The Logos Bible Software Blog
I’m bad at reading the Bible quickly or in big chunks. I’m always getting stopped by interesting little questions (and interesting big ones). Here’s a representative example:
Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” (1 Corinthians 10:7 ESV)
I’ve puzzled over that word “play.” It seems a little out of place. What’s so bad about eating, drinking, and, of all things, playing?
I was trying to turn Psalm 1 into a singable song for the Bible club boys (6th grade on up) from the neighborhoods around my church. These were not young men with extensive church backgrounds and full-ride scholarships to elite Sunday schools. Their mastery of rap lyrics was, let’s say, somewhat superior to their knowledge of Scripture. But they had a capacity—and sometimes, I could swear, a desire—to learn.
I was absolutely shocked.
At the top of my NT Introduction paper on Jewish Institutions of New Testament Times was a “B+”—but that wasn’t the shocker. I was only just starting seminary, and I didn’t have the hang of things yet. What shocked me was that the B+ was scribbled out and a big red “F” was written next to it, along with a message: “Come see me.”
For several weeks I’ve been trying to End Bible Translation Tribalism. I’m urging Christians not to make our good Bible translations into rallying points or battle flags for internecine warfare. Instead, we members of Christ’s body should recognize our (good) Bible translations for what they are: useful and complementary tools for listening to Christ, our head.
I enjoyed my Hebrew courses. I like languages. And one of the first big rewards of learning Hebrew is translating a small book like Jonah or Ruth. I say it’s a reward, because it is fun; you get a sense of satisfaction that you’ve actually learned something.
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The difference between this . . .
. . . and this . . .
. . . consists largely in the skill with which the latter photographer used the complicated tools on his SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera—and the complicated software tools used for post-production.
Likewise, the difference between an adequate sermon or Bible study and an excellent one may come down to the time you put in understanding and using the tools you have—including, preeminently, Logos Bible Software. Here are five ways you can begin to master Logos features so you can move from Logos novice to Logos pro.
An experienced pastor I greatly respect, a truly world-class Bible expositor whose series through Ephesians changed my life, sat in a room with a bunch of skinny, exegetically deficient young preacher wannabes. I was the skinniest. He was trying to mentor our motley crew, providing one piece of wisdom after another, pieces I have always, by God’s grace, followed.
Except one. This pastor told us young men to get one Bible and stick with it. His point was not so much to stick with one translation (he himself checked multiple translations regularly) but to have one edition that you really get to know.
The New Testament’s use of the Old Testament has been described as the “master problem” of Christian theology. Jesus’ and Paul’s words on the subject are direct and, in a way, simple: Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law but to “fulfill” it (Matt 5:16–17); and Paul says we are “not under law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14). But how do you harmonize those and other NT statements about the law, and how do you work out their specific implications? That’s the master problem.
Perhaps you’ve seen it: that little pyramid of circles next to the page number in a Logos resource. Click on the icon, but don’t be overwhelmed by the list of options that appears. You’ve just found “visual filters,” powerful tools for Bible study. They’re not scary once they’re explained. (You will be not-scared by the end of this post, guaranteed.)
There are many visual filters, depending on what resource you have open, but let me just hit the high points—the five major benefits of the five main visual filters you should use.
I want people who study the Bible to stop asking, “What’s the best Bible translation?” and feel free to use all the good translations we have. It’s what I called, last week, Ending Bible Translation Tribalism.
In my vision of the ideal world, Christians and Christian groups will still have their favored translations, but they will also make regular use of the many other good translations that God has permitted us to have. (And in this world fine milk chocolate would be very cheap and very good for you.)
I can’t assume that my little post ended Bible translation tribalism. You may still be thinking, “But not all translations are good! Translation X is flat out bad!”