Month: March 2018

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Taking God at His Word

It’s not very often that you read a book that starts out with its conclusion, or ‘finishes at the start’, as this author puts it. The ideal scenario would be for an author to start building an argument from the bottom up, in the hope that by the time (s)he is finished, readers would nod in agreement to a job well done. Not so Kevin DeYoung in this particular book! He starts out with his point of application, which is to help readers believe, feel and act rightly in relation to the word of God. This point of application is one he derives from Psalm 119, a finely crafted and single-minded poem that reveals the Psalmist’s passion and love for God’s word. Continue reading “Taking God at His Word”

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The whole and the sum of its parts

Creative Commons Jigsaw 1 by annnie is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Envision the front cover of a magazine with a picture of a cheerful woman striking a pose with her dog – the headline reads “Rachel Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog”. As it is, the headline comes across as rather sinister; but a punctuated version – “Rachel Ray finds inspiration in cooking, her family, and her dog” clears the air. Phew!

No gainsaying, syntax and punctuations do matter.

In attempting to read just about any material, there are both internal and external factors that inform how a reader engages the art of reading. Continue reading “The whole and the sum of its parts”

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Spoilt for choice?

Photo by ja ma on Unsplash

One of the allegations often levelled against the Bible is that because it has gone through the process of translation from its original languages, its textual integrity is in question. However, because the inspiration of the Bible isn’t tied so much to the words, rather to the message it bears, translation is actually necessary. Not as though the words don’t matter; they do, because they constitute a message.

Also, the fact that the Bible has been, and continues to be translated into many different languages affirms it as a book for all. If it could never be translated, then it remains a book for a select few. Continue reading “Spoilt for choice?”

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Probing the text

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

A man sat down on a park bench to eat his lunch. Shortly after, a lady joined him with her dog in tow. The dog began to show some interest in the man’s lunch, wagging its tail at his every move of hand to mouth. Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the dog’s reaction, the man turned to the lady and asked ‘do you mind if I throw your dog a bit?’ to which she replied ‘oh, not at all’. He picked the dog and threw it some good distance along the path… Continue reading “Probing the text”

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