Thursday, May 29
Re:Book 3 Opening Thoughts- Ambition
I like what you suggestd MJ. I think in a certain sense we could say Paul was ambitious- though somehow 'zealous' seems a bit more accurate. I guess with ambition I think more about personal gain, achievement. To be a 'right' sort of ambition, I think you are right, it would have to be grounded in a love for Christ. Because we don't do anything for our personal glory but we "do all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31), as you mentioned. It's not that we achieve anything ourselves- by ourselves- but that we simply work hard and ask God to work through us, etc. So I'm not sure if this is a sort of 'Christian ambition' or not.
I was wondering about a different sort of ambition in relation to the Romans. What causes them to have an ambition to seek after having more gods? The want a multitude. In Boko 4 we see Augustine showing how the Romans had gods for every little thing- not just for the door, but for the hinges and other such things. It frankly sounds silly to me. But what drives them to have this sort of ambition, this desire or felt need to have more gods over more things? a multitude instead of just one?
Re: Different Perspectives
The thought also occurred to me that perhaps God was preparing the people for Christ's coming by having them undergo so many calamities, in hopes of showing the Romans that the gods they worship are not gods and are pretty useless in terms of prosperity, security, trust, etc. To reveal their own sin and emptiness. Reminds me of Revelation, all the sufferings that are guaranteed before Christ's second coming. Seems right to me. Interesting too. I wonder if such troubles were more widespread, or central to Rome and the surrounding area there?
Re:MJ- Book 2, Justice
I think your breakdown of the 2nd argument seems true to me. Reminds me of Romans 1:20- "for since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." I think this also speaks of a consistency in creation- all of God's creations will exhibit His invisible qualities in some way or other, and they will be consistent with one another. (because they reflect the one true God). The only difficulty I suppose is in seperating when something is reflecting God and when something is only reflecting man and his sinful nature, something of God's that has been corrupted. Anyway, my guess is that Augustine's argument would not be the first one.
