Tag: depravity

To “Nu” or Not to “Nu?”

The NIV ‘11 of 1 Thessalonians 2:7a:

Instead, we were like young children among you…

The ESV:

But we were gentle among you, …

Based on the NIV, I was going to write a post about how we are to be humble in our Gospel-sharing, but then the ESV went and ruined that by suggesting that the word is “gentle” instead of “young children.”

This comes down to a textual variant in the manuscripts.  Some say ἤπιοι (“ēpioi,” meaning gentle) and others say νήπιοι (“nēpioi,” meaning infants/children).  The preceding word ends in a nu (“ν”), so the question becomes, did a scribe mistakenly duplicate the nu or was it accidentally deleted?

Here is the context of the NIV, 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

7 Instead, we were like young children among you.  Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

And the ESV:

7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

As you can see, other questions abound here concerning the other various clauses.  (Remember, there was no punctuation when these words were transcribed.  All of that had to be decided upon later).  These modifications seem to be due to our little textual variant.  

What does this tell us?  Well, a little nu can make a big difference!  But, what does this say about scripture?  I’m sure God could have sovereignly overridden this error if He wanted it to remain perfect!  

So why didn’t He?

Of course I cannot know, but maybe God allowed this–yes, rather small and insignificant–mistake to persist to remind us of our humanity–our distinct “otherness” in relation to God.  While there is no fault in Him, we fail to simply copy things down.

Or, perhaps it is to remind us that God uses people to accomplish his purposes.  All throughout the Bible we find God’s plan being carried out by men and women unqualified to do so.  God uses people like Samson, Gideon, and Saul: selfish men who hardly seem reliable for noble tasks.  And yet, God uses them.  

And whether or not we get all of our nu’s in the right places (we can’t), God can employ us too.  Even for the missions we are sure to taint along the way.  

God, Genocide, and the Big Red Button

To read the Bible is to grapple with the ugliest shades of life.  Shades of darkness, terror, incest, war, rape, and the like.  Contrary to our childhood Sunday school classes, many of the stories are starkly graphic and disturbing.
Why?

Well, it is unfortunately true to life.  It is not unfortunate that the Bible is continually relevant for thousands of years, but rather it is unfortunate that life is indeed so grim.

The following passage reveals a grim moment. 

Thus says the LORD of hosts,

“I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

– 1 Samuel 15:2-3

In this passage, we see the LORD commanding Saul to destroy the Amalekites, and later, He enables Saul to essentially do so.  Some escape (we see their descendents harassing future Israel), and Saul does not follow his order completely.  But largely, this genocide does indeed occur, which raises some questions: why would God order a war of this scale, eliminating even the women and children?  And how can this God be good or trustworthy?

My intention is to show that God is good–indeed the source of all Goodness and in Himself Goodness perfected.

It is common for a pastor or teacher to give all of the reasons why such a commissioned catastrophe would be warranted.  And, granted, surely there are many.  The sins of the Amalekites is no small measure.  And for Israel to remotely survive, they need to be defeated.  But even such an explanation would likely be challenged by many who argue for the innocence of–at least–the children.  So, the argument that the Amalekites got what was coming to them, may not stand in the eyes of our culture. 

How then, can God still be good?  

God is still good here only if indeed we and the Amalekites have total depravity–meaning, the only way God is righteous is if the children are truly unrighteous and if unrighteousness’ penalty is death.  

There is no room in the Bible for the humanist view that people are innately good.  Our world should convince us otherwise, but those that disregard diety must–for the sake of their sanity–find goodness somewhere.  In the Bible, God is God and the only one that is Good.  He is perfectly just in taking life.  He owes us nothing.  To our American, man-centered brains, this bewilders and frustrates.  We want a God that is man-centered: working tirelessly for our “glory.”

But do we really?  

Do we actually want a God that is man-centered in His workings?  A God that would never be capable of killing the Amalekites?  

I contend we do not.  

Our souls were made for basking in glory.  We cry and quiver and shout in stadiums and theaters and National Parks–places designated for displaying glory.  But even our best worldly commencements and parades and victories fail us.  Our sports icon spouts off racist remarks.  Our American hero cheats on his spouse.  Our elected officials make mistakes.  Under the costume or uniform, we know that it’s a lie.  Their glory is tainted; our satisfaction in vain.  

A God who intentionally purported such glories of man, would do unto us the worst evil.  It would be like being served a veggie burger when one asked for beef. 

God is good because He is committed to glorifying Himself to us.  It is indeed only what will satisfy us.  A God so committed to man that He would be incapable of judging people or killing the Amalekites is no God at all.  He would be but a cosmic prostitute–a play-thing for self-enjoyment.  

It is difficult to overcome a man-centered worldview, even as a Christian.  But a thorough knowledge of our depravity should help.  We should know that inwardly we are all tainted pictures.  None deserve their life–not to mention an eternal one.  And yet God gives more grace.  And yet He loves.  It is refreshing to return to a true consciousness of our sin, for confession begets repentance.  And repentance is the true calling of a perfect God to a broken man.  Praise God for His relentless invitation to repent in the midst of our deep depravity.