• About
  • Apologetics, Theology, and Political Posts
  • Home
  • Sermons
  • Son of God Human Supremacy: Future Humanity’s Destiny in Him

Against All Odds

~ Engage Life

Against All Odds

Category Archives: Biblical Application

Interpreting my Wife’s Pregnancy Theologically: Part 1

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by Prime Theologian in Biblical Application, Biblical Interpretation, Pregnancy and Theology

≈ Comments Off on Interpreting my Wife’s Pregnancy Theologically: Part 1

Tags

1 Tim 2:15, Pregnancy, theology

Something that has utterly fascinated me in my wife’s pregnancy is the healing effect it has had on her. She was both lactose and gluten intolerant before she became pregnant, but she can now eat things that have both dairy and gluten in them! Some of you, if you’ve spoken with me about this, know that one biblical text came to my mind. 1 Timothy 2:15 is instruction on how women are to act in the church who Timothy oversaw. It deals with how women are to have quiet spirits, kindly learning and asking their questions in a non-disputive way; many of these women were no doubt influenced by the Temple cult of Diana (Artemis), which was in Ephesus and functioned with women priests as overseers of the cult’s activities. Paul then points out the circumstances that led to the fall included divisiveness between the man and woman (vv. 13 – 14), which leads him to say, “But [woman] will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” Unless you’ve studied NT Greek for some time, it is unlikely that you’d be aware of the fact that the Greek word for “saved” (σωζω) can and is translated into English in a number of ways. The most prominent among them are saved, preserve, deliver, and healed. The authors of the Gospels use σωζω frequently with the meaning of “healed” (Mt. 9:21, 22, Mk. 5:23, 28, 34, 6:56, 10:52).  This list of verses is not exhaustive, so we are well within our interpretive rights to question whether or not σωζω in 1 Tim. 2:15 might have the meaning of “healed.” 1 Tim. 4:16, just two chapters after 1 Tim. 2:15, does not use σωζω with the meaning of “saved” either. It reads, “Give attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in practicing them. For by doing this you preserve yourself and those listening to you” (trans. mine from Greek NA 27 ed.). Now, if the part of the text with σωζω in it read, “For by doing this you save yourself and those listening to you,” we’d have a real problem on our hands since Paul would essentially be saying that we can save ourselves, which is clearly contradicting the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am the first to admit that my opting for “healed” is derived from my experience of my wife’s healing, but I hasten to add that every interpreter is influenced by his experience. The one who thinks he or she is not influence in this way is deceived and in danger of thinking s/he has an objectivity that could only be true of God — who we most certainly are not. It is not unimportant that the translation of “saved” doesn’t make much sense in 1 Tim. 2:15. What does it mean, after all, to say that women will be “saved through childbearing?” Women are most certainly “healed” through childbearing in psychological ways as are men. I am already starting to experience the opening of my own spirit to warmer expressions as I think about this little girl on the way. I’ve watched the transformation of many women when children are coming; it’s staggering! I want to understand σωζω as referring to biological healing — as in my wife’s case and other women with similar stories during their pregnancies — and psychological healing, drawing out that inherent tenderness of women so clearly manifest when children are on the way. I think the meaning of “preserved” for σωζω might be a helpful understanding too in 1 Tim. 2:15. The innocence of children is truly a marvel in this world of sorrow and pain, a glowing gem in murky woods. This beauty has a way of drawing out what is beautiful in us, both women and men — as Jesus said, parents know how to do good to their children (Lk. 11:11 – 13). Thus, the procreation process, from sex to pregnancy to birth and thereafter, all seem to “preserve” humanity both in its biological continuation and in “healing” the many damages we experience while journeying through the darkness of this world, whether biological issues (like my wife’s intolerances) or psychological issues.

My wife’s pregnancy has made me rethink this text: “But [women] will be healed through childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” I contend that the healing refers to biological healing and psychological healing as well as having a preservational effect on family and, through family, on the rest of humanity.

Dr. Scalise

On Humility and Learning

09 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by Prime Theologian in Biblical Application, Humlity, Learning, Spiritual Formation, Virtues

≈ Comments Off on On Humility and Learning

Tags

Biblical application, Humility, Learning, Spiritual Formation, Virtues

Humility may be the king of virtues because it opens the door for so many others. To me, humility makes me teachable. He who is unteachable is likewise he who strengthens his own opinions without bringing others’ insights into the conversation. His lack of humility lays the path to his isolation: a frightful journey.  Humility engenders a listening attitude, makes me slow to speak, and forces me to be diligent in my scholarship and delightful in others’ scholarship. To listen is to make the opportunity to learn; to speak slowly is to consider carefully, with great regard for what is thought about. To carefully craft an argument requires a realistic opinion of one’s self and one’s ability so that the argument is created humbly in accord to one’s real capacities.  Humility enables me to consider others who differ from me, even when they differ strongly. It makes me review and attend to others’ view with an eye to accurately understanding. It keeps me from misrepresenting other positions and scholars, as though I sit on high. Humility holds the key to inquiry (questioning). Without humility, inquiry flounders, those refusing humility happily maintaining inconsistent and un-vetted views. Our openness to others directly depends on humility; if we fail to love humility, there is little hope for a deep and steady love for others.

Dr. Scalise

Battling Depression and Suicide: God’s Will and Desire for You can help

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Prime Theologian in Biblical Application, Christian Ministry, Human Experience and Theology, Spiritual Warfare

≈ Comments Off on Battling Depression and Suicide: God’s Will and Desire for You can help

Tags

depression, god, God's Desire for you, Mental Wholeness, Revelation 4:11, suicidal thoughts, suicide, Zephaniah 3:17

Recently, in our house church meetings, we have been discussing what God’s will is for us. There are a number of things that we could say on this subject, yet one thing God wants you to know is that He desires you, wanted you, and values you. Before I get into this, first let me say that I don’t want to create any cheap myth that just believing one thing, even when it comes from God’s very will, will solve depression or suicidal tendencies. This surely is not the case as the professional health-fields devoted to treating these issues show. God might be able to do a miraculous fix in independent cases: granted. Much of life, infected by sin, disbelief, and hostile spiritual powers, does not play-out in unending miracles; we indeed should pray for them while availing ourselves to the other sources God has lovingly provided in health, prolonging life, and mental wholeness practices.

What we do know about ourselves as humans is that our overall health owes to a myriad of reasons, influences, and practices. Correct belief, and trust in that belief, is one reason or influence that God has given of which we must integrate into our daily thinking habits. With these things said, let’s look at my translation of Revelation 4:11.

“Worthy you are our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power because You Yourself created all things and because of Your will they exist and were created.”

If your in a bad bout with depression or fighting suicidal thoughts, Rev. 4:11 is a rescue rope. First, notice the “You Yourself created . . . .” This, seen clearly in the Greek, emphasizes God involvement in the creation process. It is not that God was hesitant or had to create you as though He were motivated by something other than Himself. No, indeed, the “You Yourself” shows us that not only was He involved in creating you, but He was heavily invested in creating you. Let your heart and mind drink deeply from this truth, and believe it, and go on believing it. Your worth is deeply important to God, enough for Him to be involved in a particularly attentive way in creating you. Second, God’s will is sometimes understand in a distant or unaffectionate way; the Greek term, thelēma, however, shows great affection, and can be translated as “want” or “desire” to illustrate this warmth. God desires that you “exist” and “were created.” In the instant you became alive, God’s desire was for you. You were “born” from God’s desire. The horrors we see and experience in this world as a result of man’s malice against man and demons’ malice against both man and Creator has infected all things with corruption, but God the Redeemer and Physician desired you be created. We must battle in this war torn world, both spiritually and physically, but the rescue rope of God’s desire for you sings and dances over you (Zeph. 3:17) a never-ending melody of God’s affectionate want to create you and His current desire He has in you because He wills that you exist. With God, good desire precedes our life, is in our life, and is with us after this life. God desires you live, so turn to this rescue rope and live. There is much more work to do towards holistic mental health thereafter, but God is the Rescuer, whose ability never falters.

Dr. Scalise

Recent Posts

  • The Fall of Historic Liberalism: How it became Autocratic Liberalism through a Discussion of Freedom, morality, and God
  • Some Thoughts on Critical Race Theory as a System of Liberal Ideology
  • The Future of Humanity as Contained in the Humanity of the Son of God
  • Power, Demonism, and the Likeness to Governmental Power
  • World Economic Forum, Transhumanism, and Afterlife (part 9):Their Notion of Heaven and a Comparison

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • January 2016
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • June 2012

Categories

  • Abortion
  • Adam and Eve
  • afterlife
  • Anachronism
  • and Bitterness
  • Apologetics
  • apotheosis
  • artificial intelligence
  • Baggett and Walls
  • Beauty
  • bias
  • Biblical Application
  • Biblical Interpretation
  • Blaspheme
  • Christ
  • Christ and Culture
  • Christ and Economic
  • Christ and the Politico-Economic
  • Christian Ministry
  • Christmas
  • Christology
  • Church Leadership
  • Comparative Religion
  • contingent
  • Copycat
  • cosmic origins
  • Creating
  • Defending Resurrection of Jesus
  • despotism
  • devaluation of currency
  • Difficult Questions
  • Difficult Texts
  • Dimensions
  • Discipleship
  • discrimination
  • Economics
  • Elitism
  • Enlightenment
  • entropy
  • eternal life
  • Exegesis and Interpretation
  • Expecting Parents
  • fascism
  • Fear
  • Freedom
  • futility
  • Gay marriage
  • Gender Issues
  • Genesis
  • God
  • God Speaks
  • Good God
  • Gospels
  • Government
  • hades
  • Hallucinations
  • heaven
  • Hebrews
  • hell
  • Historical Issues with Resurrection
  • Holy Spirit
  • Homosexuality
  • Homosexuals
  • human error
  • Human Experience and Theology
  • Humlity
  • Hypostatic Union
  • Illumination
  • imagination
  • Incarnation
  • Inerrancy
  • Infallibility
  • inspiration
  • Jesus
  • Joy
  • justice
  • law of thermodynamics
  • Learning
  • Legends
  • Libertarianism
  • limitations
  • monetary policy
  • Moral Apologetics
  • Morality
  • mystery
  • Near Death Experiences/Consciousness
  • Origen
  • Philosophical Explanations for God
  • plato
  • Pregnancy and Theology
  • preservation
  • Problem of Evil
  • Resurrection
  • Satan
  • Science
  • Scripture
  • soul
  • Spiritual Formation
  • Spiritual Warfare
  • Textual Criticism
  • Theodicy
  • Theological Interpretation
  • theology
  • Traditional Problems in the Debate between Theism and Atheism
  • Transhumanism
  • Trinity
  • Trinity and Allah
  • Trinity and Pregnancy
  • Truth
  • Uncategorized
  • Virtues
  • WEF
  • World Economic Forum
  • Zombies

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.