Acfyouth

I was looking for some material on the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira ( Acts 5:1-11) when I ran across this video presentation of the story.

This is probably one of the more bizarre passages in the New Testament. For a book that teaches all about love, forgiveness and acceptance, the execution of this couple for lying about their offering seems out of place. I know of few people who are hoping that God will start striking people dead for lying and I am not even sure that is supposed to be the point of the story.

The video is creative, but I am not sure the moral the narrator offers at the end is much more helpful. He suggests that although there is no happy ending there is a warning. "Take God very seriously, dare I say, deadly serious."

What do you think? What is the point of the Ananias and Sapphira story and how is or can it be relevant to modern readers of the Bible?

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Science has the answers. Or, anyway, science has a fascinating look at why this particular question cannot be satisfactorily answered.

Also, being 16 weeks pregnant, this is relevant to my interests. I look forward to the subjective debate in the comments.

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I’ve read the end of this chapter by Jim Hamilton several times because it motivates me to do biblical theology:

James M. Hamilton Jr. “Biblical Theology and Preaching.” Pages 193–218 in Text Driven Preaching: God’s Word at the Heart of Every Sermon. Edited by Daniel L. Akin, David L. Allen, and Ned L. Mathews. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2010.

For example:

HOW DO I DO BIBLICAL THEOLOGY?

The kind of biblical theology advocated here has been described as reflection upon the results of the exegesis of particular passages in light of the whole canon. Another way to say it is that biblical theology is exegesis of a particular passage in its canonical context. This means that, in order to do biblical theology, we must know the Bible and meditate on it. The only way to do biblical theology is to read the Bible, a lot, in the original languages. We must know the texts so well—words, phrases, sequences—that we notice when later authors reuse words, phrases, and sequences from earlier texts. There is no substitute for knowing the texts in the original languages, for only this will enable us to see the subtlest of allusions, parallels, echoes, and partial quotations.

. . . One must be able to read the texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek if one wants to do biblical theology.

So the prescription for doing biblical theology is really simple: know the Bible in the original languages backward and forward. Read it a lot. Ask God for insight. Memorize the Bible and meditate on it day and night. And read books that will help you put the whole Bible together. (pp. 213–14)

So Jim basically argues this: “BT is really simple. Just know the entire Bible in the original languages forwards and backwards, meditate on it day and night, and read libraries of books on BT. Piece of cake.” Oh, that’s all? I didn’t know it was so easy! I was shaking my head and bouncing in laughter when I first read this (I tried not to laugh out loud since a baby was sleeping next to me). But Jim is right: this is what good BT requires.

Here’s one other motivating section. I’ve meditated on this repeatedly:

CAN GOD’S PEOPLE HANDLE THIS?

Can God’s people operate those complicated remote controls that come with everything from their new flat-screen TVs to their new cars? Can God’s people use computers; navigate grocery stores; hold down jobs; and acquire homes, cars, toys, and all the stuff they jam into the garage?

Let me be frank: I have no patience for suggestions that preachers need to dumb it down. Preachers need to be clear, and they need to be able to explain things in understandable ways. But human beings do not need the Bible to be dumbed down. If you think that, what you really think is that God the Holy Spirit did not know what He was doing when He inspired the Bible to be the way it is. Not only does the suggestion that the Bible is more than God’s people can handle blaspheme God’s wisdom; it also blasphemes His image bearers. People are made in the image of God. Human beings are endowed with brains and sensibilities of astonishing capacity.

Do you want people to think that everything that is interesting or artistic or brilliant comes from the world? Dumb down the Bible.

Do you want them to see the complexity and simplicity of God? The sheer genius of the Spirit-inspired biblical authors? The beauty of a world-encompassing metanarrative of cosmic scope? Teach them biblical theology.

Do not discount the capacities of God’s people. They may be stupid and uninformed when their hearts are awakened, but do not punish them by leaving them there. Show them literary artistry. Show them the subtle power of carefully constructed narratives. Show them the force of truth in arguments that unfold with inexorable logic. If they are genuine believers, they will want to understand the Bible. Show them the shouts and songs, the clamor and the clarity, the book of books. Let their hearts sing with the psalmist, weep with Lamentations, and ponder Proverbs. Give them the messianic wisdom of the beautiful mind that wrote Ecclesiastes. Preach the word!

Unleash it in all its fullness and fury. Let it go. Tie it together. Show connections that are there in the texts from end to end. Tell them the whole story. Give them the whole picture. Paint the whole landscape for them, not just the blade of grass. (pp. 216–17)

Related:

1. Jim Hamilton’s Whole-Bible Biblical Theology
2. Exegesis, Biblical Theology, Historical Theology, Systematic Theology, and Practical Theology: What the Categories on My Blog Mean
3. D. A. Carson’s Theological Method
4. Master Scripture Index for New Studies in Biblical Theology

“If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up.”

                                    ―Woody Allen

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Something to think about.

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham		www.phdcomics.com
title: "Necessary but Sufficient" - originally published 4/15/2013 For the latest news in PHD Comics, CLICK HERE!

The Mountain.

obviously 

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The last time I made falafel was for a family dinner night. My dad kept calling them "matzo balls" which I thought was funny. Falafel is a little bit time consuming but SOOOO worth the effort. This is a great recipe to impress your significant other or your next dinner party guests—if they like food that's awesome.Falafel, makes about 25 balls. :)

2 cans chickpeas (each can is 15 ounces)
1 small red onion
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup flour
a sprinkle of black pepper
In a food processor blend up the chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro into a thick paste. I had to do this in two batches since my food processor couldn't handle this entire recipe all at once. You'll also notice there is no liquid added, which makes it rather hard to blend. Keep at it and don't add water no matter what! Adding water will likely result in falafel that won't hold together during the frying process.

Once you've blended everything into a paste spoon it into a large bowl and add the salt, baking powder, flour and pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If you're in a time crunch you can place it in the freezer for an hour instead. But don't skip this rest period, because it will result in falafel that falls apart when fried. In the meantime make your dressing by combining 2 cups greek yogurt, 1/2 large cucumber (finely chopped) and 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill. Stir together and allow to set for at least 30-45 minutes before serving so the flavors and blend together.In a deep fryer or large, heavy pot heat enough oil for the falafel float. You want the oil temperature to reach around 350°F. You can use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature or you can test it by dropping a little batter in. It should start to bubble/fizzle and the batter should float after a few seconds. Once the oil is ready, drop small balls of the falafel batter in and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels, to remove excess oil.Serve with pita bread, lettuce, more cucumbers, tomatoes (unless you forget to buy any) and the dressing. These are best served warm the day they are made. If you have leftovers you can try warming them up in the oven the next day. But like most fried foods, they are best served "fresh." :)Enjoy these!!!! xo. Emma

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