Category: New Testament (Page 2 of 2)

The cross, the fulfilment of the manger

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Passover is the most important Christian festival of the Christian year. But Christmas itself has now outstripped Passover in popular culture as the real celebration of the year – a move contrary to the New Testament’s emphasis. Jesus’ death on the cross on Passover is the fulfilment of the manger. The shadow of the cross falls over the manger and the cross was made out of the wood of Jesus’ manger. Passover is the moment when God’s new world started growing like green grass through the thick concrete of death, evil and injustice (N.T. Wright).

All languages about the future is an effort to set up signposts pointing into a foggy future. We see through a glass darkly, says Paul, as we peer towards the future. But with the first Christmas (4 BC) God came forward in Jesus in the first person, out of the fog or mist of God’s space. Jesus stepped out of the metaphysical world of God’s space to meet us and reveal God’s blueprint for His creation.

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The battlefield extended to our children

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The church – the people of Jesus Christ – now lives in the final or the eschatological age. We are living between the times. Between the first coming and return of Christ. The period between his victory in the decisive battle between God and Satan and the day of final victory. Satan is the father of all evil and opposed to God. He, our biggest enemy, is defeated but not yet eliminated. For this reason Christian parents and children live on the battlefield. Christian parents and their children must be watchful and prepared for this spiritual battle (Eph. 6:10-18).

Paul (Rom. 8:20) asserts that after the Fall creation was subjected to futility (Gr. mataiotes), emptiness, frustration, sin, evil, disharmony, and apparent meaninglessness. This condition came after creation was complete. After the Fall, Adam and Eve and all their descendants lost their innocence and real freedom (Rom. 5:12). People not only commit sins but are sinners, and the nature of their children are inherently affected.

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Blocked by the Holy Spirit

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Listen to the voice recording of this essay

How to make day-to-day decisions in difficult times?

How is the Christian to make day-to-day decisions in difficult times? We do live in difficult times. As Christians we are more than often confronted with situations in which we really do not have all the answers and guidelines. And Satan tries to make this world and the Church of God a stinking swamp.

Stay in an intimate relationship with God

Of course, first and foremost, the relationship between a Christian and God must be intact and fresh. Since God and his nature is our guide, we need to keep in contact with Him. There are basic moral and spiritual principles rooted in the nature of God, to which those in a right relationship with Him must conform their thoughts, words, and deeds. This provides resources for both the daily grind and the emergency situations. For these difficult situations we must try to stay prayed-up for such times.

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The worldview of the authors of the New Testament

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Worldview refers to a way of looking at the universe, or in more Biblical language, how we look at creation. It has to do with what one thinks about the nature of reality, why things happen, why they are the way they are, and what the real goals and proper outlook on life is. Broad parameters of a general New Testament (hereafter NT; and OT for Old Testament) worldview emerge from an overall assessment of the NT’s documents.

Four phases of the New Testament worldview can be articulated:

 1. Creation:

The proclamation (kēryssō) or preaching of the NT asserts the existence and activity of the transcendent sovereign God even before creation. He is the supreme God above all human limitations and the totally incomprehensible God (the Mysterium tremendum). The NT stipulates that He really exists. The world came into being as a result of His will, power, and action. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebr. 11:2, 6). But God revealed Himself through His self-revelation, His activities in creation, providence and redemption.

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