Headstrong Seminarian / San Diego Highlights / 4 Days till Advent

• Archaeology

  • Evidence has recently come to light of ruins of a church building underneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. This dates to around the 500s AD.

  • More and more proof is mounting up to indicate that Herod the Great died about 1 BC (not 4 BC, as Josephus erroneously claimed). The class on dating the death of Herod the Great and the reigns of his sons was fascinating.

• Theology

  • Six talks on sharing in the divine nature (as in 2 Pet 1:3-4). The technical term is “deification,” though not in the sense of identity with God Almighty (like Simon the Sorcerer!). This is a much neglected theme, esp. among non-Catholics and non-Orthodox. Each of the 3100 participants in the Evangelical Theological Society received a gift, an excellent book on the topic.

  • The annual Institute for Biblical Research lecture, this year on the twin themes of kingdom and temple—inspiring.

• Church History

  • Five talks on the history and archaeology and geography of Nicaea, where the First Ecumenical Council took place, under the emperor Constantine, in 325 AD.

  • These classes are preparing me for the epic conference at Nicaea in June 2025. Although not a qualified church historian, I’m on the speaking roster—humbling! Click here for more—or better yet, join us in June!

• Bible

  • A panel discussion with Stone-Campbell scholars on Corinth and 1-2 Corinthians. Thoughtful interactions among the men and women on the panel.

  • The presidential address of the Evangelical Theological Society on John 17:20-23. The speaker was excellent. She made us think, and did not hold back from stepping on some (American) toes.

  • The annual Church of Christ Professors Communion Service (7 am—early but worth it!). The message was intriguing. The speaker pointed out that the word “new” appears only a few times in the NT only (“new garment,” “ new wine,” and “new covenant”). She spoke on Luke as “the Gospel of Joy.” Very encouraging.

• Educational tours

  • The Tutku Educational Travel annual dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel, 120 persons in all. For 12 years I have run all my tours through Tutku; they are an excellent company, and it’s an honor to be connected with their staff, as well as the principal biblical scholars who invite their people to Turkey, Italy, Israel, Greece, etc. through Tutku.

  • Many other savory Tutku meals and events—for me, 5 in all!

• Even more

  • Time with several biblical scholars, sometimes brief interactions, other times meals or long discussions. For example, I enjoyed going on a walk with philosopher and apologist Paul Copan.

  • Precious time with a number of friends who live in the San Diego area. (You know who you are!)

  • The annual Tyndale House breakfast. This is a top-notch evangelical study center and library in Cambridge. I have a connection with the Principal / CEO of Tyndale House—a friend for some 15 years now.

  • At the ETS Banquet, I sat next to an archaeologist. His university has been excavating the Philistine city of Gath for a decade; now they are going to focus on Ashdod. About half an hour after we sat down, we realized that we’d both been on the same Tutku tour back in June (the Antioch Seminar)!

  • A special late-night series on The Chosen. One of the speakers served as a consultant for the series’ biblical content (four seasons so far). Another was the actor who plays Gaius, a Roman officer who puts his faith in Christ.

THE HEADSTRONG SEMINARIAN

This week I share “moments'“ from grad school (Harvard Divinity, 1980-1982) and London (from a church planting till we left for Sweden, 1982-1989). Access the two talks by clicking below. (These were both available last week, though not highlighted.)

EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS (17)

In our series on early Christian writings, we’re still exploring the intriguing second century patristic writer Irenaeus.

Irenaeus (130-202 AD), Against Heresies, Book III

• Preface: the church has received apostolic doctrine from Jesus Christ. In contrast, the heretics follow neither the scriptures nor the apostolic tradition (ch.11). In fact, “The preaching of the church is everywhere consistent, and continues in an even course, and receives testimony from the prophets, the apostles, and all the disciples…” (xxiv.1).

• There are four gospels. “Matthew… issued a written gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect”… Mark the disciple and interpreter [translator?] of Peter did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter… Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the gospel preached by him…Afterwards, John… published a gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia” (i.1; see also xi.8).

• Peter and Paul founded and organized the church at Rome. [Scripturally, however, there is no direct evidence for this claim.] All churches must submit to Rome: “For it is a matter of necessity that every church should agree with this church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the apostolical tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful] who exist everywhere” (iii.2). Further, we find the doctrine of episcopal succession in iii.2 (see also iv.26.2).

• According to Irenaeus, the overseers of the Roman church were, in order: Peter and Paul – Linus – Anacletus – Clement – Evaristus – Alexander – Sixtus – Telephorus – Hyginus – Pius – Anicetus – Soter – Eleutherius (iii.3). Although the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul in Rome are historical, it is difficult to prove that either led the Christian community in there—even though they were certainly highly regarded.

• A famous and entertaining passage about Polycarp and the heretic Cerinthus: “[Some] heard from [Polycarp] that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, ‘Let us flee, lest even the bath-house fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within’” (iii.4).

• “And Polycarp himself replied to Marcion, who met him on one occasion, and said, ‘Do you know me?’ ‘I do know you, the first-born of Satan!’ Such was the horror which the apostles and their disciples had against holding even verbal communication with any corrupters of the truth…” (iii.4)

• The ominous figure of 2 Thess 2 is the “Antichrist” (vii.5b; also xvi.5, xxiii.7). [In the NT, the only explicit references to an antichrist appear in 1 and 2 John.]

• The magi’s gifts were: “myrrh, because it was he who should die and be buried for the mortal human race; gold, because he was a king… and frankincense, because he was God…” (ix.2). [Myrrh was used in preparing corpses for burial; gold was a regal gift; frankincense was burned in the cult of the temple.]

• Irenaeus’s chronology, contrived in engagement with the Gnostics, is way off. Jesus is born in the 42nd year of Augustus, and ministers for a decade, and dies at age 50!

• Also, in 194 AD, Clement of Alexandria estimated that Jesus was born 194 years before the death of the emperor Commodus, who died on the last day of 192 AD; therefore Jesus was born around 2 BC. Tertullian (Adv. Jud. 8.11–18) claimed that Jesus was born in the 41st year of Augustus/28th year after Cleopatra’s death = 3/2 BC. Origen (Hom. Luke frag. 82) claimed the same 41st year of Augustus = 3/2 BC. and Church History 1.5.2: Jesus is born in the 42nd year of Augustus, which he dates to 305 years before the 19th year of Diocletian [7.32–8.2] = ~3 BC).

• The stone of Daniel 2 is Christ (xxi.7).

• In Gethsemane Jesus sweated blood (xxii.2; also xxxv.3). Note: that is not what Luke 22:44 says. For more, click here.

• “… The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith” (xxii.4).

For more on Irenaeus, click HERE. Upcoming: Irenaeus Against Heresies, Book IV.

QUOTABLE

• It does not depend on us that [the gospel] be believed, but we can do very much toward making it respected. — Étienne Gilson (1884-1978)

• We have an ugly habit of regarding one miracle as marvelous, but a million miracles as commonplace. If, once in a century, the almond, the hawthorn, or the gorse sprang again to life, people would flock from every corner of the globe to behold the miracle. But because every springtime every tree bursts into tender leaf and delicate flower, we see nothing extraordinary in it. — F. W. Foreham, A Reel of Rainbow, 1920

BYE FOR NOW!

We deeply appreciate your keeping our ministry in your prayers. There are always needs. For example, a week from today I’ll speak again before the Atlanta Braves senior staff. Where is this leading? What is the Lord doing? I seek guidance.

Also, there’s still a good distance to go before reaching our 2024 financial goals. There is a substantial shortfall. To help by making a year-end gift, please click DONATE. Thanks for your support! — Douglas