Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord, Philippians 3:1; 4:4.

In the epistle to the Philippians, the word “rejoice” is found 10 times (1:18 (2); 2:16; 2:17; 2:18; 2:28; 3:1; 3:3; 4:4 (2)), “rejoiced” 1 time (4:10), “rejoicing” 1 time (1:26) “joy” 6 times (1:4; 1:25; 2:2; 2:17; 2:18; 4:1).

Looking back at the past events. (Cf. Acts 16:8-40.)

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you…

Paul came to Philippi during his second missionary journey. He may have spent several months there. Paul’s ministry at Philippi coincided with his entrance into Macedonia. He was called to Macedonia through a vision he had while in the city of Troas. His memories included his call to go, his going, and his arrival. He was thankful for the memories, not just for memory’s sake, but to recall the will of God, the labor of love, and the fruit of the gospel.

Looking around at the present circumstances.

Philippians 1:12-13 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

Paul is currently in bonds (1:7, 13-15) evidently in Rome (1:13; 4:22). This is probably the occasion of Acts 28, where he is under arrest awaiting the hearing of his appeal to Caesar. He was in a “hired house” (Acts 28:30) chained to a single guard (28:16, 20). Rather than look for things about which he could complain, Paul recognized God using the present circumstances in order to advance the gospel. Looking around for problems yields discontent; this perspective yielded contentment. Paul understood that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” and specifically God was working this for good. Priceless peace grows in the soil of God’s sovereign purpose.

Looking ahead to the future good.

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was under arrest in Rome. He was restricted in his movements, yet he was not discouraged. His joy did not depend on the circumstances in which he found himself. In fact, he realized that in this situation God had turned it for good, made beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3). He looked ahead, moving forward, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, knowing the God of the past and the present was the God of the future, the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever..

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Concluding thoughts.

Philippians 4:10-11 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), a breadth in believing (Romans 15:13), and strength from the Lord (Nehemiah 8:10). Our perspective matters. The same circumstances that are a misery to one are to another. Our perspective of God, and the God of our perspective is the difference. Like Paul, let us learn to find contentment and rejoicing. It does not arise from our nature, but is a supernatural work of God within us.

Joy springs from contentment, and contentment brings joy. Dissatisfaction rises from an unwarranted attention to circumstances. Contentment rests in a wise allegiance to God who is over the circumstances. Charles Spurgeon said, “God keeps his promises before he makes them; and therefore, I am sure he will keep them after he has made them.” 

Whatever we face, trust in the Lord. Learn to be content. Find new joy. Let God define it and not man. “Glory hallelujah, I shall not be moved; anchored in Jehovah, I shall not be moved.” It is joy that is unspeakable and joy that is unshakable.

---

αὐτάρκης – content; sufficient or adequate in one’s self; contented with one’s lot.

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

αὐτάρκεια – contentment; a frame of mind viewing one’s lot as sufficient, contentedness.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Nehemiah 8:10 ...for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

The very word of the living God

Let us end with a question. What can be the use of the most absolute doctrine of the inspiration, infallibility and inerrance of the original manuscripts of the Bible (such as that taught by B. B. Warfield, for example) if the text in our hands is not entirely worthy of our trust?

In opposition to the doubts, which the deceitful practices and the errors of a science which excludes all knowledge of God from the methodology it has adopted for the study of the Bible might raise in our minds, let us quietly declare that this book in our hands, inspired and preserved by God, is indeed what it affirms to be: the very word of the living God. For God has watched with such care over the transmission of his holy word through the ages that, in spite of the falsifications produced by those who put themselves in the place of the Holy Spirit as judges of what in this book is of God, and what is not of him, we can still today hold in our hands God’s very revelation to men.

Jean-Marc Berthoud, “Is Textual Criticism To Be Feared?” in Christianity & Society, Vol. XII, No. 4 (October 2002), p. 28

Nearer, still nearer

The following hymn pours out the desire to be nearer – and then still nearer – to the Lord our God. We have nothing to offer Jesus, but must come as we are to the cleansing of his precious blood. The blood-bought sinner’s lifetime desire should be to be brought nearer, still nearer, to our Saviour, till we are brought all the way to the nearness of home and heaven.

The tune is sometimes identified as Still Nearer; the meter is 9.10.9.10. (with the last line of the stanza repeated).

1. Nearer, still nearer, close to thy heart,

Draw me, my Saviour, so precious thou art;
Fold me, O fold me close to thy breast,
Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest.”

2. Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,
Naught as an off’ring to Jesus my King;
Only my sinful, now contrite heart,
Grant me the cleansing thy blood doth impart.

3. Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be thine
Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign;
All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride,
Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified.

4. Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last,
Till all its struggles and trials are past;
Then through eternity, ever I’ll be
Nearer, my Saviour, still nearer to thee.

Lelia Naylor Morris wrote the words and music of this song, Nearer, Still Nearer. She was born in Pennsville, Morgan County, Ohio, on April 15, 1862, the daughter or John T. L. Naylor and Olivia Ellen Coulson. Her father died when she was about 5, and her mother remarried to Archibald Walker. Lelia helped her mother in the millinery shop she started in McConnelsville, learning the skills of the trade. After she professed faith in Christ, she joined a church in McConnelsville and soon after began to play the organ.

Lelia M. Naylor married Charles Hammond Morris in 1881. They had four children. Daughter Mary and husband Frank Cartwright served as Methodist missionaries to China. After their marriage, Lelia and Charles joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in McConnelsville, where they served, as well as participating at the holiness camp meetings in nearby Sebring and Mt. Vernon, as well as Mountain Lake Park in Maryland. It may have been at these camp meetings that she came in contact with the publisher Henry Lake Gilmour.

Some sources say that Lelia wrote her first hymn, “I Can’t Tell It All,” in 1892 at the age of 30, and that this song was published in a song book called Refining Fire. However, Charles H. Gabriel says her first hymn in 1892 was “Refining Fire of God” (The Singers and Their Songs: Sketches of Living Gospel Hymn Writers, Chicago, IL: Rodeheaver Co., 1916, p. 19). Regardless of when it was first written, “I Can’t Tell It All” bears an 1895 copyright in several songbooks in which it is published.[i] Nearer, Still Nearer was probably first published in Pentecostal Praises, For Revival Services, Young People’s Meetings and Sunday-Schools (W. J. Kirkpatrick & H. L. Gilmour, Philadelphia, PA: Hall-Mack Co., 1898, No. 117), as it bears a copyright date by H. L. Gilmour in 1898. It also contains a “salute” to Gilmour’s hymn “The Haven of Rest,” the phrase being mentioned in the last line of the first stanza. The tradition of Lelia Morris beginning to write songs around age 30 seems to be correct, and probably in conjunction with some relgious experience she had at that time. Any songs written around that time were probably copyrighted only after she submitted them to a publisher. The 1910 census lists her occupation as hymn writer (the only one to do so).

She often composed her hymns while sewing or doing housework, and wrote the music for most of them. When her eyesight began to fail she continued to write her hymns on a 28-foot-long blackboard her family prepared for her. Later she learned to type them out on a typewriter. Lelia Naylor Morris died at age 67 on July 23, 1929 at Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, where they had moved to be with their daughter, Frances Morris Lunk. Charles H. Morris died in 1939. He and Lelia are buried at the McConnelsville Cemetery in McConnelsville, Morgan County, Ohio. By the time of her death, Lelia Naylor Morris had written over 1000 hymns, as well as many of the tunes to accompany them.

Mary Ethel Weiss wrote a biography of Mrs. Morris in 1953, titled Singing At Her Work: a Biography of Mrs. C. H. Morris. It does not appear to be readily available, though it can be found in libraries.

---

[i] I did not find further information on a songbook called Refining Fire, as to when it was published and by whom, if at all. More likely, some writer mistook the name of her first hymn, “Refining Fire of God,” for the name of a book (see Gabriel, p. 19). A. J. Showalter gives the same information about her first song in his 1904 The Best Gospel Songs and Their Composers.

You can’t defeat the demons, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors may usually, but does not necessarily, 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.)

“Our worst days are never so bad that we are beyond the reach of God’s grace. Our best days are never so good that we are beyond the need of God’s grace.” -- Jerry Bridges

“You can’t defeat the demons you enjoy playing with.” -- possibly James Goll

“Those who say ‘I don’t need church, I study the Bible myself,’ prove that they don’t study the Bible for themselves.” -- Unknown

“Be yourself, but don’t preach yourself. A good teacher like John the Baptist clears the way, declares the way, and then gets out of the way.” Alistair Begg (in On Being a Pastor, 2013, Moody Publishers, with Derek J. Prime)

“Don’t tell people what you think; tell them what God said.” -- J. D. Palmer, Mt. Olive Baptist Church

“Worry is the interest paid on borrowed trouble.” -- Adrian Rogers

“Addiction starts as an escape but turns into a prison.” -- Unknown

“It’s not what we have in our lives; it’s who we have in our lives.” --Torchy Swinson

“God, who is sovereign not only over the affairs of men and women, is actually sovereign over all of nature.” -- Alistair Begg

“The Christian who drinks from the well of isolation will spit the phlegm of bitterness. We need fellowship.” -- Jason Skipper

“Christians should not seek to defend the faith by first trying to establish its truth through evidential reasoning. Instead, they should assert the Bible’s divine authority and present arguments based on Scripture’s internal witness.” -- Peter Van Kleeck Sr.

“Everything free is paid for by someone who works.” -- Unknown

“When we cannot do what we would in the service of God we must do what we can.” -- Matthew Henry

“God keeps his promises before he makes them; and therefore, I am sure he will keep them after he has made them.” -- Charles Spurgeon

Articles on Italics in Bibles

Some online articles I have found that discuss the use of differentiated type (usually italics) in Bible texts.

• Answers to Inquiries, J. C. Philpot, (editor, The Gospel Standard, Strict Baptist periodical)
• Concerning Parenthesis and Italics, John M. Asquith (pastor, Sandusky Baptist Church)
• Exceptions to the rule: The use of distinguishing type in the King James Bible, R. L. Vaughn (pastor, Old Prospect Baptist Church)
• Italics in Bibles, R. L. Vaughn (pastor, Old Prospect Baptist Church)
• Italics in the KJV, Christopher Yetzer (Baptist missionary in Italy)
• On the Use of the Italic Type by the Translators, F. H. A. Scrivener (compiler of The New Testament in the Original Greek according to the Text followed in the Authorized Version)
• Reading the 1611 Bible, R. L. Vaughn (pastor, Old Prospect Baptist Church)
• The Case for Italics in Bible Translation, John C. Poirier (Chair of Biblical Studies, Kingswell Theological Seminary)
• The Italicized Words in the King James Bible, James L. Melton (pastor, Bible Baptist Church)
• The Use of Italics in the English Versions of the New Testament, William F. Specht (Seventh-day Adventist)
• The Use of Italics in the King James Bible, David L. Brown (King James Bible Research Council)
• Why Are Some KJV Words Italicized?, David W. Daniels (author, researcher)
• Why is that writing slanted? The Use of Italic Type in Bible, D. E. Anderson (Trinitarian Bible Society)
• Why the Use of Italicized words in the King James Bible?, Will Kinney (author, Baptist)

Jews call for the execution of Paul

Acts 22:22-30 the call for Paul’s execution

Verse 22: “gave him audience unto this word” Up until this point of Paul’s address, the multitude had listened intently. Now the mood sours and the Jews change course. They lift up their voices against crying out that such a fellow as Paul should be done way with, that he does not deserve to live.

 

Verses 23-24: The allergic reaction to Paul’s going to the Gentiles – “they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air” – causes the chief captain to take action. He commanded the soldiers to bring Paul back into the castle (see “Verses 34-36,” in the previous chapter),[1] and they should examine him by scourging; that is, they would torture him (by scourging, the use of a whip or lash) to make him talk. “that he might know wherefore they cried so against him” Since Paul spoke to the Jews in the Hebrew language, it is likely that the chief captain could not understand what was being said and why the Jews suddenly went into such a rage.

 

Verses 25-26: Paul carefully informs the centurion that he is a Roman citizen who has had no fair trial. The centurion reports this important matter to the chief captain.

 

Verse 27: The chief captain comes to Paul with a query about his Roman citizenship, to which Paul answers a flat and simple, “Yes.”

 

Verse 28: “With a great sum obtained I this freedom.” “The Emperor Claudius and his wife had made the much-desired citizenship of Rome to almost anyone with a suitably large sum.”[2]

 

There were three ways to become a Roman citizen:[3]

• By birth
• By decree
• By purchase

Verses 29: Paul’s appeal to his Roman citizenship ended the matter, except the chief captains concern about his own actions.

 

Verse 30: The next day the captain “commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear,” so they might explain their actions and their accusation against Paul.

---

[1] The commotion was great. The responses were confused and contradictory – “some cried one thing, some another.” The captain could not understand what was was going on, so he ordered that Paul be taken aside to the castle (παρεμβολήν, the fortified structure of the captain and his soldiers). The savagery of the scene was such that the soldiers had to carry Paul out of the tumult. The chant of the multitude arose and would not die, “Away with him!” An earlier multitude similarly shouted against Jesus. See John 19:15.
[2] Floyd, Baptist New Testament Commentary, 2013, p. 398.
[3] MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1654.

The long and short of it

Shortest and Longest Verses in the King James Bible.

Shortest verses in the KJV New Testament.

• John 11:35. Jesus wept. (also the shortest verse in the entire King James Bible)
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16. Rejoice evermore. (2 words, 15 letters)
• Luke 17:32. Remember Lot’s wife. (3 words, 16 letters)

Shortest verses in the KJV Old Testament. 

• 1 Chronicles 1:25 Eber, Peleg, Reu. (3 words, 12 letters)
• Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. (4 words, 16 letters) (Same as Deuteronomy 5:17)
• Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. (4 words, 17 letters)

Longest verse in the KJV New Testament.

• Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (68 words.)

Longest verse in the KJV Old Testament (and whole King James Bible).

• Esther 8:9. Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language. (90 words)

Applying Caulking and Raising Children

“When someone does work for you, you also know the difference between the two [superior versus average, rlv]. You know the difference between a good caulking job, average, and poor. Probably many of you wouldn’t even accept average, let alone poor, and you know the distinctions.”

The above comment by Kent Brandenburg on his blog spurred some further thoughts in a slightly different direction from his main point. Brandenburg explained that when someone does work for you, you know “the difference between a good caulking job, average, and poor.”

A person does not have to be capable of doing a good caulking job to know a good caulking job when he sees it. If the homeowner complains, the caulker might retort, “Have you ever applied caulk?” The homeowner might be forced to answer, “No.” This, nevertheless is not an effective retort. One who cannot do a good caulking job can nevertheless have eyes to see and recognize a job that is not good!

Sometimes a person is trying to do something, or live in a certain way, and things are not going well. Someone else recognizes they are not doing a good job. Let’s say a parent is having difficulty raising a child. A childless unmarried Christian might advise the parent that he must not “spare the rod.” The parent might retort, “Have you ever raised a child?” The childless Christian is forced to answer, “No.” This, however, does not prove the advice itself is bad. (Yes, it is easy for a person with no children to hand out advice to folks who are in the midst of raising children, and sometimes even be arrogant about it.) Nevertheless, biblical counsel is true regardless who gives it, if they give it out correctly as God gave it. God knows all things. He knows how to raise children. He wrote the book on it! Knowing the Bible, you can know what a “good job” (regarding anything) is.

Hebrews 10:13, footstool

A recent Facebook inquisitor claimed that the King James Bible does not accurately translate Hebrews 10:13, and that the NASB is to be preferred.[i] 

• AKJV: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
• NASB: waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.[ii] 

Let us consider the matter.

“Literal” translation.

One obvious difference is “footstool” versus “footstool for his feet.” The argument is that the NASB has an equivalent English word for the Greek words, and that the KJV does not. Let’s look at it in a Greek-English interlinear fashion to demonstrate that. [Note that this is a translational issue; the Critical Text and Textus Receptus are the same in this place.]

Greek-English Interlinear:

When you see it placed like this, we can also see that even the NASB does not “literally” have an equivalent of every word that is in the Greek. Translation just does not consistently work that way! The Greek has 12 words. The KJV translates these 12 with 10 English words. The NASB translates these 12 with 15 English words! It is not a matter of adding to or taking away from the word – it is a matter of translating the sense of one language into the sense of another language. Does the KJV maintain, contain, and retain the meaning of the Greek? Yes, it does! I would say that the NASB does as well, but creates a redundancy in the English language – “a footstool for His feet.”

Footstool definition.

Footstool, noun. 

1. (Literally) A stool to rest the feet upon while sitting; a low stool for supporting the feet; anything serving that same use.

2. (Figuratively) A person or thing that is trodden upon or made subservient., dependent, or tool.

Other translation comparisons.

• AKJV: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
• YLT: as to the rest, expecting till He may place his enemies [as] his footstool,
• CSB: He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.
• NIV: and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
• RSV: then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet.
• ESV: waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

Several translations opt for “footstool for his feet,” “stool for his feet,” or something like that. However, even Robert Young in his literal translation of was satisfied with simply “footstool” as a literal rendering of ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ.

The NASB is at least consistent in comparison to other modern translations, translating the verse quoted, Psalm 110:1, also with “a footstool for Your feet.”[iii] Several translations that have the idea of “footstool for feet” in Hebrews 10:23 only has “footstool” in Psalm 110:1 (e.g., ESV, NET, RSV). They are inconsistent with this in other places as well.[iv]

Final thoughts.

“His footstool” means in English means the same thing ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ means in Greek. It is unnecessary to say “of his feet” since that is contained in the very meaning of the English word footstool. The KJV rendering of “footstool” is better than the NASB’s rendering – it is accurate, conveys the meaning into the receptor language, and is not redundant.[v] It better suits the idiomatic or figurative contextual use as well. Anyone who thinks that to be accurate there must always be one word in the receptor language to match every one word in the original language, should never use any translation. 

---

[i] The same is true of Hebrews 1:13. ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν appears there as well. This discussion exposes some of the numbskullery reached when folks are bound and determined to find some fault in the King James translation just to use against King James “Onlyists”. The same argument would need to be made against most English translations. Additionally “footstool for his feet” is the same kind of “wooden literalism” some of the same people often complain of regarding the NASB; at least until they think it helps them argue against the KJV.

[ii] The Small Caps is the NASB style for Old Testament quotations.
[iii] Hebrew הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ (hăḏōm reḡel) .
[iv] For example the ESV has “footstool for your feet” in Hebrews 10:13 and 1:13, yet translated as just plain "footstool" in Matthew 5:35 (ὑποπόδιόν ἐστιν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ), Luke 20:43 (ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου), Acts 2:35 (ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου) and Acts 7:49 (ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου).
[v] “Footstool for His feet” is not “wrong,” just “unnecessary.”

The Bible is God’s history

The Bible is God’s history of heaven and earth,—the only authentic history of them in existence. He is His own historian. He begins and ends His volume with these: and throughout it, they form the scene of His manifold plans and workings, the circle over which His divine love spreads itself in its manifestations of wisdom and power, and within which it gets vent to its eternal fulness,—a fulness which finds its way into all that which we call ‘nature’ (i.e. essential constitution of things, Rom. xi. 24), or ‘creation’ (i.e. things as coming from a Creator, Mark x. 6)

Horatius Bonar, Thoughts on Genesis, page 4

If angels sang a Saviour’s birth

The words beginning “If angels sung a Saviour’s birth” first appeared in 1707 in The Divine Companion, 2nd edition, by Henry Playford. I have not found the 2nd edition, but the 1722 4th edition has these words in eight stanzas, Common Meter, Hymn III, “An Hymn for Easter-Day,” on page 20. It is unclear who wrote these words.

The first stanza of hymn is popularly paired with Joseph Stephenson’s great fuging tune Milford. Many folks, used to hearing only the first stanza in The Sacred Harp 1991 Edition, think of this as an hymn for Christmas. The entire context, however, shows only the first two lines of the first stanza relate to the birth of Jesus. The rest is about his resurrection and resurrection in general.

1. If angels sung a Saviour’s birth,
On that auspicious morn,
Then let us imitate their mirth,
Now He again is born.

2. He frail mortality shook off,
Puts incorruption on;
And he that late was crowned in scoff,
Now fills the eternal throne.

3. Grieve not, vain man, who mortal art,
That thou to earth must fall;
It was his portion, ’twas the part
Of him, who made us all.

4. Himself he humbled to the grave,
Made flesh, like us, to show,
That we as certainly shall have,
A resurrection too.

5. Let Heav’n and Earth in contract joined,
His boundless mercies sing;
Ev’n Hell does now a conq’ror find,
And death has lost his sting.

6. If when in Eden, Adam fell,
The whole creation groan’d;
The whole creation, sure should smile
Now justice is atoned.

7. Hence all ye faithless, far away,
That this great mystery slight;
They that deny an endless day,
Will find an endless night.

8. Beyond times short and scanty bounds
The soul shall surely live;
But when the last loud trumpet sounds,
You’ll then too late believe.

This following stanza has been added in some books, though it is not part of the original:

Then with perpetual hymns, let Christ,
Who from the dead was raised,
With Father and the Holy Ghost,
Eternally be praised.

Joseph Stephenson (1723-1810) was a singing master in Dorset, England. He produced a song book titled Church Harmony, Sacred to Devotion, which went through several editions. The original title of the tune was Easter Hymn, and was probably changed to Milford by American publishers.

Words you have to look up, and other links

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

• 120 Together -- “In the year 2015 the Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland (formerly Baptist Union of Ireland until 2000) will have been in existence for 120 years.”
• Words You Always Have to Look Up -- “But there is a further point of confusion that can send someone to the dictionary…”
• WM 320 Initial Response: ESV Text Update (2025) -- “A response to the announcement by Crossway of a 2025 update to the English Standard Version.”
• WM 319: A Response to Mark Ward’s Offer to “Translate” the 1689 Confession -- “He makes no mention of the fact, however, that ‘circumstances’ has long been a technical term among Reformed theologians in discussions especially over the Regulative Principle of Worship.”
• William Tyndale: Why he is up there with Chaucer, Cranmer and Shakespeare. -- “Glossing over his theological works, including the highly influential Obedience of the Christian Man, Tyndale’s magnum opus was his English translation of the New Testament which was published in 1526.”
• Why Members Voting on Members Is Their Most Important Job -- “When church members vote on new members, they’re deciding on those with whom they’ll share the highest authority in the church.”
• What Today’s Christian Needs to Know About Dr Kurt Aland, Textual Critic -- “Dr Kurt Aland is perhaps the most renowned Biblical textual critic of the 20th century. Born in Berlin in 1915...”
• Unshakable -- “Billy Gene “Shakey” Holder...was the country’s oldest active full-time firefighter when he hung up his boots after 56 years with the [Irving, Texas] department.”
• Twelve Reasons Why Membership Matters -- “Jesus established the local church and all the apostles did their ministry through it. The Christian life in the New Testament is church life.”
• The Last Six Verses of Revelation -- “Erasmus has sometimes been criticised for his treatment of the last six verses of Revelation.”
• The Battle of the Theological Politicians -- “It is true that every politician will put their own country before others, but that does not mean that they should do so at the expense of others.”
• Speaking the truth to power – a letter to Bishop Budde -- “Does it not make you feel a little uncomfortable that those who don’t believe in God think that your sermon was the best thing since the Communist Manifesto?”
• Presuppositional Analysis of The King James Only Controversy by James R. White -- “White’s epistemological framework leans heavily on evidentialism, which prioritizes empirical investigation and scholarly agreement as the primary means of ascertaining textual authenticity.”
• ESV Text Changes (2025) that Reflect KJV Readings -- “It has been interesting to see the once “permanent” text of the English Standard Version change over the years.”
• Comparing Creeds of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) -- “The creed drawn up at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381 is often referred to as the “Nicene Creed” (and recited in churches under that name). Nevertheless, this is a significant revision of the creed drawn up at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.”
• Charles Taze Russell on the Comma Johanneum -- “That the Jehovah’s Witnesses felt this way about 1 John 5:7 does not prove the verse’s authenticity, but it does prove the inaccuracy of those who suggest that omitting a single verse affects no doctrine...”
• A Cowboy’s Distinctive Trail -- “A New Yorker living in Paris after World War I captured Texas and the West in an iconic statue.”

Exhortation to Discipleship

To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Hebrews 3.15). Join your response with the old hymn:

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till travelling days are done.

…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6:2 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. Job 14:1 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God … and … the wages of sin is death; Romans 3:23; 6:23 Behold, now is the day of salvation.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: I John 1:6 …cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:30

Hear the word of the Lord. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. I Peter 1:24-25

Arise, and be baptized

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Quoting Henry Ripley, Acts 22:16 -

The Gospel regards all men as sinners, needing not only forgiveness, but also the purifying of their hearts from sin. This purity of heart, produced by the Holy Spirit’s influences, and a reception of Christ as the crucified and risen Saviour, is emblematically signified by the ordinance of baptism in the purifying element of water. Hence a believer in Christ, when receiving baptism, may justly be said, in a figure, to be washing away his sins; as he is, by that ordinance, showing externally what has been commenced in his soul, and is manifesting his serious purpose, through divine influences, perpetually to cultivate holiness of heart and life. Baptism is the external public entrance on the Christian life; so that the Christian may be said at his baptism to lay aside his sins, to cleanse himself from moral defilement, and to commence a new life. As the body is made clean by water, so the soul is cleansed by divine grace; and what is thus inwardly performed, is outwardly expressed by this significant emblem. It was customary, also, in the first years of the Gospel, for some external token to be granted from above at the administration of baptism, as showing God’s approval of the act, and acceptance of the persons; and thus the finishing evidence of pardon and of acknowledged discipleship was bestowed in connection with baptism; so that that ordinance was eminently a washing away of the person’s sins. The external token to which reference is made, was the imparting of special gifts by which God manifested his approbation of the Saviour’s followers, and fitted them for giving effectual testimony to the Gospel. And not unfrequently, in every succeeding age, has it been the case, that the reception of baptism has been honored by the Lord, as the occasion of a peculiar manifestation to the soul of his pardoning mercy and sanctifying power.[1]

---

[1] Ripley, The Acts of the Apostles, 1843, pp. 287-288.

The Texas Triangle

The Texas Triangle (also dubbed the Texaplex by author David Winans) is the triangular region framed by the cities of Austin, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio (and the Interstates 10, 35, and 45). This region contains about 60,000-square-miles, the state’s five largest cities (see above), and over half of the state's population.

Image by Spaceboyjosh - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license) https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48170414

Investigating John 11:19

In mid-February, I was pointed to the site “Variations Between the Textus Receptus and the King James Bible.” I was particularly interested to see what claims they made concerning the KJV following the Latin Vulgate.

The site includes a table which purports to show a complete list of differences between the text that underlies the King James Version (apparently they mean the 1881 Scrivener text, though that is not stated) and “the texts of Stephanus 1550 and Beza 1598 Textus Receptus.” 

Additionally, if “the reading of the KJV is not supported by both the Stephanus 1550 and the Beza 1598,” a source is proposed in the right column for that KJV reading. The other proposed sources are:

• Complutensian Polyglot 1522
• Clementine Vulgate 1592
• Erasmus New Testament 1516
• Tyndale Bible 1534
• Bishops’ Bible 1568
• Geneva Bible 1560

“Where a question mark appears support for the KJV reading is unknown” to the compiler. Of the sources in the right column, 29 that are credited to the Vulgate (which is noticeably less than 1/2 Scrivener’s figure of 60).[i]

John 11:19 is an intriguing translation to attribute to the Vulgate, when other Reformation-era Bibles follow much the same pattern of translation. In fact, the only translations I have found (at least so far) with “came to (or, joined) those women around Martha and Mary” were two modern ones (NKJV & WEB). Even the supposed to be literal Robert Young translation had, “and many of the Jews had come unto Martha and Mary, that they might comfort them concerning their brother” (no insertion of the word “women”).

The Greek Traditional Text reading:[ii]

• καὶ πολλοι ἐκ τῶν ιουδαίων ἐληλύθεισαν πρὸς τὰς περὶ μάρθαν καὶ μαριὰν ἵνα παραμυθήσωνται αὐτὰς περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐυτῶν

Here is what I found in some of the prominent Reformation-era translations:[iii]

• Tyndale: And many of the iewes cam to Martha and Mary to comforte them over their brother.
• Geneva: And many of the Iewes were come to Martha and Marie to comfort them for their brother.
• Diodati Italian Bible: E molti de Iudei erano venuti a Marta, e Maria per consolarle del lor Fratello (And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.).
• Dutch Statenvertaling: En velen uit de Joden waren gekomen tot Martha en Maria, opdat zij haar vertroosten zouden over haar broeder (And many of the Jews came unto Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother).
• German Luther Bible: und viele Juden waren zu Martha und Maria gekommen, sie zu trösten über ihren Bruder (And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother).
• Olivetan French Bible: Et pfusieurs des Juifs estoient venus a Marthe & a Marie, affinqss les consolassent de leur frère (And many Jews came to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.).
• Spanish Reina Valera: Y muchos de los Judíos habían venido á Marta y á María, á consolarlas de su Hermano (And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother).

It seems passing strange to say this is based on the Vulgate when so many other translators seemed to think the Greek of the TR could be translated with the same meaning as the KJV translators thought.[iv] Additionally, this verse is not included in the 60 places that Scrivener thought were based on the Vulgate.

---

[i] I am uncertain of the provenance of this material, other than to know the site is owned and managed by MasonSoft Technology Ltd, a Christian Internet Publishing and Service company in the United Kingdom, Keith Mason, Managing Editor.
[ii] There is a slight difference in the Critical Text versus the Traditional Text, but it not something that affects the translation. CT:  πολλοὶ δὲ ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐληλύθεισαν πρὸς τὴν Μάρθαν καὶ Μαριὰμ ἵνα παραμυθήσωνται αὐτὰς περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ is usually translated almost the same “[And] many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.”
[iii] English translations were made with the help of Google Translate. I do not know all these different languages.
[iv] Multi autem ex Judaeis venerant ad Martham et Mariam, ut consolarentur eas de fratre suo. (Biblia Sacra Vulgata)

This clip from the NKJV Interlinear (p. 376) demonstrates their thinking (and that women is assumed).

Definition of textual criticism

Textual criticism is a science, and, since it comprises recension and emendation, it is also an art. It is the science of discovering error in texts and the art of removing it. That is its definition, that is what the name denotes.

It is purely a matter of reason and of common sense. We exercise textual criticism whenever we notice and correct a misprint. A man who possesses common sense and the use of reason must not expect to learn from treatises or lectures on textual criticism anything that he could not, with leisure and industry, find out for himself.

textual criticism is not...an exact science at all.

Alfred Edward Housman (March 26, 1859 – April 30, 1936) was an English classical scholar and poet.

The strife is o’er, the battle done

The following English hymn is a translation of a Latin hymn which translation first appeared in print as No. 91 on page 82 of Hymns Fitted to the Order of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England. To which are added, Hymns for Certain Local Festivals. This book was first published in 1861, and its editor, Francis Pott, is also the translator of the hymn. Other English translations have been made, the first possibly being that by John Mason Neale in 1851.

The original author of the words is unknown. The hymn appeared without attribution in a Latin hymnal that was published in Germany in 1695. However, some hymnologists believe the hymn itself is much older. This hymn celebrates the victory won over death and hell by Christ’s resurrection.

[Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.]

Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

1. The strife is o’er, the battle done!
The victory of life is won!
The song of triumph has begun!
Alleluia!
 
2. The pow’rs of death have done their worst,
But Christ their legions hath dispersed!
Let shout of holy joy outburst!
Alleluia!
 
3. The three sad days have quickly sped,
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head!
Alleluia!
 
4. He closed the yawning gates of hell;
The bars from Heav’n’s high portals fell,
Let hymns of praise his triumph tell!
Alleluia!
 
5. Lord, by the stripes which wounded thee,
From death’s dread sting thy servants free,
That we may live and sing to thee!
Alleluia!
Amen.

Francis Pott was born in England in 1832. He studied at Brasenose College, Oxford. Pott earned a B.A. in 1854, and M.A. in 1857. He served as a curate and rector in the Church of England. Pott was editor of Hymns Fitted to the Order of Common Prayer, &c. and made a number of hymn translations, as well as writing original hymns. He died at Speldhurst, October 26, 1909, and is apparently buried at the St. Mary Church there.

The tune paired with “The strife is o’er” is Victory (sometimes called Palestrina), No. 114 in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). William Henry Monk (1823-1889) arranged the tune from choral music written by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594). The meter is 8.8.8.4. with introductory Alleluias. Some song books add three Alleluias as a conclusion to be sung after all the stanzas. The tune is presented in shape notes at No. 293 in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs by Melody Publications.

Monk was the English organist and church musician who served as musical editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern. He is possibly best known through his hymn Eventide. Hymns Ancient and Modern connects “The strife is o’er” to Psalm 98:1, “O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things…”

King James Bible and Salvation

Let’s Talk About The Bible, Episode # 3, interview with Manny Rodriguez, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Beaufort, South Carolina.

King James Bible Defenders are often charged with claiming people can’t be saved without the King James Bible – and there evidently are a few extremists who do believe that. The vast majority of users and defenders of the King James Bible do not believe that. Asked about whether people could be saved from a modern version other than the King James Bible, Pastor Manny Rodriguez replied:

“We’ve always said for years that there is enough of the gospel in John 3:16 to save the whole world. So, let’s make believe that there is a Bible so corrupt that the only verse correct in it is John 3:16. Guess what? That’s still enough to save the whole world.”

I think that answer best reflects the predominant view of King James Bible Defenders.

Greek “Majority” Texts

These links below are provided for the purpose of research and readily locating links to English translations of what are “Majority Text” Greek texts. When I was young it was not uncommon to refer in a sort of “shorthand” manner to the Textus Receptus (TR) traditional texts as “majority text” in contrast to the “critical text,” whose readings were often based on a small minority of Greek texts (often only two manuscripts in the places it chose to depart from the TR). The rise of actual printed texts called “Majority” texts created a need to clarify what is meant when one says “majority text.” (To me it seems not uncommon for older folks to still refer to the TR as “majority text.”)

There are a several English Bible translations that are based on a modern Greek Majority Text. I believe there are three Greek texts generally considered “Majority” Texts.

The World English Bible (WEB) is a revision of the 1901 ASV, made to conform to the “Majority Text” in places where it did not, by consulting Hodges-Farstad Majority Text and Robinson Pierpont Byzantine Textform. There are a number of derivatives of the WEB which would also be considered Majority Text Bibles, such as the World Messianic Bible (WMB).

New Testament Byzantine Text Version by Adam Boyd is based on the Robinson-Pierpoint Greek text. The Analytical Literal Translation (ALT) by Gary Zeolla is also based on the Robinson-Pierpont text, I believe.

The English Majority Text Version (EMTV) by Paul Esposito is based on the Hodges-Farstad Majority Text. “The Sovereign Creator Has Spoken” is a translation of Wilbur Pickering’s Greek text based on Family 35.

English Translations.

• Analytical-Literal Translation by Gary F. Zeolla
• Byzantine Text Version New Testament(2021) by Robert Adam Boyd
• English Majority Text Version New Testament translated by Paul W. Esposito
• The Sovereign Creator Has Spoken (4th Edition) by Wilbur Pickering
• World English Bible by Michael Paul Johnson
• Information from ByzantineText.com

Greek Texts.

• The Greek New Testament According to Family 35 (3rd Edition) by Wilburn N. Pickering
• The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text (2nd Edition) by Zane Hodges and Arthur Farstad
• The New Testament in the Original Greek, Byzantine Textform (2005) by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont

Some might argue that the Greek Patriarchal text of the Orthodox Church is a Majority Text. It is certainly Byzantine. I am including the text and a translation as a matter of reference.

• Eastern / Greek Orthodox English New Testament (2007)
• The New Testament, Approved by the Great Church of Christ, 1904 (Greek)

Paul’s Conversion Stories

APPENDIX T – ARE PAUL’S CONVERSION STORIES CONTRADICTORY?

On his personal blog, agnostic, skeptic, and leading textual critic Bart Ehrman writes, “the three accounts differ in numerous contradictory details.” He lists these alleged “contradictions.”[1]

“In one account Paul’s companions don’t hear the voice but they see the light; in another they don’t see anyone but they hear the voice.”

• Acts 9:7: “And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.”
• Acts 22:9: “And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.”

This is a question of properly interpreting the texts. Compare 9:4 and 9:7, where Paul heard and understood what was said, while the companions merely heard. The difference is in hearing a sound (ακουοντες) versus hearing with understanding (ηκουσαν). The men who traveled with Paul heard the sound of the voice but did not understand what the voice said. Compare John 12:29.

“In one account they all fall to the ground from the epiphanic blast, in another they remain standing.” 

• Acts 9:7 “And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.”
• Acts 26:14 “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

Here critics literalize an idiom. The phrase “stood speechless” is an idiomatic expression describing a situation when someone is so shocked and surprised that they are dumbfounded, unable to speak. This idiom is not about posture (i.e. standing versus falling) but rather about an effect of one frozen in the awe of the moment.

“In one account Paul is told to go on to Damascus where a disciple of Jesus will provide him with his marching orders, in another he is not told to go but is given his instructions from Jesus himself on the spot.”

• Acts 9:6 “And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
• Acts 22:10 “And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.”
• Acts 26:16ff “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee…”

This is a matter of omission, not contradiction. The fuller understanding is that Jesus told Paul of his broad calling, and then sent him to Ananias in Damascus. Ananias affirms the message of Jesus to Paul, but also gives him immediate instructions, such as “arise, and be baptized.”

In The Evidential Value of the Acts of the Apostles, J. S. Howson emphasizes that in the speeches of Acts 22 and Acts 26, Paul is before two very different audiences, and that his defenses both times harmonize with the audience and occasion – explaining why he would include and omit certain things (in relation to the two speeches, as well as in relation to Luke’s Acts 9 account).[2] Rather than detract, the alleged “contradictions” support the reliability of Luke’s history. By inspiration, Luke dutifully and accurately records the speeches made by Paul in Jerusalem and Cæsarea. He does not modify the three records of Paul’s conversion to try to conform them into one slick presentation to satisfy critics.

---

[1] https://ehrmanblog.org/the-conversion-of-paul/ Accessed 29 January 2025 12:27 pm.
[2] Howson, Evidential Value, pp. 104-115.