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Disqualified

June 19, 2009 by

“Are you qualified?”

Not everyone is qualified to be president or prime minister. Not everyone is qualified to be a doctor. Not everyone is qualified to pilot a plane. Nobody ever questions the need for qualifications and requiring applicants to meet or exceed those qualifications.

Why is it, then, that we ignore the qualifications which God has prescribed for those who represent Him on earth?

1 Corinthians 11:3-4

3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

Will a man who dishonors Christ teach you the truth about Christ?

Greek Orthodox Priest

Greek Orthodox Priest

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Sarah, with an “H”

February 13, 2008 by

A question asked today: In Genesis 17:15, when God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, was the final “h” added because she had been visited by the Holy Spirit (with an “H”)?

Ask this question in Hebrew (or Greek) and it doesn’t make much sense…

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Images, Icons and Idolatry-What’s the Big Deal?

January 17, 2008 by

Back in Greece, people would ask me what the differences are between Evangelical Christianity and the Greek Orthodox religion. I’d start with the issue of images, and they would say “Yeah, I know about that. What else?”

What else? As though that’s not a big deal. Isn’t idolatry enough?

If a person agreed with me on every biblical doctrine, except on the matter of images, I still would not consider him a brother in Christ.

I’m reading through the book of Exodus (chapter 32), and the people have just bowed down to the golden calf (which represented the LORD). God speaks to Moses and says: the people are bowing down to an idol, that’s it, I’m going to kill them!

WOW. Hey calm down! Isn’t that a little harsh? They just made an image, they didn’t murder anyone!

Moses talks to Him and God decides not to kill them.

Next chapter God says to the people: go to the land I promised you, but I’m not coming with you because if I come with you, I’ll end up killing you for what you did.

WOW. Hey, I thought you got over that little incident. Relax, what’s the big deal?

Another chapter later. God speaks to Moses about His glory. God gives Moses another set of the Ten Commandments, and then, Moses, slowly, cautiously, reluctantly says: um… I’d like to go to the land you told us about. Can you forgive us for what we did?

Are we still on that? Come on LORD; get over it already!

Is God being weird? Is He a little mean? Is He being kind of extreme? What is it?

Idolatry WILL NOT be tolerated. That’s what.

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Pictures of Jesus

January 13, 2008 by

What’s wrong with a .jpeg Jesus or a .gif God?

There was a time when men believed that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

Is not the very act of icon-izing God a lie that portends to portray God in flesh, however so abstractly?

These images of God are just that-the imaginations of man.

We need less of the artists’ rendition and more of God’s revelation.

Our God is not measured in pixels and palette, but in power and promise.

Romans 11:33 (“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! “) doesn’t speak of color depth.

Faith does not come by seeing. (Romans 10:17)

If burning the curious arts books at Ephesus was an act of faith that God blessed with spiritual growth (Acts 19:18-20), then maybe we need to rethink the role of religious art today.

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