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
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
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.
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