Ancient Anglican

This book is a defense of basic Christianity both against modern rationalism which holds that only logic and reason are the means of discovering truth and against a post-modern denial of truth itself.

Accordingly, to begin with, Isaac, when led by his father as a victim, and himself bearing his own wood, was even at that early period pointing to Christ’s death; conceded, as He was, as a victim by the Father; carrying, as He did, the wood of His own passion. – Tertullian “An Answer to the Jews”

There are few passages in the Old Testament that speak more directly or predictively about the Passion than does Genesis 22.

The account of Abraham our father binding his son includes two great ideas or principles of our faith. First, it shows us the extent and limit of the fear of God. Moses Maimonides “Guide for the Perplexed”

Why would God make this demand upon Abraham himself, and why doesn’t Abraham protest this request? Below is a series of questions to contemplate as you read through Genesis 22, followed by a series of commentaries on the narrative and its ethical implications.

This coming week, we’ll look at the Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22 from a close reading of the passage and the moral perspective arising from the horrific demands made by God upon Abraham and Isaac.

Ishmael’s mother used to drink water from the water-skin so that her milk would increase for her child. When Abraham reached Mecca, he made her sit under a tree and afterward returned home. – Hadith 4:584

Outline Paul’s allegory in Galatians 4:21-31. In the allegory, what groups of people does Paul say are descended from which mother, and how does this part of Paul’s allegory turn the historical account of Hagar and Sarah upside down?

Paul will use this story in Galatians 4:21-31 in his argument as to how the Church is the true heir of Abraham and successor to God’s promises to him.

For Paul, it isn’t that God makes a covenant with his people through Abraham and in the same way God makes a covenant with his people through Jesus; rather these covenants are the same covenant.

This week we are looking at the Covenant with Abraham and Paul’s use of this Covenant as the foundation for his message. The readings for the discussion this week are Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 15,  Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, and Galatians 3:6-14, 25-29.

This week we are going to work through the different layers of meaning of the narrative of Abram and Melchizedek found in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 7 – the literal, allegorical (spiritual), moral, and anagogical (end-times).