Tuesday, February 16, 2021

The Bible Book - Nida Working with Rome - Good News Bible

 

Didn't we all have a copy when it came out in 1966?


Nida was involved with the Church of Rome once he broke with SIL-Wycliffe.


Today’s English Version – Good News for Modern Man – Bad News for the Bible

            Modern translations do not sprout on their own. Someone must decide a direction for them and find the money for the project and initial printing. When Robert Bratcher got in trouble, as a Southern Baptist missionary teacher, for arguing against the Trinity, Nida hired him.

O Jornal Batista, on July 9, 1953:

“Jesus Christ would not enjoy omniscience. That is an attribute of God.”

“…Jesus did not claim He and the Father to be one—which would be absurd.”[1]

 

Bratcher got into so much trouble with the American Bible Society, for similar taunts that he resigned from the ABS while moving to the United Bible Societies. He is given credit for guiding the translation of Today’s English Version, often called the Good News Bible.

Bratcher Obituary

Working for the American Bible Society, employing an approach to translation known as “dynamic equivalence,” and rendering the text in simple, everyday English, Bob Bratcher produced an English translation of the New Testament that was published in 1966 as Good News for Modern Man: The New Testament in Today’s English Version; by 1971 it had sold 30 million copies, and by now over 100 million copies have been distributed. Bob went on to chair a team of scholars that translated the Old Testament in the same accessible style, leading to the publication of The Good News Bible in 1976. These translations have been deeply meaningful to many around the world; they also have been controversial among some fundamentalist Christians. Bob Bratcher’s contributions to Biblical studies extended far beyond his initial translations. He made extensive contributions to a common-language Brazilian Portuguese translation of the Bible, published in 1988. Working with United Bible Societies, he wrote or co-wrote numerous “Helps for Translators,” each one focusing in detail on issues involved in translating a particular book of the Bible, including Psalms, The Gospel of Matthew, and Revelation. He also wrote scholarly essays on translation issues, among other works, and lectured all over the world. Bob was a faithful and active member of Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill since he moved to the area in 1975. He served the Binkley community as a teacher, preacher and wise elder, and will be dearly missed. He also was a strong proponent of compassion for the less fortunate, justice for the oppressed, and world peace.[2]

Those who object to hiring and honoring such infidels are given a story about “he no longer works here” or “has that damaged your faith?”

Eugene Nida United Protestants and Roman Catholics           

            The story of Today’s English Version - also called Good News for Modern Man, and the Good News Bible - is wrapped up in Nida’s efforts to combine all church bodies in unified efforts, using his dynamic equivalence dogma. Consider this fact – that Nida worked with the American Bible Society, the Unified Bible Societies, and Nestle
Aland Greek text editions. Not only were all translations unified under Nida, but the Wescott Hort text was given the textual apparatus and dignity of German scholarship. Therefore, the actual meaning of the Majority Text no longer mattered, and the fanciful invented text could be erased and modified on a regular basis.[3]

            Nida did not accomplish this alone, but took advantage of the mood and money available to unify all church efforts through para-church agencies. The Church of Rome had a growing problem with being centered in staples of Medieval dogma – veneration of Mary, presenting Jesus as the angry judge, and placing the Pope over the Scriptures, which made the Bible almost unknown and unknowable – with hierarchy being the only guide. Although the Church of Rome is “ever the same,” it used ecumenism to soften its image and to move into Protestant plans, as shown by Rome’s three-year lectionary and its parament colors used by the ELCA, LCMS, WELS, and ELS. Both the Scripture change and parament pivot happened without a fuss among all the congregations. There were reasons to object as a witness against Rome’s false doctrine, Mariology, and Purgatory, but the Lutheran bishops love to enforce their will just as much as the Vatican does. Thus, the little Antichrists aid and abet the Antichrist, the Papacy.

Wikipedia says this about Nida in 1968, but the dates are earlier for the start of work with Rome. Communications started 15 years earlier, scarcely by accident.

Nida was instrumental in engineering the joint effort between the Vatican and the United Bible Society (UBS) to produce cross-denominational Bibles in translations across the globe. This work began in 1968 and was carried on in accordance with Nida's translation principle of Functional Equivalence.[4]

His own account of the start of cooperation with Rome began in Hong Kong, 1953, the year when he resigned from SIL and Wycliffe, where the doctrinal stances of its leaders were being examined closely:

 

On one visit to Hong Kong I had a telephone call from a local Roman Catholic priest that I had met a year or so before. He and his colleagues were anxious to talk about the possibility of cooperation in translating the Bible into Chinese because the existing text, called the Union Version and influenced heavily in exegesis and style by the English Revised Version, was not adequate for either Protestants or Roman Catholics. He then proposed that we meet for a week the next time I was in Hong Kong in order to explore possibilities of cooperation.[5]

The marks of unionism (often called ecumenism) can be seen in these changes, making text and translation projects Catholic, Lutheran, and Protestant:

·        A difference in doctrine which hitherto has been regarded as divisive, is suddenly made to lose its divisive significance.

·        Differences in doctrine are made to lose their divisive significance with a view to uniting hitherto separate churches.

·        A formula of unification is found which each of two hitherto separate churches may accept but which each of them interprets differently. An external bond is found for internally divided groups.

·        The unionist declares that every one may continue to hold his own private convictions and merely needs to respect and tolerate those of another.[6]

There is no better description of the tactics used by Protestants today, including the conservative Lutheran groups who work with ELCA.

Leaving work at SIL-Wycliffe work allowed Nida to pursue bigger projects with the Roman Catholic Church. The old barriers were down for Nida and the United Bible Societies, which became the World Council of Churches for the ecumenical Scriptures. UBS consists of 150 Bible societies. The World Council of Churches includes these full member groups:

·        Eastern Orthodoxy

·        Lutheran Churches

·        Anglicans

·        Mennonites

·        Moravians

·        Reformed (Calvinist)

·        Baptist

·        Methodist

·        Pentecostal

·        The WCC has a working group to support partnership with Rome. However,Rome is not a full member of the WCC because would be a demotion for the “One True Church, The Indefectible Mother of Us All.”

Members of mainline churches may not know they are contributing offering funds to the World Council of Churches and the radical, similar (American) National Council of Churches. For many years, the local Hunger Walks supported the NCC, but the local sponsors denied it…more than three times.[7] One parish pastor yelled on the phone that I was lying. I said, “Even if I supported it, and I don’t, the parish council would refuse.” The phone was slammed down hard in those good, old days when my obstinacy was punished with a phone in the cradle slam.

            This leads into the real Nida production of a Protestant-Catholic Bible, before that magical 1968 date “when he began with Rome”. He went along with a moderate revision of a respected Spanish Bible called the Reina-Velara in 1960. That led to the Version Popular, the Spanish exemplar for Good News for Modern Man: The New Testament in Today’s English Version, 1966. The Spanish version came out in May, and the English in September, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the American Bible Society. There was great excitement and discussion about this new Bible and its Spanish heritage. “It is simplified for anyone to read,” and incredible numbers sold, because Rome was also involved in its production and promotion.

 

           

 

 

 


 



[1] Why They Changed the Bible, p. 105. Denial of the Holy Trinity is common among apostates, who dishonestly play the role of a Christian while undermining Biblical teaching.

[3] Aland wrote haughtily in his book that the Greek words of the text were taken away one year and added back on the next year.

[5] Nida, Fascinated by Languages, cited in Why Did They Change the Bible, p. 64.

[7] Annual reports of denominations disclose a certain amount of information, but they hide the most radical use of offering and endowment funds.


Water, Heat, Natural Gas, TV - But No Internet This Morning

 California Dreamin'

Ranger Bob stopped by yesterday to shop for us if we needed it, and then he did some volunteer snow shoveling.

This morning everything was fine, except the Internet was down hard. Phoning the provider got a loud, angry busy signal, but now it is fixed.

Monday, February 15, 2021

Hymn - Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven

 


"Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven"
by Henry W. Baker, 1821-1877


1. Redeemed, restored, forgiven,
Through Jesus' precious blood,
Heirs of His home in heaven,
Oh, praise our pardoning God!
Praise Him in tuneful measures
Who gave His Son to die;
Praise Him whose sevenfold treasures
Enrich and sanctify.

2. Once on the dreary mountain
We wandered far and wide,
Far from the cleansing fountain,
Far from the pierced side;
But Jesus sought and found us
And washed our guilt away;
With cords of love He bound us
To be His own for aye.

3. Dear Master, Thine the glory
Of each recovered soul.
Ah! who can tell the story
Of love that made us whole?
Not ours, not ours, the merit;
Be thine alone the praise
And ours a thankful spirit
To serve Thee all our days.

4. Now keep us, holy Savior,
In Thy true love and fear
And grant us of Thy favor
The grace to persevere
Till, in Thy new creation,
Earth's time-long travail o'er,
We find our full salvation
And praise Thee evermore.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #32
Text: Luke 15:24
Author: Henry W. Baker, 1876
Tune: "Ich dank' dir, lieber Herre"
1st Published in: Musika Deutsch
Town: Nuernberg, 1532


Hymnal - On What Has Now Been Sown




"On What has Now Been Sown"
by John Newton, 1725-1807


1. On what has now been sown
Thy blessing, Lord, bestow;
The power is Thine alone
To make it spring and grow.
Do Thou in grace the harvest raise,
And Thou alone shalt have the praise.

2. To Thee our wants are known,
From Thee are all our powers;
Accept what is Thine own
And pardon what is ours.
Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive
And to Thy Word a blessing give.

3. Oh, grant that each of us
Now met before Thee here
May meet together thus
When Thou and Thine appear
And follow Thee to heaven, our home.
E'en so, Amen, Lord Jesus, come!

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #46
Text: 1 Corinthians 3:6
Author: John Newton, 1779, cento, alt.
Composer: John Darwall, 1770
Tune: "Darwall's 148th"



Hymn - On My Heart Imprint Thine Image




"On My Heart Imprint Thine Image"
By Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634-1703


1. On my heart imprint Thine image,
Blessed Jesus, King of Grace,
That life's riches, cares, and pleasures
Have no power Thee to efface.
This the superscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope's Foundation,
And my Glory and Salvation.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #179
Text: Luke 23:38
Author: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1689
Translated by: Peer O. Stroemme, 1898, alt.
Titled: "Skriv dig, Jesu, paa mit Hjerte"
Composer: Johann B. Koenig, 1738
Tune: "Der am Kreuz"




Hymn - Lord, While for All Mankind We Pray




"Lord, While for All Mankind We Pray"
by John R. Wreford, 1800-1881


1. Lord, while for all mankind we pray
Of ev'ry clime and coast,
Oh, hear us for our native land,
The land we love the most!

2. Oh, guard our shores from ev'ry foe,
With peace our borders bless,
With prosp'rous times our cities crown,
Our fields with plenteousness!

3. Unite us in the sacred love
Of knowledge, truth, and Thee;
And let our hills and valleys shout
The songs of liberty.

4. Here may Thy Gospel, pure and mild,
Smile on our Sabbath hours
And piety and virtue bless
Our fathers' home and ours.

5. Lord of the nations, thus to Thee
Our country we commend.
Be Thou her Refuge and her Trust,
Her everlasting Friend.

Hymn #578
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Romans 13:1-7
Author: John R. Wreford, 1837, ab., alt.
Composer: John Day's, 1562
Tune: "St. Flavian"
1st Published in: Psalter


Hymn - Come unto Me Ye Weary




"Come unto Me, Ye Weary"
by William C. Dix, 1837-18983


1. "Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest."
O blessed voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts opprest!
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace, and peace,
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of love which cannot cease.

2. "Come unto Me, ye wanderers;
And I will give you light."
0 loving voice of Jesus,
Which comes to cheer the night!
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
And we had lost our way;
But Thou hast brought us gladness
And songs at break of day.

3. "Come unto Me, ye fainting,
And I will give you life."
0 cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife!
The Foe is stern and eager,
The fight is fierce and long;
But Thou hast made us mighty
And stronger than the strong.

4. And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out."
O patient love of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt,
Which, though we be unworthy
Of love so great and free,
Invites us very sinners
To come, dear Lord, to Thee!

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #276
Text: John 6:37
Author: William C. Dix, 1867
Composer: Friedrich K. Anthes, 1847
Tune: "Anthes"





New Book Review of Walther, The American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies

 
 Walther, the American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021
In this book, Dr Jackson surveyed the persons and events preceding the founding of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1847. He began with the pastorate of Martin Stephan in the 1830s in eastern Germany. Stephan was a Lutheran minister, trained at Halle University, where he inculcated rationalism and pietism. Stephan attracted a following of nearly 700 people and in 1838 he led them to America. They settled in Perry County, Missouri and elected him as their bishop.

On May 30, 1839, 300 members of the congregation led by C. F. W. Walther deposed and excommunicated Bishop Stephan on the grounds of sexual misconduct and embezzlement. Dr Jackson showed that Bishop Stephan's illicit activities were known among his followers, even before they emigrated to American. Walther then assumed leadership of the group. He was the leader when the LCMS was founded in 1847 and he served as the synod's first president, holding office from 1847 to 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878. The official LCMS history begins at 1847 and omits any mention of Martin Stephan, his illicit activities, his excommunication, and the circumstances surrounding Pastor Walther's assumption of leadership.

Dr Jackson provided a reading list for those who wish to delve more deeply into this subject matter:

“Zion on the Mississippi” by William Forster
“In Pursuit of Religious Freedom” by Phillip Stephan (great-great-grandson of Martin Stephan)
“Eighty Eventful Years” by Ludwig Fuerbringer

Dr Jackson demonstrated that Pastor Stephan and his congregation were pietists. Dr Jackson provided a concise description of pietism on page 8 where he quotes the following statement from Adolph Hoenecke's book “Dogmatics”:

“They (pietists) confuse the Christian life with justification, and make Christian life the cause of justification.”

By this description we can see that pietism is a form of works-righteousness. Pietists seek salvation through their own actions.

The rationalist and pietist background of the Stephan group helps us to understand the bases of Pastor Walther's teaching which we know as Objective Justification. The following statements from his Easter 1846 sermon illustrate this teaching:

“For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when he in Christ absolved all men by raising him after he had first gone into bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift. The one thing is faith. ... Every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution pronounced 1800 years ago.”

These statements contradict the plain teaching of the Bible, which says that God redeems his elect freely by his grace, through faith, outside of any works that they do.

Dr Jackson showed that Objective Justification is universalism (from rationalism, the concept that God has saved all people) mixed in with decision-theology (from pietism, the concept that sinners must take action to be saved).

To illustrate this point, here are several quotes I found from Arminian preacher Billy Graham. It is striking how similar these statements are to the ideas that Walther expressed in his Easter sermon:

“God proved his love on the cross. When Jesus Christ hung and bleed and died, it was God saying to the world 'I love you'.”
“God will not force himself upon anyone against his will. It is your part to believe.”

I recommend this book to someone who would like a survey of the events leading up to the Saxon migration and the founding of the LCMS, and the part that rationalism and pietism played in the theology of the LCMS from its beginnings to today.

Dr Jackson discusses the problems of present day Christian denominations on his internet blog. Search for ichabodthegloryhasdeparted for the URL. He conducts a weekly traditional Lutheran worship service via the internet, the blog has a link to the broadcast site which also has archived broadcasts.







The Bible Book - Robert Bratcher and TEV

Robert Bratcher, ThD, Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville

Today’s English Version – Good News for Modern Man – Bad News for the Bible

            Modern translations do not sprout on their own. Someone must decide a direction for them and find the money for the project and initial printing. When Robert Bratcher got in trouble, as a Southern Baptist missionary teacher, for arguing against the Trinity, Nida hired him.

O Jornal Batista, on July 9, 1953:

“Jesus Christ would not enjoy omniscience. That is an attribute of God.”

“…Jesus did not claim He and the Father to be one—which would be absurd.”[1]

 

Bratcher got into so much trouble with the American Bible Society, for similar taunts that he resigned from the ABS while moving to the United Bible Societies. He is given credit for guiding the translation of Today’s English Version, often called the Good News Bible.

Bratcher Obituary

Working for the American Bible Society, employing an approach to translation known as “dynamic equivalence,” and rendering the text in simple, everyday English, Bob Bratcher produced an English translation of the New Testament that was published in 1966 as Good News for Modern Man: The New Testament in Today’s English Version; by 1971 it had sold 30 million copies, and by now over 100 million copies have been distributed. Bob went on to chair a team of scholars that translated the Old Testament in the same accessible style, leading to the publication of The Good News Bible in 1976. These translations have been deeply meaningful to many around the world; they also have been controversial among some fundamentalist Christians. Bob Bratcher’s contributions to Biblical studies extended far beyond his initial translations. He made extensive contributions to a common-language Brazilian Portuguese translation of the Bible, published in 1988. Working with United Bible Societies, he wrote or co-wrote numerous “Helps for Translators,” each one focusing in detail on issues involved in translating a particular book of the Bible, including Psalms, The Gospel of Matthew, and Revelation. He also wrote scholarly essays on translation issues, among other works, and lectured all over the world. Bob was a faithful and active member of Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill since he moved to the area in 1975. He served the Binkley community as a teacher, preacher and wise elder, and will be dearly missed. He also was a strong proponent of compassion for the less fortunate, justice for the oppressed, and world peace.[2]

Those who object to hiring and honoring such infidels are given a story about “he no longer works here” or “has that damaged your faith?”



[1] Why They Changed the Bible, p. 105. Denial of the Holy Trinity is common among apostates, who dishonestly play the role of a Christian while undermining Biblical teaching.


The Bible Book - Three Assaults on the Gospel - From the Inside

 I am not sure who created this cartoon.

VIII. Undermining from within Works So Much Better Than Direct Attacks from Outside

 

            I taught world religion to fifty or more classes, in traditional and online settings. I often asked the students about the genius of a particular religion. The same question should be asked about the rampant apostasy of Christianity in America – how did it grow from the foundations of traditional Lutherans, Protestants, and Roman Catholics.

            The first assault was pitting science – in the form of evolution – against Creation by the Word of God. Everyone who favored evolution was modern, up to date, scientific, and reasonable. Those who remained faithful to the Scriptural account were ignorant, backwoods, witch-burning redneck bigots afraid of the future. Every possible attempt was made to keep Christian leadership from undermining evolution. That began already in the 19th century as Evangelicals found ways to compromise with evolution. I recall the parish church attempts to make the 24-hour days of Creation mesh with the billions of years required for evolution.

            The second assault was a gift in the form of the Great Depression. A small group of mainline church leaders had already formed the Brotherhood of the Kingdom. They had their socialist agenda warmed and ready to go for the economic hardships imposed on America. The Federal Council of Churches had a Social Gospel Creed written to improve matters. Church leaders began confessing the sin of not being social activists -spending too much time on the Gospel, not enough in organizing unions. A good way to trace this influence was to see who published essays on the greatness of Walter Rauschenbusch. Denominations became concerned that they were not doing enough to make the world a better place, so they created social ministry divisions, activist executives, and eventually lobbyists in Washington DC and state capitols. Those who opposed these moves as Marxist and anti-Gospel were ignorant, backwoods, witch-burning redneck bigots afraid of the future.

            The third assault came from Fuller Seminary and a growing list of consultants who marketed the final solution. The new translations did not have much of a foothold until the apostate Fuller Seminary began selling the same solution for all denominations – Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, mainline and conservative Evangelicals. Church executives swarmed into Pasadena to learn how to use methods for building their church bodies. One package fit them all. Those who opposed Church Growth as crass marketing of the Gospel were ignorant, backwoods, witch-burning redneck bigots afraid of the future. Everyone felt that their previous Left-wing moves were damaging the vitality of their church bodies, so dumbing down everything seemed a delightful way of gaining money and members without giving up the apostate agenda. Those who promoted the Church Growth Movement in their own church body were the radicals, not the conservatives. Their hatred for traditional Christianity and Bibles came through all the time.

 

 


Our Thaw Is a Week Away. Frozen Pipe Avoidance


Sassy and I got up early for breakfast. She went out in the snow and will probably expect a walk in an hour or two. We get up before the birds.

We have a temperature of 0 degrees and more snow predicted. We should be above freezing in seven days, with rain predicted. Almost everything is closed today and Tuesday-Wednesday look snowy too.

We had a copper pipe freeze and split in New Ulm, Minnesota, so I was anxious to avoid that here. I did some extra reading and learned this -
  • Water frozen in pipes is not the main problem. Thawing and splitting is. Running the water taps, hot and cold, can relieve the pressure from the thawing ice.
  • Plastic pipes freeze later than copper. Yay! - we have plastic.
  • Extra measures include dripping the hot and cold taps wherever the cold can reach in and freeze pipes.
  • Kitchen and bathroom cupboard doors should be left open during cold spells like this.
The renter's agent phoned us about frozen pipes, two days after we were practicing safe sinks. She was pleased and said, "You two are always ahead of the game."

Join our quartet. Our favorite composer is Bark.






Sunday, February 14, 2021

One Benefit of Cold, Wind, and Snow - Bird and Squirrel Fun

I have sunflower seeds for a meet and greet tomorrow.

We felt the cold rolling in yesterday, but this morning was special, the coldest night in 40 years was followed by winds and snow. But when the going gets tough, the tough feed the birds. Sassy and I did our normal Sunday morning walk (shorter than usual) and she watched me jog backwards and ahead of her too. She froze, to coin a term. Sassy does the running. 

If you enjoy these Blue Angels, buy some whole peanuts at the hardware store.


We got back and I explored the bird and squirrel feeding menu.

  1. Squirrel food is heavy on corn but includes sunflower seeds and peanuts in the shell.
  2. Shelled peanuts smell delicious and attract more varieties.
  3. A few almonds add to the selection, tilted toward the larger birds and hungry squirrels.
 Which cardinal is prettier, male or female?
Scholars are divided.



The little birds pick at the corn and larger nuts. We had quite a convention. Ranger Bob was coming over, so I poured two piles of peanuts in the shell on the barrels and the third feeder. Two things help a lot - 
  • open, washable, easy-draining garbage barrels, 
  • low brush and trashy garden areas.
The barrel food was covered with snow in an hour, so I broomed some snow away to show the animals how many calories were below the white stuff. Blue jays hit the covered peanuts and took off with their prizes. It was a squadron of three, one after another - the Blue Angels of Creation.

"He built this swing and filled these treasure-houses, just so I could balance on the wire and eat all I want. Water and bathing are below."



When Bob and I were talking and drinking coffee, I saw a lot of activity in the air. I suggested that Bob look out the kitchen window. One garbage barrel was packed with starlings eating and jostling at the same time.

The brushes and "dead" Poke Weed serve as perches for small birds. They like to look around in safety, and those slender remnants are perfect for their weight and little more.

The males hide their gold most of the year, so we appreciate the male goldfinches that much more when they wear their livery. They love sunflowers seeds and "thistle." Retailers love "thistle," so little for so much money.


Quinquagesima Sunday 2021. Christ Crucified and the Blind Bartimaeus


Quinquagesima Sunday, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Click here for the video link.






The melody is linked in the hymn title.


The Hymn #27                    O Bless the Lord                    
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers and, having set us free from the bonds of sin, defend us from all evil; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       
The Gospel              
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #148      Lord Jesus Christ, My Life

Suffering and Blindness

The Hymn #311        Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior                           
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #657                             Beautiful Savior 



Prayers and Announcements


  • Treatment and recovery - Mary Howell, Rush Limbaugh, Christina Jackson.
  • Pray for our country as the major trials continue.
  • Pastor Shrader is having some additional medical challenges.
  • Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, 7 PM.


The Epistle. 1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.




The Gospel. St. Luke 18:31-43

Luke 18 31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.



Suffering and Blindness

Background

There are many good reasons for the historic pericopes, the readings for each worship service. We use the same ones as Luther, but there are many other sets of readings. Sermon books on these readings are quite useful because they proclaim the Gospel from their era and give insights to people living decades, even centuries later. A nun at Notre Dame asked me, "Why is it that a monk from centuries ago, Luther, reach me so powerfully today?" I said, "The reason that he preached the Word of God, which is always relevant."

I use the CPH lectionary for the readings, another tradition. How do you think the lectionary treats the appointed lessons? Yes, they are carefully chosen and edited. Typos are common in all books, but careless mistakes are seldom found in a lectionary, where the Scriptures are treated as carefully as can be. The bound books are preserved carefully too, so a lectionary is a good way to check on the original text from earlier days. The same is true about writing out a sermon or an essay on a Biblical topic. Do we rattle off a version that mixes various translations or make sure we have an exact quote? That is another way the original Scriptures are preserved. 

The King James Version obtains its New Testament text from about 6,000 examples (even more when every kind of evidence is included). But staying with the 6,000 rounded off, how many support the KJV text? About 98%. How many support the modern Bibles, NIV, ESV, etc? About 2%. The evidence shows that the Bibles promoted by most denominations, seminaries, and colleges today (NIV, ESV) are faulty, with many missing or doctored passages. Why? The Wescott Hort team in 1870 hated the KJV and wanted to replace it. A century later, Nestle Aland crowed that they defeated the KJV. Footnote - no they have not.

Passion Predictions

Luke 18 31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

A large crowd was following Jesus, because of His fame and His raising of Lazarus from the dead. No one could dispute Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. These kinds of movements spread rapidly, as we can see in our own country. There are funded, planned demonstrations, and there are expressions that come from the excitement of the moment, beyond anyone's expectation. A large crowd will always garner attention and the news will spread. (Trivia comes from the three-way meeting of roads, a good place to get or spread news. Three vias - three ways, trivia.)

Jesus gave this warning three times, and the disciples each time were not open to grasping its meaning. Peter rebuked Jesus for saying it, and Jesus rebuked Peter for trying to silence Him. If this was not to establish faith, why did Jesus speak these terrible words?

From human behavior, we know the most important information is often overlooked. "The most important word is unspoken." In this case, why would Jesus open the topic, give it such importance, and then see it "fall on deaf ears," as my parents used to say to me, often enough for me to remember it now. When a prediction is made one day and fulfilled afterwards, it has more impact. The fact of the predictions strengthened the disciples when these horrible events were taking place. They also strengthen us as we consider what Jesus faced even though He was completely innocent.

We know a vast number of nominal Christians (nominal - in name only) have shut this fact out of their minds. The Old Testament prophets predicted every detail of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Old Testament students are often alerted to this when told to read Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 together. That alone should make us pay attention to the precise Word of the Scriptures.

32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

"Delivered" means handed over, in the sense of betrayal. Was Jesus handed to the guards working on behalf of the Temple, to hand Him over to Rome? Certainly - and He died a Roman death, famous in the Roman Empire, the most horrible way to die - by hanging on a cross. He was mocked, treated horribly, spat upon, and whipped with cords tipped with metal, almost bled to death. He was killed by crucifixion but He rose on the third day.

Lenski points out the passive verbs - what is done to Him. But the last one - He shall rise again - is a middle, something He does Himself.

34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

Luther spoke about this in terms of Medieval false doctrine - that personal suffering and good works are the road to eternal life. This error is at the heart of most saint stories, so that people imposed suffering on themselves "for purification" rather than trusting in the suffering of Christ for them. Opus Dei (Work of God) has people whip themselves and wear barbs around their legs - "Bless the pain." Occult pagan worship does that too.

The disciples could not grasp that the upcoming horrors would be the Gospel, that Isaiah 53 was fulfilled, and the innocent Lamb died for the sins of the world. However, the Holy Spirit kept this for their preaching after the Resurrection, and the risen Christ taught them the same.

We all hear something is true, such as (for gardeners) organic matter will create its own little heaven for growing. I put so many leaves in one area of the front yard. They were absorbed and the spring soil felt like a waterbed, which is typical with total organic saturation. I thought "yeah, let's see what happens." A tree grew up faster than Jack's beanstalk in a very short time. The gap between my doubts and reality was a lesson in itself.

The disciples included themselves in their preaching, because they had a more important gap. Hearing and not hearing. Seeing and not seeing. The horrible crucifixion when fear overwhelmed them (but not John). And the empty tomb, and Jesus before their eyes!

The apostates want to take away this lesson and substitute another one. They want their followers to change society to fit their Marxist model. They want no more worship of the Son of God, but using the Gospel themes for their agenda. Everyone has to "do the work." Nothing is more amusing than gurus telling people they have the answer - "do the work" as if more work or a better work is the path of peace. Read the autobiographies of people who have built an altar to their works. They are constantly angry and unforgiving, always pressing forward for more of the same. No wonder the start of the next passage is a blind man who sees the truth.

35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.

Lenski pays attention to geography, because he went to the Holy Land to study and learn more. Jericho is at the bottom of the mountain, before the climb up to Jerusalem. He also covers details about the overlapping stories, such as why Bartimaeus is named in Matthew, but not in Luke. As I have often said, the rationalists come up with "problems" because the versions are not identical. Identical would mean collusion or at least blatant copying. These are slightly different perspectives and they are harmonious. But then - this part is about those who see and yet do not see at all.

Lacking sight, he was especially aware of all sounds. The passage of Jesus was a great event, so that meant the clamor of a large crowd, shuffling, running to catch up, talking, shouting to friends. The blind man heard the ruckus and  asked, "What up?"

They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing through." This is a great opportunity for the crowd to see and hear Jesus. For many, it is one more event on the outskirts of a great world city, a powerful and fortified city that would soon (40 years after) be surrounded, starved, and captured by the Roman Empire.

38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

To Jesus' Name, the beggar adds his confession of faith and a request - You are the Son of David, have mercy on me."

The crowd ordered him to be quiet. And secondly, they shushed Bartimaeus. The first verb is the one for rebuking, when Jesus rebuked the storm, when Peter rebuked Jesus and Jesus rebuked him in return. It is not a suggestion but a very strong command, and they added, as people will when annoyed, another order to be silent. But he could not stop crying out, because he believed in this man, this Son of David.

The people with sight could not see that Salvation, Forgiveness, Peace, and Ever-lasting Life were coming in the form of Jesus the Savior. The blind man saw it and could not be stopped. Jesus halted their troop and (in the Gospel of Mark) willing hands now brought him to the Lord.

41 [Jesus] Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Jesus, knowing the thoughts and needs of Bartimaeus, asked him, which produced a dialogue and a witness from the beggar, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Bartimaeus said, "Lord, that I may see." Jesus said, "Receive it! Your faith has saved you."

The crowd knew him first as a blind beggar, then as a healed believer. The people who tried to silence him, praised God. We could say that blind Bartimaeus opened the eyes of the people, because his faith led Jesus to show His Messianic power.

The Gospels show us that Jesus is the Savior for the weak, the impoverished, the stricken, the sick, and guilt-ridden (like Zacchaeus). They see their needs and place their trust in the Messiah. The proud, who already appear to rule the world, do not have the same viewpoint.