Bethlen Almanac 1998 (Ligonier)

Az amerikai egyháztestekben - In other denominations

AZ AMERIKAI EGYHÁZTESTEKBEN IN OTHER DENOMINATIONS

A LIGONIERI GYÜLEKEZET

Lelkész: Novak Miklós

Gondnok: Tóth Béla

Chaplain’s Corner

Meditation: Christmas, 1998 by Rev. Nicholas Novak

ON THE THRESHOLD OF B.C. AND A.D.

“WHEN THE APPOINTED, FAVORABLE TIME CAME, God sent his Son ... to redeem the subjects of the Law. For God’s plan, God’s purpose was that when the times had run their course to the end, at the fulness of time, He would bring everything in the Heavens and everything on Earth together under Christ, as Head. ”

(Based on Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:10 - Jerusalem Bible)

WE DO NOTHING ARBITRARY in quoting the conflated statement from the Apostle Paul, as this translation reflects the consensus, the wisdom of both Catholic and Protestant biblical scholars at their best. Likewise, in the somewhat enigmatic title we do not refer to some electronic devices, but rather to the Birth of Jesus: the one event universally accepted as the common milestone in the dating of all other events in history.

And rightly so. For we do not share the pessimistic view of some historians in whose consideration there is no room for God; for whom anything and everything that has happened and is happening is nothing but an incoherent, chaotic heap of episodes without any meaningful reason or purpose; and who are interpreting life - including human life - as an accidental result of blind chance, crediting some fortuitous causes and effects of “Mother Nature” - whatever they mean by that pedestrian poetry.

What we do know and profess is that God not only created the world, but is also governing it by His sovereign will as the Supreme Lord and Ruler of History. Whether we, with our limited human faculties understand it or not, like it or not, accept it or refuse to recognize it - is of no consequence whatsoever, “If these will be silent” - said Jesus of His

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