This week, instead of class, we attended the Crandall Printing Museum, which contains artifacts and recreations from the history of printing until the early 1900's. What an experience! They have one of the two working Gutenberg (full scale model) presses in existence in the world. They also have the tools to make the type used in the printing presses, and they demonstrated how this was done, using a mold and printers alloy. Quite interesting!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Paul's Journey to Jerusalem
One of Luke's purposes, when writing the book of Acts, was to show the fulfillment of the prophesy given to Paul that he would bear witness of Christ to Jews, Gentiles, Rulers, and Kings. Until Paul's journey to Jerusalem, he had witnessed to Jews and Gentiles, but we have little record of Rulers and Kings. It was on this trip, and the journey it caused, that Paul was given opportunity to witness to the rulers and King of the Jewish nation, and was sent as far as Rome to bear witness.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Types and Shadows
This week, our New Testament class visited the BYU Museum of Art, which has an exhibit currently, entitled Types and Shadows: Intimations of Divinity. The exhibit displays religiously themed art pieces, though not all are of scriptural stories or display characters of religion. The purpose of many of the pieces is to get one to think about our Savior in new ways, or see how the gospel affects our daily life. One of my favorites displayed two chairs against a black square background, one chair fallen before the first. The upright chair is cloaked in white, while the other is cloaked in red. It symbolized many things, but the main image it brought to my mind was of the fallen and risen Lord.
There were many thought provoking works in this exhibit- if it comes to a museum of art near you, I recommend taking a look. It will only be on display here until the 13th of March.
There were many thought provoking works in this exhibit- if it comes to a museum of art near you, I recommend taking a look. It will only be on display here until the 13th of March.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Romans
This week in my New Testament class we read and studied Paul's epistle to the Romans. This epistle is unique for many reasons: It is the longest of the Pauline epistles, it is the only one that scholars was dictated directly by Paul (based on the words used and the word rhythm) instead of being edited by a scribe, and this is the only Epistle written by Paul to an area that he has not yet preached to. There are many interesting things to be learned from a study of Romans, and I am going to detail a few of them here.
In chapter 1, verse 1, Paul states that he is a servant of Christ. In the original Greek, this would have been written as "slave", instead of servant. This is in reference to the Hebrew idea of slavery- everyone is a slave of someone, and being a slave does not mean they have the right to mistreat you, but that you need to do as they say and you need to serve them. In the larger scheme of things, one must either server God or the Devil, and Paul is here saying that he was captured by Christ and is his slave, and that Christ is the perfect master.
In chapter 2, verses 13-15, an interesting idea is brought up. Paul states that hearing and knowing the word of God does nothing for you, if you do not live it. He references the gentiles who are with out the law, yet still are good people and do not commit adultery, or lie, or steal. They are more righteous, even not knowing the law, then those Jews who know the law and do not keep it. He goes on to state that if Christians preach the word of God, and do not live it, then it makes the church look hypocritical, and hurts the work of the Lord. In the end, what matters most is not the outward circumcision, but the inward. Do you really follow the Lord? Or just do the things people expect a follower of Christ will do?
Chapter 3, from 24 on, explains how Christ was given by God to be a sacrifice for our sins. This idea of sacrifice is different both from the Greek and the Jew. The Greeks sacrificed to their gods to buy favor with them. It was a business transaction. Jews would save up and sacrifice of their own goods, not to buy favor, but to worship their God and to gain forgiveness for their sins. But Christ was a sacrifice not of our own goods or our own worth, but was given by God, who Christ was sacrificed to. God provided the sacrifice that brings us back into His presence. It is nothing we did, and it was nothing we could do. Only Christ could sacrifice enough to pay the debt, and only from God could that sacrifice come. It is interesting to look at the differences in thought between the modes of sacrifice. Hebrew sacrifice comes closest, but still misses the pure majesty and Grace of Christ's sacrifice for us.
In chapter 1, verse 1, Paul states that he is a servant of Christ. In the original Greek, this would have been written as "slave", instead of servant. This is in reference to the Hebrew idea of slavery- everyone is a slave of someone, and being a slave does not mean they have the right to mistreat you, but that you need to do as they say and you need to serve them. In the larger scheme of things, one must either server God or the Devil, and Paul is here saying that he was captured by Christ and is his slave, and that Christ is the perfect master.
In chapter 2, verses 13-15, an interesting idea is brought up. Paul states that hearing and knowing the word of God does nothing for you, if you do not live it. He references the gentiles who are with out the law, yet still are good people and do not commit adultery, or lie, or steal. They are more righteous, even not knowing the law, then those Jews who know the law and do not keep it. He goes on to state that if Christians preach the word of God, and do not live it, then it makes the church look hypocritical, and hurts the work of the Lord. In the end, what matters most is not the outward circumcision, but the inward. Do you really follow the Lord? Or just do the things people expect a follower of Christ will do?
Chapter 3, from 24 on, explains how Christ was given by God to be a sacrifice for our sins. This idea of sacrifice is different both from the Greek and the Jew. The Greeks sacrificed to their gods to buy favor with them. It was a business transaction. Jews would save up and sacrifice of their own goods, not to buy favor, but to worship their God and to gain forgiveness for their sins. But Christ was a sacrifice not of our own goods or our own worth, but was given by God, who Christ was sacrificed to. God provided the sacrifice that brings us back into His presence. It is nothing we did, and it was nothing we could do. Only Christ could sacrifice enough to pay the debt, and only from God could that sacrifice come. It is interesting to look at the differences in thought between the modes of sacrifice. Hebrew sacrifice comes closest, but still misses the pure majesty and Grace of Christ's sacrifice for us.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Charity
1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor , and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
What is Charity? In our current lexicon, charity refers to what was known as Alms, the giving of aid to the poor. Charities abound in our society, and it is good to donate money, time, and supplies to them, to help those in need of aid. But, does the giving of money to a charity denote our having the personal virtue of Charity, spoken of in 1 Corinthians, and elsewhere in the holy scripture? According to verse three of chapter 13, no. So, what is Charity?
A quick read of chapter 13 tells us some of the things that Charity is not, and that seems a good spot to start. Charity is not the gift of Prophesy, or understanding of mysteries. Nor is it having perfect faith, so that you can do mighty miracles. Charity is not the gift of speaking with tongues. These are good things, but with out having charity, you are nothing, even if you have all these other gifts.
What is charity?
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
What is Charity? In our current lexicon, charity refers to what was known as Alms, the giving of aid to the poor. Charities abound in our society, and it is good to donate money, time, and supplies to them, to help those in need of aid. But, does the giving of money to a charity denote our having the personal virtue of Charity, spoken of in 1 Corinthians, and elsewhere in the holy scripture? According to verse three of chapter 13, no. So, what is Charity?
A quick read of chapter 13 tells us some of the things that Charity is not, and that seems a good spot to start. Charity is not the gift of Prophesy, or understanding of mysteries. Nor is it having perfect faith, so that you can do mighty miracles. Charity is not the gift of speaking with tongues. These are good things, but with out having charity, you are nothing, even if you have all these other gifts.
What is charity?
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
The best definition I have found for the virtue of Charity is "The pure love of Christ." (Moroni 7:47) Charity is having that love in your hearts, and seeing others as he sees them. When you have Charity in your hears, the gospel becomes real and vibrant, whole. With out it, with out having that love for yourself, God, and others in you, the whole plan is meaningless. That is why prophest with out Charity is meaningless, why faith without charity is dead.
Not only is Charity of supreme importance, but with it, all other virtues become much easier to obtain. How difficult is it to not defraud your neighbor when you love him as Christ loves him? How hard is it to go out of your way to share the gospel of piece with a stranger when see him as your Brother? How can you sin when love God as he loves you?
The more I study the gospel, the more I am convinced that I must cultivate greater Charity. One of the greatest gifts I could receive would be to see others as God sees them.
The best definition I have found for the virtue of Charity is "The pure love of Christ." (Moroni 7:47) Charity is having that love in your hearts, and seeing others as he sees them. When you have Charity in your hears, the gospel becomes real and vibrant, whole. With out it, with out having that love for yourself, God, and others in you, the whole plan is meaningless. That is why prophest with out Charity is meaningless, why faith without charity is dead.
Not only is Charity of supreme importance, but with it, all other virtues become much easier to obtain. How difficult is it to not defraud your neighbor when you love him as Christ loves him? How hard is it to go out of your way to share the gospel of piece with a stranger when see him as your Brother? How can you sin when love God as he loves you?
The more I study the gospel, the more I am convinced that I must cultivate greater Charity. One of the greatest gifts I could receive would be to see others as God sees them.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Special Collections
On class this Wednesday, instead of having a lecture in class, we went to visit the Special Collections division of the library. Special Collections holds all the ancient to old manuscripts, books, and artifacts. Students are allowed to enter and browse the collection, but only if they have a valid excuse, and only if they treat the materials with care.
The curator of Special Collections gave us a presentation on the history of writing, showing us many fascinating artifacts. I will now try and explain some of what he told us.
The earliest writing we have record of were baked into clay tablets, written in cuneiform (meaning triangular) script. Surprisingly enough, most examples of these tablets are clerical in nature. He showed us a 1.5 inch by 3 inch tablet that contained a beer maker's records.
We also have several examples of metal plates being used to store writing (beyond the religious examples known to LDS). For example, the romans would give their soldiers, when they were discharged from the army, two metal sheets, sealed together, that contained their proof of citizenship and their honorable discharge. If the outside was damaged, the sheets could be opened to reveal duplicates. They knew the value of backing up!
Another ancient form of writing material was Papyrus, which was made from reeds found at the Nile. These were stored as scrolls, as folding them would cause the brittle material to break. Stored properly, papyrus can survive for thousands of years, and has.
For many ages, the premium writing material was Parchment, made from the hides of animals, usually cows (especially the young cows). A calf could be turned into only a few sheets of parchment (4 or 5), and so a copy of the Bible could contain thousands of calves, which lead to the high cost of books during the middle ages. Monks and scribes would spend a good part of their time painstakingly copying out the texts of books onto new parchment (and sometimes old parchment they had erased!) to create books to sell, based on what orders they received.
It wasn't until later, when paper came over from China, the printing press was invented, movable type was developed, and specialized ink was created that books suddenly became cheap enough to be owned by the masses. It was at this time that the protestant reformation first really took off, as the bible was finally able to be read by all. It was translated into new languages, and old doctrines no longer made sense in light of what was read in the holy word. It was questioning like this that lead a young boy named Joseph Smith to question why there was so much confusion in religion, and what church he should unite himself with. The rest of that story, as they say, is history.
The curator of Special Collections gave us a presentation on the history of writing, showing us many fascinating artifacts. I will now try and explain some of what he told us.
The earliest writing we have record of were baked into clay tablets, written in cuneiform (meaning triangular) script. Surprisingly enough, most examples of these tablets are clerical in nature. He showed us a 1.5 inch by 3 inch tablet that contained a beer maker's records.
We also have several examples of metal plates being used to store writing (beyond the religious examples known to LDS). For example, the romans would give their soldiers, when they were discharged from the army, two metal sheets, sealed together, that contained their proof of citizenship and their honorable discharge. If the outside was damaged, the sheets could be opened to reveal duplicates. They knew the value of backing up!
Another ancient form of writing material was Papyrus, which was made from reeds found at the Nile. These were stored as scrolls, as folding them would cause the brittle material to break. Stored properly, papyrus can survive for thousands of years, and has.
For many ages, the premium writing material was Parchment, made from the hides of animals, usually cows (especially the young cows). A calf could be turned into only a few sheets of parchment (4 or 5), and so a copy of the Bible could contain thousands of calves, which lead to the high cost of books during the middle ages. Monks and scribes would spend a good part of their time painstakingly copying out the texts of books onto new parchment (and sometimes old parchment they had erased!) to create books to sell, based on what orders they received.
It wasn't until later, when paper came over from China, the printing press was invented, movable type was developed, and specialized ink was created that books suddenly became cheap enough to be owned by the masses. It was at this time that the protestant reformation first really took off, as the bible was finally able to be read by all. It was translated into new languages, and old doctrines no longer made sense in light of what was read in the holy word. It was questioning like this that lead a young boy named Joseph Smith to question why there was so much confusion in religion, and what church he should unite himself with. The rest of that story, as they say, is history.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Galatians and Circumcision
The people to whom Paul wrote the epistle to the Galatians had been early converts by him to Christ. They had received the Gospel and been baptized. Sometime thereafter, however, certain men, Jews, came among the Galatians and explained that what Paul had taught (Christ) was good... it just wasn't sufficient. They insisted that only those who followed the Law of Moses and Christ could be saved. The Law, to these Jews who professed to follow Christ, was still mandatory in their minds, and they could not understand why Paul would preach otherwise. Paul, rightly, saw this as an attack on the very faith in Christ he had helped nurture in these people, and, like any good missionary would when his investigators are attacked, immediately wrote to them to shore up their faith and correct the false doctrine.
The main point of false doctrine appears to have been Circumcision. The Jews contended that the gentiles who now professed Christ needed to be circumcised to follow the Law of Moses. Paul strongly denounced this doctrine. If one can be saved by the Law of Moses, as these Jews said, then why had Christ been sacrificed by our Father? Circumcision was not necessary, and never would be again. More then not necessary, circumcision, as a ritual, took emphasis off of Christ who should be must be the center of our religion. Several revelations had been received, by Peter and by Paul, showing that the Gentiles need not convert to Judaism to become Christians. If the Christian Church were to insist on circumcision after receiving these revelations, they would have stood condemned.
This issue was a large stumbling block for many early Jewish converts to the Church. Eventually, this lead to a conference in Jerusalem, in which the Church officially made it their policy to not require circumcision from gentile converts or new Jewish children. The church swiftly sent out letters explaining this policy to the Church, and condemning the actions and doctrine of the Jewish trouble makers. One can only wonder if there were some upset gentile converts for whom the correcting letters came to late.
The main point of false doctrine appears to have been Circumcision. The Jews contended that the gentiles who now professed Christ needed to be circumcised to follow the Law of Moses. Paul strongly denounced this doctrine. If one can be saved by the Law of Moses, as these Jews said, then why had Christ been sacrificed by our Father? Circumcision was not necessary, and never would be again. More then not necessary, circumcision, as a ritual, took emphasis off of Christ who should be must be the center of our religion. Several revelations had been received, by Peter and by Paul, showing that the Gentiles need not convert to Judaism to become Christians. If the Christian Church were to insist on circumcision after receiving these revelations, they would have stood condemned.
This issue was a large stumbling block for many early Jewish converts to the Church. Eventually, this lead to a conference in Jerusalem, in which the Church officially made it their policy to not require circumcision from gentile converts or new Jewish children. The church swiftly sent out letters explaining this policy to the Church, and condemning the actions and doctrine of the Jewish trouble makers. One can only wonder if there were some upset gentile converts for whom the correcting letters came to late.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Introduction and Acts Ch. 2
Welcome to my new blog! I am a college student at Brigham Young University, studying Mechanical Engineering, and I am currently enrolled in a New Testaments class. As part of the class, our professor has asked us to post on a personal blog about things we discuss in class each week. As I did not have a blog, I have now opened this one. Not the worst reason to have a blog, in my opinion. If anyone is reading this, I want you to know that I have a deep faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If anyone has questions about my faith or its history, feel free to comment on here, and I will be glad to talk to you about it!
Today, the prompt is on Acts Ch 2, the day of Pentecost. On this day, the saints and apostles were gathered together in Jerusalem, 50 days after the accession of Christ into heaven after his resurrection. They had been asked to wait in Jerusalem to receive power from on high. On this day, they received it. This is when the saints recieved the Holy Ghost, which is one of the most important days in the history of the Church. The Holy Ghost is a member of the God Head, which is lead by God the Father, with Christ on his right side and the Holy Ghost on his left. It is through the Holy Ghost that we receive a witness of the truth of the Gospel, that gives us a testimony. It is this confirming witness that strengthened the early saints and Apostles to be able to withstand the trials to come and to teach others with the power of God. They started doing so immediately, teaching the visiting Jews who had come to the city on this important holiday. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, they talked to the foreigners in their own languages. Many were converted.
Today, the prompt is on Acts Ch 2, the day of Pentecost. On this day, the saints and apostles were gathered together in Jerusalem, 50 days after the accession of Christ into heaven after his resurrection. They had been asked to wait in Jerusalem to receive power from on high. On this day, they received it. This is when the saints recieved the Holy Ghost, which is one of the most important days in the history of the Church. The Holy Ghost is a member of the God Head, which is lead by God the Father, with Christ on his right side and the Holy Ghost on his left. It is through the Holy Ghost that we receive a witness of the truth of the Gospel, that gives us a testimony. It is this confirming witness that strengthened the early saints and Apostles to be able to withstand the trials to come and to teach others with the power of God. They started doing so immediately, teaching the visiting Jews who had come to the city on this important holiday. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, they talked to the foreigners in their own languages. Many were converted.
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