RESTING Outside Christ Church, Kingston
there is a tombstone with the man's name and dates on one side and a large
RESTING
on the back. I told the people that when I died I didn't want "resting"
put on my stone. They could put "having a whale of a time!" After living
under great pressure, or suffering chronic and excruciating pain, it is
good to look forward to "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for
the first things have passed away." But our Christian hope is not doing
nothing for ever and ever. It is making our own contribution to the life
and excitement of the city of God (Revelation 21:3-4, 22-26). Jesus
said "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. I go to prepare
a place for you." (John 14:2). We need our own place for peace and
quiet, but we want to go out from it to enjoy our friends and engage in
creative activities. It is time we updated "Rest in Peace" from our funeral
services to "Enter into the joys heaven."
RESTITUTION The legal right to
restitution for damages was carefully provided for by Jewish law (Exodus
21:22-27, 30-36; 22:1-5, 10-15). Citizens have similar rights to restitution
and payment of damages in all civilized societies. But Jesus ruled that
in cases of personal insult it was much better to turn the other cheek
(see EYE
FOR EYE). What is never right is taking revenge into one's own
hands (VENGEANCE).
We can add that part of genuine REPENTANCE
is making a voluntary restitution for any we have wronged. When Zacchaeus
came down from the tree, and invited Jesus to his house, he said "If I
have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much"
(Luke 19:8).
RESURRECTION Whereas the Sadducees
(mainly priests and others connected with the temple) did not believe in
the resurrection, the Pharisees said there would be a resurrection of the
dead (Acts 23:8). Till then those who died would remain in Sheol
(the abode of the dead, Greek Hades). But Jesus said of himself
"The hour is coming when all in their graves will hear his voice and will
come out" (John 5:28-29, see SHEOL)
and
this was fulfilled when Jesus'corpse was still on the cross (see PARADISE).
As a result death as a waiting period in Sheol was terminated for
ever. When we die we are resurrected directly into heaven (2 Corinthians
5:1-10, Philippians 1:23-24, 3:21 -
the Lord comes for us the
moment we die). This means that there is a judgment and consequences for
what we do in this life (see
WRATH)
but there is no resurrection to a last judgment (as believed in ISLAM
and some Christian preachers who threaten us with eternal damnation). There
is however a krisis that divides those who love the light of God
from those who prefer eternal darkness (John 3:19-21). Christian
faith in the resurrection of the body is nothing to do with the
REINCARNATIONof
disembodied spirits.
RESURRECTION, Appearances For a
possible outline of Jesus' resurrection appearances on successive Sundays
see "Eight
Sundays from Easter to Pentecost."
RESURRECTION, Third day Mark records
that Jesus made at least four announcements of his imminent death on the
cross (Mark 8:31, 9:12, 31, 10:34). In three of these prophecies
Jesus said "They will kill him, and three days after being killed he will
rise again" (as Matthew and Luke, and
1 Corinthians 15:4). There
is therefore unanimous agreement about a third day resurrection. And it
was the resurrection body of Jesus that met with the disciples in a recognizable
form over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3). When was that resurrection
body of Jesus given to him? It is commonly assumed that the Spirit reconstituted
Jesus' dead body only after three days on the first Easter morning. In
the model used on this website Jesus was immediately raised by the Spirit
("today you will be with me in paradise") while his corpse was still on
the cross (see SHEOL).
That means his discarded corpse was laid in a grave where Jesus had it
disintegrated (leaving the grave clothes behind) to avoid it being venerated.
Paul tells us that Jesus' bodily resurrection is a prototype of our resurrection.
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he
who raised the Messiah from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies
also through his Spirit that dwells in you" (Romans 8:11). In one
view our dead body lies in the grave till it is reconstituted by the Spirit
one day in the future. We prefer to picture our earthly body being disintegrated
in the grave or by cremation, but the moment we die we have already received
our resurrection body (2 Corinthians 5:1-6) and Jesus immediately
comes to welcome us to the place he has prepared for us (John 14:2-3).
RESURRECTION of the Body The New
Testament writers had no doubt that Jesus rose from the dead and he appeared
for forty days with a recognizable body that could walk, talk, and eat
with them (see RESURRECTION Appearances).
In the Apostles' Creed we declare our faith in "The resurrection of the
body." In his great chapter on the Resurrection Paul explained that after
being sown in the ground every seed is resurrected as a body, and "to each
kind of seed its own body . . . So it is with the resurrection of the dead"
(1 Corinthians 15:35-44). For a sermon on the topic see "Funeral
Meditation." And for a model to explain how the body could be reconstituted
after its total disintegration see "My
Android Helen."
RETALIATION When we have been unjustly
harmed the first reaction is to say "I will get him for that." At its worst
this becomes VENGEANCE
(see
EYE
FOR EYE). There is nothing wrong with our initial anger, but Paul
said "Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down upon your wrath"
(Ephesians 4:26). The art is to cool down before going to bed that
night. But that does not deny our right the next day to seek redress in
a court of law (see RESTITUTION), as
is necessary in cases of business fraud, automobile accidents, and divorce
settlements.
REVELATION There is a general revelation
of God as Creator. "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament
proclaims his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). As Paul said, "Ever since
the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible
though they are , have been understood and seen through the things he has
made" (Romans 1:20). There is also a revelation of God's wisdom
by the Spirit (James 1:5, 3:17). And however ignorant people are
of the Word of God, the light of the Son of God always "shines in the darkness"
(John 1:5, 9). People either love that light or hate it, and could
ultimately prefer the darkness of eternal death (John 3:19-21).
When individuals or nations reject that light (as in Romans 1:19-32)
they come under wrath (bad consequences in this life) but that is to help
them turn to the light. What the Gospels record is the special revelation
of the Son of God taking birth among us, and we were able to see his glory
in a human life, death and resurrection (John 1:14). When we believe
that good news we have wonderful assurance of God's love. Others only know
that light dimly, and can respond to it, but they lack our assurance of
forgiveness and eternal salvation.
REVENGE Already in the law of Moses
we read "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your
people" (Leviticus 19:18). Instead of personal RETALIATION,
people had recourse to the judges for JUSTICE
and proper RESTITUTION. Where the justice
system failed (as is the case in many countries), people had the right
of appeal to God
for
VINDICATION
(as in
Psalms 9:4 17:2; 26:1, 35:23-24; 37:6). But it was never
right to take justice into one's own hands. This is why Paul wrote "Beloved,
never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God" (Romans
12:19). And he quoted the law of Moses "Vengeance is mine, I will repay,
says the Lord" (Deuteronomy 32:35). God's vengeance on our behalf
is never a vicious personal revenge. But he does intervene in due course
by assigning
WRATH
(bad consequences here on earth). And it is our right to demand it when
we are deprived of justice (see
IMPRECATORY
PSALMS), but happily God does not have to give us exactly what
we ask for.
REVIVAL When deadness has begun
to set into something that was alive, revival is the renewing of that life.
Plant and animal life can be renewed by receiving water. A human body can
be revived by breathing
OXYGENinto
the blood stream. Which is why both water and inbreathing are both used
as images of the HOLY
SPIRIT. The word revival (renewal) is correctly used to describe
new life coming into a local congregation by the Holy Spirit, or in a wider
sense into the life of the church in a city. It is quite wrong to say "We
are going to have a revival here on such and such a date," as if the Holy
Spirit could be programmed by human decision and artificial excitement.
Spiritual life is always the result of prayer. "If you then, who are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13)
Some church signs announce "there will be a revival here Friday to Sunday."
This is then carefully organized. There is advertising, and helpers are
trained. A song leader prepares people to respond to the preacher, and
success is measured by how many people come forward to accept the Lord,
or accept prayer for healing. But reviving means the coming to life of
what was in danger of dying. In the New Testament the specific kind of
life that is in mind is the organic life of a CHURCH
Body that meets under many different names in a city. Success is
measured not by numbers who are added to the roll of a particular congregation,
or by money for new buildings. What counts is how many people are freed
to become effective MEMBERS
of the one church of the Messiah in that place (see EVANGELISM,
EMPOWERMENT).
REVOLUTION When there is a radical
change in a nation or institution, we call it a revolution. The industrial
revolution changed England from an agricultural society to one that was
run by factories and heavy industries. The French revolution (1789-99)
made France a republic, and the Russian revolution (1917) prepared the
ground for eighty years of communist rule. As a result of the life and
preaching of Jesus, a moral revolution has impacted one country after another
over the past 2000 years. Lepers are healed. Slavery, caste, and class
are no longer approved. Democracy is toppling tyrants. Women are being
freed from subservience (see MARRIAGE,
Mutuality). Children have a right to a home, freedom from abuse,
and free education. Hospitals should be accessible to anyone. The love
of enemies, and care for the poor, the handicapped, and the downtrodden
are ideals that have begun to surface. In all these areas churches have
acted as pilot projects. And best of all there is forgiveness, freedom
from guilt, and death is no longer seen as the end. There have been many
failures and much remains to be done, but we have a direction of progress
and hope for the future. CONVERSIONis
a person's own revolution, either for good (as with PAULor
LEWIS
or BROW
see Autobio)
or evil (see God
of Many Names).
REVOLUTIONS, Scientific see KUHN
REWARD In Jesus' parable of the
talents the reward depends on the proper use of the talents of each servant
(Matthew 25:20-22), but in the parable of the laborers, they all
got the same daily wage as a reward (Matthew 20:13-15). Paul
wrote "If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw - the work of each builder will become visible, for the
Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire
will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built upon
the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work
is burned up, the builder will suffer loss: the builder will be saved,
but only as through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:12-14). Here the Day
is the day of testing, and for all of us there come days when the quality
of our work is tested. C.S.Lewis preached in a sermon (1941) "A general
who fights well in order to get a peerage is a mercenary; a general who
fights for victory is not, victory being the proper reward of battle as
marriage is the proper reward of love. The proper rewards are not simply
tacked on to the activity for which they are given, but are the activity
itself in consummation" (printed in The Weight of Glory, The MacMillan
Company, 1949, Chapter 1). The reward seems to be in the satisfaction of
doing the work well, not just the money or the hope of a special place
in heaven..
RHODES One of the Seven Wonders
of the World was the Colossus of Rhodes. This was a huge bronze statue
of Helios the sun-god on an arch that straddled the entrance to
the harbor (modern Mandraki) . It only survived 65 years till it was toppled
by an earthquake (227 BC). A thousand years later it was retrieved from
the harbor and broken up by the Saracens (ARABS).
It required 980 camels to deliver the brass fragments to EDESSA
in Syria. During his third overseas missionary journey, Paul's ship "came
by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes" (Acts 21:1),
but there is no record of him planting a church there. . Rhodes is now
a very popular tourist destination in the Greek Dodecanese islands off
the south-west coast of Turkey.
RIGHTEOUSNESS In the Old Testament
there was a clear distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous.
"The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked
will perish" (Psalm 1:6). "The perverse are an abomination to the
Lord, but the upright are his delight" (Proverbs 3:32). The mouth
of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals
violence" (Proverbs 10:11). Similarly John's Epistle distinguishes
those who have been born again as children of God and those who are still
children of the devil. This is not a question of physical or legal relationship,
but of two quite different directions of life. The work of Satan is "sinning
from the beginning" (1 John 3:8), which is a deliberate delight
in lies, malicious accusation, creating guilt, murderous hatred, pride,
mocking, dividing families, and the final darkness of death (as in Proverbs
6:17-19). This dark direction of life is impossible for those who have
the seed of eternal life (1 John 3:9). The children of God (like
the children of any human family) are still imperfect in many ways (1:8,
10). But they have been put right (Romans 5:1,see JUSTIFICATION)
by the Spirit. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).
RIGHTS "Mediaeval society was held
together by a complex network of reciprocal rights and duties, and the
idea of human rights in general, apart from this web of reciprocal
duties and rights would have been unintelligible" (Leslie Newbigin, Foolishness
to the Greeks: the Gospel and Western Culture, Grand Rapids,
Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1986, p.26). Similarly "There is no way
in which the idea of human rights could have been expressed in Classical
or Mediaeval Hebrew, Greek, or Arabic" (quoting Alasdair MacIntyre, After
Virtue, London: Duckworth, 1981, p.123). Newbigin adds that in our
modern world the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is
assumed, but "Who is under the obligation to honor that claim?" (p.27).
This question is answered by "totalitarian ideologies that use the power
of the state to extinguish the rights of the living for the sake of the
supposed happiness of the unborn" (p.28). Christians know that we have
no inherent right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. These
rights are graciously given to us as children of God with a view to their
perfection in the City of God.
RIGHTS, Foregoing Many people assume
that rights somehow belong to us inherently as humans. But even basic rights
to life or property can be taken away by a ruthless power. We only have
rights when they are given to us by law or in a constitution, or a declaration
of human rights. Often rights had to be fought for by the people themselves
or because people cared. Slaves were given the right to be free. Women
were given the right to vote. Other rights for women are being fought for
all over the world. Martin Luther King marched and died to obtain civil
rights for Black people. A characteristic of Old Testament law was the
astonishing stress on rights for ALIENS,
WIDOWS,
ORPHANS,
and the POOR.
Even the rights of ANIMALSto
rest one day a week was recognized (Exodus 20:10). In the New Testament
people were given the right to eat any food that suited them. People of
all races were given the right to be welcomed to Christian communion. But
in an important chapter Paul wrote about the voluntary foregoing of rights
(1 Corinthians 9:12, 15, 18). Peter and other apostles were married
but Paul gave up this right so he could do his work (1 Corinthians 9:5).
He also gave up the right to earn his own living, and became dependent
on his churches (1 Corinthians 9:6-15). Any kind of voluntary service,
or care for others, involves the giving up of rights to our time and comfort.
RITUAL All nations have rituals
for birth, marriage, and death. But what happens when these are ignored?
A baby coming home from hospital is no more celebrated than a pet from
the pound. Marriage is an afterthought. And funeral directors tell me that
the most common instruction is "Get rid of the body. We don't want to be
there, or anyone else." Like the ritual of saying "thank you" appropriate
words enable us to express our appreciation. The rituals of a banquet or
ballroom dancing enrich the occasion. Bedtime and birthday rituals are
very important for children. And no army can survive without parade. A
school without rituals is a zoo. The problem with rituals is when they
become a chore. We have to work at them to keep them alive. Among Christians
the heart of our rituals is the communion service. We are thankful, we
celebrate new birth, death and resurrection. There is a parade, a procession,
a banquet, singing and dancing, concern for others. The Messiah allows
us to engage in this ritual in any way people choose to do it, and we can
keep enriching it in wonderful ways. "Let us consider how to provoke one
another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is
the manner of some, but encouraging one another" (Hebrews 10:24-25).
That is what good ritual is about.
RIVER Civilizations have been nourished
by great rivers: Ancient Egypt by the Nile, the Sumerian and Islamic civilizations
by the Tigris and Euphrates , China by the Yang-tze-kiang, the Indus valley
civilization by the Indus, North India by the Ganges, North America by
the Mississipi and the St. Lawrence. Germany had the Rhine, England the
Thames, France the Seine, Russia lived from the Volga, and right now Brazil
is prospering on the Amazon. But spiritual life is by the river of the
Holy Spirit. It flows from the temple to sweeten the stagnant waters (Ezekiel
47:1, 7-9, see Psalm 46:4). In the New Testament the TEMPLE
is Jesus' body, the church of the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22). Jesus
said "the water that I will give will become in them a spring of water
gushing up to eternal life" (John 4:14). "As the Scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow from his koilia (belly, womb,
John
7:38). John added "He said this about the Spirit, which believers in
him were to receive" (7:39) . In the last book of the Bible "the
river of the water of life" gives the fruits of the Spirit and healing
in the city of God (Revelation 22:1-2).
ROBINSON, John A. T see HONEST
TO GOD .
ROCK Already in the Old Testament
the names of the Messiah Son of God appear as paradoxical opposites: King
and Servant, Lion and Lamb, Father and Little Child, Shepherd and Sacrifice,
Rock and Tender plant. Often a cleft in a rock provided a hiding place.
So David sang "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God,
my rock, in whom I take refuge" (2 Samuel 22:1, Psalm 71:3). The
name Rock also speaks of steady justice. "The Rock, his work is perfect,
and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright
is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4, see
I Samuel 2:2, Psalm 92:15).
This is why the Lord is "the Rock of Israel" (Isaiah 30:29), and
they should "look to the Rock from which you were hewn" (Isaiah 51:1,
see Psalm 78:35). Jesus picked this up to contrast those who build
their life on his teaching, and those whose house is built on sand (Matthew
7:24, see Psalm 40:2). When Jesus called him to be a disciple, Simon
was given the name Cephas (Aramaic kepha meaning rock). And Jesus
reminded him of this when he was appointed to be the leader of the apostles.
"You are Peter (Greek
Petros) and on this rock (Greek
petra)
I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Could we say that those
whose house is built on the rock in turn become a rock for others?
ROMAN CATHOLIC The Greek word katholicos
(meaning
general, universal) does not appear in the New Testament. It refers to
the CHURCH
that Jesus is building throughout the world (Matthew 16:18). The
Epistles of
PAUL
are addressed to churches in each of the main cities, and in each of these
there were various congregations meeting in homes within walking distance
(as in
Romans 16:3-15). By the sixth century, city churches were
grouped by languages under five patriarchs in Jerusalem (Hebrew), Antioch
(Syriac), Alexandria (Coptic), Constantinople (Greek), and Rome (Latin).
The Patriarch in Rome was called the Pope (Papas in Greek, Papa
in
Latin).. Popes gradually took on the title of Pontifex Maximus
(Supreme
Pontiff), and claimed authority over all Christians everywhere. As a result
there is a DENOMINATION
of the universal church called Roman Catholic with its head office in Rome.
And to preserve its claim to authority it refuses to accept Christians
of other denominations to the Lord's Table. It differs from all other denominations
in requiring
CELIBACY
for its priests (but see UNIAT
for exceptions to this). Under Pope John XXIII (1958-63) the Second Vatican
council allowed each country to worship in their own language (instead
of Latin).
ROMAN CULTURE After Rome became
a Republic (510 BC), LATIN
(the Italic branch of the INDO-EUROPEANlanguages)
was standardized as the language of the Empire, and a Code of Roman law
was drawn up (451 BC). As republicans, Roman citizens were clean shaven
and wore a simple toga. The empire depended on slaves for many tasks. Other
people, such as Jews, were counted as inferior, but those who were citizens
had important rights and advantages (see
Acts 21:39, 22:25-29).
When people were baptized, and became members of Christian churches, Paul
the converted Roman citizen said, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there
is no longer slave of free, there is no longer male or female" (Galatians
3:28). Christians also refused to worship the Emperor, and this could
result in the death penalty. It also meant that Christians refused to burn
incense to Caesar, and so could not serve as soldiers in the Roman legions.
The idea that someone who was crucified under Roman law could have an important
message for Romans at first sight seemed absurd. That is why Paul and other
preachers had to keep explaining the meaning of the crucifixion.
ROMAN EMPERORS Some references
to Roman emperors and local governors help us locate the New Testament
in its historical situation:
27 BC- 14 AD Augustus Jesus born (5 BC?) under Herod (47 BC - 4 BC, Matthew 2, Luke 2).
14-37 AD Tiberius Pilate (governor 26-36 AD, Luke 3:1-3, Jesus crucified in AD 29?)
37-41 AD Caligula Herod Agrippa I, king in Judea (41-44 AD, Acts 12:1, 20-23)
41-54 AD Claudius Felix (52-58 AD governor in Caesarea, Acts 23:24-25, 24:27)
54-68 AD Nero Festus (58-62 AD governor in Caesarea, Acts 24:27, 25:1,13)
68-69 AD Galba Wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6-7)
69-79 AD Vespasian Titus destroyed Jerusalem (AD 70, Matthew 24, Mark 13).
Other very tentative dates include Paul's conversion (c.35 AD, Acts
9); the first missionary journey (c.46-47 AD, Acts 13-14); the
Council of Jerusalem (c.48 AD, Acts 15); second journey (c.48-51
AD, Acts 15:40-18:21); Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome (49
AD, Acts 18:1-3); the third journey (c.53-57 AD, Acts 19-20);
Herod Agrippa II (reigned 44-70 AD, Acts 25:13-26:32); Paul's journey
to Rome (c.59-61 AD, Acts 27); Paul imprisoned in his own lodgings
in Rome (c.61-63, Acts 28:31-33). I believe Luke was sent back to
Ephesus with the Book of Acts before Paul was put in jail and martyred
under Nero (64 AD). The death of Nero was followed all over the empire
by terrible wars and confusion (tribulation, Matthew 24:6-7, 21-22,
Mark 13:7-8, 18-20). Before his crucifixion (c.30 AD) Jesus clearly
predicted his PAROUSIA
in a DAY
OF THE LORD to destroy the temple and city of Jerusalem in that
generation. That happened exactly 40 years later in AD 70 (see ADVENT)
ROME Romulus (from the ETRUSCANS?)
founded the city (753 BC). It grew as seven villages on seven hills to
the east of the Tiber, each with its own king. This system failed, and
a republic was set up (510 BC). It was ruled by a Senate and two Consuls.
Rome defeated Carthage in the Punic Wars (264-146 BC). Roman roads fanned
out in all directions for the legions to move rapidly to control the empire.
Rome took over Macedonia (146 BC). Pompey (106-48 BC) annexed Syria and
Palestine (66 BC). Greece became part of the empire. (27 BC). Julius Caesar
(101 - 4 BC) had conquered Gaul (58-51 BC), and crossed the Rubicon into
Italy (49 BC) to become Dictator (48 BC). Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt
(51-30 BC) was the mistress of both Caesar and Mark Antony (who became
head of the eastern provinces in 42 BC). Caesar Augustus became the first
Roman Emperor (27 BC-14 AD). One of his vassals was Herod the Great (King
of Judea, 47 BC - 4 BC), in whose time Jesus was born (c. 5 BC). Tiberius
(14-37 AD) was Augustus' adopted son. Claudius (Emperor 41-54) brought
the Celtic tribes of Britain under Roman rule (43 - 410). He expelled the
Jews from Rome (49-50, Acts 18:2). Nero was Emperor (54-68) while
Paul was in prison (57-62, Acts 24:28). Vespasian attacked and took
Galilee (67 AD). At this time there were "wars and rumors of wars" (Matthew
24:6-8) and Samaria fell to the Romans (68 BC). Christians saw Jerusalem
surrounded and escaped the siege (Matthew 24:16) before the destruction
of the temple (AD 70). See ROMAN CATHOLIC,
ROMAN
EMPERORS,
ROMAN CULTURE.
ROOM A room is a place we can occupy.
And the innkeeper earned his living by hospitality, which is giving room
to people. His job was to provide a place to eat and drink, party, sleep,
have a baby. So what do you do when you have no room? You find room. "Mary
laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke
2:7). A stable is better than nothing, and a manger is really quite
a good room for a baby. Happily the innkeeper didn't have to ask "What
do you give to a person who has everything?" He might have rushed around
to buy a fancy toy for such a baby to play with. Giving room for God was
more than enough for his place in history.
ROSES Poets claim "My love is like
a red-red rose" and "roses are red, and violets are blue." But they forget
that roses can also be yellow. To be scientifically correct, in the family
of Rosaceae (erect, climbing or creeping shrubs, usually with prickles)
in the genus rosa, Cistus incanus creticus cv is the precise scientific
DEFINITION
for a Pink Rock Rose. Botanists claim that in the great love song of the
Bible the girl called herself a flower of the genus Asphodelus,
but
I prefer the King James Version "I am a rose of Sharon" (Song of Solomon
2:1). We give roses to show our love and appreciation, but who would
give an Asphodel? . In English history the House of York and Lancaster
picked the rose for their heraldic emblem. And when they fought like cats,
it was called the Wars of the Roses. But I am proud of my college crest
which has three roses and a chevron pointing up to a lion (who of course
must be ASLAN).
I have the hunch that it would be impossible for a rose grower to be an
ATHEIST.
I am sure there will be roses in heaven, perhaps with the thorns to indicate
they are to be appreciated, not eaten by wild beasts. I admit I don't have
the patience to grow roses, but I praise God when I see a rose in a neighbor's
garden, and can go up to it, bend down and smell it. Like wines, roses
should be classified by their bouquet (distinctive perfume), and
image of God humans should have a
FRAGRANCE.
But Paul said some might not like our aroma (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
ROUSSEAU, Jean-Jacques (1718-78)
Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and wrote in French. He glorified
nature and all that was natural. This included the idea that before the
advent of civilization tribal people were unspoiled as noble savages. As
opposed to traditional ideas of ORIGINAL
SIN, he believed in the fundamental goodness of human nature. His
explanatory model was a form of DEISMwithout
any of the distinctive doctrines of Christian faith. .His political ideas
developed in his Discours sur l'origine de l'inegalite (1755),
Julie
ou la Nouvelle Heloise (1762) and Le Contra Social (1762) influenced
the French Revolution (1789-1793) and modern theories of DEMOCRACY.
In his book Emile (1762) he argued the need to free children to
develop their own creativity. This has influenced every area of our modern
theories of education. But Emile also argued that women are formed
by nature to please men and live in subjection to them. If women are given
any liberty, they will misuse it.
ROYAL PRIESTHOOD Jesus said "You
are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" and he gave him KEYS
to open for the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:16-19). As the church
grew into a world-wide temple in every city he wrote "Like living stones,
be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a royal priesthood, to
offer spiritual sacrifices" (1 Peter 2:5,9). MELCHIZEDEK
was a priest King of Jerusalem, and our Messiah Priest-King is "high priest
for ever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:19).
And every Christian is called to be a PRIEST
in the Messiah's royal priesthood to serve people in every city of the
world.
RUSSIA Vladimir I, Grand Prince
of Kiev (980-1015), decided Poland would be Christian and was baptized
(985 AD). There was a set-back when the Mongols burned Kiev and massacred
the inhabitants (1240). But Russian power began to increase after Ivan
IV (the terrible) was crowned in Moscow as the first Czar (1547). Peter
I (the Great) founded St. Petersburg (later called Leningrad) in 1703,
and transformed Russia into a European nation. Napoleon invaded Russia
and his army had to retreat in disorder (1812), Serfdom was abolished (1861)
but the excesses of the Czars were ended when the Czar Nicholas abdicated
(1917). LENIN
(1870-1924) became the premier of an atheistic Bolshevik government (1918-21).
The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) was formed (1922). After
Lenin's death Stalin (1879-1953) gained total control (1929). He initiated
the collectivization of the farms, and by means of the KGB (secret police)
and the GULAG
(death camps) he purged all opponents (1936-38). The failed invasion of
AFGHANISTAN
(1979) began the erosion of Russian power in the cold war. With the fall
of the iron curtain the power of Communism was broken (1989), and the disintegration
of the USSR soon followed. After 70 years of atheism millions flocked back
into the RUSSIAN ORTHODOXChurches.
RUSSIA, Leningrad Peter I, the
Great (Czar 1682-1725 ) took over absolute power (1689). He defeated the
Turks (see OTTOMAN
Empire), then defeated Sweden (1709) to gain access to the Baltic.
He built St. Petersburg as a European city, transferred the capital from
Moscow (1713), and transformed Russia into a European nation. After the
revolution (1917)
LENIN
moved the capital back to Moscow (see RUSSIA,
Moscow), and renamed St. Petersburgh as Leningrad. .
RUSSIA, Moscow The ancient capital
of Russia was Kiev (see RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
CHURCH). After the fall of Constantinople (1453) the Patriarchate
of Moscow (Russian Moskva) assumed the leadership of Orthodoxy, and he
crowned Ivan IV (the terrible) as the first Czar of Russia (1547). Moscow
was the capital of Russia till PETER
THE GREAT (1672-1725) became Czar of all RUSSIA(1689),
founded St. Petersburg , and transferred the capital there (1713). Moscow
University was founded 1775. Napoleon's troops took Moscow in 1812, and
the city was mostly destroyed by fire before they had to retreat. After
the revolution (1917) LENIN
again made Moscow the capital of Russia (1917). The mediaeval citadel was
called the Kremlin, located between the Moskva River and the Red Square.
It became the seat of government for Russia, and later of the U.S.S.R.
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH Founded
after the baptism of Vladimir I (980-1015) the Russian Orthodox is the
largest of the family of Orthodox churches. It was centered in the monasteries
of Kiev, but after the fall of Constantinople (1453) the Patriarchate of
Moscow assumed the leadership of Orthodoxy. But Peter the Great (Czar 1682-1725)
abolished the patriarchate, and made the Russian Orthodox church a department
of the state. In the revolution (1917) the church was dismantled as an
integral part of the old Czarist regime. After 70 years of atheism, with
the fall of the iron curtain (1989) and the end of Russian Communism, people
flocked back to the churches. Meanwhile evangelical groups had met underground
throughout the reign of Stalin, and when they were joined by missionaries
from the west, the Russian Orthodox priests did their best to maintain
their authority.
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION The seeds of
the Russian Revolution (1917) had been sown by the oppression of the peasants,
the weakening of the middle class, and the corruption of the Czars with
the support of the Russian Orthodox churches. Under LENIN(1917-24)
the Czarist
MONARCHY
was replaced by what MARXISM
called "the dictatorship of the proletariat." In theory the power of the
state and the judicial system would wither away and usher in an era in
which ordinary people would give according to their ability and receive
according to their needs. There was also a change in the religious model.
In spite its many faults the
RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX churches had provided the CEREMONY
needed for civilization, the RITUAL needed
for the occasions of birth, marriage, sickness, death, and the teaching
of values such as compassion and the respect for individuals. As opposed
to this Christian undergirding of society, MATERIALISM
offered an explanation for all human behavior and a means of evaluating
human life merely in terms of usefulness.