Welcome to MERCYhouse University
Welcome to Mercyhouse University online. Here you will find information about MHU and the course offerings. Specific courses may utilize this site to distribute materials and facilitate discussion outside of class time.
The Spring 2012 term is now concluded.
Thanks to everyone for making it a great semester.
MHU Summer Session is coming!!!
Look for information soon! We are planning two courses to be offered on Wednesdays (during Midweeks) over the summer break. We will begin with a 6-week theology survey course being taught by Gregory Campeau and Joshua Bokel. The second half of the summer break will be [the] WORD taught again by Joshua Bokel. The expected start date is 5/30 so more information will be posted soon.
Questions? Want to sign up for a class? Contact Josh Bokel (throwfarther@gmail.com)
MHU Summer
Still in Amherst for the summer? Looking for a way to grow in the knowledge of God and His Word? Join us for MHU Summer!
Our first class is a theology survey course co-taught by Gregory Campeau and Joshua Bokel. The individual classes will be structured to allow questions and discussion.
Our second class will be another offering of [the] WORD taught by Joshua Bokel. We believe that God used this class in the Spring semester to draw people into communication with Him. If you are interested in digging into the Bible and “getting serious” about your faith then this is the class for you.
Schedule:
Theology
Class 1: Doctrine of Scripture (5/30)
Class 2: Doctrine of God (6/6)
Class 3: Doctrine of Man (6/13)
Class 4: Doctrine of Christ (6/20)
Class 5: Doctrine of the Church (6/24?)
Class 6: Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (6/27)
[the] WORD (Dates TBD)
Class 1: The Need to Read
Class 2: Doctrine of Scripture
Class 3: Translation and Context
Class 4: Cross-References and Searches
Class 5: Theological Dictionaries
Class 6: Christ in All of Scripture
Class 7: Meditation and Reflection
Class 8: From Word to Worship
Classes will be on Wednesday nights @ Mercyhouse (during Midweeks) starting 5/30/2012 so email Joshua Bokel to sign up today: throwfarther@gmail.com.
Gregory Campeau
A native of the southern Sierras, Gregory recently graduated with honors from nearby Amherst College with a BA in history. He wrote an award-winning undergraduate thesis on the pastorate of Jonathan Edwards and continues to conduct research on the ecclesiastical history of New England. Currently a staff intern at MERCYhouse, Gregory plans to attend seminary beginning the fall of 2012 to prepare further for full-time vocational ministry.
Joshua Bokel
Josh was educated at RPI (Troy, NY) and at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (S. Hamilton, MA). He began college with an interest in math, engineering and other technical fields; however, before entering graduate school he discovered his calling to study the Bible. He went on to seminary to learn the languages and the skills necessary for exegesis. Josh studied Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, Akkadian and Ugaritic among other subjects while in school and participated in archaeological excavations in Tel es-Safi (Philistine Gath) in Israel. Josh moved to the Valley in 2009 to start married life with Felicia. He is currently a math and life skills teacher and track and field coach at Frontier Regional School (S. Deerfield, MA).
RF6: Eternal Punishment
Before this class
Read:
Reason for God, Ch. 5
Listen:
“Hell: Isn’t the God of Christianity an angry judge?” Timothy Keller
After this class (for further study)
Read:
“The Importance of Hell” Tim Keller
“The History of Hell: a brief survey and resource guide” Christian History Magazine
RF5: Injustice
Before this class
Read:
Reason for God, Ch. 4
Listen:
“Injustice: Hasn’t Christianity been an instrument for oppression?” Timothy Keller
After this class (for further study)
Listen:
“Proclaiming the Gospel and Performing Deeds of Mercy” D.A. Carson
“Justice” Tim Keller
“Doing Justice” Tim Keller
RF4: Absolutism
Before this class
Read:
Reason for God, Ch. 3
Listen:
“Absolutism: Don’t we all have to find the truth for ourselves?” Timothy Keller
After this class (for further study)
Read:
“A Refutation on Moral Relativism” Peter Kreeft
“Who are You to Judge Others? – In defense of moral judgments“ Paul Copan
RF3: Suffering
Before this class
Read:
Reason for God, Ch. 2
Listen:
“Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?” Timothy Keller
After this class (for further study)
Read:
“What is God’s Answer to Suffering?” Peter Kreeft
“Don’t Waste Your Cancer” John Piper
God, Freedom and Evil Alvin C. Plantinga
Listen:
“Making Sense Out of Suffering” Peter Kreeft 1/23/2003
“The Supremacy of Christ in Suffering” John Piper 4/8/2010
“God on Trial” Ed Clowney 8/3/2003
[the] WORD Part 7: Meditation on Christ
Part 7: What does the Text tell us about Christ?
“I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” – Luke 22:15
Meditation Review
Getting ready for the last in-class assignment, let’s review the steps for a better devotional quiet time.
Summary of the Quiet Time Process
Bible reading (listening) – slow, gentle reading of Scripture repeatedly, looking for things not seen, appreciated or enjoyed before.
Meditating (reflecting) – Answer these questions and relate them to Christ:
Reflecting on the text
- How does this lead me to adore God?
- How does this lead me to confess sin?
- How does this lead me to petition for grace?
Reflecting on Christ
- How is Jesus the ultimate revelation of this attribute?
- How is Jesus the ultimate solution for this sin?
- How is Jesus the ultimate source of this grace?
Prayer (speaking) – Naturally shift to this phase after reflecting on the truth.
- Adore God.
- Repent for sin.
- Thank for Christ.
- Ask for help.
- Then move on to your individual prayer list.
In-Class Praxis: Genesis 22:1-19
This is a big portion of text. Read it over three times and then (I would suggest) focusing on vss. 11-19. We’re focusing a little more on the second phase of the meditation step.
Be prepared to share your results.
Memorization Passage
“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
– Luke 22:14-20
Hymn
There is a Fountain Filled with Blood
William Cowper (1771)
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains
The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its pow’r
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more
E’er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave
I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save, I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save
Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save
Out-of-Class Assignment: Psalm 20
Meditate on Psalm 20. If there are confusing words check other translations. Are there any themes that point to Christ? (there are)
Write as much down as you can and remember to pray through the questions. Be prepared to share your results.
[the] WORD Part 6: Dictionaries and Christ in Scripture
Part 6: Theological Dictionaries and Christ in Scripture
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness.
‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul,
Therefore I will hope in Him.”
– Lamentations 3:21-24
Theological Dictionaries
When we are systematically reading through Scripture we will run across many words and concepts that are new to us. We need other resources to figure out what exactly is going on. If we just do a Google search then we’ll be inundated with useless garbage. What else can we do?
One option is to turn to trusted theological dictionaries. A theological dictionary is different from a normal dictionary because it tries to answer deeper questions. It tries to describe the word or concept based on its Biblical uses as well as its simple definition. This can be a very effective way to uncover information on a relatively opaque concept. It is always important to remember that these dictionaries, though often committed to accurately representing the teaching of the Bible, are not inspired. We use them as a resource to point us to the real authority, the Scripture. Weigh any point by the supporting Scripture.
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology is highly recommended because it is well written and free online. The best way to view and interact with this resource online is through the website: BibleStudyTools.com. From the main page if you click on ‘Dictionaries’ you’ll be taken to a page where you can select the first link: ‘Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology’.
Case Study: Angel of the Lord
For an example of the benefit of a theological dictionary let’s assume we’re doing a systematic reading and come across the story of the burning bush in Exodus.
“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.”
– Exodus 3:2
Certainly, there are many questions that will come up, but I want to find out the source of this revelation. God calls to Moses out of this bush then calls him to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. This is a big moment in the life of Moses and in the history of the people of Israel.
But who is this “angel of the LORD”? You might read over it the first time, but it’s not just ‘an’ angel, it’s ‘the’ angel. We could do a search for “angel of the LORD” and look at each instance to make interpretive decisions, but someone has already done that work for us. Going to ‘Baker’s’ on BibleStudyTools.com I search for ‘angel of the lord’. The first link that comes up is to the specific entry from the dictionary.
The entry will give us a basic definition, in our case, “Supernatural being who bears a message on behalf of God.” There is nothing spectacular there. That is just the definition of an ‘angel’ that would have come from God. The rest of the article will try to get at a fuller definition by analyzing the instances in the text. We can find the following interesting points:
- “The angel of the Lord,” “the Lord,” and “God” are interchangeable.
- The angel appeared to Hagar and she names him “You are the God who sees me” (El Ra’i) (Genesis 16:13)
- The angel executes judgments on behalf of the Lord. (2Kings 19:35)
- The angel commissions leaders for the people of God (Exodus 3:5; Joshua 5:13ff.)
- The angel stops Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac. (Genesis 22)
- Abraham identifies the angel with God and calls the play “The Lord will provide” (transliterated: Jehovah Jireh, literally means “The Lord sees”)
- The angel carries out a ministry of reconciliation, looking forward to mercy for Jerusalem. (Zechariah 1:12)
At this point, we should be seeing some kind of identification of the “angel of the Lord” with God, Himself. The dictionary will not only outline these points but will also offer an interpretive summary:
Here we get the view that the angel of the Lord is, in fact, a pre-incarnate Christ. This is something that you won’t get from a simple reading of the text, but it comes from a survey of textual clues with theological insights. Then when we go back to the text we can reflect on the significance of Christ speaking to Moses from the burning bush.
Christ in Scripture
In the interest of moving deeper into Biblical interpretation we come to a very important concept. That is, that all of Scripture points to the person and work of Christ. This is a foundational principle to proper Biblical interpretation. In exploring this topic, we’re going to try to answer the following three questions: What is the basis for this belief? In what ways does Scripture reveal Christ? How does this inform our devotional meditation?
The Scriptural Basis
After Jesus’ resurrection he appeared to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus, though they didn’t recognize him. Here were two men who had heard the teaching of Christ and had misunderstood his mission. They thought that the movement was over with the crucifixion. They had heard reports of a resurrected Jesus, but those witnesses were women and could not be trusted legally. In all this they were leaving the place where the events at the climax of history were unfolding.
Jesus politely rebukes them for not understanding that the Messiah had to suffer. Then he begins to teach them:
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
– Luke 24:27
This principle of understanding Scripture was set forth by Christ himself. This is the role of the preacher and teacher in this age. When opening the Scripture before the people of God we need to be showing each other Christ.
Before the crucifixion, Jesus was challenging the unbelief of the Jewish leaders. He made a very simple statement concerning the message of the Law.
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”
– John 5:46
These leaders were claiming that they were followers of Moses and therefore did not recognize the authority of Jesus. Jesus counters by saying that Moses was writing about him. When does Moses talk about Jesus? Questions like that drive us into this topic. There are four ways that Christ is revealed through the Old Testament text: appearances and visions, types and antitypes, and theme resolution. Let’s look at each one in turn.
Appearances and Visions
There are specific times in the Old Testament that Christ appears in physical form. Here are some instances.
- The angel of the LORD that appears to Hagar, Abraham, Manoah and others.
- In the story of Abraham, three men appear to him and one of them is called “the LORD”. When the other men leave Abraham is still standing before the LORD. (Genesis 18)
- Jacob wrestles him and “wins”. He calls the place Peniel because, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” (Genesis 32:30)
- When Joshua is about to lead the people of Israel into battle he meets a man who calls himself “the commander of the army of the LORD.” Joshua falls on his face in worship. (Joshua 5:13-15)
- When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace they survived. The report came back, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:25) (Could just be an angel because there’s no indicator of deity.)
Christ also appears in visions throughout the Old Testament. We are saying here that any physical appearance of God whether in person or dream is an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. We’ll look at one example to see this truth from Scripture:
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!’And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’”
– Isaiah 6:1-5
Who is Isaiah seeing? He says he saw “the Lord sitting upon a throne” which is just a title, it could be anyone. When the seraphim are praising him they are praising “the LORD of hosts,” the name of God. When Isaiah says he is doomed he claims that his “eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Here he’s not using a title; he’s using the name of God. So Isaiah saw a vision of God, Himself, sitting on a throne. Let’s see how the Apostle John describes this vision:
“When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled….
‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,
Lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.’Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
– John 12:37,40-43
John is saying that the religious leaders that didn’t believe in Christ were fulfilling the prophecy from Isaiah 6. The prophecy was that they would hear and see but wouldn’t understand. It would be easy to read this passage of John without paying close attention to the sentence, “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.” Who is the ‘him’ and whose glory is ‘his glory’? The clear teaching here is that Isaiah was seeing Christ.
Types and Antitypes
“Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come….
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
– Romans 5:14,19
A type is a figure or image that foreshadows the person and work of Christ. In Romans, Paul expressly says that Adam was a type of Christ. The reasoning is that Adam had a Messianic role in that he could have stood up to Satan in the garden and killed sin. Rather, he rebelled and brought sin upon all humanity. Just as one man’s disobedience brought sin so did one man’s obedience bring righteousness.
A word of caution is necessary. It is true that a proper interpretation of any text must expound Christ, but that doesn’t mean that every detail of a story is a type. For instance, when the spies enter Jericho and hide in Rahab’s house they promise deliverance for her and her family. They give her this instruction:
“Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down….”
– Joshua 2:18
Is this significant? Is this some sort of type? Some have tried to say that just as the red cord would identify Rahab’s house and bring salvation so will the red blood of Christ identify the Christian and bring salvation from coming judgment. We shouldn’t make that fanciful leap because there are no clues from the text that the color is significant. The scarlet cord was most likely chosen because it would stand out against the tan and grey wall color. Compare this example to a clear type pointing to the blood of Christ providing salvation:
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it….
The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt….
And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt….’”
– Exodus 12:7,13,26-27
Types are often most clearly seen in offices or roles. Since Christ is the King of Kings, the Great Prophet and our High Priest we should expect to see truth about him revealed in these offices throughout the Old Testament. When the stories are positive these figures are, in part, a type of the One to come. When the stories show the incompetence or failure of the individual they serve as an anti-type of Christ.
David is a great example of both of these points, as holding the office of the anointed king of the people of God. When we look at the story of David and Goliath we will never get the real point of the text without seeing the ways that David points to Christ. Consider Tim Keller’s argument:[1]
“For example, look at the story of David and Goliath. What is the meaning of that narrative for us? Without reference to Christ, the story may be (usually is!) preached as: ‘The bigger they come, the harder they fall, if you just go into your battles with faith in the Lord. You may not be real big and powerful in yourself, but with God on your side, you can overcome giants.’ But as soon as we ask: ‘How is David foreshadowing the work of his greater Son?’ we begin to see the same features of the story in a different light. The story is telling us that the Israelites can not go up against Goliath. They can’t do it. They need a substitute. When David goes in on their behalf, he is not a full-grown man, but a vulnerable and weak figure, a mere boy. He goes virtually as a sacrificial lamb. But God uses his apparent weakness as the means to destroy the giant, and David becomes Israel’s champion-redeemer, so that his victory is imputed to them. They get all the fruit of having fought the battle themselves.”
We see the different messages possible. If we read the text without looking for Christ we get, at best, a moralistic message to try harder. If we see that David is pointing to Christ, who went out in weakness not at the risk of losing his life but at the cost of his life, then we have a richer fuller meaning of the text. Only after seeing that Christ has taken out the real giants in our life, sin and death, can we then stand with him and have success in other areas.
The foreshadowing of Christ can be more clear when dealing with prophets, priests, and kings, but the claim is that all of Scripture leads to Christ. That means that every individual storyline is pointing in his direction. Consider the following examples:
- He is the true and better Adam who passed the temptation test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us. (1Corinthians 15)
- He is the true Abel who though innocently slain has blood that cries out for our acquittal, not our condemnation. (Hebrews 12:24)
- He is the true Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the familiar and go out into the void “not knowing wither he went!”
- He is the true Isaac who is the son of laughter and of grace who was offered up for us all.
- He is the true Jacob who wrestles with God and took the blow of justice we deserved so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up.
- He is the true Joseph who at the right hand of the king forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.
- He is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant. (Hebrews 3)
- He is the true Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.
- He is the true Joshua who is the general of the Lord’s army.
- He is the true Job, the only innocent sufferer who then intercedes for his friends.
- He is the better Samson whose death accomplishes so much good.
- He is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
- He is the true Teacher who may lead us through despair to help us find God.
- He is the true Jonah who went into the belly of the earth so the people could be saved.
A helpful set of questions to ask when studying an Old Testament story is this: Where am I in the story? Where is Christ in the story? When we look at David and Goliath it’s easy to think of ourselves as David, but when we see that David is representing Christ then where does that put us? We are in the crowd, the people, as Keller said, who get the benefits of victory without ever lifting a stone to accomplish it ourselves.
Theme Resolution
We’ve shown how Christ is revealed directly in the Old Testament through appearances and visions. We’ve seen the way that leaders of Israel point to Christ in their official roles. We’ve even seen the way individuals point to Christ as a “truer and better” them. But there is another way that we see Christ revealed in the Old Testament, this is theme resolution.
There are certain topics that span the course of Scripture (and therefore human history) which we can refer to as ‘inter-canonical’ themes. That is, there are themes that carry through the Old Testament and into the New Testament. These themes are usually very simple and straightforward at first, and then the plot thickens. As the Old Testament progresses so does the dramatic tension. The tension builds to the point that nothing will be resolved unless God Himself does it. The themes make us ask questions for which Christ is the “answer in the back of the book.” The following are some brief surveys of some major themes:[2]
- King and Kingdom. The freedom and glory of God’s kingdom is ‘lost’ when Adam and Eve sin. The search for a true ‘judge’ and king absorbs much of the history of God’s people. The people continually fall away from submission to the rule of God and instead become slaves to their own desires or other nations which oppress and enslave. Both the successes and failures of Israel’s leaders point to the need for a true King. But eventually the tension between the brokenness and depth of sin and the requisite power of the Liberator-King becomes overwhelming. Though Moses leads the exodus out of the land of bondage, he fails to obey God at the Rock. Though David kills Goliath, he sins against Uriah. No human king is enough. The expectations of a perfect King come to fruition in Isaiah and the Psalms to such a high degree that only the coming of the Lord himself could fulfill them. Question: How can any king be powerful enough to liberate us from slavery and bondage this great? Answer: Only God himself can do this.
- Grace and Law. God is absolutely holy and also merciful. How can he be both? Most of the Old Testament is caught on the dilemma of whether God’s covenant with His people is conditional (reliant on their obedience) or unconditional (by grace alone). Thus the narratives are generally propelled by this Question: How can God be holy and still remain faithful to His people? Answer: Only in the cross can both the law of God and the love of God be fulfilled. We must not try to resolve this tension before we get to Christ.
- Creation, Fall and Re-Creation. This theme points to our need for a Healer who is Life itself. Death brings decay and disintegration to all God’s creation. Life is filled with grief and loss. Society is in confusion after Babel. Even the people of God are in a kind of indefinite ‘exile’. We are alienated from our God, our true selves, one another, and from the creational environment. Question: How can the Creation be saved and healed? How can we be liberated from death and decay? Answer: Only the One who created us can re-create us. Only the one who defeats death through resurrection can renew all things, reconcile Creation and make the world again into the garden of God.
- True God vs. Idols. The first two commandments take up one of the predominant themes in the Bible. What is the difference between the true God and idols? Any and every created thing is good in itself but can have demonic, destructive influence if it is promoted to an ultimate, god-like place in any heart, society or culture. Idolatry becomes the ultimate definition of sin because it is possible to be almost completely compliant with the behavioral law and yet be obeying out of idolatrous motives rather than God. Question: How can a disordered psyche or society be renovated and made healthy? Answer: Only by a Savior who is absolute Beauty can we receive One who is able to capture our hearts.
- Worship and the Sanctuary. How can we connect to the presence of God? The Presence was lost through sin. It dwelt in the midst of the people in the Tabernacle, but only in Christ does God’s glory become something we can ‘behold’. Now the presence of God is actually within us. Someday, the light and the presence of God will fill the earth. Jesus is the Beauty we must adore to live.
- Righteousness and Nakedness. How can we be free of shame and condemnation? We were originally righteous and right with God, naked and unashamed. Jesus however is the perfectly obedient Son, clothing us in a robe of his own righteousness, leading us boldly and unashamedly before the throne.
- Marriage and Faithfulness. How can we know love and intimacy? God depicts His relationship to His people as that of a husband to an unfaithful wife. Jesus is the true bridegroom who sacrificially loves his spouse, wins her love, and presents her to himself as a radiant bride.
- Image and Likeness. How can we become fully human beings? God made us in His image and likeness, but that likeness has been defaced in us like a broken mirror, though not lost. In Christ and his incarnation we have the perfect picture both of who God is (in terms we can literally grasp) and also of whom we are meant to be. Through Christ the image of God is restored in us.
- Rest and Sabbath. How can we find harmony with ourselves and those around us? We were originally called into the ‘rest’, the shalom of God, but now we are deeply restless. The Sabbath points to the rest from physical work that we need. More profoundly, Christ brings us the spiritual rest from our good works. Finally, we will all have the ultimate rest in the City of God.
- Wisdom and the Word. How can we know the truth, especially the reason for our existence? We were created for a purpose, but now we experience meaninglessness. We do not have the wisdom to direct our steps. In Christ we have not only the master teacher of the Word, but the Word, the Logos himself, who is the one we should live for, the meaning in life.
- Justice and Judgment. If there is no ultimate judge then what hope is there for the world? If there is an ultimate judge then what hope is there for us? Only in Christ is there hope, for he is the Judge who took our judgment so God can be both Just and the Justifier of those who believe.
Hopefully with these examples we can begin to see how Christ is revealed in our own study. This may forever change the way we do our devotional reading and meditation.
Memorization Passage
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
– Hebrews 4:12-13
Hymn
In Christ Alone
Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
|
In Christ alone my hope is found; |
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh, |
|
There in the ground His body lay, |
No guilt in life, no fear in death— |
Out-of-Class Assignment: Psalm 95
Study Psalm 95. Use every technique that we’ve learned. If there are confusing words check other translations. Look up significant cross-references. Are there any concepts to look up in the theological dictionary? Are there any themes that point to Christ?
Write as much down as you can and remember to pray through the study. Be prepared to share your results.
[the] WORD Part 5: Meditation
Part 5: What does the Text tell us about God?
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the Law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.” – Psalm 1:1-2
Meditation
We’ve been working on “handling” the Word of God through hearing, reading, studying and memorizing. It is time for us to move to the “thumb” of meditation. The word might scare many with more conservative upbringings and might confuse many with more liberal upbringings. Some work must be done to define Christian meditation. As a concept, meditation seems to be all over the Bible, so it’s clearly an important idea that we need to understand.
First of all, Christian meditation is not transcendental meditation. The following is a short definition of the latter form or TM:
“Meditation, properly understood and properly practiced, is a systematic means to turn the attention powerfully within, to experience and explore deeper levels of mind, quieter levels of human awareness, until the mind is completely settled in the simplest state of human awareness.”[1]
“Christian meditation contrasts with “cosmic” meditation as radically as the living God of the Bible contrasts with the sensual Krishna of Indian myth or the impersonal Brahman of Upanishadic philosophy.”[2]
Christian meditation is far different indeed as the attention is not meant to turn powerfully within but powerfully toward God. The object is not to empty the mind but fill it, not to have a sense of yourself but rather a sense of the Holy Spirit. Hopefully this is something that you’re going to be experiencing already as you’re reading, studying and memorizing Scripture. What we are attempting to outline here is an effective way to begin meditation as a spiritual discipline. This will take some intentionality in your personal devotion time.
A Better Quiet Time
Most Christians have quiet times that are either nonexistent or simplistic. This is certainly not ideal, but it’s not necessarily our fault. That’s the way we were taught. What we are putting forward today is a proposal for a better, more meaningful quiet time, one that leads the individual Christian to worship.
Below is a diagram of the average quiet time. We read the Bible for about 10 minutes then we move to our prayer list. The suggestion is that instead of leaving the Bible too early we stay and intentionally involve meditation. This will lead to a more informative reading, more effective and challenging prayer time, and overall a more meaningful devotion.
Figure 7: A Better Quiet Time
The Stages of Devotion[3]
Bible Reading. This is the listening phase of the quiet time. We may start with our systematic reading; this could be anything that we are reading through. I caution though that the meditation that we are trying to achieve does not come from reading the Bible like another book; this is a different. Pick a smaller passage, something you’re familiar with, perhaps from the last sermon or your own study. Read it slowly and repeatedly.
Look for things that you didn’t see before, phrases or key words. Maybe it’s something you’ve read a dozen times that you’ve just never thought about or appreciated. Listen to God’s voice and stop to taste the truth as it goes by. Think of each word or phrase as a cup that you need to drink up before you can go on to the next one. It will be good to write down thoughts as you’re going. You are trying to align yourself with the Holy Spirit through Scripture right now. If you feel a “heart-warming” then you should move on to the next phase.
Meditating. This is the reflecting phase of the quiet time. Take the thoughts and insights that you’ve just been discovering and apply them to your life right now. Ask yourself these three questions: How can this truth lead me to adore God? How can it lead me to confess sin? How can I ask God for grace in confronting this sin?
The second set of questions to ask God (following the pattern of the previous three) is this: How is Christ the ultimate revelation of this attribute of God? How is Christ the ultimate resolution for this sin? How is Christ the ultimate source for this needed grace? This will lead you to worship on the spot. This is the heart of Christian meditation. It’s not an emptying of your mind it’s a filling of your heart with Christ.
Prayer. This is the speaking phase of the quiet time. This should come naturally from the meditation. Adore God for that truth. Confess the sin of which you were convicted. Thank God for Christ and his saving work. Petition God for grace so that in Christ you can have victory over your sin. Only then should you move to your prayer list.
The goal of all this is contemplation which is a sort of ‘fourth stage’. It is a sense on the heart of the reality of God. The invisible becomes visible. This meditation is not looking into your own mind, it’s your soul gazing into the face of God.
Summary of the Quiet Time Process
Bible reading (listening) – slow, gentle reading of Scripture repeatedly, looking for things not seen, appreciated or enjoyed before.
Meditating (reflecting) – Answer these questions and relate them to Christ:
Reflecting on the text
- How does this lead me to adore God?
- How does this lead me to confess sin?
- How does this lead me to petition for grace?
Reflecting on Christ
- How is Jesus the ultimate revelation of this attribute?
- How is Jesus the ultimate solution for this sin?
- How is Jesus the ultimate source of this grace?
Prayer (speaking) – Naturally shift to this phase after reflecting on the truth.
- Adore God.
- Repent for sin.
- Thank for Christ.
- Ask for help.
- Then move on to your individual prayer list.
In-Class Praxis: Philippians 2:1-11
We’re going to break apart and have our own quiet times. Follow the steps above and use the space below for notes. We’re going to focus our discussion on the first half of the ‘meditation’ portion.
Be prepared to share your results.
Memorization Passage
“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is your servant warned;in keeping them there is great reward.”– Psalm 19:7-11
Hymn
Before the Throne of God Above
Charitie Lees Bancroft
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav’n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God
Out-of-Class Assignment: Psalm 8
At least once this week intentionally meditate on Psalm 8. You may have to do it twice or more. Write as much down as you can and remember to pray through the questions.
Be prepared to share your results.
[1] “What is TM?” The Transcendental Meditation Program. http://www.tm.org/
[2] CM* Edmund P. Clowney, Regent College Publishing, 1979.
[3] Adapted from lecture notes from “Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World” by Timothy J. Keller. January 2002.
[the] WORD Part 4: Cross-References and Searches
Part 4: Cross-References and Searches
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:8
Cross-References
For centuries Bible readers had to rely on their own memory and notes to make connections between passages. Now the work has been done for us; well, for the most part. A recurring theme in this course is that there is no substitute for reading the Bible. The more you read, the more you’ll grow in grace and knowledge. As you read a text you’ll be reminded of other things you’ve read, often just recently.
But since mastery of the Bible will take more than a lifetime, we’ll be using cross-references. These are, in my opinion, essential for Bible study. Countless times we run across quotations or allusions, many with the phrase, “It is written….” My first question is always, “Where?” If the text is in the New Testament then the reference is probably to an Old Testament text. If it is a law then it’s probably between Genesis and Deuteronomy, but that’s 213 pages in my Bible. This is where cross-references serve a huge purpose.
Let’s take a quick example:
“For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
– Romans 1:17
“The righteous shall live by faith.” Wait, that sounds very “New Testamenty”, if that’s coming from the Old Testament then I want to know where. I want to read it in its other context. I see a little letter ‘j’ next to the word ‘as’ and in the margin the notes reads, “j Gal.3:11;Heb.10:38;Cited from Hab.2:4”. So the references are Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38 and Habakkuk 2:4, respectively. The first two are also New Testament so I want to go right to the Old, especially because my note reads, “Cited from….”
When I look up Habakkuk 2:4 I read:
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.”– Habakkuk 2:4
Now I know where the text comes from but I want to know the real story, so I check the context. When I read the immediate context I see the setting. There will be judgment and Habakkuk is the prophet of God’s wrath. The Lord is going to punish Judah for its wickedness (by sending the Babylonian army). The prophet is told to write a tablet of warning “so he may run who reads it.” Therefore, the context is that the wicked will not heed the warnings and so will die in judgment, but the righteous one will have faith that the warning is from God and will run, thus saving their lives. “The righteous shall live by his faith.”
Paul is therefore calling that to mind when he quotes Habakkuk. There is judgment coming; God’s wrath is being poured out (read the rest of Romans 1-3). Those who heed the warnings (in Paul’s case, the gospel) will live by their faith. Then looking at vss. 16 and 17 together we see the reference to imminent judgment which actually makes the gospel that much more effective. There is no “good news” without “bad news”.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.”
– Romans 1:16-17
Searches
Searching from Inside a Text.
The cross-references, of course, are not inspired and are not complete. Therefore, we’re often left looking for other similar texts. With the advent of free online Bible study tools, searching has become easier than ever. However, with that fact comes a reality that though it may be easy to search it is often difficult to perform the right search, using the right words. The English words may not always match up to every instance in the original text and the words may carry slightly different meanings from the Old to New Testament. Continuing with Romans 1:17, let’s get some clarity on what the “righteousness of God” is. It is clearly something that is being revealed “from faith to faith” in the gospel. Is it simply the character or God or might it be something more specific?
Using Biblia.com we can search very easily, and we can limit our results to certain translations. Trying to search for English words among a myriad of translations is so difficult and unfruitful that it is not recommended. So, sticking with the ESV, we search for the term ‘righteousness’ and we get 520 results. That shouldn’t surprise us because it is a common word in the Bible.
We can narrow the search down by searching for texts that have both ‘righteousness’ and ‘God’ by typing both into the search box. Now we have 84 results, still a lot but certainly easier to work with than 520. Still though there will be many results that have no bearing on our discussion, for instance the first result, Genesis 6:9.
Sometimes we will need to dig through these multiple references but not today. We need to narrow our search. Just like a regular online search, let’s look for the specific phrase, “righteousness of God.” We will do that by using quotation marks.
The results now are limited to 7 and we see our text topping the list (as the earliest reference in the Biblical order). We see five texts from Romans, one from 2 Corinthians and one from James. We know that Paul then uses this term six times and James once. So let’s see the way that Paul uses the term, ‘righteousness of God’.
- Rom. 3:5 It can be shown through our unrighteousness.
- Rom. 3:21 It has been manifested apart from the law, though the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it.
Rom. 3:22 It is for all people who believe through faith in Jesus Christ.- Rom. 10:3 It is something we can be “ignorant of” and is distinguished from our own righteousness.
- 2Cor. 5:21 Christ took our sin upon himself so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- James 1:20 It cannot be accomplished by man in his anger
We can say with relative certainty that we’re not just talking about an abstract quality of God. His righteousness is something that can be revealed. It can be seen and felt. Without Christ we are outside of the righteousness of God and are diametrically opposed to it. It can be shown even through our unrighteousness, so there is a sense of impending judgment or a finality of decision. Only through Christ’s atoning work can we experience it in a positive way. In fact in Christ the righteousness of God is personified and through our union with him through faith we can become that righteousness. That is, we can reveal the righteousness of God to others through the power of Christ. We can show Christ to others through his power, the power of the gospel.
This is an example of searching for a term that we see in a text, but what happens when we are coming at the Bible from the outside? How much more difficult is it to find the right words?
Searching from Outside a Text
As we get more experience with Bible search tools we will become more comfortable and ready to study. There will be plenty of opportunities for mini-studies coming from conversations with others or questions from others. For instance, if you are a newcomer to Mercyhouse you may hear somebody talking about baptism. Baptism is one of those things that just aren’t talked about outside of the Church, so you’re probably not too familiar with the term. You might ask someone, but their answer doesn’t satisfy you. You might try to do a little Bible searching. I call this coming from “outside a text” because you’re not starting from a specific passage.
If you have a Bible with a concordance you can always look it up in the back of the book. You’d find a list (though not exhaustive) under ‘baptism’, ‘baptist’, ‘baptize’, and ‘baptized’. We are trying to work with the online tools in this course so instead of flipping through pages from a concordance we’ll be going back to Biblia.com. The following is a table of results from different search inputs:
Table 5: Sample Search Input (baptism)
|
Search Input |
Number of Hits |
Words found |
|
baptism |
20 |
baptism (noun form) |
|
baptize |
60 |
baptize, baptized, baptizing (verb forms) |
|
bapt* |
87 |
Baptist, baptism, baptize… (any word starting with ‘bapt’) |
The point of this exercise is to show that a simple one-word search for ‘baptism’ will get you some information but only the noun forms. When you are searching for a word group you should try a few different things. Try the first few letters with an asterisk as a wild card to get both the noun and verbal forms of the word. Be aware that if you make your search too specific, just like any other search, you will be excluding helpful results.
Another problem will come with the use of certain words across the entirety of the Bible. When the original languages are different sometimes the same concept will be translated into different English words. For instance the word hesed in Hebrew (translated: mercy, love, steadfast love, etc.) in the Old Testament is represented by the Greek word eleos (translated: mercy). So if you wanted to see the concept of hesed (a major theme) throughout the Bible you would have a hard time searching in English. This leads us to another principle: the best way to search is in the original languages. For this example, if you never make the connection from hesed to eleos you won’t see the clear references in the New Testament to God’s faithful covenant love with His people being revealed and personified in Christ.
We reach an impasse. The best search would be in the original language and that’s impossible right? Well, not entirely….
Searching in the original languages without knowing any Greek or Hebrew
It may come as a shock to many, but it is possible to conduct effective Bible searches online using original languages without any knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. The best resource I have found is BlueLetterBible.com. The following is a step-by-step process to find all of the Greek instances of the word ‘baptism’.
Enter a search for the English word.
From the main page of blueletterbible.com, enter a search for ‘baptism’. There is a pull-down menu to the right. For this website the default search version is the KJV, so we’ll switch that to the ESV. Once you hit the search button you will get a page where you can scroll through the results.
Switch tabs. 
Feel free to browse the results of your search, but since we want to look at the original languages we need to switch to another tab. By changing from the ‘Primary Results’ to the ‘LexiConc’ (a combination of ‘lexicon’ and ‘concordance’) tab we’ll be able to see the Greek words that are used. For ‘baptism’ there are baptisma and baptismos. Now we know that the English word is just a direct transliteration from the Greek so we don’t expect a wide variety of Greek words.
Search for the Greek word using the Strong’s Index number.
Once you have that list you will see an index number for each Greek word. Those are the Strong’s numbers. Strong’s is an old concordance that charted the use of every word in Greek and Hebrew. The full name is Strong’s Exhaustive Bible Concordance which sounds tiring, as I’m sure the process was. Now that the cataloguing has been done it is easier for someone to search in the original language. I should say that it is based on the KJV for English and the older Greek scholarship, but it’s still a great resource.
When you click on ‘G908’ you will be brought to a page with more information than you can handle. You will see the Greek spelling of the word. If you are curious to hear it, there is audio to hear it pronounced. It is always helpful to check what the root word is. Usually that will also be searchable. In this case the root is the verb Baptizo which is indexed G907. Before we’re all done we should check that index as well for instances in the Bible.
As you scroll down you will find the search results. Baptisma occurs 22 times in the Bible. The verses will come up in the KJV, but if you click on the references you can read them in any version available.
Search for any other Greek words that can share that English translation.
This is not hard for our example. We just need to search for baptisma, baptismos, and baptizo. However, a more complicated word will send you in many different directions. Consider the ‘LexiConc’ tab for the search entry, ‘love’. There are 9 different Hebrew words that are translated ‘love’ and 10 Greek words. You
can look at the short definitions and narrow it down, but if you want some kind of comprehensive study you will be exhausted.
Memorization Passage
“9How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.”– Psalm 119:9-11
Hymn
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Martin Luther
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe.
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate.
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He,
The Lord of hosts His name, from age to age the same.
And He must win the battle.
And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth.
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.
The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still.
His kingdom is forever.
Out-of-Class Assignment: “Born Again”
A roommate or co-worker asks, “I’ve heard some Christians say they are ‘born again’. What do they mean by that? Are you one of those ‘born again’ Christians?” If you don’t know what that means then of course you would say that, but you could also look it up. Do a search and find where that comes from in the Bible. Read other translations. Check the context and the cross-references. Everyone should be able to find where it comes from in the New Testament. Bonus points to anyone who finds where it comes from in the Old Testament.
Be prepared to share your results.
Notes:
[the] WORD Part 3: Translations and Context
Part 3: Translation and Context
“And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:19-21
Translation
Today the Bible exists in hundreds of translations and the task of choosing a translation for reading and studying can be intimidating, to say the least. In order to make an informed decision we must consider the history and process of Bible translation. What texts are we translating? Who is doing the translating? How accurate is that translation? How do we measure accuracy?
Clarity of Scripture and the Text of the Bible
God always reveals Himself in ways that people will understand. In other words, He speaks to you where you are. Since the text of the Bible is God’s revelation then we should expect the text to be accessible to the reader. God could have revealed Himself in any language He chose. He could have introduced a new language of sorts, an angelic language or something like that. Rather, His Word was Hebrew when his people spoke Hebrew. His Word was Aramaic when his people spoke Aramaic. His Word was Greek when his people spoke Greek.
Not only was the chosen language appropriate for the time but it was also appropriate for the level of education of the reader. The Bible, as a whole, was not written in high language because it was meant to be understood by the people. The New Testament writers, for instance, could have written in Classical Greek like the philosophers of the day, but they wrote in Koine Greek, the language of the common people. It then follows that any subsequent translation should reflect this principle.
Translation in the Bible
In our quest for the right translation we often overlook the foundational question, “Is it right to translate the Bible at all?” Perhaps we should have an understanding similar to followers of Islam. Muslims believe that the Quran can only be properly understood and taught in Arabic. The Quran is believed to be a dictated copy of a heavenly book meant to be revealed in only that word-for-word manner. Of course there exist English copies, but a Muslim would not use the word ‘translation’ to describe the text, rather they would use ‘interpretation’. Christians do not share this view with regard to the Bible. We believe the Bible can and should be translated. We also believe that the Bible in translation (if the translation is faithful to the original) is powerful and effective.
In fact, the New Testament in its original form exists in translation. Jesus would have been teaching in the spoken language of the day, Aramaic. His words are recorded in the gospels in the written language of the day, Greek. Does this fact mean we question the authenticity and therefore authority of Jesus’ sayings? Some would take that view, but the Bible writers and early Church fathers have no such issue. Should we translate Jesus’ words back into Aramaic? Some have, but it follows from our previous doctrinal issues that since you don’t need to know Greek to know the words of Christ you certainly don’t have to know Aramaic.
Old Testament in the New Testament
The New Testament writers quote the Old Testament thousands of times. Since the Old Testament is written in Hebrew and Aramaic and the New Testament in Greek the Bible is affirming the validity and necessity of translation in its very existence. This issue becomes even more interesting when we realize that the New Testament is often not quoting the Hebrew text but rather the Septuagint, a translation.
The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It is the Bible that the early Christians would have been reading and from which the apostles would have been preaching. It is from this translation that the Bible quotes come. Let’s look at some examples:
Table 3a: The Old Testament in the New Testament (Hebrews 3:7ff.)
|
Psalm 95 (Hebrew) |
Psalm 95 (Septuagint) |
Hebrews 3:7ff. |
| “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.” | “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. | “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. |
Table 3b: The Old Testament in the New (Hebrews 12:5)
|
Proverbs 3:11 (Hebrew) |
Proverbs 3:11 (Greek) |
Hebrews 12:5b |
| “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof.” | “Son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, not be weary when reproved by him.” | “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.” |
Table 3c: The Old Testament in the New (Luke 3:4)
|
Isaiah 40:3 (Hebrew) |
Isaiah 40:3 (Greek) |
Luke 3:4 |
| “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” | “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight a path for our God.’” | “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” |
The following is a rather difficult quote to wrap our minds around:
“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’”
– Luke 4:16-21
Here we have Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah from a synagogue, no doubt in Hebrew. His concluding remarks would have been in Aramaic. It’s all written in Greek and translated into English. What makes it more difficult is that the quote is not from the Hebrew text but rather an apparent mixture of the Hebrew and Septuagint.
Table 3d: The Old Testament in the New (Luke 4:18)
|
Isaiah 61:1 according to the Hebrew text |
Isaiah 61:1 according to the Greek text |
Luke 4:18 |
| “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” | “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,” | “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,” |
In summary, we are free to translate the Bible into any language. We get support for this claim from Scripture itself. The New Testament often quotes the Old Testament from a translation rather than the original. In fact, the gospels were written in translation. We should then feel free to translate.
A Brief Survey of English Bible Translation
In 382, Pope Damasus I commissioned Jerome to revise the previous Latin translations and make a definitive Latin Bible. The result was the Vulgate, the official Bible of the Catholic Church, which dominated Western Christendom through the time of the Reformation. Jerome used the Hebrew and Greek texts available to him to make this Latin translation. This angered many church leaders at the time because the people were used to phrasing of the Greek Septuagint. Notably, Augustine had much correspondence with Jerome over this issue. Augustine wanted Jerome to base the translation from the Septuagint, but Jerome knew that the original Hebrew would serve as the basis of a more accurate translation. Jerome also used the Latin of the people; the world vulgate implies that common language. In short, his translation methods were solid and are to be commended.
With the promulgation of the Vulgate in the Church many doctrines began to be based on the Latin language rather than the original Hebrew or Greek. For example, Jesus’ simple command “Repent” in Mark 1:15, which is metanoiete in the Greek, was translated by Jerome as paenitemini or “do penance”. This was a theme in Reformation debate since the command to repent does not involve works but the command to do penance necessitates works. The term paenitemini is still used in the Catholic Church when talking about fasting and prayer as well as acts of charity.
With the decline in the use of Latin, the Bible was essentially only readable by the aristocracy or by church leaders. It was believed by many that a Bible in the hands of the people would be dangerous. Others however subscribed to our principles of translation, especially the need for the text to be in the language of the common people.
In 1382, the first English translation of the New Testament was completed by John Wycliffe (1328-1384) and was based on the text of the Vulgate. His followers were called “Bible men” due to their insistence on the authority of the Bible over that of the Church. Wycliffe’s efforts to translate and his preaching and teaching earned him the nickname, “Morning Star of the Reformation” and later earned him another title. In 1415, the Council of Constance declared Wycliffe to be a heretic. His books were to be burned and his body to be exhumed and burned.
With the Renaissance came a general interest in original sources. The Church commissioned Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) to publish a critical edition of both the Latin text and the Greek New Testament. The 2nd edition, entitled Novum Testamentum, was finished in 1519 and became the basis for many translations including Martin Luther’s German work. The 3rd edition, printed in 1522, became the basis for the next wave of English translations. Erasmus’ Greek text became known as the Textus Receptus or “Received Text”. This would later become the source of the King James Bible in 1611.
In the aftermath of Wycliffe’s translation all English Bibles were banned by the Church, but many refused to succumb to the ruling. William Tyndale (1492-1536) completed his English translation in 1525. He went into hiding in Germany but could not hide from Henry VIII forever. He was convicted of being a heretic (because he opposed Henry’s divorce of Catherine) and was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. Less than two years later Henry VIII would commission a translation of the Bible into English for his Church of England. His authorized version was based on Tyndale’s text.
In 1604, King James I of England commissioned another official English Bible for the Church of England. It wasn’t until 1611 that the team of 47 translators was finished. The result was the Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV). This committee translation was based in the original languages and was written in the language of the people. The KJV was the dominant English Bible translation well into the 20th Century. Many churches still use it though now the language is no longer the language of the people.
Modern English Translations
The selection of English Bible texts is an embarrassment of riches. The problem of choosing a version is a problem that any Christian at any other time or in any other place would dream of having. That being said, since we have a choice we should make it a good one. Before “endorsing” a translation we should emphasize that there is grace in this decision.
“But the issue before the church in the English-speaking world today is not “no translation vs. a weak translation.” It is between many precious English Bibles. A Bible does not cease to be precious and powerful because its translators overuse paraphrase and put way too much of their own interpretation into the Bible. That’s the way God’s Word is! It breaks free from poor translations and poor preaching—for which I am very thankful. But even though the weakest translation is precious, and is used by God to save and strengthen sinful people, better translations would be a great blessing to the church and an honor to Christ.”
– John Piper[1]
Since those early translations over 400 complete English translations have been made, with varying levels of acceptance. Today, a trip to a bookstore will result in a flood of initials: KJV, NKJV, NASB, AB, NIV, TNIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIRV, NLT, etc. In order to compare and contrast these English versions we need to set some qualifiers. I propose we try to answer the following questions about the texts:
- What “kind” of translation is it?
- What are the sources used?
- Is this translation the work of a committee? If so, who was on it?
- What kind of reading level does the translation have?
Only after we’ve answered these can we move to the next set of questions.
- What study notes are in it?
- What color and design is on the cover?
- How much does it cost?
Table 4: Modern English Translations
|
Full Name |
Acronym |
Date (revision) |
Translation Type |
Source |
Translators |
Reading Grade Level |
|
King James Version |
KJV |
1611 (1769) |
formal |
NT: TR/Vul OT: MT/LXX |
47 scholars |
12th |
|
New King James Version |
NKJV |
1982 |
formal |
NT: TR OT: MT/LXX |
130 scholars |
7th |
|
Revised Standard Version |
RSV |
1952 (NT: 1971) |
formal, dynamic |
NT: NA17 OT: MT |
32 scholars |
8th |
|
New Revised Standard Version |
NRSV |
1989 |
formal |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
30 scholars |
11th |
|
English Standard Version |
ESV |
2001 |
formal |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
>50 scholars |
10th |
|
New International Version |
NIV |
1978 (1984, 2011) |
formal, dynamic |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
>100 scholars |
7th |
|
Today’s New International Version |
TNIV |
2005 |
formal, dynamic |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
13 scholars |
7th |
|
New International Reader’s Version |
NIRV |
1996 |
formal, dynamic |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
NIV revision |
2nd |
|
New American Standard Bible |
NASB |
1971 (1995) |
formal |
NT: NA26 OT: BHS |
>20 scholars |
11th |
|
New Living Translation |
NLT |
1993 (2004, 2007) |
formal, dynamic |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
90 scholars |
6th |
|
Holman Christian Standard Bible |
HCSB |
2004 |
formal, dynamic |
NT: NA27 OT: BHS |
90 scholars |
7th |
|
Contemporary English Version |
CEV |
1995 |
paraphrase |
English |
3 English scholars |
4th |
|
Message |
MSG |
2002 |
paraphrase |
Original Languages |
1 pastor |
4th |
Translation Type:
The options here are formal equivalence, dynamic equivalence, or paraphrase. Formal does not mean that the language is formal, rather it means the translation tries to be word-for-word equivalent to the source. Dynamic does not mean powerful and inspiring, rather it means the translation is trying to be thought-for-though equivalent. Paraphrase means just that; the translators have made great leaps of interpretation rather than preserving the sentence syntax or word-for-word meaning. Perhaps it is easier to consider these differences by looking at a continuum.
Figure 5: Continuum of Translation Types
In this figure, the farther to the left are the more literal translations, the word-for-word or formal equivalence translations. These are versions where the translators have tried to make as few interpretive decisions as possible. That is not to say that these are entirely without interpretation; that would be impossible in any translation, even an interlinear Bible. The versions in the middle of the figure are those that try to preserve the meaning of the text over the wooden word-for-word translation. These are called thought-for-thought or dynamic equivalent translations. The versions to the far right are paraphrases. While sometimes based on the original languages, these translations take large leaps of interpretation in order to provide a fresh and meaningful reading of the text.
As you move from left to right on this continuum you will find translators making more and more interpretive decisions. As a general rule, when studying the Bible it is best to start with a more literal text. As time allows we can and must read from other versions, but we don’t want the translators to make all the interpretive decisions for us. If we start our study with The Message for instance we are letting one man, Eugene Peterson, make all the interpretive decisions for us. He isn’t even comfortable with that.
“When I’m in a congregation where somebody uses [The Message] in the Scripture reading, it makes me a little uneasy. I would never recommend it being used as saying, ‘Hear the Word of God from The Message.’ But it surprises me how many do.”
– Eugene Peterson[2]
Translation Sources:
Source criticism is a large field of study and we certainly can’t even begin to exhaust this issue. The truth remains that there are no original copies or “autographs” of the books of the Bible. The oldest known portion of the New Testament is known as the “Rylands Fragment” or p52, a few pieces of papyrus that contain John 18:31-33, 37-38. These pieces are dated to 125, just over 30 years after the gospel of John was written. For more information on the evidence for the New Testament documents see Appendix A. For now, suffice it to say that there have been many manuscripts discovered since the King James was originally translated. These older texts have minor differences or “variant readings”. The proper source then takes these variants into account and through principles of textual criticism determines the original reading. To fully understand the table above, here are the definitions of the acronyms used:
TR: Textus Receptus, this is the Greek text of Erasmus mentioned above. This critical text does not take into the consideration the newly discovered manuscripts.
Vul: Vulgate, the Latin translation of Jerome. This translation, though old, has its own interpretive issues. It is better for a source to not be a translation itself.
MT: Masoretic Text, this is the Hebrew Old Testament. The manuscripts, though only around 1,000 years old, are deemed extremely accurate due to the painstaking copying methods of the Jewish scribes. When the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) were discovered there were found to be in virtually complete agreement with the MT even though the DSS are themselves from before the time of Christ.
LXX: Septuagint, this is the Greek translation of the Old Testament Hebrew. It is referred to as the LXX reflecting the story of the 70 translators that worked on it 300 years before Christ.
NA: Nestle-Aland, this is the name for the critical edition of the Greek text of the New Testament, Novum Testamentum Gracae. The current edition is the 27th. As you look through the chart you’ll see earlier editions in use as well. This critical edition takes into account all manuscripts known to scholars, many thousands. Scholars analyze any variants and use the principles of textual criticism to determine the original reading. These editions display the variants and the translator can (and should) do their own textual criticism as well.
BHS: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, this is the critical edition of the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament. The current editioon is the 4th with a 5th in the works now. The relative low number of editions for the BHS reflects the large number of discoveries of New Testament texts for the NA. Just as the NA uses a text critical apparatus so does the BHS. The Masoretic Text is compared to such texts as the Septuagint, the Aramaic Targums, the Syriac Peshitta, the Latin manuscripts and others. Textual criticism is generally easier for the Old Testament due to the uniformity of the MT.
In the interest of getting the most accurate sources, it is strongly recommended that we choose a translation that uses the textual critical editions available. These reflect the best scholarship available and the best manuscripts available. So to this point we’re determining that for study purposes we want a formal equivalent translation that also uses the sources that reflect the best scholarship. We are now narrowing it down to either the NASB or the ESV (which can be considered a revision of the NRSV with new scholarship). Don’t take this as a condemnation on other translations. For regular reading purposes many others are deemed appropriate, especially when considering the individual’s reading level. It is important to know as well that a proper study will make use of multiple translations, including the paraphrases.
Translation Committees:
Another way of selecting a translation is by considering the committee of translators that was used in its development. While it may be difficult to weigh the significance of the scholarship just by a list of names for many, look for degrees and university allegiances. Look for a geographical and cultural spread. These scholars are the ones that make the interpretative decisions that we take for granted when we read our English Bibles. It is important that they are doing their job well. When these committees meet they will weigh the original language scholarship with the English language and cultural scholarship in order to make the best word choices.[3]
The committees have clear guiding principles that can often be found on the respective publisher’s website. For instance, these are the aims of the NASB translators:[4]
- These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
- They shall be grammatically correct.
- They shall be understandable.
- They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.
The ESV translators have given the following philosophy:[5]
“The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original.
In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive opinions of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.
Every translation is at many points a trade-off between literal precision and readability, between “formal equivalence” in expression and “functional equivalence” in communication, and the ESV is no exception. Within this framework we have sought to be “as literal as possible” while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence.
Therefore, to the extent that plain English permits and the meaning in each case allows, we have sought to use the same English word for important recurring words in the original; and, as far as grammar and syntax allow, we have rendered Old Testament passages cited in the New in ways that show their correspondence. Thus in each of these areas, as well as throughout the Bible as a whole, we have sought to capture the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so abundantly present in the original texts.
As an essentially literal translation, then, the ESV seeks to carry over every possible nuance of meaning in the original words of Scripture into our own language. As such, it is ideally suited for in-depth study of the Bible. Indeed, with its emphasis on literary excellence, the ESV is equally suited for public reading and preaching, for private reading and reflection, for both academic and devotional study, and for Scripture memorization.”
Now I’m more confused than ever…
If you feel like you’ve lost all sense of your Bible then please take a breath and refocus. Don’t throw away the Bible that you have. Rather continue to read the version that you are comfortable reading. Consider a “hybrid” translation for everyday use, one that is a mixture of formal and dynamic equivalence, like the ESV, NIV, TNIV or NLT. For in-depth study however, use a word-for-word translation that has the best sources and the strongest committee; in my opinion, that’s the ESV. The memory passages for this course are from the ESV and all text in this notebook, unless otherwise noted, is from the ESV.
Consider John Piper’s words in his defense of using the ESV instead of the NIV:
“Now let me say again that the NIV is the precious Word of God. Oh, how careful we must be not to belittle the Word of God. And yet we must not put any human translation above criticism. God has used the NIV to bring millions of people to faith in Christ. But at the same time I believe there have been negative effects that could be avoided. My biggest concern has to do with preaching. When a paraphrase becomes the standard preaching, reading, memorizing Bible of the church, preaching is weakened—robust expository exultation in the pulpit is made more difficult. Preaching that gives clear explanations and arguments from the wording of specific Biblical texts tends to be undermined when a Bible paraphrases instead of preserving the original wording on good English. And when that kind of preaching is undermined, the whole level of Christian thinking in the church goes down, and a Bible-saturated worldview is weakened, and the ability of the people—and even the pastors themselves-to root their thoughts and affections in firm Biblical ground diminishes.”[6]
Transition Time
At this point we are ready to go in the direction of praxis. We will continue to explore foundational principles for study and interpretation, but we will now be exploring case studies, as it were. For this class we will begin to look at studying the Bible by using multiple translations and by examining the context of the passage.
Study: Translation and Context
For our first group study let us tackle two of the basic mistakes that are often made: using only one translation and not looking at the text in its context. The text for our discussion is one that you might run upon in a daily reading passage and wonder about, but it is more likely that you’ve heard this quote used by somebody else. Your interest is piqued and you wonder if their interpretation is what the text is actually saying. Let’s look at it together.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 3:12-14
I’ve heard this used to imply that we should forget our former lives and sins entirely. Is that what Paul is saying here? First, let’s look at a few translations to be more sure about the wording. Rather than having a stack of Bibles on our desk let’s use online sources.
Steps for Study
Find an online bible study site. 
For this class we will be using biblia.com. This site is very easy to use and isn’t as intimidating as other sites. For things like translation comparison and cross-referencing you can’t beat the simplicity.
Display the passage to be studied.
For our case it’s Philippians 3:12-14. The page will load with two panes. We will use the other for comparisons of translations. The site should use the ESV as a default.
After reading the passage a few times, check other translations. 
This can be done side-by-side by clicking on the pull-down menu with the ESV logo and checking the ‘Link panels’ option. As a side note, if you were to use this site for simple reading, you can check other options below to eliminate the other columns and maximize the text viewing space.
Once you have the panels linked you can change the other version by clicking on the other pull-down menu. Here you will find many of the translations that we have covered. (NIV84 refers to the 1984 edition of the NIV)
Once you have another translation up in the second column you may have to “remind” it that you want the columns linked, but once it’s set you’re ready to easily switch among the translations.
At this point it may benefit to make a table of translation differences.
For this passage the real question is the meaning of “what lies behind” and “what lies ahead”. We don’t have to write down every translation’s wording, just the ones that are different.
Table 4: Sample Translation Comparison
|
Translation |
Phrase 1 |
Phrase 2 |
|
ESV, NASB, NIV, TNIV, NRSV |
what lies behind | what lies ahead |
|
NLT |
the past | what lies ahead |
|
KJV, NKJV |
those things which are behind | those things which are before |
|
HCSB |
what is behind | what is ahead |
|
The Message* |
By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. | |
* I wouldn’t usually include The Message at this point because we are trying to strip away the interpretation but, for the sake of comparison, let’s include it here.
At this point we have learned two things about the text: the translations are in agreement about the wording (of course with the exception of The Message) and therefore that we can go confidently to the next step, context.
To the best of your ability, determine the context of the passage.
There is a popular saying, “Context is king.” My Greek professor used to say, “Context is queen; Christ is king.” Either way, context is important. This is one of those tasks that can be very simple at the outset but the more you dig the more you bury yourself in information. Perhaps the best way to think about context is “zooming out” on the text. We may start with a phrase or even a single word, but when we zoom out we begin to see the bigger picture. Some meanings will become clear relatively quickly, others will require more work.
Figure 6: Questions of Context
Identify some interpretive options and weigh them by the context.
Hopefully through looking at different translations we’ve nailed down what the text is. Through exploring the immediate context hopefully the author’s intent is realized. Through exploring the larger context hopefully God’s intent is realized. What is then the most likely meaning of the text?
Memorization Passage
“19And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
– 2 Peter 1:19-21
Word of God Speak
Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, 2002
I’m finding myself at a loss for words,
And the funny thing is, it’s okay.
The last thing I need is to be heard,
But to hear what You would say.
I’m finding myself in the midst of You,
Beyond the music, beyond the noise.
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet, hear Your voice.
Word of God speak!
Would you pour down like rain,
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty.
To be still and know
That You’re in this place.
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness.
Word of God speak.
Out-of-Class Assignment: Ecclesiastes 9:7-10
Look at it in different translations. Use contextual questions to try to find the point of the text.
Be prepared to share your results.
[1] “Good English With Minimal Translation: Why Bethlehem Uses the ESV” John Piper, Jan. 1, 2004,
[2] “I don’t want to be cute.” Doug LeBlanc. Christianity Today, Oct. 7, 2002.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/october7/33.107.html?start=2
[3] See a video of the ESV translation committee talking about the use of the word ‘slave’ over ‘bond-servant’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx06mtApu8k
[4] New American Standard Bible: Translation Principles http://www.lockman.org/nasb/nasbprin.php
[5] About the ESV Translation http://www.esv.org/esv/translation/about/
[6] Piper, “Why Bethlehem uses the ESV” http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/good-english-with-minimal-translation-why-bethlehem-uses-the-esv
