In other words, auctor to vanguard

• auctor, noun. Author or source (mostly obsolete, except in specialized writings).
• avant-garde, noun. The advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods. (adjective, unorthodox, daring, or radical)
• avoidant discord, noun. An abrupt relationship departure without explanation.
• campanulate, adjective. Shaped like a bell (as a corolla).
• deepfake, noun. An image, audio, or video altered and manipulated using artificial intelligence techniques to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that they did not actually do or say (a portmanteau, “deep learning” + “fake”).
• entelechy, noun. A realization or actuality as opposed to a potentiality.
• evert, verb. To overturn, undermine, turn aside.
• fenowed, adjective. (archaic) Moldy; decayed; corrupted.
• fribble, verb. To act in a foolish or frivolous manner; trifle.
• gephyrophobia, noun. The fear of crossing bridges.
• ghosting, noun (aka simmering and icing). (colloquial or slang) The practice of suddenly ending all communication and avoiding contact with another person without any apparent warning or explanation (usually understood so as to ignore any subsequent attempts to communicate).
• graupel, noun. A precipitation that forms when supercooled droplets of water condense on a snowflake; granular snow pellets.
• harp, verb. To play on a harp; harp on (verb phrase) To dwell in speaking or writing upon someone or something repeatedly and to the point of tediousness.
• harping, noun. (Shipbuilding) Any of several horizontal members at the ends of a vessel for holding cant frames in position until the shell planking or plating is attached.
• misanthrope, noun. A person who hates or distrusts humankind.
• panary, noun. A bakery. (adjective) of or relating to bread or breadmaking.
• pars, noun. A part; portion of a larger structure (usually Medical; e.g. used in medical names and descriptions. Latin word meaning part).
• quinquagenarian, noun. A person who is 50 years old, or whose age is between 50 and 60.
• repdigit, noun. A natural number composed of repeated instances of the same digit in a positional number system (a portmanteau of repeated + digit).
• smithereens, noun (plural noun). Fragments or splintered pieces; bits (esp. a lot of smashed pieces).
• vanguard, noun (aka van). The foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like.

Greek and Hebrew words in English

Many English-only Texians actually know a little bit of Spanish because certain Spanish words have effectively become English words, for example: adiós, amigo, armadillo, barbacoa, cucaracha, fiesta, hombre, jalapeño, mesa, nacho, salsa, taco, tamale.

Likewise, certain Greek and Hebrew Bible words, through common repetition, have effectively become Christian English words (and some are known outside Christian contexts, having literally become English words). Accordingly, many English-only Christians know a little bit of Greek and Hebrew, even if they do not know they know them.

Some Greek words used by English-speaking Christians.

• agape: love (its well-known-ness is generally incorrect)
• amartia: sin
• amen: so be it
• anathema: accursed
• baptizo: baptize, immerse
• charis: grace
• ekklesia (ecclesia): assembly, church, congregation (from which we get the word ecclesiology)
• Emmanuel (Immanuel): literally, “God with us” (also a Hebrew word)
• episkopos: bishop
• euangelion: the gospel, good news
• eucharist: thanksgiving (used to refer to the communion of bread and wine)
• exousia: authority
• koinonia: communion, fellowship
• kenosis: an emptying (of Christ, as described in Philippians 2:7)
• kyrie (aka, kurios): Lord; often known through its use in Latin liturgical texts and in Western choral music; e.g. in the phrase kyrie eleison, or “Lord, have mercy”
• kerygma: preaching, or message
• Logos: the word (spoken of in John 1, et al.)
• maranatha: [when] our Lord comes (an Aramaic phrase in the Greek New Testament)
• Messias: Christ, the Anointed one (also a Hebrew word משיח – Messiah)
• metanoia: repentance, conversion
• monogenes: only begotten
• nomos: law
• Paraclete (Parakletos): one called alongside; the Holy Spirit
• parousia: coming, arrival (most commonly used by Christians when referring to the second coming of the Lord; e.g. 1 Corinthians 15:23)
• pistis: faith
• presbuteros: elder
• soteria: salvation (from which we get the term soteriology)
• Theos: God

Some Hebrew words used by English-speaking Christians.

• Adonai: master, lord, Lord
• ben: (prefix) son, son of
• beth: (prefix) house, house of
• Elohim: a generic name for God and sometimes gods
• halal: praise, worship
• hallelujah: praise God (Jehovah)
• hosanna: save now, an affirmation of praise (cf. Psalm 118:25-26 & Mark 11:9)
• Immanuel (Emmanuel): literally, “God with us” (also a Greek word)
• Jehovah (Yahweh): the Old Testament covenant name of God, usually translated Lord in English
• Messiah: Christ, the Anointed one (also a Greek word Μεσσίας – Messias)
• nephesh: soul, life, breath
• Satan: yes, that is a direct Hebrew word, meaning Satan or adversary
• selah: a possible liturgical or musical term of uncertain meaning, nevertheless often used by English-speakers to express a pause. 
• shalom: peace, true peace
• shema: hear
• tikvah: hope
• torah: instruction, law (most often used to refer to the 5 books of Moses, the Pentateuch)

Bonus.

• Tanakh: not found in the Old Testament itself, but a common term referring to the Hebrew Bible.

In this vein, Rose Publishing has put out 50 Greek Words Every Christian Should Know and 50 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. And on You Tube, there is the series by IsraelU, 7 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know.

An Old Disciple, Acts 21

Verse 16: “certain of the disciples of Cæsarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.” Though Mnason was originally of Cyprus, he had a house or lodging in or near Jerusalem where the disciples could stay. The description “old disciple” might refer to his age, but could rather mean he had been a disciple for a long time.

Mnason accompanied a long line of many hospitable saints. Paul exhorted the Christians at Rome to be “distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality” (Romans 12:13). The Christians to whom Peter wrote needed to have “fervent charity among yourselves” and “use hospitality one to another.” By qualification, the bishops (elders, see Appendix J) must be given to hospitality (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8). “Hospitality” (φιλοξενιαν, φιλοξενοι) is a friendly welcoming and kindness shown to guests, a generous cordiality extended to others. Christians demonstrate this again and again in the historical record of Acts. They fellowshipped together in their places; they travelled and stayed in our another’s homes as they did so. See Acts 1:13; 2:46; 9:19, 28, 43; 10:6, 48; 14:28; 15:33-34; 16:15, 34; 18:3, 20; 20:3, 6; 21:4, 7, 8-10, 17. Hospitality should resonate among members of the same spiritual family, and should not be forgotten toward strangers (III John, vs. 5-8). The Lord does not forget those who practice hospitality, even at the simplest level. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).

“…an old disciple…” Acts 21:16

“What is it then to be ‘an old disciple?’ Surely he is one that is eldest, in having learned, from the continued teachings of God the Holy Ghost, to think less of himself, and more and more of Jesus. He advanceth the farthest in this scriptural age, who is growing in grace, by growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. His every day’s experience brings him more acquainted with his own unworthiness, so as to endear the infinite merit of the Redeemer. He is truly “an old disciple,” who is old in this science, of being more out of love with himself, and more in love with Jesus. For it is impossible, in this progress of the divine life, but to make advances in this exact proportion; and as the blessed Spirit exalts Christ to the view, and brings him home to the heart, by so much our self-confidence lessens; and the more glorious he appears, the more lowly we become in our own eyes. This is one rule to ascertain the real age of a disciple.

“And there is another like it: as those who have long lived in a family, best know its government, and find themselves more at home in it; so the oldest disciples in Jesus’s household will best know how to improve a long and growing acquaintance with him, be coming to him for all they want, and making his glory the one great object of all their desire. And it will prove indeed that they are faithful to their Lord's interest, when they not only lay out every thing for his praise, but receive every thing that he lays out that it may be for his glory. My soul! what sayest thou to this statement of things, in respect of the real age of the believer in Jesus? Art thou ‘an old disciple’ of thy Lord?”

Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

The Pauline Subscriptions in Vaticanus

Below are the subscriptions to Paul’s epistles as found in Codex Vaticanus. I have looked previously at these notes as they appear in some manuscripts, the Textus Receptus, and traditional-text English translations, such as the Geneva and King James Bibles.

Be aware:

1. Codex Vaticanus does not have the epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, neither the end of Hebrews. Therefore, there are no subscriptions for these.
2. The information reflects my attempt to (1) slog through the Majuscule writing (all caps all jammed together), and (2) translate what I thought I saw. They may need to be taken with a grain of salt!
3. I did not readily find a list of these subscriptions re Vaticanus, so I looked at the manuscript on the Vatican Library (DigiVatLib) website. Better transcriptions and translations may exist elsewhere.
4. The general consensus is that the subscriptions are not original to this manuscript, but added by a later scribe.

The Vaticanus Subscriptions of the Epistles of Paul.

• Romans - Unto the Romans written from Corinth
• 1 Corinthians - Unto the Corinthians (first) written from Ephesus
• 2 Corinthians - Unto the Corinthians (second) written from Philippi
• Galatians - Unto the Galatians written from Rome
• Ephesians - Unto the Ephesians written from Rome
• Philippians - Unto the Philippians written from Rome
• Colossians - Unto the Colossians written from Rome
• 1 Thessalonians - Unto the Thessalonians (first) written from Athens
• 2 Thessalonians - Unto the Thessalonians (second) written from Athens

Subscription from 1 Corinthians in Vaticanus

Subscription from 1 Corinthians in the 1519 Erasmus TR

[Note: this is not a recommendation of Vaticanus or its subscriptions. This is a matter of research and comparison.]

Regulative Principle - Elements and Circumstances

1689 London Baptist Confession. “Of the Holy Scriptures.” 1.6

“The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.

“Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.”

The elements of worship may be called the what of worship. These parts of worship are considered fixed according to the scriptures. Elements are not morally or biblically indifferent. An element of worship is a moral and biblical obligation commanded by God. A circumstance of worship is morally and biblically indifferent, a thing that may or may not be used. If used, it does not add anything to one’s worship. If omitted, it does subtract anything from one’s worship.

The 1689 London Baptist Confession (chapter 22) gives examples of elements of worship: prayer (22.3), the reading, preaching, hearing, and singing of the word (22.5), and the administration of baptism and the Lord’s supper (22.5). Some elements may be regular (that is, each time or most every time a congregation meets, or at stated times) and some may be occasional (for example, as with baptism performed when the occasion demands).

A circumstance of worship is something that comes along side of and is incidental to engaging in an element of worship. Prayer is an element of worship. Whether a congregation meets for prayer at 10 a.m., 10 p.m., or some time in between the two is a circumstance of worship; it neither adds anything to nor takes anything away from the moral and biblical nature of prayer itself. Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is an element or worship. Whether the songs are in a Christian’s memory, a hymn book, or stored and presented in some other way is a circumstance. That neither adds anything to nor takes anything away from the moral and biblical nature of the singing itself.

The circumstances of worship may be called the how of worship. These practices of worship are fixed by a congregation, and reflect the ways to worship God within the paramenters of morally and biblically performing the scriptural elements of worship. For example, a congregation may determine it is better for all to sing from the same hymn book rather than everyone singing from their various memories. The London Confession (1.6) says “there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.” 1 Corinthians 14:26, 40

Affirmed elements set forth in Scripture – such as preaching, praying, baptizing, giving, communing – are the natural, moral, and biblical elements of worship. The elements, the things which God commands, are all that should bind and compel the conscience of any worshipper. The circumstances which men introduce cannot and should not bind the conscience of any worshipper. However, they may help promote decent and orderly worship in the congregation. May we who know this remember this. May those who do not know this learn this.

May the Lord bless our understanding.

---

Note: The Second London Baptist Confession is not our church confession of faith. However, it is probably both the clearest and most accessible Baptist confession of faith in regard to the Regulative Principle. Our church position statement is: “The sufficiency of Scripture for all matters of faith and practice insists that our congregational gatherings be restricted to those elements that Scripture requires – praying, thanksgiving, praising, singing, Scripture reading, preaching/teaching, giving, observing the ordinances, ordination and sending, testimonies, greetings, reporting the Lord’s work, decision-making, and church discipline. Any element must be understood from a command, approved example, or necessary implication of Scripture.”

God and his word

“To recognize the Holy Spirit as the creative, active agent of Scripture argues for verbal, every word, not concept, and plenary, every word possesses the full extent of inspiration – verbal, plenary inspiration. Every word of Scripture because it is the word of God is plenarily and verbally inspired because God is the creative, active agent of inspiration and therefore the primary Author, the penmen, secondary. Furthermore, as the word of God, what God breathed-out cannot be separated from the one who breathed the words. The inspired word of God cannot be separated from the God who gave the word by inspiration.”

Peter Van Kleeck, Sr., “The Killing of Immediate Inspiration”

There is a hand, unseen by me

“There is a hand, unseen by me” is the opening line given to this hymn at Hymnary.org. It is nice, but does not match the line in any songbooks I have checked.

Albert Jackson Sims wrote The Unseen Hand, probably in 1918. A. J. Sims was the son of Newton Washington and Phoba Tabitha Sims. A. J. was born July 2, 1884. The first census in which he is recorded gives his place of birth as South Carolina, but in the censuses afterwards Georgia is listed as his place of birth. A. J. married Clara Jane Thomas around 1919 (they are a married couple in the 1920 census). A. J. and Clara had at least four children (Ruby, Joseph, David, Jean). A. J. Sims died October 6 1969 at age 85, and his wife Clara died in 1990. They are buried at the West Hill Cemetery in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia, in EE Annex numbers 573 – 3 and 573 - 4.

Albert Jackson Sims was an ordained elder in the Primitive Baptist Church. He was licensed by the Euharlee Association in 1925. He primarily worked at textile mills at Dalton, but he also taught singing schools. In the 1920 census he was listed as “Teacher, Music School.” When he registered for the World War I draft he was listed as a farmer. It seems likely he wrote other songs. Sims is listed in “Volume S” of the online Primitive Baptist Ministers’ Biographies. It has several minor errors. However, no doubt correctly, it mentions that he was known for his great memory – and also that he was blind several years before his death.

The earliest printing I have located of The Unseen Hand is in Crowning Hymns No. 10: for Conventions, Singing Societies, Etc. (Atlanta, GA: The Morris-Henson Company, 1930, No. 151). The song is dated 1918, indicating that is when Sims wrote or copyrighted it. In that book it appears as follows (which has some substantive differences in text from the version I learned growing up).

1. There is an unseen hand to me,
That’s guiding o’er life’s troubled sea;
And some sweet day I’ll reach that strand,
While holding to the unseen hand.

Refrain:
I’m trusting to the unseen hand,
That guides me through this weary land;
And some sweet day I’ll reach that strand,
While holding to the unseen hand.

2. I long to see my Savior’s face,
And I am trusting in His grace;
I know he’ll lead me to that home,
Where I shall never sigh or roam. [Refrain]

3. His hand has led through shadows dim,
And now I’m fully trusting Him;
And when I reach that golden strand,
I’ll praise with joy that guiding hand. [Refrain]

The song has attained some popularity among Baptist churches in the South, and even appears in the Christian Hymnal of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, of Moundridge, Kansas (1959, No. 467). This book adds under the title this Bible text: “O my God, I trust in thee” Psalm 25:2. The song recognizes and extols the providential hand of God that goes with and guides us through life. I have heard some object to the fact that the name “God” is not mentioned in the song. This is true, but to me seems to be part of the point – as in the book of Esther, even when we don’t see him, recognize him, or mention him, God is still there.

Among other song books, The Unseen Hand is in Pilgrim’s Hymnal (No. 228), a song book of the Progressive Primitive Baptists, and Favorite Songs and Hymns (No. 233), a Stamps-Baxter publication edited by Homer Morris (and the book I learned it in). In those books, it appears as follows.

1. There is an unseen hand to me,
That leads through ways I cannot see;
While going through this world of woe,
This hand still leads me as I go.

Refrain:
I’m trusting to the unseen hand,
That guides me through this weary land;
And some sweet day I’ll reach that strand,
Still guided by the unseen hand.

2. His hand has led through shadows drear,
And while it leads I have no fear;
I know ’twill lead me to that home,
Where sin nor sorrow e’er can come. [Refrain]

3. I long to see my Savior’s face
And sing the story “Saved by Grace,”
And there upon that Golden Strand,
I’ll praise Him for His guiding hand. [Refrain]

Since Crowning Hymns has “A. J. Sims, owner. 1918” and that Pilgrim’s Hymnal and Radio Beams has “Owned by the Author” – and the texts in these books are different – it seems reasonable to assume that Sims made the changes to the text himself. However, we cannot be certain without further evidence.

The following quote has been credited to Vance Havner, though I have failed to find an original source:

“I thank God for the Unseen Hand, sometimes urging me onward, sometimes holding me back; sometimes with a caress of approval, sometimes with a stroke of reproof; sometimes correcting, sometimes comforting. My times are in His hand.”

Praise God for both his seen and unseen hand!

A Bible Word List, 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 Bible Word List and Daily Reading Plan -- “This article includes a short list of difficult words and a Bible reading plan; using this, one can read the Bible once in two years, with the New Testament and Psalms twice.”
• Biblical Heritage Archive Collection -- “This is a premier collection of rare Bibles and artifacts that visually and physically tell the story of how we got our English Bible.”
• Civil Rights Destroys the Funeral of Tyre Nichols -- “The death of discernment didn’t begin with this tragedy. It has been a process of abandoning God in exchange for the immediate gratification believed to be found in government.”
• “Convenient” Is Not a False Friend in the KJV -- “The word convenient only occurs nine times in the KJV. In five of those cases, it means ‘commodious or favorable to one’s comfort.’”
• Migration Into East Texas, 1835-1860: A Study from the United States Census -- “Barnes F. Lathrop, Austin, TX: The Texas State Historical Association, 1949.’”
• Notes on the Pauline Subscriptions -- “These subscriptions were included in Erasmus’ Textus Receptus (1516) and then appeared in various Reformation translations, including the Geneva Bible (1560, 1599) and the King James Version (1611).”
• Nuts About Pecans -- “Here in Texas, we like to have the biggest of everything, so I wasn’t surprised to learn that we even claim the original world’s biggest pecan.”
• Our Nosy New Neighbors -- “When Alida Lorio and her husband moved to the quirky Terlingua Ranch development, they never expected they’d be living among black bears.”
• Roaring Success -- “Meet the teacher who turned an upsetting incident into a burgeoning business”
• The Masculinity Crisis -- “Neither feminization nor machismo rightly capture the biblical portrait of masculinity.”
• Subscriptions to the Epistles -- “Have you ever wondered about those explanatory notes which appear at the end of some of the Epistles?”
• The Scariest Bridge in Texas -- “The tallest ship in the Navy never did pass beneath the Rainbow Bridge. Seems a shame.”
• What’s The Truth About Martin Luther King, Jr.? -- “To the dismay of some blacks, proponents of LGBTQIA+ rights have adopted the civil rights movement as a model for their forward-moving agenda.”
• 6 Tips for Winter Safety -- “It’s no surprise that winter months bring increased fire risks and electrical safety hazards.”
• 7 Alternatives to Comic Sans (With a True ‘a’) -- “Fonts are the clothes with which we dress our words.”

Wordsworth on Authorship of Hebrews

With the status and trends of modern scholarship, many times you have to go back to older writers to find defenses of the Pauline authorship of Hebrews. The following quotes are from 19th-century author Christopher Wordsworth, “On the Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews,” in “Introduction to the Epistle to the Hebrews,” The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the Original Greek: with Introductions and Notes, St. Paul’s Epistles (Fourth Edition), London: Rivingtons, 1866, pp. 361-374.

“The Epistle was addressed to the Hebrews of the East, especially of Jerusalem and Palestine.”

“Although the author of the Epistle writes anonymously, yet those persons, to whom the Epistle was primarily and specially addressed, were acquainted with the name and person of the Author.”

“These [13:18-19, 23, rlv] and other similar expressions bespeak an individual well known personally to the friend whom he addresses.” He asserts that the Christians of this region addressed, who knew the author, themselves ascribed the writing to Paul.

There were more doubts in the West than in the East about the authorship. According to Wordsworth, “The doubts of the West were dispersed in the fourth century, and did not appear again till they were revived by one or two persons in the sixteenth.”

“The author, whoever he is, in writing anonymously, deviates not only from the usage of St. Paul, but from that of the other writers of the Epistles in the New Testament.”

“The Epistle was designed primarily for the Jewish Christians of Palestine, who were tempted to relapse into Judaism, and for other Jewish Christians, and also for the benefit of Jewish readers throughout the world, and lastly for universal use.”

“It was designed for enemies as well as for friends, for Judaizing Christians, and for unchristianized Jews.”

“Of all the Apostles or Apostolic men of the primitive age, no person would be better qualified, and no one would be more desirous, to write such an Epistle to such parties as these, than St. Paul.”

“But if he had prefixed his name to the Epistle, he would have run the risk of marring his own labor of love.” Why? His name was offensive to Judaizing Christians and unchristianized Jews.

“…the non-appearance of the Author’s name in the Epistle to the Hebrews does not diminish, but rather increases, the probability that the Author was St. Paul.” Why? He deems there are good reasons for Paul to suppress his name, which would not exist for other proposed writers such as Apollos, Barnabas, or Clement.

“Let it be remembered that there was a special token by which his Epistles were to be discerned by his friends.”

“Each of the Thirteen Epistles, to which St. Paul’s name is prefixed, contains near its close his Apostolic Benediction, ‘Grace be with you.’ And, in one of the first Epistles he had written, he had announced that this would be the token in every Epistle, and that so he would write [2 Thess. 3:17-18, rlv]. And no other writer of Scripture uses this token during St. Paul’s lifetime. It was reserved to him as his special badge and cognizance.”

I am not claiming to agree with everything Wordsworth wrote about Pauline authorship of Hebrews, but it is a good resource available online. You can read it on Google Books at the link above.

Was Agabus a True Prophet?

A “Wrong-Headed” View of New Testament Prophecy

• Cessationism holds that the gift of prophecy has ceased in the churches today.
• Continuationism holds that the gift of prophecy is operable in the churches today.

Some “continuationist” views of the spiritual gifts and prophecy affect the interpretation of the prophecy of Agabus in Acts 21:11. One who holds such a view is Wayne Grudem, well-known for his Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2nd Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020) In Grudem’s view, there are two types of New Testament prophecy. Apostolic prophecy was infallible and authoritative, equivalent to Old Testament prophecy, and ceased after the days of the apostles. A secondary type of prophecy for congregational guidance was fallible, non-authoritative, and continues throughout the church age. Notice Grudem’s second view of prophecy applied to the prophecy of Agabus in Acts 21.

“However, using OT standards, Agabus would have been condemned as a false prophet, because in Acts 21:27-35 neither of his predictions are fulfilled.” Grudem claims Agabus got it wrong both in saying he would be bound by the Jews, and that the Jews would deliver him to the Romans. He writes, “Paul was not bound (δέω) by the Jews but by the Romans (δέω, 21:33 and 22:29), and far from delivering Paul over (παραδίδωμι, v. 11; essential to the word is the notion of active or intentional giving on the part of the subject of the verb) to the Romans, they tried to kill him (vs. 31), and he had to be delivered from the Jews by the soldiers (vss. 32-33) …” He later ameliorates this with “it is not that Agabus has spoken in a totally false or misleading way; it is just that he has the details wrong.” This fits Grudem’s view of secondary New Testament prophecy, which has “divine authority in general content” even while getting details wrong.[i]

Luke has previously affirmed Agabus as a true prophet (Acts 11:27-28). Luke further faithfully records this prophecy (Acts 21) as the words of the Holy Ghost, and gives no hint that anything is amiss. It is reasonable to assume that, since Agabus spoke by the Holy Ghost and said the Jews would bind Paul, that they did bind him when they drew him out of the temple (vs. 27-30). The Jews “laid hands on him…took Paul, and drew him out of the temple.” That their intent was to kill Paul does not preclude that they instead gave him up to the Romans when the circumstances changed. Paul himself later uses (Acts 28:17) the very expression that Agabus used, Acts 21:11. Paul said he was delivered, παραδίδωμι, “into the hands of the Romans.” Making Agabus wrong also makes Paul wrong! That the Roman captain commanded that Paul be bound with two chains does not preclude that Paul could have already been bound by the Jews with some kind of restraint. “Agabus got it wrong” seems to be a modern idea brought to the text by those who hold a continuationist position (such as Grudem and D. A. Carson).[ii] This supports the view of modern prophets in the churches who get the “general content” right but the “exact details.” However, this also plays well into the hands of the skeptics and unbelievers. And it is just wrong-headed.

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[i] Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians, University Press of America, 1982, pp. 79-80.
[ii] For example, John Gill writes: “thus saith the Holy Ghost; who was in Agabus, and spoke by him, and foretold some things to come to pass; and which did come to pass.”

Here a little, there a little

When smart guys get it wrong:

“The verb Agabus used (paradidōmi, ‘to deliver, hand over’) requires the sense of voluntary, consciously, deliberately giving over or handing over something or someone else. That is the sense it has in all 119 other instances of the word in the New Testament. But that sense is not true with respect to the treatment of Paul by the Jews: they did not voluntarily hand Paul over to the Romans!” Wayne Arden Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994, p. 1052

In context, Grudem is saying that Agabus got the prophecy wrong; the Jews did not hand Paul over. Wayne Grudem is doubtless a top-notch scholar in an academic sense. He holds a BA from Harvard University, an MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Theology & Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary. He was a member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version of the Bible. The above error seems way beneath his pay-grade and way above mine. Yet he seems to have made a simple mistake in his thinking.

While researching and being diligently studious regarding the meaning of Acts 21:4, I ran across Grudem’s continuationist viewpoint on spiritual gifts, particularly that a New Testament prophet might have divine authority in general content while getting details wrong. He presents Agabus (Acts 21:11) as a prime example of this. He believes Agabus’s prophecy was wrong in the detail of παραδωσουσιν (paradidōmi) εις χειρας εθνων (being delivered into the hands of the Gentiles). However, it appears that when he brought forward the 119 uses in the New Testament as proof of the meaning of the Greek word, he missed the fact that there is one verse that is too much for him to prove his case! Acts 28:17. When Paul told the Jews in Rome what happened in Jerusalem, he said that he was to be παρεδοθην (paradidōmi) εις τας χειρας των ρωμαιων (delivered into the hands of the Romans) – the same word that Grudem says means voluntary, consciously, deliberately handing over. Now take what Grudem says the word means and apply it to what Paul said in Acts 28:17. Paul himself said that he was voluntarily deliberately handed over to the Romans! You can’t have it both ways. If Agabus was wrong about what happened in his telling of the future, Paul was wrong about what happened in his recounting of the past!

Numerology?

For better or worse, there are many discussions regarding numbers in the Bible and about the Bible, from the obvious numbers that any reader can read on its surface to the supposed hidden numbers that someone with secret knowledge must reveal to you. A lot of terms, for better or worse, which may not be understood, are thrown around the issue of numbers and the Bible. The issue itself is confusing, as well as the jargon.

Geometric Jargon.

First I will attempt to give definitions of some of these words used often, as well as a few others less commonly used. There may be some differing opinions on how they are used, and how they should be used.

• Alpha-Gematria = possibly a term coined by Leo Tavares for his method of explaining the scriptures by coded significance of the words, using the alphanumeric properties of the Hebrew and Greek languages.
• Arithmancy = a form of divination involving numbers.
• Bible numerics = the theory that there are in the Bible mysterious and marvelous numerical patterns which establish the correctness of the text and proves the divine authority of Holy Scripture, especially related to the work of Ivan Panin on the Greek New Testament.[i] 
• Gematria = a cabalistic method of explaining the scriptures by means of the cryptographic or coded significance of the words.
• Kabbalah = specifically, a form of Jewish mysticism marked by belief in creation through emanation and the use of a cipher method of interpreting scripture; or, more generically, an esoteric doctrine or mysterious art; a traditional, esoteric, occult, or secret matter.
• Number-ology = a coined word, apparently by G. John Rov (Gary Rovarino), to try to distinguish his view of biblical words and numbers from numerology or gematria.[ii] 
• Number symbolism (or, Bible numbers) = the use of symbolic numbers in the Bible and the study of the meaning of those symbols. This is a different and open (not hidden) unlike the various attempts to find secret codes[iii]. 
• Numerics = the field of numerical study, though applied in various ways when applied to the study of numbers related to the Bible (see “Bible numerics”).
• Numerology = the study of the meanings of numbers and their supposed influence on human life; or, in reference to the Bible, the study of hidden numbers and their supposed influence on the interpretation of scripture. This term is very often connected to the occult.[iv] 

Significant People.

David Bay (“Ivan Panin: Russia’s Gift to Christianity”).

“Don’t just read your Bible – Count It!”

“You and I have to go to numerics in Greek when we wish to prove the correctness of a passage…The amazing design of numeric features or facts discovered in the structure of the Greek text used by Wescott and Hort definitely settles the question concerning the correct reading of the last verse in the Bible. The numerical facts prove that they are right in ending the New Testament with the word ‘saints.’ (Mathematics Prove Holy Scriptures, Karl Sabiers, latest reprint 1969, pp.91-94)

“We are so amazed by the effectiveness of Bible Numerics in proving, or disproving, all textual question that we can only marvel that every Christian college and university does not include a full line of study on this subject. Certainly, no one has stepped forward to challenge Panin’s conclusions, either Christian or secular.”

Chuck Missler (“Preface,” Cosmic Codes: Hidden Messages from the Edge of Eternity).

“There are actually many types of hidden codes in the Bible, and the recently controversial equidistant letter sequences are but one of them. There are those who are irrepressibly enthusiastic about the equidistant letter sequences in the Bible. There are others who dismiss these incidences as simply statistical oddities that will occur in any extensive corpus of text. And there are some who even regard the pursuit of these codes as having a sinister portent.

“However, very few of the popular treatments of this intriguing subject evidence any background in cryptology, with is precisely the science at issue. Having spent a 30-year career in both military and civilian pursuits in advanced communication and information science technologies — including deeply classified ventures in the intelligence field — and, also, having more than three decades in serious Biblical studies, I felt that a broader approach to the subject of hidden messages was appropriate.

“Are there really hidden messages in the Bible? If so, why?

“We will, of course, also explore the controversial equidistant letter sequences, their potential significance, and their latent dangers. And yet the most astonishing codes are of the kind for which you do not need a computer.

“We will explore some remarkable discoveries about the alphabets used in the Biblical texts and the microcodes which reveal some surprising aspects hidden behind the text itself.”

The late Ivan Panin (See “Bible numerics”).

Brandon Peterson (Sealed By the King, page 207).

“So what about these men, Moses and Elijah, do we discover in the numerics of the KJB?

“To begin, as you might expect, they are sevened. It is concealed to those who quickly search their names without careful attention…”

Gail Riplinger (New Age Bible Versions, page 150).

“Acrostic algebra reveals the ashy residue on which the NIV and NASV rest. When you shake down the ‘Lite’ versions like the New American Standard Version (NASV) and the New International Version (NIV), you find some heresies which are common to both (like their common letters ‘N’ and ‘V’, as shown in Step 2.)” …

“When the portions of the true text of the Authorized Version (AV) are removed from these other versions, the sheep’s clothing comes off the hand of the wolf’s skin spells—SIN. (Steps 4 & 5)”[v]

Step 1: (NASV - NIV) - AV = X

Step 2: (NASV - NIV) - AV = X

Step 3: (ASI + NV) - AV = X

Step 4: ASI + NV - AV = X

Step 5: SIN = X

[Note: I have used strike-through, not knowing how to create a slash-through as in New Age Versions.]

Gary Rovarino (Concealed from Christians for the Glory of God, page 3).

“The secrets that God keeps are matters of divine revelation and require a prophet to reveal them. To understand the issue of God’s authoritative Bible we do not need historians, manuscript experts, textual critics, or linguistic scholars but we do need the voice of a prophet. The word of God is this prophetic voice, and God will use it alone to reveal glorious secrets to you or to conceal costly secrets from you.”

Leo Tavares (Geometric Exegesis).

“I showed how the Standard Greek value of ‘TEMPLE’ (from Matthew 12:5) yields the G-base of the Genesis 1:1 Triangle and forms a Star that accommodates Snowflake 373. This now leads to another hidden identity I uncovered in this very same Greek word, which is this: The Ordinal Greek value of ‘TEMPLE’ (Matthew 12:5) = 64. Why is this significant? Because the 64th Triangle is the precise Triangle that accommodates the Star of 925!”

These (above) are just a few promoters of “biblical” numerology, and there exists lots of other “Bible-code” talk in addition to the numerology. The following are samples of titles out on the World Wide Web which sound esoteric and Gnostic.[vi]

• God Code: Unlocking Divine Messages Hidden in the Bible, by Timothy P. Smith (2018)
• Discovering Hidden Meanings in Biblical Texts: Unearthing Deeper Significance in the Scriptures for Your Spiritual Journey, by Kaleb F Weaver (2024)
• Bible Unlocked: Hidden Meanings Revealed, by Kristina Kaine (2019)
• Beyond the Words: Unraveling the Hidden Meanings of the Bible, by Ryan Santosh Joseph (2023)

There is a wide range of beliefs among the proponents of “biblical numerology.” We supporters of the King James Bible have been “blessed” with an inordinate amount of them – but among these numerology folks are also users and promoters of modern Bibles. Bay and Missler follow the late Ivan Panin, who used numeric methods to try to establish the “correct” Greek text of the New Testament. The range of folks leads from the more circumspect (like Brandon Peterson, who seems primarily interested in supporting the King James Bible) to Gary Rovarino (who seems to now be identifying himself as a modern-day prophet). Nevertheless, there will be no good to come from bogus biblical beliefs. They will not lead to a deeper spiritual journey, but rather into a fog of confusion and unbelief. “Bible codes are contradictory to the doctrine of sufficiency of Scripture” (Creation.com).

Serious Problems.

• Builds on sinking human sand rather than solid biblical rock.
• Coaxes the curious toward confusion, and even heresy.
• Connects to a condition of apophenia, the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things. The human mind can invent perceived connections – including numerical connections – in practically everything, even where there are none.[vii]  
• Exalts hidden-knowledge “experts” over simple Bible teachers, and advances subjugation to “Messianic” masters, shrewd swindlers, and Gnostic gurus (many cultic in their leadership) without whom you cannot know the “secret meaning” of the Bible.
• Feeds pridefulness and egotism with its magnetism to “secret knowledge.”
• Opens the floodgates of susceptibility to odd and errant Bible interpretations.
• Overthrows the “faith” of some, when they realize they have had the wool pulled over their eyes.
• Promotes the contrived and/or deceptive use and explanation of numerical patterns.

Conclusion.

Beware of false prophets. Watch for weird witnesses. Do not be deceived. Partake of the good food our Lord has put on the shelf for all to receive. 

“The attempt to find mysterious numerical patterns and values in sentences, words, and phrases which have a plain and obvious meaning, whether the meaning is sublime or trite or trivial, whether it is found in the Bible, or in a masterpiece of secular literature, or in the commonplaces of ordinary life, is to say the least a tremendous waste of time and effort; and, what is far more important, resting as it does on principles that are demonstrably false, it may lead to serious and disastrous consequences. A man who rests his faith in the inerrancy of the Bible on Bible Numerics is trusting in a broken reed, which if he leans on it will go into his hand and pierce it.”[viii] 

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[i] Also, Karl George Sabiers used “Bible Numerics” as the title of his book that supposedly “proves” the inspiration of the Bible by finding numeric codes in the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible. He also wrote Astounding New Discoveries: Thousands of Amazing Facts Discovered Beneath the Very Surface of the Bible Text. Sabiers studied the work of Panin. He was also connected with Aimee Semple McPherson.
[ii] On page 141 of his book, Gary Rovarino says “number-ology” means “words about numbers” and that this is “God’s word” and “righteous.” On page 142, he calls the superstitious use of numbers “numerology,” and says it is evil. Concealed from Christians for the Glory of God: the 1611 KJV, the King James Bible Authorized Version, G. John Rov, Lulu Publishing, 2019, pp. 141-142.
[iii] Some books of this sort include: Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance, by Ethelbert William Bullinger; That Ye May Marvel, Or, The Significance of Bible Numbers, by George Elliott Jones. While it is possible that some studies of number symbolism can get carried away with speculation, such studies are nevertheless subject to universal inspection by Bible believers (that is, such studies do not hinge on secret knowledge).
[iv] Some distinguish “biblical numerology” or “Christian numerology” as the study of numbers in the Bible to find meaning outside of the numerical value of the actual number being used. It is best for real Bible students to steer clear of the word numerology.
[v] I am a critic of both the NASB and the NIV as defective Bibles, but this so-called “acrostic algebra” of Gail Riplinger is pure unadulterated nonsense! Notice also that the correct and common initials of the New American Standard Bible are NASB, which Riplinger uses most of the time in her book. However, she pulls a rabbit out of the hat – identifies it as the NASV – when she gets ready to perform her amazing acrostic algebra reduction trick. It is unbelievable that she or anyone else would take this seriously!
[vi] Possessing secret knowledge that most people do not have.
[vii] This can become a conspiratorial condition.
[viii] Bible Numerics: an Examination of the Theory that there is in the Bible a Mysterious and Marvelous Numerical Pattern which Establishes the Correctness of the Text and Proves the Divine Authority of Holy Scripture, Oswald Thompson Allis, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1944.

Yesterday, and to day, and for ever

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

A wonderful and often quoted Scripture. Often quoted, but seldom quoted in context.

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:7-8

The character and work of the gospel ministry never changes because God’s word never changes and Jesus never changes. Everyone says they believe God’s word doesn’t change and Jesus doesn’t change, then they proceed to change the work of the ministry into whatever they want or think will “work”.

Mark Osgatharp, Pastor, Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church, Wynne Arkansas

The importance of inward religion

The following hymn by English Baptist minister John Fawcett was published in 1782 in Hymns Adapted to the Circumstances of Public Worship and Private Devotion (Leeds: G. Wright and Son, pages 128-130). Fawcett is likely best-known as the writer of “Blest be the tie that binds.” In one song book we used in the church where I grew up (Favorite Songs and Hymns, No. 218), this hymn was paired with the tune Mear, (which is a quite common pairing). From that experience, I like to sing it with that tune, but it also goes well with other common meter tunes. In this book, under the tune name appeared this note, “The importance of Religion.—Phil. 3:8.” There Mear was credited as a “Welsh Air.” It is similar to Middlesex in A Sett of Tunes in 3 Parts…By Various Hands, placed within Simon Browne’s hymn book, Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Three Books (London: Eman. Matthews). The Sacred Harp setting of the tune can be found on 49b. This tune is sometimes credited to Aaron Williams (1731- 1776), an English singing teacher, music engraver, and church clerk. Perhaps he arranged it in its more modern or common setting.

The original hymn has 8 stanzas of common meter, but many hymnals reduce the number to 6 or less.

HYMN LXVIII. C. M.

The Nature and Necessity of inward Religion.

Jam. i. 29. (sic, typographical error, should be 27)

1. Religion is the chief concern,
Of mortals here below:
May I its great importance learn,
Its sov’reign virtue know!

2. More need this, than glitt’ring wealth,

Or ought the world bestows,

Not reputation, food, or health,

Can give us such repose.

3. Religion should our thoughts engage,

Amidst our youthful bloom;

’Twill fit us fro declining age,

Or for the awful tomb.

4. Be this my steady care, and strife,

To witness all its power,

’Twill be my best support in life,

And chear my dying hour.

5. O may my heart, by grace renewed,
Be my Redeemer’s throne;
And be my stubborn will subdued,
His government to own!

6. Let deep repentance, faith, and love
Be join’d with godly fear;
And all my conversation prove,
My heart to be sincere.

7. Preserve me from the snares of sin,

Thro’ my remaining days;

And in me let each virtue shine,

To my Redeemer’s praise.

8. Let lively hope my soul inspire;
Let warm affections rise;
And may I wait with strong desire
To mount above the skies.

The more you miss church, and other quotes

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

“The more you miss church, the less you miss church.” -- Unknown

“The mistaken kindness of parents has ever proved the greatest curse to children.” -- David Thomas (1813-1894), independent minister in London

“The only thing that costs more than education is ignorance.” -- A common proverb promoting education; sometimes attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but without evidence

“Never does the devil act so mightily upon the human heart as when his errors are urged on us by the arguments of those who love us most.” -- David Thomas (1813-1894)

“The counsels of the purest human love are not always wise.” -- David Thomas (1813-1894)

“Some of the worst advice ever given is ‘to follow your gut.’  Your gut was made for digestion, not discernment!” - Junior Hill

“The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.” -- attributed to Martin Luther

“Calling Christianity a crutch for the weak gives people way too much credit. Christianity is actually a resurrection for the dead.” -- Danny Slavich

“The Gospel in a sentence: God made it perfectly; we broke it willfully; Jesus redeems it totally.” -- Sam Luce.

“Being a Christian does not change what you deal with; it changes how you deal with it.” -- Unknown

“True doctrine is always foundational to true faithful devotion. Our agenda, what we do, is always informed by our credenda, what we believe.” -- Tom Ascol

“The man who has no creed has no belief.” -- Andrew Fuller

“The less talent they have, the more pride, vanity, and arrogance they have. All these fools, however, find other fools to applaud them.” -- attributed to Erasmus in The Praise of Folly (1509) [Note: this appears to be a loose arrangement of some things said there rather than a close translation that could be considered a quote (in my opinion).]

“We may not know what is going on in heaven or what God’s purposes are, but we must trust Him. “ -- John MacArthur

Donner, Psalm 12:6-7

“True thus is the word of the true, infallible One who cannot lie. The faith of the poet rests upon it, fully assured that none of the words of God shall fall to the earth unfulfilled. And the ages have established the truth of David’s praise upon the word of the Lord. The unbeliever has cast God’s Word into the ungodly crucible of his critique, and still does every day. It has been subjected to the most severe experiments that science could devise, and it still boldly continues. And with what outcome? That our precious Bible, after each trial, became more and more manifest, to be the pure, infallible Word of our God. Faith, then, fears not those experiments of infidel criticism; one does not make silver, purified seven times, into tin or lead. They will not be able to take God’s Word from us, they will have to let the Word stand.” J. H. Donner (Netherland Reformed), De Psalmen Voor de Gemeente Uitgelegd (The Psalms Explained For The Church), Volume 1, 1893, p. 77 (English translation from the original Dutch) 

“Waarachtig is alzoo he Woord van den Waarachtige, onbredriegelijk van Hem die niet liegen kan; het geloof des dichters verlaat zich er op, ten volle verzekerd, dat geen der woorden God onvervuld op aarde vallen zal.”

“En de eeuwen hebben de waarheid van Davids lof op het Woord des Heeren bevestigd. Het ongeloof heef Gods Woord in den ongoddelijken smeltkroes van zijn critiek geworpen, en doet dit nog elken dage. Men heeft het aan de zwaarste proeven, die de wetenschap kon uitdenken, onderworpen, en gaat er nog stout en driest mede voort. En met welke uitkomst? Dat onze dierbare Bijbel, na elke proef bij toeneming openbaar werd, het reine, zuivere, onfeilbare Woord onzes Gods te zijn. Het geloof vreest dan ook die proefnemingen der ongeloovige critiek niet, men maakt geen zevenmaal gelouterd zilver tot tin of lood; zij zullen ons Gods Woord niet kunnen ontnemen, het Woord zullen zij moeten laten staan.”

“True thus is the word of the True, infallible of Him who cannot lie; the faith of the poet rests upon it, fully assured that none of the words of God shall fall to the earth unfulfilled. And the ages have established the truth of David’s praise upon the Word of the Lord. Unbelief has cast God’s Word into the ungodly crucible of its critique, and still does every day. It has been subjected to the most severe experiments that science could devise, and it is still bold and bold. And with what outcome? That our precious Bible, after each trial, became more and more manifest, to be the pure, pure, infallible Word of our God. Faith, then, fears not those experiments of unbelieving criticism; they do not make silver, purified seven times, into tin or lead; they will not be able to take God’s Word from us, they will have to let the Word stand.”

“David geloof is wonderbaar gesterkt geworden, hij erkent en verwacht, dat de Heer de ellendigen en nooddruftigen bewaren en behoeden zal van het valsch en trotsch geslacht der leugenaars en lage vleiers.”

“David’s faith has been wonderfully strengthened, he acknowledges and expects that the Lord will keep and keep the poor and needy from the false and proud generation of liars and low flatterers.”

“De Heere alleen kan er hen voor behoeden en bewaren; want niet dan kwaad, niet dan verderf is te watchten, wanneer zij de overhand krijgen en de macht in kerk of staat in hunne handen komt.”

“The Lord alone can keep them from it and keep them; for nothing but evil, nothing but destruction is to be watched when they gain the upper hand and power in church or state comes into their hands.”

“De goddeloozen draven rondom, zij verheffen zich, wanneer de snoodsten der menschenkinderen verhoogd worden, wanneer dit boos geslacht van vleiers en leugenaars de eereplaatsen van macht en heerschappij innemen.”

“The wicked trot about, they lift themselves up, when the vilest of the children of men are exalted, when this evil race of flatterers and liars take the honors of power and dominion.”

Philip and his daughters

Acts 21:8-10 in Cæsarea

Verse 8: The next stop was in Cæsarea, about 30 miles further south. Here they are hosted in the house of Philip the evangelist. “which was one of the seven” Not Philip the apostle. See Acts 6:5, where Philip was one of seven men “of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom” that the church appointed over the business of ministering to the widows in the church at Jerusalem. This same Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached there (Acts 8:5-25). Following the message from an angel, Philip went down toward Gaza, witnessed to and baptized the eunuch of Ethiopia (Acts 8:26-38). After this Philip was at Azotus and passed through preaching in other cities of the coastal plain until he came to the city of Cæsarea (Acts 8:39-40). He seems to have then settled down here as his place of operation, where he is living with his family when Paul and company arrive. Philip was a disciple on the move at the time of “the persecution that arose about Stephen.” Compare Acts 8:3-5: “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.”

Verses 9-10: Philip’s family included four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy (“did prophesy”). Cf. Acts 2:17 and I Corinthians 11:5. Whether they prophesied anything concerning Paul’s trip to Jerusalem, we are not told, and another prophet brings a specific message to the apostle.[1]

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[1] It was the opinion of many of our older brethren that this conduct was a matter of propriety in not usurping the authority over a man. This may well explain why Agabus specifically is sent with the message concerning Paul’s fate at Jerusalem. “Philip had four daughters who were prophetesses. Paul was abiding at Philip’s house at Caesarea ‘many days.’ While there God sent to him a prophet named Agabus…Now why did God send a man all the way from [Judaea] to tell Paul that, when he was staying in the home of man who had four daughters who were prophetesses?” (H. Boyce Taylor, “Women Speaking in Mixed Assemblies,” in Feminism: Woman and Her Work, John William Porter, editor, p. 142) This view has not been altogether abandoned. For example, “...since it is expressly forbidden for women to teach, speak, or have authority over the men in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:34,35; 1 Tim. 2:11,12), it can only be concluded that the prophetic ministry of these four virgin daughters was carried on in the home or in other non-church gatherings.” (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995, p. 1650).

What? NKJV notes and the Critical Text.

When folks say that there exist some critical text readings in the New King James translation, the claim is often dismissed as the rabid ravings of kooky KJV-“Onlyists”. But wait? What if a work published by the publisher of the NKJV (Thomas Nelson) and under the hand of the executive editor of the NKJV (Arthur Farstad) agrees? Are they unhinged as well?

Here are three verses (below), investigated in The NKJV Greek-English Interlinear New Testament (Arthur L. Farstad, Zane C. Hodges, Michael Moss, Robert Picirilli, Wilbur Pickering. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994). I discussed two of the same in “Are there Critical Text preferences in the NKJV?” (which see). I believe someone with the time to do the research will turn up more of the same kind of things. If you do not have the NKJV Interlinear, you can borrow it HERE.

2 Corinthians 4:14. KJV “by” versus NKJV “with”. On page 634 it says “with” is the NU reading (NU= Nestle-Aland, United Bible Society). NKJV follows the NU reading.

Jude 1:3. KJV “the” versus NKJV “our”. On page 835 it says “our” is the NU reading. NKJV follows the NU reading.

Revelation 6:11. KJV “robes” versus NKJV “robe”. On page 854 it says the plural is the TR reading. NKJV follows the singular of the NU rather than the plural of the TR.

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Note: The main reason for this post is to demonstrate that even friends and promoters of the New King James translation are able to acknowledge some influence arising from the Critical Text.

Even Mark Ward has admitted, “There are six places in the NT—Luke 1:35; Col 3:17; Jude 3; and now 2 Cor 13:14; 4:14; 2 John 1:7—that Kent [Brandenburg] has brought to my attention, places in which I cannot square the rendering in front of me with the generally literal approach of the NKJV translators and with Scrivener’s text at the same time.”