Robert Truelove

"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Bible

Communal Bible Reading

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“Till I come, give attendance to reading [public],
to exhortation, to doctrine.”
1 Timothy 4:13

If the Biblical epistles originally written to churches are to be a guide as to what Biblical teaching and preaching should look like (and they should), they presuppose the hearer have a fairly extensive knowledge of the Bible as a whole. Consider how the many citations of Scripture in Hebrews and Romans are used to make the point of the author. If the hearer didn’t know those texts and their original context, the point being made would be lost on him. As these epistles were read aloud to the church, a person ignorant of Scripture would have a hard time understanding and following the arguments being presented.

This brings up an interesting question. Just how did these early Christians gain such a vast understanding of the Scripture? This question is even more compelling when we consider that over 90% of them couldn’t read and, of those that could, very few had their own, personal copy of the Scriptures.

The answer to the question can first be found among the Jews from which ancient Christianity initially came forth and then the actual example of Christian practice in antiquity. What we find are daily, communal readings of the Scriptures. As Jews and proselytes would gather in the synagogues to hear the Scriptures read, Christians were gathering “from house to house” (Acts 2:46).

The antithesis of this thoroughly Word based faith and experience could be found in the pagan temples. In paganism there were no protracted meetings for the purpose of listening to the readings of their sacred texts. Indeed, their sacred texts tended to be exceedingly short and paltry compared to the books of the Bible. Gatherings in pagan temples were all about performance, experience, and the stirring up of the emotions. To the typical pagan, apostolic Christianity looked far more like the philosophers forum than it did the pagan temple.

Fast forwarding to today…If you read your Bible hours every single week, you only have a taste of what our ancient fathers had. I say a “taste” because they not only heard the Scripture, but had the added benefit of the fellowship and conversations sparked by these communal, Bible readings. They were a people thoroughly baptized in the Word of God.

We live in a time when everyone has multiple copies of the entire Bible. Access to literally hundreds of translations online, and can study the original Greek and Hebrew with fancy, free, browser based tools that have everything thoroughly indexed and linked (blueletterbible.com). One would think that we are the most Biblically literate Christians to have ever lived. In reality, there has never been a generation that had ready access to the Scriptures (though it may have only been in public readings) that was as Biblically illiterate as this generation.

We have traded the excellence and splendor of Holy Spirit lead, Word-based Christianity, for the entertainment of praise bands and feel good sermons so shallow and lacking that there is almost nothing for the non-elect to reject in them. We have traded the life transforming power of a thoroughly word-based faith, for the fleshly delights in things that merely engage our raw, fleshly emotions. This is why the testimony of the typical, contemporary evangelical is not only one of Biblical ignorance, but worldliness. Contemporary Christianity looks more like Paganism than it does the faith of our fathers.

Faithful ministers have pled or centuries with the flock to be diligent students of the Scriptures, but Biblical literacy gets worse with each generation. Biblical preaching and teaching, is very difficult to find today as ministers dumb down their sermons for an audience that is not only ignorant, but accustomed to that which delights the flesh. In the end, what we have is the ongoing apostasy of the church.

All this to say, I wonder if we should not return to the communal reading of the Scriptures? What if we got together with brothers and sisters throughout the week to spend an hour simply reading through books of the Bible? What would be the effect if instead of pleading with people to read their Bibles, I plead with them to join us for the communal fellowship of communal readings? Somehow I don’t think that those who avail themselves of it would let their Bibles collect dust either.

While this may not be practical in our day for a number of reasons, the consideration makes me want to go read my Bible. I think I’ll do that now…

Here is an interesting video on communal Bible reading.

Updating the King James Version

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As an experiment, I updated Psalms 1-5 of the King James Version in order to revise archaic words. Verb endings and 2nd person singular and plural (thee, thy, thou, thine, ye) have been retained as they have never been the problem with understanding the KJV and are necessary to retain the cadence and beauty of the text.

What I am looking for is the plausibility of revising the King James Version to update archaic words with the following goals:

  1. Retain the beauty, liturgical value, and cadence of the KJV.
  2. Make an update that can be read along with the 1769 in a virtually seamless fashion.
  3. Retain the original meaning of the archaisms unless a reading in one of the previous English editions (Coverdale 1535, Matthews 1537, Great Bible 1539, Geneva 1560, & Bishops 1568) contains a reading that is not archaic.

The Psalms in the KJV, with all of their literary and liturgical beauty, should present the most challenge. It’s a good place to start to see how it goes.

With no further ado, I commit to you Psalms 1-5 with NO archaisms. If you know English, you will understand every single word.

P.S. There are a total of 10 revisions. Can you find them? Tell me in the comments below…

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 2
1 Why do the heathen rage,
and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth make their stand,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bonds asunder,
and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:
the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,
and afflict them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me,
Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance,
and the ends of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings:
be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalm 3
1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me!
many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul,
There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me;
my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice,
and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept;
I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
that have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God:
for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone;
thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD:
thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

Psalm 4
1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:
thou hast given me liberty when I was in distress;
have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?
how long will ye love vanity, and seek after lies? Selah.
3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself:
the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not:
commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?
LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
more than in the time that their grain and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my meditation.
2 Listen unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God:
for unto thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD;
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:
neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight:
thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies:
the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy:
and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies;
make thy way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
their inward part is very wickedness;
their throat is an open sepulchre;
they flatter with their tongue.
10 Destroy thou them, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions;
for they have rebelled against thee.
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:
let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:
let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou defend him as with a shield.

 

Mental Health and the Young Christian

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For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

—2 Timothy 1:7

I write this to the young Christian because you have the opportunity now, in your youth, to develop profitable, spiritual disciplines that will lead to mental health and wisdom as you age. You have just as much stewardship over your mind and heart as you do over your body. If you cut your arm off, God can still use you, but your amputation will have life-long consequences. We can say much the same thing for our minds. Indeed, if put to a choice, a sound mind is better than two arms.

For some reason psychological problems are considered by many to be something that “just happens” to people because of “chemical imbalances” OR the result of mistreatment by others. While this may be true in some instances, I am convinced that for most people today mental illness develops because of the choices we make and the thoughts we entertain.

While there are indeed psychological illnesses that are the result of genetics and/or disease, I am convinced that most mental illness develops over time as the direct result of an ungodly thought life and worldliness.

There is a way to think that leads to mental and spiritual health and a way to think that leads to mental instability and godlessness.

HOW we think and WHAT we meditate upon says a lot about what SPIRIT is active in our thinking. Unhealthy patterns of thought, once surrendered to, often lead to mental and spiritual ruin.

It is a fact that most people with deep, psychological problems manifest more profound mental instability later in life. It’s not that these problems were not present earlier in life, but they often become more acute with age. That is, we can often see a progression of mental illness over the years.

Many people develop into young adulthood with an unhealthy thought-life. If this is not repented of and deliberate efforts are not sought to change unhealthy ways of thinking, over time patterns form in the mind. In this way one can become a slave to destructive thoughts and behaviors that are all at dissonance with reality.

In this way many people are culpable for their “mental illnesses”, for they are not so much the result of a “chemical imbalance in the brain”, but that of sustained, unhealthy thinking and unrestrained passions/emotions.

There is multi-billion dollar “Self Help/Personal Development” industry out there to help people cultivate more “successful” life disciplines and ways of thinking. I think there is some truth to what you will read under this category. Ultimately, however, for the Christian, this subject is addressed in the Bible as a spiritual problem with practical, spiritual solutions.

We are to be constantly renewing our minds by the Spirit of Grace as we learn of and live in Christ. A faithful Christian life should ordinarily result in mental and spiritual stability. He is the Spirit of “a sound mind.”

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…

—1 Peter 1:13

The Foolishness of “Speaking Your Truth”

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I hear people talking a lot about the need to “speak your truth”. What is often meant by this is to be your real self. Don’t conform to the expectations of others, but live and express yourself in a way that is consistent with the way you truly feel.

On the surface this may seem perfectly reasonable. Who wants to be fake? Who desires to live a life simply to please others?

The problem is that “speaking your truth” replaces one false moral compass (man), with another false moral compass—you (still man). Truth is not something we all get to define for ourselves no mater how hard we might try. Truth defined outside of the God of Truth is a delusion and at dissonance with reality.

The truth is that we should not be living our lives according to the expectations of others, nor should we be seeking our own, independent truth (which is delusion). In the Scriptures when we read about “every man doing what was right in his own eyes” it is always a negative expression for man living in disobedience to God.

 What we need is to think and live according to God’s word. Conform not to the voice of man, whether it come from others or from our own hearts. We need to conform to Christ.

We should not be living to please others, true—but nor should we be living to please ourselves. A truth centered life is a Christ centered life that lives to please Him.

Stop talking about “speaking my truth”, and start “speaking His truth.”

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

—Romans 12:2

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

—John 14:21

Did God’s People in Antiquity Really Read the Bible in the Most Up to Date “Street Speak”?

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If the point of Bible reading were Anglophilic enculturation or Early Modern English decoding practice, then giving people KJVs would be ideal. But if the point is understanding what God said, then people should be given the Bible in their English, not someone else’s.

Mark Ward, The Gospel Coalition

This sort of rhetoric is little better than the overblown statements of King James Onlyists. It’s just the opposite extreme. It is all too common to see people arguing against King James Onlyism fall into the opposite extreme in their rhetoric. We must always keep in mind that the problem with King James Onlyism is not that its adherents use the King James Bible. It’s the fact that they ascribe equal or greater authority to a translation over that of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

People who demand the Bible they and others read be in the “street speak” of our day should consider the following…

The Greeks did not constantly update the Greek New Testament to conform it to the latest trends. They continued to use the Koine Greek of the New Testament in their Bibles and courts long after their language had shifted to Medieval Greek (and thusly preserved the original text down to the time of The Reformation).

The Hebrews likewise continued to educate themselves in the Hebrew tongue for the sake of the Scripture long after they were speaking Aramaic, else the Hebrew Old Testament would have been lost to us.

Now I don’t mean to say we need to always use the KJV after our language makes it incomprehensible, for we are not preserving the fontes (note: it is not incomprehensible to literate readers). However, this notion that God’s people read the Bible in their “everyday street language” was only true of the original language texts for 2-3 generations. After that, as the Greek and Hebrew changed with subsequent generations, they were reading a text that would have been “archaic” to them. If you look at the history of the texts, this means that well over 95% of believers who read from the original language texts were reading an “archaic” text.

All this to say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with reading from an older, archaic, well received text. Likewise, there is nothing wrong with reading from a reliable, contemporary translation. There are ample reasons to argue for either kind of translation. I would argue that the Christian who wants to be best read in Scripture study with BOTH.

I would also argue that there is reason for the English speaking church to desire a standard translation and that the King James Version remains the most well fit for that task, but that is a different post.