Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!

Arango's Apologetics Page: On the deep meaning of Christmas Carols

I hope all are doing well in these final days of 2024. Just sharing a post from 2020, again. Merry Christmas to all, and click or follow the link below. 

Arango's Apologetics Page: On the deep meaning of Christmas Carols

Reference:

http://arangoapologeticspage.blogspot.com/2020/12/on-deep-meaning-of-christmas-carols.html

On Manna

Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color was like the color of gum resin. The people went around and gathered it, ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, then boiled it in pots and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna would fall with it.

Source:

Numbers 11:7-9, NRSVUE 

Excerpt from Daniel 7

As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being[a]
    coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One[b]
    and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
    and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
    that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
    that shall never be destroyed.

- Daniel 7: 13-14, NRSVUE


Footnotes
• 7.13 Aram one like a son of man
• 7.13 Aram the Ancient of Days

Excerpt from Daniel 10

He said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia and have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days. For there is a further vision for those days.”

- Daniel 10: 12-14, NRSVUE 

Excerpt from the Epistle to the Galatians

There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

~ St. Paul




Reference:

Galatians 3:28, NRSVUE 

On mortality

Thinking of mortality is often mistaken for fearing dying, and they aren't necessarily the same thing. I do believe; however, that some people live life as if they seem to believe they're immortal? Death is often called the afterlife. This is because it is believed life ends, and something different happens after it. Many civilizations for thousands of years have had beliefs with relevance to the afterlife. We have no proof of what really happens when one dies and remains permanently dead. We really do not know if life ends and then continues in a different state in another dimension. Jesus said: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” Many Christians believe that when they die, they will go to a dwelling place promised by Jesus. This post is about thinking about death, and not about what happens when one dies.

AI Overview on Google said the following with relevance to thinking about death.

Thinking about death is a normal part of life, but it can become a mental health concern if it's extremely distressing or interferes with your daily life:

Death anxiety: Also known as thanatophobia, this is an intense fear of death that can cause panic, dread, depression, or obsession with health. People with death anxiety may avoid dangerous situations or spend a lot of time checking for signs of illness. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD may have obsessions about death and compulsions to seek reassurance. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is a treatment that can help people learn to accept the uncertainty of their obsessions.

                Major depression: Death can be a preoccupation for people with major depression.

 Thinking about death can also be beneficial, helping you to recognize your values and live more consciously. Here are some ways that thinking about mortality can be helpful:

                Gaining meaning

Contemplating your mortality can help you find meaning and motivation in life.

                Making conscious choices

Accepting your mortality can help you make more conscious choices in the present.

                Avoiding destructive behavior

Controlling your anxiety about death can help you avoid negative or destructive behavior. 

In closing, I simply wanted to share a brief thought on mortality. I believe I have never shared anything about it. I think many people avoid the subject altogether, especially when they are young. Although, as one ages it perhaps becomes more and more part of one’s thoughts. I do agree with the AI Overview when it said: thinking about death can also be beneficial. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Blessings!

 

References:

 https://www.artofdyingwell.org/talking-about-death/coming-terms-death/accepting-your-mortality/#:~:text=Thinking%20about%20your%20life%20ending,with%20the%20reality%20of%20death

John 14:2, NRSVUE

Jude excerpt

It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 

Source:

Jude 14 and 15, NRSVUE

Matthew 23 extract

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.They do all their deeds to be seen by others....

Source:

Matthew 23: 4 and 5, NRSVUE 

Psalm 14 excerpt

The LORD looked forth from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there were any man of understanding, that did seek after God.

They are all corrupt, they are together become impure;

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.






Reference:

Psalm 14: 2-3, JPS Tanakh 1917

Jesus clarity

I hope everyone is doing well. This post will be brief. It is based on some things I have been dwelling on recently. Mainly, some things Jesus is credited to saying in Scriptures that may seem contradictory. I don’t claim to understand what he meant fully, but I also do not think he did not make any sense. I am not going to provide entire verses; however, I will give the citation to allow all to verify. Anyhow, here we go.

Possibly Jesus said, “if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also” He also said, “walk a second mile if someone asks you to walk one.” Hence: he never said to walk three miles. See Matthew 5:39.

Supposedly, Jesus said “one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.” Basically, one needs to have a sword and can’t afford to be without one. Obviously, he didn't seem to believe in not defending oneself. Consequently, this seems to contrast the cheek turning thing a bit, if things escalated perhaps. See Luke 22:36.

Lastly, Jesus said, “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” I think this one is self-explanatory…don’t be fools, but also don’t be an arrogant a**hole. See Matthew 10:16.

In closing, I think all-around, Jesus was more about having balance. If we focus on one area of his teachings but neglect another, we get out of balance. Therefore, we should focus on all instead of one thing. Blessings!

 

References:

Matthew 5:39

Luke 22: 36

Matthew 10:16

 

 

Article on who should be handling apologetics

Ancient apologists such as Justin Martyr, Aristides of Athens, and Athenagoras presented the life of the church as primary evidence for the truth of the faith. Irenaeus, Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin, and many others pursued apologetics not as scholarly specialists but as pastors who were responsible for the spiritual well-being of ordinary Christians in local churches. 

 

The foregoing excerpt is taken from an article on CT by Timothy Paul Jones titled: Churches Shouldn’t Outsource Apologetics to Slick Conferences. Basically, this article is a book review, although I am not providing the name of the book since I want the reader to find out for themselves by reading the article. Based on the title alone one should get the hint on who the author believes should be handling apologetics, which in part is also based on his own life experience. OK, I think I have already provided too much information, so I will stop here. Blessings, and read the full article at the link below.  

Churches Shouldn’t Outsource Apologetics to Slick Conferences | Christianity Today

Reference:

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2024/april/pastor-apologist-book-dayton-hartman-michael-mcewen.html

Apologetics and archeology (sharing a letter from an editor)

For many years, archaeology has formed an important part of Christian apologetics. As David Adams points out, archaeology neither proves the Bible nor argues someone into faith. The raw facts archaeologists uncover require interpretation. But for those who enjoy the archaeological details, it provides a vast mine of data for enriching our understanding of God’s Word and world.

 

The foregoing is extracted from a letter by the editor of Lutheran Witness magazine that was published in September of 2023. I am not writing much more about it, but I encourage everyone to dig deeper into the letter and article, as well as being informed on the subject. Read fully at the link below.

Digging In: Archaeology & Apologetics – The Lutheran Witness

Reference:

https://witness.lcms.org/2023/digging-in-archaeology-apologetics/

Christos Anesti

Christos Anesti (Χριστὸς ἀνέστη) 

Christ is Risen!

An AI priest?

Catholic Answers, a San Diego apologetics non-profit, announced on Monday the launch of a new AI experiment, featuring avatar-priest “Fr. Justin,” who was designed to answer questions about the Catholic faith, using material from the Catholic Answers library of articles, talks, and apologetics tracts. 

The forgoing excerpt is extracted from an article from THE PILLAR that was posted on April 24, 2024. Read the full article at the link below.

‘I just have to take my lumps’

Reference:

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/i-just-have-to-take-my-lumps

Happy Western Church Easter!

Happy Western Church Easter!

Sharing a thought

Apologetics is quite literally defense of the faith; the Greek word apologia means “defense” as a lawyer gives at a trial. In every generation, people face the challenges, questions, and concerns of the gospel message of the Christian faith (www.ccu.edu).

The foregoing definition is taken out of an article from CCU Online titled:  Apologetics vs. Evangelism: Is there a difference? Basically, I decided to use this source randomly since the definition is simply accurate. This blog is mainly about apologetics, and this post is basically me sharing a thought on recent online readings on the subject. 

I recently read an article on Juicy Ecumenism by Sue Cyre titled: The Need to Recover Apologetics. Obviously, the title implies that something has been lost. I don't know if apologetics has been completely lost; however, the article does a pretty good job at explaining the reasons for the decline of faith in our modern well. The following excerpt is from it.

We could trace the decline back to the Enlightenment with contributions by historical criticism, Marxism, and evolutionary theory. We could even trace it further back to Adam and Eve who first decided to trust their own desires over God’s Word. Today some might add to the reasons for decline: the church is not welcoming enough, the church abused or oppressed people by calling them to repent; church scandals turn people away; the church’s Bible, theology, and practice are labeled misogynist, bigoted, and patriarchal. The list could go on (juicyecumenism.com).

It seems that one can come up with multiple reasons to explain the decline in faith. This decline based on research alone appears to be factual. If so, apologetics is one way of countering the decline, seemingly. I will stop here. Feel free to share your thoughts with relevance to the subject in the comments anytime you read on here. Blessings!

 

 

References:

https://juicyecumenism.com/2024/02/02/recover-apologetics/

https://www.ccu.edu/blogs/cags/2020/04/apologetics-vs-evangelism/

A Clip from Young Sheldon

There are many forms of apologetics, and sometimes apologetics presents itself in unexpected places. In this post I don’t want to explain all the different types. I am sure I have done that in the past on other posts. In fact, I am going to keep this article as brief as possible when it comes to text. To get straight to the point, I am sharing a clip from an episode of Young Sheldon. I hope you enjoy it. Watch below!

Young Sheldon: Sheldon Helps Mary Believe In God Again (Season 2 Episode 3 Clip) | TBS - YouTube

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyb-sTrY_Y8

http://www.TBS.com/shows/

On the Gospel of John

Did John write the Gospel of John? Is this Gospel more historical than the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Luke, and Matthew)? I recently read an article on the Biblical Archeology Society website that examines these questions. I highly enjoyed reading it, and also recommend it. The article is titled: Gospel of John Commentary: Who Wrote the Gospel of John and How Historical Is It? I am not going to give away the findings, but you can read them for yourself at the link below. Blessings!

Gospel of John Commentary: Who Wrote the Gospel of John and How Historical Is It? - Biblical Archaeology Society

Reference:

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/gospel-of-john-commentary-who-wrote-the-gospel-of-john/

Happy 2024!

  Happy 2024 to all!