Exercise Is FUN!

Just back from South Boston. Worked out.

Shot hoops (with a nearly flat ball).

As I exercised I realized why I do this. It makes me feel alive. I wish more than anything Becky could be here to enjoy these days with me. On the way home I stopped for lunch. In the state of Virginia it is illegal to pass through South Boston without stopping for a cheeseburger at the Dairy Dell. While waiting for my meal I acted like a prisoner of war who hadn't eaten in 5 days. I couldn't stuff that thing in my mouth fast enough. Fortunately, the level of fun I'm able to have isn't determined by how much I can lift or how how many buckets I make. So don't worry about how much weight there is in your bench press or whether or not can dunk. Exercise is so much more than, well, exercise. More than anything else, I focus on making exercise fun.

You (yes, YOU) are capable of so much more than you know. Think about what you could accomplish if you had no limits. Now go out there and DO IT. 

"In Too Deep" (1986)

In Too Deep is a song by Genesis. It was released in 1986. Becky and I had been married for 10 years. It was summer and I had agreed to teach a two week course at Grace Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. While there I decided to drive to Campbell, Ohio over the weekend to visit the Romanian community where my mother had grown up. During that long drive on Hwy 30 between Fort Wayne and Canton this song was played constantly. I immediately fell in love with it. "You know I love you but I'm playing for keeps." To me it's always been the most moving pop song of the 80s. 

One month from today Becky will have been gone for 11 years. Here's to many more happy memories in the face of the looming darkness, to life lived with wild abandon, until He said to me, "I am nearer to you than your panicked fluttering in your chest. When all this is too much, I am your rock, your solid ground. There's nowhere to go than deeper into my love."

Thank you, precious Savior.

EXERT YOURSELF! (1 Thess. 1:3)

"We continually remember your work resulting from your faith, your exertion prompted by your love, and your endurance inspired by your hope" (1 Thess. 1:3).

Seminary student:

EXERT YOURSELF!

This can and should be the best time of your life!

To study.

To master the biblical languages.

To learn church history and theology.

To internalize the principles of hermeneutics and exegesis.

Get serious about it!

You have a wonderful faculty to guide you.

You have a great library to assist you.

Your whole world is opening up to a body of literature you didn't even know existed.

This is YOUR CHANCE!

Don't minimize it.

Don't cast it aside.

Don't neglect it.

Here you will learn things you will not learn anywhere else.

Determine that you will study God's word for the purpose of DOING it.

Take the things you are learning and make them a part of your life, your thinking, your habits.

Something is wrong if you leave this school without that transformation.

You're either not taking it seriously or not applying yourself to it like you should.

Don't quit because it's hard.

Seminary is SUPPOSED to be hard.

Life is hard.

Ministry is hard.

Marriage is hard.

Parenting is hard.

You don't quit because of difficulties or disappointments.

Stick with it, and God will use your lips, your mouth, your tongue to communicate truth that people will live by.

Is there anything better than that? 

Let's Not Blame the Developers

On Facebook recently I saw that a farmer was bemoaning the fact that the United States loses 4.3 acres of farmland every minute of every day. I can appreciate that sentiment. But there's another side to that coin. We've become much more efficient at growing food. Farmers have significantly increased their yield per acre over the decades. For example, the amount of corn per acre has increased 5 times since 1950. In addition, the U.S. wastes about 30 percent of the food we grow. We're already growing enough food to basically feed most of the planet. As much as I hate (for sentimental reasons) seeing farmland sold to developers, we small-acreage farmers are doing just fine and still provide plenty of food both for ourselves and for others. If you want to get upset about something, get upset about our gluttony problem here in the U.S. and about how much food we waste. As for your choice of housing, people today prefer track homes that are all the same with no space between them and where you're afraid to burp because the neighbors 5 homes down can hear you. It's called the law of supply and demand. 

I'm so thankful that the former owners of my farm refused to subdivide their property and insisted that the farm be sold intact. 

Nothing can beat an old Massey Ferguson 135!

I'm sure they took a financial hit but they wanted their land to continue to be farmed. Many of my colleagues at the seminary have in recent years bought a few acres out in the county. They're leaving the city for nature. They look around and see nothing but farms. All that fresh grass, peace, and quiet will do wonders for their blood pressure.

But no, I do NOT blame developers for buying up farmland. 

5 Miles

Thank you, Lord! 

Should Hebrews Come after 2 Thessalonians?

The Tyndale House Greek New Testament has many wonderful qualities to it, not least its order of books. The order you will find is: Gospels, Acts, Catholic Epistles, Pauline Epistles, and Revelation. I love it! This reflects a pattern found in the ancient uncial manuscripts of the New Testament. This pattern, as you can see, was also followed in the text of Westcott-Hort as well as in Tregelles. 

The latter name is especially relevant, since the THGNT is based on Tregelles' nineteenth century Greek New Testament. I do wish, though, it had also followed Tregelles in placing Hebrews after 2 Thessalonians. 

Maybe in a later edition?

It's just a fun thing to think about! 

(Note: I forgot to include in my chart the Robinson-Pierpont Greek New Testament. It too places Hebrews after the book of 2 Thessalonians.) 

The Call of God

When God calls us to serve him, that calling is unique. 

Calls aren't like classified ads that anyone can answer. Each biblical call is unique. The circumstances of your call are different from mine. The nature of the calls are different. The expectations of the call are all customized. My own call has been that of a teacher. Looking back, that call seems to have emerged in a conspiracy at Biola. They needed someone to step into a new position as a Greek instructor. That person was apparently me. How or why God did this is a mystery to me. Even if the position had been advertised (which it wasn't), I wouldn't have applied. That anyone at Biola should have taken an interest in me still boggles my mind. But once I entered the classroom, nothing else in life was quite so interesting or fulfilling. And now, after all these years, there has never been a time when I have not enjoyed life from an educational perspective. Even though I'm no longer teaching full-time, I still function as a teacher in my work, and it remains just as satisfying. 

You too are called. I hope you're thriving in your calling. Calls often bring out in us what we never knew was there. May that be your glad experience today, my friend!

Interview Prep

I'm doing a couple of interviews on the subject of text types later this month. Do stay tuned!

Are Text Types Dead?

The guild has apparently declared, "Text types are dead." However, the announcement may be a bit premature.

The CBGM simply dispenses with them. Assigning manuscripts to text types "has become obsolete." Geography, moreover, has become virtually irrelevant. It's no longer a criterion for textual criticism, we are told.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love it when scholars push back against "consensus" views. That's great! I've done that a few times myself. For example, I've rejected Markan priority, and I think I have some pretty good reasons for doing so, even though the guild as a whole still espouses it and I myself taught it for many years. 

So are text types dead? Maybe, maybe not. Seems the guild will be publishing a book on the subject shortly. Until then, I'm still comfortable identifying variants (when possible) by region and giving weight to readings that enjoy what seems to be wider geographical attestation. But to do this one has to take into account not only the Greek manuscripts but the ancient versions and the citations of the Fathers as well. And this may well be the elephant in the room no one is talking about. For instance, I love the Tyndale House Greek New Testament. I recommend it to my students. But its usefulness is, in my opinion, hampered by its failure to include the testimony of the versions and Fathers in its apparatus. 

On the other hand, if the provenance of a reading doesn't matter, why bother? 

When it comes to challenging the consensus opinion (on any subject), there are a lot of philosophies and mindsets that might work, but I usually give two points to my students:

1) Draw boundaries, both hard and soft. To do this it helps if you can say "no." Some people, however, may not want or need to do that. It's up to you.

2) Manage your expectations of what you get for "giving in" to the majority view in any area of research. Meaning you can't just "go with the flow" without thinking through the issues for yourself. Remember that you don't have to follow the majority. Or you might want to if you feel like it. (You are, for example, absolutely free to disregard my views on the historical origins of the Gospels. I just ask that you consider my arguments before you do that.)

I really should say that I'm not an expert in textual criticism. Just a TC enjoyer. I know people love to discuss/debate the subject, so feel free to check out the books, journal articles, and blog posts I've published on textual criticism. But you don't HAVE to become conversant in the subject. Plenty of believers go their entire lives without worrying too much about textual variants. After all, we haven't lost a single word of the Greek New Testament. (The original reading is found either in the text or in the apparatus.)

Have a wonderful day!

Fall Break

Fall Break is next week, which means I have a two week hiatus from teaching. I'm watching the beach closely. I can't wait to get my board out again! I'm hoping Virginia Beach will have some waves this weekend. Meanwhile I'm really enjoying working out. Today's session at the gym was unbelievably fun.

Doing the hard work is the answer to feeling happy in yourself. Huge props to the gym staff for providing us with such excellent equipment. It's all about accountability, tracking your progress, and drawing on the strength the Lord gives you each and every day to "live and move and have our being." Push yourself to a level you can't even dream of. Your goals don't care how you feel. Just do it! 

Relief for the Victims of Hurricane Helene

If you would like help the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, please consider going here and making a donation. Every perfect day here in the Piedmont of Virginia is a day when I am achingly aware that I am not promised immunity from natural disasters. The perfectly normal is so tenuous and breakable. Life is so very, very fragile. Last week was a hard one in the life of western North Carolina and Virginia. It still has me reeling. I grieve, knowing all too well that the monster they are facing is hiding in my closet too. Please, please pray about making a contribution to the relief organization of your choice. 

Boone, NC. This easily could have been my farm. 

"I Am With You DAILY" (Matt. 28:20)

In Matt. 28:20, Jesus could have referred to his presence among us in any number of ways:

• around the clock
• 24/7
• without a break
• endlessly
• constantly
• uninterruptedly
• always
• incessantly
• perpetually
• unceasingly
• unrelentingly
• infinitely

Instead, he said "all the days." Meaning:

• day after day
• day by day
• daily

Hence the ISV's "I am with you each and every day."

When I think of the idea of "daily," I think of these examples:

• Daily routine
• Daily newspaper
• Daily life
• Daily dose
• Daily basis
• Daily rate
• Daily bread

Now we can add, "daily presence."

Friend, he is with you TODAY! 

Morphemes

Never look at the word as the minimal unit of meaning. That's the morpheme. Seriously. It's called science. 

Assumptions

You're not learning until you're challenging your assumptions. 

The Ministry of Small Things

Fellow teacher, don't neglect the ministry of small things. This includes a listening ear, a chat during classroom breaks, an office door that is open, the return of emails promptly, and a word of encouragement. Teaching is nothing more than the ministry of small things to accomplish great things. 

Happy Memory

Who else can vividly remember the satisfaction of the first time you translated a verse in your Greek New Testament? 

How Hebrew Helps Us Interpret the New Testament

Among other things, tomorrow in class we'll learn the Greek numeral "one." I've got several illustrations of this number to discuss with the class, not least this occurrence in Mark 10:8. 

Here the Greek literally reads "And the two will be into flesh one." This is exactly how the Hebrew would put it  -- hence we're talking about a Semitism here. It's amazing to me how much light Hebrew can throw on the exegesis of the New Testament. I even wrote an article about this once. I can assure you, you can read and interpret the Bible without the biblical languages. But you will be better prepared to do so with them. I am never without my (1) Greek New Testament, (2) Hebrew Old Testament, (3) Greek Old Testament, and (4) Hebrew New Testament. In fact, I have three different Hebrew New Testaments. There's nothing like the self-assurance that comes from a firsthand acquaintance with the original languages. But there are costs involved. The riches of exegesis are free, but they are not cheap. 

Are you ready to get started?

Go Bengals!

The Bengals finally got a win today. Good to see that Joe still has a strong arm. I hope they'll play well again next week. At least they're not off to a 0-4 start this year. For some reason I'm a huge Bengals fan, probably because I've run the Cincinnati Marathon three times and I really enjoy that city. 

Go Bengals!

I Can't Wait

My wife and I grew up thousands of miles apart. But all that changed when we met at Biola. She's in ALL of my memories. We have 15 grandkids. I buried her 11 years ago after 37 years of marriage. You only love like this once. I feel her every day and can't wait to be in her arms again. 

Biceps Chin Ups

Hello my friends. Here's a chin up variation that can really help you grow your biceps!

If your goal is to build stronger arms, then a good strategy is to do biceps chin ups. It's okay to lower yourself down to the ground, reset at the bottom, and then perform each subsequent rep in that fashion. This creates consistency from rep to rep and makes every rep a "first" rep, so that you're not skipping out on training the bottom portion of the exercise. 

Have a wonderful day!

To Do List

Let's be real. We're all going to die with a very long to do list. "Start exercising" shouldn't be one of them.  

The Joy of Firsts

Famous places always seem bigger than imagined. That's been my experience anyway. This includes the first time I saw the Great Sphinx in Egypt, the Parthenon in Athens, and the Great Wall in China. I imagine my students will have a similar feeling when they encounter "real" Greek for the first time in Monday's class. Sure, I constructed my practice sentences to imitate the New Testament's style, but encountering the original Greek for the first time is usually an overwhelming experience. I think this may be up there with other significant firsts:

• First date
• First kiss
• First anniversary
• First child
• First day of college
• First job interview

It's going to be great! 

Balance

Hello everyone.

I was told in college that a great life is a well-balanced life. Up to then my life had been almost completely devoted to surfing. Later, I had to add studying into the mix. Of course, you eventually get a job, get married, have kids, etc. Without balance, things can get out of kilter real quick. If you're anything like me and love to exercise, you realize that getting in shape is really only a small part of what matters in your life. 

That's how it should be. Life is a balancing act. And achieving this balance is a never-ending journey. At my age, this means hacking away at non-essentials. "The key," wrote Stephen Covey, "is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." Balance is not owned. It's leased. And rent is due everyday. 

Remember, friend: Balance is not something to be achieved but an equilibrium to be maintained as you evolve through the stages of life. 

A Delightful Case of Ambiguity in Rom. 12:16

Writing is a craft. It comes with a toolbox full of rhetorical devices such as ambiguity. 

The word "ambiguity" comes from a Latin term meaning "wandering around." There are two basic types of ambiguity, as seen here: 

Other examples include:

• Brave men run in my family.
• Prostitutes appeal to Pope.
• The passerby helped the dog bite victim.
• Well, I've never tasted chicken cooked that way before.
• I saw someone on the hill with a telescope.
• Do you believe in clubs for young people?

Well, this morning I was rereading Romans 12 and stumbled on what may well be a case of intentional ambiguity. 

Here it is in Greek:

The problem is that the first two words here can be either masculine or neuter. This problem is reflected in the KJV and the ASV:

• KJV: "condescend to men of low estate"
• ASV: "condescend to things that are lowly"

Paul is either saying, "Associate with humble people" or "Accept humble duties." But wait a minute. He could mean both! The idea may well be something like, "Don't become snobbish but take a real interest in both people and activities that are humble."

With that in mind, this morning I made a list of ways we can follow Paul's injunction to live humbly:

• Listen more than you talk. Don't interrupt when others are speaking.
• Accept being disappointed -- like when you don't get that big promotion!
• Always be polite, even when you encounter a rude person.
• Complement others genuinely. We have the power to make others feel good about themselves!
• Perform random acts of kindness. There's nothing more noble, especially when you do it without being seen.
• Apologize sincerely when you are wrong. Welcome correction with an open mindset rather than with a stubborn defensiveness.
• Thank people sincerely when they help you.
• Share credit generously for your successes in life.
• Accept lesser roles and responsibilities gladly (yes, I'm talking to us retirees!).
• Avoid flaunting your titles and status (this is especially hard for newly-minted Ph.D.s.) 
• Embrace opportunities to learn new things.

In short, walk humbly! 

Which of these do you need to work on?

What would you add to the list? 

Today's Workout ...

... was heavenly. 

Hope your day is going well! 

"Blessed Are Those Who Mourn" (Matt. 5:4)

"How God blesses those who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted!" 

That's my rendering of Jesus' second beatitude in Matthew 5. The paradoxes continue. In the first beatitude we find destitute people who nevertheless rule in the kingdom of Heaven. Now we have people who are mourning being comforted. Most commentators I've read point out that the beatitudes reflect a progression in logic. Some believers may think that living in the kingdom is all joy and laughter. The truth is that we shed "streams of tears" (Psalm 119:136). We groan, we weep, we mourn, we bewail. Jesus isn't necessarily talking about the loss of a loved one (though I'm sure that's included). He's referring to the sorrow of repentance. Writes Stott: "It is one thing to be spiritually poor and acknowledge it; it is another to grieve and mourn over it." Listen to the words of Augustine:

"I flung myself down, how I do not know, under a certain fig tree, and gave free rein to my tears. The floods burst upon my eyes, an acceptable sacrifice to you. I felt that I was held by my sins and I gasped forth these mournful words, 'How long, how long? Tomorrow and tomorrow? Why not now? Why not in this very hour put an end to my uncleanness?'"

When Augustine died 1,594 years ago, he died praying the penitential prayers of David. Such mourners, says Jesus, will be comforted. 

If you're anything like me, you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sin all around you and even in your own life. Being a Christian is a struggle. It's the hardest thing you'll ever do. It means waging hand-to-hand combat with sin. Favorite sins and bad habits nag at our souls. The struggle is ruthless and relentless. I'm growing weary of making excuses when I'm insensitive to other people or when I place my own desires before God's. I'm tired of Satan's assaults. Most of all, I'm tired of asking forgiveness from the One I love the most. On my own I'm trapped. Only Jesus can help me get off the merry-go-round of failure. 

When I get discouraged in my walk with God and feel I've fallen short of his expectations, I take a few minutes to talk it over with him. What I can't do, he can do. He'll go with me, help me, teach me, if for no other reason than to keep me trusting him and not myself. 

Three Traits of a Great Teacher

In 2 Tim. 2:24, Paul uses three adjectives to describe Christian leaders, including those of us who teach. 

Here's my rendering of the verse:

"As the Lord's slave, you should not be quarrelsome or argumentative. Instead, be gentle and even-handed no matter who you are dealing with, ready and able to teach, and patient with difficult people, willing even to suffer wrong from them if need be."

I'm memorizing this verse in Latin, by the way. Here's what it sounds like:

Friends, our students are God's masterpieces (Eph. 2:10), but as yet they're diamonds in the rough. So be patient. We can't expect them to be perfect and always act the right way or do the right thing. We can't ignore these things. It's just that cutting and shaping takes time! 

A Run -- and a Word of Thanks

Today's 4-mile run took place at the local high school. 

A huge shout out to county officials for allowing runners like me to use their roads and track during school hours. It's a privilege that's rare and one I never want to take for granted. So, "Thank you!" 

Excelling in the Work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58)

1 Cor. 15:58 is such a great verse. It's a challenge I never want to forget. Paul says that our work is always to be carried out as more than just enough to get by. We don't just do our work. We excel in it. The NIV has "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord." The CJB reads "always doing the Lord's work as vigorously as you can." The NLT gives "Always work enthusiastically for the Lord." And in the ISV we did "always excelling in the work of the Lord."

The idea is not just to be engaged in the work of the Lord but to be engaged diligently and energetically. The HOF says "Setzt euch mit aller Kraft für den Herrn ein." I love that. I also love that word "always." We are to do this whether we're young or getting old, whether the work is a joy or we're slugging it out with a heavy heart, when it's fruitful or barren, whether we feel like it or don't feel like it, whether we're highly motivated or deeply discouraged, whether others are with us or against us. This verse is God's way of reminding me, "Dave, I realize that doing my work is hard. You are digging into an ancient text and delivering its truth to very real people. Don't avoid it. Embrace it. Give yourself fully to it. Do it with as much passion as I give you. Do it 'mit aller Kraft'." 

We Christians ought to set the world on fire. If in experience we've moved through Calvary and the resurrection to Pentecost, let us glorify our Lord and not quench his Spirit. Then we will be burning and shining lights for him today. 

Writing Conversationally

Every author remembers the first book they published, unfortunately. I thought about this yesterday in Greek class. It was exam day, and so I did what I always do when we have an exam -- I offered any student who got a perfect score on the exam a free copy of one of my books. 

One student asked me about my first book, Paul, Apostle of Weakness. "Didn't you once tell us that this was the worst book you ever wrote?" Well, I did tell them that. Like so many doctoral dissertations, the book was overly filled with academic jargon and unnecessary footnotes, intended to impress academics. I've since discovered that solid scholarship and an engaging writing style are not incompatible. My next book, Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek, adopted a much more conversational tone. Studies have shown that 250 percent more people read an entire blog post when it's written with a conversational tone instead of a formal one. Conversational writing has many advantages. It creates an intimacy by using language that's familiar to your audience. You avoid words you'd never use in real life. Remember, you're writing to connect, not to impress. You keep sentences short. You say "I've been" instead of "I have been." You ask questions. You even end sentences with prepositions! You tell personal stories. In short, you write like you're speaking to a friend.

So give it a try. Give your readers a good reason to come back to your blog or FB page. The point is to be conversational, not wordy and impersonal!