What is going on in Psalm 22:16, and other links

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

• What is going on in Psalm 22:16 with כָָּ֝אֲרִ֗י יָדַ֥י וְרַגְלָי, “like a lion my hands and my feet”? -- “...Ben Chayim confirms this reading, and says he found it so written it, some correct copies, and in the margin כָּ֝אֲרִ֗י; and so it is written in several manuscripts; and which is confirmed by the Arabic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Greek, and Vulgate Latin versions...”
• Using Women’s Fashion to Date Old Family Photos -- “...figure out what type of photo you own...a daguerreotype, ambrotype, tintype, Carte de Viste, or Cabinet Card.”
• The Power of Preparation -- “Even at a modest level, preparation can help reduce stress and anxiety and lessen the impact of an emergency event.”
• The Government Censored Me and Other Scientists. We Fought Back—and Won -- “Dr. Jay Bhattacharya describes how he brought his case to the US Federal Court system, in which an appellate judge ruled that the federal government did not have the power to use social media companies to censor protected scientific speech.”
• Special Delivery – Children Sent Via Parcel Post! -- “Shortly after parcel post was introduced, parents in rural Ohio sent their baby boy with the mail carrier to visit nearby relatives.”
• Quotation Marks -- “Quotation marks do not appear in the original Hebrew or Greek, and the KJV does not add quotation marks.”
• Old Mt. Horeb Baptist Church, Worth County | org. 1848 -- “We sit in the same pews our ancestors used and hear the same words of faith preached from the same pulpit they did.”
• Lies I Used to Believe: Homosexuality Is Normal -- “In this video, Rosaria Butterfield shares how the gospel changed the way she was living her life.”
• Great Barrington Declaration -- “As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection.”
• Do God’s Blessings Equal God’s Endorsement? -- “God’s blessings often fall equally upon the righteous and the unrighteous and upon the unthankful as well as the evil.”
• Congregationalism Doesn’t Stop at 8 p.m. -- “Congregationalism is not some polity-extra that activates at a members’ meeting and deactivates once the congregation adjourns.”
• Biblical Madness 2: The Curse of Sin – Biblical Expectations in a Fallen World -- “Robert Spitzer...created new diagnostic labels of mental illness to fit normal aspects of life, which enticed the un-repentant human nature to have an excuse for sinful choices.”
• A Biblical Primer on Madness -- “Utopian attempts have been made by the world and the redeemed; however, they all crumble due to the consequence of personal sin, others’ sin, and natural causes.”

More Moore, Collins, Carter, and Warren

With [Russell] Moore nodding along, [Francis] Collins held up a basic, over-the-counter cloth square, “This is not a political statement,” he asserted. “This is not an invasion of your personal freedom…This is a life-saving medical device.”

Rick [loves robes and women pastors] Warren – “Warren and Collins spent their interview jointly lamenting the unlovingness of Christians who question the efficacy of masks, specifically framing it as a matter of obedience to Jesus. ‘Wearing a mask is the great commandment: love your neighbor as yourself,’ the best-selling author of ‘The Purpose-Driven Life’ declared, before going on to specifically argue that religious leaders have an obligation to convince religious people to accept the government’s narratives about Covid.”

It was clear to me that many among the church leaders I once listened to were actually milquetoast, wishy-washy men who have sullied their Christian worldviews with syncretistic beliefs from the religions of secular humanism and Wokeism.

The Church has had many examples of times where the “experts” in theology – the Christian intelligentsia – have been blind to their own syncretism, complacency, and sin, and where God has used humble people from humble origins to shame their pride and so-called wisdom.

You need to read this amazing piece of reporting that details how Big Eva shamed Christians for asking pandemic questions at the behest of former NIH director Francis Collins, by Joel Abbott

“Never ceases to amaze me that Jesus began his church by entrusting it to a band of nobodies, featuring salt-of-the-earth men who were unlettered & untrained. He passed over the gatekeepers, elites, thought-leaders, and bureaucrats.

“The gospel needs no worldly help to advance.” https://twitter.com/ostrachan/status/1488555691581259778 -- Owen Strachan

Some other things you might like to read:

• The Tragedy of Francis Collins’s Model for Science-Faith Integration
• Evangelicals: Who Are The Good & The Bad?
• I’m going to regret writing this
• How The Federal Government Used Evangelical Leaders To Spread COVID Propaganda To Churches
• Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham

“Lord, what a thoughtless wretch was I
To mourn, and murmur, and repine,
To see the wicked placed on high,
In pride and robes of honour shine!”

Barnabas and Cyprus

Acts 4:36-37 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed[i] Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Cyprus is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea – south of Turkey, west of Syria & Lebanon, and northwest of Israel. It “lies in the eastern Mediterranean some 60 miles west off the coast of Syria and about the same distance [south] from the Turkish coast.”[ii] Cyprus is mentioned eight times in the book of Acts: 4:36; 11:19-20; 13:4; 15:39; 21:3, 16; and 27:4. It may be included, though not by this name, in references to the isles in Ezekiel 27:6-7 (Cf. Genesis 10:4; I Chronicles 1:7).

• Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, Acts 4:36
• Christians were scattered to Cyprus by persecution, Acts 11:19
• Christians from Cyprus were witnesses in Antioch, Acts 11:20
• Barnabas and Paul preached across Cyprus, from Salamis to Paphos, Acts 13:4-13
• Barnabas went back to Cyprus with John Mark, Acts 15:39

Notes:

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[i] surname/ surnamed επικαλειται/ επικληθεις to call upon, to attach an additional name; an appellation added to the original name. Many folks had an additional name or names by which they were called, representing characteristics, places, or perhaps to distinguish them from another of the same name. (Matthew 4:18; 10:2-3; Mark 3:16-17; Luke 6:15; 8:2; 22:3; John 1:42; 11:16; 20:24; Acts 1:23; 9:36; 10:5, 18, 32; 11:13; 12:12, 25; 13:1, 9; 15:22; 15:37; Colossians 4:11). There is a difference in a surname, by which one might at times be called both (e.g., Simon Peter) and simply having a name by which one was called according to the use of different languages (e.g. Dorcas and Tabitha). 

[ii] “Cyprus,” T. C. Mitchell, New Bible Dictionary, p. 285.

Matthew 27:62 - Anglo-Saxon, Late Middle and Early Modern English

Matthew 27:62 in the King James Bible states:

Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

Awhile back, in the midst of some discussion of this text, I looked up the pre-KJV translations of the verse. Here is what I found in Bibles before 1611. I am posting them here as a matter of convenience for myself, and others who might be interested. 

From early translator John Wycliffe

1382: And on the tother dai, that is aftir pask euen, the princis of prestis and the Farisees camen togidere to Pilat,

1384: Sothely on the tother day, that is after pascke evenynge, the princis of prestis and Pharisees camen to gidere to Pilate,

Before Wycliffe, Anglo-Saxon translation

Circa AD 900 Saxon" “Witodlīce ōðrum dæge þe wæs gearcungdæg…” I don’t know Anglo-Saxon, but this roughly means “The next day was the preparation of the Sabbath.” I was particularly interested in the last word, which the dictionary says means “preparation day” or “a day before a Sabbath.”

Both the Anglo-Saxon and Late Middle English of Wycliffe were translated from the Latin. The Early Modern English translations were made from the traditional Hebrew and Greek texts (with some details needing explanation, which I will not get into in this post).

After Wycliffe, Early Modern English translations

• 1526 Tyndale “The nexte daye that folweth good frydaye…”
• 1535 Coverdale “The next daye that foloweth the daye of preparynge…”
• 1537 Matthew “The nexte daye that folowed the daye of preparinge the Saboth…”
• 1539 Taverner “The nexte daye, that folowed the day of preparing the Sabboth…”
• 1540 Great “The nexte daye that folowed, the daye of preparinge...”
• 1541 Great “The next day of that folowed the day preparing…”
• 1557 Geneva NT “The next day that folowed, the day of the Preparation of the Sabbath…” 
• 1560 Geneva Bible “Now the next day that followed the Preparation of the Sabbath…” (notice Geneva italicizes “of the Sabbath”)
• 1568 Bishops “The next day that folowed the day of preparyng…”
• 1582 Rheims NT (Catholic translation) “And the next day, which is after the Parasceue…” (Parasceue is the Latin word for preparation, day before the Sabbath, or Good Friday)
• 1602 Bishops “The next day that followed the day of preparing…”

If copied correctly, this provides some representation of the Ango-Saxon and English translations of this passage through a period of over 600 years.

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Note: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, which some may have studied in school, is Late Middle English.

Oldest is Best?

Q. Should we assume an older manuscript is a better text than a more recent one? Is there a biblical basis for this?

A. “Oldest is best” or “earliest and best” are expressions of an eclectic theory of textual criticism, in which the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that are dated chronologically as the oldest are also thought to be the best (i.e., by “best” they mean closest to or most like the original words written by a biblical author). For example, discussing Acts 8:37 Edward D. Andrews (Critical Text supporter and chief translator of the Updated American Standard Version) begins, “The earliest and best Greek manuscripts [emp. mine] … do not contain vs. 37.”

The oldest manuscript (i.e., first) is the original autograph. It was first in time, first chronologically. When God finished inspiring and Isaiah had written down his prophecies, that was the first and oldest manuscript of Isaiah. When God finished inspiring and Paul completed his letter to the Galatians, that was the first and oldest manuscript of Galatians. However, none of these original autographs are extant (that is, the media on which these words were written no longer exists). All manuscripts, authentical or inauthentic, are copies of the original autograph, it being the first.[i] At first blush someone might think, “Well, it seems like the first copy made (i.e., oldest) would be the best.” That is a logical fallacy, and even if that were true, the oldest copies we have are not the first copies of the originals.

There is no biblical reason to think the older the manuscript, the better it is, or that it is the best. Neither is there any logical reason why it should be said that an older manuscript is better. The prevailing mantra of textual criticism asserts that the older is better because it is closer in time to the original autographs. If it is actually older, then all that can be said is that it is older, that is, is closer in time to the autographs.[ii] However, the age of a manuscript does not equal or necessarily reflect the age of its text. A newer manuscript could be a copy of an older text. Or a newer manuscript could be a copy of the same text from which the older manuscript was copied, but accomplished with no or fewer errors. Which would be more accurate? Closer in time to the original does not equal closer in accuracy to the original. An older inaccurate manuscript is not better than a newer more accurate one. 

Consider this illustration. Ten years ago (November 7, 2013) I write out on a piece of paper all the information that is on my birth certificate. In doing so, I make some mistakes. Today (November 7, 2023) I write out on a piece of paper all the information that is on my birth certificate. In doing so, I make no mistakes. Which copy is older? Which copy is better?[iii]

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[i] That is, they all in some sense go back to the original or first writing. Obviously we recognize there are copies of the original, copies of copies of the original, and so on.

[ii] Text critics who reject eclectic text theories – for example, Maurice Robinson (who promotes majority text theory) – have succinctly and successfully pointed out “the fallacy of the oldest.” Older manuscripts and versions, as well as references by early church writers, demonstrate a terminus a quo for a particular reading, that is, a time or date at which the reading can be “no later than.” For example, if around AD 175 Irenaeus mentions what we know are Mark 16:19, then we know that in or around AD 175, Mark 16:19 was in the Gospel of Mark used by Irenaeus. This establishes the existence of a given reading at a given date. It arose “no later than” that. Authenticity is a different debate not established by time or dating.
[iii] Even those who dismiss providential preservation must accept the logic of this illustration. Even if I made a mistake in the more recent copy, were it to have fewer mistakes than the older copy, it is still the better copy. Age does not determine accuracy.

A monstrous tragedy of major proportions

F. L. “Bubba” Copeland served as the mayor of Smiths Station, Alabama, and the pastor at First Baptist Church of Phenix City, Alabama (a church affiliated with both the Southern Baptist Convention and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship). He was a 49-year-old married father of three. On November 1st, 1819 News published “The secret life of Smiths Station Mayor and Baptist pastor F. L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland as a ‘transgender curvy girl’,” reporting that Copeland had created an online presence as a transgender female. Initially denying this fact, he eventually admitted to the online presence and explained the “alter ego” as a hobby he had used since his youth to relieve anxiety and stress. Copeland killed himself Friday evening (November 3rd, 2023). This is a sad story on multiple levels. Here are some available resources. Be warned that the initial article includes disturbing facts and some graphic details.

You can follow the sequence of events in the following articles:

• The secret life of Smiths Station Mayor and Baptist pastor F. L. ‘Bubba’ Copeland as a ‘transgender curvy girl’: ‘It’s a hobby I do to relieve stress’
• FBC Phenix City pastor disputes 1819 News article’s allegations
• F. L. Copeland -- prepared statement to his church, Wednesday the 1st (Starts at about 12:30)
• Alabama Baptist state leadership responds to Phenix City pastor allegations
• FBC Phenix City pastor Copeland’s death being reported

A ridiculous and appalling article appeared on Yahoo News, written for The Advocate by Christopher Wiggins. Its design was to spark outrage, which shows up repeatedly in the comments. However, there is disingenuity and fraud present. For example, the author claims “The Advocate honors people’s chosen names and pronouns. Because Copeland did not publicly come out before their death, The Advocate is referring to them as the person they presented publicly.” In fact The Advocate is lying. F. L. Copeland never presented himself publicly as “they” and “them” (his own claim: “It’s private. I don’t do it in the public or anything like that ... It’s just a fictional character I made up to relieve stress.”). They are greasing their own wheels rather than honoring Copeland’s chosen pronouns, as the article fraudulently claims.

Much of the mainstream media has painted this as an ugly “outing” of mean-spirited conservative journalism which caused Copeland to take his own life. Little reflection on what part his own actions, online presence (which is not really private no matter how much one wants to imagine it is), and contradictory “second self” might have played.

What are your thoughts?

Without me ye can do nothing

“Without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5

“Dearest Jesus, I know this in theory, from thy gracious teachings, as well as I know that I am by nature a sinner; but I am for ever failing in this knowledge, when I come to put it into practice. Teach me, Lord, how to preserve the constant remembrance of it upon my mind, that I may never go forth to the holy warfare to subdue a single foe but in thy strength, and never make mention of any thing but thy righteousness, and thine only. Be convinced, my soul, every day, more and more, of this most precious truth, and behold it proved from all the circumstances around thee. See and remark the total inability either of God’s judgments or God’s mercies to induce the least alteration upon the heart of man, without his grace.”

Robert Hawker (1753-1827) 

The Bible Stands

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8

Haldor Lillenas wrote both words and music to this song (below). It presents the Bible as God’s word of enduring eternal truth inspired by a divine author – the Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth. It is true. It will stand. We should stand upon it.

Lillenas was born November 19, 1885, at Stord Island, Norway, to Ole Paulsen and Anne Marie Lillenas. The family came to the United States around 1886. Haldor Lillenas was raised as a Lutheran, but later became a Church of the Nazarene minister. He married Bertha Mae Wilson on October 4, 1910, and they had two children. Wonderful Grace of Jesus, copyrighted in 1918, is likely his best-known song.

The Bible Stands was probably written circa 1916-17. It was copyrighted 1917 by Charles M. Alexander. The song’s first publication may have been as number 79 in Tabernacle Hymns, No. 2 in 1921 (Paul Rader, George C. Stebbins, Lance B. Latham, Tabernacle Publishing Company Chicago, Illinois). However, I have not confirmed this. It is the earliest printing of the song I have found, but it may have appeared in an earlier song book since it was copyrighted by Alexander in 1917.

Haldor Lillenas died August 18, 1959. He and Bertha Mae are buried at Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri.

1. The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
’Mid the raging storms of time;
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime.

Chorus:
The Bible stands tho’ the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands.

2. The Bible stands like a mountain tow’ring
Far above the works of man;
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can. (Chorus)

3. The Bible stands and it will forever,
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given—
All its precepts I will obey. (Chorus)

4. The Bible stands ev’ry test we give it,
For its Author is divine;
By grace alone I will expect to live it,
And to prove it and make it mine. (Chorus)

Bryan Ross pointed out to me that some King James Bible supporting churches add a 5th stanza to the song.

5. The Bible stands in the King James Version;
There it’s been preserved for me.
God’s word in English and without error,
And my final authority. (Chorus)

In other (theological) words

• adiaphora, noun. Actions or beliefs which are neither commanded nor forbidden in scripture; theological or moral issues of which scripture does not speak definitively.
• Apollinarianism, noun. A 4th-century Christological teaching (by Apollinaris of Laodicea) that Christ had a human body and a human soul, but not human mind.
• apophatic theology, noun. A method or way of describing God by saying what he is not (also called via negationis, by or through denial, negation).
• Ausgangstext, noun. The initial or earliest source text of the Scriptures; the one ancestor of all the extant Greek copies (nor or not necessarily the autographa).
• decretive will, noun. A sovereign and efficacious will by which God brings to pass whatever he pleases by his divine decree; the plan of God which contains everything he has determined to bring to pass (also called sovereign will or secret will).
• ecclesiology, noun. The branch of theology that investigates what scripture teaches about the church or assemblies of Christ.
• eschatology, noun. The branch of theology that investigates what scripture teaches about final things (or last things, e.g., the return of Christ, the millennial kingdom, the final judgment).
• Eutychianism (or monophysitism), noun. A 5th-century Christological teaching (by Eutyches of Constantinople) that Christ had only one nature, a nature that was a mixture of divine and human nature that resulted in a third kind of nature.
• Frankentext (or Franken-text), noun. Reconstructed textual readings which can be found in no extant manuscripts; – textual units (e.g., a verse) of the Greek New Testament that cannot be found in any extant Greek manuscript (portmanteau of Frankenstein and text).
• Nestorianism, noun. A Christological teaching (identified with Nestorius) that taught that Jesus was two distinct persons, a human person and a divine person.
• norma normans non normata (or norma normans), noun. (Latin: the norm of norms that is not normed) The one standard which has no higher standard; a description of Scripture as the standard by which all other standards or rules of the Christian faith are measured.
• pactum salutis, noun. (Latin: salvation agreement) An agreement or covenant made in eternity past among the three persons of the Trinity to save a people (also called the covenant of redemption).
• perichoresis, noun. A theological term, derived from the Greek, used to express the intimate union of the three persons in the Trinity as they mutually indwell or interpenetrate each other.
• pneumatology, noun. The branch of theology that investigates what scripture teaches about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
• preceptive will, noun. The will of God as related to his revealed law or commandments; what God has declared that we should do (also called revealed will).
• scariant, noun. Any textual variant that people are very worried (portmanteau of scary and variant).
• smudge, noun. A stain, fingerprint, drip, or other found splotch in/on a manuscript.
• soteriology. noun. The branch of theology that investigates what scripture teaches about salvation.
• worldview, noun. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world; a network of ultimate beliefs, assumptions, values, and ideas about the universe and our place in it, held by an individual or a group.

Pro-Life Reply: When Does Life Begin

The Pro-Life Reply to: “No One Knows When Life Begins”

In this video, Dr. Tara Sander Lee, a molecular geneticist and Director of Life Sciences for the Charlotte Lozier Institute, delivers a scientific response to this common argument and dives into the developmental stages of the preborn child.

Have a listen. This lesson is under 5 minutes. In it, the speaker makes these points:

• Not knowing when life begins should be an argument AGAINST abortion
• The developing baby grows at an extremely rapid pace, especially in the first trimester
• At 22 weeks, it is possible for babies to be born and survive outside the womb
• In the womb, babies exhibit behaviors we do as adults
• Zygote, blastocyst, embryo, and fetus are all terms that merely refer to age
• Preborn babies are not parasites; if they were, the mother’s immune system would attack it
• It is a scientific certainty that human life begins at the moment of fertilization

Silver and gold have I none

Acts Chapter 3: A Notable Miracle

Verse 1: “Peter and John,” an oft-found combination, going back even to their days in the fishing business together (Luke 5:10; 8:51; 9:28; 22:8; Acts 4:13ff; 8:14ff). The early church used the temple area as a place of meeting and prayer (cf. 2:46; 5:20).  “the ninth hour” – 3 p.m., the hour of the evening sacrifice  (Jos. Ant. xiv. 4, § 3) (cf. Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44; Acts 10:3, 30; see also Daniel 6:10; Psalm 55:17).

Verse 2: Who: “a certain man lame...whom;” When: “they laid daily;” Where: “at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful;” Why: “to ask alms.” Luke points to the length of the lame man’s suffering (as he tends to do elsewhere, Cf. Luke 2:36; 8:43; 13:11) – from birth. He had been in his condition over forty years (cf. Acts 4:22). A main thoroughfare for devout worshippers might be an advantageous place to beg for alms (cf. John 8:59-9:1). The man had always been unable to walk on his own and had to be carried. His lifelong condition and his daily presence at the gate combined to make this man’s healing a notable and indisputable miracle – see verse 10, “they knew that it was he.” 

“at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful” (cf. v. 10). It is reasonable to assume that this entrance acquired an informal name because of its beauty and workmanship. It likely was on the eastern side of the outer court of the temple, near Solomon’s Porch (v. 11; Cf. Matthew 21:12; Revelation 11:2).

“a certain man” The word “certain” (τις/τινα/τινας, a certain one or thing) occurs about 55 times in the book of Acts. Certain means fixed, settled, dependable, unfailing (from Latin certus ‘settled, sure’).  “The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:45). As an adjective certain may be attributive (modifying a noun and part of a noun phrase) usually meaning someone or something specific but not explicitly named or stated, particular. It may be used as a noun, as in Acts 17:5, “as certain also of your own poets have said.” [For a study of the word “certain” in Acts, see “The Word ‘Certain’ in the Book of Acts,” C. C. Morris, The Remnant, Sept-Oct 2004 (pp. 15-18), Nov-Dec 2004 (pp. 14-18) and Jan-Feb 2005 (pp. 6-14).]

Verses 3-5: “seeing Peter and John” The lame man sees the two apostles and asks alms. “Look on us” They direct his attention to them with expectation. What he expects he will not receive. What he receives he does not expect. It will be “exceeding abundantly above all” that he could “ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

Verse 6: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee” (cf. Matthew 8:20). The lame man’s friends could carry him and place him at an opportune location. Any kind worshippers could give him alms. “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Only the name (power, authority) of Jesus Christ of Nazareth could make him “rise up and walk.”

Verses 7-8: At the moment that Peter takes him by the hand and begins to lift him up, the lame man’s feet and ankle bones become strong (cf. Acts 2:43). He not only gets up – he leaps up! He can stand; he can walk. Excitedly he goes with them into the temple, “walking, and leaping, and praising God.”

Verses 9-10: “people saw him…they knew that it was he” The lame man is a person well known to those who regularly travel this pathway. His newfound strength and vocal praise of God gains the attention of their eyes and ears. There is no doubt who he is. He is the lame man who begged for alms daily at the Beautiful gate. The people are amazed. The sight is unbelievably believable. They wonder what happened to him. They do not doubt what has happened; they do not know how it happened.

The healing of the lame man provides a precise picture of the sinner separated from God. He was lame (Luke 5:31; I Peter 2:24), from birth (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23), helpless (Isaiah 63:5; Ephesians 2:12), and a beggar outside the gate (Hebrews 13:12). His friends and acquaintances – like religion – could not cure his condition. They could only carry him around and give him alms. His only help and hope resided in the power of the name above all names, the name of Jesus!

1 John 2:23

1 John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

In a blog post last November, I asserted that “it is past time that publishers remove the italics in 1 John 2:23 in new printings of the King James Bible. They are unnecessary, and the generally understood meaning of italics in the King James translation makes their presence here in 1 John 2:23 confusing.”

In this post I am primarily reproducing the same material, simply making a stand-alone post just on 1 John 2:23. Because of what we have been told about italics, when a person reads 1 John 2:23 in the King James Bible with an entire clause in italics, a solemn question arises in the reader’s mind. If the words in italics are those added by the translators simply to make a sentence clear (i.e., read correctly in the target language), how could they have added an entire clause?

The King James translators did not create the second half of 1 John 2:23 out of thin air, or from “implied” words. If you check English translations, the majority also have this clause. Early church writers mention it, and it is in Greek manuscripts.

The King James New Testament translation is based on what we call the Greek Textus Receptus. Some differences existed in this verse in Greek manuscripts and even in the TR tradition.

The 1519 Desiderius Erasmus and 1550 Robert Stephanus Greek New Testaments have the following as Ιωαννου Α 2:23 -

πας ο αρνουμενος τον υιον, ουδε τον πατερα εχει.

On the other hand, the 1598 Theodore Beza New Testament has the following for Ιωαννου Α 2:23 -

Πας ο αρνουμενος τον υιον, ουδε τον πατερα εχει ο ομολογων τον υιον, και τον πατερα εχει.

The Latin in Beza’s New Testament reads, “Quisquis negat Filium, nec Patrem habet: qui profitetur Filium, etiam Patrem habet.” Beza’s Greek and Latin texts may be translated to read “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; [but] whoever confesses the Son has also the Father,”or, in other words, as the King James Bible has it, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

Beza gives the following explanation concerning verse 23:

qui profitetur, ο ομολογων Restitui in Graecis hoe membrum ex quatuor manuser codicum, veteris Latini, & Syri interpretis auctoritate sic etiam affeuto Ioanne istis oppositionibus contrariorum uti quam saepissime. Vide Matth. 10:32.

Beza explains (translated into English, however poorly I may have done so):

“Whosoever confesses,” I restored to the Greek this statement on the authority of four Greek manuscripts, [and] consulting versions of the old Latin and Syriac. John, who was fond of these opposites, used them as often as possible. See Matthew 10:32.

In his explanation, Beza refers to external and internal evidence – Greek manuscripts and John’s typical style of writing.

The King James translators’ use of distinguishing type in the concluding clause of I John 2:23 indicates that they were following a minority TR reading in this verse (which they believed was the correct reading). Distinguishing this clause demonstrates their careful attention to detail in order to accurately convey what they were doing. However, the italics in modern King James printings of the Bible do not convey the intent of the translators to the reader. In modern times readers assume it means a few words added to complete the meaning and smooth out the translation in the target language. Therefore, I conclude the removal of the italics would better serve the modern reader and avoid confusion.

I am bound by the Scriptures

God’s Word Endures Forever: Martin Luther & the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation -- “Five hundred [and six] years ago, in 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and university professor, posted 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.”

Martin Luther got it right when he left the Roman Catholic Church, though unfortunately he never went so far as to find the genius of full biblical New Testament Christianity. Below are some quotes of Luther from the above-linked article.

“A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or cardinal without it.” (Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, Nashville. TN: Abingdon Press, 1978, p. 182)

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in the councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.” (Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, Nashville. TN: Abingdon Press, 1978, p. 182)

“The neglect of Scripture, even by spiritual leaders, is one of the greatest evils in the world.  Everything else, arts or literature, is pursued and practiced day and night, and there is no end of labor and effort; but Holy Scripture is neglected as though there were no need of it…But its words are not, as some think, mere literature; they are words of life, intended not for speculation and fancy but for life and action…May Christ our Lord help us by His Spirit to love and honor His holy Word with all our hearts.  Amen. (Luther’s Works, eds. Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmut Lehmann, eds. Luther’s Works. (American edition)  Minneapolis: Fortress, 1960, Vol. 14, p. 46)

“I greatly fear that the universities, unless they teach the Holy Scriptures diligently and impress them on the young students, are wide gates of hell.” (Martin Luther, “To the Christian Nobility,” Luther’s Works, Vol. 44, p. 206)

The Comfort of God’s Sovereignty

This golden truth becomes most precious to the soul, when, in the midst of losses and crosses, by the Holy Spirit’s influence, the power of it is felt in the soul. A confident belief in the fact that Jesus is not an unconcerned spectator of our tribulation, and a confident assurance that he is in the furnace with us, will furnish a downy pillow for our aching head. When the hours limp slowly along, how sweet to reflect that he has felt the weariness of time when sorrows multiplied! When the spirit is wounded by reproach and slander, how comforting to remember that he also once said, ‘Reproach has broken my heart!’ And, above all, how abundantly full of consolation is the thought that now, even now, he feels for us, and is a living head, sympathising in every pang of his wounded body. The certainty that Jesus knows and feels all that we endure, is one of the delicacies with which afflicted souls are comforted. More especially is this a cheering thought when our good is spoken of as evil, our motives misrepresented, and our zeal condemned. Then, in absence of all other balms, this acts as a sovereign remedy for decay of spirit. Give us Christ with us, and we can afford to smile in the face of our foes.

From “Jesus in the Hour of Trouble,” Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

The Sinner’s Plea

The hymn below was written in 1995 by David I. Lee, a Sacred Harp singer from southeastern Georgia. It takes a personal look at the sinfulness of man and the righteous judgment of God. It recognizes that the atonement of Jesus Christ on Calvary and God’s grace from that atonement is the only plea a sinner has before the judgment bar of God. The hymn is Common Meter Doubled (8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6.) and might be sung to any good C.M.D. tune. However, when David wrote the hymn, he also composed a good tune to go with it. The tune is named Marthasville, and this text & tune combination may be found in The Sacred Harp 2012 Cooper Revision on page 273.

1. Before the judgment bar of God,
I soon must trembling stand.
My worthless soul must answer all
Thy holy laws demand.
Thy justice, Lord, condemns my soul
For all eternity;
Yet I would plead a Saviour’s grace
To set a sinner free.

2. Behold how great my need, O Lord,
And how extreme my case.
My doom pronounced would flash like fire
And drive me from thy face.
But yet I call upon thy Son
Who died on Calvary;
Again I plead a Saviour’s grace
To set a sinner free.

David Lee comes from a family of Sacred Harp singers, and is the son of David J. “Johnny” Lee and Delorese Conner. He and his wife have 3 children. In addition to singing and songwriting, David is also a singing school teacher, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Sacred Harp Book Company. He is a member of the Mars Hill Primitive Baptist Church. With his cousin W. Clarke Lee, David owns and operates The Primitive Hymns, LLC. This corporation publishes The Primitive Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Sacred Poems, by Benjamin Lloyd (more commonly called “Lloyd’s Hymn Book”).

Trust the Science, and other links

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

• Meaning of Theopneustos -- “Until less than forty years ago, Bible translators with one voice used ‘inspired’ or ‘inspiration’.”
• Mysterious Markings -- “The drawings range in size from single figures to full shields. They depict people, animals and battles in multiple colors, but most are burnt red, created on rocks hauled in from miles away.”
• Spanish Bible Translations -- “The first Spanish text translated directly from the King James Bible, was the work of Bernard McVey, a Missionary to Central America, who in the 1990s printed his Spanish New Testament.”
• The Average Critical Text Proponent Provides Weak and Contradictory Argumentation -- “It is chiefly a modern perspective to say that the Bible must be reconstructed now, when we are further away from the creation and circulation of manuscripts then at any time in history.”
• The Scriptures — Inspired or Expired? -- “An unfortunate teaching began in the 1880s and has spread through the theology department of seminaries and Christian universities and colleges, whether reformed, evangelical, or Christian fundamentalist.”
• Trueman: What “Big Eva” Is And Why It Matters To Reformed Churches -- “What Big Eva has done is create an economy of power, people, and indeed money which is non-ecclesiastical but highly influential within evangelical churches. It is a populist movement of tremendous influence and minimal accountability.”
• Trust the Science? -- “People are being harmed by these bogus papers. One anesthesiologist falsified data on an ineffective blood substitute that was widely cited in the literature. Patients were harmed by this false research.”
• Verse Comparisons of the Reina Valera Bibles -- “This study consists of verses in the New Testament where one or several of the versions of the Reina Valera deviate from the Textus Receptus. In this study I have not included the Revisions of 1977 or 1995, which have many corruptions.”
• Williams Creek Baptist Church - Organized 1787, Warren County -- “The Baptist Church of Christ at Williams Creek was constituted on December 22, 1787, at the headwaters of Williams Creek at Little River in that section of Wilkes Co., which became Warren Co., by the Act of 1793.”
• Woman known as ‘matriarch of pro-life activism’ is facing 11 years in prison -- “...in 2023 at age 74, she stands trial on federal charges for rescue action she and other pro-lifers took to save babies from abortion in October 2020 at the D.C.-based Washington Surgi-Clinic run by abortionist Cesare Santangelo.”
• You need to read this amazing piece of reporting that details how Big Eva shamed Christians for asking pandemic questions at the behest of former NIH director Francis Collins -- “We’re gonna go through the details of church leaders who did the bidding of former NIH director Francis Collins, a leftist scientist who oversaw the NIH as it was funding gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan.”
• 5 Misconceptions About Dechurching in America -- “But the United States is an outlier, and this held up in our study. Among those we surveyed, people with higher education were less likely to leave the church.

This versus that

Some of you probably aren’t as crazy about various odd details concerning words as I am. I was fascinated noticing the usage of my/mine and thy/thine in the King James Bible – also O/Oh.

Thine and Thy.

“Thy” and “thine” are the singular possessive case of thou/thee (used as an attributive adjective before a noun). For example, thy seed, thy table, thine eyes, thine heart.

Thy = Possessive (usually used before a noun that begins with a consonant, as in “thy brother”)

Thine = Possessive (usually used before a noun that begins with a vowel or vowel sound, as in “thine eyes”; or in place of a noun, as in “this is thine”)

Examples

• In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
• in thy mouth, and in thy heart
• I will not take any thing that is thine
• Lift up now thine eyes
• What is that in thine hand?
• thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever (thine = that which belongs to thee)

Interesting – both thine heart and thy heart are used

“Thy heart” is found in 19 verses of the King James Bible – 14 in the OT and 5 in the NT.

All (19)

Old Testament (14)

• Genesis (1)
• Deuteronomy (4)
• 1 Samuel (2)
• 2 Kings (1)
• Proverbs (1)
• Ecclesiastes (2)
• Isaiah (2)
• Daniel (1)

New Testament (5)

• Matthew (1)
• Mark (1)
• Luke (1)
• Acts (1)
• Romans (1)

“Thine heart” is found in 103 verses in the King James Bible – 97 in the OT and 6 in the NT.

All (103)

Old Testament (97)

• Exodus (1)
• Leviticus (1)
• Deuteronomy (19)
• Judges (5)
• 1 Samuel (4)
• 2 Samuel (2)
• 1 Kings (3)
• 2 Kings (3)
• 1 Chronicles (1)
• 2 Chronicles (5)
• Job (5)
• Psalm (2)
• Proverbs (19)
• Ecclesiastes (2)
• Song of Solomon (1)
• Isaiah (6)
• Jeremiah (6)
• Lamentations (1)
• Ezekiel (8)
• Daniel (2)
• Obadiah (1)

New Testament (6)

• Acts (4)
• Romans (2)

Numbers of verses based on searching for “thy heart” and “thine heart” in the “Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)” at BibleGateway.com.

Mine and My.

“My and Mine indicate a type of right to something or any possession of anything.”

Usually (possibly) “my” is a possessive adjective (a form of the possessive case of “I” used as an attributive adjective; my car, my sweater) and “mine” is a possessive pronoun (a form of the possessive case of “I” used as a predicate adjective; the yellow sweater is mine, mine is the red car). Or, stated another way, “my” is a possessive adjective that comes before a noun, while “mine” is a possessive pronoun that can stand alone. However, this seems to be a more modern definition that does not always align with the use of “mine” in the King James Bible. Many dictionaries will likely say that “mine” used as a possessive adjective is “archaic.” In the KJV “mine” is used instead of “my” before a word beginning with a vowel or a silent h, or following a noun). For example, mine eyes.

Interesting – both mine heart and my heart are used

“My heart” is found in 180 verses of the King James Bible – 166 in the OT and 14 in the NT.

All (180)

Old Testament (166)

• Genesis (3)
• Exodus (4)
• Deuteronomy (5)
• Joshua (1)
• Judges (2)
• 1 Samuel (3)
• 2 Samuel (3)
• 1 Kings (7)
• 2 Kings (1)
• 1 Chronicles (5)
• 2 Chronicles (4)
• Nehemiah (2)
• Esther (1)
• Job (9)
• Psalm (57)
• Proverbs (9)
• Ecclesiastes (9)
• Song of Solomon (2)
• Isaiah (9)
• Jeremiah (14)
• Lamentations (3)
• Ezekiel (7)
• Daniel (1)
• Hosea (3)
• Zechariah (1)
• Malachi (1)

New Testament (14)

• Matthew (3)
• Luke (1)
• John (1)
• Acts (2)
• Romans (2)
• Philippians (1)
• Colossians (1)
• Hebrews (3)

“Mine heart” is found in 50 verses in the King James Bible – 48 in the OT and 2 in the NT.

All (50)

Old Testament (48)

• Genesis (1)
• Deuteronomy (2)
• Joshua (1)
• Judges (1)
• 1 Samuel (3)
• 1 Kings (2)
• 2 Kings (2)
• 1 Chronicles (3)
• 2 Chronicles (2)
• Nehemiah (1)
• Job (2)
• Psalm (8)
• Proverbs (1)
• Ecclesiastes (8)
• Isaiah (1)
• Jeremiah (7)
• Lamentations (2)
• Hosea (1)

New Testament (2)

• Acts (2)

Numbers of verses based on searching for “my heart” and “mine heart” in the “Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)” at BibleGateway.com.

O and Oh.

“O” is addressive, used at the beginning of a line to show a direct address to a person, object, or idea. Some call it “a poetic apostrophe.”

“Oh” is expressive, an interjection we use to express a bunch of different emotions, like a sense of surprise, excitement, or even disappointment.

“O” occurs over a thousand times in the King James Bible.

• “O Lord” occurs in 335 verses.
• “O Father” occurs in 3 verses.
• “O son of ...” occurs in 6 verses.
• “O man ...” occurs in 9 verses.
• “O men ...” occurs in 1 verse.
• “O foolish ...” occurs in 3 verses.
• “O wicked ...” occurs in 2 verses.
• “O righteous ...” occurs in 1 verse.
• “O king ...” occurs in 48 verses.
• “O prince’s...” occurs in 1 verse.
• “O woman ...” occurs in 1 verse.
• “O Zion” occurs in 6 verses.
• “O Jerusalem...” occurs in 16 verses.
• “O Samaria ...” occurs in 1 verse.
• “O Israel ...” occurs in 35 verses.
• “O Jacob ...” occurs in 11 verses.

“Oh/oh” occurs in 37 verses in the King James Bible, all in the OT.

Old Testament (37)

• Genesis (5)
• Exodus (1)
• Judges (2)
• 1 Samuel (1)
• 2 Samuel (2)
• 1 Chronicles (2)
• Job (9)
• Psalm (11)
• Isaiah (1)
• Jeremiah (3)

Numbers of verses based on searching for “O” and “Oh” in the “Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)” at BibleGateway.com.

Repent, and be baptized

Acts 2:38 - Two imperatives (“repent,” “be baptized”) and a promise (“ye shall receive”). Those who teach baptismal regeneration – that is, that obedience in the baptismal waters gains eternal salvation – use this text as a primary support for their view. If an interpretation of Acts 2:38 does not match the teachings of the New Testament (or even the rest of the book of Acts), then something is wrong with that interpretation. In the next recorded sermons following Pentecost, Peter connects repentance with blotting out of sins (3:19-20), proclaims salvation in Christ alone (4:11-12), and associates repentance and the forgiveness of sins with the acts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus (5:30-31).

Repentance in Acts 

• Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted
• Acts 5:31 to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
• Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness
• Acts 13:24 John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance
• Acts 17:30 God...now commandeth all men every where to repent
• Acts 19:4 John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance
• Acts 20:21 Testifying...repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ
• Acts 26:20 they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance

Some interpreters labor to unite “for the remission of sins” with both “repent” and “be baptized.” Others labor to separate “for the remission of sins” from “be baptized” to modify only “repent.” However, the grammatical structure of Acts 2:38 shows that “for the remission of sins” only modifies “be baptized” and not “repent.” Peter commands his hearers, “Repent, and be baptized.” In both Greek and English, the verb μετανοησατε/ “repent” is in the second person plural; the verb βαπτισθητω/ “be baptized” is in the third person singular. The words that follow “be baptized” – “every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” – match the singular tense of “be baptized.” The final verb, “shall receive,” returns to the second person plural.

The question “in what sense does baptism remit sins is the real core of the controversy on Acts 2:38.”  Is baptism for the remission of sins? Yes, baptism is for (eis) the remission of sins, according to Acts 2:38. In what sense does baptism remit sins, or, in what way is it “for” the remission of sins? Those who find eternal salvation here assume “for” means “in order to obtain” the remission of sins. However, “in order to” does not exhaust the range of meaning of either the Greek preposition eis (εις) or the English preposition “for.” Baptism answers to the remission of sins because it is a sign of it. The words in Acts 2:38 are “eis aphesin ton hamartion/for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:28 includes the same phrase: “for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (eis aphesin ton hamartion).” The similarities are compelling.  It is not the blood of the grape in the cup that gives remission of sins, but the shed blood of Jesus on the cross that the cup represents. We metaphorically receive the body and blood of Jesus in the elements of the Lord’s Supper. We metaphorically receive the death and resurrection of Jesus in the element of water baptism. Paul uses “likeness” (ομοιωματι, a figure, image, likeness, representation; cf. Hebrews 9:24) in Romans 6:5. He says we are baptized “into death” and then raised to “walk in newness of life.” Baptism does not literally put us in the death and resurrection, but “in the likeness.” Peter uses “like figure” (αντιτυπον, a thing resembling another, counterpart, antitype) in I Peter 3:21. Baptism saves similarly to the way the water saved Noah and his family. Water saved Noah by the ark, and baptism saves us by the resurrection. The conscience calls and baptism answers (επερωτημα).

Jesus actually, literally, and really put away sin by his sacrifice on the cross. Sins are remitted literally, in the death of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:22); experimentally, in the exercise of faith (Acts 10:43); and ceremonially, in baptism (Acts 2:38). 

What is Textual Criticism?

Bart Ehrman usually isn’t my “go-to” guy to quote. He is theologically on the other side of the world from me. However, in some of my recent reading I saw that he made a comment I felt worth repeating. I often mention text criticism (textual criticism) and text critics (textual critics). However, I am not sure it has occurred to me to define it, just assuming my readers are familiar with the term! Ehrman replied to a question he received about textual criticism, and, unlike me, began by clarifying what the term meant. Here is what he wrote:

“Textual criticism is the attempt to establish what an author originally wrote whenever there is some uncertainty about it. For example, if Dante wrote the Inferno by hand, and we don’t actually have the hand-written copy he produced, and different surviving copies of the work have differences among them – which one is most like what he actually wrote? That is especially a big issue, for example, for Shakespeare (massively important for Hamlet and other plays) and … well, and the New Testament.”

So, textual criticism in the biblical context is the branch of textual scholarship that attempts to establish what is the original reading of the Bible. The textual critic engages in the work of textual criticism, using evidence in the attempt to recover the original text. This, then, is what these guys are doing, whether or not we agree with their purpose or their research.

[Note: much of biblical textual criticism has now devolved into speaking of determining (rather than the text of the original autograph) the Ausgangtext – “a hypothetical, reconstructed text, as it presumably existed, according to the hypothesis, before the beginning of its copying.” Additionally, we providential preservationists believe we have God’s word and that it does not need recovering.]

A Little Maid: a Note in Passing on God’s Providence

Luke 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

2 Kings 5:1-3 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

From the story of 2 Kings 5, we hang three large portraits on the wall. Elisha, of course. And Naaman. And Gehazi. God is not there – simply because images are not to be made of him. We won’t display Benhadad’s and Jehoram’s pictures, since we don’t really like them! When we come to the end of the chapter and see his deceit, we decide to remove Gehazi’s picture. As we take it down, we notice a small previously unnoticed frame in the corner. “Who is that,” we ask? “I don’t know her name,” comes the answer. “She’s just a little maid from Israel.” A little unnamed maid out of the land of Israel.

Naaman is a primary and noteworthy figure throughout the chapter. The little maid is mentioned in passing. Naaman was a captain; she was a captive. Naaman was a great man; she was a little maid. Naaman is accentuated by name; her name is unknown. Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Let us not rush past, but stop and linger here. Look here. Learn here.

Doubtless a man in Naaman’s position had tried the doctors, tried the experiments, and even tried the quacks. Nothing worked. Despite his position of honour and power, he was a diseased dying man, afflicted by the uncurable leprosy. Whatever he might have tried for healing had failed. “So death will soon disrobe us all, of what we here possess.”

In his providence and by his special aid, God used Naaman the captain to bring deliverance to Syria, expanding their power and prosperity. Why, God? O, why? They are Israel’s enemy. Syria’s armies had gone out in companies, raiding the coasts of Israel. In one particularly successful raid, a little maid was taken, separated from father and mother. Did she know what happened to them? Did they know what happened to her? We know what happened to her. Of all the families in all the houses of all the people of Syria, she landed in just one house, the house of Naaman – the captain of the host, the great man in the eyes of his king, the mighty man of valour – who was also a leper. A little maid; a prominent household; a grand providence.

The little maid was brought into captivity because of God’s judgment on Israel. At this time Jehoram was king in Israel. “He wrought evil in the sight of the Lord” (but not like his father and mother – Ahab and Jezebel). Jehoram sanctioned, promoted, and stood by “the sins of Jeroboam” – the worship of the golden calves that Jeroboam installed in Dan and Bethel (2 Kings 3:3; 1 Kings 12:28-33). This serious breach of God’s law was an invitation of God’s judgment. God had begun to lay Israel low, and he would lay them lower. If Israel would not hearken to the voice of the Lord in keeping his commandments, “the Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies,” and “thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people” (Deuteronomy 28:15, 25, 32). Through no direct fault of her own, but through the fault of her national leaders, a little maid in Israel is now a captive in Syria.

The little maid received her cup and allowed no root of bitterness to spring up. Perhaps this little maid saw her parents slain before her eyes; perhaps she was ripped from their arms never to know what happened to them. A sad fate, either way. In our society, we excuse bad behavior because of bad circumstances that decimate one’s life. In our mindset we would concede her every right to be angry, to nurse a grudge, to become bitter, to wish the worst for her captors. Yet the little maid let no root of bitterness spring up within her. She obeyed the New Testament exhortation, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you” (Ephesians 4:31). It seems she dutifully went about her business, serving the mistress of the house, Naaman’s wife.

The little maid loved her enemies, blessed them that cursed her, and did good to them that hated her. It is likely that this little maid did not consider her master and mistress as enemies who hated her. What God would do for Naaman and how Naaman received the God of Israel as the true God suggests God was working a work in his heart. However, the Syrians and Israelites were enemies who hated one another. They were at odds, and at war. Nevertheless, the little maid did not withhold the good news she could impart in her household. Out of the mouth of babes – and of little maids – hath God perfected praise. The little maid believed in God, his power, his miracles, and his prophet. Surely, she testifies of what she has seen? Nay, O man, she testifies of what she knows! How many lepers had the little maid seen cleansed? None! (Luke 4:27) She withholds not the good. She withholds not the good news. There is a prophet in Samaria of a God in Israel (yea, in all places) who heals. If the master could just get to him. The simple words of a simple child, so beautiful in their simplicity, were not dismissed by the wife or household of Naaman. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. How miraculous in itself is their submission to the words of this child! Naaman had no were else to turn.

The providence of God rules over all – the just and the unjust, in good times and in bad times. God hath done whatsoever he hath pleased (Psalm 115:3). Often, we speak of providence of the good things of our life, of how God works all things for our good. Truth! On the other hand, the way we speak of God’s providence might lead the unknowing to believe that God wakes up betimes and then realizes he needs to take care of us. How unlike the God of mercy and grace. Speaking of this, George MacDonald acknowledged, “God’s care is more evident in some instances of it than in others to the dim and often bewildered vision of humanity.” For this reason, “Upon such instances men seize and call them providences.” But how much “gloriously better if they could believe that the whole matter is one grand providence.”

These things were written for our learning. May we learn:

• To not despise the day of small things – or small people, for God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
• To trust God and believe him in all our circumstances. Trust in him at all times.
• To act in faith, for who knoweth whether thou art come for such a time as this?
• To do good to them that hate you, for all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. 
• To speak out in all circumstances. Speak the truth, in Christ, in love, always.