Monday with Mounce

Romans 12:9 and the following verses give us an interesting challenge as to what it means and how to translate it. Specifically, where did all the indicative verbs go, and what is the relationship of 12:9a to the following verses?

We live in such a culture of un-grace, one without natural affection. Whether it is rancid politics or gossipy and critical people in the church, it seems there is little affection between people. Does that sound too harsh? Then I encourage you to just listen to conversations around you and decide for yourself. Are the people, are you and I, speaking with affection for others?

Greek has a wonderful ability to state a prohibition with different nuances. Unfortunately, these nuances are often lost in translation.

One of the things you will likely hear on the university campus is that the Bible’s depiction of Jesus is historically inaccurate. For example, did Jesus say he was God, or did the church make it up? Skeptics use the phrase “Jesus of history” to refer to who they think Jesus “really” was. They use “Christ of faith” to refer to who the church, especially Paul, supposedly changed Jesus into. But did Paul change the essential nature of the gospel.

As an example of persistence in prayer, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow pestering the unjust judge until he vindicates her. His ultimate motivation is that he feared she would wear him out, or was it that he feared she would physically attack him as the NIV suggests?