I've got a bone to pick with William Tyndale. Tyndale was one of the coolest guys in the history of the world. He's responsible for most of the poetic phrasing of the KJV, 'cause the KJV translators stole most of it from him. He was martyred for translating the Bible into English and publishing it. Like I said, really cool dude. But here's what he did to tick me off.
Tyndale had a real feel for the flow of language. Most of the stirring phrases of the KJV are Tyndale's renderings. When he got to John 14:2, though, Tyndale, decided to break with Wycliff and translate the Greek word "monai," which the Vulgate rendered "mansiones," as "mansions." Wycliff had used "dwellings," Geneva and the Bishops' Bible used "dwelling places," but the KJV translators stuck with Tyndale and used "mansions," which is why every time you turn around some prosperity nut is talking about how God has a mansion for him.
The Greek word "mone" meant simply resting place. It was used for apartments, monks quarters, inn lodgings, but NEVER to refer to a huge home. Come on, now, look at the Tyndale/KJV rendering: "In my Father's house are many mansions." How can a single house contain many huge houses?
Man, I feel a rant about "streets of gold" coming on.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Book review: 5 Cities That Ruled The World by Douglas Wilson
Douglas Wilson's 5 Cities That Ruled The World kind of left me wondering: did I just read a book, or the pitch for a historical travelogue show on a Christian TV network? It wasn't a bad book at all, it just didn't really have the feel of a book. It was more like the fleshed-out notes for a series of lectures. The premise is that the 5 cities: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London and New York have each exercised a lasting influence over world culture, and each have symbolized the progress of liberty, Jerusalem liberty through spirituality, Athens liberty through democracy, Rome liberty through law, London liberty through letters, and New York liberty through commerce.
There isn't much evidence offered for the progress of liberty idea. Most of what you get is a tour guide summary of the history of each of the cities. Like I said, the book has the feel of a TV travelogue show. There are plenty of gossipy bits thrown in, like Mr. Wilson's belief that the gold of Ophir that enriched Solomon actually coming from Central America via Phoenician traders, or that the works of Shakespeare were written by Edward de Vere, and there are a host of jokes that probably worked OK in a lecture, but just didn't make the transition to ink very well. It was an easy read, but I was left wondering if it was really worth the effort.
5 Cities that Ruled the World can get you through a rainy day or a long layover at an airport, but I'm not sure how much of it is gonna be percolating through your mind a week later.
There isn't much evidence offered for the progress of liberty idea. Most of what you get is a tour guide summary of the history of each of the cities. Like I said, the book has the feel of a TV travelogue show. There are plenty of gossipy bits thrown in, like Mr. Wilson's belief that the gold of Ophir that enriched Solomon actually coming from Central America via Phoenician traders, or that the works of Shakespeare were written by Edward de Vere, and there are a host of jokes that probably worked OK in a lecture, but just didn't make the transition to ink very well. It was an easy read, but I was left wondering if it was really worth the effort.
5 Cities that Ruled the World can get you through a rainy day or a long layover at an airport, but I'm not sure how much of it is gonna be percolating through your mind a week later.
Witnessing to the waitstaff
I work in the restaurant business. I have for way longer than I really want to admit. One of the odd things about the business is the way that different days have different character. Sunday is not one of those better days, and, sadly, it's due in large part to the crowds of churchy folk who come out to eat after worship service. By "churchy folk" I don't mean Christians, I mean people who go to church, usually very legalistic types. Most of the people who I know in the business who are not Christian and are overtly hostile to the faith are hostile not so much because of the offense of the gospel, but because of the behavior of the "Christians" they encounter on a day to day basis. Maybe it's because of their conscience getting at them about their hypocrisy, but these folk get out of church, go out to eat, and proceed to treat the people taking care of them in a shockingly wicked fashion.
The other sort of Christians who undermine their witness are the genuine folk who lose their audience by tipping poorly, or not tipping at all, after witnessing to someone. Asking the server if you can pray for them as you are about to say grace is a very effective and disarming tactic for introducing people to the gospel, and leaving pamphlets can serve a purpose, but if you leave literature in lieu of a tip, you have completely lost the person you are trying to reach, and leaving a poor tip does the same thing. If you offend someone with anything but the gospel, you risk losing your audience.
The other sort of Christians who undermine their witness are the genuine folk who lose their audience by tipping poorly, or not tipping at all, after witnessing to someone. Asking the server if you can pray for them as you are about to say grace is a very effective and disarming tactic for introducing people to the gospel, and leaving pamphlets can serve a purpose, but if you leave literature in lieu of a tip, you have completely lost the person you are trying to reach, and leaving a poor tip does the same thing. If you offend someone with anything but the gospel, you risk losing your audience.
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