Fun facts to know and tell

A quick search in BibleWorks (Using NASB 1995 as the search version) yields the following data:

Kingdom: Occurs 160 times in NT (125 in the Gospels; 8 in Acts; 27 Romans-Revelation)
Church: Occurs 77 times in NT (3 in Gospels; 17 in Acts; 57 Romans-Revelation)

This is hardly an exegetical study, but it does yield some interesting info. The word "kingdom" occurs twice as many times as the word church. What's that mean? I don't know. It's just interesting. Yes, a few of the instances of kingdom don't refer to the Kingdom of God (I count at least 3 times in Rev. alone). Kingdom is found preponderantly in the Gospels, yet is not unknown in the rest of the NT.

This doesn't mean that kingdom is necessarily talked about more (or less) than church. It just means these two words occur with the stated frequency. My point (if I have one) is that these stats alone should compel us to talk more about the kingdom than we do. It's like it's a non-issue except when we talk about eschatology (and we know how often that creeps into our daily conversation). It doesn't seem to come up very often when we talk about evangelism, for example.

But note: Philip preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Act 8:12).

Paul went about preaching the Kingdom (Acts 20:25; 28:31), and talks about his fellow workers for the kingdom (Col 4:11).

Oh, and let's not forget Jesus: Seek first the KINGDOM of God (Mat 6:33), but, alas, He also said that His kingdom was not of this world" (John 18:36). Does that mean it's only "spiritual" and we don't need to worry about it anymore?

I continue confused and with my dudas. But I think the kingdom deserves a little bit more of our attention.

Wishing you a

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

(Just in case anyone is reading my blog again)

The Caveman Cometh

As I've re-entered academia, I've discovered that there are a whole lot of people who don't think like I do, and hold to beliefs not found in my theological circles. Before, I just ignored them (***burn, heretics, burn*** ) and studied "safe" stuff.

Well, as it turns out, people in the Latin American evangelical community read some of that junk. And believe it! As I start to interact with it, my first reaction is "I'm right and they are wrong" But that's pretty narrow of me, and doesn't give me the option of learning. So maybe "They are right and I'm wrong". Again, an all or nothing option probably isn't the best option (Especially since I really doubt that I'm TOTALLY wrong. :) So, it becomes, what's right and what's wrong with each position??

Case in point: An article in Evangelical Missions Quarterly, January 1984 "Key Issues in Missiology: An Evangelical View" byJohn Gration. Now, this is an article that from a journal that by an large would be accepted even in our circles. Yet, it's from 1984 and I'm just now reading it!

I really feel like I'm a cave man coming out into the light and being blinded. There is so much out there that I have never been exposed to, even though I've been on the field for over 13 years!

Anyhow, here is a quotation from said article:

The relationship between the church and the kingdom and the significance of this relationship to missions should receive increasing attention on the part of evangelicals. The answers to a number of questions depend upon the nature of this relationship. First, what is the primary aim of evangelism? Is it to preach Christ and the kingdom, or to plant churches? If this is not the best way to put it, we might ask whether the task of missions is based on the nature of the church or the nature of the kingdom. Is God's work in this age primarily "calling out a people for his name" (Acts 15:14), or extending and building Christ's kingdom on earth (Acts 15:16)? (This entire Acts 15 passage merits careful exegetical study.)

To put the question still another way, is the growth (expansion and extension) of churches the ultimate goal of mission, or is the church simply a result of the gospel proclamation, the "first fruits" of the manifestation and reality of the kingdom?

Hmmm, the relationship between the church and the kingdom. I vaguely recall talking about the Kingdom in seminary. It was generally relegated to the millennium. There was the "already, not yet" discussion, but that left me a little less than satisfied. Already how?

Yes, I had a course "The Kingdom and the Church" but that was basically two courses in one, not much of a discussion of the relationship between the two. I've skimmed that syllabus a couple times in recent days without finding much in it to help me know what the significance is of the kingdom for today, in relation to the church. Maybe if I studied it a bit more, I'd find what I'm looking for, but I kind of doubt it.

Most Latin-American theologians seem to understand the relationship. Are they right? Wrong? I'm not even sure I understand what they think it is. But I do know that when I read them I react by saying, but that's Post-millennialism! (A term they don't seem to employ!).

So, alas, I feel like a caveman. Blinded by a whole knew world I never knew existed. Pray for me. And I invite your comments! If I don't figure this one out, I'm in for a VERY long course of study.

I'm baaack...Maybe

I remember it well, April 16. Yes, Easter Sunday. I had this really cool post running around in my head on how people in Argentina tend to focus on the empty cross as an Easter symbol while North Americans usually emphasize the empty tomb. I was trying to grapple with that issue, as well as the fact that Easter is called "Pascua" here (Passover!). Any how, there were a bunch of things I wanted to deal with, but couldn't get anything to come out right. So, I kept trying for a week or so. Then gave up in defeat. And haven't blogged since.

I suppose I'm too much of a perfectionist to successfully blog. I mean, to me, it should have the reliability of an exegetical paper. One that got a good grade, that is.

So, alas, I'll try again.

It will be hard for me, because I hate putting stuff in print, unless I'm SURE of it. Well, anymore I'm seldom sure of anything. I'm probably not blogging material. But I will try.

I'm getting ready to start back to school, so maybe I'll just share some of what I'm learning. Or what they want me to learn. Learning is such a scary thing. Pray for me if you get a chance.