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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Sun, 24 Jan 1993 03:29:29 -0500
From:         Kerry Stephenson <KSTE@PURCCVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Jumping in

Hi, folks, I'm back:

I've been reading a bit of the latest (I think) postings, and a few
comments have occurred to me.  On top of which, I have some other
things to bring to you.  So bear with me; this is a long, fast ride.

With regard to the law/grace argument (or whatever you want to call it):
It seems to me that all human beings, in terms of judgment, are bound
to one law, that being the Mosaic law.  It is this code of conduct by
which the unsaved will be judged, and under which the world is *supposed*
to operate, in order to be in keeping with the Will of God.  However,
it is nigh unto impossible to keep.  Therefore, God has provided a
Promise and an Atonement.  If we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior,
we are released from the bondage of the law but paradoxically are made
able to understand and operate within its spirit.  We know when we
have transgressed, and we are repentant and contrite, broken before
God, and forgiven by the blood of Christ.

Abortion:  Carol Everett is a wonderful testimony.  Her book (formerly
"Scarlet Lady") is being re-issued under the title "Blood Money".
Highest recommendation.  I don't know if I mentioned this yet, but
a University publishing house (not my own) is interested in publishing
my dissertation.  That would be nice.  Though it would have been
nicer still to have published a story of triumph, instead of an
examination of an era that appears to have ended.

Media/Liberal Bias/Hostile Culture:  I can no longer hang on to even a
thread of skepticism regarding the idea that there is such a thing
as an anti-Christian cultural dominance.  The University now has
a Pagan Academic Network (unheard of, even when I *was* one).  Our
city is about to enshrine homosexuality as a protected status.
Dr. Jack killed his ninth victim last week.  Barbra Streisand says
she feels "free for the first time in 12 years."  Maya Angelou
delivers homage to rocks, trees, rivers, and other minority groups,
while the Southern Baptists and the NOW gang unite behind a common
cause:  "change."

Oddly, we seem also to have entered an era of national tunnel vision.
Where are those who decried the "entertainment" aspects of the Gulf
War to remind us that the Inauguration was designed and executed by
some of the most influential people in entertainment?  Why do those
who bemoaned the Reaganesque "symbolism over substance" not see
that playing the saxaphone on the Arsenio show and ringing the new
liberty bell are *symbolic,* not substantial?  And who notices that
the homeless were run out of Lafayette Park 3 days before the
Inauguration festivities took place?

"The world is too much with us," said Wordsworth.  And right he was.
And is.  But perhaps we, as Christians, are too much with the
world.  Perhaps we should learn the lessons of the Israelites; the
people who clamor for an earthly king will get the king they deserve,
not the God they need.

Theology:  I've been reading the Septuagint lately (or, at least an
English translation thereof; unfortunately, though the Greek is
next to it, I can't read Greek).  The Septuagint is the Greek Old
Testament, and is the Scripture used (and referred to) by Christ,
the Apostles, and the Early church.  There aren't any doctrinal
differences, but there is some stunning imagery that we have since
abandoned in our modern translations.  It is here that we have the
prophecy of the virgin birth (which is in the modern English
translations, but not in the Masoretic text they used as the
primary source; they had to cheat a bit to leave it in).  And there
is more detail included in the minor prophets than has been carried
down through the ages to us.  I have a few questions for list folk,
though:
        1.  Does anyone have an opinion on the Septuagint?  Just
            anything.  Any conception you might have would be
            welcome.

        2.  Does anyone know why modern discussions of the End
            Times, the Day of the Lord, the Wrath, the Rapture,
            and so forth seem to focus solely on the prophecies
            in Daniel and Revelation (with occasional forays into
            Isaiah)?  All the minor prophets discuss these things
            at some length as well.  Any idea why they are so
            rarely mentioned?

         3. In eschatological terms, who, what, or where is
            "Israel"?

         4.  Along the same lines, can anyone supply or point me
             toward a good quick reference that will explain
             the modern-day equivalents of Biblical geography?
             For example, where are Babylon, Tarshish, Cush,
             and so on--today?  I could just make my own maps I
             suppose, by trying to compare the Maps of Ancient times
             with a modern equivalent, but I'm not very good at that
             sort of thing, and I'm hoping that someone in the
             world of cartography has already done the work--and
             done it right, which I can't guarantee I could do.

          5.  I have heard recently of something called the
              "Tanach" (or "Temach" or "Tenach" or something),
              which is some kind of ancient form of the Old
              Testament.  Does anyone know what I'm talking about
              or know where I can get one?

           6. Has anyone read the Talmud or parts thereof?  I'm
              going to attempt this as soon as the book comes in.
              Is there anything I need to know about it?  I'm going
              to read it because I would like to be able to understand
              more of the Bible, and I figure that reading what was
              being said about Scripture might provide some helpful
              historical context.

Anyway, it's nice to be back on.  I'll talk to y'all later.

Love INC,
         --Kerry
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