Hindi Theology Outline (Part 1) - 13 Audio Lectures

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हिन्‍दी धर्मविज्ञान सर्वेक्षन आडियो शिक्षाएं

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Audio Files	VBR MP3	Ogg Vorbis
01-Theology Meaning and Significance.mp3	5.0 MB	3.9 MB
02-Divisions of Theology.mp3	4.4 MB	3.2 MB
03-Different Theologies.mp3	13.2 MB	9.5 MB
04-Bibliology-Revelation.mp3	8.1 MB	5.9 MB
05-Bibliology-Purpose Reliability.mp3	7.3 MB	5.5 MB
06-Bibliology-Inspiration Infallibilty.mp3	8.1 MB	6.7 MB
07-Bibliology-Canon Symbols.mp3	8.2 MB	6.5 MB
08-Theology Proper.mp3	12.8 MB	9.8 MB
09-Trinity.mp3	9.0 MB	6.9 MB
10-Christology Nature.mp3	5.5 MB	4.1 MB
11-Christology Person Scriptural Proofs.mp3	12.8 MB	9.7 MB
12-Pneumatology Person and Works.mp3	15.6 MB	11.1 MB
13-Pneumatology Baptism Gifts and Fruit.mp3	20.1 MB	14.9 MB
14-Creation.mp3	20.1 MB	14.8 MB
15-Angelology.mp3	12.2 MB	8.7 MB
16-Demonology Satan.mp3	8.8 MB	6.5 MB
17-Demonology - Demons Casting Demons.mp3	16.0 MB	11.3 MB
18-Anthropology.mp3	15.0 MB
19-Atonement.mp3	10.6 MB
20-Soteriology Justification Regeneration	17.1 MB
21-Soteriology Sanctification	8.7 MB
22-Ecclesiology.mp3	12.7 MB
23-Eschatology.mp3	16.7 MB

Epistemics of Divine Reality - Synopsis (Powerpoint)

Epistemics of Divine Reality - Philosophical from Domenic Marbaniang

Glory of the Son - Part 3 (Glory in the Church, His Body)

JOHN 17:1
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”

Intro

We saw
1. The Revelation of His Glory (John 1:17)
2. The Foretaste of Glory (2 Cor.3:18)
3. Christ in us, Hope of Glory (Col.1:27)
4. Christ Glorified Through Our Dying to Self And Living To Him
5. Christ Glorified Through Our Following Him
6. Christ Glorified Through Our Serving Him

Heb.12: Looking beyond the Cross for the Joy: The hour when the Son will be glorified.
The victory lay on the focus beyond the Cross.


JOHN 13:1-17: Christ Glorified in His Body, the Church

Eph.3:21; Jn. 17:10

1. Christ is Glorified When There is Love Among Each Other in the Body

John 13:34,35

- Loving your own (your God, your neighbor, your spouse….) Jn.4:20,21
- Loving to the end (1Cor.13: Love’s First Characteristic – “suffereth long”;
Love’s Last Characteristic – “never faileth” E.g. Jesus loved Peter to the end

Learning to forgive (Eph.4:31) – without knots (worldly love when once broken can never be mended; and even if it were, it would harbor knots).

2. Christ is Glorified When We Serve Each Other in the Family

John 13:14,15

- 13:3. Knowing Who You Are (Have a right identity of yourself. To serve doesn’t mean to lose identity) Illusion: The Church must conform to the world in order to win it. NO, there must be a separation.
- A Humble Servant Attitude (Phil.2:6ff)
Laying aside His garments (The Robe of Divine Glory), He came down to serve us
TOWEL: Readiness to Serve
Water in Bason: Word of God (Eph.5:26; John 17:17)
How much water do you have in your bason?
Don’t try to remove the speck when you have a log in your eye.

Serving: Building each other, Teaching, Reproving, Correcting, Encouraging, Exhorting, Cleansing…


RIGHT FELLOWSHIPPING
If you sit with sinners, you get dirty (Ps.1:1)
Sit with saints – Be cleansed


TOWEL: Wiped it on His bosom
Cover somebody’s shame. Don’t be a talebearer, gossiper, slanderer, a devil’s agent; be a servant of Christ – cleanser, a priest.

E.g. Good Samaritan. It did cost him something to serve. He didn’t serve for any payment. He served as the Good Samaritan.

3. Christ is Glorified When There is Unity in the Body

John 17:11; Eph. 4:3

Unity in faith – Don’t stray from the Apostles’ doctrine
Unity in fellowship – Don’t give up gathering together
Unity in service – Get involved in God’s work

Don’t allow seeds of disunity. Heb.4:12,13; 12:15; Jude 19-25

LOVE, SERVICE, UNITY

Broke Bread and Gave to Them: LOVE, SERVICE, UNITY

Glory of the Son - Part 2 (Glorifying God through Service)

JOHN 17:1
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”

Intro

We saw
1. Revelation of Glory (John 1:17)
2. Foretaste of Glory (2 Cor.3:18)
3. Christ in us, Hope of Glory (Col.1:27)


JOHN 12: GLORIFYING CHRIST THROUGH TRUE DISCIPLESHIP-SERVICE
John 12:23-26

1. To Serve Means to First Die

“He that loves life…”

- Dying to Self
- Dying to other interests/affections
- Dying to other commitments

Becoming a zero (Phil. 2)
Humble yourself and He will lift you up

E.g. Sadhu Kishan Singh while on journey through Himalayas. The heat of carrying that person on his back kept him from freezing; but, his friend who was in a hurry and wanted to save himself was found frozen to death.

JESUS CHRIST – THE WHEAT/SEED: Dies and falls to the ground in order to bear fruit

Do you glorify your Master by dying to the world and living for Him?

Paul: CROSS: The Great Divider (Gal. 6:14)


2. To Serve Means to Follow

- Being Where He Is
- Learning What He Wills/Desires
- Doing What He Wants

Surrender your rights in His hands
Until you surrender, He won’t honor your offering/work

Are you where your Master likes to be? Are you where He is?
Fellowship, Ministry


E.g.
Elisha followed Elijah (Gilgal-Bethel-Jericho)
Ruth followed Naomi
Peter failed by Christ restores

Gehazi… ran after what his master rejected
Away from his master: “Didn’t my heart go after you?”

Do you glorify Your Master by following Him?

3. To Serve Means to Set Christ as Your Primary Object of Service

“Serve HIM”

100% Commitment
100% Attention/Sensitivity

People say they can’t know God’s will because
1. They are not fully committed (“all your heart…soul”
2. Not fully tuned (no consistency)
3. Not staying close to the frequency (out of God’s coverage area)

E.g. Paul sought for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ (Phil.3:8)

A Listening Heart
An Understanding Heart
An Obedient Heart

Glorify the Father through Service

Jesus says:
“Father will honor you.”

Glory of the Son - Part 1 (Cana Episode)

JOHN 17:1
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”

Intro
John uses some important terms again and again: Light, Truth, Love, Glory, Hour

We will look at some events where Jesus talks about this hour…

THE CANA EPISODE: REVELATION OF HIS GLORY
John 2


1. God’s Hour

Why did He say “What have I to do with thee?”

A Ministry that is
- Not compelled by need
- Not compelled by passion
- Not compelled by circumstances
- But by the Hour of God

Mary is the earthly mother, but the ministry belongs to the Eternal Father.
He was faithful as a Son (Heb 5)
He was obedient to death (Phil 2)

Dr. Kurien Thomas: I am a servant, but not a servant of men; I am servant of God.

2. Christ’s Glory

Why did He turn the water into wine?
Why didn’t He turn the stones into bread in the wilderness?
Why choose to do this miracle in a remote country like Cana? Why not start in Jerusalem?

Answer: To reveal His glory to His disciples

Some of His miracles were simply just for His disciples
- The Fish net
- The Fig tree
- The Feeding of the 5000
- This one

John 1:17; Rom.3:23; 2Cor.3:13-18; Col.1:27

“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:22)

Three Levels of Aggression Against Religion

From Lectures on Methodological Issues in Missions, MTh Class, New Life College, Bangalore, 2011

1. Philosophical or Ideological Clashes
The clash is between ideologies, and aggression is usually vented through the media of literature, lectures, art forms and media.

E.g. Propaganda Literature of Communism, Da Vinci Code, etc.

2. Political Motives
Aggression and persecution with political motives.

E.g. When Nero burnt Rome and blamed the Christians, executing many of their leaders.

3. Profit Motives
Aggression to eliminate economic rivalries or blockades.

E.g. Persecution of Paul by Demetrius at Ephesus (Acts 19), Persecution of Jews...

How Could An Innocent Man Die for the Sins of the World?

The Scandal of Particularity questions how one Man could be God and also be the Savior of the whole world. There are two pictures in the Bible that answer this:

1. Surety. Jesus Christ is made the surety of the New Covenant by which participants in the Covenant share in the blessings of the Covenant (Hebrews 7:22). Now, a surety is someone who provides a warrant or guarantee for an other. If I wish to borrow Rs.5000/- from a creditor, and he doesn't trust me, he would ask for a guarantor or surety, who answers to him and is willing to pay in case I am not able to pay the amount back. Similarly, when we were weak and without strength, and in a state when we could not repay our debts, Christ paid the penalty of our sins.

2. Priest. A Priest is a legally appointed Mediator who represents man before God; as such, Christ, appointed after the order of Melchizedek as a Priest forever, provides a better sacrifice than the blood of animals that the priests after the Aaronic order presented for centuries before Him. Their sacrifices couldn't have efficacy since they had to make atonement for their own sins first, then for the sins of the people. In addition, the blood of animals cannot adequately atone for the sins of mankind. Through the offering of His Body, the High Priest Jesus Christ, opens up a way for us before God. We now have access to the Father. His appointment was official and His sacrifice without blemish; therefore, it was fully acceptable and satisfactory in the sight of God, and we also in Him.

© Domenic Marbaniang, Lectures in Soteriology, February 2011.

For further reading:The Humanity and Divinity of Christ
C. S. Lewis on Theories of Atonement
Estrangement and Belongedness in the Ultimate Sacrifice of God

Sinful Nature and Eternal Security (Hamartiology Notes)

Lectures in Hamartiology

The Sinful Nature

'Nature' here must not be understood as similar to that in 'human nature' or 'feline nature'. It is the principle of sin, which Romans 7 talks about, the law of sin. In essence, it is selfishness, covetousness, the end by which 'good' or 'evil' is defined. When Adam sinned, the choice broke him off from the Life of God and mankind became autonomous. Man could decide what was right or wrong by reference to himself. [Even philosophers have referred to happiness as the desired end]. That is the principle of lawlessness that is internal, intense, and universal. Therefore, the condemnation hangs over the head. Man is not compelled by the sin principle, he chooses to walk according to it in his condemned state of separation from God, in his state of Spiritless carnality, and thus subservience and enslavement to sin. He is now flesh (in the sense of not having the dominance of the law of the Spirit, Rom 8:2) and walks according to the flesh in a world that is Godless and self-serving.

Eternal Security

Salvation is not a gift that is separable from Christ or faith in him. Salvation is in Christ.

Calvinism commits the fallacy of being closed to falsification. If I say that there's a unicorn outside and you say you want to see it, and I say you can't because it disappears the moment someone other than me tries to see it, I offer no way of disproving me. Similarly, Calvinism says that to be once saved is to be saved forever, but if you point out someone who had faith earlier but had now fallen, they say that that was so because he wasn't saved in the first place. How do you disprove them?

Daniel - Lecture 2

The next key verse is 2:44 which talks about the coming everlasting Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Daniel 2:44)

Daniel, unlike his contemporary Ezekiel, is more concerned about the political future of the world and emphasizes on the Kingdom of God. He hailed from Judah and the Lord had chartered his course into the palace of Babylon.

Ezekiel, on the other hand, was of a priestly family and his visions were primarily related to the religious life of the people.

Ezekiel's visions relate to the TEMPLE - the Glory of God, the Cherubim, etc.

Daniel's vision is about the THRONE - the Kingdom of God.

Ezekiel envisions a coming world to be filled with the presence, knowledge, and glory of God.

Daniel envisions a world ruled absolutely by Jesus Christ.

© Domenic Marbaniang, Sept 2010.

Studies in Daniel: Key Verses - Lecture 1

The Book of Daniel was written sometime between 606-530 BC when Daniel prophesied through the times of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius the son of Ahasurus in Babylon. The Book contains dreams, visions, and prophecies related to global politics revolving around the Jews whose nation Israel/Judah was snatched from them through conquests, first by Assyria and then by Babylon in 586 BC. The dreams, visions, and prophecies declare that though Israel was suspended as a nation from the realm of politics, God‘s sovereign rulership over world politics had not come to cease. In terms of ethno-religio-political locus, the Book portrays one center: The Messiah who is the Son of David (the next immediate circumferential center being the Jewish people to whom He first belongs, ethno-religio-politically speaking). In terms of geo-political locus, the center is Jerusalem, the City of David (the immediate circumferential center being Palestine). Jerusalem is destined to be the Capital of the future political world. The Land (Palestine) is a subject of many prophecies in this Book. Though now seemingly forsaken, it has a central place in God’s charter of world politics.

The Key verses are 2:20-23, 44

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter. (Dan 2:20-23)
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Dan 2:44)

We’ll look at verses 20-21 today:

The Sovereignty of the LORD (YHWH)

The verses declare the Sovereignty of God over the world. Israel’s ceasing as a nation didn’t mean the cessation of divine activity. God is Sovereign forever “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever” and He governs the world with His wisdom and His might “for wisdom and might are his”.

1. Sovereignty over World History

“he changeth the times and the seasons”

Whether we speak in terms of historical time-shifts or major historical events, God’s hand is over history. Be it the Aryan migration or the Mughal invasion, the British conquest of the quest for freedom, God’s hand was over the history of our country; so over every country and nation, globally and territorially. Whether one speaks of great transitions from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, from the Classical Age to the Renaissance, from the Dark Age to the Age of Industrial Revolution; whether one speaks of Ashoka’s edicts or the Great Depression, of Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Age or this Great Recession, Daniel declares that it is YHWH, the Sovereign Lord of the universe, who “changeth the times and the seasons”. His hand is upon the panorama of all history.

2. Sovereignty over World Politics

“he removeth kings, and setteth up kings”

The Bible declares that all political and judicial authority is divinely ordained (Romans 13:1-2). The men and women in authority are called ministers of God for good (Romans 13:4) though they might not acknowledge themselves as such. Their placement in political history is by divine determination (cf. Esther 4:14). Whether it is a monarchy, an oligarchy, or a democracy, it is God who removes leaders and sets up leaders. The devil himself may inspire certain leaders, but he doesn’t have permission apart from God’s judicious determinations; even the anti-christ will not appear until God allows him to appear. Then, it will be God alone, no mortal hand, that will put an end to the reign of the beast.* It is necessary for all people to honor authority, though the one in the position may be evil. Remember Paul, the great missionary, almost a household name in his day, when he stood before the magistrates and the governors, how he conducted himself with boldness and sincerity of faith, but with great humility and respect for authority.

3. Sovereignty over Education and Propagation of Knowledge

“he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding”

Schools and Universities rule the world. Information is power, someone said; and, the world has seen an awakening out of superstitious slumbers into the dawn of Reason.** The Universities are getting increasing and intensely secular. Harvey Cox had suggested four decades ago that this was to be Biblically anticipated. The unshackling of the ecclesiastical from the secular is the act of God. In this manner, man was liberated from dogmatic tutors to freedom of thought and expression. Research has become more scientific, if not totally bias-free. This has enabled greater strides in the area of civilization and culture. The world has grown smaller in our age of globalization and information explosion. We are exposed to more information than ever. Yet, it is God who gives wisdom and knowledge. Despite the surge of anti-theistic tendencies in the field of education, for instance, Schools and Universities throughout the world are filled with believers in God; which indicate that the secularity and liberality of thought has little to do with the motivation or discouragement of faith. Education can never overpower God because God’s holds scepter over the domain of knowledge and education.

_________________

* It is said that the Beast will recover from a mortal wound (Revelation 13:3). Perhaps, there will be an attempt to assasination; but, that attempt will not prevail because God’s order has ordained the Beast’s destruction only at the hands of the Messiah.
**At whichever age, however, cynicism and credulity, both opposite tendencies, were never totally dismissed.



Notes from Lectures, CITS, September 2, 2010.
© Domenic Marbaniang, 2010.

Presenting Christ as Relevant to Our People

Written for a friend, January 2009

Factually speaking, there is nothing more relevant to the life and destiny of any people than the Gospel of Jesus Christ; it delivers them from the pit of destruction and places them on the path of salvation originally charted out for them. Therefore, there is nothing more relevant than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

However, the problem of relevance revolves around the people’s lack of awareness of Christ as really relevant to them. Therefore, this concerns the problem of presentation or communication of the Gospel. The seed is not sown before the ground is prepared. The seed will only spring forth if the ground is suitable for it or relevant to it. Similarly, the seed of the Gospel can only find right ground in the hearts of those who are receptive to it. This receptivity is the condition of being able to find the Gospel relevant for the soul. Theologians refer to it as preparatio evangelica or the preparation for the Gospel. That by the way was the name of a book written by Eusebius of Caesarea who thought that the writings of the Bible were also anticipated the interpretations put forth by Plato and others. Some Indian theologians have also thought of Hinduism as containing elements that functioned as preparatio evangelica for the preaching of the Gospel. For instance, A. J. Appasamy found some anticipation of the Gospel in the Bhakti tradition and Sadhu Sundar Singh talked of Hinduism being the channel through which the living water of Christ was meant to flow. This fulfillment theory sees relevance as something being woven into the culture and customs of the people through God’s intervention in their personal history and context.

The exclusivist position, however, treats all human elements as non-divine and therefore devoid of grace; therefore, irrelevant to the Gospel. Karl Barth called all religions and natural theology as demonic. However, Don Richardson, author of Eternity in their Hearts and Peace Child has shown how missionaries in different cultures have found elements within those cultures as relevant to and opening points for the communication of the Gospel. This concept has given rise to a method called redemptive analogy that seeks to find points of similarities in other cultures that can serve as analogies for the explanation of the Gospel. To quote Richardson’s own example, and I take it from an article in Wikipedia:

Richardson studied at the Prairie Bible Institute and the Summer Institute of Linguistics. In 1962, he and his wife Carol and their seven-month-old baby went to work among the Sawi tribe of what was then Dutch New Guinea in the service of the Regions Beyond Missionary Union. The Sawi were known to be cannibalistic headhunters. Living with them in virtual isolation from the modern world involved exposure to malaria, dysentery, and hepatitis, as well as the threat of violence.

In their new home in the jungle, the Richardsons set about learning the native Sawi language which was daunting in its complexity. There are 19 tenses for every verb. Don was soon able to become proficient in the dialect after a schedule of 8-10 hour daily learning sessions.

Richardson labored to show the villagers a way that they could comprehend Jesus from the Bible, but the cultural barriers to understanding and accepting this teaching seemed impossible until an unlikely event brought the concept of the substitutionary atonement of Christ into immediate relevance for the Sawi.

Missionary historian Ruth A. Tucker writes:

As he learned the language and lived with the people, he became more aware of the gulf that separated his Christian worldview from the worldview of the Sawi: "In their eyes, Judas, not Jesus, was the hero of the Gospels, Jesus was just the dupe to be laughed at." Eventually Richardson discovered what he referred to as a Redemptive Analogy that pointed to the Incarnate Christ far more clearly than any biblical passage alone could have done. What he discovered was the Sawi concept of the Peace Child.

Three tribal villages were in constant battle at this time. The Richardsons were considering leaving the area, so to keep them there, the Sawi people in the embattled villages came together and decided that they would make peace with their hated enemies. Ceremonies commenced that saw young children being exchanged between opposing villages. One man in particular ran toward his enemy's camp and literally gave his son to his hated foe. Observing this, Richardson wrote: "if a man would actually give his own son to his enemies, that man could be trusted!" From this rare picture came the analogy of God's sacrifice of his own Son. The Sawi began to understand the teaching of the incarnation of Christ in the Gospel after Richardson explained God to them in this way.

Following this event many villagers converted to Christianity, a translation of the New Testament in Sawi was published, and nearly 2,500 Sawi patients were treated by Carol. The world's largest circular building made strictly from un-milled poles was constructed in 1972 as a Christian meeting place by the Sawi.

Analogies of such relevance can be divided into two groups: general analogies that deal with things from the common man’s world (for instance, things like mustard seed, net, pearl, etc that Jesus used in His parables); the other group are contextual analogies that relate to the culture or religion of a particular people group. The peace child is one example of it. Analogies of relevance serve as bridges of communication and one cannot but believe that those bridges were placed there by God Himself. Probably, Christ’s view of the harvest being already ripe refers to this.
But one must guard against dangers as well. Such dangers are often based on misunderstandings about the nature of relevance, which I think to be chiefly four:

1. The false view that relevance is equivalent to evidence. This leads to attempts to find evidences for Christianity within the culture, religion, or religious scriptures of the particular target group. There are cases in which Christians have tried to find Christ in the Vedas; the Muslims too attempt the same; while there are also Hindus who try to prove their teachings from the Bible. This leads to confusion since it also treats other Scriptures as proofs, which is a false method; for, if they were really reliable as such then everything written in them will then need to be accepted which is impossible.

2. The second problem is of considering relevance as an external thing only. Thus, we find some who think that a change in dress, style of worship, and other external elements can produce the impression that the message is also relevant to the culture. The anti-cultural shock can, of course, be avoided to a greater extent through all this but the only way the message can be made relevant is by making it understandable to them. Sadhu Sundar Singh talked of the Gospel as only acceptable to Indians if offered in an Indian cup. He draws the illustration of this from an incident in which he once saw a man almost dying of thirst on a railway platform, but refused to drink water when an Englishman offered it to him in a cup saying that he would only drink from an Indian cup. Sadhu himself donned the Hindu ascetic’s saffron robe and practiced a typical Indian style of preaching which was appealing to the Indian audience. But Sadhu’s methodology must not be taken for a principle. The principle is that the message should touch the nerves of relevance in the area of understanding. The external garb in which the message is given is only a part of the presentation problem that differs from context to context – it is not the whole thing or even the ultimate thing.

3. The third danger is the danger of compromise. This happens when the message of the Gospel is so much fused with the local theologies that the identity of the Gospel itself is lost. The Gospel cannot be made palatable to people in the same way that the seed cannot be made appealing to the ground. The ground must be prepared in order that the seed is productive in it. Examples of compromise are when Jesus is considered to be equivalent with the other avataras or incarnations of the Hindu gods, or of salvation as being limited to physical deliverances from debt and sicknesses alone.

4. The fourth problem is the problem of false relevance. This is, in fact, a logical fallacy when one falsely relates the Gospel to certain things that don’t relate to it at all. For instance, one’s relating Christ’s sacrifice to the sacrifice of the horse in the Ashwamegha Yajna of Hinduism , or of relating the Trinity to the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara) of Hinduism. Other false relevances relate to distortion of the Gospel through compromise with or through false appeal. For instance, inciting people to accept the Gospel in order to be emancipated from debts or business failures, or some sickness.

Those were examples of the dangers one must guard against when trying to present Christ as relevant to the people. Next, I would like to point out few principles of making Christ relevant to them:

1. The principle of respect. There is a Hindi saying according to which one must not give someone a rose to smell after cutting off his nose (or insulting him or his religion). We see Paul on Mars Hill at Athens speaking respectfully of the religiosity of the Athenians. This principle of respect avoids making comments or doing things (including how or what we eat and how we dress) that would unwantedly close the doors for evangelism.

2. The principle of honesty. Any element of falsehood in the presentation can totally discredit the message so honesty must be evident in both the deliverance of and the living out of the Gospel among the people.

3. The principle of workability. This is the exemplification of the Gospel or the real demonstration to the world that the Gospel really works in our life. People need to see the truth and not just hear it. Anyone can preach any theory; but when people really see the Gospel working in the lives of the people through the manifestation of God’s presence and power, great conviction is produced.

4. The principle of redemptive analogy which as has already been seen involves the recognition of types, practices, and other elements that can function as the explanative grid or framework in which the Gospel can be explained or presented to them.

I believe that a consideration of what has been said in this discussion will greatly help in presenting Christ as relevant to the people. I must emphasize here again that we present Christ as relevant to the people; we don’t make Him relevant to the people, as already pointed out that the ground must be prepared for the seed and not the seed made relevant to the ground. The seed is what it is and cannot be altered; similarly the Gospel also cannot be altered. It must only be presented. One doesn’t need to find out how Christ is relevant to any people group. All have sinned alike and all need the Saviour. On the other hand, one needs to search for analogies of relevance in order that the Gospel be effectively transmitted. But at the end, it is the Gospel that is lived in the life of the believer that speaks louder than the words spoken by him.

Domenic Marbaniang, 2009

3 Forms of Memory - Lectures in Psychology

Notes:

1. Sensory Memory (SM): Remembrance of a sensation lasting from a split of second to some 10 seconds. It is like a spark that is intense and strong but evaporates.

2. Short-term Memory (STM): Stores limited information for a limited amount of time. The older data will give way to the newer to accomodate space.

3. Long-term Memory (LTM): Stores unlimited information for unlimited amount of time. Must be retrieved by means of memory bookmarks, clues. But, thanks for the mind's ability to self-organize; the search isn't very difficult, given the proper clues.



LTM is like the Library
STM is like the Desk
SM is like the Page I'm reading

Illustration:

• I remember the taste of the candy while eating: Sensory Memory. It is so real; that's one reason why SM has more appeal than LTM. Joke: "A philosopher gives up his philosophy over a tooth-ache".


• I remember the taste for some time after: Short-term Memory.


• I recall the taste, but indefinitely: Long-term Memory.

STM can be etched into LTM by repetition. Other factors: impression, interest, motive.

Hindrances: Ageing, Interference, etc.

Spontaneous Recovery & Memory – Lectures on Psychology

Notes:

Unconditioned & Conditioned Response
Spontaneous Recovery (SR)

MEMORY
Unconscious and Conscious
Bottom and Surface

Things that are immediately useful (interesting) are put on the desk. The others are thrown in the stores.

SR - the brain searches the stores for clues, etc to meet the immediate situation. The presentation of CS is the clue and stimulus of the SR-CR

The Inner Conflict - Thoughts on Psychology

From Lectures on Psychology

An important field of psychological research is the biology of behavior, also variously called physiological psychology, psychobiology, or biopsychology, whatever.

The theological problem is that the Bible doesn't accept that moral choices are physiologically determined. Determinism may form the basis of animal behavior, but not of man who is held morally responsible for his actions. Though, materialists may disagree, the argument connects to the factor of difference, namely the spirituality of man.

The inner conflict of Romans 7 is the conflict between the physiological determinant and the soul's incapability due to sin to obey God's law, an external factor not belonging to the cause-effect system of the flesh. Therefore, as long as we were in the flesh, the passions did what they would. However, the introduction of the Law posed the conflict because the soul finds itself in the bondage of the flesh, so knowledge conflicts with determinist animal passions. The battle is lost because of the bondage. However, the life of Christ frees us, because faith is the act by which, the causality sequence is broken and the transcedent Law is embraced through the Spirit of Christ...

Religions and An Evangelist's Approach to Other Faiths - Lectures

From Lectures given at Grace Covenant Church Short-term Bible School, Shillong. April, 2008

India
Motley of religions
Birth soil of major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikkhism

Modern Problems - Pluralism, Fundamentalism
Modern Issues - Religious Conversions

Meaning of Religion
The word comes from the Latin "religare" and means "to bind"
Religion:
-Binds a community together to some authority
-Binds the adherent to the religious creed
-Binds people to customs, rituals...

Functions as a kind of social adhesive - Religion is the soul of culture

Origin of Religions
The Boundaries
Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
(Act 17:25-28)

The Religion of Cain & Abel - Sacrifice
Abel's Faith
Cain's Self-Righteous Works

The Religion of Enoch, Noah,... till the Flood
Noah preached righteousness (2Pet.2:5)

Tower of Babel and Division of Humanity (Gen.10)

Gospel's Call
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
(Act 14:15-17)

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
(Act 17:29-31)

False Elements of Religion
1. Acts 14:15: Vanities - Worthless, Vapor-Like, Not Lasting
2. Rom.1:21-27: Carnality
Violation of Law of God - Sinful
Violation of Laws of Nature - Unnatural
Violation of Laws of Logic - Illogical, Foolish
3. Col.2:16-18, 20-23: False Spirituality - Spiritual Pride
4. 2Cor.11:13-15: False Miracles - Angel of Light Disguise
Demonic Endorsement: 2Thess.2:9; Deut.13:1-5
Magic, Witchcraft, Signs, Prophecy, Healing
The devil can duplicate everything, but he can't duplicate the blood of Jesus Christ
5. 1Tim.4:1-3: Demonic Doctrines
Violation of Law - Idolatry -> Social Evils, Discrimination, etc.

Good Elements in Religion
Important: The approach of condemnation is not biblical. Do not cut the nose and then give a flower to smell.
Right to freedom of conscience is not right to condemn other's faith

Are there good elements?
1. Conceptual Links: Col.2:17 - Foreshadows Christ
- Divine Revelation in Dreams (Gen.41:38,39), Visions (Dan.5:11,12), Magi (Mat.2:1ff)
- Human Search (Quest - Religiosity)
Acts 17:23 - The Unknown God, Epimenides of Crete
Other prophets: Melchizedek, Balaam (though turned bad)
- Symbols - Examples from Culture - The Wall (The tribal runs behind the wall and is legally secured against any attack); The Blood Covenant of Africa (David Livingstone)
- Concepts - Justice (Acts 28:4), Karma, Salvation, Cleansing by Water, etc
Imp. Certain concepts differ, e.g., "born-again" may be misunderstood as rebirth or punarjanma by Hindus
2. Reduction of Crime in Society: Gives knowledge of good and evil but is not able to sanctify and save

An Evangelist's Approach to People of Other Faiths

Public Witnessing
Learn about your audience, avoid all sarcastic remarks, preach Christ alone

Personal Witnessing - Be open to the Holy Spirit
1. Ask questions. Questions reveal the mind of the person and also decide an entry point for meaningful discussion.
2. Listen to him/her. Don't be just anxious on pressing your point.
3. Never pass an arrogant and sarcastic remark on his/her tradition.
4. Give your personal testimony of Jesus Christ.
5. Avoid arrogant arguers (1Tim.6:3,4,20). They do not want to listen. There will be more heat than light.
6. Remember that in many situations evangelism is not a one-point event; it is gradual. Be patient.
7. Unless you know your weapons well, you can't fare well. Know the Scripture. Know what the devil's tactics are. Know people.
8. Very Important: Be aware of the people's culture and never be a stumbling-block to the Gospel.
1Cor.9:20-23; 8:9-13: Same applies to dress code, manners, etc.