{"id":29613,"date":"2019-12-11T12:05:46","date_gmt":"2019-12-11T17:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?p=29613"},"modified":"2019-12-18T13:45:18","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T18:45:18","slug":"meaning-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Meaning…?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Read” _builder_version=”3.21″]

\u2018It is commonplace for contemporary scientists and philosophers to give lip service to the principle that science decides only the\u00a0<\/span>how<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>questions and leaves the\u00a0<\/span>why<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>questions to religion\u2019 (italics mine), writes Phillip Johnson (The Right Questions<\/em>, p.68).<\/p>\n

However, he continues, \u2018the epistemic authority of science is so overwhelming and the standing of theology so precarious that \u201coutside of science\u201d effectively means \u201coutside of reality\u201d, and the premise that science is taken to entail the conclusion that the world has\u00a0<\/span>no<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>purpose is effectively a non-existent purpose; how could we know of the purpose if science cannot discover it?\u2019<\/p>\n

Johnson rightly adds, \u2018The concept of ultimate purpose is probably inseparable from the concept of divine revelation\u2026 The right question is not whether God exists but whether God has revealed the nature of the ultimate purpose of the world\u2019 (pp.68f).<\/p>\n

To begin to provide some answers to this question as well as some keys to opening up the \u2018right questions\u2019 with people in the wider community, let me touch on two New Testament statements.<\/p>\n

In John 1:1-2<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>we read:\u00a0<\/span>In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.<\/em><\/p>\n

And in his\u00a0<\/span>Letter to the Colossians<\/em>, the Apostle Paul writes:\u00a0<\/span>For he<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Jesus Christ)\u00a0<\/span>is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;\u2026<\/em>(Colossians 1:15)<\/p>\n

The Apostles St. John and St. Paul are telling us that Jesus is the projection into our world of the God who exists beyond space and time. Furthermore, we come to understand that out of his very nature, God the Father\u00a0<\/span>loves<\/em>and\u00a0<\/span>gives life<\/em>. Throughout eternity he has given life to a Son \u2013 a Son whom he loves and delights in.<\/p>\n

This is what the orthodox creeds mean when they speak of the eternal nature of the Son of God. And Article II of the Thirty-Nine Articles states:\u00a0<\/span>The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, and of one substance with the Father,\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

The fountain analogy<\/strong>. A helpful way to understand this is to think of a fountain. In the same way that the essential nature of a fountain is to pour out water, so God the Father is eternally flowing with life and love, eternally begetting his Son. Indeed, the prophet Jeremiah (2:13) tells us that the Lord says of himself that he is the \u2018spring of living water\u2019.<\/p>\n

God the Father and God the Son are distinct persons, but they are inseparable from one another. They always love one another, and they always work together \u2013 in perfect harmony. Indeed, God the Father is always pouring the fullness of his own nature into His Son.<\/p>\n

The source of life<\/strong>. Furthermore, in John 1:3 we read:\u00a0<\/span>All things came into being through him<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(the Word), and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.<\/em><\/p>\n

And in Colossians 1:16 Paul writes:\u00a0<\/span>For in him<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Jesus Christ)\u00a0<\/span>all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through him and for him.<\/em><\/p>\n

We need to catch the flow of both John\u2019s and Paul\u2019s words: Throughout eternity God the Father\u2019s nature gives life and love which we see in his one and only eternal Son who came amongst us as one of us. Furthermore, the Father hands over to His Son the task of\u00a0<\/span>creating others<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>loving others<\/em><\/strong>. God doesn\u2019t need to do this to make up something lacking in his nature. This is who he is and what he does. He loves and he gives life.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/strong>. Drawing these threads together we come to understand that Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God, is the eternal image and radiance of God. We are created in the image of God and designed to conform to the image of God\u2019s eternal Son \u2013 in our love for God and our love for one another. Our existence is part of \u2018the continuation of that outgoing movement of God\u2019s love\u2019 (Michael Reeves, p. 43). Here we begin to find the answer to meaning and purpose.<\/p>\n

Is all this fiction?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Consider the observation of Dr. john Lennox, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Oxford, UK: \u201cTo the majority of those who have reflected deeply and written about the origin and nature of the universe, it has seemed that it points beyond itself to a source which is non-physical and of great intelligence and power.\u201d<\/p>\n

For in him<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Jesus Christ)\u00a0<\/span>all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through him and for him<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Colossians 1:16).<\/em><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/AC-Conference-2020.jpg” _builder_version=”3.21″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018It is commonplace for contemporary scientists and philosophers to give lip service to the principle that science decides only the\u00a0how\u00a0questions and leaves the\u00a0why\u00a0questions to religion\u2019 (italics mine), writes Phillip Johnson (The Right Questions, p.68). However, he continues, \u2018the epistemic authority of science is so overwhelming and the standing of theology so precarious that \u201coutside of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nMeaning...? - The Anglican Connection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meaning...? - The Anglican Connection\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u2018It is commonplace for contemporary scientists and philosophers to give lip service to the principle that science decides only the\u00a0how\u00a0questions and leaves the\u00a0why\u00a0questions to religion\u2019 (italics mine), writes Phillip Johnson (The Right Questions, p.68). However, he continues, \u2018the epistemic authority of science is so overwhelming and the standing of theology so precarious that \u201coutside of […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Anglican Connection\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-11T17:05:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-12-18T18:45:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"John Mason\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"John Mason\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/\",\"name\":\"Meaning...? - The Anglican Connection\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-11T17:05:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-12-18T18:45:18+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e27a055f18ca2b07364608453460219c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":512},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meaning…?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/\",\"name\":\"The Anglican Connection\",\"description\":\"Connecting Gospel-Centered Churches in North America\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e27a055f18ca2b07364608453460219c\",\"name\":\"John Mason\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82bb7a398217ed7491402bf3cfda1857?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82bb7a398217ed7491402bf3cfda1857?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"John Mason\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/author\/johnmason\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meaning...? - The Anglican Connection","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meaning...? - The Anglican Connection","og_description":"\u2018It is commonplace for contemporary scientists and philosophers to give lip service to the principle that science decides only the\u00a0how\u00a0questions and leaves the\u00a0why\u00a0questions to religion\u2019 (italics mine), writes Phillip Johnson (The Right Questions, p.68). However, he continues, \u2018the epistemic authority of science is so overwhelming and the standing of theology so precarious that \u201coutside of […]","og_url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/","og_site_name":"The Anglican Connection","article_published_time":"2019-12-11T17:05:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-12-18T18:45:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"John Mason","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"John Mason","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/","url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/","name":"Meaning...? - The Anglican Connection","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png","datePublished":"2019-12-11T17:05:46+00:00","dateModified":"2019-12-18T18:45:18+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e27a055f18ca2b07364608453460219c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png","width":1024,"height":512},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/meaning-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meaning…?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/","name":"The Anglican Connection","description":"Connecting Gospel-Centered Churches in North America","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e27a055f18ca2b07364608453460219c","name":"John Mason","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82bb7a398217ed7491402bf3cfda1857?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82bb7a398217ed7491402bf3cfda1857?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"John Mason"},"url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/author\/johnmason\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/A-spiritual-reawakening-johngmason-anglicantrinityconnection.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29613"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29618,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29613\/revisions\/29618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}