A Lecture about the King James Bible

If you want to hear about how this bible came about, and its impact, listen to this lecture.

2011 is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible. All of us are aware of the religious and theological significance of this great work, but it has also had a wider and lasting impact on our language and culture. Sir Winston Churchill said of this translation that 'the scholars who produced this masterpiece are mostly unknown and unremembered. But they forged an enduring link, literary and religious, between the English-speaking peoples of the world.'¹

"As part of Theological Libraries Month, the Westminster library hosted a special lecture by Dr. Carl R. Trueman on the historical background to and the translation of the KJV entitled “Throwing the Book at his Enemies: James I and his Bible.” Dr. Trueman is Professor of Historical Theology and Church History and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Westminster."

You can listen to this lecture at this address. 

What I think about Halloween

Take a virtual walk through the Jerusalem Temple

Pat Robertson Attacks Extremism by Republican Candidates

Wow, this is like "from an extremist to another extremist".

Pat Robertson, who recently made headlines for saying that if your spouse has Alzheimer's you are free to divorce them, has come back with a harsh critique of the way some Republicans, and some in the Tea Party, are going about in their politics.

Apparently, even Pat Robertson, an extremist himself, is afraid of the extremism found in the Republican Party. This is what he says about this issue:

“Those people in the Republican primary have got to lay off of this stuff. They’re forcing their leaders, the frontrunners, into positions that will mean they lose the general election.”

As an example of the extremism found in the Tea Party, the article points at some practices by them.

Robertson is right about that, at least. Just ask Barry Goldwater. Tea Party denizens today are very fond of carrying signs at their rallies that quote Barry Goldwater’s famous phrase from his 1964 speechaccepting the Republican presidential nomination: “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.”
They should also be reminded that Barry Goldwater lost that election.

I am very worry for the USA. Obama is not looking good, but when I see the Republicans, they are a threat as well. Democracy is based on free choices, but in the USA, they only have two. Not much democracy if you tell me.

Well, at least, is good to see that some of the most extremist people can see that their own people will not be able to win the election, if they carry on the way they are going.

Jesus in Continuum

I wish I could buy this book, just that the price is a bit out of range right now. On the other part, I see this as a good development, placing Jesus in the transition from 1st century Judaism to early Christianity.

Ed. by Tom Holmén

One of the central characteristics of the latest historical Jesus research has been the attempt to locate Jesus plausibly within first-century Judaism. Less emphasis has been placed on the question as to whether or how, if at all, the image of Jesus within the Jewish context also suits and accounts for the history of the influence and reception of Jesus in early Christianity. Tom Holmén urges that the Christian reception history of Jesus be given a proper role in research. He argues that the scrutiny of the reception should not be a mere appendage to the more careful study of Jesus within Judaism. Instead, the reception should be given equally serious attention and form an integral part of scholarly pursuits. As a result, one no longer studies Jesus “within Judaism” but “in continuum,” namely in the continuum from early Judaism to early Christianity. The articles of this volume outline a continuum approach to the historical Jesus. They are divided into three areas exhibiting different aspects of the continuum approach: theoretical aspects, Jesus meets Christianity, and Jesus from Judaism to Christianity.

Episcopalians want to reinstate Pelagius

Well, my Reformed friends will not stand up to this, but neither can't I. What in the world is happening in the Episcopalian Church? First, they went against Scripture ordaining a gay bishop, now, they are even contemplating reinstating Pelagius?

Here it is a bit of Pelagian "Christianity" for those who may not be familiar with it, from a section of the article I am citing regarding this atrocious attempt.

Pelagius taught that the human will, as created with its abilities by God, was sufficient to live a sinless life, although he believed that God's grace assisted every good work. Pelagius did not believe that all humanity was guilty in Adam's sin, but said that Adam had condemned humankind through bad example, and that Christ's good example offered humanity a path to salvation, through sacrifice and through instruction of the will. Jerome emerged as one of the chief critics of Pelagianism, because, according to him, sin was a part of human nature and we couldn't help but sin. 

Allison in his book notes that Pelagianism teaches that the human will has the power to break the bondage of sin. It is best understood as a theological synonym for "nagging," or confidence that the law requires no more than humans can do. Therefore Pelagian Christianity is characterized by exhortation and scolding. Confidence in the power of human will leads to confidence that the defeat of sin can be effected by means of fear. The underlying confidence in the power of the human will to make one sinless is Pelagian."

Just see the logic then, from the Episcopalian side. Sin is not following the example set but by Jesus now, it's not something inherit in us. That's why, if somebody is a homosexual, as one of their bishops, it doesn't matter, because the important thing is that he follows the example of Christ by loving others.

But don't take my reasoning for it. Look how the article puts it so plainly:

A tongue in cheek activist layman in the Atlanta diocese said, "It's delightfully revealing that Bishop Alexander's last diocesan council will consider a resolution to memorialize, which is the first step toward official institutionalization, an infamous heretic. Revealing, because now that civil rights, women's ordination, and same-sex marriage are TEC sacraments, giving blessings to recognized heresy just makes sense and shows how much vitality and forward momentum that transformative change still has in TEC."

So I will be waiting what Episcopalians come up next in their eventual degeneration into a pagan religion.

Luis A. Jovel

Karzai finally reveals his true colors

This is what Karzai has said, in his own words:

"God forbid, If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan," he said in the interview to Geo television.

Can we still trust the Afghanistanis?

So while we are told by Julia Gillard, by Bark Obama, and all those war mongers, that these people need our help, and the lives of our troops, he is happy to say that if there's a war against Pakistan, they will side with the new enemy.

But if you look at the picture, what's to be surprised about? You can buy friends, for a while, but not forever. That's something that Bush, or Obama, or Gillard didn't learn during their university years apparently.

Rick Santorum has guts and sees reality as it is

Our Prime Minister and political leaders should pay attention to this man, and get our troops out of Iraq, and Afghanistan, not until December, NOW!!

Ten wrong predictions of the end of the world and other events

To me, this is more like a death wish, the end of the world. Why can't people just wish their own end, but have to include the rest of us, is beyond me.

Well, Time has published its Top 10 Failed Predictions. It would be a good idea for the rest of us to read them, and to see how people can get things wrong, and still be so unrepentant as Harold Camping.

But the predictions don't stop with the end of the world. There are plain flat denials about how the world works and is. Take for instance, The Flat Earth Society.

The last wrong predictions, number 10, is telling of how the Western historical narrative is so wrong. The the fall of Communism in Easter Europe and the Soviet Union, Francis Fukuyama thought that society and civilisation was in a path of evolution, being democracy and capitalism the pinacle of that evolution. The small article points two things out, that there's a great discontent in our liberal democratic countries, yet, undemocratic China is on the rise. The system that doesn't work for North Korea or Cuba, apparently works very well in China economically.

Well, interesting read. I commend you to read the ten worst predictions. Of musical interest, see prediction number 5, where the Beatles were dismissed as washed up before they hit it big.

Luis A. Jovel

I teach theology. That means…

• …half the time I don’t even know where my Bible is, let alone read it.

• …I think reading a verse in context means finding it in my favorite systematic theology book.

• …I get paid to start fights.

• …deep down I wish I had a cool-sounding German name.

• …my only friends have all been dead for 1000 years.

• …I’m right. Always.

• …I enjoy sucking all the mystery out of life.

• …real people confuse me.

• …I’m not even sure what “exegesis” is.

• …I spend most of my time thinking up alien categories to impose on the text.

• …I’m not even sure what ministry is.

• …I’m not truly happy until I’ve confused someone.

• …I think the fruit of the spirit is arrogance, strife, certainty, intelligence, perseverance (in study), loneliness, literacy, irrelevance, and stubbornness.

• …my favorite books are…never mind, you wouldn’t understand them anyway.

• …I’ve been trained to speak unintelligibly whenever possible.

• …no one likes me but I’m so bad with people that I don’t notice.

• …I think anyone who disagrees with me is a pagan, heretic, unbeliever, Cowboys fan, or some combination of the above.

• …I confuse belief with knowledge and speculation with reality.

• …if you saw how I dressed you’d swear I was colorblind.

Via Marc Cortez.