Is there scriptural support for praying for the dead? Why did God seek to kill Moses in Exodus 4? In a polygamous society, what does the husband do if he becomes a believer and has more than one wife? What evidence do we that Yeshua existed?
Hour 1:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: As I’ve encouraged and exhorted many times, let us major on the majors in our own lives, and let us not get caught up with side controversies and distractions. Let us ask the question, “How can I glorify Jesus and bear much fruit, right where I live, today?”
Hour 2:
Dr. Brown’s Bottom Line: Salvation is not found in a formula, but in a person. Salvation is found as we recognize our sin, turn to God for mercy, put our faith in Jesus as Savior, and receive Him as Lord. Everything that follows is essential, but this is the foundation of it all!
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Is Polygamy Worse than Same-Sex “Marriage”?; and What’s So Bad about Polygamy?
Is Polygamy Worse Than Same-Sex Marriage? Townhall Article by Dr. Brown
Fundamentalist Mormon Joe Darger, along with two of his three wives, recently appeared on O’Reilly to discuss their new book, “Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage.”
O’Reilly began the segment by pointing out that opponents of same-sex marriage have always argued that if marriage was redefined to include same-sex unions, other groups would want the same treatment. […]
Love the Two or More You’re With?
VOR Article by Marcus French
In the ongoing cultural debate over gay marriage, those that oppose it will at times attempt to show that the arguments used in favor of same-sex marriage can just as easily be applied to polygamy, thus opening the door for its legalization if gay marriage is legalized. In response, the pro-gay-marriage crowd usually responds mockingly, with phrases like “we graduated from the second grade,” or “this is a straw man you’ve set up, polygamy has nothing to do with gay marriage.” […]
Hello Dr Brown and the team
I can’t believe it! I can actually listen on the same day as broadcast, but the mp3 won’t download!
What am I doing wrong? Or is there a bug in the broadcast?
To the woman who had questions about textual criticism. Dr. Brown gave an excellent answer, I like the analogy of a puzzle. We only need 100% of the puzzle for it to be complete. But, the problem is not that we have less than 100% of the puzzle pieces, we have 110%! We have more than we need.
Bart Ehrman frequently says, to quote from his blog:
on http://ehrmanblog.org/category/public-forum/
“The vast majority of these differences are completely unimportant, immaterial, insignificant, and don’t matter for a thing, other than to show that ancient Christian scribes could spell no better than most people can today. (And they didn’t have spell check! In fact, they didn’t even have dictionaries.) But some of the differences matter a lot, affecting how a verse, or a passage, or even an entire book is to be interpreted. When you change what the words of a text are, you obviously also change what the words of the text mean! And so it matters which words were originally written.”
From what I understand based on listening to numerous debates with Craig Evans – Bart Ehrman, Daniel Wallace – Bart Ehrman and James White – Bart Ehrman on this very topic of can we know what Jesus said/the original New Testament said. And from what I understand, the majority of the differences would not be understandable in English. You would need at least a basic knowledge in the Greek language. (For the New Testament, at least)
Like.. It would be the equivalent of grammar rules in English. Using “a apple” is incorrect whereas “an apple” is correct. This is not something that can be understood if someone doesn’t have knowledge of the English language. In the same way the vast majority of the differences in the different Greek manuscripts are either spelling mistakes or grammar problems. Little things that have absolutely no effect on whether or not we can know what the original New Testament looked like.
I’ve never studied textual criticism of the Old Testament or read any books or saw any debates on the matter. That’s an area where I’d love to get some scholarly input on, perhaps from Dr. Brown. I am assuming it’s nearly the same issues with the NT criticism, but that’s just my assumption, as I said I haven’t studied it before.
Blessings!
Imagine the holy Spirit not being concerned about some things concerning how people followed him.
If that is so, I suppose it would be some kind of a test for the rest of us, to see what we might do with something that was “perfectly allowed” to be “imperfect”.
This of course would in no way negate the fact that every word of God is pure.
I believe all scripture is God breathed and that all living men also breathe.
I look at it this way. I wear clothes that are not perfect. I drive a vehicle that is used and imperfect. The tools I use on my job are not perfect unless they are brand new. I breathe air that isn’t exactly pure, and I don’t usually refrain from using these things. By using them I get to do what I need to do and get where I need to be.
“In a polygamous society, what does the husband do if he becomes a believer and has more than one wife?” Most Churches would say to divorce his other wives. I guess they forgot to read the verse, “God hates divorce”.
Eric,
A quick note. Actually, OT textual criticism is somewhat than NT, since the differences within the Masoretic tradition are less pronounced than those within the NT textual traditions. On the other hand, you other textual traditions witnessed in the DSS, so that situation is a bit more parallel (but not nearly as rich). The biggest difference, though, would be that OT text critics look at the versions, especially the LXX, as well as the Vulgate, Targums (which can be quite expansive), and Peshitta, and through these, coupled with other ancient textual witnesses (including the Samaritan Pentateuch and DSS), seek to determine the “original” text. But all translators still start with the MT and then decide on possible variations from there.
Thanks Dr. Brown, I appreciate the brief explanation. Sounds interesting, I’ll have to look more into this.
Sometimes when I look at the footnotes in some Bibles on BibleGateWay.com they will note something about an Arabic text. Would that be Saadia Gaon’s translation or is there an earlier Arabic translation than that?
No, Eric, this refers to a more modern Arabic translation.
Ah, okay. Thanks Dr. Brown, I appreciate it.
Ray,
wrote a poem once; started out:
“The trouble with the world is…
GOD never measures up to man’s standard of perfection.”
Out time/linear thinking is precise, but precisely inexact in a circular universe; which is why Einstein fulfilled, not replaced, Newton.
I live in the Smokies; supposed to have as many species of trees in one place anywhere on earth, along with somewhere in China. No two are anywhere near exactly like another, even among the same species! How could the Carpenter (probably stone mason, to be more ‘precise’) do such shoddy work?
Get the drift?
In Him, Ron M.
Peshitta site
http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/