In Depth:  Bible

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Bibliolatry? Us? Really?
everyday theology

Bibliolatry? Us? Really?
Michael Reeves
Michael Reeves

The reason why evangelicals treat Scripture as their supreme authority is because it is the word of God. In other words, evangelicals believe in what is traditionally called the “inspiration” of Scripture.

Today, the word “inspiration” can be a little misleading, as if Moses, Paul, and Luke simply felt enthused one day and started scribbling. That is not at all what is meant! By inspiration is meant what Paul teaches Timothy when he writes of how “from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings … All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:15-17).

Finding clear lenses for seeing Scripture

Finding clear lenses for seeing Scripture
John Woods
John Woods

Book Review WE WHO WRESTLE WITH GOD: Perceptions of the Divine

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500 years of William Tyndale and the English Bible

500 years of William Tyndale and the English Bible
Brian H. Edwards

On 30 June 1513, the young king, Henry VIII, arrived in Calais determined to reassert his title as "King of England and France."

His army, together with the flamboyant and hugely expensive royal paraphernalia that accompanied it, spent three months achieving little before returning home to a plague-ridden England, with measles for the King and a miscarriage for Queen Catherine.

To a better understanding of ‘Scripture trumps all’
everyday theology

To a better understanding of ‘Scripture trumps all’
Michael Reeves
Michael Reeves

Again and again since the close of the New Testament, the church has reasserted the essential evangelical principle of the supremacy of Scripture alone. Why so? Quite simply, because that is what Jesus taught about how we can know the truth.

Mark 7:1-13 depicts Jesus’s controversy with the Pharisees over Scripture and its authority. A dispute had arisen over handwashing. The Pharisees’ concern was a religious one, that they might be “defiled” (v.2) and they therefore insisted on a ceremonial handwashing according “to the tradition of the elders” (v.3). Their objection to Jesus was that His disciples did not walk according to this tradition (v.5). To this, Jesus replied: “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (v.8).

How can comparing Bible and Qur’an help with our evangelism?

How can comparing Bible and Qur’an help with our evangelism?
Andrew Marsay
Andrew Marsay

The July 2023 edition of en ran my article "How can we think deeply about Islam?", a precis of a book that I am working on called Thinking Theologically About Islam.

It is my response of amazement that a religion with as little theological substance as Islam has can enthral the minds and hearts of so many millions of people. But to understand why I am convinced that a much more deliberately theological approach to Islam is needed, you will need to know something of my religious background.

God, mammon & economics
editorial

God, mammon & economics
Editorial
Editorial

What are your views on the economic situation facing the nation and the world? What have you made of discussions in recent weeks around tariffs and globalisation? Such issues can often seem somewhat divorced from our Christian faith. And yet these are matters which affect all of us, every day, in many different ways.

At Evangelicals Now, one of the things we are interested in is “joined-up thinking” in relation to our faith and our world. In other words, if Christ is Lord of all, how does that Lordship affect every area of human life and thought? And that includes economics.

Why mindfulness is different from Biblical meditation

Why mindfulness is different from Biblical meditation
Dave Burke
Dave Burke

We sing about it: ‘Be still for the presence of the Lord…’ We read about it: ‘Be still and know that I am God…’ But we are never still!

The Bible often speaks of ‘stillness’, and the things related to it, such as meditating and waiting on God. But Christians, especially evangelical Christians, cannot abide stillness. We like noise and activity, with a side-order of mild chaos. We don’t do stillness.

‘Exciting’ London Gospel launch

‘Exciting’ London Gospel launch
en staff
en staff

A galaxy of leading evangelical organisations is supporting what is described as an “exciting” new edition of Mark’s Gospel for mass distribution across London.

The giveaway Gospel is soon to be published by Grace Publications, in collaboration with Holman/Lifeway and London City Mission. Designed in what is described as “a contemporary zine format”, it combines “keen affordability with compelling graphics and design.”

Bible sales soar in the UK

Bible sales soar in the UK
en staff
en staff

Bible sales in the UK are soaring, thanks to increasing interest in spiritual matters from Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012.

The Christian publisher SPCK says there “was an increase of 87 percent between 2019 and 2024 – from £2.69 million to £5.02 million,” The Times reports. The newspaper added: “Bible Society said that its 2018 volume Good News Bible – The Youth Edition, was ‘by far our most popular’, with sales almost doubling since 2021.”

A God who cares about women

A God who cares about women
Naomi Dawson
Naomi Dawson

Hagar’s story is surely one to be retold. In Genesis 12, Abram and Sarai were promised “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky”. Yet Sarai remained childless and the pressure of this over decades would have weighed heavily.

So they took matters into their own hands. In Genesis 16, Sarai “gave Hagar to her husband to be his wife” and they used their slave to be a surrogate and she fell pregnant.

Another Bible version option

Another Bible version option
Vernon Wilkins

Book Review CHRISTAN STANDARD BIBLE,

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How can Scripture help you sleep better?

How can Scripture help you sleep better?
Mike Payne
Mike Payne

It’s 4.10 in the morning, and you have been awake for well over an hour. You are battling with anxious thoughts, and sleep is impossible. You have an important meeting at work later on today, and you know you won’t be up to it. You see no way out. Help!

Have you ever been there? I have. And no doubt you have found help from the word of God. I certainly have. In fact, I have three ‘friends’ who have helped me. Three Bible words:

US Bible surge led by first-time buyers

US Bible surge led by first-time buyers
Milla Ling-Davies
Milla Ling-Davies

In the last year, the sale of Bibles in the US has jumped by a staggering 22%, despite overall book sales in the country only rising by less than 1%.

This increase, reported by Circana BookScan, has been attributed to people searching for stability and assurance, and is the latest sign of an encouraging trend of growth for Bible sales in the US. In 2019, 9.7million Bibles were bought by Americans, whereas last year that number leapt to 14.2 million, and in the first ten months of this year has already hit 13.7 million (Forbes).

Are seminaries failing in the teaching of New Testament Greek?

Are seminaries failing in the teaching of New Testament Greek?
Paul Karageorgi
Paul Karageorgi

In 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the Ottoman Turks. This was a disaster for the Greeks but it became a blessing for Western Europe. It was inevitable that those who had the means, that is, the educated elite, sought refuge in the West and they took with them valuable manuscripts.

The spark that ignited the Reformation

For the first time there was significant interaction between Western scholars educated in Latin and Eastern scholars educated in Greek. Direct access to classical Greek works and the Greek New Testament was now possible. There was a keen interest in classical literature, art, drama and philosophy.

How to run the worst possible Bible study

How to run the worst possible Bible study
Robin Barfield
Robin Barfield

What is your ideal Bible study? It may be one where your young people give you all the correct answers, quietly nodding as you dispense wisdom, and you get through all the questions you had prepared. I want to suggest that this may be the worst possible study!

Over the last few months, we have been considering the dynamic that the Bible gives us of God encountering our young people. When we open Scripture with them, it is worship! It is not a textual exercise like a high school study of Shakespeare. But that is what we so often make them.

And the best Bible app is…

And the best Bible app is…
Jordan Brown
Jordan Brown

App Review en recently had a website enquiry from a man name Gareth who asked if we could write an article on the best Bible app. This email was forwarded to me; I accepted.

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'Couch to 5k' but for Bible reading

'Couch to 5k' but for Bible reading
Caroline Haley
Caroline Haley

Book Review THE QUIET TIME KICKSTART: Six Weeks to a Healthy Bible Habit

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How can Advent calendars boost your Bible reading habits?

How can Advent calendars boost your Bible reading habits?
Rachel Jones
Rachel Jones

I don’t know when we reached peak Advent calendar. Maybe it was 2021, in a fit of post-Covid desperation.

Whenever it was, it doesn’t seem to show any signs of abating. They are, as one newspaper round-up put it, ‘as much a staple in the run-up to Christmas as drinking too much and listening to Last Christmas for the 1,237th time.’ A cursory look at the John Lewis website reveals a wealth of options – you can, among other things, spend £160 on a ‘Dazzle and Glow’ beauty Advent calendar, or £25 on one with a month’s worth of pork scratchings. Take your pick.

Christopher Ash: Christ, the Psalms and us

Christopher Ash: Christ, the Psalms and us
John Woods
John Woods

Following the publication of the new book, The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary, en reviews editor John Woods spoke to the author, Christopher Ash, at Tyndale House.

Christopher is a Scholar-in-Residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge.

Trinitarian Bible Society grows substantially

Trinitarian Bible Society grows substantially
Luke Randall
Luke Randall

The Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS) sent 3.26 million Scriptures and Scripture items, in 38 languages, to 111 different countries in 2023. This represents a 13% increase in circulation compared to 2022.

A recent newsletter from the Bible-translating organisation, which has prided itself upon distributing accurate, Protestant Scripture since 1831, revealed positive circulation statistics for 2023, a year which saw them distribute 490,181 more copies of Scriptures (Bibles, New Testaments and portions) than in 2022.

'Once for all': the sufficiency of Scripture
lessons from Jude

'Once for all': the sufficiency of Scripture
Tom Forryan
Tom Forryan

It was the first Sunday of the year and we were visiting a large church in our town. After the service an enthusiastic young man came up and told me, 'The Lord has shown me you are in full-time Christian ministry.'

(How did the Lord do that? Was it a miracle? Was it because I sat at the front with a big Bible open in front of me?) Then he said, 'I have a word from the Lord for you: you will go to the next level this year!' I can’t honestly say that prediction was false – presumably I did indeed go to the next level in something that year, even if it was only my favourite computer game – but it didn’t trouble me. Why not? Because I believe in the sufficiency of Scripture.

Do you listen in order to understand?
the ENd word

Do you listen in order to understand?
Lizzy Smallwood
Lizzy Smallwood

In my last few articles we are looking at how the apostle James views the ‘respectable’ sins that we allow to take root and grow in us unchecked.

So, on to another of James’ diagnostic tests. I read something recently that hit a nerve: ‘One of the biggest problems with our communication is that we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply.’

Are you a ‘real sinner’?
everyday theology

Are you a ‘real sinner’?
Michael Reeves
Michael Reeves

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

Non-technical, readable and accessible

Non-technical, readable and accessible
John Woods
John Woods

Book Review THE HODDER BIBLE COMMENTARY SERIES

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Why Leviticus? In Togo?
the Bible in action

Why Leviticus? In Togo?
Martin Horton
Martin Horton

When did you last prepare a sacrifice?

I’m hoping the answer is never – especially if it’s an animal or human one.

What does a Scriptural analysis of the King's Speech show?

What does a Scriptural analysis of the King's Speech show?
James Mildred
James Mildred

On Wednesday, King Charles delivered the Labour government's first King's Speech in the House of Lords. Part of the State Opening of Parliament, the speech set out the new government's priorities for the months ahead. This was a speech designed to demonstrate that the new government means business. Themed around Labour’s five key missions, there are a grand total of 40 Bills, with four of these being draft ones.

Labour’s missions are as follows: secure sustained economic growth, make Britain a clean energy superpower, build an NHS fit for purpose, make Britain’s streets safe, and break down barriers to opportunity at every stage.

Ending gospel poverty

Ending gospel poverty
Jordan Brown
Jordan Brown

Web Review Biblica

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Do we need 'less Bible' in our Youth Ministry?
youth ministry

Do we need 'less Bible' in our Youth Ministry?
Robin Barfield
Robin Barfield

Evangelicals love the Bible! We know that God speaks through it, and we love hearing from Him. That’s why we love being ‘Bible-centred’ and we are keen to make sure that shows in our ministries and our programmes. This is all wonderful but I wonder if sometimes, in youth ministry, we push this dynamic too far in a way that hampers what we are doing.

Part of the problem is that we can easily lose sight of the dynamic which the Bible sets us. In the 70s and 80s the Bible became a book about us. The reaction to this was that in the 90s and 00s we were told this was wrong; the Bible is a book about God. This has led to a model where the adult teaches, and the young person passively sits and listens. Rather, the Bible is how God speaks to us. There are two people in this encounter: the giver and the receiver. What is occurring when the Bible is opened is that we encounter God!

Ten Minute Bible Talks

Ten Minute Bible Talks
Jordan Brown
Jordan Brown

Web Review Ten Minute Bible Talks

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‘How will people know that God loves them?’
the Bible in action

‘How will people know that God loves them?’
Martin Horton
Martin Horton

Imagine for a moment that you are a Christian in 1348. The Black Death is claiming lives throughout your community. And the Bible is in Latin, which neither you nor the priest understand.

Your priest is telling you the plague is a punishment from God, and if you give money to the Church you’ll gain access to heaven. You can’t read and you don’t understand Latin, so you give money you can’t afford because you fear the priest – and God.

The Bible’s storyline

The Bible’s storyline
Gordon Robertson

Book Review TYPOLOGY: understanding the Bible’s Promise-shaped Patterns

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Bible app for children

Bible app for children
Jordan Brown
Jordan Brown

Web Review BIBLE APP FOR KIDS

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Discovering Scripture in Shakespeare – 400 years on

Discovering Scripture in Shakespeare – 400 years on
Cassie Martin
Cassie Martin

‘When shall we three meet again?’ ‘Kiss me, Kate!’ ‘Et tu, Brute?’ ‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep.’

Imagine a world without the Forest of Arden, Malvolio’s yellow stockings or the drama of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s Antony and Cleopatra. Were it not for a small group of men in 1623, we wouldn’t have any of them.

Massive rise in Ukraine’s Bible demand

Massive rise in Ukraine’s Bible demand
Slavic Gospel Association

Demand for Bibles has multiplied exponentially in Ukraine since the vicious Russian invasion, new figures are revealing.

Some national church leaders are comparing the situation to that of immediate post-Communist days, when there was a significant and strong spiritual movement, resulting in many conversions to Christ. The Ukrainian Bible Society reports that in the first nine months of 2022, more than 359,000 Bibles were given out – at least two and a half times more than the number distributed in 2020. The trauma of the war, far from setting many hearts against God, has in fact created a desire in many thousands to know God and the nearness of His presence.

10,000 Bibles for children

10,000 Bibles for children
Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

Many thousands of free Bibles have found their way into the hands of school children across London in just two years.

In December 2019, the Greater London Auxiliary of the Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS) was formed. Its focus has been on schools where 10,000 Bibles (King James Version) have been presented to children and a talk given about the Bible.

God who does the impossible
the Bible in action

God who does the impossible
Martin Horton
Martin Horton

When you went to church last Sunday, did you know you’d be coming home afterwards? Back to preparing the Sunday lunch, an afternoon stroll, resting before the week ahead…

Imagine if going to church was literally taking your life in your hands – running the risk of an explosion, or gunmen bursting into the congregation; not knowing if you’d see your friends and family again, let alone prepare lunch for them.

‘We are not left out’
The Bible in action

‘We are not left out’
Bryony Lines
Bryony Lines

When people can know God through the Bible in their own languages, it shows them that He has not forgotten them.

The promise in Revelation 14:6 is particularly poignant for Lugwere translator Davis Dedya and his people: ‘The good news being proclaimed to every nation including Uganda, every tribe including Bagwere, every language including Lugwere, and every people. We are not left out of the targeted end point – to receive and enjoy the good news.’

‘We are now closer to God’
The Bible in action

‘We are now closer to God’
Bryony Lines
Bryony Lines

When Laminu first put his trust in the Lord, he began riding his bicycle 17 miles each week to the nearest church, and 17 miles back home.

Laminu is one of the Koma people who live in the Northern Region of Ghana and speak Konni. He comes from the village of Nangruma, which had neither a church nor a formal school. Koma villages are sometimes described by their neighbours as ‘overseas’, because all the major paths leading to the area cross rivers and are impassable by vehicles in the rainy season.

Bible now translated into 717 languages

Bible now translated into 717 languages
Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor

Efforts to translate the Bible into more world languages are accelerating, despite the pandemic.

Wycliffe Bible Translators says 717 languages now have a full Bible translation – almost 10% of the number of languages spoken in the world – an increase of 13 languages on the previous year. Although one in five people are still waiting for the Bible in their own tongue, one new translation was launched every week during the pandemic.

Five lessons on family Bible times (learnt the hard way!)
helping children find faith

Five lessons on family Bible times (learnt the hard way!)
Ed Drew
Ed Drew

I write books of family Bible times and I want to inspire parents to raise their children knowing Christ, but my own family Bible times are rarely inspirational.

I have a photo (not shown here) of me leading our family Bible time. I am sat in the middle of the sofa with my Bible open. Two of my children are curled over the arms of the sofa, their backs to me. Only my youngest seems engaged, and that is because my arm is clamped round his waist so he can’t escape. I use this photo because it captures our normal. Here is what I have learnt, with my own family, through all the mistakes, frustration and confusion.

'It is a blessing to translate the Bible in my language'
The Bible in action

'It is a blessing to translate the Bible in my language'
Bryony Lines
Bryony Lines

‘Ever since I tasted the goodness of the Lord, I have desired that my own people would come to know Him and His salvation,’ says Simon, whose name has been changed to keep him safe. ‘It has been such a blessing to be able to work on translating the Bible into my language.’

‘Before I became a Christian, I was going on with my life in the best way I knew how,’ continued Simon. ‘Although I am from a hunter-gatherer community, my family had moved from the interior villages of Kenya while I was young, and came to more of a mixed (multicultural) community.’

Bible-reading on the go!

Bible-reading on the go!
Robin Ham
Robin Ham

App Review EXPLORE

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Letter

Too many Bibles?
Date posted: 1 Jan 2021

Dear Editor,

I feel very bold to be commenting on Chris Sinkinson’s article in November’s en, but a response immediately came screaming back at me: ‘Only Western Christians could be asking that question’. We all know that our brethren in China and other places are crying out for just one copy! This major discrepancy just cannot be pleasing to the Lord.

Are there too many Bibles?
defending our faith

Are there too many Bibles?
Chris Sinkinson
Chris Sinkinson

The diversity of Bible translations can be a cause of confusion. Among Christians there are problems. How do we know which translation to trust when their meaning is divergent? Attempts to memorise Scripture are more difficult when we no longer have a Bible in common.

For sceptics, multiple translations can be an obstacle. Does it suggest that we cannot be sure what the original manuscripts said? Have translations changed the meaning over time? Is there an industry trying to make money out of the gullible by constantly producing new versions and new editions?

Is the Bible dangerous?

Is the Bible dangerous?
Lee Gatiss

Can a book be dangerous? Can it carry Covid-19 on its pages? Can it provide fuel to start a forest fire? Can you hit someone over the head with it?

The Bible may be dangerous in these ways – it’s certainly a big book if you use it to bash someone on the head – but that’s probably not the way most people think of it as a dangerous book. In one way, it’s more like The Communist Manifesto. That’s a dangerous book. It tells us that a spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of Communism. And that through class struggle, we can have a revolution, and freedom. Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!

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