God the Maintainer

 Isaiah 45:7 King James Version

7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

People debate whether or not "evil" here is legitimate. For that subject, "evil" until modern times did not mean wickedness but calamity or disaster. A man that brings disaster is an evil man is the correct way to read any instance of "evil" in the Bible. Evil is not necessarily sin. But that's not what I care about now about the verse. 

Rather, notice for the bad things, darkness and evil, are created instantly by God, 

While light and peace are made and formed by God, a slower, deliberate process. 

When God created the heavens and the earth instantly in Genesis 1:1 and the earth was without form and void, it was darkness. It took God saying and forming the words "Let there be light" in order to bring light. Good things come from a slow process.

I'm bad at maintaining things. I'm a set-it-and-forget-it kind of guy. I aim to do everything perfect for that one big impact and splash, and then just go on with my life and never checking up on things after that, and then I get surprised when things go downhill.

In these recent years, I have grown to appreciate God being a Father that maintains things and is very active today as He was in the ages when the Bible was written and before that.

My biological dad is the opposite of me. He is a great maintainer of things. He's always repairing, always doing preventative maintenance of cars, house, relationships, and so on, while I actively avoid doing that.

Many people expect God to be a set-it-and-forget-it type God, a deistic God. Deism says that God wound up the universe like a clock in the very beginning, and never intervenes anymore, never maintains things. This is often called "practical atheism", God exists, but we live like He doesn't do anything.

Many Christians would deny that they are deists, and maybe in some aspects they aren't, but that belief shows up in how they treat, say, God's word today, thinking God no more has anything to do with its transmission, or the miraculous workings of God, or how awry current events, politics, and rumors of wars, and assume God isn't working at all today.

God is a Father and He maintains in the present, a slow process, like a husbandman growing fruit, vines, and trees.

KJVO Solution To Matthew And Luke Jesus's Birth Date Contradiction

 Original Post:

Many of you didn’t get the last post and couldn’t reconcile an obvious contradiction in the nativity accounts of Matthew and Luke. Some danced around it. Some dismissed it offhand. Yet none actually addressed it with any semblance of a cogent response.

So, I will isolate the most glaring contradiction in its own post.

The account in Matthew places the birth of Jesus (Yeshua) during the reign of king Herod the Great (Mat 2:1 cp. v. 22) (7-6 BCE).

The account in Luke places the birth of Jesus during the rule of legate Quirinius (Luk 2:2) (6 CE).

Background:

In the 2nd cen BCE, Judaea was under the control of the Seleucid Empire and Antiochus IV. The Jews, under the leadership of the Maccabees, rebelled against the Greeks. Simon Thassi, brother of Judas Maccabee, setup the independent Jewish state, called the Hasmonean dynasty, with recognition from Rome.

In 63 BCE, Rome invaded Judaea and after a few battles, the king Aristobulus II surrendered. Judaea became a client state of Rome, still under Hasmonean rule, under Hyrcanus II (brother of Aristobulus II).

In 40 BCE, the Parthians invaded Syria and installed Antigonus (son of Aristobulus II) as king of Judaea. 

In 37 BCE, Rome reconquered Judaea with the help of the Idumean Herod the Great. Rome installed Herod as king of Judaea. Judaea was once again a client state of Rome under the Herodian dynasty.

In 4 BCE, Herod the Great died. His kingdom was divided in three between his sons: Herod Archelaus, Herod Antipas and Philip the Tetrarch.

In 6 CE, due to the extreme authoritarian rulership of Herod Archelaus and appeal from Judaea, Rome deposed Herod Archelaus and incorporated the region as a Roman province. This is the first time Judaea came under direct rule by Rome.

Quirinius was installed as the legate of Syria and given authority over Judaea. His first act was the census, as mentioned in Luk 2:2. This census led to the revolt of Judas the Galilean (mentioned in Act 5:37) and the founding of the Zealots. Simon (Mat 10:4) was a member of the Zealots, as was Barabbas and the two “robbers” crucified with Jesus.

Herod Antipas ruled as Tetrarch of Galilee until 39 CE. Philip ruled Batanaea until 34 CE. Philip was married to Herodias. After Philip died, Herod Antipas divorced his current wife (the daughter of Aretas) and married Herodias in 35 CE. This is the marriage that John the Baptist condemned and was subsequently arrested and beheaded.

This places the baptism around 34-35 CE and the crucifixion around 36 CE. This aligns with the birth of Jesus in 6 CE, during the time of the census, as Jesus was almost 30 when he was baptized.

If Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great, then he would be around 40 when he was crucified. Trying to place an earlier date on the crucifixion would misalign with the dates given in Josephus and other Roman historical records. John could not be arrested for condemning the marriage of Herod Antipas and Herodias before the actual marriage.

Conclusion:

There is a glaring contradiction between the two accounts that cannot be reconciled. Attempts to place Quirinius earlier is a fruitless endeavor. Judaea was under the control of Herod the Great. Judaea did not become an official Roman province until 6 CE and Quirinius didn’t became legate until 6 CE.

As such, most Christian scholars I’ve read say that Luke was mistaken. I disagree. The account in Luke lines up with history. It is the account in Matthew that’s in error. With the preponderance of evidence against the whole nativity account in Matthew, it is my position that it should be disregarded as an interpolation. Matthew originally began at the baptism, like Mark.

Counterargument:Here's another issue:

[1] And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
[2] (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
[3] And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
[4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
[5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

There is NO record Caesar Augustus made a decree to tax all the world. It wasn't from Quirinius originally. It says it was from Augustus. So to focus on Quirinius is in error here.

So, the fact that verse 2 is in parenthesis is telling. It is not meant to be part of the main passage context.

It can be interpreted as:
Caesar Augustus made the decree to tax and everyone went to their city

BUT
No actual taxation actually came about until Cyrenius came, somewhere somewhen the taxation administration of Augustus failed. And it only materialized when Cyrenius was appointed much later on.

Hence SHOULD. NOT WOULD. Should is potentiality.

Hence, it is reasonable that why the taxation decree by Augustus was NOT recorded, is because it failed. It achieved making everyone go home, but not actually succeeding in registering or taxing or whatever.

The wording also seems to imply that the census would take years to do. Even in today's modern society, the census takes months to do. Our 2020 census took a year starting from 2019.  And we see hints that Joseph and Mary were staying Bethlehem for years.

Once you have worked in any sort of administration or bureaucracy or logistics, this is commonplace.

The Law of Church and State Balance

The Law of Church and State Balance:
Where the Church fails, the State appropriates for itself. And vice versa.

When the Church fails to feed the poor, the State appropriates that.

When the Church fails to provide healthcare (most hospitals were started by churches which is why hospitals have Baptist, Methodist, etc in their names) the State appropriates that.

When the Church fails to be unselfishly united materially like in Acts, the State appropriates socialism and communism.

But also this works the other way throughout history.

What Stuff Make Up The Spirit And The Spiritual Are: An Assertion

I've been developing this thought quite a bit, and hinted it here before, but this my assertion:

There is no distinction between the spiritual and other categories of immaterial (words, abstraction, math, logic, laws, but not limited to those)

Or to put it in another way:

The same stuff that makes words, abstraction, math, logic, laws, etc. immaterial is the same stuff spirit is made out of.

Or to put it in another way:

Spirit = words, abstraction, math, logic, laws

What about where spirit seems to interact with physical?

Well, all physical stuff have an abstract structure, so a physical manifestation of a spirit is simply molding that abstract structure to its physical equivalent.

What is a spirit, then?

A spirit is a personality/person in hidden in abstraction. (The devil in the details)

We can see this in fiction a lot, for example, Death is personified as a Grim Reaper, while we all know death doesn't really look like that, because death is abstract.... or does he?

We know death manifests as a being in Revelation, so an abstract concept personified.

Etc. You can make your own logical conclusions/questions with it.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Inaugurated Eschatology VS Dispensationalism (Quick, Unformatted Take)

About 'INAUGURATED ESCHATOLOGY':

(contrasted with Dispensationalism, and Covenant Theology)

1. It emphasises that the COMPLETION of Israel's national-story has now been inaugurated - in Jesus - in two phases: 1st coming/2nd coming - already/not yet - inauguration/consummation - salvation now/Day of Salvation future - Messiah's resurrection/our resurrection - new creation begun/new creation completed)

In Old Testament times national-Israel were granted a glimpse of a story of hope, resurrection, regathering, removal of sin, judgment of evil-tyranny, salvation, redemption, putting creation to rights, 'new creation' and God's presence.

The gospel was the announcement that that hoped-for plan had now been inaugurated - in Israel, and for Israel, first of all - for the benefit of the whole world - in a new and real sense, although its final rollout still awaits Messiah's second coming.

(While Dispensationalism sees a discontinuity between the gospel and Israel's hope; and Covenant Theology struggles to define ancient Israel ethnically).

2. Meanwhile, tribulation and persecution is ever-present. But Christ will come!

(While Dispensationalism emphasises a period of special Tribulation immediately before a Third Coming.)

3. Israel's promise and vocation was carried out by the Holy One of Israel, son of David, Abraham and Jacob - in Israel, for Israel first, and for the benefit of the whole world: but only Israelites who were 'in the Messiah' by faith received the promise, then also Greeks - and together they are called 'Messiah's body' - 'the Church' (the 'church' which, at its inception was in Jerusalem and was all-Jewish) - and all this is the exact scenario foreseen in the Old Testament.

(While Dispensationalism separates Israel from the Messiah's Body, the Church; and Covenant Theology minimises the ethnic and geographical historical order in which God's purpose unfolded.)

4. There is One (triune) God - one way of salvation - one people of God - one future

(While Dispensationalism sees two distinct peoples of God; and Covenant Theology minimises the custodial role played by national-Israel until the promise came.)

5. A Historical-critical 'storied-worldview' hermeneutic is used, as demonstrated in the New Testament writings.

(While Dispensationalism touts an always-literal hermeneutic but actually doesn't adhere to it especially in statements made in prose in the New Testament; and Covenant Theology can tend to over-spiritualise everything without acknowledging the role that ethnic/national Israel had as custodians of the coming-blessing.)

6. The Old Testament vision of a Temple and river was intended in part to inspire the building of the second temple - and there was a carrying-out of that commandment in a measure at the return from captivity - but there was also a transcending heavenly, spiritual, Christ-centred, gospel-shaped, new-creation, eternal reality prefigured by all of that, which has now been fulfilled as intended, in Jesus, in two phases: kingdom now/not yet.

Jesus, John, Paul and Peter each spoke of the temple and/or river in a Christ-centred, gospel-shaped, body-of Christ/Church way, and both made the statement that a physical temple and pilgrimages to Jerusalem are no longer required. And Paul stated that animal-sacrifices aren't the future.

(Dispensationalism insists on two future temples, and animal sacrifices, but inconsistently to their own hermeneutic claim that it will be for a memorial not for sin as Ezekiel had foreseen.)

Debunking:

Okay, finally someone explains what this is. So thus I will debunk it from a position of Dispensationalism.

1. "While Dispensationalism sees a discontinuity between the gospel and Israel's hope"

The discontinuity is not from the gospels, but PAULINE EPISTLES. Romans 11 talks about Israel as a separate entity.

The idea of already/not yet is not unique to inaugurated eschatology, however, Dispensationalism determines that the “already” is a type and a shadow, and that the “not yet” is the absolute.

2. Dispensationalism does not deny there are tribulations today. It just emphasizes there is a GREAT tribulation, correct. But the Bible describes it that way as a FUTURE EVENT.

Matthew 24:21

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

3. The problem with this is that Messiah CANNOT be Israel's body. Why?

Because it says Israel is the WIFE of God the Father, and the Church is the Bride of Jesus Christ, the Son.

The types conflict. That's literally saying Jesus will marry the equivalent of His mother (Revelation 12). Many types in the Bible show the Church to be Gentile, Song of Solomon Shulamite, Moses' Ethiopian wives, Joseph's Gentile wife, etc.

No one denies Jesus went to the Jews first. But He clearly states He will go to the Gentiles the same way Jonah went to Nineveh, Solomon went to the Queen of Sheba, and Elijah to Namaan - NONE of those Gentiles joined Israel. So thus, the Church.

Inaugurated Eschatology breaks the types set forth in the Bible.

4. The divisions are stated right here:

1 Corinthians 10:32

“Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:”

Abraham is the father of MANY nations. So putting everyone in Israel defeats that, plus the Church is called a separate nation from Israel by Paul in Romans

The desire to just have one people of God is against Scripture. God seeks to have unity in division, like a Trinity. God's unity does not mean abolishing division, but divisions working together.

The divisions are also important in eternity, New Jerusalem is given to the Church (Jerusalem was first Gentile before David took it over), the Earth is given to Israel as priests (Hosea), and the stars are given to the Gentile nations (Deuteronomy).

5. Sure, dispensationalists are sometimes inconsistent with the literal hermeneutic, but consistently applied, it is the only theological system to make correct prophetic predictions, such as Israel being a nation in 1945. And if you show examples, I will debunk them (or correct a previous dispensationalist who was too afraid to take it to its logical conclusion).

6. Only inconsistent mainstream dispensationalists claim it will be for a memorial. So not really a jab at dispensationalism, but inconsistent dispensationalists.

As for two temples, that was already present in the gospels. Jesus was the TEMPLE OF HIS BODY standing in front of ISRAEL's TEMPLE.

John 2:19-21

19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

Ghosts Are Real, Spirits of the Dead, And They're Not (Just) Devils/Demons

Hot take:
Ghosts are real, as in spirits of the dead, and not (just) devils/demons.

Reasoning:

#1

First, we must dissuade the idea that earth and hell are separate and don't overlap. Why?

We know there are three heavens, sky, space, and the abode of God.

Similarly, there are three hells, sheol/hades, gehenna, tartarus.

We know the first heaven, the sky, intersects earth, so what prevents the first hell from intersecting with earth?

Nothing. We get a clue on what the first hell is, sheol, grave. GRAVE. Graves intersect with earth.

This takes care of man appointed once, the judgment. If hell intersects with earth, then the dead are in judgment.

#2

Bible commands against divination of the dead.

Why would the Bible command against something that doesn't exist, and not say that is the actual reason why not to do it?

It doesn't say divination of the dead is not allowed because it is impossible or that they don't exist. (In fact, the reasoning is the same for commands against horoscope, it says not to look at the stars because the heathen are dismayed at them, not that it doesn't exist)

Also, don't twist this as me saying we should contact ghosts or whatever. Yeah, don't.

#3

The encounter with my namesake Samuel the prophet by Saul and the witch of Endor.

Nowhere in the passage does it actually say it was impossible for Samuel to come up. The reasoning is often convoluted to try to explain away the encounter, like saying it was God who did it (God is not present in the text), or it was a devil impostor (except it gave a prophecy that came true).

#4

Jesus appearing as a resurrected in front of the disciples and them mistaking Him for a spirit, He did not say, "lol, dead spirits don't walk the earth, guys", He said, a spirit does not have flesh and bones. Why didn't' He settle it once and for all?

#5

The testimonies of atheists and other unbelievers in the deathbed. Many instances of atheists and others crying out they are in hell just before death. That is an example of intersection of hell and earth, even if just spiritual.

#6

The reports of ghosts themselves. Ghosts are often reported to be in a loop of suffering. This would make sense if they are in hell while also on earth.

This does not prevent the fact that the devils/demons can disguise themselves as ghosts, they can. But I highly doubt most reported instances are all devils/demons.

The Spirit Case: Cambridge Edition KJV vs PCE 1900 KJV (Matthew Verschuur, Bible Protector)

Which edition of the KJV is correct? I checked most Cambridge edition KJV I could get my hands on, and every one has the word recommendations of Matthew Verschuur EXCEPT these following two verses.

A Standard Pure Cambridge Edition KJV:

Spirit capitalized.

And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Acts 11:28 KJV

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

1 John 5:8 KJV

Pure Cambridge Edition 1900 (Bible Protector/Matthew Verschuur) KJV:

Spirit now lowercase.

And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Acts 11:28 KJV

And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

1 John 5:8 KJV

Reasoning given for the change:

http://bibleprotector.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90&sid=d475d5aba668e1060a2b01991c0515de

"1 John 5:6 is talking about two earthly elements, water and blood. The “Spirit” is clearly the Holy Ghost. Thus, the Holy Ghost’s witness in verse 6 about Christ, His record in Heaven in verse 7, must be understood to also link to His outworking in the heart of man (called “spirit”) in verses 8 and 9."

I have to disagree with the above reasoning.

Verse 7 is about the Persons of the Trinity acting as people. Verse 8 are all things, and does not exclude the Spirit capitalized as verse 6 is calls the Holy Spirit an "IT", a THING.

As an additional fact, Holy Ghost is never referred to as an it, only the Spirit. Holy Ghost is referred as "he".

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And IT is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

1 John 5:6 KJV

Verse 9 states it is the witness of God being greater. 

Acts 11, I'm not so sure of. But the PCE 1900 defender is very Pentecostal, so it must be cautioned that they may be rationalizing the text to fit their beliefs.

One possible Acts 11:28 Spirit is capitalized is that all mentions of "by" with "Spirit" in the New Testament are all capitalized, except for the following verse:

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 KJV

This spirit seems to be a false spirit, as it troubled.

Acts 11:28 did come to pass, it says there on the verse:

"which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar."

So it was a true prophecy, unlike the troublemaking II Thess. 2 spirit.

The deity of certain words is always a main point of contention in many translation debates. 

I'm not say Mr. Verschuur made his own revision, but rather, that this edition is one that fits his beliefs, and thus needs to be contested.

Edit:

I have since changed my beliefs regarding this, and I am more in favor with the lower "s" case for spirit. May or may do an updated blog post. However, some of the reasoning still stands, especially with the Pentecostal belief part.

Edit 2:

My case for the lowercase spirit relies more on the fact that the witness of men verse means these are all parts of man, water (flesh), blood (soul), and spirit. Another is understanding that lowercase spirit refers to the Son when compared to the Father and Holy Ghost. Jesus's spirit being on earth fits the verse.

https://www.purecambridgetext.com/post/2017/09/07/the-seven-spirits-of-carnal-man

" I John 5:8 is not dealing with the Holy Spirit or an inward working of God as verse 6 is in the same passage.  It is not dealing with the Holy Ghost, the third person of the trinity as verse 7 is.  It is discussing the personal spirit of Jesus Christ that was yielded up from an earthen vessel of flesh at the same time that that flesh yielded water and blood.  When the centurion saw those things he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God", Mark 15:39.    The Apostle John had just given a trinity of proofs that Jesus is the Son of God.  It is proven in the inward parts of believers, Verse 6, it is proven in heavenly witness, verse 7, and it is proven by the earthly witnesses.  Scrivener emasculated the whole passage.  

       Every time the personal spirit of Jesus Christ is referred to in the gospels it is a small "s" spirit, Mark 2:8, Mark 8:12, Luke 2:40, Luke 10:21, Luke 23:46, John 11:33, John 13:21.  That is the spirit of I John 5:8 until Scrivener's lead is followed.  The next proof text for the modern day correctors is the Oxford Text.  Oxford is wrong in every other place it differs from the Cambridge.  Look at Joshua 19:2, Nahum 3:16 or Mark 1:12.  Why don't they follow Oxford's lead there?"

However, I must admit, verse 6 having "Spirit" does shake often when one reads the passage again with fresh eyes with the change in mind.