My 9th grade Algebra teacher was one of the neatest ladies I have ever met. She had  a different outfit for every day of the school year, she genuinely cared about students, and she loved math with a passion. She loved math so much that she almost made me love it to (I say "almost" because I still hate it, but I did come close to changing my mind because of her). 

Her name was Mrs. Chiado.

Being a great teacher is a gift…it is a gift that scripture itself has. Scripture is what we call DIDACTIC. Meaning, it was intended for instruction and that itself instructs. This is why Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The words of God are alive, and being alive it can teach us on a continual basis.

Scripture covers almost every topic we can think of, and those we can't. It is never static or frozen, it is always moving in the direction of the glory of God; yet so many people who claim to be Christians never pick it up except on a Sunday morning.

I believe part of this reason is that many people fail to understand what scripture is intended to do (hence these last 3 weeks of blogs). Some people never read it...but others, and this may get me in trouble, read it too much. Yes, some people read it so much that they never DO what it actually says. Scripture is not about how much you can get through, it is about how much gets INTO you.

So please, pick it up, read it for all it's worth. You will come to love it and love Jesus more. Get a good bible commentary and a good theology book to go along with it (I would recommend Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology). You will begin to see the scriptures come alive.

And might I even say scripture is a better teacher than Mrs. Chiado, because it made me love it and Jesus more than I can ever explain.

Whenever I get something from the store that requires assembly at home, I have a deep sense of dread. The dread doesn’t come from the tiny wrench or the horrible instructions they give you in the box that de-maculates you…it comes from the fact that anytime I put something together I inevitably have pieces left over.

If you were to walk in my back yard and want to use the BBQ Grill, it is AT YOUR OWN RISK because, YES, there were pieces left over. Nothing is exactly complete or equipped to operate exactly as it was intended.

Humanity itself, in a sense, is in the same boat as my BBQ Pit (or ceiling fan or book shelf or car stereo or any number of things I have put together)…it is incomplete and ill equipped because of our sin. Our sin has marred God’s image in us so that we are not all that humanity was intended to be (and we look for the day when all creation is completely redeemed). This is why we study the scriptures.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Paul uses two words here that are extremely important: complete and equipped.

• Complete is the Greek word artios and means fitted. It is kind of like when you find that perfect pair of pants that you never want to wash because you don't want them to change at all because they are just right; that is artios.
• Equipped is the Greek word exartizō and it means to be finished. It is like a house that get's built and everything is done and furnished…it is finished.

What Paul is telling us is that the Scriptures are what we need so we can be fitted perfectly to God's calling, and that by studying them we will also become finished so that we naturally live out every good work our Great Savior has for us. The function of being complete and equipped is for the purpose of good works.

Our Great God does good works and He intends for His people to do the same. He has given us scripture so we can be fitted and finished for these works.

It is like what Augustine heard when God called him at the age of 32, "take and read." Augustine, after years of living in debauchery, picked up a Bible and the passage it opens to is Romans 13:13-14. The scriptures spoke truth in his life, Jesus changed him and he became one of the greatest theologians Christianity has ever known.

For the past few weeks I have been working on our sermon series for next year, Genesis. As I am going through how we will teach it, many things strike me I didn’t even notice the last time I taught through it. It brings me back to the understanding that we, as God’s people, must be those who are constantly immersed in His scriptures.

We are told that He breathes out the scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We are also told that God’s words are alive.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The reason we can come back to the same scriptures we have read a hundred times before, and still learn new things, is that His scriptures are alive. In Genesis 2:7 we learn that man only has life because God breathed into Him. God’s breath IS life. That same vibrant life we have is also found in the scriptures. 

Over the next couple weeks, on Element’s blog, we will briefly (and I do mean briefly) look at what the scriptures are to do for us and why it is so important to study them…and re-study them.

Ultimately, we read the scriptures because they are all about Jesus. God breathes out the scriptures, but they are not the life we are looking for…Jesus is the life we need. John 5:39 Jesus says to the religious leaders who forgot this essential truth, You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me… The scriptures point to Him, so in the effort to know the scriptures we should never lose sight of Jesus, the one the scriptures are about.

I had a very interesting question posed to me at Element today, one that actually led to someone deciding to leave Element as their home church. The question essentially came down to scripture and whether we allow God’s word to dictate what we hold as truth verses our own experiences.

Essentially the person I was talking to had an experience that has caused them to view certain scriptures a certain way. They were explaining a text to me, from the King James Version, and telling me how the English Standard Version has it all wrong.

Now, I can have a conversation about translation style, which texts are used in the translation, translating committees…all that stuff, but what this person had a problem with was that the text from the ESV didn’t agree with them. I tried to explain the team of scholars behind the ESV and the Greek text verses the Latin Vulgate, but none of it mattered because they simply liked the words the King James Version used and it had nothing to do with correct translation at all.

Today in service I talked about letting God search us deep into our core, one of the ways He does this is through His Word. We must be a people who allow God’s word to CHANGE us, to read out of a text what it was meant to say, and never to read INTO a text our biases and prejudices.

If you have ever had a question about what Element teaches or believes I would like you to understand this: we will be a church that is grounded in God’s word as tightly as we can be. That means that we will allow God’s text to speak to us, to change us, to be our rule for life and faith…we will do our best to never read into a text what is not there.

I know this is not a popular stance to take in our world of individualism today, but we must base our lives on the One who is unchanging, Jesus, and not upon the changing winds of our experience.

The question came up last night at GC if forgive and forget is biblical?  Or is forgive and don't forget it biblical?

Forgiving is not forgetting, it is honoring God in all things first. We so often think life is about us, but life is about God and His glory. When God get's glory our hearts find freedom and joy by living the right way we were made. So we forgive, but also in forgiving it means that we don't give people "blank checks" because it only causes more harm to them than good.

Let me give you some parameters about forgiving:

• Forgiving is not condoning - You are not condoning someone’s actions or abuse by forgiving. Forgiving is setting someone free, in the depths of your heart, to resolve for YOU to live free from bitterness and anger.  This is different than condoning what someone did.
• Forgiving is NOT forgetting - If someone hurts you 20x’s in a row, it doesn’t mean YOU FORGET...some people are toxic and dangerous and you may need to set up strong boundaries to keep them away.  What you are doing is setting them free to not have anger against them (but you CAN STILL REMEMBER and not be in a room with them again). Forgiveness is the state where our own heart resides in – it doesn’t mean you continue to get abused, gossiped about, or lied to...you forgive, you become well...
• Forgiving does not always mean reconciliation - Forgiveness doesn’t mean you will be friends again; it doesn’t mean everything goes back the way it was. It takes 2 people to reconcile, where forgiveness only takes you.
• Forgiveness is a different issue than justice – It is OK to call the police on people whom you have forgiven. If someone breaks in to your house, forgiveness is not “you want my stereo too…” Forgiveness is when you stop harboring evil intent for them (even WHILE the police haul them off).

We must also understand that:

• Forgiving is personal. You forgive people (not institutions or businesses).
• Forgiveness is a process. Forgiveness takes time to process through, but we DO process through it. If you have carried garbage for years it is hard to forgive in 10 minutes.

Some people get suckered into the “you’re supposed to forgive me, let me back into your life.” Sometimes you have to say “no” because that is the best way to protect yourself or your family while also extending the love of God.

Romans 12:17-21 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. He says "don’t use their behavior to excuse your own." If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

I believe Paul brings God into the issue of forgiving because forgiveness is honoring God in all things first. We lay everything at His feet so we can pick up and live His life. That's the beauty of the gospel.

I would also recommend that you listen to the message we did during the Esther series about revenge and forgiveness: http://www.ourelement.org/media/messages/sermon/10178-esther-part-09-revenge-and-forgiveness

In the early 1990s (or late 80s) whichever, because it's all a blur; there was a movie that came out called Crazy People. It was a movie that was about many things, but in part it was about truth in advertising. There were some mental patients who started writing ads for major manufactures like "Metamucil: It helps you go to the toilet. If you don't use it, you'll get cancer and die."

I like truth in advertising, I think it is why I like Milk Duds. Why were they called Milk Duds, you ask (I know you are asking)?

Because in 1926 the F. Hoffman and Company in Chicago, tried to manufacture a perfectly round, chocolate-covered caramel candy. What happened was the machines could not turn out round confections so they started calling them "duds" and marketed them that way. 85 years later we still call them Milk Duds.

You may be wondering why I even write this blog today, well, first, Milk Duds are awesome. They rank right up there next to the cookie as one of the greatest achievements of mankind. It is only by sheer grace that a dud turned out so well…because God likes to take broken things and make them soar. I would hazard to say that a milk dud is very close to the heart of God (...I'm just saying...).

Second, because you can come to our Film and Theology Friday's during the summer and get some Milk Duds from the youth snack bar as you watch the movie. I promise they will make the movie much more enjoyable.

The third reason was Michael and I were talking last week about how we haven't had a stupid/fun blog in a while…so here it is. "Milk Duds: the only candy that tells the truth."
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oh…uh, wait. Apparently I am wrong. Milk Duds have fallen into the trap of the world in which we live and have eaten the forbidden fruit and sinned greatly and has fallen. It seems that there is NO MILK in Milk Duds. The Hershey Company, in 2008, changed the ingredients of some of its products, including Milk Duds. They got rid of cocoa butter and started using cheap substitutes. The Food and Drug Administration (because they have nothing better to do than regulate candy) has said that recipes that do not contain cocoa butter cannot be called MILK Chocolate.

For shame Milk Duds…SHAME.

Who would cover the truth to try to get ahead…oh wait…that would be all of humanity.

What value did the creeds have for the church (during the time that they were created and used the most)?

This is an easy and short answer….maybe.

The English word “creed” comes from the Latin word “Credo” which simply means, “I believe.” The most popular of all creeds is the Apostles Creed, which starts with the words, “I believe in God the Father…”

The word Creed is actually never applied to any protestant denomination. Faith statements that were specific to denominations were called “confessions;” such as the Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) or the Augsburg Confession (Lutheran).

In the simplest way possible to explain, the creeds came out of the church formulating a stance against heresies. They believed people needed something they could memorize that could be taken with them so they knew when the gospel was being threatened.

The Nicene Creed came out of (essentially) the Arian Heresy (that denied the deity of Christ). The creed that came out of the council of Chalcedon (Chalcedonian Creed) was about the monothelite (or Monophysite) heresy (where they hammered out the dual nature of Christ...fully God, fully man).

The purpose of the creeds was to make these truths accessible, memorable, and to pass them on. They are great confessions of truth and faith.

Lastly, The Creeds and Confessions produced by the Christian Church over the centuries are not inspired additions to Scripture nor in any way replacements for the words of Christ, His apostles, or the prophets which preceded them.

Peter Kreeft in Fundamentals of the Faith has a Chapter all about Creeds (it’s Chapter 17 in case you are curious).

Chalcedonian Creed (451 AD)

Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame one is perfect both in deity and in humanness; this selfsame one is also actually God and actually man, with a rational soul {meaning human soul} and a body. He is of the same reality as God as far as his deity is concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves as far as his humanness is concerned; thus like us in all respects, sin only excepted. Before time began he was begotten of the Father, in respect of his deity, and now in these "last days," for us and behalf of our salvation, this selfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer in respect of his humanness.

We also teach that we apprehend this one and only Christ-Son, Lord, only-begotten -- in two natures; and we do this without confusing the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other, without dividing them into two separate categories, without contrasting them according to area or function. The distinctiveness of each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, the "properties" of each nature are conserved and both natures concur in one "person" and in one reality {hypostasis}. They are not divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and only and only-begotten Word {Logos} of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbol of Fathers has handed down to us.

Starting this Sunday we are switching the version of the Bible we use at Element from the NIV (New International Version) to the ESV (English Standard Version). The question most ask is "why?"

There are 3 simple approaches to Bibles today and how they are translated.

• There is the Word for Word translations that try to simply take the text and translate it WORD FOR WORD. Current Word for Word translations would include the ESV, NASB, NKJV, KJV.
• Then there are Thought for Thought translations that seek to take a section and translate the entire thought in a way that keeps with the original wording but gives you the thought behind it. Poetry makes more sense in the scriptures in a Thought for Thought translation as many of the nuances can be kept. Current Thought for Thought translations would include the NIV, CEV, TNIV, NLT.
• Lastly, there is the Paraphrase. A paraphrase is a modern attempt to rewrite the scriptures in a way that modern readers can see it in a contemporary light (many times changing some key meaning in a text). A Paraphrase would be the Message, The Story...

The problem with each new revision of the NIV (it has been revised a number of times in the last 4 decades) is that it moves further and further towards a Paraphrase rather than a Thought for Thought translation. For what it is worth Collin Hansen, who serves as editorial director for The Gospel Coalition, likes the 2011 edition of the NIV.

Presently, there are more than 25 English translations. But The English Standard Version (ESV), in contrast to most modern translations, is not entirely "new." The ESV is the product of a rich translation legacy which spans almost 500 years. The modern starting point for the ESV was the 1971 Revised Standard Version (RSV). Over 90 percent of the RSV is retained in the ESV. The RSV was regarded by many as the best modern translation in terms of precision and literary elegance.

The ESV improves upon the RSV in 3 important ways.

The following are from www.evangelicalbible.com where they list the differing aspects of many translations.

First, and most crucial to the evangelical community, is that the ESV corrects key Old Testament passages whose prophetic intent was dulled in the RSV.

Another example of an important correction to the RSV was the translation of the Greek word hilasterion and its cognates (Rom. 3:25, Heb. 2:17, 1 John 2:2 and 1 John 4:10) which the RSV translated "expiation." The ESV corrected this to "propitiation." Propitiation means to appease the wrath of someone by the substitution of an offering.  Thus Jesus bore the wrath of God that was due mankind.  The righteous anger that was due mankind was placed upon His Son. Christ's sacrifice had the effect of both bearing the sin of man (expiation) and the punishment due man for his wickedness (propitiation).

The NIV and the NRSV both took the "middle ground" and translated hilasterion as "atonement."  In so doing the translators decided not to take a stand on the issue since "atonement" captures both expiation and propitiation. Both the "Message," and the CEV translations have removed the heart of the meaning of propitiation from their respective translations entirely.  (See Romans 3:25)

2. Archaic language was updated. (Thee, Thou, Art, Ye, Hearken, etc.)

3. The ESV translation is more literal than RSV. It attempts, as much as possible, "not to improve on the originals". Most people believe that different Bible translations are simply a function of varying levels of readability, though all roughly similar in accuracy; this is untrue.

Since the middle of the 20th Century there have been a lot new translations whose focus is not transparency of the original languages, but rather to make the "thoughts" or the "meaning" of the text more comprehensible to the modern reader.  These translations (thought for thought) have noble intentions of making the Bible easier to understand, BUT the result has produced translations which compromise the meaning of the text.

We believe that when a person reads the Bible, he should be confident that he is actually reading the words of God, in the form God delivered them to the biblical authors.

At Element we would like everyone reading the same trustworthy translation together. If you do not own a bible we will give you an ESV with a custom Element cover. Our free ones aren't the greatest paper quality so don't get them wet or they will expand like that kid in Willy Wonka who ate the Blueberry candy.

Having said all that there are at times problems with a literal Word for Word translation. I will give you some (because they are funny). When translators render a text “literally” without realizing the potential for double meaning it gets funny. In various places the following scriptures have been pointed out:

Gen. 30:35, “But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped …and put them in charge of his sons.” This was corrected in the second printing of the ESV, taking authority away from Laban’s goats: “… and put them in the charge of his sons.”

Luke 17:35 “There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” In today's culture "grinding together" has a totally different meaning.

Prov. 30:26 “the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;” I think you can see what this actually means.

Amos 4:6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities” The Hebrew idiom literally means they had nothing to eat.

Funny right? But seriously, all in all the ESV is one of the best translations out today. The work involved an exceptional team of more than 100 people worldwide, including: (1) the twelve-member Translation Oversight Committee, led by Dr. J. I. Packer as the General Editor; (2) sixty leading Bible Scholars; as well as (3) a sixty-member Advisory Council—all of whom are committed to historic Christian orthodoxy and to the timeless truth and authority of the Bible.

We hope you like the ESV.

It seems that no matter where you look, there are either "prophecies" or speculations about the last days and when the world is going to end.

Second, reading and understanding scripture... Please read last weeks blog (part 1) in order to continue to this so it all makes sense.

As for interpreting the word of God, here are some simple principles (regarding the "end" or anything else). The following is adapted from an article that I read by Matt Slick.

The Bible is God’s Word. But some of the interpretations derived from it are not (like the end times garbage). There are many cults and Christian groups that use the Bible, claiming their interpretations are correct. Too often, however, the interpretations not only differ dramatically but are clearly contradictory. This does not mean that the Bible is a confusing document. Rather, the problem lies with those who interpret and the methods they use.

We need, as best as can be had, the guidance of the Holy Spirit in interpreting God’s Word.

We must approach God's word with care, humility, and reason. The Bible is inspired by God and is addressed to His people. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand what God’s word means and how to apply it.

On the human level, to lessen the errors that come in our interpretations, we need to look at some basic biblical interpretive methods.

1. Who wrote/spoke the passage and to whom was it addressed?
2. What does the passage say?
3. Are there any words or phrases in the passage that need to be examined?
4. What is the immediate context?
5. What is the broader context in the chapter and book?
6. What are the related verses to the passage’s subject and how do they affect the understanding of this passage?
7. What is the historical and cultural background?
8. What do I conclude about the passage?
9. Do my conclusions agree or disagree with related areas of Scripture and others who have studied the passage?
10. What have I learned and what must I apply to my life?

Matt. 24:40, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left," (NIV).

1. Who wrote/spoke the passage and who was it addressed to?
Jesus spoke the words and they were recorded by Matthew.  Jesus spoke them to His disciples in response to a question.

2. What does the passage say?
The passage simply says that one out of two men in a field will be taken.  It doesn’t say where, why, when, or how.  It just says one will be taken. It doesn’t define the field as belonging to someone or in a particular place.

Q: So there has been so much said about the end of the world recently. It seems that no matter where you look, there are either "prophecies" or speculations about the last days and when the world is going to end. I know what I believe, but I wanted to know your thoughts regarding all this speculation we are hearing. Oh, and I hope you are prepared because the world is going to end on May 21st.

A: Well, I think I will answer this in two parts. One about the end time speculation, and two maybe a primer on how to study your bible.

First, end times...

I have two people I really love getting married on May 21, so I hope I hope the end of the world waits another day or so.

All the speculation really bothers me because it does nothing but hurt the message of the gospel of Christ. The modern church is so caught up in prophesies and trying to identify if "this person" or "that person" is the anti-Christ that many lose sight of the REAL Christ in the process. Jesus said WE WILL NOT KNOW the day or hour so why in the world do we keep trying to prove Him wrong when we know He is always right?

The current slate of doomsayers are predicting May 21, 2011 as judgment day. They call it "awesome news" that the world will be destroyed. The ad campaign has been estimated to have cost more than 3 million dollars so far.

The spearhead of the May 21, 2011 date is Harold Camping. Camping previously had predicted that the world would end on Sept. 6, 1994. When it didn’t, he blamed it on mathematical error (because we know that the scriptures are all about math and not about Jesus). This time he believes the new date because of the proper "mathematical calculations" and "clues in the Bible."

Personally I believe the scriptures teach that God is NOT going to destroy His creation on May 21 or any other day. It says in Romans 8:19-21 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. God loves this world He made, He doesn’t want to preside over its demise, He plans to make it right again. Redemption is the redemption of all creation. The Jewish Idea was restoration, redemption of creation, making it into what it was intended to be.

There is a reason God never gave us a time and a date about the end of the world...the reason: WE ARE CRAZY. God calls us to be a people of simple trust and faith in Him and what He is doing, not second guessing Him or trying to conform Him to our narrow little view.

Ralph Tone wrote on the Baptist Press website. “Jesus left no doubt about the futility of playing the dating game when he told his disciples three times in Matthew 24 not to go there.”

Warren Gage, dean of faculty at the Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, said, "I think there's a very clear scriptural reference that no one knows the time in the end. May 21 is not circled on my calendar. And I'll be looking forward to Sunday, May 22.”

The goal of Jesus' teaching was never to get us out of here and go to some other place, it is for us to live as light in the world making a difference IN this place. So don't give away all your stuff, go into debt, drink the grape juice or wear the tennis shoes (and tin foil hat) of the doomsayers.

I am sure I will see you Sunday morning May 22.