Present Experience Interpreted in Light of the Future

"The New Testament...tends to...find the age to come anticipated in the Present...the eschatological state has arrived and the one great incision in history has already been made (Hebrews 2:3, 5; 9:11; 10:1; 12:22-24)...Believers live in the 'last days,' upon them 'the ends of the ages are come,' but 'the last day,' 'the consummation of the age,' still lies in the future (Matthew 13:39, 40, 49; 24:3; 28:20; John 6:39, 44, 54; 12:48; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:2; 9:26; James 5:3; 1 Peter 1:5, 20; 2 Peter 3:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 1:18).

"The eschatological interest of early believers was no mere fringe to their religious experience, but the very heart of its inspiration. It expressed and embodied the profound supernaturalism and soteriological character of the New Testament faith. The coming world was not to be the product of natural development but of a Divine interposition arresting the process of history. And the deepest motive of the longing for this world was a conviction of the abnormal character of the present world, a strong sense of sin and evil. This explains why the New Testament doctrine of salvation has grown up to a large extent in the closest interaction with its eschatological teaching. The present experience was interpreted in the light of the future." -- Geerhardus Vos, The Eschatology of the New Testament

Orthodox Church Labels NCC "Extremist"

Antiochian Orthodox Church Leaves National Council of Churches
The Antiochian Orthodox Church is the first denomination in more than 10 years to leave the National Council of Churches. The AOC says the decision was made because the NCC has a "liberal political agenda". What was the AOC's first clue? Hasn't the NCC been predominantly "liberal" for a very, very long time?

ChristianPost.com reports "delegates to the Orthodox Church's 47th General Assembly in late July voted to reject all extremist positions that are contrary to the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Faith... the 'straw that broke the camel's back' was a recent NCC fundraising letter in which he said the NCC's general secretary asked churches and member denominations to fight 'right wing attacks.' It is this political positioning at the leadership level that concerned him the most."

It's interesting that the standard by which "extremist positions" are measure is the "Holy Orthodox Faith" rather than Sola Scriptura.

The New Creation "Correspondent" to Original Creation

"...the end correspondent to the beginning is...a true Scriptural principle...although there is this difference that Scripture does not look forward to a repetition of the same process, but to a restoration of the primeval harmony on a higher plane such as precludes all further disturbance. In (Scripture), there are clear reminiscences of the account of creation (Isaiah 51:16, "that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth"; Isaiah 65:17, "I create new heavens and a new earth"; 2 Peter 3:13 compared with 2 Peter 3:4-6; Revelation 21:1 compared with the imagery of paradise throughout the chapter). Besides this, where the thought of the renewal of earth is met with in older prophecy, this is depicted in colors of the state of paradise (Isaiah 11:6-9; Hosea 2:18-21). The "regeneration" (palingenesia) of Matthew 19:28 also points back to the first genesis of the world. The "inhabited earth to come" (oikoumene mellousa) of Hebrews 2:5 occurs at the opening of a context throughout which the account of Genesis 1-3 evidently stood before the writer’s mind." -- Geerhardus Vos, On "Heavens, New (And Earth, New)", ISBE.

Score One for Dobson

FOTF's Dobson Criticized For Comparison
Embryonic stem cell research advocates are upset with James Dobson for comparing embryonic stem cell research to the experiments on Jews and other minorities by the Nazis. The Jewish advocacy group Anti-Defamation League says "Dobson's statement trivializes the suffering of those who perished." (The Rocky Mountain News notes this isn't the first time Dobson has made this comparison.)

"There is no legitimate comparison between stem-cell research, which seeks to find a cure for disease and to counter human suffering, and the perversion of science and morality represented by the actions of Nazi doctors who deliberately tortured their victims in medical 'experiments,'" Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham Foxman said.

These stories, in higlighting the super-charged rhetoric, fail to point out the real issue: human life. One can only make the statements that Foxman and other embryonic stem cell advocates are making by succombing to the delusion that the embryo is not human.

Focus on the Family's Carrie Gordon Earll was blunt: "Many of the Nazi experiments were conducted to find medical cures..."Some examples include learning how to treat hypothermia, effective treatment for wounds and immunizations for malaria. Does that sound familiar?"