What I’m Reading For Byzantium Trip

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In a few weeks I leave for a trip to Byzantium.  Of course it’s not called that anymore.  It’s current handle is Istanbul, and as was discussed in a recent blog post, it was heart of Christendom for 1,123 years.

We will begin with 3 days in Istanbul, along with one day in Cappadocia, before starting a Black Sea cruise that includes a stop in Ephesus before ending in Athens.

I’ve wanted to do this trip for years, and in preparation for it (and the blogging I plan on doing during the trip) I’ve been reading about the Byzantine Empire.  Here’s what I’ve recently read and/or am current reading in preparation for the trip:

  1. A Short History of Byzantium, John Julius Norwich
  2. The Secret History, Procopius
  3. Justinian’s Flea, William Rosen
  4. Istanbul: The Imperial City, John Freely
  5. The Later Roman Empire, Ammianus Marcellinus
  6. Theodosius: The Empire At Bay, Stephen Williams & Gerard Friell
  7. Constantine and Eusebius, Timothy D. Barnes
  8. The Alexiad, Anna Komnene

For those looking for a good introduction to the Byzantine Empire, I strongly recommend Norwich’s book.  It’s well-written and tells the fascinating story of Christianity’s first experiment in empire in a way both engaging and interesting.  This book is actually an abridged version of Norwich’s three volume treatise on Byzantium.

As the kingdom of God expands and Christians are elevated to positions of authority they will be foolish not to learn from the curriculum provided us by the past.  The Byzantine Empire provides a rich course.  GS

On Narrow-Mindedness

After writing yesterday’s blog post, I thought I would address another false accusation often made against Christians: that Christians are narrow-minded because they believe Jesus is the only way to God. In fact, it has become quite fashionable to believe all religions provide equally valid paths to God. In times past, those better educated than we are today did not make such silly errors.

To believe one thing to the exclusion of something contradictory is not narrow-minded but rational. To believe two contradictory propositions is not being open-minded; it’s just stupid. If Mohammad said Jesus was only a prophet, but Jesus said He was God in human flesh, it would be irrational to say both were correct. And, of course, Jesus said no one could come to God except through Him (John 14:6), a statement that doesn’t leave any wiggle room for those desiring a religious pluralism. It’s not open-minded to pervert the words of the founders of religions to fit one’s own purposes; it’s dishonest.

My experience has been that Christians on a whole are more open-minded than unbelievers. Think about it: to have become a Christian one must have gone from one set of beliefs to a set of contrary beliefs. Such change does not occur unless one is open-minded. Conversion is a radical word, but it is absolutely necessary to becoming a Christian. However, the unbeliever, who has persisted in his unbelief, continuing to cling to the same belief system, has proven himself close-minded.

Between the Christian and the unbeliever, it is the Christian who has been demonstrably open-minded. GS

On Faith

Pliny the Elder, a first century writer who was not a Christian, wrote in his book, Natural History, “So, here indeed is a phenomenon unique among the sciences; anyone claiming to be a doctor is immediately trusted, although in no other profession is an untruth more dangerous.”  Pliny makes a good point, not just an ironic one. 

Everyone lives by faith.  People entrust their health, their finances, their love and, at one time or another just about everything else to others.  The question is never whether people have faith but, “Faith in what or whom?”

A long time ago, I put my faith in Jesus–not just that He existed.  That’s a no-brainer.  No real historian doubts that Jesus existed.  What I mean is I put my faith in Jesus, the Person, that He was who He said He was, therefore I can trust what He said (i.e., that He died for my sins), and is the Savior of those who trust in Him.  He has never betrayed my trust.

As Pliny says, people immediately trust doctors, not based on any evidence, but blind faith.  Jesus never asked for people to trust in Him based on anything so superficial as a title.  Jesus didn’t criticize Thomas for asking for evidence and instead said to him, “Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27).  To religious leaders who doubted Jesus’ deity, Jesus said, “But that you may know the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…,” then He healed a paralyzed man right before their eyes. (Luke 5:24-25).  Pretty good evidence.  Jesus also offered people the evidence of experience, inviting them to drink of the water He would give them.  (John 4:13-14).

So, next time somebody accuses you of having blind faith, ask them if they’ve ever been to the doctor.  GS

Kingdom People: Resident Aliens

Resident aliens are common to earthly kingdoms.  A resident alien is a person who resides in a nation where he is not a citizen.  There are many reasons one may choose to live in a foreign country, but the most common are political and economic.  More specifically, people choose to live in foreign countries that offer a level of peace or prosperity not found in their own country.

Resident aliens do not enjoy all the privileges, nor do they have all the responsibilities, of citizenship.  They do not have the privilege of ruling with the king nor the obligation of defending the kingdom and giving their life for it, but they  may enjoy many of the blessings found in a the foreign country.

The kingdom of God, like earthly kingdoms, contains both citizens and aliens.  Jesus described the kingdom of God as a net cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind, but it is only when the net is drawn onto the beach that the bad fish are thrown out. (Matt. 13:47-48).  The kingdom of God gathers within its earthly territory both citizens and aliens.  Jesus said He would gather the lawless and all stumbling blocks out of His kingdom. (Matt 13:41-43).

As I’ve suggested in other posts, these parables make no sense if one believes the kingdom of God is heaven or the Church because only believers are part of the Church and go to heaven.  However, if one understands the kingdom of God exists in space and time and has a geographic presence on the earth, one can see how it is possible for non-Christians to be “in the kingdom of God” (on earth) without being part of the Church or gaining entrance into heaven.

Resident aliens enjoy only limited privileges, rather than the full privileges of citizenship, by living under the earthly authority of the kingdom of God and its laws, but those benefits do not extend beyond death.  Aliens do not inherit the kingdom of God when they die.  (1 Cor 6:8-11).  That privilege is limited to citizens of the kingdom of God. Though aliens may be in the kingdom on earth, at death they are rooted up and thrown out. (Mathew 13:30, 49).

Resident aliens are often religious people who try to live according to the laws of the kingdom of God, but have never become a Christian, or they are sometimes people who don’t even pretend to be moral, but because they live under the authority of a citizen of the kingdom of God they fall within the territory of the kingdom.  A family member who is part of a household led by a Christian is a resident alien of the kingdom of God and can enjoy the earthly benefits that flow from the kingdom of God through the Christian who exercises the delegated authority of King Jesus in the household.

The kingdom of God is always seeking new citizens.  Overpopulation is not a concern in the kingdom of God.  As Jesus told His disciples, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.” (John 14:2).  Resident aliens are the most likely candidates for citizenship, and one of the goals of the kingdom of God is to convert resident aliens into citizens.  Therefore, immigration is welcomed in the kingdom of God and resident aliens are an integral part of the kingdom of God.  GS

Confessions Of A Former Legalist

I used to be pretty legalistic, a sort of modern-day Pharisee; I probably still am in some ways and don’t realize it, but I’m doing better now.

The Apostle Paul warned the Colossians about being legalistic.  He asked them why, if they were Christians, did they submit themselves to such religious laws as “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (Col. 2:21).  Paul told the Colossians such rules have “the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion” but are of “no value against fleshly indulgence.  (Col. 2:23).  In other words, they look to others like a form of religion but they are spiritually useless.

When I was in law school, it dawned on me that some of the religious rules Christians keep really have nothing to do with true holiness.  They were matters of conscience, nothing more. (They do give religious people a way to monitor the supposed religiosity of others). As Paul said, they are “self-made” and don’t make one more like Jesus, which is the ultimate goal.

My wake-up call came when another law student, who was not a Christian, told me he figured I was a Christian because I didn’t drink.  Ugh!  The weird thing was my abstinence from alcohol was one of the things that made me feel confident I was a Christian.  It was a self-made rule I picked up somewhere, nothing more.

I decided from that day on I wanted to be recognized as a Christian because I was Christ-like, not because I kept arbitrary religious rules that had nothing to do with true holiness.  After all, is that the message Christians want to send to the unchurched, that being a Jesus-follower means keeping a bunch of self-made rules?  If the kingdom of God does not consist in eating and drinking (Rom. 14:17), neither does it consist in not eating and drinking.

That’s my confession.  Hope it helps you on your journey. GS