Some Thoughts on the KJV and What It Means to Be a Man

This pastor manages to be both humorous and tragic with this four and a half minute segment of his sermon. But what is truly tragic is that he is not intentionally trying to be humorous. And what he thinks is tragic is...well you just need to watch the video.

The answer to this problem is some lessons on translation theory and proper exegesis training.

He managed to get one amen, and I agree with the statement he made to get the amen, but the text he used to describe what it means to be a man has absolutely nothing to do with what it means to be a man. Furthermore, he never talks about the text within its context. This will be a classic.

(HT: Steve McCoy)

Knowing your Members...

I just recently finished preaching through the Gospel of Mark. As most of you are aware, Mark oftentimes created what are called by scholars, "Markan Sandwiches," where he would begin one story/event and would interweave another story before he would bring the first one to its ending. For example, in Mark 6:7-13, Mark begins a story about Jesus sending out his apostles for the purpose of kingdom ministry, but vv 14-29 address the death of John the Baptist. Then in verse 30, Mark picks up the apostles returning to Jesus to report what occurred.

I was trying to give an analogy to this literary device by comparing it to the FOX television show 24, when it went to commercial. For those who have never seen it, as the show breaks for commercial, we get to view what is going on in multiple situations, and that is what Mark does when he uses the "sandwich." He tells us about two events occurring generally at the same time.

I do not know why I asked the congregation that morning this question, but after I had given the analogy, I asked how many members had ever seen 24, AND NO ONE RAISED THEIR HAND. It was rather funny, but it did teach me to be more thoughtful in using analogies which my congregation will be familiar with.