Eberhard Jüngel: Prayer 1
We thank you, dear heavenly Father,
That every morning your grace comes fresh and new.
Today also you quicken us with your inexhaustible power of life.
Eternal God, we sing your praise now and forever.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the spring that stills our thirst for life.
We thank you with our hearts and mouths and hands.
God, Holy Spirit, come,
Open our hearts, open our mouths, open our hands,
that we might magnify God’s name with
our thoughts, our words, and our courageous acts,
singing a new song before all the world!
You, we praise; you alone, our triune God. AMEN
-Eberhard Jüngel, “Trinitarian Prayers for Christian Worship,” Word & World 18/3 (Summer 1998): 246. German original in Eberhard Jüngel, Unterbrechungen: Predigten IV (Munich, 1989), 168.
NIV 2011
Click here, to check out the news about the new NIV that will replace the 1984 revision as well as the TNIV!
Here are some comments I’ve collected for you as well:
- Douglas Moo (NT scholar)
- Ben Witherington (NT scholar)
Enjoy.
Stanley M. Horton on General Council 2009 Res. 2
Today, in a Facebook status, Dr. Stanley M. Horton made the following comment (July 29, 2009 2:02pm CST):
Several of us have a problem with General Council Proposition 2. My mother was born in Ohio. If she were here, I believe she would gently ask everyone to take a closer look at Acts chapters 9 and 13.
Acts 9 shows that evangelization was the number 1 priority in what Anannias was told to tell Saul (Paul). Our founding fathers saw evangelization as the number one priority, and the result overseas is amazing.
- The stated purposes for the gathering which birthed the Assemblies of God involved unifying various Pentecostal groups both doctrinally, and organizationally for greater effectiveness in ministry and missions (See E.N. Bell, “General Convention of the Pentecostal Saints and Churches of God in Christ Hot Springs, Arkansas, April 2 to 12, 1914,” in Word and Witness (December 20, 1913), p. 1).
- The introduction in minutes of the first General Council states the motivation for the forming of the Assemblies of God (Combined Minutes of the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America, Canada and Foreign Lands–Held at–Hot Springs, Ark. April 2-12, 1914 and at the Stone Church, Chicago, Ill. Nov. 15-29, 1914, p. 2):
The Pentecostal saints in the United States and Canada especially have seen this great need of co-operation, fellowship and unity, according to the Scriptures, and have felt such a great need of the same in the Home and Foreign Mission work that in different parts of the country brethren have undertaken, we believe in the name of Jesus, to accomplish this end, but seemingly God has a more Scriptural basis and method and a broader field and a greater work than has been accomplished.Several months ago, men’s hearts were calling on God for help to adjust these matters, and open the way by which the Ministerial, Missionary, Publishing and School interests might be advanced to the glory of God. And we believe in answer to our heart’s cry, a number of representative workers of the Pentecostal Movement in various parts of the country, called a GENERAL COUNCIL, as was published in WORD AND WITNESS for sever months prior to the session, to be held at Hot Springs, Ark., April 2-12, 1914.
- At the second General Council (Nov 15-29, 1914) the following resolution was passed unanimously (Combined Minutes of the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America, Canada and Foreign Lands–Held at–Hot Springs, Ark. April 2-12, 1914 and at the Stone Church, Chicago, Ill. Nov. 15-29, 1914, p. 12):
As a Council, we hereby express our gratitude to God for His great blessing upon the movement in the past. We are grateful to Him for the results attending this forward movement and we commit ourselves, and the movement to Him for the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen. We pledge our hearty co-operation, prayers and help to this end.
- We can clearly see this in its constitution declaration We Believe section on page 3:
…That the priority reason-for-being of the Assemblies of God is to be an agency of God for evangelizing the world, to be a corporate body in which man may worship God, and to be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
That the Assemblies of God exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, which enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs, adding a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God, and enabling them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ….
- We see this in ARTICLE III. PREROGATIVES, on page 4:
The prerogatives of The General Council of the Assemblies of God shall be:
a. To encourage and promote the evangelization of the world.
b. To encourage and promote the worship of God.
c. To encourage and promote the edification of believers.
d. To provide a basis of fellowship among Christians of like precious faith.
e. To respond to human need with ministries of compassion.
f. To establish and maintain such departments and institutions as may be necessary for the propagation of the gospel and the work of this Pentecostal fellowship.
g. To approve scriptural teachings and practices, and to disapprove unscriptural teachings and practices. A list of disapproved doctrines and practices is set forth in Articles IX and X of the Bylaws.
h. To have the right to own, hold in trust, use, sell, convey, mortgage, lease, or otherwise dispose of such property as may be needed for the prosecution of its work.
- We see this in ARTICLE IV. PRINCIPLES FOR FELLOWSHIP, also on page 4:
The Assemblies of God shall represent, as nearly as possible, the body of Christ as described in the New Testament. It shall recognize the principles inherent in the Body as also inherent in this Fellowship, particularly the principles of unity, cooperation, and equality. It recognizes that these principles will enable it to achieve its priority reason-for-being as an agency of God for evangelizing the world, as a corporate body in which man may worship God, and as a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
- We see this in STATEMENT 10. THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION, in the Statement of Fundamental Truths on page 7-8:
The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her Great Commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven (Ephesians 1:22,23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23).
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the priority reason-for-being of the Assemblies of God as part of the Church is:a. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16).
b. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1 Corinthians 12:13).
c. To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 14:12).
The Assemblies of God exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:
a. Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 4:29-31; Hebrews 2:3,4).
b. Adds a necessary dimension to a worshipful relationship with God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 1 Corinthians 12-14).
c. Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ (Galatians 5:22-26; 1 Corinthians 14:12; Ephesians 4:11,12; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Colossians 1:29).
- Again, we see this in STATEMENT 11. MINISTRY, in the Statement of Fundamental Truths on page 8:
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in: (1) evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15-20), (2) worship of God (John 4:23,24), and (3) building a Body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4:11,16).
Review: Pentecostalism in the U.S. Pt.1
In the next series of posts, I’ll be summarizing and evaluating certain chapters in (although this first one is just a summary):
Patterson, Eric, and Edmund Rybarczyk, eds. The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States. New York: Lexington Books, 2007.
So I’ll begin with chapter 1:
Rybarczyk, Edmund J. “Introduction: American Pentecostalism: Challenges and Temptations.” In The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States, by Eric Patterson and Edmund Rybarczyk, eds. New York: Lexington Books, 2007.
In this chapter, Rybarczyk provides the reader with a very brief overview of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement. Due to this book being written with the centennial of the Azusa Street Revival in mind, he primarily focuses on Azusa when talking about the beginnings of the movement. He also quickly summarizes the various trajectories within the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement (P/C Movement): Classical Pentecostals, Charismatics, Third Wave. Read more…
HP Pavillion dv5-1235dx
So here’s what I got:
HP Pavillion dv5-1235dx
I would have loved a MAC, but look at the comparison with a refurbished Macbook:
@$1000 Macbook: 13″ Screen; 120 GB Hardrive; 1 GB RAM + I’d have to buy the MAC edition of Office
@$720 HP Pavillion dv5-1235dx: 15″ Screen; 320 GB Hardrive; 4 GB RAM
In sum: I went with a 2-3x more powerful machine for $300 cheaper!
If I had the money I would have went with a MAC, but hey, I’m a poor college student.
PC or MAC?
So my cheap Acer laptop died yesterday (it served its purpose, though I had planned it to last a bit longer), something to do with the motherboard…
Anyways, now I’m looking for new laptop, and I’m faced with the nearly three decade long debate: PC or MAC? Mind you, funds are low, so that has a lot to do with my decision…got any recommendations? If you say PC, which one?
Come back to see what I get within the next day or two…
Hydrogen Peroxide
So, the New York Times says:
Does hydrogen peroxide really make a difference? According to most studies of its effectiveness, not really. Parents and school nurses might insist otherwise, but researchers have found that hydrogen peroxide has little ability to reduce bacteria in wounds and can actually inflame healthy skin cells that surround a cut or a scrape, increasing the amount of time wounds take to heal.
I was raised using this stuff for all my scraps and cuts, and now I find out that all that agonizing stinging sensation, which I believed was a worthwhile sacrifice for a better good, was actually bunch of junk! I’ve been liberated from hydrogen peroxide, and now you are too!
Gary B. McGee
Gary B. McGee
I’m sad to say that one of my professors at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Dr. Gary B. McGee, passed away two days ago.
Dr. Darrin Rodgers, Director of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, has written an obituary which can be found here: iFPHC Blog, AG News version, Facebook version.
The first time I saw Dr. McGee was at Evangel Temple (Springfield, MO). I was an undergraduate student at Evangel University, and I went to his Sunday School class. A couple of Sunday’s later he and his wife Alice invited me to go to the Pasta House after church. I was so honored by the offer, and it was a privilege to eat some pasta and talk with this legendary Pentecostal scholar. It meant a lot to me that he and his wife would take me out to lunch, while being a new student in town, and I was not even one of his students! I admit, I later bragged a little to my friends that “I had lunch with Dr. McGee and his wife!”
At AGTS, I had him as a professor for: “Ancient Christianity to the Challenge of Islam (300-800AD),” “Christianity to the Reformation (800-1600AD),” and “Initial Evidence and Spirit Baptism.” There were so many memorable and humorous moments in these classes, which can’t all be mentioned here, but these made him a favorite of many students, including myself. Dr. McGee truly imparted both knowledge and godly wisdom to his students. For me, he exemplified a Spirit-filled, historian, theologian, and educator. I’ll miss him.
Google Ranked Theological Educational Institutions
Interesting…
As of October 16, 2008, the following list displays, in descending order, which theological educational institution has the most hits on the internet as searched in Google’s search engine.
1. “Union Theological Seminary” (356,000)
2. “Princeton Theological Seminary” (270,000)
3. “Dallas Theological Seminary” (247,000)
4. “Harvard Divinity School” (214,000)
5. “Southern Baptist Theological Seminary” (201,000)
6. “Fuller Theological Seminary” (196,000)
7. “Westminster Theological Seminary” (107,000)
8. “Yale Divinity School” (103,000)
9. “Boston University School of Theology” (85,100)
10. “Graduate Theological Union” (81,800)
11. “Luther Seminary” (79,000)
12. “Reformed Theological Seminary” (78,100)
13. “Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary” (73,300)
14. “Asbury Theological Seminary” (72,400)
15. “Trinity Evangelical Divinity School” (62,500)
16. “Claremont School Of Theology” (56,600)
17. “Denver Seminary” (52,200)
18. “Candler School of Theology” (48,800)
19. “Chicago Divinity School” (48,500)
20. “Western Seminary” (41,700)
21. “Duke Divinity School” (37,800)
22. “Perkins School of Theology” (37,000)
23. “Iliff School of Theology” (35,000)
24. “Calvin Theological Seminary” (33,600)
25. “Talbot School of Theology” (29,000)
26. “Assemblies Of God Theological Seminary” (26,300)
27. “University Of The Nations” (18,900)
28. “Vanderbilt Divinity School” (16,400)
29. “Church of God Theological Seminary” (13,200)
30. “Truett Theological Seminary” (12,100)
31. “Drew University Theological School” (11,100)
32. “Palmer Theological Seminary” (9,520)
33. “Regent University School Of Divinity” (9,450)
34. “Wheaton College Graduate School” (7,800)
35. “George Fox Evangelical Seminary” (3,730)
NOTE: The search was done with the quotation marks as shown below to ensure that the institution’s full name was searched for, and not the individual words in the name. I left out the institutions which simply have “University” in their names (although these may be excellent theological educational institutions as well), due to the fact that I’m only interested in the theological education side of things and not the entire university. Also, the links provided go straight to the Google search, and you’ll find that the results change and fluctuate day to day, even hour to hour! Finally, this is not an exhaustive list! It’s only purpose is to be thought provoking for those interested in theological education! If I’ve left out an institution, please Google search it, and indicate it’s hits in a comment to this blog.
Recent Developments in Pentecostal Theology
Speakers: Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, and Frank D. Macchia.
Presented by the John Templeton Foundation and the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, this international symposium examines the global Pentecostal movement (2006).
