, whose garments were stripped from Him and parted by the soldiers? And if He is not God, why was the sun darkened upon His crucifixion?
If He was not flesh, who was crucified on the cross? And if He is not God, who shook the foundations of the earth?
If He was not flesh, whose hands and feet were nailed to the cross? And if He is not God, how did it happen that the veil of the temple was rent in twain, the rocks were rent, and the graves were opened?
If He was not flesh, who hung on the cross between two thieves? And if He is not God, how could He say to the thief: Today thou shalt be with me in paradise?
If He was not flesh, who cried out and gave up the ghost? And if He is not God, whose cry caused the many bodies of the saints which slept to arise?
If He was not flesh, whom did the women see laid in a grave? And if He is not God, about whom did the angels say to them: He has arisen, He is not here?
If He was not flesh, whom did Thomas touch when he put his hands into the prints of the nails? And if He is not God, who entered through the doors that were shut?
If He was not flesh, who ate at the sea of Tiberias? And if He is not God, on whose orders were the nets filled with fishes?
If He was not flesh, whom did the apostles see carried up into heaven? And if He is not God, who ascended to the joyful cries of the angels, and to whom did the Father proclaim: sit at My right hand?
If He is not God and man then, indeed, our salvation is false, and false are the pronouncements of the prophets.
Taken from the most excellent little book, A Spiritual Psalter, from the works of St Ephraim the Syrian, excerpted by St Theophan the Recluse.
Our Savior, God and Man
We confess one and the same individual as perfect God and perfect Man. He is God the Word Which was flesh.
For if He was not flesh, why was Mary chosen? And if He is not God, whom does Gabriel call Lord?
If He was not flesh, who was laid in a manger? And if He is not God, whom did the angels who came down from heaven glorify? If He was not flesh, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes? And if He is not God, in whose honor did the star appear?
If He was not flesh, whom did Simeon hold in his arms? And if He is not God, to whom did Simeon say: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace?
If He was not flesh, whom did Joseph take when he fled into Egypt? And if He is not God, who fulfilled the prophesy: Out of Egypt have I called my Son?
If He was not flesh, whom did John baptize? And if He is not God, to whom did the Father say: This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased?
If He was not flesh, who hungered in the desert? And if He is not God, unto whom did the angels come and minister?
If He was not flesh, who was invited to the marriage in Cana of Galilee? And if He is not God, who turned the water into wine?
If He was not flesh, who took the loaves in the desert? And if He is not God, who fed the five thousand men and their women and children with five loaves and two fish?
If He was not flesh, who slept in the ship? And if He is not God, who rebuked the waves and the sea?
If He was not flesh, with whom did Simon the Pharisee sit at meat? And if He is not God, who forgave the sins of the harlot?
If He was not flesh, who wore a man’s garment? And if He is not God, who healed the woman with an issue of blood when she touched His garment?
If He was not flesh, who spat on the ground and made clay? And if He is not God, who gave sight to the eyes of the blind man with that clay?
If He was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if He is not God, who commanded him to come forth out of the grave four days after his death?
If He was not flesh, whom did the Jews arrest in the garden? And if He is not God, who cast them to the ground with the words: I am He?
If He was not flesh, who was judged before Pilate? And if He is not God, who frightened Pilate’s wife in a dream?
If He was not flesh, whose garments were stripped from Him and parted by the soldiers? And if He is not God, why was the sun darkened upon His crucifixion?
If He was not flesh, who was crucified on the cross? And if He is not God, who shook the foundations of the earth?
If He was not flesh, whose hands and feet were nailed to the cross? And if He is not God, how did it happen that the veil of the temple was rent in twain, the rocks were rent, and the graves were opened?
If He was not flesh, who hung on the cross between two thieves? And if He is not God, how could He say to the thief: Today thou shalt be with me in paradise?
If He was not flesh, who cried out and gave up the ghost? And if He is not God, whose cry caused the many bodies of the saints which slept to arise?
If He was not flesh, whom did the women see laid in a grave? And if He is not God, about whom did the angels say to them: He has arisen, He is not here?
If He was not flesh, whom did Thomas touch when he put his hands into the prints of the nails? And if He is not God, who entered through the doors that were shut?
If He was not flesh, who ate at the sea of Tiberias? And if He is not God, on whose orders were the nets filled with fishes?
If He was not flesh, whom did the apostles see carried up into heaven? And if He is not God, who ascended to the joyful cries of the angels, and to whom did the Father proclaim: sit at My right hand?
If He is not God and man then, indeed, our salvation is false, and false are the pronouncements of the prophets.
Taken from the most excellent little book, A Spiritual Psalter, from the works of St Ephraim the Syrian, excerpted by St Theophan the Recluse.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Confirmation
Confirmation
Confirmation has been called a ritual in search of a theology. It is not observed by all denominations. That being the case, what is it about?
Becoming a Christian has four parts to it:
Faith: i.e. belief and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Repentance: turning away from sin and towards God.
Baptism in water, signifying washing away sin and identifying with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.
Receiving or being baptised or sealed with the Holy Spirit by whom one is made spiritually alive (reborn) in Christ.
Together with these four is the expectation that one be prepared to publicly acknowledge Christ (Romans 10:9-10).
In the conversion accounts in the book of Acts these four aspects sometimes occurred together. They are not all mentioned in every case, and not always in that order. In some instances (eg St Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 and the incident in Samaria in Acts 8) there is an interval in time between conversion and reception of the Holy Spirit. However, they rightly belong together, such that, in different New Testament passages one can read that one is saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8), by believing (John 20:31, Acts 16:29-31), by receiving Jesus (John 1:12), by being baptised (1Peter 3:21), by being born anew by water and Spirit (John 3:5) etc. They are different facets of the same diamond.
In the first Christian generation, therefore, it would appear that immediately upon responding to the Apostles’ teaching, a new convert was baptized in water and received prayer with the laying on of hands for the reception/baptism in the Holy Spirit. God, being sovereign, is able to give his Holy Spirit without human intervention (eg Acts 10:46-47), but he often used the apostles as his agents.
After the first century it became practice for a period of instruction to precede baptism. When a person was baptized he or she would confirm their faith, sponsored by those who vouched for them (Godparents), the presbyter (priest) with the assistance of deacons or deaconesses would baptize the candidates by immersion. Thereafter the newly baptised would be dressed in a white robe and be presented to the bishop in the public service. The bishop would confirm they had been baptized, anoint them with oil, lay hands on them and pray for God to confirm (strengthen) them with the Holy Spirit. Thus Baptism and confirmation were two parts of one ritual.
Still later, as the church spread to many new towns the number of bishops did not increase accordingly. Some pastoral roles in more distant congregations were delegated to presbyters. In the Eastern church presbyters both baptize and confirm. In the Western church confirmation remained an Episcopal prerogative (although in the RC church it can be delegated to a priest) and was separated from baptism, often occurring years later when the bishop finally made a visit to a local congregation, or not at all.
After the Reformation, some Protestant churches, especially those who practice only adult baptism, discarded confirmation along with the office of bishop. Others which retained infant baptism recognized the need for an opportunity for adolescents and adults to publicly re-affirm the promises made by their parents at their infant baptism. The Anglican church made confirmation a pre-requisite to communion. Rather like a Bar Mitzvah in the Jewish faith, it marks the transition into full adult participation in church life. This requirement has recently been relaxed and now confirmation is often dispensed with.
When we compare the practices of different denominations we see that Baptist churches offer parents the opportunity to have a “dedication” service (a dry christening!) for their children who can later, when old enough to make their own profession of faith, be baptized in water. Churches which baptize the infants of Christian parents, offer confirmation as an opportunity for those old enough to do so, to make a public profession (a “dry” adult baptismal reaffirmation). The difference between these two schemas is when the water is applied. Churches from Pentecostal or Charismatic backgrounds also practice prayer with or without laying hands for the baptism in the Spirit, using the same scriptural references to justify that practice as the ‘catholic’ streams of Christianity do for confirmation. One does not have to be ordained to pray for this.
Summary:
Confirmation provides a mature/maturing Christian the opportunity to publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and to reaffirm his/her baptismal vows. The similarity of the service(laying on of hands plus invocation of the Holy Spirit) to the ordination of deacons, priests and bishops lends itself to considering confirmation as the commissioning or “ordination” of the laity to a life of ministry. All Christians are called to ministry, not just those who are ordained.
For those baptized as teens or adults, confirmation almost appears redundant if there is a long delay between baptism and confirmation. They should ideally occur at the same service so that the newly baptised person can immediately be commissioned for service and not gain the impression that entrance into the church requires something more than baptism on profession of faith. If a bishop cannot be present at an adult’s or adolescent’s baptism service then perhaps the Anglican Communion should consider allowing priests to administer confirmation (as is done in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches) in order to restore the link between the two rites.
Confirmation has been called a ritual in search of a theology. It is not observed by all denominations. That being the case, what is it about?
Becoming a Christian has four parts to it:
Faith: i.e. belief and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Repentance: turning away from sin and towards God.
Baptism in water, signifying washing away sin and identifying with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.
Receiving or being baptised or sealed with the Holy Spirit by whom one is made spiritually alive (reborn) in Christ.
Together with these four is the expectation that one be prepared to publicly acknowledge Christ (Romans 10:9-10).
In the conversion accounts in the book of Acts these four aspects sometimes occurred together. They are not all mentioned in every case, and not always in that order. In some instances (eg St Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 and the incident in Samaria in Acts 8) there is an interval in time between conversion and reception of the Holy Spirit. However, they rightly belong together, such that, in different New Testament passages one can read that one is saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8), by believing (John 20:31, Acts 16:29-31), by receiving Jesus (John 1:12), by being baptised (1Peter 3:21), by being born anew by water and Spirit (John 3:5) etc. They are different facets of the same diamond.
In the first Christian generation, therefore, it would appear that immediately upon responding to the Apostles’ teaching, a new convert was baptized in water and received prayer with the laying on of hands for the reception/baptism in the Holy Spirit. God, being sovereign, is able to give his Holy Spirit without human intervention (eg Acts 10:46-47), but he often used the apostles as his agents.
After the first century it became practice for a period of instruction to precede baptism. When a person was baptized he or she would confirm their faith, sponsored by those who vouched for them (Godparents), the presbyter (priest) with the assistance of deacons or deaconesses would baptize the candidates by immersion. Thereafter the newly baptised would be dressed in a white robe and be presented to the bishop in the public service. The bishop would confirm they had been baptized, anoint them with oil, lay hands on them and pray for God to confirm (strengthen) them with the Holy Spirit. Thus Baptism and confirmation were two parts of one ritual.
Still later, as the church spread to many new towns the number of bishops did not increase accordingly. Some pastoral roles in more distant congregations were delegated to presbyters. In the Eastern church presbyters both baptize and confirm. In the Western church confirmation remained an Episcopal prerogative (although in the RC church it can be delegated to a priest) and was separated from baptism, often occurring years later when the bishop finally made a visit to a local congregation, or not at all.
After the Reformation, some Protestant churches, especially those who practice only adult baptism, discarded confirmation along with the office of bishop. Others which retained infant baptism recognized the need for an opportunity for adolescents and adults to publicly re-affirm the promises made by their parents at their infant baptism. The Anglican church made confirmation a pre-requisite to communion. Rather like a Bar Mitzvah in the Jewish faith, it marks the transition into full adult participation in church life. This requirement has recently been relaxed and now confirmation is often dispensed with.
When we compare the practices of different denominations we see that Baptist churches offer parents the opportunity to have a “dedication” service (a dry christening!) for their children who can later, when old enough to make their own profession of faith, be baptized in water. Churches which baptize the infants of Christian parents, offer confirmation as an opportunity for those old enough to do so, to make a public profession (a “dry” adult baptismal reaffirmation). The difference between these two schemas is when the water is applied. Churches from Pentecostal or Charismatic backgrounds also practice prayer with or without laying hands for the baptism in the Spirit, using the same scriptural references to justify that practice as the ‘catholic’ streams of Christianity do for confirmation. One does not have to be ordained to pray for this.
Summary:
Confirmation provides a mature/maturing Christian the opportunity to publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and to reaffirm his/her baptismal vows. The similarity of the service(laying on of hands plus invocation of the Holy Spirit) to the ordination of deacons, priests and bishops lends itself to considering confirmation as the commissioning or “ordination” of the laity to a life of ministry. All Christians are called to ministry, not just those who are ordained.
For those baptized as teens or adults, confirmation almost appears redundant if there is a long delay between baptism and confirmation. They should ideally occur at the same service so that the newly baptised person can immediately be commissioned for service and not gain the impression that entrance into the church requires something more than baptism on profession of faith. If a bishop cannot be present at an adult’s or adolescent’s baptism service then perhaps the Anglican Communion should consider allowing priests to administer confirmation (as is done in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches) in order to restore the link between the two rites.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Confirming Faith, Week 12, Baptism and Confirmation
Hi everyone,
Here is the prep that Cynthia has assembled for Sunday. We shall be talking about Baptism and Confirmation. As always we shall respect the various traditions people are coming from.
Attached is a document on Baptism for reference only. I shall attempt to put a few references together on confirmation and post them separately.
David
Baptism and Confirmation – Dec 11th
Information
Baptism was instituted in the New Testament. It is:-
Participation in Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5; Col.2:12)
A washing away of sin ( 1 Cor. 6”11)
A new Birth ( John 3:5)
An enlightenment by Christ (Eph 5:14)
A reclothing in Christ (Gal 3:27)
A renewal in the Spirit (Titus 3:5)
Experience of salvation from the flood ( 1 Peter 3:20-21)
Exodus from bondage ( 1 Cor.10:1-2)
Liberation to a new humanity ( Gal.3: 27-28; 1 Cor.:12-13)
Baptism involves four basic elements:-
Repentance
Belief in the Lord Jesus
Baptism in water
Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Confirmation means:-
Taking responsibility for your own religious faith.
Being an ambassador for Christ
Public acknowledgement of commitment to Jesus. (Acts 13:1-3)
And
Marks full membership in Christ’s Church.
Confirmation was separated from baptism in the early Church when the local priest was allowed to conduct baptisms but it required a bishop to perform the ‘laying on of hands’ which was done when he visited the parish often around Easter or at some other important festival.(Acts 8:17-18)
Acts is the Biblical book which gives us the most direct information on how unbelievers became believers and proceeded to baptism. (Acts 8, Acts 19)
Discussion Questions
1. Is baptism a one-time event or is there space for rebaptism e.g. in a different denomination?
2. What are the merits of sprinkling and immersion?
3. What do you think about baptizing children of non-believing parents? At what age can a child make his/her own decision?
4. What do you see as the pros and cons of infant baptism?
5. If we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism when do we open the gift and use it for God’s glory?
6. Is confirmation an essential step in our growth as a Christian? What is the point of a public confirmation service?
7. Can you think of ways to celebrate baptism or confirmation that would be meaningful.
Baptism – A Pastoral Approach.
Church of Our Lord (COOL) is a Christian community within the Anglican Communion. As such, we value the three streams of authentic Christianity which we have received: the catholic or sacramental stream, the evangelical or gospel-centred stream and the renewal stream which has re-vitalized the church’s appreciation for the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Christians, regardless of their background, and those curious about the Christian faith, are welcome to participate in the worship and fellowship of this community. We also enjoy good relationships with members of other denominations in the Valley. With this welcoming approach it is inevitable that questions will arise about the purpose and practice of baptism, in particular about whether infants should be baptized or whether those from nominal Christian backgrounds who may have been baptized as babies should be re-baptized when they come to a living faith in Christ.
A Personal Word:
I was raised in a Baptist family with a Baptist pastor as a father. He used to re-baptize new converts who came to our church from denominations which practiced infant baptism. I was baptized by immersion in a Baptist church at age 15. I am now an Anglican priest who after many years of reading, prayer, and study of both sides of this issue, came to the conclusion that it is right for Christian parents to bring their children to baptism. I understand the issue inside out and offer the following comments to assist sincere believers who want to honour the Scriptures come to an informed decision about their own baptism and that of their children.
What does baptism mean?
As discussed in the companion article “How Can I become a Christian” (found at http://www.coolcommentary.blogspot.com/), baptism is one of the four elements of Christian initiation, the others being repentance, faith (i.e. belief and trust) in Christ, and the reception of the Holy Spirit. It signifies washing away of sin. It is dying to self. It is the mark or badge of being a Christian, as a uniform is the mark of belonging to an army or sports team. It represents incorporation into the body of Christ and a means of his grace through which, by the Holy Spirit, we identify with his death, burial and resurrection. The Latin word applied to baptism, sacramentum, was that used by an officer receiving a commission or giving his oath of allegiance on joining the army. “Believers’ baptism” means baptizing only those who are old enough to personally choose to be baptized.
I recently read a story about an Anglican pastor in South East Asia who, as a young man, had entered a spiritist séance (something to be avoided!). The spiritist leader looked at him and exclaimed, “What are you doing here? You have a cross on your forehead!” The man recalled how, as an infant, he had been baptized and signed with the cross, marking him as Christ’s own forever. This sign was not visible but the spirit world recognized it, just as the demons discerned who Christ and his apostles were. Baptism is the objective part of Christian initiation. Our gratitude to God for the good news of salvation is the subjective element.
Arguments for the exclusive use of Believers’ Baptism.
Scripture teaches that faith and repentance are necessary for salvation. Small infants cannot exercise either, therefore they cannot be baptized. Conversion is a conscious choice to turn from sin and turn to God.
There are no accounts of infant baptism per se in the New Testament.
Infant baptism causes nominal Christianity by falsely reassuring people that they are Christians when they have no active faith. This is true and is a good argument against indiscriminate baptism of children whose parents have no intention of raising them in the faith.
What is the use of baptizing those who may never come to faith or who fall away from the faith of their parents? This occurs among those baptized as adults too. Simon the Magician is one such example. (Acts 8:9-24)
Believers’ baptism emphasizes the individual’s faith and choice. It illustrates the need for individuals to respond in repentance and to die to the old sinful life and rise with Christ. As such it is fully consistent with the New Testament emphasis on repentance, faith, and becoming a “new creation.”
However, there is a risk of placing too much emphasis on the individual and not enough on God and on the community of faith. It is no coincidence that denominations which practice believers’ baptism thrive best in cultures which exalt individual autonomy above belonging to the family or the church. Infant baptism arose in the Hebrew and Middle Eastern cultures which place a high premium on family and community.
Arguments in favour of Baptising Infants of Believing Parents.
1. Baptism is the New Covenant equivalent of circumcision (Col 2:11-12). Just as circumcision was received by infants (boys) as a mark of the covenant, so too baptism includes children of Christian families in the Covenant of Grace until they reach the age where they can choose for themselves. Nowhere does the New Testament forbid infant baptism.
2. Jesus’ attitude to children. Jesus said that we are to become like little children for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. He commended child-like faith and blessed infants, chiding his disciples for trying to prevent them from being brought to him (Matthew 19:13-15). If Jesus welcomes infants into his kingdom, who are we to keep them out?
3. Household baptisms were the norm in the early church. A number of instances where whole families were baptized are mentioned in the New Testament. It is inconceivable that none of those households had any children. It was normal for the whole family to adopt the religion of the head of the family. Gentile converts to Judaism underwent proselyte baptism as a family (children included). This served as a model for the early church. Infant baptism places a high value on the Christian family just as Peter (1 Peter 3:20-22) did when he compared baptism to the fact that Noah’s family were saved with him through the flood.
4. The universal practice of the church, from (at the latest) the second century up until the Reformation, (not to mention most of the Reformers too) was to baptize the infants of Christian parents. Tertullian was the only Church Father to object to infant baptism (and then only temporarily) because he thought it placed too great a responsibility on the godparents, not because it was contrary to apostolic teaching. The same early church which gave us the doctrine of the Trinity, that clarified that Jesus had two natures (divine and human) in one Person, and which defined the Canon of Scripture (which was not finalized until the fourth century), also practiced infant baptism. This was not just the practice of the medieval Roman Catholic Church with its later additions to apostolic teaching. Even those sects, such as the Waldensians, who re-baptized Catholics, baptized their own children.
5. It emphasizes the prevenient and sovereign work of God in choosing and saving us before we were capable of responding to his grace. Salvation begins and ends with God, not with us. We love him because he first loved us. He chose us, we did not choose him.
It honours the role of the church as the community of faith which one joins through baptism.
That denominations which exclusively practice believers’ baptism instinctively recognize the benefits of raising their children in the faith, and wish to publicly commit to doing so, is illustrated by the widespread use of Infant Dedication ceremonies, a kind of dry christening. There is no express scriptural warrant for this practice. All the arguments for doing so are equally arguments for baptizing infants. On the other hand, the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches (as well as some other denominations) provide for an opportunity for adolescent or adult believers to publicly reaffirm their baptisms in the rite of confirmation. When one compares these two scenarios: infant dedication plus believers’ baptism versus infant baptism plus confirmation, it is evident that the only real difference between them is the timing of the application of the water. Surely sincere Christians can learn to live with these differences?
How much water is necessary?
This is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string (long enough to do the job) or how long should your legs be (long enough to reach the ground). The New Testament does not tell us how much water was used at baptisms or that full immersion was always done. We do read about people going down into the water. The word “baptize” does mean to immerse, to sink, to become waterlogged or soaked. Furthermore, the rich imagery of full immersion and rising out of the water vividly captures the symbolism of dying to self and rising to new life in Christ. Early church documents outside of the New Testament indicate that the preference was full immersion in running water. If that was not available, immersion in still water was used. If that was not practicable then pouring water on the candidate was still considered valid baptism. The volume of water is less important than what it signifies.
What about re-baptism?
There is no question about it: God is blessing the work of many denominations - Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic or various free churches and missionary movements which practice believer’s baptism. Many of these churches are lively and exciting places where the Spirit seems to be very active; by contrast liturgical churches may appear dull. Often people come to a personal life-transforming faith in Christ after a nominal or dry and ritualistic up-bringing in one of the historic churches. It is natural that, when one has been blessed by contact or involvement with one of these new denominations one may feel called or pressurized to be re-baptized, especially if that is made a precondition to a leadership role in such a congregation. I can understand this need to submit to Godly authority exercised in one’s denomination as I had to submit to adult confirmation (even though I had been baptized as a believer, been baptized in the Spirit and could not see what more confirmation could do for me), in order to be licensed as a lay-reader and subsequently be ordained in the Anglican Church.
Often new Christians feel somehow cheated that they cannot remember their infant baptism and therefore have no “experience” to recall, or that there was not a great deal of faith exercised by their parents and therefore that their baptism was somehow deficient. This is elevating the subjective over the objective.
On the other hand, it can be painful to faithful parents to see their mature children get re-baptized as if their sincere efforts at raising them in the faith were worthless. Michael Green, an evangelical Anglican author and priest, has suggested a pragmatic and generous approach to these situations. Where an adult feels he or she must be re-baptized they should consider this second application of water to be a re-affirmation of their original baptism, a vivid anamnesis (a Greek word for remembering in such a way as to make the memory a present reality) appropriating what God has already objectively offered in baptism.* Expressed this way, one honours one’s parents and their faith and avoids calling the original baptism a sham, for it is a serious thing to devalue what God has done. God’s Word says, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6. We can no more have two baptisms than two faiths, two Lords, two heavenly fathers. Whether Baptists recognize it or not, we have been baptized into the same faith regardless of our age at the time it occurred. That is an objective reality whether or not we remember it, or felt it. Salvation is not dependent on our feelings; it is dependent on what God has already done once and for all in Christ. We can debate the wisdom of applying baptism at various ages but we must not disregard what God has promised and achieved in incorporating us into the one Body of Christ.
Points of Agreement:
Christians agree that new Christians who have not been baptized before should obey Christ’s command to be baptized. We can agree that immersion is a powerful image. We can also agree that the indiscriminate baptism of children of non-believing parents is a scandal. We can agree that a ceremony by itself does not guarantee salvation; what is required is personal repentance and faith. Where we may differ is on whether baptism of children from Christian homes is valid or not.
Conclusion: the pastoral approach
At COOL,
1. New Christians who come to faith should be encouraged to be baptized (preferably by immersion) as soon as possible after instruction in basic Christian faith, if they have never been baptized before.
2. If they were baptized previously (eg as infants) then they should be given an opportunity to publicly renew those baptismal vows made on their behalf by their parents and sponsors. Confirmation is one possible opportunity to do this.
3. We will not re-baptize those who have previously been baptized in water, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in a denomination which adheres to the Nicene Creed.
4. Infants with at least one believing parent, whose parent(s) and godparents are willing to receive instruction in Christian faith, and understand the promises they are making on the infants’ behalf, will be offered baptism under the understanding that the children will need to subsequently make those promises their own.
5.Infants will not be baptized if neither parent is a committed Christian active in the local church.
6. We shall respect parents who, after careful consideration, wish to postpone baptism of their children until they are old enough to decide for themselves. They may opt for a simple “Thanksgiving” ceremony to thank God for the birth of their children.
I believe this approach is consistent with Scripture and is genuinely welcoming to all faithful Christians.
David Bowler, Church of Our Lord, Comox Valley. BC.
Advent 2005.
*Green, M. Baptism P. 125 (Hodder Christian Paperbacks 1987)
Suggested Reading:
Packer, J.I. I Want to be a Christian (Kingsway Publications 1977)
Packer is and Anglican theologian of the Reformed persuasion.
Bridge, D. and Phypers, D. The Water that Divides (Intervarsity Press 1977)
Bridge is a Baptist pastor; Phypers an Anglican.
Pawson, D. The Normal Christian Birth
Pawson is a Baptist of an Arminian persuasion.
Green, M. Baptism (Hodder Christian Paperbacks 1987)
Green is an evangelical Anglican priest.
Here is the prep that Cynthia has assembled for Sunday. We shall be talking about Baptism and Confirmation. As always we shall respect the various traditions people are coming from.
Attached is a document on Baptism for reference only. I shall attempt to put a few references together on confirmation and post them separately.
David
Baptism and Confirmation – Dec 11th
Information
Baptism was instituted in the New Testament. It is:-
Participation in Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5; Col.2:12)
A washing away of sin ( 1 Cor. 6”11)
A new Birth ( John 3:5)
An enlightenment by Christ (Eph 5:14)
A reclothing in Christ (Gal 3:27)
A renewal in the Spirit (Titus 3:5)
Experience of salvation from the flood ( 1 Peter 3:20-21)
Exodus from bondage ( 1 Cor.10:1-2)
Liberation to a new humanity ( Gal.3: 27-28; 1 Cor.:12-13)
Baptism involves four basic elements:-
Repentance
Belief in the Lord Jesus
Baptism in water
Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Confirmation means:-
Taking responsibility for your own religious faith.
Being an ambassador for Christ
Public acknowledgement of commitment to Jesus. (Acts 13:1-3)
And
Marks full membership in Christ’s Church.
Confirmation was separated from baptism in the early Church when the local priest was allowed to conduct baptisms but it required a bishop to perform the ‘laying on of hands’ which was done when he visited the parish often around Easter or at some other important festival.(Acts 8:17-18)
Acts is the Biblical book which gives us the most direct information on how unbelievers became believers and proceeded to baptism. (Acts 8, Acts 19)
Discussion Questions
1. Is baptism a one-time event or is there space for rebaptism e.g. in a different denomination?
2. What are the merits of sprinkling and immersion?
3. What do you think about baptizing children of non-believing parents? At what age can a child make his/her own decision?
4. What do you see as the pros and cons of infant baptism?
5. If we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism when do we open the gift and use it for God’s glory?
6. Is confirmation an essential step in our growth as a Christian? What is the point of a public confirmation service?
7. Can you think of ways to celebrate baptism or confirmation that would be meaningful.
Baptism – A Pastoral Approach.
Church of Our Lord (COOL) is a Christian community within the Anglican Communion. As such, we value the three streams of authentic Christianity which we have received: the catholic or sacramental stream, the evangelical or gospel-centred stream and the renewal stream which has re-vitalized the church’s appreciation for the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Christians, regardless of their background, and those curious about the Christian faith, are welcome to participate in the worship and fellowship of this community. We also enjoy good relationships with members of other denominations in the Valley. With this welcoming approach it is inevitable that questions will arise about the purpose and practice of baptism, in particular about whether infants should be baptized or whether those from nominal Christian backgrounds who may have been baptized as babies should be re-baptized when they come to a living faith in Christ.
A Personal Word:
I was raised in a Baptist family with a Baptist pastor as a father. He used to re-baptize new converts who came to our church from denominations which practiced infant baptism. I was baptized by immersion in a Baptist church at age 15. I am now an Anglican priest who after many years of reading, prayer, and study of both sides of this issue, came to the conclusion that it is right for Christian parents to bring their children to baptism. I understand the issue inside out and offer the following comments to assist sincere believers who want to honour the Scriptures come to an informed decision about their own baptism and that of their children.
What does baptism mean?
As discussed in the companion article “How Can I become a Christian” (found at http://www.coolcommentary.blogspot.com/), baptism is one of the four elements of Christian initiation, the others being repentance, faith (i.e. belief and trust) in Christ, and the reception of the Holy Spirit. It signifies washing away of sin. It is dying to self. It is the mark or badge of being a Christian, as a uniform is the mark of belonging to an army or sports team. It represents incorporation into the body of Christ and a means of his grace through which, by the Holy Spirit, we identify with his death, burial and resurrection. The Latin word applied to baptism, sacramentum, was that used by an officer receiving a commission or giving his oath of allegiance on joining the army. “Believers’ baptism” means baptizing only those who are old enough to personally choose to be baptized.
I recently read a story about an Anglican pastor in South East Asia who, as a young man, had entered a spiritist séance (something to be avoided!). The spiritist leader looked at him and exclaimed, “What are you doing here? You have a cross on your forehead!” The man recalled how, as an infant, he had been baptized and signed with the cross, marking him as Christ’s own forever. This sign was not visible but the spirit world recognized it, just as the demons discerned who Christ and his apostles were. Baptism is the objective part of Christian initiation. Our gratitude to God for the good news of salvation is the subjective element.
Arguments for the exclusive use of Believers’ Baptism.
Scripture teaches that faith and repentance are necessary for salvation. Small infants cannot exercise either, therefore they cannot be baptized. Conversion is a conscious choice to turn from sin and turn to God.
There are no accounts of infant baptism per se in the New Testament.
Infant baptism causes nominal Christianity by falsely reassuring people that they are Christians when they have no active faith. This is true and is a good argument against indiscriminate baptism of children whose parents have no intention of raising them in the faith.
What is the use of baptizing those who may never come to faith or who fall away from the faith of their parents? This occurs among those baptized as adults too. Simon the Magician is one such example. (Acts 8:9-24)
Believers’ baptism emphasizes the individual’s faith and choice. It illustrates the need for individuals to respond in repentance and to die to the old sinful life and rise with Christ. As such it is fully consistent with the New Testament emphasis on repentance, faith, and becoming a “new creation.”
However, there is a risk of placing too much emphasis on the individual and not enough on God and on the community of faith. It is no coincidence that denominations which practice believers’ baptism thrive best in cultures which exalt individual autonomy above belonging to the family or the church. Infant baptism arose in the Hebrew and Middle Eastern cultures which place a high premium on family and community.
Arguments in favour of Baptising Infants of Believing Parents.
1. Baptism is the New Covenant equivalent of circumcision (Col 2:11-12). Just as circumcision was received by infants (boys) as a mark of the covenant, so too baptism includes children of Christian families in the Covenant of Grace until they reach the age where they can choose for themselves. Nowhere does the New Testament forbid infant baptism.
2. Jesus’ attitude to children. Jesus said that we are to become like little children for to such belongs the Kingdom of God. He commended child-like faith and blessed infants, chiding his disciples for trying to prevent them from being brought to him (Matthew 19:13-15). If Jesus welcomes infants into his kingdom, who are we to keep them out?
3. Household baptisms were the norm in the early church. A number of instances where whole families were baptized are mentioned in the New Testament. It is inconceivable that none of those households had any children. It was normal for the whole family to adopt the religion of the head of the family. Gentile converts to Judaism underwent proselyte baptism as a family (children included). This served as a model for the early church. Infant baptism places a high value on the Christian family just as Peter (1 Peter 3:20-22) did when he compared baptism to the fact that Noah’s family were saved with him through the flood.
4. The universal practice of the church, from (at the latest) the second century up until the Reformation, (not to mention most of the Reformers too) was to baptize the infants of Christian parents. Tertullian was the only Church Father to object to infant baptism (and then only temporarily) because he thought it placed too great a responsibility on the godparents, not because it was contrary to apostolic teaching. The same early church which gave us the doctrine of the Trinity, that clarified that Jesus had two natures (divine and human) in one Person, and which defined the Canon of Scripture (which was not finalized until the fourth century), also practiced infant baptism. This was not just the practice of the medieval Roman Catholic Church with its later additions to apostolic teaching. Even those sects, such as the Waldensians, who re-baptized Catholics, baptized their own children.
5. It emphasizes the prevenient and sovereign work of God in choosing and saving us before we were capable of responding to his grace. Salvation begins and ends with God, not with us. We love him because he first loved us. He chose us, we did not choose him.
It honours the role of the church as the community of faith which one joins through baptism.
That denominations which exclusively practice believers’ baptism instinctively recognize the benefits of raising their children in the faith, and wish to publicly commit to doing so, is illustrated by the widespread use of Infant Dedication ceremonies, a kind of dry christening. There is no express scriptural warrant for this practice. All the arguments for doing so are equally arguments for baptizing infants. On the other hand, the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches (as well as some other denominations) provide for an opportunity for adolescent or adult believers to publicly reaffirm their baptisms in the rite of confirmation. When one compares these two scenarios: infant dedication plus believers’ baptism versus infant baptism plus confirmation, it is evident that the only real difference between them is the timing of the application of the water. Surely sincere Christians can learn to live with these differences?
How much water is necessary?
This is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string (long enough to do the job) or how long should your legs be (long enough to reach the ground). The New Testament does not tell us how much water was used at baptisms or that full immersion was always done. We do read about people going down into the water. The word “baptize” does mean to immerse, to sink, to become waterlogged or soaked. Furthermore, the rich imagery of full immersion and rising out of the water vividly captures the symbolism of dying to self and rising to new life in Christ. Early church documents outside of the New Testament indicate that the preference was full immersion in running water. If that was not available, immersion in still water was used. If that was not practicable then pouring water on the candidate was still considered valid baptism. The volume of water is less important than what it signifies.
What about re-baptism?
There is no question about it: God is blessing the work of many denominations - Baptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic or various free churches and missionary movements which practice believer’s baptism. Many of these churches are lively and exciting places where the Spirit seems to be very active; by contrast liturgical churches may appear dull. Often people come to a personal life-transforming faith in Christ after a nominal or dry and ritualistic up-bringing in one of the historic churches. It is natural that, when one has been blessed by contact or involvement with one of these new denominations one may feel called or pressurized to be re-baptized, especially if that is made a precondition to a leadership role in such a congregation. I can understand this need to submit to Godly authority exercised in one’s denomination as I had to submit to adult confirmation (even though I had been baptized as a believer, been baptized in the Spirit and could not see what more confirmation could do for me), in order to be licensed as a lay-reader and subsequently be ordained in the Anglican Church.
Often new Christians feel somehow cheated that they cannot remember their infant baptism and therefore have no “experience” to recall, or that there was not a great deal of faith exercised by their parents and therefore that their baptism was somehow deficient. This is elevating the subjective over the objective.
On the other hand, it can be painful to faithful parents to see their mature children get re-baptized as if their sincere efforts at raising them in the faith were worthless. Michael Green, an evangelical Anglican author and priest, has suggested a pragmatic and generous approach to these situations. Where an adult feels he or she must be re-baptized they should consider this second application of water to be a re-affirmation of their original baptism, a vivid anamnesis (a Greek word for remembering in such a way as to make the memory a present reality) appropriating what God has already objectively offered in baptism.* Expressed this way, one honours one’s parents and their faith and avoids calling the original baptism a sham, for it is a serious thing to devalue what God has done. God’s Word says, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6. We can no more have two baptisms than two faiths, two Lords, two heavenly fathers. Whether Baptists recognize it or not, we have been baptized into the same faith regardless of our age at the time it occurred. That is an objective reality whether or not we remember it, or felt it. Salvation is not dependent on our feelings; it is dependent on what God has already done once and for all in Christ. We can debate the wisdom of applying baptism at various ages but we must not disregard what God has promised and achieved in incorporating us into the one Body of Christ.
Points of Agreement:
Christians agree that new Christians who have not been baptized before should obey Christ’s command to be baptized. We can agree that immersion is a powerful image. We can also agree that the indiscriminate baptism of children of non-believing parents is a scandal. We can agree that a ceremony by itself does not guarantee salvation; what is required is personal repentance and faith. Where we may differ is on whether baptism of children from Christian homes is valid or not.
Conclusion: the pastoral approach
At COOL,
1. New Christians who come to faith should be encouraged to be baptized (preferably by immersion) as soon as possible after instruction in basic Christian faith, if they have never been baptized before.
2. If they were baptized previously (eg as infants) then they should be given an opportunity to publicly renew those baptismal vows made on their behalf by their parents and sponsors. Confirmation is one possible opportunity to do this.
3. We will not re-baptize those who have previously been baptized in water, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in a denomination which adheres to the Nicene Creed.
4. Infants with at least one believing parent, whose parent(s) and godparents are willing to receive instruction in Christian faith, and understand the promises they are making on the infants’ behalf, will be offered baptism under the understanding that the children will need to subsequently make those promises their own.
5.Infants will not be baptized if neither parent is a committed Christian active in the local church.
6. We shall respect parents who, after careful consideration, wish to postpone baptism of their children until they are old enough to decide for themselves. They may opt for a simple “Thanksgiving” ceremony to thank God for the birth of their children.
I believe this approach is consistent with Scripture and is genuinely welcoming to all faithful Christians.
David Bowler, Church of Our Lord, Comox Valley. BC.
Advent 2005.
*Green, M. Baptism P. 125 (Hodder Christian Paperbacks 1987)
Suggested Reading:
Packer, J.I. I Want to be a Christian (Kingsway Publications 1977)
Packer is and Anglican theologian of the Reformed persuasion.
Bridge, D. and Phypers, D. The Water that Divides (Intervarsity Press 1977)
Bridge is a Baptist pastor; Phypers an Anglican.
Pawson, D. The Normal Christian Birth
Pawson is a Baptist of an Arminian persuasion.
Green, M. Baptism (Hodder Christian Paperbacks 1987)
Green is an evangelical Anglican priest.
Confirming Faith Week 11, The Sacraments
Last week we discussed the Sacraments in general, and Communion in particular. We were privileged to have Kathy King, an AMiA misionary, share with us a study on the Eucharist.
I don't have her handout on line but here is the one we used for background.
Confirming Faith Week 11 The Sacraments
Have you ever seen a movie in which a courageous band of soldiers defend or rescue their regimental colours or standard, or watched a news clip of raging mobs burning and stamping on the Stars and Stripes? What’s with a piece of cloth anyway?
What do the items in the following lists have in common with each other? What are the similarities and differences between the lists?
A dollar bill A photograph of money
A marriage certificate A gold band on the third finger of the left hand
A license to practice medicine A white lab coat
An officer’s commission from the queen A soldier’s uniform
A maple leaf The Canadian flag
An icon on you computer desk top The wallpaper on the screen.
A hug An E-card from Dayspring
Do you recall the illustration about the million dollar cheque when we talked about the Holy Spirit? What conditions had to be met by for the recipient to actually be a million dollars richer?
As we begin to think about the Christian sacraments we will quickly find ourselves wrestling with concepts of “reality” on the one hand and “symbolism” on the other. As always at COOL, we respect a range of perspectives, but, to be a bit provocative, the first column represents a catholic understanding of reality, the second a protestant view of symbolism. The Anglican way attempts to keep the two together. Sometimes that’s a stretch. In the world of the Old and New Testaments, symbolism and reality were closely connected. That was the case for the first 1000 years or so of the Christian church. That is still the approach of the Eastern Church and of the Anglican middle way.
What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. It is a tangible way in which God’s grace is received by faith. The word comes from Latin sacramentum which was the oath of allegiance taken by a soldier. Eastern Christians call them “mysteries” because God works through them in ways we cannot fully define.
How many are there?
Christians have had a variety of answers as to which practices should be considered sacraments. About 800 years ago the Roman Church set the number at seven. The Eastern Church recognizes the same seven but is not fussy about the number. The Protestant reformers reduced them to two. Some Protestants discarded them altogether. Some call them “ordinances” instead of sacraments. Anglicans regard two (Communion and Baptism) as sacraments of the gospel which Christ himself commanded be observed and which “are generally necessary for salvation”, but we also use the other five “commonly called sacraments” or sacramental rites. Only the first two apply to all Christians, although confirmation could. This week Kathy King will be leading a discussion on the Eucharist. Next week we look at baptism and confirmation with Cynthia’s help. Later we hope to touch on the others briefly.
The seven are:
The Eucharist (Communion, Lord’s Supper or Mass)
Baptism in water.
Confirmation (or chrismation, not to be confused with cremation!)
Marriage
Confession (also called Reconciliation or Penance)
Ordination
Anointing the sick (unction)
How are the reality and the symbol connected? What one believes about this affects how one responds.
Roman Catholics would say that the symbol becomes the reality when the proper words and actions are performed by the proper person (the priest). Baptism makes one a Christian. The bread and wine become Jesus’ body and blood and therefore can be worshiped after they are consecrated.
Some Protestants would say they are purely symbolic; they only point to the reality which is spiritual. One becomes a Christian by conversion; baptism is an optional outward symbol of what has already occurred within. The bread and juice remain bread and juice and left-overs can be discarded.
Anglicans and some other Protestants would say that the symbol conveys the reality when received by faith. Anglicans therefore reverently consume any remaining elements at communion because they have been set apart for holy use.
Two dangers to avoid.
When approaching the sacraments one should avoid the two extremes: An overly “real” approach can lead to superstition and idolatry or to a mechanical view of how God acts which neglects the importance of faith and a right attitude of heart. The other extreme lacks the proper reverence for God’s actions. To neglect the sacraments is to be disobedient to Jesus and to lose out on what he has to offer through them.
What is the point anyway? The bottom line.
God knows how we are made. He made our senses. He is Spirit and we are to worship him in spirit and in truth. We are also to worship him with all that we are. If we elevate the importance of physical things we can make idols out of them. Nevertheless, he knows we need things we can see, touch, feel, taste, smell. The one who is Spirit became material in Jesus so we could see the human face of God. Similarly, Jesus and his apostles used physical things: wine, bread, oil, water, and human hands to be means of receiving his grace. Try as we might we can never fully comprehend how he works. We simply receive with thanks what he gives.
The Eucharist: the following section is a bit technical and historical and is provided for reference only:
Based on the command of Christ and the example of the apostles who broke bread from house to house, Christians have been receiving spiritual sustenance at the Lord’s Table since the church began. What Christ intended as a fellowship meal in his memory has unfortunately often been an occasion for disagreement over exactly what happens in the Lord’s Supper. For the first few centuries Christians did not speculate on exactly how the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ but accepted that they were so. As early as 150 AD Justin Martyr (Apology 65-66) wrote:
For we do not receive them as common bread and drink; but as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation; similarly we have been taught that the food which is blessed by the word of prayer transmitted from him, and by which our blood and flesh are changed and nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.
This is the faith that was passed on by the apostles only two generations earlier. Even today the Eastern Church accepts that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at the epiclesis (prayer for the Holy Spirit) but they do not presume to explain how. A holy mystery is by definition inexplicable. We in the West tend to be reductionist, reducing things to their component parts, separating what rightly belongs together and insisting on either/or when both/and might serve better. So it was that in the ninth and tenth centuries controversy arose in the West between those (such as Ratramnus and Belanger of Tours), who described the elements as symbols, and those (eg Paschasius and Lanfranc) who insisted on their physical reality. Finally, in 1215 the Fourth Lateran Council adopted transubstantiation as the Roman church’s official position.
Roman Catholic scholars borrowed philosophical concepts from Aristotle to explain exactly how this occurs. They also taught during the Middle Ages that Jesus was re-sacrificed by the priest each time Mass was said. Rome no longer expresses it that way but still regards the Mass as a sacrifice. The Reformers, teaching from the clear words of the book of Hebrews, maintained that Jesus’ one sacrifice was totally sufficient and unrepeatable, and that he is our only high priest.
The Reformers disagreed on the best way to replace the Roman Catholic sacramental theology. Luther believed in the ubiquity of Christ’s body and that the Body and Blood of Christ very received in, with and under the elements of bread and wine (“consubstantiation”). Zwingli in Zurich is said to have taught that the elements were merely symbols and that the Lord’s Supper is only a memorial. Calvin took a different line, teaching that the sacraments are means of grace but that the Body and Blood of Christ are received in a spiritual manner by the faithful. Cranmer, as Archbishop of Canterbury at the time of the Reformation, held several different positions: Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed, at different times. What has come down to us in the Anglican Liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer is essentially a Reformed service of Holy Communion which, as befitting the via media, is sufficiently nuanced or ambiguous enough to permit for a range of understanding of the Eucharist between, but not including, transubstantiation on the one hand and mere symbolism on the other.
Queen Elizabeth 1 is credited with the following verse regarding the Lord’s Supper:
"Christ was the Word that spake it:He took the Bread and brake it;And what that Word did make it,That I believe and take it."
Perhaps that is the right way to approach this mystery.
I don't have her handout on line but here is the one we used for background.
Confirming Faith Week 11 The Sacraments
Have you ever seen a movie in which a courageous band of soldiers defend or rescue their regimental colours or standard, or watched a news clip of raging mobs burning and stamping on the Stars and Stripes? What’s with a piece of cloth anyway?
What do the items in the following lists have in common with each other? What are the similarities and differences between the lists?
A dollar bill A photograph of money
A marriage certificate A gold band on the third finger of the left hand
A license to practice medicine A white lab coat
An officer’s commission from the queen A soldier’s uniform
A maple leaf The Canadian flag
An icon on you computer desk top The wallpaper on the screen.
A hug An E-card from Dayspring
Do you recall the illustration about the million dollar cheque when we talked about the Holy Spirit? What conditions had to be met by for the recipient to actually be a million dollars richer?
As we begin to think about the Christian sacraments we will quickly find ourselves wrestling with concepts of “reality” on the one hand and “symbolism” on the other. As always at COOL, we respect a range of perspectives, but, to be a bit provocative, the first column represents a catholic understanding of reality, the second a protestant view of symbolism. The Anglican way attempts to keep the two together. Sometimes that’s a stretch. In the world of the Old and New Testaments, symbolism and reality were closely connected. That was the case for the first 1000 years or so of the Christian church. That is still the approach of the Eastern Church and of the Anglican middle way.
What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual reality. It is a tangible way in which God’s grace is received by faith. The word comes from Latin sacramentum which was the oath of allegiance taken by a soldier. Eastern Christians call them “mysteries” because God works through them in ways we cannot fully define.
How many are there?
Christians have had a variety of answers as to which practices should be considered sacraments. About 800 years ago the Roman Church set the number at seven. The Eastern Church recognizes the same seven but is not fussy about the number. The Protestant reformers reduced them to two. Some Protestants discarded them altogether. Some call them “ordinances” instead of sacraments. Anglicans regard two (Communion and Baptism) as sacraments of the gospel which Christ himself commanded be observed and which “are generally necessary for salvation”, but we also use the other five “commonly called sacraments” or sacramental rites. Only the first two apply to all Christians, although confirmation could. This week Kathy King will be leading a discussion on the Eucharist. Next week we look at baptism and confirmation with Cynthia’s help. Later we hope to touch on the others briefly.
The seven are:
The Eucharist (Communion, Lord’s Supper or Mass)
Baptism in water.
Confirmation (or chrismation, not to be confused with cremation!)
Marriage
Confession (also called Reconciliation or Penance)
Ordination
Anointing the sick (unction)
How are the reality and the symbol connected? What one believes about this affects how one responds.
Roman Catholics would say that the symbol becomes the reality when the proper words and actions are performed by the proper person (the priest). Baptism makes one a Christian. The bread and wine become Jesus’ body and blood and therefore can be worshiped after they are consecrated.
Some Protestants would say they are purely symbolic; they only point to the reality which is spiritual. One becomes a Christian by conversion; baptism is an optional outward symbol of what has already occurred within. The bread and juice remain bread and juice and left-overs can be discarded.
Anglicans and some other Protestants would say that the symbol conveys the reality when received by faith. Anglicans therefore reverently consume any remaining elements at communion because they have been set apart for holy use.
Two dangers to avoid.
When approaching the sacraments one should avoid the two extremes: An overly “real” approach can lead to superstition and idolatry or to a mechanical view of how God acts which neglects the importance of faith and a right attitude of heart. The other extreme lacks the proper reverence for God’s actions. To neglect the sacraments is to be disobedient to Jesus and to lose out on what he has to offer through them.
What is the point anyway? The bottom line.
God knows how we are made. He made our senses. He is Spirit and we are to worship him in spirit and in truth. We are also to worship him with all that we are. If we elevate the importance of physical things we can make idols out of them. Nevertheless, he knows we need things we can see, touch, feel, taste, smell. The one who is Spirit became material in Jesus so we could see the human face of God. Similarly, Jesus and his apostles used physical things: wine, bread, oil, water, and human hands to be means of receiving his grace. Try as we might we can never fully comprehend how he works. We simply receive with thanks what he gives.
The Eucharist: the following section is a bit technical and historical and is provided for reference only:
Based on the command of Christ and the example of the apostles who broke bread from house to house, Christians have been receiving spiritual sustenance at the Lord’s Table since the church began. What Christ intended as a fellowship meal in his memory has unfortunately often been an occasion for disagreement over exactly what happens in the Lord’s Supper. For the first few centuries Christians did not speculate on exactly how the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ but accepted that they were so. As early as 150 AD Justin Martyr (Apology 65-66) wrote:
For we do not receive them as common bread and drink; but as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation; similarly we have been taught that the food which is blessed by the word of prayer transmitted from him, and by which our blood and flesh are changed and nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.
This is the faith that was passed on by the apostles only two generations earlier. Even today the Eastern Church accepts that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ at the epiclesis (prayer for the Holy Spirit) but they do not presume to explain how. A holy mystery is by definition inexplicable. We in the West tend to be reductionist, reducing things to their component parts, separating what rightly belongs together and insisting on either/or when both/and might serve better. So it was that in the ninth and tenth centuries controversy arose in the West between those (such as Ratramnus and Belanger of Tours), who described the elements as symbols, and those (eg Paschasius and Lanfranc) who insisted on their physical reality. Finally, in 1215 the Fourth Lateran Council adopted transubstantiation as the Roman church’s official position.
Roman Catholic scholars borrowed philosophical concepts from Aristotle to explain exactly how this occurs. They also taught during the Middle Ages that Jesus was re-sacrificed by the priest each time Mass was said. Rome no longer expresses it that way but still regards the Mass as a sacrifice. The Reformers, teaching from the clear words of the book of Hebrews, maintained that Jesus’ one sacrifice was totally sufficient and unrepeatable, and that he is our only high priest.
The Reformers disagreed on the best way to replace the Roman Catholic sacramental theology. Luther believed in the ubiquity of Christ’s body and that the Body and Blood of Christ very received in, with and under the elements of bread and wine (“consubstantiation”). Zwingli in Zurich is said to have taught that the elements were merely symbols and that the Lord’s Supper is only a memorial. Calvin took a different line, teaching that the sacraments are means of grace but that the Body and Blood of Christ are received in a spiritual manner by the faithful. Cranmer, as Archbishop of Canterbury at the time of the Reformation, held several different positions: Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed, at different times. What has come down to us in the Anglican Liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer is essentially a Reformed service of Holy Communion which, as befitting the via media, is sufficiently nuanced or ambiguous enough to permit for a range of understanding of the Eucharist between, but not including, transubstantiation on the one hand and mere symbolism on the other.
Queen Elizabeth 1 is credited with the following verse regarding the Lord’s Supper:
"Christ was the Word that spake it:He took the Bread and brake it;And what that Word did make it,That I believe and take it."
Perhaps that is the right way to approach this mystery.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Confirming Faith Week 10: Sunday at Five.
Thanks Tom for last week's discussion on living as a Christian.
This Sunday at Five we meet for communion, followed by supper at six and discussion at 6:45 at the Bowlers.
Here are Martin's notes for this week:
Following on from our recent discussion formats, here are some points tothink about for Sunday. Perhaps we can come prepared to discusssome/all/any of these. I have tried to attach some relevant scriptures hereand there, so maybe we could think about the question or statement and thenlook up the scripture.
Prayer
1. What is prayer? Matt. 7:7-112. Why pray? Luke 18:13. How should we pray? Matt 6:9-134. Where should we pray? Acts 12:1-55. What gets in the way of prayer? 1Pet.3:7 (One example, can you thinkof others?)6. Does God answer all prayers? John 15:7
Perhaps we could consider separately each of the three sentences in thequotation below and relate them to our own prayer life. "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless, I praybecause the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. Itdoesn't change God, it changes me."C.S. Lewis
Worship
1. Look up the word worship. What does it actually mean?2. Is worship different from prayer? How?3. What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth? (John4:20-24)4. Is there a special time to worship God?5. Is it better to worship God on one's own or with other Christians?Look up one or all of these references. What is wrong with the worship ineach of them?Deut. 17:3Ex. 34:14Deut. 32:17Rom. 1:25Dan. 3:5-15Acts. 10:25,26Rev. 13:3-13Could we, (do we) worship in this way today?If you'd care to, make up a prayer to share with our group, One you couldread aloud.
Maybe you could use the letters in PRAYER, or WORSHIP as anacrostic on which to base your prayer. E.g..Prayer for CoolPraise you Lord for your love and faithfulness. You are ourRuler and our Lord. Accept our prayers. MayYour will be done in our lives,Each day as we live it.Reign over us in love. This should give us lots to talk about. Feel free to make your ownadditions to this as the Lord moves you to.
See you Sunday,Martin
This Sunday at Five we meet for communion, followed by supper at six and discussion at 6:45 at the Bowlers.
Here are Martin's notes for this week:
Following on from our recent discussion formats, here are some points tothink about for Sunday. Perhaps we can come prepared to discusssome/all/any of these. I have tried to attach some relevant scriptures hereand there, so maybe we could think about the question or statement and thenlook up the scripture.
Prayer
1. What is prayer? Matt. 7:7-112. Why pray? Luke 18:13. How should we pray? Matt 6:9-134. Where should we pray? Acts 12:1-55. What gets in the way of prayer? 1Pet.3:7 (One example, can you thinkof others?)6. Does God answer all prayers? John 15:7
Perhaps we could consider separately each of the three sentences in thequotation below and relate them to our own prayer life. "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless, I praybecause the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. Itdoesn't change God, it changes me."C.S. Lewis
Worship
1. Look up the word worship. What does it actually mean?2. Is worship different from prayer? How?3. What does it mean to worship God in spirit and truth? (John4:20-24)4. Is there a special time to worship God?5. Is it better to worship God on one's own or with other Christians?Look up one or all of these references. What is wrong with the worship ineach of them?Deut. 17:3Ex. 34:14Deut. 32:17Rom. 1:25Dan. 3:5-15Acts. 10:25,26Rev. 13:3-13Could we, (do we) worship in this way today?If you'd care to, make up a prayer to share with our group, One you couldread aloud.
Maybe you could use the letters in PRAYER, or WORSHIP as anacrostic on which to base your prayer. E.g..Prayer for CoolPraise you Lord for your love and faithfulness. You are ourRuler and our Lord. Accept our prayers. MayYour will be done in our lives,Each day as we live it.Reign over us in love. This should give us lots to talk about. Feel free to make your ownadditions to this as the Lord moves you to.
See you Sunday,Martin
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Sunday at Five. November 13, 2005
Hello everyone:
Sunday at Five will be at the Bowlers' house again this week. Communion and discussion at five followed by supper. Brian Hamp will be leading the discussion about the Bible this week.
He has suggested that for preparation people might like to spend 15 minutes jotting down their thoughts about the Bible and its major themes and characters or what the Bible means to you.
Some background reading, for those interested, can be found on our Blog at the following URLs.
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005/07/overview-of-bible.html
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005/07/overview-of-old-testament.html
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005/07/overview-of-new-testament.html
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_coolcommentary_archive.html
Sunday at Five will be at the Bowlers' house again this week. Communion and discussion at five followed by supper. Brian Hamp will be leading the discussion about the Bible this week.
He has suggested that for preparation people might like to spend 15 minutes jotting down their thoughts about the Bible and its major themes and characters or what the Bible means to you.
Some background reading, for those interested, can be found on our Blog at the following URLs.
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005/07/overview-of-bible.html
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005/07/overview-of-old-testament.html
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005/07/overview-of-new-testament.html
http://coolcommentary.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_coolcommentary_archive.html
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Confirming Faith Week 7 The Creeds
Confirming Faith Week 7: The Creeds.
A creed (from Latin: credo = I believe) is simply a summary of what one believes. There is nothing mysterious or peculiar about that idea. If you say, “I believe the world is round.” or “I believe in fair play” you have just stated a creed.
Some Christians don’t like to use creeds because they believe worship should always be spontaneous, or because they think that having a creed somehow puts human authority above the Bible. When they say “I believe no creed but the Bible” they have just contradicted themselves because that statement is itself a creed. It is a false dichotomy to pit scripture and creed against each other, provided that the creed is derived from the clear teaching of Scripture. It is right that Christians should study and understand the Bible for themselves; however the Bible itself teaches that scripture is not a matter for private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20). Many false cults say that they believe the Bible but what they believe about its teaching is wrong. It is for the whole church to determine what the Bible teaches, and that includes taking into consideration what Christians have believed throughout the centuries. Some churches like to re-write the creeds because they don’t want to be bound by what Christians have always believed.
Why creeds are useful:
Limitations of creeds: the creeds cannot answer every possible question, settle every possible dispute nor do they exhaust everything that Christians believe. A creed is simply a “table of contents” to the most important things we believe. They were written to address issues which were in dispute at a particular time in history, not to settle issues which had not even been thought of at the time. Just as doing good deeds is not enough to save yourself, so too believing a set of doctrines is not good enough by itself. Faith and trust in Christ and obedience to him go together.
Creeds contained in the Bible: (believe it or not, the Bible itself contains a number of creeds),
In Deuteronomy 6:4 (the shema) is a creed still used by Jewish people today: “Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.” Similarly in 1 Kings 18:39 we read that the people of Israel together said: “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
Succinct statements of Christian belief can be found in Matt 16:16, John 1:49, John 6:68-69, John 20:28, Acts 8:36-37, Acts 16:31, 1Cor 12:3, 1 Cor 8:6.
Longer creeds are found in: 1 Cor 15:3-7, Phil 2:6-11, 1 Tim3:16. Hebrew 6:1-2 gives a list of things the early church taught.
Public confession of faith is commanded in the Bible: Romans 10:9.
The Creeds themselves: many denominations or mission organizations have statements of faith or “confessions” or Catechisms which they expect their members to adhere to. The oldest ecumenical creeds are the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Creed of St Athanasius. All major denominations accept these creeds even if they don’t recite them regularly.
Nicene Creed (ecumenical version)
I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being* with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man.For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the
Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the
world to come. Amen.
*(or substance or essence)
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds have the same structure: 3 sections dealing with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit respectively. The Nicene Creed is longer and more detailed, addressing more fully that Jesus is both God and Man as well as clarifying the personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit. At the end of each are brief statements about the church, baptism/forgiveness, and the resurrection of the dead.
The Creed of St Athanasius is much longer than the other two and quite repetitious so it is rarely used.
The Apostles’ Creed has its origins in the second century but was only finalized several centuries later. It is used in a question and answer format at baptism. The Nicene Creed dates from 325 AD (amended in 380) and was written to address the issue of whether Jesus was both fully divine and fully human or whether he was a created being instead of eternal.
Questions:
Using the two creeds printed, what would you say to someone who said:
Which of the above statements is consistent with the Christian faith?
Remember: being a Christian is much more than saying you believe a list of things ABOUT God. It involves a living relationship WITH God. However, it is important to know what we believe.
A creed (from Latin: credo = I believe) is simply a summary of what one believes. There is nothing mysterious or peculiar about that idea. If you say, “I believe the world is round.” or “I believe in fair play” you have just stated a creed.
Some Christians don’t like to use creeds because they believe worship should always be spontaneous, or because they think that having a creed somehow puts human authority above the Bible. When they say “I believe no creed but the Bible” they have just contradicted themselves because that statement is itself a creed. It is a false dichotomy to pit scripture and creed against each other, provided that the creed is derived from the clear teaching of Scripture. It is right that Christians should study and understand the Bible for themselves; however the Bible itself teaches that scripture is not a matter for private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20). Many false cults say that they believe the Bible but what they believe about its teaching is wrong. It is for the whole church to determine what the Bible teaches, and that includes taking into consideration what Christians have believed throughout the centuries. Some churches like to re-write the creeds because they don’t want to be bound by what Christians have always believed.
Why creeds are useful:
- they provide a simple summary of what we believe that is easy to memorize.
- people can immediately tell what a particular church believes and so they can know whether they should join or avoid that church.
- they provide a standard by which new or wrong teaching can be measured, otherwise someone can always claim that their interpretation of scripture is the right one. (eg 1John 4:2). They provide a means of accountability.
- they serve as a focus of unity for Christians on essential matters while allowing for disagreement on less important matters.
Limitations of creeds: the creeds cannot answer every possible question, settle every possible dispute nor do they exhaust everything that Christians believe. A creed is simply a “table of contents” to the most important things we believe. They were written to address issues which were in dispute at a particular time in history, not to settle issues which had not even been thought of at the time. Just as doing good deeds is not enough to save yourself, so too believing a set of doctrines is not good enough by itself. Faith and trust in Christ and obedience to him go together.
Creeds contained in the Bible: (believe it or not, the Bible itself contains a number of creeds),
In Deuteronomy 6:4 (the shema) is a creed still used by Jewish people today: “Hear O Israel! The Lord is our God; the Lord is one.” Similarly in 1 Kings 18:39 we read that the people of Israel together said: “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
Succinct statements of Christian belief can be found in Matt 16:16, John 1:49, John 6:68-69, John 20:28, Acts 8:36-37, Acts 16:31, 1Cor 12:3, 1 Cor 8:6.
Longer creeds are found in: 1 Cor 15:3-7, Phil 2:6-11, 1 Tim3:16. Hebrew 6:1-2 gives a list of things the early church taught.
Public confession of faith is commanded in the Bible: Romans 10:9.
The Creeds themselves: many denominations or mission organizations have statements of faith or “confessions” or Catechisms which they expect their members to adhere to. The oldest ecumenical creeds are the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Creed of St Athanasius. All major denominations accept these creeds even if they don’t recite them regularly.
Nicene Creed (ecumenical version)
I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God,
Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being* with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man.For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the
Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the
world to come. Amen.
*(or substance or essence)
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds have the same structure: 3 sections dealing with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit respectively. The Nicene Creed is longer and more detailed, addressing more fully that Jesus is both God and Man as well as clarifying the personhood and deity of the Holy Spirit. At the end of each are brief statements about the church, baptism/forgiveness, and the resurrection of the dead.
The Creed of St Athanasius is much longer than the other two and quite repetitious so it is rarely used.
The Apostles’ Creed has its origins in the second century but was only finalized several centuries later. It is used in a question and answer format at baptism. The Nicene Creed dates from 325 AD (amended in 380) and was written to address the issue of whether Jesus was both fully divine and fully human or whether he was a created being instead of eternal.
Questions:
Using the two creeds printed, what would you say to someone who said:
- the world was created by a bad deity who was not the Father of our Lord Jesus.
- that there are three Gods, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are just three different ways of looking at the same person.
- that Jesus was the first created angel.
- that Jesus was divine, he only appeared to be human.
- that we are all divine; Jesus was just more fully aware of his “god within” than most people are.
- that the Mother Goddess gave birth to the world and that the whole universe is part of her.
- that Jesus had a natural father.
- that Jesus’ body is still in the grave; his resurrection was a story made up by his followers who somehow felt his presence with them when they shared bread and wine together.
- that the Holy Spirit is a force sent by God but is not God.
- that Jesus only became the Christ at his baptism.
- that Mary carried the human Jesus in her womb but not God.
- that we don’t need to be forgiven, we just need to be better educated.
- that Jesus did not actually die, Judas was crucified in his place.
- that Jesus is not coming back.
- that we can believe in God but not bother with the church.
- that death is final.
- that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, yet fully human, who died, rose again, ascended into heaven and will return as judge and king.
Which of the above statements is consistent with the Christian faith?
Remember: being a Christian is much more than saying you believe a list of things ABOUT God. It involves a living relationship WITH God. However, it is important to know what we believe.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Confirming Faith Week Six: The Church
This week we are looking at what is meant by “church”. Jannice will be leading the discussion and so the questions may not relate directly to this article, which provides some background information for reference.
The word “church” in English (similar to Scottish Kirk or German kirche) comes from the Greek kuriakos meaning belonging to the Lord (kyrios). The church, therefore, consists of those who belong to the Lord. French and Spanish words for church come from the Greek ekklesia meaning an assembly (ek=out and kaleo meaning called). Ekklesia was used for any assembly, not only Christian ones. It is similar to the word synagogue which is used to describe a Jewish gathering for worship and teaching.
In the New Testament, “church” never means a building, the clergy, or a denomination, but rather, it referred to the people of God (a) meeting in someone’s house, (b) in a city or region, or (c) all Christians throughout the world. It was also sometime used for a secular gathering or for God’s people Israel.
In the first chapters of Acts we read about Christ’s followers meeting in homes and also in the Jerusalem temple court. The earliest Christians were nearly all Jewish and therefore attended worship in the temple and the synagogue as well as breaking bread (celebrating communion) in each other’s homes. Around 70 AD Messianic Jews were finally evicted from the synagogues and the tragic break with Judaism occurred. Christians continued to meet in homes until the fourth century when purpose-built church buildings patterned on the Roman basilicas first began to be used.
Additional terms used for the church in the Bible:
· body of Christ: we are all different parts of the one body (1Cor 12) with Christ as the head (Eph 5:23).
· bride of Christ. Marriage as a picture of Christ and his church. (Ephesians 5)
· family or household of God. (Eph 2:19) He is our father; we are joint-heirs with Christ. (Eph 3:6)
· people of God (Heb 4:9)
· temple of the living God (2 Cor 6:16), a building made of living stones (1 Peter 2:5), with Christ as the cornerstone(Eph 2:20).
· pillar and ground of truth. (1 Tim 3:15)
It is God who adds to his church (Acts 2:47) and Jesus who will build it (Matt 16:18). The gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
The Kingdom of God (everywhere His rule is exercised) and the church are not the same thing but both have Christ as their centre. Christ is King. The church is the assembly of those who have accepted the good news of the Kingdom and are its ambassadors. Christians have dual-citizenship: in their country and in Christ’s Kingdom. Their first allegiance is to Christ.
Jesus said that wherever two or three are gathered in his name he is there with them. Wherever his disciples gather there is the church.
The Kingdom of God.
The Church
Christ
The Nicene Creed refers to the Church as
· One: meaning that all who belong to Christ belong to the church. Separate denominations are not what Christ intended.
· Holy: meaning set-apart for God.
· Catholic: a botanical term meaning “to be in accord with the whole”. It was used, for example, to describe a true oak tree as opposed to one which looked like an oak tree but was another species.
· Apostolic: meaning continuing to believe and practice what the apostles taught.
We become part of the church through faith in Christ and being baptised. The word laos (from which we get the word “laity”) refers to all Christians: the whole people of God. All Christians are given spiritual gifts to serve the whole church. Some Christians are called to serve as deacons; some deacons become presbyters (pastors) and some presbyters give oversight to others as bishops (shepherds). Different denominations use different terms for their leaders.
The early church recognized the functions of (a) apostles (pioneering church-planters) who traveled around starting new churches and giving oversight to multiple local churches, (b) prophets, who had an authoritative role in proclaiming God’s message, (c) evangelists, who were effective in leading others to Christ, (d) pastor-teachers, who looked after and taught the local congregations. There were also deacons who looked after the poor and widows or visited the sick. Elders (presbyters/bishops) could have any of these functions but chiefly the role of pastor-teacher. By the time the last of the original Apostles died, the term “bishop” came to mean the senior pastor who oversaw other pastors and served as a point of unity between different local congregations.
Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox each claim to be the one true church (they cannot both be right!). Some sects or cults make similar claims about themselves. Protestants tend to distinguish between the “invisible “church, which is all Christians everywhere and the “visible” church (the denomination or congregational organization ) recognizing that the visible church will always have belonging to it some people who are not true believers. Anglicans make no claim to be the one true church, but rather, to be only a part of the one church and are thus committed to ecumenical co-operation.
Hands: service in the world
Feet: shod with the gospel: evangelism
Feet: shod with the gospel: evangelism
Hands: service in the world.
Christ is the head . His disciples form the body..
Fellowship in the church, with Worship as the heart of the Church
(The picture model would not post on this blog) Above is a model of the local church as a body with limbs reaching out into the community.
The five purposes of the local church are: worship, fellowship, service, evangelism, and discipleship. These are summed up in a different order in COOL’s Mission Statement:
To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
This week we are looking at what is meant by “church”. Jannice will be leading the discussion and so the questions may not relate directly to this article, which provides some background information for reference.
The word “church” in English (similar to Scottish Kirk or German kirche) comes from the Greek kuriakos meaning belonging to the Lord (kyrios). The church, therefore, consists of those who belong to the Lord. French and Spanish words for church come from the Greek ekklesia meaning an assembly (ek=out and kaleo meaning called). Ekklesia was used for any assembly, not only Christian ones. It is similar to the word synagogue which is used to describe a Jewish gathering for worship and teaching.
In the New Testament, “church” never means a building, the clergy, or a denomination, but rather, it referred to the people of God (a) meeting in someone’s house, (b) in a city or region, or (c) all Christians throughout the world. It was also sometime used for a secular gathering or for God’s people Israel.
In the first chapters of Acts we read about Christ’s followers meeting in homes and also in the Jerusalem temple court. The earliest Christians were nearly all Jewish and therefore attended worship in the temple and the synagogue as well as breaking bread (celebrating communion) in each other’s homes. Around 70 AD Messianic Jews were finally evicted from the synagogues and the tragic break with Judaism occurred. Christians continued to meet in homes until the fourth century when purpose-built church buildings patterned on the Roman basilicas first began to be used.
Additional terms used for the church in the Bible:
· body of Christ: we are all different parts of the one body (1Cor 12) with Christ as the head (Eph 5:23).
· bride of Christ. Marriage as a picture of Christ and his church. (Ephesians 5)
· family or household of God. (Eph 2:19) He is our father; we are joint-heirs with Christ. (Eph 3:6)
· people of God (Heb 4:9)
· temple of the living God (2 Cor 6:16), a building made of living stones (1 Peter 2:5), with Christ as the cornerstone(Eph 2:20).
· pillar and ground of truth. (1 Tim 3:15)
It is God who adds to his church (Acts 2:47) and Jesus who will build it (Matt 16:18). The gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
The Kingdom of God (everywhere His rule is exercised) and the church are not the same thing but both have Christ as their centre. Christ is King. The church is the assembly of those who have accepted the good news of the Kingdom and are its ambassadors. Christians have dual-citizenship: in their country and in Christ’s Kingdom. Their first allegiance is to Christ.
Jesus said that wherever two or three are gathered in his name he is there with them. Wherever his disciples gather there is the church.
The Kingdom of God.
The Church
Christ
The Nicene Creed refers to the Church as
· One: meaning that all who belong to Christ belong to the church. Separate denominations are not what Christ intended.
· Holy: meaning set-apart for God.
· Catholic: a botanical term meaning “to be in accord with the whole”. It was used, for example, to describe a true oak tree as opposed to one which looked like an oak tree but was another species.
· Apostolic: meaning continuing to believe and practice what the apostles taught.
We become part of the church through faith in Christ and being baptised. The word laos (from which we get the word “laity”) refers to all Christians: the whole people of God. All Christians are given spiritual gifts to serve the whole church. Some Christians are called to serve as deacons; some deacons become presbyters (pastors) and some presbyters give oversight to others as bishops (shepherds). Different denominations use different terms for their leaders.
The early church recognized the functions of (a) apostles (pioneering church-planters) who traveled around starting new churches and giving oversight to multiple local churches, (b) prophets, who had an authoritative role in proclaiming God’s message, (c) evangelists, who were effective in leading others to Christ, (d) pastor-teachers, who looked after and taught the local congregations. There were also deacons who looked after the poor and widows or visited the sick. Elders (presbyters/bishops) could have any of these functions but chiefly the role of pastor-teacher. By the time the last of the original Apostles died, the term “bishop” came to mean the senior pastor who oversaw other pastors and served as a point of unity between different local congregations.
Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox each claim to be the one true church (they cannot both be right!). Some sects or cults make similar claims about themselves. Protestants tend to distinguish between the “invisible “church, which is all Christians everywhere and the “visible” church (the denomination or congregational organization ) recognizing that the visible church will always have belonging to it some people who are not true believers. Anglicans make no claim to be the one true church, but rather, to be only a part of the one church and are thus committed to ecumenical co-operation.
Hands: service in the world
Feet: shod with the gospel: evangelism
Feet: shod with the gospel: evangelism
Hands: service in the world.
Christ is the head . His disciples form the body..
Fellowship in the church, with Worship as the heart of the Church
(The picture model would not post on this blog) Above is a model of the local church as a body with limbs reaching out into the community.
The five purposes of the local church are: worship, fellowship, service, evangelism, and discipleship. These are summed up in a different order in COOL’s Mission Statement:
To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Sunday at Five, October 23, 2005
Discussion and Holy Communion at five pm this Sunday, followed by potluck supper, at 2087 Beaton Ave, Comox, BC.
Confirming Faith Week 5 The Holy Spirit
Confirming Faith Week Five. The Holy Spirit.
Who is the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person, not a thing or an impersonal force. He is the third Person of the Godhead (the Trinity) and proceeds from the Father through the Son (or, at the Son’s request). He does not draw attention to Himself. He draws us into a relationship with the Father and glorifies the Son. He is present in scripture from the second verse of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation.
What was His role in the Old Testament?
He was present at Creation and at various times rested upon or filled individuals so that they could be empowered for God-directed action or to speak God’s message. He inspired the prophets and the authors of the books of the Bible. In the OT it was only special people who had the HS and then only for specific purposes.
What was His role in the New Testament?
Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was active in people such as Mary, Elizabeth, Zecharias, John the Baptizer, and in Jesus. He came upon Jesus at his baptism and led him out into the wilderness. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit and to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit came. We are told that it was the Holy Spirit’s power that raised Jesus from the dead, thereby proving that the Father had accepted His sacrifice.
At Pentecost (Acts 2) all the gathered followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages they did not understand but which were understood by people of various nationalities who overheard them. Peter preached to the crowds that they too would receive the HS if the repented, believed in Jesus and were baptized. Subsequently, the HS was received by a number of individuals and groups including Samaritans, Gentiles and others.
What does He do today?
He does what he has done ever since He was given to the church at Pentecost.
How to receive or be filled with the Spirit.
Becoming a Christian has four parts to it: repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water, and receiving the Spirit (Acts 2:38). These may occur together or at different times and not always in that order.
If you are not sure whether or not you are a Christian, then the first thing to do is to do make sure you are. Pray a “sorry, thank you, please” prayer: confess your sinfulness, asking God to forgive you, thank Him for Jesus’ death for you, and ask him to give you His Spirit.
If you are already a Christian, confess to God any known sin that would interfere with the HS working in your life and to reveal to you anything which needs to be made right with Him. Then ask Jesus to fill you with his Spirit and to give you any gifts you need to serve Him. Praise Him and thank for doing so. Focus on God rather than on your feelings – the Giver is more important than the gift. Use your own language as well as any other language which comes to mind as you pray. You will probably find yourself praising Him in a language you have never learned. It’s that simple.
Conversion and baptism are unrepeatable, but repentance, faith and walking in/by the Spirit are a way of life. Remember, being filled with the Spirit is not a once only event. You need to be continually filled with the Spirit. At different times you may need or experience a special infilling, gift for a particular purpose.
What does it mean to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit?
This expression only occurs 7 times in the Bible, 5 times predicting that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit in contrast to John baptizing in water. This came true for Jewish believers at Pentecost and for Gentiles when Cornelius (Acts 10) and his family were baptized in the Spirit. After Cornelius’s conversion Peter refers to those predictions to explain what had just occurred (Acts 11:16-18). The final time is the reference in 1Cor 12:13 which indicates that all Christians have been baptized by one Spirit into the one body of Christ. So some Christians understand the term to refer to being born again at which time one receives the Spirit.
Some Christians refer to a special experience, after conversion, of being filled with the Spirit in a very powerful way, usually accompanied by speaking in tongues, as being “Baptized in the Spirit.” Other Christians, while having a similar experience, prefer not to call it by that name because of the confusion which arises from the terminology.
Nowhere in the New Testament are Christians after Pentecost commanded to seek an experience called the Baptism in the Spirit. We are, however, commanded to go on being filled with the Spirit, to walk by the Spirit, to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, not to quench or grieve the Spirit. Not everyone has an identical experience but we are all expected to receive the Spirit and the gifts He wishes us to have. Nobody should be proud of their experiences or consider others less for not having the same experience. Nevertheless, Jesus intends for us to be filled with his Spirit and to have His power at work in our lives. We should not be afraid of asking the Father for this, as Jesus promised the Father will give the Spirit to anyone who asks (Luke 11:13).
Discussion:
At a subsequent time we shall discuss the connection between the Holy Spirit and water baptism and with public profession of faith (eg church membership or Confirmation).
As before, some of the material for this backgrounder was taken from Faith Confirmed by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK). However most of it was drawn from other authors such as Nicky Gumbel, Michael Green and David Pawson.
Who is the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person, not a thing or an impersonal force. He is the third Person of the Godhead (the Trinity) and proceeds from the Father through the Son (or, at the Son’s request). He does not draw attention to Himself. He draws us into a relationship with the Father and glorifies the Son. He is present in scripture from the second verse of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation.
What was His role in the Old Testament?
He was present at Creation and at various times rested upon or filled individuals so that they could be empowered for God-directed action or to speak God’s message. He inspired the prophets and the authors of the books of the Bible. In the OT it was only special people who had the HS and then only for specific purposes.
What was His role in the New Testament?
Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was active in people such as Mary, Elizabeth, Zecharias, John the Baptizer, and in Jesus. He came upon Jesus at his baptism and led him out into the wilderness. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit and to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit came. We are told that it was the Holy Spirit’s power that raised Jesus from the dead, thereby proving that the Father had accepted His sacrifice.
At Pentecost (Acts 2) all the gathered followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages they did not understand but which were understood by people of various nationalities who overheard them. Peter preached to the crowds that they too would receive the HS if the repented, believed in Jesus and were baptized. Subsequently, the HS was received by a number of individuals and groups including Samaritans, Gentiles and others.
What does He do today?
He does what he has done ever since He was given to the church at Pentecost.
- Before we become Christians He convinces us of our need for God. He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). Nobody can truthfully confess Jesus as Lord without having the Spirit (Romans 8:9 and 1Cor 12:3).
- When we become Christians we are “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3-8 and 1John 5:8) and receive the Spirit of adoption by which we are assured that God is our Father (Romans 8:15). The Holy Spirit comes to live within us (1Cor 3:16).
- He incorporates us into the Body of Christ which is the church. (1 Cor 12:13). Water baptism and baptism in/with/by the Spirit are two sides of the same coin but are not the same thing and may or may not occur at the same time.
- He transforms our character by producing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).
- He gives us gifts to be used for the benefit of the whole church. There are numerous lists of these: 1 Corinthians chapters 12 (three lists), 1 Peter 4, Romans 12, 1 Cor 7:2, Ephesians 4.
- He helps us to understand the truth of scripture which He inspired. He is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). See also: 1 Cor 2:10-13.
How to receive or be filled with the Spirit.
Becoming a Christian has four parts to it: repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water, and receiving the Spirit (Acts 2:38). These may occur together or at different times and not always in that order.
If you are not sure whether or not you are a Christian, then the first thing to do is to do make sure you are. Pray a “sorry, thank you, please” prayer: confess your sinfulness, asking God to forgive you, thank Him for Jesus’ death for you, and ask him to give you His Spirit.
If you are already a Christian, confess to God any known sin that would interfere with the HS working in your life and to reveal to you anything which needs to be made right with Him. Then ask Jesus to fill you with his Spirit and to give you any gifts you need to serve Him. Praise Him and thank for doing so. Focus on God rather than on your feelings – the Giver is more important than the gift. Use your own language as well as any other language which comes to mind as you pray. You will probably find yourself praising Him in a language you have never learned. It’s that simple.
Conversion and baptism are unrepeatable, but repentance, faith and walking in/by the Spirit are a way of life. Remember, being filled with the Spirit is not a once only event. You need to be continually filled with the Spirit. At different times you may need or experience a special infilling, gift for a particular purpose.
What does it mean to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit?
This expression only occurs 7 times in the Bible, 5 times predicting that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit in contrast to John baptizing in water. This came true for Jewish believers at Pentecost and for Gentiles when Cornelius (Acts 10) and his family were baptized in the Spirit. After Cornelius’s conversion Peter refers to those predictions to explain what had just occurred (Acts 11:16-18). The final time is the reference in 1Cor 12:13 which indicates that all Christians have been baptized by one Spirit into the one body of Christ. So some Christians understand the term to refer to being born again at which time one receives the Spirit.
Some Christians refer to a special experience, after conversion, of being filled with the Spirit in a very powerful way, usually accompanied by speaking in tongues, as being “Baptized in the Spirit.” Other Christians, while having a similar experience, prefer not to call it by that name because of the confusion which arises from the terminology.
Nowhere in the New Testament are Christians after Pentecost commanded to seek an experience called the Baptism in the Spirit. We are, however, commanded to go on being filled with the Spirit, to walk by the Spirit, to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, not to quench or grieve the Spirit. Not everyone has an identical experience but we are all expected to receive the Spirit and the gifts He wishes us to have. Nobody should be proud of their experiences or consider others less for not having the same experience. Nevertheless, Jesus intends for us to be filled with his Spirit and to have His power at work in our lives. We should not be afraid of asking the Father for this, as Jesus promised the Father will give the Spirit to anyone who asks (Luke 11:13).
Discussion:
- What is the evidence that the Spirit is active in one’s life?
- What are the gifts of the Spirit?
- Should all Christians have the same gifts?
- Why might people be afraid to ask God to fill them with His Spirit?
- What metaphors for the Holy Spirit are there in the Bible?
At a subsequent time we shall discuss the connection between the Holy Spirit and water baptism and with public profession of faith (eg church membership or Confirmation).
As before, some of the material for this backgrounder was taken from Faith Confirmed by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK). However most of it was drawn from other authors such as Nicky Gumbel, Michael Green and David Pawson.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
New Dawn in East Africa: the East African revival - Christian History & Biography - ChristianityTodayLibrary.com
New Dawn in East Africa: the East African revival - Christian History & Biography - ChristianityTodayLibrary.com
Might the East Africa Revival have something to teach us in Canada?
Might the East Africa Revival have something to teach us in Canada?
Rick's Rwanda Road Map - Christianity Today Magazine
read these articles on how the Anglican church in Rwanda is helping heal the effects of Genocide.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Confirming Faith Week 4 Jesus Death and Resurrection
Confirming Faith - Week 4. Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
(A) HIS DEATH
Why Jesus Had to Die: There are several ways of looking at what Jesus achieved by his death and resurrection. All of these are true. Some Christians emphasize one over the others.
1. Atonement: this means to “make one” (at-one-ment). God made us for a relationship with him. We are estranged from God through our rebellion against him. (sin). Christ came to restore that relationship. Only someone who was both fully man and fully God, and who was himself without sin, could bridge that gap between us and God.
Read Eph 3:16-19. The cross is a picture of the lengths to which God was willing to go to reach out to us and of the depth and breadth of his love. The vertical part of the cross represents restoration between us and God; the horizontal beam represents the ministry of reconciliation he has given us (Romans 5:6-11, 2 Cor 5:18-20).
2. Substitution: This means that Jesus took our place. He received the punishment we deserve so that we could go free. We are justified (declared righteous and not guilty) because he has taken our sin on himself. (2 Cor 5:21). We exchange our sinfulness for his righteousness. The righteous wrath of God against evil was borne by him. Jesus experienced separation from God the Father so that we might be re-united with him and become his children. Essentially, he traded places with us. That is why he cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” All the sacrifices of the Old Testament are pictures of the one final sacrifice of Jesus.
3. Victory over Death and Evil:
Man was created immortal. Death entered human experience after man rebelled. Jesus experienced death for us. His resurrection overcame the power of death.
4. Ransom: This metaphor is that of paying a ransom price to set free a kidnapped victim or a slave (man is enslaved by sin and under Satan’s influence). Jesus purchased our liberation with his own blood. We therefore now belong to him. (Matt 20:28, 1Tim 2:6)
5. Rescue: Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection represent God’s rescue mission to planet Earth. He rescued us from Satan’s dominion and transferred us to God’s dominion, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. (Col 1:13).
6. Example to follow: Jesus’ death was an example (1Peter 2:21) of self-less love and devotion, of willingness to lay down one’s life for others and of loving one’s enemies. We are called to follow in his footsteps. His death, however, was not simply one of a revolutionary dying for a good cause.
Think of different examples from history, your own experience or the news which illustrate these different ways of looking at the cross, eg. someone risking his/her life for someone else.
Through his conception, birth, life and death, Jesus identified fully with all that it means to be human. He assumed our nature so that we could become by adoption and grace, what he is by nature, namely sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
(B) HIS RESURRECTION
1 Cor 15:1-20 and 50-58) Christians believe, as we say in some liturgies, that: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Easter is thus the central feast of the Christian year. Each Sunday is a mini-Easter as we gather around the Lord’s Table to remember and receive him in the bread and wine.
What should our response to this be?
One of the paradoxes of the Christian faith is this: when we think we are free to do whatever we want by rebelling against the God who made us, we are actually enslaved by sin. When we voluntarily submit to the Lordship of Christ we are truly free to be all we were meant to be.
Acknowledgement: As with the other sessions in this series, this topic is based substantially on Faith Confirmed by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK), supplemented with other material.
(A) HIS DEATH
Why Jesus Had to Die: There are several ways of looking at what Jesus achieved by his death and resurrection. All of these are true. Some Christians emphasize one over the others.
1. Atonement: this means to “make one” (at-one-ment). God made us for a relationship with him. We are estranged from God through our rebellion against him. (sin). Christ came to restore that relationship. Only someone who was both fully man and fully God, and who was himself without sin, could bridge that gap between us and God.
Read Eph 3:16-19. The cross is a picture of the lengths to which God was willing to go to reach out to us and of the depth and breadth of his love. The vertical part of the cross represents restoration between us and God; the horizontal beam represents the ministry of reconciliation he has given us (Romans 5:6-11, 2 Cor 5:18-20).
2. Substitution: This means that Jesus took our place. He received the punishment we deserve so that we could go free. We are justified (declared righteous and not guilty) because he has taken our sin on himself. (2 Cor 5:21). We exchange our sinfulness for his righteousness. The righteous wrath of God against evil was borne by him. Jesus experienced separation from God the Father so that we might be re-united with him and become his children. Essentially, he traded places with us. That is why he cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” All the sacrifices of the Old Testament are pictures of the one final sacrifice of Jesus.
3. Victory over Death and Evil:
Man was created immortal. Death entered human experience after man rebelled. Jesus experienced death for us. His resurrection overcame the power of death.
4. Ransom: This metaphor is that of paying a ransom price to set free a kidnapped victim or a slave (man is enslaved by sin and under Satan’s influence). Jesus purchased our liberation with his own blood. We therefore now belong to him. (Matt 20:28, 1Tim 2:6)
5. Rescue: Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection represent God’s rescue mission to planet Earth. He rescued us from Satan’s dominion and transferred us to God’s dominion, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. (Col 1:13).
6. Example to follow: Jesus’ death was an example (1Peter 2:21) of self-less love and devotion, of willingness to lay down one’s life for others and of loving one’s enemies. We are called to follow in his footsteps. His death, however, was not simply one of a revolutionary dying for a good cause.
Think of different examples from history, your own experience or the news which illustrate these different ways of looking at the cross, eg. someone risking his/her life for someone else.
Through his conception, birth, life and death, Jesus identified fully with all that it means to be human. He assumed our nature so that we could become by adoption and grace, what he is by nature, namely sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
(B) HIS RESURRECTION
1 Cor 15:1-20 and 50-58) Christians believe, as we say in some liturgies, that: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
- Jesus died; he did not merely swoon or appear dead.
- He was buried in a known and guarded tomb
- The tomb was empty on the first Easter morning.
- Jesus appeared to numerous people during the forty days before his ascension. They saw, touched and talked with him. He ate with them.
- His predictions came true.
- His claims were vindicated by God. i.e. his resurrection proved him to be who he claimed to be.
- He has power over death.
- We can have confidence that we too shall rise.
- The same power which raised Christ from the dead is alive in us through his Spirit.
- We can experience the risen Christ.
- If he kept his promise to rise from the dead, we can rely on his promise to come back again.
Easter is thus the central feast of the Christian year. Each Sunday is a mini-Easter as we gather around the Lord’s Table to remember and receive him in the bread and wine.
What should our response to this be?
One of the paradoxes of the Christian faith is this: when we think we are free to do whatever we want by rebelling against the God who made us, we are actually enslaved by sin. When we voluntarily submit to the Lordship of Christ we are truly free to be all we were meant to be.
Acknowledgement: As with the other sessions in this series, this topic is based substantially on Faith Confirmed by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK), supplemented with other material.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Sunday at five Oct 16th
Hi everyone.
Last week Jannice presented an excellent discussion on the life and ministry of Jesus.
This coming Sunday, October 9th (Thanksgiving Sunday) there will be no gathering. We next meet for communion, discussion and supper at 2087 Beaton Ave in Comox at 5pm October 16th.
See you there.
Last week Jannice presented an excellent discussion on the life and ministry of Jesus.
This coming Sunday, October 9th (Thanksgiving Sunday) there will be no gathering. We next meet for communion, discussion and supper at 2087 Beaton Ave in Comox at 5pm October 16th.
See you there.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Sunday at Five October 2, 2005
Communion, discussion and supper will be at 2087 Beaton Ave, Comox, at 5pm on Sunday, October 2nd, 2005. Notes will be posted later.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Sunday at Five: 25th September, 2005
Confirming Faith – Week 2: Human Nature and Sin.
This week we are looking at human nature from the perspective of what the Bible teaches.
Christianity has a very high view of Man as God originally intended humankind to be. Read Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2: 15-26, Psalm 8:4-8, and Colossians 1:15. Man is a mammal but more than an animal.
Christianity has a realistic view of Man as humankind became through rebellion against God. Read Genesis 3. Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 1:18-23 and Romans 3:23. As a result of their rebellion, every human born since has inherited mortality and a bias towards sin. We call this “original sin”.
Christianity provides a unique way for people to be restored to relationship with God. We shall look at this in more depth in the discussions on Jesus’ life and death over the next two weeks
Christianity has a high view of what Man and the universe will be like when Christ returns. We shall look at this at the end of this series. We shall be like him and shall reign with him. There will be a new heaven and earth. All of creation will be renewed
.
This week we are looking at human nature from the perspective of what the Bible teaches.
Christianity has a very high view of Man as God originally intended humankind to be. Read Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2: 15-26, Psalm 8:4-8, and Colossians 1:15. Man is a mammal but more than an animal.
- What does it mean to say that we were created in God’s image?
- In what ways is Christ similar to us and in what ways is he different?
- In what ways are angels similar to us and in what ways are they different?
- What kind of relationship did our first parents (Adam and Eve) have with God before they sinned?
- Why were we made?
- In what ways are we different from the rest of the animal kingdom?
Christianity has a realistic view of Man as humankind became through rebellion against God. Read Genesis 3. Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 1:18-23 and Romans 3:23. As a result of their rebellion, every human born since has inherited mortality and a bias towards sin. We call this “original sin”.
- What is sIn?
- What is the difference between sins and sin?
- Is anyone entirely evil?
- Is anyone entirely good?
- Can we be good without God?
- Can we ever achieve perfection in this life?
- What was the result of Adam and Eve’s sin (a) for their relationship with God, (b) how they saw themselves and each other and (c) for generations since then?
Christianity provides a unique way for people to be restored to relationship with God. We shall look at this in more depth in the discussions on Jesus’ life and death over the next two weeks
Christianity has a high view of what Man and the universe will be like when Christ returns. We shall look at this at the end of this series. We shall be like him and shall reign with him. There will be a new heaven and earth. All of creation will be renewed
.
yucv.com :: Youth Unlimited - A Community
Here is the Youth Unlimited, UNDERGROUND website. The YFC team in the Comox Valley provides an awesome inter-denominational program for teens. Check it out.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Sunday at Five (September 25th, 2005)
Next Sunday, September 25th, we meet at five at Brian and Susan Hamp's house at 4736 Headquarters Rd Courtenay. ( look for the Youth Unlimited sign on the right across the road from Riverbend, past Casa Loma and before Vanier.)
We shall have music and discussion followed by the Lord's Supper and a potluck meal together.
We shall have music and discussion followed by the Lord's Supper and a potluck meal together.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Going Deeper Confir
Going Deeper – Confirming our Faith. Week 1
How do we know God? He is greater than we can imagine or describe but we know him by faith.
He reveals himself:
What is God like? Think of words used to describe God. Think of some metaphors and similes for God. Eg Psalm 18:2, 1John 1:5. Psalm 23:1.
What Christians believe about God:
God is:
Look up:
God is active in history: Isaiah 41:1-4
God reveals himself supremely in Jesus: Hebrews 1:1, John 14:9, Col 1:15
God makes covenants with people: with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses. Jesus introduced the New Covenant.
God is our Father. Luke 1:2. Deuteronomy 32:6. He is also like a mother. (Isaiah 49:15.)
God is One (Deut 6:4) and Three: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2 Cor 13:14 and Matt 28:19)
Thoughts to ponder:
How is God related to Creation/Nature?
How do we believe in God when we see suffering?
What does the cross tell us about God?
How do we know God? He is greater than we can imagine or describe but we know him by faith.
He reveals himself:
- Through the Bible 2:Tim 3:16, 2 Peter 1:19-21
- Through the Church
- Through Nature Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20
- Through Experiences
- Through Prayer.
What is God like? Think of words used to describe God. Think of some metaphors and similes for God. Eg Psalm 18:2, 1John 1:5. Psalm 23:1.
What Christians believe about God:
God is:
- Creator.
- Everywhere
- All-powerful
- Knows everything
- Eternal
- Holy
- Unchanging
- Just
- Merciful
- Love
Look up:
God is active in history: Isaiah 41:1-4
God reveals himself supremely in Jesus: Hebrews 1:1, John 14:9, Col 1:15
God makes covenants with people: with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses. Jesus introduced the New Covenant.
God is our Father. Luke 1:2. Deuteronomy 32:6. He is also like a mother. (Isaiah 49:15.)
God is One (Deut 6:4) and Three: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2 Cor 13:14 and Matt 28:19)
Thoughts to ponder:
How is God related to Creation/Nature?
How do we believe in God when we see suffering?
What does the cross tell us about God?
Going Deeper Confirm
Going Deeper: Confirming our Faith
Introduction
Over the past couple of years at house church we have covered the basics of the Christian faith through the Alpha course, Christianity Explored, The Purpose-Drive Life and an overview of the Bible in The Bible for Blockheads. This Fall we propose to go a bit deeper into the faith by having a series of discussions drawn from the book “Faith Confirmed” by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK), supplemented by other materials. We may not agree on all their perspectives but the book provides a useful resource. We shall continue to meet on Sundays at five pm combining the study with worship and following it with potluck supper. Bring your friends.
We shall prepare the material ahead of time but the discussions will be informal and interactive. Rather than everyone having a book to study from, there will be questions to use as a basis for discussion.
Most of what we cover will be common to Christians as a whole. On some topics we shall present a range of opinions, attempting to be fair to the different view-points of, say, Roman Catholics and Protestants, while discussing why Anglican Christians arrived at conclusions which recognize the best of both. Initial topics are a revision exercise of what we have already covered in other discussions. We’ll get the most out of it if we try to participate every week. Depending on numbers we shall do an overview of the topic together ad then divide into groups for discussion eg teens/kids and one or more adult group. As always, feel free to ask any question.
Outline:
1 God
2. Human Nature and Sin
3. Jesus: Life and Ministry
4. Jesus: Death and Resurrection
5. The Holy Spirit
6. The Church
7. The Creeds
8 The Bible
9. Living as a Christian
10. Prayer & Worship
11. The Sacraments
12. Baptism
13. Confirmation
14. The Eucharist (ie Communion)
15. Marriage
16. Confession
17. Ordination
18. Anointing the sick (ie. Prayer for healing)
19. Life after Death
Introduction
Over the past couple of years at house church we have covered the basics of the Christian faith through the Alpha course, Christianity Explored, The Purpose-Drive Life and an overview of the Bible in The Bible for Blockheads. This Fall we propose to go a bit deeper into the faith by having a series of discussions drawn from the book “Faith Confirmed” by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK), supplemented by other materials. We may not agree on all their perspectives but the book provides a useful resource. We shall continue to meet on Sundays at five pm combining the study with worship and following it with potluck supper. Bring your friends.
We shall prepare the material ahead of time but the discussions will be informal and interactive. Rather than everyone having a book to study from, there will be questions to use as a basis for discussion.
Most of what we cover will be common to Christians as a whole. On some topics we shall present a range of opinions, attempting to be fair to the different view-points of, say, Roman Catholics and Protestants, while discussing why Anglican Christians arrived at conclusions which recognize the best of both. Initial topics are a revision exercise of what we have already covered in other discussions. We’ll get the most out of it if we try to participate every week. Depending on numbers we shall do an overview of the topic together ad then divide into groups for discussion eg teens/kids and one or more adult group. As always, feel free to ask any question.
Outline:
1 God
2. Human Nature and Sin
3. Jesus: Life and Ministry
4. Jesus: Death and Resurrection
5. The Holy Spirit
6. The Church
7. The Creeds
8 The Bible
9. Living as a Christian
10. Prayer & Worship
11. The Sacraments
12. Baptism
13. Confirmation
14. The Eucharist (ie Communion)
15. Marriage
16. Confession
17. Ordination
18. Anointing the sick (ie. Prayer for healing)
19. Life after Death
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Sunday September 18th, 2005
COOL meets at 5pm on this Sunday at 2087 Beaton Ave, Comox, BC for Communion followed by pot-luck supper.
We shall begin a new series on "Faith Confirmed" .
See you there.
We shall begin a new series on "Faith Confirmed" .
See you there.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Kairos Journal Award Honors Four Anglican Archbishops
On Thursday, September 8, 2005, the Kairos Journal honored four leading Anglican archbishops with the Kairos Journal Award in recognition of their bold and consistent stand for historic orthodoxy in light of theological decline in the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada. The 2005 award recipients were: The Most Rev. Peter Jasper Akinola, Archbishop of All Nigeria; the Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi, Archbishop of the Province of Uganda; the Most Rev. Gregory James Venables, Archbishop of the Southern Cone of South America; and the Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung, Archbishop of the Province of South East Asia. The Journal, an on-line resource with subscribers in over eighty countries, seeks to equip and support pastors and church leaders as they strive to transform the moral conscience of the culture and restore the prophetic voice of the Church.
“The Kairos Journal Award is given to individuals who demonstrate exemplary fidelity to the authority of Scripture and exceptional pastoral courage in their efforts to restore the prophetic voice of the Church,” said publisher Emmanuel A. Kampouris. “I am delighted to present these outstanding individuals with the 2005 award.”
Honorees are further chosen based upon their discernment of, and response to, what the Journal calls the “kairos moment”—a moment of cultural crisis demanding timely action from the Church.
Archbishops Akinola, Orombi, Venables and Yong, part of the Global South, have been at the forefront of the crisis within the Anglican Communion precipitated by actions of the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada. The American and Canadian provinces have embraced theology and practice which is contrary to Scripture, Anglican teaching and historic Christianity. Archbishops Akinola, Orombi, Venables and Yong and their provinces have declared broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada and urged the two churches to repent. The Global South makes up the vast majority of Anglicans world-wide and is the fastest growing segment of the Anglican Communion.
“What affects one part of the Christian Church affects us all,” said Mr. Kampouris. “We hope this award will offer encouragement and support not only of our four honorees and others within the Anglican Communion fighting for orthodoxy but also for clergy across denominational lines who are responding to the ‘kairos moment’.”
“The Kairos Journal Award is given to individuals who demonstrate exemplary fidelity to the authority of Scripture and exceptional pastoral courage in their efforts to restore the prophetic voice of the Church,” said publisher Emmanuel A. Kampouris. “I am delighted to present these outstanding individuals with the 2005 award.”
Honorees are further chosen based upon their discernment of, and response to, what the Journal calls the “kairos moment”—a moment of cultural crisis demanding timely action from the Church.
Archbishops Akinola, Orombi, Venables and Yong, part of the Global South, have been at the forefront of the crisis within the Anglican Communion precipitated by actions of the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada. The American and Canadian provinces have embraced theology and practice which is contrary to Scripture, Anglican teaching and historic Christianity. Archbishops Akinola, Orombi, Venables and Yong and their provinces have declared broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada and urged the two churches to repent. The Global South makes up the vast majority of Anglicans world-wide and is the fastest growing segment of the Anglican Communion.
“What affects one part of the Christian Church affects us all,” said Mr. Kampouris. “We hope this award will offer encouragement and support not only of our four honorees and others within the Anglican Communion fighting for orthodoxy but also for clergy across denominational lines who are responding to the ‘kairos moment’.”
Friday, September 09, 2005
Sunday 11th September
COOL Community meets at 1930 Pridy Rd Comox this Sunday . Holy Communion and discussion at 5pm followed by potluck supper. See you there!
On Tuesday 13th we meet at 7pm at Comox Community Baptist Church on Anderton Rd in Comox.
On Tuesday 13th we meet at 7pm at Comox Community Baptist Church on Anderton Rd in Comox.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Hurrican Katrina Relief
Hurricane Katrina Strikes Gulf Coast--
Urgent Response is Needed
Hundreds of thousands have been impacted by the recent hurricane in the Gulf Coast, what is emerging as the worst natural disaster to hit the United States. Many are in the affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi, and countless more have fled to higher ground. Relief agencies are responding, but are overwhelmed, and churches and Christian organizations are seeking to provide help, support and ministry.
The Anglican Mission offices have fielded many calls and emails about the role of the AMiA as this disaster continues to unfold, and about the situation of our churches. Our congregations along Mobile Bay (Christ Anglican Church—Mobile and Grace Anglican Church—Fairhope) witnessed flooding and related property damage. It appears from our communication with them they were on the periphery of this storm, although they are still evaluating the situations of their various families. Power is down in many areas, but the situation there is better than anticipated. Holy Trinity Anglican is in Jackson, Mississippi, and Rector Tim Smith reports that it was rain, wind and some property damage there, as well. They also lost power for a couple of days, but are getting back to normal.
The Anglican Mission does not have congregations in the hardest hit areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, but will be evaluating, through those closest to the situation, the best ways to be involved in response. Hundreds of thousands of storm victims have fled to other areas, including Houston, which has become a major refugee city. Two AMiA congregations there are directly involved in ministering to these people. All Saints Church and Church of the Holy Spirit (the Woodlands) are partnering with other churches and ministries to serve the growing number of refugees in various regions (not just the Astrodome) and those who are coming to Houston to look for relatives.
Some Anglican Mission churches, such as Holy Trinity in Hudson, Ohio, have already responded by sending a team of people to the region, with trucks loaded with supplies. Rector "Doc" Loomis said that his congregation thought the direct approach would be best, and they decided to personally go to the area. Others are collecting suppplies and monies for distribution, and yet others are organizing response teams this week.
You Can Help
Prayer is urgently needed, of course, and there are various ways to provide assistance to the victims. The Anglican Mission in America has established a relief fund, and contributions can be made by sending checks to:
AMiA Katrina Relief
PO Box 3427
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
You can make credit card donations over the phone by calling our National Mission Resource Center at 843-237-0318.
The two churches in Houston have suggested providing gift cards that they can use in reaching out to the storm refugees, and they are needed immediately. These would be gift cards from companies such as WalMart, Sam's Club, Target, etc; phone cards for long distance calling (for those trying to reach loved ones) and gasoline cards. Such gift cards can be sent by individuals or churches to:
The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit
c/o Loranne Johnson
719 Sawdust Road Suite 103
Spring, TX 77380
These cards will be shared by the outreach ministries of All Saints Church (Fr. Augustine Ogbunugwu, Rector) and Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit (The Rev. Clark Lowenfield, Lead Pastor).
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Urgent Response is Needed
Hundreds of thousands have been impacted by the recent hurricane in the Gulf Coast, what is emerging as the worst natural disaster to hit the United States. Many are in the affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi, and countless more have fled to higher ground. Relief agencies are responding, but are overwhelmed, and churches and Christian organizations are seeking to provide help, support and ministry.
The Anglican Mission offices have fielded many calls and emails about the role of the AMiA as this disaster continues to unfold, and about the situation of our churches. Our congregations along Mobile Bay (Christ Anglican Church—Mobile and Grace Anglican Church—Fairhope) witnessed flooding and related property damage. It appears from our communication with them they were on the periphery of this storm, although they are still evaluating the situations of their various families. Power is down in many areas, but the situation there is better than anticipated. Holy Trinity Anglican is in Jackson, Mississippi, and Rector Tim Smith reports that it was rain, wind and some property damage there, as well. They also lost power for a couple of days, but are getting back to normal.
The Anglican Mission does not have congregations in the hardest hit areas of Mississippi and Louisiana, but will be evaluating, through those closest to the situation, the best ways to be involved in response. Hundreds of thousands of storm victims have fled to other areas, including Houston, which has become a major refugee city. Two AMiA congregations there are directly involved in ministering to these people. All Saints Church and Church of the Holy Spirit (the Woodlands) are partnering with other churches and ministries to serve the growing number of refugees in various regions (not just the Astrodome) and those who are coming to Houston to look for relatives.
Some Anglican Mission churches, such as Holy Trinity in Hudson, Ohio, have already responded by sending a team of people to the region, with trucks loaded with supplies. Rector "Doc" Loomis said that his congregation thought the direct approach would be best, and they decided to personally go to the area. Others are collecting suppplies and monies for distribution, and yet others are organizing response teams this week.
You Can Help
Prayer is urgently needed, of course, and there are various ways to provide assistance to the victims. The Anglican Mission in America has established a relief fund, and contributions can be made by sending checks to:
AMiA Katrina Relief
PO Box 3427
Pawleys Island, SC 29585
You can make credit card donations over the phone by calling our National Mission Resource Center at 843-237-0318.
The two churches in Houston have suggested providing gift cards that they can use in reaching out to the storm refugees, and they are needed immediately. These would be gift cards from companies such as WalMart, Sam's Club, Target, etc; phone cards for long distance calling (for those trying to reach loved ones) and gasoline cards. Such gift cards can be sent by individuals or churches to:
The Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit
c/o Loranne Johnson
719 Sawdust Road Suite 103
Spring, TX 77380
These cards will be shared by the outreach ministries of All Saints Church (Fr. Augustine Ogbunugwu, Rector) and Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit (The Rev. Clark Lowenfield, Lead Pastor).
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COOL Celebration
We are having a service of thanksgiving and communion at Comox Community Baptist Church, 1250 Anderton Road Comox, and we would love to have you join us.
Date: Tuesday 13 September, 2005
Time: 7 pm
Guest speaker: Paul Carter
Celebrant: David Bowler
Rev Paul Carter, after distinguished service as a British Paratroop chaplain, moved with his family to Canada to work as a priest in Vancouver. He is now the Network Co-ordinator of the Anglican Communion in Canada, a missionary outreach of the Anglican Provinces of Central Africa, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and South East Asia. He pastors a new church plant, Immanuel Westside, at UBC campus and co-pastors St Timothy's on the North Shore (North Vancouver) with Rev Ken Bell.
Date: Tuesday 13 September, 2005
Time: 7 pm
Guest speaker: Paul Carter
Celebrant: David Bowler
Rev Paul Carter, after distinguished service as a British Paratroop chaplain, moved with his family to Canada to work as a priest in Vancouver. He is now the Network Co-ordinator of the Anglican Communion in Canada, a missionary outreach of the Anglican Provinces of Central Africa, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda and South East Asia. He pastors a new church plant, Immanuel Westside, at UBC campus and co-pastors St Timothy's on the North Shore (North Vancouver) with Rev Ken Bell.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Ordination Sunday
COOL will not be holding its usual Sunday evening supper and service this week, 28th August, 2005. Instead everyone is cordially invited to attend the ordination service at 2:30 pm hosted by St Timothy's on the North Shore at Lynn Valley Recreation Centre, 3590 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver. Bishop "TJ" will be officiating.
+TJ will aslo be conducting an ACiC Strategy Session at Sutherland Church in North Vancouver on Saturday 27th August (630 19th Street EastNorth Vancouver, BC V7L 3A1) 10am to 3pm.
Sunday at Five will resume on September 4th at 1930 Pridy Rd, Comox. Tel 339-4359.
+TJ will aslo be conducting an ACiC Strategy Session at Sutherland Church in North Vancouver on Saturday 27th August (630 19th Street EastNorth Vancouver, BC V7L 3A1) 10am to 3pm.
Sunday at Five will resume on September 4th at 1930 Pridy Rd, Comox. Tel 339-4359.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Overview of the Bible
Over the Summer we shall be doing a rapid overview of the Bible which can then provide the foundaton for more detailed studies subsequently.
Overview of the Bible
Welcome to this overview of the Bible. We shall use the Bible for Blockheads (by Douglas Connelly) as our reference book. Feel free to consult other books as well. Our look at the Bible should be as interactive and participatory as possible. It will necessarily not be in-depth but should give a basic understanding of what the different parts of the Bible are about.
The Bible is really a library of books written by over 40 human authors over a period of 16 centuries. Christians study it because we believe it to be God’s Word in human words: God has ensured that what he wanted to say to us has been preserved for us in the inspired writings of human authors, each having their own perspectives and backgrounds which influenced the way their specific books were written.
The Bible includes a number of different types of literature (genres): history, poetry, proverbs, allegory, prediction, didactic teaching, love stories etc. The different genres within the Bible are interpreted or used in different ways. For example, one approaches a poem in a different manner to a piece of historical narrative.
One theme: the one over-arching theme in the Bible is God’s desire to reconcile humanity to himself. The love of God for mankind could be described as a romance of divine initiative and human response.
God’s initiative. 1. In creation: the whole universe reflecting his glory and man in his image. 2. In election: God chose one man (Abram), one family, one nation (Israel) to be the conduit of salvation. 3. In incarnation: God became human in Jesus of Nazareth. 4. In redemption: Christ died as a ransom to free us from the power of sin and death. 5. In restoration: the whole of creation will be renewed.
Human response: 1. rebellion: eg. Adam and Eve, Israel’s disobedience. 2. obedience: various people of faith (such as Noah, Abraham, etc), Mary who said “yes” to the angel and became mother of our Lord, and, supremely, Jesus’ obedience even to the extent of being crucified for us.
The first part of the Bible is the Hebrew Scriptures (the “Old Testament”). The New Testament consists of the four Gospels (about the life of Jesus), the story of the early church (Acts) and the letters (epistles) written to various individuals and local churches by leaders within the early church.
Languages: The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, apart from portions of Daniel and Ezra which are were written in Aramaic, a closely related Semitic language. The New Testament was written in Greek which was the language of commerce in the Middle East at the time of Christ.
Number of books (“the Canon” or list): The Hebrew Scriptures consist of 39 books, the New Testament consists of 27, for a total of 66. During the 400 years between the last of the OT books to be written (Malachi) and the New Testament, a number of other books and additions were written, known as the Apocrypha or Deutero-Canonical (=second list) books. These were included in a Greek translation (the Septuagint) of the OT, collated in Alexandria during the same period, but excluded by the Rabbis from the Hebrew bible. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bibles include the Apocrypha. Most Protestant ones do not. Anglicans regard the Apocrypha as useful to read but not as God’s word. For the purposes of this course we shall consider the Bible to consist of 66 books. We can have a look at the Apocrypha at a later date.
So far we have had a whirlwind tour of Genesis through to the Gospels.
August 28 Ordination 2:30 pm in North Vancouver
September 4 Part 8 History: Acts
September 11 Part 9 Letters: Romans to Revelation.
We may choose to spread these out more. OR we can return to a book or a story in more
depth later, for example, there is a good study of the themes of Romans called “How to
be a Christian Without Being Religious”, by Ridenour. Or we could do study on
Philippians by Nicky Gumble.
I suggest that we pick one or two characters or themes from each section to concentrate
on rather than attempt to cover books in depth.
Overview of the Bible
Welcome to this overview of the Bible. We shall use the Bible for Blockheads (by Douglas Connelly) as our reference book. Feel free to consult other books as well. Our look at the Bible should be as interactive and participatory as possible. It will necessarily not be in-depth but should give a basic understanding of what the different parts of the Bible are about.
The Bible is really a library of books written by over 40 human authors over a period of 16 centuries. Christians study it because we believe it to be God’s Word in human words: God has ensured that what he wanted to say to us has been preserved for us in the inspired writings of human authors, each having their own perspectives and backgrounds which influenced the way their specific books were written.
The Bible includes a number of different types of literature (genres): history, poetry, proverbs, allegory, prediction, didactic teaching, love stories etc. The different genres within the Bible are interpreted or used in different ways. For example, one approaches a poem in a different manner to a piece of historical narrative.
One theme: the one over-arching theme in the Bible is God’s desire to reconcile humanity to himself. The love of God for mankind could be described as a romance of divine initiative and human response.
God’s initiative. 1. In creation: the whole universe reflecting his glory and man in his image. 2. In election: God chose one man (Abram), one family, one nation (Israel) to be the conduit of salvation. 3. In incarnation: God became human in Jesus of Nazareth. 4. In redemption: Christ died as a ransom to free us from the power of sin and death. 5. In restoration: the whole of creation will be renewed.
Human response: 1. rebellion: eg. Adam and Eve, Israel’s disobedience. 2. obedience: various people of faith (such as Noah, Abraham, etc), Mary who said “yes” to the angel and became mother of our Lord, and, supremely, Jesus’ obedience even to the extent of being crucified for us.
The first part of the Bible is the Hebrew Scriptures (the “Old Testament”). The New Testament consists of the four Gospels (about the life of Jesus), the story of the early church (Acts) and the letters (epistles) written to various individuals and local churches by leaders within the early church.
Languages: The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, apart from portions of Daniel and Ezra which are were written in Aramaic, a closely related Semitic language. The New Testament was written in Greek which was the language of commerce in the Middle East at the time of Christ.
Number of books (“the Canon” or list): The Hebrew Scriptures consist of 39 books, the New Testament consists of 27, for a total of 66. During the 400 years between the last of the OT books to be written (Malachi) and the New Testament, a number of other books and additions were written, known as the Apocrypha or Deutero-Canonical (=second list) books. These were included in a Greek translation (the Septuagint) of the OT, collated in Alexandria during the same period, but excluded by the Rabbis from the Hebrew bible. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox bibles include the Apocrypha. Most Protestant ones do not. Anglicans regard the Apocrypha as useful to read but not as God’s word. For the purposes of this course we shall consider the Bible to consist of 66 books. We can have a look at the Apocrypha at a later date.
So far we have had a whirlwind tour of Genesis through to the Gospels.
August 28 Ordination 2:30 pm in North Vancouver
September 4 Part 8 History: Acts
September 11 Part 9 Letters: Romans to Revelation.
We may choose to spread these out more. OR we can return to a book or a story in more
depth later, for example, there is a good study of the themes of Romans called “How to
be a Christian Without Being Religious”, by Ridenour. Or we could do study on
Philippians by Nicky Gumble.
I suggest that we pick one or two characters or themes from each section to concentrate
on rather than attempt to cover books in depth.
Overview of the Old Testament
Overview of the Old Testament
The OT can be divided into books of history (17), poetry (5), and prophecy (17). These can be further sub-divided. The terms “major” and “minor” refer to the length of the books, not the importance of the prophets. The prophets are therefore not listed entirely in chronological order.
History17 Poetry 5 Prophecy17
5 books of Moses 5 books of poetry 5 major prophets
Genesis Job Isaiah
Exodus Psalms Jeremiah
Leviticus Proverbs Lamentations
Numbers Ecclesiastes Ezekiel
Deuteronomy Song of Solomon Daniel
(or song of Songs)
12 other history books 12 minor prophets
Joshua Hosea
Judges Joel
Ruth Amos
1 Samuel Obadiah
2 Samuel Jonah
1 Kings Micah
2 Kings Nahum
1 Chronicles Habakkuk
2 Chronicles Zephaniah
Ezra Haggai
Nehemiah Zechariah
Esther Malachi
There is an overlap between some of these books: The story of Job is set in the era of the Patriarchs (=early Genesis), 1Chronicles covers the same time-period as 2 Samuel. 2Chronicles overlaps with 1 and 2 Kings. The story of Ruth is set in the time of the Judges. Jonah’s story comes before the Exile of Israel into Assyria. Esther’s story is set in Persia at the same time as Ezra was writing in Jerusalem after the Exile.
Genesis tells about the creation, man’s rebellion, the promise of a saviour and the early heroes of faith. God selected one man, Abram (later called Abraham), to be the pro-genitor of his chosen people through whom the rest of humanity would be blessed. It includes the stories of Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph and his twelve brothers, and their move to Egypt.
Exodus: tells the story of Moses and the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Leviticus describes the laws, feasts and rituals of the Israelite people.
Deuteronomy is a long speech by Moses before his death and the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan.
Joshua is Moses’ successor. The book is about the conquest of Canaan by the tribes of Israel.
Judges ruled Israel before the establishment of the monarchy.
Ruth is a love story. She was a young Moabite widow who embraced the faith and nation of her mother-in-law, Naomi, rather than her own pagan people. She became an ancestor of King David and, hence, of Jesus.
Samuel was a prophet and judge. During his life the monarchy was established. (1Samuel and 1Kings). Saul was first king, followed by David and his son Solomon (2 Samuel and 1Chronicles). After Solomon’s death the Kingdom split into two. (2 Kings). The ten northern tribes formed the kingdom of Israel with Samaria as the capital. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as the capital. In general, the Northern Kingdom rebelled against God. Not one of her Kings was faithful to God. Israel was invades by the cruel Assyrians and its people were killed or relocated to other parts of the Assyrian empire, never to be heard of again. Over a century later Judah is invaded by the Babylonians and some of her people were exile to Babylon. (2 Chronicles)
Ezra and Nehemiah tell of the return of various groups of Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem and the re-building of the Temple and the walls of the city.
Esther was the Jewish queen of Persia whose courage and wisdom result in the thwarting of a plot to exterminate the Jews. It is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God.
Job is a classic on suffering and the sovereignty of God.
Psalms is a collection of 150 poems or hymns. Some are set as early as the time of David; others date to as late as the Exile. They cover every type of experience or emotion and are a wonderful resource for comfort and prayer. They demonstrate that there is no human emotion which we cannot express to God.
Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, largely attributed to King Solomon.
Ecclesiastes, is an existential exploration of the emptiness of life without God.
Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) is a love story full of romance and poetry.
The books of prophecy date to the divided kingdom (pre-exilic), the exile, and post-exilic periods.
Pre-exile Exile Post-exile
All the rest Ezekiel and Daniel Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
The most important of the pre-exilic prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Hosea.
The OT can be divided into books of history (17), poetry (5), and prophecy (17). These can be further sub-divided. The terms “major” and “minor” refer to the length of the books, not the importance of the prophets. The prophets are therefore not listed entirely in chronological order.
History17 Poetry 5 Prophecy17
5 books of Moses 5 books of poetry 5 major prophets
Genesis Job Isaiah
Exodus Psalms Jeremiah
Leviticus Proverbs Lamentations
Numbers Ecclesiastes Ezekiel
Deuteronomy Song of Solomon Daniel
(or song of Songs)
12 other history books 12 minor prophets
Joshua Hosea
Judges Joel
Ruth Amos
1 Samuel Obadiah
2 Samuel Jonah
1 Kings Micah
2 Kings Nahum
1 Chronicles Habakkuk
2 Chronicles Zephaniah
Ezra Haggai
Nehemiah Zechariah
Esther Malachi
There is an overlap between some of these books: The story of Job is set in the era of the Patriarchs (=early Genesis), 1Chronicles covers the same time-period as 2 Samuel. 2Chronicles overlaps with 1 and 2 Kings. The story of Ruth is set in the time of the Judges. Jonah’s story comes before the Exile of Israel into Assyria. Esther’s story is set in Persia at the same time as Ezra was writing in Jerusalem after the Exile.
Genesis tells about the creation, man’s rebellion, the promise of a saviour and the early heroes of faith. God selected one man, Abram (later called Abraham), to be the pro-genitor of his chosen people through whom the rest of humanity would be blessed. It includes the stories of Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph and his twelve brothers, and their move to Egypt.
Exodus: tells the story of Moses and the liberation of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Leviticus describes the laws, feasts and rituals of the Israelite people.
Deuteronomy is a long speech by Moses before his death and the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan.
Joshua is Moses’ successor. The book is about the conquest of Canaan by the tribes of Israel.
Judges ruled Israel before the establishment of the monarchy.
Ruth is a love story. She was a young Moabite widow who embraced the faith and nation of her mother-in-law, Naomi, rather than her own pagan people. She became an ancestor of King David and, hence, of Jesus.
Samuel was a prophet and judge. During his life the monarchy was established. (1Samuel and 1Kings). Saul was first king, followed by David and his son Solomon (2 Samuel and 1Chronicles). After Solomon’s death the Kingdom split into two. (2 Kings). The ten northern tribes formed the kingdom of Israel with Samaria as the capital. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as the capital. In general, the Northern Kingdom rebelled against God. Not one of her Kings was faithful to God. Israel was invades by the cruel Assyrians and its people were killed or relocated to other parts of the Assyrian empire, never to be heard of again. Over a century later Judah is invaded by the Babylonians and some of her people were exile to Babylon. (2 Chronicles)
Ezra and Nehemiah tell of the return of various groups of Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem and the re-building of the Temple and the walls of the city.
Esther was the Jewish queen of Persia whose courage and wisdom result in the thwarting of a plot to exterminate the Jews. It is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God.
Job is a classic on suffering and the sovereignty of God.
Psalms is a collection of 150 poems or hymns. Some are set as early as the time of David; others date to as late as the Exile. They cover every type of experience or emotion and are a wonderful resource for comfort and prayer. They demonstrate that there is no human emotion which we cannot express to God.
Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, largely attributed to King Solomon.
Ecclesiastes, is an existential exploration of the emptiness of life without God.
Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) is a love story full of romance and poetry.
The books of prophecy date to the divided kingdom (pre-exilic), the exile, and post-exilic periods.
Pre-exile Exile Post-exile
All the rest Ezekiel and Daniel Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
The most important of the pre-exilic prophets are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Hosea.
Overview of the New Testament
Overview of the New Testament
The 27 books, of the NT, written by at least 9 authors over about 50 years, consist of:
4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
1 church history book: Acts tells of the birth and growth of the New Testament church.
4 letters by Paul to individuals: 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus and Philemon.
9 letters by Paul to churches: Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.
9 general letters: Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, John, Jude and Revelation.
A separate overview of the Gospels has been written.
Acts begins with the risen Jesus, before his ascension, instructing his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit who would empower them to spread the Good News to an increasing circle of influence: Jerusalem (chapters 1-7), Judea and Samaria (chapters 8-12) and to the rest of the world (chapters 13-28). Acts is the story of how the church expands in that order, how Christianity, which began as a branch of Judaism became a church which included Gentiles. Peter preaches the Gospel to Jews in Jerusalem, Phillip teaches an Ethiopian ruler and preaches to Samaritans, Paul (long with various companions) became a missionary to the Gentiles, ending up in prison in Rome.
The letters (“epistles”) are not listed in the order in which they were written. Paul’s letters were written from various locations during the course of events described in the book of Acts.
(A)Paul’s letters
Romans (about AD 58), the most “theological” letter, was written to the church in Rome outlining the doctrine that salvation is by faith, not by fulfilling the external rituals of the Jewish law.
1 and 2 Thessalonians (about AD 51 or 52) were written to the church in Thessalonica to encourage Christians there to remain faithful until Christ’s return and to continue with their secular work while doing so.
1 and 2 Corinthians (written about AD 56 and 57 from Ephesus during his third missionary journey) are the remnants of, possibly, 4 letters written to a very unruly congregation in Corinth to try to correct breaches in order and morals there and to defend Paul’s authority.
Galatians was written around AD 49 from Antioch to the churches Galatia within Asia Minor to counter a teaching by Jewish Christians which had tried to force Gentile converts to first become Jewish before they could become Christians.
Ephesians AD 61 was written from prison in Rome to the church in Ephesus.
Philippians: AD 61 from Roman prison to the people at Philippi. Describes the joy Christ gives which is not dependant on external circumstances. Describes Christ giving up his heavenly glory to become a servant and to die. Eventually every knee shall bow to Christ.
Colossians A.D 61 also from prison in Rome about the supremacy of Christ and transformed lives and relationships in him.
1 and 2 Timothy and Titus were written to two young pastors to instruct them in Christian leadership and conduct. The best descriptions of criteria for bishops and deacons are found here.
Philemon was a believer in Colosse whose slave, Onesimus, had run away to Rome and been converted to the Christian faith there. Paul writes to Philemon asking him to forgive Onesimus and to accept him back as a brother. The penalty for running away was crucifixion. Paul holds up the revolutionary principle of Christian brotherhood.
(B) Hebrews
Written around 70 AD by an unknown author shortly before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Compares the unique priesthood and sacrifice of Christ with the ineffective and repeated sacrifices of the Temple worship. Through Christ we have direct access to God without the need for any other mediator.
(C) James
Written by the half-brother of Jesus about AD 45 to dispersed Jewish Christians to instruct them in the need for their faith to be evidenced by their actions, to give practical instruction about prejudice, controlling one’s temper and tongue, not being judgmental and warning the rich against exploiting the poor. Also instructs sick members ot call for the elders to pray for healing.
(D) 1st (AD63) and 2nd Peter (Ad 67)
Written by Peter the impulsive fisherman, shortly before his execution, to scattered Christians to encourage them in the face of pending persecution and suffering for Christ’s sake.
(E) John’s letters around (AD 90)
First letter reiterates belief in both the divinity and humanity of Christ, encourages Christians to have faith, to love each other, advises transparency, confession of sin, and honesty. Reassures them about God’s forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Warns about false teachers. Second letter reiterates teaching on love and truth and warns church to resist false teachers. Third letter is a personal note of encouragement to a man named Gaius who was known for hospitality.
(F) Jude
Written about AD 65 by another half-brother of Jesus to Christians encouraging them to remain faithful to the teaching they had received and to resist false teachers.
(G) Revelation
Written by John about AD 95 from exile on the island of Patmos to various churches to correct and encourage them at a time of persecution. Describes in symbolic language events which precede Christ’s return.
The 27 books, of the NT, written by at least 9 authors over about 50 years, consist of:
4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
1 church history book: Acts tells of the birth and growth of the New Testament church.
4 letters by Paul to individuals: 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus and Philemon.
9 letters by Paul to churches: Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.
9 general letters: Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, John, Jude and Revelation.
A separate overview of the Gospels has been written.
Acts begins with the risen Jesus, before his ascension, instructing his followers to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit who would empower them to spread the Good News to an increasing circle of influence: Jerusalem (chapters 1-7), Judea and Samaria (chapters 8-12) and to the rest of the world (chapters 13-28). Acts is the story of how the church expands in that order, how Christianity, which began as a branch of Judaism became a church which included Gentiles. Peter preaches the Gospel to Jews in Jerusalem, Phillip teaches an Ethiopian ruler and preaches to Samaritans, Paul (long with various companions) became a missionary to the Gentiles, ending up in prison in Rome.
The letters (“epistles”) are not listed in the order in which they were written. Paul’s letters were written from various locations during the course of events described in the book of Acts.
(A)Paul’s letters
Romans (about AD 58), the most “theological” letter, was written to the church in Rome outlining the doctrine that salvation is by faith, not by fulfilling the external rituals of the Jewish law.
1 and 2 Thessalonians (about AD 51 or 52) were written to the church in Thessalonica to encourage Christians there to remain faithful until Christ’s return and to continue with their secular work while doing so.
1 and 2 Corinthians (written about AD 56 and 57 from Ephesus during his third missionary journey) are the remnants of, possibly, 4 letters written to a very unruly congregation in Corinth to try to correct breaches in order and morals there and to defend Paul’s authority.
Galatians was written around AD 49 from Antioch to the churches Galatia within Asia Minor to counter a teaching by Jewish Christians which had tried to force Gentile converts to first become Jewish before they could become Christians.
Ephesians AD 61 was written from prison in Rome to the church in Ephesus.
Philippians: AD 61 from Roman prison to the people at Philippi. Describes the joy Christ gives which is not dependant on external circumstances. Describes Christ giving up his heavenly glory to become a servant and to die. Eventually every knee shall bow to Christ.
Colossians A.D 61 also from prison in Rome about the supremacy of Christ and transformed lives and relationships in him.
1 and 2 Timothy and Titus were written to two young pastors to instruct them in Christian leadership and conduct. The best descriptions of criteria for bishops and deacons are found here.
Philemon was a believer in Colosse whose slave, Onesimus, had run away to Rome and been converted to the Christian faith there. Paul writes to Philemon asking him to forgive Onesimus and to accept him back as a brother. The penalty for running away was crucifixion. Paul holds up the revolutionary principle of Christian brotherhood.
(B) Hebrews
Written around 70 AD by an unknown author shortly before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans. Compares the unique priesthood and sacrifice of Christ with the ineffective and repeated sacrifices of the Temple worship. Through Christ we have direct access to God without the need for any other mediator.
(C) James
Written by the half-brother of Jesus about AD 45 to dispersed Jewish Christians to instruct them in the need for their faith to be evidenced by their actions, to give practical instruction about prejudice, controlling one’s temper and tongue, not being judgmental and warning the rich against exploiting the poor. Also instructs sick members ot call for the elders to pray for healing.
(D) 1st (AD63) and 2nd Peter (Ad 67)
Written by Peter the impulsive fisherman, shortly before his execution, to scattered Christians to encourage them in the face of pending persecution and suffering for Christ’s sake.
(E) John’s letters around (AD 90)
First letter reiterates belief in both the divinity and humanity of Christ, encourages Christians to have faith, to love each other, advises transparency, confession of sin, and honesty. Reassures them about God’s forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Warns about false teachers. Second letter reiterates teaching on love and truth and warns church to resist false teachers. Third letter is a personal note of encouragement to a man named Gaius who was known for hospitality.
(F) Jude
Written about AD 65 by another half-brother of Jesus to Christians encouraging them to remain faithful to the teaching they had received and to resist false teachers.
(G) Revelation
Written by John about AD 95 from exile on the island of Patmos to various churches to correct and encourage them at a time of persecution. Describes in symbolic language events which precede Christ’s return.
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