My wife eye and my daughter's limbs

Some of Beth's photography can be seen here.

     This morning I read Psalm 4. My eyes were captured by the 4th verse, "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound*." David was expressing that God gives him greater joy and fulfillment than the abundant possessions that his enemies have.
     David was and is correct. God alone has the key to my joy and fulfillment. I have tried to pick that lock with so many false substitutes but none has satisfied. It was a timely reading for me on this Black Friday so I could recognize that iPads, Kindles, flat screen tvs, and new cars will not actually meet my needs. They are not evil in themselves, they just simply can not sustain the burden of being the antidote to the neediness of my soul.
     God, today will you fill my heart with such great joy that neither the presence or absence of any thing would move me?
Amen.


*The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996 (electronic ed.) (Ps 4:7). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Attention Past, Present, & Future RMS Students

     Every year during the first trimester of Redeemer Ministry School I assign an exegetical paper that students have until the first week of December to turn in. Each paper contains a detailed analysis of a pericope from the gospels. They are to be 8-12 pages in length and must cite at minimum four academic sources.

     Once in a while a student will turn in their paper a day or at most two days early. Usually papers are turned in by students who haven't slept in at least 36 hours and are near delusional. The papers smell of Red Bull and Hot Pockets. 

     Today marks a groundbreaking day in that will be forever remembered in the annals of exegetical paper history. For the first time ever I received one completed in full BEFORE THANKSGIVING! Joyce Hawkins crossed the finish line at 3:23pm on November 24th, 2010. She is officially the Usain Bolt of the exegetical paper world. No one is in her rear view mirror. Kenyan long distance runners think she is fast. 

     Attention all future RMS students: The gauntlet has been thrown down and it's signed by Joyce Hawkins.

Epistolary Zombies

     Romans 1:4 says that through the power of the Holy Spirit,  Jesus was declared (or appointed) to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead.
     Thomas Schreiner pointed out in his commentary on Romans that in the original language it actually reads that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by the "resurrection of dead persons". Dead persons? Plural? That was very curious to me. I began wondering about the possibility that Paul could have meant something other than Jesus' resurrection after three days being the declaration to people that Jesus was God's Son.
     I began wondering about Matthew 27:50-54 which takes place immediately following Jesus' death.

⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 
⁵¹ Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, ⁵² and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 
⁵⁴ So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 



     Is it possible that Paul was saying that the Holy Spirit declared Jesus to be the Son of God to the world by resurrecting many dead people immediately following His crucifixion? I think it is possible that Paul had that even t on his mind as he penned the paragraph of Romans.  In the 20 years or so between the cross and the epistle to the Romans it is possible, even probable that the response of the centurion to the earthquake and graves opening had become common knowledge to followers of Jesus. If that were the case, those listening to the letter may have thought immediately of the scene we have recorded in Matthew 27.
     I have heard very few sermons in my life on the undead roaming Jerusalem following the passion. I often have had to remind myself that it is really in the bible and that it really did happen. If that scenario took place during my lifetime with attestation of multitudes of witnesses - I bet it wouldn't be so hard to jar my memory.
  
 

Romans: Paragraph 1

I've been meditating on Paul's opening paragraph in the book of Romans this week. Sometimes I can get lost amid Paul's complex sentences. I often will make lists of what I think he is saying and try to chart his stream of thought. I usually read and reread a passage jotting down notes as I do before utilizing outside resources such as commentaries. Commentaries and textual aides are greatly helpful to me once I feel that I have absorbed the text.


The following is Thomas Schreiner's translation of Romans 1:1-7:

1[This letter is from] Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called by God to be an apostle, having been set apart for the gospel of God. 2God promised the gospel beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 3And this gospel is about his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4and who was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness at the resurrection from the dead. [The Son is] Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through him we have received this gracious apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name. 6You are also among the Gentiles called by Jesus Christ. 7[I am writing] to all of you who are in Rome, who are loved by God and called to be saints. May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Vol. 6: Romans. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament (30–31). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

I simplified the first 5 verses for my own clarity by making this list:

*Paul is: 

A servant of Messiah Jesus

Called to be an apostle

Set apart for the gospel

*The gospel:

Through the prophets

In the Holy Scriptures

Regarding Jesus

*Jesus:

Was a descendant of David

Through the Spirit of Holiness

Was appointed the Son of God in power

By His resurrection from the dead (or of dead persons)

Through Jesus - Paul (& the other apostles):

Received grace 

and apostleship

to call all the gentiles to faith  

and obedience

For His name's sake


That simple chart allows me to find order in Paul's paragraph rather than just skimming through to get to the "meat" of the letter. 

Today's Newer New International Version

     In 2005 Zondervan released an updated edition of the New International Version (NIV) bible. Titled Today's New International Version (TNIV), it was received by conservative evangelicals much the same way that pulled pork would be at a Bar Mitzvah. Conservative heavyweights John Piper and James Dobson led the outcry against the TNIV. For information overload on this subject try googling "TNIV controversy" and cancel all your plans for the next several days.

     Zondervan gave up on the TNIV as sales were less than robust and as time elapsed it proved to be increasingly polarizing among evangelicals. They are taking another swing at an updating the NIV that they are hoping will be less controversial and more broadly accepted. The New NIV will be available in print next spring but you can preview it here.

     I used the TNIV and I generally liked it with a few exceptions. Some of my favorite biblical scholars such as Craig Blomberg, Craig Keener, and Greg Boyd all endorsed the TNIV.

 

Hoping I Have Good Soil for This Seed to Land On

The quote below is stolen from John Piippo's recent post on being free from trying to change others. Over the last two decades I have personally witnessed John's restraint from trying to advise people (me included) when they are not asking for advice. I believe that restraint creates an environment for people (and our church as a whole) to be themselves without feeling spiritually micro-managed.

"Nothing is more suspicious, in a man who seems holy, than an impatient desire to reform other men. A serious obstacle to recollection is the mania for directing those you have not been asked to reform... Renounce this futile concern with other men's affairs! Pay as little attention as you can to the faults of other people and none at all to their natural defects and eccentricities." ( Thomas Merton in New Seeds of Contemplation, 255)

Society & Culture

Tonight at 9pm I will be talking about the culture of what I call "The Society of Jesus' Disciples" at Newport Beach Cafe. Joy Bergeson will lead worship.

Jesus Appearing Again

After finally recognizing Jesus in Luke 24 the 2 disciples go to Jerusalem to see the other followers of  Jesus and began to tell them of their encounter with Him on the road.


While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." (Luke 24:36)


Again, Jesus appears among the disciples while 2 or more of them are gathered.  I wonder if any of them thought about His words in Matthew 18:20.

New to Me

When 2 followers of Jesus are walking to Emmaus talking about all that had happened regarding Him and "as they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came and walked with them" (Luke 24:15). It never occurred to me until just now that this is a physical picture of Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Upcoming Friday Night Preaching & Worship

• October 1 -Me on Jesus calming the storm - Matt Holladay leads   worship 
  
• October 8 - Josh Lewis on Jesus casting out Legion - Joy Bergeson leads worship 
  
• October 15 - Holly Holladay on Touching the hem of His garment - Kellie Robinson leads worship 
  
• October 22 - Sharon LLoyd on Jesus raising the dead girl - Joy Bergeson leads worship
  

Tonight!

Dave Nutt is preaching tonight and Kelllie Robinson is leading worship at  Newport Beach Cafe. It begins at 9pm and everyone is invited.

For information about the School of Healing & Impartation with Randy Clark in January click here.

Quite a Boddy of Work

There are certain types of characters in history that capture my attention. I find my curiosity piqued by people that have a Forrest Gump quality to them who find their way into significant moments. 

A.A.Boddy (1854-1930) was one of those people. I began to see his name pop up in my research of The Welsh Revival, Azusa Street, and Smith Wigglesworth among others. Boddy was involved with revivals in several countries. His spiritual hunger coupled with his passion for exploration led him to travel from England to Canada, The U.S., North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, and Russia. Intercontinental travel was not fast or safe during his lifetime. His writings of those exploits earned him membership in the Royal Geographical Society (England) and the Imperial Geographical Society (Russia).


Boddy was an Anglican minister ordained by the famous bishop J.B. Lightfoot. Author Keith Malcolmson says that the Pentecostal Revival in Britain began at the church Boddy pastored. His newsletter "Confidence" was the first pentecostal periodical on record. Boddy was involved or present at significant movements of God all over the globe. 


His wife Mary was a multi-talented woman. She was musically gifted, a skilled teacher, and saw many people healed through her ministry. She also had a reputation for "helping seekers into the experience of the baptism of The Spirit". In 1907 when she laid hands on a plumber from Bradford he had a life changing encounter with The Holy Spirit. His name was Smith Wigglesworth.

A few pictures while at Yankee Stadium courtesy of my wife's photography.

Ben Collins has developed a blog for our meetings at Newport Beach Cafe each Friday night. Check it out here.

RMS - Come Join Us For 9 Months

Redeemer Ministry School begins on September 13.Below are the comments of three recent RMS graduates about the experience.

"Before RMS I didn't understand how to be in a relationship with Christ. I wanted Him to tell me what to do, so I could just do it. I knew I should spend time with Him, but I didn't really understand why it was so important. I began to depend on other people who were in relationship with Christ for my direction in life. I was constantly searching out others for a "word" so I could just do what He wanted me to do. This left me anxious and fearful anytime my life presented options or obstacles.


During the 9 months of RMS, I dedicated myself to the school and to Christ. I did what was asked of me though I didn't expect much to change. Slowly, I began to understand that what I had (and wanted) before with Christ wasn't a relationship. I began to hear Him speak again. He challenged me, loved on me, and even joked with me!! Through the excellent guidance and teachings of the staff, I began to see my God in a whole new way. I began a relationship with Christ and it is still growing and evolving today. Though I still have struggles and failures, I have found the peace that passes understanding."

- Holly Holladay

"RMS has provided me with things I didn't even know were missing from my life. It gave me a safe place to ask hard questions, a family with which to share what I was learning and experiencing, and a solid contextual understanding of the Bible. Any of the teachers alone is worth spending nine months with, but all of them together is a year worth marking down as red letter. Each class builds off the others to provide a continual, daily renewal of intimacy with, knowledge of, and love for the Creator who wants nothing more than to call me His own. I found myself wanting to go to class, not because the teachers are magnificent, but because, more often than not, God showed up for class too."

- Emma Stokes

"The most remarkable gift of RMS was spiritual discipline. While I was prepared for a return to academic discipline, the surprise was that a real effort toward implementing the values we were being taught
played a significant role in the process of inner changes. The flower on this Vine was a true, intimate relationship with God for the first time in my life. Our Father delights in giving us so many good gifts;
discernment, insight,peace, steadiness, self-revelation, strength of spirit. But they are only available to us through intentional, quiet interaction with Him on a daily basis. This relationship can't help but seep into every other area of life, and in the invasion, He conquers, tears down, and heals. I can joyfully and truthfully speak
out the reality that I am not the same person I was the first day of RMS; the changes started on the surface and went into the very fabric of my spirit. It remains the single most rewarding and enriching experience of my life!
Thank you, RMS Professors & Staff.

- Patt Busenbark

Creationists, Snake Handlers, and Faith Healers in SBL?

There is a new article in Christianity Today about the relationship between faith and scholarship within religious studies. You can read it here.

I am home from vacation and I will ease my way back into blogging. (Deep breath)

I have been a baseball fan since my early childhood, especially of the New York Yankees. Usually when native Michiganders find that out they look at me as if it I root for the witch in The Wizard of Oz (I bet she was a Red Sox fan). In elementary school I read many books about Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth and I fell in love with the great history and tradition of the Yankees (I also really enjoyed reading about Pete Rose - but who in their right mind would want to be a fan of the Reds?). As the years have gone by Beth also became a fan. In fact, for several years she could recite the Yankee's batting order.

This week Beth, Ashleigh, and I are going on vacation to New York City among other places. My birthday is approaching and Beth wants to take me to see a Yankees game as a gift. I have never been to Yankee Stadium. This is a pilgrimage of sorts to be with my own people. I am thrilled to do this and especially to get away for some R&R with both of them. If you pass by a Yankee's  game on TV look for us. We will be the ones watching a playoff team.

Sermon Snippets

Below are a few thoughts that struck me as I studied the text I preached on at Redeemer last Sunday.

^{Matthew 28:11-15}

11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹²When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' ¹⁴If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." ¹⁵So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

* vs 11 - The women and the guards both were traveling to tell the same story (the tomb is now empty). Both had experienced fear (28:4,8) but only the women had joy (also 28:8). A true relationship with Jesus allows one to have joy in the midst of difficult and confusing circumstances.

* vs 11 - The guards went into the city... a reminder to me that the tomb was outside of the city. That thought then reminded me contextually of the religious complications of a dead Jew during Passover. What could be more inconvenient for observant Jews than death during the highest of Holy weeks?

* vs 12 - The word "met" actually means to counsel with. The chief priests gathered the elders and sought counsel. Many of the religious leaders would have been Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection of any kind or in angels and demons. To believe the soldiers story they would have had to get beyond their own worldview.

* vs 13 - What a ridiculous story! How would sleeping guards know who stole the body? If they woke up in time to see them leaving with Jesus' supposed corpse could they not catch them? Or did the Jewish fishermen carrying  a naked corpse outrun the mighty Romans?

* vs 14 - i.e. we will pay him off too. Judas, the guards (who they probably had to pay extra to secure the tomb), and now possibly Pilate all were the recipients of the dirty temple money.

* vs 15 - The women and the guards both obeyed their masters. The women obeyed Jesus and went to tell the disciples of His presence. The guards "took" the money and did what it paid them to do. What master's us? That which we obey.

* vs 15 - The word instructed is the same word as used in The Great Commission (one paragraph later in Matthew). Matthew is a thoughtful writer as he contrasts the false and wicked teachings of the religious leaders against the teachings of Jesus.

A little More Finney

Below are a couple of quotes from Finney's "Memoirs" regarding the manifestations had seen and experienced years earlier in John Wesley's meetings.

[In Adams, New York, in 1822:]Before the week was out I learned that some of them, when they would attempt to observe this season of prayer, would lose all of their strength and be unable to rise to their feet, or even stand upon their knees in their closets" (pp. 44-45).

[In Antwerp, New York,] The congregation began to fall from their seats in every direction, and cried for mercy. If I had had a sword in each hand, I could not have cut them off their seats as fast as they fell" (p. 103).

Charles Finney and God's "Liquid Love"

I always enjoy reading the stories of God-encounters that Christian leaders have had through the centuries. So often, those encounters seem to be the transformational soil that their ministries grow out of. Below is Charles Finney's recounting of his spiritual experiences in 1821.

Without any expectation of it, without ever having the thought in my mind that there was any such thing for me, without any recollection that I had ever heard the thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love; for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can recollect distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings. No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love; and I do not know but I should say, I literally bellowed out the unutterable gushings of my heart. These waves came over me, and over me, and over me, one after the other, until I recollect I cried out, "I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me." I said, "Lord, I cannot bear any more;" yet I had no fear of death.

How long I continued in this state, with this baptism continuing to roll over me and go through me, I do not know. But I know it was late in the evening when a member of my choir--for I was the leader of the choir--came into the office to see me. He was a member of the church. He found me in this state of loud weeping, and said to me, "Mr. Finney, what ails you?" I could make him no answer for some time. He then said, "Are you in pain?" I gathered myself up as best I could, and replied, "No, but so happy that I cannot live."

He turned and left the office, and in a few minutes returned with one of the elders of the church, whose shop was nearly across the way from our office. This elder was a very serious man; and in my presence had been very watchful, and I had scarcely ever seen him laugh. When he came in, I was very much in the state in which I was when the young man went out to call him. He asked me how I felt, and I began to tell him. Instead of saying anything, he fell into a most spasmodic laugher. It seemed as if it was impossible for him to keep from laughing from the very bottom of his heart.

MEMOIRS (New York: A. S. Barnes & Co., 1876), pp. 20-21

Tonight I am reading (and enjoying) what John Chrysostom (347-407AD) wrote about the story the religious leaders concocted to deal with the problem of a Jesus-less tomb. I am putting some of his thoughts below. I can almost hear him laughing as he highlights the implausibility of their accusation against the disciples. 




How did they steal Him? O most foolish of all men! For because of the clearness and conspicuousness of the truth, they are not even able to make up a falsehood. For indeed what they said was highly incredible, and the falsehood had not even speciousness. For how, I ask, did the disciples steal Him, men poor and unlearned, and not venturing so much as to show themselves? What? was not a seal put upon it? What? were there not so many watchmen, and soldiers, and Jews stationed round it? What? did not those men suspect this very thing, and take thought, and break their rest, and continue anxious about it? And wherefore moreover did they steal it? That they might feign the doctrine of the resurrection? And how should it enter their minds to feign such a thing, men who were well content to be hidden and to live? And how could they remove the stone that was made sure? how could they have escaped the observation of so many? Nay, though they had despised death, they would not have attempted without purpose, and fruitlessly to venture in defiance of so many who were on the watch. And that moreover they were timorous, what they had done before showed clearly, at least, when they saw Him seized, all rushed away from Him. If then at that time they did not dare so much as to stand their ground when they saw Him alive, how when He was dead could they but have feared such a number of soldiers? What? was it to burst open a door? Was it that one should escape notice? A great stone lay upon it, needing many hands to move it.

Schaff, P. (1997). The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Vol. X (530). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.

More on Q

I am looking again today at Mark Goodacre's 10 reasons to question the Q hypothesis.  

Ten Reasons to Question Q

This is an overview of grounds for scepsis about Q. These ten points are intended to function not as self-contained, knock-down objections but rather, when taken together, to encourage some critical questioning of the Q hypothesis.

No-one has ever seen Q

Current literature on Q abounds with editions of Q, investigations into its strata, studies of the communities that were behind it and analyses of their theology. In such circumstances, it is worth allowing ourselves the sober reminder that there is no manuscript of Q in existence. No-one has yet found even a fragment of Q.

No-one had ever heard of Q

No ancient author appears to have been aware of the existence of Q. One will search in vain for a single reference to it in ancient literature. For a while it was thought that 'the logia' to which Papias referred might be Q. Indeed, this was one of the planks on which the Q hypothesis rested in the nineteenth century. But no reputable scholar now believes this.

Narrative Sequence in Q

Q apparently has a narrative sequence in which the progress of Jesus' ministry is carefully plotted. In outline this is: John the Baptist's appearance in the Jordan, his preaching, Jesus' baptism, temptations in the wilderness, Nazara, a great Sermon, Capernaum where the Centurion's Boy is healed, messengers from John the Baptist. This narrative is problematic for the Q theory in two ways. First, it contradicts the assertion that Q is a "Sayings Gospel" that parallels Thomas. Second, this sequence makes sense when one notices that it corresponds precisely to the places at which Matthew departs from Mark's basic order (in Matt. 3-11) and where Luke, in parallel, departs from that order. In other words, it makes good sense on the assumption that Luke is following Matthew as well as Mark.

Occam's Razor

The British medieval philosopher Occam suggested a fine working principle: that entities should not be multiplied beyond what is necessary. How then has Q escaped Occam's razor? Luke's independence of Matthew, the thesis that necessitates Q, is thought to be confirmed by Luke's apparent ignorance of Matthew in the passages they both share with Mark (triple tradition passages). But the existence of agreements between Matthew and Luke against Mark in these very passages suggests otherwise.

Major Agreements between Matthew and Luke against Mark

A clear and famous example of major agreement between Matthew and Luke against Mark is provided by the Parable of the Mustard Seed:

Matt. 13.31-32	Mark 4.30-32	Luke 13.18-19
He put another parable before them, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a person, having taken it, sowed in his field; which, though it is the smallest of all the seeds, when it has grown is the greatest of the vegetables, and it becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and nest in its branches.'	And he was saying, 'How shall we liken the kingdom of God, or in what parable shall we put it? Like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown upon the earth is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth and when it is sown, it grows and becomes the greatest of all the vegetables, and it produces great branches, so that the birds of heaven are able to nest under its shade.'	Therefore he was saying: 'What is the kingdom of God like,and to what shall I liken it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a person, having taken it, put in his own garden and it grew and it became a tree, and the birds of heaven nested in its branches.'

The parts shown in red illustrate the agreements between Matthew and Luke against Mark. Location is also important: both Matthew and Luke, unlike Mark, pair this parable with The Leaven (Matt. 13.33 // Luke 13.20-21). Since the Q hypothesis is founded on Luke's independence of Matthew, agreement like this, agreement against Mark in both wording and order, should not be present. But the force of such major agreements tends not to be felt because of appeal to the phenomenon of 'Mark-Q overlap', both here and elsewhere (e.g. the Temptation; John the Baptist; Beelzebub). Does this then put the Q-sceptic in a no-win situation? Not quite. The Q hypothesis has a well-known achilles heel, the Minor Agreements.

Minor Agreements between Matthew and Luke against Mark

There are about a thousand Minor Agreements between Matthew and Luke against Mark. There is barely a pericope in the triple tradition (Matthew-Mark-Luke) that does not feature any. Among them are some that are so striking that Q begins to look vulnerable. For example:

Matt. 4.12-13	Mark 1.14, 21	Luke 4.14, 16, 31
12. AkousaV de oti IwannhV paredoqh, anecwrhsen eiV thn Galilaian. 13. Kai katalipwn thn Nazara  elqwn katwkhsen eiV Kafarnaoum . . .	14. Meta de to paradoqhnai ton Iwannhn, hlqen o IhsouV eiV thn Galilaian . . . 21. Kai eisporeuontai eiV Kafarnaoum . . .	14. Kai upestreyen o IhsouV en th dunamei tou pneumatoV eiV thn Galilaian . . . 16. Kai hlqen eiV Nazara . . . 31. kai kathlqen eiV Kafarnaoum . . .

For those without knowledge of Greek, there are two key points here. First, Matthew and Luke both agree against Mark in the order of Jesus' itinerary. Jesus visits Nazara before he goes to Capernaum. Further, both Matthew and Luke use a unique spelling here - not Nazaret (Nazaret) or Nazareq (Nazareth) but Nazara (Nazara). This Minor Agreement, so difficult to explain if Luke is independent from Matthew, can only be removed by the suggestion that Nazara could have appeared in Q, a troublesome solution which increases the number of narrative elements in Q (cf. point 3 above) and makes Q look more like Matthew (cf. point 4 above).

Minor Agreements in the Passion Narrative

If one were to find a Minor Agreement between Matthew and Luke in the Passion narrative (Matt. 26-28 // Mark 14-16 // Luke 22-24), then this would be stronger evidence still against the existence of Q, for no-one thinks that Q has a Passion Narrative. The good news is that there are several Minor Agreements in this material, the most striking of which is this:

Matt. 26.67-8	Mark 14.65	Luke 22.63-4
Tote eneptusan eiV to proswpon autou kai ekolafisan auton, oi de errapisan legonteV, profhteuson hmin, Criste, tiV estin o paisaV se;	kai hrxanto tineV emptuein autw kai perikaluptein autou to proswpon kai kolafizein auton kai legein autw, profhteuson.	kai oi andreV oi suneconteV auton enepaizon autw deronteV, kai perikaluyanteV auton ephrwtwn legonteV, profhteuson, tiV estin o paisaV se;

Or, for those who would prefer to see this in English:

Matt. 26.67-8	Mark 14.65	Luke 22.63-4
Then they spat in his face, and struck him; and some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who smote you?"	And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to strike him, and to say to him, "Prophesy!"	And the men who were holding him mocked him, beating him, and having covered his face, they asked him saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who smote you?"

Here, then, we have a five-word verbatim agreement between Matthew and Luke against Mark - tiV estin o paisaV se; (tis estin ho paisas se?) - an agreement that is all the more noticeable for its use of the verb paiw (paiõ, to strike), which occurs only here in Matthew and only here in Luke.
Michael Goulder (Luke, pp. 6-11) has placed some stress on this Minor Agreement as a key one in the case against Q, and rightly so - the leading defence from Q theorists (Tuckett, Neirynck) proposes that every single manuscript of Matthew has been corrupted at this point to include five words (tiV estin o paisaV se;) not originally there (for details, see my Goulder and the Gospels, pp. 101-7; with a response by Frans Neirynck, 'Goulder and the Minor Agreements, ETL 73 (1997), pp. 84-93 (91-2).).

The Phenomenon of Fatigue

When one writer is copying the work of another, changes are sometimes made at the beginning of an account which are not sustained throughout - the writer lapses into docile reproduction of his / her source. This phenomenon of 'fatigue' is a tell-tale sign of a writer's dependence on a source. Matthew, for example, correctly calls Herod tetraarchV ('tetrarch') in 14.1, only to lapse into calling him the less correct basileuV ('king') in 14.9, apparently reproducing Mark (6.26) who has called him basileuV ('king') throughout. Likewise, Luke re-sets the scene for the Feeding of the Five Thousand in 'a city called Bethsaida' (polin kaloumenhn Bhqsaida, Luke 9.10) only to lapse into the Markan wording later, 'We are here in a deserted place' (wde en erhmw topw esmen, Luke 9.12, cf. Mark 6.35).
It is revealing that this phenomenon also occurs in double tradition (Q) material, and always in the same direction, in favour of Luke's use of Matthew. Take the Parable of the Talents / Pounds (Matt. 25.14-30 // Luke 19.11-27). Matthew has three servants throughout. Luke, on the other hand, has ten. But as the story progresses, we hear about 'the first' (19.16), 'the second' (19.18) and amazingly, 'the other' (o eteroV, Luke 19.20). Luke has inadvertently betrayed his knowledge of Matthew by drifting into the story-line of his source (see further my 'Fatigue in the Synoptics', NTS 44 (1998), pp. 45-58).

The Legacy of Scissors-and-Paste Scholarship

Q belongs to another age, an age in which scholars solved every problem by postulating another written source. The evangelists were thought of as 'scissors and paste' men, compilers and not composers, who edited together pieces from several documents. Classically, the bookish B. H. Streeter solved the synoptic problem by assigning a written source to each type of material - triple tradition was from Mark; double tradition was from 'Q'; special Matthew was from 'M' and special Luke was from 'L'. Most scholars have since dispensed with written 'M' and 'L' sources. The time has now come to get up-to-date, and to dispense with Q too.

Recognising Luke's Literary Ability

Belief in Q has been an impediment to the proper appreciation of Luke's literary ability, for Luke's order has traditionally been explained on the assumption that he was conservatively following a Q text. But it is not at all inconceivable that Luke should have imaginatively and creatively re-ordered material from Matthew. Take, for example, the ideal placing of the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11.1-4; cf. Matt. 6.7-15), introducing a section on Jesus' teaching on Prayer; or the 'Consider the Lilies' passage (Luke 12.22-34; cf. Matt. 6.25-34), so appropriately following on from the Lukan Rich Fool (Luke 12.13-21). Far from 'unscrambling the egg with a vengeance' (R. H. Fuller), the thesis of Luke's use of Matthew helps us to see how Luke avoided his predecessor's more rigid, thematic approach in order to develop a plausible, sequential narrative, just as he told us he would do (Luke 1.3).

Arguing With Dead Theologians

This weekend I am preaching on the passage in Matthew where the guards that were at Jesus' tomb are paid off by the religious leaders (Matthew 28:11-15). As I study I am often amazed at the lack of historical credibility that many great scholars give the gospel accounts. I have been studying a new passage of the gospels weekly (along with our church family) for nearly 5 years now. Just about every week I read the greatest minds in New Testament studies either attacking or defending the historicity of each passage. My naivety causes me to often go from amazed to belligerent as I sometimes argue with my inanimate computer screen or commentary. In my mind I win each argument. 

The resurrection of Jesus is no exception to historical challenges, especially by theologian Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976). Below I am giving Matthew's account of the resurrection of Jesus and then Bultmann's theory (summarized in my own words) regarding it. 

Matthew 27:57-28:15

 ⁵⁷As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
 ⁶²The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' ⁶⁴So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." ⁶⁶So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
 ¹After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ²There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
 ⁵The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
 ⁸So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me. ¹¹While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.¹²When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' ¹⁴If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." ¹⁵So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Rudolf Bultmann's theory of the development of early Christian resurrection theology:


1. There was no belief at the beginning of Christianity that Jesus bodily resurrected.


2. Early Christians spoke of Jesus' resurrection to refer to a spiritual or non-physical event.


3. Christians then began to misunderstand the non-physical nature of the resurrection hat earlier Christians spoke of and concocted the empty tomb tale to make sense of it.


4. Jewish enemies of Christianity, unhappy with the growth of the early church, believed 
(wrongly according to Bultmann) that the tomb had been empty and therefore concocted their own story of the disciples stealing the corpse.


5. Christians that heard the Jewish accusation of grave robbing then made up the story of the priests, Pilate, guards, and the hush money. 


6. Eventually, all of the above events became known to Matthew who recorded them in his gospel (which all would have had to.

Undoubtedly I have simplified (maybe oversimplified) Bultmann's view to make it more readable, but the flow of his argument remains intact. I feel that it takes a greater faith to follow Bultmann's historical hypothesis than to believe Matthew's account as is. I love what N.T. Wright says regarding Bultmann's hypothesis, "If any historian finds this sequence more probable than the one which Matthew offers, I can only admire their ability to believe such remarkable things." 

Amusing and Slightly Disturbing

 This is enjoyably inexplicable and totally obscure. But this could initiate a new twist for RMS this fall. Maybe we could have each student draw a theologian's name out of a hat and then design a sock puppet to match. Then we could have a sock puppet panel discussion with each puppet theologian having to answer questions in character. This could work! Imagine the excitement in the air as students crafted the likeness of Karl Barth and George Ladd using sharpies and tube socks.

The Decision 2010

The much awaited moment has finally arrived. Ben Collins has decided to "take his talents to Newport Beach."

Friday Night 9pm @ Newport Beach Cafe.

Ben Collins will preach.

Kellie Robinson will lead worship.

Cookout Tonight!

We are having a cookout for all of the students at RFC (friends are invited too!) that are going into 6th-12th grade at our house tonight at 6pm. For directions or questions email me at josh@redeemerministryschool.com.

2 New Photo Blogs

My wife Beth is by far my favorite photographer. I know that I am biased, but I have always been struck the way she captures the fullness of a moment. Excitedly, I want to point everyone to two new blogs that she is beginning to post her photography on - here & here.

Venti Iced Americano - now this was a moment she captured fully.

Furious Love Event Questions & Answers

The Furious Love Event

@ Redeemer Fellowship Church

When is it?
                  April 6-9, 2011

Is it a conference?
                              Not really. A typical conference will have 2-4 speakers. This event will feature 9 speakers. All of the speakers have been featured in Darren Wilson's first two films, Finger of God and Furious Love.

What is the purpose of the FL Event?
                                                             The purpose is to create a teaching supplement for Furious Love and Finger of God, in a way. The entire conference will be filmed and out of that will come a unique set of teaching DVDs that people will be able to watch as part of small groups, Sunday Schools, and of course, individually.


Will the entire FL Event be available to watch on the DVD’s?
                                                                                                     Unfortunately, we won’t be including even a fraction of the amount of teaching that will be happening during those four days, so if you want the full teaching experience, you’re going to have to attend the conference!

How do I sign up?
                             Register at furiouslovefilm.com/event.


Is there a need for volunteers?
                                                  YES. Ideally we will need about 75 full time volunteers available for the duration of the event. Volunteers will be pre-assigned specific responsibilities in advance of the event. Of course, volunteers will not need to pay for the event or register. If you are interested in volunteering please email Josh Bentley at josh@redeemerministryschool.com.

9pm Tonight @ Newport Beach Cafe

My Wife

Beth Bentley will be preaching about the faith of the Roman Centurion in Luke 7. She has a tremendous amount of insight and revelation on this passage.




Holly Benner will be leading worship. 
You can find Holly's CD by clicking on the icon below:

The Case Against Q & More

One of the books I am currently reading is "The Hebrew Gospel & the Development of the Synoptic Tradition" by James Edwards. In this book he makes the case that The Gospel of Luke was largely dependent on an earlier work known as "The Hebrew Gospel". Edwards is also the author of my favorite commentary on Mark's Gospel. 


Edwards told the Whitworth University News (where he is the Professor of Theology) that, "The single most important conclusion of my book is that an early Christian gospel, written in Hebrew, was widely known to the early church and was utilized by Luke in the composition of the Gospel of Luke.The Gospel of Luke thus depends on two prior documents, the Hebrew Gospel and the Gospel of Mark, both known to us from antiquity."

He continues, "The Gospel of Luke does not rest upon a hypothetical 'Q' source, which is an invention of Enlightenment scholars of the 19th century that is maintained still today without viable evidence. The effect of this Hebrew gospel is to ground the entire gospel tradition in sources known to antiquity, not invented in order to undergird modern prejudices."

Edwards was told by other scholars that pursuing this hypothesis (regarding Luke's dependance on The Hebrew Gospel) wold forever ruin his credibility in scholarly circles. Thankfully, he continued on anyway. 

This is the first work I have seen on this subject from someone outside of the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research, of which our dear friends Halvor and Mirja Ronning are members.

As an aside, I excitedly look forward to anything that challenges the rationale of the unquestioned acceptance of the "Q" source existing among biblical scholars in the past century.