Links To Go (February 27, 2017)

Half of Hispanic Christians Worry About Deportation Under Trump

Half of Latino Christians worry about themselves or someone close to them getting deported, according to Pew Research Center data provided to CT. And more than 4 in 10 have “serious concerns” about their place in America under Trump.
Hispanic Catholics (54%) and Protestants (47%) were more likely than the unaffiliated (38%) to say they worry “a lot” or “some” about the threat of deportation, Pew’s survey of Hispanic adults living in the US found. One in four Protestants worry a lot (25%), while Catholics are significantly most likely to worry a lot (37%).


Samaritan Hospitality

I remember my “Sunday dinners” growing up. Roast, carrots and potatoes—every Sunday! But what I remember most was that there was always a stranger at the table. My parents always invited someone home from church who did not have place (a community) to spend the afternoon. We would eat, talk, play games, watch the ballgame together, and then return to the Sunday evening service. To this day I still have people ask me if “Mark or Lois Hicks” were my parents, and then remind me that they ate with us one Sunday. They were Samaritans—to white, black, Asian, and others—in their time. We need to be Samaritans in our time.


Interpreting — or changing — Scripture

One example. I Timothy where Paul says elders are to be the husband of one wife.
Interpretation: Only married once. Or widowed and remarried. Or divorced and remarried. Or widowed but not remarried. All these are ways in which husband of one wife can be interpreted. All versions of elders are married men.
Not Interpretation: if they are married — or woman of one husband — or husband of one husband.
These all fundamentally change the meaning of husband of one wife. You may believe these positions but not because you interpret that Scripture differently. It is because you do not believe that Scripture applies to the current situation. You may have any number of reasons for believing that, but it is not a matter of interpretation. No one reads husband of one wife and says “oh, that means single men, or married women, or same sex relationships.


One Simple Tip to Improve the Way You Study the Bible

Long before you do a word study or a topical study, you should study books of the Bible. And the first step to that is simply sitting down and reading that book of the Bible in one sitting. After all, that’s how most of the books of the Bible were intended to be read.


A Curious Clue About the Origins of the New Testament Canon

These passages indicate that covenants were largely conceived as something written or read; i.e., something in a book. It is precisely for this reason that warnings were given not to change the text of the covenant (Deut 4:2), and there were concerns about it being in the proper physical location (Ex 25:16).
If so, then what shall we make of Paul’s statement in 2 Cor 3:6 that he and the other apostles are “ministers of a new covenant”?
Given Paul’s statement in 2 Cor 3:14 that we just noted, it would be natural to think that Paul has in mind a new set of written documents that testify to the terms of the covenantal arrangement in Christ.


You Can Make a Quiet Difference in this World

Later, Timothy reported to Paul that the Thessalonian Christians had undergone more persecution and suffering. They were just hanging onto their faith. So Paul writes, “…aspire to live quietly.”
“Aspire” originally had the sense of “the pursuit or love of honor or distinction.” A person would work hard at promoting the spread of their name. They would do this through acts of benefaction or by getting their name inscribed on columns or in pavements. It was the first-century form of Twitter.
Paul tells his friends to do just the opposite of the culture. “…aspire to live quietly…” has the paradoxical meaning of “to work hard at not working hard.” He is not telling them to not work. Just don’t work hard at being noticed.


The Masada mystery

Regardless of whether one follows Ben-Yehuda or Ben-Tor in reviling or revering Yadin, Ben-Tor’s concluding remarks in his book in defence of Yadin still ring true. As he said: ‘Placing Masada on the scientific agenda … on the one hand, and in the public consciousness as a tourist site on the other, are both the proper expression and a true monument to the two aspects of Yadin’s personality: the scholar and the public figure.’


Iceland’s president’s strong views on pineapple pizza have caused a stir

Iceland’s president’s strong views on pizza have caused an international stir.
Gudni Th. Johannesson disclosed his opposition to pineapple on pizza to Icelandic high school students last week. Icelandic media reported that he said he’d ban the fruity topping if he could.


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