Welcome Haddon Zerubbabel Kubecki
Haddon Zerubbabel Kubecki was born Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2008, at 8:08 PM. He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz, and was 20 1/2 in long. Mom and baby are feeling overjoyed.
Psalm 127:3-53 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (ESV)
Random Thoughts, Labor Edition
Well, it’s time. They admitted us yesterday (technically, they admitted Shannon). So the baby will be here soon. Watch this space (or my Facebook feed, if you’re my “friend” on there) for updates.
In the meantime, just waiting for the real show to begin. And so without further ado:
Random Thoughts, Labor Edition
- iMonk has an excellent commentary on Ed Young’s 7 day sex challenge
- Mark Driscoll offers up six essentials for Bible study
- Lydia Brownback enumerates biblical reasons for thanksgiving
- Terry Delaney reviews C. J. Mahaney’s latest book, Worldliness
- If the hospital didn’t block Flash video, I’d be watching this presentation from James White on New Testament textual reliability
- Gerald Hiestand contemplates the loss of God’s presence
- And just for fun, I will be trying this recipe sometime soon
The Gospel in 50 Words… or Less
Stephen Altrogge, an outstanding musician, has just started a series on his blog called The Gospel in 50 Words… or Less:
Each day we’re going to post a scripture that speaks directly of the gospel, and then a meditation of fifty words or less on that verse.
Two posts so far, both very good. One on Psalm 103:12 and one on 2 Corinthians 4:7. Check out the series.
Sabbath and Other Thoughts
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, so I guess you could say I’ve been taking a blogging Sabbath of sorts. I do have a couple of posts in the works, but they’re not going to be published until after the baby arrives. One is the birth announcement, and another are thoughts on our choice of baby names.
In the meantime, though, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Sabbath, due to two things:
- I ran across this posting at Gospel-Centered Musings, in which Michael Dewalt, a student at PRTS, will be looking at the arguments typically made in opposition to Sabbath-keeping among Christians.
- In my daily Bible reading, the same day, I read through Matthew 12:1-14, which deals with the Sabbath.
This post is mainly just thoughts on the Matthew passage, but I should probably begin with somewhat of an explanation, so that you know where I’m coming from. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’re probably aware of the special place in my heart for the Bible teachings of Dr. John MacArthur. Dr. MacArthur, in his writings, takes a decidedly anti-sabbatarian approach (see resource links below). Nevertheless, I am not quite convinced of his arguments against the sanctification of one day in seven to the Lord. John Piper takes a more pro-Sabbatarian approach, but in his sermon on Isaiah 58:13-14 (again, see below), he cautions that it is to be a delight, and not a burden.
I tend to lean toward Piper’s position, though it is not an issue that I have firm convictions on. I do tend to avoid, as much as in me, usual work on Sundays, and use them as a day of rest, relaxation, recreation, and focus upon the Lord.
And now, to the text itself:
12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. (ESV)
Thoughts
- The Pharisees display their notorious legalism very plainly here (v2)
- He rebukes them using Scripture, with the familiar formula “Have you not read?” not once, but twice (v3 and v5; see also 19:4-6 and 22:31-32 for other examples from Matthew’s gospel)
- When He says “…how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless” – He’s referring to the fact that very plainly, the priests themselves work on the Sabbath. (Application for the church: it’s OK for pastors to work on the Lord’s Day…)
- “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.” Amazing and profound. And horrible blasphemy to His audience.
- The whole point of the passage, I think, can be found in 12b: “So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” This doesn’t refute the Sabbath, but harkens back to vv7-8.
Related Resources
- Desiring God
- Sabbath Hedonism, sermon on Isaiah 58:13-14
- Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy, sermon on Exodus 20:8-11
- If the Lord’s Day is Sunday, Why do We Have a Saturday Evening Service? Q&A about how worship/church attendance relates to the Lord’s Day
- Is There a “Lord’s Day”?, sermon on Romans 14:1-9
- Bible Bulletin Board (John MacArthur)
- Other
- Ligonier Ministries (R. C. Sproul) – How are we to keep the Sabbath in today’s society?
- Reformation 21 (Rick Phillips) – Advice for Sabbath-keeping (excellent!)
- Monergism.com – Resources on the Sabbath
Book Review: Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek
Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek
by Constantine R. Campbell.
Zondervan, 159 pages.
ISBN 031029083X
Verbal aspect is one of the more difficult concepts of Biblical Greek to grasp. It is only fairly recently in the history of Biblical Greek studies that this area has been given intensive analysis. Still, it remains elusive even for seasoned scholars and commentators.
To meet this challenge, Constantine R. Campbell has put together this short but thorough text.
The book is divided into two sections. The first section, comprising 1/3 of the book, is titled “Verbal Aspect Theory.” Here Campbell presents a history of the development of grammatical analysis of verbal aspect in Greek, along with a basic overview the subject. The focus is on answering the question of “so what” – why study verbal aspect? And the question is answered effectively, as verbal aspect presents the Greek scholar, New Testament commentator, and pastor with one of the most challenging (and potentially dangerous) aspects (pun intended) of interpreting the Biblical text.
The second section, “Verbal Aspect and New Testament Text,” comprises the bulk of the book. The author presents various scenarios and shows how the combination of various elements of grammar and context combine to determine the meaning of a verb. This part of the book will be most useful for the student not only while studying verbal aspect, but also for future reference. Various combinations are shown and explained from the New Testament text, and exercises are presented to ensure that the reader grasps the concepts.
As a newer student of Greek, I have not delved very deeply into verbal aspect in my own studies as yet. But this volume will make a useful addition alongside Zondervan’s other Greek resources, from basic texts like Mounce’s Basics of Biblical Greek Grammer to intermediate references like Wallace’s Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. It explains enough to be useful for the advanced beginner, and is thorough enoug has a reference for the seasoned exegete.
Full disclosure: I received a review copy of this book gratis from Zondervan.
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