Theo-illogical

June 27, 2014

Six Theo-illogical Reflections on Sacrifice

1.    Can obedience be coerced? Or, is the result of coercion only coercion.

2.    Is there anywhere in the Gospels where Jesus talks of dying for anyone’s sins? (I look in my concordance under die, under sin, under crucify, and under cross and I don’t find it.)

3.    Does Jesus call himself “the lamb of God”? No, that’s John.  Jesus calls himself “the good shepherd.”

4.    What does Jesus say about sacrifice? — (twice) that we should pay attention to what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” It is Paul that calls Christ “our paschal lamb [that] has been sacrificed.”

5.    Does Jesus call himself a priest? No, that’s Hebrews, which understands him somehow as both priest and sacrifice. With all due respect, talk about mixed metaphors.

6.    In short, who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? And whose jar was it? With all due respect.

Bonus question: Is this why we have various "theories," and no doctrine, of atonement?

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Bad Wool Day

June 26, 2014

Cut-throat

This week’s Ambiguities takes on the soap opera that is Abraham and Sarah and Hagar and Ishmael and Isaac and God.  For Acts One and Two see here and here.  Act Three: The drama climaxes with the story of the sacrifice of Isaac or a ram with a similar name.  Some material may not be not suitable for children; other material may offend adults.  Genesis  22 from the TRV (Ted Riich Version).  Listen.

 Tomorrow: Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, and Isaac week ends with six theo-illogical conclusions.

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A Star Is Born

June 25, 2014

A Star Is Born

This week’s Ambiguities takes on the soap opera that is Abraham and Sarah and Hagar and Ishmael and Isaac and God.  The story continues: Isaac is born and Hagar and her half-Egyptian son are sent on their way, let them live or let them die, preferably the latter so far as Sarah is concerned. So: Act Two, from Genesis 21 in the TRV (Ted Riich Version).  Listen.

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