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…)
———————
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.
——————–
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.

Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to pitch some ideas.

Idea #1: “Apologetics Aggregator”
I recently started an aggregator catered specifically towards blogs centering on Apologetics. Mine is the only one currently listed – but please – if you feel like this is something you’re interested in, or something you concentrate on – shoot me an email – rk AT razorskiss DOT net (spam separated). Please list your blog’s title, and it’s RSS url. If you have category-level RSS feeds- please only give me the RSS for the category in which you discuss apologetics. I hope to see you soon.

Idea #2: “Apologetics Symphony”
There is a Best of Me symphony, a “Carnival of the Vanities”, and a “Christian Carnival”. However, I’d like something that could be used as a catalyst to encourage more apologetics-centered work in the blogosphere. I’ve also been talking with Pastor Phil Steiger, of Every Thought Captive, about some collaboration… and other things 😀 What do you think?

Idea #3: “Shade Tree Apologists”
I started a informal group, not too long ago, to counter a tendency I was seeing, on an online gaming forum I debate on, relatively often. The tendency was the same one that we see in our mainstream culture:
1. To marginalize Christianity, or to attempt to debase it.
2. To use out of context Scripture references to somehow “debunk” scriptural arguments used against social and moral issues.
3. To completely misunderstand both the goal, and the motive behind any sort of apologetic defense of Scriptural mandates.

So, out of the members on that forum, and a blogging friend of mine, from my old blogging community, I began a rough, informal “alliance”, which I called the “Shade Tree Apologists.” (You can look at what I’ve done thus far in the preceding link – or, by going to the main page of my site, and scrolling down just a bit on the left. You can find archives of my prior debates, reference tools and sites, and various articles.) In essence, it’s an “alliance”, a reference library, and a way to “encourage one another”, as we are called to do. I’d like to invite anyone, after prayerful consideration to help me build on it, and expand it into the blogosphere.

I’ve been inspired to do the above, to a considerable extent, by Joe Carter, and his Evangelical Outpost, as well as Adrian Warnock, and his work over at his blog.

That’s pretty much it. I’ve felt a strong burden for this for quite some time, and this is the chief reason I built this blog. So, comments, advice, and assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Welcomes
Ed “What the” Heckman, and his blog, Greatest Pursuits. Welcome to the blogosphere – and keep writing stuff like this!

In thinking long and hard about whether or not to start this blog, there has been one concept which has been driving my thinking more than any other; the pursuit of Truth. In nearly every serious debate I see on the internet and in the media there is always at least one side, and sometimes even all sides, where Belief is considered more important than Truth. Reversing these two concepts like this is a sure fire recipe for disaster. Over the past year the pursuit for truth and showing others the truth has become one of the driving passions of my life.

News
James Dobson, of Focus on the Family fame, is featured in a US News and World Report article.

“My purpose in living is not to take a good reputation to the grave,” he says. “I want to do what I think God wants me to do, and I want to do it as wisely and judiciously as possible and let the chips fall where they may.”

(HT: Hugh Hewitt)

Apologetics
Moving Beyond If is today’s “Slice of Infinity” article, from RZIM.

But who can navigate through such a mess of ifs and conditions? If I work harder, if I trust more fully, if I repent more somberly or seek more fervently, then I will find Him. Still for others, the conditions we set before our relationship with God are a matter of hiding: If He really knew me, if I sat before Him without this mask, He wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

In our mess of conditions it is often the simplest logic that escapes us. I am most confronted about the “ifs and thens” I carry when I sit before the “ifs and thens” of Scripture.

Go read the rest. It’s good…

Cults
The Gentle Wind Project lost it’s suit against Rick Ross, a specialist on cult activity. The suit alleged “defamation”. However, there are other defendants – notably, James Bergin and his wife, Judy Garvey.

Gentle Wind’s focus is on “Healing Instruments.” The suit, not surprisingly, focuses on Mr. Ross’ statements that TGWP is a “a rather odd group” and a “purported ‘cult.’ ” However, Mr. Ross is an interesting study himself.
(No endorsement of either of the above groups. However – Apologetics Index is an excellent resource.)

Outrage of the day
The Dutch Soccer club Ajax is reporting that they are trying to “discard their image” as a Jewish club (as they aren’t Jewish), to discourage anti-Semitic behavior from opponents.

Many anti-Ajax chants refer to the Holocaust. Rival fans chant “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas” and make hissing sounds to imitate the sound of gas flowing.

Despicable.

Joe Carter, from Evangelical Outpost is starting a new deal – “The Evangelical Directory” – the intent is to get all of the Evangelical blogs all networked together. Good idea (although I don’t see how this isn’t another Evangelical Aggregator… maybe he has another idea for it.), and I signed up. By the by – if you haven’t read Joe Carter at EO – do so 😀

Phil from Every Thought Captive is back, with Part #2: The Turn to Community.

In navigating the transition between a Modern culture influenced by the Enlightenment and the Postmodern culture influenced by a deconstruction of the Enlightenment, the topic of Christian apologetics has come up in some circles as something which is up for grabs. It should not be too hard to find an Emergent or pomo writer who asks whether apologetics are still necessary, and more often than not the answer is that apologetics, as they are traditionally understood, are dead and outdated.

Excellent, excellent series. I suggest you go read it.