tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post110812813012161643..comments2024-03-21T12:32:39.345-05:00Comments on Frankly Speaking: Second Corinthians, Hermeneutics, and More!Frank Bellizzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949066335378651585noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-88529737217468097672008-01-21T21:33:00.000-06:002008-01-21T21:33:00.000-06:00Leland,Psalms or Proverbs? Tough choice. As you ...Leland,<BR/><BR/>Psalms or Proverbs? Tough choice. As you know, the Psalms have won out through the centuries. It's more fun to explore messianic psalms than to hear warnings to not become a sluggard. Maybe the Proverbs should be given more attention in order to balance out things?Frank Bellizzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07949066335378651585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-8068921880022742552008-01-18T08:19:00.000-06:002008-01-18T08:19:00.000-06:00Frank,A partially relevant question--Which is more...Frank,<BR/><BR/>A partially relevant question--Which is more valuable, a reading from Proverbs every day or a reading from the Psalms?<BR/><BR/>In past years I have heard speakers who I respect deeply recommend: (1) reading a chapter of Proverbs everyday, there are 31 chapters so you have a monthly cycle; or, (2) reading one or more of the Psalms every day with a cycle of 3-4 months to complete (thus the entire Psalter 3 or 4 times per year).<BR/><BR/>Thinking about myself, I think it reflects something about my attitude toward Scripture when I was attracted toward the former and now when I am attracted to the latter.<BR/><BR/>Does this make sense?<BR/><BR/>I agree with your comments earlier this week about Tim W's use of visuals in his sermons. In our 8 years at Otter Creek I became convinced that Tim was doing the best that I had seen in enhancement of sermons with PowerPoint (or Media Shout). Phil is great resource (technical and spiritual!). We miss being there. I have seen more than my fair share of PowerPoint in business and military presentations, and the bad examples are abundant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-28877472870438647802008-01-18T07:21:00.000-06:002008-01-18T07:21:00.000-06:00Nice words, Matt. I really liked your thoughts on...Nice words, Matt. I really liked your thoughts on the relative value of study and knowledge. <BR/><BR/>I think that God's intention is his glory, and that the goal of his commandments to us is love.Frank Bellizzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07949066335378651585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10020592.post-55316669446809218682008-01-17T09:28:00.000-06:002008-01-17T09:28:00.000-06:00Frank,Can I toss a question in the mix?Who did Jes...Frank,<BR/><BR/>Can I toss a question in the mix?<BR/><BR/>Who did Jesus condemn and who did Jesus forgive?<BR/><BR/>Jesus condemned people even though they knew their doctrine well. As far as we can tell from what we have, he didn't spend the majority of his time in theological debate over minute theological stances. He spent his time making a difference in the lives of "sick" people. Jesus didn't forgive people because they had all their ducks in a row. He forgave people (especially as the two stories in the "Markan sandwich" of Mark 5:21ff) who had faith in who he was.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me we are free to differ on all sorts of doctrines as long as we get the core and unifying message of the faith right - Jesus is the Son of God and that we are drawn to him through his death, burial, and resurrection. No two people are going to agree on all the doctrines but we should all agree with this.<BR/><BR/>Can someone read 2 Corinthians without a clue of all that background and still grow from it? Yes. But what if they are taking things out of context and missing the fine tuned parts of Paul's points? They can still grow closer to God through that. The gospel writers took the OT scriptures out of context all over the place and that seemed all right.<BR/><BR/>Am I calling for a careless Christianity? Certainly not. I think where we have resources to advance our understanding we should use them. If you have a desire for knowing God you will seek him out to the extent of the resources that are available. I just think it is important to remember that Jesus didn't side with the studied because they were studied or the unstudied because they were unstudied. He sided with those who put their faith in him regardless of anything else. The gospel was intended to unite and not divide. We divide when we miss the point of what the core of the gospel really is and we distract ourselves with minutia. Don't get me wrong...I like minutia as much as the next guy! But minute and fine tuned theological issues are typically not the core of the gospel. Today you have Christians calling other Christians "apostate" based on belief in some issue most of us have never even considered or thought much about. That is just plain silly and a tremendous waste of time.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14368791607689982645noreply@blogger.com