CALLING ALL BIBLE NERDS! CALLING ALL BIBLE NERDS!
I challenge you to a game. Here are the rules, play along with me (or just enjoy the episode I guess):
As we go through Wendigoon’s Bible Iceberg, when each topic is announced pause the episode; start a 30 second timer and rattle off what you know. If your knowledge is shallow, or you aren’t familiar with it, that’s one *ding*. At the end of the show, count off how many dings you got – golf rules, the less dings the better. Can you beat my score of 8?
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That was a confusing episode. I could not understand the rules of the game. Wendigoon talks about the Bible, and then you interject your remarks, mostly using different words, or better yet, obscure terms of vernacular used at the Bible Colleges or Seminaries or Synods or some such, like a real credentialed licensed expert.
Then there is a point awarded, or there isn’t one.
What does such approach prove? That you read the source material? I take it for granted that you’ve read it.
That Wendigoon is mistaken? Or that he looked at the same words that you did, but you got it right and he just needs to accept the way you think of it?
Since about 2003, whenever I meet a professional Christian clergyman (mostly 1x a year, the most was 3x a year), and they feel convivial I ask about 2 things only. That is my litmus test and I am too weak to stop.
Q1, Matt 5:39, resist ye not an evil person, turn the other cheek. Why does the Shepherd and Savior of mankind teach that evil not be resisted? That is an advice which seems counterintuitive to accept, it seems as if it came from some settler on disputed land who has a higher moral authority because for millennia his long bloodline was purified by incessant suffering and expulsions.
Q2, what is your take on the Dan Barker challenge? Using only the relevant passages from the Gospels and that brief piece of the Acts, explain what happened on the Resurrection day. I tried it myself for a long time, but you can show me how it’s done.
I would fully excuse if you pass on the Question 2, because when I asked for your brief statement of the faith (March 11, 2025), you concurred with commenter Oraville who was a tad faster on the trigger.
Maybe it is unnecessary to study the New Testament. (I still would, and I still do, and I have decent quality audiobooks for long drives).
Maybe the only thing it matters is a full unconditional acceptance of the correct mindset. Failure to accept the correct mindset is bad for at least 3 reasons: there will be no eternal reward, there will be eternal punishment, and also a large portion of people who know better will lampoon your stupidity for rejecting an obvious choice.
Actual unaltered quotes (the best kind of quotes):
Oraville says:
March 11, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your salvation.
If you want salvation, you only get it through Christ.
Is that succinct enough?
SuperLutheran says:
March 12, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Pretty much. No other religion makes the offer that Christ is making,
no religious figure is as historically attested as Christ, and His commandments
actually make sense, as opposed to the voluntary suicide of buddhism,
the involuntary suicide of hindooism, or the absolute drivel nonsense ethics
one finds in islam or judaism or any other religion.
————————————————————-
Oraville, wherever you are, I wrote your words on the back of a business card in my analog wallet. I read it every time I pay for something.
This was just a bit of fun. The point of the game is to quiz yourself along with Super. He’s not attempting to dunk on windigoon or show off or anything. Lighten up brother, you don’t get extra heaven points for taking everything so seriously.
I have many skills and talents in varying degrees of consummation. Notably absent is the ability to take in social cues about the behavior or intentions of others.
I know I can trust SuperLutheran because he plays our song, Preußens Gloria, in richly satisfying 8-bit MIDI format. He also said he knows Fridericus Rex, unser König und Herr.
SuperLutheran can come off as somewhat supercilious, which perhaps is understandable to some extent, having Luther on his side.
But at some point, we all come to a vertical “steiner Felsenwand”, do we not? Why are we told to stop resisting? Should someone request our shirt, we ought to throw a cloak into the bargain? in the interest of saving space, I will not re-quote The Sermon on The Mount.
My point is, there is a lot of minutiae in the New Testament, details with varying degrees of relevance. And that is all to the good, details matter, but the bigger things matter biglier.
Oraville, for all I know, could have been SuperLutheran’s sock puppet. But the part “as Christ, and His commandments actually make sense, ” was SuperLutheran’s alone.
I do not really want to criticize our kind and patient host and pastor. He works very hard at an ungrateful task, for next to no return, so you know he is somewhat of an idealist, driven by conviction and desire to elucidate.
But one thing weighs on me so I might as well unburden myself. I think we are far too scared of Team Blue, the OPFOR, the bad guys, Shaitan the Deceiver, der Teuffel, oh well, the devil.
When I was barely old to drive, I made decent money delivering auto parts to minority controlled repair/customization shops in somewhat rougher parts of town. There were massive chained dogs that were egged on to intimidate the (then) skinny blond, blue eyed kid. Yes, I know how to discourage a hostile animal but these were paying customers. I know these dogs would NOT flee had I broken wind.
But the devil? he cannot be tougher than a Rottie or pitbull. All we need to do is to recognize the trick, the deception, and reject the trade he offers. Nobody is deceived because he or she has to. Deception (acceptance of a trick) takes place when you want to.
“Almost every night when I wake up the devil is there and wants to dispute with me. I have come to this conclusion: When the argument that the Christian is without the law and above the law doesn’t help, I instantly chase him away with a fart. The rogue wants to dispute about righteousness although he is himself a knave, for he kicked God out of heaven and crucified his Son. No man should be alone when he opposes Satan. The church and the ministry of the Word were instituted for this purpose, that hands may be joined together and one may help another. If the prayer of one doesn’t help, the prayer of another will” (LW 54:78).