|
"Men take up one part of truth here, and another there, and
they say, "That is the truth." But it is not ; it is
only a part of the truth, Christ."
Observe here, whoever acts as a preacher, [the nature of] your office. For the task is, that with Isaiah you may first be a disciple rather than a teacher, and may be among those who have seen God, whom Scripture calls θεοδιδάκτους [taught by God]. May you also be called by God, as was Aaron, and not like Nadab and Abihu, and Korah, and others. May the desire of Uzziah first die to you, who intruded into sacred things from his own audacity. Johannes Oecolampadius (1525)
CHARTS
|
See Also: Definitions, Classifications and Acronym, Color Key | Hermeneutical Approaches JESUS CHRIST AND HIM GLORIFIED Jehovah is everything. Apart from Him, there is nothing. Any attempt to separate from Him is foolishness and results in great loss. Such is the case in life, and such is the case in theology. Any spiritual life or theological principle which is not squarely focused on Him and His eternal work is null and utterly void. No manner of careful exegesis or profound logic can animate the dead body which looks elsewhere for life. It has been stated that, "interpreters in fellowship with Christ come to know Christ's purity, and hence have a renewed knowledge of the purity required of them in interpretation." Knowing that the Lord is holy and pure, it is expected that only through holiness and purity can he be seen... and not simply by virtue of a good hermeneutic or a observable historical act. Our Father and King is not only written on every page in the Bible, but He is the context behind every single stroke of the pen, and every strike of the printer. Those who look at the Word and see only doctrines and history are in darkness. Those who have become so familiar with the science of biblical study that their eyes tend to look past Jesus are apostate, and need to leave the Bible for the sake of the Word of God. Jesus Christ must remain the center of our sight, regardless of where we are looking. And yet, there is a great wealth of edifying writings from centuries past. These are the ones which keep the focus squarely on our Lord and Father -- while occasionally pointing out the contrasts found in history's relative darkness, in order to more clearly illuminate the Everlasting Light. When reading the prophetic works, these worthy divines are not prone to letting their focus drift to cities and nations and weapons and such.. but, strengthened by subjective spiritual fellowship with the Word, diligently remain steadfast in their devotion to reveal Jehovah-Immanuel in all things and through all things. St. Cyril was such a man. This blessed medieval theologian was prone to see the substance behind all shadows Regarding Jesus Christ, he wrote, "Although Christ is but one, yet he is understood by us under a variety of forms :
"He is the tabernacle on account of the human body in which
he dwelt. Cyril was by no means the only to see Christ in all things. And yet, many teachers, drunk with the punch of allegorization, often took the focus off of the Eternal Word, and began to see other things behind the shadows.. such as the visible church and other natural things. Some became so enamored with "spiritual sight" that -- though outwardly claiming to reverence the Son -- they ended up mixing foul ingredients together, ultimately glorifying their extravagances instead. Such has been the result with so many theologians, that today seeing Jesus Christ in the images of the prophecies has taken on a bad name... as the terms "spiritualism," and "mysticism" -- which were once terms used to denote great piety -- now suggest recklessness and absurdity.
This website is being designed as a tool which focuses on the eternal work of Jesus Christ - objective as well as subjective -- while effectively balancing between the extremes of theological intellection and mystical occultism. The means by which this balance is going to be attempted is through what is known as the "Idealist" method of biblical interpretation. In a nutshell, this view approaches the Bible by discerning and explaining the grand themes (archetypes) by which God reveals Himself to man through the Word. Put more simply, this view uses that which can be seen in the Bible to explain that which cannot be seen in our lives today. Approaching and revealing Jesus Christ through "Idealism" theology is a particularly daunting task, considering how broadly the definition of that term is viewed. Included in this term alongside Christian theology is anti-Christian philosophy! Clearly, that single word includes a ridiculously broad range of thought. For some, the word has a technical meaning regarding biblical theology, whereas for most, it just refers to someone who is a "positive thinker." Although this word is been used as a "catch all" term in the past, it is the intention of this website to clear up a lot of the confusion that weighs down the study, and ultimately removes Jesus Christ from the place of prominence in our study. The means of doing so will be two-fold : One way will be by clearly distinguishing between all known views. Clarifying the extremely different perspectives available will free the student to more easily determine which (if any) approaches suit their own theology -- and illuminate their walk with Jesus Christ. What is even better, however, and what is the primary goal of this website, is clarifying the eternal character of Jesus Christ, so that all other darkness recedes into the shadows. Like the contemporary opponents of counterfeit money, the best way to spot the fake is not by knowing all the fakes, but by thoroughly knowing the true. Therefore, people will have to check their presumptions about "Idealism" and "Christology" at the door, as it will be displayed that what is often styled "Idealism" in any given location is often not truly representative of the best that is available.. and that what usually passes for "Christology" suffers from an overmuch focus on natural things. For instance, the relatively new "modern" form of Idealism -- which is the native approach of this website -- is fundamentally different from those "historical" forms which are widely known, and yet which are widely disdained. The old methods and arguments of Historical Idealism have become too bland and moralizing regarding grand principles, without enough focus on Jesus Christ, the Word. Ultimately, the website is for those who love the Lord who can (or want to) see more than just the historical events portrayed on the pages of the written word. This is not to endorse a "denial of history" or any such philosophically-focused nonsense that parades as "Idealism" ; rather, it is to endorse an Jesus-focused method which sees the true substance of all things in the Creator. Though many look at the outward historical events as being the context and fulfillment of prophecy, it must always be kept in mind that Jesus Christ alone is the context of all prophecy and all fulfillment. There has long been a strong Christian community which sees these revelations as "models" for moral or spiritual realities. Sadly, much of the power of seeing this shadow/substance dynamic in the history of natural Israel is lost in the many allegorical extravagances which, no longer being grounded on the Bible at all, plunge into the abyss at the end of the Word.
Historical Idealism is the view of prophecy which teaches that the types and models in the Bible point to Jesus Christ and His Body throughout all ages... but also that they are ultimately fulfilled in "the last day at the end of the world." The point of distinction being that the substance of prophecy is being seen as largely fulfilled in the natural realm through the progress of history. This class is color-coded with MAROON Modern Idealism differs from this method, in that it sees all bible prophecy as pointing to everlasting spiritual realities in Jesus Christ. Not focusing "horizontally" on a single day in the past or future when all of the prophetic models of judgment and blessing are revealed, but rather focusing "vertically" to the eternal realm.. which is fully revealed in the "age to come" -- as in "it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment." This class is color-coded with NAVY BLUE Incidental Idealism is not, strictly speaking, Idealism at all. Rather, it is being used as a "catch all" term to refer to the writings of Preterists, Historicists and Futurists, which just happen to be Idealist in nature. This is common among chronologists when discussing the "true nature" of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, or other figures and types in the Bible. This "class" is color-coded with GOLD. CLASSES OF PHILOSOPHICAL IDEALISM In addition to these views of theological idealism, there is an entirely different realm of Idealism being explored. This other realm is called "Philosophical Idealism." Philosophical Idealism, though concerned with unseen things, is not focused on the revelation of Jesus Christ. Rather, the unseen things of its focus are "the mind," "knowledge," and "the eternal spirit," etc. Very often, haters of Jesus Christ are profound philosophical idealists. The infamous Bertrand Russell ("Why I am not a Christian") is but one example a man who satisfies his "spiritual longing" through the examination of knowledge and the mind. Needless to say, this is a completely different realm of inquiry. However, it IS relevant to the study, as the principles which these men adopt for their purposes actually belong to Jesus Christ. Therefore, they are revealing many of His ways and patterns, even though they seek to keep the glory for mankind. Philosophical Idealism is being heavily segregated from the rest of the website until such time as the entire archive more fully represents Jesus Christ as the true focal point of all things. This class is color-coded with PURPLE. GUIDING PRINCIPLES & ACRONYM TOOLS FOCA: The number one principal guiding the expansion of this site will be the "Christocentric" focus. All materials submitted are intended to be edifying for the individual, and beneficial for meditation on the Word. Acronyms are being developed for the quick aid in redirecting focus. For the purpose of always maintaining the proper focal point, the phrase "focus on Christ always" will be represented using the acronym "FOCA." Where this is used, the goal will most likely be to correct a slippage on the part of an author -- where by a simple tweak of focus back to Jesus Christ the true meaning will come through the text in question. ACAP: This site will be operated and presented in as conservative a way as possible, using the acronym "ACAP" as a means of warning against extravagance. Where ACAP is used, the intent will most likely be to point out a reckless turn in the material being spotlighted. I can see this being used a lot in regards to the writings of certain medieval mystics, or Quakers or Swedenborgians, etc. Also, this acronym is intended to moderate the tendency to "over spiritualize" everything, when doing so is an inappropriate and unjustified manner. A perfect example of this has been given where Matthew Henry attempts to define the head of gold in Daniel 2:38, "the first age of the Christian church, of the reformation, was a head of gold; but we live in an age that is iron and clay," whereas the text itself declares to Nebuchadnezzar, "Thou art this head of gold." Looking at this principle from a broader perspective, what this means is that, no matter how nice it may be to think that we can despise the natural element in the Bible, history, and our lives -- trying to be super holy -- we MUST remain grounded on the natural while in this world of revelation. Though many have learned to disdain the earthly and the natural because of their focus on the eternal and spiritual, such will NOT be the case here. Consequently, the guiding principles employed at IdealistArchive.com are intended to lift the gaze of those natural-minded men who receive not the spiritual realities, while at the same time refocusing the gaze of those mystics and spiritualists who have gotten lost in the ether of their ungrounded approach to life and the Word. Though various forms of Idealism will be presented - including the mystical or "spiritualist" forms of "inner light" teachings -- using representative quotes, the ultimate goal is to show that there is a conservative, Jesus Christ and Holy Bible centered approach which, though similar in certain ways, remains fundamentally anchored in time and history. All of the liberal approaches available, such as Christian Gnosticism, Quakerism and Swedenborgianism, are believed to be grossly mistaken, widely missing the mark. Such irresponsible views will be marked and represented openly here. Ultimately, though, this site is committed to presenting a systematic theology which explains the invisible and internal substance of prophecy within the confines of conservative Christianity. BASIC METHODOLOGY Your patience is much appreciated as this archive is being built. For the first year or so, it will be best to take each section by itself and seek whatever edification you can find in the parts, rather than the whole of the website. Due to the extremely ambitious nature of this work, and the fact that it is a one-man operation, it will surely take some time to whip the site fully into shape. I suspect that this project will be much larger than the one undertaken at PreteristArchive.com. The basic method at IdealistArchive.com will be to display "Idealistic" methods and interpretations -- regardless of the Christian source from which it comes (be it from a Calvinist, Universalist, Arminian, etc). This is the same methodology used at the other "archives," where it is demonstrated how Christians throughout the ages have endorsed a particular interpretation, even if their fundamental method is different from the position able to be advocated by their quote. The goal in this is not to misrepresent the author at all here... but to show how they are in agreement with an Idealist interpretation with the subject at hand. Therefore, the archives in this site will be classifying quotes according to their support of one of the two different classes of theological idealism: Historical Idealism and Modern Idealism. The breakdown of this method will follow the presentation of ideas according to these three general headings:
John Calvin
Saint Augustine (A.D. 354 - 430)
Todd Dennis
Perhaps THE major driving force behind the creation of this website has been to present a hermeneutical system which appreciates the Christological focus of prophecy and eschatology, without forsaking the Word of God for spiritualism and mysticism -- which so often is the case with "heavenly minded" people. The likes of Swedenborg bring - in my opinion - disgrace to Christ and Christianity and are to be cautiously avoided. Universalist Idealists, such as certain Quakers or J. Preston Eby, likewise take whatever benefit their personalizing applications offer, and turn them instead into dangerous lures to what is an overall dangerous system. In almost all cases, the lack of diligence with hermeneutical study in the Bible is a clue to this tendency. Ultimately, drifting upon this sea of mysticism shows a disrespect for the Bible as the manifest Word of God. Hence, such unfettered systems are classified as "Hyper" Idealism. Though the materials will be archived here, they will be segregated in the "/hyper" category (or on the whatsnew pages)
The history of Christian interpretation has been highly idealistic in nature. From the earliest days of the Greek expositors, to the Idealist scholars of today -- such as G.K. Beale -- there has been a healthy identification of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy with eternal things -- particularly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. However, this approach has historically been inconsistent in maintaining that focal point. Instead of seeing "all things" as being fulfilled in Christ, "Historical Idealist" views still look to the future for the great "consummation of the ages" in an earthly, apocalyptic sense. Really, the one big mistake Christianity has made in losing sight of the earliest view of Christocentric fulfillment has been that it has taken the natural and historicizing methods of Old Testament interpretation and transferred them to the New. This is why there are so many fruitless debates over what historical aspect is the true fullness of revelation. For instance, consider these questions, while paying attention to the fundamental historicity of BOTH propositions:
The problem with this type of dialogue is that -- and pay attention to this point, because it is the guiding interpretive principle of the entire website -- God's revelation does not go from natural to natural... but from natural to spiritual. Therefore, instead of looking "horizontally" to the future for the substance of revelation, we are meant to look "vertically" and see how all biblical models are fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone. Therefore, the Idealist point of view would suggest looking at the same controversies like this:
Please pay attention to the fact that, in no way, does this perspective minimize the importance of the natural and historical revelations. Rather, it glorifies them by showing how they were given to glorify Jesus Christ. When we glorify the historical shadows and models beyond their revelatory role, are we not actually holding them in idolatrous worship, just as with Moses' serpent in the wilderness? By seeing the historical anchor for all of God's revelation -- most importantly and significantly in the person and blood-shedding work of Jesus Christ upon the cross -- we are given a wonderful context through which to see the actual ship which is moored up above!
|
