I’ve been following the conversation at Evangelical Outpost with a tremendous amount of interest. Joe is really shaking things up in the Evangelical blog community. I’m wondering, if it really isn’t an attempt to encourage what Brad, from 21st Century Reformation is saying over at The Dialogical Coffeehouse. I certainly took it that way myself.

What way? Well, let me tell you. Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, is so widely influential because his blog is what is known as a “metablog”. He links to specialists, who have the specific commentary on an issue. Well, I think we DO need meta blogs. But, we also need “communities”. If we are going to be “God blogs”, let’s follow the Biblical model. There is the overarching church – there are the individual churches – then there are the ministries within that church, and the small groups – the bible studies, and the like. So, let’s look at Brad’s graphic, concentrating on the right.
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This entry is for the first “Vox Apologia,” a weekly showcase for apologists, and the defense of the Christian faith.

I believe I’ll examine what apologetics is to many churches, and to society – and a bit about where the “common” conceptions are wrong.

The Culture
The common conception, from the “culture’s” view can be summed up as follows:

I’m sorry. Allow me to enter an objection to the term ‘apologist’ as being more pre-judicial than probative. In short, the implications of the term ‘apologist’ implies in common wording that I am allowing for an ‘apology’ for something. Since I have no desire to provide an apology, be it in justification sense or otherwise.

In short. Anybody who asks for my justification that there _is_ a god, and that the Christian types are on the right track in that particular quest, must first provide his own justification or ‘apology’ otherwise.

Until the moment when an ‘Atheist Philosopher’ becomes an ‘Atheist Apologist’ I shall maintain this view. The term is unfairly prejudicial.

Which is a good point. Sort of. It “apologizes” way too much to “common usage”, and not enough to “classical scholarship”, though.

But, even more telling… I read this in a forum signature the other day.

What, is something so bad about Christianity, that you have to apologize for it?

Popular culture really doesn’t know what apologetics is. They don’t know, because they rarely see it. They have bought into the lie that Christianity is something “private”, and that they shouldn’t be “forced” (as if anyone can be “forced to listen to anything…) to hear what someone has to say about it. So, anyone who tells them what Christianity is, that doesn’t match up with the preconceptions they’ve been given, is either intrigued, or appalled by “insensitivity”.

It’s an interesting dilemma. However, that’s not the subject. Forgive me for digressing.
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Oh Joe….

Look who’s the top Evangelical blog…

But, in other news… on the left is updated, on the right is the original.

Links were updated for all in the top 500, and all that Joe annotated in the original. I added a (+ #) to all of the link-annotated blogs.

Yes, Virginia… there is an Evangelical Blog swarm.
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Announcements
Don’t forget about Vox Apologia.
Every Thought Captive, the first host of VA, has his post announcing it up, as well.

Welcomes
The Undoctored Past
Dad’s Coins

Hat tips
Spare Change, for their nice Flog.

News and Commentary
Newdow gets the smackdown.

Nigeria: The Mature and Holy Hope of a Nation

Did you know Terrorists are like our Founding Fathers? They are to this guy.

Around the blogosphere
A commenter at Diplomad really has no clue.

Another post about the SBL. And the sequel. Yet another. A slightly different view. But a good point.

However… the SBL has to be off their rocker, if they don’t recognize that the wording they use is a major dig at conservative evangelicals.

Oh, and here’s a somewhat… “interesting” take on the SBL letter.

To say the least. Let’s say he won’t make it on my blogroll. He makes some interesting discussion though – and, he’s most likely good at what he does. He’s just… a bit… liberal… for my tastes – shall we say. Just so you can see what the “other side” is saying. So to speak.

Al Gore… hah. Priceless.

Very interesting point about “fundraisers”

Whoa… Biblical “Virtual reality” sites. Cool.

On Joan of Arcadia.
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Isn’t it a beautiful day in the neighborhood? It IS a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Won’t you be my neighbor?

I crack myself up, sometimes.

Back to surfing my blogroll. Have a good night. Comment often, comment early, and comment well.

Or something.

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Updated:

Oooooh!!! More fun stuff just arrived.

This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have not yet met. I have to say that I have no intentions of causing you any pains so i decided to contact you through this medium .As you read this, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe everyone will die someday.

My name is AZIZZ JAFAR, a merchant in Dubai, in the U.A.E. I have been diagnosed with prostate and esophageal Cancer that was discovered very late due to my laxity in caring for my health. It has defiled all form of medicine and right now, I have only about a few months to live according to medical experts. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business.

Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it. Now that I know my time is near, I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as well as a few close friends and Schools in the UAE. I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth. So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in the U.A.E, London and Ireland. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money, which I have there to charity organization in Bulgaria; they refused and kept the money to themselves. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contended with what I have left for them. The last of my money which is the huge cash deposit that I have with Financial Firm Abroad .I will want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity organizations and let them know that it is I AZIZZ JAFAR that is making this generous donation.
I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait for my time to come. I pray that God uses you to support and assist me with good heart

God be with you.
AZIZZ JAFAR

Hrmm. I have a strange suspicion that this is full of crap.

Oh, wait. I know it is.

I want to see what they try to scam me with, though. I’m a glutton for messing with scammers.

I wonder if I’ll be asked to send 4,000 dollars, so I can pick up all of his assets…

I’ll keep you posted!

Pastor Phil Steiger, of Every Thought Captive, and myself, are sponsoring the first “Vox Apologia“.

This event is similar to Hugh Hewitt’s “Vox Blogoli”, or the “Christian Carnival“, or the “Best of Me Symphony”. However, the themes will be specifically based in the realm of Apologetics.

The initial theme will be:

“What does apologetics mean to today’s Christian church?”

Please send all entries to the following address: phsteiger@yahoo.com

The deadline for entries will be Sunday, at midnight, EST.

The first Vox Apologia will be held at Every Thought Captive.

Joe Carter, of the Evangelical Outpost, has begun a project, called “Jesus, the Logician“.

This is my first contribution, on Matthew 4:1-10.

This is the famous logical duel between Satan and Jesus. I can think of no better place to examine. Jesus, when responding to Satan, uses one solitary argument. Anamnesis. He cites the Authority which is required to logically defeat His opponent.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, `MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’ ” Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, `HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and `ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’ ” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, `YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’ ” Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, `YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’ ”

Now, note Satan’s challenge. “If.” Now, Satan wants several things. He is nothing, if not subtle.

1. He is casting doubt on Jesus’ relationship to God – and inviting Him to also doubt it as well.

2. He is casting aspersions on the character of God – would He really allow His Son to get to such a state? Is it really Just of God to allow His Son to sink to this state? Without food, in the wilderness, all alone?

3. He is attempting to raise doubts about the Word of God. God had just said, “This is My beloved Son – in whom I am well pleased.” “If You are the Son of God…” Does this remind you of another question – thousands of years before? “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Interesting how we are back to food again… isn’t it?

4. He is trying to get Jesus to prove He is the Son of God. Nothing about “Pray to the Father” – “command” the stones to turn to bread… a usage of His power solely for His own benefit.

What does Jesus do? He refuses, and He answers – with Scripture that is both applicable, and pertinent to the exact issue at hand.

Why does He answer with Scripture? Satan brings it up. “If You are the Son of God… Satan put it on that level – so Jesus answers him from the authority of His Father.

Why does He refuse?

1. It would look like He was questioning the voice from Heaven that had already said He was the Son of God. The Word of God, once given, is never in doubt. If is one of two cardinal words in this sentence.

2. It would look like mistrust of God’s provision.

3. It would be setting Himself up to use His own power – for Himself – when He was there to glorify the Father.

4. It would be doing the bidding of Satan. The other cardinal word is “command” – not for the word itself, but for the type of address it is used for – an imperative. Satan cannot tell us – and especially God – what to do.

What does He answer?

It is written…

In other words – God says. Now, if you know your theology, you’ll remember that Jesus was symbolically, the Second Adam. The “did God really say” argument, and the “food” thing has already been tried. In Eden. Eve, if you remember, did the same thing – she told Satan “God said”.

Jesus says… “Man shall not live on bread alone – but on every word which proceeds from the mouth of God.” So, Jesus is effectively saying (and notice the parallel between the 40-day fast in the wilderness, and Israel’s 40-year trek through the wilderness…) that, as the entire verse, of which Jesus quotes says; “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that mandoes not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”

God can, and will provide. Satan’s “show me a trick” is answered with the response: “On the contrary – since I AM the Son of God – My Father will take care of Me.”

He answers with the correct reference, from memory, to answer the opponent’s argument. Anamnesis.

Next, Satan attempts to do the same. So, don’t think you are the only one who will cite authority. Most theological discussions are going to be between differing interpretations of the same texts. How does Jesus handle this?

He affirms the authority – and explains why it is not applicable.

Satan does indeed quote correctly. (Although he omits the last part of the first verse… “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. – maybe to cover up that this wasn’t the ways that God was talking about?)

So, Jesus says “on the other hand” (ignoring Satan’s omission) “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Duet. 6:16). Basically, He is saying “yes, it is true that God will protect us. However… if we purposely place ourselves in danger, just to prove that God will – that violates His command not to test Him.”

Satan, at this point, gives up all pretense of logical combat – and offers Jesus the choice of all of the world, His for the taking – (the final test of Jesus’ faith in His own divinity?) – if He worships Satan. Jesus, once again, quotes the Word: This time, the Deut. 6:13. He also sheds all pretense of any further logical argument – because Satan has already shed it. He tells Satan to leave. Satan loses – and God fulfills the faith Jesus had in Him, by sending His angels to minister to Him.

Welcomes
New Testament Resources Blog – from the makers of AKMA

Cults
Kabbalah is in the news.

New details about life inside the sect favoured by Madonna and Guy Ritchie are revealed today. An undercover investigation into the controversial Kabbalah Centre movement found a series of questionable claims by its leaders.

“Healing” spring water sold to followers for nearly £4 a bottle comes from a Canadian bottling plant.
One cancer sufferer was told Kabbalah water would help to cure his disease and was advised to buy a batch worth £550.

Cash raised by donors for the Asian tsunami victims is being spent on distributing Kabbalah Centre products in the devastated region.

A leading figure at the centre believes Jews killed in the Holocaust brought their downfall on themselves.

Ouch. Reminds me of a conversation I had with a Kabbalist, where they blew up at me about Kabbalism NOT being a cult. Heh.

Interesting
Joe Carter is talking about Intelligent Design.

Paul – the Musical?

Charles Myricks Jr. estimates it has taken him five years to write the songs for Paul, the musical that premieres in Akron this week.

Accumulating the personal and industry experience to take this ambitious stab at popular success has taken his whole life.

Just spend a few minutes in Myricks’ orbit one night at the Arlington Church of God, watching as the versatile songwriter/producer sings a line to demonstrate, then takes his place at the piano with the rest of the band. Talk with him and it’s quickly apparent that his experience in sales, marketing and management plays as important a role in this show as his musical expertise and his theological degree.

Myricks hopes that Paul, running at Greystone Hall from Friday through Sunday, will move out into a national market. “Jesus Christ Superstar has been out for 30-odd years and nothing’s come up behind it in the same way. I think Paul can come up behind it. You take the same production values of Superstar and put those production values with Paul and, bang! Paul is like Superstar, if it had been written now, in an African-American idiom.”

Just as a tip, Mr. Myricks – using “Jesus Christ, Superstar” as your “lead-in” wasn’t entirely bright.

Interesting? Yes. Smart? We’ll see.

News and Commentary
It seems that The Society of Biblical Literature just called “values voters” “homophobic”. How’s that for a shocker?

The Society of Biblical Literature, which is the largest international, professional association of teachers and scholars of the Bible, calls attention to the fact that the values so prominently and divisively raised in this 2004 U.S. election are not major concerns in the Bible, and in fact are not even directly addressed in the Bible. Rather, they tend to reflect the underlying problems of homophobia, misogyny, control of reproductive rights, and restraint of expression (including scientific research) in U.S. society today.

Ralph takes them to the woodshed. (Good job!)

(Just for the curious… here’s a little taste of the “mood” over there.)

Conservatives had their historical fantasy last spring in the theaters. Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ was a great example of the same mesmerizing formula, the other side of this two-headed coin. Remember how he looked Diane Sawyer in the eye and told her, “I know how it really went down.” Here, the ideology — anti-Semitism — achieves its transcendent status in the age-old weave of Jewish recalcitrance in the face of God’s offer of eternal salvation. But here was Gibson’s genius: Aramaic. Just a little pinch of history to make it all really real. “It was just like you were there, seeing the events as they really happened!” a young viewer gushes. “But Mel, you’re making this up. These things aren’t even in the Bible!” Artistic license. But, “I know how it really went down.” Wink.

Link to the full article.
Barf. I’m not very surprised at the survey Ralph mentions, now. Double friggin barf. THIS is the largest example of Biblical scholars and teachers of the Bible?

See, friends – THIS is why I’m so “on fire” about Apologetics. We need apologetics – to counter CRAP like the spew above. Yes, Virginia – I do have my name for a reason. I tend to be… cutting.

Or, for the following reason:

according to a 1997 poll, only one out of three U.S. citizens is able to name the most basic of Christian texts, the four Gospels, and 12% think Noah’s wife was Joan of Arc. That paints a picture of a nation that believes God speaks in Scripture but that can’t be bothered to read what he has to say.

HT: Biblical Theology – from an LA times article.

Found Today
A blog called Hypotyposeis. Interesting blog.

Announcements
Joe Carter, from Evangelical Outpost has begun another project: Jesus, The Logician, designed to engage the Evangelical blogosphere, and to demonstrate the positive aspects of blog cooperation – which has mostly only been seen in destructive ways thus far. I encourage EVbloggers to check it out, and contribute.

Hat tips
Sounding the Trumpet, for their hat tip concerning my “logic” links in EO’s comments.

Apologetics
Every Thought Captive has the third installment in “Are Apologetics Necessary” up on his blog.
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Be sure to check this out: I sorta buried it by being a post hog yesterday. Basically, I’m looking into 3 things:

1. An “Apologetics Symphony”
2. An “Apologetics Aggregator”
3. An “Apologetics Alliance”

This needs to be more formally represented in the blogosphere, as an answer to the secular humanists, Bible-bashers, and atheist consortiums out there. We need to defend the Word, and our Lord.

Update:
1. I ran into some problems with atom feeds – so, I’m using my blogroll to host the infant aggregator, currently. Still – email me at: rk AT razorskiss DOT net , if you’d like to be added. I’ll add a section with more information, as interest increases (as I hope it will).

2. Pastor Phil has agreed to host the first (tentatively named) Apologetics symphony. Stand by for further news!

3. (Joe, I hope you know, you’re responsible for this…)
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On the Other Side is today’s “Slice of Infinity”, from RZIM.

When we forget how far we have come—or rather, how far we have been brought—we become arrogant, callous healers. The temptation arises to practice a sledgehammer apologetic that obliterates your ideological enemies rather than wins them over. We must not give in to this temptation; we must speak the truth in love. Love for other sinners flows out of the awareness that on your own you are no better off than they are.

Excellent article. Go check it out.

News
Don’t forget the Philadelphia Four!

They were there with plain old homophobia, hiding behind the Bible, hiding behind the First Amendment,” said Fanny Price, executive director of Philly Pride Presents. “I really think a couple of them are a danger to society… . They’re trying to make themselves look like martyrs.”

Mmmhmm.
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Hey, Totem to Temple, THIS is who you should be worrying about – not Focus on the Family.

“It’s not a law against riding in a Cadillac if you don’t want to ride in a Volkswagen,” said Abraham Kennard in his opening remarks as he began defending himself against 132 criminal counts brought against him by the United States government.

The 46-year-old charismatic preacher is charged with swindling more than 1,600 churches out of more than $8.7 million. The criminal charges include mail fraud, income tax evasion and money laundering.

Reads
Blog, by Hugh Hewitt. An excellent book detailing the history, importance, and future role the blogosphere will play. I highly recommend it.
(Just finished.)

Persecution: How Liberals are Waging War on Christianity, by David Limbaugh.
(Reading)
Very, very well done thus far.

Totem to Temple – full article.

I remember when the televangelists got angry when their donations dropped and the relief agencies got the money. James Dobson threatened to cut back. Beverly LaHaye wrote a letter explaining that donations had dropped 56% because of the 9-11-01 attacks and that their mail (and their money) was held up in a Washington DC post office because of anthrax screenings (it was the same post office that delivered anthrax laced mail to Senators Leahy and Dodd). Lahaye threatened to “resort to drastic measures, including taking our daily radio program ‘Concerned Women Today’ off the air entirely in major markets and even laying off valuable staff members.” I found it very insensitive that people have died from this disease called anthrax and all she cared about was the money!! and not the souls who died?

Will they do the same stuff again?

They refer to Focus on the Family, Concerned Women Today, the 700 Club, and Hank Hannegraff.

The televangelists can call the Christian relief agencies their ‘brothers’ in front of the cameras sitting on their imitation Gold furniture, However, behind the scenes, they are the fiercest competitor of the almighty dollar.

This upsets me. Here’s the main page for this commentator.

I’m seriously thinking of contacting Focus on the Family, at very least, for a statement on this.

(Picked up at: Messy Christian – an interesting post, incidentally.)

Is my hero.

“First it was Herod who had the children of Bethlehem killed, then Hitler and Stalin let millions of people be destroyed, and today, in our times, millions of unborn children are being killed”.

Awesome.

Of course, a storm of controversy forced him to apologize…

But… is he wrong?

Oh, no. He isn’t.

Archbishop Meisner?

Here’s a salute from a fellow Christian.