The blog “God Didn’t Say That” has a useful discussion of three types of errors that occur in Biblical manuscripts. We’re used to mass-produced Bibles printed by machines, so we forget the type of errors that are found in handwritten manuscripts. (Try, someday, to copy a page from the Bible by hand, and when you’re … Continue reading »
Tagged with Bible …
Bible Translations Keep Coming
This story in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel looks at two freshly-revised translations (the NAB and the NIV) and does a fair job of describing some of the issues involved in translating (or updating a translation of) the Bible. Consider, for example, the discussions that might have led to these decisions: In the Catholic Bible, for example, … Continue reading »
Lost and Found in Translation
N.T. Wright, a distinguished New Testament scholar, has an interesting article about the issues involved in translating the Bible. Well worth your time.
King James Bible at 400
From a couple of weeks ago, a brief article in the New York Times on the importance of the King James Bible. This year is the 400th anniversary of its printing. I’ve been writing short articles about the King James Bible, and I suppose I should upload them here.
New Years Resolutions: What Should We Work On?
The Bible describes a series of mass deportations after the empire of Babylon conquered Israel’s southern kingdom of Judah. Great numbers of Israelites were taken to Babylon from about 600 BC and especially after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. But Babylon had its own problems, and when it was conquered in 538, the … Continue reading »
Glimmers of Hope (Even in Jeremiah!)
For the past several weeks, my devotional reading plan has had me in Jeremiah. And, you know what? That’s not the most uplifting book in the whole Bible. (Yes, I’ve read the “good bits” in chapters 29-33.) The readings for the past week or two haven’t been much fun, with all sorts of threats (“oracles”) … Continue reading »
Eye Contact
There’s something shocking in Song of Songs. I know, that’s kind of a commonplace these days. “Song of Songs says things you’d never believe were in the Bible.” For example, one of my favorite parts of scripture is Song 7:7-8, which I can’t link because then this blog would be NSFW. I understand: if you’ve … Continue reading »
A famous preacher
Buried amid all the stewardship material in 2 Corinthians 8-9 is this little tidbit in verse 18: With Titus we are also sending one of the Lord’s followers who is well known in every church for spreading the good news. (CEV) Some thoughts that passed through my mind reading this: Who is this preacher? Apollos? … Continue reading »
“A little help!”
The NRSV has a strangely bland translation of Romans 15:24: when I go to Spain. For I do hope to see you on my journey and to be sent on by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little while. The bland part is where it says “to be sent on.” That’s a … Continue reading »
What Do You Want From Life?
“What do you want from life?” Everyone answers that question differently. What I mean is this. Everyone wants to be happy. There are things we want to accomplish. We want financial security. We want to be in relationships with other people. But we’re all unique, so we all want these different things in different proportions. … Continue reading »