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Some Old Views and New View Compared

This summarises some of the differences between 'New View' and conventional views. The conventional views are various, and sometimes might seem to be the opposite of each other, but when seen in the context of this New View, they might be, rather, narrowed or limited views. Sometimes New View encompasses and enriches them, sometimes it opposes them. Sometimes I have have given caricatures of conventional views but usually I tried not to.

Personal salvation is not the primary concern of the New View. It is important, but is seen within a wider context of God's Cosmic Plan. It is necessary for that plan but is not end of that plan.

Issue Some Conventional Views New View

Value of Non-human Creation As a backdrop to the drama of human salvation Of eternal value to God in its own right.

How we can Treat Non-Human Creation A resource for disposal at our whim. A target for, and recipient of, our loving care. (See radah)

Nature

God's Love and Concern For human souls, human beings. For all God has made. (See God's love)

Role of Humanity Variously:

to serve God
"The chief end of Man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever" (Westminster Confession)
to worship God
to be creatures who, uniquely, can love God
to fight against evil
to populate heaven (Reinhard Bonnke)
(See discussion of 'Why Am I Saved?'.) (See radah) To represent God to the rest of Creation.
To radah (rule over, manage, shepherd) the rest of Creation.

'Radah', management, rulership We rule for our own sake, convenience, pleasure. We rule for the sake, the blessing, of that which is ruled. (See radah)

Representing God ... A 'perk', a status. A joyful but demanding responsibility placed on one group, to:

reveal God to the rest ...

so that, in experiencing us they will experience something of the joy that God brings (e.g. "Trees clap hands when the LORD comes") ...

inviting and helping the rest to come to God ...
sometimes being the vehicles for God's action in his world
This does not deny traditional views, but encompasses, enriches and fulfils them. See Representing God.

... humans as image of God "To glorify God and enjoy him forever" (Westminster Confession)

... Jews as God's people To remain faithful witnesses to God's Law.

... priests To undertake religious rituals on behalf of people.

... Christians as God's people To proselytise and/or conquer the world.
To uphold God's 'standards' against ('liberal' Westerized) society.

God's People God's favourites, immune to his punishment. God's special representatives,

showing God to the rest
inviting and helping the rest to come to God
sometimes being the vehicles for God's action in his world
- a joyful privilege but also an awesome responsibility. (God's representatives must never misrepresent God, nor be a barrier preventing others coming to God, and he will judge them more severely than he does other people, and to higher standards: witness Amos 1,2, the Jewish exile, and "judgement starts with the housefhold of God".) (See The People of God)

Humankind's authority Like that of

Aristotle

who saw God primarily as a Monarch, at top of hierarchy of power and authority
Like that of

Ezekiel

"Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves. Should not the shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool, and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them [radah] harshly and brutally. ... This what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock." (Ezekiel 34)
(See New Kind of Authority / Dominion)

"Do not eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" Either a (petty) constraint on human potential
Or a (more-or-less arbitrary) test of Adam's love for God. A warning against taking to ourselves the right to decide what is Good and Evil. (See The Fall)

The Fall A punishment from God for disobedience. A statement of how we find Creation working against us, if we do take to ourselves the right to determine what is Good and what, Evil. Examples given in:

Child birth
Marital relationships
Agriculture
(See The Fall)

God's Judgement and Anger Because of God's authority. Because of God's love
- he loves all he made, so if one entity harms another, he is angry because of his love for that other. (See Justice As Love)

The Doctrine of Original Sin Harsh. Beautiful, leading to a merciful attitude to all others and a humble attitude to myself. See The Beauty of Original Sin.

What is Deemed Sin By Christians: sexual sins, and earthiness and falling short of perfection. (See Ground-motives 1 and 2.)
By 'tolerant' Humanists: Intolerance, saying anything that might offend. (See ground motive 3.) By Jesus: sins of pride and attitude in the 'upright' religious leaders; mainly at the individual level.
By the prophets: injustice, idolatry, arrogance; usually at the social and societal levels.
(See What God Hates)

God's Solution Being justified by Christ, and/or indwelt by the Holy Spirit, full stop. These, but leading to becoming mature 'sons' of God, whom the Creation eagerly awaits. (See Rich Redemption)

Part of God's Solution - Justification By some: "Promise to try harder, and I'll overlook it." Costly forgiveness, God taking on himself (in Christ) the effects of our wrongdoing; so we are 'justified'.

Part of God's Solution - Holy Spirit Indwelling Giving us special gifts, especially tongues. To make us more like Christ inside: see Transformation.

Part of God's Solution - Love Relationship New state of being forgiven ('justified'). Being lived-in by the Holy Spirit of God, so we love God with natural intimacy, crying 'Abba, Father'.

The Final Part of God's Solution - Maturity "The Creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God." (Rom 8:19)

What is it to be 'sons' of God Old, masculine, boring. Men and women being so like the Father
that he can trust us to think, decide and do
as he would think, decide and do,
in any situation. (See Like God)

How we Become These 'Sons' of God By waiting, or by education and training, or by effort, or by will, or by imposition of rules, or by incentives ('law') By the Holy Spirit of God living in us, and growing his fruit (Gal 5:22,23), which speaks of an attitude of heart towards the Other: Love , Joy , Peace , Patience , Kindness , Goodness , Humility , Self-control. (See Holy Spirit)

Fruit of the Spirit A personal quality, towards other people An attitude towards 'the rest', including the non-human Creation, a complete worldview with which we see it:

Love - for the creation
Joy - in God's creation
Peace - with God's creation
Patience - with the speed with which creation works
Kindness - towards the creation
Goodness - in our dealings with it
Humility - in our attitude to it
Self-control - in our use of it, our demands on the resources it joyfully offers us
(See Fruit of Spirit)

Transformation Only of the character or personality Of our worldview, our way of seeing things (Gk phron...) - which is our "true spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1,2). (See Worldview)

Destiny - God's Ultimate Plan Human souls worshipping in spiritual heaven (the pagan Greek idea)
Nor spirits of the saved / baptised safe in spiritual heaven W renewed earth and heaven that works as it should in joy, with human beings in active role, and Christ as centre (Romans 8:21). (See God's Cosmic Plan)

The New Heaven and Earth Only for human beings For the whole creation.

Destiny of Nature and Culture Destroyed. Redeemed, renewed, resurrected, with us who turn to God through Christ. Destiny of both human and non-human interwoven; with our radah-role renewed and purified. (See Reality Rejoicing)

Issue	Some Conventional Views	New View
Value of Non-human Creation	As a backdrop to the drama of human salvation	Of eternal value to God in its own right.
How we can Treat Non-Human Creation	A resource for disposal at our whim.	A target for, and recipient of, our loving care. (See radah)
Nature
God's Love and Concern	For human souls, human beings.	For all God has made. (See God's love)
Role of Humanity	Variously: to serve God "The chief end of Man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever" (Westminster Confession) to worship God to be creatures who, uniquely, can love God to fight against evil to populate heaven (Reinhard Bonnke) (See discussion of 'Why Am I Saved?'.) (See radah)	To represent God to the rest of Creation. To `radah` (rule over, manage, shepherd) the rest of Creation.
'Radah', management, rulership	We rule for our own sake, convenience, pleasure.	We rule for the sake, the blessing, of that which is ruled. (See radah)
Representing God ...	A 'perk', a status.	A joyful but demanding responsibility placed on one group, to: reveal God to the rest ... so that, in experiencing us they will experience something of the joy that God brings (e.g. "Trees clap hands when the LORD comes") ... inviting and helping the rest to come to God ... sometimes being the vehicles for God's action in his world This does not deny traditional views, but encompasses, enriches and fulfils them. See Representing God.
... humans as image of God	"To glorify God and enjoy him forever" (Westminster Confession)
... Jews as God's people	To remain faithful witnesses to God's Law.
... priests	To undertake religious rituals on behalf of people.
... Christians as God's people	To proselytise and/or conquer the world. To uphold God's 'standards' against ('liberal' Westerized) society.
God's People	God's favourites, immune to his punishment.	God's special representatives, showing God to the rest inviting and helping the rest to come to God sometimes being the vehicles for God's action in his world - a joyful privilege but also an awesome responsibility. (God's representatives must never misrepresent God, nor be a barrier preventing others coming to God, and he will judge them more severely than he does other people, and to higher standards: witness Amos 1,2, the Jewish exile, and "judgement starts with the housefhold of God".) (See The People of God)
Humankind's authority	Like that of Aristotle who saw God primarily as a Monarch, at top of hierarchy of power and authority	Like that of Ezekiel "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves. Should not the shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool, and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them [`radah`] harshly and brutally. ... This what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock." (Ezekiel 34) (See New Kind of Authority / Dominion)
"Do not eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil"	Either a (petty) constraint on human potential Or a (more-or-less arbitrary) test of Adam's love for God.	A warning against taking to ourselves the right to decide what is Good and Evil. (See The Fall)
The Fall	A punishment from God for disobedience.	A statement of how we find Creation working against us, if we do take to ourselves the right to determine what is Good and what, Evil. Examples given in: Child birth Marital relationships Agriculture (See The Fall)
God's Judgement and Anger	Because of God's authority.	Because of God's love - he loves all he made, so if one entity harms another, he is angry because of his love for that other. (See Justice As Love)
The Doctrine of Original Sin	Harsh.	Beautiful, leading to a merciful attitude to all others and a humble attitude to myself. See The Beauty of Original Sin.
What is Deemed Sin	By Christians: sexual sins, and earthiness and falling short of perfection. (See Ground-motives 1 and 2.) By 'tolerant' Humanists: Intolerance, saying anything that might offend. (See ground motive 3.)	By Jesus: sins of pride and attitude in the 'upright' religious leaders; mainly at the individual level. By the prophets: injustice, idolatry, arrogance; usually at the social and societal levels. (See What God Hates)
God's Solution	Being justified by Christ, and/or indwelt by the Holy Spirit, full stop.	These, but leading to becoming mature 'sons' of God, whom the Creation eagerly awaits. (See Rich Redemption)
Part of God's Solution - Justification	By some: "Promise to try harder, and I'll overlook it."	Costly forgiveness, God taking on himself (in Christ) the effects of our wrongdoing; so we are 'justified'.
Part of God's Solution - Holy Spirit Indwelling	Giving us special gifts, especially tongues.	To make us more like Christ inside: see Transformation.
Part of God's Solution - Love Relationship	New state of being forgiven ('justified').	Being lived-in by the Holy Spirit of God, so we love God with natural intimacy, crying 'Abba, Father'.
The Final Part of God's Solution - Maturity		"The Creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God." (Rom 8:19)
What is it to be 'sons' of God	Old, masculine, boring.	Men and women being so like the Father that he can trust us to think, decide and do as he would think, decide and do, in any situation. (See Like God)
How we Become These 'Sons' of God	By waiting, or by education and training, or by effort, or by will, or by imposition of rules, or by incentives ('law')	By the Holy Spirit of God living in us, and growing his fruit (Gal 5:22,23), which speaks of an attitude of heart towards the Other: Love , Joy , Peace , Patience , Kindness , Goodness , Humility , Self-control. (See Holy Spirit)
Fruit of the Spirit	A personal quality, towards other people	An attitude towards 'the rest', including the non-human Creation, a complete worldview with which we see it: Love - for the creation Joy - in God's creation Peace - with God's creation Patience - with the speed with which creation works Kindness - towards the creation Goodness - in our dealings with it Humility - in our attitude to it Self-control - in our use of it, our demands on the resources it joyfully offers us (See Fruit of Spirit)
Transformation	Only of the character or personality	Of our worldview, our way of seeing things (Gk `phron...`) - which is our "true spiritual worship" (Romans 12:1,2). (See Worldview)
Destiny - God's Ultimate Plan	Human souls worshipping in spiritual heaven (the pagan Greek idea) Nor spirits of the saved / baptised safe in spiritual heaven	W renewed earth and heaven that works as it should in joy, with human beings in active role, and Christ as centre (Romans 8:21). (See God's Cosmic Plan)
The New Heaven and Earth	Only for human beings	For the whole creation.
Destiny of Nature and Culture	Destroyed.	Redeemed, renewed, resurrected, with us who turn to God through Christ. Destiny of both human and non-human interwoven; with our `radah`-role renewed and purified. (See Reality Rejoicing)

On How we Know about God

	Not Fundamentalists: by the written words of Scripture Liberals: by reason and science Traditionalists: by tradition	But via God's representatives. Because nothing in Creation (words, reason, tradition, etc.) is sufficient to reveal God fully.
	Not by 'supernatural', 'magic'	But via the very workings of the Cosmos, such as people's lives, writings, etc. ,

On the Nature of Cosmos

To be written.

This page is offered to God as on-going work in developing a 'New View' in theology that is appropriate to the days that are coming upon us. Comments, queries welcome.

Written on the Amiga with Protext. Number of visitors to these pages: Counter .

Created 17 January 2003. Last updated: 15 December 2003 with title. 23 December 2004 sin. 20 March 2006 rid unet. 16 May 2010 Revamped (version 1 was confusing!); new .end. 6 June 2011 link to why.saved. 12 June 2011 Intro: personal salvation.