Rings with a twist

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On Thu, 8 Aug 1996 00:48:14 -0400 (EDT), you wrote:

>Let's keep in mind that not all tradition is bad.  Every culture by
>definition has traditions that it follows that help to define its rules and
>roles. Much of our worship has strong foundations in tradition.  (Think
>about our services- Song service, prayer, preaching, altar call.  Or having
>'revival meetings', Sunday School classes,  song books, and even Sunday
>worship. And where were the church buildings in the 1st Century?)  These are
>largely built on tradition, and they are very good things.

That's right Brother Deckard. Traditions come and go, and like other
aspects of life in this world, if there are none, something is wrong!
Do a reality check!

We might learn form the details of the construction of the Temple of
God by Solomon.

We know how great stones were hewn out, and shaped apart from the
temple site, then brought and laid. In four years a foundation was
laid. We know how the impressive structure amazed people, and even the
disciples were impressed by the great stones (later cast down like
pebbles) of its structure..

We are a house build up as lively stones, designed or fit for the
habitation of the Spirit. We are the Temple of God, his dwelling
place. The foundations are the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself the main strength and basis. The structure is impressive. The
doctines are square. No one can build on any other foundation and have
it last. The John 3:5/Acts 2 doctines are immovable. The identity of
Jesus Christ is the unmoving door of all revelation.

But generations come and generations go. Things change in the world.
People come from many different paths, and develop some very unique
characteristics.

For the temple to be inhabited by real people, there had to be
"finishings". We read clearly that there were such preparations, such
that people did walk through a temple of bare stone..

6:15  And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar,
both the floor of the house, and the walls of the cieling: [and] he
covered [them] on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the
house with planks of fir. 

9  So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with
beams and boards of cedar.  10  And [then] he built chambers against
all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house [with]
timber of cedar. 

There was finishing detail to cover the stone.. It rested squarely
against the stone structure. The Stone provided unchanging dimensions
to the finish carpentry. Cedar might need to be replaced after
several decades, but when it was replaced, the shape and measure would
already be clear. It was simply a matter of getting a new peice of
wood. Perhaps the wood found would be a different color, or have knots
in different places than the last... but whatever, bare stone would
not serve to "humanize" the temple.

Carpentry denotes working with WOOD, a type of humanity. I remember at
this point that Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth, a place without
much esteem nor well regarded for its "tradition".


Is this example valid ? How distinct is the stone from the finish
covering in the Temple (i.e. the Church) ?

Back several verses, a more basic designl requirement had been
specified by the Principle Architect:

6  The nethermost chamber [was] five cubits broad, and the middle
[was] six cubits broad, and the third [was] seven cubits broad: for
without [in the wall] of the house he made narrowed rests round about,
that [the beams] should not be fastened in the walls of the house. 

The beams were not even to fasten into the walls. The carpenters would
come and build a box in a box. the beams would fit squarely into the
stone chambers.

As you said, tradition is not incompatable with truth in whole unless
it attempts to destroy stone so as to build a chamber if a shape
utterly different from the foundation and walls of the enclosure which
God has revealed form eternity.

Many today have no regard for the ancient stonework, prefering to
alter it as suits their tradition, but we are happy to see that around
the world, people are seeking the marvelous pattern on which to build,
and are lovingly making their bodies available for the work of
finishing the dwelling place of God.