Psalms

What do Coolio, U2, Boney M, and Shakespeare have in common?  They all share the honour of participating in the Bibledex Psalms video, along with Peter and myself…

Here I Stand? On Submission to Tradition

My job hunting is leading me to reflect on the relationship between individual belief and confessional tradition.  At this point I am applying for one position in Australia, and one position in the US of A (both are for a position as full time New Testament lecturer in a confessional institution).  It has struck me that there is an extent to which my individual beliefs ought not to be relevant: Rather than asking me, for example, ”Do you believe that such-and-such a form of church government is the biblical position?” perhaps it would be more fitting for them to ask, “Will you submit yourself to such-and-such a tradition for the term of your appointment?”

Of course, I don’t mean that personal belief is irrelevant – just that it’s possible to submit oneself to a tradition: I can choose to commit to a set of beliefs and practices, even though I may not experience a strong sense of personal conviction about some of the areas it covers… I guess, though, that it’s important that there’s the opportunity for ongoing reflection and dialogue.

Just some rambling thoughts, really…

Matthew video

The gospel, not the mandolin-player…

The rapture experiment

“The rapture index” is a website that explains itself thusly:

The Rapture Index has two functions: one is to factor together a number of related end time components into a cohesive indicator, and the other is to standardize those components to eliminate the wide variance that currently exists with prophecy reporting. The Rapture Index is by no means meant to predict the rapture, however, the index is designed to measure the type of activity that could act as a precursor to the rapture. You could say the Rapture index is a Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity, but I think it would be better if you viewed it as prophetic speedometer. The higher the number, the faster we’re moving towards the occurrence of pre-tribulation rapture.

So here’s an experiment that ought to show how sane this website is:

1. Go to google
2. Type in: The rapture index
3. Don’t press enter or click ‘go’; simply look at what suggestion google gives…

Do it.  NOW.

1 Corinthians 5-14: How to be crucified

Not long ago I posted an overview of 1 Corinthians chapters 1-4, suggesting that it represents a showdown between that which is of God, and that which is human: The Corinthians are called to choose between two models:

- The rulers of this age, who have visible wealth, wisdom, and power (and who crucified Christ, and are heading for destruction; or

- The crucified Messiah, whose hidden wealth, wisdom, and power are embodied in the cruciform life of the apostles.

Paul urges them to move from the former to the latter, calling the Corinthians to imitate himself.  The following 10 chapters, I suggest, apply this to the ethical issues that are going on in the Christian assemblies of Roman Corinth.  They spell out how to be crucified…

Chapters 5-7: The Cross Applied I: Your Body Belongs to the Lord

 

Sexual Immorality and Greed

A: 5:1-13: Sexual Immorality (the refusal to judge)

B: 6:1-11: Greedy exploitation (an apparent inability to judge)

A¹: 6:12-7:40: Sexual Immorality, the body, marriage

 

Chapters 8-14: The Cross Applied II: Discern the Body

 

Knowledge and Rights

A: 8:1-13: Meat offered to idols (using knowledge and rights to endanger weaker brothers & sisters)

B: 9:1-27 Paul’s example/defence (foregoing rights for others & self)

A¹: 10:1-11:1: Meat offered to idols (foregoing rights for self and others)

 

Tradition and Division

A: 11:2-16: I praise you for keeping the traditions I passed on (public worship)

B: 11:17-22: I do not praise you (in both v17 and v22)

A¹: 11:23-34: I passed on to you what I also received (tradition of Lord’s Supper)

 

Gifts and Love

A: 12:1-31: Gifts within the body (mutual interdependence)

B: 12:31-13:13: Love

A¹: 14:1-40: Gifts (for ordered edification of the whole)

Philemon video

The next video from the theology department here at Nottingham is up, and it’s on the book of Philemon, featuring Emily (who sits next to me) and Thiselton.   I think it’s like the video of 1 Corinthians in a way – less controversial, but more informative.

When English is harder than Greek…

The following is a “memory aid” that will apparently help you to learn Greek – there’s a whole book of ‘em…

ummm… okay…

With thanks to Peter for pointing it out… I think…

On Becoming English

Today I listened to a bit of a talk that I gave a few months ago, and it sounded… normal.  Then I listened to a talk that I gave about two and a half years ago – just before I left Australia – and it sounded… really really Australian – Like Crocodile-hunter style Australian… did I really used to talk like that???  And have I really changed???

Favourite Reformation-Tradition Confession of Faith

Today I spent some time choosing my favourite reformation-tradition confession of faith.  The contenders were:

• The Westminster Confession
• The Thirty-Nine Articles
• The 1689 Baptist Confession
• The Helvetic Confession
• The Belgic Confession
• The Savoy Declaration

I had expected my fave to be the 1689 Baptist Confession – as I already knew I liked the way it phrases certain things – such as Christian ethics arising from union with Christ… but after skimming through them all, the overall surprise winner is…..

The thirty-nine articles

Why this confession of faith?  A few random reasons:

• It is positive about the value of the apocryphal books, rather than suspicious of them (while still recognising that they aren’t Scripture)
• It’s relatively relaxed about baptism – compared to some of the others!
• It doesn’t mention the Sabbath… so far as I recall

Birthday celebrations

Today I realised, thanks to a timely post by Bryan, that being October 23rd, it’s the EARTH’s BIRTHDAY – according to Bishop James Ussher.  So, knowing that we were about to have a biblical studies seminar here at the University of Nottingham, I nipped off to the shops to get 6013 candles for a celebratory cake (serendipitously prepared by Emily).  Unfortunately they could only spare 9 candles at the shop, so that had to suffice…

Happy birthday, earth – from all of us here at cryptotheology