Rare Earth?

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Scientifically-minded people seem a little confused about whether they think that intelligent life is rather common in the universe, or exceedingly rare.

In 1961 Frank Drake postulated that there might be between 1,000 and 100,000,000 intelligent, communicative, civilisations in our own galaxy.  The range of possibility is now thought to be between 2 and 280,000,000 following further review of the various values contained in Drake’s ‘equation’.  In other words, we don’t know.

Christian theology has no great interest vested in the question of extra-terrestrial life.  …

Barnabas – ‘Son of Encouragement’

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In Acts 4:36f it is recorded that a man named Joseph, who was a Levite from Cyprus, sold a field that the owned and laid the proceeds at the apostles’ feet.  For this generous action, and for various others, he was dubbed ‘Barnabas’, meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’.  Acts 11:23 gives another example of his ministry of encouragement.  Furthermore,

  1. He introduced the newly-converted Saul to the apostles and convinced them of his sincerity, Acts 9:27; cf. Gal 1:18;
  2. He represented the apostles at Antioch, defending the conversion of Gentiles there as a work of the Holy Spirit and as a suitable sphere of ministry for Saul, Acts 11:19f;
  3. He demonstrated full commitment to the conversion of Gentiles (cf Acts 13:46), and journeyed with Paul (Acts 13-14 as they established Gentile churches in Cyprus (his own home) and throughout Asia Minor.  
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Israel in God’s plan

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I summarise a paper by Steve Motyer written for an Evangelical Alliance consultation in 2003.

We must interpret the Old Testament as Christians, from the perspective of faith in Christ.  Without this perspective, the Old Testament is confusing and incomplete.

As New Testament Christians, we must do what the New Testament writers did: which was to wrestle with this ‘new thing’ that God had done in Christ, understanding this in the light of the ‘old thing’ that he had done in Israel.  …

Inspiration and incarnation

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On publication in 2005, Peter Enns’ book Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament caused quite a stir.  It led, eventually, to his departure from his post as professor at Westminster Theological Seminary.

What was the fuss all about?

The main thesis of the book is that evangelicals need to take more seriously the human aspects of Old Testament.  Enns identifies three areas for exploration.

The Old Testament and the literature of the Ancient Near East

We need, says Enns, to recognise that the literature of the Old Testament has much in common with other literature from the Ancient Near East.  …

The Code of Hammurabi and the Law of Moses

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Hammurabi was a Babylonian king who reigned in the 18th century BC.  His code of law was discovered by French archaeologists in 1901-2.

Among the 300-odd laws are many that are similar to those of the Mosaic law.  For example, some of the laws deal with the concept of ‘an eye for an eye’, and these are quite closely parallel to those contained in the so-called ‘book of the covenant’ (Exodus 21-23).

The following examples are cited by Peter Enns (Inspiration and Incarnation):-

[ezcol_1half]If a son has struck his father, they shall cut off his hand.…

The Nuzi tablets

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Nuzi tabletsA number of stone tablets have been discovered at the site of Nuzi (in present-day northern Iraq).  These date from the 14th and 15th centuries BC.  Although scholars think that the parallels between the customs and practices recorded on these tablets and those recorded in Genesis may have been over-stated, they do nevertheless provide some historical background to the world of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, and Jacob’s twelve sons.

According to Peter Enns (Inspiration and Incarnation) the commonly-agreed parallels would include the following:-

  1. In the story of Abraham, we read that he and his wife Sarah were childless.
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Adam: a historical figure?

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What options are available for relating the biblical account of Adam and Eve to the scientific account of the evolution of the human race?

Todd Beall lists some of the main alternatives.  Adam and Eve are variously considered to be:

(1) historical persons, though if there were many humans around at the same time, they would be chieftains of a tribe specially selected by God (Collins 2011, 121);

(2) archetypes but historical people, though not necessarily the first or only humans (Walton 2015, 96–103);

(3) literary figures who may or may not be historical (Longman 2013, 122); or

(4) not historical at all, though Paul thought that they were (Enns 2012, 120–122, 138).

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How God became Jesus

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In his recent book, How Jesus Became God, Bart Ehrman argues that belief in the divinity of Jesus developed gradually over several centuries, and was not believed or taught by the first apostles.

At the same time that Ehrman’s book was published, a multi-author response also came out.  The authors are Michael F. Bird, Craig A. Evans, Simon J. Gathercole, Charles E. Hill, and Chris Tilling, and the title is, How God Became Jesus: The real origins of belief in Jesus’ divine nature: A response to Bart Ehrman.…

‘Father, forgive them’

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A summary of ch. 30 of John Flavel’s The Fountain of Life

In Lk 23:34, says Flavel, we find the best of mercies desired for the worst of sinners.

Peter (Acts 3:17) and Paul (1 Cor 2:8) also stress the ignorance of those who crucified the Lord Jesus.  These people may have known many things, but they did not know that this was the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.  This was because

  • though they had the Scriptures, they misunderstood them: they could not believe that the Messiah would arise out of Galilee (Jn 7:52), or that he would die (Jn 12:34; cf.
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‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’

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What is implied here?

1. That the soul outlives the body. The house in which it dwelt falls into ruins, and it seeks a new home with God.

2. That the soul’s true rest is in God. During this earthly pilgrimage, we long to be with God, Psa 73:25.

3. That the soul is of great value. We commit our dead bodies to our friends; let our living souls be kept safe by God.

4. That a great change comes upon us at death.…