#alphacrucis

[pamelaamore]

#studying The New Testament ❤️‍🔥 📚 💻 🖱 #alphacruciscollege #alphacrucis #alphacruciscollegeitaly #ac #katecheocollege #katecheo #katecheocollegeragusa #kcragusa #studyinspiration #studyingthebible #studytime #newtestament #studyingthenewtestament https://www.instagram.com/p/CVqB8FuI46h/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bryonydunnphotography]

Crux Constellation / Southern Cross #cruxconstellation #southerncross #alphacrucis #betacrucis #gammacrucis #deltacrucis #epsiloncrucis #alphacentauri #betacentauri #stars #starrynight #skyscape #sky #nightsky #space #celestial #nature #natureisbeautiful #starphotography #skyphotography #nightphotography #naturephotography #EtoE2 #ethereal_softness #ethereal_moods #gloomy_side_views #skyshooting #sky_australia #withGalaxy #viewbug (at Broadford, Victoria) https://www.instagram.com/bryonydunnphotography/p/BugXXGYFe7n/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w9umkvpglszp

[hellowingman]

@holgatebeer Alpha Crucis Aus IPA 5.5% ABV #craftbeer #beergeek #beerporn #craftlife #craftypint #beerstagram #beerlife #beeradvocate #craftkulture #craftbeerfreak #beerfreak #beersnob #beerart #drinkcraftbeer #crazyaboutbeer #beerploration #beertography #craftbeerjunkie #craftbeerlife #craftbeerlove #thebeernation #instabeer #beergram #beerbant #beerjpg #hellowingman #holgatebeer #alphacrucis #ipa

[mpathe]

a new angle for a #newflag for #Australia #vexillology SHINE. A new Design declaring Australia with an #abstractlandscape structure in response to the challenge of #minimal #symbolism and #polychrome colour use (5). The 4 fields are a loose #saltire of #diagonals from cross axes through an inclined #SouthernCross device*. The device presents a hierarchy of magnitude starting with the Commonwealth Star (as #AlphaCrucis) near its current ANF position. The design aims for an #dynamicsymmetry with fields in black, #bluegreen and #ochre and #gold beneath the original star device. Colour field boundaries are #straightlines with a new blue-green 'aqua or blue gum' hoist opposite a yellow ochre fly. Iron Oxide base suggesting the wide '#redcentre' earth of the island continent, and a colour of #Uluru. A national identity for all of multicultural Australia is suggested by intersections of four colours "#beneaththeSouthernCross". The connection to country develops our national symbols and colours from the #Dreaming and for future aspirations of #wellbeing and #unity. This #contemporary #Australianidentity transcends colonial imagery and acknowledges our indigenous nations' 60,000+ years custodianship by #abstraction. The design is intended to alongside the #ATSI flags. *©2015-18 simon alexander cook CC NC ND This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3 . 0 Australia License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Brh89gRFBPV/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14cw9kawj9pon

[quinquedesign]

The Acrux (Atlas Series) wall hanging in grey. Made with %100 cotton and real brass. Alpha Crucis is a multiple star system located 321 light - years from the Sun in the constellation of Crux and part the asterism known as the Southern Cross. With a combined visual magnitude of 0.76. It is the brightest star in Crux and the 13th brightest star in the night sky. It is the southern most first-magnitude star. Just a little more southerly than Alpha Centauri. Online shop / www.havanhome.com & www.hipicon.com #wallhanging #wallaccessories #walldecor #quinque #quinquedesign #acrux #alphacrucis #alphacentauri #atlas #galaxy #crux #nebula #esoteric #geometry #circle #grey #fringed #ethnic #astrology #shamanist #nigthsky #apartmenttherapy #interiordetails #interioraccessories

[taivastelia]

3. Kutsumus: lähtökohta ja merkitys pastoraalisessa tehtävässä

Edellisiä kirjoituksia tehdessäni taivastelin, miten monitahoinen ja vaativa seurakunnan paimenen rooli on. Miten ihmeessä sitten kukaan lähtee toteuttamaan pastoraalista tehtävää? Päädyin siihen, että ennen kaikkia tarvitaan kutsu ja kutsumus. Kutsumustietoisuudesta tulikin sitten keskustelua viimeisellä lähiopiskelurupeamalla huhtikuussa ja siitä päädyin vielä laajentamaan jo kirjoittamaani.

Näen, ettei seurakunnan tehtävissä yleensäkään, ja varsinkaan paimenen roolissa, jaksa tai edes tule olla, ellei koe kutsumusta kyseiseen tehtävään. Niinpä lähdin pärvöttämään asiaa kutsumustietoisuudesta käsin, johon törmäsin McGrath-Merkelin artikkelin kohdalla[1], josta enemmän seuraavassa blogikirjoituksessa.

Kutsumistietoisuuteen liittyy kutsu, joka Vanhassa testamentissa oli sama asia, kuin Jumalan valinta. Esimerkiksi kansan johtajalta vaadittiin Jumalan kutsua.[2] Tämän lisäksi kutsumukseen yhdistyy kuuliaisuus. Voidaan toisaalta nähdä kirkon opetuksessa jo luomiseen pohjautunut kutsu jokapäiväiseen tehtävään ja toisaalta se nähtiin erityisenä kirkon palvelutehtävänä kuten pappeutena. Historiassa voidaan nähdä juuri luostariliikkeen vaikutus vahvistamassa tätä hengellisen kutsumuksen korostamista.[3] Tähän lisäisin, että molemmat kutsumukset ovat tasavertaisia ja yhtä tärkeitä – tehtävän luonne vain on erilainen.

Lisäksi Smith jakaa nämä kutsut ensiksi yleiseen kutsuun Kristuksen seuraajana ja toteuttaa tehtävää rakastamalla Jumalaa ja lähimmäistä. Toiseksi erityiseen kutsuun, jolloin toteutamme erityistä tehtävää Jumalan missiossa. Kolmanneksi välittömään vastuuseen, niihin tehtäviin tai velvollisuuksiin, joihin Jumala on meidät kutsunut tänään. Ne asiat, joita emme voi sivuuttaa jokapäiväisessä elämässämme - kuten vastuu perheestä.[4]

Jeesuksen työ maan päällä kuvaa hyvin sitä, miten hän oli tietoinen kutsumuksestaan. Miten keskittyneesti, kiireettä ja koruttomasti Hän tekikään työtään. Lopussa näemme Hänen vielä lausuvan: "Minä olen kirkastanut sinut maan päällä saattamalla päätökseen työn, jonka annoit tehdäkseni"[5] Kunpa voisimme itsekin levosta käsin sanoa päiviemme lopussa saaneemme valmiiksi meille annetun työn.[6]

Jeesuksen kutsumustietoisuuden näenkin olevan yhtenevä luterilaisen opin kanssa, jossa palvelutehtävään ryhtyvällä tulee olla henkilökohtainen (sisäinen= vocatio interna) kutsumus. Kirkon tehtäväksi muodostuu kutsua ja valtuuttaa tehtävään (vocatio externa). Vihkimyksessä henkilö erotetaan hoitamaan tehtäväänsä siunaamalla kätten päällepanemisen kautta ja rukoilemalla Pyhän Hengen ohjausta toimen toteuttamiseen.[7] Jeesuksellakin oli sisäinen kutsumus tehtäväänsä, Jumala valtuutti hänet Pyhän Hengen kasteessa ja näin Jeesuksen julkinen työ alkoi [8].

Mitä merkitsee olla kutsuttu? Kutsu on sisäistä varmuutta siitä, että minut on tarkoitettu juuri tähän tehtävään Jumalan kutsumana[9]. Usein kutsumus antaa motivaation [10] ja intohimon kyseiseen tehtävään. Smith lisää, että kutsuttuna eläminen on kaikkien kolmen kutsumusmuodon samanaikaisesti elämistä. Meidän tulee hyväksyä päivittäisten tehtävien rutiininomaisen suorittamisen vastuu voidaksemme toteuttaa yleistä ja erityistä kutsua.[11] Toisaalta kutsumus voi vaatia kuuliaisuutta uskaltaa hypätä tuntemattomaan Jumalaan luottaen. Maarit Eronen kuvaa sitä näin: ”Olen huomannut, että Jumala valitsee usein keskivertoihmisiä, jotka ovat tarpeeksi lapsenmielisiä heittäytymään. Hän ei välttämättä otakaan käyttöönsä vahvuuksiani, jotten luottaisi itseeni vaan joutuisin turvautumaan häneen. On ratkaisevaa uskaltaa ottaa riski. Sitten hän yllättää kaikki”.[12]

Mitä kutsumus antaa työhön? Parhaimmillaan mielekkyyttä, sisäisen perustan miksi ja kenelle tätä työtä teen, jonka vuoksi pystyy rajaamaan tehtäviään. Se antaa myös intoa ja rohkeutta työn tekemiseen, itsensä kehittämiseen ja uskallukseen olla edellä käyvänä.[13]  

 Lähteet:

Hiltunen, Jari Olavi 2021                "Maarit Erosen elämäkerrassa näkyy yhden naisen vahva kutsumus- tietoisuus ja jopa pilkahdus nykyajan kirkkohistoriaa", Ristin Voitto: Internet -lähde: https://www.ristinvoitto.fi/mielipiteet/maarit_erosen_elamakerrassa_nakyy_yhden_naisen_vahva_kutsumustietoisuus_ja_jopa_pilkahdus_nykyajan_kirkkohistoria/. Viitattu 29.4.2021.

Kirkollisten toimitusten opas 2009                Sinä olet kanssani. Kirkollistentoimitusten opas. Toinen Painos. Helsinki: Kirkkohallitus.  Internet -lähde: https://evl.fi/documents/1327140/55718882/Sin%C3%A4+olet+kanssani.+Kirkollisten+toimitusten+opas.pdf/df32c4ea-590c-6823-cd34-755760ad4448. Viitattu 10.03.2021.

McGrath-Merkel, Clare 2011                "Gregory the Great's Metaphor of the Physician of the Heart as a Model for Pastoral Identity"Journal of Religion and Health, 50/ 2, 374-388.            Internet-osoitteessa: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41349795.pdf?ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Ftest&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ada47982783c3c0a05ad30d36d9f6fccd. Viitattu 10.3.2021.

Alphacrucis Gollege (tied. puutt.)  MIN101/MIN401 Ordination, Calling and Women - PowerPoint-esitys. Internet -lähde:  https://isokirja.mmg.fi/mod/resource/view.php?id=27547.  Viitattu 08.04.2021.

Saarinen, Maria 2004                Piispojen pappiskandidaatteihin kohdistamat odotukset. Tampere: Kirkon tutkimuskeskus. Internet -osoitteessa: https://evl.fi/documents/1327140/45386794/Www+3/745fb482-863f-173b-5539-9bdfc08e42fd. Viitattu 11.03.2021.

Smith, Gordon T. 2014                Called to Be Saints : An Invitation to Christian Maturity. Illinois: InterVarsityPress. Internet -osoite: https://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzY3NTI4OF9fQU41?sid=6f3a1055eb9f4642bab83f9460ccf9e5@sessionmgr4008&vid=1&format=EB. Viitattu 16.04.2021.

Teinonen, Seppo A. & Teinonen, Riitta 2003                 Ajasta ylösnousemukseen: Sata sanaa teologiaa. Jyväskylä: Kirjapaja.

[1] McGrath – Merkel 2011.

[2] Teinonen & Teinonen 2003, 19.

[3] Teinonen & Teinonen 2003. 139 - 140.

[4] Alphacrucis Gollege, dia 8.

[5] Joh. 17:4.

[6] Smith 2014, 89-90.

[7] Kirkollisten toimitusten opas 2009, 118.

[8] Mark. 1:9-11.

[9] Saarinen 2004, 30.

[10] Saarinen 2004, 30.

[11] Alphacrucis Gollege, dia 9.

[12] Hiltunen 2021.

[13] Saarinen 2004, 30, 45.

[faithfulnews]

ANZABS 2018 program and abstracts

ANZABS CONFERENCE 2018

6-7 December, 2018

Venue: Wesley Hall, Trinity Methodist College, 202A St Johns Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland 1072 Thursday 6 December 9.30 am – REGISTRATION 10.00-10.10 – mihi 10.10-11.00 – Keynote speaker: Robert Myles – Fishing for Eyewitnesses in the Fourth Gospel 11.00-11.30 – Morning tea 11.30-12.00 – Lyndon Drake – Economic Capital in the Hebrew Bible 12.00-12.30 – Anne Aalbers – Resurrection and Celibacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? 12.30-1.00 – Jonathan Robinson – "And he was with the beasts," (Mark 1:13): Ambiguity, Interpretation and Mark as a Jewish Author 1.00-2.00 – Lunch 2.00-2.30 – Ben Hudson – Ethical Exhortation and the Decalogue in Ephesians 2.30-3.00 – Csilla Saysell – The Servant as 'a covenant of/for people' in Deutero-Isaiah 3.00-3.30 – Afternoon tea 3.30-4.00 – Jacqueline Lloyd – Did Jesus minister in Gaulanitis? 4.00-4.30 – Mark Keown – Jesus as the New Joshua 4.30 – AGM Friday 7 December 9.30-10.00 – Ben Ong – Pākehā Reading of the New Testament 10.00-10.30 – Jordan Chapman – Nero as “The Destroyer” in Revelation 9:11 10.30-11.00 – Morning tea 11.00-11.30 – Sarah Hart – The Rich–Poor Divide: Seeking Biblical Directives 11.30-12.00 – Paul Trebilco – What does Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, tell us about the Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century CE? 12.00-12.30 – Ross Millar – Narrative of the discourses: the introductory settings of Matthew’s teaching discourses 12.30-1.00 – Deane Galbraith – Jeremiah Wrote an Epilogue, And It Once Had a Mighty Fine Whine: The Original Prophecy of Unmitigated Doom in Jeremiah 25.1-13Lunch 1.00-2.00 – Lunch 2.00-2.30 – Stephen Gerbault – The Gospel of John, David F. Ford, and Reading in the Spirit 2.30-3.00 – Philip Church – “In Speaking of a New Covenant, God Declares the First Obsolete” (Heb 8:13): Supersessionism in the Book of Hebrews 3.00-3.30 – Julia van den Brink, “Blessed God”: The use of μακάριος to describe God in 1 Tim 1:11; 6:15 3.30-4.00 – Rikk Watts – The Stronger one and the dove: Revisiting two discarded images. 4.00 – closing words and karakia. Afternoon tea and chat for those who wish to stay. Registration To cover catering costs, there will be a registration fee for ANZABS 2018: Student/lower income presenters - $20 Student/lower income attendees - $40 Everyone else - $80 Please pay this registration fee in cash, on the day. To sign up for attending the conference, please register here: https://goo.gl/forms/Cs3yPj8xJQEmWQel1 Full abstracts are below. Abstracts Anne Aalbers, University of Auckland Resurrection and Celibacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? In this paper I am proposing that, integral to religious belief in the first century, sexual abstinence – or celibacy – was the assumed status of the resurrected. I will discuss not only familiar NT texts but also some evidence of Jewish ascetic practice such as that which comes to us from the texts of the Judaean Desert. Greek and Latin historical sources, as well as insight available to us from common proto-gnostic attitudes, reveal a consistent cultural understanding of celibacy in the eschaton. Such diverse sources of support for the idea would suggest that, in any record of the account of the resurrected Jesus, the Gospel writers would assume this to be the case. In my PhD thesis I am proposing that John’s Gospel shows full consistency with this expectation and that Jesus’ puzzling prohibition to Mary Magdalene, not to touch him while he is still embodied before ascension (20:17), is motivated by this understanding. Julia van den Brink, Laidlaw College ‘Blessed God’: The use of μακάριος to describe God in 1 Tim 1:11; 6:15 Blessing statements using μακάριος are scattered throughout the Septuagint (LXX) and the New Testament (NT). Most are found in beatitudes (e.g. blessed are the poor, Luke 6:20). In the diverse uses of μακάριος across the LXX and NT, there appears to be one rule for its use: it is never used to describe God. While God may be described as ‘blessed’ using εὐλογητος, he is not praised with μακάριος. There are, however, two noticeable exceptions: 1 Timothy 1:11 and 6:15. In this paper, I will explore some possible explanations for why the author of 1 Timothy has seemingly broken with tradition and described God using μακάριος. Jordan Chapman, University of Otago Nero as ‘The Destroyer’ in Revelation 9:11 The angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11 is given two names, both of which mean, ‘The Destroyer.’ Most commentators note that an allusion to the Greco-Roman deity Apollo can be seen in the Greek name of the angel, but fail to develop its significance. Epigraphical and literary sources attest to Nero's self-association with Apollo, and the Nero-like traits of the Beast later in Revelation (13, 17) make an Apollo-Nero allusion probable. In evoking Nero in Revelation 9, John fleshes out the nature of idolatry in the chapter and foreshadows his use of Nero-like qualities for the Beast. Philip Church, Laidlaw College ‘In Speaking of a New Covenant, God Declares the First Obsolete’ (Heb 8:13): Supersessionism in the Book of Hebrews In the 2000 edition of his Hebrews commentary Robert Gordon claimed that Hebrews was supersessionist. In the second edition (2008) he added an eighteen page defence of that claim. Since Hebrews was written by an ethnic Jew to ethnic Jews, and since the argumentation is drawn from the Jewish Greek Scriptures, the critique of the Jewish cult is an internal critique, the seeds of which were sown in those Scriptures. The former covenant anticipated the new, and what it anticipated is now a reality. Now that the reality has come, what anticipated it has been fulfilled and is no longer necessary. This is fulfilment rather than supersession. Lyndon Drake, Oxford University Economic Capital in the Hebrew Bible In Genesis 2:17, God prohibits eating fruit from ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ Commentators are divided about the reason for the prohibition and its related sanction, with some (for example, James Barr) even arguing that God acts unethically. I propose that eating from the tree functions within the narrative world of the text as an archetypal, negative example of comprehensive consumption in the face of plenty. Or, conversely, Adam and Eve lack appropriate restraint. Other biblical texts, particularly a number of economic regulations in the law codes, present restraint rather than complete consumption as a divinely-approved virtue. By contrast, the Adapa story and the Gilgamesh epic both present the restraint of primeval humans as foolishness. I argue that the virtue of restraint presented in Genesis 2 functions as a unifying principle for a number of biblical texts which address economic issues. Deane Galbraith, University of Otago Jeremiah Wrote an Epilogue, And It Once Had a Mighty Fine Whine: The Original Prophecy of Unmitigated Doom in Jeremiah 25.1-13 Jeremiah's prophecies dated before the Judahite exile of 597 BCE predict complete devastation for the land of Judah, the elimination of any remnant within its cities, and no hope of return for exiles. For Jeremiah, the ‘prophet of doom’, hope was something that only (pseudo-)prophets offered. Yet many have challenged this picture, pointing to the prophecies of hope in the various final forms of the book of Jeremiah. This paper finds support for a pre-597 ‘prophet of [unmitigated] doom’ in LXX Jer 25.1-13, when read against the tyranny of the (Masoretic) canon. In LXX Jer 25.1-13, Jeremiah composed an epilogue of hopelessness, without expectation of any future for Judahites, without any knowledge of the Oracles against the Nations, and without expectation of punishment for Babylon. Stephen C. Gerbault, Laidlaw College, Alphacrucis College The Gospel of John, David F. Ford, and Reading in the Spirit How is the church to read the Gospels? In a review essay on Richard B. Hays’ 2016 book, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, David Ford (2017) suggests that John is offering a creative ‘reading forwards’ paradigm for reading Scripture. This paper hopes to explore what is meant by reading forwards and how it relates to Hays’ reading backwards. It will then conclude with brief suggestions for reading the Gospels in the Spirit. Sarah Hart, Good Shepherd College, Te Hepara Pai ‘The Rich–Poor Divide: Seeking Biblical Directives’ What perspectives does the Bible offer regarding the economic gap between the rich and poor? Are analyses or directives of a rich-poor divide discernible in the biblical literature? These two questions focus the choice of biblical passages and secondary sources. Principal texts for the discussion are Jubilee Year and Land Tenure (Lev 25), Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kgs 21), and selected texts from the prophetic writings (Is 5:7; Am 6:4-7). Secondary sources include the work of Rainer Albertz and Samuel Adams. Ben Hudson, University of Otago Ethical Exhortation and the Decalogue in Ephesians This paper will argue that the paraenesis of Ephesians (Eph 4:17-6-9) is structured so as to reflect the second table of the Decalogue. The lengthly exhortations are attended by a series of allusions and echoes which evoke the scriptural commandments concerning parents, adultery, stealing, murder, false testimony and covetousness, in reverse order. Noticing this extended engagement with the Decalogue in which Gentile Christ-believers are exhorted to a way of live shaped by scriptural commandments contributes to resolving a number of puzzles in Ephesians including; accounting for the relationship between the two halves of the letter, discerning the letter’s purpose, and interpreting the difficult phrase τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας (he abolished the law of commandments in decrees, Eph 2:15). Mark Keown, Laidlaw College Jesus as the New Joshua It is common in NT studies to hear Jesus considered in regards to Messiah (Christ), Lord, Son of Man, Son of David, the Prophet, Son of God, new Moses, and so on. Yet, it is extremely rare to find Jesus considered as the New Joshua. In this paper, I will argue that God’s choice of name for his Son suggests that this is as essential an OT connection as Jesus as Christ and Son of Man, the two ideas that dominate the Gospel narratives. He is after all named by God as Joshua. To understand Jesus, he must be considered as the Second Joshua. Jacqueline Lloyd, Laidlaw College Did Jesus minister in Gaulanitis? References to Gaulanitis are absent in the Gospels. Consequently, Jesus’ ministry in Gaulanitis is largely ignored by New Testament scholars. However, the Synoptic Gospels do state that Jesus ministered in Bethsaida, which has been identified with Et-Tell in the central Golan, a region roughly corresponding to ancient Gaulanitis. In this paper I will argue that Jesus probably did minister in Gaulanitis. I will also argue that the reason there is no mention of this in the Gospels is because the Jewish people living in first-century Judaea considered Gaulanitis to be a part of Galilee. Ross Millar, Laidlaw College Narrative of the discourses: The introductory settings of Matthew’s teaching discourses Matthew is often divided into narrative and teaching sections, with the end of each teaching discourse beginning marked by the literary formula, ‘when Jesus had finished saying [all] these things...’ Each of these discourses begins with a narrative introduction and the settings and characters of these narrative introductions will be examined for patterns. The ways Matthew uses these opening phrases to outline the differing relationships crowds and disciples have with Jesus will be explored. Robert Myles, Murdoch University Fishing for Eyewitnesses in the Fourth Gospel John 18:15–16 mentions an unknown disciple of Jesus who ‘was known to the high priest’ giving him access to the events in Caiaphas’s courtyard. A minority of scholars maintain the identity of this disciple is consistent with John, the son of Zebedee, whom they also maintain was the author of the Fourth Gospel. To support this position, the commonplace fiction of entrepreneurial Galilean fishermen belonging to an aspiring ‘middle-class’ is asserted. This paper reviews the arguments and suggests that a more rigorous account of the agrarian political-economic relation in the ancient world demonstrates the implausibility of such a scenario. Ben Ong, University of Otago Pākehā Reading of the New Testament The contextuality of the scholar dictates the analysis of their work. ‘Pākehā’ exist due to their relationship with hau kāinga, true home people, in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. This relationship inherently influences the contextuality of the person and, therefore, the scholar. Few contextual biblical studies works exist in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu, this paper proposes a possible contextual methodology on the basis of relational identity granted in Te Tiriti o Waitangi for biblical studies, allowing for critical dialogue between ‘traditional’ analytical methods and the non-Māori scholar’s understanding of te ao Māori, the Māori world. Ka tino aweawetia te tātaritanga o ō rātou mahi e te ao horopaki o te tangata mātauranga. Nā te hau kāinga Māori te noho o ngā iwi Pākehā i roto i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. Ka aweawe tēnei piringa i te horopaki o te tangata me te tangata mātauranga. He mahingia horopaki itiiti o mātai Paipera Tapu ērā i roto i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. Kei raro i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ka whakaaria tēnei pūrongo i tētahi tikanga i mātai Paipera Tapu, ka taea te kōrero tātaritanga te hanga i waenganui i te kōrero tātari o tikanga Pākehā me tētahi Pākehā mōhiotanga o te ao Māori. Jonathan Robinson, University of Otago ‘And he was with the beasts,’ (Mark 1:13): Ambiguity, Interpretation and Mark as a Jewish Author James Dunn, in his seminal 1980 work, Christology in the Making, wrote, ‘We should not underestimate the Jewish hermeneutical readiness to read as much into the text as possible.’ Yet it may be observed that when it comes to interpreting texts from the 1st century Jewish sect known today as early Christianity the impulse of Dunn and others is sometimes to read as little into the text as possible. This paper will explore this tendency and its ramifications using Mark 1:13 as a test case, before arguing for a ‘maximal’ exegesis of this remarkably ambiguous yet evocative phrase. Csilla Saysell, Carey Baptist College The Servant as 'a covenant of/for people' in Deutero-Isaiah In the context of the Servant Songs, Deutero-Isaiah twice uses the phrase ‘a covenant of/for people’ (berit ‘am – Isa 42:6; 49:8), a construct chain that has puzzled commentators for a long time. The exact relationship between the two parts of the chain is hard to work out and the referent for both the covenant (Noahic? Mosaic? something else?) and the people (humanity? Israel?) is obscure. This research explores the different options for interpreting this enigmatic phrase in order to throw light on the Servant’s mission and its implications for the NT. Paul Trebilco, University of Otago What does Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, tell us about the Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century CE? Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History 5.23.1, quotes a letter by Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, written around 190CE. In the letter Polycrates defends the practice of concluding the Paschal fast on Nisan 14. Polycrates shows that Christians in Asia Minor were in the habit of celebrating Easter at the same time as Jews celebrated the Pascha, regardless of what day of the week Nisan 14 fell on. In this letter, Polycrates gives us some very valuable information about Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century, including details relating to leadership, traditions, the relationship between Ephesus and other churches and the Ephesian church’s relationship with the local Jewish communities. Rikk Watts, Regent College The Stronger One and the Dove: Revisiting Two Discarded Images. In spite of initially appearing somewhat conventional, ascertaining the identity and significance of “the coming stronger one” and the symbolism behind the “descending dove” in Mark’s prologue has proven surprisingly difficult. This paper will review the range of options, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and indicate why there is little agreement. It will argue for a reinstatement of the two options—Yahweh and Israel—which nearly all commentators early on cite and yet immediately exclude. On the basis of some previously uncited material along with a fuller appreciation of how they function in Israel’s tradition, the paper will suggest that their rejection was precipitous and that reinstating them makes better sense of their place in the context of Mark’s narrative overall.

Go to the article

[diariodigitalcristiano]

Hillsong Church se ha separado en su propia denominación

Hillsong Church se ha separado de la principal denominación pentecostal de Australia para convertirse en una denominación propia.

El pastor principal mundial Brian Houston dice que es porque la iglesia se ha vuelto demasiado grande. Desde el primer día, Hillsong ha sido miembro de Australian Christian Churches (ACC), una rama de la World Assemblies of God Fellowship.

Sin embargo, la influencia de Hillsong ha crecido exponencialmente y ya no es una iglesia exclusivamente australiana.

"A medida que Hillsong Church ha seguido creciendo, ya no nos vemos como una Iglesia australiana con una huella global, sino más bien como una iglesia global con una base en Australia: nuestra oficina global ahora reside en los EE.UU. Dos tercios de las personas que asisten a Hillsong La iglesia vive cada fin de semana en países más allá de Australia", escribió Houston en una carta reciente al ACC.

Hoy, Hillsong Church se encuentra en 24 naciones con 123 campus y ubicaciones diferentes.

"Por esta razón, ahora estamos registrados por el Departamento de Nacimientos, Muertes y Matrimonios de Australia, como una denominación reconocida con la capacidad de pastores con credenciales por derecho propio", escribió.

Al poder tener pastores con credenciales dentro de su propia denominación, Hillsong evitará problemas de confusión o comunicación que puedan surgir si aún estuvieran separados de una organización exclusivamente australiana.

"Este reconocimiento alivia los problemas que ocurrirían si, por ejemplo, surge una preocupación que afecta la credencial de un pastor de jóvenes de Hillsong Church en uno de nuestros campus en Europa. No se puede esperar que el ACC australiano tenga información adecuada para abordar este asunto o incluso saber quién es la persona, y mucho menos los recursos para tratar apropiadamente el problema a nivel personal o pastoral", compartió.

Houston dice que no tiene ningún resentimiento hacia el ACC y está agradecido por su liderazgo.

"Quiero dejar en claro que no tenemos ninguna aflicción o disputa con el ACC. En cambio, esta decisión se produce después de casi dos años de discusión orante dentro de nuestras juntas eclesiásticas globales y australianas", explicó Houston. "El objetivo es que podamos convertirnos en una iglesia asociada, y que sigamos apoyándonos en el CAC y apoyando, en algún nivel, iniciativas como misiones de conferencias y Alphacrucis, mientras que renunciamos al voto y a otros derechos asociados con las iglesias miembros plenas y pastores del CAC ordenados".

[kiamabaptist]

So pumped to have Adam White with us @kiamabaptist.church this weekend. Adam is the New Testament lecturer at Alphacrucis College in Parramatta, married to Rachel White and has 3 kids. via Instagram https://ift.tt/2GQSPoc

[quinquedesign]

Alpha Crucis is a multiple star system located 321 light - years from the Sun in the constellation of Crux and part the asterism known as the Southern Cross. With a combined visual magnitude of 0.76. It is the brightest star in Crux and the 13th brightest star in the night sky. It is the southern most first-magnitude star. Just a little more southerly than Alpha Centauri. Welcome to @quinquedesign 's world. 'ATLAS SERIES' wall hanging 'ACRUX' #wallhanging #wallaccessories #walldecor #quinque #quinquedesign #star #acrux #alphacrucis #alphacentauri #atlas #starsystem #galaxy #crux #nebula #esoteric #geometry #circle #grey #fringed #ethnic #astrology #shamanist #nigthsky #sky

[faithfulnews]

ANZABS 2018 program and abstracts

ANZABS CONFERENCE 2018

6-7 December, 2018

Venue: Wesley Hall, Trinity Methodist College, 202A St Johns Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland 1072 Thursday 6 December 9.30 am – REGISTRATION 10.00-10.10 – mihi 10.10-11.00 – Keynote speaker: Robert Myles – Fishing for Eyewitnesses in the Fourth Gospel 11.00-11.30 – Morning tea 11.30-12.00 – Lyndon Drake – Economic Capital in the Hebrew Bible 12.00-12.30 – Anne Aalbers – Resurrection and Celibacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? 12.30-1.00 – Jonathan Robinson – "And he was with the beasts," (Mark 1:13): Ambiguity, Interpretation and Mark as a Jewish Author 1.00-2.00 – Lunch 2.00-2.30 – Ben Hudson – Ethical Exhortation and the Decalogue in Ephesians 2.30-3.00 – Csilla Saysell – The Servant as 'a covenant of/for people' in Deutero-Isaiah 3.00-3.30 – Afternoon tea 3.30-4.00 – Jacqueline Lloyd – Did Jesus minister in Gaulanitis? 4.00-4.30 – Mark Keown – Jesus as the New Joshua 4.30 – AGM Friday 7 December 9.30-10.00 – Ben Ong – Pākehā Reading of the New Testament 10.00-10.30 – Jordan Chapman – Nero as “The Destroyer” in Revelation 9:11 10.30-11.00 – Morning tea 11.00-11.30 – Sarah Hart – The Rich–Poor Divide: Seeking Biblical Directives 11.30-12.00 – Paul Trebilco – What does Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, tell us about the Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century CE? 12.00-12.30 – Ross Millar – Narrative of the discourses: the introductory settings of Matthew’s teaching discourses 12.30-1.00 – Deane Galbraith – Jeremiah Wrote an Epilogue, And It Once Had a Mighty Fine Whine: The Original Prophecy of Unmitigated Doom in Jeremiah 25.1-13Lunch 1.00-2.00 – Lunch 2.00-2.30 – Stephen Gerbault – The Gospel of John, David F. Ford, and Reading in the Spirit 2.30-3.00 – Philip Church – “In Speaking of a New Covenant, God Declares the First Obsolete” (Heb 8:13): Supersessionism in the Book of Hebrews 3.00-3.30 – Julia van den Brink, “Blessed God”: The use of μακάριος to describe God in 1 Tim 1:11; 6:15 3.30-4.00 – Rikk Watts – The Stronger one and the dove: Revisiting two discarded images. 4.00 – closing words and karakia. Afternoon tea and chat for those who wish to stay. Registration To cover catering costs, there will be a registration fee for ANZABS 2018: Student/lower income presenters - $20 Student/lower income attendees - $40 Everyone else - $80 Please pay this registration fee in cash, on the day. To sign up for attending the conference, please register here: https://goo.gl/forms/Cs3yPj8xJQEmWQel1 Full abstracts are below. Abstracts Anne Aalbers, University of Auckland Resurrection and Celibacy: Two Sides of the Same Coin? In this paper I am proposing that, integral to religious belief in the first century, sexual abstinence – or celibacy – was the assumed status of the resurrected. I will discuss not only familiar NT texts but also some evidence of Jewish ascetic practice such as that which comes to us from the texts of the Judaean Desert. Greek and Latin historical sources, as well as insight available to us from common proto-gnostic attitudes, reveal a consistent cultural understanding of celibacy in the eschaton. Such diverse sources of support for the idea would suggest that, in any record of the account of the resurrected Jesus, the Gospel writers would assume this to be the case. In my PhD thesis I am proposing that John’s Gospel shows full consistency with this expectation and that Jesus’ puzzling prohibition to Mary Magdalene, not to touch him while he is still embodied before ascension (20:17), is motivated by this understanding. Julia van den Brink, Laidlaw College ‘Blessed God’: The use of μακάριος to describe God in 1 Tim 1:11; 6:15 Blessing statements using μακάριος are scattered throughout the Septuagint (LXX) and the New Testament (NT). Most are found in beatitudes (e.g. blessed are the poor, Luke 6:20). In the diverse uses of μακάριος across the LXX and NT, there appears to be one rule for its use: it is never used to describe God. While God may be described as ‘blessed’ using εὐλογητος, he is not praised with μακάριος. There are, however, two noticeable exceptions: 1 Timothy 1:11 and 6:15. In this paper, I will explore some possible explanations for why the author of 1 Timothy has seemingly broken with tradition and described God using μακάριος. Jordan Chapman, University of Otago Nero as ‘The Destroyer’ in Revelation 9:11 The angel of the abyss in Revelation 9:11 is given two names, both of which mean, ‘The Destroyer.’ Most commentators note that an allusion to the Greco-Roman deity Apollo can be seen in the Greek name of the angel, but fail to develop its significance. Epigraphical and literary sources attest to Nero's self-association with Apollo, and the Nero-like traits of the Beast later in Revelation (13, 17) make an Apollo-Nero allusion probable. In evoking Nero in Revelation 9, John fleshes out the nature of idolatry in the chapter and foreshadows his use of Nero-like qualities for the Beast. Philip Church, Laidlaw College ‘In Speaking of a New Covenant, God Declares the First Obsolete’ (Heb 8:13): Supersessionism in the Book of Hebrews In the 2000 edition of his Hebrews commentary Robert Gordon claimed that Hebrews was supersessionist. In the second edition (2008) he added an eighteen page defence of that claim. Since Hebrews was written by an ethnic Jew to ethnic Jews, and since the argumentation is drawn from the Jewish Greek Scriptures, the critique of the Jewish cult is an internal critique, the seeds of which were sown in those Scriptures. The former covenant anticipated the new, and what it anticipated is now a reality. Now that the reality has come, what anticipated it has been fulfilled and is no longer necessary. This is fulfilment rather than supersession. Lyndon Drake, Oxford University Economic Capital in the Hebrew Bible In Genesis 2:17, God prohibits eating fruit from ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.’ Commentators are divided about the reason for the prohibition and its related sanction, with some (for example, James Barr) even arguing that God acts unethically. I propose that eating from the tree functions within the narrative world of the text as an archetypal, negative example of comprehensive consumption in the face of plenty. Or, conversely, Adam and Eve lack appropriate restraint. Other biblical texts, particularly a number of economic regulations in the law codes, present restraint rather than complete consumption as a divinely-approved virtue. By contrast, the Adapa story and the Gilgamesh epic both present the restraint of primeval humans as foolishness. I argue that the virtue of restraint presented in Genesis 2 functions as a unifying principle for a number of biblical texts which address economic issues. Deane Galbraith, University of Otago Jeremiah Wrote an Epilogue, And It Once Had a Mighty Fine Whine: The Original Prophecy of Unmitigated Doom in Jeremiah 25.1-13 Jeremiah's prophecies dated before the Judahite exile of 597 BCE predict complete devastation for the land of Judah, the elimination of any remnant within its cities, and no hope of return for exiles. For Jeremiah, the ‘prophet of doom’, hope was something that only (pseudo-)prophets offered. Yet many have challenged this picture, pointing to the prophecies of hope in the various final forms of the book of Jeremiah. This paper finds support for a pre-597 ‘prophet of [unmitigated] doom’ in LXX Jer 25.1-13, when read against the tyranny of the (Masoretic) canon. In LXX Jer 25.1-13, Jeremiah composed an epilogue of hopelessness, without expectation of any future for Judahites, without any knowledge of the Oracles against the Nations, and without expectation of punishment for Babylon. Stephen C. Gerbault, Laidlaw College, Alphacrucis College The Gospel of John, David F. Ford, and Reading in the Spirit How is the church to read the Gospels? In a review essay on Richard B. Hays’ 2016 book, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, David Ford (2017) suggests that John is offering a creative ‘reading forwards’ paradigm for reading Scripture. This paper hopes to explore what is meant by reading forwards and how it relates to Hays’ reading backwards. It will then conclude with brief suggestions for reading the Gospels in the Spirit. Sarah Hart, Good Shepherd College, Te Hepara Pai ‘The Rich–Poor Divide: Seeking Biblical Directives’ What perspectives does the Bible offer regarding the economic gap between the rich and poor? Are analyses or directives of a rich-poor divide discernible in the biblical literature? These two questions focus the choice of biblical passages and secondary sources. Principal texts for the discussion are Jubilee Year and Land Tenure (Lev 25), Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kgs 21), and selected texts from the prophetic writings (Is 5:7; Am 6:4-7). Secondary sources include the work of Rainer Albertz and Samuel Adams. Ben Hudson, University of Otago Ethical Exhortation and the Decalogue in Ephesians This paper will argue that the paraenesis of Ephesians (Eph 4:17-6-9) is structured so as to reflect the second table of the Decalogue. The lengthly exhortations are attended by a series of allusions and echoes which evoke the scriptural commandments concerning parents, adultery, stealing, murder, false testimony and covetousness, in reverse order. Noticing this extended engagement with the Decalogue in which Gentile Christ-believers are exhorted to a way of live shaped by scriptural commandments contributes to resolving a number of puzzles in Ephesians including; accounting for the relationship between the two halves of the letter, discerning the letter’s purpose, and interpreting the difficult phrase τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας (he abolished the law of commandments in decrees, Eph 2:15). Mark Keown, Laidlaw College Jesus as the New Joshua It is common in NT studies to hear Jesus considered in regards to Messiah (Christ), Lord, Son of Man, Son of David, the Prophet, Son of God, new Moses, and so on. Yet, it is extremely rare to find Jesus considered as the New Joshua. In this paper, I will argue that God’s choice of name for his Son suggests that this is as essential an OT connection as Jesus as Christ and Son of Man, the two ideas that dominate the Gospel narratives. He is after all named by God as Joshua. To understand Jesus, he must be considered as the Second Joshua. Jacqueline Lloyd, Laidlaw College Did Jesus minister in Gaulanitis? References to Gaulanitis are absent in the Gospels. Consequently, Jesus’ ministry in Gaulanitis is largely ignored by New Testament scholars. However, the Synoptic Gospels do state that Jesus ministered in Bethsaida, which has been identified with Et-Tell in the central Golan, a region roughly corresponding to ancient Gaulanitis. In this paper I will argue that Jesus probably did minister in Gaulanitis. I will also argue that the reason there is no mention of this in the Gospels is because the Jewish people living in first-century Judaea considered Gaulanitis to be a part of Galilee. Ross Millar, Laidlaw College Narrative of the discourses: The introductory settings of Matthew’s teaching discourses Matthew is often divided into narrative and teaching sections, with the end of each teaching discourse beginning marked by the literary formula, ‘when Jesus had finished saying [all] these things...’ Each of these discourses begins with a narrative introduction and the settings and characters of these narrative introductions will be examined for patterns. The ways Matthew uses these opening phrases to outline the differing relationships crowds and disciples have with Jesus will be explored. Robert Myles, Murdoch University Fishing for Eyewitnesses in the Fourth Gospel John 18:15–16 mentions an unknown disciple of Jesus who ‘was known to the high priest’ giving him access to the events in Caiaphas’s courtyard. A minority of scholars maintain the identity of this disciple is consistent with John, the son of Zebedee, whom they also maintain was the author of the Fourth Gospel. To support this position, the commonplace fiction of entrepreneurial Galilean fishermen belonging to an aspiring ‘middle-class’ is asserted. This paper reviews the arguments and suggests that a more rigorous account of the agrarian political-economic relation in the ancient world demonstrates the implausibility of such a scenario. Ben Ong, University of Otago Pākehā Reading of the New Testament The contextuality of the scholar dictates the analysis of their work. ‘Pākehā’ exist due to their relationship with hau kāinga, true home people, in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. This relationship inherently influences the contextuality of the person and, therefore, the scholar. Few contextual biblical studies works exist in Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu, this paper proposes a possible contextual methodology on the basis of relational identity granted in Te Tiriti o Waitangi for biblical studies, allowing for critical dialogue between ‘traditional’ analytical methods and the non-Māori scholar’s understanding of te ao Māori, the Māori world. Ka tino aweawetia te tātaritanga o ō rātou mahi e te ao horopaki o te tangata mātauranga. Nā te hau kāinga Māori te noho o ngā iwi Pākehā i roto i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. Ka aweawe tēnei piringa i te horopaki o te tangata me te tangata mātauranga. He mahingia horopaki itiiti o mātai Paipera Tapu ērā i roto i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu. Kei raro i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ka whakaaria tēnei pūrongo i tētahi tikanga i mātai Paipera Tapu, ka taea te kōrero tātaritanga te hanga i waenganui i te kōrero tātari o tikanga Pākehā me tētahi Pākehā mōhiotanga o te ao Māori. Jonathan Robinson, University of Otago ‘And he was with the beasts,’ (Mark 1:13): Ambiguity, Interpretation and Mark as a Jewish Author James Dunn, in his seminal 1980 work, Christology in the Making, wrote, ‘We should not underestimate the Jewish hermeneutical readiness to read as much into the text as possible.’ Yet it may be observed that when it comes to interpreting texts from the 1st century Jewish sect known today as early Christianity the impulse of Dunn and others is sometimes to read as little into the text as possible. This paper will explore this tendency and its ramifications using Mark 1:13 as a test case, before arguing for a ‘maximal’ exegesis of this remarkably ambiguous yet evocative phrase. Csilla Saysell, Carey Baptist College The Servant as 'a covenant of/for people' in Deutero-Isaiah In the context of the Servant Songs, Deutero-Isaiah twice uses the phrase ‘a covenant of/for people’ (berit ‘am – Isa 42:6; 49:8), a construct chain that has puzzled commentators for a long time. The exact relationship between the two parts of the chain is hard to work out and the referent for both the covenant (Noahic? Mosaic? something else?) and the people (humanity? Israel?) is obscure. This research explores the different options for interpreting this enigmatic phrase in order to throw light on the Servant’s mission and its implications for the NT. Paul Trebilco, University of Otago What does Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, tell us about the Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century CE? Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History 5.23.1, quotes a letter by Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, written around 190CE. In the letter Polycrates defends the practice of concluding the Paschal fast on Nisan 14. Polycrates shows that Christians in Asia Minor were in the habit of celebrating Easter at the same time as Jews celebrated the Pascha, regardless of what day of the week Nisan 14 fell on. In this letter, Polycrates gives us some very valuable information about Christians in Ephesus at the close of the second century, including details relating to leadership, traditions, the relationship between Ephesus and other churches and the Ephesian church’s relationship with the local Jewish communities. Rikk Watts, Regent College The Stronger One and the Dove: Revisiting Two Discarded Images. In spite of initially appearing somewhat conventional, ascertaining the identity and significance of “the coming stronger one” and the symbolism behind the “descending dove” in Mark’s prologue has proven surprisingly difficult. This paper will review the range of options, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and indicate why there is little agreement. It will argue for a reinstatement of the two options—Yahweh and Israel—which nearly all commentators early on cite and yet immediately exclude. On the basis of some previously uncited material along with a fuller appreciation of how they function in Israel’s tradition, the paper will suggest that their rejection was precipitous and that reinstating them makes better sense of their place in the context of Mark’s narrative overall.

Go to the article