a bit of a stretch

My friend Daniel assures me that this is "not the kind of picture of Samson that I was looking for!" I certainly hope he's telling the truth.

He found it here.

He walked on the water, and swam on the land...

Just in translating John 6 today, have you ever wondered what it was like watching Jesus walk on the water? The waves were really big, so how did it work? I mean, was he just sortof floating, and as the waves went up and down he did too? Or did he kind of just pass through the waves? Or did he just happen to chart a path where the waves always manage to kindof move around him so he just kept walking straight?

This is probably the deepest post on John from me yet, so take a deep breath before responding.

Chemical changes when inner thoughts meet reality

SuSo2 + M -> Sl + PrM

Legend:
Su = Suave
So = Sophisticated
M = Male

Sl = Sleazy
Pr = Pretentious

Why has the church failed???

Why does society still suck? Why doesn't the gospel convert everyone who hears it? Why the denominational wars and so many people who proudly wear the badge 'Christian' and yet seem to deny it by their actions?

Emil Brunner has an interesting answer:

No Christian possesses absolute faith, no one is is really wholly converted, if regard these expressions empirically.

It also forms part of the incognito of Christ that the final significance, the absolute turning point, which His Cross means, can never appear historically in its effects.

It's all because of the 'incognito' of Christ, his veiled-ness. Reckon he's onto something?

#1 | Connection is ...

... the difference between a good beard and a bad beard.

I can't...

...ever find the right aisle in the supermarket for what I want. Regardless of how massive the tinned tuna secion is.

Is it because I'm male?

Chemical changes when inner thoughts meet reality

FJ -> NfJ

Legend:
F = Funny
Nf = Not funny
J = Joke

What did a faithful Israelite believe?

My favourite 2-hour period of the week is the 2 hours on a Tuesday when I translate a chapter or so of John's gospel. Not least because it means I feel good about my ability to translate when it's really because John is the easiest thing in the world to translate!

Now, on to another cool discovery.

John 5:46(ESV)
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.

However, the word 'believe' is both times in the imperfect tense. (ἐπιστεύετε) This means it is talking about a continuous action that happened in the past. The following translation would bring this out more:

For if you were believing Moses, then you were believing in me.

I reckon this is a fascinating little saying of Jesus. Is he essentially saying here that a faithful Israelite who was trusting in the testimony of the OT that pointed to Christ was in effect trusting in Him?

Very cool.