Marbaniang, Domenic

JOHN 8:1-12 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the mids...

1. The Rationalist: The Cross is too irrational! 2. The Empiricist: I won't believe unless I see and touch and verify. 3. The Utilitarian: What do I gain from all this faith-talk? What does it matter to me if God is God? I want to know what I benefit by accepting this Gospel now. 4. The Pluralist: All rivers lead to the same ocean. So, everything is alright. 5. The Sensualist: There is too little drama in this story. It is too plain if not too incomprehensible. 6. The Religionist: The Gospel will destroy our age-old religion. Begone with it! 7. The Believer: I believe!

The Good Samaritan  (Wikimedia) Citations: The Great Commandment is the essential law of the church; the Great Commission is the missional task of the church. The both cannot be confused. To love is a rule and principle that would never cease to be; to preach is an obligation that will soon cease to be. That is one reason why caring for the poor, the orphans, and the widows is considered to be pure religion (James 1:27). The liberational causes and the cause of justice and mercy are principle causes – things that the church cannot silently ignore when it has the power not to ignore. To love one’s neighbor as oneself is an essential obligation. In most cases, one may not preach but still be a Christian, and draw others through a silent conformity to the essential Christian principle of love (1Peter 3:1). Being precedes manifestation. The ethical rule must not be confused with the ecclesiastical task. To love is not a task; it is an essential principle. Jesus said that His disciple...

I. The Promise of the Gospel Given through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures - It was a Spoken Promise – Communicated - It was a Written Promise – Encoded, Recorded Promise of the Gospel: “That God will save…” Promises of the Gospel. “Salvation, life, adoption….” Rom.15:8; Gal.3:16, 22 Why the Promise of the Gospel Was Made 1. Because man by his righteousness could not fulfill the righteousness of God. The Law can’t save. It can only condemn. Israel is the greatest example. - Sinned despite of miracles - Sinned despite of Tabernacle - Sinned despite of Shekinah - Sinned despite of prophets, priests… (Jer.5:31) Education can’t transform Religion can’t transform 2. Because God loved us and wants us to be saved. (1Jn.4:19) - Cross: Greatest symbol of human rejection of God and God’s embrace of man 3. Because the Gospel is the only way for man to be saved. That is why it is the GOSPEL II. The Person of the Gospel Not an ordinary man. Mediator: Real. High Priest. According to the Flesh: S...

The question is usually approached through an analysis of the three major views regarding other faiths. We can't accommodate that discussion here, but let me point some of my earlier writings that deal with the views, viz pluralism, inclusivism, and exclusivism or particularism as preferably known. Theology and Philosophy of Religion Three Divisions of Philosophical Theology Poll Results: Are all Mission Fields "Harvest Fields"? There is also an extension of this discussion around the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism; the Calvinist stance usually maintaining that salvation is the sovereign act of God that involves divine predestination, unconditional election, and irresistible salvific grace. Some may see that such a view can render the preaching of the gospel meaningless, as in the voice of the man who countered Carey's proposal to evangelize the heathen: "Sit down, young man, if God wants to save the heathen, he will do it without your help or mine!...