Some folks have a green thumb. My little brother has a greasy thumb. He loves to tinker on old motors. Today he has a job working for Pipestone County, but after work he still loves to “play” in his shop.
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I remember when he was barely a teenager, and we pulled an old ‘36 Dodge truck up from the pasture. The motor was shot, but there was an old Dodge car in the grove that Dad said he could take the motor out of. With a lot of time and just as much determination he got the motors swapped out and that old truck running again. Sure we had to pull it to get it started and it popped and banged a bit, but he was able to drive it around the yard. The tires barely held air, the signal lights didn’t work, and don’t even ask about the brakes.
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It was exciting to get that old truck running again, but we would not have trusted it to take us very far. There is no way I would want to rely on that truck for a cross county trip, let alone a ride to town. If I ever have to drive to California, I want something much more reliable than that old Dodge truck with rotten tires, rusty valves, and useless brakes.
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We just recently bought a used van. It is much newer than that old truck, but since I have not had it all that long, I still am not all that confident in it for such a long trip. I’ve had my pickup much longer, and it has been fairly reliable, but with around 190,000 on the odometer I’m not so sure I would want to take that either. We still have our car and it is fairly new and has much lower miles on it. That is probably the vehicle I would chose for the trip. Still even with fairly reliable transportation I realize I am not guaranteed to get there. The engine could blow, the transmission go out, or a computer chip could stop working. We could even have an accident.
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What if our hope for salvation was like a cross country car drive? Sadly, a lot of people think it is like that- thinking that, maybe I’ll make it, maybe I won’t. What if instead of just taking a car or a truck, God said, “just trust me, I’ll get you there.” Now God doesn’t do that for us when we plan a trip to California, but He does do that for us when it comes to eternity.
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John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That makes it clear that if we are to have eternal life, we must believe on Jesus Christ. Instead, too many people try to find there own way to heaven and come up short as Romans 10:3 proves, “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”Let us realize if we depend on our own works, they are just as unreliable as that old truck from the pasture for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Some people suggest that Jesus does 90% of the saving and then we have to do the other 10%. That’s like saying God will get you 90% of the way to California, and then you have to drive that old truck the rest of the way. I’ve been in that truck. Trust me- it won’t make it even that far.
-C
an we really believe God when He promises to save us? Can we really have assurance of salvation? Folks, that is what faith and belief is all about. It is about putting your full confidence in Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh- trusting in Him alone to save you. Romans 3:3-4 makes it clear that God tells the truth and we can believe Him, “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” I John 5:13 makes it clear that if we believe on Jesus Christ we can know that we are saved, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (emphasis mine)
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If you are trusting in anything other than God’s power to save you, you have no reason to have any assurance. But notice the assurance that comes with exercising faith, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9).
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
DEATH
Summer has passed and fall has arrived. With fall comes harvest and Halloween decorations. Now I like pumpkins- especially pumpkin pie, but I am not a fan of the creepy Halloween decorations that pop up this time of year. Have you noticed that much of this holiday revolves around themes of murder and mayhem? For example, just consider the plots of the horror movies that are typically promoted during this time of year. Further, there is an undue fascination with death. Consider the typical Halloween costume or decoration. Sculls, skeletons, coffins, graveyards, mummies, spirits of dead men (ghosts) dominate the scene.
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You don’t have to be a stodgy conservative to see that evil prevails with this holiday. Witches and wizards are also prominent. Though many in our culture would try to make us think that these magicians are harmless, the scripture makes it clear that they are evil. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”
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I fear the “Christian” community has done an injustice in not warning about the dangers of these activities and in some cases has even promoted them. Books like the Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings, promote such abominations yet they are encouraged in Christian circles. No wonder Satan is getting such a foothold in this area. It is not just books and movies and cartoons though. Video games also promote witchcraft, wizardry, and communication with the dead (necromancy). God clearly speaks against such things. Though these verses come from the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law was for the Hebrew, yet the Gentiles are condemned for this activity in the Deuteronomy passage. The context of the passage shows that they should have known better than to do these things even without the Law that Moses gave.
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So why this fascination with all this evil at Halloween? Could it be a Satanic conspiracy? Don’t forget, a lot of people dress up like him too. Actually there are reasons why the devil would be fascinated with death. First of all, man is put here to glorify God, and once we die, we can no longer glorify Him on this earth. Further, it seems that Satan has been given a certain amount of power in this area of death. Hebrews 2:14 tells us, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
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This intriguing passage suggests that the devil had some sort of power of death. It also shows that by dying Christ was able to destroy that power. Consider Christ’s words in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
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So what was this power concerning death that Christ has the keys to? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) Death came into this world when Adam, the first man ever created, sinned. The devil had a huge part in that, so you could say that he, Satan, tempted mankind into death. No wonder he loves death so much. But all is not lost. “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17)
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When Satan temped Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit and Adam followed her, sin and death entered the world. When Christ died on the cross, payment was made for our sins so we could have eternal life. Notice that nowhere did you read that what Christ did plus what we did defeated death. No, Christ did it all. Romans 5:17 makes it clear that it was by ONE, Jesus Christ that it was done- not by Christ plus us, or Christ plus the priest, or even Christ plus baptism. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ
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This time of year as you are reminded of death, remember, as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. The only way to escape the judgment after death is to put your full confidence in what Jesus Christ did on the cross to reverse the consequences of sin and death. That means putting your confidence in Him alone, not in anything else. Anything more or less than Christ in your life means Satan has won your soul in your death. Let Christ have the victory over your soul in death, not Satan. Christ is God, and He has the power to save you all by Himself. He is stronger than Satan.
-
You don’t have to be a stodgy conservative to see that evil prevails with this holiday. Witches and wizards are also prominent. Though many in our culture would try to make us think that these magicians are harmless, the scripture makes it clear that they are evil. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says, “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.”
-
I fear the “Christian” community has done an injustice in not warning about the dangers of these activities and in some cases has even promoted them. Books like the Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings, promote such abominations yet they are encouraged in Christian circles. No wonder Satan is getting such a foothold in this area. It is not just books and movies and cartoons though. Video games also promote witchcraft, wizardry, and communication with the dead (necromancy). God clearly speaks against such things. Though these verses come from the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law was for the Hebrew, yet the Gentiles are condemned for this activity in the Deuteronomy passage. The context of the passage shows that they should have known better than to do these things even without the Law that Moses gave.
-
So why this fascination with all this evil at Halloween? Could it be a Satanic conspiracy? Don’t forget, a lot of people dress up like him too. Actually there are reasons why the devil would be fascinated with death. First of all, man is put here to glorify God, and once we die, we can no longer glorify Him on this earth. Further, it seems that Satan has been given a certain amount of power in this area of death. Hebrews 2:14 tells us, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”
-
This intriguing passage suggests that the devil had some sort of power of death. It also shows that by dying Christ was able to destroy that power. Consider Christ’s words in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
-
So what was this power concerning death that Christ has the keys to? “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) Death came into this world when Adam, the first man ever created, sinned. The devil had a huge part in that, so you could say that he, Satan, tempted mankind into death. No wonder he loves death so much. But all is not lost. “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17)
-
When Satan temped Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit and Adam followed her, sin and death entered the world. When Christ died on the cross, payment was made for our sins so we could have eternal life. Notice that nowhere did you read that what Christ did plus what we did defeated death. No, Christ did it all. Romans 5:17 makes it clear that it was by ONE, Jesus Christ that it was done- not by Christ plus us, or Christ plus the priest, or even Christ plus baptism. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ
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This time of year as you are reminded of death, remember, as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. The only way to escape the judgment after death is to put your full confidence in what Jesus Christ did on the cross to reverse the consequences of sin and death. That means putting your confidence in Him alone, not in anything else. Anything more or less than Christ in your life means Satan has won your soul in your death. Let Christ have the victory over your soul in death, not Satan. Christ is God, and He has the power to save you all by Himself. He is stronger than Satan.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Who Built My Lawn Mower?
I finally got my lawn mower running. The problem was more serious than being out of gas or not getting spark. It threw a rod and the motor needed to be taken apart and rebuilt. This gave me a chance to have some garage time after a day of sitting behind a desk.
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Although there can be some challenges, it is not an insurmountable task to disassemble and reassemble a small engine. I am however amazed at how such a machine could have originally been built. There is so much that could go wrong even with a simple reassembly. For example, the mark on the camshaft gear has to line up with the mark on the crankshaft gear or the valves will open at the wrong time. Further the carburetor cannot be plugged or the gas will not even get into the motor. If the flywheel key is broken and it sparked at the wrong time it would run too hot or not at all. And if the valves did not seat properly it would run terribly.
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It baffles me that anyone could’ve invented an internal combustion engine. All the little details that had to be worked out are remarkable. Then I think of my car. Instead of just one piston and set of valves like my lawn mower has, my car has six. Besides that, it has an automatic transmission and all kinds of computer sensors to keep everything working just right. Cars are becoming harder and harder to work on because of all these details.
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We know that cars are made in great big factories with technologically advanced assembly lines. Once a car is designed, all they have to do is to copy that design over and over again. The question we must answer however, is where did that first car come from? It likely developed from something similar to my lawn mower and through the years parts were added until we have our current cars.
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But where did the very first internal combustion engine even come from? If I were to tell you that it was likely formed over millions or even billions of years beneath the rocks of the iron range, you would say I was nuts. There is far too much detail for it to have just happened by chance. Obviously there was a designer. We could do an historical study and find out that many men contributed to the development of the internal combustion engine. Actually, theories for its development even date back to Leonardo da Vinci in 1509.
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What about man? He is even more intricate than my car. When I broke my arm, I didn’t just take it apart and put a new bone in. Instead the doctor put the bones back were they were supposed to be and it just fixed itself. I wish my lawn mower would do that. If my car and lawn mower needed a designer, I am sure that I did as well. Guess what? History tells me the answer to that as well. I can read about it in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Not only did God make man, He made the whole world and everything in it. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
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With such a clear explanation for how we got here, a man would have to be foolish to think any different. I will go a step farther, he would have to be evil to think any different. I believe men argue against God and His existence because they do not want to be accountable to Him. If He exists, why wouldn’t He be the creator just as history says? His existence is not even worth arguing about. Romans 1:20 tells us, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Romans 2:15 also says, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another,”
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God’s existence is so clear. Now you can understand why I would suggest that a man would have to be an evil fool to say there is no God. In fact Psalm 53:1 says just that: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.”
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So who will you believe, a God hating intellectual, or the Word of God? Jesus Christ, said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) Christ is God in the flesh. I will believe Him and His Word.
-
Although there can be some challenges, it is not an insurmountable task to disassemble and reassemble a small engine. I am however amazed at how such a machine could have originally been built. There is so much that could go wrong even with a simple reassembly. For example, the mark on the camshaft gear has to line up with the mark on the crankshaft gear or the valves will open at the wrong time. Further the carburetor cannot be plugged or the gas will not even get into the motor. If the flywheel key is broken and it sparked at the wrong time it would run too hot or not at all. And if the valves did not seat properly it would run terribly.
-
It baffles me that anyone could’ve invented an internal combustion engine. All the little details that had to be worked out are remarkable. Then I think of my car. Instead of just one piston and set of valves like my lawn mower has, my car has six. Besides that, it has an automatic transmission and all kinds of computer sensors to keep everything working just right. Cars are becoming harder and harder to work on because of all these details.
-
We know that cars are made in great big factories with technologically advanced assembly lines. Once a car is designed, all they have to do is to copy that design over and over again. The question we must answer however, is where did that first car come from? It likely developed from something similar to my lawn mower and through the years parts were added until we have our current cars.
-
But where did the very first internal combustion engine even come from? If I were to tell you that it was likely formed over millions or even billions of years beneath the rocks of the iron range, you would say I was nuts. There is far too much detail for it to have just happened by chance. Obviously there was a designer. We could do an historical study and find out that many men contributed to the development of the internal combustion engine. Actually, theories for its development even date back to Leonardo da Vinci in 1509.
-
What about man? He is even more intricate than my car. When I broke my arm, I didn’t just take it apart and put a new bone in. Instead the doctor put the bones back were they were supposed to be and it just fixed itself. I wish my lawn mower would do that. If my car and lawn mower needed a designer, I am sure that I did as well. Guess what? History tells me the answer to that as well. I can read about it in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Not only did God make man, He made the whole world and everything in it. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
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With such a clear explanation for how we got here, a man would have to be foolish to think any different. I will go a step farther, he would have to be evil to think any different. I believe men argue against God and His existence because they do not want to be accountable to Him. If He exists, why wouldn’t He be the creator just as history says? His existence is not even worth arguing about. Romans 1:20 tells us, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Romans 2:15 also says, “Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another,”
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God’s existence is so clear. Now you can understand why I would suggest that a man would have to be an evil fool to say there is no God. In fact Psalm 53:1 says just that: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.”
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So who will you believe, a God hating intellectual, or the Word of God? Jesus Christ, said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) Christ is God in the flesh. I will believe Him and His Word.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I Can't Put the Tomato Back on The Vine
Being a father is a great adventure. After years of hearing stories from my mother about the things I did as a toddler, it is fun to call her and let her know about the latest escapades of her grandson. Our oldest is about a year and a half old and his antics are prone to cause us to laugh- or cry- or both. Instead of just saying dog, he barks out the word. If he sees bare feet, he is inclined to run his fingers over them while exclaiming, “ticky, ticky, ticky!” He also likes to explore. His latest exploration involved finding out exactly what was in his dresser drawers and that involved emptying all the clothes and scattering them throughout the nursery.
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He loves to go outside and help Daddy in the garden. He also loves to eat. We are pleased that he likes fresh vegetables and considers it a treat to nibble the fruits of our labor as Daddy works. It did not take long for those bright red tomatoes to catch his eye. Some of the earliest ones we had were also the smallest. Just perfect for a little guy to have his own personal treat. After letting him have one, he decided to pick his own. This one was orange and not quite ready.
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He has been trained to put things back when we tell him to, so when Daddy said, “Oh no, Jared, that one isn’t ready yet,” he simply took it back to a vine, and held it up. He was trying to put it back. I had to try to keep from laughing as I explained that once it was picked it was too late to put it back.
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What Jared did was really not all that serious. A few days on the window sill and that tomato would be just fine to eat, but I recall that there were many times that I wished I could just go back and undo something but now it is too late. For example, I said something thoughtless to my wife last week. I immediately knew that it hurt her feelings and I apologized. My wife is a wonderful lady and she forgave me, but I wish I could have just undone it like Jared wished he could put a tomato back on the vine.
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Some of our regrets are heavier to bear. I heard of a couple of instances recently of a driver who ran a stop sign and another person was killed. I do not envy the burden of wanting to be able to put that tomato back on the vine.
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When facing such a burden we must realize the importance of repentance and forgiveness. First let us realize that things we regret are sometimes simply accidents, and other times they are caused by sinful actions. A drunk or someone who is in a hurry and selfishly runs a stop sign has sinned. A person who is unfamiliar with a road and does not see the stop sign during a snow storm was simply involved in an accident.
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Even if there was no sin involved, we still feel better after expressing our regret and making restitution if possible. What if our irreversible action was caused by sin? Lets face it, we have all done irreversible actions of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Whether you consider your sins big or little, they are all serious in God’s eyes. We must be reminded that none of us measures up to His standards. Consider even man‘s inability to keep the 10 commandments. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)
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We have a sin problem and we cannot undo it. That is serious. How serious is it? Deathly serious. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). We cannot undo our own sin any more than Jared could put that tomato back on the vine. Do you think that Jesus Christ could put that tomato back on the vine though? Of course He could. He is God! You cannot reverse your sins and neither can I but Jesus Christ can. In fact, He is the only one who can. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
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Remember how serious sin is. Jesus died to pay for that sin. He is able to do it all by Himself because He is God. He testified in John 14:9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the father.” Then we clearly read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
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So what do you do when you cannot put a tomato back on the vine? You trust Jesus Christ and His payment for sin, realizing that no matter how small your sin is, you cannot undo it or even make up for it no matter how much restitution you pay, because the wages is death. But if you realize that Christ paid it all and trust Him, your receive His gift. Romans 5:20 also gives us further encouragement, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
-
He loves to go outside and help Daddy in the garden. He also loves to eat. We are pleased that he likes fresh vegetables and considers it a treat to nibble the fruits of our labor as Daddy works. It did not take long for those bright red tomatoes to catch his eye. Some of the earliest ones we had were also the smallest. Just perfect for a little guy to have his own personal treat. After letting him have one, he decided to pick his own. This one was orange and not quite ready.
-
He has been trained to put things back when we tell him to, so when Daddy said, “Oh no, Jared, that one isn’t ready yet,” he simply took it back to a vine, and held it up. He was trying to put it back. I had to try to keep from laughing as I explained that once it was picked it was too late to put it back.
-
What Jared did was really not all that serious. A few days on the window sill and that tomato would be just fine to eat, but I recall that there were many times that I wished I could just go back and undo something but now it is too late. For example, I said something thoughtless to my wife last week. I immediately knew that it hurt her feelings and I apologized. My wife is a wonderful lady and she forgave me, but I wish I could have just undone it like Jared wished he could put a tomato back on the vine.
-
Some of our regrets are heavier to bear. I heard of a couple of instances recently of a driver who ran a stop sign and another person was killed. I do not envy the burden of wanting to be able to put that tomato back on the vine.
-
When facing such a burden we must realize the importance of repentance and forgiveness. First let us realize that things we regret are sometimes simply accidents, and other times they are caused by sinful actions. A drunk or someone who is in a hurry and selfishly runs a stop sign has sinned. A person who is unfamiliar with a road and does not see the stop sign during a snow storm was simply involved in an accident.
-
Even if there was no sin involved, we still feel better after expressing our regret and making restitution if possible. What if our irreversible action was caused by sin? Lets face it, we have all done irreversible actions of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Whether you consider your sins big or little, they are all serious in God’s eyes. We must be reminded that none of us measures up to His standards. Consider even man‘s inability to keep the 10 commandments. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)
-
We have a sin problem and we cannot undo it. That is serious. How serious is it? Deathly serious. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). We cannot undo our own sin any more than Jared could put that tomato back on the vine. Do you think that Jesus Christ could put that tomato back on the vine though? Of course He could. He is God! You cannot reverse your sins and neither can I but Jesus Christ can. In fact, He is the only one who can. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
-
Remember how serious sin is. Jesus died to pay for that sin. He is able to do it all by Himself because He is God. He testified in John 14:9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the father.” Then we clearly read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
-
So what do you do when you cannot put a tomato back on the vine? You trust Jesus Christ and His payment for sin, realizing that no matter how small your sin is, you cannot undo it or even make up for it no matter how much restitution you pay, because the wages is death. But if you realize that Christ paid it all and trust Him, your receive His gift. Romans 5:20 also gives us further encouragement, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
Version Question
Q: What kind of versions would you feel comfortable using?
A: When we consider the kinds of versions available today, beyond the manuscript debates, the issue typically comes down to a translation philosophy. The simplified way of stating the issue would be to say that there are literal kinds of translations and dynamic equivalent types.
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A literal approach would be to translate each Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word with it’s language equivalent (English). The dynamic equivalency approach would be to translate the idea, rather than the actual words. We must understand that among the translations available, there is a wide range into which they fall upon this spectrum of literal to loose dynamic equivalence.
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For example, I have on my shelf The Interlinear Greek- English New Testament. It is essentially a reference tool that has the Greek words of the New Testament written out with the English equivalent for each of those words directly below it, and the KJV written in the margin to the side for comparison. To understand how literal this version really is, consider how John 3:16 is translated. “For so loved God the world that his Son the only begotten he gave, that everyone who believes on him may not perish, but may have life eternal.” This version is so literal, that the word order is unnatural to our way of speaking.
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On the other end of the spectrum we have paraphrases which try to capture the idea of the passage, but have little concern for the actual words. This provides a problem because each word of scripture has meaning, and the change of a single word can change the meaning of a whole passage. When an overview of an idea is given, it could be argued that they are just relating a concept rather than actually translating a passage. The Message, and the Living Bible would fall into this extreme category.
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The danger of using such these paraphrases should not be overlooked. In their attempt to relay an easy to understand concept, the actual meaning has been changed. I find no comfort in these versions and fear they are leading many astray.
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Although I am much more comfortable on the literal end of the spectrum, I must express a note of caution there as well. Because our language is so different than the original languages, the challenge of translating goes far beyond just restating the words to their equivalents. The challenge comes in both preserving the very words as well as not losing the concepts- the very ideas that the original languages were teaching. A good translation must take all of these things into consideration.
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I believe the translation that has done the best job at this great challenge for the English language is the King James Version. I appreciate how when the translators added certain words that were not found in the original languages, they put them in italics. This was one way in which they went beyond being rigidly literal in order to preserve the meaning, while still letting the reader understand that these words had been added for clarification. Further, they arranged the word order in a way that was natural for the language that they were translating into (Note the difference between John 3:16 in the KJV and the Interlinear translation).
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As I study, I will consult with Young’s Literal Translation, one that is even more literal than the KJV. I consult it basically to look at how a particular word in a verse happened to be translated. It often helps in coming up with descriptive synonyms for words as I preach. At the same time, I would not be comfortable in using that version for my reading or for my primary study.
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I would as well like to address the NIV because it is quite popular today. I believe that this version has gone too far in the dynamic equivalent direction, and that much of the original intent of the words has been lost in the translation process. I am therefore not comfortable consulting that version. Though I am not totally comfortable with the NASB, I would consider it to be a much higher quality translation than the NIV, based on its more literal equivalency approach.
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As we consider this issue, it is easy for us in the United States to become preoccupied with our English translations. May we not forget that there are many people in this world who do not yet have a translation in their own language. Baptist Mid Missions is one organization that has taken up that burden through Bibles International. As they translate, they attempt to balance the literal words with the intended meaning in a similar way that the KJV translators did. Not all Bible translation societies have this same philosophy. Many just throw together versions quickly and haphazardly. When supporting translation work, these issues must be taken into consideration as well.
A: When we consider the kinds of versions available today, beyond the manuscript debates, the issue typically comes down to a translation philosophy. The simplified way of stating the issue would be to say that there are literal kinds of translations and dynamic equivalent types.
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A literal approach would be to translate each Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word with it’s language equivalent (English). The dynamic equivalency approach would be to translate the idea, rather than the actual words. We must understand that among the translations available, there is a wide range into which they fall upon this spectrum of literal to loose dynamic equivalence.
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For example, I have on my shelf The Interlinear Greek- English New Testament. It is essentially a reference tool that has the Greek words of the New Testament written out with the English equivalent for each of those words directly below it, and the KJV written in the margin to the side for comparison. To understand how literal this version really is, consider how John 3:16 is translated. “For so loved God the world that his Son the only begotten he gave, that everyone who believes on him may not perish, but may have life eternal.” This version is so literal, that the word order is unnatural to our way of speaking.
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On the other end of the spectrum we have paraphrases which try to capture the idea of the passage, but have little concern for the actual words. This provides a problem because each word of scripture has meaning, and the change of a single word can change the meaning of a whole passage. When an overview of an idea is given, it could be argued that they are just relating a concept rather than actually translating a passage. The Message, and the Living Bible would fall into this extreme category.
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The danger of using such these paraphrases should not be overlooked. In their attempt to relay an easy to understand concept, the actual meaning has been changed. I find no comfort in these versions and fear they are leading many astray.
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Although I am much more comfortable on the literal end of the spectrum, I must express a note of caution there as well. Because our language is so different than the original languages, the challenge of translating goes far beyond just restating the words to their equivalents. The challenge comes in both preserving the very words as well as not losing the concepts- the very ideas that the original languages were teaching. A good translation must take all of these things into consideration.
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I believe the translation that has done the best job at this great challenge for the English language is the King James Version. I appreciate how when the translators added certain words that were not found in the original languages, they put them in italics. This was one way in which they went beyond being rigidly literal in order to preserve the meaning, while still letting the reader understand that these words had been added for clarification. Further, they arranged the word order in a way that was natural for the language that they were translating into (Note the difference between John 3:16 in the KJV and the Interlinear translation).
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As I study, I will consult with Young’s Literal Translation, one that is even more literal than the KJV. I consult it basically to look at how a particular word in a verse happened to be translated. It often helps in coming up with descriptive synonyms for words as I preach. At the same time, I would not be comfortable in using that version for my reading or for my primary study.
-
I would as well like to address the NIV because it is quite popular today. I believe that this version has gone too far in the dynamic equivalent direction, and that much of the original intent of the words has been lost in the translation process. I am therefore not comfortable consulting that version. Though I am not totally comfortable with the NASB, I would consider it to be a much higher quality translation than the NIV, based on its more literal equivalency approach.
-
As we consider this issue, it is easy for us in the United States to become preoccupied with our English translations. May we not forget that there are many people in this world who do not yet have a translation in their own language. Baptist Mid Missions is one organization that has taken up that burden through Bibles International. As they translate, they attempt to balance the literal words with the intended meaning in a similar way that the KJV translators did. Not all Bible translation societies have this same philosophy. Many just throw together versions quickly and haphazardly. When supporting translation work, these issues must be taken into consideration as well.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Who Is Jesus?
Who is Jesus Christ? It is not hard to imagine that question being asked of the Apostle Paul as he went forth on his missionary journeys not long after Christ had died and risen from the dead. Without CBS, CNN, and FOX news, it is likely that many of the folks he ran into had not yet heard about Jesus.
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Today we assume that everyone knows who Jesus is- at least in a Christian country like the United States of America. But I must ask, “Do we all know the same Jesus?” Perhaps you have been talking to someone about a friend with a common name like John. As the conversation progresses you realize that you could not possibly be talking about the same person, because the one they are describing has totally different characteristics than the person you know. Finally you understand that they are talking about John Johnson, and you were talking about John Smith.
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I often feel the same way as I hear people talking about Jesus. Are they talking about the Jesus of the Bible, or some imaginary religious figure of their own making? For example, some speak of Him as if He were some effeminate weakling, yet my Jesus had the courage to stand up to the leaders of His day, and to turn over the money tables in the temple and drive the crooks from the scene. He had the courage to face the death of the cross even as He knew exactly what would come.
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My Jesus is no weakling. He is the all powerful God. In fact, He will return in power as well. Revelation 19:11-16 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
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Why would man come up with a religious figure of his own making, when the real Jesus is so magnificent? I believe it is because of man’s sinful resistance to the true God. Let us not forget that Jesus is God in the flesh. If man can convince himself that Jesus is weak, then he thinks God is not such a threat to him. Telling ourselves lies does not change our accountability to God.
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I believe that there is another factor at play as well. If Jesus Christ is presented as weak, that would mean that He may not be powerful enough to save man all on His own. That would mean that God needs help to save us because He is not powerful enough. Let me state emphatically, that is not the God that I serve. My Jesus was powerful enough to create the whole world (see John 1:1-3 & 14). He was also powerful enough to pay for my sins all by Himself. Peter tells us how powerful Christ is to save when he says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
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Peter was so adamant about how powerful my Jesus is, that he made it clear that Jesus only had to make a sacrifice once in order to pay for our sins. Read carefully what he said in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
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My Jesus is so powerful that He only had to offer his body once to pay for the sins of mankind. This is made clear in the book of Hebrews as well. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10.
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I do not worship a weak Jesus. I worship a powerful Jesus who is my Lord and Savior. He is able to save me all by Himself without the help of priest or saint. I love Him and want to serve Him because He is my God. I pray that you would believe in Him as well. Instead of believing in a manmade idea of who Jesus might be, believe in the Jesus of the Bible. Read it and learn who He is.
-
Today we assume that everyone knows who Jesus is- at least in a Christian country like the United States of America. But I must ask, “Do we all know the same Jesus?” Perhaps you have been talking to someone about a friend with a common name like John. As the conversation progresses you realize that you could not possibly be talking about the same person, because the one they are describing has totally different characteristics than the person you know. Finally you understand that they are talking about John Johnson, and you were talking about John Smith.
-
I often feel the same way as I hear people talking about Jesus. Are they talking about the Jesus of the Bible, or some imaginary religious figure of their own making? For example, some speak of Him as if He were some effeminate weakling, yet my Jesus had the courage to stand up to the leaders of His day, and to turn over the money tables in the temple and drive the crooks from the scene. He had the courage to face the death of the cross even as He knew exactly what would come.
-
My Jesus is no weakling. He is the all powerful God. In fact, He will return in power as well. Revelation 19:11-16 says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
-
Why would man come up with a religious figure of his own making, when the real Jesus is so magnificent? I believe it is because of man’s sinful resistance to the true God. Let us not forget that Jesus is God in the flesh. If man can convince himself that Jesus is weak, then he thinks God is not such a threat to him. Telling ourselves lies does not change our accountability to God.
-
I believe that there is another factor at play as well. If Jesus Christ is presented as weak, that would mean that He may not be powerful enough to save man all on His own. That would mean that God needs help to save us because He is not powerful enough. Let me state emphatically, that is not the God that I serve. My Jesus was powerful enough to create the whole world (see John 1:1-3 & 14). He was also powerful enough to pay for my sins all by Himself. Peter tells us how powerful Christ is to save when he says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
-
Peter was so adamant about how powerful my Jesus is, that he made it clear that Jesus only had to make a sacrifice once in order to pay for our sins. Read carefully what he said in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
-
My Jesus is so powerful that He only had to offer his body once to pay for the sins of mankind. This is made clear in the book of Hebrews as well. “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10.
-
I do not worship a weak Jesus. I worship a powerful Jesus who is my Lord and Savior. He is able to save me all by Himself without the help of priest or saint. I love Him and want to serve Him because He is my God. I pray that you would believe in Him as well. Instead of believing in a manmade idea of who Jesus might be, believe in the Jesus of the Bible. Read it and learn who He is.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Right and Wrong
Is there such a thing as right and wrong? That may sound like a silly question until you realize how often people, who point out that something is wrong, are accused of being judgmental. The accusation goes something like this: Since none of us has the right to determine what is right or wrong, it is wrong for you to judge someone else’s behavior. They do not seem to notice that in order to make such a statement, they had to make a judgment as well.
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Lets face it, we all make judgments about what is right or wrong. The question is: on what basis do we make those judgments? If we each make up the rules about what is right and wrong, then we are going to have a lot of disagreements. Imagine if we were to play a game of checkers, and each player could change the rules whenever he decided. It would be complete chaos and soon no one would want to play anymore.
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I fear our country has come to such a place when it comes to debates on morality. Once the Bible has been rejected there is no firm basis for where to go on matters of right and wrong. Abortion and gay marriage are just a couple of the issues that come up. It is sad to say that even some churches have abandoned the Bible on such issues as to not seem judgmental. Where will this lead? If we cannot let God speak through His Word, how do we determine if anything is right or wrong?
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What if you think stealing is wrong, but you have something that your neighbor wants? What if your neighbor says he does not see anything wrong with him taking it, and that he is offended that you would judge him? Of course you would say that you have the law on your side, and that you would call the police. But what would happen if the authorities decided that there would no longer be laws against stealing? That would then make stealing legal, but would it make it right? Of course not. Stealing is wrong, whether it is made legal or not.
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Aren’t we judging when we say stealing is wrong? Of course we are. We are judging based on the clear teaching of right and wrong found in the Bible. The 8th Command says, “Thou shalt not steal.” Further it is made clear in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” -When we make laws against stealing, we are legislating morality. Imagine if morality were not allowed into any legal decision. In effect, we would then be legislating a lack of morality. Only the most depraved would advocate such a move. Still we are back to the same dilemma. Who gets to decide what is moral? Whether those decisions take place in the government, the church, or the home, who decides?
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It would be tempting to say that regardless of what the government or even the church decides, we still get to determine the morality in our homes. Let me state it differently, you get to determine how you behave in your homes, but that does not necessarily make it moral no matter what your belief. True morality- the ideas of what is right and wrong- comes not from our beliefs, not from our law, not even from whether or not a church advocates something. True morality comes from God.
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“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Acts 4:19
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.
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Lets face it, we all make judgments about what is right or wrong. The question is: on what basis do we make those judgments? If we each make up the rules about what is right and wrong, then we are going to have a lot of disagreements. Imagine if we were to play a game of checkers, and each player could change the rules whenever he decided. It would be complete chaos and soon no one would want to play anymore.
-
I fear our country has come to such a place when it comes to debates on morality. Once the Bible has been rejected there is no firm basis for where to go on matters of right and wrong. Abortion and gay marriage are just a couple of the issues that come up. It is sad to say that even some churches have abandoned the Bible on such issues as to not seem judgmental. Where will this lead? If we cannot let God speak through His Word, how do we determine if anything is right or wrong?
-
What if you think stealing is wrong, but you have something that your neighbor wants? What if your neighbor says he does not see anything wrong with him taking it, and that he is offended that you would judge him? Of course you would say that you have the law on your side, and that you would call the police. But what would happen if the authorities decided that there would no longer be laws against stealing? That would then make stealing legal, but would it make it right? Of course not. Stealing is wrong, whether it is made legal or not.
-
Aren’t we judging when we say stealing is wrong? Of course we are. We are judging based on the clear teaching of right and wrong found in the Bible. The 8th Command says, “Thou shalt not steal.” Further it is made clear in Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” -When we make laws against stealing, we are legislating morality. Imagine if morality were not allowed into any legal decision. In effect, we would then be legislating a lack of morality. Only the most depraved would advocate such a move. Still we are back to the same dilemma. Who gets to decide what is moral? Whether those decisions take place in the government, the church, or the home, who decides?
-
It would be tempting to say that regardless of what the government or even the church decides, we still get to determine the morality in our homes. Let me state it differently, you get to determine how you behave in your homes, but that does not necessarily make it moral no matter what your belief. True morality- the ideas of what is right and wrong- comes not from our beliefs, not from our law, not even from whether or not a church advocates something. True morality comes from God.
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“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Acts 4:19
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.
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