Are we Cleverer Today than Yesterday?

Modernism has had us believe for years that we’re getting increasingly cleverer than people of years gone by. I don’t believe it! It’s all tied into the idea of progress that we make advancements in civilisations and so society progresses. We have this tendency to think that people thousands of years ago were stupid. I started to stop believing this a few years ago after reading Augustine’s Confessions (or at least an abridged version of it because I’m not clever enough for the full version! 

Revision #12

WISDOM LITERATURE #3: Discuss the interplay between the three canonical wisdom books

The term ‘wisdom’ is from the Hebrew word, hokmah, which is also used for a skill. The nature of wisdom literature is that it is knowledge related to living that is gained more experientially than objectively. It is also related to living well and gaining mastery over life in all its areas. Though a definition is difficult to arrive at, we can tentatively define it as the art of experiential knowledge of skillful living. 

Revision #11

ESCHATOLOGY #2: Millenial views

Historic Premillenialism:

Revision #10

WISDOM LITERATURE #2: Exegesis of Job 19:23-27

Context: 19:2-6 Job speaks of the reproaches of his friends. 7-12 Job speaks of how he has suffered even at the hands of God. 13-22 Job speaks of his forsakeness, even by his closest friends and his wife. 

Revision #9

PREACHING AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY III #1: Pastoral Scenario

A married man has been watching por.nography for quite a while now. He comes to you and tells you about what he has been doing. He hasn’t told his wife yet and no one knows. It is now starting to affect his marriage.

Revision #8

ECCLESIOLOGY #3: The visible and invisible church

The distinction between the visible and the invisible church has typically been attributed to Augustine of Hippo in his work, The City of God. It has been part of theology ever since. The Westminster Confession says about the matter:

I. The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.

II. The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.

Revision #7

THEOLOGY AND CULTURE #2: Emerging Church

A Church for the Postmodern Generation

The emerging church, by its nature is a hard to define. It has been going on for around a decade and seeks to reach a generation of those who were born into a postmodern society. Others would define the emerging church within the stream of church movements and would place it as a post-seeker-sensitive church. It is certainly a post-something church, here are some things it is post to:

Revision #6

WISDOM LITERATURE #1: The message of Ecclesiastes

Determining the message of Ecclesiastes is a difficult task, not least for the number of diverse opinions on the matter. The book certainly seems to fit with the ‘pessimism literature’ of the Ancient Near East (ANE). Ecclesiastes is different to these other ANE sources, however, as it isn’t merely unrelieved and relentless pessimism but contains aspects of hope, joy, faith and assurance in God. On the message as a whole though there are many perspectives. Much of the discussion revolves around the Hebrew word hebel which literally means vapour or breath.