12. The Cultural Gospel

The American regime is the most significant in the in Philippines. It was the time of bringing the evangelicals and Protestantism in the Philippines. The Spanish was no longer dominated in the country, and vanished in the country. The American regime has changes the Philippines, and the Law was establish in the Philippine. On the oter side, the religious of the Filipino was not change, but they still cling to the Roman Catholicism Spanish brought for 3 century. However, there are still evangelicals are established in the country.

There are good thing and bad thing in this age. The good thing is we are freed from the domination of the Spanish colony who manipulated for 3 century. Thanks be to the amirican who freed us from darkness. Another good thing was that, the evangelicals from the time of American regime until now is still working. However, the bad thing was that they are bring the American Jesus and we, the Filipino, has syncretized the belief of the America Jesus and the Filipino culture. The question is, where is the Biblical Jesus? From the time of Spanish regime until today, the the western thought is still alive, we are still dreaming if western living, as to say American dream. Another bad thing is that we are still humiliated by the American people. In the case of leadership,  we are discriminated as ignorant than them. We need to learn from them in order to know things very well. The discrimination does not change until today.

 For me, as my heart is convicted by the word of God. I have to live as Filipino and teach Filipino in their own way. I see that it is hard for some, or perhaps almost Filipino to do the western way of thinking. Western books, does not mean they are western can be effective in our eatern way of thinking. I have to do share the gospel by the way our thinking can grasp.

11. Kastil's Leverage

It has been said that religion is used as leverage by the Crusaders or inquisitors in taking ones country. Well. This is true in the Philippines whereby the Roman Catholicism so dominated because of the Spanish conquerors. They were dominating over three centuries using starting from a general to priest.

Today, as we reflect this drama, we can say that the struggle for country is still alive not perhaps in political sense but religious one. Filipinos belief are syncretisization of animism and Catholicism. The idols are representative of, as they though, the God or perhaps gods. This is a saddest drama of all Filipino time. Using the religious activity to lever the nation. Schools were built and powered by religious background. How was that possible of dreaming a new reformation if our own society does not know what is the root of it all? People are complaining. Many children are hungry, and many religious group being built for million peso while poor became poorer. My dream is not reformation of religious activity. My dream is to be Incarnational like what Jesus did. For me ministry does not belong in the one corner of the church, but in the heart of each individual who made holy and commanded as you are going, make disciples.

In application, I will rather make a social concern like education for the poor, shelter for the unsheltered, care for the uncared, and saved the unsaved. 

10. Continuing Conflict.

The ongoing conflict really affects Christianity. From the start, this conflict does not really change. It greatly affects the numbers of Christianity. Many have change the thought because of the influence from the age of reason.

The conflict tells us that there is no perfect religious goup including Christianity Especially when a group build something as a pillar. The Bible is no longer basis for this, but the political and the nation is. The Christianity used to lever the nation to gain power and economical and political power. How does the true Christina change the nation?

For me, I think the best way I can do is to cement myself to what the Bible is saying love one another. It might sound socialism but it was the Bible says. I must not used the religious belief for the sake of power and own glory, but I will used the Christian principle to change the society, not just the church. I we start to change the society by sharing the gospel through building world class school with Biblical principles, and even the least in society can enter, then we can change whole world. Hopefully I can build a Christian school that is not expensive, that even the street children can go in.

09. Division means multiplication?

The Protestant-Catholic conflict in England was the opportunity to bring the gospel into the whole world. The Protestant conservatives went on their for freedom from the Anglican. They want religious freedom, and cling to the biblical teaching. However, they were ceased to express their freedom because of the Anglicanism. It was then the time of progress not only the religious, but also the political, economic and government.

 This conflict is reflected to the Christianity today whereby each theologian who made their theology out of the philosophy of their religious group. This is the time when the age of reason influence the modern era. I think the bottom-line of this conflict is the persons behind the enlightenment.

For me, the best thing I can do is to cling the reasonable faith that I have, and cling on what Jesus said “sell all what you have and give to the poor

08. Influence by Reasons

It was the age of reason that change the worldview of  that time. It was the time of science and technology whereby the spreading of classical books are ever written. The publication of the Scripture was easily spreading because of printing press. It was also the time when the revolutionary discovery of Galileo change the Church concept of the world. It not only that, but it was the time when the enlightenment was pop up, and the it was the time of the greatest philosophers such as Kant, Kierkegaard and Russell. Thus skepticism was come.

 Some theologians are influence by these people. Their philosophical interpretation was somewhat based on their philosophy. These men was the first best known for Biblical critiques. And sadly, our modern and postmodern thought was influence by these guys. If we don’t recognized it, we can be so sure that the foundation of the modern Atheism is based on this time. Paul warn us to be careful from these empty word philosophy.

 For me, this time was the starting point of the modern doctrine and the struggles between Faith and reason. I must be very careful from the sting of this philosophy.

07. Lair does not speak the Truth.

The Pope became the master and emperor to the Rome. They became prestigious and authoritative over the people to the point they are the master of the crusade. I could not imagine that it was the Pope who used the holy City to convince the Crusaders to take the war for false hope. And not only that, but also let them if they desire to go to war.

            How sad it was when people think that the popes are holy, and the vicar of loving Christ. It was not! They have been manipulating and corrupting the church until today.

            My is that, people who believe that can open their eyes to see the truth behind the lies of the Pope.

06. A translation that pseudo-inspired

It was St. Jerome who was translated the Bible into Latin. It was named from him, Vulgates. The translation is what the Roman Papacy have been using as the most inspired and free from error translation of the Scripture. Sadly, this translation was used to lever the common people and to manipulate them to give money to the church. People have not known this language and refers to the Pope as they believe able to interpret it.

Today this Bible is still alive since it was declare during the Vatican II. However, even the Popes or the priest who are using it does not even understand the Latin language. Again it for the leverage that this scripture are used.

 How I wish I could build a group of translator to translated the bible to the people, and exposed the Latin Vulgate to them that it was not the original text used in the original text and was not even used by Jesus in his time.

05. English Scripture for the common people.

The very first English translation of the Bible was written by the faithful servant of Christ. He was John Wycliffe. It was a great contribution to the people that this translation is for the first time available to the English speaking people. The struggle John met and his endurance is the best example of the great man of God.

 Today there are many translation of the Scripture in every tongue in every tribes. This is th4e desire for every evangelical and God himself to translate the Bible to the common people.

 I have this desire to translate one that is faithful to the original text. This dreams drives me to study more, and build a school. I dreamed that this can be one of my curriculum in the school.

04. The Conflicting Evangelical Theology.

There was a war of understanding or perhaps the misunderstanding of the God’s revelation. The Calvinist are strongly believe that Christ only died for the elect, while Armenians believe that Christ died for all. The two Evangelicals both believe in the Biblical inerrancy and proclaimers of the Gospel. This is the starting point of the division of the evangelicals.

Today, this reality still do exist. One saved always saved versus man has a part of salvation by freewill. It was a terrible misunderstanding of the Scripture by basing their theologies on their pre-conceptual philosophy. The sad thing is that the principle of love and unity is no longer used in the churches today because of this conflict.

As for me, the best evidence of the Christianity is by helping others to learn God and helping the poor. Because of the conflict, both parties are not so effective because of the religious philosophy the bring to the people. 

3. The Term Trinity and the Divergence of Christianity

At the beginning of the Edict of Milan held by one man emperor Constantine, the development of Christian doctrine was very productive, The term Trinity formulated by the Council in Nicea in the year 325. This was the time of religious revolution whereby Arius who did not like the idea fought against the idea. For the first time, the Body of Christ was divided not only for the political issues but also for the religious teachings. It was the time when the One body of Christ the so called Church converge its path.

It seems to me that this issue is still existing today. I was once on the side of Arius before I came to know the Lord Jesus as God in flesh, and a savior of my soul. It is not easy to pursue concept that is theological at the same time philosophical to meet my divine hunger for God. I found not satisfaction when someone uses the an analogy which is empirical rather than metaphysical yet practical. I have been thinking that all humanities are huger for divine relationship as I am. It seems to me that church history after church history, the pursuit of the people involve in them has been asking the question how can a man be right with just and loving God? An so this was it, the body of Christ was diverge in its own way to find it. For me, it is the Love and Communication are vital in unifying the Body of Christ because they are the expression in the community of the godhead. The analogy of love and communication, for me, is the most practical explanation about the concept of the Godhead. For, we know that God is love and God speaks, then we are assured that God is not monodic, selfish, and wrathful kind of God, but a loving community of three Persons before the world was created..

Now, this is the reason why God always emphasized the Christian love. God wants us to love one another as the body of Christ. It is for to know that Jesus came to unite all things, especially the church, in him. To say that "our church is better that the others" is tantamount of saying that I love the Lord and hates my brothers. Let us love one another. Let's converge ourselves as one Body of Christianity as we properly understood it form the Scripture. If the trinity or the Godhead is a community, then we are also the community of Christ in Him. Remember, we are called to dance with the community of the Trinity.

2. ENTANGLEMENT from the Age of Toletarion

Toleration comes when a person or people indulge on what is agreed as a whole. The time of Edict of Milan was the most turning point of early Christianity whereby the emperor who audaciously claimed to be Christian did the edict of toleration of Christian faith. It was the age of Christian Roman Empire shaped the wholeness of faith. The council called Nicaea held by Emperor Constantine became the basis of the Trinitarian faith.

            It seems to me and have learned that this was the time where people were taking advantage the Christianity and sacrilege became more grown. I have seen that this was the time when the Christian religion was used for political privilege. This was the sad thing we know in the history. The Emperor became the head of Christianity now in the expression of the prestigious empire and cathedrals, and declaring that the Rome was the most holy city in the entire Europe or in the world.

            Today I can see many traditional inflicted from the Roman kind of leading. People uses powers to be best in the church sand seems more holy that those who are none. Hypocrisy is expressed in the heart of the institutional kind of church, as much as the emperor did in 4^th century AD. Those who are involving in the political game buy the integrity of the church for their fame. How sad it is when we are not think clearly and not aware what is the entanglement between our modern days Christianity from the time of toleration in 4^th century AD.

            As a Christian, I see the most important factors in this time especially the formulation of the deity and person of Christ and the trinity. The great mind was used by God to reveal the truth of God. However, the misleading kind of leadership was not coherent to the teaching and to the formulation of the doctrine of Christ and Trinity. I see the modern institutional churches as a whole  are more concern on the buildings and anything rather than the person. Pride for prestige is what drives humanity to do so, and this not new though because it was already happened in 4^th century AD.