Restitutio

Why did Jesus die? Historically, we could say it was because the Roman Empire perceived him as a threat or the religious leaders in Jerusalem feared he would ignite an unwinnable revolution. Even so, the bible offers a number of theological answers that go far beyond the immediate circumstances of his crucifixion. In this lecture you’ll learn about the eight main biblical reasons why Jesus died. Then we’ll cover the sometimes controversial subjects of substitution and propitiation. —— Notes —— Definitions at-one-ment: bringing together God and humanity through the death of Christ justify: to make just, right; to declare free from blame reconcile: reestablish a close relationship between those who are not unified sanctify: to make holy (pertains to how you live) 1. He died for our sins 1 Cor 15.3-4 Christ died for our sins in accordance w/ the scriptures was Paul the first person to understand the theological significance of the cross? no, b/c he delivered to the Corinthians what he received himself (from others!) so, who first gave the cross a meaning and when? Jesus explained the meaning of his broken body and poured out blood at the last supper (Mat 26.28; cp. Lk 22.19) but Jesus also firmly believed that the OT explained the meaning (Luk 24.25-27, 44-48) a fact to which Peter likewise testified (1 Pet 1.11) does anyone know the two primary OT texts that point to the cross? Psalm 22 Isaiah 52/53 also the typology of the Levitical sacrificial system (especially the Day of Atonement) as explained in Hebrews also Passover celebration no coincidence that the Last Supper was actually a Seder meal! a number of other texts also[1] 1 Cor 11.23-26 communion memorializes his death (bread is body which is broken for us) 2 Cor 5.17-21: if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. God reconciled us to himself through Christ, not counting our trespasses against us.  For our sake God made Jesus to be sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Rom 3.23-26: We are justified by grace (as a gift) through the redemption in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as propitiation by his blood. In this God demonstrated his righteousness because he had passed over previously committed sin and in such a way God is righteous and the one who makes those who have faith in Jesus righteous (justified) as well. more on propitiation 1 Jn 2.2: Jesus Christ the righteous is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world 1 Jn 4.10 God sent his son to propitiate for our sins. Is he then the source and the recipient? Heb 2.17 Chris is the high priest making propitiation for the sins of the people Heb 7.27 he offered himself as the final sacrifice ὁ ἱλασμός BDAG 1. appeasement necessitated by sin, expiation (τῶν θεῶν, Arg. 39; Plut., Fab. 18, 3; cp. Plut., Sol. 12, 5. In these cases we have the pl., prob. referring to the individual actions to be expiated. But also sg.: Plut., Mor. 560d, Camill. 7, 5; Lev 25:9; Ps 129:4; Philo, Leg. All. 3, 174) εἰς ἱ. ἐμοί for my expiation GJs 1:1; so perh. abstr. for concr. of Jesus as the ἱ. περὶ τ. ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν 1J 2:2; 4:10. But mng. 2 has been popular. 2. instrument for appeasing, sacrifice to atone, sin-offering (Ezk 44:27 προσοίσουσιν ἱ. cp. Num 5:8; 2 Macc 3:33) s. above.—S. also lit. cited s.v. ἱλάσκομαι. DELG s.v. ἱλάσκομαι M-M. TW. ὁ ἱλασμός LSJ a means of appeasing, in pl., Plu.Sol.12, Orph.A.39,554,etc. atonement, sinoffering, LXXEz.44.27, 2 Ma.3.33, 1 E

In this episode we’ll consider what the bible says about angels, demons, and Satan.  My goal here is to be as biblical as possible, not giving in to wild speculations or dismissing an understanding because it offends my modern sensibilities.  The scriptures have a lot to say about the spiritual realm, and we can’t possibly work through it all in one episode, but we can at least overview the various major categories of thought. —— Notes —— Angels “…[A]ngels are spiritual beings separate from God, yet, unless they be fallen, of unquestioned integrity, goodwill and obedience to him.” (New Bible Dictionary, p. 37) 1. Worshipers ever notice God is usually portrayed with others? seraphs, cherubs, living creatures Isaiah 6.1-3 Ezekiel 1.1-3, 5, 22, 26-27; 10.15, 20 Daniel 7.9-10 Revelation 4.1-11; 5.11; 7.11 Genesis 1.26; 3.22; 11.7 2. Messengers The angel of Yahweh speaks to Hagar (Gen 16.7-13): this is called the principle of agency another example is Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3.3-7, 2) deceptive messages: Micaiah’s vision shows how God involves the spirits in carrying out his plans also Luke 1 where Gabriel announces the birth of Christ to Mary 3. Warriors angels who destroy Assyrian army (2 Kings 19.35) angels blinded then destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah (Gen 19) angel killed Herod (Acts 12.23) typically they begin by saying “Do not be afraid” Joshua met an angelic warrior (Josh 5.13-15) God is the LORD of hosts (battle name) 4. Helpers fed Elijah when he was severely disappointed (1 Kings 19.5-8) sees a 4th man in fiery furnace (Dan 3.24-25, 28) God sent Daniel an angel to shut the lions’ mouths (Dan 6.22) broke apostles out of jail (Acts 5.19-20) ministering spirits set out to serve (Heb 1.13-14) 5. national vicegerents Deuteronomy 32; Daniel 12: Michael your prince Daniel 10: Gabriel said he was fighting w/ prince of Persia   Demons 1. Some spirits “fell” in the time of Noah 1 Peter 3.18-20 2 Peter 2.4-5 Jude 6-7 Genesis 6.1-5 this also happened later Numbers 13.33; Deut 1.28 killed Og of Bashan whose bed was 13.5’ long and 6’ wide (Deut 3.11) Goliath was of the Anakim (1 Sam 17.4) others killed by David’s mighty men (2 Sam 21.16-22) these events could be what Revelation 12 calls the dragon’s tail pulling down 1/3 of the stars and casting them to earth 2. Demons associated with idols Deut 32.15-17 “they made him jealous with strange gods…they sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known” Ps 106.34-38 Israelites mixed w/ nations and served their idols and sacrificed their kids to demons (see also sacrificing to “goat demons” in Lev 17.7) 1 Cor 10.19-22 pagans offering sacrifices to demons; don’t partake! Rev 9.20 during chaotic end-times people don’t repent of worshiping demons and idols an idol is just a statue, but the demon behind the idol may be real 3. Demons are not things but personal agents James 2.19 they believe God is one and shudder Acts 19.15 the spirit said, “Jesus I know, and Paul…” 4. Usage of “demon” Luke: 30% Mat 23% Mark 21% John 9% 1 Cor 6% Rev 4% J

Last time we worked through a ton of scripture, trying to get a multidimensional view of how the bible describes the holy spirit.  This time we’ll consider a few scriptures that have confused some into thinking the spirit is really an individual or person distinct from the Father and the Son.  This study is pretty technical, though I did my best to make the grammatical Greek points understandable. Even so, it will be difficult to follow along unless you download the handout we used in class. Here is the handout I used in class: Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab Download [857.29 KB]   —— Notes —— I didn’t follow these notes very closely, but instead mostly worked from this handout at least until later in the lecture.  Even so, I thought these additional notes may be useful for your study. State the Doctrine Simply The spirit is God/Christ in action Reasons that Support Non-Personality of the Spirit The Holy Spirit Does Not Have a Name The Holy Spirit Never Sends Greetings (1 Cor 1.3; 1 Jn 1.3) The Holy Spirit Is Owned by God (Spirit of God) (1 Cor 2.11) The Holy Spirit Is Never Prayed To (Jn 16.23) The Holy Spirit Is Left Out of Key Passages (Jn 10.30; Mt 11.27; Mk 13.32) The Holy Spirit Not in Visions of Heaven (Rev 3.21; 4; 5) What about All Those Personal Pronouns in John 14-16? the word “spirit” πνευμα in the NT is neuter not masculine or feminine use handout instead of what’s below unless we are short on time Nearly all modern translations have adopted the standard of using personal pronouns (like “he” and “him”) in reference to the holy spirit.  This is unusual because the word “spirit” or pneuma is neuter in Greek, and the pronouns the Bible uses are likewise neuter (like it and which).  Although it is often the case that masculine and feminine Greek pronouns are translated in English as “it” or “which,” neuter words in Greek are virtually never translated into English using personal pronouns except when referring to the spirit.  Immediately, this double standard should grab our attention as a potential area of bias in translation.  Jason BeDuhn insightfully explains the matter as follows: Jason BeDuhn on Translating Greek Gender into English Now it turns out that both “masculine” and “feminine” Greek nouns can be used for impersonal things as well as persons.  But “neuter” nouns are used only for impersonal things, such as objects, animals, forces, abstract principles, and so on.  The same holds true for “masculine,” “feminine,” and “neuter” pronouns…But even though the “personal” category is larger in Greek than in English, the “Holy Spirit” is referred to by a “neuter” noun in Greek.  Consequently, it is never spoken of with personal pronouns in Greek.  It is a “which,” not a “who.”  It is an “it,” not a “he.”  This is the case, then, where the importance of the principle of following primary, ordinary, generally recognized meaning of the Greek when translatin

How do you think of holy spirit?  In this lecture we’ll build up a biblical theology of the spirit, in an effort to comprehend its variegated facets. We’ll consider the Old Testament and the Synoptic Gospels before spending a good deal of time in John, looking at the fascinating way that Jesus talks about the spirit in the upper room discourse. —— Notes —— The Old Testament on Spirit How ruach is translating in the NASB: air          2 anger     1 blast      2 breath   31 breathless           1 cool       1 courage               1 despondency      1 exposed               1 grief       1 heart     1 inspired                1 mind      3 motives 1 points    1 side        4 sides      2 Spirit      76 spirit      127 spirits    3 strength               1 temper  2 thoughts              1 trustworthy         1 wind      98 winds     7 windy    2 wrath    1   Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period When used of living beings, ruach refers to the essence of the life and vitality in both human beings and animals that is manifested through movement and breathing (Genesis 2:7; 6:17; 7:15; Numbers 16:22; Ezekiel 10:17).  Just as “spirit” was considered the essence of human life, so analogously the term “spirit” was used of the presence, activity, and power of God, that is, characteristics that demonstrate that God is truly a “living God” (Deuteronomy 5:26; Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 7:26; Isaiah 37:4; Daniel 6:20; Matthew 16:16; Revelation 7:2). Jacob Neusner, William Scott Green editors, Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period ©1996, Hendrickson Publishers, page 298 New Bible Dictionary At its heart is the experience of a mysterious, awesome power—the mighty invisible force of the wind, the mystery of vitality, the otherly power that transforms—all ruach, all manifestations of divine energy. JDG Douglas, New Bible Dictionary (second edition) ©1962, ed. By JD Douglas, FF Bruce, JI Packer, N Hillyer, D Guthrie, AR Millard, DJ Wiseman, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., pages 1137 James Dunn on the Holy Spirit There can be little doubt that from the earliest stages of pre-Christian Judaism, ‘spirit’ (ruach) denoted power—the aweful, mysterious force of the wind (ruach), of the breath (ruach) of life, of ecstatic inspiration (induced by divine ruach)…In other words, on this understanding, Spirit of God is in no sense distinct from God, but is simply the power of God, God himself acting powerfully in nature and upon men. James  DG Dunn, Christology in the Making (second edition) ©1989, Eerdmans Publishing Co., page 133. Examples of Ruach: The spirit of God may be taken from one and distributed to others (Numbers 11:17) inspire prophecy (Numbers 11:25, 29; 24:2-3; 1 Samuel 10:6, 10; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 2 Chronicles 15:1; 20:14; 24:20; Nehemiah 9:30; Zechariah 7:12) be a way God speaks to people (2 Samuel 23:2) lead someone to a different location (1 Kings 18:12) transport someone from one location to another (2 Kings 2:16) be defined parallel with the anointing of Yahweh (Isaiah 61:1 cp. Acts 10:38) empower leaders to judge/rule the people (Judges 3:10) impart warlike energy/confidence (Judges 6:34; 11:29; 14:6, 19) supply supernatural strength (Judges 15:14) cause righteous anger (1 Samuel 11:6-7) impart regeneration/peace (Isaiah 32:15) give the Messiah wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, th

Now I realize we are in the middle of our theology class, but I thought this would be a good time to take a quick break and put out my recent presentation from Restoration Fellowship’s 2019 Theological Conference, titled, “The Trinity before Nicea.”  Next week we’ll get back to theology and build up a biblical theology of the holy spirit, but for now, let’s dive into the second and third centuries and wrestle with the question of whether Christians believed in the Trinity before the year a.d. 325. Did Christians believe in the Trinity before a.d. 325 when the Council of Nicaea established that the Lord Jesus Christ exists as one substance (homoousios) with the Father? In what follows, I intend to investigate the beliefs of key Christians in the second and third centuries to answer this question, using Matt Slick’s “Early Trinitarian Quotes” as our guide. —— Links —— Read the entire paper, “The Trinity before Nicea“ Check out the video of this presentation, including slides Intro music: Jazzy Frenchy by bensound.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Although later Christianity interpreted the handful of texts that call Jesus God as evidence that he shared the same rank, substance, and age as the Father, a more Hebrew-sensitive reading of these same verses yields more organic fruit.  Instead of bringing in complex Greek philosophy to distinguish person from being and divine from human natures, the bible provides clear precedents for the idea that Jesus as God’s agent can be called God because he represents him.  Thus, we do not have two Gods, but one God and his representatives, whether human judges, angelic beings, prophets, or the messiah himself.  Suddenly centuries of harebrained distinctions and intellectual confusions dissipate like so much fog in the morning sun and we are left with Jesus of Nazareth, God’s man to announce and enact the good news.  Texts discussed in this episode include Isaiah 9.6 (by Daniel Calcagno), Matthew 1.23, Psalm 82.1, 6, John 10.34ff, Psalm 45.6, Hebrews 1.8, Exodus 21.5-6, 22.8-9, John 20.28, and John 1.8.  To follow along with this class, please download this handout as I refer to it repeatedly. —— Notes —— State the Doctrine Simply Because Jesus is God’s supreme agent, people can call him “God” in the same sense that God called the judges “Gods” and Israelite kings could be called “God.”  He is at once subordinate to God and he bears the divine authority and name as his representative. Texts that Support This Teaching Jn 5.19, 30; 8.28; 12.49-50; 14.10, 28; 1 Cor 11.3; 15.28 Difficult Texts Although we worked through shaky texts last time where the bible might call Jesus God, now we want to work on the remaining key texts, including Hebrews 1.8, John 20.28, and John 1.18. The word “God” is more flexible than you think. Principle of Agency angels            prophets       judges            kings Ex 3.3-6          Ex 4.14-16     Ex 21.5-6        Ps 45.1-7 Ex 20.1-3        Ex 7.1-2          Ex 22.8-9        Is 9.6 Psalm 8.5       Joel 3.16-17   Ps 82.1-8? (Heb 2.7)   Isaiah 9.6   For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The Messiah is prophesied to be called “Mighty God” and “Eternal Father.”  First of all, Trinitarians do not believe that Jesus is the Eternal Father; they believe he is the Eternal Son.  So they too would argue that this name should not to be taken in a strict literal sense.  Furthermore, there are many others who bore names that included the word God (Heb. El or Yah).  Eliab means “My God Father”; Jehoram means “Yahweh Exalted”; Ithiel means “God with Me”; Isaiah means “Salvation of Yahweh.”  Having a name doesn’t necessarily describe you it may describe your God.  Also, it is possible to call a human being “God” if he represents God to the people.  For example, Solomon (or whoever is in mind in Psalm 45) is called God (Ps 45.6-7).  The judges of Israel are called Gods (Ps 82.6), a fact which Jesus played upon when he was accused of calling himself God (John 10.33-36).  Jesus is called “Mighty God” because he represents the Mighty God.  He is called “Eternal Father” because through him the Eternal Father discloses truth (John 14.10).   John 10.27-39 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  30

Last time we considered Jesus’ identity as God’s messiah.  Today, we’ll look at a number of texts that are sometimes misunderstood to teach that Jesus is God. We’ll go through three classifications of verses: (1) those with manuscript issues, (2) those with translation issues, and (3) those with interpretation issues.  Here is the breakdown. Manuscript Issues: 1 Timothy 3.16, 1 John 5.7-8 Translation Issues: Acts 20.28, Romans 9.5, Titus 2.13, 2 Thessalonians 1.12, 2 Peter 1.1 Interpretation Issues: John 5.18, John 10.30, 1 John 5.20, Colossians 2.9 See below for links to the various handouts mentioned in this episode. —— Notes —— State the Doctrine Simply Jesus is God’s human messiah—a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst (Acts 2.22). Texts that Support This Teaching Ex 8.10; 19.16-20; 20.1-6; Deut 4.35-39; 5.1-7; 6.4-5; 7.9-10; 10.17-21; 32.12, 39; 1 Sam 2.2; 2 Sam 7.22-24;  1 Kings 8.60; 2 Kings 19.15, 19; 1 Chron 17.20; Neh. 9.6; Ps. 83.18; 86.9-10; 135.5; Is 37.16, 20; 41.4; 42.5-8; 43.10-13; 44.6-8, 24; 45.5-7, 12, 18, 21-22; 46.9; Jer 10.7-10; Joel 2.27; Zech 14.9; Mat. 19.17; Mk 10.17-18; 12.28-33; Jn 5.44; 8.41; 17.3; 1 Cor 8.4-6; Gal 3.20; Eph 4.6; 1 Tim 2.5; Jam 2.19; Jud 25 Difficult Texts Before examining these texts, we should note how even Trinitarians have sometimes observed what a shaky foundation their belief in the deity of Christ rests: Christopher Kaiser: “Belief in the deity of Christ has traditionally been the keystone of the doctrine of the Trinity, yet explicit references to Jesus as ‘God” in the New Testament are very few, and even those few are generally plagued with uncertainties of either text or interpretation.”[1] William Barclay: “But we shall find that on almost every occasion in the New Testament on which Jesus seems to be called God there is a problem either of textual criticism or of translation.  In almost every case we have to discuss which of two readings is to be accepted or which of two possible translations is to be accepted.”[2]   Manuscript Issues 1 Timothy 3.16 [NKJ] 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. 1 Timothy 3.16  [ESV] 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. ὅς {A} The reading which, on the basis of external evidence and transcriptional probability, best explains the rise of the others is ὅς. It is supported by the earliest and best uncials (א* A*vid C* Ggr) as well as by 33 365 442 2127 syrhmg, pal goth ethpp Origenlat Epiphanius Jerome Theodore Eutheriusacc. to Theodoret Cyril Cyrilacc. to Ps-Oecumenius Liberatus. Furthermore, since the neuter relative pronoun ὅ must have arisen as a scribal correction of ὅς (to bring the relative into concord with μυστήριον), the witnesses that read ὅ (D* itd, g, 61. 86 vg Ambrosiaster Marius Victorinus Hilary Pelagius Augustine) also indirectly presuppose ὅς as the earlier reading. The Textus Receptus reads θεός, with אe (this corrector is of the twelfth century) A2 C2 Dc K L P Ψ 81 330 614 1739 Byz Lect Gregory-Nyssa Didymus Chrysostom Theodoret Euthalius and later Fathers. Thus, no uncial (in the first hand) earlier than the eighth or ninth century (Ψ) supports θεός all ancient versions presuppose ὅς or ὅ and no patristic writer prior to t

Have you joined the Restitutio facebook group?  The idea behind the group is that its a place where anyone can start topics for discussion.  So, please join if you’d like to see what’s going on. What is the defining title for Jesus of Nazareth?  Although he kept it mostly a secret during his ministry, Jesus’ role as messiah was and is the organizing center of his identity.  Join me as we work through the Gospels to understand Jesus by his own words and deeds. —— Notes —— Vocab: מָשַׁח meshach: anoint, spread a liquid. מָשִׁיחַ meshyach: anointed one. (for quiz, what does messiah mean? Χριστός = anointed one, messiah, christ Mashiack = Christos Messiah  =  Christ meaning anointed   Examples of anointing (prophet, priest, king) Moses anointing Aaron as high priest (ordination) Ex 30.22-33; Lev 8.1-12, so all the high priests were “messiahs” Samuel anointing Saul; David 1 Sam 9.27-10.1; 1 Sam 16.6-7, 11-13 David would not take revenge on Saul b/c he was the LORD’s anointed 1 Sam 24.8-10, so all the kings were “messiahs” Elijah anointing Elisha 1 Ki 19.14-17   THE messiah “The Hebrew word means literally ‘anointed one,’ hence in theory either a prophet, priest or king. In Greek this translates as Christos; ‘Christ’ in early Christianity was a title, and only gradually became an alternative proper name for Jesus.  In practice ‘Messiah’ is mostly restricted to the notion, which took various forms in ancient Judaism, of the coming king who would be David’s true heir, through whom YHWH would rescue Israel from pagan enemies.”[1]   messianic prophecies Gen 49.10 scepter will not depart from Judah 1 Chronicles 17.11-14: David’s son, God’s son Psalm 2: God’s son and world ruler Isaiah 11: supremely insightful and just ruler[2] Jer 23.5-6 God will raise up for David a righteous branch to reign as king[3] Zech 9.9-10 king comes on a donkey and cuts off weapons of war and rules from sea to sea   Jesus’ birth Luke 1.31-33 promised to set on throne of David and rule over Jacob Mat 2.2 where is he born king of the Jews?   Interchangeable terms son of God Luke 4.41 demons rebuked for saying “You are the son of God” b/c they knew he was the Christ John 11.27 Martha believes Jesus is “the Christ, the son of God, who is coming into the world” John 20.31 purpose of Gosp. Jn to believe Jesus is the Christ, the son of God Mat 26.63-64 Messiah, son of God, and Son of Man son of David Mat 12.22-23 this can’t be the son of David, can it? Mat 22.42 whose son is the Christ? they said, ‘the son of David’ king of Israel John 1.49 Nathanael says “you are the son of God! you are the king of Israel!” Mat 27.42-43 if he is king of Israel let him come down from cross; he said, I am the son of God   Messianic secret and the son of man Mark 3.11 demons told to keep quiet about him being the son of God Mat 16.13-20 Jesus strictly charge disciples not to tell anyone he was the Messiah “We know of several other Jewish movements, messianic movements, prophetic movements, during the one or two centuries either side of Jesus’ public career. Routinely they e

How many is God?  Although the ancient Shema (recorded in Deuteronomy 6) teaches that God is one, Christian theologians have put forward a number of reasons arguing for a plurality within God.  We will examine a number of these words, texts, and reasonings in an effort to agree with Jesus who wholeheartedly affirmed the Jewish Shema as his own greatest commandment. —— Notes —— State the Doctrine Simply God is one. Texts that Support This Teaching The Shema! שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃ וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ Deuteronomy 6.4-9 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.   story of Akiva Roman commander, Turnus Rufus: “Have you no feeling of pain? Are you a sorcerer?” Akiva: “I am no sorcerer; but I rejoice at the opportunity now given to me to love my God ‘with all my life,’ seeing that I have hitherto been able to love him only ‘with all my means’ and ‘with all my might,’” and with the word “one” he expired”[1] Akiva set a precedent for dying, especially in persecution from the persecution of the Romans that Akiva faced to the forced conversions and subsequent burning at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition of the middle ages to the murmur of Jewish voices in the Nazi gas chambers to the victims of Hamas today this people repeats the words of the Shema in the manner of Akiva over and over and die with it on their lips what a legacy!   Isaac Peretz: “The Hebrew language… is the only glue which holds together our scattered bones. It also holds together the rings in the chain of time…. It binds us to those who built pyramids, to those who shed their blood on the ramparts of Jerusalem, and to those who, at the burning stakes, cried Shema Yisrael!”[2]   Rabbi Shraga Simmons: “Seth Mandel, the father of 13-year-old Koby Mandel who was bludgeoned to death in a cave by Arab terrorists, spoke at the massive pro-Israel rally in Washington DC in April 2002. He told the following story: In the Sbarro Pizza bombing which killed 15 people in Jerusalem, five members of a Dutch family were killed. One was a 4-year-old boy named Avraham Yitzhak. As he was lying on the ground – bleeding, burning and dying – he said to his father, “Abba, please help me. Save me.” His father reached over and held his hand. Together they said the words of the Shema. Seth Mandel told the DC crowd: “My son Koby died alone. I didn’t have the chance to say the Shema with him. So now I want you to help me say the Shema for the hundreds of Jews who have been killed in Mideast violence. Say the Shema with me in the merit of the boy in Sbarro’s. And say the Shema with me in the merit of my son Koby.” He then led the crowd of 250,000 in reciting the Shema together. [3]   Talmud: “Jerusalem was only destroyed because its inhabitants desecrated the Shabbat, they refrained from reciting the Morning and Evening Shema…” (Talmud, Shabbat 119b)

Today we’ll tackle the biggest question of all: who is God?  We’ll take a journey through scripture together to discover what God is like, stopping at key moments to consider what this or that interaction tells us about him. —— Notes —— theology: one’s understanding of God Ontology vs. Functionality ontology: understanding something based on what it is (it’s essence) tendency to define God based on what he is (omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent) perfect being theology: reasons from perfection to generate characteristics that God must have independent from what he reveals about himself in the bible bible tends to define God based on what he’s done and his relationship w/ people Creator desiring trusting relationships creation Adam and Eve Limited participant in human affairs in time, with us, not aloof (we’ll get to predestination later) Cain and Able warns Cain does not force him or prevent him Lamech Heartbroken exception maker Nephilim Gen 6 Noah’s flood Preemptive preventer Babel the God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob the call (Gen 12.1-4) Yahweh is going to be Abraham’s God he’ll have his back bless those who bless curse those who curse he’s just looking for someone to believe him, to trust him, to do what he says three tests of trust leave your land circumcise yourself and all your men the Akedah (binding of Isaac) with Abraham and Sarah we find the opposite of Adam and Eve believed God’s promises left their native land to be with God in promised land trusted God to perform the impossible over time grew more faithful died trusting God by the end of all of this, God irreversibly yoke’s himself to this family through covenants covenant faithfulness and chesed henceforth, God’s dealings w/ Abraham affect how he PRIMARILY refers to himself I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob Powerful liberator and god-mocker burning bush how does God introduce himself to Moses? the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the name Pharaoh’s question (Ex 5.1) 10 plagues as God telling Egypt and the world who he is vis-à-vis the Egyptian gods he is the God above all other gods Passover meal memorializes the historical event of God liberating Israel this is how God intends to imprint faith on each generation (festivals) Exclusive moralist ten commandments begin w/ several statements of exclusivity singular pronouns! whenever anyone ever uses a pronoun for God in the bible it is singular: he, him, his, you (sg.) basic moral code 8 attributes of God Exodus 34.6-7 6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” chesed (חֶסֶד) John Goldingay: “It is sometimes described as covenant love, though in the OT it rarely appears in the company of the word “covenant.” It is used in two connections: when someone makes an act of commitment for which there is no reason in terms of prior relatio