Posts for Apr, 2006.

4/30/2006 10:07:00 PM

Missing the Point

An Examplary Interpretational Method from the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

Posted Sunday, April 30, 2006 by Brian Beers
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In my continuing series on interactions with the church fathers via the Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scripture volume IV I have found an interesting interpretational method. When seeking a life of ease whether in ancient Christendom or modern, citing Scripture may be a supremely effective technique for getting your way. In order to accomplish this you will need to become skilled at interpretational methods overlooked by many so-called leading theologians. To complete the commercial cliché: these are methods the leading theologians don’t want you to know about. They provide great power to the self-important, and since that is what we are all about here at Theoblogian.org, I will describe one of these methods for you.

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4/29/2006 7:35:00 AM

What Can Be Said About Scrat

Posted Saturday, April 29, 2006 by Gerald Vreeland
Categories: Popular Culture   Comments: None
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As you know, “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown” is in the theaters.  What you may not know is that yours truly is an unrepentant fan of the bug-eyed saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat.  And so, I would like to write something of a Theology of Scrat.  It may appear as merely slapstick comedy to you; but for those of us initiated into the deep esoteric Gnostic wisdom of Scrat, there is quite a bit of heady philosophy – well, alright, that’s somewhat overstated.  But be that as it may, I’d like to become a Scratologian and write Scratology (not to be confused with scatology – a messier word that doesn’t seem to be nearly so alarming to my spellchecker!).  In addition, I would like to write Scratographically (not to be confused with what I have elsewhere referred to as scatography – or the writing technique of those ideational scatologians).  And so this is the maiden voyage of the good ship Scratology.  Let’s start Scrat-Light. . . . 

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4/27/2006 3:37:00 PM

Discourse Analysis and NT Greek

Posted Thursday, April 27, 2006 by Charlie Trimm
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One of my side hobbies in biblical studies is Discourse Analysis (DA), especially with Hebrew. But since I am going to be teaching first year Greek next year, I decided I would do a little work on DA and NT Greek. So I've been working through a book by Stephen Levinsohn entitled Discourse Features of New Testament Greek. I recommend the book to any who are interested in the topic. As I am working through the book, I've been writing myself some short notes to help cement what he is saying in my mind, and I thought I would share those with you. Even if you do not read Greek, the first few chapters will be helpful. What is DA? How does it help us? Read on and enjoy. Read more of Discourse Analysis and NT Greek


4/27/2006 7:42:00 AM

Feeling Sorry for Myself

Do you want your thyroid with one lump or two?

Posted Thursday, April 27, 2006 by Brian Beers
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Two weeks ago I wrote about the season of sorrows and changes of the season, and last week I found out that I have a 3cm lump on my thyroid. This is very treatable, and I may only lose half my thyroid. Whew! So I have nothing to worry about except the biopsy next Thursday and the surgery to remove the thing. Now I am on the prayer sheet at church, but I don’t want to need prayer. Last night I realized that I have been giving God the cold-shoulder. While I heard my name coming from various groups of praying people, my own prayer concerning this lump was reluctant, petulant and blind to God’s character.

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4/25/2006 7:16:00 PM

The Garden Tomb in Pictures

Posted Tuesday, April 25, 2006 by Charlie Trimm
Categories: Archaeology   Comments: None
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We have seen the Church of the Grave in pictures, now we can move on to the Garden Tomb. There are not as many stories here, however. The Protestants just get along better than their Catholic/Orthodox friends in the Church of the Grave, I guess.

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4/21/2006 8:04:00 AM

The Church of the Holy Sepulchure in Pictures

Posted Friday, April 21, 2006 by Charlie Trimm
Categories: Archaeology   Comments: None
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Since Sam just gave you all the arguments for and against the two main burial sites of Jesus, I thought I would pass along a few pictures and a few stories about them. I'm still a little unsure about how to do the picture thing in the blog, so it will be a fun experiment with this as well. Thanks to Brian for his help. This post will take a look (literally) at the Church of the Grave (as it is called in Hebrew). Read more of The Church of the Holy Sepulchure in Pictures


4/18/2006 2:26:00 AM

Real-time Sermon Commentaries

The Up Side of Passing Notes During the Sermon

Posted Tuesday, April 18, 2006 by Brian Beers
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Sunday following our Easter dinner an unusual topic of conversation came up: congregational comments during the sermon. I don’t mean the loud “Amen!” or “Preach it!” comments. I mean the passing of notes or leaning over to your neighbor and whispering kind of comments. Strict etiquette may forbid such exchanges, but perhaps they aren’t all bad. Maybe they can even be beneficial.

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4/17/2006 2:46:00 PM

The Gods of the Nations, by Daniel Block

Another Book

Posted Monday, April 17, 2006 by Charlie Trimm
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I just finished an interesting book recently, so I thought I would share a few points from it. The book is entitled “The Gods of the Nations” by Daniel Block, who teaches at Wheaton (I hope to write my PhD under him at some point). The subtitle gives the content of the book: Studies in Ancient Near Eastern National Theology.

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4/14/2006 7:00:00 AM

Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 5

The Conclusion (or, Sam overpromises again...)

Posted Friday, April 14, 2006 by Sam Yeiter
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In this post I will offer my conclusion on the issue.  I knew setting out that I might not be satisfied with my findings, but I certainly enjoyed the ride.  I hope that you have enjoyed thinking about our Lord's unfinal resting place.  I look forward to your analysis of the data.

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4/13/2006 11:06:00 PM

Changes of the Season

A new bottom line.

Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006 by Brian Beers
Comments: 4
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Through my grief God turned my understanding of him on its side. Before my baptism of grief, I may have said that “sin” or “his glory” was God’s bottom line. Yes. I may have considered God’s glory to be the organizing principle of God’s activity in the world and in history. I viewed God, first and foremost, as transcendent, abstracted from the world—unfamiliar with sorrow. This appears obvious to me now in the question I voiced one night in that first year after Nancy’s death. The answer I received changed my relationship with God.

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4/13/2006 7:00:00 AM

Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 4

Option 2: The Garden Tomb

Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006 by Sam Yeiter
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It is difficult to find scholarly works that take the Garden Tomb seriously.  There are some who defend the position unashamedly, such as Chadwick, but not many of them find a voice in the literature.  However, the Garden Tomb remains a live option, and in some ways, the only alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, so it is to it we now turn.  We will deal with the Garden Tomb more succinctly because of the paucity of scholarly work devoted to it. Read more of Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 4


4/12/2006 7:00:00 AM

Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 3

Option 1: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Part 2

Posted Wednesday, April 12, 2006 by Sam Yeiter
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In this post, I will conclude my treatment of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  This post has one of the more enjoyable section titles I've ever used..."To Kokh or not to Kokh?"  Perhaps I am easily amused.  Enjoy, please.  History is fun! Read more of Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 3


4/11/2006 7:59:00 PM

Season of Sorrows

Posted Tuesday, April 11, 2006 by Brian Beers
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How has sorrow changed you? Has it affected you r relationship with the Lord? Stiffened your resolve to serve him? Sapped your strength? Or has the effect of sorrow become a tangled mess? Perhaps it is a tangle that you have grown tired of, and now you try to live as you did before the sorrow. I am turning back to this tangle again. I have no expectation of sorting it all out, but I do wish to consider what changes have taken root and grown up in my life. Perhaps some have borne good fruit.

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4/10/2006 6:28:00 PM

Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 2

Option 1: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Part 1 (don't get confused by all the parts.)

Posted Monday, April 10, 2006 by Sam Yeiter
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The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, though one of the most gaudy and sickening shrines, has, far and away, the most support as the location of Jesus’ burial in the literature.  Most modern scholars support the Holy Sepulchre Church as authentic, even if they wish it were not.  Since it is the favored position, we will begin with it.  This post includes the first half of my discussion on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

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4/9/2006 4:55:00 PM

Practical Effects of Rejecting the Trinity

Posted Sunday, April 09, 2006 by Charlie Trimm
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I am teaching on the Trinity in an adult Sunday School class, and so my interest has been piqued recently on the practical implications of holding or rejecting the Trinity. Here are a few of my thoughts, perhaps you could add some. Read more of Practical Effects of Rejecting the Trinity


4/6/2006 6:10:00 PM

Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 1

Introduction and Bibliography

Posted Thursday, April 06, 2006 by Sam Yeiter
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            While cynics may believe that having two possibilities for the tomb of Jesus is just a cash cow for the Israeli tourist economy (and certainly it does not hurt their economy), there are good reasons to support both as the real tomb.  There are enough facts and theories that neither side is embarrassed of its position.  Over the last 150 years or so, the question of the validity of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been asked.  So far, only the Garden Tomb has been able to contend with that church as a possible grave site for Jesus. Read more of Which Tomb? An Easter Series - Part 1


4/5/2006 4:02:00 PM

And Jesus Deceived the Crowd

Misdirection in Mark 5

Posted Wednesday, April 05, 2006 by Brian Beers
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In the story of the raising of Jarius’s daughter from the dead, Jesus intentionally deceived the crowd of professional mourners. This troubles me. Lying is never right...is it? I always feel guilty when I deceive, but my wife pointed out that Jesus deceived of the crowd in Mark 5, and I believe that her conclusion is justified. Jesus didn’t want the knowledge of what he had done to be spread, and he deceived the crowd to conceal the fact that he had just raised a girl from the dead.

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