Threads from Henry's Web

Author: henry

  • Origen on the True Meaning of Scripture

    From his Commentary on the Gospel of John X.27, copied from newadvent.org:

    When He was raised from the dead, John 2:22 His disciples remembered that He spoke this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. This tells us that after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead His disciples saw that what He had said about the temple had a higher application to His passion and His resurrection; they remembered that the words, In three days I will raise it up, pointed to the resurrection; And they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. We are not told that they believed the Scripture or the word which Jesus said, before. For faith in its full sense is the act of him who accepts with his whole soul what is professed at baptism. As for the higher sense, as we have already spoken of the resurrection from the dead of the whole body of the Lord, we have now to note that the disciples were put in mind by the fulfilment of the Scripture which when they were in life they had not fully understood; its meaning was now brought under their eyes and made quite clear to them, and they knew of what heavenly things it was the pattern and shadow. Then they believed the Scripture who formerly did not believe it, and believed the word of Jesus which, as the speaker means to convey, they had not believed before the resurrection. For how can any one be said in the full sense to believe the Scripture when he does not see in it the mind of the Holy Spirit, which God would have us to believe rather than the literal meaning? From this point of view we must say that none of those who walk according to the flesh believe the spiritual things of the law, of the very beginnings of which they have no conception. [Emphasis mine. Links in the text go to the Bible or Catholic Encyclopedia on NewAdvent.org.]

    I think Origen here makes an important point about knowledge of scripture.  Whether or not one acknowledges the divine origin of scripture, I think it is clear that there is a difference in understanding between the believer and one who does not.  That doesn’t mean that those who don’t believe cannot understand the statements of scripture, but simply that there will always be a difference that it would be helpful for both to acknowledge.

  • The Mosaic Bible and the Lectionary – Update

    As I mentioned in an earlier post I’ve been trying to test the value of Holy Bible: Mosaic NLT (Meditations) for a lectionary preacher or teacher.  I use the weekly lectionary texts regularly for my personal devotions, attend a lectionary study group each Wednesday at noon, and also use the texts on those few occasions when I’m asked to preach.

    Of course, the texts in the Mosaic Bible are not the same as any one of the three years of the lectionary cycle, though they are done in the same pattern.  One could preach through this Bible for a year in one’s church with profit, I think as it would follow the church’s liturgical year, even though one would not be using the regular set of texts.

    But the alternative is to use some of the mosaic resources, the materials that come from various times and places, to supplement the regular materials.  In that, I’ve found that there is a scattering of texts I can use during ordinary time, but as I approach Advent, I’m finding that things are much more helpful.  This is to be expected, because the many weeks in ordinary time are not so precisely themed.

    For example, in the material for the first Sunday of Advent, titled “Longing” Matthew Woodley has a meditation titled “Imagine.”  One line will illustrate the value for Advent–“Advent trains us to ache again.”  (p. 18)  (My sister wrote a poem related to this point, which she has graciously permitted me to post.)

    I do think it is necessary to go through the various advent readings, because you may not be using them on the same week as indicated.

    Overall, I have found this to be a valuable resource, but not quite first rank overall in my lectionary reading and study.

  • Translating Philippians 1:9-11

    Philippians 1:3-11 is one of the Lectionary passages this week, and so I read through it this morning during my devotional time in Greek.  Now Paul is good at long sentences.  I remember the embarrassment once working with a Greek student who was translating this passage in his second year.  He was doing OK in literal terms, but I was suggesting how he might make the English clearer.  Well, pride goes before a fall, and I had hardly begun to do my “freer” translation when the moorings came completely loose and I got totally tangled up.  It took three or four tries before the result was coherent, and it still wasn’t that great.

    It’s not that I’m not well acquainted with the passage.  It is even one of those I have recorded for myself on CD so I can listen while driving.  But you wouldn’t have known it from my English that day.  The problem is that you can either translate one of Paul’s long Greek sentences into a harder to understand long English one, or you can try to keep the right sense in the transitions using shorter sentences.

    This morning, after reading, I looked it up in the NLT, and then compared that first to the NRSV and then the CEV.  I’m going to put the NRSV first, as it’s most equivalent in a formal sense, then comment on what I noticed.  Also, before anyone decides I’m beating up on one translation or another, I have a high regard for all three of these translations in the appropriate context.

    NRSV NLT CEV
    9And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. 9I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation–the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ–for this will bring much glory and praise to God. 9I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand 10how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.

    I think both the NLT and the CEV have some difficulty keeping the relationships between the concepts clear. Obviously, how well one thinks each translation did at that task will depend on how one things those elements are related in Greek.

    So let me say how I hear this when I read it in Greek.  Paul starts from the point of love, but he is not merely saying that he wants love to grow in quantity.  He’s praying that their love will be filled with knowledge and insight.  When love is filled with knowledge and insight, one can discern what is most important, which leads in turn to pure and blameless living.  That in turn brings brings forth the fruit of righteousness, bring honor to Jesus, who brought all this forth in any case.

    Now I can find that in the NRSV, though I do acknowledge that many modern readers will have a hard time holding that long of a sentence together, so the readers may not benefit from it.  (Communication is not accomplished unless the recipient actually receives the message!)  The NLT, however, seems to me to make the growth in knowledge and understanding coordinate with, rather than part of, the growth of love.  Then “determining what is best” is the reason Paul wants them to grow in love.  I must note that I prefer the NLT’s “what really matters,” though I acknowledge the Greek will support either rendering.

    I think the CEV does a better job coordinating the growth of love and the knowledge and insight, but there the translation “make the right choices” seems to lose some of the nuance of the message.  Both the CEV and the NLT break what seems to me to be a tightly linked chain.

    Now I may be too picky here, and as I acknowledged at the start, I find it impossible to satisfy myself with a translation of this passage, along with a number of other long sentences from Paul.  I find elements to commend in all three translations, along with those I have questioned.

  • Biblical Studies Carnival XLVIII Posted

    … at Clayboy.

    On the topic of the size of this carnival, allow me to give an opinion.  I’m not in the current carnival.  I didn’t nominate any of my posts, and not surprisingly nobody else did either.  This is a good approach, I think.  Use only the nominations as those of us involved in the Christian Carnival do.  I didn’t nominate a post of my own thus there is none there, and all is right with the world.  At least in that one small way.

    It’s a good carnival, with lots of good material.  I would hope that if the carnival goes to a “nominations only” mode, many folks would submit their own best work for the month.

  • St. John Chrysostom on Law and Perfection

    From Hebrews: Ancient Christian commentary on Scripture, New Testament X, p. 116, (with translation taken from A Collection of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church), commenting on Hebrews 7:

    Was the law then of no use?  It was indeed of use and of great use, but to make humans perfect it was of no use.  For in this respect he says, “the law made nothing perfect.”  All were figures, all shadows: circumcision, sacrifice, sabbath.  Therefore they could not reach through the soul, and thus they pass away and gradually withdraw.  But “a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.”  — ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 13.4

  • Leo the Great on Melchizedek Priesthood and Anointing

    I found this in my reading of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Volume X, Hebrews, this morning.  Since the translation used there is under copyright, and this is an extended quote, I’m getting the material from sacredtexts.com:

    As often as God’s mercy deigns to bring round the day of His gifts to us, there is, dearly-beloved, just and reasonable cause for rejoicing, if only our appointment to the office be referred to the praise of Him who gave it.  For though this recognition of God may well be found in all His priests, yet I take it to be peculiarly binding on me, who, regarding my own utter insignificance and the greatness of the office undertaken, ought myself also to utter that exclamation of the Prophet, “Lord, I heard Thy speech and was afraid:  I considered Thy works and was dismayed 661 .”  For what is so unwonted and so dismaying as labour to the frail, exaltation to the humble, dignity to the undeserving?  And yet we do not despair nor lose heart, because we put our trust not in ourselves but in Him who works in us. And hence also we have sung with harmonious voice the psalm of David, dearly beloved, not in our own praise, but to the glory of Christ the Lord.  For it is He of whom it is prophetically written, “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck 662 ,” that is, not after the order of Aaron, whose priesthood descending along his own line of offspring was a temporal ministry, and ceased with the law of the Old Testament, but after the order of Melchizedeck, in whom was prefigured the eternal High Priest.  And no reference is made to his parentage because in him it is understood that He was portrayed, whose generation cannot be declared.  And finally, now that the mystery of this Divine priesthood has descended to human agency, it runs not by the line of birth, nor is that which flesh and blood created, chosen, but without regard to the privilege of paternity and succession by inheritance, those men are received by the Church as its rulers whom the Holy Ghost prepares:  so that in the people of God’s adoption, the whole body of which is priestly and royal, it is not the prerogative of earthly origin which obtains the unction 663 , but the condescension of Divine grace which creates the bishop. [Emphasis mine.  Footnotes lead to source notes on sacredtexts.com]

    Of course, unction = anointing.  I’m interested particularly in this comment on ordination or any selection as leaders.  We should, as a church be simply acknowledging those whom God has chosen and prepared for the office.

    I’m still meditating, however, on the idea that this leadership derives from the nature of Christ’s priesthood.  I have generally read Hebrews to say that temporal human beings in priestly office were no longer needed.  Yes, there are some intercessory activities of one person for another, but no established priesthood.  Whether a careful reading of Hebrews should change my views is something that will require time and study.

  • Dan Wallace has a Complaint about Liberals

    … and I think he’s right, at least about some of us. He writes in reference to graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary.

    After my own difficulties, though rather minor ones, with my more conservative graduate school, it annoys me that liberal schools might look down on graduates of conservative institutions.

  • Seals Prosecuted for Capturing Terrorist

    … at least according to the Fox News headline: Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist.

    But there’s a problem with the headline. There are, of course, no charges for capturing the terrorists, but rather for his treatment after the capture. Now I don’t know the facts of the case beyond what is in the article, but if the contents (as opposed to the headline) are correct, the charges have to do with the way the detainee was treated after capture.

    There would be two considerations there. The first is simply military discipline. Civilians may not understand this as well, but “punching in the gut” is not something you get to do because you’re a tough guy. There are times and places. The second is, of course, the treatment of someone that is under your control. I find it quite easy to justify violence before someone is captured. But once the defendant is under your control, that person should be treated properly according to military regulations. Your status as a hero, and Seals are heroes in my book just by virtue of their job, doesn’t exempt you from the rules.

    What actually happened in this case? That is something to be determined by the military court. In this case, were I one of these men, that would be precisely the court in which I would wish to be tried. The members of the court will also be members of the military who should be capable of understanding the situation and rendering a verdict.

    That there is a court martial as such, however, should not cause outrage. The military services are, as they should, investigating the behavior of their own.

  • The Return of Threads

    My company, Energion Publications, had difficulties with our hosting company, and it was traced to an apparent load created by this blog. Since it seemed top hard to convince the hosting company that a moderately successful (at best) blog such as this one would hardly be causing the difficulties they claimed, I simply chose to move the blog to its own domain with another host.

    The URL from Threads from Henry’s Web is now henrysthreads.com. I have redirected the old URL to this one, but I would appreciate people updating their bookmarks or blogroll links. The feed address is still http://feeds.energion.net/ThreadsFromHenrysWeb (provided through Feedburner), to which other feed addresses, such as http://energionpubs.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2 will be redirected. However, it might prevent future problems if you update your subscriptions to that address.

    My new host is HostGator.com, and my observation thus far is that it is a much faster host in any case than my previous company. I would be interested in comments from any readers who may notice changes in performance, or any errors that might have resulted from the transfer.

    Thanks for your patience!

  • Mistakes Leading to Death

    This article certainly raises some troubling issues, though I have yet to understand why one should equate ceasing to artificially sustain life with euthanasia or assisted suicide.

    What I wonder, however, is if the same people who are so concerned about erroneously identifying someone as in a vegetative state are similarly concerned about the possibility of human error leading up to the death penalty. This is one area where I think the Catholic church is more consistent–they would oppose all of the above.

    The idea of someone dying because of a mistake is troubling, yet we must admit that such deaths are likely to be frequent, no matter what we do.