The Virtual Abyss
A tour de force. Powerful Christian apologetic.
I loved this analysis and discussion of Richard Grannon’s video on the collapse of modern civilization. This really was a tour de force looking at truth claims in the post modern world the metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and ontology of different world views as contrasted with Christian anthropology. Employing logic, reason and rationality which form the basis of Christian truth claims. Their philosophical premise is based on first cause which is always difficult to refute because it is logically consistent. This video is 3:46 hours long and worth watching (listening too) underneath the original video by Richard Grannon is posted. He has a BSc in Psychology and a Master Practitioner certification in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), Richard is “The Spartan Life Coach” — an expert in applying the Spartan values of strength, self-discipline, and bravery to psychological training.
"For, although we are in the flesh, we do not battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our battle are not of flesh but are enormously powerful, capable of destroying fortresses. We destroy arguments and every pretension raising itself against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive in obedience to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NAB)
THE COLLAPSE OF MODERN CIVILIZATION | The Virtual Abyss (3:46)
The Collapse of Modern Civilization | Richard Grannon (47 min)
The only part of the Dayz of Noah video that I would critique is the use of formulaic or credal language to describe Christ as fully God and fully man as I prefer a more nuanced position such as presented by John A. T. Robinson who interprets the incarnation to mean that Jesus was “totus deus, the one who is utterly expressive of Godhead,” not “totum dei, the exhaustive revelation” of God (Robinson, 1979: 104, 120).
"Further, if Jesus Christ is totus deus - if, that is to say, God has wholly and not merely partially vested himself in Christ - he is, again, not totum dei. Jesus Christ does not represent everything of God in the sense that there is no revelation of God outside him. If he is final, it is because ultimately everything is summed up and included in him, not because he is exclusively the expression of God. The Christian who asserts that for him Jesus Christ is the all-embracing principle of interpretation is asserting that there is nothing in his experience that requires any other explanation; for everything 'coheres' in him. He makes this judgment - and calls himself a Christian - because he does not find this is true of Buddha and Mohammed, not because he does not find any truth in them. For him Christ represents the definitive revelation of God - and this is a less misleading word than final - because it is inconceivable to him that there could be any higher revelation of God in human terms of 'pure, unbounded love' " (p.221-222). Robinson, John A.T., 1973, The Human Face of God. Philadelphia: Philadelphia, Westminster Press
I prefer the Greek description manifestation (phanerosis) rather than the Latin verb incarnation (The verb incarno does not occur in the Latin Bible but the term is drawn from the Gospel of John 1:14) derived from the prefix in- and caro, “flesh”, meaning “to make into flesh” or, in the passive, “to be made flesh”. Incarnational doctrine is thought to imply the personal pre-existence of Christ rather than ideological preexistence, however, all believers are said to be chosen in him from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4).
God’s work of manifestation is not complete as he is calling out a people for his name (sons and daughters) therefore although the Christ event is definitive (Eph 1:23) it is not exhaustive because God manifestation is an ongoing process that can only be achieved in and through the Christ event. Divine manifestation is the telos allowing Timothy to exclaim “My Lord and my God!” in the presence of the resurrected Christ.