Where the battle rages

It is the truth which is assailed in any age which tests our fidelity. It is to confess we are called, not merely to profess. If I profess, with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity. Where the battle rages the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-field besides is mere flight and disgrace to him if he flinches at that one point.

Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1828-1896), in Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family (London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1894, p. 361) This quote is very commonly but incorrectly attributed to Martin Luther.

When I See the Blood

In the song book in the church where I grew up, this following song had this note: “Foote Bros., not copyrighted. Let no one do so. May this song ever be free to be published for the glory of God.” As a child, I was always impressed by that note. I still am. The song, had it been copyrighted, has long since passed into the public domain. Therefore, most newer books no longer carry that notice, and folks are unaware of this bit of song history

The “Foote Bros.” were John Grier Foote and James William Foote (1860-1952), who were Presbyterian singers and evangelists. They did a lot of evangelistic work around Chicago in the 1890s. In addition to being an evangelist, John also pastored; for example, East End Presbyterian Church in Ottumwa, Iowa. He wrote both the words and music for this song. Then the evangelist brothers marked it as a song not be copyrighted, as they did with other songs written by John. This indicated they believed in freely giving what they had freely received.

John Grier Harper Foote was born in Jefferson County, Iowa, October 4, 1854, the son of John Baldwin Foote and Mary Elenor Harper. His father was an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Salina, Iowa. John G. married Janet Ann Macindoe circa 1894 and they had two children, Mary Elizabeth and John Paul. He died at the young age of 46, on January 4, 1901. He and his wife are buried at the Evergreen Cemetery at Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa.

In 1892, the Foote brothers established a quarterly periodical called Bible Talks.

Since the song was not copyrighted, it is a bit harder to determine exactly when it was written. It appeared at least at as early as 1892, in Honey Out of the Rock, published by Meyer and Brother of Chicago, Illinois. Underneath the song is the note: “By Foote Bros, not copyrighted. Let no one do so. May this song ever be free to be published for the glory of God.” The Foote brothers wished to freely glorify God in his redemption and death, his blood shed on the cross, as our passover sacrificed for us, the chiefest of sinners.

Also two Bible verses were referred to underneath the title:

“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Exodus 12:13

“Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7

1. Christ our Redeemer died on the cross,
Died for the sinner, paid all his due;
All who receive him, need never fear,
Yes, he will pass, will pass over you.

Chorus:
When I see the blood,
When I see the blood,
When I see the blood,
I will pass, I will pass over you.

2. Chiefest of sinners, Jesus will save;
As He has promised, so he will do;
Oh, sinner, hear him, trust in his word,
Then he will pass, will pass over you.
(Chorus)

3. Judgment is coming, all will be there,
Who have rejected, who have refused?
Oh, sinner hasten, let Jesus in, 
Then God will pass, will pass over you.
(Chorus)

4. O great compassion! O boundless love!
Jesus hath power, Jesus is true;
All who believe are safe from the storm,
Oh, he will pass, will pass over you.
(Chorus)

Elisha A. Hoffman arranged a version of the song with the words appearing as follows:

1. Christ our Redeemer died on the cross,

Died for the sinner, paid all his due;

Sprinkle your soul with the blood of the Lamb,

And I will pass, will pass over you.

2. Chiefest of sinners, Jesus will save;

All He has promised, that He will do;

Wash in the fountain opened for sin,

And I will pass, will pass over you.

3. Judgment is coming, all will be there,

Each one receiving justly his due;

Hide in the saving, sin-cleansing blood,

And I will pass, will pass over you.

4. O great compassion! O boundless love!

O lovingkindness, faithful and true!

Find peace and shelter under the blood,

And I will pass, will pass over you.

Besides major additions, Hoffman changes all the phrasing in the four stanzas to “I will pass,” where Foote had “he will pass” and “God will pass.” The tune by John G. Foote in some newer hymnals is called Passover.

The Presbyterian Church in Iowa 1837-1900,

prepared by Committee of Synod of Iowa, 1907, page 145

A New Exposition,and other reviews

The posting of book or film reviews does not constitute endorsement of the books or book reviews that are linked.

• “A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689,” ed. Rob Ventura: A Review -- “In summary, there is much to applaud in this book...The Exposition does not, however, equally maintain this quality between its various authors and chapters.”
• Book review by Gary Pinkerton of A Boundary Atlas of Texas, 1821–1845s -- “Any researcher familiar with the difficulties of understanding the boundaries of pre-statehood jurisdictions will immediately appreciate the value of this remarkable effort.”
• Book Review: Gregory R. Lanier and William A. Ross, The Septuagint: What It Is and Why It Matters -- “The book comes out of an elective course the authors co-teach on the Septuagint.”
• Book Review: Rough Country: How Texas Became America’s Most Powerful Bible-Belt State -- “Rough Country offers an important contribution to American religious history as it shows the contours of religion, race, and politics in America’s most powerful Bible-belt state.”
• Book Review: Uncomfortable, by Brett McCracken -- “...pursuit of comfort has made its way into our lives as Christians as well as in the church.”
• Confusion - A Biblical Critique of the New Teachings of Dr. Peter Ruckman -- “Confusion - God is not the author of confusion, but the false teachings of false teachers has resulted in much confusion today.”
• Ex-Worship Leader: Why I Left the CCM Movement -- “The author is a Christian who says he realized CCC was man-centered and unavoidably associated with a spirit of immorality.”
• GHC Review 22: Three Types of Religious Philosophy -- “Summarizing much of Clark’s philosophical thought, this clearly-worded and fairly short volume makes for a nice overview of Clark’s philosophy.”
• Review: “Sheltered but Not Protected: Learning to Love, Forgive, and Heal After Emotional and Sexual Abuse” -- “The church culture around him not only permitted but protected this sort of behavior, and instead of reporting the abuser as a child molester, the pastor forced the victim to repent in front of the church.”
• SWJT names ‘Mere Christian Hermeneutics’ its 2024 Book of the Year -- “The award recognizes a top overall Book of the Year and the top books in 12 categories related various academic disciplines.”
• The Pursuit of Safety: A Theology of Danger, Risk, and Security -- “Interesting discussions frequently bog down in what seem to be tangential analyses many readers will find tedious. Dedicated readers will find these apparent asides eventually support the broader argument”
• Three Types of Religious Philosophy, Gordon H. Clark, Book Review -- “The fact is that all persons are philosophers whether they know it or admit it or not. That is to say, all persons have a worldview...”

Lewis Foster on NKJV

Some interesting comments by Lewis Alvin Foster, who was a translator on both the NIV and NKJV. He wrote a book titled Selecting a Translation of the Bible. The bulk of the book consists of his going through nine English translations, giving some history, pro & cons, and recommendations. Concerning the “Weaknesses” of the New King James Version, he writes:

“The choice to follow the Greek text of the King James Version (1611) gives unwarranted precedence to the Textus Receptus (see above). Although much careful work has gone into the publishing of the Majority Text, the real use of this study has been thwarted by following whatever the King James reads whether supported by the Majority Text or not (for example, over 15 instances in the Gospel of Luke). Whether one agrees with advocates of the Majority Text in their consistent preference for its readings, one must recognize the healthy corrective that has been imposed on the Westcott-Hort tradition and long accepted assumptions in this area of textual criticism.” (Lewis A. Foster, Selecting a Translation of the Bible, Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 1983, pp. 123-124)

Foster makes an intriguing charge of dispensational bias in the translation of Matthew 24:33, in changing changing “it” to “He”. 

“Some changes that do appear in the NKJV cannot be explained by a difference in the Greek text, or by what was in the 1611 version, or by the demands of contemporary usage. Only the favoring of a particular interpretation has been served. Giving but one example, a passage reflects the dispensational view—when ‘it is near’ is changed in the NKJV to ‘He is near’ (Matthew 24:33).” (p. 125)

I wish he had given more examples of his belief that they followed doctrinal bias. This example is outdated. It was initially translated and published as “He”. “He” as in the 1979 NKJV NT was at some point changed back to “it”. Maybe someone noticed their bias was showing! The 1982 print edition of the whole Bible NKJV that I own has “it” but with a footnote that says “Or, He.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer, Sunday, March 28, 2004, p. B7

Paul begins his defense

Acts chapter 22 divides into two main parts – 1-21 Paul’s defense (1-11; 12-16; 17-21) and 22-30 the call for his execution.

1-21 Paul’s defense

According to Charles Talbert, this speech of Paul is “arranged in a chiastic pattern.”

A—Paul comes from the Gentile world to Jerusalem (v. 3)

B—Paul persecuted the Way (vv. 4-5a)

C—Paul’s journey from Jerusalem to Damascus (v. 5b)

D—Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus (vv. 6-11)

E—Ananias restores Paul’s sight (vv. 12-13)

F—Ananias tells Paul of his mission

E’—Ananias urges Paul to receive baptism (v. 16)

D’—Paul’s vision in Jerusalem (vv. 17-18a)

C’—Paul is commanded to leave Jerusalem (v. 18b)

B’—Paul speaks of his days as a persecutor (vv. 19-20)

A’—Paul is sent from Jerusalem to the Gentiles (v. 21)

Verses 14-15: “The chiastic pattern’s center indicates the speech’s main point: Paul’s mission to be Jesus’ witness before all people of what Paul has seen and heard (v. 15).”[1]

Verse 1: Paul uses captatio benevolentiae (Latin, ‘winning of goodwill’) – a rhetorical technique aimed to capture the goodwill of the audience at the beginning of an address (cf. 24:10; 26:2-3), perhaps, or especially, his speaking in their native language.

Verse 2: Though the crowd had already quietened to hear Paul (21:40), now the fact of his speaking in the Hebrew tongue brought an awed hushed silence greater than had been previously obtained. This definitely got their attention.

Verses 3-4: Paul reviews his past as a Pharisee and persecutor of the church. He stresses his ancestry (a Jew), his nativity (born in Tarsus of Cilicia), his training (by Gamaliel in Jerusalem), his orthodoxy (believed the law and its traditions), and his religious zeal, which extended to persecuting believers of “this way,” that is, the Christian way of Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Verse 5: As he prepares to relate his experience, Paul establishes the particular time and incident. It happened when he traveled to Damascus with letters of authority to arrest Christians, bind them, and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

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[1] Reading Acts: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Charles H. Talbert. New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997, p. 197. A chiasm (also called a chiasma or chiasmus) is a literary device in which a sequence of ideas is first presented in one order and then repeated in reverse order. This creates a “mirror effect” by reflecting the ideas back in a passage. “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” is a simple example of chiasm.

The Baptist Name

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches... Proverbs 22:1

A good name is better than precious ointment… Ecclesiastes 7:1

Q. Should churches continue to use the name Baptist? Is it still meaningful and useful in our day and time?

A. The name Baptist is a good name, though ultimately it is just name. It has a godly heritage and still identifies a core set of beliefs held by churches using that name. However, it is necessary to understand that it strictly should be an identifier rather than a “name” – that is, the churches of the Bible are one faith, and do not have a denominational name as such. A scriptural church is just a congregation or assembly that belongs to Christ. Because so many so-called churches exist, we use denominational names to distinguish the different kinds.

In a sense, in contemporary U.S. religion, the name “Baptist” has been soiled. There are so many kinds of Baptists that cannot agree, and a special problem is those Baptist churches which have denied the faith and become worse than infidels.  Nevertheless, “Baptist” is an honorable name, and one worth keeping. True Baptist churches should faithfully hold to the faith once delivered to the saints, and Baptist church members should live in obedience to the word of God. In that way, may we redeem the name.

On the other hand, it is unethical to appropriate the Baptist name and not hold what is understood to be Baptist in faith and practice. If a church calls itself “Baptist,” it ought be Baptist!

Some Baptist churches, for whatever reason, have decided to drop the name “Baptist” as an identifier. A church might be “Baptist” in official documents, affiliated with a Baptist association, convention, or fellowship, but yet not mention the name “Baptist” on the church sign, in public advertising, etc. They may do this because they think others have soiled the name, or they might do this to remove a barrier in outreach. If the latter reason, especially, they might be guilty of “false advertising” (e.g., people who think they are visiting a non-denominational church may feel deceived when they discover it is a Baptist Church).[i]

If your church is a real Baptist Church – truly holds the core beliefs of Baptists – then gladly honor your good name. If your church is faking it, please remove the name so you don’t ruin it for the rest of us.

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[i] Some churches may feel embarrassed by the actions of their association, convention, or fellowship. If that body is so embarrassing that a church wants to hide the connection, perhaps the church should sever the connection! It seems incongruous to support a particular Baptist denominational body and at the same time hide that fact from the public and potential church members.

Some thoughts on 1 John 5:6

1 John 5:6 - This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

What meaneth “he that came by water and blood”?

The meaning of “by water and blood” (δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος): Is related to his coming (v. 6). Therefore, historical over symbolic interpretation.[i] Was witnessed by the Spirit (vs. 6, 8). Was witnessed by man (the lesser witness, v. 9). John the Baptist was a witness of the baptism (Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:32-24). John the Apostle was a witness of the crucifixion (John 19:25-27; 1 John 1:2-3). The Spirit of God gives testimony to both.

“By water” refers to the first act of Jesus’s public earthly ministry by baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist (Mark 1:1, 9-11). At his baptism in water, he received the testimony of the Spirit, and well as the Father’s testimony of his divine Sonship. Compare 1 John 5:5, “believeth that Jesus is the Son of God,” with John 1:32-34 (as well as 1 John 5:9).[ii]

Luke 12:50 connects the ideas of baptism and death, his suffering and death a coming baptism Jesus is yet to be baptized with.

“By blood” refers to the finish of Jesus’s personal earthly ministry by shedding his blood in death on the cross (John 19:30). He came by the blood of his cross (cf. Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 9:12-14) Commentator Henry Alford wrote, “But these past facts in the Lord’s life are this abiding testimony to us, by virtue of the permanent application to us of their cleansing and atoning power.”[iii] See Acts 5:50-32.[iv] Additionally the resurrection is a witness of the Spirit to the approved ministry and death of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (cf. Romans 1:4; 8:11).[v]

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[i] he that came/ ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν is past tense (aorist active) referring to an historical event.
[ii] In memory of and corresponding to this witness is the Spirit-led immersion in water (1 Cor. 12:13) which is instituted as the initiatory rite for believers identifying with Christ.
[iii] The New Testament for English Readers, Volume II, Henry Alford. London: Rivingtons, 1872, p. 909. “They represent,—the water, the baptism of water which the Lord Himself underwent, and instituted for His followers,—the blood, the baptism of blood which He Himself underwent, and instituted for his followers. And it is equally impossible to sever from these words the historical accompaniments and associations which arise on their mention” (p. 908).

[iv] True faith (1 John 5:4-5) is rooted and grounded in real events that changed the course of history – Jesus lived a sinless life, died on the cross for sinners, and rose again for their justification. It was witnessed by both men and the Holy Spirit. The men have died, but left their witness in the inspired record. The Holy Spirit is alive and actively witnesses in the world and the hearts of men.

[v] With Romans 8:11, cf. also John 10:17-18. Regarding the Holy Ghost and the crucifixion, consider the presence of the Spirit at work in convicting the thief (Luke 23:42-43) and the centurion (Mark 15:29). Cf. Luke 23:46.

Some interesting connections of blood and water; though not necessarily shedding light on the text, interesting nevertheless.

• God turned the waters of the Nile and Egypt into blood, Exodus 7; Psalm 105:29.
• The blood of a bird and running water associated with cleansing the house of a leper, Leviticus 14.
• God made the Moabites see his miraculous water as if it were blood, 2 Kings 3:22.
• Pilate washed his hands in water to signify his claim that he was innocent of the blood of Jesus, Matthew 27:24.
• Blood and water came from Jesus’s side when pierced by the spear, John 19:34.
• The two witnesses had power to turn water into blood, Revelation 11:6.
• The third angel’s vial turned water into blood, Revelation 16:4.

Kept by the power of God

“Who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.” 1 Peter 1:5

Blessed Spirit! the merciful scripture of the evening answers the important question. They who are kept, “are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.” Here is the solution of the whole subject. With what humbleness of soul, then, ought every child of God to fall down before the throne of grace, under the deepest sense of distinguishing love, in the consciousness that it is divine restraint, and not creature merit, which maketh all the difference. Help me, Lord, to go humble all my days, in this view, and let it be my morning thought, as well as my midday and evening meditation, that I am kept by thy power, through faith unto salvation. Almighty Father, help me to be living upon thy faithfulness in the covenant of grace, established and sealed as it is in the blood of thy dear Son, that “thou wilt not” turn away from me to do me good; and that thou wilt put thy fear in my heart, that shall not depart from thee. – Jeremiah 32:40.

Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

The LORD Reigns Over All

The following metrical psalm is based on the 93rd Psalm. There are many versions with similar words, and I am unsure of the original. The following version was sung at the “Psalm Roar” at St George’s Church, Shrewsbury, England. This psalm exalts the majesty and might of the reigning Lord. His testimonies are sure, and the holiness of his house is everlasting.

According to Matthew Henry, this psalm teaches: The Lord reigns gloriously (v. 1), powerfully (v. 1), eternally (v. 2), triumphantly (vs. 3-4), in truth and holiness (v. 5).

1. The Lord is King, his throne endures
Majestic in his height.
The Lord is robed in majesty
And armed with strength and might.

2. The world is founded firm and sure
Removed it cannot be.
Your throne is strong, and You are God
From all eternity.

3. The floods, O Lord, have lifted up,
Have lifted up their voice;
The floods have lifted up their waves
And make a mighty noise.

4. The Lord, enthroned on high, is strong
More powerful is he
Than thunder of the ocean’s waves
Or breakers of the sea.

5. Your royal statutes, Lord, stand firm,
unchanging is your word.
And holiness adorns your house
For endless days, O Lord.

St George’s Church paired the psalm for a nice combination with The Sacred Harp tune Northfield (No. 155). Northfield was composed in 1800 by the American composer Jeremiah Ingalls.

In other words, beginning with ign-

• ign- prefix. (Latin) Fire.
• ignatia, noun. Dried ripe seeds of the plant Strychnos ignatia (St. Ignatius’s Bean), used as a homeopathic remedy.
• igneous, adjective. (Geology) Produced under conditions involving intense heat; for example, rocks of volcanic origin or rocks crystallized from molten magma.
• ignescent, adjective. Emitting sparks of fire (as certain stones when struck with steel); bursting into flame.
• ignify, verb. (rare) To form into fire; to turn into fire.
• ignimbrite, noun. (Petrology) A fine-grained volcanic rock consisting mainly of welded shards of feldspar and quartz.
• ignition, noun. The act or fact of igniting (i.e., setting on fire); a means or device for igniting.
• ignoble, adjective. Of low character, base; of low quality; inferior; not noble, of humble descent or rank.
• ignominious, adjective. Marked by or attended with ignominy (i.e., disgrace, shame, contempt); contemptible.
• ignoramus, noun. An extremely ignorant person; simpleton,
• ignorant, adjective. Lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned; lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact; uninformed.
• ignore, verb. To refrain from noticing or recognizing; overlook, neglect.

17th Century Geneva Bible Printings

The Holy Bible, That Is, the Holy Scriptures Contained in the Old and New Testament.

The links below are to scans of 17th-century printings of the Geneva Bible, published at Google Books and Archive.org. Some are partial, some have bad pages, etc. Nevertheless, they can be useful research tools.

• 1603, Robert Barker, London
• 1606, Robert Barker, London
• 1610, Thomas Stafford, Amsterdam
• 1615, Robert Barker, London
• 1616, Robert Barker, London
• 1633, Thomas Crafoorth, Amsterdam

Paul speaks

Acts 21:37-40 Paul speaks to the captain, then to the crowd

Verses 37-38: As Paul is being led away, he asks the captain for an audience with him. (ελληνιστι γινωσκεις) “Canst thou speak Greek,” the captain asks? Yes, and Paul can speak Hebrew as well! See verse 40 and 22:2. The captain is surprised that Paul speaks fluent Greek, and that he is not who he assumed him to be. Perhaps based on what he thought he heard in the shouts of the crowd, and/or perhaps based on his knowledge of recent past events in Jerusalem, the captain thought this man was a leader from Egypt who had created an uproar leading a company of murderers, and which Egyptian was still on the loose.[1] He now realizes he is mistaken.

Verse 39: Paul explains who he is – I am a Jew (not an Egyptian), from the important city of Tarsus (no mean city; a litotes, figure of speech) in Cilicia. He does not yet clarify that he is a free Roman citizen, perhaps holding that in reserve for when it is needed. He then solicits the chief captain that he be allowed to address the crowd.

Verse 40: The captain agreed, giving him permission to speak. Paul stood on the stairs of the castle. When he beckoned with his hand to the people, it got their attention and they began to quieten down to see what he would say. When the silence broke out, Paul began to address them. He spoke to them in the Hebrew language. The crowd initially was intrigued.

The last verse of the chapter ends with a comma, leading forward to the record of the speech Paul will make from the stairs to the people of Jerusalem.

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[1] This may be the same person who Josephus described coming out of Egypt claiming to be a prophet, and who drew a multitude of followers to himself. He and his followers were routed by Felix’s soldiers, but the Egyptian escaped. Antiquities, Book XX, 8.6; Wars, Book II, 13.5. This is the same Felix who is mentioned as governor in Acts 23, so it is the right time frame. The numbers of people given by Josephus vary from the biblical account, as well as his own accounts in Antiquities and Wars. Regardless, we can rely on the accuracy the Spirit-inspired account given by Luke., while concluding Josephus might have got part of his record right.

Arthur Farstad and the NKJV

This is an interesting version of the history of the New King James Version by Edwin Blum, the man who took over the Holman Christian Standard Bible project upon the death of Arthur Farstad, who was originally in charge of it. In an interview with Will Lee (December 19, 2007), Blum stated:

“[Arthur Farstad] and Zane Hodges published their own critical text. But they made a distinction between the Textus Receptus (TR) and the MT. So they published this critical text with Thomas Nelson and there were two editions done of it, so he was interested in the MT tradition, not necessarily the TR which was the translation that the KJV was based on. So when he was working on the NKJV, he wanted to change the text in about 260 places that he felt the KJV text did not represent the MT. In other words, he made a distinction between TR, the Byzantine tradition and the critical text. And they did publish an interlinear, and each time there’s a variant reading, down at the bottom it will say, ‘Critical Text,’ ‘TR,’ or ‘MT,’ so you’ll be able to tell which is which. But the people who were backing the NKJV did not want to do any textual critical changes. So he was not too happy with that.”

Blum’s comments make it sound like they got further into the translation process (than I had thought) before Farstad’s “Majority Text” aspirations for the NKJV were shut down. This seems a bit different than the general face painted on this picture. There is a comment by Farstad about this in an unpublished paper, which seems to accurately intersect with the statement by Blum.

“Originally it was planned to use the Majority Text for the NKJV, not the TR used in the KJV. This was changed near the end of the project. Strangely enough, the one who talked Thomas Nelson into not using the Majority Text was Zane Hodges himself. (He was not, however, on the translation team.) Zane argued that a version should not be based on a Greek text that had not been on the market for a few years to allow time for scholarly appraisal. Also, many felt that this updating of the classic KJV should not introduce another Greek text, like the English Revised had done in 1881 before the Westcott-Hort text (also 1881) had a chance to be evaluated.”

Arthur Farstad wrote the above statement in “Why I Became a Majority Text Advocate,” which is an “Unpublished paper by Arthur L. Farstad when he was at Dallas Seminary.” It is posted on the Dean Bible Ministries website of Robert L. Dean, Jr.

Oops, the NKJV

... did it again. For a Bible that highlights “King James Version” in its own name, it does an inordinate amount of conforming to other versions instead of the King James Version. Notice Isaiah 18:2.

• AKJV: that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
• NKJV: Which sends ambassadors by sea, Even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying, “Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin, To a people terrible from their beginning onward, A nation powerful and treading down, Whose land the rivers divide.”
• NASB: Which sends messengers by the sea, Even in papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, To a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide.

The NET Bible note says: 

Isaiah 18:2 tn The precise meaning of the qualifying terms is uncertain. מְמֻשָּׁךְ (m^emushakh) appears to be a Pual participle from the verb מָשַׁךְ (mashakh, “to draw, extend”). Lexicographers theorize that it here refers to people who “stretch out,” as it were, or are tall. See BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ, and HALOT 645-46 s.v. משׁךְ. מוֹרָט (morat) is taken as a Pual participle from מָרַט (marat), which can mean “to pull out [hair],” in the Qal, “become bald” in the Niphal, and “be wiped clean” in the Pual. Lexicographers theorize that the word here refers to people with bare, or smooth, skin. See BDB 598-99 s.v. מָרַט, and HALOT 634-35 s.v. מרט. These proposed meanings, which are based on etymological speculation, must be regarded as tentative.

In contrast to the modern fad of meaning, notice for example, that Hebraist John Gill takes the idea of “scattered” or “drawn out” meaning as “spread over a large tract of ground, as Ethiopia was.” The 1611 King James margin has: “|| Or, outspread and polished”.

Notice in its explanation and defense of its translation “of tall, smooth-skinned people,” the NET Bible uses the words “uncertain,” “appears to be,” “theorize,” “proposed,” “speculation,” and “tentative.”

NKJV edition claims:

“…the translators and editors of the present work have not pursued a goal of innovation…”

“…special care has also been taken in the present edition to preserve the work of precision which is the legacy of the 1611 translators…”

“…A special feature of the New King James Version is its conformity to the thought flow of the 1611 Bible…”

My point here is that, once again, the NKJV is not what it claims to be, and did not do what it claims to do. If they were dealing with a speculative, theoretical, tentative issue, they could have opted to stick with the King James tradition. They did not.

Avarice is a deadly crime

The Most High does not accept the gifts of wicked men. The one who offers a sacrifice taken from what belongs to the poor is like one who sacrifices a child in the very sight of the child’s father. Riches, says Scripture, which a person gathers unjustly, will be vomited out of that person’s stomach. The angel of death will drag such a one away, to be crushed by the anger of dragons. Such a one will the tongue of a serpent slay, and the fire which cannot be extinguished will consume. And Scripture also says: ‘Woe to those who fill themselves with what does not belong to them’. And: ‘What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet suffer the loss of his own soul?’

It would take a long time to discuss or refer one by one, and to gather from the whole law all that is stated about such greed. Avarice is a deadly crime. Do not covet your neighbour’s goods.

Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, Patrick of Ireland, translation by Padraig McCarthy (alt.)

Zion’s Bank

I recently came across the poem below. I searched for it after reading a story in which someone sang a song beginning, “I have a never-failing Bank.” I had never heard of it before. I looked it up. I found it. At Hymnary.Org the words are credited to “A. McKenzie.” I did not find a reliable source to verify McKenzie as the author. None of the song and hymn books I looked at gave the writer of the words. A video on YouTube says it was written by Rev’d A. McKenzie in 1869. However, that may be in reference to the tune. The words can be found published at least as early as 1858 in The Chorus: or, a Collection of Choruses and Hymns, Selected and Original, Adapted especially to the Class-room, and to Meetings for Prayer and Christian conference (A. S. Jenks, D. Gilkey, editors. Philadelphia, PA: 1858). There, 15 stanzas create “The Firm Bank,” Number 34 (pp. 237-239) in the hymn section of this words-only book.

Five stanzas of the hymn with music is called Zion’s Bank in Songs of Redemption (No. 81). The music there was an arranged by William J. Kirkpatrick, with the melody said to be “As sung by Rev. G. W. Anderson.” It also adds a chorus, “For O! there is plenty, plenty, plenty; For O! there is plenty, in Father’s Bank above.”

There are some online sites crediting the verses to Rowland Hill “at a time when public credit in Great Britain was shaken by the failure of several banks.” This evidently means Rowland Hill (1745 –1833) the English preacher at Surrey Chapel. Whether true of not, it has a long history, at least back to the 1840s. For example, the Geneva (New York) Courier, Tuesday, June 1842, page 1, prints 19 stanzas of “The Firm Bank” with this introduction: “Supposed to have been written by the Rev. Rowland Hill, at a time when public credit in Great Britain was shook by the failure of several banks.” The credit to Hill was quite consistent in newspapers; though I found a few times it was credited to John Newton, and at least once printed under the title “John Newton’s Bank”! This could suggest an attempt to attach an anonymous hymn to a famous person. The poetry might have several sources. It is certainly most likely that the poem originated in England, since stanza two mentions “a groat,” an English coin worth four pence. Some printings have a specific mention of England’s banks: “Should all the banks in Britain break, The Bank of England smash, Bring your notes to Zion’s Bank, you’ll surely have your cash.”

The poem is quaint and unusual, not suitable for a church hymn. Nevertheless, the opening line “I have a never-failing Bank” rings quite true and comforting to the believer! We should trust eternal God above all the systems of this temporal world.

Zion’s Bank, or The Bank Heaven. C. M.
The Firm Bank.

1. I have a never-failing Bank,
A more than golden store;
No earthly bank is half so rich,
How can I then be poor?

2. ’Tis when my stock is spent and gone
And I without a groat,
I’m glad to hasten to my bank
And beg a little note.

3. Sometimes my Banker, smiling, says,
“Why don’t you oft’ner come?
And when you draw a little note,
Why not a larger sum?

4. “Why live so niggardly and poor?
Your bank contains a plenty.
Why come and take a one-pound note,
When you might have a twenty?

5. “Yea, twenty thousand ten times told
Is but a trifling sum
To what your Father has laid up
Secure in Christ, his Son.”

6. Since, then, my Banker is so rich,
I have no cause to borrow;
I’ll live upon my cash to-day,
And draw again to-morrow.

7. I’ve been a thousand times before,
And never was rejected;
Sometimes my Banker gives me more
Than asked for or expected.

8. I know my Bank will never break—
No, it can never fail,
The firm—three persons in one God,
Jehovah—Lord of all.

9. And if you have but one small note,
Fear not to bring it in;
Come boldly to the Bank of Grace;
The Banker is within.

10. All forgèd notes will be refused;
Man-merits are rejected;
There not a single note will pass
That God has not accepted.

11. Tho’ thousand ransomed souls may say,
They have no notes at all—
Because they feel the plagues of sin,
So ruined by the fall.

12. This Bank is full of precious notes,
All signed and sealed and free,
Though many doubting souls may say,
“There is not one for me.”

13. The leper had a little note—
“Lord, if thou wilt thou can”;
The Banker cashed this little note,
And healed the sickly man.

14. We read of one young man, indeed,
Whose riches did abound;
But in this Banker’s book of grace
This man was never found.

15. But see the wretched, dying thief
Hang by the Banker’s side;
He cried, “Dear Lord, remember me”;
He got his cash and died.

In other words, -arking, et al.

• barking, present participle of verb bark. (of a dog or other animal) To utter an abrupt, explosive cry or a series of such cries.
• captatio benevolentiae, noun. A rhetorical technique aimed to positive rapport with an the audience at the beginning of a speech (Latin, meaning “capture of goodwill”).
• carking, adjective. Distressful; causing distress, anxiety.
• coterie. noun. A small, exclusive group of people with shared interests or tastes; a club or clique.
• darking, noun. (US slang) The practice of intentionally ignoring someone by turning off one’s phone and ignoring all calls to pursue other activities (especially in a courting context).
• harking, present participle of verb hark. Used to tell someone to listen; also an acronym for hypothesizing after the results are known (coined by social psychologist Norbert Kerr).
• hubris, noun. Overbearing pride, exaggerated self-confidence, or presumption; arrogance.
• marking, noun. A mark, or a number or pattern of marks; the act of a person or thing that marks.
• narking, (US slang) To secretly tell the police or someone in authority about something bad or illegal that someone has done (especially regarding narcotics).
• parking, noun. The act of a person or thing that parks, especially a vehicle; a space in which to park vehicles.
• rapport, noun. A friendly, harmonious relationship; especially a relationship characterized by empathy that makes communication possible or easy.
• rhetor, noun. A teacher or master of rhetoric; an orator.
• sarking, noun. A timber or felt cladding placed over the rafters of a roof before the tiles or slates are fixed in place.
• sparking, noun. (US, somewhat obsolete) The process of courting or wooing someone; that is, pursuing someone romantically.

Thuesen on Mauro, Wilkinson, Fuller

Peter Johannes Thuesen, an historian of the United States and of American religion, and a Professor at Indiana University Indianapolis, offers his perspective on the battle for the English Bible, in his book In Discordance with the Scriptures: American Protestant Battles over Translating the Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), Here are a few excerpts.

On page 61, Thuesen relates that Philip Mauro in the 1920s “resurrected the late Dean Burgon’s arguments for an American audience. Hidebound conservatives were against not only higher criticism but also lower criticism and, in some cases, any revision of the Authorized Version. Mauro feared that modern textual critics and translators had imbibed too much German higher-critical ideology, thereby rendering even well-intended Bible revision subversive of Christian truth.”

Thuesen on page 62 notes Benjamin Wilkinson following the work of Mauro. “Wilkinson echoed Mauro when he complained that the Revised Version had been ‘built almost entirely on the Vatican Manuscript, kept in the Pope’s library, and upon the Sinaiticus, found in a Catholic monastery.’ Yet he carried the argument a step further, pointing out a number of passages where the Revised Version rendering read like the ‘Jesuit Bible,’ that is, the Rheims New Testament of 1582.” 

One page 118 Thuesen connects David Otis Fuller to the “McIntire faction” mentioning his speech at Carl McIntire’s American Council of Christian Churches in 1956, saying “‘Without a moment’s hesitation I can say that this ‘Revised Standard Version of the Gospel Perverts’ is the vilest, boldest, most deliberately devilish attack upon the holy Word of God and the holy Son of God in the past two thousand years.’ Fuller surveyed the destruction wreaked upon the Bible by modern textual criticism and thanked Carl McIntire for defending Holy Writ from its modernist assailants.”

Page 65 provides something of a summary of the conservative support for the King James Bible. “Wilkinson’s indictment of the Revised Version, published nearly a half-century after the translation itself, appeared to beat a dead horse, yet in succeeding decades new Bible battles would lend his work perennial relevance. Indeed, treatises by the Revised Version’s most colorful opponents—Burgon, Mauro, and Wilkinson—would enjoy a remarkable shelf-life as late twentieth-century Protestant conservatives reprinted them as virtual classics. Equally notable was the ecumenical character of opposition to Bible revision. Wilkinson made no reference to his Seventh-day Adventist affiliation in Our Authorized Bible Vindicated, concentrating instead on issues of broad evangelical appeal. Mauro, who rejected the Episcopal Church in favor of A. B. Simpson’s Christian and Missionary Alliance, cited the Anglican Dean Burgon without compunction, as did Wilkinson. Similarly, David Otis Fuller, a minister in the General Association of Regular Baptists, during the 1970s edited reprints of works by Burgon, Mauro, Wilkinson, and others—all without apparent regard for denominational loyalties. ¶ Such pragmatic alliances among like-minded Protestants would take on additional significance in future Bible battles, for although modern critical consciousness drove conservatives and liberals apart, it also fostered intraconservative and intraliberal cooperation. The legacy of ‘King Truth’ was therefore ambiguous—as relentlessly paradoxical as the legacy of sixteenth century Protestant-Catholic disputation. The old Reformation debates over authority and interpretation would help set the terms of twentieth-century translation controversies, generating in the process rich rhetorical and ecumenical ironies.”

Paul and the church at Jerusalem

Acts 21:18-26 encounter with the church at Jerusalem

 The celebration at Jerusalem is the feast of Pentecost. Cf. Acts 20:16 – “to be at Jerusalem [by] the day of Pentecost.” Some of the same disciples are now present who were present on the first Pentecost (in Acts 2) – yet there is not a “repeat Pentecost.” That first Pentecost after Jesus’s resurrection was unique.

Verse 18: Paul and those with him go to see James and all the elders of the church at Jerusalem.[1] The reception of verse 17 was apparently informal, while verse 18 indicates a more formal or deliberative meeting.

Verse 19: After greeting the brethren, Paul is given to floor to relate to them the work that God had done through him among the Gentiles. He “declared particularly,” that is, spent time explaining in detail. Probably during this time Paul presents the gift from the churches of the Gentiles. See Acts 24:17: “Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.” Compare also Romans 15:25-28 and I Corinthians 16:1-4.

Verses 20-21: James and the elders glorified the Lord for the work done among the Gentiles. They had played a part in the peaceful progress of extending the work of the church among the Gentiles (cf. Acts 15:22ff.). However, the reality of the local situation is that there was a fast-growing number of Jewish believers in Jerusalem, and “they are all zealous of the law.” Though they are now Christians, they lived in the cultural capital of their people and shared a cultural identity tied to the law of Moses. Paul had been ministering in a very different field.

It was widely rumored in Jerusalem and Judæa that Paul taught all the Jews that lived in Gentile regions to forsake (αποστασιαν) their culture, and even “not to circumcise their children.”[2] See HERE for notes on Paul’s “Jewishness.”

Verses 22-24: James and the elders devise a plan to alleviate the anxieties of the growing company of Jewish disciples at Jerusalem. They suggest a resolution and Paul resolutely follows it. The decisions made by James and Paul at this moment play into the fulfillment of the prophecies the Lord has already given. “Though he would not be persuaded not to go to Jerusalem, yet, when he was there, he was persuaded to do as they there did.”[3]

When “the multitude” hears that Paul has come to Jerusalem, they will come together. Inquiring minds want to know. The recommendation is this: Paul should take with him four men who have taken a vow. He and these four together should ritually purify themselves (and for the four this involved shaving their heads).[4] This included a seven-day purification ritual, concluding with an offering (cf. verses 26-27). Their awareness of these events would satisfy the Jewish believers’ concerns that the rumors they heard about Paul were not true – “that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing.” Seeing Paul go through the ritual with the other men would satisfy their question about how Paul conducts himself with his Jewish brethren.

“be at charges with them” “To be at charges” is an English idiom that means to be responsible for incurring or paying the cost or expenses of something. Compare I Corinthians 9, verses 7 and 18. Based on Numbers 6:14-15, the charges of four Nazarites would be 12 sheep of the flock (8 lambs and 4 rams), as well as food and drink offerings.

---

[1] See “Which James?” Page 146. According to Josephus, this James was executed under the high priest Ananus (in what would have been about AD 62). “But this younger Ananus, who, as we have told you already, took the high priesthood, was a bold man in his temper, and very insolent; he was also of the sect of the Sadducees…Festus was now dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembled the Sanhedrim of judges, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, whose name was James, and some others, [or, some of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned...” Antiquities, Book XX, 9.1.
[2] Note in contrast to this, Paul circumcised Timothy, though he was only “half Jew.” His father was a Greek. See Acts 16:1-3. Compare also Galatians 6:15-16 and I Corinthians 9:20. This latter verse suggests we can “conform ourselves to different for the purpose of extending Christ’s Kingdom, so long as we do not violate the moral law of God or compromise salvation by grace alone” (Carlsen, Faith & Courage, p. 476).
[3] Henry, Commentary, Vol. VI, p. 280.
[4] Because of concluding with the shaving of the head, these men may have had a Nazarite vow. For example, see Numbers 6:18. Paul had previously taken a vow that included shaving the head, 18:18. Here though, it is the four men and not Paul who have the Nazarite vow. Paul’s ceremony involved purification, and to pay the charges of the Nazarite vow of the four men (“be at charges with them”). Cf. Josephus, Antiquities, Book XIX, 6.1.

Didache

This document—The Didache—(see link below) is generally divided into 16 chapters; it naturally falls into four parts.

Part One: The Two Ways—(Chapters 1-6) are moral instructions for the Christian life in order to prepare converts to receive the initial rite of baptism, and as the precursor to the continual rite of the Eucharist. Its stylistic approach reflect both ancient Greek philosophical literature and a classical Jewish wisdom-literature fashion.

Part Two: Christian rituals of baptism, food/fasting, and the Lord’s Supper—(Chapters 7-10). The teachings about the appropriate days to fast, how to conduct a proper baptism, and the prayer of thanksgiving are some of the earliest—if not the first—recorded liturgical manuals.

Part Three: Christian leaders—(Chapters 11-15) gives instructions regarding leaders in the early Christian Community—apostles, prophets, and teachers. This section represents a particular protocol for accepting authorities in an assumed preexisting Christian community.

Part Four—(Chapter 16) is eschatological in nature, containing exhortations of perseverance, warnings of end times and tribulation, as well as to the “Second Coming” of Jesus Christ. These apocalyptic overtones parallel similar language found in the gospels Matthew, Mark, 1 Thessalonians, and Revelation.

The links below are to a translation of The Didache of The Twelve Apostles translated by J. Louis Guthrie, as well as a biography of J. Louis Guthrie. The first document includes a Greek text of the Didache.

• The Didache of The Twelve Apostles
• Biography of J. Louis Guthrie

Pilgrims hated KJV, No!

Follow up hit parody:

Pilgrims hated KJV, oh!
For urban myths tell us so.
Little yarns to them belong—
Tell them loud and tell them loud.
Yes, Pilgrims hated, yes, Pilgrims hated
Yes, Pilgrims hated (the KJV); urban myths tell us so.

Sing to the tune Jesus Loves Me.

John Alden and the King James Bible

For some background for this post, please see Bibles at the Pilgrim Hall Museum at Plymouth.

Some ubiquitous KJV critics think they have found the smoking gun to discredit Mayflower passenger John Alden and his King James Bible. My, my, did not only the Geneva Bible come over on the Mayflower! Urban myths tell us so. The Pilgrim Hall Museum allows that they cannot prove that any Bibles were on the Mayflower – in the sense that there exists no log or record of the items that were on the Mayflower. However, they are reasonably sure of two of them. “Among the books in Pilgrim Hall are four Bibles of unusual interest. One belonged to Governor William Bradford, the Pilgrim Governor, and one to John Alden. These are among the very few objects existing today which we feel reasonably sure ‘came over in the Mayflower.’” Those who have some expertise in this area of history are “reasonably sure” these Bibles came over on the Mayflower. Yet for the purpose of Bible version arguments some anti-KJVO people become unreasonably unsure and overly obstinate about Alden’s King James Bible not coming over on the Mayflower.

Anti-KJVO folks such as Rick Norris will argue that John Alden was not a Pilgrim, and also suggest that he did not bring the Bible with him. I guess they want to cover all bases. He didn’t bring the Bible with him, but ordered it later and had it shipped over. Even if he did (to the antis) it does not matter since he was not one of the Pilgrims.

Here are some facts about John Alden:

• He was hired as the ship’s cooper, a job of maintaining and repairing the ship’s barrels.
• He was initially a member of the ship’s crew rather than a New World settler.
• He became a signatory of The Mayflower Compact, signed while the travelers were still on the ship, November 1620.
• He was at the time of his death the last surviving signer of The Mayflower Compact.
• He signed a political and religious covenant, unto which the signers promised under God “all due Submission and Obedience.” From that time Alden would have been a part of the Pilgrim group.
• There is a surviving 1620 KJV Bible in the Pilgrim Hall Museum that belonged to John Alden – and the museum is reasonably sure it came over with him on the Mayflower.

Those who take the “and/or” argument (that Alden was not a Pilgrim and/or did not bring a King James Bible with him) eventually are impaled on the horns of their own dilemma. After signing The Mayflower Compact, John Alden at that point became a covenanted member of the Pilgrims. John Alden owned, used, and passed down in his family a King James Bible printed in 1620. Here are the two horns of their dilemma.

• Either

1. If John Alden brought this King James Bible with him initially as a “non-Pilgrim”, he did not throw away his 1611 translation when or after he became a Pilgrim.

• Or

2. If John Alden did not bring this King James Bible with him, then after he became a Pilgrim and as a Pilgrim John Alden ordered a 1611 translation and had it shipped over to him.

Understanding these two options takes the edge off the claim that the Pilgrims passionately hated the King James Bible and only used the Geneva Bible. This “separatists-hated-the-KJV” argument is broken down and needs to be taken out of service!

Faithful who promised

“…because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11

I admire what the Holy Ghost hath here recorded of Sarah’s faith. After what we read of the weakness of her faith at first, in the history to which this refers, I cannot but rejoice in the recovery of the great mother in Israel, through grace; and read with very much pleasure, this honourable testimony, which the Holy Ghost himself hath given of her. And I admire yet more, the grace and goodness of the Eternal Spirit, in causing it to be handed down to the church, among the list of such worthies, and desire to bless his holy name for this scripture.

And while I bless God for the memorial, I pray him to give me a spirit of wisdom, to improve it to my own furtherance in faith. The faith of Sarah, like that of her husband, was the more illustrious, from the seeming impossibilities which lay in the way of the accomplishment of God’s promise. For what the Lord engaged to do, was contrary to the whole course of nature…

…my soul, see to it, that thou make the same grand cause the foundation of thy faith; namely, Jehovah’s faithfulness…Oh! the blessedness of judging Him faithful, who hath promised.

Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

Psalm 2, why do the heathen rage

Under the influence of the French Reformer John Calvin, The Genevan Psalter was first published in 1539, and the complete psalter with all 150 psalms appearing in 1562. It is a collection of 126 melodies to be used with the 150 Psalms. One scriptural incentive for Calvin was to remove the singing from performers and return it to the congregation. The original was in French, and it is sometimes referred to as the “French Psalter” or the “Huguenot Psalter.” English translations of the words come from various sources, such as the one authorized by the General Synod of the Canadian Reformed Church (first published in 1972). Their Book of Praise, the Anglo-Genevan Psalter, contains English metered verse for all the Psalms. Based on Michael Owens’s Geneva Psalter website, the English lyrics of Psalm 2 below are derived and combined from arrangements of the words that were done by William Helder and Doug Wilson. The tune was composed in 1539, originally for the French metrical version of Psalm 2. The tune is in minor (Dorian mode) with a meter of 10.11.10.11.11.10.11.10.

1. Why do the heathen nations vainly rage?
What haughty schemes are they in vain devising?
The kings of earth and rulers all engage
In evil thoughts and in their sin contriving.
They take their stand against our God’s Messiah,
They claim they will cast off his binding chains;
The Lord enthroned in highest heaven, higher,
Mocks them to scorn, on them derision rains.

2. Though proudly now they raise their battle cry,
How vain is all their frenzied opposition!
The Lord, who sits enthroned in heav’n on high,
Laughs them to scorn: he has them in derision.
Then will he speak in wrath and indignation
And all their host he will with terror fill:
“I’ve set my king,” so runs his proclamation,
“On Zion’s mount, upon my holy hill.”

3. I will declare what God has said to me
For unto me he made this declaration
O people, listen to the Lord’s decree
Who speaks with voice of righteous indignation.
“Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten.”
The estate stands, based on this firm decree,
“No, not one tribe will ever be forgotten;
You will receive the world, just ask of me.”

4. “The nations come, You are the only heir,
The ends of earth will be Your own possession;
And, broken with a rod of iron there,
Rebellious pottery comes to destruction.”
Now serve the Lord with fear, and gladness trembling,
And, therefore, O ye kings, seek wisdom here:
How blessed are those who trust without dissembling,
Who kiss the Son and bow in reverent fear.

A nice rendition of the Genevan tune with the words arranged by Doug Wilson can be found on the YouTube page of St George’s Church, Shrewsbury, England. The sheet music can be found HERE.