It was only yesterday, after laying down the Bible, that I wondered what kind of mind I would have had if I had not the Book of God, the Book containing the astounding idea of ‘from everlasting to everlasting,’ the development of all that is worth knowing … One would think, that as I have critically and, I think, devoutly read and examined every verse, every word in the Bible, some a score of times over, I should not require to open the pages of that unspeakable blessed Book. Alas, for the human memory! I read the Bible today with the same feeling I ever did, like the hungry when seeking food, the thirsty when seeking drink, the bewildered when seeking counsel and the mourner when seeking comfort. Don’t you believe all this? For alas, I read it sometimes as a formal thing, though my heart condemns me afterwards … I am yet astonished at my own ignorance of the Bible!

–Robert Moffat

HT: Challies.com

There is something about the Bible that can instill confidence in God in a way that nothing else can. God speaks to our hearts through his Spirit, and we come into closer relation to him.

–G.K. Beale, 1-2 Thessalonians

We have become so accustomed to hearing preachers or expositors, as important as that is, that many in the process have abandoned the grand privilege of personally hearing from God’s Word daily.

–Ravi Zacharias

I must admit that the word propitiation is a minor shibboleth for me. If Romans 3:25, Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 2:2 and 1 John 4:10 don’t have it, I get negative thoughts. When I found out my NRSV that I carefully chose over two years ago, without having looked at these verses, didn’t have it I almost switched to the ESV immediately before I came to my senses. (I previously used the NIV for 20 years because it’s what everybody else read. When I got more serious I realized I didn’t really like it compared to others even though it’s a fine translation.)

I’ve come to dislike the archaic language in the NRSV and over time have really warmed up to the HCSB for many reasons which I won’t mention because this post is too long already. Except that of course it has the word propitiation. I was 99% sure I was going to switch to this when the update comes out next year but I’m being patient and keeping an open mind.

A quick look at Romans 3:25 in the NLT shows that it doesn’t say propitiation. Oh well. As far as a dynamic equivalent (formerly known as thought-for-thought) translation goes, I like how the NLT does it. But I like the idea of some of the literal aspects of the HCSB.

So I took a look at the first part of Romans 3:25 again in the NLT more carefully:

For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us.

Isn’t that just what propitiation means? Isn’t this better than “atoning sacrifice” or “sacrifice of atonement” that some other translations use? For me this would be so. Again, I’m not disparaging other translations and I know this idea is complex and beyond me to make any authoritative judgments. Reading Douglas Moo’s take on it was confusing to say the least.

This really makes me pause. For some reason I still fight against the idea of using a dynamic equivalent translation as my main Bible. I always wonder if more interpreting is going on than with a more literal approach. I’m still leaning towards the HCSB.

That’s enough rambling for now. Maybe I’ll post again as I become more decisively indecisive.

Comments welcome as always.
Jeff

A friend of mine has a book called Sparkling Gems From The Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word which has always intrigued me but I didn’t want to spend the time reading it every day with all the other stuff I want to read.

Many of us were introduced to the new Koinonia blog and on Monday I read the post entitled Monday with Mounce 1. In reading the article I was interested to read his take on the Greek of Romans 1:5, even though I don’t know Greek. Then for some reason, to my surprise this well-known Greek scholar goes into application. This is very refreshing and to me very valuable. It reminds me of what the Sparkling Gems book contains but this is a manageable once-a-week article (not that Sparkling Gems couldn’t be read infrequently) and it’s free.

As an aside, it’s nice to see that although he served as the New Testament chair of the ESV Bible translation he also says that the TNIV (probably) got it right in this case. Which is nice to hear, since these two translations unfortunately often have two vehemently opposing camps.

I’ve been gathering all the reviews that I’ve come across and am posting them in an easy to read format. Please reply with any others I have missed.

A Friend of Christ:

• My View – NLT Study Bible

According to the Scriptures:

• NLT Study Bible-a Review

Ancient Hebrew Poetry:

• Upcoming Reviews on the ESV and NLT Study Bibles
• The ESV and NLT Study Bibles on Psalm 2: A Comparison (Part 1)
• NLTSB and ESVSB on Psalm 2 (Part 2)

beauty of the bible:

• A Week With the NLT Study Bible

Bible Geek Gone Wild:

• Book Review – NLT Study Bible

Biblia Hebraica

• Battle of the Study Bibles: NLT vs ESV, Part 1
• Battle of the Study Bibles: NLT vs ESV, Part 2
• Battle of the Study Bibles: NLT vs ESV, Part 3

BRYON’S WEBLOG:

• NLT Study Bible: Preliminary observations
• NLT Study Bible – Pt 1
• NLT Study Bible – Pt 2
• NLT Study Bible – Pt 3 and Conclusion

Christian Monthly Standard:

• NLT Study Bible- What Is Inside
• NLT Study Bible and Mark 11:13-14
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, and “Heavenly Places” (Ephesians 1:3)
• NLT Study Bible vs. ESV Study Bible- Introducing the Prophets
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, NIV Study Bible and “Quirinius” (Luke 2:2)
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, and Jesus’ Genealogy (Luke 3:23-38)
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, and The Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-23)
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, and “Satan Falling Like Lightning” (Luke 10:18)
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, and “Hanged On The Gallows” (Esther 2:23)
• NLT Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, and “The Last Days” (Isaiah 2:2)

Contemplations of a Young Calvinist:

• NLT Study Bible Review 1 – Initial Thoughts
• NLT Study Bible Pics – Leather Edition
• Review: The NLT Study Bible Part 1 (Section Introductions)

Dr. Mellow

• NLT Study Bible: First Impressions

Exegete Reflections:

• NLT Study Bible – Review 1
• NLT Study Bible – Review 2

He Is Sufficient:

• NLT Study Bible: focusing on historical context
• Comparing [Ezekiel] notes on the NLT Study Bible
• Ezekiel redux: NLT vs. ESV study Bibles

Internetmonk.com

• Recommendation and Review: The NLT Study Bible

Iyov:

• Problems with notes in the NLT Study Bible

Just After Sunrise:

• Review: NLT Study Bible

Lingamish:

• NLT Study Bible or Devotional Bible?

living the crucified life:

• The NLT Study Bible on Genesis

New Leaven:

• A Review: The NLT Study Bible
• The NLTSB Meets the ESVSB on The Book of Jonah
• The ESV SB Meets The NLT SB on Col 1:15 – interesting comments

New Epistles:

• The NLT Study Bible by Tyndale House

New Testament Perspectives:

• NLT Study Bible: First Impressions

Participatory Bible Study Blog:

• Comparing Study Bible Introductions to Luke

PastoralEpistles.com:

• The PE in the New NLT Study Bible

psalterium:

• NLT Study Bible on the Psalter

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth:

• NLT Study Bible: Initial Observations
• NLT Study Bible: A Pictoral Review
• NLT Study Bible: Book Introductions (1)
• NLT Study Bible: Introduction Features (2)
• NLT Study Bible: General Layout
• NLT Study Bible: Final Thoughts

Scripture, Ministry and the People of God

• The NLT Study Bible: A Review Part 1 of 3

Scripture Zealot:

• Brief NLT Study Bible Observations

This Lamp:

• NLT Study Bible: Hands-On Review [UPDATED]

>NLT Study Bible Blog

NLT Study Bible video on YouTube:

Updated: 1/22/09

at Amazon.com

There is little evidence in the way Christians live to support our claim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Rather, the evidence would suggest that, in most churches, the culture of economic, political and military systems of the United States (or Australia or Britain etc.) is at hand. The question must be asked why the churches do not live by their confession.

–Jim Wallis (January, 1980), “Rebuilding the Church”, Sojourners, 9:1, page 10

Matthew 10:7
As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

See Brian Lilly’s posts:

• Surprised by the Kingdom of God I – If the Kingdom of God is here, why are the Romans still here also?
• Surprised by the Kingdom of God II – What’s politics got to do with it? (Got to do with it?)