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Did you know that the Bible talks about baseball?

The Bible starts in Genesis “In the BIG INNING…” *rimshot*

But seriously, Jesus may not have known very much about baseball (although I know we’ll play it in heaven), but he did know a lot about “playing catch.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

-Mark 4:33 ESV

The word “parable” is a combination of παρά, that can be translated “alongside of”, and βαλλώ, that means “I throw.”

So when Jesus taught using a “parable” he was throwing out a story and he would “bring the heat” as much as they could stand.

“a man had two sons… a shepherd lost his sheep… a man planted a vineyard…” These were stories that connected to people on a level that stuck with them and which ends up having a deeper impact than simply relating facts and information.

This is how we should teach as well, and we are all teachers.

Tell stories and ask questions, this is what Jesus did. No one is the repository of all knowledge.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers

-Matt 23:8

We are all entrusted with the truth of the gospel, and we all have equal access to God’s word. As a teacher, don’t feel the obligation of having all the answers, you are not the “rabbi.” We are all in this world together.

When our students have questions, even if we think we have “the answer” respond with a question, let your student find the answers themselves. It’s the leader’s job to help train the student, not to give the student the answers. The Christian life is more about relationships than about information.

It’s something that we’re supposed to do all the time…

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

-Deut 6:6-9

 

 

As a part of a project that I’m wrapping up today, I did a comparison between 1 John and the Gospel of John “GJohn.” Actually, the larger project was to demonstrate the Authorship and Date of 1-3 John. In order to do this, I needed to show that GJohn and 1 John had the same author, then that 1 John & 2 John were written to combat the same issues, in addition to verbal similarities of 2-3 John and 1 John, and they are thus closely associated enough to prove written by the same author as well, and finally, in that 2-3 John are written by someone with the same title, it seems most likely that all 4 were written by the same person. With church tradition as a major key, as well as looking into this fellow called “the beloved disciple” I came to the conclusion, against C. H. Dodd, that John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, is the author of Gjohn-3 John.

Anyway, as a part of this study, I compared things in GJohn to 1 John. Once the link can be made there, the rest is downhill. I was struck by all the similarities. I was gonna post these in Greek, but I was afraid most of my readers would think it was just spaghetti on the screed 😉

Take some time to look through these, given the relatively small size of 1 John, this is a significant bit of agreement:

1 John 1:2-3    the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

John 3:11    Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

 

1 John 1:4    And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

John 16:24    Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

 

1 John 2:11    But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

John 12:35    So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

 

1 John 2:14    I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

John 5:38    and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

 

1 John 3:5    You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

John 8:46    Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

 

1 John 3:8    Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

John 8:14    Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.”

 

1 John 3:13    Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

John 15:18    If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

 

1 John 3:14    We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

John 5:24    Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

 

1 John 3:16    By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

John 10:15    just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

 

1 John 3:22    and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

John 8:29    And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.

 

1 John 3:23    And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

John 13:34    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

 

1 John 4:6    We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

John 8:47    Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

 

1 John 4:16    So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

John 6:69    and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.

 

1 John 5:9    If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.

John 5:32    There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

 

1 John 5:20    And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

John 17:3    And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

 

My favorite gospel is John. Not only is it written (in my view) by the apostle who was closest to Jesus (and thus, in my opinion, more thoughtful than the synoptics) it also has the best name 🙂

So here are the first five words of John’s Gospel:

ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος

To translate this “word for word” and preserve the same word order it would be:

in beginning was the word…

Here’s a survey of how a few translations handle these first five words:

KJV: In the beginning was the Word

NKJV: In the beginning was the Word

ESV: In the beginning was the Word

NIV (2010): In the beginning was the Word

HCSB: In the beginning was the Word

NASB: In the beginning was the Word

CEV: In the beginning was the one who is called the Word

NCV: In the beginning there was the Word

Amplified Bible: IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ)

La Bible du Semeur: Au commencement était celui

So most of the versions follow the Greek word order, but is this really a good translation? Here’s the thing, in Greek the word order, basically, indicates emphasis and not the function in the clause. Where as, in English our word order indicates when something is a “subject” or and “object” etc. For Greek, subject/object distinction (among other things) is determined by the spelling of the words.

So here’s the deal,  ὁ λόγος is in the “nominative” case, that means that it’s the subject of the sentence. In English (usually) the subject comes first, even though that’s not the case in Greek.

So, that’s why I translate it “The word (already) was in the beginning.” So why do most of the other translations (mis)translate this verse the way they do?

Well, here are my thoughts.

#1 The KJV translates it that way. No other translation has had more influence over modern translations than the KJV. Even Bibles who claim to be completely independent of other translations and “straight from he Greek” are still translated by men & women who have the KJV wrapped around their brainstems. KJV casts a HUGE shaddow.

#2 Many people believe (in my opinion, incorrectly) that by continuing the Greek word order into English they preserve the text. This is the more “word-for-word” philosophy. I believe it’s fairly obvious that keeping the Greek word order at the expense of the natural English word order ipso facto you have made a less correct English translation.

#3 The first two words in the LXX (Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT that the NT mostly quotes from) are ἐν ἀρχῇ. I believe it’s obvious that John is trying to draw a parallel between the beginning of the gospel and the beginning of all things in Genesis. In other words, Jesus already was in THE beginning. So, it preserves that continuity in English to keep “In the beginning” at the front of the phrase. However, this makes for a lesser translation.

The word order in Greek stresses that it is THE beginning, the very beginning of everything. This “word” already existed, he WAS already present at the start of all things, even before the beginning of Genesis 1:1. But the subject, the main actor of this clause is THE WORD. He is the main figure and I think it’s better to keep the natural English word order. “The word was in the beginning.”

From that standpoint, I think The Message does best “The Word was first”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

-John 3:16

There is probably no more popular verse that John 3:16, but it is an amazing verse none-the-less.

“For God so Loved the world’ not that “he loved the world, so he did this…” but “This is how He showed His love for the world…” the “so” (οὕτως) is about “how” He loves the world.

“he gave his one and only Son” that’s the depth of His love, He gave His “only” Son. Not that God doesn’t have any other children, through Christ, we all have the ability to become children of God, but the “only” (μονογενής) is speaking of Jesus’ “uniqueness.” God doesn’t have any other children like Jesus. He is the only one who is just like God, He is the unique Son of God.

“that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” why did He do this? So that whoever, All (πᾶς) who believe in Him wouldn’t perish but be able to live forever!

“…This is how much God loved the world, He sacrificed His unique Son because He wanted to provide a way for ALL of us to be able to believe and receive eternal life as His gift to us…”

What an amazing verse! This is Christmas!

Okay, I HATE getting up early, but you must. You simply must!

If you’re a Believer we need you as a part of the army. There are too many people on the sidelines. You need time to praise the Lord, spend time in his word, pray, reflect, study, plan the day that you will conquer for the kingdom!

Now, understand, I say this, but I HATE getting up early, but I will.

This is the perfect time of year to start getting up early, because the clock just changed and you’re probably not 100% adjusted to it yet. Do not let yourself sleep in, here’s some tips (full post here: LINK)

So how can you become an early riser?

Getting up early is like most any habit that makes you a more productive creative: It’s hard at first. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Set an exact time to get out of bed.

If you normally get up at 11am, it’s unrealistic to start abruptly getting up at 6am. Think about what time you’d like to be getting up in the morning, and work up to it. Try to wake up 30 minutes earlier every week, until you get to the desired time.

 

2. Move up your bedtime in sync with the time you plan to get up.

Seven to eight hours of sleep is the recommended dosage for maximal productivity (with a few super-human exceptions). So if you’re getting up at 6am, you’ll want to go to bed by 11pm at the latest. If you try to go to bed at midnight and get up at 5am, you’re eventually going to run into some problems.

 

3. Get out of bed immediately.

The moment that you start procrastinating – read: hit the snooze button – it’s very easy to convince yourself of a multiplicity of reasons why you wouldn’t want to get out of bed yet. Don’t even allow those thoughts to kick in – just get up!

 

4. Expose yourself to sunlight.

Sunlight is key to adapting your circadian rhythms. If you’re having trouble getting up, don’t close your blinds all the way, so you have some natural light as your wake-up call. Once you’re up, a short walk (or run) outside helps reinforce the message with your body.

 

5. Develop a routine for your morning.

Whether it’s taking in the sunrise, brewing a cup of tea and reading the paper, or walking to the café down the street for a cup of joe, you’re more likely to continue to get up early if you develop a brief routine that is, in itself, a reward.

 

6. Stick with it.

Know going in that it’s going to take some time to adapt to waking up early – probably about 30 days. Don’t expect to feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed from Day 1. But if you stick with it, getting up early is likely to become one of your favorite rituals.