Givemethatmountain Blog

The Hypo What? Part I

givemethatmountain — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 03:27:53 +0000

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). In this verse, John gives us in essence the doctrine of the hypostatic union of Christ in a nutshell. “The Word became flesh.” Christ took on a physical body. “And we beheld His glory.” But in His taking on of flesh, He did not lose His glory. This is a subject that has bewildered scholars and puzzled thinkers for centuries. Ryrie considers it “one of the most difficult concepts to comprehend in theology (287). “How could God become man, and be both at the same time?” If such thinkers have struggled so with this topic, is it really necessary to deal with? The humble attempt at answering this question is with what this paper is concerned.
To start off, just like one should do in a doctrinal statement, we must start with the doctrine of bibliology, for without inspiration there is nothing certain or authoritative about the scriptures. Therefore the author states that a proper belief in the inspiration of the Bible is assumed in this paper. Walvoord notes that, “Generally speaking, those who accept the inspiration and infallibility of scripture do not question the authority of the deity of the incarnate Christ” (107). And the complement is stated, “The evidence of scripture is so complete that the one who denies the deity of Christ must necessarily reject the accuracy of the Scriptures” (108). The first two things that must be done in the apologetics of the hypostatic union are to defend the deity and the humanity of Christ. In this discussion it is important to note that as Dr Martin Chemnitz said in his book on the subject, concerning the doctrine of the hypostatic union “we do not believe these things because Boethius or others have defined such a thing as a union of body and soul, but because faith has the sure, clear, and firm testimony of scripture” (73). So then let whatever is defended in this paper be done on the grounds of scripture and not on the traditions of men.
So what is the hypostatic union and what is it not? We will first answer the latter. It is not Christ consisting of two substances, which would equal two persons. This belief is called Nestorianism (Ryrie 287). The denial of the reality of Christ’s body was promoted by the Gnostics (Thiessen 219). So it is best to say that Christ had two natures, divine and human, thus possessing all the human and divine attributes (Ryrie 288).
Some believe that the two natures were mixed together. This would not equal fully God and fully man however it they were mixed together. If hydrogen and oxygen are mixed together they are no longer hydrogen and oxygen but combined form a different substance called water. Thus Christ’s attributes mixed with human attributes would be partially tainted so to speak since man is finite. And similarly if Christ deity was mixed with humanity, He would not be fully man, but only partial. Thus the act of redemption could not take place.
Therefore of necessity Christ is both fully God, and fully man, “united without mixture, without change, without division, without separation” (qtd in Ryrie 288). Ryrie states that a proper knowledge of this doctrine helps one to understand how Christ could be seen to be “weak, yet omnipotent; ignorant, yet omniscient; limited, yet infinite” (288). This helps one to understand and synthesize verses which teach Christ progressive maturity like Luke 2:52, with verses that teach of Christ omniscience, like John 1:48. Christ was “always aware of Himself with respect to His Deity and that person grew in consciousness with respect to His humanity” (Ryrie 289). The complexity of this truth is a testimony to the fact that only God could have conceived of such a plan. Thiessen describes this by stating, “Sometimes He would act from His human self-consciousness, at other times from his divine, but the two were never in conflict” (223).
Christ accepted worship from men. Only God can accept worship. Even angels refuse worship saying to John in revelation, “Stop worshipping me, for I am just like you!” (Paraphrase Rev). Christ claimed equality with the Father. Christ forgave sin.
In Philippians 2, it says Christ didn’t considered equality with God something to be grasped for (vs. 6), meaning He was truly divinity, but He took on the form of a servant. This passage has promoted more heresy that any other passage I can think of. Preachers have promoted the idea, trying to do a service to God, that Christ put aside His deity at this moment to come to earth and be a man. So is this possible? Could God become simply man and lay aside His deity. Well you can look to the scriptures to find out yourself. More to come in part II.

Very Religious

givemethatmountain — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 06:25:38 +0000

Sarah and I have had the amazing opportunity to travel around Japan on this trip. We have seen big cities and remote countryside. We have been able to stay in three different homes. The most recent was in a traditional Japanese home. The family was incredibly hospitable and had a beautiful home. Only the daughter could speak English which made for a challenge, but we managed. The mother made us a wonderful dinner the first night we were there. We slept on ftons laid on the floor. No, I didn’t spell that wrong. They were futons, but here they are pronounced fton.

The Japanese room we stayed in is a part of nearly every Japanese home, with a floor of Tatami mats, made of tightly woven rice straw that give the room a pleasant aroma. There is a very low dining table usually in the center that is made to kneel down beside. Most Japanese families eat at a regular western style table with chairs in a different room, while the Japanese room is used for tea and other special occasions.

The father of the household we stayed in was the oldest son in his family, so he inherited the family alter. It was an ornately decorated golden alter that nearly takes up an entire wall. In the center is a golden image of Buddha. Pictures of deceased relatives look down on you and an offering of rice and other foods is placed at the altar every day. It is an unusual sight to western eyes, but a very common part of an eastern home.

Sarah and I have visited Buddhist and Shinto temples and seen countless shrines. “I perceive that you are very religious,” is definitely something I could say of the Japanese people. I wonder if this is what it was like for Paul to walk through the streets of Athens and see all of the altars and idols.

Today we had an incredible opportunity. We had a concert at Gamagori Baptist church and had invited several unsaved friends. Certainly not as many came as we would have liked, but we were very excited about those who did. Two of the ladies who came had never before been to Church. One couple brought their four year old daughter who attends the preschool. They are not saved, but they came for the music. The daughter has just recently begun violin lessons and wanted to come and hear me. Little did I know how God would use a musical instrument as a door into people’s lives.

Sarah had an opportunity to sing a solo, How Beautiful, and sing with the ladies ensemble, while I played along on the violin. They asked her to sing a solo in each of the two pieces, which she sang in Japanese. Many people complemented her on her pronunciation. She has had several people say on this trip that she has excellent pronunciation. I think God has gifted her in the area of languages, probably already speaking fluently in two languages as well as her music training helps a lot too. I got goose bump as the ladies ensemble sang My Tribute. It has such a beautiful melody and a powerful message too. What a blessing to be able to know the words and hear it sung in a different language.

After the concert I was able to give a message. I spent half of the time telling of my personal testimony, how I came to Christ, as well as how I came to play the violin. Then I shared a brief message from Acts 17. I pretty much just read and explained the story, and how every person who heard Paul was given a chance to hear the truth. I told how most of the people sneered at Paul, but a handful believed. Here in Japan we plant seeds, we pray for a chance to water them, and trust God for the increase. Roland Simmeonsson, missionary to Japan for 50 years, was here last week and he gave a testimony of two ladies who had travelled from far off to thank him for sharing Christ with them 44 years ago. One of the ladies he had seen get saved just before her company transferred her to another district. The other, he had only been able to plant a seed of the gospel in her heart. Only now, after 44 years is he able to see what became of his obedience in sharing Christ with them. Dr. Holritz shared a valuable lesson in the leadership seminar he taught here last week. He said, “We are not called to produce results, we are called to be obedient to God and leave the rest to Him.” How easy that sounds, but how hard it is to practice!

Kyoto

givemethatmountain — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:08:07 +0000

In Winston-Salem there is a “Japanese” restaurant named Kyoto’s. It is not authentic at all. When you walk inside Hispanic music is playing and Hispanics are cooking the food. However, I was able to go to the place that inspired the name. Kyoto used to be the capital of Japan, a long time ago when the Shoguns were still in power and the Emperor was “god.” It was a really incredible day trip. Dr. Holritz took us there and we got to ride the bullet train. That was an adventure in itself. With speeds up to 150 mph, it is the fastest thing on earth in which you don’t have to wear a seat belt. Upon arriving to Kyoto we were greeted by hot muggy weather. It was a nice switch from the constant rain we have been seeing here in Gamagori. We had to walk about a half mile up a hill to see the first site. There were several majestic buildings with ornately carved molding and gold covered idols. It was again sad to see people buying prayers for good luck and throwing their money into the temper coffers. One sign read “write you troubles on one of these pieces of paper and through it in the water. When the paper dissolves into water, your troubles will be gone.” People believed it too! Japan seems very superstitious. People will go to the Shinto temple when they purchase a car and pay an offering for good luck so the car won’t get in a wreck. Business men will pay offerings to the temple for good luck in their work endeavors. In Toyokawa we saw an idol of the god of healing. People touch the corresponding place on the god in which they themselves hurt. The stone idol had several inches of wear on its tummy and knees from years of people trying to rub their pains away. It was a very sad sight indeed.

In Kyoto my favorite place was Nijojo castle. It was an ancient Samurai castle with two huge motes surrounding it, one inner and one outer. The floors in the main building were made to sound like nighting gales as you walk on them. It has to do with the supports to the floor. While a very interesting feature, its primary function was to warn of enemy intrusion. It is impossible to walk in the hallway which surrounds the entire building without making noises. Although it was built several hundred years ago in a very humid climate, the floors still sing like little birds. It is really quite incredible!

If the floors and ornate paintings inside aren’t enough to woo you, the gardens will. Hundreds of ancient, shaped trees line the pathway with gentle waterfalls in the pond filled with water littlies and other aquatic plants.

Though we were quite tired after a lot of walking and catching buses, we made off for our third and final site of the day, the Golden Pavilion. The bus ride on the way was really packed. At one stop an elderly lady was waiting to get on, but when the doors open she gave a surprised look before turning around to wait for another bus. It was quite hilarious. Unfortunately, no one is allowed to go into the Golden Pavilion so we had to appreciate it from the outside only, but it was quite magnificent.

On the way back we almost went to Tokyo because our tour guide (I won’t name him because I wouldn’t want to embarrass Dr. Holritz) didn’t realize we were supposed to switch trains in Nagoya. Fortunately there was an announcement in English and we were able to pick up on it. We got back to Gamagori just in time for a quick dinner and a shower before heading off to prayer meeting where I gave a Bible study. It was a whirlwind trip, one of those kinds that you will never forget. We saw an incredible amount in one day. It was like trying to see D.C. in a day. We couldn’t get it all in, but we saw a lot! That night, as I was reflecting upon the trip I realized, over ninety-nine percent of the people today I saw are headed to hell. Kyoto is the center of Buddhist/Shinto worship in Japan. I hope that is something that doesn’t set right with any of us.

Compelled

givemethatmountain — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:39:26 +0000

There is nothing like it in the world. That incredible feeling of knowing, “This is what I must do, what I am compelled to do,” and I loving it! That is how I feel about teaching. These past two weeks have been absolutely amazing. I have been able to teach two different English classes. One was to people in the ministry, Christians. The other to unsaved, parents of children in the preschool. One was intended to help Christian leaders and lay people to better be able to communicate the Word of God in another language. The other, to build bridges to people who otherwise would never darken the door of a church. I have loved both casses. At the end of each class I find myself wishing we had more time. As I feel this passion and calling, I am reminded of the sobering warning given in James 3:1, “Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we will incur a stricter judgment.” I am reminded of the continuing preparation that accompanies this calling for the rest of one’s life. I am reminded of those in history who led many astray because they neglected to continue learning, and did not stick to the Word. I ask for your prayers in this matter, that I might “study to show myself approved unto God, like a workman that has no reason to be ashamed, because he rightly divides the Word of truth.” Please pray for Sarah and me both that we would do just this.

Teaching in Japan

givemethatmountain — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:47:53 +0000

Wow, Sarah and I are fast approaching the halfway point of our stay here in Japan. What an experience it has been so far. We have made friends that now seem like family we have known all of our lives. We have seen beautiful sights, and eaten unfamiliar foods. We have come, and will not leave unchanged. Japan is a country grown cold to the gospel, with very few born again believers, less than one half of one percent. Yet we have seen a love in the believers here that is like a refreshing drink to a thirsty soul.

Last night, Tuesday July 21st, we finished up the last session of a four day English/ Bible class. It was a class where people could learn more English while also studying the Bible. We learned how to say all the books of the Bible in English and some of those very confusing English rules. You don’t realized how confusing our language is until you teach it to those with another native tongue There are so many exceptions to the rule! I announced the first night that the only rule I had for the class was that we laugh a lot. We did that for sure! It is easy to get embarrassed by pronouncing something wrong, but if we just laugh with each other, it’s fun!The students learned so quickly and had such an attentive spirit! Some drove, or road the train from as far away as two hours, every night after going to their full time job during the day. Arriving by 7pm, with class until 9pm, they would have still have to ride back home and get up early the next day for work. They were certainly dedicated.

I was particularly touched by the testimony of one lady, Yuko. She came the furthest, by train. She travels frequently and said that she had many unsaved friends who spoke English. She said she wanted to learn English so that she could tell them about Jesus who died for them. We played a game where they would draw a piece of paper out of a hat with a topic on it. They would have to answer it in English. One lady, Megume, drew, “Someone who has influenced you.” She told of her Grandfather who told her about Christ, and also taught her some English.

Each night at the end of our two hour class, I found myself wishing that we had more time. It was such an enjoyable experience for me. I can’t imagine anyone not liking to teach when the students are eager to learn!

Three Guys With Chain Saws

givemethatmountain — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:14:14 +0000

Three guys, three chain saws, and a lot of trees and brush equal one really fun day. Today I had more than one first. To start the day off Sarah and I, along with Mr. and Mrs. Yamazaki went out to a place called Bethel House. Here in Japan worshipping one’s ancestors is a big part of Buddhist practice. A Christian finds his or herself in a bind. Where should they bury their saved friends and family? If they bury them in the traditional Buddhist cemetery their Christianity may seem as a blending of two religions, Buddhism and Christianity. About ten years ago land was purchased by several churches to remedy this problem. Here on this country mountainside they have constructed their own Christian cemetery with terraced burial plots and also built a small house. Most Japanese are cremated so they don’t need as much land for burial as for a casket. However they have literally etched this cemetery out of the side of a mountain and it is still a work in progress. Thousands of man hours have already gone into this place and there is much more to be done. The retaining stone walls were carried up stone by stone up steep narrow trail by church members. What an incredible feat! I was surprised by the simply beauty of this place as well as the joyous atmosphere there was as you walked the narrow trail which winds its way from one terrace to another. One particularly moving thing was the tombstone of an American missionary who had been in Japan for fifty years. He was the father of Roland Simmeonson, missionary to Japan, who himself just retired after fifty years of service. What dedication and love for the people to ask to be buried in the country in which one has served!

As I said this place is still a work in progress and our reason for being here today was to take down some trees. If you have ever cut down trees on a steep mountainside, it can be tricky business, especially when the trees are leaning downhill toward the house and you need them to fall uphill, into the wind. Well with the help of lots of rope, a bunch of sawing, sweating, and lots of prayers, we were able to fell three decent size trees and cut and stack them for drying. It was hard work and I have my share of battle scars but I loved every minute of it. The three of us guys (including Yamazaki’s Brother in law) were definitely enjoying the physical labor, feeling really manly toting logs on our shoulders and using power tools! For lunch we went to a beautiful countryside restaurant. It was located beside a stream and our dining room (Japanese style) had a great view of the rushing water. I got to try the local trout, both cooked and raw. It was really good both ways! I am really enjoying the food here in Japan. Even Sarah tried the trout and thought it was pretty good. After eating way too much we went back to finish what we had started back at Bethel House.

Another interesting thing about Bethel house is that it is used for retreats as well. There are places with campfire rings surrounded by logs to sit on. Weekend youth retreats are held here. What a testimony for the Christian community! Instead of a place of mourning, the cemetery also becomes a place of renewal! Just before finishing up I got a chance to cut the grass which I always enjoy doingJ

Today was also the first time I’ve been to a Sushi bar. It was like a huge lazy Susan with non-stop Sushi. I think the eel and the salmon were my favorites! We were all so tired upon arriving back home in Toyohashi. Tomorrow we go to Gomagori Baptist to work with the children in the daycare. Should be another exciting adventure!

Don’t Shrimp out on God

givemethatmountain — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:01:22 +0000

A lot of culture in one day, I will say that! This morning was an early one as Sarah and I. We had invited our hosts and two of their daughters over for breakfast. We needed to have it on the table by 7:30 and it is always an experience cooking in a different kitchen for the first time, especially when everything is in metric! By the way, Sarah and I are staying in an apartment right beside our hosts. Anyway they were all looking forward to biscuits which made me a little worried since I had to guess at all the measurements and then they were cooking really slow. They finally finished and everybody got off to work in time. After cleaning up we had our second Japanese lesson and then we were able to try out some of our knew words as we went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant just down the street. Of course they all still speak Japanese but they food was very authentic we are told and you had to take off your shoes and kneel down at the table. I had a little bit of a hard time getting comfortable and Yamazaki Sensei (as we call him) told me I could sit Indian style like he was. Well that wasn’t going to happen, you see Yamazaki Sensei is about a foot shorter than me and my legs just wouldn’t fit under the table. Well at least the food was good!
The afternoon called for more studying and planning for the English-Bible class that I will be teaching next week. Then we were off for more culture clash, I mean class. Mrs. Yamazaki’s sister and brother in law had invited the four of us out to dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant. It was a high dollar place with ladies dressed in kimonos and lots of fancy dishes. After a few weird appetizers we started off with the sushi. I had been looking forward to this because if nothing else I like to be able to say I have done something. Sarah however wasn’t so excited. What a surprise for both of us! The sushi was incredible, with at least six different kind of fish and other assorted sea creatures on my plate. Unfortunately I left the shrimp for last. IF I had just bit it off and not followed Yamazaki Sensei’s advice to suck the rest out I would have been spared. Something about seeing this black stuff come out of the shrimp’s transparent head and then tasting it a split second later and wondering “Am I eating this things BRAINS??!!!” made me just a little uneasy. Thoughts like “Lord, how is this benefiting your kingdom?” ran through my head. “It is very different from the fish” was all I could get out when I was asked a moment later how I liked it. And the extremely strong unsweetened green tea doesn’t really help wash it down. The rest of the evening was scattered with really good and really bad dishes. I managed to eat all of them and I think put a good show on that I liked them. I hope they thought so because I saw the ticket and the man paid the equivalent of $185! The tempura and sushi (minus the shrimp) were my two favorites. It was like a seven or eight course meal! What an experience that I will never forget! I can’t wait to do it again… minus the shrimp!

They drive on the wrong side of the road!!!

givemethatmountain — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:35:46 +0000

It has been really hard getting used to driving on the other side of the road. Well I haven’t driven yet and that is fortunate. I have almost yelled at the driver, “wrong way” many times, but fortunately I kept quiet and saved myself unnecessary embarrassment.

The cars here are so little. I have seen one Honda Accord since I got here and no Toyota Camrys. The Honda Fit is definately in, here. Other interesting things are Subaru is really popular (a little tiny Subaru that you will never see in the States), doorways are less that six feet tall making it really painful when I am not paying attention, and everyone shares the same slippers while using the restroom, even at public places. That one is kinda wierd. By the way I guess nobody wears a 10 1/2 because all the slippers here are way too small! One more interesting thing, people here can buy their groceries or anything else they want with their cell phone thanks to a chip which allows one to download money onto their phone and well and then swip their phone like a credit card for a purchase. Really make you not want to lose your cell phone!!!

A Start in Japan

givemethatmountain — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:27:50 +0000

This morning was our first Japanese church service. Sarah and I went to a Sunday School class for young people but we mostly just talked with the teacher and the one teenager who came. The people here whom we have met are very friendly! Next we had a time of coffee and fellowship before the morning worship service. During this time we were able to meet and talk with more people. The service was much like an American church service in format and style. The sermon preached was translated for us and a couple other people who were English speakers. Pastor Yamazaki was right on. I was surprised at how well his illustrations crossed cultural lines and made the sermon applicable to me. He gave an illustration about baseball and some who cheat to win. Well of course I understood that! He was preaching out of I Tim. 1:18-2:4. He gave a good background for the text and then gave a stirring explanation through illustration of vs. 20 saying how grievous it would be if his name were on the list of people who were a hindrance to the faith. He then told of how in China multitudes are coming to the faith, hundreds of thousands, but there are not enough leaders to teach them and so many have taken the parts of scripture they have, and mixed it with the teachings of Confucianism. Thus the need for leaders was hammered home strong. This is interesting because I have been planning for months to speak on servant leadership along with biblical authority. We shall see where the Lord leads in this matter. I have just been informed that I am to speak this coming Sunday so this is something to bathe in prayer.

Afternoon Activities
After the service a great meal was spread out before us. They knew it was my birthday and two cakes had been prepared. They are so very thoughtful here. After going home and taking a short nap, Yuko, Yamazaki Sensei’s daughter, took us to an ancient Samurai castle. We arrived too late to go into the castle, but just to walk around it and see all the work that must have gone into its construction and the digging of the mote was incredible! For dinner, Yuko took us to an Italian restaurant which was nice. Many of my expectations for Japan were way off. I will talk about some of those later.