Scripture meditation ~ November 2, 2018:
I try to study and meditate on at least one Chapter a day, usually in the morning [Psalm 5:3] - although distractions to which I am particularly vulnerable abound.
Sometimes I get sidetracked and miss it; other days I'll get inspired and go 5 or 6 chapters.
Given my short attention span and high distractibility however, that's about the best I can manage at my current state of senility before my mind spins off of the turntable and flies off on a tangent.
Lately our Church has been teaching and preaching on the Book of Revelation (how many churches still do that?) so my readings are following along accordingly.
This morning we're up to Ch. 20.
From the 1599 edition of the "Pilgrims Bible" - AKA "Geneva".
(The Aulde English takes a little getting used to; they used "v" and "i" where the later King James usually translated them as "u" and "j".
You ought to try reading it in the original type fonts!):
"12. And I saw the dead, both great and small stand before God: and the bookes were opened, and another booke was opened, which is the booke of life, and the dead were iudged of those thinges, which were written in the bookes, according to their woorkes.
13. And the sea gaue vp her dead, which were in her, and death and hell deliuered vp the dead, which were in them: and they were iudged euery man according to their woorkes.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire: this is the second death.
15. And whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life, was cast into the lake of fire. ..."
Now wait just a hog-tied minute here!;
Don't we Christians believe that salvation is by faith and not by "woorkes"? [Gal. 2:16]
Galatians 2:16 (KJV)
...yet it seems that according to Revelation, we will be entered into the "Book of Life" and judged accordingly before the Great White Throne on the basis of those "works".
So which is it, Faith Family; are we saved / judged by faith...
... or by works?
Now digging a little deeper into Britt Hadasha (New Testament, which to most Jews is utter heresy and hogwash) we find at least one Apostle who posits that it is actually a synthesis of both.
St. Paul goes into that quite a bit if you study him much at all (Romans is a good place to start), and St. James at least mentions it: James 2:24 (KJV)
Theologians in the Middle Ages tell us Protestants to believe in the "Solas" or singular, exclusive virtues like "Sola Scriptura" or The Word (Bible) alone; same thing for Faith and Grace to name a few.
Of course there are those who take issue with their old fashioned perspective, but they probably made some pretty good points.
I suppose we might say that the Orthodox Jew (and some hard core Messianics, it seems) believe in and live by "Sola Torah", or the Law, for all intents and purposes, alone.
Now I didn't mean to rile folks up (although I have a propensity for doing that) but perhaps gin up some thought, reflection and contemplation on the Word, hopefully under the tutelage of Ruach H'Q'Desh (The Holy Spirit).
So let me leave you with this blessing:
When all is said and done, may we be found written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
A'main.
I try to study and meditate on at least one Chapter a day, usually in the morning [Psalm 5:3] - although distractions to which I am particularly vulnerable abound.
Sometimes I get sidetracked and miss it; other days I'll get inspired and go 5 or 6 chapters.
Given my short attention span and high distractibility however, that's about the best I can manage at my current state of senility before my mind spins off of the turntable and flies off on a tangent.
Lately our Church has been teaching and preaching on the Book of Revelation (how many churches still do that?) so my readings are following along accordingly.
This morning we're up to Ch. 20.
From the 1599 edition of the "Pilgrims Bible" - AKA "Geneva".
(The Aulde English takes a little getting used to; they used "v" and "i" where the later King James usually translated them as "u" and "j".
You ought to try reading it in the original type fonts!):
"12. And I saw the dead, both great and small stand before God: and the bookes were opened, and another booke was opened, which is the booke of life, and the dead were iudged of those thinges, which were written in the bookes, according to their woorkes.
13. And the sea gaue vp her dead, which were in her, and death and hell deliuered vp the dead, which were in them: and they were iudged euery man according to their woorkes.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire: this is the second death.
15. And whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life, was cast into the lake of fire. ..."
Now wait just a hog-tied minute here!;
Don't we Christians believe that salvation is by faith and not by "woorkes"? [Gal. 2:16]
Galatians 2:16 (KJV)
...yet it seems that according to Revelation, we will be entered into the "Book of Life" and judged accordingly before the Great White Throne on the basis of those "works".
So which is it, Faith Family; are we saved / judged by faith...
... or by works?
Now digging a little deeper into Britt Hadasha (New Testament, which to most Jews is utter heresy and hogwash) we find at least one Apostle who posits that it is actually a synthesis of both.
St. Paul goes into that quite a bit if you study him much at all (Romans is a good place to start), and St. James at least mentions it: James 2:24 (KJV)
Theologians in the Middle Ages tell us Protestants to believe in the "Solas" or singular, exclusive virtues like "Sola Scriptura" or The Word (Bible) alone; same thing for Faith and Grace to name a few.
Of course there are those who take issue with their old fashioned perspective, but they probably made some pretty good points.
I suppose we might say that the Orthodox Jew (and some hard core Messianics, it seems) believe in and live by "Sola Torah", or the Law, for all intents and purposes, alone.
Now I didn't mean to rile folks up (although I have a propensity for doing that) but perhaps gin up some thought, reflection and contemplation on the Word, hopefully under the tutelage of Ruach H'Q'Desh (The Holy Spirit).
So let me leave you with this blessing:
When all is said and done, may we be found written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
A'main.
