Not “not any,” just “not many”

The following quote appears to be passed down through tradition by the followers of Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon. I found it this way in one place.

1 Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

The Countess of Huntingdon: 

Blessed be God, it does not say “any mighty,” “any noble”; it says “many mighty,” “many noble.”

I thank God for the letter “m.” I owe my salvation to the letter “m.”

If it had been “not any noble,” where would the countess have been?

God music did at once supply

“Johann Walter was the first Lutheran kantor, and was an advisor and colleague of Martin Luther. He desired that a holy and proper use of music in worship prevail in German churches. A poet as well as composer, Walter produced a lengthy, rhymed poem of 324 lines which describe his view of music’s importance in liturgy.” Cynthia Pock

“In 1538, while at Torgau, he published a rhymed homage to music, Lob und Preis der loeblichen Kunst Musica (In Praise of the Noble Art of Music), a didactic poem of 324 lines, in which he developed an entire theology of music, following the ideas of Luther’s scattered remarks on the subject. . . .

“Luther himself provided a rhymed introduction to this poem entitled ‘Vorrhede auff all gute Gesangbuecher’ (‘A Preface for All Good Hymnals’). Luther put his preface on the lips of Frau Musica (Lady Music) and had her extol her own gifts. Luther’s introduction, together with Walter’s more elaborately conceived poem, provide remarkable insights into the early Reformation’s view of music.” Carl Schalk

Johann Walter was born in 1496 at Thuringia, Germany. He died in 1570 at Torgau, Germany. He believed God created music; and his work influenced congregational participation in worship services. The stanza’s below are from an English translation of Walter’s hymn praising God and his music. As far as I know, it has not been used as a church hymn.

1. That such unmerited free grace
(Which God from love for all our race
Had promised in his word) might be
Kept fresh in human memory
And move the heart to high delight
In praising God both day and night—

2. This is the weightiest reason why
God music did at once supply.
Then too, since sin acquired at birth
Would bring to Adam’s seed on earth
Much woe and—earth itself now spoiled—
Small joy in all for which they toiled,
As antidote against that blight,
To keep man’s life from wilting quite,
And also to rejoice the heart,
God soon supplied sweet music’s art.

Why you shouldn’t care, 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.

• Why you shouldn’t care what Daniel Wallace thinks about the King James Bible -- “Wallace’s lifetime devotion to the Critical Text and his own Bible translation couldn't possibly cloud his objectivity, could it?”
• Why Is My Battery Draining So Fast? -- “Find out what drains a phone’s charge and what you can do to stop losing battery so fast.”
• What Is the “False Doctrine” of Only One Text of the Bible? (Part Two) -- “Mark Ward defines intelligibility in a particular way that does not fit 1 Corinthians 14. Many people have explained that to him. I haven’t seen him listen on this and almost anything else.”
• What Is the “False Doctrine” of Only One Text of the Bible? (Part One) -- “Just as a thought experiment, I am going to practice a public apology, one that Ward would want from all the division causers, none of which has the name, Mark Ward.”
• Welcome To The Home of Gospel Singing Conventions -- “GospelConventions.com offers the most comprehensive listing of singing conventions, singing schools, and gospel music publishers available anywhere on the internet today.”
• The Tale of the Defiant Pineapple and Its Confused Friend the Pinecone -- “In 14th-century English, the word “pineapple” was a word for a pine cone.”
• The NIV Exhaustive Concordance -- “By Edward W. Goodrick and John R. Kohlenberger III, Zondervan, 1990 (not a recommendation of the NIV, but a good resource for someone researching it).”
• The Bomberg Bible -- “This edition of the Masoretic Hebrew text underlies the Old Testament of the Authorised (King James) Bible, and which the Trinitarian Bible Society publishes.”
• Some Early Evidence for the Twelve Verses St. Mark XVI. 9-20 -- “Charles Taylor, The Expositor Fourth Series 8.1 (July 1893): 71-80.”
• KJB Textual Technology -- “Rudyard Kipling in 1911 (on the tercentenary of the Bible) spoke of the King James Bible as hammering England into existence, its words being hammer blows onto the anvil of the language.”
• Human Health and Welfare Effects from Increased Greenhouse Gases and Warming -- “A colder climate generally poses a much greater risk to human health and causes more deaths than a warmer climate.”
• Found in Translation -- “For those who have at least a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, traveling Texas becomes quite interesting because the Spanish names of places reveal, or hint at, their histories.”
• Focus on Texas: Mascots -- “Meet the characters that charm and amuse us so.”
• First-Name Basis -- “A wolf spider misidentified for 120 years gets its due, thanks to an observant amateur naturalist.”
• Eight Attributes of Courageous Christians -- “The Library of Congress has a small box labeled ‘Contents of the President’s Pockets on the Night of April 14, 1865.’”
• “Brother of Goliath” or “Goliath” in 2 Samuel 21:19? -- “The second word of the underlined portions in both verses is גלית (Galeyat), which is ‘Goliath.’”
• Ancient Greece and the Modern Cemetery -- “From the flaming Olympic torch, to laurel wreaths, and classical columns, Greek influence can be seen in nearly every cemetery in the Western world.”

The Bible Makes Baptists

Back in mid-November, I listened to Stephen Boyce’s video “The KJV Is Not A Good Translation For Baptists.” It is a strange hodge-podge of thought that I cannot recommend. There are lots of negative things that could be said about it. Throughout his podcast called Facts, he gets a lot of facts wrong! Others, such as Christopher Yetzer and Nick Sayers, have responded to many of his misrepresentations of fact. I want to focus on his premise. Stephen Boyce is a former Independent Fundamental Baptist turned Anglican. His premise sounds more like something that would be proclaimed by anti-KJVO Baptists like Rick Norris than an Anglican who supposedly likes the King James Bible (especially in his accusing the translators of bias).

The theme or title of the video is based on a false premise. Beginning about 18:00 minutes in the video, Boyce makes a point concerning how he sees the “church of the firstborn” in Hebrews 12:23. He thinks that text and translation fits his Anglican theology, but that it does not fit Baptist theology. Then notice carefully what Boyce says.

“These things need to be considered when you’re looking at the King James Version as a Baptist. How does that actually fit your framework of theology, ecclesiology, and even your practices?”

I do not agree with his interpretation, but that is beside the point I want to make. 

It is a false premise to suggest that if the Bible does not fit my theology, ecclesiology, and practice that I should therefore find and use a different Bible. Instead, if my theology, ecclesiology, and practice does not fit the Bible, I should study and change my theology, ecclesiology, and practice to fit the Bible. The Bible is our rule of faith and practice. Our faith and practice should not rule which Bible to use.

At various times I have written or spoken on the theme “The Bible Makes Baptists.” In 1787 a young Welsh man named Christmas Evans was converted from the Paedobaptist view to the Credobaptist view by reading the Bible. This happened because and while he was studying the New Testament for the purpose of refuting the Baptists! For Evans, that “Baptist book” was the King James Bible – in those days for all intents and purposes The Bible. Today men may run to the refuge of many different translations, seeking safety in and confirmation of their sincerely-held beliefs. Evans had no such option. He had one Bible and his theology needed to fit in the framework of it.

Behind the statement that the King James Bible is a “Baptist book,” there exists what to many is an untold story. The men who translated the King James Bible were not Baptists. They were Arminians and Calvinists, Puritans and High-Church, but all men of the Church of England. They believed and participated in a state church. They practiced infant baptism. Yet in their superior language skills and intellectual honesty, seeking “the truth rather than their own praise,” these translators shaped a Bible translation that in its lifetime has led many out of the tenets of their own denomination. The story continues to unfold; the old King James Bible is still making Baptists!

We are not Baptists because someone translated the Bible to fit our beliefs. We are Baptists because we hold the beliefs we find in a Bible translated by others who did not hold our beliefs.

In memory

Funeral services will be held today (Friday, December 13, 2024) for Phillip Jason Chapman, at 12 noon at the South Union Missionary Baptist Church (159 FM 997, Daingerfield, Texas). Interment will follow at the Holleman Cemetery in the Oak Flat Community of Rusk County, Texas. He was born September 4, 1970 and passed away on December 9, 2024, at the age of 54.

Phillip is a Holleman family descendant, and served on the board of the Holleman Cemetery Association. He is survived by the wife and two children, his parents, and a host of friends and relatives.

Take heed, overseers. Acts 20:28-38.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

A good minister of Jesus Christ should:

1. Take heed to their own selves (v. 28)

2. Feed the flock the word of God, and not let them go hungry (v. 28)

3. Know who bought the church, and whose it is (v. 28)

4. Watch for and defend against the wolves that would devour the flock (vs. 29-31)

5. Realize they are entrusted to God and can trust God (v. 21)

6. Labor to support the weak rather than labor to be supported (vs. 33-35)

7. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus (v. 35)

8. Pray (vs. 36)

9. Weep with them that weep (vs. 37-38)

10. Go as far as they can go (v. 38)

From the place where they met with Paul at Miletus, the elders of Ephesus went with him as far as they could go without leaving their own duties behind, “they accompanied him unto the ship.” Good-byes are sad, but for Christians “good-bye” here is not “good-bye” forever.

Not looking for answers

Many people are not looking for answers. Instead, they are looking for problems. Rather than being under biblical authority, they like being their own authority.

I wrote the above sentences a long time ago. Recently I ran across a vivid example of “not looking for answers” – Mark Ward’s “King James Bible Study Project.” In it he has 20 questions to evaluate “the current readability level of the King James Bible.” I have deliberately ignored Mark’s “test” or “survey” site until now, because I believe the test itself is designed to deceive (that is, collect answers merely to prove a point). To see what was going on, I clicked on the “Take the Survey Yourself” link. The first thing I found was this statement at the head of the page.

“King James Bible Study Project Survey

“This is a twenty-question survey that is sponsored by the Textual Confidence Collective and focused on the English of the King James Bible. Opponents of current pulpit use of the King James Bible argue that it is too hard to read. We are trying to evaluate whether or not KJV English is as difficult as those opponents believe. This survey should take less than twenty minutes. Your name will not be made public.”

Most of those of us engaged in the Bible versions debate will know who (and what) the “Textual Confidence Collective” is. However, the name will be mostly meaningless to others. Additionally, “confidence” probably will have a different connotation to the average person than its meaning in the name of the TCC. After identifying the sponsors, the site states a purpose: “Opponents of current pulpit use of the King James Bible argue that it is too hard to read. We are trying to evaluate whether or not KJV English is as difficult as those opponents believe.”

That statement tries to create the feeling of a neutral survey, but that attempt is disingenuous. If you know who is behind the survey – Mark Ward – then you will also know that (1) he is an opponent of current pulpit use of the King James Bible, and that (2) he is not really “trying to evaluate” something, but rather “trying to prove” what he already been saying for six or more years (that people should not use the King James Bible in institutional settings, and even should not give it to children to read).[i] He is “not looking for answers” but rather a tool to further his agenda.[ii]

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[i] In one question in the survey, Mark references Proverbs 22:28 KJV, and asks, “What does it mean to ‘remove’ a landmark?” He gives four possible answers, only one of which he will allow could be correct: (1) To progress in a direction; (2) To change position, to move a short distance or in a certain direction; (3) Take (something) away or off from the position occupied; (4) I don’t know. In Mark’s mind “remove the ancient landmark” cannot mean “Take (something) away or off from the position occupied” and must only mean “To change position; to move a short distance or in a certain direction.” And yet this is a distinction with little difference, at least without a good bit of detailed discussion and explanation of what one means by it. To move something off the position occupied can be to change its position, to move it a short distance. If you move a boundary mark “a short distance,” you have moved it off the position occupied. The folks surveyed cannot read Mark’s mind, which he has closed to any objections, but they can know that these things could describe the same thing! In the survey itself it is not clear whether the answer “Take (something) away or off from the position occupied” implies to haul something off for miles & miles (to make it disappear, which it means in Mark’s mind) or to simply move it from the position occupied to a different location ten feet away. Such a survey question suggests to me that the surveyor did not really want to know if they people surveyed are understanding the meaning of “remove the landmark,” but rather “was not looking for answers.” Additionally if it were true that readers cannot understand “remove” in Proverbs 22:28 in the King James Bible, is it not also likely true that they cannot understand “remove” when it is used in the Common English Bible (2011), International Standard Version (1995-2014), Lexham English Bible (2012, by Logos, for whom Mark used to work), New American Bible Revised Edition (1970-2010), New King James Version (1982), New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (2021), and Revised Standard Version (1952-1971)?
[ii] Mark Ward has built a False Friends Restaurant chain and is selling franchises all over the world. There will be a time when Christian friends will find they are built of wood, hay, and stubble. I pray it may be sooner rather than later.

The Preaching of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

Introduction.

Paul was sent to preach the gospel (v. 17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), which is foolishness to the world (vs. 18, 21). Gospel preaching is “not with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4), a power not understood in natural terms. The foundation of its power is the crucified but living Christ (1 Corinthians 15:14).

The message of the preaching is “Christ crucified.”

We preach Christ. Christ is the promised Messiah, the Anointed, the One Sent. Jesus is that Christ, the one sent, the God born of a virgin, manifest in the flesh, who came to seek and to save that which was lost.

We preach Christ crucified – not just Jesus the prime example, the great teacher, or the principal prophet. Jesus became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, that he might reconcile man unto God by his death. He made peace through the blood of his cross. Without shedding of blood – the blood of Jesus shed on the cross – there is no remission of sins. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. A message stripped of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is diluted, debilitated, and – ultimately – dead on arrival!

The meaning of the preaching divides in twain, and unites in one.

The preaching of the same “Christ crucified” has different effects. To the lost it was foolishness. The things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14), but the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God (1 Corinthians 3:19). To the saved it was the power of God.[i] The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). To the Jews it is a stumblingblock.[ii] To the Greeks it is foolishness.[iii]

The Jews wanted a temporal deliverer. Jesus did not suit their case. They sought a sign.[iv] We see it demonstrated in those scribes and Pharisees who demanded, “Master, we would see a sign from thee.” Jesus responded plainly, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.”

The Greeks exalted “wisdom.”[v] Matthew Henry points out, “They laughed at the story of a crucified Saviour, and despised the apostles’ way of telling it.” We see this demonstrated in the philosophical seat of Athens. “And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection…And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked.”

“but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (v. 24). Those who reject the preaching of Christ crucified are divided from those who receive it. Those who receive the message of Christ crucified are united in one, whether they be Jews or Greeks.

The method of the preaching is the same message for all.

The message is universal, keyed to the same one truth for all, whether Jews or Greeks. It is not chameleon-like, changing to blend to its environment, or a menu filled with sweets to suit the tastes of the shopper, mutating to fit the market.

The Jews require a sign, but Paul did not adjust his message to suit them. He preached Christ crucified. It was a stumblingblock to those who would not receive it. The Greeks seek after wisdom, but Paul did not adjust his message to suit them. He preached Christ crucified. It was foolishness to those who would not receive it – yet it was one and the same message for all.

God does not change his message to fit the man; the man must be changed by God’s message.

Conclusion.

May we, with the apostle, ground our ministry in the preaching of Christ crucified. Modern church theory advises us to appeal to the expectations and interests of the hearers. Give them what they want. From this modern mentality derives the pablum of parachurch entities, elaborate programs, and entertaining “pack-the-pews.” Games and gimmicks carry the day. Smoke and mirrors. Flashing lights and loud music. The idol of “success” rules and reigns in many churches.

Many 21st-century churches in the West have either intentionally or unwittingly swallowed a consumer mentality (hook, line, and sinker). They proceed as though they are selling a product rather than preaching a Christ. “Coming to our church” becomes the ultimate product for sale, and the churches must convince buyers why their product is the best buy among all the competition. The facilities must be state-of-the-art; the preaching must be relevant, smooth, and polished; the music must be energetic and entertaining; the events must keep attendees on the edges of their seats.

In contrast, biblical church truth teaches us to appeal with Christ crucified. Give them what they need whether or not they want it. The message of Christ crucified arrests the foolishness of man and promotes the power of God. What we say and what we do will be grounded in the word of God, where there is power (Ecclesiastes 8:4; Luke 4:32; 2 Corinthians 6:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). The acceptable way of worshipping God, to preach his word, and to serve him faithfully, is instituted by God himself, and is limited by and within his revealed will.

Our message is Christ crucified. May we preach it faithfully. Where it unites, let us dwell together in unity. Where it divides, let us be satisfied with and stand on God’s revealed will. May we not compromise the message or our methods to give people what they want. What folks want might be a varied as the terrain of Texas. What they need is the gospel, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he was seen alive by many infallible proofs. This is the power of God unto salvation.

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[i] Power, δυναμις, strength, ability (to do, cf. Philippians 2:13). Sometimes “power” is “authority,” but here it is strength.
[ii] A cause or occasion of stumbling or falling. Cf. Romans 14:13.
[iii] Absurbity, folly. Cf. Proverbs 15:2.
[iv] A wonder or miracle, as proof. Cf. Acts 2:22.
[v] True wisdom is the right use or exercise of knowledge (Psalm 111:10).

Amen

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.—Revelation 22:20.

“‘Amen’ is a short word, but marvellously pregnant, full of sense, full of spirit. It is a word that seals all the truths of God, that seals every particular promise of God. And it is never likely to arise in the soul, unless there be first an almighty power from heaven, to seize on the powers of the soul, to subdue them, and make it say, ‘Amen.’ There is such an inward rising of the heart, and an innate rebellion against the blessed truth of God, that unless God, by his strong arm, bring the heart down, it never will nor can say, ‘Amen.’”

Richard Sibbes, “The Bridegroom’s Promises and the Bride’s Prayer”

In trouble, trust in God

Paul Eber, professor of Hebrew at Wittenberg, penned In Trouble – “Wenn wir in höchsten Nöthen sein” (When in the Hour of Utmost Need). John Julian described Eber as “next to Luther, the best poet of the Wittenberg school.” Paul Eber was born in 1511 in Kitzingen, Bavaria, the son of a master tailor. He graduated from the University of Wittenberg, and became an instructor there. He died at Wittenberg, December 10, 1569. He was buried at Stadtpfarrkirche St. Marien.

The hymn speaks of hope in God in challenging circumstances, and is related to Jehoshaphat’s cry for help in 2 Chronicles 20:12: We know not where to look for aid/neither know we what to do.

“When in the hour of utmost need” is a translation into English by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878). It appears in her Lyra Germanica, 2nd Series (1858, p. 180) and The Chorale Book for England (1863, No. 141).

Catherine Winkworth was born in England in 1827, daughter of Henry Winkworth, a silk merchant. She died in Switzerland (some sources say France), in 1878. Winkworth was buried there, but has a memorial erected in England. She learned the German language while living in Germany, and possessed an ability to create poetic English translations that were still close to the originals.

1. When in the hour of utmost need

We know not where to look for aid;
When days and nights of anxious thought
Nor help nor counsel yet have brought:

2. Then this our comfort is alone:
That we may meet before thy throne
And cry, O faithful God, to thee
For rescue from our misery:

3. To thee may raise our hearts and eyes,
Repenting sore with bitter sighs,
And seek thy pardon for our sin,
And respite from our griefs within:

4. For thou hast promised graciously
To hear all those who cry to thee,
Through him whose name alone is great,
Our Saviour and our Advocate.

5. And thus we come, O God, to-day
And all our woes before thee lay;
For tried, forsaken, lo! we stand,
Perils and foes on every hand.

6. Ah hide not for our sins thy face;
Absolve us through your boundless grace,
Be with us in our anguish still!
Free us at last from every ill.

7. That so with all our hearts may we
Once more with joy give thanks to thee,
And walk obedient to thy word,
And now and ever praise thee, Lord.

A Glossary, 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.

• A Glossary of the Obsolete and Unusual Words and Phrases of the Holy Scriptures, in the Authorized English Version -- “A helpful glossary edited and published by J. Jameson in 1850.”
• A Pastor’s Response to Mark Ward’s KJV Readability Survey -- “I was randomly called to participate in a King James Bible readability survey by Mark Ward. This is my experience, results, and reaction to this, ‘gotcha’ survey.” (video)
• “Apt” Is Not A False Friend -- “...apt is still used with an emphasis on skill by a very diverse set of publications.”
• Can Jesus Pray “Imprecatory” Prayers? -- “...we hear these prayers as fulfilled in the prayers of Jesus Christ. Jesus alone can pray these prayers from a pure heart, entirely desirous for his Father’s honor...”
• Confessional Bibliology vs. KJV-Onlyism: A Response to Mark Ward’s Mischaracterization -- “In his recent blog post titled ‘Breaking My Two-Year Silence on Confessional Bibliology,’ Mark Ward attempts to critique the Confessional Bibliology position by drawing parallels to KJV-Onlyism.”
• I Am Weary of All the Mark Ward Posts... -- “I took the about 100 words from Ward’s site and tried to see what might be new or valuable from his work; what he might have added to the discussion.”
• John Newton’s Advice On Christian Controversy -- “...we find but very few writers of controversy who have not been manifestly hurt by it.”
• On ‘Palate,’ ‘Pallet,’ and ‘Palette’ -- “It is sometimes tricky to keep straight the three homophones palate, pallet, and palette.”
• On Reading the Church Fathers -- “...there are at least three things the Church Fathers model for us exceptionally well in the midst of a hostile culture.”
• Richard Simon’s Critical History of the New Testament -- “In light of Simon’s deliberate attack on Sola Scriptura, believers must remain steadfast in their commitment to the authority and preservation of God’s Word.”
• Should We Trade in Funerals for “Celebrations of Life”? -- “I’ve noticed a trend: people don’t like thinking about death. In every conceivable way, we dismiss, ignore, and refuse to acknowledge our mortality.”
• “Study” Is Not a False Friend in the KJV -- “Ward claims that modern readers are incapable of reading this word as a reference to anything other than the acquisition of knowledge.”
• The Hypocritical Duplicity of ‘Evangelicals for Harris’ -- “What shared responsibility, commonality, or solidarity can any professing ‘evangelical’ have with a political candidate – any political candidate – who so brazenly advocates for the murder of unborn image-bearers of God?”
• The KJV Survey, by Pastor David Townsley -- “I was sitting in my office minding my own business one day about two years ago when a man called from an organization doing a survey about the readability of the King James Bible.” (print)
• The Septuagint (LXX) Chronology in Genesis 5 and 11: Corrupt and Indefensible -- “Mr. Smith’s argument that the LXX in Genesis 5 and 11 became widely disseminated, and so could not be corrupt, proves too much, even for him.”
• Verses with ‘Zero-Support’ in the Modern Critical Text of the Greek New Testament -- “A significant objection to the reconstructed modern Critical Text of the Greek New Testament has been posed by Dr Maurice A. Robinson for over two decades now, and it has yet to be satisfactorily answered.”
• You vs. Thee: The Importance of Second-Person Pronouns in Bible Translation -- “This demonstrates one of the major shortcomings of the modern translations of the TR as well as a critical flaw in the plowboy argument.”
• 7 Reasons Why the KJBRC Does Not Support Yet Another Supposed Revision of the King James Bible! -- “As always, most of the people calling for a revision do not really want one.”

Do we have the Old Testament?

I am on an email list from Crossway. Sometimes there are links to helpful articles; sometimes not so much. November 3rd’s article was “I’ve Heard It Said the Old Testament Is Full of Errors.” Coming from Crossway, I was not exactly hopeful that it would exude the kind of confidence that many regular folks have in their Bibles.

In the brief article/video, Old Testament scholar John D. Meade says that the Old Testament has “all the signs of human fragility,” but it “has a wealth of manuscripts, a ton of evidence, and textual critics who can actually look at all those manuscripts, compare them, sift out what are simple copyist errors, and actually restore the original text based on comparing all of the evidence.”

Just what parishioners in the pews pine for, a troupe of text critics to tell them that they do not have the Old Testament. But just hold on till they finish their never-ending work! Like New Testament scholar Dan Wallace, Meade believes “We do not have now—in our critical [Hebrew] texts or any translations—exactly what the authors of the [Old] Testament wrote.” Perhaps he learned from experience to try to maintain a little more optimism (or something) than Wallace, and did not go on to say, “Even if we did, we would not know it.”

After I first wrote this for a Facebook post in early November, I was excited a few days later that Pastor Jeff Riddle posted a review of it. His goes into more detail than mine. You can listen and read on the Stylos blog, as well as listen on YouTube.

Meeting the elders of the church of Ephesus

17-27, Meeting the elders of the church of Ephesus: review and preview

In his meeting with the elders of the church of Ephesus, Paul reviews what he has done (17-21) and previews where he is going (22-27). His farewell message at Miletus is one of the longer recorded messages in Acts. It is directed to an exclusively Christian group, all officers from the church at Ephesus.

Verses 17-18a: Apparently to save time on his journey, while the ship is docked at Ephesus Paul has the elders of the church at Ephesus meet him in Miletus, rather than traveling to Ephesus himself. A trip to the city might result in an unintended lengthy sojourn.

The church at Ephesus has elders (who had oversight to feed the church) who were plural in number. See Plurality of Elders.

Verses 18b-21: Paul’s review of his service in Asia include:

• serving the Lord with all humility of mind
• [serving] with many tears
• [serving in] temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews
• I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you,
• [I] have taught you publickly
• [I have taught] from house to house
• testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks
• [testifying] repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sincere service proceeds from an humble mind (cf. Proverbs 3:34, 11:2; Matthew 23:12; Colossians 3:12; James 4:6; I Peter 5:5-6). On the other hand, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Jews lying in wait for Paul can be noted on several occasions: in Damascus (Acts 9:22-25), in Greece (Acts 20:3), in Jerusalem (Acts 23:12-16, 30; 25:2-3). This reference appears to be to an otherwise unrecorded instance of plotting against him – that happened in Asia, and about which the Ephesian elders knew.

The heart of Paul’s message was the same for both Jews and Greeks, “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Repentance and faith two sides of the same coin, In the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith, for example, they are called “inseparable graces.” For repentance and faith (belief) in salvation, see also Matthew 21:32; Mark 1:15; Acts 11:18, 19:4, 26:20-23; Romans 10:9-10; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2, 7:10; Hebrews 6:1; II Peter 3:9. Repentance toward God, proceeded by godly sorrow, is turning toward him, a turning in his direction, seeing God as right about our sin – and a Saviour of those who are wrong, sinners. This turning in the right direction brings one face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ, and embracing him in faith. Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ is one message testified to all, both Jews and Greeks.

Bock assesses Paul’s ministry in Ephesus with three characteristics: “faithfulness, direct preaching of all that is necessary, and testimony about Jesus to all people without distinction.”[1]

Verses 22-25: Paul’s preview of his future service in Jerusalem and beyond include:

• I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me
• the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me
• none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself
• that I might finish my course with joy,
• [that I might finish] the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus
• [the ministry] to testify the gospel of the grace of God
• I know that ye all…shall see my face no more

Paul feels impelled to go to Jerusalem, despite whatever future awaits him there. While the specific events may be unknown, the witness of the Spirit through other believers indicates he will experience imprisonment (“bonds”) and persecution (“afflictions”).[2] His desire to preach the gospel, to finish his course, to fulfill his God-given ministry, is dearer than life itself. The prospects, even up to and including death, do not dissuade him from his course of action. For “finish my course,” see also II Timothy 4:7. This course of action means Paul and the Ephesians elders will not meet again in this life.

Verses 26-27: Paul enlists these elders as witnesses of his service in Asia:

• I am pure from the blood of all men
• I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God

“I am pure from the blood of all men” speaks to responsibility. Paul fulfilled the responsibility placed on him by declaring to all the people, both Jews and Greeks, all the counsel of God. The watchman is responsible for blowing the trumpet. He is not responsible for the hearers’ failure to take heed to the warning. See Ezekiel 33:1-6.

The witness of the ministry of Paul will stand as an example to the elders of the church of Ephesus.

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[1] Bock, Acts, pp. 627-628.
[2] That the witness occurs “in every city” suggests the witness of the Spirit through other Christian believers as Paul travels. This does not preclude a direct witness of the Spirit to Paul. Nevertheless, “in every city” connects the witness with travel and people. A detailed example is given when Paul comes to Cæsarea. See Acts 21:8-11. The Holy Ghost does not give the message to prevent Paul from going to Jerusalem, but to prepare him and his friends for what will happen.

Another trust issue, the SKJV

The Simplified King James Version (Simplified KJV™) is a relatively new updated King James Version created by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Barbour is a Christian publishing house in Uhrichsville, Ohio. According to Barbour’s SKJV site, “The revision work was conducted by Peachtree Publishing Services, a highly respected Bible editing and proofreading company serving publishers around the world.” The online version shows that it is copyrighted in 2022, so it is at this point about two years old. In the following quotes from the Barbour SKJV FAQ page, they make it clear that their purpose is to update the language of the KJV, but not to retranslate anything.[i]

Is this a translation or a version?

The SKJV is a version. The term translation implies going back to the original documents, in the original languages, which we didn't do. Keeping all the original translation work of the 1611 Bible, the Simplified KJV Bible carefully updates old styles that may interfere with your understanding today while leaving the KJV translation work untouched.

What source documents were used?

Only the King James Version itself. We did not attempt to create a new translation from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. Instead, our editors simply updated confusing words, spellings, sentence structures, and punctuation issues in the King James Version.

How does the SKJV differ from the NKJV?

The SKJV did not engage in any new translation work as the NKJV did. There will be similarities in wording, since both versions are based on the original KJV, but the SKJV limited itself to updating antiquated or confusing language in the original KJV text. The NKJV performed new translation work from the original languages.

However, the claims are not technically accurate. When I was studying the NKJV change of Isaiah 9:3 that contradicts or is translated in an opposite manner of the King James Bible, I decided to look up how that verse is presented in the SKJV. Here is a comparison to the Authorized King James Version.

• AKJV: Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
• SKJV: You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy. They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the plunder.

If “only the King James Version itself” was the source document for the SKJV, why did they leave out the word “not” in Isaiah 9:3? This does not match the KJV, but does match the NKJV and most modern English translations.

I sent a message to Barbour Publishing, asking:

“In Isaiah 9:3 you change ‘Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy...’ to ‘You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy...’ How is this dropping of a word not a change to a new translation that does not agree with the King James Version?”

I received a quick response, which described this omission as a typographical error that will be corrected. I appreciate that they intend to correct it. However, the error causes me to question the reliability of their statement about only using “the King James Version itself” and yet ending up with a typographical error that matches modern English translations and does not match the KJV.[ii]

I find it hard to trust publishers that seem to say one thing and do another. I admit that I find it hard to believe this is simply a misprint. It would seem that they have had two years to correct it, and yet it still exists. I understand previously printed hard copies, but how long would it take to correct it online (which is where I read it, and is still there 20 Nov 2024 as I type this).

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[i] Like most modern versions, but unlike the WEB which is public domain, Barbour maintains tight restrictions on quoting from the SKJV. Not more than 500 verses or 25% of the total work in which they are quoted, may be used with one of three credit lines they suggest. Permission must be specifically requested and granted by Barbour to use over 500 verses, or over 25% of the total work in which they are quoted. The Simplified KJV can be purchased in print from their site or on sites like Amazon. To read the version online, one must subscribe to their email service.

[ii] Another example of matching modern versions is the SKJV text of Proverbs 18:1. To compare:

• AKJV: Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.
• SKJV: Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeks and rages against all wisdom.

“Rages” matches the NKJV and is against the AKJV (The RV and ASV had “rageth”). A modern language update should have replaced “intermeddle” with a more common synonym rather than a word with a different meaning.

Jesus and our sin

The Saviour of Sinners.

1 Timothy 1:15.

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

’Twas a heaven below,
The Redeemer to know,
And the angels could do nothing more;
Than to fall at his feet,
And the story repeat,
And the Saviour of sinners adore!

Introduction.

The regular non-Calvinistic missionary Baptists (Fundamental Baptists, Independent Baptists, Landmark Baptists, Missionary Baptists, Southern Baptists) of the Southland have become weak on the subject of sin: (1) weak theologically, using language moving toward a nature with a tendency to sin and away from an inherent and inherited sin nature; and (2) weak practically, in preaching against sin, and disciplining sin in the church (e.g., so that known public wickedness is tolerated for members in a local church). Both problems go hand in glove. 

In theology, notice for example the change from the 1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith to the 1963 Southern Baptist Faith and Message (with language still the same in 2000).

NHCOF: “…in consequence of [the fall] all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse.”

BFAM: “Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence whereby his posterity inherit a nature and an environment inclined toward sin. Therefore, as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become transgressors and are under condemnation.”

Ephesians 2:3 clearly states we are “by nature the children of wrath.” The 1963 modified the state of the sinner in the world, so that the posterity of Adam inherit “a nature and an environment inclined to sin” rather than “being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God.” In an 1889 debate with Campbellite J. A. Harding, Baptist J. B. Moody’s strongly worded proposition on depravity read thusly: “The Scriptures teach that man is so depraved in mind and heart that he is unable without a direct enabling power of the Holy Spirit to obey the Gospel of the Son of God.” 

Jesus came to save sinners and forgive sins, but he was not weak on sin. His rhetoric clearly and forcefully condemns sin. Notice these teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sin is an internal, inherent matter.

Mark 7:15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Mark 7:20-23 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

There is none good, but God.

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

“Being evil” is an apt description of mankind.

Matthew 7: 11 If ye then, being evil…

• In this lesson on prayer, Jesus teaches that all people are evil (not just that they do evil, but that they are evil).

The self-recognizing sinner is commended, and the self-righteous Pharisee condemned.

Luke 18:13-14 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…

None are without sin.

John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

We owe a debt we cannot pay.

Matthew 18:24-25 ten thousand talents…he had not to pay… 32 I forgave thee all that debt

• God’s forgiveness of sin is like the King forgiving his servant a debt he could not pay.

All need repentance.

Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Conclusion.

Jesus and the Bible teaches our depravity is personal, inherited, complete. This whole person is affected by sin, in body, mind, spirit, and will, so that there is nothing good in any of us to commend to God. Only by the grace of God and Spirit of God can we be led to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. If we could pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, so to speak, The substitutionary crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross would be savage, senseless, and needlessly wrong. If we cannot determine the sickness, how can we determine the cure? God’s straight arrow of total depravity drives man from his self-reliance to a despair whose only relief is found by falling at the feet of a merciful Saviour!

If you do not properly abhor your sin, you cannot properly adore your Saviour.

The record of the dates and periods

“4. The position occupied in The Companion Bible is that all Scripture is ‘given by inspiration of God,’ θεόπνευστος (theopneustos) = God breathed. Therefore, the record of the dates and periods stated in the Bible are as much inspired as any other portion of it; and are as much to be relied on for accuracy as those statements upon which we rest in hope of eternal salvation. They must be as unreservedly received and believed as any other statements contained in its pages.”

E. W. Bullinger, “Introduction,” “Appendix 50, Chronological Charts, and Tables,” The Companion Bible, p. 41

Father, I stretch my hands to thee

This hymn below was written by Charles Wesley. “Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee” is very popular as a lined hymn in black churches.

The hymnal Songs of Zion presents a lined-version of musical notation for Wesley’s hymn “Father, I stretch my hands to thee.” Ethnomusicologist Eileen Southern says that this lined format is a “novel inclusion” that “reflects the importance given by the compilers to the validity of oral traditions” in the black churches.[i] According to Southern this is an embellished version of the hymn tune Martyrdom by Hugh Wilson.[ii] In The Sacred Harp tradition, arrangements of the tune are titled Sacred Throne (Denson Book) and The Christian’s Desire (Cooper Book), and often called Avon in the general shape-note tradition.

1. Father, I stretch my hands to thee;
No other help I know.
If thou withdraw’st thyself from me,
Ah! whither shall I go?

2. What did thine only Son endure,
Before I drew my breath!
What pain, what labor to secure
My soul from endless death!

3. O Jesu, could I this believe,
I now should feel thy power;
Now my poor soul thou would’st retrieve,
Nor let me wait one hour.

4. Author of faith, to thee I lift
My weary, longing eyes:
O let me now receive that gift!
My soul with­out it dies!

5. Surely thou canst not let me die;
Oh, speak and I shall live;
And here I will unwearied lie,
’Till thou thy Spirit give.

6. The worst of sinners would rejoice,
Could they but see thy face:
O let me hear thy quick’ning voice,
And taste thy pard’ning grace.

Recordings of “Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee” on YouTube:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLi222YmsKY
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D5LrCTmzk8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp0i2rQB-Xw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEE0UIuvpvQ

Excerpt of the lined tune in Songs of Zion

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[i] Page 166, “Hymnals of the Black Church,” Eileen Southern, The Black Perspective in Music, Volume 17, No. 1/2 (1989), pp. 153-170.
[ii] Songs of Zion, J. Jefferson Cleveland, Verolga Nix, editors. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1981, No. 11. Southern says this book “must be counted among the great monuments of black-church music.” The introduction explains about lined-out hymnody: “In metering or ‘lining out’ a hymn such as ‘Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee,’ the first phrase is spoken or chanted by one person before everyone responds.” (This is followed by an example.) “In the lined-out hymns, simultaneous embellishment of the basic melody is highly recommended.” p. xvi.

Good old duct tape

John: I had a Bible that I used so long I had to hold it together with duck-tape!

Jim: What happened to it?

John: It quacked.

The writing culture of early Christians

How the First Christians Challenge Us to Be Bible Readers

According to Glenn Paauw, there about 14,000 examples preserved of ancient Roman papyrus letters. He says the average length of such letters was about 87 words.  “Even the more literary letters of someone like Cicero ranged only from 22 to 2,530 words.” This is a distinct contrast to Christian theological letters. Paul’s shortest preserved letter is the letter to Philemon. It has 339 words in Greek (TR, 429 in KJV). The letter to the church in Rome has over 7,000 words!

“…the use of letters in ancient Rome, which were common enough, yet almost always very short. In contrast, the early Christian letters were lengthy, seeking to provide whole congregations with a significant amount of instruction and teaching. Ordinary papyrus letters averaged about 87 words (we have about 14,000 examples preserved). Even the more literary letters of someone like Cicero ranged only from 22 to 2,530 words. In comparison, Paul’s shortest preserved letter, Philemon, is 395 words in Greek and his longer ones are off the charts (Romans is over 7,000 words…”

We should not anachronistically read our experience back into the Bible. We live in a day when every Christian family member likely has a Bible – even the youngest grandchildren who are yet too young to read. It was not like that in prior times. However, some have turned this around into an ahistorical world didn’t have books, even a Bible. That is a false understanding or expectation as well.

• Have ye not read (Matthew 12:3, 5: 19:4; 22:31; Mark 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3)
• And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. (Ecclesiastes 12:12)
• …a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. (Acts 8:27-28)
• Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:19)
• The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13)
• These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Another related writing: Paul and First-Century Letter Writing

Bible Word Books

The following are books I have found online that purport to give definitions of old and archaic words in the Authorized King James translation of the Bible. I am compiling them here in one list, ordered chronologically.

• A Short Explanation of Obsolete Words in Our Version of the Bible, and of Such as Are There Used in a Peculiar of Uncommon Sense -- (Henry Cotton, Oxford: S. Collingwood, 1832)
• A Glossary of the Obsolete and Unusual Words and Phrases of the Holy Scriptures, in the Authorized English Version -- (J. Jameson, London: Wertheim and MacIntosh, 1850)
• Motes Upon Crystal: Or Obsolete Words of the Authorized Version of the Holy Bible, Critically and Chronologically Considered, Part I -- (Kirby Trimmer, London: Bell and Daldy, 1864)
• The Bible Word-Book: a Glossary of Old English Bible Words -- (Jonathan Eastwood, William Aldis Wright, London: Macmillan and Co., 1866)
• The Bible Word-Book: a Glossary of Archaic Words and Phrases in the Authorized Version of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer -- (William Aldis Wright, London: Macmillan and Co., 1884)
• Bible Words That Have Changed in Meaning -- (Luther Allan Weigle, New York, NY: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1955)
• The Bible Word Book: Concerning Obsolete or Archaic Words in the King James Version of the Bible -- (Ronald Bridges and Luther A. Weigle, New York, NY: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1960)
• King James Bible Word Book -- (Martin H. Manser, editor. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002)
• Unique Words of the King James Bible -- (Jonathan Wheatley, Meadville, PA: Christian Faith Publishing, 2021) (Partial view)

Some of these are intended more as a help for the readers of the Authorized Version, while some may tend to be more critical of it. (For example, I think Bridges and Weigle hope to lead readers to eventually use the Revised Standard Version.) Additionally, be a Berean; search and study the definitions to see whether they are so in every case.

Thanks to Christopher Yetzer for information on the J. Jameson book.