Re: the ascension

Rick Becker (rbecker@ibadex.com)
Mon, 02 Aug 1999 09:51:04 -0400

As a long time lurker and physicist, there isn't much I can comment on, but
this thread brought me out. If we are to claim Jesus as Lord, then we are
(joyfully) forced to the conclusion that He is the Lord of the spacetime
continuum. If I am ever given the opportunity to finish my graduate work
in Theology, I am planning to do my thesis on the physics of miracles. I
would strongly suggest that anyone who wants a real intellectual challenge
try reading some of Paul Davies books on cosmology and quantum physics.
(no math required) If we are willing to accept Him as the creator ex
nihilo, as well as the healer and resurrector of bodies and souls, then why
should we have trouble with ascension, passing through locked doors,
walking on water, fortelling the future, physical translocation, or
altering physical reality such as bread, fish, or water to wine. These
were not the cheap tricks of some showman/shaman, but manifestations of
authority and power. He even reels back the disciples when they want to
misuse this power by calling down fire on their critics. God does not need
to show off or mislead. I believe that to ascribe any such motivation to
Him says much more about us and what what we would do with such powers,
than it does to illumine God's nature. All of His actions reported
throughout Scripture are intended to reveal His nature and redeem souls,
not score Sophistic points. Frankly, I would not object to meeting a
Neandertal in Heaven. Ah well, back to my hole...


At 02:25 AM 8/2/99 -0500, andrew wrote:
>Thanks George and Adam for the replies. Good enough for now though if
>anyone finds anything well written on the subject pass it on. I never
>really have thought at all about the ascension so I am starting from a
>clean slate. If Jesus was ressurected physically is He somewhere *out there
>* in bodily form? seems a bit odd of a question but I had to ask.
>Andrew
>
>
>
>At 09:23 PM 7/26/99 -0400, George Murphy wrote:
>>andrew wrote:
>> ............................
>>> This is all well and helpful but I still am left with this. If the new
>>> testament is reporting history than did the Lord really seem to lift up in
>>> the clouds when he "left" earth? Some say that calls the account into
>>> question which is to arrogant a claim for my taste but any thoughts? Do
you
>>> take the account at face value?
>>> Andrew
>>
>> The NT speaks of historical events but is not limited to chronicle-like
>>recording of them. It speaks about the meaning of those events and,
>pre-eminently,
>>about the meaning of Jesus. A good argument can be made for the basic
>historical
>>character of the Easter events - i.e., the appearances of Christ and the
>empty tomb -
>>without trying to "harmonize" in chronological sequence & geographical
>placement.
>>The resurrection appearances came to an end at some point - to put it
>crudely, we don't
>>see Jesus on earth now. If the risen Christ told them on one occasion
>that that
>>was the last time they would see him, and if they believed that he was
>seated at the
>>right hand of God, whatever his departure was like would - given the
>cosmology of the
>>time - have been understood and described by them in terms of an
>"ascension". & of
>>course any motion away from the earth will be seen to begin with as a
>motion "upward".
>> C.S. Lewis discission in Chapter 16 of _Miracles_ my be helpful, though I
>would
>>not subscribe to all that he says here.
>>
>>
>>
>>George L. Murphy
>>gmurphy@raex.com
>>http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
>>
>>
>>
>
>