25 years of the Twin Towers catastrophe

 

Atheists do not like this cross-shaped object. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Joel Kontinen

I write this after the catastrophe of 2001:

"A group of American atheists are attempting to stop the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York from displaying a cross-shaped beam.

They see it as a religious symbol and as they are intolerant of all other ideologies except their own godless one, they are resorting to a lawsuit to get the offending beam from disturbing their peace of mind.

The beam was found by Frank Silecchia, who took part in clearing the rubble after 9/11, and it has been a symbol of hope.

However, atheists do not see the cross as a sign of hope. For them, it is foolishness – just like the apostle Paul wrote:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.”

It’s an entirely different story for us:

“But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV)."

Source:

Merica, Dan. 2012. Atheists continue battle against World Trade Center cross at memorial. CNN. (September 10th).

New Evidence for the Crucifixion Found

This cross is on Magnetic Island, near Townsville, Queensland.



Joel Kontinen

The Gospels describe the crucifixion of Jesus in much detail. The Apostle Paul also states that it was the fulfilment of prophesy:

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3, Berean Study Bible).

A new paper published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences provides evidence for this Roman method of executing criminals.

Live Science explains:

“A new study of the skeletal remains of the man, found near Venice in 2007, reveals a lesion and unhealed fracture on one of the heel bones that suggests his feet had been nailed to a cross…

The skeletal remains were found at Gavello, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Venice, during archaeological excavations in preparation for the laying of a pipeline, the researchers said in their study.”

The article goes on to say:

“A depressed, unhealed fracture in the heel bone suggested a metal nail had been driven through it, from the inside to the outside of the right foot, either directly onto the wood of a cross or into a wooden footrest attached to a cross.

‘We found a particular lesion on the right calcaneus [heel bone] passing through the entire bone,’ lead study author Emanuela Gualdi, a medical anthropologist at the University of Ferrara, told Live Science in an email.”

When the Bible describes historical matters, it always gets the facts, including the tiny details, right.

Secular ancient writers were unable to deny the historicity of Jesus.

Archaeology confirms that the Bible is history. The Bible tells us about real people and real events, such as the earthquake mentioned by the prophet Amos and the one that occurred during Jesus’ crucifixion.

We should not be surprised, as Jesus Himself says in John 17:17 that God’s Word is truth.

Source:

Metcalfe, Tom. 2018. How Jesus Died: Rare Evidence of Roman Crucifixion Found. Live Science (4 June).

Cross on a Hillside Speaks of Hope

Joel Kontinen

The cross is a powerful symbol, even if one sees it on an otherwise empty and barren hillside.

Magnetic island is a smallish island near Townsville, Queensland, Australia. At least in November, there are more birds than people on this island.

Barely visible from a road leading away from the ferry terminal, there is a huge white cross on the hillside. One will have to take a winding path to take a closer look but it will be worth the effort.

Built on a large bounder, the cross is huge. in its silent way, it speaks of hope.

Fortunately, this is Australia and not USA or Europe where ”free thinkers” feel depressed at the sight of a cross and lose their peace of mind that they then try to regain through lawsuits.

Jesus and the Repentant Robber

Marco Palmezzano: Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 1490). Image courtesy of Wikipedia.



Joel Kontinen

Luke narrates a dialogue between Jesus and the repentant robber on the cross. After one of the two robbers who were crucified with Jesus mocked Him, the other condemned man pleaded: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23: 42-43, NIV).

According to an old unorthodox doctrine, after His death Jesus went to hell where He was tormented for three days by Satan. This “Jesus died spiritually” (JDS) doctrine obviously stems from the writings of E. W. Kenyon, who introduced the idea to Kenneth Hagin. After Hagin, the JDS doctrine has been taught by Kenneth Copeland and Joyce Meyer, for instance.

Now, if Jesus went to paradise, He obviously could not have been tormented in hell at the same time. Although as God Jesus can be omnipresent, the JDS doctrine sounds like the Schrödinger's cat paradox with a cat being dead and alive simultaneously.

The JDS doctrine claims that Jesus died twice, first as a human being and then as a spirit being. This view has a basic problem: it is not supported by the Bible. Several New Testament passages say that Jesus atoned for the sins of the world on the cross.

“It is finished,” Jesus said as He was dying. There was no need for Him to die a second time.

While some New Testament verses, such as 1 Peter 3:19 and Ephesians 4:9-10, seem to indicate that Jesus did indeed descend into hell, Scripture never says that Satan had the power to torment Jesus there. In contrast, it states that Jesus preached to spirits, not that He was tormented by them. Furthermore, a spirit being cannot die, so the JDS doctrine is totally without scriptural support. It adds something to the Bible that is not there. When measured by biblical standards, it falls apart completely.

The apostle Paul points out in Colossians 2: 15 that Jesus defeated the forces of the evil one on the cross: “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Jesus’ victory was completed on the cross. There was no need for Him to suffer any more after that.