I don't know what else to say about this but...Really??????????
FOXNews.com - EXCLUSIVE: U.N. Elects Iran to Commission on Women's Rights
Posted using ShareThis
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Noah's Ark Found???
I'm sure this is about the thousandth time this headline has appeared in the paper, but it is pretty interesting nonetheless!
FOXNews.com - Has Noah's Ark Been Found on Turkish Mountaintop?
Posted using ShareThis
FOXNews.com - Has Noah's Ark Been Found on Turkish Mountaintop?
Posted using ShareThis
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Jesus’ Conversation with Nicodemus – Part 1, Background
My Bible study group is going through the book of John right now, and some of the things we have discussed about this topic have been very intriguing to me, so I though I’d share some of our thoughts and insights with you.
John 3:1-21
There are two things that I believe are important to understand when looking at Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus: why John wrote and the portions of the previous two chapters of the gospel John wrote. I have learned how important it is to look at a historical document’s (or any other writing, oral history, video, photograph, etc.) purpose, to look for the author’s agenda; to understand what they are attempting to get across. When a picture is taken, the photographer chooses what to include and exclude. If a photographer is taking a picture of a slum area and shows a run-down building with graffiti and broken windows, are they trying to show a slum’s poverty or its recent upswing in crime, and why did they leave out the newly renovated park next door: because it doesn’t show the photographer’s purpose. It is the same with the written word; the author chooses how to phrase his writing and what to include or not to include. In the case of the gospel of John, he states clearly at the end of the book that there were more things that Jesus did than could fill John’s book (John 20:30-31 and 21:25). John also states clearly his purpose in writing: “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31.)
John is writing so the readers will believe, not to show a chronological story of Jesus’ life. With his purpose discovered, it is also important to remember that it is a very Western idea or mindset that things occur in chronological order. This is not so in many Middle Eastern cultures, and is especially not true of the Jewish culture (of the time). John places Jesus’ overturning of the money changers’ tables in the temple in chapter 2, while the other gospels place it during Passion Week, just prior to Jesus’ death. Many look at this as an error in the Scriptures; however, if you look at John’s purpose for writing and the themes, style, and rhythm of the entire book, it is fairly clear that he couples events and conversations to emphasize a point of Jesus’, as well as to show who Jesus is and why He is so important. This is true of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (as well as the second portion of chapter three where John the Baptist discusses with his disciples that it is through belief in Jesus that one receives eternal life). John’s writings are with a purpose, each event seems to be paired with another which emphasize who Jesus is and what His purpose was in coming as man.
Following this emphasis of John’s style of writing and points he is making to the reader, it is important to note when reading this conversation with Nicodemus that portions of the previous two chapters are reflected in the dialogue and statements that are made. First, when Nicodemus says to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2), it is almost a direct reflection of the demand by the Pharisees at the end of the previous chapter to have Jesus “prove” his authority by miracles (John 2:18). (Interestingly enough, Nicodemus is a Pharisee and uses the word “we” when he comes to Jesus. So, it would seem that not all Pharisees were out to get Jesus. Some saw His authority and wanted to know more, to understand who He was and why God sent Him.)
The second portion that needs to be looked at in light of a prior chapter is John 3:19-21 (John 1). John’s use of light and dark in this chapter needs to be read and understood in light of the first chapter of the book. But first, we have to understand why John labels Jesus as “the Word” in chapter 1. If we go back to Genesis 1, it is another “In the beginning” phrase (John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1), written in John 1:1 to specifically bring Jewish readers’ attention to Genesis Chapter 1. Although my writing here is in no way a theological statement, it is interesting to read about creation in light of John’s labeling of Jesus as the Word. I almost picture God speaking “let there be light” and Jesus, being the Word, makes it happen (John 1:3). The Greek word logos used in John 1:1 does not just mean "word," it became a technical term in ancient Greek philosophy; to the readers it had the connotation of the ordering of the universe. So, again, looking back at Genesis, God spoke the words, and the world was created. John’s point? We must again look at why he wrote the gospel of John. John wrote so that we would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God...” (John 20:31.) Jesus was always. From the very beginning of creation, Jesus was. John is declaring that Jesus is God. (John 1:34.)
Second, after the introduction of who Jesus is, John writes about Jesus’ purpose. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:4.) Again, look back at John’s purpose for writing, “…and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31.) This also reflects back on Genesis; God created life, Jesus was with God, the Word. Not only was Jesus at our creation, He is what makes us alive; through Jesus we have life.
The light that John discusses needs to be looked at in real terms. What is light but the absence of darkness; it illuminates the dark and shows us what we cannot see. Jesus shows us who we truly are, He illuminates our life. At that point, we have two choices: choose the dark or choose the light. With the choice of the light, Jesus, we “have life in his name.” (John 20:31.) We have life because of Jesus in two ways, first through creation and second through belief.
Bringing us back to Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, the above text from John 1 reflects this conversation in John 3. The right to true life, to belong to God, is not a birthright (as the Jewish nation saw it), but it is through God that we have this gift. The Word was born physically to show us this fact, that it is not our physical acts of obedience that gives us grace, it is our choice to accept the light, to believe.
John 3:1-21
There are two things that I believe are important to understand when looking at Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus: why John wrote and the portions of the previous two chapters of the gospel John wrote. I have learned how important it is to look at a historical document’s (or any other writing, oral history, video, photograph, etc.) purpose, to look for the author’s agenda; to understand what they are attempting to get across. When a picture is taken, the photographer chooses what to include and exclude. If a photographer is taking a picture of a slum area and shows a run-down building with graffiti and broken windows, are they trying to show a slum’s poverty or its recent upswing in crime, and why did they leave out the newly renovated park next door: because it doesn’t show the photographer’s purpose. It is the same with the written word; the author chooses how to phrase his writing and what to include or not to include. In the case of the gospel of John, he states clearly at the end of the book that there were more things that Jesus did than could fill John’s book (John 20:30-31 and 21:25). John also states clearly his purpose in writing: “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31.)
John is writing so the readers will believe, not to show a chronological story of Jesus’ life. With his purpose discovered, it is also important to remember that it is a very Western idea or mindset that things occur in chronological order. This is not so in many Middle Eastern cultures, and is especially not true of the Jewish culture (of the time). John places Jesus’ overturning of the money changers’ tables in the temple in chapter 2, while the other gospels place it during Passion Week, just prior to Jesus’ death. Many look at this as an error in the Scriptures; however, if you look at John’s purpose for writing and the themes, style, and rhythm of the entire book, it is fairly clear that he couples events and conversations to emphasize a point of Jesus’, as well as to show who Jesus is and why He is so important. This is true of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (as well as the second portion of chapter three where John the Baptist discusses with his disciples that it is through belief in Jesus that one receives eternal life). John’s writings are with a purpose, each event seems to be paired with another which emphasize who Jesus is and what His purpose was in coming as man.
Following this emphasis of John’s style of writing and points he is making to the reader, it is important to note when reading this conversation with Nicodemus that portions of the previous two chapters are reflected in the dialogue and statements that are made. First, when Nicodemus says to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2), it is almost a direct reflection of the demand by the Pharisees at the end of the previous chapter to have Jesus “prove” his authority by miracles (John 2:18). (Interestingly enough, Nicodemus is a Pharisee and uses the word “we” when he comes to Jesus. So, it would seem that not all Pharisees were out to get Jesus. Some saw His authority and wanted to know more, to understand who He was and why God sent Him.)
The second portion that needs to be looked at in light of a prior chapter is John 3:19-21 (John 1). John’s use of light and dark in this chapter needs to be read and understood in light of the first chapter of the book. But first, we have to understand why John labels Jesus as “the Word” in chapter 1. If we go back to Genesis 1, it is another “In the beginning” phrase (John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1), written in John 1:1 to specifically bring Jewish readers’ attention to Genesis Chapter 1. Although my writing here is in no way a theological statement, it is interesting to read about creation in light of John’s labeling of Jesus as the Word. I almost picture God speaking “let there be light” and Jesus, being the Word, makes it happen (John 1:3). The Greek word logos used in John 1:1 does not just mean "word," it became a technical term in ancient Greek philosophy; to the readers it had the connotation of the ordering of the universe. So, again, looking back at Genesis, God spoke the words, and the world was created. John’s point? We must again look at why he wrote the gospel of John. John wrote so that we would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God...” (John 20:31.) Jesus was always. From the very beginning of creation, Jesus was. John is declaring that Jesus is God. (John 1:34.)
Second, after the introduction of who Jesus is, John writes about Jesus’ purpose. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:4.) Again, look back at John’s purpose for writing, “…and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31.) This also reflects back on Genesis; God created life, Jesus was with God, the Word. Not only was Jesus at our creation, He is what makes us alive; through Jesus we have life.
The light that John discusses needs to be looked at in real terms. What is light but the absence of darkness; it illuminates the dark and shows us what we cannot see. Jesus shows us who we truly are, He illuminates our life. At that point, we have two choices: choose the dark or choose the light. With the choice of the light, Jesus, we “have life in his name.” (John 20:31.) We have life because of Jesus in two ways, first through creation and second through belief.
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did
not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not
receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became
flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the
One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:10-14)
Bringing us back to Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, the above text from John 1 reflects this conversation in John 3. The right to true life, to belong to God, is not a birthright (as the Jewish nation saw it), but it is through God that we have this gift. The Word was born physically to show us this fact, that it is not our physical acts of obedience that gives us grace, it is our choice to accept the light, to believe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)