Strength. Sounds good, doesn't it?
Who wouldn't want strength?
As you might expect, strength is the desired outcome of strengths development. But exactly what is a strength? What are we striving toward?
When you see a strength in action, you see a person's ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity.
When you see him or her perform that activity, you think, "She makes it look so easy!" or "He's a natural!"
How can that be? How can they so consistently perform with such excellence? The answer is simple: It is easy for her.
He is a natural.
Each is performing at such a high level simply by building upon how he or she most naturally thinks, feels, and behaves: their greatest talents.
As unique individuals, we each have our own special ways of successfully approaching the people and events in our lives. And our greatest talents are always there for us. We instinctively use them in almost any situation.
An inner drive to compete, sensitivity to the needs of others, an inclination to notice patterns, and the tendency to be outgoing at social gatherings are good examples of talents.
For some of us, our talents make us great Relators or Arrangers. Others have tremendous talents in Adaptability or Belief. Look closely at your friends, family, and coworkers. You will see exceptional Learners, Activators, and Includers, and amazing talents in Ideation, Responsibility, and Developer. Within our natural selves, we each hold extraordinary potential.
Of course, the first step toward fulfilling that potential is to discover our greatest talents. That's where the Clifton StrengthsFinder comes in. You've probably already sensed that this assessment is not just another personality test. That difference is certainly no accident.
In fact, the idea behind the assessment is quite contrary to the focus-on-negatives approach that has long prevailed in our society.
In the early 1950s, Donald O. Clifton, who would go on to be named the "Father of Strengths Psychology," noticed a major problem: The field of psychology was based almost entirely on the study of what is wrong with people. He wondered if it would be more important to study what is right with people.
Individualization
So, over the next five decades, Don and his colleagues at The Gallup Organization took a very close look at the talents of highly successful people, focusing on the positive instead of the negative. Millions of in-depth interviews were conducted to determine the most natural thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of "the best of the best."
They quickly discovered that our talents do more than make us unique individuals. When we follow our talents – the ways in which we naturally think, feel, and behave - they also serve as our best opportunities for true excellence.
To help you discover your greatest talents and build toward strengths, Don and his colleagues created the Clifton StrengthsFinder. During your assessment, you gave top-of-mind responses to a wide variety of paired statements. Those instantaneous responses are valuable information. Why? Because they are clues to your talents in 34 areas directly connected to success in any role, whether at work, at home, or in the community. The Clifton StrengthsFinder has measured your talents in those 34 areas, or "themes." Now, to point you in the right direction, it presents you with a report of the five areas in which your greatest talents are found. And to help you further discover your talents, it provides full descriptions of those areas, along with "sounds likes," which are examples of what people with talents similar to yours might say. You will find your personal top five report and brief descriptions of the 34 talent areas measured by the assessment in the pages following this introduction.
Of course, your "top five" are just a starting point as you move from the potential of talent to the excellence of strength in action. Along the way, you can find many opportunities for discovery and development in your relationships with family members, friends, and colleagues.
If want to share that experience with the most important people in your life, or if you simply want to learn more, consider the latest book from the coauthor of Now, Discover Your Strengths.
Brief Descriptions of the 34 Themes of Talent
Measured by the Clifton StrengthsFinder
Achiever
People strong in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
Activator
People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient.
Adaptability
People strong in the Adaptability theme prefer to "go with the flow." They tend to be "now" people who take things as
they come and discover the future one day at a time.
Analytical
People strong in the Analytical theme search for reasons and causes. They have the ability to think about all the factors that might affect a situation.
Arranger
People strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity.
Belief
People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Command
People strong in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.
Communication
People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
Competition
People strong in the Competition theme measure their progress against the performance of others. They strive to win first place and revel in contests.
Connectedness
People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few
coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
Consistency
People strong in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them.
Context
People strong in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by researching its history.
Deliberative
People strong in the Deliberative theme are best described by the serious care they take in making decisions or choices. They anticipate the obstacles.
Developer
People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
Discipline
People strong in the Discipline theme enjoy routine and structure. Their world is best described by the order they create.
Empathy
People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations.
Focus
People strong in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.
Futuristic
People strong in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Harmony
People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don't enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
Ideation
People strong in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
Includer
People strong in the Includer theme are accepting of others. They show awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.
Individualization
People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
Input
People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
Intellection
People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Learner
People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
Maximizer
People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Positivity
People strong in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Relator
People who are strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
Responsibility
People strong in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Restorative
People strong in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.
Self-Assurance
People strong in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They possess an inner compass that gives them confidence that their decisions are right.
Significance
People strong in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are independent and want to be recognized.
Strategic
People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Woo
People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Differences in Cultural Principles
Culture Scales
Concept of Self
Individualist- The self is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for one’s self protects others. Personal fulfillment is the greatest good. Independence and self reliance are highly valued. Children are taught to stand on their own two feet. Workers don’t mind individual recognition. One’s identity is personal and individual, not a function of one’s membership or role in a group. (US)
Collectivist- The primary group, usually the family, is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for others protects one’s self. Group harmony is the greatest good. Children are taught to depend on others, who in turn can depend on them. Employees don’t like to stand out, they prefer group/ team recognition. Identity is a function of one’s membership/ role in a primary group.(SE Asia, China)
Personal vs. Societal Responsibility
Universalist- What’s right is always right. There are absolutes which apply across the board. The law is the law no matter who one is, there should be no exceptions. Consistency is important. “Fair” means treating everyone the same and one should try to make life fair. (US, UK, Germany)
Particularist- There are no absolutes. What’s right depends on the circumstances. There must always be exceptions (esp. for in-group members). Consistency is not possible (life isn’t that neat). “Fair” means treating everyone uniquely and no one expects life to be fair.(Africa, China, Middle East, then India, Mexico, SE Asia)
Subjective and Objective
Logic of the Head- Favoritism is frowned upon. People should not let personal feelings intrude into or affect workplace/ professional decisions. Friends don’t expect friends to cover for them. People succeed because of what they do, not because of whom they know. To be objective is a positive thing, something to strive for. (same as PS vs. SR)
Logic of the Heart- Favoritism is the norm. Since the system isn’t fair, people have to look out for their in-group (or others). Whom you know, connections are more important than performance. Friends expect, and provide preferential treatment. One can’t and shouldn’t leave personal feelings out of professional dealings.
Concept of Time
Monochronic- Time is a limited commodity. The needs of people are subservient to the demands of time. Deadlines and schedules are sacred. Plans are not easily changed. People may be too busy to see you. People live by an external clock. (US, UK, G)
Polychronic- Time is bent to meet the needs of people. There is always more time. Schedules and deadlines are easily changed. Plans are fluid. People always have time to see you. People live by an internal clock. (India, Africa, Middle East, Mexico)
Time and Other People
One Thing at a Time- People do one thing at a time and finish one thing before starting another. People expect undivided attention. Interruptions are to be avoided. To be late or kept waiting is rude. People stand in line. The goal is to stick to the schedule. (US, UK, G)
Many Things at Once- People may do several things at the same time and may split their attention between several people/ tasks. To be late or kept waiting is okay. Interruptions are part of life. People don’t stand in line. The goal is to enjoy life. (Africa, India)
Locus of Control
Internal- The locus of control is internal. Fate has little or no importance. There are few givens in life, few things that can’t be changed and must just be accepted. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. One makes one’s own luck. Unhappiness is one’s own fault. People tend to be optimistic. Life is what you make it. (US)
External- The locus of control is external. Fate plays a major role. People believe they have limited control over their destiny/ external events. Many things in life must be accepted/ can’t be changed. Success/ lack of success is partly a result of good/ bad fortune. People tend to be realistic/ fatalistic. Life is what happens to you. (Middle East, Africa)
Degree of Directness
Direct- People say what they mean and mean what they say. There is no need to read between the lines. It’s best to tell it like it is. People are less likely to imply and more likely to say exactly what they are thinking. Yes means yes. (Germany, US)
Indirect- People don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say. You have to read between the lines. People are more likely to suggest or imply than to come out and say what they think. You can’t always tell it like it is (what if that upsets the other person?) Yes may mean maybe or even no. (Africa, China, SE Asia)
Role of Context
Low Context- People are individualistic. In-groups are not as well developed as they are in high-context cultures and people spend less time in them, hence there are fewer shared experiences and less shared understanding. One has to spell things out and be explicit. Words are the primary carriers of meaning. What is said is more important than what is not said. (US, G)
High Context- People tend to be collectivistic. In-groups are strong and people spend a lot of time together, hence there are more shared experiences and more common understanding than there are in low-context cultures. There is less need to spell things out. Words are not always the primary carriers of meaning. What is not said may be more important than what is said. (SEA, Africa, China, Japan)
Importance of Face
Face is Less Important- Telling the truth is more important than sparing one’s feelings. Honesty is the best policy. It’s okay to say no and to confront people. People don’t worry much about saving face. Getting /giving information efficiently is the primary goal of the communication exchange. (US, G)
Face is More Important- Preserving harmony and saving face are key concerns. The truth, if it threatens harmony or someone’s face, should be adjusted. One says what one thinks the other person wants to hear. It’s not always proper to say no, disagree, or confront (that disturbs harmony). Preserving/ strengthening the personal bond is the goal of the communication exchange. (China, Africa, SEA, Japan)
Power Distance
Low- Democratic management style. Power is not usually jealously guarded, managers share authority with subordinates. Subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to managers. Subordinates do not like to be micromanaged. Decision making tends to be consultative. Okay to say no/ disagree with the boss. Manager/ subordinate relations are fairly informal. Rank has few privileges. (UK, G then US)
High- Authoritarian- Power is centralized. One defers to authority. Managers hold on to power, not much delegation of authority. Subordinates do not take initiative but wait for explicit instructions. Decisions are made at the top. One does not openly disagree with/ say no to the boss. Rank has its privileges. Manager/ subordinate relations are formal. (Russia then SEA, Middle East, Mexico, India, China)
Attitude Toward Uncertainty
Positive- People are not afraid of taking risks or failing. Trial and error/ experimenting is how we learn and improve our products and services. What is different is interesting. Change is positive. New is often better. Tradition is not valued for its own sake. The “way we have always done things” is not necessarily the best way. What we don’t know can’t hurt us. (US)
Skeptical- Taking risks and failing have strong negative consequences and should be avoided if at all possible. One does not try something until one knows it will work. What is different can be dangerous. Change is threatening. New is not necessarily better. Traditions should be respected and are a good guide to the future. There’s a good reason for “the way we have always done things.” What we don’t know can be troubling. (Russia, SEA, ME, C, M, I)
Attitude Toward Work
Achievement- People are motivated by achievement. Ambition is rewarded. Being successful means moving up, getting ahead, and having greater responsibility. Professional opportunity/ the chance to make more money is more important than job security. If people have to choose between work and family, they may choose work. One lives to work. (Japan then US, UK, G)
Quality of Life- A better quality of life is what motivates people to work. A pleasant work setting and good relations with coworkers are as motivating as the chance to make more money and move up. Having time to spend with family is as important as the lure of achievement. More power and responsibility are not automatically attractive. Success means you are admired and respected by others. One works to live. (Russia, Africa then France, Spain)
Key to Productivity
Results- Focusing on the task ensures success. What matters most in employees is their productivity and output, which are related to technical skills and experience. Conflict is sometimes necessary to clear the air and move forward. Getting results is ultimately more important than how you get them. Employee/ employer relationship is often opportunistic. Employee loyalty is not as important as performance/ productivity. (G, US)
Harmony- Harmony in the workplace ensures the success of an organization. What matters in employees is their ability to get along/ work well with others, which is related to personal qualities (more than technical skills). Conflict should be minimized because of disruptive consequences. How you get results is as important as the results themselves. Employer/ employee relationship is like a family. Loyalty is expected and reciprocal. (Japan)
Source of Status
Achieved- Meritocracy- Rank, status, and respect must be earned and do not come with the position or title. Family name and social class do not confer automatic status. People are respected and promoted based on their performance and achievements, regardless of age or seniority. Age/ seniority do not grarantee respect or status. It is relatively easy to change your status (move up). People of higher rank/ status should not act superior to / better than those of lesser. (G, US, Russia)
Ascribed- Autocracy- Rank, position, and title confer automatic status and respect. Social class/ family name confer initial status (but it can be lost if you do not perform well). Achievements are important for promotion, but age and seniority are also highly valued. Age and seniority confer automatic status and respect. It is difficult to change your status (especially to move up). People should be careful not to behave above/ below their station in life. (Africa, Middle East, India)
Concept of Self
Individualist- The self is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for one’s self protects others. Personal fulfillment is the greatest good. Independence and self reliance are highly valued. Children are taught to stand on their own two feet. Workers don’t mind individual recognition. One’s identity is personal and individual, not a function of one’s membership or role in a group. (US)
Collectivist- The primary group, usually the family, is the smallest unit of survival. Looking out for others protects one’s self. Group harmony is the greatest good. Children are taught to depend on others, who in turn can depend on them. Employees don’t like to stand out, they prefer group/ team recognition. Identity is a function of one’s membership/ role in a primary group.(SE Asia, China)
Personal vs. Societal Responsibility
Universalist- What’s right is always right. There are absolutes which apply across the board. The law is the law no matter who one is, there should be no exceptions. Consistency is important. “Fair” means treating everyone the same and one should try to make life fair. (US, UK, Germany)
Particularist- There are no absolutes. What’s right depends on the circumstances. There must always be exceptions (esp. for in-group members). Consistency is not possible (life isn’t that neat). “Fair” means treating everyone uniquely and no one expects life to be fair.(Africa, China, Middle East, then India, Mexico, SE Asia)
Subjective and Objective
Logic of the Head- Favoritism is frowned upon. People should not let personal feelings intrude into or affect workplace/ professional decisions. Friends don’t expect friends to cover for them. People succeed because of what they do, not because of whom they know. To be objective is a positive thing, something to strive for. (same as PS vs. SR)
Logic of the Heart- Favoritism is the norm. Since the system isn’t fair, people have to look out for their in-group (or others). Whom you know, connections are more important than performance. Friends expect, and provide preferential treatment. One can’t and shouldn’t leave personal feelings out of professional dealings.
Concept of Time
Monochronic- Time is a limited commodity. The needs of people are subservient to the demands of time. Deadlines and schedules are sacred. Plans are not easily changed. People may be too busy to see you. People live by an external clock. (US, UK, G)
Polychronic- Time is bent to meet the needs of people. There is always more time. Schedules and deadlines are easily changed. Plans are fluid. People always have time to see you. People live by an internal clock. (India, Africa, Middle East, Mexico)
Time and Other People
One Thing at a Time- People do one thing at a time and finish one thing before starting another. People expect undivided attention. Interruptions are to be avoided. To be late or kept waiting is rude. People stand in line. The goal is to stick to the schedule. (US, UK, G)
Many Things at Once- People may do several things at the same time and may split their attention between several people/ tasks. To be late or kept waiting is okay. Interruptions are part of life. People don’t stand in line. The goal is to enjoy life. (Africa, India)
Locus of Control
Internal- The locus of control is internal. Fate has little or no importance. There are few givens in life, few things that can’t be changed and must just be accepted. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. One makes one’s own luck. Unhappiness is one’s own fault. People tend to be optimistic. Life is what you make it. (US)
External- The locus of control is external. Fate plays a major role. People believe they have limited control over their destiny/ external events. Many things in life must be accepted/ can’t be changed. Success/ lack of success is partly a result of good/ bad fortune. People tend to be realistic/ fatalistic. Life is what happens to you. (Middle East, Africa)
Degree of Directness
Direct- People say what they mean and mean what they say. There is no need to read between the lines. It’s best to tell it like it is. People are less likely to imply and more likely to say exactly what they are thinking. Yes means yes. (Germany, US)
Indirect- People don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say. You have to read between the lines. People are more likely to suggest or imply than to come out and say what they think. You can’t always tell it like it is (what if that upsets the other person?) Yes may mean maybe or even no. (Africa, China, SE Asia)
Role of Context
Low Context- People are individualistic. In-groups are not as well developed as they are in high-context cultures and people spend less time in them, hence there are fewer shared experiences and less shared understanding. One has to spell things out and be explicit. Words are the primary carriers of meaning. What is said is more important than what is not said. (US, G)
High Context- People tend to be collectivistic. In-groups are strong and people spend a lot of time together, hence there are more shared experiences and more common understanding than there are in low-context cultures. There is less need to spell things out. Words are not always the primary carriers of meaning. What is not said may be more important than what is said. (SEA, Africa, China, Japan)
Importance of Face
Face is Less Important- Telling the truth is more important than sparing one’s feelings. Honesty is the best policy. It’s okay to say no and to confront people. People don’t worry much about saving face. Getting /giving information efficiently is the primary goal of the communication exchange. (US, G)
Face is More Important- Preserving harmony and saving face are key concerns. The truth, if it threatens harmony or someone’s face, should be adjusted. One says what one thinks the other person wants to hear. It’s not always proper to say no, disagree, or confront (that disturbs harmony). Preserving/ strengthening the personal bond is the goal of the communication exchange. (China, Africa, SEA, Japan)
Power Distance
Low- Democratic management style. Power is not usually jealously guarded, managers share authority with subordinates. Subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to managers. Subordinates do not like to be micromanaged. Decision making tends to be consultative. Okay to say no/ disagree with the boss. Manager/ subordinate relations are fairly informal. Rank has few privileges. (UK, G then US)
High- Authoritarian- Power is centralized. One defers to authority. Managers hold on to power, not much delegation of authority. Subordinates do not take initiative but wait for explicit instructions. Decisions are made at the top. One does not openly disagree with/ say no to the boss. Rank has its privileges. Manager/ subordinate relations are formal. (Russia then SEA, Middle East, Mexico, India, China)
Attitude Toward Uncertainty
Positive- People are not afraid of taking risks or failing. Trial and error/ experimenting is how we learn and improve our products and services. What is different is interesting. Change is positive. New is often better. Tradition is not valued for its own sake. The “way we have always done things” is not necessarily the best way. What we don’t know can’t hurt us. (US)
Skeptical- Taking risks and failing have strong negative consequences and should be avoided if at all possible. One does not try something until one knows it will work. What is different can be dangerous. Change is threatening. New is not necessarily better. Traditions should be respected and are a good guide to the future. There’s a good reason for “the way we have always done things.” What we don’t know can be troubling. (Russia, SEA, ME, C, M, I)
Attitude Toward Work
Achievement- People are motivated by achievement. Ambition is rewarded. Being successful means moving up, getting ahead, and having greater responsibility. Professional opportunity/ the chance to make more money is more important than job security. If people have to choose between work and family, they may choose work. One lives to work. (Japan then US, UK, G)
Quality of Life- A better quality of life is what motivates people to work. A pleasant work setting and good relations with coworkers are as motivating as the chance to make more money and move up. Having time to spend with family is as important as the lure of achievement. More power and responsibility are not automatically attractive. Success means you are admired and respected by others. One works to live. (Russia, Africa then France, Spain)
Key to Productivity
Results- Focusing on the task ensures success. What matters most in employees is their productivity and output, which are related to technical skills and experience. Conflict is sometimes necessary to clear the air and move forward. Getting results is ultimately more important than how you get them. Employee/ employer relationship is often opportunistic. Employee loyalty is not as important as performance/ productivity. (G, US)
Harmony- Harmony in the workplace ensures the success of an organization. What matters in employees is their ability to get along/ work well with others, which is related to personal qualities (more than technical skills). Conflict should be minimized because of disruptive consequences. How you get results is as important as the results themselves. Employer/ employee relationship is like a family. Loyalty is expected and reciprocal. (Japan)
Source of Status
Achieved- Meritocracy- Rank, status, and respect must be earned and do not come with the position or title. Family name and social class do not confer automatic status. People are respected and promoted based on their performance and achievements, regardless of age or seniority. Age/ seniority do not grarantee respect or status. It is relatively easy to change your status (move up). People of higher rank/ status should not act superior to / better than those of lesser. (G, US, Russia)
Ascribed- Autocracy- Rank, position, and title confer automatic status and respect. Social class/ family name confer initial status (but it can be lost if you do not perform well). Achievements are important for promotion, but age and seniority are also highly valued. Age and seniority confer automatic status and respect. It is difficult to change your status (especially to move up). People should be careful not to behave above/ below their station in life. (Africa, Middle East, India)
Spirit +
Pneuma (pnyoo'-mah) /Ruwach (roo'-akh)
spirit, ghost
From pneo; a current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit -- ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.
Psuche (psoo-khay')/ Nephesh (neh'-fesh)
soul, life, self
From psucho; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from pneuma, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from zoe, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew nephesh, ruwach and chay) -- heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.
Zoe (dzo-ay') (Greek)/chay (khah'-ee)(Hebrew)
lifetime
From zao; life (literally or figuratively) -- life(-time).
Soma (so'-mah)
body
From sozo; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively -- bodily, body, slave.
Sozo (sode'-zo)
heal, be made whole
From a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saos, "safe"); to save, i.e. Deliver or protect (literally or figuratively) -- heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
spirit, ghost
From pneo; a current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit -- ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.
Psuche (psoo-khay')/ Nephesh (neh'-fesh)
soul, life, self
From psucho; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from pneuma, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from zoe, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew nephesh, ruwach and chay) -- heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.
Zoe (dzo-ay') (Greek)/chay (khah'-ee)(Hebrew)
lifetime
From zao; life (literally or figuratively) -- life(-time).
Soma (so'-mah)
body
From sozo; the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively -- bodily, body, slave.
Sozo (sode'-zo)
heal, be made whole
From a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saos, "safe"); to save, i.e. Deliver or protect (literally or figuratively) -- heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
"These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” --Jesus John 5: 39-40
"...a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” --Paul 2Corinthians 3:6
We need recipes, not rules. Creating tool books instead of rule books grows people's spirits. It allows us to be productively human. Tools can be used for the good of self and others. Rules rob people of their ability to think and act independently. Instead of manuals that lock people into dehumanizing behavior, we should focus on the reasons behind things and on the outcomes that we want. -Howard Behar, "It's Not About the Coffee"
"O send out your light and your true word; let them be my guide: let them take me to your holy hill, and to your tents." Psalm 43:3
"Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:4-5
"...a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” --Paul 2Corinthians 3:6
We need recipes, not rules. Creating tool books instead of rule books grows people's spirits. It allows us to be productively human. Tools can be used for the good of self and others. Rules rob people of their ability to think and act independently. Instead of manuals that lock people into dehumanizing behavior, we should focus on the reasons behind things and on the outcomes that we want. -Howard Behar, "It's Not About the Coffee"
"O send out your light and your true word; let them be my guide: let them take me to your holy hill, and to your tents." Psalm 43:3
"Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:4-5
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Revisions to bible study
Christians in every century have held the bible in high esteem and have accepted it as the word of God written. But few have made the rash claim that it is easy to understand. Yet, since the Bible was given to reveal truth and not obscure it, God surely intends that we understand it.
Digging into Scripture
Bible Studies
Derived from:
Rightly Interpreting the Bible
Ron Rhodes
Methodology
The word "method" comes from the Greek word methodos, which literally means "a way or path of transit." Methodology in Bible study is therefore concerned with "the proper path to be taken in order to arrive at Scriptural truth."
This clearly implies that improper paths can be taken. Of course, proper methodology is essential to many fields of endeavor. A heart surgeon does not perform open heart surgery without following proper, objective methodology. Improper methodology in interpreting Scripture is nothing new. Even in New Testament times, the apostle Peter warned that there are teachings in the inspired writings of Paul "which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (distort), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16, insert added).
This verse tells us that mishandling the Word of God can be very dangerous. Indeed, mishandling the Word of God is a "path" to destruction.
Contrary to the practices of some false teachers in Corinth, the apostle Paul assured his readers that he faithfully handled the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:2). Paul admonished young Timothy to follow his example: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, italics added).
A Foundational Truth: God Created Language for a Purpose
A plain reading of Genesis indicates that when God created Adam in His own image, He gave Adam the gift of intelligible speech, thus enabling him to communicate objectively with his creator (and with other human beings) via sharable linguistic symbols called words (Genesis 1:26). God sovereignly chose to use human language as a medium of revelational communication.
If the purpose of God's originating of language was for Him to communication with human beings, as well as to enable human beings to communicate with each another. This view of language is a prerequisite to understanding not only God's spoken word but His written Word (Scripture) as well. The Bible as a body of literature exists because human beings need to know certain truth to which they cannot attain by themselves.
Thus these truths must come to them from without - that is, via special revelation from God (Deuteronomy 29:29).
And this revelation can only be understood if one interprets the words of Scripture according to God's design.
Seeking the Author's Intended Meaning
Instead of superimposing a meaning on the biblical text, the objective interpreter seeks to discover the author's intended meaning (the only true meaning). One must recognize that what a passage means is fixed by the author and is not subject to alteration by readers.
Meaning is determined by the author; it is discovered by readers. Our goal must be exegesis (drawing the meaning out of the text) and not eisogesis (superimposing a meaning onto the text).
Cultists have this with Holy Scripture. They so skew the meaning of the biblical text that it comes out saying something entirely different than what was intended by the author.
Indeed, our method of interpreting Scripture is valid or invalid to the extent that it really unfolds the meaning a statement had for the author and the first hearers or readers.
There can also be related implications for a text or “related sub meanings”, but it is important to look first at the author’s original intended meaning first and to test these sub meanings against other places in scripture.
The Importance of Context
A woman entered the Democratic primary for governor of the state of Texas. She was convinced that the Bible had told her she would win the nomination. When she received the official list of names from the primary she saw her name printed last. Then she read in her Bible, "Many that are first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30). On the basis of that verse she thought God was telling her she would win. But she lost. This amusing story illustrates the need for interpreting Scripture in its proper context. Taken out of context, the Scriptures can be twisted to say just about anything.
Seeking the biblical author's intended meaning necessitates interpreting Bible verses in context. Every word in the Bible is part of a verse, and every verse is part of a paragraph, and every paragraph is part of a book, and every book is part of the whole of Scripture.
No verse of Scripture can be divorced from the verses around it. Interpreting a verse apart from its context is like trying to analyze a Rembrandt painting by looking at only a single square inch of the painting, or like trying to analyze Handel's "Messiah" by listening to a few short notes.
The context is absolutely critical to properly interpreting Bible verses. In interpreting Scripture, there is both an immediate context and a broader context. The immediate context of a verse is the paragraph (or paragraphs) of the biblical book in question. The immediate context should always be consulted in interpreting Bible verses.
The broader context is the whole of Scripture. The entire Holy Scripture is the context and guide for understanding the particular passages of Scripture.
This is why the E100 can be so valuable. It gives us the bigger picture for the broader context of God’s story. When we understand this we can even understand where we fit into the broader context of God’s story so we can interpret events in our lives.
N.T. Wright uses the analogy of the five act play to not only interpret scripture but to interpret our lives. The vast majority of Scripture consists not in a list of rules or doctrines, but in narrative: it tells a remarkably consistent story about God’s plan to restore the world back to God.
Act One: (Creation). Whatever means God uses to create the world it’s a crucial feature of the play that creation is good and that humans are in God’s image.
Act Two: (Fall) God’s good creation is full of rebellion: evil and idolatry become real features of the world.
Act Three: (Israel) The story of Israel as the covenant people of God for the world. This act begins with the Abrahamic covenant and ends with the Jewish anticipation of an event in which God will liberate Israel from spiritual exile and reveal himself as the world’s true King.
Act Four (Jesus) The story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. As the climax of the narrative it represents the inauguration of a new kingdom in which death and sin are being reversed throughout all of creation. As for the teachings of Jesus, these can be helpful, but we must realize that there is an important sense in which many of them (like the laws of ancient Israel) have played out their intended purpose.
Act Five: (New Testament and the people of God). The New Testament forms the first scene of this act. The church is the people of God, in Christ, for the world; their job is to act in character: to live out Act Five by showing the world the true way of being human and to bring about God’s victory over evil on earth. This largely involves improvising and retelling of God’s story and gospel – namely that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead to put the world to rights.
Notice that for Wright the five-act play is not just the grand narrative of Scripture, but also the true story that we are living out – more accurately, we are living out Act Five, which has yet to be completed.
As J. I. Packer puts it, "if we would understand the parts, our wisest course is to get to know the whole." We must keep in mind that the interpretation of a specific passage must not contradict the total teaching of Scripture on a point. Individual verses do not exist as isolated fragments, but as parts of a whole.
The exposition of these verses, therefore, must involve exhibiting them in right relation both to the whole and to each other. Scripture interprets Scripture.
First we determine the meaning of the passage and then we can ask ourselves how this passage and the principles behind it apply to our lives.
Bible study could (and perhaps should) be broken into this method:
Observation – what do you see?
Interpretation – what does it mean?
Correlation – where does it fit?
Application – how does it work?
In keeping this approach, I think it allows someone to grasp the text in a full way before moving ahead too quickly to Application.
The Importance of Literary Meanings
We must be aware of different literary genre. It’s important to understand and identify figures of speech in the Bible.
The Importance of Historical Considerations
Historical considerations are important in properly interpreting the Word of God because the Christian faith is based on historical fact.
Making a Correct Genre Judgment
A "literal" approach to Scripture recognizes that the Bible contains a variety of literary genres, each of which has certain peculiar characteristics that must be recognized in order to interpret the text properly.
Biblical genres include the historical (e.g., Acts), the dramatic epic (e.g., Job), poetry (e.g., Psalms), wise sayings (e.g., Proverbs), and apocalyptic writings (e.g., Revelation).
Obviously, an incorrect genre judgment will lead one far astray in interpreting Scripture. A parable should not be treated as history, nor should poetry or apocalyptic literature (both of which contain many symbols) be treated as straightforward narrative.
The wise interpreter allows his knowledge of genres to control how he approaches each individual biblical text.
In this way, he can accurately determine what the biblical author was intending to communicate to the reader. Now, even though the Bible contains a variety of literary genres and many figures of speech, the biblical authors most often employed literal statements to convey their ideas. Where they use a literal means to express their ideas, the Bible expositor must employ a corresponding means to explain these ideas - namely, a literal approach.
A literal method of interpreting Scripture gives to each word in the text the same basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage - whether employed in writing, speaking, or thinking.
Without such a method, communication between God and man is impossible.
Interpret the Old Testament in Light of the New Testament
God gave revelation to humankind progressively throughout Old and New Testament times. He didn't just give His entire revelation for all time to our first parents, Adam and Eve, or to Moses, the Lawgiver.
Rather, as time went on - as the centuries slowly passed - God provided more and more revelation that became progressively full so that by the time the New Testament was complete, God had told us everything He wanted us to know. In view of this, a key interpretive principle is that one should always interpret the Old Testament in view of the greater light of the New Testament. The Old Testament may be likened to a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted.
The introduction of light brings into it nothing which was not in it before; but it brings out into clearer view much of what is in it but was only dimly or even not at all perceived before.
The Old Testament revelation of God is not corrected by the fuller revelation which follows it, but only perfected, extended, and enlarged. Again, then, the Old Testament should be interpreted according to the greater light of the New Testament. The Old Testament is much clearer when approached through the lens of the New Testament.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit
Scripture tells us that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit's illumination to gain insights into the meaning and application of Scripture (John 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11). It is the Holy Spirit's work to throw light upon the Word of God so that the believer can assent to the meaning intended and act on it.
The Holy Spirit, as the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13), guides us so that "we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Corinthians 2:12). This is quite logical: full comprehension of the Word of God is impossible without prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God, for He who inspired the Word (2 Peter 1:21) is also its supreme interpreter. Illumination is necessary because man's mind has been darkened through sin (Romans 1:21), preventing him from properly understanding God's Word.
Human beings cannot understand God's Word apart from God's divine enablement (Ephesians 4:18).
This aspect of the Holy Spirit's ministry operates within the sphere of man's soulful capacity, which God Himself gave man. Illumination comes to the minds and hearts of God's people.
Since the Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), He does not teach concepts that oppose scripture. In other words, "the Holy Spirit does not guide into interpretations that contradict each other or fail to have internal consistency."
The Example of Jesus Christ
Jesus consistently interpreted the Old Testament characters as being real people and not just fictional characters, including
The Creation account of Adam and Eve (Matthew 13:35; 25:34; Mark 10:6),
Noah's Ark and the flood (Matthew 24:38-39; Luke 17:26-27),
Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 12:39-41),
Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), and
The account of Lot and his wife (Luke 17:28-29).
In his book The Savior and the Scriptures, theologian Robert P. Lightner notes - following an exhaustive study - that Jesus' interpretation of Scripture "was always in accord with the grammatical and historical meaning. He understood and appreciated the meaning intended by the writers according to the laws of grammar and rhetoric."
Jesus affirmed scripture’s divine inspiration (Matthew 22:43),
Its indestructibility (Matthew 5:17-18),
Its infallibility (John 10:35),
Its final authority (Matthew 4:4,7,10),
Its historicity (Matthew 12:40; 24:37),
Its factual inerrancy (Matthew 22:29-32), and
Its spiritual clarity (Luke 24:25).
Moreover, He emphasized the importance of each word of Scripture (Luke 16:17). Indeed, He sometimes based His argumentation on a single expression of the biblical text (Matthew 22:32,43-45; John 10:34).
Correctly Handling the Word of Truth
Jesus said His words lead to eternal life (John 6:63). But for us to receive eternal life through His words, they must be taken as He intended them to be taken.
A cultic reinterpretation of Scripture that yields another Jesus and another gospel (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-9) will yield only eternal death (Revelation 20:11-15).
Derived from:
Rightly Interpreting the Bible
Ron Rhodes
Methodology
The word "method" comes from the Greek word methodos, which literally means "a way or path of transit." Methodology in Bible study is therefore concerned with "the proper path to be taken in order to arrive at Scriptural truth."
This clearly implies that improper paths can be taken. Of course, proper methodology is essential to many fields of endeavor. A heart surgeon does not perform open heart surgery without following proper, objective methodology. Improper methodology in interpreting Scripture is nothing new. Even in New Testament times, the apostle Peter warned that there are teachings in the inspired writings of Paul "which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (distort), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16, insert added).
This verse tells us that mishandling the Word of God can be very dangerous. Indeed, mishandling the Word of God is a "path" to destruction.
Contrary to the practices of some false teachers in Corinth, the apostle Paul assured his readers that he faithfully handled the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:2). Paul admonished young Timothy to follow his example: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, italics added).
A Foundational Truth: God Created Language for a Purpose
A plain reading of Genesis indicates that when God created Adam in His own image, He gave Adam the gift of intelligible speech, thus enabling him to communicate objectively with his creator (and with other human beings) via sharable linguistic symbols called words (Genesis 1:26). God sovereignly chose to use human language as a medium of revelational communication.
If the purpose of God's originating of language was for Him to communication with human beings, as well as to enable human beings to communicate with each another. This view of language is a prerequisite to understanding not only God's spoken word but His written Word (Scripture) as well. The Bible as a body of literature exists because human beings need to know certain truth to which they cannot attain by themselves.
Thus these truths must come to them from without - that is, via special revelation from God (Deuteronomy 29:29).
And this revelation can only be understood if one interprets the words of Scripture according to God's design.
Seeking the Author's Intended Meaning
Instead of superimposing a meaning on the biblical text, the objective interpreter seeks to discover the author's intended meaning (the only true meaning). One must recognize that what a passage means is fixed by the author and is not subject to alteration by readers.
Meaning is determined by the author; it is discovered by readers. Our goal must be exegesis (drawing the meaning out of the text) and not eisogesis (superimposing a meaning onto the text).
Cultists have this with Holy Scripture. They so skew the meaning of the biblical text that it comes out saying something entirely different than what was intended by the author.
Indeed, our method of interpreting Scripture is valid or invalid to the extent that it really unfolds the meaning a statement had for the author and the first hearers or readers.
There can also be related implications for a text or “related sub meanings”, but it is important to look first at the author’s original intended meaning first and to test these sub meanings against other places in scripture.
The Importance of Context
A woman entered the Democratic primary for governor of the state of Texas. She was convinced that the Bible had told her she would win the nomination. When she received the official list of names from the primary she saw her name printed last. Then she read in her Bible, "Many that are first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30). On the basis of that verse she thought God was telling her she would win. But she lost. This amusing story illustrates the need for interpreting Scripture in its proper context. Taken out of context, the Scriptures can be twisted to say just about anything.
Seeking the biblical author's intended meaning necessitates interpreting Bible verses in context. Every word in the Bible is part of a verse, and every verse is part of a paragraph, and every paragraph is part of a book, and every book is part of the whole of Scripture.
No verse of Scripture can be divorced from the verses around it. Interpreting a verse apart from its context is like trying to analyze a Rembrandt painting by looking at only a single square inch of the painting, or like trying to analyze Handel's "Messiah" by listening to a few short notes.
The context is absolutely critical to properly interpreting Bible verses. In interpreting Scripture, there is both an immediate context and a broader context. The immediate context of a verse is the paragraph (or paragraphs) of the biblical book in question. The immediate context should always be consulted in interpreting Bible verses.
The broader context is the whole of Scripture. The entire Holy Scripture is the context and guide for understanding the particular passages of Scripture.
This is why the E100 can be so valuable. It gives us the bigger picture for the broader context of God’s story. When we understand this we can even understand where we fit into the broader context of God’s story so we can interpret events in our lives.
N.T. Wright uses the analogy of the five act play to not only interpret scripture but to interpret our lives. The vast majority of Scripture consists not in a list of rules or doctrines, but in narrative: it tells a remarkably consistent story about God’s plan to restore the world back to God.
Act One: (Creation). Whatever means God uses to create the world it’s a crucial feature of the play that creation is good and that humans are in God’s image.
Act Two: (Fall) God’s good creation is full of rebellion: evil and idolatry become real features of the world.
Act Three: (Israel) The story of Israel as the covenant people of God for the world. This act begins with the Abrahamic covenant and ends with the Jewish anticipation of an event in which God will liberate Israel from spiritual exile and reveal himself as the world’s true King.
Act Four (Jesus) The story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. As the climax of the narrative it represents the inauguration of a new kingdom in which death and sin are being reversed throughout all of creation. As for the teachings of Jesus, these can be helpful, but we must realize that there is an important sense in which many of them (like the laws of ancient Israel) have played out their intended purpose.
Act Five: (New Testament and the people of God). The New Testament forms the first scene of this act. The church is the people of God, in Christ, for the world; their job is to act in character: to live out Act Five by showing the world the true way of being human and to bring about God’s victory over evil on earth. This largely involves improvising and retelling of God’s story and gospel – namely that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead to put the world to rights.
Notice that for Wright the five-act play is not just the grand narrative of Scripture, but also the true story that we are living out – more accurately, we are living out Act Five, which has yet to be completed.
As J. I. Packer puts it, "if we would understand the parts, our wisest course is to get to know the whole." We must keep in mind that the interpretation of a specific passage must not contradict the total teaching of Scripture on a point. Individual verses do not exist as isolated fragments, but as parts of a whole.
The exposition of these verses, therefore, must involve exhibiting them in right relation both to the whole and to each other. Scripture interprets Scripture.
First we determine the meaning of the passage and then we can ask ourselves how this passage and the principles behind it apply to our lives.
Bible study could (and perhaps should) be broken into this method:
Observation – what do you see?
Interpretation – what does it mean?
Correlation – where does it fit?
Application – how does it work?
In keeping this approach, I think it allows someone to grasp the text in a full way before moving ahead too quickly to Application.
The Importance of Literary Meanings
We must be aware of different literary genre. It’s important to understand and identify figures of speech in the Bible.
The Importance of Historical Considerations
Historical considerations are important in properly interpreting the Word of God because the Christian faith is based on historical fact.
Making a Correct Genre Judgment
A "literal" approach to Scripture recognizes that the Bible contains a variety of literary genres, each of which has certain peculiar characteristics that must be recognized in order to interpret the text properly.
Biblical genres include the historical (e.g., Acts), the dramatic epic (e.g., Job), poetry (e.g., Psalms), wise sayings (e.g., Proverbs), and apocalyptic writings (e.g., Revelation).
Obviously, an incorrect genre judgment will lead one far astray in interpreting Scripture. A parable should not be treated as history, nor should poetry or apocalyptic literature (both of which contain many symbols) be treated as straightforward narrative.
The wise interpreter allows his knowledge of genres to control how he approaches each individual biblical text.
In this way, he can accurately determine what the biblical author was intending to communicate to the reader. Now, even though the Bible contains a variety of literary genres and many figures of speech, the biblical authors most often employed literal statements to convey their ideas. Where they use a literal means to express their ideas, the Bible expositor must employ a corresponding means to explain these ideas - namely, a literal approach.
A literal method of interpreting Scripture gives to each word in the text the same basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage - whether employed in writing, speaking, or thinking.
Without such a method, communication between God and man is impossible.
Interpret the Old Testament in Light of the New Testament
God gave revelation to humankind progressively throughout Old and New Testament times. He didn't just give His entire revelation for all time to our first parents, Adam and Eve, or to Moses, the Lawgiver.
Rather, as time went on - as the centuries slowly passed - God provided more and more revelation that became progressively full so that by the time the New Testament was complete, God had told us everything He wanted us to know. In view of this, a key interpretive principle is that one should always interpret the Old Testament in view of the greater light of the New Testament. The Old Testament may be likened to a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted.
The introduction of light brings into it nothing which was not in it before; but it brings out into clearer view much of what is in it but was only dimly or even not at all perceived before.
The Old Testament revelation of God is not corrected by the fuller revelation which follows it, but only perfected, extended, and enlarged. Again, then, the Old Testament should be interpreted according to the greater light of the New Testament. The Old Testament is much clearer when approached through the lens of the New Testament.
Dependence on the Holy Spirit
Scripture tells us that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit's illumination to gain insights into the meaning and application of Scripture (John 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11). It is the Holy Spirit's work to throw light upon the Word of God so that the believer can assent to the meaning intended and act on it.
The Holy Spirit, as the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13), guides us so that "we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Corinthians 2:12). This is quite logical: full comprehension of the Word of God is impossible without prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God, for He who inspired the Word (2 Peter 1:21) is also its supreme interpreter. Illumination is necessary because man's mind has been darkened through sin (Romans 1:21), preventing him from properly understanding God's Word.
Human beings cannot understand God's Word apart from God's divine enablement (Ephesians 4:18).
This aspect of the Holy Spirit's ministry operates within the sphere of man's soulful capacity, which God Himself gave man. Illumination comes to the minds and hearts of God's people.
Since the Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), He does not teach concepts that oppose scripture. In other words, "the Holy Spirit does not guide into interpretations that contradict each other or fail to have internal consistency."
The Example of Jesus Christ
Jesus consistently interpreted the Old Testament characters as being real people and not just fictional characters, including
The Creation account of Adam and Eve (Matthew 13:35; 25:34; Mark 10:6),
Noah's Ark and the flood (Matthew 24:38-39; Luke 17:26-27),
Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 12:39-41),
Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), and
The account of Lot and his wife (Luke 17:28-29).
In his book The Savior and the Scriptures, theologian Robert P. Lightner notes - following an exhaustive study - that Jesus' interpretation of Scripture "was always in accord with the grammatical and historical meaning. He understood and appreciated the meaning intended by the writers according to the laws of grammar and rhetoric."
Jesus affirmed scripture’s divine inspiration (Matthew 22:43),
Its indestructibility (Matthew 5:17-18),
Its infallibility (John 10:35),
Its final authority (Matthew 4:4,7,10),
Its historicity (Matthew 12:40; 24:37),
Its factual inerrancy (Matthew 22:29-32), and
Its spiritual clarity (Luke 24:25).
Moreover, He emphasized the importance of each word of Scripture (Luke 16:17). Indeed, He sometimes based His argumentation on a single expression of the biblical text (Matthew 22:32,43-45; John 10:34).
Correctly Handling the Word of Truth
Jesus said His words lead to eternal life (John 6:63). But for us to receive eternal life through His words, they must be taken as He intended them to be taken.
A cultic reinterpretation of Scripture that yields another Jesus and another gospel (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-9) will yield only eternal death (Revelation 20:11-15).
Monday, November 10, 2008
A Quiet time with God- from Nouwen's Way of the Heart
Quiet time with God is the furnace of transformation. Without it we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.
In our quiet times with God we get rid of our scaffolding; no friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, nothing to distract, just me- naked me, and God. We may find in this empty quiet space confusing ideas, worries of the day, disturbing images, wild fantasies, and weird associations jump about in the mind like monkeys in a banana tree. Everything in us may want to run to friends, work, and distractions.
It is precisely in the midst of this struggle with our worldly self and its demons that our Lord comes to us. He is beside us in all of it.
We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with him and him alone. Our primary task is to keep the eyes of our mind and heart firmly fixed on Him. It is only in the midst of Christ's grace and healing that we can face our sin, show our wounds, and face our own true nature.
As we come to realize that it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us, that he is our true self, we can slowly let our compulsions melt away, take off our masks, and begin to experience freedom as a child of God. We have freedom to be molded into Christ's image, freedom to mature in him, freedom to love and freedom from sin.
So what does this mean in our daily lives? The very first thing we need to do is set apart a time and place to be with God and him alone. The concrete shape of this discipline of solitude will be different for each person but will not remain vague or general. It must be as concrete and specific as daily life is.
Quiet time is a time of purification and transformation, the place of great struggle, and the great encounter. This time is not simply a means to an end. It's ends are met within it. It is the place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from victimizing compulsions of the world. It is a place of salvation.
A heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh. A rebellious heart can be turned into a contrite heart. A closed heart can open itself up. A new self can grow in the loving encounter with Jesus.
Scripture should lead us into the presence of God. We must be careful to use that word not simply as an interesting or motivating word, but as a word that creates the boundaries within which we can listen to the loving caring, gentle presence of God.
Scripture should renew the mind as well as descend slowly from the mind to the heart. The crisis our time in scripture and prayer is that our minds are filled with the ideas of God while our hearts remain far from him. The word heart in the Jewish-Christian tradition refers to the source of all physical, emotional, intellectual, volitional and moral energies. From the hear arise unknowable impulses as well as conscious feelings, moods, and wishes. The heart too has its reasons and is the center of perception and understanding. Finally, the heart is the seat of the will: it makes plans and comes to good decisions. The heart is the central unifying peace of our personal life where we are totally one with no divisions or distinctions. It is the seat of our personality. It is where Christ dwells in us, the hope of Glory.
By it's very nature this kind of holistic, integral meeting with our savior transforms our whole being and opens the eyes of our soul to the truth of ourselves as well as he truth of God. This type of encounter challenges us to hide nothing from God and to surrender ourselves unconditionally to his mercy. In doing this we will unmask many illusions about ourselves and about God and we will be led into the true relationship we are purposed to have with God.
If we spend time with God in the beginning of our day he may slowly build a place in our hearts for that day so that even while studying, gardening, working, or building, the meeting can continue in our heart and keep us aware of God's presence, guidance and counseling, bringing us into a deeper meaning of what it means that God is our Shepherd. The Lord sends us out into the world and calls us back to be with him in a never-ending communion.
In our quiet times with God we get rid of our scaffolding; no friends to talk with, no telephone calls to make, no meetings to attend, no music to entertain, nothing to distract, just me- naked me, and God. We may find in this empty quiet space confusing ideas, worries of the day, disturbing images, wild fantasies, and weird associations jump about in the mind like monkeys in a banana tree. Everything in us may want to run to friends, work, and distractions.
It is precisely in the midst of this struggle with our worldly self and its demons that our Lord comes to us. He is beside us in all of it.
We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with him and him alone. Our primary task is to keep the eyes of our mind and heart firmly fixed on Him. It is only in the midst of Christ's grace and healing that we can face our sin, show our wounds, and face our own true nature.
As we come to realize that it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us, that he is our true self, we can slowly let our compulsions melt away, take off our masks, and begin to experience freedom as a child of God. We have freedom to be molded into Christ's image, freedom to mature in him, freedom to love and freedom from sin.
So what does this mean in our daily lives? The very first thing we need to do is set apart a time and place to be with God and him alone. The concrete shape of this discipline of solitude will be different for each person but will not remain vague or general. It must be as concrete and specific as daily life is.
Quiet time is a time of purification and transformation, the place of great struggle, and the great encounter. This time is not simply a means to an end. It's ends are met within it. It is the place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from victimizing compulsions of the world. It is a place of salvation.
A heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh. A rebellious heart can be turned into a contrite heart. A closed heart can open itself up. A new self can grow in the loving encounter with Jesus.
Scripture should lead us into the presence of God. We must be careful to use that word not simply as an interesting or motivating word, but as a word that creates the boundaries within which we can listen to the loving caring, gentle presence of God.
Scripture should renew the mind as well as descend slowly from the mind to the heart. The crisis our time in scripture and prayer is that our minds are filled with the ideas of God while our hearts remain far from him. The word heart in the Jewish-Christian tradition refers to the source of all physical, emotional, intellectual, volitional and moral energies. From the hear arise unknowable impulses as well as conscious feelings, moods, and wishes. The heart too has its reasons and is the center of perception and understanding. Finally, the heart is the seat of the will: it makes plans and comes to good decisions. The heart is the central unifying peace of our personal life where we are totally one with no divisions or distinctions. It is the seat of our personality. It is where Christ dwells in us, the hope of Glory.
By it's very nature this kind of holistic, integral meeting with our savior transforms our whole being and opens the eyes of our soul to the truth of ourselves as well as he truth of God. This type of encounter challenges us to hide nothing from God and to surrender ourselves unconditionally to his mercy. In doing this we will unmask many illusions about ourselves and about God and we will be led into the true relationship we are purposed to have with God.
If we spend time with God in the beginning of our day he may slowly build a place in our hearts for that day so that even while studying, gardening, working, or building, the meeting can continue in our heart and keep us aware of God's presence, guidance and counseling, bringing us into a deeper meaning of what it means that God is our Shepherd. The Lord sends us out into the world and calls us back to be with him in a never-ending communion.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
But if we didn't think of death as a result that was necessariy negative...
How would this change our thinking? After reading a Readers Digest article on After Death experiences this thought stuck in my mind. Would doctors go to such great lengths to keep people alive if we knew the consequences? If we really saw it as a new birth, a beginning of a new adventure, would it be so sad.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Government's purpose
Wikipedia- Basic security and public order
Additional
-Military Defence
-Security (internal)
-Economic Security (make sure money is worth something)
-Social Security
-Health Care
-Environmental Security
-Education
how can we governmentaly make decisions based on any one religion's principles and say that it is a seperate government and state or say that is a land of religious freedom if you could get penalized based on someone else's religous principles.
Is there a more foundational role to the government?
we can feed the poor and provide shelter for the needy and help with the healing of the sick through our vote as well, but I am not sure if these are things that the government should be in. I can't see why not.
I suppose if you have a Christian majority in a democracy they have the right to impose their principles on people who do not want them. It just feels a little more like controlling actions instead of changing hearts.
Is the government about rewarding and punishing the outward actions? But what actions?
Additional
-Military Defence
-Security (internal)
-Economic Security (make sure money is worth something)
-Social Security
-Health Care
-Environmental Security
-Education
how can we governmentaly make decisions based on any one religion's principles and say that it is a seperate government and state or say that is a land of religious freedom if you could get penalized based on someone else's religous principles.
Is there a more foundational role to the government?
we can feed the poor and provide shelter for the needy and help with the healing of the sick through our vote as well, but I am not sure if these are things that the government should be in. I can't see why not.
I suppose if you have a Christian majority in a democracy they have the right to impose their principles on people who do not want them. It just feels a little more like controlling actions instead of changing hearts.
Is the government about rewarding and punishing the outward actions? But what actions?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Scripture and the Word
The word of God is bigger than scripture. It is God's will and heart (out of the heart the mouth overflow). It is Jesus. It is any time God speaks.
Scripture is an expression of God's word.
“In the beginning.. God said ____ and it was so” Genesis 1
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host….For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
-Psalm 33:6,9
“The Word of God is living and active,
it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit…
it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart. “
Heb 4:12
“In the beginning, the Word (Jesus) existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
-John 1:1
‘And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:14
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” -John 6:63
“Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” –John 6:68
”who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” -2Corinthians 3:6
“A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.” -Matthew 4:4
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
-2Cor 4:6
“And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
-2 Tim 3:15-16
“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:16-21
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
-Romans 15:4
The word of God is bigger than scripture. It is God's will and heart (out of the heart the mouth overflow). It is Jesus. It is any time God speaks.
Scripture is an expression of God's word.
“In the beginning.. God said ____ and it was so” Genesis 1
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host….For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
-Psalm 33:6,9
“The Word of God is living and active,
it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit…
it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart. “
Heb 4:12
“In the beginning, the Word (Jesus) existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
-John 1:1
‘And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:14
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” -John 6:63
“Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” –John 6:68
”who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” -2Corinthians 3:6
“A person cannot live on bread alone but on every word that God speaks.” -Matthew 4:4
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
-2Cor 4:6
“And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God (God-breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
-2 Tim 3:15-16
“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:16-21
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
-Romans 15:4
Monday, November 3, 2008
culture and the Gospel- a good tension
“This shaping always moves in two directions. On the one hand, the church understands that under the power of God, the gospel shapes the culture of a society – its assumptions, its perspectives, its choices. The church knows this because the gospel is always doing that to the very culture that is its own. … On the other hand, because the church is incarnational, it also knows that it will always be called to express the gospel within the terms, styles, and perspectives of its social context. It will be shaped by that context, just as it will constantly challenge and shape that context. The church lives in the confidence that this ought to be so, and that it is the nature of its calling for this to be so." -- Darrell Guder, “Missional Church”
Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the three temptations he faced were...
The temptation to be relevant (to turn stones into bread)
The temptation to be spectacular ("Throw yourself from the parapet of the temple and let the angels catch you and carry you in their arms" ...the temptation to prove himself; to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say [to prove that he was somebody]).
The temptation to be powerful ("I will give you all the kingdoms of this world in their splendor...")
The Christian leader faces the same three temptations. In response to the first temptation, Nouwen suggests...
"The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?"If there is any focus that the Christian leader of the future will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking us, 'Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?'"
In response to the second temptation (to be spectacular), he suggests...
"When you look at today's church, it is easy to see the prevalence of individualism among ministers and priests. Not too many of us have a vast repertoire of skills to be proud of, but most of us still feel that, if we have anything at all to show, it is something we have to do solo."
"Somehow we have come to believe that good leadership requires a safe distance from those we are called to lead... But how can we lay down our life for those with whom we are not even allowed to enter into a deep personal relationship? Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life."
"The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."
"Confession and forgiveness are precisely the disciplines by which spiritualization and carnality can be avoided and true incarnation lived. Through confession, the dark powers are taken out of their carnal isolation, brought into the light, and made visible to the community. Through forgiveness, they are disarmed and dispelled and a new integration between body and spirit is made possible."Finally, in response to the third temptation (to be powerful), Nouwen suggests...
"What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life."
The temptation to be relevant (to turn stones into bread)
The temptation to be spectacular ("Throw yourself from the parapet of the temple and let the angels catch you and carry you in their arms" ...the temptation to prove himself; to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say [to prove that he was somebody]).
The temptation to be powerful ("I will give you all the kingdoms of this world in their splendor...")
The Christian leader faces the same three temptations. In response to the first temptation, Nouwen suggests...
"The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?"If there is any focus that the Christian leader of the future will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking us, 'Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?'"
In response to the second temptation (to be spectacular), he suggests...
"When you look at today's church, it is easy to see the prevalence of individualism among ministers and priests. Not too many of us have a vast repertoire of skills to be proud of, but most of us still feel that, if we have anything at all to show, it is something we have to do solo."
"Somehow we have come to believe that good leadership requires a safe distance from those we are called to lead... But how can we lay down our life for those with whom we are not even allowed to enter into a deep personal relationship? Laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life."
"The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."
"Confession and forgiveness are precisely the disciplines by which spiritualization and carnality can be avoided and true incarnation lived. Through confession, the dark powers are taken out of their carnal isolation, brought into the light, and made visible to the community. Through forgiveness, they are disarmed and dispelled and a new integration between body and spirit is made possible."Finally, in response to the third temptation (to be powerful), Nouwen suggests...
"What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life."
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