2011 is the 400th anniversary of the publication of what is arguably the greatest piece of English literature ever written—the King James Bible. The story of its genesis and legacy is a fascinating one. Last month, we noted a series of lectures at Union University on the topic. This week, Justin Taylor points us to another lecture—this one by Carl Trueman at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. The lecture is entitled “Throwing the Book at his Enemies: James I and his Bible.” You can download it here or listen below. [audio:http://media2.wts.edu/media/audio/trueman10-18-11-copyright.mp3]
-
-
Can You Give an Answer When Called a Bigot?
Last night I happened upon this interview between Piers Morgan and Rick Santorum from last August. In it, Morgan accuses Santorum of being a bigot for supporting policies that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Piers Morgan criticized Santorum for his Roman Catholic beliefs, and I think Santorum parried the questions really well.
-
Would Augustine Invite Muhammad to Speak at His Conference?
Thabiti Anyabwile has written a hard-hitting piece titled, “Collateral Damage in the Invitation of T.D. Jakes to the Elephant Room.” You need to read the whole thing, but here’s a little taste: It’s difficult to see larger-than-life heretics given a platform in circles of pastors and leaders we respect and we regard as co-laborers in defense and confirmation of the truth…
-
Some Thoughts on The Elephant Room Flap
Tim Challies has weighed-in on The Elephant Room flap. He writes: As I think about round 2 of the Elephant Room, here is what I want to know: Will T.D. Jakes be challenged very specifically on what he believes about the Trinity? Will this be the elephant in the room when he sits there with MacDonald and whoever else? Will these men be willing to ask him very difficult, very nuanced, very penetrating questions? And if he finally says, “Yes, I am a modalist” will they then be willing to tell him, “You are a heretic; you are not a Christian”? If he proves himself to be a modalist, will…
-
What is a gay Christian?
Yesterday, the Baptist Press ran a slightly revised version of an essay I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the term “gay Christian.” Since then, comments have been appearing under that older post. I’m going to repost the Baptist Press article here so that we can open a new thread of comments. The article is below, and the comments are below that. Thanks for reading!
-
Are You a Scoffer?
Yesterday, we learned from Psalm 1:1-2 that “blessedness” is “happiness.” If you want to be a happy person, you have to avoid being like the wicked, the sinners, and the scoffers (v. 1). The root of blessedness—indeed of true happiness—is knowing God through His word (v. 2). There is one other item that we need to look at from verse one—the word translated as “scoffers.” Perhaps it is not too difficult to comprehend what David means by “the wicked” and “the sinners,” for in both cases he is talking about law-breakers. But what is a scoffer, and how do we avoid sitting in his seat? We can answer both questions…
-
Thousands of Ancient Greek Texts for Free in Logos
Logos has just added a valuable resource to its already expansive library: the Perseus Classical Collection. This resource is a collection of over 1,000 classical Greek and Roman authors, and it is all free of charge. The Greek and Latin texts are all in their original languages, and some of them come with English translations. Greek and Latin Grammars are also included in the package.
-
Where does happiness come from?
Sometimes the usual translation of Psalm 1:1-2 conceals the real point of the text. I have in mind the words that are commonly translated as “blessed” and “delight.” Take the NASB for example: 1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. The NASB has not mistranslated these two terms. It in fact tracks right along with many other major English versions (e.g., ESV, NIV, RSV). The problem is…
-
Are Formal Equivalence Translations Too Difficult To Understand?
Jim Hamilton refers to a poem from Lewis Carroll to argue that formal equivalence translations are not too difficult to understand. He writes: Proponents of Dynamic Equivalence are constantly telling us that translations that are Literal or Formally Equivalent or Essentially Literal or whatever are too complicated for people to understand. Just to be clear, we’re not talking about Young’s Literal Translation or the KJV or even the NAS. I’ve now heard from Americans, Englishmen, and Australians that the ESV is too difficult for people to understand. HOGWASH! That’s what we call nonsense in Arkansas. I think my friends in England call it rubbish. You get the idea. Jabberwocky, with…
-
KJV Festival at Union University
Union University recently hosted the “KJV400 Festival,” a conference celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible. All reports are that the conference was a great success. The audio from the conference is now available for free download from the Union University website. I have already begun listening to the plenary sessions, and they are fantastic. I have linked them below so that you can hear them too. There are many more presentations from the breakout sessions that are available at Union’s website.