Jerry Falwell's Friday the 13th declaration: Limited Atonement is heresy

I thought some of you might enjoy this article since I have been blogging on Calvinism. Actually my next post was going to be on Limited Atonement. It is linked from the Founders Ministries blog.

I think it is sad that there is so much ignorance over Calvinism and what it teaches, and that it is deemed heretical without any appeal to scripture. Calvinism is often looked at as a heresy and hated in many fundamentalist circles, just go check out fundamentalist college websites (Bob Jones, Ambassador, Liberty, etc) and almost all of them have something on Calvinism and how it is the worst thing ever. What usually happens is they present this stick-man discription of Calvinism that is easily knocked down with very little scripture and a lot of opinion. I don't have a problem if someone honestly searches and disagrees with it, but when it is condemed as heretical, it is not helpful at all to Christianity as a whole. As Calvinism or reformed theology starts popping up in the SBC, condeming it as heretical is not going to help. The fact is for starters, you are condeming some of the most influential and godly men, women, theologians, scholars, and pastors of the past and present, that have come to that understanding of the doctrines of Grace, and thats probably not a good place to be. But anyway here is the article from the Founders Ministries Blog.

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Last Friday at the "College for a Weekend" emphasis at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, Jerry Falwell preached a chapel message to 1828 prospective new students along with current students, faculty and staff. Under the title of "Our Message, Mission and Vision," Dr. Falwell delcared his purpose to be to communicate who Liberty University is in order to persuade prospective students to matriculate there.

Much of what he said regarding the "message" of Liberty is praiseworthy and ought to be applauded by all Bible believing Christians. When he came to articulating their belief in the "substitutionary atonemement of Jesus Christ for all men," however, he added a statement that I find tragic. Here it is (about 10 minutes or so into the video):

"We are not into partcular love or limited atonement. As a matter of fact we consider it heresy."
Don't misunderstand me, I do not regard it as unfortunate that he articulated his and Liberty University's honest beliefs, no matter how offensive they may be to me or to others. In fact, I applaud his willingness to state clearly not only what they believe but also what they do not believe. We need more such plain speaking in our day.

What I regret is that he finds particular atonement to be "heresy." This must mean that he and Liberty believe that those who hold to particular atonement to be heretics. Among the countless numbers of people whom he would brand with the H-word are many who would make any evangelical Who's who list (including Bunyan, Owen, Whitefield, Spurgeon, Carey, Boyce, Mell, Dagg and Lloyd-Jones, to name but a few of the dead ones). I find this sad.

Does Jerry Falwell and Liberty University really judge John Piper to be a heretic? If we take his words seriously, as surely we ought if we are to honor him, then he believes that Al Mohler, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, D. James Kennedy, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, Tom Nettles, Wayne Grudem, Sinclair Ferguson, James White and Fred Malone teach heresy.

That certainly is his and Liberty's right to believe. I simply regret that they believe it. I do not regard my universal redemptionist brothers to be heretics because of their views of general atonement. I think they are wrong and they think the same of me. But that does not mean that we have to accuse each other of being heretics.

Dr. Falwell's comments shed some light on the atrocious comment made last year by the president of his Liberty Seminary. Those of you who have read this blog in February of 2006 probably recall when Dr. Ergun Caner declared that "Calvinists are worse than Muslims." I am sorry that he believes that but certainly applaud his willingness to state it clearly, since he does indeed believe it. I am all for people and institutions nailing their colors to the mast for all to see. I just wish that the flag under which he and Liberty have chosen to fly did not condemn so many faithful servants of Christ as heretics.

Perhaps I am naive, but I have a hunch that these kinds of vitriolic, dismissive and historically invalid castigations are more and more being seen not only as inaccurate but offensive to Christian brothers on both sides of the extent of the atonement question. Such inflammatory rhertoric can still incite an audience, and perhaps it will continue to draw students and revenues to institutions, but it is not helpful to the cause of Christ in either fellowship or evangelism.

It is time for this generation of believers to learn how to disagree over substantive issues without falling into the sins of slander and bearing false witness. When the Word of God that we love gets trampled underfoot by those who profess to defend it in the very process of their defense, it is more than ironic. It is tragic.

Jewish Idioms: The Golden Vine

The next Jewish concept comes from John 15:1-8:

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

During the time of Jesus, there was a golden grapevine that was draped across the entrance to the Temple. In Antiquities, Josephus records that the vine was, "a marvel of size and artistry, to all who saw with what costliness of material it had been constructed."

The Mishnah, which is the Jewish "oral law", says that people would sometimes make a freewill offering by purchasing a golden leaf, berry, or cluster which the priest would then attach to this vine. Some who gave generously to the Temple had their names inscribed on the golden leaves (sound familiar).

The fact is that everyone was familiar with this practice or custom in Jerusalem. I love how sometimes things that Jesus did or said don't make sense in our context, but when you think about it in his context it starts to make sense, and you really begin to see how different and how bold He was.

For example, if you didn't know the context in which Jesus was speaking, that there was a vine draped across the temple that people would donate money too, then the parable reads sort of like a common sense teaching. You have a vine, and if it doesn't bear fruit, then you cut it off, and so on and so forth, which is correct and a good illustration of our faith. But if you think of it only in that regard you miss half of what Jeus was saying.

You see Jesus, was about to finish his work on Earth, and the disciples would be left to tell the world about what they witnessed, and He knew they would be persecuted and all that.

So He is basically saying to the disciples, hey do you see that vine over there on the Temple? Well, it is just a temporary vine, I AM THE TRUE VINE, and if you offer yourselves to me to the same degree that people offer themselves to that golden symbol, I promise the result will be abundant spiritual fruit. When you are persecuted, hated for my name sake, or even if I choose to bless you according to the worlds standards, if you remain in me then you will bear much fruit.

No matter how much you have on your own, apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, no matter how little you have, your connected to the "true vine", ask what you wish and it will be given.

And from verse 8, our fruit show us to be his disciples, and we should labor by God's grace (remembering that being attached to the vine, is what gives us the stength and gifts to labor), to produce fruit, because His Glory is at stake, and for His name's sake dead branches must be cut off, so that the "true vine" is not made less glorious.

What an awesome promise that is, that if we remain in Jesus (the true vine), we will bear fruit. I want to challenge you this week, to not miss an opportunity to bear fruit for Jesus. If you see an opportunity to give money, give as the Spirit leads, not just 10%, if you see an opportunity to serve, serve humbly not out of gain, if you see an opportunity to share the gospel, share it with the authority and love that the Spirit gives, and if you have devoted more effort to the golden vine rather than Jesus, repent and follow Jesus, He will provide what you need.

Contact Us

If you would like to schedule Jonny's House, a speaker, or another group from the Foundation to come to your church or ministry for any event (DiscipleNow Weekend, Concert, Revival, Youth Group, Sunday Worship, Camp, etc.) please feel free to contact any member of the Vision Team listed below.


Contact Info


Aaron Simmons
Vision Team
email: adsimmon@gmail.com
Phone: 704-472-1725

Jonathan Walker
Vision Team
email: jowalker704@gmail.com
Phone: 704-434-0676

Chance Witherspoon
Vision Team
email: chancewitherspoon@gmail.com
Phone: 704-472-5576


Other means of communication:

• Website/Blog: http://thecorefoundation.org

• Podcast: http://thefoundationpodcast.com

• Band Website: http://www.myspace.com/jonnyshouse86

• Email: thecorefoundation@gmail.com

Worship Gathering THIS Sunday

There is a Worship Gathering THIS Sunday @ 2pm in the Christ Covenant Blue Room. The topic of this week's gathering is Worship. We'll be having a few special guest musicians, including Jason Wilson, coming to play, so plan on coming out this Sunday.

The Foundation Band will be leading a worship service up at a camp in Casar Friday and Saturday night at 6pm and 10am on Sunday morning, so if you'd like to make it out to any event and have questions leave us a comment.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Starplex Tonight

We are meeting over at the Renfro Center at 6:30 tonight to go down to the Starplex in Gaffney. If you've never been to Starplex, it features a bowling alley, movie theater, arcade, and bar/restaurant.

Come on down with us and let's have some fun!

Survivor at Qual Hollow

Hey yall, I hijacked chance's computer. This is Aaron...maybe I said that backwards. Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know that the band is leading worship at Quail Hollow starting on Tuesday night next week. We'll do it every night until Saturday night, which is supposed to be the biggest one. I wanted to let everyone know about it and invite everyone to come. It's all the way in Casar, but here is a link to the website. Quail Hollow

I hope to see you all there, it should be fun... hollar at me if you have any questions.

Aaron

Jewish Idioms - The Tzitzit

The next Jewish idea comes from Matthew 9:18-22:

"18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."

22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. "

So what is the big deal about this woman? It doesn't seem like her faith was that big, I mean she was sick and she heard about this guy that heals people, alot of people would do the same thing if they were sick. There has to be something else there, that would make Jesus reply, "your faith has healed you". What if she was really professing Jesus as Israel's long awaited Messiah?

Other translations indicate that it was specifically the hem of his cloak that she touched. The English word hem is a translation of the Greek work kraspedon, meaning "a tassel of twisted wool." So the woman was reaching for the tassels on Jesus' prayer shawl. In Hebrew, these tassels, which are attached to the corners of the prayer shawl, are called tzitzit. They were, and still are, worn by observant Jews in fulfillment of the biblical commandments found in Numbers 15:37-41:

37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.' "

and also in Deuteronomy 22:12:

"12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear."

In Numbers 15:38 the word translated "corner" is the Hebrew word kanaph, which can also be translated "wings", which it is 76 times in the Bible. For this reason, the corners of the prayer shawl are often called "wings." Each tzitzit consists of five double knots and eight threads, for a total of 13 elements. This number added to 600, the Hebraic numerical value of the word "tzitzit", points to the 613 commandments of the Torah.

During Jesus' day, Jewish men wore a simple tunic called a halluq, both at home and at work. When they went out in public they would cover their halluq with a large rectangular cloth which hung to their ankles. This cloth was called a tallit and was used as protection from the cold and rain. Hanging from the end of its four corners (wings) was a tzitzit in obedience to the biblical command.

During the first century there were several traditions associated with the tzitzit concerning the Messiah. One was that his tassels would posses healing powers. The other saying it was a sort of a Jewish amulet thing. Both of these are rooted in the prophecy of Malachi 4:2:

1 "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings."

The woman was probably familiar with these traditions, which would explain why she set out to touch the corner(wings) of Jesus' prayer shawl.

The same word used in Numbers for "corner" is used in Malachi for "wings."

With this understanding of that passage it becomes clear why the woman was instantly healed. She was expressing her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and as the Sun of Righteousness that would come with healing in his wings.

A Jew, under the prayer shawl, could be said to be dwelling "in the shelter of the Most High and under his wings."

"1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say[a] to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;" (Psalm 91:1-4)

I can just picture the crowd as the woman reaches for the "wings" of Jesus' prayer cloth. They all knew what she was doing, and what she was proclaiming, and then she was healed. I bet their jaws dropped and whispers began to circulate, "could this really be the Messiah we have been waiting for for so long?"

Then I can picture the Pharisees, "Oh no she didn't. This is the same guy hanging out with tax collectors and claiming to forgive sins in earlier verses, this is blasphemy, he can't be the Messiah, what does this crazy lady think she is doing proclaiming this carpenter as the long awaited Messiah and fulfillment of God's word."

I just love the picture of faith that is presented by this woman. She literally fell down at the feet of Jesus and proclaimed him as the Messiah and Lord of Lords. Nowadays, we equate faith with placing a check on a card, raising our hand, walking down the isle, and saying a few words, after a preacher has given a so called invitation, that more often than not doesn't included the gospel, but clever emotional tricks and tactics. Alot of the time there is no true repentance of sin or faith in Jesus as the propriation of our sin, because the Gospel has been corrupted and lessened to the point that it is synonymous with placing a check on a card if you want to go to heaven. It is refreshing to see true faith displayed in a powerful way. Jesus didn't have to, be cool and relevant, say something funny, show a video of starving kids in Africa, get the woman all emotional and then pressure and trick her into coming down. Jesus was claiming to be the "I am", he was claiming to forgive sins, and he was using scripture to prove that he was the Messiah. Those are the same things that we as Christians should use to proclaim the Gospel, and nothing more. We should proclaim that Jesus was God, and that he has authority to forgive sins because of his atoning sacrifice, and we should use Scripture to point to Jesus, not clever emotional tricks, or man made schemes and tactics. Those tactics, or the distorted gospel, are dangerous because they equate salvation with a check mark or a walk down the isle, which without true repentance and faith only produces false converts, and gives them a false sense of security. The Gospel, or Jesus, is the only thing that has been given power to forgive sins, not any words, or schemes that man can add to it.

17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:17)

As we get closer to Easter, thank God that while we were "objects of wrath", and powerless, Christ died for the ungodly(Rom 5:6). By his grace we are saved. Thank God that by his blood we have received reconciliation and have been adopted as "children of God." (Romans 8:12-17). Thank God that out of his mercy, "He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us (Romans 8:32). Praise God that through Jesus, we are more than conquerors, and that the devil or anyone else cannot bring up any charge against us or separate us from the love of God, because we have a perfect savior who is at the right hand of God interceding in our place. (Romans 8:31-39) And lastly praise God that, unlike the high priest who had to enter the Holy of Holies every year with blood that was not his own, Jesus appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself, and as he entered heaven he sits at the right hand of God because his work is finished, and when he returns the second time, it is not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:25-28)

Worship Gathering Sunday

I am excited about Sunday's Worship Gathering because once again we'll be having another new speaker: Jerry Childers. Many of you may know Jerry as the guy who gives the welcome and a mighty fine greeter, but this week he'll be the preacher. Make sure to try and come out this weekend to hear the message on "Imitating Christ" and bring some friends.


The service will be Sunday @ 2pm in the Christ Covenant Church-Blue Room

If you need a map click here.

HangOUT @ Ian's

The HangOUT will be over at Ian's house tomorrow. We are gonna have a good time hanging out outside in the nice weather. We'll probably toss the frizbee around out in the field or whatever it is young people do outside these days. We'll be over at Ian's starting around 7. If you need directions, shoot us an email at thecorefoundation@gmail.com

Spurgeon's Recipe for Church Growth

From "Christ Lifted Up" preached by Charles Spurgeon on July 5, 1857.

My good ministering brother, have you got an empty church? Do you want to fill it? I will give you a good recipe, and if you will follow it, you will, in all probability, have your chapel full to the doors.

Burn all your manuscripts, that is No. 1. Give up your notes, that is No. 2. Read your Bible and preach it as you find it in the simplicity of its language. And give up all your Latinized English. Begin to tell the people what you have felt in your own heart, and beseech the Holy Spirit to make your heart as hot as a furnace for zeal. Then go out and talk to the people. Speak to them like their brother. Be a man amongst men. Tell them what you have felt and what you know, and tell it heartily with a good, bold face; and, my dear friend, I do not care who you are, you will get a congregation.

But if you say, "Now, to get a congregation, I must buy an organ."

That will not serve you a bit.

"But we must have a good choir."

I would not care to have a congregation that comes through a good choir.

"No," says another, "but really I must a little alter my style of preaching."

My dear friend, it is not the style of preaching, it is the style of feeling. People sometimes begin to mimic other preachers, because they are successful. Why, the worst preachers are those who mimic others, whom they look upon as standards preach naturally. Preach out of your hearts just what you feel to be true, and the old soul-stirring words of the gospel will soon draw a congregation. "Where the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

"But if it ended there, what would be the good of it? If the congregation came and listened to the sound, and then went away unsaved, of what use would it be? But in the next place, Christ acts as a net to draw men unto him. The gospel ministry is, in God’s Word, compared to a fishery; God’s ministers are the fishermen, they go to catch souls, as fishermen go to catch fish.

How shall souls be caught? They shall be caught by preaching Christ. Just preach a sermon that is full of Christ, and throw it unto your congregation, as you throw a net into the sea; —you need not look where they are, nor try to fit your sermon to different cases; but, throw it in, and as sure as God’s Word is what it is, it shall not return to him void; it shall accomplish that which he pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto he hath sent it.

The gospel never was unsuccessful yet, when it was preached with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. It is not fine orations upon the death of princes, or the movements of politics which will save souls. If we wish to have sinners saved and to have our churches increased; if we desire the spread of God’s kingdom, the only thing whereby we can hope to accomplish the end, is the lifting up of Christ; for, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."

You can read the whole sermon here.

Donnie Thurman Jr. and JB Real

Hey guys, ya'll don't want to miss the service this Sunday. All of you G-Dubb people make sure to come back earlier from Spring Break and make it out Sunday afternoon. Donnie Thurman Jr. will be coming to speak to us an Rafael Hartgrove aka JB Real , a Christian Hip Hop artist will be coming to do some of his music. Make sure to invite some friends, because this service should rock.

We'll be meeting over in the Blue Room at Christ Covenant Church at 2pm on Sunday. Click here for Map.

Jewish Idioms: Disqualifying the Servant

The third idiom comes from Mark 14:43-50 where Peter cuts off the ear of a servant of the high priest:

“ 43And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard." 45And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, "Rabbi!" And he kissed him. 46And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled." 50And they all left him and fled.”

This servant with the high priest was not just an ordinary servant, but he was the chief assistant to the high priest known as the segan hacohanim. The understanding we usually have about this passage is that Peter was a little cranky because Judas and the gang woke him from his sleep and was trying to arrest Jesus, so Peter goes to swinging trying to kill the servant but he only manages to cut off his ear. (Well maybe something along those lines)

But, what if Peter actually did what he intended to do? (he always catches a bad rap for doing something stupid). According to Judaic law, to lose an ear not only shamed the servant, but also disqualified him for service in the Temple.

All of the Jews knew the basis for cutting off the ear; it was derived from Leviticus 21:18-21:

“16And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17"Speak to Aaron, saying, None of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. 18For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, 19or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, 20or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. 21No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the LORD's food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. 22He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things, 23but he shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them." 24So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.”

There are several other incidents of this in history. In 40 B.C., Antigonus, a Persian candidate for high priest, had the ear of this uncle, Hyrcanus II, cut off to disqualify him for the office. Josephus mentioned in “Wars”, that it happened more than once during the reign of Herod the Great. The Mishnah, which contains the Jewish “oral law”, gives details of the practice, saying it was actually the ear lobe that was cut off. The Mishnah along with the Gemara (rabbinic commentaries on the Mishnah) makes up the Talmud, which is a major religious text for Rabbinic Judaism.

So maybe the moral of the story should be that Peter was skilled with a sword after all.

Beacon HangOUT

We are heading down to the world-famous Beacon in Spartanburg this Thursday for the HangOUT. Meet over at the Renfro Center at 6pm (an hour earlier than usual) and we'll leave from there. We should be back by 9.

Make sure to bring your TUMS!

Jewish Idioms: Secondary Burial

The second idiom comes from Matthew, where a disciple asks Jesus to let him first go and bury his father before following Jesus.

“18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 21Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."(Matthew 8:18-22)

Jesus’ rebuke was not aimed at the disciples care for his father, but toward a Jewish tradition concerning burial which violated the Scripture.

This tradition required the body of the deceased to be placed in the ground on the day of his death (Deut 21:22-23, John 19:31, Acts 5:6-10). The family then observed a seven-day period of mourning called shivah, where they couldn’t even leave the house. After the body was placed in the burial chamber, it was left to decompose. The Jerusalem Talmud says, “When the flesh had wasted away, the bones were collected and placed in small chests called ossuaries. After the flesh had gone from the bones, and the bones were placed in the ossuaries, the son stopped mourning.”

This transfer of the bones to an ossuary was known as the secondary burial. It was done by the oldest son, who then took them to Jerusalem or to a family burial cave, where they were placed near the bones of their ancestors. This practice had become popular during the first century, but it had an unscriptural concept behind it that Jesus did not agree with.

There was a belief that the decomposition of the flesh between the first and second burials atoned for the sins of the dead person (Jerusalem Talmud). At the secondary burial, the son could rejoice because the sinful flesh was off the bones and the sins were atoned for.

Jesus wasn’t against the fact that the son had to show respect and honor to his father, Jesus was opposed to the secondary burial, which was motivated by an idea that something other than the Messiah could deliver a person from their sins.

More than likely, the first burial had taken place a year earlier, or the son would have been in mourning and not with Jesus. Some have suggested that this incident occurred just before the Feast of Tabernacles since Jesus and his followers were headed for Jerusalem. Since they were heading for Jerusalem the disciple probably thought this would be a good time to take his father’s ossuary there.

The Lost Tomb?

If you haven't already heard...The Discovery Channel aired a TV special last night called "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," a documentary made by Jewish film maker Simcha Jacobovici and Titanic director James Cameron.

The Facts:
In 1980 a tomb was discovered in Talpiot inside of modern Jerusalem that contained 10 ossuaries or bone boxes. Six ossuaries had names carved on them with the following names:

1. Jesus Son of Joseph
2. Mary-written in Aramaic
3. Mary-written in Greek as Mariamne
4. Jose- a 'rare' nickname for Joseph
5. Matthew
6. Judah son of Jesus

The filmmakers claim that this tomb is the resting place of Jesus of Nazareth and contained Jesus' remains, his DNA, the remains of his wife Mary Magdalene and his son Judah.

Theological Implications:
To be honest here...if these findings proved to be true then we might as well drop the faith and start over because Christianity as we know it would be over. The whole measure of Christianity hinges on the belief that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected from the dead. If his remains are in a tomb somewhere then he was not the Messiah and was not raised from the dead.


Thoughts and more reading:
I find this type of research and archeology very interesting and feel that as Christians we should engage ourself into the academic and archaeological studies on the person of Jesus. I believe that as more research and studies are completed, more evidence will actually point to the truth of Jesus Christ and not lead us away from it. That is the case with this film if we look at all of the facts and not just the skewed bias of a Jewish filmmaker with a personal agenda (but what filmmaker doesn't have a bias or personal agenda). The documentary is very well made and well worth watching. Much like the Da Vinci Code, it makes for great entertainment but is historically wrong, with as much evidence in opposition to the claim as there is presented in the film. Below I'll list a few links to sources I've found that seem to have credible info on the topic.

Links:
Discovery Channel Site on Tomb

The Lost Tomb Documentary Official Site

Extreme Theology Article (Critique of Documentary)

Podcast Rebuttal to Documentary

PowerPoint Presentation to Accompany Podcast



What are you thoughts on the documentary? Feel free to share.