BiBLE TRANSLATiONS [and the new NiV]

Stereotyping Bible readers. Stolen from Scot McKnight, here. Very funny if, like me, you are way too immersed in American evangelicalism.

• NRSV for liberals and Shane Claiborne lovers
• ESV for Reformed complementarian Baptists
• HCSB for LifeWay store buying Southern Baptists
• NIV for complementarian evangelicals
• TNIV for egalitarians
• NASB for those who want straight Bible, forget the English
• NLT for generic brand evangelicals
• Amplified for folks who have no idea what translation is but know that if you try enough words one of them will hit pay dirt
• NKJV and KJV for Byzantine manuscript-tree huggers
• The Message for evangelicals looking for a breath of fresh air and seeker sensitive, never-read-a-commentary evangelists who find Peterson's prose so catchy

This is, of course, all brought on by the announcement of the new NIV coming out in 2011. Which, if you think about it, could read: The New New International Version Version. Here are some various takes on it all:

Al Mohler

Scot McKnight

Douglas Moo

Ligon Duncan

Cathy Grossman

text messaging

In the fourth quarter of 2008 American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month. That, dear friends, is nothing to LOL about.

Read what else Al Mohler has to say.

this is to remind me to listen

Mohler on the Apostle's Creed. Here.

prayers for Election Day

If you're reading this on Election Day 2008, join with God's people in prayer for His "will to be done and His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven" [Mt 6.10]. Also, go read and join Dr Mohler in prayer.

Don't forget, our King of kings doesn't question the extent His reign. He is not curious to whether His term as commander and chief will end. His kingdom is not of this world. To the increase of His government there will be no end. He will bring shalom.

good sources to read on determinism, the problem of evil, etc

This is classic Al Mohler, always providing some sort of culturally nuanced analysis of whatever topic. Excellent read.

This entry has a great PDF that should be downloaded. It's section entitled "What does a biblical approach to the problem of evil include?" is really good.

Here, John Frame gives good insights in an interview. Here are some questions he is asked:

• People often think that the logical problem of evil is a problem primarily for theists. Would you say that it is at least equally problematic for atheists? Why?
• It is not uncommon for people to assert, "God does not cause evil; he only permits it." Why do you disagree with that? What verbs do you prefer to use to explain God’s relationship to evil?
• What advice would you give to Christians who are wrestling with the emotional problem of evil?

good article

A recent USA Today article is entitled "Has the 'notion of sin' been lost?" Among those quoted are Al Mohler, Joel Osteen, Pope Benedict XVI, Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, and others. It begins by asking,

"Is sin dead? No, not by a long shot. Yet as Easter approaches, some pastors and theologians worry: How can Christians celebrate Jesus' atonement for their sins and the promise of eternal life in his resurrection if they don't recognize themselves as sinners?"

Read the rest here.

america's most sinful cities

On Valentine's Day, Forbes Magazine gave us a list of America's most sinful cities. Their opening line is: "They say geography is destiny, but perhaps it is damnation as well." Our good buddy, Al Mohler, comments on it here.

Most Lustful: Denver ranked first, joined by San Antonio, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Boise, Washington, DC, Cincinnati, Columbus, Baltimore and Buffalo/Rochester. The research firm of AC Nielson used sales figures for contraceptives and sex items in ranking the list.

Most Jealous: Memphis tops the list, followed by Charlotte, San Antonio, Seattle, Providence, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Columbus, Oklahoma City, Chicago. The rankings were linked to crime rates for personal property.

Most Obese: Memphis, Birmingham, San Antonio, Riverside/San Bernardino, Detroit, Jacksonville, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, San Diego. Health statistics drove this listing.

Most Greedy: San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Boston, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, Miami. The rankings on this sin were determined by looking at the concentration of great wealth.

Most Murderous: The crime statistics are clear - the most murderous city is Detroit, followed by Baltimore, New Orleans, Newark, St. Louis, Oakland, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Buffalo.

Most Slothful: Memphis tops this list as well, followed by New Orleans, Las Vegas, Detroit, Birmingham, Louisville, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Nashville, and Miami.

Most Vain: "Pride is supposed to be a deadly sin. When it comes to their looks, however, fewer Americans are seeing it that way," say the reporters, who used plastic surgery as the marker for this sin. Perhaps surprisingly, Salt Lake City ranked first, followed by San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Miami, Louisville, Nashville, Virginia Beach, New York, and Los Angeles.

EViL

Your friends and mine, Al Mohler and NT Wright, have good commentary on the modern view of God and evil. Excellent reads.

MY THiRD FAVORiTE ATHEiST

"Religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children." These are sweet words from best-selling atheist Christopher Hitchens. Read more. My other two favorite atheiests are my brother-in-law and Richard Dawkins.