SCAPEGOAT THEORY

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

In 1925 a man wrote a terrible book that changed the world. The man was Adolf Hitler; the book was Mein Kampf (My Struggle). Hitler dictated his long rambling fifteen-chapter diatribe during his imprisonment for attempting to overthrow the German government. Interestingly, Hitler coined the German phrase Grob Luge (Big Lie) in his book. Grob Luge isn’t hard to understand---telling a lie so big it must be true (even though it isn’t). But today we focus our attention on another interesting detail about Hitler and his awful book---the Scapegoat Theory.

The Scapegoat Theory AKA Extreme Prejudice is a sociopathic term to describe an individual blaming another person or group for their anger, frustrations and failures. Prejudice is an ugly human condition as old as time, and scapegoating comes in many forms---racial, business, even religious. Because Hitler and the Nazis blamed the Jews for everything bad in the world it was easy for them to justify in their own minds slaughtering six million Jews. Mein Kampf is a literary example of this extreme prejudice.

Central to the Scapegoat Theory is the scapegoat, (“sent goat” in the Hebrew) which originates in the Old Testament; referenced in only one place--Leviticus 16, the scapegoat was part of the yearly Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Two goats were selected; one was killed as a sin offering. The priest placed his hands on the other goat, symbolically transferring the sins of the Jewish people to that goat. That goat was sent out to a place in the desert to wander aimlessly never to be sought or found.

Theologically the symbolism of the scapegoat can be seen in the fact that Christ took our sins, (1 Peter 2:24) casting them away never to be remembered again (Hebrews 8:12). Atonement was the prescribed means of dealing with sin until Jesus emerged on the scene (Hebrews 10:4). He is our ransom scapegoat (Mark 10:45); sent by the Father as our substitute (John 3:17). His death was not a lie, or a theory; but rather, the highest form of love (John 3:16). Think about it.

SEND YOUR MONEY TO THE LORD (BUT USE MY ADDRESS)

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

“Send your money to the Lord, but use my address” is a funny and slightly altered line. The line can be traced back to County Music legend Hank Williams Jr; however his version is slightly different than the tweaked version. Hank’s 1999 compilation album entitled The Complete Hank Williams Jr featured the song The American Dream in which he referred to money-begging television preachers, “They want you to send your money to the Lord but give you their address.” It’s a funny line no matter which version you prefer.

A few years before ole Hank gave us his memorable line was the true story of a well-known tele-evangelist who claimed that God had threatened to kill him if he failed to raise eight million dollars by his creditors’ “deadline” (no pun intended). The preacher’s 1987 plea to his many followers came as a result of a divine conversation with the Creator. Needless to say and much to the relief of the preacher, his life was spared when a dog-track owner in Florida sent a sizable contribution to fend off the creditor and to save the television preacher’s life.

Amid all the levity of this week’s lesson there is a cogent theological principle to be considered--How does God “speak” to us? Whereas some of us has undoubtedly heard someone say that the “Lord spoke” to them about something; we understand that the communication was not audible, but rather mental. God has spoken audibly; the Bible tells us of nine people who has heard His voice. But all that ended when the Bible was completed (Revelation 22:21).

God does communicate with us (John 10:4, 16, 27), but today it is through His Word (Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16). Interestingly, the Bible instructs us to question any message we receive (even those we perceive to be of the Lord); AKA discernment (1 Thessalonians 5:21). God is the Author of all truth (John 14:6; 17:17); therefore when you get a “spiritual” message, put it to the Truth Test to fully understand where it’s coming from (1 John 4:1-3). Think about it.

THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL PERSON

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Despite all the heated pre and post-presidential election rhetoric, would it surprise you to learn that Donald Trump is not the most powerful person in America or even the world? In fact, the most powerful person in the world (humanly speaking) is not even a man---it’s a woman named Janet Yellen, the head of the Federal Reserve Bank in Washington. It is Yellen and her board of governors that controls all the money in America, which in turn affects the economies around the world. But consider Yellen’s powerful position in contrast with the world’s first woman.

In 1967 Drs. Vincent Sarich and Allan Wilson, research scientists at the University of California Berkeley discovered that genetically every human came from one mother. Their research led to them a genetic material in the human genome called Mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from one woman and never changes. Ironically, the evolutionary scientists named her Eve. A January 1988 Newsweek magazine article entitled The Search For Adam and Eve confirmed Sarich and Wilson’s remarkable breakthrough.

Eve, the first woman and mother is specifically mentioned four times in the Bible (only twice in Genesis); conversely, her husband is mentioned twenty-nine times by name in the scriptures. Eve’s name in the original Hebrew is Chavvah which means life-giver (Genesis 3:20). We do not know how many children Adam and Eve had (Genesis 5:4), however, Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian wrote that Eve bore 56 children (33 sons and 23 daughters).

God created Eve from the genetic material in Adam’s side (Genesis 2:21-22). His purpose for Eve as Adam’s “help meet” is often misunderstood. Theologically, the Hebrew words for help meet point to God’s original intent; the word help is neged means corresponding to or equal with; meet is ezer meaning powerful enabler. Women may not be as physically strong as men (1 Peter 3:7), but they can be (and sometimes are) smarter, more influential and more powerful than men. Seventy percent of Americans polled do not know who Janet Yellen is. Hopefully more Christians know who their ancient mother was. Think about it.

THE BENEFITS OF UNION MEMBERSHIP

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

Not far from the modern town of Selcuk, Turkey is the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. Government statistics report that Selcuk is Turkey’s most visited Christian tourist destination, and for good reason---Ephesus is a familiar name in the New Testament, specifically mentioned seventeen times. The Book of Ephesians is the Apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in this ancient city, written from his Roman prison cell some thirty years after the death of Christ.

Central to everyday life in ancient Ephesus was the Temple of Artemas, AKA the Temple of Diana (Acts 19:24, 27); one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built upon a two-acre platform, the Temple of Diana was the largest Greek worship center, larger even than their famous Acropolis in Athens. As the center of religion, finance and culture in Ephesus; the temple was the city’s bank and source of a thriving industry of idol production and sale. So great was the power of idol worship that a labor union of idol producers rioted because so many Ephesians were converting to Christianity (Acts 19:23-41).

The Bible speaks of a union that every born-again believer belongs to, however this union does not involve labor, because salvation cannot be acquired through any kind of work (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). This eternal connection, referred to 170 times as being “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:3-4) is facilitated through the life and death of the Savior (Galatians 2:20). Simply stated, Jesus’ life actually flows into our “inner man” by renewing our inner nature (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Theologically, this spiritual union is mysterious in nature (Colossians 1:26-27) and activated by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). We have peace (Philippians 4:7) and providence through our “in Christ” union relationship (Philippians 4:19). Everything we have or need in the Christian life comes through our union membership with Him. Although sadly there are disputes and disagreements between churches and believers over superficial issues, all true believers are brothers and sisters in a union that cannot be dissolved. Talk about union benefits. Wow! Think about it.

THE SCRIPTURES ALONE

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

We have not always had the Bible we enjoy today. For over half of the 2,000+ years of church history there was no Bible readily available to the common man outside of a small number held by scholars and the church hierarchy. The King James Version is the greatest and most widely accepted English translation of the Bible. The KJV we have today (the 1769 Cambridge Edition) is the seventh edition of the ninth translation of the scriptures. And statistics indicate the KJV is read five times more than the modern New International Version.

In 1604 King James I appointed a translation committee consisting of fifty-four of the most brilliant minds of the time. Their work; named after their king was published in 1611. Interestingly, ninety percent of the KJV came from prior versions, namely the Tyndale, Coverdale and Geneva Bibles. But it is the relationship between the Geneva and the King James Version that has an interesting and ironic twist.

King James hated the Geneva Bible and specifically instructed his translators to avoid using the Geneva as a source document unless absolutely necessary. James’ contempt for the Geneva Bible was that it included two commentary notes supporting resistance to corrupt authorities (Exodus 1:9; 2 Chronicles 15:16). Needless to say, the translation committee ignored the king and used more of the Geneva than any other source. The narcissistic king could not stand any one (or thing) challenging the authority of his position.

There has always been a conflict between man’s arrogance and God’s authority. Jesus’ authority as the Son of God was challenged during His earthly ministry (Mark 11:27-33). God’s Word is the perfect reflection of His mind (Philippians 2:5), and is authoritative whether it is believed or obeyed (Exodus 7:1-4; Revelation 22:18-19). The authority of the Bible is tied to its inspiration and sufficiency; the Sola Scriptura, Latin for “the Scriptures Alone.” Earthly rulers and potentates may use their given authority to promote themselves and silence their enemies, but it is God and His holy Word that stands above all (Matthew 5:18). Sola Scriptura---the Scriptures Alone. Think about it.

HE IS STILL BRUCE TO GOD

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

This week’s blog article could go several different directions, but I’ll stick with my original thoughts. What was first reported as checkout counter tabloid fodder was actually true---that Bruce Jenner was “transitioning” into what we now know as Caitlyn Jenner. Gender reassignment AKA a sex change operation is hardly new, but because of Jenner’s notoriety, his change has made him the most openly transgender in the world. It still seems amazing that acts of perversion as reported in the National Inquirer (and other tabloids) are so fascinating to so many.

We all know the facts---former Olympic gold-medal winning he-man Bruce Jenner is now 67-year old medically-manipulated female Caitlyn Marie Jenner. Transgenderism has become a hot-button topic spawning even more perversion. What began in the 1979 as the LGBT movement, has now morphed into something identified as LGBTQ (Q standing for Questioning). It’s gotten so bad that some don’t even know which restroom to use!

Secular scientists in the field of gender and genetics say there are presently 89 different genders. That’s far more than what the Expert in gender and genetics tells us; the Creator Himself says there are two, and only two genders, male and female (Genesis 1:27; 5:2). In generations past any act to override one’s birth gender was considered an act of abhorrent sacrilege against the laws of God and nature itself. However, it is interesting to note that gender cannot be changed behaviorally, verbally or genetically (Jeremiah 13:23). The DNA embedded in Caitlyn Jenner’s body is male, not female.

But there is an important point overlooked in this controversial issue. The names of every person ever born are recorded in the Book of Life. The New Testament refers to this book eight times (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 17:8). Theologically, there are actually two Books of Life; the Lamb’s Book of Life records the name of all those who have been genuinely born again (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). It is the name William Bruce Jenner and not Caitlyn Marie Jenner that is recorded in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:12). He’s still Bruce to God. Think about it.

THE INVISIBLE HAND OF GRACE

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

There was a foreign news item that appeared several years ago that hardly caused a blip in the international press. In January 2011 the Iranian government removed all road and informational signs to the ancient tombs of Esther and Mordecai, officially downgrading them as an official Christian pilgrimage site. This action was in response to radical Muslim protesters threatening to destroy the tombs. Esther and Mordecai were Jews serving in the fifth century BC Persian royal court (Esther 10:32; 11:3) and buried in the Iranian city of Hamadan.

Grace is a common word in the Christian faith; we read about and sing songs about grace. But as common as the concept of grace is (Ephesians 2:5, 8), there are as many misconceptions. One such misunderstanding is that grace is an exclusively New Testament doctrine. Granted, the theology of grace is epitomized in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 13:14) and outlined in the acronym GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. But grace does appear in the Old Testament (Genesis 6:8).

The Hebrew words for grace are hanan and hen. Hanan is a verb defined as actively giving and receiving favor (Genesis 39:21; Exodus 33:12); hen is a noun used 67 times and defined as a movement toward a positive end (Jeremiah 29:11). In the Jewish mindset hanan has to do with what we do for others; hen has everything to do with the providence of God to us, as in the unfolding of God’s Will for us.

We can see how this movement of grace works in the story of Esther; here the noun hen is used three times (Esther 2:15, 17; 5:2). It was God’s invisible hand that prompted Esther to find grace (hen) in the eyes of King Ahasuerus, so that God could ultimately deliver His people from destruction through Queen Esther. Simply stated, God uses grace to put the right person in the right place at the right time. The person or situation that led to grace coming into your life was His hen, His movement toward a positive end. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound! Think about it.