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The Prince of Preachers on the Usefulness of Textual Criticism
When Charles Spurgeon is mentioned, he is almost always celebrated as the Prince of Preachers—a communicator of extraordinary clarity, force, and eloquence. And rightly so. Spurgeon was a masterful expositor who loved the Lord and proclaimed the Scriptures with bold conviction. His life and ministry remain a towering model of Christian devotion, both for believers in general and preachers in particular. Yet one dimension of Spurgeon’s preaching is often overlooked: his careful attention to the textual issues of the Bible in its original languages. Throughout his sermons and writings, Spurgeon demonstrated an awareness that not every manuscript reading or translation was equally certain. He was deeply committed to ensuring that what he proclaimed from the pulpit was the genuine Word of God. In practice, this meant that Spurgeon regularly and thoughtfully engaged in textual criticism (textual criticism is the scholarly process of comparing manuscripts to determine the most accurate original…
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The Unpopular (but Correct) Translation of Deuteronomy 4:29
I remember reading through Deuteronomy 4 in Hebrew years ago and being struck that Deuteronomy 4:25-30 is one of the starkest evidences for an early prophecy of Israel’s sin and eventual restoration. I mean, Deuteronomy is even before Israel enters the land of Canaan. And yet, Moses is telling Israel that they will sin, go into exile, but the Lord will bring them back to their land. Deuteronomy 4:29 is a key part of this argument by Moses, but as I read through it and double-checked English translations, I was not satisfied with how most English translations treated this verse. Most translations, however, approach this verse in the wrong way (as illustrated below). The Typical Translations of Deuteronomy 4:29 Deuteronomy 4:29 typically exhibits little variation in translation. The only outlier is the CSB and LSB. Observe the following translations. But from there, you will search for the Lord your God,…
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What “Lukewarm” Really Means in Revelation 3:16 — The Forgotten Context of Laodicea
In Revelation 3:14-22 Jesus addresses the church of Laodicea and sternly rebukes their deeds. He says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (vv. 15-16). The most popular interpretation of Revelation 3:16, and particularly the nuance of “lukewarm,” is as follows: (1) the hot water stood for people who follow God, (2) the cold water stood for people who reject God, and (3) lukewarm stood for nominal Christianity. This interpretation holds that lukewarm Christianity is deplorable to Christ and that it would be better to be completely opposed to Christ than to be lukewarm, or nominally committed to Him. Although many commentators I respect hold to some variation of this position, I have since become convinced of what I believe is a…
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“I said, you are gods”—What is Jesus Saying in John 10?
I have made the argument in the past that Psalm 82 is better interpreted as a reference to angelic beings than a reference to human judges. However, many interpreters view Jesus’ quote of Psalm 82 in John 10 as further evidence that Psalm 82 is a reference to human judges. Is John 10 evidence that Psalm 82 should be understood as referring to human rulers? Within the context of John 10, the Jews are about to stone Jesus for making himself out to be God (John 10:33). In answer to the Jews picking up stones, in John 10:34-36, Jesus says the following: Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I…
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Is There a Divine Council in Psalm 82?
Psalm 82:1 states, “God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment.” Later in Psalm 82:6-7 we read, “I said, ‘You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.'” The identity of the “gods” in Psalm 82 has been interpreted in a variety of ways. For sake of brevity, we will cover the two most popular understandings of “gods.” 1. The Gods as Human Judges Interpreting the gods in Psalm 82 as a reference to human judges is very common. Support for this idea is drawn from Exodus 22:8, where someone accused of being an accomplice to a thief comes “near to God” to take an oath about what happened. This is often interpreted as going before the Israelite judges (cf. Exod 21:6, where a master brings his…
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A Simple Explanation of Covenant Theology
What is covenant theology? This is a question I get periodically, so that it would be helpful to write a brief introduction on it. In the past I have defined the beliefs of dispensationalism (as well as the things that do NOT define dispensationalism). Thus, it is only fair now that I spent some time defining covenant theology. Introduction to Covenant Theology Adherents of covenant theology claim that covenant theology is the natural outworking of God’s covenantal relationship with humanity.[1] Although that general statement would find very few detractors, the details of covenant theology are often debated, even among proponents. Although Ulrich Zwingli is referred to as the initiator of covenant theology,[2] it developed into a full-fledged system through the contributions of Zwingli’s successors.[3] Within this system there is broad agreement as to how the system is constituted. Covenant theologian, Michael Horton, notes, A broad consensus emerged in this Reformed…
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A Short Explanation of Samuel’s Levitical Heritage and Hannah’s Vow
How is it that Samuel was able to work in the Tabernacle? Wasn’t the Tabernacle work reserved for Levites? Samuel was born in Ephraim, so wouldn’t that disqualify him from service? These are some significant questions that readers of 1 Samuel often think about. The book of 1 Samuel opens up by talking about “a certain man of Rammathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah” (1 Sam 1:1). Elkanah is married to two wives, one of whom is Hannah. Although barren, Hannah prays for a child, and the Lord answers her prayer. This child is Samuel! After giving birth, Hannah names her son Samuel, and dedicates him to tabernacle service with Eli (1 Sam 1:28). Samuel stays with Eli and serves the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 2:11, 18). Throughout the story, it is obvious that Samuel is ministering in the tabernacle (cf. 1 Sam 3:3). This…
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“Where Did Cain Get His Wife?”—And Why the Question Still Matters
In the summer of 1925, the Scopes “Monkey” Trial turned a Tennessee courtroom into a national stage for debating the Bible and origins. One of the most memorable barbs came when Clarence Darrow pressed William Jennings Bryan with a line that has echoed through popular culture ever since: “Where did Cain get his wife?” The insinuation—delivered to laughter and headlines—was that anyone who believes Genesis must accept an absurdity (or worse, a moral outrage). That exchange helped cement the cultural narrative that Christianity is anti-intellectual and ethically inconsistent. A century later, the same argument still circulates on social media and in classrooms. Do Christians have a good answer to the question of where Cain got his wife? This is a legitimate question. If Adam and Eve are the fountainhead of humanity (Gen 3:20; Acts 17:26), whom did their son Cain marry (Gen 4:17)? If the only available partners were siblings…
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What is the Longest Book of the Bible?
There are 1,189 chapters in the English bible, and 31,103 verses. But which book of the Bible is the longest? The answer surprises most people! Hint: It is not Psalms! At least depending on how you are counting. I am at least partially motivated to write this blog post on the issue of the longest book of the Bible because it makes such a great youth group trivia question! But, it also helps puts things in perspective for what you can expect when reading through the Bible. There are a variety of ways to calculate the longest book of the Bible. You can count chapters, verses, or words. You could also technically make a differentiation between Greek or Hebrew, and the common English translations that we use. Of course, it should be noted that we are not combining any books of the Bible. So, although 1 & 2 Samuel, 1…
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A Fascinating History of the Failure of Prisons
Being a Christian, I’m always interested in cultural issues. One of the most controversial cultural conversations centers on prisons and whether the United States’ system of incarceration is a good system. I first started thinking about this issue in earnest when, a few years ago, I was listening to Al Mohler, and he noted New York’s 2019 plan to spend $9 billion on building new prisons. Mohler included a brief discussion of the history of prisons, which inspired me to do a little more research on the issue. This brief article is a summation of the history of prisons and how we ought to think about them as Christians. Throughout most of human history,prisons were meant to be a temporary arrangement. Prisons in the ancient world were places where suspects were held while waiting for their cases to be heard. For example, Leviticus 24:10-12 mentions the imprisonment of an individual…