Talk About Love - Fourth Chapter "Placed in His Story"

“TALK ABOUT LOVE" All original ideas are Copyright of Richard R Sjaardema, 7/21/2010. (I, Richard R Sjaardema invite you to share and copy this material with Copyright notatation and without charge.)


(Pending table of contents)

1. WHY BOTHER TALKING

A. What Is Man

B. Thou Art Holy

C. Preparing For Celebration

2. KNOWING YOUR BELIEF

A. His Story Positioning

B. Word of God

C. What is Truth

3. UNDERSTANDING GOD’S LOVE

A. God’s Spiritual Gifts

B. God’s Greatest Gift

C. Beginning The Transformation


Placed in His Story

As a businessman, I have appointments from time to time at the Courthouse in the various counties I do business in. This morning I had the opportunity of a private session with the Judge and Clerk in one such courtroom. Having seen the docket, the clerk welcomed me as he knew my name & knows a bit about my spiritual identity, and I his. In the course of our conversation, I posed a philosophical question as to whether those liberal Presbyterians were saved. Being privy to our conversation, the judge quickly answered, those are things best left to God. Having studied theology and history and he having a history as a Presbyterian as I do; the clerk entered into a much lengthier conversation. As an author, I share this story with you as it portrays well the spiritual identities we each carry with us given our walks of life. Personally, I felt the Judge pegged God’s role as Judge quite well. There are some aspects of another’s faith that are best left to God. The theologian & I had much more to say.

Earlier in the day, I had attended a men’s bible study with a group I meet with weekly. Our study brought up the idea of triangles in our lives. This too, spoke to me as I prepared to discuss with you the importance of “knowing what you believe.” As we seek God in our lives, in essence our world and life view can be depicted as a triangle. At the top is God. You then take up another corner and your world fills the other corner. This triangle, then, represents your world and life view. It is important that you understand, and feel confident in who you are in relationship with God and your world. When the lines connecting these relationships are pressured or broken, there is separation, pain, and frustration. Generally, you are the victim.

In my last chapter, I mentioned I Corinthians 13, often referred to in Christian circles as the Love chapter. In verse 13, three qualities of life are mentioned; Faith, Hope, and Love. I have also heard of these attributes being applied to raising children. However, I believe in that instance, they were referred to as love, hope, and purpose. In 2008, Barrack Obama rode to victory in the US Presidential race. A mainstay of his platform was Hope in the midst of crisis. The world fell in Love with his platform. In order for any of us to be effective evangelists regarding God our Father, we must be able to understand His love for us, His hope for mankind, and we must have faith in His purpose for our lives and those of our fellow man. Without a healthy understanding of who we are as God’s image bearers, our own faith will falter as we meet surprises and challenges along the way. Without a safe haven and a close knit family to run to in times of need, we will too often feel alone and discouraged.

Although it is unhealthy to believe that I have all the right answers, thereby building a fortress around me that no-one can get in, it is also important to have a firm foundation of faith on which to build. Although it is unhealthy to attempt to completely rely on others to get me through life, it is important to have friends on which to rely on for support, strength, rest for the soul, understanding, inspiration, and healing. In consideration of that triangle, this section is on understanding and maintaining that most important connection between you and God – and perhaps what has led to the ideologies which make you somewhat unique amongst the religious affiliations today.

Out of Judaism

Following their chosen death by Roman Roulette, only 2 of the 40 remained trapped in the cave. These two Jews then surrendered to their Roman captors during the Galilean invasion of July 67 AD. Josephus, the higher ranking of the two went on to serve as a negotiator during the war and became an historian of Jewish culture within the Roman world.

Among his writings is “The Antiquities of the Jews” c94. Although the authenticity of the “Testimonium Flavianum” within this writing has been heavily debated in recent centuries, the mention of Jesus in book 20 chapter 9 which states: “he (Ceasar) assembled the Sanhedrin of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned.” Josephus hereby documented for the record the presence and life of a man and that of his early followers who have changed our world. There are few within our world today who have not heard of Jesus Christ or of this early sect called the Way which has become the Christian body. However, who Jesus was and what he represents has been hotly contested and heavily debated for nearly 2000 years. Our question now, is where does your spiritual identity fit into this history and how does it affect your connection with God our Father.

Take an aspirin & enjoy this quick synopsis of church history;

Since history began, your identity in relation to the Creator has been being defined. From earliest Creation and the first man; through his migration throughout the earth; through visions and inspirations, real or imagined, experienced by men and women throughout time; through the resulting multiplicity of religious cultures; through books, movies, and verbal communications; the history of God and his relationship with man has been being revealed up to, including, & in response to this one life of Jesus Christ.

In Acts 15 of the present day Bible, a story is recorded of a self proclaimed missionary to the Gentiles who met with the Jewish leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. This meeting, of the early church leaders met within a few years following Christ’s death. The main issue at stake regarded the legal requirements that should be applied to these new converts to the faith. This first missionary to Gentiles had been a dangerous antagonist to the early Church, but had experienced his own conversion which is also recorded by Luke in the book of Acts. The missionary’s name was Paul. His meeting with the early Church Fathers has come to be known as the Jerusalem Council.

During his lifetime, Paul wrote various letters to churches within His mission field regarding this growing new faith. Such letters caused controversy at the time and continue to be used as divisions of the faith today. In Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, he addressed his frustration regarding this trend. He wrote in I Corinthians 1:10-13a: “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Is Christ divided?” And then in verse 17: “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (RSV)

In Paul’s book to the Romans, which today we understand to be the second chapter, yet is a continuation of his unified letter, he challenged the church regarding their judgment of sinners as they represent sinners themselves. In Chapter 1:18 he wrote; “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth”. In Romans 2:1, he continues; “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.” In verse 8 he wrote: “for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury.” Paul continued with his personal challenge of the believer in Romans 2:22-24: “You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (RSV)

In I Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul quoted an early church creed and gave a bit of history of the resurrection: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” (RSV)

Paul’s message was this: As a Roman citizen and raised as a Jewish spiritual leader, he claimed that God’s plan of re-unification with man as God had explained it through the Jewish nation had become available to all mankind through the forgiveness of their sins which was made possible through the sacrifice of this man, Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 2:14-19: “For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (RSV)

Paul went on to preach throughout the region. It is strongly believed by historians and theologians that his letters were written before the gospels. His ministry was well documented by the writer of the gospel of Luke in a second book by the same author entitled “The Acts of the Apostles.” This book chronicled much of the life of the early church and led up to Paul’s incarceration in Rome where he was awaiting a hearing with the emperor, Nero regarding his involvement in this new sect of believers who came to be called Christians during his lifetime.

Paul’s letters were not universally accepted by the early church and, against his request, his followers were often called Pauline Christians. There were other sects at the time which included the Jerusalem Church, the Jewish Christians, and the Nazarenes. Various belief patterns and offshoots from the early Jewish faith and teachings of the early church fathers continued as men continued to seek after God and build religiosity through the centuries. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church both lay claim to be the offshoot of the Jerusalem Church. In fact, in spite of ongoing differences, they remained one until the schism of 1054 when the leaders of both bodies were excommunicated by the other. This action was repealed in 1965 through the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and they maintain ties to this day. Another offshoot of the Jerusalem church was Ebionites which refuted the Pauline Epistles and the divinity of Christ. This group adhered to the strict abidance of the Jewish laws and customs and the ideals of religious poverty. The teachings of the Ebionites were not unlike the later views of Arius in the fourth century as the divinity of Christ continued to be hotly debated leading to multiple church councils and excommunications as one theological group set themselves up as righteous against those whose opinions differed.

It is thought by many that around the year 200, Tertullian first coined the term “Trinity” which is not found in the Bible. This doctrine of the Trinity also caused hostile divisions within the religious communities. Unknown to many today, there were also Binitarian views as the divinity of the Spirit and the Son continued to be topics of debate as the church grappled with the unity or disunity of the considered Godhead depicted in the Bible.

Following the council of Jerusalem noted in Acts 15, the larger body of the Christian church did not gather together again until the year 325 at the Council of Nicaea which was held in present day Turkey. One hot topic at this council was that Arian question which considered that Jesus was not one with the Father and that he had not always existed. The question was defeated by a body of over 300 men, of whom only two voted in favor of such separation under threat of excommunication by the Emperor Constantine himself. The Nicene council was only one of many councils which were held annually for much of the 4th century as the Arian controversy continued to be a topic of healthy debate, only tarnished by the pride and violence of men who considered their understanding to be the righteousness of God. This question, and the resulting skirmishes and schisms continued to plague the church as a whole. A prominent member present at this council was Athanasius of Alexandria in Egypt. At the time he was Bishop of Egypt and Libya and a prominent member of the Eastern Church. Although Athanasius was a leading Bishop in the passage of the Nicene Creed and the buildup of the doctrine of the Trinity, history shows him to have been a proud and violent man - often facing excommunication and disciplinary action himself.

Not until the Council of Hippo in 393 were the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments approved as they are known by many Christians today. However, many Jewish, Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim believers recognize different books of scripture even now. Several books of the 66 did not have universal approval within the church until much later. Revelation was not accepted by the Eastern Church until the fifth century. Indeed, somewhere in the world the debate over books continues at this moment. A prominent member of the council of Hippo was St. Augustine who wrote many books and instituted much of the philosophy regarding “original sin.” His writings would be heavily used years later in the protestant reformation and are still widely read today.

As can be expected, as man has continued his search for God, for enlightenment, and for understanding, many writings have come forth. During those early centuries, many writings were presented. As today, some were meant to be fiction, some were meant to be non-fiction. Some were written by men who strived to be filled with the spirit and some by those who were in rebellion against the church and God the Father. This was a time of Gnosticism. It is felt in contemporary culture that some of these books are only now being discovered for the first time; however, many of these early writings were considered and rejected by the early church as they did not agree with the early writings accepted by these same church fathers. Throughout its history, the church, although certainly flawed, has attempted to maintain a message of truth. Accepting some of these books as truth would be like accepting some accounts of God presented by fictional authors today as truth in coming centuries.

Throughout history, men who seek after God have claimed to have new understandings and messages from God himself, not unlike the Apostle Paul. Unfortunately, too often, such new ideas have been thrown out of the church with the hope of the common good. A term has been coined: “The Great Apostasy” regarding these breaks from the church. However, those who have been excommunicated often have felt there was a “Great Apostasy” within the church which often led to their independent thinking. This has led to new branches of the faith of man which litter the landscape with such a myriad of beliefs that contemporary man has entered post modernism with the feeling of “why bother, there is no truth.” In fact, today these various branches from the original vine eventually lead to you. We’ll revisit this later. For now, let’s travel to Saudi Arabia.

Birth of Islam

The great ancient city of Mecca is disappearing. The Wahhabists carry with them the teachings of the ministry of Muhammad against the idolatry of the people. Inasmuch, they are dedicated to destroying the holy sites which may in themselves lead to idolatry. With this demolition, an important historical treasure is disappearing. Let’s take a look back at that history.

Several weeks before Muhammad’s birth around 570 AD, his natural father died. When Muhammad was no more than 6, his mother died also and Muhammad was raised for the next few years by his paternal grandfather, caretaker of the holy sanctuary, Ka’bah – claimed by many Muslim’s to be the first house of worship of the one true God built by the prophet Adam, and rebuilt by the prophets Abraham and Ishmael.

Muhammad gained a reputation even as a youth for his honesty, reliability, and trustworthiness. As he became a man, he came to detest the idolatry which was practiced at the holy site of Ka’bah. He was instrumental in the rebuilding of the site during his career as a prophet and in the placement of the sacred Black Stone. It is to Ka’bah that the Muslim faces in prayer each day.

A merchant & shepherd disconnected with the culture of the city, Muhammad began a personal retreat to a cave for meditation for a period of time each year. Around the age of 40, Muhammad claimed to have had a revelation from God during one of these times. His recount of the revelation was not unlike that of the prophet Moses in his feeling of unworthiness and the resulting fear. Upon hearing his story and witnessing his fear, Muhammad’s wife believed the story & praised him for his reputation of truthfulness, honesty, and service to the poor, the orphaned, and the needy. She then shared the story with her uncle Waraqa, who also believed this to be a revelation from Allah. Some question whether the violence of the angel within the cave could have been sent by God, yet the Bible is quite clear that no angel (even d'evil himself) can act outside the authority of our Almighty God. Therefore, the question is moot as God promises that those who seek Him will find Him if they seek Him with all their heart. Muhammad certainly is portrayed by historical evidence as a seeker. Besides Moses fear in the presence of the burning bush, Muhammad's experience is also not unlike the death of Nadab and Abihu of Leviticus 9-10 or the violence even suffered by other Prophets throughout history.

Allah is the Arabic name given to the One True God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. It is used, not only by Muslims, but also by Arab Christians and Jews. Although the variation of the name in Hebrew is Elo-him, it is pronounced Allaha in Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ.

The Muslim views of Jesus Christ to this day closely resemble the beliefs of Muhammad’s wife’s uncle, Waraqa, the Ebionite. As the Ebionites of the early church did not recognize the divinity of Jesus Christ, so the Muslims revere Jesus as a great prophet, though not to be associated with the One true God. A major division between the most Christian denominations and Islam is the theology and understanding of the Trinity. As with Christianity, Islam has split into various factions within the faith, each claiming theirs is the truth of God.

During his lifetime, according to Islamic sacred writings, Muhammad was given a vision of a Mosque on the temple mount of Jerusalem. He described his vision to those who were with him at the time who passed the story along until it became a part of the Islamic sacred writings. According to the writings, Allah told Muhammad “We appointed the vision which We showed thee as an ordeal for mankind.” Due to this vision, The Muslims captured Jerusalem in 1076 sparking the Crusades. Not only had jealousy for the sacred city of Jerusalem pitted the 3 religious groups against one another, but fear of the conquering Arabic peoples caused panic for homelands. Including the Children’s Crusade, the 9 Crusades spanned the years from 1096 to 1270. As mentioned previously, an Islamic Mosque remains on the original Temple Mount to this day.

Although there are many other religions on the face of the earth today, no other book is considered to be the word of God besides those of the Jews, Christians, Muslims, and some offshoots of those religions. This shall be discussed in the next chapter.

All Have Sinned

Nothing good ever comes of violence. (Martin Luther)

They’d tried for twenty years, but still no surviving male heir. As King Henry considered his options, he desired to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragorn so that he could marry his new love, Anne Boleyn. However, in fear of the retribution of Charles V, Catherine’s nephew, stemming from the recent attacks of Rome, and other matters of state, Pope Clement VII refused to grant the annulment. This led to further separations of Church and State as Henry went through with the marriage to Anne in 1533 in spite of the Pope’s refusal to grant the divorce. Pope Clement therefore excommunicated Henry from the Catholic Church. All this fueled the battles and debates stemming from the ongoing Protestant Reformation. Let’s jump back to those early stages with St. Augustine, shall we?

Following a rowdy youth, St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) practiced independent thought in writings which addressed salvation and divine grace. His book “City of God” depicted the church as the community that worshipped God. Although some considered him to be a heretic, as was common with independent thought, he is well revered by most church bodies and is considered influential in Western religion and reformation thinking.

According to Wikipedia, English translations of parts of the Bible can be traced back to the 7th century. However, John Wycliffe is generally credited with the first English translation of the Bible. The group of Bible translations now known as “Wyclif’s Bible” began to appear on the world stage from 1382 to 1395. John’s vision was to take the word of God from being heard by the common man only through the oral teachings of a biased church to being a personal study. As a prominent master and theologian at Oxford, John took a great interest in Biblical Studies and became involved somewhat in the politics of his day. However, when leadership of the college changed hands, Wycliffe began to struggle with difficulties with the church in Rome and monasticism. In 1381, following the spread of his doctrines regarding the Lord’s Supper, several of his works were branded heretical. He appealed to the King instead of the church for help. At the same time, a movement of contemporary thought led to a group called the Lollards of which John Wycliffe was considered to be a part. Although he disapproved of the peasant’s revolt of 1381, he was considered to be a cause. He died in 1384. In 1415 the Catholic Church branded him a heretic and called for his remains to be exhumed and for them and his writings to be burned. The exhumation took place in 1428.

These were only the birth pangs of a reformation, or revolution of the church. However, the start of the Protestant Reformation was said to have begun in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg Germany. The 95 theses themselves can be found on the internet at Wikisourse: 95 theses.

Just one year prior to Luther’s 95 theses being introduced to the world, Mary had been born to King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragorn mentioned at the beginning of this section. The political, civil, and moral climate that defined the remainder of Luther’s life with war and bloodshed in the name of religion had to break Luther’s heart. Yet the Reformation of spiritual thought and discussion that developed from his work and others who dared to discover more about our Creator God have enriched much of our lives.

At the writing of this book, it has been 500 years since King Henry ascended the throne in Europe and wed his bride, Catherine of Aragorn. The struggles that affected that marriage, and rocked our world in so many ways during that century so long ago, continue to define our world today. As frustrated as we may become at the seeming confusion brought on by our ancestry of the faith, we stand on the threshold of a new age of modern enlightenment. Our cultures are rich in wisdom and knowledge. Our colorful history is literally at our fingertips to answer whatever questions we may ponder. Never before has it been so easy to share with one another and understand our differences. It is time we grow beyond the pride, arrogance, and violence which God our Father hates and which has divided us for so long. In His name, it is time to reacquaint ourselves with our brothers and sisters of the faith in an environment of love, joy and peace. Understanding that we are all fallen and struggling with life’s difficulties together, let’s share in the wealth of our spiritual identities and celebrate our Father’s greatest gift of creation; Man! Together, perhaps we can begin healing our wounds instead of causing new ones. Let our houses of worship be places that embrace not only our own hearts, but those of our fellow man and of our world.

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” Psalm 122:1 (RSV)

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God! Matthew 5:9 (RSV)