Nathanael Szobody

Apologetic for Apology

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

An apologist is one who defends the faith and refutes attacks upon it. Is the theme a prominant one in the New Testament church? The creeds were certainly layed down in response to false doctrine being taught in the church, but not because of attacks being made from outside of the church. The Apostle Paul commands Timothy and Titus to rebuke false doctrine and uphold good doctrine, and always be ready to give an answer. But again, that was in the context of within the church.

Satan will always be devising new schemes to attack, sometimes from within and sometimes from without. The goal of the church should be to confront those attacks which threaten the spiritual maturity of the believers. Somewhere along the line Christians have gained the reputation of being intolerant and judgemental. The Apostle Paul only judges those sins and heresies which are inside the church. When he does refer to the error of the world it is in reference to the former way of life of the believers; again, it is serving the purpose of strengthening the church’s faith in the one who has already saved them from the world.

Francis Schaeffer portrays much of modern apologetics as spitballs launched from the fortress of orthodoxy. This is an image that we all contribute to cultivating when we elevate the defense of right doctrine above the uncomfortable role of being Christ to our neighbor. Ephesians 4:1-16 lays out the proper approach to spiritual maturity as it relates both to ‘right doctrine’ and the workings out of love within the body.

Our Father Who Art in Heaven

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How many times a week do you recite the Lord’s prayer? Got it? Ok, now how many times do you pray the Lord’s prayer? And is it really the Lord’s prayer or is it more accurately the disciples’ prayer?

It is important to understand the simple purpose of each of the petitions, as Luther’s Small Catechism teaches for example. But these petitions were not given so that we could get something from God as much as they were given as the gift of God in themselves. Christ taught his disciples to pray in this manner because each of the statements in the prayer pertain to a crucial element of our relationship to him.

The Strength of Abraham

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Greater than all was Abraham, great with that power whose stregth is powerlessness, great in that wisdom whose secret is folly, great in that hope whose outward form is insanity, great in that love which is hatred of self.

–Soren Kierkegaard

Purpose of Revelation, Cont.

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

If all that is revealed, both in nature and in scripture, is a procession of Christ (though nature, of course has been corrupted since sin) according to John 1, then all truth and essential created beauty can be said to be an expression of Christ. For he said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life,” and also “God is Love.” This word, or ‘communication’ of God will always have very physical implications, and vise versa; all physical interaction can be seen as an image of spiritual truth.

Therefore, to study, teach or act upon truth in any of its forms, be it spiritual or physical, for any reason other than to strengthen and preserve the relationship between Christ and his creation and between those of us who are in that creation, is vain and perverted.

part 1

Atkinson Diet

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

God is continually hounding us to move from that familiar country of selfishness toward the state of generosity whose capital is contentment.

— Neil Atkinson

And we all nod our heads in agreement at such a perceptive observation. So…anyone in debt?

Free Will?

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

Free will can be seen as the possible. As the finite meets the possible there is an anxiety which will either resolve itself in faith, that enthralling, comforting anxiety (or ‘anxiousness’) which is slavery to Christ, or it leads to sin, which is grasping the finite in attempt to stabilize the dizziness of anxiety–and this is slavery to sin.

So there is still free will; both the possibility to sin and the possibility of faith; both of which are their respective slaveries. The key is in the focal point of stability within the anxiety that determines the nature of the slavery.