Answering a Few More Objections to Authorized: Part 1, The Modern Versions Are Copyrighted; They’re in It for the Money
Since its release, Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible has received what I would consider to be a very positive response. Except when it hasn’t. It’s one of those books that tends to collect mainly five-star and one-star reviews on Amazon. This is what happens when a book takes a side in a hot debate. And I did take a side. Clearly, I’m not KJV-Only. But I have also heard from many brothers from the KJV-Only portion of the church who were grateful that I attempted to be...
Christian Leaders Trip with Canyon Ministries
I just got back from a seven-day trip down two thirds of the Grand Canyon with Canyon Ministries, William D. Barrick, Terry Mortenson, and (especially) knowledgeable Cedarville University geologist John Whitmore. I gained a much deeper understanding of the geology of the canyon, and I came to a more firm and educated faith about the straightforward teaching of Genesis 1–11. Whitmore is an expert in the Coconino sandstone layer, and his talks were fascinating. The many conversations with my 20+...
The Story of Ἀρσενοκοίτης according to BDAG
The following is a paper I delivered at the Bible Faculty Summit. The “Puritan canopy” that once overarched our city-on-a-hill began to fray and tear apart long ago—though that canopy always had its gaps (and its cotton-poly blends with American civil religion).1 The morality Christendom bequeathed to the Western world more generally still covers many areas of U.S. culture, and by God’s common grace the stitching is often quite strong. But Christian sexual morality is clearly in tatters. It...
The Original Pronunciation for Shakespeare’s Plays
Well isn't this fascinating. Shakespeare's plays were pronounced significantly differently when they were originally performed. And we miss some humor and rhyming because of it. It is more than possible—and this video argues that it is pretty well universal—that contemporary actors have solemnly intoned 16th century sex jokes to audiences who all nod sagely while, along with the actors themselves, totally missing the point. Phonology is, for me, an almost entirely unexplored dimension of...
A Nerdy Post about Writing: An Excerpt from My Sent Folder
A non-Christian friend I talked to many times on the bus asked me a question about whether or not he should take an online fiction-writing opportunity he'd been handed. I appreciated being asked. He's a neat guy with real talent. I replied, and it gave me an opportunity to talk a little about writing in a way readers and writers might find helpful… I have always felt averse to writerly self-promotion, partly because Jesus warned against putting myself forward pridefully (Luke 14:7–11) and...