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What is Racism According to the Bible?
Accusations of racism and racist behavior are commonplace in the news today. Many view racism as on the rise in America. Poll data from Gallup indicates that at least some Americans view race relations between whites and blacks at a current low point over a 20 year span. Because racism is a subject prevalent in the public eye, we need to discuss what racism actually is (biblically speaking), and how Christians should think about it. First, let’s talk about how the culture defines racism. According to Merrian-Webster, racism is defined as follows: 1: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race 2a: a doctrine or political program based on the assumption of racism and designed to execute its principles 2b: a political or social system founded on racism 3: racial prejudice or discrimination…
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Seven Posts about the King James Version
I have done a fair bit of reading, research, and writing on the King James Version. Part of the reason I have spent much time on the issue is because I have often heard the teaching that modern English Bible translations are theologically dangerous. I have had many charitable exchanges with friends who have argued that we should only use the King James Version, and my heart desires people to think biblically and accurately about Bible translations. Thus, I thought it would be helpful to list all of the posts I have written about the King James Version for easy accessibility. In light of this, the following posts deal with various issues pertaining to the King James Version and Bible translation in general. 1. Thou Shalt Not Only Use the King James Version This post acts as an introduction to the King James Version and briefly discusses why it is…
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The Received Text, the KJV, and Erasmus
We can’t talk about the KJV without talking about the Received Text (often called the Textus Receptus, or TR for short). The Received Text is the Greek text which underlies the KJV. It is called the Received Text because that was the phrase used in the introduction of the Elzevir brothers 2nd edition of their Greek New Testament in 1633. The phrase “Received Text” became a moniker to refer to the Greek text from Erasmus in 1516 on. This Greek text is largely different from the Greek text which underlies the modern versions (NASB, ESV, NIV, etc.). Why does that matter? Modern versions (NASB, ESV, NIV, etc) use a translation philosophy which is usually called an “eclectic approach,” This means they evaluate over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, looking at patterns, external and internal evidence, and thereby determining what the original Greek manuscript read. Some of these manuscripts that are utilized in the…
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Common Arguments from Those Who Hold to KJV Only
In the last two posts we have discussed some of the problems with holding to the KJV as the only translation that should be used today. The first post addressed the general background of the translators who worked on the KJV. The second post looked at differences between the 1611 KJV and the modern KJV. Today I want to address some of the common arguments that are used by those who hold to the KJV only position. 1. There has to be a Bible version that is completely inerrant, hence God gave us the KJV. There are multiple problems with this. First, is it true that God has to give us an inerrant translation? No, God never promised us an inerrant translation. He promises His Words are perfect and inerrant (which is in the form of the original text). However, saying that God has to now provide an inerrant translation…
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Thou Shalt Not Only Use the King James Version
My first Bible growing up was the King James version. I did not only use the KJV, but I memorized all my verses in the King James version and I learned much reading through its stories. Then, one day my parents got me the New King James version. It was a lot easier to read, and I memorized more verses. Years later, in high school I switched to the New American Standard Version. After college, I decided to make the switch to the English Standard Version. Thus, I have run the version gamut. In high school I first ran across people who said that you should only use the King James Version. This always struck me as a bit odd, but I better understand now where they were coming from. It is important to differentiate between two groups. First, there are people who only use the KJV because that is…
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A Tribute to Every Mother and their Special Role
Happy Day of the Mother (aka Mother’s Day)! This Sunday marks a special day as we commemorate the value of mothers in the lives of our families. I have stated before that being a mother is very important. In a culture which attempts to mitigate the differences between males and females, these are special opportunities to point out that children relate differently to fathers than they do to mothers. God has designed the role of mom to be integral to the upbringing of children. Barna recently released a survey which looks at the relationship of teenagers and their mothers. I think the observations can be applied to children of all ages. Here are two of the major takeaways. Teenagers in the Christian home look to the mother most often for encouragement, advice, and sympathy. I find it interesting that in the same survey teenagers go to dad most often for…
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A Tale of Two Mothers and Two Mindsets
Different mothers have different mindsets. Last week my wife (who herself mothers two children quite well) directed me to an article on parenting in the Washington Post. In the article, a mother was confronted by her 4th grade daughter for writing about her and posting her pictures all over the internet for her articles. As I read through the article, I was struck by the thought process of the mother. She acknowledges that she had to intentionally fight against the peer pressure of mothers to sacrifice for their kids. She knows that most mothers or fathers in her position stop writing about their kids to protect their privacy and allow them to be their own individual. But she says in the article, “I respect that approach and understand why it works for many writers, but it’s not a promise I can make. … Promising not to write about her anymore…
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Is it Wrong for the Christian to Drink Alcohol?
To drink or not to drink? Yes, today I tread into dangerous waters by discussing the Christian and whether its okay to drink alcohol. First, a disclaimer. I grew up in the Midwest where it was culturally taboo to drink, smoke, or chew; or hang with girls that do! (As the saying goes). When I moved to California, people tended to emphasize Christian “liberty” more, and thus tended to exercise their liberty to drink wine or beer. This difference in atmosphere prompted me to examine the issue of drinking and the Christian’s responsibility. I wanted to share some of that fruit with you. There are some who approach the matter by saying, “Jesus approved of using wine so we can drink it” (cf. John 2:1-10); or they will say Paul encouraged Timothy to drink wine (1 Tim 5:23). Therefore, Christians are able to drink alcohol, simple as that! However, it…
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Different Apologetics: Which One is Best?
Christian Apologetics is not the discipline of apologizing to others. Rather, apologetics is the discipline of defending the faith against objections. Whenever someone brings up a claim of inconsistency or inaccuracy with the Christian faith (e.g., Existence of God), you are automatically engaged in apologetics. There are various methods that we use to answer objections to Christianity. The main approaches can be grouped into five major methodologies of apologetics: Classical Method Evidential Method Cumulative Case Method Reformed Epistemology Method Presuppositional Method The Classical Method of apologetics uses natural theology to prove theism, and subsequently, historical evidences are brought forward to prove the credibility of the Christian faith. The assumption behind this methodology is that Christianity is an inherently rational belief, and so it should be persuasive to those who think logically and rationally. The Evidential Method can be difficult to separate from the Classical. Within apologetics, the main difference in…
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Who are the Sons of God in Genesis 6?
Genesis 6 is one of those debated Old Testament passages where there are at least a few possible interpretations. There are three main options in identifying the sons of God: (1) rulers/kings, (2) the line of Seth, and (3) angels. Although each viewpoint has its advocates, I believe the angelic view corresponds best with the evidence. The situation is described as follows (Gen 6:1-4): Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of…