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January 2011 Blog Archives

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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

January 2011 Blog Archives

Monday, January 31

5:15 PM One of the things I so appreciated aboutthis report from Arthur Sido is his reference to the practice of the “holy kiss”; and, indeed, I quite agree that the practice will seem strange to many of us who live in North America. But in Ethiopia it is practiced among all believers: men kissing men, men kissing women, women kissing women, and women kissing men (there is usually no distinction made between the genders).

Of course, the “kiss” is often no more than a light brushing of cheeks or sometimes even a mere “shoulder to shoulder” hug.

But there is physical contact — and this in a culture that also practices the more distant handshake.

In addition (and, brother Arthur, I hope you’re sitting down!), men hold hands with other men in public. I do it all the time — and love it! Here I am with Nigussie, an Alaba church leader, as we walk through the village of Dayda.

Seems to me the church in the U.S. could learn a thing or two from our Ethiopian brothers and sisters about the “holy kiss.”

2:20 PM I was a bit surprised to see that Jim Wallis wasmoderating sessions this year in Davos. I’m not sure what the World Economic Forum has to do with discipleship. World peace initiatives, mammoth aid drives, gigantic government programs often set out to do one thing while God is out to do something else. Jesus did not come to convert civilization but to take out a people for Himself, and His business should be the business of all Christians. As He put it, “I must work the works of the one who sent me” (John 9:4). I know I’m beginning to sound like an Anabaptist. But the church cannot succeed by secular standards and kingdom values. Jesus calls us to a new community of discipleship, a countercultural community that walks to the beat of a different drum.

2:12 PM Just accepted an invitation to give a guest lecture in a colleague’s class. Josh Waggener teaches church music at the seminary and has asked me to talk about the poetry of the New Testament when he introduces early church and patristic worship practices on Feb. 22. Love the cross-fertilization of the disciplines!

2:05 PM Today Becky allowed me to take her out for lunch. Isn’t she sweet?

11:26 AM B & H Academic have announced the release of the second edition of Craig Blomberg’s Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey. Writes Howard Marshall:

Nothing of significance that has appeared in the last dozen years seems to have been missed by Craig Blomberg and his assistants in this careful updating of his well-received survey text on the Gospels and Jesus in order to fit it for a fresh generation of students. This is a rich resource from which even the seasoned scholar can pick up valuable material.

The Amazon listing may be foundhere.

10:02 AM In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is the servant of all servants, reaching, preaching, teaching, caring, healing — tirelessly! I think Paul was the same way. Just read the so-called Peristasenkataloge (forgive me for using a term popularized by Rudolph Bultmann but it is a good one!) in 2 Corinthians 6 and 11. “We have often been overworked.” “I have worked much harder (than the pseudo-apostles.)” “Often I have gone without sleep.” Where in the world did we get the idea that we are to work only 8 hours a day and only 40 hours a week? Not from the Bible. Paul says we are to “buy up the time” — as if time were a precious commodity to be used to the full.

Thomas Edison was a famous inventor. By the time he was 80 had had taken out 1,000 patents. He worked 18 hours a day and slept only when he was tired. This remarkable man once said, “Time is not a commodity that can be stored for future use. It must be invested hour by hour or else it is gone forever.”

Student, are you making the most of your time in school? One day you and I will have to turn in an account of our academic stewardship (Luke 16:1-2). Note that carefully! We are required to be stewards of God’s gifts to us, and not just stewards, but trustworthy ones (1 Cor. 4:1). When I was in seminary I determined before the Lord that, with His divine enablement, I would get an A in every class I took. Did I always succeed? No. But we will never reach higher than what we aim for.

To be a student is a great privilege. It is also a great responsibility. Let us, then, be good stewards of our time and shake off all sloth!

8:43 AM Alan Knox reveals the secrets of his approach to biblical interpretation. His series on Colossians beginshere.

8:41 AM Paul Himes has some helpful insights on singleness in his essayHow to be a “singles-minded church” (without necessarily having a “singles ministry”).

8:14 AM Read the latest news from Egypt — inclassical Greek!

8:08 AM The University of Saint Mary announces an opening inTheology/Pastoral Ministry. And no, that is not an oxymoron.

8:02 AM My friend Rod Decker wrote (Answering Dave Black on Mark 1:12):

Dave Black (on his non-blog blog ) asked today….

If I may … mine is not a “non-blog” at all. It is an “un-blog.”

The Dave Black Blog: The Un and Only!

7:52 AM In the bookThe Last Templar, the antagonist named Vance describes the Gospel of Mark as follows (p. 323):

“None of the Gnostic Gospels had a passion narrative,” Vance pointed out, “but the four gospels Irenaeus chose did. They spoke about Jesus’ death on the Cross and about His resurrection. They linked the story being promoted to the fundamental ritual of the Eucharist, the Last Supper. And they didn’t even start off that way,” he scoffed. “In its earliest version, the first of them to be include, the Gospel of Mark, doesn’t talk about a virgin birth at all, nor does it have the Resurrection in it. It just ends with Jesus’ empty tomb, where a mysterious young man, a transcendental being of some kind, like an angel, tells a group of women who come to the tomb that Jesus is waiting for them in Galilee. And this terrifies these women. They run off and they don’t tell anyone about it — which makes you wonder how Mark or whoever wrote that gospel would have ever heard about it in the first place. But that’s how Mark originally ended his gospel. It’s only in Matthew – fifty years later – and then in Luke, ten years after that, that elaborate post-Resurrection appearances were added to Mark’s original ending, which is itself then rewritten.”

Who says textual criticism and source criticism aren’t interesting subjects! Especially if you are a young Christian, settle it in your mind once and for all what you believe about the historical origins of the Gospels and whether the final verses of Mark are original.

This is one reason I am asking my exegesis of Mark students to readPerspectives on the Ending of Mark this semester.

7:30 AM Interesting statementhere:

Torrance was a student of Karl Barth, who discovered the church fathers.

Yes, one indeed has to discover the fathers — and their significance for biblical interpretation. Perhaps one could also say:

Black was a student of Bo Reicke, who discovered the church fathers.

7:07 AM What is the significance of the Greek aorist?

MADE US ALIVE IN THE GREEK TEXT IS AN AORIST TENSE VERBThe aorist tense in Greek grammar signifies (among other things) completed action. God has completely made us alive; we are completely alive in Christ

ReadAlive with Christ and then decide whether this is exegesis or eisegesis. I think you can guess where I stand.

Sunday, January 30

8:20 PM For those of you in Australia who were kind enough to request a review copy ofWhy Four Gospels? please be patient with us. I am told that delivery to Australia is about 10 days, so do not think we have forgotten you if you should not receive your book immediately!

8:08 PM We had a good day today. The kind when you enjoy the fellowship of believers you’ve not seen for a while. The kind of day that makes you glad you know churches like Bethany.

I spoke, Becky spoke, and (I think) the Spirit moved in our midst. I talked about what God is doing in such places as Egypt, Iraq, and Iran. I feel like we are on the verge of something huge right now in terms of missions and the kingdom. The world is such an odd kaleidoscope of conflicting movements and agendas. Many of its problems are due to colonization and nationalism. The fact is, the world is being readied for Antichrist, for the Big Lie, for the final delusion. Nations are choosing the false and God lets them reap the consequences of their choice. We might as well face it. World news is nothing but a set of grim facts. Things don’t make sense, the nations make fun of the Christian faith, and demons dance in their glee. This age is a wreck but God sent His Son to be the Second Adam of a new race of people, and as many as received Him became sons and daughters of God and heirs of the coming kingdom. While the world is torn in strife and politicians debate issues, we cannot forget that our salvation is accomplished and our Lord’s work has been completed on the cross. I do not rejoice over the distress of nations, but when all these things come to pass I am bidden to look up because all of this means that the age is fast drawing to its close and the Lord will soon return. Meanwhile, behind all the bad news reads the Good News: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The way has been opened into the Presence of God but it is the way of the blood. God has no favorites but He does have intimates. My prayer is that when the nation of Egypt — or Iran or Iraq — blows wide open for the Gospel, we in North America will be willing to offer hope to them, and even be willing to die in the process if necessary. Such was also the thrust of Becky’s talk as she talked about the faithfulness of the persecuted flock in Ethiopia.

Becky and I spent the afternoon in prayer and fasting. Acutely aware of pressing needs both here and abroad, we brought to bear upon them through prayer the mercy and power of God. Prayer is not an appendix to Christianity; it is the very essence of the Christian faith. Prayer does make a difference. Elijah attempted great things for God and expected great things from God. In prayer he teamed up with the Almighty and the two of them were worth more to Israel than mighty horsemen and chariots. Our Lord Jesus spent most of His time out and about among the crowds, but He withdrew to pray for further ministry. Sometimes we need to quit talking and turn to God. There is no use trying to serve the King unless we are willing to yield our unsurrendered selves, consenting to our crucifixion with Christ, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, and walking in the Spirit.

Tomorrow I will continue my studies in the Gospel of Mark. This Tuesday my students will begin teaching the class. I trust that what at first may seem as a duty to them will end up being a joy. Above all, I hope we will learn the lesson of Mark: that discipleship is always costly, that it requires the cross, obedience, and self-denial, that only Jesus can straighten out our warped thinking when we measure our lives by quantitative, not qualitative, standards. We learn it slowly but learn it we must: “Apart from me … Nothing.”

Saturday, January 29

8:44 PM Need a good capper for the day? Then read Allan Bevere’s comments on theEgyptian protests. Ausgezeichnet, Allan!

8:36 PM Rod Decker, who will be publishing his own commentary on Mark in the (near?) future, has published hisresponse to my query about prepositional prefix morphemes in the Gospel of Mark (see 10:10 am below). Among his many perceptive comments is the following:

Im not sure I like the way the question is phrased. It implies that only a certain answer is compatible with inspiration. If I believe in the verbal inspiration of Scripture (and I do), of course the prefixes are inspired. But thats not the question. The question is, do prepositional prefixes always change the meaning of any verb to which they are prefixed? Must κατα- always add a perfective/intensive nuance? The examples you cite imply that it does. There is no question that sometimes they do, but always? Perhaps what we should be asking is, How do we determine if/when a prepositional prefix adds some nuance, and if so, what is it?

This is much clearer than my original question. Thank you, Rod, for the correction. Naturally, for one who believes in verbal plenary inspiration, every word, everywhere is God-breathed. The same goes for a word’s constituent morphemes. The real question is: What do these morphemes mean, in context?

The compound verb I struggle with the most is perhaps kataphileo in Mark 14:45. Judas kisses Jesus. That’s clear enough. But what does the prefix kata suggest, if anything? The ISV has, “kissed him tenderly.” Would “affectionately” work better? I simply do not know. I do know that in Ethiopia there are various levels of affection/intensity when kissing a brother or sister in Christ, depending on the closeness of the relationship.

Any thoughts on kataphileo, Rod?

7:56 PM It hit me tonight, as Becky and I enjoyed dinner at the local Pizza Hut, just how media crazy our society is. The restaurant had not one, not two, not three, but four television sets blaring away, each set on a different channel. On the way home Becky remarked to me, “I hate to think of how much time I wasted watching TV growing up.” I, unfortunately, grew up watching TV every evening, and when I hit puberty things only got worse. Truth be told, I’ve spent a lot of wasted time in front of the television set, though from time to time one finds something truly worth watching — as, for example tonight.

On one TV set they were showing the news from Egypt. It’s hard to watch the death and destruction going on there. I’m firmly convinced that Egypt has absolutely the most beautiful scenery in the world, or at least in the countries of Africa I’ve visited so far. The week Becky and I spent there in 1985 was unforgettable. I hadn’t reckoned on seeing the Gaza Pyramids and the Sakhara Pyramids and the Valley of the Kings and the Cairo Museum and King Tut’s Tomb. When B and I decided to take public transportation from Jerusalem to Cairo people thought we were insane. And maybe we were. But crossing the Sinai and the Suez Canal was an unforgettable experience for us, as was our train journey to Luxor in an overnight sleeper car — a creepy old relic from the British era, I’m sure. From first to last our self-guided tour of Egypt was a fascinating experience, in which we drank deeply of this historic nation. Before returning to the States I decided to buy my camel saddle and bring it home with me. Today it sits in my Wake Forest office, a reminder of a wonderful trip to one of the world’s most historic places, knowing that today it is going through the throes of a revolution and there is nothing I can do about itsave pray.

Meanwhile, I try and remain focused on the work at hand. Thank you, all of you, for the way you’ve supported the needs in Ethiopia in recent days. You’ve shown your love and care for people you’ll never meet. For some reason the Lord Jesus has allowed you to tangle your lives up in the fabric of a place many thousands of miles away. Because of your generosity Becky and I have been able to send the church in Alaba money to repair their damaged vehicle and to provide medical care for those wounded in the recent attacks on Christians. Thank you for standing in the gap with us. For being the conduit of God’s mercy and love. For joining us in the adventure of a lifetime.

Reality is so much better than living vicariously through a television set, isn’t it?

2:54 PM Did Peter follow John the Baptist?

2:37 PM Rick Saenz asksHow much teaching is enough? He raises some good questions indeed. Rick comments:

My proposal is simple: before starting a sermon, the preacher should quickly state the point he is about to make, then excuse anyone who has heard enough on that point. What would those of us who are excused do instead? Well, I suppose we could discuss some other point of doctrine that interested us more.

This is one of the best blog posts I’ve read in a long time. As I said earlier today, much of the “information” we get about the Bible could be received in one fourth the time if we simply sat down and read it — and this might well include a synopsis of our sermons.

2:26 PM A reminder to all SEBTS doctoral students: The deadline for submitting a paper proposal for this year’s ETS southeastern regional meeting in Georgia (March 25-26) is Feb. 1. Gohere for details.

1:38 PM Denver Seminary’s Alemayehu (Alex) Mekonnen writes an excellent piece on the importance offasting and prayer in the early church. He notes:

I encourage you to go through the Scriptures and discover how God responded to an earnest and fervent prayer. The church in Antioch has grasped this truth and was practicing it. Their spiritual disciplines and theological convictions made huge contribution to the inward growth of the believers and to the outreach ministry of the church.

What do you think? Do you sometimes fast when you pray? Should you?

Incidentally, this essay is just one part in a series that Alex has written on the church in Antioch. The entire series is well worth your time. You will notice a missions heartbeat in everything Alex writes, as he is an Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies at Denver and has also taught in Nairobi.

1:17 PM Wow! It looks like Houston Baptist University ishiring!

12:30 PM If the Bible is truly God’s “GPS for the soul,” does it matter which version we use? Just askin’….

11:34 AM Looking forward to teaching the Word and sharing about the glory of the Lord in Ethiopia at Bethany Baptist Church near Moriah, NC tomorrow. Service time is 10:30.

10:28 AM Andrew (whose delightful blog keeps me coming back for more) asksWhat Value Have the Fathers? For what it’s worth, here’s what I wrote in the preface to the second edition ofWhy Four Gospels?:

To suggest that evangelical Christians should pay attention to the fathers will strike many as absurd. Is not the very hallmark of Protestant Christianity the commitment to a text-centered hermeneutic?

But then I add this:

Though I am very happy to be classified as a text-based exegete of the New Testament, it will be clear that I think we have abandoned a rich source of knowledge. For me, this means that although I delight in studying and reading the New Testament in its original language, I think it is an advantage — rather than a detriment — to learn Scripture through the works of Tertullian, Luther, Calvin, and Yoder. Indeed, I believe that the fragmented and atomistic approach to the New Testament documents today is often merely an excuse for intellectual laziness.

If you think that’s bad, check out this statement from the same preface!

The late Bernard Orchard once quipped to me that, if I took the fathers’ writings seriously, I — an evangelical Christian — would be accused of being a Roman Catholic in Protestant clothing! I sometimes put the matter this way to my students: If reading the church fathers critically makes me a catholic (please note the small “c”), then so be it.

10:10 AM Are the prepositional prefix morphemes found in certain verbs in the Gospel of Mark inspired? My guess is that they are. In other words, the author could have used the simplex form of the verb but didn’t. Shouldn’t we, therefore, try to reflect that usage in translation? Here are a few examples involving the prefix kata:

1:36: katadioko. ISV: “searched diligently for”; NIV: “went to look for”
10:16: kateulogeo. ISV: “tenderly blessed”; NIV: “blessed”
14:45: kataphileo. ISV: “kissed him tenderly”; NIV: “kissed”

Is the ISV guilty here of “over-translation”? What do you think? How would you translate these compound verbs?

9:51 AM Andy Bowden wants to know: What did the apostle Paul do when he wasn’t preaching? His surprising answer is foundhere.

9:48 AM My colleague Bruce Ashford thinks Phil Hopkins’ new bookGod’s Desire for the Nations is worth reading. So do I!

9:40 AM Andrew Rozalowsky has raised avitally important question. During my 35 some odd years of teaching, as I have often mentioned, several factors have combined to shape my approach to graduate theological education. Let me mention one or two of them.

1) The purpose of a seminary, in my opinion, is not to disseminate information. Most of what we learn in lectures can be gotten in one fourth the time by reading books. Now here is a very curious thing. I found that most of my college and seminary professors used the “you sit still and I instill” approach to teaching. We students would sometimes describe the process in less flattering terms: “One end gets numb and the other end gets dumb.” The access of knowledge over the past 20 years via the Internet has made strict lecturing redundant in many cases. The classroom, I think, could better be utilized for discussion of what the students have already read prior to coming to class.

2) My second point is possibly a bit more controversial. In my view, the purpose of a formal biblical education is primarily to equip students with the tools they need for their own research. I realize, again, that I have been influenced by my own experience as a student. As I sat through my English Bible classes in seminary I was shocked by what I considered to be a travesty of the text. I think in particular of a course on 1-2 Corinthians in which we barely made it through the first epistle before the semester ended! The experience of taking the biblical languages and courses in pedagogy made the greatest impression on my young mind. I felt that a student’s basic commitment was to the truth, and that one should be able to follow the evidence wherever it led in an atmosphere of free inquiry. I still feel this way. For me, the opportunity I had of devoting my time in seminary to honing my exegetical and hermeneutical skills was enjoyable beyond words — and all of this within the parameters of confessional evangelical institutions. (I know some people who think that one cannot be a true scholar if one espouses evangelical convictions about the Bible, but I do not agree with them.)

Of course, I have known some excellent expositors of the English Bible who taught from a reservoir of Bible knowledge rather than from the canteen of Saturday night. But I dare say, the reason I had confidence in their preaching was that I sensed that underneath the 10 percent was the other ninety percent of the iceberg — a solid foundation in the languages of Scripture.

The evangelical’s acceptance of the Bible as the written Word of God forces me to study it in its original languages, and I can think of no better foundation in seminary than a linguistic education for the cultivation of sound biblical hermeneutics.

8:25 AM Once again, Eric Carpenter reminds us that New Testament church gatherings werehighly participatory. He is right of course. But we must be careful not to make anything, not even our desire to share together when we assemble, into a god. The real challenge is to demonstrate the reality of our fellowship by such things as sympathy, forgiveness, practical help, prayer, and — yes — a commitment to seeing that everything is done decently and in order during our gatherings (and sometimes, Eric, this may mean acquiescing to just sitting there quietly during a worship service out of deference and respect for the church leadership). What a vast area of thought that opens up! It is not just during the gathering that we are the Body of Christ. We are saints together all week long. The need may be to visit a shut-in or help look after a neighbor’s child or express sympathy in an hour of grief or simply intercede on our knees when a brother or sister has a moral fall. All of this, I imagine, can happen regardless of how much “outlet” there is for sharing during the Sunday gathering.

Above all, we must remember that the gathering exists for the going, as I have so often said. House churches have often been criticized for being too inward looking. If you disagree with this assessment, prove your critics wrong!

8:02 AM Who do you know who shares your passion for the kingdom? Whose iron is sharpening yours? From whom are you gaining courage and maturity?

Teammates:

Help share the workload with us. We are “yoked together” in ministry.
Stir us up to greater faithfulness.
Delight in our successes and weep with us when we face disappointments.
Are not afraid to challenge our faulty thinking. “Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy.” It’s good to hear the truth even when it hurts.
Are intercessors. They have accepted the responsibility for holding us up before God.

Who are your special friends, the teammates in your life whose spiritual passion has been a blessing to you? Why not pause and thank God for them right now?

7:55 AM Playing church or doing the kingdom?

This Jesus paradigm this downward path I have been describing offers us a completely alternative vision of the church. The old Christendom model exalts the church as church. In Christendom our ultimate identity lies in being good church goers. It involves accepting Jesus as our Savior. It means sound preaching and believing the right doctrines. Our primary concern becomes doing church right. So if we hold to the right doctrines and preach expositionally and worship in the right way and refrain from evil practices, we are good Christians. Jesus, on the other hand, came to inaugurate the kingdom of God. In the Jesus paradigm, our ultimate identity lies in being kingdom builders. His kingdom now becomes our focus. Jesus bids us to enter the kingdom and follow Him. In this kingdom, denominations and church loyalty ultimately mean nothing. His was never a kingdom of earthly power, status, and influence to begin with.

FromThe Jesus Paradigm.

7:48 AM Jacob Cerone asksWhat Is the Church? Why not join the discussion?

7:42 AM Nick Norelli, book reviewer par excellence, has just done it again. Read his review ofCanaan to Corinth. Nick just made my life more complicated, however. I now have to include this monograph in the final chapter of my revised Paul, Apostle of Weakness (in which I deal with thetopos of weak/strong in Corinth).

P.S. For a complete list of Nick’s outstanding reviews, gohere.

7:34 AM Missions quote of the day (Matt Capps):

Many of our churches have always been committed to missions globally and locally. Our challenge to be missional takes those strategies and places them in the hands of every church member and asks them to be a missionary where they are day to day. See, being missional is primarily a way of thinking about the church and how it relates to the world.

(Note: Please ignore the comment of my colleague Bruce Ashford about Matt’s beautiful head.)

Friday, January 28

8:32 PM My sincere apologies to Brian Fulthorp for causing him suchmental distress. On the other hand, a little cognitive dissonance ain’t necessarily a bad thing!

Incidentally, if you are a blogger and would like a gratis copy ofWhy Four Gospels? for review, just let me know and I’ll get the book in the mail. That’s true even if you live Down Under 🙂

8:02 PM Well, did you read the essay by Warfield on the emotions of Jesus I linked to below? If not, you missed a huge blessing. Did you notice how Jesus handled disappointment? Did you see what He did when He was moved with compassion — or anger? He kept on serving others. It’s just that simple. He took a towel and water and basin and washed the feet of people. He thought of others more than He thought of self.

I needed that reminder today. The music had gone out of my life. My singing was suffering. I have great reason to thank Jesus for His example. Just think: Deity stooping to drudgery! Whenever I am sad, when the pain seems unbearable, my God is able to make all grace to abound, but nothing under the sun can be as dry and flat and graceless as grace without service, grace that does not glorify God nor help anyone else.

This is what we are here for. In body and in spirit, whether we are glad or sad, in sickness or health, our business is to glorify God just as Jesus glorified His Father — by doing His will and serving others.

11:16 AM I have a confession to make. For years I failed to understand the power of Satan to derail the work of God in Ethiopia. Yes, I knew that an eternal battle was raging between Christ and the devil. But I severely underestimate the severity and depth of the conflict.

Not any more.

In recent days we have seen how the devil operates. He is unspeakably cruel. He is cunning beyond all imagination. And he has unseen hosts of evil at his disposal. The Bible declares him to be:

the god of this world
the prince of the power of the air
the ruler of this world
a strong man, fully armed
a murderer from the beginning
a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour

Today, Satan is attacking along the front lines of the church in Ethiopia. The problem is much more then a clash of religions. The problem is diabolical. Its outward and visible manifestations vary. There might be open persecution. Or there might be internal dissension and carnality. Either way, these conflicts and issues are matters of the heart, the will, the conscience. In other words, our battle, again, is spiritual. It does not take place in a geographical location but in the most treacherous depths of our hearts.

This great truth brings with it an important lesson for me. Even though we can never succeed in destroying the devil, we can aim for his withdrawal. “Submit yourselves to God,” wrote James. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” God promises that the devil can be turned back, if only temporarily. What’s more, although we should expect attacks as being usual, we can also also accept them as being usable– if we allow them to help us grow our spiritual muscle. Happy the Christian who sees every attack, every trial, every setback as a means to that great end!

Church in Ethiopia, as you face the trials, temptations, and pressures of living in this evil world, may you have it as your settled aim in life to always seek God’s approval in all you do. The battle with the devil is life-long. He will attack us as long as we live. May we, then, lead a “life that is worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him” (Col. 1:10), regardless of the temporary outcome.

7:25 AM Quote of the day:

This is revolution by Twitter and revolution by Facebook, and technology long ago took away the dismal rules of censorship.

ReadEgypt’s day of reckoning.

7:15 AM Received this email yesterday:

Dave:

If you’re interested in this subject, you should read an essay by B. B. Warfield entitled “The Emotional Life of Our Lord.” Unfortunately, it’s not included in the 2-volume “Selected Shorter Writings” but it might be online somewhere.

Sure enough, the entire essay isonline. Mark students, you might want to take a look at it. Here’s a sampler:

It is Mark, for instance, who tells us explicitly (iii. 5) that the insensibility of the Jews to human suffering exhibited in a tendency to put ritual integrity above humanity, filled Jesus with indignant anger. A man whose hand had withered, met with in the synagogue one Sabbath, afforded a sort of test-case. The Jews treated it as such and watched Jesus whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. Jesus accepted the challenge. Commanding the man to rise in the midst of the assemblage, he put to them the searching question, generalizing the whole case: Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill? But, says the narrative, they kept silent. Then Jesus anger rose: he looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their heart. What is meant is, not that his anger was modified by grief, his reprobation of the hardness of their hearts was mingled with a sort of sympathy for men sunk in such a miserable condition. What is meant is simply that the spectacle of their hardness of heart produced in him the deepest dissatisfaction, which passed into angry resentment.

7:05 AM Read Will Rice’s tribute to his LabBohdi. As a dog lover, I know exactly how you feel, Will. Enjoy the memories.

6:55 AM Claire Patty reviews a wonderful missionary biography:Evidence Not Seen. She writes:

Darlene’s faith in this book completely overwhelms me. She constantly sought Jesus throughout her whole journey and never once failed to trust in Him as her Deliverer and Friend. Though she was almost starved, was working well beyond her own strength, and was emotionally and physically exhausted, she always knew her Savior was there for her.

I need to get this one. B and I have just finished reading Hudson Taylor’s bio. What a blessing good biographies are.

Thursday, January 27

10:31 PM To the author ofI Hate Greek Exegesis: I feel your pain. In fact, I’ve often inflicted it, I’m sure! Please let us profs know what we can do to improve our classes and make studying Greek more interesting. We’re not perfect!

8:18 PM I love this kind of “bar raising”:

On another note, speaking of young adults, we had an 18-year-old lead our Wednesday evening service last night at church. His name is Justin Gourley. He taught from Hebrews chapter 2, verses 1-4. Daunting passage! Yet, he handled it wonderfully! He had prepared, studied, prayed and poured much time into studying to show himself approved and was an excellent teacher. Thanks so much Justin!

Why would I turn the pulpit over to an 18-year-old? Because Im raising the bar.

ReadRaising the Bar by Kevin Brown.

7:50 PM Thank you Lord for —laundry?

7:42 PM Today I immersed myself in Mark chapter 2. Translated every verse, parsed all 121 verb forms that occur, and read through R. T. France’s commentary. Also outlined the chapter (with my own paragraph titles). Why did I do this? Because this is the assignment for my students next week, and I do not expect them to do anything I have not done first. I’ve also asked them to readRethinking the Synoptic Problem andWhy Four Gospels? for next week — which I also re-read in their entirety today.

Wow, that latter book is pretty convincing!

1:18 PM Becky and I are in the planning stages of our trip out west to take one last nostalgic look at places that are deep in our hearts and memories. Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Canyon de Chelly, Hobson Park, Tamarisk Grove, Cuyamaca. We especially miss the deserts of Arizona and California. Right now I’m trying to put together our itinerary and arrange our camper rental. I think I just found the perfect vehicle. Can’t you just see us tooling around the country in this beauty?

(Shhh, don’t tell Becky — it’s a surprise.)

1:05 PM Rondeaus, eat your heart out. Papa B is cooking Chinese food for supper tonight. By popular demand, mind you.

12:44 PM Quote of the day (Stirling Bartholomew):

Staats was a NT scholar but he had the Waltke style of teaching. No english bible, thank-you, even though the class was listed in the catalog as english bible.

Amen to that. Any time I teach so-called English Bible classes I keep finding my Greek New Testament in my hands rather than any modern English translation. Actually, in my opinion, no seminary should offer English Bible classes, period.

11:56 AM Here are two verses I pondered this morning (Eccl. 10:6-7):

Stupid people are given positions of authority while rich men are ignored. I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.

What a strange paradox: Servants on horses, and princes walking around like servants. The equestrians have become servants and the pedestrians rulers.

I thank God for those in my life who were willing to walk now and ride later. History is full of them — men and women content to live in obscurity. Many of them were my former teachers. Posterity may fail to recognize them, but I will never forget the impact they made on my life simply because they got down on my level. On the other hand, I’ve seen incompetent, inefficient men elevated to high positions. They have their reward, I suppose. But I’d much rather see a prince on foot than a flunky on horseback.

P.S. For once I would like to see a chapel speaker whose congregation numbers under 50 yet who is as faithful to the Lord Jesus as any mega-church pastor.

11:44 AM Just accepted my first Ed.D. student at SEBTS. I love education and educators!

11:39 AM The news we’ve been waiting for:

Becky’s Cyber Knife procedure at UNC has been scheduled, starting next Friday at 12:00 for a “dry run” (simulation), followed up by the real thing probably early the following week. God has been so good to us. May not one single complaint or murmur ever come from our lips!

7:58 AM At least two of you have chimed in about my question about the verb ekballo in Mark 1:12.

Rod Deckerwrites:

The present tense of [ekballo] in Mark 1:12 is used in its discourse function of marking the beginning of a new paragraph; the time reference is past. Despite Marks usual use of this compound verb in reference to exorcising demons (10 of 16 occurrences), [ekballo] need not have any connotation of force (the word has a fairly wide semantic range; BDAG, s.v. [ekballo], 299.2); contra Marcus: the violent action of the Spirit (Mark, AB, 234, see also 167).

And Thomas Hudginsconcludes:

I think the answer lies in what the authors are trying to communicate. I think Matthew has a purpose. I think Mark has a purpose. And, I think Luke has a purpose. And, John as well. When you compare how each of the synoptic authors presents Jesus’ means of arrival into the wilderness for his temptations, the authorial intentions are seen very clearly. Matt. 4:1 reads: [ho Iesous anechthe eis ten eremon]. The use of the verb [anagomai] demonstrates that Jesus was “led up” to the wilderness. This verb is very fitting for Matthew’s gospel which is presenting Jesus as the Messiah, the rightful heir to the Davidic throne. That theme is clearly seen even in the introductory geneology [sic]. Thrice David is mentioned (Mt. 1:1, 6). Like a king, Jesus is led up to the wilderness. Mark’s gospel presents Jesus, not as a king, but as the servant of God (see Mk. 10:45). You know, I actually lend myself to the translation of [ekballo] in Mk. 1:12 as “cast out.” There is quite a few uses throughout Mark where this is the understanding. The prefixed preposition with the verb has the meaning elsewhere in the gospel. I think Mark is trying to communicate that Jesus is cast out into the wildnerness [sic] like a slave.

Thomas also discusses how the verb is translated in the major Spanish versions of the Bible. I was also curious to see how French and German translations handle this matter:

Louis Segond: “l’Esprit poussa Jésus dans le désert”

Luther Bibel: “alsbald trieb ihn der Geist in die Wüste”

Any other thoughts? For what it’s worth, I tend to side with Thomas on this one, though I might prefer a term like “compel” (NLT) over “push/drive.”

7:38 AM Don’t forget: The irrepressible Michael Green (author of Evangelism Through the Local Church and many otherbooks) is a keynote speaker at this year’s 20/20 conference on campus. The dates are Feb. 4-5. For information gohere.

7:11 AM On Tuesday next we’ll be looking at the first-class textual variant in Mark 1:41. Was Jesus “moved with compassion” or was he “moved with anger”? In 1999, M. A. Proctor wrote a doctoral dissertation at Baylor defending the latter reading: “The ‘Western’ Text of Mark 1:41: A Case for the Angry Jesus.” To me, the external evidence is sufficient to show the originality of the reading “moved with compassion,” and I will argue such in class. However, I want to use this variant as a launching pad into a broader discussion of the emotions of Jesus — emotions that seem to be highlighted in Mark’s (Peter’s) Gospel. We’ll also take into account Matthew’s statement that has Jesus condemning, not all anger, but only “causeless” anger (Matt. 5:22). Here again there is a major textual variant, and once again I have sided with the minority in defending the authenticity of the little adverb “without a cause.” If you would a like .pdf copy of my Novum Testamentum article in which I discuss Matt. 5:22, I’d be happy to send it you via email attachment. Simply write to me at dblack@sebts.edu.

6:59 AM Evangelical scholarship, to a very great degree, offers few challenges to the shopworn views of the academy. Instead, it tends to affirm, almost without exception, everything we’ve been taught for decades. This is true of the synoptic problem. The place of a seminary is obvious. I want my students to face serious challenges to their presumptions, even if this threatens the shibboleths of their upbringing.

Wednesday, January 26

9:32 PM Tuesday in our Mark class we had a lengthy discussion about Mark’s style and diction. Along this line, take a look at thiswell-written essay on Markan style. The peroratio is marvelous:

The stylistic features here strongly suggest a Gospel that is to be read in a rush, with an emphasis on the oral performers gestures and tone of voice to bring out special emphases. Alongside the present or continuous past tense and repetition of immediately, they suggest a Gospel to be read at a single performance, at a fast pace, but not without dramatic pauses. And all in Everymans everyday speech.

Next Tuesday we’ll continue the discussion of Mark’s somewhat peculiar style by examining what theFathers had to say about this Gospel.

9:25 PM I have no problem whatever with self-educated pastors and church leaders, not at all. But if you are going to claim you have a doctorate, please be so kind as to tell us where you received your degree, even if it is adiploma mill in India.

9:12 PM Just prayed for the saints in Alaba, and their persecutors. I remain more deeply committed to the work there than ever before. When they suffer, it is my suffering also. But there is hope:

The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:7).

9:06 PM Wonderful sentiment from a wonderful New Testament scholar of yesteryear (J. Gresham Machen):

From the beginning, Christianity was certainly a way of life; the salvation that it offered was a salvation from sin, and salvation from sin appeared not merely in a blessed hope but also in an immediate moral change. The early Christians, to the astonishment of their neighbors, lived a strange new kind of lifea life of honesty, of purity and of unselfishness. And from the Christian community all other types of life were excluded in the strictest way. From the beginning Christianity was certainly a life.

8:44 PM Bec’s up! She had something to eat (I made her some Jell-O and macaroni and cheese), sent out an email to our private Ethiopia update list about the persecution in Alaba, and is now sipping some hot tea while watching an episode of Wagon Train. The quiet around here, however, is deafening. Seems a bit of laryngitis has set in.

When you say your prayers tonight, please ask God to help Becky’s sore throat to improve, will you?

Gracias, amigos!

6:24 PM Was Jesus “pushed” into the wildness by the Spirit to be tested by Satan? One writerseems to think so:

Before Jesus can begin his ministry, the Holy Spirit leads him (in Mark’s Gospel he is pushed) out into the wilderness.

The Greek verb here is ekballo. The text says that the Spirit “ekballoed” Jesus into the wilderness (Mark 1:12). The same verb is used to describe the way Jesus would “cast out” (ekballo) demons. It seems to be a strong term, but did the Spirit have to force (“push”) Jesus to submit to temptation? The Message has, “At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild.”

What do you think? How would you translate ekballo in Mark 1:12?

4:22 PM Substitute teaching is a thankless job that requires gobs of patience. But nothing prepares you for the classroom quite like it. So my hat’s off to Alex Stewart for subbing for me today in my Greek class while I was at UNC. Hope you enjoyed the students as much as I do!

4:02 PM Students in my exegesis of Mark class will definitely want to check outthis new book.

3:50 PM Love this quote about teaching (Donald D. Quinn):

If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher’s job.

3:37 PM Becky and I are so pleased with our thoracic surgeon at UNC. He tells us that everything went well today. He implanted 6 gold fiducials without any trouble, so now we await word from the radiology department for our next “hot date” at UNC for Cyber Knife. Right now Becky is resting comfortably — a little sore but doing fine. As always, she brightened up every room she went into today and even had a chance to pray with one of the hospital staff. Ministry is ministry, regardless of the location.

Thanks a whole bunch for your intercession on our behalf!

4:42 AM Off to UNC on a wing and a prayer. Becky’s cancer in her lungs is now in 4 of the 5 lobes. Her brochoscopy today is greatly needed.

4:40 AM What my trips to Ethiopia have taught me:

Practical Christian fellowship calls for help when it is needed and not merely when it is asked for.
Believers are, and always will be, saints together, regardless of race, nationality, political affiliation, or denomination. Yes, I said denomination.
If I want to serve God I must never dash ahead of Him in impetuous enthusiasm nor lag behind Him in double-minded unbelief.
Only when I apply the truth to my own life diligently can I prove my Christian discipleship to others, Ethiopians included.
I must live sacrificially for others. Only then can I can rightly reflect the one who “though He was rich yet for our sakes became poor so that we through His poverty might become rich.”
Missionary work is non-stop, 24/7. To call Sunday the “Lord’s Day” doesn’t mean that the other days belong to me.
Spiritual warfare is never easy, and we are likely to get hurt. But the final victory is ours.

P.S. Missions is nothing other than the this-worldly part of church life. The church does not have missions. It is missions.

4:35 AM Have you noticed just how many verbs in Mark’s Gospel contain prepositional prefix morphemes — many of them used with an intensifying force? Simply amazing.

Tuesday, January 25

8:22 PM The rain has just started to fall. Yep. I said rain and not snow. Maybe our “mild” winter is finally coming to an end.

8:16 PM Northwest Nazarene University announces an opening inOld Testament.

8:16 PM You gotta love our registrar Sheldon Alexander. He moved my smallish Greek exegesis class from a large, impersonal classroom to a comfortable conference room — in my own building to boot! — at the drop of a hat. That man will do anything for his faculty. What a gem.

8:11 PM Shout out and a big thank you to my assistant Andy Bowden for being willing to calculate my final grades from J-term for me today. How he manages to get anything done when he has such ahappy baby is beyond me.

8:05 PM Eric Carpenter wants to abolish hierarchical leadership in the church. Here arehis reasons. What do you think?

For me, the New Testament is clear about such matters. In New Testament Christianity, leadership was provided through qualified plural elders who never constituted a separate class from the so-called laity and who were chosen from “among the people.” Moreover, their job was not to do the work of ministry but to equip God’s people for works of service. Eric’s goal is clear: to mobilize the whole people of God to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12) — and a growing chorus of New Testament scholarship has begun to affirm his position.

7:54 PM Keith Watkins reviews Robert Cornwall’s new bookUltimate Allegiance.

7:22 PM Great news! We have insurance approval for Becky’s procedures at UNC. What an answer to prayer and a reminder that God can be trusted to take care of us. This whole ordeal has forced me to stop trusting in my own power, ability, eloquence, enthusiasm, courage, and sufficiency and to trust instead in the all-sufficient grace of God.

So the next step begins tomorrow morning at 6:30 sharp at UNC. The surgeon will implant Becky’s fiducials in preparation for the Cyber Knife procedure (to take place probably late next week). It’s all in God’s hands. He knows the outcome; I don’t. But this I do know: Through 19 months of turbulence, we have continued to be sustained by God’s presence and to continually experience His power, purpose, provision, and protection. Our circumstances may change, but God never does. I once was incurably proud of my ability to cope. Not any more!

Praise be to God.

Monday, January 24

7:22 PM As many of you know, Becky and I have had the privilege of going to Ethiopia twice yearly since 2004 to serve God’s church in that great nation. (B was raised there.) We have adopted an intentionally cooperative philosophy of missions — that is, we work side-by-side with the existing church in Ethiopia and merely come alongside and do whatever we can to help it. We do not plant “our” churches. This is not merely a matter of personal taste with us. It is a spiritual issue. By choosing to work with the existing Body of Christ in Ethiopia, our goal is to bring believers there and believers in America together as equals.

When Jesus said, “This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you,” we see that true love involves the sacrifice of self on behalf of others. It means being willing to deny our own ambitions, anything in fact that centers on self, for the blessing and good of others. We are called upon to forfeit things that we might consider perfectly legitimate in order that others may find their way to Jesus.

In this regard, Becky’s latest essay at our home page will bring you up to date on what the Lord Jesus is doing in Ethiopia. It’s called2011 Ethiopia Focus Points. Among other things, it highlights the glorious work of Bible distribution.

As you read it, remember that as Christians we are never called upon to match Jesus’ love. But we are called upon to mirror it, and to do so as a constant pattern of life. Perhaps Becky’s essay will be a starting point for your involvement in the work of the Lord Jesus in Ethiopia. Others of you have already been faithfully supporting the church there. Either way, whether Ethiopia or some other nation, let us all learn to reflect the love of Christ by sacrificing self for the blessing of others!

6:12 PM William Barclay tells the following story. Someone was once talking to a great scholar about a younger man. He said, “So-and-so tells me he was one of your students.” The teacher answered devastatingly, “He may have attended my classes, but he was not one of my students.”

What do I want my students to learn from me this semester? Among other things, that:

Knowledge without obedience is downright sinful.
Saving faith is always working faith.
Greek is essential but not the Open Sesame of interpretation.
Don’t argue theology with me if you are blind to the lost people all around you who are dying and going to hell.
God is best glorified not when we talk about “Christian hedonism” but when the Body of Christ rallies around a hurting person and serves him or her with the love of Jesus. (Words are cheap.)
Life is a mission trip. Take it! (I stole this one from my colleague Alvin Reid.)

As an educator, I love watching the Master Teacher at work. Jesus called His disciples not only to learn the truth from Him but to be with Him. In other words, truth can’t be learned in a classroom. Jesus called Peter not merely because He wanted to teach truth to Peter but because He wanted to model truth for Peter. In other words:

Christian Education = Likeness Education.

If you don’t believe me, just read Luke 6:40.

5:47 PM Alright DBO readers, it’s high time you increased your vocabulary. Here’s your new word for the day:

Epifunny

Derived from the Greek, it means something like “The moment when you suddenly get a joke.”

Want to try it out?

Heard of the lady who dressed up her dog as a mailman at Halloween?

He bit himself.

5:38 PM B’s test is over and all went well. Lord willing on Wednesday she’ll have the fiducials implanted. UNC will call us tomorrow with the appointment time. While I was waiting for Becky I had the delight of completing what I think is possibly the most enjoyable crossword puzzle I have ever done, and I’ve done thousands of them through the years. This from the Los Angeles Times. The four longest questions were these:

Comfortable situation to live in, with “the”
Low paying but rewarding project
Minnesota-based dairy cooperative
“Like that’s going to work!”

The answers?

Lap of luxury
Labor of love
Land o’ lakes
Lots of luck

But here was the clincher. Question 41 across read “Cyberchuckle, and a hint to this puzzle’s four longest answers.”

The answer, of course, was:

Lol

9:57 AM My poor wife. Has been without food or beverage since last night. And now she gets to drink that oh-so “delicious” contrast in preparation for her scan. Not to worry: I’ll be there to cheer her on — and to wine and dine her afterwards!

(Okay, we’ll skip the wine part.)

Thanks for all your prayers!

8:40 AM For the believer, dying is gain, and to depart and be with Christ is far better. For the unbeliever, the most practical thing to do is to prepare for the one engagement he or she is certain to keep.

8:06 AM Speaking of Mark…

Matthew and John seem to be holding their own, while Luke is on the rise. Poor Mark, though. The man is sinking!

ReadSomething about the Name Mary?

7:57 AM Missions has become universal. Indeed, almost every nation on earth is a “receiving” nation, even the U.S. Here’s proof (if you needed it): Archbishop urges clergy to re-evangelise USA.

Have you honestly prayed about where the Lord Jesus would have you serve, beginning in your own community? Every one of us has a role to play.

7:44 AM A brief reminder to my Exegesis of Mark students. A large part of our study will concentrate on the apostle Peter, whose words are recorded in Mark’s Gospel. Peter’s life can be divided into three parts:

His training (the Gospels)
His testimony (Acts)
His teaching (1-2 Peter and Mark)

Every pericope will be analyzed from this perspective. For example, we will ask, Why did Peter omit any mention of his brother Andrew leading him to Christ? That event is recorded only by John. Perhaps meeting Christ was not as important to Peter as following Christ was. Moreover, for the double and triple tradition passages be sure to bring along your harmony of the Gospels in English or, better, your Greek synopsis.

A final suggestion: Read books about Peter’s life if you can. The two best are:

Oscar Cullmann:Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr
Martin Hengel:Saint Peter: The Underestimated Apostle

I love the apostle Peter. His weaknesses are our weaknesses. And his potential is ours as well.

7:25 AM Quote of the day (Becky Black):

So often now, the teachers in our churches are simply reading a quarterly teacher’s manual. Dull, boring, lifeless, monotonous reading. A true teacher is sharing with the student what he himself has learned to be true. The teacher has studied the information, has obeyed the truth in his own life, and is excited about pointing others to the truth. His enthusiasm is contagious. He is constantly motivating his students to go deeper. And his integrity underlies his words to his students.

ReadThe Ministry of Instruction.

7:22 AM Last night it was a cold minus 29 degrees in Speculator, NY. Brrrr. Stay warm, Rondeaus!

7:12 AM The Bible is not a cafeteria line in which we move along with our tray, taking whatever satisfaction we crave.

7:01 AM Heard the one about the man who wrote a love letter every day to his sweetheart for 6 months and she ended up marrying the mailman? She had gotten to know the latter better than her suitor.

Students, our goal this semester is not to know about Jesus. It is to know Him!

6:57 AM Before I spoke last night I requested testimonies. They do us a great service in the Body!

As people shared their stories of God’s faithfulness and care, all of us were reminded that Christians were meant to constitute a community characterized not by its formulas, rituals, ceremonies, or sermons but by quality of life. Amen!

Sunday, January 23

4:55 PM What a great day it’s been. Tonight I feel led to teach from Luke 3:23, which says that Jesus was about 30 years of age when He was “starting out” in life. I’ll talk about Eric Erickson’s “Age Thirty Transition,” apply it to Jesus’ life, and then drive it home for us today. Along the way we’ll look at Jesus’ occupation (“builder,” not “carpenter”), His baptism at the hands of John (and the aorist tense verb eudokesa — “You are My Son,” says the Father, “whom I love, and Son, what you just did made me very happy!”), and the need to rebuild our priority system, just as Jesus did at the age of 30. I asked B to stay home tonight; she has a hugely busy week ahead of her and needs to conserve her strength. It kicks off tomorrow with her scan at UNC.

By the way, of the last 10 sermons you heard, how many of them can you remember and what were they about?

2:10 PM During our talk this morning Becky quoted from Roger Steer’s outstanding biography of Hudson Taylor.

Listen to the words of the great missionary to China:

China is not to be won for Christ by ease-loving men and women…. The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, souls, first and foremost in everything and at every time — even life itself must be secondary…. Of such men, and such women, do not fear to send us too many. They are more precious than rubies.

Where are the rubies in the church today?

As I said in my post SBC-Orlando report (The Future of Southern Baptist Missions), we must stop out-sourcing missions to professionals. They will never get the job without us “lay people.”

I say this to you in love but if you are not passionate about the Gospel — if being a Great Commission Christian is not what your life is all about — than you are dead.

Becky and I have one all-consuming desire: to invest our resources and strength in the Gospel without resting or letting up, until Jesus returns or calls us home. We have no desire to go back to the “good old days” of doing missions in Ethiopia, when the missionaries did all the work. We long to come alongside our brothers and sisters there and to cooperate with them in Christ’s matchless kingdom in any way they may wish. The key is to get up off our pews (and our duffs) and accomplish the work that God has called all of us to do, if we are truly His obedient followers.

Yes, it takes time. Yes, it takes financial sacrifice. And no, you do NOT need to be supported by others to become involved. B and I are completely self-supporting in the work we do in Ethiopia so that every cent that comes to us for Ethiopia goes to where the real needs are. Yes, you will have to say goodbye to distractions in your life. You will have to say goodbye to your “right” to take vacations. You will have to leave comfort behind. Did Jesus ever take a vacation?

Hudson Taylor’s biography quotes the following poem from the great missionary. It says it better than I ever could:

Who spoke of rest? There is rest above. No rest on earth for me. On, on to do my Father’s business. He, who sent me here, appointed me my time on earth to bide, and set me all my work to do for Him, He will supply me with sufficient grace — grace to be doing, to be suffering, not to be resting.

There is rest above.

Rise up, Oh men (and women) of God! Be done with lesser things! Give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings!

9:05 AM Off to talk about the glory of the Lord in Ethiopia. Nothing I’d rather do!

8:24 AM Is the style of a New Testament document inspired? If so, do different styles in the Greek New Testament require different styles of translation into English? For example, as I translate through Mark I find certain passages to be anything but lackluster in terms of rhetorical style. Any account of poetic effectiveness or literariness must, I should think, influence the way we translate the Gospel in terms of impact and appeal on the audience. After all, style is information.

In the ISV New Testament an attempt was made to produce in sonorous and poetic English at least certain portions of the New Testament (the Christ hymns or the 5 “faithful sayings,” for example) — that is, passages whose literary quality is unquestioned. (Liars ever/men of Crete/savage brutes/that live to eat.) In doing so, I discovered that producing a literary translation is not simple. It will be interesting to see whether there is a ready and willing receptor constituency that will appreciative such an approach when the ISV is published later this year.

But back to my question: Admitting that there is always some loss in translating from language to another, should Bible translators pay greater attention to the rhetorical techniques in Hebrew and Greek? After all, in poetic language, all of the possibilities of language are exploited to communicate meaning.

Saturday, January 22

9:55 PM Becky and I just spent a delightful evening with Thomas and Lesly Hugdins. Thomas is a former student of mine and is on his way to El Salvador to become the director of a seminary there. After a fantastic supper prepared by Miss Becky, we did a little theological deep-sea diving in the library, focusing on what it means to be “obedient” to the Holy Spirit of God, rather than simply trying to play the game of being a Christian. Surely this is the real heart of what it means to be a Christ-follower. We are accepted in the Beloved, we have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, and we have His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, every single moment of every day. Nothing is taught more firmly or frequently in Scripture than the fact thatJesus + Nothing = Everything — a great blog title, if you ask me.

The message, surely, is loud and clear. The simple and inescapable truth of the New Testament is that there is only one key to living the Christian life and that is abiding in Christ. This is obvious, but it is rarely practiced because we are trying so hard to be “good Christians.” Every believer should rejoice in the fact that the only way in which we are able to live a God-pleasing life is that, in His great mercy, the Lord gives us sensitivity to hear and understand His Spirit. Every Christian should seek to develop that kind of sensitivity and pray for an increased ability to recognize the voice of the Lord in his or her life.

Thomas and Lesly,nuestros queridos, as you leave for El Salvador, our love and prayers go with you. We are overwhelmed by your love for us but especially for the Lord Jesus. Until He returns, may He find you faithful — and obedient.

5:12 PM The latest addition to our home page is called Felix Mantz: Man of Conscience.

And a reminder:

Persecution is ordained by God for those would follow Jesus in obedience. The New Testament consistently describes the benefits that persecution can have in our lives. Persecution tests our faith. Through it we grow stronger. Our duty is to seek His will, not to ask for relief from persecution.

4:43 PM The first chapter of Mark’s Gospel has, within its 45 verses, 160 verb forms. I should know. I just made a list of them for my Greek exegesis class that starts on Tuesday. The plan is to cover all 45 verses in three hours. If you think that will be a challenge, what ever are we going to do when we get to chapter 14 (which has 72 verses)?

1:42 PM The dogs insisted on taking me for a long walk today.

We strode along the farm paths and down into the valley, where some of the Angus greeted us.

I had a nice conversation with the cows. They mooed while I talked. We have a saying here on the farm: “It is impossible to worry when you’re watching cattle.”

It’s true.

10:02 AM Fellow Areopagus author Bob Cornwallreviews Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years by Oxford Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch. No, “Three Thousand” is not a typo.

9:28 AM The benefits of aparaphrase.

9:15 AM If you’re a current or even a prospective book author, you must read Kevin Brown’sWhy I’m writing my book…

Incidentally, the book he’s writing will be published by Energion Publications. If you are an author and would like to submit a proposal to us, please readWhat Manuscripts Are We Looking for at Energion? We would love to hear from you.

9:06 AM Quote of the day (Allan Bevere):

For Jesus, one of the biggest failings of his people was the decision not to reject violence but rather to utilize it as a tool in an attempt to bring in God’s Kingdom. Time and time again, Jesus continued to insist that God’s people could not be a light to the nations if they insisted on beating the nations over the head.

Isn’t that delicious? It’s an excerpt from Allan’s soon-to-be-released bookThe Politics of Witness.

9:02 AM We’re excited about these upcoming speaking engagements this week:

1) Tomorrow Becky and I are giving an Ethiopia report at Ca-Vel Baptist in Roxboro. Service begins at 11:00. Lots of stories and pix, as well as an update on the persecution in Alaba.

2) In the evening service at Ca-Vel I’ve been asked to “preach,” which in my book means “teach.” As usual, I’ll just open my (Greek) New Testament and let her rip.

3) On Friday I’ll be speaking at Cary Christian School in Cary, NC from 11:00-12:00 noon. I’ve been asked to address the history of the transmission of the text of the New Testament, “errors” in the Bible, and the value of learning Greek. I am honored that they use my beginning grammar to teach Greek at CCS.

Of course, spring semester classes begin for me on Tuesday. Excited for a fresh start and new beginning.

8:50 AM No controversy has been more overworked these days than the one over modern Bible translations. It is thought a crowning virtue to be opinionated about what is the “best” translation. But no translation of the Bible is perfect. (This includes theISV of course.) There is much artificial whipped-up enthusiasm among Christians today who have found the “perfect” translation that “finally gets it right.” The same enthusiasm can be worked up by a cheerleader for “slave” over “servant.” Tie that to a book promotion and you have a possible recipe for disaster.

One of the distressing developments in our superficial church culture is a cheap familiarity with New Testament Greek. It is fashionable to give the impression that we (and we alone) know what the Greek really says. I have sometimes referred to this as “evangelical Greek” or, in my less sanctified moments, “philological voodoo.” There is no place in evangelical biblical scholarship for the frivolous approach by which we claim for ourselves an inerrant understanding of Scripture. None of us who has labored in the task of Bible translation is ever worthy to claim perfection for our product. That includes me, and it includes you.

I will say it to my shame: I have been guilt of such nonsense myself. Perhaps I still am. But I want to do better.

7:31 AM To read Part 2 of Paul Himes’ excellent series on verbal aspect theory, gohere.

7:28 AM Billy Graham onaging. Wise advice indeed.

7:22 AM My, my. Now we have the Ehrman Project. Friends, it’s not about Bart. Nor is the heart of the matter biblical criticism in my humble opinion.

I was once asked to debate Bart on our campus by a group of student apologists. I told them I would agree to the debate on two conditions:

1) Bart would be paid exactly what I would be paid for participating. (In other words, we would both waive our speakers’ fees. Of course, I do not have a fee. His is considerable. Since I was willing to waive my “fee,” would Bart be willing to do the same with his? After all, student groups are as poor as church mice.)

2) The debate would not focus on biblical criticism. (If you want that kind of stuff, go to You Tube.) Instead, I proposed that Bart and I have a friendly conversation about our spiritual pilgrimages. How could the two of us — who come from very similar backgrounds (he studied at Moody, I at Biola; he took a prestigious doctorate at Princeton, I at Basel; he has written primers on New Testament textual criticism, New Testament introduction, as have I) — have ended up so far apart in terms of our relationship with Jesus? In other words, how is it possible for two students of the New Testament to confront the very same set of facts (e.g., there are variants in the New Testament text) and for one of them to lose his faith as a result and for the other to be strengthened in his?

Needless to say the event never came off.

7:08 AM Dakota Wesleyan University announces an opening inReligion and Philosophy.

7:02 AM Quote of the day (from one of my former seminary professors):

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Nobody else does.

6:55 AM Andy Bowdenpractices his spoken Germanin Raleigh. Why not join the conversation?

6:49 AM Former SEBTS student Josh Honeycutt has aweird confession to make.

6:41 AM Drew Maust saysThe Prayers of God’s People Will Mess You Up.

6:35 AM On Tuesday I will begin my twenty-fourth semester of teaching at SEBTS. My thanks, first of all, to all the students who’ve made the journey so enjoyable. But I have to add how much I appreciate the administration and entire staff here as well. Just one example: Our registrar was able to have tables installed in my classroom. This makes writing so much easier than using small desks. After all, that’s our goal: to make the learning experience here as beneficial and productive for students as possible. I remember requesting to offer evening Greek courses; the request was approved. I recall requesting to offer Greek during J-term; the request was approved. I remember requesting that all three semesters of Greek be offered during summer school; we now offer each of these classes every summer. I have never worked with a faculty and staff that was more committed to serving our student body than this one.

6:28 AM The upcoming Ethiopia mission trip will involve a great of preparation. Mission trips are like that. I’ll never forget my first trip with Becky. The year was 1978, and we had been married only 2 years. Off to (West) Germany we went, but not before preparation. Our orientation took place among the hallowed halls of Wheaton College in Illinois, which Great Europe Mission used for training purposes. Not a single one of us short-termers begrudged our time in Wheaton. The goal of our orientation was 3-fold, as I recall: to reduce the stress upon our arrival in Germany, to help us avoid making needless cultural gaffes, and to bind us together as a team. My own team of missionaries (I played trumpet on a brass octet that did evangelism) needed to be reminded that shoddiness was unacceptable. Hence we practiced and practiced until we could play our music almost flawlessly. Some of us who could speak German also practiced our testimonies with each other. I memorized mine. It began, “Hat die Musik Ihnen gut gefallen?” That line was, hopefully, the entrée into a discussion about Jesus and the Gospel. The team’s tuba player and I eventually developed a very close friendship. Our team also discussed the do’s and don’ts of German society.

All this to say: do not overlook preparation when it comes to missions. And the most important preparation of all is spiritual.

6:12 AM Once again, a noted buffoon displays his haughtiness by mocking the Chinese. His infantile ramblings are despicable.

Oops, I forgot he is above reproach since his talent “is on loan from God.”

Friday, January 21

9:44 PM Joy Davidson, wife of C. S. Lewis, wrote a book on the Ten Commandments calledSmoke on the Mountain. In the chapterGod Comes First she writes these powerful words:

Hold to this [the first commandment to put God first in your life], and the beast in the heart has no power. The present loses its confusions, the future its terrors, and death itself is but the opening of a door.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

That is the law of life and happiness and courage. Courage himself, God the Lion, stands beside us to help us live by it. Whatever we desire, whatever we love, whatever we find worth suffering for, will be Dead Sea fruit in our mouths unless we remember that God comes first.

In the midst of this maddening world I must indeed remember that “God comes first.” It is easy so easy! to make a god out of a person, including one’s own wife. It is no exaggeration to say that this placing of our spouse on a pedestal is nothing but idolatry. Lewis, perhaps, did this with Joy at times, and perhaps I am guilty of doing the same thing with Becky Lynn.

It was therefore a good reminder to read Joy’s words:

Hold to this [the first commandment to put God first in your life], and the beast in the heart has no power.

Becky’s illness has been nothing but a blessing to us. It has had, to put it mildly, a powerful impact on our marriage. It has forced us to reconsider our life’s priorities, to communicate on deeper levels than I ever thought possible, and to look beneath the surface of life and discover the roots of our own reason for being. “It is not good for the man to be alone,” said the Creator. “I will make him a helper suitable for me.” These words describe, not a superficial relationship, but one characterized by deep love and fulfillment.

Before we were married, Becky and I dated sporadically for almost three years. It seemed that she was always available. I loved being with her. She was always encouraging. She was easy to talk to. She has always had a deep relationship with her God and has never looked to me for her ultimate happiness. Today it is the same only better.

To the young person who may be reading this blog, I say: your mate will not always be that 25-year old you married. She will change, and so will you. But a funny thing happens on the path to seasoned citizenship you realize that you have the potential to change into someone even better. Along the way you will meet wives and husbands so content in their relationship with God and with each other that they are able to live happily in circumstances as they are. I imagine Jack and Joy Lewis found that to be true in their marriage. And, by the grace of the same God they knew and loved, I too am finding that to be a pleasant reality.

9:13 PM We’ve got about 2,600 rocks lying around the seminary. Peter calls them “living stones.” His analogy is significant. “When you become a Christian,” he says, “you become a living stone. Don’t just lie around as solitary stones but become part of the building.” Of course, the Building of Christ is far from perfect, but a thousand stones lying around on a building site are of no value at all. Find your place in the kingdom, and get working!

Here’s one of the “stones” at SEBTS I get to work with. Yesterday he passed his Ph.D. orals with flying colors and now he begins the dissertation phrase of his studies. A hearty congratulations, then, to Mike Rudolph. I hope the seminary’s stone masons weren’t too hard on you!

From left to right: Black, Rudolph, Kellum, Beck.

8:44 PM Today marks the end of my 3-week J-term class at the seminary. According to my grade book, I think we did okay. But Greek is more than grades. My students worked hard, and with a joyful attitude. That made it all worthwhile.

It’s moments like this when I look around in amazement at what I’m part of. To know that many thousands of people invested in this place so that followers of Jesus could be trained in the biblical languages. (Training, by the way, that has an even greater ultimate goal: obedience to Christ’s commands.) Just to make things interesting, for some reason the spring semester began yesterday, which meant that some of our professors ended up teaching 2 classes at the same time. (Our profs aren’t omnipresent but they can be ubiquitous when the need arises.) As for this prof, I’m definitely tired, but there’s something so wonderful that takes place in the classroom that it defies my best efforts to describe it. Three weeks ago my students couldn’t tell the difference between an alpha and an omega. Now their heads are brimming with ideas. I thank God profusely for this transformation, and ask Him to help them put all of this knowledge to good use in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, on the home front I came down today with another one of my patented HAs (Headache Assaults) that put me flat on my back this entire afternoon. About 3 hours ago I asked Becky, who had been gently daubing my forehead with hot compresses, to say a special prayer for me, and an hour later my HA was gone. James 5:16, I thought to myself: Therefore, admit your faults to each other and pray for one another that you may be healed. Prayers offered by those who have God’s righteousness are effective.

Amen to that.

As for Becky, the logistics for her next procedure at UNC are well underway. On Monday her next PT scan is scheduled, and on Wednesday the thoracic surgeon will implant fiducials into her chest in preparation for the Cyber-Knife procedure (which still pends insurance approval). These fiducials, but the way, are made out of pure gold and, combined with the implants Becky received for her radiation, make my wife a walking gold mine. Students in my Wednesday class will want to know that one of my Ph.D. students, Alex Stewart, will be subbing for me that day. Yes, I know he’s not your attending physician, but he’s an awful good resident.

I wasn’t kidding when I said I had the mother of all headaches today. Becky and I find it comforting that God still answers prayer. And to be totally honest, it’s hard to be too melancholy when you’re lounging around the house while your wife serves you a delicious supper.

Tuesday, January 18

9:30 PM Someone tweeted this recently:

“The Alamo: first a mission, then a battlefield, now a monument. A metaphor for many churches.”

9:23 PM We have no “right” to good health, any more than we have a “right” to our own bodies.

9:19 PM Paul Himes, one of my outstanding Ph.D. students, reviews Toshikazu S. Foley’sBiblical Translation in Chinese and Greek: Verbal Aspect in Theory and Practice.

P.S.Brill lists this work for the unbelievable price of $216.00.

9:12 PM Thomas Hugdins (translator par excellence) thinks it’s a good idea tolearn English. I quite agree. I’ve been working on it for years now. I do speak pretty good American, however.

Note: You won’t believe this but it’s absolutely true: While growing up in Kailua, Hawaii, I actually said to my high school English teacher one day, “Why should I study English? I’m not planning on going to England.”

One more piece of inane triviality: When I arrived in California from Hawaii to begin my studies at Biola, many had difficulty understanding my (pidgin) “English.”

8:58 PM Last night we welcomed about 80 students during the new student reception held in the wonderful Ledford Center on campus. It was my special joy to greet the newly arrived international students who have come from afar to study at SEBTS, including these Koreans.

It’s inordinately difficulty to study in a foreign culture and language (my Basel experience confirms this), but it can also be one of the most joyful experiences of life to do so (as my Basel experience also confirms).

Welcome, all of you. Remember: I am here to serve you in any way I possibly can. May your years here at SEBTS be the very best of your life!

8:45 PM I am asking everyone who reads this blog to consider becoming a prayer warrior for Alaba, Ethiopia, where the battle against Christianity rages.

Church leaders are being hunted down, believers are being stoned and beaten, and the civil authorities are turning a blind eye. Now, I am not asking you to worry about the church in Alaba. Did the early church do that? Did the apostles wait for the persecution to subside before they went out and preached? Let us not speak of “closed doors” which are merely temporary barriers that Satan erects. The very gates of hell cannot stand against the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My point is that there is a cost to following Jesus in many parts of the globe today. This world needs more men and women who will count the cost and then obey. Discipleship involves sacrifice. Always has and always will. The only way to bear fruit is to die. So let’s stand with our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. This very day they need our intercession. Not for the persecution to stop but for the church to remain faithful despite the opposition.

The biggest hindrance to missionary work is not persecution. The biggest hindrance to mission work is self. Self that refuses to go or to give or to pray or to sacrifice or to die.

8:40 PM Andrew Rozalowsky, an up-and-coming linguist, opens a can of worms in his latest blog post,Words Missing Where Did They Go? The question is: Can a translation of the New Testament be considered reliable if it fails to translate words such as kai? Andrew answers yes, and rightly so.

A word in Greek does not have a meaning; it has meanings, only one of which is its semantic contribution to any passage in which it occurs. Thus, kai (“and, also, even”) may be the equivalent of the capital letter with which an English sentence occurs, as Andrew notes.

Students of Greek, please remember that conjunctions are not “insignificant” words. Authors used them to indicate unity and transition of thought in documents that lacked capitalization, punctuation, indentation, paragraphization, and all of the other extra-linguistic features modern printers rely on today to indicate the progression of an argument. On the other hand, to insist upon a slavish rendering of conjunctions without regard to their discourse functions is ridiculous.

8:35 PM New openings:

Hunter College:Religion.
University of Detroit Mercy:Biblical Studies.
Spring Arbor University:Theology.
Utah State University:Religious Studies.

8:31 PM Andy Bowdenwrites:

I have also been surprised to discover that there has been no significant Gospel synopsis based on the Byzantine text. This seems like a volume begging to be published.

Maurice Robinson, are you listening?

8:28 PM Ryan Dunn asks:

Wouldn’t it be beautiful if church were something like Cheers? Wouldn’t it be beautiful if church were an environment in which people felt drawn, welcomed, integral, and wanting to share life within? I think it would be. When church is done right, that’s just what it is. But, if we critically look at most churches, it’s evident many aren’t built for community.

ReadCheers-like Church. Then do yourself a favor and check outThe Church Reborn.

8:25 PM Jody Neufeld continues her excellent series on the Beatitudeshere.

8:24 PM We’re home! As you know, we had a very important meeting with the thoracic surgeon at UNC this afternoon. The bottom line is this: Becky’s lung tumors are inoperable. This means that surgery is no longer an option (if it ever was), just as more radiation and chemo have been ruled out as therapies since they have proven to be ineffective. There remains the possibility of treating her with a procedure called Cyber-Knife (Robotic Radiosurgery), which UNC just “happens” to specialize in. It involves shooting the larger tumors with extremely high levels of radiation. Pending approval by the Cyber-Knife committee, we are looking at this procedure taking place in about two weeks. Before that can happen, “fiducials” must be placed into Becky’s lungs by a thoracic surgeon to help the oncologists know exactly where to concentrate the radiation. We have tentatively scheduled this procedure for next week Thursday. Of course, all of this awaits the blessing of our insurance company.

How to respond? Just like Paul in Philippians! Just as Paul could write that his imprisonment had turned out for the progress of the Gospel, so Becky and I know that our cancer journey has worked out for the best and the future holds no shadows. Our one fear is that we might betray Christ by our lives and testimony. Our single desire is to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Phil. 1:27) to live in a way that commends the Gospel to our friends and neighbors. We desire 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 know we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. We are confident that our God shall supply all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. On top of it all, we know that our love for Ethiopia has never diminished. No distance can weaken it and no amount of suffering can quench it.

So thanks muchly for your prayers. And for your love. After our appointment with the surgeon I took Becky out for dinner at the Outback Steak House in Durham. As we ate we thought of our many cyber friends. I told Becky, “Every time we eat at the Outback I think of Aussie John, who has been such a faithful prayer partner with us through this entire journey.” Becky replied, “Won’t heaven be wonderful, Dave? 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.”

Monday, January 17

6:30 AM Thanks toBitsy Griffin, I was able to read a very interesting post calledTen Reasons Why You Should Never, Ever Yell At Students. Of course, we seminary profs never, ever yell at our students. We vent our frustration by scolding them or through non-verbal language. But the author is right: to be an effective teacher we must work on “building influential relationships with students.” Easier said than done but a goal worth pursuing.

6:14 AM Once again, Henry Neufeld provides us with a thought-provoking piece. This one is calledWhat is Cutting Edge? Incidentally, last year I was privileged to speak in the ICON service Henry is describing at First UMC Pensacola and can agree entirely with his assessment:

Now I like many of the elements of worship in ICON. I think many of those elements, and the way they are blended, has helped make the service successful. But if you had asked me before this service why I think First UMC is growing, I would tell you it is because the pastors are preaching the gospel and making every effort to put it in practice. If you attend First UMC, youre going to hear a gospel message.

Sunday, January 16

6:52 PM Dave Faulkner saysDon’t ignore the persecution of Christians in Iran. I for one won’t, Dave.

6:36 PM Zwingli began his reforms in 1522 by attracting to himself a group of younger scholars including Conrad Grebel and Felix Mantz (who was soon to die at the hands of a Protestant church). They studied the Greek New Testament together, and it was largely upon this foundation of biblical truth that Grebel and Mantz began to reject church practices they believed were foreign to the Scriptures.

Zwingli believed in lay education, and so do I. That’s why I’m so excited about an opportunity that appears to be in the making. I’m discussing with a pastor in North Carolina the possibility of starting a course in New Testament Greek based on my24-set DVD series. I would come and teach the first 4 lessons (Friday through Sunday), then they would continue every Monday night henceforth. The class would be open to anybody — other area pastors, Sunday School teachers, home school families, etc. What a great concept!

So here’s my challenge to you: Why not consider doing this yourself in your own local church? I’d be more than happy to get you started. I’ll even waive my speaker’s fee of $3,500 to come. (I’m joking. I never charge to speak anywhere.)

One of my goals in life is to equip followers of Jesus Christ to be all that Jesus is calling them to be. He does this through His Word. And one of the most important Bible study tools, as Zwingli and his followers well knew, is the Greek New Testament.

Want to give it a try? If so, let me know. Meanwhile, here’s a sample of the old geezer himself if you haven’t seen it already:

5:48 PM You’d be proud of me. At church this morning I ran into a man I had not seen for a very long time. He greeted me as “Dr. Black.” I responded, “You can just call me Dave if you like.” “Oh no,” said he. “I know how much work it is to earn a doctorate, and it would do you an injustice if I called you Dave.”

My response?

I held my peace and, like a good boy, proceeded to talk about other things.

Like I said, you’d be proud of me.

5:45 PM Becky and I spent the afternoon visiting shut-ins from our church family. What a joy. I will never stop being grateful to God that He allows all of us to be His hands and heart to one another. I think the Holy Spirit is leading us to do this more often, perhaps one Sunday a month. We cannot be excused from the responsibility just because we live so far away.

5:28 PM I just wrote a lengthy post about church discipline. Our local church had to exercise it this morning. But the matter is far too sensitive to talk about on this blog, so I erased everything I just wrote. I will simply say this. There can never be peace and joy until first there is righteousness. This is just the way God has hardwired the Christian life.

I close this brief entry with a saying of the old Anabaptists:

For we know that both before and after baptism, we are poor and miserable.

Amen.

4:57 PM Nowthis is what a good online book review should look like.

4:45 PM Life has been fairly busy for Becky and me these days. We’ve decided to make the very most of the days we have together. I feel so silly admitting it, but a huge part of this “making the most of time” for us is the ministry of hospitality. We’ve begun scheduling small dinner parties for folks we’ve wanted to get to know for a long time. No more excuses. It’s time to just do it. Already our calendar is filling up. Families. Couples. Old friends. Students and their families. Neighbors. Missionaries. Last night, for example, Becky threw a small dinner party for Richard and Joy Suggs. What a delightful couple!

Richard was in the Greek class I taught for a year at Bethel Hill Baptist Church. He was one of the few stalwarts who “endured to the end.” What’s more, I owe him a great debt of gratitude for all the time and energy he spent in putting together these fantasticGreek vocabulary flash cards. What a labor of love!

Now, we can’t spend all of our time entertaining guests here at Bradford Hall. Nor is it wise to get so busy with work and ministry that we forget the importance of relationships. I imagine the solution is a healthy balance between the two extremes. Examine your leisure time. Consider it as part of your stewardship responsibility before the Lord. Look upon your home as something God has given you to enrich the lives of others. Plan to have guests — and then enjoy them. I promise a little hospitality won’t interfere in the least with your sanctification!

9:10 AM One of my heroes of the faith is a man named Balthazar Hubmaier of Friedberg, Germany.

After Zwingli pointed to the authority of the church as sufficient authority for infant baptism, Hubmaier replied:

You must ask the Scriptures, not the church.

Hubmaier went on to say:

So what we can never truthfully be called is Anabaptists [=re-baptizers]. Infant baptism has no grounds; therefore it is not of God.

I have a photo of myself being “baptized” as an infant in an Episcopalian Church in Hawaii. Standing with me are my so-called God Parents.

In reality, my first baptism took place when I placed my faith and trust in Christ at the age of 8. Hubmaier eventually wrote a tract on Christian baptism. The full English title is “The Reason and Cause Why Every Man Who Was Christened in Infancy Is Under Obligation to be Baptized According to the Ordinances of Christ, Even Though He Be One Hundred Years Old.” It was not enough to convince Zwingli. This is yet another reminder to me of how the Anabaptist interpretation of Scripture differed greatly from that of the Reformers, including Zwingli, who ended up using force to compel conformity to the state church. How tragic, and how unnecessary.

I devote an entire chapter in my bookThe Jesus Paradigm to the Anabaptists of the sixteenth century. Their interpretation of the church’s fall into error differed from that of the Reformers in more ways than just infant baptism. Especially because they refused to accept the Reformers’ embrace of Constantinianism, they fell victim to the sword. But without believers’ baptism, they argued, the true church of Jesus Christ cannot exist.

8:32 AM In the movie John Q, a young boy collapses at a Little League game and is rushed to the local hospital, where the doctors quickly determine that only a heart transplant will save him. When the parents’ insurance company refuses to cover the costs of the operation, the father becomes so outraged that he takes some of the hospital staff hostage in order to get the insurance provider to pay for the procedure.

How far would you go — what price would you pay — to stave off the death of a loved one?

Becky and I absolutely believe that Jesus still heals today. But He intervenes sovereignly and not because we can obligate Him to do so. He will not be taken hostage. I realize that many of you are praying for Becky’s healing, as I am, and that she would be healed in such a way that allows no other explanation than God working a miracle. At the same time, neither one of us is desperate. We are, in fact, convinced that God has called us to the greatest miracle work of all — the ministry of sharing the Good News of salvation to the sin-sick of the world. So as we meet with the thoracic surgeon on Tuesday we do ask for your prayers. Pray especially that people will see in our lives the love of One who delights in saving the lost — even self-made professionals. May the entire staff at UNC realize that they too can be healed spiritually — and forever! — by putting their faith in the Lord Jesus.

Saturday, January 15

5:15 PM Henry Neufeld responds to Will Rice’s essay on small groups with a post calledOrganizing Small Groups. His peroration is worth quoting here in full:

I think there are small groups that develop naturally in a church that are detrimental to mission. I would suggest, however, that the solution is not to force all groups under a regimen of control, but rather the preaching of the gospel and teaching discipleship, along with appropriate, Christ-like, church discipline. I dont mean that Rices good suggestions amount to forcing groups under a regimen. Im referring to what Ive observed in certain churches. I think one can tell the difference by observing the fruitif groups of Christians are gathering and doing mission, its working.

4:50 PM I have begun scheduling my doctoral students to teach for me this semester under my supervision. My goal is to give them opportunities to experience ministry in the classroom. Learning to teach is largely a matter of trial and error. I want to give them room to lead, speak, instruct, field questions, etc. That it is the Lord Jesus — the Master Teacher — who creates teachers is a great relief to me — and fresh incentive for me to join Him in the task of equipping.

4:32 PM As I walked the fence line on the farm today, trying to close any holes that the dogs might be getting through, this question came to my mind. Time and again in the Scriptures we are called to worship God in life (Matt. 10:42; Rom. 12:1; Col. 3:17; Heb. 11:11-16; James 1:27; 1 Pet. 3:7). Why, then, do we associate worship with “worship services” on Sunday morning? True Christian spirituality is total and worldly. It involves every part of our life — including fixing fences.

Just a thought….

10:15 AM The Areopagus series will shortly announce that a new book on word study fallacies in Hebrew and Greek is in the works. I think it will make a very nice complement to Don Carson’s classic book on exegetical fallacies.

Stay tuned for details….

10:10 AM Jody Neufeld asks,Whose child are you?

10:03 AM Will Rice, Discipleship Pastor at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio, wants to put the expression “small group” out to pasture.

9:52 AM Just read T. C. Robinson’sFrancis Chan on Celebrity Status and was greatly blessed and challenged.

9:48 AM More good stuff fromNT Greek Class:

9:40 AM I’ve noticed a trend in the blogosphere. Bloggers have begun posting “reviews” of books they have received gratis from the publishers. Many of these “reviews” look more like short “book notes” than full-fledged reviews. Some are no longer than a brief paragraph or two, and many do not interact with the contents of the book to any degree.

My question is this: Is this being fair to the publishers? They have given you a book, for free, that would possibly have cost you up to 30 or 40 dollars had you purchased it yourself.

Surely these generous publishers deserve better than a book note.

8:53 AM This week I heard Katie Couric mispronounce Mauna Kea (she said “Mow-Na-Key-A” instead of “Mau-Na-Kay-A”) and an NPR reporter slaughter the word debris (she pronounced the final “s”). Just for fun, then, I glanced at this post about the100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English. Curiously, it fails to list the meteorologist’s tendency to pronounce temperature as temperture. Of course, if everyone says temperture, then it must be correct, as people determine correctness and incorrectness in language, not grammar books. But still — pronouncing the final “s” in debris? It just idn’t right.

8:35 AM Do yourself a favor this morning and read Eric Carpenter’s latest blog post calledThinking Outside the Reformed Box. This is blogging at its best. And be sure to read Steve Scott’s excellent comment. As I overheard one student put it on campus: “We believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible.” Hmmm….

8:10 AM Yesterday in our Greek class Alan Knox and I strongly urged our students to teach Greek in their local churches once they have finished their own studies in seminary. There is no better way to learn a subject than by teaching it to others. If you need some inspiration in this direction, here’s a website for you:NT Greek Class from the First Baptist Church of Maryville, Il.

In other words: Yes, it can be done.

7:58 AM Should pastors negotiate their salaries? Jump into the discussionhere.

7:50 AM Quote of the day (Thomas Hugdins):

[T]heological education that does not keep aflame the student’s passion for reaching the lost with the gospel is officially a failure.

ReadBiblical Languages: In Seminary?

7:38 AM Arthur Sido is struggling with theage-old question: Should the church be involved in society, and if so, how? He writes, “I don’t see a division between caring for the needy and evangelism, between doing good works and proclaiming the Gospel. In fact it seems to me that the gospel proclamation and works of mercy (i.e. solving social problems) are not enemies but friends.”

I agree. The danger of institutionalized Christianity is just that — it is an institution in society that views its own self-preservation as of ultimate importance. But the true locus of the church is in society, not as one institution among others but as the leaven of society. The church’s one and only “program” is in the secular world, which means the church can never withdraw from society.

In practical terms, this has meant for Becky and me a greater involvement in world missions as well as in anonymous acts of charity. We are beginning to move out of our comfort zone and into an other-directed lifestyle. Thankfully, we are not finding the path a lonely one — witness Arthur’s own commitment to a missional lifestyle (he is currently serving Jesus in Haiti).

7:21 AM More reasons not to usePowerPoint.

7:03 AM You’ll never guess what they have in Burji now. A bank. That’s right. The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia has opened up a branch office in faraway Soyama town, the leading city of Burjiland. This means that the urban Burjis now have electricity, internet access, television, cell towers, and a bank. Amazing. When Becky and I started working there in 2005 the Burjis had none of these things. Soyama was simply too far away from civilization.

Truly, the world is flat.

Friday, January 14

7:18 PM Quote of the day (from Henry Neufeld, a true cyber-guru):

Its time to get over the blog prejudice. People want rapidly updated content, and combining a good CMS with a regularly updated blog will help you meet that desire.

Good advice indeed. ReadThe Vanishing Difference Between Blog and Website.

7:10 PM Aussie John writes thatAustralia is hurting. He should know; he lives there. John and Val, our thoughts and prayers are with you and all of your countrymen during this terrible tragedy.

6:46 PM Nick Norelli has written an excellent blog post calledOn Blogging Less Often. He writes:

I dont want to say that Im bored with blogging wholesale but I cant say that Im excited about it either. Its just kind of blah at the moment.

Nick’s is one of the few blogs I read regularly, partly because he is so honest with himself — which I consider to be a great strength in a blogger. His point, if I understand him aright, is that there is nothing wrong with taking a blogging hiatus. In fact, that is probably a very good thing for us to do from time to time. The tendency to feel that we have to blog can grow out of self-idolatry, that is, the need to establish our self-worth by our blog-busyness. The fact that we become anxious about all this only adds to our sense of self-importance. Perhaps blogging also provides a sop to our consciences over our procrastination to perform other, more important tasks. Thus the very busyness that we protest perpetuates the need to maintain the status quo. Especially bloggers who seek honors or recognition as the “top blogger” show a tendency, I think, to succumb to the temptation to blog for the sake of blogging, even when they have nothing to say. Blogging then becomes primarily a matter of its quantitative dimension. This, I find, to be distasteful in the extreme.

Jesus pointed us to a life where our yokes would be easy and our burdens light. Let us blog, then, as He guides us, posting what He leads us to post through His Holy Spirit, for if we allow cares and anxieties to control us we will lose the kingdom and create an idol.

6:14 PM Lee University announces an opening inOld Testament.

6:10 PM Care to fly around the Sea of Galilee? Then check out this phenomenal aerial video:

It shows the youth hostel in Capernaum where Becky and I stayed during our study tour of Israel in 1987, when we were able to survey the land in detail from Dan to Beersheba — and many sites in between.

6:03 PM Please continue to pray for the persecuted church in Alaba. Martin Niemöller, himself a victim of persecution in Nazi Germany, put it like this:

It has taken me a long time to learn that God is not the enemy of my enemies. He is not even the enemy of His enemies.

There is always need of forgiveness.

5:55 PM Ran acrossthis statement today while surfing the web:

This recent trip I took to Dallas is another enlightening experience. Not only was I able to attend Chuck Swindoll’s church. But was also able to chat to some good old Christian brothers of mine in the company.

“Chuck Swindoll’s church.” That struck me. How often do we speak about attending “Pastor So-and-So’s church”? I’ve been guilty of this myself. Why do we speak in this manner? Perhaps the fact that ministry has become a profession has contributed to the problem. The structure of congregational life in many churches tends to encourage whatever prima donna characteristics a pastor may possess. His preaching is often considered a performance that is to be complimented (along with a hand shake as we go out the door). Where I live (in the rural South), we often speak of these ministers as “preachers.” And, if they are really good at what they do, we may even refer to them as “pulpiteers.” Thus the church becomes Dr. Smiths church or the church where Dr. Smith pastors. (And, believe me, “Doctor” is the title you want rather than a simple “Reverend.”)

I have a good pastor friend who is fighting this trend in his local church. He is working hard at equipping the deacons in his church to do visitation and to assume other pastoral roles. He has, in fact, stopped referring to himself as the “senior pastor.” I admire him greatly for that. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to step down from the pedestal on which the congregation has placed you. But surely it is for the good of the Body that we do so.

5:47 PM Many thanks indeed to Alan Knox for teaching my class today and doing a splendid job of it.

Alan has multiple strengths as a teacher, not the least of which is his ability to interact with students. Most teachers are more at ease in speaking than in listening. They are better at disseminating information than they are at conducting a discussion. (I think this is also true of many pastors, but that’s a topic for another day.) Alan is an expert at interacting dynamically with others. That is a great strength that all teachers would do well to emulate.

5:33 PM Paul Himes has been teaching beginning Greek and finding it a bit of a challenge (as we all did when we first started out). ReadThe most difficult part of teaching first year Greek. Certainly every teacher could agree with this statement of Paul’s:

There’s nothing like actually teaching a subject for the first time to make you realize how woefully unprepared you are!

5:26 PM Here’s a list of thetop 100 best selling Christian books of 2010. Alas, none of my books made the list thus keeping my stellar record of Pulitzer-Prize losing books intact.

Thursday, January 13

11:34 PM I sit here at my computer wondering what in the world I could say about tonight’s Ethiopia team meeting. The question is, Where do I begin? Perhaps the most valuable thing I can say is, Thank God for the Holy Spirit. As we sat around the dining room table and talked and prayed, each of us sensed an amazing Presence.

Of course, it was the Lord of the Harvest, to whom we willingly submitted our agenda. Don’t miss the fact that missions is simply the work of the Holy Spirit through weak but yielded vessels. That’s enablement. If we are to do missions God’s way, we must continually abandon ourselves to His adequacy, submit ourselves to His program, and trust Him for His provision. My friends, when we do this, everything falls into place just like that! What a blessing to sit back and watch the Spirit produce unity, amity, and unanimity. And what a joy to be with people who refuse to live mediocre washed up lives without a sense of purpose or mission. Christ has given us the most exciting task imaginable — to be the bearers of His love and redemption throughout the world, including “Utopia.” The acid test of our commitment to Christ will always be the depth of our involvement in what matters to Him the most — world evangelization.

Later I’ll share with you some of the details about the trip that is being planned. But first it’s simply time for me to fall on my knees and thank God for the privilege of partnering with brothers and sisters who are committed to using their tremendous spiritual and material resources for the sake of the kingdom. None is a paid professional missionary. None is a trained missiologist. These brothers and sisters are quiet men and women — and children! — who are working behind the scenes to make it happen. Missions has a grip on them. Their love for Ethiopia is insatiable. And they are family.

Could anything possibly be sweeter?

Below: Members of our Ethiopia team, all veterans. The Lord has already confirmed in their hearts that many of them should return to Ethiopia this year. Each is committed to setting his or her goals on their knees rather than at the drawing board. We are learning to lay aside our reliance on every human resource and wait upon God for all things. I love and admire these people so much I am, really, almost speechless.

3:41 PM Tomorrow morning our J-term Greek class will welcome a guest teacher, Alan Knox, who will introduce us to the all-important Greek perfect tense system. I’m looking forward to seeing my doctoral student in action!

3:18 PM Carson-Newman College announces an opening inreligion.

3:15 PM Brian Fulthorp saysyou should be blogging. Of course, he’s right.

3:04 PM As I have said, tonight we are having a hugely important meeting here at the Hall to pray about and discuss the next trip to Ethiopia. Where do we go from here? The Lord will show us through His Spirit. Everyone in attendance tonight has made a commitment to Christ, to His church, and to God’s purposes in this world. Whatever strategy and timetable we adopt, we recognize that the task of evangelism involves bringing people to the point of discipleship. We are not interested in just another short term mission trip. We are committed to deepening ties between the church in America and the church in Ethiopia. If our goal is to merely “decision” the nations, then our methodology won’t really matter that much. If, however, our goal is to help them become obedient disciples of Christ, then our methods become critically important. Thankfully, a healthy network has already been established with the Ethiopian church. As I have often said, Becky and I work from local churches in the U.S. to local churches in Ethiopia, by-passing bloated bureaucracies. Administrative overhead is non-existent. We are all fulltime missionaries. We all realize that to reach the lost is a difficult, time-consuming, costly investment. That’s why it’s so important to have the right team members.

I’m eager to see everybody tonight. There’s nothing quite like sharing life together in the work of the Gospel. The social bonding that takes place is simply phenomenal.

2:50 PM I see the annual SNTS meeting is taking place this year at Bard College in lovelyAnnandale-on-Hudson in New York.

I’m usually in Ethiopia (or some other country) when the meetings are held but this year may be a good opportunity to attend again. My Doktorvater (Bo Reicke) was once president of the Society, as was his erstwhile colleague Oscar Cullmann (who at the time of his presidency held three academic chairs concurrently in Basel, Paris, and New York). If Becky and I do attend it will give us an excuse to visit the Rondeaus in the nearby Adirondacks. What fun that would be.

2:40 PM Jonathan Grubbs has anhonest question about house churches.

2:34 PM Quote of the day (C. S. Lewis):

Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

Wednesday, January 12

5:56 PM I’ve already mentioned the name Kevin Brown several times in this blog. Kevin is an elder atMount Pleasant Baptist Church in North Wilkesboro, NC, and a partner in our Ethiopia work. Let me mention one more thing about Kevin. We have just signed him to write a book for ourAreopagus series with Energion Publications. It’s a book about raising children to assume adult responsibilities. Kevin is a wise pastor and has established a “rite of passage” at Mount Pleasant that has greatly increased involvement of the youth in ministry for the kingdom. Look for the book to be out in time for the annual meeting of the North Carolina Christian Home Educators Association in Winston-Salem this May. In the meantime, you can keep up with Kevin’s ministry at hispersonal blog.

P.S. Kevin and his family will be spending a couple of days with us here at the Hall starting tomorrow afternoon. Can’t wait!

5:42 PM From Alaba, Ethiopia, our son Nigussie writes:

Still they are following me to attack. Keep on prayer.

If you are anything like me, when you read of this constant persecution of the church in Ethiopia you might feel like giving up. Even as I type this, I am faced with a growing sense of discouragement. More than once I have asked myself, Why should I even blog about this? Is it possible for anyone here in faraway America to do anything about it?

And then I remember: God does not allow His church to do something He knows is impossible for it to do. With God it is possible to live for Christ and to do the good works that He asks us to do. Just as Christ was once bodily in this world, so are we now. What Jesus began in His flesh He now continues in His Body, the church. So, despite whatever opposition Satan throws at us, our job is to demonstrate Christ’s authority as His ambassadors in this world.

And so, in the face of incessant, deadly persecution, I encourage all of us to meditate on the resources and the power the Lord Jesus has promised us:

Remember: I am with you each and every day — right up to the end of the world!

To Nigussie and our brothers and sisters in Alaba, I say:

You are not alone.

You are not powerless.

You have miracle strength to fight this battle.

And we will not fail to pray for you constantly!

5:33 PM Brief update on Becky: Our appointment with the thoracic surgeon was postponed to next Tuesday due to the icy road conditions in North Carolina. But Bec did have an excellent phone conversation with her gynecological oncologist who assured us that we are still headed in the right direction, medically speaking, and that no significant course corrections are needed, at least for now. So a word of thanks to everyone who emailed us to say they were praying for our Tuesday meeting (that never eventuated). Please change the date to next Tuesday. And thanks ever so much.

4:08 PM Speaking of Mike Rudolph, he has produced a Greek verb chart that is fabulous. If anyone would like a copy, just let me know via email and I’ll see that you get one.

3:42 PM A thousand thanks to my doctoral student Mike Rudolph for subbing for me yesterday in Greek class while I suffered from the mother of all sinus headaches. Also, a huge shout out to my colleague Alvin Reid, with whom I enjoyed a wonderful conversation over lunch on Monday.

We talked mostly about how we can become better teachers both in and out of the classroom. The apostle Paul’s readiness to have his ministry judged by the quality of his converts strikes fear into my heart!

3:35 PM I enjoy nothing more than serving local churches. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to seethis announcement over at Matt Capp’s blog. I do think my colleague Heath Thomas is much handsomer than I, though you will notice than only yours truly is wearing a halo in his photograph.

3:31 PM Greek students! Some nifty Greek grammar videoshere. Enjoy!

3:26 PM Newsflash! The entire ISV is nowavailable on E-Sword!

3:20 PM Azusa Pacific University announces an opening inNew Testament.

3:14 PM I was deeply moved by this photograph of astronaut Mike Kelly holding his wife’s hand in a Tucson hospital. He is right where he ought to be.

“For better or for worse, in sickness and in health.”

3:05 PM Greg Boyd discusses Constantine’s pagan influence on Christianity.

Although I strongly disagree with Boyd’s openness theology, he is an insightful critic of modern Christendom. His counter-cultural views about war and the sword have alienated him from many evangelicals. Indeed, the common charge made against him and others such as Hauerwas, Yoder, and other critics of Christendom is that he is “sectarian.” The assumption is that being a sectarian is something evil. The (largely) pacifistic Anabaptists of the sixteenth century were also accused of sectarianism because they rejected coercion. I have argued in The Jesus Paradigm that the church cannot have it both ways: that we cannot maintain our faithfulness to the upside-down kingdom of God while simultaneously operating as a public interest group.

Few of us in the church seem willing to admit it today, but in terms of kingdom loyalty Christianity is almost an unabashed failure. The Gospels are extremely important here: They point us to the Christ of the cross, not the Empire. I find much cause for encouragement that there is among the younger generation a group that is beginning to rethink its view of worldly politics. And this year, when Americans north and south are commemorating the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the Civil War, is a good time to do so. If, for example, I am asked why I no longer write about this conflict, the answer will be a growing consciousness on my part that the only kingdom that matters is the blood-scarred kingdom of my Savior. I have never found it a disadvantage to be descended from a line of German Pacifists, some of whom (the Millers) lived along a little creek in Maryland called Antietam, where a great battle was fought in 1862. I cannot imagine a more counter-cultural lifestyle than theirs. “Sectarians” they were called, of course, but if that is the price to be paid for following the downward path of Jesus, then so be it.

3:00 PM Allan Bevere is an “equal opportunity annoyer.” To see what he means, read his postThe Politics of Hypocrisy.

Sunday, January 9

6:08 PM The Greek term for “faith” means trust, utter reliance upon, clinging to, dependence. This week in the life of Dave and Becky Black there will be plenty of chances to prove our faith. For starters, on Tuesday afternoon we meet with Becky’s new thoracic surgeon at UNC to discuss our options to remove the four tumors in her lungs. Then on Thursday here at the Hall we will have our first planning meeting for our next trip to Ethiopia. I already feel way over my head in both matters. Jesus made it perfectly clear that “Without me you can do nothing.” Amen to that!

I have already committed the outcome of Tuesday’s cancer meeting to the Lord. In sickness or in health, by life or by death, whether He gives us a year or ten years to do so, our business is to glorify God in body and in spirit. As for the work in Ethiopia, I am reminded that whenever we give our lives to God, “we lose what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose.” Yes, the work there is difficult. But Christians do not dodge difficulties. We do not wash our hands of the world’s troubles by piously saying, “There are already so many needs right here in America, why should we go to the nations?” Our Lord did not give the American church so much abundance so that we would spend it on ourselves selfishly.

Becky and I are but stewards of our days and we had better number them so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom, for the time is indeed short.

5:44 PM It happened again.

I was blown away by the beauty of the Body of Christ.

I’ve been in churches long enough to know how rare a thing genuine body life is. But Bethel Hill has it. Let me mention but two examples. First, Miss Cindi shared with us how the pregnancy crisis center in our community is saving lives and reaching the down and out with the love of Jesus.

Her explanation of the abortion rate in America was heart-wrenching, but I’m coming to the realization that only Christ has the solution to the scourge of abortion. Then Becky told the story of the email we received this morning from our son Nigussie in Ethiopia.

I wish I could sit here and write to you that things are getting better, that the persecution of Christians has subsided, but the opposite is true. Our son told us of the most recent attacks by the Muslims in Alaba — one believer beaten, another stabbed three times in the back. As I type this, my heart breaks for the flock in Ethiopia. The only thing that keeps me from screaming out loud is to push myself to my knees. It’s such a surreal thing — this persecution of Christians in a nation that supposedly has freedom of religion (which is an absolutely ridiculous notion). In between it all, threading itself through all the pain, there was the realization that our dog Sheba had been missing for three days — stolen, killed by hunting dogs or coyotes, or just plain lost — who knew? This morning, as I sat in church, I was acutely aware of my need for a Savior, to be surrounded by His love and to surrender everything to Him.

Addendum: After we got home from church we had a message on our answer machine that our dog had been found by a neighbor who had the honesty to report it to us. My heart sings for joy that the lost has been found even as it breaks because of the death and suffering I see all around me. Consider, for example, what a privilege we have of hearing the Word of God in America. We take it for granted. But this privilege costs plenty in other nations. I can almost hear the believers in Alaba saying to me, like Paul of old, “We bear branded in our bodies the marks of the ownership of Jesus Christ. What marks do you have?” Superficial religion, that’s all.

8:25 AM I love to see my students’ jaws drop when I tell them I do not requirement attendance in my classes. But it’s true. I’ve always found it congenial to make attendance voluntary. I was, of course, given the freedom to do this in the places I’ve taught. It is not surprising that this policy has been questioned from time to time by colleagues and others, but I have never regretted my decision. When I saw the lecture halls in Basel fill up with eager students whose sole motivation was learning (attendance was not required), it occurred to me that perhaps the American system is too dependent on extrinsic motivation to get the job done.

I’ve always imagined that interesting lecturers would attract a fruitful followership; and, indeed, I think that it exactly the case in Acts 19:9, where the Western text of Acts adds that Paul taught daily for two years from eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon in the school house of a certain man named “Tyrant.” These, of course, were the siesta hours in Ephesus. Comments F. F. Bruce:

He must have infected his hearers with his own energy and zeal, so that they were willing to sacrifice their siesta for the sake of listening to Paul.

Paul’s school was “open”; and it must have been an interesting place indeed! The inference to be drawn is that Paul was an engaging public speaker. For myself, I have made it a policy to try and make my subject matter as intrinsically relevant and interesting as possible. In addition, in recent years I have found it advantageous to allow the students themselves to lead the classroom discussion while I serve as umpire and advisor during the discussion time. If I disagree with something the student has said, I can enter into conversation with him or her over the points at issue, and potentially both of us — and the entire class in fact — may be further enlightened.

I suspect that teaching our students how to teach and to present a topic in class is sound pedagogy and one that ought to be employed more frequently than it is.

7:53 AM Another good reminder this morning from Eric Carpenter that we gather formutual edification, not for worship (worship is 24/7). But why mutual edification? I put it this way to my students: The gathering exists for the going. The commission of our Lord which comes upon every believer must be given highest priority (Matt. 28:19-). This means that, as important as mutual edification is, we must put top value upon God’s agenda for the church. There’s nothing wrong in coming together to be mutually strengthened … unless it keeps us from reaching our town and our world for Christ.

We err when we place too much emphasize on the gathering. “Don’t greet anyone on the way” was how Jesus put it to His disciples. The Lord had a clearly defined mission for His followers. He had told them what to do and where to go. Now He’s telling them not to get involved in anything that might detract from that mission. And — please listen to me carefully — evengood things can do that. It’s called the principle of priority.

The mission of the church is to point others to Christ. The calling of every Christian is to build redemptive relationships. So, having been edified during the meeting, do we feel ready to flow into a web of relationships and network them for Christ? If not, there is something wrong with the gathering!

Evangelism is the missing link in so much discussion about ecclesiology today. God’s redemptive plan is at the top of His priority list, and each of us is privileged to have a part. How do we get to that place? First, make a definite commitment to be a Great Commission Christian. Second, have faith that God will use the witness of your serving lifestyle to win the lost. Finally, don’t give up! Bathe the lost in prayer. Ask God for boldness and open doors. Develop a gift-driven life. Target receptive individuals.

Friends, think about it. Our involvement with church activities does not always lend itself to becoming redemptive people. In fact, it is even possible that our “mutual edification service” is actually an escape mechanism to avoid real involvement in the world as salt and light. Here’s the principle: God sows saints (edification) in order to cultivate, sow, and reap (evangelism). You are the message. No one will receive Christ through you who does not first receive you. Our attitude, our whole demeanor, will be different if deep in our hearts we expect God to use us in His great harvest!

The gathering exists for the going. Got the point?

There are millions of lost sheep out there. We’re sent to find them. This involves risk. It involves leaving our little happy holy mutually-edifying huddles and getting our hands dirty in the world.

Saturday, January 8

8:28 PM Just watched one third of Gettysburg with Becky. The rest is for tomorrow night. Time now to get caught up on our reading. Becky’s been enjoying a biography of Ann Judson (Adoniram’s wife) calledMy Heart in His Hands. As for me, well — there’s nothing like a good WW II escape book, this timeEscape from Colditz by Pat Reid.

Pat hasn’t quite made it to the “Bad Boys” camp at Colditz yet. He first has to make his escape from the prison camp in Laufen — dressed as a woman! Stay tuned for more…

6:30 PM As I think of all of the discussions I’ve had with students about church leadership, I recall the opportunity to point them to the wonderful contribution that Alexander Strauch has made to the topic in his bookBiblical Eldership. But one must read his work carefully and be constantly checking it with the Scriptures (this is, of course, true of every book we read). This is why I am always interested to read what others have to say in their reviews. Over at the Nine Marks website, Paul Alexander has written ahelpful review that largely supports Strauch’s findings. However, I am bound to note that the review contains a significant demurral:

I share Strauchs impulse to guard against a misperceived self-sufficiency in senior pastors, and to be wary of absolute power corrupting absolutely. But I question whether the senior pastor title or role is necessarily illegitimate on the grounds of Christs exclusive headship, or whether the title of senior pastor is mutually exclusive with a plurality of elders. After all, the letters to each of the seven churches in Revelation were all addressed to the singular angels of those respective churches, which most commentators regard as the singular pastors of those churches. Both Timothy and Titus seemed to exercise a role akin to what we would call a senior pastor without threatening either Christs exclusive headship or the plurality of local church leadership.

For myself, I tend to agree with brother Strauch rather than the reviewer. One of the most important lessons in New Testament Introduction courses is a discussion of the so-called Pastoral Epistles, which, of course, were neither written to nor about pastors. It is clear, for example, that the church which Timothy was sent to serve (Ephesus) already had elders — Paul had met with them earlier in Miletus. As for Titus, he was charged with appointing elders in every city on Crete. As I have often said to my students, it is high time we put the term “Pastoral Epistles” out to pasture once and for all. As for the “angels” of the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2-3, considering the consistent use of the termangelos in the book of Revelation, it seems likely that the term is being used to refer to angelic beings in these 2 chapters.

It would seem, then, that the title of senior pastor is in fact inconsistent with the concept of the plurality of elders, assuming that the eldership is, as Strauch argues, non-hierarchical. In fact, I suggest that this is exactly what one would expect when one looks at the twelve apostles of our Lord, none of whom can be said to have held the position of “Senior Apostle.” Of course, one of them, Peter, was a spokesman of sorts for the others on many an occasion, but did this make the rest “Associate Apostles”?

5:32 PM Calling all pastors/elders/overseers who think that Heb. 13:17 is important. You may want to take a look at Rick Saenz’sword study of peitho. Are believers to “obey” their leaders? You be the judge.

5:01 PM Well, the wedding in Wake Forest was wonderful. Cari was one of my beginning Greek students several years ago, indeed one of the most incredibly joyful and pleasant persons to be around on campus. I did not know Blayne personally but his dad (Waylan Owens) taught on our faculty for several years before moving to Southwestern Seminary. I’m fairly sure you would have appreciated the way Waylan officiated over his son and new daughter-in-law’s wedding. And who else should show up than Chris Thompson, the very first Th.M. student I had when I moved to Southeastern from Talbot 13 years ago! Chris also served at SWBTS before assuming his current responsibilities at Firth Baptist Charlotte.

Cari and Blayne now have a brand new life together. Becky and I pray God’s richest blessings on the young couple as they begin their married journey. I’ve got to believe that it is a marriage made in heaven.

10:53 AM Andy Bowden’s latest blog post reminds my so much of my own spiritual journey that the similarities are eerie. ReadMarks of maturity. The Christian life is inevitably enriched when we come to terms with our own hubris, is it not?

10:46 AM Oh my, F. F. Bruce must have been reading my mind when I posted below that I was going to be teaching the teachers at Calvary Baptist Church. On p. 144 of his autobiography I read these profound words:

The gap [between scholars and ordinary Christians] would not be so wide, I am sure, if more scholars were to involve themselves in the day-to-day life of a local church and communicate the fruits of their scholarship to their fellow church members in a form which the latter could assimilate.

He adds:

I have known some distinguished scholars who did this, to their own enrichment as well as the enrichment of the others.

Bravo, professor Bruce!

10:42 AM Just a reminder to those interested in reading the ancient languages: I am available to tutor you in Ecclesiastical Latin, asthis post reminds us.

10:36 AM I see that Joel Willitts considers the ESV Study Bible the “Cadillac” of study Bibles. And, of course, Mark Goodacre considers Duke the “Rolls Royce” of graduate programs in religion.

Let’s see…is Cadillac better than Rolls Royce?

P.S. I like the ESV Study Bible, to which I contributed an essay, but I tend to recommend theNelson Study Bible to students.

10:26 AM Today Becky and I have the honor of attending the wedding of one of my former students at Binkley Chapel on campus. Though we enjoyed a light dusting of snow last night, the sun is now shining in all its glory and the roads are fine for traveling. This is a real answer to my prayers.

See you at 1:00, Cari and Blayne!

10:18 AM Excited to be writing today a reference for my former grader who is applying to the University of Nottingham to begin doctoral studies in New Testament.

10:12 AM Been reading 1 Thess. 5:12-13 this morning. The New Testament seems to teach a gracious equality of leadership. If that is the case, how is it possible for one man to be known as the “pastor of vision”? There is no super-pastor who can do all the vision-setting, is there? After all, is there not a direct and living connection between the Head and every member of the Body?

10:04 AM I’ve been asked to do a 3-hour teachers’ workshop on Saturday, February 26, atCalvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. What fun that will be! My assignment is to walk the teachers through the book of Philippians, which they will be teaching in their classes beginning in March. Exegeting a New Testament epistle is like working on a giant jigsaw puzzle of an ancient walled city in Europe. Just when you think you’ve figured out how to put together the walls, the ramparts, the towers, and the homes you encounter a blue, cloudless sky. The cry, “I got it”, is the final act of triumph. I’ll never forget the day I completed my essay on the discourse structure of Philippians (later published in Novum Testamentum). It was one of those “ah-ha!” moments the likes of which I shall never forget. I suspect that those who believe that “joy” is the theme of this New Testament book will be sorely disappointed with my essay. But as I read the epistle, I was forced to conclude that joy is at best the byproduct of something much more important.

I have said that this invitation is from a local church that is preparing its teachers to teach well and accurately. I cannot think of a better way to integrate seminary and church. Nor can I think of a single faculty member at SEBTS who would not be willing to place his or her expertise in the service of the church in such fashion.

9:47 AM Here’s another gem from Fred Bruce’sautobiography. In answer to the question, “How do you maintain your regular output of writings?” Bruce writes:

I have often contrived to kill two birds with one stone: to deliver material in the form of a course of lectures and then publish them in book form” (p. 299).

He adds — and this is very significant:

For the rest, it is a matter of making disciplined use of time.

I may be wrong, but I suspect that more of us teachers would be able to write a greater number of books and essays if we followed Bruce’s advice. I have noted previously how, upon graduating from Basel, I set definitive publishing goals for myself: one journal article every year, and one book every 5 years. I remember thinking to myself at the time (it was 1983), You will never reach these goals. But met — and in some cases surpassed — they are, and I think the reason is that I find the switch from the classroom to the writing desk both enjoyable and easy. As it is, the least we can do is to encourage doctoral students to begin publishing their better papers as journal articles. I have no hesitation whatever in encouraging my own students to do this, and they have met with some success.

Friday, January 7

8:42 PM Read10 Principles for Biblical Relationships by Becky Lynn Black.

8:12 PM Almost forgot. Joyeux Noël to all of our precious brothers and sisters in Ethiopia!

7:52 PM Had a wonderful chat with a prospective student this afternoon. He was visiting the campus for a couple of days and getting the grand tour. Teaching in a seminary that lives and dies for missions is the most rewarding and thrilling work in the world. I have many colleagues who teach in universities that might have a greater reputation for scholarship, but I am thankful that the lines have fallen to me in a seminary and not in a university. Besides, I am of the opinion that the faculty on our campus can hold their own academically when it comes to scholarship.

7:17 PM Today in Greek class we went on yet another rabbit trail, this time along the path of ecclesiology. Church structures must be participational rather than representative, I told my students. My excuse to bring up this topic? A very good one indeed. The vocabulary to today’s lesson included the adjective hekastos, which, as everyone knows, is one of the my all-time favorite New Testament Greek words — so much so that I even invented a new word in the English language in its honor (see my bookThe Jesus Paradigm for a reference to the doctrine I call Hekastology). My point was simply this: If we order our churches in a New Testament way, rather than in a purely traditional way, growth toward maturity will be more participational, and church gatherings will be far less characterized by spectatorism. The professional model of ministry says, “If something needs to get done, let’s hire a professional to do it” and “let only those who do it best do it all the time.” As a result, only the “best” teachers teach, and only the most “proficient” musicians sing or play an instrument. A participational structure, on the other hand, creates opportunities for as many people as possible, within reason of course.

I didn’t say this in class, but I for one sure am glad I grew up in a church in Hawaii that let little old moi play a trumpet solo or sing a song I had composed (accompanying myself on the guitar) or “preach a sermon” even when I was far from proficient in any of these areas. I think I am a better Christian for it — though I wouldn’t bet on it.

7:03 PM Never shop at Wal-Mart on a Friday night. Never.

3:53 PM The house sure seems quiet since I got home today. (Right about now, Caleb would have been practicing his ukulele.) It’s back to me and my girls ( = Becky plus our two female Shelties). We miss the Rondeaus but I am thankful to report that they arrived safely in Upstate New York yesterday, where they were promptly greeted with — what else? — a snow storm. For me, it’s time to start enjoying all those pleasant memories that were formed during the past 6 months. Including some fancy uke strumming.

3:45 PM In the midst of all the discussion nowadays about how to “do” church, Kevin Brown offers somesage advice.

3:34 PM Last night I checked out a delightful little book from our seminary library. F. F. Bruce’s autobiography is calledIn Retrospect: Remembrance of Things Past. Mind if I share with you a few takeaways? For starters:

What we learn when the mind is plastic tends to stick, and I began Greek under his tuition at the age of thirteen (p. 38).

Bruce is referring to Elgin Academy, where he began his studies in the classical languages. Oh, how I wish I could have started my Greek or my Latin or even my German studies when I was only 13! That’s why I am so excited when I hear of families — entire families — studying New Testament Greek from my beginning grammar. When I was 13 years old I was surfing my life away. And then I ended up attending a high school that requiredno foreign languages to graduate. Little wonder that when I began my studies at Biola I thought, This is probably too little too late.

Moms and dads, I hope you’ll consider teaching your kids the classical languages. And, if you must chose between them, Greek is the way to go as it opens a huge door of discovery in reading the New Testament in its original tongue.

Just my unbiased opinion!

3:10 PM I have been very impressed with what I will call the utter professionalism of the medical staff at UNC Hospital. I sense a gravitas that comes only after years of service in the health care profession. At the same time, the oncologists are affable and congenial — certainly no ivory tower stoics. As I said, they are true professionals. They are committed to excellence in what they do, and it shows.

I desire to become such a professional in my own line of work. Depth and winsomeness rolled into one. Knowledge and passion. I figure if professionals who minister to the body can have this air about them, how much more should those of us who minister to the eternal soul. When asked what kind of a “Doctor” I am, I often quip, “I practice internal medicine.” There are probably a dozen other ways I could have invested my time and talents, but I will be forever glad that God called me to a career in teaching. If I only thought about the task God gave me, and forget about the enabling power He’s promised, I’d either give up or fall apart. We don’t really test God’s resources until we attempt the impossible. As a Doctor of Internal Medicine, I’m overextended by divine design. That’s what so exciting about teaching. It’s inviting 5,000 hungry men to sit down for a meal prepared from the meager contents of one’s lunch box. It’s the response of trustful obedience to an impossible situation. To keep things in focus, I find it helpful to report to the Headmaster every morning. I willingly submit my work to Him, expressing to Him my desire to be a channel of blessing to my students, and thanking Him ahead of time for what He is going to do.

If you’re a “professional” teacher, I imagine you could do the same thing.

2:32 PM Great news! Wieland Willker has updated his textual commentary on the New Testament again. It now contains about 2,500 pages. What a magnificent gift to the world of scholarship. I just checked his data on Matt 5:22 and am completely impressed, even if he does dismiss my arguments out of hand and without comment:

David A. Black “The text of Mt 5:22a” NovT 30 (1988), 1-8 [he argues for the inclusion of [eike], but the arguments are not convincing.]

2:25 PM The richest man in Africa lives where? Did you sayEthiopia?

2:20 PM Our friends at Denver Seminary will be holding a conference calledThe Holocaust and the Bible February 10-11, 2011. One paper strikes me as particularly interesting:

Dr. Erwin Lutzer “The Church and the Holocaust” – What was the role of the church in Hitlers Germany? The church has often come under scathing criticism for either siding with the Holocaust, or being silent when confronted with the reality of Hitlers purges. This message/seminar is intended to give a balanced picture of the churches’ involvement, both negative and positive with a view to addressing the larger question of what the role of the church should be in a an evil society, where following Christ exacts a heavy price. In the end we must ask whether we would have fared better under similar circumstances.

2:12 PM I just finished editing the next addition to our Areopagus series,The Politics of Witness, by my co-editor Allan Bevere.

Allan’s goal is clear: the abolition of Constantinianism. He writes:

In other words, the church’s first task is not to work to coerce the state to take care of the poor. The church’s first task is to live lives of simplicity and generosity and take care of the poor ourselves. In so doing we will be witnessing to the nation that it would be a better state if it took care of the poor as well. The church’s first task is not to coerce the state into outlawing abortions. The church’s first task is to reject abortion as a Christian option and live in such a way that we welcome all children into the world. In so doing we will be witnessing to the nation (as Tertullian stated to the Roman Empire) that it would be a better state if it didn’t kill its children.

Well put indeed. Allan observes that “both the right and the left seek political power in order to fundamentally transform America according to their understanding of biblical values while ending up being nothing more than faith-based extensions of the Republican and Democratic Parties.” I couldn’t have said it better.

I am pleased to commend both book and author. Not that Allan Bevere needs commendation from me; his one and only desire is to be found worthy by the One who judges rightly. And his book will commend itself. It fleshes out theory in a very practical way. I will be very excited to see this book in print.

2:02 PM Truett Seminary announces an opening inChristian Theology/Church History.

Wednesday, January 5

7:04 PM It was gift time after supper.

This included a 2011 calendar.

Almost time for our story!

5:18 PM Came home early from school to assist Matthew packing his U-Haul truck. Nate also was a huge help. Believe it or not, we managed to get everything loaded. They are leaving at 6:00 in the morning. Tonight — by request of the Rondeaus — B is cooking Romanian stuffed peppers for supper. Then Papa B is telling the boys their final Henny, Jenny, and Penny story for a long time to come. Becky and I have loved having a family of 5 living with us for the past 6 months. We are not eager to see them go, but we are excited to see how the Lord will lead them in the future. Matt will be interning at a church in New York and (Lord willing) beginning his doctoral studies in the field of Christian ethics. I expect great things from that young man for the good of the kingdom in future years.

Pray for me — I’m already having withdrawal symptoms!

Tuesday, January 4

9:05 PM Because of the chance of snow on Friday, the Rondeaus have moved their departure up to Thursday of this week. This meant, among other things, that it was time for their puppy to have a bath before making the long journey north to New York. Matt snuck in and snapped these pix.

I had lots of eager help washing Alpha.

Also gave the boys a lesson in do-it-yourself doggy bathing.

Alpha is now sleeping peacefully upstairs in the boys’ room, probably dreaming about the girlfriend I’m told is waiting for him in Speculator.

8:15 PM Rumor has it that God helps those who help themselves.

It’s only a rumor, folks.

I am so helpless that I couldn’t make it through a single day without the Lord Jesus. That’s Okay. It’s perfectly natural for the Christian to want to depend upon God for EVERYTHING. Strength in time of weakness. And guidance when we feel lost and overwhelmed. The bottom line is this: Without Jesus, I am going to hell. Without him, I am cut off from all that satisfies, from all that fulfills and is meaningful. The Bible calls us clay pots with treasure inside. How true.

At no time do I feel so dependent upon God as when we meet with Becky’s oncologists at UNC. Today’s meeting was no exception.

The tumors have increased in size. Further chemo is no longer an option.

How did we get to this place? I asked myself. Surgery. Then 16 months of treatments. Chemo. Radiation treatments (35 of them). More chemo. Then another chemo drug. Still, the tumors in her lungs grew. Metastatic endometrial cancer, they call it. And not just plain old uterine cancer, but clear cell — the most aggressive kind. That’s what we’re up against.

But there’s also good news. The oncologists have agreed to pursue a technique called Cyber Knife with Becky. At least they are willing to ask themselves whether this procedure is suitable for her condition. We should have a good indication by Friday of this week whether or not this is an option for us. (So far, the signs look promising.) If so, the doctors will try to destroy 2 of her 4 lung tumors (the largest ones) with highly concentrated doses of radiation. Certainly worth a try. Then keep an eye on the situation, do another CT-scan in a few months, and re-assess.

So that’s where things stand as of Tuesday, January 4, 2011.

How are we doing? At perfect peace with God and ourselves. It takes diligence, courage, and faith — in about equal amounts. Remember, the Lord never calls us to do something unless He enables us to do it. Let’s put it straight. Faith is always a return to reality about God and His character. More than anything else, faith involves the yielding of rights. As we yield our rights, God provides the power.

A million thanks for your continued prayers on our behalf. Prayer is a wonderful thing. It revamps our expectations. It opens us to God’s agenda. It puts everything in proper perspective.

So thank you for praying.

7:30 PM Quote of the day (Thomas Hugdins):

Caring for orphans and widows and the helpless and hopeless are things that the church should be involved in. With that said, mercy ministries ought to be ministry extensions of churches who are avidly evangelizing and making disciples. That is the primary goal.

Well said, Thomas. Our top-notch health center in southern Ethiopia exists for one reason: to share the love of the Lord Jesus and His Gospel with everyone who comes to us with their physical ailments. If folks reject you, they’re going to reject you because you’re a messenger of Christ, not a health-care provider. At the same time, evangelism is simply loving people until they ask you why. Don’t minimize gifts of mercy in your zeal for evangelism!

Incidentally, I hope you will join me in giving God a huge THANK YOU for granting Thomas and his wife Lesly the “all clear” to move to El Salvador. What an answer to prayer.

7:10 PM One of the pastors/elders at my church (Bethel Hill) is pursuing a Ph.D. at SEBTS. About half of my own doctoral students are pastoring or will be when they graduate. I therefore agree completely with Brian Fulthorp when he writes:

To me this just proves all the more the need for more pastors to pursue PhD work in the midst of their vocations (not all, just more) but also the need for more pastors to be intentionally involved in such groups as ETS (SBL might be too academic of a setting and many arent even Christian let alone interested in speaking to or with the church so ETS might be the better venue for this kind of conversation) or for Pentecostal pastors to be part of SPS and so on as I understand it, many in academia want to engage the church but the church in many ways hasnt been interested in engaging academia but being intentionally involved in ETS and such societies sure would help.

ReadThe Pastor-Scholar?

The likes of John Piper (D.Theol., Munich) and James Montgomery Boice (D.Theol., Basel) are cases in point.

5:51 PM Matt Metzger likes the poetry of theISV New Testament.

(I do too.)

5:18 PM Loved being on campus yesterday and today. Got reconnected with a lot of my colleagues, including Maurice Robinson. Earlier I had emailed him for a status report on his health. Here’s what he wrote (published here with his permission):

Still recuperating, but getting less pain every week; right now, however, I have a cold and cough (which hurts every time due to the healing sternum); also my breathing capacity is still only about 75- of pre-surgery levels, and my voice remains weak.

Pray primarily that pain will all go away, the cold/cough will be cured, and that my voice will gain strength by the time classes start.

Will do, Maurice!

5:12 PM Over at the Evangelical Textual Criticism blog there’s mention of a new dissertation on conjectural emendations in New Testament textual criticism. Here’s the post: Conjectural Emendation in New Testament Textual Criticism with the Epistle of James as a Case Study. I read it with great interest since I previously published an essay entitled “Conjectural Emendations in the Gospel of Matthew” inNovum Testamentum, in which I argued against the numerous emendations being proposed for that Gospel (some of them downright silly). As an amateur textual critic (yes, I consider myself a rank amateur even though I did publish the definitive80-page work on the subject!), it will be fascinating to see why the author thinks the command “Not many of you should become teachers” in James 3:1 should be considered “curious” and therefore emended. The injunction seems clearly to be part of James’ “warning against self-exaltation” (so Peter Davids in his James commentary). Perhaps a follow-up blog post is called for?

5:05 PM My, this is a good day in the blogosphere. Alan Knoxquotes one of my favorite scholars, Oscar Cullmann. Cullmann is here thinking way outside the box of conventional thinking about the church. It’s really a great lesson for all of us.

Incidentally, I had the great, great honor of knowing Professor Cullmann. Although he was retired by the time I arrived in Basel in 1980, I was privileged to meet privately with him several times in his home in the Birmannsgasse. He was known in Basel for his outstanding theological exegesis of Scripture. Indeed, I still think hisChristology of the New Testament is the best book ever written on the subject.

4:53 PM Speaking of publishing, Alex Stewart, one of my great doctoral students, just had an article published in the Tyndale Bulletin.

Feather in the cap I’d say. Heartiest congratulations, Alex. Well deserved honor!

4:44 PM Nijay Gupta asks how one shouldchart his or her writing career. Comment #1 has the answer.

I would add (although to be honest with you I’m not sure I should be the one giving this advice; I’m not as good at writing as I wish I were):

Set goals for yourself.
Edit your work constantly.
Establish an “identity.”
Try and contribute to each of the various genres of scholarly publication. These include peer-reviewed journal articles; book reviews; edited volumes; monographs; textbooks; surveys; and electronic writing.

In the end, writing probably has more to do with self-discipline than inspiration.

4:37 PM Read the Eerdmansnew blog.

4:32 PM Pray that the largely Christian south Sudan will peacefully separate from the Islamic north in a referendum to be held this Sunday, January 9. This referendum was stipulated in an agreement ending the Sudanese civil war half a decade ago. Partition is hardly a simple matter, and the issue of boundaries could lead to further trouble, as it has elsewhere.

4:27 PM Looking forward totwo new books from the able pen of my colleague Andreas Köstenberger this year.

4:22 PM Listen to the Greek New Testamenthere.

4:14 PM One of my J-term Greek students, along with her husband, has a wonderful outreach to the children of Wake Forest. You can read about ithere. What awesome students God gives us here at SEBTS!

Sunday, January 2

4:59 PM Tonight were watching old episodes of The Rockford Files. Partly to reminisce about the 27 years we lived in Southern California. We’ve been to that place! Remember those hair styles? Look at those ties! If you never lived in the ’70s and ’80s you simply can’t enjoy this series!

4:48 PM Dan Gilgoff publishes11 faith-based predictions for 2011. Nothing surprising here, but a lot to pray about. #3 is certainly true:

As anti-Christian violence accelerates in places like Iraq, Egypt and India, a government crackdown on Christian churches gathers steam in China, and European bureaucrats continue to drive Christianity from the public square, Christianophobia will become a buzzword.

Don’t look for it to become any easier to be an obedient follower of the Lord Jesus in 2011, at least outside of North America. If you’re interested in my thoughts on the matter, you might take a look atThe Persecuted Church: An Obstreperous Flower. Then pick a body of persecuted believers in some nation and commit to pray for them in 2011.

4:22 PM Henry Neufeldresponds to my last post:

Dave Black discusses RSS feeds, of which he has none:

12:18 PM Yes, yes, yes, lets hear it forRSS feeds!

You may have bookmarked this blog, and/or other blogs and webpages. But you have no idea when new content is posted. So every now and then you click your bookmarks to see what is new. Sometimes nothing is new, and youve wasted a click.

Impeccably good logic. Unless, of course, when you click on a bookmark and the site you visit is always publishing something new!

But you can get an RSS feed of Dave Blacks blog. Really you can! Heres how you do it:

Got tohttp://page2rss.com

Enter the URL for Daves blog, (http://daveblackonline.com/blog.htm)

The site will give you back an RSS feed that will follow updates to that page

Put that feed URL into your RSS reader

For example, my reader currently shows the selection I quoted above as the latest update.

Wow! So there you have it. Super neat. Thanks Henry!!

12:18 PM Yes, yes, yes, let’s hear it forRSS feeds!

You may have bookmarked this blog, and/or other blogs and webpages. But you have no idea when new content is posted. So every now and then you click your bookmarks to see what is new. Sometimes nothing is new, and you’ve wasted a click.

Impeccably good logic. Unless, of course, when you click on a bookmark and the site you visit is always publishing something new!

12:03 PM In the latest issue ofCatalyst (an online magazine for Methodist seminarians) you’ll find an extremely useful guide to Building an Old Testament Library: Genesis-Ruth by Bryan Beyer of Columbia International University. Only one major lacuna that I can see, and that is Fred Bush’s commentary onRuth in the Word Biblical Commentary.

11:24 AM I am very humbled to be associated withEnergion Publications and its owner and publisher Henry Neufeld. After Baker Academic (6 books), I believe I have published more titles with Energion than with any other publisher.

[Update: Scratch that: I see I have5 titles with B & H Academic. Ugh, my brain is acting up again!]

Energion Publications Books by this Author

Why Four Gospels (1-893729-87-7)
The new edition of Dr. Black’s book traces the history, origin, and development of the four NT Gospels.

Christian Archy (1-893729-77-X)
Exploring the New Testament meaning of being part of the kingdom of God

The Jesus Paradigm (1-893729-56-7)
The church needs something more than renewal, revival, or even reformation. It needs to restore the Jesus Paradigm!

This year will mark the first time Energion will be present at the annual scholarly meetings and, Lord willing, I plan to help man the display booth. In the meantime, look for several significant additions to Henry’s publications list this year, including Allan Bevere’sThe Politics of Witness. Allan holds a Ph.D. from Durham University in England and teaches at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio. And, if you’re at all interested in the theology of John Piper, Phil Hopkins’God’s Desire for the Nations has just been released and promises to become an influential work in the field.

This year Allan and I will be looking for qualified submissions in the field of biblical studies and would love to entertain a proposal from you. Feel free to email me at dblack@sebts.edu with your ideas.

May God richly bless those of you who will be writing and publishing in 2011 for the honor of the Lord Jesus and the edification of His church!

10:51 AM Take theGreek Alphabet Quiz!

10:46 AM Beginning Greek students, you may want to take advantage of the following supplementary resources for my textbook Learn to Read New Testament Greek.

Alan Knox: Greek Interactive Flash Cards
Richard Sugg: Printable Flash Cards

10:25 AM I’m staying home today because I feel a head cold coming on and I can’t get sick because of B’s blood counts. Speaking of Becky, we hope to hear from her gynecological oncologist tomorrow with the results of her CT-scan. There are, we believe, three possible outcomes:

The tumors in her lungs are gone (in which case she will probably have a couple more Adriamycin treatments just to be sure)
The tumor count remains steady at two (in which case there is the possibility of surgically removing them)
The tumors are still there and have also shown up in other places (in which case we will probably stop all treatments and let things go their natural course)

As I thought about these possible outcomes this morning my mind went to Daniel 3 and the story of the three men who walked in fire. They told the king, “We will never honor your gods! Besides, our God is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace.” And then they added:

“But even if He doesn’t….”

What an attitude! With it we can face anything that comes into our lives in 2011. Yes, our God is able to heal Becky. But even if He doesn’t, He is still with us. We will still trust Him and seek to honor and obey Him. Love so amazing, so divine, demands our souls, and lives, our all. Christ’s death and resurrection challenge our right to live our lives the way we want to live them.

So…

It would be wonderful to be able to report to you this week that Becky’s cancer is gone. But even if we can’t, even if He doesn’t take it away, He still invites us to come to Him and find rest. No matter what, God’s grace is still available but we must lay hold of it and delve deeply into our heavenly treasures.

8:38 AM Kevin Brown (who blogshere) and his daughter Katy went with us to Alaba a couple of years ago. I tell you, here are some folk whose walk squares with their talk! Katy was only 15 at the time but pulled her load as ably as anyone on our team.

Well, I’m happy to announce that Katy has started her very own blog. It’s got a great name too: Hearts on Things Above. Katy describes herself as follows:

I am Kathryn Mary Brown… a no one, made into a Child of God because of the love of Christ. I live at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC. So, I have a southern accent with a southern love for fine things. I love deep thoughts… in literature, music, history, especially in the Word of God. I love people and communicating with them through, writing, talking, acting. That’s enough about me. 🙂

Glad to see you blogging Miss Katy. May our Father be pleased to bless your efforts for His glory.

P.S. Unlike a reprobate blogger I know who has neither an RSS feed nor a comments section, Katy has both. I might suggest that you send her a word of welcome as soon as you can.

8:13 AM Tomorrow morning, at 9:00 am sharp, our Greek class begins. Let’s begin it with God. That’s how the Bible begins (“In the beginning God…). We can’t get off to a good start without Him. How foolish to think that we can accomplish anything without Him. Many mistakes would never have been made had we prayed as much in advance as we complained after the mistakes were made. In studying Greek you must start off with a commitment to succeed or you will never finish the course. Even if you only fall behind in one lesson, you will find it almost impossible to catch up. Remember: Our pace is one chapter per day! We read that our Lord “set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Paul says, “This one thing I do” (Phil. 3:13). Make up your mind to place God first in your studies. Then bring all other things — your study habits, your time management, your need to balance family, study, and work — into their proper place in relation to that.

Set your face like a flint and you will not be ashamed.

8:04 AM Over at the Bethel Hill blog, Becky has posted part 2 of her series calledThe Chosen One.

Saturday, January 1

7:49 PM If Brian Fulthorp’s first two blog posts of 2011 are any indication, we can expect some excellent blogging from his keyboard this year. Be sure to read his latest essay calledWhat’s your single passion?

7:40 PM My friend Allan Bevere won’t like this (see his recent essayNote to Publishers: Cease and Desist on the New English Bible Translations and Study Bibles) but just this morning I was praying about the idea of producing my own Charles. B. Williams-style translation of the New Testament into English.

Whether any publisher would be interested in it is beside the point. My efforts would be directed toward bringing out the nuances of the Greek text that I’ve discerned in the past 34 years of teaching Greek. Of course, I suppose many of the renderings would be similar to those in theISV New Testament, as I was the editor of that work and produced the base translations for all 27 New Testament books.

Am I crazy for thinking about doing this? Probably. But that’s never stopped me before.

So, what do you think? (Allan, I’m not asking you!)

7:20 PM Thomas Hudgins offers thisNew Years exhortation:

If you have never been on a “mission” trip, go with your local church this year. If your local church does not have any “trips,” find one that does. I promise you that nothing will radically change your heart more than getting your hands dirty in the work of the gospel. That’s one side of the coin… here is the other side. When you wake up to go to work, every day this year here in the US or wherever you are in the world reading this, wake up and go on a “mission” trip.

I agree! As my friend Alvin Reid puts it:

Life is a mission trip. Take it!

7:10 PM Tonight for the last time Papa B cooked Chinese stir fry for the Rondeaus. They must have enjoyed it. They said it was the best supper they had had all year long!

7:07 PM Last Saturday it was snowing and the weather was frigid. Today it’s raining and the temps are hovering around 60. What a difference a week makes.

6:47 PM If you are at all interested in the study of 1 Peter, I’ve got a new blog for you. It’s called (quite appropriately) the Paroikos Bible Blog. It is written by yet another of my Ph.D. students who has decided to take up blogging after the oh-so gentle nudging of his professor.

I encourage all of my other (reprobate and recalcitrant) students to join us on this journey.

12:30 PM Before I forget: A huge THANK YOU to Liz for the outstanding breakfast she prepared for the entire household (dogs included — they licked the plates):

We enjoyed poached eggs, link sausages, hash browns, fresh biscuits, and apple juice. Gonna miss you Lizzy Pie!

12:15 PM The rubber hits the road in John Piper’spost-absence report. By the way, I love such honesty and transparency in a leader. Without devoting a lengthy post to this issue, let me just say I’m praying for John and his marriage.

Forgiveness.

Comfort.

Truth.

And while the man I see in the mirror every day is far from perfect in this area, he can attest to the wonderful power of God’s grace to overcome selfishness and sullenness. I have no idea what the future holds for John Piper. All I know is that he is watched over and cared for by One whose compassion never runs empty. One whose mercies are new every morning. One who is faithful no matter how much self threatens to consume us.

Bravo, John!

12:06 PM One thing I love about Eric Carpenter is that he is no “half-way man” (this term was used by the Anabaptists to describe their former leader Zwingli) — afraid to face the consequences of his own beliefs and teachings. Obedience to Jesus always involves risk-taking. Following the Spirit’s lead in our lives demands sacrifice of creature comforts. When the Spirit impels us toward something we may not want to do or dread to undertake, we must follow the Lord whatever happens to us. America has made financial “security” its main business. But very few are interested in righteousness. It is not time for drunken Noahs but for disciples who have an understanding of Scripture to know what they ought to do and who are enabled by the Spirit to do it.

I love men of courage!

Read Eric’s postAnd So It Begins.

9:48 AM I’ve been corresponding with someone who is currently teaching the book of Hebrews in Mozambique. In passing he writes:

There are openings at Sofala Bible Institute (Instituto Bíblico de Sofala. Send them our way!

If you’re thinking of an academic career, teaching overseas is a wonderful option you should consider. You can take a peek at the school’s websitehere (in both Portuguese and English).

Also in passing, I mentioned to him that my roommate in college was a Brazilian who taught me just enough Portuguese to be dangerous. Here we are in a previous incarnation:

Rubens was quite a jokester. He was also brilliant. Blind from birth, he played classical piano and clarinet and spoke 5 languages fluently. During our 4 years as roommates he really put me to shame.

What happy memories!

9:25 AM Andy Bowden stirs up another hornet’s nest with his essayFrontiers of Fat. He dares to challenge the thinking of all the “experts” who pontificate behind their mahogany desks. Good stuff, Andy.

(Oh wait — I sit behind a mahogany desk!)

9:21 AM I wishthis book were ready for my spring class on the Greek text of Mark!

9:12 AM The sixteenth century Anabaptists have much to teach us about following Christ. Discipleship following after Jesus’ example became the key Anabaptist criterion for describing the life of faith. They believed in

serving instead of ruling
suffering instead of inflicting suffering
breaking down walls instead of isolationism
biblical authority instead of ecclesiastical tradition
brotherhood instead of hierarchy
the towel instead of the sword
the headship of Christ instead of that of any pastor
the way of peace instead of just war
the church as a living organism instead of as a human institution
the reign of God instead of a political kingdom
the catholicity of the true church instead of sectarianism
the power of suffering instead of the cult of power
the Bible as a book of the church instead of as a book of scholars
loyalty to their heavenly citizenship instead of to the principalities and powers
Spirit-orientation instead of forced structures of church life
being a light to the nations instead of a Christian enclave
knowing Christ instead of merely knowing about Him
faith that works (in both senses) instead of dead orthodoxy
effectual grace as a living reality instead of as a theological dogma
every-member ministry instead of clergyism
baptism into Christ instead of baptism into a denomination
a unity that is lived instead of a unity that is merely extolled
welcoming the despised and marginalized instead of ignoring them
a hermeneutic of obedience instead of a hermeneutic of knowledge
individual conscience instead of theological conformity
volunteerism instead of professionalism
allegiance to Christ instead of allegiance to the state

Above all, the Anabaptists believed in obeying Christ’s call to abandon self and follow His example of humility, service, and suffering. The way of Jesus, they taught, is the way of suffering servanthood. It is the ultimate in downward mobility.

Something to think about in the new year.

(FromThe Jesus Paradigm.)

8:58 AM We’ve been getting lots of requests for our essay “Literary Artistry in the Epistle to the Hebrews.” I will send them out on Monday when I return to campus. I’ll also throw in my essay “Who Wrote Hebrews? The Internal and External Evidence Reexamined” just for fun (and to destroy whatever vestige of academic credibility I may still have in your eyes).

8:51 AM A few pix from last night’s festivities:

From our house to yours:

Happy Newness Year (Rom. 6:4)!

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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

January 2008 Blog Archives

Thursday, January 31

5:00 PM As usual, plugging away. I wouldn’t say today was the most efficient day of work we’ve had on the farm, but it comes in a close second. The fencing in the valley is now completed, including the strand of barbed wire atop the woven wire to make our goatlets think twice before jumping off to greener grass. It was a tiresome but extremely pleasant business, and we end up with about 30 acres of fertile grazing land for our animals. The whole project is eminently suited to a photo digest, but I am too weary even to trek the short distance to Hidden Valley to document our accomplishment for prosperity.

Meanwhile I have been perusing a couple of the latest English Bible versions — one of them extremely popular momentarily on campus, especially among the Reform-minded students. They are both too literary for my taste, full of that exquisitely good writing that is, one feels instinctively, only another kind of bad writing. Otherwise, I have been sticking to my big fat Greek New Testament, which really does take the lid off and show you the works. Very entertaining too (dare I say it?), that is, when one encounters the wonderful rhetorical devices in the text. It contains a bit of everything, and one never finds it dull, boring, or pedantic.

12:28 PM Just back from town to get a new starter for Nate’s van. While there I treated him to Mexican food for lunch. It’s the very least I can do for him, after all he’s given me: backaches, blisters, sore thumbs….

8:09 AM Great day in the morning! Just got an epistle from the world traveler replete with Gute Nachrichten. The best news of all is that Aberesh’s blood pressure, though borderline, is still under control, thanks to the goodness of her Lord Jesus and the careful diet and rest her helper is insisting upon. In Becky’s words:

Aside from an occasional mild headache, she hasnt had any other symptoms. The babys heart rate & position remain good. The placenta has moved up a little, away from the birth canal. So we are still hoping for a normal delivery. If her pressure goes up, with little or no symptoms, they may induce her, allowing a natural delivery quickly, before the baby is lost. But if she develops symptoms with her elevated pressure, they may section her immediatelyit all depends upon the severity of her condition. Either way, were coming down to the final weeks. So please pray for me as well as for herthat I will have the calm & wisdom to know what to do.

Becky and Aberesh are in a new compound where they cook for themselves and, just as importantly, can entertain our Ethiopian children and other guests. It is a peaceful and quiet place, Becky reports, other than when the jumbo jets are landing at Bole Airport and pass within 500 feet of the house! In any case, let’s keep everyone in our prayers, including Baby Boy. I think we have the right helper in place, though.

7:48 AM Have read enough about the abysmal “debate” last night. Not a single argument of any sense at all (other than Dr. No’s thumbful of seconds). Just the old utterly meaningless slogans strutted out again. I dread the spectacle of so much more devastation in the Middle East. It’s all the fruit of our national megalomania: acting the part of the Noblest Roman of Them All, destroying everything that isn’t imperial. What a weary imbecility it all is!

7:41 AM Intellectual brilliance is worthless without healthy personal relationships. If I cannot make my faith and principles incarnate among men, I am no better than the secular religionist who treats the Bible as a mere textbook or an analyzable datum of scientific investigation. Oh Father, what do people see in my life? May they see a man who walks with Thee and who bears witness that he is nothing but the Lord’s servant.

7:35 AM A Plug for Patristics.

7:12 AM One day, while I was a fledging student in Basel, I was frozen with astonishment to find my Doktorvater asking me if I would stay after our patristics seminar to take an oral exam in Greek and Latin — a requirement to proceed to the dissertation phase of my studies. I am happy to say that I cannot recall a single syllable I translated that day, though the name of Augustine comes faintly to mind (portrait below). The examination took me completely by surprise but not without a faint thrill of irony, for the episode indicated that Professor Reicke felt me sufficiently fluent in these tongues to allow me to launch into my study of weakness language in Paul. I believe I left Basel with a greater appreciation and enjoyment of the church fathers than when I had entered the university, and I have subsequently become a cheerleader for their writings. On Tuesday next I shall be having an important meeting to begin plans to hold a major patristics conference on campus, and I must admit a certain gleeful anticipation of opening a can of worms at least as large as the one we cracked opened last April during our Last Twelve Verses of Mark symposium. I am not in the least ashamed of myself for having taken into account the fathers’ writings in my little book on Gospel origins, and I am especially pleased of those parts in it that are most commonly called nonsense by scholars, for I know well the bias against the fathers in certain segments of the scholarly guild. In any case, I fancy that a patristics conference, focusing on hermeneutics, might well revive interest in an almost entirely unknown corpus among evangelical students. My thinking is to hold the conference in April of 2009, when the Forest of Wake is at the height of its natural beauty.

Wednesday, January 30

9:21 PM The first week of the new semester went off well enough, though I feel like I talked too fast and tried to cover too much acreage for an old Massie-Ferguson 135. The wretched clock kept chiming out the hours, and it seemed that the law of diminishing returns kicked in earlier than normal. Tonight I am busy answering emails and reviewing my Spanish while recovering my physical strength. Earlier today I was attacked by an infernal sinus headache, but now I begin to feel less of a corpse, thank God. It is enormously reviving to see the pine trees and hear the dogs barking in hopeful tones. The weather on Friday promises to be very nasty, which means that tomorrow it is back to fencing. Meanwhile I am busy with my Anabaptist book, though inefficiently as usual. I often feel like I am a third-rate sophomore writing a college term paper, combining technical ineptitude with a total lack of common sense. In book writing, alas, I have to be more than usually solemn and pedagogic.

As for my African-American bride, I have not heard from her in a couple of days, no doubt because of the difficulties she has in accessing an internet connection for email. I pray constantly for her as she tends to Aberesh. As well do I pray for her studies of the Amharic language, which seems somewhat rather hieroglyphic to me. I am sometimes called a linguist by others and thus live haloed with a reputation entirely fictitious. I lust for knowledge, but only of the most practical kind — and thus my love of languages of all stripes. I should not be surprised if, while Becky is gone, I begin reviewing my Dutch and Italian. How I thank God that Becky has escaped the clutches of the monolingualism that dogs the American mind. I shall be very interested to see how fluently she speaks the language when she returns to Virginia.

7:39 PM Quote du jour:

And, slowly, I began to understand that “vocational pastors” may be necessary to carry out what we typically see associated with church today. However, when we examine church in Scripture, we see that “vocational pastors” seem out of place. Instead, we see people shepherding as they work, and discipling wherever they are, and teaching in any context, and caring and comforting wherever they find people who are hurting. We find leaders who lead by example, not from the spotlight. We find elders who are mature and wise and known, not hired for their education and speaking abilities. We find prophets and teachers and apostles who are willing to dialog instead of monologue. We find disciples who are constantly and consistently attempting to live for Christ with the help of other brothers and sisters. We find that there is no secular and sacred divide. Through the indwelling Spirit, all things become sacred – every place becomes a sanctuary – every believer becomes a priest and a temple.

Tuesday, January 29

5:57 AM I must break the news to you that I have decided to review my Spanish, starting today. Nathan already complains that I am boring him to death with my French, German, Latin, etc. I cannot help it. I enjoy speaking in tongues too much to stop. Language study is a great work upon which to engage one’s mind, and is a solace for my senility.

5:53 AM Here at Rosewood Farm we always think “safety first” whenever we have to get up on our ladders.

We draw our inspiration from this intelligent fellow:

If you think that’s wacko, go here.

5:45 AM I have been pondering the question: What will heaven be like? Not the same as what we think it will be like, I’m sure. As always, the real thing is utterly different from what one imagines. I can recall gazing upon pictures of Mount Rushmore, or the Great Sphinx, or the Acropolis, or the Swiss Alps, or Notre Dame in Paris. The reality was so distinct from the pictures when I actually stood at the site. The impression I got when I visited Masada, for example, was one of great shock. The shape of the ruins I knew already, but what was startling to me was the actual size and vastness of the fortress. As for heaven, how dimly I see things now, as through a glass darkly. It strengthens my faith tremendously to know that one day I shall see clearly, face to face.

5:38 AM This morning I return to my work — that is, to my other job, being a humble farm hand the rest of the week. During my week-long absence from the seminary a gallon or two of work will no doubt have accumulated. My classes today meet from 12:30-3:30 and 6:30-9:30, I have convocation at 10:00, lunch with the president at 11:30, a meeting with prospective students from 4:15-5:15, and on it goes. Put me down for a cell with a bath in the nuthouse. Wednesdays are a bit less cramped, but not much. In any case, I plunge into my work with gusto — whether it be on the homestead or in the pastor factory. I suppose, if one does one’s work to the glory of God in excelsis, there is little difference in the end between shoveling horse manure and showing students the genius of the Greek participle. It can take a toll, however, on mind and body. With two full-time jobs, I feel pretty much like this when Sunday comes around:

Monday, January 28

5:15 PM Guess what? I learned a new word today: orthoepy. It refers to the study of pronunciation in English. As we all know, this is an extremely important science because English pronunciation is an utter absurdity (cf. heard/beard, five/give, low/how, paid/said). I’m told, by the way, that the word orthoepy can be pronounced in two ways. How anyone can learn English as a second language and pronounce it correctly escapes me entirely.

4:47 PM Splendid weather, splendid work, splendid aches and pains. Our main project for the day was clearing a section of the farm for a new hay field. Part of it we had already cleared last year. Here we are fertilizing that section, using our special brand of farm-fresh horse manure, kept in stock for us at an area stable.

We are clearing this area because the trees are useless to us and a better investment is to use the land for our main crop.

When I say useless I mean, of course, in the eyes of the logging companies. But you can be sure that every bit of wood will go to feed one of the 5 wood-burning fireplaces at Bradford Hall, from ash to cedar to cherry and elm.

One more thing: Whoever invented the chain saw deserves the Noble Peace Prize, the Croix de Guerre, a Pulitzer, and every other award ever invented by man.

7:58 AM Ron Paul: recapturing the spirit of America.

7:45 AM It is a first-rate winter day in Southside Virginny, cold and clear and colorfully drab. Right now I am pouring over the page proofs to my essay on the Greek language for the ESV Study Bible, and thus far I think the editors have done a masterful job of it. About the rest of the day — we’ll be up and at a myriad of farm projects that we have been managing to put off long enough. This is what I call structured procrastination, which is an amazing strategy to postpone doing all kinds of things you may find less interesting or appreciable in life. It all catches up with you one day, however.

7:23 AM The latest quote of the week from Theological German cites several German words that have obvious English cognates. Cognates there may be, but I have always been a bit taken aback by how few actual German lexemes have made it into the English Word Treasury, kindergarten and hinterland being perhaps the most notable exceptions. Otherwise, we do not say Mutter for mother or Vater for father. Very surprising indeed, especially when one considers the fact that English is basically a Germanic language and that many of America’s original settlers were native German speakers.

Ph.D. students, take note: You will find the everyday words in German easy to learn when you are preparing for your doctoral exams (father, mother, daughter, book, auto, butter). The problem will be mastering its technical vocabulary. A good example is the expression “Word Treasury” used above, which, of course, is the literal translation of the German term for vocabulary. In French the opposite is the case: the everyday words can pose a bit of a challenge (père, mère, etc.), but the technical jargon is much easier to master (e.g., vocabulaire).

7:10 AM Becky left for Africa three weeks ago today. I have never been prouder of her. Yes, I miss her, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I appreciate the tremendous responsibility she has assumed for Aberesh’s care. She has a unique chance to help one who needs her uniquely. Becky is one of those deep down Christians who enjoys doing for others. Please do not think me immodest, but more and more as the years go by I honestly sense that we plan nothing major in our married life, but that the steps we take are planned by Him in some mysterious way. Releasing Becky to Ethiopia is but one example. Becky and I are always so desperately anxious to have others find in Jesus what we have found: forgiveness, wholeness, security, peace, and love.

I am grateful, Heavenly Father, that You have made of one blood all the nations of the earth, and I am even more grateful that You have put one great Holy Spirit within the reach of all men in all nations. I thank You for the special one whom I have the undeserved honor of calling my wife. Hold fast to her hand, dear God, as she seeks to walk with You this very day in a very faraway place.

Sunday, January 27

7:51 PM We’re back from the Bush memorial service, and I’m writing in retrospect now, trying to put down what has happened in the past few hours. During the service I found myself in deep, deep thought as the music played and the speakers spoke. What an honor it is to teach in an institution that is so blessed. I don’t think I could ever work in a place where the Lord Jesus wasn’t exalted. As my former dean was being memorialized I kept thinking of his passion for the truth, for the Gospel, and for people. He did a good job of it, and I admired his ability. What a joy and blessing he was to know. Every time I had the pleasure of being in his company I left with a spiritual boost. It was tremendously inspirational to hear that this great and good man was as strong a Christian in his hospital bed as he had been in the days of his good health. Thank you, Father, for allowing me to know Russ Bush. Thank you for taking him in your arms of love. Thank you for welcoming him home. Help those he left behind to remember that Thou wilt keep in perfect whose minds are stayed on Thee.

All things turn home at eventide. Oh God, let me turn gracefully!

12:45 PM The key to effective preaching is being simple without being simplistic. Such is what we heard and experienced this morning in our local assembly, and it was an exceedingly profitable and enjoyable time. The Bible is the greatest work of art with the greatest amount of substance ever put into words. Why should we get in its way when we preach from it? Thank God for preachers who are down-to-earth, deep, and who refuse to substitute the intellectual for the esthetic and vice versa. Right now I am heating up some homemade potato soup that a student donated to “the cause.” (The student will know about whom I am speaking.) A recrudescence of neuralgic pleasure makes me want to keep writing, but we’ve got to eat and run.

9:19 AM Alvin Reid remembers Russ Bush in this moving testimonial.

7:30 AM This weekend I have been reading, purely for pleasure and inspiration, a little book called Englisch für Fortgeschrittene. It is written for Germans who want to perfect their English, and thus it is a really wonderful way of reviewing one’s knowledge of German. I can’t find a trace of the pedantic it, and the dialogues, thank goodness, are lively and humorous. The stars are “Walter ” and “Connie,” employees of the “Warchester Times” who go through quite a rigmarole on their way up the corporate ladder. How ridiculous they are made to look, but how true to life!

As for English books, I’ve been reading the great authors and have concluded that it’s really a waste of time to read anything else. Shakespeare’s sonnets, for example — what a marvel! I’d no idea they were so incredibly good — and such a lot to learn from them about life. Then there is Orwell’s Animal Farm, which is really staggering and, like everything by a sufficiently famous author, completely actual and to the point. Have also been keeping up with the latest commentaries on the New Testament, including Jewett’s on Romans, which is excellent, I think — very clear and informative and well-presented. Makes one feel completely irresponsible for writing anything alongside these treasure troves.

6:59 AM In a couple of hours we’re off to attend Russ Bush’s memorial service and then, depending on our time and interest level, we’ll drive over to Duke Chapel for an organ concert. I’ve enjoyed a few days en famille. Had a quiet, pleasant Saturday and didn’t lift hammer or nail. It was a glorious rest and I return to my semester routine much refreshed in body and mind — and with a good healthy backache. The routine of life will do nothing, however, to assuage my appetite to see Becky again and to sip coffee with her on the front porch. I miss her settling presence and sage advice. I am most anxious to hear one day soon that Aberesh’s baby boy has arrived and that she is now experiencing all the joys of motherhood. What a great adventure of faith this whole thing is! Those golden years when Becky and I used to sit at home are gone forever. We can no longer escape the fact that the mission field is our true home — and not only 5,000 miles away but also a stone’s throw away from Bradford Hall.

Meanwhile, sweetheart, je pense à toi.

Saturday, January 26

9:51 PM This might well be the cheapest way to fly from Addis Ababa to Dulles.

5:50 PM Timothy Miekley discusses the syntax of the Great Commission.

2:05 PM Matt, Liz, and the boys visited today, along with their new puppy Buster. I post a few pix for Mama B to enjoy in Ethiopia.

We all got to speak with Becky by phone today. She sounds great. As for Aberesh, not only has the baby turned and is no longer in a breech position, the placenta does not seem to be quite as low anymore. Her blood pressure? Holding steady. Gott sei Dank!

8:40 AM Must one’s devotions always be so extraordinarily interesting? I just noticed that our good friend Louis Segond has hit the nail on the head again with his rendering of Eph. 2:8-9:

Car c’est par la grâce que vous êtes sauvés, par le moyen de la foi. Et cela ne vient pas de vous, c’est le don de Dieu. Ce n’est point par les oeuvres, afin que personne ne se glorifie. Car nous sommes son ouvrage, ayant été créés en Jésus Christ pour de bonnes oeuvres, que Dieu a préparées d’avance, afin que nous les pratiquions.

How wonderful! Paul writes, nous sommes son ouvrage, not nous sommes son oeuvre. Compare “Ce livre est l’oeuvre de X.” Here the emphasis is on the work (the writing process). But in “Ce livre est un ouvrage de X,” the emphasis is on the magnificent result (the book itself). Note well, however: As God’s ouvrage we are to perform bonnes oeuvres! M-m-marvelous. (Don’t imagine I’ve taken to stammering; it’s only amazement that compels me to triplicate the m.)

8:29 AM The Second Annual Karl Barth Blog Conference will be held in June. For the details, click here.

8:14 AM I must say, I am moved by your expressions of concern and by your prayers for Becky and Aberesh. There is obviously no hope of thinking or acting rationally about any of the major issues of life until we learn to love. Without it, men are doomed to perpetual self-frustration and self-destruction. Nor is politics the solution to what ails us. Religious people who think they can go into politics and transform the world always end up being transformed by the world. The most remarkable things I have seen in my lifetime have always been simple expressions of love. Please, then, accept my sincere and humble appreciation for every act of love and kindness on your part, be it an email, a card, or even a meal. It’s astonishing to think that Becky has been gone nearly 3 weeks now, and there are still 6 to go. It’s all very exciting — awesome, unpredictable, adventuresome. Boy do I miss her. I’m afraid I’m a bivalve and don’t function at par when I am forced to be unicellular. The words of Bonhoeffer strike me as apropos:

Je schöner die Erinnerung, desto schwerer ist die Trennung, aber die Dankbarkeit verwandelt die Erinnerung in eine stille Freude. Man trägt das vergangene Schöne nicht wie einen Stachel, sondern wie ein kostbares Geschenk in sich.

7:59 AM Yesterday I received, via FedEx, the sheet music to Dupré’s magnificent Cortège et Litanie.

It is the work of a mind of extraordinary power and depth, and at the same time of extraordinary subtlety and sensitivity. I think it’s by far the best thing of its kind ever produced, going far beyond Buxtehude and Bach. If you have never heard it, you simply must. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to anything that made me so profoundly admire and respect the composer.

Friday, January 25

8:57 PM Well, we put up fencing today until we ran out of woven wire. Almost finished the job, too. So near yet so far. Came home and pigged out on Chinese stir fry (I ate with less dignity than a professor of Greek might be expected to), then listened to organ music. Couldn’t get through to Becky today — the phone was always busy in her guest house. Will try again tomorrow. All in all, a very good day. I go to bed tired and happy.

3:04 PM Just back from a funeral. She died at 79 years of age. Alzheimer’s. The deceased had 9 siblings. How times have changed. Meanwhile, back to our fencing. The current temperature is 34!

12:22 PM Here’s something for all you “spreachers” out there.

10:36 AM If you are thinking about voting for McCain, Huckabee, or Romney, do not read this.

10:15 AM Update: The woven wire has been successfully transferred to the valley. It it too cold, however, to start the fencing work as it requires that we work without gloves. Meanwhile Nathan has taken a load of firewood (photo) we gathered up this morning to Oxford — one of our other mini-businesses, if you will. He is also retrieving our male Sheltie Sheppie, whose services were required this past week in North Carolina.

Et moi? I just sent off to my publisher an official proposal for my book of collected essays, tentatively titled My Big Fat Greek New Testament (And Other Dispatches from Dave Black Online). If and when it is published I should very much hope that it would stimulate people to think about the fundamentals. Now I understand more and more each day, almost each hour and minute, but it is almost impossible to write it down well and it can be done only with much time. A sabbatical, deo volente, is in the offing for the fall, during which time I hope to join the hermits out in the wilderness for a month or two of intensive and extensive literary labor — when I am not in Ethiopia or Central Asia or who knows where. I feel very strongly that promiscuous reading is a really pernicious addiction, and I hope to God I am not only feeding the addicts through all my writing.

8:21 AM It was nice of the Lord to send us such a sunny day today. Meteorological reports predict a high of 42 degrees this afternoon. Meanwhile the ground is still frozen, which will help us drive the tractor down to the valley, along with our fence wire, which is almost too heavy for two of us to carry. And the cheeriest news of all: I hope to speak with Becky by phone today!

8:06 AM What a strange language English is. Last night I was listening to Nathan describing a house that had been “raised,” and I had to ask him whether he meant that it had been built up or torn down. The same absurdities of expression, I suppose, apply to words like “sanction” (permission to do something or a law forbidding it to be done?) and “cleave” (cut in half or stick together?). I think this means that my own language can be just as incomprehensible as any foreign tongue I might seek to master. It’s an interesting subject and one, moreover, that lends itself to effective illustration.

7:53 AM I just got finished reading incoming emails. The report from our friends up in Gondar (northern Ethiopia) drove me to my knees. I want to shout joy from the housetops, but as well as I have been choked with tears, at the same time, of gratitude. The enemies of Christianity are working three shifts a day ad majorem Diaboli gloriam, but our Lord Jesus is greater. If you are on our email update list you will receive the details, but I hope we can all whisper a prayer on behalf of our persecuted brothers and sisters in the Horn of Africa.

7:15 AM The surge is succeeding.

Thursday, January 24

7:42 PM I am truly enjoying reading my World War II escape book, Free As a Running Fox. When I say ” enjoy,” I mean the true enjoyment one gets from reading really good prose, quite apart from the information beautifully organized and conveyed. Mr. Calnan uses the utterly right words to describe his little escapades, many of them humorous in the extreme. Few books have given me so much pleasure. Incredible — there is no other word for it. Currently the good major is about to escape from the Vorlager of Stalag Luft III (photo) disguised as a Russian POW. I wonder, will he succeed? I’m rooting for him to wrangle it somehow.

5:35 PM The Said at Southeastern site, I note with interest, is now able to perform an RSS-like function whenever I update my blog. I am quite delighted to see this, as I suppose it might be helpful to those who do not otherwise visit our site on a regular basis. I know, I know, one of these days I will emerge from the dark ages of Front Page.

5:05 PM How important work is! I wish I could do without sleep, that the days were twice as long, and that I had the strength of a Samson so that I could do all I want to do. But the weakness of both flesh and spirit makes that impossible. Today I am so weary after our farm work that I could barely crawl into the shower. Somehow I managed to start supper cooking, after which I will clean the dishes and crash and burn, probably around a good piece of English prose. We spent much of the day loading and unloading trailer loads of lumber from a local saw mill, wood to be used when Nathan remodels his house. Of great interest to me was the “spalting” we acquired — wood that has begun to mold and therefore has a most unique design in it. Here is a photo of one of the spalted maple boards we hauled off:

Woodworkers, I’m told, will pay a hefty price to use spalting to make cabinets, jewelry boxes, etc. Let me hasten to add that when I saw these boards I assumed Nathan would consider them rotten and would leave them behind. He knows a good deal more about wood than I do, however, and now the boards are being advertised on Craig’s List. Personally, I think they are very beautiful indeed, and whatever product is made out of them will be wonderful, I’m sure.

4:47 PM Larry Crabb once said, “In even the happiest Christian life there are deep pockets of incurable pain.” That’s true of you, and it’s true of me. This morning I received word that a fellow missionary to Ethiopia lost his wife in a tragic automobile accident yesterday. He was in Addis, she was in the States. He was on his way back to America when the accident occurred. He was told about his loss upon his arrival at the airport. His two children, I’m told, survived the wreck. I am immensely relieved at times like this that there is a High Priest who feels, truly feels, our sorrow and shares it with us. Let us remember this great truth, whatever the via dolorosa we are called upon to travel in life.

12:55 PM Delivering hay has more than just pecuniary benefits. Driving through Granville County we stumbled upon a house we’d never seen before. Whoever built it did so with utmost grace and delicacy. In her day she must have been a beauty. But, my word, how poor and run down she looks today. Rich vulgarity is worse than poor vulgarity, I think. It is not snobbishness but fastidiousness to feel shock at such neglect. Why fix up an old house when you can live in a doublewide trailer? Ich zerbreche mir den Kopf!

11:35 AM Read an excerpt from Sarah Posners new book, God’s Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters.

11:31 AM Rethinking Church Life.

7:02 AM Theological German has taken a turn for the romantic, which is all to the good. Surely everyone can benefit from a little language study. Especially if you are a Bible scholar. A journal like Biblica accepts articles in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish (I published mine in English). Likewise for Filologia Neotestamentaria. Even in Switzerland, where I once lived, and which is one of the most polyglot nations in the world, only an estimated 10 percent of the people can write a simple letter in English. Once, while I was staying in the home of my Doktorvater in Basel, Bo Reicke, I heard him use English, French, German, and even Italian while he was talking on the phone, not all at once of course! The U.S. alone has 40 million people who do not speak English, which is the same number of people in England who do speak English.

For myself, I have been listening to sermons and speeches in the French language and profiting immensely from the effort. I am still mystified myself why I should sense such a need to perfect my French, except that perhaps one day I may find myself in francophone Africa and called upon to share the Gospel. This marvelous site has an amazing video of DeGaulle in Quebec. See if you can translate the text of his speech (below). Then listen to him speaking and hear the power of human speech, even though his little talk is full of well-worn clichés.

C’est une immense émotion qui remplit mon cur en voyant devant moi la ville de Montréal française. Au nom du vieux pays, au nom de la France, je vous salue de tout mon cur. Je vais vous confier un secret que vous ne répéterez pas. Ce soir ici, et tout le long de ma route, je me trouvais dans une atmosphère du même genre que celle de la Libération. Et tout le long de ma route, outre cela, j’ai constaté quel immense effort de progrès, de développement, et par conséquent d’affranchissement, vous accomplissez ici et c’est à Montréal qu’il faut que je le dise, parce que, s’il y a au monde une ville exemplaire par ses réussites modernes, c’est la vôtre. Je dis c’est la vôtre et je me permets d’ajouter c’est la nôtre.

Si vous saviez quelle confiance la France, réveillée après d’immenses épreuves, porte maintenant vers vous, si vous saviez quelle affection elle recommence à ressentir pour les Français du Canada et si vous saviez à quel point elle se sent obligée de concourir à votre marche en avant, à votre progrès ! C’est pourquoi elle a conclu avec le gouvernement du Québec, avec celui de mon ami Johnson, des accords, pour que les Français de part et d’autre de l’Atlantique travaillent ensemble à une même uvre française. Et, d’ailleurs, le concours que la France va, tous les jours un peu plus, prêter ici, elle sait bien que vous le lui rendrez, parce que vous êtes en train de vous constituer des élites, des usines, des entreprises, des laboratoires, qui feront l’étonnement de tous et qui, un jour, j’en suis sûr, vous permettront d’aider la France.

Voilà ce que je suis venu vous dire ce soir en ajoutant que j’emporte de cette réunion inouïe de Montréal un souvenir inoubliable. la France entière sait, voit, entend, ce qui se passe ici et je puis vous dire qu’elle en vaudra mieux.

Vive Montréal ! Vive le Québec !
Vive le Québec libre !
Vive le Canada français ! et vive la France !

6:41 AM Need a job? Here are openings in Theology and Patristics.

6:38 AM I am drenched with gratitude for the excellent Greek students God gave me during J-term. One could tell from their prayers at the opening of class just how passionate they were to put their knowledge to good use in serving Jesus. The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is a thing to be eschewed. The Greeks might have called it kene makaria, “empty happiness.” What a scolding my students would give me if they knew how I have indulged in this vice in my lifetime. What a waste of the powers of the human mind. I declare that I would rather see one soul saved than be granted great prizes for scholarship.

6:10 AM I gave my lecture on Lee’s last years (quelle homme!) on Tuesday night as scheduled. It took place in the old Oxford Motor Inn, a cozy dining establishment in the great metropolis. I arrived at about 7:00 pm and hung about while people drifted in. It was a fine evening. My talk went well enough, and the audience even laughed at my jokes. I went out on a limb and preached that our society is devoid of one of Lee’s greatest virtues: a sense of duty. My favorite part of the evening were the hushpuppies we ate. I’m sure we’ll be enjoying them in heaven.

6:05 AM How cold and lovely it is here this morning. I’ve said my prayers for Becky et al. Tried doing some writing but it was all senile chatter so I stopped. Sometimes my mind is like a sponge filled with husks. The news here, I’m afraid, is quite dull. The dry weather today will make it a good time to deliver a load of hay and to continue our work on the fence line. I desire, unreservedly, unashamedly, to bring this project to a triumphant conclusion. For one week I shall live the life of a dormouse and hibernate at the farm until my classes begin next Tuesday. Pour le reste je trouve que tout marche très bien.

Wednesday, January 23

9:10 PM Photo du jour:

9:03 PM A farmer likes Ron Paul.

5:02 PM Jesus had a megachurch.

4:12 PM What interesting news from Ethiopia! Heres the latest from Becky Lynn:

Aberesh is doing very well!!! We’re eating carefully, with much nutritional supplementation…protein bars, vitamins, etc. The baby has turned & is now in the completely correct position! Now we are praying that the placenta will spread up & out of the way when the baby is born, and that a c-section will be avoided. She’s technically due 6 weeks from yesterday, but I think she will come in 3-4 weeks. Please continue to pray for us…that our Lord will give me wisdom & grace in handling things and will give Aberesh protection of her body & spirit during these last weeks. This morning I had a good session of Amharic language with her. I feel like the verbal conjugations are in my head good, but I just need to practice, practice, practice so that I can talk more quickly. And of course my vocabulary needs to increase dramatically!

The ticklish situation still requires much prayer, of course. We do what is humanly possible, but God determines the outcome.

3:32 PM My colleague and friend Russ Bush has been facing death for several months. Now it has happened. The end came last night. To us poor mortals it must look as though an almost indispensable servant of God is dispensed with all too soon. I had known and had loved Russ since I came to Southeastern ten years ago. This last tragic chapter of his life makes me feel very sad as I think of it. His natural sensibility and intelligence were matched only by his humility and gentleness. Between ivory-towerism and knowledge for knowledges sake on the one hand and practical action on the other lies the alternative of true spirituality. Russ was one of the truly spiritual men I knew. His posthumous legacy will not soon be forgotten. It is all merely a development of that great scriptural theme, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Another, to me, very important point. Not an unkind word ever came from his mouth. Never. The rather indecent displays of personalities that has become so unpleasantly common in academic circles is something that was always absent in Russs case. He was really, I think, one of the most extraordinary and impressive human beings I have ever known.

The men of the Middle Ages used to speak of ars moriendi the art of dying. Russs death was the most perfect display of dignity I have ever witnessed. He passed away surrounded by human love, and this love was merely the manifestation of a greater Love, by which he was enveloped and sustained. Russ knew what love was, had been capable of love as few human beings are capable, and is now at last capable of loving as God loves perfectly and infinitely.

As for the arrangements a memorial service will be held on campus this Sunday at 3:00 pm.

3:15 PM I find myself over and over again thanking God for these wonderful students of mine. And now they have finished their first semester of Greek. A Dieu et à Lui seul soit toute la gloire. It must be terribly hard to juggle family, work, and school, and then, just when you think you have it all figured out, a new semester begins and you are up to your eyeballs again in work. And yet and here is the wonderful part of it, the miracle of the Christian life, if you will in the very midst of it all is a peace, a joy, a strength, a contentment. Jesus said that His yoke is easy, and that His burden is light. Whose burden are we carrying that we should complain so often? The Award for our Greek class goes, then, to the One who gave us all of us the strength and understanding to make it through. And now, let us apply our knowledge to the fulfillment of His command to preach the Gospel to every creature.

Monday, January 21

5:48 AM I can hardly say that I understand politics as deeply as many others do, not when I am engaged so heavily in so many other pursuits. But I do know that modern politics is run by money, and that the fool with cash in hand is often superior to the poorer yet wiser man. Thankfully this time around we have a really extraordinary thing: A true conservative has ample support from liberty-loving constitutionalists everywhere. But enormous work remains to be done, for which his campaign will continue to need an influx of dollars and cents. Hence this link, in hopes that many will help the good Congressman traverse the noble hills and valleys still ahead, however Bacchanalian the environment.

5:41 AM I am profoundly grateful to God that He allowed us to complete the gambrel hay barn. The heart cannot be commanded — but the will can, and it took dogged determination to finish this project. It was a most enjoyable job, and the most challenging one we’ve faced here, I think, except for the building of Bradford Hall or the fencing in of the farm. I took this photo when we first began, hoping that one day I would be able to complement the “before” photo with its “after” companion. Not a post had been set, only the holes dug with the help of our tractor and auger.

And now the holes are invisible, and in their place stands a barn. I am still uncertain about our next building project on the farm, but it always feels good to experience a cycle of completion, and I believe the result is something delightful and valuable. Again, all praise to the Lord.

5:34 AM The fact that Priscilla’s name is usually mentioned in the New Testament before her husband Acquila’s is, I sense, instructive. At the very least it suggests that Priscilla descended from an illustrious Roman family (gens Prisca). It also appears that, together, this wife-husband team made their home available as a meeting place for believers (cf. 1 Cor. 16:19) and that they had even risked their necks for the sake of the Gospel. When Becky and I were in our early years of marriage we were privileged to have a Priscilla and Aquila in our lives, whose Christian maturity, faith, and kindness I sometimes remember afresh today, and whose example still remains powerful. One can well believe that such married examples of godliness and love would be warmly appreciated today. In spite of the appalling possibilities of unhappiness and the appalling frequency with which the possibilities are realized, I think on the whole marriage is most decidedly worthwhile. If you need a Priscilla and Aquila in your life, I think you need do more than ask God for one, as it is His delight to give us the desires of our heart.

5:26 AM I must be Rip van Winkle. It seems Im the only one in my classes who remembers Francis Schaeffer, after whose LAbri we have modeled our retreat ministry at Bradford Hall. Somehow it does a world of good to get away to a place of solitude and serenity. I cannot explain it myself except to say that it works. I feel myself genuinely blessed to have both indoor and outdoor occupations. If I cant write I can build fences or pick up hay out of the fields. But we also derive pleasure from hosting retreatants here. Why should we be surrounded by so many affections and interests and not share them with others? I do hope I am not abusing your patience with these discussions of the farm. Im not trying to set myself up as an expert agriculturalist or homesteader. It is just that the quietness of the farm has become such a big part of my existence a whole new world of joy and delight that I missed before. Jesus found it necessary to withdraw, and so should we if we have any sense at all. The world is so full of noise and confusion and, to add insult to injury, most of us have a Martha complex and prefer a rushing stream of chores and activities to that quiet hour with God. How it grieves me to see Christians become indifferent to the things of God because they refuse to come to Him and take His food. The really sad thing is that, despite the quietude of nature that surrounds me, I fall prey to that sin as often as anybody else.

5:13 AM This picture, which I unearthed from my interminable photo archive, will give you a glimpse of what the Ancient Manuscript Museum in Yerevan, Armenia is like. I took the photo (and several others like it) on a visit there last year.

The Armenian version of the New Testament dates back to the fifth century and is an invaluable witness to the text of the New Testament. I was able to give the museum’s director a copy of my New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide as a present from his new American friend (below). If you are a student of the Greek language, I should like to recommend that you consider carefully taking an elective in textual criticism being offered this semester by my colleague Maurice Robinson, who is a world-class textual scholar. The discipline is a really good, old-fashioned, solid field of study.

5:07 AM The intentional marginalizing of Ron Paul by the major news media is being documented at the LRC blog. My belief is that such imbecility always fails. It is idiotic from start to finish. These mountebanks will get nowhere. As soon as the hoi polloi turn elsewhere for news they’ll be left standing on a burning deck.

5:00 AM On Wednesday of this week we shall complete an entire semester of Greek in only 3 weeks of J-term. The results will be commensurate with the time and energy expended by teacher and student alike. I do think a linguistic approach has helped. It simply renders more efficient the system of grammar and the method of learning. As long as I live I shall try to persuade educators to pay more attention to the part played by linguistics in the teaching of Greek grammar. The reason why so few teachers employ a linguistic methodology escapes me. Infusing a little linguistic analysis into a world committed to the misuse of words might well be a worthwhile thing. The only thing I can do, in addition to employing linguistic insights myself, is to try to induce others to think about the problem and to consider the scientific advantages of teaching basic morphology — not to mention the intellectual pleasure one experiences in truly understanding how a language works. Greek is a wonderful pastime with its own private joys. A nice distraction, too, especially at moments like the present when the whole world seems to be one vast lunatic asylum.

Sunday, January 20

10:25 AM The th sound (as in the Greek letter theta) can be a bit difficult for some people to pronounce. Heres proof. (Prepare to laugh.)

10:15 AM I see that Rudy has been forced off his perch again, this time in Nevada. Meanwhile Ron Paul is a steady rock: very mature, very wise, very convinced that in the end it is principle that decides events, not ingenuity. Not one word of bitterness. Not a single complaint. Defending the old Constitution. Makes one proud to be an American.

9:06 AM The organ music of Marcel Dupré is sublime. His Cortège et Litanie is extraordinarily haunting. I can’t think of what it’s due to. Its strange quality of depth and religious passion mystifies me. I often listen to it because it is splendid beyond words. Agonized, poignant quality. Words fail me.

8:44 AM I quite agree with Sheba: It is a dog day today.

The light snow has forced church services to be cancelled. A good day, then, to get some more writing done and add to the cacophony of moderately high-brow books and essays.

Littera scripta manet, volat irrevocabile verbum, wouldn’t you agree? I have, as mentioned before, begun a compilation of essays from our website for publication, aimed largely at helping people who are computer illiterate or who simply cannot (or will not) read books online. I do hope I can bring this off with some measure of success. The challenge will be to pass from obscure knowledge to conceptualized, utilitarian knowledge, to grasp the eternal in time. I know that many of my readers are also writers (i.e., bloggers), and I hope that your own literary efforts this year will be fruitful. Speaking personally, writing has become for me what surfing and horseback riding once were. Each is a task almost too large to accomplish. The challenge in surfing a big wave is achieving harmony with something much more powerful than you are. In cross-country riding the goal is much the same: you allow the horse to provide the motor power while you provide the brain power. When harmony is achieved, the results are out of this world. When it is not, there usually ensues a disastrous wipe-out. Lately I have been reading, other than the Bible, books on missions all good, but there is too much to read, and it so easily becomes a mere indulgence, a vice of the mind quite as deplorable as any other bad habit I possess. I never feel I am really learning anything unless I am reading the Scriptures. Today I am meditating upon these verses:

Acts 20:24

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesusthe work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

1 Thessalonians 1:5

For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurancethat what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

1 Thessalonians 1:8

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We dont need to tell them about it.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

1 Corinthians 1:17

For Christ didnt send me to baptize, but to preach the Good Newsand not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

1 Corinthians 9:12

If you support others who preach to you, shouldnt we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:16

Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didnt preach the Good News!

Romans 15:18-19

Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of Gods Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.

Colossians 1:6

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about Gods wonderful grace.

Colossians 4:6

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Philippians 2:14-16

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of lifein order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

2 Timothy 2:8-9

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained.

These verses clearly illustrate the modern fallacy of supposing that Paul was a theologian. God knows, we don’t need any more of them. Paul was a missionary who wrote theology, not a theologian who practiced missions. I attempted to say as much in my book Paul, Apostle of Weakness. As he puts it: “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesusthe work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” Paul practiced what he preached, too. According to 2 Cor. 11:24 he received a scourging from the Jews 5 times — 40 lashes minus one. I fear my life is a trifle boring in comparison. Really, Paul is the ideal missionary, and it is deplorable that we have people today who claim to teach “Pauline theology” yet who care nothing about missions. At least reading armchair theologians is good for a laugh. The Great Commission shaped and shapes me. It is the furthest thing away from the pedantic preciosities of so-called scholars. Biblical scholarship sans missions is a very bad business indeed.

Saturday, January 19

3:50 PM Today my mind is like an octopus, sticking out its arms in every which direction, all at once. Most of my tentacles are in Ethiopia, however, and with the work there. I shall never forget my first visit to Alaba. What crowds along the way! My heart nearly stopped when we paused to visit a rural church amidst the vast Muslim population of that region. I was immediately surrounded by a surging, curious mob. I took out my drawing pad, and the whole atmosphere changed from one of suspicion to delight.

I thought, as I drew portrait after portrait, of Christ’s words: “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.” I can’t think of anything better that could happen to these precious people than to live life under the plus-sign of the cross. What a joy to watch the ripple of Christ’s love spread wider and wider in Alaba. Oh, if I could only make my American friends understand how harmful their talk of Islamofascism is! This business of condemning Muslims to the gates of hell by otherwise fine Christians pierces my heart like a knife. Why must we do that? God give me understanding and compassion for those who are suffering and who are in need, spiritually. And forgive me for ever judging anyone more harshly than I judge myself.

1:45 PM I note with dismay that in 2007 I inflicted no less than 90 talks on people who never did me any harm. This year, I’m afraid, will be no different. I will not say that I find it boring to give lectures or speeches, au contraire. But nothing can ever replace the joy of the classroom, with all its energy and unpredictability. During my little talk next week on General Lee I shall try to make the point that patriotism and imperialism are not only not the same thing, they are nearly opposite things. Of this I have already spoken in other places, but I feel it right and propitious to emphasize, ad nauseum if need be, that resorting to horse and sword in defense of hearth and home is indeed a patriotic thing to do, but that Imperialismus is a shame to any nation.

12:41 PM Life on the farm goes forward apace. Last week Nathan drove to northwest Virginia to pick up Tarzan, our new buck. Napoleon is now somewhat out of the picture, for we have found, it seems, a real treasure, massive, full of activity and resourcefulness. Nathan also picked up five young females who, together with the rest of their sistren, have about 30 acres to clean up as soon as we finish fencing it in.

7:43 AM I never cease to marvel at Nathans handiwork in the structural details of Bradford Hall. Once smitten, for life smitten. Here are two examples from our formal dining room alone: decorative artwork on the ceiling…

…matched by dental molding along the crown molding and mantle.

Not only is Nathan a master builder, he is a wonderfully able and compelling teacher. How ironic that a talentless and clumsy man, in his later years, would end up being apprenticed to his son. As a result of Nathans tutelage I now find disedifying in the extreme the workmanship of the modern house builder. Being a student of the New Testament I find many parallels between Nathans approach to his craft and the biblical writers use of building metaphors. Paul once called Timothy a worker who did not need to be ashamed as he cut the word of truth (like a stone mason) to the required dimensions. Paul even referred to himself as a builder, indeed, an expert craftsman, and claimed that he labored more than them all (1 Cor. 15:10). Delightfully, Paul described the Christian as Gods poiema Gods creative masterpiece not just something He made but a work of art (see the ISV of Eph. 2:10). Like my son, Paul possessed a towering work ethic, a good old-fashioned workshop mentality that eschewed shoddiness and laziness. There is obviously no hope of hiding the pride I feel toward this artisan of mine. I think of that scene in the Iliad where Hector holds his infant son in his arms and says, Someday people will say, This man is much better than his father. Indeed, in 30 years from now I shall not be quite forgotten in Nelson, Virginia. I shall be known as Nathans father.

7:24 AM Am I a sacrificial servant? I wonder. I doubt very much if there is anything as a real servant existing nowadays. We help, we work with others, we oblige, we wait on people, we volunteer our time off, we are amiable assistants. But a servant in the Phil. 2:5-11 sense? There will only be one of those. I am perhaps as guilty as any in supplying platitudes to excuse my natural self-centeredness. Even in my writings I all too often suffer from being a hopeless dogmatist or obtuse theoretician. I believe, for example, that America is gradually but unmistakably succumbing to the arrogance of power. But what I have done to prevent it? What have I sacrificed? No group is more called upon from biblical and moral grounds to stop the killing of thousands of innocent civilians than conservative Christians, who instead are daily escalating the war. I ask myself: Do I agitate enough for peace, for conformity to the Scriptures? I think not. Indeed, I have scarcely begun to probe the complexities of nonviolence, in theory and in action. Arrogance has destroyed great nations in the past, and who is to say that history will not repeat itself in our day? On a recent trip to Eastern Europe and Central Asia I was asked repeatedly why Americans are so anti-democratic, so uncritical in their attitude toward American militarism. They ask, How is it that the United States, Christian America, could perpetrate the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, of Dresden and Fallujah? I am not making claims about being immune from self-deceit. Jesus taught that there was no sin like that of thinking one is not a sinner as other men are, no crime like arrogating moral superiority over other men to yourself. Yet isnt that exactly what our nation has done? We elect a Woodrow Wilson because he kept us out of war, and then follow him into the “war to end war.” (Substitute Roosevelt, Kennedy, or Bush for Wilson and you will see that, a century later, we are still engaged in issues thought settled in 1916.) The problem is not one simply for the secular conscience. Salutes and pledges to the flag are now ubiquitous, and even places of Christian worship put the national flag near altar or pulpit. Evangelicals who oppose the war are not only labeled pro-Iraq but un-American. The pejorative pacifist is sometimes tacked on for good measure a term of profound opprobrium which, of course, misrepresents their position. A pacifist is not an ostrich that ignores evil. He examines the evil and inquires as to the best way to deal with it. Following Jesus and the apostle Paul, he answers that the worst possible way of dealing with one evil is to do another evil. When we as a nation threaten other nations we do not make them less aggressive; we merely stimulate them to add to their own armaments. One nation gets a nuclear warhead, not to do anyone harm, of course, but as a precaution against attack. The nation at which the warhead happens to be pointed, however, feels defenseless and thus acquires its own atomic missile, and so it goes. My opposition to our current policy in the Middle East is not unlike that of those in Nazi Germany who, though not pacifists in the strict sense, were unquestionably sincere in their opposition to Hitler and war, perhaps even more consistently so than the authentic pacifists. I do not mean to suggest that the situation in the Middle East is simple, nor do I approve of or condone every act of protest against the war. I am simply arguing that if we are truly fighting for self-determination for the Iraqis, then we have to realize that a Western form of democracy cannot be imposed on them. The Iraqi people must be able to determine their own future, whatever it may be, without inference from foreign troops. Above all, I pray for an end to a cruel and futile war that is morally and politically disastrous. The president refuses to admit any kind of defeat, and if forced into a corner will act like Samson and pull the while building down on his head. What an appalling commentary on our day: less and less security for a higher and higher price and all for the sake of democracy. Tout ceci est assez dangereux! A saner policy, in my view, would be to devote our resources to tracking down the terrorists and sealing our porous borders against terrorist infiltration. And I certainly question the wisdom and propriety of such bellicose utterances as those made by the leading Republican presidential candidates in recent days. It is just another reminder that the kingdom of God is the all important thing, which in spite of every already is still not yet. A posse ad esse non valet consequentia, and more can and must be said in my book on statism. But perhaps one can now better understand why I find myself at odds so often with the social and cultural values of American evangelicals, not to mention the religious right. (Im not the only one.) It is not for me to say whether my contribution to this great debate has any value or not. I believe our generation has made a mess of things, and it is for the younger generation to put the bits back together again. If they shirk this task they are not doing their duty.

7:13 AM Its true: Gibson should have used Greek instead of Latin in The Passion of the Christ.

7:05 AM One reading of the book of Acts and the letters of Paul and one can never revert to a cozy ecclesiastical domesticity. I think this point is nicely expressed in Alan Knoxs post called Wont Get Fooled Again. Well done, Alan.

Friday, January 18

8:26 PM Tonight, by popular demand, I cooked Chinese food: beef, carrots, and onions over jasmine rice. In addition to my secret ingredient I added a touch of General Tsao’s Sauce, compliments of a dear friend. Danke bestens!

Afterwards we listened to E. Power Biggs play the works of J. S. Bach, with the CD turned up as high as we could crank it. The music has a beautifully pure though delicate quality to it — powerful but very fine. And there is the curious quality of pungency in the contrapuntal pieces, which are rather strange and very pleasing. The constant, regular tempo of Bach delights my Teutonic blood and settles me after a long day of work. I have always appreciated Bach and we performed his pieces quite often on our brass team that toured Germany years ago. Bach war nicht nur ein grosser Kompanist, sondern auch ein überzeugter Christ. Dafür bin ich ja sehr dankbar.

3:23 PM I snapped this photo not 5 minutes ago, a clear reminder of the storm front that is quickly moving in from the west. The cloud pattern here is extraordinarily beautiful, I think. Our fencing project will, I believe, be on hold for a few days, as the forecast is calling for snow and freezing rain for tomorrow.

2:43 PM My little Sheba is one sweet and gentle Shetland sheepdog. She can be very wild and crafty, however, especially when she is outdoors. Just look at her eyes.

I think I might know why. The Orkneys, I am told, are fertile and well-farmed. The Shetlands (see photo) are wild and bare, with long, dark winters. Life there is difficult, and man and beast alike must work hard to survive. I wonder: Does Sheba know this instinctively when she lopes and hunts and chases wildlife here on the farm? She is such a joy and delight to watch, and I only wish I had half her spunk.

2:30 PM Yesterday I listened to a brief interview in Basel German with R. Schmalenbach in which Karl Barth gives a wonderful testimony about the work of Gods grace in his life (look for Gespräch mit R. Schmalenbach). I think it is really quite remarkable. Barth is always full of the most extraordinary surprises. This part about Gnade is mind-blowing:

Und jetz, luege Si, jetz kämt i uf das, wo-n-i aigentlig dahaime bi. Oder ich möcht jetz sage: uf dä, by däm ich aigentlig daheime bi! Gnad isch au nur e vorläufig Wort. Und ‘s letscht Wort, wo-n-ich au als Theolog und letschtlig als Politiker z’sage ha, isch nit eso-n-e Begriff wie “Gnad”, sondere isch e Name: Jesus Christus. Är isch d’Gnad, nit wohr? Und är isch ‘s Letschte, jänsyts vo Wält und Kirche und au vo Theologie. Mer könne-n-en nit yfange, aber hend’s mit ihm z’tue. Und was ich mi bemüeht ha i mym lange Läbe, isch in zuenähmendem Maass das gsi: dä Name uuse-z’hebe und z’sage: dört! “Es isch in keinem Namen Heil als in däm Name”. Und dört isch denn au d’Gnad und dört isch denn au dr Aatriib zur Arbet, au dr Aatriib zum Kampf, au dr Aatriib zur Gmainschaft, au dr Aatriib zum Mitmensch, — alles, was ich in Schwachheit und in Torheit probiiert ha i mym Läbe, aber dört isch’s.

How could anyone criticize such sound biblical theology? It would be like a deaf man criticizing the opera.

2:23 PM Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois announces an opening in Theology.

2:12 PM The mysteries of human relationships are impenetrably obscure, but I confess I miss Becky in the worst possible way, realizing just how dependent I am upon her presence in my life. I neednt tell you that it is a great pleasure to hear so many of you ask about how she is doing. The answer is, thank God, very well indeed, and the same goes for Aberesh who, with every passing day, gets nearer to that moment when she will hold her precious baby in her arms. Thank you once again for your greatly appreciated prayers. In the meantime, Becky will be sending me short reports for the website, brief glimpses, if you will, into life in the big city of Addis Ababa. Her first essay has just been published. It’s called Riding a Blue Donkey. Enjoy.

1:48 PM My students often ask me how many languages I speak. I never know how to answer them, except to quip that I have developed the remarkable ability of being silent in several tongues. I have always been handicapped by the abysmal public school system in Hawaii, and by a ridiculous inability to remember things easily. It was owing to a correspondence course in New Testament Greek from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago that I first discovered an interest in foreign languages, and from that point on Ive been hooked. My admiration for bi-lingual Americans those who have actually learned a foreign language and can speak it knows no bounds. I am able, I suppose, to get by in a handful of Indo-European languages, but I have only taught in English, German, and Spanish, though I should add that I did feel rather overwhelmed when I lectured in Spanish at the Complutensian University in Spain. It is not generally known in the States that Spanish Spanish is different from Latin-American Spanish, and my lecture had to be translated before it could be published under the title Helenismo y Gnosis (Origenes del Cristianismo [Cordoba: Ediciones El Amendro, 1991]). As you can see, my assigned topic had to do with Gnosticism in the Gospel of John. However, I was moved to tell my audience that there is no Gnosticism in the Gospel of John, only hints of proto-Gnosticism, and that the Gospel itself is probably much earlier than most of the New Testament scholars at the conference thought. The room was densely crowded. I think I never gave a lecture that was so well received. The students loved my speech; the faculty was unsure what to do with it. But I saw no reason for circumlocution. Currently I have on my desk two books I am rereading: Korean Conversation, and Baseldytsch: E Fible fir Nitbasler. I foresee that language learning is a never-ending process that requires great mental acuity, which I think I lack at times. Make that: I know I lack.

1:15 PM Here it is Friday afternoon already. It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged, I’m afraid. Extreme business must serve as an excuse, along with the inclement weather that stranded me in Wake Forest all week. Now, thank goodness, I am back at the farm again, having taught for 5 straight days and having spilled a lot of black ink. To be perfectly honest, this past week has been tiring. What would I ever do without His strength? In everything I do now, in everything that happens to me or through me, I see myself as a very weak but yielded vessel, dependent totally upon His protection and guidance and nourishment. If anyone had told me 10 years ago that I would be writing so much, that I would be living on a working farm, that I would be traveling to Ethiopia twice a year, that I would be hosting retreatants in a new house, I would have said, Youre out of your mind. In the old days I was always getting and never giving, and seldom knowing joy. Now I am finding joy in life that I scarcely knew existed. I am looking forward with faith, hope, and patience to the end of J-term Greek next week, and when it comes I trust I shall be able to say that all of my students passed with flying colors. For some strange reason I have felt it all-important to stress to them the fact that none of us is perfect, and that all of us can learn from our mistakes, both grammatical and personal. We must try, however, by the grace of God, to do the best we can with the abilities we have, and we need to pray for one another and help each other make it through the deep waters, not only of the perfect tense, but of life itself. I need to add that these are tough times on campus. An amiable and dear colleagues newly built house recently burned to the ground, and our former dean, Dr. Bush, is now at his home in hospice care, desperately ill. Both are still tunneling on through the hard rock of life. This is faith the Christian faith and it works. May God fit the back to the burden, and let us not forget to pray for one another.

Monday, January 14

5:38 AM Being wholly without knowledge or training in English literature, I still love reading Wordsworth. Here’s a sampling:

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

This seems to me to be a really beautiful poem — a real contribution to English poetry. It moved and exhilarated me when I first read it. So pure, so private, so pristine, a good antidote to academic specialization and fragmentation.

5:25 AM This month I am scheduled to give a lecture on the life of Robert E. Lee. I have visited the most important sites in his life, but none more magnificent than his birthplace, Stratford Hall.

The house really is a manifestation of genius. Every detail is a work of art. It is touching to notice the place where young Lee hid when the family was about to move to Alexandria. We had a wonderful tour guide when we visited the Hall, and were shown the house in small doses at a time. In my talk I shall discuss the last years of the general, when he was president of Washington College in Lexington. Surely one of the greatest places in Lee’s illustrious career is the Lee Chapel on that campus (now Washington and Lee University). Even the great Traveller is buried there. A good book in this regard is Flood’s Lee: The Last Years, which is very interesting and in its own sort of way a classic. Lots of things in it make me rather shudder, but then again I wasn’t expecting Lee to say that he much preferred his career as an educator over his career as a military officer. I think it is quite impossible to do justice to the man in a 30-minute speech, but it will be fun to try, and something good may come out of the attempt.

5:13 AM Greek students: The latest issue of Novum Testamentum contains an essay written by Keith Elliott of Leeds and entitled, “In the Beginning: Bibles before the Year 1000: The Freer Biblical Manuscripts: Fresh Studies on an American Treasure Trove: In a Monastery Library: Preserving Codex Sinaiticus and the Greek Written Heritage.” Here is Keith during our April, 2007 conference on the ending of Mark at SEBTS. Anything Keith Elliott writes is worth reading, et j’ai lu tous les livres.

5:10 AM In recent weeks I have received what seems to me to be an inordinately large number of requests to review this or that book, website, project, etc. I would eagerly like to cooperate except that my writing schedule does not allow it. The time-table for finishing my books is self-determined, and is a moral obligation. The older I grow, there is no easing of the pressure. Still, I find the grindstone to which I hold my nose is more stimulating than abusive. I suppose I need my writing pad as a fish needs water. I also have a profound love for the outdoors and must needs spend a great deal of time in it as steward of Rosewood Farm. Because of these priorities I have long since given up writing book reviews for publication, and will probably write very little about the Greek language in future years. I believe I have already extracted from Greek what it has to offer me, and given to it what I have to contribute. The reader who sends me something to review must, then, forgive me if I feel I must decline. It is usually not because I am disinterested in what is sent!

5:03 AM Yesterday I led a communion service at our local nursing home, even though I am neither a pastor nor a deacon in our church.

I was assisted by members of our local church, including our deacons. Nathan played the piano while our little choir sang.

If I may say so, I think we have to extend the volunteer principle much farther than we have done in many of our churches. Our present pattern of clergy domination will have to be drastically modified for this to occur. I see no reason why our churches should not have a peripatetic ministry of “lay” people on whom we would rely for visitation and mercy ministries. I think this approach aligns well with the pattern of the New Testament church and is quite suited to our rural congregations. I am sure that a Spirit-filled congregation is the foundation of everything else. This is not to deny the place and function of leaders. But the sad truth is that the “laity” in our rural churches is not being equipped for its real missionary tasks — including reaching out into our own needy communities. All of this, of course, is part of a much larger struggle to move from church to mission, from a clergy-laity division to genuine brotherhood. High-qualified leadership is essential, but so is the effort to help the membership move from dependence on salaried professionals to a realization that all followers of Jesus are to be His ministers both in the church and in the world. In my work in Ethiopia I agonize over the same problem, for it seems to me that the church there is just as clergy-dependent as our churches here are. I think at one time a visitor to Ethiopia could find the corpus Christianum unspoiled by the acids of modernity. All this has changed. Western influences and models of leadership are now ubiquitous. Just as in our missionary efforts Americans have sometimes adopted wrong methods, methods modeled after the approach of colonialism and not on the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit, so in our churches we need a radical reordering of our methods based on the pattern of the early church, in which even the humblest believer could assist and instruct and encourage and admonish the other. It is really a very pleasant thing to see our little church family so involved in local community ministry — and nary a soul is paid to do it!

Sunday, January 13

9:28 AM We frequently receive reports from missionary organizations based in the States about the development projects (e.g., well-drilling, AIDS education, etc.) they are doing in this or that country. The Gospel is often conspicuously absent in their reports. How sad. While Becky and I are concerned to do what we can to help the Ethiopians through “development” activities, our fundamental task, from which nothing ought to deflect us, is the preaching of the Gospel and the building up of genuinely free and responsible local congregations under their own leadership and with their own firm rooting in the Gospel. Whatever Becky and I can do to strengthen the fragile infrastructure of a village is only significant as a sign of something else vastly more important. Yes, we plan to dig wells and, yes, we hope to open a health clinic this year, but these ministries of mercy are always a point at which an unbeliever comes into contact with the redemptive work of Christ. We cannot forget that Paul describes Christ as “the Son of God who loved me [yes, He cares about me, body, soul, and spirit, but don’t stop there!] and gave Himself for me [because I needed a Savior from sin!]” (Gal. 2:20). Thus the clinic, for example, will have a full-time evangelist present, sharing the love of Jesus every minute the door of the health center is open. Good gracious, have these “missionary” organizations never read Matt. 16:26?

9:20 AM I have been praying constantly for Aberesh this morning. Otherwise my thoughts have been with Becky. I once read an analogy that said: To be a missionary you must be willing to be the salt that dissolves in the meat and dies in it. How true. A genuine missionary can never be a temporary visitor. He is one who gives himself so completely to the church that like salt he is lost in it. Today I think of Becky as that small grain of salt, dissolving in the meat, dying in it, so that new life might occur. And I think to myself: You are truly blessed among men.

6:44 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Oh, the Beauty of Scripture!

6:41 AM I am preparing a brief political talk to give later this month. I am at a loss as to what to say. The whole world is simmering and seething. If we are really afraid of terrorism, we have done everything in our power to create it. There are troubles everywhere — Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, China, and Pakistan, where we continue to stroke the nose of the alligator. The new American president, whoever he (or she) may be, will have terrible tasks. To my mind no existing group of politicians has the courage to apply to the situation the drastic remedies it requires. The only thing we can do is to elect the government and pray. Of course, in a thousand years all of this will be meaningless. Meanwhile, I long to return to Ethiopia and teach and preach and serve and be with my extended family. There is no doubt about it — Ethiopia is the loveliest country in the world. I am drunk with its beauty and must swallow great draughts to be satisfied. One says “amazing” or “spectacular” but the words are meaningless. The people are incomparably wonderful.

The political situation, of course, is poor. The Ethiopian army is bogged down in Somalia, and Eritrea threatens to the north. I recall my very first trip to Addis Ababa several years ago. The day I was scheduled to give a lecture at Addis Ababa University a street protest broke out, having to do with the recent elections, and dozens of civilians were shot to death. I could hear the gun fire just outside my compound. Somehow I was able to continue my lectureship at the evangelical college. Nowadays in my seminary classes I lecture to the young men and women under my charge to keep the Gospel first, and I intend to set an example. The passage of time and the mutability of fortunes require it. I am not prepared to give up the good fight politically. But what I fear the most is the decline in spiritual commitment and a lack of love for the lost. God please help me to get, and keep, my priorities right.

Saturday, January 12

7:27 PM Nathan has just left for his house, along with his puppy, and I am about to hit the hay myself. It’s been a long but good day. In addition to installing fencing, I managed to wash three loads of clothes, deep clean the kitchen, and cook a meal. I pulled a muscle in my lower back somehow and it is giving me a bit of trouble, but I’m thankful for Doans and Aspercream. I had it in mind to do some serious writing this evening but instead I shall listen to Carlo Curly play the organ and read my French. Bon nuit à tous, and see you tomorrow, on Resurrection Sunday.

5:26 PM We had a very pleasant day working on the fencing in the valley. Here’s a stretch we were able to complete today.

This part still remains to be done. The gate (which we will build ourselves) will go between these two large cedars posts.

Meanwhile, the sky is full of enormous dramas of cloud and sunshine. A very extraordinary day — we worked in 55 degree temperatures in the middle of January.

Alas, it’s time to go and cook supper, which, at this hour, means we are very hungry indeed.

2:48 PM A few items of news:

1) As you can well imagine, my thoughts are constantly with Becky. How I love her! I cannot get Aberesh and her baby boy out of my mind, even while working on the fencing today. Thank God He hears our prayers! I am almost desperate for news from Addis.

2) Have been reading a most interesting book lately — the Bible. For me it’s the most important book of our times. It makes other books look pretty thin and insubstantial. I just re-read Romans. What a masterpiece!

3) About our eating situation, I have never been anything so refined as a gourmet, though I am capable of being a glutton, especially when it comes to Becky’s home cooking. Her Mexican Burritos or Italian Lasagna or Thai Rice delight the palate to an extreme. My ignorance of cooking has not, however, kept us from feeding our faces here at Bradford Hall, and this weekend we will enjoy not only Chinese cuisine but also spaghetti and any other other surprise I can think of. I’ve even signed up to cook a meal for a shut-in and his spouse on Monday in Wake Forest, if you can believe that. Hope they survive.

4) I offer a brief comment on the Republican Debate that took place in South Carolina on Thursday. On so many issues I seem to belong to a minority of a minority, whether we are talking about the authorship of Hebrews or the synoptic problem or the value of the Byzantine text type or the place of scholarship in the church (I eschew knowledge for knowledge’ sake and find utterly boorish a man who is educated beyond his intelligence and who wears his degrees on his shirtsleeves). As for politics, unlike many of my friends, I am emphatically against the policy of preemptive warfare and nation building, and I am emphatically not a pacifist. I am willing to accept a foreign war if it is the only way of protecting my country, at which point it becomes the lesser evil, though still an evil. I hope, then, that no one will accuse me of anti-patriotism if I hold that the bellicose rhetoric of the kind I heard during the debate is hardly appropriate for a Christian, let alone one who ostensibly professes to adhere to a document that says:

It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war. The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.

And what did we get? The “war spirit.” If you play tough with the U.S. you had better be prepared to see the “gates of hell.” (Lots of applause. Americans love tough talk.) “We need to make it crystal clear you can’t kick sand in our face.” (Cheers. Americans are like little children playing in a sand box.) I can’t even bring myself to quote here the utterly ridiculous and gratuitous statement of Thompson about virgins. For someone like myself who is seeking tirelessly to lead Muslims in Africa and Asia to Christ and a future home in heaven, I can tell you that such language is not helpful. Muslims worldwide will find it ever more easy to conclude that the followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, are quite prepared to send them all to hell.

What a world we live in. Sometimes the human race fills me with dismay.

1:22 PM Our ducks just paid us a visit at the Hall. We used to have Tom, Dick, and Mary. Now we only have “Duck” and Mary. They will eat right out of your hand if you let them. Here’s hoping for some duckies in the near future.

Friday, January 11

4:58 PM I’ve just received additional news about the tragic accident that took place in Burji last weekend, killing two individuals. Originally I had thought that the deceased were Christians, but it turns out they were Muslim passengers. I am heart-broken over the news, and would request your fervent prayers to be with the dear families of those who lost their lives. God loves the Muslims of the world, and so do I.

3:14 PM I have been sketching out a series of Bible studies on the book of Philippians, which I hope to present in Asia next month. Its doctrine of Christian suffering has fascinated me for months. It is also a very joyful book. Artistically, it too has a certain attraction, not least because of its magnificent puns and word plays (e.g., katatome versus peritome in 3:2-3). The theme of joy, I note, is subordinated to the letters one overriding emphasis upon unity in the cause of the Gospel, a unity that is utterly impossible without humility of mind, a deliciously descriptive term though one of great opprobrium in the ancient world. Joy and suffering inextricably linked! I loath the thought of putting all this down on paper, because I have that found that whenever one seeks to elucidate a particular truth, it often leads to experiencing that truth in the harsh realties of one’s own life. I am not particularly eager to endure more suffering, but Phil. 1:29 cannot be avoided if we are truly to follow Him.

2:45 PM You can listen to Basel German spoken here. Below is a sampling of this beautiful language, which I attempted to learn while living in the city on the Rhine.

Im chliine Schwiizerland
vom Rhi- zum Rhoneschtrand
do seit me fründli “Sali, Sali”
me ghört’s zu jeder Schtond
grad wome ane chunnt
ond got me ins Tessin
ins Land der Filafil
o mia bella Svizzera
de Ticinese kennt das
chliine Wörtli au
är seit “Saluti, Saluti, Ciao, Ciao”.

Below: The magnificent Basel Cathedral, where Erasmus is entombed (among many notables).

2:22 PM My interests in recent years have turned to farm and land management, since we are now settled on 123 acres of Virginia Piedmont. I very much hope that I learn to manage it properly, because all this is Gods creation, and humans have biblical and moral authority to subdue it. I am not saying that nature has the same rights as do humans, though I respect the good will of land conservancies. It is significant that Christianity has never thought of nature as in some way intrinsically divine. But perhaps the pendulum has swung too far to the right, for it seems to me that we need to have a benevolent policy toward nature and preserve what is physical. We can enjoy nature without worshiping it. We are to be stewards, not cruel bosses, and therein I think we have failed to a certain degree. The Greeks had a completely different approach to the matter. They believed that hubris toward nature was as much a sin as hubris toward their fellow man. You may recall that Xerxes was punished, not only for attacking the Greeks, but for having outraged nature in the affair of crossing the Hellespont. Thus I feel it is important to pay close attention to the basic purpose and use of our land, which, like all of the created order, longs for the ultimate redemption (note how Paul personifies the whole of sub-personal creation in Romans 8). For some reason God has installed our family to be the managers of Rosewood, and I would like very much to do a good job of it.

1:52 PM Growing up in Hawaii, this is the precisely the kind of news we were always eager to get during the winter months. 25-footers were not uncommon and brought exquisite joy to anyone who surfed them.

1:48 PM That Ron Paul has been calumniated by countless lesser minds of various calibers causes no surprise. At the same time, some Paulistas have caused controversy with their tactics of yelling at and badgering Paul’s opponents. Very unfortunate. Untempered zeal is always a bad mark for a cause.

1:45 PM I greatly admire the depth with which my students have penetrated into the Greek way of thinking as attested by their ability to translate from English into Greek. I vaguely remember being asked to do that once or twice when I was in school, but my pupils have that opportunity on every quiz and exam, always as extra credit of course. I have no doubt that many will end up with a semester average of well over 100. I would also award them an honorary doctorate if I could. I am very grateful to God that my students have had the opportunity to see firsthand that Greek is not an impossible language to master. We have completed one fourth of the race to the finish line, which means that we can now see the tunnel at the end of darkness. Onward and upward!

1:31 PM I have to thank all of you for praying for Becky Lynn during her absence. She has written me a lengthy report of her first 3 days in Addis, and clearly the Lord has been blessing on all levels. She and Aberesh are now firmly settled in their rooms in the capital. It must be a very anxious-making thing to be a woman who has lost several children due to toxemia, but Becky says Aberesh is doing well. Abereshs preliminary appointment with the doctor at the Korean Hospital went well. The ultrasound revealed that she is carrying a baby boy (Becky wrote Yeah!!!! with 4 exclamation points). Matters of concern: Abereshs blood pressure is borderline, and the baby is breach. Abereshs due date has been determined to be March 3, but Becky thinks theres a strong likelihood that the baby will taken early by C-section. Meanwhile, I wish I was there to help. As you can imagine, Becky is indefatigable, but she does grow tired.

So there we are. I will pass on more news as soon as I hear anything.

Thursday, January 10

5:58 AM With my Anabaptist book I hope to be finished in a few weeks. Alas, the material accumulates almost faster than I can turn it into a manuscript. Still, it should be in the hands of the publisher long before summer. I hope it is still possible to give voice to the 16th century dissenters. Our churches today are greatly hobbled by tradition, and a few chapters of the Anabaptist credo may help to drive us back to the New Testament again. I begin to have an uneasy feeling, however, that very few will listen. Once done with that book I shall turn my mind to other projects, not all of a literary nature. I chafe to begin on the remodeling of Nathan’s old farm house (photo), but its master is as yet undecided as to the final scheme of expansion and renovation.

It should be a challenging yet enjoyable job, as are all the tasks here on the farm. I once wrote a piece on the glories of agrarianism, of the Amish work ethic, of all things bright and beautiful, of how dreadful our cities have become, and unnatural too. Life in the big cities is always exigent and often unhealthy. Not so for farm life, though it might be a good idea to postpone the remodeling work until spring, assuming the weather will turn cold and wintry again in February, though in these latitudes one never knows what to expect. At any rate, this Saturday we are scheduled to put up the fence wire along the line of cedar posts we set last week. The constant work is good for the soul, and one goes to bed at night feeling tired but happy.

5:45 AM I am very pleased to report that I have been able to perfect my knowledge of French. In other words, I am now quite certain that I do not understand it in the least. I seem to have been born a complete francophonian moron. In any case, for better or worse, I have developed the ability to speak with the fluency of Peter Sellers.

5:37 AM Yesterday I scoured the online international newspapers — French, German, Spanish, Greek — to ascertain the world’s opinion of the current presidential contenders. It is quite clear that most foreigners feel that America is out for more blood and thunder. What is so torturing is the realization that not even the Democrats are genuinely interested in pursuing a peaceful foreign policy. In the American mirror I see reflected a tottering old fool who treats his heritage as if it were dirt. The political and economic crises must inevitably mount to a climax. There is already imminent danger of a galloping inflation in the U.S., and the dollar can only be saved by obtaining large credits in China. The leading candidates feign disdain for partisan politics; they all firmly believe, and preach, that if government is active we can have prosperity, however battered our economic system. I foresee no exit from our financial worries. The unintellectual people feel that Hillary represents the soul of America. An awful thought strikes me that they may be right. I find the candidates’ statements on Iraq absolutely terrible. Can we do nothing to stop this monstrosity? It is a pity that the bellicose display of personalities has become so unpleasantly commonplace, even among the Republicans. The constant pro-empire chatter is enough to make anyone swoon. I confess shamelessly that I hope the bedraggled Republican Party will go down to a resounding defeat to Clinton (or Obama) in November if it nominates McCain. Sadly, it seems that the spirit of Thomas Jefferson is dead in this country. For the moment, however, I will focus on Christ and His commission — and the more so the darker the scene becomes.

5:22 AM The thing I took away from Ron Pauls television appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno is that he is sui generis. Nobody will ever take Paul for someone else. He is already president, president of the American intellect. He is not afraid to tell the bitter truth about how a nation went searching for a keg of bootleg and ended up drunk with power, and how an entire citizenry barely noticed. Note how candid and direct he is. Watch how he responds to journalists, how undefensive, unassertive traits of a man whose standards and beliefs are deeply internalized. When attacked, he answers deftly, with a quip and a smile. He can be very serious and very cheerful at the same time, despite the fact that everything has been done to ignore, defame, and silence the movement he has started. That is because he has long been the nations prime foe of everything unconstitutional. His message would do much good if the ears of the people were not stopped with so many pleasant messages that crowd out the substance of the matter. It is sad beyond description. If this happens when the tree is still green, what will happen when it dries up (Luke 23:31)? The doctrine of preemption, of unilateral warfare, of the nanny state, has spread to such an extent and is so overlaid with Gospel overtones that a man must have immense courage to speak or argue about it. As a medical doctor, Ron Paul knows that one does not treat smallpox by cutting out the individual pustules and sewing up the wounds. One sees in the theology and praxis of the current batch of politicians enormous ingenuity and subtlety in circumventing sound medical ethics (i.e., constitutional principles). America is in a mess, and Ron Paul has a firm grip on what ails us. His philosophy of limited government is not exclusively true but, my word, it goes a good way and covers a lot of ground. We have Dr. Paul to thank for leading the charge. The last word goes to Lenos guest:

I think the American people want change. So everybody gets up and says, Im for change. Im for change. But the whole thing is, is what kind of change? You know, right now whether you like Republicans or Democrats, does foreign policy change? No. Does monetary policy change, and are they going to even talk about it? Does fiscal policy change? No. We elect the conservative Republicans, and they make the deficit worse than the rest. Yeah, the American people are tired of that. They want real change. And to me, that means the only significant change we ought to have is get enough people in Washington that read the Constitution, obey the Constitution, do only the things that were allowed to.

Well roared, lion!

Wednesday, January 9

4:48 PM Jesús Peláez, Editor of Filología Neotestamentaria in Córdoba, emails with nuevo that back issues of the journal are rapidly being updated on the internet at this site. I have the strong impression that this updating is no easy task, and so my thanks go out to Mr. Roger Bolly for his labor of love.

4:43 PM Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, GA, announces an opening in Systematic Theology.

4:40 PM Heres a good discussion of athletic metaphors in Pauls writings. I think our national obsession with sports is quite frightful, but maybe some good can come out of it by the analogies athletics provides with the Christian life.

4:34 PM Everyone should study linguistics. Naturally.

4:31 PM The debate over tithing continues. One realizes what a curiously arbitrary set of assumptions people sometimes make when they adopt certain practices in life.

4:25 PM I enjoyed perusing this list of the oldest universities in the world. My alma mater, the University of Basel, dates back to 1460.

2:53 PM For sheer joy of companionship I can think of no better friends in the animal world than Shetland Sheepdogs. They are always gentle, self-sacrificing, and too good, if anything, to their masters. They are like a sunny harbor to me after a long day’s work. They are the most companionable of creatures and have given me viele freudige Stunden. Life would be very different without them.

2:12 PM Nice email from a pastor in Texas:

Your wifes article on the Great Commission is simply the best explanation I have ever heard of the passage. Deep, yet clearly and simply written. The reader can sense the passion in her writing. How could someone disagree with her perspective?

2:07 PM All goes well with us here. I am up to my eyes in work, but I am finding William Petersens book 25 Surprising Marriages (e.g., John and Polly Newton, Martin and Katie Luther, C.S. and Joy Lewis) to be a hugely interesting paperback that tackles a monster subject. Reading, one feels like Jonah in the belly of the great fish. A good marriage is usually built up of solidly realistic psychological elements, with a large quantity of grace thrown in. A huge intellect I do not possess, but I think I know enough to realize that an excellent marriage nowadays is something to be profoundly admired.

Meanwhile, life here goes on as we try to manage without Becky Lynn. I have been fêted twice to supper by students of mine while in Wake Forest, to whom I am greatly indebted. I do believe they have taken pity on me, worrying about my eating habits and all. If ever one needed proof that guardian angels existed, this is it. My thanks, then, to the Hollanders and the Carrs, whose splendid meals and fellowship I enjoyed on Monday and Tuesday. What kindness!

I will keep you posted with regard to Beckys doings in Addis. She has written to say that she is fine but tired after 32 hours of travel, that she is meeting today with Abereshs doctor, and that our sons gave her a mammoth greeting at the airport. It will be interesting seeing the outcome of all of this. For my part, one requires steady occupation to preserve ones mental and physical harmony. Being often on my knees helps.

Monday, January 7

5:20 AM By the time you read this I will likely be heavily engaged in my teaching responsibilities and you will be sitting down at your office or home computer beginning another day of work. Meanwhile the African-American to whom I am married (and she is just that) will be seated acramped a Northwest Airlines flight to Motor City and thence to Schiphol airport, whence she will undertake a long flight to her home away from home. While she is gone I will share her efforts, joys, and sorrows. I believe many of you will do the same through prayer, for which I am very grateful. Before leaving, Becky found the time to write an essay about the precious woman of God whom she will attempt to serve with her medical knowledge and skills. Many have been understandably moved and challenged by Becky’s dedication and efforts, but I know she would desire that the praise be passed on to Him whom alone she owes each and every thing. Becky and I are completely overwhelmed when we see the amount of sheer unmerited grace that has ruled in our life and work. We only ask that each of you try to do what the Lord Jesus asks you to do, in your own field of labor, better than we have done, and all to the glory of God. The essay, by the way, is called Aberesh of Alaba, My Sister. Bole Airport in Addis Ababa will be a happy place tomorrow night as several of our Ethiopian sons will greet their Mama B, including David and Nigussie from Alaba (below).

Have a wonderful trip, darling. I shall miss you greatly. I love you.

5:04 AM My dominant ambition as a youth was to be a musician. Between the fifth and twelfth grades I played the trumpet in the school band each year. When as a senior I decided to audition for All-State Orchestra I somehow was anointed first-trumpet, first-chair. To this day I love brass music, especially the canzoni of Gabriele. In 1978 I played the trumpet on a brass octet that toured West Germany for three months. I still cherish memories of that trip. But I play not a lick today. I have been diverted, I suppose, by other interests, and so I no longer puff and perform. It turns out, however, that my musical training has paid off in a quite unexpected way, for I think that my musical ability has lent itself to the acquisition of foreign tongues, or at least it has supplemented my efforts at language learning. Perhaps it has been the same way with you. That the engineers and musicians in my Greek classes do so well comes at no surprise to me, for Greek has architectural precision, and its cadence and intonations are simply breathtaking. If you are blessed with a musical ear or a scientific mind, or both, perhaps you too will discover the usefulness of these God-given talents for reversing Babel in your own experience.

Sunday, January 6

8:16 AM One never knows what the weather will be like when one travels, but tomorrow the forecast calls for sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-70s at the Raleigh-Durham airport and rain and temps in the mid-50s in Detroit, where Becky picks up her flight to Amsterdam and thence into Addis. I am greatly relieved to see that the likelihood of snowstorms in Detroit is nil.

7:34 AM Viewers of Pride and Prejudice will recognize there is something of Mr. Collins about me, in that I am often taken for being an absent-minded obscurantist. Heaven knows that I am no admirer of anti-intellectualism, but I think there may be some truth to the accusation. I am emphatically an unhandy man, but there are a few tasks I can do well around the farm, and in addition I have learned to love seeing things built well, especially houses. Craftsmanship is almost a neglected thing nowadays, and I have become profoundly skeptical of modern architecture. The dullness of domestic house construction leaves a very sour taste in my mouth. Whatever happened to the ambiance of the fabulous hipped roof or the colonial porch, and interiors of incredible shapes and colors? Our generation has reacted against such craftsmanship, and the modern subdivision house is now a vulgar bribe to the child in us that says, “I must own a home!” The result is something quite distinct from the rare and unique houses of the past.

I will not quarrel with those who say the changing times call for changing styles in architecture. My own age (55) is no doubt a contributing factor in my tastes. But I would be grateful if someone would point out to me what it is about contemporary construction that appeals to the aesthete in us, if that is possible. Truth be told, I utterly deplore the degeneration of an ancient and noble craft. The modern house builder appears more and more to me to be nothing less than a hired hand. In comes the cash, up goes the house. Pitiable.

Nathan has been helping a good friend of his restore a beautiful old Victorian lady (photo below) in South Boston, about a half hour from the farm. If you are at all interested in reading about this fabulous project, you can click here. But be forewarned: it is likely to make you an old house lover as well.

7:22 AM Moms and dads, you’ve simply got to read this remarkable interpretation of the Bible by children. My favorite excerpt:

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn’t stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead. Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven, but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

7:15 AM The life of any man who dissents from the prevailing wisdom is bound to be more or less lonely, but I can imagine how far in outer space Ron Paul must have felt when he made this statement in the New Hampshire debate last night (from the CNN transcript):

Congressman Paul, what is the most pressing moral issue in the United States right now?

PAUL: I think it is the acceptance just recently that we now promote preemptive war. I do not believe that’s part of the American tradition.

We, in the past, have always declared war in defense of our liberties or go to aid somebody. But now we have accepted the principle of preemptive war. We have rejected the just war theory of Christianity.

And now, tonight, we hear that we’re not even willing to remove from the table a preemptive nuclear strike against a country that has done no harm to us directly and is no threat to our national security.

I mean, we have to come to our senses about this issue of war and preemption and go back to traditions and our Constitution and defend our liberties and defend our rights, but not to think that we can change the world by force of arms and to start wars.

Ron Paul is right that the “just war” theory is highly problematic and needs the sharpest demythologizing. For me this has always been the key question:

Neither Horton nor I would deny a place for a Christian understanding of just war as elucidated by Augustine and others. But what many evangelicals forget is that the theory of just war also makes it clear that no wars are divinely authorized in this age, and therefore any declaration of war made by a secular state must eschew any notion of holy war.

Among other things, this understanding means that western nations, including the United States, are fully capable of engaging in unjust aggression and committing flagrant atrocities against civilian populations.

My point is not that war is never justified, but rather that there is no monolithic Christian or Evangelical or Baptist position on war, including the question of whether we should have gone to war against Iraq in the first place. Throughout its two-thousand-year history, Christianity has justified, rationalized, restrained, and informed the conduct of warfare. Christians have, in various times and by various means, both upheld and departed from biblical standards, and both ecclesiastical and secular leaders have appealed to Christianitys teachings for personal and national guidance and support.

I say, then, congratulations to Mr. Paul for having the courage to point this out to the American public. The thing, indeed, is obvious. My own notion is that the Middle East problem is essentially unsolvable, like most other great human problems. No wonder the great pox of Mesopotamia seizes us.

Update: Ron Paul is leading in the debate poll.

7:05 AM It goes without saying that Becky and I are delighted to be seeing our good friends at Bethel Hill Baptist Church today. It will be pleasant to share with them our vision for the Burji clinic. The church has already helped the saints in Burji enormously, and their dedication is another fine example of Body Life in action. What workers they are in the Lord’s vineyard!

Saturday, January 5

5:18 PM As everyone knows, I have retired from riding but still venerate really competent practitioners of the art. The ultimate challenge in horsemanship is, of course, dressage. My Greek students must feel like I did when I first started dressage lessons — like a complete novice. Frankly there is no quick or easy way to learn a sport, or a language. It explains why I, for one, have always had to work hard at my languages. Of course, a good rider makes the sport look simple, but only a juvenile would be deceived into thinking that it really is. I believe this is so important to realize at the outset, but I fancy most of my students know this already. The main thing is not to be deceived into thinking that language learning is a Garden of Eden. I have found that whenever the notion of a “Paradise” arises, a “Fall” usually ensues.

2:37 PM I am wholly at one with Chuck Baldwin’s basic aversion to the Huckabitis that has spread everywhere in the evangelical world, though there are signs that the flood waters are beginning to assuage. On the other hand, I have found that the best way of countering one’s opponents is often to let them be and go on quietly with one’s own work. Ron Paul is being challenged by a few of his “counselors” to do the opposite: to “go on the offensive,” be “tough,” and become more vocal about his opponents’ views. I think this is a mistake of enormous gravity for the simple reason that I do not believe it is a very Christian thing to do (there are exceptions, of course). Speak the truth, then let the truth do the work. After all, the Ron Paul Revolution is largely about educating the masses, and educators cannot afford to be impatient.

This we do know: The Republican Party is a constitutional mess, and the noise of cracking timbers is everywhere.

2:31 PM Sometimes the ways of Bible translators are strange. This is very clear to me whenever I read the Greek text of the “Great Commission” in Matt. 28:19-. When Jesus promised His disciples that He would be with them “all the days” (not “always”!), I suppose He meant what He said. Today in my devotions I was very pleased to see how this was rendered in Louis Segond: “Et voici, je suis avec vous tous les jours.” That is very delightful indeed, and makes it troubling to me that simple alternatives in English are simply ignored, i.e., “I am with you each and every day” (cf. the ISV). All the more reason, I suppose, to study and master the Greek of the New Testament.

9:46 AM Becky has just completed writing her latest article on evangelism. It’s called Understanding the Great Commission. It makes, I think, a fine complement to our previous essay, How We Do Missions.

8:54 AM It’s been a delight to get reconnected with my fellow teachers this past week. Our task as educators, it seems to me, is a fairly simple one: to prepare and hand out the food our students need. Or better, to teach them how to be chefs themselves. And this is exactly what New Testament Greek can do. I see my job as being one of motivating rather than disseminating. And that is the challenge: being a good teacher without being schoolmasterish. What a delightful challenge!

8:50 AM The readings from Bonhoeffer at Theological German continue to bless me. In reading Bonhoeffer I always lose my breath. I simply cannot keep up with him. He causes me the deepest cogitation and reveals how intellectually one-sided I have been during most of my academic career. Bonhoeffer always faces me with a question. How could it be otherwise? That is the mark of a profound writer.

8:42 AM I am blessed beyond my deserts to be associated with the poor and suffering church in Ethiopia, which to me is such a sterling example of the free and unmerited grace of God. We are all very fragile creatures and all our works are finite, but I think God must find special pleasure in the love He receives from the world’s most neglected and abandoned. Recently a tragedy occurred in the far south of Ethiopia in an area where Becky and I have long worked and among people we know and love dearly. A church-owned truck had a serious accident, killing two believers and seriously injuring several others. No small concern has arisen in my heart because of it, but I know that here, too, God will provide. The main thing is that we pray for those who are recovering in hospital and for the families of those whose loved ones perished.

Even though Becky and I minister among the saints there, the truth is that we can never forget how much they have unselfishly done for us across the years. Nothing of the love they have shown to us will be forgotten, and we deeply sympathize with their loss. May they know somehow that we are with them in their suffering. We commend them to the special protection and help of God.

(The photo below shows the vehicle involved in the accident. Here the Bethel Hill men were visiting a rural village in Burji last summer when the truck got bogged down in the mud. Per crucem ad lucem!)

8:22 AM The risk from malaria heightens in Africa.

Friday, January 4

3:38 PM There is very little I would like to add to the buzz about the caucuses in Iowa, except to say that I’m afraid the media has called for the coroner’s inquest before the patient has died. Ron Paul is up, walking around the room, and singing like a bird in fact. He goes into live-free-or-die New Hampshire with a solid and growing base, while Huckabee has already peaked, even if you think it garrulous of me to say so. As with buying a stock, one looks at the bottom line, not where the stock is selling that day. Meanwhile, heres the best one-liner Ive seen about Iowa:

Ron Paul is no knight on a white horse, but a just regular man running for Napoleons job as it already exists in order to turn it back into the presidency as described in Article II of the Constitution.

Personally, when I think of Ron Paul my mind goes to Seneca (Medea, 176):

Fortuna opes auferre, non animum, potes.

“Fortune is able to take ones wealth away, but not ones character.” Hang in there, Dr. No.

3:24 PM The big item of blog-worthy news here is that I have just spent two days at the seminary, where I took up my work again with great pleasure after a brief hiatus. I have enjoyed my otium cum dignitate in the backwoods of Virginia quite long enough. Here’s hoping for a great Greek class, and it will indeed be that if we climb the Pyramids together, teacher and student alike. I am delighted with the quiz scores today and look forward to even higher ones on Monday. Yes, I am the most incurably optimistic teacher you will ever find, but I think I have grounds for my optimism. Meanwhile let me seize the moment to remind everybody that the vocabulary from our textbook can be accessed in a quick and easy format at StudySEBTS. Enjoy!

Thursday, January 3

5:23 AM A reminder to my Greek students to check this blog occasionally as you never know what inelastic admonitions you’ll find here. I hope very much that all of you will find our class very cheering, since Greek really is a very easy language to learn, in spite of us teachers. The big point is, of course, that Greek adds solidity to your understanding of Jesus’ words, though it will do nothing for your OQ (obedience quotient) unless you are personally determined to bridge the infamous 18 inches. I shall be in my office most every afternoon doing a bit of writing, and a visit from any of you at any time is always welcome. If I remember rightly, one’s first contact with a monster can be somewhat intimidating (the “monster” being the language, not the professor!), but I can assure you that Greek is hardly the Leviathan people claim it is. Not, of course, that we can do without a bit of honest humility when undertaking any new task, but there is absolutory no need to entertain wildly inaccurate views of Greek.

Will the class live up to the demands placed on it or to students’ expectation? That is the question.

5:17 AM How delightful it was to lead our Bible study and prayer meeting last night in our pastor’s absence. And to think that this time last year I was traipsing about the world. Meanwhile, news from Ethiopia is partly disconcerting, though I cannot mention the details here. The believers there, however, are as tough as nails, so earnest and humble, and whenever I am tempted to think that I undertake tiresome labor for the Lord I remember how easy I have it in comparison. I am glad to report that my wife is feeling a great deal better. Needless to say, when the correct cures are applied, positive results are to be expected. This illustrates in the most striking way the relation between prayer and treatment, between ends envisaged and means employed, but either way God gets the credit. Nevertheless, your prayers for Becky were much appreciated by her husband. I can honestly think of nothing I’d rather have her doing than translating Gal. 6:2 into concrete action. And just think: Deo volente we will be able to travel together to Africa this summer and again in the fall — what preparations are necessary in the meantime! Before our fall trip I am headed to the state of Tennessee to teach a one-week course in New Testament at a newly-minted Bible institute in Knoxville, and before that I hope to be in both Asia and Europe ministering. This is not, by the way, the same Tennessee institution that once invited me to teach for them and then required me to make a formal application to their faculty, send transcripts and references, and fill out masses of paperwork — which I believed to be wholly unnecessary and superfluous. As you can imagine, the class never materialized. Time percolates through the coffee-maker of life so rapidly that one has to enjoy the espressos while one can.

Wednesday, January 2

3:16 PM It is only the second day of the New Year and already we have broken a farm record I do believe by digging and setting 40 cedar posts in the frigid soil of the Piedmont of Virginia. When we started this morning the temperature was 30 degrees and snow flurries were falling, but the sun is now shining happily in the winter sky. I am exhausted after what turned out to be an extremely strenuous morning’s work, but the library fire has been stoked and all is well. This morning the cold was so piercing one had to keep moving or one literally froze — a very small price to pay, however, for what was accomplished. “Keine Rosen ohne Dornen.” How the inhabitants of Old Dominion managed to support life with only the barest of heating apparati is more than I can imagine.

Tomorrow I return to my happy home away from home and am thankful that I shall not have to drive through snow to get there. I am almost fiendishly excited to be back in the classroom, where I never have to worry about freezing to death.

7:32 AM The latest addition to our home page is Becky Lynn’s essay, The Role of Humanitarian Aid in Building the Kingdom: A Study of John 6.

7:26 AM Another slow news day. All my most valuable time is taken up at present in writing and working on the farm, though tomorrow I return to the classroom and, for the umpteenth time, introduce fledging students to the Greek alphabet. I’ve thrown my left shoe again, and I fear I’ve damaged my pastern and fetlock, which means I have to be more devoted than I am to following my podiatrist’s instructions and work harder at my exercises. I’ve been thinking of the great contrast between mucking horse manure for hours on end and teaching the second declension, though both activities I find intensely enjoyable. One good thing about J-term is the time it affords for serious writing in the afternoons as well as for working on my francophone studies. I hope the day will come when I shall be French enough to teach in, say, Benin, but I am still far from thinking je sais tout. However, a little French philology has been good for me over the break, and I probably stutter less because of it. I should very much like to crystallize my present level of fluency but I am afraid a lapse into my old ways is inevitable now that school is revving up its engine. I feel equally keen about improving my Dutch, Spanish, and Italian (languages I used in my doctoral dissertation), but I’m not optimistic at my prospects in the near future. The other language I enjoy reading is my Hebrew, though mostly in the New Testament, and despite the fact that I find the grammar, like the writing, backwards. When I was in seminary I found this loathsome language a great nuisance, but one cannot do the work I do without at least a passing knowledge of it and, indeed, I would someday love to co-teach a course in the Septuagint with one of my more Semitic-minded colleagues. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, reading the news this morning makes one convinced that liberty has become utterly démodé. Just listen to the presidential candidates tripping over each other to promise that government will do this or government will do that. I intensely sympathize with Ron Paul, whose opposition is completely second-rate. His revolt against intrusive government is an excellent thing, though I fear it may be too little too late, as our nation is still a child in so many ways, which keeps us from fully realizing the whole tragedy. O well. Es fällt keine Eiche von einem Streiche!

Tuesday, January 1

4:29 PM Please be informed that we are having difficulty with our (seminary) email account. Sent emails have been delayed, and I imagine some incoming emails have not been received. The offices will reopen tomorrow and I hope things will be operating smoothly again then.

10:25 AM More and more academics are joining the Revolution. (NB: Read especially Brian Weber’s comments. He hits it out of the ballpark.)

9:58 AM After three days of cloud and rain, the weather has turned deliciously fine: baking sun and windy. Nathan and I have a full day of farm labor planned, so there is never a question of how one should spend the tedious hours when inspiration (or opportunity) to write flags. I see Ron Paul has made national headlines again, this time for something he said about Lincoln. Paul is gaining quite a reputation as a prodigious debunker, but at the same time he is (unlike most debunkers) a realist who knows his facts. I also see that some of his friends are trying to “coach” him in how he should answer questions from the media — the worst thing, in my opinion, you can do with a man like Ron Paul, who is plain and homespun. One feels that homo sapiens might have something better to do. Leave him alone, I say. There is no denying Paul’s obvious Americanism, his good spirits, his good will, his common sense, his selflessness, and his naturalness.

In contrast, the whole nation at present seems given over to idolatry: state-worship, nation-worship, man-worship, pleasure-worship. It’s all the fruit of political and personal megalomania. No wonder the apostle John ended his first epistle with a warning to stay away from idols. As I meditated upon Acts 1:8 this morning I realized again: Je me dois à tout les hommes. I should like to be able to do anything in my power to help them, especially the most needy. I’m very glad the younger generation of evangelicals is waking up to the priority of love and good deeds over degrees and reputations. Acts 1:8 is an excellent summary and analysis of Jesus’ teaching. (1) Missions is for all of us. (2) Missions is utterly impossible without the Holy Spirit’s power. (3) Missions is everywhere: locally, regionally, globally, even cross-culturally. Thus Becky is not going on a mission trip next Monday; she is a missionary 24/7. (And never a more dedicated missionary will you meet. Well did Shakespeare write in 1609: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare, As any she belied with false compared.”) She and I will be inordinately busy this year, but no priority will be greater or demand and receive more of our time and effort than trying to be, however inadequately, the hands and feet of Jesus in this suffering world, the superficial undulations of life notwithstanding.

Meanwhile, I wish all of you a very Happy “Newness” Year (Rom. 6:4)!

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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

January 2008 Blog Archive

Saturday, January 31

1:30 PM Because I’ve got nothing else to do (he-he), I’ve begun a series of essays on the book of Philippians, which we will be studying in two of my Greek classes this semester. The first essay is calledIntroducing Philippians.

1:23 PM Alan Knox ispromising to tell us more about his seminar presentation. I look forward to reading what he has to say. I have no idea what to expect. But I do know this: what Alan will tell us about the church will have been forged on the anvil of biblical principles by the hammer of the facts of real life.

10:04 AM Here’s the latest installment of Becky’s Burji Blurb:

The Guji Team was the most flexible of our 5 teams. Until the very last minute, literally just hours before they departed, we did not know how this ministry was going to pan out. The Guji people live on land that borders the Burji people. They are part of the large Oromo group of people, which reportedly makes up about 71 percent of Ethiopias population. They migrated up from southern sections of the African continent, and all over Ethiopia they have land disputes with their neighbors. (In the Alaba District, just a few months before we arrived, 1000 homes that is no typo! were burned by the Oromos.) So there is great tension between the Guji people and their Amarro and Burji neighbors.

Dave and Jason were burdened to go to the Guji people with the Gospel. But where would we find a translator? At the last minute the translator who was arranged (who came from a distant Guji church) backed out. But in the providence and grace of God, a young Burjiman named James volunteered to go with Dave and Jason. The church leaders were not happy to send James, knowing full well the danger to his life. Oshe, let me tell you clearly: you are not sending me, I am going of my own free will. God is sending me to the Guji people with Dave and Jason. I am not afraid. And so James joined the Guji Team.

The three of them, taken by Demissie the driver, drove to the first village. They went straight to the leader of the village and introduced themselves. They were welcomed with open arms! Why didnt ALL of the foreingees (white-faced foreigners) come to our village? they asked.

Over the next 6 days, Dave and Jason and James showed the Jesus Film, preached, distributed seeds, and generally shared life with these people. And God planted a special love in our hearts for them.

We learned many things during this ministry time:

1) These people are trapped in generations of tradition that includes barbarism and warfare; they want to be free, but who will show them the way? Who will show them that Love is stronger than Hate, that Peace is better than War, that Gentleness is mightier than Brutality?

2) These people are on the edge of starvation, eating only a pan-fried bread morning, noon, and night, and drinking some coffee or milk. This starvation is largely self-inflicted, as they have cut off access to food through their warfare. Can we use food as the key that opens doors to their hearts?

3) The Christians are few in number, and they have no Bibles. No Bibles at all! We must work to establish a line of direct communication with these Christians, so that we can bring them Bibles and help them to become strong in the Lord. (They do not want to fight the Amarro and Burji people; they do not want to go with their non-believing Guji neighbors.)

The story was told of one Guji Christian who refused to go shoot Burji people. His neighbors took one of his oxen, killed it before his eyes, and then said, We will do this to you if you do not join us. They gave him a gun, he went with them, and at the time of battle he shot all his bullets into the air. Look, I dont have any more bullets, he told his captain. Then you have done your duty and now you can go home. We cannot fault these brothers and sisters in the Lord; we must help them to be strong in the Lord and in doing right. And we cannot fault their neighbors; it is the Evil One who has blinded their eyes with this violence, as he has blinded the eyes of so many in our world. Only the Lord Jesus can free these precious people from this never-ending violence. We left Gujiland more committed than ever to do what we can to bring the Gospel to them.

After about 6 days of going from village to village, renewed warfare broke out. The Gujis killed 4 people in 3 days, and wounded several others. So Dave, Jason, and James came back to the safety of Soyama Town. En route back, they witnessed the amassing of Guji warriors with spears, knives, and guns. James quietly slid down to the car floorboards to escape their notice. And as you in America and we in Burji prayed, God brought them safely back to us.

But they left behind women, children, old people, sick people, and confused, angry people who need the Lord Jesus. Please continue to pray for these dear ones, that the Light will shine in their midst and dispel the darkness that surrounds them!

UPDATE: About 2 weeks after we left, the Amarro and Guji Christians got together; the Guji Christians wept, asking forgiveness, and the Amarros freely forgave them. Now this reconciliation needs to happen between Guji and Burji. The church of Jesus Christ must lead the way; we must demonstrate the reality of reconciliation. The Ethiopian government cannot solve the problem; only Christians can show the way of peace. As I write this, Christians from all the neighboring areas and all the different tribes in this section of Ethiopia have gotten together and are trying to plan a Unity Conference. If God is willing, we will be a part of that conference during our May trip. Please pray for a lasting peace, made possible by the One who is the Prince of Peace!)

9:05 AM On NPR this morning a historian was interviewed who compared Ronald Reagan with Barack Obama — not their politics, of course, but their style. He noted how easily both of them seemed to transition into the role of president. He also compared their attitudes — competent, but not arrogant. The interview played a clip from Reagan’s first inaugural (Jan. 20, 1981):

Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to make it workwork with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.

“Work with us, not over us” might well apply also to leadership in the church. I see no leader-centricity in the New Testament, do you? I see no pulpit centricity either. Instead, I see leaders “from among us” (Phil. 1:1), extensions of the church rather than heads of pyramids. Should we not expect this mentality in our churches, whatever our church structure may be (elder-led or single-pastor)? No longer can leadership assume a responsibility that belongs only to the Head. I have seen this “we will do the work” mentality not only in single-pastor congregations but also in elder-led churches. In contrast, I have also seen pastors in traditional single-pastor churches who saw their role not as doing the work of the ministry but as servant-leaders equipping others for their own ministries. Perhaps the structures are not as important as our attitudes.

Shepherd-teacher, as a “layman,” may I respectfully ask you, in the words of Ronald Reagan:

Will you “stand by our side, not ride on our back”?
Will you “provide opportunity, not smother it”?
Will you “foster productivity, not stifle it”?

7:57 AM Aren’t you glad Acts 4:13 is in the Bible? I sure am. What does it means that Peter and John were “unlearned and ignorant”? It means they had no education or special training. It means the Jerusalem church had no big shots.

It suggests that God delights in using people who lack professional qualifications and status. I see this everywhere I travel. I see men and women who lack any kind of academic attainment and yet are powerfully used of God, and I mean “powerfully.” I doubt that Jesus was very impressed with book learning and titles. Not that He would necessarily be against these things either. But, as Helmut Thielicke says (“Beyond Pushing and Producing,” Leadership Journal, Fall 1995, p. 85):

He appears not to be bothered at all by the fact that these are not strategically important people, that they have no prominence, that they are not key figures, but only the unfortunate, lost children of the Father in heaven. He seems to ignore with a sovereign indifference the great so-called “world-historical perspectives” of his mission when it comes to one insignificant, blind, and smelly beggar, this Mr. Nobody, who is nevertheless so dear to the heart of God and must be saved.

Yes, Jesus ignored “with a sovereign indifference” all the things we elevate as indispensable status symbols — degrees, titles, attainments, publications, conference papers. And there is a very good reason for it, I think. Notice how all the leaders of the early church were men of the Spirit (see Acts 6:3; 7:55; 11:24, etc.). It was the Spirit who made the Ephesian elders overseers (Acts 20:28). The Spirit was the source of their power, their eloquence, their success. The power of the Holy Spirit is such that it can give simple disciples a life and message that can reach every heart. The New Testament shows with crystal clarity the effect of the Spirit’s filling in our lives. Real Christianity is a very simple thing when done in the Spirit. So…

Greek student — learn your lessons in the power of the Spirit!
Greek teacher — teach your students in the power of the Spirit!
Ph.D. student — write your dissertation in the power of the Spirit!

All of us — the same Spirit who anointed Jesus’ ministry is surely willing and able to grant us empowerment for service today.

Friday, January 30

5:02 PM My alma mater, the University of Basel, is opening aCenter for Africa Studies with the following emphases: Gesundheit (Public Health and Social Life), Medien (Media and Imagination), Wissen (Knowledge Production and Transfer), Staat (Governance and Civil Society) und Umwelt (Environment and Development). The Center’s new website can be foundhere. Below: The Theologisches Seminar of the Uni-Basel in the historic city center, where I spent many happy hours researching and writing.

4:34 PM Check out the beautiful hair on this Toggenburg of Jessie’s. I had never noticed before how long it is in places. Amazing what you see when you go for a walk.

2:03 PM We just enjoyed a delightful lunch with Becky’s good friend Debbie, who used to be B’s supervisor at Mariah Parham Hospital. I learned a new word during our conversation when Debbie mentioned how people often pick up “nosocomial” illnesses in the hospital. That is, sometimes you can get sicker under medical care than if you avoid medical care altogether.

Can the same thing happen in a seminary, I wondered out loud. Is it possible to pick up spiritual illnesses when one is studying in a spiritual environment? I have been compelled, reluctantly, to admit that the answer is yes. The potential dangers include:

1) An attitude of superiority.

2) The pride that comes from knowledge.

3) Learning to view the Bible as one book among others rather than as the only infallible source of truth about God and man.

4) Treating the text as just another analyzable datum of linguistic investigation.

5) An argumentative spirit.

6) A zeal for theological method over theology itself.

7) An over-familiarly with God and the Bible whereby both lose their specialness.

A seminary education can easily over-intellectualize religion and make a kind of philosophy out of it. Paul himself was guilty of this until one day he came to God in humble faith and found in Christ that fellowship he had sought so long and hard in his own privileges and attainments. “To know Him” — that is, to have a right relationship with God, a living, personal relationship — now meant more to him than anyone or anything else. Any seminary student must be more anxious to listen to God than to propagate his or her own opinions or will run the risk of becoming a victim of seminary-induced illnesses.

1:17 PM As I’m reading through the websites today I’m impressed how important the theme of ecclesiology has become to the modern generation of bloggers. I am also very impressed with the flavor and tone of many of these websites. Through them runs one dominant feeling and that is the feeling of affection and love for the Lord Jesus. That should be the mark of any website. Ecclesiology is dear to the heart of God’s people because Jesus, the Loving Head of the Body, is dear to their heart as well. We should count it a wasted day when we peruse the world wide web and do not receive a blessing and when we have not penetrated deeply into the heart of God. Genuine Christianity is a lovely thing. It has a winsome attractiveness to it. I thank God for all the bloggers out there whose sites are not only good (agathos) but pleasant (kalos).

12:55 PM I see that Nate and Jess have retrieved their long lost Cat and have taken Cat back to Cat’s home, fed Cat, and told Cat to stay put. I am under strict orders not to let Cat into our house or feed her under any circumstances. Meanwhile N. and J. are driving back to Raleigh to continue their remodeling job, which means that I have the day for writing. Just before they left, Becky told them, “Well, we seem to have inherited your dog and your cat, but what I really want is to have your baby come live in my house.” To which Nate quipped, “Don’t worry, mom. One day you’ll be in the nursing home and my child will indeed be living in your house!” Right now Becky has a good friend of hers from her ICU days visiting the farm. She’ll stay for lunch and supper.

11:35 AM Well, maybe I should bring her inside just this one time. After all, she’s soooo cute and just loves to be held. It won’t really hurt anything, will it?

10:21 AM OK, I’m declaring a state of emergency. Maybe even a state of war. Little Miss is on our front porch again. She thinks that by whining and meowing we will open the door for her and let her inside. She thinks that just because she is so cute and adorable she can worm her way into our hearts. She thinks that because we have dogs as pets we will welcome her into the fold with open arms. I tell, this is war. NO WAY I’m gonna let you in, Cat. No way I’m gonna feed you. No way you’re gonna wheedle your way into my house. I know your kind: if I let you into the house you’ll end up sleeping on my bed. I’m on to you, girl. You might as well give up, all’s I can say. Now scat and go back home where you belong, you sweetie pie!

9:40 AM A brief word to my Greek students. It may truly be said that my series of books on New Testament Greek began almost accidentally. The first volume in the series,Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek, I had no intention of writing at all. While I was teaching Greek at Biola I began to see the importance of the science of linguistics for the study of the New Testament. At that time I could not find any book that tried to integrate linguistics with New Testament Greek on the introductory level. So I went to my typewriter (the one with the daisy wheels!) and produced Linguistics mainly for my own students. I sent it forth to the publishers with fear and trepidation knowing that it would be criticized by the purists (as it was) because its author was not a linguist. It was only the second book I had published (the first being my doctoral dissertation, Paul, Apostle of Weakness). I will remain eternally grateful to the editors of Baker Book House for their unfailing sympathy and help. Since then the academic book market has been flooded with works seeking to integrate linguistics with the biblical languages, so much so that I am delighted that Linguistics is still in print some two decades after its initial publication. My aim was to make the results of modern language study available to the non-technical reader in a format that does not require any background in linguistics to understand, and then to show how linguistics is relevant to exegesis. It is my fervent prayer that my Greek students, many of whom are reading the book for the first time this semester, will become better Bible readers and better Bible expositors as a result.

8:26 AM Here’s yet another reason to attend theDeveloping a Biblical Ecclesiology (.pdf) seminar in March: the only book you’ll need is the Bible. As I told my students last week, whatever position you hold on divorce/remarriage, or tongues, or female elders/deacons, or church organization, you had better base your convictions on the exegesis of specific texts of Scripture and not on anything Dr. So-and-So says. I am honestly worried about this generation of students because I see in them (as I saw in my generation) a tendency to follow this or that teacher rather than the Scriptures. This is nothing but a form of modern-day Gnosticism. The Gnostics loved to claim that their special teaching came directly from God. They believed that all kinds of special knowledge were needed for salvation and sanctification. They taught that the Word of God was not sufficient. Men and women needed a special knowledge beyond that which Jesus could give. So if you had gnosis (special knowledge) and knew the right formulas and used the correct passwords you could escape the ignorance of the world. But Paul taught it was only in Christ that the full divine nature dwelt, and that is was only through Him that the believer could find truth and wisdom.

What does modern-day Gnosticism look like? One sure sign is whether the Bible is preeminent or not. This truth alone should make us rethink the value of any seminar or conference that packages biblical truth in a way that elevates the package above Christ. As the Gnostics saw it, the simple truth of the Gospel, written down in the Bible, was not enough. It had to be supplemented by an elaborate system of philosophical thought. The resulting system was too difficult for simple Christians to understand. Only insiders — intellectuals — could understand. It is amazing to me how quickly we Christians run after this system or that system today. There is too much of the Christianity that says “I’ve got the answer” and too little of the Christianity that says “In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Supremely it is so today with all of our “networks” and “ministries” that promise freedom in Christ (if you’ll only attend my seminar) or how to discern the true marks of the church (if you’ll buy my book) or how to become a “New Testament” congregation (by following our ministry model). I am not saying that any of these ideas are necessarily unbiblical or wrong. It is the packaging that threatens the life of the church for, I believe, the packaging raises questions about the total adequacy of the Scriptures and the unique supremacy of Christ.

So please do not attend our seminar if you think you need something more than the Word of God to understand the mind of God. Please do not attend our seminar if you believe that Christ is not adequate to deal with your questions. Please do not attend our seminar if you are seeking a Gospel that needs to be supplemented by human ideas. Please do not attend our seminar if you want to join an intellectual aristocracy. Please DO attend our seminar if you are drawn to the unsearchable riches of Christ, if you believe that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man, if you believe that “truth is in Jesus,” and if you are ready to listen to a man who is as eager to learn from others as he is to instruct them.

(Note: My opinion will change very quickly if our speaker ever decides to incorporate and form “Assembling of the Church Ministries” and take his system on the road for a fee.)

7:55 AM Last November, while I was serving among the Gujis, Becky traveled with the Village Team. Here are 3 photos taken in the village of Koro. Aren’t the people beautiful? I think so.

Thursday, January 29

7:40 PM Tomorrow it’s back to work with Nathan. He and I have, if you will, both sacred and secular jobs. Some of you may know that Nathan provides leadership in a small church not far from our farm. He leads the music, plays the piano, and does the Bible teaching. (He is very good at all three.) His leadership is greatly appreciated by his congregation. They have asked if they could pay him for his services, but Nathan refuses to be remunerated. I know I’m hardly an impartial observer, but I believe it to be the absolute truth when I say that Nathan is respected by all for his generosity of spirit, his freedom from the love of money, and his commitment to gainful employment. For him, tentmaking has always been the norm, and he seeks to follow the pattern of Paul who earned his own living by the labor of his hands.

This practice, incidentally, was not unknown in the early church. The Apostolic Constitutions writes, “We ourselves, besides our attention to the word of the Gospel, do not neglect our inferior employments. For some of us are fishermen, some tentmakers, some husbandmen, so that we may never be idle.” Basil, bishop of Caesarea, in a letter generally assigned to the year 375, says, “Although our clergy do seem very numerous, they are men inexperienced in traveling because they never traffic and prefer to live not far away from home, the majority of them plying sedentary crafts whereby they get their daily bread.” Let me state clearly my belief that Paul’s principle of “living from the Gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14) allows the support of those who for good and sufficient reasons receive financial assistance. But it is clear that Paul himself usually declined to make use of that principle. I think Nathan and I have in common the desire to work hard with our own hands so that we may have something to give to those who are truly in need. Nathan has always had this work ethic; I have not. I was the ultimate beach bum while growing up in Hawaii. But now I am learning the importance of work, the joy of work, and the necessity of work if I am to follow the example of the apostle Paul — and the example of my son.

7:12 PM It is a truism that a man thinks out the implications of his faith largely as circumstances compel him to do so. Becky and I have recently joined ourselves to a new fellowship of Jesus-followers, a congregation that seeks hard after God and is committed to following the teachings of Jesus. In a few weeks we will be hosting aseminar about the church, and in connection with this conference I’ve been collecting a number of bullet points for discussion. My thoughts lay no claim to special merit of any kind. They are simply matters I have been thinking about and questions I’d like to raise to the panel if I have a chance. If not, I can still ponder these things, seeking to know the mind of God that comes only through the Scriptures. So, for what they are worth, here are my theses:

1) All believers are clergy — priestly ministers.

2) All ministry is fulltime.

3) Serving Jesus is a total vocation.

4) Every member of Christ’s Body is a fulltime minister and a fulltime missionary.

5) Every member must be prized and every ministry appreciated.

6) Acknowledging and affirming the contributions of less appreciated or weaker brothers is not optional.

7) The local church must be the primary context for growing into maturity in Christ.

8) When the Body assembles, as much as possible structure must be participational rather than representative and relational rather than organizational.

9) Unremunerated ministers must be considered to be as significant as remunerated ministers.

10) The elders of the church, whether remunerated or unremunerated, should be teaching elders.

11) Not all teaching should be done by acknowledged teaching elders; this is because acknowledged teaching elders are not the only ones in the Body who are “apt to teach.”

12) The ministry of the church, at every level, should be shared by remunerated and unremunerated ministers.

13) Every minister must adopt an intentionally sacrificial lifestyle. Like the apostle Paul, they must be willing to forego career advancement and private leisure for the sake of ministering to others.

14) All ministers must renounce the authority of titles and positions of influence.

15) Seminary-trained ministers must affirm that non-seminary training for ministers is possible.

This list will expand in the days and weeks to come.

4:36 PM It’s been a fun day. As I type, Becky is in the next room practicing her Greek alphabet. “The Greek nu looks just like a v, doesn’t it?” “That’s right, honey.” “The theta and the phi both have lines going through them, don’t they?” “Yes, darling.” She’s definitely a verbal learner. Earlier I took Sheba and Dadya for a long walk. Sheppie had to stay behind (Sheba is in heat but we’re not breeding her right now). Poor Sheppie. You can hear him moaning and howling all over the farm, he misses our company so much. Finally, here’s another great quote from 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 more true?

O, I see that Nate and Jessie’s cat Little Miss has shown up at our front door. I think she’s trying to meow her way into the house. This place is becoming a zoo.

11:18 AM My latest essay is called Servants-in-Training.

9:07 AM Yesterday a student asked me how my son Mohammed was doing. Strangely enough, when I answered him my mind went to Philippians. Paul says in 1:19, “I know that this will result in my deliverance (from prison) because of your prayers for me and because of the generous help of the Holy Spirit.” Like Joseph of old, Mohammed, though imprisoned for murder, was elevated to a leadership position in the Alaba prison because of the change in his life that everyone had noticed since he became a Jesus-follower. And then, last June when I was in Armenia, I received the wonderful news that Mohammed had been pardoned by the federal government and released 9 years ahead of schedule.

So he is now a free man, attending school and living in the home of an evangelist. And so an old unhappy story has taken a very happy twist. Last December Mohammed honored me by giving me the pardon he had received from the government of Ethiopia.

I will treasure this document as long as I live. Right now Mohammed is committed to being the best citizen of heaven he can possibly be. He knows he must live worthily of his faith and profession. It is impossible to put into words how thankful I am to God for what has transpired in the life of my Ethiopian child in the faith. “The odor of a sweet savor” is what Paul might have called it. All praise be to God.

(Note: If you aren’t familiar with Mohammed’s story, I’ve written about it in an essay called Miracle in Alaba.)

8:20 AM Another thought. Missions involves close cooperation between Christian congregations. That’s why Becky and I do not take “individuals” with us to Ethiopia. Each short-term missionary is a part of a congregation that supports the work of the Lord in Ethiopia. Thus they represent the entire church when they travel to Africa and, in turn, they are expected to report back to their home congregations after the trip is completed. Moreover, although we require our missionaries to attend several in-depth training sessions in which we learn about Ethiopian culture (customs, language, food, history, religions, etc.), we do not expect a certain a level of formal education from any of these representatives. I am reminded of the words of Roland Allen on the last page of his magisterial work The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (p. 156):

The spontaneous expansion of the Church reduced to its elements is a very simple thing. It asks for no elaborate organization, no large finances, no great numbers of paid missionaries. In its beginning it may be the work of one man, and that a man neither learned in the things of this world, nor rich in the wealth of this world. The organization of a little church on the apostolic model is also extremely simple, and the most illiterate converts can use it, and the poorest are sufficiently wealthy to maintain it.

The Philippians (as well as all of the Macedonians) were famous for their poverty, but that did not stop them from becoming involved in missionary outreach. Their generosity to Paul went back to the very beginning of his ministry among them. There was a bond between him and them that was unique and beautiful. They had been generous toward him while he was imprisoned, and their generosity had made him very glad, not for his own sake but for their sake. This is the very same joy that Becky and I feel and experience every time we connect an American church with an Ethiopian congregation. What greater gift can we give the Lord Jesus than our participation in the Gospel together, whatever our differences on secondary and tertiary issues?

Below: A team prayer meeting in Burji, Ethiopia. These modern-day apostles (representatives) came from 3 Southern Baptist churches in the greater Roxboro area. Can you tell who is a nurse, a pharmacist, a physician’s assistant, a pastor, an agricultural specialist? How rich is the Body of Christ!

7:38 AM As we begin our study of Philippians in my Greek classes next week, there are several assumptions about the church I want to make clear:

1) The Holy Spirit gifts “all the saints” with the full complement of gifts needed to minister to the entire Body.

2) All Christians are “in the ministry.”

3) Leaders are extensions of the Body and not over it (see 1:1).

4) Adequate shepherding cannot be a one-man ministry.

5) Active love is contagious (see 2:19-30). Godly examples of selflessness are needed to grow a caring community.

6) Love needs to be modeled by church leaders, though the greatest example will always be Christ (see 2:5-11).

7) Missions involves a mutual commitment in terms of prayer, service, and finances (see 4:10-). Each local congregation is to be a self-propagating church.

Clearly, Paul did not just “lead people to Christ.” He founded churches, and he expected these churches to be committed to missions. Paul wrote to the Philippians to urge them to be unified in the cause of the Gospel. The question I will ask my students is simply this: Are you a Great Commission Christian? Is your family a Great Commission family? Is your marriage a Great Commission marriage? And is your church a Great Commission church? Do you take Paul’s words seriously: “The only thing that matters is that you live as good citizens (of heaven) in a manner worthy of the Gospel” (see 1:27).

Not that it matters very much, but I’m toying with the idea of writing a “layman’s” commentary on Philippians. I have a sense that a great wave of renewal is about to break out in the church. I am convinced that “unity in the cause of the Gospel” does not belong to the marginalia of Christianity but lies at its core. I believe it is a day for the radical transformation of the people of God into a ministering, serving, and giving people. In this regard, the book of Philippians has been a major source of inspiration not only to me but to countless others. What a wonderful book, and what a joy to study it together with my students.

7:25 AM Nate and Jess are doing a bathroom remodeling job in Raleigh today so we’re keeping Sheppie. He really misses Sadie. He’s not the only one.

Wednesday, January 28

7:18 PM Just added to our Ethiopia speaking schedule: March 9 at Amelia Baptist Church, Amelia, VA, 10:00 am; March 15 at Providence Baptist Church, Caswell, NC, 11:00 am; March 22 at North Roxboro Baptist Church, Roxboro, NC, 10:45 am.

7:06 PM Earlier this evening Nathan said, “Look outside, Dad.” Glad I did.

6:35 PM Publishing update: The third edition of Learn to Read New Testament Greek is right on schedule for a March 1 release, along with its companion workbook. Also, I have a book proposal before Zondervan. The initial response has been positive. The proposal goes before the entire editorial board next week. Meanwhile, I’m writing a chapter for a book being edited by my colleague Ned Matthews. My piece is called “Exegesis and the Text-Driven Sermon.”

For fun: theshortest books ever written.

6:28 PM Here’s one man’s opinion on therole of women in the church (.pdf). In the conclusion he states:

“The truth is that women are no less a vital part of the church then are men.”

I heartily agree.

“Men are in dire need of women to show them Christ.”

Amen and amen.

“Keep in mind that the church the ekklesia is a female.”

Say what? Hand me the aspirin, quick!

6:22 PM Nice little serendipity: Jon Glass has just published his tenth report on Ethiopia. You can read ithere.

6:12 PM Over at Simple Church, Alan Knox explains why he’snot that kind of a pastor. He’s got some excellent thoughts. That there exists today an unrealistic expectation of the role of a pastor is a gross understatement. This often results in an oppressive “oughtness” of responsibility. The pastor becomes Mr. Everything as he assumes an imagined role that is neither tenable nor biblical. I wonder what would happen if we were to change our thinking and consider our pastors as “training ministers” and our so-called laypeople as the “real ministers”? As Alan writes:

I’m part of the church. I’m not the main guy or some outside expert or professional. I’m just another brother who is struggling in his walk with Christ just like everyone else. Hopefully, since I’ve been recognized by the church, my walk is at least a little more mature and is a good example for others to follow. This also means that I’m free to say, “No”, if someone asks me to do something.

Brother Alan is obviously not Mr. Everything to his congregation, nor should he be. In his book Everyone A Minister (p. 80), Oscar Feucht has noted rightfully:

An adequate ministry is not a one man ministry. It is not even a corps of associated pastors. It is the whole church, congregation by congregation, mobilized and trained for mission. Only this strategy is adequate.

I can’t ever imagine Alan speaking of pastoring as a lonely or burdensome ministry. A core of shepherds produces more competent pastoral care than a one-man ministry ever could.

6:05 PM Phillip Fletcher offers some perceptive observations onchurch eldership.

5:54 PM Wednesday shout-out to all my Greek students at Bethel Hill. Isn’t Greek fun? And what about that wacky Alphabet Song? As you study this week, a few reminders of what the class is all about and not about. It’snot about information I don’t want Bethel Hill to become a small-scale seminary. It’s not about being initiated into the mysteries of theological jargon so that we can join the “elite.” It’s not about knowledge for knowledge’s sake. No, Jesus is the ultimate purpose of the course to know Him better so that we can make Him known. I believe each local congregation has been commissioned by the Lord Jesus to preach to the whole world and to participate in the advancement of God’s kingdom. Greek, then, must always focus on equipping us for dispersion, for witness, for life in society through exhortation, admonition, and especially modeling. Luther once said it is by living and dying, not by reason and speculation, that we become theologians. He said that what counts in church life is not knowledge but maturity of character. I heartily agree. Greek can help give us an underlying supportive foundation and grid for everything we do as we serve Jesus. So, to that end, let’s buckle down and get that alphabet memorized! And remember: you can email me if you have any questions.

5:32 PM It was 23 years ago today that the world was reminded of the importance of O-rings. Despite warnings from the ground personnel that the Challenger’s equipment could be damaged by freezing temperatures, thespace shuttle was launched, and the rest is history. At fault were a few crucial but hardly noticeable design flaws.

A lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way is this: It’s always a serious mistake to underestimate the importance of little things. Real estate agents know that you get the kind of house you pay for. Shoddy construction is due to cheap materials. I think we are afflicted nowadays with a cheap Christianity. We are erecting edifices of wood, hay, and stubble. We refuse to pay the price for the best building materials. Forget the gold, silver, and precious stones. A little religion, a gesture of piety will do just fine, thank you. I am discovering that discipleship is costly. True Christianity has its price. Character is expensive. Jesus never opened a Bargain Basement, and His prices were never “marked down.” I have often experienced His rebuke precisely because I was trying to live “on the cheap.” Thankfully, whom the Lord loves He chastens so that we might learn to hate our sins and love our Savior.

Have you checked your O-rings lately?

5:18 PMSteve Scott has ablog entry that captured my attention. The topic is how we sometimes (blindly) follow this or that Christian personality. Steve writes:

What I’ve found is that a subculture has come into existence that is defined by these people and groups. Terminology is embraced, and their writings become formulas for living. Walls are built and blinders put on. Change is resisted, unless it is only to conform to the already defined formulas. Outsiders are labeled and ignored, or spoken of with a disclaimer. A narrow mindedness often prevails, one which is not open to differing views. I’m speaking in general terms here and don’t apply this to everybody. There are a number of people who follow these people religiously.

It seems beyond question that Steve is on to something. Unanimity is not uniformity. One of the reasons I love the Anabaptists so much is that they weren’t always quoting so-and-so but preferred to simply quote Scripture. It is fashionable to secure the endorsement of the “experts.” But the experts are not automatically (or always) correct. Thanks for the timely reminder, brother Steve.

Tuesday, January 27

5:16 AM The new semester begins officially for me today. My favorite verse as a teacher is of course Luke 6:40, where our Lord says that when a disciple is fully taught he will be just like his teacher. Jesus taught the multitudes, but at the same time He gathered to Himself a small band of men and women into whom He poured His life and truth. He taught them by personal example how to live and work and serve and witness. The result was that they learned how to multiply the Lord’s work many times as they poured their lives into the lives of others. My goal this semester is to be a living example before the young Christians committed to my care by the Lord Jesus. Will you cover me in prayer to that end? I desperately want my students to learn to approve what is of real value in life, to be filled and flooded with the very Presence of the Lord Jesus, and to live in a manner worthy of the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the privilege of the teacher, and it is a joy to serve Jesus by serving my students!

5:12 AM Becky’s Burji Blurb continues with a report on the Galana clinic personnel.

While were at the clinic, let me tell you about the Clinic Team. By the grace of God, your prayers, and our hard work, the Galana Clinic was opened in Burji just a few months before we arrived. It is staffed with 2 nurses (Gezaheen and Birhanoo), a chaplain (Solomon), an accountant (Teshoma), a pharmacist (Memiroo), two guards, and a cleaner girl. The clinic is under the supervision of the Burji District church leaders, and Oshe is the primary leader we talk with since his English is so good.

Our role on this trip was 2-fold: to act as a medical resource in training and assistance in providing medical care of patients, and to help set up smooth operations.

Molly is a Physicians Assistant here in Roxboro, NC. For 5 days she worked alongside Gezaheen in handling patient care. Let me tell you, there is no way to prepare someone adequately for working in a rural clinic in Africa. It was tough work! Word had spread that there was an American doctor in the Galana clinic, and people came in droves to see her. Combine that scenario with the utterly primitive working conditions, and its a recipe to challenge even the sturdiest of heart. She had a high learning curve and handled the situation well. After 5 days, she transferred to the Village Team, and I joined the Clinic Team.

My role was more administrative assistant than nurse. We evaluated the flow of patients, standards of cleanliness, medical equipment and organization, policies and procedures, job descriptions, etc. At the end of my time, we had a 2-hour staff meeting that was very profitable, and the time of prayer was especially precious. Matthew was an unofficial part of the Clinic Team, in that he spent some special time with the chaplain Solomon, discussing spiritual issues and praying together. In the first 3 months of operation, Solomon has led 15 people to our Lord Jesus! And these people are being absorbed in the local churches. What a joy to see!

5:02 AM It appears to me that we are off to a very good start in our Greek class. I received, in answer to prayer, an enthusiastic group of students from all walks of life, all of them eager to learn how to read their Greek New Testaments with the use of a lexicon. That’s my promise to them. I leave the outcome entirely in the hands of the Lord, but I will do my very best to lead them along.

The class includes Becky as well as 4 shepherd-teachers and several home scholars. Their homework this week is to master the Greek alphabet and pronunciation. My thanks to Bethel Hill for providing the venue — and the refreshments at break time!

Monday, January 26

4:36 PM Writing in his column Eye on the Empire, Alan Bock offers some useful historical context to the debate over torture and prisoners in his essaySadism, Not Substance, Behind Torture Advocacy. It’s no wonder that the Bush administration officials (one of whom I heard this morning on the Diane Rehm show) giddily defend the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” to wrest information out of our enemies. Moral questions aside (though morality is never an aside), Bock notes how ineffective torture really is. He writes: “Whether it is sadism, childhood memories of powerlessness that need to be countered by embracing power, or some other essentially psychological phenomenon, it is surely not a strictly rational position to take. A rational analysis would yield the opposite conclusion, that torture is to be avoided not only because it provides a rationale for opposing forces to torture our military, but because it just doesn’t work.” The really sad thing is that Mr. Bock will be accused of anti-patriotism and irresponsibility for defending law and principle.

4:22 PM More good stuffhere from Matthew McDill about church leadership. Many of the truths he is unearthing convey enormous paradoxes. A major one is Pauls teaching in Acts 20 that “it is more blessed to give than receive” (a teaching Paul learned, somewhere, from Jesus Himself). How odd, I’ve often thought, that these very words are used to exhort Christians to support the church budget (and its staff and building programs, etc.) when the words were first given in the context of exhorting elders to give their ministry free of charge. Such examples of eisegesis could be multiplied time and again. For someone to minister to others as a free gift is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It is also the only way we will ever be able to reach a lost world for Christ.

4:12 PM Michael Joneswrites to say he agrees with the New Testament pattern of baptizing then teaching. We need both, of course, but the order is not unimportant. How can we tell new believers to obey “all” that Jesus commanded them when we fail to tell them about His first and most basic command?

9:38 AM I’m off to campus to attend our Junior Scholars Program. I’ll sit on a panel and share what little I know about teaching with my younger colleagues. I’m just as eager to learn from them how I can become a better classroom teacher. One thing I can say: I agree with Alan Knox thatrelationships are the key to effective teaching.

9:18 AM Monday shout-out to Chris, Joel, Kimberly, Ed, Jason, Kimber, Taylor, Bonnie, Erica, Linda, Jacob, Susan, Summer, Sabrina, Margaret, Martha, Joni, Leanna, Laurie, Luke, Frank, Jason, Sandy, Debbie, Michael, Hannah, Tim, Joe, Melissa, Stephanie, Louie, Woody, Sherry, Josh, Lynn, Sammy, Richard, Mary, Raymond, Tina, Sarah, Alissa, David, Lee, Dale, Betty, Matthea, Jon, Matthew, Lona, Pam, Chris, Frank, and Becky Lynn. See you tonight in Greek class. Be prepared to tackle the Greek alphabet and to watch your instructor royally embarrass himself as he tries to sing the Greek Alphabet Song.

Below: The opening verses of Philippians in my favorite book in the entire world, my Greek New Testament. Not only is every word inspired by God the Holy Spirit, but also the tense, voice, mood, person, number, gender, case, word order, phrase order, clause order, discourse structure, ad infinitum. That’s one good reason to know Greek: to unpack what God the Holy Spirit so beautifully and wonderfully packed into the Word. Greek students, I’m warning you: you are about to wade into a limitless ocean. My job is to teach you how to swim.

Sunday, January 25

7:25 PM I just helped Nate and Jess spread horse manure in the back field. As I worked I reflected that it won’t be very long until our fields are ready for cutting and baling.

I love harvest time here on the farm. There is nothing like it. It’s an extremely busy period when we must be ready at a moment’s notice to get down to some hard physical labor. So it is with missions, I think. There is always an urgency about missions. Jesus said that the fields are white unto harvest right NOW — not at some distant time in the future. Every farmer knows exactly what that means.

When the crop is ripe in the field, everything else stops. You either harvest the crop or it goes bad on you. Jesus told us in Mark 16:15 (a verse I believe is authentic) that we are to go into “the whole world” with the Good News. With love in my heart, the only thing I can say to the person who tries to get out of the work is this: We will all have to answer to God for what we did or did not do for a lost world. God does not need our service. It is our privilege to serve Him. The only way to live as a true disciple of Jesus is to obey Him by becoming a bond-slave servant to the world. The Book of Acts (which we are studying together on Wednesday nights under the guidance of brother Jason) shows us how active the first Christians were. Why should we be any less active today? It’s so easy to love comfort more than God, to love our churches more than the kingdom, to talk about servant-leadership when pride swells our hearts. The supreme importance of the Great Commission raises troubling questions indeed! I do not have the answers to these questions. But I do know this: When I see hay that needs cutting and baling, I get down and dirty and I see that the job gets done. How can I not relate the same principle to the crying demands of the unfinished missionary task?

5:17 PM The church is a group of dedicated men and women who desire deeply to get beyond mere church membership to active discipleship, recovering the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit and exercising their gifts as disciples and missionaries. That was the gist of Becky’s talk today at Bethel Hill Baptist Church as she focused on what the Lord Jesus is doing in His church in Ethiopia. It was an excellent presentation. Becky began by saying that missions is simply all God’s people exercising their spiritual priesthood every day wherever they are — in all the various areas of life and in all the opportunities God gives us to serve Him. This is what it means to be the “church” — Christians infecting society with the liberating, saving, and ministering power of Christ. In short, missions is carried out in the world wherever there are disciples of Jesus Christ. She ended by saying that the one who gives is more blessed than the one who receives. This is God’s basic principle of Christian giving. The church in Ethiopia has been blessed by the gifts they have received from our mission teams — Bibles, instruction, eye glasses, clinic supplies, etc. But we are even more blessed because of the joy we have been privileged to experience in giving. All I can say is that it is positively dangerous for people to hear these reports and watch these videos of Ethiopia, because God desires to multiply His workforce and that workforce might include you! Jason closed the service with the great reminder that true missions is not spending a couple of weeks living on foreign soil but by being a “company of the committed” right where we live and work. Living for Jesus is not an option. It is a necessity. (I think Jason and Joel, our pastors, consider themselves missions directors and enablers. Their team is as large as their congregation.)

The pictures Becky uses in her presentation always move me. Here are 3 of them. The first shows Miss Mary, one of my favorite international missionaries. Her ministry? Being the hands and feet of Jesus and loving on the people of Ethiopia, especially the precious children. By the way, talk about happy children. They have literally NOTHING except the clothes on their back, yet for the most part they are the most well-behaved, contented, and delightful children to be around. I wish you could meet them in person.

Here’s Molly, Jason’s wife, a PA here in the States but in Ethiopia an “NA” — a nurses’ assistant. Her work was to come alongside and encourage the two fulltime nurses who work in the clinic. Talk about having to adapt to a difficult and strange working environment. But Molly did a great job of it. An exemplary “cross-cultural” missionary if I’ve ever seen one.

Finally, meet Solomon, the clinic chaplain/evangelist. He too is a fulltime worker — “fulltime” because the main purpose of the clinic is spiritual, not medical. Praise the Lord — through his witnessing 15 individuals have already joined the family of God in Burji. Here Solomon stands in front of “his” blackboard, where he writes daily Scripture verses. This one reads, “Come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

I want to personally thank the leadership at Bethel Hill for allowing us the privilege of sharing in the assembly today. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than talking about what God is doing in the world today. (I take that back. I’d rather be doing it than talking about it.)

7:45 AM This is a must read by all pastors who labor in the “pulpit”:To Preach or Not to Preach? Here’s a sample:

The more traditional rhetorical sermon is a difficult vehicle for consistent growth in the church since it tends to be orator, preacher, or message focused, rather than group focused. It is a unilog instead of a dialog. It is one-way communication that, by its very nature, is just as concerned, if not more concerned, with style and an effective delivery than with careful attention to the needs of Gods people in understanding and applying Scripture for themselves. If the rhetorical sermon is the center and focus of our time together then spiritual growth will be much slower, there will remain a chasm between the preacher and the rest of the church because the rhetorical sermon method feeds the unbiblical clergy-laity distinction, and the majority of Gods people in the audience will never get grounded in Scripture like they could if they were given the chance to ask questions and participate in the teaching.

7:38 AM Just noticed Lionel Wood’s piece calledShepherding From the Pulpit is Like Having an Online Marriage. The crowds in Jesus’ day had plenty of “Bible teachers” and plenty of religious leaders. But Jesus saw what they didn’t have — shepherds. Good post, Lionel.

Saturday, January 24

7:25 PM Yesterday, as I said, was a busy day for me. It began by helping Nate unload some doors and roofing tin into our old barn. (Don’t quote me, but I believe this barn dates back to around 1790, making it one of the oldest buildings on the farm.)

Then it was off to Durham Country, NC, where Nate salvaged a ton of used lumber, some of it dating back 100 years or more. Here we’re loading some tongue-and-groove flooring that Nate will probably resell on Craig’s List.

These beams will come in handy on the farm and are in excellent condition.

Our work over, it was time for supper. Our Burji reunion dinner was a wonderful time of eating, sharing, and praying together for Ethiopia. We sat at a long table and enjoyed 4 different soup options, including my favorite, corn chowder. Our experiences in Burji forged deep relationships. It was neat to hear about how many of the team members have been asked to speak in various churches and civic clubs about their trip.

As always, Dayda was a big hit with the children.

Finally, I took this picture at about 10:00 am. A most unique formation, wouldn’t you agree? It was a wonderful reminder to me of the grace and love of our Lord Jesus.

Tomorrow morning we’re giving an Ethiopia update at Bethel Hill. Please cover us with your prayers. I hope you have a wonderful Lord’s Day wherever you are.

9:53 AM In light of our upcoming conference on the church, I think Jim Cymbala’s comments are important:

Let me make a bold statement. Christianity is not predominantly a teaching religion. We have been almost overrun by the cult of the speaker…. It is fine to explain about God, but far too few people today are experiencing the living Christ in their lives. We are not seeing God’s visitations in our gatherings. We are not on the lookout for his outstretched hand.

The teaching of doctrine is a prelude, if you will, to the supernatural.

This is from Jim’s excellent book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People (Zondervan, 1997, pp. 151-52). The main question I am asking in my forthcoming book (The Downward Path of Jesus) is this: Is the evangelical church in America prepared to deal with biblical truth, not just on the intellectual level, but on the level of daily living? Frankly, I think that seminary classes and seminars and Bible conferences sometimes do more to distract us than to deepen our sense of dependence upon God. We are so often told to press this button and everything will work, and we have pushed so many buttons and nothing has worked. Hence the awful split between church and academy, between thought and action, between truth and practice. As Jim says, it is the living Christ we need, not more information. May that be the focus of our conference and of our lives.

Friday, January 23

8:55 AM Good morning, guys and gals. This will be a very busy day with little time for blogging. I did, however, find the time to post a new essay on my home page. It’s called Returning Evangelism to the Local Church. I found it very convicting to write: it’s definitely one of those three-fingers-pointing-at-yourself kind of essays!

Enjoy your day as you serve Him.

Thursday, January 22

6:23 PM Just buried Sadie. The Lord who gave has taken away, and we bless His name.

10:42 AM Here are 5 reasons to attend theDeveloping a Biblical Ecclesiology Conference on March 21 at Bethel Hill Baptist Church.

1) I will not be speaking.

2) No one will try to sell you a package or a system (or even a book!).

3) You will not be asked to jump on a bandwagon.

4) No one will say, “This is the way to do church.”

5) You will never be asked to copy the “success” of someone else.

If you’re a pastor thinking that this conference will give you the “solution” to your church troubles, you will be more miserable if you attend. One of the greatest fallacies of modern evangelicalism is the notion that we can copy someone else’s “success.” The sole purpose of this conference is to get on our knees and on our faces and ask the Holy Spirit to give us the right solutions to our needs.

One other thought. We have been told that Christianity is rocket science. We have been told that only specialists can understand it. We have been told that is it very complicated. It isn’t. It’s really very simple — so simple it will shock us. I believe that Alan has some important insights into all of this. But I can guarantee that there will be no hype, just a humble, soft-spoken man who will share from his experience how the Lord Jesus is building His church in Wake Forest, NC. And I am really looking forward to being challenged to get on my knees and on my face and ask the Lord Jesus how He wants to build His church in Bethel Hill, NC.

8:09 AM As you know, we have been working very hard to provide light and power to the Burji district. In part 3 of Becky’s Burji Blurb, you are treated to an eye-witness account of how the Lord arranged everything for us. Don’t miss the miracle Becky describes in her final paragraph.

Now for the Solar Team. This Team consisted of Matthew and Ed. For many, manymonths, Ed had been preparing for his work. His job was to place solar power at 3 places in the Burji District. Two of these places were at growing, strategic churches, so that they could have lights and a loudspeaker. With these tools, they could have evening Bible classes, community leadership meetings, and broadcast Christian music and educational programs. A leader of one of these churches came to me, almost weeping, and said Before, we were as nothing. Now we have dignity. Now we have lights and a loudspeaker! (If our Lord is willing, when we return in May, I will record Bible and health teaching by the leaders in their own languages; this will be duplicated onto CDs and will be played at these churches for instruction and outreach. Please pray for me to learn this technology well.)

Their first 4 days were spent at the Galana church, which is next door to the Galana clinic. Here Ed and Matthew installed enough solar power for lights in both the church and the clinic, a loudspeaker for the church and the clinic chaplain, and power for clinic equipment (like a refrigerator, centrifuge, battery recharging, etc.). One night Jon was returning from visiting the Guji Team, and in the far distance, in a sea of blackness, he saw the clinic lights. What a time of rejoicing! Imagine the hope that those lights bring to the peoplethe lights of a clinic offering health and healing, love, and comfort!

After the clinic, they moved to the village of Gara and then the village of Nedele. The Village Team followed them to Gara and Nedele and thought they were living in high cotton, having lights after dark and a loudspeaker for evening preaching!

In addition to helping Ed with the manual work of installing the solar power and loudspeakers, Matthew did some preaching in the evenings and also mentored the clinic chaplain. He was a good example of a servant; although his heart was in preaching and teaching, he was willing to do whatever needed to be done in helping Ed. Were hoping that Matthew will return with us in May to focus on preaching and teaching.

By the way, do you know how difficult it is to plan a project like this for a place at the end of the world? By the grace of God, everything Ed planned worked perfectly; no supplies fell short; no equipment was missing. And in the end, even though I greatly misjudged the distance from the church to the clinic, Ed had enough wire for all the placeswith only 2 feet to spare! Only God can arrange something to work so perfectly. As we returned to Addis, we found a solar store that was adequate for our needs; so in the future, we hope to get the supplies in country. The cost isnt any better, but the convenience and headache is much better.

7:20 AM The latest addition to our home page is calledObama’s Sermon on the Steps.

7:14 AM Good news. We’ve finally found parts for the Alaba church vehicle. Replacement parts are hard to come by in Ethiopia, but the church elders finally located what they needed in the city of Awassa. It was a small congregation in Wake Forest, NC, that originally donated the funds to make the purchase of this Toyota Land Cruiser possible. This is one of the goals Becky and I are constantly pursuing: connecting local churches in America with local churches in Ethiopia.

Below: The Alaba vehicle at work serving the church in faraway Burji. The Alaba elders made the Land Cruiser available at no cost and even provided the driver. Here the car is transporting the Village Team to their assignments last November. This is the kind of mutual cooperation between churches you do not often see in Ethiopia. It was a blessing and provides an example of the kind of unity Jesus prayed for in John 17.

7:00 AM Now this was a happy read. Reunion Church in Washington State has apage on its website describing the “opportunities” it has for its people to serve the Lord. Note carefully how it is worded:

The Opportunities you will find at Reunion Church are all about being the hands and feet of Jesus. This kind of incarnational-ministry means that in the midst of brokenness, we live in the power of Jesus’ resurrection wholeness so that the world can see, touch, hear, smell and taste the physical presence of Christ in us. You will never find satisfaction in life, unless you find a way to help others. With that in mind, we encourage you to join in with us and share the talents God has given you so you can be a blessing to others. If you are looking for a list of ministries, then click here to find out why we do not offer any. If you are looking for opportunities, then you are at the right place.

Wow! Which brings me to my own local church, where I will begin teaching a free Greek class on Monday night. Serving others in the Body of Christ (and beyond) is the heart of the Christian experience. Dead with Christ, we rise to walk in newness of life. Parents living in the lives of their children, pastors in the hearts of their flocks, missionaries in the souls of their converts all of us living for others. I will thus join the myriad of believers at Bethel Hill who are faithfully serving Jesus as His “hands and feet” by visiting the sick or singing in the praise team of teaching a Sunday School class or doing a puppet show or preparing a meal for shut-ins or going to Ethiopia in short, living Christian lives in home, school, office everywhere. These include the older saints who refuse to say, “I’ve had my day, let the younger generation do the work.” We havenot had all our day until our day is over! None of us is retired from the duty of being Jesus’ hands and feet as long as we are still on this earth. Each of us has a job to do. It might not be teaching Greek, but we can and ought to do something. So look for the opportunities at your own local church to serve others. It might even be a “ministry” that no one has thought of before. What would you do if you could? Or if you dared? Find it and do it!

One last thought: Instead of asking people, “Where do you go to church?”, try asking “Where do you serve?”

6:51 AM Catching up on some noteworthy posts:

1) Jon Basil Utley shows us howbin Laden bankrupted America.

2) Indiana Wesleyan University is seeking to fill afull-time position in its new Master of Divinity program.

3) Benjy Overcast asksDoes your Pastor Read Greek and Hebrew?

4) From the pen of C. S. Hayden: Critiquing the Use of God’s Name in the Presidential Inauguration Oath.

5) Justin Raimondo predicts aFalse Dawn: Obama’s election doesn’t mean peace is breaking out all over far from it.

6:50 AM Please don’t forget to pray about the Burji-Guji situation in southern Ethiopia. As far as I know, the hostility between these tribes is still very high. When I was there last November four Burjis were shot to death. Right now I am working with the church leadership in both tribes to hold a major unity conference in June. The venue will be No-Man’s Land bordering the territories. Potentially thousands of Christians from both tribes could attend. I’m glad Christianity is not a Pollyanna religion, painting the clouds with sunshine. Trouble is a reality, but we can be of good cheer because He has overcome all this world can throw at us. Peace will come to southern Ethiopia when people start getting right with God. I am praying hard for this conference to take place.

Below: Explaining how to plant kale and field peas to a group of Guji farmers in the village of Hitta Korma. In Gujiland almost 100 percent of the population consists of subsistence farmers.

6:44 AM How will history remember George W. Bush? For two widely disparate opinions, one from the right and one from the left, gohere (Wall Street Journal) andhere (AlterNet). It seems to me that the latter author does a more satisfactory job in the presidential history department. One really hates to be so negative all the time, but Bush’s ingenious Crusade to rid the world of evil can only be describe as catastrophic. Enter the Gospel. The only Christian nation is the blood-bought people redeemed by the blood of Christ. We need to be what we are whether Americans or Ethiopians and that is a heavenly colony, a holy nation that is meant to be an ambassador beseeching men and women to be reconciled with God. Americans these days seem to live to show forth the praises of Barack Obama, but Gods holy nationals live to show forth the praises of the One who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.

6:34 AM Good morning, bloggers and bloggerettes! I’m a happy man because I’m back in the warm recesses of my home in Virginia enjoying the company of my family after a long three days on campus. The big storm we were expecting finally hit us this week, dumping a couple inches of snow in North Carolina and Virginia. Heaven’s gyroscope dances forward snowflake by snowflake. A beautiful dance indeed.

Wednesday, January 21

4:23 PM Today Rosewood Farm mourns the death of our Sheltie Sadie. The pain is real and will take time to heal. Pets are wonderful blessings of the Lord. But with deep love comes deep loss whenever you lose one. Pets are a blessing from God in more ways than one. They are reminders of the cycle of life and death that we must all pass through. Please pray for Nate and Jessie, whose dog Sadie was. They are going through the natural grief process, as we all are here at the farm. But we know that as time goes on we will be able to look back on Sadie’s life with gladness and not sadness. Meanwhile we give abundant thanks to the One who created her and gave her to us.

Monday, January 19

4:55 AM Off to school. The marathon begins again. I’ll blog again on Wednesday, Lord willing. In the meantime, I’ve written a brief essay called Teach, Then Baptize? I hope you enjoy it. Most of all, I hope you have a great week and, wherever you go, Happy Trails!

4:51 AM Our Greek class at Bethel Hill starts a week from today. Some things you will NOT learn in this class are:

1) Greek is the Abracadabra or Open Sesame of biblical interpretation. Hardly. Greek will not automatically tell you what the text says though it will limit your options.

2) Greek is inherently difficult to learn. Wrong. Greek is impeccably logical. It has mathematical precision. After all, God invented the language, and He does all things decently and in order. Anyone can learn it who is hardworking and motivated.

3) Greek is never abused by preachers and theologians. Wrong again. This happens all the time. This is one reason to learn Greek for yourself — so that you can check the accuracy of those who use Greek in their teaching (seethis discussion for a current example). Greek is often (more often than we think) used to support one’s a priori conclusions as to what a text means. It’s what I call “evangelical Greek,” and no one, myself included, is immune from it.

4) Greek is strange and unique. Absolutely not! Greek is like a long-lost relative you’re meeting for the first time. Like English, it is an Indo-European language and thus shares many cognates and derivatives with your own mother tongue.

5) The New Testament had to be written in Greek because it is superior to other languages. (Sometimes this is phrased as follows: “The New Testament could never have been written in Hebrew because Hebrew lacks the complex semotaxis of Greek.”) True, Greek morphology and syntax is a bit complicated, but the real reason the New Testament was inscripturated in Greek (rather than, say, Hebrew) is a man named Alexander the Great.

6) Greek makes you a more spiritual person. Nonsense. Just remember 1 Cor. 8:1: Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up. Will Greek make you a more loving person? No. Will Greek help you learn truth that can change your life? Absolutely!

I am really looking forward to this class. I’ve opened it up to anybody in the community, and I anticipate a wide variety of language aptitudes. One thing I do not expect of anyone is familiarity with grammar of any kind, not even English grammar. Really, you will be learning two languages for the price of one, and even that “price” is free!

4:44 AM This week I will have the joy of meeting with a missionary couple who is on home assignment. They are what I call “missions mobilizers.” That is, they do not only want to be missionaries, they want to get other people involved in world evangelism and missionary work. Becky and I are the same way. We believe every church and every Christian ought to be a part of this great task. Whenever we speak, we always begin our talks by emphasizing the fact that mission work is the work of God. The Holy Spirit is the CEO of world missions, as George Verwer likes to say. (George is the founder of OM.) We also believe that missions begins and ends on our knees. I often speak from Matt. 9:35-38, where Jesus tells us to plead with the Lord of the harvest to sent out workers into His harvest field. Christians will never take ownership of world missions until they are burdened by the Spirit with a sense of personal responsibility. How sad when Christians fight over church music styles when there is a lost world to be reached. Our appeal is to learn how to agree to disagree on secondary matters and get on with the primary task of mobilizing our churches for missions and presenting the Good News to the whole world. Thankfully, Becky and I see attitudes of humility, teachability, and openness to missions wherever we speak. One thing is certain: God is doing great things in the world today. Praise His Name!

Below: Speaking in a Baptist church in Bucharest. I love being in Romania. My mother’s family comes from Cluj. This makes me half Romanian.

4:33 AM In part 3 of Becky’s Burji Blurb we are reminded of the importance of the Scriptures.

We took 1,100 Bibles to Burji for those people who had completed memorizing the 9 required passages. (These passages are Psalm 1, Psalm 23, 1 Cor. 13, Rom. 8:28-39, Phil. 4:4-8; James 1:2-8 and 12-28, John 3:1-21, and John 14:1-21.) At every village we listened to the people recite a sample memory passage. What a joy it was to hear children, women with babies on their backs, the handicapped, the elderly and young people alike recite the Scriptures! As they recited, we could see people in the congregation mouthing the words. And if they hesitated even a split second, others took up the passage.

Then we recited our memory passage (2 Cor. 5:14-21); this was our theme for the trip. They were so excited to watch their American brethren reciting the Scriptures! We presented oodles and oodles of Bibles to those who had earned them. We tried to bring enough Bibles to each village, but in one village we under-estimated and 16 people were without Bibles. You should have heard the uproarcrying, hollering, wailing! It was as if someone had died. Quickly we returned to get the additional Bibles needed. It was so much fun to see their love for the Scriptures and to see the leaders strict standard of Bible memory. Truly, this aspect of our work is one of the most satisfying. What could be more important than distributing the eternal Word of God! Please pray for these precious people as they now read their own Bibles. The Evil One will do his best to keep them from reading, but we must stand firm in praying for them, so that the Word will have its completed work in their lives.

Sunday, January 18

5:36 PM Not much news here. We had a wonderful visit with our friends at Cavel. More than at any period in my life I am struck by this verse: “The only thing that matters is that you live your life as a good citizen of heaven.” I simply desire, as never before, to maximize my life’s energy for the kingdom. There are a good many needs in Ethiopia — a vehicle for Burji, more Bibles, clinic salaries until the staff can become completely self-supporting, etc. Where it all comes from is not our concern. We know the Lord will provide in His due time and we are in perfect peace. It is our joy to work tirelessly for Ethiopia.

After the service we had lunch with Jon Glass and his family. Their little Caleb is a real charmer.

Then we drove home for a nap and a good rest. This will be an eventful week. J-term ends (which means more exams and grading), the new semester starts, and we are hosting a dinner party at Bradford Hall on Friday night. Meanwhile I’ve got to make final preparations for my spring semester classes.

All in all, a very productive and satisfying weekend, and I am grateful.

9:30 AM Right now we’re listening to the Haven of Rest Quartet, the same music we listened to avidly when we lived in Basel. It always floods us with memories. Currently they’re singing “O love that wilt not let me go.” We’re leaving for Cavel in a few minutes. There is bright sunshine and even some warmth in it. Glorious day to serve Jesus.

7:52 AM The news this morning is all about Mr. Obama, as it should be. The presidential inauguration is now in its final stages of ebullition. I have some rather foreboding feelings about the new administration, given the existing Weltanschauungen of the inhabitants of Washington. Even as the war in Iraq winds down the war in Afghanistan will wind up. Tuesday’s festivities will function like a kind of Greek Chorus to the drama of the future. What more can I do than to pray for the president as he assumes office? Meanwhile the idolatry of nationalism shows no signs of abating. I suppose it is too much to expect from our national leadership fidelity to the U.S. Constitution. Do reread it, if you haven’t looked at it in a while. It’s a real eye-opener.

7:48 AM What a blast we had last night. After enjoying the spécialité de la maison it was movie and dessert time. Here’s what Jessie prepared for her hubby.

We couldn’t find Rear Window so we ended up watching Roman Holiday. Now Jessie knows where our family got the saying, “In toto!”

7:23 AM We’re back to our normal weather pattern. It’s 33 degrees as I write, going up to a high of 44, with rain showers in the forecast. Not a flake of snow yet this winter.

Saturday, January 17

5:30 PM It hardly seems possible, but we’ve already purchased our tickets for our next trip to Ethiopia. We leave May 23, one day after graduation. Becky will be taking a team to Burji, and I’ll lead a team to Alaba. I’ll stay an extra week to teach in the Orthodox seminary in Addis. Look for more reports and stories about our November-December ministry, which was a very full trip. I wish I could show you all of the pix I took. Each tells an unforgettable story. That the Lord Jesus should use for His glorious service someone as unworthy as I can only be ascribed to His amazing grace.

4:20 PM Guess what? Becky and I are going on a double date tonight. Nate and Jessie are joining us for dinner at the most exclusive Chinese restaurant in southern Virginia: The Black Shack. (Yes, I’ll be cooking with my secret ingredient.) Afterwards it’s off to the movies (in our library) to watch the Hitchcock thriller, Rear Window. Jessie’s never seen it before. Already I can’t stand the suspense!

4:12 PM Now here’s a special gift from the Lord. While rummaging through the barn I saw that Nathan had moved some of my musical instruments there, including my old ukulele.

If I sound nostalgic, I think I have every right to. I was born in Honolulu and raised in Kailua. I got this uke when I was 10 years old. Everyone in Hawaii plays the ukulele. It’s the easiest musical instrument in the world to learn. From there I “graduated” to the guitar, the piano, and finally the trumpet, which I played all the way through high school and beyond. My mother must have spent a fortune to buy this uke for me — it’s a top-of-the-lineKamaka, and it still plays perfectly. I’ve even made up my own songs on it; instead of “I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakakua, Hawaii,” I would sing, “I want to go back to my little Black shack in Kailua over the Pali.” Thanks, Lord, for letting me rediscover this treasure from the past. Can’t wait to teach the grandkids how to play it.

Below: Kailua Beach on the windward side of the island of Oahu. The most perfect beach in the world.

2:55 PM I just reread Mr. Bush’sfarewell address. I have no doubt that he was sincere in what he said. Yet I have my grave concerns. I’ve written in other places about the extraordinary importance of keeping cross and flag separate. While many evangelicals remain overwhelmingly Republican and pro-war, I would like our model of Christian engagement to be: “They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth.” At the very least we can eschew the language of “righteous empire” and of an American “mission” to rid the world of evil. Enemy-love is at the heart of the Gospel, not the periphery. Jesus’ teachings are either authoritative for Christians or they aren’t. God is not partisan or ideological. Why should we be?

2:34 PM So, what do you do on a cold winter’s day? You start by taking your puppies for a long walk on the farm. Here they are — I’ve got all my “dogs in a row”….

Then you help the farm manager unload a pile of roofing tin he scavenged from an old house in Oxford….

Then you take a picture of the chairs he got for absolutely free when rummaging through the attic of a condemned building (he’ll need them — he and Jessie wants lots of children)….

Then you take the chairs and put them in the upstairs of the barn….

Then you grab the camera again….

Then you take advantage of the frozen ground to haul out the cedar posts you’ve cut from the land you’ve been clearing….

Then you get a picture of yourself with Mr. Sheppie, the “old man” of the farm — make that the two “old men”….

Then you go back to Bradford Hall and remove the logs your son piled in your carport while you were in Ethiopia (“You know you’re a redneck when you park the car in your driveway and the firewood in your carport”)….

Then you help the culprit load the firewood into his trailer so that he can deliver it to Rolesville tomorrow ….

Then you go inside and get warm again…. Th-th-th-that’s all folks!

9:09 AM In part 2 of Becky’s Burji Blurb, she takes us into the countryside with the Village Team.

The core of the Village Team in the Burji District consisted of Lynette, Leigh, and Jamie. I joined the team for the first 5 days, and Molly joined the team for the last 4 days. We traveled to 5 villages, staying 2 days in each village.

While in the villages, we slept on mats on the floor of the churches, and the women of the church prepared our food. We functioned by flashlight and kerosene lantern after dark. Leigh brought a light-weight pup tent, which aroused the curiosity of all the Ethiopians and became a source of comfort for Lynette when she heard a wild animal outside! The food was delicious; no one got what is lovingly called “Traveler’s Diarrhea.” Each church built a new outhouse for us. Our stay at each place was wonderful.

Everywhere we went, the people came out to greet us. Such happy singing, dancing, and clapping like youve never seen! The singing was accompanied only by large drum. They carried flowers or cut branches, and they were dressed in their best, colorful clothes. It was so pretty.

Lynette taught sessions on hygiene and nutrition to the women. As you know from our pre-trip website postings, we took 800 wash basins and soaps to distribute to the women who attended Lynette’s handwashing class. To earn these, the women had to recite 1 John 1:5-9 (about spiritual cleansing), demonstrate good handwashing, and recite the Handwashing Catechism to their church elders. We’re told that almost all the basins and soaps have now been distributed!

I taught the women lessons from the women in the life of Jacob; these women were Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel. And I taught the Timeline to the children. The Timeline was a series of pictures I put together that told the story of redemption, from Creation to the Rapture. Each picture had a statement that stressed the theme of redemption. “God spoke, and the world was created.” “Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, but God promised a Deliverer.” “Abel understood the sacrifice needed for sin, but Cain refused God’s way,” etc. I wish you could have been there as I said the statement in English, then the translator said it in one tribal language, and sometimes another translator said it in a second tribal language! Not only did we have statements to go with each picture, we also had hand motions. They loved it!

In our closing program at each village, the children recited the Timeline, and then they presented to their elders a Bible Picture Scarf produced by the IMB and a notebook with our Timeline. Jamie helped me with the Timeline, taught Bible to the men, and thoroughly loved on the children. Everywhere he went the children gathered around him, drawn by his gentle spirit and kind heart.

Leigh taught sessions on agriculture and animal health to the men. We took seeds to distribute to the men who attended Leigh’s agriculture class. They had to recite Matt. 11:28-30 and the Farming Catechism to their local church leaders. These church elders are making a list of those men who have completed the requirements, and then they will divide the seeds evenly among those who qualify. I wish you could have been with me as she calmly explained how to relieve a cow of bloat (and thereby save its life); these poor farmers lose many of their livestock to bloat since they free-range in largely uncontrolled circumstances. They rejoiced greatly as she explained the procedure, and already have asked for her to return to teach them some more. We had hoped that these sessions would be more evangelistic, but it seemed that few non-believers came. Next time, well hold these sessions in more public venues with special invitations to the village leaders.

8:43 AM 12 degrees. Going up to a whopping 33 today. The sun shines brightly in a clear sky.

7:38 AM Just a word to say how pleased I am with the way our little Dayda is developing into a mature Sheltie. She is now plump and fully grown, and her winter coat is beautiful. She is still full of mischief, as opposed to her daddy, whose petite vitesse seems to be getting petiter by the day. (I know how you feel, Sheppie.) She is disinclined to let anyone catch her, but when she is caught she enjoys being held and petted. She hardly realizes she is bringing us so much joy and temporal happiness, and I imagine she never will know how much she means to us — dogs are unconsciously unselfish, I think. She’s definitely got Sheba’s bloodlines, which will keep her charming and unspoiled through the years I’m sure. Sadie, of course, loves to chase Dayda and catch her by the tail, which sets me roaring with laughter. Yesterday my heart stopped when I saw Dadya walking on the frozen pond, but she came when I called her and I doubt that she could have fallen through the ice anyway as she is so light.

Call me funny if you like, but I thank God everyday for my dogs.

7:02 AM It’s 5 degrees. That is not a typo.

Friday, January 16

5:52 PM The sun has set on yet another wonderful day. My heart is full of gratitude. Becky is sewing. I’m reading. The dogs have been walked. All is well, thank the Lord. It’s satisfying to look back at the week and know you’ve tried to live up to the saying (Jim Elliott): “Wherever you are, be all there, and live to the hilt whatever you believe is the will of God for your life.”

5:10 PM Becky has written a series of reports (“Becky’s Burji Blurb”) about our last trip to Ethiopia. Here’s the first installment:

We’ve been back in Virginia for 2 weeks now, and the time has come to give you a full report of our trip. Many of you faithfully prayed for us and also helped us with the practical needs of ministry. Thank you!

Let me begin with the Burji Team. This consisted of 10 lovely folk from the Roxboro, NC area, along with Dave and me. We divided into 5 teams. Jon, Cindi, and Mary were on the Soyama Town Team. Miss Mary, at a young 81 years of age, worked mostly with the children and women of the Soyama Town Church. She had many sessions teaching the children and doing crafts with them. The children in Ethiopia attend school only half-day (4 hours in either the morning or the afternoon). Miss Mary got them when they weren’t in school.

Jon is pastor at Ca-Vel Baptist Church (here’s his website). His primary ministry was to teach the book of 1 Corinthians in a variety of settings. One of these settings was a 4-day conference of the evangelists and rural church men. Prerequisites of this course were to read the book twice, to memorize a key passage in chapter one, and to commit to teaching the book to their home congregations. About 65 attended the conference. At the end of the conference we gave a commentary on 1 Corinthians (in the Amharic language) to each of the rural churches represented. The district leaders have reported that since our departure almost all of the churches have been studying 1 Corinthians! Jon also taught several times at the Soyama Town Church, and had evening discipleship sessions with the Soyama young people.

Cindi was a “jack of all trades.” What a blessing she is in her quiet spirit of service and flexibility and joy. Here in America she works in a charter school, organizing volunteer work, but in Ethiopia she helped Jon with the young people, worked with Emebet (a lovely Ethiopian lady) in teaching the Timeline to the children, taught the women, and was always looking out for Miss Mary. (Cindi is the daughter-in-law of Miss Mary.)

Those on the Soyama Team had the special joy of watching the other teams come and go, so they functioned as a sort of communication headquarters, passing messages along, giving reports, etc. We lovingly joked that they were staying in the Hilton, with beds off the floor, some non-Ethiopian food, toilet rooms with cemented floors, electric lights, etc. Truth be known, none of us would have traded places with them!

4:20 PM Here’s more information about our conference on ecclesiology (March 21):

8:30 Breakfast
9:30 Session 1
10:30 Session 2
11:30 Panel Discussion/Q & A

Afterwards a bunch of us will probably go to the local Mexican eatery and continue the dialogue. If you live in the greater Roxboro area (or even farther away), I hope you’ll take advantage of this great opportunity for Christian fellowship and interaction. For a downloadable brochure, gohere (.pdf). By the way, this will be a very dangerous seminar. You cannot make even a minimal change in your conduct or thinking without causing other people around you to change. Relationships for better or for worse bind us together inextricably and intimately.

4:12 PM Jon Zens tracesfour tragic shifts in church history. They are:

The Shift from the Body of Christ as a Dynamic Organism to a Settled Institution.
The Shift from Polyform Ministry to Uniform Ministry.
The Shift from a Suffering Church to an Institution of Ease.
The Shift from a Spirit-Dependent Church to a Letter-Dependent Institution.

Looking at what the Bible teaches about the church has made many of us feel unavoidably nervous. The Bible many of us know has been chained, and men like Zens intend to unchain it. Yet the Bible is the only place we can look for God’s formula for spiritual health. And that’s precisely the point of our upcoming seminar. Let the church of God beScripture-driven!

4:03 PM David Miliband saysThe War on Terror Was Wrong. Of course, militarism looms, always and forever, in both ruling parties, but there are quite different flavors of hegemony. Here’s hoping for a bit of amending in the next administration. The neocons have left the last one in utter disgrace (as Doug Bandow showshere).

3:55 PM Rick Steves has just returned from Iran.Here’s his report.

3:45 PM Yesterday I listened tothis series of messages from a seminar in Siegwinden on the topic of Gemeindebau. I especially enjoyed part 13 by Hartwig Henkel who emphasized the importance of team leadership (“Team Leitung”). It’s a good reminder that church leadership is called primarily to an equipping ministry. This is surely one of the most believed yet rarely practiced principles of the modern church. (Note, by the way, how joyful and interactive the presentation is.)

3:37 PM Quick notes This Sunday Becky and I will speak at Cavel Baptist Church in Roxboro. Cavel has been a supporter of the work in Ethiopia and even sent one of its members (brother Jon Glass) with us back in November. Had another wonderful week on campus with my Greek students. Everything so far has exceeded my expectations. One of the students told me, “I just wanted to thank you for making the class so easy.” Another volunteered to help out a fellow student who was struggling. It’s been that kind of a class. I sent them home today with their second exam. I hope someone will earn the 110 Award (a free book written by yours truly). 27 degrees. Where’s the Ethiopian weather when we need it? In Ethiopia of course, not in Virginia.

3:22 PM Speaking of Bonhoeffer, listen to what he says aboutpreaching:

It is not a good sign when someone says that the sermon was beautiful or moving. It is a good sign when the congregants begin to open up their Bibles and to follow the text.

God help us to see through the superficiality of all of our “preaching”!

3:13 PM As I prepare to teach the book of Philippians to my Greek exegesis students, my mind is drawn to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his leadership of the illegal Confessing Church seminary in Finkenwalde during the Second World War. Bonhoeffer made prayer and meditation the core of his pedagogy, insisting that his students allow the Holy Spirit to teach them through the Word. When they insisted, “But it’s your job to teach us what the text means,” he replied, in essence, “Nonsense. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job.” In his bookMeditating on the Word, Bonhoeffer wrote:

Every Christian needs quiet time for prayer. The theologian who wants to be a Christian needs it more than anyone else. More time for God’s Word and for prayer is needed because of our appointment to a special task. How should we go about during the day as ministers of the Word, preaching and instructing, helping to carry the burdens of others, if we have not experienced God’s help for the day ourselves?

He then addressed the temptation to “flee to the commentaries”:

Read the same passage again and again, write down your thoughts, learn the verse by heart (indeed, you will memorize any text which has been thoroughly meditated upon). But in all this we soon learn to recognize the danger of fleeing once again from meditation to Bible scholarship or the like.

I’m asking my students to spend considerable time in meditating on the passage under consideration and to begin their study of the text with prayer. I want them to bring their studies under the scrutiny of God’s all-seeing eye. I think that many blunders in exegesis would never have been made if we had prayed as much in advance as we spoke afterwards. I’m not against serious study of the text. But sometimes we spend all of our time in the attic of intellectualism. The Bible we claim to be studying says much about the need for the Spirit’s guidance and illumination. We ought to check our hearts before engaging our minds.

The next time you read the Word, begin with God. How foolish to start anything in life without Him.

2:45 PM In case you didn’t know, there’s a website that tracksNew Testament lecturers in the UK. Now if someone would only to do the same for the States.

2:37 PM I love listening to this website that featuresthe Bible in French. I can’t get enough of it. It’s probably because my French is so bad. Also, the BBC offers 24 interactive French videoshere. I am determined not to lose my French.

Thursday, January 15

5:37 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Developing a Biblical Ecclesiology. Meanwhile it’s back to school for me. Today I introduce what may well be the most important of the Greek tenses, the perfect. Only 4 more lessons to go in our grammar and then J-term comes to an end.

Wednesday, January 14

2:32 PM Right now I need to make a trash run to the dumpster. It’s 37 degrees. On Friday the high will be 30. No snow in the forecast, however.

1:55 PM This is one of the most perceptive essays on Afghanistan to come along in a long time: The Aghan Scam: Why the U.S. Is Certain to Fail in Yet Another War. Not to pile on, but here’s another essay that manages to land the hook good and hard (though it’s a bit dated): Can’t Win in Afghanistan? Blame Pakistan.

1:50 PM Greek students, I’ve just gone toCampus Net and uploaded the class schedules for Greek Syntax and Exegesis as well as for Intermediate Greek Grammar. If you want to get a head start on the assignments, now you’ll know what to do.

1:43 PM 298 million .

1:38 PM Ethiopia, as everyone knows, is full of oddities, including vehicles of all sizes and shapes. Nathan, who is the ultimate pack rat, has never packed his trailer as full as this truck I saw in Addis. What an education one gets when traveling abroad!

1:30 PM Jim Hamilton asks:How often should a church observe the Lord’s Supper?

1:25 PM The latest Ethiopian census has stirred up considerablycontroversy. But one thing seems certain: the number of evangelical Christians is on the rise, numbering about 18 percent of the total population.

1:16 PM At the Better Bibles Blog, Dan Sindlinger discusses that slipperyGreek preposition en and offers his own rendering of one problem passage, Rom.16:9. I’d like to know Dan’s thoughts about verse 22 in the same chapter. Here Tertius claims to have written the letter “in the Lord,” unless we take the prepositional phrase “in the Lord” with “greet.” But, as Leon Morris notes, “in the Lord” occurs repeatedly in this chapter in verses conveying greetings yet is never connected with the greeting itself (vv. 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13). Thus, instead of “I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord,” we should probably read “I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter in the Lord [= in service to the Lord or possibly by the strength of the Lord], greet you.” If so, what are the implications for us when we write our own books and essays? This “teasing little problem” (Morris) won’t go away any time soon.

PS I notice that Robert Jewett in his Hermeneia commentary on Romans renders v. 22 as: “I, Tertius, the one who wrote this letter [in the service of the] Lord, greet you [pl.].”

1:06 PM On this day in 1875, Albert Schweitzer was born. Gohere to read his life story. I greatly admire his writings. His vast knowledge enabled him to strike at the joints between various academic disciplines, including theology, philosophy, and literature. In order to write Von Reimarus zu Wrede (read ithere) one has to be a major genius. The work is basically untranslatable as are most good books originally written in German. Any equivalent in English becomes automatically florid and unsatisfactory.

Schweitzer’s missionary work in Africa is a giant inspiration to me. A New Testament scholar of the first rank and an accomplished organist, Schweitzer was willing to pray, not “Lord, bless me,” but “Lord, use me.” His best work was accomplished toward the end of his stellar career. Sometimes God grants His servants their greatest “success” in their final chapter. None of us should ever think that our best experiences are in the past. Even Caleb, in his old age, asked God for a mountain (Josh. 14:12). I once asked God for molehills. Now I’m asking Him for mountains, and He seems to have given me one in Ethiopia (including opening a health clinic). Even if you think it’s ancient history, read Schweitzer’s story. I bet youll learn something from it. As William Faulkner put it, “The past isn’t dead. It’s not even past.”

12:55 PM The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently published a study on thereligious makeup of the US Congress compared to that of the American public. It’s a good reminder that religious activity is not necessarily synonymous with spirituality, as the church at Ephesus proved (Rev. 2:1-7).

12:46 PM Krista Tippet, host of NPR’s “Speaking of Faith,” has garnered highly favorable reviews for the dialogue she hosted between Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd, and Shane Claiborne. You can listen to the entire, uncut interviewhere. I did, and it was worth every minute of my time. (The written transcript may be foundhere.)

12:40 PM At the risk of looking like a back-scratcher, I want to thank Chip Bayer of the Thideology website forlinking to my essay Christians without Borders. Chip shares my view that the “American Dream” is nothing but a pipe dream (see the links in his first sentence). I am deeply grateful to meet another writer who is not shrugprone when it comes to the problem of statism.

12:33 PM Some good commentshere about Christian fellowship. A quote:

Fellowship takes place amongst people in general, a variety of people, not just a select group like oneself. God has designed the body of Christ such that there might be interaction with other believers of every stripe and color, from a myriad of backgrounds, with plethora of testimonies concerning the grace of God and the method of His salvation in their lives, in their hearts, in their places, and circumstances.

When Becky and I began attending Bethel Hill, we were looking above all for a Great Commission congregation. And we found one. This may sound a bit cynical, but a simple assembly of humble believers can know more about this great subject than all the missiologists trying to get their books published.

12:27 PM Bill Heroman’s essay onChristian Academics is another reminder to me about why I don’t do “debates.” When some hardworking waitress in a restaurant manages to display more grace than a renowned Bible teacher, you know Christianity is in trouble.

12:16 PM Michael Lewis asks,What do you feel when you see the crowds in Austin? It ought to be compassion. Our Lord always dealt with the sick and sinful tenderly. That’s what we’re here for too. We’ve been called out of this world in order to be sent right back into it to win people out of it. I am finally learning, late in life, that people are so much more important than programs and professional prospects.

Below: Thronged by crowds in dusty Alaba. These children are singing the “Mamada, Dansamida Song,” a little ditty I made up. Mamada/Dansamida is “How are you?/I am fine” in Burjinya. Each day I added a new language: Ugarete/Ugareta (Alabinya), Tomando/Fayando (Kembatinya), Cómo está/Muy bien, Comment ça va/Tres bien, Como vai/Muito bem, Wie geht es Ihnen/Es geht mir gut, Pos eisthe/Poly kala, etc. Then I added Ezhabiher/Malcameno (“God is good”), Yesus/Getano (“Jesus is Lord”), etc. It’s now almost the national anthem in parts of Ethiopia. I love being around these children. Unlike in China, they are ubiquitous.

12:10 PM Are you aMr. Ask a Question in Class to Try to Look Smarter Guy?

12:02 PM Here aretwo noteworthy study Bibles you may not have heard about.

Monday, January 12

5:25 AM The latest issue of Bethany Baptist Church’s newsletter listed “Ten Sure Signs You’re a Redneck Preacher.” I think you’ll enjoy them:

10. If your Sunday School bus is on blocks.

9. If you’ve ever canceled church because your cows got out.

8. If your belt buckle’s bigger than your Bible.

7. If you’re skeptical of preachers who wear robes and clerical collars.

6. If there’s a sign over the church that reads, “Protected by Smith and Wesson.”

5. If you’ve ever taken deep-fried possum to a church dinner.

4. If you’ve ever made change in the offering plate.

3. If you’ve ever shown slides from your trip to Graceland.

2. If you “work up lather” when you preach.

1. If your altar call is longer than your sermon.

5:19 AM Today I’m giving a take-home exam in my Greek class. I find that students do a whole lot better when they write their exams in the relaxed environment of their homes rather than in a crowded classroom. This also frees up about 3 hours of precious class time.

In addition, tomorrow the students will grade their own exams in class. No, they will not swap papers. Each student will grade his or her own exam. It’s what I call the honor system, and I’ve used it for the past 33 years. I trust my students not to cheat and, frankly, I believe they love me too much to take advantage of me. I tell them that I am not worried in the least that they might cheat on the exam, primarily because if they do the Holy Spirit will be all over them until they make it right with Him — and with me. So it’s just not worth it. I love my students. I think they know it. I hope they know it.

Which reminds me. When I was interviewing for my current position at the seminary some 11 years ago, one of the questions I asked president Patterson was, “How many office hours do you require of your faculty each week?” (I was then teaching at an institution that required 8 hours.) He looked at me and said, “We have only one rule here, Dave. We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Act accordingly.” I knew immediately that this was a faculty I wanted to join!

Think the best of people. Trust them. Even at exam time. Sure, you will be disappointed on occasion. But more often than not you will be pleased with their response.

5:10 AM In other news: Sheppie’s eye is doing much better, thank the Lord and thanks to Jessie’s home remedy…. We’ve just added Mount Tirzah Baptist Church in Charlotte Court House to our speaking schedule…. On Friday evening, Jan. 23, Becky and I are hosting a Burji team reunion here at Bradford Hall.

5:03 AM Got a minute for a quick Sunday update? It began with a visit to beautiful Person County and Bethany Baptist Church.

Brother Matt, who went with us to Burji last November, shepherds there. The congregation is meeting in its new building and the service was packed. The choir anthem was a great blessing to me as they sang, “We pledge allegiance to the Lamb” — music to my ears!

Becky gave a 35-minute overview of what the Lord accomplished in Ethiopia in 2008. I got teary-eyed several times as I listened to her report and viewed the pictures and video clips.

Brother Matt has asked me to come back in April to do a Sunday-Wednesday community-wide Bible conference. It will be my pleasure to do so. I’ll also be seeing Matt in my Greek class at Bethel Hill that begins in two weeks.

Then it was off to the Rondeaus. Here the boys romp with their uncle Nathan and aunt Jessie. The boys are growing up so fine. B. and I miss them terribly when we’re gone.

Next came a game of Scrabble, a fiercely fought competition I might add. Isaac won pulling away (with a little help from his dad). His very first word garnered him a whopping 38 points. Here Micah helps Jessie with her turn.

Matt and Liz cooked up a delicious lasagna dinner topped off with homemade apple pie.

Then we hopped in the car to return home, taking with us Caleb and Micah, who wanted to spend the night with their aunt and uncle at Rosewood Farm. While driving home both boys were singing up a storm. Their repertoire included “I’ve Got the Joy” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World.” When things had quieted down a bit, I heard Micah’s soft voice from the back of the car. He asked, “Papa B. Why does Jesus love the little children of the world?”

Life doesn’t get any better.

Sunday, January 11

7:17 AM Three weeks from tomorrow our beginning Greek class begins at the Hill. A few miscellaneous items to get you started:

1) We will meet atBethel Hill Baptist Church (just north of Roxboro) in the fellowship hall.

2) Classes will meet every Monday night from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

3) No fees, but you will need a copy of our textbook,Learn to Read New Testament Greek. A used copy is fine. It’s currently in its second edition. A third edition is due out on March 1 (too late for this class).

4) I will provide a pronunciation CD for each student on the first night of class.

5) There are only a few seats left. The class is open to anyone.Contact the church if you’re interested.

6:38 AM Becky and I had several unexpected blessings on our last trip to Ethiopia, but one of the best was seeing the Blue Nile Falls up close and personal — from the air, no less. On our flight from Gondar to Addis the captain of our prop jet went out of his way to fly around the falls, giving his passengers a priceless view of the famous landmark. We serve a serendipitous God!

6:23 AM I want you to meet a very special fulltime minister of the Gospel. Her name is Mary, and she has been to Ethiopia twice in the last two years. Her age is 81. Her ministry? Love. Loving people. Loving children. Loving her team mates. Loving her family. Especially loving her God. I want to say publicly, “Thank you, Miss Mary. I love you too.”

When Libanius heard the story of Chrysostom’s mother, he exclaimed, “Heavens! What women these Christians have!” In the early church it was not famous evangelists but the little people, nameless and forgotten by society, who took the Gospel far and wide. Actually, in Christ there are NO little people. The laity was abolished when Jesus ascended and gave gifts to His people!

5:56 AM A very good morning! I don’t know about you, but I am enjoying the weekend immensely. There are magnificent woods and plenty of solitude. Work on the farm is a glorious respite from the rigors of teaching — especially to one who, like myself, isn’t really a born farmer (but has large aspirations!). Right now I’m writing essays on baptism, evangelism, and Ethiopia, as well as planning our March conference on the church. I enjoyed Roland Allen very much — the substance interesting, the style eminently lucid. I find the desire for simplicity and lucidity grows in me. I also need to finish a chapter I’m writing for a book on exegesis being edited by one of my colleagues (the publisher is B & H). It’s due on April 1 (no joke). In the meantime I’ve accepted an invitation to teach Greek at the Orthodox seminary in Addis Ababa this summer (the seminary, interestingly enough, is located in a very historic building where slavery was abolished in Ethiopia). In teaching Greek, of course, one inevitably must say something about the Great Author and Subject of the New Testament, right? I wonder, by the way, if any of you have seen the latest essay byGlenn Greenwald in Salon? I am always appalled when I hear people prattling away about our peace-loving nation when actually both major parties cheer on war ad infinitum.

Well, I do hope you have a pleasant and restful Sunday. Becky and I will speak on Ethiopia at Bethany Baptist Church and then spend the afternoon with our family in Charlotte Court House. I have some very special gifts for the boys — Ethiopian airplanes!

Saturday, January 10

3:25 PM Nathan just reported that the recipient of the fire wood was very pleased with both the quality and quantity of the load. Seems the last trailer load from somebody else was very skimpy, and the logs were too wide to fit into his wood stove. That’s just like Nathan — to do everything with integrity and excellence. That’ll land you a new customer every time.

3:20 PM The manure has been spread. Jessie drove the tractor too. Right now Bec and Nate are bathing one of Sheppie’s eyes, which seems to have acquired a major infection of some sort. Becky’s nursing skills come in handy at times like these. Pets are wonderful creatures but, like humans, are susceptible to illness and, alas, death, but life would be so much less enjoyable without them. Anyway, I’m praying for him to get better.

2:04 PM Right now I’m taking a break from farm work and rereading Roland Allen’sThe Spontaneous Expansion of the Church. I love this book. In fact I can’t put it down. Sometimes I have the disquieting feeling that I am somehow being punished by my love of books — that it is a tool to lead me deeper and deeper into my besetting sin, the exalting of man’s words above God’s and the substitution of intellectual values for moral values. But what a book and what an author! Gott sei Dank!

12:07 PM Just received this thoughtful email from a shepherd-teacher in response to my latest essay. It blessed my socks off.

I enjoyed your post immensely. One thing I often hear concerning the greatness of America is that we are allowed to worship freely, but as I think more about this I realize what is truly being said. What people usually mean when they say this is that we are allowed to build church buildings, have worship services in Gods house, and to publicly display a veneer of faith (which may or may not originate from true faith.) However, as I realize Pauls political milieu I am coming to understand that even in the oppressive Neronian regime Paul never lost his freedom to truly worship. Maybe they couldnt build sanctuaries or have a tax-exempt status, but not even Nero could stop true worship. Not even Nero could stop the caring for widows and orphans. Not even Nero could stop something as basic as breaking bread and drinking wine in remembrance of One who was broken and poured out. Not even Nero could stop the primary identifier of the Christian brotherhood love for one another. Therefore, when I stop and think about why America is exalted by believers, I think it has more to do with the freedom to perpetuate all the non-essentials, errata, and misunderstandings of worship rather than true worship itself. True worship can be freely performed in any political regime. A Caesar may take our lives, but never our freedom to worship just a thought.

Isn’t that great? Jesus didn’t come to tweak the kingdoms of this world. He didn’t come to improve them or dress them up. He came to tell us to put down the sword and pick up the cross. Our job is to topple the kingdoms of this world by acts of scandalous love even if it costs us everything. Amen?

11:24 AM Good news. My GP told me yesterday that my foot is fine and that I should regain complete feeling within 6-8 weeks. Time will tell I suppose. By the way, although we have a bathroom scale here at the farm I never use it. So I’m always curious to see what my weight is when I check in at the doctor’s office. Yesterday it was exactly where I thought it would be: 217 pounds. That’s what it was a year ago during my annual physical, and that’s what it was two years ago during my checkup at that time. It’s right where I want it to be. Farm work has its many benefits!

11:16 AM Very shortly I’ll have an announcement about a major conference we’ll be holding at Bethel Hill in March. It will be devoted to developing a biblical view of the church and to clarifying how to flesh that out in even the most traditional church setting. The approach will be both theoretical and pragmatic. I hope it will challenge several widely-held assumptions about the church.

Meanwhile I’ve been enjoying the discussions taking place over atAlan Knox’s blog. His emphasis on church structures being relational rather than organizational has struck a raw nerve with some. I’m glad to see it. Rethinking one’s ecclesiology usually involves a major paradigm shift for most people, pastors included. That one issue (organism versus organization) is, however, only the tip of a huge iceberg.

10:55 AM Just killed three stones with one bird (he-he). (1) We rid the farm of crooked or useless pines. (2) We sold the logs for cold hard cash. (3) We got a hefty workout in the process. Nathan did the cutting, I the loading.

N. and J. just left for Stovall, NC, to deliver this load of fire wood. Then they’ll get another trailer load of horse manure. We are working in picture-perfect weather today: 48 degrees and bright sunshine. God is good.

8:19 AM Good Saturday morning, fellow bloggers! Right now I’m working hard on the final installment of my series on Christian Archy. It occurred to me that I had never brought it to a conclusion! As you might have guessed, in recent years my own interests have turned in the direction of politics (a-politics, really). A current and very relevant example is the United Nations and the imbroglio in Gaza. I wish one could feel optimism about the U.N. or about any other international organization for that matter. But nothing ever changes in human society: nobody wants war, but everybody wants all the things that produce it. We gladly ignore the basic problem — which is that peace can never be attained except through the Gospel. Thus politicians (Mr. Obama included) will continue their lunatic game of power politics, ignoring the fact that what they are squabbling about will very shortly be replaced by a new, unsolvable problem. I am in fact quite dubious about the whole idea of progress, in its twenty-first century expression at any rate. The West, I’m afraid, is falling into irreversible decline, and, quite frankly, there is nothing that can be done about it. The only sensible thing to do, it seems to me, is to try and regulate one’s life in conformity with Jesus’ kingdom values and the diagnosis and empirical findings associated with it. As long as there is no widespread and radical change in the world’s philosophy of life, I see no reason to suppose that people will not gladly and eagerly continue to succumb to the temptation of political power, in precisely the same way they are doing now in the Middle East.

On a lighter note, Becky has just run off to Raleigh to attend a couple of sewing classes, while my goal today is to become acquainted with the insides of a couple of new library books. Right now, though, I’m too lazy to read — besides, Nathan has just arrived and we’ve got some fire wood logs to load on the trailer. In the meantime, I’ve just published my latest essay. It’s called Christians without Borders. I hope you enjoy it.

Friday, January 9

6:20 PM Speaking of libraries, heres a photo of the first Christian library in Gondar, northern Ethiopia. It was opened in December by the Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Gondar, and Becky and I were privileged to donate the first installment of books.

6:12 PM I had to smile when I read this story about Ethiopias first evermobile donkey library.

6:06 PM Donald Hester asks,Is Jesus a poached egg?

5:49 PM Alan Knox explores the technicalities of learning New Testament Greek at his new website aptly titledHellenisti. Alan writes: My goal is that Hellenisti will be a cross between the standard online Greek resource (there are many of these) and a blog (there are many of these also). So, I hope that it will be interactive.

5:45 PM Rick Brannan has just installed theNew Testament Textual Criticism Collection, including a work by yours truly.

5:33 PM Jeff Burns is enjoyinglibrary humor.

5:25 PM Can man fly? Watch the amazingwing suit in action.

5:19 PM The BBC celebrates an end toBushisms. My personal favorite was, “Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”

5:13 PM The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor announces an opening inNew Testament.

5:10 PM Interested in thrift shopping? Leah over at the Prayer of Hannah has someadvice.

5:02 PM I doubt that this will come as any surprise, but the question Which Gospel came first? isstill being asked these days.

4:40 PM Is itEaster or Passover?

4:32 PM Here are some wise words aboutmentoring from Chuck Swindoll:

In a day of tarnished leaders, fallen heroes, busy fathers, frantic coaches, arrogant authority figures, and eggheaded profs, we need mentors like never before. Such rare finds are guides, not gods. They are approachable and caring souls who help us negotiate our way through lifes labyrinth without shouting or dictating. Mentors know how to stretch us without insulting us, affirm us without flattering us, make us think without requiring their answers in return, release us without abandoning us. Theyre always right there, even though they may be a thousand miles away. They become invisible partners, whispering hope and reproofs on the journey toward excellence.

4:21 PM Relaxing today after a very busy time on campus. Thousands are asking: How was your first week back at school? Fantastic! I sense that God is moving in a big way in the class. A few impressions: the pace of J-term is not suitable to everyone.students easily get over the Greek jitters when you show them how logical the language is. Many are getting perfect scores on their quizzes (chalk that up to their hard work). We are already almost half way through the first semester.

A big thank you to everyone who made our meetings so enjoyable this week: Lauren, Bae, Tyler, Erin, Christopher, Robert, William, Ben, John, Jordan, Walter, Travis, Aubry, Frank, Brandon, Chris, Daniel, Matthew, Ed, Joseph, James, Seth, Matthew, Josh, Ryan, Geoffrey, William, Brandt, Amy, Christopher, Albert, James, and Jason. Thanks for your great attitude, thanks for studying so hard, thanks for always being so punctual, and thanks for your excitement about this amazing language. Keep up the good work!

Thursday, January 8

5:27 AM I’ve just published my latest essay. It’s calledReturning Biblical Education to the Local Church.

5:22 AM Good news! Enrolment for my Greek class at Bethel Hill now stands at 43. Even Becky has signed up. Well close the class at 50. Special thanks to brothers Jason and Jon for coordinating everything.

5:16 AM This Sunday Becky and I are giving an Ethiopia report at Bethany Baptist Church in Rougemont, NC. Service time is 11:00 am.

5:10 AM The situation in Gaza grows worse by the day. Thesehorrors of war are really unthinkingly appalling. The disproportionate use of forceincreases popular sympathy for peace, but on the whole the situation seems thoroughly unredeemable. I get extraordinarily irritated with those who seek to justify such brutal and licentious power under the sinister influence of a modern-day Prussianism. The longer the war goes on, the more I loathe and detest it.

5:06 AM Arent libraries wonderful? The current issue of Biblica (vol. 89) contains a fascinating study of Pauls unusual expression sister woman in 1 Cor. 9:5 and reminds us that many of the apostles most trusted co-workers were women. A hearty Amen to that!

5:00 AM Doug French presses the fight against adolescentism (my term) in another impressive piece over at LRC:Conforming Creativity. French writes:

Epsteins book is chock-full of examples of young people in history who have made tremendous contributions. Louis Braille, if he were a blind kid today, would be cooped up in special needs classes. Fortunately, he lived in the early 1800s and had perfected the Braille system by the time he was 15 years old. Samuel Colt invented the multi-round, revolving-head pistol when he was 16. Edgar Allen Poe had his first book published at 18, including poems he had written at age 12 and 13.

French might have also mentionedthese famous home scholars.

Wednesday, January 7

2:43 PM Nice surprise: I received a beautiful 2009 calendar from a friend in Australia. Each photo is of a different beach along the continent’s 34,216 kilometer coastline. Makes me drool to see all the good surf they have Down Under. Thank you, Aussie John!

2:21 PM Thanks for your prayers about the commentary offer. Ive decided to decline, for several reasons. The invitation raised a million questions: What is the best use of my time and energy? What will advance the kingdom the most? Can I still travel to Ethiopia and other countries during my vacations? My conclusion? Why intrude shyly into a world in which I am a complete stranger when I might do something really useful in Africa and elsewhere? Frankly, at 56 years of age I simply dont have the emotional or physical energy to devote to missions and to the researching and writing of a major Greek commentary. Whatever time the Lord gives me on this earth I want to invest in loving others in practical ways not with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). I have come to see the absolute centrality of deeds in all my dealings Calvary-quality love that sacrifices for the poor and needy. This is how the world will know that I am Jesus trainee (John 13:35).

So you can look for a major new commentary on the Greek text of Philippians in the future, but it won’t be authored by me.

2:15 PM Nate and Jess just returned from the thrift store in Oxford and brought back bags of baby clothes, sheets, and books. I can’t wait to sift through the book bags. Jessie always seems to find some real treasures, like the Italian grammar she just added to their library.

2:10 PM Countdown to our next trip to Ethiopia: 128 days.

2:02 PM Tonight we’re in for a special treat at the Hill. Jason is beginning a series on the book of Acts: “Thirty Years That Changed the World.” Ever since then a least some Christians have been moving out in obedience to Jesus’ last command, with the Holy Spirit crackling through their witness. I hope to learn much from these lessons.

1:10 PM Lawrence Vance asks, Must Evangelicals Be Conservatives?

1:03 PM Jon Glass addresses the problem of materialism in the Ethiopian church in this sermon calledEat, Heal, Tell.

12:48 PM Mark Strauss suggests a few ways theESV can be improved (.pdf).

12:42 PM Thedebate over the authorship of Hebrews continues.

12:33 PM Yesterday I listened tothis on-air debate (more of a discussion) between Bart Ehrman of UNC Chapel Hill and Peter Williams of Tyndale House in Cambridge. The topic: Is the New Testament reliable? Whats striking to me is the facile way in which Bart argues that errors in transmission undermine the veracity of the New Testament. I simply do not see how the fact that Mark 1:41, for example, contains a textual variant overturns inerrancy. It seems to me that, whether or not we read was moved with anger or was moved with compassion, we have not lost a single word of Scripture here. Ditto with the woman-taken-in-adultery passage. I dont think it can be determined that we have lost any of the original wording of the New Testament, was Peters response (at about minute 55). An even better response may be found in Daryl Wingerdsreview.

12:09 PM Steve Burchett saysBeware of Study Bibles.

12:05 PM My colleagues Mark Liederbach and Alvin Reid have co-authored a new book on the church. Its calledThe Convergent Church. From the foreword (by Ed Stetzer):

The missional approach outlined in this book is vigorously biblical. Neither Jesus nor the early church was satisfied to just let the lost come to them. They took every opportunity to take the good news to those ready to hear it. Wherever they went, they were prepared to talk about the kingdom of God and the hope it represented for those without God. This holistic approach will compel readers to a missional view of evangelism that springs from meaningful worship. Should we continue to invite our lost friends to church services? Of course. But we must also engage the surrounding culture as passionate, worshipful missionaries to those around us. The lost are waiting. Will we have the courage to go to them?

The sad thing is that these will sound like radical ideas.

11:58 AM Jason and Molly Evans have posted somenew pix of Ethiopia.

11:52 AM Students are asking if there are any online helps available for our Greek class. The answer is yes. Heres one of the best:Greek Class by Alan Knox, who teaches Greek at Southeasterns college. You can also check outthese flashcards.

11:49 AM One side-effect of our recent trip: a partly paralyzed left foot. Not too serious, just feels tingly, as if it has fallen asleep. Im having it checked out on Friday.

11:45 AM David Ker, a writer over at the Better Bibles Blog, reminds us why naturalness in translation is so important in a delightfully humorous post calledgoogle your loins. I read it while sipping a hot drink and just about spilled Kona Coffee all over myself.

Monday, January 5

5:15 AM I need your prayers. I’ve been asked to write a major commentary on the Greek text of Philippians in a new series to be published in the Netherlands by one of the world’s leading theological publishing houses. I have never before agreed to write a commentary, even though I’ve had many offers in the past. But this series is unlike any I have seen. It will come at it from a Greek discourse perspective and also focus on the theology of every paragraph. It will be an attempt to move away from word-bound exegesis. It will look not only at the microlevel of language but also at the macrolevel. In short, it’s just the kind of commentary that I believe might justify its existence in a world deluged with commentaries.

I must let the editors know my decision by Wednesday.

5:06 AM It’ll be good to get back into the classroom today, awfully good! If anything, I find teaching more attractive, fresh, and invigorating after 33 years in the classroom than when I first began. It’s a “rush” like one gets (I suppose) when climbing Mount Everest or spelunking in some deep, dark cavern. Gracious, what fun it is! Forgive the gibbering idiocy, but it’s been almost 7 months since I set foot in a Greek class. It will be splendid seeing my students again. How anyone can take a full two-semester sabbatical is beyond me. At the same time, I am eager to return to the wilds of Ethiopia, foregoing the simple and pleasant physical amenities of North America. Part of me always lingers behind wherever I am: right now my heart is in Ethiopia, and when I am in Ethiopia my heart is in Virginia. Both worlds beckon constantly. I suppose my restlessness is due to a sense of alienation, knowing that I am a citizen of another world and here only as an ambassador. (Which reminds me: our appointment with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia had to be canceled last November because he had an unexpected visit from a foreign ambassador that day. If he only knew Whose ambassador I am!) So it’s back to the classroom for me, where I shall admonish my charges with the great truth that learning only begins when others stop teaching.

Below: My Philippians class in Gondar.

Sunday, January 4

7:02 PM Becky shared in our Sunday School class today about the sufficiency of Christ during our travels in Ethiopia.

Bethel Hill has been our unofficial church home for several months now. Today we made it official. You will not find a more Jesus-minded church. Or a more missions-minded church. Which is one and the same thing. Our Bethel Hill brothers and sisters mean the world to us. It’ll be fun working with them to equip all the saints for works of service. No professional missionary can get the work done. It will take all of us and each of us working side by side. Thanks Jason, Joel, Chris, Woody, Danny, Ed and the rest of you for constantly challenging me to be busy about the kingdom of God. I need you and love you!

7:56 AM Ivan Eland has penned another winner:Is Israeli Policy Crazy? Near the end of the article he makes this statement:

Even the best outcome for Israel is grim. If the Israeli military invades Gaza on the ground to wipe out Hamas and its military infrastructure and Egypt does not allow Hamas fighters to escape to its territory, the Arab grievance will likely merely morph into a more angry and virulent form after the almost certain eventual Israeli withdrawal. Alternatively, if Hamas is not completely wiped out either because some fighters successfully melt back into Gaza’s population or because Israel merely threatens a ground invasion but doesn’t follow through Hamas’s stature will grow in Gaza and the Arab world for successfully withstanding the Israeli goliath as Hezbollah’s did after the Israeli onslaught against and withdrawal from Lebanon in 2006.

Jesus was right: If you live by the sword you will most certainly die by the sword. Violence always begets more violence. Pearl Harbors always lead to Hiroshimas. I wonder why it is that modern people, who are supposed to be sophisticated, are so insensible to this timeless truth. Unhappily, look for the carnage only to continue in the next few days.

7:47 AM Few of us are untouched by the dead hand of Christian jargon. Some idioms are so firmly entrenched in our vocabulary that any change is considered almost blasphemous. Using traditional terminology gives us a sense of security I suppose. But familiarity is not always a good thing. I’m trying to reform some of my biblical vocabulary. Here’s my list as it currently stands:

church: community (as in the German Gemeinde)
pastor: shepherd (retaining the metaphor)
elders: older men (the term is age-specific)
deacons: servers (think of your restaurant “server”)
disciples: trainees (think of a Wal-Mart trainee)
overseers: supervisors (or possibly “care-givers”)
baptize: immerse (this is a no-brainer)
saints: God’s people
gospel: Good News
brothers: brothers and sisters (the plural is usually gender-inclusive)
mystery: secret (there’s nothing mysterious about the Greek word musterion)
tongues: foreign languages (whether learned or unlearned)
sound doctrine: healthy teaching
wine: grape juice (just kidding)
sanctification: progress in holiness
“the” ministry: scrap it altogether

This list is sketchy and tentative. But maybe it will help you to rethink the wineskins. I suggest that our vocabulary can make a BIG difference in the way we understand and practice our faith.

7:33 AM This beautiful poem touched my heart:An All Too Familiar Snapshot of Grace.

7:30 AM The latest addition to our home page is calledA Man Named James.

Saturday, January 3

5:45 PM Nice try, Nate, but I’m out of range.

Look who joined us. I love work, don’t you? I could watch it all day!

4:42 PM It’s been a glorious day so far — lots of sunshine with warmth in it. I took all four dogs for a long walk and enjoyed watching them romp and play. Becky has been working non-stop on the pooter for our Ethiopia work. Amazing how the planning never stops. We are already looking at purchasing our tickets for our May trip! I’ve got a few updates for you, but I see that Nate has just pulled up to the house with tractor, so it’s off to muck out the manure trailer.

7:50 AM News and notes about three of my doctoral students:

1) Matthew McDill reports some of his findings aboutleadership from the Gospels. A taste:

To exalt teachers in the church to a position of unique status above others distracts from, and may even deny, the unique position of God above all and the equality of all the brothers and sisters before God.

Matthew demolishes the always-lurking pridefulness of Christian leadership. Pastor, be careful reading Matthew’s stuff, especially if you have an aversion to shared, non-hierarchical forms of pastoring.

2) Alan Knoxinterviews Frank Viola, author ofReimagining Church.

3) Mel Winstead isreading through the Bible again this year.

7:43 AM Greek students! Check out Rod Decker’s excellentdiscussion of genitive absolutes. Rod has a way of cutting through the underbrush and inoculating us against what I can only call pedanticism.

7:34 AM No gift is unimportant to Christ. He can use any talent or ability we have in His service. I found this to be true while working among the Gujis. A simple two-minute drawing makes a huge impact on the receptivity of the people. What simple abilities have you received from the Lord? Are you using them for the work of His kingdom?

7:04 AM A few personal goals for the new year:

1) Work with others to begin a lay training program in my local church that can be fully integrated into the equipping ministry of the leadership with a view to training all members for life in the church and ministry outside it.

2) To train my students in such a way that they become dependent only on the Head and on no human teacher or leader. That Head is directly connected to each individual believer and does not need to speak to the hand via the foot.

3) To emphasize wherever I go that every believer in Jesus Christ is called to fulltime Christian service and that there is no clergy-laity distinction in the Body of Christ.

4) To help all my dear pastor friends to realize that they are not rent-a-shepherds but equippers of God’s people to do the work of service.

5) To focus my life on both social action and evangelism, helping people but never forgetting the primacy of the personal Gospel.

6) Learn to walk more by faith than by sight, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me personally every day as I live in this world.

Friday, January 2

8:40 PM Just back from the newlyweds. We enjoyed sweet potatoes and salad along with our burgers. Afterwards Nate cooked up some popcorn. We read while the ladies talked about childbearing. Our hamburger buns were homemade and fresh from the oven. Simply scrumptious.

Nate installed this door lock in their parlor today. The room is almost completed. It houses Nate’s large organ, and I look forward to hearing many concerts there in the future.

A nice serendipity: Jess got me this book while I was in Ethiopia — the Three Musketeers in the original French. I got through about a fourth of it tonight. Delightful reading.

And lookie here. This photo from the Civil War was tucked away in one of Nate’s old books. The couple looks vaguely familiar, don’t they?

Right now I’m writing an essay on baptism, while B. has gone off to sleep. Her bronchitis is doing much better and she is coughing a great deal less than when we arrived on Tuesday. Give us a few days and we’ll both be back to par.

5:43 PM I must be getting old(er). Needed a long nap this afternoon to cope with jet lag. But I feel much better now. In a few minutes Bec and I will go over to Nate and Jessie’s for supper. She’s making cheeseburgers. I love cheeseburgers. I’m sure cheeseburgers will be in heaven.

9:25 AM Inthis post over at Salon.com, Glenn Greenwald talks about whether the Obama Revolution will take the nation forward or backward and writes:

For the last seven years, Democrats have repeatedly cited GOP political dominance to excuse their wholesale failures to limit, let alone reverse, the devastating war waged by the Bush administration on America’s core liberties and form of government. With a new Democratic president and large majorities in both Congressional houses, those excuses will no longer be so expedient. As dark and depressing as these last seven years have been for civil libertarians, culminating in an almost entirely grim 2008, there is no question that the Obama administration and the Democrats generally now possess the power to reverse these abuses and restore our national political values. But as the events of the last 12 months conclusively demonstrate, there are substantial questions as to whether they have the will to do so.

Make sure to catch the discussion of our fast-fading civil liberties. By the way, it turns out that Obama is not as hugely popular in Ethiopia as I thought he would be. I saw very few O-shirts but lots of renascent Rastafarian stuff. Bob Marley is still apparently “da man.”

9:05 AM I’ve long thought that returning from a mission trip can be just as difficult and potentially traumatic as going on one. Thus we consider “post-trip” orientation as important as the 4 detailed orientations we provide pre-trip. Here is what we gave our Burji team when they returned to the States after 2 weeks of grueling ministry in Ethiopia. It was written by Becky. I believe there is much wisdom in which she has to say.

ORIENTATION #5 (LETTER for HOMEWARD BOUND TRIP)

1. We talked with you in our debriefing in Addis that the work is not finished; you now have the responsibility of communicating about Ethiopia to folk back home. That communication will take many different forms. But don’t forget the over-all purpose in communicating. Don’t forget your focus…while it’s necessary to tell some about the condition of the roads, living, eating, etc., we recommend that you make your focus to communicate the glory of the Lord and His work. Don’t fall into just talking like you’re a travel agent or the National Geographic. The thing that makes our reports different is that we have seen the glory of our Lord amongst us and amongst His church in Ethiopia. We’ve got a GREAT report to tell, so let’s not water it down with the mundane things of life. Let’s talk about Jesus amongst His people!

2. Also, in your communications, include possible future ministries…while we tell what has happened in the past & during the trip, that’s not all we have to tell! The work goes on! At this time the details aren’t certain about the future ministry, but you can still present some ideas that we’re working on…specifically, the Rural Clinic, the Bible School dorm and library, more Bibles to distribute, placing wells at rural churches, and placing solar-powered loudspeakers at rural churches for evangelization, Bible reading & health education as a service of our clinic. As you speak about what God has already done, and you mention what were looking at for the future, know that Dave & I will work out clear, concise proposals that we can present to the churches here. So finish your presentations with not only praise for the Lord’s faithfulness & glory in the past, but also with a view to the future & continuing the ministry.

3. Remember, pictures are very powerful. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. At least in visually-oriented societies (like USA), I’m sure that’s true. We are very visually oriented, so make your pictures count by choosing ones that the people here can relate to. Have an assortmentwith/without people, up close/far away, lifestyle/ministry, Team/Ethiopiansso that people will get a more complete picture. Remember, the more prepared you are for your presentation, the better…then you can relax & flow smoothly, and more easily “hear” the Spirit directing you as you present. Also, remember that though you have returned tired & ready for a rest, all of Person County has been waiting for you & your report. Their interest is high. Dont lose this opportunity to communicate when they want to connect. Its good to jump in a schedule sharing times for early January, after Christmasthen people will know that sharing is coming/they have an end-point to look to, and you also have a deadline to prepare for. Share with co-workers at work, with church groups, with civic groups, follow up with newspaper reports, etc. If God opens a door to share, jump on ityou never know what He will continue to do thru you for His people in Ethiopia!

And always remember that Dave & I are happy to help you, support you, come to your meeting, etc. Just let us know.

4. Emotions after a trip like this are high. Many time team members have a sense that they are “lonely” for Ethiopia. Some even say that they’d drop everything & return to live if they could. The Lord gave us a great time of bonding in Ethiopia. Our ministry focus was the people, so it’s only natural that we feel a void now that we have left those people. As time passes, this longing will change to just a “warm fuzzy” or happy memory with a few of us, but for some of us, it may be a life-long hunger to return to the people of Ethiopia. This longing is God-given, and is part of His way of directing His way in your life. But it also can be used of the Evil One. The Evil One wants us to wander in the feelings of loss & separation…but we need to be about the Father’s business here in the US. Our Lord has work for us to do here & now in America. Our Ethiopia presentations are part of that work. Living in the light of what we have learned from our Ethiopia experience & making new godly habits of spiritual maturity is another aspect of that work. We must not let our feelings distract us from the spiritual work that we need to be doing here & now.

From 1964 until 2004 (40 years), I lived with this longing, a deep-seated yearning for Ethiopia. But it was not God’s timing for me to work there in person. Financial & prayer involvement was all I could do. My appointed work was raising my boys, learning to live in the Spirit, assisting my husband in his calling, etc. But ‘in the fullness of time’ God has opened our ministry in Ethiopia. He does things in the right way & at the right time. The key is to keep busy for the Kingdom, doing what He wants here & now, and not become so incapacitated by feelings of loneliness for Ethiopia that we allow the Evil One to sidetrack us from the work God has for us today.

5. Beware of putting others on pedestals. Pedestals are man-made; they feed idolatry. The tendency of mankind since the beginning is to set up some visible ‘god’ instead of the true & living (though unseen) God. All cultures have this tendency, but here in America, and in Christian circles in America, we have made an art form of this. Dave & I “fight” this all the time, as people want to put us on a pedestal because of our work, our farm, our whatever-it-is-that-they-admire. As we have said many times publicly & privately, if you see anything good in us, anything courageous in us, anything kind/loving/godly in us…it is the Lord’s work in our lives as we have yielded to Him. There is no glory in ourselves. If you see Jesus in us, then follow us, imitate us…just as Paul ‘led’ those he was in contact with. But beware of substituting us for Jesus. We all must take charge of our own spiritual lives, living in the power of the Spirit who indwells us, learning & obeying the Scriptures.

This same principle of don’t-put-others-on-a-pedestal applies to the Ethiopian people, church & leaders. There is much in them to admire; there is much they can teach us; in some ways they are excellent role models. But don’t put them on a pedestal. Everything that I’ve said about Dave & I above applies equally to them. We’re all creatures of His grace! His grace is made perfect in weakness, activated by our submission & surrender, sustained by the Spirit which is in each of us. There is a saying “The Ground is level at the Cross”……the Cross is the great equalizer. No matter our differences in culture, in personal history, in temperament, in education, in wealth, in health, in family….no matter any of our differences…the Cross with all its power is ready & available to redeem us & make us like the Son who hung upon that Cross.

So beware of putting anyone, including Dave/me & the Ethiopians, on a pedestal. Remember, if the pedestal falls, (and I guarantee you it will fall!) the resulting damage is not the fault of the one put on the pedestal, but the one(s) who created the pedestal. We must guard ourselves from idolatry.

6. Beware of contempt. Somewhat tied to the pedestal, is the temptation of the Evil One to condemn others for not meeting expectations. We blame others for our disappointments. There is a saying that with knowledge comes contempt. In other words, the more you know about someone, the more the possibility that you will be disappointed by them. This can happen about anyone on our Team, or about an Ethiopian, or about things in general. The cure for this syndrome is to remember Realitywere all sinners, saved by grace alone. Were all in process. Things are not perfect this side of Heaven. Sin & human limitations abound. So we must keep our eyes on our own role in the Kingdoma role of obedience & surrender for the Gospels sakeand let the Lord deal with others. We must give grace to others, freeing them to follow Gods work in their own heart. So guard your heart from condemnation or criticism that can follow familiarity. It is Gods work, and each of us, in our own limited, stumbling, imperfect way is attempting to fulfill our personal part in His work.

7. Preparing for the Future. There is a sort of cyclical pattern to these trips of ministry. Phase 1) is thinking, praying, ‘brainstorming’, waiting, listening….this is the formation stage, where we are sitting quietly in the waiting room of the King of Kings & Lord of Lords. We are waiting for His orders. We must patiently wait, think, pray, brainstorm, listen; this stage cannot be rushed. It is important that we do HIS work and not ours. There is a temptation to take the lazy road & just do the activities of missions textbook, or duplicate the activities of some other mission work, without taking time to discern the Lord’s will for us in particular. There is also the temptation to rush ahead with plans because our emotions are high; if we make commitments in the rush of emotion, without this prayer/listening/waiting time, then we run the risk of hurting others when we cannot meet our commitments. Sometimes this phase of ministry takes months, but eventually the Lord “arranges” our thinking, settling us in peace into a plan or a focus. Then begins phase 2)…focusing energies, time, communications on the specific ministry activities He’s directed. This time is full of logistics. It’s also full of watching Him bring people & funds, seemingly out of nowhere, for the work at hand. This is the preparation stage, anticipating & making ready for the doings. It takes a lot of conversation & coordination with the Ethiopian church & the American church. Then, at an appointed date, phase 3) starts…the on-site trip to Ethiopia with hands-on ministry. As you know, it’s a high-energy, high-focus, sacrificial time, being faithful to the end, finishing the task, living on the edge of Faith, etc. At the end of the trip, the sudden change of location begins phase 4)…separation, mourning, loneliness, emotional/physical/spiritual fatigue, mental & emotional “wandering” between Ethiopia & America. This is a time of personal disconnect from those around us who didn’t experience Ethiopia, and a time of “surreal” bonding with those who experienced Ethiopia with us. Ethiopia stays on our mind. Maybe tears come easily. We reach out to re-connect with the trip thru pictures, emails, conversations. In my experience, usually this phase of ‘disconnect’ lasts 4-12 weeks.

Perhaps it will help you to process things & gain perspective if you see & understand these phases. So you are reading this letter we are beginning to transition Phase 4 to Phase 1. This is a time of physical & emotional rest, or “regrouping”. It is a time of hanging between cultures and peoples. It is a time of reporting to others & trying to bring them into Ethiopia. It is not a time of decision about future ministries; we must take the time to pray, wait & listen before making decisions about the future.

Also, I want to comment that this time, right after a great ministry & seeing the Lords glory, often opens into a time of great vulnerability to the Evil One. We are so high, so amazed at His power, so thrilled that He used usthat we let down our guard, and the Evil One smashes us with discouragement, depression, loneliness, etc. So you need to consciously walk the Life the sameby faith, by looking to Him, by surrender, by resting in His grace, by focus on Kingdom workno matter what phase you are in. Be on guard for the Evil One as you recuperate in these coming weeks.

With much love,

BeckyLynn

8:22 AM Brother Jon Glass, intrepid equestrian (photo), has published several reports about his work in Ethiopia. His website is calledConnect with God, Connect with Others (love that title!).

7:49 AM The latest addition to our home page is calledHow Are Your Verbs?

Thursday, January 1

5:51 PM Nate and I just moved all this fine old lumber into our barn. He salvaged it in Oxford today. I don’t know how Nate got it into the trailer by himself. It took both of us to lift it off. Right now I couldn’t lift a feather if my life depended on it, my arms are so tired.

Farm life. Ya gotta love it.

3:08 PM Guy Muse is once again prodding us to think more scripturally about the way we do church. His latest post is calledHow I got into house/organic/simple church. It contains a brief description of his personal pilgrimage as well as a nod to a couple of books he found nutritious. I am perhaps not as radical on the idea of house churching, but it is imperative that we all rethink the wineskins and do what we can in our churches to become more faithful to the biblical witness.

2:45 PM I award a full three cheers to Alan Knox for doing such a great job of blogging about the church. He’s just listed his Helping Out Searchers, a sort of mini-summary of his ecclesiology. I hope his ideas find favor with many of you. Why? Because they’re biblical. Along the way, I think you’ll learn a lot about grace and humility by reading Alan’s site. (I sure have!) Have another great year, brother Alan, and don’t slow down.

11:10 AM It’s 22 degrees and the dogs are frisky and HAPPY. Same with the herds.

Light snow is expected tomorrow. Should be gobs of fun. Mr. Denver was right: It’s wonderful to be back home again.

9:17 AM My colleague and good friend Alvin Reid has posted hisperspective on 2009. I need to home in on several things he says. Disclaimer: I really like Alvin, despite his fondness for ugly reptiles.

9:11 AM And now for a departure from our normal fare to bring you a blog post that has everything to do with a huge problem in our society:Book Review: Do Hard Things. Way to go, Jeremy. You’re not alone, by the way.

9:02 AM Rats. Brother Lionel keeps posting essays that I just have to link to. A recent pick isOnce Saved Always Saved or Falling From Grace. Years ago Keith Elliott showed (in an essay published in the Expository Times) that the key to interpreting Hebrews 6:4-6 is the shift from the 5 aorist tense participles to the 2 present tense participles: as long as one keeps on crucifying to himself the Son of God and exposing Him to public shame, repentance is impossible. The idea is: STOP IT! You can also see this truth in verses 7-8 (the “forgotten” verses in this problem passage). Here the principle is: Where there is fruit on the tree, there is life in the tree. I think to interpret the passage any other way is disastrous.

By the way, aren’t you glad that Lionel keeps on returning to the blogosphere from his early retirement(s)?

8:21 AM Becky and I came home to a clean house and a countertop full of gifts and goodies, including my all-time fave, Doritos. A big thank-you to Nate, Jess, Liz, Matt, Caleb, Isaac, and Micah!

Tonight I’ve invited Nate and Jess to join us for supper — Chinese food, of course, made with my top-secret ingredient. By the way, Jessie is now showing, and she sure looks beautiful.

7:10 AM Surfing the web this morning I ran across this essay onLearning Biblical Languages. Some good stuff here. I especially enjoyed comment #14.

By the way, if you live in the greater Roxboro area (NC), I will begin teaching a basic Greek class on January 26. We will meet every Monday night, starting at 7:00 pm, at Bethel Hill Baptist Church. All are invited, but class size is limited. No tuition is charged.

6:39 AM I’ve just uploaded my first post-trip essay. It’s called Eat, Heal, and Tell.

UPDATE: I see that Jason and Molly have been busy reporting about the mission trip as well. Check out their reportshere. Lots of pix too.

4:54 AM Were back! Landed yesterday at RDU after our plane made a harrowing go-around due to wind gusts. A good reminder that God is still sovereign. These past 6 weeks have been phenomenal. The Lord Jesus blessed us abundantly. We experienced His grace and mercy every step of the way. To top it off, we were met by our church family at the airport yesterday. It was a wonderful token of love, and it took us completely by surprise. Afterwards we enjoyed a meal together in Roxboro before driving to the farm. How I thank God for Bethel Hill!

So how was the trip?

Comedian Steve Martin once quipped, Comedy isnt pretty. Well, neither is missions. It can be a very untidy business at times rough and tumble, and often dangerous. It demands ones all, and one must be willing to pay it. As everyone knows, Im not very impressed with book-learning. Yes, I appreciate the insights a formal theological education has to offer. (Hey, Im a prof!) But I RELISH being in the presence of Jesus-followers, educated or not, who are on mission with their whole being and who live sacrificially for others. Im thinking, of course, of my American teammates on our trip to Ethiopia. I found them to be a gentle, humble, wise, and patient group of friends and mentors, with a great sense of humor to boot. They were not just physician assistants and pastors and pharmacists and nurses and school teachers and homemakers but men and women with an increasingly passionate desire to serve God by serving others. I think all of them would affirm that there is nothing in life quite as exhilarating as getting involved in the ministry of reconciliation. The fact that lost souls exist means something to these people, and they are brokenhearted over the misery we human beings inflict upon ourselves through our own waywardness. I certainly dont mean to imply that all Christians are failures in this regard or indifferent to the worlds suffering. Yet there can be no doubt that the narcissism we see in the world a cult of the self has permeated many of our evangelical institutions, including our churches, our colleges, and dare I say it our seminaries. We have played into the hands of the Evil One by emphasizing certain doctrines over a commitment to articulating and living out a faithful Christian lifestyle. In the flesh, of course, Id much rather be in a comfortable classroom in North Carolina than trekking among the Gujis in war-torn southern Ethiopia. But thats my flesh speaking, not my spirit. Whether in a classroom or in a desolate village, I simply want to be a “Christian” a man whose whole being is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Im not there yet, but thats my goal.

During our travels in Africa my teammates and I rediscovered the great truth that there is one Gospel, one Lord, one faith, one church, one Shepherd, and one sheepfold. Our trip began and ended in Gods amazing grace. Far from being impressed with our accomplishments, we are stunned flabbergasted and astounded! that God should have chosen us to do His kingdom work. Let me put it bluntly: we are nothing but a group of sinful and at least partly dysfunctional (in one way or another) individuals whom God welded together into a cohesive unit to accomplish a God-sized task. I was constantly amazed at how the Lord Jesus allowed us to get in sync with each other, adapt to one another, and encourage and disciple each other. Patience and wisdom were demanded at all times, and God was there to supply. We were, in short, a community, and not just isolated individuals. We were able and willing to work together as a team for a mutual goal. Jesus did not send His disciples out one by one but two by two. He intends that we should love and serve Him in community. The New Testament was written for people who were to interpret and apply it together. So it was that our team constantly prayed for and with each other, prodding and encouraging each other along. Much like the book of Acts, it was the church in action humble Jesus-followers giving their hearts for the world. Once again, dont get me wrong. I love the classroom. I missed it terribly. I enjoy academic conferences with my friends. I enjoy fellowshipping with the saints. But to use a football analogy intramural scrimmages dont win games. We are saved for presence and witness in the world. We are to be disciples (the Greek word simply means trainees) in the Missionary School of Jesus, gripped by the truth that God desires all men and women to be saved and then discipled.

I want to thank everyone who made our trip possible. The day-to-day organization fell to Becky, whose ability to handle a mass of details cross-culturally at that is phenomenal. Becky is a true servant of the Lord and a wonderful example of Proverbs 31. I am deeply grateful for her. Whenever I think of Becky I think of Lydia of Philippi, who was a woman of great business acumen, and also of the four occasions when the Philippian church sent supplies to Paul (2 Cor. 11:9, Phil. 4:10-). This ministry was probably due to Lydias foresight and generosity. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone who has been helped in Ethiopia by our ministry owes a great deal to my noble, wonderful, and beautiful wife.

In Ethiopia we were assisted by church elders, translators, drivers, cooks, and many other humble Christians who used their gifts and talents as a service of worship (Rom. 12:1). Each had a genuine love for people. We worked side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder. They were the greatest. Betam amasagenalo!

Our team of Americans and their supporters were great. Each one of them increasingly grasped the meaning of our Lords words, Without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Knowing Him and making Him known has become, for them as well as for Becky and me, the simple greatest reality in our lives. We left Ethiopia with a renewed confidence that God will give us more than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). We kept our eyes on the tape. We gave our best and went our hardest until the last lap. We faced many obstacles, but we strode on confidently and steadily in Christ. Missionary work is living in the deep end of the swimming pool without being allowed to touch the sides. Whatever He is asking us to do, we cant do it without Him. All of us labored until we were physically exhausted and emotionally spent. Then we labored some more, drawing on the amazing enabling power of the Christ who indwells us. The work was back-breaking and often heart-breaking. But it was the work to which God had called us, and our adequacy was of Him.

Look for updates and essays about our trip in the coming weeks. I sincerely thank you for your prayers, and I hope our updates will be a blessing to you, my blogging friends, and an encouragement to join Jesus Great Commission team if you haven’t done so already.

Your fellow trainee, Dave

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January 2007 Blog Archives

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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

January 2007 Blog Archives

Wednesday, January 31

8:23 PM You and I call it Taiwan, but heres its official name:

The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu (Chinese Taipei).

And to think that government officials are actually paid for being so laconic.

8:22 PM Corban College in Salem, OR, announces a position in biblical studies.

8:20 PM Congratulations to all our students who successfully their negotiated the treacherous waters of Theological German this J-Term and passed their finals. In your honor, I present this masterful treatise by the one-and-only Mark Twain: The Awful German Language. The editors cut:

But when he, upon the street, the (in-satin-and-silk-covered-now-very-unconstrained-after-the-newest-fashioned-dressed) government counselors wife MET, etc., etc.

Keep in mind, this is considered to be excellent German. I have always felt German to be a bit too difficult for the average American to learn to speak well. Its grammar is extremely complicated and is constantly being tweaked. The main obstacle, however, is our reluctance to swallow our pride and to speak the language despite the inevitable mistakes well make (and which most Germans will be quite happy to correct). Ive suggested a solution, however, here.

8:13 PM Verbal aspect continues to be debated by Greek students. Maybe they could learn a few things from the Hawaiian language, which is largely aspectually based.

8:10 PM J. D. Greer has crafted a nifty essay about why we should care for the poor.

8:08 PM If youve ever confused its for its, you must read this piece published in the Telegraph.

Tuesday, January 30

6:08 AM Tuesday shout out to Mary, Stacey, Jason, Cindy, Sherree, Kennon, Steve, Jason, Danny, Dolores, and Leanne who attended last night’s Burji team orientation. Danny and Jason warmly send their greetings and say “hello” in Amharic:

After a Bible study and a lengthy season of prayer, each member presented their ministry goals to the team. Here Miss Mary shares her craft ideas to the group, including these angel decorations. Her goal, as she put it, is just to “love on” people. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to do that.

Becky will be making our flight reservations shortly. The Lord is bringing everything together in a wonderful way.

Monday, January 29

9:51 AM The latest addition to our home page is Part 2 of Becky’s report on the building of meeting halls in Ethiopia. To read her other reports on our trip last December-January, please go here.

7:46 AM It’s that time of the year when everybody is buying textbooks for the spring semester. And it’s no easy task to assign texts these days. Sit down with most any textbook and you’ll discover that after a brief period you can’t read it. It’s too textbooky, too factual, too dull, too dry. Believe me, I know: I’ve produced my share of them. What brings on this long-winded, heart-breaking wordiness? I’m not sure, but I have a hunch. Everyone who writes textbooks knows that they are written for teachers, not for students. As long as the textbook pleases the teacher it will make the revered and unassailable list of “required reading.” Students will be forced to read it, whether it is well-written or not. I think we textbook writers are finally wising up, though. About two or three books into my writing career I decided I would try to write for the student and not for the teacher. (Whether I have succeeded is up to you, dear reader, to decide.) This means that a good textbook will have a simple style. It may even contain personal anecdotes, cartoons, jokes, puns, and — dare I say it? — first person pronouns. Scholars will call it unacademic, but students will love it. And, after all, we’re here to serve them, aren’t we?

Speaking of textbooks….

7:30 AM I heard of a church recently that spends 87 percent of its annual budget on salaries and buildings. The pastor wants to change this. He wants to reorganize their priorities. It can be done. I think of a church that has decided to forego salaries for leadership and rent for facilities as long as there are single mothers in their congregation who desire to raise their children at home. We need more churches like that. I know of congregations that spend a good lump of money on Sunday School curriculum. I’ve noticed that people in these churches are more likely to bring their Sunday School quarterly to church than their Bibles. Is there not an important lesson here? We shall become biblical churches in proportion as we are willing to jettison the thoughts of men and look to a sounder Source of truth. Very few churches take the sufficiency of Scripture seriously. As a result, church members do not even begin to suspect there is a biblical mind on major issues of the day — let alone accept it and adopt it. I suppose this desire to place the Bible above other books is the most crucial mark of any church when we consider the matter of edification. That is what it was like in Berea. There is nothing so attractive in the world as a church where the Word of God is loved and read and exalted and obeyed.

7:22 AM Well, I’ve finally decided. And it wasn’t easy, either. My thoroughbred Traveler (photo below: note his tongue!) is now on the market. I’ve decided to sell him to a good home. By that I mean two things: To someone who can ride him at least three times a week, and to someone who isn’t skittish being around hot-blooded breeds of horses. Many people get nervous around thoroughbreds, and their nervousness communicates to the horse, who naturally gets spooky. It’s not the horse’s fault, mind you, though he gets all the blame. At any rate, this is a big step for me. I imagine I’ve ridden Traveler over 1,000 times. But now that I’ve got two full-time jobs (teaching and farming, as well as our work in Ethiopia) it’s impossible to keep up that pace. It’s just not fair to a superb athlete like Trav to keep him pastured up all the time. So if you’re interested in him, or know someone who might be, send me an email and I’ll shoot you the details. I’m also willing to do a trade for a less active horse. To use a car analogy, I’d like to downsize from a Ferrari to a Mercedes. But even at 54 years of age I’m not ready for a Volkswagen Beetle, if you know what I mean.

Sunday, January 28

4:49 PM After speaking at Antioch Baptist Church in Red Oak, VA, Becky and I had lunch in Chase City with an 86-year young saint who lost her husband two years ago and her only child one year ago. We took her to a hole-in-the-wall joint for some grate kuntry kookin. We met her at last year’s band concert and fund raiser for Ethiopia. What a joy to share Christian fellowship with a sweet saint of God. I only hope I can be half as sweet when I get to be her age. Not likely though. I have too much curmudgeon in me, I think.

By the way, Becky and I both “preached” this morning. She gave the children’s sermon, I the regular one. Hers was far better, I thought. She had the children walking all around the sanctuary mimicking her every move: “Hand on head,” “walk backwards,” “now skip.” Her goal? Teach the children what “following” Jesus meant. Was a perfect prelude to my message on the Great Commission (“Make disciples,” not “Make decisions”!). We need to do this tag-team thing more often.

7:29 AM Sunday shout out to Matt, Liz, Caleb, Isaac, and Micah Rondeau who paid us a visit yesterday and brought along a game of German Scrabble. Folks, don’t try this at home unless you’ve got plenty of Zeit — and Geduld. The score at the end of the game? Tied!

7:23 AM Tomorrow night begins our second round of orientation meetings for our teams that are going to Ethiopia with us this summer. Our focus is currently on Ethiopian culture, including learning a few Amharic expressions. Here’s a short list of indispensable words and phrases. Thought you might like to see them.

Tenestaline? Hello.
Amasagenalo. Thank you.
Ishi. Okay. Yes. Thank you.
Turuno. Its good.
Konjono. Its good.
Denane? How are you? (for a male)
Denanish? How are you? (for a female)
Denaneyn. I am fine.
Yesus Getano. Jesus is Lord.
Exahiber yemesgin. Praise God.
Ciao! Bye!
Seme mano? What is your name? (for a male)
Semish mano? What is your name? (for a female)
Yene sem _________ no. My name is ______________.
Baca. Finished. No more.
Tinish. A little.
Gobus. Really neat.
Exabiher fiker no. God is love.
Salam? How are you?
Salamno? How is everyone?
Buna. Coffee.
Shai. Tea.
Makiatto. Makiato (Italian coffee).
Dabo. Bread.
Injera. Injera. (basic staple a pancake-like bread)
Wat. Stew.
Doro wat. Chicken stew.
Buna affalegeo. I would like buna.
Wuha. Water.
Edeme sintano? How old are you? (for a male)
Edemesh sintano? How old are you? (for a female)
And. One.
Hullett. Two.
Sost. Three.
Arat. Four.
Amist. Five.
Sidist. Six.
Sabbat. Seven.
Simint. Eight.
Zetayn. Nine.
Aser. Ten.

7:14 AM Does your church have one of those attendance boards at the front of the sanctuary? If you do, please remember: the goal is never church attendance. It is active discipleship. That’s the thrust of my message this morning from Matthew 28:16-. “Major” in being church 24/7, not in “going to church” on Sunday. Move beyond mere sloganeering (“every member a minister”) and actually entrust virtually all ministry to the “lay people.” Everyone is gifted for some ministry, and the Body of Christ needs all of its ministers. Don’t forget: my ministry is not more important than yours! By the way, only the Holy Spirit of God has the power to drive us out in self-sacrificial service. Church leaders cannot dispense this power. They need it quite as much as the rest of us!

Saturday, January 27

2:26 PM Nate and I just finished shoveling a trailer load of horse manure into Becky’s vegetable garden. He’s gone off to his farm to process a few more meat chickens, Becky’s gone to take him some coffee, and I’m working on my message for tomorrow and on my teaching for Monday night’s orientation for the team going with us to Burji next summer. In this regard, Oshe (a church leader in Burji) just sent us a few pix of the meeting hall that is being built in the town of Soyama. Here’s a “before” and “after” look:

Two years ago on our first visit to Soyama:

Today:

I can also report the good news that the termite problem is no more. The hall will serve both the believers in Soyama town and those in the entire Burji District when they gather for their annual meetings. It will also allow the church in Soyama to use their current meeting hall to begin a new Christian primary school. In fact, two of our Burji team members work in education here in the states and will be able to provide guidance as the Burji people begin their first Christian day school.

And to think that two years ago there was no electricity in Soyama, no internet, and no email. Now we’re receiving photos instantaneously. God is good.

9:17 AM Good news! The ISV Old Testament is well on its way to completion. And we’re currently gearing up for a major review of the New Testament in California this summer. (I hope Huntington Beach is breaking big.) Meanwhile, Wayne Leman has been examining the English of the ISV. The results of his labors might surprise you. I don’t know about you, but I think the grammarians’ superstitions get in the way when you try to produce simple English. In fact, grammar itself can get in the way. Prescriptive grammar, that is. But the whole system of grammatical rules is slowly being replaced by our modern way of talking. If we forget about the rules for a moment and dare to use those “ungrammatical” formulas, our style will be natural and casual. Scholars call this style “colloquial” — an intentional light touch, which is what modern English sounds like. Where the heavy-handed, old-fashioned writer tries hard to stick to the rules, the casual writer makes them stick in everyone’s mind by downplaying them. In the ISV we’ve tried to emulate the style books for the average American ought to be written in but never are. We’ve tried to use basic principles of linguistics, a subject you’ve probably not heard much about but only because its contributions have been buried in journals and dissertations. So don’t be surprised to read in the ISV that Jesus spoke like this: “Who are you looking for?” (John 18:4) — which, of course, breaks all the rules (it “should” be “For whom are you looking?”).

On another note, the principle of transculturalization is one of Christianity’s towering differences with Islam, which believes that the Quran cannot really be translated at all. Christians have always believed that their Scriptures can be translated into any tongues on earth, and that the truths of Christianity can be understood through any culture. This is an impetus behind a proposal at our seminary for a new masters degree in translation and linguistics. If this 60-hour degree is approved by the trustees this spring, it is set to begin this fall. I couldn’t be more excited. I have always wanted to train field translators and consultants.

Friday, January 26

9:23 AM Travel advisory! In April, Becky and I will be speaking about Ethiopia to a group of believers in Ohio. If you live in Northern Virginia, West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, or Southern Ohio and would like us to speak to your group, please let us know as soon as possible. Our trip dates are not set yet, but it will be either April 19-23 (Friday to Monday) or April 26-30 (again, Friday to Monday). We’d like to maximize our travel time for the kingdom’s sake. The only day that will not be available is Sunday.

8:43 AM We finished the roof repairs yesterday. And you should have seen the house. The back part was built in 1845, the front in 1855. It must have been one of the finest plantation homes in all of North Carolina in its hay day. 2-storied with hipped roof. A real gem. Nate’s already been hired to paint the roof of the house and several ante-bellum outbuildings. We’ll get to that job as soon as the weather warms up. Yesterday it was bitter cold. Even with two jackets, a scarf, and a hat I never did get warm. As a concession the boss man took me to a great seafood place for supper. Slaw, hush puppies, trout, fries — all for only 5 bucks. Today it’s over to South Boston to repair a barn roof. Already it promises to be much warmer than yesterday.

8:35 AM Have you ever visited Alan Knox’s blog? If not, what are you waiting for? Alan is concerned to identity normative behaviors that were characteristic of life in the primitive church. He emphasizes how the church met together “to stir one another up to love and good works” by “encouraging one another” (this, of course, is what Heb. 10:24-25 clearly teaches is a major purpose of the gathered assembly). I don’t pretend to speak for Alan (who is an eloquent writer), but it seems to me that he is convinced that the way to build a great church is to follow the master plan that was so effective in the early church. Permit me this word of perspective. Today the needs of the unchurched determine the programs of a good many of our churches. Services are “blended,” or “seeker friendly,” or whatever. The most faithful (and effective) option, in the view of some of us, is to recover the vision and imagination of our founding fathers (and mothers). I’m a biblicist who believes that the 58 one-anothers of the New Testament are the vertebrae of the Body of Christ. I also know that the Devil probably also believes that too, and that faith must go deeper than belief. Moreover, as one who is committed to Great Commission Christianity, it’s my observation that Christians who are involved in every-member ministry are much more likely to engage in the ministry of evangelism both locally and globally. Brother Alan seeks to remind us that Christianity is more than supporting the church as an institution, and that biblical Christianity is no unproven theoretical pipedream.

Or is it? Check out his site, read the Scriptures, and then decide for yourself.

Thursday, January 25

6:53 AM Nathan’s landed yet another big job, so we’re off to Enfield, NC, to repair a roof on a hunting lodge. We hope to see several ante-bellum homes on the trip, which takes us through historic Warren and Nash counties. Maybe we’ll also find a North Carolina delicacy along the way: hot dogs with onions, chili, and slaw (“all the way”).

6:50 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Emails from Alaba.

6:42 AM Brief farm update: Our main project these wintry days is fencing in the entire farm, which begins by cutting away the brush and small trees along the fence line. Nate does the chain saw work, I drag the cuttings away. Later we’ll put up woven wire, along with one strand of barbed wire at the top. As you can see, there are advantages to doing this work in the winter. In summertime the woods are impenetrable.

This little sweetie was born on Tuesday. Our babies are starting to come fast and furious.

We’re hauling loads of horse manure to the farm from North Carolina. Hey, it’s free!

Tom, Dick, and Mary are doing just fine, thank you. They can’t wait to greet you.

I do thank the Lord for the good weather. Mamas and babies are enjoying it.

Wednesday, January 24

8:40 PM Anybody feeling a little weighed down today? Thank you, I see that hand. Heres a helpful reminder from Ray Stedman:

Having received Jesus Christ, we have adequate confidence for any situation. As our immediate response of fear and trembling drives us back to him, we can step up to any situation with courage, calmness and confidence because we know God is at work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

8:30 PM My friend Bill Bennett has a wonderful list of print and audio resources for every Christian man and woman. You can access them here. Thank you, Brother Bill, for your ministry of mentoring. I have personally been a beneficiary of it through the years. I see in you and Doris a willingness to put the welfare of the Body before all personal advantage, success, or reputation, and you are content to stand among the saints as those who serve. That is very rare in todays world of over-professionalized ministry. In multos annos!

8:20 PM Tough times are coming for the American church, as The World According to Bruce reminds us. I am convinced that we are rearing vast edifices of wood, hay, and stubble that will go up in smoke at the fire test of time. Do a little church work, attend if the weather is acceptable, give a few dollars to a good cause, make a gesture of piety now and then we dont mind a little religion because it helps our businesses and enhances our standing in society. I am deathly afraid for the church in Ethiopia, that she will become like the American church all dressed up and made to look like durable building materials and not the cheap firewood she all too often is. As my builder son often reminds me: when it comes to construction, we get what we pay for.

8:17 PM Kudos to my Ph.D. student Alan Knox for publishing his review of An Emergent Theology for the Emergent Church in the latest issue of JETS (49, 2006: 883-886). Excellent!

8:15 PM Many thanks to Mark Waterman of Los Angeles for sending me a complimentary copy of his book The Empty Tomb Tradition in Mark (published by Agathos Press). It is based on his dissertation written at Fuller under Colin Brown.

8:13 PM I had an Ethiopian student in my office yesterday. In our conversation we discussed eating goat meat. Thats part of the regular diet for most of the world but its practically unknown here in America, except among Africans. I love goat meat. When cooked properly (as Becky always does), its delicious. You might try it sometime.

8:12 PM Is cremation biblical? Is it preferable to burial? Heres an essay that will get you thinking about this issue if you havent done so already.

8:10 PM Are we living or doing our salvation?

8:02 PM Have you noticed how easy it is to love people who agree with us in matters of biblical interpretation or ecclesiological polity? We can also get along quite well with people who leave us alone. But do we really have a genuine love for all the saints, as we are commanded in the New Testament? We may talk about how much we love other Christians, but do we demonstrate it in our blogs? Judging by the personal attacks that are being aired in the blogosphere on a daily basis I think it is clear that our actions belie our words whenever we are quick to be indifferent to the privacy needs of others and critical of their motives. I see I am not the only one who thinks this is an important issue (see Nathan Finns decision about redirecting his blogging). Scientific tests have shown that people are more interested in reading about other people than about anything else. Why is this so? Probably because man knows nothing so well as man. This is why people come up in our blog entries in discussions of everything under the sun. These entries are often called human interest stories, and they make writing (and reading) blogs interesting indeed. And therein lies the challenge of blogging.

By the way, heres a good example of a recent blog entry that in my view addresses an important missiological issue in a positive and salutary way (without focusing on names or personalities).

7:55 PM Congratulations to my J-term Greek class that met for the last time today. Out of 33 students, 16 had a semester average of 100 or better and thus received an A+ for the course. I chalk this up to the logical nature of the Greek language. When taught morphologically, I think that even a rock could learn it. So kudos to all of you. See you next semester (which starts next week!).

7:52 PM Oops! I just realized I forgot to mention that our first baby goat of the year was born on Monday. The problem is, none of the mothers has claimed him, so its back to bottle feeding for a few weeks. “Mama” gave birth right around breakfast time and rushed off to get her hay before even licking off her newborn. Odd, but true.

Becky named him — what else? — “Breakfast.”

7:50 PM If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you dont like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself. St. Augustine

Sunday, January 21

2:44 PM Here are some quick notes on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. I’ll start with this picture (taken a few days ago) of Becky’s Cornish-White Rock supper, accompanied by farm fresh beans and home-canned peaches. I have never tasted better chicken in my life. What a treat.

This morning our little church group sang at the local nursing home. Here’s Nathan bringing a brief devotional from the Scriptures to this dear company of people.

Everyone seems to enjoy it when we lead them in the Baptist National Anthem (aka, “Victory in Jesus”), especially when it is accompanied on the guitar and wash tub. Many in the crowd naturally called the latter instrument the “gut bucket,” and indeed we use it for such purposes here on the farm.

At Antioch Baptist Church this morning I met this WW II veteran who flew in a B-17 during the waning months of the European conflict. Instead of dropping bombs, he and his crew dropped food supplies to the citizens of Amsterdam under a flag of truce between the Amis and the Germans. That was in April and May of 1945. It was wonderful to hear his testimony of the Lord’s direction and protection during his service years.

2:27 PM Wayne Leman is asking his readers to provide feedback about the International Standard Version. He does so at the request of the ISV Foundation’s director, William Welty. As the New Testament editor of the ISV, I certainly look forward to reading any comments you may have to offer and promise to do what I can to turn them to the improvement of the version in the months ahead.

7:45 AM Becky and I are off to sing at the nursing home before I speak at Antioch Baptist Church. This afternoon it’s down to Oxford for an ordination service. An icy mix is expected again today. We’re planning extra travel time because of road conditions. Please do the same. Students: drive carefully coming to campus tomorrow morning. I’d rather you be late for class than take any risks on the highway.

7:41 AM One more essay on this anniversary of Anabaptism.

7:35 AM My friend and colleague Maurice Robinson has joined the bloggers over at Evangelical Textual Criticism. An excellent addition. Maurice, blogging is like voting: do it early and do it often. Best wishes in your new role.

7:30 AM Over at My Simple Life, Lady Lora has been led to read her Bible before logging on to her computer. That’s a sound goal, and one I try to practice daily. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t make it through a single moment of a single day without spending time in the Word and prayer.

Saturday, January 20

3:54 PM Becky just went over to Nathan’s farm to process about 30 chickens. Nathan skins, while Becky freezes. Me? I’m working on a message I’ll deliver tomorrow night at an ordination service. Earlier we got a lot of trim trimming done along the new fence line, until the chain saw blade petered out, that is. All it needs is a good sharpening and we’ll be back in business. Nice serendipity: While Nate and I were working who shows up but Becky with a lunch basket filled with hot soup — wild turkey with farm fresh maters and corn, with a little Ethiopian beriberi tossed in to spice things up. Hit the spot.

7:56 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Commemorating the Anabaptists.

7:51 AM This piece traces Senator Barack Obamas spiritual journey. Incidentally, presidential candidate Obama and I have something in common: we were both born and raised in Hawaii.

7:46 AM The latest from Barna:

George Barna, who directed the study, said a church’s sense of community is often tied to the average member’s level of participation. Most conventional churchgoers have no desire to improve their congregation’s ministry, nor do they feel a need to increase personal spiritual responsibility, he said.

7:42 AM I see that Fondue is making a comeback. I first tasted the stuff in 1978 while on a missions trip that took us through central Switzerland. Cant say I like it very much. I much prefer another Swiss dish.

7:35 AM Its winter again in North Carolina. The air is clean and crisp, the sky cold and cloudless. I walked around campus yesterday just to enjoy the outdoor beauty, singing and doing some praying along the way. I usually intercede for my classes and students during my on-campus jaunts, but mostly I just thank the Creator for His magnificent handiwork.

7:24 AM Briefly noted. We just had a special treat. Nathans new chicken broilers are turning out to be meatier and more delicious that I had imagined. I even like the white meat. Looks like hes almost done with his remodeling job in South Boston. I helped him paint the other day, and I may post a few pix of his work. Were having guests this weekend at Bradford Hall. They are a seminary couple who just needed a little R & R. Becky is really in her element when she is entertaining people. This Sunday well be back at Antioch Baptist Church where Ill be teaching from the book of 1 Thessalonians, based on a study I prepared for Ethiopia. Im working up a book proposal for a publisher and also deciding how and when to revise a book I published several years ago. Contracts, Ive noticed, have quadrupled in length since when I first started writing books back in the 1980s. Much of this has to do with electronic and Internet rights issues, which no one thought much about way back then.

Today it’s back to putting up fencing. The day is perfect for it. I’d like to have the entire farm fenced in by the end of summer, all 123 acres of it. We’ll see….

Thursday, January 18

6:46 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Erecting Buildings.

6:42 AM Greek students! Did you know you can read the Greek New Testament as well as the Septuagint online? Eventually you may want to read Classical Greek as well. I can attest from personal experience that the key to mastering any language is reading it, reading it, and then reading it some more.

6:38 AM My Ph.D. student Matthew McDill has just published A Textual and Structural Analysis of Mark 16:9-12 in Filologia Neotestamentaria 17 (2004) 27-43. Heartiest congratulations!

6:35 AM “Philosophers are people who write about things they don’t understand, and make it sound like it’s your fault.” – S. Lewis Johnson

6:31 AM I am trying to digest Delbert Burketts latest book, which makes some serious hay with the Markan Hypothesis. Anyone who tires to challenge the status quo is welcome in my book, though I doubt whether the entrenched theory of Markan priory is in any danger of being overthrown any time soon, as Michael Pahl notes in his review (.pdf) of the book.

6:27 AM Andy Rowell is considering writing his doctoral dissertation on Bonhoeffer and the Emerging Church. Sounds like an excellent idea to me.

6:24 AM You’re never too young to learn Greek:

6:20 AM An unknown writer once penned the following limerick: “There was a young poet in Japan,/Whose poetry no one could scan./When told it was so,/He replied, ‘Yes, I know,/But I try to get as many words in the last line as I can.’ ” I am currently chin-deep in preparing my lecture to be given at the University of Marrakech in Morocco in March. The invitation to lecture came from the language department there, and the theme of the conference has to do with translating sacred texts. The Quran will be discussed, as will the Bible. I am going to try and speak to the issue of translating the poetry of the New Testament into English, using the ISV New Testament as an example of what might be done in this area. The larger issue I would like to address is the question of why we as students of the New Testament are so insensitive to the rhetorical level of language when it comes to reading and interpreting our Bibles. I think Old Testament scholars are doing a much better job of it than we are, but we can all do better both to understand and translate the poetry of the Bible. Why am I so concerned about this matter? Only because my view of verbal-plenary inspiration extends not only to the words of the Bible but also to the rhetorical devices that God the Holy Spirit led the writers to employ. Shouldnt that drive us all to be sensitive to this level of language as a meaningful level for receptors?

6:14 AM Pete Hurst asks, Who Am I? An excerpt:

As a servant, I want to do the will of God (John 4:34), and if anyone cannot accept that, then that is his problem, not mine. I freely give myself to follow Christ, no matter what; I want to be God’s person in God’s world, doing what pleases Him (Matthew 8:34,35). I desire to be faithful to Christ (Luke 17:7-10), whether things turn out the way I or others like for them to or not. There will be times when I may feel like a fool (Matthew 5:10-12); yet, I must remember that what appears to be success in the eyes of man is not what is success in the eyes of God (Matthew 27:39-43). I shall be faithful and leave the outcome of everything to Him (1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 6:9). I’ll remember that God has made us all different, and even though I may not have as many talents as the next person, in the end, what counts is my using what God has given me the best that I can; this is success (Matthew 25:14-24).

Amen to that. Gods business is our business as Christians. We have no other.

6:01 AM A wise old preacher once said, For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (Eccl. 3:1). It seems that in this season of my life God has called me to be intentional in carrying out His loving and merciful purposes in Ethiopia. As long ago as 1906 G. Campbell Morgan said, Any man or woman in the church who does not know what it is to share the travail that makes his kingdom come is dishonest and disloyal to Jesus Christ. The early Christians found out that there was no joy like the joy of sharing Jesus with others. They saw evangelism as enabling people to escape from the snares of the devil and be transformed from darkness into light. Once you have been gripped by the need of people who do know the Lord Jesus Christ, you will need no other to reason to spread the Good News about Him with every person you can possibly reach.

To be quite frank, nothing in my life has brought me as much joy as being about the Gospel business. Missionary work allows me to participate in the greatest commission ever given to believers to make disciples of the nations through Christs authority and presence (Matt. 28:18-). This is the primary way the church glorifies God, and the heart of the great commission is to make disciples. The tense of the command implies, Do it, and do it now! I admit that I have not always felt this urgency. But I do now, and I look forward to discovering in the future even more deeply what it means to disciple the nations for Christ. Notice that there is no option in Jesus command. Either we are doing it or we or not. Either we are being obedient or we are not. There can be no disciple-making without a spirit of intentionality a spirit of active pursuit that looks for opportunities to evangelize and edify. A great commission person is sharply focused. He or she doesnt get bogged down in selfish agendas or the soft cultural values of modern American life. A great commission person is one who chooses to be so. We must be intentional about going into our communities and our world in order to turn people into committed followers of Christ. I have decided that my focus in life must be on making disciples. If a ministry does not aim at making disciples, why do it? I am learning to measure everything I do by whether it contributes to the disciple-making process.

If nothing else, missionary work has challenged my smugness and lethargy. I was born and raised in laid-back Hawaii. My spiritual muscles are naturally flabby and soft. But Jesus calls us to deny many of the comforts and pleasures we take for granted every day. His disciples saw how He refused the things they cherished physical pleasure, popular approval, prestige and accepted willingly the things they sought to escape poverty, humiliation, sorrow, even death. In ministering to the sick, comforting the sorrowful, and preaching the Gospel to the poor, Jesus showed us that no service was too small and so sacrifice too great when it is done in His name. Being a missionary has forced me to renew my dependence on the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit of God can enable believers to carry on the redemptive tasks of evangelism and edification in the midst of the watchful eyes of others. I teach three classes each semester, but on the mission field class is always in session. Our every word and deed is constantly scrutinized by believers and unbelievers alike. We must be willing to be transparent, and the people to whom we open our lives will see our many shortcomings. But hopefully they will also see that the heart of the whole miraculous drama we call salvation is dependent not on any man but on One who sacrificed self for the blessing of others.

Someone once said that to be in Christ is to be involved. A burden is not a burden as long as it is on the ground. Only when it is on our own shoulders is it a burden. Have you taken up the burden of world evangelization? May the Spirit be the prime mover in our hearts today. For only He can give us a desire to see the nations reached with the Gospel. Not only can He break us of the pride and lethargy that come so naturally to us, He can thrust us out into the mission fields of the world so that our lives bear much fruit for Him.

Monday, January 15

5:58 AM Wikipedia now has a stub on Alaba, one of two regions in Ethiopia where the Lord Jesus has appointed us to work.

5:51 AM A reader in Australia sent along these words:

I am so pleased to read the reports of your recent trip to Ethiopia. Your blog has brought much pleasure these last few days. At least we can participate through these welcome communications, even though we cannot be there. There can be no doubt of the work of our magnificent Father. Your statement, “ministry is largely just being natural and showing others that you care about them” brought a loud “Amen” from me, and something I’ve been trying to have people grasp for many years. Surely that is what Jesus demonstrated. If more church leaders demonstrated this, instead of their intellectual and theological prowess, more of their congregations would be able to see that God has already equipped His people to do the task of ministry by giving them the grace to be able to love others as our Lord loved and loves us.

Amen and amen. If the church is to be credible in society, barriers must come down — including the clerical barrier (pastors on pedestals) and the respectability barrier (upper class versus lower class). Nor can we make a division between the spiritual Gospel and social concern as if loving, practical assistance to the less-fortunate is un-Christian. I am quite certain that the combination of genuine concern for people’s hurts and the bold but loving presentation of the Gospel message is a great attraction in proclaiming and demonstrating the Good News of Jesus Christ. Becky and I have found it to be so both in Ethiopia and in southern Virginia, and I imagine that were I more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading I would see an even greater impact. I am not pleading for preaching that is bereft of genuine biblical content, for there is no real missionary love in a watered-down message. I am arguing, rather, for the combination of a loving heart and a cool head — a single passion for Jesus that spills over into social and spiritual concern. This is what I think my correspondent from Down Under had in mind in his letter, and with his thoughts I concur wholeheartedly.

5:45 AM If my lungs are any indication, I brought a good bit of Alaba back home with me. You never really get used to the dust. It’s everywhere. Reminds me of something I once heard about evangelism. The speaker was talking about traveling in Africa on a dusty road. Rolling up the car windows did little good as the dust crept through the floorboard. You just can’t escape it. That’s like evangelism, he said. It is when a person is so filled with Jesus that he can’t escape His presence that evangelism becomes natural and inevitable. Great analogy, I thought to myself in the middle of coughing.

Sunday, January 14

8:15 AM I wish all of my Greek students good success as they take their first exam this weekend. I expect good, natural English in their translations from Greek to English, though I do allow for the Greek word order to be retained when emphasis is indicated, as in “Disciples of the Lord we are.” I call this a “Yoda-ism,” and it is quite acceptable for exam purposes.

I also hope many of you will earn the 110 Award. Awards will be given out on Monday.

7:58 AM The Muslims in Alaba are attracted to Christianity for a number of reasons, I suppose. People can see the power of the Gospel — the power of a changed life, a healed marriage, a new love for others. I think they can also see that Christians are joyful and that believers in Christ can have good, old-fashioned fun. They can laugh out loud and poke fun at each other. One day, after an intensive period of teaching and preaching, some believers and I were enjoying a cup of coffee on the main drag in Alaba Town when I decided to draw a few portraits. Remember, there simply are no foreigners in Alaba, let alone crazy foreigners like yours truly.

It takes us only a few minutes to produce a profile sketch that is always signed “Jesus loves you.”

At this point everyone else decided they would try to draw me, so out came the pens and paper.

The artwork was, well, less than professional. In this drawing I resembled a piece of cotton candy….

…the punishment for which was:

Not to worry, though. We reconciled and lived happily ever after. Now, what do the people of Alaba think of this crazy white man and his wife (who are named, ironically, “Black”) and their Christian friends? I hope they can see the joy of the Lord Jesus and the power of God that can reconcile people to each other despite race, language, and culture. As Becky recently reported, “ministry” is largely just being natural and showing others that you care about them. Wouldn’t you agree?

Saturday, January 13

4:36 PM Please help us welcome the latest additions to Rosewood Farm. Someone in Carolina was giving away ducks. The price was right and we grabbed 3 today. We’ve named them Tom, Dick, and Mary. We hope to get a few more tomorrow. They’ll go in Nathan’s pond.

8:56 AM The latest addition to our home page is called A Definition of “Ministry.”

7:10 AM Why a Ron Paul bid for the presidency is both good news and bad news (though it’s more good than bad).

6:23 AM Last night we finally got around to watching Tora, Tora, Tora. The story of Mitsuo Fuchida, who led the attack on Pearl Harbor, is a spectacular testimony to the grace of God. You can read about it here.

6:20 AM Heres a fine study (.pdf) of the way textual variants are handled in modern English translations. I offer one suggestion. Editors would do well to use non-question-begging language in citing textual variants. Whenever you say, The earliest and best manuscripts omit, you have automatically prejudiced the reader: Why would I want to disagree with the earliest and best manuscripts? For what its worth, in the ISV New Testament we tried to use neutral language that allows readers to decide for themselves (upon further investigation, obviously) which reading is original e.g., Other mss. read or Other mss. lack. A case in point is Matt. 5:22. Here the ISV notes, Other mss. lack without a cause. Compare the ESV (which uses somewhat prejudicial language): Some manuscripts insert without cause. Why couldnt the translators have said, Some manuscripts lack without cause? If the word insert is used, the obvious implication is that without cause was added later.

6:17 AM The Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches has a blog list here. I have taught courses for the FGBC graduate school (Grace Theological Seminary) both in Winona Lake and in Southern California, and these are fine people with a big heart for missions. Incidentally, Grace College and Seminary is currently seeking to fill the office of provost (.pdf).

6:13 AM Dont forget our Last Twelve Verses of Mark conference on April 13-14. I have begun writing my paper. I think youll be a wee bit surprised by the tack Im taking. Unless youve read this book, that is.

6:10 AM Marks of a healthy church.

6:06 AM What The Teaching can teach us.

By the way, we translated the above text in Intermediate Greek Grammar last semester. Any second year student should be able to translate the Didache with relative ease. Why not give this passage a try?

6:00 AM Click here for some pictures of Islam in Ethiopia.

5:56 AM Greek students! Should the term deponency be set aside in Greek studies? This writer thinks so (.pdf.), and very logical indeed are his arguments. (I make many of the same observations in my beginning grammar on pp. 80-81.) I still believe this whole topic is a doctoral dissertation begging to be written. Any takers?

5:51 AM We just received an email from a journalist in Finland seeking permission to translate and publish Miracle in Alaba in a Finnish Christian Magazine. Needless to say, we were surprised and delighted by this request. When we told Nathan about it he joked, Oh, so now we cross the Finnish line!

5:45 AM I was glad to see a hint of humility in the presidents speech on Iraq. It should have gone a lot further. Humility is not very popular with politicians nowadays. We want peace without repentance, joy without conversion. But Jesus says, Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Everyone is seeking all these things but not many are interested in Gods righteousness. But Gods order has never been reversed: righteousness, then restfulness. Only when we as nation exchange our own putrefying self-righteousness for the imparted righteousness of Christ will we experience His peace and blessing.

5:40 AM Learn Hebrew.

5:34 AM The New Testament is our authoritative constitution.

It is sufficient for all our beliefs and for all our practices. If I were to ask you why you do things the way you do in your church, would the answer be Because it was done that way in the New Testament? Apostolic principles and practices, my friend, are not optional; they are obligatory. Jesus loves His Bride. He gave Himself for her. It is His institution. There is nothing on earth more important to Him. Why, then, do we have so many church leaders who are well taught in every area of doctrine but the church?

Read My Big Fat Greek New Testament (with apologies to the movie).

Friday, January 12

5:56 PM Now you can hug the truth, American English Version style.

Thursday, January 11

5:37 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Surprises from Heaven.

5:34 AM What we Americans take for granted!

5:28 AM How shall we then lead?

5:23 AM Alan Knox appeals for believer participation in the meeting of the church. He is, of course, right. The meeting of the church is to be more than a spectator event. It is to be participatory, and the reason it is to be participatory is because God says so. The Bible puts it like this: As everyone has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of Gods varied grace (1 Pet. 4:10). Why, then, do we tolerate Christians who opt out of all service in the church and the world? Why does the church shelter them under the excuse that they have nothing to offer? Such thinking is nothing less than blasphemous because it directly contradicts the Word of God. It is obvious that the church is making it far too easy for Christians to abdicate their personal responsibility to serve God. We have forgotten the significance of stewardship that great Anglo-Saxon word that is virtually meaningless today. And it is meaningless today because stewardship means responsibility, it involves responsibility, it demands responsibility. One day God will say to each of us who professes to know Christ, Turn in the account of your stewardship! (Luke 16:2). Not, Turn in someone elses account. Not, Turn in the account of your pastor or your youth minister or your Sunday School director. The time has come to ask the lazy, irresponsible Christian some hard questions. Why have you buried your talents in the earth? Why have you hidden your gifts under a bushel? Why do you live a useless life when you might be a blessing to many? Jesus told His disciples, If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me (Mark 8:34). If you want to be My disciples, Jesus was saying, you must live like people on their way to the gallows. Not crowns but towels are the insignia of Gods kingdom, and He best honors those who stoop and serve. To be a good steward of ones gifts in Gods eyes, to serve others in love and humility, is infinitely more important than to be a great success in the eyes of the world or even the church.

5:18 AM You dont have to be a fan of the Sound of Music to enjoy this beautiful ode.

5:15 AM Two of my Greek students have just published text-critical studies in our seminary journal, Faith and Mission (23:3, 2006):

Theron Stancil, A Text-Critical Evaluation of Acts 2:42 (pp. 17-36; argues for the originality of kai).

Robert Miller, The Text of Rom. 11:31 (pp. 37-53; argues for the omission of the second nun).

Congratulations to you both. Well done indeed.

5:12 AM While in Africa my greatest concern was whether Nathan would have to face a snow or ice storm by himself on the farm. So I was grateful to hear that the weather in southern Virginia was, to say the least, mild while we were away. It turned cold the very day we returned but its about to warm up again for the weekend. I see we werent the only ones to be blessed with warmer-than-usual temps in 2006.

5:10 AM In Ulm, um Ulm und um Ulm herum, and other German tongue-twisters.

5:08 AM I once wrote a little piece called The Death of English. I thought of that essay while introducing Greek grammar to my students this week. I reminded them that most of them would be learning English grammar for the first time. Yes, they had courses in English while in high school and college, but did they really learn how the language works? I believe learning a foreign language is probably the single best way to master your own language. At least I hope this becomes evident in the weeks to come.

5:03 AM Your Ethiopian missionaries are on the move again this weekend. If youre in the area, join us for our first post-trip report at Antioch Baptist Church north of Clarksville, VA. The service begins at 11:00 am.

5:00 AM Brent Thomas reviews Alexander Strauchs The Hospitality Commands. I concur heartily with what Strauch teaches about The Gospel of Hospitality.

Tuesday, January 9

5:50 AM Next time your hard drive crashes, go here.

5:45 AM Why study New Testament Greek?

5:42 AM I can remember the exact moment I fell in love with languages. It was the first day of 5th grade at Kainalu Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii. The teacher came into the classroom and asked us, “Como esta Usted?” “Muy bien, gracias,” was the reply she taught us. I absorbed the language like a sponge and wished she had given us more than a handful of Spanish phrases that year. But it was a start at least. In Alaba I met with the children regularly for language lessons. I taught them a song I made up that included the words “How are you” and “I am fine” in several languages, including German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Modern Greek, and even Hawaiian. Every night they would look forward to their lessons with “Papa B.” In Amharic I added the words “Jesus is Lord,” “God is good,” and “Jesus be praised.” On our final evening together they sang their song for their enthusiastic parents. One of them, Tekaleyn (center right in the photo below), even learned the Greek Alphabet Song in one easy lesson. Before I left Alaba he was writing messages to me in Greek, such as “I love you very much.” It’s amazing how quickly and easily children can learn languages, isn’t it?

5:34 AM Congratulations to Heavenly Heartburn on his first blogging anniversary.

5:31 AM Joy in the midst of persecution.

5:27 AM Greek students! Heres an interesting report (.pdf) showing that English is still the most widely-spoken second language in the EU. It reminded me of flying into Da Vinci Airport in Rome one day on an Alitalia airline in which the Italian pilot was required by international law to speak, not Italian, but English with the tower. In a similar way, Greek was the lingua franca in the first century A.D., the medium through which the apostles could communicate their message across the length and breadth of the Mediterranean world. It is not because Greek is inherently superior to the other languages of the world that God chose it for the inscripturation of the New Testament. It was simply the most widely known language of the day. It would be well, I think, to study it as we would any other language, according to the principles of linguistics (a fancy term for the study of how languages work). In our class we will take a mildly linguistic approach to the study of New Testament Greek, which means less rote memorization of paradigms and (hopefully) a greater understanding of what we are learning. So stick with it the rewards are literally out of this world. And remember: if you need help, I am only an email or phone call away.

5:21 AM I love horses. As everyone knows, I own and ride a former race horse (disclaimer: I bought him after his career had ended). He is worth every penny I spent on him, and he has kept me in great shape. But I also happen to love and admire the concept of freedom and limited government. Thus it is truly pitiful that the great state of Indiana has decided to subsidize horse racing to the tune of $27 million. Right. I suppose we should also ask the Federal Government to subsidize degenerate art. Oops, it already does!

5:16 AM Man, did I miss these guys.

Monday, January 8

6:39 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Miracle in Alaba. It’s the first of several post-trip reports. Many thanks again for your faithful prayers while we were gone.

6:34 AM Here’s an amazing thing. Baker Books has informed me that a publisher in Taiwan is producing a Chinese-language edition of New Testament Textual Criticism. There must be a seminary there that I don’t know about. By the way, it’s refreshing that a foreign publisher actually contacted my American publisher before releasing one of my books. Unfortunately this happens all too rarely.

6:30 AM A big DBO “thank you” to Tim Brookins at Scripta de Divinis for posting a review of The New Testament: Its Background and Message.

6:23 AM Today’s Back-to-School Day for a certain prof. And a mighty happy prof he is. There’s nothing quite like the classroom, especially if Greek is being taught. A story is told about Oliver Wendell Holmes, one of America’s most distinguished Supreme Court Justices. Holmes, at age 90, was in the hospital when President Theodore Roosevelt came to visit him. As the president entered the hospital room he noted that Holmes was reading a Greek grammar. Roosevelt asked, Why are you reading about Greek grammar, Mr. Holmes? Holmes replied, To improve my mind, Mr. President. Here’s a man at 90 still trying to learn something new. And so I wish all of my beginning Greek students, young or old, great success in their studies, despite the inevitable stresses and strains of learning a new language. Perhaps this “encouragement” will help:

“Greek is a language, at least it used to be; it killed off all my friends, and now it’s killing me. All are dead who ever spoke it, all are dead who ever wrote it, blessed death, they surely earned it!”

(While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out these vocabulary cards.)

Sunday, January 7

3:18 PM Greetings! Just back from the Mexican restaurant and visiting the nursing home. We arrived home this morning at 1:00 after 38 hours of travel in 5 airports. It was a fantastic trip in every way. Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying for us. Your prayers were answered in miraculous ways. I can’t wait to tell you what the Lord Jesus is doing in Alaba. First I’ve got to get caught up on your emails. I just wanted you to know that Becky and I are in great health, excellent spirits, and super-excited about writing our reports. Hold on to your hats! Thanks also to the Rondeaus for the supply of Doritos and salsa and the Igarishi family for the delectable goodies. Thanks especially to Nathan for taking care of the farm and the animals during our absence. I’m very sad to report that we lost Lily, our Nubian goat, to CAE while we were gone. The saddest part is that she was fully pregnant. Miss Lily would have made a wonderful mommy. I will miss her.

Onward and upward!

January 2006 Blog Archives

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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

January 2006 Blog Archives

Tuesday, January 31

7:54 PM A prominent leader in the homeschooling movement has been defrocked. People are asking, What should be done? Pauls answer is: restore him (Gal. 6:1). Help him confess his sins and find forgiveness in Christ. Then welcome him back into the fellowship. One test of true spirituality, writes F. F. Bruce in his Galatians commentary, is a readiness to set those who stumble by the wayside on the right road again in a sympathetic spirit. Like setting a broken bone, the process is bound to be painful, but the sooner the bone is set the sooner the healing can begin. This is no time for anyone to feel self-righteous. Being harsh or judgmental is excluded. But this is also no time for rationalizations. My prayer is that my brother, having been caught in a long series of trespasses, will not run from the truth but rather embrace it. I pray that he will submit himself to the loving discipline of God and his church and make restitution to the people he has hurt. And may we all remember: actions have consequences.

7:47 PM Weve been receiving plenty of emails from Ethiopia. It struck me that it was only a year ago that I was first introduced to the Lords work there. The three trips Ive made there in the past 14 months have literally changed my life. Its especially good to hear from our adopted sons and daughter and to see that they are doing so well. Its amazing to think that on Feb. 26 we will be celebrating Berekets first spiritual birthday. I still cant believe that God would let me in on all the fun. Reminds me of the song Unworthy by Ira F. Stanphill:

Unworthy am I of the grace that He gave,
Unworthy to hold to His hand;
Amazed that a King would reach down to a slave,
This love I cannot understand.

Chorus:

Unworthy, unworthy, a beggar;
In bondage and alone;
But He made me worthy and now by His grace,
His mercy has made me His own.

My sorrow and sickness laid stripes on His back,
My sins caused the blood that was shed;
My faults and my failures have woven a crown
Of thorns, that He wore on His head.

Unworthy am I of the glory to come,
Unworthy with angels to sing;
I thrill just to know that He loved me so much,
A pauper, I walk with the King

Lets continue to pray for a powerful work of the Holy Spirit in the church in Ethiopia in the days and weeks to come.

7:30 PM Heres a good discussion of the latest attack on the doctrine of grace, the so-called Federal Vision. All I can say is, What do people do who do not rely solely on the grace of God in their lives? I could not make it through a single day without it.

7:25 PM The great Robert Dabney had this to say about the text of the New Testament:

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.

Source: Robert L. Dabney, “The Doctrinal Various Readings of the New Testament Greek,” in Discussions by Robert L. Dabney: Volume I: Theological and Evangelical, edited by G. R. Vaughn (Richmond, Virginia: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1890), pp. 351, 389.

7:22 PM Greek students, Andrew Wilson just sent me an email with this heads-up:

Hi Dave,

Nice to have you back online again.

Just wanted to let you (and any of your students) know that I am organising an open-source, online NT textual commentary. The aim of the commentary is to give voice to the diversity of textual opinion and allow people to respond to others’ viewpoints and put forward different ideas in a respectful environment.

To read a brief summary of the project, go to www.nttext.com/nttop.html

Yours in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Andrew Wilson

My comment: I hope all of you will check out this site and consider contributing to it yourselves.

7:18 PM Other than the Gospels, my favorite New Testament writing is the book of Hebrews. I see Im not the only fan of Hebrews out there. A reader had this to say:

Bro. Dave,

I’m happy to see you reference the wonderful book of Hebrews. I think it is one of the most UNDER-taught books in the N.T. It’s one of my favorites along with Phi. and Romans. One of my favorite quotations is Phi. 2:9-11. But what I wanted to say is that when a preacher or teacher says he will be using Hebrews, you can bet your last bird dog that 99.999999- of the time, he will be using Heb. 11. I think that must be the only chapter that is taught in most seminaries. And the whole book should be the centerpiece of NT teaching in my opinion.

In Christ,

Buddy

Monday, January 30

6:33 PM It’s sad but true but pop culture has invaded Ethiopia. Becky spent several sessions counseling young ladies on our recent trip, and a big topic was modest clothing. Many of them had never thought about why they wore jeans before. It was good to see their positive response to Becky’s Bible teaching. Personally, I think young ladies look absolutely beautiful in dresses.

6:14 PM Been a busy day here at the farm. We put up about 400 feet of woven and barbed wire fencing along the back property line. The weather has been very mild so we worked in short sleeves. I am tired, hurting, and very happy. Working outdoors is good for the soul. Right now I’ve got a stack of books from the library I’m trying to work through. I’m also trying to write a response to the recent defrocking of a Presbyterian pastor. Becky has been hard at work preparing a video clip and some pictures for our Ethiopia presentations that begin this Sunday. We will be speaking in 10 different churches in the next 8 weeks. Still haven’t gotten a ride in on Trav yet, but farm work is more important these days. I used to be able to do both, but that was several years ago.

8:24 AM Here’s a church marquee I’d like to see sometime:

Senior Pastor: Jesus Christ

Ministers: Every Member

Assistants to the Ministers: Elders and Deacons

7:56 AM Notable quote:

The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He can not only forgive; he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which imparts sufficient strength to let the past be put the past.

7:50 AM Is cremation a legitimate option for a Christian? Rodney Decker recently posted an essay on this topic (.pdf). This is a great aid for anyone needing to work through this issue.

7:43 AM Monday morning shout-out to Brother Logan Carson and the congregation at Olive Branch Baptist Church in Wake Forest, NC. I had the privilege of speaking at this historic church (founded in 1865) yesterday. Dr. Carson (my colleague at Southeastern) and his deacons are pictured below. Yesterday was also their annual “Pastor’s Big Nibble” after the service, and the ladies of the church prepared a fantastic southern-style meal that included some terrific broasted chicken and collards.

I enjoyed the interaction with the congregation during my sermon and also the time of sharing they had mid-service. I wouldn’t mind seeing these ideas incorporated into more of our services in keeping with 1 Cor. 14.

7:38 AM In our New Testament class we will be studying in detail the discourse structure of several books. Here’s an essay I wrote years ago on the various ways of outlining the book of Hebrews. The conclusion reads:

Finally, even though expositors may continue to disagree among themselves as to the exact structure of Hebrews, there is still virtually unanimous agreement that illuminating exegesis involves an openness and receptivity to the text which are characteristic of the grammatico-historical study of the Scripture. In allowing the text to speak for itself and the author to be his own interpreter, one observes in Hebrews the literary mastery of an author who composed his magnum opus with the care of a Michelangelo working on the Sistine Chapel. This is obvious from the very first words (1:1-4), whose design is consistent with the language set forth throughout the epistle. Does not one get the impression that the magnificent prose in what Lightfoot has called “the most beautifully constructed and expressive sentence in the New Testament is intended to express not only the general theme of the writing but its compositional genre as well? Is it not possible that the writer is attempting to declare, at the very opening of his work, that the momentous theme which he is setting forth requires a literary style unparalleled in its beauty and form? Perhaps the opening words are not an exposition but an invitation, not the apex of the composition but the narthex of a great cathedral, whose grandeur and symmetry become apparent only to those of us who will enter and attentively linger within. Not in the forcing of the structure to the surface, but in the submersion of ourselves, is there hope for the future of investigation in this fascinating area.

7:26 AM More mission news. The Dada church is a rural congregation in a 99 percent Muslim area of Ethiopia. They have had 198 new converts since August. Their congregation numbers about 300, but they have only 20 Bibles. They are now memorizing 9 passages of Scripture, and their goal is to have at least 200 people complete all 9 passages by Easter. My Richmond students were the first to contribute to this new Bible memory program in the rural Muslim-area churches of Alaba. I’m asking my friends to join me in praying for this young congregation in a severely persecuted part of the nation. Below: The elders of the Dada congregation.

7:21 AM LeTourneau University is looking for an assistant professor of Biblical Studies.

Saturday, January 28

8:26 PM Check this out. Our son has been scavenging in North Carolina and found this lumber in a house built 150 years ago. I don’t know how he locates these properties. I think one of his spiritual gifts must be scrounging old buildings (with the owner’s permission, of course). We’ve unloaded these boards and he has already gone back for a second load. The plan is to use this lumber in building our next guest house. The weather is calling for rain on Monday so we’ll be unloading lumber again tomorrow. Who knows — I may even get a ride in.

8:19 PM Back home after a whirlwind trip. I had to run up to Richmond yesterday to teach my New Testament class. I love this part of Virginia. I can almost feel the history, it’s so thick. Years ago I became involved in Civil War reenacting but I never thought I would actually live in the Old Dominion state. A good spirit prevailed at my class in Richmond. We are focusing on New Testament principles of leadership and spent time on Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 and his description of a Christian leader in 1 Thess. 5:12-13. By the way, we are studying the Pauline epistles in their chronological (not canonical) order and loving it. This weekend we covered the Thessalonian letters and the book of Galatians. On the write-board we analyzed the structure of 1 Thess. 1:2-5 and 4:3-8 — and amazing patterns emerged. Let’s face it: most of us never get this far with our exegesis of the text, but it sure is rewarding. Let’s focus on studying the text and not what others are saying about it. Life between now and the second coming of Christ is too short to do otherwise. On the way home I had lunch with Becky in one of those restaurants with those funny little sayings posted everywhere, including this one: “There are three kinds of people — those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.” There’s tons of wonderful insights in the text but we have to “make things happen” by reading the text and not just the commentaries. At any rate, this weekend has been refreshing in every way, thus far at least.

Next up: teaching in Wake Forest in the morning and singing with our men’s group tomorrow night at our fifth Sunday singspiration at a church a few miles from our farm. Good old-fashioned country gospel music — can’t beat it.

Friday, January 27

12:08 PM Just added three more speaking engagements to our “On the Road” page:

Bethel Hill Baptist Church, Roxboro, NC, Sunday, Feb. 5, 11:00 am
Oxford Orphanage, Oxford, NC, Sunday, Feb. 26, 11:00 am
Raleigh Chinese Christian Church, Raleigh, NC, Sunday, Mar. 19, 11:15 am

At each of these services Becky and I will be reporting on our trip to Ethiopia.

11:52 AM J. B. Hood (what a great name for someone who lives in the South) has some excellent commentary recommendations on the Gospel of Matthew.

11:48 AM A reader sent me this nice email from Georgia:

Dave, thank you for that GREAT response about polygamy. Your response is the best Ive seen on a topic that is rarely discussed.

11:45 AM Right now Im buried under a pile of work getting ready for my New Testament class this weekend at Richmond. The focus will be on becoming a New Testament church and Im working on a major essay called 21 Reforms for the 21st Century Church. I hope to finish it next week.

11:32 AM A big Friday shout-out to this overcomer.

Thursday, January 26

5:59 AM Becky has just completed part two of our Ethiopian adventure.

5:53 AM An issue I ran across in Africa concerns whether polygamists who come to Christ can become members of a local church. In Ethiopia, a Muslim man who marries is encouraged by his parents to take a second (and third) wife as quickly as possible. The parents believe this will keep their son from becoming a Christian, since most Christian denominations will not accept polygamists into membership. This is a difficult issue, and I do not pretend to have the final answer, but I would like to some advice for my Ethiopian pastor friends. Here is an email I am sending to an Ethiopian church leader:

Dear ____:

I cannot tell you how much we miss all of you there in Addis. The Lord blessed us beyond what we could have imagined during our five weeks in Ethiopia, and a big part of that blessing was your help. I would like to speak with you briefly about an issue you raised during my visit. When you say that you have converted polygamists who desire to become members of your church, I assume that the women involved are members of the mans household, and not his mistresses or concubines (i.e., women used primarily for the mans sexual gratification). The latter relationships would, of course, be immoral and would have to be discontinued. Im quite sure you are referring to men who have taken, legally, two or more wives. It is my understanding that such an arrangement is a socially accepted marital unit in your culture. Of course, in Islam polygamy is a time-honored tradition and is sanctioned by the Koran. I assume that Ethiopia does not legislate against the practice?

At any rate, polygamy is not limited to Africa. It has existed here in America, most notably among the Mormons, some of whom still practice it. Neither Augustine nor Thomas Aquinas taught that polygamy was in itself evil. Only if its purpose was sexual pleasure was it considered evil. But as a means of propagating the race, it was not considered an offense to Gods moral law. Luther approved of the polygamous marriage of King Phillip of Hesse, his protector, and he advised King Henry VIII of England to take another wife rather than divorce his first wife. (Henry did not follow his advice). In 1531, several of my own spiritual forbears, the Anabaptists at Muenster, Germany, became polygamous, maintaining that he who wants to be a true Christian must have several wives. And, as you well know, David and other Old Testament believers had several wives.

So what should be the policy on polygamy among sincere Christians? (I am not referring to Christians-in-name-only.) I think it is obvious that the Bible neither explicitly advocates nor condemns the institution of polygamy (it is never listed in the lists of sins found in the New Testament, unlike adultery, fornication, etc.). In fact, it is portrayed as a divinely accepted institution in certain cultural contexts, where God apparently viewed it as a legitimate marriage. At the same time, the silence of the Bible does not necessarily give us permission to practice polygamy today. Perhaps the silence in Scripture is due to the fact that references to polygamy are almost exclusively found in the Old Testament, which, as you know from your studies, is largely comprised of historical narrative. Such narratives do not normally include value judgments or indications of Gods pleasure or displeasure.

So it seems to me that we must return to the broader view of marriage that is clearly established in Scripture (see Gen. 2, Matt. 19). This is Gods standard, or we might say ideal, for marriage, and here polygamy clearly falls short. God puts one man and one woman together in marriage, and this bond is to be an exclusive one. Remember, the marital bond is a picture of Christ and His church (Eph. 5), and there is only one Bride of Christ!

So to get back to your question: although monogamy is clearly and unquestionably God-established, is it the only acceptable marital institution to the exclusion of polygamy? Here are my conclusions according to the limited light God has given me.

Christians who practice polygamy should not become elders or deacons in the church (see 1 Tim. 3). This, to me, is the obvious meaning of the statement he must be the husband of one wife.

Men who are believers should not seek or be permitted to acquire a second or third wife, even if polygamy is socially sanctioned. They should always seek Gods ideal for the marital relationship.

Current polygamists who come to Christ should not be prohibited from baptism. If they are Spirit baptized (which they are, according to1 Cor. 12:13), they should be water baptized. Nowhere in the New Testament is baptism conditioned on a changed life. Obedience follows as baptized believers are instructed in the ways of the Lord (Matt. 28:19).

It is my opinion that polygamists who come to Christ should care for and support their wives financially. I do not recommend divorce in these situations, as this would only compound the problem and the divorced wives would likely be considered used furniture.

In short, although the New Testament teaches monogamy as the ideal or normal form of marriage, in my view it does not expressly prohibit polygamy except in the case of a church leader. Yet should not the qualifications for elders and deacons in 1 Timothy be traits that all Christians should strive to emulate?

One final thought. In the Old Testament, there are dozens of passages where polygamy is mentioned, and it always results in trouble, jealousy, and strife. The subtle hint is that polygamy is a great temptation to evil. As you know, Solomon had 700 wives. We read in Deut. 17:17: He [the king] must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. And then we read in 1 Kings 11:3: His wives led him astray. How tragic! Then there is the story of Lamech in Genesis 4 (where polygamy is mentioned for the first time in the Bible), a story that implies that polygamy is a corruption of Gods initial intention of what marriage should be. Therefore, it seems to me that just as God allowed divorce because of the sinfulness of man, so He evidently permitted polygamy for a time, even though it was (and undoubtedly still is) the cause of great heartache, much like divorce. As with every issue, you must go to the Scriptures (not to what I have said or to what your church’s traditions might be) and allow them to be your sole guide.

I was interested to learn that the evangelical church in Ethiopia inherited its policy on polygamy from the missionaries, who were in no hurry to baptize anyone but insisted on proven candidates because their model of conversion was a total one (fides implicita was not adequate; fides explicita was required). A similar thing occurred in Korea (where I have taught numerous times). Beginning in the late 1800s a heated discussion arose among the missionaries as to the requirements for church membership and what constitutes a credible profession of faith. A key issue was polygamy. The eventual outcome was the development of rigorous demands for membership. The Methodists separated baptism from reception into church membership as a probationary measure, while the Presbyterians adopted a pre-baptismal probation of six months, known as catechumen class. Mission concerns about polygamy changed baptism from a sign of conversion to a sign of sanctification a change that, in my view, cannot be justified from Scripture.

5:40 AM If Bush were really pro-life.

5:36 AM Wise words here from Doulogos on selfish church hoppers:

I think Jim hit the nail on the head – it is the pendulum swing that is dangerous. Throwing out one set of problems for another set of problems – when the root problem is all that really needs to be dealt with – a failure to submit to Christ.

If I am submitted to Christ, I learn to be content in whatever state the local assembly is in. It is not for me to fix His church, but for me to love His church. There are legitimate reasons to leave a church; but most people leave because they don’t love the people in the church enough to stay choosing instead to serve their own comfort and preference.

The church is cancerous – and the cancer is this: “I am here to be served” – and when that selfish attitude (bleeding in from the world) permeates the hearts and attitudes of people who are not grounded in Christ – it is fertile soil for discontentment. That discontentment grows sufficient in some people that they begin to blame the church for it, and not the worldly attitudes they themselves are embracing contrary to the Spirit of God.

5:30 AM I agree totally with Stephen Morses position on TV.

5:27 AM Tall Skinny Kiwi has published an interesting essay on church reformation. In fact, all 5 of his points are scriptural emphases of a biblical church (though he cites no Scriptures in the essay).

5:25 AM Over at Wood and Steel, Scott MacIntyre writes about the gullibility of evangelicals and their tendency to follow “leaders” blindly. I am becoming more and more concerned about this distressing phenomenon (among homeschoolers especially). Some of these “leaders” have huge followings (fan clubs might be a better word). Some families will even uproot themselves and relocate thousands of miles to associate with a particular person or church. Before you contemplate doing any such thing, please take a careful look at Scotts article. It is a feast of insight for all Christians. Read The Culture of Followers.

Wednesday, January 25

3:56 PM Hendrickson Publishers sent me a prepublication copy of Gary Longs Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Greek. The book will be available in a few months. Heres a brief paragraph I wrote for them to use on the cover:

Gary Long has written a book on a topic that most people would prefer to avoid. We all know that grammar is good for us, but we cringe at the prospect at having to relearn everything we learned (or were supposed to learn) in grade school. Add to that the study of a second language and one as challenging as New Testament Greek and you have a recipe for disaster. Enter Grammatical Concepts 101 for Biblical Greek. I rate this book as four stars (out of five) because it almost achieves the impossible it makes grammar as painless as possible. I will definitely recommend it as a reference tool to my Greek students. If anyone wants a concise, easy-to-understand definition of any given part of speech (both in Greek and English), its all here!

3:50 PM As both a blogger and a writer for the print medium, I appreciated this essay on the blessings of blogging. By the way, heres an example of blogging at its best.

3:47 PM Heres a witty ditty from Cowboyology. I too have had my share of unplanned dismounts. Its par for the course.

3:42 PM Jim Elliott (of The End of the Spear fame) once wrote:

Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes – ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself.

All I can say is Amen.

3:37 PM A big Wednesday shout-out to all of our new students, both at Southeastern College of Wake Forest and the seminary. I enjoyed meeting many of them last night at a reception given in their honor. Amazing how many are studying biblical counseling and are even willing to risk taking Greek to do it. My hats off to all of you.

3:30 PM People have been asking us, Have you recovered from your trip yet? Honestly, its been a tough transition. Becky is missing our adopted children to death but is handling it well. As for me, coming home has been a reminder of how the American church has deserted the Gospel. Dont get me wrong. Our trip was great sinners were saved, elders were instructed, women were mentored (by Becky, not me), miracles were witnessed. Its sort of like Pauls first missionary journey to Galatia, which was a huge success. But as soon as he left, the Judaizers arrived, and the church was giving up the truth. I suppose Im going through what Paul felt or what Moses experienced when he came down from the mountain only to find Gods people worshiping the Golden Calf. The technical word for this is apostatizing, which means abandoning the pure Gospel and the cross. We all are tempted to forget sometimes that Jesus is all we need. So what are Becky and I doing? Leaning on Him, focusing on others, and trying to remember why the one true Gospel is such amazingly Good News.

3:22 PM A friend told me that he is very upset over our saber-rattling vis-à-vis Iran. I am neither upset nor surprised. As Ive said, weve been in a war-mode for a long time, even though the results in Iran are hardly commendable. The great Machen (a Greek prof, by the way) put it this way:

I find there exactly the same evils that are rampant in the world centralized education programs, the subservience of the church to the state, contempt for the rights of minorities, standardization of everything, suppression of intellectual adventure….I see more clearly than ever before that unless the gospel is true and there is another world, our souls are in prison. The gospel of Christ is a blessed relief from that sinful state of affairs commonly known as hundred per-cent Americanism.

Much more could be said, but lets remember this: under the Christian just-war theory, a nation may wage war only as a last resort, i.e., when the nation is under attack or at least imminent threat of attack. I invite all of my neo-Orwellian friends to sit down and reread the Constitution of the United States. Meanwhile, there’s no need to become despondent. Chin up and knees down.

3:15 PM Tons of last-minute details to do today. I am especially excited about teaching one of my favorite subjects, New Testament textual criticism. One of the nice things about coming back after a five-week hiatus is seeing your faculty colleagues again and getting caught up on their travels. Two of my good friends just returned from Brazil, and one is on his way back from Thailand. Theres a spirit of missions on this campus like you cannot believe. Its going to be a great semester.

Tuesday, January 24

6:56 AM Our very best wishes to Rick Saenz as he begins homesteading. It’s a great life, brother.

6:38 AM Over at The American Conservative, Thomas Woods makes a statement I can identify with:

The very initiation of the war in Iraq constituted a breathtaking exercise of presidential power but one that has grown so common that it is hardly even noticed or commented upon any longer except by the occasional isolated constitutionalist.

6:27 AM Just saw this great ‘toon over at Chad’s blog:

For what it’s worth, here’s our two cents on the subject.

6:23 AM Miscellany:

1) I see that Becky and I haven’t been the only ones dealing with bed bugs recently. Strange, though. Our bedding contained numerous critters, but we actually got very few bites on our trip.

2) Dan Wallace reviews Bart Ehrman’s latest work on textual criticism. Here’s Dan’s conclusion:

In sum, Ehrmans latest book does not disappoint on the provocative scale. But it comes up short on genuine substance about his primary contention. Scholars bear a sacred duty not to alarm lay readers on issues that they have little understanding of. Unfortunately, the average layperson will leave this book with far greater doubts about the wording and teachings of the NT than any textual critic would ever entertain. A good teacher doesnt hold back on telling his students whats what, but he also knows how to package the material so they dont let emotion get in the way of reason. A good teacher does not create Chicken Littles.

3) Good news. Bereket leaves today for his village near Gonder. His sister will meet him at the airport. He will return to Addis in two months for his next eye exam. I know you will be praying for this young man and his family. (Please note: The political situation in Ethiopia remains tense.)

4) Textual students, you’ll want to take a peek at this blog entry about p46 and then go to the University of Michigan website and view some of the images. Fantastic.

5) What a cool site! (Yes, I read Hebrew, even though I read more of my Hebrew New Testament than my Hebrew Old Testament.)

6) Almost forget to say that only 2 of my 4 syllabi have been completed so far. I’m finishing up the others today. They’ll be posted here.

7) The Common Room has posted a wonderful ode to the classics. And to think that I didn’t take a foreign language (Greek) until I was a senior in college.

8) If you are prone to take your blogging too seriously, you must read this.

9) Free Bible anyone?

6:20 AM Questions, questions, questions here at Rosewood Farm! Which goat will give birth first? Will she have twins? What should we name them? Will Dave and Nate ever finish the barn extension? Will the ground ever dry off? And Trav wants to know, “Will I ever be ridden again?” Stay tuned….

6:15 AM Just added to our event calendar: The Battle of Sample Farm, a Civil War reenactment at the historic Latta Plantation near Charlotte, NC, March 25-26. Our son will be calling the period dance on Saturday night.

6:12 AM Writing on the subject of the modern CEO-driven church, Brent Davis says that we are missing the clear teaching of the New Testament:

The essence of the New Covenant is the priesthood of every believer, not just a few credentialed leaders who stand between God and the laity. Each person is responsible to, and dependent on Jesus Christ to carry out the Great Commission and Great Commandment. The local church is the context in which we live out the implications of our new found identity, not consume packaged events and experiences.

The whole article is worth reading if only as a reminder that the evangelical church has all but forsaken biblical principles of ecclesiology.

6:01 AM If you’ve ever visited Vatican City you’ve seen the colorful Swiss Guard, which just celebrated its 500th anniversary. If only we would be as diligent to guard and preserve the true teachings of our Pontifex Maximus, Christ!

Monday, January 23

7:29 PM We spent this gloomy and rainy day in the city of South Boston. After lunch at the local Mexican eatery (2 lunches for the price of 1!) my wife shopped for more eyeglasses and clothes for Ethiopia while my son and I repaired our pastor’s fence, trimmed his trees, and raked his leaves. Tomorrow I will be on campus for the new students’ reception and on Wednesday morning I will be advising all of the incoming Advanced Biblical Studies M.Div. majors. On Thursday I teach my first class of the new semester and I can’t wait to see my beginning Greek students again. I began teaching the one-day-a-week Greek course several years ago to help out our commuting students, and they in turn have risen to the occasion. Meeting only once a week has its drawbacks, but even so, over 1 out of 3 students in that class receive a semester average of over 100, so it must be working. We will launch directly into the second half of our grammar, then pause for a review of the entire indicative mood. The big question, of course, is: Who will receive the first “110 Award” this semester?

7:05 PM I am, I confess, not sure whether Becky and I will go and see The End of the Spear, not because we are disinterested in the story it tells, however. My father-in-law attended Wheaton College with two of the movie’s heroes, and I have long respected that generation of young collegians who felt called to the foreign mission field. Mom and Dad’s efforts led to the birth of the church in southern Ethiopia, and members of that church remember them with deep gratitude, for they made Christ known in places where otherwise His name might not have been heard or His salvation appropriated. That generation of missionaries sacrificed their families, their earthly comforts, and many of them their health so that the nations might be redeemed, that relationships might be transformed, and that people everywhere might find abundant life, the life we believe Christ came to bring (John 10:10). They stand as a ready reminder to our own generation that (as Lausanne put it) God “has been calling out from the world a people for Himself” in order that He might “send His people back into the world to be His servants and His witnesses, for the extension of His kingdom.” Thus, whether or not one sees The End of the Spear, we must never forget the contribution to world evangelization the missionaries of that generation made — despite (at times) their glaring weaknesses, their ethnocentricity, their American-style hymns and catechisms and covenants. Mom and Dad, your eldest daughter gained from you (and I from her) a realization that the “unfinished task of evangelism” will only be completed when the church has brought the Good News to bear on the totally of God’s fallen creation. For this we shall be eternally grateful to you and to God. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

(Below: Betty and Brad Lapsley, missionaries to Ethiopia, 1954-1964.)

8:29 AM Becky has written the first installment on our Ethiopia trip. It’s called Ethiopia Report (Part 1): Addis.

8:21 AM Long time DBO reader Buddy Walker sent me this kind email:

AMEN! to your article. I never cease to be amazed at the lack of Biblical qualifications possessed by so called “deacons,” “elders,” and in some cases, pastors concerning their abilities to teach the Word. One of the qualifications mentioned is that they should be “apt to teach.” In my opinion, a man shouldn’t even be considered for the position of deacon or elder unless he teaches a Bible study. And “pastors” who read a couple of verses from the Bible and then go off on a tangent completely diverse from what they read should be “defrocked.” TEACH THE WORD! That’s what Paul told Timothy and I’m sure he got that instruction from the Lord. Amen?

Have a great Lord’s Day.

Buddy

8:17 AM Did Jesus have a Boston accent?

8:15 AM Textual Criticism students! Check out this introduction to the discipline over at the Bible Dudes website.

8:07 AM Yesterday was Baptist Men’s Day. In my opinion, far from being an encouragement for men to assume their God-given responsibilities in the local church, the event actually perpetuates the deplorable distinction between “clergy” and “laity.” It has been said that this distinction is the “great demobilizer of the saints,” and I tend to agree. As long as one man is viewed as “the minister,” the other men in the church will scarcely challenge — indeed, they may hardly even be aware of — the unscriptural attitudes nurtured by the false clergy-laity division. I would that every Baptist man take earnestly his responsibility as a minister and reject once and for all the notion that Christian ministry is the work of a few professionals!

Sunday, January 22

9:07 PM Heres a question Ive been asked lately: Why are you and Becky so involved in missions? We see ourselves, quite simply, as stewards, not owners, of all that we have. We got out of the ownership business a long time ago. Jesus has become Lord not only of our individual lives but also of our marriage, our home, and our loyalties, affections, and obedience. We have 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 view not only our possessions as His but also the gifts, special abilities, and talents with which He has endowed us.

At the same time, the Lord Jesus has given us in recent years 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 masters purpose, goal, and concerns. He is trustworthy with his masters goods, and he uses all of his masters resources in the most effective way he knows how in order to achieve his masters objectives. From the point of view of his involvement with his fellow man, the Christian stewards 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. Do Becky and I still lay up for the future in view of our anticipated needs? Yes. But we also seek to function as channels through which the love and provision of God can flow to others. We have found this love to be needed not only in our culture but supra-culturally beyond our own borders. We believe that it is the nature of the Christians call to participate in the work of the Spirit in the world, always having an eye to the needs of others. Becky and I consider ourselves as a part, not only of our local congregation, but of the universal church as well. And, though we identify most closely with the western church, we recognize 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, we try to do what we can with whatever resources we have 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.

Coming tomorrow: Part one on our trip to Ethiopia.

Saturday, January 21

9:41 PM Miscellaneous bedtime musings. What a wonderful day it’s been. Nate and I drove together to Wake Forest and had lunch at a Chinese buffet before parting ways — he to go and help his uncle repair his deck, and I to attend to school business. On the way home we stopped by an old farm in Carolina to retrieve a 1900s pump organ from a barn. It barely fit into the back end of the van but we managed to get it home. We arrived after dark, with Nathan going out to feed the chickens and I giving the cattle, goats, and horse some extra hay to help stave off the cold. Although we are only 60 miles from Wake Forest the temperature drops off dramatically between there and here. I just polished off my nightly bowl of pop corn, the puppies eagerly helping me, of course, and now it’s off to bed in anticipation of Men’s Day at our church tomorrow. Africa is still very much on our hearts, and we anticipate at least 5 reports. Meanwhile I plan to ride Traveler just as soon as the ground dries. General Lee once said that his afternoon ride was essential for the health of both horse and rider, and I have sorely missed my outings on horseback. I saw plenty of skinny, starving horses in Ethiopia, but these are literally work horses. (We’ve got lots of pictures of our travels, and you are invited to drop in and see them at any one of our reports in the various area churches.) Only 5 more days until the beginning of the semester, and I sensed a spirit of excitement on campus today that the Lord will do a great work among us this year. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” would make a good motto for all of us (Joshua 1:9).

Have a good night, wherever you are.

7:44 AM Over at Christ, Family and Republic, Ryan Setliff wants to know why Christians are so complacent about the evils of statism. It’s a question I’ve often pondered. I think group-think is a big part of it. We go along to get along. It takes courage to stand up to tyranny, especially when it masquerades as beneficence. I believe, however, that God is raising up a new generation of humble Americans who see compassionate conservatism for what it really is — socialism — and are committed to returning, at least in their own households, to constitutional and biblical values. It’s a long, tough, road, but a rewarding one. Keep on keeping on, Ryan, and so will the rest of us.

7:38 AM The unrest in Ethiopia continues. Your prayers for this beleaguered nation are appreciated.

7:32 AM The latest addition to our home page is called Stonewall Was Right.

7:19 AM Here are some memorable sayings of Thomas J. Jackson, whose birthday we celebrate today:

People who are anxious to bring on war dont know what they are bargaining for; they dont see all the horrors that must accompany such an event.

It is painful enough to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. I have seen enough of it to make me look upon it as the sum of all evils.

I am in favor of making a thorough trial for peace, and if we fail in this and our state is invaded, to defend it with terrific resistance.

Once you get them running, you can stay on top of them, and that way a small force can defeat a large one every time.

Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit. Never fight against heavy odds if you can hurl your own force on only a part of your enemy and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one, and repeated victory will make you invincible. To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all fruits of victory is the secret of a successful war.

I had rather lose one man in marching than five in fighting.

I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, that I may save their blood tomorrow.

This army stays here until the last wounded man is removed. Before I will leave them to the enemy, I will lose many more men.

So great is my confidence in General Lee that I am willing to follow him blindfolded.

Never take counsel of your fears.

What is life without honor? Degradation is worse than death.

Duty is ours; consequences are Gods.

If you desire to be more heavenly minded, think more of the things of heaven, and less of the things of earth.

My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me.

7:10 AM Albin Huss of Calvary Baptist Seminary offers a critique (.pdf) of modern approaches to New Testament textual criticism. I tend to agree that we have reached a stalemate and that it will take a new generation of textual scholars to take us beyond the current impasse. We will be discussing this issue in detail in our course on textual criticism this semester.

Friday, January 20

6:11 PM The weather has been perfect for working outdoors. Below you can see the progress we’re making on the barn extension. We plan to build a hipped roof on the corner. The farm is doing great, thanks to our son’s care. We currently have 7 fully pregnant goats (thanks to Rusty). They’re too heavy to run so they just sort of waddle at top speed when you call them. Trav is as eager to be ridden as ever but the ground has no traction due to the recent rain (and you all know how we like to ride, don’t you?). Well, every doctor needs patience, right?

9:03 AM My thanks to Elgin Hushbeck for sending me a copy of the revision of his book Consider Christianity. I joined Dallas Willard in endorsing the book by writing: “Much is at stake today in defending the Christian faith against its numerous detractors and in presenting its major truth claims to open-minded seekers. This timely book shows how Christianity is ‘rational, reasoned, and relevant,’ and does so without using distracting jargon. I highly recommend it.” It’s available at Energion Publications.

8:55 AM My wife has gone to the grocery store to stock up our now depleted fridge. I hope the food prices don’t shock her too much. It is very inexpensive to eat out in Ethiopia, and the dollar has been gradually rising against the Ethiopia Birr for years. A good meal at an Ethiopian restaurant might cost 30 dollars to feed 11 or 12 people, including soft drinks (these tend to be the most expensive items on the menu). We rarely had to eat out, though; our hosts saw to it that we were very well fed. I don’t think I put on any weight this trip, but I didn’t loose any either. What really seems odd is eating with utensils instead of one’s fingers. I really miss the meals in Ethiopia, which are grand social affairs that can stretch on for an hour or more.

This weekend will be very busy as we try to complete the new shed and as I try to finish my syllabi. I usually have these completed and posted to the seminary website long before the start of the semester. This time I will be getting them done just in time. If you are a student, thanks for your patience and understanding.

8:16 AM Becky and I will be reporting on our trip to Ethiopia at the following churches:

Averett Baptist Church, Averett, VA, Sunday, Feb. 12, 11:00 am
Wyliesburg Baptist Church, Wyliesburg, VA, Sunday, Feb. 19, 11:00 am
Union Chapel Baptist Church, Union Chapel, VA, Wednesday, Mar. 15, 7:00 pm
Liberty Baptist Church, Henderson, NC, Sunday, Mar. 26, 7:00 pm

6:44 AM The latest addition to our home page is called The Great Need.

6:34 AM Just received this very kind letter:

Mr. Black,

I would like to congratulate you on writing an excellent article about General Lee. Thank you for not neglecting General Lee’s Christianity, as is so often done.

Also, thank you for pointing out some of the fallacies of Gettysburg. Too many people think that movie is historically accurate, much of it is far from being factual.

Respectfully yours,

D. R. P., Jr.
Eden, NC

In ten lifetimes I could never be the man the General was, but his life is a constant reminder to me of what God can do through a person who is yielded to Him. I look forward to posting my thoughts about General Jackson tomorrow.

6:23 AM As we ate popcorn last night I thought to myself, why is it that Ethiopians can make it so much better than I can? They have no electricity, no running water to clean their pots with, no microwave ovens, yet their “Fandisha” is terrific. Amazing.

Thursday, January 19

2:24 PM Becky just talked with our sons Samuel and Bereket in Addis Ababa. Bereket’s surgeon says he well enough to go home. He leaves next Tuesday. He will be returning to live with his mother Enquahonich and sister Ashageru in their hut, so we are buying him a mattress and pillow and a blackboard so that his sister can teach him the Amharic alphabet. We are also getting them a much-needed milk cow. Their animals stay with them in their hut at night. We are so excited about and proud of Bereket. At our last meal together on Monday night he gave a wonderful testimony of the Lord’s love and grace. He is returning to a very dark place spiritually, but he is determined to be a witness among the largely Orthodox population of his village. Please pray for this precious young Christian as he makes this adjustment, that he would bring great joy to his Savior and Lord. Here’s a picture taken during our visit to Bereket’s hut last year (left to right: Ashageru, Bereket, Becky, Dave, Enquahonich).

8:34 AM What a wonderful readership I have. I just checked my stats for 2005 and noticed that DBO had 2,323,544 hits between February 19 (when our new server and stats counter went up) and December 31. We also were blessed with100,000 unique visitors. I feel very humbled and honored that so many of you would take the time to read our musings.

I have many faults, but ingratitude is not one of them. Thank you.

8:04 AM Just finished a cup of coffee with my Ethiopian bride in — where else? — the Lee Room, enjoying the gorgeous sunrise the Lord Jesus sent us this morning and reminiscing about our trip. It hardly seems possible that just this past Sunday we were in our traditional outfits preaching and teaching in the Muslim town of Alaba. We can’t wait to fill you in on the details of our trip, but first we have to upload the pics to our computer and make a few important phone calls to Ethiopia to tie up some loose ends. Bereket is scheduled to return to his village in Gonder within the week and we need to complete arrangements for that. He is on fire for the Lord like you can’t believe and is growing (spiritually and physically) like a weed. His eyesight is also gradually improving. Our hearts are so full at this moment that we can hardly contain ourselves. Today the plan calls for Becky to unpack us and for me to get started building a barn extension for one of our hay balers, but sleep may be more important. Either way, it’s good to be home.

6:56 AM Today our home page features our essay How Tall Was Robert E. Lee? Yes, it’s the general’s birthday. For younger readers, Sean has an excellent book idea.

Wednesday, January 18

9:16 PM Miscellaneous thoughts at the end of our first day at home:

1) It was good to fellowship again with our friends at Averett Baptist Church. When we sang “where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there” I thought of our many friends in Ethiopia who are facing severe persecution this very night.

2) Walked the farm today and checked up on all the animals. Held Snowball in my arms for the first time in five weeks. I’m not ashamed to say that I love my animals. Jesus knows His sheep by name, and they hear His voice and follow Him.

3) I think the hardest part about missions is leaving the people you love so much. Our eight Ethiopian sons and one Ethiopian daughter are missing us sorely tonight, and we them. All of them are single and some are getting a bit anxious about finding a mate (one is 37 years old). On our last evening together I gave them four words to remember: Patience (don’t get ahead of the Lord in this matter; wait on Him and for Him); Responsibility (focus on what the Lord has called you to do, and He will bring your spouse into your life at the right time); Ask (we have not because we ask not; ask and you shall receive; be specific — pray for a wife just like the one described in Titus 2 or Proverbs 31); Yield (the Lord Jesus will not reveal His will to us if we are not committed to obeying it; if your calling is to be single, accept it). The acronym formed by the four words (PRAY) was to remind them that Becky and I are interceding for them daily.

3:07 PM I note that Southeastern Seminary bloggers have been very active lately. Matthew McDill has some wise words on pastors as sheep:

No matter who the leaders of the church are, they are still sheep, not the head shepherd.

If the leaders do not lead the church to follow Jesus, then the church should not follow them. They should also never select leaders that are not good at following the shepherd, leaders that Christ has not chosen. The goal always for all leaders and the congregation is to follow Christ.

I spent weeks speaking on this very topic in Ethiopia, where abusive models of pastoral leadership are rife.

Over at The New Testament Roundtable, Mark Owens links to his favorite commentaries on Ephesians. I tend to agree with Jim that Barth’s two-volume Anchor Bible Commentary is still the best. By the way, I studied under Barth at Basel and can still remember how detailed his lectures were, without using any notes whatsoever (Barth could barely see even with powerful eyeglasses). It’s that same detail and independence of judgment that I enjoy so much about his Ephesians commentary.

Finally, Brad Williams had me laughing and crying with his blog entry on Greek gurus. Here’s his peroration:

So relax O Greek guru. I love you and appreciate you. Keep parsing those verbs and figuring out those participles. Just watch the exegetical fallacies; someone will eventually call you on it. Oh yes, and if you ever start a sentence with, “What this really means in the Greek is….” you can rest assured that you are most likely going to say something redundant, silly, and conceited.

Keep up the good work, gentlemen.

2:31 PM They’ve finally moved in. Congratulations, Jay and Ruthanne.

2:29 PM Recent openings in biblical studies include: Tabor College (Bible) and Azusa Pacific University (Old Testament).

2:15 PM Darrell Dow has some interesting recommendations for the New Year, including “Shut down Dow Blog and pick up a book.” Sorry, Darrell, but that’s one suggestion I won’t follow. If you haven’t read the Dow Blog in a while, you are missing some excellent commentary on cultural and political issues.

1:53 PM My friend Lee Shelton has an excellent post on the gospel according to Robert Schuller. You can read it here.

1:36 PM A former student of mine, now pastoring in North Carolina, sent me this worthy appeal:

I have a friend in Kentucky, Lonnie Riley who is director of a ministry in
Lynch, Kentucky known as the Meridzo group (www.meridzo.org
<http://www.meridzo.org/> ). Lonnie has been led to start an equestrian
ministry and is looking for several good usable saddles for horses which can be donated to the Lord’s ministry in Kentucky. His desire is to use horses for rehabilitation purposes for young children and adults in the name of Christ. If you know of anyone that can donate any good usable saddles please have them email me or call me.

If you can help, write me for contact information. I am donating an English saddle.

1:15 PM I’ve been catching up on the news, having been without any for five weeks. I see my neoconservative friends are jumping aboard the Alito bandwagon. Here are some reasons why I’m not joining them:

Thanks to Michael Peroutka for sending me these links and for all he is doing to inform Americans about the role of the Constitution (and biblical law) in our society. Meanwhile I’ve been reading your letters, including those welcoming us home. Here’s one of my favorites:

Dear Dave and BeckyLynn Black,

Welcome home from Ethiopia! I just wanted to say thank you for your ministry in Africa, for the solid teaching on your website, and for your example of farming alongside your family. I appreciate how everything in your articles points to proclaiming Jesus as our Lord, and encourages our living in such a way that demonstrates our allegiance to, and service for, Him. It is wonderful that the two of you have the desire and ability to travel and do missions work for part of each year; and it is a blessing to see how closely you work together as husband and wife. It is a rare opportunity to be able to work on a farm in Virginia as well as at Ethiopian villages and universities. Thank you for your testimony, which you share in your writing and on your blog.

In Christ, R.

Special thanks to Lady Carmon for posting our prayer needs while we were gone. Margaret (of Mostly Harmless) published an especially touching prayer. You can read it here (scroll down). Your prayers were answered in a mighty way, Margaret.

One more thing: I plan to be in my office later this week, probably on Friday, so if you are a student and need a signature to get into one of my classes I will sign your forms then. My syllabi for the spring semester should also be posted by Friday afternoon. Can’t wait to get back into the classroom.

1:02 PM My son sent out this email while I was gone. I thought it had some good advice for anyone wanting to taste the difference between store-bought and free-range eggs.

I’m sorry, but we don’t ship eggs. I would recommend that you try typing in “free range eggs” in you search on the internet or also check the following sites for local egg farms:

www.eatwild.com
www.localharvest.org
www.newfarm.org

Each of those sites has a search listing for local farms. I hope you can find some. Thanks for your interest. If we can help you in any other way please ask. God Bless. Nathan Black

9:17 AM We’re back. Plopped into bed this morning at 1:00 am after a 34 hour journey. The Lord put us to sleep with the patter of rain on our roof. We’re weary but happy. Had a wonderful trip in every way. The Lord did “above and beyond,” as usual. You will simply not believe what we witnessed and experienced. As soon as we unpack and get caught up on emails I’ll begin my reports. You can expect lots of pictures.