Number 21

This is a week late (it's been pretty busy around here!), but here's what a 21 year old looks like!!

Happy 21--Andrew

The Erosion of Inerrancy

The third mini-review from my vacation is G.K. Beale's The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism. Beale's concern is that a significant number of evangelicals are moving away from the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy and embracing more postmodern interpretive methods, causing less confidence in the propositional claims of the Bible.

Primarily Beale debates Peter Enns, whom Beale sees as a primary example of those who are moving away from inerrancy. Enns' book, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, is Beale's primary target. There are chapters concerning OT narratives [primarily those in Genesis], how OT texts are handled in the NT, the authorship of Isaiah, and OT cosmology.

Can the Bible contain myth and still be considered authoritative? Can inspiration for the Bible be maintained if it contains distortions of history? Did Jesus and the apostles misinterpret the OT? If Jesus taught that Isaiah wrote all his prophecy, can one hold to Second or Third Isaiah and still hold to the authority of Scripture? Does the OT borrow mythological beliefs about the cosmos that are clearly incompatible with modern scientific knowledge? These are important questions dealt with by the author as the book unfolds. Beale is concerned that these questions once posed by liberal theologians are now being asked from within evangelicalism. He is rightly concerned. If evangelicals continue to move along the lines outlined in this book, we all better be concerned!

I would urge a reading of this book to open one's eyes to what is happening in larger evangelicalism.

The Attentive Life

As mentioned earlier, I had the chance to catch up on some reading on my recent vacation. The best book I read was The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford. For Ford, the great sin Christians commit is that of inattention to God and what He is doing in your life. Ford writes: "We live in an age of continuous partial attention." This partial attention is a major hindrance in our relationship to God because it is sin. He quotes the Quaker writer Douglas Steere: "For prayer is awakeness, attention, intense inward openness. In a certain way sin could be described . . . as anything that destroys this attention" [26]. Ford's solution--practice in some way the Benedictine Hours, from Vigils to Compline. For the author, these divine hours are not just for one's day but for one's life.

The book then is structured along the "Hours." In each chapter there is a description of the "Hour," a biblical/devotional development of it, and an example of one "Who Paid Attention."

If distraction is the primary problem of most believers (and I agree that it is), then this book is at least a partial remedy. Some salient quotes:

• The true mystics . . . are not those who contemplate holiness in isolation, reaching godlike illumination in serene silence, but those who manage to find God in a world filled with noise, the demands of other people and making a living [quoting Kathleen Norris].
• The great irony of our wired age of communication is that many of our children are growing up information rich and imigination poor.
• To pray without ceasing is not to think about God rather than other things, or to talk to God instead of to other people, but rather to think, speak and live in the presence of God [quoting Henri Nouwen].
• Love is focused attention.
• Hurry is the great enemy of life in the Spirit.
• Ruthlessly eliminate hurry! [The key to keeping the 'fast lane' from ruining one's spiritual life]
• Death, some small, some huge, may be God's way of bringing transformation and new life.

You get the idea. There are many quotes and scriptural references that bring life to this book. Ford has written something we all need. He is calling for something we all need to do. We all need to slow down and pay attention to the One who always pays attention to us. You need to read this one!

Ending of Mark

I read several books during my recent vacation. I'll comment on three of them over the next few days. David Alan Black has edited, Perspectives on the Ending of Mark. The book consists of papers shared during a 2007 conference held at Southeastern Seminary.

Whether or not Mark 16:9-20 is original is something text critics and Bible students have grappled with for centuries. By and large there are three major views: (1) The Gospel ended at v. 8; (2) vv. 9-20 belonged with the Gospel from the start; and (3) the ending was lost. Those views were touted by Daniel Wallace, Maurice Robinson, and Keith Elliott, respectively. David Alan Black adds a chapter in which he touts his own proposal for solving the Synoptic Problem (see his Why Four Gospels?]. Black believes Mark wrote vv. 9-20 as an addendum to the Gospel later.

Each of the chapters is well done and clearly outlines the proposal championed. I have in recent years come to the conclusion that Mark ended his work at v. 8 and vv. 9-20 are secondary. That just seems to me to be the easiest and best explanation. However, as this work makes clear, one must hold to his view on these verses tentatively. The last word has yet to be spoken or written about them.

If you want a clear outline of the major ways this text is handled, this book is for you. I highly recommend it. All the chapters were a good read and stimulated further thought and study on my part.

Myrtle Beach 2009

Vacations are awesome but end too soon! We had a great time on Myrtle Beach. It was bike-week but that didn't bother us too much, surprisingly.

Divine Interruptions

This morning God turned my attention to Amos 7:14: So Amos answered Amaziah, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. The High Priest has warned Amos to stop prophesying and go back home where he belongs. Amos simply says he cannot. He had been living his life, tending to his business, when God interrupted and called him to be a prophet.

God specializes in divine interruptions. As you move along your day, look for them. They are divine opportunities to get in on kingdom work. Because He's God, He has a right to intervene in our lives anytime He chooses. It is up to us to be ready.

Ask God today to give you a discerning spirit. Ask Him to open your eyes and heart to those divine interruptions, opportunities to do something eternal. He's working. Are you ready?

A Christian Take on Mother's Day

Al Mohler is always articulate on the "now" issues. Here is part of his recent take on Mother's Day.

The Christian vision of motherhood is more about courage and faithfulness than about sentimentalism. The mothers of the Bible are a tough lot. Jochebed put her baby in a floating ark of bulrushes, defying the order of Pharaoh that all Hebrew male children be put to death. Rachel, mother to Joseph and Benjamin, died giving birth to Benjamin. Hannah promised her son to God, and presented Samuel as a young boy for service in the House of the Lord. Mary, the mother of Jesus, risked shame and disgrace to bear the Savior, and to provide all Christians with a model of brave and unflinching obedience. She was there when Jesus Christ was crucified. As Simeon had told her just after the birth of Christ, "Behold this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." [Luke 2:34-35]
A corsage hardly seems appropriate.

Christians must resist the reduction of motherhood to sentimentality, and particularly that sentimentalism that undermines what mothers are truly to represent -- nurture, fortitude, courage, dedication, faithfulness, discipline, and trust in God.

Mother's Day is a bad idea because it subverts the reality of faithful mothering and robs faithful mothers of their true glory. Mothers deserving of honor are handed cards and taken to lunch, when songs of praise should instead be offered to the glory of God. Undeserving mothers, who abdicate their true responsibility, are honored just because they are mothers. Children, young and old, who ignore and dishonor their mothers by word and by life throughout the year, assuage their guilt by making a big deal of Mother's Day.
So, Mother's Day is a bad idea.

Then again, Mother's Day is impossible to ignore. What quality of ingratitude marks the son or daughter (or husband) who does not honor mothers on Mother's Day? There was I yesterday, with son and daughter, honoring both their mother (my dear wife, Mary) and my mother-in-law. Yes, we had a celebratory meal out and we passed out greeting cards with our own personal inscriptions. Gifts were delivered, and all the right things were said. Calls were made to my mother, several states away.
In the end, we are all like little children who push crumpled hand-made greeting cards toward Mom, who then accepts our grubby offerings with love and gratitude.

So much for avoiding sentimentality. Let's just make certain that there is more to Mother's Day than sentiment. The mothers we should honor are those who raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, who honor their marriages and live faithfully, who teach and nurture and discipline by the Bible. These are mothers who defy the spirit of the age, protect their children from danger, maintain godly discipline and order in the home, and feed their children the pure milk of God's Word.

These mothers deserve honor upon honor, and their reward will be great in heaven. Yet, in the meantime, a card and a kiss on Mother's Day won't hurt. It's just not nearly enough

I couldn't agree more!

A Case for Historic Premillennialism

I've just finished a book edited by Craig Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung that presents a strong case (finally) for historic premillennialism. Most of the contributions in A Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to 'Left Behind' Eschatology come from papers presented by faculty members at Denver Seminary.

The chapters are:

• "Dispensational and Historic Premillennialism as Popular Millennialist Movements" by Timothy P. Weber. The bottom line of this article is that Dispensationalists [D] have done a much better job than Historic Premillennialists [HP] in relaying their story. HP is primarily found in academia while D is found in the pews of churches.
• "The Future Written in the Past: The OT and the Millennium" by Richard S. Hess. In this study Hess concludes that God will allow his people to go through tribulation and will bring them through it to demonstrate his faithfulness to his people.
• "Judaism and the World to Come" by Helene Dallaire. Dallaire surveys Jewish texts concerning life after death. Her conclusion is that there is no single systematized statement on the Jewish understanding of life after death.
• "The Postribulationism of the NT" by Craig Blomberg. Blomberg primarily surveys the word translated "tribulation" and its verbal cognates in the NT. His conclusion is that no where does God ever promise that his children will be removed from it--even the so called Great Tribulation. He also deals with the rapture question and why the church missing from Rev 4 and following.
• "The Theological Method of Premillennialism by Don Payne. His thesis is stated clearly: "Premillennialism depends upon a distinct theological method that involves factors and influences beyond its commitment to certain hermeneutical and exegetical procedures" [90]. Those influences include tradition, reason, and experience. This article is especially interesting in that most premillennialists simply refer to the Scripture as their lone authority.
• "Contemporary Millennial/Tribulational Debates: Whose Side Was the Early Church On? by Donald Fairbairn. The author states that chiliastic expectations were clear in the patristic period and that the shift away from premillennialism in the third and four centuries is due primarily to philosophical concerns. A pretribulatinal rapture was not in the minds of patristic writers, and they expected believers to be present and to suffer during the Great Tribulation. An interesting insight was that patristic writers used eschatology in their battle against heresy, particularly Gnosticism. Perhaps the church should learn a lesson in its contemporary battle against the same heresy.
• There are two other chapters--one dealing with Reformed theology and the other with Latin American evangelicalism that I didn't find as helpful but I'm sure others will.

Historic Premillennialism is, I think, the best way to explain eschatological issues. It is not perfect; no eschatological system will be because of our many limitations. This book will not replace "Left Behind" on the popular level, but it does give those who embrace HP already some help in verbalizing and defending what they believe. I highly recommend this book no matter what eschatological system one holds.

Youth, Arrogance, and the Church

In a recent column, Cal Thomas commented on remarks made by John McCain's daughter, Meghan. She believes she knows why her father lost the election last year and what the GOP needs to do in the future: Republicans need to be more like Democrats. Thomas writes: "McCain said Republicans needed to look forward, be more modern, forget the past (presumably she means those Reagan and Republican congressional victories) and adopt new beliefs."

Thomas is rightly critical of Meghan McCain and others like her: "Dissing the past is a quality found mostly in arrogant youth who think they know more than anyone who has ever lived and believe only they are sufficiently enlightened enough to tell the rest of us how and what to think. But the past and those who have gone before are great teachers for moderns who would learn. The writer of Ecclesiastes noted that there is “nothing new under the sun.” And there’s also this, “Is there any thing whereof it may be said, ‘See, this is new’? It hath been already of old time, which was before us.”'

Meghan McCain reminds me of some younger ministers today. The Baptist Courier has an article in this week's edition on the need for younger ministers to be involved in SBC leadership. Some of the comments are very insightful, but there was one in particular that caught my attention and reflects many younger than I:

Billy Baugus, 41, youth and children’s pastor at First Baptist Church, Wagener, said Southern Baptists “spend way too much time stuck in the past” and that 1950s-era Sunday school and traditional worship services are no longer effective in reaching what he calls the “now” generation. “We must be willing to change our ways and bring the word of God in relevant means to this generation,” he said.

Bro. Baugus' comments are much like those of McCain's and are not really helpful. Getting rid of traditonal approaches is not the answer to the problems the SBC or any other denomination faces in our post-Christian society. If every church today got rid of traditonal worship and Sunday School, and decided to move in a completely new direction, I doubt very seriously that our baptism numbers would go up sigificantly. The answer to the downward trend in membership and baptisms is to be found spiritually not functionally.

By the way, I'm in favor of ministers of all ages being involved in SBC leadership. I'm also in favor of new methods. I'm not stuck in the past. However, the past always has a great deal to teach us. Some of it is even good.

There are great men of God upon whose shoulders we all stand. I'm thinking we can still learn from them. For what it's worth, I think we can learn from the younger guys too.

Dr. Tom Burns

We were blessed recently to celebrate Dr. Tom Burn's 20th anniversary as worship pastor at Fairview. He has served longer than any ministerial staff member in the history of the church. That's an accomplishment!! Congratulations to Tom. It is a joy for me to serve with him.

Parable of the Soils, Eternal Security, and Fruit

Recently I preached on the Parable of the Soils in Matthew 13. Of the four soils, only one is good, and it produces fruit. The other three produce nothing. In explaining the parable, Jesus said: But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times [what was sown].” Matthew 13:23 (HCSB)

A couple of thoughts came to mind as I prepared for this sermon. First, a Christian is going to bear fruit. Jesus teaches that truth even stronger in John 15:8: My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. Not only will a Christian bear fruit, but he or she will bear "much" fruit. The parable points out, however, the yield for every Christian is different.

This has application to the doctrine of eternal security of the believer. There is a warning for those who say they are members of churches but have no regard for the things of God. These are people who are on the rolls of churches, who walked down an aisle, shook a preacher's hand, signed a membership card, perhaps were even baptized, but were never really saved. The parable is clear that many do not allow the seed of God's Word to take root in their lives. Satan, problems/persecution, and greed keep people from truly accepting the Lord, even though they may be a member of a church. These folks can say, "I'm a member of Fairview Baptist Church," (or any other church) but that does not mean they are going to heaven. The Parable of the Soils teaches that fruit proves one's committment to Christ, not profession. One can say he is a Christian but only fruit proves it.

Second, the parable also warns believers who set themselves up as "fruit inspectors." Jesus taught that Christians do produce fruit, but the harvest will be different in each person's life. Some people produce fruit later than others. Others produce fruit that might be undected by us but not by the Lord.

Jesus said believers produce fruit. Ultimately only He knows what the quality of the fruit is in someone's life. Christ did not call any believer to be a fruit inspector. We are not judges of others (See Romans 2:1). We must leave that up to One who knows each heart perfectly.

Thus the parable, like so many other of Jesus' teachings, has a warning to both believers and unbelievers. Believers are not fruit inspectors--only God is. Unbelievers better not rely on being on a church membership roll. The only membership roll God recognizes is the Lamb's Book of Life.

A Nation in Debt

I forget now how many trillion we are in debt but my kids, kids, kids probably won't pay it off. Why are we facing such an economic calamity? Obviously I believe spiritual reasons are paramount. A speaker in our church on Wednesday night shared a verse of Scripture with us that blew me away:

The Lord will open for you His abundant storehouse, the sky, to give your land rain in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. Deuteronomy 28:12 (HCSB)

Note the underlined portion of the verse. This text is taken from a chapter in which God reminds Israel of the blessings of obedience and the curses for disobedience. One of Yahweh's great blessings for obedience is that the nation would have all it needed plus much more. The blessings would so overflow that Israel would be able to share its blessings with others.

For the nation that disobeys:

He will lend to you, but you won’t lend to him. He will be the head, and you will be the tail. Deuteronomy 28:44 (HCSB)

Who is the head now? China?

Just musing.

Unforgiveness

I was impressed with a Baptist Press article about the problem of unforgiveness in the church. The story is about Tom Eliff and his dad, which is very much worth reading. I would argue that unforgiveness is THE problem in most churches that keeps both pastors/staff and people from experiencing the unleashing of the Holy Spirit's power. The sad reality is that Christians who need to repent and reconcile are simply too proud to do so. We cannot, however, rebel against God's command to love our neighbor and receive His blessings.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many. Hebrews 12:15 (HCSB)

I wonder how often God says, "I'd bless you if you'd just forgive?" And we don't listen and obey.

He's Alive!

¹ After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. ² Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached [the tomb]. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” ⁸ So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples the news. ⁹ Just then Jesus met them and said, “Good morning!” They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.” ¹¹ As they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money ¹³ and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day. ¹⁶ The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:1-20 (HCSB)

I should have had this entry on Sunday, but was too busy. However, we should celebrate Easter every day!!

Good Friday-Matthew 27

Matthew 27:1-66 (HCSB) ¹ When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. ² After tying Him up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor. ³ Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ⁴ “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” ⁵ So he threw the silver into the sanctuary and departed. Then he went and hanged himself. ⁶ The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not lawful to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ Therefore that field has been called “Blood Field” to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of Him whose price was set by the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me. ¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor. “Are You the King of the Jews?” the governor asked Him. Jesus answered, “You have said it.” ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He didn’t answer. ¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how much they are testifying against You?” ¹⁴ But He didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. ¹⁵ At the festival the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy. ¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!” ²⁰ The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. ²¹ The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” “Barabbas!” they answered. ²² Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?” They all answered, “Crucify Him!” ²³ Then he said, “Why? What has He done wrong?” But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him!” all the more. ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!” ²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. ²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into headquarters and gathered the whole company around Him. ²⁸ They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe. ²⁹ They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ Then they spit at Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head. ³¹ When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. ³² As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced this man to carry His cross. ³³ When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Place), ³⁴ they gave Him wine mixed with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it. ³⁵ After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and were guarding Him there. ³⁷ Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing: THIS IS JESUSTHE KING OF THE JEWS ³⁸ Then two criminals were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ Those who passed by were yelling insults at Him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “The One who would demolish the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked Him and said, ⁴² “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³ He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him! For He said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” ⁴⁴ In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him kept taunting Him. ⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. ⁴⁶ At about three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” ⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!” ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink. ⁴⁹ But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him!” ⁵⁰ Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. ⁵¹ Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. ⁵³ And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!” ⁵⁵ Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there, looking on from a distance. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. ⁵⁷ When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. ⁵⁹ So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb. ⁶² The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive, He said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come, steal Him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵ “You have a guard [of soldiers],” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ Then they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting the guard.

Maundy Thursday

18 “Go into the city to a certain man,” He said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place with My disciples. ’ ” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20 When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, He said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me.” 22 Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl—he will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” “You have said it,” He told him. 26 As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” 27 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood [that establishes] the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in My Father’s kingdom with you.” 30 After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

[Matthew 26:18-30]

Matthew 12:23

In Matthew 12:22, Jesus heals a demon possessed and mute man. The next verse reports the response of the crowd. The HCSB translates the verse as: "All the crowds were astounded and said, 'Perhaps this is the Son of David!"

Other English translations:

ESV: "Can this be the Son of David?"

NIV: "Could this be the Son of David?

NCV: "Perhaps this man is the Son of David!"

NLT: "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?"

The Message is even more emphatic: "This has to be the Son of David!"

I cite this example to show how English translations don't always do a good job translating the Greek text. Within the sentence is the negative particle meti, which is an interrogative particle that usually calls for a negative answer. The basic idea of the verse is, "This is not the Son of David is he?" Most of crowd would answer no, but the particle also leaves some doubt. He could be but He is likely not Messiah.

Of the above English translations, the HCSB and NCV get closer to the idea with 'perhaps,' but even there one's slant on the verse could be that more people than not would have said "yes." That is not the case. In fact, the reaction of the crowd bears out Matthew 11:16-24, which shows many, if not most, are rejecting Jesus.

Matthew 12:23 is just one example among many of how English translations can give the reader the wrong idea. For preachers, I'd say do your work in Greek and see how the English versions line up after that.

Dr. William Reynolds

I was sad to hear about the death of Dr. William J. Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds, a foremost composer and hymnologist, wrote "Share His Love," among many other songs and hymns. We've sung that one often in our worship serivces. I believe he was the primary editor of the 1975 Baptist Hymnal. I had the privilege of sitting under Dr. Reynolds in "Preacher Music 101" at Southwestern Seminary. I'm sure he's helping to lead a choir in glory today!

I have on my shelf, Songs of Glory: Stories of 300 Great Hymns and Gospel Songs, written by Dr. Reynolds several years ago. I remember well that he would often tell a story in class about a hymn before we'd sing it. I've used several of these stories over the years as illustrations and still pick it up from time to time to read it devotionally. Many of the stories are quite inspiring.

Ehrman At It Again

Bart Ehrman is at it again with his new book, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them). I doubt I read this one but Darrell Bock has reviewed it. It seems to be more of the same in Ehrman's crusade to bring doubt to the autnethicity of the Gospel accounts. I read Misquoting Jesus so I think I can be excused for not going through this again.

For those who don't know, Ehrman teaches at the University of North Carolina.

Reuben Swanson

I've read this morning about the passing this week of Reuben Swanson. His contribution to New Testament text criticism is invaluable and I've learned much from his New Testament Greek Manuscripts series. His work on John was so important to me as I worked on the Johannine text of Chrysostom during my dissertation days.

More can be found on the Evangelical Text Criticism blog.