Gospel Translations - User contributions [en]

Handbook:Glossary/Swedish

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:57:26 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Swedish" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Russian

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:57:14 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Russian" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

=== Master Glossary ===

This is the glossary for standardizing the words used for key theological terms.

To suggest a change, put it in parentheses followed by a question mark next to the current term: ''(new term?)''. To suggest an addition, post it in the table at the bottom of this page.

{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders" width="763"
|-
| width="200" | '''English Term'''
| '''Translation'''
| '''Suggested Changes (include your name)'''
|-
| Commitment 
| Обет 
| 
|-
| God is for us 
| Бог на нашей стороне 
| 
|-
| Obedience 
| Смирение 
| Послушание (Виктор) 
|-
| Perfection 
| Совершенство 
| 
|-
| Receiving act 
| Акт благодатного восприятия 
| 
|-
| Righteousness 
| Праведность 
| 
|-
| Substitute 
| Прообраз 
| Заместитель (Виктор) 
|-
| Substitute-punishment 
| Прообраз наказания 
| Заместительное наказание (Виктор) 
|-
| Substitute-righteousness 
| Прообраз праведности 
| Заместительная праведность (Виктор) 
|-
| Union with Christ 
| Соединение со Христом 
| 
|-
| Work all things together 
| Оборачивать все (на пользу) 
| 
|-
| God is for us 
| Бог на нашей стороне 
| 
|-
| Righteousness 
| Праведность 
| 
|-
| Fight of faith 
| Подвиг веры 
| 
|-
| Works of faith 
| Дела веры 
| 
|-
| The flesh does nothing from faith 
| Плоть ничего не делает от веры 
| 
|-
| The sword of the Spirit 
| Меч Духовный 
| 
|-
| All the armor 
| Всеоружие 
| 
|-
| His reward (is) more satisfying 
| Его воздаяние приятней 
| 
|-
| Reward 
| Воздаяние 
| 
|-
| Backward-looking belief in the death of Jesus 
| Вера в реальность смерти Иисусовой 
| 
|-
| Forward-looking belief in the promises of Jesus 
| Уверенность в исполнении будущих обетований Иисусовых 
| 
|-
| Backward look at the cross 
| Пристальный взгляд на крест 
| 
|-
| Forward look at the promises 
| Надежда на будущие обетования 
| 
|-
| The challenge 
| Испытание 
| 
|-
| To experience joy and peace 
| Исполниться радости и мира 
| 
|-
| Pleasure 
| Благоволение
| 
|-
| His delight 
| Его благоволение (2 Пар 9:8) 
| 
|-
| I delight in the law of God 
| <я> нахожу удовольствие в законе Божием (Рим 7:22) 
| 
|-
| his steadfast love
| Его неизменная любовь, безграничная любовь
| 
|-
| He has pleasure in smth.
| Он благоволит кому/чему-л.
| 
|-
| the reputation of his glory 
| Святость Его славы 
| 
|-
| Experience of hope
| реальная надежда
|
|-
| experience of fear
| реальный страх
|
|-
| abundant in power
| велика крепость (Его) (Пс 146:5)
|
|-
| God willing
| по воле Божьей
|
|-
| Cold
| мороз
|
|-
| Take refuge in my love
| Укройся в Моей любви
|
|-
| in the midst of his power
| посреди Его силы
|
|-
| the terrors of my power
| Моя неистовая сила
|
|-
| The terrors of God
| неистовства Бога
|
|-
| all-sufficient God
| вседостаточный Бог
|
|-
| fountain of all joy
| источник всей радости
|
|-
| source of all safety
| источник всей безопасности
|
|-
| sovereign grace
| верховная милость
|
|-
| self-sufficient God
| самодостаточный Бог
|
|-
| The hope
| надежда, упование
|
|-
| giving way
| Отчаяние
|
|-
| gospel command
| Евангельское приказание
|
|-
| Displeased
| Зло в глазах Господа, прискорбно, огорчился, не понравилось, опечалился, зло в очах Господа, стеснял вопросом, огорченный, не угодно было в очах Божиих, прогневался
|
|-
| Delight yourself in the Lord
| Утешайся Господом   Psalm 37:4 Пс 36:4
|
|-
| to be angry
| гневаться
|
|-
| Gladness
| веселье  Ps 99:2 Serve the Lord with gladness
|
|-
| consuming fire
| Огнь поядающий  Евр 12:29
|
|-
| safe in Christ
| Невредимы во Христе
|
|-
| Blameless
| Непорочный   Иуд 1:24
|
|-
| God’s keeping
| Охранение Божие
|
|-
| To rest in Christ
| Полагаться на Христа
|
|-
| Vigilance
| Бодрствование
|
|-
| To awake the vigilance to rest in Christ
| Побуждать к упованию на Христа
|
|-
| slow to anger
| долготерпеливый
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|}

=== Suggested Additions ===

If you would like to add a term to the master glossary, suggest it in the table below for others to evaluate. (After clicking on "edit", you can right click on the table below to add rows.) 

{| class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| width="200" | '''English Term'''
| width="200" | '''Translation'''
| '''Suggested By'''
|-
| 
| 
| 
|-
| 
| 
| 
|}
[[Category:Handbook]][[Category:Glossary]]

Handbook:Glossary/Romanian

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:56:59 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Romanian" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Portuguese

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:56:49 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Portuguese" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Korean

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:56:35 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Korean" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

===Master Glossary===
This is the glossary for standardizing the words used for key theological terms.

To suggest a change, put it in parentheses followed by a question mark next to the current term: ''(new term?)''. To suggest an addition, post it in the table at the bottom of this page.

{| style="border: 1px solid #949494; background-color: #F7F7F7; width: 400px; border-color: #FFFFFF;"
|- style="background-color: #CCCCCC;"
! width=200 | English Term !! Translation
|-
| atonement || 속죄
|-
| believer ||믿는 사람/ 기독교인
|-
| expiation || 속죄
|-
| Gentiles || 이방인들
|-
| godliness || 경건함
|-
| gospel || 복음
|-
| imputation || 전가
|-
| justification || 의롭다고 하기
|-
| legalistic || 율법주의적인
|-
| plant churches || 교회 개척 하다
|-
| predestination || 예정설
|-
| propitiation || 유화/화해
|-
| ransomed || 예수님의 피로 구해지다
|-
| reaching out || 관심을 주다/전도하다(evangelize)
|-
| sanctification || 신성화
|-
| self-righteous || 독선적인
|-
| substitution || 대속
|-
| repentance || 회개
|-
| wrath || 분노
|}

===Suggested Additions===
If you would like to add a term to the master glossary, suggest it in the table below for others to evaluate.
{| style="border: 1px solid #949494; background-color: #F7F7F7; width: 600px; border-color: #FFFFFF;"
|- style="background-color: #CCCCCC;"
! width=200 | English Term !! width=200 | Translation !! Suggested By
|-
| accountability || 책임 || Dan Buckley
|-
| adoption || 양자 || Dan Buckley
|-
| angel || 천사 || Dan Buckley
|-
| angel of the Lord || 여호와의 사자가 || Dan Buckley
|-
| antichrist || 적그리스도 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Apocrypha || 출처가 의심스러운 문서 || Dan Buckley
|-
| apologetics || 변증론|| Dan Buckley
|-
| apostle || 사도 || Dan Buckley
|-
| archangel || 천사장 || Dan Buckley
|-
| ascension || 승천 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Asceticism || 고행 || Dan Buckley
|-
| assurance of salvation || 구원의 보증 || Dan Buckley
|-
| atonement || 속죄 || Dan Buckley
|-
| avoid || 피하다 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Baptism by the Holy Spirit || 성령의 세례 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Baptism || 세례 || Dan Buckley
|-
| belief || 믿음 || Dan Buckley
|-
| beauty || 아름다움 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Biblical Theology || 성서 신학 || Dan Buckley
|-
| "binding and loosing" || 매기과 풀기 || Dan Buckley
|-
| bishop || 비숍 || Dan Buckley
|-
| blameless || 흠이 || Dan Buckley
|-
| blasphemy against the Holy Spirit|| 성령을 훼방하는 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Blood of Christ || 그리스도의 피 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Body of Christ || 그리스도의 몸 || Dan Buckley
|-
| born again || 거듭나 || Dan Buckley
|-
| born of water || 물로 난 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Calvinism || 칼뱅주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Canon || 정경 || Dan Buckley
|-
| canonical || 규범적인 || Dan Buckley
|-
| cherubim || 그룹들 || Dan Buckley
|-
| church || 교회 || Dan Buckley
|-
| common grace || 일반 은혜 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Communicable attributes || 공유할 수 있는 성품 || Dan Buckley
|-
| communion || 성찬식 || Dan Buckley
|-
| covenant || 언약 || Dan Buckley
|-
| creation || 창조 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Cro-Magnon Man || 크로마뇽인 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Darwinian Evolution || 다윈의 진화 || Dan Buckley
|-
| deacon || 집사 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Dead Sea Scrolls || 사해 문서 || Dan Buckley
|-
| death || 사망 || Dan Buckley
|-
| discernment || 분별 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Calling || 부르심 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Creation Science || 창조과학 || Dan Buckley
|-
| creationism || 창조론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Deism || 이신론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Demon-possessed || 귀신 들린 || Dan Buckley
|-
| demon possession || 귀신 들론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| demons || 귀신들 || Dan Buckley
|-
| depravity || 타락 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Determinism || 결정론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Dichotomy || 이분법 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Diocese || 주교관구 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Docetism || 가현설 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Doctrine || 교훈 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Dogma || 교조 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Dualism || 이원설 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Egalitarian || 평등주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Elder || 장로 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Election || 택하심 || Dan Buckley
|-
| eschatology || 종말론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Eternity || 영원성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Evangelism || 전도 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Faith || 믿음 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Fundamentalism || 근본주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Glorification || 영화롭게 하심 || Dan Buckley
|-
| glory || 영광 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Gnosticism || 영지주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
| God || 하나님 || Dan Buckley
|-
| grace || 은혜 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Holy Spirit || 성령 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Immutability || 불변성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Incommunicable attributes || 공유할 수 없는 성품 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Inspiration || 영감성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| King || 왕 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Koinonia || 코이노니아 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Liberalism || 자유주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Mercy || 인자/ 자비 || Dan Buckley
|-
| New Testament || 신약 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Omnipotence || 전능성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Omnipresence || 무소부재 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Omniscience || 전지성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Perseverance || 끝까지 붙드심 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Prayer || 기도 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Progressive Creationism || 점진적 창조론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Regeneration || 거듭남 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Repentance || 회개 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Righteousness || 의로움 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Sabbath || 안식일 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Salvation || 구원 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Sanctification || 거룩케 하심 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Septuagint || 셉투아진트 || Dan Buckley
|-
| sin || 죄 || Dan Buckley
|-
| soul || 영혼 || Dan Buckley
|-
| sovereign || 주권 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Sovereignty || 주권성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Special Revelation || 특별계시 || Dan Buckley
|-
| theology || 신학 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Truthfulness || 성실 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Trinity|| 삼위일체 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Will of God || 하나님의 뜻 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Wisdom || 지혜 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Wonder || 기사 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Word of God || 하나님의 말씀 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Worship || 예배 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Exegesis || 주해 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Exorcism || 엑소시즘 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Fasting || 금식 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Fatalism || 운명론 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Firstfruits || 첫 열매 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Free Will || 자유 의지 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Heaven || 천국 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Hell || 지옥 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Knowable || 가지성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Visible Church || 가견적 교회 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Teaching|| 가르침 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Summary Attributes || '개요적' 속성들 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Reformed || 개혁주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Arminian || 알미니안 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Spirit || 영 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Paradox || 역설 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Perfection || 완전성 || Dan Buckley
|-
| Perfectionism || 완전주의 || Dan Buckley
|-
|}
[[Category:Handbook]][[Category:Glossary]]

Handbook:Glossary/Japanese

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:56:24 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Japanese" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Italian

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:56:14 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Italian" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Christ Appeared That We Might Hope in God

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:52 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Christ Appeared That We Might Hope in God" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}
<blockquote>'''1 Peter 1:20-21'''
</blockquote>
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Our focus today is on verses 20 and 21. But there are very close connections to what goes before. So let me begin by pointing out one of these. Then I will end by pointing out another.

==== Conduct Yourselves in Fear ====

First, verses 20 and 21 are really a continuation of the sentence in verses 17-19. Remember the point in verse 17b, namely, the command that we should conduct ourselves in fear during the time of our stay on earth? Then verses 18 and 19 gave a strange reason as to why we should fear, namely, that we have been ransomed from our futile way of life by the infinitely precious blood of Christ (v. 19).

The way we explained it last week was to say that the more precious the price paid to rescue you from a life of sin, the more horrible and fearful it is to take that price and make it a permission for sinning.

It would be like a girl who is kidnapped from her wealthy father. The kidnappers demand a huge ransom and the father liquidates all his assets, selling his house and his possessions right down to his wife's wedding ring. He brings all that he has to the appointed place and sets the ransom down in a field and walks away. Soon the daughter walks out and gets the ransom and takes it back to the kidnappers. Then she puts her arm around one of them and as she walks away looks over her shoulder to her father laughing and hollers, "Sucker!"

We would all say that the girl committed a fearful and treacherous act.

Peter is warning us against the horrible danger of trying to do that with the ransom of God. He knows that there are people who try take the ransom of God from sin—the blood of Jesus—and turn it into a means of sinning. The very ransom that verse 18 says was paid to free us from a futile way of life some people try to use to fund that very life of sin.

The reason I say "try" to use it that way, is that God will not allow it. That's why verse 17 says, "Conduct yourselves in fear" of such a thing. Fear trying to use the ransom of God to subsidize sinning.

And the beautiful thing about verses 18 and 19—the unexpected and amazing thing—is that the reason given for why we should fear is the greatness of God's mercy; that such an awesome price was paid for our deliverance from futile, sinful living, namely, the blood and death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

==== Six Things to Increase Our Hope in God and Our Hate for Sin ====

Now here is where verses 20 and 21 come in. Verse 19 ends with the word "Christ" (in Greek and NASB, not NIV or RSV), and verse 20 picks up without any break and tells us things about Christ that will raise our hope even higher than the ransom did in verses 18-19.

Peter tells us six things in verses 20 and 21 that increase the preciousness of Christ. And therefore he simultaneously does two things: he gives us even more reason to hope in God, and he makes hoping in the way of sin for happiness even more appalling and fearful. In other words the more God does to make us hope in him, the more fearful it is to hope in sin.

Let's look at these six things that Peter tells us about Christ to increase our hope in God and break the power of sin.

===== 1. Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world. =====

First, he says in verse 20 that Christ "was foreknown before the foundation of the world. " God the Father knew and loved God the Son, the Christ, before the universe was created. In other words the one who shed his blood to pay the ransom for our rescue from futile living was no ordinary man and the plan to pay the ransom was no afterthought to creation. God knew Christ and God knew his plan and Christ's role in it from eternity.

When you think about hoping for happiness in sin, think about this: the ransom paid to rescue you from that futility was planned before the universe was created.

===== 2. He has appeared in these last times. =====

Second, Peter says in the middle of verse 20 that Christ "has appeared in these last times." In other words he existed before creation in relationship with his Father and has been invisible to human beings; but now in these last times—the times of the Messiah—he has appeared. This is Christmas. The eternal Christ took on flesh and blood so that God could be seen: "If you have seen me," he said, "you have seen the Father" (John 14:9).

There could have been no precious blood ransom if Christ had not appeared in human flesh and blood. He was born to die. And he died to ransom us from a futile life of sin.

===== 3. He appeared for our sake. =====

Third, Peter says at the end of verse 20 that the reason Christ appeared was "for the sake of you." This should blow us away. We are talking here about the infinitely powerful and wise and holy God of the universe and his one and only divine Son. And we are talking about their purpose from the untraceable distance of infinity and eternity to plan an unthinkable penetration into creation. Why? For our sake, that we might be ransomed from a futile manner of life. If that doesn't prove that God takes your behavior and your future seriously, what can?

===== 4. God raised him from the dead. =====

Fourth, in the middle of verse 21 Peter says, that God "raised him from the dead." He probably doesn't mention the death of Jesus because that was the focus already in verse 19 (blood).

Here Peter says that the one who gave his life blood did not stay dead. God raised him from the dead. God vindicated the worth of the ransom by giving the Son back his life. What this says to us is not only that the ransom is all-satisfying to God, but also that death is defeated.

Often sin comes to us saying, "My way is more hopeful than God's; indulge yourself, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die." To that you can reply, "Yes, but what about the day after tomorrow? If I put my hope in Jesus and not in you I will live again and be happy forever! Be gone, futile way of sin!" That's the meaning of Christ's resurrection for daily life.

===== 5. God gave him glory. =====

Fifth, Peter says next in verse 21 that God "gave him glory." In other words he didn't raise him from the dead to be a mere mortal, to suffer and die again. He brought him into heaven and set him at his right hand as Lord of the universe with all the glory that he had from eternity with the Father.

What this implies for our fight with the futile way of sin is that the way of Christ leads to glory. The way he walked led to glory for himself. And he lives with glorious power to make sure that our following him will lead us to glory too. Therefore, we have every reason to hope in what God promises and not in what sin promises.

===== 6. Through Christ we are believers in God. =====

Sixth, we go back to the beginning of verse 21 where Peter says that "through [Christ you] are believers in God." In other words Christ has done the necessary work to connect us with God in faith. He was eternally foreknown, he was manifested in human form, he shed his precious blood, God raised him from the dead, God gave him glory and through all of this we come to hope in God.

So Peter makes that explicit at the end of verse 21—all of this, "so that your faith and hope are in God."

I said when I began that there were some close connections between verses 20 and 21 and what went before. We've been building on the connection between the command to conduct ourselves in fear in verse 17 and the glory of Christ in verses 20 and 21. Let me mention one more as we close.

==== Hope in God ====

This paragraph ends in verse 21 where it began in verse 13, namely, with hoping in God. Verse 13 began the paragraph by commanding, "Fix your hope completely on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." In other words, "Hope fully in the grace of God!" Verse 21 ends the paragraph by saying that God has done everything through Christ so that his people might put their faith and hope in God.

He knew and chose his Son, he sent his Son, he put his Son to death, he raised his Son from death, he gave his Son glory—Why? For this reason: so that you would hope in God and not sin. So that you would trust what God can do for you rather than what you can do for yourself.

I call you to wake up to the fearfulness and folly of hoping in sin over God. The wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life. If you put your hope for happiness in sin, you die. If you put your hope for happiness in God, you live.

The call of God to you this Christmas is this: stop trying to satisfy your heart's desire with this world and all its God-belittling ways. And turn to Christ. Focus all your mind's attention and your heart's affection on him who was chosen from eternity, manifested in time, crucified for sinners, raised from the dead, glorified at the right hand of God—all for your sake—all that you might be satisfied in God and not sin.

The Spirit and the church say, "Come"! Let the one who is thirsty come. Let everyone who wishes come and take the water of life—the all-satisfying water of life—without cost.

Christ Appeared That We Might Hope in God

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:53:38 GMT

JoyaTeemer:

Handbook:Glossary/Indonesian

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:42:14 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Indonesian" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/German

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:42:01 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/German" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/French

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:41:52 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/French" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Dutch

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:41:22 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Dutch" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Chinese (Traditional)

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:40:57 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Chinese (Traditional)" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Chinese (Simplified)

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:40:43 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Chinese (Simplified)" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Spanish

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:40:25 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Spanish" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Bulgarian

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:40:13 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Bulgarian" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Glossary/Albanian

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:40:00 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Glossary/Albanian" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Handbook:Bible verse troubleshooting

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:39:36 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Bible verse troubleshooting" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Whatever notes we add here are designed to make translators' jobs easier, but they are never perfect. Please always get direction from another translator or your translation coordinator if you need more direction on how to handle a difficult translation issue.

===When Bible translations don't match well===

Sometimes a local Bible translation simply does not match up well with the English version used by one of our authors. The wording or emphasis simply does not work across languages. In these cases, translators have to translate the English Bible verse for themselves, in a way that will make sense in their target language. When this is necessary, please add a footnote saying:
:"this is a free translation from the version used in the original text by the author"

Gospel Translations:Report an error

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:39:14 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Gospel Translations:Report an error" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

You may find formatting or translation errors as you're browsing through our content here on the site--that's okay! You can fix them yourself, or just help out by informing us of where the problems are. (You'll need to [[Special:Userlogin|have an account]] first, though.)

To report an error, add one of the the following templates to the problem page, along with a brief comment. That will create an alert for us that we need to have someone check and fix the page.

==Formatting errors==
For example, to report a formatting problem related to paragraph breaks, you could leave the following code at the very top of a page:

:<code><nowiki>{{NeedsCleanup|This page is missing paragraph breaks}}</nowiki></code>

That would appear like this on the page:
{{NeedsCleanup|This page is missing paragraph breaks}}

==Translation errors==
The process is similar for translation errors, for instance with the title:

:<code><nowiki>{{CheckTranslation|The title of this article is not translated correctly.}}</nowiki></code>

That code would produce this result:
{{CheckTranslation|The title of this article is not translated correctly.}}

Volunteer:Development

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:39:01 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Volunteer:Development" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

__NOTOC__
==== Getting Started ====
Thanks for your interest in the technology that keeps Gospel Translations running. You can get involved with any of the projects below by [[Special:Contact|enrolling]] as a volunteer. (We're also very open to your own ideas for how to make the site better or more efficient.) For ease of maintenance, right now we prefer all code to be PHP--but just ask if you think we should make an exception for a particular project.

== Current projects ==
=== Completed ===

*[[Gospel Translations:Technology/Multi-wiki project|Multi-wiki automation]] - Using automated processes to launch and maintain separate wikis for each language that Gospel Translation works in. '''(Assigned to Nick F.)'''
*[[Gospel Translations:Technology/BrowseTranslations extension|BrowseTranslations extension]] - Create a [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Special_pages SpecialPage] that allows drilldown browsing of our translation library.

===Unassigned===
* Formatting bot - Write an automation script to check for formatting errors on the wiki and correct them.
* Facebook app - This FB plugin would let people display the translation they're currently working on, how many contributions they've made in total, a "member since" date, etc. Still needs brainstorming.
* Email this page to a friend - Write a MediaWiki extension that makes it easy to send a particular article to a friend in proper formatting.
* Show/hide original - Write a script that would allow readers to show/hide the original (English) text next to translated text on foreign-language pages. This would allow side-by-side review in an easy manner.
* Glossary highlight extension - Write a MediaWiki extension that will (in English articles) highlight words that appear in our glossaries, so that translators will have an easy time identifying words that should be standardized in their translations.
* Page protection bot - Write a script to check for all pages marked as category "Final Version" and protect them.

== Software ==

Gospel Translations relies on a few basic pieces of software to run smoothly.

'''[http://www.mediawiki.org MediaWiki]''' is our wiki engine, and is the same software used by Wikipedia. It was chosen for it's proven scalability, excellent support for multiple languages, and it's easy extensibility. The fact that it has such excellent community support was also a big factor when we chose it. MediaWiki runs on PHP and MySQL.
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Contents User manual]
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Extensions Writing extensions]
* [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Category:MediaWiki_technical_documentation Technical documentation]

'''[http://www.dabbledb.com DabbleDB]''' is our online database provider, helping us keep information about all of our publishers, articles, volunteers, and translations organized in one central place. Better still, it has good API support, so we've been able to tie the data their directly into wiki articles--when you visit a page and see the blue box listing Author, Translator, and so forth ([[Gospel_Implications|see example]]), you are seeing MediaWiki and DabbleDB work together.
* [[Project:Technology/DabbleDB integration|How DabbleDB integrates with the GospelTranslations wiki]]

[[Category:Tech admin]]

Gospel Translations:About

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:38:46 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Gospel Translations:About" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{Sectionnav|About Us}}====Purpose====
Our purpose at Gospel Translations is to make gospel-centered resources accessible for Christians of every nation and language. We hope Christians everywhere will be able to learn about the gospel in their own languages and without financial impediments.

We believe that increasing the accessibility of gospel-centered teaching will help local churches everywhere to lay strong doctrinal foundations, and that those strong churches will in turn bring much glory to our common Savior, Jesus Christ.

====Why Translation?====
We believe that making resources accessible is critical because while the center of Christianity has shifted away from the West, Christian book publishing and distribution remains heavily concentrated in North America. This imbalance means that most of the world's Christians cannot read or even afford the majority of Christian books, leaving something of a vacuum for theological training for both Christian leaders and laypeople around the world.

In both the near- and long-term, we believe this deficit of bliblical resources will be very costly to the Church. False gospels will be preached uncontested, and new converts will either be led astray or become disillusioned with the faith when their expectations of health and wealth go unrealized.

Our hope is that by producing and freely distributing translations of gospel-centered books and articles, many will come to know and put their faith in the true gospel of Jesus Christ and his saving grace.

Ours is by no means the only valuable contribution being made to this problem, but we do believe we have a significant role to play in globalizing access to Christian publishing.

====Timeline====
We're a young organization still, but here are some milestones for those interested:
* '''March 2007'''—Andre Yee starts discussing the idea of a translation project using the open source model. Original name of the project is Open Source Mission.
* '''May 2007'''—Sovereign Grace Ministries signs on as first partner ministry.
* '''June 2007'''—Formal planning meetings and pilot projects begin.
* '''July 2007'''—First staff person hired part-time. Desiring God joins as a partner.
* '''September 2007'''—Gospel Translations chosen as the brand name for the project. Wiki launched and first volunteer-recruitment drive occurs. 9Marks joins as a partner.
* '''October 2007'''—100th translator enrolls.
* '''November 2007'''—Second part-time staff person hired.
* '''February 2008'''—100th translation completed. Chapel Library joins as a partner.
* '''March 2008'''—Promo video released in blogosphere and soon shown at the [http://www.t4g.org Together for the Gospel] and [http://www.newattitude.org New Attitude] conferences.
* '''April 2008'''—Ligonier Ministries joins as a partner.
* '''May 2008'''—250th translator enrolls.
* '''August 2008'''—500th translation published.
* '''September 2008'''—25th language published.
* '''August 2009'''—Gospel Translations receives its own 501 (c)3 status. [[media:GT IRS non-profit letter.pdf|View the letter here.]]

Volunteer:Getting started

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:38:25 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Volunteer:Getting started" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

=== Our mission together ===

We want to see every Christian in the world equipped to understand and proclaim the good news of the gospel. Our contribution to that cause is to make biblically sound resources freely accessible in every nation and language. We've made a very encouraging progress already—1750+ resources available for free in more than 40 languages as of late 2009—but we still have a long way to go and more than ever we need the help of dedicated volunteers. 

=== '''Where we need your help''' ===

*[[Volunteer:Translation and review|'''Translation and review''']]—Translate from English into any language, and give constructive feedback to other translators on their work 
*[[Volunteer:Development|'''Development''']]—Code Mediawiki extensions and API-driven web apps to help us distribute content, automate processes, and optimize the SEO and usability of our wiki network 
*[[Volunteer:Spreading|'''Spreading''']]—Leverage your blog, website, and social networks (and those of your friends and contacts) to help us spread free, gospel-satured resources 
*[[Gospel Translations:Financial support|'''Publishing''']]—Fund the publication of free resources around the world by making a financial gift to Gospel Translations 
*[[Volunteer:Content management|'''Content management''']]—Format and save English and translated documents on our wikis. 

=== ''' ''' ===

Handbook:Contents

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:38:14 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Contents" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Please also check our [[GospelTranslations:FAQ|FAQ]] for information about using this website.

=== General guidelines for translating ===

#'''Show the original author's intended meaning'''. If you're not sure how to do that, the best thing to do is contact your translation coordinator for help. If you question or disagree with an author's point of view and do not wish to translate it, you can ask for a new assignment.
#'''Don't contextualize any passages in my translations'''. If an author's words or ideas will be difficult for people in my culture to understand, I will add a footnote to explain the author's meaning further.
#'''Use the community glossaries if available'''. Translators are encouraged to create and update glossary entries for their languages, especially to standardize the usage of theological terms.

 

== Bible references ==

[[Handbook:Recommended Bible translations|Recommended Bible translations]]

[[Handbook:Bible verse troubleshooting|What to do when Bible translations don't work in your language]]

 

== Translation tools ==

[http://www.omegat.org/en/omegat.html OmegaT] is a free translation memory tool to help you speed up translation work on your computer.

[http://www.openoffice.org OpenOffice] is a free software package that includes an alternative to Microsoft Word. It can open file types, and can even your document to wikitext--the code used to format pages on this website.

 

== Glossaries for theological terms ==

[[Handbook:Glossary/Albanian|Albanian]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Bulgarian|Bulgarian]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Chinese (Simplified)|Chinese (Simplified)]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Chinese (Traditional)|Chinese (Traditional)]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Dutch|Dutch]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/French|French]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/German|German]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Indonesian|Indonesian]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Italian|Italian]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Japanese|Japanese]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Korean|Korean]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Portuguese|Portuguese]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Romanian|Romanian]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Russian|Russian]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Spanish|Spanish]]

[[Handbook:Glossary/Swedish|Swedish]]

 

== Reviewing Articles ==

There are two types of reviews for an article: a Peer Review, which anyone can do, and a Final Review, which only our senior translators perform. To learn more about both, go to the [[Handbook:Reviews|Reviews]] page in the handbook.

[[Category:Handbook]]

Handbook:Recommended Bible translations

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:38:04 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "Handbook:Recommended Bible translations" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Most of the authors with whom we partner use Bible translations that are literal interpretations instead of paraphrasings. In English, the two most popular ones are the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible.

When we choose translations in other languges to suggest to our translators, we try to find ones that adhere to this same word-for-word translation philosophy. This ensures that our translators run into as few difficulties as possible when translating texts, and offers the most protection from unintentional misinterpretations of Bible passages.

Below you'll find a list of the Bible translations that we ask translators to use in different languages. If you have a suggestion for your language that isn't listed below, please leave feedback on the discussion page here to let us know.

And when you're translating, please indicate which version you have used. If it becomes necessary to deviate from that particular translation within the text then you may indicate so as follows:

:“…” (Mt. 2:23, NVI).

The above example would be Matthew 2:23 from the Nova Versão Internacional (a Portuguese version). Just use the appropriate abbreviation for your particular version.

=== Recommended translations ===

*Cebuano: [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/bible/ceb_b.toc.html Ang Biblia, Bugna Version]
*Chinese: [http://www.digitalbiblesociety.org/bibles/ncv-gb.htm New Chinese Version]
*Dutch: Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling or Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 
*French: Bible à la Colombe 
*German: [http://www.youversion.com/bible/browse/elb Elberfelder]
*Japanese: [http://ebible.echurch-jp.com/ Shinkaiyaku] 
*Portuguese: [http://www.ibs.org/bibles/portuguese/index.php Nova Versão Internacional] 
*Russian: [http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=13&lang=18 Russian Synodal Version]
*Spanish: [http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=59&lang=9 La Biblia de las Américas]
*Tagalog: Ang Biblia or Ang Bagong Biblia

Handbook:Recommended Bible translations

JoyaTeemer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:37:51 GMT

JoyaTeemer:

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 15

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:45:25 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 15==== ''Joshua 22; Acts 2;'' Jeremiah 11; Matthew 25 '''ACTS 2''' IS SOMETIMES CALLED the birthday of the church. This can be misleading. There is a sense i...'

{{info}}

====JULY 15====

''Joshua 22; Acts 2;'' Jeremiah 11; Matthew 25

'''ACTS 2''' IS SOMETIMES CALLED the birthday of the church. This can be misleading.
There is a sense in which the old covenant community can rightly be designated
''church'' (7:38—“assembly” in NIV). Nevertheless there is a new departure that
begins on this day, a departure bound up with the universal gift of the Holy Spirit,
in fulfillment of Scripture (2:17-18) and in consequence of Jesus’ exaltation “to
the right hand of God” (2:33). The critical event that has brought this incalculable
blessing about is the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus Christ; this
event was itself foreseen by earlier Scripture.

One of the things that is striking about Peter’s address, quite apart from its
comprehensiveness, courage, directness, and passionate fire, is the way the apostle,
even at this early stage of his postresurrection public ministry, handles what
we call the Old Testament Scriptures. His use of Scripture in this Pentecost sermon
is too rich and variegated to unpack in detail. But observe:

(1) Once again there is a David-typology (2:25-28, citing Ps. 16:8-11). But
here there is also a small sample of apostolic reasoning in this regard. Although
it is possible to read 2:27 (“you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let
your Holy One see decay”) as David’s conviction that God will not, at that point,
let him die, the language is so extravagant, and David’s typological role so common,
that Peter insists the words point to something more: a greater than David
will quite literally not be abandoned in the grave, and will not be permitted to
experience decay. David, after all, was a prophet. Whether in this case, like
Caiaphas (John 11:50-52), David spoke better than he knew, at least he knew that
God had promised “on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his
throne” (2:30).

(2) The prophecy of Joel (Acts 2:17-21; see Joel 2:28-32) is more straightforward,
in that it is a case of verbal prediction and does not resort to typology. The
obvious meaning is that Peter detects in the events of Pentecost the fulfillment of
these words: the “last days” (2:17) have arrived. (Whether the sun turning to
darkness and the moon turning to blood were both events bound up with the dark
hours when Jesus was on the cross, or an instance of Hebrew nature symbolism,
need not detain us here.) This Old Testament passage is one of a handful of texts
that predict the coming of the Spirit, or the writing of God’s law on our hearts,
but in any case covenant-wide personal transformation in the last days (e.g., Jer.
31:31ff.; Ezek. 36:25-27).

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 14

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:45:09 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 14" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 14====

''Joshua 20—21; Acts 1''; Jeremiah 10; Matthew 24

BETWEEN JESUS’ ASCENSION AND Pentecost, the nascent church, about one hundred
and twenty strong, met together and prayed. At one such meeting, Peter stood
up and initiated the action that appointed Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot
('''Acts 1:15-26''').

(1) Peter’s use of Scripture (1:16, 20) is apparently what guides him to his conclusion
that “it is necessary” (1:21) to choose one of the other men who had been
with Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry as a replacement for the traitor
Judas. At the surface level of Acts, the reasoning is straightforward. Psalm
69:25 says, “May [his] place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in [it]”; Peter
applies this to Judas. Psalm 109:8 insists, “May another take his place of leadership”;
this Peter takes as a divine warrant for securing a replacement.

In the context of Psalms 69 and 109, David is seeking vindication against enemies—
once close friends—who had betrayed him. Peter’s use of these verses
belongs to one of two primary patterns. Either: (a) Peter is indulging in indefensible
proof-texting. The verses never did apply to Judas, and can be made to do
so only by exegetical sleight-of-hand. Or: (b) Peter is already presupposing a fairly
sophisticated David-typology. If this sense of betrayal and plea for vindicating justice
play such an important role in the experience of great King David, how much
more in great David’s greater Son? Why should we flinch at such reasoning?
During the previous forty days Jesus had often spoken with his disciples (1:3),
explaining in some detail “what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself”
(Luke 24:27). Certainly the David-typology crops up in the Gospels on the lips
of Jesus. Why should we not accept that he taught it to his disciples?

(2) On the criteria raised here—the replacement apostle had to be not only
a witness of the resurrected Jesus, but someone who had been with the disciples
“the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us” (1:21-22)—Paul could
not have met the conditions. Paul’s apostleship was irregular, as he himself
acknowledges (1 Cor. 15:8-9). We should not entertain nonsense about Peter
and the church making a mistake here because they did not wait for the appointment
of Paul.

(3) The choosing of one of two by lot (1:23-26) is not a prescription for local
church governance procedures. There is no hint of a similar procedure from then
on in the church’s life, as reported in the New Testament. This sounds more like
the climax of an Old Testament procedure, with God himself selecting and authorizing
the twelve men of the apostolic band.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 14

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:30:50 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 14==== ''Joshua 20—21; Acts 1''; Jeremiah 10; Matthew 24 BETWEEN JESUS’ ASCENSION AND Pentecost, the nascent church, about one hundred and twenty strong,...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 12

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:33:35 GMT

JoyaTeemer:

{{info}}

====JULY 12====

''Joshua 16—17; Psalm 148;'' Jeremiah 8; Matthew 22

ALL OF THE FIVE CLOSING PSALMS begin with the single Hebrew word ''Hallelujah''—
“Praise the Lord.” This psalm ('''Ps. 148''') is remarkable for its emphasis on the sheer
range and comprehensiveness of beings and things in the universe that unite the
whole creation in praise. The first six verses begin with angels, sweeping down
through unconscious participants in the heavens; the next six verses—mirrorimages
of the first six—begin with the unconscious participants on the earth, and
rise to human beings (148:7-12). The last two verses (148:13-14) draw the people
in covenant with him. Some notes:

(1) There have always been people who attach their affections and worship to
angels (e.g., Col. 2:18), even though angels are our fellow servants (Rev. 22:8-9).
Others foolishly think that their destinies are controlled by the stars, even though
stars are nothing more than God’s creation. Both angels and stars—the one sentiently,
the other not—bear witness to ''God’s'' greatness; in that sense they join
together in worship (148:2-3).

(2) The phrase “highest heavens” is literally “heaven of heavens,” a way of
expressing the superlative (like “holy of holies”). The expression “waters above
the skies” is a Hebrew poetic way of referring to rain (148:4). Whether one thinks
of “the heavens” as the sphere in which the rain condenses out of the atmosphere,
or as the abode of God Almighty, there is nothing that has not been created: “he
commanded and they were created” (148:5). So there is nothing that does not bear
witness to the Creator-God.

(3) The denizens of the earth’s oceans, the varied precipitation that waters the
ground, the fury of unleashed storms, the majesty and beauty of mountains and
hills, the spectacular diversity and color and beauty of earth’s flora and fauna, the
scarcely imaginable array of the earth’s births—all attest, mutely but powerfully,
to the goodness and greatness of God. As part of that creation, human beings, in
all the diversity of their ranks and stations in life, join this universal chorus of
praise (148:11-12), not simply because he is bigger than we are, but because no
matter how highly we envisage his glorious splendor, it is higher yet, higher than
anything and everything in all creation (148:13).

(4) This unimaginably great God has not only called out his own people, but
has raised up for them a “horn” (a symbol for a king), the praise of all his saints
(148:14). Living this side of Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection, we know
who the ultimate King in the Davidic line really is. And so our praise joins that
of the rest of the universe with peculiar intensity and gratitude.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 13

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:32:33 GMT

JoyaTeemer:

{{info}}

====JULY 13====

''Joshua 18—19; Psalms 149—150''; Jeremiah 9; Matthew 23

THIS ('''JOSH. 18—19''') IS A GOOD TIME TO reflect on the many chapters of Joshua that
have been devoted to the dividing up of the land.

(1) Focusing on the division of the land, these chapters implicitly focus on
the land itself. After all, the land was an irreducible component of the promise to
Abraham, of the Sinai covenant, of the release of the Israelites from slavery in
Egypt. It is now distributed by God’s providential supervision of the “lot.”

(2) The inevitable conclusion is that God is faithful to his promises. That point
is explicitly drawn for us a bare two chapters on: “So the LORD gave Israel all the
land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled
there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their
forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their
enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of
Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (21:43-45).

(3) These chapters also explain how entrance into the Promised Land did not
proceed in a wave of unbroken triumph. Earlier God had warned that he would
not give the Israelites the whole thing at once. Now we are repeatedly told that
this tribe or that could not dislodge certain Canaanites, and they continue there
“to this day.” For instance, “Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living
in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah”
(15:63; cf. Judg. 1:21). In fact, Jerusalem was taken (Judg. 1:8), but not all the
Jebusites were dislodged. Details of this sort help to explain how the tussle
between fidelity and syncretism could occupy so much of Israel’s history.

(4) Some of the elements in these chapters bring earlier strands of the narrative
to closure. For instance, Caleb surfaces again. He was Joshua’s colleague
among the initial group of twelve spies; they were the only two who at Kadesh
Barnea, at the first approach to the Promised Land, urged the people to enter it
boldly and trust God. In consequence they are the only two of their generation
who are still alive to witness the Promised Land for themselves. And now in
Joshua 15, Caleb is still looking for new worlds to conquer and receives his inheritance.
Similarly, chapters 20—21 detail the designation of the cities of refuge and
of the towns set aside for the Levites—steps mandated by the Mosaic Code.

(5) There is trouble ahead. The ambiguities of the situation, and the memories
of the final warnings of Moses, signal the reader that these relative victories,
good though they are, cannot possibly be God’s final or ultimate provision.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 13

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:32:21 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 13=== ''Joshua 18—19; Psalms 149—150''; Jeremiah 9; Matthew 23 THIS ('''JOSH. 18—19''') IS A GOOD TIME TO reflect on the many chapters of Joshua that h...'

{{info}}

====JULY 13===

''Joshua 18—19; Psalms 149—150''; Jeremiah 9; Matthew 23

THIS ('''JOSH. 18—19''') IS A GOOD TIME TO reflect on the many chapters of Joshua that
have been devoted to the dividing up of the land.

(1) Focusing on the division of the land, these chapters implicitly focus on
the land itself. After all, the land was an irreducible component of the promise to
Abraham, of the Sinai covenant, of the release of the Israelites from slavery in
Egypt. It is now distributed by God’s providential supervision of the “lot.”

(2) The inevitable conclusion is that God is faithful to his promises. That point
is explicitly drawn for us a bare two chapters on: “So the LORD gave Israel all the
land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled
there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their
forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their
enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of
Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (21:43-45).

(3) These chapters also explain how entrance into the Promised Land did not
proceed in a wave of unbroken triumph. Earlier God had warned that he would
not give the Israelites the whole thing at once. Now we are repeatedly told that
this tribe or that could not dislodge certain Canaanites, and they continue there
“to this day.” For instance, “Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living
in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah”
(15:63; cf. Judg. 1:21). In fact, Jerusalem was taken (Judg. 1:8), but not all the
Jebusites were dislodged. Details of this sort help to explain how the tussle
between fidelity and syncretism could occupy so much of Israel’s history.

(4) Some of the elements in these chapters bring earlier strands of the narrative
to closure. For instance, Caleb surfaces again. He was Joshua’s colleague
among the initial group of twelve spies; they were the only two who at Kadesh
Barnea, at the first approach to the Promised Land, urged the people to enter it
boldly and trust God. In consequence they are the only two of their generation
who are still alive to witness the Promised Land for themselves. And now in
Joshua 15, Caleb is still looking for new worlds to conquer and receives his inheritance.
Similarly, chapters 20—21 detail the designation of the cities of refuge and
of the towns set aside for the Levites—steps mandated by the Mosaic Code.

(5) There is trouble ahead. The ambiguities of the situation, and the memories
of the final warnings of Moses, signal the reader that these relative victories,
good though they are, cannot possibly be God’s final or ultimate provision.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 12

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:26:23 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 12" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 12====

''Joshua 16—17; Psalm 148;'' Jeremiah 8; Matthew 22

ALL OF THE FIVE CLOSING PSALMS begin with the single Hebrew word Hallelujah—
“Praise the Lord.” This psalm ('''Ps. 148''') is remarkable for its emphasis on the sheer
range and comprehensiveness of beings and things in the universe that unite the
whole creation in praise. The first six verses begin with angels, sweeping down
through unconscious participants in the heavens; the next six verses—mirrorimages
of the first six—begin with the unconscious participants on the earth, and
rise to human beings (148:7-12). The last two verses (148:13-14) draw the people
in covenant with him. Some notes:

(1) There have always been people who attach their affections and worship to
angels (e.g., Col. 2:18), even though angels are our fellow servants (Rev. 22:8-9).
Others foolishly think that their destinies are controlled by the stars, even though
stars are nothing more than God’s creation. Both angels and stars—the one sentiently,
the other not—bear witness to ''God’s'' greatness; in that sense they join
together in worship (148:2-3).

(2) The phrase “highest heavens” is literally “heaven of heavens,” a way of
expressing the superlative (like “holy of holies”). The expression “waters above
the skies” is a Hebrew poetic way of referring to rain (148:4). Whether one thinks
of “the heavens” as the sphere in which the rain condenses out of the atmosphere,
or as the abode of God Almighty, there is nothing that has not been created: “he
commanded and they were created” (148:5). So there is nothing that does not bear
witness to the Creator-God.

(3) The denizens of the earth’s oceans, the varied precipitation that waters the
ground, the fury of unleashed storms, the majesty and beauty of mountains and
hills, the spectacular diversity and color and beauty of earth’s flora and fauna, the
scarcely imaginable array of the earth’s births—all attest, mutely but powerfully,
to the goodness and greatness of God. As part of that creation, human beings, in
all the diversity of their ranks and stations in life, join this universal chorus of
praise (148:11-12), not simply because he is bigger than we are, but because no
matter how highly we envisage his glorious splendor, it is higher yet, higher than
anything and everything in all creation (148:13).

(4) This unimaginably great God has not only called out his own people, but
has raised up for them a “horn” (a symbol for a king), the praise of all his saints
(148:14). Living this side of Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection, we know
who the ultimate King in the Davidic line really is. And so our praise joins that
of the rest of the universe with peculiar intensity and gratitude.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 12

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:24:35 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 12==== ''Joshua 16—17; Psalm 148;'' Jeremiah 8; Matthew 22 ALL OF THE FIVE CLOSING PSALMS begin with the single Hebrew word Hallelujah— “Praise the Lor...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 11

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:10:08 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 11" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 11====

''Joshua 14—15; Psalms 146—147''; Jeremiah 7; Matthew 21

'''PSALM 146''' HAS BEEN THE inspiration of hymns in many languages. Isaac Watts
(1674-1748) wrote a hymn that was largely inspired by this psalm. That hymn is
still widely sung in the United Kingdom; regrettably, it is virtually unknown in
North America. So it is worth reproducing here as today’s meditation:

<blockquote>''I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath; And when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler powers. My days of praise shall ne’er be past, While life, and thought, and being last, Or immortality endures. Happy the man whose hopes rely On Israel’s God! He made the sky, And earth, and sea, with all their train. His truth forever stands secure; He saves the oppressed, he feeds the poor, And none shall find his promise vain. The Lord gives eyesight to the blind; The Lord supports the fainting mind; He sends the labouring conscience peace; He helps the stranger in distress, The widow and the fatherless, And grants the prisoner sweet release. I’ll praise him while he lends me breath; And when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler powers; My days of praise shall ne’er be past, While life, and thought, and being last, Or immortality endures.''</blockquote>

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 11

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:09:07 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 11==== ''Joshua 14—15; Psalms 146—147''; Jeremiah 7; Matthew 21 '''PSALM 146''' HAS BEEN THE inspiration of hymns in many languages. Isaac Watts (1674-17...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 10

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:02:06 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 10" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 10====

''Joshua 12—13; Psalm 145''; Jeremiah 6; Matthew 20

WHEN WE REFLECTED ON PARTS of''' Psalm 119''' (see the meditations for June 22, 25,
and 27), we noted that the psalm is an acrostic poem. In the first section, all the
verses begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; in the second section, all
the verses begin with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet; and so on for
twenty-two sections, corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew
alphabet. But there are seven other acrostic psalms in the Psalter. In these, however,
just one verse is devoted to each letter (Pss. 9-10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 145).
Five of the eight, including this last one (Ps. 145), are ascribed to David.

In most Hebrew manuscripts of this psalm, there is no verse for the Hebrew
letter corresponding to our ''N''. But most of the ancient translations supply the
missing verse, and now one Hebrew manuscript with an N-verse has shown up
as well, so most modern versions squeeze in the extra lines (verse 13b in the NIV).
So what we have in this psalm is the last of David’s compositions preserved in the
book of Psalms, a veritable alphabet of praise.

There are certain themes that receive special emphasis in this psalm.
(1) Although many of David’s psalms focus on his own experiences, or sometimes
on the joys and sorrows of the Israelite nation, here the horizon expands to
take in God’s universal kingdom (145:13a), his universal care for all living creatures
in his universe—not least providing them with the food they need (145:15-
16). None of this denies that this is still a fallen world, of course. Creatures
sometimes starve; they grow old and die. Yet we see teeming life, and this life survives
and thrives by God’s gracious provision.

(2) There is a wonderful mingling of God’s glory with God’s compassion. “The
LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is
good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (145:8-9). That is why the
entire created order praises him (145:10). At the same time, God’s people are the
first to talk about his “mighty acts and the glorious splendor” of his kingdom, the
sheer glory of his kingdom (145:11-12).

(3) Not only is God’s greatness beyond human fathoming (145:3), the account
of God’s greatness and goodness is passed on from one generation to another
(145:4), as others celebrate God’s “abundant goodness” and joyfully sing of his
righteousness (145:7). Indeed, as we read his words and utter our own “Amen!”
our generation receives this glorious communication from three thousand years
ago, jointly committed to speaking of God’s mighty acts and to meditating on his
wonderful works (145:4-5).

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 10

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:01:58 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 10==== ''Joshua 12—13; Psalm 145''; Jeremiah 6; Matthew 20 WHEN WE REFLECTED ON PARTS of''' Psalm 119''' (see the meditations for June 22, 25, and 27), we ...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 9

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:59:38 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 9" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 9====

''Joshua 11; Psalm 144;'' Jeremiah 5; Matthew 19

VERSES 12-14 OF '''PSALM 144''' PICTURE an idyllic situation in the land: sons and
daughters multiplying and healthy, barns filled with produce, cattle filling the
fields, trade flourishing, military defenses secure, freedom from some regional
superpower, basic prosperity and contentment in the streets. What will bring
about these conditions?

The answer is summarized in the last verse: “Blessed are the people of whom
this is true; blessed are the people whose God is YAHWEH” (144:15). This last line
means more than that these people happen to have preferred a certain brand of
religion. It means, rather, that if this God—the one true God—owns a people—
a people who in confessing him as their God trust him and worship him and obey
him—that people is blessed indeed. And because this last verse is a summarizing
verse, the unpacking of this notion is found in the rest of the psalm.

The psalm opens in praise to “the LORD ''my Rock''”—a symbol that is evocative
of absolute stability and security. This God trains the hands of the king for war:
that is, his providential rule works through the means of supplying and strengthening
those whose responsibility it is to provide the national defense, while they
for their part rely on him and do not pretend their military prowess is somehow
a sign of innate superiority (144:1-2). Far from it: human beings are fleeting,
nothing but passing shadows (144:3-4). What we must have is the presence of
the Sovereign of the universe, his powerful intervention: “Part your heavens, O
LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke” (144:5). When
the Lord takes a hand, David and his people are rescued from danger, oppression,
and deceit (144:7-8). What this evokes is fresh praise “to the One who gives victory
to kings, who delivers his servant David” (144:10). When God takes a hand,
the result is the security and fruitfulness described in verses 10-15.

Here is a balance rarely understood—still more rarely achieved. It applies
every bit as much to, say, revival in the church, as it applies to the security and
prosperity of the ancient nation of Israel. On the one hand, there is a deep recognition
that what is needed is for the Lord to rend the heavens and come down.
But on the other hand, this generates no passivity or fatalism, for David is confident
that the Lord’s strength enables him to fight successfully. What we do not
need is an arrogant “can do” mentality that tacks God onto the end, or a clichéd
spirituality that confuses passion with passivity. What we do need is the power
of the sovereign, transforming, God.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 9

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:59:31 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 9==== ''Joshua 11; Psalm 144;'' Jeremiah 5; Matthew 19 VERSES 12-14 OF '''PSALM 144''' PICTURE an idyllic situation in the land: sons and daughters multiplyi...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 8

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:56:51 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 8" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 8====

''Joshua 10; Psalms 142—143''; Jeremiah 4; Matthew 18

'''PSALM 142''' SHOULD BE READ IN TANDEM with Psalm 57; both were the product of
David’s experience of hiding in a cave while fleeing King Saul. In some ways, however,
the two psalms are quite different. Although in both cases David is pushed
to the edge, in Psalm 57 he sounds reasonably buoyant, perhaps bold—certainly
confident of the outcome. Here in Psalm 142, however, the mood is gloomy, characterized
by “desperate need” (142:6), with only three rays of hope. It should not
be thought strange that the one crisis should precipitate more than one emotional
response. Both Scripture and experience testify that extreme danger and uncertainty
can push us to conflicting responses. However we think about such matters,
Psalm 142 reflects raw despair—and correspondingly, it speaks tellingly to
believers whose circumstances draw them through dark waters no less deep.

The opening lines find the psalmist urgently and frankly begging for help: “I
cry aloud”; “I lift up my voice”; “I pour out my complaint”; “I tell my trouble”—
these are the words of a frightened and desperate man. The word rendered “my
complaint” sounds less petulant and whiny than the English: perhaps “what’s
wrong” or “my troubled thoughts” might be better.

The first ray of hope comes in verse 3a: “When my spirit grows faint within
me, it is you who know [''sic''] my way.” When he has sunk so low that he is ready
to give up, the psalmist finds reassurance in the fact that God is never taken by
surprise: “It is ''you'' who knows my way.”

The worst hurts, of course, are personal betrayals. When all around there is
no one who can be trusted, when experience after experience demonstrates that
this conclusion is pathetically sound and not a symptom of paranoia, when the
sheer loneliness of the fight adds a thick layer of depression (“I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life,” 142:4), where does the psalmist turn? Here is the second
ray of light: “I cry to you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in
the land of the living’” (142:5). The move from “my refuge” to “my portion”
demonstrates that David is not thinking of God as merely the solution to a problem.
There is progression from fear to gratitude.

None of this reduces the stark reality of David’s “desperate need” (142:6). This
need is not merely emotional: his emotional crisis is grounded in the reality that
he is being pursued by soldiers and their bitter king. The final ray of hope serves
as contrast: God’s goodness and fidelity ensure that David will be rescued. David
dares to envision the day when the righteous of the land will not only surround
him but applaud his reign.

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 8

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:56:37 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 8==== ''Joshua 10; Psalms 142—143''; Jeremiah 4; Matthew 18 '''PSALM 142''' SHOULD BE READ IN TANDEM with Psalm 57; both were the product of David’s expe...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 7

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:51:14 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 7" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 7====

''Joshua 9; Psalms 140—141;'' Jeremiah 3; Matthew 17

THE ACCOUNT OF THE GIBEONITE DECEPTION ('''Josh. 9''') has its slightly amusing elements,
as well as its serious point. There are the Israelites, poking around in
moldy bread and holding serious conversations about the distance these emissaries
must have traveled. Yet the sad fact is that they were snookered. What
lessons should we learn from this?

''First'', many believers who have the courage to withstand direct assault do not
have the sense to withstand deception. That is why in Revelation 13 the dragon
has ''two'' beasts—one whose opposition is overt and cruel, and the other who is
identified as the false prophet (see the meditation for December 22). That is also
why in Acts 20 Paul warns the Ephesian elders not only of rapacious wolves that
will try to ravage the flock of God, but also of the fact that from among their own
number men will arise who will “distort the truth” (Acts 20:30). Such people
never announce what they are doing: “We are now going to distort the truth!” The
danger they represent lies in the fact that they are viewed as “safe,” and then from
this secure vantage they advocate “progressive” positions that distort the Gospel.
The deceptive power may be tied to such overt tricks as flattery—the very device
used by the Gibeonites (9:9-10). In our day, deception becomes all the easier to
arrange because so many Christians are no longer greatly shaped by Scripture. It
is difficult to unmask subtle error when it aligns with the culture, deploys spiritual
God-talk, piously cites a passage or two, and “works.”

''Second'', the failure depicted in 9:14 has haunted many believers, and not only
the ancient Israelites: “The men of Israel sampled their [the Gibeonites’] provisions
but did not inquire of the LORD.” Doubtless their inquiring of the Lord
would have been direct; perhaps the priests would have resorted to Urim and
Thummim (see meditation for March 17). We shall never know, because the people
felt they did not need the Lord’s guidance. Perhaps the flattery had made them
cocksure. The fact that their decision was based on their estimate of how far these
Gibeonites had come makes it obvious that they were aware of the danger of
treaties with the Canaanites. The failure must therefore not be taken as a mere
breach of devotions that day, a hastiness that forgot a magic step. The problem is
deeper: there is an unseemly negligence that betrays an overconfidence that does
not think it ''needs'' God in this case. Many a Christian leader has made disastrous
mistakes when he or she has not taken time to seek God’s perspective, probing
Scripture and asking him for the wisdom he has promised to give (James 1:5).

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 7

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:49:46 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 7==== ''Joshua 9; Psalms 140—141;'' Jeremiah 3; Matthew 17 THE ACCOUNT OF THE GIBEONITE DECEPTION ('''Josh. 9''') has its slightly amusing elements, as wel...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 6

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:46:33 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 6" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 6====

''Joshua 8; Psalm 139;'' Jeremiah 2; Matthew 16

THERE IS A PERVERSENESS TO human thoughts about God that would be risible if it
were not so tragic. We find ways to make him small.

A marvelous antidote is '''Psalm 139'''. It paints an exalted picture of God, yet
does so in stunningly personal ways, as befits a psalm. In particular:

(1) ''God sees and knows everything'' (139:1-6). The psalmist might have made
that point as I just did—in the abstract. Instead, true to his form, he addresses
God, acknowledging that this God’s knowledge is not passive and is not merely
comprehensive: it is active and personal. This God knows the psalmist so thoroughly
that he knows every movement his body makes, and every habit of his life,
but also every thought he entertains and every word he speaks—even before they
are formulated. Hebrews 4:13 says as much.

(2) ''God is omnipresent, and therefore inescapable'' (139:7-12). Yet again, the
thought in the text is not abstract. When David asks, “Where can I go from your
Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (139:7), it is pretty obvious that
there is a part of him that wants to get away from God. It cannot be done. If David
were to fly to the heavens or descend to Sheol, if he were to travel as far east or
as far west as might be imagined, if he were to hide in the darkness—nothing
could hide him from God’s searching gaze. By the end of the psalm, it is clear that
David does not want to escape from this God (cf. Rom. 8:38-39).

(3) ''God is the Creator and providential Ruler'' (139:13-18). Here David does not
hark back to the initial creation, but to his own formation in his mother’s womb—
which formation is, finally, nothing other than a work of God, for all its terrifying
complexity. Nor does this God relinquish control once the creature is made:
“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came
to be” (139:16). In Scripture, this truth does not compromise human responsibility,
but increases our faith. Perhaps it is the sheer breadth of such knowledge
that prompts David to pen the last two verses of this section: God’s thoughts cannot
be numbered, for they are more numerous than the grains of sand by the sea—
which is no exaggeration at all.

(4) ''God is utterly holy'' (139:19-24). David’s response to evil people is merely
a function of his loyalty to God (139:19-22). What saves it from mere vindictive
self-righteousness is the fact that in the light of this God’s holiness, David is no
less resolved to deal with any evil in his own life (139:23-24).

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 6

JoyaTeemer — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:46:23 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 6==== ''Joshua 8; Psalm 139;'' Jeremiah 2; Matthew 16 THERE IS A PERVERSENESS TO human thoughts about God that would be risible if it were not so tragic. We ...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 5

JoyaTeemer — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:31:33 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 5" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 5====

''Joshua 7; Psalms 137—138;'' Jeremiah 1; Matthew 15

IT DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK LIKE THIS, of course. Sometimes it is not the case that the
sin of one man and his family—in this case Achan—brings defeat upon the entire
believing community ('''Josh. 7'''). For example, the sin of Ananias and Sapphira
brought death only to themselves (Acts 5), and the punishment they suffered
induced a godly fear in the rest of the assembly. On the other hand, the sin of
David brought tragic repercussions on the entire nation. Perhaps the most frightening
cases are those where countless sins are committed by many, many people,
and God does absolutely nothing about it. For the worst judgment occurs when
God turns his back on people, and resolutely lets sin take its course. Far better to
be pulled up sharply before things get out of hand. That is why so much of the
previous forty years of wilderness wanderings was given over to the disciplining
hand of God: the purpose was as much educative as reformative.

Whatever is the case elsewhere in Scripture, here the sin of Achan and his family
brings embarrassing defeat to the contingent of troops sent to take the little
town of Ai. Worse, it brought death to about thirty-six Israelites (7:5). In a sense,
Achan was a murderer. When in some consternation Joshua seeks God’s face, God
rather abruptly says, in effect, “Stop your praying and deal with the sin in the
camp” (7:10-12). The point is that God had given explicit and repeated instructions.
They had been violated. The covenant between God and the Israelites was
essentially communal, and so God is determined to teach the entire community
to exercise among its own members the discipline that the covenant mandates.

No doubt there are some substantial differences to bear in mind when one
turns to the new covenant. Nevertheless, here too God says some explicit things,
and expects the covenant community to exercise discipline (e.g., 1 Cor. 5; cf.
2 Cor. 11:4; 13:2-3). Paul warns us that failure to take disciplinary action in the
church, when there has been flagrant violation, endangers the entire community
(1 Cor. 5:6). Pastors of churches and leaders of other Christian organizations
who ignore this perspective are inviting disaster among all the people they are
called to lead. In the name of peace, the real motivation may simply be cowardice,
or worse, a failure to take God’s words seriously. The point is reinforced
in the second reading assigned for this date: “I . . . will praise your name for your
love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things ''your name and your word''” ('''Ps. 138:2-3''').

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 5

JoyaTeemer — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:31:28 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 5==== ''Joshua 7; Psalms 137—138;'' Jeremiah 1; Matthew 15 IT DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK LIKE THIS, of course. Sometimes it is not the case that the sin of one ...'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 4

JoyaTeemer — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:45:54 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 4" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 4====

''Joshua 6; Psalms 135—136''; Isaiah 66; Matthew 14

EVERY VERSE IN '''PSALM 135''' quotes or alludes to or is quoted by some other part of
Scripture.

Verse 1 reorders the phrasing of Psalm 113:1, putting the emphasis on the
“servants of the LORD” who are then further described in verse 2—which in turn
adapts a clause from Psalm 116:19. Verse 3 is one of three related verses in the
book of Psalms in which we are variously told that the Lord’s name is good (52:9),
that he himself is good (135:3), and that praising him is good (147:1); and further,
that both his name (here) and worship of him (147:1) are “pleasant” (or perhaps
“delightful”). If verse 3 emphasizes God’s character, verse 4 underscores his
elective love in a way that calls us back to Deuteronomy 7:6.

Verses 5-7 emphasize God’s unlimited power, calling to mind Exodus 18:11;
Psalm 115:3; Jeremiah 10:13. The opening clause “I know that . . .” provides an
emphasis on personal confession; this is truth not only to know, but to live by.
Much of verses 8-12 reappears scattered throughout the next psalm, often word
for word (136:10, 18-22). Which way the borrowing went is of little consequence.
The references to the defeat of Sihon and Og call us back to Numbers 21:21-35.
As for God’s name (135:13-14), the allusion is to Exodus 3:15 and Deuteronomy
32:36. Verses 15-18, on the sheer folly of all idolatry, almost exactly follow 115:4-
8; thematically similar convictions find expression in Isaiah. The closing verses
of this psalm (135:19-21) apparently pick up on 115:9-11, where three of the four
groups are told to glorify God.

The result of this pastiche approach to psalm-writing is a wonderful compendium
of praise. It is as if the mind of the writer is not only full of much historical
data from Scripture, but filled with texts as well. So as he builds his
exuberant hymn of praise, consciously or unconsciously he interweaves phrase
after phrase, sometimes whole verses, drawn from other Scriptures.

A similar phenomenon was once not uncommon amongst praying evangelicals.
As men and women poured out their hearts to the Lord in prayer meetings,
both praise and petition were cast in the language of Scripture. Of course, at its
worst this sort of thing was a canned recitation of the same half-dozen texts. But
at its best, such praise and prayer roamed through ever wider vistas of Scripture,
as the people’s knowledge of Scripture was itself growing. There is something
mature and biblically evocative about such praise, and as different from today’s
narrow themes of clichéd sentimentalism as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is from
“Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 4

JoyaTeemer — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:45:38 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Created page with '{{info}} ====JULY 4==== ''Joshua 6; Psalms 135—136''; Isaiah 66; Matthew 14 EVERY VERSE IN '''PSALM 135''' quotes or alludes to or is quoted by some other part of Scripture....'

For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 3

JoyaTeemer — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:40:04 GMT

JoyaTeemer: Protected "For the Love of God, Volume 1/July 3" ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

{{info}}

====JULY 3====

''Joshua 5; Psalms 132—134''; Isaiah 65; Matthew 13

THREE ELEMENTS ARE striking in '''Joshua 5'''.

(1) Circumcision is now carried out on all the males that were born during
the years of wilderness wandering. At one level, this is rather surprising: How
come they weren’t done as the boys were born? In many instances the multitude
stayed in one place for long periods of time, doubtless developing community life.
What prevented them from obeying this unambiguous covenantal stipulation?

There have been many guesses, but the short answer is that we do not know.
More important, in this context, is the fact that the rite is carried out now universally.
It thereby stands as a decisive turning point, a symbol-laden communitywide
affirmation of the covenant as the people stand on the verge of entering the
Promised Land. Egypt is now behind; the promised rest awaits. “Today I have
rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (5:9).

(2) The manna stops (5:10-12). From now on the people will draw their nourishment
from “the produce of Canaan.” This, too, was a dramatic signal that the
days of wandering were over, and the fulfillment of the promise for a new land
was beginning to unfold before their eyes. The change must have been both frightening
and exciting, especially to an entire generation that had never known life
without the security of manna.

(3) In the opening chapters of this book, Joshua experiences a number of
things that mark him out, both in his own mind and in the mind of the people,
as the legitimate successor to Moses. This chapter ends with one such marker.
Doubtless the most dramatic one before this chapter has been the crossing of the
Jordan River—a kind of miraculous reenactment of the crossing of the Red Sea
(Josh. 3—4). Quite apart from providing an efficient way to move the multitudes
across the river, the personal dimension is made explicit: “That day the LORD
exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his
life, just as they had revered Moses” (4:14—though the last clause must be judged
just a little tongue in cheek).

But now, there is another step: Joshua encounters a “man” who appears to be
some sort of angelic apparition. He is a warrior, a “commander of the army of
the LORD” (5:14). On the one hand, this serves to strengthen Joshua’s faith that
the Lord himself is going before him in the military contests that lie ahead. But
more: the scene is in some respects reminiscent of Moses at the burning bush
(Ex. 3:5): “The place where you are standing is holy ground.” However unique
these circumstances, we too must have leaders accustomed to standing in the
presence of holiness.