Theories of salvation

(Originally written March 22, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Historic Christian Thought

1. Expiation - "removal of sin"

Scapegoat (Leviticus 16)
-Israel's sin 'laid upon' the goat
-No blood
-The goat 'scapes' - escapes
-The guilt of sin is removed

Romans 3:25 RSV 'expiation' translates from the Greek "hilasterion"

2. Propitiation

Propitiation - "to appease" another's anger

-Divine wrath against sin is propitiated by Christ's sacrificial death
-Sacrificial goat (Leviticus 16), blood sacrifice

Romans 3:25 is translated as propitiation from the Greek "hilasterion"

Through faith in Christ's blood.

Blood is a penal sacrifice

Hilasterion is the Old Testament 'mercy seat' in the Septuagint

3. Redemption via Ransom

Mark 10:45 - "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"

The question is, a ransom to whom?
-The Devil? (Christus Victor theory)
-The Law of God?
-The Wages of Sin?
-No one in particular?

The redemption is both present and future

4. Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:14-21

Restoration of fellowship with God means the death of Christ and subsequent resurrection
Fellowship with God is an objective reality of God
Reconciliation is God's great goal

Framework on abortion discussion

(Originally Written on March 21, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Contemporary Issues of Philosophy

Topic 7: Abortion

Introduction: The psychology of language

Pro-Choice:
1. Strong
-No restrictions
-an absolute right to have an abortion
2. Weak
-restrictions on pregnancy stage
-restrictions on motive
-restrictions on consent
-restrictions on notification

Pro-Life
1. Strong
-no exceptions
-always morally wrong to have an abortion
2. Weak
-exceptions involving life of the mother
-exceptions involving rape
-exceptions involving incest

Legal Background of Abortion
-Roe v. Wade
-Webster v. Reproductive Services
-Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Biblical Overview
-Exodus 21: 10 Commandments
-Genesis 4
-Job 3:3
-Isaiah
-Psalms
-Luke

Ecumenical Councils

(Originally written March 17, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Christological Controversies (100-325 AD)

Ebonites (Jewish Sect)

Modalism - anti-Trinitarian doctrine

Praxeas - identifies Father and Son as one (patripassianism)

Tertullian's response to patripassianism: "Praxeas has put to flight the Paraclete and crucified the Father!"

Paul of Samosata: Christ has homoousion (same substance) as God, but not is not a second person, an anti-Trinitarian doctrine

The First Four Ecumenical Councils (325 - 451 AD)

1. Council of Nicea (325 AD)

Arius (Arianism)
- "There was a time when Christ was not"
-Jesus the first of God's creation
-"Like" substance, but not the same as the Father
-Homoiousion with the father, not homoousion

Athanasius (Bishop of Alexandria)
-Christ has homoousion with the father
-This is where the phrase "one iota of difference" comes from

2. Council of Constantinople (381 AD)
-Appollinarius (Apollinarianism)
-supports homoousion, but denies that Christ has a human mind/spirit

Athanasius and Apolinarius were allies against Arianism, but Athanasius opposed Apollinarius

Gregory of Nazianzus- "What Christ has not assumed he has not healed; it is what is united to His Deity that is saved"

The verdict of the Council of Constantinople is that Christ is both divine and human

3a. Council of Ephesus (431 AD)
-Monophysite & Nestorian Heresies
- mono = one, physis = nature
-Monophysite Christology - Christ is one person with one nature
-Key issue is salvation
-Resolution - one person, two natures
-Mary is hailed theotokos "mother of God", contrary to the Nestorian claim of "mother of Christ"

3b. Robber Synod at Ephesus (449 AD)
-Monophysites out maneuvered by Leo I, bishop of Rome & other orthodox bishops
-Emperor Theodosius II then convenes 135 bishops who  excommunicate Pope Leo I
-A year after Theodosius II is dead and the new emperor sides with Pope Leo I

4. Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)
-Council was moved to Chalcedon for security reasons
-More than 600 bishops in attendance
-Pope Leo I emissaries state "vere deus, vere homo"
-Eastern Bishops agree
-Result: Doctrine of hypostatic union becomes the orthodox view of the Person of Christ (Nicene Creed, article 2)

The Avignon Papacy & Investiture Crises

(Originally written March 17, 2006 in 3 Subject Book)

European Religious History

Struggles between kings and popes

Investiture Contest/Controversies
-Henry IV of German vs. Pope Gregory VII

Kings vs. Popes

1) Over Investiture
John of England (1199-1216)
-lost Normandy to the French King, Philip Augustus (1204)
-excommunicated by Pope Innocent III over investiture controversy involving the Archbishop of Canterbury

2) Over Taxation of the Clergy
-Edward I of England (1290's)
-Philip IV (Philip the fair) of France (1285-1314) vs. Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303)
  - Papal Bull, 1296: the laity cannot tax the clergy
  - Philip IV ignores the bull
  - Pope Boniface VIII backed down, kings now have to ask permission to tax the clergy

3) Over Courts
- Battle between Philip IV & Pope Boniface VIII
- Boniface VIII issued bull, Unam Sanctum
-Philip IV's response:
  -Used lawyers trained in Roman Law
  -Roman Law: king is sovereign in all matters in his territory
  -Philip IV planned to kidnap Boniface VIII and bring him to trial in France
  -Caused the Crisis of the 14th Century (The Avignon Papacy)

The Crisis of the 14th Century

The Avignon Papacy (1305-1378)
-"The Babylonian Captivity of the Church"
-Pope Clement V (1305-1314) through Pope Gregory XI (1370-1378)
-Pope Gregory died in Rome in 1378 bringing an end to the Avignon Papacy
-Led to the Great Schism (1378-1417)

Hebrews 12:1-3

(Originally Written March 17, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Introduction to Christian Education

Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

20 observations for Monday!

Six Guide Words

1) Who is in the passage?
2) What is going on in this passage?
3) Why is the what happening?
4) How is this passage going?
5) When is this passage taking place?

Notes on John Piper

(Originally Written March 17, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Let The Nations Be Glad
John Piper

Chapter 2: The supremacy of God in Missions through prayer

Life is war. God supplies the needs to be in the war and to win it. The supplier gets the glory.

Life is war because the devil attacks faith. Paul uses the Greek word to fight to tell the Christians how to live for God. Paul repeatedly uses warfare imagery in his writings. The folly of most Christians is that they do not have a wartime mentality. They are at ease and have let their guard down. They are susceptible to the enemy's attacks.

Until Christians adopt a wartime mentality they cannot pray effectively. Prayer is using the sword against the enemy. If we do not feel that we need a sword, then we cannot pray correctly. God answers prayer to equip His soldiers.

Prayer is ineffective because Christians have no urgency. God has sent us on a mission and promised to back us up with prayers. All we have to do is adopt a wartime mentality. The end of the war is known: God will win.

Prayer was the reason the Early Church grew so rapidly. The Early Church had a wartime mentality and a sense of urgency.

Jesus tells us to pray in His name. He has all the authority in Heaven and on Earth. God's goal will come through prayer.

Prayer is important to missions, but it is not the work of missions. The Word of God is, and the Word of God cannot fail. The work of missions is to preach the Word of God. Prayer supplies the preachers with the necessary tools to preach.

Chapter 3: The supremacy of God in missions through suffering

Since life is war, suffering is inevitable. The Bible constantly talks about how suffering brings joy. Christ suffered on the cross for us as the ultimate substitution for eternal damnation, not as a substitution for suffering in life. Christ is our pattern for existence, therefore, our suffering is normal and to be expected.

God does not simply allow suffering, He appoints it. "Why does God allow this? No, that is not quite the right question. We have to ask, why does God appoint this?" (Piper, 84). He appoints it for six reasons:
1) Suffering deepens faith and holiness
2) Suffering makes your cup increase
3) Suffering is the price of making others bold
4) Suffering fills up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions
5) Suffering enforces the missionary to go
6) The supremacy of Christ is manifest in suffering

Chapter 4: The Supremacy of Christ as the conscious focus of all saving faith

Is Jesus Christ the only hope for man? This question asks three things:
1) Will anyone experience eternal conscious torment under God's wrath?
2) Is the work of Christ necessary for eternal salvation?
3) Is it necessary for one to hear Christ's message to be saved?

Urgency is lost if any of these three questions is answered with a 'no'.

1) Hell is real. It is everlasting, unquenchable and an eternal fire. It is punitive.
2) Christ's work is universal. The resurrection is the only answer for human misery.
3) Now that Christ has been revealed, He is the only way. Those who fear God without believing in the name of Christ cannot receive forgiveness for their sins, which is crucial to being saved. People who have not audibly heard the gospel have heard it according to Psalms 19:4. "Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun".

Class notes on Locke

(Originally written March 15, 2006 in 3 Subject)

History of Philosophy II

Locke

Knowledge & the external world

-Our existence is known by introspections or reflection
-God's existence is known through reason
-Physical objects are known by sensations

Why can we trust our senses?

1) Those who lack a sense also lack its ideas.
-Problem: This argument assumes that the external world exists when it is trying to prove that the external world exists. (It assumes that people who lack a sense exist)

2) Some ideas are unavoidable, that is they are not in the control of the will.
-Problems: There could be a hidden faculty or unknown in us, that produces these thoughts.

3) Many painful ideas are remembered without the pain.
-Problems: This is also true in dreams and in hallucinations.

4)Intersensory confirmation. We can see, smell, touch, taste and hear the same physical objects.
-Problems: 1) Dreams can produce the same effects. 2) Berkeley - Heterogenity of the senses

Solipsism - only I exist and thus, the external world is a product of my ideas (metaphysical version)

Solipsism - only I and my thoughts can be known to me (epistemological version)

You cannot notice a working clock that is digital or turn off or on the light switch in dreams.

Hobbes to Hume (Page 252, Locke)

3 Degrees of Cognitive Adequacy:

1) Intuitive knowledge (single intuition) - immediate certainty, the mind sees the necessary connection

2) Demonstrative knowledge (chain of intuitions) - "less easy" or "less clear" than intuitive knowledge. The immediate connection is not seen; the connections is seen by seeing subconnections (which are seen immediately)

3) Sensitive knowledge - no connection is seen. Locke & Descartes define knowledge as "clear and distinct apprehension of a necessary relation" and as such, Locke calls all sensitive knowledge opinion or faith

The objective of knowledge:

The mind knows nothing but itself and what is in it. "Knowledge then seems to me be to be nothing but the perception of the connection and agreement or disagreement and repugnancy of any of our ideas" (Jones, 253).

Locke side steps the problem of our ideas matching up with reality and simply assumes that they do.

Knowledge of real existence:

3 Real existents:
-selves
-God
-bodies

1) Of the self, one has intuitive knowledge
2) Of God, one has a demonstrative knowledge
3) of other selves and physical objects one has only sensitive knowledge (which are opinions and faith)

Of other selves and physical objects two questions arise:
1) Do they exist while we experience them?
2) Do they exists while we do not experience them?

Locke's Answers
1) "What we see and feel cannot be demonstrated, but nobody can in earnest be so skeptical as to be uncertain" (Jones, 255)
2) It is "highly probable" that they do exist when we do not experience them.

Bodies in motion (in reality) cover two kinds of ideas in us:
1) Ideas that truly resemble existence, i.e. solidity, extensions, figure and mobility (primary qualities of a body)
2) Ideas that do not resemble existence, i.e. sweet, red

Locke denied that essences can be known, but affirmed there existence. His critics then asked how Locke knew that they truly existed.

Knowledge of relations:

Men bring two ideas together without uniting them to view them at the same time. Thus, agreements and disagreements are found between them. There are two types of agreements/disagreements that are most important:
1) Identity and diversity
2) Coexistence

"Blue is not yellow" is an example of identity and diversity. This knowledge is basic. By knowing that blue is blue one knows that blue is not-yellow.

"Iron is susceptible of magnetic attraction" is an example of coexistence. These agreements/disagreements are a set of secondary qualities. All of iron's qualities coexist to form the complex idea of iron. Continental rationalists' science, as being demonstratively certain prepositions is only possible because the Continental rationalists assumed they know the true essences of things. They thought they knew the true essences of things because they were confused about the state of names.

Names:

A name is a device to "abridge discourse". It stands for:
1) a group of coexisting ideas or
2) on of such a coexisting group "apple" is a name for the idea of a "red-spherical-sweet"

"Abstract ideas" are names that we give to ideas that have been isolated or abstracted from its context

Christology and Christological Heresies

(Originally Written March 15, 2006 in 3 Subject)

New Testament Christology

Functional Titles of Jesus

1) Past work (Jesus of History)
-Prophet: 'anointed' office #1
-Servant of God (Isaiah 53)

2) Future work (Return of Christ)
-King: 'anointed' office #2
-Son of Man: will judge the Nations (Daniel 7:13-14)

3) Present work (The ascended Christ)
-Priest: 'anointed' office #3 (Hebrews)
-Lord over all: (Philippians 2:9-11)

4) Pre-Existence of Christ
-Word (logos) of God (John 1:1-3, 14)
-Creator = Redeemer
-God, "I AM" is mentioned 7 times in John and in Titus 2:13

Christological Controversies (100-325 A.D.)

Gnosticism - Cerinthus & the Docetists

Cerinthus - divides Jesus from Christ. The Christ Spirit arrives when Jesus the man is baptized and leaves at the moment of Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus the man dies but the Christ spirit does not. In between Jesus the man is possessed of the Christ Spirit and does the ministry of Christ Jesus.

Docetism - Jesus only seems (dokeo) human. There was not an actual incarnation

Adoptionism - Jesus is not God, but was adopted by God

Brief notes on Pope Gregory VII

(Originally written March 15, 2006 in 3 Subject)

European Religious History

Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085)

-Radical reformer
-Investiture controversy
-Lay investiture
-Argued with King Henry IV of Germany
  -Excommunication of Henry IV, implications in feudal society
-Investiture controversy continued through the 11th to 14th centuries

Class notes on Sexual Morality

(Originally written March 14, 2006 in Book 1)

These are notes from Contemporary Issues of Philosophy on 03/14/06

Sexual morality

Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander - fundamental defiling things of humans

Galatians 5:19 "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality"

Christianity in Feudalism

(Originally written March 13, 2006 in book 24)

Class Notes

Western Empires Barbarian Rulers

Britain controlled by the Angles & Saxons
Gaul controlled by the Franks
Italy controlled by the Ostrogoths
Spain controlled by the Visigoths
North Africa controlled by the Vandals

The conversion of Clovis (Frankish King) of the Merovingians to Catholicism allies the Roman Emperor (in Constantinople), the Bishops and the Merovingians.

The Merovingians defeat the Arian Germanic tribes in southern Gaul. The Visigoths (Spain) convert to Catholicism out of their best interest.

The Roman Catholic Emperor recognizes Clovis as the ruler of Gaul.

The Ostrogoths are defeated by Justinian and are driven out of Italy.

Between 500 - 1000 in Continental Europe we see increasingly decentralized government and a move to rural society

Political stability in the west is obtained by forming a small clan around a great warrior.

500-1000

The political system was feudalism (which is debatable, but serves to identify it)

Political center is no longer the big city; it is the castle.

Feudalism: King controls all the land in his territory, wars are fought on horses with your own house and weaponry.

Only form of wealth is land.

Economic collapse at fall of Rome.

Knights are given a plot of land to fight for a king, which is formed by serfs.

Barons are given large grants of land by the king. The Barons give loans to lower nobility.

Process of Feudalism:
Kings give Barons land
Barons give Kings knights
Barons give the lower nobility land
Lower nobility serve as knights under the Baron and fight for the king

A good king can control the powerful lords under them

500-1000: decentralization, collapse and feudalism

A miniature ice age occurs in this time, causing lower agricultural output and thus, famine

Peasants farm for the nobles. The nobility is the knights. The military is a military-aristocracy.

The king has homage paid to him by the high nobility.

High nobility (Dukes and Barons) are obligated to provide the king with a certain number of mounted knights. They have to dish out some of their lands granted to secure said number of fucking knights.

Wars occur on every level. King vs. King, Barons vs. Barons, Nobility vs. Nobility.

The knights under are obligated to serve their higher ups.

Economic Feudalism

Manorialism

The knights, the lower nobility, the nobility, the barons and dukes all have land. This land is worked by the peasants. The peasants do not fight in war or own land. They owe their lord their labor, and a certain percentage of their crops and their tithe to the Church.

Trade is facilitated by bartering goods.

The peasant class grows between 500-1000 in order to finance the nobility and warring aristocracy.

The late 800's see the Norseman and Hungarian tribes wreak havoc upon the feudalistic system. The local lords have to fight and take back power from the king to survive.

These lords in turn became more powerful and the kings cannot reel them back in. It takes generations for the kings to reign in power.

Feudalism is not a caste system. Knights can rise higher and obtain land or more land. Noblemen can become Barons.

When missionaries come into these feudal territories they face the sever political instability, dealt with poor people and sometimes a lord may be a pagan and kill the missionary.

Ireland

410 - Romans leave Britain
430 - Patrick converts Ireland. Britain reverts to Paganism out of the political instability
563 - Columba (Irish missionary to Britain)

Class Notes on Locke and some reflections

(Originally written March 13, 2006 in Book 1)

These are notes from History of Philosophy I dated 3/13/06

Locke: Doctrine of Substance

In what do qualities inhere? Locke's answer: material substratum.

Two reasons for supposing the material substratum:
1. Unity of Qualities
2. Cause & Effect

Berkley's Criticism:

1. Material substratum is never sensed.
2. Material substratum is not necessary as a causal explanation (God will do)
3. Material substratum is unintelligible

Numbers 1 and 3 were refuted by Locke, but number 2 really pins Locke down.

Locke's Compatibilism (soft determinism)

2 Powers in the mind

1. Understanding - power of perception (sensory and mental)
2. Will - power to choose

Volition is the actual exercising of the will

Is the will free?

Locke's answer: Meaningless question. It is meaningless to ask if power is free. The right question is, "is man free?" A man is free if they are able to carry out what the will chooses.

Liberty - the ability to execute what is willed.

Locke defines a person as a thinking-intelligent being.

Personal identity - sameness of rational thought or being or sameness of consciousness

This comes from previous notes on Locke:

Free Will - Chris Linehan

Is there free will in man? This question is irrelevant. A will is always determined to perform some action. A being is free if it has the power to act according to its determined will. Thus, a relevant question would then be "what or who determines the will of man?"

This also comes from reflection of those Locke notes

Questions that need to be answered:

Who am I?

-Chris Linehan, a 22 year-old male in Upland, IN. I am a Christian, a philosopher, a writer, a lover, a son, a brother, a nephew and a grandson. I am, that is I exist. I have a form, one which is constantly in motion, and subject to internal and external changes. I have solidity, that is I cannot be reached through. I have texture. I can be seen. I have a taste and odor, which is frequently pointed out to me. I can be sensed. I can sense. I can sense physical things, as physical objects that I see, and touch, taste, smell and hear. But I can also sense other things that are not physical in nature. I sense feelings, emotions and a sense of God.

Who is God? (or what?)
How do God, if it exists, and I interact?

Brief class notes on Locke

(Originally written March 13, 2006 in 3 Subject)

History of Philosophy II

Locke defines a person as a thinking, intelligent being.

Personal identity - sameness of rational thought or being or sameness of consciousness

Free Will & Ezra

(Originally Written March 13, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Read Luke 1:10-19 Aloud 5x

Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord..."

Study, then observe (live it out), then teach it.

Free Will

Is there free will in man? This question is irrelevant. A will is always determined to perform some action. A being is free if it has the power to act according to its determined will. Thus, a relevant question would be is what or who determines the will of a man.

Leibniz - POR & Problem of Evil

(Originally written by March 3, 2006 in Book 22)

Leibnizian Principles

1. Pre-established harmony
a. Law of non-contradiction
b. Principle of sufficient reason
2. Principle of plentitude
- monad constitutes a continuum
3. Principle of perfection
- a rational being will always choose what appears to him/her the best choice among possible options
4. Identity of indiscernibles
- there are two things that are identical in every aspect, except for spacial location

Philosophy of Religion

God's existence is proven by:
1) Pre-established harmony
- only an all-powerful, infinitely wise being could do this (teleological argument)
2) Ontological argument
- if God's existence is possible then it is absolutely necessary
- God's existence is possible, that is to say, there is nothing contradictory in the idea of God.
Therefore, God exists.

God is one of three things:
1) God is impossible.
2) God is necessary
3) God is merely possible.

The definition of God causes him not to be a mere possibility. There is nothing that can (or at least) prove that God's existence is impossible. Therefore, His existence is necessary.

The Problem of Evil

1. If God exists, then there would be no evil.
2. Evil does exist.
Therefore, there is no God.

Leibniz's answer:
1) principle of perfection
2) principle of sufficient reason

1) If God exists, then this is the best of all possible worlds.
2) God exists
Therefore, this is the best of all possible worlds.

Self-determist

3 conditions for acting freely
1. Agent has to know what he/she is doing
2. That act must arise from desire
3. Act must be contingent, not forced or otherwise necessary.

Class notes on Leibniz

(Originally written in March 1, 2006 in Book 22)

Class Notes

Leibniz

Innate ideas

Arguments:
1) Argument from math, logic, metaphysical truths, etc.
a. Triangles have three sides, law of non-contradiction, infinity, freedom
b. Locke's criticism is there is no satisfactory definition of innate ideas
2) Miller illustration

Metaphysics

Monadology
- motivated by problem of communication between substances
- reestablished harmony of these ultimate substances called monads
- monads - metaphysical atoms, fundamental realities that underlie everything in the physical and spiritual realm.
- the most basic entities, but not necessarily small, not at rest or in motion, no shape
- unextended atoms, don't take up physical space
- windowless (unaffected by other things)
- Don't have shape, size, location, etc.

Humans are collections of monads
- one monad is dominant in humanity: the soul

View of Human Nature: Parallelism

Descartes: Body <--> Soul
Spinoza: Body/Soul
Leibniz: God -> Body; God -> Soul

Parallelism: Humans are composed of body and soul, but the body and soul do not interact. Their states are coordinated by God, giving the appearance of causal interaction between body and soul

Bodies are aggregates of monads
a) animate bodies are dominated by a particular monad
b) inanimate bodies are not dominated by a particular monad

Mind/Soul - a dominant monad in an aggregation of monads

Dominate - to priced the other monads with a special clarity

Mind/soul dominates the body

Consciousness: degrees of perception and awareness
1) mere perception: plants
2) perception with memory: animals
3) Aperception (self-consciousness): rational beings: God, Angels and Man

What is the Image of God

(Originally written March 1, 2006 in Book 23)

Doctrine of Humanity, Part One:

Imago Dei (Image of God)

Genesis 1:26-28; James 3:9,

A Faith for all Season Ch. 6

Biblical and Theological Interpretation

Created natural and spiritual

natural -
Genesis 1:26 (we share day 6 with land animals)
Genesis 2:7a (Adam formed from dust)

Spiritual-
Genesis 1:27 (image x3)
Genesis 2:15-17 Cultivates the earth (Doctrine of vocation or cultural mandate)
Genesis 2:18-20 (names the animals)

What is the 'image of God?'

1. Human capacities and abilities
natural: self-directed
moral: other directed
-conscience
-judicial sentiment
-spiritual:God-directed

2. Relationships with others (Barth)