Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

MARK DEVER ON THE INERRANCY OF THE BIBLE: A BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dever offers a fine, informative bibliographical essay.  Justin Taylor, who provided the link, writes:

Kevin DeYoung offers some good quotes from J.I. Packer on why we should use the term “inerrancy,” despite common misunderstandings. (Packer’s whole book, Truth and Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life, is available online for free.)

Mark Dever once put together a document called “Inerrancy of the Bible: An Annotated Bibliography.” In it he gives his top recommended book on inerrancy:

I’ve saved the best for last. If I could just recommend one book on the inerrancy of the Bible it would undoubtedly be this one—John Wenham, Christ and the Bible. . . .

Wenham’s book . . . makes the simple point that our trust in Scripture is to be a part of our following Christ, because that is the way that He treated Scripture—as true, and therefore authoritative. . . .

In Christ and the Bible, Wenham, who taught Greek for many years at Oxford, an Anglican evangelical, has done us all a great service in providing us with a book which understands that we do not come by our adherence to Scripture fundamentally from the inductive resolutions of discrepancies, but from the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Only because of the Living Word may we finally know to trust the Written Word.

May God use these resources of those who’ve gone before us to equip and encourage us in so trusting.

THE "C.S. LEWIS BIBLE" TO BE PUBLISHED

Of the making of Bibles there seems no end.  This week I learned (from the Bulletin of the New York C.S.  Lewis Society) that something called the "C.S. Lewis Bible" will be released October 26, 2010.  No, this will not be a Bible of Lewis's own making, but apparently a Bible with "thoughts from Lewis" strewn here and there.  The statement reads,

This New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible includes additional readings comprised of selections from Lewis's celebrated spiritual classics, a collection that includes Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, A Grief Observed, The Weight of Glory and The Abolition of Man, as well as letters, poetry, and Lewis's less-familiar works.  Each reading, paired alongside relevant passages in the Bible, offers C.S. Lewis as a companion to a reader's daily meditation of scripture.

Me: My first reaction was "oh my goodness, this is going a bit far."  On the other hand, it will be interesting to see what the publishers come up with.

Speaking of C.S. Lewis, readers might enjoy perusing the "Into the Wardrobe," a website where, among other things, one can find a number of online academic papers that look interesting.  The site also has numerous forums and links to various online resources,  including the C.S. Lewis Institute.  There one can access numerous lectures and papers on Christian thought from many sources.  The numerous legacy recordings, in particular, caught my attention.

WHEATON THEOLOGY CONFERENCE EXPLORES THE WORK OF N.T. WRIGHT

I had thought about traveling to this conference held back in April, but then I reconsidered, supposing I could save time and money by ordering the tapes instead.  You can imagine how pleased I was to discover (via Ben Witherington's blog) that the conference sessions had been videotaped and have now been posted on the internet.  So far I have listened/watched N.T. Wright's magnificent chapel message to Wheaton College students and Richard Hay's brilliant appreciation and critique of N.T. Wright's work.  I intend to make my way through the rest of the sessions as time allows.

For those new to the work of Professor (Bishop) N.T. Wright, it is perhaps enough to know that Wright is perhaps the foremost New Testament scholar of our day.  He has written massive tomes as well as numerous more popular books.  A page with links to articles and talks can be found here.  And below are the sessions from the theology conference at Wheaton.

Jesus, Paul and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N.T. Wright The 19th Annual Wheaton Theology Conference | April 16-17, 2010   To download an MP3 audio or MP4 video file, right-click on the download link and choose "Save Target As" on the popup menu. When viewing a Flash video, you may be prompted to update your Flash Player or to download and install the Adobe Flash Player.   Friday April 16 Richard Hays Knowing Jesus: Story, History, and the Question of Truth | 8:40a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Marianne Meye Thompson The Gospel of John Meets Jesus and the Victory of God | 9:30a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video N.T. Wright Chapel Message | 10:30a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat 'Outside of a Small Circle of Friends': Jesus and the Justice of God | 1:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Nicholas Perrin Jesus' Eschatology and Kingdom Ethics: Ever the Twain Shall Meet | 1:50p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Wright, Hays, Walsh, Keesmaat, Thompson, and Perrin Panel Discussion | 3:15p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video N.T. Wright Jesus and the People of God: Whence and Whither Historical Jesus Studies and the Life of the Church | 7:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video     Saturday April 17 Kevin J. Vanhoozer Wrighting the Wrongs of the Reformation? The State of the Union with Christ in St. Paul and in Protestant Soteriology | 9:45a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Jeremy Begbie The Shape of Things to Come? Wright Amidst Emerging Ecclesiologies | 10:35a view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Markus Bockmuehl Did St. Paul Go to Heaven When He Died? | 1:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Edith Humphrey Glimpsing the Glory—Paul's Gospel, Righteousness and the Beautiful Feet of N.T. Wright view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video Wright, Vanhoozer, Begbie, Bockmuehl, and Humphrey Panel Discussion | 3:15p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video N.T. Wright Paul and the People of God: Whence and Whither Pauline Studies and the Life of the Church | 7:00p view Flash video | download MP3 audio | download MP4 video

GOOD STUFF FROM WINTERY KNIGHT

As I have often urged, you really need to visit Wintery Knight on a regular basis.  Here are some recent posts that caught my eye:

Craig Evans vs. Bart Ehrman debate on the reliability of the gospels  (followed by invaluable related links)

John Lennox and Paul Davies debate about aliens and the origin of life.

William Lane Craig Discusses Calvinism and the Problem of Evil

Me: On the subject of Calvinism, Prof. Ben Witherington (a non-Calvinist) offers helpful comments. A robust discussion follows.  Also of interest is Witherington's November, 2005 Christianity Today article, "The Problem with Evangelical Theologies."

JERUSALEM CITY WALL FROM 10TH CENTURY B.C. FOUND

This extraordinary news was announced today.  For details click here.

A section of an ancient city wall of Jerusalem from the tenth century B.C.E. – possibly built by King Solomon -- has been revealed in archaeological excavations directed by Dr. Eilat Mazar and conducted under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  [more . . .]

Jonathan Tobin, editor of Commentary magazine [HT: Jonah Goldberg],  explains  how this new find undermines the attempt of Arabs to deny the historical reality of the ancient Jewish presence in the land of Israel.   Most of us "Bible believers" in America find it incredible that the history of Jewish attachment to the land of Israel could be questioned.  Tobin explains: (my emphases)

The significance of this extraordinary find is that it provides new proof of the existence and power of the Davidic monarchy, the Israelite state that it led, and the more than 3,000-year-old Jewish presence in Jerusalem. These new discoveries, along with those of a previous dig in a different area of the city of David, contradict contrary Palestinian claims that the Jews have no claim to the area. They also debunk the assertions of some Israeli archeologists who have sought to portray the kingdom of David

JOHN PIPER'S Q&A WITH PRISON INMATES

Pastor/theologian John Piper's 30 Minute Q&A (video) with prisoners at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) can be found here. I was blown away by the depth of the questions and Piper's thoughtful answers. These men are serious Bible students!  My guess is that the depth of the Q&A session found at this prison would rival or surpass a similar session in an average evangelical church.

MOST ANCIENT HEBREW MANUSCRIPT DECIPHERED

Eureka Alert from University of Haifa:  (HT: The Astute Bloggers)

Prof. Gershon Galil of the University of Haifa who deciphered the inscription: "It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research."

A breakthrough in the research of the Hebrew scriptures has shed new light on the period in which the Bible was written. Prof. Gershon Galil of the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa has deciphered an inscription dating from the 10th century BCE (the period of King David's reign), and has shown that this is a Hebrew inscription. The discovery makes this the earliest known Hebrew writing. The significance

NAZARETH - LATEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND

Dr. Ben Witherington posts of a house dating back to Jesus' time plus additional facts about Nazareth.  Excerpt:

What do we learn about Nazareth of Jesus' day from this find?  Several important things. The find, coupled with what has been found elsewhere in the same vicinity suggests Nazareth was indeed a tiny, out of the way village, with possibly as few as 50 houses. This estimate is based on the tiny findings at the neighboring graveyard. No wonder one of Jesus' potential disciples once asked 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?'  Cities, like people, had honor ratings in antiquity, and the honor rating of Nazareth was not even on the chart of top 100 cities,towns, and villages in Israel. A little village set on four acres would not draw much attention.

WORSHIP "CENTERS" THE SOUL

The Bible reading for today includes Revelation 4:1-8. 

(1) After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” (2)  At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.. . 

Eugene Peterson (Reversed Thunder) says it well:

“A throne centers authority.  Worship is centering...  In worship God gathers his people to himself as center: ‘The Lord reigns’ (Ps. 93:1)  Worship is a meeting at the center so that our lives are centered in God and not lived eccentrically.  We worship so that we live in response to and from this center, the living God.  Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasm and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren.  Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives.  We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy as we are, in turn, alarmed by spectres and soothed by placebos. If there is no center, there is no circumference.  People who do not worship are swept into a vast restlessness, epidemic in the world, with no steady direction and no sustaining purpose.”

ORAL INTERPRETATION OF LITERATURE (INCLUDING THE BIBLE)

 The following links showcase a couple practitioners of the "oral interpretation of literature" that I think might be of interest to some.  Years ago I knew a fellow doing an M.A. in that subject at Northwestern University.  He now teaches homiletics (preaching) at a major seminary.  Anyway, for what it's worth, these bear checking out:  [HT: Between Two Worlds]

          - Ryan Ferguson reciting Hebrews 9-10, reciting Psalm 25, reciting Psalm 22. 

           - Until November 1 you can download (for free) Max McLean’s reading of Martin Luther’s speech, “Here I Stand” (24 minutes).

          - Speaking of Max McLean, more on him can be found here and his new book, Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering the Public Reading of Scripture.  Incidentally, back in May I blogged about McLean's Chicago theatre performance of Mark's Gospel and included a link to Justin Taylor's interview with him.

DANIEL TAYLOR: "STORY-SHAPED FAITH'"

I enjoyed and profited from reading "Story-Shaped Faith" by Daniel Taylor.  It appears as chapter 5 in the book "The Power of Words and the Wonder of God" (ed. by John Piper and Justin Taylor).  It's available on the internet for free here.)  Taylor discusses how "story" plays such a central place in the Bible and in our lives.  He writes: (my emphases)

Robert Crumb's Genesis (via Ben Witherington's blog):

And now for something completely different.   The Bible as graphic novel, or at least graphic comic book.  Robert Crumb is well known to underground comic book aficionados.  To the rest of the reading public-- not so much. Robert Crumb was born in Philly and began his drawing career coming up with playful and witty greeting cards. He became a sort of cult figure in the 60s for creating characters like Fritz the Cat and there was even a documentary about him in 1994, but FYI, his comics were too R or even X rated in some cases for most.  For the last eighteen or so years of his life he has lived in France (and laments he still  hasn't mastered the language) with his fellow cartoonist wife Aline Kominsky.

Now however this super-lapsed Catholic has decided to depict scenes from all 50 chapters of Genesis, with the emphasis on verbatim. Those of us who knew a bit about his snarky past were holding our collective breath, but Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, author of the well-titled book Up,Up, and Oi Vey (the history of how Jews had influence on the creation of fictional super-heroes) reassures us that Crumb has not given us a crumby treatment of Genesis. Of course the literal depiction of murder, incest, rape, and a host of the other things that go on in Genesis itself is enough to curdle one's milk and curl one's hair.  Hide the babies and pack up the old ladies. But then alas,  the Bible is hardly a  G or PG book--- it tells it like it is, even when it comes to all our human falleness.  It is thus not a surprise that in the 224 pages of this book (out today and published by W.W. Norton) some of these pen and ink drawings reflect the sensual and violent character of some of these stories.  This is a comic book my Mom would not have let me read in the 9th grade!  Indeed she would have said 'Exodus with this Genesis'.   [more . . .]

BEN WITHERINGTON EVALUATES DAN BROWN'S NEW BOOK "THE LOST SYMBOL"

Dan Brown is the author of the best-selling The Da Vinci Code (2003).  Concerning Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol, Ben Witherington writes,

Its Number One on Amazon, and has gone to the top of several best seller lists, and the reviews are pouring in for Dan Brown's latest blockbuster novel, sure to be made into a movie.  But even Mr. Brown's fans, reviewing the book on Amazon, are about equally divided as to whether this novel makes Mr. Brown a dude or a dud.

Witherington comments on the book's literary worth, its historical accuracy (or inaccuracy), and Brown's treatment of the Bible and orthodox Christianity.  On this, Witherington offers an important critique:

In his attempt to explain why the Bible has endured through the ages  Peter Solomon, Robert Langdon's mentor and a Mason says the following: "The reason...is that there exist powerful secrets hidden in the pages of this ancient book... a vast collection of untapped wisdom waiting to be unveiled." (p. 489) The hidden meanings in the Bible are the reasons why the finest minds have pondered this book for so long. 

SALMON RUSHDIE CLAIMS THE NEW TESTAMENT IS UNRELIABLE BECAUSE IT WAS WRITTEN (HE SAYS) 100 YEARS AFTER THE EVENTS IT DESCRIBES. IS HE RIGHT?

I was disheartened the other day as I began browsing in Ibn Warraq (ed) The Quest for the Historical Muhammad.  On page 15, Warraq embeds a quote from Salmon Rushdie:

"... Our records of Christianity date from about a hundred years after the events they represent.  It's a really long time.  The degree of authority one can give to the evangelists about the life of Christ is relatively small." 

My instant reaction:  "How sad for him to be so tragically misinformed!"  It struck me as similar to those Jews at the time of Christ who dismissed Jesus' Messianic credentials outright because they thought he had been born in Galilee, and they knew that the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem.  [John 7:40-44] Their misinformation represented a fundamental error of factual knowledge that could easily have been corrected.  (Jesus had  been born in Bethlehem!)

In the case of Salmon Rushdie, how I wish he (and others similarly mislead), knew some of the facts that can be found in Frank Turek and Norman L. Geisler's book, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and similar sources.

There is actually only a 15 to 40 year gap between the life of Christ and the writings about him.  Turek and Geisler headline one section of their book: "Some New Testament Books were Penned in the 40s and 50s A.D., with Sources from the 30s  (Only a Few Years After the Death of Jesus).  (p. 241) They write:

"There is no doubt from anyone--including the most liberal of scholars--that Paul wrote his first letter to the church at Corinth (which is in modern-day Greece) sometimes between 55 and 56.

NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLARS RICHARD BAUCKHAM AND JAMES CROSSLEY DEBATE THE HISTORICAL RELIABILITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPELS

Wintery Knight is on a roll.  Today he posts links to a debate between New Testament scholars Richard Bauckham and James Crossley.  The subject is the reliability of the Gospels.  In recent years I have read outstanding and intriguing reviews of Bauckham's work which takes the defense of the gospels in new directions.  This debate should be terrific.  Part 1 – (1 hr 20 mins)   Part 2 – (1 hr 20 mins)

MARTYN LLOYD-JONES - THE ART OF KNOWING WHAT TO SET ASIDE AND IGNORE

The following is from the valuable blog, "Between Two Worlds," and the specific post, Lloyd-Jones:  Focusing on What Really Matters:

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, commenting on Philippians 1:10 ("that you may approve what is excellent," or "that you may have a sense of what is vital"):

The difficulty in life is to know on what we ought to concentrate. The whole art of life, I sometimes think, is the art of knowing what to leave out, what to ignore, what to put on one side. How prone we are to dissipate our energies and to waste our time by forgetting what is vital and giving ourselves to second and third rate issues. Now, says Paul, here you are in the Christian life, you are concerned about difficulties, about oppositions and about the contradictions of life. What you need is just this: the power to concentrate on that which is vital, to leave out everything else, and to keep steadily to the one thing that matters.

- The Life of Joy: Philippians, vol. 1, pp. 54-55.

BEN WITHERINGTON - "RELATING THE OT AND NT THOUGHT WORLDS"

Asbury Theological Seminary New Testament Professor Ben Witherington offers a substantial excerpt from his yet-to-be-published book, The Indelible Image (vol. 2).  Click here.  Very interesting.

"BETWEEN TWO WORLDS" BLOG KEEPS PRODUCING INCREDIBLE MATERIAL

If you don't yet regularly visit, "Between Two Worlds," you will unquestionably miss valuable stuff.  Here are some items from recent posts that I am glad to know about:

- (Atheist) Michael Ruse: Why I Think the New Atheists Are a Bloody Disaster

- Matt Harmon:  How Did We Get Out Bible and Has It Been changed?    (Terrific 12-page study sheet)

- John Piper:  C.S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards on Layers of Self -Admiration

- Dan Wallace - Response to the video suggesting Obama may be the Anti-Christ

- Matt Anderson:  Perinatal hospice offers an alternative to the trauma of aborting a disabled child(World Magazine)

 - C. J. Mahaney Interviews David Powlison

- For Whom did Christ Did: 3 views

• Paul Helm (Calvinist View)
• Michael Jensen (Amyraldian View)
• Ben Witherington (Arminian View)  Update: On the general Arminian-Calvinist debate, see Wintery Knight's blog post wherein he invokes the Middle Knowledge perspective of Dr. William Lane Craig.

            - Justin Taylor:  John Piper answers the following questions in the latest Bible Study Magazine:

• How do you keep from growing indifferent to the Bible when you're so familiar with it?
• How do you approach the Bible?
• How can we make time for the Bible?
• How do you memorize Scripture?
• Is the Bible easier for you to understand than for other people?
• What would you say to someone who hasn't read their Bible in a long time?

THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL

I love D. L. Moody's comment on Romans 5:1,2.  First, the text:

(1) Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (2) Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And now Moody's comment:

“Peace for the past, grace for the present, and glory for the future. 
                    - From  For Each Day, p. 11.  (my emphases)

Yep, that's it in a nutshell.  Beautifully stated, and succinctly too.  Best of all:  it's true!

TOP 5 COMMENTARIES ON EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE

Keith Mathison of Ligonier Ministries is the one doing the selecting.  Worth consulting.  Click here.  (HT: Between Two Worlds)  I value some new steers, but am surprised to see some omissions as well, such as Klyne Snodgrass on Ephesians (whose work I like), and Gordon Fee on I Corinthians. 

A reader suggests checking www.bestcommentaries.com as well.   In an earlier post I referred to the Old Testament commentary picks chosen by professors at Denver Seminary.

WORLD MAGAZINE NAMES THE "ESV STUDY BIBLE" THE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Marvin Olasky explains:

Among the excellent books of the past 12 months one stands out: Crossway's English Standard Version Study Bible. To the accuracy and readability of the ESV, it adds 20,000 notes based on top evangelical scholarship, 80,000 cross-references, 400 maps and charts, and much more, all under the supervision of two splendid theologians, Wayne Grudem and J.I. Packer.   [more]

Me:  I bought a copy on sale last Christmas and like it a lot.  It's a hefty "tome," and thus not handy for carrying around.    But what I especially appreciate is that it is fully accessible via the internet.  I appreciate the notes and the hyperlinks that make Bible study fast as well as enjoyable and profitable.  And, in general, I prefer the greater literalness of the ESV to the NIV.  Highly recommended!

Update: See my earlier post:  "Online Bible Reading Plans (with Sound!")

MAX McCLEAN PERFORMS THE "GOSPEL OF MARK" IN CHICAGO THEATER

Wow.  Watch this 4 minute video to get an idea of the power of this  presentation.  Then be sure to drop over to  Justin Taylor's fascinating interview with McClean.  Not only would viewing such a production (in person) be edifying, but it might well trigger imaginative possibilities in young people as well.

LESSONS FROM ECCLESIASTES

The other day I was reading the book, Christianity: The True Humanism, by J.I. Packer and Thomas Howard, and found comments on Ecclesiastes worth jotting down.  I am assuming they are Packer's, since Howard's style usually gives itself away with its florid prose.  The writer of Ecclesiastes, Packer says,

piles on the agony of hope frustrated and builds up his picture of life's letdowns with a somber artistry, that makes that heart ache.  Do not kid yourself, he says, that life is a bed of roses for anyone; it is more like a bed of nails. Yet he is not a cynic; on the contrary, his whole aim is to make clear three things which, when grasped and understood, become a permanent bulwark against cynicism in the human heart.  Here they are.

PROF. BEN WITHERINGTON TAKES ISSUE WITH BART EHRMAN'S "JESUS INTERRUPTED"

Ben Witherington is a world class New Testament scholar, so when he reviews Bart Ehrman's Jesus Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know Them, one must give due weight to his critique.  Witherington offers his review in three segments (so far), here, here, and here.  Update: Ssgment four is here, and five here.  Segment six is here.

Extra: Stephen Colbert interviewed Ehrman about his new book.  Colbert, as one commentator said, "is at the top of his game" in this interview.  Witherington offers a comment:

Free Online Reader's Version of the Hebrew and Greek Bible

Justin Taylor provides the link to the great site by  John Dyer who explains why he made the site here.   To look up any passage in the Bible, just type in the reference you are looking for over the one currently showing on the screen.  Pretty amazing.

BEN WITHERINGTON ON JESUS' ALLEGED TOLERATION OF HOMOSEXUAL PRACTICE - "THE ARGUMENT FROM SILENCE"

Dr. Witherington, New Testament professor at Asbury Seminary, says in a critique of Rob Bell's position, 

. . . Rob then makes an argument from silence which is in fact misleading. The argument is this--- "Jesus never said anything about homosexuality". This is not quite true. Jesus took all sorts of sexual sin very seriously, even adultery of the heart, as Rob admits, and so it is no surprise then  that we find Jesus telling his disciples in Mt. 19 that they have only two legitimate options: 1) marital fidelity (with marriage being defined as a relationship between one man and one woman joined together by God which leads to a one flesh union), or 2) being a eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom.

The term 'eunuch' here whether taken literally (as in a castrated person who is incapable of normal sexual intercourse), or simply morally (as in a person who never engages in sexual intercourse, remaining celibate in singleness, though he or she is capable of such an act), makes very evident that for single persons, any single persons, celibacy in singleness is the standard Jesus holds up for the unmarried.

Nor, in view of the way Jesus talks about marriage in the context with the discussion of the original Genesis story about the creation order-- the creation of woman for man (and their interdependency), could one ever imagine Jesus redefining marriage to include same-sex sexual

VIDEO TOUR OF THE ESV STUDY BIBLE

Here is a good introduction (about 10 minutes) to the advantages of a study Bible that can be fully utilized online.   Many advantages indeed.

Pensioner Spends 30 Years Building Amazing Model of Herod's Temple

- Update 3/1/09 - There's also a nice picture gallery of 19 images.  Mr. Garrard's book, The Splendor of the Temple, is published in the US by Kregel.   (HT: Justin Taylor)

(Original Post) - This is an amazing story -- what craftsmanship, what patience, what an extraordinary contribution to the world!  From Britain's Daily Mail  (HT: HotAir):

For his part, Mr Garrard, 78, has dedicated 33,000 hours to constructing his model and has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile and even sculpted 4,000 tiny human figures to populate the courtyards.

Historical experts believe the model, which has attracted thousands of visitors from all over the globe, is the best representation in the world of what the Jewish temple actually looked like.

Click through for several photos and read the whole article.  It will be worth it.  Here is a sample photo:

A peek into the 1:100 scale model, here showing the Court of Prayer, enables one to see the extraordinary attention to detail where Alec has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile

And here's a photo from the London Telegraph:

 

D.A. Carson's Lectures and Sermons Now Online

Dr. Don Carson, a prolific writer and outstanding Bible lecturer and preacher, currently serves as Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,  Deerfield, Illinois.  Carson now has 443 of his sermons available online.  This is a boon to the serious Bible student.  The sermons can be accessed here by Scripture passsage, topic, or category.   (HT: Justin Taylor).

BIBLE BEING READ CONTINUOUSLY AT THE VATICAN

If you know Italian you can listen (and see) the Bible being read continuously at the Vatican.  Mike Potema tells us "it's part of a kickoff for a Synod of Bishops focusing on the role of the Bible in the Church."

WHICH ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATION IS PREFERABLE?

I found this article, 'NET, NIV, ESV: A Brief Historical Comparison," by Dr. Daniel B. Wallace helpful.  Concluding paragraph:

Ultimately, whatever translation your congregation uses should be one that they can trust, one that they will read, and one that they will memorize from. On those three fronts, I think the NET Bible may be the best. But the ESV, RSV, and, to an extent, NIV and TNIV also fit the bill. My own recommendation to English-speaking Christians is to own more than one Bible. In fact, I usually recommend the KJV (for historic and literary reasons), the NET (for accuracy especially, but also for elegance and readability), and a Bible of their choice (which could be either for reading [NIV, TNIV] or memorizing [RSV, ESV]).

Read the whole thing.

ECCLESIASTES 3 - MUSIC AND VIDEO

                             

This is beautiful