I've been mulling over whether or not to do a post or two about translation theory, since translations are back in the news. Whether or not I'll get around to it, I'm not sure, but two of my points would be that much of the issue comes down to (a) the meaning of "meaning" and (2) the relationship between "form" and "meaning."

But perhaps I can offer just a thought or two about the word literal. The word is almost unavoidable, but I think we should take pains to use it carefully and rarely. The reason is that it can be used in a number of different ways, and it is quite easy to misunderstand.

Consider the question, "Do you take the Bible literally?"

Many of us would answer, "Yes," because we take the Bible seriously in accord with its varying genres seeking to determine the author's intent; in other words, we don't treat it as a fictional fable with spiritualized lessons. The questioner probably has in mind things like whether Adam and Eve were historical people, whether Jonah was really swallowed by a whale, whether Jesus really walked on water, etc. They are not asking silly things like, "So if Jesus says he's the door, where are his hinges?" They want to know if we understand the details of history and miracles metaphorically.

With regard to translation debates, some people use "literally" to mean translating woodenly. For them, translating "literally" is tantamount to "transcribing" (which is not the same as "translating").

And on the other side of the spectrum, there are well-known pastors who tell their congregations every week that in this passage, the term "X" is "literally, A." In other words, by "literally" they mean lexically.

So when someone asks me if I take the Bible literally, or what this passage means literally, or what the literal meaning of this word is, it's quite difficult to answer until we know how they are using the word. Are they asking about seriousness, the cognitive element of a metaphor, the lexical meaning of a word, etc.

Let me say just one more thing about the idea of saying about a word that it "literally" means X.

What we are seeking in interpretation is an author's communicative intention in using particular words in particular ways in particular contexts. A good lexicon is a helpful too but an artificial construct. It provides readers with a range of words in the receptor language that correspond with, or denote, the term in the source language. But merely looking up term X in the lexicon and seeing the verbal equivalent A does not mean we should say that "X is literally A." It may be that A accurately represents X, but that is not determined by the lexical entry but rather by the context and the way in which the author intends to use the word to communicate his point.

We all know the story of the two criminals crucified with Jesus on the cross.

The details are relatively sparse. We know that three men were crucified: Jesus the Messiah, with one man on his left, and one man on his right (Luke 23:33).

One of the men--on the left or on the right, we don't know--"railed at" (or reviled) Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39).

Little did he know that the only way for Jesus to "save them" was to refuse to "save himself."

But the railing criminal received a surprising response. He was rebuked by his fellow criminal, who responded: “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:40-41).

He recognized the necessity of fearing God, the reality of his guilt, the justice of his punishment, and the innocence of Jesus. These were all the facts he knew. He then turned to Jesus and cried out, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Mark 15:32: "Those who were crucified with him also reviled him."

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

“Each of Vern Poythress’s books has been, in my judgment, the best book on its particular subject, whether science, hermeneutics, dispensationalism, theological method, gender-neutral Bible translation, or the Mosaic law. Not only are these books expertly researched and cogently argued, but they are explicitly Christian in their starting point, method, and conclusion (to use a phrase of Cornelius Van Til). Poythress does not merely claim that these disciplines allow a place for God, or that a theistic worldview provides useful context, or that engagement in such studies is somehow useful to Christians. Rather, he comes right in your face with the claims of Christ: All of these studies are grounded in the nature and work of the triune God, and nothing can be rightly understood apart from him. God is not merely a possibility, not merely a conclusion, but the starting point for any understanding at all.

“So in the present book on language, Poythress shows that the foundation of human speech is the speech between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, so that without God meaningful language would be impossible. He makes this audacious claim, not as a mere preacher but as one who has gained an expert knowledge of linguistics as well as biblical theology. This book is essential for anyone who would pursue an understanding of language. It is also a great help to those who are troubled by contemporary challenges to the very possibility of meaningful communication. And to those who wonder how the word of God can possibly be expressed in human speech, Poythress shows us that without the word of God human speech is impossible.”

John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando


“If you were to ask me to propose one person to guide me through a thoroughly Christian view of language, Vern Poythress would be my first choice. His detailed knowledge of both the Bible and linguistics, his creative ability to see connections, his determination to be true to God, and his engaging personal manner, all come through in this book. I came away with a fresh appreciation for our creaturely dependence on the triune God, and renewed thankfulness to God for his remarkable gift of language.”

C. John (“Jack”) Collins, Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary


“This book represents a lifetime of theological thinking about the significance of language: about God’s involvement with language, the nature of language itself from phonemes to literary genres, and the diverse ways humans interact with one another, and with God, through language. Here one finds not only a biblical but a systematic theology of language built on the insight that human language reflects the triune God, sometimes in surprising ways. And, as if thirty-six chapters were not enough, Poythress includes significant appendices analyzing language in postmodernism, translation theory, speech acts, deconstruction, and more. There is nothing like this book on the market!”

Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

My blog is now being hosted at The Gospel Coalition website. Here's the address:

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/

If you have BTW on your blogroll, it'd be a help if you would adjust your link accordingly.

You'll have to subscribe to the new feed, as this current one will no longer be updated.

In my inaugural post at the new site I explain why I'm happy to have BTW associated with TGC. Hope to see you over there!

Randy Alcorn's new big book on the problem of evil and suffering is now available: If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil (Multnomah).

You can read the table of contents and some excerpts at EPM's page, read an interview that Andy Naselli did with Randy here at Between Two Worlds, or read a review of the book by Tim Challies.

WTS Books is offering Mike Horton's new book, The Gospel-Driven Life: Being Good News People in a Bad News World (Baker), for 45% off. The offer is good for the next week and a half.

This book is a sequel to Christless Christianity, moving from "the crisis to solutions, in the hope that we will see a new reformation in the faith, practice, and witness of contemporary Christianity."

Horton explains his purpose in the opening words of the introduction:

The goal of this book is to reorient our faith and practice as Christians and churches toward the gospel: that is, the announcement of God's victory over sin and death in his Son, Jesus Christ. The first six chapters explore that breaking news from heaven, while the rest of the book focuses on the kind of community that this gospel generates in our world. It is not merely that there is a gospel and then a community of people who believe it; the gospel creates the kind of community that is even now an imperfect preview of the kingdom's marriage feast that awaits us.

You can read some free sample material from the book here.

The book is also available from Amazon.

Kevin DeYoung first shows why we cannot appeal to Leviticus 25 to argue for government-sponsored redistribution of property and resources. Here are his five points:

1. We are not an ancient, agrarian society.
2. Most importantly, our property was not assigned directly by God.
3. Our economy is not based on a fixed piece of land.
4. Our nation is not under the Mosaic covenant.
5. Most of us are not Jews.

But, Kevin argues, jubilee has several applications and ramifications for how we view wealth and poverty:

1. We should find ways to give opportunities for the poor to succeed.
2. The Bible supports the existence of private property.
3. The Bible relativizes private property.
4. Our God is the God of second chances.
5. Jesus is Jubilee.

You can read the whole thing here.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel newspaper today printed an op-ed by Tullian Tchividjian regarding the conflict at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church--which some of the members unfortunately took to the media--and the congregational vote this Sunday regarding him as senior pastor. An excerpt:

You may have read, in this paper or elsewhere, six members of our church recently circulated unsolicited letters and a petition voicing their opposition to my leadership and requesting a congregational meeting to vote on whether to keep me as their pastor. Citing things like my desire not to wear a robe when I preach, not honoring the legacy and preferences of Dr. Kennedy to the degree that I should, making personnel changes (bringing in my staff from New City), and not preaching political sermons, these six members have been working to remove me as pastor.

The saddest thing about all of this is that, because of the visibility of both Coral Ridge and my family, this conflict has taken on a national interest. The reason this grieves me so deeply is because the Bible says God wants the church to be a visual model of the gospel. He wants us, in other words, to live our lives together in such a way that we demonstrate the good news of reconciliation before the watching world.

The late Francis Schaeffer once noted that bitter divisions among Christians give the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel. But when reconciliation, peacemaking, and unity are on display inside the church, that becomes a powerful witness to this fractured world. "Just as I have loved you," Jesus commanded, "you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).

To get this matter behind us once and for all, the elders and I have called this congregational meeting and a vote will take place on Sunday. You will no doubt read about the result, but whatever it is, I want to say three things to the South Florida community that I love so much and have called home for 37 years. . . .

You can read the rest here. And please pray for Tullian and for Coral Ridge, especially regarding the vote this Sunday.

Al Mohler's latest article reflects on the combination of two disturbing developments: (1) 95% of mothers who discover the high risk of Down syndrome in their babies through prenatal screening choose to have the lives of these babies terminated. (2) New technologies for prenatal diagnosis are on their way. The almost-certain result is that there will be more prenatal testing, and therefore more termination of human life.

Dr. Mohler also cites this journal article by Dr. Brian Skotko (an expert in DS), who cites evidences that nearly 1 in 4 doctors either actively "urge" termination or "emphasize" the negative aspects of DS so as to encourage termination.

Dr. Skoto writes:

. . . health care providers have historically operated under the assumption that if a woman consents to prenatal screening or diagnosing, she must believe that having a child with DS would be an undesired outcome and wish to terminate her pregnancy if such a diagnosis were made prenatally.

Knowing that assumption is crucial. As Dr. Mohler writes: "Expectant parents should read that sentence over and over again, and so should those who counsel them."

Stephen Smallman has given us a great gift with his new book, The Walk: Steps for New and Renewed Followers of Jesus (P&R, 2009).

It’s now the first resource I’d recommend for disciples wanting to make disciples (which should be all of us). Marked by good theology, a focus on the Bible, and a warm and winsome approach, this “discipleship for dummies” manual is just what all of us need.

Here are a few blurbs:
You can read online for free the preface, table of contents, and first chapter.

Also available from Amazon.

Fernando Ortega - "Give Me Jesus" from Adamson.TV on Vimeo.

Tullian Tchividjian writes:

As I consider the last six months (and especially this upcoming Sunday) and how kind God has been to convince me that everything minus Jesus equals nothing, but Jesus plus nothing equals everything, I am reminded of my grandmother who passed away in June 2007. She knew Christ’s companionship like no one I’ve ever known. She reveled in the wrecking power of the gospel day in and day out. She lived life like she had nothing to lose because she knew that, in Christ, she had nothing to lose! This enabled her to live with great freedom, fearlessness, and unbounded courage.

For many, many years I have begged God to make me like her– to give me a sharp mind, a soft heart, and a steel spine like he gave her. I can only hope and pray that as God continues to strip me of everything but Him, I would become more like her.

As she used to always say, “Just give me Jesus.”

Below are the MP3s (followed by PDFs of the handouts) for a series of a three talks that Bruce Ware gave at Mars Hill in Seattle in March of 2007:

1. Uncertain Hands of God and Men: Providence in Process Thought and Open Theism (PDF)
2. Independent Hands of God and Men: Providence in Classic Arminianism (PDF)
   
3. Coordinated Hands of God and Men: Providence in the Reformed Tradition (PDF)

The videos (relatively low-res) are below:

Alex Chediak interviews David Sitton, President of To Every Tribe. An excerpt:

There’s an important difference between unevangelized and unreached peoples.

Unevangelized people are unconverted individuals in places where there are established churches. Unreached peoples are those that live in regions where there are no churches and no access to the evangelical gospel in their culture.

And to answer your question about the present trend; 96% of the missionary work force is still laboring in unevangelized, but not truly unreached regions. Here it is again – 9 out of 10 Christian missionaries that go cross-cultural are still going to reached places!

Here’s still another way to say it – Something like 90% of all “ministers” worldwide are concentrating on only 2% of the world’s population! We are massively overly evangelizing places where the gospel is already well planted! I believe that we need a substantial strategic redeployment of the missionary workforce to the areas where there is still no access to the evangelical gospel.

Read the whole thing.

T. David Gordon:

The “Big Book” fallacy is the notion that anything that is said in a big book, especially a multivolume series of big books, must be, at a minimum, factually correct, and at a maximum, correct in its judgment. This is fallacious, because error is error, regardless of its domicile. Peer-reviewed error may be less common than non-peer-reviewed error, but it still exists. No editor checks the factual accuracy of every sentence he edits, and therefore, even in big books, multi-volume big books, and/or multi-volume big books with good reputations, error still exists, and we should not repeat the error without either citing the source or checking the source.

See the two examples he cites--the first from Kittel's TDNT, the second from Keil's commentary on Joel 2:28.

HT: Upper Register

Slate has a nifty tool to create a plot for the next Dan Brown conspiracy-thriller-novel. Just plug in a city and a sect, and their computer will do the rest!

HT: Mere Comments

Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson, in Counsel from the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ (pp. 86-87):

When relationships are built around the truths of the gospel—the truth that we are walking in light even though we are still sinners in need of cleansing by his blood—we can be free from feelings of inferiority and the demanding spirit that is born of pride. We can pursue relationships without fear of being discovered as the sinners we are. This kind of open relationship rests solely on the realities of the gospel. We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, and so is everyone we know. Because of this, we won’t be surprised by other’s sins. They won’t expect us to be sinless either, so we don’t have to give in to self-condemnation and fear when they see us as we really are. We don’t have to hide or pretend anymore.

The gospel also tells us that we are loved and welcomed without any merit on our part, so we can love and welcome others whose merits we can’t see. We can remember the circumstances under which we have been forgiven, and we can forgive in the same way. We don’t deserve relationship with the Trinity, but it has been given to us. We can seek our relationships with others because we know that we have been sought out by him and that he is carrying us all on his shoulders. (Yes, he is that strong!)

HT: Buzzard Blog

C.J. Mahaney on the new Sovereign Grace album, Sons and Daughters:

I highly recommend this album. This album is a means of preaching the gospel to yourself. It is a tool to remind yourself of God’s adopting grace. It will help convince you of God’s passionate and personal love for you. Listening to the truths of these songs will help clear away any suspicions you have of God, and help you to contemplate his love for you, evidenced nowhere more clearly than in the death of his beloved Son.

You can download for free the song “Completely Done.”

An excellent post by Voddie Baucham, contrasting two recent Basketball Hall of Fame induction speeches: the arrogant and self-serving speech of Michael Jordan, and the humble, grateful speech of David Robinson.

HT: Andy Naselli

Here's an attractive, easy way to view Crossway's academic catalog for next year.

Joshua Harris's next book, Dug Down Deep, will be published by Multnomah this January. (I've read it and recommend it.)

On his blog he is having a contest, looking for 10 filmmakers who can create short videos related to the book. He explains:

It's a book about the importance of knowing Jesus Christ and building your life on a true knowledge of him. I care very much about its message and want to do all I can to spread it to people who are indifferent or unconcerned about Christian theology. I'd like to create a series of short videos that can be played online to generate interest in the book.

But I have another desire that informs what I'm announcing today: I want to encourage Christians to get involved in the arts--in particular, film. At different times and different ways I've done what I could to encourage young filmmakers to hone their gifts and use film to influence the world for Christ.

So I'm combining my need for promotional videos with my desire to make an investment in Christian filmmakers. And I'm doing this in the form of a contest.

Read more here.

Tim Challies posts today about his recent time with Rick Warren. Here's a taste:

Somehow just meeting Warren reinforced in my mind the challenge we face as we reconcile ourselves to a fast-paced, digital world in which a person can quickly dash off a missive that can severely impact another person on the other side of the continent. It seems that ethics and morality have been a bit slow to catch up to ability in this new digital world. As I read those three reviews I realized that in each case there would be things I might say just a little differently. I am too often prone to forget that the authors whose books I review are real people and I am too quick to ignore my conscience when I consider whether the things I write and post online for all the world to read are things I would also say face-to-face. I hope this will help me in the future as I seek to be fair and godly in all that I write.

Those doing textual criticism in the NT will be interested in this blog post by Dan Wallace about a new web-based application that can save a significant amount of time.

Registration for the DG conference (Sept. 25-27) on Calvin is still open.

In addition to the talks on Calvin, there will be a couple of additional events.

On Friday evening, Sept. 25, they will preview the 80-minute documentary, Collision, which traces the debates and conversations of Douglas Wilson and Christopher Hitchens. The movie, which I've seen, is very much worth your time. You can pre-order the DVD from Amazon, and watch the first 13 minutes at the end of this post.

On Sunday evening, Sept. 27, there will be an eschatology discussion at Bethlehem College & Seminary, with John Piper moderating, Doug Wilson defending the postmillennial position, Jim Hamilton (SBTS) the premillennial view, and Sam Storms the biblical view. (Just a joke, folks.)

Here's Piper on why Calvin matters today:



And here's the beginning of the Collision film:

COLLISION - 13 min VIMEO Exclusive Sneak Peek from Collision Movie on Vimeo.

Part 3:

Paul Butler:

There are thousands of radio stations across the country today which play Christian music. A recent study looked at Christian Music Radio to determine what sets it apart from its mainstream counterpart. But the study didn’t look at the music itself, but what was said between the songs—and what they found may surprise you.

You can listen here to the feature with Mark Seignious (Associate Professor of Electronic Media Communication at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN) and Ripley Smith (Professor of Communication at Bethel University, also in St. Paul).