Christian’s Death Desirable

“Christian’s Death Desirable.”

“A Sermon preached by Rev. W. Franklin Kone, on Sunday March 10th, 1878, at the 1st Baptist Church, Huntsville, Ala. In memory of the late James B. Strode.”

From The Huntsville Independent, Thursday, March 14, 1878, page 2.

Text.—I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Phil., I,23.

“No instinct is more universal than the love of life…But life has its period as well as its obligation. These over, our love of it should no longer attach us to this world, or render death repulsive. It is our privilege to be prepared, and by divine grace, able then, cheerfully to welcome the pale messenger which calls us from this to a better world.”

Kone gave the text as quoted “by the deceased a few days before his death.” He made four main points about “death to the Christian” in the memorial sermon.

1. Death to the Christian will soon become desirable on a mere physical account.
2. Death to the Christian is desirable because knowledge to a greater extent than possible is necessary to the perfection of our being.
3. Death to the Christian is desirable because in this life his happiness is incomplete.
4. Death to the Christian is desirable because in this life he is morally and spiritually imperfect, and must look to another for full deliverance.

“Death will sever the last of chains, and give us perfect freedom.”

Then who would live alway away from his God,
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,
Where rivers of pleasure upon the bright plains
And the noontide of glory eternally reigns.
There saints of all ages in harmony meet,
There Saviour and brethren transported to greet,
And the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll
And the smiles of the Lord are the feast of its soul.

Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila leave Corinth

18-23 Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila leave Corinth

Verse 18: After a lengthy stay in Corinth, Paul departs. Luke first mentions the destination – Syria – then recounts the itinerary of the trip. Priscilla and Aquila travel with Paul. In Cenchrea, Paul takes on a vow (a solemn promise to God), possibly a Nazarite vow. He shears his hair, presumably to let it grow for the period of time of the vow. This is perhaps also connected to his going to a feast in Jerusalem.

 

Cenchrea was the port nearest Corinth, perhaps within five miles. The modern Cenchrea is a village known as Kechries. Phebe is described as “a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1). When the church at Cenchrea was constituted in not mentioned in Luke’s history, but during the long time Paul was at Corinth seems likely.

 

Verse 19: First, they sail east across the Aegean Sea and stop at Ephesus. As his manner was, Paul visits the synagogue and there reasoned with the Jews about Jesus being the Christ. Here also he will leave behind Priscilla and Aquilla as he continues his journey.

 

Verses 20-21: Unlike some other places, the Jews in Ephesus, rather than opposing Paul, desire that he would spend more time teaching about the Messiah. However, Paul cannot agree; he has a goal and must depart. “I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem” – missing in the modern critical texts and modern translations based on them – explains why Paul must cut short his journey. Before sailing away, he promises to return “if God will.” The faithful Christian learns and comes to understand that, above and beyond our goals and plans, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (cf. James 4:13-17).

 

Verse 22: Crossing the Mediterranean Sea, Paul lands at the port of Cæsarea. From there he goes to Jerusalem, to keep the feast and salute the church. “gone up” often expresses travel to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15:2: 21:4, 12; 25:9; Luke 9:51; 18:31; Mark 10:32), and getting to Jerusalem by the time of the feast was the goal he mentioned (v. 21).[1] What feast this may have been is unclear. The three major feasts for which Israelite males returned to Jerusalem were the feast of unleavened bread (Passover), the feast of weeks (Pentecost), and the feast of tabernacles. See Exodus 23:17; Deuteronomy 16:16. Passover is perhaps the most likely to be referred to as “the feast.” John Gill writes:

 

…this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: which perhaps was the Passover, since that often went by the name of the feast: the why he must by all means keep it, was not because it was obligatory upon him; nor did he always observe it, as appears from his long stay at Corinth, and other places; and besides, as a Christian, he had nothing to do with it; but either because of his vow, (Acts 18:18) or because he knew he should have an opportunity of preaching the Gospel to great numbers…[2] 

From Jerusalem Paul travels back to Antioch Syria (v. 18), to the church from whence he had been recommended to the grace of God for the work.

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[1] Note in Acts 9:30 that Cæsarea is “down” from Jerusalem.
[2] John Gill’s Exposition, online. https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/acts-18-21.html

Opposition to God’s work

Opposition to God’s work: Nehemiah 6

• Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God...
• John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you...

Private communication

2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Personal intimidation

5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

Prophetic deception

10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

Privileged affiliation

17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

X-mas or Christmas or both?

There are Christians who spend a great deal of time saying, “Keep Christ in Christmas” or “Put Christ back into Christmas.” (Other Christians would say he was never part of it!) For the first group, “put Christ back into Christmas” is a retort against the use of “X-mas” in the place of “Christmas.”[i] I have heard this most of my life. However...

Chi (Χ or χ) is the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet. Used in X-mas, it is not leaving out the name of Christ, but substituting or abbreviating it by using the first letter in the Greek name Christ (χριστός) for Christ. Abbreviations can make communication easier – if you understand the abbreviation. We use them in most aspects of life, especially in writing. In this abbreviation or substitution, X = Christ. X-mas = Christmas.

Some secularists say or use X-mas thinking they deliberately leave Christ out. Some scrupulous Christians substitute the X instead of using “Christ,” thinking they avoid combining the title of Jesus “Christ” with the Roman Catholic “Mass.”[ii] Nevertheless, there is longstanding documented sacred history of Christians using Chi (Χ or χ) to mean, stand for, or symbolize Christ. X-mas does not avoid putting Christ in Christmas, no matter how you slice it.

Here endeth the history lesson.[iii]

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[i] This objection may have originated in the periodical News and Views, published by the Church League of America. An article in December of 1957 titled “X=The Unknown Quantity” criticized the use of X-mas instead of Christmas. However, it is possible that this has earlier criticisms, and was only widely popularized at this time.
[ii] The etymology of the English word Christmas is Middle English Christemasse, from Old English Cristes mæsse, literally, Christ’s mass (combing the words Christ + Mass, the eucharistic service). Nevertheless, to most Westerners it just means the annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus, usually celebrated on December 25. Notice however, for example, Wednesday is “Woden’s Day,” Thursday is “Thor’s Day,” and “Friday is “Frigga’s Day.” We would lose our ability to communicate effectively in our native language if we made up words to replace all words that have offensive root associations.
[iii] This is a history lesson, not an advocacy article. I do not care that much what you choose call it. Nevertheless, I would suggest that using the full “Christmas” is less likely to be misunderstood in our culture, without having to explain which one of at least three ways you might be using “X” (as a non-Christian trying to avoid Christ, as a Christian trying to avoid placing Christ next to Mass, or as a Christian using X to stand for and represent Christ).

5 things to observe

If your lips would keep from slips,

Five things observe with care:

To whom you speak, of whom you speak,

And how and when and where.

William Edward Norris in Thirlby Hall: A Novel, Volume 1, London, 1883, p. 315

The Finest Flower

A popular song in The Sacred Harp, 2012 Cooper Edition is The Finest Flower (411) – tune by David Walker and hymn by Joseph Swain. This is a song we brought over from The Christian Harmony songbook/ tradition. Listen on YouTube to The Finest Flower.

The composer David Walker has at times been identified as the son of John Walker and Margaret Woods – and therefore the uncle of William Walker (compiler of The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion). This David Walker was born October 22, 1787 and died September 19, 1878. He is buried at the Hebron United Methodist Church Cemetery, Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

On the other hand, William Walker had a brother also named David Walker, whom he identifies in The Southern Harmony as a hymn writer and composer. Regarding Indian Convert he writes, “the last two verses were composed by David Walker, the Author’s brother.” Of Hebrew Children he says, “This tune was set to music by David Walker, in 1841: also the last two verses of the song are his composition.” The Finest Flower first appeared in 1845 in The Southern and Western Pocket Harmonist by William Walker. There it was titled The Flower; Or, The Christian’s Love (139). Originally in three parts, alto was added in 1867 when published in The Christian Harmony (116a). This David Walker was the son of Absalom Abraham Walker and Susannah Jackson. No further information about him is available at this time. A David Walker (1815–1870) of Whitfield County, Georgia was born in Union County, South Carolina. He fits the time frame to have been a son in the home of Absalom Walker, but no definite connection can be made.

Swain’s words are slightly altered and somewhat reordered in The Finest Flower. The words appeared in this manner in several sources available to David Walker, such as Jesse Mercer’s Cluster. David Walker combined six Common Meter stanzas into three stanzas of Common Meter Doubled.

1. The finest flow’r that e’er was known,
Opened on Calvary’s tree,
When Christ the Lord was pierc’d and torn
For love of worthless me.
Its deepest hue, its richest smell,
No mortal sense can bear;
Nor can the tongue of angels tell
How bright its colors are.

2. Earth could not hold so rich a flow’r,
Nor half its beauties show;
Nor could the world and Satan’s pow’r
Confine it here below.
On Canaan’s banks supremely fair,
This flow’r of wonder blooms,
Transplanted to its native air,
And all the shores perfumes.

3. But not to Canaan’s shores confined,
The seeds from which it blow,
Take root within the human mind,
And scent the church below.
Love is the sweetest bud that blows,
Its beauty never dies;
On earth among the saints it grows,
And ripens in the skies.

The original poetry, “The Flower,” appeared in Walworth Hymns, book compiled by Joseph Swain (London: J. Matthews, 1792), and is given below. There are eight Common Meter stanzas (Hymn No. VI, pages 9-10). It uses the idea of the flower as an emblem of Christ.

For biographical information on Joseph Swain, see “Mutual Encouragement” and “Memoirs of the Life of Mr. Joseph Swain” in Redemption, a Poem in Eight Books (pp. v-xlvii).

1. Love is the sweetest bud that blows,
Its beauty never dies;
On earth among the saints it grows,
And ripens in the skies.

2. Pure, glowing, red, and spotless white,
Its perfect colours are;
In Jesus all its sweets unite.
And look divinely fair.

3. The finest flow’r that ever blow’d
Open’d on Calv’ry’s tree,
When Jesu’s blood in rivers flow’d
For love of worthless me!

4. Its deepest hue, its richest smell,
No mortal sense can bear;
Nor can the tongue of angels tell
How bright the colours are.

5. Earth could not hold so rich a flow’r,
Nor half its beauties shew;
Nor could the world and Satan’s pow’r
Confine it sweets below.

6. On Canaan’s banks, supremely fair,
This flow’r of wonders blooms,
Transplanted to its native air,
And all the shores perfumes.

7. But, not to Canaan’s shores confin’d,
The seed from which it blow
Take root within the human mind,
And scent the church below.

8. And soon on yonder banks above
Shall every blossom here
Appear a full ripe flow’r of love,
Like him, transplanted there.

Today we find ourselves, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

“Today we find ourselves with many males but too few men.” -- Tony Evans

“Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.” -- Frank Herbert, Dune

“Solomon got more hurt by his wealth, than he got good by his wisdom.” -- Thomas Brooks

“Some people spend more time training their dogs than training their children.” -- Unknown

“Generally speaking, a man should control his emotions and keep many of his fears and anxieties to himself in order to be a source of consistency and stability for his family.” -- Matt Walsh

“If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.” -- Augustine of Hippo

“The tongue has no bones, but is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.” -- Unknown

“God has known you since you were in the womb. Make sure you know him before you are in the tomb.” -- Unknown [And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)]

“When the Bible says that God’s word is inspired, preserved, pure, trustworthy, etc. … the Bible in your hand is saying those things about the Bible in your hand.” -- Peter Van Kleeck, Jr.

“Theology should leave you with a thirst for worship, rather than an appetite for controversy.” -- Ryan McGraw

“It is often said that the divided condition of Christendom is an evil, and so it is. But the evil consists in the existence of the errors which cause the divisions and not at all in the recognition of those errors when once they exist.” -- J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism, p. 50

“I saw that I needed a perfect righteousness to present me without fault before God, and this righteousness was nowhere to be found but in the person of Jesus Christ.” -- John Bunyan, Grace Abounding

“God’s Word is sufficient, inerrant, infallible, authoritative, and complete. Any belief or claim otherwise is to deviate from orthodox Christianity and to enter error and heresy.” -- Dustin Benge

“Duty, is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less.” -- Robert E. Lee (inscribed on the bust of Lee, that until recently was located in Hall of Fame of Great Americans)

“Science is a wonderfully useful discipline, but in recent times it has been distorted into scientism, the view that science is the ultimate path to truth in any area of reality.” -- John M. Frame

“Worldliness diminishes a man’s soul and makes him petty; knowing God ennobles a human being.” -- Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, in Reformed Systematic Theology: Revelation and God, Vol. 1

Writings About and in Support of the Johannine Comma, 1 John 5:7

Available online

• “A Clear Bible Proof Text for the Doctrine of the Trinity,” by Jeffrey Khoo (in 50 Years Building His Kingdom, Life Bible-Presbyterian Church, pp. 87-88)
• A Critical Dissertation Upon the Seventh Verse of the Fifth Chapter of St. John's First Epistle, by David Martin
• A Defense of 1 John 5:7, by David Cloud
• A Defense of the Johannine Comma: Setting the Record Straight on I John 5:7-8
• A Preliminary Examination of the Antiquity and Authenticity of the Johannine Comma, by Jeffrey Khoo
• A Vindication of 1 John v. 7 from the Objections of M. Griesbach, by Thomas Burgess
• And These Three Are One: A Case for the Authenticity of 1 John 5:7-8, by Jesse M. Boyd
• An Internal Argument for the Comma Johanneum, by Jeff Riddle
• Debate Over 1 John 5:7, part 1 (John Calvin)
• Debate Over 1 John 5:7, part 2 (John Gill)
• Debate Over 1 John 5:7, part 3 (Matthew Henry)
• Dogmatische Theologie Volume 4, by Johann Baptist Heinrich (in German)
• In An Inquiry into the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate, or Received Text of the New Testament, by Frederick Nolan, pp. 253ff, et al.
• Letters to Edward Gibbon, Esq., Author of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Third Edition), by George Travis
• Response to Daniel Wallace Regarding 1 John 5:7, by Martin A. Shue
• The Johannine Comma
• The Johannine Comma of 1 John 5:7-8: Added or Removed? by “The Berean Patriot”
• Why 1 John 5:7-8 is in the Bible, Trinitarian Bible Society
• 1 John 5:7 “And These Three Are One”, by Will Kinney
• 1 John 5:7 defended “The Doctrinal Various Readings of the New Testament Greek,” by Robert Louis Dabney
• I John 5:7 Grammar argument, by Stephen Mills Reynolds

Available in print

• A History of the Debate over 1 John 5:7-8: a Tracing of the Longevity of the Comma Johanneum, with evaluations of arguments against its authenticity, by Michael Maynard (Tempe, AZ: Comma Publications, 1995)
• Commentary on the Johannine Epistles, by Thomas M. Strouse, 2023
• In Defense of 1 John 5:7, by Phil Stringer
• In Defense of the Authenticity of 1 John 5:7, by C. H. Pappas (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2016)
• The Historical Defense of 1 John 5: 7-8: The Unjustly Exscinded Text of the Three Divine Witnesses, by Michael Maynard (Dahlonega, GA: Old Paths Publications, Inc., 2019)

Beginning a ministry in Corinth

Acts 18, beginning of a ministry in Corinth

Verse 4: Here at Corinth, Paul follows his usual manner. He engages in weekly reasoning in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. “persuaded the Jews and the Greeks” In context, persuaded refers more to process rather than the results.

Verses 5-6: Silas and Timothy had stayed in Macedonia. See Acts 17:14.[1] Silas stayed at Berea. Timothy may have stayed at Berea – but possibly returned to Thessalonica, if the statement in I Thessalonians 3:1-2 refers to this period of time. Otherwise, I Thessalonians 3:1-2 could suggest that Timothy soon met Paul in Athens, and was then sent by Paul back to Thessalonica.[2] Either way, Silas and Timothy then together came from these nearby Macedonian towns to meet Paul in Corinth.[3] Now, joined by Silas and Timothy, Paul intensifies his witness to the Jews. It seems reasonable that reports from Timothy (and probably Silas as well) greatly encouraged him (I Thessalonians 3:6-9). Paul is “pressed in the spirit,” God’s Spirit witnessing to his spirit. Pressed, physically, is pushed upon or forced in a certain direction. Metaphorically, it is constrained or compelled. (Cf. II Corinthians 2:4: Romans 9:1-5; 10:1.)

“they opposed themselves” – This phrase means to set oneself (here, “themselves”) in opposition against something or someone. Compare Job 30:21, where Job feels that God is set in opposition to him. See also II Timothy 2:25. As Paul’s witness intensifies, so does the opposition of the Jews. They “blasphemed.” These were Jews who believed in God, so “blasphemed” evidently refers to their speaking impiously or irreverently of Jesus Christ as God, or in that manner toward the sacred message of God preached by Paul. He will now focus on the Gentiles.

“shook his raiment” The meaning and effect is akin to shaking dust off one’s feet (cf. Matthew 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; Acts 13:51; also Nehemiah 5:13). It may combine this idea (shaking off dust) with the mourning (Genesis 37:34; II Samuel 3:31) or horror (II Kings 18:37; Matthew 26:65; Acts 17:14) expressed by rending one’s garment. “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean…” Compare Acts 20:26-27 “I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” Declaring the counsel of God is the responsibility of the apostle (and by extension preachers and teachers). “Blood upon your heads” is an expression of accountability, culpability, and guilt. Compare Joshua 2:19; II Samuel 1:16; I Kings 2:32-33, 37; Ezekiel 33:4, for use of the expression.

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[1] Luke seems to have stayed in Philippi (Acts 16:40; 17:1), and he returns to the group in Acts 20:1-5.
[2] “Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; and sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith…”
[3] This is the last time Silas is mentioned by name in the book of Acts.

David in doubt, dismay, and deceit

1 Samuel 27:1-12

David in doubt, dismay, and deceit

David communed with himself, rather than inquire of God, verse 1.

Saul will get me if I don’t get out of his jurisdiction. (When you only talk to yourself, you will often get the wrong advice.) David had fightings without and fears within.

David enquired of the Lord at other times (1 Samuel 23:2, 4; 1 Samuel 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 2 Samuel 5:19; 2 Samuel 21:1).

The heart is wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).

Ye of little faith (Cf. I Samuel 17:29,37,45,46; Matthew 8:26; 14:31) Matthew Henry: “Though he had no reason to trust Saul’s promises, had he not all the reason in the world to trust God’s promises?” “Was he not anointed to be king? Did that not imply an assurance that he should be preserved to the kingdom?”

David moved to Gath in Philistia, verses 2-3.

Goliath was from Gath, 1 Samuel 17:4.

David had been there before, 1 Samuel 21:10-15. This resulted in a not-so shining moment.

The plan of David seems to work, verse 4.

Saul heard David had fled to Gath.

As David expected, Saul did not seek for him in Philistia.

Achish gave David and his men a place to dwell, verses 5-7.

David asked for a place away from the royal city.

Achish gave David and his men Ziklag (within Simeon’s territory, Joshua 19:5).

They stayed there one year and four months.

What David did while in Philistia, verses 8-9.

David and his army made inroads against various enemies, invading the Geshurites (cf. Joshua 13:13), and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites.

David’s method was to leave no inhabitants alive to tell what had happened. Cf. v. 11.

He took possession of the spoils of everything from cattle to clothing.

What David said he did while in Philistia, verses 10-12.

Achish: Whither have ye made a road to day?[i]

David: Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. Cf. 1 Samuel 30:26-31.

Achish believed David.

            He believed these actions made David abhorrent to the Israelites.

            He believed this condition secured David as a faithful servant to him.

Conclusion: Through a lack of faith, David placed himself in a compromising situation. He would be in a pickle when Israel fought the Philistines, yet God mercifully extracted him from it, though through much tribulation. See 1 Samuel 30:1-25.

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[i] Etymology of road: Middle English rode, from Old English rad "riding expedition, journey, hostile incursion," from Proto-Germanic *raido (source also of Old Frisian red "ride," Old Saxon reda, Middle Dutch rede, Old High German reita "foray, raid"), from PIE *reidh- "to ride" (see ride (v.)). Also related to raid (n.).

The Synoptic Problem?

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16)

The “Synoptic Gospels” are Matthew, Mark, and Luke, called this because of their similarities (taking the same point of view) as opposed to being quite different from John. A long-held general view has thought chronologically of the four Gospels in the order they stand in the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Synoptic Problem.

This “problem” concerns the similarities and differences of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and their relationships to one another – in the sense of dependence, independence, or interdependence. A human explanation is sought. For simple Bible believers, the “problem” is not a problem because God is behind all of these Gospels and they are the way they are because of his divine choice. For many of the rest, the “problem” is resolved by settling on two sources for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke – the Gospel of Mark and an imaginary document called “Q.”

Markan Priority.

Liberal New Testament scholars in the 19th century began to reject the priority of Matthew’s Gospel in favor of Mark’s Gospel. “Markan Priority” theorizes that the authors of Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels drew from or depended on the Gospel of Mark as a source of information in their own writings. This “resolves” the parts of these three Gospels that are similar. Since not all of the material that Matthew and Luke have in common is found in the Gospel of Mark, “Markan Priority” only resolves part of the “problem.” This necessitates another source for the parts that Matthew and Luke have in common with each other, but not with Mark.

“Q” or “Q source”.[i]

“Q” (aka “Logia Source Q”) is therefore the hypothetical document imagined as a “solution” to the so-called “Synoptic Problem,” when combined with “Markan Priority.” According to this hypothesis, Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source and also a second source for the material they have in common that is not found in Mark.[ii] This source does not exist, but it has been created in the imaginations of unbelieving scholars. Usually the “Q” material is a single theoretical lost written source, though some may include oral resources as well.[iii]

The real problem.

The real problem is the havoc caused among Bible believers who read so-called conservative commentators who spread the virus of unbelief in the inspiration of the Scriptures. Thomas Ross illustrates this in “Q, Synoptic Gospel Dependence, and Inspiration for the Bible.” John Nolland, author of The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005), who passes for a conservative in evangelical circles, writes:

“On the basis of the tensions and difficulties in the account [in Matthew 25:31-46, rlv] many scholars have held that Matthew has cobbled this account together out of traditional fragments and OT resources…the adjustment is likely to be pre-Matthean, but this time it may be Matthew himself who is responsible for the change…With some brief, now-lost beginning to introduce the king, the restored parable is free of the tensions and difficulties that have been identified in the Matthean account.”[iv] 

A brief summary of what Nolland thinks is this. He posits that whatever Jesus Christ actually said got changed to something different than what Jesus said! This kind of talk is replicated in far too many “conservative” evangelical commentaries, sermons, etc.

The solution to the problem.

The solution to the “Synoptic Problem” begins with “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” That is, I understand that the Synoptic Gospels are inspired by God, and I believe this even in light of the things I do not understand. “Let God be true, but every man a liar.”

My objection to “Markan Priority” and “Q” starts at a the most basic level – the inspiration of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). “Markan Priority” and “Q” theory emphasizes the human element in the writing of the Gospels. It essentially removes the divine element. Men imagine these Gospels rising from three authors without due emphasis on these three Gospels rising from one author using three inspired penmen. Since the human element is overemphasized, a need to fix the “problems” lends to the imagining of writers (particularly Matthew and Luke) copying their Gospels from Mark and an artfully invented fictional source – in order to explain why these books are the way they are. However, if God wrote the Gospels, that in itself explains why they are the way they are. They are how he wants them. This view may not suit our human curiosity in explaining all we think we want to know. Nevertheless, that must be the beginning point for the Bible believer.

Ultimately, we have gotten ourselves into this mess by rejecting the older view of inspiration that is closer to dictation than superintendence. “Dictation” has been pooh-poohed by modern evangelicals. Good people have rejected the term and preferred superintendence instead. Certainly, there is a human element to the writing of Scripture. That said, we cannot resolve “problems” by rejecting God as the divine author of Scripture. The majority of evangelicals in the United States may be emphasizing the human element to the removing of the divine element – while still giving lip service to inspiration. “Markan Priority” and “Q” are symptoms of the sickness of overemphasizing the “humanness” of the Gospels.

Considering the human standpoint of the authors, the Synoptic Gospels are independent accounts by three independent witnesses. That is, they do not need to depend on one another or any fictional sources. “Q” source is an inspiration-denying view, even if some of those who repeat it do not themselves deny inspiration.

There is one original ultimate source of the Synoptic Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John, and the whole of Scripture (all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments) are pure words from one source – God who gave the word. Believe it. Lord, help thou mine unbelief.

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[i] “Q” is an abbreviation of the German word “Quelle”, meaning “source.” This should give the reader the hint that these doubts arise in large part from German higher criticism, which is an unbelief in the supernatural element of Christianity.
[ii] In addition to the Two Document (or Two Source) Hypothesis, there also exist hypotheses for three sources or four sources. When you start making this stuff up, there is no limit to how many sources there could be.
[iii] “Q” does not exist. There is no proof it ever existed. It exists only in the minds of those who need it to resolve their problems.
[iv] To read a long excerpt of John Nolland, with Thomas Ross’s comments, see “Q, Synoptic Gospel Dependence, and Inspiration for the Bible.”

Truth, Lord

And she said, Truth, Lord: yet… Matthew 15:27

“Agree with the Lord … Whatever Jesus said, she did not contradict him in the least. I like the old translation, ‘Truth, Lord,’ for it is very expressive. She did not say, ‘It is hard, or unkind’; but ‘It is true. It is true that it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. It is true that compared with Israel I am a dog: for me to gain this blessing would be like a dog’s feeding on the children’s bread. Truth, Lord; truth, Lord.’ Now, dear friend, if thou art dealing with the Lord for life and death, never contradict his word. Thou wilt never come unto perfect peace if thou art in a contradicting humour; for that is a proud and unacceptable condition of mind. He that reads his Bible to find fault with it will soon discover that the Bible finds fault with him. It may be said of the Book of God as of its Author: ‘If ye walk contrary to me…I will walk contrary to you.’”

“Pleading, not Contradiction,” Charles H. Spurgeon, 1890

I will sing the wondrous story

Francis Harold Rowley wrote “I will sing the wondrous story.” He was born Jul 25, 1854 in Hilton, New York, the son of Dr. John Rowley and Mary Jane Smith. Rowley attended the University of Rochester and Rochester Theological Seminary. In 1878 he married Ida A. Babcock (1856–1940). He began his first pastorate in Titusville, Pennsylvania in that same year. Leaving Titusville, he went to North Adams, Massachusetts, where he served 1884-1892. It was here that he wrote this hymn (which appears to be the only hymn written by him). Rowley also pastored in Oak Park, Illinois, as well as Fall River and Boston in Massachusetts. He served as president of the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from 1910 to 1945. The Rowley School of Humanities (perhaps no longer extant or so named) at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, was named after him.[i] Francis Rowley died February 14, 1952 at the age of 97. He and his wife Ida are buried at the Mount Auburn Cemetery at Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

In September of 1947, preacher and hymnologist Armin Haeussler visited Francis Rowley in Boston. Rowley related to him this story of the origin of his hymn and its companion tune.

“We were having a revival at the First Baptist Church at North Adams, Mass., in 1886, the third year of my pastorate there, which was one of the richest and most blessed experiences of my entire ministry. I was assisted by a young Swiss musician named Peter Bilhorn who suggested that I write a hymn for which he would compose the music. The following night the hymn cam to me without any particular effort on my part. The tune by Bilhorn was long popular, but Hyfrydol has also found favor. Perhaps you know that your Hymnal is not the first one to use that Welsh tune. [Our Hymnal Committee had found the Hyfrydol setting in The Church Hymnary, 1927, No. 683.] This newer setting is entirely acceptable to me, but I do not like some of the text revisions made by some editors.”[ii]

The original hymn, in 8s.7s. meter, is as follows.

1. I will sing the wondrous story,
Of the Christ who died for me,
How he left his home in glory,
For the cross on Calvary.

Chorus:
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.

2. I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Raised me up and gently led me,
Back into the narrow way.

3. Faint was I, and fears possessed me,
Bruised was I from many a fall;
Hope was gone, and shame distressed me:
But his love has pardoned all.

4. Days of darkness still may meet me,
Sorrow’s path I oft may tread;
But his presence still is with me,
By his guiding hand I’m led.

5. He will keep me till the river
Rolls its waters at my feet;
Then he’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet.

This hymn was published in 1887 in both Sacred Song and Solos and Gospel Hymns No. 5, by Ira D. Sankey. The title was I will Sing the Wondrous Story, with Psalm 89:1 included underneath the title. “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.”

Changes of which the author did not approve were made to the words. In our church tradition, and in most hymnals that I have used, the words are the altered words of Sankey – and the tune, often called Wondrous Story, is that written by Peter Philip Bilhorn.[iii] The first and last stanzas are the same as the original. The revised 2nd through 4th stanzas are as given below. (I am uncertain whether the chorus was written by Rowley, or added by Bilhorn; I have not read anyone comment on it.) 

2. I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw his loving arms around me,
Drew me back into his way.

3. I was bruised, but Jesus healed me,
Faint was I, from many a fall,
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But he freed me from them all.

4. Days of darkness still come o’er me,
Sorrow’s path I often tread,
But the Saviour still is with me,
By his hand I’m safely led.

Peter Philip Bilhorn was born in Mendota, LaSalle County, Illinois, on July 22, 1859, to Johann Georg F. Püllhorn (Billhorn) and Katherena Niehardt. His father died in 1862 during the War Between the States, when Peter was about 3 years old.[iv] Bilhorn was converted at a revival in 1883. Already a singer, he decided to leave the carriage works trade with his brother and pursue musical education, studying under George C. Stebbins and Frederick W. Root. As a singing evangelist, Bilhorn traveled with George F. Pentecost, D. L. Moody, J. Wilbur Chapman, and later Billy Sunday. He married Nellie May McCaughna in 1894. Bilhorn invented the telescope organ (a small lightweight organ that could be easily moved) and formed the Bilhorn Bros. Organ Company.

Peter Philip Bilhorn died December 13, 1936. He and his wife are buried at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California.

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[i] I did not find it mentioned on their website.
[ii] Armin Haeussler. The Story of Our Hymns: The Handbook to the Hymnal of the Evangelical and Reformed Church, St. Louis, MO: Eden Publishing House, 1952, p. 470.
[iii] Hyfrydol by Rowland Hugh Prichard is a popular alternative tune for “I will sing the wondrous story.”
[iv] The 1860 census give his parents place of birth as Saxe-Meiningen. Some sources suggest that Bilhorn was not born until in 1865 after his father died, but this is incorrect. He appears in the 1860 LaSalle County census.

A mega-mechanism, and other music & worship links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• ‘A mega-mechanism for bonding’: why singing together does us good -- “What draws people to singing, and the benefits it brings, have been the subject of research for centuries.”
• Amazing Grace: The Story of William “Singing Billy” Walker -- “‘Singing Billy’ Walker” was a South Carolinian, a Baptist church member, song-leader, music teacher, composer, and tunebook compiler.
• Elton Britt - New London School Tragedy [1937] -- “Written by Bob Miller, and recorded 24 March 1937 in ARC Recording Studio by Elton Britt.”
• Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken, by John Newton -- “John Newton and William Cowper wrote hymns to be sung at the weekly evening prayer meetings. John suggested that the two of them compile a collection of hymns.”
• “If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee”: The Journey of a Lutheran Hymn. -- “Neumark’s hymn was apparently based ont only on Psalm 55:23, but also on the Epistle for the fifth Sunday after Trinity, 1 Peter 3:8-15.”
• J. H. Carter Sacred Harp Recordings -- “Playlist of Sacred Harp recordings made by J. H. Carter of Jamestown, Alabama, 1955-1959.”
• Jeffress/Phillips Music Company -- “The Jeffress/Phillips Music Company, located in Crossett (Ashley County), is one of the five remaining seven-shape gospel publishing companies in the United States and is the sole seven-shape gospel publisher in the state of Arkansas.”
• Losing the Songs of Zion -- “We often reveal how man is perverting the words of God in the new versions of the Bible, but our old hymns are also changing.”
• Luther’s Battle Song “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” -- “In looking over the translations of our hymn, we find that the largest number was made into English.”
• Sacred Harp Singing: History & Tradition -- “While ‘harp’ is an old word for a sacred tunebook containing music, in a broader sense, the ‘sacred harp’ is the human voice or ensemble of voices.”
• Shape Note Singing: Christian Harmony in Newton County, Mississippi -- “The Newton County Christian Harmony Convention was organized in 1875 and is believed to be the oldest continuing Christian Harmony convention.”
• Singing Billy Walker and Amazing Grace -- “From footnotes to several songs in Walker’s hymnbooks, we learn that Susan Jackson Walker taught him songs when he was a small child, and he apparently listened deep and long.”
• The History Of Singing Hymns -- “The Goat Yard church now entered a period of strife which was to last well over a decade in which Keach argued that ‘singing in rhyme’ was the ‘public duty’ of all Christians and Marlow argued just as energetically that the New Testament recognized no such duty.”

General Sam Houston

Z. N. Morrell (1803-1883), a Tennessee and Texas Baptist preacher, was an acquaintance and admirer of General Sam Houston (1793-1863), and mentions Houston quite a bit in his autobiography Flowers and Fruits from the Wilderness. He wrote this regarding Houston’s baptism (p. 342).

“During this year, the ‘Hero of San Jacinto’ appeared upon the field again; not to drive the Mexicans and Indians from the soil of his adopted State, but to enroll his name among the believers in Christ and lend his influence in extending the conquests of religion. In November, 1854, he presented himself as a candidate for baptism to the church at Independence, and after a few simple statements as to the change God had wrought in his heart, he was approved by the church as a proper subject for baptism. On the nineteenth day of the same month, he was buried in baptism by Elder R. C. Burleson, the pastor of the church. It was his delight afterwards to attend our general meetings, whenever his official duties would permit, and give the benefit of his counsel to his brethren in the mission and educational enterprises of the denomination. His speech on one occasion before the Baptist State Convention on the Indian mission was one of the masterly efforts of his life, and did ample justice to his reputation as an orator.

“He remained a consistent member of the church until his death, in the town of Huntsville, on the twenty-sixth of July, 1863. It was my privilege to visit him a few days previous to his death. Calmly and deliberately he spoke of the passage he was about to take across the river, and expressed the strongest confidence in Christ.  Thus General Sam. Houston passed away, whose memory so many of us love to cherish.”

Many years ago I had the privilege of visiting the place in the pasture where Houston was supposed to have been baptized (although at the time I went, there was not a pool of water there in the creek large enough to baptize someone).

Paul, the tentmaker, Acts 18

In researching and teaching the book of Acts, I have discovered that we often have an inordinate affection for digging out, believing, and declaring things that God chose not to reveal. Is it an aspect of unbelief for us to so continuously do so? Or just curiosity? Here is an example of what I mean.

• Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers (σκηνοποιοὶ).

Many seek to determine the exact type of tents that Paul made, as well as where he learned the trade. According to Todd D. Still, “There is scholarly dispute, however, regarding the precise nature of the apostle’s handcraft.”[i] Was Paul a weaver who made tent-cloth from goat’s hair? Was he a leatherworker who crafted tents from leather? Or maybe he was skilled working with both? All three of these possibilities (and probably more) have been posited as the answer.

Concerning where Paul learned the trade, Still writes,

“...There are at least three viable options. Paul could have learned his trade from his father as a child in Tarsus (so Hock, Social Context, 24; see also C. J. den Heyer, Paul: A Man of Two Worlds [trans. John Bowden; Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2000], 30), as a rabbinical student under Gamaliel (see Polhill, Paul, 9), or at some point after his conversion/call prior to his far-flung missionary travels (so Klaus Haacker, ‘Paul’s Life,’ in The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul [ed. James D. G. Dunn; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003], 19-33, here 25; and Murphy-O’Connor, Paul, 86; see also Riesner, Paul’s Early Period, 149)...”[ii]

Concerning the when and where of learning of the trade, Still concludes (which might also be applied to the what):

“Despite scholarly speculation, it is now impossible to determine when, where, and from whom Paul learned his craft.”[iii]

While such diversions of study can be intriguing, we would do well to understand they are not very important. If God wished us to know, he could have revealed it. Of course, there are “hidden nuggets” placed in the Scripture that God intends for us to unearth (Isaiah 48:6; Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10). However, if the answer is not placed in the Bible itself, once we realize that we ought to stop digging. After all, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and so designed to throughly furnish us unto all good works.

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[i] p. 781. Still, Todd D. “Did Paul Loathe Manual Labor? Revisiting the Work of Ronald F. Hock on the Apostle’s Tentmaking and Social Class,” Journal of Biblical Literature, Volume 125, Number 4, (Winter, 2006), pp. 781-795.
[ii] p. 785.
[iii] p. 785.