Two Geneologies

‘Adam…begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth’. Gen 5:3
Curiously we see two sets of geneology as the creation account in the preceding sections, of Holy Spirit focusing God and Man on the other. The two geneologies are similarly of two groups: of godly and worldly family.
In Hebrew tradition name of a person is the essence of his being. It is not without reason Abram was renamed as Abraham.(Gen17:5) He was to be the father of many nations just as God had promised. Eve named her firstborn Cain meaning ‘I have gotten a man from the Lord (Gen 4:1).
Let me digress here a little. Cain’s destiny was too much bound up with the sin of disobedience of his parents that he was not adequately protected from it. Since we do not read what sort of home life young Cain had it is a matter of conjuncture to think his parents neglected him. Did they train him in godly ways? Perhaps tilling the ground and eking out a life from the ground took too much out of Adam. We do not read of Eve stepping in to prepare the boy to walk with God as Enoch later would do (Gen5:22). We read however that God in His mercy set a sign on Cain so he might survive in the world. What was that mark? Was it something that would make him succeed in life? Did he cultivate those social skills that we see in celebrities of the present day? As the expression is ‘if you cannot win them, join them’. Cain settled down outside the Garden where God had initially intended. Outside God’s will Cain certainly prospered because of the mark. He didn’t build any mega church or gathered people around him but he built a city and named it after the name of his son Enoch (Gen 4:17).
From internal evidence I suppose Cain’s descendants at some point married into one from Adam’s descendants. Thus we have two sets of genealogies.
It is the second geneology that I want to focus on.
Seth came into the world to take the place of Abel whom Cain slew. His name meaning ‘appointed’ by God was very apt. Through him was His Will to be perfected. Merely because man failed the intent of God didn’t mean that God had scaled down His Will or His Holiness. ‘The foundation of God standeth sure…’ (2 Ti-2:19)
God had let Adam begin anew: In him lay the foundation of His church. Sin of obedience must have removed His explicit seal that His image signified. Consequentially Adam begat a son in his own likeness. Even so his geneology would measure up to the Holiness and perfection He had intended for Adam. Cain and his progeny stand for those who prosper without God. In them dynamics of their prosperity and visible trappings of success owe to the spirit of the world. They march to a different drummer than God. Their beliefs or gods are not to be compared with the manner Holy Spirit has chosen to highlight the destiny of Seth and his descendants. In him we may trace our kinship to Adam. The geneology of Jesus where Adam was the son of God ties up Old Testament and our destinies together. (Lk 3:38)This account was given in the gospel in order to show our antecedents.
benny

Grace And Works

‘If thou doest well, shall thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire…' Gen 4:7
Here we see the outcome of two sacrifices offered by two brothers. From a casual reading one might feel sympathy for Cain. Was God partial to Abel or harsh with the firstborn? In the preceding chapter we read that God had put Adam after his fall to till the ground (3:23). The ground had become a constant reminder of his fall. For all that would God hold it against Cain because he chose to follow the footsteps of his father? I think not. Does God hold anything against farming? Of course not!
Cain joined his father to till the ground and naturally brought the fruit of the ground as an offering. It was his own work that Cain highlighted. So far, so good. Then where did he go wrong?
Didn’t Cain present in self-righteousness the fruit of his labour? In my opinion he presented it in bad spirit. It was made clear when he resented Abel. The Reason? God preferred those of Abel over his gifts. Cain felt injured.
Jesus shows how we are to serve in the gospel of Luke, ‘ …we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.’(Lk 17:10) If we maintain that outlook would there be any need for envy as Cain demonstrated? We are unworthy like the prodigal son to be called as sons (Lk 15:21). We are unprofitable in His service but His abundant grace covers our shortcomings in everything that we do. It ought to be always our credo as stated in Lk 17:10.
Cain was given by God (Gen 4:1) but did he give himself in his sacrifice? He held back his best part to himself. ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me.’(Ps.51:10)
Benny

Two Worlds

‘…you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’Gen3:5


Is it not a wise thing to know good and evil? Before I proceed further let me point out to the march of events that were taking place outside the Garden of Eden. From the first verse of Chapter 6 we are given a hint that the earth was populated by men. There were men of renown who we know were the descendents of sons of God (6:5,2) Who are they? We can only guess from oblique references elsewhere in the Bible. In the second epistle of Peter we read of the angels that sinned.(2:4).Jude also mention of those angels who didn’t keep their first estate. Their sin must then owe to their straying out of their bounds. It is not difficult to guess the reason for their estrangement. Anyway a different order of mankind other than of Adam and Eve came about.
There were other people then but were they created by God? God created Adam in His image. The Bible tells so. It cannot be otherwise. Because we do not read verses of other races or beliefs in the Creation Account it doesn’t mean God has nothing to do with nations. There were people with their distinct religious practices and customs. God is the Lord of all godly nations as well as pagans. How the latter chose to live is outside the purview of the history of God’s chosen people. Only where their history collides with that of His people we get to read of it in the Book. So we shall do well to remember that there was evil outside the Garden. Of this evil perhaps Satan had much to speak about.
But Adam and Eve being a contextual substance as God, had nothing to do with evil. In listening to Satan they let evil in. As we read in the epistle of James God does not tempt man but Satan. (Jas 1:13-15) Our senses could entice us as Eve was. In Gen3:6 we see how they sinned step by step.
2.
Adam and Eve could learn from the very light of His Being. Knowledge of Good was their portion. Hence knowledge of evil was useless knowledge so to speak. By sin they were onto knowledge of evil. Death is a natural consequence of it.
Having not kept their first estate as those angels who sinned, Adam and Eve had to live with the consequences. Their knowledge was set in terms of the world. Like the man who went to London to found a salon ended up setting up a saloon Adam made it very difficult for him to find the right direction as we shall see. Knowledge of Adam among the children of darkness was at a disadvantageous position. ‘ Be ye wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.’(St. Mat 10:16) and in Luke 16:8 ‘ the children of this world are …wiser than the children of light.’
What was the use of such knowledge that gave children of light every disadvantage as we find so pertinent even in the present times?
benny

Law and Grace

‘I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid…’(Gen3:10)
Third chapter of Genesis is seen from the standpoint of son of Man: in three states we see him express his relationship to God.
1.He hides from the presence of God.
In the first gospel of John we read that ‘He that feareth is not made perfect in love’(4:18,16-17). Adam had cause to fear. He had gained Knowledge of good and evil at the expense of disobedience. Conversely obedience of Adam would have meant he was in the garden even as God was. Of this we read in the verse quoted from John. ‘ As he is so are we in this world’ In ourselves we have no merit but the knowledge that our Redeemer lives and his grace has covered all our insufficiency. This is the hallmark of obedience that every Christian should develop. Adam by sinning sees much more into his body than was necessary. He was like God or in the image of God and yet he discovers he was naked.
2. He learns to shift the blame.
God created man, male and female created he them. Now having disobeyed he distances himself from her in a manner not intended by God. It will eventually be made concrete in host of traditions, customs and also by law. Woman as a result comes to be someone to be subjugated and her dependence to man shown in injunctions as we read in Paul’s epistle, ‘every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth head…’(1 Co 11: 3-12) Law is the natural consequence of man’s disobedience. Thus when we read in the gospel of John that law came from Moses and grace and truth came by Jesus’(1:17) we have to understand the origin of law as a matter of necessity that man’s disobedience warranted.
3.He admits his insufficiency. The aprons of fig leaves that man made were inadequate. These were replaced by coat of skins. Lambskins or any other would require shedding of blood. We read of the first sacrifice mentioned in the Bible. This may be seen as a forerunner of the redemptive work of the Son of Man.
benny

Two Kinds Of Spirit

‘And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked;…’(Gen3:7)
In the Book of Psalms we read that ‘God is clothed with honour and majesty’(Ps 93,97,104) ‘It is how the Psalmist envisions his God and rightly so. In the gospel of John we read that ‘No man hath seen God at any time’(Jo 1:16) How does then the Psalmist describe God and the Creation chronicle in an ecstatic hymn if not for the Spirit? We have a sure word of this from the disciple of Jesus.’ But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.(2 Pe 1:21)
Man has two avenues by which he may know of the world about him. As I mentioned in the previous post ‘On Mysteries’ he has his physical world and also his inner world. There is spirit of the world and also ‘Spirit which is of God.’ (1 Co 2:12)
Man’s knowledge cannot be built on the right foundations if it only provides for his needs in part.
2.
Adam being in the right context of God was filled with knowledge of Good. In the first chapter of Genesis God saw that everything that he had made was good. This being the case by eating the fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil he overreached himself.
Adam and Eve were in the direct context of God. They were naked but they were not ashamed. Why? They were covered by the same glory and honour that clothed God. Knowledge of everything Good was in their very core of their being. Spirit of God was about them and basking in that light the nakedness was a sign of their perfection. They being so happily placed in their association with God was there any need to listen to some gratuitous advice of Satan? After they disobeyed we read that their eyes were opened,(Gen3:7) just as Satan had told them. Satan as always is the master of half-truths. Satan was right partially.
Adam and Eve had discovered the spirit of the world right where they were placed in the East of Eden. Spirit of the world gave them skills to make themselves aprons. Where man misses the spirit of God he needs to fall on the spirit of the world. It is like having a tiger by the tail. He calls it progress and it is always at the expense of something else.
benny

On Mysteries

‘ This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman.’….Gen 2: 23
This verse I know is controversial and apt to bring strong disapproval from many since it goes against all known facts, that are tagged under Science. The Bible is not Science as far as man’s enquiry is limited to his physical world where every aspect of what could be measured and classified hangs upon pegs of man’s understanding. His rational mind is then the arbiter of such facts. When plastics was invented the world went ga-ga as to what it could do to add to the comforts of modern living. The world's annual consumption of plastic materials has increased from around 5 million tonnes in the 1950s to nearly 100 million tonnes today. No one had foreseen clearly then as to the threat it would pose one day in fouling our environment. Technology merely speaks of man’s certain capacity to create but not his mastery of his creations. Science similarly bears the hallmark of his enquiring mind but do not insure against the errors that his mind is privy to.
As a Christian I have no fight with Science: my contention with it is only that it addresses my needs in part. It is woefully wanting in several other parts. I am concerned about my physical world as well as a world, which I can feel within my bones as real. I straddled all these 65 years two worlds as it were, never feeling a stranger in either. So Science must not intrude in matters it has no useful role to play.
When I read a verse that proclaims God created man in his image it is unnecessary for me to ask myself if man were evolved from the family of apes or not. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God … for instruction in righteousness’(2 Ti 3:16) In the earlier post I quoted the verse where Adam became a living soul because God breathed into him. Since my conception of my soul is derived from that act, it is a living thing, as real as the credit card I use for buying weekly groceries. Money may lose in value but my soul isn’t affected by such vagaries of market economy. It may be science that explains why we have fallen into recession but what does it matter to my soul?
Soul I hold as the pinion on which my both worlds revolve. As the verse in the epistle to Timothy tells when I need to be instructed in righteouness I rely on the Scriptures and not Science. Thus the key verse that I quoted is to be spiritually discerned. (1 Co 2: 14)
Our righteousness is derived as Adam’s contextual substance came from his context to God. Therefore Adam bearing the breath of God shall consider himself as a source: it is indeed the truth since Eve was a spiritual creation meant to be his comfort and companion as God had intended from the beginning.
benny

One Man's Sin

‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.,’(Ro3:23)
In this context I shall cite another verse again from the epistle to the Romans, ‘wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin..’(5:12-13) St. Paul here is referring to the fall of man. Adam disobeyed a direct commandment of God and with it threw wide open the nature of sin as part and parcel of man’s lot. From the story of Adam’s fall we need to know an axiom: A man’s culpability compromises the entire species. In other words, an individual as representation of the whole. One man’s fall is described in terms of the fall of the whole; one man’s victory opens the way for victory for all. Thu Adam and Jesus are two types each illustrating the above axiom.
Does it not raise many an eyebrow, and through ages we have heard voices refusing the idea of a child being sinful. A baby comes into the world carrying the nature of sin as sure as he is bearing the genetic material of his parents in his person. Here I am not saying a baby would have wilfully sinned but implies he is representative of the entire race and Adam in particular.
How so?
Let me draw your attention to my post of November 18, 2007
A Paradox

Life is indescribable. Having said that in my entry #1 what if I described Life as a matrix? Am I not contradictory?
When I qualify Life as an envelope I am merely using a symbol from direct evidences: nature as a manifestation of Life…
Paradox of Life is like silence, of which we shall have no understanding but for sounds.
From the above our material make up gives Life a discernible form. We are like Adam, a living soul, and yet we bear the material nature of Adam, which makes us share his sin of disobedience as well. We catch the dimensionless Life even though as an aura and we know Him as God. If we call on Him as Father since we have direct experience of an earthly father we are right on and He is indeed ‘Our Father which art in heaven..’
Sin is our patrimony that may be exchanged for another so we are translated from sinful state to that of ‘being set in heavenly places.’(Col 3:1) God’s patrimony is something that we receive by faith. This is where many stumble.
benny

Notice

In the coming posts I shall explain some of the fundamental theological concepts like sin, redemption, resurrection etc., As a Christian my faith has its own reasons, partly inherited and some enlarged upon life experience and its validity is non negotiable or something for laying it in public view. My religion is as Jefferson asserted, solely a matter between my God and myself. Since I believe in the inspiration of Holy Spirit I ascribe my philosophical stand as merely a view of my profession from another vantage point. I never found a cogent reason despite of a secular mantle I had put on to question the wisdom and power of God. For example when I described His godhead as Oneness of Things or Life I held a secular position. In defining His absolute nature as Truth it was as though God the Lord of Hosts in the Scriptures had come into His own as far as I am concerned. By the same token I hold the historical Jesus or his example as Truth expressed in human terms:Love.
If one views the Holy Bible as inerrant every word has its own place and validity. Merely because its veracity in the light of our rational thought or earthly experience cannot be proved, will not mean the book is like curate’s egg good in parts. Here is then another difficulty for those who use the Bible to create or continue divisions in the One and Holy Church or use their religion to score points in the secular world. In short whoever uses the Bible, like with any double-edged sword needs to handle the Word carefully.
benny

In God's Time

'Behold, I will send my messenger,…even the messenger of the covenant…' Mal 3:1-3
Evidently the first part pertains to John the Baptist (Mt3:3)Prophet Isaiah prophesied ‘Prepare ye the way of the lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our lord.(Is 40:3)’
Getting back to our key text Malachi then goes on to point out a prophesy beyond the immediate, beyond the ministry of John or Jesus, that could only hold significance for the nation of Israel. Thus while studying a Biblical prophesy we need to fix in our minds time is more like a kangaroo word within Time or Day of the Lord. Many of the Biblical prophesies thus can be broken on the clue given by the Lord. I shall explain what I mean by kangaroo word. The word ‘nourished’ would also carry another word ‘nursed’ that may as well agree with the general meaning.Nursed is a kangaroo word.
Day of the Lord accommodates different time frames.
Those who tackle prophesies in the Scriptures ought to keep in mind on what slippery ground they stand on. What makes a scholar think he shall crack the code of God unless it is given from high? 'One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day'.(2 Pe3:8)’
Problem of the interpretation is compounded by our concept of time. We are trying to unlock mysteries that is the prerogative of God, the father.(Mt 24:36)
Jesus referring himself as the son of man predicted a future event closely before his death. He said when he shall come to the Throne his disciples also shall sit upon 12 thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.(Mt 19:28.)

Mt.19: 28) Would it mean then that Judas Iscariot would also sit in judgment?
Peter on whom this charge fell as we read in the acts of the Apostles chose Mattias to replace Judas Iscariot (Ac.1: 15-26). Jesus said:‘Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.’(Mt18:18) Didn’t Peter have then the authority established by no less person than Son of man to induct a replacement for the betrayer?
From the clear evidences given by the Scriptures we ought to compare the like with the like. Thus we may conclude that Judas had forfeited his place as we have the verse 18 with which to underpin our interpretation. Spiritualizing some texts in order to get around some difficulties is often fraught with danger. Historical events with which we place the ministry of Jesus or of Israel nation fall according to time and place. In order to interpret some scholars resort to spiritualizing: these are clever by half. They compare apples with oranges.
benny

Kingdom of Heaven

‘If ye then be risen with Christ…’Col 3:1
In one of my previous posts I had defined a new birth as changing the world-view by accepting Jesus Christ. It is a work done in faith and completed by Grace that has appeared with the advent of Christ.(Jn 1:16-17). Jesus described it as ‘an yoke that is easy.’(Mt 11:30
What would salvation in practice mean to us? God has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col 1:13) This kingdom is of a different standard than kingdoms of the earth. St. John the divine qualifies them as Children of the Devil(1 Jn 3: 10), Children of disobedience (Col 3: 6).
God so loved the world that He sent his dear Son to redeem those who were sinners. Sinners are those whose appetites and works are totally wrapped up in themselves. They are the children of the kingdom. (Mt 8:12). One sign of those who belong to this kingdom is given in the verse:‘…love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.’ (Mt:5: 43).The ministry of Jesus was to translate these children from the ways of the world. Thus Jesus said,‘ Love your enemies, bless them that curse you… that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven;’ Thus all those who have accepted Jesus as their savior are added to that kingdom where they are made righteous.(1 Jn 3:9) We bear his seed which is the Word. Secondary meaning of the seed ought to indicate that we are still far from being perfected. ‘…every good tree bringeth forth good fruit…’
‘All scripture is …profitable for doctrine,..for correction, for instruction in righteousness.(2 Ti 3:16) We, having put on the new man, are renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created us (Col 3:10)Through his word we are instructed in the way we should go and Jesus Christ has emphatically said, ‘ Not every one that saith … Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.(Mt7:21)’
Even while we are in our corrupt bodies we have been set down spiritually in heavenly places. The epistle unto the Ephesians makes it very clear that we have been sealed until the redemption of our bodies (Ep:1:13) and we have an inheritance. We are waiting for His promises to be completely fulfilled(Ep 1:9-11). If it were not so our Lord’s Prayer wouldn’t have included the line: ‘Thy kingdom come.’ If we are groaning in our spirits for it, any amassing of wealth or prosperity that children of this world seek with total focus wouldn’t mean so much to us. We as children of God need to hold a mature view of what is needful for our creature comforts. ‘ Give us this day our daily bread’ is our prayer and it is indeed in his will.
If we cannot witness while on earth effectively who we are and of our inheritance, we are like salt that has lost its saltiness.
benny

So Close,Yet So Far

‘You have the poor always with you…’ (Mt.26:11)
From the verse cited above would it mean that Jesus was for the status quo? Didn’t he care for the poor or for their betterment? Let us look in what context he made this statement. Jesus as we read in the gospel was dining in the house of Simon the leper. In that house of festivity one can well imagine what was the mood like: while wine flowed and conversation uncorked from the guests assembled, there must have flowed plenty of small talk all froth and goodwill. In the midst of it a woman did something very unusual but very significant considering that enemies of Jesus was very much active. (Their schemes cannot have been laid out in absolute secrecy.) The woman who brought the alabaster box with precious ointment must have had an inkling that Jesus may be ‘taken out’ as we hear of the expression these days. Jesus must have surely known his life was on collision course and there was surely a point where his earthly mission had to stop. So her act however extravagant was in line with his ministry. ‘She hath wrought a good work upon me’ as Jesus saw it. She tapped on the spirit of Christ that radiated from his words and deeds as to anticipate a moment where her action could dovetail into his ministry. She knew the time and place; and also how to give to her hurt.
The Lord loves a cheerful giver, as St. Paul would say. It comes to us as a surprise that the disciples were moved with indignation. They may have often moved with their master but did that help them to plumb the depths of their master? No, they were more wrapped in the daily grind of their ministry than see the true significance of her action. Their ministry was done as per his master’s injunction, ‘Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses.’(St. Mat 10:9-10) They had scrimped and saved in order to be found worthy of their meat. Perhaps it was excusable that they judged her extravagance from their circumstances. Are we not guilty of judging others without understanding their circumstances?
benny

A Reasonable Service

‘But godliness with contentment is great gain’ (1Tim 6:6). Godliness in KJV is translated from the Greek word ‘eusebia.’Here the apostle gives a classic recipe for living in a changing world. Godliness is practical Christian life centered on God. In our times we see around us a subtle shift from God,- and prosperity theology is merely a symptom, and if one comes to believe that practical Christian life is what is centered on material riches than contentment we need not be surprised. In the age of instant gratification where consumerism is vigorously practised no one wants to be left out or be considered a square. For a cool generation and ‘wannabes’ the verse from the third epistle of S. John must hold special significance. The elder writes thus, ‘…I wish above all things that thou prosper…’
If we study the Pauline epistles closely we shall see that he exhorts us to practise godliness so our lives no matter whatever clime or culture we live in, are fully engaged with God.
Godliness thus must be seen as an integral and essential part of Christian growth where we yield to God through Jesus Christ at every step.
God is Truth and also Love.We perfect Truth through Love though we in both departments are deficient. In our insufficiency and admission of being imperfect we are letting God to work. This is the most vital part of godliness. How does He work? It may be that the soul convicts us, or the Word instructs us a way different than we are accustomed to.
One may ask what is the goal of godliness ?
In conforming to the world we are lumped along with the world. A new birth is where we transform our world-view. We develop sensitivity to discern what is holy and acceptable to God. As St. Paul says, ‘ we need to be transformed by the renewed by our mind.’(Rom12:1-3) In hitching truth a notch higher or love demonstrated by Jesus Christ into our lives we are increasing in knowledge (2 Pe 1:6, 1Tim 6:11).
Godliness is a sober life and living to the full being conscious God is at the centre of his life.
benny

The Haves and Havenots

‘ From such withdraw thyself.’ 1Tim 6:5
In this pastoral letter St.Paul speaks of those who resist wholesome words that are ascribed to our Lord Jesus Christ. In the verses preceding the text the apostle passes on his thoughts as to how slaves ought to conduct towards their believing masters. In St. Paul’s time slaves were an essential part of the Greek and Roman households. In our society we do not accept slaves; nor do we consider any system that allows men to be bonded to serve for another, either by coercion or monetary inducement as correct. Since God’s word is unchangeable we might look beyond the question of slave-master relationship to what is godliness inherent in relationship of any one who may have to serve another in terms of goods or service.
Godliness is where God is at the centre of any transaction. Its validity is based on Truth. Any transaction in order to be right must move on truth. This holds true where the supplier is obliged to the consumer and an entrepreneur to his employee. Where truth is God is part of the deal. God who giveth richly all things to us,- the taskmaster and his subordinate alike, is the mediator. So in all transactions we need to remember the name of God or his doctrine be not blasphemed. (1 Tim 6:17)
Doctrine of truth expects the rich and the poor alike to lay hold on eternal life.(vs.19)
benny