We all know that the TNIV never really made a positive impression in the market. This is because of the anti-campaigns on one hand and Zondervan’s failure to promote it more on the other hand.
But Zondervan’s move to publish A Reader’s Hebrew and Greek Bible with the TNIV as the underlying text should help raise the stock of the TNIV:
I was compelled to post this video and the related comments: you see, I’m a big tennis fan and an even bigger fan of the Swiss genius, Roger Federer.
I cheered for the great Pete Sampras when he won his 14th at the US Open (2002). And then bowed out as the winnest.
But along came the Swiss:
A year after Peter Sampras retired—2003—Roger Federer won his first grand slam title (Wimbledom), and six years later—2009—he would surpass the great Pete Sampras. Wow!
But 2009 didn’t begin as that dream year for Mr. Federer: he lost the Australian Open in fives sets against his nemesis Rafael Nadal. And yeah, he smashed a rocket in frustration in losing to Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
In fact, tennis greats like John McEnroe began to right off the Swiss.
But the Madrid Open on clay would be the tournament Mr. Federer needed. He would beat his nemesis and a few weeks later, go on to win the elusive French title, which was denied him the previous four straight years by Mr. Nadal—that fearless one from Majorca, Spain.
And now he’s Wimbledom champ again, after an epic battle with American Andy Roddick.
Apparently the Hebrews tied their emotions to their internal organs. For example, to capture the intense emotions of YHWH, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah turns to an internal organ:
Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to Me,
a delightful child?
Whenever I speak against him,
I certainly still think about him.
Therefore, My inner being yearns for him;
I will truly have compassion on him.
[This is] the LORD’s declaration. (Jer. 31:20, HCSB, emphasis added)
Behind “inner being” is the Hebrew noun מעה, me`ah, “inward parts, bowels, belly, intestines.” Literally, Jeremiah is saying that the “intestines” of YHWH was yearning for Ephraim.
To me this is cool stuff. You got to love the Bible!
Blogger CD-Host, in the post The SBC is Wary of the likes of Mark Driscoll, referring to Driscoll says that “we need a real conservative who actually understands postmodernist thought.”
Pastor Mark Driscoll views himself in the same light:
He preaches the Jesus of the Historic Christian Faith.
He has to contextualize the gospel in his city, becoming all things to all people to save some (1 Cor. 9:19-23)—without compromising.
He believes many in the Emergent community are engaging in heresies—because they continue to redefine the God of the Bible.
Pastor Driscoll was responding to a letter from Phil Johnson, executive produce of Grace to You, a half-hour radio program that features the teaching ministry of Dr. John MacArthur.
I’m a big fan of tennis and an even bigger fan of Roger Federer, the Swiss genius. Looking forward to him surpassing the great Pete Sampras at Wimbledon on Sunday—he’s going for his 15th singles grand slam title.
And then Saddleback church and pastor Rick Warren came into the mix because of the handling of one particular abusive situation, which led teaching pastor Tom Holladay to say:
“There’s something in me that wishes there was a Bible verse that says if they abuse you in this and such kind of way then you can leave them,” said Holladay, but sadly, he concluded, there wasn’t. “It’s not like you can escape the pain,” he said, since the “short-term solution” of divorce leaves the “long-term pain” of a failed marriage. Holladay further qualified that domestic abuse meant regular beatings, not simply a spouse who “grabbed you once.” (read more…)
And leading evangelical voices seem not to be helping:
Some conservative churches push submission teachings to an uncomfortable degree. In 2008, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor Bruce Ware said that when male headship is challenged by women seeking to “have their way, instead of submitting to their husbands,” husbands may “respond to that threat to their authority” by becoming abusive. James Dobson argued in his marital therapy book, Love Must Be Tough, that abused women shouldn’t divorce but separate and try to change their husbands’ behavior. He also warned against women who bait men into abuse to gain the “prize” of bruises to display. (read more…)
Physical and emotional abuses against our sisters in the Lord need to stop. How can we think they’re okay?
But I don’t think these abuses are the logical outworkings of a complementarian reading of the sacred Scriptures.
And I too wish the Bible had been more specific in situations like these…
I’m sure CJ has a lot to offer in terms of sound pastoral advice to a young pastor like myself. But he makes it rather difficult for me to listen to him.
Here’s why: he takes forever to get to what he really wants to say.
I don’t mind a few introductory remarks. But don’t go on and on about the weather, the traffic, and the like.
Read the text, offer a prayer of you wish, and then get to the Word.
One pastor encouraged his congregants to bring their firearms to church—a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other:
Ken Pagano, the pastor at New Bethel Church, prepared to try a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun at a shooting range.
Ken Pagano, the pastor of the New Bethel Church here, is passionate about gun rights. He shoots regularly at the local firing range, and his sermon two weeks ago was on “God, Guns, Gospel and Geometry.” And on Saturday night, he is inviting his congregation of 150 and others to wear or carry their firearms into the sanctuary to “celebrate our rights as Americans!” as a promotional flier for the “open carry celebration” puts it. (read more…)
The pastor continues:
“God and guns were part of the foundation of this country,” Mr. Pagano, 49, said Wednesday in the small brick Assembly of God church, where a large wooden cross hung over the altar and two American flags jutted from side walls. “I don’t see any contradiction in this. Not every Christian denomination is pacifist.” (emphasis added)
“God and guns were part of the foundation of this country”—so we should have a bunch of gun toting believers? This is madness!
Pastor Ken Pagano will have to give an account for this madness.
The SBC met on June 23-24 and several resolutions were offered. The controversial Mark Driscoll was at the end of several:
Five motions directly or indirectly related to the controversial Mark Driscoll, senior pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Wash., and founder of the Acts 29 church planting network. Driscoll is known for vulgar speech and questionable biblical interpretations… (read more…)
So how vulgar is pastor Mark? I really don’t know.
But why do we need resolutions against the likes of Mark Driscoll?
(In fact, a resolution was offered to rid all LifeWay stores of Driscoll’s books.)
– that author Mark Driscoll’s books be removed from LifeWay Christian Bookstores because of his “reputation for abusive and ungodly language and … promotions of sex toys on his church web site,” submitted by Jim Wilson, pastor, First Baptist Church in Seneca, Mo.
What is the matter with some Southern Baptists?
Now if pastor Driscoll preaches heresy, then that’s another matter—at least to me.
Sometimes I find myself neglecting my Greek for weeks upon weeks. Yes, I would still consult for sermon preparations. But it doesn’t feel the same to me—I mean reading for both devotion and edification.
Back in school, one professor of mine would go through his Greek New Testament every year (I believe he still does it).
And I haven’t been nearly as disciplined.
But I just read Philippians one in the first edition of A Reader’s Greek New Testament ( I had it leather bound in 2004)—in hopes of reading all four chapters.
I almost cried when I thought I was going to lose my blog that has become somewhat of a museum of my thoughts and the thoughts of others on so many important theological and biblical topics.
That close call has given me renewed interest in newleaven.com.
I know that the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) is considered a fairly good translation and so on. And I agree that there are some really good spots in it.
But other times I just have to wonder—here’s an example:
About mattersof the spirit: brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. (1 Cor. 12:1, HCSB, emphasis added)
“Matters of the spirit,” how ambiquous is that! Is that what Paul had in mind with his use of the Greek adjective πνευματικων, pneumatikō n? I doubt it.
Rather, Paul has the “spiritual gifts” or “things that come from the Spirit,” that is, the “spiritual gifts” (vv. 4-11), in mind (see Anthony C. Thiselton for a brief but excellent discussion on the matter, going all the way back to Tertullian, Chrysostom, and so on, 1 Corinthians in NIGTC, pp. 909-910).
Just about every translation I checked has either “spiritual gifts” or something to that effect.
(HT: Nick Norelli)
C.J. Mahaney is a Charismatic Calvinist and leader of 
