Reading the ESV Reformation Study Bible

After my fellow elder, Ron, came home from Blackheath in September 2005, armed with Greg Oliffe's plan for reading through the New Testament in 91 days, a few of us in our church had a crack at this project and enjoyed it. I was using the TNIV and after completing the NT, decided I'd better read the Old Testament as well, and read it through from February through to the end of May.

This whetted my appetite for reading the whole bible, and I am following Michael Coley's 52 week bible reading plan, which divides the bible into 7 genres. I prefer reading whole books, and am not following the plan exactly, but find the chart handing for seeing where I'm up to! And what's left.

I began this at the beginning of June and am now 3/4 of the way through. I am using my ESV Reformation Study Bible, edited by R C Sproul, and am reading the book outlines and articles as well, and some of the notes. The ESV is not as easy to read as the TNIV, and is not written in the language people speak, though I'm familiar with the language, having attended church for over 50 years and having read the bible in the KJV, the RSV and the NIV versions during those 50 years.


The translators of the ESV claim that versions such as the TNIV are not using proper English when they use the singular they, seemingly unaware that using a generic plural instead of masculine pronouns has been part of English for hundreds of years.

But it is also used by the article writers in the ESV itself. Here is an extract from the helpful page on The Unpardonable Sin on page 1421 in the edition I'm using:

A person who wants to repent, that is, to reverse the sins they may be guilty of, has not suffered this hardening and has not committed this profound act of hatred that God has determined he will not forgive.

Note the mixing of plural and singular in the one sentence here! We were taught it was wrong in our grammar classes, but it is the way people speak, and it seems, also write.

The Whole Word for the Whole World

Fewer than 10% of the world's languages have the Old Testament, says this article from Christianity Today. Doming Lucasi, a native Balangao translator from the rice-terraced slopes of the northern Philippines, has just launched an Old Testament translation project and says that Having the New Testament without the Old is like having a sword without the handle.

Of the 2,400 language groups with portions of the Bible, roughly 1,115 have the New Testament. Only 426 have a complete Bible.

About a year ago, Ron, one of my fellow elders serving
Bathurst Evangelical Church brought a plan for reading through the New Testament back from a weekend trip to the Blue Mountains. A few of us used the plan to read through the New Testament in 91 days. After completing the project, this inspired me to tackle the Old Testament, which I completed in May, and am now working through the whole bible.

I've read about 65%, and hope to finish this latest read-through some time in November. I think every Christian would benefit greatly from doing this, no matter how long it takes to get finished. I like reading in large chunks, because it helps to give an overview of the whole book you are engaged in.

New Studies in Biblical Theology

Don Carson has not only written about 30 excellent books: he has also performed a great service in the many books he has edited, not the least of which are the 21 books in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series.

Especially stimulating was From Every People and Nation which was my introduction to J Daniel Hays.

This book will make you think. It may make some people angry, but when reading it, it is worth asking yourself if it is disturbing because the author is challenging the message of the bible, or challenging the way you have always understood what the bible says about race.

Some people may not like it because they want the bible to be racist.

Hays writes from personal expeirence of race issues, and has carefully researched the biblical corpus on this topic.

The New Studies in Biblical Theology series, edited by Don Carson, contains many equally terrific books, and I eagerly await the opportunity to delve into more of them.

At the time of writing there are 21 in the series, including several beauties from fair dinkum Aussie authors.

Another book that complements this one is Yamauchi's Africa and the Bible.

Finding God at Harvard

A terrific collection of spiritual journeys.
It was exciting for me to find this book on my brief visit to Harvard University Co-op Bookshop. We had only half an hour there, so it was great to find such an interesting book in the short time available, and then read it on the train back to my niece's home.
If you like reading other people's stories about their lives and beliefs, you will enjoy this book. The Christian people included come from a variety of denominations and countries.

I enjoyed reading the sermon by Phillips Brooks, the clergyman who penned O Little Town of Bethlehem. The introduction tells us that he rekindled interest in Christ by making chapel attendance voluntary, instead of compulsory, as it had always been.

There are many other fascinating glimpses into people's journeys of faith, but the highlight for me was reading about Harvard's spiritual roots and the efforts to reclaim them.

Warmly recommended

Showing the Spirit

Great insights into New Testament spiritual gifts teaching
One of the many great qualities of this book is Carson's sharing pastoral insights about preserving church unity in the face of controversy over such things as charismatic teaching and practice.
It is a most helpful exegesis of a controversial part of the New Testament. Everyone will find something to disagree with here, but will also find much sane guidance.

Highly recommended

From Sabbath to Lord's Day

This book is pricey, but invaluable. It will make you think about the relationship between
the New Testament and the Old Testament
the law of Moses and the law of Christ
the Jewish sabbath and Christian worship
and many other important issues.

The various authors, who were Cambridge post-graduate students, worked together on their book, and have come to quite a close agreement on the issues involved.

Table of Contents
Introduction by D A Carson
The Sabbath in the Old Testament by Harold Dressler
A Summary of Sabbath Observance in Judaism at the beginning of the Christian Era by C Rowland
Jesus and the Sabbath in the Four Gospels
The Sabbath, Sunday, and the Law in Luke/Acts by Max Turner
The Sabbath/Sunday Question and the Law in the Pauline Corpus by D R de Lacey
Sabbath, Rest, and Eschatology in the New Testament by A T Lincoln
The Lord's Day by R J Bauckham
Sabbath and Sunday in the Post-Apostolic Church by R J Bauckham
Sabbath and Sunday in the Medieval Church in the West by R J Bauckham
Sabbath and Sunday in the Protestant Tradition by R J Bauckham
From Sabbath to Lord's Day: a Biblical and Theological Perspective by A T Lincoln

The stance of the book is close to New Covenant Theology. The authors do not regard the sabbath as a creation ordinance or as binding for Christians, either as the seventh or first day of the week.



Highly recommended