Noteworthy Blog - Hellenisti Ginoskeis: Do You Know Greek?

One of the occasional commenters on this blog, Dan Phillips, has started a new blog entitled Hellenisti Ginoskeis: Do You Know Greek? According to Dan, the purpose of the blog:

"is all about reading, understanding, translating the Greek New Testament. My essays here are not necessarily disciplined, definitive articles. They are musings, observations, puzzlings, popping-offs, speculations, complaints, pronouncements, questions. I hope other students of the Greek New Testament will join in the Comments, to our mutual growth in understanding this God-breathed marvel"

The entries thus far are substantive and thought-provoking. But even more importantly, they tangibly demonstrate the value of working in the original Greek of the NT. I have already made this new blog one of my frequent stops in the blogosphere, and encourage you to do so as well. I am adding it to my list of links on the sidebar as well to encourage others to stop by and join the conversation.

Wide-Margin, Large-Print NA27 Coming Soon

For those (like me) whose eyesight is challenged by the font of the "normal" sized Nestle-Aland 27th ed. Greek New Testament and want more space in the margins to make notes, next month the German Bible Society will be releasing a Wide-Margin Edition Novum Testamentum Graece 27th ed. next month. It will be essentially the same length as the large print edition, but about 3/4 of an inch wider to allow for more room in the margins for notes.

Also available in March will be a Wide-Margin Edition Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 4th ed.

No definitive word yet as to whether there will be a one-volume wide-margin text that combines the two.

Seminary for Free!

Grace Theological Seminary (where I teach) has recently announced its first ever Presidential Scholarship Competition. This scholarship provides full tuition as well as a monthly housing allowance for three years for those pursuing the M.Div., making it worth a total of $58,800! This scholarship will be granted to one incoming student beginning Fall 2007. Other scholarships (one-time, not annual) are available as well: 3 Trustees scholarships worth $2,000 each; 3 Faculty scholarships worth $1,000 each; 3 Achievement Scholarships worth $500 each. These scholarships are being offered in connection with our Glimpse of Grace event on March 23-24. This scholarship may be just the opportunity that you have been waiting for!

For further information, please follow the links above, email our Seminary Recruitment director Ryan Egli (eglirn@grace.edu), or call him (574-372-5100 x6435).

The Purpose of Parables (Mark 4:10-12)

In response to the question of why he teaches in parables, Jesus says "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN." (Mark 4:11-12)

Several questions arise from Jesus' answer:

1. Does Jesus use parables to intentionally prevent some from seeing, hearing, repenting, etc.?

2. What exactly does the phrase "mystery of the kingdom of God" mean?

3. How does the "citation" of Isa 6:9 fit with the larger context of Mark?

4. How does the larger context of Mark illuminate Jesus' statement here?

The floor is now yours ...

The Emerging Church and the Emergent Movement

In late July I will be participating in a two-day course/colloquium that focuses in part on the Emerging Church. While I have dipped into the broader discussion here and there, in order for me to participate intelligently, I need to do some substantial reading. So for those of you who have read on the subject, what resources do you recommend? I want to focus mostly on reading folks within the emergent movement itself, since I am generally familiar with the criticisms raised.

N.B. This is not the place to begin the debate on the Emergent Movement! As time passes and I read on the subject, I may in fact post on it. But for now I am in the research stage!

"An Obedient King" (Matt 26:36-46)

This past Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at our new church home (Christ's Covenant Church). I preached from Matthew 26:36-46. For those who might be interested, you can listen to the sermon here.

MLK Jr.'s "Dream"

Given that today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I have decided to post here an op-ed piece that I wrote for the campus newspaper at Ohio University sometime in the late 90s (I forget the exact year). At the time I was on staff w/ Campus Crusade for Christ. As you read, keep in mind that the piece was written for publication in a VERY liberal campus newspaper. I'd welcome any comments you might have.

Few individuals in the 20th century have had a greater impact on our nation than Martin Luther King Jr.. The societal change that Dr. King brought about was nothing short of miraculous, and the legacy of his heroic efforts lives on today.

We as a culture have the responsibility to see that the changes Dr. King fought for so diligently will live on for generations to come. Despite his dream to see people of all different ethnic backgrounds living together in society peacefully, and the efforts made in the past 30 years to make that dream a reality, we would all agree that the fulfillment of this dream has not been reached. This raises the obvious question of what has gone wrong.
Various reasons could be cited as to why this is the case, and arguments could be advanced as to which factors are the most prominent in preventing the fulfillment of King's dream. But I am convinced that if we are to discover what lies at the foundation of the problem, we need to examine two key assumptions that helped form the basis of Dr. King's views on racial equality. Both of these key pillars to King's belief system were rooted in the Bible, which should come as no surprise to us considering the fact that he was a pastor first and foremost.

The first assumption is that we as human beings have been created in the image of God. There are many ramifications to this idea, but the primary one for our purposes here is one of significance and value. Since every individual human being is created in the image of God, every individual is entitled to the same dignity and respect. This is what sets us apart from the rest of creation; we were created with the specific purpose of reflecting God's character. Because every individual of every ethnic group was created in the image of God, there's no room for racism. The perpetuation of racism is fundamentally incompatible with the Biblical idea of humanity created in the image of God. I recognize that in the past there have been those who have attempted to defend racism and slavery by appeals to the Bible, but that simply reflects a terrible error in interpretation and a fundamental failure to understand the broader context of the entire Bible. Let me state it in the most explicit terms possible: racism is a sin that grieves the heart of God deeply and in no way can be supported by any responsible reading of the Bible.

The second assumption which acted as a pillar of King's belief system was the idea that each of us as human beings are ultimately accountable to God for the way in which we live our lives. There are consequences for the evil things that we do in this life. This is such a prominent theme in the Bible that it is virtually impossible to miss. Because each of us must ultimately answer to God for the way in which we live our lives, it is in our best interests to live in such a way that we reflect God’s standards of right and wrong on a daily basis. A society composed of individuals who understand their accountability to God should make every effort to ensure that our society (composed of individuals made in the image of God) reflects the justice of God himself.

These two key assumptions helped form the basis of King's understanding of racial equality. It might be objected that King does not deal with these ideas explicitly in his speeches, and that I am merely reading them into this situation for my own purposes. But I would argue that the reason King does not mention these ideas very prominently in his speeches is the fact that these two key ideas were part of our cultural believe system 30 years ago. He did not have to explicitly mention his belief that each human being bears the image of God and is ultimately accountable to God for their actions because an overwhelming majority of our culture agreed with these two assumptions. They simply had not applied these two beliefs to the issue of racial equality.

The primary reason why King's dream has not been more fully realized in the past 30 years is that our culture no longer believes these two key assumptions. Most individuals in our culture no longer believe that every individual human being is created in the image of God and must ultimately answer to God for the way in which that individual lives that life. Life is now viewed as a cosmic accident in which each individual is merely the product of a Darwinian struggle for the survival of the fittest. The tragedy of this conclusion is that such a belief system cannot give an adequate reason for why racism is wrong. In fact, if life indeed is merely a survival of the fittest, it would logically follow that racism would be acceptable. (I'm not saying that everyone who believes in evolution is a racist; I am merely pointing out that if evolution is true it is extremely difficult to come up with a reason why racism is wrong).

I wholeheartedly share Dr. King’s dream of a society of people from many different ethnic backgrounds living together joyfully in a community. Yet I do not see how this dream will ever become reality if our culture continues to deny these two key pillars of King's belief system: humanity created in the image of God, and human accountability to God. It is my hope that our culture will once again embrace these ideas and move ever closer to the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream.

Ezra 7:9-10 - A Description of Pastoral Ministry

In reading through Ezra, I was once again struck by the summary description of Ezra's ministry to the returned exiles found in 7:9-10

"For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."

This text presents several lessons for pastoral ministry:

1. The Call of God - In verse 9 it is stressed that Ezra's arrival in Jerusalem was the result of God's hand being upon him. A pastor needs to understand that his role is the result of the calling and leading of God, not his own ambition.

2. The Study of God's Word - Ezra "set his heart" to study God's Word. This expression involves both the will and the affections. A pastor must be a person who makes the study of God's Word foundational to his own life and ministry. Without this foundation pastoral ministry is doomed.

3. The Practice of God's Word - Ezra sought not only to gain knowledge when studying the Word, but to live it out. A pastor must be someone who not only excels in cognitive knowledge of Scripture but also applied knowledge of Scripture. Many a pastor's profound teaching from the Word is severely undercut by a failure to live out Scripture before his people in such a way that his actions match his teaching. Of course, no one does this perfectly, but it must be the intention of the pastor to apply his study of the Word FIRST to himself.

4. The Teaching of God's Word - Ezra fully intended to not merely gain knowledge of Scripture for himself or even live it out, but also to teach the Word to others. This commitment to the teaching of God's Word must be foundational to a pastor's ministry, NO MATTER WHAT CAPACITY HE SERVES IN. This is not merely for the "senior" or "preaching" pastor, but for every pastor/elder who serves in the church. Of course this will look different depending on the nature of his ministry, but it is the bedrock for all pastoral ministry.

In closing, I should note that the call to study, live, and teach God's Word is not limited to pastors, but to all of God's people. Are you committed to the study, application, and teaching of God's Word?

Finishing Marsden on Edwards; Dallimore on Whitefield Next

Last week I finished Marsden's bio of Jonathan Edwards. It was a terrific read. It reminded me of why I so admire Jonathan Edwards, warts and all. For those interested in finding out more about Edwards, the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University (the folks who produce the definitive scholarly collection of JE's works and house a good number of his manuscripts) has a blog you might be interested in.

Because I enjoyed Marsden's JE so much, I have decided to now work my way through George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore (vol. 1 and vol. 2). As a contemporary and admirer of Edwards, Whitefield shared a similar passion for the advance of the gospel and was key figure in the Great Awakening both here in the United States and also in England. My wife read through both volumes last year and loved them. (For those paying attention, you'll note that I am trying to catch up to my wife in the area of reading biographies; she is currently reading vol. 1 of the biography on Martin Lloyd-Jones).

Have any of you read Dallimore on Whitefield? If so, what were your impressions?

Edwards on the Effects of the Fall

In reading the Edwards biography, I was reminded of this passage in Edwards' masterpiece Original Sin. He is speaking of what happened to human nature when Adam rebelled:

"The inferior principles of self-love and natural appetite, which were given only to serve, being alone, and left to themselves, of course became reigning principles; having no superior principles to regulate or control them, they became absolute masters of the heart. The immediate consequence of which was a fatal catastrophe, a turning of all things upside down, and the succession of a state of the most odious and dreadful confusion. Man did immediately set up himself, and the objects of his private affections and appetites, as supreme; and so they took the place of God. The inferior principles are like fire in an house; which, we say, is a good servant, but a bad master; very useful while kept in its place, but if left to take possession of the whole house, soon brings all to destruction." (Original Sin, Works of Jonathan Edwards vol. 3, pp. 382-83)

I find Edwards understanding of our "natural" desires helpful in recognizing the proper place for our "natural" desires. When contained in its proper sphere, fire has many important uses: heating a home, providing light, cooking food, etc. But the moment that fire escapes the fireplace and has free reign in the home, destruction is not far away. In the same manner, our natural desires for food, sex, love for self, love for family, etc., when not in total submission to the control of the Holy Spirit, lead to our own destruction.

Holiday Reading: Jonathan Edwards by George Marsden

One nice feature of the holiday break is the opportunity to read. This week I have been reading Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden. I have had this volume on my shelf since its publication in 2003, but simply have not had time to read it. But my wife had read it, and continually (but always lovingly) encouraged me to read it.

At the time of writing this post, I am about 340 pages into it (of a total 500 some pages), and it is tremendous. Marsden writes clearly and engagingly, bringing Edwards to life in 3D vividness. I have always loved Edwards, and Marsden's portrait has reminded me once again why Edwards is such an impressive figure. Yet Marsden does not gloss over Edwards' own flaws and shortcomings, but mentions them from a sympathetic perspective. Also helpful is Marsden's ability to place JE within his historical, cultural, and social context so that we may better appreciate Edwards.

I have been most struck by Edwards' relentless infatuation with the beauty and glory of Christ as revealed int he gospel. This infatuation is all the more interesting in light of his own battles with "melancholy" (i.e., depression). What an encouragement to all of us who battle the occasional (or sometimes more than occasional) bouts of spiritual dryness and depression.

Have you read Marsden on Edwards? If so, what were your thoughts?

Galatians 6:16 - "The Israel of God"

One more post on the conclusion to Galatians. After prioritizing "new creation" in contrast to concerns over circumcision and uncircumcision, Paul writes:

"And those who walk according to this rule, peace and mercy upon them, and/even upon the Israel of God"
Galatians 6:16

The big question that arises from this text is what the phrase "Israel of God" refers to. Does it refer to the church, Jewish Christians, or Jews in general? So take your best shot at interpretation, but please support your conclusion with evidence from the text!

Galatians 6:15 - New Creation

As he comes to the end of his letter to the Galatians, Paul restates a key point in 6:15 -

"For neither circumcision is anything, nor uncircumcision but new creation"

That circumcision is a key issue in the letter is obvious, but where does this reference to "new creation" come from? So, in light of this somewhat unexpected twist of phrase, I ask the following questions:

1. What exactly does Paul mean by "new creation"?

2. How does the concept of "new creation" relate to other key themes in the letter such as justification, the Spirit, promise, blessing, children of Abraham, the heavenly Jerusalem, etc.?

3. Are there any pertinent OT backgrounds that might shed light on the phrase "new creation"?

As usual I have my own thoughts, but I'd like to start by opening the floor to you.

Galatians 6:2 - Fulfilling the Law of Christ

"Bear one another's burdens and you will fulfill the law of Christ"
Galatians 6:2

Continuing our discussion from the previous post, here are a few more questions:

1. Should the future tense of the verb be understood as a simple indicative (as the translation above reflects) or as an imperative?

2. What is the relationship between the law of Christ and the Mosaic Law?

3. How is it that bearing one another's burdens fulfills the law of Christ?

To your keyboards, scholars, theologians, and otherwise opinionated folks!

Galatians 5:14 and the Fulfillment of the Law

"For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Gal. 5:14)

Four questions for contemplation:

1. What does Paul mean when he says the Law is fulfilled in one word?

2. Is there any difference in Paul's mind between "doing" the Law and "fulfilling" the Law?

3. How do we synthesize this with Jesus' statement in Matt 5:17-18 that he came to fulfill the Law? In other words, if Jesus fulfilled the Law in what sense then do Christians fulfill the Law?

4. What are the implications for how Christians should view the Law based on Gal 5:14?

Take your pick and pontificate away.

Gratitude - A Thanksgiving Reflection

At its worst, Thanksgiving is simply an excuse to stuff ourselves silly with food and watch football all day. But at its best, it is an opportunity for us as followers of Christ to reflect upon what we are truly grateful for. One of the most striking Biblical passages on gratitude is found in Rom 1:21. Having stated what can be perceived about God in creation such that humanity is without excuse, Paul says:

"For even though they knew God, they did not glorify God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Rom 1:21)

Paul places humanity's ingratitude at the heart of our rebellion against him. Gratitude flows from a heart that is overwhelmed with the grace of God shown in the cross (cf. Col. 2:6-7). The author of Hebrews goes even further:

"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:28-29).

Notice what gratitude is linked to in this passage: participating in the kingdom, a life of worship, reverence, and a recognition of God's consuming holiness. Gratitude is a tangible demonstration that we are living out the kingdom in the present in anticipation of its consummation.

So tomorrow, as you are sitting down to eat with friends and family, reflect upon the ultimate grounds of Christian gratitude. How can we not be grateful for God (who reveals himself as a consuming fire) sending his Son to bear the wrath that we deserve?

9 Marks Newsletter on Biblical Theology

The latest edition of the 9 Marks Newsletter focuses on Biblical Theology, including articles by Tom Schreiner, Jim Hamilton, and a Pastor's Forum with contributions from Graeme Goldsworthy, Ray Ortlund Jr., and Bruce Waltke.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Paul & Scripture SBL Seminar Group

Last year at the annual meeting of SBL (Society of Biblical Literature), a new study group was formed to study the issue of Paul's Use of Scripture. Many of the most significant scholars working on this subject are involved, many of whom approach the issue from quite different perspectives and assumptions. In anticipation of this year's meeting (about one week from now), they have posted several of the papers on the web here.

Although I will not be able to attend SBL this year, I am thankful for this resource. If you are interested in reading about current scholarly discussion on this issue, I highly recommend reading these papers.

Gal 4:19 - A Neglected Image of Pastoral Ministry

In his efforts to avert apostasy among his Galatian converts, Paul uses an image of pastoral ministry that is at once evocative and neglected:

"My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!" (Gal 4:19)

Paul portrays himself as a woman in labor, racked by painful contractions as he seeks to Christ formed within the Galatians. In doing so he uses the same verb (odino) found in the quotation of Isa 54:1 in Gal 4:27, which speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem giving birth to the people of God. By doing so, Paul aligns himself with the purposes of God. Central to that purpose is seeing Christ formed in the Galatians. The passive voice indicates that it is God who forms Christ in the Galatians; we might even think of Paul's ministry as the "womb" in which God forms Christ in the infant Galatians.

Have you ever thought of your own ministry in terms of laboring to see Christ formed in the people you work with? For those in full-time ministry, do you consider a central feature of your ministry seeing Christ formed in the people you serve? Do your methods, programs, etc. further this end, or something else?

Review of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

For those who might be interested, I recently wrote a review of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church that is available in The Witness, an online magazine of Grace Theological Seminary. It can be found at this link (you'll need to scroll down the page a bit to find it):

http://www.customzines.com/grace/