We are Come unto Mount Zion

Isaac Watts, We are Come unto Mount Zion, Common Meter

1. Not to the terrors of the Lord,
The tempest, fire, and smoke:
Not to the thunder of that word
Which God on Sinai spoke:

2. But we are come to Sion’s hill,
The city of our God;
Where milder words declare His will,
And spread His love abroad.

3. Behold th’ innumerable host
Of angels clothed in light:
Behold the spirits of the just,
Whose faith is turned to sight.

4. Behold the blest assembly there
Whose names are writ in heaven;
Hear God, the Judge of all, declare
Their sins, through Christ, forgiven.

5. The saints on earth, and all the dead
But one communion make:
All join in Christ, their living Head,
And of His grace partake.

6. In such society as this
Our weary souls would rest;
The man who dwells where Jesus is,
Must be forever blest.

3 Reasons Why I Wear, 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.

• 3 Reasons Why I Wear Skirts Full-Time -- “As a little girl and as a lady, I have worn skirts and dresses full-time my entire life.”
• An Evaluation of the Work of Charles Surrett on the New King James Version -- “Surrett himself concludes his talk with this comment: Although the New King James has the advantage of using more modern English, I think it is a decidedly inferior translation to the old King James.”
• Another church shooting: Have we become ‘morally anesthetized’ to the horrors of gun violence? -- “That witness visually documents deadly actions that ‘can happen anytime, anywhere,’ even during one of the most sacred and communal moments of Christian congregational life.”
• Church Installs Artwork of Jesus in Drag -- “The artwork is being replaced with a new depiction of the Last Supper which shows Jesus in high heels and surrounded by drag queens (how low can we go?).”
• CNN Settles Defamation Lawsuit With Covington Student Nicholas Sandmann -- “A CNN spokesperson confirmed to TheWrap that a settlement was reached but did not comment on details.”
• Focus on Texas: Fences -- “You can’t be on the fence about these photos of fences; they’re all fantastic.”
• Ghost Dogs of Orozimbo -- “But Orozimbo Plantation kept no dogs, and for miles around, there were no neighbors who had dogs.”
• Gordon’s Gold -- “Architect James Riely Gordon flourished during the golden age of Texas courthouses.”
• How to Leave Your Debt in 2019 – 7 Financial Habits to Take into 2020 -- “Eliminate the cycle of unnecessary debt. Choose a debt repayment plan that works for you.”
• Methodists Agree on Compromise to Split Denomination -- “There’s broad support for a new plan to allow traditional marriage proponents to leave the UMC with $25 million in funding.”
• One Corner of the Square -- “Architectural preservation and economic development are bringing new life to Stephenville’s square.”
• The Cultural Left Bares Its Teeth: An Open Threat to Churches and Christians Who Hold to Biblical Conviction -- “The dismantling of religious liberty for the sake of LGBTQ liberty has long been the aim of secularization...”
• Where did Noah’s Ark come to rest? – Genesis 8:4 -- “The common thought is that the ark came to rest at, or near, the top of a mountain, specifically Mt. Ararat.”

Is it Okay...

...to write in your Bible?

This question conjures up different feelings in different people. I came out of a background that included people who made notes in their Bibles, so I have never considered that it might not be okay. However, a few people think you should not, and others who do not consider it inherently wrong do not feel comfortable marking in their own Bibles.

A small minority cite verses such as Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:6, and Revelation 22:18. These verses warn against adding to the word of God. Those who cite these kind of verses would charge those who make notes with adding to the word of God. Contextually, these warn against making men’s words equal to God’s words, with an authority that is unwarranted. Jesus makes the case against this in Mark 7:7-13, as well as other places. This has nothing to do with writing in or on a physical or material element such as a scroll or book.

I mark up my Bible (singular). That is, I mark the one I am continually reading and studying. I do not mark other Bibles that I just use for reference. I use a wide-margin Bible, making notes with pen & highlighting. I do not feel uncomfortable doing so. Some may feel disrespectful or “weird” writing in their Bibles. Others like to keep all their books as clean and pristine as possible, and include their Bibles in this preference.

God’s word should be in our mouths (Joshua 1:8), our minds (Hebrews 8:10), and our hearts (Psalm 119:11). The word should be consistently and constantly before us (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Proverbs 7:2-3). To the extent that writing in a material Bible helps with that, it is a good thing. Making notes in a Bible usually helps you remember what you have read, see what is there, and find it more easily when looking for it again.[i] The Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God. Never challenge or change it. The book itself is paper and ink. Certainly, treat it with reverence and respect for what it contains. Nevertheless, adding more ink or some highlighting will not destroy God’s word – and just might help you “search the scriptures” and to “study to shew thyself approved.” For those who prefer not to write in their Bibles, they might receive the same benefit of help and memorization by using a notebook. A journal on paper or on the computer should serve the purpose.[ii]

I am not aware of any scriptural teaching or principle that requires that a paper and ink printing of the word of God must be kept pristine. It seems that it is okay to write in the Bible if you are not trying to write a Bible!

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[i] One negative is that the notes (the second time around) might keep a person focusing on the same scriptures to the exclusion of other scriptures that aren’t “noted.” Another positive of marking in a Bible is that it becomes a meaningful treasure when passing down to children or grandchildren.

[ii] There are Bibles with blank pages for writing, which might serve as a compromise between writing in or not writing in the Bible.

Avoid warping scripture

Credited to William Cowper by Charles H. Spurgeon in Commenting and Commentaries. I have not located the original source.

A critic on the sacred text should be
Candid and learn’d, dispassionate and free;
Free from the wayward bias bigots feel,
From fancy’s influence and intemperate zeal;
For of all arts sagacious dupes invent,
To cheat themselves and gain the world’s assent,
The worst is—Scripture warped from its intent.

Much Ado About Agapileo

Over the years, I have heard much ado about the biblical use of the Greek words agapao (ἀγαπάω) and phileo (φιλέω).[i] The “ado” is whether they have significant and special meaning wherever they are used in the Bible, or whether they are synonyms that mean (or can mean) the same thing.[ii] Recently I saw this brought up on the Baptist Board, and decided to discuss it again on my blog. I have written on this previously, regarding John 21, HERE and HERE. This piece will search more broadly.

Assuming as settled truth that agapao and phileo have two different and distinct meanings in the New Testament was commonplace in the circles in which I moved in the past. Those who should have known better often advised to interpret Bible verses in this fashion. This theory asserts that agapao and phileo in the New Testament represent two different types of love and that one must discern this when trying to interpret the Bible. Accordingly, agapao is God’s “divine love” and phileo is “brotherly love.” The following quotes from The Total Man: Building a Man’s Internal Moral Character by Cornell Randolph provide an example of this approach:

• Philia is the kind of love you have for a companion or friend. It refers to loving another person like a brother or sister.
• Agape is a special term which represents the divine love of the Lord towards His Son, Jesus Christ, and toward human beings and all believers. This is the best of the three types of the three types of love in the Bible.

Does this matter? Yes! It is important to:

• Recognize that agapao and phileo are synonyms with substantial semantic overlap. They may be used to mean the same thing, or they may be used to connote something differently.
• Remove agapao and phileo as tools used to frighten those who do not read the Greek language, either implying or stating that they cannot read and understand the Bible.
• Realize that looking up and determining the use of these two Greek words in a concordance is not a magic rabbit’s foot that will reveal some secret meaning not found in the context.

The Scriptures.

The use in the inspired scriptures of the words agapao and phileo should be convincing to those who will be convinced by the scriptures. Their use in the Bible itself will demonstrate that (1) agapao/ἀγαπάω and phileo/φιλέω are used synonymously, and (2) agapao/ἀγαπάω and phileo/φιλέω are used “surprisingly” – that is, in ways that do not fit the prevailing theory.

Agapao and Phileo used as synonyms.[iii]

The Father loves the Son.

• John 3:35 The Father loveth (agapao) the Son...
• John 5:20 For the Father loveth (phileo) the Son…

The disciple whom Jesus loved.

• John 21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved (agapao)…
• John 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved (phileo)…

The love of Christ for his churches.

• Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved (agapao) thee.
• Revelation 3:19 As many as I love (phileo), I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent

The love of Pharisees for the most important seats.

• Matthew 23:6 and love (phileo) the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
• Luke 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love (agapao) the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

The love of Jesus for Lazarus.

• John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest (phileo) is sick.
• John 11:5 Now Jesus loved (agapao) Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
• John 11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved (phileo) him!

The Christians’ love for one another.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love (philadelphias) ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love (agapao) one another.
• 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren (philadelphian), see that ye love (agapao) one another with a pure heart fervently:

Agapao and Phileo used surprisingly.[iv]

Agape love can wax cold. 

• Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love (agapao/ἀγαπάω) of many shall wax cold.

Would sinners’ reciprocal and sometimes self-serving love be described with God’s divine love?

• Luke 6:32 For if ye love (agapao) them which love (agapao) you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love (agapao) those that love (agapao) them.

Would natural man’s love for darkness be described with God’s divine love?

• John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved (agapao) darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Would backsliding Demas’s love for the world be described with God’s divine love? 

• 2 Timothy 4:10 for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved (agapao) this present world…

Agapao can describe the love of sinful, evil, or wrong things.

• John 12:43 for they loved (agapao) the praise of men more than the praise of God.
• 2 Peter 2:15 which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved (agapao) the wages of unrighteousness;

Agapao can love much or love little.

• Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved (agapao) much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth (agapao) little.
• 2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love (agapao) you, the less I be loved (agapao).

Phileo describes God’s love of man and man’s love of God.

• John 16:27 for the Father himself loveth (phileo) you, because ye have loved (phileo) me, and have believed that I came out from God.

The Septuagint/LXX.

The use of agapao and phileo by Greek translators of the Old Testament provides supporting evidence of the understanding of these two words.

Agapao and phileo are used interchangeably (synonymously) by the translators of the Septuagint to translate the same Hebrew word 'aheb.

• Genesis 37:3 And Jacob loved ('aheb, agapao, ἠγάπα) Joseph more than all his sons…  
• Genesis 37:4 …his father loved ('aheb, phileo, φιλεῖ) him more than all his sons…, both Greek words translate the Hebrew 'aheb. The translators believed the two words could contain the same meaning.

Agapao is used surprisingly by the translators of the Septuagint to refer to the lust that Amnon had for his half-sister Tamar.

• 2 Samuel 13:15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love (ἀγάπην) with which he had loved (ἠγάπησεν) her, for the last wickedness was greater than the first: and Amnon said to her, Rise, and be gone.[v]

The Scholars.

If one defaults to and depends on the scholars, we will find that scholars do not agree. Some even take opposite views on the meanings, either of which may be inconsistent with current rhetoric. R. C. Trench (Synonyms of the New Testament, 1880) and B. F. Westcott (The Gospel According to St. John, 1881) see the connotations of agapao and phileo much differently. Trench says that Peter sees the first uses of love (agapao) as “far too cold.”[vi] He thinks Peter wants “a more affectionate word” (phileo). Westcott, on the other hand, thinks Peter sees the first uses (agapao) as “too high” and therefore wants “a more human word” (phileo). In his commentary on The Gospel of John, F. F. Bruce concludes from this that when two distinguished Greek scholars “see the significance of the synonyms so differently, we may wonder if indeed we are intended to see such distinct significance.” I believe he concludes rightly.

D. A. Carson writes,

Although it is doubtless true that the entire range of αγαπάω (agapao, to love) and the entire range of φιλέω (phileo, to love) are not exactly the same, nevertheless they enjoy substantial overlap; and where they overlap, appeal to a “root meaning” in order to discern a difference is fallacious. (Exegetical Fallacies, p. 31)

Conclusion.

The conclusion, by comparing the scriptures, here a little and there a little, is that these are two different Greek words which can be used as synonyms. One cannot just look into which of these two Greek words is used and then assign an arbitrary “kind of love” to the meaning of the text. The words must be interpreted in their immediate context and the overall context of biblical usage. “None of this is to suggest that there isn’t a special quality to God’s love for us. Certainly his love is sacrificial and divine, etc. But this is not because of some intrinsic meaning in the verb agapao or the noun agape.”[vii] Those who cannot read Greek should not give their right to search the scriptures, whether these things are so to those who pretend to hold some spectacular seer stone through which to interpret the Bible.

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[i] “Agapileo” in the title is a made up word, jamming agapao and phileo together. In this writing, I use the transliterations of the Greek words and in a couple of instances the Greek words themselves. This seems necessary, for the sake of clarity, in order to discuss the differences which some would insert in these Greek words. Generally, I use the verb transliterations throughout, “Agapao” and “Phileo,” though “Agape” is probably used more often in theological-speak.

[ii] Synonyms are words that mean the same thing. One synonym can be used in place of another. However, most synonyms do not always mean exactly the same thing, but have a range of meaning that is determined by the contextual use. One should not expect that agapao and phileo always mean exactly the same thing. 2 Peter 1:7 demonstrates the different range of meaning, where “brotherly kindness” translates φιλαδελφίαν (a derivative of phileo) and “charity” translates ἀγάπην. Agapao and phileo have a different range of meaning, but any so-called always-settled difference between the two is not consistent in the Greek language.

[iii] Examples that compare scriptures that say and mean the same thing, while using agapao for love in one and phileo for love in the other.

[iv] Examples of uses we would not expect to find if the prevailing theory under discussion were true.

[v] English translation of the Greek Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton.

[vi] Jesus to Peter in John 21:15-17.

[vii] “When looking at the Greek text, we have no reason to derive any hidden or special meaning of word usage in the exchange between Jesus and Peter and the supposed two types of love.” Common Exegetical Fallacies.

This day...

Baptists and the American Civil War: January 7, 1861 -- “Alabama’s secession convention begins in Montgomery. Among the delegates is James DeVotie. One of the most respected preachers in the state...”

6 Reasons Why, 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.

• 6 Reasons Why You Should Write In Your Bible -- “Some folks don’t write in their Bible because they feel weird about it — don’t worry...”
• A plan to read the Greek New Testament in a year -- “Several years ago, I created a plan to read through the Greek New Testament in a year.”
• Does It Matter If Someone Is a Scholar or Not? -- “Whether I’m a scholar or not had not occurred to me until this person had written these anonymous comments.”
• Ezra, an Excellent Example of Resolution for the New Year -- “When Ezra set out on this journey, he was resolved to see it through...”
• How to Read More Books in 2020 -- “Watch less TV. Don’t let it be your default evening activity. Love higher and better things. Don’t let social media be your default activity...”
• Interesting facts about the Amish that show what their lives are really like -- “Many people might assume that marriage within the Amish community is arranged, but this is a common misconception.”
• Malcolm Yarnell Thread on Autonomy and Discipline -- “But what did move them finally to action over the next month was the cold hard fact that less cash was being made available to pay the expenses of the association, particularly the salary of the Director of Missions, which was by far the largest budget item.”
• On the Twelfth Day of Christmas: John Gill on the Birthplace of the Messiah -- “...the Jews expected the Messiah to be born at Bethlehem, according to the true intent of this prophecy.”
• The Best Pens & Highlighters for Your Bible -- “The Microns are the official pen of choice for people who do serious archiving — whatever that bores like.”
• Trump Should Be Removed from Office -- “Trump’s evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees, his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president.”
• Trump Should Not Be Removed from Office: A Response to Mark Galli and Christianity Today -- “Although I do not believe that Galli himself is part of the political Left, it is also important to realize the kind of political climate in which Galli’s claim occurs.”
• What Is Biblical Scholarship? -- “Biblical scholarship occurs when pastors and church-members within God’s institution of the local church diligently study the Word of God and accept in faith any and all claims that God makes.”

Whatever the cup, 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 when possible.)

“Whatever is in the cup that God is offering me, whether it be pain and sorrow and suffering and grief along with the many more joys, I’m willing to take it because I trust Him.” -- Elisabeth Elliot

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” -- Attributed to John Andrew Holmes

“I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, that I never altered one syllable of God’s Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me.” -- William Tyndale

“Why do I choose to believe the Bible? It’s a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies, and claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.” -- Voddie Baucham

“If you eat a live toad first thing in the morning, nothing worse will happen to you all day.” -- Bob Smith

“There’s just one last favor I’ll ask of you, See that my grave is kept clean.” -- Blind Lemon Jefferson

“Infidelity spreads as Arminianism spreads. The step is very short from belief in a weak God to belief in no God at all.”  -- Benjamin Lampton (1825-1890)

“The best way to determine Bible reading comprehension is by observing whether what is being read is also being lived.”

“Who told you that you have to be miserable to make it through life?” Chuck Swindoll

“How willing is Christ to spread a garment on our nakedness!” -- Thomas Manton

“Mothers don’t ask which is the right side of history, they tell history which side to walk on.” -- Unknown

“When you can’t sleep at night, it might be God saying ‘Let’s talk!’” -- Read

“A man is not saved against his will, but he is made willing by the operation of the Holy Ghost. A mighty grace which he does not wish to resist enters into the man, disarms him, makes a new creature of him, and he is saved.” -- Charles Spurgeon

Ministry Matrix

We can learn lessons from other venues of life – such as business and entertainment. Nevertheless, we must get our direction for ministry and worship from the Word of God. 1 John 2:15 commands, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” In our society, it is fashionable to get our cues for ministry from the world. We must not measure truth claims by utility (does it work) or by satisfaction (does it feel good), but by the truth of God (is it biblical). The acceptable way of worshipping and serving the true God is through the way he has instituted, prescribed, and limited by his revealed will in the Word. He must not be worshipped according to the imaginations of men or devices of devils. Churches should seek to follow the commands, precepts, and examples of the Bible, and build according to God’s pattern. The primary pursuit for churches is succinctly spelled out in Matthew 28:18-20.

Adapted from “A Ministry Matrix” by Pastor Bill Boulet, Heritage Baptist Church, Lakeland, Florida

The Change

Hymn 44, The Change, by John Newton, in 7s. meter with 6 lines.

1. Savior shine and cheer my soul,
Bid my dying hopes revive;
Make my wounded spirit whole,
Far away the tempter drive:
Speak the word and set me free,
Let me live alone to thee.

2. Shall I sigh and pray in vain,
Wilt thou still refuse to hear;
Wilt thou not return again,
Must I yield to black despair?
Thou hast taught my heart to pray,
Canst thou turn thy face away?

3. Once I thought my mountain strong,
Firmly fixed no more to move;
Then thy grace was all my song,
Then my soul was filled with love:
Those were happy golden days,
Sweetly spent in prayer and praise.

4. When my friends have said, “Beware,
Soon or late you’ll find a change;”
I could see no cause for fear,
Vain their caution seemed and strange:
Not a cloud obscured my sky,
Could I think a tempest nigh?

5. Little, then, myself I knew,
Little thought of Satan’s pow’r;
Now I find their words were true,
Now I feel the stormy hour!
Sin has put my joys to flight,
Sin has changed my day to night.

6. Satan asks, and mocks my woe,
“Boaster, where is now your God?”
Silence, Lord, this cruel foe,
Let him know I’m bought with blood:
Tell him, since I know thy name,
Though I change thou art the same.

This hymn by John Newton, is often presented this way, with only 3 stanzas and in this order:

1. Once I thought my mountain strong,
Firmly fixed no more to move;
Then my Saviour was my song,
Then my soul was filled with love;
Those were happy, golden days,
Sweetly spent in prayer and praise.

2. Little then myself I knew,
Little thought of Satan’s power;
Now I feel my sins anew,
Now I feel the stormy hour!
Sin has put my joys to flight;
Sin has turned my day to night.

3. Saviour, shine and cheer my soul,
Bid my dying hopes revive;
Make my wounded spirit whole,
Far away the tempter drive;
Speak the word and set me free,
Let me live alone to thee.

The Bible Hunter

While researching Sacred Name Bibles, I ran across The Bible Hunter blog. The express purpose of the blog “is to list new, interesting and unusual Bibles.” You will find both peculiar and provocative stuff here. It is here I heard about the AKJV Yehovah Edition Bible, The Bridge Bible, Plain English Version, and The Refreshed American Standard Version.

The AKJV Yehovah Edition Bible is “a clarified version of the King James English Bible, arranged in the original book order and published in the original three sections of the TaNaKh (Old Testament), plus the New Testament.”

The Bridge Bible is an easy to read, easy to understand Bible translation for the 21st Century. It is the most dynamic Bible translation available [and] fills the gap between the biblical and contemporary world.

The Plain English Version is “designed for Indigenous Australians whose mother tongue is an Aboriginal language.”

The Refreshed American Standard Version is “emending of its Elizabethan English text in a ‘refreshing,’ rather than a full-scale revision, of the ASV toward conformity with current usage…”

I’m a sucker for odd lists of random stuff, so am right at home here! You may be, too.

A better place

I recently heard the following:

“If we pastors would practice 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and 1 Peter 5:2, the world would be a better place.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11 and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

1 Peter 5:2 feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Sounds about right to me.

Iron sharpeneth iron

What is the meaning of Proverbs 27:17? How does one sharpen his friend?

Older Bible versions include the word “countenance.”

• King James Version: Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
• English Revised Version: Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
• American Standard Version: Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Modern versions tend to be more economical with the language, and most have excluded the word “countenance.”

• New American Standard Bible: Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
• New English Translation: As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend.
• New International Version: As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Going older, Wycliffe: Iron is whetted by iron; and a man whetteth the face of his friend.

Going “literal,” Young’s Literal Translation: Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

Most people I know interpret this verse in some kind of positive sense, that the outcome is good, such as:

• The help of one friend improves the other.
• Learned men sharpen one another’s minds.
• Constructive criticism sharpens character.

Sometimes the interpretation is presented negatively, such as:

• One man’s passion incites another’s rage.

As far as I remember, I had not encountered the negative presentation. However, while recently studying and researching Proverbs 27:17, I found some old commentaries that do so. John Gill writes, “…Aben Ezra, takes it in an ill sense, that as iron strikes iron and sharpens it, so a wrathful man irritates and provokes wrath in another.” The Geneva Bible of 1599 has a note stating, “One hasty man provokes another to anger.”

Ron Giese in the Journal of Biblical Literature (Spring 2016) presents “iron sharpens iron” as a negative image, “a man causes his neighbor to go on the attack (i.e., have a ‘sharp face’).”

A brother on the Baptist Board gives the following thought:

“Sharpening creates friction and heat. In verse 6 we read, ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend.’ So, the process may be painful but the reward is pleasant. Sometimes we are sharpened by our enemies, even when they mean us harm (cf. Genesis 50:20).”

Is this sharpening positive or negative? Either? Why?

Deep in the Weeds, 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 Hebrew New Testament? -- “...one does not need to imagine a Hebrew textual base of the New Testament to explain the presence of the Hebraisms in the text.”
• Arkansas minister, wife create ‘Blue, Red and Gold’ Bible -- “Scott Johnson...copyrighted his idea of the BRG (Blue, Red and Gold) Bible...Then he began the study-intensive process of adding blue and gold to the red-letter edition.”
• Deep in the Weeds on MONOGENES and Eternal Generation -- “After reading the Creed in Greek, it immediately became clear to me that the Nicene Fathers’s interpretation of MONOGENES is in direct conflict with a near consensus among modern New Testament scholars.”
• How Should We Read the Early Church Fathers? -- “We should use the ECF as we use any other commentary. It is useful for study and instruction but must always be tested against the Scriptures.”
• Jack Wilson, Texas Church Shooting Hero: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know -- “The gunman died at the scene after being shot; Wilson and another parishioner reacted within seconds and are being called heroes for their quick-thinking response.”
• Joe Pine Coffee Company -- “We use only Texas-based coffee roasters who buy the highest quality coffees directly from farms, coops and trusted buyers and roast our unique offerings weekly.”
• Let’s Go Back to ‘Only Begotten’ -- “In this article, I would like to offer a brief defense of the traditional translation only begotten.”
• Lynching of George Graham -- “Shortly after one o’clock on Tuesday morning, April 27, 1886, a large body of horsemen rode into downtown Springfield from the west and surrounded the courthouse at the corner of College and the public square.”
• Μονογενής = ‘only begotten’? -- “All in all, Irons is right to focus on the data provided in TLG for this certainly expands our knowledge base of the term.”
• Photographer And His Wife Plant 2 Million Trees In 20 Years To Restore A Destroyed Forest And Even The Animals Have Returned -- “Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado and his wife Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado decided to show what a small group of passionate, dedicated people can do by turning deforestation on its head, and begin the process of reforestation.”
• Robert Dilday, Episcopal priest and former editor of BNG and the Religious Herald, dead at 64 -- “Veteran Baptist editor-turned-Episcopal priest Robert Dilday, 64, died unexpectedly during the weekend, his family and church announced Sunday.”
• The Insane Child Abuse of LGBT -- “My heart breaks for little James and his Father. Pray that truth and justice prevail in this sad story.”
• Transgender man gives birth to non-binary partner’s baby with female sperm donor -- Politically correct headline, translated into common sense English: A woman who is pretending to be a man conceived and gave birth to a baby after receiving sperm from a man who is pretending to be a woman. The woman’s partner will not acknowledge her biological gender, but she is a woman, too.
• Who Owns Whom in Publishing? -- “First let us review what are known as The Big Five. These are the five major conglomerates that control a sizable portion of the marketplace.”

Infant Sorrow

“Infant Sorrow,” by William Blake

My mother groaned, my father wept,
Into the dangerous world I leapt;
Helpless, naked, piping loud,
Like a fiend hid in a cloud.

Struggling in my father’s hands,
Striving against my swaddling bands,
Bound and weary, I thought best
To sulk upon my mother’s breast.

This poem, first published in 1794, was in a series of poems in Songs of Experience.

Most popular posts in 2019

The following are the most popular (most viewed) posts for the year 2019 on the Ministry and Music web log.

• A. N. Whitten and the Harp of Ages
• A Critique of A. J. Holt’s A Brief History of Union Baptist Church
• A List of Possible Editions of the Harp of Ages
• Andrew Tribble, Pioneer
• Baptist Universalism
• David Lewis: Indian Missionary and Sabine Divisionary
• Freedom of Speech or Freedom to Squelch
• List of Sacred Harp Historical Markers
• Minutes of the Sabine Baptist Association, 1843
• More Louisiana and Texas Predestinarian History
• New York Public Health Law, Section 4164
• Old Liberty Elm and the Sacred Harp Gavel
• Sacred Harp in the news (years ago)