Death rate and other quotes

"If you want to live a long time, find yourself a nice chronic illness and take good care of it." -- Unknown

Embalmer: the last person you want to meet.

"The most recent statistics reveal that apart from Enoch and Elijah, the death rate among human beings is 100 percent." -- J. Carl Laney

"It is appointed unto men once to die." -- author of letter to the Hebrew Christians

"For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." -- Paul, an apostle

"There are no pockets in shrouds, and no trailers pulled by hearses." -- Traditional idiom

Veterans' Day

Driving home today I heard someone on the radio talking about veterans, which made me start thinking about members of our family and community who were veterans. Here are names I thought of, thought I probably have missed quite a few.

Charlie Vaughn - WWII
Harold Blanton - Korea
Lewis Vaughn - WWII
Roe Vaughn - WWII
Wyatt Vaughn - Civil War
William M. Chapman - Civil War
Moody V. Holleman - Civil War
Jonathan E. Whitten - Civil War
John R. Ellis - Civil War (Union)
T. S. (Steve) Vaughn - WWII
Bill Woolverton - WWII
Clifford Chapman - WWII
Elton Chapman - WWI
Homer Holleman - WWI
Asa J. Parker - Civil War
Edwin S. Parker - Civil War
G. W. Parker - Civil War
William E. Parker - Civil War
W. W. W. Parker - Civil War
E. W. H. Parker - Civil War
John A. Koonce - Civil War

More-field

[Compiling in one place a list of links I found while searching on Cyrus Ingerson/C. I. Scofield -- the pro, the con and the neutral; hagiography and 'hamartiography', and a few that might be just plain whackadoodle!]

A-field
* C. I. Scofield Wikipedia article
* Cyrus Ingerson Scofield on Find-a-Grave.com
* Grave of C. I. Scofield
* Significant Trends, Fundamentalism and C. I. Scofield
* Guide to William A. BeVier Collection on C. I. Scofield
* Guide to C. I. (Cyrus Ingerson) Scofield Papers
* Scofield and His Bible
* Scofield, Cyrus Ingerson, Handbook of Texas

Pro-field
* Biography - Dr. C. I. Scofield
* Closing a “Theological Loophole” A Defense of Traditional  Dispensationalism's View of Social and Political Action, pages 71-87
* Conversion of C. I. Scofield: An American Lawyer
* Cyrus Ingersoll (sic) Scofield (1843 - 1921)
* Cyrus Ingerson Scofield
* Cyrus Ingerson Scofield and the Scofield Reference Bible
* Cyrus Ingerson Scofield by John Hannah
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 1)
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 2)
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 3)
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 4)
* Lutzweiler's "Folly" (Part 5)
* Notes on C. I. Scofield and the Scofield Bible
* Off the Cuff! (Part 1), Errors in "Folly" Review
* Scofield Bible, First 100 Years
* The Incredible Canfield and His Scofield Hatchet Job
* The Most Famous Study Bible Of Them All: The Scofield Reference Bible
* The Theology of the Scofield Reference Bible

Con-field
* A Candid Examination of the Scofield Bible
* Analyzing Scofield
* A Reverend Revealed: The Real Identity of One of the Most Influential (and Simplistic) Thinkers of the 19th Century
* C. I. Scofield
* C. I. Scofield - The Rest of the Story
* Cyrus I. Scofield – Conman or Great Man of God?
* C. I. Scofield: Scoundrel, Shyster, and Scalawag
* Cyrus I. Scofield: Pope of Premillennialism
* Darby's Man in America
* From Confederate Deserter to Decorated Veteran Bible Scholar: Exploring the Enigmatic Life of C.I. Scofield, 1861-1921
* Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty
* Scofield: The Man Behind The Myth
* The Incredible Scofield and His Book
* The Strange Career of Cyrus Ingerson Scofield
* Who Was Cyrus I Scofield? Who Did Scofield Work For? Who Paid Him to Write His Reference Book and Why?

Book reviews
* A review of The Incredible Scofield and His Book (You can read part of the review, or all if you have a subscription.)
* Book Briefs: The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C.I. Scofield by David Lutzweiler
* Book Review: The Scofield Bible – Its History and Impact on the Evangelical Church

Books
* Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by C. I. Scofield

"Six Amendments" and other book reviews

* Book Review: For the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New Encounter between Judaism and Christianity -- "Greenberg begins by recounting his personal journey growing up in an American Jewish immigrant home."
* Book Review – “Mapping the Origins Debate” by Gerald Rau -- "I think in the end Rau has reached the goal of his book in terms of presenting the views. What might be hard for some readers is the ability to track with some of the scientific ideas he discusses."
* Book Review: 'Six Amendments' by John Paul Stevens -- "Readers should be wary of a book that calls for not just one constitutional amendment but six."
* Book review: True Paradox: How Christianity Makes Sense Of Our Complex World -- "Skeel’s approach leaves us feeling hopeful that something magnificent is behind life on earth, even if we haven’t figured it all out yet."
* The Lost Art of Reading (Book review) -- "A mind capable of the kind of mastery and detail required for esoteric writing is difficult for us to imagine."

At the polls

* Most Americans Don't Think Churches Should Be Exempt From LGBT Non-Discrimination Laws

This is an interesting take, and an answer that can vary widely according to how the poll question is asked. Compare, for example, polls on Americans' views of euthansia -- U.S. Support for Euthanasia Hinges on How It's Described.

Two more

...Scofield resources online, at extreme opposite ends of the pole:

The Incredible Scofield and His Book by Joseph M. Canfield

and

The Incredible Canfield and His Scofield Hatchet Job by Robert L. Sumner

The Praise of Folly: quick book review

The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C. I. Scofield, David Lutzweiler, Draper, VA: Apologetics Group Media, 2009, ISBN 9780977851683

If you're interested in Christian history and theology, you'll enjoy David Lutzweiler's story of Cyrus Ingerson Scofield. Most Christians are aware of Scofield through his popular Scofield Reference Bible, but few are aware of the his life and its controversies. I found it a fascinating read that was hard to put down.

The book is divided into two parts: "Scofield's Legacy" and "Scofield's Life". In the minds of both promoters and detractors, these two are exquisitely entwined. Lutzweiler can be clearly categorized as a detractor. He is a reformed former dispensationalist who now considers Scofield's DPZ (dispensational premillennial Zionism) as a heterodox horror that is harrowing Christians and churches.

Strengths. The book is very well researched, and builds on previous works on Scofield, both pro and con. It is a welcome corrective to the overly positive work of Charles Trumbull and the excessively critical work of Joseph Canfield. Lutzweiler adds material that had not been discovered and considered in older works. He analyses it carefully and interacts with both sycophants and critics of Scofield and his earlier biographies. It is hard to withstand the conclusion that there was something amiss in Scofield's life -- from beginning to end -- though some followers dismiss it, dreading tarnish of their dispensational dilemma.

Weaknesses. Lutzweiler is biased, but in fairness he lets the reader know it. In my opinion, he overreaches at times in coming to conclusions that are possible but not provable (at least with the current information available). He cites Sherlock Holmes advice that "When you have eliminated the impossible, my dear Watson, then that which remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth (p. 134)." The wisdom of the fictional character Holmes notwithstanding, the simple fact in historical research is that we don't always know "that which remains" because it hasn't been discovered yet.

Other. There are two major problems with the printing itself. First there are some unusual quirks in the footnotes. Sometimes the numbers are subscript instead of the usual superscript. Worse, sometimes a double number is split and transposed -- enough to irritate a normal reader and drive detective Adrian Monk to madness. Further the index is a mess. The page numbers I checked almost never correspond to the page on which that name or subject is printed. Hopefully these printing errors can be corrected in future editions.

With fair warning of what I see as defects in this work, I nevertheless highly recommend it. It reveals historical information about a prominent Christian leader and considers that leader's legacy in the Christian community.

Hell, New York City and other quotes

"If I owned Hell and New York City, I would rent out New York, and live in Hell." -- Steve Brown on Key Life, adapting General Philip Sheridan's, "If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell."

"Kennedy is trying to buy the country and Nixon is trying to sell it. Those two boys should get together." -- Mort Sahl

"In biblical studies you have to recognize that the Holy Spirit just might have led other believers to see a few things too." -- David Lutzweiler

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." -- John Cotton Dana

"You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." -- Anne Lamott

"There is no reason to suppress a viewpoint unless it is true, because a false viewpoint can easily be combatted with facts and logic, while truth cannot be combatted except by lies which are vulnerable to refutation." -- John "Birdman" Bryant

“If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union, or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated, where reason is left free to combat it.” -- Thomas Jefferson [First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801]

Ark Theme Park and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

* 6 Side Gigs for Church Planters -- "Back in the day, we called this kind of ministry bi-vocational or tent making. And way back in the day, this was the only kind of ministry there was."
* Constitution Check: Will the Supreme Court reinforce majority rule in Congress? -- "The most recent court ruling on such a challenge, however, has led a new group of challengers to try again, and they are now attempting to persuade the Supreme Court to finally rule on the complaint."
* Is Believing In God Evolutionarily Advantageous? -- "Why is it, Bering wondered, that even a determined skeptic could not stop himself from perceiving the supernatural?  It really bothered him."
* Ken Ham’s Creationist Theme Park Is in Trouble for Religious Discrimination -- “Nestled among the requirements for all job applicants were three troubling obligatory documents: 'Salvation testimony,' 'Creation belief statement,' and a 'Confirmation of your agreement with the AiG statement of faith.'”
 ** Ark park tax incentives in limbo over hiring
 ** Creationists’ Noah’s Ark Theme Park Has Kentucky Alleging Religious Discrimination
* Man ordered to pay child support for child that isn't his -- "Carnell Alexander's ex-girlfriend named him as the father of her child in the early 1990s when a social worker told her she had to provide a name to receive income assistance."
* Pope Francis: ‘Evolution … is not inconsistent with the notion of creation’ -- “When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.”
* The Secret in Abraham Lincoln's Pocket Watch -- "President Lincoln never knew the hidden message he carried with him every day."
* U.S. Support for Euthanasia Hinges on How It's Described -- "Although religious convictions often play a large role in one's support or opposition, the way the act of euthanasia is worded affects Americans' views on it, underscoring the issue's sensitivity."

Clobbering sin equally

John Shore wrote, "Heterosexual Christians are being unbiblical by using the clobber passages as justification for applying absolute standards of morality to homosexual 'sins' that they themselves are not tempted to commit, while at the same time accepting for themselves a standard of relative morality for those sins listed in the clobber passages that they do routinely commit."

I completely agree! What? Yes. I agree with Shore's assessment. Too often we condemn the sins of others while dismissing our own. I don't agree with Shore's solution. A main portion of Shore's solution is to drop these standards of morality -- especially as it applies to "homosexual sins" (e.g. I assume he might still "clobber" murder). The solution is to let the Bible hit the sins of each and every one of us right where we live and hopefully be better because of it. A large dose of humility works too, seeing all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Georgia Gospel Singing and other music in the news

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

* Convention brings some of South’s best Gospel singers to Chatsworth -- "...she traveled some 840 miles from her home in Texas to attend the  88th annual Georgia State Gospel Singing Convention in Chatsworth."
* CAC to host inaugural Sacred Harp Singing Saturday -- "It is arguably the oldest known form of music in America."
* Comparison of Singing in Churches of Christ and Sacred Harp Singing -- "This informal document lists some similarities -- and differences -- between typical congregational singing within the churches of Christ and singing at a Sacred Harp event."
* Music therapy reduces depression in children and adolescents -- "Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have discovered that music therapy reduces depression in children and adolescents with behavioural and emotional problems."
* Real music about real change -- "Petra front man John Schlitt and up-and-coming hip-hop artist KB come from different eras, but both experienced Christ’s deliverance from a life of darkness and found themselves in the spotlight of the Christian music industry."
* Wisconsin studies music and memory program -- "Mike Knutson taught himself to play the harmonica as a child, and the 96-year-old sang with his family for most of his life."

Shroud, IRS, Psychopaths and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

* 3 Things You Can Literally Learn In Your Sleep -- "...people can better remember the location of an object if overnight they listen to the tune they heard when they put it there."
* 10 little-known facts about President Theodore Roosevelt -- "Aided by his excellent memory and his always-high energy level, TR wrote about 35 books in his lifetime and an estimated 150,000 letters."
* 10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Reformed Theology -- "Reformed theology is more than the five points (or TULIP)."
* Corporate Worship Is Better Than Your Quiet Time -- "When we treat corporate worship like it’s our private meeting with God, we not only dishonor our great Host, but we rob ourselves of the joy of sharing our mutual love for the King who has invited us to his banquet."
* Dying girl: Put me in, coach -- "...even though Lauren now has just weeks to live, she still gets up at 5:30 a.m. for basketball practice."
* Gunman in Canada attack prepared video of himself -- "The attack in Ottawa came two days after a man described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in a parking lot in Quebec, killing one and injuring the other before being shot to death by police."
* Holy Turin Shroud theory: Cloth with Jesus' image a medieval prop -- "...the Turin Shroud containing the face of Jesus is likely a prop used during an Easter ceremony from medieval times."
* How to Spot the Resume of a Psychopath Applying to Work With You -- "...if you ask them about their experience with project management and they start talking about your wonderful taste in shoes instead, get out while you still can."
* If Jesus suddenly came back to earth today, would he approve or disapprove of modern Christianity? -- Poll
* IRS seizes woman's entire savings because she deposits less than $10,000 at a time -- "...the agency claims she did so to avoid the required reporting of any bank transaction over $10,000."
* One in 50 clergy don't believe in God -- "One in 50 Anglican clergy in the UK believes God is merely a human construct, according to a new survey..."
* Online Tithing? Yes or No? -- "To give or not to give online, that is the question.  Or at least that is the question that many churches are asking themselves."

O wretched man

"O wretched man that I am!" Romans 7:24

"...seeing the soul conflict which the Apostle passed through, and feeling a measure of the same in our own bosom, it encourages, supports, and leads the soul on to believe that this is the way in which the saints are called to travel, however rough, rugged, and perplexing it may be to them. Be assured, then, if you have never cried out from the depths of your soul, "O wretched man that I am!" you are dead in sin, or dead in a profession. If internal guilt, misery, and condemnation never forced that cry from your bosom, depend upon it, the life and power of God is not in your soul." -- J. C. Philpot

Random thoughts on the voting scene

(With apologies to Thomas Sowell)

Today I performed my "civic duty" and voted this afternoon after I got off work. Over the past several years I have developed a healthy and increasing cynicism about politics and politicians, but I haven't quit voting.

The ballot. The ballot was pretty full of statewide and local candidates, as well as one constitutional amendment (and local school board) -- today you could even vote for Quanah Parker and Sam Houston (there's no place like Texas!). I like the idea of voting on constitutional amendments, but it is a pretty anemic process with probably in most cases the electorate having little or no idea on what they are voting. I voted for some Republicans and more Libertarians (no Democrats). The Libertarians fielded a very thorough slate of candidates, in several cases being the only challenger to the Republican candidates. Despite that, the Libertarian party does not win in very many cases. I understand my vote as a sort of expression of my views and a "none of the above" ballot, in the sense that I don't hold out a lot of hope for these guys winning. But, NO, I don't think a vote for who I think ought to win is a wasted vote!

Voter ID law. We voted under the new voter id law, though it may not hold up to further scrutiny. As both a voter and a former election judge, I like it. I don't really understand all the outcry against it. I think both sides do a lot of spinning -- enough to make a normal person dizzy -- which may be more about scoring political points than about expressing the truth. No, there is probably not as much voter fraud as those who support the voter id might want us to think. No, requiring a picture id is not the "new poll tax" to disenfranchise minority votes that the opponents decry it as. Most people already operate with some kind of a picture id, and it's not much of a problem to get one if you don't (and, by the way, you could vote a provisional ballot even if you didn't have it). Yet, that the polls accept concealed handgun licenses but not college IDs may reveal some of the bias of those who drew up the law. But, seriously, shouldn't the poll workers have some way of knowing that the person is a citizen of the state in which he or she is voting? My experience as an election judge was in a small rural voting box. Some one of us (and often all of us) who worked the polls almost always knew the folks who were voting. But if you live in a high population area with lots of folks you aren't familiar with, how do you know that person is really the person holding the cardstock registration card with someone's name on it? That said, I think more of the problems at the polls (and the lists drawn up before we get to the polls) is human error rather than deliberate fraud. From what I've seen, the greatest potential for fraud is in the mail-in ballots. From the standpoint of me the voter, I loved the voter id today. It's hard to keep up with that little card the county mails out and I seldom use. But I always know where my driver's license is! Just match up my DL with the registration on the books and I'm ready to vote. No pain. Much gain.

Electronic voting. One former election judge I worked with would not use the new electronic voting machines. He asked for a paper ballot at every election up until the time he died. I'm not so old and set in my ways to decry the electronic voting as too new-fangled. It speeds up the process in many ways. But...there is one sense of loss. At the end there is only the screen telling you "thank you for voting". There was something final and fulfilling in dropping the paper ballot into the voting box and as you walk out the door!

Christian Art of Dying and other book reviews

* Candle Bible Handbook -- "With everything that's packed into this handbook, it could have felt cumbersome. It doesn't!"

* C. S. Lewis - A Life: A Thorough Look at the Man, a Glimpse of His Imagination -- "Allister..McGrath provides a biography that attempts both to retell the story of Lewis's life and to understand 'his ideas and how they found expression in his writing.'"

* On Thomas S. Kidd’s George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father -- "Kidd strikes middle ground between more pastoral and popular Whitefield biographies like those by Arnold Dallimore and Steven Lawson, yet without lapsing into the scholastic cynicism of Harry Stout...Though admittedly sympathetic with Whitefield’s ministry, Kidd avoids hagiography by presenting Whitefield holistically, warts and all."

* The Christian Art of Dying: Learning from Jesus – Book Review -- "The most recent statistics reveal that apart from Enoch and Elijah, the death rate among human beings is 100 percent."

* The Spirit of Hope: Author’s Biography of Father Sees Treachery, Faith & Fate Collide -- "This is the true story of a family whose lives were turned upside down with uncertainty as they struggled to survive each passing day during a dark, despairing time of utter chaos."

* Why I’m not reading Reza Aslan’s book -- "The author doesn’t take the testimony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as reliable eyewitness testimony."

The Rock in hymns

1 Corinthians 10:4 ...and that Rock was Christ.

God is our Rock, both literally and spiritually. The "Rock" metaphor has been the subject of and/or alluded to in many Christian hymns. Here are excerpts from quite a few of them (but by no means approaching exhaustive). I have used two lines to give the gist of the reference, unless in a few cases I thought I needed more.

But calm and sure, I stand secure,
Upon the Rock of Ages.

Dear name! the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place;

On the Rock of Ages founded,
Who can shake thy sure repose?

For we our voices high should raise,
When our salvation’s Rock we praise.

O’erwhelmed with sorrows for sin I will cry,
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

Standing on the Rock of Ages,
No need have we to fear.

O Rock of Refuge, Saviour, Friend,
O’er me Thy shelt’ring arms extend

We have a Rock, a safe retreat,
A shelter in the time of storm.

In the Rock of Ages hiding,
I have found a sure retreat.

O Builders! haste to the rock alone;
‘Tis Jesus Christ the corner stone.

The Lord liveth and blessed be my Rock
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud,
Fortress, Fountain, Shelter, Light, 
Judge, Defender, Mercy, Might, 
Life whose life all life endowed:

O Rock of Ages, one foundation,
On which the living church doth rest.

In Zion’s Rock abiding,
My soul her triumph sings.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move...

When the storm around me rages
Rock of ages hide thou me.

Our Rock stands firm, though wild the storm

Standing on the solid Rock
Safe from every tempest shock.

Christ, my rock, my sure defense,
Jesus, my Redeemer liveth.

To me He said: "Stay close to Me,
I am your rock and castle."

Hide me over in the Rock of Ages,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me.

The Rock of Israel ever lives,
His name be ever blessed.

In our weakness and distress,
Rock of strength, be Thou our Stay.

Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

Just are your ways, and true your word,
Great Rock of my secure abode.

Supreme in wisdom as in power
The Rock of Ages stands.

Is he a rock? How firm he proves!
The Rock of ages never moves.

Ray Rice is right, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

* Exclusive: New figures reveal massive decline in religious affiliation -- "In five decades, the number of people with no religion in Britain has grown from just 3 per cent of the population to nearly half, according to a new survey."

* Illustration to be Handed Out at Public Schools -- "The front cover of the small purple booklet is illustrated with a cartoon Bible--which has arms, legs, face and drooling mouth--sexually assaulting a screaming woman as she tries to escape its grasp."

* Is It Really Dementia? -- "Dr. Doraiswamy estimates that when doctors suspect Alzheimer’s, they’re right 50 to 60 percent of the time."

* Local church closing after 220 years -- "...the First Presbyterian Church of Swannanoa will be no more."

* Ray Rice filing grievance against Ravens for dismissal, per report -- "...the NFL's collective bargaining agreement only permits for one punishment per infraction. This is not an insignifcant issue; while this puts the NFL Players' Association in the position of having to defend someone whose conduct was reprehensible, the larger point stands."

* Too many folks display a lack of knowledge and understanding of the Bible -- "For a book that has been around for as many centuries as it has, it is astonishing how little many know what the Bible actually says, not only on little known subjects, but basic tenants of truth the Bible articulates..."

* Wendy Davis is losing. But she was always going to lose. -- "...polling shows that Davis is near-certain to lose her election next week — potentially by double digits."

* Why a Gay Man Is Raising Money for Homophobic Bakers -- "A gay evangelical Christian is teaching tolerance by example."

The Rock

I do not stand on shifting sand
And fear the storm that rages,
But calm and sure I stand secure
Upon the Rock of Ages.

That Rock was Christ, whom Judas priced
At thirty silver pieces,
Now heav’n and earth proclaim His worth
With praise that never ceases.

That Rock unmoved has ever proved
The stronghold of salvation;
Nor all the fell designs of hell
Can shake its sure foundation.

And, O how blest, how sweet their rest,
Who to the Rock are clinging;
How they rejoice with heart and voice,
Their Hallelujahs singing.

I have known of this hymn for a number of years, back into the early 1980s. I like it. It goes well with the tune The Church’s Desolation (in my opinion). I thought I had posted it here before, but cannot find it. I discovered this hymn in an old Stamps Baxter song book titled Rainbow Rays (J. R. Baxter, Editor; Dallas, TX: Stamps Baxter Music and Printing Co., 1946). In that book the text was unattributed. I recently found a slightly different version online in Gospel Tidings, Volume 13, Issue 4. There it is attributed to F. W. Pitt. I have no information on him (and neither did Gospel Tidings), but he may be the same F. W. Pitt who wrote “The Maker of the Universe” and “Break forth afresh, O fire of God.” This one is apparently Frederick William Pitt (1859-1943), a London pastor, author and hymn writer. In addition to some differences from the Rainbow Rays text, the Gospel Tidings also includes this stanza:

Water and blood, a precious flood
Flowed when that ROCK was smitten;
And by the flow believers know
Their names in heaven are written.

More on "the ghost" Samuel

3 views of 1 Samuel 28:8-14
1. A devil or demon impersonated Samuel.
2. The medium created an illusion of Samuel's appearance to deceive Saul.
3. The deceased Samuel actually appeared by the omnipotence and at the prerogative of God.

The above, I believe fairly categorizes the 3 main views of whether or not Samuel should be understood as coming back from the dead in 1 Samuel 28:8-14. There are quite a few variations within these views, and some views tend blur the lines. On Wednesday, I posted about Ghost, Demon, or Hallucination: Did Samuel Return from the Dead, by J. Carl Laney. With him, I agree that this really was Samuel. This was a strange and exceptional appearance of Samuel, but real and genuine nonetheless. It is supported (1) by the reaction of the woman with the familiar spirit/medium, (2) by Samuel speaking to Saul rather than the medium, (3) by the truth of what Samuel said, and (4) by the fact that the text says that Samuel said it. (I guess this is basically a restatement of what Laney said in my own way.) The author says that it is Samuel and never implies that it is some thing or some one that only appears to be Samuel.

v. 12 "when the woman saw Samuel"
v. 14 "Saul perceived that it was Samuel"
v. 15 "Samuel said to Saul"
v. 16 "Then said Samuel"
v. 20 "because of the words of Samuel"

Nevertheless, a good number of godly persons (and probably some not so godly) do not accept the idea that this really was Samuel.

Some arguments against the appearance being Samuel
1. A dead person goes to heaven or to hell. The Bible teaches that the dead cannot return to the living (2 Samuel 12:23). I would agree that this is generally true. We have no expectation of the dead returning to the living, either physically or spiritually. It is further against the command of God to try to converse with or conjure up the dead (cf., e.g., Deuteronomy 18:10-11). Nevertheless, God has the power over death and can give life to the dead. Men long dead appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9). Though they specifically conversed with Jesus rather than Peter, James and John, these three were aware of the men, the conversation and the topic.
2. Related to the first argument, some people call attention to facts of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) as prohibitive of Samuel's appearance. First, the great gulf fixed is specifically related to passage between hell and Abraham's bosom (v. 26). Second, Abraham does not say that Lazarus was not able go back to the rich man's brothers, but that he would not be allowed to. They had sufficient witness and it was not necessary.
3. A medium or fortune teller does not have the power and authority to raise the dead (i.e. call them back from the dead). I agree, and do not believe this is what happened in 1 Samuel 28.
4. Angels can take the forms of humans. The Bible says “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Yes, but the Bible in 1 Samuel 28 doesn't say this was an angel, but rather Samuel.
5. It seems to contradict the way God works in the rest of Scripture as well as give credence to spiritism. It may seem to contradict the way God works in the rest of Scripture, but the fact is that God often works in surprising, unexpected and unusual ways. God's ways are not our ways, and we often fall short of applying all of Scripture in trying to understand God's ways. The Lord disapproved of Saul's visit to this woman. In case someone should understand God countenancing spiritism, He makes it clear in 1 Chronicles 10:13-14 that this is not the case -- and with direct reference to the visit of Saul to the medium.
6. The text says Samuel was brought up, but we would expect Samuel to come down from heaven. If the souls of the dead were already in heaven, it might seem to be strange language, though not impossible to overcome. Further, many conservative Bible scholars think that before Christ's resurrection that believers were in Abraham's bosom in the heart of the earth -- until Jesus led captivity captive. This is a big discussion for some other time.
7. The text says that God would not answer Saul by dreams, by Urim, or by the prophets -- so why would He bring back a prophet from the dead to answer him? I think if we are careful we will see that God did not "answer" him by Samuel, but rather rebuked and warned him. The question of Saul was what to do in the face of the large army of Philistines. The message of Samuel ignored that altogether.

There are also some quibbles about Samuel's prophecy not being accurate. For examples, that Saul killed himself and not the Philistines, and that all the sons of Saul did not die. But these quibbles actually put words in Samuel's mouth that are not in his message. In addition to this, those who advocate "soul-sleeping" reject this possibility as inconsistent with their a priori belief.

The problems of trying to "improve" the plain meaning of the text are greater than the problems of accepting it.

Free Wi-Fi, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

* All the National Chains That Offer Free Wi-Fi -- "Sometimes, you just need to quickly grab some free Wi-Fi while you're walking through town. "

* Ghost, Demon, or Hallucination: Did Samuel Return from the Dead? -- "...there is nothing inherently difficult with God bringing about a posthumous appearance of Samuel the prophet. I believe this is the most straight forward reading of the text."

* John Adam Grenade -- "...John Adam Grenade, the poet of the backwoods' settlement, and a preacher of strange power, though called by many people the wild man."

* Mormon church addresses mystery surrounding undergarments in latest effort to explain faith -- "The Mormon church is peeling back the mystery that has long surrounded undergarments worn by the faithful with a new video explaining the practice in depth while admonishing ridicule from outsiders about what it considers a symbol of Latter-day Saints' devotion to God."
* Official denominational positions on homosexuality -- "A listing of the official positions on homosexuality from some Christian (name identified) denominations."
* On the Need to Write Something “New” -- "Adam was the only man who, when he said a good thing, knew that nobody had said it before."

* Tithing for New Covenant Believers–Yes or No? -- "It is significant, I believe, that the tithe is never mentioned in the New Testament as a pattern for Christian giving."

* UNC offered fake classes for 18 years. But that's not the only academic scandal. -- "...more than 3,000 students took classes that did not exist: courses that had no class time, no assignments, no meetings with a professor — just a single term paper that no one would read."