If you include Bible references on your blog, you might want to think about installing a plugin called RefTagger.
It automatically picks up references that you type into posts, turns them into a link and displays a popup when a reader hovers their mouse over the reference.
Like this: Jn 3:16ff
Pretty handy I reckon…!
for phones, install details here
For those who use the flash application for mobiles…I have added a download for a version with words ordered by frequency (30times+)
Download: Greek Flash Cards - Mobile - By Frequency (20) - 58.25 KB
I have been trying to come to some conclusions as to why Christians are usually unconcerned about the way animals that they eat are killed. Acts 15 seems to suggest that they should be, 1 Cor 10 perhaps goes in the other direction. A few reports suggest that early Christians would not eat blood on religious grounds. We’ll get to the NT passages next time but I want to look at the origin of the prohibition about eating blood first. Feel free to join in – thoughts/corrections and otherwise are welcome!
Click to continue reading “Kosher meat and Christians – Part 2″
A little meme-like quiz cant hurt from time to time…so what font are you?
My result? i do like helvetica….
You fit in well to most situations. You’re not flashy, and prefer clarity to knocking people over with your style. A tad quiet perhaps, but not stuffy, and you’ve got very strong opinions under there somewhere. When you get drunk, you start looking more like Impact.
I’m preaching on Philippians 1:1-11 this Sunday. Enjoying the prep and thought I’d share!
The thing that stikes me is that Paul’s prayer cuts across what we come to take as ‘normal’ as Christian life progresses: Most, if not all of us quickly find that there is no use pursuing excellence because you’ll never get there, it will take too much effort and you’ll end up disappointed anyway.
Perhaps once we had a ‘fire in our belly’, but the dissapointments, weariness and the realities of life have quenched it…perhaps even put it out. Even if the fire is not out now, Paul knows that it is vital to pray against settling for mediocrity. He prays for the Philippian Christians whom he loves that their:
v9: … love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best …
Too often I settle for what is merely ok, passable or what works. this is real life after all.
Instead I need to pray for love which flourishes along with knowledge and depth of insight so that I can discern what is best and do it as God enables.
Such optimism is well founded since
v6: he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Where are you settling for OK in life? bring the fire back! it wont come easy since ever increasing love and knowledge and insight are required. But pray for these things so that you’ll be equipped to discern what is best.
via buzzfeed.com
Just clocked up 100 posts, and 320 comments. Thanks citizens of reubenland!
It appears that although the clean/unclean distinction is clearly removed for Christians, the prohibition on eating strangled animals and animals with their blood (life) may have ongoing effect. I want to come to some conclusions on this issue and Arthur was interested. So i’ll blog it and invite you to join in.
Click to continue reading “Kosher meat and Christians – Part 1″
EDIT: I have since written a three part series on this topic. see: part 1, part 2, part 3. If you landed here wanting to know why Christians don’t eat kosher you’ll probably find part 2 most helpful. Feel free to leave me a comment or send an email to { reuben [at] salagaras.info }
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I am glad that Christ has set me free to enjoy bacon (this post not withstanding)!
However, I hadn’t really noticed that the prohibition against eating blood (Lev 17:1-16) might be distinct from that of eating only ‘clean’ animals (Lev 11). Reading ‘from Paradise to Promise Land’ drew my attention to it:
‘Although the early church abandoned the distinction between clean and unclean foods on theological grounds, it is interesting to observe that they still insisted that Gentiles should adhere to the principle of not eating blood. This is seen in the conclusion reached by the Council of Jerusalem, which was called to clarify the position of Gentiles regarding circumcisionand the law of Moses. James summarised the Councilof Jerusalem’s findings by noting that the Gentile believers shoud be instructed ‘to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood’ (Acts 15:20).Whereas the OT regulations concerning clean/unclean foods were no longer relevant under the new covenant established by Jesus Christ, the theological basis for the OT prohibition against the eating of blood remained unchanged …’
T.D Alexander, From Paradise to Promised Land. p. 233.
It makes me wonder two things. When did this practice stop? When did the Christians stop eating kosher food? and is there really any theological reason to consider the blood of an animal to be inedible to Christians now?
love to hear your thoughts. If people are interesed in the discussion i’ll do some more digging and thinking…
