another reminder

Here from Justin Taylor is another reminder of the importance of an essentially literal approach to Bible translation. Quoting Robert Alter:
My notion of effective translation of the Bible involves a high degree of literalism–within the limits of reasonably acceptable literary English–both in regard to representing the word choice and the word order of the [...]

Bible translation tribes

iMonk quotes Scot McKnight’s breakdown of which evangelical tribes prefer which translation of the Bible. Interesting stuff. I don’t know if he meant for it to be amusing, but it kind of is that too.
Scott Mcknight recently came right out and said it: We do translations by tribes:
“NRSV for liberals and Shane Claiborne [...]

the Death Penalty

Challies has reviewed The Death Penalty on Trial by Ron Gleason.
It sounds like a interesting and useful book for Christians who have trouble with the Death Penalty as a possible punishment by the State.
Go read the whole review and see what you think. I thought this part was a particularly interesting bit of [...]

Francis Chan on the Church

I am reading Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love. I am more than halfway finished with it and I will be posting more about it once I have finished it. I can already see that it is going to have to be on my read every year list.
This morning I ran across [...]

our culture’s effect on our faith

Al Mohler is hitting on a very sensitive topic with this post. It is a more complete picture of the effect than the slice that I was looking at in my comments to this post. I said the following:
Number 2, there is a basic misunderstanding of the important responsibility of church membership in [...]

a brilliant example of contrast

on August 1, 2007, an interstate highway bridge collapsed in minneapolis, minnesota. This collapse and the internet combined to allow all of us to see an almost real time contrast between arminian and calvinist views of God’s sovereignty in the midst of a tragedy.
Many of you know that John Piper’s church is in Minneapolis. [...]

the Bible

another one of Challies’ Wednesday links was to this article.
Ray Ortlund discusses some statistics detailing the shockingly high levels of biblical illiteracy in the general population and among christians. he then gives six excellent suggestions for dealing with this huge problem.
an example of the statistics:
According to 82 percent of Americans, ‘God helps those who [...]

read your bible

this is the time of year when people make resolutions. like Todd Bumgarner says, Resolve to Read Your Bible.
Todd links to and describes a number of reading plans. here is a direct link to the ESV plans which are all on the web to use every day.
here is the one that I plan [...]

newsweek’s stab at hermeneutics

I don’t know how many are aware of Newsweek’s recent cover story regarding homosexual marriage and how the Bible’s “values” support it, but it was quite something. If you have some time to kill and want to read a good example of how not to approach the scripture then this is a good [...]

D.A. Carson

Here is a quote from D.A. Carson via Vitamin Z about why Christians are surprised by suffering.
Here is his first reason:
We may get the balance of Scripture wrong. We remember the wonderful triumphs of Joseph, Gideon, and David; we meditate continuously on the miraculous healing of the man born blind, or on the [...]

syncretism

Thanks to Al Mohler, I ran across this story from the Leaf Chronicle.
Syncetism is the reconciliation/fusion of opposing belief systems.
the Leaf Chronicle story talks about Christians using eastern meditation in their devotions.
Like many churchgoers in the Bible Belt, Kristy Robinson teaches Sunday school with her husband and helps prepare communion at their Episcopal church [...]

Bible translations and study

as I said before, I am kind of a nut about Bibles. The bottom line is that I think everyone should get one that they will read and then read it for all its worth.
Having said that, at Bible study yesterday morning the importance of using a literal translation in your study [...]

Online ESV Study Bible and pitt-minion

Here is Matthew 5 in the ESV online Study Bible. pretty cool. Be sure to hit the “listen” button to have it read to you.
Also, the pitt-minion edition of the ESV is out from Cambridge Bibles. Take a look at Mark Bertrand’s review and pictures. That brown goatskin looks [...]

ESV Study Bible is out

the ESV Study Bible is out. Westminster Bookstore has them at a good discount. Calfskin appears to have already sold out. that brown trutone is looking pretty good.

Psalm 145

here is a recitation of Psalm 145 on the attributes of God.

Hat tip to ESV Bible Blog. here is the original context.
here is bonus video of Ryan reciting Hebrews 9 and 10 also from the ESV blog.

Objective Bible Study

Challies has a post about the necessity of leaning on the Holy Spirit when studying the Bible to avoid the possibility of reading the Bible to support preexisting arguments rather than what is there.
he first gives an interesting illustration involving the Loch Ness monster that wraps up like this.
In the case of the people gathered [...]

harsh language

here is Mark Driscoll talking briefly about the use of harsh language in the Bible.

Hat tip to Joe Thorn.

Bibles and blogs

I am kind of a nut about Bibles. Here are some links that some of you may be interested in, if you share my nuttiness in this area:
here is the ESV Bible Blog. It is a place where they make announcements of upcoming editions as well as news and reviews of the [...]

piper on preaching

Stay with this clip (it won’t be difficult) till the last minute.

Hat tip to Dodson

Romans 8:16-39

Adrian Warnock posted this video a few weeks ago of a dramatic reading of Romans 8:16-39. Enjoy.

Deacon stuff

I added the narrative explanation of deacon qualifications and role below the outline on the Deacon Outline page. Yes, that’s right, even more words.

what is our hope?

I Peter 1:13 says that we need to prepare our minds for action (the KJV word picture is to “gird up the loins of your mind” I love that!) be sober minded and set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
If we are going to focus [...]

Read your Bible

Thanks to Todd Bumgarner who pointed me to this long quote by Bishop J.C. Ryle about the importance of reading your Bible. Here is a piece:
You live in a world where your soul is in constant danger. Enemies are round you on every side. Your own heart is deceitful. Bad examples are numerous. Satan is [...]

Did Jesus Claim to be Messiah (the Christ)?

Some of you have seen John Hagee’s video advertising one of his books. In it he makes the startling claim that the Jews can’t be responsible for rejecting Jesus as Messiah, because He never claimed to be Messiah. This video is just amazing because surely John Hagee should know better, but he is [...]

Hospitality

In our bible study this morning we talked a little bit about hospitality.  We are studying Hebrews and we have arrived at chapter 13 verse 2.
This passage seems to echo the instruction of I Peter 4:7-9 that we keep our love for one another at full strength and don’t neglect to show hospitality. One [...]