Login to comment

IMPORTANT Did you have an account on the old ThinkChristian.net site? Click here transition your account. This will sync all your comments with your email address.

Comments (10)

Never occurred to me.

Nope. No idea what you're talking about.
It's incredible how much we take for granted an understanding of Jesus' words. Growing up in the church, we get used to a very black-and-white/yes-no paradigm of belief. The more I explore, the more I come to see the terrifying grayness of Jesus Christ. It's exciting and daunting.
When I would read the Bible before I asked Jesus to be the center of my life, most of his teachings were difficult if not impossible for me to understand. I thought it must just be that way and "Professionals" have to explain it all. After I made a commitment to Him, these teachings were incredibly clear (most of the time). There are still some that I don't get and some that I see there is more meaning than I understand at the moment. Some of these become clear in a moment when they are useful to my circumstances. I fully believe the Holy Spirit explains scriptures to you as needed if you keep studying the word and focus on God.
There is both a simplicity and a depth to Jesus' words which are a kind of self-validation that this the Son of God speaking to child and philosopher alike. I am overwhelmed by some of the metaphors in John 12 and also the audaciousness of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.

In general it's the "contradictions" which give me most pause as Jesus holds profound truths in tension, something philosophers have been unable to do leaning too far in one direction or the other and ending in absurdity.
I would often wonder why Jesus so often referred to Himself as "Son of Man" instead of "Son of God."

First (as far as the title of "Christ"), because popular Jewish ideas associated with the term "Christ" were largely political and national, Jesus seldom used that title.

As far as the title "Son of Man:"
Some have said that, since God becoming man was a new experience for Him, Jesus reveled in the idea of being a "Son of Man" (though, biologically, He was only a son of woman).

More likely, I think, is the Messianic prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14, which talks about "one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven," which is largely why Jesus, more than 80 times, refers to Himself as that title.
The phrase "Son of Man" is recognized by any orthodox Jew: the original Hebrew is simply "ben Adam." Adam means humanity, not simply a man. The first woman was made from the SIDE (not the rib) of the Adam, while the side that remained was the male of the species. God addresses Ezekiel, among others, as Son of Man. The title was not original. It carries a similar meaning to C.S. Lewis's use of "Son of Adam" in the Narnia books.
One of the more obvious contradictions is the Prince of Peace announcing "I come not to bring peace but the sword," later telling Peter to put away his sword, the final refusal to fight a physical battle for political supremacy. Then there are the many ways offered for salvation, including good works, faith, grace, and "through me." My own conclusion is that what Jesus had to communicate had so much depth, complexity, so much meaning that the human mind cannot in fact grasp, that to seek perfect consistency would be foolish. Get a good general sense of how each of us should try to live our lives, and a glimpse of what our relation to God is, but don't try to realize the Kingdom of God in the earthly context. God is in charge of that. We are not. Further, we can share our insights with each other, but formulating doctrine and teaching "this is THE true meaning" is sheer hubris.
Matthew 10:38 is part of an entire speech by Jesus about how Christians should evangelize in the world (which, obviously, is all good advice based on his real-life experience evangelizing his disciples and building the community he left them!), including the "be wise as serpents, gentle as doves" line everybody pretends to like. I think "I come not to bring peace but the sword" isn't him saying he's got a sword for us Christians to hit people with, but is actually a warning: our simple, happy faith isn't going to make our lives easy or 'better'. It's going to destroy some part of us, and all of some of us.

That's how I read it anyway.

Question for hardcore Calvinists: if I'm an unelect heterodox Christian (like, say, a Mormon or an Old Catholic), and I interpret Matt 10:38 to apply to myself because I believe I have faith in God and a Calvinist recently hurt my feelings, would you giggle and shake your heads at the irony, or would you just take all my Bibles away from me and be done with it?
Why worry about what the Calvinists say? C.S. Lewis demolished predestination in The Screwtape Letters. God does not "look into the future" and see what is "going to happen." God is not bound by space or time. To God, it is all one unbounded NOW. God sees the entire pageant of the physical universe all at once, AS it is happening. To observe a man do a thing is not the same as making him do it. So the theological speculations of John Calvin reduce themselves to "human reasoning." So do most church doctrines.
Okay so I'm plugging my new book. Basic Instructions for the Shy Disciple is the title and it covers exactly what is being said in this blog. For you to understand what Jesus said and to understand the bible, you will have to do certain things. First, join a church, one you will like and want to contribute to. Join a Sunday School class with others who have questions and maybe even a bible study group in your church. Find other Christians of different faiths and listen to what they have to say, you may actually understand their point of view. Then read your bible daily, with respect and know that God loves us more than we could ever imagine. Then maybe, just maybe he will stand next to the angle standing next to you and say well done, I am pleased that you love me too. In God's Grace John

See the latest in:

Promotion

promo 1 promo 2
promo 3 promo 4

Donate Now