Colossians Chiasm... Maybe?

So, I was reading through Colossians and thought that it might be profitable to outline the short letter. It took me a while, but I think that maybe the book is a neat little chiasm... maybe.

I am not certain that I fully understand chiastic structure; I gave it a shot anyway. This is what I came up with:

The more time I spent in the book, the more that I came to think that the pivot of Colossians is Paul's short aside concerning his ministry.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

-Colossians 1:24-2:5

This passage serves as a transition between a sharp already/not yet juxtaposition that lies within the heart of the book: you already have everything; you need to do these things.

The Colossians had heard and believed and because of this fact Paul rejoices. However, false teaching had the potential to confound the Colossians and for that reason Paul had to demonstrate that the Colossians had continual spiritual needs, mainly, walking in Christ (2:6), spiritual captivity (2:8), imposition of new law (2:20-23), etc.

Essentially, Paul tells the Colossians, "Everything that you needed to happen has indeed happened; however, those with the appearance of wisdom are out there, but you should not succumb to their ways. They are worldly. Rather do x, y, and z."

So, 1:24-2:5 is a go-between. Paul wraps up his section about all that the Colossians have in Christ, then he says, "Oh, and btw, I am being heavily persecuted for your sake. Why? Because worldly wisdom opposes Godly wisdom. I am an advocate for the latter. But I care about you enough to suffer for you because just as it is vastly important that you understand your current position in Christ, so is it vastly important that you understand that means a particular way of living; and it's not automatic."

If I had to sum up Colossians in three words I would simply say: done; now do.

As for the chiasm I put together, maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But I think it lent some insight.

Paul's Best Life Now

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

-Colossians 1:24-26

A Liberal Scholar's Motto: Everybody Lies

It never ceases to amaze me how liberal biblical scholars can hypothesize that deception was so rampant when considering the composition of the Bible. They want to say that every book of the Bible was written at a later date by someone who thought they wouldn't be taken seriously unless they stole someone else's name.

I can understand the identity theft part. It's not entirely clear that Matthew wrote Matthew or Mark wrote Mark or Moses wrote Deuteronomy (although I am convinced that the internal and external evidence points to the veracity of the traditional authorship ascription). But don't you think that liberal scholarship would draw the line somewhere? Not everyone can be lying, right? Believe it or not, some people in this world have standards.

I sense a projection of the liberal scholar's own morally-bankrupt view of lying onto his or her identification of the biblical writers.

Or maybe they have just been watching too much House.

Tischendorf and Sinaiticus

In 1859 Constantin von Tischendorf visited, for the third time, St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai. His first trip to the monastic community in 1844 was slightly successful while his second, in 1853, was fruitless.

Tischendorf was Indiana Jones one hundred years before the Indiana Jones trilogy was set. He was on a quest to discover ancient manuscripts of the Greek Bible in hopes of compiling them according to the discipline known as textual criticism, a process initiated by Erasmus three hundred years earlier.

When Tischendorf arrived at St. Catherine's for the first time in 1844 he made a disheartening discovery: a large amount of parchment, considered rubbish, was in a waste-basket in queue to start fires. The "rubbish" was actually an early manuscript of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Tischendorf attempted to save the parchment, but tipped his hand and the monks, understanding that Tischendorf viewed these ancient documents as valuable, only allowed him to take a one third of the "rubbish."

Tischendorf did not return to St. Catherine's until 1853, seeking to complete the set he had begun collecting nine years earlier. But his trip was insuccessful.

Then on January 31, 1859, Tischendorf made a final visit to the monastic community by request of the Czar of Russia, Alexander II. Tischendorf arrived and, like his 1853 experience, found nothing. Then, after he resolved to leave the monastery, he made an incredible discovery. Tischendorf recorded his finding on February 4, 1859:

"On the afternoon of this day I was taking a walk with the steward of the convent in the neighbourhood, and as we returned, towards sunset, he begged me to take some refreshment with him in his cell. Scarcely had he entered the room, when, resuming our former subject of conversation, he said: "And I, too, have read a Septuagint"—i.e. a copy of the Greek translation made by the Seventy. And so saying, he took down from the corner of the room a bulky kind of volume, wrapped up in a red cloth, and laid it before me. I unrolled the cover, and discovered, to my great surprise, not only those very fragments which, fifteen years before, I had taken out of the basket, but also other parts of the Old Testament, the New Testament complete, and, in addition, the Epistle of Barnabas and a part of the Shepherd of Hermas."

This was what would become known as Codex Sinaiticus, arguably the most important Greek manuscript of the New Testament (not to mention parts of the Septuagint and Apostolic Fathers) to this day.

Tischendorf spent all night reading it for he thought that he held in his hands a great treasure. And he had found a great treasure indeed.

This Week in Chapel

The Chapel services here at SBTS this week were particularly strong. I would highly recommend both of them.

Firstly, Dr. James Hamilton gives a stern warning concerning sexual sin in the life of the believer drawing from the transgression of David in 2 Samuel 11.

Secondly, Pastor David Prince discusses the importance of looking at the believer's role in the Christian community properly using 1 Peter 2 as his primary text.

As we say in Kentucky, both men cleared a spot and pitched a fit.

Acceptable Words and Meditations

The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

-Psalm 19:7-14

How does one ensure that the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart are pleasing to the Lord? By grounding himself in the Word of God.

Changing Translations

I have often asked this question: if someday I am a pastor, how will I address particular subtle changes that may be a point of stumbling for a portion of the congregation?

In this video, John Piper is asked about changing from KJV to a more contemporary translation. I found the principles communicated in his answer, although brief, to be helpful in answering the question that I posed at the outset.

Verses for Evangelism

In my Personal Evangelism course here at Southern we are required to memorize 40 key verses for evangelism. I have found the list to be quite helpful, so I thought I would pass it on.

Scripture is so important in evangelism; since we claim it to be the ultimate authority in our lives, using it in our witness only makes sense. I would encourage you to adopt this list or a similar list to memorize as together we seek to be obedient proclaimers of the Gospel of Christ.

God
Psalms 19:1
Revelation 4:11
Matthew 22:37-38
Leviticus 19:2

Rebellion
Isaiah 59:2
Isaiah 53:6
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Hebrews 9:27
Matthew 10:28

Atonement
John 3:16
Luke 19:10
Romans 5:8
1 Peter 2:24
Isaiah 53:5
1 Peter 3:18
2 Corinthians 5:21
John 3:36

Conversion
John 3:3
John 1:12
Acts 16:31
Romans 10:9
Romans 10:13
Matthew 11:28
John 14:6
Acts 4:12
Luke 13:3
Isaiah 55:7
1 John 1:9
Isaiah 1:18
2 Corinthians 6:2
Revelation 3:20
Ephesians 2:8-9

Eternal Life
John 10:10
John 6:37
1 John 5:12-13
Romans 8:16
John 5:24
2 Corinthians 5:17
2 Timothy 1:12

Romans 5:1

Scripture, Evangelism, and Divine Sovereignty

This weekend I read J.I. Packer's work, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. The cumulation of my thoughts concerning the book are as follows.

Even though God's total sovereignty and the command to do evangelism are seemingly at odds, they are both taught in Scripture. Therefore, no one can claim the Bible as the ultimate authority and then state that God is not totally sovereign or Christians need not evangelize. If an individual denies God’s sovereignty or the mandate to evangelize, then he or she has proven that he or she does not view Scripture as authority, but rather his or her own logic.

Meekness

Meekness is not an attribute I think about growing in often; but the Bible commands it.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

-Colossians 3:12-13

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

-James 1:21

Look at the promises associated with meekness.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

-Psalm 37:11

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

-Isaiah 29:19

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

-Matthew 5:5

And take note of God's passion for meekness.

In your majesty ride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

-Psalm 45:4

The one who is meek is one who recognizes a right position before God, is completely broken and submissive, waits for the Lord patiently, and commits all to the Lord.

The requirements are lofty, but the very definition of meekness implies that it cannot be done alone. Rely on God and look to His great promises.

Scripture, Experience, and the Spirit of Christ

About two months ago I was thinking intently on "Seeking a Sign and the Authority of Scripture" and it came to mind again today as I was reading John Piper's new book, Finally Alive. I went back to my post to reread it and the comments section directly addressed one of the thoughts I had. So, rather than write something new, I will simply repost the remarks.

A question was posed by dual blogger, Eva Joy (Here I Am, Send Me and Life and Prime Numbers):

"I am wondering if you have insights on a question I continue to struggle with: How do you resolve that stance (Scripture as authoritative over experience) with the realization that how we interpret Scripture is influenced by our presuppositions which, in turn, are formed by our experience? Scripture may tell us the significance or meaning of an experience but how we understand what it is telling us is often informed by other experiences."

I replied,

"That's a good question. I will try to answer it.

"Often social conditioning gets the blame for the things that we believe. But for the Christian, we know we are led by the Spirit.

"'When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.' -John 16:13-15

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. -Romans 8:14-16

"So, our interpretation of Scripture is not governed by our experiences, as a post-modern society tells us, but rather by the Spirit. We are indeed a new creation in Christ and we can be certain that God is faithful to the promise in John 16. And a semantic look at John 16 shows us (1) that the Spirit spoken of is that of Christ (He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life) and (2) that the Spirit will guide us in all Truth, which includes all matters of Scripture, as Christ is both synonymous with Truth and the Word (John 1)."

The citation of experience as the shaper of our Scriptural interpretation is trumped by the understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit. He guides us, illuminating our path through Scripture, taking what is Christ's and declaring it to us. A regenerate heart can take solace in knowing that it is one with Christ, a fellow heir; all well Christ is the first-born amongst many sons, that He may be lifted up and glorified.

Justice and Mercy Every Morning

Every morning, while being entirely righteous and just, the Lord is still merciful.

The Lord within her is righteous;
    he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
    each dawn he does not fail;
    but the unjust knows no shame.

-Zephaniah 3:5

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

-Lamentations 3:22,23

The Mirth of Christ

GK Chesterton concludes his book, Orthodoxy, with an accurate observation of the life of Christ.

"Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian. And as I close this chaotic volume I open again the strange small book from which all Christianity came; and I am again haunted by a kind of confirmation. The tremendous figure which fills the Gospels towers in this respect, as in every other, above all the thinkers who ever thought themselves tall. His pathos was natural, almost casual. The Stoics, ancient and modern, were proud of concealing their tears. He never concealed His tears; He showed them plainly on His open face at any daily sight, such as the far sight of His native city. Yet He concealed something. Solemn supermen and imperial diplomatists are proud of restraining their anger. He never restrained His anger. He flung furniture down the front steps of the Temple, and asked men how they expected to escape the damnation of Hell. Yet He restrained something. I say it with reverence; there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness. There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth."

I see two things in Scripture which makes this true. There are others, but for the sake of brevity I will limit it to two.

Firstly, Isaiah prophesied about the sorrow and grief that the Messiah would endure.

He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

-Isaiah 53:3

The chapter continues,

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
    the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
    by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.

-Isaiah 53:10, 11

Jesus knew that He was to be crushed by His Father, this caused Him deep sorrow, but out of His affliction He knew His Father's purposes would be accomplished which leads to the second observation.

While on Earth, the joy that Christ knew was not immediate, but to come.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

-Hebrews 12:1-2 (emphasis added)

Jesus knew that doing the will of His Father would bring Him great joy, although His Earthly mission was one of sorrow and grief.

Unfortunately, some have disagreed with Chesterton saying that Jesus was a funny guy, trying to turn his teachings into jokes. I do not think that Chesterton would say that Jesus did not laugh or crack a joke from time to time, but his true joy, the mirth that Chesterton referred to, was not yet realized during Christ's time on Earth.

It is also irreverent and somewhat disgusting to take Jesus' teachings and use them as a justification for crude humor. A perfect example comes in the book, Vintage Jesus. In it Mark Driscoll says,

"Jesus' humor was often biting and harsh, particularly when directed at the Pharisees. For example, he called them a bag of snakes, said that their moms had shagged the Devil, and mocked them for tithing out of their spice racks."

Driscoll made it clear at the 2008 Desiring God Conference that he directly disagrees with Chesterton in this particular instance, but, as much as I appreciate Driscoll's leadership and ministry, I must side with Chesterton for three reasons.

1. Jesus, in the same verse where He calls the Pharisees a "bag of snakes" concludes with, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). A heart filled with the Spirit of Christ (as Christ's heart obviously was) would not make a joke out of the Pharisees by saying "that their moms had shagged the Devil."
2. Jesus does say to the Pharisees that they do the will of their father who is the Devil (John 8:39-47), but only because if God was their Father they would not be seeking to kill him. They are of their father the Devil because they want to kill Jesus, not because their mother's had sexual relations with the Devil. When Jesus speaks about God our Father he does not mean that our mother's had sexual relations with God. This passage, therefore, does not translate into a crude joke.
3. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Jesus is the example of this and He adhered to it perfectly. Yes, He did say that the Pharisee's father was the Devil, but He did not say "that their moms had shagged the Devil." That is corrupting or unwholesome talk.

Again, this all is not to say that Jesus was above jokes. He was a man who laughed and I am sure had fun. But His full potential for joy was not realized until after He was crushed. He knew that joy was coming, but the sorrow and grief were great leading up to it. This is why Chesterton felt like Christ's mirth was restrained on Earth and why I do as well.

Seeking a Sign and the Authority of Scripture

Recently I have been thinking about the overarching authority of Scripture and it's command over any experiential citation. Often people proclaim their experiences to be authoritative, but alas, they crumble under the weight of Scripture. The following, although not entirely exhaustive, are my thoughts concerning the preceding.

Seeking an experience, rather than Scripture, for understanding or revelation is warned against directly by Jesus.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

-Matthew 12:38-40

And again:

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

-Matthew 16:1-4

In each case the Pharisees sought a experiential "sign" and in each case Jesus remedied the demand with a dose of Scripture, directing them to Jonah in each instance. Jesus calls a generation that seeks such things "evil and adulterous," like the generation spoke of by the prophet Jeremiah,

How can I pardon you?
   Your children have forsaken me
   and have sworn by those who are no gods.
When I fed them to the full,
   they committed adultery
   and trooped to the houses of whores.
They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
   each neighing for his neighbor's wife.
Shall I not punish them for these things?
      declares the Lord;
   and shall I not avenge myself
   on a nation such as this?

-Jeremiah 5:7-9

This is a heavy warning by Jesus not to seek experiences for understanding or revelation.

So, is it wrong to seek these things? Of course not, but not through experience. The first chapter of Hebrews gives us the exact way that we should seek understanding or revelation.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

-Hebrews 1:1-2

Just as Jesus gives the Pharisees Scripture when they seek a physical sign, so the author of Hebrews tells us that God now speaks to us through His Son. And I take those to be equal considering John 1,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

-John 1:1, 14

Therefore, I take Scripture to be the ultimate authority in every situation. This does not eliminate the possibility that my experiences may hold significance or meaning, but rather that it is Scripture that tells me the significance or meaning of an experience. I then cannot cite an experience as my reason for believing a certain truth, because by doing so I have eliminated the possibility that I regard Scripture to be ultimately authoritative.

In conclusion, I seek understanding and revelation in Scripture alone, and heed experience as an upholder of the truth granted in the Word.

Do Not Rebuild

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul gives us an excellent principle by which to live in the new year: do not rebuild.

In chapter 2 Paul tells us that the apostle Peter was eating and mingling with the Gentiles, but when a pack of Jews showed up, Peter and the other Jews "acted hypocritically" (Galatians 2:13). However, Paul saw right through their actions. He knew that the man who had walked with Jesus knew quite well that Christ died for the Jew and the Gentile (Romans 1:16). So he called them out, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews" (Galatians 2:14).

Now Paul knew that someone had begun preaching a false Gospel among the Galatians; one that required circumcision for salvation. So for Peter to withdraw from the non- circumcised to be with the circumcised would only further confuse the Galatians. But Paul makes clear to the Galatians that the circumcision issue here turned out to be the hypocrisy of Peter.

In Acts 10:9-16 Peter has a vision in relation to clean and unclean food. After Peter argues about the cleanliness of the food, he is told, "What God has made clean, do not call common" (10:15). Peter was freed to eat as he pleased. The vision has continued purpose. Peter, in a conversation with Cornelius, a Gentile, relates his vision to their interaction, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection" (10:28).

Back in Galatians, Paul knows that Peter has been told he could eat as he pleased, like a Gentile, and Paul knows that Peter has been told that he could associate across Jew/Gentile lines. So why ever would Peter withhold his fellowship with Gentiles when the Jews showed up? Why should the man who eats like a Gentile act as though Jews are more apt for salvation because of circumcision?

Paul continues.

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

-Galatians 2:15, 16

Then in verse 17 Paul says, "But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!"

John MacArthur explains this verse in The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

"If the Judaizers' (the circumcision-happy Jews) doctrine was correct, then Paul, Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jewish believers fell back into the category of sinners because they had been eating and fellowshiping with Gentiles, who according to the Judaizers were unclean. If the Judaizers were right, then Christ was wrong and had been teaching people to sin because He taught that food could not contaminate a person (Mark 7:19)."

Paul then nails his point home in verse 18, "For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor."

Peter "stood condemned" (2:11). Although he had heard the words come out of Jesus' mouth "Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled" (Mark 7:18-19)? and had a mighty vision in Acts 10, he still rebuilt the notion that practicing Jewish tradition somehow was contributory to salvation and proved himself a transgressor.

Paul wants so badly for the Galatians to understand that "a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:16). He must ensure that the law, as a salvation requirement, is torn down and he must not allow it to be rebuilt by Peter, the Judaizers, or even himself. Like he says in chapter 1,

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

-Galatians 1:8, 9

These principles are so helpful for us entering into a new year. Two-thousand eight was a year of God tearing down my self-righteous attitude, exposing idols, and refining my views of "not justified by works of the law, but though faith in Jesus Christ." I am praying that 2009 would be a year where things that I view as supplements to salvation would be stripped away. And at the same time that I would not "rebuild" what has already been "torn down" "like a dog that returns to his vomit" (Proverbs 26:11). 

In 2009, do not rebuild.

The Importance of Scripture As Shown by President-Elect Obama

In a 2004 interview with Cathleen Falsani, now President Elect, Barack Obama, was asked who Jesus was to him. Here is how he responded:

Jesus is an historical figure for me, and he's also a bridge between God and man, in the Christian faith, and one that I think is powerful precisely because he serves as that means of us reaching something higher.

And he's also a wonderful teacher. I think it's important for all of us, of whatever faith, to have teachers in the flesh and also teachers in history.

A couple of other interesting quotes were generated in the interview.

I'm rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people. That there are values that transcend race or culture, that move us forward, and there's an obligation for all of us individually as well as collectively to take responsibility to make those values lived.

And:

There's the belief, certainly in some quarters, that people haven't embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior that they're going to hell.

I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.

I can't imagine that my God would allow some little Hindu kid in India who never interacts with the Christian faith to somehow burn for all eternity.

That's just not part of my religious makeup.

When asked about the consequences of sin in his own life, Obama answered:

[I]f I'm true to myself and my faith that that is its own reward, when I'm not true to it, it's its own punishment.

The interview is interesting to me not because of his beliefs; they would seem to be in step with a lot of Christians in the United States. It is the reason why he thinks this way that fascinates me. When asked if he has read the Bible, he answered: "Absolutely. I read it not as regularly as I would like. These days I don't have much time for reading or reflection, period."

Christians should take heed of that. An absence of Scripture leads to a world-view shaped and molded by culture, as is the case here with President-Elect Obama. The Word of God needs to be the lens through which we view all things. Senate and Presidential campaigns are not more important than a Biblical world-view for Christians.

Before The ESV Study Bible, There Was...

Red-Letters and the Ranking of Scripture

Not too long ago I got a new Bible. I began paging through and I noticed something different from my previous ESV Bible: the words of Christ were not in red.

At first I thought nothing of it. I read my new Bible and was quite content. However, recently I have been thinking about it. And I have questions.

In 1899, a man by the name of Lous Klopsch decided that a red-letter Bible would be a good idea.

Modern Christianity is striving zealously to draw nearer to the great Founder of the Faith. Setting aside mere human doctrines and theories regarding Him, it presses close to the Divine Presence, to gather from His own lips the definition of His mission to the world and His own revelation of the Father… The Red Letter Bible has been prepared and issued in the full conviction that it will meet the needs of the student, the worker, and the searchers after truth everywhere (Red Letter Origin, ESV.org).

But is the red-letter Bible really a good idea?

I am not sure that I have the correct answer or a complete answer, but after much thought I am in definite opposition to a red-letter Bible. And here is why.

First, Paul tells Timothy that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16). He does not say, "Only Jesus' words are breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Or, "Most importantly Jesus' words are breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." No. Paul says "all Scripture."

Second, Paul says to the elders at the church in Ephesus, "I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). He did not say, "I did not shrink from declaring to you the words of Christ."

Third, the author of Hebrews tells us that "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The "word of God," not only the words of Christ. Sure, the words of Christ pierce divisions of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, but I do not see here that they are a more effective "two-edged sword."

Forth, the Gospel of John clearly tells us that Jesus is the Word. And John tells us that the "Word became flesh" (John 1:14). If Christ is the Word, and was with God in the beginning, and is God, why would we focus on only the words Jesus spoke in the flesh? And in that case I would hope that all of the words in my Bible would be red because they are all spoken by the preeminent Christ, where "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Col 1:19).

Fifth, I believe that Scripture interprets itself. Sometimes I use Paul's letters to understand the words of Christ. Sometimes I use the words of Christ to understand the prophets. Sometimes I use the poetic books to understand Paul. Elevating the words of Christ may diminish the symbiotic relationship Scripture has with itself.

Overall, I think that we must consider that all Scripture is equally as important. It is hard to place any of the words "breathed out" by an all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, infinite God on a hierarchical scale.

Doing away with red-letter Bibles may not be the proper reaction to these thoughts; however, being aware that the red-letters do not necessary mean "more important" and understanding that all Scripture is equally beneficial is, at the least, an important conclusion to draw.

New ESV Study Bible

There is a new ESV Study Bible coming out in October. Take a look at it.

I also wanted to compile some resources related to the English Standard Version. They have been helpful in making the case for the ESV in my mind.

1. ESV.org
2. John Piper: Good English with Mimimal Translation
3. Mark Driscoll: Pastoral Reflections on Bible Translations
4. Ligonier Ministries: About the English Standard Version Translation
5. Endorsements for the Reformation Study Bible (ESV)