UFO Alien Earth

UFO Alien Earth UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) is not a new word for every one, and every one are very understands the meaning for this word, that means is the flying object can not be identified or the flying object never see before by the observer also can call it to UFO. (Roswell UFO Incident 2007) Every day, has a lot of the hearsay or news about the UFO or aliens to go the round to us, and this word or this topic are also to come for the scientist and astronomers to thorough study this topic and very constructive to find out the proof to support he or she contention and need to proof human whether alone in the world. Have half of the people believed that the UFO or alien is really existence, and they believed human is not alone in the world. But on other side is disagree this statement and believed human is alone in the world, the reason is they never see UFO and alien before, so they do not believe that about other â€Å"high wisdom living things† is existence. This essay will examine the arguments about existence of Alien and UFO. The existence of alien believe by some of the people is because there are about three different ways or statement to make the people believe the high wisdom living things that refer to alien is existence, that are included the UFO appear in front of them before, the various unimaginable activities make by the alien hearsay are spread for every day, and they found a lot of the alien vestige from the history. This all is a reasons to make the people believed the alien is existence and human is not alone in the world. Start from the era of 40, the cases of UFO are keep on coming out on the difference places in the world and more than million peoples have say that they have meet UFO before. In the presence of all the cases, the case on 13 March 1997 is more famous in the history due to the time where more than ten thousand people visit the unimaginable image together; this case comes up from the Phoenix city of America. On that day night of Arizona of America, around ten thousand peoples saw the sky appear 5 to 6 unidentified object of light and they to arrange in V word and fly over the city with very slowly and quietly, The visitor say, the size for every unidentified object of light bigger like the 747 airplane. This case became the citizen very scared and fear the alien will attack earth and they start to believe the aliens is really existence. The sheriff of Arizona of America on that time, make a news conference and deny this case is true to solve this case to make the citizen scared. But aft er ten years ago, this sheriff recognize he speak a falsehood on that time, the purpose for he speak a falsehood is needs to maintain the social order and dun want make the citizen feel scared, because he is public must be responsible what he talking and every word he say also will influence the people thinking and felling, so he choice speck a falsehood. After few years ago, he feel very guilty conscience and he think he needs to telling a true to every one, he say, on that day night he also have visit the unidentified object of light and say that light very beautiful and the flying object size very bigger, they saw the situation is same with the visitor on that time. After he makes a statement publicly, the topic of the UFO becomes the hot topic immediately, and he also is a first high ranking office to recognize the UFO case is true. (UFO Incident 2007) After they experience the situation that are unexplainable, they also say and believed the UFO is transportation for the aliens to come to our planet, earth. And the appearance of the UFO has three types that is shape like disc, sphere, and the shape like a cigar, but the same is that (UFO) also can flying very high speed, shine and the size big like the 747 airplane. And the alien is establishing to living thing coming from other planet, and they are other very high wisdom living thing except human in the world. And they can be differentiate to smaller, bigger than human and the body size same with human 3 difference types are hearsay before, and they have very big eye and skull, and no any hair on they head. (The mystery of Alien n.d.) this all is descriptive by the detector, and many types of the UFO and alien maybe is not come from same places, or other exposition is difference UFO have differences function, for the example, we have airplane, bombing plane, helicopter, and so on. Difference types of alien can be exposition to difference race, for the example, in our earth have American, Chinese, Indian, African, difference race have difference size of body and difference color of skin. (The mystery of Alien n.d.) In this all of the cases in the history, though the government denies all the cases, the reason is needs to maintain the social order, but other side, the government secretly conducts a lot of the project to study the UFO and the alien cases, because they start scared the reasons for the alien to come to our planet, because happen more and more cases of kidnapping that are related to alien. They believe he or she is kidnapping by the alien is because he or she body also can found the metal blade, and on they skin for the part of embedding the metal blade haven any scar, in our medical skill is can not or impossible can do that, this show they kidnapping by the alien maybe is true and other civilization medical skill is more over than human. And after study by the scientist, discover have 11 material in the metal blade is no in earth, this show the 11 material maybe is come from other planet, and the person after kidnapping by the alien normally will losses they memory, after adopt th e hypnotherapy just know what happen occur on he or she experience. (The mystery of Alien n.d.) Start from 1966, the United Nation seriously noted the cases of the aliens; the reason is wants to avoid the war of interplanetary at first, because the technology level is lower than the alien. The air force schools on America already provide the Ufology course to teach the soldier how to identify the flying object and how to handle when engage with the alien. (Verification of UFO and Alien n.d.) this can show that, the government start run some programs to avoid conflict with alien. In other sides, though the government denies the cases, but the unexplained cases also keep it on to come out and the case is the government can not to denies, because the images is happening in front of the peoples, for the example, the farm, many beautiful and special logo come out in the farm. The first case is come out on 1983 in England, after that, the different logo happening more and more come out on different places. The most special aspect is that every logo in the farm also have more higher radiometer and the wheat is dump and have not snap, and when the farm come out the logo, the farm harvest will be increase. The scientist until now also unable to give an answer and do not know how to solve this mystery. Another incident is that, a person saw how the logo have been done, he said, the logo is big in size but it only take around 3 second but there do not any witness around the happening and than a lot of the questions could not be answer by the scientist, so most people i t is make by the other high wisdom living things, and they try to use it all logo to tell us somethings, but no any one know what the means for they try to telling us. (Alien Wheat logo 2007) This incident was unable to be denied by the government because the logo was showed in front of the people. Beside that, except a lot of the cases about the UFO is happening right now but they (alien) do not just discover by us, actually, they come to our planet already have more than thousand years ago, in our history already have record the cases of the UFO, but on that time, they have not idea or dun not know what is that, and they just thinks or explain they is a cloud of colorful ( because UFO have a lot of the light, so looking like a cloud and very colorful.) a ring of the light, and have some person thinks they is god. This all normally is record on the hymnbook. Furthermore, except record on the hymnbook, are also have record on the wall-painting, the pyramid is a good example for this, because on the wall-painting in the pyramid appear the image of the airplane, helicopter, computer in that, it really inconceivable. Because the first airplane in come out on 1903, but now discover that appear on 3000 years ago on the wall-painting in the pyramid, this make the people of archeology associate the alien have come here before, if follow this statement, just can explain the pyramid is build by the alien, because on that time the Egyptian is not enough technology to do that, and they is impossible to move the stone (the most lightly stone is around 2.5 ton, and most weight stone is around 50 ton) and carry it and fix it into the pyramid. (Sciencehuman Inc n.d.) So, after more and more unexplained cases come out and this is only way can answer this all is other high wisdom civilization from other planet is really existence and human is not alone in the world. Although have a lot of the statement to show the alien is existence, but other side of the peoples still persist in ones opinion and unbelievable have other living things existence in the world. The reasons of them persistent is they haven see alien or UFO before, and have a lot of the proof or photo is counterfeit, make it by some bodies. Other of the reasons is they believe the government and the scientist statement, and have a lot of the flying object is new technology, just is military aircraft, not a UFO. Even thought have a lot of the hearsay is about the cases of the UFO, but, this statement for the peoples is wrong, because in their opinion, they just will assume all this cases is the counterfeit, the reason is, if the case is really happening more and more, why they haven see before. And they believe that, the hearsay also is some bodies to make it out, the purposed for they make it out maybe is needs to destroy the social order, for fun, or maybe is needs to achieve the purposed to get the political power. For the example, have a picture spread on internet, which picture show the president of America, shake hands with alien. The picture maker must needs to destroy he prestige, and let the peoples thinks he collaboration with alien and betray human, and himself (the picture maker) just can get more the political power if the president to fall from power. After that, the president has to clarify some facts, and take the picture say that is counterfeit. (The Biggest Secret Forum 200 3) this has showed that, the cases of alien just is maker by some one that is not trued. Other then that, the scientist overthrows the statement of the alien is existence, the reason is, if the alien is really existence, but the distance between solar system and most near by stellar system also have 4.3 a light-year, that mean if the alien to travel by the airship with more quickly, also need to spend more then ten thousand years, they is impossible have enough the fuel material and they is impossible can live logger like that, so the alien come to our planet is not possible. The reason of the peoples visit the flying objects normally is related with the airplane, an artificial satellite, a planet, and the cause of atmosphere, is not the UFO, and the scientist ask the citizen needs cerebral, there just is the citizen illusion, the living things from other planet is not existence. (Scientists hold a negative attitude toward the UFO 2004) Beside that, have one more point to support the peoples visit the UFO is mistakes, that is the new technology, because the new technology are integration to the new design flying object, and the new flying object is the citizen haven see it before, and when the new flying object appear in front of the peoples, that will make them mistaking and thinks that is UFO. Actually now have a lot of the developed countries already have a lot of the flying objects for the new design or new technology is haven to make known to the public, for the example like the F-117 invisible opportunity for combat make by America also is difference with the tradition opportunity for combat, if the America government no make known to the public, the citizen also will thinks that is UFO when the F-117 appear. Except the F-117 also have a lot of the flying object for new design is not making known to the public again, for the example like England have success to develop the new flying object and give a name to GFS. The figure of this flying object most looking like UFO, actually this function most like UAV, just only research and take photo from the sky, and help to rescue hostage. And now the war industries try to fix the unpiloted system to GFS to reduce the numbers of the casualty. (British development of new types of unmanned aircraft appearance did were quite similar UFO 2007) In conclusion, after research a lot of the point for the alien is not existence, but in my thinking or my opinion, I still believe the living things from other planet is existence and they is really appear in earth, the cases of the hearsay is not counterfeit at all, the reason is, I believe technology can overcome any things hinder in our facing now, for the example, the report for the F-117 before done, also show this opportunity for combat is no people can operate it, because the pressure of the speed is not fitting and proper for the people to operate it. After developed, and give some special training to the operator, finally the result is successes. This show the technology is can overcome any hinder and i thinks they (alien) is overcome all of the problems, so they can fly over the stellar system to our planet. I believe human also can do it finally. Reference Alien Wheat logo 2007. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, fromhttp://www.lalulalu.com/thread-765308-1-1.html British development of new types of unmanned aircraft appearance did were quite similar UFO 2007. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://www.ufo.org.tw/news/2007/101607-2.htm Roswell UFO Incident 2007. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.orgwikiRoswell_UFO_incident.mht Sciencehuman Inc n.d. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://www.sciencehuman.commysterymystery2004mystery200403d3.htm.mht Scientists hold a negative attitude toward the UFO 2004. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://www.xiayidai.com.cnqczxsmdyzufokexuejia.htm.mht The Biggest Secret Forum 2003. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://thebiggestsecretpict.online.fr/ufo_et.htm The mystery of Alien n.d. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://hk.geocities.combrianlin2004alien.htm UFO Incident 2007. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.orgwiki_UFO_incident.mht Verification of UFO and Alien n.d. Retrieved: November 15, 2007, from http://hk.myblog.yahoo.comreallyhaveufoarticlemid=886.mht Appendix The wheat is dump. These appear on the pyramid wall-painting. The picture of GFS. Bush showing the hoax ET picture to the press.

Royal Foolishness in King Lear Essay -- King Lear Essays

The presentation of persistent incompetence of the elite class would seem unlikely in a Shakespearean tragedy. Yes, it in turn led to the expected downfall of almost all principle characters, but there seems to be another element of the play of King Lear – shameful ridicule. The repetition of dishonesty, superficiality, and blatant ignorance serves as an overwhelming theme of the dysfunction of nobility. Indeed, one of the main aspects of King Lear is the representation of royalty’s foolishness. A clear example of the naiveness of the nobility is Regan’s hunger for power and wealth at an extent where she demonstrates little respect towards her own father – also her beneficiary. She insults his age and rudely implies that he no longer deserves the status of king and should pass it on to someone more capable. Ironically, she has the least potential for being an adequate ruler, â€Å"O sir, you are old†¦ You should be ruled and led by some discretion that discerns your state better than yourself† (II.iv.165-169). Her shameless remark touches upon Lear’s own flaws, his d...

Christology of Jesus in the Book of Colossians Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As hints from the book’s internal evidences point (Col.1:4, 23; 2:1), the church at Colossae was not founded by the Apostle Paul, but rather the fruit of one of his associates’ labor – namely, Epaphras. His words like â€Å"we heard of your faith,† â€Å"the gospel which you heard,† and â€Å"for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,† indicate clearly that these people to whom he was writing were known by him only through means other than himself. Nevertheless, they are close to him since they are the result of Eparhras’ bringing of the Gospel in their place (Aid to Bible Understanding 1971). Epaphras was Apostle Paul’s son in the faith much like Timothy and Titus. He had come to know the Lord through the preaching of Paul in Ephesus and eventually carried the message with him back to Colossae and the result was the founding of the church there. Like any father would feel of significant accomplishments of his son, the Apostle was exhilarated simply by reflecting on such achievement wrought by his son in the faith (Henry 1998). Indeed, it’s quite a feat. To the eyes of a true apostle of Christ who have grasped the vision of the Lord of the harvest, nothing more and none else bears the mark of indisputable success than the authentic surrender of previously rebellious sinners to the Lordship of Jesus (Walvoord & Zuck 1997). The church in Colossae is yet another landmark to the progress of the Gospel and the advancement of the kingdom of God as well. In Biblical perspective, this is true success. This letter, therefore, was Paul’s response to the report he received from Epaphras regarding the spiritual condition of the Colossians. The details of the report, however, are not thoroughly positive. Concurrently, the whole scenario was one of good prospects, with regard to what they are already enjoying being in Christ, and the possibility of some of them being dragged away to religious nonsense because of the presence of false teachers among them who actively engaging them into a kind of doctrines that sidetrack them from the right focus. These false teachers are so subtle in their approach that caught the Colossians off guard. The presence of these cultic teachings in their midst brought them to a situation that is very dangerous, and Paul had to write to them a polemic on the fundamentals of the Person of Christ and what He achieved on the cross for them (Duncan p.1 â€Å"The Incomparable Christ†). Historical & Cultural Background   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is interesting to note that Phrygians are one among the many peoples present in Jerusalem during the Feast of Pentecost at the time when the promised Holy Spirit descended upon the first band of disciples in the upper room (Acts 2:10). These people were there at the very center of God’s activity when He was mobilizing His first band of missionaries to reach the first of the target geographic spheres – Jerusalem. Earlier, Jesus pronounced that his disciples would become His witnesses in â€Å"Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.† At the brink of this massive missionary activity, a people who would eventually become direct beneficiaries of an apostolic letter were present – witnessing a poignant presentation of the gospel by Apostle Peter. The city of Colossae was once known to be a great city and was hailed by famed historic figures such as Alexander the Great and Herodotus. Both spoke, in their respective times, of Colossae as â€Å"a great city.† However, at the time of the writing of the Apostle Paul of his letter to the Colossians, the city was not as celebrated as Laodicea and Hierapolis (Smith The Letter To The Colossians, New Testament Introduction) in comparison. However, along with these greater Phrygian cities, Colossae was famed for its textile industry. In the ancient world, a variety of cloth called â€Å"Colossinum† with its purple wool was one of the exquisite that it was very much valued. Thus, Colossae was among the triad of known center of the textile industry. Geographically, it was positioned along the banks of the Lycus River, and was 160 kilometers travel to the east side of Ephesus. It’s easy to think of a Christian disciple from Ephesus to have gone to this nearby city to extend the gospel; and indeed, it might have been Epaphras who blazed the trail of evangelistic work there and probably since then holding the reins of pastorate there. Since Colossae was in the regions of Phrygia which was itself part of Greece, the population was naturally Phrygians, Greeks, and considerable number of Jews. In his book, â€Å"The Antiquities of the Jews,† Josephus Flavius recorded that during the reign of Antiochus the Great (223-187 B.C.), he banished into exile from Babylonia 2,000 Jewish families and relocated them into the districts of Phrygia and Lydia (Antiquities 12.147-153). The probability was high that the descendants of those Jews who immigrated there two centuries earlier, were without a doubt still living in the same region, and in Colossae particularly were rooted and settled by the first century A.D. Culture’s Influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mixture of population in Colossae undoubtedly contributed to the difficulty in determining decisively what kind of philosophies or false teachings have crept into the fellowship of Christians at Colossae. The manner through which the problem is identified in the book makes scholars conclude that it was syncretism. Because these false teachers have never outrightly denied Christ in their instructions, if looked at the surface, they appear to be Christian teachers in the eyes of the new converts whose level of understanding of the Christian doctrines was at this time not yet thorough strong. False teachers used Christ only as their launching station to bring these people into the true substance of their belief. For example, it would only disturb the Colossians if these teachers uncunningly had presented themselves as Gnostics, or Judaizers, or some pagan gurus propagating their paganistic philosophies (Bauer et al. 1979). Therefore, they stealthily conducted themselves among Christians and apparently they have successfully injected some of the important features of their doctrines into the forefront among the biblical truths which the Colossians were previously oriented to focus their minds on, namely, the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Paul elaborated on the implications of everything that the Person of Christ stood for. From unveiling the majestic Person of Christ to the natural ramifications of what it means he went on in scrupulous details. The confusion that these false teachers created among the Colossian church was very dangerous that it threatens the very character of their identity as Christians (i.e. disciples who follow Christ’s teachings). And besides, it endangers the spiritual lives of the believers at Colossae. Gospel truths will lead to true godliness while half-truths or the Gospel mixed with other philosophical elements which are not found in Christ will always lead to the destruction of life in general. According to Paul, it’s not possible for them to practice Jewish religious rituals, and embrace paganistic beliefs and philosophies, and still retain the true nature of Christianity. As can be seen, the cultural background through which Colossians was written played a huge role on how Paul developed his themes in the book. They could not have escaped the applications of Paul’s teachings since he made everything clear to them. The structure of Gnosticism’s philosophy was based on presuppositions such as, God is the Supreme Being who is spirit and good in nature. He is the unnamed Father, and out of the core of His being flows a series of emanations/aeons or mediators, and the material world is evil. Reading Paul’s letter in the midst of a culture that is so familiar with the Gnostic teachings, one would not miss the images he was using and its implications (Shelley 1982 pp.52-54). To the things advocated by these Gnostics, like for instance, that they needed â€Å"mediaries† to be able to tap to that special wisdom which alone could be received from God, Christ is the â€Å"wisdom of God.† The advocacy of Jewish traditions which are also present and rampant among these believers were just as attractive as all these Hellenistic philosophies in that it lay claim to the very roots of Christianity (Gaebelien 1998). To those who find the arguments of Judaizers logically appealing, the Apostle would say: â€Å"They are but a shadow of things to come.† All of the legitimate practices of the people of God as sanctioned by the Old Testament Scriptures were all types and only a shallow of the real thing (Gill 2000). They all pointed to Christ and when Jesus came all of them were done away with because the whole substance of those things is Christ. And Christ was manifested in the flesh. To the Gnostic who does not believe in the incarnation of the Christ in literal physical body, Paul’s word is: â€Å"In Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily† (Col.2:9). To those Jewish Christians who constantly were being â€Å"Judaized† by the Judaizers wanting them to incorporate certain elements of their tradition, Paul’s message is: â€Å"You were circumcised by the circumcision of Christ.† He made it in the spirit â€Å"without hands.† â€Å"God has forgiven all your trespasses because Christ has wiped out everything that the righteous requirements of the law have been demanding from you.† Christ neutralized all the incriminatory proofs written in the Jewish canon that would declare Christians guilty, whether Jews or Gentiles, before the bar of God’s justice (Metzer 1975). In Paul’s own words, â€Å"He (Christ) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross† (Col.2:11-14). The Colossians were reminded of the all sufficiency of Christ (Wenham et al 1994). Overall Message of the Book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since what is under attack is the very Person of Jesus Christ, and because this assault has far-reaching effects and naturally hit the Colossians at different fronts of their faith, Apostle Paul saw it necessary to concentrate his treatise on the Person and the work of Christ. For instance, as it was the assertion of certain teachers inside the church that the fullness of spiritual experience which until then had not been realized in their lives could be attained only through means other than Christ (e.g. worship of angels), Paul had to stress the distinctness and the exclusivity of the role of the second Person of the Godhead in salvation and in securing the fullness of experience of every believer in their relationship with God. The completeness and the comprehensiveness of Christ’s Person and work have covered everything that the Colossians could ever imagine. There is no angel, no religious practice/rituals, and no tradition could ever surpass Christ. Christ is supremely preeminent. The Colossians, contrary to what these false teachers wanted them to be convinced of with their teachings, has the fullness already in Christ. They needed only to realize this through the clear elaborations of an Apostle. Epaphras discovered the significance of this role of Paul, hence he asked for his reinforcement. During this time of the church’s history, Christ’s teachings were still significantly guarded by legitimate apostles. In Colossians 1:1, Paul opened his letter with this salutation: â€Å"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. . . to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse. . . .† He has not yet by this time visited the church at Colossae and therefore has not known personally many of them. They might have heard of him though through Epaphras. And so, his first words reflect the assertion that what will follow are instructions coming from the one who has been sent directly and authorized by Jesus Christ himself. Paul said, â€Å"I am an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.† This introduction stands in sharp contrast to the false teachers in their midst who go along professing to be spiritual elites who were privies to God, and possibly, Jesus. Therefore, the first few words of Paul are crucial and their force is carried through the entire letter. It bears the mark of apostolicity and hence it is not just an ordinary epistle. Paul was one of the privileged few in his time, like Peter and the rest of all the twelve authentic apostles, who had seen and were commission by Jesus personally. And at the time of his writing, there were many still living apostles who could attest to his claim, although it was not necessary. His apostleship was widely known among the first generation of Christians, and at Colossae, Epaphras was there as direct result of Paul’s apostleship – and the Colossians the indirect product of Paul’s commission. In setting forth very clearly the fact of his authority, what he had to say to them in this letter were not opinions or just lofty guesses coming from a person who mustered enough of his noble thoughts about Christ. His teachings were at that time the standard teaching of true apostles of Jesus (Clarke 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another paganistic element in the teachings of these false teachers was the contention that insights into spiritual powers – demonic powers – that could protect and shield the Colossians could be acquired through certain observances and rituals. In particular, rites that were thought of as effective in restraining the flesh from engaging even in legitimate use of the body in marriage between husband and wife, and lawful consumption of food and use of things were put forward as necessary for superior spirituality. Again, to battle these cultic emphases on the superficial appearance of spirituality among the Colossians, the apostle Paul presses over and over again the theme of Christ’s overall sufficiency. The absolute preeminence of Christ has overarching cosmic implications. To know Christ is to know God. To know Christ is to know the Creator who not only created the universe and all of the planets, but also by His power hold these things together (Col.1:15-20). If Christ is, as the Apostle’s Creed faithfully declares, â€Å"very God of very God,† then they have all good reasons to trust in Him alone. No religious leader should dare to compare Him to angels nor to spiritual mediaries because He Himself is God. â€Å"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him† (Col.1:15-16). Themes of the Book   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the pressing concerns that had seriously affected the demeanor of the Colossians was their fear of the â€Å"stoicheia† – Greek word for â€Å"elementary principles.† The source of the heresy that Paul was battling among the Christians in Colossae was the philosophy that had successfully sneaked into their consciousness. It was very unfortunate to see an apostolic congregation being victimized by this philosophical nonsense (Balz & Schneider 1990). Paul would have to tell them in his letter of the utter rubbishness of what they are entertaining in place of Christ. They were playing with â€Å"philosophy† which amounts to â€Å"empty deception† because it comes from â€Å"the tradition of men† (Col.2:8). In the ancient times, stoicheia means many things. But basically, it means, as it is translated in English, â€Å"elementary instructions.† These include the physical elements like earth, water, fire, and wind. Also, the ancient people would have meant it to be â€Å"elemental spirits.† These elemental spirits are believed to be those powerful beings that control nature. These are evil spirits and therefore hostile in nature. They command the respect and allegiance of human beings because they rule over the fate of humans. They can cause â€Å"sicknesses, effect a curse, bring in poor crops, plagues, earthquakes, and natural disasters† (DeWaay â€Å"Colossian Heresy† p.1). The Colossians find this kind of teaching so attractive. Their problem however was that in this kind of hodgepodge religion, they had already fallen into idolatry from whence they had been delivered when they believed the Gospel. In the first chapter of Colossians, Paul established the reality of Jesus’ divinity. Jesus Christ is the one who is truly in control of the â€Å"elemental spirits† because He is in fact the Creator of everything â€Å"seen and unseen.† In Colossians 2:15, Paul presented Christ as one who through His death on the cross, â€Å"disarmed principalities and powers,† and by the power of His resurrection, â€Å"He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.† The culture where they happened to be living in has much influence on their lives that they never have suspected. This sinister influence had been there all along and just biding time, and had found the occasion through the false teachers. It was observed that this belief in â€Å"elemental spirits† had been characteristic of ancient Pagans and Jews. It could be that some of the initiates to the Colossian church were looking for help in Christian religion to avert the spell of stoicheia in their lives. This belief in â€Å"evil forces† in the air might even be their common background. They were brought up from this superstitious environment. Paul, therefore, had to remind them of what has transpired when they surrendered and have put their trust in Christ. They â€Å"died with Christ from the basic principles of the world† (Col.2:20). There’s the word â€Å"stoicheia† again. The Colossians should have totally forsaken any trace of this paganistic reservation. If Christ rules the universe, why fear the evils that these sinister spirits could inflict them? And if Christ is the Creator and for whom all things were created, including â€Å"invisible elements,† and all the spiritual hierarchy in the heavens, then He must be Supreme and Sovereign. The Colossians did not have to subject themselves to useless regulations. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The understanding of the Person of Christ is crucial to the establishment of the Christian’s faith. After this elaboration of Paul on the majesty of the Person of Jesus Christ in his epistle to the Colossians, there should be none any more room for any additives to the faith and practice of the Christian life. Christ’s Person and His redemptive work are sufficient source of unshakeable confidence. Thinking about the Person of Christ, of who He really is as portrayed by Paul in Colossians, how could possibly anyone who knows all these things concerning Jesus add to Him the philosophies of mere men? What is it there that innovative human beings can add to Christ? False teachers of Paul’s day would say that if one wanted to be freed from the dominion and powers of darkness, even if he or she has Christ already, there needed to be certain things to be added. To this, Paul would retort: â€Å"Christ has saved us from the powers of darkness and there’s nothing to be added. He is enough and we are complete in Him.† To look for â€Å"fullness† somewhere else and other than Christ is to doubt His Person. All things consist in Him and in Him all the fullness dwells. In Christ we received redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. Works cited: Anonymous.   1971.   Aid to Bible Understanding. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (Aid). Bauer, Walter; Arndt, William; Gingrich, F. Wilbur; Danker, Frederick.   1979. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Second Edition. Chicago, Ill: The University of Chicago Press. (BAGD). Balz, Horst and Schneider, Gerhard. 1990. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. 2 Volumes.   Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. (EDNT). Barnes, Albert, Notes on the Bible. Electronic E-Sword Files.   E-Sword copyright 2000 – 2003 by Rick Meyers.   www.e-sword.net Beveridge, William A Short History of the Westminster Assembly. Revised, edited, and introduced by J. Ligon Duncan III. Greenville: Reformed Academic Press, 1993. Clarke, Adam.   Commentary on the Bible.   Electronic E-Sword Files.   E-Sword copyright 2000 – 2003 by Rick Meyers.   www.e-sword.net Duncan, Ligon. Christology, Soteriology, and Eschatology. Orlando: RTS Media Ministries, 1993. [with accompanying audio tapes].Ligon Duncan III. Greenville: A Press, 19911,    19932, 19943. Cunningham, William An Introduction to Theological Studies. Edited and introduced by J.Ligon Duncan III. Greenville:   Ã‚   A Press, 19911, 19932, 19943. DeWaay â€Å"Colossian Heresy† p.1. Retrieved   March 20, 2008 Douglas, J.D. and Comfort, Phillip.   The New Commentary of the Whole Bible: New Testament: Based on the Classic Commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown.   Electronic STEP Files.   Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology (JFB). Gaebelien, Frank, editor. 1998. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.   Electronic STEP Files.   Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. (EBC). Gill, John.   Exposition of the Entire Bible.   Electronic E-Sword Files.   E-Sword copyright 2000 – 2003 by Rick Meyers.   www.e-sword.net Henry, Matthew.   1998.   Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible.   Electronic STEP Files.   Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology. Metzger, Bruce M. 1975. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament.   3rd Edition.   Stuttgart, Germany: United Bible Societies. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Power BibleCD Version 3.3 Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 Phil Lindner, Online Publishing, Inc. Shelley, Bruce. Church History in plain language. 1982 pp.52-54. Walvoord, John and Zuck,   Roy.   1997. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament.   Electronic STEP Files.   Cedar Rapids,   IA: Parsons Technology. (BKC). Wenham, G.J., Motyer, J.A., Carson, D.A. and France, R.T. 1994.   New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Downer’s Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press. (NBC).   

Prehistoric Life During the Carboniferous Period

The name Carboniferous reflects the most famous attribute of the Carboniferous period: the massive swamps that cooked, over tens of millions of years, into todays vast reserves of coal and natural gas. However, the Carboniferous period (359 to 299 million years ago) was also notable for the appearance of new terrestrial vertebrates, including the very first amphibians and lizards. The Carboniferous was the second-to-last period of the Paleozoic Era (541-252 million years ago), preceded by the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods and succeeded by the Permian period. Climate and Geography The global climate of the Carboniferous period was intimately linked with its  geography. During the course of the preceding Devonian period, the northern supercontinent of Euramerica merged with the southern supercontinent of Gondwana, producing the enormous super-supercontinent Pangea, which occupied much of the southern hemisphere during the ensuing Carboniferous. This had a pronounced effect on air and water circulation patterns, which resulted in a large portion of southern Pangea being covered by glaciers and a general global cooling trend (which, however, didnt have much effect on the coal swamps that covered Pangeas more temperate regions). Oxygen made up a much higher percentage of the Earths atmosphere than it does today, fueling the growth of terrestrial megafauna, including dog-size insects. Terrestrial Life During the Carboniferous Period Amphibians. Our understanding of life during the Carboniferous period is complicated by Romers Gap, a 15-million-year stretch of time (from 360 to 345 million years ago) that has yielded virtually no vertebrate fossils. What we do know, however, is that by the end of this gap, the very first tetrapods of the late Devonian period, themselves only recently evolved from lobe-finned fish, had lost their internal gills and were well on their way toward becoming true amphibians. By the late Carboniferous, amphibians were represented by such important genera as Amphibamus and Phlegethontia, which (like modern amphibians) needed to lay their eggs in water and keep their skin moist, and thus couldnt venture too far onto dry land. Reptiles. The most important trait that distinguishes reptiles from amphibians is their reproductive system: The shelled eggs of reptiles are better able to withstand dry conditions, and thus dont need to be laid in water or moist ground. The evolution of reptiles was spurred by the increasingly cold, dry climate of the late Carboniferous period. One of the earliest reptiles yet identified, Hylonomus, appeared about 315 million years ago, and the giant (almost 10 feet long) Ophiacodon only a few million years later. By the end of the Carboniferous, reptiles had migrated well toward the interior of Pangea. These early pioneers went on to spawn the archosaurs, pelycosaurs,  and therapsids of the ensuing Permian period. (It was the archosaurs that went on to spawn the first dinosaurs  nearly a hundred million years later.) Invertebrates. As noted above, the Earths atmosphere contained an unusually high percentage of oxygen during the late Carboniferous period, peaking at an astounding 35%. This surplus was especially beneficial to terrestrial invertebrates, such as insects, which breathe via the diffusion of air through their exoskeletons, rather than with the aid of lungs or gills. The Carboniferous was the heyday of the giant dragonfly Megalneura, the wingspan of which measured up to 2.5 feet, as well as the giant millipede Arthropleura, which attained lengths of almost 10 feet. Marine Life During the Carboniferous Period With the extinction of the distinctive placoderms (armored fish) at the end of the Devonian period, the Carboniferous isnt especially well known for its marine life, except insofar as some genera of lobe-finned fish were closely related to the very first tetrapods and amphibians that invaded dry land. Falcatus, a close relative of Stethacanthus, is probably the best-known Carboniferous shark, along with the much bigger Edestus, which is known primarily by its teeth. As in preceding geologic periods, small invertebrates like corals, crinoids, and arthropods were plentiful in the Carboniferous seas. Plant Life During the Carboniferous Period The dry, cold conditions of the late Carboniferous period werent especially hospitable to plants—but that still didnt prevent these hardy organisms from colonizing every available ecosystem on dry land. The Carboniferous witnessed the very first plants with seeds, as well as bizarre genera like the 100-foot-tall club moss Lepidodendron and the slightly smaller Sigillaria. The most important plants of the Carboniferous period were the ones inhabiting the large belt of carbon-rich coal swamps around the equator, which were later compressed by millions of years of heat and pressure into the vast coal deposits we use for fuel today.