Acts 17;32-34
 
32. &nbsp;Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
33. &nbsp;So Paul went out from among them.
34. &nbsp;But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite (judge)&nbsp;and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
 
Western civilization is both blessed and cursed with Aristotelian logic. &nbsp;
 
In short, Aristotle introduces a system of thinking about the world which is deductive and scientific.
The world works according to predictable&nbsp;natural mechanical laws which give us use of&nbsp;physics.
 
If a thing is of one nature, and a second thing is of a different nature, the first thing can not be the second thing. &nbsp;This applies to space and time as well: &nbsp;If a thing is here, it can not be there. &nbsp;If a thing is&nbsp;old, it can not be new.
 
Aristotelian logic serves as a foundation for understanding how the world works, the discovery of ‘truth’. &nbsp;Aristotelian logic allows us to observe, define,&nbsp;deduce truth and make predictions.
&nbsp;&nbsp;
For the Greek philosophers dead meant&nbsp;dead. &nbsp;Water as a&nbsp;liquid and could&nbsp;not be walked upon. &nbsp;Fire would&nbsp;burn you. &nbsp;Five loaves and two small&nbsp;fish are just five loaves and two fish. &nbsp;Virgins can not give birth.
 
Under the normal limits of the laws of physics these things are&nbsp;true, however, our God is not limited by the natural&nbsp;laws he sets at work in his universe. &nbsp;Dead is not&nbsp;dead for God, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1;37)
 
The preaching of Paul violated the laws of physics as the Greeks understood them. &nbsp;They knew and&nbsp;understood creation but not the Creator. &nbsp;Ignorance temps us to mock and scoff. &nbsp;Such behavior is for fools. &nbsp;Wisdom knows it does not know everything.
 
Our God gives us a material world, governed by physical laws, but reveals that he exceeds and&nbsp;transcends his creation. &nbsp;Our God gifts us with his own meta-physical self. &nbsp;He is both true&nbsp;God and true&nbsp;man. &nbsp;He is both the Crucified One&nbsp;and the Living One. &nbsp;
 
If we limit our understanding of truth to Aristotelian logic, we will never know God. &nbsp;Those who scoffed at Paul thought they understood truth, but their trust was really in themselves. &nbsp;
 
In calling us to be his own dear children, we are delivered into The Truth which is beyond knowing intellectually. &nbsp;(Ephesians 3;14-21) &nbsp;We are taken into God himself, made a part of&nbsp;his own unlimited power, knowledge, and presence. &nbsp;Our ‘world’ knows no restrictions, we are free again to think beyond the limits of the&nbsp;physical universe. &nbsp;Sinners can be saints, and the dead can live. &nbsp;Matter is not the source of truth. &nbsp;The intangible spirit is the greater reality.
 
Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, for whom all things are&nbsp;possible, bless us by your Spirit&nbsp;to “hear you again”.
In Jesus we pray, Amen
 
Love,
Dad/Baba/Eric
Grandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation.” 
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Acts 17;32-34

32.  Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
33.  So Paul went out from among them.
34.  But some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite (judge) and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Western civilization is both blessed and cursed with Aristotelian logic.  

In short, Aristotle introduces a system of thinking about the world which is deductive and scientific.
The world works according to predictable natural mechanical laws which give us use of physics.

If a thing is of one nature, and a second thing is of a different nature, the first thing can not be the second thing.  This applies to space and time as well:  If a thing is here, it can not be there.  If a thing is old, it can not be new.

Aristotelian logic serves as a foundation for understanding how the world works, the discovery of ‘truth’.  Aristotelian logic allows us to observe, define, deduce truth and make predictions.
  
For the Greek philosophers dead meant dead.  Water as a liquid and could not be walked upon.  Fire would burn you.  Five loaves and two small fish are just five loaves and two fish.  Virgins can not give birth.

Under the normal limits of the laws of physics these things are true, however, our God is not limited by the natural laws he sets at work in his universe.  Dead is not dead for God, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1;37)

The preaching of Paul violated the laws of physics as the Greeks understood them.  They knew and understood creation but not the Creator.  Ignorance temps us to mock and scoff.  Such behavior is for fools.  Wisdom knows it does not know everything.

Our God gives us a material world, governed by physical laws, but reveals that he exceeds and transcends his creation.  Our God gifts us with his own meta-physical self.  He is both true God and true man.  He is both the Crucified One and the Living One.  

If we limit our understanding of truth to Aristotelian logic, we will never know God.  Those who scoffed at Paul thought they understood truth, but their trust was really in themselves.  

In calling us to be his own dear children, we are delivered into The Truth which is beyond knowing intellectually.  (Ephesians 3;14-21)  We are taken into God himself, made a part of his own unlimited power, knowledge, and presence.  Our ‘world’ knows no restrictions, we are free again to think beyond the limits of the physical universe.  Sinners can be saints, and the dead can live.  Matter is not the source of truth.  The intangible spirit is the greater reality.

Prayer:  Merciful Father, for whom all things are possible, bless us by your Spirit to “hear you again”.
In Jesus we pray, Amen

Love,
Dad/Baba/Eric
Grandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation.”



