What did the AV translators think of Latin translations of the Bible (Old Latin and Vulgate)?
JTR
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Monday, November 27, 2023
Audio: The Translators to the Reader.Part 6: The Translation of the Old Testament out of Hebrew into Greek
In section 6 of the KJV Preface, a robust Protestant view of Greek translations of the OT, including the LXX, is set forward. It provides much needed clarification for our day.
JTR
Saturday, November 25, 2023
Friday, November 24, 2023
Audio: The Translators to the Reader.Part 4: The praise of the Holy Scriptures
JTR
Note: Great insights in this section into Protestant Bibliology.
The Vision (11.24.23): But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD
Image: Noah icon, sixteenth century, Mt. Athos, Greece.
Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Genesis 6:1-8.
Genesis 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man
whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the
creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made
them.
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of
the LORD.
In light of the fact that “the wickedness of man
was great” (Genesis 6:5), the LORD made a solemn declaration of his intent
utterly to destroy “man whom I have created” (v. 7a). Note that this
destruction would entail “both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the
fowls of the air” (v. 7b). All creation must pay the price for man’s sin!
Again, we hear that God “repented” (cf. v. 6), meaning that he was grieved,
disturbed at the mess fallen humanity had made of the world he once looked upon
and declared to be very good (Genesis 1:31).
Imagine if you took the time to build something or
prepare something of great value. And then one rogue actor came in and, in a
few moments, destroyed all that you had so carefully made. It is so much easier
to destroy than it is to create and build!
What a terrible state things were in! God would
have been completely justified to do just as he here declared.
The breaking light comes, however, in v. 8: “But
Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” This is one of the great
“adversative conjunctions” statements in the Bible. Think of 1 Corinthians
6:11, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God.” Or, of Ephesians 2:4, “But God, who is rich in
mercy….”
Notice it says that Noah found grace. It does not say that Noah
earned grace, or that he deserved grace, or that he won grace, or that he
merited grace. No, he found it, which means he was given it by God. God’s
response to man’s sin was grace!
God’s promise of the gospel in Genesis 3:15 would not fail.
We are reminded here
of how God works. When he came to us and looked upon us and saw our sinful
state, he might well have snuffed us out, as he might have the whole world in
the days of Noah. And yet he gave grace.
The story is told of a
mother of many children who had one of them sneak off and get into an oil barrel.
When she found the wayward child, after much searching, he was covered head to toe
in black goo. She exclaimed, “Lord, it’d just about be easier to have another
one than it would be to clean you up!”
The Lord did not give
us over to what we deserved. He saved us, and he is cleaning us up. We found
grace in his eyes through Christ.
All praise, glory, and
honor be to him.
Grace and peace, Pastor
Jeff Riddle
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Friday, November 17, 2023
The Vision (11.17.23): And Enoch walked with God
Image: Elijah and Enoch, 17th century icon, Historic Museum, Sanok, Poland
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for
God took him” (Genesis 5:24).
Genesis 5 presents us with “the book of the generations
of Adam” through the line of Seth (v. 1).
One name that stands out is Enoch the seventh
in this line (cf. Jude 1:14-15). The name Enoch means “dedication” or
“consecration.” This was also the name of Cain’s son, after whom he named the
city he had built (4:17).
The distinctive thing about Enoch is first noted in v. 22: “And
Enoch walked with God.” He did not just live, but he walked with God. He had
not only natural life, but also spiritual life.
The language of walking with God is figurative for one who shares
in an intimate communion with God. Enoch was a peculiarly godly man, a
spiritual giant among the men of his times.
Matthew Henry explains that “to walk with God” means, “to set Him
before us, and to act as if we were always under His eye… It is to make God’s
word our rule and His glory our end in all our actions. It is to make it our
constant care and endeavor in everything to please God, and in nothing to
offend him.”
Matthew
Poole said of Enoch: "He lived as one whose eye was continually upon God;
whose care and constant course and business it was to please God, and to
imitate him, and to maintain acquaintance and communion with him; as one
devoted to God's service and wholly governed by his will. He walked not with
men of that wicked age, or as they walked, but being a prophet and preacher…. with
great zeal and courage he protected and preached against their evil practices,
and boldly owned God and his ways in the midst of them.”
The description of every other man in the line of Adam ends with
the statement, “and he died,” but it does not say this of Enoch. Instead, we
read in v. 24: “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
The meaning of what happened to Enoch is explained in Hebrews 11:5,
“By faith Enoch was translated that he
should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for
before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
Enoch
was, thus, one of the two men who are mentioned in the OT who did not taste
death but were taken by God before experiencing its pain and terror. The other
was the prophet Elijah (see 2 Kings 11:11-12). The theologians call this
experience an apotheosis.
This account gives hope to all of us,
who, like Enoch, have remaining
corruptions within us, that we may still seek holiness of life and communion
with God as did righteous Enoch.
As Paul exhorted
believers in Colossians 2:6, “As ye
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”
So, let
us join ourselves to Christ and walk in him.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
Audio: The Translators to the Reader.Part 1: The best things have been calumniated
My audio series reading through the preface to the AV (1611) continues.
JTR
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