Will the Real Israel Please Stand Up?: The Identity of God's Israel

"You know, I'm a Jew." When those immediately surrounding you come from a Christian background, this is a statement that will usually perk some ears. In fact, I have used it at times to transition a conversation toward biblical theology--and more specifically the Gospel--when I sense confusion over the place of Jewish people in relationship to Christianity.

Of course, such a statement comes with necessary qualification, but according to Russell Moore (and more importantly, the New Testament), I'm correct in asserting my Jewish heritage.

At the recently revamped Moore to the Point, Dr. Moore has posted on the too often controversial topic of the identity of true Israel according to the Bible. In his article, "Is there a Future for Israel?", Moore notes that all Christians believe Israel has a future. However, the disagreement occurs in the discussion over to what (or whom) exactly the word Israel refers in various contexts in addition to its place in redemptive history, especially eschatology. After laying out the basic positions taken by dispensationalists and covenant theologians, Moore tells of his differences with both views. He writes:

Both covenant theology and dispensationalism, however, often discuss Israel and the church without taking into account the Christocentric nature of biblical eschatology. The future restoration of Israel has never been promised to the unfaithful, unregenerate members of the nation (John 3:3-10; Rom 2:25-29)-only to the faithful remnant.

The church is not Israel, at least not in a direct, unmediated sense. The remnant of Israel-a biological descendant of Abraham, a circumcised Jewish firstborn son who is approved of by God for his obedience to the covenant-receives all of the promises due to him.

"Israel is Jesus of Nazareth," Moore states. In Ezekiel 37:13-14, God promised to raise Israel from the dead and put his Spirit within them in order to make known that "I am the LORD." According to the apostle Paul, God has done this in Christ (Rom 1:2-4).

Once more from Ezekiel, Israel is referred to as the useless "wood of the vine" which is given over to fiery judgment (Ezek 15:6-8). In John's Gospel, Jesus speaks of himself as the true vine (John 15:1, 5-6). As Israel was judged and eventually given over to exile due to their disobedience, so too was Jesus of Nazareth exiled from the presence of God (Matt 27:46), except not for his own disobedience but ours.

The parallels between Christ and Israel are vastly numerous, indicating the Christocentric nature of the biblical narrative. The apostle Paul summarized this reality best in asserting that "all the promises of God find their Yes in him" (2 Cor 1:20 ESV). Furthermore, Paul goes on to say that through Christ we obtain our guaranteed inheritance (2 Cor 1:21-22; Rom 8:17). This inheritance is not merely the salvation of our souls but to act as rulers of the entire cosmos. Moore explains:

This is the radical nature of the gospel in the New Testament. Dispensationalists are right that only ethnic Jews receive the promised future restoration, but Paul makes clear that the "seed of Abraham” is singular, not plural (Gal 3:16). Only the circumcised can inherit the promised future for Israel. All believers-Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female-are forensically Jewish firstborn sons of God (Gal 3:28). They are in Christ. Circumcision is not irrelevant. Instead, both Jews and Gentiles in Christ are “the circumcision” because they have “the circumcision of Christ” (Col 2:11-12).

To make matters clearer, Moore adds, "In Christ, I inherit all the promises due to Abraham’s offspring because I am 'hidden' in Abraham’s promised offspring so that everything that is true of him is true of me."

Much of the time, due to the influence of dispensationalism upon our churches, evangelicals grow unnecessarily distressed over current events relating to modern-day Israel. Such an anxiety stems from Christians, as so many theologians have put it, "reading the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in another." This anxiety can be resolved in realizing that the promises of God rest not in Palestinian land disputes but in Christ, the firstborn and rightful heir of all creation (Col 1:15).

In other words, the Canaanite land promised to Abraham ages ago will indeed be given to God's people. Yet, it will stretch much farther than the Gaza Strip; it will be literally the entire cosmos (Rom 4:13). And yes, this land is reserved for ethnic Israel. As Russell Moore puts it, this land belongs to "one ethnic Jew whose name is Jesus."

To paraphrase a certain Caucasian rap artist, "Will the real Israel please stand up?" The truth remains that he has already stood up when on the third day he walked out of a Jerusalem tomb almost 2,000 years ago. In the meantime, he sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from where he will come to judge the living and the dead... and then to reign (Psalm 110).

From hereon, the question, "Are you Jewish?" should call for a bit more perplexing answer.

1 John 5:7-8

One controversial verse, when it comes to the KJV/modern translations debate is 1 John 5:7. I’ll give 5:8 also.

KJV: 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

ESV: 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

-

Big difference, huh?

As I said in a previous comment, verses don’t simply vanish from Scripture. The accusations from KJV-users are serious indeed. If this phrase (known as the Comma Johanneum) was originally part of Holy Scripture, its deletion is an attack on the Holy Trinity. I argue on the contrary, that this phrase is not Holy Scripture, but rather something added by a scribe later. Allow me to elaborate.

When Erasmus was preparing the Textus Receptus, he originally left this phrase out. Now the phrase had been in the Latin Bible of the Catholic Church, but Erasmus never found a Greek manuscript containing the verse. Erasmus took a lot of criticism for his decision, and in the end said that if he could find only one Greek manuscript containing this verse, he would include it into the Textus Receptus.

Lo, and behold, a short while later, Erasmus was presented with such a manuscript. It is called the Codex Montfortianus, and is Miniscule #61. True to his word, Erasmus added the phrase in his next edition, though he did include a lengthy footnote explaining the curious situation around the verse, and voicing his suspicions that 61 was tailor made for the sole purpose of forcing him to include this phrase into the Textus Receptus.

Bruce Metzger’s textbook describes 61 thus: “This manuscript of the Entire New Testament, dating from the early 16th century, now at Trinity College, Dublin, has more importance historically than intrinsically. It is the first Greek manuscript discovered that contains the passage relating to the Three Heavenly Witnesses (1 Jn 5:7-8). It was on the basis of this single, late witness that Erasmus was induced to insert this certainly spurious passage into the text of 1 John. The manuscript, which is remarkably fresh and clean throughout (except for the two pages containing 1 John 5, which are soiled from repeated examination), gives every appearance of having been produced expressly for the purpose of confuting Erasmus.” (The Text of the New Testament: Its transmission, corruption, and restoration, 4th ed., page 88, emphasis mine.)

Later in the book, Metzger writes: “As it now appears, the Greek manuscript had probably been written in Oxford about 1520 by a Franciscan friar named Froy (or Roy), who took the disputed words from the Latin Vulgate. Erasmus included the passage in his Third Edition (1522) but in a lengthy footnote that was included in his volume of annotations, he intimated his suspicion that the manuscript had been prepared expressly in order to confute him.” (p. 147)

Since Erasmus, we have discovered more manuscripts that do indeed contain the Comma Johanneum. Eight, to be exact. Of the 8, only 4 (one of which is 61) contain the phrase in the text of the Bible, while the other 4 have it as a marginal note. The earliest of the 8 dated a full millennium after the New Testament was written. This 10th century manuscript contains the Comma Johanneum as a variant reading (i.e., NOT in the text of the Bible, but rather, in the margin). The next oldest comes about 400 years later. Of the 5800 or so Greek manuscripts we have discovered of the New Testament, only 8 late witnesses record this phrase. This is hardly the majority text.

However, to the Latin-speaking church, the Phrase goes back to the 4th century work, Liber apologeticus, written by either Priscillian or his follower, Bishop Instantius of Spain (Priscillian goes down as the first person in the history of Christianity to be executed for heresy). It was a piece of allegorical exegesis (for the record, Priscillian respected most of the Old Testament, but rejected the Creation story). The phrase never appeared in the Vulgate (despite its presence in the Old Latin bible) until about A.D. 800.

MOREOVER, we have the testimony (or rather, the lack thereof) from the Greek fathers. The early church was filled with controversy surrounding the nature of Christ and the Trinity. Several heresies (including the Sabellian and Arian heresies) popped up denying the Trinity and it was the work of the church fathers to refute them, preserving the orthodox teaching of the Church (and for that matter, the Bible, though at this point in history, the two were regarded as one and the same). It speaks volumes that none of the Greek fathers ever quoted this verse. Not a single one. However, this is the most obvious verse to quote in the entire New Testament to prove the Trinity. How could they have possibly missed it?

More than that, the translators of the ancient versions must have missed it also. This verse appears only in Old Latin Bibles from the 5th cent. on, and the Latin Vulgate after A.D. 800. No other ancient translations contain this phrase.

So I ask: Which is more likely? Did a beautiful verse explaining the Holy Trinity simply vanish from Scripture, without cause or explanation very early on, only to be recovered by (to the best of our knowledge) a Spanish heretic who denied the first chapters of Genesis , after which it caught on only in the Western (i.e. Roman Catholic) Church? Or, was this phrase added to the Scriptures centuries after 1 John was written as an attempt to more easily prove a doctrine from Scripture.

No, this isn’t a doctrinal issue. The Greek speaking church has defended the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity for centuries without this phrase. Its absence doesn’t make room for Mary. Yes, people get saved from the King James Version, and yes, people that use modern translations can still believe in a young earth and salvation by Christ alone. This isn’t about doctrine, but about textual purity. The evidence stands as it does.

(In all of this, I mean no hostility at all to my KJV-only brothers; I just love text criticism. In many ways I respect them more than people who tend to newer versions, for if someone is using a KJV, you can bank on him believing it. You’ll be hard pressed to find a liberal who believes KJV-only, and for that among many other issues, I thank God for my KJV-only brothers. It is my prayer that all evangelical churches would be characterized by the same zeal for God’s word and it’s primacy in life for all situations that characterizes churches who preach from God’s word in the King James Version.)

Grace and peace be with you through our Lord Jesus Christ,

-Elijah

(note: while my links are to Wikipedia, none of my research was done there. I used Metzger's The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 4th ed., Metzger's Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2nd. ed., and the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th ed.)

A Year in Review

Well, here we are with the end of another year behind us and the beginning of a new one ahead of us. The older I get the faster they seem to go. That makes me wonder how much faster time must be going for Ralton! Of all the years I've lived, this is certainly the one that things have changed the most for me. Things have changed for all of us this year. We serve a great God who by His providence has brought us to where we are now. I wanted to list a simple few things, some big and some small, that have really made 2008 a great year for me. In no particular order they are:

-Attending the service on the lake at Clyde Pedigo's house where Grace Community Church was born on May 25.

-I would say watching the Giants win the Super Bowl but that wasn't the best thing about that game to me. The best part was watching the Patriots LOSE the Super Bowl and become the worst ever 18-1 team in NFL history.

-Though it was also one of the saddest moments in my year, it was certainly a hilight to see my little brother off at the airport as he left for basic training in the Air Force.

-While visiting my older brother in Murfreesboro, TN I received a phone call that Sunday afternoon from my mother telling me that my good friend Jared Barnett had been saved that morning. Jared's baptism also took place on May 25 at the first GCC service.

-Getting to hear and meet John MacArthur at Bel Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, TN. Fellow blog mate Haze was with me as well.

-Getting to preach my first ever sermon at Grace Community Church in August.

-Attending the metting of the Evangelical Theological Society in November and having the privelage of hearing great men speak such as Daniel Wallace, Albert Mohler and John Piper

-Enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with my mother's side of the family (especially playing football!!).

-Enjoying the CHRISTmas holiday with my dad's side of the family.

-Getting to see The Dark Knight, even though I lamented the fact that it was laced with Nihilism.

-Getting to start this blog with you guys

-Graciously being asked to preach my first wedding by my good friends Kiril and Nicole Galloway

-But the No. 1 hilight of my entire year and perhaps my entire life was attending the Together for the Gospel conference in April with my mother and some of my best friends in the world. What a blessing that was and still continues to be in my life

There is a litany of other things I could list but this list should safice. I would love to hear how the Lord blessed you guys this past year. I know we all have many things to be thankful for. I hope it pleases God to give you a wonderful 2009. As Numbers 6 says:

The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

As we are now past Christmas and look forward to the new year, many people will start the year coming up with "New Year Resolutions". I thought I would share something from Jonathan Edwards. May we strive this year to do all for the glory of God in 2009!


THE RESOLUTIONS
of
Jonathan Edwards

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BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE.

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Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6,‹A faithful man who can find?Š may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord' s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God' s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. January 12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.Š June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. January 14 and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those ‹groanings which cannot be utteredŠ (Romans 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those‹breakings of soul for the longing it hath,Š of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. August 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. August 17, 1723.

I'll be Gone for Christmas

This is a wonderful time of year for so many of us. We love celebrating the birth of Christ and the beauty and joy that this season brings. We love spending Christmas with our families, we love the lights and exchanging gifts, and if you’re anything like me you especially love the food! But this year I am experiencing something new. For the first time in my life I have to spend Christmas without my little brother. Josh Lloyd shipped off on December 10 for basic training in the Air Force. He will be gone a total of 3 months.
My brother and I are very close which makes him being gone all the more difficult. But I have gained a whole new respect for our men and women in the armed services since Josh has left. I always appreciated the fact that they would just pick up and leave and go to Iraq or Germany or basic training or any other place. But this time it hit close to home. Until now, it almost had the affect of watching the news and seeing a tragedy that happened in another place far away. I might think that this event was terrible but it never really strikes you until you are in the midst of it and can see it first hand. But it is real and there is pain in being away from loved ones at this time of year. As my family ate dinner and opened some of our presents tonight my mind drifted to wondering what my brother was doing and how badly I wished he could be with us. The vacant seat at the table and the lack of another person to open gifts left us all with heavy hearts.
This pain in my heart is another reminder of sin. If there were no sin then there would be no need for a military and thus my brother could be home this Christmas. The evil in man’s heart that causes the nations to wage war against each other is the very reason we need the armed services. Were it not for them, pandemonium would certainly ensue.
We all know soldiers that won’t be home for Christmas this year. When you think of them, pray for them. They are real people who each represent whole families that will be without a loved one to sit down with at dinner and to give presents to. The dedication to their country that this shows speaks volumes. They are the ones who stand watch while the rest of us are asleep comfortably in our beds. They are the ones that give up freedoms to protect ours. They are the military of the greatest country in the world, and they are the ones that this year will sing the song, “I’ll be Gone for Christmas.”

Forthcoming series.

At someone's request, I am currently working on a series of posts on New Testament textual criticism. Actually, he just wanted me to compare KJV to ESV textually, but I decided to make you wait for that and give you an introduction to the whole of text criticism, one glorious piece at a time.

Questions? Let me have them and I'll try to answer them in upcoming posts.

-Elijah

Holy Nietzsche, Batman: Nihilism and The Joker in The Dark Knight

With the release of The Dark Knight on DVD this week, thousands are flocking--myself included--to the nearest Best Buy or Wal-Mart to purchase a copy of the record-breaking film. Comic-based movies have done very well for themselves in recent years and something is to be said for that alone. That is not our most pressing concern however. Instead, we want to raise the question, "What makes The Dark Knight surpass the rest in terms of critical review, box-office intake, and general popularity?" I'll give you one hint: it begins with a "Joke" and ends with an "Err."

While its quality in many areas plays a supplemental role in the huge success of the first sequel in the latest Batman series, the Caped Crusader himself is not the character whom audiences are left talking about. Rather than the hero, it's the villain who has captured the minds and hearts of viewers. This isn't just any villain though; it's The Joker, the antithesis of not only all things heroic but all things meaningful. He has no tangible incentive for his actions and in his mind has nothing to lose. The Joker is a man who, as Michael Caine's character Alfred Pennyworth puts it, "just wants to watch the world burn."

The Joker character stands as a symbol for full-blown nihilism. Most commonly associated with the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is the philosophy that the world is devoid of any meaning, standards, values, and purpose. Existence is pointless, in other words. In an August blog post titled "Why is Batman Making So Much Money?," theologian C. Michael Patton described The Joker as "the Nihilist who believes in nothing, cares for nothing, and pursues nothing." Precisely. Patton continues:

At one point The Joker says, “I have no plans. I am like a dog chasing a car. I would not know what to do if I caught it.” There is no rationalism because there is no such thing as order, reason, or ends that create purpose. It is just the moment, and the moment is ruled by randomness.

In other words, "I just do things," The Joker explains in the same scene. Why would such a blatant display of anarchy and utter recklessness prove appealing in today's culture? Patton speculates that the impulse to find nihilistic behavior entertaining stems from postmodern thinking. He writes, "Our postmodern culture may see itself in the character of The Joker. Like a person who has not seen his face in many years, we are going to the mirror to take a look."

With its rampant embrace of moral relativism and existential thought, our postmodern culture sees what it is becoming in The Joker. Once people realize that if every individual determines the truth for himself, the inevitable conclusion is that there is no all-encompassing unity to reality. Thus, existence is unintelligible and pointless. All is nothingness since there is no absolute standard or transcendent meaning. If everyone sets the truth, there is no actual truth since no person's perception or interpretation of reality takes precedence over another's.

This type of thinking will undoubtedly lead to despair and from despair to apathy, as Patton notes.

It is when the despair turns to apathy and we are what we are and we don’t care what we become. With the deconstruction of morals, truth, knowledge, revelation, and the like, is it any surprise that so many people are going to look in the mirror?

Moreover, we must admit most pre-teen, adolescent, and 20-something males are not infatuated by Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker because they are conscious of the implications of postmodernism. Our attraction to the character is more basic than that. The Joker was not the first to ask, "Why so serious?" Such a question was not first posed in Gotham, but rather in the Garden. It came with the Serpent asking Eve, "Hath God said?" (Gen 3:1). The temptation to create our own rules and define reality for ourselves was appealing to us then and proves to be more so now this side of the Fall.

Aware that mankind's tendency is to rebel against its Creator, Christians are to call persons to repentance, reminding them that we as creatures made in God's image are not our own. As Francis Schaeffer stated, "We must never forget that the first part of the gospel is not 'Accept Christ as Savior,' but 'God is there.'" Only the infinite, personal creator Yahweh can assign meaning to the universe, thus making it possible for human beings to reason and interpret things. Furthermore, God's existence not only necessitates that he is the One to Whom we look for meaning and purpose as revealed in his Word, but that he is the One to Whom we are accountable.

Patton is right. Our culture does see itself in The Joker--and we all should if we're honest about the condition of our hearts (Jer 17:9). Nevertheless, this is not something we should embrace or celebrate. This represents humanity gone wrong. In knowing that "God is there," we are to be ready to engage a culture of emptiness and rebelliousness.

Why so serious? Because this is no laughing matter.