The Translation of Ceslas Spicq’s “L’Épitre aux Hébreux”

If you know me, you know two things: First, I love the Epistle to the Hebrews. And second, you probably know more about Ceslas Spicq’s L’Épitre aux Hébreux (The Epistle to the Hebrews) than you care too. Well, to say that I am excited about what I am about to say would be an understatement. I am pleased to announce that my awesome employer, Logos Bible Software, is looking to publish the first ever English edition of Ceslas Spicq’s magisterial commentary. Yes, you read that right! Now, everyone I have ever talked to death about this work—how awesome it is, how it needs to be translated, how I am going to do whatever I can to get it translated—can rest assured that I will not talk about it…as much.

My History with Ceslas Spicq

My love for this great French scholar began back during my undergraduate days. I was beginning my love for all things Epistle to the Hebrews. It the last semester of my major, Greek, that I took exegesis of the Epistle to the Hebrews. I was loving life and enjoying my critical study of the Greek text. I checked out every major commentary the library had on Hebrews (my classmates were not too thrilled, to say the least), and I began to work through them and I kept running into one name over and over. Can you guess who this was? Indeed, it was Mr. Spicq. Now, I tried desperately to track down a copy, but there were none to be found. Anywhere! This was frustrating me because every major commentator on Hebrews interacted with Spicq, and I wanted to see what made this man so vital that he was worthy of interacting with.

I soon came to find out that not only was Spicq’s commentary impossible to find, it also was not in print (I think it may have only been published the initial time in 1952-53) or translated into English. For a budding Hebrews scholar and bibliophile, this is simply unacceptable! I made it my mission in 2006 to see to it that there would be an English edition for the world to enjoy.

If at First You Do Not Succeed…

A few years back a good friend and I decided that we could not sit around and wait to see an English edition of Spicq. So, we jumped into our cars and headed down to Pasadena, to Archive’s Bookstore. The owner of the bookstore also owns a publishing house that specializes in re-prints of classic works. We had a good converstaion with him, pleading our case as to why Spicq needed to be re-published and translated. We left there with a promise that he would do what he could to make this happen.

Well, weeks turned into months and I heard nothing from the owner of the bookstore. During that time I also tried to contact the publisher and inquire about rights, permissions, etc. I never once got a reply. Well, we finally heard back from the owner of the bookstore and he said that he tried to get in touch with the publisher, but they never returned their message. So, the dream was dead. I figured if Archives could not make this happen, it will never come to pass.

Try and Try Again…

Flash-forward now to 2012. With the help of two wonderfully kind gentlemen—Father Benedict Viviano and Rev Dr Jerome Murphy-O’Connor—this time I was able to get in touch with the French Publisher Gabalda and get permission to do an English translation of Spicq. This has been a dream of mine for a number of years. I must say, Logos has been awesome to let me go out and make this dream a reality. They supported my efforts and shared my desire to see Ceslas Spicq’s work translated and shared with the world.

Now, all that you need to do is head over to Logos and get your order your in today. By placing your Pre-Pub order, you are holding your place in line. You are not charged a dime until the book is published and shipped to you electronically. So what are you waiting for? Go to Logos now and make my dream a reality.

Before I finish, go check out my post on the Logos Blog. It will give you my “apologetic” for Ceslas Spicq’s L’Épitre aux Hébreux.

Update: This is the week of blessing for me. After years of searching the internet, trying hard to find a copy of vol 2 of L’Épitre aux Hébreux, I can say now that my journey has ended! I have finally have the complete set of of Ceslas Spicq’s L’Épitre aux Hébreux. Now I will look for his Esquisse d’une Histoire de l’Exégèse Latine au Moyen Age.

Greetings from Bellingham WA

Well, I have officially arrived in my new home of Bellingham. First impressions: green, clean and crisp! I enjoy having trees surrounding me and breathing in crisp, clean air. My apartment is directly behind where I will be working, so the walk is a miserable 30 second jaunt. I have been staying with my best friend and his family in Mt. Vernon the last few days while I get adjusted to Washingtonian life.

I am eager to begin work. Having worked the last 4 years non-stop, these last few weeks of not working have been boring. I do not like having a lot of free time, so I have been reading mainly a biography on F.F. Bruce. I am looking forward to getting into a new routine of work and living, but it will not be complete until I have my amazing wife with me here.

Well, I am off for now, but look I will be back more regularly in the coming days.

Post Tenebras Lux

Cliff

Relocating and Beginning a New Job

I have been busy these last few weeks. I am packing up my life here in California to take it all north to the town of Bellingham, Washington in order to begin a job with Logos Bible Software. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity to work for a company that I love.

This is a very exciting time in my life, and one which I have struggled to attain for quite sometime. The last ten or so years have been filled with many ups and downs, sadly more downs than ups. But the Lord has been faithful and has never left me to pick up the pieces on my own. Every heartbreak and dissappointment has led me to this place and to Washington. I have seen the way the Lord has orchestrated his plan and seen his hand move in powerful ways. I am so very humbled by his grace and faithfulness! He has provided me with more than I can every ask for or think of. May he continue to bless the path that he has set before me and my wife.

It will be hard to leave the town I have known since birth. I have lived here in southern California all of my life; it is all that I have ever known. I have moved a few times, but only in a radius of a few miles at most. One thing that I have found out is that I do not take change well, so I ask for prayer for a fast adjustment. Sadly my wife will not be able to join me right away, but she will soon. This will be hard for us both, so I ask for prayer for her as she adjusts to life apart for a season. Pray that she can secure a job fast and move up and join me in Washington. Until she arrives I will have the company of one of my best friends and his family. It will be so good to be able to go on a milkshake run like we use to in college. He is a good friend and a dear brother in the Lord.

Well, that is all for now. I will begin posting more regularly once I a settled into my new job and home in Washington.

I leave you with  what has become my motto and the promise I have clung to in the Lord: Post Tenebras Lux (After Darkness Light)

CBK

PS – If you are ever in Bellingham look me up; coffee is on me!

The Passing of a New Testament Giant and Personal Hero

I suppose it was his name that first caught my attention. I was a young Christian who was just given a wealth of books from the library of a friend. One of the books that I was given was a commentary on the Gospel of John. While skimming through it I noticed the amount of detail and precision that filled the pages. Although at the time I knew not a lick of Greek, I nevertheless appreciated the amount of detail that the author went into. That author was the great New Testament exegete, Charles Kingsley Barrett.

I suppose it is safe to say that C. K. Barrett was one of the main reasons why I not only majored in Greek, but he is also a major influence in regards to academic discipline and rigor. His commentary on John was the gateway for me into the world of academic studies. As I started to branch out into the world of critical studies, Barrett was a helpful guide, pointing me in the direction of many standard academic tomes. As the world of critical scholarship began to open its illustrious doors, I soon began to see the name Barrett around every corner. Not only was Barrett a Johannine scholar, I soon realized that he was trained in classics, and had is hand in almost every scholastic cookie jar in New Testament studies.

So, as the years passed I began to acquire as many of his writings as I could. One work in particular comes to mind. While in college I ran across a reference to a festschrift written honor of Barrett entitled “Paul and Paulinism.” I immediately searched the web for a copy of is work. Not only did I discover it was out of print, but used copies at that time would cost me well over a hundred dollars. Being the starving college student that I was, I sadly had to pass it by. Now flash forward a few years, and a random search of Amazon reveals a copy for the staggering price of $20. Still the starving college student that I am, I could nevertheless pass it by this time.

You can imagine my sadness as I read earlier this morning that Charles Kingsley Barrett passed from this life to glory. He was 94 years old (1917-2011). He spent his career teaching in university of Durham as professor of divinity, retiring in 1982. Barrett was also heavily involved in the Methodist church in England. Some of his works included a two-volume commentary on Acts, commentaries on 1 Corinthians, Romans, articles on the eschatology in Hebrews, Acts, John, and a myriad of other works. So, today I encourage you to pick up a Barrett book or article and read with me the work of a brilliant New Testament exegete.

Thoughts on Scripture: Jesus Before Pilate and Herod (Luke 23)

I was reading this afternoon the account of Jesus before both Pilate and Herod in Luke’s gospel (Lk 23.1-25). What caught my attention as I was reading was the two different responses these men had while Jesus was standing in their presence. One, Pilate, responded in a political manner. He was far more concerned with keeping the peace-and his job-than he was with justice. Because he feared that the Jewish leaders and their followers would riot if they did not receive the judicial outcome they so lusted after, he gave into their blood-thirst and had Jesus traded for (ironically) a man guilty of insurrection and murder. Jesus was to be crucified all because Pilate did not have the spine to stand up to a people under his own authority.

On the other hand, Herod was far more interested in the miracle worker that he heard so much about. He cared far less for the accusations and charges that were levied against Jesus. All he wanted was for Jesus to put on a show and entertain him. So when Jesus refused to entertain Herod’s childish request, Herod had him humiliated and mocked and sent back to Pilate to face his accusers one last time.

The responses by Herod and Pilate to Jesus is no different then as it is today. Many people refuse to submit to the sovereignty of Christ because he threatens their way of life. To turn to Christ is to turn from the accolades of this world. Others, instead of turning from Christ turn to him for a religious high or religious experience. One has to look no further than the television to see men supposedly casting out demons and healing people’s headaches or whatnot. These people will follow Jesus when they feel a religious high or experience. But the instant things go south, and life begins to bring trials into their lives they are gone like the wind.

The true followers of Christ follow him to the cross. They cling to him when things are good and when life is a living hell on earth. They know that they have left everything to follow Jesus, and they will follow him to death if necessary. So I ask myself: What kind of follower am I?

Lord, grant us this day to turn our eyes from the pleasures of this world and to turn our eyes and hearts to the beauty of your cross. Amen

Exegetical Sandbox: Thoughts on the Temple

I have been reading a very informative and intriguing book by T. Desmond Alexander entitled From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology. The main premise of his book is tracing The Temple motif from Gen 1-2 all the way through Rev 21-22. Although I am not unfamiliar with this line of exegetical thought (I have read a similar argument in Beale’s monumental work on The Temple and the Church’s Mission), Alexander nevertheless affirms in my mind that he is on target. While I hope to give a review of Alexander’s book in the coming weeks, this is not the point of my post.

While reading through some of Alexander’s book, I began to think of the implications it would have on my own reading of Scripture. I have long been intrigued by the church being called the temple:

1. Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς θεοῦ ἐστε καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς. (1 Cor 3.16-17)
2. ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι τὸ σῶμα ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἁγίου πνεύματός ἐστιν οὗ ἔχετε ἀπὸ θεοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἑαυτῶν; (1 Cor 6.19)
3. τίς δὲ συγκατάθεσις ναῷ θεοῦ μετὰ εἰδώλων; ἡμεῖς γὰρ ναὸς θεοῦ ἐσμεν ζῶντος, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσωκαὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν θεὸς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μου λαός (2 Cor 6.16)
4. ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ (Eph 2.21)
5. πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι λίθον ζῶντα ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον παρὰ δὲ θεῷ ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον, 5 καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους [τῷ] θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 6 διότι περιέχει ἐν γραφῇ· ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπʼ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. 7 ὑμῖν οὖν ἡ τιμὴ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν, ἀπιστοῦσιν δὲ λίθος ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας 8 καὶ λίθος προσκόμματος καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου· οἳ προσκόπτουσιν τῷ λόγῳ ἀπειθοῦντες εἰς ὃ καὶ ἐτέθησαν. 9 ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν, ὅπως τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐξαγγείλητε τοῦ ἐκ σκότους ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς· 10 οἵ ποτε οὐ λαὸς νῦν δὲ λαὸς θεοῦ, οἱ οὐκ ἠλεημένοι νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντες (1 Pet 2.4-10. Although the word temple does not occur, it is safe to assume that it is alluded to in 2.5: οἶκος πνευματικὸς).

So what is the point of all of this? Well, I for one was raised in a tradition that taught that the temple will again be rebuilt in Jerusalem during the promised “millennial reign” of Christ. But the more I read the Scriptures, the more I am convinced that this is not the case. For example, The OT describes God as dwelling among his people, primarily in the holy of holies in the tabernacle and then the temple. But there is a significant change in the NT. Now, as 1 Cor 3.16 indicates, τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν (the spirit of God lives in you). If the Jerusalem temple is to be rebuilt, then will the Spirit of God no longer dwell in us, but rather return to the the function of dwelling among us? In my understanding, the best illustration of this is Christ himself. In the person of Christ the fullness of the God dwells: ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς (Col 2.9). Also, the play on words in John’s Gospel is more than just a coincidence, for in his incarnation Jesus has tabernacled among men: Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας (John 1.14).

I am sure more can be said. But these are just some of my musings on this topic, topics of which I hope to develop more in the future. But for now I leave you with these thoughts.

The Value of the Perseus Collection

 I am sure most of you who read this blog know by now that Logos is gearing up to publish the massive Perseus Collection. I am still in shock that they are releasing all of this for free! Soon we will have at our fingerprints a wealth of information that can help shed light on many historical, cultural, and grammatical issues. So, if you haven’t yet jumped over to the pre-pub page at Logos I suggest you do that pronto! (but finish reading this first:).

Some may be wondering how a collection like this can have any relevance for personal Bible study. While I must admit that I do not like this question; it seems to suggest a lack of concern for the historical background of Scripture. But that is a different topic for a different day. So I ask, What benefit does Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Herodotus, Dio Chrysostom, Homer, Plutarch, Quintilian and others have for us today? Great benefits in many ways!

A number of years back I fell in love with the art of ancient rhetoric. I began to read certain articles that applied rhetorical criticism to certain books of the Bible. It was these articles that led me to the writings of Aristotle (Rhetoric), Quintilian (Institutio Oratoria: 1-9), and Cicero. These authors were masters of rhetoric, and their works were handbooks on how to structure a rhetorical speech. There writings began to open up fresh understanding on how Paul may have structured Galatians, or how the author of Hebrews used various types of rhetoric in his homily. We must not forget that writers of Scripture were a product of their times. Therefore, understanding the writings of antiquity help us in turn understand the writings of Scripture.

Another fascinating feature of Perseus is the ability to now be able to see for myself the context of some of these ancient writers that are frequently cited. Let me explain what I mean by this by means of a few illustrations from the standard Greek Lexicon, BDAG.

As is common with BDAG, a number of citations are to references outside the LXX, GNT, and AF. In the above excerpt taken from BDAG you note that the highlighted text refers to Aristotle’s Poetics, a resource that will be included in the Perseus Collection. Many times I have wanted to see the cross reference to these writings, and now with the Perseus Collection in my library I may be able to! I am not sure about you, but this really excites me!

Here is another example

This example is from the entry ἐκτείνω in BDAG. Here, Acts 26.1 is mentioned as an example under heading one: “Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand (ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα) and proceeded to make his defense.” The gesture of stretching out ones hands was in some part  connected to the orator and his speech, for which Quintilian is referenced for me information on this practice.

I leave you with one more example, this time mentioning Dio Chrysostom and Herodotus in the same reference:

Well, those are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more examples that I could include, but I will leave some for you to discover. I hope you take advantage of this great resource that Logos has provided for us. And remember, just because it is not inspired writing it does not mean that it is of no value.

A Word from Paul

…Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν (Gal 1.3b-5).

When you sit and think about, for Christ to give his life for sinners like us is the most amazing thing we mortals will ever see.

Quote of the Day

Biblical theology is that discipline which sets forth the message of the books of the Bible in their historical setting. Biblical theology is primarily a descriptive discipline. It is not initially concerned with the final meaning of the teachings of the Bible or their relevance for today. This is the task of systematic theology. Biblical theology has the task of expounding the theology found in the Bible in its own historical setting, and its own terms, categories, and thought forms

George E. Ladd. A Theology of the New Testament (20).

Advice to Live By

Over at Biblical Exegesis and Interpretation, James Tucker has an excellent post that all who are students of Greek/Hebrew should heed. I cannot agree more with the advice he gives for those of us who take the study of the languages of Scripture seriously. So, head over there and thank James for advising us on how we can be better students of God’s word.

Adolf Schlatter on the Cost of Discipleship

I have been reading in the morning Adolf Schlatter’s devotional Do We Know Jesus? Daily Insights for the Mind and Soul. It is an excellent and theologically satisfying devotional. This mornings reading was centered on John 11.16 and Thomas’ question of dying with Jesus. Schlatter struck a nerve with this statement:

Just as little as Jesus hid himself, so little could the disciples hide themselves or flee. As he approached Jerusalem so that the entire people would see him and all in Jerusalem might hear his word, so it was also the disciples’ clear duty to stand with him and expose themselves to the attack that would come upon him there. If stones fly at Jerusalem, these stones will strike his disciples, too. Even if they did not die in the same hour at his side, Jesus’ execution would jeopardize their own lives. And if Jesus’ prophecy was fulfilled and the power brokers of Jerusalem delegated Jesus’ killing to the Romans, then the future of the disciples was completely in doubt.

Schlatter concludes with this question: Do you want to die with Jesus?

Do I want to die with Jesus?

Jesus Christ: The Son of God?

Let me first affirm that I wholeheartedly believe in the sonship of Jesus. The title serves more as an attention getter than anything.

With that said, I have been spending sometime in the Gospel of Mark, and one of the first things the reader notices is the variant reading found in Mark 1:1. Let us look the text and then explore this a little.

Ἀρχὴ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ [υἱοῦ θεοῦ].

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, [the Son of God].

Now, I am no text-critic. But I do dabble from time to time in this field of study. I find it rewarding and exciting following to follow these rabbit trails to wherever they may lead. But what of Mark and this addition/omission to his opening title? Is the reading υἱοῦ θεοῦ (Son of God) Mark’s original reading, or was it a scribal addition added later to expand upon the name of Christ?

I will not focus too much on the various readings, other than mention them here and give relevant information. First note some major manuscript witnesses to each reading:

1. Omission of υἱοῦ θεοῦ: ‎א^* Θ Or. (Most of the marginal notes in the major English translations make not of the subtraction in some manuscripts).
2. Inclusion of υἱοῦ θεοῦ: א¹ B D (The majority of English translations include “son of God” in their base text).

The majority of textual evidence seem to indicate that the inclusion of υἱοῦ θεοῦ is the original reading. This also has strength from the whole of Marks Gospel, being that the topic of sonship is a major theme in the Gospel (cf. 1.11; 3.11; 5.7; 9.7; 14.61; 15.39). Therefore, the omission of υἱοῦ θεοῦ may have likely been due to a scribal mistake.

Another interesting insight is the inclusio which is formed with 1.1 and 15.39. This in turn would likely indicate an original reading of υἱοῦ θεοῦ in 1.1.

This all came to my mind as I was sitting in the dentist chair today. While I was waiting for the dentist to come and prep my tooth for a root canal (fun times, let me tell you!) I began to think about this verse. What would be the reasons for both adding υἱοῦ θεοῦ as well as omitting it? I could understand the possibility of a scribe adding it due to the sonship theme spread throughout Mark. But I could not understand why a scribe would want to omit υἱοῦ θεοῦ. Just some more musings on the text, this time from a dentist’s chair.

A Surprising Confession

Mark 15.39

Ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ κεντυρίων ὁ παρεστηκὼς ἐξ ἐναντίας αὐτοῦ ὅτι οὕτως ἐξέπνευσεν εἶπεν· ἀληθῶς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος υἱὸς θεοῦ ἦν.

When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

There is something so powerful, and yet so humbling about this passage from Mark’s Gospel. While the Messiah hanged on a Roman cross, placed there by the Jewish and Roman leaders, a lowly Roman centurion stands by and utters one of the most powerful professions of faith in the New Testament. Just the hours before this confession, we read of Jesus’ humiliation at the hands of Roman soldiers (15.16-20). The text does not specifically say so, but it may be that the hands of this centurion were used in the beating of Jesus (15.19). How then do we explain such a radical transformation? How is it that a man is transformed from a violent, torturous human being to one confessing faith in the Son of God?

Also, what is interesting is that Mark’s Gospel is the only one which records the centurion’s confession. With all of Jesus’ disciples standing around the cross, why not record their words? It may be that Mark’s inclusion of the centurion’s confession is an exclamation point for his whole Gospel: the centurion confession is representative of Rome’s confession of Jesus as Son of God. Just a thought.

Fighting For My Joy While Battling Depression

From the moment I awake until the moment I close my eyes to sleep, there is a spirit of melancholy that slowly eats away at my joy. These days, there is never a moment in which I am overwhelmed with a prolonged sense of happiness; it is usually here and then gone, much like the morning fog burnt away by the scorching summer heat. Every new day is a fight for joy. But how does one fight an enemy which he does not see? Depression is not like a piñata, tied to a tree while a blinded folded child swings wildly at it. Instead, it is like chasing shadows, hoping to catch one. Depression is not a respecter of persons. It does not pick its prey based solely on difficult situations we may have faced in life. It cares not if you are young or old, rich or poor, male or female. It does not ask for permission before it wreaks havoc in one’s life.

So I ask Where does joy come from? For me, joy is found in Christ. But if my joy is found in Christ, why as a believer do I seem to struggle to maintain it in my life? Why do other believers seem to be oozing joy while I am starving for joy? Does not Christ want me to be joyful? I look at Scripture and see all kinds of passages that state God’s desire for his people to be joyful. I cannot help but look at these and wonder what is going on with me? I do not desire to have this melancholy eat away at me; I want to be joyful! I want to wake and find my heart singing with praise and grateful to have the day before me. To be honest, I do not even remember the last time I awoke to a feeling of joy. Instead, I am reminded of the reality of the mistakes from my youth which never cease to haunt me.

This is not a happy post. And I am sure that some will read this and wonder why I would be so open and transparent. Simple answer: I just needed to vent! Writing in a journal is fine if I had one, but no one would read that expect me. So, I write also for prayer, advice, Scripture, hope. At times I feel alone in this journey towards Christ-likeness. While the rest of the pilgrims are together in their march towards the heavenly Jerusalem, I have somehow found a way to get separated from them. Like a lost sheep separated from the flock, I need you, great Shepherd, to come and find me.

Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning (Ps 30.5).

Musings on Matthew’s Genealogy

In one’s reading of the gospel attributed to Matthew, it is very easy to skip over the first seventeen verses of chapter one—or to skim them very quickly, eagerly anticipating the beginning of the story in 1:18. I must confess that I have done this once or thirty times. Let’s face it, who wants to read an account of so-and-so begetting such-and-such? But is there more in these seventeen verses than meets the eyes? Is there a greater story brewing under the surface, a story connecting the First Testament with the Second?

While sitting in Church—we recently commenced a study through Matthew—I began to wonder why Matthew’s genealogy is included in his gospel? Sure Luke has his own, and there are countless number of attempts in print to try and reconcile the two genealogies. But it seems to me the Luke’s genealogy is a historians attempt to trace the lineage of Jesus. But where does this leave Matthew’s genealogy? As I am sitting there in the pews my mind begins to wander: maybe Matthew is not trying to produce a chronological genealogy as he is trying to connect Israel’s history with the newly born Messiah.

An interesting note is the purported title of Matthew’s gospel, “Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ”. Some commentators have made mention of the allusion to the first book of the Old Testament. While I am not convinced that Matthew is writing a genesis per se, I do think that Matthew is theologically connecting the two Testaments, with Christ as the fulfillment and culmination of the promises made by God to Israel. Craig Keener insightfully remarks:

By evoking great heroes of the past like David and Josiah, Matthew points his readers to the ultimate hero to whom all those other stories [the stories connected to the names in Matthew’s genealogy] pointed. For Matthew and his circle of Jewish Christians, Jesus was not an afterthought to Judaism, a distinct and unexpected addition to God’s plan in the Old Testament. Jesus was the goal to which Israel’s lovingly remembered history pointed (The Gospel of Matthew, 77).

The Rebellion of Man: Illustrations from the Prophet Samuel

It goes without saying that man lives in rebellion to his Creator. All one has to do is turn on the television and he can witness first hand the depravity of man. Even better, all one has to do is turn his attention to his own heart and he can see up close and personal the wickedness that lives there.

While reading 1 Samuel the other day I was blown away by a section in chapter eight. Let me quote the full text of the Prophet so we can see first hand the rebellion of Israel.

So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked of him a king. He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city” (1 Sam 8.10-22).

The people come to Samuel clamoring for a king to rule over them. No longer were they desiring the government that had ruled them since the Exodus; they wanted what what everyone else had, a king. Now to be fair to the people of Israel, Samuel’s two sons who were judging over Israel were a wicked lot. It was said that they “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice” (1 Sam 8.3). The nation took advantage of Samuel’s sons hypocrisy and used it in their protest for a king. The people were tired of the same old thing, and they wanted to be like the nations that surrounded them and have a king ruling over them.

At first Samuel was offended that the people were rejecting his rule, but God reminded him that it was not Samuel they were rejecting. God was the one who appointed not only Samuel, but the whole system of judges that were ruled over Israel. So when God heard the people’s cries for a king, he told Samuel exactly what they should expect from such monarchical rule (8.10-18). The people would be slaves to the rule of a king. They had no idea if the king would be a merciful and righteous ruler, or a vicious tyrant.

What is utterly amazing is that in light of all the warnings Israel received about their so desired monarchy, nevertheless they refused God and his wisdom and still pursed their desire for a king. The people refused to to listen to the voice of God, and they answered Samuel (that is, they answered God), “No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (8.19-20). These people had a serious case of amnesia. They forgot that it was God that led them out of Egypt; God who sustained them for forty years in the wilderness; God who went in before them and conquered the people in the land so that Israel could go in and take possession.

Now I must ask myself thus: “How have I refused to listen to God?”

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The Day the World Did Not End

With all the talk of the supposed rapture that is to take place, it is easy to forget the fallout that will undoubtedly take place from all of this silliness. While it is understandable to poke fun at Camping and all of his madness, under it all he is still just another false prophet trying to predict something that even the Son of Man said he did not know the hour of it’s happening.

What saddens me is that when 6pm rolls around the world continues on just as it did the day before, the world will now look at Christians and think us all loonies. We will have to spend countless hours rebuilding delicate relationships with family members, co-workers, etc. that were damaged by one man and his followers, so called “Christians.” These people are nothing other than antichrists. They know neither the Scriptures nor the Christ of the Scriptures.

While I do hope that Camping sees the folly of his ways and repents, this is very unlikely. My guess is that he will come out with some statement saying that he miscalculated his days and will set some new date for the apocalypse.

In closing, let us remember the words of Jesus himself as recorded for us in Matthews Gospel:

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt 24.36).

Musings in the Revelation of John

Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ…γράψον·

Admittedly, I have not spent much time in the Revelation of John. This may be due to a Left Behind overdose early in my Christian life. Not to say that God did not use those books to help me focus on His word, but after awhile I just got burnt out by all the speculation and guessing of what certain images in Revelation symbolized and when the rapture was going to happen.

But I have decided to return to Revelation in my reading through the Greek text and I am just jotting down (mentally that it) notes and thoughts as I work through the text. One of these thoughts was just who are the “angels” John is intructed to write to and what is the historical setting and situation of the churched he mentions? I have heard it said that while the chuches are indeed real churches in the first century, they also symbolize the mant different stages of the church throughout the church age. My question is this: how is this even deduced from Revelation? How does one come to this conclusion except by trying to squeeze a modern day application into a first century context. This seems to me to be evangelicalized allegory, but I could be way off on this.

I am writing this late at night, so the brain may not be running on all cylinders. I may need to return to this and add/subtract from it. I had to scratch my head at this and really ask myself what have we done to the book of Revelation?

Music Notes

I have long been a fan of Jars of Clay. I remember hearing “Flood” on my local radio and thinking it was a great song. To this day I still purchase every album they release, and I enjoy everyone. I just finished reading this blog post by the frontman of Jars, Dan Haseltine, and I was touched in by his honesty and transparency.

Why do I bring this up? In his post, Haseltine makes reference to Jars sophomore album “Much Afraid“, a project which to this day I believe does not get the credit and praise it so rightfully deserves. Much Afraid is still by far my absolute favorite Jars album. The melodies, the harmonies, the lyrics, the arrangement of the songs, etc., everything about this work is amazing! I listen to this disc at least a week, if not more! Because Much Afraid followed what may still be Jars best known and most loved debut self-titled album, this may account for the reason it flies under so many peoples musical radars.

In the aforementioned blog post by Haseltine, the frontman describes his personal battle with depression during the recording of the Much Afraid, coming to a crescendo in the song “Portrait of an Apology.” After reading this article I can now see why I so deeply love Much Afraid. I purchased Much Afraid in the midst of a deep depression myself. It was a time that I will never forget, a time from which the scars still remain and the memories still haunt my thoughts and emotions to this day. God used that album in my life in a way that no album has since been used. The music of Much Afraid touches deep into the darkest parts of my heart and shines the light of God’s grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness into my wound soul. So for that I thank God for allowing Jars of Clay-and Dan Haseltine-to record an honest, raw, and sincere project.

Worry Not

Matthew 6:31-34

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (NASB).

These verses have simultaneously been a comfort and a source of frustration. Everything in me believes these words and the promise connected to them. Countless hours have been spent in prayer, confessing that I know that Jesus will indeed provide for me daily needs of food, clothing, shelter, etc. Jesus emphatically states that the Father knows that I am in need, and that my needs will be met if I seek him and his kingdom. When I am discouraged and downtrodden this promise I bring before the Lord in prayer, confidently proclaiming my trust in the provision and timing of God.

Now, while these verses have brought comfort, they have also brought discouragement and anxiety. If God will indeed provide for my daily needs, why does He often times seem remain silent to my petitions of daily provision? Why do I cry out in tears asking Him to provide for me and my mine? He does so because He is good. He does not fail to listen, rather he listens intently and in His perfect timing answers my cries for help and provides just what I need, when I need it. Our heavenly Father is so good! He is so wise and sovereign, perfect in his timing and all his ways.

Lord, I ask that you continue to help me pursue your kingdom in the midst of heartache and discouragement. Allow me the grace to trust you and your promise to provide for me, even when I am tempted to despair and disbelieve your promise to do so. Lord, I need grace and strength to do all of these things. God help me!