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I realize that this was posted years ago, and probably won't be read by anyone, but I just wanted to point out a few problems with the evidence for your "theological problems", more for myself, to get my thoughts down in writing, than for anyone to actually read it.
The whole opening of Destroy is actually a direct quote (in some versions) of Isaiah Chapter 59. That includes us being "destined to fall"... a key point in Old Testament and New Testament Christology is that we are completely unable to lead our own selves to salvation, without the help of a savior (Jesus), because of the closing events of the Old Testament regarding the betrayal and exile of the Jews. Remember that Jesus first had to descend into hell to rescue the souls of those who would have otherwise entered into Heaven, because the gates of Heaven were closed.
I believe that the bit about "righteousness as armor, salvation his helmet, he clothed himself in the robe of vengeance and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion" is a nod to a similar statement made by St. Paul. Remember also that these terms... "righteousness", "salvation", vengeance", and "passion"... are of paramount importance when it comes to understanding the Person Jesus. Putting some imagery behind it, especially war-like imagery, is appropriate, considering not only the style of this song, but also the Life, Passion, Death, and Ressurection of Jesus as an "euangelion"- a war against sin and death, with Jesus as the Victor, and the Life and Word of Jesus being the terms of life for the Victor and the victor's people.
Hi Alastair
I was listening through this album (love riot) and I wanted to know at what points was there questionable theology?
I am only asking so I can go away and think!
:)
Many thanks
Michael
Michael,
Love this CD! One phrase that is "questionable theology" for me is "Saviour send your presence to this dying world, we need it..." The Bible truth is that we already have His presence here on earth with us, and in us!!! Praise God. In muscic as with anything, we are instructed to search the scriptures to see if what is said - is so!
Hi Michael, good question - it's so easy for us reviewers/writers to throw stuff out and forget the need to justify what we say!
There's a whole load of woolly rhetorical stuff that makes no sense about being the darkness dwellers 'destined to fail' during the opening track, but the idea of a Messiah who 'clothed himself in armour of righteousness, put on the helmet of salvation and the robe of vengeance' might be a vivid re-interpretation of scriptural teaching on the Christian calling to wear the whole armour along with a mishmash of images from revelation, but that doesn't chime with the theology of Incarnation that says in Philippians
"who being in very nature God
Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped
But made himself nothing
Taking the form of a servant he became obedient to death, even death on a cross"
And "the hands that held the stars being sentenced to bear my scars" - is nicely poetic, and has been used before in popular worship, but is essentially a docetic heresy, ie one thrown out in the early years of the Church, that the Creative Word at the start of creation is of the same body in any way as the human Jesus.... It elevates Jesus to a suprahuman entity rather than 'exactly like us yet without sin' as Hebrews says.
Then going on to the strange apocolyptic language about 'time being at it's end' and 'I am legend predestined for this, the time is now' is all a bit odd...
I do realise it's poetic and stirring and not seeking to be Gospel! It's a great bit of rhetoric, but I'd be worried if people really believed this stuff, it's just a bit odd.....
As for "the hands that held the stars"... yes, it is poetic. But was not Jesus also True God in addition to True man? He did not cease to be divine when he took the form of a servant. Therefore, those human hands, after a fashion, did, in fact, shape the stars... at least the divine aspect of his Personhood. Though I feel like this particular argument is falling on especially deaf ears...