Category: Eschatology
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Living Simply in Abundance (16)
So far in this series, we've explored the relationship between consumption, saving, and giving; we've talked about the dynamics of generating economic abundance; we've looked at the economic differences between our world and the ancient world; we've done a quick survey of the biblical narrative concerning wealth and abundance; we've reflected on the impact Modernism,…
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Economic Fallacies: “New Creation Now”
The "New Creation Now" fallacy holds that we can create "heaven on earth" while disregarding the reality that the New Creation can not be fully realized until Christ's return. It is common for economic critics to look at any issues that concern them (ex., income distribution, pollution, corporate abuse), compare them to the biblical narrative…
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Economic Fallacies: “Work is Instrumental”
The "Work is Instrumental" fallacy views human economic labor as purely instrumental in service to higher pursuits of spirituality and intellect. Humanity was created in the image of God. The image of God has primarily been understood through substantive categories throughout much of Western Church history. The substantive view is expressed in two ways: ontological…
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Imago Dei and the Material World (Part 4)
I closed my last post with the question, "How then does our work in this time of the Kingdom "already but not yet" have an eschatological impact?" The first way our work has an eschatological impact is through our daily work. Through our work, we are formed and transformed. We come into the world with…
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Imago Dei and the Material World (Part 3)
Throughout most of history, the Church has taken an instrumental view of human work and economic activity. There is no question that work has such value. Through our labors, we provide food, clothing, and shelter. Work sustains us so we can do those distinctly human activities like worship God, meditate on who God is, educate…
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Imago Dei and the Material World (Part 1)
What are we to make of the world we live in? What is our relationship to the created order? Many Christians in recent years have reevaluated the significance of the material world in light of the biblical narrative. Recovery of eschatological and teleological frameworks has become central to this renewed interest. Until recently, most mainline…
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Household: “Head” in Ephesians
Our next stop is Ephesians. Three passages use the "head" metaphor in Ephesians. One is in the household code in Chapter 5. We will first examine the other two instances in this post and then return to the household code in a later post. Unlike Colossians, Ephesians does appear to be addressing any particular heresy.…
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Household: The Royal Family
Rom 8:12-30 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who…
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Household: Context for the Post-Resurrection Household of God
We are finished with Jesus' use of fictive family. In the coming posts, I will focus on the post-Resurrection Church. Before going there, I think it might be helpful to reset the stage. We have looked at the nature of the Greco-Roman household. Patriarchy, patronage, honor, and status were driving cultural influences. The Roman Empire…