Theology
Response to “Ridderbos on the Glory and the Image of God”
Brian Collins recently pointed out a connection between the words “glory” and “image” in the NT – a relationship between God’s glory and his image. I posted a comment on his blog, since it’s somewhat long, I thought I’d post it here.
More on NT “story-keeping”
I hadn’t expected that one DVD review to turn into 3 posts on form criticism and oral tradition but that’s where I’m ending up. I was reading a post on the NT Gateway Weblog the other day and it just happened to talk about the way that the stories about Jesus were handed down. In this post, Mark Goodacre replies to James Dunn’s article “Altering the Default Setting: Re-envisaging the Early Transmission of the Jesus Tradition.” The gist of Dunn’s article is that we are so surrounded by literature in today’s culture that it’s hard for us to understand a culture full of illiterate people – a culture like the one in the first century. Therefore, according to Dunn, “it becomes necessary to alter the default settings given by the literary shaped software of our mental computers.” Does Dunn’s argument indeed set aside the way we’ve read the Gospels for years and demonstrate the need for a new way of understanding where we got those books and how to read their contents? No. Goodacre does a good job pointing out that Dunn’s concern is a valid caution, but a bit overstated. First, our culture is not so steeped in literature as Dunn would claim – oral communication still plays a role in how we teach/learn. Second, while much of the first-century world may have been illiterate (some statistics claim less than 10% literacy rate), the NT authors were literate – Paul (educated to the hilt in the Pharisees’ schools), Luke (a physician) – and other key NT leaders (Apollos, Priscilla & Aquila, et al) were educated as well. Again, I would add that in the case of the Gospels & Acts specifically, eyewitness-authors also stand in contrast to broad brush strokes about oral tradition.
Translation Consistency
Several times, I’ve noticed that English versions of the Bible will translate a single Greek or Hebrew word with multiple English glosses. Now, that’s not all bad – there are different nuances to most words; context and usage determine what’s most appropriate in each situation. But there are passages where, in my estimation, we lose something by using different English words for a single original language word. Jonah 1 is one of those places. Translating through this book a few years ago, I was struck by certain keywords that tie passages together. Chapter 1 has three references (Jon. 1.4, 5, 15) to people “throwing [something] into the sea.” From what I can tell, the deliberate repetition of the Hebrew verb (to throw) and the prepositional phrase (into the sea) is a well-chosen literary device that the author is using to connect these verses and tie the events of this narrative together. Few English versions convey that connection well. Here’s a chart of popular versions and how they translate the three occurrence of this phrase:
More on form criticism: follow-up to Story Keepers review
If you didn’t read my last post, I’d recommend reading it now – that will make this post more profitable.
Don Carson on Biblical Theology
I’ve benefited much from the teaching/writing ministry of Don Carson – from picking up his insightful book on I Cor. 12-14 for a research paper three years ago to listening to mp3 lectures recently. There are some great resources online where you can find scores of Carson’s lectures. Here are a few of my favorites:
Refreshing!
I opened Mail this afternoon and found the latest issue of In the Nick of Time – an essay by Dr. Kevin Bauder. I thoroughly enjoyed his Christians and Scholarship series, but today’s post was a real gem. Creative, clever and clear, it addresses a real issue in fundamental Christianity. I wonder, though, about the option that wasn’t listed at the end. I would ask, “Should they be ignored, allowed to fade away into oblivion as they starve for the attention that they previously received?” I’m not sure which one is best, but I wonder if a position of arguing against that position is truly profitable. From what I’ve read and seen, when it’s all boiled down, we’re dealing with a position that focuses on emotional reasoning and bypasses the facts that have been brought up again and again. I may be wrong, but arguing against “Pseudo-Authorities” seems to be an unproductive expense of energy, time and resources. Might we not be better served simply to go on drinking good water, thanking the Lord for it and letting alone those whose pride causes contention?
Christians and Technology I: Technology in Preaching & Teaching
Simply because of the year of our birth, we are surrounded by technology. Phones, computers, multimedia players, networks, software, website – they surround us with lights and sounds and shiny buttons and voices and features and connections and … and … and … The list really could go on almost endlessly. With the advent of so much that is “new,” there comes a need to thoughtfully evaluate those things in the light of God’s Word and in application of His wisdom. As I have time, I’ll be posting articles on certain aspects of technology as they compare to God’s Word. The first few will come rapidly because I recently led a set of workshops on some of these topics for youth pastors’ retreat.