Curtis Allen Live!

Not to brag, but I saw it live. And you have missed out, until now. Now you get to watch the video. Who else would rap about the Heidelberg Catechism? (You should have seen Kevin DeYoung's face during this performance. . .it was priceless!!)

Heidelberg Catechism (Live) from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

Tim Keller: Plant Churches in Cities (how, why, what, etc)

I love Tim Keller. I almost never agree with everything he says and does, but I'm almost always thankful that I took the time to listen to him. He's thought-provoking and insightful, and I believe he's a 'must-listen' for Reformed Church Planters, because he combines rigorous Biblical theology with rigorous contextualization and strategy. I often wish he would say less or more. In the following talk on strategically reaching people in cities through contextualized church plants, etc, I wish he at least began with a disclaimer that our greatest need is men and women of God who are earnest for holiness and desperate in prayer. Maybe I'm nit-picky, but maybe not. Isn't it the tendency of the human heart to omit these and move on to strategy? The latter is certainly much easier, and it can be masked as piety when it is engaged in church work. But having said that, if holiness and worship and prayer are one's foundation, Keller's voice must be listened to, with discernment. He has shaped me as much as my other hero, John Piper. Take 17 minutes and be spurred on in your love for, and your ability to, engage the city with Christ's gospel!

Tim Keller Argues For Churches In Cities [Lausanne] from Kenny Jahng on Vimeo.

Favourite New Song

My favourite new (to me) song from the Sovereign Grace Ministries' Pastor's Conference. . .



I was glad to find it on iTunes - search for Aaron Keyes. The song is called 'Psalm 62' and is found on his album entitled, 'Not Guilty Anymore'.

Funny

HT: DeYoung

The New, Updated, NIV Bible, 2011

The NIV Bible is about to change. This is no surprise. The one you have on your nightstand is a 1984 revision of the original (from around '78 or so?). Over time language changes and develops and new translations are needed. A few years back the TNIV was introduced, not as a replacement but an alternative. It used gender inclusive language, and it was a bit smoother than the NIV, but a bit less literal. Last year it was announced that the TNIV would be discontinued and the NIV would be completey revised. But like the 1984 revision, the 2011 NIV is intended as a replacement. In other words, in a few months you will only be able to buy NIV Bibles like the one you own at second hand bookstores and clearance shelves. In a few years your Bible will be a relic.

Again, this is needed (theoretically, anyway). Language changes and develops over time. But this new NIV Bible will force a decision, because it's going to use gender inclusive language. John Dyer put together the following graphic, outlining words omitted from the 2011 NIV (the bigger the word the more it is omitted):
A study of verse comparisons is also helpful (and also provided by Dyer):

This is not meant to be alarmist or anything. I'm simply trying to point us to a fact. The entire flavour of the NIV will now be different. The following is a sample of comparison texts from John 1 (again, Dyer is my man):

Aside from the fact that a whole lot of your memorization is going to go down the drain (ha, ha), these changes are going to force us all to make a choice: is a gender-neutral Bible the most faithful bridge between the original and the current culture/language? It seems clear that this new NIV will force a polarity of sorts. I predict that more people will go to the ESV, with its relative readability and gender specific language, or the NLT, with its amazing readability and gender specific language. It seems bound to happen. Trevin Wax agrees with me (and puts it much more eloquently):

The problem I see with the NIV 2011 is that the publisher (Zondervan) seems to be putting churches and church leaders in a position where they are forced to make a choice. A few years ago, upon considering the resistance from some evangelicals toward the TNIV, Zondervan assured Bible-readers that the 1984 NIV would remain available. But no such assurance is given now. In fact, the publisher has expressly indicated the desire for the NIV 2011 to replace both the original NIV and the TNIV.

Anyway, the new NIV is now on-line at BibleGateway. If you choose the NIV in your search, the 2011 version is what you are searching in. If you go to the menu you'll see that 1984 NIV is also still an option.

Having said all that, I'm excited to buy and read a print version of this new NIV. I love the way the current NIV reads and I always like the way a new translation gives a fresh perspective on an old passage. I tend to steer clear of the NIV when I'm doing in-depth study or meditation. The ESV is far superior for that. But when I'm reading large chunks of God's word the NIV is far less clunky, and I'm guessing that the new NIV will be even more smooth!

As I close I'll point to this post, where my friend Darryl Dash interviews Douglas Moo, who is the head of the translation committee. Moo is a solid evangelical and one of the premier Bible commentators alive today. His commentary on Romans has been my constant companion since labour day and I'm loving every minute of it!

The Six Second Kiss

Excellent counsel from Jani Ortlund. It begins this way:

What can six seconds do for you? Woman to woman, let me encourage you that just six seconds a day can help safeguard your marriage.

You can read the rest here.

HT: (who else?) Challies

Tim Kerr - The Prayer For Power

One of the many joys of attending the Sovereign Grace Ministries' Pastor's conference on November 2-4 was getting to hang out a bit with some other Canadians who also made the trip down to Maryland. One of those Canadians is a Toronto Pastor named Tim Kerr. I've only heard Tim speak a few times (at a pastor's fellowship I attend), and I don't know him well, but he's respected by so many of my friends that there was a very quick 'trust' (on my end anyway).

Anyway, at the conference last week I learned that Tim would soon be traveling from his church of 100 in Toronto, to preach at Covenant Life Church (5000 on a given Sunday), and I've been praying for him ever since. I just saw that the audio for this very message is up and running here. I have not yet listend to it, but if it's anything like his Toronto Pastor's Fellowship messages, it will be very powerful!

Again, give it a listen here.