Bridge of Reason

  In Acts 17 the Bible describes the Internet in general, and social media in particular. A place where people spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing of something new. So, what do we do with that, and what can we learn from Paul? I was looking again at Paul and his journeys and trials in Acts. In Acts 16 he is imprisoned in Phillippi, along with Silas, after having been beaten with rods for preaching the gospel and, ‘turning the world upside down.’ Before the end of the chapter the jailer and his family came to a living faith in Christ, and the police and magistrate came and apologised for their treatment. They moved on from there to Thessalonica (Acts 17), preached Christ crucified, buried, and risen, only to find themselves being hunted down by a mob of jealous Jews. Not being found, and encouraged by the brothers to leave, they set out for Berea. Finding some success with Berean Jews (who were reportedly more noble than those in Thessalonica) they found the Jews...

If you want to know what this series is about see my first post here . We have seen in an earlier post that ‘Dr’ Brian Simmons doesn’t have the background in Bible translation he claims to have had. Far from being involved in translation work with New Tribes he worked as a church planter. He presents himself as the ‘lead translator’ in the Passion Translation enterprise. However, his own account of how this work proceeds demonstrates he is the only ‘translator.’ Furthermore, the process doesn’t m erit the description ‘translation work.’ What is Brian Simmons a doctor of exactly? On her very helpful fact sheet, Holly Pivec explains: ‘ He earned his doctorate with the Wagner Leadership Institute (now called Wagner University ) with a specialization on prayer. [Take note that the Wagner Leadership Institute is not a standard, accredited seminary or Bible College that offers academic courses on the Bible and theology. Rather it was founded to serve   the New Apostolic Reformation...

 Have you noticed how easily people swear these days? Cursing has become commonplace, casual and fixed as a part of the way so many people talk today. If you want to know where this comes from you just need to watch TV, especially one of the streaming services available. Or perhaps not. It is amazing how casually people adopt what they see and hear on their TV screens. Something else that has become commonplace is ‘partners.’ I have a wife, my wife has a husband, but most people today, even if they are married, have a partner. I had a conversation with a lady who began speaking about her husb...and corrected herself, ‘my partner.’ Of course, my wife is my partner, but ‘wife’ means so much more in this age of casual relationships. Why do I speak as I do, act and live my life this way and not that? Most people don’t give a second thought to it. There is very little of ‘not that,’ just ‘what now?’ My old mother, looking out on an increasingly confusing world, used to say, ‘Well, that...