A study of Galatians

by Billygoat 24 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  hmike

  With all due respect to the late Dr. Scott, Martin Luther, and others, I disagree about the book of James not belonging in the Bible. It contains important guidelines about living out the Christian life.

  Experiencing God's salvation by faith has always been a fundamental teaching of the Bible, including the OT. If you believed what God said about something, and took whatever action was appropriate based on that belief (obedience), then you received the corresponding benefits. If you didn't believe, then of course, you didn't act in line with what God said, and you didn't benefit. In the NT, the fundamental teaching is that Jesus of Narareth is the Christ/Son of God/Son of Man/ Son of David/King/suffering servant of Isaiah 53 based on eyewitness testimonies of how the teachings of Jesus, how he lived his life, his death and resurrection matched those prophecies. To believe this testimony is essential because it is believing what God has said (the NT claim about Jesus), but it doesn't really stop there. As such, he is Lord and Master, and his word is supreme, so professing believers should make the attempt to live according to his teachings. So when he talks of loving and not sinning, to accept that teaching is all part of the believing (this also extends to the teachings of the Apostles, because he said, "whoever listens to you [the Apostles] listens to me.") It makes sense, doesn't it? If I believe that smoking is bad for me and will kill me, assuming I want to live, I'm at least going to try to quit, aren't I? In the Synoptic Gospels, believing Jesus to be the Messiah sent by God meant obeying his teachings; that was the expectation for people living at that time. After the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit and inclusion into the promise to Abraham comes into play, but how people were to live was never negated.

  We need guidelines to live by because, even though our inner self is regenerated, the outward self, including how we think, should ideally be brought into conformity with the inner self. Although this cannot be fully achieved, we should be on the path to becoming a fully integrated being. Loving God (and his Son) is first and foremost, and making the effort to please God with our lives is part of loving God. It's part of praise, worship, and thanksgiving. It's a natural consequence, isn't it? When you have legalism, the love has been lost; it's all about self--"What do I get out of it?"

  Yes, the canon does consist of different perspectives from different authors, but I see that as a good thing. Each has something to contribute to the big picture, and it somehow all fits together.
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  Leolaia

  mustang....It is not clear how much those categories overlap, e.g. the difference between the Ebionites and the Nazoreans has never been very well worked out. Part of the problem is that the label "Ebionite," for instance, refers not to a belief system or faith but a lifestyle: the name derives from Hebrew 'bywnym "poor ones" (cf. Amos 5:12), and it refers to Christians who lived in poverty in accordance with Jesus' instruction (cf. especially Matthew 6:19-34, 13:44, 19:21, Luke 6:20, 18:22, 19:8). Acts presents the early Jerusalem church as practicing such a lifestyle (cf. 2:44-45, 4:32-37, 5:1-11), and Paul alludes to it in 1 Corinthians 13:3 (cf. Galatians 2:10, in which James the Just entreated Paul to "remember the poor ones" in Jerusalem) and James 2:5 similarly claims that those chosen by God to inherit the kingdom of God are "poor in the eyes of the world". The Ebionites of the second century continued this lifestyle of voluntary poverty as an important part of attaining the kingdom of God (in harmony with Matthew 19:21, 13:44). Thus, because the lifestyle was not predicated on a specific theology or doctrine on the Law, there were Ebionites favoring the stance of James on the Law (i.e. #1), there were Ebionites favoring the stance of Peter on the Law (i.e. #2), some Ebionites had a more gnostic-like christology, others had a more adoptionist one. That is why the description of the beliefs of the Ebionites varies so wildly between Irenaeus and Epiphanius.

  BTW, Arius may have been influenced indirectly by the christologies of Syrian Jewish-Christians through Lucian of Antioch. His theology at least was palatable to the Ebionites; the Greek Homilies of the Pseudo-Clementines is generally believed to have been edited by an Arianist, and Arianism was popular in Antioch.
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  A Paduan

  The story of works & faith is one of the oldest - Cain & Abel

  Cain produced fruit, by effort, tilling - fruit of the ground (dust/clay) - Abel tended to animals that grew by eating what was available.

  Cain didn't like it that his efforts weren't praiseworthy.

  Why can't jws see it ? Cain couldn't get it either - it's the same kind of thing - they believe their efforts superior.
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  M.J.

  Wow, A.P. Good point. I never thought of that one before.
• 

  Pistoff

  hmike said:

  We need guidelines to live by because, even though our inner self is regenerated, the outward self, including how we think, should ideally be brought into conformity with the inner self.

  Here is where I part ways with religious people; I agreee that all need to be guided, but by whom or what? This is the slippery slope of religious fellowships for me; the lead up with discussion of God, Jesus and then comes: HERE ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR YOU TO LIVE BY.

  How about this? I read it, internalize it and let it do it's work.

  I am a believer in Jesus; I just don't believe that his wish was that the congregation arrangement under the jewish system, complete with power structure, should be reproduced again for his followers. What would prevent the abuses that Jesus railed against?

  The problem with religious bodies is that sooner or later the leaders believe their own rhetoric about being guided or inspired by God. The more charismatic they are, the more effective. Sooner or later, you get Jerry Falwell, Ayatollah Khomeini and Bin Laden. ALL feel very close to God, and think they are doing the world and God a favor with their inflammatory diatribes.

  Which leads to the prayer: Dear God, please protect me from your followers.