Something Sunday

I had something perfect all planned out for today. It was going to be great because I wouldn’t have to stay up late Saturday or wake up early on Sunday to write a post. However, Sunday requires a little extra thought. Sunday’s post can’t be just another blog post. Sunday is God’s day, therefore Sunday’s post should be God’s post.

Close your eyes and think of the first Bible verse that comes to your mind. Now, think about what it means. Just ponder on it for a moment, feel the power of the Word. Now, say it, out loud. Don’t be afraid, it’s the most powerful thing on earth. Think of yourself as a superhero discovering his superpower for the first time. The unveiling. Discover the power in the Word of God. The cool thing about this, is that even if you thought of “Jesus wept”, by saying that verse you invoke the name of Jesus. But, even deeper, you declare the deity of Christ by mentioning His name, and then declare His mortality by attributing humanness and emotion to His nature in saying that He wept.

Jesus was entirely God, and entirely man. His physical body died, but His spiritual body conquered death and by the power of God, revived Him back to life again. Jesus was human, He felt things, He lived things, He wept.

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

–Hebrews 2:2-3

These two verses stuck out in my reading this morning. Hebrews is a fascinating book because it is directed towards the Hebrew people, in a similar way that the book of Romans was directed towards the people of Rome. The Hebrew people, specifically the priests and scribes of the temple, were the religious elite; more, they were the philosophical apex of their time because they alone had the proper origin of philosophical thought: the Holy Scriptures and the divine revelation of God. This book is directed to those who know the most about God, the recognized embodiments of morality and holiness, (though they eventually became quite the opposite).

The point is, these people were something by religious standards, and yet to them the same gospel is preached as it is to the Romans. The simplicity of the gospel is even more complex than anything the minds of the Hebrews can imagine.

The words, “If every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation…”, they hit me hard every time I read them. This is basic, this is the root of the doctrine of salvation, sin, the fall of man, and moral depravity; yet, this is what God, through Paul, chooses to share with the Hebrews. If all of our transgression received their just reward, how can we escape everlasting death and sorrow if we neglect salvation? What is being said is that if a single sin was to recieve it’s right reward, that alone would be enough to send us to Hell and no amount of good works could save us: the salvation found in Christ’s death on the cross is the only thing that can save.

That is power. That is truth. I challenge you to speak the Word of God today; not just in Church or at home, but when you’re pumping your gas, when you’re in line at Walmart, anywhere and everywhere you go, just say a verse or two out loud. It will brighten your day and it may brighten someone else’s as well. Speak power.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

 

Of Fools and Magi

Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

–Proverbs 18:1 

There are two ways this verse is commonly interperated, and they are by no means of equal merit. To disclose the first, I am going to do something I have never done before on the blog: I’m going to cheat. I know, this is my blog and I started it to write things, but this was so good, and I didn’t want to have to paraphrase the whole thing to avoid being a plagiarist.

This is what Matthew Henry had to say about the first interpretation of Proverbs 18:1.

Some take it as a rebuke to an affected singularity. When men take a pride in separating themselves from the sentiments and society of others, in contradicting all that has been said before them and advancing new notions of their own, which, though ever so absurd, they are wedded to, it is to gratify a desire or lust of vain-glory, and they are seekers and meddlers with that which does not belong to them. He seeks according to his desire, and intermeddles with every business, pretends to pass a judgment upon every man’s matter. He is morose and supercilious. Those generally are so that are opinionative and conceited, and they thus make themselves ridiculous, and are vexatious to others.

—Matthew Henry

I agree with this interpretation, but I like to think of it from a slightly different angle. Say that this man spoken about in Proverb 18:1 is less a wisdom seeking intellect, and more a lover, seeking distraction. It does sound a bit like a man in love seeking to take his mind off a woman. Look at the wording here: through desire, a man having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Those in bold are the key words, and I’ll take them each apart for you. With desire, I can see the subject being a love distraught young man, whose desire for a young woman–who is perhaps oblivious or obstinately against the young man–, drives the young man to the next key word of the passage. This man, being rebuffed and unrequited, then separates himself from the world and all feelings of love, burying himself in the seeking and absorbing of knowledge. But the simple search and consumption of facts doesn’t fix the young man’s angst or dissolve his desire: it isn’t enough to just seek. So, our young man discovers a lust for wisdom, driven by a desire to forget about his young woman entirely. Regular study is not enough, therefore he takes it upon himself to learn all wisdom.

Then, after that, we still see the effects of those actions in the Matthew Henry commentary, but it gives the man a different motive and a personability, (new word), that we can learn from and relate to. I could bring this all back to the comments made by Henry… But, Matthew Henry can get his own blog if he wants to.

The other interpretation we can derive from this verse is one that is vastly different than the first: the man of selfish motive seeking all wisdom. This other interpretation paints a very different man. Again, deferring to Henry’s words on the point as they are more eloquent than my own.

Our translation seems to take it as an excitement to diligence in the pursuit of wisdom. If we would get knowledge or grace, we must desire it, as that which we need and which will be of great advantage to us, 1 Co. 12:31. We must separate ourselves from all those things which would divert us from or retard us in the pursuit, retire out of the noise of this world’s vanities, and then seek and intermeddle with all the means and instructions of wisdom, be willing to take pains and try all the methods of improving ourselves, be acquainted with a variety of opinions, that we may prove all things and hold fast that which is good.

—Matthew Henry

This interpretation seems to portray a pious monk. Though it is likely intended to glorify the pursuit of knowledge and justify the forsaking of all else, the words above seem to degrade rather than propogate the seeking of wisdom as a lifestyle. The words, “We must separate ourselves from all those things which would divert us from or retard us in the pursuit, retire out of the noise of this world’s vanities…” seem very self-centric and very upity. If we were to replace the words world’s vanities, with a milder set like things of this world, it seems that this life portrayed, the life of this righteous, wisdom seeker, is…boring.

Basically, Henry’s words, however eloquent they may be, encourage us to grab a stack of books and hide in a hole. They say that all there is in life is the understanding of the Word of God, and that life should be lived for that single purpose. Perhaps Henry, who was called to the study of scripture and the interpretation thereof, may have been tainted by his own lifestyle to think slightly closed-minded about life’s ultimate purpose. Not to discredit the pursuit of knowledge for the better understanding of The Word.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

—2 Timothy 2:15

The Word itself clearly encourages the study of The Word. But, the passage isn’t so much about gaining wisdom, within context. Proverbs 18:2-9 is a caution against becoming a fool.

A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

–Proverbs 18:2

The successive verses, leading up to verse 9 are exclusively about “The Fool”. Therefore, being that the first verse alone is a about seeking knowledge, and the next 8 are about the effects of a fool’s life, we can see the focus of this passage is not on the first verse. 

So, where does the magi come in? Well, he already has. Magi, simply put, means “Wise Men”, it’s the plural form of Maguš, (wise man), from the root Mago, the Latin word for wise. Really, the magi have been in the post from the beginning. Have you? Are you so over-absorbed in the pursuit of knowledge that you neglect the other tasks of being a Christian? Or are you a fool: mindlessly disregarding knowledge if it’s amassment becomes too difficult. Do not neglect the seeking of wisdom, but within moderation, study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

As always, thanks for reading.

–the anonymous novelist

Lost In The Translation

People will tell you: “It doesn’t matter what version of the Bible you read as long as you read it”, but I think that is a grossly uneducated statement. The conformity under which the Holy Scriptures have fallen, whether by good or malicious intent, has caused many versions, (translations), to become spliced, blurred, and outright fabricated.

I read the KJV, the King James Version of the Bible. I know that may mean nothing to some of you, but it means a great deal to me. Today, I would like to question you, to challenge you to examine your translational preference of the Bible; it is crucial, believe me.

A proper understanding of Scripture, and of God himself can only be achieved through prayer, meditation, and the reading of God’s Holy Word. Thus, it is tantamount to consider your version carefully. Never. Never select a version of the Bible based upon its easy readability. To lower the intelligence of Scripture to a level of easy readability is compromising to the inspired Word.

Not only, when you opt for a simplified translation are you admitting that you are not smart enough to read a book that was written by the One who created your mind, you are also saying the Word needs to be changed for you to be able to read it. Absurd, but unfortunately true of most young people in this current age.

Now, before you discard me as a KJV fanatic, I’d like you to hear me out. I do not make snap judgement, especially when the Word of God is concerned. No decision I make on this subject is made lightly or without ammasing all the information.

Let’s examine the information. There are several modes of translation we see today that are used in translating the Holy Bible into languages and versions. I would like to focus on the two most prominent: Dynamic and Formal Equivalency.

Dynamic Equivalency: thought for thought translation, taking the thought behind a sentence or verse and translating it into what it would mean today.

Formal Equivalency: word for word translation, taking each word and translating it as closely as it can be translated into the subject language.

Obviously, the weaker and less reliable method is Dynamic Equivalency. If the Word is translated thought for thought into man’s ideas and preferences, it can easily be contorted. God himself said:

Isaiah 55:8 (KJV)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 55:9 (KJV)

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We do not think the thoughts of God, we cannot. How can we expect His Word to retain its integrity and truth when it is our thoughts that are being translated. Versions translated using Dynamic Equivalency include: NIV(New International Version), HCSB(Holman Christian Standard Bible), NAB(New American Bible), NLT(New Living Translation), The Message, and many others.

The single fault for which I can discredit all of these versions is their method of translation: they are only dynamicaly equivalent to Scripture and are not Scripture themselves. For this reason, these may still be good books, but should not be referred to as Holy and not called God’s Word, but rather, Man’s words.

The most accurate method is Formal Equivalency, however, simply because it is the most accurate does not mean that we can take the products of this method at face value as the Word of God any more than we can that of the others.

Examples of translations in Formal Equivalency are: KJV(King James Version), ASV(American Standard Version), RSV(Revised Standard Version), YLT(Young’s Litteral Translation), ESV(English Standard Version), as well as many others, including all of the, “New”, editions of those versions.

Now, simply because these are all word for word translations of the Bible, we should not accept them without further attention to detail. What were they translated from?

Well, many of the translations are not even translated from the original texts. Rather, they were translated from other translations, rendering them doubly faulty and errant. I’ll target ESV simply because I believe it to be a heresy in and of itself, purposeful omitting 1 John 5:7 without a footnote or reason. ESV is guilty of altering the meaning of over 100 verses to warp what they meant, and outright omitting over 30 verses from the Bible. For a single fault of this kind alone it should be condemned.

Deuteronomy 12:32 (KJV)

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Here, God speaks of His commands, His Scripture. But, if this is not enough evidence for you. Here also is 1 John 5:7 from KJV, a verse left out of the ESV deliberately.

1 John 5:7 (KJV)

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

To omit this verse is to undermine the very trinitarian nature of God, making this translation a new religion, a heresy. This is only one of many omitted verses in an effort to undermine God.

There are those who call themselves skeptics, they seek to cause dissension in the church by revealing the fallacies in other versions of the Bible. Don’t allow your faith to be shaken by Man’s feeble attempts to interpret the Word and Will of God.

The KJV I have found to be trustworthy and accurate, and if your only reason for rejecting it is the style in which it was written, we should seek to raise ourselves to its standards, not bring it down to ours. Besides, you have a promise from God himself:

John 16:12-13 (KJV)

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Many things He has for us that we cannot bear, we cannot fathom or understand. That is what the Holy Spirit is for, to guide us and reveal the Word to us. I encourage you to study this out in greater depth and choose your version of the Bible with care. Make sure nothing has gotten lost in the translation, for some things once lost, can be very hard to find again.

As always, thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any questions. I hope this helped someone.

–the anonymous novelist

Friends

A man who hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24

True friends, those who will stick by you when “push comes to shove”,(apologies for the overused expression), are those who are most like Christ himself. Christ is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, and Christians, Christ-like people, are to be a reflection of Him. The world, as in: secularists, humanists, atheists, pantheists, agnostics, astrologists, and those who aren’t quite sure what they are, cannot inderstand what is a real friendship. Going back to the old standby, the New Oxford American Dictionary, we see your normal, everyday sort of friend described thusly. 

Friend:

1.  A person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection. 
2.  Someone who is not an enemy.

For the first definition, it sounds as if a friend is something mechanical rather than personal; something seen but not felt. If all it takes to be a friend is to be known and liked with moderate affability and admiration, then why bother even giving it a name. A friend equals companionship, comradary, trust, and a connection to something that is more powerful than anything else in the world, the love that is Jesus Christ. If you love God, you will love others, for God is love. Love lives inside of you, how can you contain a force that existed before time and space? 

But, to everyone else–those who have never experienced this inner-living love– the concept of friendship extends about as far as a mutual relationship for the benefit of both parties. Trust is optional.

As the saying goes, “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”.

Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbor.

Proverbs 19:4 

There is a wealth of wisdom written in the Proverbs. This one in particular relates a mode of friendship that is fleeting, conditionary. Wealth attracts people, and people are by nature selfish. In many ways, money makes better friends than most people do; and really, if people are friends with you for your money, are they truly friends of yours? 

An example of true friendship can be found later on in the Scriptures, though much more hard-hitting than the previous one.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

This one really hits home the longer you think about it. We, as Christians, should be willing to die for the ones we care about. It is the love that is within us that motivates us to put our carnal desires behind us and think of others before we consider even our own lives. This willingness to die for someone is ultimately what separates the wheat from the chaff, the goats from the sheep, the non-believers from those who have love coursing through their spiritual veins.

I have met a few people who believe differently. Our current generation leans more toward the “what can you do for me” kind of friendship. In fact, the Disney Channel is full of good examples of this next kind of conditionary friendship. It is popularly exploited because it is a surprisingly common mindset of young people.

Ye are my friend, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
 John 15:14

We might laugh at that, it is a sad truth that people actually live their lives in that way; dying from the inside and seriously injuring the lives of others. Though, if you read the context of this verse, it is Jesus himself who is speaking these words. He says through the person of David that he who hath friends must show himself friendly, then moves on to say that if you love God and obey him, you can be called a friend of the Creator of the universe. 

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you.

John 15:14

To be a friend of God… 

Notice the two action words in this verse: do and command. God commands, (voluntary action on His part), we do, (voluntary action on our part), and we will be called friends of the Most High God.

I recently spent what seemed like a very short amount of time with some very dear friends of mine. It caused me to realize that time is fleeting and life is but a vapor. We should not only cherish the times we are given, but use those times to bring glory to the Father. Friendship was created for the sole purpose of glorifying God. If it edifies a brother or sister along the way, so much more the praise. 

This is my commandment that ye love one another, as I have loved you. 
John 15:12

I love you guys… And gals. And, just so I’m not discriminating, if there happen to be any pig ducklings reading along, I love you too. As always, thanks for reading. 

  –the anonymous novelist