A thought provoking article on the Atonement

The Death of Christ – The Life of Man

By fatherstephen

A recent comment posed a fundamental question with regard to the Christian faith: Why do we believe that Christ had to die? What is the purpose of His death on the cross?

Preliminary Thoughts

Part of the information accompanying the question was the experience (of Mary K) with teaching on the atonement that centered largely on the wrath and anger of God. (I paraphrase and summarize) We sinned (both ourselves and Adam and Eve) – God punished us. God sent Christ whom He punished in our place. Now through faith in Christ we can escape the punishment we deserve. Along with this were a number of questions about the blood of Christ. How does it cleanse us from sin?

Of course such a question could be the occasion for a book. As is, it is the occasion for an answer of readable length (barely). Readers who feel that more should have been said about one thing or another are asked for patience. The heart of things, it seems to me, has to do with the primary images used to understand both what is wrong with humanity and creation (sin) and what it is about Christ that saves us and heals us (His death and resurrection). If there were only one way of speaking about this or thinking about this, then the question would not have been asked.

The truth is that Scripture, including within the work of a single writer, uses many images to describe the reality of what Christ has done. Some of those images are simply useful analogies or metaphors, others seem to have a more “literal” character about them – though nowhere do we find a definitive account that sets all others aside.

I want to also add a preliminary word (for our questioning reader) about the language of Scripture. Though many Christians would agree that the words of Scripture are “God-breathed” (inspired), this does not mean that every statement in Scripture is to be read literally. There are many things that are read figuratively, metaphorically, and otherwise. That is to say, the Scriptures cannot be read without help and a guide. This has always been true. For this reason the Scriptures, when read in a traditional Christian manner, must be read with Christians who themselves have been taught to read them in a traditional manner.

In this matter, you will find great diversity among Christians, for the interpretation of Scripture has been a major point of division between Christians for almost 500 years. Much of what was described in the background to the question that was posed are examples of modern, fundamentalist Christian interpretations (of which there are a variety). What I offer here is the general understanding of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

The Problem

What is wrong with humanity, and creation, such that we are in need of anything from God? What is sin?

At its most fundamental level – sin is death. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The fact that we die is not a punishment sent to us from God but the result of our having broken fellowship (communion) with God. God is Life and the only source of life. Created things (humanity included) do not have life in themselves, it is not something we have as our possession and power. Rather, life is the gift of God. It is not just our life that is the gift of God – but our very existence and the existence of all that is. God is our Creator. The Scriptures say, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Genesis offers us the story of Adam and Eve in which we hear described their disobedience from God. He had warned them: “Do not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Many early commentators on Scripture were careful to note that God did not say, “In the day you eat of it I will kill you,” but “in the day you eat of it you shall die.” Rather we are told: “God did not create death, nor does he delight in the death of the living” (Wisdom 1:13).

St. Athanasius explains that when humanity chose to break its relationship with God (through disobedience) we cut ourselves off from the source of life. However God did not take life from us (He does not take back the gifts He gives) but we removed ourselves from it. And so we die. We not only die physically, but we have a process of death at work in us. St. Paul speaks of this process as “corruption.” This movement away from and towards death and destruction reveals itself in the many broken things in our lives. We hurt and kill each other. We hurt and destroy creation. We are weak and easily enslaved to powerful things such as drugs and alcohol. We are dominated by greed, envy, lust, anger, etc. We cannot help ourselves in this matter because we do not have life within ourselves. Only God can give us the true life that alone can make us well.

The Answer

Above all else we should remember that “God is a good God and He loves mankind” (from the Orthodox dismissal). This we hear clearly in Scripture: “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

We hear this echoed in the words of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:

You [God] brought us into being out of nothing, and when we fell, You raised us up again. You did not cease doing everything until You led us to heaven and granted us Your kingdom to come.

This good God who loves mankind is not an angry God. He is not a vengeful God. He does not will us harm or punish us for our destruction. Though the Scriptures use these images, the Fathers of the Church have been consistent in understanding that this language is figurative and should not be understood literally. For instance, St. Anthony says:

God is good and is not controlled by passions. He does not change. Now someone who thinks it reasonable and true to affirm that God does not change, may well ask how, in that case, it is possible to speak of God as rejoicing over those who are good and showing mercy to those who honor Him, and as turning away from the wicked and being angry with sinners. To this it must be answered that God neither rejoices nor grows angry, for to rejoice and to be offended are passions; nor is He won over by the gifts of those who honor Him, for that would mean He is swayed by pleasure. It is not right that the Divinity feel pleasure or displeasure from human conditions. He is good, and He only bestows blessings and never does harm, remaining always the same. We men, on the other hand, if we remain good through resembling God, are united to Him, but if we become evil through not resembling God, we are separated from Him. By living in holiness we cleave to God; but by becoming wicked we make Him our enemy. It is not that He grows angry with us in an arbitrary way, but it is our own sins that prevent God from shining within us and expose us to demons who torture us. And if through prayer and acts of compassion we gain release from our sins, this does not mean that we have won God over and made Him to change, but that through our actions and our turning to the Divinity, we have cured our wickedness and so once more have enjoyment of God’s goodness. Thus to say that God turns away from the wicked is like saying that the sun hides itself from the blind.

There are many Christians who would handle Scriptures in a different manner – but I think they do not listen to the fathers of the Church and interpret Scripture according to their own opinions. In this, I think they are in error and should not be listened to.

This good God, the only Lord and giver of Life, had compassion on us when we fell away and became subject to death and corruption. In His compassion He sent His only Son who became one of us – taking our human nature upon Himself. Uniting us to Himself, He lived a life without sin (for He is Life), and taught us by word and deed the goodness and kindness of God and to become like God by loving even our enemies.

His love was so great, that He extended that love beyond the grave. He accepted death on the Cross, suffering the hatred and evil doings of those around Him.

And here, as we approach Christ’s death on the Cross, it is appropriate to ask, “Why death?”

There are many meditations on the death of Christ. Meditations that see Him as the Paschal Lamb sacrificed for us, as the “Serpent lifted in the wilderness,” and others. Here, temptation sets in and Christians seek to explain Christ’s death by comparing it to their own faulty understandings of lesser things. For it is not the shadow of things to come (Old Testament) that interprets the things to come – but rather the reality (New Testament) that interprets the shadow. It is Christ’s death that gives meaning to every type and foreshadowing and image of that death to be found in the Old Testament.

Thus it is more accurate to say that the Paschal Lamb in the time of Moses is like Christ’s sacrifice, rather than to say His sacrifice is like that which came before. As Christ said of Moses and the Prophets, “These are they which testify of me” (John 5:30).

One of the most common and helpful images in Scripture and the fathers of the Church is the image of Christ’s union with humanity. Christ became incarnate, taking to Himself our human nature. He became what we were, yet without sin. This union should be understood in more than a metaphorical manner. For Christ literally and truly became man. His humanity was not a new creation, but he took flesh “of the Virgin Mary.” He became a partaker of our humanity.

In becoming a partaker of our humanity, Christ opened the way for us to become partakers in His divinity. “For as He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). St. Paul uses this language as well in his explanation of Baptism:

Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be raised together in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer be the slaves of sin (Romans 6:3-6).

This imagery is common in St. Paul:

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

If you are risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then you shall also appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).

These things only make sense because Christ has united Himself to us, and us to Him. We are united to His death and resurrection in our faith and in our Baptism. We become one flesh with Christ. We truly become a part of the Body of Christ.

And this goes to the heart of the answer to the question posed: why did Christ die? Christ died because we were dead. We were trapped in the lifeless death of sin (which yields corruption and physical death as well). Christ is God who has come to rescue us from our prison of sin and death. He became what we are that we might have a share in what He is. We were created in the image and likeness of God – but our sin had marred us.

We did not inherit guilt and a legal penalty from Adam and Eve. We inherited a world dominated by death. In such a world we behaved as the slaves of sin and sought to live our lives apart from God Who alone is Life. God alone could rescue us from the place where we had confined ourselves. Christ enters death. Christ enters Hades and makes a way for us to follow Him into true life.

In our present life, this true life is made present within us in many ways. First, it is made present in our knowledge of God. “This is eternal life, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3). We know God and have a true relationship and communion with Him. We also have within us the power to overcome sin. This is sometimes manifest as obedience to Christ’s commandments, and, as God pleases, it is sometimes manifest as physical healing in our bodies (and miracles in creation – Romans 8:21).

If the same Spirit which raised Christ from the dead dwell in you, He will make alive your mortal bodies (Romans 8:11).

The true life of humanity is a common life. It is common in the modern world to think of ourselves only in terms of discreet individuals. But the Scriptures and teaching of the Church bear witness to a common life in which we all partake. Thus, what happens to one of us effects all of us. This commonality is also an important part of our spiritual life and our salvation. The Church in particular is the place where Christians live their common life.

This common life is also the place where we come to understand the references to “Christ’s blood” (since this was part of the question posed). His blood carries a number of meanings. It is His death, His “life poured out for us.” It is also His life given to us in the sacrament of His Body and Blood. His blood cleanses us – just as Baptism cleanses us – for His death destroys death and makes the whole creation new. There are many links between the image of blood in the Old Testament and Christ’s blood in the New. However, it is easy to become overly detailed about his connection and miss the larger point of Christ’s death – by which He destroyed death and gave us eternal life.

There are many voices across the Christian world. Taken together – they are a madhouse of confusion. Confusion and contradiction is the only result of those who listen first to one teacher and then to another. No one will arrive at the truth by such a route.

Instead, I counsel anyone to take up the life of the Church. Be Baptized (or otherwise received into the Church) and stay put. Listen to a godly pastor who lives the Scriptures and respects the fathers of the Church. Those who have built private empires and practice ministries that are in submission to “no one except God” are frauds and live in delusion. They are scandals waiting to happen.

No Church, including the Orthodox Church, ever exists without scandal. But that scandal can be disciplined. True teaching can be found and life in union with the resurrected Lord can be lived.

A Short Word About Wrath and Anger

These are words, I believe, that are so charged and dangerous, that they must be used seldom and only with caution and careful nuance. Hate and anger and wrath are generally only experienced in a sinful manner by human beings and most people are deeply wounded already by such abuse. Those who preach such terms are often engaging in spiritual abuse and should stop. If someone who teaches or preaches the Christian gospel but cannot do so without reference to these words, then I think they need to stop and pray and see if there is not something fundamentally wrong with their understanding. I’m not trying to edit these things out of Scripture – simply to say that they are abused by most who read them. Imagine you are explaining the gospel to a 4 year old. Will the child misunderstand the concept of God’s wrath? I am rather sure of it. I have not found adults to be that much more emotionally mature. My challenge of these images (on the blog and in my writings) is, I hope, an occasion for other Christians, particularly Orthodox, to think carefully about these very powerful words. If we do that – then I’ll have done a little good.

It is quite possible to give a very good account of the Christian gospel without the use of “wrath” and “anger.” St. John only uses the word wrath once in His entire Gospel. It is not an integral and necessary part of the theology of the Cross. To say that it is – is to make of an illustration and metaphor a matter of dogma. If you disagree, argue with St. John.

Conclusion

I pray that this answer is of help to the reader who posed the question. I also ask pardon of those readers who have been patient with me for the posting of this answer. It comes at the end of a busy week. May God give us all grace to hear the Holy Gospel.

Original and many responses here:- http://starturl.com/atone

UPDATE FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR RELIEF AND RECONCILIATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST PO Box 229 Petersfield GU32 9DL office@frrme.org www.frrme.org +44 (0) 1730 267 673 Canon Andrew White writes... Pictures of the Bombings Dear Friends, Greetings from Baghdad. As usual, it is great to be back in Iraq. I am so encouraged by the fact that, despite things being difficult here, the people continue to be faithful in their service of the Almighty. Yesterday, in our Mothers Union prayer meeting, there was only praise for G-d that, despite a number having been injured, they were all still alive. It was the same story with the young people in their service this evening; they had all suffered, but they had been spared much greater disaster. The damage caused by last week's bombings was considerable and can still be seen. The Iraqi Government has responded by giving us 6 additional security officers, in addition to the 6 armed guards that we already employ, and they are already working well together. They were even there to collect me from the airport. The government has also provided us with special radio contact to the ministry of interior, and they say that we now have the greatest security of any church in Iraq. With all the recent problems I have not been able to finish my next book on the children but now I hope to be able to get going on it again. However, I written an article for the Spectator Magazine this week, which you can read by clicking on the link at the bottom of this letter and you can also hear me on the BBC World Service at 19.32 BST on Saturday 29th August, and at 10.32 BST on Sunday 30th. Finally, one of our young people has done some amazing pictures, which I wanted to share with you. Blessings from Baghdad, Andrew Rev. Canon Andrew White St Georges Baghdad Click here to go to Andrew's 'Spectator' article For more information on the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East please visit our website www.frrme.org

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More pause for thought

An ex-Famagusta parishioner now in Canada sent this:-

Mazhar Mallouhi Comments on the Insider Movement

A recent book, which is essentially a biographical account of my spiritual journey, characterizes me as a “Muslim follower of Jesus,” a term which I have often used to describe myself. I am certainly not the first or the only person to describe themselves this way, but because of the high profile of the book, the high profile of the Bible translation projects I am involved with, and my long term involvement with missions, I am among those targeted by detractors of the Insider Movement. Since I have never actually publicly commented on this movement (and just realized I am part of it!) I thought it would be appropriate to do so.

An “insider” is someone, like me, who comes from a family and country that is Muslim and chooses to maintain their[LC1] [LC1] culture after being irretrievably changed by the transforming power of our Lord. Admittedly, my description of an insider is overly simplistic, and it is not my intention to assert that all those who don’t claim to be insiders have abandoned all aspects of their culture. Nevertheless, I would like to describe some of what I have seen among believers in Christ who come from a Muslim background.[LC2] [LC2]

I don’t think that most arm-chair practitioners (that is, interested people who don’t actually live in the Muslim world) realize how many unnecessary and harmful changes can be proscribed when Muslims become Christians. It is more severe than in any other context. These changes have nothing to do with the requirements of Kingdom living, but are simply cultural. The well known evangelical saying, "Being born in a garage doesn't make you a car, and being born in a Christian[LC3] [LC3] family/country doesn't make you a Christian" is not something Muslim people agree with. Being born in a Muslim family DOES automatically make you a Muslim and part of the Muslim community. I am born a Muslim, not a Hindu nor a Christian nor a Jew. Muslims need never publicly or personally appropriate faith as is expected in the Christian tradition of baptism or confirmation, but on the contrary, must take decisive action if they want to remove themselves from the community.

What defines a Muslim follower of Jesus has nothing to do with whether they read the Qur’an, where or how they pray, or what they think of Muhammad. Insiders can be defined as those who affirm that the circumstances into which they were born were ordained by God and played a part in their personal salvation story. They do not see that faith in Jesus as Lord requires them to automatically renounce all they previously learnt about God, or to denounce their culture, community and family as evil. There are actually very few ways to publicly reject my community, but one sure way is to publically embrace Western anti-Muslim politics, polytheism and idolatry, which in Muslim understanding is what people do when they convert to Christianity.

[LC4] [LC4]

Westerners typically have inherited dualistic Greek thinking about religious and secular life, whereas Muslims do not usually think in this way. So for Muslims all of life is spiritual, including family relationships and matters from daily life, ranging from eating meals together to worshipping together. So to attempt to differentiate between religious and secular culture is from the beginning a non-Muslim way of thinking. More importantly, it is a non-biblical way of thinking. In a biblical worldview, life is viewed more holistically. In this particular issue, it is the Muslim outlook, not the dualistic Western outlook, that is closer to the biblical model. [LC5] [LC5]

Being an insider does not mean that I am free to do or believe whatever I want; it doesn’t mean that I am not obligated to refrain from evil or immoral facets of my culture. This is the same for someone born an insider [LC6] [LC6]in Western Christian or post-Christian cultures. However, many Muslims are still taught that they must leave behind all vestiges of Islam including language, dress, hospitality customs, and prayer language. Basically, this amounts to designating everything in their culture as evil! I took up this issue with a group of Arab Christian theology students who were initially hostile to the idea of Muslims remaining as believers in their own community. I asked, "Which practices in a Muslim's life may need to be changed once he or she follows Christ?" We filled a blackboard with all that denotes belonging to a Muslim community. The students listed practices of dress, food, language, marriage, worship, religious practices such as fasting, etc. After much debate, the group arrived at the conclusion (to their surprise) that only two practices were contra-indicated by the gospel: the pilgrimage to Mecca and the testimony (shahada). [LC7] [LC7]

Vocabulary is a big issue in this debate. One such argument commonly brought to my attention is “Christians shouldn’t call God ‘Allah.’” Anyone who knows better can tell you that the only true word for God in Arabic is Allah. Allah is the normal and usual word used by Christian Arabs for God. Even Arab evangelicals who oppose the insider movement use this term for God. It is the word for the one and only God, and shares a Semitic root with Hebrew words for God, el, eloah, and elohim. This is just one example of how weak some of the arguments are. Yet, I have known Muslim-background Christians who abandon their native tongue and talk to their children exclusively in English, because it’s more “Christian.” [LC8] [LC8]

Many people from a Muslim background who become Christians move to the West and seldom return. Often Muslim background believers who study theology abroad never return to their home to live as a witness. It is as if they have come to believe that being in a Christian garage makes you a Christian car. They want their children to be Christians so they must be born in a so-called Christian culture.

Many of those from Muslim backgrounds who become (cultural) Christians are people who are already disillusioned with their country/culture/religion and come to the faith already hating Islam. I myself at one time hated my own culture and resented my background, not because of doctrine or theology or belief, but because somehow I was led to believe that it was ugly, and that only things Western and thus Christian were beautiful.

Those who criticize followers of Jesus that want to remain in their largely Muslim culture don’t understand the severity of the alternative. My heart breaks for young believers who receive subtle (and perhaps unintentional) messages from Christians that the way of life handed down to them is ugly. They are given the impression that God cannot be in their culture.

For me and others like me, being an insider is not primarily about doctrine and it is not about belief, but rather about attitude. Some Christian friends have called on me to declare my beliefs or answer for myself in theological terms. [LC9] [LC9]“Prove to me that you are orthodox!” or “Show me that you are evangelical!” My burden, however, is to cry[LC10] [LC10], “Show me that you love Muslims! Show me that your attitude is like that of our Lord’s! Demonstrate to me that your actions are rooted in the heart of God and not something else! Show me that you are acting out of love and not out of the emotions that surface when two civilizations collide!”

I have spent the greater part of a long life engaged with the church in the West and involved in the global missions movement, and it pains me to say that if more people exhibited different attitudes to Islam, then there would be no need for myself and others like me to distinguish ourselves as insiders. It is attitude, not belief, which causes this distinction.

I am perplexed by the unfair treatment that Muslim people are given by the Protestant missions movement. There is nothing new about being an insider, but Muslim insiders are unfairly singled out. If I were a Jewish believer continuing to call myself a Jew and remaining inside my Jewish community, I would be lauded by most of the Christian West. My experience is that most Jewish ideology rejects the entirety of the New Testament and often reviles our Lord; yet even with those obstacles, believers that remain inside Judaism do not undergo the same scrutiny by Christians. My experience in America has made me aware of groups such as Christian motorcycle gangs and Christian hippies, all of whom remain outside traditional church circles and inside their (sometimes questionable) former communities. These groups don’t seem to undergo the same scrutiny either. The unfair and unbalanced scrutiny given to Muslim insiders over other types of insiders suggests to me that this is not so much a missiological issue as it is one of attitude.[LC11] [LC11]

Some people are unhappy that I am unwilling to engage in polemics or criticism of Islam. Here[LC12] [LC12] is something that most people in the West don’t understand: I was born into a confessional home. Islam is the blanket with which my mother wrapped me when she nursed me and sang to me and prayed over me. I imbibed aspects of Islam with my mother’s milk. I inherited Islam from my parents and it was the cradle which held me until I found Christ. Islam is my mother.[LC13] [LC13] You don’t engage a person by telling them their mother is ugly. No matter how hideous your friend’s mother may be, you don’t say to him, “Your mother is ugly.” Even if he knows she is, his initial reaction will certainly be to fight you. For me being an insider means that I have an emotional attachment to my culture which I imbibed along with my mother’s milk. Islam is MY mother too. [LC14] [LC14]

However although I am born a Muslim, I am not obligated to practice it, nor am I obligated to believe all of it. But the day I reject it outright, I disavow myself of my family, my community and my people. There are many ways to bring the gospel into this confessional home, and the words I use to describe a life-changing relationship with God through Christ will determine how the community understands and reacts to my journey.

I realize that as Christians engaging Muslims, some may want to act in a way that makes them feel like St. Boniface triumphantly cutting down a tree in defiance of paganism, but we do not need to crush the other to share our light and truth.

I travel all over the Arab world, and when I do I ask the same question: “Where are the second-generation communities among Muslim background believers?” There are a few, but then I am forced to ask the question, “Are there any that are not tied to Western money?” How can there be second-generation churches when believers are removing themselves from their communities? Our Lord taught by example and command that we should be witnesses within our context. I have received honors and awards from Muslim institutions (not necessarily religious institutions, but those in which members are professing Muslims) that are not allowed to recognize non-Muslims. I have been invited and embraced by Muslim groups that would have nothing to do with Muslims who have been extracted from their culture and have become Christians. Were I not an insider I would not have access to these groups and I would be unable to testify about my Lord in these places. And the only thing that is required of me to stay inside is to not be against my Islamic heritage. [LC15] [LC15]

I don’t mean to imply that the issues involved are simple. Nor do I mean to suggest that all insiders will necessarily receive favor, or that none of them will be disowned by their families or experience persecution. Following our Lord is never easy. But what I do mean to say is that the kind of witness that will birth productive communities doesn’t require us to compromise our beliefs, only change our attitudes.[LC16] [LC16]

Staying inside a Muslim context has not pressured me towards bad doctrine. I have received no temptation as an insider to minimize the deity of my Lord Jesus Christ (His peace be upon us). I experience no enticement to deny the Trinity or elevate the Qur’an above the Bible. This isn’t to say that there are no temptations in the predominately Muslim community in which I live, but I can say with certainty that I find far more temptations and negative influence in the materialistic secular culture of Australia. Furthermore, I can’t say that I am doctrinally infallible. One day when I am in paradise, my Lord may show me long lists of errors, but they will be the result of the limits of my mind and the weakness of my character, not because of my unwillingness to reject my heritage.

Muslim insiders are being transformed by the same Holy Spirit that transforms all of us. We read the same Holy Bible that all Christians throughout the centuries have read. Our respect for and familiarity with God’s word varies, but it varies in the exact same way that it varies in other parts of the Church. Shouldn’t we leave the Holy Spirit to show us if we need to re-learn how to pray or change our forms and customs and not be forced to new external forms of worship that have special meaning to others, but not us. How can an outsider know the impact of our customs and forms on our hearts? If Muslim followers of Jesus say their religious customs do not negate what is in their hearts then how can others negate their faith?

I will not naively assume that my description of what it means for me to be an insider fully addresses the controversial aspects of the subject. In particular, I do not have much to say about the issues surrounding “insider proponents,” These are[LC17] [LC17] the mostly Western cross-cultural workers who advocate more contextualized methods of evangelism. It is difficult for me to comment on insider proponents [LC18] [LC18]because the controversy surrounding them is largely doctrinal, and my concern is mostly about attitudes. On the other hand, I believe this controversy is also raging because of attitude rather than doctrine.

I appreciate the attitudes of insider proponents, who seek to export as little of their own culture as possible to Muslims who choose to follow our Lord. They go to great lengths to make sure that Muslims who choose to follow the way of our Lord don’t feel pressured to reject their heritage. Furthermore, they make significant efforts to rise above the clashes between Christianity and Islam or Western and Eastern civilization, clashes which encourage many of the Church’s negative attitudes towards Muslims. I can empathize with insider proponents as well, because as I observe their opponents attacking them, I notice some of the same unfairness applied to them that I have described above. For example, some of the notions advocated by insider proponents are very similar to decades-old ideas put forward by missionaries working among animist peoples. Insider proponents, however, experience far greater scrutiny than their predecessors. It seems to me that the controversy surrounding them also springs largely from attitude, not doctrine.

.

I don’t share the fear of some that somehow insider proponents are advocating a form of post-modern relativism that threatens the fabric of orthodox belief. I don’t understand that such an approach should warrant such a strong reaction. For one hundred years, Protestant missionaries have been pushing the envelope and we have largely left them alone because they are willing to go where the rest of us aren’t, but as soon as they apply their creativity to the Islamic world the rules change. That is how I see it anyway.

Insider proponents receive a great deal of criticism for their views of Muhammad. Often the criticism is about the issue of whether or not he can be considered a prophet. This is a good example of how insider proponents and their detractors talk past each other. Insider proponents are not suggesting that WE need to declare Muhammad to be a prophet. Rather, this issue relates to people from Muslim backgrounds who have come to love our Lord because of what is written about him in the Qur’an. Insider proponents argue that if something written by Muhammad leads some people ultimately to THE TRUTH, then why shouldn’t these insiders have a positive view of Muhammad as the one who led them to Christ? I have not heard any insider proponents speaking of Muhammad as a prophet equal to Christ. But insider proponents are actually being judged because of what they will NOT say about Muhammad , rather than what they are saying. Many insider proponents will not denounce Muhammad nor criticize aspects of Islam simply because they do not want to be “anti-Islam,” but would rather be “for Christ.” Unfortunately, detractors of insider proponents insist on making the assumption that their silence means they believe the opposite. The point is that insider proponents (along with myself) want the emphasis placed on what Christ is, and not what Muhammad is not. [LC19] [LC19]

I notice in some of my Christian brothers and sisters almost a sense of betrayal if anyone says something positive about Muhammad. Many insider proponents have a high view of Muhammad. This is not to say that they speak of him as a prophet, but from an historical point of view they often can comfortably cite the positive aspects of his life and consider him a reformer. This tends to make many Christians very uncomfortable. They usually argue something like, “We also have to be honest about the negative aspects of Muhammad’s life….” Why is this so important? I am allowed to say good things about Oliver Cromwell without being reminded that he chopped off the king’s head. I am allowed to speak positively about Thomas Jefferson without incessant interruptions that he impregnated his slave. Do people think that we are somehow admitting defeat, or dis-honoring Christ, if we focus on the positive aspects of Muhammad or the religion that he founded? I have no particular affection for Muhammad, but neither do I think that an opinion about a man who lived long ago can somehow damage the Good News of our Lord. If I have to choose between honouring someone that I disagree with, on the one hand, or dishonouring him, thereby showing an attitude that is not from our Lord, on the other, then the choice for me is easy.

I am an insider because I was born into a Muslim context and I don’t wish to reject my heritage. Islam is my heritage and Christ is my inheritance. I am not an insider proponent (IP) because it seems to me to be a mostly Western thing, and because it strikes me as being about ideas and strategy, while I am mostly interested in attitudes and people. I am not a "C5" advocate, because I think that the Incarnation needs to be our model for church planting, not the ‘C-scale.’ And I optimistically (and perhaps naively) believe that all of us who follow the ways of our Lord and Messiah Jesus (his peace be upon us) are capable of agreeing on a common goal of seeing the emergence of groups of Jesus-followers in Muslim communities, groups that are authentic, indigenous, reproducible and not dependent on Western money.

Additionally, I long for the day when we can go about our work while erring on the side of preferring one another and respecting one another, while resisting the temptation to search out heresy every time someone disagrees with us or challenges the status quo.

Furthermore, I am convinced that Christians aren’t required to dislike Islam in order to engage it. Finally, I would like to encourage my friends, acquaintances and fellow laborers from the West to earnestly and honestly ask themselves how much of their attitude towards Muslims is a result of political opinions, xenophobia, a post cold-war clash of civilizations, or being caught in the trap of dueling religions. Even as my brothers and sisters commit to this sort of self-introspection, I also pledge to search out the planks in my own eye. May the Peace of our Lord be upon us all.

1. A monkey passed by a pond and found a fellow monkey pulling fish out and hanging them in a nearby tree. He asked, 'What are you doing?" The monkey replied, "They were drowning and I saved them".

2. Would anyone consider transplanting planting banana seeds to Alaska expecting they will thrive?

Mazhar Mallouhi

2 August 2009

08/28/2009 Anglican Prayer Alliance Prayer Interface Dear Robin, God is watching us as a people, not just as an onlooker, but he is looking for those who will be worthy of his blessing. 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 2 Chron 16:9 (KJV) I believe God has plans, and he is searching the hearts of men. In all of the lawsuits and wrestling with the TEC, let us keep in mind that God is watching us, with the future in his mind.. King David was disqualified from "building the house of God" because he was a "man of war." There is no doubt in my mind if we find the heart of God, that he would raise up prosperous benefactors to fund the things close to his heart and replace the lost buildings. . Fishing for Men Last Sunday during the serving of the Eucharist, there was such a precious site. From where I was sitting about the middle of St George's Anglican Church in Colorado Springs, I had clear view of the serving for the rear half of the nave. A young lady, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age receive the bread and then just stood in front of the chalice server not knowing what to do. Lynda, our chalicer, leaned over and whispered some instructions to this first time participant. What a precious sight. This is so much God's heart. God loves people. If God were to examine us in some area, this, I think would be the most crucial; how we deal with those "lambs" that he sends our way. 1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. John 21:1-17 (KJV) The Apostle John's words, "on this wise shewed he himself," stages the verses to come. John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is showing Jesus as the Lord of the Harvest. Peter declared, "I go fishing," and then caught nothing. Have you ever had an evangelistic effort and caught nothing? What a conundrum. We are to reach the lost but so often our efforts bear no fruit. Then Jesus tells Peter to fish off the other side of the boat. How is that any different than what he was doing before? Was this a new fishing breakthrough? Was this some new method that worked better? No, Peter's success was due to God's blessing. If you have been fishing and caught nothing, maybe the method is not the problem, but that you are laboring without God's blessing!! That is when you go back to God and say, did we miss something here? God's desire is that we bear fruit and that our fruit remain (John 15:16). God judges two things in his people; sin and fruitlessness. When God blesses with a harvest then there is another problem. How do we deal with all of these new fish? The net was so full they "dragged" it ashore rather than lifting it into the boat. How do churches deal with the incoming baby Christians? There is probably no more revealing question to a parish's vitality, than how do we deal with "the lambs?" Historically the ancient church was strong in what was called catechism. I fear, sometimes, we are too worried about keeping happy the spoiled Christians we have been serving for generations, rather than caring for baby Christians. Indigenous churches should produce indigenous Christians. I do not think it difficult to get the fish into the net. Jesus said to pray the Lord of the Harvest. I have enough confidence in our prayers that if we pray for God to send them into the net he will. On the day of Pentecost many found their way into the net of Peter's preaching. Perhaps the reason we do not see more coming to the net of Christ is because we have not properly "feed his lambs." So really to win the lost we always are looking at a two fold problem. One is getting the fish into the net and then getting the fish into the boat (integrating them into parish life). Getting them into the boat is most difficult. Again, Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest. Jesus' conversations with Peter are some of the most precious dialogs in scripture. Peter served as a sort of a forerunner for the group. So in speaking to Peter Jesus was conversing with all of the disciples and with us. Earlier Jesus discussed with Peter along with the other disciples about his identity as the Christ. Previously, Jesus had asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter had the right answer, because it had been revealed to him from The Father. And now Jesus is discussing with Peter becoming a "fisher of men." Jesus was not just talking to Peter, but to all of us. Peter had difficulty getting the fish into the net until Jesus was engaged in the event. Then the problem involved getting the fish into the boat. They never got the fish into the boat and Jesus' solution is to get Peter to "feed my lambs." Whenever Jesus poses a question, you know something profound is coming, so get ready. Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter's love for the Lord had been purified in his denial of Christ and subsequent restoration. Peter said, "You know that I love you." "Feed my lambs," Jesus words to Peter remind me of Tevye's song to his wife Golde in the movie Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye sings, "Do you love me?" Golde responds with a list of things that she does for him, "I cook your food, wash your clothes...." Tevye comes back with, "Do you love me?" Obligation does not always prove love, but with feeding his lambs it is always out of love for Christ and indeed maybe is the measure of our love for Christ. Too many things clamor for our attention and resources, which causes us to loose sight of the lambs. It is our true love for Christ that brings us back to feeding the lambs. Jesus said. If we love Jesus we will feed his lambs. Who are "his lambs?" They are the ones that just found themselves in the net but are not yet integrated into the parish. I would venture to say that America has many who once were in the net and made steps toward faith in Christ but because there was no "Peter" to "feed the lambs," they never made it into the boat. They are... in the net, but not in the boat. I predict these "net Christians" will soon be showing up in a church near you. Right now it is like the beginning of a rainstorm. You hear the "tap, tap" of drops hitting the roof. Where will we be when the downpour comes? I predict the "tap, tap" of these "net Christians" that we are now seeing will become a cloud burst. What then? What will we do to get them into the boat, to make them "boat Christians?" Those churches that know how to get the fish from the net into the boat will prosper. Casting the net is easy, it's the hauling it in without capsizing the boat that is tricky. Many of our ancient Anglican buildings had the ceilings made of wood slats to show our relationship as the church to a boat. My heart cries out to God, "make us fishers of men," not just to get them into the net but to get them into the boat. Over the months we have been producing this letter we have had some great comments from you the readers. It is so great to hear what God is doing all over the country and the world. Send your comments and we will now post them on our website under the tab "letters." We would like to hear from you any insights or things God is saying to you about the times in which we life. Sincerely, Bryan Raile Contact Us Anglican Prayer Alliance

Another posting I found to get one thinking

The Scriptural Roots of St. Augustine's Spirituality | Stephen N. Filippo | IgnatiusInsight.com

http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/sfilippo_augustine_apr07.asp

Perhaps of all the Church Fathers, none shone so brightly as St. Augustine (351-430). Augustine's spirituality has deeply pervaded the Church right up to this very day. Two great Orders in the Church (just to cite a few), the Benedictines and the Franciscans took their spirituality directly from St. Augustine. St. Augustine's spirituality came into the Benedictine Order primarily through St. Anselm (1033-1109) and into the Franciscans primarily through St. Bonaventure (1221-1274). Both these men were in themselves, also great lights in the Church.

Of course, no discussion of Church giants can be complete without mentioning St. Thomas Aquinas, who is best described as 'following St. Augustine in Theology and Aristotle in Philosophy.' In sum, the Church gets her Dogmatic Theology primarily through St. Augustine. Since Spiritual Theology is based upon the correct Dogmatic Theology, it only makes sense that one of the Church's greatest Theologians, St. Augustine, is also responsible for a great deal of her Spiritual Theology.

And for St. Augustine, as it should be for all Catholics, this means a deep concentration and constant reflection on Sacred Scripture. The scriptural roots of St. Augustine's spirituality can be clearly seen by examining one of his greatest, yet lesser known works, De doctrina Christiana, literally "On Christian Doctrine," but actually "On how to read and interpret Sacred Scripture."

In De doctrina Christiana (henceforth "DDC"), St. Augustine lays the groundwork for a good, spiritual exegesis by elucidating on the virtue of charity, and all that means. Then, in order to begin the climb to spiritual perfection, he explains a scripturally based seven-step ladder. Lastly, he gives seven rules that are helpful in reading and understanding Sacred Scripture correctly.

Charity Towards God, Neighbor And Self

St. Augustine teaches that there are four possible objects of human love: 1. The things above us, 2. Ourselves, 3. Things equal to us, and 4. Things below us. Since all men by nature love themselves, there was no need to give the human race precepts about self-love. And, since it is obvious to most men that they should not love that which is below them, namely lesser objects, but merely use them, fewer precepts are given in the Bible concerning these. But about the love of things above us, namely God and His Angels, and things equal to us, namely other men, Sacred Scripture has everything to say. Our Lord Himself tells us the two greatest commandments are: "You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Upon these the whole law and the prophets depend" (Mt. 22: 37-40).

Then, Augustine makes the distinction between enjoyment and use: "Some things are to be enjoyed, others to be used, and there are others which are to be used and enjoyed. Those things which are to be enjoyed make us blessed. Those things which are to be used help and, as it were, sustain us as we move toward blessedness in order that we may gain and cling to those things which make us blessed . . . To enjoy something is to cling to it with love, for its own sake. To use something, however, is to employ it in obtaining that which you love, provided it is worthy of love." (DDC I, iii, 3. iv, 4.) And, for St. Augustine, as it should be for us, the only thing worthy of his love, the only "thing" to be "enjoyed for its own sake" is the Holy, Blessed Trinity, the One True God.

Concerning love of our neighbors, St. Augustine reminds us that "all other men are to be loved equally; but since you cannot be of assistance to everyone, those are especially to be cared for who are most closely bound to you by place, time or opportunity, as if by chance. Just as if you had an abundance of something special that you could only give enough of to one other person, yet two came asking, neither of whom deserved it more or less. You could do no more than choose by lot. Thus, among all men, not all of whom you can care for, you must consider those in your life as if chosen by lot, who, in reality, are chosen by God." (DDC I, xxviii, 29). Therefore, the second great pre-requisite of St. Augustine's for interpreting Sacred Scripture is charity to every person in your life.

Concerning love of self, St. Augustine recommends frequent confession. Our souls in this life are engaged in deadly warfare with the devil and his fallen angels, as well as our own selfishness. As a result, we are constantly being wounded, either in a minor way or mortally. A mortal wound (sin) is deadly and will destroy all opportunity for Eternal Life, if not remedied. If we truly love ourselves, then we will want to be always ready to meet our Maker. The only way to meet our Maker when we die is to be in the state of grace. The only way to maintain the state of grace in this life is to go to confession frequently. We should pay special attention to our worst flaws and beg Our Lord to root them out.

Therefore: 1. set your sights on God alone as the only object of your love and enjoyment, while enjoying other men only for the sake of Him; 2. be truly charitable to all who cross your path, for it is not by accident or random chance that they come into your life; and 3. go to the Divine Physician for the cure to your wounds (sins). Thus are laid down the three most important pre-requisites for correctly reading Sacred Scripture: charity towards God, neighbor and self; without which none can be faithful to the Truths taught in the Bible.

In essence, St. Augustine notes there are those things we are to love for their sake alone, namely the Holy Trinity; and those things we are to love as ourselves, namely all other men. So, whoever in his own opinion feels he understands Sacred Scripture, or any part of it, yet does not build knowledge of love of God and neighbor, "has not yet known as he ought to know." (1 Cor. 8:2) Or, if such a one has discerned from the Scriptures an idea helpful in building this two-fold love, but which was not the intention of the Sacred Author, he is not in error, for his intention is not to lie, but to build up the kingdom of heaven. So, if one is mistaken in his interpretation of Scripture, yet he builds up charity, which is the end of the precept (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5), he is mistaken like the traveler who makes a wrong turn yet ends up at the right place regardless.

However, it is better not to leave the correct path, lest by habitually deviating, one end up in the wrong place altogether. By rashly asserting things the Sacred Author did not intend, one frequently runs into other passages he cannot reconcile to his interpretation. If one in humility gives way to Scripture, fine. But if one loves his own opinion more, he will grow vexed with the Scriptures, and ultimately be destroyed by it. For, "faith will totter, if the Authority of Sacred Scripture waivers. Indeed, even charity itself grows weak, if faith totters. If anyone falls from faith, it is inevitable that he also fall from charity. For he cannot love what he does not believe exists. Yet, if he both believes and loves, by leading a good life and obeying the commandments, he gives himself reason to hope that he may arrive at that which he loves. And so "there abides faith, hope and charity, these three," (2 Cor. 13:1) which all knowledge and prophecy serve" (DDC I, xxxxi, 37.).

Therefore, St. Paul tells us that the greatest of the three theological virtues is charity, because once we have attained to Eternal life, faith and hope cease. They are no longer necessary. Charity alone remains. Therefore it is the greatest of the theological virtues.

St. Augustine notes that, in this life, St. Paul defines charity as having three essential elements: "The end of the precept is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience and faith unfeigned." (1 Tim. 1:5) Anyone approaching Scripture from truly "charitable" motives and intentions, needs to have a "pure heart," so that one does not love other "things" but only the Holy Trinity. They also need a "good conscience" lest a bad conscience lead to anxiety, guilt and despair, and so alter one's mental state that they seriously misconstrue the Sacred Texts. Thirdly, they need "faith unfeigned" in order to see clearly that which is being asserted by the Sacred Author, and not be blinded or confused by falsehood or affection for "lesser gods." And so by living and believing rightly, we may justly hope that our understanding of Sacred Scripture may build on what is already correct and be deepened and nourished.

St. Augustine's Spiritual Ladder: Seven Steps Mounting To Eternal Wisdom

There are conventional signs which living creatures give each other by which they attempt to indicate, as far as is possible, what is on their mind. For men, some signs involve the sense of sight; many the sense of hearing, and few of any other senses. A nod gives a sign of assent to a person we wish to share our will with. A referee at a football game will raise both hands straight in the air over his head to signify a score. These signs are like visible words. However, among men words have gained a pre-eminence for expressing thought. Holy Scripture, God's Will for us, is communicated to us through words. It is God's Word, in man's words. Jesus Himself is the Eternal Word: "In the beginning was the Word" (Jn. 1:1).

The question then becomes, how do we approach Holy Scripture? First, St. Augustine tells us, is through fear: "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, wisdom and instruction, which only fools despise" (Prov. 1:7). It is from fearing God that we first learn to recognize His Will: what He wants us to do and what He wants us to avoid. This fear should awaken in us a healthy reflection of our bodily death and possible spiritual death, if we continue to choose to run away from Him.

Second, fear is tempered by piety, by which we become gentle and humble. So, when Sacred Scripture attacks some of our faults, or when we think we know better than God's Word, we need to reflect and realize that what is written there is more beneficial and reasonable, even if hidden, than what we could know ourselves. Pride is the enemy here. Since the mind usually disdains anything it learns easily, those who read superficially and very quickly, err greatly. Great care and time must put into reading the Sacred Texts very carefully and slowly. A slow, reflective, deeply meditative approach will enhance the ability of the Scriptures to penetrate to your heart.

The third step is knowledge, learning to love God for His own sake and love your neighbor as yourself, for His sake (as previously discussed). Any careful, thorough, close reading of Scripture should clearly point out just how far we have become enmeshed in the love of the world and temporal things. Therefore, it should instill in us a healthy desire to go to confession to get back to loving God and neighbor, whom we separated from when we sinned. Scripture should cause us to mourn our sins. We should beg God through "unceasing prayer" (1 Thess. 5:17) for the consolation of His Divine Assistance.

This brings us to step four: fortitude: to maintain courage, no matter what the cost, in our efforts to obtain True Justice--which is giving God and our fellow men their due, not about getting what I want. In seeking after justice with unwavering perseverance we withdraw from the deadly pleasure of passing things, toward the love of the Eternal Things, namely the Holy Trinity.

The fifth step is the counsel of mercy. As we cleanse our soul, we can become upset and vexed at its constant craving for lesser things. Sometimes it seems that the harder we try to be good, the more evil we do. St. Augustine counsels mercy and kindness in the treatment of your own soul. No one would walk into a hospital and force a sick person to get completely better 'or else'. Then neither should we force this straightjacket method on our sickly soul either. Just like the sick person in the hospital, your soul also needs time to heal. So, be fair with yourself. Set realistic goals. Sometimes baby steps or even crawling are needed before one can walk fully erect again. Seek steady progress, not immediate, absolute perfection, lest you give up in despair. Also, constantly practicing the true, immediate and vigorous unfeigned love of neighbor, to the point of perfection, when you can say you truly "love your enemies"(Mt. 6:12), will help substantially in rooting out one's worst and most stubborn sins.

The sixth step is one of vision: when we can truly see that the more we cleanse ourselves of the love of inferior things in this world, the closer we come to seeing God, "Taste and see how good is the Lord" (Ps. 34:9). To the extent that we love the world, we do not see God. To the degree that we die to ourselves, we experience Him more concretely in our daily lives.

The seventh step is wisdom. While we still walk more by "faith" than by "sight," at this level God so cleanses the heart that we rarely compare our neighbors or other creatures to Him by choosing these 'lesser gods' over Him. Moreover, souls will be so holy and on fire with love of God at this stage, that they will seldom prefer to turn away from the Eternal Truth, through a desire for pleasing men or self-gratification, no matter what. "Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father" (Mt. 10:32-33).

As the result of following these seven steps, we should grow more deeply in our love and devotion to Our Lord. Moreover, these steps are not mutually exclusive. In other words, one step does not necessarily take place, while the others remain silent. Many times in one's spiritual journey there is an overlapping of stages. What is important here is that we recognize what we are going through, and work with the Sacred Scriptures and these seven steps to allow our hearts to be opened more deeply and thereby move closer to God.

St. Augustine's Seven Rules to Help Unlock the Hidden Mysteries of Sacred Scripture

There was a man named Tyconius, who lived during the times of St. Augustine. He wrote a small book called "On rules" which contained seven rules that he claimed were like keys: they would unlock all that lay hidden in the Sacred Scriptures. Since the man was a Donatist (one who erroneously thought that the validity of a sacrament depended upon the worthiness of the minister), the rules needed some modification. Moreover, as St. Augustine strongly notes, no set of rules, no matter how well put together could ever unlock "all" of Sacred Scripture. Finite man, by definition, cannot possibly begin to completely understand infinite God. Deus semper major--God is always more. So, St. Augustine takes the seven rules because they are very helpful and incorporates them to reflect authentic Catholic teaching.

The first rule is 'about the Lord and His Body.' This rule applies when the Scriptures are talking about Christ and His Church. Sometimes there is a change from head to body and/or body to head, without a change in subject or speaker. For instance, Isaiah 61:10: "Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels," is the same, single person speaking. Of course, one metaphor, the "bridegroom" refers to the Head of the Church, that is Christ, while the other metaphor, the "bride," refers to His Body, that is, His Church.

The second rule is about good and evil. There are passages in Scripture where it appears as if the Sacred Author is ascribing the quality of good and evil to the same person or thing. For instance, the Canticle of Canticles 1:4, says "I am black but beautiful as the tents of Cedar, and I am beautiful as the curtain of Solomon." The "tents of Cedar" are a reference to Ismael, who will not be heir to the Kingdom, "with the son of a free woman." (Gn 21:10; Gal. 4:30) Yet the "curtain of Solomon" can be seen as referring to a King of the line of David (which Our Lord was) or the actual curtain in the sanctuary in the Temple Solomon built. Either way, Scripture appears to be calling the same person both good and evil at the same time. This can be very confusing unless we see that the intention in part is to describe the temporal human condition here on earth. We all have good mixed with bad. G.K. Chesterton once described a saint as "one who knows they are a sinner." So do all groups. No one nation is all good, while the other is all evil. No one occupation has all good people, while another has only bad. Even prostitutes have been known to become great saints: i.e. St. Mary Magdalen, among countless others.

In another instance, in Isaiah 42:16, God says, "I will lead the blind on their journey; by paths unknown I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them." Then God immediately addresses the evil person(s), without a grammatical shift, or acknowledgement of a new subject: "They shall be turned back in utter shame . . ." (Is. 42:17). But since for a time we are all here together, "they" is spoken of as if it is one body God is addressing. However, when each person's last day arrives, "He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats""(Mt. 26:32).

The third rule is concerning one's understanding of Grace and how it works. St. Augustine calls it "the Spirit and the letter." Without going into a detailed analysis of the Theology of Grace, it is important to remember that "without God you can do nothing." In other words, even the ability to have faith and do good works would not be in you unless God first put it there, either through Baptism or Penance. Nor could one continue on doing good works, unless God gave him the grace and the person responded positively. In other words, once Grace is given, it is up to the individual to accept it or reject it, of his own free will. However, he cannot accept it unless he is predisposed to accept it, which is a gift freely given by God.

The fourth rule is "of species and genus," or, how to distinguish between the part and the whole in regard to people, places and things. Scripture can say the word Jerusalem and refer only to that city, the "species." In other places it may refer to Jerusalem (and/or several other cities) but really meaning the entire world, the "genus." This can happen in reference to men too, so that things said about David or St. Peter might exceed the bounds of a special application to them. For instance, when Our Lord tells Peter, "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, etc." (Mt. 13:16). He not only addresses Peter in that moment, but what He says to him: "Whatsoever you declare loosed upon earth, is loosed in heaven; and whatsoever you declare bound on earth is bound in heaven" also applies to all future Popes.

The fifth rule is "of times," with which intervals of time hidden in the Scriptures may frequently be discovered. This idea of understanding the part for the whole or the whole for the part with regard to time is crucial in determining the amount of days Our Lord spent "in the heart of the earth" (Mt. 12:40). This method of speaking, by which the whole is signified by the part, solves a question about the Resurrection of Christ. For, unless the evening before He died, Holy Thursday; the night He suffered, is also counted, even though it is not a full day, there is no way to arrive at the three days Our Lord prophesied about: "Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights" (Mt. 12:40).

The sixth rule is called "recapitulation." Some things are so described as though they follow each other in the order of time, or as if they narrate a continuous sequence of events, when suddenly the narrative jumps to previous events which heretofore had been omitted. For instance, we read in Genesis 2:8-9: "And there Lord God had planted a paradise of pleasure from the beginning: wherein he placed man whom he had formed. And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees fair to behold, and pleasant to eat of." The narrative seems to be suggesting that God brought forth "all manner of trees" after God had placed man in Paradise. When both things had been mentioned briefly, that is, that God planted Paradise and placed man whom he had formed in it, the narrative returns and recapitulates what was passed over originally. The narrator then adds, "the tree of life also in the midst of Paradise: and the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Gn. 2:9) and the rivers by which Paradise is irrigated and bound by, and all the gold in paradise, all of which is the creation of Paradise. Once the Sacred Author has completed this narrative, he repeats what he already said concerning what actually followed: "And the Lord God took man, and put him into the paradise of pleasure" (Gn. 2:15). In other words, only after these things were done man was placed there. These things were not done after man was placed there, as what was first said may be taken to mean, unless the recapitulation by which it refers to things omitted earlier is understood by the careful reader.

The seventh rule is about the Devil and his body. Just as the first rule referred to Our Lord and His Body, it is also necessary to stay alert to what pertains to the head, the Devil, and what pertains to his body, the minions of fallen angels. Sometimes when Scripture speaks of the Devil, it is referring not to the devil himself, but to his body, the minions of fallen angels. This body is not only made up of those who are obviously "without," (1 Cor. 5:12) but also of those who, although they belong to it, for a time mingle with the Church until each one of them leaves this life, or until the great threshing fan "separates the wheat from the chaff" (cf., Lk. 3:17).

Lastly, St. Augustine constantly reminds us to pray to God for help in understanding Sacred Scripture. For in these books of Holy Scripture we read: "Pray unceasingly," (1 Thess. 5:17) "because the Lord gives wisdom: and out of His mouth comes prudence and understanding" (Prov. 2:6). Praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever; the God who is, who was, and is to come at the end of the ages. Amen.

This article originally appeared in the January/February 2000 issue of Catholic Faith magazine.

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Related IgnatiusInsight.com Articles:

• The Source of Certitude | Epilogue to Faith and Certitude | Thomas Dubay, S.M.
• Seeking Deep Conversion | Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M.
• Benedict and Augustine | Carl E. Olson

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Mr. Stephen N. Filippo, MA., SYD., teaches Theology and Philosophy on both the high school and college level.

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