Looking for a present participle

In October 2025, a member of the Textus Receptus Academy,[i] named John, created a poll about the accuracy of and difference between the KJV and the NKJV in the text of Luke 6:10a. These verses read:

• AKJV: And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man…
• NKJV: And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man…

The purpose seemed ostensibly to defend the NKJV rendering. According to that author, “The KJV has Jesus speaking while looking. The NKJV has Jesus speaking after looking.” In the poll he asked respondents to vote, “Which is correct?” The poll options were: The KJV is correct; The NKJV is correct; both are correct; both are incorrect.

According to the creator of the poll, the right answer was “both are correct.” I agreed with this as the answer, but not for the same reason he gave: “We don’t know for sure the timing—either one is possible and it could be accurately rendered either way.” Actually, I even agree with the last part of that statement, that either understanding is accurate, based on the Greek. He teased out the fact that the aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος can translated either as antecedent (prior) to or as contemporaneous (simultaneous) with the action of the main verb. This is correct. However, in the end, I believe that John and many others of the polled missed it. When he wrote that “both are correct” what he actually meant was that both are possible correct translational renderings. He did not actually mean that “both are correct” because he went on to say “Historically, only one of the two actually happened.” In other words, he is saying either only simultaneous action happened or antecedent action happened. Both can’t be true. So, he explanation was somewhat contradictory.

However, when I say that both are correct, I am saying that Luke 6:10a in the KJV and NKJV actually mean the same thing in English. “Looking round about upon them all” (in English) is a present participle clause.[ii] Often, present participle clauses show two actions that happen at the same time. Apparently the poll creator and several others were laboring under the false conception of that being the only way a present participle clause can be used. That first explanation is a short and simple answer that does not include all the facts. Present participle clauses are used in the English language in at least six different ways: to describe simultaneous action, to show cause for an action, to give the result of an action, to add information about the subject of the main clause, adjectivally, or even to replace a full relative clause. Here are a couple of examples of how the present participle clause might be used in ways that are not simultaneous action.

• Opening the envelope, I found two train tickets.
• Running late, I missed the train.

In the first case the present participle clause expresses an action that happens in close proximity to, but just before another action (rather than simultaneous). The second case shows cause. The point is not that I was simultaneously running late while missing the train, but that I missed the train because I was running late. We speak and write this way, and are capable of understanding this way, if not set on an agenda. I believe that John’s not understanding the various uses of the present participle clause led him to assume that the meaning of Luke 6:10a in the King James and the New King James had to be mutually exclusive. Understanding the different uses of the present participle clause shows us we can understand the King James translation of Luke 6:10 as in the first example above – “looking” expresses an action that happens in close proximity to, but just before another action (rather than simultaneous). Jesus knew the thoughts of the onlookers, he asked them a question, and looked around at all of them. With no answer forthcoming, he addressed the man, “Stretch forth thy hand.” The looking occurred in very close proximity of time but immediately prior to his addressing the man with the withered hand. This interpretation will not only harmonize with the context of Luke 6:6-11, but it also harmonizes with the parallel passage in Mark 3:1-6.

Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man…

An interpretation that does not the realize the harmony of Luke 6:10 and Mark 3:5 is incorrect and unacceptable. To me, this poll seemed to be an argument only for the purpose of arguing. Straining at a gnat, John swallowed a camel.

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[i] I wrote this out then but, deciding the argument was a waste of time, I did not continue to reply in the Facebook group.
[ii] A present participle is a form using a verb + ing.

If you knew what he knows about death

Do you not see that God is as continually restoring as taking away—that every bereavement is a restoration—that when you are weeping, others, who love as well as you, are clasping in ecstasy of reunion? If you have not learned this, you cannot have been doing the will of the Father, or you would not be as you are. If you reply, how little I know your loss, I respond, indeed it is great! It seems to include God! If you knew what he knows about death, you would clap your listless hands.

George MacDonald

Lead by example

A hymn by Thomas Nichols, No. 856 in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs.

1. We, who the blessed gospel preach,
Should by example also teach;
By good example sin reprove, 
And ev’ry stumbling block remove.

2. O! may we by our lives express
The same religion we profess;
O! let us not our selves deceive,
Nor hinder those that would believe.

3. O! how shall we account for those,
Who, by us, to destruction go;
Whom we have not reproved for sin,
But rather joined with them therein.

4. O! let us by no means intrude
On men, by such ingratitude;
But flee from sin, to God confess,
And pray him to forgive and bless.

5. We are the instrumental means
And cause of the most awful scenes;
If we God’s holy ways refuse,
And his most precious cause abuse.

Little is known of Thomas Nichols, the author of the above hymn. He published Hymns and Anthems: Composed on Divine Subjects, Agreeable to Sacred Scripture, Inspected and approved by the Rev. Isaac Backus (Albany, NY: Charles R. & George Webster, 1793). Thomas Nichols was affiliated with the New-Britain Baptist Church in Rensselaer County, New York (see also The Universal Register of the Baptist Denomination in North America, 1790-1794). David Music states that the book contains “206 hymns and thirty-two anthems” which “appear to be entirely original.” The book contained a recommendation by Isaac Backus.

This Thomas Nichols is probably the same Thomas Nichols who lived at Stephen Town (Stephentown) Albany County, New York, as recorded in the 1790 U. S. Census. Rensselaer County would be created from Albany County in 1791. In 1796, the Thomas Nichols who compiled Hymns and Anthems published “A Discourse on Poverty & Riches, in a Medium of Gospel Doctrine.” The fact that no address was given for ordering, but that it was available for purchase at the office of the Vermont Gazette (in Bennington, Vermont) suggests that the author lived in that general area. Bennington is in a neighboring county of Rensselaer County, New York and is roughly 30 miles from Stephentown, New York. 

Some genealogists have Thomas Nichols born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island in 1723 and died in 1798 in Vermont. However, I believe the 1798 death in Vermont is confused with a different Thomas Nichols who also came from Rhode Island. The birth in East Greenwich agrees with Isaac Backus’s note in his diary in 1791, “…Feb…The 15th, old Mr. Thomas Nichols, of Eastgreenwich, came here, and got me to examine and recommend a Hymn-book which he had composed, in an evangelical strain. He went away the 17th.” (Backus would only have to have been referencing where he was originally from, not where he currently lived in 1791.)

Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs pairs this hymn with Earl, an anonymous tune found in The Silver Chime of 1862, by George F. Root.

In Rephidim

Where Jesus Leads.

To Rephidim, to Rephidim, we follow him, we follow him.
In places dry and battles grim, in Rephidim, in Rephidim.
Where Jesus leads is always right,
Whether in sunshine or shadow of night.
Where Jesus leads is always wise,
E’en in dry places where battles arise.
Where Jesus leads is always best,

By the still waters to eternal rest.
To Rephidim, to Rephidim, we follow him, we follow him.
In places dry and battles grim, in Rephidim, in Rephidim.

The name Jehovah

Q. Why does the King James sometimes depart from the standard convention of translating יְהוָה as Lord in order to translate it as Jehovah 7 times?

A. The King James Bible uses Jehovah 7 times, 4 times as God’s name, plus 3 times where his name is part of a place name.

• Exodus 6:3 and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
• Psalm 83:18 that men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
• Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
• Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:
• Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
• Exodus 17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:
• Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

Some have answered that Jehovah is used in these places because it is used as a proper name. That does not suffice, because it is a proper name in the other places. These seven choices break down into three categories.

A place name.

In Genesis 22:14, Exodus 17:15, and Judges 6:24 Jehovah is part of a place name. In Genesis 22 and Judges 6, a geographical location; in Exodus 17, an altar at a particular place, given a name.

A double name.

In Isaiah 12:2 and 26:4, there is a double name, in the Hebrew יָהּ יְהוָה (Jah Jehovah). So the translators use the standard convention once and Jehovah once to translate the double name.

A (contextually) unique name.

Jehovah as used in Exodus 6:3 and Psalm 83:18 is contextually unique, seen by the way his name is referenced. For example, Christopher Yetzer writes, “Exodus 6:3 is pointing out the name which He was not known by and in Psalms the name which is alone His.”

I will take Jesus at his word

 This is what much so-called Christianity in the United States has degenerated to:

“I always think of all the world’s faith traditions as a circle, with that divine mystery of the universe in the middle. We all have different names for that mystery, whether it’s God or Yahweh or Allah or Nirvana or Great Spirit. Whatever you call it, this is all different pathways to the same fundamental truth.” James Talarico

I will take Jesus at his word.

The Bible Made Them Baptists

From time to time I have written on “The Bible Makes Baptists.” Here is an excerpt from “Brazil Needs Gospel Preachers,” by Harvey Boyce Taylor (1870-1932) in News and Truths, September 27, 1922. Paraíba is state in northeastern Brazil. Recife is the capital city of Pernambuco, another state in northeastern Brazil. This is another historical example of the reading of the Bible producing Baptist belief.

The third case in point is the capital of the state of Paraíba. We had no missionary, no preaching, no Baptists in that capital. Quite a number of disciples were made under the preaching of a Presbyterian missionary. In a little while after reading their New Testament, they got dissatisfied with Presbyterianism and went to the missionary and asked him if there wasn’t anybody who did things like they did in Bible days. He tried to satisfy them but couldn’t and then told them where they could get a Congregationalist preacher, as one of the things they did not like was the Presbyterian form of church government. The Congregationalist preacher came up from Recife. After talking with these folks and trying to satisfy them, and failing, he told them they were Baptists. They had never heard of the Baptists. They had simply read the New Testament and it had made them what they were. They got in touch with a Baptist missionary down at Recife and he came out and baptized 40 of them and organized them into a church. That was the first New Testament church in the state of Paraíba.

Life is Good

“Life is good ... It is a blessing and a privilege to have this life, because God ultimately said, I’ll give this one to Jamie, because I know that he is the right person for it. And I think God gave you your life because he knew you were the right person for it.”

Jamey Carrington, speaking of the privilege of the life he has been able to live with spinal muscular atrophy

Psalm 109

Psalm 109 (metrical version from the 1650 Scottish Psalter)

Common Meter.

Suggested tune: Bangor, by William Tansur.

O thou the God of all my praise,
Do thou not hold thy peace;
For mouths of wicked men to speak
Against me do not cease:

The mouths of vile deceitful men
Against me opened be;
And with a false and lying tongue
They have accused me.

They did beset me round about
With words of hateful spite;
And though to them no cause I gave,
Against me they did fight.

They for my love became my foes,
But I me set to pray.
Evil for good, hatred for love,
To me they did repay.

Set thou the wicked over him;
And upon his right hand
Give thou his greatest enemy,
Ev’n Satan, leave to stand.

And when by thee he shall be judged,
Let him condemned be;
And let his pray’r be turned to sin,
When he shall call on thee.

Few be his days, and in his room
His charge another take.
His children let be fatherless,
His wife a widow make.

His children let be vagabonds,
And beg continually;
And from their places desolate
Seek bread for their supply.

Let covetous extortioners
Catch all he hath away:
Of all for which he laboured hath
Let strangers make a prey.

Let there be none to pity him,
Let there be none at all
That on his children fatherless
Will let his mercy fall.

Let his posterity from earth
Cut off for ever be,
And in the foll’wing age their name
Be blotted out by thee.

Let GOD his father’s wickedness
Still to remembrance call;
And never let his mother’s sin
Be blotted out at all.

But let them all before the LORD
Appear continually,
That he may wholly from the earth
Cut off their memory.

Because he mercy minded not,
But persecuted still
The poor and needy, that he might
The broken-hearted kill.

As he in cursing pleasure took,
So let it to him fall;
As he delighted not to bless,
So bless him not at all.

As cursing he like clothes put on,
Into his bowels so,
Like water, and into his bones,
Like oil, down let it go.

Like to the garment let it be
Which doth himself array,
And for a girdle, wherewith he
Is girt about alway.

From GOD let this be their reward
That en’mies are to me,
And their reward that speak against
My soul maliciously.

But do thou, for thine own name’s sake,
O GOD the Lord, for me:
Sith good and sweet thy mercy is,
From trouble set me free.

For I am poor and indigent,
Afflicted sore am I,
My heart within me also is
Wounded exceedingly.

I pass like a declining shade,
Am like the locust tossed:
My knees through fasting weakened are,
My flesh hath fatness lost.

I also am a vile reproach
Unto them made to be;
And they that did upon me look
Did shake their heads at me.

O do thou help and succour me,
Who art my God and LORD:
And, for thy tender mercy’s sake,
Safety to me afford:

That thereby they may know that this
Is thy almighty hand;
And that thou, LORD, hast done the same,
They may well understand.

Although they curse with spite, yet, Lord,
Bless thou with loving voice:
Let them ashamed be when they rise;
Thy servant let rejoice.

Let thou mine adversaries all
With shame be clothed over;
And let their own confusion
Them, as a mantle, cover.

But as for me, I with my mouth
Will greatly praise the LORD;
And I among the multitude
His praises will record.

For he shall stand at his right hand
Who is in poverty,
To save him from all those that would
Condemn his soul to die.

The 1650 Scottish Psalter may be more properly known as The Psalms of David in Metre. This English-language book of psalms in meter was first approved by the Westminster Assembly. The Assembly felt a need for a unified psalter in church use. Thus, they began with recent versifications of the psalms by Francis Rous (1643). This work was revised and approved in 1646. This work underwent even further revision by the Scots, and was authorized for public worship in November of 1649 by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland – and first printed and used beginning in 1650.

In other words, b to w

• brumous, adjective. Foggy, misty.
• commensurate, adjective. Of the same size, extent, or duration as another.
• conflagration, noun. A large fire extending to many objects, or over a large space; a general burning; (figuratively) a large-scale conflict.
• destitute, adjective. Lacking something needed or desirable; totally impoverished.
• desuetude, noun. A state of disuse or inactivity.
• effete, adjective. Having or reflecting an attitude of social superiority; pretentious or snobbish; depleted of vitality, force, or effectiveness; exhausted.
• epeolatry, noun. The worship of words.
• funicular (aka funicular railway), noun. A cable railway system in which a cable moves permanently attached rail cars up and down a slope.
• gargoyle, noun. A grotesque ornamental figure or person; a roof spout usually in the form of a grotesque or fantastic creature projecting from a gutter to carry rainwater clear of the wall.
• hendiadys, noun. A figure of speech in which a complex idea is expressed by two words connected by a copulative conjunction instead of the combination of one independent word and its modifier (e.g. grace and favor instead of gracious favor).
• histrionic, adjective. Deliberately affected; overly dramatic or emotional; theatrical.
• hypoxia, noun. A deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body.
• jargogle, verb. To jumble, thoroughly confuse, befuddle, or scramble.
• kalon, noun. Ideal perfect beauty in the physical and moral sense (especially as perceived by Greek philosophers).
• klaxon, noun. A kind of loud horn formerly used on motor vehicles.
• liripipe, noun. The pendant part of a long tail of a cloak or hood.
• Manichean, noun. An adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements.
• mannequin, noun. A styled and three-dimensional representation of the human form used in window displays, as of clothing; dummy.
• matriculate, verb. To go through the process of admission to membership, as by examination and enrollment, in a society or college; to enroll; to enter.
• mélange (also melange), noun. A mixture, or medley; confusion.
• monolatry, noun. The belief in the existence of multiple gods but practicing only the worship of one of them (cf. monotheism).
• monotheism, noun. The doctrine or belief that there is only one God (cf. monolatry).
• octothorpe, noun. The earliest or official name for the symbol # (of uncertain meaning, the name was created when the # symbol was added to the telephone operating system).
• peculation, noun. Embezzlement.
• profligacy, noun. The trait of spending extravagantly; dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure.
• rebarbative, adjective. Tending to irritate; irritating; repellent; annoying.
• rescind, verb. To abrogate; revoke; annul; vacate, as an act, by the enacting authority or by superior authority.
• resend, verb. To send again; to send back.
• sapient, adjective. Having great wisdom and discernment; possessing or expressing great sagacity.
• speculation, noun. Assumption of unusual business risk in hopes of obtaining commensurate gain.
• Sudoku, noun. A logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle, in a 9 by 9 grid of squares (from the Japanese, shortened from sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru (the numbers must remain single).
• tsundoku, noun. The act or phenomenon of acquiring reading materials and letting them pile up in one’s home without reading them (from the Japanese words tsunde-oku (to pile things up) and dokusho (reading books).
• woebegone, adjective. Beset with woe; exhibiting great woe; sad.

Inside out

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ...” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

In this description to the Thessalonians, Paul begins from the inside and works to the outside. In the description of the Tabernacle to Moses, God begins with the inside and works to the outside (Exodus 25:10ff). In our salvation, God begins with the inside and works to the outside.

Dolly Parton and her faith

I hesitate to post this, because I usually practice a policy of not saying anything negative about a person when they have just passed. Nevertheless, I think circumstances are different here. After her death, Dolly Parton’s “Christian Faith” has been highly praised. I have noticed many Christian folks have escorted Dolly Parton right on up into heaven.

Dolly Parton had that sort of pleasing personality that put people at ease. Back in the day I was a big fan of her songs “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You.” I don’t know her heart, but I do know some things she has said. If I condemn those sayings in others, I must condemn them in Dolly Parton as well.

Here are a few quotes.

Khloé in Wonder Land

“Well, you have to believe in something bigger than you. And whether you call it science, whether you call it nature, whether you call it this or that, doesn’t matter, you know. There’s a force there. There’s an energy. There’s greatness. And those of us that, you know, do believe like we do. However you find him, just do.”

New Humanist

“We all need something to believe in, whether you believe in God or not, whether you call it Mother Nature or Father Time or a higher wisdom. You need to believe in yourself and you need to believe there’s a force that can push you and lead you on. I was always guided by that.”

Southern Living

“Whether you believe in God or not, you need to be grounded; you need to believe in something greater than yourself.”

“I’m not a religious fanatic in any way. I’m more spiritual but a lot of times when things get crazy during the day, I just kind of stop and just kind of draw in God’s energy or that good higher wisdom, whatever you want to call it. Everybody calls it something different.”

“…the kingdom of heaven is inside. It’s right inside of you. And you can draw from that wisdom, whether you call it God or higher wisdom or a higher knowing, there’s something bigger than you.”

Hollywood Reporter

“I try to find the God-light in everybody and everybody shines. I see that in everybody. I go right to that God-light, and I don’t care if you’re Black or white or green or alien gray. I go to that, because we’re all pieces of God and we all have that little God-light inside us.”

Dolly Partin’s America

“I really don’t know where we go. I don't know if we, If there’s such a thing as reincarnation, I kind of believe all that kind of stuff. I’m just open to things.”

“But anyway, so I’m just saying you don’t really know. You just hope and you have faith. That’s what faith is. But I believe that it’s going to be better. I think it’s not the end of me. I don’t think it’s the end of any of us. I think we’re recycled and if nothing else, we just go back into that great flow of divine energy, and hopefully we can spread ourselves around in other wonderful ways. That’s what I hope.”

To be clear, Dolly did talk about church, the Bible, God, and Jesus. In her interviews, she was exuberant, likable, and relatable. Nevertheless, the more she talks, the more it is clear that that Dolly Parton believed that it was okay to believe what you wanted to believe about God, as long as you believed in something bigger than yourself. (And she consistently talked that way.) That’s not biblical truth.

So, while I can appreciate good things about Dolly Parton, these things she said are just wrong according to my understanding of biblical truth. What Dolly has advocated in such statements is mystical universalism, rather than the biblical teaching of salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” and “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” The Bible teaches of Jesus: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The biblical gospel message is exclusive, through Jesus Christ alone, not inclusive of all paths.

Don’t get mad at me. If you agree with Dolly, then agree with her. However, in doing so you are not agreeing with the Bible. I cannot see Dolly’s heart. God will judge that. We can hear and read her words and judge those.

John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

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Note: Dolly at times testified of going to the altar many times at her grandfather’s Pentecostal church and not getting saved, but also of praying and finding peace at an old abandoned church house. However, on at least one occasion of telling this, she goes immediately to talk about everyone finding their own path to God, whatever works for you.

Faithlife/Logos Bible Software, yea or nay?

A friend who is a missionary (and who uses Logos) took exception to some comments in an e-book that was warning about the dangers of Logos Bible Software. I generally agree with him, but have some reverse concerns I think are worth considering. For safety’s sake (location-wise), I will not identify him. This friend wrote:

Recently, David Cloud’s ministry wayoflife.org has published an ebook warning about the dangers of Logos Biblesoftare. As a regular user of Logos Bible Software since 2018 who finds much benefit from using the software, I must respectfully but firmly disagree with the warnings issued in this article.

The descriptions given in the article above seem to reflect a misunderstanding of how Logos actually works and what it truly is.

Consider the following excerpt from the article:

“In the very simplest terms, Logos links together thousands of texts and keys them all to the Scripture. The Bible becomes a sort of hub around which the whole tradition revolves. But, all the texts are linked to each other as well. So, as you read the Bible the software is mining the data of the library for information about the passage. What did St. Augustine say? Aquinas? Vatican II? Once you start following a thread, you can go in any direction with it. This is a recipe for doctrinal disaster and spiritual shipwreck.”

This comment is misleading. What the article fails to mention is that Logos functions based on the contents of your personal library and you are the one who chooses what goes into it.

For example, my own Logos library consists largely of theologically conservative resources and technical linguistic tools, due to my involvement in Bible translation. I also own a copy of the Quran and a Christian commentary on it for reference. I have a Pentecostal Study Bible as well, not for doctrine, but to understand how Pentecostal readers interpret certain passages, because Pentecostalism is popular in the Ugandan context we minister in. If someone wanted to, they could build a Logos library made up entirely of trusted authors and resources. Logos itself is not deceptive or dangerous, it’s a tool. The danger comes only if someone naively fills their library with bad theology.

Yes, I recognize that the company behind Logos (Faithlife) includes people I strongly disagree with theologically. But so does the company that made the computer or smartphone used to write and publish the article in question and which you are using to read this! Using software developed by people with wrong theological views is not equivalent to partnering in ministry with theological liberals, and it certainly isn’t a violation of biblical separation.

I am a fundamentalist. I am a conservative. I believe in biblical separation. But this article misrepresents both the software and the issue. Separation applies to fellowship and cooperation, not owning or reading reference books that contain error. Even Paul quoted pagan poets (Acts 17:28) and was aware of non-Christian writings (Titus 1:12).

Another article on wayoflife.org claims:

“Logos and Faithlife are actively promoting Catholic books, not to scholars but even to the weakest believers, again, with no warning whatsoever.”

Again, this is misleading. When you browse Logos to purchase a base library, you’re clearly presented with denominational options; Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Reformed, Catholic, and so on. Suggesting that Logos is “promoting” Catholicism is like claiming your local public library promotes Catholicism simply because Catholic materials are on the shelves.

Don’t take my word for it, visit the Logos website yourself. See if it actually appears to be “promoting” Catholicism. From what I’ve seen, it’s clear that the platform offers theological libraries tailored to various users’ beliefs. Would I personally offer Catholic resources if I ran Logos? Possibly as reference tools. (As I said, I own an Orthodox Study bible and a Pentecostal Study Bible on Logos, not for doctrine or to try and gain edification from them, but to be familiar with their views in order to refute them.)

In the south, there’s a Christian bookstore chain called Mardel. They carry many theologically problematic books, but they also sell KJV Bibles, Strong’s Concordances, and other similar resources. Am I compromising by purchasing only good resources from them? Or am I responsible for exercising discernment in what I choose to buy and use? I believe it’s the latter.

There is no reason why someone who is part of a solid Bible-teaching church could not ask their pastor for guidance on trustworthy authors and then buy resources from those authors and use Logos in a biblically safe and edifying way. The issue is not the software, it’s how it’s used.

Would we also warn against using Amazon Kindle because it offers morally and theologically corrupt books? Amazon offers really awful books, and I mean morally bankrupt stuff. Ironically, the bottom of the wayoflife web page includes this line:

“Format Note: Kindle apps and devices can now use/convert ePub format.”

Where is the warning about Kindle? Or Libraries? Or Bookstores?

Logos is a powerful digital tool that can be used for good or bad, depending on the wisdom and discernment of the user. To reject it outright based on guilt-by-association or hypothetical dangers is not justified.

Any tool when used by an untrained or undiscerning person can be misused. That is not an argument against the tool, it’s an argument for biblical discipleship and spiritual maturity. We should be warning people about poor study habits and bad theology, not about Bible software that can serve faithful students of God’s Word if used wisely.

Initial disclaimers: I have read my friend’s critique, but have not read the free e-book on David Cloud’s site, “The Deceptive Dangers of Logos Bible Software,” by Brian Snider. I do not use Logos Bible Software (not because of theological or separation reasons, but for practical and financial reasons).

The short version of the charges asserted by Brian Snider is that Logos (1) is an ecumenical blending machine, and (2) can easily draw the individual into association with heretics and put him under the influence of heresy.

I generally agree with the pushback made by the missionary. We have liberty to do business with companies that serve our needs, whether they are providing food, fuel, facts, and so on. 1 Corinthians chapter 8 provides some helpful direction here. I regularly fuel up my car at a station that provides a decent price per gallon, as well as certain discounts. I have no knowledge of their religious or moral persuasion (nor do I have that knowledge concerning any other fuel providers in my area). I think that rule applies in a general way across the board. It’s not wrong to buy leg of lamb at the local meat market owned by a United Pentecostal couple, even though I might suppose that they tithe in support of their local church, which teaches several heresies.

However, the lines can get a little blurrier with businesses which operate as quasi-ministries. For example, though I assume Faithlife/Logos probably most simply considers itself a business, they do throw around statements that claim they are involved in Christian ministry – like their mission being “to equip the Church to grow,” “to serve the Church,” “to increase biblical literacy,” and such like. Additionally, some of the stuff on their website sounds quite ecumenical and even DEI-leaning. That does not make me feel a need to condemn anyone who is benefitting from this technology. On the other hand, if I were considering such an investment, it would drive me personally to look elsewhere. Your mileage may vary. Here is an illustration of how I would approach it. If we had two meat markets in town, with equally honest and respectable owners, the owner of one being United Pentecostal and the owner of the other being Baptist – I would throw my business toward the Baptists, even if the meat at the other store might tend to be slightly better/cheaper/etc.

Additionally, I believe it is a logical fallacy to say that if someone does not warn against everything, they cannot warn against anything. It is not humanly possible to know and warn about everything! Sometimes we simply prioritize our warnings.

Finally, a sort of Romans 14:3 application might go a long way here: “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth.” If you believe you need to warn people about possible dangers of Logos/Faithlife, do so. If a faithful friend knows how to navigate it for personal benefit, do not judge him as unfaithful. Receive the benefit you can from both “Brian Snider’s ebook” and the pushback against it. As for me, I can get along fine without Logos/Faithlife, while not condemning everyone who uses it. However, be careful with any and every tool you decide to use! A wonderfully beneficial electric circular saw can also cut off your finger.

The Preacher’s Curse

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Commenting on Galatians 1:8, Oliver B. Greene said,

“It would be difficult to find anything from Genesis to Revelation more dreadful than that statement. The devil may transform himself into an angel of light, and his ministers may transform themselves as the ministers of righteousness; but whether it BE an angel from Heaven, or one of the devil’s emissaries transformed as an angel . . . or even if it be Paul himself . . . if that person preaches any other gospel than the Gospel of the grace of GOD which Paul had already preached to the Galatian Christians, Paul said, ‘Let that preacher drop into hell . . . let that preacher be accursed! Do not let him deliver any message except the message of the grace of GOD!’

“In Galatians 5:12, Paul thunders out, ‘I would they were even cut off which trouble you!’ That statement would not go over so well, either, in one of the meetings of the National Council of Churches of Christ in America - or The World Council of Churches, where birds of a feather flock together and demand that all ministers come under their wings.

“GOD have mercy on any two-legged human being who claims to be called of GOD, who claims to be a minister of God . . . and yet will support atheism and liberalism such as in these councils of churches around the world.”

Oliver Boyce Greene, The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, 1962

I often say my prayers

As a people who are taught to “come boldly unto the throne of grace” and “pray without ceasing,” we often may be weighed and found wanting when it comes to open, honest, sincere, continual prayer. The following hymn by John Burton investigates and questions the “heart” of our prayers.

The following hymn was possibly first published in The Union Hymn Book for the Use of Sunday Schools (Bath Sunday School Union,1840). The text below is as it appears in A Book of Praise for Home and School, compiled by Samuel D. Major (published initially in 1869, No. 237).

1. I often say my prayers;
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?

2. I may as well kneel down
And worship gods of stone,
As offer to the living God
A prayer of words alone.

3. For words without the heart
The Lord will never hear;
Nor will he to those lips attend
Whose prayers are not sincere.

4. Lord, teach me what I want
And teach me how to pray;
Nor let me ask thee for thy grace,
Not feeling what I say.

The Child’s Hymn Book (F. M. Caulkins, editor. New York, NY: American Tract Society, n.d. [ca. 1840-1850] includes Burton’s hymn under the title “How to Pray aright” (No. 176, 3 stanzas) with the following stanza that does not appear in Major’s Book of Praise for Home and School.[i]

’Tis useless to implore
Unless I feel my need—
Unless ’tis from a sense of want
That all my prayers proceed.

John Burton Jr. was born July 23, 1803, in Stratford, West Ham, Essex, England. The designation “Jr” suggests he is the son of John Burton. John Burton died January 22, 1877, and was buried at the West Ham Cemetery.

John Burton Jr. spent most of his life in his home county where he was born, Stratford, Essex. He ran a business as a cooper for about 50 years. He served as a deacon within the Congregational Chapel he attended. He was a popular hymn writer for children – He is best remembered for his hymnody, with his first submission being to the Evangelical Magazine in 1822. Burton often wrote under the pseudonym J. B. Essex. His publications include:

• One Hundred Original Hymns for the Young, 1850
• Hymns for Little Children, 1851
• The Book of Psalms in English Verse, 1871

The hymn is in Short Meter, and has appeared with the tunes State Street, Reeves, and Gorton.

---

[i] This stanza appears in other books as well, as the second stanza of the hymn. Perhaps it is an original stanza by Burton and A Book of Praise for Home and School merely left it out. I have not found enough old sources to verify that.

Just because you’re offended, 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.)

“Just because you are offended doesn’t mean that you have been wronged.” -- Keith Foskey

“A prayer doesn’t have to be long, as long as it is strong.” -- Amos L. Horton

“I welcome allies of every color. What I don’t welcome is the idea that I can’t think for myself unless I think like you.” -- Nyisha Loraine

“God’s word does God’s work by God’s Spirit in God’s people for God’s glory.” -- Alistair Begg

“What a man is when he is alone with God is what he is. Period.” -- H. B. Charles, Jr.

“The world – God made it; we broke it; Jesus fixed it.” -- Alistair Begg

“Any politician who is willing to lie to appease you, is willing to lie to you.” -- Brittany M. Hughes

“To steal ideas from one person is called plagiarism; to steal from many is called research.” -- Steven Wright

“The people who tend to their faith in ordinary seasons, do not come undone in extraordinary ones.” -- Eric Church

“The way you fix the country is to fix yourself.” -- Unknown

“Don’t touch your idols: a little gold always rubs off.” -- From Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert

“Is there a place in the church for sermons that don’t make Christ and his work the central message? Yes. That place is the trash can.” -- Chad Bird

“We need to be more loving and less tolerant – more loving of the truth, and less tolerant of evil.” -- Blake Bozarth

“A little bit of acquaintance with church history often leads people to Rome…an extensive knowledge of church history leads away from that.” -- Jordan B. Cooper

“Baptist” “pastor” condemns King Josiah for destroying idols

“Baptist” “pastor” CONDEMNS King Josiah for destroying idols

False prophets and liars hide behind “Baptist” pulpits.

On their church website, this impastor says “I’m deeply shaped by the teachings of Jesus, Buddhist practice, mysticism, and perennial wisdom over any particular religious expression.” Additionally, he is the author of the Metta Valley Gospel, “a literary reimagining of the Jesus story through the lenses of healing, liberation, and spiritual awakening.” (Translation: “I don’t believe the Bible is the word of God and so I just make up stuff.”) Folk who don’t believe the Bible should get out of pulpits and get a “real job” – like teaching false religion in a secular university. (Oh, I forgot, they’re already doing that too.)

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Matthew 7:15, 23 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ... And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Feet washing in Baptist Periodicals

In 2008 I published my book Materials Toward a History of Feet Washing among the Baptists, consisting of Historical References to the Practice among the Missionary Baptists, including miscellaneous notes on other groups. Over the years I have continued to pursue this interesting subject, with hopes of one day revising the book and adding much more material that I have found since then. Most recently I made a connection I had not noticed. The old association I grew up in, Mt. Zion, was discussing feet washing circa 1867-1870. At this same time, there were debates on the subject printed in The Tennessee Baptist, edited by J. R. Graves.

Mt. Zion Baptist Association minutes, 1870, p. 3

Articles on feet washing in The Texas Baptist, The Tennessee Baptist, and The Baptist Chronicle. The Texas Baptist is freely accessible online. Unfortunately you will need a subscription to see The Tennessee Baptist and The Baptist Chronicle (or will have to find access to them another way).

The Texas Baptist, Anderson, Texas (1857-1861).

• “Washing of Feet,” September 23, 1857, p. 2, “Montgomery” (against)
• “Feet Washing,” July 15, 1858, p. 2, Michael Ross (for)
• “Feet Washing,” August 19, 1858, p. 2, Stephen Ray (against)
• “Feet Washing,” September 16, 1858, p. 1, Stephen Ray (against)
• “Did Christ Make ‘Feet Washing’ a Church Ordinance?” August 25, 1859, p. 1, Stephen Ray (against)
• “Feet Washing a Church Ordinance,” October 18, 1860, p. 2, Ira M. Camp (for)
• “Feet Washing,” January 3, 1861, p. 1, Ira M. Camp (for)
• “Queries. Answer No. Four,” April 18, 1861, p. 2, “B” [G. W. Baines] (against)
• “Reply to Brother Camp,” June 14, 1861, “B” [G. W. Baines] (against)
• Title unknown/unreadable, June 14, 1861, Ira M. Camp (for)

Notes: G. W. Baines was editor of The Texas Baptist. Ira M. Camp was in Grimes County, Texas. Stephen Ray (1788-1871) was at Weatherford, Texas at this time, then later at Owensboro, Kentucky when he debated the subject again in The Tennessee Baptist.

The Tennessee Baptist, Memphis, Tennessee (1867-1870).

• “Did Christ Enjoin Feet Washing as a Church Ordinance?” September 7, 1867, p. 5, Biblius (against)
• “Washing the Saints’ Feet,” February 1, 1868, p. 2, Elihu (for)
• “Prize Essay No. 3.—JOHN XIII. 14.” February 22, 1868, p. 2, Minus (against)
• “Feet Washing,” March 28, 1868, p. 2, J. S. B. (against)
• “Feet-washing,” September 26, 1868, p. 2, Elias George (against)
• “Deliberative Meeting,” October 31, 1868, p. 2, among other subjects, R. A. Coleman and M. H. Neal were appointed to write papers on “Feet-washing”
• “J. B. Gambrell,” March 13, 1869, p. 4 (note from editor to J. B. Gambrell, to publish 8 more articles on feet-washing, four representing each side)
• “Did Christ Design, or Appoint Feet-washing to be Observed as a Church Ordinance?” April 24, 1869, p. 2. Stephen Ray (against)
• “Feet Washing,” July 10, 1869, p. 2, M. H. Neal (for)
• “Feet Washing, Is It of God or Man?” July 24, 1869, p. 1, J. B. G. [J. B. Gambrell] (for)
• “Feet Washing,” July 24, 1869, p. 3, D. B. R. [D. B. Ray] (against)
• “Feet Washing Again,” September 18, 1869, p. 2, Stephen Ray (against)
• “Is Feet Washing of God or Man?” October 2, 1869, p. 2, J. B. Gambrell (for)
• “Feet Washing Again,” October 2, 1869, p. 2, Moses Green (against)
• “Feet Washing,” October 9, 1869, p. 2, M. G. Turner (against)
• “Feet Washing, No. 3,” October 9, 1869, p. 2, D. B. Ray (against)
• “Feet Washing,” October 30, 1869, p. 6, M. H. Neal (for)
• “Union Meeting of 2d Dist. Tippah Association,” September 17, 1870, p. 2 (“Feet-washing—of God, or man” to be discussed at next union meeting)

Apparently J. R. Graves tired of the discussion of feet washing and stopped printing articles about it in 1869, when “the discussion became stale and heavy, and we closed it out” (cf. Tennessee Baptist, May 5, 1882, p. 8). “We request that no more articles be sent us on this subject, as it has been fairly and fully discussed in our columns. With the articles in hand, that will appear in our next, the discussion closes, for this year, at least” (Tennessee Baptist, October 2, 1869, p. 4) Nevertheless, in the 1880s (cf. Tennessee Baptist, August 25, 1882, p. 7), when Graves disagreed with J. B. Gambrell (now a “rival” editor) on something, he referred to Gambrell as the “champion advocate of feet-washing in the Southwest,” and the like (“in Mississippi,” “as a church ordinance”).

The Baptist Chronicle, Ruston, Louisiana (1895-1912).

• “Please Note,” January 3, 1895, p. 2, editorial commentary about book by D. B. Ray on subject
• Programme of Ministers and Deacons Meeting, March 21, 1895, p. 4 (query turned in too late)
• “Feet Washing,” June 13, 1895, p. 1, Unknown, editor? (against)
• No title, July 25, 1895, p. 2, editorial comments (against)
• Third District 5th Sunday Meeting, May 14, 1896, p. 3 (query for discussion)
• “Questions and Answers,” November 5, 1896, p. 4, editor? (against)
• “Jesus Washing Feet,” March 16, 1899, p. 6 (info for ordering tract on the subject)
• “Program,” July 14, 1904, p. 7 (subject for 5th Sunday Meeting discussion)
• “Program,” June 20, 1912, p. 7 (“Is foot-washing a church ordinance” to be discussed at 5th Sunday meeting of Big Creek Association)