Christian Bible version backronyms

The following 'backronyms' are neither fair nor accurate, merely fun.

• NIV = Nearly Infallible Version
• RSV = Really Sound Version
• NEB = Not Even Biblical
• The Message = The Most Erroneous Slaughter of Scripture Available that Goes Everywhere
• HCSB = Hard Core Southern Baptist

I must stress that these in no way reflect my views on the various translations listed.

Update(2): the ultimate (misleading!?) backronym:

• B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)

Apparently a book and lyrics to a Rap compilation. Probably other things too!

Update: For a (lot!) more see: 
https://www.dictionaryofchristianese.com/newly-incorrect-version-extremely-saved-version-and-other-bible-taunts/

Charles Malik's "Two Tasks" address (1980)

NB The following quotes may NOT be in the right order!

Charles Malik, the late Lebanese statesman, in his address at the inauguration of the Billy Graham centre at Wheaton College in 1980, warned American Christians of the danger of neglecting the mind.

"I must be frank with you: the greatest danger confronting American evangelical Christianity is the danger of anti-intellectualism. The mind in its greatest and deepest reaches is not cared for enough. But intellectual nurture cannot take place apart from profound immersion for a period of years in the history of thought and the spirit. People who are in a hurry to get out of the university and start earning money or serving the church or preaching the gospel have no idea of the infinite value of spending years of leisure conversing with the greatest minds and souls of the past, ripening and sharpening and enlarging their powers of thinking. The result is that the arena of creative thinking is vacated and abdicated to the enemy. Who among evangelicals can stand up to the great secular scholars on their own terms of scholarship? Who among evangelical scholars is quoted as a normative source by the greatest secular authorities on history or philosophy or psychology or sociology or politics? Does the evangelical mode of thinking have the slightest chance of becoming the dominant mode in the great universities of Europe and America that stamp our entire civilization with their spirit and ideas? For the sake of greater effectiveness in witnessing to Jesus Christ, as well as for their own sakes, evangelicals cannot afford to keep on living on the periphery of responsible intellectual existence."


"It will take a different spirit altogether to overcome this great danger. . . . For example, I say this different spirit, so far as philosophy alone--the most important domain for thought and intellect--is concerned, must see the tremendous value of spending an entire year doing nothing but poring intensely over the Republic or the Sophist of Plato, or two years over the Metaphysics or the Ethics of Aristotle, or three years over the City of God of Augustine. But if a start is made now on a crash program in this and other domains, it will take at least a century to catch up with the Harvards and Tübingens and the Sorbonnes—and by then where will these universities be? For the sake of greater effectiveness in witnessing to Jesus Christ, as well as for their own sakes, evangelicals cannot afford to keep on living on the periphery of responsible intellectual existence."

Charles Malik, “The Other Side of Evangelism” Christianity Today (November 7, 1980), p. 40.

For Malik’s entire original address see "The Two Tasks" (Wheaton, Ill.: Billy Graham Center, 2000).

Found originally in: "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview" by J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, IVP, 2003

See also:

* For a longer extract see here.

* The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind
William Lane Craig (Editor), Paul M. Gould (Editor) - This is a collection of essays based on Malik's address.

* 1 page extract (pdf)

Ryle on making money.

JC Ryle's comments (on Luke 16) though written in 1858, have more than a faint resonance!

"Commercial dishonesty is unhappily very common in these latter days. Fair dealing between man and man is increasingly rare. Men do things in the way of business, which will not stand the test of the Bible. In "making haste to be rich," thousands are continually committing actions which are not strictly innocent. (Prov. 28:20)"

"Sharpness and smartness, in bargaining, and buying, and selling, and pushing trade, are often covering over things that ought not to be. The generation of "the unjust steward" is still a very large one. Let us not forget this. Whenever we do to others what we would not like others to do to us, we may be sure, whatever the world may say, that we are wrong in the sight of Christ."

Spend your time ...

“Spend your time
in nothing which you know must be repented of;
in nothing on which you might not pray for the blessing of God;
in nothing which you could not review with a quiet conscience on your dying bed;
in nothing which you might not safely and properly be found doing if death should surprise you in the act.”

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

The writing of books has no end ...

'But I remember that we live in [an] hurrying age, and that it never was so true as it is now, that "a great book is a great evil". Ryle (1858), JC,'Expository Thoughts on Luke', Preface, v.

Are women really "not worthy" of being bishops?

This is what JC Ryle, first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, wrote in his Expository Thoughts on Luke (1858), Luke 8v1-3) on the role of women during Jesus's ministry:

"We read that among those who followed our Lord in his journeyings, were "certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities."

We can well imagine that the difficulties these holy women had to face in becoming Christ's disciples were neither few nor small. They had their full share of the contempt and scorn which was poured on all followers of Jesus by the Scribes and Pharisees. They had, besides, many a trial from the hard speeches and hard usage which any Jewish woman who thought for herself about religion would probably have to undergo. But none of these things moved them. Grateful for mercies received at our Lord's hands, they were willing to endure much for His sake. Strengthened inwardly, by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, they were enabled to cleave to Jesus and not give way. And nobly they did cleave to Him to the very end!

It was not a woman who sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. They were not women who forsook the Lord in the garden and fled. It was not a woman who denied Him three times in the high priest's house. But they were women who wailed and lamented when Jesus was led forth to be crucified. They were women who stood to the last by the cross. And they were women who were first to visit the grave "where the Lord lay." Great indeed is the power of the grace of God!

Let the recollection of these women encourage all the daughters of Adam who read of them, to take up the cross and to follow Christ. Let no sense of weakness, or fear of falling away, keep them back from a decided profession of religion. The mother of a large family, with limited means, may tell us that she has no time for religion. The wife of an ungodly husband may tell us that she dares not take up religion. The young daughter of worldly parents may tell us that it is impossible for her to have any religion. The maid-servant in the midst of unconverted companions, may tell us that in her place a person cannot follow religion.

But they are all wrong, quite wrong. With Christ nothing is impossible. Let them think again, and change their minds. Let them begin boldly in the strength of Christ, and trust Him for the consequences. The Lord Jesus never changes. He who enabled "many women" to serve Him faithfully while He was on earth, can enable women to serve Him, glorify Him, and be His disciples at the present day." (my emphasis).

May those whom God calls to be shepherds of His flock take up their calling boldy and with humility, and may God bless all those who labour to spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus (2 Cor.2v14).

For more of Ryle's works see:

• A collection of his tracts
• 'Expository thoughts'
  

The Wisdom of Solomon?

'... the life of Solomon demonstrates that wisdom does not allow the wise to rest on their laurels and coast through life. Wisdom requires guarding one's steps, and the wiser one is, the more skilful one is, the more paths are open, the more options. Folly Barbara Tuchman says, is a function of power, and power is often the product of skill ... The wise can accomplish things that a fool cannot, and this means that the wise [face] peculiar temptations, temptations that are simply not available to the fool. Humans rightly strive for wisdom, strive above all to get wisdom, but there is a kind of skill in living that is no more than a highly refined form of folly.'

Leithart, Peter (2006), 1 & 2 Kings, SCM Press, p82.

Or as Jesus put it: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked." (Luke 12v48b, NETBible)

Depressed by "Expelled"

I had really wanted to be positive on this blog. I find all those posts criticising others so depressing but yet another act of self-destruction by those who claim to follow Jesus forces me to observe that their view is really very, very recent. The oldest comment I know about the folly of a literal interpretation of Genesis dates back almost to the time of Jesus. A great theologian, Origen, observed:
"Now what man of intelligence will believe that the first, and second, and third day, and the evening and the morning, existed without a sun, and moon, and stars? And that the first day, if we may call it so, was also without a sky? And who is so silly as to suppose that God, after the manner of a farmer, 'planted a paradise eastward in Eden' and placed in it a tree of life, visible and palpable, so that one tasting of the fruit by the bodily teeth obtained life; and again, that one was a partaker of good and evil by masticating what was taken from the tree? And if God is said to walk in the paradise in the evening, and Adam to hide himself under a tree, I do not suppose that any one doubts that these things are figurative expressions which indicate certain mysteries, the history having taken place in appearance, and not literally."
Origen, On First Principles, Bk4,Ch3,Vs1f, ~AD225.

Similarly, about 200 years later, Augustine wrote:
"It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, about the passage of years and seasons, about the nature of animals, of fruits, of stones, and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation" (The Literal Interpretation of Genesis 1:19–20 [A.D. 408]).
From: http://www.catholic.com/library/Creation_and_Genesis.asp

More "recently" (1554) we have Calvin's treatment off Genesis 1v16:

“I have said, that Moses does not here subtlety descant, as a philosopher, on the secrets of nature, as may be seen in these words. First, he assigns a place in the expanse of heaven to the planets and stars; but astronomers make a distinction of spheres, and, at the same time, teach that the fixed stars have their proper place in the firmament. Moses makes two great luminaries; but astronomers prove, by conclusive reasons, that the star of Saturn, which, on account of its great distance, appears the least of all, is greater than the moon. Here lies the differ­ence; Moses wrote in a popular style things which, without instruction, all ordinary persons, endued with common sense are able to understand; but astronomers investigate with great labour whatever the sagacity of the human mind can comprehend. Nevertheless, this study is not to be reprobated, nor this science to be condemned, because some frantic per­sons are wont boldly to reject whatever is unknown to them. For astronomy is not only pleasant, but also very useful to be known: it cannot be denied that this art unfolds the ad­mirable wisdom of God. Wherefore, as ingenious men are to be honoured who have expended useful labour on this subject, so they who have leisure and capacity ought not to neglect this kind of exercise. Nor did Moses truly wish to withdraw us from this pursuit in omitting such things as are peculiar to the art; but because he was ordained a teacher as well of the unlearned and rude as of the learned, he could not otherwise fulfil his office than by descending to this grosser method of instruction. Had he spoken of things generally unknown, the uneducated might have pleaded in excuse that such subjects were beyond their capacity. Lastly, since the Spirit of God here opens a common school for all, it is not surprising that he should chiefly choose those subjects which would be intelligible to all. If the astrono­mer inquires respecting the actual dimensions of the stars, he will find the moon to be less than Saturn; but this is something abstruse, for to the sight it appears differently. Moses, therefore, rather adapts his discourse to common usage. For since the Lord stretches forth, as it were, his hand to us in causing us to enjoy the brightness of the sun and moon, how great would be our ingratitude were we to close our eyes against our own experience ? There is there­fore no reason why janglers should deride the unskilfulness of Moses in making the moon the second luminary; for he does not call us up into heaven, he only proposes things which lie open before our eyes. Let the astronomers possess their more exalted knowledge; but, in the meantime, they who perceive by the moon the splendour of night, are con­victed by its use of perverse ingratitude unless they acknow­ledge the beneficence of God.” John Calvin on Genesis 1v16, “Commentaries on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis”, Vol.1, p.86-7, John Calvin, 1554, trans. by the Rev. John King, 1847. Source: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom01.html

For those who'd like to hear a very careful explanation of how some Christians seem to have found themselves in a bit of a tizz about this issue, try listening to:
"From Darwin to Scopes" by Revd. M.Roberts

There are many talks etc on the site about Science+Religion from which the above talk is just one. See
The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion for the list.

Initially I intend this blog to comment on articles, blogs and books that, as I find them, have proved interesting or irritating.

Maybe I'll add some other things as I learn how to use this.

Clearly, given the sub-head, the focus will be mainly around Christianity.