Dipendente

Is Biblical Theology a lazy way to treat the Old Testament

I am probably going to get shot by some people for even asking this question, but it is something that has been bouncing around my head for a while so i will post the thoughts, get some comments and keep on thinking about the issue.

Before i get started i should set out some things before someone tries to take me out of context.

• I think Biblical Theology is a good way to approach the OT
• The OT does point to Jesus
• Our Reading of the OT should keep Jesus as the centre

Now with that out of the way for people who will freak, this is my problem.

Recently i have been listening to some talks on the Old Testament by a prominent speaker and the 12 talks I have listened to so far follow one of these 2 approaches:

Place in the Old Testament
Really about Jesus
Talk about Jesus' view of the issue that was raised in the OT

Or

Place in the OT
Future Jerusalem
David
Exile
Jesus the way to heaven

Now as much as i like the big framework of Biblical theology (I am a big picture person) and as much as i think it works with much reading of the OT i wonder whether we are oversimplifying the OT and being lazy in our reading and use of it.

Is Biblical Theology being used poorly by some of us to avoid doing the proper research, cause after all if you talk about Jesus you are going to be safe anyway, so the faster i get onto Jesus the sooner i will be out of trouble and be ok.

Thoughts??

Desmond Tutu on Forgiveness

Mobile Prayer

News.com.au just released this article about receiving prayer requests on your mobile phone. I think i like the concept but am not sure aaaaarrrrrgggg.

Prayer in Action aims to have 500,000 people across the UK on this within the next couple of years.

What do people think. Read the article here. Thanks Joel for the link

BoxWars????

"Mere Christianity" some interesting thoughts

"The world does not consist of 100 percent Christians and 100 percent non-Christians. There are people (a great many of them) who are slowly ceasing to be Christians but who still call themselves by that name: some of them are clergymen." [Ch. 10, page 208]

"There are other people who are slowly becoming Christians though they do not yet call themselves so. There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand." [Ch. 10, 208-209]

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example, a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain other points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ’s birth may have been in this position. And always, of course, there are a great many people who are just confused in mind and have a lot of inconsistent beliefs all jumbled up together. Consequently, it is not much use trying to make judgments about Christians and non-Christians in the mass." [Ch. 10, 209]

"Niceness'--wholesome, integrated personality--is as excellent thing. We must try by every medical, educational, economic, and political means in our power to produce a world where as many people as possible grow up 'nice.'...'' [Ch. 10, 215]

OSX Leopard on my G4

it took me long enough and enough heart attacks but i got my laptop working again and have put OSX Leopard on it, so good, another few months before i need to upgrade (yay for saving money)

How to increase your Blog readers

A couple of days ago I put up an email that made me laugh alot it had to do with Ralph now the funny thing that has happened is that since put up that post i have had about 10 people a directed to my blog from google who were searching for the Ralph Calendar. This also is making me laugh

hahahhahahahaha

When Google Earth meets Scripture

J.R posted this link to a new Google development which looks fairly cool. Either go to J.R's Blog or click here

Not What is being said BUT Who says it

I seem to be coming across this common trend in Christians circles that is disturbing me quite a bit. It seems to me that we are moving further and further away from interacting with brothers and sisters in Christ, and instead of interacting with what people are saying, we interact with what we think of them or what we may have heard about them rather than with what they are actually saying.

The consequence of this is that we look to some people and no matter what they say or do we accept it because, we think well of them; or no matter what someone else says we think it is rubbish because we don't like their paxis or hair style and so therefore their theology must be suspect.

Is Christianity becoming sectarian?? Rather than playing the ball do we play the man??

What are peoples thoughts??

Lectio Divina

On Sunday Night at SMAS as a community we are going to take part in Lectio Divina. Should be good.

Lectio Divina (Latin for “sacred reading”) is a way to study scripture in silence and let God’s Word speak directly to us.  It’s an ancient way of putting ourselves under the Bible and letting it interpret us. The goal is to develop an intimate relationship with God by praying the Scripture he gave us. The purpose is not speed, but quality.

There are four parts to Lectio Divina.

Lectio: Spend five minutes reading the passage. Read it over and over very slowly. After five minutes, move on to meditatio.

Meditatio: Spend five minutes thinking over the passage you just read. Chew on     the passage and keep it in the front of your mind. Identify a word, phrase or     sentence that keeps jumping out at you as you read it over and over again.     Meditate on that word, phrase or sentence.  Then move on to oratio.

Oratio: Spend five minutes praying. Ask, “God, why did you give me this word today?” and then put yourself in a posture to listen.

Contemplatio: Spend five minutes contemplating, “God, what do you want me to do with what you have just taught me?” *

Journal: end each time by writing down your thoughts and what you learned and how God spoke to you in the passage.