Volume 22, No.3, Aug. 2011
Psalm 48, Mount Zion
"Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north" (Psalms 48:2). King Hezekiah was surrounded "like a bird in a cage." 1 Jerusalem was besieged by the armies of Assyria led by king Sennacherib in the 7th century BC as recorded in Isaiah chapters 36, 37. To bolster morale within the city, the sons of [...]
Keener Vigilance
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Hebrews 2:1). The letter to the Hebrews contains the longest sustained argument of any book in the Bible. With a careful and closely knit discussion, the author moves with confidence step by step through an elaborate proof of Christianity's [...]
Translating No-Verb Sentences
Many languages do not require every complete sentence to have a verb, among them Hebrew and Greek, although English is not such a language.1 In the absence of a verb, the tense is usually unimportant or irrelevant. Therefore it is important that italics (or brackets) be used to indicate that a verb in English has been added in the translation. Grammatically, the tense of [...]
When Jesus became God
(Addendum to the article "Development of the Trinity," November 2010 issue) When Jesus Became God: the Struggle to Define Christianity in the Last Days of Rome. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999; Harvest paperback, 2000. Paris: Editions Decouverte, 2001. The account of our Lord's life and the developments in the church during apostolic times are well known, as is the story of Christian persecutions during [...]
Why Waldo? (Continued and concluded from February, 2011)
Peter Waldo lived during the period of Thyatira, during the depths of Papal authority. The Catholic Church partnered with governments to rule with a heavy hand. This partnership is referred to in Revelation 2:20-23. "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and [...]
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The previous engaging article on Waldo draws to mind some thoughts about the Pergamos and Thyatira periods of the Church. Doctrinal corruption was formalized at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, a date which some consider began the Pergamos period. Political corruption in the Papal system was formalized in 539 AD, when Papacy entered upon their 1260 years of political influence. Peter Waldo, [...]