Threads from Henry's Web

Author: henry

  • The Nephilim have NOT been Found

    Michael Patton blogs today about another way not to do apologetics, in this case responding to an e-mail he received claiming that giants had been found in Greece.  The e-mail associated these giants with the Nephilim of scripture and claimed that the photos proved that the Bible was accurate.

    It shouldn’t be necessary to say that no giants were dug up in Greece, and that these giants that were not dug up do not somehow prove the Bible.  But there are an unfortunate number of Christians who believe these things uncritically.  I receive similar e-mails quite frequently, though I haven’t (yet) received one about the giants.

    In case you wanted to know just how the pictures involved in the e-mail (some of which are duplicated on Dr. Patton’s site), you can check this page from Snopes.  The discussion on Snopes illustrates some points about such hoaxes.  First, they are recycled over and over again with different stories.  This one originated in 2004.  Second, it’s usually easy to find out what happened.  In this case the folks over at snopes.com already did the work.  Third, none of this will make much difference.  People will keep forwarding the e-mail.  Doubtless new stories will be written about it.

  • Experiencing Resurrection

    Adrian Warnock issued a 10 day empty grave challenge, asking Christian bloggers to write about the resurrection at some point before Easter. Even though I have yet to read his book (I’ll get to it sometime!), I thought I’d take him up on his challenge.

    Now the fact is that my experience differs from Adrian’s in that I have found that most churches I have attended tend to be pretty happy about the resurrection, but much more likely to neglect the cross. They have generally been quite happy to discuss the resurrection without any concern for why it was necessary. Unfortunately, however, I believe that if one neglects the cross one can hardly fully understand the resurrection.

    A song from my youth, Henry de Fluiter’s Homesick for Heaven:

    I’m homesick for heaven, seems I cannot wait,
    Yearning to enter Zion’s pearly gate;
    There never a heartache, never a care,
    I long for my home over there.

    I may seem to be deviating from the topic, but I grew up with this concept. A desire for the coming of God’s kingdom is a kind of standard in Christian discourse. We want to go to heaven, with the obvious subtext “not too soon.”

    Now I had always thought that I really was homesick for heaven. But it took the time when my son was sick and death was threatening to teach my what homesickness really meant. I am aware that I bring up this one incident constantly in discussing, but living through the death of a child is an event that will change your life for better or worse.

    But the experience that I relate to the resurrection is not death, but an earlier time in our experience. James had gone through surgery to remove one lung, and was in intensive care. Prior to the surgery I had committed to teach a series each Sunday for a month at a church about 2 1/2 hours away, at least as I drive. The pastor told me he’d understand if I canceled, but he wasn’t going to withdraw the invitation.

    Saturday night I stood by James’s bed side and dithered as to whether I could make it. James was trying to say something to me, but was muffled by the tubes, so I came closer so I could hear. He said one word to me: “Go!”

    I went. On those trips I was sustained by the music of the kingdom. I recall in particular one song, “Singing with the Saints” —

    I’ll be be sitting at the throne with an angel band,
    Shoutin’ hallelujahs to the great I am
    If you think it’s a dream, well it ain’t
    I’ll be singing with the saints.

    I played that music loudly all the way. One of those Sundays–I don’t think it was that first one because James was able to talk to me–my wife Jody tried to call me on the cell phone as I drove and I didn’t hear it ring. When I did notice the call and called back they were shocked that I had missed the call due to the music. You see, I very rarely listen to music that loudly.

    But in that experience there were moments when I sensed I could feel the grass of the fields of heaven. I felt a homesickness for that land that I had never felt before. I understand that others whose view of life and whose faith (or lack of it) differs from mine. I know that they too endure great difficulties and come through them. But for myself, it was that part of my faith, not particularly the future hope, but the moments experiencing eternity here and now that sustained me. I realized that I was a native of that kingdom for just a moment. As St. John Chrysostom said of the patriarchs:

    What then? Did they mean that they were “strangers” from the land that is in Palestine? By no means: but in respect of the whole world: and with reason; for they saw therein none of the things which they wished for, but everything foreign and strange.

    Before that I only thought I was homesick.

    I’m reminded of a quote from Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy, p. 37:

    …The Eucharist has so often been explained with reference to the gifts alone: what “happens” to bread and wine, and why, and when it happens! But we must understand that what “happens” to bread and wine happens because something has, first of all, happened to us, to the Church. It is because we have “constituted” the Church, and this means we have followed Christ in His ascension; because He has accepted us at His table in His Kingdom; because, in terms of theology, we have entered the Eschaton, and are now standing beyond time and space; it is because all this has first happened to us that something will happen to bread and wine.

    In worship we are not merely commemorating historical events, or looking forward to future events, but we are experiencing our true homeland. When we truly get a taste of that true homeland it changes who we are and the way we look at the world.

    When we study and meditate on the resurrection, I believe it should take us through that journey. We cannot do so without Good Friday and Silent Saturday. The first reminds us of the nature of evil and of the hardships we all encounter. It reminds us of the price of the kingdom. Silent Saturday is that time of waiting. Victory doesn’t come in an instant, but requires patience and determination. Easter Sunday is the victory of the kingdom.

  • Christian Carnival CCCXXI Posted

    … at who am i? (Sorry I’m late with the link!)

  • Biblioblog Top 50 Posted

    … at Free Old Testament Audio.  Surprisingly, considering how little I blogged last month and how much my 30 day Alexa number rose (not good!) I remain #9.

  • Quote of the Day – History Doesn’t Care

    From Quadrilateral Thoughts:

    The nice thing about history, as Gamaliel once reminded us, is that it doesn’t care who you are, how much power you have, or how loudly you can shout. History, like truth, simply doesn’t care about people’s feelings. The Flood comes, some people are saved, some people drown with “Oops” as their final words.

    It’s a good post in a good series. Check it out.

  • St. John Chrysostom on Being Strangers

    From Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Christian Classics Ethereal Library), commenting on Hebrews 11:13-16.  All emphasis is mine.

    What then? Did they mean that they were “strangers” from the land that is in Palestine? By no means: but in respect of the whole world: and with reason; for they saw therein none of the things which they wished for, but everything foreign and strange. They indeed wished to practice virtue: but here there was much wickedness, and things were quite foreign to them. They had no friend, no familiar acquaintance, save only some few.

    But how were they “strangers”? They had no care for things here. And this they showed not by words, but by their deeds. In what way?

    He said to Abraham, “Leave that which seems thy country and come to one that is foreign”: And he did not cleave to his kindred, but gave it up as unconcernedly as if he were about to leave a foreign land. He said to him, “Offer up thy son,” and he offered him up as if he had no son; as if he had divested himself of his nature, so he offered him up. The wealth which he had acquired was common to all passers-by, and this he accounted as nothing. He yielded the first places to others: he threw himself into dangers; he suffered troubles innumerable. He built no splendid houses, he enjoyed no luxuries, he had no care about dress, which all are things of this world; but lived in all respects as belonging to the City yonder; he showed hospitality, brotherly love, mercifulness, forbearance, contempt for wealth and for present glory, and for all else.

    And his son too was such as himself: when he was driven away, when war was made on him, he yielded and gave way, as being in a foreign land. For foreigners, whatever they suffer, endure it, as not being in their own country. Even when his wife was taken from him, he endured this also as being in a strange land: and lived in all respects as one whose home was above, showing sobermindedness and a well-ordered life.  // For after he had begotten a son, he had no more commerce with his wife, and it was when the flower of his youth had passed that he married her, showing that he did it not from passion, but in subservience to the promise of God.

    And what did Jacob? Did he not seek bread only and raiment, which are asked for by those who are truly strangers; by those that have come to great poverty? When he was driven out, did he not as a stranger give place? Did he not serve for hire? Did he not suffer afflictions innumerable, everywhere, as a stranger?

    [5.] And these things (he says) they said, “seeking” their “own country.” Ah! how great is the difference! They indeed were in travail-pains each day, wishing to be released from this world, and to return to their country. But we, on the contrary, if a fever attack us, neglecting everything, weeping like little children, are frightened at death.

    Not without reason we are thus affected. For since we do not live here like strangers, nor as if hastening to our country, but are like persons that are going away to punishment, therefore we grieve, because we have not used circumstances as we ought, but have turned order upside down. Hence we grieve when we ought to rejoice: hence we shudder, like murderers or robber chiefs, when they are going to be brought before the judgment-seat, and are thinking over all the things they have done, and therefore are fearful and trembling.

    They, however, were not such, but pressed on. And Paul even groaned; “And we” (he says) “that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened.” ( 2 Cor. v. 4.) Such were they who were with Abraham; “strangers,” he says, they were in respect of the whole world, and “they sought a country.”

    What sort of “country” was this? Was it that which they had left? By no means. For what hindered them if they wished, from returning again, and becoming citizens? but they sought that which is in Heaven? Thus they desired their departure hence, and so they pleased God; for “God was not ashamed to be called their God.”

  • A Bad Detention Bill

    I agree with Ed Brayton’s comments on the Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010.

  • NLT for Academic Study

    Chris Heard asked via Twitter whether the NLT was suitable for academic study.  T. C. Robinson has given an answer:

    Concluding thoughts: The NLT, New Living Translation, is simply too loose to be considered a serious academic Bible.

    While I have some sympathy with this point, I have to ask just what the definition of “serious” and “academic” are in relation to a particular Bible translation.  Most of my teaching has been of lay people, and thus I’m probably not looking for a serious academic Bible however those labels are defined.  Nonetheless it seems to me that this is too broad an answer to a question that needs a bit of definition.

    For example, what are these serious academic students doing with the particular Bible?  If they are doing exegesis suitable for scholarly publication, or perhaps for training in order to do scholarly publishing, then I would argue that no translation is sufficient to the task.

    On the other hand if they are doing a survey type of study, the NLT might be a quite workable option.  I would especially recommend it for reading whole books.  I should note here that even when teaching lay people I’m in the habit of asking for such shocking things as reading of an entire book, and not the book of Philemon.  Try Ezekiel or Isaiah.

    In reading a whole book I find such translations as the NLT, CEV, TNIV, and a few others quite helpful.  Personally, I like to read a book through in several versions as I follow the 12x reading recommendation I learned from my mother.  I find it difficult to maintain concentration when reading something 12 times from the same version, so I’ll use a variety.  For that purpose, the NLT is certainly helpful.

    I also find the NLT very useful in comparison with my own translations.  Normally if I’m going to preach or teach a text I will do a written translation of my own.  I then like to compare that translation to a range of versions.  Normally I prefer to teach from an English version which is available to my class, provided there are not too many variations in the way I read the text.

    I don’t know whether I agree with T. C. or just how I’d answer Dr. Heard’s question.  I have a hard time conceiving of recommending any single English translation for serious academic study.  But perhaps I’m thinking of something other than what was intended in the question.

  • Book: In the Stormy Red Sky

    David Drake has, as expected, written another enjoyable far future action story with lots of military detail featuring Lt. Daniel Leary and Officer Adele Mundy along with a cast of varying characters.

    As this book begins, Daniel is promoted to Captain and sent on what should be a fairly simple mission as a sort of shakedown cruise. But things are not as they appear, which is quite usual, and Daniel is not willing to leave them as they are, and thus begins an adventure. There’s an annoying Senator, who nonetheless ends up being quite helpful. Adele and Tovera get more personality development in this one as well.

    Daniel’s scope is much greater as a Captain with a cruiser as his command, but as you might expect, this just means the enemies are bigger and nastier. He still must deal with situations that are proportionally as much greater as his resources have increased.

    Many series deteriorate over time. I think David Drake has nicely avoided the problem of escalation. This is another Daniel Leary story, not something even more ridiculously difficult than the last one. One can generally predict what Daniel will do, at least in outline, but that’s the nature of this sort of series. If he ceased to be Daniel Leary, what good would the series be?

    I continue to strongly recommend this entire series.

  • Congratulations to Dispatches from the Culture Wars

    My friend Ed Brayton of Dispatches from the Culture Wars, who encouraged me to get into blogging, has just attained a great new record–over 1,000,000 page views for the month of March.

    Congratulations!