J. Randal Matheny

In what are probably the earliest of his letters that have come down to us, the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, St. Paul finds it necessary to rebuke his converts for walking "in a disorderly manner" (2 Thess 3:11). The word (?τ?κτως), with its cognates, is confined to these Epistles in the New Testament, and what exactly is meant by it is by no means clear at first site. Is St. Paul referring to actual sin or moral disorder, or to something less heinous? The papyri have supplied the answer in a striking manner. Among them is a contract of A.D. 66 [P.Oxy.II 275] in which a father arranges to apprentice his son with a weaver for one year. All the conditions of the contract as regards food and clothing are carefully laid down. Then follows the passage which specially interests us. If there are any days during this period on which the boy "fails to attend" or "plays truant" (oσας δ??? ??ν ?ν το?τω ?τακτ?ση ?μ?ρας), the father has to produce him for an equivalent number of days after the period is over. And the verb which is used to denote playing truant is the same verb which St. Paul uses in connexion with the Thessalonians. This then was their fault. They were idling, playing truant. The Parousia of the Lord seemed to them to be so close at hand that it was unnecessary for them to interest themselves in anything else. Why go to their daily work in the morning, when before night Christ might come, they thought, forgetting that the best way to prepare for that coming was to show themselves active and diligent in the discharge of their daily work and duty.

From Moulton and Milligan's Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, showing how the papyri helps us understand better the Greek language. Another example is given on the Logos website.

J. A. Bengel, the great Pietist commentator on the Bible, concluded his comments on Acts this way: "Thou hast, O church, thy form [pattern]. It is thine to preserve it, and guard thy trust" (Bengel 1860:1:925). We must do this by examining Luke's portrait of a Spirit-filled community.

We wouldn't agree on the specifics of that form, but many today deny there is a pattern to be found in the NT or in the book of Acts for the church. On that, Bengel was right.

I loved this cartoon.

When the Federal Reserve cites statistics to claim that there is not much evidence of inflation, we need to keep in mind that the statistics they rely on exclude food and energy prices. The cost of living is no sweat if you can do without electricity and food.

Says the magician in the hat and tails: Watch carefully, poof! No more inflation! Isn't that amazing!?

In this barrenness of unfaithful relationships, David sought after the Lord earnestly. "I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land" (Psalm 143:6). In stark contrast to such heart-breaking, human disappointments, David found the Lord's lovingkindness to be like a satisfying river of spiritual delights. "You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures." He found the Lord to be an ever-flowing supply of true life. "For with You is the fountain of life." In the Lord's lovingkindness, David found loyal love, steadfast commitment, and abounding grace.

Back in 2006 I noted in my journal that this devotional thought hit home with me. Still does. Read it all at the link.

It's time to lay aside the King James Version of the Bible because of the needs of evangelism, preaching and teaching, and personal study.

The quote is the concluding paragraph. Be sure to read the whole article, plus the previous article written about the KJV, at the link above.

China has replaced the United States as Brazil’s top trading partner

Our Walmart is full of Chinese products, too.

TIPS FOR CONCISE EXCERPTS/SUMMARIES

• Prefer short words. E.g., write “use”, not “utilize” (unless you mean “utilize”).
• Prefer simple constructs. E.g., say “because”, “since”, or “as”, not “due to the fact that”.
• Prefer verbs to abstract nouns. Abstract nouns are longer and less lively (and also lead to lengthier and clumsier constructions).
• Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Does that adjective really need an adverb to qualify it?
• Read over to remove needless words.
• Read over again.

This is great advice for any kind of writing. Where are my Forthright Magazine columnists? (They're good writers, but all of us could use these tips.)

An original seven-line poem on the Holy Scriptures as the word of God.

This is just the notice page. Gotta click the wee link above to get to the poem.

We have no way of forecasting or preventing disasters. We can prepare for the second coming of Christ, a greater event than any earthly cataclysm.

Some people see earthquakes and disasters as signs of the end. It's not what you think. Click on the little link above for the article.