“Conviction Versus Mercy” by Gardner Hall

I’d  like to make our readers aware of a new resource by my friend Gardner Hall, a new book entitled Conviction Versus Mercy.

Gardner writes:

Conviction or Mercy? Which characteristic should most exemplify those who want to follow Christ? Many Christians tend to emphasize one or the other but not both. This book (144 pages) emphasizes the importance of merging the two to be truly like Christ. Though combining mercy and conviction has been a challenge throughout history, it is especially difficult now as our culture is increasingly affected by a Postmodern worldview and the backlash against it.

 

Three formats available

 

Paperback ($8.85) – Click here to order from Amazon.com. (Also, ask for this book in any bookstore you know that is operated by brethren. I’ve found that they respond more to requests from customers than to me!)

 

Kindle (99 cents) – Click here for kindle version

 

Audio (free) – Click here for free audio. Free audio available on same page for Foy Short biography.

 

I purchased mine on Kindle Fire, and am looking forward to reading it.

 

“Woe Unto Thee, Chorazin!”

In Matt. 11:21, Jesus said,

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Chorazin was located just to the north of the Sea of Galilee. Note that it is spelled Korazin on our map:

Location of Chorazin, city condemned by Jesus. BibleAtlas.Org.

One fascinating aspect of Jesus’ denunciation of Chorazin is that this was one of the Galilean cities in which he had done most of His mighty (miraculous) works. As the previous verse words it,

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: (Matt. 11:20).

While we read of many miracles Jesus did in Capernaum, and only one in Bethsaida (the two other cities cited and condemned in our context), we read of none being done in Chorazin. This does not mean something in lacking in the Bible; to the contrary, we have all we need. But it does show there was divine selectivity in that which was recorded (cf. John 20:30-31 for this same principle as stated in regard to the Gospel of John).

The site identified as Chorazin is located 2 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. The ruins that are seen post-date the time of Jesus.

Entrance Sign at Chorazin. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Here are the remains of the basalt synagogue at Chorazin,

Basalt synagogue at Capernaum. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Click on images for larger view. 

The Wicked Vinedressers

In Mark 12:1-11, in the final week of Jesus’ ministry, He told the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mark 12:1-11). The vineyard Owner sent a servant to His vineyard for fruit at the proper season. He did not receive fruit; instead, the vinedressers took the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty. Then He sent another servant, at whom they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully. Again, He sent another and him they killed. The same treatment happened to other servants sent to the vineyard.

The Owner had one Son. His Beloved Son. The Owner sent Him also. They killed Him and cast Him out of the vineyard!

What vineyard owner would do this? None! But what no one else would do is what God did! He sent His servants, the prophets, again and again to His people. They were treated shamefully; some were killed. Last of all He sent His Son! They killed the Son also, without knowing that His death was the means of our salvation from our sins.

Our photo shows a vineyard at Lachish, with a vinedresser pruning and trimming the vines. This gives the setting for the parable of the text.

Vinedresser working in vineyard at Lachish in Israel. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

This photo was originally a 35 mm slide taken in 1999.

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We have had a wonderful 6-day meeting at Trilacoochee, Fl., near Dade City, presenting a series of 9 biblical lessons. My good friend Bob Waldron is the local evangelist who works with the congregation here.

Resource: Zondervan Atlas of the Bible

A resource I own and would recommend is Dr. Carl G. Rasmussen’s Zondervan Atlas of the Bible. It is currently on sale for the bargain price of 19.99 at Christianbook.com.  Click here to read more. Click here to order.A good resource for a great price!

Publisher’s Description:

Zondervan Atlas of the Bible … a thoroughly revised edition of the most comprehensive Bible atlas ever designed for * Students * Bible Study Groups * Adult Learners * Travelers/Pilgrims to the Lands of the Bible * Pastors * Teachers * All Lovers of the Bible This major revision of the Gold Medallion Award-winning Zondervan NIV Atlas of the Bible is a visual feast that will help you experience the geography and history of Scripture with unprecedented clarity. The first section of the Atlas introduces the ‘playing board’ of biblical history–using three–dimensional maps and photographic images to help the lands of the Bible come alive. The next section, arranged historically, begins with Eden and traces the historical progression of the Old and New Testaments. It provides an engaging, accurate, and faithful companion to God’s Word–illuminating the text with over one hundred full-color, multidimensional maps created with the help of Digital Elevation Modeling data. It concludes with chapters on the history of Jerusalem, the disciplines of historical geography, and the most complete and accurate listing and discussion of place-names found in any atlas. Throughout the Atlas, innovative graphics, chronological charts, and over one hundred specially selected images help illuminate the geographical and historical context of biblical events. The Zondervan Atlas of the Bible is destined to become a favorite guide to biblical geography for students of the Bible. This accessible and complete resource will assist you as you enter into the world of the Bible as never before.

New Resource: Captivity and Return

Discovering God’s Way is a Bible class curriculum for ages nursery through adult, edited by Robert Harkrider, and published by Religious Supply Center of Louisville, KY. I have written two books for the teen/adult level, Divided Kingdom, and Captivity and Return, the latter of which has just now been printed. Here is the cover:

Cover, Captivity and Return, authored by Leon Mauldin.

The book is 118 pages, and has 13 lessons. It is illustrated with maps, as well as color photos of biblical places and artifacts relating to the places and periods studied. Here is the table of contents:

Table of Contents for Captivity and Return, by Leon Mauldin.

The captivity and return can be a challenging period of biblical history. It is hoped that this book will help contribute to a better understanding of these times, as well as provide some background for New Testament studies.

Toll free number for orders is 1-800-626-5348. It is $6.65 through 9/30/2012, and then $6.95. Price does not include shipping.

The Disciples Were Called Christians First at Antioch

Luke narrates the preaching of the good news of salvation in the city of Antioch:

But some of them [disciples who scattered by the persecution in Jerusalem] were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. 22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:20-27).

This is a very instructive passage, helpful in defining who is a Christian. A Christian is:

1. one who has heard Jesus preached (v.20).

2. one who believes (v.21).

3. one who turns to the Lord (v.21). This would include repentance from sins (Acts 2:38), confession of faith (Rom. 10:9,10), and baptism (Acts 22:16).

4. one who has been added to the Lord (v.24).

5. one who continues with the Lord (v.23).

Antioch (modern Antakya) was located in Syria in biblical days, but today is within the territory of Turkey.  Antioch is twelve miles east of the Mediterranean, on the southern bank of the Orontes river and near the slopes of Mt. Silpius.

Antioch of Syria. BibleAtlas.com.

Antioch turned out to be the beginning point for Paul’s preaching journeys (Acts 13:1ff).

Antioch of Syria. Modern Antakya, Turkey. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary has this info re: Antioch:

Built by Seleucus I Nicator (300 B.C.) as the capital of the Seleucid kingdom, it became the third most important city of the Roman Empire (after Rome and Alexandria). The layout of the city was a marvel. It was traversed from west to east by a colonnade of four rows of marble pillars between which lay three roads, a central road for the traffic of heavy vehicles and two outer ones for pedestrians, horses, and luxury carriages. A second colonnade began in the north at an island in the Orontes river and ran southward, and the city was thus divided into four districts by a gigantic, glittering, white-marble cross. North of the winding Orontes was the royal Seleucid palace, and on the northeast side of the city was the wall of Tiberius. The enchanting nature paradise of Daphne, where worshippers frequented the temple of Apollo, was to the south; its springs supplied ample water to the city. Archaeological excavations have uncovered mosaic floors of villas, an altar to unknown deities, a temple of Demeter, and numerous sculptures and images of deities (pp.60–61).

 

“We Remember the Fish” (in good ole Egypt)

Memory is an amazing thing. I view it as a gift from God. One of the saddest events imaginable is for one to lose his memory, his ability to remember and recall life’s experiences, what one has learned, etc.

The ability to learn God’s word and apply it to life’s circumstances is a blessing. For that reason I encourage especially young people to spend much time in memorization of God’s word.

If one does not incline his heart Godward, memory can be amazingly quirky. When the nation of Israel was yet in Egypt, all they could think about was their harsh treatment meted out by cruel taskmasters. In their affliction they cried out to God.

God brought them out of Egypt after a mighty display of His power with the 10 plagues, referenced by God Himself as judgments against the gods of Egypt (Exodus 6:6; 12:12). They crossed the Red Sea, and made their way to Sinai, where they encamped for 11 months. During this time they received the Ten Commandments (along with its other laws), built the tabernacle, and consecrated the Aaronic priesthood (Ex. 19-Num. 10).

God was mindful of His covenant with Abraham; at that point it was time to grant Israel possession of the promised land of Canaan. At His command and direction Israel began to march (Num. 10:11ff). But immediately they lost sight of God’s lofty purpose with them and began to murmur (Num. 11:1).

One such instance of murmuring is related:

Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 “but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Talk about selective memory! Talk about rewriting history! The New Testament identified the problem as a lack of faith (Heb. 3-4). Stephen showed that the heart of the problem was a problem of the heart: “in their hearts they turned back to Egypt” (Acts 7:39).

Fish in Alexandria, Egypt. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

I photographed these fresh fish at a local restaurant in Alexandria. My daughter and I dined there.

Israel remembered the fish, but forgot God’s purpose for them. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

Click images for larger view.

 

Colossi of Memnon

Jesuit Claude Sicard (1677-1726) was commissioned by the French regent Philippe d’Orléans to investigate and identify ancient monuments in Egypt. Sicard visited Upper Egypt four times and was the first in modern times to identify the site of Thebes as well as the colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Kings.

The Memnon Colossi mark the site of the temple of Pharaoh Amenophis III (reigned 1391-1353 BC, Baines & Malek, p. 36). These two massive stone statues depict the Pharaoh, and are positioned in the Theban necropolis, on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor.

Colossi of Memnon. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

This statue is 55 feet tall, on a base of about 5 feet in height. See people on ground for scale. Nebuchadnezzar’s image (Daniel 3) towered 30 feet higher than this!

Colossi of Memnon. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

In his commentary on Daniel, Albert Barnes makes an interesting point regarding the great image Nebuchadnezzar made (Daniel 3) and the possible relation of that to the colossi of Memnon:

It is not impossible that Nebuchadnezzar was led, as the editor of Calmet’s Dictionary has remarked (Taylor, vol. iii. p. 194), to the construction of this image by what he had seen in Egypt. He had conquered and ravaged Egypt but a few years before this, and had doubtless been struck with the wonders of art which he had seen there. Colossal statues in honour of the gods abounded, and nothing would be more natural than that Nebuchadnezzar should wish to make his capital rival everything which he had seen in Thebes. Nor is it improbable that, while he sought to make his image more magnificent and costly than even those in Egypt were, the views of sculpture would be about the same, and the figure of the statue might be borrowed from what had been seen in Egypt.

It is not impossible that Nebuchadnezzar was led, as the editor of Calmet’s Dictionary has remarked (Taylor, vol. iii. p. 194), to the construction of this image by what he had seen in Egypt. He had conquered and ravaged Egypt but a few years before this, and had doubtless been struck with the wonders of art which he had seen there. Colossal statues in honour of the gods abounded, and nothing would be more natural than that Nebuchadnezzar should wish to make his capital rival everything which he had seen in Thebes. Nor is it improbable that, while he sought to make his image more magnificent and costly than even those in Egypt were, the views of sculpture would be about the same, and the figure of the statue might be borrowed from what had been seen in Egypt. An illustration of the subject before us is furnished by the preceding engraving, from a photograph, of the two celebrated colossal figures of Amunoph III. standing in the plains of Goorneh, Thebes, one of which is known as the Vocal Memnon. (Barnes, A.,  Notes on the Old Testament: Daniel, Volume 1, p.204).

Regarding the meaning of the word Memnon,

Memnon was a hero of the Trojan War, a King of Ethiopia who led his armies from Africa into Asia Minor to help defend the beleaguered city but was ultimately slain by Achilles. The name Memnon means “Ruler of the Dawn”, and was probably applied to the colossi because of the reported cry at dawn of one of the statues. Eventually, the entire Theban Necropolis became generally referred to as the Memnonium (Wikipedia).

Click images for larger view.

Monastery of St. Barnabas at Salamis

BAS has this information re: the island of Cyprus:

Cyprus served as a stepping stone on the trade routes that crossed the eastern Mediterranean. Archaeological remains from as early as the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium B.C.E.) show it to have been a cultural meeting ground and “melting pot” for the successive cultures that flourished on all sides of it.

Salamis was the main port and principal city of the island in the Roman age. Located about five miles north of modern Famagusta, on its great bay, the city has yielded extensive Roman remains, including a theater, gymnasium, baths and a forum (BAS Biblical World in Pictures).

Our photo features the Monastery of St. Barnabas at Salamis.

Monastery of St. Barnabas at Salamis, Cyprus. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

We are introduced to Barnabas as a “Levite of Cyprian birth” (Acts 4:36). He, along with Paul, preached at Cyprus on the 1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13:1-5). Then when it was time for the 2nd Journey, Paul traveled with Silas, revisiting Galatia and going onward to Macedonia and Greece, and Barnabas took John Mark back to Cyprus (Acts 15:39).

The earliest buildings of the monastery  date to AD 477.

The Tabularium

We continue to explore the Roman Forum. In our photo below we see the Tabularium, the large building in the back.

Tabularium in Roman Forum. Photo by Leon Mauldin.

“Tabularium” is a term for a record building. A number of other tabularia were scattered around Rome and other ancient Roman cities, but this article is about the prototype example.

The Tabularium was the official records office of ancient Rome, and also housed the offices of many city officials. Situated within the Roman Forum, it was on the front slope of the Capitoline Hill, below the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, to the southeast of the Arx and Tarpeian Rock.

Within the building were the remains of the temple of Veiovis. In front of it were the Temples of Vespasian & Concord, as well as the Rostra and the rest of the forum. Presently the Tabularium is only accessible from within the Capitoline Museum, although it still affords an excellent panoramic view over the Forum.

The Tabularium was first constructed around 78 BC, by order of M. Aemilius Lepidus and Q. Lutatius Catulus. It was later restored and renovated during the reign of the Emperor Claudius, about 46 AD. (Wikipedia).

The lower level, the gray portion, is the Roman period; upper level was built later.

In a entry entitled “Obtaining Citizenship,” (Roman citizenship) F.F. Bruce is referenced as stating

that legislation at the turn of the first century A.D. called for a legitimately born child of Roman citizens to be registered within thirty days of birth. Children born in the provinces would be legally acknowledged (professio) before the Roman provincial authority at the public record office (tabularium publicum). The professio was then entered in the register (album professionum). We do not know if Paul’s birth was before or after this legislation, but some such formal procedure had to have been in effect earlier. At regular intervals a citizen’s name, age, status and property holdings would thereafter be recorded by census. (Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship.)

At right in the photo you can see the Arch of Septimius Severus, dedicated in AD 203.

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At present I am en route to Cyprus to join Ferrell Jenkins for a few days of photographing biblical sites, and biblically related sites, in Cyprus and Turkey.

Click on image for larger view.