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The Forum > Article Comments > Chalcedon and the Church's culture wars > Comments

Chalcedon and the Church's culture wars : Comments

By Peter Sellick, published 8/2/2019

The solution to how the infinite can dwell in the finite without mutual destruction was eventually solved in the personalist/relational mode.

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What has anything that may or may not have happened either before of after Chalcedon (or 1500 years ago) got to do with Understanding Truth & Reality in this time and place?

This reference provides an Illumined alternative to all of the traditional interpretations of the life & teaching of Saint Jesus of Galilee http://www.dabase.org/up-6.htm section 25 is particularly Illuminating!

This reference provides an introduction to a set of essays which provide an Illuminated Understanding of Truth & Reality too.
http://global.adidam.org/books/gift-of-truth-itself/2
Posted by Daffy Duck, Friday, 8 February 2019 11:59:44 AM
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To Peter.

The actualness of the events are important in my understanding of faith, but nonetheless less I agree with you that the teachings and how we can learn today from both the history and the teachings is equally if not more important.

I think there can be a very good discussion about what we can learn from the bible and how to apply that to our actions and to our understanding. However I want to give you this warning. While I see your passion to reach the modern world and the secular society, I also see your words to divide up and discredit your fellow Christian brothers. Not to discredit them because of their error and straying away from the bible, but instead to discredit them because of their foundation being based too much on the bible. My warning to you is this. God's love is both for the nonbeliever to find Him, as well as for the believer to stay by Him.

Therefore if the reliability of the events of the bible is a struggle point for you, and a point of division between reaching others outside of Christianity compaired to strengthing those in Christian Faith, then let's look at the points of faith that can be learned from. You don't have to believe in the events of the bible, or suggest pet theories and theologies to discredit the events to do this, there is so much to learn from that I know we can look at the bible, learn from it, and teach from it to gather both the believing Christian to God, as well as reach the secular world outside the church also

(Continued)
Posted by Not_Now.Soon, Saturday, 9 February 2019 3:54:21 AM
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(Continued)

For instance. Here are a few examples to consider. Jesus said that the Old Testament pointed to Him. Not only are there prophets prophesying about Jesus that are a point in this direction there is also a rich theological perspective to look at different people in the bible to be hints and foreshadowing of Jesus and the characteristics of him. Though this might be better a study for Christians instead of the secular world, it might also be enlightening to hear how the past people relate to the fulfillment of Jesus in the New Testament.

A second one to count is to how to look to God, or more specifically, how God has identified Himself in the bible. God is identified as a Father and a Husband several times. Both are roles we can identify with and relate with for His relationship with us as a whole or as individuals. God has called Himself a Shepard, looking after us as His flock. That also shows a role we can identify with and learn from for our relationship with Him. Both in the New Testament and the Old Testament there are these titles and these roles that we can identify God by that we can learn from and better come to God through. In fact there are more examples then these I'm sure. If you want to explore those I'm sure you can more people outside of Christianity then you can by trying to distance yourself or your views from Christians who think the bible is right.

Another topic you've already approached in this article is "the narrow path." That would also be a good discussion. Though, I'm sure your aware, there will be debate over what that narrow path really is. In the end that could have a lot we could walk away from considering it all and the different views. Might reach everyone, both Christian and non-Christian.

(Continued)
Posted by Not_Now.Soon, Saturday, 9 February 2019 3:56:38 AM
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(Continued)

Keep these in mind for your next article. Or even for this conversation. Because you can reach others, even correct Christians, without having to discredit your foundations of faith and foundations of Christianity. The ideologies you bring now though are more often an explanation of Christianity to reach non-Christians by discrediting Christianity as a whole. In the end that won't help anyone, but with be fuel for nonbelievers to consider Christianity without ever accepting it, (therefore not find God), and a stumbling block for current Christians on the merits of their faith (potentially losing heart in their hope and faith in God).
Posted by Not_Now.Soon, Saturday, 9 February 2019 3:58:57 AM
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Not-Now.Soon,
Let me take just one of your statements: "I think there can be a very good discussion about what we can learn from the bible and how to apply that to our actions and to our understanding." This looks like the bible simply dropped from heaven as a manual instructing us in how to live our lives. I remind you again that Christian theology existed before the canon of the bible was even on the horizon. The only bible the early Christians had was the OT. The bible grows out of theology, not the other way around. Hence theology must always interpret the bible. The great mistake the the Reformation in its slogan "sola scriptura" was to think that the individual can simply read the bible and understand the essence of faith. A great corrective of this idea is Stanley Hauerwas' book Unleashing the Scripture: Freeing the Bible from Captivity to America. Read my article based on the book. http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19216
Posted by Sells, Sunday, 10 February 2019 7:37:47 AM
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Peter.

I agree that we need God to draw us to Him for us to find Him. And this speaks of the Holy Spirit, not theology. A person can read the bible and learn from it without theology or even without a theological background such as being raised in a church foundation and have it's theology be part of their life even if they aren't aware of it. The person can do this by being lead and taught by God Himself through the Holy Spirit. A simple way to do this is to ask God to help you understand as you read the bible. A simple prayer as that can do so much. But that isn't sola scripture. That is still asking for God's guidance even while reading.

That said I am not against theology. It's not an either/or situation like you present it in the article you reference "should Christians read the bible." The bible should be the main foundation. Christians should read and study the bible. (As long as they are able to anyways). This does not mean they should not further their studies in other ways as well, but the bible should be one of the biggest foundations of their faith. Theology is the study of the bible and it's topics. In that way it's just a much bigger version of a bible study. It can be useful and help us in our understanding.

Christian theology without the bible is not Christian theology. It can be no theology from a Christian perspective. It would be like a prophet without God is just a false prophet. Saying false things and leading many astray. So it is with a theology without the bible as it's foundation.
Posted by Not_Now.Soon, Sunday, 10 February 2019 6:04:21 PM
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