A strange thing is happening among Bible believing Christians today: they are afraid to read the Bible. True, there are a lot of conflicting ideas out there about what the Bible says, and they can’t all be true. But that in itself should move us to read the Bible itself to see what it really … Continue reading Read the Bible
The Bible
What the Bible is all about
The Bible is not a story about good people versus bad people. It is a story of people that were created to be good and rather chose to be bad from the very beginning. From that point on it is a story of people who have been rescued from evil and those who still need … Continue reading What the Bible is all about
Two kingdoms, two churches
Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob and should have been in every way the leader of the tribes of Israel. He was a man who meant well, but seemed more apt to follow his carnal lusts than his good intentions. His father described him as “unstable as water.” The double portion of his father’s inheritance … Continue reading Two kingdoms, two churches
More meanings from the margins
Here are some more examples of marginal readings that give a somewhat different sense than the reading in the main text. I have highlighted the words in the regular text in orange, and the reading from the margin in green and added my own comment on the difference. Genesis 4:26 - And to Seth, to him … Continue reading More meanings from the margins
Some clarifications and an illustration
The Bible translation produced in 1611 was never given an official name. In England, Scotland and many other places it is referred to as the Authorized Version, but that name does not appear in the Bible itself. The text now in common use dates from 1789. Typographical errors had crept into the various printed versions. … Continue reading Some clarifications and an illustration
Why I do not read the King James Bible
I read the Authorized Version instead, of which Cambridge University Press is the main publisher. The text is identical to that in Bibles that are called the King James Version, except that the AV maintains the alternate marginal readings that were placed there by the translators 400 years ago. I suppose that if we would … Continue reading Why I do not read the King James Bible
The Beatitudes in Braid Scots
Matthew Chaptir Fyve And, seeing the thrang o' folk, he gaed up intil a mountain; and when he was sutten-doon, his disciples gather't aboot. And he open't his mooth, and instructit them; and quo he: Happy the spirits that are lown and cannie: for the kingdom o' Heeven is waitin' for them! Happy they wha … Continue reading The Beatitudes in Braid Scots
Fast food Christianity
We are told, and it is obvious if we are paying attention, that there is a great decline in Bible knowledge among evangelical Christians who claim their faith is built upon the Word of God. What is the cause? Jack Miner told of an elderly Scot who said, “In my day children were raised on … Continue reading Fast food Christianity
Abraham our father
The apostle Paul tells us that Abraham is the father of all who believe (Romans 4:11-16). If we want to talk about faith then, discovering who Abram was, and what he did, seems a logical starting point. We first encounter him in Genesis 11, still named Abram, one of the three sons of Terah. The family … Continue reading Abraham our father
Uncovering the well
When Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603, she was succeeded by James Stuart, already King James VI of Scotland. He became King James I of England, uniting the kingdoms of England, Ireland and Scotland under his authority. James was a blend of imperious authority and humility. Tradition says that he told his portrait painter: “Paint … Continue reading Uncovering the well
Flatlander Faith 