Sunday, March 16, 2008

Before time

1 Corinthians 2: 1-5
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.


One afternoon last week I got into a conversation with someone about a passage in the Bible and it's interpretation and who we look to as our spiritual leaders. I love to talk about and study God's word and enjoy listening to others about what they are studying and what they have learned or believe. This particular passage wasn't really a difficult passage but rather just a jumping off point for discussion..."In the beginning was the Word..." John 1:1 from there we jumped to Titus 1:2 "faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,". We were talking about God existing before time existed and what we thought timelessness would be like. :)

In the end we both agreed that the most important thing is not what different theological masters say but rather who is in charge of us all. Our faith should not rely on the wisdom of men, but rather in the power of God. That's why none of us have to have all the answers and none of us are in charge. God has all the answers and He is in charge... Thank God.

A bit of trivia:


This is the famous bridge that Monet had constructed. His color choice for painting the bridge is maintained even today. I think he chose this exact green color so it would stand out from all the other natural greens of his water lily pond.

6 comments:

kimberly said...

i pray daily for understanding.....of his word.....i enjoy so much reading it, but i have so many questions about much of it...especially the Old Testament....

love the photo....and i would agree with you....that green definitely stand out from all the rest!
hope your day is wonderful, phyllis,
kimberly

Joni said...

I love to have conversations about passages in the bible. It stretches my mind to hear and consider what others have interpreted. Ultimately I find comfort in resting on the fact that we are not meant to fully understand everything and I'm ok with that because God is at the wheel and I trust His driving.

Timelessness sounds comforting to me...I can't quite fathom it, but I trust in its goodness.

You mention Titus, it is one of my favorites-I think good deeds are important to humanity and there are passages in Titus that inspire me.

I am very thankful God is in charge
I can only imagine how lost I'd be without realizing that.

Thank you Phyllis for today's post, I'm done rambling now...

Goodness gracious, I'm on my second cup of coffee...a bit unusual for me...

Hope your Palm Sunday is a reflective one and that it leaves you with a smile in your heart ~

Hugs,
Joni

Joni said...

I forgot to mention how much I love this picture. I can really get lost inside of it if I look at it long enough. I guess that is the intention of the artist?

Phyllis Russell Franklin said...

Kimberly, the old testment sometimes confuses me. I think it's because our way of life is so different than theirs. I bet if those old testament folks could be transported to 2000 they would be just as confused over how we are living today... but then again, maybe not.... we are still making some of the same sinful mistakes, fighting, and just general breaking the law.

Hope you have a good day too.

Phyllis Russell Franklin said...

Joni... you said exactly what I was trying to say... only your words are so eloquent! You make my head nod in agreement and cocopuff is wondering why I keep saying amen. :) See my heart smiling?

kimberly said...

your wonderful description of just the way i love my tomato sandwiches had my mouth watering! :) i'll have to try the open face.....sounds yummy too!
it's raining here....and i am loving it.
hugs,
kimberly

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