Scott’s Blog

 I’ve moved to Substack !

“Fathers, don’t exasperate your children, but nourish them in the Lord’s paideia and instruction” (Ephesians 6:4, my translation). “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your tunic from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, don’t demand it back. Treat people the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; a...

Friend:  As I’ve left the penal substitutionary atonement understanding of things, I’ve come to believe that God’s forgiveness was present before the Cross and that the blood of Jesus was not legally necessary for God to forgive sins: It was necessary for us to understand it. Because of this, I don’t see forgiveness in legal terms, but rather in terms of relationship: We simply return to Him, which was available pre-Christ as well. Yet there are many troubling passages which allude to a legal understanding, as in “If you do this, then legally you’re out of mercy.” Among them Hebrews 10: For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve ...

I couldn’t resist performing a quick word study on basileia , the Greek word for kingdom, as it pertains what actions God’s kingdom takes and what actions we can take or undergo in relation to it. Below are two lists taken directly from the words of the New Testament as thoroughly as I could (with the exception of the notoriously difficult to understand Matthew 11:12/Luke 16:16: God’s kingdom:  is or was “at hand,”  comes,  starts small,  has great (good) influence,  is or belongs to kiddos, the poor, and those who are harassed for the sake of justice,  has subsumed or will subsume the kingdom of the world,  has no end.  We, in relation to God’s kingdom, can:  expect it,  see it (but not with signs that can be observed, and only if we’re born again),  be near it,  seek it or have it as our overriding concern,  find it,  proclaim or preach it,  hear it,  enter it (but only if we’re born of Spirit in addition ...

That all looks correct, with perhaps one exception of probably small import: I’m not sure what percentage of folks would still call us evangelical Christians. I myself still might fit some definitions because of the premiums I place on conversing with God, making a personal decision to follow Jesus, and looking to the Bible for meaning, direction, and truth. I’d also still love for others to know the God I know. But in many ways, I probably don’t fit the label. That said, please leave the moniker as written if evangelicals are underrepresented in your efforts and my being labeled as such would make it look less so. I’m probably close enough, and you know I’d love to mobilize them/us. 

Friend:  Was reading Hebrews 6:1-3 this morning which lays out the very basics of the faith. Repent from any attempts to work toward “goodness”  Have Faith in God’s forgiveness in Christ Baptism at the start of your allegiance to Christ Laying on of Hands - to receive the Holy Spirit?  And Gifts? Resurrection of the dead (for those “in Christ"?) Judgement in the age or everlasting judgement  My reflection is that I have largely [skipped] “judgement” as a primary thing in my toolbox when preaching the gospel and I wonder if I should be rethinking how I communicate the message. The last persons I’ve been involved in helping to allegiance to Christ were my neighbors in Spain. I spoke heavily of the love of God, of their purpose is spreading that love, and becoming like him. The wife was baptised just before we left and we laid hands on her and prayed for the Holy Spirit. I think she would be able to articulate points 1-5. But I don't think I shared much of anything...

Friend: Do you see anything in the New Testament which would lead one toward using the term “Ephesians 4 Prophet” to designate the “office” of a prophet as opposed to just anyone with a prophetic gift? [Some people] point to 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul seems to imply very distinct roles—1. Apostle, 2. Prophet—but I dont think his overall gist would be that we start using those as definers of who we are. Me:  First, the gist of the New Testament on contemporary prophecy is that it’s something lots of people can do (Matthew 7:22; Acts 2:17-18, 19:6, 21:9; 1 Corinthians 14:31) that’s subject to the judgment of all (Matthew 7:15, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 14:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20; 1 John 4:1). Second, the Bible does not draw a distinction between a “prophet” and “one who prophesies.” Those who read Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 as doing so are baking their own ideas into the text. (Similarly, those who read the fivefold list in Ephesians 4:11 as a non-overlapping set of Christ...