Since I preach from the ESV, this may be of interest to our flock.
ESV Trusted By Leaders from Crossway on Vimeo.
See also a post where I talk about translating a particular passage.
HT: JT
Archive for the 'Word of God' Category
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Many in our church will remember Doug Moo preaching last year on the book of Romans. Moo is the chairman of the committee for Bible translation on the updated NIV. Darryl Dash recently interviewed him about the translation.
Today marks the online release of an update to the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, the first time it has been revised since 1984. Although the print form will not be ready for release until next year, the text is available at BibleGateway.com and Biblica.com beginning today.
I had the privilege of interviewing Douglas Moo, Chair of The Committee on Bible Translation, when the update was first announced. The Committee is an independent body of global biblical scholars solely responsible for the translation of the NIV.
Dr. Moo has been kind enough to agree to an interview once again.
Thanks, by the way, to Chris Brauns, Stanley K. Fowler (Academic Dean and Professor of Theological Studies of Heritage Seminary), and Trevin Wax for suggesting questions.
How and why did the Committee change their philosophy from the release of the original NIV to the new version?
I don’t think that the philosophy has changed in any significant way since the first translators began their work in the 1960s. The NIV has always been about trying to reproduce the experience of the first audience of the Bible for contemporary English-speakers, blending transparency to the original form and structure of the text with English that communicates naturally and effectively.
Did the controversy over the release of the TNIV modify the translation philosophy in any significant way?
No. The TNIV has many supporters and many critics. We listened to them all, assessing whatever they had to say in light of our mandate to maintain an NIV translation that is both accurate and accessible.
Read the rest here.
If I could give you only one piece of advice for life, it would be to memorize Scripture (more here).
Ann Voskamp (who I might add, like Patricia is a tremendous photographer) has a wonderful post on memorizing Scripture.
If nothing else, take a few moments to watch this video from John Piper which Ann includes in her post.
The world and its desires pass away . . . (1 John 2:17)
A few years ago I faced a very busy Fall. I looked over what I could take off my plate and decided to hire the leaves removed from my yard. I found someone who would do it for a reasonable price and one night when I got home the leaves had disappeared. I drove into my garage with a smile.
My kids, however, weren’t smiling. The three oldest ones confronted me at the door. Through tears they lamented, “How could you? How could you destroy our leaf forts?” I hadn’t realized it, but they had gone to great efforts to make forts out of the leaves. The whole cul de sac had plans for their leaf forts well into the spring.
I tried to reason with them. Did you really think the leaves would last? How solid do you think of leaf fort could be.” But, they were having none of it. They know that their position is stronger with me if they make biblical connections, so one of them said, “We just feel like you have walked all over our creation.”
Aren’t kids silly? Don’t they know that oak leaves don’t last? The ones that we don’t rake into piles rattle away in the frozen winter. By June, we don’t remember last year’s leave. How long can anyone plan to keep dead leaves around?
Aren’t kids silly and don’t we do the same thing? Our leaf forts just cost more. We pile up our things and convince ourselves that our possessions will survive the winter. John reminds us
17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17 (NIV))
Soon it will be winter. Our leaves will be gone. Now is the time to store up treasure in Heaven, where our treasure will never be raked into piles and burned.
*This post is repeated.
Sometimes it sounds very spiritual to say, “I read my Bible without consulting any other opinions.” In fact, it is unbiblical. Justin Taylor gives some quotes explaining why. Click here to read them.
If you need to be moved from one place emotionally to another: (1) Identify a Psalm that relates to your experience. (2) Systematically memorize it over a period of time. (3) As you do so, experience the movement of the Psalm and be transported by the Spirit in conjunction with the Word.
Psalms are poetry. This means that they are truth to be experienced. The idea with poetry is not that we simply learn objective truth. Rather, poetry, particularly in the case of the Word of God, transports us through an experience.
You might respond, “Well, when I read Psalms, it doesn’t make that much of a difference.”
We cannot experience poetry with a quick read. Rather, we need to hear the Words – - to reflect on them – - to prayerfully take in delight at pondering the images. There is no better way to accomplish this than through memorization.
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But, how does one go about memorizing? As I have posted in the past (see these posts), a system is needed. (This post provides a concise summary of my approach).
Below are two pages from my moleskin that picture how I went about memorizing Psalm 65 this summer. While you wouldn’t be able to read my writing even if it was larger, you can see that my basic approach was to mediate on the Psalm by saying it over and over again.
If you were to turn to the next page, you would see notes that I made while memorizing the Psalm – - ways that the Psalm moved me.
I appreciated this Psalm initially, but nowhere near the degree to which I savor it now.
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Why Psalm 65?
I chose Psalm 65 initially because of verse 6, “The one who established the mountains being girded with might.” I was staying in the Lauterbrunnen valley (see below) at the time, arguably the most beautiful valley in Europe. My goal was for the poetry of the Word of God to interpret the beauty for me so that I could move from the place of initial awe to one of worship.
What I discovered by memorizing the Psalm – - was that this is a Psalm about joy and happiness. Indeed, the place where it moves the prayerful “meditator” is to one of celebration.
One of my favorite things to do in the Lauterbrunnen Valley was watch this cog wheel train wind its way up the side of the mountain. It was as though I was watching a life-toy train. What a joy to meditate on the truth that the Triune God established these mountains, being girded with might (Psalm 65:6).
Which is the right Psalm for you to begin memorizing? There are only 150 to chose from. So it shouldn’t take that long to identify one.
I know of nothing that will help you grow as a believer more than Scripture memory.
- John Piper speaks below about how to retain verses you have memorized.
- See this post for help in memorizing.
- Several other posts on Scripture memory.
John Piper:
The following is an edited transcript of the audio.
How do you keep from forgetting Scripture after you’ve memorized it?
I don’t. But practically, what can you do to keep it as long as you can? There is only one word. Review.
Review, review, review. There is no way to memorize Scripture that keeps you from losing it. Some people don’t lose anything. Some people have traps in their head that just hang on to it. But only 1 in 10,000 people can do that. Average folks like me have to work real hard to memorize the first time, and then recurrently review to keep it. So I memorize verses every day, and I forget them every day.
This morning I re-memorized a verse. I finished Deuteronomy and ran across a verse that I memorized years ago. Maybe I memorize it once a year, because I read the whole Bible once every year.
The verse is Deuteronomy 33:26. "There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, and through the skies in his majesty." So, I’ve got it memorized. I probably will forget it in a week. That verse is hard for me to remember.
I’ve memorized that verse probably five times in five years. I forget it because I don’t use it as often as some verses. So, I jot it down on a little piece of paper and carry it in my pocket, pulling it out during the day once or twice. If I try to nail it so that it is useful for me over the long haul, I keep it and review it.
A practical thing I would suggest for people to do, is decide what cluster of text they want to always be at their disposal. For me I could name Psalm 46, Psalm 23, Psalm 1, Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, a cluster of texts surrounding justification, 1 Peter 4:11—"let him who serves serve in the strength that God supplies, that in everything God may get the glory through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the dominion forever." This is the most quoted verse as we move into worship at Bethlehem.
So for my soul, for the warfare of my life, and for ministry in hospitals and counseling sessions, I want a cluster of texts at my disposal. Decide what those are, put them on a piece of paper, and review them until you have them down. I’ll give you a little story.
My first or second year of pastoring I was called to the hospital—quickly. I went without my Bible. Rollin Erickson’s wife just had a heart attack. I walk into a room of probably 20 family members that didn’t know if she was alive or dead—as she is in surgery. Rollin gave me a big hug and said, "John, give us a Word from the Lord." Now, if I had my Bible I would have opened it to a Psalm or something. I didn’t have my Bible, and for whatever reason at age 35 my mind went blank.
I felt so humiliated. It was horrible. Here are 20 people, and the husband of a dying woman says, "Give us a Word from the Lord." I can’t even remember what I said. I probably said, "Let’s pray," and tried to paraphrase some Scripture. I went home and got on my knees that afternoon. I said, "Lord Jesus, that will never happen again." I opened to Psalm 46—"God is our refuge and strength." I have been able to quote Psalm 46 verbatim for the last 28 years. I decided that Psalm 46 is going to be in my head because it is so useful all the time.
The answer is, review. But don’t try to do that with every verse you learn. You should be learning hundreds of Bible verses by heart, and forgetting 90% of them. But then you get to them again and relearn them, and they are still with you because you learned them once. Somehow they will function to get out into your life.
But really nail down a cluster of soul strengthening words
One of my sabbatical goals is to spend extra time on Scripture memory. But, it doesn’t take a sabbatical! Remember . . . it’s just not that hard. You can memorize Scripture if you follow this approach and give it 10 minutes a day.
John Piper motivates us to memorize the Word:
First, a few testimonies: I have it third hand, that Dr. Howard Hendricks of Dallas Seminary once made the statement (and I paraphrase) that if it were his decision, every student graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary would be required to learn one thousand verses word perfect before they graduated.
Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization” (“Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7).
Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant.
HT: Z
Charles Bridges:
The sudden flash of light leaves no influence. There is no movement from the heart, till the truth is clearly exhibited to the mind, set strongly and constantly in view, deeply pondered and closely applied. The Christian Ministry, page 209.
I have a new Bible in my cupboard. Once Sabbatical arrives, I will peel the shrink wrapping off and begin devouring it (Jeremiah 15:16). And, my prayer (Psalm 119:18 –-see here) is that God will speak into my life in new and exciting ways. When He answers that prayer, I will track up the snow of my new Bible by writing out in the margins what God is teaching me – - meditating with pen in hand – - ready to hear from God in living and dynamic ways.
Remember, the principle means by which God speaks to us today is through His Word. When we read prayerfully hear the Word of God, then the Spirit will illuminate it in ways that revive our souls,make wise the simple, give joy to the heart, and light to the eyes (Psalm 19:7-11).
With the fresh white pages of my new Bible, I will feel like our friends in the last Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, who looking at a fresh blanket of snow say to one another, “It’s a magical world, let’s go exploring.”
After the exploring of Sabbatical is over, I’ll have a marked up Bible that will remind me of fresh tracks on my heart.
And, the reality is, believers have a new Bible every day. God’s Word is always living and active. Let’s go exploring.
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My son will be proud of me for putting in the below link.
