Marginal Christianity

Ch.1: The DNA of the Church in the Biblical Story I preface our study of Revelation with a survey of what I call the “dna” of the church in the biblical story.      The Story A God who is love is a God who has a story. For love is but the story of how the lover intends and acts for the good of the beloved over, against, around, and below the obstacles to his achieving that good. This is the story the Bible tells us. It unfolds like a drama in six acts . [i] Creation (Gen.1-2) God created the world out of nothing to provide a habitation where he can live with his creatures in well-being and flourishing. In the cultural setting of the Ancient Near East the creation accounts in Gen.1 and 2 portray the building of a palace-temple.  Where else would a deity dwell but a temple The prototype we find there is modelled on Israel’s temple. The Holy of Holies, where God dwelt, is the garden in Eden where God would walk and talk with Adam and Eve (G...

1.     The Story A God who is love is a God who has a story. For love is but the story of how the lover intends and acts for the good of the beloved over, against, around, and below the obstacles to his achieving that good. This is the story the Bible tells us. It unfolds like a drama in six acts. [1] 1.1         Creation (Gen.1-2) God created the world out of nothing to provide a habitation where he can live with his creatures in well-being and flourishing. In the cultural setting of the Ancient Near East the creation accounts in Gen.1 and 2 portray the building of a palace-temple.   Where else would a deity dwell but a temple? The prototype we find there is modelled on Israel’s temple. The Holy of Holies, where God dwelt, is the garden in Eden where God would walk and talk with Adam and Eve (Gen.3:8). Eden itself is the Holy Place where sacrifices and worship were offered. The larger world outside Eden, which is wa...