The Vision (11.12.26): Remembering William Tyndale (c.1494-1536) and His New Testament

 

Image: Tyndale NT, second edition, 1534, Chetham Library, Manchester, UK.

This year (2026) marks the 500^th anniversary of William Tyndale’s 1526 translation of the New Testament into English from the Received Greek Text. This was the first time that English speaking people were able to read a faithful translation of the Bible from the originals in their mother tongue. The Roman Catholic Church forbade such translations, maintaining that the Bible could only be read in Latin, a language which few (including even the priests) knew.

For his labors, Tyndale was put to death on October 6, 1536. In Foxe’s Book of Martyrs it is reported that his final words were “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” The Lord heard that prayer, and the English Bible triumphed. Tyndale added more than 1,700 words to the English language, using for the first time words like atonement, intercession, scapegoat, Jehovah, Passover, etc. It is estimated that eighty-percent plus of the words in the New Testament of the King James Version translation (1611) were taken from Tyndale.

God gave Tyndale a zeal for translating God’s Word for ordinary believers. He wrote of what motivated his work:

I had perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to establish the lay-people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text.

Indeed, he wanted his kinsmen to receive the spiritual benefits of access to God’s Word, recommending:

It is not enough, therefore, to read and talk of it only, but we must also desire God, day and night instantly, to open our eyes, and to make us understand and feel whereof the scripture was given, that we may apply the medicine of scripture, every man to his own sores….

He added:

As thou readest, therefore, think that every syllable pertaineth to thine own self, and suck out the pith of the scripture, and arm thyself against all assaults.

On this 500^th anniversary we give thanks to the Lord for the English Bible and the blessing it has been to us and the world.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

WM 397: BLQ Article: The Septuagint & Modern Challenges to Text and Translation of the Hebrew OT (Part 2)

 

You can read the article on academia.edu here.

JTR

WM 396: Book Interview: Jake Dell, Exile and Return: A Pastor's Reckoning with the Mainline Church

 

JTR

The Vision (11.6.26): The Commandment of God or the Tradition of Men?

 

Image: Late fall sundown, North Garden, Virginia. November, 2026.

Note: Devotion based on last Sunday's sermon on Mark 7:1-13.

In Mark 7:1-13, Mark records our Lord’s encounter with a group of Pharisees and scribes who criticized his disciples for not ritually washing their hands. In fact, there were no Biblical commands that required this kind of hand washing. These men were following “the tradition of the elders” (v. 3) or “the tradition of men” (v. 8) and not “the commandment of God” (v. 9).

When the Pharisees ask Christ about this matter, our Lord responds:

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Notice first that he calls out these men as “hypocrites.” They claimed to be holy men, but, in fact, they were only hand washers and couch baptizers.

The Greek word for hypocrite came from the world of Greek drama and referred to masks that were worn by the actors. They pretended to be someone on the outside that they were not on the inside.

A brother in our church during a recent midweek discussion noted a contrast between what he called “Sunday Christians” and “Everyday Christians” to make the same point.

If there is one thing our Lord despises it is spiritual hypocrisy. Consider his teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt 6:5-6).

Notice second Christ’s immediate appeal to the Holy Scriptures. They were asking him about the tradition of the elders. He responds by saying “Well saith [Isaiah]…,” and he continues, “as it is written.”

Then he offers an inspired citation of Isaiah 29:13 in v.6b: “This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Christ takes what Isaiah said about the religious hypocrites of the prophet’s day and applies that to the fault-finding Pharisees and scribes of his own day.

We often say that as believers we walk a narrow path between two ditches, seeking not to tumble to one side or the other. On one side is the ditch of Legalism (adding to the Word of God) and, on the other, the ditch of Licentiousness (taking away from the Word of God).

Application:

We must exercise discernment between the commandments of God and the mere traditions of men.

To be able to discern this difference we must become life-long students of the Word. We must be reading it privately and devotionally and hearing it read and preached corporately.

We must confess our own hypocrisy, acknowledging that there have been times when our lips were honoring Christ, while our hearts were far from him.

We must avoid hypocrisy. We would not be play-actors, putting on a Christian mask and putting on a show. Our faith must be genuine and authentic.

In the end, we should also know and find comfort in the fact that though we will not attain full holiness in this life, we have been redeemed by the one who is without sin, the one who is the standard for perfect truth and integrity, the one who died on the cross for our sins, including our sins of legalism, licentiousness and hypocrisy, and who was raised for our justification.

Let us be holy, because he is holy.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

John Calvin on the Providential Preservation of Holy Scripture by Extra-ordinary Means

From X post:

John Calvin on the providential preservation of Scripture by extraordinary, and not merely ordinary, means:

“So much the more wonderful is the mercy of God towards us, in that while Paul's name was on false grounds made use of in spurious writings, his writings have, nevertheless, been preserved entire even to our times. This, unquestionably, could not have taken place accidentally, or as the effect of mere human industry, if God himself had not by his power restrained Satan and all his ministers.”

-Commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:2.

The Vision (10.30.26): Thy Way is in the Sea

 

Image: Contemporary view of the Sea of Galilee.

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Mark 6:45-56.

“And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray” (Mark 6:46).

“And he saw them toiling in the rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them… and he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea…” (Mark 6:48).

“For they all saw him and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid” (Mark 6:50).

Following the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6:35-44, the inspired Evangelist next describes a second “nature” miracle, Christ walking on the sea (Mark 6:45-51).

What spiritual uses might we draw from this passage?

First, it tells us who Christ is. He is the one described in Psalm 77:19, “Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.”

It expresses God’s sovereignty over all things in creation, even the sea, but it also points out that his steps cannot always be traced by men. There are no footprints in the sea. Even when we can’t see him with the physical eye we know he is there.

Second, it tells us how Christ cares for his saints when they are in the midst of the sea and sometimes “toiling in rowing” with the wind “contrary” to them.

Consider this picture. Christ is on the mountain praying (Mark 6:46), and the disciples are in the ship struggling (Mark 6:48). Christ sees this and comes to them.

Consider Hebrews 7:24 which speaks of Christ as the one who “ever liveth to make intercession” for his elect saints.

Consider his promise to the apostles in Matthew 28:20 that he would be with them even to the end of the world.

In John 14:18 Christ said to the disciples, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

The commentary in the Geneva Bible reads, “The faithful servants of God after their little labor, are subject to a great tempest, which Christ doth so moderate being present in power, although absent in body, that he bringeth them to an happy haven, at such time and by such means, as they looked not for:  A lively image for the Church tossed to and fro in this world.”

Matthew Henry observed:

The church is often like a ship at sea, tossed with tempests, and not comforted we may have Christ for us, and yet wind and tide against us; but is a comfort to Christ’s disciples in a storm, that their Master is in the heavenly mount, interceding for them.

Henry later added:

Christ’s presence with us in a stormy day, is enough to make us of good cheer, though clouds and darkness be round about us.

Let them have but their Master with them, and all is well.

This is true today not just for the church collectively but for each constituent body part.  You may be in a boat trying to head in the right direction, a Christ guided direction.  Living for Christ rarely goes smoothly.  A headwind arises.  You are going against the grain, swimming upstream, as it were.  You have tried hard, but you are making little progress.  It is late and you are tired.  But you are not alone.  Christ is ever living to make intercession for you.  He sees your condition.  And he comes across all barriers to say:

          Be of good cheer: It is I; be not afraid (Mark 6:50).

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

The Vision (10.16.26): The Martyrdom of John the Baptist

 

Image: Bernard Van Orley, The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, c. 1514, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Note: Devotion based on last Sunday's sermon on Mark 6:7-30.

“For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy….” (Mark 6:20).

“And immediately the king sent an executioner… and he went and beheaded him in the prison” (Mark 6:27).

“And… his disciples… came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb” (Mark 6:29).

The Gospel of Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ. He prepares the way before the Lord, a voice crying in the wilderness (Mark 1:2-3).

In Mark 1:13, the Evangelist notes the context for Christ beginning his public preaching ministry, “Now after that John was put in prison….”

It is not until Mark 6 that the Evangelist relays what had happened to John (Mark 6:14-29). He died as a righteous martyr at the hands of wicked King Herod Antipas. Just as John was the forerunner of Christ’s public ministry, he is also his forerunner in death. The looming shadow of the cross falls across Mark 6.

Parallels might be drawn between John the Baptist and Lord Jesus Christ. This comparison is always from the lesser (John) to the greater (Christ).

 Even wicked Herod knew John was great man, a godly man. He feared him as a man just and holy (6:20).

Beyond John, however, we see someone greater, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the standard of righteousness and holiness.

John was a great prophet and servant of God.

Christ is our Prophet, Priest, and King, and the Son of God made flesh.

John stood before wicked Herod to be sentenced to death by him.

Christ stood before Pontius Pilate and this same Herod and was sentenced to be crucified, even though there was no sin in him.

John was beheaded. It was a gruesome way to die, no doubt, but considered by the ancients, at the least, to bring a relatively sudden end.

Christ was crucified. He died a death of prolonged and intense suffering. This was the death of a slave and a criminal.

John gave his disciples a godly example. John’s death might even have been an inspiration to them.  We read of men who continued to follow him until they became Christians like Apollos of Corinth (Acts 18:24-25) and the twelve young men of Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7).

Christ did something greater for his true disciples. He died for their sins. It is indeed outrageous for a righteous and holy man like John to be killed by a wicked man like Herod, but how much more so that Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, died on the cross at the hands of wicked men.  His life and death was something more.  He took upon him our sin.  This included our failure to keep the law, our brokenness, our failures in marriage, our lust, our adultery, our pride, our rash vows, our murders, and all the other sins just as grave as those committed even by wicked Herod. Christ still has men who leave all behind to follow him. He still sends them out to make disciples, baptize, and teach in his name.

John’s lifeless body was placed in a tomb by his disciples, and his remains are still somewhere today.

Christ’s body was placed in the tomb by his disciples, but the third day the stone was found rolled away, because he had risen from the dead.

John was a great man, a martyr. Christ is our Great Mediator, the God-man, not a martyr. He not only died on the cross, but he was gloriously raised to life, appeared to his disciples, ascended, and he is coming again.

To him be all praise, glory, and power!

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

The Vision (10.9.26): Thomas Watson's Strategies for Keeping the Tenth Commandment

 

Image: Thomas Watson (1620-1686)

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Exodus 20:17.

Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The tenth commandment is the final and crowing commandment of the Ten Words.  In the second table, we see the movement from sinful deeds (dishonor of parents, murder, adultery, stealing), to sinful words (false witness), and now to sinful thoughts (don’t covet). If we are honest, we will acknowledge that we have entertained the doing of these things in our heart of hearts. A.W. Pink said that in this commandment, God “proclaims His rights over the hidden realm of desires.”

The Puritan minister Thomas Watson (1620-1686) called covetousness “the mother of all sins.”  Indeed, this commandment touches on the root of nearly all our sinful inclinations. He offered four strategies for the believer for dealing with covetousness:

1.     We must exercise faith:

We must trust in the Lord. The person who is consumed with covetousness lacks faith or trust in God.  “The root of covetousness is distrust of God’s providence.”  “Faith is the cure of care.”  Covetousness shows a lack of trust in God’s promise of provision (cf. Matt 6:25-34).

“Faith, by divine chemistry, extracts comfort out of God.  A little with God is sweet.  Thus, faith is a remedy against covetousness; it overcomes not only fear of the world, but love of the world.”

2.      We must employ judicious considerations:

By this Watson meant that the believer should remember that all the things that the world prizes most will not bring true and lasting satisfaction.  If you had everything you think you wanted, your spiritual problems would not be magically solved.  “The things of the world can no more ease a troubled spirit than a gold cap can cure the headache.”

3.      We must covet spiritual things more than earthly things.

Covet grace.  Covet heaven.  “If we covet heaven more, we shall covet earth less.”

4.      Pray for a heavenly mind.

Watson’s prayer was this: “Lord, dig the earth out of my heart; teach me how to possess the world, and not love it; how to hold it in my hand, and not let it get into my heart.”

After these four strategies, Watson ends by saying that “the best remedy is contentment.  If we are content with our own, we shall not covet that which is another’s.”  He added, “He who has enough, will not covet that which is another’s.”

May the Lord help us to employ these strategies and others as we grow in godliness.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Audio from 2026 Keach Conference: 1689 Confession Ch. 19: Of the Law of God (September 26 2026)

Image: Scene from 2026 Keach Conference.

The 2026 Keach Conference was held on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at Louisa Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia. The conference theme was from Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1677/1689) ch. 19: On the Law of God.

Dr. Tom Hicks of FBC, Clinton, Louisiana offered four plenary lectures and a Q & A session:

Session 1: The Covenant of Works? (Confession 19:1).

Session 2: The Moral Law as a "perfect rule of righteousness" (Confession 19:2-5).

Session 3: The Law as "a rule of life" (Confession 19:6).

Session 4: How the Law does "sweetly comply" with the grace of the Gospel (Confession 19:7).

Session 5: Q & A

JTR

WM 395: The BELGIC CONFESSION & the Comma Johanneum (1 JOHN 5:7): How the Modern Text undermines Confessions

 

JTR