Ep. 3 – Plan to Read Your Bible

Hey, everyone!  Ready to tackle some scripture?

Me, too.

I have many times just sat down with the Word of God and opened up somewhere to read.  I have certainly been blessed when doing this, as just about any time I digest the Word it is a good thing.

Still, just like any good project, a plan makes for a most effective result.  First, be sure to pray before jumping into anything.  I think you’ll find that the Spirit of God is the best guide for where you should start your next study.  No one would know better than He, and He doesn’t disappoint.  Just ask Him for direction.

I hope this can be a more interactive post for anyone who joins us here at The Other Bald Guy.  Below, I have a selection of ideas to help in possibly providing useful information.

Rev. Kevin Salyer of Powhatan Community Church, who is also the original bald guy of PCC (or from this context: the other other bald guy), notes the following:

Regarding personal study…I’ve found that doing this within context of my small group is awesome. It gives me a framework and friends to share the experience with.

Kevin is a rather smart guy.  Building that sense of accountability with loved ones, such as a small group study, is important and so supportive.

-WE WANT LINKS!!!-

The following links have not been deeply researched, but interested me enough to want to go back.  Just remember, any of man’s writings contain interpretations, positions, and opinions that may or may not fit easily with your current understanding of scripture.  Don’t sweat it.  I have tried to keep the links below within basic orthodoxy tolerances, but I know some elements of these external sites do not fit my personal position.  No matter!  If you find something that doesn’t fit, then make it a point of conversation and study!  Learn why other Christ-followers see things differently than you.  It may not change your mind, but you will still have a better understanding of why others see things the way they do.

BaldGuy Disclaimer: The Other Bald Guy does not endorse any external link, nor provides any guarantees of any sort.  Links provided here are suggestions for you to explore.  If I have posted a link that really does not belong, then please let me know.

-Want to read the Bible in a year?-

The following sites offer Bible-in-a-year study plans

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/biblereading-1yr.html -a simple chart, also includes a 3-year plan.

http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/ - “The One Year Bible daily reading plan consist of passages from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. This arrangement of Scripture brings variety and a fresh approach to each day’s 15-minute reading, while providing a clear understanding of the Bible’s larger message. No other “through the bible” plan presents the entire bible in such a user-friendly format. Simply select the month and date to link to the passages for the day.”

http://www.biblereadthrough.com/ - “Bible Reading Plans, featuring custom schedules, as well as audio and RSS.”  This one looks interesting and very customizable.

-TOPICAL LINK: The Concept of Love-

Robin Calamaio offers an exhaustive scriptural study on the concept of Love.  The rest of his site looks interesting, as well.  He has several topic options.

http://www.freelygive-n.com/Bible_study_on_Love.html

 -TOPICAL LINK: The Life of Jesus-

A series of short Bible Studies about the life of Jesus from the folks at Wycliffe Associates.  They, too, have other studies on the site that may be good.

http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-study/jesus-life/index.htm 

 -Memorizing the Word-

Looking to focus on memorization?  Below is a link to an article that links to downloadable Bible verse cards.

http://www.creativebiblestudy.com/Biblememorization.html

The AG Discipleship Ministries has a nice wealth of options for Bible memorization at the following link:

http://discipleship.ag.org/Discipleship/Bible_Study/Memorization/index.cfm

-YOUR TURN!!!-

Folks, talk to me.  There are as many Bible studies as there are ideas in the Bible.  What has worked for you?  What fascinating aspects of the Bible have you discovered and can share with us?  I am particularly looking for plans of action that are freely accessible.

Also, if you need help looking for something that’s just right for you, then PULEEZE take a moment and ask.

-The Other Bald Guy’s Last Word-

When choosing a plan of study, praying about it isn’t just a good idea, it’s an absolute necessity.  While it’s good to be sold on the idea of a study, and I believe it so very beneficial for everyone to be studying the Word, don’t dive in quickly on something you haven’t asked God about.  This is a quick way to possibly end up with buyer’s remorse, discouragement, and you can end up preventing yourself from seeking to engage in future studies.

Peace, love, and God’s wisdom.

Ep. 2 – So, when was Jesus born?

Hello folks!

As the Christmas season nears, I thought it would be fun to examine some of the more interesting theories as to when Jesus was born. While we celebrate his advent on December 25th, a majority of scholars feel this is not the exact date of his birth.

PET PEEVE ALERT 

First, let me air a pet peeve of mine.  Jesus wasn’t born on ‘the first Christmas’.  It’s just one of those things.  The earliest reference to the celebration of the nativity on December 25 (the Mass for Christ) is found in the Chronography (Calendar) of 354, an illustrated manuscript of important dates of the year A.D. 354 compiled in Rome for a Roman Christian named Valentius.  In Part 12, the commemoration dates of the martyrs, it begins with “VIII kal. Ian. natus Christus in Betleem Iudeae” (“Eighth day before the kalends of January [December 25], Birth of Christ in Bethlehem Judea”).

There are other inferences in the writings of antiquity that may hint of a possible celebration before A.D. 354, but this is the first clear indication of a December 25th commemoration of the birth of Jesus.  While there were possible celebrations of the birth of Jesus in the early church, historical writings indicate various churches held them at different times.  Most scholars believe the Mass for Christ, Christmas, was not acknowledged prior to the 4th century.

BUT ENOUGH OF ME…

When was Jesus born?

I wish I were brilliant enough to provide insight on my own, but alas, I cannot.

Let’s start with an excerpt from the Encyclopedia Britannica.  While this does not provide insight into when Jesus was born, it is an excellent and concise outline of why we may have chosen December 25th:

The early Christian community distinguished between the identification of the date of Jesus’ birth and the liturgical celebration of that event. The actual observance of the day of Jesus’ birth was long in coming. In particular, during the first two centuries of Christianity there was strong opposition to recognizing birthdays of martyrs or, for that matter, of Jesus. Numerous church fathers offered sarcastic comments about the pagan custom of celebrating birthdays when, in fact, saints and martyrs should be honoured on the days of their martyrdom—their true “birthdays,” from the church’s perspective.

The precise origin of assigning December 25 as the birth date of Jesus is unclear. The New Testament provides no clues in this regard. December 25 was first identified as the date of Jesus’ birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 and later became the universally accepted date. One widespread explanation of the origin of this date is that December 25 was the Christianizing of the dies solis invicti nati (“day of the birth of the unconquered sun”), a popular holiday in the Roman Empire that celebrated the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, the casting away of winter and the heralding of the rebirth of spring and summer. Indeed, after December 25 had become widely accepted as the date of Jesus’ birth, Christian writers frequently made the connection between the rebirth of the sun and the birth of the Son. One of the difficulties with this view is that it suggests a nonchalant willingness on the part of the Christian church to appropriate a pagan festival when the early church was so intent on distinguishing itself categorically from pagan beliefs and practices.

A second view suggests that December 25 became the date of Jesus’ birth by a priori reasoning that identified the spring equinox as the date of the creation of the world and the fourth day of creation, when the light was created, as the day of Jesus’ conception (i.e., March 25). December 25, nine months later, then became the date of Jesus’ birth. For a long time the celebration of Jesus’ birth was observed in conjunction with his baptism, celebrated January 6.

There are many opinions as to the date of Jesus’ birth, and I have only provided a very small list here.  There are evidences for a birth date for every season of the year.  In fact, a bit of searching can find supporting evidence for just about every possible date.  I tried to find selections here that were both enjoyable to read and backed by reasonable scholarship of one flavor or another.

Joseph Tkach from the Worldwide Church of God provides a basic overview of a common position many learned Christ-followers hold.  As a bonus, Michael Morrison has a compelling inset column on this page discussing specifically choosing December 25 as a deliberate opposition to the pagan celebration of Saturnalia to minister to recently-converted or not-yet-converted pagans.

http://www.wcg.org/lit/jesus/datebirth.htm

John Parsons of Hebrew4Christians.com has a neat comparison of two prevailing theories: mid-fall vs. mid-winter birth dates:

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Christmas/christmas.html

Among other things, Gene Edward Veith is the Provost and Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College.  He proposes evidences of a specific birth date of December 25th.

http://www.geneveith.com/evidence-december-25-is-the-right-day/_184/

The folks at New Life Community Church in Stafford, Va, offer a best guess of Sept 29, 5 B.C.

http://www.new-life.net/chrtms10.htm

Stepping outside our comfort zones, we visit Stargazers.com (“Astrology Services for spiritual beings on a human path”).  While The Other Bald Guy doesn’t ascribe to astrology, this is one example of numerous attempts to identify Jesus’ birth through celestial events (i.e. the Star of Bethlehem).  Hannibal Giudice’s guess: March 1, 7 B.C.

http://www.stargazers.com/jesus.html

And to wrap things up, I offer up the writings of Rev. Bosco Peters, an Anglican priest in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Rev. Peters provides a wealth of information as to why the Christian church may have chosen December 25th as the day of celebration for the advent of Jesus.  Interestingly, he presents two separate documents: one outlining a Pagan-centric theory of Dec 25th, and the other being a Judeo-Christian theory.  Very interesting!

Pagan-centric theory: http://www.liturgy.co.nz/worship/matters_files/christmasday1.html
Judeo-Christian theory: http://www.liturgy.co.nz/worship/matters_files/christmasday2.html

Ep. 1 – Welcome to The Other Bald Guy

Welcome to the home of The Other Bald Guy.  Hopefully you have come here to relax and study about God on a little bit deeper level.  Together, we can chat about the tough questions and explore God, the Bible, and what it means to be a Christ follower.  While reading the Bible is a principal element of a Christ follower’s life, without some scholarship we may not be reaching the fullness of the message (I’ll leave the concept of sola scriptura for another day).

Remember, I’m here to meet you where you are, and we can then walk together in faith, love, and scholarship.

I’ve decided to follow Christ.  What now?

Boy, oh boy, has a whole new world of study opened up for you.  If you care to understand about the human condition, understand that there is a future for you in a living, breathing devine presence, and to encounter the joys of both this life and beyond, then you’ve chosen wisely.

First, make sure you’re plugged in with folks who have been following Christ.  It’s not a path for the weak minded, so plan to be challenged in many ways.  Being around other believers who have already had time in the act of following Christ will allow you to experience the faith more fully and on sure footing.

Also, read your Bible (perhaps start with Phillipians).  Seeking the face of God will take reading the words of His prophets.  Beware, though: the Bible is a whole context in and of itself, so don’t get hung up on a single phrase.  Take your time and trust that once you’ve digested larger amounts of the Bible, certain portions begin to make more sense within the whole.  Following Christ is a lifetime journey.

What questions are stupid questions about following Christ?

I suppose I have to give the obvious answer: the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.  Our God is so big that we will ask questions the rest of our lives and not scratch the surface of His being.  Still, every question we ask enriches our lives and broadens our worldviews.  Asking questions is like breathing in God — soooo nice and fulfilling.

How do I get access to bears?

Well, first you have to be an Old Testament prophet (strike one for you, I’m guessing).  Basically, the joke about having access to bears is from the Old Testament book of 2 Kings.  One of God’s prophets, a man by the name of Elisha, was on a trip to the city of Bethel.  I’ll let the rest of the story speak for itself:

as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!’ So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths. (2 Kings 2:23-24)

Wow, Elisha was a testy little prophet, now wasn’t he?  A little male-pattern baldness apparently goes a long way to pushing a prophet of the Holy One right over the edge.  I actually chose this story intentionally to show what I really want to do here.  On its face, this story is almost mortifying.  Youths make fun of Elisha (in the King James, it’s translated ‘little children’!), and in seeming retaliation he curses them, and plenty of their friends, to being eaten by she-bears.

Is that simply the end of the story?  Is there no more to be known?  Is God so capricious that He would allow one of His prophets to kill 42 kids over some teasing?  Perhaps there’s more than meets the eye here.  Here’s where you and I get to take some time and study what some modern scholars think on the issue.

Discovery Magazine has an interesting take on the whole thing here:
http://www.discoverymagazine.com/articles/d1999/d9911e.htm

If you want a more in-depth study, and one I find very valuable in this instance, then hop to this link below at one of my favorite sites, the Christian Thinktank:
http://www.christian-thinktank.com/qmeanelisha.html

My take: Don’t make fun of bald guys.

Peace, y’all.