tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078130.post6641218594977967155..comments2024-01-04T03:48:46.920-08:00Comments on Reinventing the Adventist Wheel: God's visible graceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078130.post-1220442755148324382007-05-08T12:04:00.000-07:002007-05-08T12:04:00.000-07:00I think that's a fair explanation. The grace orig...I think that's a fair explanation. The grace originated with God, was given through Paul, and Paul used the physical, with his blessing, to send that beyond his personal reach.<BR/><BR/>God --> Paul --> sacramental --> recipient<BR/><BR/>Although that sounds somehow like sending out a blessing by e-mail, or even worse, some sort of Pauline energy, where the e-mail (energy) still contains his message, but goes far beyond his person.<BR/><BR/>I'd rather look at it as Paul sending something to be used by God, extending his own ministry, yes, but not extending his own grace. Otherwise we'd end up with Paul's handkerchief being more highly prized than Timothy's, which is wrong, because irrespective of who blessed them and sent them, they are a blessing from God, not from Paul or whoever.<BR/><BR/>I'd go with the following:<BR/><BR/>God --> Paul --> sacramental [END]<BR/><BR/>then<BR/><BR/>God --> sacramental --> recipient<BR/><BR/>Similarly with the grace of baptism - baptism is God's work, although it is performed as part of the ministry of one of his servants; cf 1 Cor 1:13-14 (although that has much further meaning.)<BR/><BR/>So the handkerchiefs were a gift from God, using Paul, not a gift from Paul.<BR/><BR/>If we wear a cross around our neck, it serves to remind us of God, not to remind us of the person who blessed it, with them reminding us in turn of God through their ministry.Stephen Korsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15877899123383708251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27078130.post-31161076233452556562007-05-07T16:35:00.000-07:002007-05-07T16:35:00.000-07:00God was performing aextraordinary 1miracles by...<I>God was performing aextraordinary 1miracles by the hands of Paul,</I> so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and bthe evil spirits went out. (Acts 19:11, 12)<BR/><BR/>As I read this I asked myself what was mediating the grace, the objects or the person? To me, the text indicates that it was "the hands of Paul" and the objects were an extension of his ministry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com