“1-2 Kings gives us no such comfort: Christ has been divided in our divisions.”
Peter Leithart’s blog is included on the blogroll here, and most readers here read PJL anyway, but his recent posts on Church unity are worthy of flags being flown everywhere possible.
Peter Leithart writes:
“Catholicism and Orthodoxy are impressive for their heritage, the seriousness of much of their theology, the seriousness with which they take Christian cultural engagement.
The dreamtime is over.
The Bible teaches us that flesh is temporary. This is bad news for those who distrust God. Flesh is all they have.
“The necessary practice of theology is the Spirit’s invitation to the Church to ‘divide up’ and take an increasing possession of the Bible. The very mind of God is part of our glorious inheritance.”
Much of the material in God’s Kitchen (both the book and the reality) requires some understanding of the Bible Matrix, so I have included a chapter at the beginning with many of the charts from the previous books, and a couple of new ones.
Tinpot Gods and Tinpot Men“Idolatry is the Bible Matrix rendered impotent.”
You get out of life only what you put in, or so the saying goes. According to the Bible Matrix, you are supposed to get out more than you put in.
The single grain of wheat that dies is supposed to bring an abundant harvest. A life is given to God in the faith that He will take what is given and turn it into an increase. This is also found in the Covenant pattern: “Who’s the boss?; who’s His representative?; what do I have to do?; what do I get?; and, what’s next? Obedience brings plunder; disobedience brings plagues. [1]
By evil age, I do not mean the “terrible twos,” or even terrible teens. Many Christians believe they are living in the “evil age” Paul refers to in Galatians 1. They are wrong. Continue reading
“The apocalyptists said, The world is coming to an end: Give up! The Biblical prophets said, The world is coming to a beginning: Get to work!”Is it only me that has to restrain himself from violence when someone refers to the Revelation as “Apocalyptic”? I guess using a long word derived from Greek is a handy way of disguising the fact that you have little idea of what’s actually going on in the book.
“Touching a bone made an Israelite unclean. Burning bones upon Jeroboam’s altars defiled them. This was not because bones were unholy but because they were already holy.”
Here’s a new chapter from God’s Kitchen (members only).
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
Genesis 2:23
or A Nation of NathansJeremy Myers has some words to say about Gregory Boyd’s and Walter Wink’s view that political power necessarily corrupts, even demonizes, the Church:
Is There Such A Thing As A Just War?
The “Just War” theory was originally developed by Augustine to defend the Empire’s actions of arresting and killing the Donatists, with whom Augustine was having a theological disagreement. He argued that in certain situations, a war is not wrong if it furthers the cause of Christ and advances the Kingdom of God on earth.
Bible Matrix blog
