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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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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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Reading the Unreadable: How Modern Technology is Restoring Ancient Biblical Texts
Imagine holding an ancient scroll that hasn’t been read in over a thousand years—a manuscript so fragile that unrolling it would reduce it to dust. For generations, the content and text contained within such ancient manuscripts have been locked away unusable, their secrets essentially lost due to the impossibility of reading it. Scholars, historians, and Bible enthusiasts have long yearned to access these lost pieces of history that hold the potential to deepen our understanding of the biblical text. Over the last decade, technology has revolutionized the field and allowed many of these texts to be read. The Challenge of Damaged Scrolls Textual criticism has always faced the daunting task of piecing together incomplete or damaged manuscripts. Traditional methods often required physical handling of fragile documents, risking further deterioration. In some cases, texts were so badly damaged that attempting to open or read them was impossible without causing irreparable harm.…
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Is there a Secret Message or Code in the Bible?
I will periodically interact with groups that believe in bible codes and secret messages in Scripture, or be asked about them at church. Looking for a secret message in the Bible is seductive and has a long history with many Christian and Jewish advocates. Is there any evidence that the Bible contains a secret message or a hidden code? One individual who would answer in the affirmative was Chuck Missler (1934–2018). Missler was a very intelligent man who had a background in information sciences (computers, cryptography, etc.). In some of his written works and lectures on bible codes, he taught there is a secret message in Scripture. Chuck Missler provides a good template for explaining some of the faulty thinking behind the idea that the bible contains a secret message. We will focus on two of many problematic ways of searching for a secret message in the Bible. First, we…
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Why James Translates Jacob in the New Testament
In James 1:1 we read, “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.” James is the English word for Ἰάκωβος in the Greek. However, Ἰάκωβος is simply a Greek form for the name of Jacob in the OT (יַעֲקֹב). Why do we use the name James for the name Jacob in the New Testament? Why James Rather than Jacob? One theory is that during that translation of the King James Bible, the king forced the translators to substitute the king’s name for Jacob in the New Testament because he wanted his name in the Bible. This view is assuredly incorrect, especially since the name James was used by the Wycliffe translation in the 14th century. One cannot be dogmatic on the issue, but the following seems to be the best reconstruction we can do as to why James…
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How Tall was the Giant Goliath?
David killing Goliath with a sling is one of the most beloved and well-known Bible stories. In fact, sports announcers will still sometimes use the phrase, “It is a David versus Goliath story” to describe an underdog taking down the favorite. Those who grew up in church quickly became familiar with the story of the little boy David killing the mighty Philistine giant, Goliath. However, some of the details of the David vs. Goliath story need fleshing out. For one thing, it is likely that although he fought for the Philistines, Goliath likely was a descendant of Anak. Another issue is whether Goliath would qualify as a giant or not. This is actually a bit of a text-critical issue in the book of Samuel! Compare the following English translations. CSB Then a champion named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was nine feet, nine inches tall. NET Then a champion came out…
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Does it Burn, or is it Exposed? (2 Peter 3:10)
Does it burn, or is it exposed in 2 Peter 3:10? Depending on which Bible translation you are reading, you could come away with a different perception. Note, for example, the way various translations treat 2 Peter 3:10. ESV But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. NASB But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. HCSB But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the…
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The Use of Amos 9 in Acts 15 in JODT
I recently became aware that The Journal of Dispensational Theology published one of my articles in October. The bibliography information is as follows: Peter J Goeman, “The Role of the LXX in James’ Use of Amos 9:11-12 in Acts 15:15-18” Journal of Dispensational Theology (Summer/Fall 2014): 107-25. Although the article itself requires a certain proficiency in Greek and Hebrew, I will try to summarize the main point of the article here. First, notice the comparison between Amos 9 and Acts 15: Amos 9:11-12 (MT) Amos 9:11-12 (LXX) Acts 15:16-18 In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by My name,” declares the Lord who does this. (Amos 9:11-12, NASB) On that day I will raise up the tent…