textual criticism - useful?

Even though it seems annoying, textual criticism is important because the trustworthiness of the Bible is important.  We want to have a foundation for our faith.  We want to know that what we believe is true.  And in order to know the truth we need to have an authoritative source of truth.  But what if there is a question about the trustworthiness of the Bible?  Some people have concerns about the historicity of the Bible, others have concerns about its content, but textual criticism deals with issues concerning the text of the Bible.

There are “multiple copies” of the Bible so to speak.  It’s not as crazy as it first sounds, though.  In the case of the New Testament they made oodles and oodles of copies so that lots of people could read it.  But this was way before the printing press, so they made copies by hand, so you’d expect the odd ‘typo’ to get in.  Having said that, though, most of the variations in the manuscripts don’t make a difference to the overall meaning (for example, spelling errors).  So if someone says to you “you can’t trust the Bible because there are so many variations in the manuscripts”, don’t worry.  There’s not one single Christian belief which is in doubt because of a textual variant. Thank you textual critics who've gone through and checked out stuff like that!

We can trust the Bible.  God worked through people to write down the Bible.  He was in control of the writing process.  He has also continued to be sovereign as the Bible has been preserved, transmitted and translated.  And more amazingly, He teaches us the Bible from the inside.  His Spirit is inside us, helping us to understand the Bible, to remember it and to live it out. 

The creator of the universe speaks to us.  Wow.

Jesus, the ultimate thirst quencher

I remember there used to be ads on TV for Solo softdrink.  It was claimed that it was a fantastic thirst quencher.  But after reading John 4 today, I reckon Jesus gives Solo a run for its money.

John recounts the day when Jesus was travelling through the region of Samaria.  Jesus got pretty tired in the middle of the day, so he took a breather when he got to a well.  A woman from the town came to get some water, and he said, "Can I have some water please?"  Amazingly, he then turns this around, and says, "If you knew who I was, you'd ask me for some water." 

She is gobsmacked.  'Who is this Jewish guy who is talking to me?'  (Jews and Samaritans didn't normally have anything to do with each other)  And, 'is he nuts?!  How is he going to get this water?  He doesn't even have a bucket!'

But Jesus continues, "if you drink the water from this well, you will get thirsty again.  But whoever drinks the water I give them will never ever thirst again.  For the water I will give them will become like a well inside them which wells up into eternal life (v14)."

As I was translating the Greek text of v14 I was struck by the emphatic nature of it.  Whoever comes to Jesus will never ever thirst again.  The strongest possible negation is used.  It also adds another bit at the end 'eternally'/'into the ages/eternity'.  I think it's used as another way to reinforce the strength of the never ever thirst again; that is, not even at any time in all of eternity.

Jesus is the ultimate thirst quencher.  He is the one who will quench your thirst so that you will never be thirsty again.  Far from being just about physical thirst, Jesus is talking about life itself.  Water is life.  The water he gives them will give them life.  Not just life for the here and now, but life lasting eternally.

Jesus is the life giver.  The one who comes to him will get eternal life.  He will never turn them away.  They will never thirst again. 

Tonight I've been thinking a lot about a dear sister who is walking a really tough road right now.  I pray that she will cling to Jesus and keep trusting in him to provide for her, both now and in the future.

But I also pray for me, that in my comfortableness I will still come to Jesus.  That I wouldn't become complacent with the goodness of life at present, but that I would still come to Jesus for the true water and life which satisfies and lasts.

God is sovereign, so the Bible is relevant

This week College is holding the Annual Moore College Lectures.  Rev Chris Green from the UK is speaking.

One really fabulous thing which struck me in Tuesday's talk was his encouragement to hold our Doctrine of Scripture together with our Doctrine of God.

Sceptics will readily say that the Bible is an ancient book.  Evangelicals will also affirm the ancientness of the text.  In particular, Evangelicals will seek to look at the original cultural and historical setting in which the writer was writing.

However, an unfortunate by-product of these ways of thinking is that it distances the Bible and God.  The Bible is no longer relevant because it was written so long ago.  And God only spoke to people back then, not now.

I have heard it said that 'we don't need to make the Bible relevant, because it is relevant'.  I think this is true.  However, I don't this statement is always presented with solid evidence to back it up.

But Chris helpfully showed theological evidence for why this is true.  It starts from what we know about God.  God knows everything.  He knows everything for all time.  Therefore when He caused the Bible to be written, He wrote exactly what he wanted to say to people in every age.  He did not just constrain His words to people in the 1st century, but He wrote those words for us too.  So although the Bible doesn't mention things like computers and other technological advances, God has still given us all that we need for life and godliness through those ancient words, because He knew that these days would come.

Thanks all-knowing heavenly Dad for giving us a true and relevant word for today and every day!

something old, something borrowed, something ... new

In class yesterday our lecturer said that in the New Testament letters the writer will often repeat things and then build upon them. [I don't know about other writers, because he didn't mention it, and I didn't think to ask until now!]

 4 I always thank my God for you because of God’s grace given to you in Christ Jesus, 5 that by Him you were enriched in everything — in all speech and all knowledge.

Oddly enough, this was clearer in Greek because they used the same word.

But the same thing can happen with concepts too.

6 In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, 7 so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Authors can use this to reinforce their message and communicate clearly.

The repeated ideas come through really strongly, but it also helps you to follow their logic and to be on the lookout for what the 'new' element is.

Cool!

awesome homework #2: what does Colossians 1:15-20 say about creation and its destiny?

Another awesome homework task: What does Colossians 1:15-20 say about creation and its destiny?

What struck me immediately was the "Jesus-ness" of creation described here.  Admittedly, this passage is about Jesus, first and foremost, and just happens to say things about creation as well.  But I think that sometimes I forget that the Son was involved in creation, not just the Father.  The Son is over all creation (v15).  He is superior to all of the created things (v17).  Everything was created by Him (v16).  Everything was created though Him (v16).  Everything was created for Him (v16).  He created more than we think.  He created not just the stuff we can see, but also the stuff we can't.  He didn't just create it and let it go wild with its own whims, but He holds everything together (v17).

Not only is Jesus the head of the original creation, he is also head of the new creation.  The church is a new creation, a gathering of those reconciled to Himself (v18, 20 cf 2 Cor 5:17).  It is a new body, and He is its head (v18).  Verse 18 also hints at the end of things, of the destiny of creation: "He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything."  Creation changed with the resurrection of Jesus.  The world is no longer the same.  A person has now been raised from the dead.  And He won't be the last.  He is the firstborn from the dead.  It was just the beginning.  More will follow.  This guarantees that all of creation will be made new.  [Well, this is the more the point of 1 Corinthians 15...also a good read :-)].  But here Paul says that because Jesus has been raised from the dead He will be the boss.  He will have first place in everything.  Also, everything will be reconciled to the Father through Jesus' death (v20).  The end will be reconciliation and peace.  It will be a complete reconciliation, including both things in heaven and on earth (v20).  But there will still be a pecking order.  The Son will be in first place over all creation.

But with all this Jesus-ness, what about the Father?  Was He on holidays?  Is He in disagreement with these plans?  Absolutely not!  The Son is like the Father.  He is His image, His likeness (v15).  Furthermore, God the Father was pleased to have all of his fullness dwell in the Son (v19).  And He was pleased to reconcile everything to Himself through the Son (v20).  This was His plan, His design.

Does Paul have a "set play"?

Today in New Testament we went through an overview of the structure and themes of 1 Corinthians, which we will be studying this semester.  Some scholars say there's no structure at all, but our lecturer put forward the idea that the glory of God is the unifying theme of the book.

Furthermore, he said that wisdom, sexuality, worship and resurrection/consummation - the key issues in 1 Corinthians - are not just key for 1 Corinthians, but in other letters of his too.  This view is heavily drawing on the work of Rosner and Ciampa in their commentary on 1 Corinthians (I've appended an excerpt below).

I found it quite interesting to ponder - does Paul have a "set play" (to put it crudely).  Does he have a way he commonly argues?  If one did agree that there is a pattern, one could get frustrated at Paul saying the same thing over and over again.  However, I find this idea encouraging.  Rather than creating his own message, Paul is preaching the gospel.  Therefore, one would expect each message to be getting at the same idea.  Wonderfully, Paul addresses each different community with their different people and different struggles.  Yet - if these guys are right in their analysis - it all boils down to the same essence.  It is all about Christ, and all for the glory of God.

It will take a while to examine whether I think the Pauline letters fit this mold, but I like the idea of it :-)

What a marvel that God has spoken to us!  What a delight that He has given us such a clear revelation of Himself in His Son and His word!  And what a privilege that he has given us His Spirit, so that we might understand his word about his son and be drawn to Him and fashioned into His likeness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This “shape” to Paul’s teaching is evident across the breadth of his corpus. To put the pattern in point form, with the overall goal of the glory of God, we find:

    1.      The proclamation of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is a call to enter the new eschatological age established in and by him. It demands that all people submit in unity to Christ, living out the wisdom of the other-person-centered lifestyle of the cross.
    2.      They must abandon the Gentile vice of sexual immorality (to the glory of God).
    3.      They must abandon the Gentile vice of idolatry, and give proper worship to the one true God (to the glory of God).
    4.      The Gentiles’ lives will be characterized by expectant hope for the final consummation of God’s glory (and so their own glorification) in the future bodily resurrection.


Ciampa, R. E., & Rosner, B. S. 2010. The First Letter to the Corinthians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary (26). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.

is Jesus in 2 Samuel 2?

On Fridays at Moore College we get the privilege of hearing our Principal, John Woodhouse, explain the Bible to us in chapel.

John is infamous amongst the college community for taking a very long time to get through a sermon series.  We gave him a big cheer earlier this year when he finished his series on 1 Timothy (which had lasted a few years)!

But the fantastic thing about John's preaching is that he pays so much detail to what the text is saying (one of the consequences of this is that it takes ages!!).

This morning's talk on 2 Samuel 2:1-11 illuminated the richness of the passage and helped us to consider how King David is like King Jesus.  They are both connected with Abraham.  They both show extraordinary kindness to their enemies.  They are both anointed king.  Yet not everyone recognises or submits to them as king.

John shone a light on the passage and caused me to rejoice in the Bible and rejoice in Jesus.  Win.  Thanks heavenly Dad!

reading the Bible in big chunks

This semester we've been going through parts of Luke's account of the life of Jesus with our kids in Scripture class.  Last week we looked at Luke 18:18-30 about the rich ruler who came to Jesus and asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?".  Jesus told him that keeping the commandments was not sufficient; that he had to sell his stuff and give it to the poor and then follow him.  But he didn't want to do it.  The cost was too great. Jesus then remarked, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Naturally, the disciples wondered if anyone could be saved in light of this. “What is impossible with men is possible with God”, Jesus said.

Great words.  God can even save rich people.  He can change even the hardest hearts.

The wonderful thing that I noticed today is in Luke 19 (the next chapter).

Many of us will be familar with the tree-climbing Zacchaeus, but what struck me today is that he is a rich man.  He is a living example of what Jesus said.  God made the impossible happen.  He saved Zacchaeus.   “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (v9-10)

It's a good thing to read big chunks of the Bible to see the development of ideas.  In the Gospels it is particularly good to think about them as narratives and to ask the question "why is this story here?"

the awesome just injustice

In doctrine class today we started to explore the topic of justification by faith.

Lots of the time was spent looking at these verse below.

Before this section Paul has made a very persuasive case that everyone stands guilty and condemned before God.  But this is the section of great hope.  The explanation of how God made it possible to forgive guilty people but still uphold justice.  Amazing!

The Bible, Romans 3:19-31

"Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law,  so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgement.  For no one will be justified  in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.

But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed — attested by the Law and the Prophets ​— that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ,  to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation  through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.  God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law?  By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law  of faith.  For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too,  since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.  Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law."

The book of Ruth

I've been looking at the book of Ruth in the Bible tonight, in preparation for teaching the kids in Scripture/SRE/RE tomorrow.

It's been a lovely reminder of God's care for us shown through His gracious provision of laws that are good for us.

Equip conference

I had a lovely time at Equip with ladies from church and Sarah and just a few others ;-)

The Bible talks were from 2 Peter 1 & 2.

In the first talk, Dani showed us that we are to remember the gospel.  This is preventative medicine to stop us from forgetting.

In the second talk Carmelina showed us that the gospel is under threat.  False teachers are around and they pose a threat to people.  Therefore, we are to guard the gospel by knowing it really well and being willing to stand against false teaching.

So speaking of knowing the gospel really well, I'd better get my head and heart in the Bible now... :-)