Romans 1:18-32 and 8:18-39 share several themes: creation (1:20, 25; 8:19-22), image (1:23; 8:29), body (1:24; 8:23), glory or glorifying (1:21, 23; 8:18, 21, 30), futility (1:21; 8:20), and revelation (1:18; 8:18-19). In the first passage (1:18-32) the mood in negative. Paul informs us that the wrath of God is being revealed against ungodly and unrighteous humans (v. 18). Although creation itself makes God known (v. 20), humans have chosen to ignore God (vv. 21-22), choosing instead to worship creation itself idolatrously (v. 25). Paul interprets this misplaced adoration as the exchanging of God’s glory for images of created things (v. 23). God has chosen not to intervene. Instead, he has allowed human thinking to become futile and misguided (vv. 21, 28). This has resulted in the misuse and erotic abuse of the human body (vv. 24, 26-27) as one example of the many dehumanizing actions embraced by humanity (vv. 29-32).

In the second passage (8:18-39) things have changed. Currently, creation is groaning and waiting patiently for the revealing of the sons of God (vv. 19-22), but this is hopeful. When the sons of God are revealed creation will be freed from its present captivity; it state of futility (v. 23). Similarly, humanity itself will be renewed. Paul describes this as resurrection (see 8:9-14), or “the redemption of our body (v. 23).” When this occurs the sons of God will be glorified (v. 30; cf. vv. 21, 23). This is equated with being conformed to the image of God’s Son (v. 29).

Why do we find this shift in mood? Why does Paul move from a pessimistic anthropology to an optimistic eschatology? Also, why does he use language and images that focus our attention upon the state-of-being of humanity and the created order? What is the connection between these two? The short answer: God has begun to restore the cosmos and renew humanity through the resurrection of Jesus.

Darrell Bock and Richard Averbeck addressed the same topic in part 2 of the recent The Table podcast (part 1 compares the biblical creation account with one ANE accounts). You can listen to the podcast here.

Coptic icon of Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday! 

Some thoughts:

- I am hesitant to speak of Pentecost as “the birth of the church,” since this seems foreign to the Lukan message. If by “church” we mean followers of Jesus, then there have been followers before Pentecost. If by “church” we mean one group including Jews and non-Jews, then we are finding something in the narrative that doesn’t occur until several chapters later. It seems more appropriate to see Pentecost as the full inauguration of the New Covenant as depicted by the availability of the Spirit to all people, not a select few.

- It should be observed that this is not the first time people are filled with the Spirit. In Luke 1:15 John the Baptist is filled with the Spirit in his mother’s womb. In 1:41 Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit. In 1:67 Zacharias is filled with the Spirit. Old Covenant figures such Bezalel (Exodus 31:3; 35:31), Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9), and Micah (3:8) receive the Spirit before Pentecost. This doesn’t detract from Pentecost, because Pentecost is the “democratization” of the Spirit (if you will). Moses imagined a day when all the people of God might be prophets (Numbers 11:29). In some sense (not to ignore that the New Covenant seems to include a new role of prophet distinct from that of the Old Covenant) Pentecost does make all the people of God a prophetic people. Similarly, as the prophet Joel foresaw, the Spirit would be poured out upon all sorts of people, many marginalized by society, including daughters and slaves (2:28-29). The apostle Peter interpreted the Day of Pentecost to be the fulfillment of Joel’s vision (Acts 2:16-21, though the exact nature of Peter’s interpretation is not as clear as we might like in that he includes much of the apocalyptic imagery).

- If we read Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:33; 13:23, 32 we find that Pentecost is a fulfillment of the Old Covenant: the Spirit has been “poured out” upon people; the Messiah have been revealed (through the resurrection). Pentecost is connected to the resurrection of Jesus as the two stage beginning of the “already, but not yet,” the eschaton before the eschaton.

__________

5:39p, CST: We need to live within our “creatureliness” rather than trying to be divine in how we manage nature.

5:37p, CST: Three fruits of the ecological vocation: (1) restraint, (2) resourcefulness, and (3) contentment .

5:34p, CST: Fortitude helps maintain these other virtues.

5:33p, CST: Virtues such as prudence and temperance being discussed now.

5:28p, CST: What is a virtue? What is its relationship to ecological ethics? Virtue = acquired human quality…to achieve particular goods and prevent us from not obtaining those goods.

5:27p, CST: Jorgenson presenting:

5:26p, CST: Repentance is change, and this change is a radical reorientation toward ethical behavior. This isn’t a one time event, but we must do it daily

5:24p, CST: Sin is a “relational condition.” 

5:21p, CST: Repentance + a pursuit of particular virtues (restraint, resourcefulness, and contentment) are key.

5:20p, CST: Our ecological concerns have not addressed congregations as a whole. Our worship expressed our belief.

5:17p, CST: Jorgenson begins by discussing the “eco-shift” in American consciousness. But this doesn’t mean Americans are ecologically sustainable. Actually, it’s worse than ever.

5:15p, CST: Great shot of N.T. Wright presenting (from earlier today):

5:10p, CST: Last session of Day 1:  Kiara Jorgenson (Ph.D. Candidate Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN), “The Role of Repentance and the Virtues toward the Christian Fulfillment of Ecological Vocation”.

__________

4:48p, CST: To allow the aggressive actions to continue would have been unethical for Paul.

4:42p, CST: If the agitators are being aggressive, then expulsion is permissible. This is why his attitude is different than in Romans. The insiders can be expelled.

4:41p, CST: How does a persecuted group expel agitators?

4:32p, CST: Persecution associated the oppressed with Christ, marking their identity, making them the “right kind of children of Abraham,” while those who persecute do not represent Christ.

4:30p, CST: Baptism marks out more than membership, but addresses the kind of community: one with a crucified messiah.

4:29p, CST: Dunne presenting:

4:28p, CST: Suffering and persecution function as boundary markers.

4:25p, CST: The agitators are acting like Ishmael in their aggressive, persecuting behavior.

4:21p, CST: The agitators are not Jews in particular, but particular people.

4:18p, CST: Dunne addressing mission and ethics as it relates to outsiders.

4:13p, CST: Ok, I chose the paper on Paul because that is more my niche, but I do want to go back to watch the recording of Manby’s paper.

4:07p, CST: Two very interesting sessions to choose from next. Either John Anthony Dunne “Suffering, Christian Identity, and the Expulsion of the Galatian Agitators (Gal. 4:29-30): A Response to Susan Eastman” or Aaron C. Manby’s paper on absolute pacifism in the early church!!!

__________

3:47p, CST: The eschatological temple = the church.

3:40p, CST: Rosner explaining the connections between purity and being the temple based on the expectation that temples be pure.

3:30p, CST: If the church is the temple, the bread and wine are the sacrifice.

3:27p, CST: Solomon’s temple was the anti-type of the fulfilled temple which is the church.

3:24p, CST: Entered this session a little late: Brian Rosner, “The Church as Temple and Moral Exhortation in 1 Corinthians”.

__________

2:46p, CST: How does this address the prevailing wisdom of our day? (1) If this wisdom is not that of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, but the prevailing upper class of Corinth? How does that compare to eudaimonia? (2) If this not universal, but specific to Corinth, how do we understand “wisdom,” “power,” and “foolishness” of our day? (3) Does the prevailing wisdom of the day play any role in following Apollos, or Paul, or Cephas, etc? (4) If the modern self-help movement compares favorably to the Corinthians concept of eudaimonia is it compatible with the Gospel? (5) How dangerous is it for Christians today to have our own guru and own wisdom? (6) Does self-help promote the power “in me” and not God?

2:39p, CST: Paul had a specific idea of “foolishness,” it is not a generic idea. Paul is against a particular prevailing wisdom at that time that was unable to point people to God.

2:36p, CST: Paul is addressing how people in Corinth understood the Gospel, as stupid. This is less about “knowledge” and more about influence. The Corinthians see the Gospel as “slave logic,” but it is powerful in God.

2:35p, CST: The contrast is not between wisdom and foolishness, but foolishness and the power of God.

2:34p, CST: Since Paul is vague here, using words like “wisdom,” “power,” and “foolishness,” people can insert their own ideas into this, critiquing what they want to critique, using Paul’s words, but Paul may have meant something less universalistic and more specific.

2:33p, CST: 1 Cor 1:18-25 = popular Christian response to questions of human wisdom

2:31p, CST: Estes presenting:

2:31p, CST: Wisdom was on the mind of the ancients, so how do we read Paul’s statements in 1 Cor 1?

2:30p, CST: How do we speak to people who are interested in the practical wisdom of our day, and speak in this language, when presenting biblical wisdom?

2:28p, CST: North Americans are fascinated with the idea of reaching the fullest potential of our happiness.

2:26p, CST: Estes shares how ancient Greeks understood eudaimonia and whether self-help is a modern form.

2:22p, CST: Estes is introducing us to the self-help movement, it’s positives, it’s negatives, it’s money making potential, and how this relates to biblical wisdom.

2:16p, CST: Douglas Estes discussing “The Transformation of Wisdom: Self-help, Foolishness, and Moral Formation in an Ecclesial Context”.

2:05p, CST: Next up, my former professor and a mentor of mine, Douglas Estes!

__________

1:45p, CST: Cruciformity is not only theology and Christolgy, but ecclesiology!

1:41p, CST: What about “just war?” Paul’s logic: although you’ve been wrong, and you have an authoritative tradition allowing you to response, don’t follow that, overcome evil with good. (1 Cor 6, 9 and “rights”)

1:38p, CST: To follow God we are to forgive and be reconciled. This is not how God is viewed by much of Western society.

1:37p, CST: Rom 5:1, 6-1; 12:9-21

1:33p, CST: I see people using #ecclesiaandethics on Twitter for those interested.

1:30p, CST: 2 Cor. 5:14-15, 18-19, 21. Messiah’s death is an act of Christ’s love and God’s act of reconciliation and forgiveness.

1:29p, CST: The church becomes like God through narrative, cruciform practices.

1:23p, CST: Cruciformity is not merely spirituality, but imitation of Christ, specifically.

1:22p, CST: Cruciformity = cruciform + conformity

1:20p, CST: God is often left out of theology, oddly enough!

1:17p, CST: Paul as theologian: (1) messianic; (2) the cross and resurrection; (3) narrative; (4) ecclesial; (5) mystical.

Michael Gorman presenting:

1:16p, CST: The cross of Jesus Christ answers both of these questions.

1:15p, CST: This passage addresses (1) who or what is God? (2) what is the church?

1:14p, CST: 1 Cor 2:2 tells us about Paul’s theology, Christology, ecclesiology, etc.

1:10p, CST: Technical difficulties resolved. So far, this is the first one. Not bad for an inaugural online conference!

1:06p, CST: Michael Gorman (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary; Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary’s Seminary and University) will begin the second half of day one speaking on “God, the Cross, and the Church” as soon as some technical difficulties are resolved.

See my notes from the earlier sessions: Day 1, Part 1.

12:41p, CST: The only one with the right to judge is the one who has the power to carry out those judgments. We claim our anger to be God’s righteousness, but this isn’t true. God’s grace is to the humble.

12:39p, CST: Very poignant application to the judgment seen in public between “conservative” and “liberal” Christians in the public square.

12:36p, CST: The church should be characterized by humble people.

12:35p, CST: God’s presence in the congregation is not compatible with moral ambivalence and oppression.

12:33p, CST: We need to turn our desire back to God. This is how we escape the need to find success at the expense of others.

12:30p, CST: Mariam Kamell presenting:

12:29p, CST: The greater you are the more you need to humble yourself.

12:27p, CST: Humility is the answer to the problems in community. We need to recognize all good things come from God. Pride is independent identity without God’s grace.

12:26p, CST: “God gives grace to the humiliates because they receive it.” The proud reject it.

12:22p, CST: Our focus should be on our neighbor, but in love, not envy. We are not to emulate the world, but YHWH.

12:21p, CST: “Have we baptized the world’s system and called it Christian?” Good question!

12:20p, CST: The world is not the material world, or people in general, but the anti-God culture.

12:18p, CST: “Adulterers” in 4:4 is an echo of Israel in the OT as a unfaithful spouse to God. Now James uses this of his audience.

12:16p, CST: God is a giver. God is not witholding gifts. Rather, we cannot wait on God, but look elsewhere.

12:15p, CST: Instead of asking from God we desire from our neighbor.

12:11p, CST: One must learn to receive from God, not push their own desires, to take from others.

12:06p, CST: Fight and disputes are reality, and acknowledging this is a necessary step toward healing.

12:04p, CST: James 4:1-12 address, directly, what it means for us to navigate living in community.

12:03p, CST: People of different groups blame “those people” when trying to explain the church’s lack of “progress.”

12:02p, CST:  There is pressure on the church to “modernize,” to get on board with the direction Western culture is moving.

11:48a, CST: Next up: Mariam Kamell, “Pride and Prejudice: Community Ethics in James 4:1-12″ for the next main session.

__________

11:32a, CST: Mark is not concerned with one or more ethical issues, but what it means to be human.

11:30a, CST: The other orientation nature of the slave metaphor used by Jesus taps into this innermost moral impulse.

11:28a, CST: Our innermost moral impulse is “toward the other,” which Jesus emphasizes in his teachings.

11:24a, CST: “We are most fully human when we are for the other.”

11:20a, CST: Morality is not a “means,” it is worthwhile in and of itself.

11:18a, CST: Morality cannot be the mere product of society. It must inform society.

11:17a, CST: Morality cannot be about “rules” alone, since rules can be kept without caring for others.

11:06a, CST: The slave metaphor underlines one’s devotion to someone. To say “slave of x” means to be devoted to that thing: food, sex, etc.

11:03a, CST: Wheaton notes the the Markan perspective of morality is under appreciated. The metaphor of slavery provides insights though.

10:58a, CST: I’ve chosen Gary Wheaton (Ph.D., Professor of New Testament at Seminario ESEPA, San Jose, Costa Rica), “To Be Human Among Humans: The Essence of Morality in Markan Perspective”.

10:56a, CST: A few minutes until the next session and I don’t know which one to choose! Thankfully, I hear that these sessions are being recorded, so if you miss one and can go back to watch it later.

__________

10:42a, CST: Wright did a good job answering my question. He observed that dispensationalist thought saw (correctly) the need to read Scripture as a narrative, but their understanding of Israel’s role and Jesus’ fulfilled work is lacking.

10:34a, CST: I’m interested to hear how Wright’s paradigm differs from popular dispensationalist readings of Scripture.

10:27a, CST: N.T. Wright presenting online:

10:22a, CST: Paul’s ethic is a reborn “virtue ethic.” This is not Aristotle’s telos, per se, but “new humanity.”

10:19a, CST: Wright presents Paul’s ethics as active elimination of many of the vices associated with the old age. There has been a transition. Paul mentions some large scale ones, such as the temple into the people of God (as the dwelling place of the Spirit) and Sabbath as time in general, these things transitioned through the Messiah.

10:15a, CST: 80 + attendees in this session!

10:12a, CST: In “new creation” the project of Gen 1-2 “gets back on track,” says Wright.

10:10a, CST: The arrival of the eschaton in the present conditions Christian thinking.

10:09a, CST: Paul’s ethics are grounded in his inaugurated eschatology.

1o:08a, CST: Paul understood YHWH to have returned to Zion, yet the world remained as is. This is the “already, but not yet.”

10:06a, CST: Paul taught to think Scripturally and eschatology through Messiah and Spirit.

10:05a, CST: Paul’s ethics and eschatology will be the focus of Wright’s paper.

9:50a, CST: Next up, N.T. Wright!

__________

9:35a, CST: If this creation is part of God’s future, this should impact how we relate to it now.

9:29a, CST: God has reconciled this  world to Christ, says Burkholder, so in Bonhoeffer’s thought we are responsible to participate in God’s plan for this world.

9:20a, CST: Interesting: Bonhoeffer denies the “God became human so humans could become god,” substituting it for “God became human so humans could become human,” or we may say “truly human.” Humans cannot change into deity, but deity being human allows humans to become fully human. If God has entered into creation, then creation can become fully itself through Christ.

9:17a, CST: Bonhoeffer critiques Augustine’s idea of “two cities” arguing there is one reality, that which is revealed by God in Christ. Christ is in creation. In the God who is human both realities are one.

9:11a, CST: Bonhoeffer sees in the image of God the freedom to serve others and creation. Humans aren’t to exploit creation, but serve it. Human rule over creation doesn’t mean we can ruin creation. We need creation as creation needs us.

9:08a, CST: Does Gen. 1-2 present humans as so far above creation that we can do as we want? Bonhoeffer observes that this cannot be so, because humans are “from the earth,” so our relationship to the earth is as people who are “pieces of earth.”

9:05a, CST: Burkholder addresses how the Christian tradition may address ecological crisis. He will be appropriating Bonhoeffer’s Christology, who begins with Jesus, in whom God has come into our material existence.

9:01a, CST: I’ve chosen Benjamin Burkholder (Ph.D. Candidate in Systematic Theology, Duquesne University), “Cultivating Christo-centric Concern for the Environment: Appropriating Bonhoeffer’s Anthropology and Christology in an Age of Environmental Degradation”.

8:52a, CST: Now the hard part: deciding which parallel session to attend!!!

__________

8:44a, CST: 40 + attendees in the first, early session. Cool.

8:40a, CST: Although Chen’s reading is used to critique the Korean church, it seems quite applicable to the American church as well–or the church in general! Leaders who want to be honored, kingly authority, using the people for personal endeavors, trying to gather large crowds, thinking our techniques do things without asking whether God is involved.

8:34a, CST: Interesting to see how Gideon moves from a humble, fearful figure, to one who “rules” over the people, and his “reign” is given hereditary succession (another one of the problems Chun mentioned about the Korean church).

8:29a, CST: Chun provides an interesting insight into how Gideon’s fell0w soldiers go from being presented as co-fighters, to people under his feet, participating in his personal campaign.

8:22a, CST: This story critiques the idea that we humans can do things without the glory going to the Lord. The church think more people equals more success, but this leads us to think “we” do great things. This story shows that God does great things, no matter the number.

8:18a, CST: Chun critiques the Korean church’s fascination with large congregations by observing in Judges 7-8 that God doesn’t need large numbers to do “better and successful ministry.” He calls this “the myth of number.”

8:12a, CST: Chun explores reading the Gideon-Abimelech narrative of Judges 7-8, reading through an ethical lens, asking how this narrative may address the Korean church.

8:10a, CST: Chun observes that the connection between “hurch” and “ethics” is not as obvious as it ought to be. Often, in the Korean church (where Chun lives), the church is seen as a hinderance or stumbling block to living ethically. Chun gave several examples of ethical scandals related to finance, sexuality, and so forth.

8:00a, CST: Main Speaker Session #1, Sugmin Min Chun (D.Phil, Oxford University), a Research Fellow at Nehemiah Institute for Christian Studies will begin the conference with his paper “A Theological-Ethical Reading of the Gideon-Abimelech Story”.

7:50a, CST:  The Ecclesia and Ethics Online Conference begins today! I plan on live blogging it. If you are “attending” (signing on?)  let me know.

 ”…in order for Christ to appear in the fullness of time (Gal 4:4) it was necessary for God to elect and preserve the people of Israel. And apparently–this is the hard part–God was not able, given the violence of the world, to preserve Israel purely nonviolently although, even so, Israel’s history witnesses to and moves toward nonviolence as it moves toward Christ.”

Now, let me be clear, I share this quote not to reflect or comment on Chapman’s essay (which I found thought provoking). Often, when I share quotes from books I have had commenters berate the author (something that is not fair if the chapter itself has not been read) with no knowledge of the broader argument, so I am cautious about short excerpts like this one (i.e., I am not asking comments about Chapman’s essay as a whole), but I wanted to share it because it does present a common view among those who both recognize (1) Christ seems to have taught his disciples nonviolence (to some degree, even if one doesn’t affirm complete pacificity) and (2) YHWH engages and even commands warfare. Many solutions to this problem are seen as too close to Marcionism or more critical of the theology of the Hebrew Bible than even Jesus himself. Chapman’s statement seems to be an attempt to hold together a view of the Hebrew Bible as theologically authoritative alongside the acknowledgment that Jesus called his disciples to a higher ethic (maybe this falls under the paradigm of “progressive revelation”?), so it is worth sharing to hear your thoughts.

Again, the basic idea is this: does it satisfy to propose that YHWH did command violence and warfare in order to preserve Israel, but not as a basic affirmation of war in general, since Jesus (his Son) both taught peace and lived sacrificially or do you think this explanation is insufficient?

If you haven’t had a chance to watch some of the pre-conference interviews you can do so here.

If you’d like to learn more about the conference go here.

I’ve seen a few interesting posts on Paul in the last few days that may intrigue some of you:

- Michael Bird, Phoebe the Letter Carrier?

- Michael Bird, Rom 1:18-3:20: A Summary

- James McGrath, Retelling Romans: Introduction

Also, Alister McGrath’s lecture at the Lanier Theological Library based on his new book about C.S. Lewis is available for viewing:

Finally, some miscellaneous things to bring to your attention:

- Lawrence Shiffman finished his series on “rationals for Torah commandments” with a look at the Dead Sea Scrolls and a concluding post.

- Jason M. Schlude wrote an interesting article titled “Herod the Great: Friend of Rome and Parthians?”

- The Marginalia Review of Books has posted several tributes to the late Geza Vermes.

Jack Levison

My friend Jack Levison is blogging now! You may know him from his scholarly work, most notably Filled with the Spirit, or you may have become acquainted with him through his more popular Fresh Air: The Holy Spirit for an Inspired Life (a book Daniel James Levy and I reviewed here). Maybe you haven’t read either of these books, and that would be a shame, but don’t miss out on his blog, because I am sure he’ll have plenty of wonderful insights to share there: spiritchatter.