Mike King

Resurrection of the Son of God Part 18

During Lent I'm sharing a series of thoughts and summaries from reading N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. They will be from the second half of the book dealing mostly with the New Testament Narratives...

In conclusion of this chapter, Hope in Person: Jesus as Messiah and Lord, Wright shows how early Christian answers to “worldview questions” are “resurrection-shaped.”  “Who are we?  Resurrection people: a people, that is, formed within the new world which began at Easter and which has embraced us, in the power of the Spirit, in baptism and faith.  Where are we?  In God’s good creation, which is to be restored; in bodies that will be redeemed, though at present they are prone to suffering and decay and will one day die.  What’s wrong?  The work is incomplete: the project begun at Easter (the defeat of sin and death) has not yet been finished. What’s the solution?  The full and final redemption of the creation, and ourselves with it; this will be accomplished through a fresh act of creative grace when Jesus reappears, and this in turn is anticipated in the present by the work of the Spirit.  What time is it?  In the overlap of the ages: the ‘age to come’, longed for by Israel, has already begun, but the ‘present age’ still continues.  This correlates, obviously, with the redefinition-from-within of resurrection itself which we have already explored.”  Chapter Twelve, Page 581

Oscar

For Actress in a Leading Role I'm going with Hilary Swank.  Amazing performance.  I would be happy with Catalina Sandino Moreno winning for her role in Maria Full of Grace.

For Actor in a Leading Role the Oscar will go to Jamie Foxx for his portrayal of Ray.  He became Ray in that movie.  Any actor in this category could win deservedly, with the exception of Leonardo. I’m pulling for Don Cheadle.

The Best Picture will probably be Million Dollar Baby.  Any movie in this category could deservedly win, with the exception of Aviator.  Aviator was OK but it was lobbied to this nomination.  I loved Finding Neverland and really liked Ray and Sideways. I’m sad Hotel Rwanda wasn’t nominated for best picture.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Annette Bening - BEING JULIA

Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE

Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE

Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA

Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND

Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR

Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Jamie Foxx - RAY

BEST PICTURE

THE AVIATOR

FINDING NEVERLAND

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

RAY

Caesar is not Lord - Resurrection of the Son of God Part 17

During Lent I'm sharing a series of thoughts and summaries from reading N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. They will be from the second half of the book dealing mostly with the New Testament Narratives...

The claim that Jesus is Lord, by the early followers of Jesus, in its fullest meaning was the acknowledgement that Jesus was the ultimate sovereign of the cosmos.  This held major ramifications in the Roman world because it strongly implied that Caesar was not lord.  Wright shows how the scriptures declaring Jesus Lordship were very similar to what was being said about Caesar as Imperial Lord.  Matthew declares that all authority on heaven and earth belongs to Jesus.  Paul states that all things are subject to Jesus power.  The Revelation declares Jesus as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”  Chapter Twelve, Page 568-70

Messiah for the Whole World - Resurrection of the Son of God Part 16

During Lent I'm sharing a series of thoughts and summaries from reading N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. They will be from the second half of the book dealing mostly with the New Testament Narratives...

The Jewish Christians of the early church did not abandon their hope for the Messiah of Israel.  Jesus was clearly embraced as Israel’s long expected and hoped for Messiah.  However, Jesus as Messiah took on a ‘transformed’ and ‘redrawn’ look that built upon the existing Jewish models.  The early Christians and manuscripts connected Jesus the Messiah to Old Testament scriptures but added much meaning to what Messiah is in contrast to what Messiah meant for Israel alone.  Wright suggests four distinctions between second-Temple Jewish thinking about the Messiah and Jesus as Messiah.  1) The Messiah no longer belonged exclusively to the Jews, moving beyond ethnic specificity to serve as the Messiah for the whole world and all peoples of the world.  2) The second-Temple Jews hoped for a messiah who would overthrow their oppressors.  Jesus the Messiah, on the other hand, did not come to fight a military battle but to overthrow the evil in the world and usher in righteousness.  3) The expectation for the messiah to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem shifts in Christianity to Jesus the Messiah building his church, a vibrant community of followers.  4) The justice and peace that Messiah brings would not be through creating an Israel that would rule in an imperial Roman way but would be about the renewal and restoration of the whole world.  Chapter Twelve, Page 562-3

“Q” - Resurrection of the Son of God Part 15

During Lent I'm sharing a series of thoughts and summaries from reading N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. They will be from the second half of the book dealing mostly with the New Testament Narratives...

Wright believes the reality that early Christianity was by nature messianic in orientation is very important for proper understanding of the Scriptures and the story of Jesus’ people.  The general shape of Jesus’ messiahship was totally compatible with the fulfillment of Israel’s Messiah.  However the messiahship of Jesus added meaning, significance and further revelation to the Old Testament concept of messiah.  There is a school of scholars who cite “Q” and other so-called early sources of the church as evidence that the role of Jesus as messiah was inconsequential.  Wright rebuts this notion, “’Q’ itself gives clear signs of messianic belief, as we can see from Matthew 11:2-6 and Luke 7:18-23.  But even if we were to allow at least a non-messianic early form of ‘Q’, we would have to comment that such a strand was quickly swallowed up in the thoroughly messianic movement that emerged almost at once; Messiahship is already so embedded in the thinking of the early Christians that it is taken for granted.”  Chapter Twelve, Page 554

Winn Dixie

I know I will get slammed by my deep thinking brothers and sisters, but I loved Because of Winn Dixie.  This is a story adapted from a Newbery Award-winning children's book.  I loved the cast, especially Opal, the 10-year-old that the story revolved around.  Dave Matthews was cool in his role.  OK, I will really put myself out there - I cried like a baby (sitting next to Will Penner).  I had Vicki and my daughter 19-year-old Jessica pick me up the next day at the airport and we went straight to AMC so I could see it with my girls on either side of me.  I cried again.  There you go... Let the mocking commence.

Resurrection Revolution - Resurrection of the Son of God Part 14

During Lent I'm sharing a series of thoughts and summaries from reading N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. They will be from the second half of the book dealing mostly with the New Testament Narratives...

Wright concludes the chapter Hope Refocused (3): Non-Canonical Early Christian Texts by writing, "The old slur, that the church quickly settled down and became comfortable and bourgeois, and the suggestion that sometimes accompanies it, that the increasing ‘bodiliness’ of the doctrine of the resurrection was part of this process, are without foundation. If anything, the boot is firmly in the other foot. Which Roman emperor would persecute anyone for reading the Gospel of Thomas? The early Christian non-canonical writers increasingly carry the theme that the resurrection is a doctrine that is revolutionary and will result in the ultimate overthrow of the kingdoms of this world by the creator God who will recreate a new world. Chapter Eleven, Page 549

Richard Hays in KC

Earle Lectures in Biblical Literature is featuring Dr. Richard B. Hays, Ivey Professor of New Testament, Duke University.  Dr Hays will speak at 10:00 AM on Thursday and Friday at NTS.  "Richard B. Hays is internationally recognized for his work on the letters of Paul and on New Testament ethics. His scholarly work has bridged the disciplines of biblical criticism and literary studies, exploring the innovative ways in which early Christian writers interpreted Israel’s Scripture. His book The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation was selected by Christianity Today as one of the 100 most important religious books of the twentieth century. Professor Hays has lectured widely in North America, Great Britain, Europe, Israel, and Australia. An ordained United Methodist minister, he has preached in settings ranging from rural Oklahoma churches to London’s Westminster Abbey. Professor Hays has chaired the Pauline Epistles Section of the Society of Biblical Literature, as well as the Seminar on New Testament Ethics in the Society for New Testament Studies. He convened the Consultation on Teaching the Bible in the Twenty-First Century and was co-convenor of the Scripture Project, a research initiative sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton."

The Moral Vision of the New Testament is a brilliant work.  I haven't heard Dr. Hays speak but I am looking forward to setting under his teaching the next two days.  Come on over...

Origen was ahead of his time

Apokatastasis involves the restoration of all things to the original state of creation.  Ahhhh... I am definitely obsessed with the "restoration of all things."

Concerning the previous post; Apokatastasis - Resurrection of the Son of God Part 13

Origen's theories that the body was in a constant state of fluxuation, that matter in the body was consistently changing but the defining aspect of a human being stayed the same, seemed to be consistent with what we are discovering through Quantum Mechanics.  Origen called the thing that stayed the same eidos, which seems similar to the concept of a genetic code.

This is an interesting thought in light of the dialogue we will have tomorrow night at the KC Emergent Dialogue after are viewing of What the Bleep Can We Know?  If you are from KC join us tomorrow night - Click here for the details.   

Apokatastasis - Resurrection of the Son of God Part 13

During Lent I'm sharing a series of thoughts and summaries from reading N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God. They will be from the second half of the book dealing mostly with the New Testament Narratives...

While we have lost much of Origen’s writings, we are indebted to this great Alexandrian Christian of the late second and third century.  Origen, like Clement of Alexandria incorporated Platonic philosophy into their theological constructs.  In spite of this, Origen is quite non-Platonic concerning the subject of resurrection.  Wright examines Origen’s doctrine of apokatastasis.  Apokatastasis involves the restoration of all things to the original state of creation.  His belief in apokatastasis was so strong that he even alludes to the possibility of Satan’s restoration.  He was strongly rebutted by Augustine and ultimately condemned as a heretic by the Council of Constantinople in 543 AD.  Origen theorized that the body was in a constant state of fluxuation, that matter in the body was consistently changing but a defining aspect stayed the same.  He called the thing that stayed the same eidos, which seems similar to the concept of a genetic code.  While Augustine attacked him from the Christian side, his significant opponent of the pagan side was Celsus who mocked Christianity, Jesus and the concept of resurrection.  The attacks by Celsus led to some of Origen’s greatest work.  Chapter Eleven, Page 518-26