Seek Glory for Yourself, But Don’t Be Self-Seeking
Here's a paragraph from Romans 2 that has occasioned no small discussion among Protestant commentators: He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but...
How Science Fiction Found Religion by Benjamin A. Plotinsky, City Journal Winter 2009
Popular art both reflects and forges popular culture. Science is the ultimate authority for so many in the West, so it shows up in movies. “The Force” is one detail in which the new [Star Wars] films are actually less spiritual than the old. In the 1977 movie, Obi-Wan described this mysterious entity as “what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things; it surrounds us, penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” In the 1980 sequel, Yoda . . . instructed Luke to...
Laissez-Faire Must Not Be Lazy but Must Strive to Promote Fairness
Hunter Baker, evangelical economist (with a new Crossway book coming out soon), made some helpful points in this little blog article. His main point is that conservatives shouldn't be so pro-capitalist that they overlook the effects of the Fall in the market. Here's an excerpt: Without Christ this is a world in which the strong will abuse the weak, the rich ignore or exploit the poor, and those with authority seek advantages for themselves as they exercise their power. We know these things...
R. C. Trench Vs. Lexicographical Prescriptivism (i.e., CONTROVERSY!)
I've finally gotten to a book I've had on my mental list ever since Dr. Randy Leedy, my Advanced Greek Grammar teacher, recommended it to his class some years ago: Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography. Sidney Landau is so far weaving a fascinating account of the making—and the history of the making—of dictionaries. Let me share one anecdote: R. C. Trench, author of the classic (but linguistically suspect) Synonyms of the New Testament, was actually the catalyst for the production of...
Get a Free ESV for your iPod Touch
If you have an iPod Touch, you can now get the ESV on it for free by following these steps: 1. Set up a Kindle account. 2. "Buy" the ESV for $0.00 (thanks, Crossway!). 3. Get the Kindle app in the iTunes store (thanks, Amazon!). 4. Read away! You can sync your bookmarks easily between your Kindle and your Touch, or you can just enjoy the buying power of Kindle on an even more convenient device.