Thanks for your voice of caution. I fully agree. I was thinking along the
lines that "the heavens declare the glory of God" and that, if one can see
an intricate numerical design in Scripture, so be it. We can (well, some
of us maybe) can marvel at the poetry in the Bible. However, without the
Holy Spirit guiding us and opening our eyes, we cannot link the God of power
and might, of tectonic plates and chemical reactions to the loving Father
who sent his Son to die for us and for the Son to lay down his life for us.
Shalom!
Chuck Vandergraaf
Pinawa, MB
> ----------
> From: George Murphy[SMTP:gmurphy@raex.com]
> Sent: Friday, December 31, 1999 7:19 AM
> To: Vandergraaf, Chuck
> Cc: 'vernon.jenkins@virgin.net'; 'asa@calvin.edu'
> Subject: Re: Exceptional Measures
>
> Vandergraaf, Chuck wrote:
> ...................................
> > If you can see God's
> > wisdom, power, and glory in this, good for you. I would guess, though,
> that
> > you present some circular arguments and that it is unlikely that it will
> > bring (m)any to realize the saving power of Jesus's death on the cross.
> > But, God does work in mysterious ways.
> ...................................
> I think a general caution about the idea in the first sentence is in
> order.
> I appreciate the sentiment, but unfortunately people can see "God's" -
> i.e., whatever
> God they believe in - wisdom, power, & glory in all sorts of strange
> things. There
> are people who imagine that they're "Christian" who think that God's power
> would be
> displayed in exterminating one or another ethnic group.
> I am NOT NOT NOT saying that anyone in this discussion has such
> ideas: That is
> simply a _reductio ad absurdum_ of the theory that it's good if anyone
> thinks they see
> God's wisdom &c in anything at all. In fact, as Chuck points out - & as
> the Gospel of
> John & I Cor.1:18-31 make clear - the real God's wisdom, power, & glory
> are shown in
> Christ crucified, & any of our ideas about those things have to be tested
> against that
> standard.
> Shalom,
> George
>
>
> George L. Murphy
> gmurphy@raex.com
> http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
>