Joie de Vivre

   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

Joie de Vivre

 David Alan Black

Every morning, when I go out to the pasture to feed my horses, I am treated to Sonny is a retired horse from an out of state police department. Sonny has a special need because he is allergic to hay. This is commonly known as heaves or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  The allergic reaction creates excess mucus in the lungs making very little air space. At some time prior to coming to the Sanctuary, he got into some molded hay which caused a severe allergic reaction and resulted in this disease (COPD).some pretty spectacular sights. First there are the deer that live in the woods bordering our land. They stop and stare at me before sauntering off (amazing how they know it isn’t deer season!). I am always amazed at their grace and beauty, their indescribable litheness. Then there are the horses frolicking and romping as they see me approaching. Especially Traveller, my Thoroughbred, delights in bucking and kicking in pure, unadulterated, carefree joy. The French have a wonderful expression for this; they call it joie de vivre—the joy of living.

In these days of wars and rumors of wars, how easy it is to be “cumbered with a load of cares,” despite the knowledge that our Heavenly Father is always there to care for us. It’s like working in a bakery and losing our taste for bread.

Scripture says we “have tasted of the powers of the world to come” (Hebrews 6:5). This earth has been spoiled by the ravages of sin, but there are still fragments of its original glory. We taste of the eternal world to come when are born again, when we are filled with the Spirit, and when we enjoy fellowship with God through His Word. The Christian does not rejoice over the distress of nations, but instead lifts up his head and focuses his attention on the One who will never fail to provide for his every need.

Today false prophets cry “Peace” when there is no peace. The optimists of this age proclaim a New World Order and a false security that is actually a forerunner of certain destruction. Such “good news” is bad news to the believer, not for himself, but for this sinful world that shall not escape the judgment of God. The good news is that the child of God has already escaped condemnation through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1).

Well did Spurgeon say that a mouse might worry over whether there is enough corn in the granaries or a fish fret about whether there is enough water in the oceans before a Christian need be troubled over the sufficiency of God’s grace. Just as my horses know that their owner will feed them every morning, so Christians can be confident that their God can and will satisfy their deepest spiritual longings.

If you have never personally experienced the love of God, you are welcome to send me an email. I will be happy to share with you what it means to experience the joie de vivre that God freely gives to those weary earth-travelers who seek His face.

March 10, 2003

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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John Edwards

   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

John Edwards: King of Political Correctness

David Alan Black 

Regarding Sen. John Edward’s latest public comments, like me you’re probably wondering what in the world is going on in the man’s head. His disparaging remarks about the things that matter a great deal to many of his fellow Tarheels—hunting, fishing, and especially farming—prove beyond doubt that he will do anything to win the favor of the political in-crowd in D.C. and the liberal anti-gun lobby. They also reveal the extent to which political correctness is enthusiastically embraced by the liberal media and politicians.

Political correctness (PC) is the communal tyranny that erupted on the American scene in the 1980s. It declared that particular ideas, beliefs, and expressions, which were then legal, should be forbidden by law, and people who practiced them punished. It has grown so much in popularity that now it is the written and unwritten law in our society. Those who refuse to be politically correct have become the object of mob persecution, if not state prosecution.

As far as I am able to discern, the primary rational for this doctrine is to prevent people from being “offended.” It compels everyone to avoid using words or engaging in behaviors that might upset homosexuals, women, non-whites, the fat, the ugly, etc. Its origins lie in a society whose citizens have become incurably self-centered, and under this influence it slowly but inexorably dismantles all the restraints upon self-indulgence established by customs, tradition, and law. As Kurt Andersen once observed in The New Yorker, we are not teaching children to grow up. We are refusing to teach them to deal with the burden, consequences, and rewards of discernment, judgment, and competition. As Andersen writes, “What do we tell nice children about their ugly scribbles and cockamamie ideas and pointless stories? That they’re all just great, no better or worse than any other child’s—which carried full-strength into the adult world, becomes an undiscriminating hyperempathy….”

And make no mistake about it—failing to bow the knee to PC can cost you. When George Orwell, the author of Animal Farm, wrote about the pleasures of a rose garden in an essay written in 1946, he was criticized for being “bourgeois.” Today, the results of being bourgeois (i.e., sexist, racist, homophobic, etc.) are losing your job, your reputation, or even your physical security. Once free expression gets placed in a straight-jacket of “acceptable” truth, then the madness that occurs in a totalitarian state is the result.

What I find particularly disquieting is the manner in which repressive PC policies seem to flourish in times of national crisis. World War I, for example, unleashed a storm of repression and demands for conformity. At Columbia University, President Nicholas Butler told the 1917 graduating class there would be no room for “any among us who are not with whole heart and mind and strength committed to fight with us to make the world safe for democracy.” Butler then proceeded to fire two dissenters. Support for the war was also mandated by other means. At the war’s beginning a meeting of college and university representatives adopted a resolution whose preamble stated: “In the supreme crisis that confronts the Nation the colleges and universities of America have the single-minded thought and desire to summon to the country’s service every resource at their command, to offer to the Nation their full strength without reservation….” College work was reorganized to serve the interests of government at war.

The problem is that the purveyors of PC like Sen. Edwards try to have it both ways—indeed, they try to have it every way. When it comes to their political interests, they assert their ability to know what is correct and what is not. And apparently the latest craze is for Southern politicians to distance themselves from “red-necks” as quickly as possible. The reality is that, while Edwards claims to be a moderate and a good old Southern boy, that claim is contradicted by a four-year voting record that consistently puts ultra-liberal special interests ahead of the people he represents.

·        His voting record matches that of Sen. Hillary Clinton.

·        From 1999-02 he voted with Ted Kennedy 90- of the time.

·        In 2001 Edwards received a 0- rating from the Small Business Survival Committee for his voting record.

·        In June of 2000 he voted against tabling an amendment that would have repealed the ban on privately funded abortions at overseas military facilities.

·        More than 4 out of every 5 dollars raised by Edwards for his hard money PAC, New American Optimists, have come from personal injury trial lawyers.

·        The liberal activist group Human Rights Campaign, which ranks members of Congress with a score representing the strength of their support for the radical gay agenda, gave Edwards a perfect 100- rating for the first session of the current Congress.

And now Edwards claims he no longer listens to country music, pays no attention to NASCAR races, and no longer owns a gun. The truth is that John Edwards is no Southern moderate. In fact, he is not a Southerner at all. He is a Northeastern liberal with a capital “L.” If anyone merits the title “King of Political Correctness,” he does.

June 8, 2003

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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John 3

   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

John 3:16 and Me

 David Alan Black  

The famous Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, was once asked what he thought was the most profound truth of Christianity. Thoughtfully he responded, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

No other biblical truth is as compelling to me as that one. As everyone knows, I am not a missionary in the technical sense. I had a total of one missions course at Biola. I have no missiological acumen. But I do have a missionary heart and a zeal for evangelism. And the “harvest field” that our Lord spoke of most certainly includes Ethiopia, where my wife and I invest our vacation time twice a year.

For years I pursued the gospel of self-fulfillment (disguising my self-centeredness in pious terms, of course). I have since come to realize that love is the one indispensable mark of membership in God’s family – not status or education or achievement. I am learning to make choices on the basis of compassion for lost men and women who face a Christ-less eternity. Just as importantly, I am coming to realize that I don’t have to travel halfway around the world to be a missionary. The main thing is to see the world from God’s viewpoint. “God so loved the world” has become for me, as it was for Barth, the most exhilarating statement in the Bible.

I have tried to emphasize this simple truth wherever I have taught – Romania, India, Holland, Korea, and a dozen other countries. One of the great distractions of modern evangelicalism is our misguided belief that the political restructuring of society is our primary objective. As necessary and good as that might be, our Lord had a different goal in mind when He commanded us to tell others the Good News of His love and to establish groups of His followers in every place. If I may speak plainly, the lost condition of humanity has literally begun to break my heart. I care very much that many of my neighbors in Southside Virginia are going to hell, despite their church membership. I also have an insatiable desire to preach Christ in places where missionaries rarely go.

The bottom of the bottom line is this. The mission call is more a call to a vocation than a location. It is simply a wholehearted commitment to obey Christ’s Great Commission in a world-focused way. No formal training in “missions” is needed, by the way. Any committed member of the School of Jesus is qualified to have a part. I guess that includes me.

May 27, 2007

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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Jesus Or Julius?

   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

                

Jesus Or Julius?

 David Alan Black  

I don’t suppose it really matters, but I won’t be watching the national conventions on television this year. It seems to me that every four years we are treated to the same tired spectacle of presidential aspirants telling us how they will solve all of our nation’s problems. They must be kidding.

Look at the political ads and what do you get but a web of accusations and counter-accusations. And then there’s the so-called mainstream media. NPR reports, for example, that Joe Lieberman is a good choice because of his “foreign policy experience.” No discussion of foreign policy per se. No discussion of the kind of leadership Mr. Lieberman provided the nation. No discussion of anything – just confused stuttering and generally useless commentary.

There’s no point, I suppose, in bringing up the fact that Mr. Lieberman sat in the chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is “responsible for oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and assuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Government,” during an imbroglio brought on by our government’s own presumptuous declarations and ignorant oversimplifications.

Must we pretend that political conventions are not based totally on perception rather than reality? I know by saying this I’m going to offend a lot of neo-patriots (who probably won’t read me anyway), but draping politicians with the mantle of “foreign relations experience” doesn’t excuse the ignominy ofour collective foreign policy buffoonery.

What pathetic imbeciles we are to think politics is the solution to what ails us as a people or as a nation. The whole election is a cosmic joke, made more so by the media frenzy surrounding it. In his book Living Faith, Jacque Ellul offers this striking analogy:

A doctor examines a child, diagnoses a serious illness, and prescribes a drug to cure the disease. But while the parents are out of the room, the child makes the prescription into a paper airplane and it sails out the window: something like that is what happened to us.

Folks, I’m not a quietist. But God’s will hic et nunc is not to improve the American Way of Life. Politics is a false god if ever there was one. God or Mammon. Jesus or Julius. We must simply decide.

Jesus tells us, “Make disciples of all nations.” I don’t know about you, but I’ll stick with the transforming power of the cross, which alone can lay the foundation for “real change,” a “new beginning,” or whatever other slogans the candidates and their parties will hype this election year.

August 24, 2008

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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January 2018 Blog Archives

 

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January 2018 Blog Archives     

Wednesday, January 31  

9:45 PM 12 days ago I was privileged and blessed to climb the NRocks Via Ferrata in Circleville, WV. It was a beautiful Saturday with sunshine and clear air. I wasn’t sure what to expect, even though I had climbed one other Via Ferrata in Zermatt two summers ago. It was definitely going to be a new challenge. Along with my guide Matthew, we put on our helmets and climbing harnesses and hooked onto the safety cable with our carabiners. It doesn’t take very long before you get into a routine: fix onto the steel cable, climb a little bit, and then transfer to the next section by rehooking. The route was mostly a vertical cliff. After I finished, my Garmin indicated an elevation gain of 2,327 feet. Climbing became increasingly more and more difficult. At times I found it very hard to find a good place to step or to stand while reattaching my carabiners. Every so often we paused for a brief water break. I’m so glad I brought 2 liters of water with me because the climb made me very thirsty. Mostly, though, it’s all about concentration. Vertical rock climbing requires you to stay in the moment and not let your mind wander. Fortunately, I felt pretty strong the whole way and was thrilled when we finally made it to the top and began our descent down a mountain path. It sure was an adrenalin kick. I was glad I was able to take my GoPro camera with me, mounted on my climbing helmet. This climb is a “must do” for anyone who enjoys a challenge. By far the best part was climbing with an experienced mountain guide who kept me on track and never let me get discouraged. A Via Ferrata allows you to experience the mountains in a unique way. It takes a combination of strength and balance to make it to the amazing views at the top. But be forewarned: You use a completely different set of muscles than you do when running. It was days before my calves had fully recovered from the climb. The reward comes with confronting your fatigue and going to the edges of your abilities and experience. It’s not like I climb because I have a special gift for this sport. For me, a great climb is one that I finish. A vertical rock face is not to be taken lightly. But with preparation, persistence, a little bit of courage, a good guide, and the Lord’s help, you can cross that “finish line,” which in this case meant returning safely to the HQ building. A fist bump —  and the experience of a lifetime was over. In any case, here’s a GoPro YouTube I put together today should you like to make the climb with me.

Upward ho, ya’ll!

Monday, January 29  

6:32 AM Another great quote from Roland Allen (Spontaneous, pp. 53-54).

What Christ asks of His disciples is not so much exposition of doctrine about Him as witness to His power. Now witness to His power can be given by the most illiterate if he has had experience of it. It does not require long training for a man to say: “Whereas I was blind now I see”, even though he may be compelled when asked: “What sayest thou of Him?” to answer: “I know not.” Such a man was quite prepared to say: “I believe” and to worship, when told that his Healer was the Son of God. Christ did not require any long training in doctrine when He said to the Demoniac of Gadara: “Go and tell how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how He had mercy on thee.”

6:25 AM You can throw out your old bathroom scale now. Instead of just focusing on pounds, the newShapa approaches your health in a more holistic way.

5:55 AM  Good morning friends! I’ve been wide-eyed and bushy-tailed since 4:00, putting some last-minute touches on my classes for this week. In Greek 4, we talk about a lot more than Greek. In 1 Thess. 1:2-5, we find Paul’s “method” (if you can call it that) of church planting. When the church in Antioch sent out Barnabas and Saul, it never intended their missionaries to set up a chain of institutions to be kept under the control of the sending church. Whatever churches were planted would be deeply rooted in their host countries. They would be “home grown” congregations, integrally identified with those people who would both lead and follow in those churches. As a church planter, Paul never intended to become the pastor of the work at Corinth or elsewhere. He facilitated the work of others who would be appointed by the Holy Spirit for leadership there. We make a very grave mistake, I believe, when we think expatriates such as Timothy and Titus were the “pastors” of the churches they were involved with in Ephesus or Crete. Their ministry, as Paul’s personal representatives, was the selection and training of local responsible brothers to lead the work.

In all of this, Paul’s servant attitude comes forcefully into play. He took as his model for ministry the kenosis pattern of Jesus Christ, a model of other-orientation and costly servanthood (Phil. 2:5-11). Paul consistently labored in the best interests of others rather than himself. Even as an apostle, Paul refused to arrogate to himself exclusive powers. He eagerly sought to train others who would carry on his pioneer ministry.

In Antioch, Barnabas and Saul worked side by side in discipling the church in the ways of Jesus. Little wonder that the church at Antioch, once it had been well established in the teachings of Jesus, had a burden for the nations. Barnabas and Saul went on to be commissioned by the church for the work of church planting. Within 10 years, Paul had gone on to plant churches in the Roman provinces of Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia. In all of these places, the perpetuation of the Gospel ministry was predicated upon members of the local congregations becoming leaders of the churches among them. Ministry training was accomplished through local training, not by sending church leaders away from their homes and communities. John Frame (“Proposals for a New North American Model,” Missions and Theological Education in World Perspective, p. 377) proposes a “Christian Community where teachers, ministerial candidates and their families live together, eat together, work together” (p. 379). Today, forms of distance learning include seminars, guided self-study, internet chat rooms, Skype, and interactive video links via satellite to widely dispersed students, allowing them to study without interrupting and disrupting their customary lifestyle. My ownGreek DVD series is being used all over the world to provide instruction in beginning Greek to pastors who otherwise would have no access to such training. Discipleship thus takes place in a living local church context. It is people-related rather than textbook- or professor-related.

When the church in the book of Acts became centralized in Jerusalem, God scattered it through persecution. Without decentralization, the church could not reach its maximum potential as a witnessing community. But scattered, the church preached wherever it went, carrying out the Great Commission. Within these scattered congregations, God provided leaders directly. In Acts we read, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 14:23-24). Nationalization is an act of trust: trust in God to further His church on earth according to biblical principles, and trust in believers to whom the leadership of these local churches is to be entrusted.

By insisting on control (or leadership) of national institutions, as some missionary organizations seem to do today, expat missionaries belie their professed commitment to servanthood. The apostle Paul pioneered the local ministry model. It deserves emulating today. Wherever I travel, my goal is to come alongside the national churches, both leaders and led, and assist them to the best of my (limited) abilities. My approach is intentionally cooperative. I seek to take no leadership role. I am there to serve, not to be served. It is this true “partnership in the Gospel” (Phil. 1:5) that makes missionary service so rewarding for me.

So this is just a taste of what we’ll be talking about in class this week. Great students = happy teacher!

Dave

Sunday, January 28  

10:05 AM  Markus Barth’s classic commentary on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is well worth your hard-earned bucks. I’m blown away by the author’s astuteness, brilliance even.  His section on Eph. 4:11-13 deserves a reading by every Christian.

Let me try to summarize it for you. Remember, Markus Barth was no conservative evangelical. He wasn’t a Southern Baptist. He was a professor in a Reformed university in Basel. Yet above all he was a biblicist. At some point, you and I are going to have to become the same thing. But to my summary:

1) Barth argues that Eph. 4:11-13 is a locus classicus on the church — its order, origin, design, etc.

2) By separating “the equipping of the saints” and “the work of the ministry” by a comma (as in the KJV), we miss Paul’s point completely. This leads to an aristocratic and ecclesiastical interpretation that falsely distinguishes between the mass of “saints” and the superior class of “clergy” who are distinct from them. In this view, laypeople are only the beneficiaries of the work of the ministry; they may benefit from it, but only official ministers can carry it out.

3) The ministries of verse 11 are given to the church so that God’s people can become equipped to carry out works of service and thus allow the light of God’s goodness to shine in a dark world. “All the saints (and among them, each saint) are enabled by the four or five types of servants enumerated in 4:11 to fulfill the ministry given to them, so that the whole church is taken into Christ’s service and given missionary substance, purpose, and structure.”

4) Barth thus challenges the prevailing “aristocratic-clerical and the triumphalistic-ecclesiastical” interpretation of 4:11-13. These interpretations are nothing less than “arbitrary distortions of the text.”

5) There is, therefore, no biblical distinction between clergy and laity. “Rather, the whole church, the community of all the saints together, is the clergy appointed by God for a ministry to and for the world.” This means, among other things, that we can’t reduce church members “to the rank of mere consumers of spiritual gifts,” nor can we view the church as turned in on itself.

6) Each one of the saints is a recipient of grace from on High. They should also be dispensers of grace. Even the weakest members of the body are indispensable.

7) What, then, of the special call to “the” ministry? “There is but one calling or vocation valid in the church: the call of God into his kingdom.”

8) This is not to undermine the necessity for special ministers. “Their place is not above but below the great number of saints who are not adorned by resounding titles. Every one of the special ministers is a servus servorum Dei [a servant of the servants of God].”

9) This means that the main ministry of the gathered church is mutual edification. “There are needy people inside the church — and ‘the lonely men at the top’ may well belong among them.”

10) As for honorific titles, Barth argues against their use. “Divers books of the NT show that all ‘clerical’ titles available from Israel’s history and literature have been conferred upon Jesus Christ and comprehended in him.”

I love Barth. I loved him when I sat in his lectures and seminars in Basel and I love him now. He never treated faith in an abstract, theoretical way.

Yes, the church needs specialized and gifted leaders. Paul says as much in our text. But the call of God to fulltime Christian service comes to every believer who has ears to hear. We are all “joints” in the body of Christ and connected to each other. We may therefore choose to either edify or ignore our calling. Will I abdicate my responsibility to the leaders or will I build up the body by building up this brother or that sister? The special ministers of the church may model equipping for us, but we can never delegate this work completely to them.

How to flesh this out? Perhaps we could begin with our church’s marquee:

Name: Local Baptist Church

Senior Pastor: Jesus Christ

Ministers: Every Member

Assistants to the Ministers: [Your Elders’ Names]

I know this looks radical, but that’s what the church is supposed to look like. I think you’d have the most interesting church marquee in town. And the glory would all go to Jesus. And even non-believers might be curious enough to darken your doorsteps. And the kingdom of God would advance.

9:55 AM And another one (Roland Allen,The Case for Voluntary Clergy, p. 128):

The most powerful of all teaching is not direct verbal statement, but habitual attitude and action which takes the truth of the idea upon which it is based for granted.

This is exactly what Paul meant when he wrote in 1 Thess. 1:5: “You know exactly what kind of men we were when we lived among you, doing everything for your own good and not our own.”

9:45 AM Here’s a great quote from missionary Roland Allen (Spontaneous, p. 112):

All men naturally tend to leave direct missionary work to a professional class when there exists a professional class whose special duty it is to do it.

Have you ever read anything truer?

8:15 AM In just two weeks my students and I will be discussing the so-called Synoptic Problem in our NT 1 class. I’ve summarized the leading “solutions” to this problem in aPower Point. Although I espouse Matthean priority, I feel it’s my duty as a teacher to expose my students to the major views held by New Testament scholars today. Still, my dream is that my students might see the occasional nature of the documents we call “Gospels.” Recently the journal New Testament Studies kindly allowed access to several of its online essays for free. I’ve been reading Graham Stanton’s “The Fourfold Gospel” with great interest, since I’m a proponent of the “Fourfold Gospel Hypothesis.” Stanton’s essay, of course, assumes a commitment to the Markan Priority Hypothesis.

When Matthew wrote his Gospel, he did not intend to supplement Mark: his incorporation of most of Mark’s Gospel is surely an indication that he intended that his Gospel should replace Mark’s, and that it should become the Gospel for Christians of his day. Similarly Luke. Luke’s Preface should not be dismissed merely as the evangelist’s way of honouring literary convention. There is little doubt that Luke expects that his more complete Gospel will displace his predecessors, even though he may not intend to disparage their earlier efforts. Whether or not John knew of the existence of one or more of the synoptic gospels, he seems to have expected that his Gospel would win wide acceptance asthe Gospel.

I appreciate Professor Stanton’s tireless work in Gospel studies. As I’ve tried to show in my book, however, to understand how the fourfold Gospel got to us, one needs to forget virtually everything that has been previously accepted as fact about the Synoptic Problem. The Fourfold Gospel Hypothesis does not allow readers to acquire a new idea that can be applied to their existing solution to the problem. Simply put, students of the Gospels cannot hold to the traditional solution of Markan Priority and accept the concepts that are put forth in my Why Four Gospels? Here’s why:

1) The Markan Priority Hypothesis — which is the “affirmed” interpretation of history based almost exclusively on the internal evidence — is fatally flawed when one takes into account the writings of the earliest Christian fathers. Regrettably, any theory of New Testament interpretation, once it is established, becomes nearly impossible to dislodge, even if new (and seemingly contradictory) evidence is produced. Any new interpretation of the events, if it is to be accepted, must be built around the old consensus even at the expense of logic. An example of this is the Farrer Hypothesis, which dispenses with “Q” while insisting on Markan Priority. Indeed, so embedded is the popular view in the public consciousness that it is nearly impossible to dismiss it. The story is “safe,” and the matter is not really open to debate. In my opinion, New Testament scholarship has become so preoccupied with maintaining the status quo that it has neglected to explore the external evidence.

2) As noted above, the accepted version of the story focuses on the internal evidence. If, however, one were to seriously investigate the external evidence — the evidence provided by the patristic testimony — it would become evident that current explanations are incongruent and incompatible with the opinions of the fathers. Why, for example, did Clement of Alexandria insist that the Gospels “containing the genealogies” (i.e., Matthew and Luke) were written first? And why is Matthew always listed as the first Gospel? Why is Mark’s Gospel consistently described not as an independent work of Mark but as a record of the words of the apostle Peter? In light of this evidence, it seems illogical to believe that our earliest Gospel was written by Mark, a non-eyewitness.

3) Ensconced deeply in the affirmed version is the notion that Mark contains inferior grammar to that found in Matthew and Luke. Some Markan priorists have even gone so far as to claim that Mark contains “errors” that were subsequently “corrected” by Matthew and Luke. Yet each of these supposed “errors” allows for a plausible alternative explanation that does not require Markan priority (as I have attempted to show here). If the New Testament student desires a complete understanding of the factors that led up to the writing of the Gospels, the internal evidence alone simply does not provide it. The external evidence keeps getting in the way of the affirmed version.

I can’t help but ask: why are the fathers so adamant that Matthew came first? Why did Clement aver that Matthew and Luke came before Mark? Why do the fathers go to great lengths to show that Mark never set out to write a Gospel but simply recorded the words of Peter as they were spoken before his Roman audience? What has prevented proponents of the affirmed view from asking these vital questions? The answer, in my opinion, is that the consensus view is falsely shackled to a misguided preference for the internal evidence. In fact, as long as the patristic testimony is ignored, the internal evidence, which by its very nature is subjective, will continue to reign supreme. And as long as the traditional view is anchored in the minds of scholars, the solution will remind hidden.

So what is the simplest explanation of the facts — all the facts? To discover that, one must be bold. The missing pieces of the puzzle must be included if we are to assemble the whole puzzle rather than leaving them out because they do not seem to fit. Taking the external evidence into account will have serious repercussions. The answer to the Synoptic Problem will remain incomplete until a central piece of the puzzle is in place.

6:14 AM So what are most of us doing today? Attending a “worship service.” This way of thinking has been challenged by Vaughan Roberts in a delightful little book calledTrue Worship.

Interested? Here’s my summary.

Enjoy this day that the Lord has made!

Dave

Saturday, January 27  

5:55 PM Since Karen and her new hubby live in Arlington (just outside of DC), we thought it would be fun to run theFour Courts Four Miler together on Saturday morning, March 10. If you survive the uphill climb to the finish, you’re treated to a pint of beer (I’ll pass, thank you) as well as live music and Irish dancers jigging to the tunes.

The other option was to run the DC Half Marathon that day but since I’ve got a full marathon in Raleigh the next weekend I thought that would be a wee bit too much, sure and begorrah. (Sorry for the English disguised as Gaelic there.)

5:02 PM Today Sheba took me for a long walk in the woods to check up on the work our forestry consultant has been doing as he prepares the pine/hardwood tree stands for harvesting.

This year I’m cutting around 85 acres.

Each will be replanted in fast-growing loblollies. What do you think of this amazing grapevine?

It’s almost as big as the surrounding trees. It will be preserved from cutting, of course, since one day it will qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records. What I should have done today (and was hoping to do) is run 10 miles. Of course, it might have helped had I not killed myself at the gym yesterday. Anyway, I still have a week to get in my pre-half long run so I’m not too worried. With the flu season being as bad as it is this year, today I listened to my body and stayed home. One thing running does is help me live in the moment. I’ve stopped thinking about the races that eluded me in the past and the victories that may or may not be there for me in the future. There’s plenty of reasons to concentrate on living this day. The only time I have is now, which is why I spent basically the whole afternoon on the front porch reading several books about 1 Thessalonians. The end result is that my body is feeling great but my mind feels like wilted lettuce. At least I got way ahead on my reading. Yay for that, I guess. I’m still waiting to be unwussed enough to climb another Via Ferrata, like this one in Quebec.

Or this one in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

Or this one in British Columbia.

I don’t think you can beat this last one for pure awesomeness. Anyway, a vigorous training workout awaits me this week and I’m sure it will have me couched on my sofa before 9:00 pm. Now I’m off to tend to the animals one last time and make sure they’re tucked in for the night.

10:08 AM One of the essays we’re covering in next week’s Greek 4 class is by W. Weiss and is called  “Glaube — Liebe — Hoffnung. Zu der Trias bei Paulus” (“Faith — Love — Hope. On the Triad in Paul”). It’s just plain beautiful how Paul uses the “rule of three” so often in 1 Thessalonians, beginning in 1:2-5:

  • Faith, love, hope

  • Mentioning, remembering, knowing

  • Power, the Holy Spirit, complete conviction

Ferdinand Hahn, in his Theologie des Neuen Testaments, notes: “Glaube, Liebe und Hoffnung sind für ihn die entscheidenden Kennzeichen für das Christsein ” (p. 307). We see this most clearly, of course, in 1 Cor. 13:13, where faith, hope, and love are prominent ideals for the Christian. In his essay, Weiss notes that the trio “faith, love, and hope” occurs elsewhere in Paul in 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:10; Eph. 1:3ff.15-18; Col. 1:4f.; and Heb. 10:22-24. I can’t imagine that Weiss was ever a proponent of the Pauline authorship of Hebrews, but his reference to Heb. 10:22-24 is a reminder that the number of parallels between Paul and Hebrews should give us pause before rejecting the Paulinity of Hebrews purely on the basis of the internal evidence.

So let us come near to God with a sincere and sure faith, with hearts purified from a guilt conscience and bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep His promise. Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.

Evidence like this, coupled with the external evidence drawn from the church fathers, is a challenge to the modern-day consensus opinio that Paul could not have been the author of a letter that always circulated among the Pauline Corpus in the early church. It would perhaps not be too sardonic to say that the external evidence is all too easily ignored in our day. Perhaps it’s time for another lusty debate over the matter. And perhaps my own booklet on the subject will help in clarifying these issues. I’m a little chary about jettisoning the testimony of the early church fathers. Conversely, a look at the internal evidence shows that the contents of Hebrews are at least sui generis with that of the authentic Paulines.

Perhaps, above all, it’s imperative that we are humble over such contentious issues.

Time for chores.

8:54 AM Sermon Audio is one of the best things to hit the internet. This morning I listened to messages in both French and German. Here’s a German series I found on “The Marks of a Christian.”

What are the indications in our lives that a seed has sprouted and a new life has truly begun? Here the speaker asks, “What are the marks of a Christian? What makes a Christian a Christian? What are the necessary signs of a true believer?” He points us, of course, to the Scriptures, which contain several several marks of a genuine follower of Jesus, includingservice  (der Dienst).

A Christian is simply a servant of God. The first passage referenced, unsurprisingly, is 1 Thess. 1:9:

All those people tell us how you welcomed us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God — to serve the true and living God.

Christians serve God. This is how our faith becomes visible. As Spirit-filled Christians, we should be the world’s greatest servants. Our love for God can be measured by the amount of time we serve others in His name and for His glory. This transformation from selfish people to selfless people occurs from the inside out. It’s best seen not in a fish design on our automobiles but by the ways in which we love others. “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples,” said Jesus (John 13:35). Francis Schaeffer called love for others the greatest mark of a Christian. (Read his book The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century.) Christianity isn’t for idlers and goof-offs — a point Paul makes in both First and Second Thessalonians. The stories we read in the Gospels often pertain to the ways in which our Lord served others. Serving was indeed “serious business” with Christ. And if we’re filled with His Spirit, we ought also to be in the business of serving others.

How has your understanding of service changed through the years? As radically as mine has? For years, “missions” for me was placing an offering in the collection plate to support all those “missionaries” out there. Trouble is, there’s a big difference between supporting missions and becoming a missionary yourself. Take some time to develop a list of the 10 biggest obstacles that hold you back from living a life of service. Write them down, and then ask God to help you whittle them down. Every genuine born-again Christian is a missionary. We are, every one of us, in “fulltime Christian service” to God and others. That’s why Paul said his life was an example to us (1 Thess. 1:6). By following that example and being faithful to that pattern, others are bound to see Christ in us.

I once wrote a little book calledWill You Join the Cause of Global Missions? On the last page is a place you can sign your life away on the dotted line. Email me atdblack@sebts.edu if you’d like a copy. I am absolutely sure that the person you’d swap your life for is worth it.

7:20 AM Good Saturday morning, readers! Next Tuesday in Greek 4, we’ll be discussing 1 Thess. 1:2-5. This paragraph underlines Paul’s entire approach to missions. When the lost are confronted squarely with what Christ has done for them, a response can be expected. Paul therefore sees the evangelistic preaching of the “word” as fundamentally tied to a subsequent changed life on the part of the receiver. He was certainly not afraid to mention the consequences of God’s election. We tend to view election as something in the past. Paul, however, is not afraid to point out the present evidence of a past election. An attitude of humble obedience, selfless sacrifice, and unshakable hope characterize both church and evangelist when they are at their best.

This colon (which is one long sentence in Greek) can be outlined as follows.

The main independent finite verb “We give thanks” is modified by three participial extensions:

  • ποιούμενοι

  • μνημονεύοντες

  • εἰδότες

  • Making mention of you in our prayers …

  • Remembering before our God and Father …

  • Knowing, brothers and sisters beloved by God, your election ….

Mention of Paul’s prayer for his readers leads him to draw the veil aside for a moment on the threefold evidence of their conversation. We have to realize that without fruit there is probably little or no root. In the case of the Thessalonian believers, they were known for three things:

  • How they had put their faith into practice.

  • How their love had made them work so hard.

  • How their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ had remained firm.

These are but a few of the ways we cooperate with a God who shines into our hearts against a god who blinds our minds (2 Cor. 4:4-6). They are ways by which we “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). They are part and parcel of the “good works” that God foreordained that His sons and daughters “should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

The Thessalonians’ fruitfulness is matched only by the missionaries’ commitment. Paul and his fellow preachers were resolved to preach not only the word. Coming to Christ involved far more than the intellect. Preaching must also include power, the Holy Spirit, and complete conviction of its truth. As a Greek teacher, this is an important reminder to me that the classroom must do more than disseminate information. I think we can safely assume that an effective classroom teacher will also be known for his or her passion. Good Bible teachers are utterly and irrevocably convinced that what they are teaching has the potential to unlock the door to a lifetime of Scripture study and growth in grace. So Paul goes on to consider how the Gospel came to the Thessalonians. He hopes that they will see from his own earnestness that the Gospel is a vital matter of spiritual life and death. If we are to have an effective Gospel ministry, we have to come to terms with the spiritual battle raging all around us. A satanic force is utterly opposed to the Gospel and will do whatever it can to hinder its spread at every turn. How dare, then, we think that we can come “with word only” when the opposition is so stark? Paul saw himself as deeply imbued with power from on High. His endurance of suffering was the result of a constant inner strength supplied by the Holy Spirit. He knew his message was true, and so he saw himself as an ambassador for Christ. Paul was “gripped” with his message, as the original of Acts 18:5 puts it. Once we find Christ, we simply have to tell others.

It’s obviously possibly to take Paul’s teaching here too far and make works a requirement for salvation. This will not do. “He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal” (Rom. 2:28-29). Works never saved anyone. Nevertheless, faith and works belong together in the purpose of God. They jointly form “the Way” of Jesus. We are heading for trouble when we confuse decisions with discipleship. Salvation means justification, but it also means sanctification. They stand or fall together.

So here is what I see when I read a passage like 1 Thess. 1:2-5. I see a church — a bride if you will — that is loved and beautiful. She is laughing at her troubles. She is shaking off the apathy of her former life and throwing open the doors of service to others, service that requires a brimful of sweat. She is secure in the love of her Savior. And therefore, she loves.

Could these Thessalonian believers have loved unless they were first loved? Could they have learned how to live sacrificially had not Paul sacrificially brought the Good News to them with power, the Holy Spirit, and complete conviction of its truth? Someday I hope to become an evangelist like Paul and Silas and Timothy. Friend, we can experience this bonfire today. We — you and I — can post a few signs in the direction of the kingdom, weak though we are. The kingdom of God won’t be established through our own efforts, including taking a class on 1 Thessalonians. The kingdom of God shows up when we experience God’s love and then love each other well. The kingdom of God is in the check we send for disaster relief. It’s in opening our homes to strangers. It’s in making space for the outcasts. Paul is clear on this: the kingdom of God starts in our own hearts and lives. God may call you (as He did Paul) to lead the charge. Or He may use you in ways that will never be acknowledged until you get to glory. He leads, and we follow. It’s as simple as that. From God’s point of view, what matters is not only that we receive His Holy Spirit, but that we experience the presence and power of the Spirit moment by moment and day by day. To waste away one’s life while claiming to have been saved is sheer presumption. There’s a far better way, and it’s the one Paul is showing us here. Praise be to God.

Cheers,

Dave

Friday, January 26  

5:50 PM Nate and Jess were here just now getting some more hay. Which means I got to see “THE BOYS” — all 5 of them.

Love my grandkids. In exactly two weeks I’ll get to see the Glasses and their five kiddos in Birmingham. “In awful and surprising truth,” wrote Lewis in The Problem of Pain, “we are objects of His love. You asked for a loving God; you have one….” (p. 35). God has given me the gift of widowerhood, but I am never alone, praise be.

12:45 PM I got a decent run in today at a 5.2 mile per hour pace.

I didn’t do the 10 miles I was hoping to but I’ll make up for it tomorrow, I promise. Before the run I spent an hour at the Y working on curls and other upper body strengthening exercises, since Mont Blanc promises to be pretty brutal on its more vertical sections.

At the Y, I ran into a former student of mine who now pastors a nearby congregation. That was pretty cool, though I will admit that it’s definitely NOT possible to get a good workout when you’re talking shop the whole time. Before I worked out I helped Nate load his trailer for a hay delivery.

It was cold out there. The cold air never fails to clear my mind.

Check out this barn that we built from scratch about 15 years ago.

I think our only expenses were the nails since we are the ultimate scroungers. I’ll leave you with one last picture: Sheba and me on the front porch early this morning.

I was sipping coffee and getting caught up my reading while she was carefully guarding her territory. I won’t go into any details, but I find the indoors so boring.

P.S. I just ordered my next pair of running shoes. New Balance 880s.

I love everything about these shoes, including the fact that they come in double wide and NEVER give me blisters (except when I’m running 26.2 miles on pure concrete the whole distance!).

6:55 AM In my NT class this Wednesday I showed the first few minutes of this video clip by Bart Ehrman, who insists that we can’t just accept tradition about the Gospels but must think, use our brains, evaluate the evidence for ourselves.

He couldn’t be more correct. But does the critical study of Scripture necessarily lead to skepticism about the historicity of the Gospels? I would answer that question with a resounding no. Ehrman’s evangelical faith was undermined by critical scholarship. Mine was validated by it. In class on Wednesday, I mentioned this work by Mark Noll of Wheaton College.

In a sense, it’s a history of evangelical scholarship in the last century. Noll shows how believing critics have dealt with critical issues in the Bible and how they have attempted to integrate higher-critical scholarship into their faith journey. This is a book that should be read by every evangelical even though it’s dated. My goal in teaching NT 1 this semester is to help my students consider how they might contribute to evangelical scholarship and to suggest some steps going forward. Anti-intellectualism is unfortunately still prevalent in certain evangelical circles today. As genuine Christianity becomes just another worldview in American society, perhaps this generation of evangelicals has an opportunity. Many of my students are pursuing advanced degrees at some of the most prestigious universities in the world. They are concluding, as I did many years ago, that the dichotomy between faith and reason is a false one. As Noll points out in his book, it’s no longer a question of faith or reason. It’s a question of a reasonable faith versus a faithless reason. We should be seeking an appropriate and God-honoring synthesis of faith and reason, of Scripture and the natural sciences. “The emergence of a class of learned evangelical Bible scholars is a remarkable development of the last half century,” writes Noll (p. 9). “The effects of that emergence in the evangelical community have been no less worthy of attention.” In his conclusion, he writes: “If evangelical Bible scholars are to flourish, they must be wise as serpents with respect to the world of thought, [and] as innocent as doves with respect to the gospel” (p.197). 

Frankly, I’m not sure that most younger evangelical scholars are nimble enough to do this. Still, the “life of the mind” is well worth pursuing. As Francis Schaeffer put it when a group of us students heard him lecture in Switzerland in the 1980s (I’m paraphrasing him), “When you become a Christian you don’t have to put your brain in park or neutral. Christianity is a historical faith and requires no ‘leap of faith’ to claim that the Gospels are historically trustworthy.” As an evangelical who, like Bart Ehrman, was trained in a fundamentalist college and then went on to study in a secular university, there is much in this perspective that I agree with. Brothers and sisters, let’s worship the Lord Christ not only with all of our hearts but with all of our minds.

Thursday, January 25  

6:44 PM Gordon Fee’s 1992 SBL paper “On Text and Commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians” is outstanding.

We reviewed it briefly in our Greek 4 class on Tuesday night. Fee bemoans the fact “that contemporary English language commentaries evidence impoverishment regarding their textual questions– except for the most notable issues — thus leaving their users with an inadequate awareness of this dimension of the exegetical task” (p. 165). He urges the following (p. 168). 

I would urge that two kinds of nearly useless “commentary” should forever be eliminated from this genre: (a) textual notation pure and simple, in which variants and supporting witnesses are given but with no discussion one way or the other; (b) textual discussion that offers conclusions either without supporting evidence or argumentation or without explanation as to what difference it makes in understanding the text.

Fee is unhappy that so many discussions of textual variation seem to be limited to a brief citation from Metzger and that’s that. I ran across an example of this very thing while reading through Keown’s new commentary on Philippians today. On p. 95 he discusses the variant sunepiskopois (“fellow-overseers”) versusepiskopois (“overseers”). The former reading, he asserts, “can be rejected, as Paul elsewhere never calls himself or Timothy an [episkopos], and the variant is clearly a theologically or ecclesiastically motivated addition (Metzger, 544).” The arguments both pro et contra sunepiskopois seem to me to be rather inadequately presented. Metzger evidently believed that the reading was “theologically or ecclesiastically motivated.” But why should I believe that?No reasons are stated. Fee’s solution to such inadequate discussion of variant readings is twofold:

1) Use extensive footnotes in which variant readings can be discussed as completely as possible.

2) Incorporate a discussion of textual variation into the exposition itself.

Next week in my NT 2 class we’re devoting the entire 3 hours to issues of New Testament textual criticism and the Gospels, and Fee’s essay will be discussed in some detail. My greatest concern is not what goes on inside the halls of academia but about how pastors will teach on such important places of variation as John 7:53-8:11 and Mark 16:9-. Despite frequent denials, there appears to be considerable prejudice against incorporating questions of textual criticism into the exegetical process. I would prefer to see just the opposite: pastors and church teachers sufficiently demonstrating their capacity to handle the 2,000 or so major variant units in the New Testament with their audiences.

8:24 AM Yo, folks. I’m all set for theETS Southwest regional meeting in Houston on March 2-3 — flights, hotel, and car all reserved. Lord willing, I’ll be reading a paper on Heb. 1:1-4. This week I’m going over in great detail a book sent to me (autographed, no less) by a friend of mine, Walter Uebelacker.

He begins with a discussion of the “Rätsel” (riddle) of the epistle to the Hebrews, including its literary character and the various approaches to its structure and theme. In Part 2 he lays the groundwork for later chapters through a thorough analysis of “Strukturale Textsemantik,” especially the approach popularized by J. A. Greimas. Part 3 is his analysis of 1:1-4 “als Exordium im rhetorischen Sinne.” The final two chapters treat 1:5-2:18 “als theologisches und paränetisches Fundament (chapter 4) and “Der Abschluss des Hebräerbrief als Rückblick” (chapter 5). The concern of my paper is to show how the author (Paul, in my opinion) emphasizes the place of the Old Testament in the establishment of the New Covenant (Jer. 31; Heb. 8). No doubt I’ll carry over many of Walter’s suggestions into my Power Point presentation in Houston. The opening paragraph of Hebrews shapes our understanding of the entire book. The person of Jesus Christ has always been the most compelling argument for our churches to live according to the New Covenant, in which fraternal instruction comes to the fore, instead of a top-down “priesthood-type” of leadership model.

Meanwhile, I find myself writing regularly on the discourse structure of 1 Thessalonians, and it you’d like to follow along you can go to aPower Point that my able assistant has been updating on a weekly basis. Also this week, I plan to delve into two works I just received.

I plan on spending about two hours in my NT 1 class this semester discussing marriage, divorce, and remarriage — adding into the mix, of course, a lengthy word about singleness and celibacy. As for this new commentary on Philippians, I’ve already perused the first volume and I frankly came away a bit disappointed.

The author believes that the letter has no overriding theme but instead pursues 9 “key elements” that are “threaded through each section of the letter” (pp. 80-81):

  • Love and intimate relationships.

  • Paul’s situational references.

  • Perseverance, assurance, and hope.

  • Unity and partnership.

  • Thinking.

  • Gospel and mission.

  • Suffering, sacrifice, and service for the gospel.

  • Opponents.

  • Joy.

Part of the effectiveness of discourse analysis is the meticulous care devoted to recovering a text’s linguistic “macrostructure” or overall theme. I would prefer to see an outline that reflects this concern. But obviously these observations are premature. I may or may not publish a complete review of this work later, once I’ve had a chance to digest its contents.

Today I need to do farm chores, clean the kitchen, do my banking, go to the Post Office, do some lifting at the Y, and then meet with a forestry consultant. And take Sheba for a long walk, of course. It’s gorgeous out there. There are a hundred good reasons to get outdoors today if you can.

Peace,

Dave

Wednesday, January 24  

7:04 PM Life goes through various periods, but occasionally you encounter an exclamation point. I had such an “exclamation point” moment today. When I got back to the farm, guess what was waiting for me in my mailbox? Not one, but two translations. On the left is the Russian edition of The Myth of Adolescence. On the right is Learn to Read New Testament Greek in Mandarin. The first was published in Ukraine; the second in Shanghai.

Both books look fantastic.

My sincere thanks to all who worked so tirelessly to make these translations possible. I’ve been privileged to have been given the gift of 42 years, no less, in a Christian writing ministry. I have found every step to be an exciting adventure of faith. And now to see two more translations of my books appear in public leaves me speechless. As we discussed in our New Testament class today, evangelism is no good without proper follow up. May our God be pleased to use these translations to provide something nurturing for Christians. The only thing that could match my joy at receiving these books was the sunset I witnessed on my drive home.

Loving God, it’s hard for me to put into words what I’m feeling right now. Even as I grow older, You grant me something useful to do. As the years come and go, I do not wish to find a fountain of youth. What I pray is that I may stay vital and creative as long as I last. For those friends who made these translations possible, I give You thanks, dearest Lord. In the communion of saints, they will always live on in my heart, even though I may never see them again in the flesh. Help me, dear God, to be like the widow in the Gospels, who gave everything she had for the sake of the kingdom. And help us all to realize that the life of the mind is the service of God, and that we learn and grow as long as we live. Amen.

Peace and love to you on your journeys, my friends.

Dave

Monday, January 22  

9:02 AM Auf “Los” geht’s los! That’s right. Tomorrow night at 6:30 we begin our study of 1 Thessalonians. Sheba and I were on the front porch this morning listening to some audio files of 1 Thessalonians in German. (Sheba is bilingual.) When we got to 3:10, I said “Bingo!” (Das ist es!) Here’s 3:10 in German:

And here’s the same verse in a different translation:

I can’t explain my excitement when I heard the words “etwas fehlt” and “etwas mangelt.” Now let’s be clear. Paul has a lot of good things to say about the Thessalonian congregation. Lots. However, there’s more to the story than that. Thanks to chapters 4-5, we realize that there were several things “lacking” in their faith. Just like in our own lives. Let’s be honest. If it were not for the intervention of God in our lives, we’d all probably end up on Jerry Springer. In many, many ways, I am really immature in my faith. My closeness with God suffers not for lack of desire but for lack of commitment. But God is teaching me slowly to walk humbly as He continues to train me for acting justly and loving mercy. The thing I really love about the apostle Paul is that he was never content with the level of spirituality to which he had attained. Ditto for his followers. “I don’t have to tell you how to love one another,” he says in 4:9-12. “You’ve been taught by God Himself how to do that. But guess what? It’s possible for a church love too much. Your love can become mere sentimentally if you’re not really careful. Just look at yourselves — you’re allowing people to mooch off of the charity of the church. Can’t do that. Tell these bothers and sisters to, well, get back to work.”

So when I say that 3:10 holds a vital key to the interpretation of 1 Thessalonians, what I mean is that this verse is the pivot point, the hinge upon which all else rests. The community can’t tolerate certain behaviors. We all need to do some growing up. Thankfully, we can be patient with each other while God works on our transformation. Paul is saying to this church, “I love you. In fact, I love you so much I’m not going to allow you to become complacent and apathetic.” Call it tough love if you will. But it’s love just the same.

6:58 AM This is Sheba last night. Her eyes are telling me, “I see you have muffins. I have no muffins. Everybody needs muffins, right?”

Here’s the back story. Last night while I was fixing my meals for the week, I decided to bake some muffins for my breakfasts but I just couldn’t muster up the energy to do it. My climb on Saturday really did a number on me. I texted one of my daughters, “I want to cook muffins tonight but I’m too tired.” To another I wrote, “Since last May I’ve done 7 marathons, but what I did on Saturday was harder than all 7 of those races combined.” So I sat down to read a book. Then I saw Sheba’s eyes. Shelties are unique doggies, or at least I think so. They’re very smart and always need to have their minds and bodies occupied. They’re also hyper-sensitive to the moods of their owners. They sense when we are happy or sad, tired or energetic. Once you have a Sheltie, they become your closest companion. Their middle name is loyalty, and they will run around with you all day. I’m pretty sure that Sheba has understood every word I’ve ever said to her. So here I am, “dog” tired, watching Sheba melt my heart. She was like, “Daddy, you always bake muffins on Sunday night, remember?” If you’ve never owned a Sheltie, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. But every Sheltie owner understands. Our dogs are so cute it’s almost criminal. So off I went with my little buddy to bake “our” muffins.

If you want to see something cute, watch the expression on the face of a Sheltie who’s munching on a freshly baked muffin. Sheba’s the first thing to put a smile on my face every morning. She loves to bark when she sees me, as if she were saying, “Good morning, Daddy! It’s a beautiful day!” Shelties crave interaction with their owners. Wherever I go, it seems that Sheba is always talking to me. When I’m about to take her out for a walk on the farm, I simply start putting on my jacket and she immediately knows — “It’s walk time!” Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark. And how she can tell when I’m about to feed her a cookie that’s hidden in my jacket pocket — I’ll never be able to figure that one out.

Most of us, I suppose, have sensed great solitude upon losing a loved one or saying goodbye when a child moves out of the house. The world offers poor substitutes for loneliness. It was the love of God that brought Adam’s companion into being, a refuge for his lonesomeness. To Becky I owe a deep consciousness of God as my Provider. Now, in her absence, He still provides for those who are alone. He teaches the widower to see, hear, smell, feel, taste, and perhaps even bake muffins, and if He also gives you a furry companion to “help” you bake them, so much the better. Sometimes we see God’s tenderness in the most unexpected places, even in the smile of a pet.

Sunday, January 21  

4:08 PM Photo update:

1) Today I finished reading Heinrich Baltensweiler’s classis essay on 1 Thess. 4:3-8, in which he argues that Paul’s topic is not immorality in general but the custom of obtaining a divorce so that a male relative might marry a daughter who inherits her father’s property when the latter has no surviving sons.

I took classes, by the way, under Professor Baltensweiler when I was a student in Basel in the early 80s. He was a wonderful lecturer and the second reader on my dissertation.

2) The latest issue of JETS arrived last week.

Gregory Goswell, in his essay “Authorship and Anonymity in the New Testament Writings,” argues generally that “The attribution of authorship to a biblical book is hermeneutically relevant” (p. 748) and specifically that “Timothy is a link between Paul and the author of Hebrews” (p. 748).

3) This book was sitting on my bookshelf. Glad I dusted it off.

The author suggests that John Buford and his cavalry might well be considered the heroes of Gettysburg by putting up a successful defense against all odds and holding the high ground on Cemetery Ridge until the Union infantry arrived, thus forcing Lee into offensive action against a well-fortified enemy.

4) John 1:1-5 contains so many interesting questions of exegesis that it’s impossible to know where to stop listing them. Why in the Greek is there no “the” before “beginning”? Why does the Greek say, “And the Word was with the God”? Why is theos in the third clause anarthrous (without a Greek article)? Indeed, what does the word “word” mean in this context anyway? And then there’s the threefold repetition of the Greek verb en— “was.” People often assume that this verb (the most common word for “being” in the New Testament) means the same thing in all three instances. I assumed as much as well until I happened upon this Spanish rendering. Here the same Greek verb is rendered by “existía,” “estaba,” and “era.” Fascinating!

5) Finally, folks, I think I’ve found the perfect waist pack for my summer running.

Time to cook my meals for the week. My first class kicks off tomorrow night at 6:30!

7:42 AM Hey folks! Here are some random reflections on my climb yesterday in West Virginia.

1) Friday dawned cold but clear. The farm had just gotten 8 inches of snow, but thankfully I had little trouble getting to the road from my house.  

2) My goal was to arrive at my hotel in Harrisonburg at 3:00 pm. The roads in southern Virginia were good. I encountered very little traffic, though in Charlotte County I did see this Amish buggy.

3) Yesterday morning I was up at 5:00, had breakfast, and then headed to Circleville, WV for my climb. I arrived right on time for my 9:00 am appointment. Here’s the HQ building for NRocks.

As you know, my goal was to climb their famous Via Ferrata. “Via Ferrata” is Italian for “Iron Road.” It’s a climbing route where you’re secured to the rock face by a cable and iron rungs in the steepest sections. It’s a method of climbing that’s been around in Europe for centuries. This may well be the ultimate activity for people wanting to challenge themselves in a safe environment. You constantly have to clip yourself into the cable by means of two carabiners. The internal locking system makes it virtually impossible to clip out of both at the same time. The course is easy to follow and allows you to tackle otherwise impassible cliffs and ledges, with effort, of course.

4) The Via Ferratas in the States are usually climbed during the summer months. I wanted to go earlier in the year to avoid the crowds. Here’s my guide Matthew.

When I took this selfie he said, “Let’s look serious.” Actually, Matt’s a very cheerful and humorous guy. There are hundreds of free Via Ferrata in Europe, and none of them require a guide. Here in the States it’s different. Most if not all of the Via Ferratas in the U.S. are commercial operations where the land is privately owned. They all require you to be guided. I just happened to come on a day when no one else was climbing, so I had a guide all to myself.

5) Most Via Ferratas, whether here or in Europe, have only one set route that takes you from start to finish. Some of them, however, offer escape routes at various points along the course. This was the case with the NRocks course. Every so often Matt would turn to me and ask, “There’s an exit here. Do you want to go back or keep on going?” I think he’s required to say that to all of his clients.

6) There were basically three sections on this particular Via Ferrata. They seemed to increase in difficulty — or maybe I was just getting more tired the farther we went. Look precarious at all?

When I climbed the Via Ferrata in Zermatt two summers ago, the route had three levels of difficulty, from A to C. When we completed Part B, my guide Walter asked me if I wanted to keep on going. He told me that Part C was very steep and rocky and that you needed to be in excellent condition to do it. Progress is possible only by very small steps and slab climbing. I told him I didn’t come all this way to stop now, and by the grace of God I was able to finish that portion of the climb. It took me about 6 hours to climb only 1,800 vertical feet, but having the right guide definitely played an important role in me being able to persevere.

7) Likewise, during yesterday’s climb Matt was always coaching me, advising me where to place my feet, and just generally being a great encouragement. For him, safety was the end-all and be-all of the climb. On a Via Ferrata you have to go carefully and constantly and avoid rock slides at all costs.

8) By far my favorite part of the climb was the cable bridge that crosses a 200-foot high gorge. According to Matt, it’s here that a good many climbers say “I’m done” and avail themselves of the nearby escape route. Matthew, of course, scrambled across in no time.

9) It took me considerably longer to get from one end of the bridge to the other. To say I was frightened would be an understatement, but I never felt terrified to the point that I couldn’t proceed. I mean, once you get on a bridge like this, you have no option but to continue.

10) Finally we reached the summit, where I was able to take this panoramic photo.

The joy of summiting a mountain for the first time is indescribable. I think I pushed the limits a little bit by insisting on making it to the top, and my legs are definitely hurting today. But it was totally worth the effort to be able to see the Eastern Continental Divide. So much of life is like mountaineering. Ingrid Bergman once said, “Getting old is like climbing a mountain. You get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!”  C. K. Chesterton once quipped, “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” Finally, Nelson Mandela’s wise words come to mind: “After climbing a great hill, one finds that there are only many more hills to climb.” Now you know why I like to climb.

11) When Matthew and I arrived back at HQ, I texted the family to let them know I was okay and sent along a few pics. One of my daughters texted me, “My arms are hurting just looking at you. What a wild ride!” I replied, “2,327 vertical feet. No wonder your arms are hurting!!!” It took me almost 4 hours to hike a distance of only 3.36 miles. That means my climbing pace was less than one minute per mile. I laughed out loud when I saw that stat. It’s a new record for me for sure. 🙂

If you’re ever in West Virginia, why not give the Via Ferrata a try? Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones is a great excuse not only for exercise but also for personal growth. Taking that first step is the hardest part. But that’s life, right?

Thanks for visiting,

Dave

Friday, January 19  

6:45 AM In our Greek 3 class last semester, I emphasized that the theme  of Philippians — its rhetorical “macrostructure” if you will — is “Unity in the Cause of the Gospel.” But what is the theme of 1 Thessalonians? The letter as a whole has an opening (1:1), a body (1:2-5:24), and a closing (5:25-28). The body can be divided into two parts:

1) 1:2-3:13

2) 4:1-5:24

The letter moves from personal thoughts to practical instructions. The theme of Part 1 is goodwill and thanksgiving. It contains multiple expressions of Paul’s love and concern for his readers. In Part 2, the focus shifts from encouragement and commendation to exhortation and correction. If Part 1 has a predominantly approbatory function, Part 2 has a predominantly admonitory function. Here the major text-sequences all deal with growth in the Christian life. But what was the precise rhetorical exigence that led Paul to write the letter in the first place? It can only have been the topic reflected specifically in 4:13-5:11 and in the entire letter generally: the serious potential for the Thessalonian believers to question not only the sincerity of Paul’s preaching but even the reliability of the Gospel itself. In light of this, it’s perfectly understandable why Paul would spend so much time in Part 1 defending his integrity and in Part 2 defending the need for eschatological suffering. Doubt over the eschatological status of those who had died (quite possible due to persecution) only led to questions about the eschatological status of those who remained. The letter therefore has an apologetic function. I consider it to be perhaps the clearest rationale for Christian suffering in the whole of the New Testament (see 3:3). But while suffering is to be expected, it’s a mere precursor of the messianic banquet, the marriage supper of the Lamb with His bride, the time when we the church will be united with Him in joy forever. Little wonder the earliest believers cried out to Jesus, their only hope in this life,

“Maranatha!”

“O Lord, come!!”

It is to this suffering yet exemplary congregation that Paul writes 1 Thessalonians. In teaching this book in Greek 4, I want to stimulate my students to examine for themselves this remarkable record of the relations between the world’s greatest church planter and one of the most beloved congregations he founded and cared for. Suffering is the rule, not the exception, of Christian living, insists the apostle. This is a lesson Paul himself learned painfully and reluctantly through his missionary journeys. This is why he never complains about his sufferings but considers them a badge of honor and the greatest proof of his apostolic authority. As always, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. We ourselves are likely to learn the deep truths of Christianity only through suffering. If you haven’t yet had a “severe mercy” (C. S. Lewis) in your life, cheer up. You will. Our extremity is God’s opportunity. As the Thessalonians will be reminded again and again, suffering teaches us Christlikeness perhaps better than any thing else in life. As Paul puts it in 2 Cor. 4:10-12: “We always carry in our bodies the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we are alive we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. The result is that death is at work in us, but life in you.” If suffering is inevitable, it is also invaluable. This view of pain is rather uncommon in some of our churches. I certainly wasn’t taught it growing up in Hawaii. But the fact is that we all live between the first and second comings of Christ. This world passes away, and so do our lives. This consideration must influence our behavior. It did Paul’s. In Philippians he says he’s turned all his assets and liabilities over to Christ. He found peace in the midst of trial and strength in the midst of weakness. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is no less adamant that the Christian life is not necessarily one of wealth and ease. There is nothing triumphalistic about a truly New Testament church, regardless of its polity or denomination. Like our Master, who was killed, we are not concerned with glory. Instead, we are concerned about submitting to suffering, just as He did. People will not be drawn to Christ through our arrogance and pride. We have no right to preach the Gospel if we do not reflect the death of Christ in our individual and congregational lives.

Brothers and sisters, as we go through the book of 1 Thessalonians this semester, I want to invite you to join us. If you know Greek, you can follow along in that language. If you have a favorite English Bible version, use a different one for the sake of variety. There are many advantages in studying the Bible using as many different English versions as possible. 1 Thessalonians has an enormous amount to say to our contemporary situation. It’s theme is “Suffering for the Sake of The Gospel.” In short, this letter was written for us. Open its pages and be transformed from the inside out.

5:55 AM On this day in history ….

  • Edgar Allan Poe is born.

  • Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister of India.

  • The first aid raid on Britain.

  • Zwingli publishes his 67 Articles.

  • The new “Tour de France” is announced.

  • Dave starts his second Via Ferrata adventure.

That’s right, the roads are plowed, the weather has turned warm(er), and the sun is shining brightly. Yesterday I was able to clear enough snow from the driveway to get my car to the road, so I think we’re good to go today. I’ll spend the night in Harrisonburg then wend my way over the mountains to Circleville, WV for tomorrow’s rock-face climb.

My GoPro is charged and ready. My strength is up. Hopefully, the climb will be a rousing success. You never know how you’ll do until you get on the mountain. While basically meaningless in the grand scheme of things, these little adventures of mine keep me active and excited about life. I have to admit to a strong case of Wanderlust in my soul. The older I get, the less active I’ll become, so it makes sense to have as much fun as you can while you can. “Fun” meaning doing things that are both incredibly stressful and exhilarating. I can say that I’m just a little bit antsy to find out what I’m made of tomorrow.

Thursday, January 18  

9:38 AM You know you’re getting old when you mention “Earle Ellis” and your students go, “Who?” Edward Earle Ellis served for many years at my sister seminary, SWBTS, as Research Professor of Theology.

He was born in 1926 and went home to heaven on March 2, 2010. I didn’t know him well but I considered him a dear colleague. When I was praying about studying overseas for my doctorate, Ellis (and a few others) were my inspiration to take the plunge (his Ph.D. was from Edinburgh). When I was in seminary, his booksPaul’s Use of the Old Testament and Paul and His Recent Interpreters were required reading. He also founded the Institute for Biblical Research (IBR), a society I once belonged to before it became too much for me to belong to ETS, SBL, IBR, and SNTS, all at the same time.

This morning I read (and took copious notes on) Ellis’s essay in New Testament Studies called “Paul and His Co-Workers.” Although I’ve never served in the role of local church elder (1 Tim. 3:1 simply doesn’t apply to me), I’ve always felt that leadership is essential to the vitality of a local congregation, if only because most of us who are not in leadership rarely rise above the quality of our leaders. Leaders can create a lot of problems. This happened in Corinth and the church to which 3 John was written. Sometimes leaders attempt to impose their will on the congregation, as if their authority lay in their “office” rather than in their example and teaching (Heb. 13:7). Sometimes “elder-led” churches are actually “elder-ruled.” The opposite can also be true. We can wrongly minimize the importance of the leaders that God has put in our midst. Christian leadership is essential to healthy-functioning churches. Paul was such a leader, as were many of his friends and co-laborers. In this essay, Ellis explores in some detail those leadership qualities that seemed extraordinarily attractive to the apostle Paul. Here are a few Cliff Notes for your consideration:

1) Paul had no formal “disciples” (Greek: mathetai).

2) But he did have many associates.

3) When we combine Acts with the Pauline writings, some 100 names are associated with Paul’s ministry.

4) Most of these are his colleagues and co-workers.

5) Some he identifies by their “titles” (Ellis uses quotation marks to indicate he’s using the term loosely).

6) Three periods seem to be discernible in Paul’s ministry and, concomitantly, in the work he did with his colleagues: The Antiochean Stage (Mark and Titus), the Second Missionary Journey (Timothy, Prisca, Aquila, Aristarchus, Luke, and Erastus), and his Mission Based in Rome (Demas, Tychicus, and Trophimus).

7) Nine of these co-workers remained in close association with Paul to the end of his life.

8) “In summary, the picture that emerges is that of a missionary with a large number of associates. Paul is scarcely ever found without companions” (p. 439).

9) The most common terms used by Paul to describe his associates (in descending frequency) are co-worker, brother, servant, and apostle.

10) The term co-worker (Greek: sunergos) mostly refers to Paul’s fellow itinerant workers.

11) Paul uses “brothers” (Greek: adelphoi) fairly consistently to refer to “a relatively limited group of workers” (p. 447).

12) Paul and his colleagues eschewed titles of eminence such as “teacher” or “leader” even though were teachers and leaders. “With reference to their task they are the workers, the servants, the special messengers; with reference to one another they are the brothers” (p. 451).

13) Finally, Ellis suggests that “Paul’s associates also may have had a literary role” in terms of assisting him with his writing projects (p. 452).

Dear church leaders: You are very special to us, your followers. We know your schedules are over-loaded. We know you’re aware of the shift going on among millennials, who are less dependent on programming and also less dependent upon pastors for their spiritual growth. Perhaps Paul would ask, “Who are your colleagues? Your co-workers? The special ‘brothers’ with whom you form a team?” The danger of going it alone is a grave one in the modern church. Clearly, the plurals that Paul uses in 1 Cor. 3:5-6 stress that leadership includes cooperation to a very high degree. Solitary leadership in any church is bad for the leader and bad for the people. Our theology of leadership must reflect Jesus. We have one Teacher, and we are all brothers. To quote Ellis again (and please let this sink in) regarding church leaders:

With reference to their task they are the workers, the servants, the special messengers; with reference to one another they are the brothers.

No church has a Senior Pastor other than Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 5:4). Church leaders are “fellow elders” (1 Pet. 5:1). If we followed Paul’s teaching and changed our title to “Servant Pastor,” would that free us up at all — free us up, perhaps, from our congregation’s unrealistic expectations, from the heavy self-imposed burden we carry, from the danger of arrogance? The gift of discernment is essential for a leader (1 Cor. 2:15). Is humility a characteristic of most modern clergy? Do we rely more on our eloquence and degrees than on the Holy Spirit of God? Paul, a top rabbi from the University of Tarsus, is constantly receding into the group, constantly praising his co-workers and brothers, constantly stressing the importance of team effort. I don’t think for a moment that Paul is denigrating his own authority as an apostle. But precisely because he was an apostle, it’s all the more impressive to find him stressing the need for mutual ministry. A seminary degree or title has nothing to do with spiritual maturity. Church leaders are regular church members who are vetted and then entrusted with spiritual discernment and leadership. We recognize them by their humility, their integrity, and their sense of personal responsibility before God to lead their people through Scripture and example.

Ellis deserves the final word, however. He notes how Paul, having established a local church, would appoint men into leadership roles. “For these workers … charism doubtless preceded religious function” (p. 451).

From the beginning charism and appointment sometimes went together. But the appointment was, in the most literal sense, to be a worker and a servant. As long as this conception of role continued, structure and authority in an official, worldly sense remained subordinated and contingent (p. 452).

Elders are workers and servants, for whom worldly titles and structures are subservient. I couldn’t have said it better.

Blessings on y’all,

Dave

7:58 AM “Morning has broken….” Love the sunshine!

The big question is: Has VDOT plowed the tertiary roads yet? If not, I’ll be stuck here for a while. Not to mention the long gravel driveway I have to negotiate to get to the road, and in a vehicle that rides very low to the ground. Once the primary roads are passable, crews work 12-hour shifts to clear the secondary roads. I’m afraid my neighborhood doesn’t make that list. But they will get here eventually. Even after the sun has done its work, crews still work to push ice and slush off the roads. These guys and gals are amazing. A huge “Thank you!” to VDOT and their wonderful snow removal crews.

Wednesday, January 17  

5:56 PM This post is dedicated to my good friend Kevin, who I think isenjoying the snow as much as I am!

5:44 PM While cooking supper this evening — Korean bulgogi over rice — I listened to All Things Considered as Mary Louise Kellyinterviewed author Daniel Pink about his new bookWhen: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. It’s now at #148 at Amazon.

The author asks: How does the time of day affect our work and decision-making? Pink verbalized for me something I’ve always felt to be true intuitively. Our day can be divided into three basic phases: peak, trough, and rebound. The key is to align the task with the time. I do most of my best writing in the morning. I take a daily nap during my “trough” period. And then I do more work in the evening. He suggests that students take their exams in the morning, that you schedule your surgeries before the noon hour, etc.

I’m on board, generally speaking, with this way of thinking. When I send students home with a take-home exam (they usually have a week to work on it), I’m going to be more intentional about suggesting they take it in the morning. Here’s another takeaway from the interview: “Most people think that amateurs take breaks and professionals never do. The opposite is true. Professionals take breaks and amateurs almost never do.” It’s important for me to schedule in rest times and not feel guilty for taking time off to let my body and mind recover. It’s hard to believe that inactivity is a vital part of an active lifestyle but it is. I’m learning how to be as serious about rest as I am about working out. Especially after a hard race or the completion of a major writing project, the worst mistake I can make — both physically and mentally — is not giving myself time to recover.

I haven’t purchased the book. But I’m grateful for the interview I heard. Its basic thesis rings true for me, and it might for you as well.

4:35 PM 6 hours later …. 5 inches of snow.

Beautiful.

9:14 AM So the President is 1 pound short of being obese. So what’s new. According tothis report by the NIDDK, more than 2 in 3 American adults (70.2 percent)  are considered to be either overweight or obese. Honestly, I’ve struggled with lack of exercise as much as anybody. I’ve said “Lord, Lord” without simply doing the will of my Father — taking care of the body He’s entrusted to me. The doctrine of surrendering our “bodies” as living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1) is meaningless until it becomes more than words. As long as our lives are marked by unhealthy diets and apathy about physical exercise, no matter how we much claim to be obedient followers of Jesus we’re only clanging cymbals. Thankfully, failure in this area is not a deal-breaker with God. It’s never too late to start exercising. There are no secrets, no gimmicks. It’s just you and your body becoming active. Some time ago I wrote an essay calledTaking Care of Your Temple. It tells the story of how I put my dreams into action. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been active for years or this is your first day to exercise ever. We need to spend less time talking about the problem and more time doing something about it. Let’s stop deciding if we are going to get fit and start deciding when we are going to get fit. Millions of active Americans have gone before you. Each of them faced the same fears and anxieties that you’re facing. And each has learned, as you will, the joy of exercise.

8:30 AM A gentle snow has begun falling in the Piedmont. Up to 6 inches is expected before the weather system moves out this afternoon.

This may put Friday’s rock climbing plans in West Virginia on hold. We’ll wait and see. Right now I’m going over my calendar for the next few months and making sure I’m well prepared for any eventualities. My next full marathon is in exactly 2 months. It will be a “local” race (anything in Raleigh I consider to be “local”) and boasts of being Fast, Flat, and Fun. This will be my first attempt to run the Tobacco Road Marathon. The full marathon has 22 miles on the American Tobacco Trail — a crushed gravel surface that is much more to my liking than the concrete I ran on 3 weeks ago in the New Years Double Marathon in Texas. The race usually sells out every year (the limit is 1,500 full marathon and 2,500 half marathon participants), so I made sure I registered early. The time limit is a very generous 7 hours. I plan to run with the 6:00 pace group. Also on my calendar is a concert I’m really looking forward to. It involves a return trip to the Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh for a performance calledIn the Mood, featuring big-band style music from the 40s. Here’s a sampling of what I can expect.

(Think there are a few ballrooms stashed among those mansions in heaven?) I’m also finalizing plans to attend the Southwest Regional ETS meeting on March 2-3. When I saw that the meeting was going to be held at Southwestern Seminary, I immediately assumed the reference was to the Fort Worth campus, but it turns out I was wrong. The venue is actually Houston. While there I hope to get caught up with my good friends at HBU. Today I’ve got a stack of journal articles to leaf through, including an essay by B. Orchard called “Thessalonians and the Synoptic Gospels.” Orchard argues that Paul had a copy of the scroll of Matthew with him when he wrote to the Thessalonians on his second missionary journey. “For in the Matthean and Pauline accounts [of the Parousia] we find the same Greek words used in the same way and in similar contexts” (p. 37). Matthew’s Olivet Discourse provides the “only appropriate background” for understanding Paul’s teaching on the Parousia, he claims. Ouch. This claim goes against everything proposed by the so-called Markan Priority Hypothesis and suggests that Matthew, not Mark, is our earliest written Gospel. Orchard, of course, went on to argue for Matthean priority in his later works. Interestingly, after years of study, I came to the same conclusion. Now the question is: What do the church fathers say?

So yes, the snow is falling and I may not be able to get out of the farm for a couple of days. Maybe I need the rest time here more than I need the strain of a difficult ascent. The Lord knows!

5:55 AM Gratitude:

  • School starts next week.

  • A clean kitchen.

  • My Garmin.

  • Only 25 days until the Birmingham half.

  • Avocados.

  • I live in Southern Virginia.

  • Bananas in my fruit bowl.

  • I will never be President.

  • My feet are fine (but ugly).

  • A rice cooker.

  • Google.

  • Wicking.

  • Adventures.

  • A sense of humor.

  • My car.

  • Singing in my car.

  • Running water.

  • Letting go.

  • A healthy body.

  • Grilled cheese with a sweet pickle.

  • Hiking/biking trails.

  • YouTube.

  • Grandkids’ giggles.

  • Caffeine.

  • Art.

  • Income.

  • Relative freedom.

  • Books.

  • A full head of hair (not!).

  • Good bloggers.

  • Imagination.

  • The Y.

  • Pain.

  • Farmers.

  • Headphones.

  • Key lime pie.

  • The beach.

  • The mountains.

  • A dog to keep me company.

  • Music.

  • Family.

  • TED Talks.

  • Scripture.

  • Love.

  • Strength.

  • Forgiveness.

  • Peace.

  • Grace.

  • Jesus.

I  hope this will inspire you to make a list of your own.

Happy Wednesday!

Dave

Tuesday, January 16  

4:02 PM I’ve got the rice cooking for supper and I’ve got a few minutes to spare, so what shall I blog about? Obviously you’re tired of me blogging so much (and so humbly) about my publications, so let’s try the subject of “hoarding” on for size. Hoarding? Yes. As in, “Why in the world did I keep my upright piano for so many years when I knew someone would play it a LOT more than I do?” Let’s be honest. I said goodbye to my piano today for one reason. I didn’t need it. A couple of weeks ago I went through my dresser drawers and closets, filling gignormous bags with the results of my consumerism. I mean, did I really need 12 pairs of running shoes? Well, I just did a quick recheck, and there’s about 50 pounds of stuff I can still get rid of. Do I actually need all of these suits?

Or these dumbbells? (You never use them, Dave; you go to the gym, remember?)

Or why do I still have two pairs of climbing boots, one of which doesn’t even fit me any more?

“When I was a child,” to paraphrase Paul, “I used to spend like a child, on ME.” The Paul of my imagination then added, “But when I became a grown-up, I visited Goodwill Industries and gave away half of it.” Like you, I have an overabundance of things. You know that compulsion to have, have, have? Maybe we should stop being the packrats we are and literally carry the Gospel to others — or, as in the case of my piano, hire someone else to carry it for you. And hey, if anyone needs a set of never-used copper pots and pans or an electric recliner that’s never been used, I know this guy who lives in Southern Virginia….

9:22 AM Said goodbye to my piano today. One of my daughters will be putting it to very good use.

I prefer playing my clavinova anyway. “Without music, life would be a mistake” (Friedrich Nietzsche). Amen to that.

8:42 AM Take something away, and you’re often better off for it. I stopped watching TV years ago. I get my news online. Even there I’m pretty selective since I try to avoid time-wasting and sophomoric sites. But every now and then I run across something so powerful I just have to press the pause button. An elder of a church in an ethnically-diverse part of the nation recently posted something about the race war that is ridiculously well-written. I’ve largely uninvited myself from the media party going on in our culture today. But sometimes you’re forced to dig deep. Our social norms are changing before our very eyes. Some think it’s for the better. I have my doubts. I rest in the knowledge that, ultimately, it’s God who’s moving the chess pieces around. That said, when a pastor with tons of street cred speaks out, maybe it’s time to pay attention. He might just have a point. He speaks of the ethnic diversity in his congregation. (He himself is non-Anglo.) He is concerned about racial bias — and racial barbs. About bigotry and animus. About the direction in which the immigration debate in our country is going. I realize the novelty of not linking to his essay, but my point here is not to quote what others are saying but to ask, “What are we thinking and doing about it?” You? Me? I am uptohere with books and online essays and videos about the culture war we Americans are facing. What I see lacking are faith communities that embrace the grave challenges of the Gospel. Happy exceptions do come along, however, and in that I rejoice. Every person has a voice. Speak out if that’s how the Lord is leading you. But going public with your views isn’t necessary to make a difference. Turns out I’m confronted with my own unconscious bias on a daily basis. I can either ignore it and hope it will vanish, or I can confront it head on. We live in a day when evangelical Christianity is being redefined. If we’re not very careful, what started out as the turning of a blind eye can turn into a way of life. I wonder where we get our disregard of the immigrant? It’s certainly not from the Gospel. If we truly follow Jesus, then someday we’ll need to make the transition from advocate to neighbor. The Gospel brings us together, regardless of our race and national origin. I know this because I grew up as an ethnic minority. What if we tried to solve this problem together? Maybe the solution is right under our noses. Maybe we don’t recognize justice because it’s disguised as simple acts of other-kindness.

These thoughts burden me constantly. Trouble is, I can always make the problem someone else’s. Listen lambs, when life becomes more about us than the marginalized, we have a problem. What is happening in American society today is a golden opportunity. This is our chance to become what we believe. This is a chance for us Americans to become who we know we are in our heart of hearts. We are better than bigotry. If not in the culture at large, then at the very least in the body of Christ.

6:58 AM According to my “definitive” (yes, that is a joke) 79-page introduction to textual criticism, there are about 2,000 significant textual variants in the New Testament. (Ehrman seems to think there are about 400,000; Wallace about 4,000.) A “significant” variant, in my humble opinion, is one that affects both translation and (therefore) interpretation. The most famous of these are treated in two books I’ve been privileged to edit:

I became interested in the subject in 1975, when I took a course in textual criticism from Dr. Harry Sturz of Biola University’s Greek Department. Few teachers have made such asignificant impact on my life. We read, we translated, we parsed, we collated. By the time I finished seminary I had fallen in love with the discipline and had even written my master’s thesis on the famoustextual variant in Eph. 1:1. I consider the art and science of textual criticism so important that I even included it as 1 of 10 steps in my bookUsing New Testament Greek in Ministry. The kindest thing you can do for your Greek students is to at least expose them to the usefulness of this discipline.

In 1 Thess. 2:7, we encounter what I would call a “first-class textual variant” or a “textual variant of the first order.” Much has been written about it, including this essay I’m having my Greek 4 students read this semester.

What did Paul write here?

“But we became babies among you….”

or

“But we became gentle among you ….”

The article I cited above argues for the latter reading. Delobel, its author, considers the reading “babies” to be “almost a lectio impossibilis” — an “impossible reading” (p. 131). Cut to my primer. There I argue that the most geographically widespread reading is most likely to be the original one. This tips the scales in favor of “babies” over “gentle.” But is “babies” a nonsense reading, an impossibility? Depends on who you read. “Babies” is possibly due to the repetition of the final letter of the word that comes right before it in Greek (this process is called dittography, “writing twice”). Here’s “babies” in Greek:

NEPIOI

And here’s NEPIOI combined withEGENETHEMEN (“We became”), the word that precedes it:

EGENETHEMENNEPIOI

The question for exegetes is this: Should we read one “N” or two? If we read only one, then we end up with “gentle” (EPIOI). If we read two, then we have “babies” (NEPIOI). I would argue that we can’t settle the case one way or the other on the basis of the internal evidence since the error could have gone in either direction. (If dittography can occur in manuscripts of the New Testament, so can haplography — the inadvertent omission of a letter or letters in writing). The old story illustrates this well:

Atheist Teacher: GODISNOWHERE. (God is nowhere.)

Christian Student: GODISNOWHERE. (God is now here.)

What then do we make of the sudden shift of metaphors — from “babies” to “nursing mother” — in the very same breath? In his Textual Commentary (p.p. 629-630), Bruce Metzger notes that “though the shift of metaphor from that of babe to that of mother-nurse is admittedly a violent one, it is characteristically Pauline and no more startling than the sudden shift of metaphor in Ga. 4:19.” Hmm. Sounds good to me. But hear this: I don’t think God wants a war of words over this. On the other hand, don’t underestimate the importance of being able to think intelligently about this subject.

How do I summarize a topic that is so vast? Back to that 79-page book I mentioned above. A major theme of my primer is that anybody can learn the rudiments of New Testament textual criticism. No Bible degree required. Even a guy with your typical Hawaiian laid-back-whatevah-attitude sees the value in this discipline. So grab yourself a copy ofNew Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide and have at it. I promise you that all proceeds from the sale of the book will go directly to needy children.

My own.

Monday, January 15  

10:15 AM It’s 19 degrees.

Sheba and I have been on the porch enjoying the brilliant sunshine.

I’ve been listening to 1A on NPR. It’s a very disturbing program about injustice but one I need to hear. I’ll save my run for when the weather warms up.

8:45 AM As a kid growing up in Hawaii, I cut my eyeteeth on the old King James Version Bible. Even today, when I quote a verse of Scripture, the first rendering that comes to mind is the KJV. One such verse is 1 Thess. 5:19:

  • Quench not the Spirit.

Most of us doth not speaketh this way anymore, so you’ll find more colloquial renderings of this verse, such as:

  • Do not quench the Spirit.

  • Do not extinguish the Spirit.

  • Don’t stifle the Spirit.

  • Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.

  • The Spirit quench not (Yoda Standard Version).

1 Thessalonians has an enormous amount to say to our contemporary church situation, not least in the area of Christian living. That’s one of the reasons I chose it as the focus of our Greek 4 class. The way in which Paul handles the “stifling of the Spirit” in Thessalonica has a curiously modern ring to it. Here I think of books like Strange Fire and its response Strangers to Fire. Both of these books call us to reexamine some longstanding assumptions about church life and the role of the Spirit in our daily lives. I want my students to examine for themselves the role that charismatic Christianity plays in today’s world. Hopefully we won’t duck out of the more controversial issues Paul seems to be dealing with in 1 Thessalonians 5. We are far too prone to view the Holy Spirit as a doctrine to be discussed. Alas, He is far more than that. We need constantly, as Paul reminds us in 1 Thess. 5:19, to examine ourselves and check up on our relationship with the Spirit, otherwise for all our preaching and teaching we ourselves might prove to be reprobates. It if could happen in Thessalonica, it can happen in Raleigh and Roxboro and in your hometown. The one lesson from 1 Thessalonians we must all take away is that the Christian life is one of suffering. Holy Spirit power is not always displayed in the miraculous. More often than not, “We have this treasure in jars of clay so that the surpassing greatness of the power might be of God and not of us.” This is Paul’s famous “power-perfected-in-weakness” doctrine, a topic I studied in some detail inone of my books.

The Master suffered. So will we. We are not called to be successes. We are called to obedience. Heirs of the age to come, we are still heirs to all the fallennness and frailty of the present age. I suspect that the young church at Thessalonica struggled with this doctrine, as do some of us today. But a truly apostolic church is nothing if it isn’t a church that carries with it the dying of the Lord Jesus. It’s authenticity is drawn from its identification with the poor and downtrodden, from suffering, from enduring mockery and persecution. That’s why when someone this week belittled the African nation in which my wife grew up, my mind instantly went to a time when someone said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” What a ridiculous idea that the Gospel produces weaklings! Many of us grew up “on the other side of the tracks.” But through His Spirit, Christ makes His followers strong, regardless of the place of their birth or their background. The power of His name is available through faith to all who call upon Him. We read in Hebrews of those who “out of weakness were made strong” (Heb. 11:34). A sickly Christian is subnormal. We can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

The apostles of the New Testament provided the norms of doctrine. A writing such as 1 Thessalonians shows us how newborn Christians sometimes need a bottle. Eventually, however, they also need to be fed meat and to begin to discern the mind of God for themselves through the indwelling presence of the Spirit and through the Scriptures. It is to that measure of maturity that Paul was calling the Thessalonians. And it is to that measure of maturity that he is calling the church of today. There is, perhaps, no higher calling in all the world.

Sunday, January 14  

8:42 PM Well, I decided to make a reservation at the NRocks Via Ferrata in West Virginia for later this week. This has got to be one of North America’s best kept secrets.

Europe has a gazillion of these “iron roads.” I climbed one in Zermatt a couple of summers ago and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. It took me several hours to climb only 1,800 vertical feet. Here’s my GoPro from that climb should you be interested in seeing what it’s like.

The trip to the Via Ferrata in West Virginia will be a three-day affair. I’ll need to drive up to Harrisonburg the night before, climb the next day, then rest up back in H-Burg before my long drive home. But it sounds like the perfect adventure to help me celebrate my last few days of vacation before school starts again. The temps will be a bit on the cold side (in the 30s) but the forecast is calling for sunny skies. Being that it’s off-season, I got a great rate for my climb, and it looks like I’ll be the only climber that day so it’s almost like a private tour. Of course, I’ll take my GoPro with me and see if I can capture any exciting views. You’re clipped into a safety system the whole way comprised of steel rungs and ladders. This year, as you probably know, I’m trying to ramp up my climbing time, distance, and elevation in the hopes of summiting Mont Blanc this summer — which, from what I hear, requires an almost super-human level of fitness. Am I up for it? Training climbs like the Via Ferrata will hopefully help me sort things out in my brain. The rigors of a three-day expedition to a high altitude summit like Mont Blanc is a serious undertaking. A strong body, especially a strong core, is essential. I’m trying to take my training one day at a time, because, honestly, the whole enterprise seems rather daunting. But even if I never make it to Mont Blanc, climbing is still good for me.

What, if anything, are you doing to make your life what you want it to be right now? Be careful about your choices. We can’t do everything we want to do. Just make each day count.

9:50 AM Who cares about restrictive versus non-restrictive clauses? I do! Note the difference between:

  • The lawnmower, which is in the garage, needs repair.

  • The lawnmower that is in the garage needs repair.

In the first sentence, “which is in the garage” is not an essential clause. However, in the second sentence, “that is in the garage” is an essential clause. It specifies a certain mower and sets it apart from the others. In other words, “that” is being used in a restrictive sense and therefore lacks a comma before it.

In 1 Thess. 2:13-16, a great debate has been raging over this very issue.

Did Paul assign blame for the death of Jesus to all of the Jews or only to those Jews who actually had him put to death? Compare the NASB and the ISV:

  • NASB: even as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets

  • ISV:  as they did from those Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets

The ISV clearly takes the clause “who killed …” as restrictive. Hence the absence of a comma. Weima notes (p. 170), “The … clause deals with the role that some Jews played in the death of Jesus and the prophets….” (italics added). Bruce adds (p.p. 46-47), ” … even in Acts the responsibility is limited to the Jerusalemites and their rulers (Acts 2:23, 36; 3:13-17; 7:52; 13:27, 28).” 

Improve your foreign language skills. Improve your English language skills. It’s just that simple.

So what are you waiting for?

8:46 AM It’s been quite a week … 

  • Hawaii’s “misled” defense system worked flawlessly.

  • The “word of the week” was debated ad nauseum, some grammarians even arguing about whether it’s one word, two words, or a hyphenated word.

  • An urn was donated to Good Will.

  • “Sell Drugz” rapper got jail time for, well, selling drugs.

  • A Florida woman on horseback was charged with DUI.

But the news is not all bad. Did you read the amazing story about a teacher in upstate New York who’ll berunning 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents this month and teaching her students about geography while doing it? Hope she finishes. As for our concert last night, words fail. Not only was “Pictures at an Exhibition” performed flawlessly, the conductor was a real trip to watch as he jogged across the stage and jumped up and down while conducting.

His name is Rune Bergmann and he hails from Norway. Currently he’s the Music Director at Calgary’s Philharmonic Orchestra. My favorite NC Symphony conductor is, of course, Grant Llewellyn, but if you’re going to have a substitute, might as well make the evening interesting! The standing ovation that he and the entire orchestra received was well deserved for sure.

“Pictures” is one of the most exhilarating pieces ever written. The brass section’s performance was brilliant. And to think that the entire piece was composed to honor a friend who had died. Praise be to God! 

Saturday, January 13  

12:12 PM It was a beautiful day for a run. I got in 5 miles at the local rails-to-trail course at a 13 min./mi. pace.

The swamp was eerie-looking to say the least.

I’m home now devouring some cream of broccoli soup, a fresh chicken salad sandwich with lettuce, and a glorious sweet pickle!

Like the majority of runners, I’m a heel striker. That’s not a good thing, and it’s a problem I’m really working on resolving in 2018. When you land on your heel, your ankles and knees suffer the impact. When you land mid-foot (where you should be landing), your calves can act as much-needed shock absorbers. Heel striking has been compared to hitting the brakes every time you try to drive your car somewhere. So today I focused on landing mid-foot. The nice thing is that a mid-foot strike doesn’t make me feel all out of whack. It’s almost as though my body is saying, “Oh, Dave, this feels so much better.” I just hope I don’t give up on the concept. My other goal is to increase my pace and reduce my stride. I’m becoming really good at that. Anyways, I’m hooked on this sport. Sure, it involves hours and hours of training. For me, every new day is another starting line in life. Every day I’m asked to face myself with honesty. And every day I discovery the joy of running anew. Every time I run, I’m grateful to those runners who silently beckoned me to join them.

How about you?

7:50 AM A few random reflections before I head out to the Y:

1) Yesterday the high was 70. Today the high will be 45, and on Sunday 34. As long as it stays above 0, I’m good.

2) This evening is the event I’ve been looking forward to for such a very long time. Accompanied by three of my kids, Lord willing I’ll be attending the NC Symphony’s performance of Mussorgsky’s fabulous Pictures at an Exhibition. A few of us saw this same performance a few months after Becky passed away. I’m sure memories will flood my mind tonight. No words can describe the jubilation I felt when the orchestra played the victorious final movement. It’s almost as though I could see Becky entering the gates of heaven and being greeted by the Master she served so long and so well. That evening was a pure gift of God to me. Tonight my story will continue to unfold. I have a sense that the story will be good. In fact, because of the mercy and grace of the Lord, my whole life is turning out to be what appears to be a very happy book. Grateful.

Care to watch the concert online? There’s no better performance than this one. If you’re pressed for time, begin the video at 29:25. You won’t be disappointed.

 

3) Just for fun, I decided to list the marathon times of a few people we all know.

  • Drew Cary: 4:37

  • Doug Flutie: 5:00

  • Al Roker: 7:09

  • Katie Holmes: 5:29

  • Al Gore: 4:58

  • Oprah: 4:29

  • Will Ferrell: 3:56

  • George W. Bush: 3:44

  • Pamela Anderson: 5:41

  • Sarah Palin: 3:59

  • Lance Armstrong: 2:46

  • Drew Carey: 4:41

  • Paul Ryan: 4:01

The latter stat is a bit interesting. Previously, in an interview while he was a candidate for vice president, Mr. Ryan remembered his marathon time as being around 2:50. That’s under 3 hours — quite a feat! This led tono little controversy. Later, a student at Harvard developed thePaul Ryan Time Calculator. I’m not making this up, folks.

No word about President Trump’s time ….

4) Along with my coffee every morning, I’m reading through a different English translation of 1 Thessalonians.

Upside: You get to see how Bible scholars have rendered the book. Downside: You keep scratching your head wondering how they got that from the Greek. 1 Thessalonians has five chapters, right? And they all end with a reference to the second coming of Christ, right? That’s a priceless observation. I heard it as early as my Sunday School classes in Hawaii. Journey with me on a quick sidebar if you will: Who decided on where to make the chapter divisions? They aren’t in the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament. Everyone I’ve read agrees that 1 Thess. 2:17-3:10 belongs together as a major unit within the body of the letter. “Chapter 2,” then, should probably have ended in 2:16. But then we’d have a chapter that didn’t end with a reference to the Parousia. Please, don’t miss this. Before we can study a book of the New Testament, we need to discover the distinct literary units it contains. Then we need to put them all together into a whole. A good commentary will always have a section called “literary analysis” or “structure of the book.” It’s just not right for us to exegete a New Testament letter like 1 Thessalonians without understanding something about its discourse structure. The fertile soil of discourse analysis is where exegesis forms roots and actually bears fruit. We ignore it at our peril.

5) Finally, Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon 50 years ago,shares her 2018 running goal. She’ll be running the London Marathon for the first time. You go, lady Kathrine! I love how the article ends:

One final goal that she shared in the interview: “And, of course, to run until I drop.”

I get it. I totally get it!

Friday, January 12  

7:42 PM Making more muffins tonight. Seems like this is becoming a weekly tradition. They’re really fun to bake.

 

Even Sheba enjoys it (she’s now licking the bowl). They are super versatile and I take them with me wherever I go, including the gym.

Is that the timer I hear?

7:08 PM My heart was deeply saddened today toread about the death of 68-year old Linda Evans, who was killed by a driver under the influence of drugs while she was out for a run near her home in Columbus, Ohio. This leaves me sick to my stomach. What a tragedy. For 37 years in a row, Linda had never missed her daily run. Every year she ran the Columbus Marathon since its inception in 1980. The 2017 race would have marked her 68th marathon. “It’s hard now without her, but I’ve got six grandkids that I love dearly,” said her husband Gary. “I’m hoping that they will grow up like Linda.” I get pretty choked up just reading that.

When I began running a few years ago, I would run on the roads near the farm. Not any more. Honestly, rural Virginia is not a very safe place to run because of the way people drive. We’re simply not looking out for runners. Today I do all of my runs either at the track or on the trail. Even then I run “defensively.” I listen for bikes. I keep a close eye on my environment. I don’t take shortcuts through the woods. If someone looks shady to me, I avoid them if I can. I always take my phone with me in case I get into trouble. I always run alone simply because I don’t have any running friends where I live. I always run with an ID and emergency contact information. But I want to start doing a better job of letting my kids know when/where I’m running/biking/climbing that day.

Gary, I know you’re probably not reading this, but if you are, I’m so very sorry for your loss. I don’t have much to offer except to say, enjoy those grandchildren of yours. They will never replace your wife’s presence, but they are reminders that the future is always bright. Like you said, your wife’s influence will live on in them. 

8:30 AM Don’t go low. Go high. Donate today to an aid organization in Haiti or Africa. I recommend the Haiti Relief Fund. Channel your shock, anger, disappointment, displeasure, vexation, stupefaction (or whatever you’re feeling) to good (Rom. 12:21).

6:25 AM Was Paul a “tentmaker” or a “leatherworker”? That’s the question asked by Karl Paul Donfried in his chapter titled “Paul as [Skenopoios] and the Use of the Codex in Early Christianity” (pp. 293-304 of his book Paul, Thessalonica, and Early Christianity). He’s discussing 2 Tim. 4:13:

When you come, be sure to bring the cloak [ton phailonen] I left with Carpus at Troas, as well as the books [ta biblia] and above all the parchments [tas membranas].

The “books” are obviously scrolls made of papyrus containing portions of the Old Testament. Paul wants to have several of these scrolls at his disposal — hence the plural “books.”

Donfried suggests that the “cloak” here is not a coat but a “cloth for wrapping” — a “carrying case,” if you will, for the scrolls. The major debate here has to do with the meaning of tas membranas — “the parchments.” And bam, right in the middle of his chapter, Donfried comes up with a brilliant suggestion. These “parchments” were made of leather. Not only that. The term membranas also “seems clearly connected with the codex, the technical term for a leaf book” (p. 296). The codex was the earliest form of the modern “book.” It eventually replaced papyrus and wax tablets as writing materials. It’s main advantage, of course, was that it could be opened at once to any passage in a text.

Donfried goes on to establish that Paul was more than a tentmaker. He agrees with Meyer, Jeremias, Lake and others that the correct rendering of skenopoios should be “leatherworker.” Paul likely used these parchments, which he himself had probably produced, to collect the necessary reference texts he would use in his evangelism. Moreover, Paul could have used them for the first-draft writing of his letters, since parchment was easily erasable.

My takeaways from this fascinating chapter?

1) Was Paul personally responsible, at least partly, for the development of the codex form of the book as early as the first century? Donfried seems to think so. “It is thus quite appropriate to speak of the apostle Paul as the most instrumental factor in the shaping of the book as we know it today, that is, in the form of a codex rather than a scroll” (p. 304).

2) Even though Paul is in prison awaiting execution at the hands of the Roman government, he’s still eager to evangelize and perhaps even to continue his writing ministry until the Lord calls him home. In other words, even at the end of his life, Paul’s mission was concentrated and unambiguous. My land, do I have far to go! My distractions are too numerous to count. But Paul kept his eye on “the only thing that matters” (Phil. 1:27).

3) I’m now in 1 Thessalonians, so what’s the relevance of this chapter to my study? Back to Donfried. He takes Acts 17:1-3 as an example. When Paul arrived in Thessalonica, he went into the synagogue (“as was his custom”) and for three weeks argued with the Jews “from the Scriptures” that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. As Donfried notes, it’s unlikely that Paul would be rolling and unrolling many feet of papyrus scrolls to locate his Old Testament passages. “The membrana is precisely that vehicle which would allow Paul to collect the necessary reference texts which he would require for these discussions” (p. 302).

I would add a fourth takeaway but then I would be accused of meddling: Y’all might could learn you some Greek!

Thursday, January 11  

7:34 PM Here’s one last nod back to 2017, “by the numbers.” My thanks to all of you for your support, love, and prayers.

57. The number of years I’ve followed Jesus.

11. The number of classes I taught.

41. The number of years I’ve been teaching.

2. The number of my Ph.D. students who graduated.

65. The number of birthdays I’ve had.

1,139. The number of miles I put on my Map My Run app.

151,000. The number of calories I burned.

2. The number of grandbabies God added to our family.

1. The number of trips to Hawaii I made.

2. The number of triathlons I finished.

4. The number of half marathons I ran in.

6. The number of marathons I completed.

365. The number of days God was good to me and people were kind to me.

Cheers,

Dave

1:04 PM Today was a great break from running. Professionals call this “cross training,” which basically means that you’ve discovered other ways than running to keep you fit and active. My days of pounding out 40 mile weeks of running are long gone. I’m finding that my old body responds best to a combination of running and other forms of exercise such as weight lifting, which I did today. My normal regiment includes bench press, incline flye, barbell high pull, lateral raise, and dumbbell biceps curl. The goal is not to lift weights. The goal is to become a better and stronger runner and mountaineer. I try to strength train at least twice a week. Weight lifting has definitely become a regular part of my fitness program.

In other news, I’m so excited that this book came today.

Fire and Fury will definitely have to take a back seat to it! In traditional exegesis, discourse analysis (textlinguistics) is often a forgotten handmaiden. Moreover, traditional exegesis often misses the point because it’s so caught up in the trees and ignores the forest. The situation has changed today, and for the better. It’s impossible to study a text today without being at least partly aware of the place of discourse analysis in the exegetical process. This requires three things: (1) competent training in the discipline, (2) a willingness on the part of the student of Scripture to take a back seat to the text, and (3) a willingness on the part of congregations to be content with nothing less than exposition that takes into account larger discourse units when interpreting, teaching, and preaching a passage of Scripture. Exegesis is never easy, but discourse analysis can lead to a very fruitful outcome. I have enormous admiration for Bruce Johanson and his contemporaries for applying the basic principles of discourse analysis to specific texts of the New Testament. I see this same commitment in many of my students. They are orthodox through and through theologically, but they are also immensely sharp intellectually. I wish I could ask all of them to read this book but sadly it’s out of the print and the current price is prohibitive. I’ve edited a book that might be useful calledLinguistics and New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Discourse Analysis.

How much good this book has done I have no earthly idea, but I was glad to edit it. It might make a good entree into the field for anyone curious enough to want to try their hand at the method.

Time to check on the animals!

8:12 AM Et voilà! Care to take a walk with me through a beautiful Greek garden? Here’s my colon analysis of 1 Thess. 2:9-12. (Main clauses to the left; subordinate clauses to the right!)

Μνημονεύετε γάρ, ἀδελφοί, τὸν κόπον ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν μόχθον

ἐκηρύξαμεν εἰς ὑμᾶς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ

νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐργαζόμενοι πρὸς

τὸ μὴ ἐπιβαρῆσαί τινα ὑμῶν

ὑμεῖς [ἐστε]μάρτυρες καὶ [ἐστιν]ὁ θεός

ὡς ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως καὶ ἀμέμπτως ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσινἐγενήθημεν

καθάπερ οἴδατε

ὡς [ἐγενήθημεν ἐν ὑμῖν]ἕνα ἕκαστον ὑμῶν ὡς πατὴρ τέκνα            ἑαυτοῦ

[ἐγενήθημεν]

παρακαλοῦντες ὑμᾶς

καὶ παραμυθούμενοι

καὶ μαρτυρόμενοι

εἰς τὸ περιπατεῖν ὑμᾶς ἀξίως τοῦ θεοῦ

τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν καὶ δόξαν

To get the flow, let me provide a translation:

For you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how we worked and toiled!

We proclaimed to you the Good News from God

       while working night and day

            so as not to be a burden to any of you.

You are our witnesses — and so is God —

       how pure, honest, and blameless we were to you believers,

            just as you know how we treated you like a father treats his own children.

We were constantly encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you

       to live your lives in a way that is worthy of God,

            who calls you to share in His own kingdom and glory.

The passage clearly emphasizes Paul’s “self-sufficient labor” (Weima, p. 149). As a general rule, he and his co-workers paid their own way while doing their missionary work. Paul then uses a father-child metaphor because he is, in a very real sense, their father in the faith. There’s so much here for parents, and especially dads. The three verbs Paul uses to describe a father’s actions are telling:

  • We encouraged you.

  • We comforted you.

  • We urged you.

Dads, think about that. Are we living up to our responsibilities? Children require more from us parents than we could ever have imagined. There’s just so much to do. But we can’t forget the ultimate goal. I love this passage because it rings so true. Jesus is the only stability they’ll ever know. Paul was constantly pointing his readers to the Lord. His kingdom is the only one that will endure.

Of course, Paul paints with the brush of idealism. There’s no magic formula to raising kids. They can walk away. We can fail them. But when they are questioning (and we are gasping for air), there He is. The way we call our children to follow God’s priorities (and not our own) and to seek His glory (and not their own) is a big deal to Jesus. If we’re too busy to remind our kids of these truths, then we’re too busy. Today, as a dad, I’m still working on these things. A perfect parent? Hardly. Humble, moldable, dependent, a useful vessel for God — these are the qualities our kids will never acquire unless we parents acquire them first. If you haven’t been a great parent in the past, Satan will tell you you’re all washed up. That is a lie. The wisest parent is secure enough to reach out for help. Don’t waste your time grieving over what is past. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It will grow slowly, imperceptivity, but grow it will.

Wednesday, January 10  

7:58 PM For the two of you who might be interested, here’s the course map of the Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham, which my son Jon and I are running next month. The marathon course is exactly the same: you just run the course twice. As you can see, it has a good many turns.

It’s also hilly. I mean, the elevation is greater than Diamond Head in Hawaii, which itself is a pretty good climb.

Hills are always a challenge!

This is, if I’ve counted correctly, my tenth half marathon. My fastest half was in Petersburg, VA, where I finished right around the 2:27 mark (I usually come in somewhere between 2:45 and 2:50). However, my “best” half marathon was my first half marathon, which I ran in Raleigh. The thrill of finishing your first half marathon is simply indescribable. But getting back to Birmingham …. I’m not a huge fan of hilly, curvy courses. My idea of a great course is the St. George Marathon in Utah, which I ran last October. Other than Veyo (the largest mountain on the course), you’re mainly going downhill. There aren’t really any turns on this course. You’re on one road the whole way until about mile 24, and even then the turns are few and far between. I finished that race with a time of 5:41:40, which was (and still is) a PR. The Birmingham half will be an altogether different kind of beast, I think. This will by Jon’s first long distance race. Usually when people are training for their first half marathon, they’ll train by doing a 5K, then a 10K, then a 10-miler. Hardly anybody recommends that you run the entire 13.1 miles before race day; your adrenaline can be expected to carry you the last 3 miles to the finish. If I had any advice for newcomers to distance running it would be this: listen to your body more than you look at your watch. If you are in tune with your body, you will probably know when it’s time to speed up and slow down, when it’s to run and take a walk break, when it’s time to drink and eat along the course. However, even if you listen to your body during the race, by the time you cross the finish line you will be sore, guaranteed. A half marathon is such a popular race in America partly, I believe, because it really pushes you physically and at the same time is a good test of your mental fortitude. That’s why, when training for a half, respecting your body is such an important step. Learning to work with the body God has given you (and not necessarily the body you might have wanted) and learning to allow it to improve on its own terms is essential to your success as a runner. I noticed that the Birmingham event is limited to 4,000 runners for the half marathon and 1,000 runners for the full. This is good as it will limit the jostling that inevitably occurs at some of your larger races. The half also has a very generous time limit of 4 hours. The only question Jon and I need to work out is our pace — do we want to finish together and, if so, how fast do we want to run? Of course, it will be totally up to Jon if he wants to stay together. I imagine him sprinting past me at some point in the course! I don’t have a runner’s body and I’m just not very fast. But what I can work on is developing a runner’s soul. It isn’t a bib number that makes you a runner. It’s running. It’s the challenge of facing your own limitations and pushing through them. That’s the difference between a runner and someone who just runs. My hope that by running the Birmingham half marathon, Jon will discover (and I will rediscover) the joy of long distance running. I imagine we will share the joy of each other’s victory long after the race is over.

Tomorrow I’m taking the day off from running and will work out at the gym instead. I’ve found it best to weight train at least twice a week if possible. Then on Friday I hope to get in a 10 mile run.

So what are your race/training goals for 2018?

1:40 PM Continuing my half marathon and marathon training program ….

Today I did a 10K run at the Tobacco Heritage Trail, beginning in LaCrosse and running to Brodnax, where I turned around and ran back to home base.

My runs nowadays are fairly slow affairs. As proof, here’s my average pace: 14:25/mi. And my average speed: 4.2 mph. It’s less than a month until the Birmingham half, so I still need to go 9-10 miles and then finish up with a 13.1 mile run before tapering. Today was not my best run but not my worst. Anyhow, it was a good training day, and I’m feeling like I’m preparing as well as I can for the race. It’s been 10 days since the Allen marathon and I must say that I’m feeling fully recovered, praise the Lord.

Wait a minute. Did I just say I ran 6.2 miles today to help me recovery from a marathon? Runners are some crazy dudes.

8:08 AM Here’s a quick update today on my attempt to write (again) a complete colon analysis of 1 Thessalonians. Here’s 2:1-8.

I know you can’t read that picture; it’s too small. But you get the gist. Here’s a more detailed look at the first two colons.

Paul’s train of thought?

1) You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a waste of time.

2) In fact, we were bold in our God to speak to you the Gospel of God in the midst of much conflict, despite the fact that we had suffered before and been mistreated in Philippi, as you well know.

No matter where we are in life, no matter where life takes us, it’s important that we don’t waste our time doing things that don’t really count. Time is finite. Paul was keenly aware that one day he would stand before God and be judged for everything he did in his body. There was work for him to do, work that only he could do. That’s why he’s relieved to be able to say to his readers, “My visit to you wasn’t in vain. God accomplished what He was wanting to accomplish.” The old cliché is true: Less is, in fact, more. Yet we so easily succumb to the more is more mentality. I live with this fear all of the time, fear that I’m going to become too distracted to live well and a little more wisely. I don’t want to have this fear but it’s there all the same. Perhaps the key is to begin each new day, each new undertaking, with God. We can’t get off to a good start without Him. How foolish of us to run off to work without breakfast, and yet how much greater is the danger of running off to work without bringing our day under the scrutiny of His all-seeing eye and the guidance of His loving hands. Begin the day with God. It will not only sanctity you for tomorrow, it will prepare you for today.

7:10 AM The movie Farther Than the Eye Can See tells the story of a blind athlete named Erick Weihenmayer and his successful summit of Mount Everest. The movie had its share of platitudes about overcoming the obstacles that life throws at you, but the clichés were more than offset by the amazing cinematography and the incredible courage of Erik and his team.

 

What impressed me most about Erik was his modesty and optimism. As humbly as he knew how, he was going to conquer Everest. I’ve always been a soul that seeks adventure, driven by some unexplained urge to challenge the parameters of my world. I suppose my attitude toward mountain climbing is the same attitude I had toward surfing when I was younger. You must learn to face danger and be responsible for yourself. Everything in mountaineering is ultimately your decision. When I come back home from a climb or a marathon, I feel totally renewed as a human being – stronger and more capable of facing life’s unpredictable terms. By climbing the Alps this summer I hoped to inspire my children and grandchildren to take a closer look at their own lives and to consider whether God might still have some dreams for them to live.

Each person faces a choice in life. When we face grief or loss, we can quit or we can have the courage to persevere, even if in the end we fail to reach our goals. In Erik’s story I found inspiration to continue to test my own limits. If we never test our limits, we will never know what they are. I would like to believe that the roads in life we choose depend less on external circumstances and more on internal longings that compel us as humans to reach the heights of whatever mountains we are facing in life. Successful people take what they have and make something of it. But you can’t be passive. You have to grasp the opportunities as they come along and, through hard work, stir up that tiny ember that burns within you.

I realize that the battle to become a mountaineer is won or lost through my weekly training program – those unglamorous times in the morning when you don’t want to get out of your warm bed to run 10 miles or work out at the gym. It’s just another one of the universe’s hidden truths: without training, there can be no success. Tentative doesn’t cut it. When I climbed the Alps two summers ago, I went for it 100 percent.

Total commitment. Heart and soul. So today, I’m learning to embrace the hard work of preparation. Without it, there can be no meaningful achievement. I talked about this at length when I had dinner last night with two very close friends, both elders. How do you accomplish an audacious goal? One step at a time.

If anything, Erik’s story is a reminder that summits in life don’t come easy. You have to be willing to go through pain to reach your goal. As Erik proves, never underestimate the power of perseverance. Pick your goals carefully, think clearly about it – then act decisively, suppressing your fears. I see these qualities in Erik and, to a much lesser degree, in my own soul. But the more I do with the little I have, the more opportunities will gravitate towards me.

Tuesday, January 9  

12:26 PM Today I’m booking my flights to attend the ETS Southwest Regional Meeting in Fort Worth, March 2-3. The venue is Southwestern Seminary. I attend this conference every year because it allows me to spend time with mom and dad in Dallas as well as usually get a paper in. The theme of this year’s conference is “New in the Old and Old in the New.” Greg Beale is the plenary speaker. Should be great. My paper proposal reads as follows:

Colon analysis (aka nuclear structure analysis) was pioneered by Eugene Nida and popularized by Johannes Louw in his now classic work Semantics of New Testament Greek. Texts are broken down into their “constituent colons/cola” and then diagrammed around their interconnections. Several examples of this type of textual analysis will be given in this paper (e.g., Heb. 6:4-6; Phil. 2:5-11), along with a detailed colon analysis of the opening paragraph of Hebrews, in which the Old Testament becomes prominent. The author’s purpose is partly to show how the Old Testament revelation must be fully appreciate if one is to understand the Gospel he proclaims. The Old Testament contains the Gospel “in promise.”

How does that work for “technicaleze”? LOL! The working title is: “Colon Analysis of the Greek New Testament: With Special Reference to Heb. 1:1-4 and the Author’s Emphasis on the Old Testament as Prophecy.” 

Can’t wait.

12:04 PM I just finished writing a training plan for my next two big races: The Mercedes Birmingham Half Marathon on February 11, and the Tobacco Road Marathon in Raleigh on March 18. Woohoo! Today I did a 5K at the track.

I have two more runs scheduled this week: One for 9 miles, and the other for 13. Crazy? Yes. But I like crazy. It’s pretty exciting and scary!

8:44 AM Hi folks,

I’ve been arguing on this blog for some time that Paul was eager to show genuine affection for his readers, despite his superordinate position as an apostle. Hats off to Trevor Burke for his brilliant essay in the Tyndale Bulletin called “Pauline Paternity in 1 Thessalonians.”

It’s been on my stack of journal articles to read this week and I finally got around to perusing (devouring is more like it) the essay. Burke writes, “…Paul’s patriarchal role undergirds everything he is and does for the Thessalonians” (p. 76). Just what does this role look like? Concern. Love. Provision. Dads in the ancient world “… loved their children above and beyond that of their offspring’s love for them” (p. 77). And don’t miss the note of tenderness, insists Burke. Paul likens his separation from his beloved friends in Thessalonica as a “bereavement,” like that of death. He is anxious for them and grieves their separation. Finally, “…  Paul, rather than making financial demands of his spiritual children, chooses instead to be self-supporting, thereby displaying his kindly feelings and love for them” (p. 79).

I rest my case.

I have to say that the best part of this essay is Burke’s exegesis of the Greek text. The most insightful observation, I thought, was when he discussed Paul’s use aporphanisthentes in 2:17 — a word that goes beyond the mere idea of being “orphaned” but “… applies also to parents bereft of their offspring” (p. 78, n. 55). That’s a very wonderful (and woeful) sentiment and one I’ve felt on many occasions.

During this season of life when my children are grown and gone, I would do well to remember how Paul treated his “kids.” Jesus operates beyond the black-and-white boundaries of books on parenting. An incredibly useful resource for parents would be to read — duh! — a book like 1 Thessalonians. Our children need in us spiritual mentors that will point them away from us and to the word of God as the only reliable guide to life. If they are to learn how to love Jesus beyond the four walls of our homes, we need to give them something to stick to in the real world.

On another note (but still related to 1 Thessalonians), last night I read Ralph Martin’s discussion of the Thessalonian Epistles in his New Testament introduction.

I dare say nobody uses this book as a classroom text today, though it was very popular when I was in seminary. (Dave, you can expect the same with your tomes!) I knew Ralph quite well when I was teaching at Biola (and he at Fuller). He was the first modern scholar to quote extensively from my doctoral dissertation (Paul, Apostle of Weakness) in his outstanding commentary on 2 Corinthians. We disagreed on many issues — he thought I held to a narrowly infallibilistic view of Scripture, for example — but I was always struck by the high caliber of his work as a scholar and his affability as a person. His introduction to the New Testament (in 2 volumes) is well worth your time. Chapter 13 of volume 2 is entitled “Persecution and Parousia in the Thessalonian Letters.” I’m not saying this chapter will resolve all the controversies in these two letters, but it will go a long ways towards it.

Finally (and totally unrelated to 1 Thessalonians), I have now lost water in my entire house. This can’t be due to frozen water lines because yesterday it got into the 40s and today it will be 55. Since I am a complete Doofus, I’ve sent for the reinforcements: two of my kids. It feels good to have experts in all things mechanical in the family. I’m filled with gratitude.

I’m off to the gym and the track. It’s too gorgeous of a day to stay indoors for very long.

Monday, January 8  

6:02 PM Today was a glorious day spent at the office in Wake Forest then seeing my physical therapist, who stretched my legs and massaged my calves. Ono-licious, as we would say in Hawaii. The high temp today was 44 degrees but it never got warm enough to thaw out the pond, so when I got home I carried a bucket of water out to the goats, which I’ve been doing daily until the pond melts.

It’s such a joy to provide for these beautiful and carefree animals.

Reminds me of how tenderly my Good Shepherd always cares for me. Tending to the land and the animals. I love my life.

Remember to close the gate on the way out.

Dave

7:06 AM In 1 Thess. 2:1-12, Paul reviews and defends his ministry among the Thessalonians. Just like in 1:2-10, there’s a noticeable movement here from the activity of Paul and his fellow missionaries to the response of the Thessalonians. Paul does two things specifically in this passage: he shows how he came to them in a spirit of love, and he denies that he had been wrongly motivated. As in Galatians and 2 Corinthians, Paul becomes very personal and transparent in this text. His message and his personal integrity can’t be separated. The life he lived before God and before the Thessalonians is proof that his ministry was based on love. He was ready to share with them not only the Good News but his own life. “You are our witnesses, and so is God, that our conduct toward you was pure, right, and without fault” (2:12). I’d probably label a sermon on this passage something like, “Christlikeness as the Missionary Strategy.” I’d explain how missions is like midwifery: For God to birth new life in people, He must use our lives, our work, our humility, our obedience, our faith, our prayers, our sacrifice. Throughout the New Testament, we see this principle at work. “As you go, train the people from every nation how to follow me in obedience and love.” And one way this is accomplished, generation after generation, is through our modeling for others the downward path of Jesus. Upward mobility? Take a hike. It’s all about downward mobility. For instance, instead of “Do for me,” it’s “I’ll do for others” (Phil. 2:3-4). Jesus often modeled this principle for us in the Gospels. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” He was right. 

Is this principle, this way of living, too idealistic? Comedian George Carlin once said, “Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist.” I grew up an idealist about the church. That is, until my church fired our pastor. I was about 12 years old at the time. Our elderly pastor had suffered a minor stroke and his speech became slurred. Yet he remained the same godly, gentle shepherd he had always been. “He’s too difficult to listen to,” people complained. So off he went. Since then I’ve become deeply distrustful of religion. Isn’t God’s power perfected in our weaknesses? Didn’t Paul boast in his stake in the flesh? “Well, Dave, a preacher has got to be easy to listen to.” That doesn’t cut it for me, friend. I could understand him perfectly. You see, the message he brought Sunday after Sunday was more than words. I’m reminded of one of my 17 trips to Ethiopia. On one of these trips, one of our elders came with Becky and me. This was in fact his third trip with us to Ethiopia. On his first two visits he had taught the Scriptures daily to the church elders. Indeed, the man’s a wonderfully gifted Bible teacher. But on his third trip he did nothing of the kind. He had heard that our health clinic needed painting, so he volunteered to head up the paint crew. For two weeks, all he did was slap paint on the walls of our clinic buildings. I once told this story in a seminar I was giving on church leadership. Afterwards two young pastors-in-the-making came up to me and said. “It was wrong of your pastor to have painted. His gift is pastor-teacher. He should have been teaching.” I replied, as gently as I could, “Don’t you see? He was teaching.” He pastored that painting project, even if no one would call it pastoring. In him I saw Jesus with a towel and a basin.

I am drawn toward this kind of lifestyle. I want my “ministry” to encompass all of human life. The more I repent of my own sin and blindness, the more the Lord nudges me beyond my missing-the-point leadership principles. At yesterday’s 5K, I showed people that a Baptist cared about the death of an Episcopalian teenage who died in an alcohol-related car accident. The funds raised at the race will go toward driver education in the Raleigh school system. Maybe, just maybe, one less family will go through the unspeakable grief of losing their son or daughter in an avoidable car wreck. When my pastor was let go many years ago, it broke my child’s heart. Yet the experience was a gift to me in every way. I see that now. A new truth. I see this truth in Paul’s “I came to you in weakness, fear, and trembling” theology. I see it in the Christ hymn of Phil. 2:5-11. And I see it in Paul and his fellow missionaries in 1 Thess. 2:1-12. “We were gentle among, like a mother taking care of her children” (2:7). I am suggesting this, pastors: Bang the drum for vulnerability. You are more than a disseminator of information. You are also a fellow believer, and the family needs you to be tender with us and with yourself. I know you’re trying to get this church thing right. We all are. Perhaps it starts with 1 Thess. 2:1-12: coming into our communities and our lives without impure motives, without flattering talk, without words used to cover up greed. Instead, please be gentle among us, like a loving mother and an encouraging father. “You were so dear to us,” wrote Paul (2:8). We love you too. Together, we can make our faith communities beautiful again.

Sunday, January 7  

7:02 PM A 5K race in beautiful downtown Raleigh on a sunny day? Don’t mind if I do! The temp was 27 but that’s nothing compared to my race in Dallas last Monday. It’s definitely still winter in North Carolina though. The race was sponsored by Christ Church, Raleigh.

It’s located right across the street from the state capitol.

At 2:00 pm we were off.

The race was a simple out and back through the historic district of Raleigh. All kinds of architecture kept me fascinated. Here’s the Baptist church.

And the Methodist church.

We turned around at one of the city’s most well-known landmarks, the bell tower on the campus of NC State. The race, to say the least, was a bit hilly.

But I’m pleased with my consistent pace. The vitals stats:

  • Average pace: 10:19/minute.

  • Average speed: 5.8 mph.

  • Average heart rate: 160 bpm.

My time was 32:07, not very fast but good enough for a first place in my age group.

At the end of the race my lungs were on fire but I recovered quickly. The bling was fantastic. This represents 40 bucks worth of goodies!

Afterwards I celebrated Ethiopian New Years at the Abyssinia with these wonderful believers.

What’s not to like about genuine Ethiopian fresh-roasted coffee?

I came, I ran, I froze, I ate! (Apologies to Caesar.) Time to watch a good movie and go to bed!

9:20 AM The current issue of Biola Magazine came in the mail yesterday. (I’m a two-time alum of Biola — ’75 and ’80.) Among other things, it features a report on the new “Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today,” directed by Oscar Merlo.

The goal is fourfold, according to the report:

  • Have intentional conversations at all levels about the Holy Spirit.

  • Host a biannual Holy Spirit conference.

  • Conduct research into the movement of the Spirit in the twenty-first century.

  • Hold Spirit-empowered vespers on campus once a month.

To quote the director:

Our institutions need to depend more on God. Sometimes we depend too much on our intellect. Are we taking time, when we are about to do our scholarly work, to pray to the Spirit of God? Or are we more interested in jumping right into our research questions?

Why do I find this so attractive? Because I’m 100 percent sure that it’s time to put sinew into the words “Spirit” and “spiritual.” When I was an undergrad at Biola, we were required to read He That Is Spiritual by Chafer. Today’s generation would do well to get their hands on Gordon Fee’s books on the Holy Spirit. As Fee has often said, theology can’t pay mere lip service to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was certainly one of the key features in Paul’s letters, as we’ll see in our study of 1 Thessalonians. I grew up immersed in a fairly non- or even anti-charismatic Christian culture with heavy emphasis on linear thinking and dogma. Eventually I embraced listening. It seems clear to me that the whole matter of the work of the Spirit in our daily lives transcends “charismatic” versus “non-charismatic” categories. Believe it or not, our students are craving something more than knowledge. Let’s put the Spirit in front of them. Let’s teach them how to be filled with the Spirit and care about the world beyond their iPhones. The best we can do is give them the word balanced by “power, the Holy Spirit, and full conviction” (1 Thess. 1:5).

Saturday, January 6  

5:14 PM Tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 pm is the annual Run for Young in downtown Raleigh. The race is held in memory of a young man who was killed as a passenger in an alcohol related accident in 2007. I’ve run this 5K twice in the past. I went ahead and registered for the race, although I’m not sure I’ll be up to another cold-weather event so soon after Dallas. On the other hand, a drive to Raleigh is always a good excuse to eat Ethiopian food. Either way, my registration fee and donation will go to a great cause: safe driving education programs. 

4:56 PM The low tonight will be 2 degrees. Folks, don’t forget the three “p”s: people, pets, and pipes.

4:48 PM Just stumbled across this:Marathon Investigation. The idea is to catch people who are trying to cheat their way into the Boston Marathon. Oh my.

4:25 PM Here are the readings for the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians (our Greek 4 class), in case you were wondering:

  • Byrskog, Samuel. “Co-senders, Co-authors and Paul’s Use of the First Person Plural.”

  • Ellis, E. E. “Paul and His Co-workers.”

  • Fee, G. D. “Laos and Leadership under the New Covenant: Some Exegetical and Hermeneutical Observations on Church Order.”

  • Weiß, Wolfgang. “Glaube — Liebe — Hoffnung. Zu der Trias bei Paulus.”

  • Barclay, John M. G. “Conflict in Thessalonica.”

  • Donfried, Karl Paul. “The Cults of Thessalonica and the Thessalonian Correspondence.”

  • Kim, S. “Paul’s Entry … and the Thessalonians’ Faith (1 Thessalonians 1–3).”

  • Munck, Johannes. “1 Thess. 1:9–10 and the Missionary Preaching of Paul: Textual Exegesis and Hermeneutic Reflexions [sic].”

  • Ware, J. “The Thessalonians as a Missionary Congregation: 1 Thessalonians 1,5–8.”

  • Stowers, Stanley K. “Social Status, Public Speaking and Private Teaching: the Circumstances of Paul’s Preaching Activity.”

This stuff is so rich it should get its own tax bracket. Heartfelt thanks to my assistant, Noah Kelley, for his help in compiling our bibliography for the semester. 

12:08 PM Yes, yes, YES! Awesome workout at the Y this morning. I absolutely love the gym. Weight training requires equal amounts of physical and mental strength. The goal is not to become merely physically stronger as the weeks go by but mentally stronger as well. Today I feel like I could run another marathon tomorrow. (Don’t worry: I won’t. Maybe a 5K but that’s it.) Words can’t describe how thrilling it is to run a marathon. It’s definitely something that ought to be at the top of everyone’s bucket list. Thank you, Lord, for the strength and health to be up and about! 

Speaking of health, it’s probably time for a nap. Must. Sleep. Now. Bye!

6:50 AM This morning I was up at 5:00 am thinking about my goals for 2018. Last year my big goal was to slow down a little bit and focus on what’s really important in life. It was a year of quiet weekends, lots of time with family, and less stress. The one thing I can’t believe is how quickly the years have passed. Can you believe I’ve been blogging since November 2003? That’s 14 years. I think I have written the most boring collection of blog posts known to man. What’s more, in November I commemorated 4 years without Becky. And just think: I’m in my 42nd year of teaching. Amazing. I simply can’t fathom that.

Last year I tried out some new activities and enjoyed several major accomplishments. Many of them were a team effort, relying on a myriad of factors including help from my assistant and the encouragement of publishers. But running a marathon was different. This was a goal that could be accomplished only by one person committing to it fully: me. There’s no way to describe walking back to my hotel after the Flying Pig Marathon in May and hearing complete strangers say, “Congratulations.” For the most part, my emotions were a combination of relief, joy, pride, and gratitude to the One who gave me the wherewithal to finish the race.

In June I celebrated turning 65. My family put on a surprise Hawaiian luau for me. There are no words to describe what that meant to me. 2018 is now here and who knows where it will go? I know that most of us are longing for God to do something new in our lives. Maybe there’s something I can’t see. And that’s my prayer for the new year: that I will be able to see something I couldn’t see before, and that I would trust Him to grant me the eyes to see it. A tiny part of that is seeking ways to lead the students in my 4 classes this semester to move beyond knowledge and see the world God created, to see how full of beauty and mystery it is, to see a world around them that awaits discovery each and every day. I want them to be fully aware and alive. I want them to see that life is fully lived only when the whole system — body, soul, and spirit — works together. (Sometimes the most spiritual things in life are the most physical. When we become physically active, we honor our bodies and the God who created them.) I want them to learn how to celebrate dark places, to believe that what is empty can be filled, to allow God to walk them through brokenness. I want them to step back and discover new rhythms and sounds in their lives. Above all, I want them to think of the well-being and happiness of others first. That’s the work of the Gospel, isn’t it? Like Paul in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1:5), the energy we expend on kingdom building is done on behalf of others.

So what does 2018 hold for me? I have no idea. But I know that He will guide me. “When it’s over,” wrote Mary Oliver inWhen Death Comes, “I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.” That’s my prayer for you, dear reader. Never stop dreaming. Don’t fear your humanness. If you feel stuck, open your eyes to the hidden things of God in your life. Drive to the mountains or to the ocean. A new vantage point may be just what you need to see the new thing God has in store for you. But wherever you find it, remember that it’s always a gift.

Friday, January 5  

6:45 PM Last month, BBC Travel published a fascinating article calledHow the South Korean Language was designed to unify. There seems to be more “we” and “our” in Korean than “I” and “my.” Of the 6 trips I’ve been blessed to make to South Korea to teach, I remember learning this lesson on my second visit to Seoul. When asked to show someone a picture of my dogs, I produced a photo of my two Shelties and then asked, “How do you say ‘my two dogs’ in Korean?” The response was (and here I’m back-translating into English), “Our two dogs.” The term “uri” (our) kept coming up over and over again. It totally made sense to me. After all, the dogs belonged to both Becky and me. Which got me thinking about 1 Thess. 1:2. Here Paul (the author of 1 Thessalonians) uses the plural “we” and then continues to use this pronoun throughout the letter (the 3 exceptions being 2:18; 3:5; and 5:27). The plural is a reminder to the Thessalonians “that all three of them [Paul, Silas, and Timothy] were in that original ministry together” (Fee, p. 20).

Once again, I like that about Paul. He’s got no problem receding into the group. Of course, he doesn’t always do that. I do it even less. I use “I” most of the time when I write. This wasn’t always the case. In seminary, if you were caught using the first person pronoun in a paper (whether “I” or “we”) you were immediately sent to the Russian Front. “The author” was the only self-respecting way to refer to yourself. Better yet, we were told to use the passive voice. Today I choose to use “I” because I think it connects better with my readers. I also tend to use “you” instead of “one.” I could go on and on: “I found that” is better than “It was found that.” Of course, I haven’t really addressed the question of whether I might want to use “we” in my writing more often than I do. Actually, I haven’t thought about the matter all that much. But I will say this: I think maintaining a simple, informal blog — where you use “I” or “we” and even contractions like “I’m” and “we’re” — is a great way to improve one’s — er — your writing skills.

5:52 PM Best wishes to Robert Siegel as hesigns off today for the last time on NPR. I’ve been a Siegel fan for a long, long time, so his voice will be missed. All Things Considered is a well-written show, always has been. His gifted colleagues will carry on. If I had one piece of advice: “Lose yourself in the service of others” sounds like a good way to spend one’s retirement years. Blessings on you, Robert, as you discover your encore career.

1:22 PM Our second class session in Greek 4 will include a discussion and analysis of 1 Thess. 1:2-5, in which Aristotle’s “rhetorical triangle” comes into sharp focus. When Paul visited the Thessalonians, he came “not with word (logos) only.” His message was balanced by both pathos and ethos — spiritual power/passion and credibility.

For our Gospel didn’t come to you in word only but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, just as you know what kind of people we were among you for your sake.

Fist bump! Paul got all three right. He brought the message. He brought it with power and passion. And he brought it by living among the people and doing everything for their benefit, not his own. You want to share the Good News with someone? Then live and work and breathe the air of their community. I am floored by Paul’s priorities. His goal was to effect long-term benefits among the Thessalonians, not put on a puppet show. Whether knowingly or unconsciously, Paul embodied the Aristotelian triangle perfectly.

I am suggesting this, friends: To have the greatest persuasive effect, logical appeal must be accompanied by both emotional appeal and ethical appeal. I don’t mean to minimize the message. Sloppy exegesis is sloppy exegesis. Don’t hear me say, “Content is not important.” But when the message is accompanied by passion and especially by the speaker’s selfless attitude toward his or her hearers, the Gospel can become the powerful thing Jesus dreamed up. It really can.

12:40 PM Darkest Hour was a magnificent film. Churchill was one of the twentieth century’s greatest figures. What wasn’t he? He was a bricklayer, painter, cavalry officer, orator, and for 55 of his 90 years a member of the British Parliament, 8 of those as prime minister. I loved how the movie told the story of Churchill’s first days in office, how he was a lonely voice warning his people of the dangers of Nazism. I thought the best part of the film was the dénouement, in which what is perhaps Churchill’s greatest speech is put on full display, the one ending with these immortal words:

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Never has a speech had a more awe-inspiring peroration. Despite his many shortcomings, Churchill was a master orator and had the tenacity of a bulldog. I give the movie four out of five stars. If you would like to meet “Winston,” this film is one way to start. But be forewarned: The movie serves only as an apéritif to wanting more and more. What strikes me most about Churchill is his resilience. When he failed or was defeated, he got back up again. At a time when so many of our leaders are shallow, childish, and even vindictive, it’s encouraging to witness a man who was the polar opposite. “There is nothing more draining and exhausting than hatred,” he once said. Wise words for today, I should think.

8:10 AM Yo folks. I hope you’re enjoying the cold weather. I’m having a great time but I feel a little scattered. I’m having to back burner some things and front burner others. What’s occupying most of my time right now is reading through all of the essays I’m asking my Greek 4 students to read. Each essay has something to do, either directly or indirectly, with the book of 1 Thessalonians — the book I use in Greek 4 as a model for exegesis. I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for me because I absolutely love doing this. What I find frustrating is not being able to communicate to you, my blog readers, the many gems I’m picking up along the way. Guess you’ll all just have to take my class! For example, take Fee’s essay I mentioned yesterday. It’s intended to be a comprehensive overview of Paul’s teaching about leadership in the New Testament. The essay is very good and I’d recommend you read it. Fee’s main point is that, when you read the New Testament in the light of Jesus (which all of us must do), you come away with a vastly different view of church leadership than if you follow Old Testament models. It’s true that under the Old Covenant the role of leadership was often delegated to the king and priests in particular, who were recognized as having an existence apart from the “people” (laos) of God. “It is precisely this model of leadership that breaks down altogether in the New Testament,” writes Fee (p. 130). And why should this be the case? Fee is clear: “The basic reason for this is the Lordship of Christ himself…. As head of his church, all others, including leaders, function as parts of the body both sustained by Christ and growing up into him (Eph. 4:1-16)” (p. 130).

Thus leadership in the New Testament people of God is never seen as outside or above the people themselves, but simply as part of the whole, essential to its well-being, but governed by the same set of “rules.” (p. 131)

Two other points in Fee’s excellent essay are worth mentioning. First, Fee rightly points out that the people of God in the New Testament are thought of corporately. “[Believers] are addressed individually only as they are members of the community” (p. 134). God views each member of the His body as equally valuable and important to the proper functioning of the whole. It is very unfortunate, notes Fee, that texts that Paul intended to be taken corporately have been individualized, thus losing their original force and impact. These include texts that have to do with the exercise of church discipline.

Secondly, Fee has a superb section on the question of whether church leadership should be singular or plural.

Unless Revelation 2-3 provides an exception, there is no certain evidence in the New Testament of a single leader at the local level who was not at the same time an itinerant. (p. 140)

It’s Fee’s “guess” (p. 142) that the model of a single pastor emerged from a sort of “role transference,” in which there arose a permanent single leader based (incorrectly) on the model of the itinerate apostle.

The danger with this model, of course, is that it tends to focus both authority and ministry in the hands of one or few persons, who cannot possibly be so gifted as to fill all the needs of the local community. (p. 143)

Fee then adds:

For me the great problem with single leadership is its threefold tendency to pride of place, love of authority, and lack of accountability. (p. 143)

This “pride of place” may crop up in the most unexpected of places. Do you think that maybe this space could be used for the elderly, families with small kids, people with disabilities …?

Fee concludes by urging his readers to recapture “the New Testament view of the church itself” (p. 143). The irony, of course, is that hundreds if not thousands of local congregations are running away from this concept of leadership instead of embracing it. Some churches even allow their kingdom message to be co-opted by politics (whether on the right or the left) because of the political views of their senior pastor.   

I am deeply humbled and honored to belong to the same academic community that Fee belongs to. My prayer is that God will use essays like his to prepare our local congregations for the vital role they have to play in the kingdom movement He’s inspiring in our time.

By the way, when I was in Dallas I saw Darkest Hour with mom and dad. Time permitting, I’ll share a few thoughts with you later about that movie and what I think it says about leadership and especially about the power of words.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, January 4  

11:25 AM What do you love about winter? I love frozen ponds.

I love old houses freshly dusted with the white stuff.

I love watching my dog making fresh tracks in the snow.

I love stacking 100 bales of hay for delivery.

When I’m bored, restless, or just annoyed, walking in the winter wonderland is just what the doctor ordered.

11:12 AM This weekend’s race was truly a great event. The worst racing conditions brought out the best in each runner. If this had been any other event I might have given up. But hey, Texans are tough, and I wanted to prove to them that this Hawaiian dude could pass muster. Seriously, this was top notch fun. And what could be better than free pics? That’s right, these photos arrived today in my inbox, compliments of The Active Joe. You guys are Aw- Sum! Here I am at the start of the race, when I could still run. Looking sharp, eh?

This guy behind me is actually smiling. He must be from Alaska. Actually, I saw lots of high fives and encouraging smiles on the course.

Here’s the look of pure pain as I approached the finish line, barely ambulatory. As they say: the agony of de feet …

And the thrill of victory.

Thankfully, I’m healing up nicely. One thing I’m very thankful for is the ability to bounce back after injuries. Happily my blister is almost entirely healed. My plan is to see my PT next week and then get back into training. So, yeah, I already have much to be grateful for this year. I hope you do too.

8:54 AM Today I’m reading Gordon Fee’s “Laos and Leadership under the New Covenant: Some Exegetical and Hermeneutical Observations on Church Order.” The focus is on structure and ministry in the New Testament. And by “ministry” Fee is not referring solely to people we might call “ministers”! This essay will be required reading in my Greek 4 class this semester. 

8:30 AM Winter weather advisory …. 10-mile long traffic jam in Moore County … temps in the teens … the water lines are frozen at my house  … but the dusting we got last night is so pretty.

Meanwhile, in Dallas I ordered two books from Amazon Prime.

It’s dated (1987) but not as ancient as some of my books. Here’s the second tome.

I just hope it comes with a photo of the button.

Since we’re talking about bragging, I suppose it’s okay for me to flaunt my first place finish in my age division in Monday’s marathon. I know, I was the only one running in the male 65-69 age group, but it’s still an incredible victory when you consider all the guys I could have beaten. My average pace, by the way, was 15/mile. A pace of 15 minutes? I think my Garmin must be broken. As many a good lawyer has said, “Facts only obscure the truth.”

Today I’m writing the good people at the Mercedes Birmingham Marathon in the great state of Alabama to let them know I’ve just made a brilliant decision. This is my “February race,” in case you’d forgotten. I’m moving from the full marathon to the half marathon because my son Jon who lives in Birmingham is running the half and I don’t want him to be lonely. As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” (I think the other half of the proverb says, “But don’t go with guys named Jon.”) I’ve observed that runners are more prone to succeed when they know someone who’s already been there and done that. (They also tend to be more “prone,” period.) Okay. The real reason I’m moving to the half is because I’m done with 6-hour time limits. I’m dumb but I’m not stupid. 6 hours puts too much pressure on world class athletes like myself. So from now on it’s 6.5 to 7 hours or nothing. Why, the Honolulu Marathon doesn’t even have a time limit. Now, before the good people of my home state get insulted thinking I’m disparaging their race, let me be clear: Hawaii, you’re a laid back culture. I know. If I tried running from Ala Moana to Hawaii Kai and back and didn’t stop to cool off in the Pacific, I’d be crazy too.

I’m left with no choice, then, but to revise my running schedule. Lord willing, my next big race will be the Tobacco Road Marathon in Cary, NC, on March 18. I’m running in honor of the former owner of my farm, who use to grow cigga-weed back in the day. Like everyone else, he overfarmed the soil. Today I grow hay on the same land. That doesn’t mean people don’t smoke where I live. They do, even Baptists (don’t tell anyone I said that). I’m against the habit but that’s no excuse to miss out on a marathon that’s practically in my back yard. After Bacci Road, my next marathon will be the Flying Pig in Cincy — yes, the city where it all started last May. It was in Cincinnati that I discovered hundreds of people my age who were into marathoning. This isn’t your typical group of old codgers, like folks who still use DOS and have AOL email addresses. They are super heroes, though their quest focuses more on tenacity than talent. Between now and my race in Birmingham next month I’ll be doing some world class loafing. The worst mistake you can make after a long race — and I’ve made it over and over again — is not giving yourself enough time to recover. Having ice and snow covering your roads helps.

Finally, I wanted you to see the kind of food people eat in Texas. This is called barbeque.

As in real barbeque. As is beef barbeque. The abbreviation is BBQ — which is about the closest I’ll ever come to a BQ (Boston Qualifying time).

Chores time.

Wednesday, January 3  

6:40 PM Let’s see … words emanating from my computer can only mean one thing: the race in Texas didn’t kill me. For the 3 people who still read this boring blog, you may remember me talking about this event (ad nauseum). The long and short of it is that I toughed out another marathon, though it left me seriously questioning my sanity (which I question pretty much every day). With extreme weather alerts on tap for the greater Dallas region all weekend long, I kept a close eye on my weather app. For the “News Years Double,” you could run either on Sunday (New Years Eve) or Monday (New Years Day) or both — hence “New Years Double.” I had chosen to do only the New Years day race. The weather on the last day of December was heartbreaking for anyone wanting to run outdoors. There was a thin layer of ice everywhere, with the low temps hovering in the single digits. Unbelievably, the race went on as planned. A total of 800 runners had registered for Sunday’s race, either for the half or for the full marathon. On race day, 281 stalwart (i.e., crazy) runners actually showed up for the race. Kudos to each and every one of them, and especially to the volunteers manning the water stations and handing out the race medals while literally freezing. That afternoon the skies cleared and the ice disappeared. When I woke up at 4:00 am on Monday (New Years Day), it didn’t take me very long to decide I was going to try and run the race that day. I had come all this distance and I wasn’t about to chicken out now. I knew that if I dressed in lots of layers I’d be fine. I wore long johns under running pants on the bottom, and two tech shirts plus a sweatshirt plus a racing jacket plus a windbreaker on top, not to mention a fleece neck warmer (which I covered my nose with), North Face gloves, and 3 hoods over my running cap.

I arrived at Celebration Park in Allen, TX at 7:30 am and checked my weather app. The “real feel” temp was exactly 1 degree Fahrenheit. You read that correctly. ONE degree. That’s like 31 degrees below freezing, if my math serves me right. Like everyone else, I picked up my race bib then sat in my warm car until race time. 700 participants had signed up for Monday’s races (including the half and the full marathon). 220 of us showed up. (I don’t blame anyone for staying at home.) Despite the cold, the morning was sunny and the people around me were electric with positive energy. Physically, I knew I would be fine. The question, as always, would boil down to mental toughness.

The race was run entirely on a concrete sidewalk that ambled through the subdivisions of Allen.

Thankfully, the course was completely dry without a trace of ice. Once I started moving I was able to keep warm. Given that I was doing a full marathon, I decided to run at an easy 13-minute/mile pace. I had shin splints for the first two miles or so, but they quickly cleared up. But the concrete running surface was beginning to takes its toll. I had never run a race on concrete before, only asphalt, crushed gravel, and dirt trails. By mile 12 my feet were killing me, and by mile 18 I had developed a horrific blood blister on the bottom of my left foot. When I stopped to check on it (there were no aid stations on the course — one of the disadvantages of small races), I began freezing. I had to laugh out loud. I had started the race thinking it would be a breeze. The course was entirely flat, and I’d gotten some solid training runs in. I’d had feet issues while running before, and I knew I could push through the pain if I had to. But this was different. From mile 18 on I couldn’t run at all. It was all I could do to walk without hobbling. My stride was reduced to the pace of a turtle. What happened? I’m sure it was the running surface. I had read that running on concrete is 10 times harder on your feet and legs than running on asphalt. It slowly dawned on me that I was now paying the price for running on this surface. It was beyond frustrating that my body wouldn’t cooperate with my mind. I began to be engulfed by negative thoughts and emotions. I never wanted a race to end so quickly! My feet were driving me absolutely crazy. After a while, I realized I had bitten off way more than I could chew. Worst case scenario, I could simply drop out of the race. Nobody would blame me. Everyone gets a DNF (did not finish) at least once in their racing career. But Monday was not to be that day. Not if I had any say about it. I had to do this. I had to finish. On the very first day of the new year, I was forced by circumstances to take my own advice. Stop thinking and keep moving, Dave. Call me nuts, but that’s just what I did for the last 8 miles of the race. The only thing on my mind was my reason for running these races in the first place. A marathon is the ultimate metaphor for any major undertaking in life. Does it hurt? Yes. Does it require time, effort, and commitment? Yes. But the payoff is out of this world. It doesn’t matter what your goal is. Marathoner. Healthy eater. Patient mom. Writer. More diligent student. Divorce survivor. Whatever. You’ve got to push out of your self-imposed boundaries and never look back. This year, as you know, I’m trying to cut back on processed foods. I’m not going to lie. I’m already making excuses. Life isn’t as simple as saying, “I’m going to eat clean this year.” Just deal with it. Take a deep breath and take it one step at a time. Remember that you have weaknesses just like everybody else. So I said a prayer, mustered up what little courage I had left, and waddled along to the end of the course. Only 43 marathoners finished the race that day. I was no. 42. The volunteers were absolutely amazing. While we runners could keep warm through activity, the volunteers must have been frozen. They were the heroes of this event, not us.

When I got back to my car I revved up the engine, turned on the heater, and guzzled down two bottles of chocolate milk that mom had sent with me. (She is so thoughtful!) Eventually I arrived back at the Lapsleys’ house. The minute I stepped out of the car I began shaking uncontrollably. I was nearly overcome by the cold just walking from the car to the house. After a congratulatory word from mom and dad, I took the most amazing hot shower of my life, then a two-hour nap. In the evening we went out and celebrated at the local Outback. It was the perfect capstone to a wonderful day. Prior to this race, my coldest event was the Richmond Marathon at 27 degrees. Now that seems warm. Cliché as it sounds, there is so much value in sucking it up and just keeping on going. When we have to, we can all do hard things. In the end, I made it. Of course I did. 26.2 miles may have taken me 6 and a half hours to finish (6:38:31 to be exact), but I fought hard for my medal and I earned it.

I will never ever run another marathon on concrete, that’s for sure. But I will always treasure this race. It was my hardest marathon of the seven I’ve completed. It was my slowest marathon. And it was my most satisfying marathon. All in all, it was the perfect way to ring in a new year of heart-stopping adventures.

So,Happy New Year to you! The best of everything in 2018!

Dave

P.S. Love you, mom and dad. What a great time we had together.

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January 2017 Blog Archives 

Tuesday, January 31 

7:45 AM Vital information:

1) Full text of theexecutive order.

2) Currentvetting procedures for refugees.

3)Contact numbers for your Senators.

Stay informed, my fellow Americans! Let your views be heard!

Let’s not forget, too, that the New Testament sets forth a pattern of crisis and conduct:

1) Rom. 13:11-14

2) 1 Cor. 7:29-31

3) Tit. 2:11-14

4) 1 Pet. 4:7-19

5) 2 Pet. 3:10-12

There is no doubt about the crisis, but is our conduct rising to the occasion?

Monday, January 30 

5:58 PM Only 14 weeks to go until the mother of all marathons (slight exaggeration — but it’s a big deal for me), and only 7 to my half. I am truly motivated. I dropped a lot of weight through training and I plan to keep it off. Right now I’m cleaning the house. I might be messy but I’m a thankful messy. I am freaked out about the scale of everything I’ve got on my plate, but faith in God means obedience with no thought of consequences, right? Even a fish’s stomach (think Jonah) can become a place of spiritual renewal (heehee). My emails need to be cleaned out. So do my room trashes. Meanwhile I’m still trying to raise money for my UNC fundraiser, so if you’re a corporate type, watch out because I’m after you. In a way it’s sad to have someone to dedicate your marathon to, but in another sense I try to remember that I’m running for a really good cause. I am terribly sorry for not posting essays on my website any more but, honestly, I simply haven’t got the time. I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to exercise this weekend (other than the race on Saturday) but I’ve been dragging (again) and don’t have the strength. I’m feeling really good today, though, so watch out Wake Forest — the crazy jogger is returning. Folks, I’m gonna keep on running the race Jesus has set before me. But whatever. You just take one day at a time.

Tomorrow’s a big day — gastrointestinally. I’ve got a lunch engagement PLUS a dinner appointment. Just call me “Mr. Sociable” if you like. Otherwise, my days are filled with classes, back-to-back meetings, student appointments, and chapel. Do you ever struggle mentally just to keep everything straight? It’s great to be on this journey with you. However iffy life becomes, I am beyond thankful for my friends and family who stick with me rain or shine. I’m even thankful for all that’s going in our nation, because I think it has the potential to purify us as a people and help all of us rethink our priorities. Despite all the shards of broken bottles that puncture and divide us, we’re still one nation. I just wish we could all listen to each other better. I mean, I am obviously not a difficult person, but there are some people who are. I’ll pray for you (heehee again). Can we all try and demonstrate the love of God without any strings attached? You soften hearts, you open minds. Or, as I once heard one of my professors at Biola say, in order for people to hear the words you have to play the music. (Or something like that.) I’m not saying that this will resolve the controversies of the day, but I think it will go some ways toward it.

Finally, for no particular reason, I’m gonna post this great old tune by Orleans. Bec and I loved it. Honestly, Becky is “still the one” for me. I know that sounds really lame, but hey — I’m really lame! Anyhoo, see if you don’t tap your feet when you listen to these dudes performing one of their hits from the 70s. Gives an old guy like me hope. The guitar duet in the middle of the song still gives me goose bumps.

11:44 AM When we accuse others of being fakes, it may because we know, deep down inside, that we are too. But projecting our low self-esteem on others is a psychological defense that creates more problems than it solves. The sense of self-empowerment that it offers is usually very short-lived. Say that someone has just attacked one of your business proposals. Instead of offering a rational response you find something to attack them for. You hurt them back. This response to act out of a compulsion to get even is blatantly childish behavior. I’m bringing this up because our topic in our Gospels class on Wednesday will be anger (Matt. 5:22), and anger is often motivated by a desire not to feel guilty but instead to pass our emotional pain on to others. Anger almost always masks emotional suffering. The solution is to see ourselves as God sees us — as lost sinners — and then, trusting Christ, seeing ourselves as not our own but as bought with a price and the personal property of the Lord whom we now willingly love and seek to honor. It is only then that we can be properly related to ourselves and not live an inner war in our souls. We acquire true self-respect. Friction and anger disappear when we are right with ourselves because we are first right with God. This, in fact, is the message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) in a nutshell. Seek first His kingdom, and all the other things we need will be added unto us.

Should be an interesting discussion.

9:25 AM Here’s a helpfulspreadsheet telling you where your senators stand on the immigration ban. Below I cite one Republican’s comments as an illustration of the issues involved.

Our government has a responsibility to defend our borders, but we must do so in a way that makes us safer and upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation. It is clear from the confusion at our airports across the nation that President Trump’s executive order was not properly vetted. We are particularly concerned by reports that this order went into effect with little to no consultation with the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security. Such a hasty process risks harmful results. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation, and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children. Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. At this very moment, American troops are fighting side-by-side with our Iraqi partners to defeat ISIL. But this executive order bans Iraqi pilots from coming to military bases in Arizona to fight our common enemies. Our most important allies in the fight against ISIL are the vast majority of Muslims who reject its apocalyptic ideology of hatred. This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country. That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security.

Agree with Senator Graham? Disagree? Why? Stay informed! In the meantime, who are we serving and caring for today in our communities? God has already brought the nations to us. Let’s “work hard to show the results of our salvation” (Phil. 2:12). According to thePew Research Center:

During the past 15 years, the U.S. has admitted 399,677 Christian refugees and 279,339 Muslim refugees, meaning that 46- of all refugees who have entered the U.S. during this time have been Christian while 32- have been Muslim.

Christian or Muslim, we need to be Jesus to these people. In the 33 years He lived on this earth, Jesus loved the unlovable, healed the sick, and pointed people toward the Father. Then He died for them and said, “It is finished.” Christ had no unfinished business. Do we? Last year North Carolina alone took in approximately 4,000 refugees from places like the DRC, Sudan, Somalia, and Myanmar. World Relief Durham (NC) has ahelpful list of ways we can build relationships with these refugees, including links on dealing with culture shock, language barriers, and friendship activities. Their mission is to help local churches serve the most vulnerable. If you know of other organizations that you feel are assisting refugees in a helpful way, please link to them on your blog or Facebook page. The future of the immigration ban is important, but we don’t have to wait for the stranger to arrive on our shores.

Sunday, January 29 

6:36 PM I had to laugh out loud when I read this today in the book of Ecclesiastes: “The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race” (Eccl. 9:11). Amen to that! Today was a time for this runner to just slow down a bit. My life (like yours) is so hectic that I’ve got a pressure-cooker list of things to do that I never seem to be able to finish. Well, this afternoon I settled in and took time to gather some perspective in my life. I wanted to be still and just meditate on God. When Jesus retreated to a place of quiet, I imagine He did so partly because He needed to release His heavy load of care to the Father. That’s what I did today. Right now I have nothing else to say but a word of thanks to God. No matter what’s happening in my life, He is always there, giving me chance after chance after chance to run my race no matter how slow I am. The game isn’t over for me yet. Or for you. And that’s why I keep on singing.

Looking forward to this week, we’re covering textual criticism in Wednesday’s “Jesus and the Gospels” class, and I’ll be tackling for the umpteenth time with my students thetextual variant in Matt. 5:22, where Jesus either condemns all anger or only anger “without a cause” (eike). Maybe you’ve struggled with anger in your life. It’s a habit that nags at your heart. I am awestruck that Jesus would so honest about anger. And James too (James 1:19-). There’s something so very touching — and, well, human — about reading the Gospels. You get the idea that human emotions really meant something to Jesus.

In our LXX seminar this week, my colleague Chip Hardy will be leading the class in a discussion of biblical Hebrew, so for once I get to keep my mouth shut. In the meantime, I’ve been rereading two great books on the Septuagint, shown below.

The one on the right is, in fact, one of the required textbooks for our class. Exasperating as it is at times, language study can be oh, so rewarding. It helps us to ask really tough questions of Scripture. Pause a few minutes right now. Think back to that special day when you fell in love with the Bible (in whatever language) for the first time. Still have your ear cocked to hear His voice? Yep. So do I. That’s the way it is with being a Christian. If we love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind, there’s really no room to ignore what He’s trying to say to us. If He is truly Lord, then His throne can’t be shared — not with any cause, and not with any philosophy or political party or human author. When it comes right down to it, we’re all pretty biblically illiterate. There’s always so much more to know, let alone obey. Perhaps that’s mostly due to the fact that we just love ourselves too much. The solution isn’t necessarily to love ourselves any less. It’s to love God more. That’s why I teach Greek, I reckon. Can’t love someone you don’t know.

Finally, like you, I’ve been watching the news. Honestly, I’m tired of the daily battles going on in our world. Of course, like you, I have opinions as to what course of action our nation should take as far as the pressing issues of the day are concerned. And like you, I still have lots of personal goals and ambitions and dreams. That said, I’m tired of Satan’s messing with our planet. It feels like falling, trying to make sense of everything. Jesus urged us to live in anticipation of His second coming. So often I fail to do this. Since Becky’s passing, however, I’ve had an intense desire to meet Christ face to face. It could happen tomorrow. Not that the date is important. What’s important is that I should be ready. I believe we’d all be better off if we thought that way. Maranatha. Come soon, Lord Jesus. That said, this weekend the world, with its billions of people and problems, suddenly came into focus. Immigration is no longer too far away to think about. I don’t have a solution to the problem. In fact, I wonder if there is a “Christian” solution to any of the world’s problems other than the Gospel. But I do know this: Maybe if we’d all practice love of the stranger more at home, our world would improve. If our homes improved, so would our neighborhoods. If our neighborhoods improved, so would our cities. If our cities improved, so would our states. And if our states improved, so would our country, and better countries make for a better world. I love our nation. We all generally get along, except when we don’t. It’s just like a family. We’ll always have our share of differences. Sometimes big differences. As for God’s people, I think He has provided a peek into what He expects of us. “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them. But we and our children are accountable forever for all that He has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions” (Deut. 29:29). Jesus, I believe, understood more than anyone the tendency of the human heart to marginalize people who are “different” from us. He also could have given us a point-by-point explanation of what governments should do in such circumstances. But He didn’t. The answers are met by silence in the Bible. His follower Paul did, however, tell us what we can do, and that is to intercede for all those in authority. At times, perhaps, it will also be necessary to take a position like Peter and John did in Acts 5 by standing up for our biblical convictions (as we each understand them), even to the point of asserting that “We must obey God rather than man.” God won’t make your decisions for you. They are yours alone to make, and you alone must live with their consequences. But once you make the decision, God will be at your side every step of the way. Let’s just be sure our only motive is love for God and love for others. May God grant all of us the grace, wisdom, and mercy we need to follow Christ in today’s confusing world. 

P. S. For what it’s worth, I thinkthis declaration strikes a healthy balance between national security needs, the needs of refugees, and the responsibility of the body of Christ to be His loving hands and feet in the world. It reads, in part:

RESOLVED, That we call on the governing authorities to implement the strictest security measures possible in the refugee screening and selection process, guarding against anyone intent on doing harm; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we affirm that refugees are people loved by God, made in His image, and that Christian love should be extended to them as special objects of God’s mercy in a world that has displaced them from their homelands.

Okay. My brain is fried. Time to read my novel!

9:15 AM Sean Spicer’s failure to provide any evidence for voter fraud, emphasizing instead that the “belief” it happened was enough to make it so, made me think of the Jesus Seminar of the 1980s. It used colored beads to determine the historicity of Jesus’ sayings. It believed that the Gospel of Thomas may have had more authentic sayings of Jesus than the canonical Gospels. In John’s Gospel, for example, almost all of the sayings attributed to Jesus were judged inauthentic. The result was a portrayal of Jesus as a Jewish rabbi who never died for our sins but instead taught a social gospel of compassion and humility.

The Gospels, as I said in class last Wednesday, remain a battleground in New Testament studies. That’s why it’s important for us to study, among other topics, the synoptic problem. I wrote my bookWhy Four Gospels? not so much to affirm the priority of Matthew as to defend the historicity, apostolicity, and trustworthiness of these accounts of the life of Jesus. I also emphasized in class last week the need to reject any notion that the “Jesus of history” was transformed into the “Christ of Christianity” by the apostles John and Paul, as is sometimes asserted. We are told that “the word was God” (John 1:1) was John’s personal “belief” and nothing more. Indeed, even if he believed that Jesus was God in the flesh, that doesn’t mean that we have to believe that today. Christianity (it is asserted) is a matter of faith, not history.

With all this I disagree, obviously. The resurrection of Jesus is one of the best-attested facts of history. Just askSimon Greenleaf, the Harvard skeptic who came to faith in Christ while trying to debunk Christianity. I’ve heard some students say, “I believe that Jesus is God, and that’s good enough for me.” That makes a good point, but there is also a subtle danger hidden within it. We need to know something of our intellectual adversaries because the Holy Spirit has given us plenty of information on the subject. Satan is never happier than when God’s people resort to simple fideism. “I believe it, so it’s true.” Yes, I believe it too, but there are reasons why it’s true. We’ve got to get over the idea that a leap of faith is required to become a Christian. Christianity is a historical faith — as Francis Schaeffer insisted in his many apologetic works on the subject. Men and women have come out of schools with honors and straight A’s and yet miss this point. Have you ever thought through your faith? Or will you succumb to a Jesus Seminar approach to reality: What we like is genuine; what we don’t like is false.

Just because someone tells me I have the biggest biceps and the straightest teeth doesn’t mean it’s true. To see reality, all I have to do is look into a mirror. It’s time to beware of people (politicians, theologians, or otherwise) who don’t believe in objective reality.

8:54 AM Just back from feeding the animals. Loved this reflection.

Earlier I hit the local lakeside restaurant for a working breakfast.

Was able to finish refereeing an article for a journal.

Love my work.

7:14 AM Ronald Reagan:Liberty is of foreign birth. Inspiring. My maternal grandparents who came through Ellis Island from Romania would have agreed!

Saturday, January 28 

4:08 PM Hey folks. I’m still alive here, the last time I checked, that is. First order of business: Give you a brief overview of today’s 5 miler at Harris Lake. When I arrived at the venue it was 32 degrees and coooold. Thankfully I remembered to wear my red hoodie that I use on my higher climbs as well as my ski cap. Gloves were definitely not optional on a day like today.

I got to the site an hour early so I had plenty of time to mill around and chat with some of my fellow runners. Most had run this course before, some several times. I was pretty jazzed to be doing a trail run since I had heard that they were so much fun.

Let’s do a run-down of the race itself. The course used the park’s “Peninsula Trail” that skirted the lake.

As you can see, it was very circuitous.

I have hiked a thousand trails just like this one but running it was a bit frightening. You went up and down and left and right and over muddy creek beds, all the while watching out for low-hanging tree branches. About a mile into the race everyone had pretty much gotten into their racing groove and there was very little passing, which would have been difficult because for the last 4 miles of the race the trail was reduced to a single track. I found myself running behind a guy who was going about my pace so I trailed him for about 10 minutes. When he asked me if wanted to pass I told him I liked his pace and asked him if I could just sorta tag along to the finish line. His name was Chuck and he’d competed in this race 3 times already, so he definitely knew where to go. We chatted as we ran — talking is always a good sign that you’re still aerobic! — and I came to find that he had completed his first marathon last year. He’s 46 and I’m 64 (I had to chuckle at the numerical inversion) and we’re both avid runners. So finish we did!

I just checked the race results and I see that it took me exactly 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 56 seconds to run 5 miles on a really difficult course. Mine was about a 12.5 minute-mile pace. I tried not to take off too fast. The good thing is that I had remembered to warm up for 20 minutes straight before the gun sounded, so I was raring to go and didn’t need to slow down or walk at any point along the course. I came in 4th in my age group — dead last, as a matter of fact. A 60-year old beat me by a whopping 13 minutes. No fair! When I got home I took a hot shower and pooped out for an hour. As I said, I’m a bit tired, but I had a really great time and I’m pleased with my results. A thousand thanks to Chuck for allowing me to dog his heels. The Lord knew I needed a pace-setter and Chuck was the perfect racer to perform that function.

And that’s it. Another race in the history books. My next race is February 12 (5K) and my next half marathon (13.1 miles) is March 19. I’m feeling great. A few minor aches and pains, but nothing serious. No feet pain — which is always a huge relief. I’m very serious about running but I’m definitely not someone who can tell you what it’s like to win a race. But what I can tell you is that I love the spirit of running. I love getting sweaty and conquering my weaknesses and working hard on achieving a goal that seems sooooo unattainable. The point is: Three years ago I wasn’t running or doing any training at all. Now I can actually run 5 miles without dropping dead at the finish line. This is absolutely amazing and I owe it all to my Trainer and His awesome ability to take jars of clay and empower them to do “more than they could ever ask or imagine.”

I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. I’m thinking of chowing down some prime rib for dinner tonight. I think my body deserves it!

Friday, January 27 

6:10 PM Did you know that George Orwell’s 1984 is now #1 at Amazon? It’s been a while since I’ve read it but that is about to change. Sadly, a citizenry motivated by fear is easier to govern.

5:12 PM Here’s the race roster for tomorrow’s 5 mile trail run (just the over 60 crowd) at Harris Lake. I know who you’ll be rooting for. My bib number is 158.

I still can’t believe I’m running a race in January. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m dreading running in 35-degree weather. But the sun will be shining and the trail will be gorgeous. You work different muscles on dirt/gravel tracks than when you’re running on asphalt. You also run on average 3 miles per hour slower than normal mainly because you are always concentrating on where you’re going. It will be a nice break for body and mind.

4:45 PM This and that ….

1) Dined here today.

It’s on 501 in Roxboro. The food is real Mexican. No fajitas served (which are a U.S. creation).

2) There I met my daughter Kim and her family for lunch.

3) Gabriel is now 8 months old.

I have the cutest grandkids, n’est-ce pas?

4) One of my grandsons built this today. (Thanks, Nate, for sending it along.)

How awesome is that. Looks like a Massie-Ferguson if you ask me.

5) I heard our baby donkey bray for the first time today.

Looks like he’s becoming an extrovert like his mommy and daddy. Go Ishi!

6) Did you know that theTheological German website is back? Just wait for someone to ask you to pronounce:

Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft.

7) Thomas Hudgins announces a newbook series in Spanish. I predict it will overtake Harry Potter in no time.

8) Eager to hear the North Carolina Symphony tomorrow night at the Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh. The program celebrates Mozart’s 260th birthday. It features his Symphony No. 39 in E Flat Major. Mozart was all of 32 when he composed it.

Who are your favorite classical composers? Mine are (in order of importance) Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin, and Schubert.

9:05 AM Good Morning, America. From one day to the next the news just keeps getting stranger. Bouncing around the internet I found a story I somehow missed last weekend. In case you didn’t know it, a week ago today you awoke on National Day of Patriotic Devotion. No one can blame you for not knowing about it since it happened before it was even declared. If you guessed that the Day was inauguration day, you guessed right. The declaration celebrates our nation’s unity and patriotism. On another sunrise, in fact only one day later, America’s streets were filled with people protesting the events of the day before. Unity? Hmm. Perhaps we’ve never been more divided as a nation. Patriotism? Yes indeed, if you define patriotism as I do: Allegiance to the law of the land (the Constitution) and not necessarily to any man or political party. The problem I have with the declaration is the word “devotion.” I don’t know, but that sounds a little irreverent to me. With apologies to Upton Sinclair, if and when fascism ever comes to America it will be cloaked in a Bible and and wrapped in patriotic “devotion.” I recall Obama being excoriated at one time for his use of executive orders, bypassing the Congress and the democratic system. It was either his way or no way. Now congressional Republicans are giving the president everything he wants even as his staff provides “alternative facts” to the press. That’s kinda weird. I think the point for us followers of King Jesus is this: Our Lord came to set the world on fire, not only by His example and teachings but through His death and resurrection. His “Way” (thus Christianity was first called in Acts) brought about a new order, a new life, a new way of thinking about the world system, a new conduit for the Spirit whose fire and flame would burn throughout the world. Anyone who wants to bypass Calvary and set the world on fire merely by the “influence” of Jesus is far from His program. There is a better path. Missionary Jim Elliot was martyred in the jungles of Ecuador because he “didn’t count his life dear to himself” (Acts 20:24). His killers saw only a mangled body, but his wife saw a soul that had gone home through gates of splendor. Life is dear in God’s sight. All life. The lives of unborn children. The lives of women. The lives of immigrants. The lives of religious and ethnic minorities. The lives of the disabled among us. Your own life is precious to Him. Life is His gift to you and to me. But we must give an account to Him for the way we live that life. We can spend it selfishly through acts of self-aggrandizement, or we can “lose what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose.” Our Lord Himself taught us that in the last days many will cry “Peace” when there is no peace, talking security when sudden destruction looms. Yet all the while there is One who knows what the future holds. We are His, bought and paid for by His blood. “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.” He reigns here and now not because He is an earthly sovereign but because He is the eternal Son of God and the resurrected, ruling, and returning Lord of Glory. Thus my times are not really mine but His. I am merely the steward of my days on earth, and I had better number them so that I can apply my heart to wisdom. I want to use my time to witness to the Timeless One by doing what He has told His followers to do: go everywhere and tell everyone that He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and then backing up that message with Calvary-style deeds of love —  caring for orphans and widows in their need, giving water to the thirsty and food to the hungry, nursing the sick back to health, clothing the naked, befriending the strangers in our midst, and visiting the imprisoned. To the extent that we do these things probably says more about us and our understanding of Christianity than anything else.

P.S. Speaking of patriotism, you have simply got to watch the ending of this YouTube called Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing. Start at 1:35:46. It tells the story of one survivor who returns to run the marathon on one leg and a prosthesis. Believe me, you will sit there in open-mouthed astonishment. Kleenex required.

 

P.P.S. This morning I’m feeling great. I feel like crying when I think that God just stepped into my little universe and brought healing to my tired and aching body. I want to tell the world, and I want to thank everyone who prayed for me.

Thursday, January 26 

6:02 PM I have one peak in the Rockies left on my bucket list and it just happens to be the tallest of the 14ers in Colorado, namely Mount Elbert. Isn’t it a beaut?

It stands 14,440 feet above sea level. The route is 11.2 miles round trip, which makes for a very long day. I know, because this is the time it took me to climb Huron Peak last year. I know exactly what to anticipate: thin air, endless walking, and tons of rocks and boulders. An early start is essential if you want to avoid the electrical storms that seem to pop up every afternoon. But the experience is worth it. The pics from the summit of a 14er are priceless. Next year I want to try for Rainier or Grand Teton. Maybe. I dunno. I never have trouble with high altitude but climbs always leave me panting. I plan to do Elbert in late September so as to enjoy better weather conditions (fewer storms) before the winter snow begins falling. We’ll see. It’s all in the Lord’s hands. But I would love to try.

5:32 PM I’ve signed up for the Run for the Roses 5K in Raleigh on February 12. (All lady finishers receive a rose. Aww.) The goal is to raise money for Canines for Service, which trains service dogs for people with limited mobility. The field of participants looks huge. The course is a challenging one that I’ve run maybe 5 times already. Very hilly. The race is held on the property of a former psychiatric clinic. (No jokes, please.) The race will be a lot of fun. The one thing I really miss, though, is climbing. I need to get in a climb in the near future or I will go bonkers. Of course, there are limits to what I can do. I’ve got to be picky and choosy with my time and energy. Speaking of being choosy, this week I need to replace my iPhone 5. It’s been acting up and besides, I’ve had it for over two years. I spoke with the folks at Verizon in Wake Forest and I hope to get an update next week when I’m back on campus. The new iPhone 7 is considerably bigger than my 5s, but I’m told I can still manage it with one hand, plus a Mophie battery recharger is available for it. Now I’m asking myself if I should also buy a Garmin watch to help me clock my races, since even with the Mophie I don’t think my phone can last a full 26.2 miles. I also need to consider getting some accessories such as a fuel belt and compression stockings. Oh, and a good anti-chafe product. Any insights or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

4:12 PM Yesterday I heard someone say, I think it was me, that Christian baptism is one of the 7 marks of a New Testament church. The topic came up in our Gospels class because we had been looking at the participles “baptizing” and “teaching” in Matt. 28:19. Clearly Jesus intended for water to come before wisdom. In the New Testament book of Acts, if you got saved, you got wet, in that order and often without much of a pause between the two events. Of course, my human logic tells me that Jesus has things backwards here. Shouldn’t we instruct new coverts in the faith and test the genuineness of their conversion before we allow them to be baptized? Makes good sense to me. And indeed, in places like East Africa, baptism is postponed for months, sometimes even up to a year, before converts are allowed to enter the waters of baptism. The only problem with this is that Jesus’ order is baptism then teaching, and we have no right to amend the Master’s priorities. We can’t simple ignore what our Lord taught and indeed what the early church practiced.

The reason I called my chapter on baptism “Christian Baptism” in my book Seven Marks of a New Testament Church is because the earliest believers were mostly Jews who were well acquainted with daily ablutions and ceremonial washings. But Christian baptism is unique in that (1) it is no longer self-administered and (2) it is unrepeatable. Converts don’t baptize themselves and, when they are baptized, they don’t ever have to repeat the act. I also suggest in my book that baptism in the book of Acts was a public act whenever possible. Here I am at the ripe old age of 8 being baptized at Kailua Beach the same week I was saved. (Hush up, now, about those silly white robes. It was a 60s thing.)

This was the same beach I surfed at and swam in almost every day — a very public setting indeed. I recall once reading about a church in Africa that baptizes new converts in the ocean. The candidate is literally thrown into a wave “in the name of the Father,” at which point he or she is washed back to shore. (Can’t you just picture that?) But it gets even better. The church leaders quickly pick up the now drenched convert and throw him or her into another wave “in the name of the Son.” This is repeated a third time, “in the name of the Spirit.” (Interestingly, as a lifelong surfer I’ve noticed that waves often come in sets of three.) The point apparently is not simply to emphasize the name of the Triune God. In baptizing people this way, converts are given a tactile baptismal experience that initiates them into the struggle of the Christian faith. “Hey, follow Jesus if you want to, but man, it’s going to cost you!” I’m reminded of Paul’s famous “encouraging message” to the believers in Asia Minor. After urging them to stick with their new-found faith and not give up, he said, “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through hard times” (Acts 14:22). A thousand apologies for doing it, but here I can’t resist the temptation to draw yet another analogy to running in a race. In many ways, that first race was your easiest. After all, that’s where you got your very first PR (Personal Record). Now that you are a “runner,” however, the real struggle begins. Some days you just can’t get out of bed to do it. You struggle with willpower, with sore feet, with aching quads, with lack of motivation. I’m not proud to admit it, but I have these struggles almost every day. As Unknown once said, “My sweat pants smell like give up.” Life can be hard. Shoot, it IS hard. On race day my legs often feel like they weigh 200 pounds each. You have to learn to push the doubts aside and just keep on going. And I will. Because I’m hooked. Even with all my self-doubts and infirmities, I am a dedicated runner. My race times might not make salacious headlines, but for me they are symbols of victory. I’m overwhelmed by the joy of it all, despite all the “hard times.” Forgive me if I ever flaunt an attitude of self-sufficiently here on my blog. Who am I fooling? Racing, like life, is just plain tough work. But the task is made easier when I consider that everything I have is a gift from God, freely bestowed, so I should freely give it back in return (Matt. 10:8). I never want to back off from doing something because it looks too hard or because I don’t want to “fail.” That is to say, Jesus helps us in our Christian walk, and He there’s always there to pick us up should we fall.

Baptism means death. It means, “Hello! Ready for a fight? Ready to face temptations that blitz you daily? Ready to be a Christian in a non-Christian world? Ready to love your neighbor as you love yourself? Ready to exercise love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — the marks of a true Christian?” No one is ever ready to do that. But you gotta start somewhere. You get saved, you get wet. Baptism is your public pledge of total and complete allegiance to your Lord and Master and Savior and Redeemer and Best Friend. And as a Spirit-filled Christian, you should be able to keep on running your race to the glory of God.

1:24 PM Today I’m taking the day off from running. Just feeling a bit ragged. If I can get some good rest today and tomorrow I’m still hopeful I can wake up at a ridiculously early hour on Saturday morning for my race in Raleigh. I’ve never done a 5-miler before and my goals are very simple: 1) finish, and 2) finish before my Map My Run app runs out of batteries. 5 miles is still a loooong way to run in a competition. Admittedly a big hairy audacious goal. So I’m off from the track today and off from the Y tomorrow. I hate these sorts of decisions. You keep mulling over pros and cons but eventually you have to make a decision. Okay, enough whining already. But if you could say a prayer for me — that I’d get over whatever I seem to be coming down with — it would be greatly appreciated.

12:22 PM Hey folks. As I was driving back from South Hill today I happened upon Elizabeth Elliott on the radio talking about some of her favorite hymns. I had to smile at that word — “hymn.” My students, I dare say, might not even know what the word refers to. Many of them are growing up completely bereft of the music Elizabeth Elliott is referring to. Cut to my college years. I attended Biola, and while there I was a member of the College Church of La Mirada. It was a beautiful experience, and I learned much from Pastor and Mrs. Hakes about living the Christian life, about how to love genuinely, compassionately, and without patronization or pity. Like most of my generation that was raised in the church, my lifestyle was shaped not only by the frequent reading of the word of God but also by what used to be called “the great hymns of the faith.” I began to look for kingdom opportunities, and I found plenty of them at the College Church. One of them was leading the hymn singing during our Sunday evening services, and so I got to know the “great hymns” quite intimately, including the two hymns Elizabeth talked about today: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God and Loved with Everlasting Love. Today the church gets so caught up in national politics. But that’s not what Jesus taught. Jesus never gave us the keys to the political system. He handed over the keys to His kingdom. How thankful I am for a man named Martin Luther, who penned the words of A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Read them and see if they do not bring a renewed sense of divine peace in your life:

A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;
Our shelter He, amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great, And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth is His name, From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And tho’ this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim — We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow’rs — No thanks to them — abideth:
The Spirit and the gifts are ours Thro’ Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Friends, if we are going to expect our voices to be heard in a post-Christian culture, we had better learn how to live the Gospel as a people who no longer occupy the center of society. His kingdom is forever — regardless of the current political situation. We can’t be kingdom people while injuring and offending the marginalized with our words. As I told my “Jesus and the Gospels” students yesterday, I am being lured back to the simple ways of Jesus. He is the Senior Pastor everyone is looking for. I’m on a journey like never before. God’s word is “above all earthly powers.” Period. Our God is a mighty fortress. He’s the real deal. That’s why it’s so dangerous to study the Gospels. We are forced to wrestle with our addiction to celebrity and church size. We begin to painfully overhaul our priority system. It’s embarrassing to admit that I have to do this as much as anyone else. I want to say out loud that no one is more aware of his pride than I am. I guess that’s why I enjoy teaching the Gospels so much. The reality of the Jesus-way-of-life begins to sink in. “His kingdom is forever,” and that’s the only kingdom that matters. This is not a perspective I would have identified with in my earlier years when I was establishing my reputation as a “Greek scholar.” It’s a different kind of reality — far removed from degrees and publications and head knowledge. The kingdom-Jesus punches you right in the guts. If somehow we could find our way back to the life of the kingdom and Jesus’ community. This is by no means an anti-church perspective. It’s as pro-church as you can get. A frustrating trait of God is His divine impartiality. He does not “receive faces” (to be overly literal with the Greek). He opens our eyes to the human suffering all around us. The least among us is now the greatest (Luke 9:48). We begin reading books like Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life or Rohr’sSimplicity or Nouwen’s My Sister, My Brother. So let me make this as clear as I can as I begin a new semester with you, my dear students. I don’t want to be known as a Greek scholar. I don’t want to be admired for the books I’ve written. I don’t want to be recognized for the mission trips I’ve made. I don’t want to be applauded for my degrees. My version of great would look something like this: “Wow. Dave Black is really trying to follow Jesus.” Jesus is our gold standard. And it’s most clearly in the Gospels that we see His life, plain and simple. As we gaze into His image, guess what? We begin to be transformed from glory unto glory into that same image. All we have to do is obey the word we’ve heard in our heart. All we have to do is make Him our Lead Pastor. We almost have to become marginalized to become His true followers. “Let goods and kindred go,” said Luther. “This mortal life also.” You are so right, Martin. I believe that perhaps the single reason you were not reduced to a pile of Carbon 14 (like so many of your predecessors who were burned at the stake) is to remind us that “God’s truth abideth still” for all who will take the time and make the effort to accept it. Of course, as a professor, all I can do is make a small ripple in the ocean of church reform. But together. Ahh, together we can make a difference. We can change the world.

Viva the revolution!

Dave

Wednesday, January 25 

6:38 PM Having been teaching for 40 years you’d think I’d be burned out by now. You’d be wrong. Yesterday and today it felt as exciting to enter the classroom as it did when I first taught Greek way back in 1976 at Biola. Someone has said that great teachers are passionate about learning and sharing their knowledge and passion with others. I had some great teachers when I was in college and seminary. What set them apart was their ability to find new and creative ways to make their point. They also loved their students and it showed. Someday I want to become that kind of a teacher. My students are the greatest and they deserve good teaching. They work so hard it is amazing. Here’s my first year Greek class working in small groups on their translation exercises.

And here’s my LXX class working on English to Greek composition this morning.

Finally, here’s my NT 1 class as today as they took their first “fun” quiz.

Nothing better than to see people eager to learn something new. I want this year to be my best year of teaching ever. I want to leave behind methods and attitudes that are less than helpful or edifying. I want to get back in touch with the desires of my heart and not only my mind. If I can turn my attention to these things, I think it can be a year of great growth both for me and for my students. In the meantime, it’s an absolute pleasure for me to share with you snippets of my classroom life. May the message of Christ dwell among all of us richly as we admonish and teach one another with all wisdom (Col. 3:16).

Next order of business: Finish my weekly training. I got a 5K run in last night after teaching Greek 2, and tomorrow I’d like to get in another long run before getting back to the Y on Friday for some much-needed weight training. Saturday, of course, is the big race. I’ve given up on any goal for what will be my first ever trail run. I do know that I need to get a whole lot stronger in my legs before I attempt 26.2 miles. The main thing is to maintain a steady diet of training. Which reminds me of the joke David Letterman once told. “I pulled a hamstring during the New York City marathon,” he said. “An hour into the race, I jumped off the couch.” It’s ridiculous sometimes when I think of all the lame excuses I give myself not to run. AARGH. Stephen Covey once said that “the undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites, and passions.” I need to remember that. I’m pretty pumped to see where the journey this year is going to take me. 

Oh, had this for dinner last night. Too hungry to cook anything.

And this came in today’s mail.

Watching Patriot’s Day inspired me to get it. As you know, I’m a sucker for books about heroism.

Well, that’s all I got for now. Until tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 24 

9:10 AM I am a runner. It doesn’t matter how untalented I am. I am a runner. It doesn’t matter how un-divine my running skills are. I am a runner. It doesn’t matter that I’m old and gray. I am a runner. The fact is, many people today are experiencing the joy of running miles they once thought they could never run. I’m one of them. I wasn’t always. Running was always for other people. Now, for me, nothing matches the feeling of standing at the starting line with a few hundred or even a few thousand other runners with nothing better to do that day except to make our way to the finish line. The best thing of all is knowing that I’m running with people who share my goals and values and who are all going in the same direction. You don’t have to be a professional to run. You don’t have to be a 10-minute miler. Old or young, fast or slow, professional or amateur, heavy or slim, “abled” or disabled, you, like me, can bask in the glory of race day success.

What about you?

8:56 AM Like many of you perhaps, I’ve been trying to figure out what God is up to these days in our nation. His plan is inscrutable. He raises up. He puts down. He starts. He stops. He says yes and He says no to our desires. He gives and He takes away. He delights and He disappoints. “The meanest soul in heaven knows more of God than the greatest saint on earth,” wrote Spurgeon. It’s all beyond me. I’m having to practice saying, “I will trust,” “I release it all,” “It’s for the better.” I’m trying to let the “all things” of Rom. 8:28 mean “all things.” If it’s for our good, and the glory of God, we don’t have to explain it. As John Piper reminded us this weekend in his essayHow to Live Under an Unqualified President:

Do not think of the molehill of moral and social disadvantages of a Trump presidency. Think of the Himalayan mountain of blessings we have in Christ. Let this put fire in our bones for what matters most: the salvation of the world.

“When I played tennis, I never prayed for victory in a match,” wrote tennis superstar Arthur Ashe. “God’s will alone matters, not my personal wants or needs.” Thus, despite a feeling of 1984, every American has his or her everyday work in which they can feel they have a niche and even at times indispensability. Life, for most of us, provides the same frenetic outlets, fatuous and vulnerable, for human energy. Something primeval in us watches in horror and fascination as the restless force of human ingenuity, responsible alike for comedy and tragedy, beauty and ugliness, finds its own level in society. It’s easy to feel disillusioned and discouraged if you feel the “wrong side” won. That said, the longer I live and the closer I walk with the Lord, the more I trust Him. Republican? Democrat? Either is God’s prerogative. Back away, Dave. Accept it. No. Go further. Rejoice in what God is doing, in what truly makes America great regardless of who is in the White House. America has always stood for the right to be wrong and stupid, and the right to be less wrong and less stupid if you want to; the right to complain whenever you feel like it; the right to vote and the right not to vote; the right to attend a presidential inauguration and the right to boycott it; theright to say that because of this election “the best days of the United States are ahead of us” and theright to say that our current president “is the least qualified person ever elected to the highest office in our land and to the concomitant position of being the most powerful man in the world.”

America never was and never will be the cloud-nine utopia our politicians promise us. It can, however, be a better place in which to live. But only if each of us does our part. “When the oak tree is felled,” wrote Thomas Carlyle, “the whole forest echoes it; but a hundred acorns are planted by some unnoticed breeze.” If we are ultimately linked with the God of the universe, we won’t need to worry about what the king — or the crowd — is doing. The same God who created the heavens and the earth is enacting a plan I’ll never be able to explain but one in which I can still participate. The only real security we have is in Jesus Christ and in living His way by imitating God as He is revealed in Jesus (Eph. 5:2).

I guess I’m with Augustine on this one: “Entrust the past to God’s mercy, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.”

Monday, January 23 

7:28 PM Guess what? I’ve signed up for my first-ever trail run for this Saturday at Harris Lake Park just south of Raleigh. It’s a 5-mile race that starts at 9:00 am, which hopefully will give me enough time to drive there. Maybe it’s because I live on a farm, but I think I’ll feel right at home running in the woods. I just hope the course isn’t too taxing. I like hiking through root systems and along slippery slopes, but running? Sounds like a big-time ouch if you lose your footing. You can also race for 10 miles if you like, but I’m going to be content with the shorter distance. When I was in Birmingham this weekend I ran twice in the neighborhood where Jon and Matthea live. On Saturday I did a 5K, and on Sunday a 10K. Their neighborhood boasts a killer hill, let me tell you. “I’m a gazelle!” was definitely not going through my mind as I ran. Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but I really did suffer running up that crazy hill all those times.

Here’s the racewebsite for this weekend in case you’re interested. My long run this week is going to be 7 miles, which I plan to do either in Raleigh, Farmville, or locally.

5:40 PM Hey folks. It’s a little after 5:30 and I just got back from my daughter’s house in the great state of Alabama. Here’s my latest grandbaby, the one and only Miss Karis Lynn Glass. Woohoo!!!

I had a blast with the Glasses even though our 5K on Saturday was rained out.

I return with my emotional batteries completely charged and raring to get back to school for WEEK ONE. I count myself blessed among men to have Jon and Matthea as part of my family. You have no idea idea what family means to me in the absence of my Becky. My heart is full of hope and light. Had a lot to write about the inauguration but I’m too tired to type out my thoughts and besides I’ve got to prepare my meals for the week. Hopefully, back tomorrow.

Friday, January 20 

7:40 AM Last night on Amazon Prime I watched a movie about extreme sports called The World’s Highest Race. It takes place in Northern India. The idea is to run 222 km in under 60 hours at an average altitude of 14,000 feet. Everyone participating in the race — runners, coaches, crew members, cameramen — are required to acclimatize for 10 days prior to the race. Three people died of altitude sickness the day they arrived on site. It’s incredible what the human body can do when pushed to its limits. When I was training for the Alps last year I was told by my guide that I needed to be in the best shape of my life if I was to summit a 4,000 meter peak. There’s no doubt you have to push yourself to climb at high altitude. I averaged 100 hours of training each month before I left for Switzerland. The biggest issue you have to deal with is the altitude. Somehow, at high altitude, your heart and lungs need to get oxygen to your muscles. Mental toughness is also important. As with long distance running, mountain climbing involves reaching your goal (the summit) but only through hours of boredom and repetition. Step after step. Breath after breath. Occasionally you pause for a rest, as I did on my two 14,000 foot climbs in the Rockies. In the Alps, not only do you have the altitude to deal with but ice and snow. I was incredibly pleased and surprised at my performance at altitude. Obviously my training made a big difference. I was able to summit every mountain I attempted to climb save one. Thanks to the advice of my mountain guide, I learned that I needed to conserve my energy by taking frequent, small steps. This was critical in every climb I attempted. This was really hard for someone like me who likes to go all out all the time. I always push myself. Obviously, however, you can’t push yourself too hard. Right now, in preparing for my marathon, I’m trying to slow my pace down and focus on a manageable stride so that I don’t wear myself out before the finish line. At least I won’t have altitude to worry about in Cincinnati. Although I won’t be competing against other runners I will be competing against the clock — a 7 hour time limit — which is actually quite generous. There’s no doubt in my mind that any reasonably healthy person should be able to finish a marathon if he or she trains for it. At least that’s my hope. Anyway, check out this movie if you have the chance. It will positively inspire you to climb that peak near your home. But please — never underestimate any mountain for the dangers involved.

Speaking of challenges, I’m super eager for our LXX class to get started next Wednesday. Chip Hardy and I are team teaching it. I get to talk about Greek next week while Chip talks about Hebrew the following week. Then we’ll begin to wade through the book of Amos in both Hebrew and Greek. Chip and I rarely see eye to eye, and that’s a good thing. Students will get to hear both of our perspectives. They’ll see where we agree and where we disagree. (Think of us as the Click and Clack of the teaching world.) I think this in and of itself is a very useful pedagogical tool. Rarely if ever is there only one perspective on an issue. And in some cases. there are no clear answers. Students won’t find any trite formulas in our class. We will, however, offer them time-tested tools and lots of hints that hopefully will help them find their own way in the text. One thing we will definitely not neglect is the reading of actual texts.

On the first day of class we’ll go through several handouts I’ve prepared that involve reading and composition in Greek.

I have yet to find a Greek student who couldn’t complete these exercises if they really trained hard beforehand.

Success depends a lot more on tenacity than on talent. But what good is it to read Jobes and Silva and not be able to actually read texts? Do you read Greek? Have you read your LXX lately? Why not get back into it?

Thursday, January 19 

5:58 PM I just registered for another 5K race, this time in Carrolton, TX, on April 1. It’s a fundraiser, of all things, for the Creekview High School band to ensure that “no student is turned away from being a part of this award winning band.” Bands are super big deals in Texas. And I’ve always been a super big fan of high school bands. In Hawaii I played trumpet from the 5th grade through high school. Lord willing, while I’m there I’ll visit with mom and dad in Murphy and attend the ETS southwest regional meeting in Fort Worth.

In the meantime, here’s to marathon day getting here on May 7. It can’t get here quickly enough as far as I’m concerned. Only 108 days to go!

4:20 PM Yesterday I wanted sooooo bad to get in at least 8 miles, but before I knew it dusk had set in and I refuse to risk my life by running in the dark. So I settled for a 7-mile run which took me 1 hour and 23 minutes to complete at an 11:54 average pace.

Later today I plan to get my motion “fix” (without the orthopedic stress) on my bike. So yay, it was another great week of training, thanks be to God. I also got a new pair of running shoes in the mail today. My other shoes had already exceeded their 300 mile limit.

It’s an indescribable feeling to be comfortable when running. And to be eating “clean.”

I actually don’t remember not being a runner. It’s amazing how much a financial commitment can keep you going. Speaking of thePiggin’ Out for a Cancer Cure, I got this note yesterday, along with 26 dollars in cash:

I was more than speechless. What can you say in the face of such undeserved kindness? I spent hours at Becky’s bedside, my hands touching her hands, like so many husbands, thinking that somehow my holding her hand would make everything better. I prayed for a miracle, for a sudden rush of the healing Spirit to flow through her broken body. Did God hear me? I know He heard me. His heart was breaking along with mine and so many others’. Yesterday I cried and laughed and prayed and thanked the Lord for His goodness to me and for the goodness of people who take pity on lost wretches like me and say to themselves, “If Dave can run 26 miles, maybe I can give 26 dollars to hopefully spare some woman’s husband and family what Dave went through.” Sorry to bother you with all this talk of Becky and funds and cancer and prayer and fitness. Especially fitness. But I think you’d love it if you gave exercise a try. The hardest part early on is just getting used to doing some activity every day and building up that thing called momentum. Walk for 10 minutes. Run a mile. Bike around the block. It all counts. Find an activity you enjoy and stick with it. It took me two years to get into running shape and now I can’t live without it. Set a goal for yourself. A 5K race is a good place to start. Don’t let everyone else have all the fun. Jump in! The water’s fine!

Anyhoo, I’m gearing up for a fantastic trip to Alabama this weekend to visit one of my daughters and her husband and their five beautiful children. I’m feeling super blessed – health, friends, family, work I love doing, hope, Jesus (and that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface). On top of everything else, I had a great lunch yesterday with my assistant and his family.

I even got to dress up in my monkey suit for convocation today.

I feel like a kid at Christmas. It’s like making it to the gas station on “E.” My life is great and I really have no complaints. A big part of it is that you care enough to follow my rantings. Now that is amazing!

Wednesday, January 18

6:40 AM As all runners know, you tend to collect a lot of “stuff” the longer you’re involved in the sport. My stuff is strewn around everywhere in the house. Medallions are here, race t-shirts are there, race hats/jackets/gloves are who knows where.

The story of my life. It’s all adding up at a ferocious rate. So this week I’ve decided to try and organize my life. I love this medal display rack, don’t you?

As for my race bibs, I’m just gonna throw them out. The t-shirts I’ll save, though. Maybe one of my daughters will make a quilt for me out of them. Today is my long run, by the way, so wish me well. The weather is supposed to be fantastic.

Tuesday, January 17

4:48 PM As I noted yesterday, many people liken running a marathon to climbing Mount Everest. I guess it’s like the ultimate feat.

Which got me thinking ….

Summiting Everest requires four basic stages: climbing to Camp 1, then to Camp 2, then to Camp 3, and finally to Camp 4 (the South Col) before beginning your summit push. From the South Col you have a view of the balcony, the South Summit, and the true summit. It’s an incredible journey to the top of the world.

Yesterday I implemented my new running “strategy” (or is it “tragedy”?) for summiting my “Everest” – my marathon in Cincy. When you’re running a marathon, there’s one thing you simply must avoid doing. Everyone agrees about this. You must never think of all 26.2 miles all at once. That’s way too intimidating. It’s a prescription for defeat. Instead, the best way to approach the race is to break it down into more manageable segments. Some runners I’ve read about view every 3-mile segment as a “lap.” I’m going to use 5-mile segments because much of my training is done at that distance. So here’s the plan. See what you think. I’ll divide the 26.2 miles into four separate “camps” before my “summit push.”

Camp 1 = Miles 1-5.

Camp 2 = Miles 6-10.

Camp 3 = Miles 11-15.

Camp 4 = Miles 16-.

If and when I reach the 20-mile mark, I’ll worry about making it to the summit/finish line. Yesterday I practiced this strategy in a very quiet Wake Forest neighborhood.

The subdivision is hilly though there’s nothing too steep. I used Jeff Galloway’s Run-Walk method at a 3:1 ratio. This means that I ran 3 quarters of a mile and then I walked 1 quarter of a mile, and I repeated this until I had gone 5 miles. As you can see, my finishing time wasn’t too bad:

It took me 1:04:52 to run-walk 5.02 miles. Which means that I could conceivably run 20 miles (to our imaginary “Camp 4”) in 4 hours and 20 minutes. The best thing of all was that when I was done I wasn’t feeling achy or tired at all. Taking regular breaks allowed my legs to rest. Folks, I think I’m finally beginning to build up a solid base for run-walking, and my half marathon on March 19 will be a good to test to see how I do on an actual chip-timed course. Crosstraining and rest days will complement my running days. I think I’ll continue to use the 3:1 run-walk ratio, knowing that I can always adjust it the closer I get to marathon race day. Some first-time marathoners run for 1 or 2 miles and then walk for 5 or 6 minutes. To each his own I guess. But I believe Jeff when he says that continuous use of a muscle results in quicker fatigue. The longer the run, the greater the fatigue. I am CONVINCED (with God’s help!) that I can finish a marathon IF I manage my resources in an economical manner. By taking frequent walk breaks, I’ll not only have a better chance of completing the race, but I should enjoy a quicker recovery. After all, I do have to get on a plane the next day and fly home, right?

So watchya think? Like my plan? Personally, I’m pretty jazzed. I tell you folks, I’m beginning to love running. I mean, in what other sport do you get to spend 5 days a week training, endure chafing, blisters, blue toes, and sore parts of your upper torso, expose yourself to “overuse” injuries like shin splints and stress fractures, and wake up on race day having coughed up a few hundred bucks to put yourself through sheer torture?

By the way, despite all this talk about finishing, I’m trying to stay focused on the process and not the goal. And for now, I’m going to stick with what’s working. I mean, climbing Everest seems so unbelievable. I hope I make it but there are no guarantees. So I’m filling my mind with grateful thoughts about being healthy and injury-free. Every day I get to run is pure joy. I grow daily in my understanding (and respect) for what the human body can do when it is cared for properly. “Stay in the moment, Dave, and you’ll be fine.”

Thanks for reading! 

4:10 PM Odds and ends ….

1) My indispensable assistant Noah Kelly has an excellent website calledEarthen Vessel. Me-o my-o, there’s some good stuff here, from the new perspective on Paul, to resources for learning German, to “Is God a Male?” Check ‘im out, matey!

2) My Greek students getting ready to enter the Great Tribulation, aka Greek 2.

It starts next Tuesday. May The Force Be With You.

3) I don’t have or want lots of doctoral students. Just the best ones. Here’s one of them. Yesterday we enjoyed some Mexican food and translated from English into Greek together. What fun!

4) My stats from the past 30 days. 97.9 miles. Yes, I’m serious about training.

5) I practically puked with I readthis piece about three young ladies whose restaurant receipt referred to them as “fat girls.” For the love of all that is good and decent! At least the store owner was willing to personally apologize to his customers, as he should have. You make a mistake, own up to it, rather than rationalize it away. You mock a disabled reporter, you apologize. Publicly. It’s as simple (and as right) as that. Until then, you will have no credibility with me. Zilch. As the great Jacque Ellul once put it (Violence, p. 160):

“[If] a statesman, the president of the republic, openly declares himself a Christian, then — on the basis of his own faith — the total demands of the Christian faith can be set before him. It ought to be possible to tell [him] that his faith forbids the machiavellianism, the cynicism, the contemptuousness, the political realism that inspires all his decisions…. The important thing is to make him see that he has to draw the consequences of his faith.”

6) Just started reading this book.


7) And this one.

8) Finally, pictures from last Saturday’s race in Cary have now appeared on Facebook. Most were taken at or near the finish line. Here’s yours truly. What a pathetic looking figure.

And here’s someone who is — let’s just say — a wee bit younger than the guy shown above.

Talk about a contrast. To be fair, I was actually doing a back flip at the finish line. In my mind.

Monday, January 16

7:12 AM Here’s acrazy good list of marathon movies. I watched Spirit of the Marathon last night.

Loved these quotes:

“Sometimes the moments that challenge us the most define us the most.”

“When you cross that finish line, no matter how slow or how fast, it will change your life forever.”

“It’s a scary distance.”

“That’s what the marathon teaches you. It teaches you to keep going.”

“People run the marathon to prove that there’s still triumph, that there’s still possibility, in their life.”

“The marathon is every man’s Everest.”

26 miles and 285 yards. An inconceivable distance. No other competition is like it. Basically, it’s up to you. How dedicated you are. How willing you are to work. If your body can take it. Plus the sheer grace of God. I am more than a little freaked out but I’ve decided I want to try it. Hoping to run 5 miles after work today, wooooop.

Sunday, January 15

5:20 PM My race this Saturday in Birmingham is called theRed Shoe Run. It’s a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. 41 families in Birmingham call the Ronald McDonald House home each and every night of the week. Running is all about accepting the good, the bad, and the ugly. But nothing beats the runner’s high that you get when you’re competing for a great charity. I’m such a huge fan of “causes.” One of my favorite races is the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis. Running in charity races is the perfect way to combine your passion for running, fitness, and doing something good for others. Whenever I feel complacent about training, I remember why I’m running. Right now my main goal is to come up with a plan that will get me ready for the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincy and help me avoid injury during training. Lots of running. Lots of crosstraining. Lots of rest in between workouts. Gradually increasing my mileage. You’ve got to take a positive approach to this or you’re a goner. I’m allowing myself to run up to three times a week and that’s it. I’m doing tons of crosstraining too, mostly on my trusty mountain bike. I am so excited. I wish all of you could come to Ohio and run the race with me. I suppose people run for all kinds of reasons. The t-shirts. (Hehe.) Recovering from an emotional trauma like a divorce and the death of a spouse. I love the challenge of it all. I’m a sap when it comes to books and movies that offer inspiration to people who set out to accomplish a goal that requires tons of determination. Running long distances is both a mental and a physical struggle. You keep saying to yourself, “Wow, this is really hard.” Still, more than a million people enter marathons each year. The goal is to win over adversity. That’s what running is all about. And what life is all about too. I am nervous, scared, and filled with self-doubt. But I also have the Lord and I know He can get me through anything. Holy cow. I am a marathoner. For realsies. And for a great cause too. How crazy is that?

Oh, it’s back-to-school week. Commencement kicks off Thursday. Until then we have three more days of J-term Greek. On Tuesday we’ll cover the middle and passive voices in Greek for the first time. We’ll also cover deponency — which is no big deal, since I’ve always taught that these forms can be understood as true middles. (I first heard this from Neva Miller at a two-week conference on Greek at the Summer Institute of Linguistics campus in Dallas way back in the Dark Ages.) I’ve got 11 students in my LXX class (team-taught with one of my OT colleagues), 25 in my NT 1 class, and 38 in my Greek 2 class. I remember teaching my first class at Biola 40 years ago. Seems like 4 years ago. My passion for teaching hasn’t changed a bit. A person can learn a lot, even from dogs. But all learning is self-learning. “I never teach my pupils,” wrote Albert Einstein, “I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” Besides, teaching is much more than cognition. Coach John Wooden once said, “Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.” Finally, I love this quote: “The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence” (Amos Alcott). Indoctrination? A thousand times no. Inspiration? A million times yes. I am still cracking up that this boy from Kailua Beach is a professor of Greek — or of anything for that matter.

God is good!

9:45 AM Miscellany ….

1) I’m beyond grateful that my legs aren’t feeling any soreness at all today. Really looking forward to two short runs and one long run this week. I see the winner of yesterday’s race is a 29-year old named Glen who finished in 17:33. Now that’s impressive. Getting more and more excited about my half marathon coming up on March 19.

2) Really thankful for bloggers who’ve been so kind to link to my upcoming marathon in memory of Becky. Gohere andhere for examples. The race is on May 7, and Becky’s birthday is on May 12. This year she would have been 64. I’m still trying to absorb all the life-changing lessons God wants me to learn through this experience. Thank you again for your prayers and emails. You validated my pain and gave me hope in the midst of confusion. I miss you, Becky!

3) Dogs are just the best. Sheba has finally adjusted to life without Dayda I think. If she could talk I do believe she would tell me she’s doing fine. So grateful.

4) Today I’m cooking supper for 6. Also been washing clothes and vacuuming. No threat to my manhood!

5) Got caught up with the news. What a week it’s been! The next 4 years are going to be a WILD ride.

Saturday, January 14

6:54 PM Today I completed my 30th 5K. I have to admit that this one was a very tough cookie. I believe this course is the hilliest you’ll find in Raleigh. After all, it’s the official cross country course for Wake County. The race itself started near the stadium. There was a good crowd on hand. I lined up and was feeling pretty good as the race got underway. The route was level and it went downhill for about a half mile. Then the real hills began, so I backed off a little. I felt great but my pace was inching slower and slower. We ran up and down hills, past the parking lot, alongside a road, and then up a steep incline. By this time my legs were feeling like rubber, though my feet felt great. There is no way I can praise New Balance shoes enough. I felt like I was walking on air the entire time. I finally crossed the finish line. By my Map My Run app, I finished in 32:50, which amounted to about a 10:17 pace. Since this course was such a struggle for me, I was really hoping I could keep my finish time under 33 minutes. So it was something of a shock that the official results showed that I had finished in 32:26. I had missed coming in first place in the 60-69 age division by 45 seconds. I didn’t think I was racing that good. My thanks to all the cheerleaders for lining the field at the end to cheer the racers on to the finish line. One thing I left out of this recap is the weather. The race was a lot colder than I’d prefer and, because of the rain we had this morning, a lot muddier as well. I’m really looking forward to racing in warmer weather again. After the race, I stopped by the Abyssinia Restaurant in Raleigh and ordered some kai wat. Hoo boy was that good. I asked them to make a take-out order for the Black family since they’ve been under the weather of late. Money well spent! From there I made a beeline to Nate and Jessie’s farm, dropped off the food, hung out with the boys a little, then drove home and crashed. I looked like this before the race began.

Here’s the starting line-up.

There’s nothing like Ethiopian food to warm the cockles of the heart.

The boy’s “hay fortress.”

Finally, here’s a brief video I made at the finish line after I ground out a really grueling race. To say I felt like I finished on a high note is an understatement.

 

7:34 AM Last night I saw Patriot’s Day. It felt good to set aside politics and remember what makes our nation so great — our people. If I sound like I’m being sappy and patriotic, I am. I’ve never said I’m not proud to be an American. At the same time, I don’t feel like I’m being inconsistent with my Anabaptist convictions that delineate a strict separation between the two kingdoms. The great thing about this movie is that you can enjoy it regardless of what your politics are.

The movie tells the story of the Boston Marathon bombing through the eyes of the first responders. I thought it was much more compelling than other movies of the same genre — World Trade Center, for example. Patriot’s Day is more like United 83 — a movie that refuses to wallow in needless sentimentality. What struck me most while watching the film was just what producers, directors, and actors can accomplish these days through the art of cinematography. I can’t convey how deeply this movie touched me. I will caution you, however. There are some intense scenes in this movie, so if you’re unable to deal with the events of that day you may not want to see the film. The acting was superb, and the music really added to the film’s mysterious quality. There were some great shots of the Boston skyline as well as some breathtaking aerials. The movie was meant to tell the story of some brave individuals and their families during this terrible episode in our national history, and it accomplished it very well. It brought back a lot of memories of that day for me and makes my own attempt at a marathon all that more poignant. When the movie ended, the audience sat in awed silence. Nobody got up to leave. There was no applause. For myself, I sat there mulling over what is best about America and the fact that good can always come from tragedy. For those who died that day, we cannot — we should not — ever forget.

This is an incredibly realistic and powerful film. Expect it to win some major awards.

Friday, January 13

4:46 PM Hello everybody! Ann Lamott once said the three basic prayers are “Help,” “Thanks,” and “Wow.” When I think of the United States of America today, I pray “Help!” Remember the classic book 1984? War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. How can anyone reason in a society in which everything is a fabrication? All information is now propaganda. The masses live in constant fear and confusion. Isaac Asimov’s review of 1984 contained these prophetic words: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine stomping on a human face – forever.” What a nightmare. At the same time, it’s such an undeserved blessing to be part of a special community called the kingdom of heaven. I decided a long time ago to put no trust whatsoever in the power or wealth or politics of America. My prayer is that the church will be uncompromising on all matters that are central to this kingdom. Amen?

Then there was “Thanks!” The weather has turned warm again. On Wednesday I had a fabulous 6-mile run in Wake Forest. I left my hotel room at around 3:30 and got back just before dark. I had a couple of sub-12-minute miles but most of my pace was at the 13-minute mile mark. Not bad for an old geezer. Then yesterday I drove a few miles to the Neuse River Greenway and got in a 12-mile bike ride in 70 degree weather. This place is awesome! It is arguably the best biking trail in all of Greater Raleigh. The best part is that there is little or no stopping for cyclists, and the trail is very hilly, which is great on the quads. I really pushed myself – did 13 miles per hour for the entire distance.Today I’m taking the day off. Tomorrow is my 5K in Cary and I need to be refreshed for that.  It’s obvious I’m loving my running life, and it’s really good to be pain free. As long as I listen to my body I think I’ll be okay. The BIG ONE will be here before you know it. Don’t forget topledge a little support if you can.

Finally, “Wow!” Week 2 of J-Term Greek ended today and the class is doing exceptionally well despite all of the rabbit trails their teacher insists on taking them down. I did a pronunciation quiz with them today. (I’m a big fan of reading Greek out loud.) Next week we’ll have only 3 days to complete Greek 1 because our new semester starts on Thursday. I’m eager for my classes to begin. As always, I’ll be my radically traditional self. It’s a blessing to be able to do something you love. I owe a great deal of appreciation to the One who’s made it all possible.

On another note, I see that SBTS is holding a conference on Greek this weekend. It sounds like it will be fantastic and I wish it well. I do hope videos will be published for those of us who couldn’t attend. I see that one of the speakers is Steve Runge, whose topic is preaching from the book of Philippians. Now you’ve got my attention! As an avid reader of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I will be very interested to see what tack Runge takes. I can’t help but be a bit disappointed with Runge’s High Definition Commentary on this book. For starters, the Table of Contents took me by complete surprise:

Introduction

Philippians One

Philippians Two

Philippians Three

Philippians Four

Final Reflections

This reminded me of F. F. Bruce’s classic commentary on Hebrews, which basically does the same thing — examines the book of Hebrews according to the traditional chapter divisions. Discourse analysis, I would like to think, can offer us so much more. For what it’s worth, myown Novum Testamentum study has revealed a structure more along these lines:

I. Letter opening(1:1-2).

II. Letter body (1:3-4:20).

III. Letter closing (4:21-23).

The body of the letter can be divided into four main parts:

I. Body opening (1:3-11).

II. Body head (1:12-2:30, an exhortation to unity in the cause of the Gospel).

III. Body subpart (3:1-4:9, a warning against pride in human achievement).

IV. Body closing (4:10-).

I’ve argued that the “linguistic macrostructure” (i.e., theme) of the letter is “Ecclesial Unity in the Cause of the Gospel,” and that this theme is most clearly stated by Paul in 1:27-30, where in essence he says: “The only thing in life that really matters is that you live as good citizens of heaven in a manner required of the Gospel, working together, as one team, to advance a kingdom agenda and not your own.”

Dear reader, nothing would make me happier than if you did your own discourse analysis of every book of the New Testament, including Philippians. My suggestion is that, first of all, you ignore the traditional chapter divisions. Epistles can rarely be understood along those lines. I love Bruce, but I just don’t see how anyone can truly understand Hebrews by a using a chapter-by-chapter analysis. This would apply to Philippians as well. I’m also surprised that Runge failed to say anything about what I consider to be one of the letter’s major metaphors — that of our heavenly citizenship. The verb Paul uses in 1:27 (normally rendered “live” or “conduct yourselves”) is politeuesthe. If you don’t see anything about citizenship in the word, fine. But at least that view deserves recognition. If you’d like to see why I think politeuesthe is vitally important to Paul’s argument in Philippians, you can consultone of my PowerPoints and scroll down to the end, where I quote Bob Mulholland’s essay on “Sociological Criticism” that I asked him to write for my bookInterpreting the New Testament. I love what he says! Of course, my study of Philippians is no doubt an imperfect analysis. Thank goodness. This means that no one will rely too heavily on it. They will have to study the book for themselves, using what Runge or Black or others have written as a springboard (and nothing more) for their own personally-enriching research. You can run the risk analysis and decide if exegesis is worth relying too heavily on any one interpreter. I suggest it is not. 

To wrap up this ridiculously long post, I hope to see the movie Patriot’s Day this weekend. I mean, what could be more nefarious and heinous than the actions of the Tsarnaev brothers? But the American people are, as they say, resilient. I’m told you’ll go through the full gamut of emotions while watching the movie and that, yes, you will need Kleenex.

Before I go, a few pix. See ya!

1) Had lunch on Wednesday with my outstanding assistant Noah Kelly.

2) The temperature was 70 degrees when I snapped this photo in Raleigh yesterday. Amazing.

3) Following the gorgeous Neuse River.

4) Tomorrow’s 5K course map in Cary. I think I’m already lost.

Wednesday, January 11

6:30 AM Last night I was lured into watching yet another movie about Everest, this one calledMount Everest: Into the Death Zone. It’s the story of a 33-year old Canadian woman named Shriya Shah-Klorfine who died on descent in 2012.

My sincere condolences go out to her husband and family. The movie seems to pin the blame on her guide company, Utmost Adventure Trekking. She was assigned their most inexperienced guides for the climb. Others blame the climber herself. The most reputable guiding companies on the mountain require their clients to have summited at least one other 8,000 meter peak before attempting Everest. She had no experience whatsoever in climbing tall mountains. She was warned to turn around, strongly. Everest is no joke to even the most experienced climbers. It’s 5 miles above the earth’s surface, for crying out loud.

So what goes wrong when we push ourselves beyond our limits? The game of life requires physical energy. Lots of it. But it requires other energies as well. It means learning how to work with and not against the facts. It’s the ability to set aside selfish interests and think of others — your spouse, your family, your friends. There is a place for risk-taking in life. There’s also a place for gratification denied. Life is an adventure into the limits of the self.

In facing life, no one knows when they will be tested to the utmost like Shriya Shah-Klorfine was that day. We never know where the holy grail will lead. The best and wisest thing we can do is to be prepared. Our lives depend on it. We runners have a saying: “Listen to your body.” What this means is that your body will tell you things that sophisticated machines can’t. Only a well-trained body can measure up to a grueling 26.2-mile race. For a marathoner, running is much more than a mystical experience. It’s tough and tedious, tiring and painful. One has to have a “peak performance” to accomplish it. Otherwise, it might be best to stay at home. (Yes, I’m preaching to myself!)

Tuesday, January 10

5:22 PM You may not realize it, but I was once an artist. I say “was” because I have neither the time nor interest to continue to draw and paint. But I used to be an avid hobbyist. I also used to read the works of Francis Schaeffer. Schaeffer was, you could say, edgy. He pushed the limits of what was safe and acceptable. He was called crazy and fanatical by some. But so were a lot of other amazing people in church history. He didn’t let other people’s opinions define him. He was himself. I noticed he was very intentional. (I had to chance to hear him twice when I lived in Switzerland.) He wanted to impact the lives of others. He invested in the greatness of people. That’s why I read everything I could get my hands on if the author was Francis Schaeffer. I wanted to a better version of myself. I wanted to strike a balance between humanitas and pietas. Even then, as a student in Basel, I knew I wanted to write books like Schaeffer wrote, books that connected with average people. When Becky and I purchased our Virginia farm, we had Francis and Edith Schaeffer’s L’Abri in mind for our retreat ministry. People, we need to start stopping. We need to slow down and think.

Come near, then, and listen to whatWilliam Edgar has to say about Francis Schaeffer. His essay is a huge breath of fresh air, a call to action, an invitation to slow down and consider the world around us, including the arts. This essay will have you laughing and crying. It may even get you to draw portraits again.

4:30 PM Language is not a list of rules. And, of course, nothing in language is ever black and white. This is true of Greek as much as it’s true of any other language. Moreover, we all interpret Scripture though our own lens of culture, history, education, context, etc. So it’s inevitable that biblical scholars will disagree on matters of interpretation. A case in point is the authorship of Hebrews. In particular, I’d like to ask: What did Origen mean, in referring to Hebrews, by “Who wrote [Greek: ho grapsas] the epistle, only God knows”?

As you may know, I’ve argued in print that Origen believed Paul was the ultimate author of Hebrews even if he wasn’t necessarily convinced that Paul was the writer/penman. This is most definitely not what I was taught in Bible college and seminary. And it remains a minority view today. But when I examined the evidence for myself, the cracks in the traditional consensus view that Paul could not have authored Hebrews began ricocheting around in my mind. For the first time in my life I read Origen for myself. And that changed everything. Clearly — at least to me — Origen was agnostic not about authorship but only about penmanship. That is, he pondered the question, “Who is responsible for the final form of this letter? Well, the answer is probably known only to God.” Origen himself was aware of two conjectures as to who the penman could have been: Luke, and Clement (of Rome). But that really didn’t matter much to him. The ultimate author was Paul, and so the question of who wrote the letter was of secondary importance.

Yesterday I was reading Tom Schreiner’s excellent Hebrews commentary. In his brief section on authorship he writes (p. 2), “Black’s interpretation of Origen should be rejected. It has been shown that when Origen speaks of who wrote the epistle he was referring to the author, not merely the secretary.” Tom cites at this point David Allen’s magisterial Hebrews commentary in the NAC, so my assistant was kind enough to copy that page for me and email it to me (since I’m stranded here on the farm). David argues that ho grapsas (“who wrote”) has to refer to authorship and not to penmanship based on context and usage. He cites A. C. Mitchell’s Hebrews commentary as follows (p. 32):

Mitchell noted the many places in Eusebius’s Ecclesiastical History where the Greek verb grapho (“to write”) “refers both to authorship and to actual penning” and thus concluded “Black’s distinction between author and amanuensis cannot be maintained in light of this evidence.”

So how should one respond to Dr. Black’s untenable views? My brain has some ideas. May I share them with you?

1) I will grant Tom and David that ho grapsas can refer to direct authorship. What I will not grant is that the expression must refer to direct authorship. If you want to argue that ho grapsas can’t refer to the penman, what do you do with Rom. 16:22?

I, Tertius, who wrote [ho grapsas] the epistle, greet you in the Lord.

Clearly, Paul is the author of Romans, and just as clearly, Tertius is the writer/penman/amanuensis/stenographer. I mean, isn’t this pretty clear? If so, can’t we see a parallel between Rom. 16:22 and Origen’s statement that only God knows the one “who wrote” the letter?

2) David argues (p. 32):

When Origen says “but who wrote it, only God knows,” he meant to indicate uncertainty as to which of Paul’s disciples it was who developed his ideas and was thus the actual author.

Likewise, Tom concludes:

Origen’s words about the author still ring true today: “God only knows.”

Suffice it say that, if you want to plead agnosticism on the authorship issue based on the writings of Origen, you will have to explain how Origen regularly introduces quotations from Hebrews with language like:

I think it sufficient to quote this one testimony of Paul from the Epistle to the Hebrews….

And the apostle Paul warns us….

… from what statements of Paul I have arrived at this understanding….

For the word is used by our Paul….

3) Finally, I’d like to see someone discuss this statement by Origen:

For the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in speaking of the prophets, and what they suffered, says [Heb 11:37], “they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were slain with the sword.” … someone hard pressed by this argument may have recourse to the opinion of those who reject this Epistle as not being Paul’s; against whom I must at some other time use other arguments to prove that it is Paul’s.

That seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?

I’m not going to go into detail here about what Origen did or did not mean when he wrote ho grapsas. In my littlebook on the subject I’ve listed my source material for these quotes (and many more like them). I’m not insisting that I’m right and my friends Tom and David are wrong. But I do hope to provide you with a lens through which to read Origen in context and set you off on a new journey through this issue on your own.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

9:22 AM This morning I thought I’d go online to one of those, you know, calculator thingies to see how long it would take me to finish my 26.2 mile race in May. I plugged in my age, my half marathon time of 2:48, my sex, and the answer it spit out was 5 hours and 50 minutes, with a pace of 13:22 per mile. This is only an estimate so I’m taking it with a grain of salt. As I’ve already mentioned a thousand times on this blog, my goal is to finish the race, pure and simple. For what it’s worth, the average time for men in U.S. marathons is 4:19 at a 9:54 pace. That is WAY beyond my ability. But still, it’s fun to dream. I’ve decided that the best thing for me to do right now is take the 5:50 time and add one hour to it. That means there’s a possibility — depending on all kinds of factors including weather conditions, course difficulty, hydration and nutrition issues, and how I’m feeling that day — that I could finish the race in under the 7 hour time limit. That’s the plan at least!

P.S. I guess by now you’re pretty tired of me talking about the fund raiser I’m doing in conjunction with my marathon. But hey — that’s a big reason I’m putting my body through all this. It would be fantastic if you would a take a minute and pledge $26.00 (one dollar per mile) to myPiggin’ Out for a Cancer Cure fund at UNC. Thank you so much!

8:40 AM Today a strange thought occurred to me while working on my JETS review of The Synoptic Problem: Four Views by Stan Porter and Bryan Dyer.

I don’t ever recall reading “Four Views” books written by non-biblical scholars. I’m not aware of Four Views on Hinduism or Four Views on Atheism. But when it comes to questions about the Bible, my oh my. We’ve got four views on hell, the historical Adam, the millennium, the nature of the atonement, divine providence, the book of Revelation, women in ministry, eternal security, the Sabbath, the doctrine of God, the end times, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, divine foreknowledge, tithing, free will, the warning passages in Hebrews, the church, theending of Mark, and the pericope about thewoman taken in adultery. I edited these last two books so I’m obviously not against the genre.

What’s going on? I suspect nothing too nefarious. I think most of us who have strong convictions about this or that topic are motivated to defend our positions based on the notion that good scholarship is about convincing others to espouse our view instead of merely asking them to do so. Every successful product on the market today is concerned about one thing: convincing consumers that somehow their product advantages them. The makers of V8 had only a smattering of customers until they focused on how the drink provided the required daily servings of vegetables. V8 now competes nicely with soft drinks and Gatorade.

Some people I know rather dismissively call into question the place, say, of prophecy in the modern church. This won’t do. Even if one disagrees with Grudem on the nature of New Testament prophecy, his views can’t be ignored (The Gift of Prophecy: In the New Testament and Today). In discussing the synoptic problem with my students later this month I’ll not only expose them to my own view of synoptic origins (Why Four Gospels?) but to the views held by Craig Evans, Mark Goodacre, David Peabody, and Rainer Riesner — the very contributors to the book I’m currently reviewing. I’ll also toss in the so-called “independence theory” held by scholars such as Eta Linnemann (Is There a Synoptic Problem?). It is noble and necessary work to try and be as objective as is humanly possible about an issue and let students make up their own minds. Of course, I am convinced that my personal view about the Gospels is the best one out there and that it deserves a hearing. But the truth is, good people disagree. Could the highest level of scholarship involve equipping rather than indoctrinating? As in any family, the family of God has matters to work out. We must teach each other, and it must be loving work between people who’ve earned the right to speak. If you’ve never worked through your view of women in leadership or eldership or baptism or the ending of Mark, then deal with these issues head on. That’s why I agreed to review Porter and Dyer’s book, even though my own view wasn’t represented and even though I rather strongly disagree with each of the four views I’m going to be writing about. Trust me, no one wants to hear only what I think.

Don’t fear thinking. Debate and discussion is good work.

7:45 AM I know posting yet another picture of the farm is the cheesiest of all cheese out there but I couldn’t help it. Isn’t our God great?

Monday, January 9

5:28 PM This and that ….

1) Held a worship service tonight. Here’s my sanctuary. What a glorious Creator we serve.

2) I’ve been reviewing my travel schedule for 2017. Lord willing I’ll be in Birmingham this month, Dallas in March, Cincinnati in May, Switzerland in July, Hawaii in August, Colorado in September, and Asia in October. I just did some rough calculations and figured out that I will travel 41,213 miles by air this year. Please pray for me that God would make my paths straight and that He would use me to be an encouragement to others wherever I go. 

3) The roads around here are a skating rink so my assistant will sub for me in Greek class tomorrow. He will do a great job as always.

4) Only 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, and 13 hours until my first marathon.

5) I am proud of myself because I’ve been striving to make good eating choices. Tonight I had home-made spaghetti, and tomorrow I plan to have lentil soup. I need to restock my kitchen with bananas, avocadoes, yogurt, and cheese. I’m drinking 5 glasses of water every day. I could drink more but I feel like I’m swishing all day long.

Later!

12:52 PM If you follow this blog you know I love taking pictures and posting them here. I also guess you must get awfully tired of seeing all of these photos. So these are the last pics of the snow I’m going to post for a while. Promise. (Psst. You know I’m fibbing. Right?).

As you can see, the day was gorgeous. I felt like I was back in Switzerland.

Of course, the donks were expecting a carrot or two. I didn’t disappoint them.

My faithful friend. She’s always by my side. When she’s not off chasing rabbits, that is.

Finally, I just had to show you the view overhead. Ain’t it beautiful?

O well. You could handle 4 pix, right?

12:04 PM I’ve purposely neglected showing you my big toes because they look so gross but I decided you can handle it.

When I started mountaineering my toe nails began turning purple. Climbing two 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Eventually the nails on my big toes just fell off so I’m left with this “recovering” photo. It’s taken a long time for it to sink in and for me to appreciate it, but constant running, walking, and hiking takes a huge toll on your feet. My point is not to brag about how active I am. My point is that I’m on my feet all the time and I guess this is the price I’m going to have to pay. I make no bones about my love for New Balance shoes because they fit my 13-wide feet perfectly. Happily for me, my feet don’t hurt at all and I never feel like my shoes are too tight or too loose. I have no intention of slowing down at all just because I have ugly toes. As long as my doctor says I’m okay (and as long as there’s no infection or fungus), I’m good to go as far as I’m concerned. Here’s the deal about running in races or climbing mountains. You try to find a balance between what you can do and what you’d like to do perfectly. You don’t want the challenge to be too easy but you also don’t want it to be too difficult. You want to push your body in a way that makes the effort itself the greatest reward for all you do. When I run I feel myself “in the moment.” My sense of time and place melt away. Doing a 5K race is more than just a thing to cross off on my bucket list. Races are crazy fun. Plus you get a t-shirt (wink). On that note, it’s time to cook lunch and then get outdoors and take a long WALK. Hope you’re enjoying the snow!

9:50 AM Odds and ends ….

1) How can “dumpster fire” be theWord of the Year? Isn’t it two words?

2) In praise of old-fashionedhospitality.

3) Booksare to be loved.

4) Why you should study your Biblein English.

5) Interesting book about evangelicalismhere.

8:22 AM Update: It’s now MINUS 1 degrees. Hey. You’re going in the wrong direction.

7:55 AM Wowza, wowza, wowza, it’s cold. We almost hit zero degrees last night. It will take an entire calendar year for me to recover.

For the past few days I haven’t run at all. No walking. No cycling. No workouts at the Y. I think I need therapy. What I would give to climb a mountain. But God knows best. I definitely needed the rest. And I enjoyed the chance to do other things. Right now I’m working on a book review for a journal. Then I’ll prep some lectures for the spring semester. School is closed today, which gives my Greek students another day to work on their take-home exams. Like I said, there was no running, so I spent a lot of time getting caught up on the news. Like the latest Twitter war. Good night. Listen, I understand ego. I have to live with mine all the time. But in my opinion, someone needs to ratchet it down. Okay, Dave. Calm down. Take a breath. Sometimes you’re too much of an underdog supporter. But sheesh, you wrote your dissertation on weakness. For Paul, his “disabilities” were badges of honor. God’s strength was perfected in his imperfections. Remember that. You’re not the best athlete out there. You never will be. Just stay focused on being you. The key is to just stick with it. I’m pretty sure you can’t lose much fitness in five days.

I’ll be back later. Gotta fold the clothes. Wash the dinner dishes from last night. Feed the animals. I’ll take a long walk when it warms up to 32 degrees. And try to stay away from the “news.”

Sunday, January 8

4:54 PM I want to keep this post short and happy, so here’s what you can expect: a vote in favor of using inclusive language, including in our Bible translations. You see, earlier today our power went out and so I texted friends and family to tell them about the situation (freezing cold temps, danger of water pipes bursting, etc.). About 2 hours later the power came back on (which has NEVER happened before so quickly). In thanking one of my daughters for praying for the power to be restored, I quoted the beginning of James 5:16 (“The effectual fervent prayer ….”) to which she responded, “Does the Greek include ladies too?” Oooh. Snarky snarky. (I love it!) She, like I, cut her eye teeth on “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man ….” Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that rendering, of course. AsMark Strauss points out, however, nowadays it’s probably a good idea to avoid using masculine language when the original text of Scripture is referring to members of both sexes. I do this in all of my writings and have done so for years. One of the first topics I discuss with my doctoral students is: Will you use inclusive language in your dissertation? But get this: It is their decision, not mine. I once published a book with a major U.S. publishing house and was going to submit another manuscript to them when I discovered that they had instituted a policy requiring inclusive language of all their authors. For what it’s worth, I think that was a mistake. I think that should be an author’s prerogative. As for James 5:16, the Greek simply has dikaiou — “a righteous ….” The masculine gender of the adjective permits two renderings: “righteous man” or “righteous person.” The latter sense is obviously in view, as my daughter nicely “wink winked” at. Note the ESV: “The prayer of a righteous person ….” Ditto for the HCSB: “The urgent request of a righteous person ….”

Bible translation is mind-numbingly hard, but some things just seem obvious to me. 

4:12 PM Scattershooting ….

1) How to choose abeginning Greek grammar.

2) Bible readingplans for 2017.

3) What will become of evangelicalismin the age of Trump?

4) Why we need tobring our pets indoors during cold weather.

5) CT’s 2017book awards. 

10:20 AM Woke up to find the snow thawing a bit even though the temps aren’t going above 25 today (real feel of 16) and will get down to zero tonight. I snapped a few pictures (see below). The animals seem to be coping quite well. They have a warm barn to stay in at night, and during the day they’ll have plenty of sunshine and hay. Sheba thoroughly enjoyed being outdoors and tracked down every deer trail she could find. I see the snow plow has gone by, but my humble country road is nothing but a sheet of ice. Thus far the snow has had no effect on me getting my work done here. A little bit of writing. A ton of reading. Cooking my meals for the week. I even enjoy getting dressed in layers of clothing to go outdoors. What I hate is driving on icy roads. Well, here are the pics I promised. Welcome to the tundra.

9:10 AM Imagine the scenario: You’re studying adjectives for the first time in Greek class, and your professor just announces to you that when John recorded Jesus’ words “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11), he literally wrote “I am the shepherd, the good one,” language that might imply that not all shepherds are “good.” Then your beloved professor goes on to show you two words in your vocabulary that can be translated “good”: agathos and kalos. You notice that agathos is rendered “good” in your textbook, while kalos is rendered both “good” and “beautiful.” Your professor then proceeds to tell you that the latter adjective is the one used in John 10:11. “Jesus wasn’t only a good shepherd but a good-looking one,” he quips. At this point your mind begins conjuring up images of a man who is tall, dark, and handsome. Why, your prof even says that people claim to know exactly what Jesus looked like because of the “Shroud.” Now you’re really confused. Exasperated, you strike back (silently, of course): “How in the world can anybody know what Jesus looked like? Are you, like, serious?”

Suddenly your professor begins a discourse about something he calls “synonymy.” One hour ago you were happily eating a Krispy Kreme donut, and now you’re completely baffled. Your prof continues, “Just because kalos can denote external beauty, that doesn’t mean the word has that significance here. Context is always the final arbiter of meaning.” He then goes on to discuss the assignments for the day, but you’re already Googling “I am the good shepherd.”One article you find says that kalos refers to Jesus’ “beauty.”Another essay takes a different tack altogether: kalos, it argues, is normally set in opposition to “evil,” not “ugliness.” Hence kalos in John 10:1 points to Jesus’ “essential goodness as nobly realized.” You leave class totally bewildered. Why bother with Greek? Why I can’t I just use my ESV?

The point of the story is obvious: Greek is not the Abracadabra or Open Sesame so many think it is. Still, Greek has its value. It will tell you what it possible. It will limit your options. It may even indicate emphasis. If you take God seriously, you also ought to take His word seriously. The Bible is God’s word — his final word on how to experience life in all its abundance. It’s God’s way of making Himself known to us. The Bible is like an owner’s manual for a car. By studying it, we can learn how to live according to His specs. If the Bible is inspired by God, we should read it. We should study it. In the original languages if possible. But we’re liable to get the wrong message if we treat Scripture like a good luck charm. It takes a bit more than a hit-or-miss approach. And even if you can read the New Testament in Greek, there’s no guarantee you’ll get it right. To crib a thought fromMark Cortez:

Left to ourselves, we will inevitably fashion the Gospel in our own image, after our own preferences, according to our own desires. Although Luther regularly ascribes value to studying translations of the Bible, he argues that this is not ultimately sufficient. Unless we dig deeply into the text, we will eventually lose our moorings and drift into the stream of contemporary (ir)relevance.

That’s a tall order. But it’s not one-sided. God pledges to help us. The same Spirit who inspired the word is able to reveal its truths to us. Every opportunity you get, friend, add another tool to your exegetical toolbox. For some, this may involve formal education. For others, self study is the best way to go. The apostle Paul was a genius who’d earned advanced theological degrees. The apostle Peter was a backwater hayseed who could gut a fish in 3 seconds. But Christ revealed Himself to both men. Jesus won’t ignore or turn away anyone who truly seeks Him with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Saturday, January 7

5:48 PM For the past two weeks I’ve had intermittent pain in my hip, nothing too severe, just discomfort. The weird part is that the pain is always on my right side. This concerns me because the hip is the largest ball-and-socket joint in the human body. I’m pretty sure the cause is not ill-fitting shoes. Mine work great. The bottom line is that running is a high impact sport that puts lots of stress on your body. Add to this the fact that for most runners, running is an addiction. We need our daily fix of aerobic exercise, improved circulation, and capillary stimulation. For me, I think the issue might be getting all of my joints, tendons, and ligaments used to the work. My recent pain is probably due simply to increased mileage. I need to slow down and try not to increase my distance too quickly. I’m also aware that the problem may be more serious: osteoarthritis (worn cartilage), sciatica (inflammation of the sciatic nerve that passes through the pelvis into the leg), bursitis (inflammation of the bursae as a result of overtraining), or even a stress fracture in the hip. Another thing that might come into play: running on the left side of the road facing traffic, with the camber of the road placing my right side higher than my left. So I’ve started running in the middle of the road whenever it’s safe to do so. I also want to get a DEEP massage soon. One exercise I’m trying begins with getting down on my elbows and knees. Keeping my back straight and the rest of my body upright, I lean my hips from side to side. This has already seemed to help. Thankfully the pain dissipates after a prolonged rest.

Actually, I think I’m way too competitive with myself for my own good. You just gotta have lots of patience when you’re recovering from even a mild injury to your body. It really doesn’t matter how slow I go. What matters is that I am safe and healthy. I am truly grateful to God for all the things my body can do and has done over the past three years. Health is a pure gift. Hardships are never fun, but they at least give you a healthy perspective on life. 

3:16 PM Life goes on even when it’s snowing. The farm got 8 inches of the nicest, whitest powder I have ever seen. The power has stayed on thankfully. Shoveling the driveway awaits me (oh joy). It’s a quarter of a mile to the road, and who knows what shape that road will be in when I get there. Our farm sits on a tertiary road and if I’m able to drive out on Monday morning I’ll call that a win. Do be careful out there moving around and driving in the snow, peeps. 

11:15 AM Hallelujah for the snow! Well, sorta. Because of today’s rather inclement weather, this weekend’sHot Chocolate Run and SPCA Doggie Dash in Cary, NC, has been postponed to NEXT Saturday, which means I have added it to my race schedule for 2017. No way is my form near perfect but I’m going to use this race to work on running more efficiently by staying light on my feet and not over-striding (which is my thorn in the flesh). The goal is a short, quick stride with a midfoot strike, as shown here:

The Cary course is very hilly (I’ve run it at least 4 times) so I’m definitely not looking for a PR this time around. My plan is to work on consistency and strength. I guess by now you could call me an accomplished 5K racer, but this doesn’t stop me from quaking in my sneakers every time I walk up to the starting line. I’m going to hold steady at the beginning and then surge at the end. Or something like that. We’ll see. The hills, I mean, are brutal. Be great for sledding today!

9:24 AM So I’m sitting here rethinking my 2017 goals (NOT resolutions!) and you know me — I write everything down. My overall motto this year is “Embrace change.” Pretty smart and insightful, eh? Beyond that, here are 20 life tips for 2017. Naturally, if they don’t apply to you, ignore them.

1) This year, do something you’ve never done before. Like attend a Chicago concert. There’s one coming up later this month in Raleigh. See you there?

2) Also, go somewhere you’ve never been before. And you don’t even need a passport if you stay stateside. I’ve got my eyes on Mount Elbert in the Rockies. It’s the highest of the 14ers.

3) Spend some time outdoors every day. Well, maybe not if it’s snowing.

4) Do something quirky. Climb a tree. Take a bubble bath. Join the handbell choir (what?). And don’t forget to feed your dog a cookie.

5) Walk away from toxic relationships. Boundaries are good. On the other hand, don’t allow little disputes to destroy a great relationship.

6) Mix things up. If you’re a Methodist pastor, try preaching without your robe. If you’re a Baptist, try preaching with one. So what if people get confused. They might also begin to think.

7) Start your own blog. Trust me, people are looking for good content. Got some good thoughts? Try us out.

8) Be real. People are starving for real people who lead real lives and have real kids and who aren’t afraid of their humanity.

9) Have fun with your spouse. Take him or her to a concert. Catch a dumb movie together. Wash someone’s car together. Before going to sleep, take the Bible down off the shelf.

10) Stop making excuses when you hurt other people. Apologize. And yes, that’s easier said than done.

11) Engage in time travel. Like reading Michael Shaara. Or Ivan Turgenev.

12) Practice compassion. Failure is something we all experience. Be kind.

13) Strive for excellence in all you do. Mediocrity is easy. But you must work with all your might to attain excellence. (You can’t be allergic to sweat, by the way.)

14) Be a risk taker. You won’t achieve your dreams by playing it safe. Run the rapids without fear. After all, Jesus has mastered the river.

15) Be patient with yourself. Yes, I know you’re a terrific person and all that. I’m also well aware, even if you aren’t, that you don’t always represent humanity at its best. Tough break chump. Welcome to the wonderful world of reality.

16) Pray. Even when it feels like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. (Note: You can pray without actually saying anything. I know. For months after Becky died practically all I could pray was, “Dear Jesus.” It was enough.)

17) No more “What ifs.” So you thought you were heading toward Disneyworld and then you found yourself experiencing something resembling a nightmare. Well, the past is past. God uses even our bad decisions in a positive way. Believe that. 

18) Be thankful. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to lose an arm or be confined to a wheel chair or be dirt poor or be unable to write. There’s so much to be grateful for — shoes that fit, a good cry, grandkids, long weekends, close friends, my iPhone, that morning cup of coffee, opening a present. What does your list look like?

19) Dream big. It’s too easy to become content in our little ruts. If you want bigger challenges, God will give them to you. Just ask (James 4:2).

20) Accept the seasons of life. Winter is an annual reminder to me that I’m entering the home stretch. It’s also a reminder that the miracle of rebirth awaits me, awaits Becky, awaits everyone who knows Jesus as Lord. One day suffering and disease will be no more. Our tears will dry up. It will be as dramatic as the first day of Spring.

7:52 AM Beautiful.

7:12 AM Well, I see that the Tenth Annual Run for Young in Raleigh has been cancelled due to the snow. The race honors the memory of a Wakefield High School senior who died as a passenger in an alcohol-related car accident. The race is no more, but the proceeds are still there and will be put to very good use. This is simply another reminder to me of just how “daily” life is. You wake up every morning wondering what will happen, what surprises are awaiting you. The New Testament has a lot to say about the “daily” aspect of life. The earliest believers continued “daily” in the temple. The Lord added “daily” to their number. Paul had to die to himself “daily.” We pray, “Give us today our daily bread.” We recite, “This is the day that the Lord has made.” Jesus is with us “all the days.”

You’re probably not familiar with this last example, but it’s one we discussed in Greek class this week when we learned the Greek word usually rendered “day” (hemera). I took the class to the Great Cause passage in Matt. 28:19-. Everyone knows Jesus ends his commission with the words, “And lo, I am with you always.” Here “always” actually translates three Greek words: pasas tas hemeras, “all the days.” The NIV has “always” here, as do the NLT, ESV, NASB, HCSB, and the NET Bible. It’s not incorrect to use “always” here, even though Greek has another word that is normally translated that way (pantote). In the ISV, we went in a slightly different direction: “And remember, I am with you each and every day.” Eugene Peterson followed suit in a beautiful rendering: “I’ll be with you … day after day after day.”

I like that. On days when I feel like I’m overwhelmed with the chaos of life all around me, when I’m convinced I’m going crazy, it helps me to remember that Jesus is with me “day after day after day.” There is grace for the grind — for the ordinary, run-of-the-mill experiences when I’m neither hot nor cold, up nor down, when I’m hitting neither top nor bottom. In the monotonous trudge of daily living, He’s there for me. When I wake up in the morning wondering “How is my knee going to do today?” or just dealing with the itchiness of living in my own skin, I think, “He is with me each and every day.” I’ve got His word on it.

Perhaps that’s one reason I love teaching Greek so much. I would never have known Matthew wrote pasas tas hemeras by looking at the standard English translations. My days, yes even January 7, 2017, are numbered by Him. “You’re kidding! I never really knew that!” a student said to me after class. Which is one reason I refuse to get involved in the Greek pedagogy debate. Slowly, I begin to notice that we’re going in two different directions. I want my students to learn much more than Greek. I want them to know that God understands the desires of their heart and their uncertainties, and that He promises not to leave them stranded without hope — ever. As Christians we can relax in the knowledge that God has a unique plan for each and every one of us, but that plan doesn’t reveal itself all at once. We discover it as we draw closer to God each and every day. At some point, we need to discard today’s “shopping cart” approach to the Christian life: I purchase this (book, course, seminar, Greek grammar) and God gives me happiness. To be perfectly honest, I’m more impressed on a day-to-day basis with a mountaintop or a crashing wave. These are the “true” creations of God. When I look in the mirror in the morning I don’t think, “Wow, God, you really care about this old body of mine each and every day.” Instead I think, “If only I could fix my crooked teeth.” Everyone talks about how precious the human being is. But Jesus proves it. For 70-plus years, He is with us, offering a harbor for our storm-tossed vessels. God is indeed our refuge and strength, our only hope in time of trouble. God meets us on the heights and in the depths and every place in between. But I think He is especially present in the monotonous routine that tries even the most patient soul. His grace is sufficient for it all, and nowhere do we need Him more than in the “daily.”

Friday, January 6

7:25 PM The snow is falling softly. The house is so quiet it is deafening. Winter. I begin to feel it growing inside of me as I go to the window and hold the lace aside. I feel the icy flow, the air seeping through old floorboards. A snow storm, a hard freeze, impassible roads. I see a swirl of motion, the flakes making their way to the tops of the trees, white and pure. I cross over to the warm fire, the promise of a good book. There is no use in trying not to think about her. She’s been gone forever it seems. Theologians call it a theodicy. We humans wonder at our suffering, can never fully, rationally explain it to ourselves or anyone else for that matter. Yet there is hope. There is always hope. When bad things happen, something positive always comes of it. In Emerson’s words, “Every evil has its good.” Paul puts it like this: “We can be sure that God can make every detail in our lives turn into something beneficial.” What does a lonely widower do to lessen the pain? There’s no use in trying to offer a reasonable explanation of theodicy. I’m not smart enough to do that. What I do know is that evil cannot fully thwart the good or snuff out the candle of truth. I’ve already see the sparks in my grandchildren’s curious eyes as they explore the valley field, or in the texts my kids send me about various and sundry topics (from the magnificent to the mundane), or in a student’s expression of delightful discovery when he or she begins to understand what a declension is. Let the apologists for Christianity do what they do best, but I am more convinced than ever that the way God has called me to solve the problem of evil is with my hands and my feet and my resources. I owe that to Becky and to all the other women who have suffered or will suffer from the scourge of cancer. Although I am only one man, I stand in solidarity with cancer victims worldwide, celebrating courage, community, life, and victory. With joy in my heart and defiance in my soul, I know I will cross that finish line in May and I will have done my part, along with many others, perhaps you included, to accomplish our goal of taking one giant leap closer to a cure for endometrial cancer.

Until then, I’ll enjoy my dog, a good book, and a warm fireplace.

12:50 PM Oh baby, it’s cold outside and getting colder with every passing minute. The low tomorrow night will be 0 degrees. The snow begins this evening. I reckon the 5K in Raleigh on Sunday will be cancelled unless they rename it the Snot Icicle 5K. We’ll see how the roads are. Five inches of snow in North Carolina and 5 inches in Ohio are two different things. (How do you spell “complete chaos”?) I have never run in the snow or the ice and don’t plan to start now. Meanwhile I’ve updated my running goals for 2017 and there are three of them I’ll mention here:

1) Smile and enjoy my runs. In other words, don’t push yourself so hard you end up hating the sport. If I have to slow to a crawl in order to enjoy myself, I will. Fact is, I can’t always run at the pace I’d like to. I want to become über-aware of what my body is telling me. Running 3 high quality “happy” miles is much better than running an 8-mile lousy run.

2) Be more like my dog. Sheba hasn’t a worry in the world. She knows she is loved. She knows she’ll be watered, fed, and protected. She’s also a brave old girl. She’s coping fine with her deafness. I want to live like that — resting in the care of my Trainer.

3) Eat better, as in much better. When it comes to proper running nutrition, I suck. I have no idea why I simply can’t get it into my head that I am what I eat. This year I’m going to try and eat more wisely and more nutritiously.

But, alas, no running this weekend, and boy will I miss it. Running makes me strong, energetic, and happy (thank you, endorphins). And a big THANK YOU to everyone who has emailed me their support. I’m on my way to 26.2! I believe I am living proof that if we live an active life we can do some amazing things even if we’re “old.” Please remember that I am living with the memory that endometrial cancer took the life of my wife of 37 years. My dream is that researchers can find a way to cure this dreaded disease. Please consider making a donation to thePiggin’ Out for a Cancer Cure fund today. We’re lagging way behind our goal of $4,000, but I just know yall will come through for me. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I love watching the nightly talk shows. The topic du jour is one of Trump’s recent tweets:

The “Intelligence” briefing on so-called “Russian hacking” was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!

Strange I’ll say! The future commander-in-chief using quotation marks to mock the intelligence agencies he will have to rely on? Oh my, but the Trump presidency will be a linguist’s paradise. Let me tell you, folks, we’re going to be entertained bigly.  

Thursday, January 5

4:14 PM My time on campus has been nothing short of phenomenal. Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining a former doctoral student of mine for lunch at one of Wake Forest’s finest Mexican places.

Paul museshere. He edits a very interesting blog. He is now teaching both Hebrew and Greek at his Bible school in Wisconsin. I admire smart people like him. Yesterday I also discovered a great running course in one of Wake Forest’s many subdivisions.

As you can see, the city has even made a running/biking/stroller lane, though there is so little traffic it sometimes seemed unnecessary. I got in a 10K practice run (6.2 miles) yesterday along the sloping roads of the gorgeous subdivision (houses here cost around a half mill).

The course was hilly and perfect for leg work. It felt great. The best news was what I didn’t feel — any pain in my right hip or in any part of my body for that matter. Huge relief! I was wondering if there was something structurally wrong with my hip, but everything went off without a hitch. I feel like I’m beginning to make big strides (no pun intended) in my running program. No groin pan. No knee pain. Definitely no soreness in my legs or feet for which I am sooooooooo grateful. Tomorrow it’s another 10K practice run and then hopefully a timed 5K in Raleigh on Sunday, that is, if Saturday’s snowfall permits travel on Sunday. What a great way to start the year — a great Greek class, good friends, and lots of running! I’ve asked myself this question a thousand times in the past three days: Why do I feel so good after just pushing my body to compete in a grueling 10K over the weekend? Let’s see…

1) I think my body is finally catching up to what my mind is telling it to do. After two years of running, my body is building up stamina, muscles, and the mental fortitude it takes to withstand all the miles.

2) I also believe that having shoes that fit exactly right for my feet instills strength and balance into my running routine. Just as importantly, I’ve learned correct form as to where to strike my feet, landing mid-foot on just about every stride. I’ve shortened my stride and increased my pace, which makes for a winning formula and reduces the load on my skeletal system.

3) By doing a variety of activities each week I’m able to add balance to my running through biking, climbing, surfing, and (cough cough) house work.

4) Finally, I think I’m learning to take recovery seriously. I try and always take one full day off each week and more than that after a race. Rest = Great Performance. No doubt about that.

Right now, I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life. In the past 30 days I exercised a distance of 93.6 miles — running 21.2 of those miles, biking 19 of them, and walk/running the rest (53.3 miles). I’m definitely psyching myself up for my half marathon in March. Remember, I’m just an amateur with no real running expertise. In the half marathon I plan to go out easy and in control of my body. When I get to the race venue I will warm up for at least 15 minutes by walking and jogging. I always tell myself that when I get to mile ten I “only” have a 5K race to do from that point on. If and when I finish the race I’ll reflect on what I could have done better, question my sanity, and then go straight into training for May’s full marathon. I don’t care about PRs or age group wins all that much right now. I’m just happy to be running. Every mile means something to me, just like I imagine every quiz means something to my Greek students. It marks another step forward, a goal accomplished, the payoff for hard work. Yay for my great Greek students, and for their prof too!

Here’s hoping your shoes stay tied,

Dave

Wednesday, January 4

5:58 AM Can you believe it? It’s supposed to be 58 degrees today. But this weekend they’re calling for snow. I’m definitely missing my workouts at the Y. But because of today’s nice weather I’m hoping to walk/run/cycle in Wake Forest for maybe 10 miles. The weather is definitely getting colder. If the roads are passable I’m still hoping to run in this Sunday’s 5K in Raleigh at 2:00 pm. I dunno. The high that day is predicted to be only 28. Had a headache this morning like you wouldn’t believe (boo). It’s the usual sinus-barometric headache I get whenever the weather changes drastically. Oh well. Press on! In Greek class today we’re introducing noun declensions. You know the old saying: Greek teachers never die; they just decline. Today is the so-called Second Declension — which is simply a group of nouns that form their cases the same way. German, as you may know, also uses cases. If your article doesn’t match your noun, you’re in deep trouble, even if you get everything else right. This is also true of Greek. Gotta know your noun declensions, at least if you’re planning on translating from English into Greek, which is how you get extra credit in this class. Cases will definitely give you a Charlie Horse between the ears if you’re not careful, as even aPope discovered.

Right now I’m training hard for my half marathon on March 19. Even though it’s only half the distance of a full marathon, the last one I did knocked me out for two days. Hanging in there for 13.1 miles ain’t easy. Finishing requires training and planning. This is a tough distance but I love the training, love the planning, and love the camaraderie. Sheesh, I love life!

Okay, back to school for this old teacher.

Tuesday, January 3

6:35 PM In Greek class today we discussed words and how they take on meaning. It’s part of my effort to make class practical and motivational. At the same time, there’s nothing easy about lexical analysis. Much of it is undoing damage. Take the well-known and much-discussed fallacy of etymologizing — determining a word’s meaning by its constituent parts (morphemes). For example, some insist that a New Testament church is “called out” from the world — separate, if you will — based on the etymology of the Greek word ekklesia, which is comprised of two parts — ek, “out of,” and kaleo, “I call.” Hence the church is a “called out” organism. It is to be different from the world. And believers are to separate themselves from the world.

In New Testament usage, however, it seems that the word ekklesia never quite had this meaning of “called out ones.” Normally it was used to describe a group of people that had something in common. At times this group met, and then it was an ekklesia. At other times it wasn’t meeting per se, but even then it was an ekklesia. This term was used in contrast to ochlos — a term that describes a group of people that have come together and yet have nothing really in common. Ochlos is often glossed as “crowd” in English, and that is indeed a very good rendering. How, then, should we translate ekklesia into English? When I posed this question to my class today, I got several excellent responses: “gathering,” “assembly,” “congregation,” and the like. All of these are fine, but none of them in my opinion captures the essence of what a New Testament ekklesia is. I prefer the term “community.” Church is not simply a group of just any people, and it is most certainly not a building. Instead, I like to think of a church as a space in which all of us are ministering, praying, preaching, teaching, singing, caring, loving — a family if you will. Our motto might be: “We’re all in this together. So let’s do it together.” This is the community to which we, as followers of Jesus, are giving ourselves with our whole hearts. This is our “church” — a diverse, global, caring paean of praise to our Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, Lord, Master, and only true Senior Pastor.

Recently I became part of a similar community, a community known simply as the “runners’ community.” The similarities between this community and the “church” are legion. As soon as I began running competitively I knew I had joined the ranks of hundreds and thousands of other runners. From my very first race this sense of community became instilled deep within my psyche. Even as a novice runner, I knew I was not alone. Every experienced runner remembers when they were a beginner just like you, and so they are eager to reach out to the newbies among them. You soon have a group of running friends you look to for advice — where to buy the best running shoes, how to train properly, how to avoid injuries, how to handle anxiety before a big race. Being part of this community helps each of us to become a better runner. As runners, we value what we can become and not simply what we look like. We are not defined by our age, our t-shirt size, our weight, or our medallions (or lack of them). We are all fiercely independent and pursue individual goals, and yet paradoxically we truly believe that we are all in this together, and it shows. Just show up to any race and observe the runners. We are a celebration of men and women, boys and girls, who are striving to be the best and healthiest versions of ourselves through running and fitness. We are forever occupied with growth, with exposing and developing what is latent with us. Each race is an enactment of a lifelong struggle for advancement and perfection.

I am not in the least surprised, therefore, to find similarities between a running community and a community that defines itself on the basis of the traditional creedal values of faith, hope, and love. Both runners and Christians have a lot in common. For one thing, we both ask silly questions. A Christian in a bookstore asks the salesperson: “I’m looking for a Bible for my mother but I’m not sure who the author is.” A non-runner asks you, “How far is your next 5K race?” As you can see, both novice runners and novice Christians have a lot to learn! We are people who pursue excellence and who seek to be dedicated to something wholeheartedly and to give ourselves to some project without any reservations whatsoever. Our actions are always impelled by some good we want to attain. And to achieve our goals, we often have to endure suffering and pain. An athletic race is a place where we discover strength and faith and courage we never knew we possessed. We are runners. It doesn’t matter how fast we run or or how far we run. It doesn’t whether we are running in our very first race or have been running for fifty years. During a 5K race this past weekend I met an athletic-looking young man who was pushing his infant child in a stroller. We had finished the race at about the same time. I knew he could have run much faster had he not been pushing a baby carriage. He told me something I’ll never forget. He said, “Sometimes having the best time at a race has nothing to do with how fast you ran.” I will remember that until the day I die. I wish I could have given him “The World’s Greatest Runner Award” that day.

Running metaphors occur all over the place in the New Testament. Think Heb. 12:1; Phil. 2:16; Gal. 2:2; 2 Tim. 4:7; and 1 Cor. 9:24-26. Remember: this is a race we run together. It’s no different in the running community. “Hey guys. I’ve got a hip labral tear. Anybody had any experience with this?” Or (in the church), “As a mom, I have a tremendous sense of responsibility to teach my children about truth and grace and God. Should I make my children read the Bible? What do you think?” The point is: We are therefor each other.

At one time I was really struggling going uphill in 5K races. So I asked the winner of a race how I could improve. His simple answer caught me off guard. “You learn to run uphill by running uphill.” Yet another reminder that “we’re all in this together.” Need more proof? Watch this.


So what will it be, church?

This?

Or this?

It’s our choice.

Monday, January 2

5:44 AM I’ve got 15 signed up for my J-Term Greek course, plus a couple of audits. Kick off time is 8:00 am sharp. Of course, students could always use GTranslate instead. The main question is: What do we mean by “learn” Greek? The goal of this class is to read. Not speak. Not even think in the language. And not simply translate either. Our textbook even has the word “Read” in its title. All this to say the obvious: Education is always linked to outcomes. The main reason I studied Greek in college was that it was required. That it turned out to be fun — plus the means of advancing a career — was icing on the cake. (Thank you, Jesus.) Despite all the brouhaha-ing going on in Greek teachers’ circles these days, there’s no good reason NOT to study New Testament Greek, using whichever method you find most effective.

It’s raining outside and that’s a good thing because I’ve been running like a maniac these days and could use the time off.

Have a great week!

Sunday, January 1

5:02 PM Hey there folks, and the bestest New Years to you ever. To be honest, this weekend’s 10K wasn’t all that different from the other races I’ve done. There’s really not that much to distinguish it except that it was a twofer. On the first leg in Spotsylvania yesterday, there were a couple of hills but nothing dreadful. I was anxious about it being so cold, but it was far too late to worry about the weather. I felt I ran a good race and stayed within myself. After the event I decided to get something hardy to eat and hit up O’Charleys in Fredericksburg. I was smelly and a bit underdressed for such an upstanding restaurant but didn’t care and the steak was great. Then I checked into my room at the Hampton Inn but didn’t get to sleep until 3:30 because of all the partying going on in the rooms next door to mine. For the second go-around today, I was expecting it to be enjoyable and it was. My legs were tired and the course had a fair amount of elevation gain. With both races I was afraid I would poop out at the end, so both times I got off to very slow starts. It paid off nicely. There’s a thing in racing called kills. That’s when you pass someone who’s going slower than you are. Every time you do that, you tally “one.” Both yesterday and today I got several kills. On the other hand, a few guys passed me with ease at the finish line so I guess that evens things out. In short, though, this 10K rocked. It was well organized, nicely attended for it being New Years Day, and competitive (in a good sort of way). One thing I’m discovering about myself is that I’m not a runner. Yes, I enjoy running. But for me, it’s merely a hobby. I don’t rely on it to fuel my mood. Running is a big part of my life but so is cycling, climbing, walking, surfing, and working out. What I love about these activities is that they push me to be all that I can be as a person. They test my character, will-power, dedication, resilience, even my work ethic. In my humble opinion, life is far too short to live it vicariously. I love running because I’m energized, focused, driven, and motivated when I run. Plus there is almost always a good cause involved, which means that running is a good way to do something totally and utterly unselfish. I know we all lead very busy lives and that there are gobs of things making demands on our precious time, but those of us who are trying to care for our temples still choose to exercise despite the busyness of life. I’ve found myself sleeping better, less stressed out, and more positive. There’s nothing quite like accomplishing something you thought you could never do. Really, you are never the same. Friend, I challenge you to do something hard this year. If you can, make it a team effort (husband with wife, parent with child, friend with friend). Get outdoors and exercise. It’s going to be hard, but enjoy it. Just getting to the starting line is a huge accomplishment!

1) This was the start of yesterday’s race. Check out the dude in the tank top. The man is pumped!

2) Today, as you can see, it was warmer and there was even some bright sunshine, which seemed to make all the difference in the way we raced.

3) Yesterday (brrrr).

4) Today (happy happy happy!).

5) The awards ceremony after today’s race was phenomenal. This 14-year old beat my time by 14 minutes. As I said yesterday, life ain’t fair. (I’ll give you my race times below.)

6) To my shame I admit that before yesterday I had never visited this battlefield.

Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville — a thousand times. But Spotsylvania wasn’t even on my radar. Sure glad I stopped by.

7) Lots of history here, much of it tragic. Union General John Sedgwick died here during the Spotsylvania Campaign. When his troops began to duck in order to avoid being hit by Confederate sharpshooters, Sedgwick stood up and said, “Why are you dodging like this? They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” Minutes later he was hit under the left eye and died.

8) It’s impossible for me not to stop and get pictures of the architectural beauties you find while driving through Virginia. Here’s one of them.

Okay, as promised, here are my stats from the races I did this weekend:

Race 1:

  • My chip time was 34:18.

  • My pace per mile was 11:01.

  • I placed 132 out of 220 male runners and 8 out of 11 in the men’s 60-69 division.

Race 2:

  • My chip time was 32:47.

  • My pace per mile was 10:33.

  • I placed 52 out of 78 male runners and 5 out of 11 in the men’s 60-69 division.

That’s crazy. Today I beat my time from yesterday by a minute and a half and yet I was more tired today than I was yesterday and the course was hillier. I think the sunshine made a huge difference. Perhaps too, I’m reminded at the start of each New Year of the many reasons I try to do better than I think is possible. A New Year grants me (and you) a new start. There’s no time for dilly-dallying. If we’re going to improve, each day requires its own motivation. In the end, it matters little to me that I was 132rd and 52nd. Whether you are male or female., whether you are 14 or 41, whether you finish in the top 10 or the last 10, a race is a race is a race. New Years puts life and death in perspective. So does running a race or any other athletic activity. Some only think about life and ignore death. Others see life only as a preparation for death. In 2017, I’m going to try and steer a middle course.

Have a great New Year, running or otherwise!

Dave

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January 2016 Blog Archives

Sunday, January 31

6:15 PM Today I drove to Bedford, VA, and from there to the Peaks of Otter with the goal of climbing Flat Top Mountain, but the trail head was closed due to snow. I was a bit disappointed as the hike is rated difficult and I really wanted to get in a long climb today (4.8 miles out and back, with a healthy elevation gain of 1,873 feet). But not to worry. Appomattox Courthouse was only an hour away, so I got back into the van and before you knew it I was videotaping this historic site on a beautiful winter day. 

Whether you are an avid Civil War buff like I am or just enjoy the outdoors, the trails and walkways at the Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park are well kept, well delineated, and full of historical markers. The staff was eager to impart information not posted. My guide today had been on the job for only two weeks but already she was a walking encyclopedia. She hails from Boston and is doing a two-month internship at the park. To think that Lee and Grant met on this very spot is awe-inspiring.

Be sure to see the movie in the visitor center when you come and take in one of the interpretive talks that are offered. If you haven’t visited the park yet, here’s a GoPro I shot that you might enjoy.

Tomorrow it’s back to the gym and then I hope to hike at least 8 miles. 

8:30 AM Do you ever wonder what it would be like to climb the world’s highest peaks? I do. With just a few more muscles in the right place and a few less years on the old bod, I think maybe, just maybe, I could have climbed with the best of them. Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to be confined to a wheel chair? I do. With just a little different outcome to all my surfing wipeouts and horseback riding accidents, I could have been paralyzed for life. I thank God that I am who I am, and the only thing that matters is how I measure up to God’s standards for Dave Black. In the end, however, I know I will never be able to comprehend God’s sovereignty and kindness. To know that there are no “accidents” in my life gives me a great measure of peace. Two years after Becky’s death, I believe with greater depth and joy than I ever did before. I think I’m finally at peace with myself. Suffering, I remind myself, is the destiny of every human being. But pain and loss never have the final say. So today I will go about my Father’s business. I will travel to a place where I will encounter God in a very special way. I will stand in awe at His beauty, and I will cry and mourn because I know that He has mourned too. When I reach the mountain’s summit, I will be reminded that I am a creature made of dust, and I will yearn for final victory, the victory Jesus won for us in His death and resurrection. Jesus, my Savior, created the mountain I will stand upon. Indeed, He created the very rock out of which His grave was hewn — a grave that could not hold Him, so perfect was His earthly life, so sacrificial His death. A woman once asked Him, “Where can God be found?” It is a vital question. He did not duck the question when He replied, “You will not have to go to any ‘holy place” to have a divine encounter with God.” In Jesus’ time, that was a radical teaching. What? No temple? No mosque? No shrine? No church? I attended a church in Raleigh a few weeks ago where people bowed before entering the building, as though God lived there. They would probably be horrified to know that this weekend I will be worshiping God on a mountaintop. How can that be true worship? Because God is there. True worship is impossible without Jesus. Jesus makes true worship possible because He alone reveals God to us. The church building I attend today for “worship” will not exhaust my worship experience this weekend. At best, it will supplement it. The “worship leader” in the church building will have nothing on the birds and the deer. This is why we live and move and have our being: for the love of Jesus, for the love of others, for the love of the lost, and for the pleasure of our Creator and our Redeemer and our Soon-Returning Lord. I just thank God that each one of us stands equal before Him. And soon and very soon we will all be asked to give an account for our lives. The only thing that will matter when that Day comes is how we have measured up to His standards for our lives.

Saturday, January 30

7:45 PM Taught my two sessions on campus today and gave away copies of Will You Join the Cause of Global Missions? After one of our sessions these students insisted on having their mug shots taken with yours truly. What a great group of young missionaries.

Then it was back to my office where I was able to get caught up on some school work. Right now I’m cooking chicken and rice for supper and getting ready to relax with my new book about the 1996 Everest Disaster.

A couple of weeks ago I read Jon Krakauer’s account of the same events on Everest. I knew he had criticized Anatoli Boukreev’s decision to summit without supplementary oxygen and for descending ahead of the other members of his group, so I just had to read Boukreev’s own account of the disaster. Thus far the book has all the drama of an ancient Greek tragedy. If you’ve seen the movie Everest, you will recall that Boukreev was the lead climbing guide for Scott Fischer’s Mountain Madness expedition. He would later go on to rescue three climbers who had been stranded above 8,000 meters. As I said, the main question involves Boukreev’s lack of supplemental oxygen. As a guide who was responsible for assisting other climbers, it seemed unwise to Krakauer (and others) that Fischer would have given Boukreev such discretion. In any case, I look forward to finishing this book tonight so that I go on to my next Everest book by Beck Weathers called Left for Dead. (Beck lost half of his right arm in the disaster.) Beck’s part is played by John Brolin in the movie. Beck, by his own admission, felt the disaster was amixed blessing.

If I knew exactly what was going to happen — every bit of the struggle and heartbreak — I would do it again in a heartbeat. I gave up a couple of parts. But what I got back was my marriage, my relationship with my kids and a forced reevaluation of how I wanted to live the rest of my life. I got so much more out of it than I gave up.

That is such a relief to hear. As is so often the case with God, when we start to think honestly about our own loss, we find ourselves exploring a new road of meaning that opens up before us. This was true of Beck after the loss of his arm. This was true of me after the loss of Becky. It is how we respond to loss that matters. Pure and simple.

As for me … what do I get out of climbing? Do I really even know? Let’s see…. I climb because I enjoy working hard to reach a goal. I climb because I love trying to create a personal best (PB) in terms of physical and mental accomplishment. Conquering my inner fears is, I’m sure, a bit part of it as well. Then you have to add in the fact that mountaineering is played out in some of the most beautiful places in the world. As a teenager I rode big waves in Hawaii. Later, I rode cross country on my hot-blooded steeds. Now my interests have changed again. I will admit that I’m not interested in taking foolish risks. But by the same token, I’m not averse to engaging in activities that are considered to be dangerous. But I will only go so far. Deep down inside, I think I’m addicted to safety more than I am to foolish risks. I hope I’m wise enough not to be reckless and brave enough to take on reasonable risks. If we humans were completely risk-averse, we’d never make a friend. If we were completely risk-averse, we’d never go into business or fall in love. Life is a series of calculated risks. It doesn’t have any guarantees. A major reason why I’m climbing the Alps this year is because I probably won’t be able to climb them in another 5 or 10 years.

Walking, running, and hiking have become a permanent part of my life. Just as I bathe every day and pray every day and brush my teeth every day, so I get outdoors every day. “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves,” wrote Edmund Hillary. Healthy physical exercise is extremely satisfying to me. Getting outdoors allows me to slow down and disconnect. Climbing reminds me that I can do even more important things with my life if I really try. Climbing is about moving upward. When you summit a mountain you’re treated to an eagle-eye’s view of the world. It increases your physical and mental toughness. It offers you a way to confront your basic fears. I find hiking and climbing an amazing relief from the daily stress of life. But you have to experience it yourself to understand yourself. Vicarious climbing doesn’t cut it. The higher I climb, the smaller I am. My problems, my ego, become insignificant when compared to the world all around me.

So there you have it. There is faith, fire, and passion in my eyes, all partly due to the great outdoors. Have you discovered the joy of hiking yet?Get outdoors tomorrow, friend. You will love it.

8:14 AM In Greek 2 class this past week we talked about the Lord’s Supper because I had included the Greek adverb “worthily” (and its antonym) in our vocabulary for the day. (Isn’t it so unlike me to go on rabbit trials in class?) I stressed that there’s a world of difference between an adjective (“unworthy”) and an adverb (“unworthily”). You will recall that the Corinthian church was behaving rather badly when they came together to share the bread and the cup. Paul quotes Jesus’ own words after Jesus had broken the bread: “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Paul’s point is that we come to the table, not to remember our sins, but to remember our Savior. And yet how many of us can attest to being asked whether or not we are “worthy” to partake of the elements that day? We are requested to have a time of introspection to see whether or not we feel worthy enough to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Boy are we good at complicating the ways of Jesus. I have nothing at all against a time of introspection, or a time of confession, but that need not be left for the Lord’s Supper. In fact, Jesus never invited anyone to His table. His words are a command in the imperative mood: “Do this in remembrance of me.” As I said, we do not come to the table to remember our sins but our Savior. This focus, unfortunately, is often blurred. Remembrance is at the heart any true observance of the Lord’s Supper. Through the bread and the cup we participate in Christ. So the service is a communion as well as a commemoration. Our common participation in the meal is a sign of our fellowship and unity. Indeed, the earliest Christians took the bread and the cup as part of a communal meal. As I argued in my book Seven Marks of a New Testament Church, there is much to be gained by this practice. Fellowship is a vitally important aspect of the Lord’s Supper. Rather than the pulpit being the center of attention, the elements (Christ and His death!) are. As we partake with others, we are united with Christ as one body. That’s why there is only one table of the Lord. There’s not one table for the rich and another for the poor; one for slaves and another for the free; one for Jewish Christians and another for Gentile Christians; one for the educated and another for the uneducated; one for men and another for women; one for Calvinists and another for Arminians; one for clergy and another for laity; one for homeschool families and another for families whose children attend public school. The entire focus is on Christ, on whom we feast together. That’s why I called my chapter on the Lord’s Supper “Christ-Centered Gatherings.” It is Christ we celebrate! “This is our Servant-King-Savior. This is our Senior Pastor. And now He calls upon us to follow Him. Yes, we will follow You, King Jesus!” The closer our relationship with our Head, the better we will be able to spur one another on in the Christian life. We should go to every church gathering not just thinking, “What can I get out of it?” or even “What can I contribute to it?” but “How can I acknowledge what Jesus has done for me?” One way to do this is by lifting Him up and giving Him central place every single time we gather, as He commanded us to do. Jesus never commanded His followers to observe Christmas. He never told us to celebrate Easter. He said, “Keep on doing this in remembrance of Me.” Unless the entire church has been directed back in remembrance of the cross, no true Lord’s Supper has taken place.

For more, please read Howard Marshall’s classic essaySome Considerations Regarding the Lord’s Supper Today. I am fully convinced that God is big enough and good enough to lead us back into a biblical observation of His Supper.

Friday, January 29

6:44 PM How to spoil your dogs.

 


4:48 PM ReadWhy we don’t have a senior pastor.

4:44 PM I’m developing my plan to train for my trip to the Alps this July. I’m building into the plan “peaks” and “valleys” as well as times when I just go on maintenance for a while. Right now the goal I’m working toward is twofold: stamina and strength, i.e., the ability to move effectively and efficiently, my balance, my coordination, and my energy level. I have already seen results. I have practically doubled the strength in my legs in the past 6 months. I’ve begun alternating easy and hard days. Having just spent the past two days working on my cardio and endurance by doing two back-to-back 10Ks, it’s now time to climb a mountain again so that I can exercise my whole body and build lower-back strength and core stabilization. You have to have a solid core so that you can move with safety and power. I also need to work more consistently on form and correct posture when exercising. At my age, the margin for error is narrower, and the cost for doing things the wrong way has gone up. If you’re like me, then pretty soon exercise becomes one of the sweetest times in your day. Working hard produces a terrific feeling (an “aerobic high”). It’s gotten to the point where my body actually craves the daily chemistry of exercise, whether the workout is slow, long, steady, or intense. There is an “aura” period that lasts for hours afterwards. You feel more, not less, energized. Above all, you realize that, through regular exercise, you can ward off the illnesses we are prone to get as we age. Heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity — high end fitness can dramatically reduce these threats and slow the muscle loss of ageing. Many of us have forgotten how joyful it is to truly move. Guess what? You’re never too old (or too far out of shape) to start exercising again. If you’ve fallen into the undisciplined habit of feeding your appetite and not your hunger, even that can change. But the price for freedom is discipline. That is the key to a great third act.

Try it. You’ll see!

12:08 PM Just completed my second 10K (6.2 miles) in as many days. Let’s see … what’s next on my schedule?

Yes!

Power nap!

8:15 AM I’m taking a scheduled break from writing. (Okay, okay, so I didn’t really schedule in this break. I’m really a pretty spontaneous guy.) Anyhow, I’ve got a couple of thoughts roaming around in my brain right now — not that there’s anything earth-shattering about them. First of all, I argued in our LXX class this week that if anyone should be interested in linguistics — the art and science of how language works — it should be students of the Bible, and especially students of the biblical languages. Not all would agree, of course. To some, linguistics remains a “secular” science, one that can hardly be “evangelicalized.” Not surprisingly, I’ve been taken to task for suggesting that biblical scholars have much to gain from the science of linguistics. But when I study Paul, I do not see him despising or excluding the world of creation from his theology. A dualistic tension between faith in God and the scientific perception of the nature of creation has no place in his thinking. God was responsible for creating heaven and earth, and He made all things good (Gen 1:31). Far from being a threat to modern exegesis, I believe the facts show that the immense problems facing modern exegetes are sometimes best resolved when they are treated from a linguistic point of view. The discourse structure/theme of Philippians is a case in point (see my Novum Testamentum essay calledThe Discourse Structure of Philippians: A Study in Textlinguistics). Hence Paul’s juxtaposition of worldly and divine wisdom in 1 Cor. 1:18-2:16 need not be construed as a contrast between faith and reason. What Paul is fighting against in this passage is not science per se but man-made religion and hubris. Translated into modern diction, though all human endeavors can clearly become futile and hostile to the honor of God, they are not necessarily evil.  I’d like to think that my students would be open to learning a thing or two from modern linguistic science. If you would like to as well, there are a number of places where you can start. My ownLinguistics for Students of New Testament Greek will give you a basic overview of the field, while Logos has bundled numerous resources that will help you dig a bit deeper (Studies in New Testament Greek). If you take me for Greek 3, we take a linguistic approach to exegesis and work though some of the major works in the field. Steve Runge’sOn eclecticism in linguistics is also very helpful. Listen, some trends in biblical studies, like some fashion trends, are questionable. I suspect that you, like me, are cautious about new approaches to anything. Still, there’s some good work being done today by New Testament scholars in the field of linguistics, and I’m fairly sure you can benefit from being exposed to it.

Alright, now let’s talk about the letter to the editor that’s been making the rounds on the ‘net. You can read about it here. The letter gives a very realistic glimpse into a slice of America many people are perhaps unfamiliar with. The only question I would ask is, Do we see the face of Jesus in the homeless and refugee population (Matt. 25:34-36)? Few things capture the spirit of Christ better than the way we welcome the stranger into our midst. After all, God is a God who is beautiful not because He’s cutesy and looks like Santa Claus. He’s beautiful because He adopts into His family His enemies and then lovingly transforms them from the inside out. Personally, I think I’ve had enough of cries for vengeance/caution/national security to last me for at least a couple of million years. Let’s try taking the teachings of Jesus seriously and loving our enemies and then watch what God can do. If you share this vision of the kingdom, will you join me in praying for the Syrian refugees who come to our country, praying that God will use us Christians to follow the example of Jesus and be willing even to give our lives for the sake of the gospel? Yes, I know that this model of transformation I’m calling for doesn’t exactly fit the politically-oriented paradigm of modern social conservatism. But if significant numbers of Christians were to engage in this kind of sacrificial service, I believe that the church could have a transforming impact on our culture that social activists could only dream of having.

Anyway … like I said, I’m taking a break from writing and my “schedule” says I need to get back to it. Trying to write a book about my life is not an easy thing, so keep me covered, will you?

And start studying linguistics!

Peace,

Dave

7:02 AM Good morning to you! Just checked my to-do list for the day. I make a new list every morning. (Goodness, I even schedule in my scheduling.) Nobody really knows why people enjoy writing to-do lists. For me, list-making is an aid both in remembering what I want to remember and as a means of prioritizing. Then there’s the joy of crossing off things in my list.

List-writing is a daily ritual for me. I like to think that it’s a sign that, at my age, I’m still capable of organizing myself. “I still have control over my world.” Of course, I don’t really have that kind of control. Deep down inside I rebel against my performance-based persona. “Do I really need to be so routinized?” To boil it down, I write lists (of all kinds) because that’s just the way my personality is hard-wired. “Why do I make lists?” is like asking “Why do I breathe?” So today I need to work on my MITs (Most Important Tasks) before working on anything else. Near the top of the list is “unplug.” A huge time-waster in my life is connectivity. As I exercise outdoors today, I’ll turn everything off (except for my Map My Run app). Before you pooh-pooh this idea, try it. And please, be courteous to those you’re talking with. Turn off your phone if you know it will interrupt a conversation you’re having. I had lunch with someone recently who kept checking his messages and emails during the meal. I didn’t say anything but I should have. After all, I deserved their undivided attention! (Lol.)

So … what’s on my list for today?

Wouldn’t you like to know!

Thursday, January 28

4:04 PM Trained hard today.

ThenI had lunch with Nate and Nolan. Three generations.

I know you love family pix. You’re welcome.

Later,

Dave

8:10 AM Just a word of appreciation to Philip Hunt, President of Central Africa Baptist College & Seminary in Zambia, for sending me a copy of his school’s new journal. He asked me to help get the word out and I’m only too happy to do so. He also informs me that when the next issue of the journal is released in July of 2016, digital copies of volume 1 will be available for free download on their website. How cool is that?

I’ve already read my copy of volume 1 and I can tell you, I’m pleased and impressed. Nixon Obunga, a church planter in Zambia, writes an essay called “Developing a Biblical Philosophy of Ministry.” Topics include “Separation, Unity, Love, and Holiness,” “Worldviews,” “Friendship Evangelism,” “Compassionate Ministry,” Servant Leadership,” “Shared Leadership,” “People before Programs,” and “A Blend of Structured and Informal Training.” In the latter section the author writes:

Every member should be involved in ministry, both the doing of it as well as the training of others in informal settings as they watch, feel, and learn.

Then he adds:

That being said, it is equally important that there be times for structured training with a determined duration, discernable curriculum, and specific objectives.

His point is that the local church in general bears a heavy burden in terms of education and training. That’s one reason I’m so excited about the Greek class that will begin next month in Windward Oahu as part of a local church ministry. Classes will meet once a week in the evening so that as many bi-vocational pastors as possible can attend. This is a church that gets it, folks. They will use my grammar and DVDs, and in April I get to make a “cameo” appearance when I visit Oahu. This is way bigger than Greek, though. It’s about a local church getting serious about biblical education. It’s about becoming equipped to lead and teach. It’s about training a new generation of elders in the Islands who have the tools necessary to dig and dig deep. So thanks again to Brother Hunt and heartiest congratulations on the launch of your new journal. Thank you most of all, Jesus, for being amazing and brilliant and compassionate and astonishing and perfect and our Senior Pastor. Man, I wish Your church could learn how to give You the place of preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18). But we’re learning how to do this, step by step. Because You’re teaching us. Thank you!

7:32 AM When was the last time you changed your mind about something? I mean something important? For me that was on Tuesday. I had just cracked open the latest issue of Filologia Neotestamentaria. In it was an essay called “The passivum divinum: The Rise and Future Fall of an Imaginary Linguistic Phenomenon.” Authors Smit and Rennson argue that the so-called “divine passive” construction in Greek exists only as an urban myth. Agentless passives with God as their implied agent are due, not to a desire to avoid pronouncing the Divine Name, but rather to other motives (e.g., the agent is already clearly implied in the context; the agent is not in focus but instead the subject is, etc.). Besides being obviously impressed by the authors’ arguments, I was a bit perturbed to think that I had been teaching the “divine passive” for years. Get this wrong, and you’re probably going to be just as guilty of eisegesis asthis preacher who insists that non-tithers have opened themselves up to demons. My oh my! So keep on thinking, dear reader — and remember that Jesus came to lift every noose from your neck, both the ones you put there and the ones others put there. (See David Croteau’s excellent book,Tithing After the Cross — which one Amazon reviewer calls “… a Biblical but not dogmatic approach to a complicated topic that was treated with great care and biblical support.” Go David!)

People, we need each other. We need iron sharpening iron. So once again, I stand corrected, and I’m glad for that. Being open to correction helps us to run our races well and to practice the grace-filled living we were created for. Amen?

6:52 AM Just added to ourGreek Portal:Learn Biblical Greek by Robert Plummer. Rob’s videos are based on my beginning grammar, Learn to Read New Testament Greek. These are some seriously good vids. I want to thank Rob for making them available online.

6:32 AM It has taken me some 40 years to derive my thinking about vocation. It was a Herculean task, but I managed it. (Please be impressed.) I mention it this morning because two words keep popping into my brain: untapped potential. I’m concerned especially about you young whippersnappers. You often seem so, well, unsettled. You’re unsure of who you are, of your calling in life, of your God-given vocation. I run across our graduates all the time who seem to be floundering. They keep making the same vocational decisions — and keep shooting themselves in the foot in the process. This post is for you.

1 Cor. 12:4-6 played a significant role in my life when I was in seminary.

Διαιρέσεις δὲ χαρισμάτων εἰσίν, τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα·καὶ διαιρέσεις διακονιῶν εἰσιν, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς κύριος·καὶ διαιρέσεις ἐνεργημάτων εἰσίν, ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς θεός, ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὰ πάντα ἐν πᾶσιν.

Here Paul says that the Spirit grants to all the members of the body spiritual gifts (charismata). The Son, on the other hand, assigns ministries or places of service (diakonioi) to every gifted member. These are opportunities to exercise one’s spiritual gifts in ways that edify other believers. (Remember, the Spirit does not give us gifts so that we might simply boast of or brag about them. He desires us to serve and use those gifts as the Lord directs us and in the place of His appointment.) Finally, Paul says that God Himself grants us the energemata – the abilities – to use our spiritual gifts in an effective way.

Think of your life as a funnel. At the top is the matter of gifting. What are your strengths? What interests you the most? What are you “good” at? Paul says that our gifting comes from the Holy Spirit. You don’t ask the Spirit for your gift; you simply discover it and then develop it. This is the matter of what. Don’t try to be a thumb in the body if you are an ear!

Secondly, the middle of the funnel is the matter of where. In what place of ministry am I to exercise my God-given abilities? Where shall I serve Him and others? Paul says that the place of our ministry is up to the Lord. Jesus Himself will appoint us to a place of ministry. Let’s say, for example, that your gift is teaching. The only thing you want to do with your life is teach. But where? You can teach in a public school or a private school. You can teach in primary school or graduate school. You can teach in a secular school or in a religious school. You can teach in a Bible college or in a seminary. How to know? Well, in one sense, you don’t have to bother trying to figure it out. The Lord knows exactly where He wants to “put” you. He knows the best showcase for your gifts. And He will open whatever door needs opening so that you can serve Him in that place.

Finally, at the end of the funnel is the matter of why. What do I hope to accomplish by exercising my spiritual gift in the place of the Lord’s appointment? Again, Paul is clear. This matter has already been arranged by God. He is the one who “works all things in all people.” Therefore we can leave the results to Him. We simply allow Him to produce in us those good works that He has already foreordained that “we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

So there are three steps in this process: discovering our gifts, discovering the place where we can best exercise those gifts, and discovering what God wants to accomplish though us as we exercise those gifts in the place of the Lord’s appointment. (I realize that’s wordy.)

Once I figured out what God had created me to be (a teacher), the next question was where? Well, the Lord opened the door for me to teach Greek at Biola University while I was taking classes at Talbot School of Theology on the same campus. The Lord made it clear to me that my field of teaching was to be at either the college level or the seminary level. Subsequent to that revelation, it was then a matter of acquiring a doctorate (which was and still is a prerequisite for teaching at this level). As for the results, I have watched in amazement as God enabled me to teach and write and publish. Yes, I set personal publishing goals (one book every five years and one journal article every year), but I never sweated about any of this. I just taught and wrote and published as God enabled and led and provided and opened doors. You know, when you truly come to grips with Paul’s teaching here (i.e., that the results of our ministries are up to God), it is so liberating. You are free from ever having to compare yourself with anyone else. You will never be jealous that another New Testament scholar has, say, written more books than you have. There’s no need for that. The energemata are all up to God, who works everything in everyone — and therefore gets all the glory for anything we may have accomplished.

My point is this, young person. If you feel that God is calling you into full-time college or seminary teaching in the field of biblical studies, I say go for it. Don’t sweat the job market. I know this may sound simplistic, but I really believe it. If this is God’s will for your life, He will open the door and produce the results. Why, then, worry about it? I can tell you example after example of my own doctoral students being placed in teaching positions, some immediately upon graduation. This is a God thing. But that’s Paul’s point!

Please don’t waste your life doing something God never created you to do. “Untapped potential” is not the legacy you want. Discover your gift and allow the Lord to lead you to the place of His appointment, and then stand back and watch God do some pretty remarkable things in and through your life and ministry. Find God’s will for your life and you will live happier, love better, laugh louder, and stand taller. “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Wednesday, January 27

5:52 PM I have now taught my three classes and I’m riding high. I love what I do. Empowering students to think for themselves is wonderful work. I think most of them have developed a fairly sensitive skubala meter when it comes to reading and listening to us so-called experts. I think this is a very good thing. The truth is that meaningful change in our lives and our churches is possible. Change can be risky, of course — and very uncomfortable. Cultivating authenticity is a process that can be scary. But that’s what wholehearted living is all about. Letting go of our self-deceptions. Letting go of what other people might think about us. It’s the only way to truly live. In the classroom I feel brave, afraid … and very much alive. “Dance like no one is watching,” wrote Mark Twain. “Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on earth.” Nothing inspires me quite as much as when my students “get it.” It takes lots of guts to study Greek. You risk feeling very vulnerable. But what a great way to live. Want to be an inspiration to others? Try something that scares you or something you’ve always dreamt about doing. The only unique contribution you will ever make in this world will be birthed by your creativity. “I’m just going to do it. I don’t care anymore what others think.” Follow your intuition. Go with your guts. I’ve spent almost a year focusing on the intersection of faith and fitness. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be running in races or climbing mountains. Though intuition is not independent of the thinking process, it goes much deeper than that. The great goal in life, I modestly suggest, is to find who God made you to be and then live that out fully. God’s potential for your life should inspire you to reach for big goals, and if you work up a sweat in the process, so much the better. Nothing inspires me more than watching people who have decided to live an authentic life, who have taken off their game face, who are real and imperfect, and who refuse to run around spackling in all the cracks. I’m inspired by everyone who is courageous enough to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. If authenticity is your goal, you will never regret it. If your goal is being liked, forget it. If you’re like me, you struggle to be authentic and brave. We’re so used to trying to be everything to everyone that we have little time to be what God made us to be. God wants us out of the closet. He wants the truth to set us free. He knows when we’re just pretending to be real, pretending to serve others, pretending that we enjoy our work, pretending to care. He sees our hearts. He’s looking for a gutsy faith that is more than skin deep. If it’s mediocrity you’re seeking, there’s plenty of that to be had these days. I say: Thumb your nose at the skeptics. Be yourself — the self that God made you to be. Stop being who you’re “supposed to be” and start being you. Own your story. Stop living life vicariously through others. Stop allowing perfectionism to sabotage your efforts. Forty years ago I felt totally exposed when I entered the classroom for the first time. Today the same gremlins that told me “You’ll never be a good teacher” are still with me. But the truth is, you have to ignore them. Forty years ago I decided that I would let go of what the world said I should be and just be myself. Each day my vocation as a teacher has become an experiment in how I can live out my faith in very ordinary, everyday ways. I chuckle whenever I think about how God took perhaps the worst high school student in history and made him into a Greek teacher. I get giddy with joy whenever I think about how God has given each and every one of us a very special set of abilities and capabilities, and when we try to be like others we are like a dog that tries to fly. People, relax. Get comfortable with your own style. Learn to enjoy your own special contribution to this world. Practice being still and quiet. Speaking personally, I’m never more clutter-free emotionally than when I’m walking alone in God’s marvelous creation. You need to find a quiet place that works for you. Whatever it takes, find a place where you can hear God’s voice as He speaks to you through His Spirit and through His word. I’ve come to discover that the physical and the spiritual are not at odds with each other. Neither are faith and reason natural enemies. I believe that a joyful life is a life where body, soul, mind, and spirit work in harmony to pursue God’s kingdom values. We just have to find the courage to live life with our entire being.

How we live our years is largely under our control. Aging need not involve decaying. The amazing news is that we can reverse the decaying process by doing physical exercise a measly 40 minutes a day, 6 days a week. And doing that is more fun than you might think. Whenever you can, go outdoors. Bike, hike, run, walk, row, climb, swim, paddle. Look around and soak up the beauty. It can be done, no matter how old (or young) you are. Then, with every ounce of God-given strength you have, pour yourself into the work God designed for you to do. For me, that means the classroom. What an honor it is to teach. Being a Christian is an acceptance of the fact that we are not our own. Christ has given us a new purpose, new values, and a new reason for living. When you realize that He loves you that much, you begin to feel His pleasure … and begin loving others in the same way because you understand that God loves others as much as He loves you.

With that in mind, try an experiment. See what happens when you stop just telling people to live with passion and start showing them. You might be surprised the difference this makes.

Cheers!

Dave

P.S. A few pix from my time on campus.

1) These tomes awaited me when I returned to my office after the break.

2) Our quad’s kitchen now boasts a new sign.

I love the use of “themselves” to refer to a singular subject (“everyone”). This practice goes all the way back to Middle English. If someone objects to this usage today, they simply don’t know what they’re talking about.

3) Our discussion of the history of the LXX in our doctoral seminar this morning.

The class is off to a great start.

4) Had lunch with one of our doctoral students today. Tlaquepaque in Wake Forest has the best chili rellenos. Bar none.

Tuesday, January 26

7:34 AM Please join us this Friday and Saturday if you can for our annual Go Conference on campus. Detailshere. I’ll have the honor of speaking about global missions in one of the breakout sessions. 

7:24 AM This was my view at 7:00 this morning.

Today promises some significant warming (and thawing), but if I’m going anywhere today I’ll be shoveling snow in the driveway for sure as soon as it warms up. Wherever you go and whatever you do today:

Pamper yourself. Take a walk in the snow. Guzzle a cup of coffee. Make faces in the mirror. Take time to be silent.

Accept yourself. I know I will never be a good plumber or a great climber. But I’m okay with that. I’m happy to be me.

Protect yourself. Don’t drive if the roads are hazardous. Wear gloves in the snow. Stay away from people with colds. Get some exercise. East fresh food.

Love yourself. “The law code — don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other ‘don’t’ you can think of — finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself” (Rom. 13:9, The Message).

Monday, January 25

3:40 PM If one of the marks of a Christian is supposed to be joy, you gotta wonder what went wrong. We get a little bit of snow and everyone thinks Snowmaggedon has arrived. Okay, so I can’t get my car down the driveway. Ok, so it’s cold outside. Ok, I wish it were 75 degrees and sunny. But that doesn’t mean I’ve got to give up smiling and laughing — and walking. You’re looking at one happy man.

A couple of hours ago my legs said to my brain, “Brain, we’re tired of just sitting here. Can you please take us out for a walk?” I guess you could say their enthusiasm was infectious. My brain gladly acquiesced, and off we went on a 5K jaunt through the ‘hood.

Folks, Christianity ain’t for deadheads. Jesus liked to party and He liked kids and He liked fun. For crying out loud, it was for doing these things that He got the most flack from the good old Pharisees. For the Christian, joy is serious business. Yes, life is tough. But Christ knows that. That’s why He came to our planet. He wants us to experience life in all its fullness — even when we’re snowed in (or worse).

Now that my legs’ craving has been satisfied, my body is happy again. And that makes me very happy.

What a great life.

11:26 AM Do not click onthis page unless you want to come with me to the Alps this summer.

11:22 AM This just in atABC 11:

Because the Panthers won on Sunday, Krispy Kreme is offering a dozen of their original glazed doughnuts for $3.99 on Monday in North Carolina and South Carolina.

See how health conscious we are in the South?

10:08 AM My next big hike will be Mount Mitchell in western North Carolina. At 6,683 feet, it’s the highest peak east of the Mississippi. You can drive to the top but I hope to climb it. It will have to wait, though. Mount Mitchell just had a record 66 inches of snow.

7:02 AM This post is a shameless defense of singleness. The discipline of celibacy is changing my life. It’s a very serious undertaking but it has its benefits and rewards. These thoughts came to my tired mind as, late last night, I was reading Michael Green’s terrific book To Corinth with Love. The subtitle is “Paul’s Message to the Troubled Church at Corinth and Its Relevance to Christians Today.” Green, like the Bible, is always relevant. Here’s what he says in chapter 12 about “The Unmarried Life.”

  • Singleness can be lovely. It is kalon (1 Cor. 7:1) — a good or beautiful thing —  for a man not to touch a woman. “If you are called to singleness, rejoice. Paul was unmarried (1 Cor. 7:7) and could wish for everyone to be like him, although he knew it was not everyone’s gift.” Lovely indeed.

  • Singleness can be fulfilling. “Was Paul, was Jesus unfulfilled? In no way. Nor need you be if you remain unmarried.” “There was no hint of unfulfillment in these lives, because they had willingly embraced the call of God to celibacy.”

  • Singleness can be liberating. Single people have “far greater ability to serve.” They are “free from distraction,” says Paul. Singleness secures “undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:33, 35).

Green concludes:

These are three strong advantages in the single life. They deserve to be well weighed by every unmarried person. You should not assume that marriage is necessarily the right thing for you. It may be. It may not be.

I am a pilgrim on this earth, and this truth radically affects my attitude toward marriage. The time has been “shortened” writes Paul in 1 Cor. 7. The expectation of Christ’s return should cause us to be detached from this world system, whether we are married or not. “Those who have wives should live as though they have none.” Life with God at its core is about giving your life up for something bigger and better. It’s about saying at every step that God has a good plan for my life and He knows better than I do what I need. If you are single (as I am), I can’t say what is the right or wrong thing for you to do. But I do know that God always honors an obedient faith. He too walked the path of loneliness and singleness. And it is He who heals the broken in spirit and binds up our wounds. Men and women are sometimes surprised to discover that, after they get married, they are still lonely. That’s because even the most intimate of human relationships can’t fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts. So be realistic and reasonable in your expectations. And do try and be content, regardless of your married state. Why am I single? Why am I widowed? Is it for nothing? Or is it for something? Either way, we are God’s. “I am God’s. I am God’s.” I keep saying it to myself. It sounds risky and too good to be true. It even sounds selfish. But it’s the truth.

“Widowerhood” is becoming less and less a concept and more and more the actual way I live. Praise be to God.

6:32 AM So it’s Peyton versus Cam. You gotta love it.

Is age finally catching up with Peyton? Brett Favre played until he was in his 40s, and Manning is 39. But he’s already an old man by NFL standards (the average career for an NFL quarterback is 4.5 years). I don’t know about you, but I’m rooting for the old dude. God bless the old guys who beat the odds. Just don’t get hurt, bro. And remember: Father Time is undefeated. Every one of us has an expiration date. When you retire, go out strong. Head high.

Now raise your hand if you want the Broncos to win.

Sunday, January 24

5:32 PM Has anyone hiked in or around Zermatt? I plan on spending a week there in July and I’m looking for a nice day-hike on Day 4 of my trip. Here’s my itinerary:

Day 1: Take the train from Zermatt to the train station at Rotenboden. Hike to the Gornergletcher (Gorner Glacier) on the Monte Rosa trail. Take the train back to Zermatt.

Day 2: Take the lift to Klein Matterhorn and climb the Breithorn. Return to Zermatt.

Day 3: Drive to Saas Fee and take the lift to Mittelallalin and then climb the Allalinhorn. Overnight in Zermatt.

Day 4: Rest day (and a possible local hike).

Day 5: Take the tram to Unterrothorn and then descend to the Oberrothorn trail eventually ending at Fluhalp. From Fluhalp return to Zermatt via the Stellisee.

Day 6: Take the lift to Schwarzsee and then hike to the Hörnlihütte on the Matterhorn. Stay overnight on the mountain.

Day 7: Climb the Matterhorn (as high as I feel comfortable going).

I am really excited to be getting back to the Alps. Car-free Zermatt alone has over 250 miles of walking trails and 150 miles of pistes for skiing and snowboarding. I can’t wait to hike the Gornergletcher, the second longest glacier in the Alps.

My first 4,000 meter peak will be the Breithorn at 4,164 meters (13,661 feet).

The Breithorn is great for a novice climber like me — or so I am told — and is considered the easiest of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps. This is partly because you can take the cable car from Zermatt to the mountain station at 3,820 meters (12,700 feet). The thought of actually climbing to the top of a major mountain in the Alps appeals to my sense of adventure no end. It’s a relatively mild slope but you are climbing up ice and snow the whole way so you’ll need crampons for your mountaineering boots. You don’t want to do this climb without a certified mountain guide, that’s for sure!

The Allalinhorn, which I hope to climb on Day 3, is 4,027 meters (13,212 feet) and also has the reputation of being one of the easiest 4000-meter peaks in the Alps when climbed by the standard route.

On Day 5 we’ll hike to the Stellisee which boasts drop-dead views of the Matterhorn.

Then on Days 6-7 it’s on to the Matterhorn where we’ll spend the night at 10,000 feet at a mountain cabin called the Hörnlihütte before doing some rock scrambling the next day along the upward slopes of this (in)famous mountain.

Don’t worry, I have NO intention of summiting — I may be dumb, folks, but I’m not stupid. Since I have no experience of this kind of hiking, I’ve hired a full-time professional mountain guide. His name is Walter Rossini and he’s posted several videos of his guided climbs to YouTube in case you’re interested. Here’s one showing the ascent of the Jungfrau.

Walter hails from Argentina but now lives in Austria with his Austrian wife and their small son. He is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and English. He didn’t have to tell me this but it goes without saying that you can never underestimate how dangerous the mountains can be and how quickly conditions can change. Thankfully, the ascents I’m attempting are pretty basic climbs. Moreover, for the most part I’m following the mountaineer’s famous dictum: “Climb high, sleep low.” As far as training is considered, if you’re in good shape I’m told the climbs aren’t too strenuous. Obviously I need to continue and even ramp up my basic training and climb lots of peaks between now and July. For the altitude, there is very little I can do since there are no mountains close to home that offer any significant elevation. I’m told that altitude affects every person differently, so I won’t really know how I acclimatize until I get there. If Walter turns me around, I’m fine with hiking smaller mountains or hillsides even. Even if I don’t get altitude sickness, I’m sure I’ll “feel the altitude.”

So there you have it. Isn’t God good? My climbing dates are July 10-16, though I’ll stay a few extra days in Zermatt before and after my climbs. Zermatt has been at the top of mountain destinations I’ve always wanted to visit. It’s a little out of the way so what better reason to spend a few days there and take some daily guided climbs. Just thinking about climbing to the Hörnlihütte on the Matterhorn takes my breath away. Above the hut it’s very steep and for masochists only! The sport of mountaineering largely originated in the Alps and (not surprisingly) is immensely popular there. Think of the Rockies near Denver or the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks to the inability of us Baby Boomers to accept our limitations, the adventure industry is booming. Hey, sure beats sitting on the front porch watching the goats graze. Or does it? I’ll do both if I can!

You know, I haven’t been working out all that long, but I feel healthier and more energetic today than when I was 30. As a writer, I also know that there are enormous cognitive benefits to exercise as well. Movement seems to be the key to so many things in life. At any rate, I’m thoroughly enjoying my “Second Adulthood” (as Gail Sheehy calls it). I really feel sorry for you younger guys and gals. Studies have shown that happiness goes down during the mid-s to late 50s, probably because of the stress of raising children, paying off the mortgage, and establishing one’s career. So you see, getting old isn’t all that bad after all. The biggest grin is still ahead. 🙂

Vamos a la cumbre!

Dave

3:55 PM More pix. Glad to see that VDOT got the road plowed.

11:45 AM Can you pronounce these place names as native speakers do?

  • Colombia

  • Carnegie Hall

  • Budapest

  • Mackinac Bridge

  • Iraq

  • La Jolla

  • Thames River

  • Norfolk

For the answers, gohere.

P.S. I have yet to meet anyone who could correctly pronounce both Ayn Rand and Gresham Machen.

10:10 AM It boggles the mind. A thrice-married billionaire who has never sought forgiveness has42 percent of the evangelical vote. (Cruz gets only 25 percent.) “One of the dangers of having a lot of money,” wrote C. S. Lewis, “is that you may be quite satisfied with the kinds of happiness money can give and so fail to realize your need for God. If everything seems to come simply by signing checks, you may forget that you are at every moment totally dependent on God.” John Wesley put it this way: “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”

You can’t serve both God and money. This is the challenge we each must face individually. Am I really free from the love of money? Am I really the giver the Lord wants me to be? Dave, release your grip on money now. Allow God enough elbow room to do His work in your life. Don’t just act like a Christian. Lord, just for today help me to live out my faith in everyday, ordinary, tangible ways and trust You in very extraordinary ways. Amen.

9:46 AM LXX class: We get to read Jonah (adapted)!

1 ὁ λόγος Κυρίου ἐγένετο πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Ἀμαθἰ λέγων 2 «άνάστηθι καὶ πορεύθητι εἰς Νινευὴν τὴν πόλιν τὴν μεγάλην καὶ κήρυξον ἐν αὐτῇ, ὅτι ἀνέβη ἡ ἁμαρτία αὐτῆς πρός με.» 3 καὶ ἀνέστη Ἰωνᾶς τοῦ ἔρχεσθαι εἰς Θαρσὶς ἐκ προσώπου Κυρίου καὶ κατέβη εἰς Ἰόππην καὶ εὗρεν πλοῖον ἐρχόμενον εἰς Θαρσίς. καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦ ἔρχεσθαι μετ᾽ αὐτῶν εἰς Θαρσὶς, ἐκ προσώπου Κυρίου.

4 καὶ Κύριος ἔπεμψε μέγα πνεῦμα εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. καὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἐμελλε λυθῆναι. 5 καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ἄνδρες καὶ ἔκρασαν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔβαλλον τὰ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. Ἰωνᾶς δὲ κατέβη εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ πλοίου καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ.

6 καὶ ὁ κύριος τοῦ πλοίου προσῆλθεν πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ «διὰ τί σὺ μένεις ἐκεῖ? ἀνάστα καὶ κάλει τὸν θεόν σου, ὅπως σῴσῃ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ μὴ ἀπολώμεθα.»

8:26 AM I think I’m becoming a Christian mystic. Everything in life has become a delightful mystery to me. All of the surprising twists keep me moving and dancing. If this is the hardest season of my life (and it is), then it’s also a special time in my life, a time to offer to God an uncomplicated soul and watch Him turn it from ashes into light. I’m happier today in a way that I’ve never experienced happiness before. The gift of pain has allowed me to take tiny steps forward, and gradually I’m becoming the man I’m meant to be. As I walk and hike and climb, I feel the full beauty and power of prayer — not prayer as mere petition but prayer as communion with my Creator and Savior God. I’ve tossed the clichés so entrenched in my evangelical subculture. I gag at Christian superstardom. I’m embarrassed and ashamed to admit that “worship” for me once meant a 20-minute set on Sunday morning. There is a quality in my existence that I sense now, a smaller, quieter reality that “fits.” To my deep surprise, I’m happiest when I’m doing small tasks, like feeding the animals or walking the dogs or talking pictures of the sunrise on a winter morning.

Chasing recognition no longer matters. I don’t know why I ever got caught up in it in the first place. But I do know that I’m desperate for God. I’m learning how to keep moving (literally). Every new path is a discovery. Life with God is a daring adventure. Mountains bring out the suppressed charismatic in me. Music sparkles and hums. Yes, I know I’m odd. Admitting that I’m eccentric is the ultimate understatement, like saying Donald Trump values his poll numbers. Still, I want to be productive and useful. I feel powerful and weak at the same time. What a gift, powerlessness is. In the moment I think I’m the loneliest, it turns out I sense His presence as never before. When I feel like I’m stuck or struggling, I blog or write. For me, writing is an act of defiance — the height of egotism and vaguely scandalous, but satisfying all the same. Authenticity matters. If it’s slick and packaged, it’s suspect. Presenting a kingdom alternative to churchianity is now imperative to me. We can’t just act lowly; we are lowly.

So here I am, communing with God in earnest for perhaps the first time in my life. I know I’m late to the party, but I got lost. The “new” life of a Christian mystic isn’t really new. It’s just been hidden or we’ve been distracted from it. No church or pastor or book can ever give this to us. Our only hope is to get back to Jesus. Because if all we do is talk theology, “what good is that?” (James 2:16).

Saturday, January 23

3:54 PM As if you weren’t already bored to death with farm pix. Lol.

9:48 AM “I love snow for the same reason I love Christmas: It brings people together while time stands still. Cozy couples lazily meandered the streets and children trudged sleds and chased snowballs. No one seemed to be in a rush to experience anything other than the glory of the day, with each other, whenever and however it happened.” Rachel Cohn.

7:44 AM Good morning folks! As you can see, we’ve still got power (thank the Lord) though I see that large swathes of North Carolina are experiencing outages. My guess is that the farm got about 8 inches of snow and we’re expecting another inch or two today, with thawing starting tomorrow as the temps get back into the 40s. In the meantime, books have become my closest friends. To say I’m eager to get back into the classroom after the break is a gross understatement. The world gives us plenty of opportunities to grow, and just as my students are beginning their second semester of Greek, so I’ve enrolled in Grief 102. (I passed Grief 101, just barely.) One of the first lessons of Grief 102 is realizing that each of us has the power to choose the direction our lives will take. You can be weak and strong at the same time. Despair and hope, sorrow and joy, death and life are no more mutually exclusive than are cold winter snow and bright winter sunlight. As someone who is still experiencing grief, I don’t want to respond to tragedy in a way that will exacerbate the evil I’ve already experienced. I have no power to control what happened to Becky. But I do have the power to determine the course of my life. This truth was brought home to me last night as I watched the trailer to a new movie that promises to be a terrific commentary on this power I’m talking about, which can be much greater than anyone expected.

Again, life depends on the choices we make and the grace we receive. Becky chose ITIZWEL for her license plate when she got sick, and I can choose to have that same attitude toward my life and circumstances. My greatest heroes are those who never give up. They stick it out. They make life work for them. They overcome adversity. If they fall, they get back up again. As former world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey said, “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” Many people my age have already run up the white flag. They’re attending their own wake. Truth is, it’s hard to run the race of life. You have to count on all your reserves to make it to the finish line. Each of us has a race to run and, as Yogi Berra (who finished his race in 2015) famously put it, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” This is one of the reasons I loved Becky so much. Like all strong women, she was a teacher. The greatest teachers I’ve known fill you with hope and give you a million reasons to embrace life. True teaching is always grounded in wisdom and compassion. As Eddie the Eagle proved, when teachers doubt your potential, show them they’re wrong. It’s taken a few hard knocks in life to make me realize that loss can function as a catalyst to change us. As long as I am a teacher, I want to remember that. I want to live the rest of my life as joyfully and productively as I can. Becky set a high standard for me, and I feel honored and blessed to uphold it.

Ready or not, the semester is beginning, both for my students in Greek 102 and for Dave in Grief 102. I think it’s going to be awesome.

P.S. The song at the end of the movie trailer is called OUTRO by the French band M83 from their album, “Hurry Up We’re Dreaming.” Never have I heard a more powerful and peaceful composition. Perfection. Begin the video at the 8:30 mark.

Friday, January 22

6:48 PM One of my daughters sent me this picture:

Wow. Isn’t that great? Fellow Christian, whatever our circumstances are, we are to be on duty constantly for King Jesus. Sadly, we have become a little churchy, singing hymns in our comfortable sanctuaries when we should be doing battle. Paul’s command to the Philippians to “live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27) was a brilliant stroke, for he appeals to their sense of civic duty as residents of a Roman colony. Here we have the heart of the gospel: standing together, in line of battle, unflinchingly standing our ground against the devil by the power of the Holy Spirit. We worship and serve One who was executed by the Romans and who would have been considered an enemy of the state. Doesn’t matter. “For the sake of Christ” is sufficient rationale to suffer for His sake. Take a look at that guard in the picture again. How would you describe him? Devoted. Single-minded. Duty-bound. Dedicated. Unflinching. Obedient to his superiors. Cold! And how does the church measure up? God’s people are so easily diverted today. We can become so upset over (or so involved in) world conditions that we forget to live the gospel. Friends, there are battles to fight, and if we shirk our duty as the Israelites did we will be left to wander in the wilderness. Our politicians think religion is a good thing because it helps get them elected, but they have no intention of going “all out” for Jesus. Such people make absolutely no impact for the gospel. A real Christian is sold out not merely to a cause or to a church but to Christ.

When people look at Dave Black, do they see this kind of devotion — the devotion of a soldier who is completely sold out to his or her cause? They can and they should. Lord, grant me such devotion.

5:22 PM Man honors the memory of his wife.

Sweet. 

The best way to deal with grief? Turn it into something positive.

4:58 PM Grape Nuts on the front porch for the birdies.

In a place, of course, where I can enjoy watching them eat. 🙂

12:38 PM Just fed the donkeys. Loving the snow!

11:36 AM Here’s the Breithorn — the first 4,000 meter peak in the Swiss Alps that I hope to climb this summer.

Its elevation is 13,661 feet. If I do make it to the top, I’m sure it will be the slowest ascent in the history of the mountain. Below: The Matterhorn as seen from the summit of the Breithorn.

10:32 AM Pix:

1) My youngest grandson.

2) It’s snowing at Nate and Jessie’s farm.

3) Here too!

9:16 AM We’re getting a dusting of snow right now, barely enough to cover the grass, but we’re expecting several inches before Sunday, which means that I’ll be doing lots of writing during my enforced absence from the track and trails. I’ve often heard it said that the elderly are increasingly in the world but not of it. My experience has been the opposite. I feel the disjunction is neither biblical nor necessary. A central part of God’s original design for us is that we would subdue the earth. I believe this is first hinted at in the creation narrative. Being involved in God’s creation is part and parcel of what it means to be human. My point in all this is not to suggest that we Christians are to be worldly in a sinful way. We are to be “worldly” in the sense of participating in all that God’s world offers — the richness of His gifts to us as seen in nature, the musical arts, travel, etc. There are so many places in this world I want to see and so much music I want to discover and so many challenges I want to participate in. Above all, I’m called to imitate the Jesus who washed the feet of His enemies and prayed for their forgiveness. Especially as we get older we need to ask, “During these short fleeting years of life, what are the important tasks demanding my attention?” The admonition to “grow in grace” is addressed to older people as well as to all other Christians. It is an imperative from heaven for us to study to prepare ourselves for the life to come. To this end, older people like me need to cultivate their spirits, minds, and bodies continually. A mind functions best when it is in full use constantly. (Thus I write). The same is true for the body. (Thus I’m active.) In addition, older people should give out as well as take in. We need to be givers and not only receivers. Without becoming busybodies in other people’s affairs, we can be helpful to our kids and grandkids and to our neighbors down the block. It is my duty, as I see it, not only to have a pleasant and cheerful frame of mind but also to be physically fit and healthy in my appearance. When people whom we love die and we pass through the lowlands of sorrow, we realize that our loved ones are better off than when they lingered here, and while we miss them sorely and sigh to be reunited with them, we neither help them nor ourselves by going around with a long face. Older people naturally have more suffering and sorrow than the young, but God knows and supplies all our needs. The glorious truth is that the Lord helps those who cannot help themselves. I qualify! At the same time, may I suggest that there’s no use in asking God to perform services that we ourselves can do. God will not make us read that book or get out and exercise or continue the upward climb.

I’m told there are three periods of life: Early Life (the period of preparation — birth to 30 years); Middle Life (the period of achievement — 30-65); and Old Age (the period of retirement — 65 to the close). I’m not buying it. Should you ask me when I’m going to retire, don’t be surprised if I tell you, “At about 11:00 tonight.” In light of God’s servant love to me, I must be willing to keep on washing the feet of others. At the same time, there’s so much of God’s creation that awaits my discovery. Today I just “happen” to be working on my chapter called “Lists” for my book Running My Race, so it’s been on my mind. Here’s one of my lists:

If I Had My Life to Do Over Again

  • I would have written more poetry and drawn more pictures.

  • I would have read the Bible more and books about the Bible less.

  • I would have taken the first move in reconciliation.

  • I would have picked more roses and placed them in vases.

  • I would have traveled lighter than I have.

  • I would have been sillier than I have been.

  • I wouldn’t have skipped so many classes to go surfing.

  • I would have doubted more greatly so as to be able to believe more deeply.

  • I would have loved Becky more selflessly.

  • I would have held fewer grudges.

  • I would have been less rude.

  • I would have had a higher regard for singleness.

  • I would have pulled out and read my high school year book.

  • I would have picked up more hitchhikers.

  • I would have more easily admitted my absolute worst before God.

  • I would have picked my friends more carefully.

  • I would have uttered fewer pious clichés.

  • I would have said no to the lie of low self-esteem.

  • I would have stopped trying to win the wrong contests.

Friend, I encourage you to shamelessly produce your own list and then give yourself a fist bump. It really is a big deal!

Thursday, January 21

7:08 PM NASA sure has some amazingwinter storm images.

6:44 PM Care to take a walk on the farm?  

2:20 PM I am one happy man. Just had lunch with Kim and Joel.

The kids are soooo sweet.

Papa B loves you!

8:44 AM Just ordered three books from Amazon Prime. They will be here on Monday. “Free shipping” always justifies my purchases. 

8:20 AM Want to do your doctorate in Germany? Gohere.

8:06 AM I was reading Hebrews 1 this morning in the Good News Bible (TEV).

Parts of it are truly outstanding. The translators render “Thou are my Son; today have I begotten thee” as “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” Great so far. And then there’s this footnote on v. 8: “or, God is your kingdom.” The text of the Good News Bible, of course, reads “Your kingdom, O God, will last forever and forever!” The confusion here stems from the Greek: Is theos nominative or vocative? The translators have taken it as a vocative (correctly, in my view), but at least they note the alternative. Good for them. But here’s what puzzles me. Notice that they begin a new paragraph in verse 4.

This is impossible. It contradicts the Greek text. Verses 1-4 are all one long sentence in the original. Making a new paragraph in verse 4 is just not empirically possible. It’s completely illogical — like asserting “married bachelor.” This sort of inconsistency drives me nuts. (People sometimes tell me I’m too OCD about these kinds of things but it’s part of my temperament.) I really, truly, sincerely believe we can do better. And yet, these kinds of oversights are hardly exceptional. Am I hereby trying to make a case for the study of Greek? In one sense yes. But at least you can compare other English translations before arriving at your conclusion as to the paragraph structure of a New Testament book. Again, I deeply appreciate the translators who produced the Good News Bible. When I was a teenager I literally could not put this book down. The text was readable, and the line drawings were fantastic. But our focus should always be on faithfulness to the text as the Holy Spirit inspired it — and this includes matters of syntax and structure, not just words.

Finally, as an aside, I had to smile when I realized (again) how Hebrews is placed after Philemon in our English Bibles. This wasn’t always the case. In our earliest manuscripts, Hebrews comes after Romans or between 2 Thessalonians and 1 Timothy. (Both codex Sinaiticus and codex Vaticanus place Hebrews after 2 Thessalonians.) In other words, Hebrews assumed a prominent position in the Pauline letters at an early date. It was only in the fourth century that Hebrews began to consistently appear after Philemon. My point is that, according to the earliest manuscript evidence, Hebrews was an integral part of the Pauline collection. David Trobisch, who is an acknowledged expert in all things canonical, has argued that the placing of Hebrews after Philemon was a distortion of the original canonical edition of the New Testament. (See The First Edition of the New Testament, p. 25.)  Needless to say, these facts are not sufficiently heeded by today’s New Testament students, in my opinion.

All of this is relevant to our LXX class, because one of the earliest questions we will face is: “Which books should be included in the Septuagint?” It’s necessary to raise this question because there is no one indisputable “Septuagint” but “Septuagints” (plural). Ralhf’s edition of the LXX even contains the Song of Mary from Luke 2!

Think about this: If Hebrews is genuinely Pauline, this would change everything about the way we interpret Paul. Hebrews would be included in our New Testament theology books, and when we wanted to study, say, Paul’s view of church leadership, we’d have to include such passages as Heb. 13:7 and Heb. 13:17. The undeniable reality is that questions of canon and authorship matter. Of course, both sides demonize the other. Proponents of Pauline authorship are dismissed as obscurantists, while proponents of Hebrews’ non-Paulinity are accused of succumbing to the spirit of the age. But why should we tolerate this kind of judgmental divisiveness? Maybe we need another conference on campus to discuss the issue!

Anyhow, that’s my take on Hebrews for today. The fact is, all of us have biases and presuppositions. Many issues we have never personally studied. We tend to rely too heavily on the work of others. I know I do. So whether or not you espouse the Pauline authorship of Hebrews, prayerfully consider looking at the evidence yourself before making up your mind.

And do be patient with me when I chase rabbit trails.

Peace out,

Dave

Wednesday, January 20

4:18 PM Picture update:

1) Early supper tonight: homemade stir fry.

2) Then it’s time to light a fire in the fireplace and read my new book.

3) Oh, here’s my next 5K in two weeks. What a worthy cause! 

12:18 PM Worked out. Did a 5K. Drove to the post office and bank. Filled up my water jugs. Fed and watered the animals. (I think I’m ready for the snow event we’re expecting this weekend.)

I was listening to NPR while driving to the Y and who else but my favorite sports commentator should come on the air. Frank DeFord — yes, the Sports Curmudgeon himself — was named the best living sports writer byGQ for good reason.

Always witty and pungent, he’s been doing weekly commentary on NPR since 1980. Well, today I couldn’t help but notice a considerable change in his voice. His speech was slurred, and he was hard to follow. However, the content was vintage DeFord (today’s topic: how team owners relocate to another city at the drop of the hat when the money is better — i.e., where’s the loyalty?). At the same time, I had this sick feeling that there was more to his commentary than met the eye. And I was right. As he concluded his curmudgeondary commentary, he announced that NPR has cut back his air time to just once a month — the first Wednesday of the month to be exact. Frank being Frank (a super classy guy), he seemed to take all of this in stride. But I was livid. I have no idea what happened to Frank — a stroke probably. I don’t care. Nothing has changed as far as I’m concerned. Frank is still the best in my book. But clearly he’s being edged out. And — reading between the lines — he’s not happy about it.

Which reminds me. When I was young, my pastor at First Baptist Church Windward in Kailua suffered a stroke. Within a few weeks the deacons had fired him. “Can’t understand him,” people complained. Well, I could. Yes, I had to listen harder. But for crying out loud, you don’t fire a godly pastor simply because of a disability. What happened to Paul’s strength-in-weakness teaching? What about “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven”? I’ve noticed that when Diane Rehm is mentioned on the EIB Network, Rush usually asks: “You mean she’s still on the air?” Yes, Mr. Limbaugh, she’s still on the air even though she’s struggling with her voice. I don’t know about you, but in my book Diane is one of the best interviewers out there. Mastering an interview is just plain hard work. But Diane nails it. She always sticks to the main points and won’t accept guff from her guests or from her callers. She speaks as though she’s talking to just one person. Yes, you have to concentrate to understand what she’s saying. Yes, she speaks a lot slower than Rush or Shawn. Yes, she’s a liberal. Who cares? The fact that she keeps on keeping on is enough to have me coming back again and again to her program.

Of course, you and I have our act together so it’s obvious people should listen to what we have to say. It’s also obvious that other people aren’t as together as we are.

We’ll pray for them.

8:04 AM Here’s another cold-weather thought for you (my brain is frozen) before I leave for the gym. I admire people with passion. I love watching people who enjoy what they do, who are caught up in the pure unadulterated joy of living. As a huge fan of the Beatles, check out “George” in this YouTube of The Beats, a Beatles tribute band, singing “All You Need Is Love.”

He’s the second guy from the right. Have you ever seen a performer enjoying himself so much? I think it must disappoint God (“disappoint” may be too weak of a word here) when we walk past a field of purple flowers and don’t notice it. I think we’ve got a wrong view of God. Yes, we are to bring Him pleasure. Yes, we are to enjoy Him forever. But did you know that He wants to give you pleasure too? That He wants you to stop and smell the coffee? The famous theologian Dr. Seuss put it this way: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” I’m still riding high after my hike yesterday. I can still see me coming across a gaggle of geese and watching them fly away in startled panic. (Sorry, guys.) Who needs wine when you can drink deeply of joy? “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God,” said Pierre Teilhard du Chardin. And did you notice? Joy and sorrow are unusually inseparable. You rarely have one without the other. Yes, life is hard, but isn’t it time you had a good old-fashioned belly laugh? I did while watching “George” perform with such sheer exuberance. I want to measure my life by smiles, not by tears.

Thoreau was right: The more you chase happiness, the more it will elude you. But when you do other things, happiness comes and sits softly on your shoulder.

7:14 AM Good morning on this frigid winter day (it’s 17 degrees)! Next week I start teaching Greek again and, hopefully, students will be learning Greek from me. The problem is how you define “learn.” The masochist in me delights in asking seminary grads to read for me a single line from their Greek New Testament. They usually can’t. Much depends on your goal. If, as Dr. Beck pointed out in the video I linked to the other day, your goal is to graduate with a ministry M.Div., well, Greek is required and you will take it whether or not you’re even faintly interested in the language. Many students ask the utilitarian question: “What good is Greek when I have all these computer tools?” Still others wonder, “How can I ever hope to apply the ‘periphrastic imperfect’ construction to my daily walk with Jesus?” When I was learning Latin (or, better, teaching myself Latin: I never had any formal instruction in the language), my goal was a simple one: to be able to read the church fathers in the original. I wasn’t even faintly interested in perusing De Bello Gallico (or, for that matter, Winnie Ille Pu).

As for Greek, I wanted to read my Greek New Testament in the original and maybe eventually teach the language (which, by the sheer grace of God, I’ve been doing for 40 years now). It’s a shame that our students can’t all have the same goals, but that’s life. I suppose to each their own. But learning Greek is not just about grammar: you learn all sorts of things about the culture, literature, even geography of the first-century world. I personally feel privileged that I can speak German when I go to Germany and Switzerland. That is so un-American. Then there’s this serendipity: if you know German and English, you’ve basically got Dutch figured out in terms of reading the language. I can assure you that knowing one foreign language will help you to acquire another. (After one year of Latin you will know more than Google Translate.)

In our LXX class, I will have my students recite Greek, parse Greek, translate Greek, and compose Greek. I may even introduce some basic conversational phrases. (Maybe. I’m not a huge fan of the “living language approach.” No one today speaks Koine Greek as a first language.) Studying language in this way promotes sharpness across the board — it can make you a better thinker, speaker, exegete, and teacher (hopefully). You will understand English a lot better too. But mainly, I just don’t think reading anything in translation is optimum. Frankly, I don’t trust Loeb. As we will see in the LXX class, no translation can ever be of better quality than the original regardless of how well the translators think they did their job. I personally have gotten a great deal out of language study. I love Greek, I love Latin, I love German, I love Spanish, I love French. I even love Hebrew, and I especially love reading my Hebrew New Testament. But tell it not in Gath. Gratias tibi ago.

Davidicus

P.S. (which is Latin, by the way): I’m pointing three fingers at myself. I want to be a better and more accurate Greek teacher this year than I was last year. Let me give you an example. When I introduce the Greek “definite” article (the “definite” is superfluous: Greek has no indefinite article so we could just say “article”), I’ve often noted that some languages, ancient and modern, lack the word “the”: Latin, Russian, Korean. Technically speaking, this isn’t true, at least not for Latin. Latin doesn’t use an article but it has pronouns that function in much the same way. A good example is the title (quoted above) Winnie Ille Pu. Here “Ille” (= “that”) is a demonstrative pronoun being used as an article. Interestingly, this is exactly how Homer used the Greek demonstratives. Hence from now on I will desist in making the assertion that “Latin doesn’t have an article” (even though that statement is technically correct).

Whew. Conscience cleared.

Tuesday, January 19

6:58 PM Well, the primaries have become mean-spirited and it’s impossible to tell truth from lies. Which means it was a great day to get outdoors. Today I hiked the Roanoke Canal Trail. It was awesome. My goal was to walk about 10 miles to break in my new shoes. I ended up hiking 13 some-odd miles.

It was a fabulous trek along segments of this historic towpath. I spotted owls, ducks, geese, and hawks.

The trail is located along I-95 near the city of Weldon — about 2 hours from the farm in the flat lowlands of eastern North Carolina. The temp never got over 19 degrees (real feel) but thankfully there was very little snow and ice.

Here you skirt the mighty Roanoke River, which carries 6 billion gallons of water every day to the Albemarle Sound in the Atlantic.

I definitely need to come back in the spring when the redbuds are in bloom.

A rare view of I-95.

Thankfully, my shoes held up fine, and so did my legs and lungs. Here’s a GoPro of the hike. As I said, it was awesome!

P.S. Stop byThis Life I Live if you can. It’s the story of a man who is losing his wife to cervical cancer. Pretty powerful.

8:12 AM The CNN staff comments onThe person who changed my life. 

I have a memory. I remember a person who changed my life from the inside out. I want the world to know who she was. In my new book, I’m creating a biography. It’s not just facts. It’s not just “Becky was the most beautiful women I ever knew.” (Wouldn’t you agree she was beautiful?)

It’s an exploration of a life lived rather than an apotheosis or a history. It’s a testimonial to who she was. It’s what I saw and knew about this person. Of course, if you knew her, you have a different perspective. You have your own memories. I can’t write about those. I can only write about what I knew. Most importantly, I’m not writing for you. I’m writing for me, attempting to give clarity to the jumbled and confused mixture of memories in my brain. I’m trying to preserve what will gradually fade away with time. I don’t want to forget her. Ever.

Husband, the world is not a safe place. Cancer rages, death strikes without warning. So cherish her today. I do not believe for a moment that Becky’s death was accidental. Even as a child I knew that this is not a perfect world. Now I’m letting her go in order to live again. I will have to let her go many more times. I miss her. I love her. She will never be forgotten. The person who changed my life.

7:46 AM ReadingThe Hound of the Baskervilles last night really bought out the aesthete in me. Take these two lines:

Bronzing bracken and mottled bramble gleamed in the light of the sinking sun.

Yellow leaves carpeted the lanes and fluttered down upon us as we passed.

Only a man gifted by God could produce such delicately crafted words. It’s like listening to anything Paul McCartney composed. What talent. If only men and women would give the Giver the credit. That’s one reason, I think, God never entrusted leadership of the local church to an individual man. It’s too easy to take credit that way. But when you recede into the group, when you reject the notion of primus inter pares (first among equals), when you acknowledge that eldership is completely non-hierarchical, everything changes. Like most of my generation of Baby Boomers, I’ve watched famous pastors come and go. Swapping suits for jeans doesn’t change the reality. I’m here to tell you something you already know: church leaders are ordinary people and their churches are imperfect. Pastor friend, it’s not about you or your church but what kind of bride you are helping to prepare. I will forever cherish watching my volunteer elders investing their lives in others and working together as a team (working their fingers to the bone, by the way). They were missional without being professionals. They viewed their secular employment as their mission field, plain and simple. “Among” — this is the way of Jesus. Elders among us. Certainly the dechurched and the unchurched are attracted to these kinds of values. I know I am. I stutter in amazement when I see the great apostle Peter referring to himself simply as a “fellow elder” (one gorgeous word in Greek: sumpresbuteros) in 1 Pet. 5:1. It’s not that he wasn’t the leading spokesmen among the apostles. It’s not that he wasn’t the most visible of the leaders in the early church. It’s just that he wanted Jesus, the Senior Pastor (1 Pet. 5:4), to have “first place in everything” (Col. 1:18). Pastor friend, before your church can get this, before your people can see that in Christ we are all equally clergy (ministers) and laity (the people of God), you need to make Jesus the Senior Pastor of your church. Then visitors will discover that church is not a place people go to hear a man speak, but a people they belong with.

P.S. My new hiking shoes. Lightweight and super-comfortable. I’ll give them a try today.

Monday, January 18

3:45 PM Pepperdine University announces an opening inNew Testament.

12:50 PM Howdy folks! I’m back. Had an über-strenuous workout at the Y (being the Alpha Male that I am) and then got my cardio at the Dan River. Distance: 5.05 miles. Time: 1:06 minutes. Pace: About 13 minutes per mile. I walked the first 2.5 miles and then jogged the last 2.5 miles. It was great. I feel I have more energy now than before I exercised.

For a while I thought about getting some ear buds and listening to music while walking/running/climbing but I decided against it. I listen instead to the “music” of the outdoors: coo, screech, chatter, whistle, chirp. I find it’s also a good time to talk with God and listen for His voice. There is no substitute in life for a consistent devotional time. By this I don’t necessarily mean a time we set aside for Bible study and prayer. I mean a time when I surrender my mind, will, and body consciously to the supernatural presence, purpose, and power of God, my Creator and Father, to Christ, my Savior and Lord, and to the Holy Spirit, my Comforter and Guide. I find that as I walk it’s a very good time to rest in God, wait on His voice, listen to Him speak, and talk with Him. You know, our prayer time should not be a series of well-rehearsed phrases but a natural conversation, just like we would talk to our spouses. It should include thanksgiving, praise, petition, and worship. I have found this time to be a very joyous experience. By it I’m nourished in the things of the Spirit and prepared for the rigors of living. Prayer walking, I guess you could call it. There’s no substitute for it in my “walk” with God.

Back to writing. 

8:15 AM Morning, one and all!

For entertainment last night I watched the dogs as they romped in my library. They are great teachers, dogs are. Enjoy life. Be loyal. Play daily. Do something that leaves yourself breathless. Always leave your mark on the world. Maybe that’s why I enjoy climbing mountains so much — the exhilaration of strenuous physical activity and the crystalline, nostril-stinging air. Right now, though, I’m much more like a woodpecker, pecking away at my book project until I finish the job. As you know, I completed my chapter on grief last week and my assistant has sent me his edits. But I just can’t bring myself to open the file again. I guess the publisher will have to take care of that. I doubt, yet I try to trust. I inch forward hesitantly, like a turtle who can make progress only by coming out of his shell and sticking his neck out. Like most people, though, I’d rather not expose myself to unnecessary pain. Oh well. That’s life. Maybe someone stronger than me could do it, but it’s beyond my powers.

On a happier note, I’m reading through Philippians again and I’ve noticed that Paul’s prayers always included a “so that” moment. (See, for example, the prayer in Phil. 1:9-11.) So I’ve started to pray “so that” prayers. “God, please bless my children so that they will be strong in the word and so that You would be glorified in their lives and families today.” Praying like this can bring greater focus to our times of intercession. “Lord, please bless Saeed so that as he returns home he can be the husband and father his family needs right now.” (Sadly, the picture isnot all rosy.) “Father, please bless our LXX class so that my students can be better exegetes of the New Testament and, as a result, better followers of You.” In Phil. 1:9-11 Paul has two so thats: “So that you might be able to discern what is best in life,” and “so that you may be pure and blameless on that day when Jesus comes back.” Apparently Paul believed in the “so that” principle! When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we can keep this goal in mind. “Lord, let Your kingdom come so that Your agenda moves forward and not mine. Remind me today that there is only one kingdom that matters. Earthly power means nothing. Real power belongs only to You, Lord of the universe.” As Donald Trump illustrates, one can have abundance of things without abundance of life. We can be poor in the midst of plenty. Was there ever such a time as this when people surround themselves with more things to make life more enjoyable only to be the most unhappy and bored generation in all of history? Life doesn’t consist in things, nor is it measured by how many successful deals I can cut. Abundance is found only in God’s grace, which is freely given and freely received. My treasure is in heaven, and Jesus reigns in life, here and now, not because He is an earthy sovereign but because He is God. And because I am God’s child, I too am a plutocrat.

On yet another note, this is hardly earth-shattering news but I have now gone 353 miles since I began to walk/run/climb last March. That’s the distance from Baltimore to Boston. (Yay!) It’s also the distance an airliner travels in a single hour. (Ugh.) Just think: Only 24,650 miles to go is if want to circumnavigate the world (whose circumference is a mere 25,000 miles). It’s hard to believe it, but I travel that many miles by plane every year. Does it get tiring? You bet. What God requires from us is simple obedience. We just walk step by step. We take the next step and then let God take care of the details. I realize this sounds trite. You’re probably one step away from saying “Blah, blah, blah.” But honestly, this is the lesson God has been teaching me through all of my running and climbing. A romanticized notion of the Christian life gets trashed real quick when you have to write a chapter about your spouse’s death. Me, broken and hurting? Most of us know nothing, nothing about the struggles of our fellow human beings. Thankfully, God has relieved me of the burden of having to be all together emotionally. With every passing day the process becomes more excruciating. Nothing develops a man’s spiritual life as when he realizes that he is dust. But this is the very heart of the Christian experience. Dying with Christ, we rise to walk in newness of life. We go down so that we might go up. We die in order to live. “We lose what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose.” Pastors live again in the hearts of their flocks, parents in the lives of their children, evangelists in the souls of their converts, authors in the minds of their readers. We outlive ourselves only when we live to the glory of God and for the good of others.

So let’s give people Jesus today. He’s the only constant in life. Let Him interrupt your comfortable Christianity. He’s good at doing that. But we’ve got to take the first step.

Off to the gym!

Sunday, January 17

4:10 PM Two perspectives on the Republican front-runner. His claim of goodnesshere. Questions about thathere. You decide.

3:50 PM This book arrived two days ago. I’m enjoying it immensely.

I’ve read plenty of books about mountaineering and especially about climbing Mount Everest, but this one seems to be different in many ways. In the first place, it wasn’t written by a famous mountaineer but by the son of Tenzing Norgay, who along with Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to stand atop the world’s highest peak. It reads like the everyday journal of a common guy like you and me, and you feel like you are right there, in the midst of all the action. It’s a self-deprecating look at the ups and downs of mountaineering. In addition, it affords a unique perspective into Tibetan Buddhism — a subject about which I am woefully ignorant. Place names like Siliguri, Bagdogra, and Sikkim keep popping up — names familiar to me because of the work of my good friend Mammen Joseph, an evangelist to northeast India. Being a Sherpa, the author represents the underdogs of Everest ascents –the ordinary guys who trudge nonstop up and down the mountain fixing lines and storing oxygen caches, and just basically getting the mountain ready for wealthy Westerners to fulfill their lifelong dreams. The book is perfect for the armchair mountaineer like me, and I’ll probably finish it tonight — inspired perhaps to finish my own account of the “mountains” the Lord has asked me to climb in my 63 years.

11:08 AM Henry Neufeld continues his discussion of Bible translations in this YouTube.

Viewer, brace yourself: Henry raises important questions about a “functional equivalent” theory of Bible translation. So … should you use the New Living Translation or not?

(Side note: Henry is the author of several books on hermeneutics and Bible translations, includingWhat’s in a Version?)

10:50 AM I’ve watched this interview twice now: The Importance of Studying Biblical Languages. It features my esteemed colleagues David Beck, Ben Merkle, and Tracy McKenzie. It’s like a breath of fresh air that will encourage you to use whatever knowledge of the biblical languages you currently have. David Beck said it best: It’s perfectly okay to use your English Bibles when preparing a Bible study or sermon. Just keep your Greek New Testament open beside it. If you’re looking for an encouraging word today, and if you’ve had at least one semester of Greek or Hebrew, this video will stir your soul and encourage you to step into all that God has for you in this one life you’ve got to live.

Please, pastor friend, I beg you: Use your English Bible. But keep your Greek open beside it. You will be surprised at what the Lord can teach you.

10:24 AM Thisarticle puts words to realities that my heart has been feeling but couldn’t fully express. Thank God for the life of Mike Riddering. Please, let’s pray for his wife and his children.

10:12 AM Odds and sods on a snowy winter day:

1) I loved this quote by Dolly Berthelot:

Boxes, and the “foolish consistency” that often accompanies them, may pay better, and certainly would provide better future retirement, but boxes can be boring. Poking out of boxes and tiptoeing cautiously off prescribed paths can be risky. We each must choose what matters most to us, what we are willing to risk.

I have always chosen, and have thoroughly enjoyed, wandering around a more meandering path through the wild side. (Intellectually and professionally. Otherwise, not so much). I dislike, sometimes distain, the boundaries that too often limit our thinking and our creating.

I found it at a brand spanking new website calledNurturing Creativity (hosted by Energion Publications). I felt like I was having coffee with my best friend. Don’t be surprised if reading Dolly’s essay makes you want to start exploring a brave new world of thought yourself.

2) Eric Metaxas hits it out of the park:

Now, nearly 100 years after Machen, the question remains: Do we believe the Bible or not?

ReadAnglican Split Is Really About Scriptural Authority, Not Gay Marriage.

3) The Swiss blow me away. Check out thistopological map of the Alps they’ve published. If you zoom in you’ll see even the smallest hiking trails. Here’s the region I’d like to climb this summer:

We’ll see ….  

8:25 AM I just booked my flight to Dallas to attend the ETS regional meeting April 1-2 at Dallas Seminary. This year’s theme is “Exegesis and Hermeneutics.” Doug Moo and Ed Glenny are the plenary speakers. Quite a line-up, eh? I plan on reading a paper called “The Medium Is the Message: Hermeneutics and Rhetorical Features in the Greek New Testament.” (It will also be a chance to check up on mom and dad.) Although it’s reductive, I categorize most papers read at ETS as either consensus-oriented or non-consensus-oriented. By a serendipity of circumstances, I have been blessed to know a handful of scholars who dared to color outside the lines. Few impacted me more than my Greek teacher and erstwhile colleague at Biola University, Harry Sturz, who had the audacity to defend the usefulness of the Byzantine Text-type. Or take William Farmer, whose defense of Matthean priority got me rethinking the order of the Gospels. Neither of these scholars encouraged their students to replace their natural curiosity with a boiler-plate mentality. I think we need more teachers like them. In any event, today I’m working on the fifth chapter of my book Running My Race (today’s topic: church). I love diving into my blog posts from the past 14 years and seeing how my thinking has developed (or at least changed) on the topic of ecclesiology. I don’t know your feeling about church, but what if we freed up our leaders to be ordinary people and our fellowships to be simple families? I mean, Scripture is not all that obscure here. If your church hasn’t tried this, you have no idea how healthy a body can be even though we are all a bunch of spiritual misfits. To a degree, our churches become what we allow them to become. Let’s give teeth to our convictions. Press hard on the simplicity of the gospel and it will hold up. Believe it or not, church doesn’t have to be that complicated. That’s why Jesus makes good sense to post-moderns. That’s why church feels relevant to them. As we watch this beautiful thing called church, we aren’t just observing people but rather darkness receding and chains breaking and joyful places being created. Folks, we can do the hard things. We can run the race set before us as the people of God. Don’t be surprised if Jesus calls upon you to give it a whack this new year!

Saturday, January 16

6:42 PM Oh my God! Is it true? I just checked CNN News. The Iran hostages, including our brother Abedini, are coming home! Why, I just prayed for him this morning! His picture is on my frig. How can I not pray for him (Heb. 13:3)? I am sitting here weeping for joy. I’m like the man whom Jesus healed who just couldn’t stop “jumping and leaping and praising God.” I won’t lie: I felt like I was prison with him. Prayer has connected me, reconnected me, and introduced me to one of the church’s heroes. The truth is, God is setting prisoners free the world over, if not physically then spiritually. We tend to make the gospel more manageable than it really is. The gospel is earth-shaking Good News! I am grateful. I hope these men can now return to their homes and families, and I hope the world sees in their release a parable of the love and forgiveness of the gospel. I hope they find us Christians kind and generous and committed and uncompromisingly loyal. Right now we should be throwing our hands up and shouting for joy because surely God was in this.

6:02 PM If you’re going to see the movie 13 Hours, I have three pieces of advice:

First, be sure to read the book, preferably before you see the movie. The book will help you to understand better the background for the emotional smack down you are about to experience in the movie theater. Serious questions have been raised about the attack that have yet to be answered. Surely someone ought to be held responsible for the inexcusable lack of protection we afforded our Libyan ambassador. Mr. Stevens repeatedly asked for protection and got none (or very little). This point was mentioned only once in the movie, and then only in an obscure way.

Second, take a gander at this YouTube in which the actual protagonists of the movie are interviewed.

Tig, Oz, and Tanot come across as normal guys who are caught up in a very abnormal situation. They leave the “why did this happen and who is to blame” question open for the viewer to decide, but clearly they felt that their efforts to protect the ambassador had been unjustifiably thwarted.

Finally, take some Kleenex with you. When the movie ended there wasn’t a dry eye in the theater. Even grown men were sobbing. I don’t know about anyone else but the movie made me feel more patriotic than I’ve felt in a very long time while at the same time reminding me that even the best leaders (political or otherwise) are capable of making terrible mistakes. But more than anything, I was reminded that all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ are enlisted in His army. The saints of the early church suffered the loss of everything — jobs, property, wealth, even life itself —  rather than compromise with the age. Instead of offering a “harmless” pinch of incense to Caesar, they proclaimed “Jesus (alone) is Lord!” In Tertullian’s day, some Christians excused themselves by saying they just “had” to make a living. To them he asked, “Must we live?” I’m thankful for men and women of courage everywhere who serve the Lord as wholeheartedly and uncompromisingly as did these men who got completely left out of the conversation as to how best to protect their ambassador.

In short, be prepared for stunning visual effects, massive explosions, but mostly a strong emotional connection to the guys in the movie. Had the director developed the latter characteristic a little better, I feel 13 Hours would rank right up there with Saving Private Ryan, given all of its realism as it portrayed the stark horror of battle.

10:44 AM Here’s a running tip for all you 5Kers out there.

Uh Uh

10:14 AM I went for a walk just now. We got plenty of rain yesterday but today is a different story. I have never seen the farm more beautiful.

I love this place. Lord, help me not to love it too much. 

9:38 AM Just finished my chapter on missions. Yay! Which means I can go on to other things. Like this prognostication: The Republican primary will come down to tie knots. Would you really vote for a guy who is this old-fashioned…

… rather than a guy who has a hip tie knot?

You heard it here first.

8:36 AM Yet another thought on Ephesians 4. (Drat, sidetracked again!) Please, let’s not think of “peace” as something that is always quiescent or passive. Peace is not necessarily silence. Some aspects of peace are, but the terms for peace in the Bible imply dynamic interrelationships on both personal and social levels. Peaceful relationships may (and usually do) involve conflict, diversity of opinion, even severe disagreement. Peacemakers call for justice within the context of righteousness and truth. Peace is rarely the result of simplistic solutions or grandiose gestures. To have true peace, there must be honesty and transparency.

(Seriously, I need to get back to writing and stay focused. Sigh.)

8:25 AM A further thought on Ephesians 4. I noticed that when Paul “quotes” Psalm 68:18 in Eph. 4:8, he does so “ad sensum,” that is, according to the sense of the text. Psalm 68:18 says that the king “received gifts among men,” while Paul writes that Jesus “gave gifts to men.” (The LXX reads: ἔλαβες δόματα ἐν ἀνθρώποις. The prepositional phrase is a bit ambiguous). Paul can switch the verb while maintaining the same meaning. Hodge points out that “only a king who is laden with spoils is able to enrich his followers.”

So here is my application. Maybe start by just looking around you. Who can you enrich today? Trust me, God has placed that person in your life so that you may be bounteous with what He has given you. That is the nature of God. Rather than clutching what He could never lose, Jesus willingly opened His hands to receive the nail prints of the cross (see Phil. 2:6-8). Or, as Paul says here in Eph. 4: “The person who used to rob must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest livingand to be able to help the poor” (verse 28). Wow. Giving trumps getting. Always has. So let’s trust Jesus to lead us to those we can serve today with the gifts He has so richly blessed us with. “Blessed to be a blessing!”

8:02 AM While cooking breakfast this morning I was listening to “The People’s Pharmacy.” Being interviewed was the author of a new book on dieting. Have you ever been on a diet? You subsequently put it all back on again, didn’t you? Dieting is not only ineffective, it actually makes things worse. Sustained weight loss and enhanced health comes only through weight training. Studies have shown that many of the degenerative diseases and most of the general weakness that accompanies aging are related to loss of muscle mass and strength. Adding muscle is a double solution because it (1) increases your physical capacity (a larger engine) and (2) increases your metabolic rate (higher energy requirements). Unlike dieting, which decreases the number of calories eaten per day, strength training (weight lifting) increases the number of calories used per day. And the really good news is that 60-80 year-olds can gain as much muscle as middle-aged and younger adults.

Dieting doesn’t work for most people. Cardio won’t take your weight off and keep it off. If you asked people who do weight training on a regular basis why they continue to exercise day after day, they would all give the same answer. They exercise because it makes them look and feel good. And when you look and feel good, that affects every area of your life — your social, mental, and emotional life. When you feel good, you can climb mountains (literally), fight battles, win some of life’s wars, relate better to others, and even overcome depression. When we live and serve God with our bodies, we do so in happy obedience. Glorifying God in our bodies as instruments of His righteousness becomes an avenue of highest fulfillment.

(Good grief, it sounds like I’m trying to sell my own book on weight loss.)

Dear reader, my prayer for you today is beautifully expressed in 3 John 2: “My dear friend, I wish above all things that you may prosper and enjoy good health, even as your soul prospers.” And our health can prosper if we obey what Paul says in Rom. 12:1. Let me add: If you are convinced of the value of keeping physically fit, don’t be afraid to share that experience with others. Why not lovingly challenge members of your family or your friends to join you in your fitness program? The way to stay active is to be active. With a well-planned exercise program, you can prepare yourself now for later years with an investment in physical vitality.

6:34 AM As you would expect from a great Greek scholar, I read only my Greek New Testament every day. Except when I read the Bible in translation. Okay, I read novels too. I also read books about the Bible.

Anyways, I got up at 4:30 this morning and was led to Ephesians chapter 4. Don’t get me started on how convicting it was. Paul is writing about unity. In verse 3 he speaks of “preserving the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Frankly, I have no idea what that means. The English is too ambiguous. How in the world should all of these genitives be understood? Here’s what I think is going on. Paul is describing what a mature church looks like. It’s a church that is marked by oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God (see 4:13). It’s not marked by unity for unity’s sake. It’s only by “speaking the truth in a spirit of love that we can grow up in every way to Christ” (4:15). So let me try and paraphrase verse 3: “Do your very best to preserve the unity that God’s Spirit produces by means of the peace that binds you together.” Do you belong to a peaceful fellowship? You can. There is nothing like it in the world. It’s a fellowship where everyone is doing their part. It’s a fellowship in which “each person has received a special gift in proportion to what Christ has given them” (4:7). It’s a fellowship in which the leaders “prepare all God’s people for works of service” (4:12). And the result? “So shall we all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God. We shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature” (4:13). Notice that nowhere does Paul make the leaders central. Sermon-centered gatherings leave too much work to the paid pros and overlook the part all of us are to play in “growing up in every way into Christ, who is the head” (4:15).

Under His control, all of the different parts of the body fit perfectly together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. And so, when each individual part does its job and works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love” (4:16).

Nowthat is unity.

By the way, God taught me something really bad this morning from the Greek of Ephesians 4. When I got to the genitives of verse 9, I remembered that here we probably have an example of what grammarians call the “genitive of apposition.” In other words, when Paul wrote that Jesus descended “to the lower depths of the earth,” he may have simply meant that Christ descended “to the lower depths, that is, to the earth itself.” If so, the reference here isn’t to some sort of “descent into Hades” but rather to Christ’s willingness to leave the glory of heaven and come to this (miserable) earth. Right now I have two good friends who are in Asia serving the people there for a couple of weeks. Their situation is hardly a comfortable one. This is not a strategy to get people to go and serve there, but the patient hard work of love is the way of the kingdom. The spirit of mission pushes us to serve our neighbors even when it costs us our comfort. Elsewhere Paul puts it this way: “Though I am completely free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win as many people as possible” (1 Cor. 9:19). I have a better job than just teaching Greek. I get to serve others. So do you. It’s almost too good to be true. Incarnational ministry frees us from the prison of materialism. It makes us want to give away our possessions so that others may live. No, Jesus is not slamming vacationing at 6 Flags. It’s just that when we are serving Him by serving others, we have the same joy we feel when we see our kids squeal with delight while riding that roller coaster.

What a teacher, that Paul. He knew exactly what a healthy church looked like. Love without truth is the worst enemy of the church. We can’t have real unity without obedience to the Scriptures and a heart of service. This is the yin and yang of ministry.

Friday, January 15

6:25 PM Poor me, having to “get in a long tube with a bunch of demons” every time I fly. 

 

6:08 PM This weekend I’m finalizing my international “mission” trips for 2016. I use quotes because all of life ought to be a mission trip. Global missions is what it’s all about, not international missions. And, since the US of A is part of our “globe,” it’s just as much a mission field as any of the other countries I’ll be visiting this year. Which raises an interesting question about the value of what are normally referred to as “short term mission trips.” You know, the kind where churches do all sorts of fundraising and then print a t-shirt with their favorite slogan (“First Baptist Church Loves India!”). I’m not against these kinds of trips. After all, the first “mission trip” Becky and I took together was a 3-month-long trip to West Germany in 1978. There are a trillion issues I could discuss here, but I’ll give you my take on just one. The distinction between short-term and long-term missions is, I think, overdrawn. In fact, I think it’s every Christian’s duty to be a fulltime (i.e., global) missionary wherever they live. “Life is a mission trip; take it!” is the way one of my colleagues puts it. I agree in a sense that certain people are called by God to become cross-cultural missionaries, but it’s not a calling that is reserved only for budget-supported “missionaries.” Many Christians could easily serve the Lord in fulltime gospel ministry by acquiring secular jobs (i.e., non-church-supported platforms for ministry) in foreign countries — and many in fact do just that. I suspect the reason many American evangelicals default to the “we-must-support-U.S.-sent-foreign-missionaries” idea is because this is the way the church has done it for decades. But as I argue in my essayThe Future of Southern Baptist Missions, we’ve got to stop outsourcing foreign missions to our fellow American evangelicals if we’re going to reach the nations in our generation. On top of this, I see very little being said today about another category of “missionary,” namely the so-called NRM, or ”non-residential missionary.” This is the calling from the Lord to serve in Asia, Africa, or the Middle East, not by giving up one’s gainful employment and relocating to these countries as a supported worker, but rather by using one’s resources (including one’s vacations) to travel and come alongside the existing churches, assist them in any way they think best, and do this on a consistent basis (year in and year out). Thousands of North American evangelicals are doing just this. But until we get many more to become involved personally, I honestly think it’s counterproductive to the kingdom to offer only two options to our people (short-term or long-term). The fact is that many thousands of foreign nationals are eager to do the job of evangelism and church planting but lack the support to do so. They already know the language and culture. And, unlike many Western missionaries, they are willing to live at an economic level that is far below that of the typical Western church planter. For as little as $50 dollars a month you can begin to support one of these native missionaries, sending them to an unreached village that is just waiting to hear the Good News. To my way of thinking, it is the highest privilege of Western Christians (who are affluent compared to most people who live in the Majority World) to share in their ministries by sending them financial aid. If native evangelists do not go because no one will send them, the shame belongs to the body of Christ in the West. And remember: these are native evangelists who are already experts in the language and culture.

As I travel annually to Asia, Africa, or the Middle East, I am overcome as I see so much harvest ready for reaping. But where are the workers? They are there, ready and eager to do the work. So don’t wait for your church missions committee to support your efforts to become a global missionary. Save your money, support a foreign national, become an NRM yourself, and perhaps even consider tentmaking in a foreign country. The very least you can do is to schedule a mission trip in your calendar before that trip to Disneyworld.

P.S. If you want to see that child you’re supporting in India or Ethiopia, go and visit them. Take your own kids with you. After all, they’re part of your family.

12:15 PM Hiked 5.2 miles today. Eight hikes down, 44 to go. Met a gentleman who was about my age. He was walking with a limp but otherwise looked like he was in great shape. Every time he took a step his left hip swiveled about 45 degrees. We chattered about the weather and then I resumed my normal pace. I thought to myself, “My stars! You, sir, are a hero to me. And I think that I push myself? You could be sitting on your sofa but here you are — out exercising. God, forgive me for ever taking for granted my health. God, forgive me for my pride. I am no more responsible for my strength and health than I am for my blue eyes and height. Please dear God, help me to be a good steward of what you’ve given me.”

While I was hiking I got a text from a good friend. In essence it said: “Dave, take good care of yourself as you climb mountains. We don’t want to lose you!” My reply was short and sweet: “What a great friend you are! I promise to be careful. But you know me. I’m a risk taker!” It’s my nature to push myself. It’s one way I cope with losing Becky. But beyond that, I feel a holy discontentment with the status quo, mostly in my own life. I can never be satisfied with my current level of progress. Take the LXX class for example. In the past month I’ve not only been reviewing everything I’ve ever taught about the Septuagint, but I think I must have increased my knowledge by about 100 percent. I can’t read enough, translate enough, and cogitate enough on the subject. And still I feel like I’m a child wading on the shore of a limitless ocean. This semester we will all grow — teacher and student alike. We will become better Greek scholars, better Hebrew scholars, better LXX scholars, better translators, and (hopefully) better people. Want to be a good example to your kids and grandkids? Want to give them security, stability, and happiness? Then show them what living is all about. Never let them see you rust out or burn out. Tell your children you’re the most blessed person on earth because you are. Maybe your convictions will help them decide what matters most in life. Love life, and your home will stand sweet, my friend. Happily and willingly accept life’s mortality. Believe and live what you proclaim. Take risks in life. Try new hobbies, avocations, and goals.

This year should not be the same as last year for any of us.

Thursday, January 14

5:54 PM WARNING: Yet another post about hiking.

If you’re still reading, it’s probably because you’re like me. You enjoy hiking, or want to. You realize that hiking is a great experience in every way. It involves breathing fresh air, getting great exercise, and enjoying the simple beauty of God’s creation. On the trail you’ll meet people of every size, every shape, every level of ability, and every age (even old duffers like me). Like me, you’re tired of sitting on the couch, living life vicariously. You have begun to appreciate wide-open spaces. You want to get into better shape. With hiking, the possibilities are endless. Today I was able to complete my seventh hike of the year. (Only 45 more to go.) If I climb the Breithorn in Switzerland this summer, I’ll need to work on my stamina while ascending high elevations. So I thought I’d return to Bedford and climb Sharp Top again. The hike gives you a pretty good workout (difficulty level: strenuous) and takes about 3 hours to complete. You experience a healthy elevation gain of 1,540 feet. (Compare that with the Breithorn: from the cable car station you only have to ascend 1,148 feet to arrive at the top of this 13,661 foot mountain.) Although Sharp Top is normally an extremely popular hike, I was almost alone on the mountain. It’s a tough climb but the view from the summit is worth it. On the descent I jogged down the paved road that’s normally used to drive people to the summit. As the park was closed today, there were no shuttles and thus it was permissible to use the roadbed. I enjoyed every minute of today’s climb. Just because you qualify for membership in the AARP doesn’t mean you have to lose muscle strength!

1) Here’s the Bed and Breakfast I stayed in last night in Bedford. It’s called Vanquility Acres Inn. Ellen and John do a fantastic job of pampering you. Highly recommended!

2) The view of the Peaks of Otter from my room. God gave me unbelievably gorgeous weather on this trip.

3) On my way to Sharp Top.

4) The Peaks of Otter. On the left is Sharp Top; on the right is Flat Top. I climbed both last year.

5) The trail head.

6) Steps and more steps!

7) Made it!

8) “It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before is God, and I have no fears.” Helen Keller.

9) A view of Flat Top from the summit of Sharp Top.

10) I met these great guys and gals at the summit. They’re Liberty U. students. We had prayer together then yakked about the Bible. When they left I had a 30-minute worship service alone with the Creator.

11) The day was bitterly cold. Here’s a frozen waterfall.

12) I warmed up by running down this road.

I hope you enjoyed our tour of Sharp Top. Every season of the year offers different reasons to get outdoors and enjoy a day-hike. I even hear that Liberty U. guys like to propose on top of this mountain!

Outahere,

Dave

P.S. Here’s some GoPro footage of the hike that I shot and edited today.

 

Wednesday, January 13

9:16 AM Hi folks,

I know, I know. All I seem to talk about these days is the great outdoors. Honestly, I live with the constant regret that I didn’t awaken with childlike amazement to the beauty of hiking earlier than I did. Of course, I never took the wonders of Hawaii for granted when I lived there. But then I became a bit complacent after moving to California and NC/VA. But now that I’m officially “old” I’ve got no time to waste in taking things for granted. It’s weird when I look back on my life. I spent the first 19 years of my existence on the most gorgeous island in the world. Then I spent 27 years in La Mirada, CA. And now I’ve spent 18 years on the East Coast. That seems like a very long time and yet I still feel young. I feel like a high school senior surfing all day long and being very active physically. Surely I can’t be 63! Statistically, I’m in the fourth quarter of the game (three score years and ten), on the way to meeting my Maker. And I want the last quarter to be the best. Life is a series of choices. How should I spend my time? What is a worthy investment of my energy and resources? On the other hand, I think sometimes we can take life too seriously. Mandy Hale put it well: “You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you need to just breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.” And so today I am off again on another mountain hike, all in preparation for some big climbs this summer. I will confess right up front that I’m not sure I’m up to this. We’ll see. But for now, it’s onward and upward.

P.S. I’ve always enjoyed the performing arts. I think the soliloquy in Hamlet that begins “O, my offense is rank” surpasses that of “To be, or not to be.” But the works of Shakespeare that I find most compelling are his sonnets, which I read with great delight last night. Suddenly one of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poems darted into my consciousness. Everyone knows the first line: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” But few know the rest.

No greater poem about love was ever written, unless it be Paul’s ode to love in 1 Corinthians 13. Browning captures the essence of true love, which continues unabated even after death.

Yes, my dearest Becky Lynn, I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life. For being so real, so courageous, so honest, I thank you. In your life and death I saw how God can penetrate our deepest struggles. I have chased the sun but found no strength until I turned and faced the darkness. You helped me to see the other side of tragedy. You will never know just what you meant to me. My chest is tight and my eyes full as I think about the gift you have given me. I think that is called love.

Tuesday, January 12

12:05 PM I tell people there are two cultures in the U.S.: the “fit”culture and the “unfit” culture. This is why I usually have to drive an hour and a half to run a 5K. Men’s Health Magazine has just published their study of the best cities in America for men who want to be fit. Can you guessthe winner? It didn’t surprise me at all. Thank God for this health-minded city!

10:54 AM Praise God! Just finished writing my chapter on grief. It now goes to my assistant for proofing. Honestly, I don’t think I can look at that chapter again. It’s just too emotionally draining. I think I spent as much time talking about Becky as I did talking about myself. Everyone who knew Becky knew just how unique a person God made her. All of us were challenged by her life and sacrificial lifestyle. When she passed away I stepped out into a whole new world. I could neither avoid it nor escape it. Something incomprehensible happened to me that will remain in my psyche forever. My experience is not unique, however. I hope and pray that you will never have to lose your spouse at a young age, but if you do, I dedicate this chapter to you. Grace is available to you just as it has been to me. Bec was a weathered but beautiful tree. Her life pointed to that other and greater reality that each of us will experience eventually. I still miss her very much, as do many of you. But she died a noble death that was a testimony to a life well lived. I feel honored beyond words to have known her.

Monday, January 11

1:38 PM About 20 miles west of South Boston, VA, is the town of Ringgold. There you’ll find one of southern Virginia’s most enjoyable day hikes. The site is called The Richmond and Danville Trail. It’s an out and back and you can go as far as you want. Today I hiked 7.27 miles along a well-maintained path that was the former rail bed for one of the most important transportation corridors of the Confederacy.

During the American Civil War soldiers were transported to the front along this line, and at the end of the war Jefferson Davis used this railroad when he retreated from Richmond. To get there you take Hwy. 58 west from South Boston before turning right (north) on Ringgold Road. Travel about 3 miles and you’ll see a road called Ringgold Depot Road. Turn left, and a half mile later you’ll see this abandoned railway station and red caboose.

This is where the trail starts, although you wouldn’t know it because there is absolutely no signage indicating you have reached your destination.

The trail takes you through some of the finest countryside in all of Virginia. ATVs are strictly prohibited, so bring your bikes and horses and make it a day trip.

After about a mile you’ll come across this delightful sign.

Turn right and the road will take you to a small farmhouse and several outbuildings, including this one.

I’m told its owner donated his property to the state so that visitors could see what an old farmstead looked like. Of course, this is nothing new to me as most of the houses where I live not only resemble old homesteads but are old homesteads. All in all, the trail is nice and easy. I took it today because I want to get to the point where I can walk 6-7 miles on a regular basis without breaking into a sweat. Before my hike I did my weight training at the Y. As you can see, I’m concentrating on upper body strength.

If I do get back to Switzerland this summer to hike the Alps, I need to plan on doing some rock scrambling. Right now it’s back to writing for me. I’m asking the Lord that He would allow me to finish my chapter on grief today. One part of me simply wants to walk away from the whole experience of losing Becky. But another part of me says that I will never return to normalcy without turning my experience of suffering into something positive. No one of us ever suffers loss in the abstract. Loss is an experience and not merely a concept. If writing this chapter brings help to others who are going through something similar to what I’ve experienced, then I guess it will have been worth it. Anyway, prayers appreciated. Thank you!

7:32 AM “When did you start running 5Ks?” a reported asked me yesterday at the race in Raleigh. I never have a good answer to that question. What exactly was going on in my mind last March when I ran in my first 5K? How do I begin to describe the predicament my soul was in at the time? 63: an age for change?

I can only say this. My running was simply a response to self-discovery, the realization that a person can function adequately while using only 10 percent of their potential. My daily routine involved only a very small percentage of my capabilities. Change was long overdue in this area of my life.

“Butwhy do you run?” I run because I adhere to the philosophy of running: to function as you are supposed to function, and to achieve your personal best. If not grown wiser, I have at least come to understand how important exercise is. I am a member of a “gang,” if you will, a gaggle of men and women who have set out to discover what they are capable of doing. Running puts life and death in perspective. It is not necessarily the achievement but the unremitting effort to achieve that marks the successful life. Thus I am well-satisfied with the results from yesterday’s race. Here I am crossing the finish line.

 And here are the race stats: 

There were 247 timed participants (actually, many more people ran or walked in the race but many did so without wanting to be timed). Their average pace was 9:57/mile. Their average time was 30:51. My chip time was 32:43, and my pace was 10:33/mile.

Obviously, that makes me less-than-average. And I love it. In everything I do, I try to work to the best of my ability. But we can never be reminded too much of what is really important. The pursuit of excellencenever ends. I do everything an Olympic runner does. I train. I enter races. I experience the same fatigue and pain. I too have days when I wonder, “It this really worth it?” I am not perturbed that my body can’t perform at a faster pace. At a 5K race, I see humanity at its physical best. Each one of us can say, “I am giving it my best.” The fastest male finished the race in 17.45. The slowest male finished in 53.15. I bet that neither was upset at their results. Each was trying to get the most out of their bodies. As I told someone yesterday, “I am trying to be the best possible Dave Black. Win or lose, that is the only trophy I want or hope for.”

We are here — you and I — to be the best at whatever it is that God created us to be. For me, running puts that truth into focus. The prize is of little consequence. A race is run and soon forgotten. The memorable thing is not to excel against others but to excel against yourself.

I wish all of you the best as you run your race today, to the glory of God.

Sunday, January 10

6:28 PM Today’s event in 1 minute.

5:22 PM Today I ran a 5K in Raleigh in very comfortable fall weather (the temp was 65 degrees).

It was hosted by Christ Church across the street from the State Capital Building.

 According to theevent website:

The race honors the memory of Sadiki Young, a Christ Church member and acolyte, who was a senior at Wakefield High School when he died as the passenger in an alcohol-related accident in 2007. In 2008 the Run for Young was founded by Christ Church youth as a way to both honor the memory of Sadiki and raise awareness of safe driving methods for local teens.

A worthy cause indeed. There were about 300 runners in today’s race.

I failed to break the 30 minute barrier but I gave it my all and that’s good enough for me. Here’s my friend Jim.

I think I’ve seen him at every 5K event I’ve participated in. The man is a running machine. Today he got second place honors. That’s quite an accomplishment when you consider all the young talent we older guys are up against. Congrats, Jim! See you soon at another event!

9:04 AM Jonathan Bernier has anexcellent post about the date of Hebrews. As for the author?

I would suggest that the writer is someone who is at least familiar to or with Pauline circles, due to his companionship with Timothy (cf. again 13:23). Someone not in Rome at the time of composition, active c. 60, and with Pauline connections: that leaves virtually all the usual suspects and even some unusual ones (such as Apollos, Barnabas, Luke, Priscilla, Aquila, Silas) still in play, without any clear way to adjudicate between them, and as such any more precise statement than that and we’re probably going beyond what the evidence will allow us to say.

This is the consensus opinio, and Jonathan summarizes it well.  Of course, this “affirmed” interpretation of history is based almost exclusively on the internal evidence — and thus is fatally flawed when one takes into account the writings of the earliest Christian fathers. Regrettably, any theory of New Testament interpretation, once it is established, becomes nearly impossible to dislodge, even if new (and seemingly contradictory) evidence is produced. Any interpretation of the events, if it is to be accepted, must be built around the old consensus and incorporated into it, even at the expense of logic. Thankfully, the old consensus is beginning to break down. See, for example, Andrew Pitts and Joshua Walker, “The Authorship of Hebrews: A Further Development in the Luke-Paul Relationship” (Paul and His Social Relations, eds. Stanley E. Porter and Christopher D. Land [Leiden: Brill, 2013] 143-84) for a defense of the view that Hebrews constitutes authentic Pauline speech material that was recorded and later published by Luke.

Saturday, January 9

4:44 PM Yet another surprise from the American Civil War: The connection betweenGettysburg and Yellowstone National Park.

4:36 PM How many states have you been in?

Only Alaska has eluded my travel bug.

12:25 PM Here’s my first GoPro video. What fun.

 

11:24 AM My sixth hike is now history. Only 46 more to go. I did 5.2 miles at the Tobacco Heritage Trail. The place was as empty as my stomach.

While walking I talked, sang, prayed, and even preached a sermon. All in German, too. After all, “Use it or lose it” applies as much to German as to any other language. So if I don’t have anyone else to speak German with, I guess Mr. Ego will just have to talk with Mr. Id. I think you would have liked my sermon. I entitled it, “Das wichstigste Gespräch.” I began as follows: “Als Menchen, kommen wir jeden Tag ins Gespräch mit anderen Menschen. Aber, was ist eigentlich das wichstigste Gespräch? Das Gespräch mit Gott.” Really, it was an excellent homily. I enjoyed it immensely although I was a bit disappointed that the preacher failed to end the service with an altar call. Got home and filled my belly with this scrumptious home-cooked meal.

 

Today I’m working on a chapter for my new book called “Grief.” Ugh. To say it’s rough going would be an understatement. But it’s got to get done, so gird up your loins, Dave, and have at it!

8:22 AM “We do not belong to those who have ideas only among books, when stimulated by books,” wrote Nietzsche. “It is our habit to think outdoors — walking, leaping, climbing, dancing, preferably on lonely mountains or near the sea where even the trails become thoughtful.”

As you know, I’ve started a new social experiment this year: making at least 52 hikes in 2016. You know what, folks? It’s not even going to be hard. God has given us a world to enjoy. And I want a front-row seat, if you know what I mean.

With that in mind, here’s a “bucket list” of hikes I’d like to do in my lifetime. I wrote it last night between bouts of reading the Old Testament in Greek. I know I’m sounding like a real jerk here, but the outdoors is becoming to me what it was for old Fred N. — a place to become thoughtful. At any rate, here’s the list.

1)Hadrian’s Wall Hike, England(Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway). 84 miles, lasting 10-11 days.

2)Appalachian Trail (parts of it, that is). I’ve already got a head start on this one.

3)Grand Canyon Hike. 44 miles, lasting 3-4 days.

4)Yosemite Grand Traverse. 60 miles, lasting 6-7 days.

5)Old Rag Mountain in the Shenandoah. 9 miles, lasting 12 hours.

6)Matterhorn Circuit, Switzerland. 8 days.

7)Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Includes the famous Peek-a-Boo Trail.

8)Grand Teton Loop, Wyoming. 4 days.

9)Inca Trail. 26 miles, lasting 4 days. Includes Machu Picchu.

Do I really think I’ll get to all of these places? No. But a man can dream! 

Friday, January 8

6:14 PM Here’s Psalm 1 in Hebrew recited by a former student in my LXX class. Well done, C.K.!

 

6:08 PM Tonight I’m reading Susanna in the LXX. The parallels with the Greek NT are noteworthy in terms of syntax. Plus the story is interesting!

ΚΑΙ ἦν ἀνὴρ οἰκῶν ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωακείμ. 2 καὶ ἔλαβε γυναῖκα, ᾗ ὄνομα Σωσάννα, θυγάτηρ Χελκίου, καλὴ σφόδρα καὶ φοβουμένη τὸν Κύριον· 3 καὶ οἱ γονεῖς αὐτῆς δίκαιοι καὶ ἐδίδαξαν τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωυσῆ. 4 καὶ ἦν ᾿Ιωακεὶμ πλούσιος σφόδρα, καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ παράδεισος γειτνιῶν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν προσήγοντο οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐνδοξότερον πάντων. 5 καὶ ἀπεδείχθησαν δύο πρεσβύτεροι ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ κριταὶ ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐκείνῳ, περὶ ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ δεσπότης, ὅτι ἐξῆλθεν ἀνομία ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἐκ πρεσβυτέρων κριτῶν, οἳ ἐδόκουν κυβερνᾶν τὸν λαόν.

I thought of Becky when I read these words:

καλὴ σφόδρα καὶ φοβουμένη τὸν Κύριον·

4:22 PM Quote of the day (Paul Himes):

… Bible translation remains a high-priority task for those who take the Great Commission seriously. For those of you who have shown evidence of skill in languages, why not consider this ministry?

4:15 PM I never thought I’d write a tribute to Wordsworth but here I go. Wordsworth was perhaps the first person to conceive of walking as a poetic act, a way of communing with nature.

He used his legs in the service of philosophy. He discovered France on foot by walking over the Alps, using all of his walks as material for his poems. “Thus did I steel along that silent road/My body from the stillness drinking….” Walking is like that. Walking always presupposes a purpose (as opposed to mere wandering). The mechanism here is one of pure pleasure. I noticed that people walked a lot in Ethiopia, but their purpose was utilitarian. But Wordsworth took to the road like an aesthete, for pleasure and not because of necessity. When Bec and I lived in Switzerland, we walked everywhere. Who needs the tram or the train when one can stroll into town along 13th-century cobblestones? “Lord, that I might be/Small pebble, big stone or dust/On the Pandharpur road/To be trampled by the feet of saints!” Some people pray while walking. I do. Walking thus becomes an act of inexhaustible joy and consolation. Every truly magnificent landscape fills the person who has conquered it with energy and passion. I am a homo viator, a walking man, walking to find in myself the first man and the Last Adam, preparing myself for my celestial destiny.

3:55 PM Jacob Cerone has just posted an outstanding video illustrating the importance of doing structural analysis of a paragraph based on the Greek text. Gohere to play it. (And can’t we all agree that exegesis, to be exegesis, really ought to be done from the Greek text?)

11:48 AM Somebody please hit me with the stupid stick. I spent all morning on the phone with Gateway technical support troubleshooting the lack of audio from my desktop speakers only to find out that the mute button had been pressed in my YouTube channel. How that I happened I have no idea. Computers! Love ’em and hate ’em!

Thursday, January 7

6:14 PM Who’s got time to empty the trash when one’s writing juices are flowing?

6:02 PM Love this T. S. Elliot quote: “Old men ought to be explorers.” And why shouldn’t we? We live longer now. As with the prospectors in the Gold Rush days, courage comes with looking ahead and dreaming big. I can tell you from personal experience that it’s possible to endure loneliness when there is a vision of glory ahead. I want to participate in the as-yet unseen. The future is not a problem to be solved but a hazard to be overcome.

9:32 AM I’m not the most introspective guy on the planet, but occasionally I ask myself, “Why do you enjoy climbing so much?” British climber George Mallory, who was one of the first men to climb Mount Everest, famously answered the “Why Mount Everest?” question with a simple, “Because it’s there.” For me, climbing is both physically and mentally challenging. To climb a mountain is mostly about the willingness to experience physical discomfort to reach a goal. The idea of finding my personal limits — testing myself — appeals to me. I discovered long ago that I don’t have any running ability. 5Ks are just plain hard work for me. But my body is well-suited for walking. And so, like most people, I do what I enjoy doing. And then I blog about it. Not that it matters in the least. People look at my pictures and then quickly forget them. The memories all fade away. But from an emotional perspective, climbing adds immeasurable richness to my life. Standing on the top of a mountain (whether the mountain is high or not) is only part of the story. Climbing is more than a single moment. It’s about getting to the top and then back down again — safely. It’s about the obstacles overcome, the heart for the natural world, and the feeling of deep satisfaction from the accomplishment. Individual climbs are soon forgotten. The world won’t stop spinning because I climbed a mountain. No one really cares. Still, it’s part of my story. And, of course, my temperament is such that I enjoy sharing my story with others. I have, really, two stories to tell. One is about climbing. The other is a story about what I’m learning about my Creator — and about myself. A love story, if you will. The story of how I’ve survived the storms of life. I’m sorry to drag you along for the ride. But that’s the way I’m wired. I write simply and from the heart. That’s what’s really important to me. It’s not how high you go but who you become along the way.

P.S. Despite having had such a wonderful day yesterday, I was very lonely for Becky last night. I prayed a prayer that I had never prayed before. I said, “Lord, if possible, would You please say hi to Becky for me?”

Do you think He did?

Wednesday, January 6

5:16 PM My fifth hike of the year is now in the bag. Hanging Rock State Park was a mere two-hour drive from the farm. It’s near the Virginia border in Stokes County, North Carolina. I wanted to climb both Hanging Rock and Moore’s Knob but only had time to do the latter. Moore’s Knob rises 2,500 feet above the surrounding countryside and has a phenomenal observation tower at its summit. But first you have to get there. The trail is rated “strenuous” and I take no issue with that assessment. As you can see, my pace was only 22 minutes per mile. And that was going full out.

To begin your hike be sure to stop by the visitor’s center and get a trail map. There are 18 miles of trails in the park and this one in particular has a significant elevation gain. I knew the climb would be challenging so I drove to the park yesterday afternoon and stayed in a nearby bed and breakfast called Chateau Fontaine.

Talk about fancy!

The hosts were incredibly nice people — and lovers of Jesus too! Susan, the hostess with the mostest, cooked an incredible breakfast for me this morning.

When I saw it I said, “There’s no way I can eat all of that!” A few minutes later, the food on my plate had mysteriously disappeared. I’m glad it did, too, because I needed every single calorie for what lay ahead of me. If you’re ever in the area I am happy to recommend to you Chateau Fontaine. Peaceful, quiet, secluded, reasonably priced, and it even has Arabian horses — how great is that? Here’s their website.

As I said, I began my hike at the visitor’s center and walked just under 7 miles total. Once you pass the lake you come to the trail head, where you can either go clockwise (the easier way) or counterclockwise (which is more difficult).

Most people go the clockwise route but I chose to go in the other direction, not only because I’m a contrarian by nature but because I wanted the workout. After a stream crossing, the trail steeply heads up to Moore’s Knob along a series of rock steps.

The steps seemed never-ending. Once you’ve come to a flat spot you’d round a bend and there they were — another series of steps. Today I wasn’t so much interested in a fast time as I was hoping to improve something I’ve really been working on: my stamina. I thus found myself forcing my legs and lungs to work in tandem — step, breathe, step, breathe. Level area. Then more steps. Step, breathe, step breathe. I’m not saying this to complain. In fact, reaching the end is well worth the effort. At the summit (as I noted) you’ll find an observation tower that allows a 360 degree panorama of the gorgeous Piedmont region of North Carolina and Virginia.

This YouTube video will give you an idea of what I’m talking about.

 

I spent about 5 minutes at the top and then began to descend to the parking lot. On the descent I saw the only people I encountered all day — a young couple and their sweet puppy. We exchanged pleasantries and they were kind enough to take my pic.

You’ll notice that I’ve started to carry a backpack. I want to begin adding more and more weight to it. Today it weighed only 25 pounds but eventually I want to increase that to 45. When I finally arrived at the visitor center, I took a few minutes to stroll through its nature museum, where I encountered this coyote and black bear cub.

Again, I reflected on the beauty of God’s creation and, in fact, while hiking I couldn’t help but praise God vocally for who He is and for the wonderful world He allows us to live in. When I got back into my car I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. “Thank you, God, for giving me the strength I needed to do this hike.” Hiking is about finding the strength needed to do the right thing when you face life’s difficulties. Many people in the Bible have had their own “mountain top” experiences. As I climbed today, I listened to the sound of sheer silence and heard the still small voice of God. I gave thanks to the Lord of all creation and drove home a happy man.

Tuesday, January 5

11:36 AM Did the Plantation Trail this morning at Occoneechee State Park. It was exactly 4 miles. Fourth hike down — only 48 to go. This morning was a bit on the cool side. When I started my hike the temp was 21 degrees. The good thing is that the coldness really keeps you moving.

Pix:

Monday, January 4

1:45 PM Perfect day for writing.

And for reading this book that came today.

12:42 PM How’s your weather? It’s snowing here. Earlier I jogged 5 miles and then ran numerous errands in South Boston. I got really hungry but I’m proud of myself for driving right past the MacDonald’s so I could enjoy of bowl of vegetable soup and a tuna sandwich when I got home. After all, I did promise myself I was done with fast food.

Back to the book!  

8:14 AM I’ll call this post “Looking back and looking forward.” You might say 2015 was the second most difficult year of my life. But when we’re faced with insurmountable odds in our lives, we’re always one short step away from the purpose God has for our lives. The supreme challenge for anyone who experiences a major loss is learning to accept the pain and sorrow on the one hand and learning to live with renewed vitality on the other. The important thing to remember is how the kingdom of heaven works — its operative principle is life out of death. I live in a wilderness called loneliness, but through the mist of my tears I see the rainbow. “Grief is not forever” I tell myself, because it’s true. One day there will be a morning without it. 2015 was a year to grasp Truth with both hands and say “yes” to God and lay everything I hold dear down in the dust. I know that God’s love never gives us anything less than the best.

I also learned to love all of God’s outdoors, to see in creation the overwhelming presence of His power and the lavishness of His gifts. The “path of obedience” means for me exercise and fitness as it never did before. In the great outdoors one is terribly vulnerable. But the journey is not complete until we have persevered to the end of the trail. In nature, I am reminded that there is a loving purpose behind everything in my life, a great tenderness even in the fierceness.

In 2016 I have set before myself many goals. I want to worry less about attaining God’s plan for my life and just work on today. I want to kick up my heels and enjoy my grandkids. I want to “make the most of every opportunity” (Col. 4:5). Like Helen Keller, “I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” And like Jabez of old, I desire bigger challenges and more opportunity. I’m going to thumb my nose at the skeptics around me who say “It can’t be done.” I will try hard to never split an infinitive or use, commas, which aren’t necessary. I will do extravagant things like feed my dogs a cookie or lie flat on my back and watch the clouds go by or climb a tall mountain or laugh out loud. And when I look back and remember Becky, I will thank God for the grace He made available to me, disguised though it was by sorrow and pain. I will thank Him for the material blessings He has given me and bless others with them. In 2016, my story will continue to unfold, as will yours. I have a sense that God has so much more He wants to do in my life, and that the story will be a good one. Memories still flood my mind, but they are mostly happy ones. Life is a pure gift to me. I want to live it to the hilt.

Sunday, January 3

10:10 AM Just ordered a new pair of running shoes. My old ones seem to have lost their support and shock absorption capacity. They lasted exactly 311 miles — which, I’m told, is not too bad (most running shoes last between 300-400 miles). My new shoes will match my old shoes identically. They’re called New Balance 860s. Using them is like walking on air. I’ve also ordered my hiking boots. They are Timberland Mt. Maddsen’s. I hope it was a good decision. Actually, it was the only midsized waterproof boot that came in my size. Obviously, having shoes that fit is very important. And when you’ve found your perfect pair, there’s nothing like it in the world. If you can also get them in a color you like, so much the better!

Saturday, January 2

12:22 PM I’m finally caught up on emails. It is a happy new year indeed! Earlier I completed my third hike of the year. That makes only 49 to go.

I hiked a section of the Tobacco Trail. It was an easy 5.2 mile in and out. This dead tree has seen better days.

And I noticed a picnic area about 2 miles into the trail. Neat.

Here’s the turnaround point. Actually, you can keep on walking down to the Dan River, which I have done several times, but today the ground was just too muddy.

My SD card for my new GoPro arrived, which means it’s high time I took the bugger out of its box and started figuring out how it works. Thankfully, there’s a YouTube today on every subject imaginable.

Later! 

8:42 AM Driving home yesterday I decided to go through Charlotte County, VA, where the Amish began settling around 1997. I encountered several Amish buggies along the route.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I pass a buggy I slow way down so as not to spook the horse. I also roll down my window so that I can hear the “clippety clop” of the horse’s hoofs. Love that sound. I really worry for their safety, though. Hwy 47 is a very busy road and has only two lanes. Logging trucks are everywhere.

In other news …

It was 26 degrees when I woke up this morning and my body rebelled against the notion of an hour and a half drive to Cary. Instead, I’m sitting here at the computer banging away at the keyboard. The sun is now shining brightly and I do hope to get outdoors for a nice long walk later on in the day. If I can break away from the farm this week, I plan to hike both Moore’s Knob and Hanging Rock. The Moore’s trail is about 4.3 miles long and it has an observation tower at the top that gives you a 360 degree view. The Hanging Rock Trail is much shorter and, I’m told, also has some lovely views from the summit. As you can see, I’m taking baby steps to become a mountaineer — Moore’s Knob is only 2,566 feet; it ranks as only the 1,909th highest mountain in North Carolina and the 39,701th highest mountain the United States. However, I do have my sights set squarely on hiking Mount Mitchell, the highest point in North Carolina at 6,683 feet. The Mount Mitchell Trail is an 11.4 mile out and back near Burnsville, NC. It has the reputation of being the most difficult contiguous trail of its length in North Carolina. Most people can make the summit in 4-5 hours, which is not bad when you consider that there’s a 3,600 feet elevation gain. First I need to get a good pair of hiking books and break them in. I also hope to arrange a ride back from the summit since the way down is worse than the climb. (Yes, one can also drive to the summit.) Very tough trail and will definitely be a challenge!

Believe it or not, I’m anxious for the semester to begin. The LXX class should be gobs of fun. We’ll also begin our exegesis of Philippians in my Greek 2 sections. Many of our pastors couldn’t use their Greek if their life depended on it. I fear much of the trouble goes back to the selection and training of elders. Many are not suitable for pastoral leadership. Some are utterly devoid of leadership gifts. And they often lack competence in the languages. In many of our schools academic training is discounted in comparison with practical training. This is frankly disastrous. So is the absence of grappling with ecclesiology. The essence of the Christian Gospel is that it must be rooted in biblical truth. Any theology that does not do this is doomed to irrelevance.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Have a good day and be safe if you’re traveling!

Friday, January 1

5:12 PM When I woke up this morning I knew had to get outdoors and get in a long hike today, anywhere between 6 and 7 miles. But where to go? I remember hearing about a hiking trail not too far from me. So I hopped in the van and drove 75 miles to the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. Being New Year’s Day, the park was closed, but I wasn’t going there to see the McLean House anyway. There are two hikes you can take when you arrive at the park. One takes you through the historic village of Appomattox, while the other involves hiking trails that take you mostly through wooded areas. The trails do not link but I suppose you could combine them when the park is open. The southern end of the hiking trails starts at the North Carolina Monument, while the northern end starts at the Lee’s Headquarters parking lot a few miles down the road on US 24. I chose the latter route for my hike today. The trail is what is called an “out and back.” In other words, there’s no loop involved. You walk there and back. The trail takes you along the Appomattox River, which at this point in its evolution is mostly a small rivulet. There are a few spurs on the trail as well, such as Sweeny’s Prizery. Of course, every step you take you’re reminded of the historic events that transpired beneath your very feet. Here’s a photo exposé of my hike in case you’re interested:

1) As I said, the trails are located on Route 24 just outside of the city of Appomattox, Virginia. But rather than turning left into the park you will look for either the North Carolina monument or Lee’s Headquarters.

2) As you can see, when I arrived at the latter location I was the only car in the parking lot.

3) Here’s the trail head. As always, the park service is on the ball and provides a detailed map of the trails.

4) Good thing too, because it’s otherwise very easy to get lost along the way.

5) I would rate this trail as easy to moderate. Most of it involves undulating hills, but occasionally you’ll have to climb a fairly steep rise, which is perfect if you’re interested in cardio.

6) Sometimes your walk takes you along a very easy grass pathway — almost a road, really.

7) And when you need to cross a creek, there are bridges to help you keep your shoes dry.

8) Here’s the “mighty” Appomattox River. It’s amazing to think that this small creek turns into a gigantic river when it reaches Petersburg.

9) One of the highlights of my hike today was this nature trail portion of the park.

10) For those of us who are botanically challenged, there are about 40 different species of trees identified, including this black locust…

11) … and this pignut hickory.

12) I think this hike would make an excellent outing for homeschooling groups. Very educational!

13) I mentioned earlier the Sweeny Prizery. Built in the early 1700s by Alexander Sweeny, this building once served as a tobacco packing house.

14) Don’t get your feet wet!

15) The trail is a little convoluted in places. Thankfully, just when you think you’ve lost your way, you come across a sign giving you much-needed directions.

16) History is everywhere you look.

17) Remember Custer?

18) Can you imagine what was going through General Grant’s mind at this very spot 150 years ago?

19) Eventually the trail opens up on a large hay field, which means you’re almost to the North Carolina Monument.

20) At this point, you can either return the same way you came, or else you can hike a couple of miles along the shoulder of Route 24 back to the parking lot where you left your car. I make it a practice never to hike back the same way I came. It’s just the way I’m wired. Thankfully, there wasn’t a whole lot of traffic today and I only had to step on the grass a few times.

21) As soon as I returned to my car I checked my Map My Run app and noticed that I had gone exactly 7 miles. The entire hike took just under two hours for me to complete. I pushed myself, but not too hard as the trail was slippery and I’m afraid of falling.

Thus completes my second (of 52) trail hikes of the year. (Yes, I know I cheated by starting yesterday.) I had lots of fun and got some great exercise in the process. The day was cold but beautiful. I especially enjoyed matching names with trees along the nature trail. I don’t mind hiking by myself. Of course, I have nothing against hiking with other people, but hiking alone allows me to maintain my own pace. I’m afraid that if I hike with a partner I will either outpace him or, conversely, lag behind and force him to slow down to my pace. My goals in hiking have always been twofold: To enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, and to get in a good cardio workout. It’s like when I used to ride my horses. I never walked my steeds. We always trotted or cantered. Occasionally, especially when there was a hill in front of us, we would break out into a full gallop. Horses need to be “aired out” when they are taken for a ride. And believe me, I got tired long before my horses did. I could never just do a normal “trail ride” where people walk their horses for a few miles. Of course, my days of galloping are long over. As I tell people, “I’m not too old to ride; I’m too old to fall.”

As I was walking today I ran across only one other group who was hiking. I saw about 5 or 6 seasoned citizens. They looked like they belonged to a hiking club. We greeted each cheerfully, and then went on our merry ways. Whether you are 20 or 40 or 60, whether you are male or female, hiking is hiking is hiking. It’s a pretty cool fraternity.

After my hike I was famished. After all, I had just burned 1,000 calories. I stopped at the local Mexican restaurant in the city of Appomattox and pigged out on a chili relleno and a cheese enchilada. Food never tasted better.

I spoke Spanish (or, Spanglish) the whole time I was there. When leaving, I’m sure glad I remembered to wish my server a “Prospero año nuevo.” (The “ñ” in año is extremely important, by the way!) And I wish you the same: 

Happy New Year!

9:28 AM So how to live the New Year? Totally committed to the Good News of Jesus. Being the aroma of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15). (Warning: like any aroma, smell can either attract or repel.) Being ready to serve others to the utmost. Being willing to allow death to work in us provided it means life to others (2 Cor. 4:12). Praying for people in need. (“You also burrow underneath by prayer for us,” writes Paul in 2 Cor. 1:11). Daily putting the proud self where it belongs — on the cross of our lives. Living our lives as vital limbs in the body of Christ along with others. Coveting the Lord’s mind on everything in our lives. Giving our wealth away. (The ancient Romans used to say: Money is like sea water; the more you have of it, the thirstier you become.) Allowing our suffering to become a means of drawing on the risen strength of our Lord. Approaching old age and infirmity with equanimity and confidence.

My prayer for the New Year:

“Father, thank you for this beautiful world You’ve made. Thank you for letting me live another year in it. Thank you for a body that’s able to walk and run, and thank you for the drive you’ve given me to make this happen. Creator God, all of us age. What we pray is that we may remain vital and creative as long as we last. I am old clay, but I can still be reshaped. Show me, this year, what new purposes You have for me. I want to be challenged, to have something useful to do. Give me the grace to be myself, the self You created. May I show my gratitude to You by the way I bless my children and grandchildren, freeing them to become their own special persons. For all of my “adopted” children, whom I love dearly, I will always be grateful. Help me to release the child in me that is full of spontaneity and fun. Give me the grace to say goodbye to those I love when they are taken from me. Help me to be like the widow who gave everything for the kingdom. Please help me to remember the joy and not the pain. Help me to sing Your song in whatever situation I find myself this year. Help me to find the balance between being active and resting. Help me not to cling to outmoded habits. Allow me to make the last years the best years of my life. When I need to talk things over with someone, guide me to that person. Help me to walk by faith and not by sight. “Lord, teach me to pray.” For the laughter of my grandchildren, I will always be thankful. Source of all joy, may there always be laughter in my life. Light of all seeing, help me to “see” others as they really are. Strength of all strength, grant me the inner strength and courage that only You can give. Most of all, help me to remain faithful until life’s end. Amen.

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January 2015 Blog Archives

Thursday, January 29

6:38 AM Who is a missionary?

… God’s call to salvation and His call to mission are one and the same. To follow Christ in this way is not optional for the one who is truly “born again.” It is to this life of mission that he must respond. Not only is this possible and practical in this day of over-professionalization; an emphasis on anything else is a perversion of the Gospel.

ReadEvery Member a Missionary.

P.S. Taking a brief blogging break. Don’t miss us too much! 🙂

Wednesday, January 28

6:18 PM Photo update:

1) Survived the “Blizzard” of 2015.

2) Had dinner last night with one of our international students. Can’t wait for the day when our campus is majority non-Anglo.

3) Was in the mood for Korean today.

4) The proprietor was surprised that I had a book in Korean.

5) LXX class with Chip Hardy.

6) I tried to teach the class how to do a discourse analysis of a Greek paragraph.

7) While on campus I finally got around to reading the Hays Festschrift.

My favorite chapter was the last one, written by Richard himself along with his wife of over 40 years. It’s called “The Christian Practice of Growing Old: The Witness of Scripture.” The chapter makes several excellent points:

1) Older characters in Scripture are often mentioned for their special wisdom or insight.

2) New Testament elders are worthy of honor and respect if not also special care and attention.

3) Aging “was never seen as a problem by the earliest Christians.”

4) The elderly bear a special responsibility to be models of faithfulness, temperance, and endurance.

5) The New Testament predicts unusual fruitfulness in old age (think Elizabeth and Zechariah).

6) Nowhere in the New Testament are the old said to be pitied or treated with condescension.

7) Like Jesus, we should seek the will of God no matter how old we are or at what age we die. “Consequently, as we grow old, we should seek to discern how to give our lives for others” (p. 660).

8) T. S. Elliot: “Old men ought to be explorers.”

9) “The special responsibility of older Christians is to lead, to teach, to counsel, as their gifts allow and as opportunities arise” (p. 664).

Amen to that! Folks, I realize that aging is not without its mysteries. But when older people choose to serve rather than be served, bless rather than curse, love their enemies rather than fight, truly the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Those who know that they are not much longer for this old world have a heavenly-mindedness that has plenty of earthly good! So — let those of us who are older imitate Jesus. Let’s develop a radical vision of the kingdom. Maybe we could even become out-of-the-box thinkers, given the kind of radical God we serve. Talk about a good reason to grow old! Nothing could be more rewarding than surrendering your gray hair and arthritis to Christ. There’s a choice to made about life, and it is simply this: Will we sacrifice ourselves for others, with whatever resources the Lord has given us? I don’t know about you, but this 62-year old geezer — *creak, creak* — can’t wait to do just that.

Tuesday, January 27

8:40 AM Thoughts on getting a doctorate:

When I was looking into doctoral programs back in the late 1970s, I well remember meeting students who told me they went to Aberdeen because of Marshall, or to Manchester for Bruce, or to Princeton for Metzger. To me, that seemed the only sensible thing to do. Many years ago in Germany students were constantly migrating from one university to another in order to profit from some course being taught that year by a famous scholar. There is, I think, much wisdom in that method.

ReadAdvice to Prospective Doctoral Students.

Monday, January 26

7:20 PM Last week a student of mine asked me what I thought about the now infamous mummy mask. I had a one word reply. There is nothing to be said until more — much more –information has been released to the public. Until then, I think it’s counterproductive to talk about a first-century “copy of the Gospel of Mark.” It’s a fragment, at best.

7:14 PM A few links:

Agree or disagree, these posts will get you thinking.

11:42 AM Stopped at the local CVS this morning and saw a sign I had never noticed there before.

At a distance it looked like it said “Singles Shots.” Boy could I use a singles shot today! I am missing Becky. I mean big time. It’s been 14 months and my heart hurts as bad as when I first held Becky’s cold hand in death. It all started last night. On the drive home from Raleigh I stopped by the MacDonald’s Becky and I would frequent on our way home from UNC after chemo, radiation, or one of her hospitalizations. Becky always loved getting a frappe mocha. As soon as I entered the restaurant I knew I had made a huge mistake. It was like being punched in the gut. This morning one of my daughters texted me and asked me how I was doing. I replied, “Ok.” When she asked for details I said:

It’s called grief. Trying not to fight it. But embrace it. Let it do its work. Mourn and weep. As with surfing, the more you fight the waves the more exhausted you become. But waves eventually run out of energy. You resurface to live again.

I’m sitting cozily in a warm house right now and the word “hope” keeps coming to mind. I hope it doesn’t snow tonight. I hope I can get to campus safely if it does. I hope my students do well on their first exam. I hope I can get a seat on my flights (I’m flying standby). Right now, hope is my anchor that is helping me make it through the storms of life. It is rooted in an unchangeable, trustworthy God.

As the author of hope, God is asking me to let go of Becky again. Argh! Again, God? Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting. It doesn’t mean not caring. It doesn’t mean that I block out my memories of Becky. It means taking the emotional investment I once made in that relationship and applying it elsewhere. When I learn how to do that, I will learn how to say to myself and others: Go, my sweet Becky. I entrust you to God. You have simply gone on to the banquet table before me. But we will see each other again. Hope begins with accepting (again and again and again) the reality of your loss, learning how to cope with the pain, and then adjusting to life without your loved one. Does it mean forgetting the emotional grief of Becky’s death? A thousand times no. Am I able to move on with my life without her? A millions times yes.

Even without a Singles Shot.

Sunday, January 25

8:38 PM Hey folks! Just back from Christ Church. It was great. Enjoyed the architecture:

The choir music:

And the organ postlude:

My favorite hymn was Phos Hilaron,which dates back to the fourth century. The words in Greek are:

Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης ἀθανάτου Πατρός,

οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ,
ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἑσπερινόν,

ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα, Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Θεόν.
Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις,

Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς· διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.

The program translated the opening words as “O gracious Light.” The Greek of course says, “O gladsome light.” Picky, picky, picky! Yup. That’s me. Can’t help it!

I loved tonight. Now it’s time to watch Gettysburg and chillax. This week’s gonna be crazy busy.

2:40 PM Hola, amigos! You’ll have to forgive me but I’m in a Spanglish mood today. I just got back to the farm after enjoying some wonderful Mexican cuisine at Los Banditos in Clarksville (“our fair city”). Of course, I couldn’t resist giving the staff a copy of Becky’s book.

Right now I’m stuffed with a cheese enchilada and a chili relleno. Prior to that I got “stuffed” real good with some of the finest fellowship and spiritual cuisine this side of heaven. Our good friend Tim Bowes brought a great message today from Phil. 4:4-7. Among my many takeaways (I took three pages of notes) was this: “When you’re being dragged this way and that by worry, let the Holy Spirit drag you to your knees.” Thanks Tim — I’ll never forget that one-liner! As you can see, the church prayed for me and my upcoming trip to Asia.

Just think, this will be my 10th visit there in four years. I’m coming to realize that this is all a part of God’s healing process in my life since Becky’s diagnosis and death. So they prayed for me. And as they prayed, I felt my faith renewed from the inside out. I know I can face any situation, no matter how lovely or difficult, can bask in the sunshine of God’s love, in the secure knowledge that I’m walking the purest path and pursing the highest calling. I have never been more in love with Him than I am today.

I submit that days don’t get much better than today. And it’s not over yet. Tonight (Deo volente) I’ll be attending the Celtic Service at Christ Church Raleigh. You see, even though I’m not on the Canterbury Trail, I can’t get enough of great sacred music. Tonight’s program includes Herbert Howells​’ Magnificat (Song of Mary), Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon), and a new setting of Phos Hilaron (the oldest known non-scriptural prayer in Christendom), composed by David Jernigan. I sometimes find myself bitterly regretting I didn’t continue singing with the Northeast Piedmont Chorale. I sit and marvel at these great Latin compositions. If there’s a ukulele in heaven (and I’m sure there will be at least one for me to strum), there will also be a gigantic pipe organ playing Bach and Buxtehude. In the meantime, all I can do is let my heart sing His praises and keep waiting for Him to make the way. Because I know He is alive. I know He hears my prayers. I know He listens to us even when our groanings are too deep for words (like mine were last night). I know His heart breaks whenever ours does. And I know He can perform the miracle we’re all waiting for.

P.S. In two days, music lovers all over the world will be celebrating Mozart’s birthday. Did you know his full, given name? Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. You Greek students will immediately know what Chrysostomus and Theophilus mean: “Golden-Mouthed” and “God-Lover.” I’m told Mozart was responsible for over 600 compositions during his lifetime. My all-time favorite is his chamber ensemble called Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. What’s yours?

10:30 AM It was exactly four years ago this month. Becky and I had just had a very important meeting with the thoracic surgeon at UNC. The bottom line was this: Becky’s lung tumors were inoperable. This meant that surgery was no longer an option (if it ever had been), just as more radiation and chemo had been ruled out as therapies since they had proven to be ineffective. There remained only the possibility of treating her with a procedure called Robotic Radiosurgery, which UNC “just happened” to specialize in. It involved shooting the larger tumors with extremely high levels of radiation. Pending approval by the surgery committee, we were looking at this procedure taking place in about two weeks. Before that could happen, “fiducials” had to be placed into Becky’s lungs by a thoracic surgeon to help the oncologists know exactly where to concentrate the radiation.

How did we respond? I guess like Paul in Philippians. Just as he could write that his imprisonment had turned out for the progress of the Gospel, so Becky and I knew that our cancer journey had worked out for our best. Our one fear is that we would betray Christ by our lives and testimony. Our single desire was to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27) – to live in a way that commended the Gospel to our friends and neighbors and to the hospital personnel. We desired to be more concerned about the needs of others than our own – to be unselfish, unconceited, to take the path of obedience, to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the companionship of His sufferings. We knew we could do all things through Him who strengthens us. We were confident that our God would supply all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

After our appointment with the surgeon I remember taking Becky out for dinner at the Outback Steak House in Durham. As we ate we thought about our many friends who had been such faithful prayer partners with us through this entire journey.” Then Becky put down her fork and looked at me with a wistful glaze in her eyes. “Won’t heaven be wonderful, Dave?” she said. “We’ll get to meet in person all of the wonderful people we only know now by name.”

All I could say was, “Amen, honey, amen.”

10:20 AM Need a doctorate? 

10:12 AM This week I wrote a note to someone who had invested a great deal of time in my life. It’s not that they needed my approval. It’s just that I felt the need to say “Thank you” for their investment in me. Sometimes I’ll get a letter or an email long after I’ve finished teaching a Greek class. I wonder, Do people think twice before sending it? Do they say to themselves,”He probably doesn’t need it?” Well, they would be mistaken. This came the day before yesterday:

You do not remember me, but I took Greek 1 at the master’s level with you in the fall of 2007 at SEBTS.  You made the material interesting and accessible and I greatly appreciate the way that you taught the class.  I know that you have made a difference in numerous students through your teaching and this morning as I was praying, you came to mind and I just wanted to send you a simple note saying thanks for investing in so many!

Whenever I get such letters I put them in what I call my “encouragement file.” I grab this file whenever I think I’ve been too much of a nobody for anyone to have noticed.

Maybe we all ought to send these kinds of letters more often. Wouldn’t it be a lovely thing for your former teacher — or perhaps a spouse or a parent or a sibling or a friend or a son or a daughter — to know that a footprint they left on the trail heartened someone else’s life? Each of us is God’s special project. He is at work in our lives — and He’s not done with us yet. Think of those people in your life who try your patience like nothing else. Then write down a few ideas of how you can encourage them. Be like Christ toward them. God doesn’t see all of the negatives in our lives and then beat us over the head with a stick (or the Bible) until we make it right. He woos us with His love until we decide to become what He wants us to become. In the days to come this week, think of one person who needs encouragement to follow hard after God, ask God to help you practice appreciation, and maybe even write them a little note. Don’t give up or give in. The “fruit of righteousness” is well worth waiting for.

Saturday, January 24

11:28 AM Anybody want my copy of Hays’ Reading Backwards? Just send me an email at dblack@sebts.edu. If more than one of you requests it, I’ll draw straws in the morning.

10:42 AM LXX students! RBL has just published a review of Georg A. Walser’s Old Testament Quotations in Hebrews: Studies in Their Textual and Contextual Background. Walser’s first purpose in writing is the following:

First, he seeks to establish the textual background upon which Hebrews bases its Old Testament quotations. He contends that the Hebrew Vorlage of the Greek Septuagint (LXX) is different and perhaps older than that found in the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT). It is quite likely that by the time Hebrews was written there were already multiple versions of the Hebrew text, Greek translations from the Hebrew, and even revisions of the Greek text. It is possible that the author of Hebrews was cognizant of more than one version of the Old Testament text. If so, how did the author select the version he would use, and what is the interrelationship between the author’s interpretation of the text and the version he used?

These are precisely the kinds of questions we will be asking ourselves this semester. To read the review, clickhere. Highly recommended.

8:44 AM If good things come in small packages, yesterday I received two very good things. Most of you know that I love anything having to do with exegesis, and the Baylor “Handbook” series is right up my alley.

I’ll use Garrett’s book as we walk through LXX Amos this semester. As for Rod’s tome, I read it in its entirety last night. It’s an excellent tool for Greek students but it is more of a quick reference guide than an actual commentary. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is learning Greek. Its format is clear and easy to use, and occasionally you’ll find a gem here. It will probably be most useful for elders and Bible students who still require help with basic parsing and with some of the less common grammatical constructions in the Greek New Testament. The best part of the book is getting Rod’s take on things. I have nothing but the greatest respect for Rod as a Greek scholar even when I disagree with him. The book was remarkably free of typos. (An exception is p. 159: “an very difficult text.”) It will make a good first step in exegeting Mark and will prepare readers for going on to the Markan commentaries by Edwards, Stein, Witherington, Lane, France, Green, Evans/Martin, and Marcus.

Additional thoughts:

1) A feature I usually discuss with my classes (but one that seems to have been generally overlooked by Rod) is Mark’s use of prepositional prefix morphemes with what appear to be an intensifying function. Examples include sullupeomai in 3:5, diarpazo in 3:27, diegeiro in 4:39, parakouo in 5:36,kateulogeo in 10:16, and (perhaps the most difficult one of all)kataphileo in 14:45. However, when Rod does discuss a prepositional prefix morpheme, his discussion is excellent. A good example is the compound verb katadioko in 1:36, where Rod writes, “The prefixed kata intensifies the semantics of the verb” (p. 35). Thus, Simon and those who were with him “hunted him [Jesus] down.” Nice job, Rod.

2) Rod tends to see verbal aspect functioning as essentially a discourse marker and thus he (in my opinion) tends to undervalue aspect as marking kind of action. He is lothe to admit the use of “inceptive” imperfects in the New Testament, preferring instead to see them as “background explanation rather than as part of the main storyline” (p. 35). He is thus critical of translations that use “began to” in rendering the Greek imperfect (see p. 24) — the NLT (11 times in Mark), the NASB (13 times in Mark), the HCSB (14 times in Mark), and — the greatest offender of all — the ISV (15 times in Mark!). Rod also assigns a discourse function to “historical presents” and is somewhat leery of allowing for a sense of vividness (see, e.g., p. 24). Speaking personally, I fail to see why a construction cannot have two functions simultaneously, both as a discourse marker and as a marker of aspect.

3) Mark’s highly descriptive way of saying things is sometimes faulted by Rod for being redundant, as in 1:32: “In the evening, at sunset.” Referring to the expression “at sunset,” Rod writes, “The temporal clause is redundant in English” (p. 33). A couple of pages later, Rod comments on the language of 1:35 (“very early, while it was still dark”), noting that “this expression is almost without parallel in the Gospels ….” I tend to view such anomalies as best explained by the tradition that asserts Mark was not so much the author of his Gospel but rather Peter’s stenographer who faithfully recorded what Peter said — and Peter’s oral style strikes me as quite a bit different from Matthew and Luke’s more formal style as bios-type literature. See myWhy Four Gospels?

4) Textual variants are discussed, though infrequently. Rod accepts “Son of God” in 1:1. In 1:41 he explains why “being compassionate” is to be preferred to “being angry,” despite Ehrman’s arguments to the contrary. Perhaps the lengthiest text-critical discussion in this volume concerns the confusion of pronouns in 6:22, too lengthy to summarize here. I was disappointed that Rod chose not to comment on the significant variant in 6:20. Was Herod “greatly perplexed” at what John the Baptist was telling him, or did he “do many things” that John had asked him to do? The difference in Greek is barely recognizable: eporei versus epoiei. For a defense of the latter reading, see my New Testament Studies essay,The Text of Mark 6.20.

I still have to get volume two but when I do I know I will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed devouring (katesthio) this volume. Recent books on New Testament Greek have tended to be onerous and overly complicated. Not so this handbook by Rod Decker. It is a very useful resource and it will advance your understanding of the Greek New Testament to a degree you never would have thought possible with such a “small package.” Buy it and read it. It will do you a world of good.

Friday, January 23

3:45 PM Required reading for next week’s LXX class: Doug Moo’sWe Still Don’t Get It: Evangelicals and Bible Translation Fifty Years After James Barr.  Moo asks:

If these observations about lexical semantics are so well known, why do we still find ourselves speaking and writing about the “literal” meaning of words?

I could wish that every seminary student graduates with the concept of polysemy firmly implanted in their minds!

3:36 PM Miss Mary brought me a key lime pie yesterday and I just had to share it with a little girl whom I know just loves that flavor of pie. It made the perfect dessert after our pizza in Roxboro.

Can you tell I like to spend time with family?

10:30 AM Parents, interested in homeschooling your children in Greek? See theHomeschooling page at our Greek Portal for some tips.

9:20 AM This morning I have been meditating on 1 John 3:17-19, which addresses those Christians who are rich in this world. John says that if they see a need and refuse to provide help, God’s love does not “abide” in them. That’s a powerful statement. Over and over again the New Testament emphasizes the importance of meeting the needs of our fellow Christians. No genuine need should go unmet in the body of Christ. I find a similar theme in 2 Cor. 8:14, which I’ve been studying in my daily Bible reading. Paul mentions the need (chreia) of those in Jerusalem. Again, in Titus 3:13, he directs the church in Crete to help Zenas and Apollos on their way. The clear implication is that these men had needs which they themselves could not meet. The church is therefore asked to meet those needs.

Was Paul himself ever “needy”? In 1 Cor. 9 he discusses this topic, asserting that frontline evangelists and church planters have the right to receive financial support for their work. He himself accepted no gifts from the Corinthians because he was able to meet his own physical needs by the grace of God and through his own diligence. I think there are several principles at work here. If evangelists have legitimate needs, and if they cannot provide for these needs themselves, these needs can and should be met by the church. In such cases, our giving should be grace-driven, voluntary, generous, and according to or even above our ability (2 Cor. 8:2-3). In fact, Paul seems to imply that believers should not be asked to give; they shouldeagerly seek out ways to give to the needs all around them (2 Cor. 9:2), looking for opportunities where they can invest the resources that God has entrusted to them as stewards. (We own nothing.) Of course, no one should end up in debt through giving either (2 Cor. 8:13)! Paul’s main point is that no Christian should go without their legitimate needs being met.

What are the needs you see today? Are you in a financial position to meet them? Pray for wisdom to distinguish between those whose needs are genuine and those who are seeking a handout and mooching off the charity of the church (1 Thess. 4:9-12). Missionaries should consider tentmaking as a legitimate alternative to support, as did Paul. They should be aggressive in finding employment wherever they serve. This way they will be a position not to get but to give, which Jesus said is more blessed. Still, there will always be needs in the church. “Share what you have with God’s people who are in need” (Rom. 12:13). This is my life verse. Every generous act of giving, and every donation given, comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights (James 1:17). May He receive all the glory as He gives through us!

Thursday, January 22

7:54 PM On Wednesday I encouraged my LXX students to learn Latin if at all possible. Being a Romance language, it will make you better looking and get you some dates. At the very least it can help you acquire Spanish, French, Portuguese, and (my mother’s native tongue) Romanian. The similarities between Latin and Spanish are just plain eerie. The Germans have a saying: “If you don’t know another language, you don’t know your own.” Latin will even make learning Greek easier.

Chew on it.

7:23 PM My daughter Liz phoned from New York to say that Barack Obama ended up meeting with the family of imprisoned pastor Saeed today in Boise. Thank you, Mr. President. For Saeed’s wife’s account of what transpired today, see herFacebook page. How would you feel if you were imprisoned for your faith? This is precisely the question the author of Hebrews asks his readers in Heb. 13:3. He says, “Put yourself in their shoes!” Summarizing his message on Acts 12 (When Prison Doors Open), Ray Stedman writes:

The word of God grew and multiplied, despite all the opposition. And two men were there whom God particularly wanted to instruct in how to handle tough situations — Barnabas and Saul. They were keen observers of all that took place in Jerusalem at this time. Saul would draw upon his experience many times later in his turbulent career — remembering how God could work to set people free, to open prison doors, to change a situation, to move a tyrannical ruler — all in response to the believing prayer of his people. That is what prayer can do. May God grant that we will find out, in our day, how it can work. Let us close in prayer.

Amen, brother Stedman. That is indeed what prayer can do. When things get tough, it’s time to pray. Let prayer be our first and last response to times of crisis.

I urge us to continue to pray for brother Saeed and his precious family.

6:32 PM Today I finished reading all of my “quest” books including Return to Rome by Frank Beckwith and Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie. It seems I disagree with just about everything these writers have to say. Beckwith, responding to an (erroneous) accusation that he was attracted to Roman Catholicism because of its “stately buildings,” writes (p. 14):

One could, of course, turn the tables on this account and draw attention to Evangelical Protestantism’s disproportionate number of gaudy mega-church monstrosities that have more in common with Wal-Mart and abandoned warehouses than sacred places of worship.

One wonders how either approach to church buildings squares with Stephen’s argument in Acts 7 that God doesn’t dwell in buildings made by human hands. On p. 18, Beckwith goes on to say:

Upon entering the confessional, I sat face-to-face with the priest. I said, “Father, forgive me, if I have sinned. It has been over 30 years since my last confession.” Then I said, “I’m not sure I can remember all of my sins.” In his thick East Indian accent, he replied, “That is all right. God knows them all.” I responded, “I was afraid of that.” The priest then heard my confession and granted me absolution. I found my way to the main sanctuary, where I did my penance, which consisted of one “Our Father” and one “Hail Mary.”

Once again, and despite Beckwith’s salutary attempt at humor, I find all of this very confusing. Currie’s book was far more interesting and lucid, I felt. I can’t possibly do justice to it in a short blog post (maybe I can flesh his arguments out later). Currie goes to great pains to define and defend the Catholic position on the Real Presence, Scriptural authority, the Bible, salvation, the incarnation, Mary, moral issues, and many other topics. He describes one of his initial visits to a Catholic service as follows (p. 26):

I tried to picture myself worshipping God in such surroundings. My mind revolted. The experience was like a kick in the stomach. The church seemed much too beautiful, the statues too numerous, and the atmosphere too other-worldly (and yet so intensely physical) for me.

He adds:

I was used to simplicity, if not austerity, in my worship surroundings. The Church of my childhood did not even display a cross anywhere.

Well, I doubt if the early church did either. It was, above anything else, the mass that drew Currie to Catholicism — “the Church’s teaching concerning the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist” (p. 28). He notes that “The Eucharist is central to worship in the Catholic Church” (p. 44). Again, I fail to see the Lord’s Supper described in the New Testament either as a mass or as a ceremony to be tacked on to the main “preaching” service. I agree with Howard Marshall that the Lord’s Supper should be celebrated as a full meal on a weekly basis. As far as I can see, the early church was keen to focus on Jesus during their gatherings. So I’d like for our churches to observe, if you will, the “Real Absence” of Christ — to celebrate His death, resurrection, ascension, session at the right hand of the Father, and imminent return. Indeed, our Lord commanded us to do as much. He told us to celebrate the bread and the cup even though, for the time being, He could not personally be present to enjoy the fruit of the vine with us.

I enjoyed Currie’s book immensely. It’s probably the best apologia I’ve read to this point for crossing the Tiber. Much more could be said, but I’ll leave you with what is probably my favorite part of the book. My Greek students will love it. On p. 24, Currie writes:

I took about three years of Greek at Trinity. I came to love and respect my professor. He could be ruthless in his pursuit of what the text actually said. God help the student in his class who was sloppy in his exegesis.

My sentiments exactly.

3:10 PM Just crossed another item off my “To Do” list.

Sure feels good.

2:32 PM This came today:

Dear Prof. Black,

We are holding a free colloquium on February 9th (11am-4pm) with guest speaker Steve Runge, who will discuss the strategies the NT writers used to prioritize and structure their message, both at the sentence level and above the sentence level. Lunch is provided for those who RSVP, resources will be available at reduced cost, and Logos discounts will also be available.

If you would be so kind as to forward the attached flyer to students who might be interested in learning more about Greek discourse features, it would be most appreciated. Our students loved your previous colloquium session on Greek, and I am hopeful this colloquium will inspire them (and local pastors) to think at the discourse level when exegeting text!

Grace and peace,

Andrew

W. Andrew Smith (PhD, University of Edinburgh)
Assistant Professor of New Testament at Shepherds Theological Seminary

For details, gohere.

2:25 PM My daughter Kim and I took “Miss Mary” from Bethel Hill Baptist Church to lunch today at Appleby’s in South Boston.

Mary went twice with Becky and me to Ethiopia — the first time when she was “only” 80 years old.

Here’s our June 2007 team. Seems like ages ago now. We all looked so young!

I will never forget what the Burjis told us when they saw Mary walking down the dirt road in town. “Now we know you truly love us. You have sent us your best.” The people were amazed that Mary would leave behind all of her comforts in America and travel 6,000 miles to love on them.

Mary, I am amazed too. Thank you for your love for so many, including Becky and me. We will always be grateful for you.

Oh, got gas in South Boston today.

Yall paying $2.15 in North Carolina — eat your hearts out!

11:22 AM More “commandments” about classroom protocolhere. It gets off to a very bad start:

Thou shalt have no other object of attention in the classroom. No devices — phones, gadgets, computers, guns — or distractions; I am a jealous and wrathful instructor.

May I rewrite this commandment?

Instructors shall make the course so interesting that students will gladly refrain from checking their emails (or brandishing their handguns) during lectures.

But I’m beating a dead horse.

10:38 AM Nathaniel Cooley shows howone vowel in Hebrew can make a world of difference. I tried to make a similar point yesterday in our LXX class about Greek accents. Take lalei for example. LA-lei means one thing (“Speak!”), while La-LEI means something altogether different (“He speaks”). That’s why I always ask my students to accent the accented syllable when reciting Greek. Of course, the Greeks themselves didn’t need accent marks. They were added for us foreigners. All the more reason to pay attention to them I guess. 

10:28 AM I hope I didn’t surprise anyone in our LXX class yesterday when I defended the Bible’s inspiration down to the smallest detail (tense, voice, mood, person, case, word order, etc.). After all, surfers have always read the Bible littorally.

10:08 AM Quote of the day (Gary Shogren):

If you like the King James Version, by all means use it – although I recommend that you do not read as Scripture the books of Sirach, 1 Maccabees, and the other apocrypha which the original 1611 version contained! If you like the Textus receptus, which reliably transmits the Word of God, then fine – although I would recommend the New King James. My goal is not to take the KJV or NKJV away from you, but to demonstrate that they are not the only reliable Bibles in English.

ReadThe Eclectic Text of the New Testament — a conspiracy against the Word?

9:08 AM Odds and sods ….

1) Teaching through the so-called Pastoral Epistles? Paul Himes has somesuggestions about resources.

2) If you’ve transferred into my beginning Greek class from another section and need to review your Greek, Jacob Cerone’s videos are well worth checking out.

3) In lieu of our final translation in our LXX class, students can opt to recite a section from the book of Amos.Here you can watch a former LXX student recite all of Psalm 1 in Hebrew. Were I a student, I’m sure I would take this option.

4) Last night I watched the PBS Frontline special League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis. The picture isn’t pretty. The video showcases the long-term consequences of playing football. The NFL, a multi-billion dollar business, is pushing back of course. Steve Young said: “I really worry about my linemen brothers.” And former pro Harry Carson is quoted: “The human body was not created to play football.” Great insights and brutal intensity earns the video 4 stars. It’s amazing to me the level of pain players go through just to get through a season. I unplugged from watching the NFL years ago. But I’ve played a good number of basketball games where seemingly NFL rules were in play. I much prefer cross-country riding. O wait — a guy can get hurt doing that too. At any rate, the video is definitely worth a watch, especially if you’re an NFL fan.

Wednesday, January 21

5:55 PM Photo update:

1) Yesterday’s convocation.

2) Lunch today with Edgar and Sarah Aponte in their beautiful Wake Forest home.

3) Greek 2 class working on translations together.

4) Only two more books to go on the topic.

P. S. Regardless of what you thought about the content of the president’s speech last night, I came away with the feeling I had just attended a high school pep rally. “Let’s get it done!” “We can do this!” “We can achieve this together!” “I still believe we can do great things!” I have no doubt that Mr. Obama wanted to approach the podium with a “knock ’em dead” attitude. Ironically, I felt the speech was subpar at best. I felt he neither made the right points at the right time nor “shook hands” with his audience. I questioned the necessity of gloating over being reelected when you claim you’re trying to pass unified legislation with your Republican counterparts. To cap it off, there were too many standing ovations. In a good speech there ought to be variations that allow the audience to catch its collective breath. Still, it’s hard not to admire a man who believes in his political philosophy and who is not afraid to speak his mind. I’ve been known to do that myself from time to time. “Let’s stop talking about missions and just get the job done!” I don’t care how many times I have to say that; I believe it’s true. May I dare challenge you, dear reader, to pledge your allegiance to Christ in such a way that you’ll surrender everything to Him? Determine right here and now that you will live as Christ would have you live in your financial affairs. This is what Christ is calling His followers to embrace in these last days — a life of servanthood and sacrifice. Ask not what others can do for you; ask what you can do for others.

Tuesday, January 20

7:18 AM I was up late last night watching thecentennial tribute to the life and legacy of Bruce Metzger. The speaker was my friend Mike Holmes of Bethel University, who was one of Bruce’s many doctoral students.

It was a very well-spent 54 minutes I can assure you. Metzger was remembered as teacher, author, editor, and Christian gentleman. My first experience with Bruce’s writings was using his word lists in my Greek class at Biola. And who can forget getting their hands on their first copy of the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament that Bruce co-edited? Later still, his textual commentary graced my office desk and was constantly consulted, even if I often disagreed with its conclusions. Bruce was particularly fond of his work as editor of the NRSV. As the initial translator of the ISV New Testament, I know a little about the joy (and drudgery) of working on a Bible translation. One of the highlights of my own writing career came when Bruce agreed to contribute as essay toScribes and Scripture, the Greenlee Festschrift that I had the honor of editing. Bruce’s essay was, of course, on the NRSV. Mike pointed out that Dr. Metzger carried out his writing and editing work while teaching a full load at Princeton. I guess there was no “research professor” status in those days! As with my own Doktorvater (Bo Reicke), Mike’s Ph.D. advisor served as the president of the prestigious Society for New Testament Studies (SNTS). Mike concluded his talk by reminding his audience that Bruce Metzger was “gifted with an erudition few can ever hope to achieve, but also with a confident humility that more should aspire to emulate.” Thanks to Mike for a job well done, and to Dr. Metzger for a life in Christ well lived.

Monday, January 19

5:28 PM I see that “Q” isbeing discussed again in the blogosphere. I think there are at least four reasons why we should dispense with Q. To read them, see myWhy Four Gospels?

5:14 PM First Things has published an essay calledTo Students: Close Laptops, Use Pencils. My philosophy? Use your laptop all you want. The essay presupposes a certain delivery system in college and university — the lecture. You know, “You sit still while I instill.” If all we are talking about is lecturing, then I might agree that the pencil is mightier than the computer chip. But creative teachers have students acquire the lecture material in one fourth the time by reading a good book on the subject (maybe even their own) beforehand. That way, class time can be used to discuss important and relevant macro-issues. My students are all over 18 and footloose and fancy-free. I treat them like the adults they are. No sooner would I disallow the use of computers in the classroom than I would forbid their use when I was “preaching” in a church service or teaching a Sunday School class. Expect them to act like mature adults — but also give them the freedom to do so. Irresponsible users can be dealt with politely but firmly outside of class.

2:35 PM Thom Rainer’s latest is well worth reading:Eight Reasons Why Some Full-time Pastors and Staff Should Go Bivocational.

2:20 PM This just arrived by email:

 I think better in my socks too!

2:10 PM Quote of the day:

Although there are many resources that can help improve your reading of Hebrew, one that I have recently benefited from is the Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible Series. I have been working through the volume onAmos authored by a professor of mine, Duane Garrett. In the book, Garrett walks through every stanza, strophe, and line of Amos, describing the syntax and function of each grammatical construction, with a little commentary. This book does not address the text-critical problems of Amos, except where necessary for intelligibility, but focuses on the present form of the text.

ReadSo You Want to Improve your Hebrew? Then buy this book!

2:05 PM Done with Dines. Now working through James Arieti’s Stanford dissertation A Study in the Septuagint of the Book of Amos. A few observations:

1) “There are a great many differences between the Greek and Hebrew texts of Amos.”

2) “Some of the differences between the texts are relatively unimportant; others might perhaps change the sense of an entire passage.” E.g. Amos 2:7: et shem qadoshi = to onoma tou theou auton (my holy name = the name of their god).

3) “The Septuagint often supplies objects, both direct and indirect, when they are absent in the Hebrew.” E.g. Amos 5:6: and devour = and devour it.

4) “The LXX occasionally added pronouns to give clarity to its text.”

5) “There are also additions to the text in the form of double translations, translations of one Hebrew word by two in Greek.”

6) “The translator of Amos evidently encountered many difficulties in translating proper names, especially those of geographical locations.” E.g. Amos 1:1: among the herdsmen = at Makkarim.

7) “There are many examples in the LXX of Amos of differences owing to a different vocalization of the consonantal text.”

8) “Verbs are frequently altered in the LXX version of Amos. Active verbs become passive, perfect verbs are translated as imperatives or as futures, the person of verbs is changed, and they are translated sometimes by a verb and a noun.” E.g. Amos 5:16:they will say = it will be said.

9) “There are many cases in Septuagint Amos where nouns and verbs which are singular in Hebrew are translated as plural.” E.g. Amos 4:13: adam becomes anthropous.

10) “Differences between the texts of the Hebrew and Greek Amos result from the confusion of similar letters in the Hebrew alphabet.” The most common confusion occurs with vav and yod.

Both Dine’s book and this one by Arieti will, I’m sure, prove indispensable as our students prepare for their class presentations.

1:08 PM The poor UPS guy. Has to work today. But I always love getting new books.

Meanwhile, I’ve been slogging through a doctoral dissertation (University of London) by Jennifer Dines called The Septuagint of Amos: A Study in Interpretation. I have my colleague and co-teacher of our LXX class Chip Hardy to thank for this unenviable task. Actually, I’m enjoying this work thoroughly (in my stocking feet).

The author discusses all of the significant differences in Amos between the MT and the LXX. Then she examines the effect of the special material as it appears in the patristic biblical commentaries up until the mid-fifth century CE. (Amos is not quoted by Jewish authors.) Some passages in the LXX diverge considerably from the MT. I think she’s going to end up arguing that the translator reveals his partisan leanings (pro-Maccabean Revolt) in his translation. We’ll see. I’m only a fourth of the way through the dissertation.

Amos, of course, is the book we’ll be translating in class.

12:14 PM I mentioned earlier that our message — er, one of our messages — yesterday was about Euodia and Syntyche in Phil. 4:2-3. What did Paul hope to accomplish by calling out these ladies in front of the entire congregation? That was the question posed in the message yesterday, and it led to several observations on how Paul dealt with conflict and disagreements in the body. For what it’s worth, here are the 5 points our brother shared yesterday:

1) Paul doesn’t give us details about the conflict.

2) Paul doesn’t take sides in the conflict.

3) Paul appeals equally to both of the women who were at loggerheads.

4) Paul enlists the help of the church body in resolving the conflict.

5) Paul calls on the church to remember what it was like when everybody worked together for the Gospel.

There is nothing like unity in the Gospel. Paul wasn’t interested in embarrassing these ladies. But unity is so important that it’s vital at times to enlist the help of others to get through it.

Wonderful message. Thank you Jason.

12:02 PM In discussing the character of his ministry (and in contrast to the ministry of the false teachers), Paul lists the hardships he endured, including “labors” (2 Cor. 6:5). In his talk to the pastors of the Ephesian church, Paul said:

I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that with these hands of mine I have worked to provide everything my companions and I needed. I have given you an example that by working hard like this we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus Himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in getting.”

Paul’s teaching about Christian finances has always offended people. What makes it so difficult is that it is not simply a theological doctrine but a way of life. Paul was one of the greatest apostles who ever lived, yet he didn’t demand his rights – least of all his right to financial support. It’s all simply a part of his theology of suffering.

11:12 AM Folks, I’d appreciate your prayers. Today I’m embarking on a study of 2 Corinthians with a view to recovering Paul’s theology of suffering. It’s part of the work I’m doing on my book Godworld. Today I’m focusing on the so-called Peristasenkataloge — the two lists of trials we find only in this epistle. As some of you may know, I enjoy thinking. Some of you like the way I think. Others not so much. Anyway, one thing I do try to do is put my thoughts into writing so that others can consider what I have to say (or ignore it). My views about Gospel origins and New Testament authorship, for example, have not been hidden away. My plan today is to begin the process of thinking deeply about the role of suffering in the Christian life, and you may well find me blogging about where I’m at in the process. It is exciting to live in an age of information overload, but it’s also dangerous! Negotiating the deep waters of New Testament theology demands a great deal of discernment, probably more than I can muster. I believe the apostle Paul sounded the warning note against the prevalent tendency in evangelicalism towards extremism and imbalance. My goal is the same. But it will take a lot of prayer.

Blessings on you,

Dave

10:30 AM Read this today:

The federal tipped wage of $2.13 per hour hasn’t changed in 20 years. A White House report this year recommended raising that wage, and noted that women make up nearly three-quarters of tipped workers. Restaurant servers are almost three times as likely to experience poverty as workers in other industries. The median wage for New York’s 133,550 waiters and waitresses is $19,103.

Folks, when you eat out, tip generously. Last night my daughter and I ate in a Mexican restaurant. The bill was $18.00. The tip was $10.00. I never tip less than $10.00, regardless of how low the bill is. These hardworking folk depend on tips and, with rare exceptions, deserve them.

9:55 AM Good morning, über-bloggers! I finished Scott and Kimberly Hahn’s Rome Sweet Home last night. It’s an apologia pro vita sua written not for scholars but for the average Christian. At the same time, it’s an apologia for the Roman Catholic Church and, perhaps implicitly, an attempt at prosyletization for the ancient faith. Basically the writers are saying, “Here’s why we became Roman Catholics. Perhaps you would be willing to consider the reasons yourself.” To be sure, it’s a fascinating intellectual pilgrimage, but I remain unconvinced. For example, Scott writes: “From then on, I kept sensing how praying the Rosary actually deepened my own theological penetration of Scripture. The key was meditating upon the fifteen mysteries, of course, but I found the prayer itself imparted a certain theological outlook for pondering all the mysteries of our Faith according to something that went beyond (but not against) the rational powers of the intellect, what certain theologians have called the ‘logic of love'” (p. 69). Forgive me, but that’s all Greek to me. Nevertheless, the Hahns do offer some substantive criticisms of Protestantism. One in particular deserves consideration: “Why is our church so pastor-centered? Why is our worship service so sermon-centered?” (p. 44). I ask this question myself in Seven Marks of a New Testament Church. Perhaps it is not too great a generalization to say that in a good many evangelical churches today we have the cult of the speaker. That is truly a scary proposition.

Another thing we learn from reading the New Testament [I write] is how varied the teaching ministry of the early church was. Nowadays we almost always focus on the ministry of the pulpit. “I go to Dr. So-and-So’s church” – the good doctor usually being noted for his prowess in the pulpit. In a church like Corinth or Philippi, we might expect to find a “senior pastor” who was known for his “dynamic expository preaching.” But you will find nothing of the sort in the pages of the New Testament. We do not even know the names of the pastors of the churches in the New Testament. (Timothy and Titus are often incorrectly referred to as “pastors.”) The reason is clear. Leadership in the early church was a shared ministry. Their churches enjoyed a “fellowship of leadership” (the term is Michael Green’s). How wise they were! There was no pulpit-centricity in these early congregations such as we find today in so many of our churches. Formal teaching undoubtedly existed. But this does not mean that the leaders did all the talking. Even Paul, when meeting with the believers in Troas, engaged in a dialogue with his audience rather than delivering a lengthy monologue (Acts 20:7).

Not only that. The Holy Spirit could lead several speakers to bring a word (1 Cor. 14:29), and believers themselves were expected to be “teaching and admonishing one another” (Col. 3:16). I believe there is no single lesson we need to learn more earnestly today than the importance of mutual ministry when it comes to the teaching of Scripture. To say this is not to belittle the ministry of pastor-teachers. I have trained a good number of them through the years! And who among us has never benefited from a message that was prayerful, biblical, Christ-exalting, and delivered in the power of the Spirit and with humility? Nor am I pleading for an “anything goes” mentality when it comes to our gatherings as believers. I am simply pleading for such a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that it should not be impossible for the Spirit to get a message across to the people through any member of the congregation He should inspire to speak. This is no pipe dream on my part. I have seen it happen in many congregations, my own included. I believe that most churches could do a great deal more to encourage this outlook. In this way many in the congregation will be prepared to put into practice the teaching of Heb. 10:24-25. The gathering would move from being a time of passive listening to an opportunity to engage in mutual edification. There is nothing so attractive in the world as a gathering where Jesus is dominant, not one particular teacher, regardless of how able he may be. This was perhaps the supreme secret of the early church: it insisted that Jesus Christ Himself, the church’s “Senior Pastor” (1 Pet. 5:4), have the first place in everything (Col. 1:18).

Yesterday one of our elders brought a magnificent teaching from Phil. 4:2-3 on unity and conflict resolution. It was fabulous: simple without being simplistic, well-researched, Spirit-filled. Yet at the same time there were numerous other “words” from the congregation bringing “edification, encouragement, and consolation” (1 Cor. 14:3). Is it priggish of me to say that I would like to see this happening in all of our evangelical churches? I make no plea for disorderly meetings, for that is forbidden in 1 Corinthians 14. But freedom during the service, genuine words of encouragement legitimately given — these must be expressed and not suffocated.

I had to force myself to finish the Hahns’ book. But I’m glad I read it. I feel obliged to add, however, that if some think that crossing the Tiber is dangerous, the anthropocentricity of a good many Protestant churches is almost equally as dangerous. There can be no doubt that the early Christians experienced great freedom in their congregational meetings, which were highly participatory. Too many of our gatherings today encourage mere spectatorism. The truth, as I see it, is that we need both formal teaching and informal teaching, and if these can be combined in the same meeting, so much the better.

Sunday, January 18

5:40 PM Check out theWhat’s New? page at our Greek Portal. Might find something you like. Special thanks to my assistant, Joshua Covert, for bringing the portal up to date.

10:15 AM Missions moment:

The call of the kingdom is not about how we confront social evils. It is about we get involved in sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others, including our enemies. What we need to see is that this is not going to happen until I do my part. As long as we buy into the lie that we can outsource missions to professionals and still further the Great Commission, we think our part isn’t all that essential. But it’s a lie. It’s a grand, satanic delusion.

ReadOne Person at a Time.

Saturday, January 17

8:15 PM Nothing quite like Pizza Hut with your family. Marvelous time.

Mr. Photogenic himself.

And then I drove home and found that these had come in today’s mail. I’ll have both of them read by tomorrow.

As I got out of the car it was pitch black. I just stared up at the stars. If you’re ever tempted to think that we are too much like God, just look at the night sky. I stood there and worshipped for ten minutes.

“To whom will you compare Me?”

“Lift up your eyes on high and behold the one who has created these things, who calls the stars by number.”

“The Lord, the Creator of the ends of earth, faints not, neither is weary.”

“Marvelous are Thy works, O Lord.”

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

“If I should go up into heaven, I could not hide from Your presence.”

“O come, let us worship and bow down.”

How flabby has been my worship of late. But not tonight. Not tonight. The Eternal, the Infinite, the Almighty — I saw Him tonight, there in the night sky. And I thought, There, beyond the stars, rests my Becky. And the tears began to well up, tears of joy and anticipation of the day when I too shall fly away and be joined with the Lover of my soul forever — Jesus!

5:15 PM Been working on Godworld today. I’m thoroughly Baptist in my theology, as you know. Yet I love Gregorian chants. I love cathedral architecture. I love organ music. I love to sing in Latin. A recurring theme seems to run though all the conversions from evangelicalism to Catholicism or Anglicanism in the books I’ve been reading, and that is a love for liturgical worship and the centrality of the mass along with a disapproval of what many perceive as the passing fads of self-centered “worship.” Yes, I realize that New Testament worship is not be confused with contemporary services. Worship is described in Rom. 12:1-2 as something that is 24/7. We don’t come to the fellowship to worship; we come as worshippers. At the same time, the call for a more Christocentric gathering resonates with me. I make much of this in my book Seven Marks of a New Testament Church. At the Lord’s table we experience a spiritual and communal understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ. I may never cross the Tiber or hike the Canterbury Trail, but I long for a more New Testament style of the Lord’s Supper as a full, celebratory meal. Until then, I think I’ll always find my own church tradition as wanting. Our individualistic, narcissistic worship experience differs little from our experience at Starbucks or a shopping mall. Space matters. Gestures matter. How we speak matters. Even architecture matters. For starters — and I’m just throwing this out — how about placing our “worship teams” off to the side of our sanctuaries or even behind the congregation? I realize that this sounds very high church — the choirs in a cathedral are generally seated off to the side, and I’ve been in many a church in Europe where the organist is situated at the entrance with his or her back to the congregation. One never sees them! Just point me please to the finished work of Christ. Give me an opportunity to focus on God rather than on loud people gesticulating up front. Let’s make it so that nobody would think twice if someone were to drop down on their knees in adoration during our gatherings. Speaking as a life-long musician who once played the trumpet semi-professionally, I view much of contemporary worship as musically and esthetically stultifying. No, I don’t want more liturgy. I just want less of us and more of Christ. So why not a table front and center instead of either an altar, a pulpit, or a music stand?

12:38 PM My good friend Alvin Reid has published a very thoughtful post today about his need to downsize his life and ministry. It’s calledThe End of an Era. This is blogging at its best. (I don’t say that often.) Like yours truly, Alvin has entered his “second adulthood.” This is truly a wonderful time. Nobody grants us permission to change. We grant it to ourselves. And change often means downsizing. It’s a time to be more accepting of yourself and of others. It’s a time to make more friends and be less busy doing things that won’t last. When I evaluate where I am in life right now, one word comes to mind: content. I am content with myself. I am content with my accomplishments. I am content with the number of books I’ve written. I’m content with my years of teaching. I’m content with how I’ve released my children so that they can be all that God is calling them to be. I am thankful that I’m not co-dependent. I am grateful I’ve never experienced job dislocation. I so appreciate the good health God has given me. And oh how grateful I am for all the years Becky and I were able to serve Him together. Marriage is the most pure and most practical earthly metaphor of God’s love for us. For in marriage, we must give ourselves to another. For 37 years Becky and I did just that. Love is to see all the weaknesses, all the shoddiness, all the sin in one’s spouse and then to be enabled not only to accept them but to love them. This is a miracle of grace, pure and simple. Although I don’t expect to ever again be caught up so closely in the vortex of another’s humanity, I will always be thankful for the marriage I had to Becky Lynn. There is something about putting your mouth on the mouth of another human being, releasing all of your inhibitions to a complete stranger (and regardless of how long you’ve been married, your spouse will always be, in part, a stranger to you), consenting to the dizzying thing called marital love. There is nothing like it in the world. I did not realize it at the time, but each day’s kiss was planted on the bones of a human being I knew I would not always have by my side. No matter. I am content. And like Alvin, I am excited about the next chapter. 

12:02 PM I received this book yesterday and have begun reading it. I can’t seem to put it down.

The author takes John at his word and explains the book’s interconnecting themes in such a way that you are drawn deeper and deeper into the theology of this amazing New Testament Gospel. I’m not a theologian but I appreciate theology, and this book is written so clearly that even a novice like me can understand what the text is saying. Thank you, Herold, for giving the church such a marvelous book.

For the Amazon link, gohere.

11:45 AM And to think thatthis guy is actually one of my Th.M. students.

11:12 AM My seminary dean asked his faculty for a short list of books that we felt students should have read before entering seminary. Here’s what I wrote him:

Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Schaeffer, The Church at the End of the Twentieth Century

Ellul, The Subversion of Christianity

Estep, The Anabaptist Story

Black, The Jesus Paradigm

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist the last one!)

10:06 AM Good morning to you on this sunny winter day! As you know, this week I will begin team-teaching (with Chip Hardy — a really smart guy who holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago) the book of Amos in both Greek and Hebrew. The course is officially listed as “LXX,” and I’m quite sure the Greek text can and should be read on its own terms, but LXX Amos is a translation of the Hebrew after all, and I think it will be helpful if we keep a close eye on the Hebrew as we work our way through its nine marvelous chapters. However, beyond the question of translation and exegesis — which itself could keep us very busy — there is the message of Amos to be dealt with, namely, the preservation of a covenant people of God until the day God raises up a Son of David in the person of Jesus Christ who shall right all wrongs and provide full and final salvation.

When Amos turned his gaze on the society in which he lived and worked, everywhere he looked he saw nothing but counterfeit religion — exercises in self-pleasure, protection of religious property, and careless indifference to the needs all around them. People lived for frivolity (think American football) and money, and the divine displeasure went completely unnoticed. Amos addressed himself to all who would hear his prophetic word that with privilege comes great responsibility, and that to whom much is given, much is required. Amos was a man gripped by a God of holiness, a God who loves His frail and needy people — His wrath-deserving followers — as much as any God ever could and yet who also insisted that whenever grace is abused and the law is forgotten, a terrible price is to be paid.

And what of today’s church? Is the Lord holding up his plumb line and measuring our lukewarmness? Has America reached the autumn of her probation? Amos was surely written for our admonition. Our God is a different kind of claimant. He demands our complete and undivided allegiance. This is the exclusivity that Jesus so often spoke of. There is no other God! — no matter how many times we hold our inter-faith services or acquiesce to a syncretism that would allow a Muslim call to prayer to emanate from a Christian bell tower.

And what of missions and evangelism? I wonder.

  • New Testament scholars attend their academic conferences, pursuing the intellectual (as well they should). But the true combination of humanitas and pietas, of intellectualism and spirituality, should be apparent in Gospel preaching as well as in the understanding of Scripture.

  • Pastors continue to erect their magnificent temples (“churches”) as if God lived in houses made with human hands —  and the church in the Third World goes without. Don’t read Amos unless you’re prepared to have your priorities turned upside down.

  • Seminaries act more like watchdogs than gadflies to sting into action for change.

  • People in the pews remain indifferent to the sufferings of their brothers and sisters in foreign lands. I do not know of a better statement of our double standard than that made by W. A. Visser ‘t Hooft in 1968: “It must become clear that church members who deny in fact their responsibility for the needy in any part of the world are just as guilty of heresy as those who deny this or that article of the Faith.”

Church, we are playing it too safe. This very day there is a Christian orphan in India you can support for what it would cost your family to enjoy a monthly meal at MacDonald’s. I can hook you up today with an evangelist in northern India who, for a mere $60 in monthly support will take the Gospel fearlessly to a completely unreached people group on the border of Sikkim. Would you consider becoming like the apostle Paul — rather than asking for money for the mission work you do, trying your best to become self-supporting so that the resources of God might go to the needy in other nations?

Our Anabaptist forefathers of the 16th century understood this principle well, at least in its application to missions. They knew they would never reach the world with the Gospel if they continued to outsource the task to professional clergy, and so they all stepped out by faith to get the job done themselves. Our conservative churches today claim to “be like Jesus” — and we are when it comes to holding and defending a high view of Scripture. But Jesus was also a radical who wasn’t afraid to sweep away centuries of tradition so that God’s word might be understood and obeyed.

This Friday I am meeting with one of our former doctoral students at SEBTS who practices his trade as an academic in a country where Christianity is at best tolerated. As he lectures in his university, he shares his faith and develops friendships with a view toward Gospel conversations. I want to do everything I can to support and promote that kind of strategic work. In India, as you know, more and more missionary dollars are being sidetracked into charitable social programs by denominations that equate social action with evangelism. How far we have drifted from the faith of the apostles! There is a need for a revolution in missions today, and that change will begin when we admit that Western missionaries are less effective at evangelism, church planting, and establishing local churches than are the local missionaries and evangelists. Foreign governments may close their borders to foreign missionaries, but they cannot close them to their own people. The native missionary movement in Asia is one of the most exciting developments I have seen in my 38 years of missionary work. Week after week on this blog I continue with this one message: native missionaries are waiting by the thousands to be sent to the next village with the Gospel. All they need is our prayer and financial support. As I said, any family in the U.S. can do this. Pray about it, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and God will show you what to do.

Thus is the message of Amos. Special privileges involve special obligations. Special revelation requires special obedience. Special love requires special responsiveness. Jesus says (as Amos did long before Him) that it is of absolutely no consequence to say “Lord, Lord” and then to turn from doing the will of God when it comes to global evangelism. Jesus’ last words are lasting words (as Danny Akin is wont to say). We have our marching orders (Matt. 28:19-). Millions of souls depend upon our obedience.

Thanks for listening,

Brother Dave

Friday, January 16

8:12 PM Sitting on the kitchen floor feeding the dogs their nightly cookie and having an interesting discussion with them.

Yes, I speak fluent Doggy.

7:32 PM In the opening verses of the Bible we are reminded that we worship a God of order and beauty. I thought about that in Greek class today as we finished our J-term course. I told the students that I have a real weakness, as it were. I simply cannot teach Greek without helping us to think in an orderly way about the language. Language is learnable because language is logical. Even beneath the most absurd “irregularity” in language lurks a rule that makes what seems illogical perfectly understandable. This is why I bore my students so often with extemporaneous excursions into linguistics and Indo-European philology. Can’t help it. I have found linguistics so helpful, so insightful, that I can’t refrain from sharing at least a few simple insights into how language actually works. So to all my beginning students: Thank you for your hard work and diligence in this course. Thank you for your perseverance. And thank you for putting up with an eccentric professor who gets carried away whenever he talks about language. It’s just one of the ways he’s learned to worship his Creator. 

7:04 PM Energion Publications has just put up a link to my forthcomingSiete Senales de una Iglesia del Nuevo Testamento.

From the publisher’s catalogue:

What is the church? What does it look like? What should it look like?

For answers to these questions David Alan Black looks to the first century church and our founding documents in the New Testament. What were the characteristics of a Christian assembly in the first century? In his study he finds seven things that defined the church then: Evangelistic Preaching, Christian Baptism, Apostolic Teaching, Genuine Relationships, Christ-Centered Gatherings, Fervent Prayer, and Sacrificial Living.

For more Spanish resources, gohere.

6:44 PM Event update: Please join us February 10-11 for the annual Adams Lectures, this year featuring Daniel Block. Dan teaches Old Testament at Wheaton. In 2013 he was justly honored with a Festschrift called For Our Good Always: Studies in the Message and Influence of Deuteronomy in Honor of Daniel I. Block (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2013).

6:30 PM Tommy Wasserman calls our attention to apro-Byzantine textual commentary on the New Testament. I am very impressed. A good example is its discussion of Matt. 5:22, which, I note with delighted surprise, cites my 1988 Novum Testamentum article.

7:16 AM Friday morning update …

1) And the winner is ….

Paul in Wisconsin

Framing Paul will go out in today’s mail.

2) Amazon is a fabulous source of books and other products. I am amazed that so many users actually take the time to write book reviews. In case you have nothing better to do, take a peak at thelatest review of my beginning Greek grammar. Wow. For myself, I use my book not because I think it’s a great deal better than other books out there but simply because I couldn’t teach Greek any other way.

3) Next week will mark my 76th semester of teaching Greek. So how does that make me feel? Productive. At peace with myself. Thankful that I don’t have to look in the mirror and ponder such questions as “Why am I here?” or “Where is there meaning in life?” I’m so grateful to feel like I’m still making a difference, regardless of how microscopic it may be. Above all, I’m grateful to God that I don’t have to make the gut-wrenching admission that I climbed the ladder only to find that the ladder was placed against the wrong wall. For every Christian who reaches 60 and says “Is that all there is?” there are a dozen who can say, “I can’t believe how rich my life has been.” I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve asked my assistant to check out for me from our library the book The Word Leaps the Gap — a book that honors Richard Hays. I’ve got my eye on the concluding chapter written by Hays himself: “The Christian Practice of Growing Old.” For surely growing old is as much a discipline of the Christian life as is prayer or Bible reading. Even with all its disruptions of late, my life is better than I could ever have hoped for. I continue to encounter rich new learning situations and am discovering that even an old brain can spout new foliage. Re-learning Latin has been an exhilarating challenge. It’s sort of been my preemptive strike against senility — or maybe its the proof thereof! I want to get out and explore my rich American heritage and see places I’ve never seen. I want to find new channels to express my passions in life. Since Becky’s death I’ve discovered a new side to me — and it’s been quite a discovery. (Jorge Luis Borges: “While we sleep here, we are awake elsewhere and … in this way every man is two men.”)

I feel dread over losing my youthful energy but I’m doing my best to outwit the inevitable changes ahead. The road that was once smooth in my thirties and forties has turned bumpy. I think I am maturing as a person (God only knows), but I am less reluctant to grow today than I was in my fifties. Although I try to live a healthy life, I don’t obsess about the outer shell. I still love the classroom. In every class session I feel like the guy who’s up at the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. I may not hit it out of the ballpark, but I’m going to give it my best. I do know one thing for sure. I can’t go back. “Don’t back up; severe tire damage” is more than a parking lot sign for me. Regardless of what has happened in your past, you just move on. I want to become like a great wizened orchestra conductor who discovers and helps launch others’ careers. Look at thisYouTube of an orchestra performing Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.”  Focus your attention on the conductor — his ecstasy, his sheer joy, his expertise that has earned him worldwide recognition of his professional accomplishments.

Without any music, with scarcely a wave of the baton, the old man conducts. Study his face. His eyes alone speak volumes. Aged, he’s nevertheless a handsome man. His conduct fires our imaginations.

May we who have grown older do the same.

Thursday, January 15

3:28 PM The news today went from the sublime to the ridiculous. In the first place, let’s talk about the sublime — El Capitan. What a cliff hanger. I love watching people push themselves to accomplish great feats. And the best part of it all was watching Tommy as he waited for Kevin to catch up with him so that they could both finish the climb together. When I saw that I said to myself, “That’s the church!” When one of us falls or slips up, we stop and make sure our buddy gets up so that we can all finish the race together.

The ridiculous was the report I saw today about one of the world’s most “prestigious” publishing houses. According to The Telegraph, Oxford University Press has banned the use of the word pig and any reference to pork in their children’s books lest such language violate the sensibilities of a certain religious group. Tell me it’s not true. I recall once publishing a book with one of North America’s leading academic publishers. Then I noted one day that they had inaugurated a policy requiring their authors to use inclusive language in all of their books. That was the last time I submitted anything to that publisher. Not that I’m against using inclusive language. I’m not. In fact, in my last 5 or 6 books I have chosen to use inclusive language. But that was my choice. My feeling is that editors have no right telling authors how to write.

Finally, an interview on NPR on my drive home really nailed something I have been thinking about for a very long time. The person being interviewed said something to this effect: We are not the products of our environment; we are the products of ourexpectations. Bingo. When I was three years of age, my parents decided to split up, and so I grew up without a father. Talk about a fork in the road. Divorce is an atomic bomb, and the children experience the fallout, big time. I went through junior and senior high school basically spinning my wheels. Then I found the Lord to be real, I found myself, and I discovered that God had a wonderful plan for my life and that I didn’t have to live in the past. I went to college and began teaching Greek there while a student in seminary. When I would go back to the Islands during my semester breaks I would always check up on a buddy of mine with whom I had surfed in Kailua. We went to the same high school, graduated the same year, and came from broken homes. One year while on vacation on Oahu I went to his house to say hello when his mother told me he was “ma-ke.” He had committed suicide by driving his car off the Pali. She told me, “We’re glad you were able to live up to your expectations. I wish my son could have lived up to his.” Actually, we both lived up to our expectations. That’s why I see it as one of my greatest priorities in life to help underdogs like me achieve their God-given potential. The saying goes: “We’re born, we’re made, and we make ourselves.” Heredity, environment, self-achievement. I would rather put it this way: “We’re born, we’re made, and we’re remade — remade by the power of a loving Savior who can take losers and give them a reason to live.

Life is chock full of things we cannot do anything about, but which we are supposed to do something with. Our prayer, each and every day, should be, “Lord what have you given me today that I can offer back to You?”

Keep on climbing,

Dave

Wednesday, January 14

9:18 PM In Greek class we often talk about what the church should look like and what church leaders should be like. We’ve talked about the metaphor of a pastor as a “shepherd’ — indeed, this is what the Greek word poimen normally refers to.

 

It only makes sense to retain the metaphor in Eph. 4:11 since every other occurrence of the word in the New Testament is translated that way. In class, I mentioned that in one of his books (The Contemporary Christian, I believe) John Stott had written a marvelous description of what a good pastor looks like, and the passage he draws our attention to is, of course, that famous passage in John 10 where Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd/Pastor. Stott lists several ways the good shepherd cares for his sheep: he knows his sheep; he feeds his sheep; he leads his sheep; he guards his sheep; he seeks his sheep when they go astray; and he calls them by name. The antithesis to a good shepherd is, of course, a bad shepherd, who is described in John 10 as a man who is “paid” to do his work and therefore has no real interest in the flock. This “hireling” is motivated solely by big bucks and will run away at the first sign of trouble or danger. I’m not a pastor. Never will be. But I have nothing but the greatest respect and appreciation for pastor-elders who lead us in this way, the way of John 10, the downward path of Jesus. I wish the words of John Stott could be preached from the mountain tops. We need pastors with this kind of character. And what is their purpose? To prepare all of God’s people for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). God entrusts ministry to the whole membership of the people of God. How cool is that?

Changing the subject, I’ve perused Doug Campbell’s new book and I must say it’s not at all what I was expecting, and I therefore must lay it aside in view of all the other pressing books I need to read for my research on my book Godworld. This means it’s contest time! I will give my copy of Campbell’s book to the first person to correctly identify the following building that played a hugely important role in my European education.

It’s where I would hold up about 8 hours a day researching and writing my dissertation. It had a room containing every dissertation in the area of theology ever published at the university. It’s where my seminars with Barth and Reicke were held. It’s where pipes were smoked (not by me, of course), doctrines were debated, and lifelong friendships were made. Any guesses? Get it right and the book is yours, gratis.

7:04 PM Doug Campbell’s new book arrived today.

By the way, I’m very impressed with the used book dealers at Amazon. Even without paying more for speedier delivery, most books arrive at the farm within three days of me ordering them. But the big question tonight is: Do I start reading Campbell or watch a Clint Eastwood western?

See you tomorrow, Doug! 

5:26 PM Hi folks. I’m sitting here listening to NPR discuss the fight over the Obama Presidential Library. I think Chicago will get it. Of course, Hawaii wants it, but poor old Oahu is already sinking under the weight of traffic and overpopulation. The decision will be announced in March. In other news, I’ve been keeping up with those two free climbers who are about to summit El Capitan. (Video atBBC.) I’m stupefied as I follow their story. As someone who just recently stepped onto the sixth green of life, I keep telling myself, “You’ve got to have the same attitude toward your own mountains, old boy.” You see, I’ve found that the older I get, the sand traps and pitfalls of life don’t get any easier. Like those climbers, you’ve got to know how to spot signs of trouble and combat any creeping despair. I like the story I once heard about comedian George Burns. He lost his wife Gracie when he was 80. But he never lost his love for living. Ten years later, NBC TV came to him and asked him to sign a five-year contract to do a TV show. Burns replied, “Five years? You gotta be kidding me! How do I know you’ll be around for another five years?” I’ll say it again: I don’t feel old. But even if I did, I wouldn’t act my age. Americans over 65 are living longer, and more of them are remaining healthy enough to enjoy their extended lease on life. The last thing I want to do is become inactive. Nope. I want to be engaged, useful, a risk-taker, even in my dotage. Norman Mailer wrote his thirtieth book when he was 74. John Glenn asked to be rocketed back to space at the same age. He returned aboard the shuttle Discovery. Way to go, Johnny boy!

Why should I slow down just because the finish line has creeped a bit closer? God has blessed me with career, family, and good health. He’s balanced these blessings with the pain of loss. In his book The Late Hour, Mark Strand noted how older men almost invariably need a spouse to keep them going and vibrant. I understand that. But I am content. I’ve developed an avocation if you will — a parallel career as a missionary that has become a source of enormous satisfaction to me. Some things that once seemed so important to me no longer seem that important. I have become both more outgoing and more introspective. So, until I reach MANopause — the time when I will dramatically slow down physically and mentally — I think I’m gonna stay engaged. Getting older isn’t all that bad, after all. I feel I have more control than I ever did when I was a younger man. My daily routine demands that I call upon a full range of capacities from tossing out bales of hay to gentle empathy. I’ve got my own El Capitans to conquer, thank you very much, and I’ve got the blistered hands to show for it. But who would want it any other way?

Well, it’s time to walk the dogs, feed the animals, and cook supper. This afternoon I had a very enjoyable time just sitting back and reading the book of Joshua (“Jesus”!) in the LXX on my iPad.

Earlier, Thomas Hudgins (translator of my Greek grammar into Spanish) sent along a wonderful endorsement he received today from Jesus himself. Well, Jesús Peláez in Córdoba. Many years ago Jesús and I founded the journal Filologia Neotestamentaria, and later he invited me to lecture at the Complutensian University in Spain. Here’s a snippet of what he wrote about the book: 

Es una gramática muy pedagógica.… Por todo ello, esperamos que sea sumamente útil para quienes desean aprender a leer el Nuevo Testamento en su lengua original.

I’m grateful beyond words for these kind sentiments. What great friends. What great blessings. The simple fact is that I’m called upon to follow Jesus, regardless of my age and circumstances.

OKAY, OKAY — enough of this rambling already!

12:20 PM Looking forward to this Thursday night’s edition of Henry Neufeld’s Google Hangout on the Gospel of John. This week he’ll be covering the prologue,1:1-18.

John’s presentation of the Logos who is Jesus Christ moves from God who is the Creator in the beginning, to God who reveals the Father because He knows the Father intimately. The way to sharing in this intimacy with the Father and becoming children of God (1:12) lies in believing ( Gr. pisteuein). Throughout the Fourth Gospel, this belief (often to believe in, eis) is understood as an active commitment, one which “involves a willingness to respond to God’s demands as they are presented in and by Jesus.”

One can see just how practical this kind of study can be. Faith as an “active commitment” — I love it! Oh, I asked Henry if he had read the prologue in Latin yet. He said he had — and then added that he had also looked at it, if you can believe it, inSyriac. Now that’s one edumacated feller!

11:34 AM People we lost in 2014:

Robin Williams, Joe Cocker, Lauren Bacall, Joan Rivers, Ann Davis (Alice in the Brady Bunch), Casey Kasem, James Garner, Shirley Temple, Richard Attenborough, Maximillian Shell, Pete Seeger, Sid Caesar, Ralph Waite (the father in The Waltons), David Brenner, Mickey Rooney.

My childhood is officially dead.

11:22 AM To Bajrang Dal, aHindu radical group, the world says: “Je ne suis pas un Indien.”

Eight Christians have been imprisoned following a brutal attack in which a pastor and seven members of his congregation were stripped naked, whipped with belts, and punched before being arrested by local police.

On November 4th, Reverend Rana had just begun a meeting with members of Bethel Pentecostal Church in Madhya Pradesh province to prepare for a prayer service when a mob of local Hindu radicals, known as the Bajrang Dal, stormed abruptly into the meeting. Following the mob’s brutal attack, police arrived on the scene and surprisingly arrested the eight victimized Christians.

Yes, Christians in India need our prayers too.

11:11 AM So I’m done reading Timothy Law’s book on the LXX. This book was exactly what I was looking for. His overview of the LXX is both complete and engaging. He does a very good job of explaining current scholarship. I’ll refer back to it often as I team-teach the LXX course this coming semester. Its message is hindered only by its brevity. (I know, look who’s talking!) Maybe the best part of the book is its “Further Reading” section (11 pages). An annotated bibliography would have been most welcome. But overall — nicely done, Sir, nicely done!

10:16 AM Iced in?

Time for some deep Bible study!

10:04 AM Timothy Law (When God Spoke Greek, p. 34) writes: “Bilingualism or multilingualism was, and still is, a prerequisite for any translation and was a skill possessed by a small number of highly educated scribes right through from the ancient Near East to the Greco-Roman world.” The context of this quote is one of translation and translation theory. His point is that translations and translators were not at all unknown when the translators of the LXX set about to do their work.

I agree with Timothy. Being bilingual or multilingual is very helpful indeed if one is to be able to think or speak intelligently about the art and science of translation. It’s one reason why I urge my doctoral students to acquire not just a reading ability in German and French but a speaking ability. I even support a conversational approach to ecclesiastical Latin. A lot more people today speak Latin than ancient Greek. The purely natural approach to language, with all of its benefits (not the least of which it just looks fun!), violates one of my goals for teaching, that is, revealing the underlying order of what is being taught. That’s what I found when I stopped by an airport kiosk one day and tried out the Rosetta Stone program for German. (I didn’t tell the nice lady that I already spoke German.) After a few minutes of parroting some lines of conversational German, I asked, “So what am I saying here? Which part of the sentence is the verb, and which part is the noun?” Her answer was, in essence, “Oh, we don’t deal with grammar around here; our approach is purely conversational and inductive.” In highly inflected languages like Latin or ancient Greek, I think this approach is simply overwhelming.

But back to my (and, I think, Timothy’s) main point. Being somewhat fluent in another language is, I believe, a real desideratum if one is to be involved in exegesis and Bible translation work. I know how fearsome learning a language like German can be. But there is no shortage of fine helps online, and you can even probably find a German chat group where you live.

8:56 AM I got about a quarter of a mile before turning around. There’s an inch of ice on the roads and the county schools have all been canceled for the day. Traction was completely gone even with my winter tires. So my ever-faithful assistant will take my class today. Please be safe out there!

7:18 AM Biblical truth is not given for knowledge’ sake alone. I emphatically agree with the old Scottish proverb that says: “Greek, Hebrew, and Latin all have their proper place. But it is not at the head of the cross, where Pilate put them, but at the foot of the cross in humble service to Jesus.” The ultimate reason for teaching and learning New Testament Greek is that, properly applied, it can issue in a “readiness for every good work” – that is, a life that is equipped to do God’s will and go God’s way.

And that’s why it’s important to learn Greek.

Tuesday, January 13

5:50 PM As I drove home from campus today I was reminded of just how blessed I am. I love teaching. I love my students. I love what I do. It isn’t work, never has been. Who is it that makes this possible? Who is it that determines whether we live or die or are sick or well or become a teacher or a nurse or a builder? “My frame was not hidden from You when I was being made in secret” wrote the Psalmist. “In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me.” What a promise. Yes, that and many others. All creation praises Him all the time. Even my dogs and donkeys and goats, even the stars in their courses above, even the mountains and the trees and the ocean waves. Imagine! We can worship Him at all times regardless of who or what we are. I am sure I have lost out spiritually when I have forgotten to take time to worship God with hymns of praise.

This afternoon has been another normal routine of cooking and eating and animal care and reading and writing. Right now I’m finishing Augustine’s magnificent Lectio sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum (6:24-33). It begins, “Nemo potest duobus dominis servire.” As someone who has lived longer than threescore years, I often think about growing old. I feel as young and energetic as I did when I was 20, but a look in the mirror tells me the evidence is against me. I long, yes long, to be filled with such unselfish love that I should be far gladder to see others succeed than to find success of my own. I desire, yes yearn, to see God use my feeble writings to glorify the great Mystery that underlies all of creation and help others find that Fountain of Life that alone can satisfy. I really don’t mind getting old, even growing old alone. I’ve stopped asking God why He took Becky away from me. I cannot fathom why He would allow it. But He can.In His book are written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me. No, I do not have Becky. But I have Him. And if we who have experienced loss are truly willing to obey, He will show us the way.

The days pass so quickly, don’t they? It’s hard for me to believe that in exactly one week our new spring semester will begin and I will again enter the classroom. My plea is that my students will begin and end with the Word of God in all that they do, that they will give Scripture the first hearing and the last word, that they will allow the Bible to reveal to them the Lord of the universe and the only reliable frame of reference for life. The Word is correction when we need it and reproof when we go astray and encouragement when we falter and stumble. At the same time, this Word never allows us to wallow in the trough of self-pity or self-righteousness or any other form of “self.” Worship is ascribing Him worth, not ourselves. The other night, as I prayed alone in my room, I began to pray in Latin — spontaneously. I’m not sure why. But the words came quickly and easily: “Tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe. Te laudo, te benedico, te adoro, tibi gratia ago.” The underlying theme was: I may not have it my own way. His will is best — always. Becky is gone. Mission accomplished! Now it’s my turn to be faithful to the end. There is an eternal Verbum that has been spoken. For two thousand years, men and women have taken their stand on that Word. We opted out of our rights when we decided to follow a man who Himself had relinquished all of His. Oh joyful, wretched, happy, heartbreaking obedience! I cannot operate in two kingdoms. I must love the one and hate the other. Is it even possible? Yes, a thousand times yes.

So it was He who determined my “frame.” I know that Creator. He’s given me new life. A hopeless failure, I know He’s forgiven me. Where would I ever be without Him?

7:08 AM Yesterday I was the recipient of many kind emails and well wishes for feeling better. Love, as has often been noted, is like currency. But unlike mere money, there is an infinite supply of love. In fact, the more people spend love, the more it increases. The more you give it away joyfully, freely, generously, the more you keep and the richer you become. God gave us other people because He knew we could never meet all of our own needs. In 2015 I desire to more willing than ever to lend a helping hand whenever I can. It is imperative, in the day in which we live, to learn how to love like Jesus loved. “The proud man and the covetous man never have rest,” wrote Thomas à Kempis, “but the meek man and the poor in spirit live in great abundance of rest and peace.” Our love for others is simply a response to His love for us. So thanks to everyone who took the time to write or text me yesterday. He has answered your prayers; I feel a thousand percent better; I am eager to get back in the saddle. 

Monday, January 12

4:40 PM This arrived in today’s mail.

Looking forward to reading it — as soon as I grab a bowl of pistachio nuts from my daughter Liz.

3:26 PM Reading Scot McKnight’s superb JETS essay calledFrom Wheaton to Rome: Why Evangelicals Become Roman Catholic.

3:22 PM Amazing photos fromThe Atlantic. The essay is calledA World Transfixed by Screens. What in the world did I do before I got my iPhone!

12:26 PM Really looking forward to traveling again this year, should God grant me the strength:

  • January = Asia

  • February = Revival services in South Carolina

  • March = Conference in Dallas

  • April = Lectureship at Mid-America Seminary in Cordova, Tennessee

  • May = Guyana

  • July = SNTS meeting in Amsterdam

  • August = Surfing trip to Hawaii

  • September = Asia

I also need to fit in another visit to Odessa to teach at the Baptist seminary there. (I’ve already purchased the ticket but the trip was postponed due to the political situation.)

“I visited Indians at Crossweeksung,” wrote David Brainerd in his diary, “apprehending that it was my indispensable duty….” I feel the same way about the doors God opens for me. How about you? Where is God leading you this year? Across the street or around the world — it matters not, as long as we obey His voice.

11:52 AM Were there football games over the weekend? Really?

11:05 AM Thanks to areminder by Arthur Sido, I just made a contribution to the Haiti Orphan Project. Gohere to make your contribution today, which is the 5th anniversary of the disaster there. Note that 100- of all contributions are used for orphan care and other Haiti projects.

9:52 AM I’m home today nursing a cold (again), reading Scripture, and thinking a lot about prayer. If you’ve got a minute, I’d like to talk with you about verbal aspect in the Greek imperative. (Yes, there is a connection to prayer here.) I want to begin with a section heading I found in Markus Barth’s magisterial commentary on Ephesians in the Yale/Anchor Bible Commentary series. The section heading reads as follows:

“Love Her, Love Her!”

(Barth was one of my New Testament professors in Basel. I was in his home and am witness to the fact that Barth not only talked about loving his wife but lived it.)

You will note that both statements are commands, but they both have different emphases. Read the first statement out loud: Love Her!  Where did you place the emphasis? On the verb Love did you not? The idea is, “You are tolove her!”

Now say the second statement out loud: Love Her!  Notice how the emphasis shifts from Love to her. The idea now is, “You are to love her!” Now, to indicate this change in emphasis, English must resort to what are called extralinguistic devices, in this case italics. (Other languages employ bold letters. Some place extra spacing between the letters of the emphatic word.) In English, the italics are necessary; otherwise we would default to placing the emphasis on the verb Love.

Now let’s look at one more sample sentence:

“Love Her Continually!”

When you say this sentence aloud, you will notice that you tend to emphasize the last word — the adverb continually. Again, the emphasis has shifted, this time from the fact of love to the way in which that love is to be expressed — without ceasing. We might paraphrase this as follows: “You are to love her continually!”

Let’s return to our model sentences, this time reducing them to two:

1) “You are to love her!”

2) “You are to love her continually.”

In Greek, the first sentence (“You are to love her!”) would normally be expressed by the aorist imperative, while the letter sentence (“You are to love her continually!”) would normally be expressed by the present imperative. Of the two patterns, the aorist seems to be the default pattern in New Testament Greek. The aorist seems to be intentionally refraining from commenting on how the action is to occur. Instead, the emphasis is on the verbal idea: “Love!” However, a departure from the aorist may be exegetically significant. If the present tense is used in a Greek command, we seem to be presented with two ideas. Either the idea is to do something continually (as we saw above); or else the idea seems to be to do that activity habitually. Thus, to our sample sentence “You are to love her continually!” we can now add “You are to love her habitually!” or even “You are to make it your habit to love her!” Of course, only the context can determine which emphasis is in view.

To take a New Testament example, Jesus once commanded His followers to “Ask, seek, and knock.” These commands have been recorded by the Gospel writers in the present imperative. Because of this fact, some English versions have a footnote that says something to this effect: “Lit. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.” The idea is, Do this all the time.  But is this what Jesus meant? Right now I am typing on my keyboard, not asking God for anything. I think what Jesus may have had in mind was this: “Ask as the need arises, turn to God as a pattern of life, ask habitually.” Thus James can say that if we lack wisdom, we are to do what? Ask! Whatever we need comes to us as Christians on the basis of grace and not as a reward. If you need something, ask God. He is a good and loving Father and He delights in giving good gifts to His children.

Here’s another New Testament example. Paul tells us that we are to “Pray without ceasing!” Again, the command to pray is couched in the present imperative. And so we have two options: “You are to pray continually!” or “You are make it your habit to pray as the need arises!” Which idea is in view here? It would seem the former: “You are to pray continually!” Why? Because of the adverb that follows: without ceasing. The thought might be something like this: “You are to pray continually, that is, without ceasing!” I think what Paul means here is that we are to go through our day in a constant attitude of prayer, of communing with God. The Keswick Movement called this “Practicing the presence of Christ.” That is, Christians have the privilege of walking daily in the conscious awareness of the presence, purpose, and power of their great God. This is communion with God at its very best. This communing with God may or may not issue in spoken words of prayer. But prayer is always on our minds if not on our lips. I think the following BBC program contains a good illustration of this. The program is calledAmish: A Secret Life. The story is of an Amish family in Lancaster County who allow themselves to be filmed. It is a wonderful story, beautifully told. You and your entire family could watch it in an hour. It would, I think, be one of the best time investments you could ever make. At any rate, at the 38 minute mark, the wife Miriam is hanging her wash on the clothesline and she begins to pray out loud for her children. One wonders if Miriam doesn’t do this all day long. She seems to be in a constant attitude of prayer. Sometimes that attitude of prayer spills over into uttered words.

And so I ask myself today, “Am I praying without ceasing? Am I practicing the presence of God? Is His presence what animates me, drives me, heals me, guides me, blesses me, renews me, restores me? Am I truly centered on Christ today? Is He at the core of my life, regardless of what I happen to be doing?” If you desire to give your all to God and abandon yourself to the mind of Christ, then prayer will become a precious and well-loved part of your day. I want to have a closer relationship with my God and simply acknowledge His presence in all things. Bible knowledge can support and hasten this spiritual intimacy I am describing, but it cannot replace it.

P.S. If you are a husband and need a word of challenge and encouragement, read pp. 700-720 of Barth’s Ephesians commentary. You will not regret it.

Keep centered in the Savior,

Dave

Sunday, January 11

7:32 PM As part of the research I’m doing for my book Godworld (on church and kingdom living), I ordered the following tonight:

  • Rome Sweet Rome: Our Journey to Catholicism

  • Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trial

  • Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church

  • Evangelical Is Not Enough

  • Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic

It was interesting to see the comments about these books over at Amazon. Many were written by converts to either the Anglican or the Catholic communions. Many readers seemed to feel lost and annoyed by a church culture that had grown in on itself. They seem to share a growing sense of historical identity and a passion for church history. They are growing weary of the anthropocentrism and pulpit-centricity of their churches. They are sensitive to the esthetic side of existence. I think they are especially turned off (as I am) by the entertainment format of contemporary “worship.” Should make for some pretty interesting reading.

7:04 PM Got gas tonight for $1.97 per gallon. Whoohoo! 

7:02 PM I am told that the longest word in Classical Latin is subductisupercilicarptor. According to the Oxford Latin Dictionary, it means something like “an eyebrow-raising fault-finder.” Subduco, of course, means raise. Supercilia is Latin for eyebrows. And a carptor is a criticizer. Hence: an ultra-critical person. Me? I’ve always thought of myself as an incurable infracaninophile (lover of the underdog). Right now in our Greek class I need to be just that. Language learning is a struggle for many of us. It’s not that we can’t memorize the material. We can. It’s just that we can’t seem to be able to understand it. Both Greek and Latin have a language “code” that works differently from the code used in English. It’s the English DNA to express meaning through word order. Not so in Latin and Greek. The code they use places more emphasis on word formation than on word order. When you first learn Latin you might memorize a sentence like Servus dominam salutat. “The slave greets the mistress.” This is a common enough word order in Latin, which literally says The servant the mistress greets. In English, the subject normally comes before the verb, and the object normally comes after it. Thus The dog chases the cat and The cat chases the dog are two completely different sentences with two completely different meanings. The –um in servus tells you that it is the subject of the sentence, whereas the –am in dominam tells you it is the object of the sentence. In Latin, the normal word order is SOV — Subject, Object, Verb. About 45- of languages follow this order (“I him greet”). 42- have the English word order SVO — Subject, Verb, Object (“I greet him”). Another 9- are VSO (“Greet I him”), while 3- are VOS (“Greet him I”) and 1- are OVS (“Him greet I”). So if you’re going to master a foreign language, you have to learn its language “code.” Admittedly, I could not do this when I first began studying Greek in college. The memory work was simple enough. But I never could grasp the concept of word formation (inflection). I therefore dropped my Greek class after three weeks.

If you are struggling with the language code of Greek, I hope you will not let that discourage you. You can get it. You will get it. Just hang in there and please don’t give up!

11:28 AM Feeling ragged today so am staying home and resting. Have a busy week ahead. Looking forward to a time of quiet worship here. In the meantime, some odds and sods from the web:

1) John Meunier is pondering the questionWhat makes worship United Methodist?

2) Steve Sensenig notes howJews are leaving Paris in droves.

3) The farm said goodbye today to the young pro leaders who enjoyed a weekend retreat here. Grateful for my colleague and friend Alvin “Doc” Reid who mentors this group.

4) The firstnew church in Turkey in 90 years.

5) An Ethiopian Airlines 737 cargo plane crashed yesterday in Ghana. Crew is fine. But how in the world does a jet engine get in front of the nose of a crashed airplane?

9:46 AM Oh, the ambiguity of language. The French verb être (“to be”) and the verb suivre (“to follow”) share the first person singular present tense form suis. Hence “Je suis Charlie” can be read either as a defiant “”I am Charlie [too]” or as “I follow [support] Charlie.” Of course, we could resort to “Nous sommes Charlie,” which can only mean “We are Charlie” and not “We follow Charlie.” After the 9/11 attacks, the world rallied around the U.S. The Star Spangled Banner was played at Buckingham Palace; the French newspaper Le Monde ran an article called “We are all Americans”; Cubans offered medical supplies; and children in India taped up signs saying “This is an attack on all of us.” Today we see this being repeated in the aftermath of the tragedy in Paris.

Businesses know the power of a slogan, especially when it doesn’t work (Verizon’s “Can You Hear Me Now?” comes to mind). Occasionally, a slogan can get lost in translation (Chevy’s Nova became “It doesn’t go” in Spanish). The problem with slogans is that they are here today and gone tomorrow. In addition, a slogan can mean whatever you want it to mean. In my circles, “Every Christian a Great Commission Christian” has been bandied about for some time. It’s the easiest thing to say but the hardest thing to do. (Remember “Yes We Can”?) A good slogan may be memorable, but it does little good unless it leads to action, as Richard Miniter noted in his recent column in Forbes (No, We Are Not All Charlie Hebdo). Somehow we need to move beyond silly fads and sloganeering. Believe it or not, people can actually say something meaningful without creating a hashtag for it.

 

Saturday, January 10

6:14 PM Today was my first day to drive to capitol square in Raleigh and actually get out of the car. I was there to visit the North Carolina Museum of History where the Raleigh Civil War Round Table holds its monthly meetings. Today Ed Bearrs rocked the lecture hall as only Ed can do. Ed knows what he’s talking about. He was the chief historian for the National Park Service from 1981 to 1994. Today, at the ripe young age of 91, he regaled his audience for a good hour and a half and didn’t miss a beat. I wish I had half his energy. Afterwards I decided to take a look around the square. The capitol building is a magnificent sight, especially on a bright and sunny day. As you can see from the photos below, North Carolina provided the country with three presidents. Church buildings also grace the square, including Christ Church (Episcopalian) and the First Baptist Church, whose steeple rises majestically toward heaven. Since I was so close to North Carolina State University, I decided to drive down to Western Blvd. and grab a quick bite of Ethiopian fare at the Abyssinia, where I could also practice my terrible Amharic. My server Frew even lit some incense for me (the only customer). I used to take Becky here back in the day. Such happy memories. There is simply no power or influence that is more penetrating in life than that of a spouse to a spouse. At the same time, I felt the Lord so close to me while dining, and He is every bit as close to me as my wife was at one time, only unimaginably more so.

Tonight I’m chillaxing (as one of my daughters would put it). Only three more weeks before I leave for Asia again. In the meantime, I hope to “take life blithely, like birds and babies,” as Luther once stated.

Cheers,

Dave

8:10 AM The Richland Creek Church young pros group are having a leadership retreat here this weekend. Here are the guys sipping coffee in my kitchen.

The ladies are over at Maple Ridge cooking breakfast. What fun. Right now I’m off to the Raleigh Civil War Round Table to fight the Battle of Mobile Bay!

Friday, January 9

6:38 PM Thomas Hudgins has published an excellent review of David Allen’s new commentary on 1-3 John. You can access ithere.

6:15 PM See this time lapse ofEuropean air traffic. Amazing.

6:08 PM This came in today’s mail. Eager to read it.

But what kind of an alpha is this?

5:16 PM La liberté de expression ne mourra jamais!

5:04 PM It’s time to take a break from writing to blog a bit about allusions in the New Testament. Hebrews, for example, is simply saturated with Old Testament allusions and types. This only makes sense. The New Testament writers were steeped in the Old Testament. As my friend Radu Gheorghita has noted, “The many allusions in Hebrews to OT material are the result of the Author’s vast knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures” (p. 99 of The Role of the Septuagint in Hebrews). I ran across an interesting allusion the other day in a book I’m reading about John Wilkes Booth. Judging that a certain Dr. Stuart had treated him inhospitably, Booth wrote him a nasty little note that included these lines:

It is not the substance, but the manner in which a kindness is extended, that makes one happy for the acceptance thereof. The sauce in the meat is ceremony; meeting were bare without it.

Booth sent the letter to the good doctor along with an insulting offer to pay for Stuart’s grudging “hospitality.” Few notice an allusion in Booth’s letter but it is there nevertheless. Booth invoked Shakespeare’s Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 4), in which Lady Macbeth complains about a feast that was given without being graced with assurances of welcome. She says, “The feast is sold/That is not often vouched, while ’tis a-making,/’Tis given with welcome. To feed were at best at home; /From thence, the sauce to meat is ceremony./Meeting were bare without it.” Here Booth is quoting Lady Macbeth almost verbatim. Want to eat? Do it at home. Want to celebrate? The spice to any feast is “ceremony.”

The other day I was listening to Chicago, one of my favorite 1970s rock bands. Ever notice at the very end of Feeling Stronger Every Day the allusion to a famous line in the Rolling Stones‘ “Jumping Jack Flash, it’s a gas, gas, gas!” I cannot recall listening to this piece by Chicago without being awed by the tribute they are paying to the Stones.

Allusions. Important indeed!

12:12 PM Quote of the day (Grant Howard):

Some people can’t say no. They take on too many relationships, and too many responsibilities. They enroll in two many courses, hold down too many jobs, volunteer for too many tasks, make too many appointments, serve on too many committees, have too many friends. They are trying to be all things to all men all at once all by themselves.

11:26 AM Retreatants have begun arriving. Sweet. Becky’s dream is still alive.

10:52 AM Just got this from Amazon:

The author talks about three kinds of rest: physical (the least important), emotional (more important by several magnitudes of importance), and spiritual (of supreme importance). His point is that life is more than work. It’s a hard lesson to learn for a 62-year old geezer who thinks he’s still a 25-year old.

9:44 AM Making beds this morning so that our guests can have fresh sheets. Yep, just call me Mr. Mom.

9:34 AM My good friend and colleague Edgar Aponte just returned from Cuba. This morning hetweeted, “Nuestro Dios es Señor de las naciones.” Amen!

9:30 AM Last night I listened to an interview with John Stott’s former personal assistant, John Yates. Yates, an evangelical Anglican, now pastors in Raleigh. You can listen to the interviewhere.

Yates emphasized three traits of Stott:

1) His intellectual rigor.

2) His global perspective on the church.

3) His great humility.

Listen and be both challenged and blessed.

9:22 AM Heat wave today. 40 degrees.

Thursday, January 8

9:04 PM Eager to get my hands on the latest issue of the Criswell Theological Review (Fall 2014), which contains an essay by my former doctoral student Mel Winstead. Mel’s essay is called “The Significance of Verbal Aspect on the Participles in Hebrews 6:1–12.”
 

8:58 PM Enjoyed the discussion. It turned out to be pretty Black and White (Weiss). *Dumb joke.*

8:55 PM The Hangout is winding down. Henry is encouraging his listeners to get a copy of Weiss’s bookMeditations on According to John. 

8:51 PM Henry is discussing “the Word was made flesh,” a foundational image throughout the book of John.

8:48 PM “You can be critical about the critics.” 

8:44 PM To read John is to read two stories: one about Jesus, and one about the early Christian community.

8:40 PM Is there internal evidence that is sufficient to overturn the eternal evidence?

8:38 PM On the basis of the external evidence, Black argues that the apostle John is the author. But what of the internal evidence?

8:30 PM Henry is discussing the dating of John. A key element is the Rylands papyrus (p 52). Its date precludes scholars from dating John in the middle of the second century.

8:25 PM The external evidence must be weighed against the internal evidence.

8:23 PM Henry cites p. 71 of my Why Four Gospels? to show how authors can reach opposite conclusions from the same evidence.

8:20 PM Weiss discusses sources in the Gospel of John. These lack a solid foundation. The text displays an amazing integrity.

8:17 PM There are two varieties of evidence when it comes to studying the background of a NT book — the external and the internal evidence.

8:13 PM Henry is introducing introductions to Bible books.

8:11 PM “Studying [John] has impacted me so profoundly.” 

8:09 PM Henry is discussing Harold Weiss’s books on John. John is so difficult to read in pieces. The theme must constantly be kept in mind.

7:28 PM I’ll be watching Henry Neufeld’sGoogle Hangout tonight at 8:00 pm (EST). The topic is the Gospel according to John. Henry is always worth listening to. Care to join us?

7:10 PM Quote of the day (Michael Green):

It would be a gross mistake to suppose that the apostles sat down and worked out a plan of campaign: the spread of Christianity was, as we have seen, largely accomplished by informal missionaries, and must have been to a large extent haphazard and spontaneous.

Read this and 40 other quotes from Green’s outstanding book Evangelism in the Early Churchhere. Green, by the way, would qualify, I think, as a New Testament student who has an uncanny ability to simplify truth without being simplistic. A true “scholar” indeed in my book.

6:46 PM Chris Seitz says that at the heart of the debate over homosexuality is acrisis in biblical hermeneutics.

If the Bible’s consistently negative word about homosexual conduct is wrong, or outdated, who will then decide in what other ways the Bible is or is not to be trusted or cannot comprehend our days and its struggles, under God? Appeal to Scripture’s plain sense is born of the conviction that the Bible can have something to say without other forces needing to regulate that or introduce a special hermeneutics from outside the text so we can know when and where it can speak.

Well said indeed. If a Christian is anything, he or she is someone who lives under the authority of the word of God.

6:30 PM Heute habe ich mehrere YouTubes vonPegida gekocht. In Deutschland 1970 gab es nur drei Moscheen, aber heute sind es mehr als 3000. In Deutschland 1970 gab es nur ein paar Tausend Moslems, aber heute sind es zwischen 4 und 5 Millionen. Einige sind der Meinung, alle Moscheen geschlossen werden müssen und der Islam verboten werden muss. Die sagen z. B.: “Ich habe ja kein Problem mit Ausländern, aber ….” Im heutigen Deutschland ist die Frage eigentlich ob es einen friedlichen, toleraten Islam gibt, oder ob die Moslems in Deutschland den Islam als dominante Ideologie durchsetzen wollen. Meiner Meinung nach bliebt die Frage offen.Jedenfalls glaube ich dass die Pegida abzulehnen ist.

5:58 PM A student just sent along this link to The Marriage Pledge:

Therefore, in our roles as Christian ministers, we, the undersigned, commit ourselves to disengaging civil and Christian marriage in the performance of our pastoral duties. We will no longer serve as agents of the state in marriage. We will no longer sign government-provided marriage certificates. We will ask couples to seek civil marriage separately from their church-related vows and blessings. We will preside only at those weddings that seek to establish a Christian marriage in accord with the principles ­articulated and lived out from the beginning of the Church’s life.

Could you sign it? Why or why not?

5:46 PM Stop the presses! I just read an essay called “Three Reflections on Evangelical Academic Publishing” by Andrew Naselli. You can access it here. It just blew me away. It’s a must read for every aspiring Christian writer/scholar. You’ll find here a nice balance between evaluation and critique of the works of Ladd, Carson, Porter, Witherington, and others. Writing is a lonely job. It’s also a very personal journey. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to academic publishing. As a writer myself, what I liked most about this essay is that it is full of practical ideas and suggestions for writing. Here are at least three of my takeaways:

1) I agree with Carl Trueman (who is quoted in the essay) that one should never apply the title “scholar” to oneself. “It is something that others give to you when, and only when, you have made a consistent and outstanding contribution to a particular scholarly field….”

2) I also tend to agree that just because you may have earned a doctorate in your field does not necessarily make you a scholar. We have all known people who were educated beyond their intelligence.

3) Finally, I especially liked the discussion dealing with the question of whether scholars should write for popular audiences. Here good scholars disagree, as this essay shows. I, of course, would answer this question with a resounding yes.

Many of us need the admonitions found in this fine essay. For not only can we easily get caught up in the need to “prove ourselves” as a “true” academic, we feel that writing for a popular audience is beneath us and, for the sake of our scholarly reputation, we desist from putting the cookies on the bottom shelf. This pretense then becomes a part of ourselves that we just can’t let go of. On the other hand, the other temptation we face is that of not working hard enough to produce essays and books that are both rigorous and scholarly. Among the seven deadly sins of medieval lore was sloth — a spirit of apathy that can easily lead to a critical cynicism for anyone who dares to challenge our point of view on a subject. Behind this insipid condition sometimes lies the wounded pride of one who bemoans that fact that he or she has never been duly recognized by the academic guild for the scholarship they have produced. Clearly, writing is just one facet in the lives of those who work in academia. We can be sure that even if no one else recognizes our efforts to contribute to the world of knowledge and understanding, the God who created logic and the ability to think and write does. The effect of His gift of writing is to make us more humble and grateful. I, for one, am thankful for young, gifted writers like Andy who are are seeking not to frustrate the wise purposes of God by neglecting to pursue a kind of knowledge that in this world is not always appreciated — a knowledge that strives to balance the academy and the church, family and work, the educated and the not-so educated. May their tribe increase. 

5:08 PM An encouraging note about my bookWhy Four Gospels?

This book was so well written and easy to understand that I read it in one sitting and learned more than I had about the New Testament in ages. I highly recommend this book for everyone, and essential read for young New Testament scholars.

From a recent review at Amazon. My thanks to the reader for taking the time to post a comment.

3:05 PM It’s winter in the South. It was 8 degrees when I left the house this morning. We also lost all electric power but thankfully it’s been restored. Today I had Greek class, then lunch with Nate, Jessie, and my grandsons at Red Robin. Today and tomorrow I welcome 14 retreatants to the farm.

Loving life.

6:40 AM Check out“What’s New?” at our New Testament Greek Portal.

6:34 AM ReadConfessions of a Missional Greek Prof.

Wednesday, January 7

7:34 PM Thanking the Lord for a wonderful day. Graded our Greek exams. Taught chapter 7. Came home and welcomed my daughter and grandkids from New York to the farm. Matt had to stay behind and work. With Caleb’s help, Liz cooked Vietnamese food for me for dinner. Delicious. She also prepared my all-time favorite dessert. (Hint: It contains Mountain Dew.) Then she played hymns on the piano. Beauty. Love. Food. Music. Family. Peace. Jesus.

6:34 AM Last night I watched an interesting YouTube in which Prof. Peter Beyerhaus of Tübingen University was interviewed. Imagine that, said the interviewer — a university professor who prays! Beyerhaus responded: “Without prayer, we couldn’t exist.” “Prayer changes the world.” You can watch the interview (in German)here.

Beyerhaus was professor of world missions at Tübingen from 1965-1997 and is the author of such books Die Religionen im Licht des Evangeliums, Das Geheimnis der Dreieiningkeit im Zeugnis der Kirche, and Liegt Allein in Christus das Heil? As I report in my academic autobiography (It’s All Greek to Me), I met with Prof. Beyerhaus in Tübingen in 1978 to discuss working with him on a doctorate. (He accepted me.) Thus I almost ended up in Tübingen rather than Basel. It was a difficult decision, but in the end I believed I needed a doctorate in New Testament more than I needed one in missions.

Tuesday, January 6

9:06 PM Ethiopian tonight. Fun fun fun!

4:45 PM Did you know that the New Testament speaks about a gift of “giving”? I know several Christians who have this wonderful gift. They all seem to have certain traits in common:

1) They appreciate what they have and recognize that all of it belongs to God.

2) They are very keen to be good stewards of the Lord’s possessions.

3) When they see a need, their immediate response is to ask, “Can I meet it?” If they can, they do.

4) They have invested their money wisely and have carefully reserved a part of their income for mercy ministries.

5) Nothing seems to give them greater joy than to give away what they have to others.

6) They especially seem to rejoice when their gift is an answer to someone else’s prayer.

7) They rarely respond to the appeals of professional fund-raisers.

8) They are both thrifty and lavish at the same time, as paradoxical as that sounds.

9) They are happy. When they give, they do it cheerfully (Rom. 12:8).

10) They tend to choose servant-oriented occupations.

11) They are Biblicists. They take verses like 1 John 3:17 literally and seriously.

12) They sincerely want to make the world a better place for others.

The New Testament places a great deal of emphasis on helping others as part of one’s Christian obligation. Caring for orphans and widows is the definition of pure and undefiled religion (James 1:17). Words are cheap; actions are what counts (James 2:15-16). Christians are commanded, “Share what you have with God’s people who are in need” (Rom. 12:11). The early church followed this practice. Sacrificial giving is highlighted in the Shepherd of Hermas, the writings of Origin, and the Apology of Aristides (130 CE), which describes Christian charity as follows:

And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast for two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food.

To the extent that charity was needed, it was provided. “Freely have you received; freely give.” The pagan writer Lucian even mocked Christians because of their generosity:

The earnestness with which the people of this religion help one another in their needs is incredible. They spare themselves nothing for this end. Their first lawgiver put it into their hearts that all were brethren.

I once had Becky speak in my New Testament class at SEBTS on the subject of giving from 2 Corinthians 8-9. She had been a very successful financial planner in California and had helped many a pastor and missionary with their finances. A student happened to tape her lecture and it is availablehere. Need help with your finances? I think Becky’s got some excellent advice for you.

Peace,

Dave

1:15 PM A day in the life of a Greek prof….

1) My view as I left the farm this morning:

2) The campus never looked prettier:

3) My Greek students taking a mock exam in preparation for their take-home exam tonight.

4) Small groups work well for review.

5) Finally, I’ve posted to Moodle the guidelines for student presentations in our LXX class this spring. In case you’re interested, they are listed below. We’ll be translating the book of Amos, both from the Hebrew and the Greek.

Your presentation should follow these steps:

Present the Hebrew and Greek of each verse of your chapter side-by-side for ease of comparison.

Produce your own translation of both the Hebrew and the Greek. You may, of course, consult the NET version or any other helps at this point. But do make the translation your own as much as possible. This means that, where there is ambiguity (as is often the case), you will need to decide between competing English glosses. 

Then discuss any important textual variants (in both Hebrew and Greek) that affect the interpretation of your chapter. Minor variants need not be examined. Focus on those variants that affect both translation and interpretation. The exegetical commentaries on Amos will be a source of tremendous help to you at this point.

Next, do a lexical analysis of your chapter, looking at the most important (or debated) lexemes. Include in your discussion any Hebrew lexemes that seem to be either mistranslated or over-translated in the Greek.

Then share with us any important or debated syntactical constructions you found in your chapter. How does the Greek translator render the Hebrew verbs? Does verbal aspect come into play in the Greek? How is the Greek definite article used? Does the Greek tend to follow the Hebrew word order? Many such questions can be asked of your chapter.

This will lead into a discussion of the overall literary structure of the chapter. How do the paragraphs relate to each other? Does one seem to be more salient than the others?

Next, please produce a discourse analysis of one Greek paragraph in your chapter. (There is not enough time to do this for every paragraph.) I will show you my method on the first day of class. This method (called colon analysis) emphasizes identifying the main clauses in your paragraph and then indenting to the right all subordinate clauses. After you have produced your heuristic display of the paragraph, walk us through the passage, showing us how the clauses are interrelated.

This will be a good time to discuss the key rhetorical features used in both the Hebrew and the Greek. You can probably expect quite a number of these. Again, any good exegetical commentary on Amos will assist you in identifying the devices used here.

Then summarize for us the main theological themes of your chapter. What is the “message,” if you will, of Amos in these paragraphs?

Next, how have the New Testament authors used any of the verses in your chapter? Give at least one example (if possible).

Penultimately, please give the class at least three sermon/teaching outlines of the chapter. Feel free to cite commentaries and sermons at this point. Ask yourselves, “How has this chapter been taught/preached? How would we do that?”

Finally, summarize for the class the techniques used by the LXX translator in dealing with the Hebrew text.  Is the Greek literal? A quasi-interlinear? A paraphrase? Or a combination of all of these?

7:08 AM Yesterday in our Greek class we talked about just how anemic the church has become. Students who claim to be Christians, who grew up in the church, are often biblically illiterate and almost always inadequately equipped to do “the work of the ministry” to which God has called all Christians. In fact, “the” ministry has been redefined to apply only to those who have received a special “call.” But beyond that, I think the problem of biblical illiteracy sets the church up for an over-dependency on its gifted “preachers” and for being spoon-fed the truth. This is, of course, the age-old problem of who exactly the New Testament pastors were, and  it is here that I think reformation is most needed. As I posted the other day, our concept of “pastor” is such that it rarely encompasses what I see as the New Testament norm, namely believers pastoring each other. An example: You will look in vain in the writings of Paul for a passage in which he addresses the leadership of the church in a way that implies that problem-solving and church discipline falls exclusively on their shoulders. I address this issue in my book Paul, Apostle of Weakness. Pastoral ministries such as warning, comforting, and supporting are functions to be carried out by the whole Body (see 1 Thess. 5:14). Any responsibility of the elders — take that of teaching, for instance (Eph. 4:11, 1 Tim. 3:2) — is shared also by the church (see Heb. 5:12; Rom. 15: 14). These facts are nothing new. They are clearly evidenced in the New Testament we read each day.

So how would I go about resolving the problem of anemia? Here’s where I would start. If I were teaching pastoral theology, for example, I would put a lot of effort into the exegesis of specific texts from the New Testament. So, for instance, should someone argue that teaching is an exclusively “pastoral” function, I think it would be helpful to examine in detail the passages I listed above in their immediate contexts. Then, on a broader scale, I think it would be helpful to expose our students to the different models of church leadership that are being debated today in evangelical circles. For the Reformed approach, one could read John Owen or the Southern Baptist Frank Owen. In their writings you’ll find arguments for the “preaching office.” The opposite perspective — that the New Testament knows nothing of offices — might be found in the writings of Ellul, Zens, and Yoder. I would expose students to the debates going on in the blogosphere about church leadership. I would especially want to drive them back to the text of Scripture. For example, why should we continue to call 1-2 Timothy and Titus “Pastoral Epistles” when the term is merely a fairly recently-coined scholarly convention? Neither Timothy nor Titus appear to have been the pastors of the churches in which they served.

In sum, if you think the church is anemic, don’t just talk about it. And don’t just follow your favorite Bible teacher. Above all, don’t take anything you read here (or on any website) as gospel truth. The fundamental question concerns our ecclesiology: Is church a place we go to or something we are as the people of God? Are relationships, encouragement, empowering through the use of gifts etc. the primary aspects of our gatherings? I ask all this in a sincere desire to see the church grow in knowledge and truth.

Back to Greek class.

Monday, January 5

8:40 PM I was very much looking forward to today as I knew it would be full of delightful relationships. First, of course, there was my Greek class, and then I returned to Maple Ridge and Bradford Hall where my daughter Kim and her husband Joel helped me with a long list of household jobs.

The kids, meanwhile, had a blast at “Papa B’s” as always. Here they are playing the piano much to my delight and joy.

Then it was back to Mexico Viejo for dinner with my sweet daughter Leigh and her husband Marshall and son Thomas.

God created the family and no doubt I’ve got the very best one on earth. Tonight I’m reading Flood’s book Lee: The Last Years. (Actually, I’m re-reading it for the fifth time.) Robert E. Lee died when he 63 years of age. That’s just one year older than I am. His last years were spent as a college president in Lexington, VA. Thus he ended his life as an educator, as I will end mine. He loved horses, as I do. And, of course, he was a very flawed man, as is every human being. I’m grateful that Flood tells it like it is when it comes to the life and legend of Lee. Too many biographies of Lee are guilty of gross idolatry. As much as I enjoy reading Freeman’s biography, sections of the book read more like a hagiography than a biography. Some of Freeman’s work is so devoid of objectivity that one wonders about the author’s real purpose in writing. Jones’ Personal Reminiscences and Life and Letters likewise border on the idolatrous. I am probably as guilty of Southern nostalgia as anyone, but Lee hated pretense, so why shouldn’t we? Like every great man, Lee was great in the midst of his fallibility. He transcended the vicissitudes of life because he faced them with unflinching courage. His example of perseverance — regardless of what you may think about his cause — has left an enduring mark in America. There is even a federal military installation named after him. As someone has said, the greatest compliment we can pay Robert E. Lee is to remember him for who he actually was rather than as a superhuman icon. Lee took no pleasure in the adulation of his peers and ignored publicity. Praised for his leadership as president of Washington College, he nevertheless chafed under the burden of academia and still longed to own and run a simple farm out in the country somewhere. Above all, like the apostle Paul, Lee let the past be the past. He repudiated war and felt oppressed by the great memories of the conflict. He showed the veterans he had led in war how they could rise above defeat and show themselves superior to misfortune.

It is evident that circumstances alone do not define a man’s spiritual condition. As Christians, we can be joyfulwithin when all is dark and gloomy without. We rejoice, as did Paul, in the Lord, for He is willing and able to supply our every need and use us, in all our brokenness, for His glorious purposes. The Christian who is aging (like me) cannot truly be happy without striving to be a blessing to others through what Paul calls “big-heartedness” (Phil. 4:5). (The Greek term is epieikes.) Our last years can be our best years if we make it our heart’s determination to substitute big-heartedness for bitterness. And so, in 2015, I will strive to be a blessing to others, to set my hope on the Day when the entire creation will be delivered from its present condition of corruption and futility, and seek to allow God to use me to advance His kingdom in this world. “I will sing to the Lord, for He has risen up in triumph. The Lord is my refuge and my defense. He has shown Himself my deliverer. He is my God, and I will glorify Him” (Exod. 15:1-2).

Till tomorrow,

Dave

7:02 AM I once gave a lecture on New Testament textual criticism at Biola. In case you’re interested, here’s the link toKey Issues in New Testament Criticism.

6:56 AM I continue to find Rod Decker’s materials to be extremely useful and informative (seethis page). His 2009 ETS paper calledMarkan Idiolect should be required reading. Rod discusses such features as Markan parataxis, redundancies, multiple negatives, periphrasis, and indefinite plurals. A feature I usually discuss with my classes (but one that seems to have been overlooked by Rod) is Mark’s use of prepositional prefix morphemes with what appear to be an intensifying function. Examples include sullupeomai in 3:5, diarpazo in 3:27, diegeiro in 4:39, parakouo in 5:36,kateulogeo in 10:16, and (perhaps the most difficult one of all)kataphileo in 14:45.

6:50 AM Here’s a great quote byJohn Stott (The Gospel & the End of Time, 90):

“… it is an expression of love to support others who are in need; but it is also an expression of love to support ourselves so as not to be supported by others.”

I found this quote in a superb essay called Work With Your Hands: A Theology of Work in 1 Thessalonians 4 by John Byron of Ashland Theological Seminary. I couldn’t agree more. I have argued as much in my essay, The Thessalonian Road to Self-Support.

6:40 AM Beginning Greek students! If you are producing your own vocabulary cards, here’s a tip for you:Write the Greek on both sides.

In this way, you are associating the original Greek word (i.e., the “bell”) with its definition (i.e., the “food”), so that, when you turn the card over to the front side, even though it’snot really there, after repetitive viewings you will actually “see” the definition under the Greek word on the front side of the card as well! In a sense, you can “salivate” all the way through your study of frequently used New Testament Greek vocabulary in gaining a mastery of those words. Try it; it really does work!!

Sunday, January 4

7:22 PM My colleague Tony Merida is spot on:

Through things such as humble acts of service, neighborly love, and hospitality, Christians can shake the foundation of the culture. In order to see things happen that have never happened before, Christians must to do what they have always done. Christians need to become more ordinary.

You can get Tony’s book Ordinary for only $5.00here.

7:18 PM Learning German? Then check out German for Neutestamentler. (Even if you’re not a Neutestamentler.)

7:08 PM More great family time today. Met with my daughter and her husband. This time it was Indian food at the Rasa Restaurant in Chapel Hill.

I also listened to a lecture entitled “Quakerism and the Religious Society of Friends” at Duke Divinity School.

I took copious notes, of course.

Like the early Anabaptists, the Quakers have historically placed loyalty to Christ over loyalty to the state. They also sought to have simple meetings without sacraments, altars, and even clergy. And, of course, their commitment to pacificism is well known. Our speaker today discussed the “business meeting” among Quakers in which voting is not permitted. Attendance is expected by all, and the meeting begins with silence as the congregation waits upon the Lord’s guidance. Our speaker mentioned that if there is a small minority, even if one person has a differing opinion, that one person is heard because he or she might have an insight that the others have overlooked. I was surprised to hear that unanimity was required before the “sense of the meeting” could be announced. I had read that 100 percent agreement was not necessarily expected or sought after. In any event, the lecture was both stimulating and provocative, and I look forward to delving deeper into the idea of the “sense of the meeting” in future weeks and months. I then attended the worship service in the main chapel — which, with its “high church” flavor, could not have struck a greater chord of contrast with the lecture I just heard about the Quakers.

God is so good to me. I have health. I have a wonderful seminary home that loves me and cares for me. I have happy work to do. I have family. I have interesting places to visit like Duke.

I just got off the phone with one of my daughters. Once again, I’m finding my role as the aged “patriarch” (in a good sense I hope!) to be strangely satisfying. Last year was a year of paradoxes. Will things settle down, make more sense this year? Either way, bring it on!

8:08 AM Last night Thomas Hudgins was kind enough to send me the following two links about the authorship of Hebrews:

This is point and counter-point at its finest. It is now an “old” tradition that Pauline authorship of Hebrews is to be rejected. If I have dealt with this old tradition, it is to show that for Christians to take a position in favor of Pauline authorship is nothing new at all. From all quarters nowadays we are told that the rejection of the Paulinity of Hebrews is one of the most remarkable developments in modern hermeneutics and, thanks to it, we shall finally get rid of the conformism that has so long marked the churches. Not so. At best, modern scholarship represents a healthy skepticism toward “traditional” points of view of any kind. I do not disparage that. I was taught to do that at Basel, where I received my doctorate in theology from some of the world’s leading thinkers. But I would like to see its partisans moderate their enthusiasm a bit. Certainly the earliest Eastern fathers held to Pauline authorship — or at least the Paulinity of the letter we call Hebrews. Eventually the Western fathers agreed. Moreover, Hebrews always circulated among the Pauline corpus in the ancient church, and there remained a sort of universal inclusion of Hebrews among the genuine Paulines. It seems to me — and I can only state my views briefly here — that the attempt to drive a wedge between Paul and Hebrews is a mistake — as even a younger generation of New Testament scholars is beginning to realize. As a case in point, in the introduction to my bookThe Authorship of Hebrews: The Case for Paul, I cite the outstanding work of two critical scholars who have defended the Paulinity of the letter in a prestigious group of essays edited by Stan Porter and Chris Land and published by Brill. In my book I wrote that:

…  a recent study by Andrew W. Pitts and Joshua F. Walker has challenged the consensus opinio by reexamining the raw data, drawing heavily from my previously published work on the subject. Their essay is entitled “The Authorship of Hebrews: A Further Development in the Luke-Paul Relationship.” In it they conclude that Hebrews is “Pauline” in a very real sense, Luke having taken a discourse given by Paul in a diaspora synagogue and subsequently publishing it as a written text. They write, “Although Hebrews has been handed down to us without an author, we have argued that both external and internal considerations suggest that Hebrews constitutes Pauline speech material, recorded and later published by Luke, Paul’s traveling companion.”

In my view, this essay marks a milestone of sorts in contemporary Hebrews research. Few have attempted this kind of close scrutiny of the text because it necessitates a highly critical stance toward recent tradition, in this case at least a century of tradition that has rejected the Paulinity of Hebrews. I am grateful for essays like this one. They ask us to “revision” the text in ways that are perhaps more faithful to the evidence, both external and internal. Revisioning is a difficult process. It is difficult because it is hard for us to look past our own traditional blinders in the light of serious exegesis. It can create dissonance between ourselves and our theological heritage. It is fraught with problems and challenges. Yet the rewards can be remarkably satisfying.

Such, then, is the way I envision the task of interpretation today. Let us see to it, then, that our own quest for wisdom takes the form of a quest for truth from any corner, and that we do not frustrate the wise purposes of God by neglecting to examine all of the evidence in order to pursue a kind of knowledge that is only superficially called knowledge.

Below: Heb. 1:8-9 in p46.

Saturday, January 3

8:04 PM Some brain food (Thomas Hudgins): 

I don’t think we have to postpone talking about this exegetical step [textual criticism] in our Greek courses. If it’s important, and I believe it is, then it needs to be discussed. I think by avoiding it in our beginning Greek courses, we do two things: (1) We let the critical apparatus scare our students, and then they never touch it later; and (2) we unintentionally and subliminally communicate to them that they don’t really need that apparatus in their ministries. Truth is, nothing could be further from the truth.

7:53 PM Love my family!

And Mexican food!

11:32 AM Okay, I’ll admit it. In a weak moment, I read some Greek last night even thought I promised you I would only read Latin this weekend. But it’s really really hard to resist the Akropolis World News site. Modern news stories in ancient Greek. How cool is that? Here are just some of the stories that caught my eye:

Περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὃς τὸν Πάπαν ἀποκτείνειν ἐπειράσατο καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀφανισθέντος ἀεροσκάφους

Ἆρα τίς ἀπέκτεινε τὸν Βῖν Λάδεν; Πλείονες Ἀμερικανοὶ στρατιῶται πρὸς τὸ Ἰρᾶκ, καὶ… οὐκ ἂν φθάνοις κύνα οὐ κεκτημένος ἐν τῷ Ἰρᾶν

Συνθήκη ἐν τῇ Νιγερίᾳ, δύο Γερμανοὶ πολῖται ἐλευθεροῦνται καὶ ὁ Κῖμ Ἰὸγγ-Οὖν φαίνεται
 

Παῖς μετὰ τῶν Utah Jazz ἀγωνίζεται καὶ ἡ Μαλάλα τὸ Νόβελ Ἆθλον δέχεται

Ἀνάστασις ἐν τῷ Χὸνγκ Κόνγκ, ὁ δὲ “Βάβυ Δὸκ“ ἀποθνῄσκει

Give it a try. You might like it.

11:20 AM Conference alert: In March, Adela Yarbro Collins will be speaking at TCU in Forth Worth on the topic,Who is Jesus According to Mark? I’ll be there — it’s part of the research I’m doing for my book on Jesus and the kingdom called Godworld.

11:12 AM A horrific murder almost in my backyardmakes the national news. How evil is man. No place is “safe” except in the center of God’s will.

11:04 AM Also ordered: Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard Hays.

10:58 AM I’ve just ordered Doug Campbell’s new book Framing Paul: An Epistolary Biography (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014). In it, I’m told, Campbell argues for two somewhat “non-traditional” views about Ephesians: Pauline authorship, and a Laodicean destination for the letter. As someone who enjoys espousing an occasional non-traditional view myself (Pauline authorship of Hebrews, Matthean priority, value of the Byzantine text type), I am eager to read what Campbell says about “Ephesians,” which he calls Laodiceans. There are, however, several dimensions to the problem that need to be explained. It might be helpful to backtrack a bit and examine a question raised by textual scholarship: Is the reading en Epheso original or not (Eph. 1:1)? Most scholars answer no. Others, like myself, answer yes. In any case, in whatever context, textual criticism again serves as a compass — raising questions and (hopefully) answering them. When all is said and done, all exegesis is ultimately “textual” in nature for the simple reason that a text cannot be studied apart from one having determined what text is to be studied.

Please, let no one bring up again the inevitable and useless argument: “the earliest and best manuscripts read….” We must not forget that the date of a reading and the date of the manuscript that contains that reading may in fact be two very different things. Hort, for example, argued that he had recovered the “New Testament in the Original Greek” on the basis of two fourth century Greek manuscripts. I have tried to show in my essayThe Peculiarities of Ephesians and the Ephesian Address that the inclusion of en Epheso entails important consequences. Here the correct reading must meet two conditions. The first, of course, is that it must be acceptable on the basis of the external evidence. The reading en Epheso is more geographically widespread than is the omission. It is not easy to resist the conclusion that it has genuinely strong external attestation. The second condition is that the original reading must be corroborated by the internal evidence. I must say (and I want readers to be absolutely clear about this) that it is a fatal weakness to fail to show a concern to seek out, to find, to examine the internal evidence in favor of the inclusion. If I assume that the greater Paul knew a local church the more personal greetings he would have supplied in a writing to them, then my thinking flies in the face of the evidence. As Harry Gamble pointed out years ago, the particularity of the Pauline epistles was a major problem in the early church. The three most widely read Pauline letters (Romans, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians) all show evidence of tampering in their place designations. The principle seems that the better Paul knew a church, the fewer personal greetings he would have included in any writing addressed to that congregation. To wit: The letter to the Romans (written to a church Paul had never visited) contains numerous personal greetings, whereas the letter to the Ephesians (written to a church where Paul had spent many months) contains none. Mind, I am not saying that the internal evidence is probative in this instance nor that we should place undue confidence in the tenets of intrinsic or transcriptional probabilities. But the internal evidence implies that it is justified to conclude that the longer reading is compatible with what we know about Paul’s method of writing. All of this amounts to textual criticism as necessity. In writing this, I certainly do not want to indict Campbell; I have yet to read his book. I merely want to point out that it is easier, more pleasant, more comforting to believe that all such questions of textual criticism have been permanently resolved. Unfortunately, that is an illusion.

Below: Eph. 1:1 in p46.

Friday, January 2

8:46 PM Interested in reading through the Greek Psalms in a year? Then clickhere.

7:02 PM I’ve begun a study of the Quaker practice called the “sense of the meeting,” which replaces voting. According toone website:

The purpose of meeting for business is for the membership to achieve unity in its discernment of a decision. Both the practice and the end result are called “sense of the meeting” (as in: “We make decisions by sense of the meeting” and “It is the sense of the meeting that we will take the Harleyville Worship Group under our care”). Unity is not to be confused with unanimity. It is not necessary for every member to fully agree with a decision, but rather for Friends to discern that as a body they are called in a particular direction. Some Friends use the secular and more modern term “consensus” to describe Friends decision making practice, since no voting occurs, but many adhere to this older term, which emphasizes that it is a religious exercise.

I’m not unfamiliar with this practice. Granada Heights Friends Church in La Mirada, CA, where we used to live when I taught at Biola, practiced this. I am particularly intrigued by the idea of going beyond “consensus,” which, to most Quakers, is a secular process. How can a body of believers truly be united when a decision is to be made? I often hear the argument that unity in decision-making was fine as an option for the early church but we are not bound to copy it. What works “best” for us is surely what the Lord wants for us today. Or is it? This seemed to be the way of Christ and the apostles. In my book Seven Marks of a New Testament Church, I discussed this issue briefly:

In the third place,here was a church where unity was valued. We saw in our last chapter how this unity played out among the leadership of the church in New Testament times. There was no hierarchy, no senior pastor (other than Christ), no so-called first among equals. Their leadership was shared. How rarely is this seen in a modern church, even one that practices plural eldership. I am quite certain that nobody would object if the “senior pastor” in their church rescinded his title and receded into the group!

Unity was also seen in their decision-making. A feature of the early church that fascinates me is the way in which consensus was built. They spent time waiting upon God before making a decision. Today we need Robert’s Rules of Order before we can decide on anything. Hardly anybody sits down nowadays to ask where the idea of voting came from. Part of the value of having every-member ministry is the weight it assigns to consensus-building. It seems to me that there are good reasons to reject our manmade method of decision-making. Not only does it lack a biblical foundation, but it undermines the example of the early church itself. In Acts 15 we read of a time when the early Christians made an important decision. Together the believers sought the will of God, and together they found it. There was nothing mechanical or business-like about their decision-making either. Their protocol was minimal, and the unity it produced was amazing. As James put it (Acts 15:28), “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us….” We vote, and leave an aggrieved minority. They waited upon the Spirit, and it produced a unified whole. Of course, the situation in Acts 15 need not necessarily be considered normative. But it is full of insight for us twenty-first century Christians. This way of making decisions could make a huge difference in the life of many a church today. Why do so many of our business meetings end up in shambles? Are we afraid of the work and prayer needed to come to a common mind? There was no such fear among the earliest Christians. We have a long way to go until we reach their sensitivity to the Spirit. He is well able to guide a congregation to a unanimous decision if everyone really looks to Him for guidance.

I think what has happened is that churches today have adopted fragments of the apostles’ method and have tried to incorporate them into alien systems. This is one reason I love symphony orchestras so much. The orchestra requires a great sense of concern for unity, harmony, and oneness amidst great diversity. In many respects it illustrates what should happen in the body of Christ which, too, should produce a beautiful symphony. But for this to happen, we must all agree on who the conductor is.

This Sunday at Duke there will be a lecture on Quakerism and I’m thinking about attending. I could hardly find a more important topic in day when many churches are being divided because of a vote.

6:38 PM Just added to my “social” calendar: The Schola Cantorum of Westminster College in concert, Monday, March 16, 2015 at the Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh. Music by Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Gohere for more information.

6:16 PM Introducing my faculty colleagueKeith Whitfield. Great guy with a great philosophy of teaching.

The task of theology is a missional task, because the lordship of Christ is a missional truth. Doing theology demonstrates how all things unite under Christ and equips the people of God to engage in his mission.

6:12 PM “I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.” In the 33 years He lived on earth, Jesus Christ had no unfinished business. Do I?

6:06 PM New Year’s resolution: Resolved, in 2015, to develop relationships that are less superficial and shallow and focus instead on fewer friends but deeper friendships.

5:48 PM I’m devoting the weekend to reading nothing but Latin. Should you care to study this language, I recommend the following books:

  • Let’s Read Latin

  • A Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin

Both are indispensable resources for anyone wishing to learn how to read (and speak) ecclesiastical Latin. I’ve also been following the pope’stwitter account, along with a website that “exegetes” the tweets. Here are a few of the pope’s recent tweets. See if you can translate them:

  • Gratia debetur tibi, Domine!

  • Apud Iesum est verum gaudium.

  • Fides mensuratur amore.

The latter tweet is discussedhere. And here are somegood reasons to study this beautiful language.

5:04 PM Jonathan Merritt asks:Considering Seminary? Here Are 5 I Recommend. His top 5 are:

  • Duke University Divinity School

  • Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

  • Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

  • Emory University’s Candler School of Theology

  • Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary

I would like to second the motion and issue a personal invitation to come and study with us here at SEBTS. Our Biblical Studies faculty includes:

  • David Beck (Ph.D. Duke)

  • Dave Black (D.Theol. Basel)

  • Todd Borger (Ph.D. SBTS)

  • Chip Hardy (Ph.D. University of Chicago)

  • Scott Kellum (Ph.D. SEBTS)

  • Andreas Köstenberger (Ph.D. TEDS)

  • David Lanier (Ph.D. SWBTS)

  • Chip McDaniel (Th.D. DTS)

  • Ben Merkel (Ph.D. SBTS)

  • Allan Moseley (Th.D. NOBTS)

  • Chuck Quarles (Ph.D. MABTS)

  • Maurice Robinson (Ph.D. SWBTS)

  • Mark Rooker (Ph.D. Brandeis)

  • Heath Thomas (Ph.D. University of Gloucestershire)

In addition, our faculty is well-published. Here’s my Old Testament colleague Tracy McKenzie with his bookIdolatry in the Pentateuch: An Innertextual Strategy.

Tracy, by the way, is currently working on his second doctorate in Germany. Other reasons to consider moving to Wake Forest include:

  • Small town flavor with all the amenities of a big city.

  • Family-friendly.

  • Beautiful campus.

  • Employment opportunities.

  • Bucket loads of local churches.

  • Fellowship (we now have over 3,000 students in our college and seminary).

  • Great Commission and Great Commandment emphasis.

Here’s what Jonathan writes about Southeastern:

If you’re Southern Baptist and looking to catch a tuition break by attending a one of the flagship schools, there isn’t a better choice for your money in my opinion than Southeastern. President Daniel Akin has been able to build this school into a true contender, by constructing the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture and nurturing a culture that embraces contemporary church trends in a way most seminaries don’t (or won’t). Among the magnolias on this beautiful campus in historic Wake Forest is a budding faculty that includes David Black, John Hammett, Nathan Finn, and Andreas Kostenberger. But most importantly, it is the best Southern Baptist seminary in terms of freedom of thought. Unlike some institutions, for example, you will not feel like a lesser mind because you happen to be reformed or not. I may be biased as an alumnus, but I always suggest Southern Baptists at least give this school a look.

Come and give us a look-see. I’d love to show you around!

6:52 AM “Difficile est longum subito deponere amorem.” (Catullus, Carmina 76.13). How true. How very true.

6:45 AM Some advice for my Greek students this week:

Festina lente.

Or, “Make haste slowly.” The Greek reads:

σπεῦδε βραδέως.

6:41 AM “I really don’t consider myself a scholar. I consider myself just a student of the Scriptures.” Listen here:Hoi Polloi Episode 2. 

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Tuesday, January 21

5:04 PM Jay Thomas offers a post called A Biblical Understanding of Depression and Anxiety. An excerpt:

Everyone will struggle with DA at some point. Everyone is going to feel the pangs of loss, disappointment, relational hurt, etc. Most DA is short term and a result of a painful experience. DA in such cases is a natural response to living in a fallen world with fallen circumstances.

I still need to read it slowly and digest its contents, but it looks like there’s plenty of practical wisdom here.

4:15 PM Ever feel like driving off the freeway of life and pulling into a rest stop? What should you do when you’re on the edge of exhaustion — physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Here are four suggestions:

BE HONEST: With yourself, with others, and with God. He knows your body. He knows you’re worn out. He knows your spirit. He knows you’re discouraged. He also knows your future. He knows it is still good.

BE REALISTIC: If you’re anything like me, you’re very passionate about what you do. You have high goals and standards. You feel you need to make a contribution to your worlds — family, church, school, missionary calling. You feel a need to pour your life into others. This makes you vulnerable. Vulnerable to exhaustion, weariness, loss of passion, fatigue.

BE PROACTIVE: You need to stop ignoring the Rest Principle. You need to recover your scattered energies. You need to give yourself — and others — grace. You need to let your soul catch up with your body. You need to allow the Word to renew your inner force.

BE TRANSPARENT: Never be ashamed to ask your friends for their prayers. Bonhoeffer once wrote, “A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another.” Prayer makes a difference.

Today, I urge all of us to be honest, realistic, proactive, and transparent.

12:28 PM In honor of all our new and returning SEBTS students, I offer the following aphorisms on education:

  • A burden to reach the lost can be developed in seminary but never created by it.

  • The best education for ministry takes place within the ongoing life of the local church.

  • The best professors teach by example. They serve Christ wholeheartedly, live for the kingdom of God, and model costly service and faithful involvement in missions.

  • Worship is not what we do in chapel but what we do when we are driving our car or doing the dishes or mowing the lawn.

  • True education is intended to lead us into a practical love and sacrificial service in the world.

  • The most blatant sin of education is knowledge without humility.

  • The call to serve is the call to downward mobility. Forget the top position. Fight for the bottom of the pile.

  • Be careful of becoming a producer of spirituality and not a consumer.

  • You cannot serve two masters: God and power. Resist the temptation to use your position to manipulate others.

  • Avoid relational promiscuity — chattering your life away in shallow friendships while dodging exhausting relationships.

  • “Superficiality is the curse of our age” (Richard Foster). Strive to be simple without being simplistic.

  • Beware of self-absorbed hedonism. Deliberately put yourself in risky situations for God.

  • Remember: to reach the world for Christ will take all of us. The most expedient thing we can do today to reach our generation is to have fewer supported workers and more self-supporting ones.

  • The very worst thing that can happen to you can turn out to be God’s appointed means of preparing you for kingdom work.

  • Finally, always allow for a fresh leading of the Spirit. Let God surprise you!

Blessings on you, men and women! My prayers are with you.

10:20 AM This morning I’m working on my book Godworld: Enter at Your Own Risk. It’s slow going. The idea is that there is only one holy nation, and it is not America but rather “Godworld” (the kingdom of heaven). Right now I am in the book of Acts. I am struck by the eagerness of the church in Antioch to help the believers in Judea (Acts 11:27-30). Think about it. From the outset, the early church recognized that salvation was more than positional. It has a moral aspect. Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith has been rightly criticized because of its overemphasis on the forensic aspect of salvation. He was primarily interested in forgiveness, and not in renewal. Hence his trouble with James. But early Christianity was not aloof from society. It penetrated it with love and good deeds. And it was love of Christ, not of country, that impelled them to be involved in the affairs of society. Note the words of the second-century document The Epistle to Diognetus (5:1-5):

Christians are not distinct from the rest of men in country or language or customs. For neither do they dwell anywhere in special cities nor do they use a different language…. They inhabit their own fatherland, but as sojourners…. Every foreign country is to them a fatherland and every fatherland a foreign country…. They live on the earth but their citizenship is in heaven.

True Christianity never pits “Christian culture” against non-Christian culture. Instead, it infuses new leaven into the existing culture. The church is a people within a people, but it is never part of the sacral society that idolizes man or nation. When Luther put the trumpet of reform to his lips he was prepared to make a break with the state, though not a complete one. As soon as he joined himself to the secular rule, the Reformation came to a crashing halt as far as I am concerned. I am greatly indebted to God for allowing me to live in these United States. But, like God’s people of old, I “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:16). The kingdom of God transcends national borders, so why should cultural values craft the church’s institutional forms? If we were to view our national holidays as human creations, we would be less likely to sacralize them. And then the kingdom would advance. And even Caesar might become interested in learning a thing or two from the church.

Think about it.

10:06 AM Is your church unified? Jesus commands us to go to the world, but not in the context of dissension within our ranks. His overriding command is that we be committed to one another in love, affirming and strengthening each other as fellow workers in His kingdom. It’s no exaggeration to say that, without a deeply spiritually united team, our hearts can never be synchronized with God’s.

9:47 AM FromWill You Join the Cause of Global Missions?

For several years now I’ve been studying the missionary movement in North America. I believe we are on the cusp of an era when insourcing missions will become the strategy for achieving global evangelization. A strategy that depends on outsourcing the work to paid professionals is not going to get the job done. Outsourcing will be around for a while longer because it is what everyone is used to. But insourcing will require a wholly different mindset. It’s not just about producing more missionaries. It’s about creating a completely different kind of environment — a collaborative environment in which everyday people like you and me are constantly thinking about how to generate towel and basin ministries both at home and around the globe.

7:48 AM Today is convocation. Wishing all of my colleagues at SEBTS a great semester.

7:37 AM In the beginning was the Word, and the Word became flesh, not pixels. Computers can never be a substitute for relationships.

Monday, January 20

2:08 PM Monster waves arrive in Hawaii on Wednesday. I arrive on Thursday. Is there a message here for me?

12:34 PM Pray forBilly Graham.

10:43 AM When you share the love of Jesus with someone, don’t forget to bring up repentance. The Gospel is not the Gospel if we strip it of the whole package. It’s like saying the NFC Championship Game score was “Seahawks 23.”

10:40 AM The Reader’s Digest once published an article entitled “13 Things Used Car Salesmen Won’t Tell You.” Well here are “13 Things Your Greek Teachers Won’t Tell You”:

1. Greek is not the only tool you need to interpret your New Testament. In fact, it’s only one component in a panoply of tools. Get Greek, but don’t stop there.

2. Greek is not the Open Sesame of biblical interpretation. All it does is limit your options. It tells you what’s possible, then the context and other factors kick in to disambiguate the text.

3. Greek is not superior to other languages in the world. Don’t believe it when you are told that Greek is more logical than, say, Hebrew. Not true.

4. Greek did not have to be the language in which God inscripturated New Testament truth because of its complicated syntax. Truth be told, there’s only one reason why the New Testament was written in Greek and not in another language (say, Latin), and that is a man named Alexander the Great, whose vision was to conquer the inhabited world and then unite it through a process known as Hellenization. To a large degree he succeeded, and therefore the use of Greek as the common lingua franca throughout the Mediterranean world in the first century AD should come as no surprise to us today.

5. Greek words do not have one meaning. Yet how many times do we hear in a sermon, “The word in the Greek means…”? Most Greek words are polysemous, that is, they have many possible meanings, only one of which is its semantic contribution to any passage in which it occurs.

6. Greek is not difficult to learn. I’ll say it again: Greek is not difficult to learn. I like to tell my students, “Greek is an easy language; it’s us Greek teachers who get in the way.” The point is that anyone can learn Greek, even a poorly-educated surfer from Hawaii. If I can master Greek, anyone can!

7. Greek can be acquired through any number of means, including most beginning textbooks. Yes, I prefer to use my ownLearn to Read New Testament Greek in my classes, but mine is not the only good textbook out there.

8. Greek students think they can get away with falling behind in their studies. Folks, you can’t. I tell my students that it’s almost impossible to catch up if you get behind even one chapter in our textbook. Language study requires discipline and time management skills perhaps more than any other course of study in school.

9. Greek is fun! At least when it’s taught in a fun way.

10. Greek is good for more than word studies. In fact, in the past few years I’ve embarked on a crusade to get my students to move away from word-bound exegesis. Greek enables us to see how a text is structured, how it includes rhetorical devices, how syntactical constructions are often hermeneutical keys, etc.

11. Greek can cause you to lose your faith. When the text of Scripture becomes nothing more than “another analyzable datum of linguistic interpretation,” it loses its power as the Word of God.

12. Greek can be learned in an informal setting. The truth is that you do not need to take a formal class in this subject or in any subject for that matter. I know gobs of homeschoolers who are using my grammar in self-study, many of whom are also using myGreek DVDs in the process.

13. Greek is not Greek. In other words, Modern Greek and Koine Greek are two quite different languages. So don’t expect to be able to order a burrito in Athens just because you’ve had me for first year Greek. On the other hand, once you have mastered Koine Greek it is fairly easy to work backwards (and learn Classical Greek) and forwards (and learn Modern Greek).

Okay, I’m done. And yes, I’m exaggerating. Many Greek teachers do in fact tell their students these things!

10:18 AM Some of my favorite bloggers are leaving the blogosphere. Don’t exactly know why, but they haven’t posted in months. I write online because I love writing, not because I don’t have other things to do, and certainly not because I can’t (or don’t) write anywhere else. I simply have things in my head that have to come out. I try to tell the truth as I see it, but I don’t assume that anyone will agree with what I have to say. After 10 years of blogging I still feel like I’m trying to find my voice, and I have a constant conversation within me about how to blog and when. For better or for worse, I opt not to remain silent. I also try to post interesting links on my site – within minutes of an important news story you can get the word out and even have a comment or two to make about it.

Of course, I need to be careful about what I write or link to, as there’s always a slim chance someone out there might read it. 🙂

10:08 AM Though a bitdated, here are some interesting stats. Out of 4,120,000 bloggers, there are:

  • 55,500 are aged 10-12

  • 2,120,000 are aged 13-19

  • 1,630,000 are aged 20-29

  • 241,000 are aged 30-39

  • 41,700 are aged 40-49

  • 18,500 are aged 50-59

  • 13,900 are aged 60-69

Two takeaways:

1) Teens and twenty-somethings are living up to their name “Generation Text.”

2) Note the final category. I still think blogging is underused by us aging evangelicals (aka, fossils) to get the Word out.

10:02 AM It’s not my cup of tea, but it might be yours. TheOne Year Bible Blog, that is. Here’s acompanion site.

9:45 AM Just had a huge answer to prayer. I am amazed at how often God reveals His goodness to us in times when there is chaos and confusion, in the opportune moments when an act of servanthood presents itself. It reminds me of one of the unusual traits of my wife, who always had the habit of listening carefully to the wishes of her husband and children, and then doing whatever was needful in response. Prayer is a serious matter. It is also a great privilege. If only I would avail myself of it more often.

9:12 AM Hey, when was the last time you said “Thank you” to your pastors/elders? I am constantly amazed at the relatively small group of people in our churches that hold things together so that the rest of us can enjoy the fruits of their labor. They often pay a high price to serve the Body. And remember: they are human beings, just like the rest of us. They grow weary and restless and grapple (usually silently) with the prospects of just calling it quits. We do them a disservice if we fail to acknowledge their work and servanthood.

Today I sent my elders this note. I hope to do it more often this year. I love my leaders! How I praise God for them!

Gentlemen, forgive me for not doing this more often, but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your lives, your vibrant discipleship, your fervency for the Gospel, and your hard work on behalf of our congregation. I have no doubt that you experience honest exhaustion because of your labors for Christ. Leadership is tiring; it can easily and quickly overcome spiritual passion. Thank you for hanging in there. Thank you for pursuing ever-increasing levels of maturity and effectiveness for Christ. Thank you for your humility and selflessness. Thank you for your example.

You are greatly loved, appreciated, and esteemed.

In the Lamb,

Dave

8:42 AM I see that Thomas Hudginshas been speaking about “A Great Commission Marriage.” Since he cited two of my essays, perhaps I could elaborate here a little bit on the way Becky and I did missions together when she was still with us.We saw ourselves, quite simply, as stewards, not owners, of all that we had. We had gotten out of the ownership business a long time ago. Jesus had become Lord not only of our individual lives but also of our marriage, our home, and our loyalties, affections, and obedience. We had come to realize that the call to follow Jesus involves a submission not only to serve Him but to serve other people as well (2 Cor. 4:5). We viewed not only our possessions as His but also the gifts, special abilities, and talents with which He had endowed us.

At the same time, the Lord gave us a new motivation for living – to develop all of our resources and skills to the full in service to Him and to people. In describing what is involved in Christian stewardship, our Lord said that the foremost quality He expected from His disciples was faithfulness (Luke 12:42-48). A faithful steward is simply one who has given up his self-interests and is absorbed with his master’s purpose, goal, and concerns. He is trustworthy with his master’s goods, and he uses all of his master’s resources in the most effective way he knows how in order to achieve his master’s objectives.

From the point of view of his involvement with his fellow man, the Christian steward’s lifestyle is one of sacrificial living and sacrificial giving in order to contribute to both evangelism and social relief. He views his faith not just as a private bank account but as public property that has to be shared through proclamation and service. The Lord Jesus claims the first place in his life, and he submits to Him and to His authoritative teaching in a life of obedience. Did Becky and I still lay up for the future in view of our anticipated needs? Yes. But we also sought to function as channels through which the love and provision of God could flow to others. We found this love to be needed not only in our culture but supra-culturally beyond our own borders. We believed that it was the nature of the Christian’s call to participate in the work of the Spirit in the world, always having an eye to the needs of others.

Becky and I considered ourselves as a part, not only of our local congregation, but of the universal church as well. Moreover, though we identified most closely with the Western church, we recognized that no church is self-sufficient. Thus all true churches – East and West, American and African – should develop with each other relationships of prayer, fellowship, ministry, and cooperation. We should freely share our spiritual gifts, our knowledge, our experience, and our financial resources. Together, Becky and I tried to do what we could with whatever resources we had in order to share the love of Jesus with others, for love is a language that is understood in every nook and cranny of the world.

It blesses me beyond words to see that my former students are seeking to establish in their marriages a Gospel commitment. Look inside their lives for secrets, and you will find a handful of things that defy system and definition. They are just faithful Jesus-followers. Praise be to God.

8:20 AM Quote of the day (J. Gresham Machen):

The gospel of Christ is a blessed relief from that sinful state of affairs commonly known as hundred per-cent Americanism.

8:12 AM Bothered by textual variants in the New Testament? Robert Dabney had this to say about the text of the New Testament (Discussions by Robert L. Dabney: Volume I: Theological and Evangelical, pp. 351, 389):

This received text contains undoubtedly all the essential facts and doctrines intended to be set down by the inspired writers; for if it were corrected with the severest hand, by the light of the most divergent various readings found in any ancient MS. or version, not a single doctrine of Christianity, nor a single cardinal fact would be thereby expunged. . . .

If all the debated readings were surrendered by us, no fact or doctrine of Christianity would thereby be invalidated, and least of all would the doctrine of Christ’s proper divinity be deprived of adequate scriptural support. Hence the interests of orthodoxy are entirely secure from and above the reach of all movements of modern criticism of the text whether made in a correct or incorrect method, and all such discussions in future are to the church of subordinate importance.

Sunday, January 19

9:20 AM Yesterday I received this letter in the mail from SEBTS:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please accept this $200.00 offering in loving memory of Becky Black.

I was fortunate to study under Dr. David Alan Black while a Master of Divinity student at SEBTS from 2002 to 2006.

During that time [we] were blessed to experience the warm and gracious hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. Black, not only on the campus at SEBTS, but also at their farm in Virginia.

Their love for our Lord, one another, the Bible, their family, and their students were always at the forefront of their ministry as they opened their beautiful farm to students on a regular basis.

We remember with great fondness Mrs. Black’s beautiful smile, Christ-like character, easy going manner, and eternal strength.

Thank you for offering Dr. and Mrs. Black the opportunity to impact so many for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Oh, that touched my heart! I am one blessed man.

9:02 AM Sometimesshort blog posts are the best!

8:41 AM Energion publisher Henry Neufeld called my attention to this wonderful piece by David Watson calledWhat is a Liberal Christian? David is the dean at United Theological Seminary in Dayton. I would like to express my gratitude to David, a New Testament colleague in another seminary, for his insightful essay. Friend, if you do not like liberal theology, that is fine by me. Neither do I. But don’t waste your time denouncing it. Go and share the Good News. There is no higher priority for a church that has lost her way in ecumenism on the one hand and endless squabbling about theology on the other. If we are Christians at all, then we are not only in the theology business, we are in the Gospel business. When I was in Basel, I was often invited to coffee by theologically liberal ex-pat students, mostly Germans or South Koreans, to discuss theology in one of the local Stuben. As perhaps the only inerrantist among the Doktoranden I was assaulted mercilessly, but I managed to stand my ground, and no friendships were broken over our disagreements. (I never did become a Barthian.) Inevitably the conversation turned to Jesus and the Gospel, as it had to. Both liberals and conservatives need Christ, to learn to obey Him and follow Him radically. And we all need to think for ourselves and not just adopt the party line. As David notes:

Part of the reason for the difficulty is that “liberal” has at least two meanings that are really quite different from one another. On the one hand, “liberal” could mean a commitment to intellectual virtue. In this sense, a liberal is someone who wishes to get all the ideas out on the table and argue them out using the tools of reason and logic. Opposing ideas are given fair consideration and are accurately represented. Conceivably, one’s mind could be changed on even very deeply held convictions. This is the idea behind a “liberal” education. Students are taught to think, not simply what to think. Yes, there are certain facts and ideas that one should simply have in hand, but all ideas, at least in theory, are subject to critical examination. Theology, then, is as Anselm put it, faith seeking understanding. While it is entirely permissible, even expected, that one will hold certain faith claims, all ideas are subject to intellectual, reasonable, and critical examination.

This is so right. The way to engage liberals is not by denouncing them but by engaging them, using reason and Scripture. But love is crucial. Without it there can be no genuine theological discussion. Without it there can be no effective evangelism.

One final thought: If you are a conservative and wish to debate liberals, you had better have the right academic credentials. You must also be able to translate the Gospel into terms that secular people of the day can understand. The underlying understanding of liberalism in our churches today is puerile, the ignorance vast, the unthinking conformity almost complete. We theological conservatives can do better.

6:22 AM It’s 3:00 o’clock in the morning. I’m sitting in bed with my yellow note pad thinking about the week ahead. I’m trying to resign myself to the fact that I’ll never be able to really explain widowerhood to anyone who has never experienced it. I leave for Hawaii on Thursday. I couldn’t be more eager, or more anxious, to return to the land of my birth. It’s an odd sort of feeling — knowing you’re going “home” when home hasn’t been Hawaii for 43 years. Here’s the thing. I know going back to Hawaii is going to be incredibly wonderful and incredibly challenging at the same time. That’s why I’m a bit apprehensive. I feel so unworthy of God’s love, so unfit to serve Him, so inadequate even to do something as simple as take a plane ride to the paradise of the Pacific. So pray for me, that I will be able to see the Islands through God’s eyes. Oddly, I feel the dull ache of homesickness, not so much for Hawaii but for a new, future Home. The two homes are blurred together by tears of joy and tears of anguish. In Hawaii, I will do what Becky and I had planned to do — will remember one amazing woman with whom I shared a wedding chamber in Kailua and a house at Pearl Harbor and an airplane ride over Molokai and a rental car to Hana and the waters of Hanauma Bay and the freshly sliced pineapple of the Dole Cannery and the scenery of Haleakala. If I live to be a hundred I will never forget her smile as we boogie-boarded at Kailua Beach. If there’s life after widowerhood, if there is hope and healing in this world, it can only come from brokenness, from grateful remembrance, from running towards the Savior and finding sure footing. Is that Him I hear whispering in my ear? “Remember your wife, Dave, this Becky Lynn Lapsley Black whom you loved and who loved you and bore your children and brought you so much earthly joy and ripped your tender heart into tiny pieces. Take your sore-hearted self and deposit it firmly on Hawaiian soil and think about the most beautiful person you’ve ever met and laugh and cry and recall how sweet she was, this beloved of yours, loved and lovely, despite the ugly scars of cancer. And remember My love in the midst of the confusion and chaos, over and underneath it all.”

And so I prepare to leave on the trip of a lifetime, knowing full well that I will agonize over my uncertainties and insecurities, but also knowing full well that God is there to support those who trust in His certainty and security. To them He promises “a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11).

The journey to healing begins when you make the first move.

Saturday, January 18

8:23 PM Great Ethiopian food tonight, as always. Thank you, Friesh, for cooking it Habasha style!

4:14 PM Well, seems Nigusse needs a car for his new job. Maybe I can find one for him next week in da Islands at Murdie Murdock’s Used Cars ….

 

3:38 PM The Hawaiian Islands from space:

They were discovered by captain James Cookexactly 236 years ago today. Here’s one kamaaina hauoli who is awfully glad he did. Hawai’i no ka oi!

2:04 PM Some things aren’t as hard as you think they would be. Like distributing Becky’s possessions. Today Nate and Jess went through the stacks and piles, and I feel strangely ambivalent about the whole thing. There’s something so wonderful to know that her earthly goods are going to people who loved her and who will treasure what they’re getting. The other day I heard the story about a widow who waited 10 years before she went into her deceased husband’s clothes closet. I understand that, believe me. That’s why I said that I can’t really figure out my feelings today. Somehow I prefer moving ahead without dragging out the inevitable. I just wish it didn’t hit me like a sucker punch, this realization that Becky is no longer here. I’m glad I have a family who loves me, and I’m even more glad I have a Father who understands me. This world we will live in is so broken that it’s nice to know there are people who really care.

11:58 AM From chapter 3 of my forthcoming Seven Marks of a New Testament Church:

I recall once sitting on an examination committee for a Ph.D. student in New Testament. He had mastered a good deal of factual information about the New Testament – the major solutions to the synoptic problem, the importance of textual criticism, the background to the Corinthian correspondence, and so forth – but he utterly failed to provide references when I quoted to him ten well-known verses from the New Testament. When he pleaded time constraints, I gently showed him why it is not enough to know about the New Testament; graduates in New Testament may well be expected to have a mastery of the New Testament itself. It is ironic that evangelical Christians, who often are loudest in their condemnation of biblical illiteracy, are often guilty of it themselves. Learning basic Christian doctrine is a vital part of discipleship. It begins with knowing certain facts about the Bible, but it also involves obeying the truths of Scripture. What we are after is a growing knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that will change our whole lives.

10:43 AM I love well-thought-out articles like this one:Charismatic Ramifications on the “Long Ending” of Mark’s Gospel. Its peroration?

Those who consider the long ending of Mark must understand that it’s an all or nothing proposition.  If one is inclined to accept it as authentic, then, in all intellectual honesty, one is forced to conform to a radical form of continuationism – one that must accept that all five signs enumerated in verses 17 and 18, without exception, will be exhibited by those who believe.  To explicitly or implicitly reject any of these five will not do.  On the other hand, to agree with the scholarly consensus that the long ending is not original to the Gospel of Mark means that no portion of it can be referenced for doctrine or practice.

Now tell me that textual criticism is irrelevant for biblical theology or practical living!

10:12 AM Quote of the day:

Whatever the merits of President Obama’s proposed reforms to the National Security Agency, one thing is clear: the President’s core position means that he will never change the NSA’s bulk collection programs to privacy advocates’ liking. The advocates and the president simply disagree on the proper balance between government power and privacy — the heart of the debate over the NSA.

ReadWhy Obama’s NSA Reforms Won’t End The Privacy Debate. And remember: They’re watching.

8:50 AM This email put a smile on my face:

Dr. Black,

I just wanted to send you a quick note to thank you for the continued exhortation on your blog for Greek students to read their Greek NT. I started with Matt 1:1 in Jan 2013 and just finished with Revelation last night. During those times that I lost interest or wanted to stop, I would read your blog and find motivation to continue.

8:46 AM Looking ahead …

This year I’m planning on attending the regional ETS meetings in Fort Worth (March 7-8) and Baltimore (March 21-22). If you’d like to drive up to Maryland with me let me know at dblack@sebts.edu. This includes any of my current Th.M. and Ph.D. students.

8:32 AM As a frequent flyer, I scratch my head whenever I read about a plane landing at the wrong airport (think Southwest Airlines) or crashing on a perfectly clear day (think Asiana). I once read that there are three axioms to flying: Aviate, navigate, and communicate. The Southwest crew failed to navigate. The Asiana crew failed to aviate. In neither case was there a complete breakdown of these functions, just enough to cause embarrassment or (at SFO) needless death.

Life offers many analogies. Anyone who is undergoing a significant change in their life must aviate, navigate, and communicate. For me, aviating means being conscious about my daily decisions. It means being intentional about what I do, where I go, and who I associate with. In terms of navigation, I follow an instruction manual written some 2,000 years ago. For me, the Bible is quite enough. Finally, as for communicating, well, need I mention my blog? It’s my “open space,” a place to risk breaking through the high-gloss facades, to shatter the ceramic smiles, to behave like a real-life human being. I’d blog even if no one ever read what I had to say.

So, best wishes to you as you aviate, navigate, and communicate your way through life. Best wishes not only for your future successes but also for your future misfortunes — the good times and adverse times, those times when you are outrageously joyful and those times when only God can move in your weaknesses.

Bon voyage!

8:02 AM Will there be real, spontaneous sharing in your worship service tomorrow? I have a strong suspicion that the Spirit prefers to be trusted rather than controlled.

7:32 AM ReadTop homeschooling news of 2013. I used to be an apologist for home education. No longer. I’ve written about this change of perspective in my bookChristian Archy.

7:10 AM Meetthe man who surfed while Pearl Harbor was being attacked.

7:02 AM Here is agood biography of Dr. Henry Morris. I had the signal good fortune to be under his tutelage during my sophomore year at Biola College in California. Dr. Morris would drive up from San Diego every Thursday and lecture for 4 hours. He required that I submit to him a 30-page paper on a topic in the field of geology. I chose to write on “The Formation of the Hawaiian Archipelago according to the Flood Theory.” Dr. Morris knew that the best way to learn how to write is by writing, and the paper I wrote for him – replete with underwater photos I took myself – was my first serious literary production.

If I am grateful to Dr. Morris for contributing to my writing skills, I am doubly grateful to him for enriching my life through his example of humility and kindness. My favorite times during that semester came on Thursday evenings when I sat at the feet of a wise and good man. Eventually my other mentors – Harry Sturz of Biola and Bo Reicke of the University of Basel – provided me with a model, not only of scholarship at its highest level, but even more of character. Each combined the attributes of keen rationality and unashamed piety – the proverbial “clear head” and “warm heart.” Although none is alive today, I feel they are still looking over my shoulder whenever I write.

If we have any doubts whether it is possible in this day and age to be both tough-minded and tender-hearted, we need only look at the lives of men such as Henry Morris.

6:46 AM Here’s ourchapel schedule for the spring semester. Don’t miss Don Carson in chapel Feb. 11-13.

6:36 AM Several friends and loved ones have asked for special prayer recently. I want you to know that I am happy to oblige. Prayer is acknowledging the suffering and misery of the world and God’s sufficiency to deal with it. This is exactly how Christ prayed: “In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44, JB). I want you to know that I deeply empathize with you and am interceding on your behalf. One thing is certain: Without the Christ-given gift of courage, none of us could endure life’s crushing blows. I commend each of you to God’s grace — His overflowing, infinitely wise love, never deserved and never repayable.

6:22 AM Recently I met with a student who is contemplating doctoral studies. Of course, I always encourage young people to consider a European doctorate, and one from a university. All other things being equal (which they never are), a university doctorate is more rigorous than a seminary one. I still remember going to the University of Basel and thinking, “This can’t be happening. Graduates of a non-descript seminary like Talbot don’t go to Europe for their doctor’s degree.”

Why did I choose Basel?

Two reasons. First, it was a “liberal” university (in the best sense of the word). The professors there were open-minded. There was no automatic bias against conservative evangelicals. As long as you wrote an acceptable dissertation and had it published, they granted you your degree (after you delivered 125 copies to the university library). Basel has always been known for welcoming people of various theological perspectives. The function of Basel as a city of refuge in the 1500s is well-known. Through the influence of Erasmus we find there Curione, Castellio (who was unwelcome in Geneva), Cellarius, Hans Denck (who died there), Karlstadt, and David Joris (the “Anabaptist flamingo”). Oecolampadius arrived there in 1522, and in the same year Erich Hugwald, a professor at the University of Basel, wrote a book against infant baptism. I arrived there in 1980 and have never regretted it.

The other reason I went to Basel (rather than Tübingen, where I had also been accepted) was a man named Bo Reicke, my doctor father, who to me embodied the perfect balance between humanitas and pietas. Again, I was not disappointed. Professor Reicke was the perfect mentor.

So if you are thinking about doing a doctorate, I would encourage you to put all the options on the table and then let the Lord narrow your choices. I wouldn’t put God in a box in any way, shape, or form. Dream high. And then let Jesus direct your steps.

6:05 AM I once read this purpose statement in the foyer of a church:

Christ Community is a church where the lost are actively sought, won to Jesus and developed into Christ-like, church planting missionaries.

What a radical idea — every member a missionary. But maybe not so radical when we read the New Testament. I am glad to see local churches looking outwards to a degree unimaginable 30 years ago. Instead of being a ghetto church, zealously guarding its borders and fearful of the world, churches are beginning to “earth the Gospel” in a big way.

Is yours a church “for others”? Is mine?

Friday, January 17

5:12 PM So Nigusse had not one but two brand new experiences today (all part of his “seminary” education, mind you): his first “real” (i.e., hand tossed) pizza at Randy’s Pizza in Durham, and his first trip to outer space (courtesy of the Carmike theater next door). Gravity is a smart thriller with an unbelievable ending. This has got to be Sandra Bullock’s best role ever. The special effects were so realistic that you felt sure you were going to be struck by all the satellite debris being flung past you in the theater. The movie is positively brilliant, and it has a powerful (though perhaps subliminal) message to boot: when the chaos of life strikes you, you’re got to keep on going. (Sandra Bullock’s character had lost her 4-year old daughter and lived in the past.) But that’s where the message ends, because it has to. This world offers no genuine hope for us. Self-help can only get you so far. That’s what Psalm 46 is all about. When you’re down and out, when you’re facing the squeeze of hardship, the ultimate (and, really, ONLY) security is knowing He is there and always will be. Still, the underlining premise of the movie is true: we aren’t promised a fail-safe, problem-free life here on this earth (or in outer space, either). And we as believers are not offered risk-free Christianity. There are no guarantees in life period — except that one day we will need God as never before, and that He will be our God if we let Him.

At any rate, go see this movie, if for no other reason than its superb cinematography. And make sure you watch it in 3D.

Your humble movie reviewer,

Dave

10:40 AM I hear that Gravity simply must be seen in a theater. Nigusse’s first 3D movie!

10:32 AM Sink is fixed. Nigusse did all the work. Under my indispensable supervision. But of course. 

9:58 AM So how would you translate our verse of the day?

ἰσχύω πάντα ἐν τῷ

ἐνδυναμοῦντί με.

9:22 AM Not far from the farm is un unfinished house. It’s been sitting there for years. What unfinished business is there in your life?

  • Maybe it’s a person. Who do you need to call today and ask for forgiveness or just pray with over the phone or invite to lunch?

  • Maybe it’s God. What part of your life are you holding back from Him, what sin have you failed to abandon?

  • Maybe it’s a goal. Do you feel God calling you to pursue another degree or launch your own business or to become a tentmaker in the Middle East for the sake of the Gospel?

“It is finished” are words of great satisfaction (John 19:30). Do you have any unfinished business?

8:25 AM Looking forward to teaching again in the fall after my sabbatical ends. Just agreed to teach Advanced Exegesis of Philippians for the Ph.D. program (third year level of Greek). Should be fun. In fact, I’ll also be back in the saddle this summer teaching 6 weeks of beginning Greek. If you’re interested in joining us, contact me for a syllabus in early May. The course meets three hours a day from May 19 to June 27.

8:16 AM The Bible is like an ocean in which a child can play in its shallows and an elephant drown in its depths. Our teaching, therefore, must be simple without ever becoming simplistic.

7:59 AM Was needing to have delivered a bouquet of roses the other day and found the absolute best florist in Raleigh. Check out Fallons Flowers. They even sent me a picture of the roses by email!

7:41 AM Pray for me — the world’s greatest klutz has to fix a bathroom sink today.

Then again, “I can do all ….” 

7:36 AM Do Christians misuse Phil. 4:13? Jonathan Merrittsays yes.

As Dr. Eric Bargerhuff writes in The Most Misused Verses in the Bible, “[Philippians 4:13 is] not really about who has the strength to play to the best of their abilities in a sporting contest…. This verse is about having strength to be content when we are facing those moments in life when physical resources are minimal.”

What say you?

7:28 AM “Faith is not being sure where you’re going but going anyway.” Frederick Buechner.

7:02 AM Over the past few days I’ve been trying to think of an analogy that would help you to understand where I am emotionally these days. Do you remember attending the circus as a child and watching the trapeze artists? That’s what I feel like right now. I’m “between trapezes.” Hanging in mid-air. Call it a “trapeze moment” where you’re hurtling through the air between two trapeze bars. You’ve got to let go completely of the old bar before gabbing onto the new one. Folks, it’s this transition that I find so disorienting. Palms sweat. Heart races. The safety and security and familiarity of the old are gone, gone forever. Fears keep creeping in. You keep asking yourself, Can I really do this?

The odd thing is that I understand the grieving process intellectually. I know the Bible pretty well too. What I really need is someone to go with me through that small, potentially deadly space. The Bible says that Christ was God’s mediator for me. Jesus stepped between me and death. Why? Not only because He knew that my soul needed saving from death and hell. But because He knew that one day Dave Black would lose the most precious earthly friend he had ever known. He knew that this experience would help to prepare me for the race that will last my entire life — a race that involves some big risks and perhaps a few really scary seconds hanging in mid-air. As head of the church, He calls me to come to the safe place where He dwells and release my heavy load of anxiety, strengthen my slender threads of faith, and most of all think on Him. When Christ died on Calvary, He knew the solution to my trapeze moment. He always does. What seems impossible to us is possible with God.

I can’t say that my life has changed dramatically for the better since Becky’s passing. Yet I find myself being a little more careful with small decisions, knowing that it will ultimately help me with the big decisions. It’s just a matter of letting Him carry me from one trapeze bar to the next. When it comes right down to it, He wants His followers to feel utterly incapable of doing anything. As with Moses, He delights in using self-doubting nobodies who are just willing to follow Him. It certainly is not an easy choice. Our trials might well tempt us to abandon the faith. Life is a painful, anguishing process of counting the cost. But when you are “between trapezes,” partial commitment won’t work. God demands our complete devotion, our complete trust. Not a part of it, not even the biggest part, but all of it. After all the circus training and preparation, you’ve got to let go if you want to grab the next bar. No race — not even a figurative one — can be won living in the past. Right now, my faith can change the course of events, as can my lack of faith.

I’ll tell you one thing: My hat goes off to all the widowers out there who made it to the next bar. Will I be one of them? With God’s help, I can and I will.

Thursday, January 16

8:04 PM Hi folks,

Just back from our favorite seafood restaurant with Nate and Jess and the boys.

It was simply outstanding. Makes life feel pretty wonderful. I am grateful beyond words.

Blessings on all of you, and remember to spend time with those you love.

Dave

1:20 PM A humble, grateful, and adoring spirit toward God is worth more than all one’s diplomas and degrees combined. That said, God can still use our education if we leverage it for the Gospel.

8:24 AM Have you readTithing after the Cross yet? Short and to the point!

8:16 AM Our marching orders (Matt:28:19, The Message):

Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life.

So glad to see Southern Baptist missions returning to an emphasis on discipleship training. Conversion is vital. But so is after-care.

8:02 AM Students of Koine Greek will enjoy this story about a recalcitrant donkey! (Subtitles included.)

 

7:55 AM Here’s a great verse (Rom. 12:8): “Whoever shares with others should do so generously.” Am I being generous today? As Phil. 2:5-11 teaches, it is the nature of God not to grasp but to give. Is that my nature as well?

7:40 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Enjoying Nature Without Worshiping It.

7:12 AM The problem withmisquoting the Church Fathers.

7:04 AM What’s wrong with this picture?

  • “Worship Service”

  • “Minister of Music and Worship”

  • “Contemporary Worship Style”

  • “Worship Guide” (formerly “Bulletin”)

When we think of worship we think of the Lord’s Day, of Sunday. But worship is really all that we do as believers. It is Christian living in its entirety. The essence of worship is living a life of obedience and service to God (see Rom. 12:1-2). It is a God-centered life. It embraces, yes, what we do when we meet together as a church, but it embraces what we do on our own —  at work, with the family, in our neighborhoods, at our computer terminals. When we conduct ourselves in ways pleasing to God, then we are worshipping. God becomes central to everything.

How is such a life possible? “By the Spirit of God” (Phil. 3:3). We have the Holy Spirit in our heart. The Spirit brings God into every area of our life. He does this so that God might have first place in our life as a whole.

Are you worshipping only on Sunday?

6:43 AM Yesterday was an especially difficult day for me. There are some things in life you simply don’t forget, no matter how long it’s been. I was at CVS picking up a prescription. A lady in front of me was paying for her purchase — two large packages of Depends. One look at those adult diapers sent me reeling from near whiplash as the memory of changing Becky’s diapers washed over me. I almost began to cry, right there in public. Call it grief, call it whatever you like, but there I was, fighting back the tears. It seemed like such a small thing, but it was a huge thing. There she was — a middle-aged woman making a commonplace purchase. It all seemed so normal. But I knew better. I thought to myself, Who is she buying them for — her father, her mother, perhaps her spouse? Somehow I felt an invisible bond with this complete stranger. I wanted to hug her, whisper in her ear I understand, tell her how grateful I am that someone in her family could depend on her to buy Depends.

I’m not ashamed to say that my heart aches for people who suffer from incontinence. I think God’s heart must ache also. After 10 weeks I still can’t get used to life without Becky. Truth is, I am still in denial. One thing I cling to is God’s sovereignty.  “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires” (Psalm 37:4). I’m so grateful I have a Father who understands suffering and loss and who delights in doing good things for His children. So don’t worry about me (too much). I’m in good hands, hands that bear nail prints of love. He is nigh unto those who wear Depends, and those who purchase them. He’s the new life that surges into our lives, enabling us to cope with memories of winters past and causing us to hope for new buds in the spring.

Wednesday, January 15

7:21 PM Been a long but good day. Today’s highlights:

1) Lunch with daughter Rachael in Raleigh.

2) Hearing Thomas Hudgins address an Ed.D. cohort at the seminary. For a report, see Jacob Cerone’sentry.

I’m super proud of both of them.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, time to enjoy a good read, say my prayers, and hit the hay.

7:35 AM Congratulations to Danny Akin on the tenth anniversary of his presidency of SEBTS. If, by a miracle, evangelism and costly discipleship came back into the “first things” category in Southern Baptist life, I have no doubt it would be partly because of his excellent leadership. Ad multos annos!

6:52 AM This email just arrived: 

Hola Dave. 

Praying for you to experience peace in the midst of strife. May you find contentment in the midst of great loss. May the Lord continue to reveal to you who you are as a man who is suddenly thrust into the journey of singleness. May the Lord’s kindness be greater then your grief. May his gentleness temper your emotions of sadness and perhaps a mixture of anger. I also pray that you will continue to accept the Lords kindness to your self and that you too can be kind to yourself and not be too hard on yourself. 

I appreciate the kind encouragement and accept the gentle rebuke!

6:44 AM According to Tom Elliff, 75 percent of the world’s population live in areas hostile to Christianity. Who will reach them with the Gospel?

6:36 AM Speaking of the Lord’s Supper, a pastor sent me this response to my essayThe One Table of the Lord. He gave me permission to share it with you.

Dear Dr. Black:

Thank you for your brief exposition and application from 1 Corinthians 11.  I am serving as an elder/pastor in a small church (a church plant with 6 families). I had become convinced that the age-segregation and music (contemporary vs. traditional) segregation so entrenched in the church were “dividing” the body of Christ. In an effort to teach this truth of a father’s spiritual responsibility and to teach that there is no “privileged” priesthood who alone may serve the table (in our Protestant churches this “unwritten priesthood” becomes the pastor and or deacons or elders), I have had the fathers serve the Lord’s Table to their family members. 

Your article convicted me that this communion practice is not biblical.  The effort to teach the fathers spiritual responsibility and to teach the priesthood of the saints is biblical, but to make the point through the serving of the Lord’s table is not.  Unwittingly I have perpetuated the Corinthian error, but repent of this sin and seek God’s grace to make this right.

You have challenged me to rethink “orthopraxy” in relation to orthodoxy.  I was leading the church to participate in a practice that runs counter to the precious theology of the church as the body of Christ–One Body!  I do not wish to do anything hurtful to the Church of our dear LORD and Savior, so I will continue to pray and search the Scriptures that I might rightly handle the Word of Truth and rightly lead this church family to practices consistent with the precious truths of God’s Word. 

Amen!

6:28 AM This seems like a good way for a church to practice the Lord’s Supper. Please read to the very end of the article to see what benefits there are in connecting the Supper to a full meal.

5:58 AM A topic of conversation that often comes with students is the importance of knowing German for doing academic work in theology. I guess it was in 1977 that I first realized that a working knowledge of German was de rigueur for a student of the New Testament.

How then did I learn the language? Quite simply from a book. That is, from several conversational German grammars. (They’re all basically the same, of course, but variety is the spice of life, right?) But how did I learn tospeak the language? Ah, that’s another story altogether, and the answer is: Mr. Paul Mittmann. Herr Mittmann had emigrated to Anaheim, California after WW II, as did so many others from Germany after the war. He got a job and also pastored a small Lutheran Brethren congregation there, and since it met early on Sunday morning I could attend its German-speaking service before going to my home church in La Mirada. Eventually we began to meet together weekly for grammar and pronunciation lessons.

Like the language he was teaching, Herr Mittmann was hard, clear, and sharp as a winter dawn. Hailing from East Prussia, he spoke impeccable Ost-Preussen, considered by many Germanophiles to be the purest form of the language. Paul Mittmann was neither talkative nor taciturn, neither sanguine nor phlegmatic, neither excitable nor lugubrious. He kept an even course and held just the right temper in his relationships with everybody. Without arrogance, he yet exuded confidence and had a remarkable talent for sorting out complicated issues by cutting through them with a swathe of quiet logic. We discussed in German many topics together, from theology to his wartime experiences. He had been inducted into the Wehrmacht when he was 18 and had seen action on almost every front, from Poland to Italy to France. After the war he and his wife lived under an overturned military vehicle for a year in the western part of Germany, along with hundreds of thousands of others of DPs (displaced persons) who had fled from the east in 1945. How he became the pastor of a German-speaking congregation in America, I am not sure; but he was an excellent speaker and a wonderfully caring personality.

Once, after I had been attending the church for several weeks, he turned to me and asked, “Would you like to read the Scripture next week?” That really put me on the spot, but as I was blown away by the special emphasis he had given to the public reading of Scripture I found myself the next Sunday reading from the Luther-Bibel during the Gottesdienst. Not long afterward he had me preaching in German during his absence, much to the delight of the aging congregation who, I feel, were happy to have a young person in their midst and thus were willing to overlook the blunders of a fledgling speaker.

And so there was Herr Mittmann, undeniably, indisputably German, and above all else a fellow believer in Christ, to my astonishment taking me under his wings as a master would his apprentice. I have often wondered what my experience in German-speaking Basel would have been like had it not been for his willingness to help out an American student whose father had been wounded in 1945 while fighting Germans. There is no question in my mind who profited more from this relationship, and I shall forever be in his debt. I mention all this simply to remind us that we can live out our Christianity in numberless ways, even by tutoring another believer in a foreign language (or in math, or in science, etc.). I know many of you are already doing this, and that fills me with great joy.

5:40 AM I have several books about Hawaii on my shelves, including one called Margaret of Molokai. It tells the story of a 12-year old girl who was snatched from a hula recital in Honolulu and exiled to the island of Molokai. For 33 years she watched her body scar and shrink from leprosy. Over those years she lost 3 husbands to that disease. Her 4 children were taken from her at birth and delivered to adoptive families on the mainland. She thought she would never dance the hula again. Later she was declared healed and found a loving family at Kalihi Union Church in Honolulu. I have only seen Molokai from the air or while sailing from Maui to Oahu, but one day I’d love to visit the island and see the leprosarium there. For more information about this amazing story, gohere.

I noted with a smile that Margaret’s favorite “plate lunch” (a popular noontime meal in Hawaii) happened also to be mine: 2 scoop rice, macaroni salad (Hawaiian style), and teriyaki beef. Incidentally, we once had a student at SEBTS who hailed from Molokai. It was fun talking with him and hearing his thick Hawaiian accent, the kind I had when I first arrived in California in 1971 when nobody could understand my English.

5:25 AM Up early again, thinking about her. And about Truth. My father-in-law once sent me a CD by the Vocal Majority, a group based in Texas. One of the numbers they sing usually brings tears to my eyes. It’s called “The Lost Chord.” The music was composed by Arthur Sullivan while he watched his brother die. Never have I read more powerful words. Here they are:

Seated one day at the organ,
I was weary and ill at ease,
And my fingers wandered idly
Over the noisy keys;
I know not what I was playing,
Or what I was dreaming then,
But I struck one chord of music,
Like the sound of a great Amen,
Like the sound of a great Amen.

It flooded the crimson twilight,
Like the close of an angel’s psalm,
And it lay on my fevered spirit,
With a touch of infinite calm,
It quieted pain and sorrow,
Like love overcoming strife,
It seemed the harmonious echo
From our discordant life,
It linked all the perplexed meanings
Into one perfect peace,
And trembled away into silence,
As if it were loth to cease;
I have sought but I seek it vainly,
That one lost chord divine,
Which came from the soul of the organ,
And entered into mine.

It may be that death’s bright angel
Will speak in that chord again;
It may be that only in Heav’n
I shall hear that great Amen.
It may be that death’s bright angel
Will speak in that chord again;
It may be that only in Heav’n
I shall hear that great Amen.

What have you lost, my friend? A parent? A son? A daughter? A special relationship? Perhaps you are estranged from someone you love dearly. Larry Crabb was right in his book Finding God: In even the happiest of Christian lives there are deep pockets of incurable pain. Jesus Himself was once called the “Man of Sorrows.” In these trying and baffling times, God is with us. He sends us trouble and heartache to enable us to glory in Him. Let’s look to the Lord for grace to release our “lost chord” to Him.

It may be that only in heaven we will hear that grand “Amen” again. But hear it we will. Praise be to God.  

Tuesday, January 14

5:20 PM A close friend of mine recently asked me if I had any ideas on how they could cope with their out-of-control emotions. My reply, in essence, was Welcome to the club. How in the world can I counsel people like that when my own life is a constant roller coaster of feelings, from exuberant highs to gut-wrenching lows? Trouble is, people sometimes look to me as an example for them. You know, If Dave can cope with all he’s been through, maybe there’s hope for me. Well, to be perfectly honest with you, Dave is not coping very well. I want closure, but God wants faith. It’s like taking a long cross-country trip without any maps or a GPS. Not very reassuring.

“Christianity is for risk-takers.” I’ve heard this all my life. Now I’mliving it. I want to play by my rules, but the game plan has changed. Which is why I love the following quote by Oswald Chambers. Maybe as a fellow risk-taker you will find it to be an encouragement:

The life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting. Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows who is leading.

Come game time, friend, remember that. The Bible offers no assurance that God will show us the road ahead. It does, however, offer the ultimate assurance that He will “never fail or abandon you.” It’s just a matter of allowing Him to ride the roller coaster with us.

So … altogether now:

Wheeeeeeeeee!

3:23 PM Tuesday shout out to Robbie Dunn for helping me with the truck repair, as well as to Nigusse. I never thought I would actually get to meet Click and Clack (the Tappet Bros.) in person.

1:58 PM Great quote here by Mark Stevens:

I remember hearing Eugene Peterson say  that as pastors we shouldn’t judge our week by how many people we’ve talked about Christ to, rather, we should ask, how many people have we listened to in Christ this week!That is what I sent most of my week doing. I am a better pastor for it too. 

ReadDisorientation and the Purposes of God.

1:50 PM Long list of things to do before I leave for Hawaii (fix golf cart, replace water pump in truck, work on taxes, etc.), but never too busy to intercede for family members. I want to be like Paul. When Ananias was sent to verify the reality of Paul’s conversion, he found him praying (Acts 9:11). Friend, whatever else you do today, be in touch with God.

1:26 PM Paul said to the Ephesian elders in his farewell speech in Acts 20, “You know how I have lived with you.” Transparency in ministry is good policy. No one can pretend to be a man of God for very long if he lives with the people.

11:32 AM “There are three stages in the work of God: impossible, difficult, done.” Hudson Taylor.

10:13 AM Paul Himes has just writtenProper etiquette for posting comments on blogs. Excellent advice, Paul!

10:10 AM Without brotherly love there can be no effective evangelism.

10:05 AM Churches taking votes? There’s a better way, I think (from chapter 4 of Seven Marks of a New Testament Church):

In Acts 15 we read of a time when the early Christians made an important decision. Together the believers sought the will of God, and together they found it. There was nothing mechanical or business-like about their decision-making either. Their protocol was minimal, and the unity it produced was amazing. As James put it (Acts 15:28), “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us….” We vote, and leave an aggrieved minority. They waited upon the Spirit, and it produced a unified whole. Of course, the situation in Acts 15 need not necessarily be considered normative. But it is full of insight for us twenty-first century Christians.

This way of making decisions could make a huge difference in the life of many a church today. Why do so many of our business meetings end up in shambles? Are we afraid of the work and prayer needed to come to a common mind? There was no such fear among the earliest Christians. We have a long way to go until we reach their sensitivity to the Spirit. He is well able to guide a congregation to a unanimous decision if everyone really looks to Him for guidance.

Think about it.

8:52 AM Please join me in congratulating Thomas Hudgins on the (soon)publication of his doctoral dissertation.

8:22 AM Sometimes I feel like I’m not being a very good dad to my daughters. Call it upbringing, this feeling of never-good-enough. Call it teenage insecurity that dogs me. Whatever you call it, there are days when I wish so, so badly that Becky were back so that she could love on her daughters as only a mother can do. Honestly, I feel absolutely too small for fatherhood. But last night I read something in Ephesians 3 that made me chuckle. (I’m quoting it in the Hawaiian Pidgin Bible because this is the Bible I’ve been reading from of late):

All dat stuff I stay telling you guys, az why I go down on my knees an pray to da Fadda.An dis Fadda, he da Fadda fo real kine. All da diffren ohanas all ova da world an inside da sky, dey get dea faddas, an dey call um “faddas” cuz dey make litto bit jalike da real Fadda.

(“Ohanas” means “families.”)

How beautiful. When I read those words I thought Das it, brah! Genau! Spot on! Mais oui! You, see, I don’t have to be a perfect father to the girls, because they already have a perfect “Fadda” in heaven. And I know that there is nothing I do as a dad that hasn’t already come from the Father. It’s as if God were saying to me,

Be yourself, Dave. Do the best you can. But fatherhood doesn’t begin or end with you. It’s my job to take care of My daughters. Haven’t you seen enough of My love to understand this?

So today, early in the morning, I prayed for each of my daughters by name. Nothing dramatic. Just short, arrow prayers. If perchance they should stumble across the blog this morning, I would say to them:

I love you. With some measure of disbelief I stand ready to love you as a father, just as your mother did when she was still with us. I won’t evade my responsibility, put my head under the covers and hide from it. I will pray for you the strongest prayers I have. You will always be precious to me.

Remember, girls: He is your Father. “He da real kine Fadda!” But I do hope and pray that I can “make litto bit jalike Him.”

Monday, January 13

6:43 PM Tonight God is driving me to pray for desperate needs. We cannot do things for God without prayer.

6:30 PM Evangelism involves both Christian proclamation and Christian presence. Always.

6:23 PM Care to receive a free copy of my bookWill You Join the Cause of Global Missions? Just clickhere.

6:50 AM I once had a long and delightful discussion with a Pentecostal pastor who worked as a hospital chaplain. He asked me what I believed about the gift of tongues. I told him that I usually teach an entire two-week series on the history and theology of the Charismatic Movement in my introductory New Testament class, including the exegesis of specific texts such as 1 Cor. 12-14 and a myriad of passages from the Book of Acts. I quoted Paul, “All do not speak in tongues, do they?” I noted that I had never sought the gift of tongues nor had I ever spoken in tongues (unless one considers French and German to be “tongues”). I said, “My view of sanctification can be boiled down to one statement: The Christian life is Jesus Christ, period. Jesus Christ plus nothing.” On that we both heartily agreed. My pastor friend did not become the proselytizing Pente, nor I the proud Pharisee. Both of us have been born again, birthed anew spiritually. We both realize that we are judged by Jesus’ cross, not by our rigid negativisms. But just as importantly, I have come to realize that our greatest strengths as evangelicals (our emphasis on biblical inerrancy, on the new birth, on morality and ethics) have also become our most glaring weaknesses (becoming proud, smug, and self-satisfied, as if we are better than other Christians). Instead of dialoging with those with whom we disagree, we remain psychologically and spiritually immature, blind, and shallow. We can and must do better.

6:45 AM From chapter 5 of Seven Marks of a New Testament Church:

[A] future-focus is no excuse for passivity in the present. It is tragic when Christians fail to see that the doctrine of Christ’s second coming is more than a matter for theological discussion and debate. Ought not His imminent return prompt us to greater obedience? Ought not His second coming create in us a greater sense of urgency to share the Gospel with those around us who are lost? Ought not the return of the King spur us on to greater involvement in Calvary-like acts of service in the world? There is no higher priority for the church than to heed the Savior’s command to make disciples of all nations.

6:28 AM I’ve got missions on my mind this morning. You will quickly see that I am no expert on the subject. These convictions are simply the product of a “lay” missionist and conclusions drawn from my personal Bible study.

Mission Conviction #1:

The church, not the missions organization, is God’s primary instrument in this world. Perhaps, then, the time has come to stop outsourcing church planting to paramissions entities. This is not to downplay the role of those who are specially gifted in evangelism or church planting. These evangelists and church planters, however, are to work primarily with and through the local churches. Imagine the impact the church could have on the world if every local congregation saw itself as God’s missionary organization. “Missions” would come to mean more than sending money to support missionaries and missions programs. Nor would we continue to use the term “missionary” to refer to professionals who are paid workers. The term missionary, if used, would be given its biblical sense of “representative of God in the world” (apostolos). In the scriptural sense, all Christians are missionaries, and all are to be involved personally in missionary discipleship in service to the world. That’s why I often introduce myself to people, not as a professor of Greek, but as a “full-time missionary.” No, I am not with a paramission organization. Nor am I paid to be a missionary. So people ask, “How then can you call yourself a full-time missionary?” We must change this way of thinking. There must be a significant move away from a paternalistic attitude towards the “laity,” with a growing recognition of their importance in bringing the Gospel to our communities and to the world. According to the New Testament, ministry is not the prerogative of an elite corpus. It is not the function only of seminary-trained professionals. It is the function of the whole people of God. Thus every Christian shares the mission of the church both through personal witness and missions activities. This participation is irrespective of sex, age, gender, social standing, or academic achievement.

Mission Conviction #2:

This is an implication of #1. It is my opinion that we can no longer justify theological training that aims only at making “laypersons” into “professional “missionaries. Rather, theological education must aim at mobilizing all the people of God for ministry in the world. In light of 1 Pet. 2:9 and Eph. 4:11-12, we much change our definition of ordination to include the setting apart of the whole people of God for “works of service.” In our seminaries, I believe it would make a very great difference if we were to recognize that the New Testament, from beginning to end, was written by missionaries for missionaries. It is critical to view the missionary mandate of Christ as the foundation upon which the entire work of Christian education rests. Missions acts, then, or at least should act, as the one encompassing task of Christian theology and community. Why, then, should “missions” be relegated to a missions and evangelism “department”? Such is to imply only a peripheral importance. Our goal in Christian education must be to incorporate the mission thrust of Jesus into all of our subjects. I can envision the day when trained “experts” are wedded to local churches rather than only to academic institutions. Together the whole body — trained theologians and untrained practioners — would join in the process of theologizing and missionizing. The object is for each local church to “hold forth the life-giving Word” (Phil. 2:16) in a way that people will know why and how they should turn to this new Lord Jesus Christ.

Mission Conviction #3:

Conviction #2 implies that the theological task in our seminaries must go beyond the classroom. That is, God’s plan for contextualized missions is rendered inoperable when academics fail to think in such a way that their theology comes across accurately in their lives. God never intended theology to be divorced from life. In our day, such a divorce has become a major problem within Western Christianity. We must reconnect the academy with the church. We seminary professors, whatever our area of expertise, need to live missions, not just talk about it. As with Paul, the Gospel must become the one passion of our lives. “What am I here for?” might serve as a good daily reminder to those of us who serve as academics in our colleges and seminaries. We so easily lose sight of the reason for our existence: to further the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a matter of keeping first things first (Phil. 1:27). And ultimately that mission belongs to the church, not the seminary. The church alone is permanent, and it alone can provide the permanent structure for evangelism and service. This is one reason why in our own mission work Becky and I have worked primarily with local churches and not with larger structures. It is also why we attempt to link local church to local church between the U.S. and Ethiopia. Already several American congregations have decided to partner with their Ethiopian counterparts to further the work of the kingdom. This is because they have come to realize that the local church is God’s center for mission strategies and outreach activities. And more and more churches are getting involved.

These convictions have legs. And I really do think we’re getting somewhere, folks. My students have convinced me. I speak with a good many of them who are throwing off the bonds of selfish individualism that mummify the Body and paralyze our people into thinking only aboutmy salvation and about my soul and about my Christ. They are allowing God into their private lives, as 1 John and James and Jude teach them to do. Organizational self-appraisal no longer dominates their conversations. They are reexamining their crowded programs. Emphasis is being properly placed on personal sanctity. Programs to arouse pride impress them no more. Their reading of the Scriptures — not the mere words of famous American pop-theologians but the Word of God itself — has shaken their complacency, shocked the status quo. Now Christ is more important than Christendom. One student even told me he’s leaving seminary to get a job in a secular field so that he could begin “full-time Christian ministry.” Vital bonds between church and world are being formed. “I was naked and you clothed Me!” They are acting for Christ, striving to keep Him clothed and warm. Above all, they are becoming Gospelers. Evangelism is now a lifestyle, not something to do on Tuesday nights.

Yes, the road is long, but I dare say we’re getting somewhere.

Sunday, January 12

6:10 PM Be on fire with Christ, and you will never need a course on evangelistic technique.

5:30 PM Quote of the day (Joel Bradsher):

We treasure Christ somewhat but not supremely. Not all can travel, but all can value or treasure the gospel leading to being abandoned to God’s missionary endeavor. The supreme joy of the Christian residing in American will NOT be found in “comfort and safety,” but rather in Christ, in fully participating in God’s Mission to make worshipers of Himself in all nations, even our own.

5:08 PM There’s a rhythm to this farm. I’ve finally gotten back into my daily walks with the dogs. Today I even spoiled the donks with a couple of carrots (normally “reserved” for Chinese stir fry).

And of course, what would the farm be without the Grand Old Lady herself, Maple Ridge. Here she is in all of her wintertime glory.

If you know any family who could use it, just let me know. (Gohere for more.) Being here just makes me all the more grateful for the nature God created. I think it will always have a special place in my heart.

4:33 PM It never ceases to amaze me that the ministry of reconciliation should have been given, not to angels, but to forgiven sinners. 

4:14 PM Evangelism is not a grim duty but a generous gift.

2:40 PM A potential Ph.D. student asked me the other day if I were a Pauline scholar. Here’s basically what I told him:

I may have a doctorate in New Testament and I may have taught New Testament and Greek for some 37 years, but I certainly do not feel that I am a New Testament “scholar” any more than I feel that the gardening I do makes me a horticulturist. In fact, I am learning things today about Jesus and the Gospels and the writings of His apostles that I never thought were in the New Testament at all. I must have missed them the first time around! After all these years of teaching I will tell you the absolute truth: I feel like a small child wading on the shore of a limitless ocean when I read my New Testament. I still learn new things every day from the Greek text itself. The term “scholar,” you see, implies a level of expertise that few would care to claim for themselves. I certainly don’t. At best, let people think of me as a New Testament “student.” The term student is appropriate. After all, that’s what Jesus said we were: His mathetai, His “students.” To return for a moment to my gardening analogy: I imagine that I’ve worked with my hands as frequently if not more frequently than any of my readers — gardening, animal husbandry, slaughtering and butchering our own cattle and goats, raising and selling crops, building fences, etc. All that makes me is just another “farmer” as far as I’m concerned. Ain’t no big deal around here where I live. I’m certainly no “agricultural specialist.” And as a New Testament student I am no “scholar.” How can I be a “specialist” in the New Testament when I know only a tiny fraction of what it teaches, and obey even less?

Paul asked, “Where is the scholar?” (1 Cor. 1:20). Any takers? Not me. In Romans, Paul puts it this way: “Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Don’t think of yourselves more highly than you should” (Rom. 12:2-3). And he then adds this in 1 Corinthians: “Those who think they know something still have a lot to learn” (1 Cor. 8:2).

That says it all to me.

Care to join me on the shore of that limitless ocean?

9:14 AM A lesson on discipleship from making Ethiopian injera.

8:44 AM Spanish grammar update: Looks like the Spanish edition of Learn to Read New Testament Greek isnearing completion. My thanks to Thomas Hudgins and all the others who have worked so tirelessly on this translation.

As the church continues to grow among Hispanics, the need for pastoral training in the languages will only increase. Witnessthese statistics from the Hispanic Evangelical Association.

  • 70 percent of Latinos are Catholic, translating into 29 million Catholic Latinos in the United States (compared to 22 million white mainline Protestants).

  • 23 percent of Latinos are Protestant or “other Christian” (including Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons). That translates to 9.5 million people.

  • 85 percent of all U.S. Latino Protestants identify themselves as Pentecostals or evangelicals. That translates into 6.2 million people.

  • 37 percent of the U.S. Latino population (14.2 million) self-identifies as “born-again” or evangelical. This figure includes Catholic charismatics, who constitute 22 percent of U.S. Latino Catholics.

  • 26 percent, or 7.6 million, of all Latino Catholics self-identify as being born-again.

At this point it is necessary to be very sensitive and dependent upon the Spirit of God. Greek is not the Abracadabra or Open Sesame of New Testament interpretation. But does not the Spirit use His Word? Always. And the word came to us in human form (and not in either Spanish or English). For the Body of Christ to grow it needs a healthy diet. May the Lord Jesus use this grammar to edify His church and expand His kingdom among our esteemed Hispanic friends.

7:55 AM This morning I ran across several posts reminding readers that the center of “Sunday worship” is the word of God. I agree entirely, if by that you mean Christ, the Living Word. But if you mean the sermon, I might take issue with you. I have little doubt that the gatherings of the early church contained some sort of formal teaching. On the other hand, gatherings were open enough to allow the Spirit to bring a “word” made quite spontaneously by one of the members. Our services are utterly predictable. We plan them out days if not weeks beforehand. If thoughtful teaching was important to these earliest Christians, so was silent waiting upon God to lead them in reading Scripture, sharing prayer needs, leading in a song, or bringing some word from God to the people. 1 Corinthians 14 is really very remarkable in this regard. Alas, in many churches today there is very little opportunity to share personal concerns in the “worship service” itself. Not so Bethel Hill, where just last week a sister brought a word of testimony after which we gathered around her and prayed. It was an electric, unifying moment. We also partook of the Lord’s Supper, which figured a great deal more prominently in the gatherings of the early Christians than it does today in many Baptist churches. Unlike the Passover (whence it originated), communion was observed regularly instead of annually, probably every week (Acts 20:7). And why should it not be? One envisions a local church lifting up their exalted Lord in thankful remembrance of all He has done for them. Jesus Himself is the “center” of worship and not a pulpit or a pastor. Emphasis upon the Lord’s Supper as central to Christian gatherings was not always on my radar. But it is now, and I am hopeful still that it is not too late for our own congregations to recovery the centrality of the table in our gatherings as followers of Jesus.

Saturday, January 11

5:48 PM Parents, listen up. Here’s an excellent post by Matt Walsh calledYour life is over when you have kids. It’ll make you both chuckle and cringe. An excerpt:

It’s not my life. It’s hers, it’s his, it’s theirs, it’s ours. Ultimately, it’s His, and He has given it to them. So my life — MY life — is over.

Bravo, Matt!

5:12 PM If you grow up in Hawaii, you will either learn to play the ukulele (if you’re a kane [“guy”]) or to dance the hula (if you’re a wahine [“gal”]). Check out thisChristmas hula dance at Calvary Chapel West Oahu. Absolutely beautiful. I’m scheduled to speak at CCWO on Jan. 24 and 26. Looking forward to it!

5:05 PM Loved this quote:

It isn’t so easy to stuff Jesus into a political box. He stands above all politics and as king has room for many shades of opinion within his circle. When Paul says that there is in Jesus no male or female, slave or free, maybe we could add left and right into the mix also.

ReadWas Jesus left or right wing?

(Am I displaying my Anabaptist leanings much?)

1:14 PM Movie lovers, check out this article called5 films that will make 2014 ‘the year of the Bible’.

1:06 PM “To the man with an ear for verbal delicacies — the man who searches painfully for the perfect word, and puts the way of saying a thing above the thing said — there is in writing the constant joy of sudden discovery, of happy accident.” H. L. Mencken.

12:56 PM My experience is that once a church becomes concerned about overseas missions, everything else begins to move forward.

12:42 PM Time to take dominion over —toilet paper tubes. These ideas ain’t bad!

12:08 PM More from chapter 4 of Seven Marks of a New Testament Church.

We shall have healthy churches and genuine koinonia to the degree that we are willing to use our gifts in service to others in the body of Christ. Yet how few churches seem to believe this. There is no authentic body life. There is no commitment to every-member ministry. There is no expectation that God can and does use every believer in the building up of the entire church family. There is no feeling that participation really matters. And yet in our churches pleas are forthcoming, heart-rending pleas for more participatory gatherings. If the plea is heard, the response is often, “But we’ve never done it that way before.”

11:40 AM Got a second for yet another list? ReadTop 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be a Christian.

11:02 AM Do you ever use the Bible Gateway website? If not, readthis.

10:57 AM The New Testament teaches that God does not live in buildings but in people. Very few churches today take this teaching seriously.

10:38 AM Check out theHBU Theology Conference, March 19-, in Houston. The theme is “Paul and Judaism.” Speakers include N.T. Wright (St Andrews University), Beverly Gaventa (Baylor University), and Ross Wagner (Duke Divinity School).

10:05 AM From chapter 4 of my forthcoming book Seven Marks of a New Testament Church (which I am working on today):

These early Christians did not separate the spiritual from the temporal. They reasoned as follows: If the church does not care for the unwed mother, who will? If the church does not defend the defenseless in society, who will hear their cries? However you look at it, the early Christians cared.

We need to revive that attitude today. Are we hospitable, eagerly opening our homes to strangers? The early church was. Do we gladly provide for the needs of other Christians? The early church did. Do we minister to widows and orphans in their need? This was the way of the early church. We are called to be servants, and Jesus is looking for disciples who will serve Him sacrificially. God is no more interested in truth without love than He is interested in love without truth.

P.S. If you would like to review this chapter, your comments would be welcome. Just email me atdblack@sebts.edu. The chapter title is “Genuine Relationships.”

9:16 AM Kailua sunrise. I witnessed this every day for 16 years of my life. Can’t wait to see it again.

9:08 AM Okay, so I’m in the mood to post lists. The British Library holds an annualStudy Day for Teachers of New Testament Greek. Superb idea. If we in the States were to hold a Greek Teachers Day, here are some topics I’d like to see discussed by those who teach first year Greek:

  • The pronunciation of the diphthong ei (“ei” as in “eight” or in “height”?)

  • The use of morphology in teaching verbs (I employ a mild approach; others none)

  • Textual criticism (I used to introduce the subject in first-year Greek but now postpone it to the third semester)

  • Deponency (should the category be dropped, or just refined?)

  • Verbal aspect (especially in the indicative mood)

  • The third declension (how many exceptions to teach?)

  • Word order (is Greek a VSO language?)

  • The article (have we over-exegeted it?)

  • Intensive autos (why is it left untranslated in so many English versions?)

  • Amalgamation (should the rules be learned by heart?)

  • Class size (how big a difference does it really make?)

  • Greek New Testament (will any do?)

Care to add any?

8:53 AM Last night, while I was dining with Jon and Matthea down in Chapel Hill, Nigusse was watching the movie Pride and Prejudice. Everyone has a favorite character in this film, and mine is none other than the infamous Rev. Mr. Collins. The reasons are obvious. A clergyman he is, and rightly proud of his profession! And then there’s his penchant for verbosity. How I wish I could kvetch like that. Above all, I get a kick every time I hear him prattling on about how lucky he is to receive the “condescension” of his patron, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Makes me think of the number of my-way-or-the-highway clergymen I’ve met in my life who seem allergic to introspection or analysis of any kind. I’m sure I could never have survived the Anabaptist purges in Europe. Those in power tend to operate on the mistaken assumption that if they just act like the king of the world everyone else will either bow down or scamper away. Sadly, the price for such hubris is all too plain. Perhaps we would do well to remember what the real King of the Universe said about leadership:

You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage (Mark 10:42-45, The Message).

None of us can ever fully plumb the depths of Calvary. But we can start to emulate it (as Jesus taught us) by exercising leadership with a gentle sensitivity and a genuine humility that will allow us to function as the Lord designed us to be, rather than as pale imitations of bosses and CEOs. Find a leader like that, my friend, and you’ve found a quality of leadership that merits following.

7:50 AM Top ten things to do on Oahu:

  • Visit historic Honolulu (Iolani Palace, Hawaii State Capitol, Kamehameha I Statue, Kawaiahao Church — the first church in Hawaii)

  • Visit the North Shore (be sure to stop at the Banzai Pipeline)

  • Explore the Bishop Museum (the State Museum of Natural and Cultural History)

  • Visit Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, USS Missouri, Pacific Aviation Museum)

  • Climb Diamond Head

  • Listen to Hawaiian Music at Waikiki Beach at sunset

  • Visit the Honolulu Zoo and Kapiolani Park

  • Eat local food (shave ice, lomi lomi salmon, plate lunch)

  • Swim at Kailua Beach

  • Snorkel at Hanauma Bay

7:12 AM “Begin to weave and God will give you the thread.” Old German proverb.

7:08 AM “Why don’t pastors preach from the Old Testament?” I’m sometimes asked this question. To ignore 75 percent of the Bible is not only dangerous, it’s downright stupid. If you need to jump start your interest in all things Old Testament, a good place to start might be Allan Bevere’sThe Character of Our Discontent, which encourages pastors to teach outside of their field of expertise (which is usually the New Testament).

Christians who would like to learn how the Old Testament can enlighten and guide their Christian walk, and pastors who would like to learn how to preach more effectively from the Old Testament will both find these sermons an invaluable aid.

While Dr. Bevere specializes in the New Testament and theology, he believes that pastors (and academics as well) can preach and teach effectively outside their areas of specialty. Indeed, they must, and this teaching can enrich their own learning and the fields of study into which they venture.

Strongly recommended!

6:45 AM There is something so inscrutable about healing. I think we start out thinking that the problem is external to us when all the time it has always been inside. Think of that old sci-fi thriller in which you see the giant monster and you flee into an open doorway and lock the door behind you, only to spin around and discover that you’ve locked yourself inside with the monster. That’s why focusing on just the externals will never bring lasting healing. And that’s why God always focuses on the internals. He starts with the monsters within, because that’s where true change works.

Have you allowed God to tame the monster within you? My internal monster, I’m ashamed to say, looks a lot like impatience these days. But godly character is built one stone at a time, minute by minute, day by day, in a million seemingly insignificant choices we make second by second. The divine Stonemason is at work grinding and chiseling and buffing and polishing until every facet of our lives reflects His beauty. This isn’t a particularly cosmic thought, I realize. But this morning I needed to remind myself that time makes a difference. God still has a wonderful plan for my life that exceeds my wildest expectations. And He’s more than willing and able to guide me toward that destination, mending and restoring hurts and sorrows and even creating positives out of negatives. When my world begins to spin out of control, I need to let Him work things out inside of me — to be the Center of my ever-changing world.

Friend, God’s presence is as real as the front of your face. You can almost see His open arms as He calls, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Friday, January 10

1:35 PM ReadPaper Perfect Churches.

1:31 PM Just back from visiting with Kimberly and the kids. Saw their new house (which is under construction) too. What a blessing. Thanks for the great lunch, Kim!

8:57 AM Wise words this morning from Jacob Cerone in an essay calledWhy I Have a Love/Hate Relationship with the Book of Jonah. Here’s an excerpt:

The story of Jonah is an exposition of this text in narrative form. We cannot get away from either God’s wrath or his mercy. The two cannot be separated. When I emphasize the fact that Jonah is ironically portrayed, made to play the fool, and is a hypocrite, it causes me to sit in judgment and forget the grace God has extended him. When I extend grace to Jonah despite all these things, I minimize and come close to forgetting the fact that he does not repent. There is no surety that he has a right relationship with his God.

8:26 AM This email arrived today:

Dear Dave

What an encouragement it was for me when I read your article about Can We Please Do Church Planting Cooperatively? Actually I read your writings and listen to your teachings for the last many years ….

In case you haven’t read it yet (or are having trouble falling asleep), here’s the link:

Can We Please Do Church Planting Cooperatively?

8:03 AM To me, da bes’ t’ing about Hawaii is da language we wen spoke when we was keeds. Now dat I stay grown up, I no can speak Da Kine ova hea on da mainland. Das why I no can wait fo get back to da Islands. Check out dis guy who wen take one taste test. Too funny!

Dat kine stuffs go make you laugh.

Tanks, eh?

7:26 AM Yet another reason to support indigenous missionaries in India, which will become the most populous nation in the world by mid-century: 

6:55 AM Warning: This is going to be long.

Last night as I lay in bed I felt that my day was not what it was meant to be. Sure, there was a circus of activities — phone calls, emails, blog posts, trips to the post office and grocery store, cooking meals. But God’s voice seemed distance, drowned out by the drone of activities, the jingle of cell phone rings, the pounding of fingers on a computer keyboard. Buried in the midst of a frenetic day was God’s voice as quiet as a lover’s kiss. As I lay in bed, I felt the loss. I groaned to hear again the sounds of His silence deep within my heart, and I prayed for forgiveness. I’ll do better tomorrow, Lord.

But will I do better today? Today will I allow His still, small voice to whisper in my ears? For the real Christian is not only a doer. He is a lover. He loves Someone he’s never met in person, talks with Someone he cannot see, hears what is inaudible. As Christians, we can’t very well be lights in the world if our wicks are dim. And it’s hard to generate much light when we’re so busy polishing the lamp stand that we forget to light the candle. It’s only when we get our inside world put right — our hearts and minds — that we can see God in the outside world.

I’ve felt this way before….

By the time I had graduated from Kailua High School and had completed a couple of years at Biola College, I was ready for a break. I wanted to put the books down and get away from the pressure of having to earn straight As to maintain my full tuition scholarship. I was bored in the classroom — and with life in general. So I did what any Hawaiian-born surfer would do. I went back home. I lived in Waikiki and surfed all day while bussing tables at night in one of Waikiki’s swanky tourist hotels. It was just what the doctor ordered. A year later I was back at school, ready to tackle the rest of my B.A. program, my M.Div., and my doctorate in Europe.

In a sense, I feel like this trip to Hawaii has a similar purpose. You see, God has been cutting and shaping me (as He has you), like a craftsman shaping a surfboard, and to be honest with you, a lot of coarse material needs to be cut away. I am lonely, and a bit bored. The question nags at me: I am growing old, but am I growing up? The day Becky died is tattooed on my brain. It was traumatic to say the least. Sometimes my life feels like a burrito someone has sat on. The good news is that I think God understands. He says in the Beatitudes, “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there’s more of God and his rule” (The Message). Boy, can I identify! I’m trying to be patient with myself, but feelings of inadequacy and inferiority keep popping up. I want to slow down, take a break from the demands of work, home, writing, cooking. I want to stop worrying about God’s will for my life and just work on today. As Irenaeus, the early church father, once said, “The glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God.” Listen, I know full well that a Hawaiian vacation is no panacea. Maybe things will be different when I return, maybe not. But I have little choice in the matter. I’m sensing the time is now to make this trip, to revisit the places where Becky and I walked and ate and laughed and played and made love.

Early on in our marriage Becky and I established a sort of “rule” that we would always try to be honest with each other, especially when we felt vulnerable or unloved. I can’t help but think that this trip to the Islands has something to do with that commitment. It’s my way of saying, “Okay, Death, you took her away from me, but it’s only for a short while. In the meantime, I won’t let you rob me of the memories, the little joys, the silent pleasures.” Not that I’d ever really talk to the Devil that way. I feel far from invincible. But God understands that. He understands when we are sometimes hesitant to move forward because of old wounds. And it is this God who promises us in His word, “The Lord will go ahead of you” (Isa. 52:12). Why? Because He wants us to experience something new. He’s got a surprise up His sleeve reserved for those who put past losses behind them and kick up their heels and buy shave ice and rent a surfboard and eat at the same restaurant where they bussed tables in the distant past.

With God’s help, I can and I will learn to laugh again. I can experience a life change from the inside out. And so can you, no matter what your trauma may have been.

Thursday, January 9

6:32 PM This email blessed my heart:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Christian marriage today. I couldn’t agree with you more.

6:30 PM Another one of my essays has just appeared in Spanish. Check it out:

¿A QUE SE PARECE UNA IGLESIA DEL NUEVO TESTAMENTO?

What a labor of love, José. Gracias por todo.

6:16 PM I hope you are sitting down for this next announcement from DBO, because I don’t want anyone to suffer a heart seizure. Tonight for supper I cooked for Nigusse — are you ready? — beef stroganoff with a fresh Caesar salad and cheese cake for dessert. Here’s proof.

And no, I refuse to apologize for expanding my culinary repertoire in this manner, even though I must admit that the main course came from a box (“Hamburger Helper” — shhh, don’t tell Nigusse).

The meal was, I’d say, a huge success. Who knows, tomorrow night I might prepare —  frozen fish sticks!

3:44 PM Yet another excellent post by Henry Neufeld on Bible translations: The Potential Arrogance of Critiquing Bible Translations. Here are 5 helpful takeaways:

  • Most “errors” reported in a Bible translation are not errors.

  • Say “I disagree” or I would prefer” rather than “this is wrong” or “the right way to translate this is.”

  • Don’t preach about translation differences.

  • Say some good things about Bible translators.

  • When the foundation of your difference is theological, make sure people know it.

3:05 PM Odds and ends …

1) Arthur Sido has written a very insightful article that deals with Christian unity:Dividing Over Gender.

2) In case you don’t know, Robert Martin has a website calledThe Abnormal Anabaptist. It’s loaded with useful material for Christians and all who take their Christianity seriously. Highly recommended.

3) Check out the article calledWhy Are We Commanded to Make Disciples of All Nations? It’s by the president of Asbury Seminary.

4)Test Your Knowledge about Global Christianity.

5) Thousands are asking: Will Dave do the plate lunch challenge atZippy’s Restaurant on Oahu? Oooooh yeah. I think I’ll order lomi lomi salmon, lau lau, kalua pig, teriyaki chicken, shoyu chicken, two scoop rice, and one side mac salad — all at once. Ono-licious!

10:46 AM Can we idolize the “ideal church”? Mark Stevens says yes — andoffers a biblical antidote.

10:03 AM 45 years ago today John MacArthur began his teaching ministry at Grace. Thankful to God for His choice servant.

9:24 AM As I am working with several couples I know through some really difficult marital issues, I find myself increasingly frustrated with the “normal” approach to the Christian life. I know I’m a pathetic egghead for saying this, but I am bit tired of all those marriage enrichment seminars out there and those colorful gimmicks to “enhance” our marriages. We need to understand that only the love of God can ultimately satisfy our deepest need for unconditional love, and only following His will fulfills our need for significance in this life. I hear so much today about “compatibility” (or the lack thereof) and “meeting my psychological needs.” Paul tells us to look out for the needs of others, regarding other people as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-4). Marriage can’t be “all about me.” If we have this attitude, then we will remain faithful to our spouse up to the point of diminishing returns. As long as serving our wives brings us what we want, we will gladly keep our marriage vows. What a godless notion. Have we forgotten that marriage is for better or for worse?

I don’t suppose that there has ever been a marriage that at some point has not reached a seemingly irredeemable low point. And it’s only normal that we should want to be deeply intimate with another human being. The problem is when we allow our relational needs to assume greater priority than simply doing what God wants and tells us to do. I am unconditionally opposed to any line of thinking that undermines the concept of personal responsibility in marriage, but I also oppose the notion that following Christ guarantees a life of satisfying emotions and fulfilling experiences. So you’re not “compatible.” So what? Love each other any way.

I love that line in the movie Rear Window where the wise old nurse says to Jimmy Stewart, “For 30 years my husband and I have been two incompatible misfits, and we are still madly in love with each other.” Marriages (especially in America) spend a disproportionate amount of effort on seeking self-fulfillment. The average married couple is clueless as to the deepest needs of people all around them. We have a culture of consumerism that puts the focus inwardly on our home, our family, our needs. We need to realize that marriage is not about us. It’s about modeling for a lost world what real love, commitment, forgiveness, and dogged persistence look like. As I see it, Christian marriages today have two options. We can echo the actions of the rich young ruler and walk away from Jesus and from our commitments because we’re not willing to give up the idols in our lives, or we can respond as the disciples did by leaving everything behind to follow Him in obedience. Let’s just love our spouses, accept them, enjoy them for who they are, and especially work together for something bigger than ourselves. Agree or disagree with me, it’s something we all need to think deeply about.

The crises I’m dealing with may or may not resolve themselves. There’s lots of pain in these relationships, and things can still end up in a total disaster. Trust when I can’t control things is difficult. Major intervention (by the Spirit) is going to be needed before all is said and done.

Switching topics, I’ve made my reservations for the trip-of-a-lifetime (my final anniversary celebration), so this blog will shut down from Jan. 23-29 while yours truly is contemplating his navel on the beach at Waikiki. I’m also honored to have been invited to speak at Calvary Chapel of West Oahu on Friday and Sunday, so if you live on Oahu and would like to meet up, just Google the church.

Lots of good, God stuff going on in my life right now. Still, I need prayer for courage, wisdom, and trust. My pretty wife is no longer here to share in the celebration, but she still gets the Saint Becky Award for loving me so wisely and well for over 37 years. What a joy to celebrate her.

Wednesday, January 8

5:38 PMHad the joy of lunching with three seminary students and then driving them to the airport. Karen will be gone 10 days to a faraway place.

It will, of course, have its joys and its challenges, as do all such trips. Traveling such a long distance for the sake of the Gospel is tough, but it is absolutely necessary. There is nothing so attractive in this dark world as a life where Jesus is dominant. And those in whom He is dominant will not be ashamed to go in His name.

Please join me in praying for Karen, that she might be consumed with a love for Jesus Christ and please Him in all she does on this trip.

Thank you.

A very proud dad.

9:02 AMAre you just beginning a new season of life? Then you must readthis.

8:43 AMLet’s see: Is divorce ever permissible for a believer? And what about remarriage after divorce? You would think that such questions would hardly need to be asked in the Bible Belt, but the fact is that divorce is not uncommon in many of our churches. The world remains a place of struggle between light and darkness, truth and falsehood. In a sin-marred world, things go awry. All the more reason to cry out to the Lord for guidance. I once co-edited what I believe is one of the most important and helpful books ever to have been written on the difficult subject of Christian marriage and divorce. The book is entitledExcept for Fornication: The Teaching of the Lord Jesus on Divorce and Remarriage.Often a book comes across as either too heavy to be practical or too light as to be helpful. Parunak skillfully avoids both extremes. Self-examination is crucial, and we must look at our lives honestly. Grace never ignores sin, but works God’s power in taking broken sinful human beings and bringing them to wholeness.

6:42 AM I was up very early again this morning, restless, thinking, meditative, pensive. Read this email:

I am praying for you tonight, my brother. BLESSINGS!

I love the simplicity of this prayer. It is a wonderfully comforting word to me. And it was written by someone who knows the reality of loss, the fire of suffering. Thank you, my dear sister. Then my son writes and says, “Will you venture to the top of Olomana?” This is the treacherous mountain in Kailua I used to climb in my youth. Nate and I once climbed it together. To be honest, I’d love to try it again. Don’t you love it how everyone seems to be challenging me to greater heights (literally!)? Frank O’Conner, the great Irish writer, once described how he, in his childhood, would take long walks with his friends in the countryside. When they came to an orchard wall that seemed too high to climb, too difficult an obstacle to overcome, they took their caps and tossed them over the wall, and then they had no choice but to follow them. This year, with God’s help, I will climb the wall and explore the wonders on the other side. It all begins with this crazy trip to Hawaii (Jan. 23-27). Perhaps from the thicket of thorns will begin to spring roses. Just because I am broken doesn’t mean that I am useless.

Tuesday, January 7

6:47 PM The latest addition to our home page is calledOh, the Beauty of Scripture! 

4:38 PM This cool email showed up in my inbox today:

Hi, Dave,

Someone posted this on FB today, and you were the first one I thought of: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/banzai-pipeline-video_n_4532488.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

I’m sure you’ve surfed crazy bonzais like that, eh? I read that you planned to go back for a holiday. Have a wonderful, most blessed and refreshing time.

Yep, the Pipeline was quite the surfing beach. Even broke a board in half there once. You’ll notice in the video how much this spot has changed since the 60s and 70s. It is far too crowded today, and it’s not uncommon for someone to cut in on you. Oh, for the good old days ….

By the way, my trip to the Islands has been postponed. I fly space available and the seats just up and disappeared. No problem. (A’ole pilikia, as they say in Hawaiian.) I’m told by a pilot friend that things are really crazy until about Jan. 15, so I’ve rescheduled my Island adventure for the 23rd. So that’s that.

Thank you so much for all your love and prayers and encouragement during this time in my life. I’m moving toward closure, which is a big part of the reasoning behind going “home” and getting things sorted out sooner rather than later. In some ways I feel I’ve learned more about living in the past 9 weeks than I have in the first 61 years of my life. I haven’t reached the end of the journey (will I ever?), but I think I can see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Well, it’s time to cook dinner for Nigu and me. You guessed it!

11:06 AM My thanks to Jon and Matthea for having me over last night to share with their small group. Here I’m discussing the discourse structure of Philippians and illustrating it with a portrait I drew many years ago. (The point was that a discourse — or a human face, for that matter — has three components: cohesion, coherence, and prominence.)

Of course, grandfathers are rather handy gadgets to have around, especially if you want a story read to you.

Teaching. Family. Grace. What undeserved blessings. All the cares of the day seemed to fade away as I joined in the fun and laughter of a beautiful, godly home. I love that my life includes opportunities to teach Scripture to Twenty-Somethings and then turn right around and tell Bible stories to small children. That life is more than scholarship. That no matter how much you miss That Person, there are many other people to share your life with.

Thank you, Jesus.

Monday, January 6

9:12 AM Just saw this urgent prayer request by a pastor in Texas concerning his wife:

We are praying that the CT scan on January 8 will not show a spot at all. That’s right. A miracle. We are praying that spot will have been miraculously removed to the amazement of all our doctors and to the glory of God. God can choose to do whatever he chooses to do and we trust him completely. Again, our hope is in GOD not just His answers to prayer. But we want to ask. We want to ask God to do something miraculous. I feel like I would be disobedient if I didn’t pray this way and ask you to join us.

(ReadPraying for a Miracle.)

Josh and Andrea, I just prayed for you and will continue to do so. May complete healing take place for His glory!

8:58 AM I’ll be taking Kevin Phillips’American Theocracywith me on the plane this week. (I’ve already read it once.) It touches on a very important subject but, it seems to me, never really gets a hold of it. The author attacks great moral problems and then, before the campaign has started, beats an elegant and genteel retreat. Perhaps the only really good book to treat this topic is Boyd’sThe Myth of a Christian Nation.Makes me want to write a companion volume called The Christian of a Mythical Nation, which would expose the statism that exists in certain segments of Christianity. My Anabaptist forebears had a good deal to contribute to the debate as well, though like Boyd are not considered “mainstream” enough to be taken seriously. They are remembered for their remonstrations and their stubbornness, but what they really stood for was costly discipleship. When they saw that they in fact had to pay the ultimate price for their obedience, they went to their deaths singing, much like the earlier followers of Jesus who refused to bow the knee to Caesar. The question I would like to pose to Phillips is this: Would you personally be willing to pay such a price for obedience to the Word of God over loyalty to the state? Would I? This question may well become more than academic in the coming years.

8:50 AM Tonight’s low? A mere 7 degrees. Be sure to bring your pets indoors tonight!

8:26 AM Interested in Bible translations? Then you must read Optimal Equivalence and the HCSB.

8:22 AM I just read that Thomas Hudgins will be giving aguest lecture at SEBTS in a few days. I loved this slide of his: 

Now as you all know, tonight I’ve been asked to share a few words about Philippians with a group of young professionals. I will remind them (and me!) that persecution and suffering are not options for the follower of Jesus. This is clearly the theme of Phil. 1:29, and it is clearly what Paul teaches in 2 Tim. 3:10-11a, as Thomas notes. Yet how easy it is for us to stop with “teaching,” as if knowledge alone changes lives. Thus my message tonight will be a very simple one: Make room in your life for trouble. We cannot preach the cross and not share in it. Suffering is inherent in the very nature of the Christian experience. Jesus grappled with the ugly, the sordid, the hideous, and if we are to follow Him we too must grapple with a bruised and suffering society. Our proving ground is the world, not the church. Great soldiers are developed in battle, not on parade.

Paul poured himself out for others, and so must we. It is a decadent generation that cannot endure sound doctrine and heaps to itself teachers who promise nothing but health and ease. Our Lord, when He lived among us, worked tirelessly for the sake of others and then died on a cross. He never meant to leave us smug and self-satisfied.

A comfortable Christian is an oxymoron.

8:02 AM 1 Timothy 5:1:

Treat the younger men as your brothers.

Yesterday we looked at Titus 2:2. Today let’s discuss this verse from 1 Timothy. (Can you guess that I’m doing a study of age in the New Testament?) Paul is speaking to the older men in the congregation and he tells them how they should treat the younger men. In the church we are all brothers and sisters. Younger men are not to be looked down upon as if they were somehow inferior because of their age. Paul tells us old guys to treat the younger men as equals, because, essentially, that’s what we are in the body of Christ. For example, in the opening of Philippians, Paul writes, “Paul and Timothy ….” Note that he does not insist on any title for himself here (“Paul the apostle”) or for Timothy (“Timothy, my assistant”). This does not mean that Paul rejected any notion of functional roles. After all, if Paul was Timothy’s brother, he was still the “big brother” and enjoyed more wisdom and life-experience (and apostolic authority) than did his youthful co-worker. Again, notice how frequently Paul addresses the members of his churches as “brothers and sisters.” This is no accident. Even Jesus is not ashamed to call us “brothers,” according to Heb. 2:11.

Any implications for daily life? Plenty. Never insist on being called by your title, for one. Of course, you are free to call me Dr. Black if you want to, or even Herr Professor Doktor Black (as I am sometimes called in Germany). Up to you. But if I understand Matt. 23:7-8 correctly, Jesus makes it clear that no one should require another person to address him or her with honorific titles. The reason? “Because you all brothers of one another.” Titles can easily tickle our carnal pride if we are not careful. Of course, we need not press the injunction too literally (Jesus allowed Himself to be called “Rabbi”). But the spirit (if not the letter) of Jesus’ words still apply today. In classical Greek, the word for “humility” was a term of reproach. But the New Testament writers elevated it to a place of prominence as one of the most important of all Christian virtues (see, e.g., Phil. 2:3). I urge us older men to esteem others as better than ourselves. This includes those who are younger and perhaps less mature in the faith. If the apostle Paul (“the chief of sinners”) could do this, how much more should we?

Please, let’s honor and esteem our leaders but never exalt them above others in the church. Overseers and deacons are extensions of the Body, not over it (Phil. 1:1). One of the greatest tragedies in the story of Christianity has been the shift in understanding that has taken place concerning our view of church leadership. “Overseers and deacons” are not proud titles but descriptions or activities: “those who oversee and serve [the congregation in some special capacity].” Our Lord anticipated our trouble when He set the record straight (Mark 10:44-45): “If one of you wants to be first, he must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Elder, are you serving the younger? Are you treating him as a brother? Am I? We can, and we must.

7:34 AM I am an educator by profession. Which means that I study education (and pedagogy) as often as I can. Clifford Dowdey’smagnificent biography of Robert E. Lee is a case in point. Many people do not realize that at war’s end Lee became a professional educator, and an excellent one at that. As the president of Washington College in Lexington, VA, Lee placed his students on their own responsibility, much as he had with the soldiers under him. “To Lee,” writes Dowdey,

education for the future depended as much on character as learning, and to him character was built upon the habits of self-control. He did not believe that intelligent self-government in men would be promoted by forcing students under compulsion, supported by penalties, to perform class assignments and conform to rules of personal behavior.

Dowdey goes on to say:

He believed that by giving young men the opportunity to think and act for themselves, they would form the habit of making the proper choices…. With this attitude, he refused to encompass students with regulations and petty rules, nor would he have them watched over — “espionage,” as it was called at the college — as if they were unable to govern themselves.

When students abused this privileged, they were called into the president’s office. Notes Dowdey:

It was not his custom to reproach the boys. He advised them. One of his former students, who was himself never called to Lee’s office, wrote, “I have heard the boys who were say his admonitions were as tender as a mother’s and his warnings and instructions always fatherly and wise.”

The bottom line?

The men were proud of acting on their honor, and they obeyed Lee, one said, “not because they feared but loved him….”

I could not agree more with this approach to education, at least in seminary and graduate school. The honor system that Lee established is still in effect at what is now called Washington and Lee University. It has stood the test of time, because it is based on sound pedagogy.

Think about that the next time you consider banning the use of iPads and cell phones in your classroom.

(Below: Lee as a college president just before his death in 1870.)

P. S. An older generation of Southern biographers were often guilty of making gods out of men like Stonewall Jackson and R. E. Lee. If we are going to profit from reading biographies about the great men and women of the past, we will need to have insight, which is nothing more than the ability to assess one’s own and others’ strengths and weaknesses in a healthy sort of way. Insight is a part of biblical wisdom and an essential part of the Christian’s equipment. 

7:22 AM Prepping for my trip to Oahu requires watching an episode or two of Hawaii Five-O. Lousy story lines but great acting. And the scenery — well, what can you say about Hawaii other than that it truly is the Paradise of the Pacific? The first few episodes were filmed while I was still in high school (and while Obama was in elementary school), and the fashions were very 60s. (Did we really dress like that?) And poor old Steve McGarrett, having to wear a coat and tie in all that humidity. I challenge you to find one scene in which the man perspired. Maybe the guy had no sweat glands. (By the way, I never saw a cop dressed that way growing up there. We called that “dressing mainland.”) But who cares? The series is worth watching if only for its opening theme song (which is the greatest TV jingle of all time and the unofficial theme song of the University of Hawaii).

All together now … Book ’em, Danno!

7:12 AM Kevin Brown once mused aboutmediocrity. (Good stuff, Kevin!) Well, since I’m an expert in it, maybe I could add my two cents. When you get to be my age you realize there is very little you can change about yourself. Habits seem firmly entrenched. The temptation to give up, slow down, flake out is very real. Do I give in? All the time, sad to say. Jesus, however, is unambiguous about this subject in His Sermon on the Hillside. What do you really value? What are you really seeking after? What is your primary ambition in life? You cannot serve God and this world at the same time. He warns us about giving priority to things (like clothing) that simply wear out with time. He tells us to put our treasure where it cannot be stolen. In terms of commitment, disciples of Jesus should stand out in sharp contrast to this world.

That said, Kevin is right: we need to do better. But worrying about all this is useless. Anxiety, as our Lord said, can’t add one day to our life or a few inches to our height. Worry means that we do not trust God for our failures, our mediocrity, our sloth and complacency. In a world marred by sin, mediocrity is inevitable for everybody, even Type A personalities. What we can do is to take baby steps forward. We can ask God to show us where we lag behind, and then ask Him to nudge us ahead a little bit. It can perhaps mean asking God: How can I be a better husband, a better parent, a better student, a better teacher, a better worker this year than I was last year? It might mean notching it up one bar even in areas in which you might excel. I never teach a class when I do not ask myself, “What one thing can I do this time around that will improve this class?” Here on the farm I’ve been learning how to do basic maintenance jobs without asking (or hiring) others to do it for me. Talk about raising the bar! (“Klutz” is my middle name.) Short as life is, I believe I can still make progress in almost every area of my existence.

As Kevin reminds us, Jesus is our model. He practiced what He preached. He told us to be about the Father’s business, then He showed us how to do that: By walking daily in the Spirit and by trusting the Father. So, brother Kevin, I can truly empathize with you. Your words remind me that I am not about the Father’s business as I should be. Yet, I’m sure you would agree that worry is unnecessary. Nobody works harder than a bird, but birds neither worry nor hoard. They trust. And it is not without significance that God allows us to see these little creatures every day of our lives. They show us the way forward.

Sunday, January 5

7:40 PM Sitting here scratching my dogs’ ears, listening to Brahms’ German Requiem and thinking about those who have died in the Lord. Truly, Selig sind sie.

Selig sind die Toten, die in dem Herren sterben, von nun an.
Ja der Geist spricht, daß sie ruhen von ihrer Arbeit;
denn ihre Werke folgen ihnen nach. Offenbarung 14:13.

Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord, from now on. Yes, the Spirit says that they rest from their labor, for their works follow them. Revelation 14:13.

I am a firm believer in the power of music to inspire and motivate. It is also a great balm for the soul. I’m grateful that God inspired Brahms to write such a powerful work. Luther was convinced that, next to the word of God, music has the greatest power to move the human soul. And Luther knew both very well.

6:12 PM Time to cook supper for Nigusse and me. Tonight I’m serving pancakes. No, I am NOT stuck in a rut.

6:08 PM Conferences, conferences, conferences. I love them (especially when I get to help organize them). I am über-blessed to have been involved with three major conferences on campus, the first being in 2000 (on textual criticism, the synoptic problem, and the authorship of Hebrews) and the second in 2004 (on the ending of Mark).

The speakers at the latter? Black, Wallace, Robinson, Elliott, and Bock.

Ourthird conference is yet to take place, and I want to cordially invite you to consider attending it. The topic is the “woman-taken-in-adultery” passage of John 7:53-8:11. Conferences such as these provide time to learn together, to catch up both personally and professionally with other New Testament students, and to create new memories. This type of energy is contagious!

Hope to see you in the Forest of Wake in April.

5:48 PM Three from Bonhoeffer:

1) “Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”

2) “Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

3) “Faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.”

5:38 PM Reminder: TheAreopagus series (co-edited by Allan Bevere and yours truly) accepts manuscripts that deal with doctrinal or practical issues in an irenic tone. Feel free to send me an email if you think your work might fit our series. 

9:05 AM Titus 2:2:

Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely.

At the age of 61, I suppose I qualify for the status of “older man.” Aging is one of the terms of our humanness and, in that sense, is incurable. But with age there does not necessarily come the virtues Paul lists here. I have found peace with my aging not only through accepting it but by making it an offering to God, who can transform it into something for the good others. It involves a choice to become a spiritual parent. It is a choice, in many instances, to become a burden-bearer. I can no longer stop at the pool’s edge and calculate the water’s depth. There is no time for that. I must jump in and swim or pitifully sink. Life is always too big for any of us, so why worry about trying to meet its demands? God is calling us to do the impossible. I have lost my bride. That fact will nag at me until the day I die. But still, God has called me to “exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely.” This privilege is not beyond any man who will give himself totally to God. Scripture has some very strong things to say about aging. Patience. Sacrifice. Provision. Responsibility. The elders among us are to mentor the youngers. They are to beget children, yet that is only the beginning. They must call their children to follow the Savior with all their hearts, leading them with the bonds of love and teaching them how to walk. Can I say that I will ever get beyond my loneliness enough to be able to do this? No. No magic wand exists that will make my troubles vanish. But then again, in a different way, perhaps, I will learn how to be alone without being lonely. After all, it’s only been two months for me. This morning I received an email from a sister in Christ whose husband died two years ago. In her wisdom she wrote:

I know what it is like to grieve for your precious Becky. This was my second Christmas without my _____ ….but how could I wish him back, when he is worshipping at the feet of Jesus….no more suffering….no more tears…nothing but joy and celebration.

The Scripture abounds with language like this. It would be preposterous for me to say that I understand what this woman is experiencing. Two years! Yet did I not detect a peace, a joy, the oil of gladness instead of the mourner’s tears, garlands instead of ashes? Some day I would love to ask her and the other widows I know about the “how to’s” of this whole daily exercise of faith. How do I handle this waiting? I do not know. I only know that no painful experience is great enough to drain the ocean of God’s grace. God is disciplining me. He is making me long for something I cannot have so that He can reveal to me what He wants me to have. And slowly, very slowly, I think I am beginning to experience, as this widow has, the strange peace that is not the world’s to give.

I urge all of us “older men” to heed the words of Paul in Titus 2:2. Lift up your hands in surrender to God. Acknowledge your total inadequacy to be the man of God you so desperately want to be. Ask Him to use you, a weak but yielded vessel, in His service. He delights in making somethings out of nothings.

Saturday, January 4

7:20 PM I have, this evening, been doing some quiet contemplation on marriage, no sounds to disturb my thoughts save those of the humming of the computer. I once ran across anamazing BBC story about conjoined twins who were born in Brazil having two heads, two backbones, but only one heart. Their names? Jesus and Emanuel.

Wow. If ever there was a sight to compete with a man’s love for a woman (and vice versa), this has got to be it. Reading my own life into the picture, I see Becky and me, two people as different as different can be, yet somehow complementary, somehow conjoined at the heart, two people who constantly did for the other and not for self. Don’t misunderstand. Our marriage wasn’t perfect. It didn’t have to be. In a world that has lost or discarded the marriage vow, we stuck it out, despite spiritual exhaustion at times, despite the Devil throwing at us everything he had. We never forgot the mystery that a good marriage is, or that it is not our experiences that change us, but always and only our response to those experiences. God calls every marriage to abject poverty — that stripping away of all that this world has to offer. A good (though not perfect) Christian marriage shows a watching world that ordinary things can be very holy and very good. Two people, joined at the heart. Have you a spouse? Tell them, tonight, how much you love him or her. Bask in your marital love. But never, ever, forget that it was His own perfect and complete sacrifice of Himself (becoming one heart with us) that made this possible.

5:10 PM In case you are bored stiff, here are some fun facts about me:

  • My favorite food is … Korean.

  • I cannot stomach … watercress.

  • My favorite TV show is … I don’t watch much TV.

  • In my spare time I … write.

  • One word used to describe me when growing up … lazy.

  • One word used to describe me today … diligent.

  • If I had a million dollars I’d … give them to the church in Ethiopia.

  • I send this many emails each day … 200.

  • Being a teacher is … humbling.

  • My favorite book that I’ve written is … The Jesus Paradigm.

  • Before I die I want to meet … Aussie John and Mark Stevens (both live Down Under).

  • My (earthly) hero is … Conrad Grebel.

  • My favorite theologian is … Jacques Ellul.

  • I went to high school at … Kailua High School (go Surfriders!).

  • My favorite spot on earth is … Waikiki Beach at sunset.

  • If I wasn’t an educator I would be… an airline pilot.

  • My favorite Bible verse is … Phil. 1:29.

  • My favorite pet is … our Sheltie Sheba.

  • My favorite commentary on Ephesians is by … Markus Barth.

  • I am embarrassed that I … can’t remember people’s names.

  • I used to teach at … Biola University.

  • I once lectured …  on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

  • Becky and I honeymooned in … Hawaii (obviously!).

  • Our first mission trip together was to … West Germany.

  • My first book publisher was … Peter Lang (New York).

  • My first journal article appeared in … Grace Theological Journal.

  • I was once asked to … head up the Ph.D. program at SEBTS.

  • I have been invited to write commentaries on … Hebrews and Philippians (I passed on both).

  • My longest selling book is … Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek (first published in 1988).

  • My rank in the army (as a Civil War reenactor) is … private.

  • During reenactments I have preached sermons with the following in attendance … Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

  • My fastest speed on horseback was … 40 miles per hour.

  • I named one of my horses “Traveler” after … General Lee’s steed.

  • My favorite Hitchcock movie is … North by Northwest.

  • Most people don’t know that I … have to work hard to learn a foreign language.

  • I have never been in … South America.

  • The number of states in the U.S. I’ve been in is … 48.

  • While in high school I made … first chair, first trumpet, in the all-state band (I don’t play a lick today).

5:06 PM Missions quote of the day:

A degree in missions is not required to be a missionary. No human book can teach us missions. We must look instead to the writings of the Old and New Testaments as authoritative in a way that no man-produced book is authoritative. We must learn from the future-oriented perspectives of Moses and the prophets and from Jesus, Paul, and the apostles not only why we should do missionary work but also how. The basis, the mandate, and the model for missions emanate from God and must be patterned after the example of Jesus Christ. In short, our desire should be to follow the Scriptures, which stress the power of the Holy Spirit in God’s plan to gather his people and in the life of the church – not organizations, methods, programs, or personalities.

ReadTop Ten Misconceptions about Missions.

11:03 AM Forthcoming from the pen of Kevin Brown:

To Date or Not to Date: What the Bible Says About Premarital Relationships.

Previewhere.

10:44 AM This came today: 

Dr. Black,

I am a pastor and desiring to brush up on my Greek reading skills. I am interested in brushing up my skills with Apple apps. I found numerous ones suggested on your website, but wanted to see if you could narrow down my selection with a personal recommendation. This year I want to focus on vocabulary and parsing. Based on that information, which app or apps would you suggest out of all the ones listed on your site? Any assistance you can grant me will be greatly appreciated.

For any questions having to do with Greek vocab, Jacob Cerone’s excellence page calledVocabulary is the go-to place. Check it out, Greek scholar!

9:38 AM Can what happened in the early church happen today? The earliest Christians were accused of turning the world upside down with the Gospel (Acts 17:6). Today, the great majority of Christians do not regard evangelism as their business. Together, however, we can return evangelism to a “first things category.” If you need a place to start, why not try India? Just look at the unreached peoples it contains.

And one of the best ways of evangelizing India is by sponsoring the efforts of nationals who live there. What is more, Joel Bradsher has made it simple for you to get involved. ReadReaching NE India with the gospel and it might surprise you how easy it is to support God’s work there. As Joel points put, I doubt that in our day we can have effective evangelism without a Copernican revolution in our own church life and priorities. Nor should we expect it.

Go, send, or disobey. These are our only options.

7:56 AM What is the best Bible version —German style?

6:42 AM I’m taking a much-needed break today from working on all of the financial transactions pursuant to Becky’s death to work on my book Seven Marks of a New Testament Church, which is due to the publisher the end of February (and, as everyone knows, I am a stickler for deadlines). In a nutshell, I’ll argue that the best definitions of church are those taken directly from the text of Scripture rather than from some manmade construct that is superimposed on the text. The Bible (especially the book of Acts) has a beauty and power all its own. I think it’s perfectly fine and cool to write books about church life that are based on your own church’s philosophy or methods. But what’s challenging is coming up with distinctives that are thoroughly Scriptural. In any event, I hope to get another chapter written today, so your prayers would be appreciated.

Yesterday Jacob Cerone was here to upload the pictures for Becky’s forthcoming autobiography (My Life Story) to Drop Box. From there they will magically appear in my publisher’s computer where he can begin composing the final pages of the book.

The release date had been postponed a month (look for mid-February for the book to come out) in order to make sure that the cover design is just right (he’s got some great ideas), and there’s even talk about me flying to Florida for the book’s release. As I looked at all these photos of Becky’s life I was reminded of how much love costs. All those little deeds of love that Becky did? They don’t seem to amount to very much as we mortals measure things. But they sure do smell good to God. Nothing she did was unnecessary. Likewise with you, my friend. So what if you are unnoticed, overlooked, never appreciated. No labor of love, no simple act of service is ever lost to Jesus. It’s like incense that arises to God. As I mused on these pictures, I kept saying to myself, Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord. A woman with a grotesque disease that plagued her for more than 4 years found something worthwhile to expend her life on. It compels me to ask, “Lord, what would you have me give back to you today in the midst of my pain?” I tell you, I love this book. Thanks be to God for Becky’s life. Fun, family, good times. Tumors, chemo, death. This is the world you and I live in. One day your world (or part of it) will come crashing down around you like that first pane of glass you broke in childhood. The reason I can say this is because you are human, and this is what happens to humans. My Life Story is a reminder that the American Dream is a fatal fallacy. Many have capitulated to it. Not so Becky Lynn Black. The Christian life demands self-sacrifice and humility, but it is the only road to glory.

Oh, last night I just had to give Nigusse some relief from the same-old same-old diet of stir fry and rice, so off we went to the Queen of Sheba in Chapel Hill.

There we met up with our good friend (and the restaurant’s’  proprietor) Friesh. Delicious food, and even better fellowship.

Life is (still) good.

Maranatha!

Dave

Friday, January 3

9:20 AM Quote of the day (Jacob Cerone):

[T]he ridiculousness of most Americans claiming oppression, when compared to the rest of the world, would be comical if it wasn’t tragic.

9:15 AM Here’s a good post about transparency:Are other people allowed in your refrigerator? 

8:46 AM It’s strange to think back to my days in Hawaii. I lived there from 1952 to 1971, when I left to attend Biola. At the time I was anything but a truly committed Christian. The days seemed so sterile, so useless, so devoid of anything that could be called selfless living. Yet God was at work in shaping the character of a young man who would eventually be called into fulltime Christian education. I never imagined myself a published author. It was beyond my wildest dream that one day I would travel to other nations to teach the Word, or that I would marry the most beautiful woman in the world. Last night I could not stop thinking about her. (It was exactly two months since that day.) It felt silly to be so weepy, to tear up at the slightest recollection of the days we spent together in the Islands. I will no more weep for her. I will be thankful for such a gift of God’s grace. I don’t know how many times I’ve said these words to myself. Then I proceed to wallow in solitary self-pity.

I’m afraid for this visit to Hawaii, for this trip back down memory lane, this return to the isle of my birth and my first taste of marital bliss. Yet somehow I need it. She would have wanted me to go. She would want me to carry on. There is one thrill that is known only to the soldier who fights on though wounded, who remains faithful despite great odds. Such determination is impossible without a deep and abiding belief in the sovereignty of God. But there is one thing that living by faith does not mean. It does not mean pretending that life doesn’t hurt, or that loss isn’t painful, or that sin and death will never invade our turf, our territory, our comfort, our self-image. Eight weeks later I am no better off emotionally than the day she died. That seems frightening to me. But that’s life. Amy Carmichael of India once wrote these words about her orphans:

Through life’s troubled waters steer them,/Through life’s bitter battle cheer them./Father, Father, be thou near them.

For all who fight on, who follow hard after Him, refusing to be pushed backward, Jesus prayed that “they might have My joy within them, in full measure” (John 17:13). Well, if life is to be “joy-in-the-midst-of-unbearable-sorrow,” so be it. I will carry on. I will run my race. I will seek to love, honor, and serve Him with my whole heart, knowing that I will find peace only at the cross.

Father, Thy will be done on earth, even in this small corner of the earth where Thy servant doth dwell, as it is in heaven. May he live his life this day, and every day, as a joyful sacrifice of praise and of incredible worth to his Master. Amen. 

Thursday, January 2

1:35 PM As some of you may know, Becky and I spent our honeymoon in Hawaii staying in my home in Kailua (my family was on the mainland at the time). It was a wonderful experience. I look back at the pictures we took and am aware of how much had been given to me then and how much has been required ever since. Last year, as Becky’s health began to take a major turn for the worse, we decided to return to Oahu to revisit the places that meant so much to us in previous trips to the Islands. As you know, that trip never eventuated. Yet the call of the Islands has never left me, has increased, in fact, since Becky’s Homegoing. Mulling over the whole thing now, I believe it’s time I did something really crazy (for a change!). I’ve decided that, in loving memory of Becky Lynn Black, I’ll take a little jaunt over to Hawaii next week and spend a couple of nights in the hotel we would have stayed in had we been able to return to Oahu, the one and only Pink Lady, the famous Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach. (We have a picture somewhere of my family on Waikiki Beach in 1952 when there were only two hotels there, the Halekulani and the Royal Hawaiian.) On Wednesday I’ll take Karen to the airport for her trip to the Middle East, and then I’ll fly out the next morning, bright and early, on what I am hoping will bring a measure of closure to this yearning of mine to somehow celebrate my anniversary one last time. Perhaps the solitude will help me understand the solitude of others, of widows and widowers, of single men and woman who wrestle with their singleness and celibacy. Perhaps more than anything, I will just be remembering, and giving thanks. So, in only one week the Paradise of the Pacific will welcome a native son (now an old fossil!) with open arms. I will say “Maikai kakahiaka” and be understood, I will smell the plumerias, and maybe I will even grab a long board and paddle out. I will give the Father my broken heart and offer up those very pains I’ve shared so often with you on this blog. Like the Hawaiian sparrow, I’ve got a song to sing, though I sing mine by faith. Life is chock full of things we can’t do anything about but which we are supposed to do something with. As I think about that, maybe this trip isn’t as cockamamie as I imagined. I’ll be nothing but a fragile leaf blowing around in the wind. Blow, Holy Spirit, blow!

9:22 AM Allan Bevere does it again with his new postTen Things You Never Hear in Church. Actually, Allan, I’ve said about half of them!

9:19 AM Read Jeff Oien’s excellent postThe Secret to Spending Less Time on the Internet. Really good advice!

8:36 AM Quote of the day (Ron Walborn, Dean of Alliance Theological Seminary, Nyack, New York):

Many leaders in the C&MA cringe when someone says, “We are all missionaries.” Although that phrase has been used as an excuse for staying home when the Lord has called us to the nations, it has never been more true than it is today. The model of a local pastor quietly leading community churches in “gospel-friendly” villages is nearly nonexistent. The Western world can no longer honestly be described as “Christian.” Some recent surveys suggest that less than half of church attendees are truly “born again.” The time for missional pastors—leading, equipping and empowering believers through “mission outposts” (formerly known as churches)—has arrived . If seminaries do not raise up these kinds of leaders, we are missing the point and will cease to be relevant.

Ah, that’s it exactly. Local churches are really nothing more than “mission outposts.” This is so good it hurts!

Wednesday, January 1

6:42 PM A former student of mine sent me a link to the recent Cross Conference that took place in Louisville. This led me to their blog (lots of good stuff there) and this essay in particular:Questions for Your Mission Budget. In it the writer asks, “Are we giving priority to long-term missions [as opposed to short-term missions]?”

But there are lots of things short-termers usually can’t do. They can’t speak the language. They can’t follow up with discipleship. They can’t really become a part of the culture. They can’t earn the trust of the people. They can’t translate the Scriptures. They don’t have time to learn from the people already there. In other words, the Great Commission will not be completed through short-term missions. The church needs more people committed to cross-cultural missions for 5, 10, 25, or 50 years, especially in the places where the church is smallest or non-existent.

There are a trillion issues I could discuss here, but I’ll give you my take on just one. The distinction between short-term and long-term missions is, I think, somewhat overdrawn. In fact, I think it’s every Christian’s duty to be a fulltime (i.e., global) missionary wherever they live. “Life is a mission trip; take it!” is the way my colleague Alvin Reid puts it. I agree in a sense that certain people are called by God to become cross-cultural missionaries, but it’s not a calling that is reserved only for budget-supported “missionaries.” Many Christians could easily serve the Lord in fulltime Gospel ministry by acquiring secular jobs (i.e., non-church-supported platforms for ministry) in foreign countries — and many in fact do just that. I suspect the reason many American evangelicals default to the “we-must-support-U.S.-sent-foreign-missionaries” idea is because this is the way the church has done it for decades. But as I argued in my essayThe Future of Southern Baptist Missions, we have got to stop outsourcing foreign missions to our fellow American evangelicals if we are going to reach the nations in our generation. On top of this, I see very little being said today about another category of “missionary,” namely the so-called NRM, or ”non-residential missionary,” which is what I am. This is the calling from the Lord to serve in Asia, Africa, or the Middle East, not by giving up one’s gainful employment and relocating to these countries as a supported worker, but rather by using one’s resources (including one’s vacations) to travel and come alongside the existing churches, assist them in any way they think best, and do this on a consistent basis (year in and year out). Many thousands of North American evangelicals are doing just this. But until we get many more to become involved personally, I honestly think it’s counterproductive to the kingdom to offer only two options to our people (short-term or long-term). Again, this is not to say that long-term missions is no longer needed. As the writer points out, where the church is non-existent, this may well be the best (and indeed only) method of establishing churches. That said, I still believe the biggest hurdle for most of us is the idea that someone from somewhere else can do the job better. The tragedy is that many thousands of foreign nationals are eager to do the job of evangelism and church planting but lack the support to do so. They already know the language and culture. And, unlike many Western missionaries, they are willing to live at an economic level that is far below that of the typical Western church planter. I have supported such missionaries in Ethiopia for many years, and have begun to do the same in India. As we have often noted in these pages, for as little as $50 dollars a month you can begin to support one of these native missionaries, sending him to an unreached village that is just waiting to hear the Good News. ThePeniel Gospel Team alone supports dozens of these evangelists in India. To my way of thinking, it is the highest privilege of Western Christians (who are affluent compared to most people who live in the Majority World) to share in their ministries by sending them financial aid. If native evangelists do not go because no one will send them, the shame belongs to the body of Christ in the West. And remember: these are native evangelists who are already experts in the language and culture! As I travel annually to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, I am overcome as I see so much harvest ready for reaping. But where are the workers? They are there, ready and eager to do the work. So do not wait for your church missions committee to support your efforts to become a global missionary. Save your money, support a foreign national, become an NRM yourself, even consider tentmaking in a foreign country. The very least you can do is to schedule an international mission trip in your calendar before that trip to Disneyworld.

Christ is building His church in every nation, and He is using mostly native believers to do this work. Will we stand with them and help?

3:40 PM A video for you today, to make you smile and laugh.

1:10 PM My top five failures of 2013:

1) Smiling like a fool when my heart was breaking. I want to be real in 2014.

2) Allowing myself to be annoyed with the petty little frustrations that crowd my day. That’s just plain stupid.

3) Failing to take more chances to tell Becky how much I loved her while she was still alive. Honey, if you can hear me now, I LOVE YOU.

4) When I needed to cry, I sucked it up instead. Dave, you have permission to fall apart.

5) Fearing love. Love means getting hurt. That’s just life. But the alternative is far worse.

I’ll do my best to improve in each of these areas this year. Only 364 more days to go!

12:52 PM Praying for our missions team in Africa today. I can’t help thinking what a privilege this is.

10:57 AM ReadSo did Jesus talk funny, y’all?  

9:12 AMHow many ways can you write “Jesus loves John” in Greek? Theanswer might surprise you. To get the ball rolling:

’Ιησοῦς ’Ιωάννην ἀγαπᾷ.

ἀγαπᾷ ’Ιησοῦς ’Ιωάννην.

ἀγαπᾷ ’Ιωάννην ’Ιησοῦς.

’Ιωάννην ἀγαπᾷ ’Ιησοῦς.

’Ιωάννην ’Ιησοῦς ἀγαπᾷ.

ὁ ’Ιησοῦς ἀγαπᾷ ’Ιωάννην.

9:08 AM On Monday night I’ll be speaking to a group of young professionals who are studying the book of Philippians in their pastor’s home. My question to them will be this: Will it make any difference in your lives? We cannot treat the New Testament as a collection of intellectual insights. We distort its message when we use it merely as an exegetical tool. Truth alone, not knowledge, leads to lasting change in our lives. In Philippians, Paul is not offering us a philosophy. Read 1:27. Think about what Paul is saying here. It’s not, “I have great kids! I got that job!” It’s about putting the Gospel first and not allowing our lives to be hijacked by other agendas (homeschooling, “Christian” agrarianism, conservative politics, etc.).

The sad fact is that we can read and even exegete Philippians and still not be biblical in the way we live. We simply don’t understand its message or, if we do, we refuse to obey it. Personal fulfillment remains our number one goal in life, and our lives remain unchanged. Need-driven, we rob the Scriptures of their vitality. We must opt for something better. If the entire goal and orientation of our lives is wrong, we need more than Bible study to make things right. We need Someone who will change us from the inside out, a Savior who will empower us to do what He calls us to do. There is no hope or power for change in education. Let me repeat that: There is no hope or power for change in education. None. Our only true hope is in a personal, daily encounter with the risen Christ. I am amazed at how often we have so little sense of the God of the Gospel whose love for the world should cause us to gladly accept suffering as a tool of His redemptive love. Suffering? Not for me!

Two things always hit me when I teach the book of Philippians. First, I am struck by the sheer simplicity of Christianity. It is not complicated at all. It is simply a call to have the selfless mind of Christ and to serve others. It is living in humble obedience as good citizens of a heavenly kingdom. It is loving as Christ loved — sacrificially and even scandalously. It is basically a call to die.

At the same time, I am struck by the utter impossibility of anyone ever living this way. Our hearts are closed to such a way of living, our eyes blinded to its beauty. But opening blind eyes is at the heart of the Spirit’s work in us. I sympathize with people who are caught up in the rat race of being “good Christians.” I hope the message of Philippians will penetrate to the core of their beings.

Students, I will be holding you accountable. The book of Philippians is nothing less than a call to live a daily life of serving and suffering for the sake of others. This lifestyle doesn’t require any more knowledge. It calls for a response. Like all true educational endeavors, Bible study must be incarnational. God is calling us to the same incarnational ministry that Christ had by the power of the same Holy Spirit. We must not merely claim to be followers of Jesus. We must love people like He did. Students, that’s what Ill be asking you to do.

9:01 AM Here’s a great quote about the purpose of the gathering of the local church:

Church meetings are for believers only and, specifically, for their spiritual edification and development – not for the purpose of converting the few pagans who might be present! This explains why there is such a strong emphasis in the pastoral epistles upon teaching or doctrine, since it would serve as the mainstay of the believer’s diet and because it was necessary for their maturity (1 Timothy 4:13,16; 2 Timothy 2:2,24-25; Titus 1:9; Colossians 1:28). If we continuously focus our church meetings on converting the unbeliever, those who are already regenerate will not grow and learn the deeper truths of their faith. They will remain weak and stunted. God desires that we progress in our spiritual walk and grow in the deeper realities of the Christian life (Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:1-3).

This quote comes from a series of superb essays called Problems and Limitations of the Traditional ‘Sermon’ Concept. I grew up in a Baptist church where sermons were almost always directed to non-believers. Very little edification was in view. I see now why this was so unbiblical, and the error is due partly to our misunderstand of two very basic terms we find in the New Testament: “preaching” as opposed to “teaching.” As the author of this essay points out, preaching is directed to the unconverted, not the converted. Can our local churches do a better job of trying to correspond to the pattern of the New Testament church? We can and we should.

8:33 AM My first blog post in the New Year is about the night. To be more precise: why we so often wake up at night. Here’s the back story:

Last night at around 2:00 am, I woke up from a dead sleep. This is not unusual for me. But instead of simply rolling over and forcing myself to go back to sleep, I got out the iPad and began surfing the net for anything about nighttime sleeplessness. That’s when I stumbled across Roger Ekirch’sAt Day’s Close: Night in Times Past. I haven’t read the book yet (it’s been ordered), but according to Amazon the premise of the book is a fairly simple one: Waking up in the early hours of the morning is not only common but healthy. And, if the author of this book is to be believed, people for millennia used to sleep in segmented patterns — periods of sleep interrupted by periods of wakefulness. The awake periods might be used for reflection, meditation, or even marital intimacy. I really think there might be something to all this. I remember during the past few years how Becky would get out of bed at about 2:00 in the morning and stay up for an hour or two. Then she would return to bed and wake up completely refreshed a few hours later. During the period of awakenness she would often read her Bible, pray, or write emails. I can’t even imagine how much she accomplished during these periods of being awake. Me? I would usually resist the urge to get up. After all, I need 8 straight hours of sleep at night. Or do I? So what did I do from 2:00-3:30? Meditated, prayed, got caught up on emails. The one thing I did not do was try and force myself back to sleep.

The book should be an interesting read, especially at 2:00 in the morning.

Tuesday, December 31

4:16 PM Just ordered Hiking Through: One Man’s Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail.

After Paul Stutzman lost his wife to breast cancer, he sensed a tug on his heart–the call to a challenge, the call to pursue a dream. Paul left his stable career, traveled to Georgia, and took his first steps on the Appalachian Trail. What he learned during the next four and a half months changed his life–and will change readers’ lives as well.

Thank you, Patsy, for sending me the link!

4:10 PM In the new year, I am hoping that many of you will continue to support the Lord’s work in Ethiopia and India. As you know, every penny you send us goes directly to the work abroad. We take nothing for overhead or expenses. Beginning today, instead of sending your checks to me, please send them to:

Leigh Humphries
47 Appaloosa Trail
Roxboro, NC  27574

Leigh (trained by Becky and a fellow-member of Bethel Hill) will handle the finances from now on. If you would like your gift to be tax-deductible, make your checks payable to Bethel Hill Baptist Church and earmark your check for “India” or “Ethiopia.” Thank you, and Happiest New Year.

1:02 PM Another wish for 2014: That all Greek grammar classes would be as interesting as they can and should be!

11:54 AM Just added to our Greek Portal:

Songs and Hymns in Koine

Ancient Greek Best Practices

ΣΧΟΛΗ 

9:42 AM Thinking back over the past year brings back many happy memories:

  • The birth of our newest grandchild. Graham is so cute it hurts.

  • The launching of ourGreek Portal — the greatest online publication since the invention of the Internet. (Well, not really, but I have the right to believe what I want to about my websites.)

  • Speaking at a Catholic Bible conference in DC.

  • Attending the southwest regional meeting of ETS in Fort Worth.

  • Teaching in Ukraine.

  • Teaching Greek 1-2 during summer school at SEBTS.

  • Spending three weeks in Ethiopia.

  • Watching Becky fly to New York to be with Liz and family. (Turns out this was her last trip.)

  • Teaching in Asia for a couple of weeks.

Of course, there was also the recent trip to Dallas. We got some shopping done while there. Although I couldn’t find a “realistic” manger scene (you know, a crowded manure-filled cave with a smelly feeding trough), we did manage to find some shoes and shirts. (Thanks, mom!) I’m looking forward to 2014 to see what the Lord is going to teach me. I’m not naive. I’m involved in spiritual warfare, as are you. So we need to keep each other covered in prayer. I’m hopeful that the new year will see my life return to a somewhat “normal” vortex. Of course, I’ll keep on blogging, and I hope you will check in frequently. I’m a victim — as many of you are — of CTD (Compulsive Thinking Disorder), and I hope to use you as a sounding board for several new ideas that have been floating around in my head lately. If you find my disorder helpful (not everyone does, for sure!), then I welcome your feedback. I’m always available by email at dblack@sebts.edu.

9:02 AM While in Dallas I watched a YouTube called “The Seven Critical Decisions of Gettysburg.” (Incidentally, John Buford’s decision to fight at Herr’s Ridge was not one of them, nor was Ewell’s failure to take Cemetery Ridge on the first day. That surprised me.) So, my theologian brain asks, “What will be the most critical decision we Christians can make in 2014?” I’d like to suggest it is the following:

Whether we will put our trust in the power and wealth of America or in the kingdom of God, which always looks like Jesus.

Think about it as you drink your eggnog tonight. Are we going to try and transform society by fixing government, or by imitating our Lord and Master? In my bookChristian Archy, I have argued that our only allegiance as followers of Christ should be to Jesus. Thus, if you should send me an email with the following, I will do nothing other than delete it:

“We’ve got to fight for the faith and freedoms we all live by.”

“We must raise more than $250,000 by Dec. 31 if we are to continue to fight for justice, freedom, and faith.”

Remember, the question is a very simple one: Will we abandon the Christendom paradigm of the traditional church and become more authentic followers of Jesus? In 2014, I want to encourage all of us to strive to cultivate a kingdom mindset, especially toward those with whom we disagree politically and morally. This may well be the most difficult act of discipleship most of us will ever face because it directly confronts our fallen nature (which always demands that we get “our” way). At all times and in every circumstance, we are commanded to imitate Jesus, including His attitude toward one’s enemies.

By the way, in February I’m planning on attending theJustice Conference in Los Angeles as part of the research I’m doing for my book Godworld: Enter at Your Own Risk. Basically, the conference is about all the stuff that is normally covered in the writings of evangelicals like Jim Wallis and Shane Claiborne. I’m 6 or 7 years into the book and have yet to address directly the problem I see with trying to steer politics to the point that we no longer get around to simply being the kingdom. When in L.A., I’m also scheduled to be interviewed by my good friend and fellow-Biolan Don Stewart on his radio show, Pastor’s Perspective.

A final thought. When in Dallas I watched an interview about homosexuality on CNN with the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. (You can view ithere.) Hat’s off to pastor Jeffress for conveying biblical truth in a most Christ-like fashion. I especially liked how he lumped himself with all the other sinners in our society. (“I’m no better than a homosexual or adulterer.”) He’s right. Christians say they oppose homosexuality because they support “family values,” but when the divorce rate among evangelicals is as high as the rest of America, surely the charge of hypocrisy is merited. Maybe, just maybe we’ll get to the point where we can all unite together sacrificially in loving the homosexual community and earn the right to speak truth into their lives. Now that would be an expression of moral authority! After all, our sins (pride, gluttony, easy-divorcism, etc.) are often like planks compared to others’ specks.

8:32 AMQuote of the day (Conrad Grebel):

We were listeners to Zwingli’s sermons and readers of his writings, but one day we took the Bible itself in hand and were taught better.

This was Grebel’s response when he was asked where he found his new view of the Christian church. I love Zwingli and have studied his life. I have profited from his writings. But the Anabaptists were right: The clear teaching of the New Testament was more important than the teachings of their earthly teacher. Please, fellow students of the Word, let’s never put the writings of our favorite Bible scholars above the Bible itself! 

Monday, December 30

6:02 PM I am gearing up for several international trips this year, including one in April to Asia to speak on this subject: “The History and Theology of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement.” So glad to findthis review by Craig Keener of John Macarthur’s Strange Fire. I’ve book-marked it to read when my brain is not so fried. The opening reads as follows:

While offering some very needed points, John MacArthur’s Strange Fire unfortunately extrapolates from those points to an entire “movement.” As I note below, I also believe that MacArthur suppresses some biblical truth on the basis of a postbiblical doctrine, the very offense with which he charges others.

Nevertheless, there is much to be learned from his criticisms; he has brought again to our attention some serious errors that charismatic churches must be on their guard against. I start with some agreeable points in the book and then move to points where I believe MacArthur has clearly overstepped the bounds of reason and Christian civility; there my tone cannot be as conciliatory.

Talk about a sermonic “hook.” Should be interesting reading. 

5:38 PM Today, Nigusse is visiting the Billy Graham museum in Charlotte. Areview of John Stott’s biography contains this revealing paragraph:

Like Graham, Stott pursued this goal [of global revival] through extensive international travel at a time when flight still incurred considerable costs. Globetrotting conferred prestige in the early years of Stott’s ministry. Today, even junior high evangelicals get their passports stamped in far-flung locales on short-term mission trips. They should thank Stott, who dedicated his last 20 years of ministry to bolstering the global church by making it possible for non-Western pastors and scholars to study in prestigious seminaries. He was uniquely suited for this leadership role from ages 65 to 85: never married, retired from preaching at All Souls Langham Place in London, and unencumbered by a bishop’s responsibilities in the Church of England.

“Bolstering the global church.” This was the vision of both Graham and Stott. What a worthy goal for this 61-year Greek teacher. It is, in fact, my chief desire these days. Graham and Stott set the pace and raised the bar. I’m thankful for that.

11:18 AM Here are a few pix of our trip for Netsanet (“Choo Choo”), Nigu’s fiancée in Ethiopia.

1) Here we are in mom and dad’s house in Murphy, Texas, dogs included. Becky’s sister Lisa (with her husband Dan and their son Ross) joined us the day after Christmas.

2) What, no Chinese stir fry for Christmas dinner? Mom’s turkey dinner was out of this world, Choo Choo.

3) We ate out. A lot. Here we are enjoying some Mexican food at El Fenix. Scrumptious.

4) Santa brought your beloved a diary. Wonder what secret thoughts he’ll be recording this year?

5) Yes, this beverage is non-alcoholic.

6) At Sheba’s Kitchen — our favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the Big D.

7) On Saturday, Nigu and I took the train to downtown Dallas to do some sightseeing. This is the (in)famous Dealey Plaza, where president Kennedy was assassinated.

8) Then it was a long elevator ride to the top of Reunion Tower.

9) A speculator view of the Dallas skyline, for sure.

10) And here’s a replica of the oldest house in Dallas.

11) Finally, your dear old dad painted this landscape when he was in high school. It now resides in the world-renowned Lapsley Art Gallery in Murphy, Texas (haha).

Our love and greetings from Virginia to you, Choo Choo!

Dad

10:22 AM Hello, faithful blogging pards. Hope your Christmas went well. Mine was spectacular. We were together with Becky’s family — which in my mind makes life pretty great. Of course, in a fallen world you can’t expect everything to be wonderful. Imagine for a moment that you are a small drop of water in a very large river. You’ve been bubbling along innocently when lo and behold you go over a gigantic waterfall and the massive river is suddenly on top of you, pounding you under. That’s what these past 8 weeks have been like for me. And that’s why going to Texas was so important. I feel like I’m finally beginning to transition into the slow quiet at the bottom of the waterfall. “I will never forget this awful time as I grieve over my loss,” wrote Jeremiah (Lament. 3:20). “Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness!” When I married Becky Lynn 37 years ago, I vowed to love her no matter what. I promised to “have and to hold [her] till death do us part.” She pledged that exact same thing to me too. We didn’t know what would lie ahead for us. But we knew our vows would bridge the bad times, the lean times, the ill times until we were parted in death. Yes, parting is such sweet sorrow. If you’ve ever wanted to know why God created the institution of marriage, a look into the eyes of a grieving widower will give you a pretty good idea. How I look forward to the day when I will embrace her again and together we will celebrate the goodness of the God who redeemed us. Because of Christmas (and Good Friday and Easter), I will see Becky again, and I’ll never have to say goodbye again. I know that Becky is happy where she is, and I’d never want her back again. She is now healed, and every last tear has been wiped from her eyes. Yet some days I’d give anything to be able to talk with her again. I suppose God knows how I’m feeling. After all, Christmas is not just about a baby laid in a feeding trough. It is the Heavenly Father saying goodbye to His Son. So, until I see Jesus face to face, I must accept what I cannot change and be content with what I do have (which is plenty!).

As 2014 approaches, I’ve written down a few goals for the new year. They’re not really New Years resolutions. Since my blog is the ultimate “un-blog,” maybe we could just call them “un-resolutions.” Perhaps they will spur you on to jot down a few of your own.

1) In all of my future publications, I will stop producing long run-on sentences that are redundant, pleonastic, and superfluous or that use more words than are absolutely necessary to say what I want to say.

2) I will continue to put off doing what I know I should have done last year but didn’t do because I lack the self-discipline to do it. (Just being honest, folks.)

3) I will never again drink coffee after 3:00 pm unless I’m absolutely sure I want to stay up all night.

4) I will do everything I can to kick the ______ habit. (Wouldn’t you like to know what that is?) At the same time, I will not expect perfection. When I fail, I will confess my sins to God, remembering the words of C. S. Lewis: “You must ask for God’s help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a very long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again.”

5) I will not spend money frivolously, unless it is on my daughters.

6) I will relinquish my devotion to “having devotions.” I will not feel guilty for not reading my Bible every day. My relationship with Christ is just that — a living relationship, not a list of things to check off.

7) (This one’s for Nigusse.) I will not cook Chinese food for dinner more than 4 times a week.

8) I will talk less about what it means to live as an obedient follower of Christ and will actually start living like one.

9) I will make no resolutions that I have no intention whatsoever of keeping.

10) I will make every effort to keep my future publications simple. (Albert Einstein: “Keep everything as simple as possible, without being too simple.”)

11) I will never admit that I am addicted to Beach Boys music, unless in confidence to other Beach Boys lovers.

12) I will make sure that when I teach or preach from my Greek New Testament, no one knows I’m doing so.

13) I will be more understanding toward others, especially those who don’t see things like I do.

14) When it comes to giving parenting advice to my children (who are now raising their own children), I am going to zip my lips, knowing that nobody cares as much about raising good kids as their own parents. At the same time, I will not confuse children with angels.

15) By God’s grace, I’m going to do something really crazy this year, like surf the North Shore or hike the Appalachian Trail.

16) I will gleefully thumb my nose at the skeptics around me who think that change is both evil and impossible.

17) As much as I love and appreciate them, I will not abdicate my personal responsibility for global evangelism to professional missionaries.

18) Like Jabez of old (1 Chron. 4:9-10), I will ask God for bigger challenges and greater opportunities to serve Him in 2014, believing that I will get them.

19) I will do at least one magnanimous act every day.

20) I will say “I love you” to my family members more often.

21) When nobody is within ear shot, I will belch as loud as I can — and enjoy every second of it.

22) I will pass out 100 free copies of Will You Join the Cause of Global Missions? this year. As the saying goes, it only takes a spark to get a fire going.

23) I will not be anything but myself. I will enjoy my own special God-given personality and temperament. I will feel free to weep, to express my fears and doubts, to laugh until I cry. I will not wear a mask and try to appear controlled when I am freaking out. God made me — down to the last scar.

24) In Luke 9:58, Jesus said to His followers (The Message), “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.” I will eagerly “rough it” for Jesus in 2014.

25) I will accept Becky’s death. When King David prayed for an entire week that his son’s life would be spared, God said no. “No” is good news when God says it, because He has something far better in mind for us than we can possibly imagine.

26) I will seek out friendships. (Dolly Madison: “Friendship doubles our joy and halves our grief.”)

27) I will be more generous in 2014 than I was in 2013. (John Wesley: “Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can.”)

28) I will banishthat past mistake from my memory forever. (Don’t ask.)

29) I may stumble, but I will run my race. Wrote Paul to the Hebrews (Heb. 12:1-2,The Message): “We’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and never quit! No extra fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.”

That’s it in a nutshell. Hope that gives you some food for thought as we begin 2014. In upcoming posts I’ll try and flesh out these ideas. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year.

Dave

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Thursday, January 31

1:32 PM Today, when I checked my emails, I got an email from a student informing me that another student of mine was in the CCU at Rex Hospital in Raleigh. I first met Marcus Twisdale in my New Testament Introduction class. He sat as close to the front as was humanly possible. He was always cheerful, even in his wheelchair. He was always the first to volunteer to read the paper which the class had been assigned for that day. Once I tried to help him hold up his paper while he was reading, and he gently rebuked me. “I can do it myself, thank you.” One day the assignment was to discuss Paul’s theology of strength-in-weakness. By the time Marcus had finished reading his paper, the entire class was in tears.

Marcus now lies in a hospital bed fighting for his life. This morning he began breathing on his own again, laboriously, a struggle. I find myself needing to write about him, regardless of whether or not anyone reads what I have to say. With his parents’ permission, I post here a picture of Marcus that I took of him during a class break one day. His parents also gave me permission to ask my readers to bring their son before the throne of grace. They are firm believers in the power of prayer.

When I visited Marcus this morning, I held his hand. I chatted with him, prayed with him, kissed his forehead, and left. It’s one of the hardest things about this career called teaching, this getting close to your students, this coming face to face with pain and suffering. So today, while you are praying for your loved ones, for your own friends and family members whose lives may have been shattered by sin or disease, please pray for Marcus too. I’m praying for a miracle. For wisdom for his doctors and nurses. For strength for his precious parents. That God would be glorified. That light would overcome darkness. And that peace would overcome despair.

Marcus, I love you. When you and I get to heaven, we’ll see who had the most faith. And I can guarantee you that it won’t be me.

8:20 AM Speaking of my colleagues, yesterday I met with Maurice Robinson to finalize our plans for next year’s PA (Pericope Adulterae) Conference. Official invitations will be sent out shortly to the participants. As soon as the speaker schedule is finalized, I will announce it here.

8:10 AM I love the classroom. And I love it when we have guest speakers. Here are just a few of the lecturers I’ve invited to address my classes in the past two years. They include both colleagues and students of mine. They enrich the classroom like nothing else I know.

1) Alvin Reid, Professor of Evangelism.

2) Mel Winstead, former Ph.D. student.

3) Kevin Brown, elder at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro, NC.

4) Ken Keathley, Director of the Bush Center.

5) Paul Himes, current Ph.D. student.

6) Mike Rudolph, current Ph.D. student.

7) Andy Bowden, former Th.M. student and currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Munich.

8) David Lanier, Professor of New Testament and Greek.

9) Alan Knox, current Ph.D. student and elder at Messiah Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC.

What awesome men these are, and what great contributions they’ve make to my classroom. My thanks to each one.

7:40 AM Good morning, thoughtful bloggers! I have a question for you this morning: Why study Greek? And why teach it?

I asked this question to my Advanced Greek Grammar students on Tuesday. I am intrigued by that question. Why do we do what we do? It’s an important question, and we must be honest about it. For many, knowledge is the goal. For others, becoming a great preacher or pulpiteer is what it’s all about. (The same people love to talk about the “sacred desk.”) Judging from my own seminary experience, passing the final exam was the main thing. Obviously, I disagree with each of these answers. I firmly believe that if we don’t get this right, then we’re missing the whole purpose of education.

I’ll come clean: The one and only purpose of a biblical education is to fulfill the Great Commission. On the surface, there is something unsatisfying about this idea of global missions as being the object of our work. “Missions” is a word we use for the Evangelism Department, not for Greek. And that is precisely where we educators have failed our students. By compartmentalizing our disciplines (Biblical Studies, Theology, Missions), we give the false impression that we can study Greek and evade the larger question of obedience. That’s why I’ve introduced in my classes this semester what I am calling a “Hermeneutics of Obedience.” My idea is this: If the earliest disciples had lifestyles that matched their responsibility to a lost and dying world, why shouldn’t ours to do the same today? Can you imagine what would happen if our seminaries and colleges in the West were to grasp the principle of sharing (2 Cor. 8-9) and begin applying it to the needs of the Gospel around the world? Within a few short years, we would easily be able to produce new missionaries by the thousands. The reason is this: All of us would become disciples and begin living according to the new economics of the kingdom.

Seminary is not simply about how Greek and Hebrew work, or who John Calvin was. There is something much broader, much more profound afoot. And I believe there is something about today’s generation of students that is going to be qualitatively different from the students of previous eras: the seriousness with which they take their responsibility as global Christians, regardless of their vocation and location, regardless of whether they home church or attend the most traditional church out there. And that is why the greatest challenge facing Christian educators today will be to absorb this new perspective in ways that do not overwhelm people or leave them behind. It is the ambition of all my teaching to offer a framework for how to think about this task and leverage it for the sake of the Gospel.

God can even use Greek teachers to expand His kingdom. What an amazing thought! What amazing grace! 

Dave

Wednesday, January 30

8:05 PM This week saw a change in personal assistants.Thomas Hudgins will return to being a fulltime student as he works on completing his doctoral dissertation in time for a May graduation. Working with Thomas has been wonderful. In addition to launching our new Greek Portal, he has assisted me in countless ways. His service will be missed, but as his major professor I certainly understand the need for him to focus on his dissertation. I am happy to report that one of my current Th.M. students, Jacob Cerone, has agreed to serve as my new assistant. I hope to be able, with his help, to continue my research and writing with undiminished vigor. It is a great satisfaction to have such brilliant and dedicated students at our school. I acknowledge with sincere thanks the work Thomas did for me, and I am confident that Jacob will continue the trend. If there is anything that either Jacob or I can do for you as it pertains to Greek, please do let us know. We are here to serve you. If, for example, you are a current student and are feeling like this:

We stand ready to offer you a helping hand.

So do let us know how we can help. We are in this thing together.

6:18 PM Good evening bloggers of the world! Yesterday and today were so full that I hardly know where to begin this update. It’s horribly windy out there, and we are expecting a strong line of storms to pass through this evening, which means that we may or may not be without power in the every near future. I’ll write now and leave the rest to the Lord.

Picture my pleasant surprise when my esteemed college and co-teacher in the LXX class, Shawn Madden, talked about discourse analysis today in class. I’m delighted to see that his approach follows the one long promoted by Robert Longacre, though I’m not particularly confident that linguistics, as a science, is making major inroads in all of our subjects at the seminary. Yet. For my part, I led the class in a recitation of the book of Susanna (as found in Alexandrinus), a splendid little writing with which I have an affair de couer. It’s a sort of critique of institutional authority, illustrating the depravity of the human heart, the power of faith in God, and the importance of prayer. During my stay on campus I also read an essay in this volume:

It’s entitled “The Authorship of Hebrews: A Further Development in the Luke-Paul Relationship,” and it is written by Andrew Pitts and Joshua Walker. The essay is an epochal one, and I’m enchanted at the way the authors seem eager to restore the Paulinity to this letter. It even cites yours truly in a favorable light, a rarity to be sure. I’m positive the essay will do a lot of good provided that it is read, but I imagine that many libraries do not have the book. I regret intensely that I’ve had to back-burner my detailed comparison of Paul and Hebrews, but there is so little time for such luxuries these days, what with all the traveling I’m planning on doing this year (today I was invited to go to Guyana in September).

Becky cooked a really great supper tonight consisting of Chinese noodles and dumplings, and believe me, it rivaled anything I’ve eaten in Asia. Here’s a picture of her cuisine: 

Nigusse and I gobbled it up ravenously.

And so my two days on campus teaching four courses has come to an end. It is certainly very interesting work and I value it a lot, but I’ll be glad to enjoy a little bit of rest tonight and tomorrow morning. I’m going to do my very best to loaf for the next 12 hours, for over-work is dangerous, and even Jesus had His down time.

Tuesday, January 29

5:37 AM Three cheers for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who is giving up the throne to her son.

Gotta know when to fold ’em, as the song says. One day it will be time for me to take in the sails — just a little. A few years ago I gave up cross-country riding. “I’m not too old to ride,” I told my friends, “just too old to fall.” When I was in high school, I never practiced my trumpet even though I was a band member. Yet I must have worked more or less on my instrument, for when the All-State Band was named in my senior year, I served as first trumpet, first chair. Today I couldn’t play a note on the trumpet if my life (or yours) depended on it. Upon retiring at the age of 70, the president of Williams College said, “I retire that it may not be asked why I do not retire.” The time comes when the older give way to the younger. It’s just that simple.

I cannot affirm that I am facing that momentous decision any time soon. But that day will come. And when it does, the words of Oliver Cromwell will ring true:

Indeed we are a crazy company, yet we live in His sight, and shall work the time appointed to us, and shall rest after that in peace.”

5:25 AM Just had to show you a picture of last night’s supper. It’s a dish called raklettes, and it’s one the Swiss are famous for. We got to love it while living in Basel. I’m told it’s the sheep herder’s favorite meal. And hearty it is — potatoes, cheese, and spicy sausage. Becky served it along with a fresh salad. Nigusse, remember those ingredients so that when you return home you can cook it for Netsanet. 

5:18 AM Hey friends! Got time for a brief thought about missions? In my essayThe Future of Southern Baptist Missions, I argued that the revolution in modern-day missions is ushering in a new era of insourcing that will have a huge impact on global evangelization. The more I travel, the more I see this revolution at work. As I have observed this change in direction, it has become obvious that the most important dynamic is the convergence of three factors: (1) the realization on the part of local churches that they — and not missionary boards — are God’s primary locus for Great Commission work in this age; (2) the acceptance by more and more so-called lay people of their biblical and God-mandated roles as fulltime missionaries; and (3) the rejection of the extravagance and waste of top-heavy missionary bureaucracies. The convergence of these three forces is what I am calling the Missionary Spring — analogous to the Arab Spring the world has witnessed in the Middle East. The operative word here is “new.” There is a new realization that the Great Commission will never be fulfilled if we continue doing what we are doing now — hiring and sending out professional missionaries. At one time many of us felt that we could place a few dollars in the offering plate and fulfill our responsibility to evangelize the globe. But the need is far too great for this approach. So we had better understand the new era of missions we’re heading into. And the longer we wait to embrace it, the steeper the ladder we’ll have to climb. Does this mean that we won’t need professional missionaries any longer? No. It means that we must join our efforts to theirs if we are to reach the unreached peoples of this world with the Gospel. Without your participation, and mine, the job will never get done.

Monday, January 28

5:17 PM A couple more pix:

1) Our carpenter Robbie and I finally got around to putting together this bunk bed/futon combo in one of the upstairs bedrooms at Maple Ridge. It can sleep 3 children. We got it at the Restore in Durham — a great place to shop for high quality used furniture.

2) Becky and I purchased this beautiful buffet while we were living in Basel. We found it in the Salvation Army thrift store. It cost us more to ship it home than to buy it in the first place. Today we moved it into the dining room at Maple Ridge.

It is beginning to sink in that the house is almost finished and ready for occupancy. David Lloyd George’s famous saying comes to mind: “There is nothing so fatal to character as half finished tasks.” By the grace of God, we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Praise His Name!

1:48 PM Been at Maple Ridge all morning. My project for the morning was removing the wallpaper in the upstairs landing.

Right now I’m back home for a bite to eat. Removing wallpaper is like having a rotten tooth pulled.

A lousy job but it’s gotta be done. Of course, there are always surprises. “If only these walls could talk.” Well, this one did.

I wonder what ever happened to Wendy and Pat.

Here’s the progress I’ve made thus far:

This afternoon my goal is to finish sanding the flooring in the upstairs laundry room. Becky, by the way, is having a checkup right now with her skin doctor in Durham to see whether he got all of the cancer. Prayers are appreciated!

8:12 AM Yesterday at The Hill we were in Rom. 12:3-8, a wonderful passage about unity in diversity, and the need for all of us — and each of us — to exercise our spiritual gifts for the good of the Body. Those twin enemies of grace — inappropriate pride and false humility — must be dealt with and dealt with brutally. There is never a place for self-conceit, nor can we ever excuse ourselves by saying, “God can’t use me!” I thought to myself, “Dave, what a liberating truth. What a relief from ever having to compare yourself with anyone else. I am me, who God made me to be. And I can be me — the best me possible for the glory of God and for the good of the church.”

As this thought welded its way into my psyche, I was reminded of a passage in Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels, when General Lee reflects on the new leader of the First Corps — Stonewall Jackson’s old corps — now led by Dick Ewell. Shaara pens these words (p. 148):

He was a good soldier. He is not Jackson. Jackson is gone — not entirely gone; Jackson was there today watching, and Ewell sees his eyes — but you cannot blame him for not being Jackson. You must make do with the tools God has given for the job. Richard Ewell. Old Baldy … and his ridiculous horse.

Now that’s profound. Friend, there is no need to be puffed up with pride about your attainments. And, conversely, there is no need to ever say to yourself, “But I’m not Stonewell Jackson — or John Piper.” The process of sanctification requires that we use our talents, not someone else’s. What a liberating truth.

I am nothing in myself.

But that does not mean I am nothing.

I am Dave Black.

I talk too fast and I talk too much. I love Civil War history. I am highly skilled at being a klutz. I love to travel. I hate being corrected when I’m under extreme pressure. I enjoy blogs that are thought-starters. I dislike blogs that aren’t. I want to grow sweeter with age. I’m trying to uproot the “I’m worthless” weed. I have little patience with mediocrity. I delight in the beauty of nature. I’m ashamed of my failures. I consider the lessons learned from my failures priceless. I love serving hurting people. I find it easy to pursue selfish interests. I have a sweeping curiosity about life.

I am Dave Black. I am me. I am nothing in myself. But that does not mean I am nothing.

Friend, today, this very day, be the person God made you to be. And may your church, and mine, use every private gift for the common good, and may the Giver of the gifts alone get all the credit for anything that is accomplished.

8:02 AM Quote of the day (Jane Austen):

How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book.

7:55 AM Did you know that 40 percent of all unengaged and unreached people groups are in India? Did you know that only 2.3 percent of Indians claim to be Christians? How many believers in North America are praying for India? Will you be one?

Sunday, January 27

3:45 PM Well, we made it to the assembly just fine despite a few slippery places and are now home again. We’ve finished our Sunday dinner — Chinese cuisine prepared by yours truly (with his secret ingredient, of course). Over our meal Becky shared with us areport she read earlier on Fox News about the sentencing of one of our brothers in Iran to 8 years of incarceration in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. I hope you will join us in praying fervently for his release. As his story filtered through my mind my eyes grew misty — and a voice from the depths of my heart rose up like a loud orchestra and said, “Lord Jesus, thank you for the kindness You still show our nation. But even as we meet and preach and teach the Word of God in freedom, please do not let us forget those who are suffering for Your name’s sake.” Once again, I pledged to pray for the persecuted the world over. Here’s his picture:

You might want to print it out and put it on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator. I am not trying to put a guilt trip on anyone, but if we do not pray for this brother and his family, how can we call ourselves Christians? I’m so grateful that the living God is with brother Saeed there in that horrific place. May his imprisonment be a constant reminder to us in North America that we have an obligation to a dying world. I can assure you, God loves the Persian people, as He does all people of all nations.

9:50 AM If you know anyone who is suffering from cancer, you simply must read Thomas Hudgins’ gripping post calledA Letter to a Friend with Cancer.

9:44 AM Quote of the day (Becky Black): 

It’s a small world when we’re all focusing on the Kingdom.

9:12 AM The sun is shining brightly but the roads are still slick, so I think I’ll wait an hour or so before heading out for the church meeting. Yall be careful out there.

9:06 AM Stop the presses! Now this is really amazing. So grab a cup of coffee and sit a spell, will you?

Yesterday we received this email from a prayer partner in the Land Down Under:

I’m friends with some local missionaries who work with Global Recording Network. They specialise in Gospel recording work and do much of the overseas recording production here in Sydney near where I live….

They also produce mp3 players – some are wind up which means no continual power supply is needed, as well as phone apps for Gospel recordings. The most fascinating invention they made is a small record player which is made of cardboard. It folds flat, opens up, and with a stick or pencil, you spin the record around and it plays the gospel.

This ministry originated in the states, and you can find their website here.http://globalrecordings.net/en/us

Now tell me if it isn’t a very small world. Becky responded as follows:

[T]his is amazing! We have been working with GRN for several years….in fact, their solar/hand-wound Saber machines are the backbone of our Rural Bible Teaching program in rural Burji! And I have talked with David (Australia IT) on occasion for technical advice! It’s a small world when we’re all focusing on the Kingdom.

GRN has some things in the Amharic language, but we’re doing whole books now, designed for discipleship more than for evangelism…..doctrine books, missionary biographies, Christian living, etc.

You might be interested in this article on DBO….http://www.daveblackonline.com/ethiopia_update1.htm

His blessings upon you!

Becky

So … it appears that Becky and I have been working with the very same organization and the very same personnel in Australia that our friend wanted to tell us about! Here’s an excerpt from the article Becky wrote:

As many of you know, we have been establishing solar-powered lights and loudspeakers in the rural churches of Burji, in the far southwestern region of Ethiopia. With these systems, we can use teaching on CDs for the church folk and evangelism. But each system costs about $3,000, making it too expensive to place in each village.

Global Recordings, however, has created small hand-held players called Sabers. Each Saber is about 5″ x 8″ x 2″. It has an internal battery that can be powered by electric recharge, by solar recharge, or by hand winding. It has an internal memory that is permanent. And it has SD slots that provide umpteen hours of additional teaching or music.

The Spirit of God directed me to this technology, and in the providence of God, I was listening to Thru the Bible (TTB) teaching on the Bible Broadcasting Network. Thru-the-Bible teaching was done by Dr. V. Vernon McGee almost 50 years ago; I grew up listening to it on the radio, and Dr. McGee was a personal friend of my grandmother’s. It is solid teaching that starts in Genesis 1:1 and goes passage by passage through the entire Bible. Now this teaching has been translated into many, many languages. Imagine my delight when one day they read a letter from someone in Ethiopia who was listening to the Thru-the-Bible teaching on radio! This teaching had been translated in the Amharic language!

Okay … did you get all that? Amazing, simply amazing. Missions is more interconnected than ever, and we must take advantage of this provision from God. Plus, the technology for doing the Lord’s work today is simply mindboggling.

If you get a chance, please read Becky’s essaySabers and Wordaya Village in its entirety and then pray for the Word of God as it goes forth in the most unlikely of places in Ethiopia. 

7:49 AM Yesterday I recommended a book of mine to a bloke in Australia. This was his response:

Thanks very much. Reading it now, from Kindle store.

7:46 AM Guy Muse hasthree desires for Ecuador. He’d like to see:

1–cada creyente haciendo discípulos
2–cada casa potencialmente una iglesia, y
3–cada templo un centro de preparación y una casa de oración 24/7

Well, how did you do — those of you who had Spanish in high school? More importantly: What do you think?

7:42 AM More Christian bookstoresare closing. I’m not surprised. Online shopping. E-books. The iPad. Do students buy their textbooks in brick-and-mortar stores anymore? I am thinking about publishing not one but two textbooks online next year. They are foreign language translations of my beginning grammar. The whole world is going digital. Welcome to the world of wireless. The playing field has been leveled, folks. Time to join the revolution?

7:33 AM Well, I’ve just finished reading the first half of Robertson’s “Big Grammar.” If you like, you can read it too, for like so many other books it is available online for free. That both thrills me and disturbs me. The proliferation of Greek tools, as I have tried to tell my students, has presented us with new opportunities but also with new challenges. It is important for us to find the balance among all of these. It is important that we “stand on the shoulders” of those who have gone before us in their study of Greek — because if we don’t we just might miss something of profound importance. And it is important at the same time that while we take advantage of this vast pool of knowledge, we do not let them keep us from our own study of the language. Most of all — and I am speaking here as a teacher — it is imperative that we nurture a new generation of question-askers and risk-takers with the imagination and verve of A. T. Roberson and J. H. Moulton. I refuse to settle for the status quo in Greek studies. Neither should you. Remember: The most important thing you can do as a student is to strive to get the most out of your studies and to make the most of your own individual research, and then act on it.

Someone has said, “One good example is worth a thousand words.” That is very true. People change when they see that other people have changed. Roberson set out to revise Winer but realized he’d have to go his own way. And that, I think, is an example worth emulating today.

7:22 AM Just wondering … do you know how to type? I don’t. Never learned that skill. I hunt and peck, using the “biblical method” of typing — “Seek and ye shall find.” Slows me down a bit, but thank the Lord for spell check.

So, how typeth thee?

Saturday, January 26

8:30 PM Last Wednesday, in our LXX class, I mentioned in passing that I thought that the unmarked word order in New Testament Greek was VSO (Verb-Subject-Object). I see now that my position has been confirmed in a recent dissertation written at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Here’s a quote from the author’s conclusion:

In Chapter 3, I argued that NT Greek is a verb-initial (VSO) language with an SVO alternative basic order. Regarding the syntactic position of verbs, theoretical considerations such as the correlation between rich inflection and V to T movement suggest that verbs raise at least to T in this language. It was, however, difficult to determine whether verb movement proceeded beyond T or not. That is, given the data available, TP could not always be clearly distinguished from CP.

I am persuaded! The entire dissertation may be downloadedhere. And my thanks to Micheal Palmer for pointing out this link to me, which, of course, will be added to ourGreek Portal.

7:38 PM Becky just cooked up the most delicious potato soup with homemade bread. I only regret that I have but one digestive tract to give for my country.

7:22 PM P.S. The answer to the contest question? James Montgomery Boice. Gohere to read his biography as well as his testimony to his congregation upon learning of his terminal illness.

6:33 PM Curly here, folks. Nyuck, nyuck!

Oh look! We have a winner! Nick Norelli will receive a free copy of Dave’s book Perspectives on the Ending of Mark. Whoop, whoop, whoop!

Will Dave have another contest soon?

Why, soitenly!

5:34 PM Here I sit, surfing the web — from the sublime to the pompous, from wonderful prose to the worst kind of demagoguery, from sweet-smelling flowers to leaky bilge pumps, from the well-spoken word to nauseous nonsense. Praise God for those bloggers who inject happiness into the American intellectual life. One such writer is Roger Olson, who has recently been posting about Karl Barth’s famous “Jesus Loves Me…” quote.

The truth has again revived, and it is evident that order has once again emerged out of Chaos. As a Basler myself I have come to regard Barth with a great deal of admiration, and I suppose I will now use that anecdote more frequently than ever. But there I go, almost forgetting tolink to Olson. Please do read the man, as he is honest, sincere, and always seeking the best of life and giving the best.

4:38 PM Quote of the day:

God didn’t just reconcile Paul or Timothy, or Silvanus, or your Pastor, Teacher, Evangelists. He reconciled all of us, and through Christ, gave all of us the ministry of reconciliation. We are ALL ambassadors for Christ! And as his ambassadors we have a message we bear to others on his behalf – the message of reconciliation.

Read On “the Ministry.”

4:33 PM Excited and humbled to seeArthur Sido’s review of my Paul, Apostle of Weakness. Thank you, my friend. Grateful for you. 

12:24 PM No words necessary:

Friend, isn’t it time you gave that hug, issued that apology, said “Thank you, Lord,” or took a moment to appreciate the beauty all around you? 

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

9:55 AM This post is for anyone who is going through a tough time. Last night I finished reading Sears’ book Gettysburg. Again, I was dumbfounded when I read about Pickett’s Charge. How could soldiers make such a charge? What can propel a man forward against such great odds?

Take the struggle you’re currently facing. “How can I go on? How can I make it? Just look at the odds!”

Are soldiers going into battle scared? I’m sure that every last one of them is. But when the leader says, “All who are afraid, go back now,” almost everyone will go forward. By believing in the values of the group, by identifying with the unit, by following the leader, you overcome your fears.

I feel there is a grave danger today that while we emphasize the new birth we do not give corresponding emphasis to the new life. In our efforts to be seeker-sensitive we attract a great multitude of professed Christians but few disciples. As a consequence, these people do not “go forward” — they do not grow up in Christ, they do not mature but remain children, they do not “enter the fray” that obedience always requires. Too many today avoid the battle under the false guise of “playing it safe.” I have needed to be cured of this illness. I still do. Often I never get any further than my doubts. I live in the bondage of fear and uncertainly. It is a fearful thing to live out the rest of one’s days in the swamp of unbelief.

I once published a study of Heb. 12:1-2. (It’shere in case you’re interested.) The text is emphatic: We Christians must get our eyes off ourselves and others and begin “off-looking unto Jesus.” Faith is but the means to an end. It is the object of our faith that makes all the difference. Yes, I believe in the Gospel of Christ and I trust the Christ of the Gospel. But have I merely come to Christ or have I come after Him in trustful obedience?

Dear friend, it’s time for you and me to awake out of our slumber, because the enemy works while we sleep. Whatever enemy you are facing this day, may God help you to go forward in the confidence that the Commander-in-Chief is there to help and guide you every step of the way.

8:30 AM Loved this quote by Tom Williams:

A good book slowly grabs you by the soul without your knowledge. By the time you’re in tears and laughter at the top of your lungs at the same time it’s too late. You’re hooked.

Also loved this quote by Scott Hahn:

Paul was such a great apostle because Saul was such a great persecutor.

7:12 AM Good morning! Here’s some Greek trivia for you. Did you know that the great Greek scholar Basil Gildersleeve was a Confederate veteran? Or that he was shot in the leg? Or that when he was wounded he wrote, “I lost my pocket Homer, I lost my pistol, I lost one of my horses and, finally, I came very near losing my life”? Or that he was the founder of the American Journal of Philology? Or that he was the president of the American Philological Association? Or that he earned his doctorate from the University of Göttingen at the ripe old age of 22?

“I lost my pocket Homer.” Imagine that. Reading Homer on the battlefield. Yes, Greek scholars (especially bearded ones) are eccentric!

Friday, January 25

7:10 PM Have you noticed? There’s a volcano of sorts erupting in the Body of Christ. More and more of my current and former students are beginning to teach Greek in their local churches. Here’s justone example. I didn’t invent the idea, but I support it — and I have done it myself. Why not empower and equip “laypeople” with this magnificent tool? Why should you and I eat all of the hors d’oeuvres, all the entrees, and all the desserts and then invite others for a cup of coffee afterwards? Students who are teaching Greek to their congregations and even online are popping up all over the place. If you don’t believe me, go tothis page at our Greek Portal. Some are using time-tested, traditional methods. Others are experimenting with a more conversational approach. All to the good. And remember — we are just at the beginning of the online language-learning revolution. Wait until 2020, when 90 percent of the world will be wired. I simply share all this with you to underscore the pedagogical volcano that is erupting in the church. Who knows? I may even decide to teach Greek again in my local church.

6:53 PM Cold outside? That’s right — and icy. I walked down to the road to check the mail but didn’t dare step out onto the road itself without crampons and an ice pick. Bills will have to wait till tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve been reading the LXX for pleasure and today enjoyed a true literary masterpiece about Susanna, the wife of Joakim, whose beauty gets her into all kinds of trouble. The moral of the story is a delightful one: wisdom is not a right of those in authority (in this case, two “elders”); it is something that is granted by the Spirit of God to people of any age. The story reads like a Sherlock Holmes mystery and is filled with wonderful little word-plays. I think I may have the LXX class sight read it sometime.

Tomorrow we’re expecting some guys from the seminary to help us do some odds and ends over at Maple Ridge, but we’ll have to see how the ice is then. The only other news I have to report is that I purchased the tickets for our Dallas trip. Yes, Becky is accompanying me!

2:40 PM Here’s a handy comparison of beginning Greek grammars. What better way to spend a winter’s day than by comparing the much laborious periphrasis of your favorite Greek scholars?

2:25 PM I hope you will enjoy this short poem by Robert Frost. It’s called “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

1:24 PM Last night an emailer asked me how to go about doing Greek sentence diagramming. I told him that the best resource is my friend Johannes Louw’sSemantics of New Testament Greek.

Read it, and you’ll see why I prefer his method of colon analysis to anything else on the market. None of this means that you can’t use other methods. You can. But they must work for you, not against you — and they must be intuitive. Dorothy, this ain’t Kansas: to master sentence diagramming in Greek will require a method that allows you to see the surface structure and where the author is headed. Without that, I can tell you what will happen. You will major on the minors, or else you will overlook the text’s most salient point. And that will be really dangerous.

12:50 PM On Snowy Pond:

12:43 PM Quick question: In which country is Christian persecution on the rise? Answer:Brunei. Read and then pray.

12:37 PM How does divorce affect the lives of children? Aseries of studies published by the Center for Marriage and Families delves into this question. In brief, they conclude that “no divorce is an island.” The legacy of divorce continues throughout one’s life, and the story is rarely a pleasant one. There’s a message in this bottle for the church: For too many years we have treated divorce as if it were AOK, and as long as we maintain this casual attitude toward the marriage covenant the worse the situation will become. It’s time to stop kidding ourselves. Speaking out against abortion and the gay agenda won’t cut it any longer. We need to roll up our shirtsleeves and help Christian couples cope with their failing marriages — not by condemning them but by coming alongside and teaming up with them. If you’ve experienced the upheaval of divorce as a child, take heart: you are not alone. I have felt your loss and pain, as well as your hope and resilience. Jesus is still the only answer to what plagues our society.

9:17 AM On Frozen Pond:

7:46 AM I’ve always said that teaching is the most fun you can have legally. However, ever since I got into the “Gospel business” my views have changed a bit. Yes, teaching is still fun and rewarding. I love the classroom. But I’m not sure that’s what work should be about. Teaching for me has become a responsibility to explore areas of Christ’s lordship in my life. The one issue that motivates me more than any other is a desire to better understand — and then obey — Christ’s Great Commission, His final marching orders for His church. This blog and my essays (and, to some extent, my books) are an attempt to capture and model that passion for the lost that Jesus had. As I mentioned at the Ph.D. colloquium last week, my teaching career has gone through several stages. I started by focusing on getting published (book reviews, journal articles), then on publishing my own textbooks. But the more I read the Gospels, the more I understood the larger story of the New Testament. Since then I have felt the freedom to bring together two of my strongest interests — Greek and global missions — while still doing my job as a teacher.

My hope in writing this blog is that it might provide you with some raw material for your own exploration of what it means to be an obedient follower of the Lord Jesus. I am a big believer in the idea of transparency, the notion that we all look at the world through the tinted glasses of experience. I only regret that I didn’t start blogging sooner.

So thanks for stopping by, and let’s all press on harder this year to not just talk about Jesus but to love and serve Him.

Dave

7:40 AM This morning I was checking the weather on WRAL’s website and saw a beautiful sunrise on their live cam. Then I turned around and looked out the window and found myself staring at the exact same picture.

Praise our great God!

6:58 AM Superb insighthere:

Does it not seem only yesterday that Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion, was being trumpeted by evangelicals as ‘the greatest outreach opportunity of the century’? In retrospect, The Passion surely stands somewhere between A Muppet Christmas Carol and Dave and the Giant Pickle in the honour roll of celluloid contributions to world evangelisation.

6:50 AM Just added to ourGreek Portal:

Michael Burer’s Elements of Greek II
Michael Burer’s Elements of Greek I

6:43 AM Good morning from Bradford Hall, “far from the madding throng’s ignoble strife.” Yesterday was a day of peace and rest, but today it’s back to work. I am stealing a moment to type a few of the “gems” I found while reading A. T. Robertson yesterday.

I’m so impressed by his sound wisdom and advice, even if he does pile up his thoughts voluminously. In short, if ever a man will pull you from the drudgery of grammatical study, it is A. T. himself. It makes for some pretty enlightening reading even for a corn-fed provincial like myself.

The quotes:

  • The Germans have taught us how to study English! (p. 42).

  • It was really an epoch in the world’s history when the babel of tongues was hushed in the wonderful language of Greece (p. 55).

  • Perhaps the Hebrew text was consulted by the N. T. writers who used it much as the modern minister refers to his Greek Testament (p. 94).

  • Some of the Lat. monks actually thought that Jesus spoke Lat. and that the N. T. was written in that tongue! (p. 103).

  • One cannot protest too strongly against the leveling process of an unsympathetic and unimaginative linguistic method that puts all the books of the N. T. through the same syntactical mill and tags this tense as “regular” and that one as “irregular” (p. 117).

Thursday, January 24

8:08 PM Okay, let’s have us another contest. A free copy of my bookPerspectives on the Ending of Mark to anyone who can correctly identify my fellow Basel grad (D.Theol.) pictured below.

If more than one correct answer is received, I’ll draw the winning name from a hat. Contest ends Saturday night at 6:00 pm.

7:51 PM It is a cold and leaden evening. Just finished a succulent dinner. Now that I have a few minutes let me mention that Becky and I are hoping in the Lord to travel to Dallas the first weekend of March. I’ll be attending the regional ETS meeting at Dallas Seminary, and we’ll both be staying with Becky’s parents in the grand old city of Murphy. I also plan to get up with some good friends in the area, including the one and only Roy Metts of the Criswell College. I don’t know why I’m mentioning all of this except that perhaps you are in the Dallas area and want to meet up. I always enjoy the frenzied discussions at ETS although I have no illusions that that they actually do much good. I want to assure you that I will not be presenting a paper myself, as a man of my advanced years should leave that job to younger scholars. Anyway, I hate that horrid word “paper” — surely we can do more than read and listen to papers! 

5:42 PM I just got back from checking the mail and stopping in to see Becky, who has been working up a storm at Maple Ridge — painting, polyurethaning, etc. The house is looking great. Here’s the new hardwood floor in the kitchen.

Thankfully, B’s able to work in some warmth as she has the heater running, and boy is it needed. The temperature right now is 22, going down to 17 tonight. If possible we want to get some work done there tomorrow before the snow arrives. Meanwhile, I am keeping pretty busy preparing for my classes next week. It makes me think back to the time when I was myself in seminary taking such courses as Advanced Greek Grammar. I was certainly glad I passed all those classes. I think I got worse marks in English. I am also gearing up for my lecture on the Pauline authorship of Hebrews next month in Washington. I’m afraid I’ll make a fool of myself, but it won’t be the first time. It is certainly nice to be someone “in authority” on a topic, even if it’s only for an hour. Believe me, I exercise my authority well. Well, I have nothing further to say that will interest you except that I haven’t seen Nigusse all day. Jet lag? Studies? I think all that will change as soon as he gets a whiff of the delicious supper Becky is preparing.

2:10 PM Today Nigusse downloaded all of his Israel pictures to our hard drive. Wow. Brings back so many memories. Here he is atop Masada.

Becky is planning a private viewing for some friends in the not too distant future. Can’t wait.

2:02 PM I’ve asked my Advanced Greek Grammar students to read half of this tome (required for all “Weightlifting 300” courses) by next Tuesday.

Their intrepid teacher is (re-)reading it along with them, of course. I just completed 300 (of 700) pages and am enjoying every word of it. There are three things one must do when reading a good book:

1) Read actively. Passivity is the lazy man’s way of reading. When I’m reading Robertson I feel like I’m communing with the author, as though I were sitting right there at his writing desk as he was penning these words. He delights me, inspires me, amuses me, and displeases me. When you’re reading a good book, respond to what you are reading. Muteness is not an option.

2) Read attentively. Try to make sense of Robertson’s thick prose. Are his sentences nothing but a jumble of words to you? Read them again. And again if you must. Slow down. Savor the text. Reading a good book is a skill that must be learned.

3) Read responsively. You know me. I have an insatiable appetite for really good books. But I must never forget to ask myself, “Why am I reading this? To what good can I turn all this information and inspiration?” It’s strange how seldom we ask ourselves these basic questions. Write notes as you read. Scribble in the book if you must (I do). Use what you learn to teach others.

Happy reading!

11:56 AM This and that …

1) Tell it not in Gath, but Greek grammarianshave a sense of humor.

2) I see thatPaul Himes (one of my Ph.D. students) has been doing more than just writing his dissertation these days. The latest issue of JETS contains a response to something he wrote previously in that journal and, as if that were not enough, it also contains a surrejoinder by Paul. A double whammy. Before long, we shall be engulfed in Paul Himes’ essays, and a very pleased doctoral supervisor will be watching from the sidelines.

3) The key to effective evangelism is being intentional, relentless, and — dare I say? — relational. Kevin Brown puts it this way in hislatest blog post:

Now think about people you know and love. Think about whether or not they know Jesus. I mean “really” know Jesus. What cost are you willing to pay to share the Gospel? Do they matter to you?

Yesterday I stopped by the office of someone in my extended family that I have warned and shared the Gospel with on several occasions. I’ve told him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. For several years he has been unwilling to listen. But, in speaking the truth to him, he now says to me, “Thanks for not watering down the truth and for telling me what I needed to hear.” I stood up to leave his office and he followed me out to my car. I turned to say, “Goodbye” and as I did, I found that he was embracing me in a hug. What did he hear? Truth in love.

I cannot tell you how much I resonate with that sentiment. Thanks for doing such a good job of verbalizing it for us, Kevin.

4) Quote of the day (Alex Stewart):

To be sure, local ministry is vital and is the foundation for global missions, but God’s work is not limited to local ministry–his mission encompasses the entire globe!

Wednesday, January 23

6:50 PM A few odds and ends on a frigid Wednesday evening…

1) Nigusse’s former Bible teacher in Addis Ababa, Arthur Volkmann, now lives in the U.S. in retirement. He and his wife Sue have been traveling across the country, visiting their former students. Today they landed on the campus of Southeastern, and I was able to meet them. What a joy to shake hands with these choice servants of God and to see their lasting love for their (former) students. God bless you, Art and Sue, and may He grant you journey mercies as you drive back to Wisconsin.

2) I received this email today:

Dear Professor Black,

Greetings from Zondervan! I am excited to tell you about the upcoming release of Basics of Biblical Greek Video Lectures: A Complete Course for the Beginner (February 2013) by William D. Mounce.Basics of Biblical Greek Video Lectures features an integrated approach to learning New Testament Greek, turning it into a natural process and showing from the start how an understanding of the language helps in better comprehending the New Testament. This DVD set features 36 lessons, each twenty to thirty-five minutes, for each chapter in Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar. Useful as a complement to the book or as a standalone resource, the lectures are perfect for formal Greek language students who miss a classroom lecture or want additional help in their learning or for instructors wanting to devote classroom time to drills and exercises, providing a lecture tool students can watch on their own time.

Looks like a great tool, and you can be sure it will be added to our revampedGreek Portal. I am always glad to promote a colleague’s work.

3) Had a great conversation today with a colleague about commentaries on Ephesians. We both agreed that Harold Hoehner’s is one of the very best. In addition to his many duties at Dallas Seminary, Harold taught my father-in-law’s Sunday School class at Grace Bible Church. Whenever Becky and I visited the Big D we would attend Harold’s class and listen to him exegete some passage of Scripture. Here was a man, I thought to myself, who taught not from the canteen of Saturday night but from a reservoir of Bible knowledge. But Harold was every bit as gracious as he was scholarly. And he was always fun to be around. Since he knew Swiss German, and since I had once lived in Switzerland, we would banter back and forth in that dialect as others looked on in open-mouthed astonishment. I always asked him what his latest writing project was. I ribbed him that it took him so long to finish his magnum opus on Ephesians. But it was all in jest. I knew that Harold would only write about what he himself had lived.

Although he was only 18 years my senior, Harold taught me many lessons. Harold willingly and eagerly placed all his gifts (and these were considerable) at the service of the church. And the church, in turn, needed every gift that he had. In everything he did he was faithful to his Master whose interests he always served. And it is because Harold trusted the Savior alone for eternal salvation that he is now enjoying an inheritance that is imperishable, undefilable, and that can never fade away. We miss you, Harold. We rejoice that you are with the Lord. And we rejoice that one day we will see you again.

4) Check out thePeter Conference to be held this summer in Edinburgh. I’d love to attend but I’ll be in Ethiopia. As you know, I have a great interest in Peter’s role in the composition of Mark.

5) Read Alvin Reid’s powerfulPrayer for Teachers. I always enjoy prayers that are based on Scripture.

6) During my free moments this week I’ve been reading Henry Thiessen’sShould New Testament Greek Be “Required” in Our Ministerial Training Courses? (pdf). It was published back in 1934. His conclusion bears repeating:

We have seen that the objections to requiring New Testament Greek for graduation are not well taken; that the reasons for the present tendency to make the subject an elective are not in harmony with the highest scholastic and spiritual ideals; and that the results of the exposition of the Scriptures on the basis of the original are most practical and far-reaching. In view ofthese facts the writer could wish that all the evangelical theological seminaries would continue New Testament Greek as a required subject in their curriculum!

Amen and amen.

7) After wrapping up my lecture today introducing the LXX, our class went to the library, where my co-teacher, Shawn Madden (professor of Hebrew as well as head librarian), treated us to a smorgasbord of delights, including an exact facsimile of Codex Vaticanus (which our library purchased for a mere $5,000).

He also showed us copies of Sinaiticus and Alexandrinus along with other ancient Greek and Hebrew texts. There’s nothing more joyful to me than watching a group of eager students reading ancient texts in their original languages.

The heart of our LXX class is learning to become more proficient in the biblical languages so that we may better obey the teachings of the Scriptures. As we move ahead this semester, I am placing no limits on what God can do in each of our lives.

8) Finally, after school Nigu and I drove down to Raleigh to get some injera for tonight’s supper. Becky cooked up four separate Ethiopian dishes, including Nigusse’s all-time favorite (tibs).

Needless to say, I am more stuffed than a Strasbourg goose. Thank you, honey. That was quite a treat for two hungry seminarians.

Monday, January 21

7:30 PM We’re off in the morning like a herd of turtles after frenzied preparations for my classes. Nigusse is still in his cave — I saw him emerge once today. Becky and I went over to Maple Ridge this morning to work on various and sundry projects, but yours truly developed a sinus headache and had to retire early. Becky tells me, however, that good progress was made today by her, our carpenter, and our electricians. It’s cold here — and I’m told it will be bitterly cold tomorrow, whose high is expected not to top 34. I hate to start a new semester feeling so ragged but I’m grateful that I haven’t had the flu yet this season and neither has Nigusse. I’m also glad that he enjoyed and appreciated his trip so fully, and I’ve concluded that he’s got as much Wanderlust as does his dear old dad. Well, I’ve got lots more to say but it’s getting on the late side and I’ve got to get my beauty sleep because we’ll be up and at ’em long before dawn.

P.S. If you love classical music and have a chance, this You Tube of Canon in D will blow your mind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krap903tjhM

7:55 AM Allow me tojoin Jason Evans in thanking Becky for the work she did during her tenure as the web administrator of the Bethel Hill Baptist Church website. You did a superb job for the glory of God, honey. All of us owe you a great debt.

7:50 AM Just saw this list of the15 Best Colleges for Studying the Bible. I’m not surprised that my alma mater, Biola, comes in first. Its Bible major was the reason I left Hawaii to attend Biola back in 1971. Biola lacks only one thing: A Ph.D. in New Testament. Maybe soon?

7:27 AM Praise the Lord! Nigusse is back, tired but healthy and a whole lot wiser than when he left. “This trip has changed my life forever.”

I can’t tell you how many time we’ve heard those words. Right now he’s enjoying his own bed, and I expect him to sleep all day. We got a small taste of what he’d experience on the drive home. And get this — that rascal has even been to places in Israel that Becky and I never saw (Sepphoris, to name just one).

Welcome home, Nigusse. Enjoy your one day off before school starts again.

Sunday, January 20

6:20 PM I have at last determined to blog again before we leave for the airport to get Nigusse. Incidentally, we will both leave at the same time — 8:00 pm. He will fly from Newark, and we will drive from Virginia. That’s a thought to inspire some satirical poetry for sure.

The remarkable thing about today was how unremarkable it was. Great Sunday School class followed by a great service, dinner afterwards with some wonderful friends at La Cocina Restaurant in Roxboro, a visit to the nursing home to pray with a shut-in, feeding the animals, etc. Par for the course. It was all really delightful. Oh, Becky and Miss Mary did something they had been planning for some time — wearing their birdie scarves. Purty, eh? Becky made ’em.

Tomorrow Becky and I are insisting that Nigusse rest up. After all, he’s got a 7:30 class Tuesday morning. He’ll get no sympathy from me, however, since yours truly is also teaching a 7:30 class. Things will get increasingly hectic this week, and I will undoubtedly end it with a touch of gibbering idiocy. I’m hoping to take delivery of our new calves on Friday as we begin to rebuild our herd. As long as prophecy is free and I am not running for public office (which requires exaggeration), I predict that this year we’ll see our goat, donkey, and cattle populations fill out nicely. In the meantime, Becky has asked me if we could stop in London on our way to India later this year. Of course I said yes. Any excuse to penetrate the dusty corners of the bookshops in Piccadilly. When it comes to Becky’s health issues, I’ve learned the importance of sensing her needs and going with them if at all possible. All things in our lives right now are in a constant state of flux anyway. I think the ultimate challenge will be stepping on that airplane and realizing that you just said sayonara to the American health care system. But that kind of thinking is simply diabolical. The fact is that our God asks us to trust Him when we are most vulnerable. So we go ahead with our plans as He leads us, which He, of course, is welcome to override at any time.

So how did your day go?

8:19 AM It was exactly 150 years ago today that Union General Burnside’s disastrous “Mud March” took place. You can read about ithere.

I suppose we could mock the good general for his failure. But I see things differently. I commend the man for trying. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” I can think of a spiritual analogy, if you please. Some Christians are just plain afraid to follow Jesus. They never venture out because of the risks involved. They’re like the bachelor who never marries for fear he might get jilted or the businessman who never takes normal risks for fear that his business might go bust. Christian friend, we are not playing at war. Jesus told us that following Him would be risky business. You might succeed and you night fail. You might live and you might die. You might encounter dry ground or nothing but torrential downpours. But whatever the circumstances — on bright or cloudy days — we have to keep trying. Struggling Greek student: Keep on trying. Spouse of an inattentive husband: don’t give up. Cancer patient: take one small step forward every day. Let’s not get into a religious rut and fall into a mere form of godliness without power.

7:18 AM Just added to ourGreek Portal:

Wermuth’s Greekbook
Added 1/19/2013

Greenlee’s “New Testament Circumstantial Participles”
Added 1/19/2013

MyLutherNet’s Greek Handouts
Added 1/19/2013

Bubenik’s On the Evolution of the Greek Prepositional System from Proto-Indo-European Local Adverbs and Adpositions
Added 1/19/2013

Hudgins’ “An Application of Discourse Analysis Methodology in the Exegesis of John 17”
Added 1/19/2013

Thomason’s Prepositional Systems in Biblical Greek, Gothic, Classical Armenian, and Old Church Slavic
Added 1/19/2013

Rollinson’s Online Greek Textbook
Added 1/19/2013

Craig Ledbetter’s Introduction to New Testament Greek Course Handout
Added 1/19/2013

Seventh Day Adventist Theological Seminary Study Guide for the Greek Placement Exam
Added 1/19/2013

6:31 AM Has Noah’s ark been discovered? Read Archaeologist Responds: Do Prehistoric Sites on Mount Ararat Represent Noah’s Ark? for the latest news.

P.S. I snapped this photo of Greater and Lesser Ararat (both of which lie in Turkey) on one of my trips to Armenia.

6:20 AM David Allen is one of my very best friends. I first met him when he was shepherding the Audelia Rd. Baptist Church in Dallas many years ago. Since then David has become the dean of my sister seminary in Fort Worth. We have sparred over the authorship of Hebrews (Luke versus Paul) through the years and have loved every minute of it. But we both realize there is more to life — much more — than scholarly debate. That’s why I’m linking to his latest post over at Theological Matters calledNailed to a Bed of Pain: Lessons on Life and Death from John Donne. Yes, this is the same John Donne who uttered those famous words, “…and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” As David says, John Donne’s life was “pockmarked with pain.” Whose life hasn’t been? Who, in one way or another, isn’t nailed to a bed of suffering? And that’s where 1 John 3:1-2 comes into play. But I’ll let David tell you the rest of the story ….

6:08 AM Stop the presses! Important announcement ahead!

As you all know, as long as God permits, Becky and I will pursue the goal of being servant-missionaries to the world. There is no greater privilege or higher calling. No matter where we find ourselves, there is work to do and opportunities to seize.

This leads me to publish the following letter. Becky sent it to our email prayer list yesterday. (Please let us know if you’d like to be added.) In it she tells the story of how God has led us to “adopt” India as a mission field along with Ethiopia. We are already aware of the pressures and possibilities of working in a Majority World nation. We realize that the task of evangelizing India is enormous. But for too long now we have seen God work in extraordinary ways. We’ve learned to follow His leading and leave all of the rest in His hands. At the same time, the passing of years has sharpened certain instincts within us. These instincts were not acquired in a classroom but through years of ministry. Thus we are firmly locked into one goal: to make our last years on this earth the best years. So please read the following letter with these introductory thoughts in mind. And thank you for lavishing your encouragement and friendship upon us.

Here’s Becky’s letter:

Hello, everyone!  I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus, the One we serve together.

Many of you have written asking how I’m doing, so I felt I should write an update.  First, let me give praise to the Lord for restoring my physical and spiritual strength and for healing me so well from the “event” (stomach rupture and emergency surgery) on Oct. 24, 2012.  Really, I cannot tell any deficit of strength or endurance or pain or anything.  He has restored me fully, and I praise Him for that.  He did this because of your prayers and according to His sovereign choice.

In the past weeks, God has reminded me much of Caleb in the Old Testament.  Caleb himself tells his story to Joshua in Joshua 14:

“You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’

“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. ….”

There are several things about Caleb that impress me. 

1) He followed the Lord whole-heartedly, even if it meant that he stood alone.  He was single-minded as to who His Lord is, and who he would serve. 

2) God sustained his strength; God over-ruled the laws of nature in order to empower Caleb for His purposes. 

3) Caleb asked to conquer the difficult terrain, the mountainous region, the fortified cities.  He was not afraid of difficulties. He was willing to push himself to conquer what others declined to conquer. 

4) He sought this difficult work when all his fellow citizens were saying “enough is enough.  We have earned the right to settle down in comfort.  We’re tired for fighting to take possession of what God has promised” (Joshua 18:3-6 and Judges 1:27-36).

At this time in my life, I feel that God has miraculously restored my life, He has strengthened my body (contrary to the laws of nature), He has more “conquering” for me to do, and by His grace, I’m asking Him to give me the difficult terrain!  I want to be a Caleb!  Will you go with me to fight for the difficult areas?  Will you join me to keep on fighting when others give out?  Time is so short…it is a little flicker compared with Eternity.  Time is the stuff Eternity is made of.  Let us use whatever time He gives to us, not to hoard our resources, not to squander the minutes on recreation and indulgence, not to worry about the future, not to wallow in concern over our health, not to cling to our family….but to serve Him wholeheartedly!!  God grant that it be so!!

In other news, Nigusse has had a wonderful 3 weeks studying in Israel.  In a few hours, he boards the plane to come home.  We just Skyped to him.  He looks good…but very tired.  He’ll have one day of rest to recover from jet lag and refocus before he starts the spring semester.  Please keep him in your prayers.

Finally, let me share with you that the Lord has prompted us to expand the Gospel work to include India.  This does not mean a slackening of work in Ethiopia, but rather an *adding* of work in India.  The country of India has a population of 1.2 billion people; only China has more people at 1.3 billion.  (Compare this to USA with a population of 315 million, or Ethiopia with 85 million.) It is the 3rd largest economy in the world, after China and the USA; this has generated a growing middle-class and great social upheaval. 

But the most important statistic is the spiritual statistic.  Although the apostle Thomas brought the Gospel to India shortly after Christ, and although India was governed by a Christian nation (England) for hundreds of years, only a miniscule 2- of the population claims any level of allegiance to the Savior.  Only 2-!!!  The vast majority of that 2- resides in the southern region.  Most of the rest of India is totally unreached, lost in the blind hopeless of Hinduism or Islam.  The story of Jesus and His love is completely unknown to them!

As in Ethiopia, we are working with the indigenous church of India, seeking to come alongside to help them take the Gospel to their own people.  God has led us to a group of 200 very small churches in the northeast section of India, known by their group name Peniel Gospel Team.  This work was planted by an Indian man named Mammen Joseph; almost 40 years ago he came to Christ in south India, and immediately was led by the Spirit into the north…without support, without a plan, without funding.  Like Abraham of old, he simply obeyed and went.

For the first years he and his wife Alice suffered tremendously, often without food, often lonely, often persecuted.  But they remained faithful…preaching anywhere people would listen.  Today, the 200 churches, the 400 evangelists, the 2 children’s homes, the Bible school, and the miscellaneous other ministries are all the blessing of God because of their faithfulness.  It sounds like a big ministry, but against the backdrop of that spiritual statistic, it is only a small little work.  The spiritual condition of India is SOOOO desperate! And this group of churches in northeast India need our help!

So in the weeks and  months ahead we look forward to communicating on the web, or in these emails, the specifics of the partnership God has appointed us in India.  Will you begin now to pray that our Lord would be glorified and have complete control of this partnership?  One thing on our heart is to help the work there to become more self-supporting.  Currently 75- of the income needed is coming from abroad; this creates MANY problems!  God is guiding us to help them establish a K-Grade 12 private school, which will not only allow a daily ministry to 2200 non-Christian students, but will also provide funds needed to feed the evangelists, clothe the orphans, support the Bible school students, etc.  Please pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send Calebs…those who will serve the Lord wholeheartedly and dare to do the difficult work of the Kingdom with us and with these Indian brethren.

Know that you are greatly loved and appreciated.  May our Lord bless you with a keen awareness of Himself…of His love, of His strength, of His faithfulness, of His justice, of His sovereignty….   And may you live the in the reality of who He is!

Becky

Saturday, January 19

7:26 PM And the answer to today’s geo-quiz?

Armenia

Sorry, but no winner. The closest correct answer was Romania. That’s okay. Another contest is coming soon!

6:57 PM A couple items of interest:

1) Today we Skyped with Nigusse in Jerusalem. He told us he can’t wait to bounce on Becky’s trampoline.

2) Tomorrow I have a big announcement to make. I’ll post it first thing in the morning.

3) This afternoon I did some research into the traffic at DBO. We are now ranked 561,009 by Alexa, the most popular website providing traffic stats for millions upon millions of websites. (You can check your own statshere. Simply type in your URL. The lower the number, the better the traffic.) I’m grateful for that number. Little did I know when I launched DBO that God would allow us to reach a worldwide audience through the internet. In November of this we will have been at it for 10 years. Thanks for your prayers and emails through the years. May the Lord Jesus be exalted by every word penned here at Dave Black Online.

10:14 AM Becky’s been talking with one of her “daughters” on the phone this morning, while getting her bouncing exercises.

It’s all part of her new treatment regiment. Talk about having the time of your life! 

10:04 AM As you folks may know, our spring semester begins next week. Here are the courses I’ll be teaching:

  • Tuesday/Wednesday 7:30: Greek 1

  • Tuesday, 12:30: Advanced Greek Grammar

  • Tuesday, 3:30: Greek 1

  • Wednesday, 1:30: LXX

I want to make it perfectly clear from the outset that I do not consider myself to have “arrived” when it comes to any of these subjects. The fact is that I am a learner just like the rest of you. And, like you, I’m struggling to understand the parameters of our high calling to serve Christ with all of our hearts. That’s why, fellow students of the Word, it’s important for you to read my blog while you’re taking my classes. It may sound a bit odd, but in these pages I want to peel back the primary layers of my life and share with you some simple insights I’ve gleaned from my own study of the Greek text. I try to be honest — as honest as possible. Some of what I write may sound idealistic, but only because I want to become the person of God that God wants me to be. Perhaps you will see in my descriptions of the Christian life areas in your own life that are up for grabs  and require greater surrender to God. Perhaps, too, you will discover that there are no easy answers to life’s questions. Instead, we’re forced to think for ourselves and to make difficult choices in the face of situations that often have no precedent. My own trek through the fire has brought me to a few life-changing discoveries — nothing new or novel, mind you, but still my own discoveries.

And that, in part, is why I blog, and why I read the blogs of others. May God use His Word to shape the clay of our lives in those vulnerable moments so that Christ’s beauty may burst forth in all its fulness.

9:38 AM In anticipation of next year’s major textual criticism conference on campus (on John 7:53-8:11, the Pericope Adulterae), I’m offering a copy of my bookRethinking New Testament Textual Criticism to the person who can correctly identify the country I was in when this photo was taken:

This was my hermeneutics class in the local Baptist seminary there. Any guesses? Contest ends tonight at 7:00 pm.

(Hint: I’ve made three trips to this country in the past 10 years.)

9:01 AM I want to take a moment and tell you how blessed and humbling it has been to teach Greek these past three weeks. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this time so profitable: My assistant Thomas, my secretary Miss Phyllis, and each and every one of my 40 students. I am overflowing with gratitude and appreciation.

Let’s now move forward, friends and co-laborers for Christ. The previous generation is history. This is our turn to make a difference.

8:48 AM Nigusse, before the Sherut takes you to Tel Aviv for your flight, I thought you’d enjoy a few more pix:

1) This morning’s gorgeous sunrise:

2) Bradford Hall:

3) Tinish Koi:

4) The goats and Sheba:

5) Canadian geese stopping by to enjoy our pond. I counted 12 of them.

Have a safe trip. We’re praying for you.

6:50 AM Just added to ourGreek Portal: A New Testament Greek coursefor the deaf.

6:42 AM This morning my body is in Virginia but my mind wanders disobediently to a town in Pennsylvania where a great battle took place 150 years ago. When the Union forces under John Reynolds (pictured) and the Confederate forces of Henry Heth met at Gettysburg on the first day of July, 1863, neither expected (or wanted) to fight a battle there. Military textbooks would call that a “meeting engagement.” Neither side intended to fight there. Neither side held an immediate advantage. Neither side was happy with the circumstances in which they found themselves.

I’ve often asked myself the question, “What would have happened if Heth had broken off the action at Herr’s Ridge and withdrawn to Cashtown?” Lee’s instructions were clear: Not to bring on a general engagement. Could Lee have then slipped to the south of the Federals and forced them to fight on ground of his choosing? Heth had stumbled into a hornet’s nest. John Buford’s Union cavalry was prepared to resist the enemy’s advance steadily and stubbornly. Neither side budged, and the result was inevitable. A rural market town named after James Gettys was burned into the national consciousness forever.

Friend, what “meeting engagements” have you experienced in your life? I can think of a few. They were battles I never wanted to fight. And, as at Gettysburg, victory usually went to the side that marshaled its forces most quickly and efficiently. The battle you may have “stumbled into” lately is not an accident, my friend. A Higher Power has purpose in it. And all He asks is that you surrender your all to Him. He will take care of the rest. He will see you through.

6:23 AM So Sydney is baking in 114 degree weather. That’s awful. But check this out:

I snapped this photo during a visit to the Middle East a few years ago. And this was the low. The high that day was 134. I will never again complain about 100 degree temperatures in the U.S.

Friday, January 18

8:54 PM Salutations, fellow Bible students!

It is my firm belief that the basics of New Testament Greek can be taught without conversational fluency. They are taught well in countless Bible colleges and seminaries, and may even be imparted to students (like me) who failed to achieve proper instruction in language in their prior education. Year after year I have noticed that the best students are the ones who simply apply themselves to their studies. No man or women possessing self-discipline ever found it impossible to learn to read New Testament Greek.

To my J-Term students: A hearty “Congratulations!” for completing your first semester of beginning Greek. Your grades have now been posted to Campus Net. That many of you received A plusses amazes and delights me. I realize that the pace was a very stiff one, and that some of you may be experiencing severe side pains right about now. But do keep running the race, will you? The real obstacle to finishing is more spiritual than cognitive. I have had my share of difficult races to run in my life, and believe me, I know exactly what some of you are feeling right now. Studying Greek is a huge investment, but one that pays rich dividends. At the start of my own linguistic career, I was very rusty and at best an inept philologist. But at heart I knew this was something I wanted to do. And if you want to do it, you will.

And now a few pictures, especially for our son Nigusse in Jerusalem:

1) Nigu, here are some goodies mom prepared for my Greek students to enjoy while taking their final today. There was nary a crumb left over.

2) Here’s your home sweet home-away-from-home as we found it this morning.

3) Mom’s car — after I finished scraping off the snow and ice.

4) Feeding Tinish Koi and Tolo Tolo — your favorite donks in all the world.

5) And here’s Maple Ridge in all her glory.

6) Our drive to campus this morning looked like this.

7) You missed this beautiful sunrise. I wonder what the sunrises have been like in Israel these past three weeks?

Take care of yourself, do well on your final, and we’ll see you in two days, Lord willing.

Dad

Thursday, January 17

7:12 PM A current Th.M. student of minewrites:

I hope to see you tonight at Cary Alliance Church 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM as we begin an exciting journey through biblical Greek Grammar. Tonight we will learn the Greek alphabet, punctuation, accents, and pronunciation. If you can’t be there in person, you can always catch the video tomorrow afternoon here.

Praying you have a great class, Jacob!

7:02 PM The more I read about General George Gordon Meade, the more respect I have for him as a Union commander. Here’s Meade — brand new to the job of leading the Army of the Potomac, heading it after two consecutive major defeats (Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville), facing the repercussions of the upheaval that Hooker’s replacement brought to the army, yet eager to get at the enemy. On the evening of the Battle of Gettysburg, Meade wrote to his wife:

I continue well, but much oppressed with a sense of responsibility and the magnitude of the great interests entrusted to me …. Pray for me to be an instrument to save my country and advance a just cause.

Likewise, there is a Heavenly Headquarters to which we are to report this year. Christ is at its head. But we are not automatons. We have the power of choice. We can go forward or retreat. We can obey our Commander-in-Chief or disobey Him. What will we do?

O God, may I obey you this year and place myself completely under your control. I hereby report to headquarters. Not so that I can save my nation but so that you can save the world. Help me to see that the Christian who accepts your total control is under no cold or callous dictatorship. Your Lordship is not a Lordship of bondage but of glorious liberty. Like Paul, may I be committed to one thing and press toward the prize. Let me live this year of 2013 to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. There is work aplenty to be done. Make me ready for the work. Make me ready, too, for fire, dungeon, and sword if necessary. Make me a man with a mission. Evangelism is not something reserved for professionals and foreign missionaries. You toldme to go, and to go soon, because “the night is coming when no one can work.” Let me not be satisfied with anything less than total allegiance, total surrender, and total commitment.

I ask this in Jesus’ holy name,

Amen.

5:56 PM And the winner is…

Josh Parrott

The book will go out in the mail tomorrow, Josh!

5:36 PM Happiness, as many an impoverished student has pointed out, does not depend upon things. Yet who can deny the pleasure of travel? One student we know will be returning to Jerusalem from Galilee tomorrow, and on Sunday he will take wing and fly to RDU to resume his studies at the seminary. What enduring friendships has he struck up? What lasting impressions has the Holy Land made upon him? What new discoveries have captured his heart? Surely he will tell all when he returns.

Hurry home, Nigusse!

4:45 PM Great quote by Hugh Halter (AND: The Gathered and the Scattered Church):

The only way to combat consumerism in the church is to take away what consumers want to consume.

4:21 PM Good news! If the Lord says okay, I’m bringing Becky to campus with me tomorrow. She’s baking some goodies for my Greek students (always nice just before they fill out teacher evaluations) and meeting with a couple of her close friends before we attend the all-campus barbeque tomorrow night. We’re looking forward to meeting the new students God has sent our way.

4:12 PM Our new provost, Bruce Ashford, sizes up his New Testament facultyhere. I take strong umbrage with his assessment of Maurice Robinson’s impression of Bob Dylan, but otherwise he is spot on.

2:26 PM Our “Gospels Quiz” is still open. The highest score so far is 72/100. You have until 6:00 pm tonight to enter. Free copy ofRethinking the Synoptic Problem to the winner!

2:18 PM Guy Muse, a fulltime Southern Baptist missionary, has written an outstanding essay calledChurch planting: Jesus way or our way? Really, missions is very simple. Just do what Jesus did, and what He told us to do. Don’t need no edumacation (sic). No courses in missiology. No seminary degree. One example: When Jesus said, “Eat anything offered you,” He meant, “Eat anything offered you.”

It’s like Jesus foreknew we would have trouble with understanding the importance of the eating/drinking part, so He said it TWICE to make sure we would get it. But the fact is we have yet to grasp the importance of eating and drinking with people BEFORE trying to proclaim the ‘Good News” to them. What’s important is getting down to business and sharing the Gospel with lost folks. We eat and drink with our fellow Christians, not with pagans!

Several years ago, when Jason Evans and I evangelized among the warlike Guji tribe in Southern Ethiopia, I was given a cup of coffee with about 40 roasted coffee beans in it. I was expected to eat them. All of them. That’s just the way the Gujis do things. I had never before eaten coffee (have you?), but I did what was expected of me, what the Gospel required of me. I almost died in the process. Here you can see me in considerable discomfort, while my translator James is doubled over in laughter.

Eat, heal, and then tell. That’s the divine order (Luke 10:8), as Guy points out. Not: Take a quick voyeuristic vacation to some impoverished country, never to return. Lots of practical applications come to my mind, but here’s one maybe you’ve never thought about: At your family dinner table, do not let your kids decide what they will or will not eat. In our family, you take a little bit of everything. Even something you don’t like. Especially something you don’t like. We call it a “thank you serving” — thanking mom for cooking that broccoli or okra or whatever it is that does not agree with your palate. Mom and dad, raise picker eaters and they will have a tough time adjusting to missionary life. So just stop doing it. Because Jesus meant what He said.

James, by the way, was suffocated in his sleep by the enemies of Christianity just a few weeks after this picture was taken. Here was a 24-year old who understood what Guy Muse is talking about.

It is time to get down to the important business of witnessing and sharing the Gospel.

Are you ready for that? To get down and dirty? To eat coffee? To sleep in a hut? To do missions Jesus’ way?

1:34 PM Some odds and ends on a cold winter’s day …

1) Calling all Greek grammar students! Possible topics for our Advanced Greek Grammar class, which starts next Tuesday, include:

  • Did Jesus Teach in Greek?

  • Acquiring Greek Vocabulary

  • Pedagogy and New Testament Greek

  • The Living Language Approach to Koine Greek

  • Verbal Aspect and Greek Imperatives

  • Lexical Fallacies: The State of the Question since Barr

  • Semantic Neutralization

  • Comparative Analysis, Modern Greek to Koine Greek

  • Punctuation and Modern Editions of the Greek New Testament

  • Simple Datives and Genitives vs. Prepositional Phrases in the New Testament

  • Prohibitions in the New Testament

  • The Logical Function of Conjunctions

  • Agency in the New Testament

  • Imperativals, Not Just the Mood

  • Conditional Statements

  • New Testament Greek Word Order

  • The Uses of the Stative Verb

  • The Presence and Absence of the Definite Article

  • “Deponency”

  • Rival Prepositions

  • Semitic Influence in the New Testament

Got another topic? Just let me know.

2) Poor Andy Bowden. He’s beenEnglished. I know the feeling, Andy.

3) This morning I received some great news from a colleague at TEDS who is helping me translate my beginning grammar into a foreign language. Funny thing: I’ve never met the man, yet here we are, helping each other because of the internet.

4) I just sent a copy of my beginning Greek grammar to an inmate in a correctional institute. I told him that if he finishes it to let me know and he will get a copy of my intermediate grammar as well. Incidentally, I loved this list of100 Bible Verses about Prisoners.

5) In the past few days I’ve been reading through Conybeare and Stock’s Selections from the Septuagint, especially the part on grammar. The Greek of the LXX reveals many Semitisms. If you’re interested, in 1988 I published a piece in The Bible Translator called “New Testament Semitisms.” You can access a pdf of ithere. This is one of several essays we’ll be discussing in our LXX class this semester.

6) Is anyone reading these words going through a tough time? The entry for today, January 17, inSpurgeon’s Daily Meditations reads:

And he said, Certainly I will be with thee. (Exodus 3:12)

Of course, if the Lord sent Moses on an errand, He would not let him go alone. The tremendous risk which it would involve and the great power it would require would render it ridiculous for God to send a poor lone Hebrew to confront the mightiest king in all the world and then leave him to himself. It could not be imagined that a wise God would match poor Moses with Pharaoh and the enormous forces of Egypt. Hence He says, “Certainly I will be with thee,” as if it were out of the question that He would send him alone.

In my case, also, the same rule will hold good. If I go upon the Lord’s errand with a simple reliance upon His power and a single eye to His glory, it is certain that He will be with me. His sending me binds Him to back me up. Is not this enough? What more can I want? If all the angels and arch-angels were with me. I might fail; but if He is with me, I must succeed. Only let me take care that I act worthily toward this promise. Let me not go timidly, halfheartedly, carelessly, presumptuously. What manner of person ought he to be who has God with him! In such company it behoveth me to play the man and, like Moses, go in unto Pharaoh without fear.

Note these words: “If all the angels and arch-angels were with me. I might fail; but if He is with me, I must succeed.”

Trials make the promise sweet; Trials give new life to prayer; Trials bring me to His feet, Lay me low, and keep me there.

7) Okay, so we’ve had two exams so far in Greek 1, and no one has received the much-coveted 110 Award (a free book). Cheer up: You have one more chance tomorrow. Do well, for the glory of God!

8) The current issue of Kindred Spirit, Dallas Seminary’s magazine, is dedicated to the theme of “work.” I especially enjoyed Chuck Helmer’s essay calledYour (Lack of) Work Matters to God. Here’s a sampler:

When I approached work each night, I attempted to do it all for God rather than for my employer. If I cleaned a toilet, I scrubbed it until it sparkled. If I emptied a garbage can, I changed it in record time. I found new joy in my work and recovered the motivation that I had lost. In the process I discovered a new way to worship God.

9) Finally, here’s a list of just a few of the many new links we’ve added to our new and improved and ever-expandingGreek Portal:

Lovelady’s “Infinitive Clause Syntax in the Gospels”

Tyndale House Font Page

Porter’s “Did Jesus Ever Teach in Greek?”

Caragounis’ “The Error of Erasmus and Un-Greek Pronunciations of Greek”

Croy’s A Primer of Biblical Greek Supplementary Material

Fundamentals of New Testament Greek Verb Charts

Fundamentals of New Testament Greek Pronoun Charts

Fundamentals of New Testament Greek Participle Charts

Fundamentals of New Testament Greek Noun Charts

Fundamentals of New Testament Greek Adjective Charts

Porter’s Greek Grammar Comparison

Porter, Reed, and O’Donnell’s Fundamentals of New Testament Greek (Chapter 2)

Porter, Reed, and O’Donnell’s Fundamentals of New Testament Greek (Chapter 1)

McCall’s Metathesis, Deletion, Dissimilation and Consonant Ordering in Proto-Greek

McCall’s On the Rise of Periphrasis in the Greek Perfect Medio-Passive

Rodney Whitacre’s Elements of Fluency in Reading Greek

Wilson’s “Greek Vocabulary Acquisition Using Semantic Domains”Happy reading!

Wednesday, January 16

5:40 AM It’s book-give-away time again! Test your knowledge of the New Testament! A free copy ofRethinking the Synoptic Problem to the person who earns the highest score on the following “Gospels Quiz.”

There are 50 questions. I ask that you do not consult any helps while taking the test. Answer from memory only. I might mention that the answers are all taken from Thomas Lea and David Alan Black,The New Testament. Contest closes 6:00 pm Thursday, at which time I will announce the winner.

Here are the questions. Enjoy! Do the best you can!

1) The end of the OT saw Judea as part of the Greek Empire. T F

2) Who spread Greek culture throughout the ancient world?

3) The Ptolemies were rulers of Syria. T F

4) What does “LXX” literally mean?

5) The Maccabees regained Jewish independences after defeating the ____________.

6) “Pax Romana” literally means ____________________.

7) Who was the Roman Emperor when Jesus died?

8) Herod the Great was not a Jew but a/an ____________ by birth.

9) Which of the Herods ruled Galilee during Jesus’ ministry?

10) Graeco-Roman religion was nonexclusive. T F

11) “Gnosticism” derives from a Greek word meaning “pride.” T F

12) The Stoics emphasized pleasure. T F

13) What was the largest Jewish sect during Jesus’ day?

14) The Jewish synagogue was led by a body of men called _______________.

15) Originally, the NT books were written on what kind of material?

16) What are the “agrapha”?

17) Name the three geographical divisions of Palestine from North to South.

18) What scholar launched the “Quest for the Historical Jesus”?

19) Rudolph Bultmann separated the “Jesus of history” from the “________________.”

20) Jesus’ birth occurred sometime around ____ B.C.

21) The word “synoptic” comes from a Greek word meaning ___________________.

22) What are the two sources of the “Two-Source Theory”?

23) Luke addressed his Gospel to a man named ___________________.

24) Luke’s genealogy goes back not to Abraham but to ____________.

25) Name John the Baptist’s father.

26) Name the angel who announced that Mary would give birth.

27) Jesus’ birth is linked to a census being taken by a man named _______________.

28) Whose Gospel presents information about Jesus boyhood?

29) “Messiah” is the translation of a Hebrew/Aramaic word meaning ______________.

30) “Cephas” and “Peter” both mean ______________.

31) The expression “born again” may also mean _________________.

32) How many Beatitudes does Luke’s Gospel record?

33) “Jot” and “tittle” refer to what?

34) An a fortiori argument argues from the __________ to the _____________.

35) In the Parable of the Sower, the seed represents the ____________.

36) The “fourth watch of the night” refers to what time?

37) The story of the Good Samaritan is found in what chapter of Luke?

38) The Feast of Dedication (John 10) is also known as ______________.

39) The Raising of Lazarus is found in John chapter ________.

40) The “Olivet Discourse” is found in what chapters of Matthew?

41) Jesus and the disciples ate the Passover on which day?

42) “Golgotha” means ___________________.

43) Jesus’ first and last “words” from the cross began with what expression?

44) Matthew and Mark mention only one angel at the tomb; Luke mentions ______.

45) During crucifixion, nails were driven though the victim’s hands. T F

46) Eternal life is both an “already” and a/an “___________.”

47) Whose Gospel alone has the word “church”?

48) “Decapolis” literally means ___________________.

49) Palestine in Jesus’ day was about the size of what U.S. state?

50) What are the three major “text types” in New Testament textual criticism?

5:22 AM A question came up recently about how Becky and I go about our missionary work. In a word, we do missions cooperatively. I can’t over-emphasize that word. Becky and I have intentionally adopted a cooperative model of missions. We will gladly work with any Christ-centered evangelical church that is willing to answer Christ’s call to obedience and self-sacrificing love. We don’t have to see eye-to-eye on secondary issues to work hand-in-hand. John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” once wrote to a fellow pastor:

What will it profit a man if he gains his cause, and silences his adversaries, if at the same time he loses that humble, tender flame of the Spirit in which the Lord delights, and to which the promise of his presence is made?

Amen to that! Becky and I believe that the whole Body of Christ can and must submit itself its Head, the great Redeemer of mankind. This is the very heart of Christianity – disciples of Jesus following Him in obedience and love. In Him we are all one family in which each member is given a grace gift, a functional service to carry out for the good of all. We are all brothers in Christ, members of one spiritual family, parts of one spiritual Body.

Thus our desire as missionaries is simply to follow the Scriptures, which stress the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church – not organizations, methods, programs, or personalities. As a result, we seek to avoid the cult of personality or the emphasis today upon methods and programs. “This is the way the New Testament church did it” is for us more than a slogan. We have a deep conviction that the one essential for missions is prayer and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We see ourselves involved in a faith-commitment that cannot be explained by merely human factors. We therefore seek to do missions “from below,” depending solely on the leadership of the Holy Spirit and seeking to work with other believers who are open to His prompting. Our efforts are not the result of large, well-financed organizations but the work of simple, everyday Christians who understand that the Christian mission today is the responsibility of the global church. We endeavor always to follow Jesus’ model and to practice humble dependence on the Holy Spirit.

In short, the Lord Jesus Himself has commissioned Becky and me to be in the “Gospel business,” even though we are not professionals. He has blessed us more than we could ever deserve with the honor of representing Him in the darkest areas of Ethiopia. This is no small task. But we are not alone. We’re just two of a countless number of people who are fighting this same fight, all of us giving everything that we have to see the light of the Gospel come to East Africa.

So here’s to many more years of working with our fellow Christians all around the globe. To long plane rides in cramped seats. To saving our dollars for our next plane ticket. To sleeping in strange places and eating strange food. To having a front row seat while watching God piece together broken lives.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Tuesday, January 15

5:50 PM We just got a postcard from Nigusse. He wrote in three languages: English, Greek, and Hebrew. If only he had used Latin. We could have started calling him Pilate.

5:44 PM Through the years I have come up with a few adages on education. Perhaps you might find them helpful.

1. Be willing to question everything. There is nothing wrong with a healthy inquisitiveness.

2. Do not be afraid to say, “The Bible says….” It is our ultimate authority in everything.

3. Emulate humble teachers. Prideful professors are not worth your time.

4. Read, read, then read some more, but never put books before people.

5. Assimilate thoroughly the different positions on a matter before making up your own mind.

6. Beware of the subtle influence of Gnosticism – the pride of knowledge. It is rampant in our day.

7. The failure to take oneself with a grain of salt is a major weakness.

8. Manual labor is a healthy antidote to intellectual laxness.

9. Do not contemplate beginning a doctoral program unless you have first written a master’s thesis.

10. Do not write anything without first praying for guidance.

11. The best way to learn to write is to write considerably.

12. Intellectual independence and creative intelligence go hand in hand.

13. Remember that God knows exactly the field of service that will benefit most from your unique abilities. Don’t try to be a 5-talent person in a 2-talent body or vice versa.

14. There are no fail-safe formulas in life, including these aphorisms.

5:32 PM In my spare time I’ve been working on my book Godworld: Enter at Your Own Risk. In the current welter of religious publication it might be helpful to explain why, with my latest book, I’ve decided to throw another pound of paper on the heap.

What really surprises me is that I had not thought of writing this book earlier in my career. For New Testament teachers, a subject as central as discipleship can be ignored only at our peril. In some ways, I’ve returned to my youth, when as a Jesus freak I extolled the Jesus way of life (while spouting the worst platitudes). But Jesus freaks never go out of style. If you think there are already enough books on this subject, you are probably right. I offer my own views not as an autonomous work but as an intellectual nod to my mentors, namely Ellul (pictured) and Muggeridge. “I planted, Apollos watered” – but neither of them mattered in the least. The essential thing is to get the message across, right? I must have the table of contents finalized before I leave for Europe in March. I will entrust the outline to a very select group of friends and colleagues whose criticisms I await like an anxiety-ridden mother.

Jacque Ellul once said, “Look at the one speaking, study that person’s face, learn that person’s life, and then take his or her words seriously – or don’t.” I like that. It’s really the only way to judge a publication. A book is true only when we can trust the one who wrote it. Then again, only imbeciles will orient their faith and thinking toward mere men. Everything in our lives goes perversely wrong when we place our trust in any human author. Our faith must always and only be in Christ. So please do not expect too much from this little book of mine. In the end, the Logos made flesh is the only Word we can trust.

4:44 PM I’m hunched over my computer right now and I can barely contain my excitement. If you read this blog, you know we talk a lot about missions and about becoming a Great Commission Christian. Yesterday I happened across this quote by A. W. Tozer as I was preparing to speak to 50 of our Ph.D. students on that very subject:

I think unlovely orthodoxy, unbeautiful Christianity is a tragedy. We have pugilistic Christians; we have acrobatic Christians; we have athletic Christians; we have big-domed, learned Christians. We have all kinds of Christians, but where are the beautiful ones, those who shine with inner beauty? I am looking for them, and I pray that God will send us a revival, not of noise and nonsense, but of beauty with God dwelling in us.

If you ever want to know what I think about evangelism, Tozer says it all: Live the beautiful kingdom. Reenact it. Don’t simply talk about it. Be Christ to others. In the past few years we’ve heard amazing stories about how Muslims are coming to faith in Christ in Ethiopia. Almost without exception, it has been due to a Christian who loved them. Friend: BE A LINK to someone today. Connect them to Jesus.

After I spoke I got this email:

Thank you for that tremendous word. Very challenging but so right on! All of life under the Lordship of Christ. Leveraging our lives for the sake of his gospel.

I love this note. This is why I do what I do. “Leveraging our lives for the sake of his gospel.” That’s why DBO exists. That’s why each student received a free copy ofWill You Join the Cause of Global Missions? last night. And right now I’m urging you, dear reader, to make a major decision to enter into a strategic partnership with Jesus to do ministry wherever He should lead you. There may be no darker spot on earth than where you live. Be a light there.

I am so grateful to God for our Ph.D. program and for our director, Heath Thomas. Thank you, Heath, for the honor of addressing our students last night. I counted it a great joy. There’s such peace in knowing that God is able to direct our steps in ways that please Him. We’re not placed on this earth to live our own lives. Jesus got dirty and hurt in the world. May we all do the same.

Sunday, January 13

5:55 PM Quick update:

1) The Humphreys joined us for lunch today. Becky prepared a wonderful meal consisting of pork, taters, fresh veggies, and magnificent dinner rolls.

2) Then we Skyped with Nigusse in Jerusalem. He looked and sounded great. They leave for Galilee on the morrow. Lord willing, we’ll pick him up at RDU next Sunday.

This will be a busy week. Hope yours is great!

9:08 AM I see my students are blogging up a storm again:

1) Jacob Ceroneinterviews yours truly.

2) Paul Himes thinksRod Decker and I should co-author a book. “Black and Decker.” Get it?

3) Alex Stewart (former Ph.D. student) talks aboutuncertainty in the Christian life.

4) Andy Bowden (former Th.M. student) describes hisfirst Christmas in Munich as a doctoral student.

Keep it up, guys!

8:50 AM As you know, I have been invited to address the issue of the authorship of Hebrews at a conference of Catholic priests in DC next month. Well, I see that the official conference announcementhas been posted.

It happens that the conference is named for a famous New Testament scholar, Marie-Joseph Lagrange, whose work in textual criticism is well known to all students of the New Testament and whose role in the founding of the famous École Biblique in Jerusalem will never be forgotten. The romance of biblical scholarship — I’ve always considered it to be a romance and always shall — is a never-ending process of thinking — and then re-thinking — the consensus opinio. Tomorrow I must return to work on my presentation, and there is plenty of work to do, for the question of the authorship of Hebrews is for me one of the most fascinating of those “outside” tasks that I seem to be destined to be carrying alongside all of my other scholarly pursuits. My work, if not influential, is always congenial, and I can’t wait to enter into a dialogue with the audience at the conference next month.

As an aside, it is interesting to note that the last major defense of the Pauline authorship of Hebrews was by a Roman Catholic scholar, whose work, The Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews: Critical Problem and Use of the Old Testament, has long been out of print and therefore not easily accessible.

Saturday, January 12

8:08 PM I loved this quote about General John B. Gordon in Stephen Sears’ bookGettysburg:

John B. Gordon had earned the devotion of his Georgians. Before a charge Gordon assured them, “I ask you to go no farther than I am willing to lead!” and he was as good as his word.

If you’re going to teach Greek, you had better lead by example — which means you should possess an excellent knowledge of the language yourself. If you’re going to promote conversational fluency in Koine Greek, then you had better be conversationally fluent yourself. If you are going to require your doctoral students to know German, French, and Latin, then you had better be a master of those languages as well. If you are going to promote the Great Commission, then you had better be going to the nations. Christian education is likeness education. Like father, like son; like pulpit, like pew. Jesus put it this way: “When a disciple is perfectly taught, he will be just like his teacher.” How grateful I am for those teachers in my life who practiced what they preached and whose walk matched their talk. I still feel their influence today.

6:46 PM How I praise God for His goodness in giving us such a great day. The way of missions is an exciting road, and today we sought the face of the Lord for His plans for the new year. Here’s our planning team.

How these people love Jesus! What a wonderful group of co-laborers. We are ambassadors sent into this world from another kingdom. Our wills are submitted and surrendered. God was so good to us today. And He clearly seems to be leading us to send another team (or teams) back to Ethiopia this year. More details as the Lord makes them clear to us. Being on mission for Jesus is the most unearned and undeserved favor of all time.

Then it was back to pruning the fruit tress for Becky and me. My job was to take care of the larger branches that Becky couldn’t cut with her pruning shears.

The trees look much better now, don’t you think?

Then it was off to dump the debris in our farm burn pile.

Right now I’m going to settle down with a good book, along with my puppies.

Sheba loves sitting next to me on the sofa, while Dayda enjoys cuddling up near the fireplace. How dull and boring life would be without them.

And so it was a good day of working, praying, and dreaming. Friends, with every privilege comes a corresponding duty. Let’s invest our time, talents, and treasure wisely this year. Jesus is worth it.

9:04 AM Good news! A sisterhas been released from prison in Tanzania.

Eva Abdallah has been acquitted of the blasphemy charges against her. On Jan. 9, 2013, the High Court of Tanzania ruled that Eva was not guilty of desecrating the Quran, and thus ends Eva’s year-long ordeal in prison.

Other prisoners still need our prayers, however. For a partial listing, gohere.”Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them. Remember those who are suffering, as though you were suffering as they are” (Heb. 13:3).

8:28 AM Here’s a great quote Becky read to me last night. It comes from Elisabeth Elliot’s A Chance to Die, the story of Amy Carmichael. Amy is writing to someone who wants to join her in India:

Dear, you are coming to a battlefield. You cannot spend too much time with Him alone. The keys of the power of the world to come are not turned by careless fingers. So few are willing to pay the price of the knowledge of God. They play through life, even Christian life, even missionary life.

I don’t think I’ve ever needed words like those more than I do now. I want to be at the end of myself so I can be in a place where God can use me. Something Bigger is at work in my life, if I would only listen. The world seems pretty big right now. But I’m called to reach it. And so are you. We are called to stand in the gap for one of the biggest battles this world has ever seen. Because it’s a battlefield out there, folks. And so few are willing to pay the price.

Are you playing though life? Am I?

8:13 AM Becky just said, “I don’t want you flying the Dreamliner any time soon, honey.” I agree totally. Let’s see … oil leak, fuel leak, onboard fire, engine cracks, and a damaged cockpit window. Am I wary? You betcha. I think I’ll wait a few years and let all the wrinkles get worked out of the 787.

7:35 AM Glad to be home again. It’s been a busy and rewarding week. Lots of teaching, lots of time spent in one-on-one meetings with students, excellent interaction with colleagues, etc. Today Becky and I are hosting a few guests at the farm and also holding a planning meeting for missions, seeking God’s face for 2013. I’ve already got international trips planned for March, April, and September, and that doesn’t include India or Ethiopia. So … what do we want to accomplish this year with the Lord’s help? He will show us. We’re waiting on Him for the answer.

Meanwhile, I just took this quiz:What Kind of American English Do You Speak? My linguistic profile: 60- General American English, 15- Dixie, 10- Upper Midwest, 10- Yankee, and 5- Midwest. I guess there’s no “Hawaiian Pidgin” category.

Finally, the high today will reach 72 degrees. And this is January?

Friday, January 11

5:57 PM This headline caught my eye:Africa rises, China falls on Christian persecution list. Read the article for details. I can attest to the fact that many African Christians are making a conscious choice to deny the normal needs of the body for the sake of others’ souls. When it comes to missions, somebody always has to pay the price. This will be my theme next Monday evening at the seminary when I have the privilege of addressing our doctoral students. The apostle Paul (one of my heroes) seemed to accept a life of terrible suffering and sacrifice as normal and necessary for the sake of the Gospel. Why should our generation be any different? Paul eventually suffered martyrdom for his faith in Christ, as have millions of others down through the ages. And you know what? They were common, everyday people, just like you and me. I think we have a tendency to dismiss their sacrifices as something that can only be done by super-Christians. But this just isn’t true. There are people today who are willing to save a few dollars here and there for the work of the Lord. They are unknown to us but not to God. They are as faithful as any famous missionary, and they too will have their reward.

I urge you: Do not fail to pray for our suffering brothers and sister in Africa, India, China, and other regions of the world. Let us trust God that He will meet their every need. In addition, there are probably a thousand ways we could help them if we thought about it. Excuses won’t do. Not when the need is so great and the doors are so wide open.

4:42 PM Just started reading a new book about Gettysburg and had to post these pix. Yes, it was very eerie standing on the very cobblestones where the good general had his likeness taken a few days after the surrender. The address is 707 Franklin Street. If you are ever in Richmond, you must check it out.

The photographer was my colleague at the seminary, David Lanier, a fellow reenactor and an expert on all things Civil War.

4:20 PM Millions have been asking: What’s been happening with Nigusse? Well, we finally heard from him.

I just arrived from three days field study visit back to JUC. We went to Beer Sheba, Lakish, Wilderness of Zin andPiran, Masada, Dead Sea, and Quemran. It has beenincredibleexperience that enhances my understanding of Scripture. Masada is spectacles place!!!!  Sunday will have our second exam. Then Monday we will leave for four days toGalilee’s fieldstudy andvisit.

So there you have it. You will notice that he uses as many exclamation marks as does his mother. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post is reportingrecord snowfall in Jerusalem. Enjoy, Nigusse!

2:52 PM This and that …

1) So thankful for my Greek 1 students. Today they surpassed the halfway mark in the course. Congratulations to all. Thank you for all your hard work, diligence, and devotion to your studies. May Jesus be pleased with your work.

2) Recently on myGreek Portal I linked to the You Tubes of Danny Zacharias on beginning Greek. Here’s a sampler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upH6DmOZIgw

This is pretty good stuff. But do be discerning. For example, his explanation of the dative case as indirect object is poorly illustrated when he uses a prepositional phrase involving the Greek preposition eis. (Why a prepositional phrase? Why not a simple indirect object?) Moreover, did you notice the Greek is incorrect? He writes eis polei (“into a city”), which is impossible, as eis always takes the accusative case in Greek, not the dative. (I think he meant eis polin.) Little foxes like these make one suspicious that errors might well occur in other videos of his. All that to say this: Whenever I link to other websites, I am not necessarily endorsing everything these sites contain and am certainly not guaranteeing that everything they contain is factual.

3) East Texas Baptist University announces an opening inPractical Theology/Christian Ministry.

4) “Hanzeeeineshokee?”Even if you’re never lived in Basel, you will enjoyMy First Swiss German.

2:42 PM Today Becky was supposed to begin her alternative treatments. Due to a glitch with her equipment, she will have to postpone the “official” start date to next week. I guess you could call this the end to years of chemotherapy, which was literally killing her. The results will not be quickly seen nor felt. But I have no doubt we’ve reached a major turning point. As Winston Churchill said of the Battle of El Alamein, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” The decision to pursue non-chemo treatments was, of course, aHobson’s Choice . It was either alternative treatments or nothing. I liken it to Lee’s invasion of the North in June of 1863. It was clearly a very bold move on his part, but it was a risk worth taking. Indeed, it was the only option available to him. And so we move forward by faith in our life with cancer. The results are all in His hands, and in this we rest. Actually, I’m pretty excited about how all this could turn out. I’ll keep you posted.

2:34 PM Hey there, thoughtful internet readers!

I watched this on You Tube last night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaBnmSyNxHE

It’s called “Amish: A Secret Life.” I enjoyed it greatly. I definitely think you would benefit from viewing it, especially if you’re interested in the movement of the Spirit of God among the Amish. It’s a one-hour story that will keep you glued to your computer screen. You might even shed a tear or two. 

The main characters, David and Miriam Lapp, are both very interesting. They were born and raised in the Amish Country of Pennsylvania. The video tells the story of their agonizing decision to allow themselves and their family to be filmed. Rather than suffer in silence, they openly speak out about their faith in Christ and their concerns about what they see as traditionalism in their order. Their dissent is at odds with their community, in which the old German adage “Lerne leiden, ohne zu klagen” (“Learn to suffer without complaining”) is still accepted as the norm. Life for the Amish, at least for this Amish family, is anything but easy as they struggle with living out their Christianity amidst the tensions of keeping their evangelical faith a “secret.”

There are no actors in this video. David and Miriam are real and honest. They took grave risks in telling their story. Lifelong relationships were at stake. Ultimately, they decided to follow their hearts. I suppose the Lapps’ religious taxonomy would go something like this: Genus: Amish. Species: Old Order Amish. Sub-species: Evangelical Amish. Are all Amish committed to the Gospel of justification by faith only, which is an essential “evangelical” belief? I think the only honest answer is no. But the same thing could be said for millions of Protestants, including Baptists. I continue to be profoundly grieved by our evangelical subculture in America. Cultural Christianity is often reduced to a name on a church roll or a certificate of baptism. The Lapps are understandably dismayed by what they perceive to be the unthinking traditionalism of their Old Order peers. Like Luther and Calvin, however, they are reluctant schismatics who dream of a reformation within the church they love so dearly. By preaching the priority of evangelism (i.e., the necessity of the new birth whereby one experiences a personal encounter with God through Jesus Christ), they seek to preserve the purity of the Gospel. People are saved only by taking a stand on the Good News and by continuing to hold firmly to it. They put no confidence in the flesh or in human tradition for salvation. As David says at the end of the video, “There is no way of life that will bring peace and joy in a person’s heart…. If you accept Jesus, that will be true happiness.”

David and Miriam are two Amish people who appear to have grasped the finality of what God has said and done in Christ. It is inconceivable to them that they could ever add anything to God’s finished work in Christ. As John Stott frequently pointed out during his lifetime, the fundamental question in every religion relates to the matter of authority: By what authority do we believe what we believe? Like all evangelical Christians, the Lapps are Bible people. They make time for Bible study, since they realize that their spiritual health and growth are nurtured by it.

That is the stark alternative, friends. Either we look to the Word of God, or we are rebels against God. We must glory in the cross for our salvation, and in the cross alone. It is extraordinary how much hostility there is to the Gospel of grace – a theme that is traced throughout the video. The Lapps are willing to be unpopular to be faithful. I have seen the same attitude time and again during my travels to the persecuted church in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, Christians have been granted the privilege on behalf of Christ “not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Phil. 1:29). Can suffering be regarded as a privilege? Just ask the Lapps. C. S. Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”

Lots of other things could be said about the issues raised in this video. I guess the bottom line for me is this: The kingdom of heaven is a narrow road that requires following Jesus every day. His sheep hear His voice; they don’t simply run with the rest of the herd. We have much to learn from these Amish Christians. Their starting point is the cross, and they are willing to fight for the spiritual freedom that is only found in Christ.

Chew on it.

Dave

Thursday, January 10

5:49 AM This morning I am thinking deeply of the things I am thankful for. I find that I’m especially thankful for the delight that teaching is. To teach is to mold a new generation. I get to do that. I am so grateful for this privilege. In addition, Becky and I are enjoying our married life as never before. I simply marvel at the partnership in the Gospel we are privileged to have. We have a great time seeking God’s face and asking Him to make us wise managers of His possessions (we own nothing). It’s the presence of the Lord on our farm that makes the difference. I continue to be astounded by Becky’s physical strength, a huge blessing. And then there are the churches I get to visit. I’m still in awe over an amazing weekend at Cornerstone. The Spirit made the services unforgettable. The atmosphere was electric. There’s an anointing on that congregation, I tell you.

And what about the blessing of prayer? This morning I have already prayed for the Lord to work in the lives of my Greek students. Knowing that your prof cares is so important. We simply cannot master this language without God’s help. I am praying for lots of things: for students to do well on their first exam, for Christians in China and Ethiopia and Iran, wisdom for our national leaders, finances for the work of the Lord in India, failed relationships that I’m aware of, the seminary, and so much more. I’ve been thinking a lot about my upcoming trip to Ukraine to teach hermeneutics in March. Without a doubt, it’s going to be a hugely important time. My goal is to be as clear as possible that hermeneutics is simply the prelude to obedience. I have grown to love the brethren in Eastern Europe. If nothing else, I hope to help them ask the right questions. I can’t help but praise God for the ordinary radicals I’ve met there on my previous trips. It ought to be an interest trip.

Well, that’s my thanksgiving reflection for the day, and it’s not even Thanksgiving.

5:33 AM Here are just a few of the new web pages we’re added to our revampedGreek Portal. Check ’em out. My thanks to my assistant Thomas Hudgins for adding them.

Ken Berding’s Greek Class Sing-Along
Added 1/9/2013

Danny Zacharias YouTube
Added 1/9/2013

Jeff A. Jenkins Greek Course
Added 1/9/2013

Ken Schenck’s YouTube
Added 1/9/2013

Accordance YouTube Page
Added 1/9/2013

Christopher Boyd White’s Greek 102
Added 1/9/2013

Alfabeto Griego Clásico
Added 1/9/2013

Learn Greek Free YouTube
Added 1/9/2013

Learn Greek Free
Added 1/9/2013

Institute of Biblical Greek YouTube
Added 1/9/2013

Bill Mounce YouTube
Added 1/9/2013

Perrin’s Greek for Children DVD Sample
Added 1/9/2013

Aforetaste John 1 Reading
Added 1/9/2013

El Grupo de Juan. Helenismo y Gnosis
Added 1/8/2013

Wednesday, January 9

7:48 PM Odds and ends …

1) Thank you, Dave and Russ, for a copy of your latest book. Looking forward to reading it soon.

2) East Texas Baptist University announces an opening inPractical Theology/ Christian Ministry.

3) Could your course syllabi use anextreme makeover? I think mine could. Lots of good ideas here.

4) I am so grateful to Andrew, Catherine, and Blair for a wonderful supper last night in seminary housing.

Some students will do anything for a good grade.

5) Being the ultimate obscurantist, I’ve been asked (as you know) to present a case for the Pauline authorship of Hebrews next month in Washington, DC. As someone who frequently espouses minority points of view, I foundthis statement about conformity fascinating:

Although conformity generally leads individuals to think and act more like groups, individuals are occasionally able to reverse this tendency and change the people around them. This is known as minority influence, a special case of informational influence. Minority influence is most likely when people can make a clear and consistent case for their point of view. If the minority fluctuates and shows uncertainty, the chance of influence is small. However, a minority that makes a strong, convincing case increases the probability of changing the majority’s beliefs and behaviors. Minority members who are perceived as experts, are high in status, or have benefited the group in the past are also more likely to succeed.

So what do I think? I think that all of us suffer from groupthink to a degree. The challenge is being open to healthy consensus-breakers while avoiding the cranks. In my own life, there were two anti-group-thinkers whose memories I still cherish today: Harry Sturz of Biola University and William Farmer of Perkins of School Theology (SMU). Neither had any desire to “go with the flow” in the areas of textual criticism (Sturz) and the synoptic problem (Farmer). Just because the majority discards an alternative doesn’t mean that we should. The last thing I want to do today is encourage a culture of uniformity. But here’s the clincher: “However, a minority that makes a strong, convincing case increases the probability of changing the majority’s beliefs and behaviors” (see above quote). A strong case must be made. If it can’t, there’s no use in even trying to convince others you’re right. Yet I can’t deny that it’s possible to change people’s minds. Mine sure was after hearing Sturz and Farmer. So let’s keep reading and thinking, and then acting upon the evidence. The scholarly world will be better off for it.

6) This afternoon Becky and I began pruning our orchards. Hope to continue this weekend. The weather has been perfect for working outdoors. Today I worked in my shirt sleeves.

7) Lord willing, Nigusse will be in Galilee all this week. I’m hoping for a big storm to arise over the Sea of Galilee, like the one Bec and I encountered when we were there. Sure made for some great body-surfing. If only I had had my board.

Tuesday, January 8

5:32 AM For the next few minutes, let’s talk about fatherhood. To begin with, please listen to this audio called Dad, at Last that I heard on NPR’s Snap Judgment show while driving to Cleveland, NC on Saturday. It will only take a few minutes of your time.

(Did you listen to it? Pretty awesome stuff, isn’t it?)

Now stop and think about your own father. No, I mean really do it. For a long, long time, I’ve been thinking about mine.

Our first impressions of our heavenly father come from our earthly father. However, some of us never had this strong bond of love with our dads. I lost mine to alcoholism and divorce when I was 4 years old. The result was — and, to a degree, still is — an almost overpowering sense of loneliness and hopelessness. The pain, the guilt, the sense of inadequacy — I’ve needed to get “unstuck” from all these in order to move ahead with my life. A relationship with my earthly father was never even remotely possible. I never experienced his loving words, his firm hand, his gentle spirit. Father hunger haunts me, and I suppose it always will. I miss my earthly father deeply. His absence created an empty spot in my life. Not even in my memories does he live on. The emotional damage is done, and it’s like a deadly poison. The only antidote I know is believing that God wants me to be honest and pour out my broken heart to Him — the good, the bad, and the ugly. I rarely speak of this pain, this loss, to others, even Becky. But I have learned to keep nothing from God.

You say, “Dave, why are you telling me all this?” The words need to be spoken. I can never erase what has happened or my memories of it. I can never begin all over again with my father. I am still working through the emotional turmoil, and I am already 60. But refusing to confront the pain doesn’t help. Nor does it do any good to constantly dredge up old memories. I’m not through grieving. Yet through the grieving of that abandonment I’m discovering a new freedom. I thank God for the grieving process, because of the honesty it requires. I don’t need a “strong face” or a façade.

I know that some of my readers who grew up without a dad may share my sense of loneliness, abandonment, insecurity, and lack of worth. An absentee father can influence a person on many different levels. How could I, for example, as a teenager, act like a man if I had never seen how a man acts on a daily basis? Fathers are teachers. Scarcely a day passes when I am not reminded of my need to rely on God’s grace. My plea to anyone reading these words is that we claim His grace and allow it to set us free. Fearful bondage motivated by guilt can be replaced with a joyous motivation to follow Him in truth, simply out of devotion, not duty. The hole in our hearts can be filled with relationship-liberating grace. Grace that is totally free. Grace that God will never ask us to pay back. We couldn’t, even if we tried. That’s the way it is with grace.

There is one and only one password for entering the door called “freedom from the past.”

Grace.

Monday, January 7

8:11 PM Good evening, thoughtful bloggers!

I am a grateful man. I have every reason to be. This weekend I had the honor of speaking at Cornerstone Baptist Church, where I was surrounded by encouragement, missional excitement, and an abundance of good food and fellowship. I consider the people there new friends.

It was a challenging weekend because it was filled with soul-searching. The future of the church in America is wrapped up in one question: Are we willing to put off the manacles of evangelical tradition and enter the Promised Land of the Word? As I spoke, I was forced to examine my own priority system. What I have discovered is that I am part of a dying North American church and a people who have lost their vision. Still, I am more convinced than ever that God is going to breathe new life into the dry bones. We will learn to overcome the world and bear fruit. We will become leaven in society. We will become salt and light, the beginning of a new kingdom, even as the old one passes away.

I want to thank SEBTS grad Josh Grizzle and his dear wife Gina. Instead of having just another Baptist “revival” service, they decided to hold a missions conference, exploring what it means to run with the Master on a two-legged Gospel of personal evangelism and compassionate deeds. I agree with Josh that, in the midst of our materialism as Americans, people are awakening to the power of the Spirit and beginning to go all out in living out the mandate of the kingdom. If you are reading this blog post, it’s probably because you share my desire to transcend cultural Christianity and embrace costly discipleship. I am convinced that God has not given up on His church in America and even now is calling us to join Him in making our society radically new.

It’s amazing how one small thing can turn your life upside down. My trip to Ethiopia with Becky in 2004 created within me a brand new desire to live out the ethics of the kingdom. My religious journey is not unusual. I am finding that people everywhere are coming to this same kind of holistic Christianity. Please do not think that I have given up on the world. I just have a different methodology for trying to change it. I contend that the most important tool for Christians is to establish countercultural communities that reveal to a lost world the kind of society that Jesus wants to establish on earth. I want to invite other Christians to participate in this commitment. Genuine conversion will always lead to involvement in missions. That’s why I so strongly plead with Christians all across North America to become committed to doing Christianity rather than just talking about it.

I suppose you knew I was going to say all this: I have become the proverbial broken record. In reflection, it doesn’t really matter what I say. The validity of what I am saying must be tested by action. Will we remain simply “converts” who have a ticket to heaven? Or will we become the people of God, committed to being agents of God’s beautiful revolution?

There’s no telling what God can do if we will only let Him. If you’re finding yourself yearning to be committed to something beyond yourself, all I ask is that you prayerfully wait upon God to show you how. Trust me, once you’ve tasted the freedom that grace living provides, you will never again be satisfied with cultural Christianity – and I mean never.

Blessings,

Dave

Saturday, January 5

11:50 AM So how’s Nigusse doing in Israel? Here’s the latest news: 

I just came back from the whole day field trip visit, which was amazing. We were at Judea’s wilderness,Jericho, BenjaminPlateau, in one area (Gezer) close to the West coastal land. It was very powerful and brings different perspective about Scripture understanding and itsapplication to life. This morning my heart was deeply touched when our professor sharing the story of Satan’s attempt to tempt Jesus and Palms 23 right at the Wilderness of Judea where both stories took place. The actual place makesa lot of difference in understanding of the story and in itsapplication to life the today. What I have seen at Jericho is different from what I perceived before about Jericho. Anyways, inevery step there lots of things we can learn as go through the country and in the class as well. Thank you for your prayers.

Thanks for asking — and for praying.

11:44 AM Quote of the day (John F. Havlik, People-Centered Evangelism, p. 47):

The church is never a place, but always a people; never a fold but always a flock; never a sacred building but always a believing assembly. The church is you who pray, not where you pray. A structure of brick or marble can no more be a church than your clothes of serge or satin can be you.

7:12 AM This is my text for tomorrow morning’s message (Luke 3:23).

ΚαὶαὐτὸςἦνἸησοῦςἀρχόμενοςὡσεὶἐτῶντριάκοντα,ὢνυἱός,ὡςἐνομίζετο,Ἰωσὴφ.

You’ll notice it says nothing about Jesus “beginning His ministry.” The idea, rather, is: “Now Jesus Himself, when He was just starting out, was about 30 years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph.” What an odd idea: You’re 30, and yet in some sense you’re just getting a start on life. Yep. It’s called the Age Thirty Transition and it has been studied by such psychologists as Eric Erickson. What exactly is the Age Thirty Transition, and what can it teach me about my Christian walk? Come tomorrow morning and find out.

7:06 AM Speaking of the Gospel, you simply must watch this Merv Griffin interview with Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese commander at Pearl Harbor, as he shares about his conversion to Christianity. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMe3r7bM9js

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be applauding along with the audience.

7:02 AM This evening, at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Cleveland, NC, I will be showing pictures of our work in Ethiopia, a work that God planted in our hearts during our first visit together to Ethiopia in 2004. Since then I’ve made 16 trips to “Utopia” (as my father-in-law likes to call it). For about 8 years my thoughts have been directed to international missions more constantly than to anything except my professional work and my family, and on the whole I feel encouraged at what I imagine to be the steady although slow advance in our consciousness as American Christians that missions is for all of us, not only for trained professionals. In the dread of repeating myself, let me just say  that our “call to missions” was one of the turning points in our married life. We began to ask two questions about everything we do as a couple: Does it help to fulfill the Great Commission, and does it help to usher in Christ’s kingdom? I believe that every detail of our lives ought to be measured against these two yardsticks. I have long believed that almost every Christian in North America can find a way to get involved personally in missions by sacrificing something in his or her personal lifestyle.

Here is one of the first slides I will show tonight. Isn’t my Ethiopian wife beautiful?

I am so glad she asked me to go with her back to the land of her youth. Neither of us thought we would ever return.

Boy, were we wrong.  

Friday, January 4

7:35 PM SNTS is fast approaching. Here’s thewebsite of the local committee in Perth.

The annual meeting of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS), the peak international society of New Testament specialists, will take place in Perth, Western Australia, 23-27 July, 2013, at Murdoch University.

This site provides advance information to enable members and their guests to plan ahead to attend the meeting and to participate in related activities before and after the conference.

Perth sounds like a fascinating place. I would love to attend with Becky.

6:53 PM Good evening to you, friends!

Tonight Becky and I enjoyed dinner together at Mexico Viejo in South Boston. We love Mexican food. She got her enchiladas and I got what I love to get — Arros con Pollo. Both of us practiced our Spanglish with the restaurant staff and, I must say, did pretty well. There is too much good stuff going on in our lives right now not to share. While I spent the day happily ensconced in the classroom, Becky was in her element painting the trim over at our old-new guest house, Maple Ridge. I love the colors, don’t you?

Right now I’m going back to my weekend preparations and then I’m going to finish The Killer Angels. Over supper Becky and I shared our joys —  and our sorrows — over several people and relationships that are really, really in trouble. It’s far too easy for me to forget just how blessed Becky and I are or how joyfully dependent we are on each other. As we drove home we watched a beautiful sunset and were reminded that amidst the darkness of life there is always a light that is shining. And so we continue to pray for these people and situations.

As you know, this weekend I have the joy of teaching three times from my Greek New Testament. Tomorrow night, I get to tell about what God is doing in a faraway country that used to be called Abyssinia, and how He has stooped so low as to actually use little ol’ me in that work. Simply because I am His. Simply because He loves me. Unreservedly. He asks me to follow in His footsteps, pure and simple. I want to save the whole world, and I’m awed by the size of the task. I feel like I’m on the edge of something hugely important in my life this year. It’s like God is going to take Becky and me on the adventure of a lifetime, and we don’t even know where we’re going. It’s getting crazy, this living the Christian life. I’m finding myself being willing to jettison anything in life — including relationships that drag me down — to follow Jesus to the weirdest places. And I want lots of people to share this crazy dream with me. I have to smile when I think of the 36 years God has given Becky and me. What makes our marriage work is that we share with each other at the deepest levels. We have no secrets. In strict confidentiality, I spoke with her at length over dinner about a personal challenge I am facing right now. Difficult decisions need to be made. What a joy to have a listening ear and some very, very wise counsel. There’s nothing that I don’t want her to hear or see or feel.

And so I live in faith, seeing the power of God keeping her alive, and I continue to dream big dreams and make big plans for us. I pray, “Lord, please use us this year to extend your kingdom as never before.”

That’s a good starting point for a new year, if you ask me.

2:46 PM Just back from a most wonderful day on campus. Right I’m prepping three messages for this weekend, so I don’t have much time to blog. But I just had to show yall this photo:

Becky spent last night preparing the most delicious homemade break and soup combination to serve the “Goldston Boys” who have helped us so willingly with farm work. It was a bit of a short notice, so only three of them could join us (left to right): Luke, Johnny, and Laki. Honey, the meal was a huge success. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this labor of love. Luke, by the way, is in my Greek 1 class and today won our first Greek spelling bee, thus receiving a free copy of one of my books. Way to go, Dr. Luke, and keep up the good work.

Before I go I thought I’d show you this picture of the “Wailing Wall” in my office.

Students, these wonderful papers and exams from last semester are patiently awaiting retrieval by their beloved owners. And yes, I did grade all of them myself — as you know, mygraders don’t grade for me.

But back to my Greek New Testament, my favorite book in all the world.

Peace out,

Dave

Thursday, January 3

7:52 PM Just finished watching the end of the movie Gettysburg with Becky. The Confederates may have lost the battle on the field, but I’d say they won the battle of the facial hair.

7:34 PM The 2013 Biblical Conference is almost here (Feb. 7-8). Speakers include:

  • Klemens Stock: “Jesus’ Person and Jesus’ Word in Mark’s Gospel: At the Heart of Evangelization.”

  • Thomas Lane: “Jesus as the Fulfillment of Judaism and Jewish Feasts.”

  • Carlos Pereira: “Natural Knowledge of God in Sacred Scripture (Wisdom and St. Paul) and St. Thomas (Exegetical Commentaries).”

  • George David Byers: “The Immaculate Conception, Mother of the Redeemer, in Genesis 3:15.”

My paper is entitled “On the Pauline Authorship of Hebrews.”

If you live in the greater DC area and would like to attend, write me and I’ll be glad to furnish more details.

5:16 PM Odds and ends …

1) Here’s my beginning Greek class taking their first quiz today. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better group of students. Of course, I say that about every class.

2) The latest from Nigusse … he’s been to the City of David, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, and the Western Wall. Today he visited “New Testament Jerusalem.” He writes:

I was completely amazed and overwhelmed by the things I experience over here. My professor is great. I Just I am so busy every day enjoying class study and field visit. Thank you !!!

3) Got this email today:

Dear Prof. Black. I’d like to memorize a single book from the Greek NT as an aid to internalizing and retaining the language. Ideally, this book will cover the vast majority of forms, syntax/constructions, and vocabulary. What book do you think fits this description? Is grammatically dense and comprehensive and yet not too long?

Many Thanks

I responded as follows:

Hey Michael. I would strongly recommend Philippians. It’s a great book, short, and all about living for the Gospel.

Have you seenthis?

Many blessings,

Dave Black

4) Checkthis out:

You go Steve!

5) Luther College announces an opening inBiblical Studies.

4:58 PM Hello blogerdom. Thanks for tuning it.

Last night I began to reread a superb work. It’s calledViolence, and the author is none other than Jacque Ellul. He’s been talking about committing acts of violence toward others. Here’s one quote that I underscored (p. 141):

So, if a Christian feels that he must participate in a violent movement (or in a war!), let him do so discerningly. He ought to be the one who, even as he acts with the others, proclaims the injustice and the unacceptability of what he and they are doing. He ought to be the mirror of truth in which his comrades perceive the horror of their action.

Now, at the same time (as you know), I’ve been re-reading Shaara’sThe Killer Angels, a story about the Battle of Gettysburg. Let me point out one scene. I do so because it illustrates that there was something in General Lee’s consciousness that seemingly prevented self-approbation for what he was doing. “Let us not speak of that now” – how often one reads these words coming from the lips of Lee or Longstreet. Both had broken their oaths; both had been propelled into the war by circumstances beyond their control.

Here’s Shaara’s description of Lee:

So it was no cause and no country he fought for, no ideal and justice. He fought for his people, for the children and the kin, and not even the land, because not even the land was worth the war, but the people were, wrong as they were, insane even as many of them were, they were his, he belonged with his own. And so he took up arms willfully, knowingly, in perhaps the wrong cause against his own sacred oath and stood now upon alien ground he had once sworn to defend, sworn in honor, and he arrived there really in the hands of God, without any choice at all; there has never been an alternative except to run away, and he could not do that. But Longstreet was right, of course: he had broken the vow. And he would pay. He knew that and accepted it. He had already paid.

These words, of course, are those of the novelist, not of Lee himself. But I can imagine Lee having similar conflicting thoughts about the war. Christians of all stripes do so today. The point that Jacque Ellul is making in his book Violence is that followers of Jesus ought never to feel the need to rebel against governments. They are called to be the ultimate non-conformists. Lee, I think, knew that. I sense he felt that patriotism, true patriotism, could exist without militarism.

A warrior who lived many decades later would have agreed. The man I am talking about is Captain Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Here he is, in his own words:

I would give anything to retract my actions of twenty-nine years ago at Pearl Harbor, but it is impossible. Instead, now I work at striking the deathblow to the basic hatred which infests the human heart and causes such tragedies. And that hatred cannot be uprooted without assistance from Jesus Christ.

Now that is powerful. Fuchida had led the attack on Pearl Harbor, but God had brought him to faith in Christ and into the service of the Prince of Peace. Can any power be stronger than hate? Fuchida would say that such power exists in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know there are any number of questions this blog post has left unanswered. But at least it’s something to think on. The good news is that, on That Day, creation will be free of all diabolical influences and God’s will shall be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” When the reign of God is fully established, violence will completely cease.

Blessings,

… and be kind to one another!

Dave

Wednesday, January 2

5:55 AM I have a wonderful day ahead of me. Ten points to anybody who can tell us why I’m so excited. I’m going back into the classroom! However, before I make the drive to the Forest of Wake, I wanted to share with you an insight God gave me. As I was reading Isaiah 6 last night, I realized something. Do you remember what Isaiah said when he encountered the Living God?

“Woe is me!”

And then …

“Here am I. Send me!”

This is the biblical order of things, and it needs to be encouraged. Up to now, much of my blogging has been about the need to go. I can’t afford to do that any longer. I think it’s important to return to the Scriptural order:

Woe, then Go.

It seems to me that it is much easier to go than to be smitten with the conviction of personal sin. But before we are fit to serve, there must be conviction, confession, cleansing, and consecration. No one is ready to say “Send me!” who has not first fallen on his or her knees and cried out, “Woe is me!”

Our Lord gave us the command to go, the power to go, and the resources to go. All true. But the bottleneck is often our callousness to sin. A couple of weeks ago I made a deliberate choice to put an idol of mine on the altar and let God have control of it. Suddenly, a dam of tears overwhelmed me and I could once again feel the deep love of Christ for a lost world. I’m not saying that we should live in a state of perpetual introspection. I am saying that when lost souls are at stake, we can’t let sin and greed and our idols call the shots.

And souls are at stake. Countless numbers of them. Winston Churchill once said of England’s airmen, “Never did so many owe so much to so few.” Today, when it comes to missions, we might say, “Never did so few owe so much to so many.” We — you and I — are debtors to get the Gospel to every person on this earth. As long as Christ’s work is unfinished, our work is unfinished. That we are NOT getting the job done ought to be cause of sorrow and repentance. When the needs of the world are presented, let us not overlook the fact that Isaiah first collapsed before a holy God before taking a single step of service.

And so I pray. I pray that the God of Service, whom I am getting to know a little bit better each year, would also be the God of Repentance. The more I read about God’s Son, the more I realize that my motivation in missions meanseverything. I want to hate sin like He does. Perhaps then I can live as purely, as scandalously, and as sacrificially as He does.

And maybe, just maybe, I will finally get this missions thing right.

5:42 AM You really gotta hand it to Nick Norelli. When he promises to review a book, the manfollows through. I am too preoccupied these days with my own book projects to produce many reviews, but I thoroughly enjoy Nick’s work. I imagine very few of us could match his prodigious output. Nick, I commend you not only for the quantity but the quality of your reviews. Thank you for keeping the rest of us abreast, although the mass of publications today has now become so great that no one scholar can possibly be in touch with all of it.

So … kudos, congratulations, and a hearty “Thank You!”

Tuesday, January 1

5:38 PM A few quick notes …

1) The Ramiscals just left. We had a delightful time. Praise the Lord, God has taken care of them in wonderful ways during their stay in Wake Forest, and Jayson hopes to graduate this May. I guess that will depend to a certain degree on how well he does in the LXX class, which is being co-taught by the orneriest, most recalcitrant Greek professor in the history of the world.

2) Tonight I’m doing final preparations for my Greek 1 class that starts tomorrow. I never tire of teaching beginning Greek grammar. May God open our eyes to the need to be adequately trained to teach His Word.

3) We finally heard from Nigusse, who writes:

Mom and Dad,

Happy New Year to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today I had fascinating visit of the Old city, Mount olives, Kedron Valley. It brings the Bible to life!!! Awesome!!!!! Thank you very much for sending me to such an important place for my understanding of Scripture to my life and ministry as well. Praise God!!!!!

My professor is Dr. Beck. He has been teaching for the last 17 years this course. He is great!!!!!

Please give my greetings to all the farm and animals….

Sure will, Nigu. Sheba and Dayda say hi.

4) My goal for 2013? To learn how to be a disciple of Christ rather than merely a student of the Bible. I have shamefully hoarded Christian knowledge. I want to begin to internalize the commands of Christ and live a lifestyle of sacrifice, service, and suffering for His sake. Is this even possible? “For God has not given us the Spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7). In Christ, it is possible. Praise be to God. 

11:05 AM Want to know what I think “scholarship” is? Andrew Rozalowski’sinterview has the answer.

10:36 AM As I said, even though Nigusse is away we’re not alone, as Becky has filled our social calendar — which is how we like it. Today we are blessed to have the Ramiscal family with us. Jayson is one of my students at the seminary and also happens to hail from the 50th State. What a delightful surprise when they showed up today with Kona coffee and a box of chocolate-covered Macadamia nuts.

Right now Bec is giving them the cook’s tour of Maple Ridge while I’m adding a few items to the Greek Portal. (See theWhat’s New? page.) Please, please — if you see something we need to add, let me know.

P.S. Becky and I met in the cafeteria line at Biola when I offered her a chocolate-covered Macadamia nut. As the old joke goes, she’s been nuts about me ever since.

8:52 AM Looking ahead, I’m scheduled to teach the Greek exegesis of Philippians at Calvary Baptist Seminary this summer. The dates are June 17-21 (Monday through Friday). If you are in the Philly area and would like to brush up on your Greek, I’d love to see you there.

Why Philippians?

The Philippian church was riddled with factions and rent by cliques. Unable to get along with each other, they took refuge in the alibi that unity was not really all that important. The fact is, their priority system was faulty. During WW II, our national leaders had a lot to say about “hyphenated Americans,” German-Americans, for example, whose loyalty was divided between Germany and the U.S. Too many churches today have become hyphenated because their loyalty is divided between the Gospel and something else. We talk glibly about “God and country.” Or else our loyalty is first of all to “our church” and then to the universal kingdom of God. We place temporal value on eternal things and eternal value on temporal things, like padded pews and lush carpets. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not calling for perfect Christians. Neither is the apostle Paul (see Phil. 3:12 ff.). There are no perfect Christians, but there can be undivided loyalty.

The real message of Philippians is not about joy. It’s about priorities, about what comes first and foremost in our lives. “The only thing that matters,” says Paul, “is that you live together as good citizens of heaven in a way that the Gospel of Christ requires” (1:27).

I’ll try to flesh all this out in the class. Again, I would love to see you there.

8:04 AM Many of you are currently struggling with how to carry out your convictions about New Testament ecclesiology. I should know: I receive many of your emails. Believe me, I share the same struggles. Let me offer a brief word I hope will help us all as we begin a new year.

I’ve discovered through the years that there are two types of knowledge. The first is knowing WHAT. That is, before we can pursue a biblical ecclesiology, we need to assemble facts together. These facts come from the Scriptures, not from any man-made traditions. As we search the Word of God, we are confronted with the truth, with basic facts about church life. Of course, many evangelicals have never even taken this first step. They remain steeped in their traditions because they have never considered what the New Testament has to say about the church.

The second kind of knowledge is knowing HOW. That is, even if we know (or think we know) what the Bible teaches about church life, there remains the enormous task of actually en-fleshing this knowledge in our daily lives and in our congregations. This is a completely different kind of knowledge than just knowing the facts. This knowledge cannot be gleaned directly from the Scriptures. We gain this knowledge through the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, who enables us to move ahead by showing us the concrete steps we should take and, just as importantly, how and when we should take them. This takes a lot of discernment, and this discernment can only come from God, just as truth comes from God.

As a history buff, let me an offer an analogy from the 1860s of what I am trying to say. When Union General John Buford arrived at Gettysburg at noon on June 30, 1863, he already had a general idea of the terrain. A glance at his map revealed that Gettysburg was a vital road junction. He knew that whoever controlled Gettysburg could out-maneuver his enemy. He knew all of this intellectually.

But once he arrived on the scene he had to move from a two-dimensional world of a map to a three-dimensional understanding of the actual terrain. And, as all students of the American Civil War know, by choosing to defend McPherson’s Ridge, Buford and his First Cavalry Division were able to hold off the attackers until the Union Army arrived.

“The map is not the terrain,” is how a military instructor at West Point might put it. And so it is in the Christian life. Change — all change — begins with the renewing of our minds as we study the pure Word of God and begin to wean ourselves from worldly or non-biblical traditions. But then, as we move from intellectual comprehension to practical implementation, we must also move from map to terrain, as it were. We are now “on the spot”; we are “boots on the ground.” We are forced to make judgment calls. We have to decide such questions as where, when, by whom, and how fast (or slow)? There are no set answers to any of these questions. At least I haven’t found any.

Certainly, if the church is to be the church, all of us must move from the map to the terrain. But therein lies the rub. And that is precisely where so many of us struggle. My hope is that as the Lord Jesus leads you along this wonderful but sometimes frightening journey, He will keep you challenged and occupied with healthy, positive, and happy thoughts and deeds.

7:45 AM The Greek Portal is live. I am jazzed. It’s got about 50 times more stuff in it than the old portal. Anyways, why don’t you mosey on over and have a look see?

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