Posts Tagged ‘bible’

I’ve been asked that question a number of times recently. Of course, the answer I’ve given has varied according to who I’m speaking to, and why they’re asking. But if I were talking to somebody who really wanted to know, and who had the time and inclination to listen, I’d want to say five things.

Firstly, we are a Christian church. And I mean that in its fullest sense. We’re a church that is built on Christ himself. In 1 Corinthians ch 3, Paul describes Christian …

As I sit at my desk typing this letter, I have in front of me an austere looking volume bound in grey cloth with a black label on the spine. The gold lettering on the label proclaims the title: Banner of Truth, Vol 1, Issues 1-16. I bought the book a few weeks ago. I was browsing along a church bookstall before a meeting. The books on sale were mostly new but at one end I saw a small pile of second-hand volumes. …

A few days ago we had some new carpet laid in our hallway. The two carpet-fitters had been told that I’m a “vicar” and it wasn’t long before the subject came up. One of them – we’ll call him Tom – was eager to let me know that he’s a Christian too. He comes from a “very religious family”. His language was colourful; his ignorance of the Bible profound. But he assured me that he was on my side, all the way (though I think he …

For many years we have made use of the New International Version. I bought a copy when it was first published back in 1978.  When this church began meeting in 1981, we used it from the beginning.

Some people can get very het up on the issue of bible translations. There are groups of Christians who argue vigorously that we should never use any translation except the Authorised (King James) Version of 1611.  They believe that all modern translations are corrupt and …

I hope you can read this! We take it for granted that most people can read. But that was not true in Bible times. In the Greek and Roman world, only a small minority of people ever learned to read. The proportion of Jewish men who could read was certainly higher, but there were still many who never learned – and of course, it was almost unknown for a Jewish woman to read or write. Another fact we tend to …