The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7a (ESV) Though the German philosopher Immanuel Kant was no Christian, he was right on the mark when he said that as “supreme being” God “is an ideal without a flaw, a concept which completes and crowns the whole of human knowledge.” Even a skeptic like Kant had …
Tapping into Modern Greek can shed light on the New Testament text in sundry ways. An example is the words King Agrippa directed at Paul before the Sanhedrin according to Acts 26:28. Agrippa’s expression, the essence of which is preserved in Modern Greek, is idiomatic in nature. Thus a technical analysis of the type of …
Knowing Greek and Hebrew is not necessary to be able to understand the Bible. But some knowledge of the languages does pay dividends, especially when trying to follow commentaries which debate the meaning of a particular Bible verse. Knowing the original languages may not be essential in order to be a Bible teacher, but it …
The Luxury of Learning Biblical Languages Online Read More »
The “General Confession” in The Book of Common Prayer[1] first appeared in the 1552 edition and has remained relatively unchanged to this day. The author of the prayer is unknown, but he was certainly familiar with the Bible and the awe which comes from contemplating the greatness of God in comparison to the wickedness of man. While …
Uncommon Repentance—The Book of Common Prayer (1552) Read More »
Five hundred years ago, Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam published the first ever printed Greek New Testament in Basle. After publication he immediately went to work on a second edition, which was published in 1519, a third edition in 1522 on through to the fifth and final edition in 1535. This final edition was accompanied by …
Erasmus’ new Latin translation of the Bible 500 years ago threatened the Church in numerous ways. When a beloved translation is changed, everyone takes note. Jerome, writing to Augustine in AD 404, defended his translation’s “ivy” over the traditional “gourd” in Jonah 4:6, despite Augustine’s recalling the riot that such a translation produced: You [Augustine] …