John 3:5: Born out of Water and Spirit
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
//Christians generally understand what it means to be born again of the Spirit, but what does it mean in today’s verse to be born of water? You might guess it refers to baptism, but you would be wrong.
One must remember that in those days, babies were born at home, not hidden away in a hospital. Everyone witnessed a baby’s birth, everyone could see the mother’s water break. Thus, water became a metaphor for the amniotic fluid in the womb, and the “breaking of waters” referred to the pre-birth loss of fluid.
Water was also a metaphor for semen, and thus for the processes that lead to birth. For example, when we are told in Proverbs 5:14 to Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well, we should take instruction that a husband should confine himself to his own wife.
Jesus, in today’s verse, is merely repeating the Semitic saying that “flesh is born of flesh, spirit of spirit.” A person must be twice-born; first into natural life and then into spiritual life.
2 Corinthians 13:10, The Severe Letter
Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
//In verse 2:1 of this letter, Paul describes a visit to Corinth that is not mentioned in the book of Acts. The visit appears to be a disaster; opposition in Corinth has come to a head.
Many scholars think that the second letter to the Corinthians is actually two letters. They surmise that two letters have been combined into one epistle for our Bible, and that they are out of order. 2 Corinthians 10-13 is a fragment of a different letter, the so-called “severe letter.”
The order of letters to Corinth in this theory becomes:
1. Paul’s first letter is described in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, of which we have no copy.
2. 1 Corinthians is then written in AD 54-55 from Ephesus to address issues which had arisen since he left there.
3. 2 Corinthians 10-13 is a forceful, stinging letter that perhaps follows on the heel of the frustrating visit described in 2 Corinthians 2:1.
4. After hearing some good news from Titus, Paul writes 1 Corinthians 1-9 with some relief. Not all is roses yet, but things are improving, and Paul makes another visit shortly after penning this letter.
Book review: Worshiping with Charles Darwin
by Robert D. Cornwall
★★★★
I’m a fan of Robert Cornwall’s writing. It’s hard to overrate brevity, common sense, and simple honesty. Last year, one of his books made my Top Ten for 2012: See Faith in the Public Square.
In this book, Cornwall tackles the sticky subject of evolution. He writes as a theologian, not a scientist, but as one who recognizes his limited expertise and therefore respects and appreciates the contribution of scientists. Cornwall believes evolution is true not only because our greatest minds have offered convincing explanations, but because they have made great strides in medicine by building atop this biological knowledge. Cornwall believes the war between science and religion harms both sides, and that truth can best be approached by leaving the experts on each side to do their jobs without interference.
Cornwall is not alone in this opinion. A few years back, Dr. Michael Zimmerman penned a letter encouraging the compatibility of religion and science, and this letter has now garnered over 10,000 clergy signatures. “Evolution Sunday” was born, marking the closest Sunday to the birthday of Charles Darwin (February 12th), and at last count nearly 600 churches celebrated this day by using their worship service to address the issue, declaring that evolutionary science and faith are compatible.
Worshiping with Charles Darwin is a series of non-technical sermons and essays to that end. Many of the points and themes repeat in multiple sermons/essays, so there’s a bit of redundancy, yet I believe this book fills an important niche, with the theologian side of the war respectfully reaching out to make peace.
1 Corinthians 14:11, The Barbarians
Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
//It’s fun sometimes to trace back the origin of words. Take this word “barbarian.” It means a savage, or uncivilized person, right?
In Paul’s time, Greeks did indeed look down their noses at non-Greeks (well, except for Romans, who were at the top of the pecking order.) In fact, the world seemed to them divided into two categories: Greeks and non-Greeks, or “barbarians.” The Greeks thought themselves well-educated with a polished rhetoric, and coined this word barbarian to describe the uncultured speech of others, according to how it sounded to Greek ears–“bar … bar … bar”.
In today’s verse, Paul is critiquing those who speak in tongues (meaning an unknown tongue), saying they should instead make every effort to be understood … rather than sounding like a barbarian.
Galations 5:11-12, I Wish the Knife Would Slip!
And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
//I grew up reading the King James Version of the Bible. It’s a poetic translation, but it seems to be careful here and there to shield its readers from crassness. In today’s verse, Paul is complaining about others who taught that circumcision of non-Jews was necessary, and he says he wishes such people would be “cut off” from the Galatians.
Or is that what he says? Read these verses in just about any other translation, and Paul’s passion comes alive. Ever with a flair for the dramatic, what Paul is really saying is that if these teachers are so keen on circumcision, he wishes they would let the knife slip and dismember themselves! Here are a few more descriptive translations:
NIV: As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
NKJV: I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
NLT: I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves.
Book review: Christian History Made Easy
by Timothy Paul Jones, PhD
★★★★
This beautiful full-color book highlights the major personalities in Christian development over the last 2,000 years … from A.D. 64 to 2009.
It’s a short book, so I confess I felt a little frustrated at the lack of depth. The book takes on a little too big a topic for 188 pages of text, and religion is a topic where oversimplifying by bouncing along the surface can distort as much as elucidate. Therefore, to get the full benefit of the book, treat it like an instruction course and take advantage of the internet research suggestions peppered throughout the text. But for my money (for a lot more money, I’m sure) I’d love to have 600 pages between the covers of this one.
One other minor frustration: Jones is a Southern Baptist whose subtle preaching permeates the book. For example, Deism is at least twice referred to as a false doctrine. This is probably just a personal issue, but I find it easier to trust a scholar who does a better job of hiding his own religious bias.
With my complaints out of the way, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the text! It’s a fun read, full of tidbits from history and helpful explanations of Christian terms. Every Christian should know at least the basics of Church history, and I definitely recommend this book as an entertaining stepping stone to whet your appetite for further in-depth reading.
Revelation 21:2, The Parousia, part III of III
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
//Wrapping up this discussion of the parousia, let’s now turn to the final book of the Bible: Revelation.
In the Revelation story, the parousia occurs just before Christ begins his 1,000 year reign on earth. In other words, if we are to be “with the Lord forever” from that moment on, new life will at least begin on earth, not up in the sky.
So what are we doing up in the clouds, according to Revelation? Well, the New Jerusalem is about to float down to earth, and it is referred to as the bride of Christ. The adornment of the bride, as it settles upon Mount Zion, is God’s people. Thus, we might conclude that in the parousia, we fly up to the sky, welcome Jesus to earth, enter the New Jerusalem, and float back down inside the city of God.
This idea comes from the book of Jubilees, written in the second century BCE, in which a New Jerusalem descends from heaven and replaces the old Jerusalem. Never do we read in Revelation of this New Jerusalem ascending back up to heaven or of the saints leaving the city to go to heaven. Those Old Testament passages that speak of an afterlife (Job 19:25-27; Psalms 49:15; Isaiah 25:8, 26:19, 53:10; Daniel 12:1-3,13) do not mention dwelling in heaven.
Yes, I know this is very different from current Christian theology. Make of it what you wish.
Psalm 24:7, The Parousia, part II of III
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
//Yesterday, I explained that in Paul’s understanding, the parousia didn’t mean flying up to heaven forever. It meant meeting and greeting Jesus in the air, welcoming him down to earth.
Paul, when he speaks of meeting Jesus in the air, is using the language and metaphors of a royal visit. Backing up one verse from yesterday’s topic, we read this:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: –1 Thessalonians 4:16
Here, Jesus descends with the sound of a trumpet, just as would happen with the return of a king to his city. The trumpet is blown to alert the watchman on the wall that the king was returning. The cry goes up to “lift up your gates so that the glorious king may come in” (see today’s verse from the Psalms).
The watchman, after identifying the visitor, would open the gates to allow the welcoming party out to greet the king. This is precisely what Paul describes with his parousia.
We’ll wrap up tomorrow by examining whether this understanding of the parousia meets the description given in Revelation.
1 Thessalonians 4:17, The Parousia, part I of III
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
//As I enter this discussion, I want to be clear that I am not preaching a particular set of beliefs. I am merely explaining what the Bible writers were saying as they wrote. But I don’t always know what to make of what the Bible really says, so what you do with this information, how or whether it changes your beliefs, is up to you.
Virtually all Christians picture the parousia as an event where God-fearers are lifted up to heaven to dwell with the Lord. Artwork abounds of this glorious moment, and the picture seems to match the verse above. But is that really what Paul meant? Let’s look at the meaning of the Greek words parousia, the arrival of Christ, and his apantesis, or reception, as used by Paul in Thessalonians to describe how the Christians will meet Jesus in the air.
Picture a king arriving as a visitor to a city. A cluster of citizens, a welcoming committee, go out to meet him, and escort him into the city. This is precisely how these Greek words are used elsewhere.
Paul is not saying that we are lifted up to heaven. He merely imagines that we will rise up to the sky as a welcoming committee to invite the Messiah down to earth.
More tomorrow.
Book review: Creation Strikes Back
by Robert Core
★★★★
If you begin with the Bible as God’s honest truth, and add an appreciative-but-critical respect for evolutionary studies, where does the journey lead you? For Robert Core, it led to a startling conclusion.
Before delving into the review, I should probably make my bias clear up front. Proper science cannot be shackled by religious belief, and thus I do not see a niche for this book outside already-believing Christians with a soft spot for science. My four-star rating reflects an entertaining voyage with an opinionated expert culminating in a bizarre conclusion that I’m certain I won’t forget for a looooong time. This is certainly a new twist on evolution!
In typical dry humor, Core insists—quite seriously, I must add, and with much thought—that the biological relationship between man, ape, and chimpanzee is Biblical. I’ll not elaborate further on the book’s most titillating premise; best to leave it at that as a teaser.
Along the way, Core jumps into the debate about whether the odds are too great for life to ever form randomly on its own. This debate refuses to die because, much as creationists want to make it into an exercise in probability, it’s only half about the numbers. It’s also a philosophical puzzle. Core (a retired biology instructor) calculates the odds of randomly “getting a DNA sequence correct” at .25 to the power of 1 trillion. Pretty slim chance, eh? But of course, there is no particular reason why life has to be designed with a four-nucleotide DNA code, so where do these odds really get us? To see why the debate about the origin of life is as philosophical as it is numerical, consider that as I write this, I am sitting in front of my library, in which nearly 1,000 books are arranged in a particular order. Wow, what are the odds of that order happening by chance? My calculator throws up its hands trying to calculate the factorial of 1,000. Must be astronomical! (It is.) I’m sitting in front of a miracle!
In other words, until it’s proven that there’s something inherently special about this particular recipe for life, its odds are meaningless. Nevertheless, the debate rolls on … not so much about whether it is unlikely for life to happen by chance, but how unlikely, and whether the odds preclude seriously considering happenstance. Several scholars have weighed in on the issue, including Hubert Yockey, Frank Salisbury, and Henry Quastler. Even Carl Sagan has stuck his head in on the debate. For as much as my own unprofessional opinion matters, I side with Core. The most likely answer to the puzzle is that life must have had a little help getting started.
But having reached the conclusion that life probably didn’t start by chance, where do we go from there? Core points us to scripture. He leads us through chapter one of Genesis, falling prey to the temptation to take the Genesis myth and “science it up,” harmonizing the facts of evolution as we know them with Scripture. Because the book is too short for a detailed explanation, it’s best if you already have a basic understanding of evolutionary theory, biology, and cosmology. The book reads a little like one crinkly-eyed old scientist reminiscing to another on a Central Park bench … but that’s what makes it worth reading! It’s also best if you’ve learned how to laugh at yourself, because if you haven’t, somewhere along the way Robert’s sarcastic humor will strike too close to home. And I do hope you aren’t easily offended, because the writing is really funny and Robert does have something to say.
Just be sure you stop reading before day “seven” of the six-day creation, or you will never feel comfortable again visiting the primates section of your local zoo.
(this book is due for publication 1/7/14 by Tate Publishing)
Fantasy Football, Anyone?
Put on the whole uniform of the Team, that ye may be able to stand against the blitz of oncoming linebackers. Don the hip pads of truth, the shoulder pads of righteousness, the cleats of preparation. Don’t forget the facemask of faith and the helmet of salvation. Then clutch the pigskin with much Spirit, for that is what the Play Book of your Coach in Heaven demands.The River of Life
Twice before Lee Harmon has written about Christian topics, once on the gospel of John and once on the book of Revelation. But the question people keep asking him is this: As a liberal Christian, why do you care so much about the Bible? Others wonder whether he is truly a Christian at all.
The Way It Happened
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| Revelation: A love story gone awry. | The Gospel: A love story set aright. |
What really happened 2,000 years ago? How did a persecuted minority of end-time believers known as Christians, with their dreams of Armageddon and a conquering Messiah named Jesus, evolve into the largest religion in the world? Author Lee Harmon explores the period in which the New Testament was written in his books about John's Gospel and Revelation.
(Bloggers: you may be eligible for a free review copy! Just contact us.)
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The God Show
Lee Harmon interviewed on The God Show about the History Channel's miniseries The Bible and Lee's latest book, John's Gospel: The Way It Happened.
About Lee
Hello! I'm an author, historical Jesus scholar, book reviewer, and liberal Christian, which means I appreciate and attempt to exercise the humanitarian teachings of Jesus without getting hung up on any particular supernatural or religious beliefs.
The Bible is a magnificent book that has inspired and spiritually fed generations for thousands of years, and each new century seems to bring a deeper understanding of life’s purpose. This is true of not only Christianity; through the years, our age-old religions are slowly transforming from superstitious rituals into humanitarian philosophies. In short, we are growing up, and I am thrilled to be riding the wave.
I avidly read all thought-provoking religion titles. New authors: I'd love to read and review your book!
Contact me here.
About Leslie
Hi! While Lee writes the articles and reviews the books, I edit, organize, and maintain the blog. The views expressed here are Lee's but I'm his biggest supporter! :-)
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