Monthly Archives: October 2013

john cassian on literalism

Posted on October 30, 2013 by christopher fisher

John Cassian actually provides an interesting example of a “literal” reading of the Bible that is taken to absurd extent. Apparently there were some monks who misinterpreted Jesus’ command to “take up your cross”: whosoever takes not up his cross … Continue reading →

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john cassian on anthropomorphism

Posted on October 30, 2013 by christopher fisher

The Calvinist modus operandi is to start with a priory (preconceived ideas) on the attributes of God and then interpret the text of the Bible in light of those concepts. Augustine actually admits to this in his Confessions (chapter 12). … Continue reading →

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the church fathers claim a pagan as their own

Posted on October 30, 2013 by christopher fisher

Ammonius Saccas was a Greek philosopher who was active around 240AD. Ammonius Saccas taught Neoplatonism and spawned two renowned pupils: the Christian Origen and the Neoplatonist Plotinus. Plotinus, in turn, had a pupil who claims to have also known Origen. … Continue reading →

Posted in Church Fathers, Church History, Greek History, History, Plotinus | 1 Comment

revealing quote by early Christian critic

Posted on October 30, 2013 by christopher fisher

In a now lost (burned) book by early Church critic Porphyry, he points out that the Christians of his time abandoned the literal interpretation of the Bible to embrace theology foreign to the Bible. As recorded in Eusibius’ Church History: … Continue reading →

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the Biblical way to assassinate a tyrant

Posted on October 26, 2013 by christopher fisher

In Judges 3 there is an interesting story that details how Eglon the Moabite was assassinated by the Jews. The first part of the story is that God raised up Eglon to punish the Jews: Jdg 3:12 And the children … Continue reading →

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foreknown – proginosko

Posted on October 26, 2013 by christopher fisher

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. In Romans 8, Calvinists like to point to the word “foreknow” … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Calvinism, God, Omniscience, Open Theism, Textual Criticism, Theology | 1 Comment

neglected verses – Pro 25:24

Posted on October 26, 2013 by christopher fisher

Pro 25:24 It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

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God threatened to kill adam

Posted on October 24, 2013 by christopher fisher

In the book of Genesis, the reader encounters a scene in which God talks to Adam and gives him a single command: Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, Open Theism, Theology | 4 Comments

walter brueggemann on the righteous actions of God

Posted on October 24, 2013 by christopher fisher

From Walter Brueggemann’s Theology of the Old Testament: Israel’s characteristic grammar in speaking of Yahweh, governed by active verbs, regularly insisted that Yahweh is a major player in Israel’s life and in the life of the world. Yahweh’s characteristic presentation … Continue reading →

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augustine viewed creation through plato’s theory of forms

Posted on October 24, 2013 by christopher fisher

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gen 1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face … Continue reading →

Posted in Augustine, Church History, History, Theology | 1 Comment