Knox vs. The Message: First Sunday of Advent (Mark 13:33-37)

I am going to do a comparison of one of the Sunday readings from the lectionary, using the Knox Bible and The Message.  If you think this might be of some interest (or at least amusing) let me know.  While done in different ways, I think both Knox and Peterson desired to make the Bible more accessible to the average reader.  Let's see if they were successful.  

Knox:
Look well to it; watch and pray; you do not know when the time is to come.  It is as if a man going on his travels had left his house, entrusting authority to his servants, each of them to do his own work, and enjoining the door-keeper to watch. Be on the watch, then, since you do not know when the master of the house is coming, at twilight, or midnight, or cock-crow, or dawn; if not, he may come suddenly, and find you asleep.  And what I say to you, I say to all, Watch.


The Message
Jesus said to his disciples: “Keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable. It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch.”

Bible Rebind by AA Leather: Top Grain Cowhide. New Testament and Psalms, RSV Catholic Edition (by my friend Paul)

Knox Contest

As we are about to enter the season of Advent, now is a good time as any to have a contest.  This one, which will likely be the last one for 2014, is focused around the great Cathoic convert, translator, detective novelist, and apologist Msgr. Ronald A. Knox.  I have made no secret on this blog my admiration for this man.  I find his writings to be both enriching and entertaining, which I think is a truly rare thing.  Although he may not receive the same attention as some of his other more famous contemporaries, I actually prefer his writings to those of Chesterton, Belloc, and Lewis.  (Please don't throw any stones!)

So, what will the winning entry receive in this Knox Contest?  The following brand new books and CD will prove a wonderful introduction to this great man:

1) The Wine of Certitude: A Literary Biography of Ronald Knox by David Rooney (Ignatius Press)

2) On Englishing the Bible by Ronald Knox (Baronius Press).  The winner will receive two brand new copies, one for themselves and another to give to a friend.  Thank you to the fine people at Baronius Press for providing this amazing book for this contest.  I "literally" read this all the time.

3) Ronald Knox Collection CD from Old Time Radio Catalogue.  This contains four presentations by Knox, himself, with a run time of one hour and eleven minutes.  Included in this collection are reflections by Knox on Christmas, Chesterton, Newman, and translating the Bible.  Hear the man in his own voice.


Rules for the contest:
 1) If you have a website or blog or are active on Facebook, please announce this contest. If you don't, that is OK. You can still enter the contest.

 2) Please enter your name in the comment section of this blog post. I (or my wife) will randomly draw one winner at the conclusion of the contest, which will be on Sunday November 30th at 11:59 PM.

3) I will announce the winner on Monday December 1st. The winners must contact me, via email, within a week with their full name and address.

 4) One entry per person.

 5) Contest is only available to those who live in North America.

Knox vs. The Message: Christ the King (Matthew 25:31-46)

I am going to do a comparison of one of the Sunday readings from the lectionary, using the Knox Bible and The Message.  If you think this might be of some interest (or at least amusing) let me know.  While done in different ways, I think both Knox and Peterson desired to make the Bible more accessible to the average reader.  Let's see if they were successful.  

Knox:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit down upon the throne of his glory,  and all nations will be gathered in his presence, where he will divide men one from the other, as the shepherd divides the sheep from the goats;  he will set the sheep on his right, and the goats on his left.  Then the King will say to those who are on his right hand, Come, you that have received a blessing from my Father, take possession of the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food, thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you brought me home,  naked, and you clothed me, sick, and you cared for me, a prisoner, and you came to me.  Whereupon the just will answer, Lord, when was it that we saw thee hungry, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When was it that we saw thee a stranger, and brought thee home, or naked, and clothed thee?  When was it that we saw thee sick or in prison and came to thee?  And the King will answer them, Believe me, when you did it to one of the least of my brethren here, you did it to me.  Then he will say to those who are on his left hand, in their turn, Go far from me, you that are accursed, into that eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry, and you never gave me food, I was thirsty, and you never gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you did not bring me home, I was naked, and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for me.  Whereupon they, in their turn, will answer, Lord, when was it that we saw thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee?  And he will answer them, Believe me, when you refused it to one of the least of my brethren here, you refused it to me.  And these shall pass on to eternal punishment, and the just to eternal life.

The Message:

“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’

“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Archbishop Gomez Homily on Christ the King (2011)

Pontifical Biblical Commission: The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture

The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture

This book is the contribution of the Pontifical Biblical Commission toward a more adequate understanding of the concepts of inspiration and truth that respects both the nature of the Bible and its significance for the life of the Church. 

From the Foreword—
I thank the members of the Biblical Commission for their patient and competent effort, and I express my desire that their work may contribute to a more attentive, grateful, and joyful listening to Sacred Scripture in the Church as the Word coming from God and speaking of God for the life of the world. 
His Eminence, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller

Paperback Price: $19.95
eBook Price: $17.99
Print and eBook Price: $24.49

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Favorite Catholic Bible Publisher

In regards to fine quality Bibles, which is your favorite Catholic publisher?

Ignatius Press

Baronius Press

Catholic Book Publishing

OSV

Fireside Catholic Publishing

Oxford University Press

Saint Mary's Press

Saint Benedict Press

Other?

Poll Maker

Knox vs. The Message: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

This might be fun.  I am going to do a comparison of one of the Sunday readings from the lectionary, using the Knox Bible and The Message.  If you think this might be of some interest (or at least amusing) let me know.  While done in different ways, I think both Knox and Peterson desired to make the Bible more accessible to the average reader.  Let's see if they were successful.  


Knox Bible:
There is no need, brethren, to write to you about the times and the seasons of all this;  you are keeping it clearly in mind, without being told, that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  It is just when men are saying, All quiet, all safe, that doom will fall upon them suddenly, like the pangs that come to a woman in travail, and there will be no escape from it.  Whereas you, brethren, are not living in the darkness, for the day to take you by surprise, like a thief;  no, you are all born to the light, born to the day; we do not belong to the night and its darkness.  We must not sleep on, then, like the rest of the world, we must watch and keep sober.


The Message:

I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—“We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!”—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.  But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart.

John Courtney Murray SJ on the Knox NT

John Courtney Murray SJ, influential theologian at Vatican II, had this to say about the Knox New Testament when it was published: "The central book of all the world's literature again received new illumination this year with the appearance of Msgr. Ronald Knox's New Testament in English (Sheed and Ward. $3). This new translation was a distinct literary event. Msgr. Knox was bold where others hesitated; he cut loose from all "dated" phrases and idioms, and strove to render the New Testament in "timeless English." His success was astonishing. The reserve has been made, of course, that the "translation" was not a translation but a paraphrase, and that the individuality of the New Testament writers has been lost in the uniformity of Msgr. Knox's own style. Moreover, older ears missed the familiar phrases, and personal tastes loosed debates on the felicity of particular renditions. All this was to be expected. What is important is that Msgr. Knox opened the way to a new intelligence of the Word of God. The very freshness of his rendition startles the reader into a new awareness of meaning. The sense of Saint Paul's Letters, which readers have often vainly striven to reach through the Douai, is now newly accessible. Put in words of the present day, the Word of God is felt as spoken in the present, to us, in our language."

(John Courtney Murray, S.J. "God's Word and It's Realization." America 74 (December, 1945c, supplement 8): xix-xxi.)

Scott Hahn: Joy to the World

LRSS: The Eucharist in Scripture

Description:
What better way to deepen your experience of the Eucharist than to prayerfully study its foundations with others in your parish! Nourish your parish adult faith formation efforts, Bible study groups, and diocesan education programs with our newest study, The Eucharist in Scripture.  The Eucharist in Scripture emphasizes the importance of meals shared in faithful fellowship as part of our covenant relationship with God. Old Testament meals and promises provide the foundation for gospel meals with Jesus, culminating in the Last Supper as understood by Paul and in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. "Breaking bread," in Acts and the Bread of Life discourse in John are carefully examined. Six sessions including introduction.  Wrap-up lectures are available on CD or DVD as well.

Clifford M. Yeary is the associate director of Little Rock Scripture Study, for which he writes and revises study materials and presents wrap-up lectures. He is the author of  Pilgrim People: A Scriptural Commentary published by Liturgical Press, and is a contributor to The Bible Today.

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A Reader's Question on Large Print Bibles

Timothy,

I have been reading your blog for a few years now and always find so much helpful information and advice. I really am in need of your help; I'm looking into buying a Bible for my boyfriend on his birthday, but finding an edition he can use will be difficult. 

He has macular degeneration, so his eyesight is very poor, and he will need large print or giant print to avoiding reading it without strain, or needing a light. He also wants a Bible translation that is easy to read—I have not shown him the RSV2CE yet, but he was pleased with the NABRE and NRSV for readability. He grew up in an orphanage run by Baptists who only used the KJV, so he has never read the Bible due to archaic language barriers; any "thees" and "thous" will be off-putting. He is Catholic however, and we are looking for a Catholic Bible. 

His only other request is that the Bible paper be "not too flimsy." He likes thicker paper, and even though the larger print in the NRSV from Harper worked very well for him, he didn't want it because of the pages. I have yet to find a Bible whose pages are not "Bible paper," and that may be something he will have to deal with. 

Do you have any suggestions?

Sunday's Message: Dedication of the Lateran Church

I am continuing a new weekly series which will be posted every Sunday morning called "Sunday's Message." Here, I will reproduce the readings for Mass from The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition.  I want to thank Greg Pierce at ACTA for giving me permission to do this weekly post.  While this is not an "official" Catholic edition, one of my hopes for doing this new series is to have a lively discussion on the renderings, compared to the more formal ones we are use to reading and hearing at Mass.  Is there a place for a translation like this?  Could this be a good Bible to give to a Catholic "seeker" or young adult? 

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east (the Temple faced east). The water poured from the south side of the Temple, south of the altar. He then took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the gate complex on the east. The water was gushing from under the south front of the Temple.  He told me, “This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds.  “But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won’t wither, the fruit won’t fail. Every month they’ll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

Psalm 46

We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,

courageous in seastorm and earthquake,

Before the rush and roar of oceans,

the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,

God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

God lives here, the streets are safe,

God at your service from crack of dawn.

Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,

but Earth does anything he says.

Attention, all! See the marvels of God!

He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,

Bans war from pole to pole,

breaks all the weapons across his knee.

1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17

Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God’s field in which we are working. Or, to put it another way, you are God’s house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.

John 2:13-22

When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength.  Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for your house consumes me.”  But the Jews were upset. They asked, “What credentials can you present to justify this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.”  They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said.

7 Questions: Fr. Richard Clifford, S.J.

Richard J. Clifford, S.J., a native of Lewiston, Maine, Professor of Old Testament, and Jesuit priest, taught biblical studies at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge from 1970 to 2008. He is a graduate of Boston College (A.B., M.A.), Weston Jesuit School of Theology (S.T.L.) and Harvard University (Ph.D.). He was General Editor of the CatholicBiblical Quarterly and is a former President of the Catholic BiblicalAssociation. A former President of Weston Jesuit School of Theology, he was Founding Dean of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry from 2008-2010. As well as teaching and lecturing in scholarly circles, he is also active in adult education in various New England dioceses.  He has published numerous books and articles dealing with Scripture and Scripture interpretation.  

1) How has Scripture played an important role in your prayer life?  Has it always been that way?  What inspired you to focus your education on the study of the Bible? 

As a novice in the Jesuits, I could not understand many passages, and was much helped when I figured out the meaning. Finding the truth in these passages greatly helped my prayer. I loved the Latin and Greek classics, so I was predisposed to enjoy ancient literature, especially literature as fascinating and consoling as the Bible.

2) Can you talk a little bit about the importance and influence of Dei Verbum, particularly in light of the upcoming 50th anniversary of its publication?

The Bible has a transformative power. It provides a vocabulary and a spirituality for Catholics. The Pew Foundation Study found that the Catholic Church has lost a third of its members over the last few years. Half give up religion and half become Protestants. Of the half that become Protestants, 73% say their spiritual needs were not being met in the Catholic Church. I suspect that if that group had discovered the riches of the Bible, they would not have said their spiritual needs were not being met. If only, Catholics would begin reading on Monday the Sunday readings what a difference it would make!

3) In connection to the prior question, what are your thoughts on the state of Catholic biblical literacy today, particularly here in the USA? 

Among most Catholics, it is not very high. Yet when they are introduced to the Psalms, most people come to love them. So also with the Gospels. Yet many Catholic sermons do not explain the Bible’s relevance for daily life. 

4)  You were one of the revisers to the recent (2011) revision of the New American Bible Old Testament.  Could you talk about your role in the revision?  Which books did you revise?  How did you approach the task of composing the annotations to the books you worked on?

I revised and annotated Genesis and Proverbs. Both books had been well translated originally and so only retouching was necessary. A fair number of verses and notes were subsequently revised by a committee. I greatly expanded the notes for each book.

5) What do you think makes a good translation of the Bible?

 I think translations should be fairly literal, so that some of the flavor of the original language comes through. The Bible after all arose in a non-Western culture and should not be too quickly domesticated. It’s good that we have “the stole into the camp,” “a drop in the bucket,” “God saw that it was good,” “you are the apple of my eye,” and other memorable phrases. 

6) Are there any particular resources you think are most helpful for the average Catholic in learning what the Catholic approach is to studying the Bible?  

Listening carefully to the biblical passages used in the liturgy; using an annotated Bible; praying two or three psalms and a short passage from the Gospels every day in the morning (sunrise) and evening (sunset).

7) Finally, do you have a favorite passage or verse from the Bible?  Why?

OT:

15 Early the next morning, when the attendant of the man of God arose and went out, he saw the force with its horses and chariots surrounding the city. “Alas!” he said to Elisha. “What shall we do, my lord?” 16 “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered. “Our side outnumbers theirs.”

 17 Then he prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes, that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, so that he saw the mountainside filled with horses and fiery chariots around Elisha. (2Kings 6:15-17 NAB)

NT:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;

9 it is not from works, so no one may boast. 10 For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them. (Eph 2:8-10 NAB)

Didache Bible Leather Edition Update

Thanks to Eric, we now know that the reason the leather edition of the Didache Bible has been dropped from the Ignatius website is due to an issue with the printers.  A representative from Igantius wrote Eric to tell him: "Due to an unforeseen printing issue, the leather edition of The Didache Bible will not be available for several months."  We will have to wait and see how long this delay will be.  The hardcover, presumably, will still be available in December.  

The Beauty of Knox's Proverbs 1:1-19

I am currently teaching a class focusing on the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament.  If you have tried comparing translations when studying the Scriptures, you will notice that in the Wisdom literature (Job-Ben Sirach) that they often are quite different.  Sure, they often get at the same point, but it seems that within this section of Scripture translations vary quite a bit.

So, I decided while preparing for a lecture on Proverbs to look at my old friend Msgr. Knox's translation.  I have mentioned often how I adore this translation and the edition published by Baronius Press.  (One of my wishes in life is that there would be a parallel Bible that uses the Knox with the NRSV or NABRE.  What a great resource that would be!)  I think this translations greatest strength is found in the New Testament, as well as the Old Testament narrative sections.  However, last year, while teaching the Prophets, I found him a little less helpful.  I should say that this year I have appreciated his attempts to convey Hebrew acrostics into English.

Now one of the brilliant things about Knox is that he comes up with some profoundly beautiful renderings of certain passages.  I think this is absolutely the case with the opening verses of Proverbs.  I will let you read through and enjoy his rendering, which still seems quite fresh.  (Consider comparing it to your favorite formal translation.)

For more on the beautiful edition of Knox's Bible published by Baronius Press, go here.   My review of it can be found here.


 Proverbs 1:1-19
These proverbs were written by David's son Solomon, that was king of Israel, for the better understanding of true wisdom, and self-command.  Here is made known the secret of discernment; here men may learn the lesson of insight, the dictates of duty and right and honour.  Here simplicity is put on its guard; here youth may find instruction and advice both together.  The wise, too, may be the wiser for hearing them; they will aid even the discerning to guide his course aright; he will read both parables and the interpretation of parables, both wise words and the hidden thoughts they signify. 

True wisdom is founded on the fear of the Lord; who but a fool would despise such wisdom, and the lessons she teaches?  Heed well, my son, thy father’s warnings, nor make light of thy mother’s teaching;  no richer heirloom, crown or necklace, can be thine.  Turn a deaf ear, my son, to the blandishments of evil-doers that would make thee of their company.  There are lives to be had for the ambushing, the lives of unsuspecting folk whose uprightness shall little avail them;  there are fortunes to be swallowed up whole, as a man is swallowed up by death when he goes to his grave.  No lack of treasures here, they say, rich plunder that shall find its way into our houses;  thou hast but to throw in thy lot with us; every man shares alike.  Such errands, my son, are not for thee; never stir a foot in their company;  thou knowest well how eager they are for mischief, how greedy for blood,  and the snare is laid to no purpose if the bird is watching.  What do they, but compass their own ruin, plot against their own lives?  Such is ever the end of greed; he who cherishes it must fall by it at last.

Bible Edition Poll

Which Current Catholic Bible Translation Comes in the Best Printed Edition? (explain in comments)

Douay-Rheims

Knox Bible

NABRE

RSV-CE

RSV-2CE

NRSV

JB/NJB

Poll Maker

Sunday's Message: All Souls Day

I am continuing a new weekly series which will be posted every Sunday morning called "Sunday's Message." Here, I will reproduce the readings for Mass from The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition.  I want to thank Greg Pierce at ACTA for giving me permission to do this weekly post.  While this is not an "official" Catholic edition, one of my hopes for doing this new series is to have a lively discussion on the renderings, compared to the more formal ones we are use to reading and hearing at Mass.  Is there a place for a translation like this?  Could this be a good Bible to give to a Catholic "seeker" or young adult? 

Daniel 12:1-3

“‘That’s when Michael, the great angel-prince, champion of your people, will step in. It will be a time of trouble, the worst trouble the world has ever seen. But your people will be saved from the trouble, every last one found written in the Book. Many who have been long dead and buried will wake up, some to eternal life, others to eternal shame.

“‘Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.’”

Psalm 23

God, my shepherd!

I don’t need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word,

you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through

Death Valley,

I’m not afraid

when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook

makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner

right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head;

my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me

every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God

for the rest of my life.

Romans 6:3-9

So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!

That’s what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we’re going in our new grace-sovereign country.

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.

John 6:37-40

“I’m telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self.”

At this, the Jews started fighting among themselves: “How can this man serve up his flesh for a meal?”

But Jesus didn’t give an inch. “Only insofar as you eat and drink flesh and blood, the flesh and blood of the Son of Man, do you have life within you. The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always.”