A Dash of Salt

Holed Up in the Library

Today I'm holed up in the A. R. Wentz Library at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg.  My task at hand is research for a term paper for the church history course I recently took.  I'm grateful to the folks here at LTSG for letting me, as a local pastor, utilize their resources.  Their library is quite sizable in my opinion, and has many valuable reference books, grammars, history texts, commentaries, and the like. 

You might be interested in knowing the topic of my paper: The Brethren of the Common Life, a pre-Reformation group of lay-people who sought to develop holiness of life through a personal, almost mystical devotion to Christ with an emphasis on justification by faith in Him.  The classic devotional work, The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, was one of the lasting fruits of this movement, along with helping to prepare the populace for the work of Martin Luther and the other reformers.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to Seminary I Go

My laptop is dying.  This malfunction was not timed well, but that's how life is in our broken world.   Tomorrow after church, I leave for Columbia, SC, for two weeks of classes, and my laptop will be missed.  Anyone have some cheese?  I've got plenty of whine. 

When I turned the laptop on yesterday morning, it would start and run for about 3 seconds and then cut off, then restart on its own, and then cut off again, and then just keep cycling on then off.  Yesterday was a frustrating day of trying to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it.  (I even tried hitting the underside of the laptop a couple of times -- at the suggestion of Rich Stratton -- and then turning it on.  Believe it or not, this remedy worked...for about 10 minutes.)  I guess my Compaq Presario 2100 is going to that great computer junk pile in the sky.

I'll be continuing my studies at Columbia International University.  The two courses I will be taking toward my MDiv are "Biblical Foundations of Leadership" and "History of Global Christianity 1".  For the leadership class I had to read "The Emotionally Healthy Church" by Peter Scazerro with Warren Bird.  It was the most unusual leadership book I have ever read.  It's premise is that unless we deal with our personal internal, underneath-the-surface fears, pain, grief, hurts, anger, and such, we can never truly become like Christ.  That's because what's inside of us will always work its way to the outside.  This is important for leaders as well, for a church leader needs to help his or her flock grow in Christlikeness by addressing not just the tip of the iceberg, but the 90% floating unseen below the surface.  Authentic transformation does not come from merely correcting behavior; it grows out of a changed heart and healed thinking about who we are and what has happened to us.  This effects our leadership as well.  It's okay to be a broken, limping leader, because accepting our brokenness is the path to being able to fully identify with the people we lead who themselves struggle under the burden of many hurts and anxieties.  This is what Jesus did in his incarnation, when he voluntarily laid aside his rights and glory and came to earth to save us.  He fully identified with us in our human frailty.  The History class should be interesting as well. I still have a little time to prepare for that.

I hope to keep up with posting on Bible Blog while I'm away.  There probably won't be something everyday, but at least several times during the week I'll try to get something up.  I'm especially looking forward to commenting on Colossians 1:10-12 and what it looks like to walk in a way that's pleasing to the Lord. 

One nice thing about going to Columbia this time is that I'll be staying with Harvey Payne, my accountability partner and friend, and his family.  Please pray for me and my family while I'll be away from them.

My Top Ten Books

Christianity Today caused a big stir recently by listing picks for The Top Fifty Christian Books of the past fifty  years as part of its Fiftieth Anniversary celebration issue.  Some of the magazine's choices were surprising.  This has prompted many bloggers to post their own lists of favorite books and authors, such as Jim Martin's compilation of authors who have mentored him.  That most humorous of blogs, Purgatorio, has given us a double whammy by posting not only a list of top books, but also a catalog of books to avoid. 

Not wanting to be out-done, I've decided to post my personal list of My Top Fifty Christian Books.  The only catch is...I'm not sure that I've read fifty books in my entire life.  Maybe I have if we count A Pig Can Jig back in first grade.  So how about if I give you my top TEN books?  My unscientific criteria for selecting these works was based solely on whether or not I liked them and if they shaped my thinking significantly.  I'll probably remember others I should have posted.  Here are my TOP TEN plus three bonus selections in no particular order of importance...

1. The Question of God, by Armand Nicholi, Jr. (C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud duke it out in a celebrity faith match.)
2. The Search for Significance, by Robert McGee (Scriptural insight for an accurate understanding of who you and I are in Christ.)
3. Desiring God, by John Piper (Learning how to honor God in all areas of life by delighting in Him.)
4. The On-Purpose Person, by Kevin McCarthy (A parable that shows you how to discover your life-purpose.)
5. The Genesis Question, by Hugh Ross (One book that I stayed up all night reading; rattled my understanding of science, creation, and the traditional interpretation of the biblical account of our origin).
6. The Universe Next Door, by James Sire (Taught me to read and think world-view-ishly.)
7. The Purpose-Driven Life, by Rick Warren (Believers either love him or hate him, but Rick presents the basics of the Christian life in a way that's clear, simple, and compelling.  I've given out lots of copies to the spiritual benefit of many.)
8. Reforming Pastoral Ministry, edited by John Armstrong (A basic manual on pastoral theology for postmodern times.  Helpful wisdom contained in stand-alone chapters.  Inspired me to keep on pastoring.)
9. The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien (I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn't read this until I was an adult.  The best work of fiction -- the most satisfying story -- I've ever read, bar none.)
10. What's So Amazing About Grace?, by Philip Yancey (An insightful book that helped me better understand what God has freely and generously done for us through Jesus Christ.)
BONUS 11. A Lasting Promise: A Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage, by Stanley, Trathen, McCain, and Bryan (Dawn and I have found uncommon wisdom for commitment and communication in married life in this book.  I give it out as a reliable resource for building stronger marriages.)
BONUS 12. A Patriot's Handbook, compiled by Caroline Kennedy (JFK's daughter has collected the most significant speeches, poems, stories, and songs to celebrate America.  Quite moving.)
BONUS 13. The New Scofield Reference Bible (KJV).  (This was my very first study Bible when I became a Christian as a teenager.  While I may no longer agree with all the notes at the bottom of the pages, the NSRB is still my sentimental favorite study Bible.)

A baker's dozen of books that have greatly influenced my life.  What are your top ten books?

My Reading List

Here's what I've been reading lately...

For Men Only: A straightfoward guide to the inner lives of women (Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn)

Just Walk Across the Room: Simple steps to pointing people to faith (Bill Hybels)

The Great Giveaway: Reclaiming the mission of the church from big business, parachurch organizations, psychotherapy, consumer capitalism, and other modern maladies (David E. Fitch)

Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to church (James K. A. Smith)

I'll let you know more about each book as I finish it.  Each have been interesting in their own way so far.  Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  Let me know if you have.

Has Jesus Been Misquoted? (Part 3)

Some more thoughts on Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, by Bart Ehrman...

Ehrman's dedicates Misquoting Jesus to his mentor at Princeton Theological Seminary, Dr. Bruce Metzger.  What I find facinating is the fact that Metzger is aware of all the textual variants that trouble Ehrman but comes to a radically different conclusion. He is convinced that the number of variants we have between the NT texts is greatly overstated and that the vast majority are quite insignificant.  Investigative journalist Lee Strobel asked him how many doctrines of the church are in question because of the many textual variants.  Metzger replied, "I don't know of any doctrine that is in jeopardy."  Strobel probed Metzger further...

"All these decades of scholarship, of study, of writing textbooks, of delving into the minutiae of the New Testament text--what has all this done to your personal faith?" I asked.

"Oh," he said, sounding happy to discuss the topic, "it has increased the basis of my faith to see the firmness with which these materials have come down to us, with a multiplicity of copies, some of which are very, very ancient."

"So," I started to say, "scholarship has not diluted your faith--"

He jumped in before I could finish my sentence.  "On the contrary," he stressed, "it has built it. I've asked questions all my life, I've dug into the text, I've studied this thoroughly, and today I know with confidence that my trust in Jesus has been well placed."

He paused while his eyes surveyed my face.  Then he added, for emphasis, "Very well placed."  (The Case for Christ, pp. 84, 93)

I find Metzger's interview with Strobel highly interesting because Metzger taught Ehrman, has carefully studied the same evidence, and has come to a totally different conclusion.  Rather than destroying his faith in Christ, Metzger's scholarly examination of the NT text has make it much stronger!  This makes me think that there are other issues that have prompted Bart Ehrman to abandon his faith in Christ.

Craig Blomberg has written a helpful critique of Misquoting Jesus in the Denver Seminary Journal.  It would be worth your while to read it.

Has Jesus Been Misquoted? (Part 2)

Yesterday, we began looking at Bart Ehrman’s popular book Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Change the Bible and Why.  What has garnered a lot of attention for Dr. Ehrman is the nature of his own religious journey from Christianity to non-belief in the authority of the New Testament.  While growing up in a nominal Christian home, Ehrman had what he calls a “bona fide born-again experience” as a teenager.  Later, he graduated from the evangelical schools Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College, and then pursued his graduate and doctoral work at Princeton Theological Seminary.  During his studies at Princeton, Ehrman’s confidence in the inspiration and authority of the New Testament began to unravel.  The cause?  As he studied the science of textual criticism, he concluded that there were too many variations in the wording (points of disagreement) between the ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.  The original writings of the New Testament were copied by hand by scribes during the first millennia after the life of Christ, and over time many copying mistakes crept into the text of the NT.  The multiplicity of these variants caused Ehrman to doubt whether it is possible to ever know what the original text of the NT said.  Ehrman reasoned, “The fact that we don’t have the words surely must show…that he [God] did not preserve them for us.  And if he didn’t perform this miracle, there seemed to be no reason to think that he performed the earlier miracle of inspiring those words” (11).  This realization, coupled with his frustration over the problem of why a good God allows innocent humans to suffer, led Bart Ehrman to reject the Christian faith. 

It seems to me that Dr. Ehrman wants to be absolutely certain of what the Bible says without any hint of doubt.  This hardly seems like a reasonable expectation, for as long as humans are copying, there will be mistakes.  Almost all students of the NT text recognize that God did not drop the Bible out of the sky into our laps but chose to use humans to originally pen and then copy its words so future generations could read them.  (The exception is those who believe that God inspired the King James Version.)  For Ehrman, it appears to me that if he cannot be absolutely certain, then his only option left is total despair.  He now calls himself a “happy agnostic.”

Because the human element involved in preserving the New Testament there will always be some small question about its exact meaning.  Yet, because of the large quantity of manuscripts we have (almost 5700!) and the diligent efforts of textual critics around the world, we can be certain that we do have the original message of the Bible in the manuscripts we possess.  It’s not like the message of the NT is lost.  The original content is there.  Contrary to what Dr. Ehrman states, we do have the words!  Scholars are confident that we have 99% of the original message of the Bible.  The remaining 1% of the wording that is uncertain has no bearing on any cardinal teaching of the Christian faith!  I found the book Reinventing Jesus to be very helpful in answering Ehrman’s allegations.  The authors of the book – J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel B. Wallace, who are highly trained New Testament scholars themselves – make a strong case that God has preserved his Word for us and that the Bible we have is completely trustworthy.  According them, to say that the Bible is corrupted, and that the original is no longer detectable or lost, is “just plain silly” (104).  I agree.

We’ll come back to Misquoting Jesus one more time tomorrow.

Has Jesus Been Misquoted? (Part 1)

I just finished reading Bart Ehrman’s bestselling book, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why.  If you have read it, what did you think of it?  The provocative title of the book warns that we cannot and should not trust what the Bible says.  While I found the book a well written introduction to the science of textual criticism, and I don’t see where the author has backed up his title’s claim.

Dr. Ehrman chairs the Department of Religious Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,  and is one of America’s leading experts on New Testament criticism (the science of determining the original text of the NT).  I learned about Dr. Ehrman’s latest book from an article in the Washington Post.  He has also been a popular guest on radio and television talk shows, such as NPR’s Fresh Air and the Comedy Channel’s The Daily Show.

For many people reading Misquoting Jesus, the revelation that there are many manuscripts of the New Testament, and that these manuscripts don’t agree with each other comes as quite a shock.  Because there are so many disagreements between these manuscripts, Ehrman wonders how can we possibly know what God originally said?  His contention is that we can't.  Ehrman highlights such disputed passages as John 7:53-8:11 (the woman caught in adultery), Mark 16:9-20 (Jesus’ resurrection appearances), and 1 John 5:7-8 (a statement of the Trinity) to show that some of the text we find in our English translations of the Bible do not belong there.  He implies that these additions to the NT text and others are probable cause for us to doubt the trustworthiness of the rest of the NT.

Much of Misquoting Jesus is spent explaining how and why the scribes who copied the NT during the pre-printing press age made changes in the text.  Ehrman speculates that sometimes the copyists had a theological axe to grind, altering the text in order to defend the faith from the attacks of Jewish adversaries and pagan skeptics, or to refute the false teachings of pseudo-Christian heretics.  Most of the time, though, the variants in the NT texts were due to the scribes’ carelessness in spelling and word order or were their attempts to harmonize the details contained in parallel passages of the same events.  To Ehrman, these errors in copying, whether accidental or intentional, show that the Bible is merely a human book written by human authors, and certainly not inspired by God or to be considered authoritative.

What are we to make of Bart Ehrman’s claims in Misquoting Jesus?  Can we trust the Bible?  Is it possible to know what the original autographs of the NT really said?  Ehrman repeatedly asserts that it’s impossible to determine what Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the rest of the NT authors originally wrote.  To me it seems like Ehrman is overstating his case.  The truth is, not one of the 200,000+ variants in the nearly 5700 manuscripts of the NT we possess impacts a major doctrine of the Christian faith.  Variants which are supposed additions to the original text, like the one Ehrman highlights in Matthew 24:36 (“nor the Son”), do not alter the meaning of the passage whether they belong in the text or not.  Even the disputed longer passages – John 7:53-8:11 and Mark 16:9-20 – do not have any bearing on any cardinal theological issues of the NT if they are removed after being determined to be non-original because many other passages show that Jesus forgave sinners and rose from the dead!  As for the Trinity being based solely on the teaching of 1 John 5:7-8 (as Ehrman seems to imply), this passage ought to be taken out the NT since there are no Greek manuscripts prior to the 1400’s that contain it.  Clearly, it is a recent and unfounded addition.  Does its removal undermine the Christian doctrine of the Trinity?  Not at all!  There are many passages that teach the existence of the Triune God, such as Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 8:4-8, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16, and Acts 5:3-4.

More about Misquoting Jesus tomorrow...