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Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Questions about Christianity > (No Subject)
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feelinahole
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Date Joined Jan 2004
Total Posts : 754
| Posted 3/2/2006 10:30 PM (GMT -6) |   | | | |
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Merton
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2005
Total Posts : 17
| Posted 3/3/2006 2:02 PM (GMT -6) | | | It would seem that at least in America, love and acceptance are confused as the same thing. We mistake God's love in Christ as primarily about individuals, and if it is about just specific individuals, then the individuals become the end unto themeselves. However, if Christ's love has a bigger focus, i.e. the bringing of all things under the loving triune headship (Eph 1:10), then for that to be carried out for the whole, it is neccesary to rebuke the pharisees who were using their power and authroity to keep people under themselves, while still seeking God. Love is absolutly compatable with rejecting behavior. We need not make the connection that rejecting the behavior of the pharisees (see Acts of the Apostles (better Acts of the Spirit) for Pharisees being Christ followers) without rejecting them as people. I realize that this is a far from perfect argument, but even if you reject it, the priority of the reconciliation of all life is primary, the Gospel is first comsic then personal, and as such rebuking behavior that prevented all from being drawn into that kingdom is fitting with love for the entire cosmos. | | Back to Top | | |
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PotOnWheel
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Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 9890
| Posted 3/3/2006 2:15 PM (GMT -6) | | Acceptance and rejection.
Rejection and love are not incompatable. A son can be loved but rejected from the table at meal time for not washing. He can be banned from desert for offenses. And love persists in all this.
But one is not accepted when one is rejected.
And scripture seems to show the strong possibility of any of us being rejected.
Wrath and zeal are about the same thing. God's wrath is his zeal for holiness and communion.
But if we offend and are unrepentant... And if that continuing and worsening activity and "state" forms us and deforms us, THEN, certainly, we will be "rejected." Loved and all.
Here's a picture of two loved of God being rejected:  (by Masaccio, Brancacci Chapel, Florence)
(o) Post Edited (PotOnWheel) : 3/3/2006 3:09:44 PM (GMT-6) | | Back to Top | | |
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PotOnWheel
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 9890
| Posted 3/3/2006 2:19 PM (GMT -6) | | "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matt 25:31-46)
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Merton
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2005
Total Posts : 17
| Posted 3/4/2006 7:49 PM (GMT -6) | | | Again its not a question of accepting the Pharisees as people. Again, Acts shows that Pharisees became followers of Christ. It was actions, specific actions that were from Jesus' prespective running contra to the in-breking kingdom of God, that were to be opposed. To accept all actions as equally the same is to deny that the kingdom entails things of its own. The kingdom cannot be limited to total "acceptance" of all actions. The kingdom, which Jesus asserted was at hand in his activities (probably a stronger accounting of his divinty than any nomeclature) stands for freeing the oppressed, giving sight to the blind, and declaring that the day of the Father's favor was at hand. To say that, these things are what the kingdom is about neccesarily means that actions geared towards oppression and degredation were not within the kingdom ethic of love. These actions had to be opposed. They do not fit with the loving aim of the kingdom. The idea of love used in common parlance in America has little to do with what Christ meant by the word. To continue the discussion more fruitfully an accounting of what is meant by love is Scripture would prove useful. | | Back to Top | | |
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