The Living Word (May/June/July 2011)

The Bible is remarkable, not just for its inspiration and impact, but for its endurance as well. Across the centuries and across cultures, the Bible speaks to people in their time and place. As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible and the launch of a brand new translation, the Common English Bible, we reflect on how this holy book has stayed so relevant in so many contexts.

In This Issue

articles The Life-Shaping Influence of Scripture
- By Rueben P. Job
- Posted on April 19th, 2011
My first memory of hearing Scripture read is that of my father’s voice. I was a very sick child and he was seated beside my bed where he stayed all night attempting to…
articles Empowering Christians through Biblical Literacy
- By Bromleigh McCleneghan
- Posted on April 27th, 2011
“I was watching Joel Osteen the other day, and he said that the Bible says [Controversial Topic A] is wrong. But, we’ve talked about things differently here……
articles Exegesis Behind Bars
- By Ryan Snider
- Posted on April 25th, 2011
At the local Youth Development Center (YDC), a sixteen-year-old’s words echo off of the bare concrete walls: “When I try to live how I want to live, I fall down…
articles “That Doesn't Sound Like ‘the Bible’”: Reflections on the King James Bible at its 400th Anniversary
- By Kent Richards
- Posted on May 2nd, 2011
In 1949, a young graduate starting his first pastorate in rural Virginia was pleased to bring along his heavily used Bible from seminary. It was the Revised Standard Version…
articles Social Media and Online Scripture
- By David Dault
- Posted on April 27th, 2011
In First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul proclaims, “I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some” (I Cor 9:22). If the history of…
articles A Brief History of the Lectionary
- By Gail O'Day
- Posted on April 24th, 2011
Every good preacher knows intuitively that preaching has far more to do with helping the congregation make sense out of reality than it does with making rational arguments. This…
articles Don’t Teach What You’ll Have to Unteach
- By Suzann Wade
- Posted on April 27th, 2011
When it comes to teaching the Bible, you might think it would be easy for us as teachers, preachers, and writers simply to stick to the script. However, we are human. We sometimes …
articles From King's English to Common English
- By Paul Franklyn
- Posted on April 25th, 2011
In 2011 we observe the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. The story of how and why King James authorized this version is beautifully told by Adam Nicolson in God's…
articles Keeping the Peace when Scriptures Conflict
- By Paul Stroble
- Posted on April 26th, 2011
Christians interpret Scripture as our normative guide to our convictions and practices, but at the same time, one can find biblical support for most any position one wishes to…
articles Is This a Bible-Believing Church?
- By Martin Thielen
- Posted on April 27th, 2011
A man recently asked me, “Is your church a Bible-believing church?” My first response was, “Yes, we are a Bible-believing church.” For example, I told him…
articles Teaching with the Rabbis
- By Wes Kelley
- Posted on April 28th, 2011
Pastors face the weekly challenge of teaching familiar texts in fresh ways, along with interpreting the Scriptures to people diverse in their theological perspectives. To meet…
articles Called Home
- By Brian Erickson
- Posted on April 29th, 2011
February 2009 Like all employees, some pastors react to the itinerancy system by committing blatant character-sacrifice, kissing up to their superiors in order to get a better…