The Gospel & The Religious Mind
An attempt to distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind.

Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 2

by | Jun 24, 2012 | Less Than Sin?, Section Two

I’ll continue the survey of Galatians to understand the relationship of sin (παράπτωμα) to sin (ἁμαρτία).  Paul hinted at the attitude, activity and the content of the faith of those who were so quickly deserting (μετατίθεσθε, a form of μετατίθημι) the one who called...

Who am I? Part 3

by | Jun 23, 2012 | What Kind of Carpenter is Jesus?, Who am I?

Though I knew nothing of Freud and his theories about sex and aggression at the time, I had immediately equated sex and violence.  I grew up in a fairly tough blue collar neighborhood.  We boys fought all the time, mostly wrestling matches with an occasional blow with...

Peter and Cornelius

by | Jun 22, 2012 | Section Two

I can’t tell if I perceive some confusion in the Apostle Paul’s thinking (literally writing, specifically 1 Corinthians 5:3) because I have been confused so often in my own thinking, or if I am recasting Paul in my own image because I have been confused so often in my...

What is Sexual Immorality?

by | Jun 22, 2012 | Section Two, Sexual Immorality

For a long time I thought I understood exactly what sexual immorality (πορνεία) in 1 Corinthians 5:1 (NET) [Table] meant. It is actually reported that sexual immorality (πορνεία) exists among you, the kind of immorality (πορνεία) that is not permitted even among the...

Who Am I? Part 2

by | Jun 17, 2012 | What Kind of Carpenter is Jesus?, Who am I?

I’m not sure I know the answer to God’s treatment of Nadab and Abihu.  And with me, there’s some real duplicity here.  Though I’m not fond of the particular situation recorded in Leviticus, if Nadab and Abihu had been a couple of notorious child molesters, I’d be...

Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 1

by | Jun 16, 2012 | Less Than Sin?, Section Two

Whether sin (παραπτώματι, a form of παράπτωμα)1 is less than sin (ἁμαρτιῶν, a form of ἁμαρτία),2 was something I had to consider before concluding that 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 and Galatians 6:1-5 were covering the same subject matter.  I may not have ever connected the...

Paul’s Religious Mind

by | Jun 12, 2012 | Paul's Religious Mind, Section Two

Jesus said, Do not judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) so that you will not be judged (κριθῆτε, another form of κρίνω).  For by the standard (κρίματι, a form of κρίμα) you judge (κρίνετε,a form of κρίνω) you will be judged (κριθήσεσθε, another form of κρίνω), and the...

Who am I? Part 1

by | Jun 11, 2012 | What Kind of Carpenter is Jesus?, Who am I?

I have made a reasonably strong case that I should just shut up about the Bible.  But I’m not going to do that.  Measurements made from or to relative coordinates aren’t completely useless if one knows the position and velocity of those coordinates relative to one’s...

Introduction

by | Jun 10, 2012 | Section Two

Do not judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) so that you will not be judged (κριθῆτε, another form of κρίνω),1 Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.  Coupled with the next statement—For by the standard (κρίματι, a form of κρίμα) you judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) you...