Ministry And Theology

This book provides answers to the following questions:

• “What is the tithing behavior of the different age-groups that make up the congregations found in Seventh-day Adventist churches?”

• “What is motivating Seventh-day Adventists to tithe?”

The answers are based on the results of the analysis of more than 118,000 separate tithe receipts and the responses of over 8,000 surveys collected in five countries.

WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS BOOK?

• Academics and researchers who are interested in the demographics of and motivations for giving behavior;

• Professionals such as church pastors, church administrators, stewardship directors, church treasurers, and others who are interested in what is motivating church members to tithe, and the various factors that influence giving;

• Anybody who is interested in patterns of and motives for giving.

This chapter considers the public reading of Scripture, with the aim of expressing its literary beauty and theological richness and doing ‘vocal exegesis’, rather than losing these due to lack of preparation and committing the ‘heresy of boredom’. It suggests strategies for readers to prepare, to consider words, phrases and images, and to make interpretive choices, note variety in texts and read characters.

Texts from Qumran received attention in publications and research since their discovery. The text under investigation here is no exception. There are some serious questions to consider in relation with this text: What can this Qumran text tell us about the relationship with the consonantal text of the Masoretic Tradition? What can it tell us about its relationship with any of the Ancient Translations? What can it tell us about its relationship with the so-called LXX or Septuagint? And what can it tell us about the condition of the Septuagint in the pre-Christian era? What scholars may not have realized, is that 4QLXXNum is able to tell us something about the conditions of the Hebrew Vorlage in the pre-Christian period related to the existence or not of one canonical perceived and applied text. Textual variety over millennia is no secret nor surprise. Close correlation of texts over millennia is a noteworthy surprise. It appears that 4QLXXNum is the survival of a pre-Antiochus Epiphanes text-form of the Septuagint (pre-164 BCE) which was more literal and in line with the consonantal text of the Masoretic tradition than the Greek text-form that survived in post-Epiphanes times through Christian hands. Since 4QLXXNum is aligning so well with the consonantal text of the Masoretic tradition (a period of nearly 1148 years) the stability of these two texts calls for a canon form to have existed almost identical to the consonantal text of the Masoretic tradition from which the literal translation was made. It implies that this form existed already at Qumran. Any deviation from this standard is later and due to degenerative scholarship. Wevers is correct, he did not reconstruct the original Septuagint of Genesis for the Göttingen edition. He reconstructed the post-Epiphanes degenerative product and what was preserved through Christian hands, and not the original, of which 4QLXXNum is an example.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews writes to a small group of former Jews, who are now followers of Christ. They have suffered much on account of their commitment to Jesus, and many of them have faltered in their pilgrimage of faith.Their pastor is temporarily absent from the group, so he writes to encourage them to persevere, and to warn them of the serious implications of abandoning their faith in Jesus.

The Fourth Gospel’s (FG) account of Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate has some affinities with Mark and-to a lesser degree-with Luke’s narrative; but overall, John marches according to his own drum-beat. The most obvious difference between the FG’s account of the Roman Trial and the Synoptics is their length. The FG devotes 593 words to its account (18.28-19.16) of the trial compared with 338 words for Matthew (27.11- 31), 265 for Mark (15.1-20), and 252 for Luke (23.1-5, 13-25). However, a more startling difference is the FG’s positioning of the scourging and the Roman soldiers’ mocking of Jesus in the midst of Pilate’s investigation of the charges against Jesus. Matthew and Mark place these events at the end of Pilate’s interrogation of Jesus, just prior to his being handed over to be crucified. In contrast the FG situates them in the midst of Pilate’s inquiry, that is, as scene four (John 19.1-3) of the seven scenes that form the FG’s trial narrative. Thus John distances the scourging and the troops’ mockery from Pilate’s handing Jesus over to be crucified. Why does he do this? He does it for dramatic effect: so as to forcefully portray the abused, pitiable, and mocked Jesus, as indeed being the true King (Messiah) of Israel. Hence the FG’s remarkably frequent use of basileu/j and basilei/a in its trial narrative.

This chapter traces the lasting influence of the King James, or Authorised, Version of the Bible on several aspects of Western culture, including the English language, art, music, education, social reform and democracy.

The theory that Jesus of Nazareth spoke and taught exclusively in Aramaic rather than Hebrew achieved its present dominant position just over a century ago due largely to the labour of Gustaf Dalman. His primary motivation was not the recovery of the historical Jesus, however, but to support his deep commitment to the Protestant movement to convert Jews. This movement did not escape the impact of escalating anti-Semitism in society, intensified by rapid progress towards German national unification. One Christian response to anti-Semitism was to "extract" Jesus from Judaism by contrasting him with "Jewish" attitudes and values held by Jewish spiritual authorities. Dalman's contribution was to extract Jesus from the ethnically exclusive Hebrew language by insisting that he spoke only the more widely-used lingua franca of the region, Aramaic. By over-stating his case and going beyond the evidence, Dalman revealed his indebtedness to the anti-Semitic spirit of his age.

The cardinal study on the topic of pig eating in the Ancient Near East, is the work of Billie Jean Collins (2006). She focused basically on the issue as it relates to the Hittite cuneiform texts but did also probe sideways to other nations and the Bible, albeit minor comments. This study wishes to stand on the shoulders of Collins, adjusting some statements, adding other aspects from Archaeological sites and Gerhard Hasel’s explanation of Clean and Unclean in Leviticus 11. What was found in this presentation, is that chronology as backbone in the Scriptures, if taken seriously, could explain the presence or absence of pig eating practices also among the Hittites and Egyptians (the New Kingdom).

This research has investigated Collins’ contribution of Hittites and Pig Consumption, Pigs in Hittite archaeology, Pigs in Egypt, Pigs in Mesopotamia, Pigs in Zoo-archaeology at Hesban in Transjordan, Pigs at Sites in Canaan, Pigs as Offerings in Hittite Rituals, Pig Taboo Rules in the Ancient Near East, Pigs as Medical Use in Mesopotamia, Pig Taboo in the Old Testament by Ackerman (1992) and Collins (2006), Pig Taboo among Later Greeks, Pig Taboo in the Old Testament by Gerhard Hasel (1991,1994).

Whereas the other Nations around Israel display an S-curve or down-trend and up-trend in the appearance and disappearance of evidence for the taboo against pig-eating, among the Israelites it was a straight line unchanged. For that matter, the sojourn in Egypt, the Exodus from Egypt, the presence in Assyria, the presence in Babylonia or Egypt later during the exiles and Persian periods, should be taken into consideration for observations from cuneiform texts, from papyri or pyramid texts or from the travel descriptions of Herodotus. The biblical reality of Israelites living in these domains under consideration and the evidence or absence of taboos against pig-eating from the same areas and times, necessitate re-evaluations of the data.

A guide to how 17th-century Puritan theology doctrines influenced the development of Seventh-Day Adventism.

This book review discusses the similar origins that Signs to life and Meditation on According to John have, and how both books are audience focused but have different audiences.

Justice runs like the strand of a cord through the Bible, which explains that God is the source of justice, and that justice can be known sufficiently by persons who are open to understanding it. More importantly, the Bible asserts that justice can be "done" by willing people. It will not be established universally in this world, however, but will be finally and fully established in the world of the future.

The article explores the circumstances relating to the historical emergence of the Seventh-day Adventist Health Message. The author raises the question whether the vision given to Ellen White, during her opening Sabbath prayer on Friday evening, June 5, 1863, was simply a matter of coincidence? Or, in view of the prevailing views and practices was God’s choice to communicate at such a specific point of time, intentional? In this context, the author explores the heart of the heath message suggesting that the “Otsego Health” vision drew attention to what matters to God most, namely spiritual health. Secondly, it prompted an awareness of a holistic approach to well-being. Finally, the author asserts the “health message” contains a motivational and inspirational framework for God’s mission in the world.

There are a number of major contributing factors that predict if adolescent faith will morph into young adult faith and an active contribution to the life of the church. The latest Valuegenesis study in the South Pacific Region has given us insight into what the major contributors are: these include meaningful relationships with adults within their church, and an atmosphere/climate in their church which encourages openness, questioning, and thinking for oneself. Families where the faith of parents is openly shared and a style of parenting which encourages decision making by the child also see positive results. Involvement in the life of the church and especially youth ministry which encourages short term mission contribute to an intrinsic orientation to religion which is an indicator of adolescent faith continuing into young adult years.

The Sabbath was designed at the creation as a time of fellowship, community and relationship enriched by the presence of God. The sanctification of the day encouraged the building of rich human and divine relationships and where we also see our connection to all the creation.

By reminding us of our true relationship to God and to each other, the Sabbath provides an opportunity to relate as inclusive humans. Sabbath is the opportunity to set aside differences of race, gender, age and character and find unity in the love and adoration of God. Unity is possible within the divine model of fellowship, love and acceptance.

As a time of emptying it gives opportunity for reflection and for repentance and provides opportunity for us to share and support each other in a unified goal of oneness with God and single-minded empathy. The Sabbath provides a time of unified purpose, community harmony and the need to belong. It is a day of enriched relational development, providing a time of free-flowing communication without distractions to hinder understanding. It is a time for reflection upon our relationship, choices, our walk with God, and our privilege to rejoice in community.

This article argues that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany and the sinful woman in Luke 7 should be identified as one and the same, as long held by Christian tradition but recently challenged. Comparison of the four Gospel narratives of Christ’s anointing reveals numerous details supporting this identification and none contradicting it. For privacy and security reasons the synoptics may have suppressed Mary’s identity, backstory and hometown of Bethany, linking her instead to Magdala, her temporary workplace. John, writing later, can reveal more. Sustained literary motifs also build a consistent characterisation. An intriguing story emerges which, far from discrediting Mary from influence or ministry, honours a woman called by Christ to be an apostle even to the apostles and an eyewitness to his resurrection and transformative grace, the essence of his message. This reading recognises sexism in Christian history even from the first but critiques it, affirming egalitarianism.

In Dan 9:24, the word shabuim has been variously translated as “weeks,” “sevens,” or “weeks of years,” various schools of interpretation generally preferring though rarely requiring one translation or the other for support. In terms of its root relationships and nominal pattern, it is clear that the singular word has the basic meaning of a unit of seven. On the other hand, it is never used in such a way that there is any doubt about what elements comprise the unit. This fact goes against the suggestion that shabuim should here be translated as “sevens.” In all previous instances in Biblical Hebrew, shabuim means a week of days. However, the distinctive use of the masculine plural form in Dan 9:24 suggests that a different nuance may be present here. The chiasmus between vss. 2 and 24 and the background of both verses in the cycle of annual sabbaths confirm that weeks of years are here in view. Suggestions are made as to how best to translate shabuim since the expression “of years” is not found in the original.

’Did Matthew ”twist” the Scriptures?’ ’Where did Satan come from?’ ’My Reading? Your Reading? Author (-ity) and Postmodern Hermeneutics.’ ’Paul and Moses: Hermeneutics from the Top Down.’ Learning from Ellen White’s Perception and Use of Scripture: Toward An Adventist Hermeneutic For The Twenty-First Century. Questions and issues like these are presented in this selection of papers and presentations from a Bible conference at Avondale College on the broad topic of intertextuality. More than 100 scholars and administrators convened and shared their research as well as their personal perspectives on how to read and apply holy Scripture in the 21st century. This anthology contains a representative sample of their studies and reflections [from publisher website].

An exploration of the pros and cons of intertextuality as a way of understanding Scripture. Historical Criticism has often been seen as the domain of liberal approaches to exegesis, but evangelicals may become the rightful heirs of this approach as liberalism diminishes the place of history in understanding Scripture in favour of more literary subjective approaches.