I think that this might be the explanation for everything.
For several years I have been reflecting on the concept of the battle between chaos and order as found in the Bible (it is actually common in ancient near-east cultures in general). The basic idea is that the forces of chaos/instability (often represented by large bodies of water) are constantly at war with the forces of order/stability (the land/mountains). The rising and falling tide at the seashore can then be seen as a metaphor of this battle (not in the Bible, I think, but in the culture as a whole).
With this metaphor in mind reread passages in the Bible where there are large amounts of water, and you will find your understanding of them is significantly deepened. Read something like Psalm 46 with this metaphor in mind, and you will be amazed!
Anyway, with that idea in the back of my mind, this past summer I stumbled across E Michael Jones who was talking about Logos / anti-Logos. He explained that the Greek philosophers were looking for an explanation for the source of the universe, and they eventually settled on the idea of Logos, which we translate as "word" but which actually has a far richer meaning encompassing concepts such as virtue, order, goodness, love, etc.
The gospel of John takes this concept of logos and states that in actual fact, Jesus is the Logos!
Therefore, if you embrace Jesus, you will get Logos. If you reject Jesus, the only other option is anti-Logos. I think this is what Paul was getting at in Romans 1.
So for the past six months I have been reflecting on this, and I think it is brilliant. The great achievements in human history have been accomplished in pursuit of Logos.
Where people have turned their backs on Logos, chaos / disorder follows soon after. There is no other way.
Interesting. I ran across the concept of Logos awhile back. Been interested in it ever since.
As you said, it comes from the Greeks and is sort of an all-encompassing concept that is hard to specifically describe.
The guy who introduced me to the concept thought of it as "The Law" -- but not as man-made law. More like God's Law, or the Law of the Universe, or Nature's Law.
The idea was that humans throughout history have had this idea that there is something "out there" that is "bigger than us." And "The Law" is a way to describe what needs to be done in order to be in harmony.
If man-made law violates "The Law" (God's Law), then trouble soon follows. If man-made law is in harmony with the Logos, then peace and happiness can follow.
Just compare what we are seeing in the world today, with all the chaos due to violating the basic principles of Logos (or Jesus/God), versus how the Founding Fathers of the USA were in harmony -- except for slavery, which resulted in massive chaos.
If we pursue capitalism (as in true, free market capitalism), then people trade freely and the society is generally prosperous. But if communists try to push their way into people's lives, the result is chaos, bloodshed, and misery.
On a personal level, if someone plays video games and smokes pot all day, and does not work in order to pay their way through life, then sooner or later, there will be very negative consequences to follow.
"Cause and Effect" cannot be ignored, and it cannot be cheated. It is a universal "law" like gravity. It just exists. It just is, and we are either in harmony (good things happen) or we are in violation (bad things happen).
Logos is a way to wrap this concept up in a way that people of all beliefs can identify and grasp what it is.
If you reject the Logos, you get anti-Logos. There are no other options.
Can you expand on that? (Serious question.)
You have no idea how interesting that statement is to me.
I would love to see you expand on that thought.
I think that this might be the explanation for everything.
For several years I have been reflecting on the concept of the battle between chaos and order as found in the Bible (it is actually common in ancient near-east cultures in general). The basic idea is that the forces of chaos/instability (often represented by large bodies of water) are constantly at war with the forces of order/stability (the land/mountains). The rising and falling tide at the seashore can then be seen as a metaphor of this battle (not in the Bible, I think, but in the culture as a whole).
With this metaphor in mind reread passages in the Bible where there are large amounts of water, and you will find your understanding of them is significantly deepened. Read something like Psalm 46 with this metaphor in mind, and you will be amazed!
Anyway, with that idea in the back of my mind, this past summer I stumbled across E Michael Jones who was talking about Logos / anti-Logos. He explained that the Greek philosophers were looking for an explanation for the source of the universe, and they eventually settled on the idea of Logos, which we translate as "word" but which actually has a far richer meaning encompassing concepts such as virtue, order, goodness, love, etc.
The gospel of John takes this concept of logos and states that in actual fact, Jesus is the Logos!
Therefore, if you embrace Jesus, you will get Logos. If you reject Jesus, the only other option is anti-Logos. I think this is what Paul was getting at in Romans 1.
So for the past six months I have been reflecting on this, and I think it is brilliant. The great achievements in human history have been accomplished in pursuit of Logos.
Where people have turned their backs on Logos, chaos / disorder follows soon after. There is no other way.
Beautiful Explanation, since the fall in Genesis we've been descending into greater entropy. GOD IS ORDER.
Jordan Peterson speaks to this extensively in his last book.
Interesting. I ran across the concept of Logos awhile back. Been interested in it ever since.
As you said, it comes from the Greeks and is sort of an all-encompassing concept that is hard to specifically describe.
The guy who introduced me to the concept thought of it as "The Law" -- but not as man-made law. More like God's Law, or the Law of the Universe, or Nature's Law.
The idea was that humans throughout history have had this idea that there is something "out there" that is "bigger than us." And "The Law" is a way to describe what needs to be done in order to be in harmony.
If man-made law violates "The Law" (God's Law), then trouble soon follows. If man-made law is in harmony with the Logos, then peace and happiness can follow.
Just compare what we are seeing in the world today, with all the chaos due to violating the basic principles of Logos (or Jesus/God), versus how the Founding Fathers of the USA were in harmony -- except for slavery, which resulted in massive chaos.
If we pursue capitalism (as in true, free market capitalism), then people trade freely and the society is generally prosperous. But if communists try to push their way into people's lives, the result is chaos, bloodshed, and misery.
On a personal level, if someone plays video games and smokes pot all day, and does not work in order to pay their way through life, then sooner or later, there will be very negative consequences to follow.
"Cause and Effect" cannot be ignored, and it cannot be cheated. It is a universal "law" like gravity. It just exists. It just is, and we are either in harmony (good things happen) or we are in violation (bad things happen).
Logos is a way to wrap this concept up in a way that people of all beliefs can identify and grasp what it is.
That is my understanding.
Thanks for your insight, as well.