I recently obtained Richmond Lattimore’s New Testament translation. Nathan Stitt found a used hardcover (which is beautiful) for me that’s like new. Thanks again. The photo above is without the dust jacket. The dust jacket can be seen at the bottom of this post. A paperback edition is widely available.

This is a book book not a Bible-like book. It has pages that are the thickness of a regular book, single column and no verse numbers. I would like to read the whole NT using this sometime.

I looked up quite a few passages that I have memorized to see how they compare. It’s interesting to read a translation that’s fairly different than what I’m used to but not a wild paraphrase and then also look up the passages in 3-4 other translations. This was a great exercise.

Most of what I have memorized from the past is NIV and I’ll use TNIV for comparison.

Philippians 4:5-6 TNIV
Let your gentleness be evident to all. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:5-6 ESV
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:5-6 Lattimore
May your goodness be made known to all men. The Lord is near; never be anxious, but in every prayer and entreaty let your requests be communicated with thanksgiving to God;

The first thing I noticed is the punctuation at the end of verse 5. I have vv. 6-9 memorized and never really thought about :5b being “an introduction to what follows” (see below). Most translations have a period at the end of verse 5 including NRSV, NASB and HCSB. ISV uses a colon. NET has an exclamation mark so I guess they thought Paul got really excited at that point in the letter!

Then about a week later I was reading Gordon Fee’s commentary:

…one cannot tell whether Paul intends it to conclude what precedes or introduce what follows, and therefore whether it expresses future or realized eschatology. Does he intend, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; and let your gentle forbearance be known by all, for the [coming of] the Lord is near’? or ‘Because the Lord is [always] near, do not be anxious about anything, but let your requests be made known to God’? or does he intend a bit of both, perhaps something as close to intentional double entendre as one finds in the apostle?

I included the ESV because it has the same punctuation and a little different wording. The ESV’s “the Lord is at hand” is an interesting take on it but like so much of the ESV, it’s so archaic I don’t really know what that means.

Hebrews 12:8 TNIV
If you are not disciplined–and everyone undergoes discipline–then you are not legitimate children at all.

Hebrews 12:8 Lattimore
If you go without the discipline which all are born to share, you are bastards, not sons.

That one is a little shocking but for you youngins keep in mind this is an older definition of the word, not the meaning of being a jerk. It’s still offensive though and probably to positive effect.

1 Peter 2:11 NIV
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:11 TNIV
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:11 Lattimore
I call upon you then, dear friends, as resident aliens and transients in this world to refrain from carnal desires, which take up arms against the soul.

(Digression: This shows that the TNIV is truly an update to the NIV, not just a gender inclusive version of the NIV.)

This was my favorite of the ones I looked at. Resident aliens and transients in this world really resonates with me. Resident aliens is reminiscent of the OT. We are now living in this world but foreigners–in it but not of it (John 15:19, John 17:14). While “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves” (Col 1:13), in this world we are transients passing through until we are in the new heaven and the new earth (Rev 21:1).

Dust Jacket Image

Can Christians Become Demon-Possessed? (<– link) by John MacArthur

What does God’s Word, the touchstone of truth, say? Can demons inhabit or spatially indwell a true believer? Can they walk through an open door and become a squatter? Proponents of today’s spiritual warfare movement say yes, but they base their answer on subjective experience, not on God’s Word. The Bible makes it clear that such a claim has no justifiable basis.

–John MacArthur

if there is no real and lasting change in people who think they are converted, their religion is worthless, whatever their experiences may be.

–Jonathon Edwards

The Irish Calvinist reviews a book called In My Place Condemned He Stood. In it he says, “The introduction into John Owen’s The Death of Death [in the Death of Christ] is worth the book.” I did some looking around and found this to be available at various web sites:
http://www.all-of-grace.org/pub/others/deathofdeath.html
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/deathofdeath.html

Introduction and the book by Owen:
http://www.lgmarshall.org/Owen/owen_deathtable.htm

In My Place Condemned He Stood is a new book and I look forward to reading that one someday.

I’ve been tagged by TCR for a Weird Worship meme. See where this originated at Lingamish’s Weird Worship meme.

Here are my slim pickings.

“Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya” – after about three kumbayas I can’t wait until the song is over. And how many people know what kumbaya means?

“I surrender all” – I don’t think the vast majority of the people singing this realize what they’re saying, are willing to surrender all or are even able to surrender all. I’m waiting for a song about loving Jesus so much that we won’t ever sin.

This is a song that I hope nobody else knows because once it gets into your head it’s maddening:
“My Bible (my Bible and I)
My Bible (my Bible and I)
Oh oh oh, oh oh
What a wonderful treasure
God gave without measure
We are travlin’ together
My Bible and I”
That’s the whole song so it’s repeated about nineteen times. Or so it seemed. I haven’t heard this song in over 20 years and now it’s back in my head. Thanks a lot.

I would like to tag Stefan but he’s been quiet so I’m not sure if he’s around or up for it.

I would like to post something good while I’m at it:

How firm a foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.”

–Anonymous or at­trib­ut­ed var­i­ous­ly to John Keene, John Kirk­ham or John Keith

Westminster books often has free chapters for some of their books. This month’s newsletter has a few including the 1 and 2 Peter and Jude which has two chapters and 46 pages from Thomas Schreiner’s new book New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ.

Also see: P & R Publishing Sample Chapters

Just a heads up that the pre-order deadline for the The ESV Study Bible from their web site is May 15.

However you can also pre-order the hardcover from Amazon for 36% off the retail price plus another 5% off for pre-ordering. I don’t know if they will be offering the leather editions. I just want it for the study related stuff and plan on getting the hardcover.

This illustration is inspired by what I read in the book Trusting God by Jerry Bridges. It’s a wonderful, life-changing book that I read during a very stressful time in my life. Here is a quote related to the illustration:

[God's] sovereignty is exercised primarily for His glory. But because you and I are in Christ Jesus, His glory and our good are linked together. Because we are united with Christ, whatever is for His glory is also for our good. And whatever is for our good is for His glory.

God’s Sovereignty (TNIV for all these):

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Psalm 135:6
The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.

Exodus 4:11
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

God’s Glory:

John 9:2-3
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Revelation 4:11
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Our Good:

Romans 8:28-30
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

I hope those who are color inclined can appreciate the text’s secondary colors that correspond to the triangle’s primary colors.

The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul

In my first book review on this blog I’d like to start out with a passage of Scripture and a quote from the book.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2 NKJV).

he [Paul] told the Corinthians he had determined to know nothing except Christ crucified. Clearly Paul was determined to know all kinds of things besides the person and work of Jesus. He wanted to teach the Corinthians about the deep things of the character and nature of God the Father. He planned to instruct them about the person and work of the Holy Spirit, about Christian ethics, and about many other things that go beyond the immediate scope of Christ’s work on the cross. So why, then, did he say this? The answer is obvious. Paul was saying that in all of his teaching, in all of his preaching, in all of his missionary activity, the central point of importance was the cross.

Those are mentioned on pages 3 and 4 and serve as a good basis for the book.

Generous use of Scripture is utilized including exposition of longer passages like Genesis 18 and rules about slaves and marriage in Exodus, which to me is a bonus. We even get some lessons in history like learning a bit about Anselm of Canturbury and how limited atonement was first widely articulated by Augustine. Useful but short personal anecdotes are used sparingly with Scripture taking center stage.

The book serves a wide audience. He uses theological terms but always defines them for those who may not have a wide vocabulary in that area.

Some other interesting topics he goes into:

• three distinct ways in which sin is described: debt, enmity, crime
• expiation and propitiation
• what blessed and cursed means in the OT (Gal 3:13)
• the sacrificial lamb and the scapegoat and how Christ fulfilled both parts of the sacrifice
• misunderstandings of limited atonement (a hot issue for some)

just to name a few of those that especially interested me.

I would like to have seen him go more into original sin. Maybe it wasn’t in the scope of this book.

This was the first book of R.C. Sproul’s that I’ve read. I thoroughly enjoyed his writing and teaching style and look forward to reading more of his books.

Other reviews:

• Challies.com
• The Shepherd’s Scrapbook
• Connecting
• Words of Grace

Sometimes we get a little cerebral and it’s nice to see some passion out there.

Don’t Waste Your Pulpit on Irish Calvinist’s blog (not just for pastors)

In Awe of What I Hold in my Hands on the blog I’ll call iFollowChrist

This blog’s name expresses how I feel about getting to hear from God through Scripture but it’s often difficult for me to put into words so I thought I would post a couple of links that I like a lot.

Psalms 19:7-11 HCSB
7 The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;
the commandment of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.
10 They are more desirable than gold-
than an abundance of pure gold;
and sweeter than honey-
than honey dripping from the comb.
11 In addition, Your servant is warned by them;
there is great reward in keeping them.

Photo © Scripture Zealot