It can sometimes be an interesting exercise to ask the “What if?” questions about stories in the Bible. While this practice is not instructive in itself, it can highlight the choices made by those in Bible stories by considering the implication of the alternative.
The world is an unpredictable place. The future many times comes with unexpected twists and turns. There are many factors which cause people to worry during their day to day lives. These factors include: economic concerns, health concerns, employment security, stresses within family and friends, and even the “unknown” itself. The sad truth is, however, that the vast majority of things which people worry about do not have any real or immediate effect upon our lives.
The world in which we live is an insecure place. This reality has caused much concern and angst in the neighborhoods where we live. The need to feel secure has caused many men and women to seek out any source to provide them with the promise, or at least the illusion of security.
Note: This is the combined articles of Jan. 9 (Part One) and of Jan. 16 (Part Two)
In his acclaimed work Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell wrote “He who controls the past controls the future; he who controls the present controls the past.” These words, written to describe an oppressive dystopia have been proven by the propaganda efforts of several brutal regimes. The Nazis sought to rewrite German history as to control her future. Numerous efforts of agitprop within the Soviet Union sought to cover the atrocities of a very bloody past.
The coming of the body of Christ on the Pentecost (Acts 2) following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ ushered in something truly unique in the world. Through Christ, all men and women could become a part of a single family, united in purpose, in redemption, and in adoption as sons and daughters of God (Gal. 3:28, 29). This body grew throughout the entire Roman world within only a few decades (Col. 1:23).