Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 2 Study # 8
April 3, 2005
Lincolnton, N.C.
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<143> Thesis:  The shepherds' response is a declaration of the integrity of the "Word/History Loop". Introduction:  As we have looked into Luke's carefully garnered facts regarding "Jesus", we have seen that he has had a deliberate intent to "shape" the theology of his readers into a perception of Jesus that would enhance their experience of "Life". We have seen that he clearly understood that a major obstacle to "Life" is the wrong kind of "fear". We have seen that his "remedy" for that kind of fear is a focus upon "grace". We have seen that he sees "grace" as a problem for most people who have moved far enough into the pursuit of truth to be "theophiles". We have seen that his approach to this "problem" is to continually beat the drum of "divine integrity" in respect to His "words" regarding His promise of "Life". Our study this morning is going to be another drum-beat on that thesis.