Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Nicene Creed and Definition of Chalcedon According To Scripture!

Rob Bowman of The Religious Researcher.org recently posted a blog with a portion dedicated to outlining the Nicene Creed and the Definition of Chalcedon with their scripture references. Here is the relevant portion:


The Nicene Creed (381)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. [Matt. 23:9; Acts 4:24; 17:24; 1 Cor. 8:6a; 2 Cor. 6:18; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 21:22]

And in one Lord, Jesus Christ [1 Cor. 8:6b; 12:4; Eph. 4:5],
the only-begotten Son of God [John 1:12, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9],
begotten of the Father before all ages [John 1:14, 18; 5:26; 6:57; 17:5; Gal. 4:4],
God of God [John 1:1, 18; Titus 2:10, 13; 2 Peter 1:1-2],
Light of Light [John 1:4-5; Heb. 1:3],
true God of true God [John 1:1, 18; Col. 2:9; 1 John 5:20],
begotten, not made [John 1:14, 18],
being of one substance with the Father [John 1:14; Heb. 1:3],
by whom all things were made [John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:2, 10];
who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven [John 13:3; 16:28],
and was incarnate [John 1:14; Rom. 8:3; 1 John 4:1]
by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary [Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35],
and was made man [Phil. 2:6-7],
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate [Matt. 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18-19].
He suffered [Matt. 16:21 par.; 17:12 par.; Luke 22:15; 24:26, 46; Acts 1:3; 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:18]
and was buried [Matt. 27:57-66 par.; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor. 15:4],
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures [Luke 24:44-46; 1 Cor. 15:5],
and ascended into heaven [Acts 1:9-11],
and sits at the right hand of the Father [Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:33, 34; 5:31; 7:55-56; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22].
And he shall come again with glory [Matt. 16:27; Heb. 9:26-28; Titus 2:13; etc.]
to judge both the living and the dead [Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:22-23, 28-29; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thess. 1:7-8; Rev. 2:23];
whose kingdom shall have no end [Luke 1:33; Eph. 1:19b-21; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 11:15].

And we believe in the Holy Spirit [Matt. 28:19],
the Lord [2 Cor. 3:16-17]
and Giver of Life [Ps. 104:30; Ezek. 37:14; John 3:5-8; 6:63; Rom. 8:2, 6, 10-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; Gal. 5:25],
who proceeds from the Father [John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7],
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified [Matt. 28:19; Phil. 3:3; cf. Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:29],
who spoke by the prophets [Acts 1:16; 28:25-27; Heb. 3:7-11; 10:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:11].
And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic church [Eph. 2:18-22; 3:5-6; 4:4].
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins [Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Eph. 4:5].
And we look for the resurrection of the dead [John 5:29; 11:24-25; Acts 4:2; 23:6; 24:15; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15; etc.],
and the life of the world to come [Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; 20:34-35; etc.].
Amen.

The Definition of Chalcedon (451)
We, now, following the holy Fathers [Matt. 16:18; 28:20; 2 Tim. 2:2; Jude 3]
all with one consent [1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 4:5, 11-16],
teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ [2 Cor. 11:4; Eph. 4:5],
the same perfect in Godhead [Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3]
and also perfect in manhood [Phil. 2:7-8; Heb. 5:8-9];
truly God [John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1:1]
and truly man [Acts 2:22; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:5-9],
of a reasonable [logikes] soul [Matt. 26:38-39; John 11:33; 12:27; Acts 2:27, 31]
and body [Matt. 26:12; 27:56-59; John 2:21; Heb. 10:10];
consubstantial [homoousion] with the Father according to the Godhead [theoteti, Grk.; deitate, L.] [John 1:1; 10:30; 14:9; Col. 1:19, cf. 2:9; Heb. 1:3];
and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood [John 1:14; Acts 2:31; Rom. 1:3; 8:3-8; 1 John 4:2];
in all things like unto us, without sin [Heb. 2:14, 17; 4:15; 5:8-9];
begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead [John 1:14, 18; 5:26; 6:57; Gal. 4:4],
and in these latter days [Heb. 1:1-2],
for us and for our salvation [Luke 2:10-11],
born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God [theotokos], according to the Manhood [Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:27, 31, 34-37, 43; 2:7];
one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-Begotten [Luke 2:11; John 1:14-18],
to be acknowledged in two natures [phuseon] [Rom. 1:3-4; 9:5; Phil. 2:6-8; Col. 2:9],
inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably [Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8];
the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person [prosopon] and one Subsistence [hupostasis] [Luke 8:22-25; John 8:57-58; 1 Cor. 2:8; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 2:14-18],
not parted or divided into two persons [Eph. 4:5],
but one and the same Son, and only-begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ [John 1:1-3, 14-18];
as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him [Heb. 1:1-13];
and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us [Matt. 28:19-20; John 3:16],
and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us [1 Tim. 3:16; Jude 3].


Grace and peace.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Penn Jillette On Proseletyzing


This is an interesting video of Penn Jilette of Penn and Teller, the comedic magic show. Penn is an outspoken atheist who has never shied away from ridiculing Christianity and the bible. You might ask why I am posting such a video here, you will have to watch it to see, but his words will surprise some of you:

Bible Study Tip.


How to Learn:
The learner, who wishes to try the question fairly, whether this
little book does, or does not, supply the materials for a most
interesting mental recreation, is earnestly advised to adopt the
following Rules:

  1. Begin at the beginning, and do not allow yourself to gratify
    mere idle curiosity by dipping into the book, here and there. This
    would very likely lead to your throwing it aside, with the remark
    `This is much too hard for me!', and thus losing the chance of
    adding a very large item to your stock of mental delights . . .
  2. Don't begin any fresh Chapter, or Section, until you are certain
    that you thoroughly understand the whole book up to that point
    and that you have worked, correctly, most if not all of the
    examples which have been set . . . Otherwise, you will find
    your state of puzzlement get worse and worse as you proceed
    till you give up the whole thing in utter disgust.
  3. When you come to a passage you don't understand, read it
    again:
    if you still don't understand it,
    read it again: if you fail, even after three readings,
    very likely your brain is getting a little tired
    In that case, put the book away, and take to other occupations,
    and next day, when you come to it fresh, you will very likely
    find that it is quite easy.
  4. If possible, find some genial friend, who will read the book along
    with you, and will talk over the difficulties with you. Talking is
    a wonderful smoother-over of difficulties. When I come upon
    anything—in Logic or in any other hard subject—that entirely puzzles
    me, I find it a capital plan to talk it over, aloud, even when I am
    all alone. One can explain things so clearly to one's self! And then
    you know, one is so patient with one's self: one never gets irritated
    at one's own stupidity!

If, dear Reader, you will faithfully observe these Rules, and
give my little book a really fair trial, I promise you, most
confidently, that you will find Symbolic Logic to be one of the most,
not the most, fascinating of mental recreations! In this First Part
I have carefully avoided all difficulties which seemed to me to
beyond the grasp of an intelligent child of (say) twelve or fourteen
years of age. I have myself taught most of its contents, viva voce,
to many children, and have found them take a real intelligent
interest in the subject. For those, who succeeded in mastering
Part I, and who begin, like Oliver, `asking for more,' I hope to
provide, in Part II, some tolerably hard nuts to crack—nuts that
will require all the nut-crackers they happen to possess!

Mental recreation is a thing that we all of us need for our mental
health. Symbolic Logic will give you clearness of thought—the
ability to see your way through a puzzle—the habit of arranging
your ideas in an orderly and get-at-able form—and, more valuable
than all, the power to detect fallacies, and to tear to pieces the
flimsy illogical arguments, which you will continually encounter
in books, in newspapers, in speeches, and even in sermons, and
which so easily delude those who have never taken the trouble
to master this fascinating Art. Try it. That is all I ask of you!

Carroll, Lewis. The complete works of Lewis Carroll (New York: Random House, 1939), 1116-19.


This method might also be applied to the study of a book of Scripture.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Jesus Christ and Santa Clause



I saw this and had to share it.

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. - The Apostle Paul