In other words, a to voluble

• acrimony, noun. Sharpness, harshness, or bitterness of nature, speech, of disposition.
• ataractic, adjective. Able to calm or tranquillize.
• avarice, noun. Insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.
• bier, noun. A stand on which a corpse or the coffin is placed before burial; such a stand together with the corpse or coffin.
• blather, noun. Foolish, voluble talk.
• blatherskite, noun. A person given to blather; a person full of incessant, empty talk.
• boscage (also, boskage), noun. A mass of trees or shrubs; wood, grove, or thicket.
• curio, noun. Any unusual article, object of art, etc., valued as a curiosity.
• ephemera, noun. Items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, especially pamphlets, notices, tickets, etc.
• fissiparous, adjective. Tending to break or split up into parts; divisive.
• fulgurate, verb. To emit flashes of lightning; to flash or dart like lightning.
• matrimony, noun. The state of being married; marriage; the rites or ceremony of marriage.
• mondegreen, noun. A form of error arising from mishearing a spoken or sung phrase.
• moue, noun. A pouting grimace.
• nothingburger, noun. (Slang) A thing that is less consequential or important than originally suspected; a person or thing of little or no importance; a dud.
• numismatics, noun. The study or collection of coins, paper currency, and medals.
• Palladian, adjective. Of or relating to the goddess Athena (Pallas); pertaining to wisdom, knowledge, or study.
• postprandial, adjective. After a meal, especially after dinner (e.g. postprandial nap; postprandial lounging).
• scofflaw, noun. A contemptuous law violator; a person who flouts the law.
• skiddoo, verb. (Informal) To go away; get out (probably a variant of skedaddle).
• titian, noun. A bright auburn color, tinted with gold.
• tristful, adjective. Sad, sorrowful, gloomy, melancholy.
• voluble, adjective. Characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; talkative.

He Is Mine And I Am His

I love the song He Is Mine And I Am His by G. T. Speer. Maybe it is just me, but I have always felt it was a good combination of “old school” and “new school” styles.

A recent mention of this song by a friend brought to mind an incident that happened in the 1980s. This was at what we Texans call a “little book” singing (“new book” for some others). We had a Saturday night singing that rotated between several churches. One night we were at an old church called ____ ____. Most of the singing was class/congregational, though “specials” were allowed. A large group from “off summers” were present. (Not far off, but only peripherally connected to the churches that hosted the singing rotation; somebody was kin to somebody at ____ ____.) At some point fairly early in the singing, a person from that group was called by the chair to lead a song. Afterward, that person (not the chair) called another of their people to come up and sing, and then they did this again, and again, and again… This went on probably 15 or 20 minutes, or perhaps the discomfort of the situation made it seem longer than it was. THE singing had become THEIR singing. The chair did not want to be the “bad guy” and put a stop to this, but finally he sensed (and felt) enough discontent in the class that he finally told them, “One more, and that’s all.” They got mad and went outside. They stayed around outside for a good while, vocally complaining about how they had been “mistreated” (even though they were the ones who had infiltrated and changed the format of the singing). I had the grand good fortune of being the next leader called to follow all this disorder!! I led He Is Mine And I Am His.

1. God’s amazing grace, sent down from heaven,
Rescued me from death and from shame;
Opened up my eyes and brought salvation,
Now I’m his, praise his holy name!

2. ’Tis so sweet to know I have Jesus with me,
He will keep me from sin and from strife;
He delivered me from condemnation,
Now I have eternal life!

Chorus:
Now I know (I know) that he is mine (he’s mine)
And I’m his (I’m his forever),
He is leading (leading) me along life’s way (along life’s way);
He’ll be holding (holding) to my hand (my hand)
When I cross death’s river (crossing death’s river),
He will take (he’ll take) the sting of death away (death’s sting away).

Acts 27:33-38

Thankfulness, sustenance, and good cheer, 33-38

Verse 33: As daytime approached, Paul encouraged everyone to eat something. They had been fasting fourteen days. This likely was to a great extent of necessity, that is, in the struggle with the storm having neither luxury to prepare or consume. However, it is likely that at least some had a modicum of religion and fasted also in humility and despair before their gods, in hopes of deliverance. For fasting in time of trouble and sorrow, see II Samuel 1:12; 12:16; II Chronicles 20:3; Nehemiah 1:4; 9:1; Esther 4:16; Joel 1:13-15; Jonah 3:5.

Verses 34-35: Paul asked them to eat, considering (1) this is for your health, and (3) in gratitude “for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.” The very hairs of our heads are numbered and known by God (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). God promised the shipmen and passengers they would not lose one of them (Cf. Luke 21:18). They would be delivered. Paul took some bread “and gave thanks to God” over it, for all to see and hear. He began to eat of it.

To the church in Thessalonica, Paul wrote, “In every thing give thanks…” (I Thessalonians 5:18). Acts 27 records a case of Paul’s thankfulness “in every thing,” a time of great danger in a storm at sea. In this case, the thankfulness was based in God’s future promise over their present circumstances. In every thing giving thanks includes looking backward in the past, looking around in the present, and looking forward to the future.

Verses 36-37: Some men are leaders in times of peace; some men are leaders in times of war. Here, Paul rises to leadership in time of crisis. The actions and advice of Paul lifted their spirits and dispelled the gloom. Then they “were they all of good cheer,” and they also began to eat. The total number of persons on the ship “two hundred threescore and sixteen souls,” that is, 276 people.

Verse 38: The 276 people on board eat what they consider to be enough, then lighten the ship one final time as they are about to make their run for safety. They cast the wheat they had kept into the sea.

What is a Ruckmanite?

Anyone who engages in the Bible Versions debates will become familiar with the name of Peter S. Ruckman. Some elevate him as a demigod and others despise him as the devil. My opinion about him can be found here: The King James Bible and Peter Ruckman.

Because Ruckman is such a lightning rod, it has become a popular tactic to identify a King James Bible supporter as a “Ruckmanite.”[i]

What is a Ruckmanite?

Is there a standard definition that is useful and consistent when using the term “Ruckmanite”? Here are three explanations I found online, with one being very broad, and the other two relatively close.

• A Ruckmanite is one who follows the teachings (or most of the teachings) of Peter Ruckman and defend his divorces and cursing and such.
• A Ruckmanite is anyone who is King James Version Only.
• A Ruckmanite position is one that is hyper-dispensationalism (e.g., OT saints saved by works, etc.) and hyper-KJVOism (advanced revelation, KJV corrects the Greek and Hebrew, foreign language Bible should be translated from the KJV, etc.).[ii]

Valid or not, like the wording or not, these represent explanations that I found online. I think the term “Ruckmanite” gets used in all three of those ways. Based on the comments I have read in Facebook discussion groups and elsewhere, the terminology “Ruckmanite” is undefined (i.e., it has no standard and easily recognized meaning). It means anything and everything – whatever the person using it wants it to mean. It is not worth much other than as a pejorative. (It really fits the modern secular divide-and-conquer methodology.) Calling a KJV supporter a “Ruckmanite” is the equivalent of calling a person a racist, Nazi, and such like .The term is not very useful beyond that, and should be avoided.

Is there a proper, standard, and consistent way to define a “Ruckmanite”? What are your thoughts?

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[i] -ite is a suffix of nouns denoting especially persons associated with a place, tribe, leader, doctrine, system, etc. (for example, Campbellite; Canaanite; Hittite; Israelite).
[ii] When Peter Ruckman speaks against hyper-dispensationalism, I think he means the view that starts the church mid-Acts or later. On the other hand, those using it in reference to Peter Ruckman are pointing out his teaching of different ways of salvation in different dispensations.

The Authority of Scripture

“There can be no doubt whatsoever that all the troubles in the church today, and most of the troubles in the world, are due to a departure from the authority of the Bible. And, alas, it was the church herself that led in the so-called Higher Criticism that came from Germany just over a hundred years ago. Human philosophy took the place of revelation, man’s opinions were exalted and church leaders talked about ‘the advance of knowledge and science’, and ‘the assured results’ of such knowledge. The Bible then became a book just like any other book, out-of-date in certain respects, wrong in other respects, and so on. It was no longer a book on which you could rely implicitly.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Authority of Scripture

The Last Judgment

The hymn below by Isaac Watts is titled “The Last Judgment,” 15 stanzas derived from thoughts on judgment in Psalm 50. This version of Psalm 50 is labeled in The Psalms of David to be sung “To the old proper Tune.” It is meter 10.10.10.10.11.11. This, in contrast to another versification that is to be sung “To a new Tune.” That one is meter 10s. (6 lines).

At the Third Ireland Sacred Harp Convention, a group sings the solfege syllables and then the first stanza by Watts. With his tune Pennsylvania, Jeremiah Ingalls captures some of the spectacle, suspense, and solemnity of Watts’s poetry on the last judgment.

1. The God of glory sends his summons forth,
Calls the south nations and awakes the north;
From east to west the sovereign orders spread,
Through distant worlds and regions of the dead:
The trumpet sounds; hell trembles; heav’n rejoices
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.

2. No more shall atheists mock his long delay;
His vengeance sleeps no more; behold the day:
Behold, the Judge descends; his guards are nigh;
Tempests and fire attend him down the sky.
When God appears, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.

3. “Heav’n, earth, and hell, draw near; let all things come
To hear my justice, and the sinner’s doom;
But gather first my saints,” the Judge commands,
“Bring them, ye angels, from their distant lands.”
When Christ returns, wake every cheerful passion
And shout, ye saints; he comes for your salvation.

4. “Behold, my cov’nant stands for ever good,
Sealed by th’ eternal Sacrifice in blood,
And signed with all their names; the Greek, the Jew,
That paid the ancient worship or the new.”
There’s no distinction here; join all your voices,
And raise your heads, ye saints, for heav’n rejoices.

5. “Here,” saith the Lord, “ye angels, spread their thrones
And near me seat my fav’rites and my sons:
Come, my redeem’d, possess the joys prepared
Ere time began; ’tis your divine reward.”
When Christ returns, wake every cheerful passion;
And shout, ye saints; he comes for your salvation

Pause the First.

6. “I am the Saviour, I th’ Almighty God,
I am the Judge: ye heav’ns, proclaim abroad
My just eternal sentence, and declare
Those awful truths that sinners dread to hear.”
When God appears, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.

7. “Stand forth, thou bold blasphemer, and profane,
Now feel my wrath, nor call my threat’nings vain:
Thou hypocrite, once dressed in saints’ attire,
I doom the painted hypocrite to fire.”
Judgment proceeds; hell trembles; heav’n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.

8. “Not for the want of goats or bullocks slain
Do I condemn thee; bulls and goats are vain
Without the flame of love; in vain the store
Of brutal off’rings, that were mine before.”
Earth is the Lord’s, all nature shall adore him;
While sinners tremble, saints rejoice before him.

9. “If I were hungry, would I ask thee food?
When did I thirst, or drink thy bullocks’ blood?
Mine are the tamer beasts and savage breed,
Flocks, herds, and fields and forests where they feed.”
All is the Lord’s, he rules the wide creation;
Gives sinners vengeance, and the saints salvation.

10. “Can I be flatter’d with thy cringing bows,
Thy solemn chatt’rings and fantastic vows?
Are my eyes charmed thy vestments to behold,
Glaring in gems, and gay in woven gold?”
God is the Judge of hearts, no fair disguises
Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.

Pause the Second.

11. “Unthinking wretch! how couldst thou hope to please
A God, a Spirit, with such toys as these,
While, with my grace and statutes on thy tongue,
Thou lov’st deceit, and dost thy brother wrong?”
Judgment proceeds; hell trembles; heav’n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.

12. “In vain to pious forms thy zeal pretends;
Thieves and adulterers are thy chosen friends;
While the false flatt’rer at my altar waits,
His hardened soul divine instruction hates.”
God is the Judge of hearts, no fair disguises
Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.

13. “Silent I waited with long-suff’ring love;
But didst thou hope that I should ne’er reprove?
And cherish such an impious thought within,
That the All-Holy would indulge thy sin?”
See, God appears; all nature joins t’ adore him;
Judgment proceeds, and sinners fall before him.

14. “Behold my terrors now; my thunders roll,
And thy own crimes affright thy guilty soul;
Now like a lion shall my vengeance tear
Thy bleeding heart, and no deliv’rer near.”
Judgment concludes; hell trembles; heav’n rejoices;
Lift up your heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.

Ephiphomena.[i]

15. Sinners, awake betimes; ye fools, be wise;
Awake before this dreadful morning rise;
Change your vain thoughts, your crooked works amend,
Fly to the Saviour, make the Judge your friend:
Then join the saints, wake every cheerful passion;
When Christ returns, he comes for your salvation.

Concerning Psalm 50, Watts made several paraphrases. The first follows the Psalm more closely and is divided into three parts, in Common Meter. He also wrote another version of the third part in Long Meter. Following these, he has two versions of “The Last Judgment” (the first with 9 stanzas and the second with 15) of which he says, “I have taken occasion from this Psalm to represent the Last Judgment.” He also affixes the following explanations, which apply to stanzas 3, 6, and 7 in the first version, but to stanzas 4, 9, 10, and 11 in the version that appears here.

“All the saints have made a Covenant with God by Sacrifices (as in the Text) and as it were set their Names to God’s Covenant of Grace, ratified by the Sacrifice of Christ of eternal virtue; Tho’ the Jews did it in the antient Forms of Worship, and the Gentiles in the New.”

“As the Jewish Formal Worshippers contented themselves with Burnt Offerings, &c. and trusted in them; so Hypocrites in Christianity build their Hopes upon outward Forms, gay Ceremonies, rigid Austerities, fanciful Vows, &c.”

He further writes:

“If the former Heroick Metre do not fit the old Proper Tune of the Fiftieth Psalm, for want of Double Rhymes at the End of every Stanza, I have here altered the Form of it much, in order to fit exactly to the old Proper Tune, adding a Chorus, or (as some call it) the Burden of the Song, betwixt every Four Lines. I hope it will not be displeasing to the more Musical Part of my Readers to be entertained with such a Variety.” 

“Heroic Meter” is used to describe verse form for epic or elevated poetry, which may not always be the same. In this case of Watts’s Psalm 50, it is 10s. meter. Fitzroy Pyle calls it “Iambic Decasyllable.”[ii]

This above version of The Last Judgment can be sound on pages 137-140 in The Psalms of David: Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and apply’d to the Christian State and Worship (Isaac Watts, London: J. Clark, 1719). (There are some slight orthographic updates in the version that I copied.)

Isaac Watts was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674, the son of a schoolmaster. His father was a Nonconformist, and was imprisoned more than once for his religious convictions. Isaac learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew early in his youth, and was writing good verse by the age of seven. At age sixteen, he went to study in the Stoke Newington Academy under Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. Isaac became the assistant minister of the Independent Church on Berry Street, London, in 1698 and in 1702, he became the pastor. In 1712, he moved to Abney Park residence of Sir Thomas Abney, and stayed there the rest of his life.

Watts died November 25, 1748, and was buried at Bunhill Fields. Additionally, there is a monument erected in Abney Park Cemetery and one in the South Choir of Westminster Abbey.

Jeremiah Ingalls, the composer of the tune Pennsylvania, was born on March 1, 1764, in Andover, Massachusetts, the son of Abijah Ingalls and Elisabeth Hutchinson. His father, a American Revolutionary War veteran, died while Jeremiah was still a teenager. Around 1788, he moved to Newbury, Vermont, and married Mary Bigelow in 1791. They had eleven children.

Ingalls was a farmer and singing school teacher. He served as a choirmaster and deacon at the First Congregational Church in Newbury, Vermont. He was excluded from the church in 1810, on a charge of failing to repent of marital infidelity.[iii] After this he moved to Rochester, Vermont, and then to Hancock, Vermont. Ingalls continued teaching and composing music. He died April 6, 1838, at the age of 74. He was buried at the old Hancock Village Cemetery in Hancock, Addison County, Vermont.

In 1805, Ingalls published The Christian Harmony; or, Songster’s Companion (Exeter, NH: Henry Ranlet).[iv] The tune Pennsylvania possibly first appeared in print in Abraham Maxim’s tunebook The Northern Harmony (Exeter, NH: Norris & Sawyer, 1808).[v]

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[i] Epiphonema is a rhetorical device that consists of a striking, exclamatory, or general statement that succinctly summarizes or concludes what has been just said or written.
[ii] “The Rhythms of the English Heroic Line: an Essay in Empirical Analysis,” Hermathena Vol. 28, No. 53 (1939), p. 100.
[iii] I am unaware of the details of this situation, but he and his wife remained together until his death.
[iv] In 2005 a four-shape version of The Christian Harmony was published for the Jeremiah Ingalls Society Bicentennial Singing in Newbury, Vermont (Thomas B. Malone, editor).
[v] The Shenandoah Harmony credits the source of the tune Pennsylvania to the 2nd edition of Maxim’s Northern Harmony, yet dates the tune to 1796.

Truth in Translation, and other reviews

The posting of book and other reviews are for information and instruction and do not constitute endorsement of the materials or reviews of materials that are linked (or the sites on which they appear).

• A brief review of BeDuhn’s “Truth in Translation” -- “BeDuhn seems to operate under the impression that he has avoided all bias in his analysis. At no point in the book does he reveal his own personal theological biases.”
• A Brief Review of Strict Baptist Periodicals (UK) -- “The following is a work in progress and is sure to have some gaps and errors (especially as it pertains to original publishing dates in light of periodicals with shared names and the length of time that has transpired since the magazines were first released).”
• A journey from religious radical to nothing new -- “Oden shows such a return to the ancient Christian witness is an essential journey for all of us fatigued by unfulfilling and agenda-driven theology.”
• Book Review: What If It’s Wonderful? by Nicole Zasowski -- “Zasowski writes like a therapist. She writes with a measured compassion that invites you in and holds space for safe exploration of one’s fears...”
• God’s Monsters, by Esther J. Hamori -- “Unfortunately, the book suffers from several weaknesses. First is the myopic way the work seeks to compartmentalize these monsters and horrors, isolating them from the greater narrative.”
• Presuppositional Analysis – The Received Text: A Field Guide -- “In The Received Text: A Field Guide, DeSoto presupposes that Scripture has always existed in a continuous form available to God’s people...”
• Review of Why I Preach from the Received Text -- “The book nearly equally provides a wealth of quotations from proponents of the Critical Text (CT) position, wherein their lack of faith and commitment to pragmatism is on clear display.”
• Review: ‘The Widening of God’s Mercy’ by Christopher and Richard Hays, by Rebecca McLaughlin -- “Richard Hays Thinks God Changed His Mind About Same-Sex Sex. Is He Right?”
• The Received Text: A Field Guide – Review -- “A vigorous defense of the Received Text tradition, distinguished by its confessional convictions and acute observations about modern text-critical uncertainty.”
• To Honour God: The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell -- “To Honour God would be excellent for devotional reading. There are 30 short chapters, perfect for complementing daily Bible reading.”

Christian shape note

It is a sad commentary on The Sacred Harp that it is rather consistently promoted in modern times as a secular non-Christian activity. Yes, they will usually make some admission to its Christian origins and the existence of Christian hymn texts – but the emphasis is that this is for anyone and everyone. It does not matter what you believe, what is your lifestyle, or even if your worldview is antagonistic toward Christianity.

Now, we recognize that it is true that singings have always been public events to which anyone and everyone was invited. Sacred Harp singers thought their activity was a good thing that could be a blessing to anyone. However, that has been turned on its head, so that anyone and everyone should be strategically involved in how Sacred Harp should be conducted, promoted, written, and revised. 

In contrast to modern “standards,” the old conventions had detailed constitutions and bylaws. Every member had to agree to and abide by those rules. The North East Texas Musical Convention was organized circa 1866 (based on the dating of its annual sessions). “Article 9th” of the Constitution stated “The Sacred Harp shall be our text book at each meeting.” Not only was decorum expected at the convention, but outside of it as well. For example, “Article 10th” of the Bylaws stated “If any member be guilty of any bad conduct, such as drunkenness or disturbing the pease at Public worship, shall be dealt with as the Body may deem wright.”

Obviously the name “Sacred” Harp, the Christian themes of the hymns, and the purpose of conventions promoting “sacred vocal music” indicate what the origin and history of the music is. As one of our bright young Alabama singers reflected, “No one is going to make people say the apostles creed at the door, however, it’s the bare minimum to recognize the Christian nature of what is being participated in.” She also noted, “If that’s a turn-off for someone, perhaps they have been mocking God with a solemn sound upon a thoughtless tongue.”

In the context of that conversation, my daughter also emphasized, “It’s fair to say it’s increasingly evident that describing it [Sacred Harp] transparently as Christian is important and necessary.”

Some of us want to take back our tradition to what it was and is. This is not disinviting non-Christians, but a refined invitation asserting that you need to know and understand what this is before you come. If you do not like that, no one is making you do anything. Your choice.

Acts 27:21-26

God’s revelation to Paul, 21-26

Verses 21-22: After remonstrating with them for their terrible mistake of leaving Crete, Paul exhorts them all “to be of good cheer.” Why, Paul, why? Oh, here’s why – “there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you.” Yes, the ship will be a loss, but not lives. Note: Paul’s point is not to gloat with a smug “I told you so,” but rather to remind them and reinforce that he has spoken and can speak in trustworthy terms.

Verses 23-24: Why such confidence? It is based on divine revelation. The angel of God has been sent to Paul with a message – fear not. God has a purpose and a destination for Paul, and he will reach it and fulfill it. Paul will stand before Cæsar. Not only that, “God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” “whose I am, and whom I serve” God the rightful owner; God the rightful master. 

God may choose to spare some because of someone else. God spared Zoar for Lot’s sake (Genesis 19:17-22; Cf. also Genesis 18:23ff.).[1] God spared the entire number of men on the ship – Paul’s sake, whom he had assured must surely see Rome.

Verses 25-26: “Wherefore” there is a firm foundation to “be of good cheer,” solidly anchored in God’s word. “I believe God” God is trustworthy at all times (cf. Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18), but one must believe God in order to claim the cheer based on God’s word! We should believe “it shall be even as it was told me” when we read God’s word (Psalm 119:160). 

There will be a “detour” in the process of reaching Rome – “we must be cast upon a certain island.” That island will be Melita (cf. 28:1).

God may choose to spare some because of someone else. God spared Zoar for Lot’s sake (Genesis 19:17-22; Cf. also Genesis 18:23ff.). God spared the entire number of men on the ship – Paul’s sake, whom he had assured must surely see Rome.

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[1] Zoar, also known as Bela, see Genesis 14:2, 8.

Hold on a minute

“The human authors of Scripture were inspired to write by God’s Holy Spirit, but they wrote with careful attention to organization and structure; in other words, they did not write haphazardly, randomly, or chaotically.”

“Because real human authors wrote the Bible, even as they were inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, we should expect that they wrote in logical and organized ways.”

I recently read “The Key to Finding the Author’s Emphasis When You Read the Bible,” by Jon Nielson. The above quotes are from that essay. It had some helpful information, but those particular statements struck me as odd, even trending toward wrong. Maybe the author thought he was addressing a problem in people’s thinking about the Bible. On the other hand, I wondered if he also has a problem in his thinking. Nielson mentions the Holy Spirit twice in the article. Both times he correctly says the human writers of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yet, both times, there seems to an underlying implication that we should remember that Scripture is structured, logical, and organized because humans wrote it. Now, I don’t know about you, but I recognize that the divine authorship is a much better guarantee that Scripture is structured, logical, and organized (rather than the human element). I would never begin to imagine that the Holy Spirit would write “haphazardly, randomly, or chaotically.” Nielson may not have intended to imply that, but it came across that way to me.

I find it more reassuring that the Holy Spirit is the original and ultimate author of Scripture.

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The B-I-B-L-E

The B-I-B-L-E 

Books of the Bible Song

Blessed fountain, full of grace

HYMN CCCCX.

In that day there shall be a fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, &c. Zech. xiii. 1.

1. Blessed fountain, full of grace!
Grace for sinners, grace for me;
To this source alone I trace
What I am, and hope to be.

2. What I am, as one redeemed,
Saved and rescued by the Lord;
Hating what I once esteemed,
Loving what I once abhorred:

3. What I hope to be, ere long,
When I take my place above;
When I join the heavenly throng;
When I see the God of love,

4. Then, I hope like him to be,
Who redeemed his saints from sin,
Whom I now obscurely see,
Through a veil that stands between.

5. When I see him as he is,
No corruption can remain;
Such their portion who are his,
Such the happy state they gain.

6. Blessed fountain, full of grace!
Grace for sinners, grace for me;
To this source alone I trace
What I am, and hope to be.

Thomas Kelly (1769–1855) was a Church of Ireland clergyman from his ordination in 1792 to 1803. Relations had become strained, and that year he formally broke with this church. He did not seek to form a new denomination, but the people who followed him were often dubbed “Kellyites.” His evangelical views were influenced by Rowland Hill, William Romaine, John Walker, and the Haldane brothers. Kelly was a prolific hymn writer, producing over 700 hymns. Kelly’s hymns were published in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns (1802), Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture (1804), and Hymns of Thomas Kelly, Never Before Published (1815). “Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious” is possibly his best-known and most printed hymn. “Blessed fountain, full of grace” is copied as it appears on pages 362-363 of Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture (Fifth Edition, Thomas Kelly, Dublin: Martin Keene, 1820). This hymn has been paired with several different tunes, including Hendon by César Malan and Trusting by W. G. Fischer.

In July of 1795 Thomas Kelly married Elizabeth Tighe, and they had at least seven children. Thomas Kelly died May 14, 1855, at age 85. He is supposed to be buried at the Ballintubbert Church of Ireland Cemetery in Ballintubbert, County Laois, Ireland. However, some sources say he is buried near the Kelly family home at Kellyville, Ballyadams, Queens County, without stating that he is buried at Ballintubbert Church. His wife Elizabeth is probably buried at the same location he is.

Definitions with a point

• avarich, adjective. Having wealth or great possessions accumulated through an insatiable greed for riches (a portmanteau of avarice + rich).
• confuzzled, adjective. A state of being extremely bewildered or perplexed (a portmanteau of confused + puzzled).
• educatiolatry, noun. Worship of and/or excessive and unwarranted reverence for education (a portmanteau of education + idolatry).
• eggs-pert, noun. One with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of the subject of eggs.
• ex-pert, noun. One who used to show bold and impertinent behavior, but no longer does so.
• ex-spurt, noun. One who used to used to be capable of sudden bursts of effort, but no longer is.
• figmentary, adjective. Pertaining to or connected with things created, imagined, or invented in the mind (figment, a product of mental invention or notion + -ary, a suffix with the general sense “pertaining to, connected with”).
• hate speech, noun. Speech that is hated by the people defining it.
• illeagle, noun. A sick symbol of the United States of America.
• impastor, noun. A person who deceives by pretending to be a pastor; a false teacher (a portmanteau of impostor + pastor).
• ka-balloon, interjection. A sudden and loud sound of a balloon popping.
• lymph, verb. To walk with a lisp.
• macrimony, noun. The state of being in a harsh and bitter marriage (a portmanteau of matrimony + acrimony).
• occupatience, noun. The act of waiting for the right job to come along (a portmanteau of occupation + patience).
• poly-scriptura, noun. Many scriptures (from poly “many” + scriptura “scripture”). A recently coined phrase used by some to describe those Christians who find authority in many different translations of the scriptures.
• sheeple, noun. People who blindly follow orders and avoid critical thinking (a portmanteau of sheep + people).
• smord, noun. A portmanteau (from smushed word).
• texagon, noun. A plane figure in the shape of Texas.
• transhee, noun. A man in the form of a wailing woman who appears to or is heard by members of a society as a sign that their society is dying.
• transposer, noun. A transgender person who writes music (a portmanteau of transgender + composer).
• weerie, adjective. Exhausted by things that incite superstitious fear (from weary + eerie).
• YouTubesday, noun. The Tuesday you spent all day watching videos on YouTube.

Preaching like Jeremiah

G. Campbell Morgan considered the work of every faithful God-called preacher to be like the work of Jeremiah the prophet:

“His business is to create a sense of shame in the souls of men, so to place their corruption before them as to compel the hot blush to their faces.”

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

Acts, the ship, and the wind

Verse 13: Observing the wind blowing softly, the deciders believed this was a sign that their purpose was correct, and set sail. “Their” purpose is often contrary to God’s purpose. The awful decision was soon exposed, or, as Matthew Henry’s commentary puts it, they were soon “made sensible of their folly in giving more credit to a smiling wind than to the word of God in Paul’s mouth…”

Verses 14-15: Euroclydon, ευροκλυδων, a tempestuous wind type that had its own given name. “tempestuous wind” ανεμος τυφωνικος (the latter from which we derive the word typhoon) suggests a cyclonic or circular wind, and the fact “the ship was caught” in it. “we let her drive,” that is, go where the winds drove it. At this point the wind rather than the sailors was in control of the ship. It is well to remember it is the God of the wind who ultimately is in control – of the wind, and the ship, and the people on board.

• Psalm 135:7 …he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
• Psalm 148:8 …stormy wind fulfilling his word…
• Amos 4:13 …he … createth the wind…
• Jonah 4:8 …God prepared a vehement east wind…
• Nahum 1:3 …the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm…
• Mark 4:39 …he … rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still…

“The winds and the waves shall obey thy will.” (from a hymn by Mary Ann Baker)

AI Worship (and Preaching)

“Can a soul-less artist produce a soul-full act of worship?”

I am very concerned about AI in general, and when it invades Christian preaching and singing, so much the worse.[i]

In 1996, I wrote an imaginary “Possible Scenario – Any Church, USA,” lamenting how some churches were projecting music and preaching on screens instead of having real people lead their worship. In the “possible scenario” the church pews became people-empty, but filled with cassette players. The silence was broken only by an occasional electronic “amen.”[ii] Not as good as Orwell’s book 1984, yet my “1996” has become “2026.” Except perhaps the members now won’t even bother with a source for electronic amens. Now here is this.

“How does Ray feel about this sudden success? He doesn’t. Because Ray doesn’t feel anything. His voice, his songs, his music, his appearance and even his ‘Mississippi Soul’ branding are entirely AI-generated. The current No. 1 ‘Christian artist’ is not a person. It is a product.”

The No. 1 “Christian artist” is neither Christian nor an artist. “He” is not even human.

We can complain about it – and rightfully so – but modern Christians have been headed toward this path for years. We just didn’t have all the technology previously (and don’t have all the technology now that we will have).

Disclaimer: I first saw this report at Baptist New Global (BNG), which I have linked to, and have not looked elsewhere for a better source. This link is definitely not a recommendation of BNG or the author of this piece. Nevertheless, we agree on the problematic nature of “AI worship.” “My real concern with AI-generated worship music is not so much that AI songs will ‘infect’ Christian worship, but that Christian worship already has drifted into a thin, commercialized space where emotional accessibility is mistaken for spiritual depth.”

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[i] We have to wonder how many sermons are now created by AI rather than study, sweat, and prayer – and the Holy Spirit.
[ii] Yes, that was a few years ago! I updated it in 2016 to “CD players, DVRs and such like,” but I think that is mostly out of date now too.

Losing much of great value

“It is not healthy to create an exaggerated youth consciousness among young believers. It is natural and right that youth should seek the companionship of youth, but it is not natural or right for them to withdraw from normal cooperation with older believers in the church’s witness. When they do so, both lose much that is of great value and an element is introduced into the congregation that is contrary to its nature.”

Alexander Rattray Hay, printed in Word and Work, February 1972, p. 31 (source not cited)

Refuge in the Righteousness of Christ

The following hymn was written by Augustus Montague Toplady, and printed in 1759 in his book Poems on Sacred Subjects: Wherein the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity, with Many Other Interesting Points, Are Occasionally Introduced (Dublin: S. Powell, 1759). 

The entire hymn appears in Hymns and Sacred Poems, on a Variety of Divine Subjects, Comprising the Whole of the Poetical Remains of the Rev. Augustus M. Toplady … with a Sketch of His Life and Poetry (London: Daniel Sedgwick, 1860). In that edition it is Hymn XXXVII, titled “Refuge in the Righteousness of Christ.” It appears in a section of “Petitionary Hymns.” The last five stanzas are reprinted in Metropolitan Tabernacle’s Our Own Hymn-Book, complied by Charles Spurgeon (Hymn 609), and Hymns for Social Worship: Compiled for the Use of Canadian Baptist Churches (Toronto: H. Lloyd, Baptist Book Room, 1869, No. 163).

It seems that the entire hymn has been seldom reprinted. It is possible that some object to some of the phrasing used by Toplady, though it may be more likely that it is simply because it is a long hymn of eleven stanzas. Many imagine Toplady to be a hard, dry, dogmatic Calvinistic. He certainly could be a dogmatic controversialist, but “Refuge in the Righteousness of Christ” seems warm and experiential to me. It contains an explanation of and appeal to the justice and mercy of the gospel of grace. Maybe I am missing something, but it seems this hymn would offend the sensibilities of few other than the rankest Arminians and Pelagians (and those who deny substitutionary atonement).

Since the hymn is written in Common Meter, it is relatively easy to pair it with many Common Meter tunes. Ortonville is one that quickly comes to mind.

1. From thy supreme tribunal, Lord,
Where Justice sits severe,
I to thy Mercy Seat appeal,
And beg forgiveness there.

2. Tho’ I have sinned before the throne,
My Advocate I see:
Jesus, be thou my Judge, and let
My sentence come from thee.

3. Lo, weary to thy cross I fly,
There let me shelter find:
Lord, when thou call’st thy ransomed home,
O leave me not behind!

4. I joyfully embrace thy love
To fallen man revealed;
My hope of glory, dearest Lord,
On thee alone I build.

5. The law was satisfied by him
Who flesh for me was made:
Its penalty he underwent,
Its precepts he obeyed.

6. Desert and all self-righteousness
I utterly forego;
My robe of everlasting bliss,
My wedding garment thou!

7. The spotless Savior lived for me,
And died upon the Mount:
Th’ obedience of his life and death
Is placed to my account.

8. Canst thou forget that awful hour,
That sad, tremendous scene,
When thy dear blood on Calvary
Flowed out at every vein?

9. No, Savior, no; thy wounds are fresh,
E’en now they intercede;
Still, in effect, for guilty man
Incessantly they bleed.

10. Thine ears of mercy still attend
A contrite sinner’s cries,
A broken heart, that groans for God,
Thou never wilt despise.

11. O love incomprehensible,
That made thee bleed for me!
The Judge of all hath suffered death
To set his prisoner free!

Augustus Montague Toplady was born in England in the village of Farnham, Surrey in 1740, the same year the Wesleys published “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” His father died shortly after Augustus was born, and he was raised by his mother – who some biographers claim spoiled him. Toplady was converted through the ministry of the Methodists, at preaching in a barn – but through his Bible study adopted a staunch Calvinistic position. His works demonstrate this interest, such as Free-will and Merit Fairly Examined: or, Men Not Their Own Saviours, Historic Proof of the Doctrinal Calvinism of the Church of England and The Church of England Vindicated from the Charge of Arminianism. He translated from the Latin and published Jerome Zanchius’s The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination, Stated and Asserted. Toplady attended both Westminster School in London, and Trinity College in Dublin. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1762. He concluded his ministry preaching for a French Calvinist Church at Leicester Fields.

On the negative side, A. M. Toplady became well-known for his feuds with the Wesley brothers, especially John. His book titled An Old Fox Tarred and Feathered: Occasioned by what is called Mr. John Wesley’s Calm Address to our American Colonies suggests some of the rancor that existed. Despite the rancor that existed between Toplady and the Wesleys, both his hymns and theirs have served to bless many of God’s poor children. Rock of Ages and LorJesus, Lover of My Soul adorn many of the same hymnals, even showing up harmoniously side by side in the same opening. Augustus Toplady died in 1778 at the young age of 38, from tuberculosis, and was buried at Whitefield’s Tabernacle.

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Note: “Desert” [dih-zurt; noun] in line one of stanza six means “the state or condition of being worthy, as in character or behavior.” Synonyms would include “virtue” and “merit.” It is not a common usage in our day (at least not in my experience).

In other (German) words

• angst, noun. A feeling of dread, anxiety, fear, or anguish.
• ausgangstext, noun. Initial text, that is, the earliest recoverable version of a text that can be considered the direct predecessor to the surviving manuscript traditions.
• blitz, noun. A swift, intensive attack or effort.
• dachshund, noun. One of a German breed of dogs having short legs, a long body and ears, literally “badger dog.”
• delicatessen, noun. A store selling foods already prepared or requiring little preparation for serving, as cooked meats, cheese, salads, and the like.
• doppelgänger, noun. A double or counterpart of a living person; someone who looks like someone else.
• fest, noun. A festival, celebration, or party.
• gesundheit, interjection. Good health, used for good wishes to a person who has just sneezed.
• hinterland, noun. Wilderness, backwoods, “the land behind.”
• kaput, adjective. Ruined; broken; not working.
• kindergarten, noun. In the U.S. a school or class for young children between the ages of four and six years (from German kinder, “children” + garten, “garden”).
• kitsch, noun. Art or design considered tasteless or overly sentimental
• leitmotif, noun. A unifying or dominant motif; a recurrent theme; recurring theme in a work.
• poltergeist, noun. A noisy ghost; mischievous spirit.
• rucksack, noun. A backpack, often for hiking or traveling.
• sauerkraut, noun. Cabbage cut fine, salted, and allowed to ferment until sour (from German sauer, “sour” + kraut, “cabbage,” “greens”).
• schadenfreude, noun. A feeling of pleasure or satisfaction when something bad happens to someone else.
• sitz im leben, noun phrase. The context in which a text, or object, has been created, and its function and purpose at that time.
• sosein, noun. The qualities or properties something has; being, essence.
• weltanschauung, noun. A worldview (from German welt, “world” + anschauung, “vision”).
• weltschmerz, noun. A feeling of sadness and lack of hope about the state of the world.
• zeitgeist, noun. The spirit of the time; the general trend of thought, etc., characteristic of a particular period of time.

Dream of Thomas Oden

In his book, A Change of Heart: A Personal and Theological Memoir, Thomas C. Oden reported on a dream he had:

In the season of Epiphany 1971 I had a curious dream in which I was in the New Haven cemetery and accidentally stumbled upon my own tombstone with this puzzling epitaph: “He made no new contribution to theology.” I woke up refreshed and relieved. (p. 143)

He summed up his life story this way:

My life story has had two phases: going away from home as far as I could go, not knowing what I might find in an odyssey of preparation, and then at last inhabiting anew my own original home of classic Christian wisdom. The uniting theme of the two parts of my life can only be providence. For confessing Christians it is a familiar story of a life unexpectedly turned around by an outpouring of grace ... I had been enamored with novelty. Candidly, I had been in love with heresy. Now I was waking up from this enthrallment to meet a two thousand year stable memory. (p. 140)

A man who early on bought into heresy and religious fads could end his journey happy that “He made no new contribution to theology.” The word is written, the canon is closed. We are not called to create new theology, but to faithfully pass down the truth once for all delivered to the saints.

1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

Galatians 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

May we reject the temptation either to tell, or to hear some new thing. We are called to be faithful stewards of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was once delivered to the saints, and which has been passed down to us by faithful teachers of the word. Oh, Lord, deliver us making new contributions to theology.

Since man by sin has lost his God,
He seeks creation through;
And vainly strives for solid bliss,
In trying something new.

From A Select Collection of Songs Designed for the Use of the Pious of Every Denomination (A. & J. Shirley, Portland, ME, 1816)

Acts 27:9-12

9-12 a bad resolution

Verses 9-10: “the fast” probably refers to the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-34; 23:26-32). That puts this voyage in late September to early October, a time when sea travel of the Mediterranean began to be more dangerous. Paul advised them that an attempted voyage would be a mistake. Therefore, they should stay put; be content to winter in The fair havens. There may be good men and bad men on the ship – sailors, soldiers, and scofflaws, but they are all “in the same boat” when it comes to the ravages of the sea. Paul’s phrasing – “I perceive” – suggests knowledge based on his experience rather than giving a divine prophecy. Paul was familiar with travel on the Mediterranean, and with Crete in particular, having pioneered the gospel there (cf. Titus 1:5, 12).

Verses 11-12: Julius, the centurion in charge of the prisoners, conferred with the master and the owner of the ship.[1] Together they determined to sail on from their present position. “It was a fair haven, but it was not their haven” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary). They overruled and ignored Paul’s advice, apparently thinking a small window might allow them to reach Phenice (now known as Phoenix) before the danger of travel became increasingly worse. “the more part” suggests others also concurred with this plan. The fair havens (1) was not their intended destination, and (2) “the haven was not commodious to winter in.” This probably refers to how the winter winds blew into the harbor, and possibly that Phenice offered larger and better quarters for the centurion and his prisoners. Also, the town does not appear to have been on the harbor (The fair havens was nigh unto the city of Lasea), as the town of Phenice was situated. Though the centurion was kindly disposed toward Paul (cf. v. 3), he did not regard his seafaring advice.[2]

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[1] The master of the ship would be the person responsible to pilot the ship.
[2] “Those know not what dangers they run themselves into who will be governed more by human prudence than by divine revelation.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Early reception of the King James Bible

The claims of the slow acceptance of the KJV have been exaggerated, and some scholars are now debunking this myth.

Kenneth Fincham pointed out “the sheer number of editions indicates strong demand to own a copy” and speaks of “its broad acceptance by 1640” (“The King James Bible: Crown, Church and People,” in Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Volume 71, Issue 1, 2020.)

Mordechai Feingold pointed out that “as in the case of any new contribution to knowledge, a phase of acculturation was required” but that “scholars and the reading public more widely began engaging seriously and approvingly with the KJV from the start” (“Birth and Early Reception of a Masterpiece: Some Lose Ends and Common Misconceptions,” Chapter 1 in Labourers in the Vineyard of the Lord: Erudition and the Making of the King James Version of the Bible, Brill, 2018).

Writing of John Bunyan and John Milton using the language of the King James Bible, Hamlin and Jones say that “One mark of the KJB’s dominance over other translations at this point is its use by writers like these, who had little sympathy with King James and his Church. Thus, even for non-conformists, radicals, and dissenters, the KJB had become the English Bible.” (The King James Bible After Four Hundred Years: Literary, Linguistic, and Cultural Influences, edited by Hannibal Hamlin, Norman W. Jones, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010)

Hamlin and Jones also point out “Although one might think that the Puritan Commonwealth would have been committed to the Bible most associated with English Puritans (the Geneva), even Oliver Cromwell now favored the KJB (printed by John Field, first Printer to Parliament and then ‘one of His Hignes [i.e. Cromwell’s] Printers’)...” Even before the end of the Commonwealth, no one was printing anything but the KJB, and its domination of the English Bible market was assured for the next 250 years.”

But let’s go back even earlier. Notice in 1618, only seven years after the publication of the new translation, the Reformed Synod of Dordt held at Dordecht, Holland (now Netherlands) speaking of the 1611 translation said “honorifica accuratissimæ translationis Anglicanæ” (that is, “the honor of mentioning the most accurate English translation”). This is a group that, according to modern animadversions, should have preferred the Geneva translation over the KJV. Only seven years – and this bible is recognized outside of England and English, by people who had no pressure to think otherwise, as the most accurate English translation.

The supposed slow reception of the translation commissioned by King James is, in my opinion, an exaggeration or myth used to attack the King James Bible (or, at least in the dreams of some of the naysayers, attack King James-Onlyists). It should be revised according to the historical facts that contradict their theme.

Carefully guarded

“2:33 Luke carefully guards the doctrine of the Virgin Birth with the precisely worded Joseph and His mother, as read by the King James tradition, following the majority of manuscripts.”

Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald (Arthur L. Farstad, editor), Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, p. 1375

Standing at the portal

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

The following poem by Frances Ridley Havergal is titled or designated “New Year’s Hymn,” with the scripture reference Isaiah xli.10.

1. Standing at the portal of the opening year,
Words of comfort meet us hushing every fear,
Spoken through the silence by our Father’s voice,
Tender, strong and faithful, making us rejoice.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

2. I, the Lord, am with you: Be thou not afraid!
I will help and strengthen; Be thou not dismayed!
Yes, I will uphold thee with my own right hand!
Thou are called and chosen in my sight to stand.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

3. For the year before us, oh, what rich supplies!
For the poor and needy living streams shall rise;
For the sad and sinful shall His grace abound;
For the faint and feeble perfect strength be found.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

4. He will never fail us, He will not forsake us;
His eternal covenant He will never break!
Resting on His promise, what have we to fear?
God is all-sufficient for the coming year.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

Some sources date this hymn January 4, 1873, but it appears that it was first published in a book in Under the Surface (London: James Nisbet, 1874). It has four stanzas and is found on pages 161-163.

Frances Ridley Havergal was a daughter of William Henry Havergal and Jane Head. Her father was a minister in the Church of England, as well as a composer and poet. Frances was born at Astley, Worcestershire, December 14, 1836. She wrote that in 1851, “I committed my soul to the Saviour, and earth and heaven seemed brighter from that moment.” Frances died at Caswell Bay, Swansea, June 3, 1879, and is buried at the Priory Church of St. Peter in Astley, Worcestershire, England.

Frances Havergal was well-educated, including mastering several languages, two of which were Greek and Hebrew. She was writing verses at a very young age, and spent much of her lifetime producing poems that expressed her deep love of her Lord Jesus Christ. One of her best-known hymns is “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.”

The “Standing at the Portal” hymn is probably most often paired with St. Albans.

Some folks come to church, and other quotes

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

“Some folks come to church once a quarter and leave a quarter.” -- Herman Johnson

“Anyone who has ever done physical nitpicking, knows it is (1) tedious, (2) unpleasant, and (3) necessary. The other kind of nitpicking can be all of those things, too.” -- Eric T. Chapman

“There is no neutrality in Christianity.  May we never stop being the antithesis to the thinking of the world both in speech and in deed.” -- Ron Braswell

“When faith seeks understanding—when belief is grounded in revelation and open to the light of reason—truth can travel. ... Christianity does not fear inquiry because the God who calls us to faith is the same God who made our minds.” -- Adam Francisco

“Since God’s Word is addressed to all humanity, orthodox Christianity embraces a scriptural inclusivism that is much broader than a politically correct inclusivism.” -- Thomas C. Oden

“The seed of the Word was being planted precisely within the fertilized soil of ever waning cultures.” -- Thomas C. Oden

“Multitudes of ‘Christians’ think that God might be a half inch bigger than them.” -- Richard Owen Roberts

“Do you think about God the way God thinks about himself? Do you know the God who reveals himself in holy scripture or do you only know the God that your church has imagined him to be? There’s an incredible distance between the God of the human imagination and the God of self-revelation in scripture.” -- Richard Owen Roberts

“Nobody wants to go to Hell – but they want to be saved on their own terms.” -- S. M. Lockridge

“The robe of righteousness is not altered to fit the man; the man is altered to fit the robe.” -- S. M. Lockridge

“If your clothing is a frame for your face, from which the glory of God is to shine, it is proper. … If your clothing draws attention to your body, to outline it, to make it noticed, it is sensual.” -- Rosario ‘Charo’ Washer

“It is good to feel left out, if you are left out because you came out and separated yourself.” -- Unknown

Chalmers on the English Particular Baptists

Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), a Scottish Presbyterian minister, speaking about a difference on baptism, nevertheless made these complimentary remarks on the English Particular Baptists.

Let it never be forgotten of the Particular Baptists of England, that they form the denomination of Fuller and Carey and Ryland and Hall and Foster;[i] that they have originated among the greatest of all missionary enterprises; that they have enriched the Christian literature of our country with authorship of the most exalted piety, as well as of the first talent and the first eloquence; that they have waged a very noble and successful war with the hydra of Antinomianism; that perhaps there is not a more intellectual community of ministers in our island, or who, have put forth to their number a greater amount of mental power and mental activity in the defence and illustration of our common faith; and, what is better than all the triumph of genius or understanding, who, by their zeal and fidelity and pastoral labour among the congregations which they have reared, have done more to swell the lists of genuine discipleship in the walks of private society—and thus both to uphold and to extend the living Christianity of our nation.

He notes their (1) zealous missionary endeavours, (2) excellent religious writings, (3) active defense of the Christian faith, and (4) faithful making of disciples. Thomas Chalmers, “Lecture XIV,” Lectures on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, New York, NY: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1844, 76. (Thanks to Michael A. G. Haykin for calling attention to this passage in Chalmers.)

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[i] These men are Andrew Fuller, William Carey, John Ryland Jr., Robert Hall Jr., and John Foster.