Christianity doesnt hinge on the truth or even the stories around the birth of Jesus.
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Born Sinless — Sacrificial Lamb.
Slowly surrendering ground to the destructionists, one issue at a time.
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His statement is hardly a big deal.
If he refers to the date of birth yes. The resurrection is what is more important for me.
Like so many statements that are misleading, this can be understood in a way that makes it accurate.
1. It is true that, if Christianity has a single "hinge," it is the Resurrection of the Jesus Christ.
2. It is true that Christianity does not depend on the "stories around the birth of Jesus," especially any "stories" that go beyond the texts of the Gospels.
3. And finally (the really slippery part), "the truth ... around the birth of Jesus" is not as much of a critical point as the celebration of Christmas makes it seem. It is Jesus's conception, of a virgin mother by the Holy Spirit, that makes Him true God and true man. His birth is just a move from one place to another.
However, taken all together, the specific events of Jesus's conception, birth, and infancy are both very important as the detailed fulfillment of prophecy and as symbols of what is to come.
“The real story is the handful of Southern Baptist professors and writers (not so much preachers) who seem to have nothing else to do but listen to bits and pieces of my messages,” he said in his statement to The Post. “Anyone who listens to all three [sermons in the series] will know that I stand firmly within the orthodox Christian tradition regarding the incarnation of Jesus - including the birth narratives as presented [in] Matthew and Luke.”
Stanley also said he believes people can become Christians without knowing the narratives around Jesus’ birth.
Lazarus was resurrected from the dead in front of hundreds on witnesses. That didn’t make Lazarus the Savior to the World.
It hinges on the Resurrection, but their can be no resurrection without a birth.
Which brings me to one of my hobby horses:
We already agree that our calendar is wrong, off by anywhere from 2 to 16 years, depending on whos doing the reckoning, and further in error because of the absence of a year zero.
The more fundamental point is that God did not intend us to mark His years by the birth of Jesus.
If He had intended this we would have a Biblical fixing of the date.
Further, the day of Jesus birth is unremarkable as all men are born.
However, very few return from the dead, that event is remarkable, and it is the defining moment of Christianity, the very moment of proof that his sacrifice was not in vain. And the Bible gives a precise reference for when this happened!
Clearly this was the date the calendar was supposed to start!
For extra points, this makes our calendar off by anywhere from 17 to 30 years. That makes this something like Holy Year 1998 to Holy Year 1985, giving us anywhere from 2 to 15 years to get our affairs in order before the real end of the millennium...
There is something wrong with Andy Standley.
Word in Atlanta is thay Andy wants to create his own legacy church appealing to successfull yuppies.
Prosperity Gospel.
Jesus being born, and to a virgin, is crucial. There are 308 prophecies regarding his birth, so it must be very crucial. As for the day He was born, if that was crucial then Scriptures would have told us when it was, but they didn’t. We do, however,know when to remember his death on the cross and his resurrection.
His PR team will probably get him to walk it back if the story develops legs and makes it into the new year.
George Michael dead. Drudge Report
Technically Andy is correct, but he could have said it more effectively.
Daddy Charles is going to rain fire and brimstone down onto Son Andy.
Andy who??
George Michael dead. Drudge Report
So which is the crucial part of a bicycle? The wheel, the chain or the sprocket?
James White’s response to Andy Stanley’s sermon on the non-importance of the miraculous aspects of Jesus’s conception and birth.