Dear Theophilus

[Jesus lifts Adam and Eve (and you) from their graves in the Resurrection] the text: John 5:19-29 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomsoever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. ‘Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the ...

Jaymes Lackey November 29, 2011 Commentary of 1 John 4:7-12 Translation of the Text (7) Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (8) Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (9) God’s love was revealed to us in this way: God sent God’s only Son into the world so that we might live through him. (10) This is love: it is not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent the Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (11) Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. (12) No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and God’s love is perfected in us. 2. Exegetical Idea : God loves us. When we know God we are transformationally born of God to be able to love in the example of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son. When we love each other this way, though God has never been seen, God is revealed through our love towards each ot...

Bernard is describing 4 loves that humans can experience. What was most interesting to me was that when Bernard was describing the four loves possible by humans, the very basic one that he thought all people should be characterized by was a love that involved Justice. He describes it as loving ourselves for our own sake but he says, "Should a man feel overburdened at satisfying not only his brethren's just needs but also their pleasures... He can be indulgent as he likes for himself providing he remembers his neighbor has the same rights... Then your love will be sober and just if you do not refuse your brother that which he needs of what you have denied yourself in pleasure. Thus carnal love becomes social when it is extended to others" (On Loving God 8.23) (This is quoted from Tamburello, 95) This is the basic of all love. It is the first stage. It is the most selfish. It is most marred by a life of sin and yet Bernard still believes that it is characte...

Here is Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 : This is the final part of my review of one of my favorite books. This book explains a comprehensive view of Christianity based on a proper eschatology (end-times) centered around resurrection. Highly recommend that you all buy this book! You can borrow mine, but I want it back because it is autographed... :) Chapter 13 This chapter is titled “Building for the Kingdom.” Inherently in the title, Wright wants to make clear that we don’t build the Kingdom; we build for it. God is always the architect. He has a great analogy about stonemasons carving out different pieces for the construction of a cathedral. The mason probably hasn’t even seen the blueprints but his work will go towards the final project (p. 210). This analogy is couched in an admittedly mysterious truth that our work will not be in vain (1 Cor. 15), that our work will be apart of the new creation, that our labor and work for the Lord will be apart of the future. ...