DID YOU KNOW: Where did all the languages at Pentecost come from?

At the day of Pentecost, there surely were a lot of peoples represented...

And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:8-11)

...so where did they all come from, geographically?  This handy-dandy map may help you to place them all.

DID YOU KNOW: Why did we switch to ESV?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

Why did Bible Quizzing switch from the NIV to the ESV as the translation we study?

Since the 1980's, EFCA Bible Quizzing used the New International Version (NIV) for all of our competitions.  It was chosen because of the quality of its scholarship, its readability, and its accuracy.  A few years back, EFCA Bible Quizzing switched to the English Standard Version (ESV).

In 2011, Biblicia - the organization that owns the rights to the NIV - released a new revision to the translation.  Their intention was to update the translation with the newest scholarship, and to reflect changes in the English language since 1984.  Their revisions were significant (see here for a full listing) and especially focussed on introducing gender-neutral language to many scriptures where the existing gender-interpretation could be seen to change the meaning of the text.  After much debate, many Evangelical churches, leaders, and denominations decided they could not endorse the 2011 version.  Biblicia, at the same time, forbid anyone to continue publishing the previous 1984 version.  So, Bible Quizzing needed to decide whether to move to the (controversial) NIV 2011 or consider moving to another translation.

At the same time, a new version - based on the venerable Revised Standard Version (RSV) was released in 2011, called the English Standard Version.  It was widely praised for the quality of its scholarship, its readability, and its accuracy.  (Sound familiar?)  And it was released with liberal electronic licensing (free versions online, free versions on eBooks, and free apps) that would be valuable for study and quizzing.

So, the leadership of EFCA Bible Quizzing decided it was time for a change and announced that we would be moving to the ESV for the 2013-2014 season.

So which translation is really "better"?

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament).  Anytime you see it in English, it is a translation and decisions must be made.  The best translations balance precision with readability, so that the meaning of the original language comes through without sounding like a foreign language.

The NIV 2011 takes a number of liberties with the text which are controversial.  But it does address some real problems with the original NIV, and is very natural and readable.

The ESV is much more precise, verging on a literal reading of the text.  But that means the language contains a larger vocabulary, sometimes is a bit wooden, and can be harder to read.

Should I be worried about the change?

No.  The ESV is an excellent translation.  Your first day reading it, things may seem a bit strange.  But you will quickly get used to the language.  And the language is a bit more poetic, so you may even find it easier to memorize the FTVs!

DID YOU KNOW: The Feast of the Transfiguration

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I heard today is the "Feast of the Transfiguration".  What is that?

More liturgical Christian traditions than ours put events onto the calendar to remember both heroes of the faith and the major events of Jesus's life.  The "Feast of the Transfiguration" on August 6 (for most denominations, not all) is set aside to remember the events of the transfiguration recorded in the synoptic gospels.

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.  And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.  As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.Luke 9:28-36 ESV

This feast is unusual in not focussing on a single character (in this case Jesus), but is seen as a time to reflect on the mystery of the Trinity where God is one being in three persons.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all worshipped, celebrated, and remembered in this feast.

DID YOU KNOW: Does the New Testament refer to the Old Testament?

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Does the New Testament refer to the Old Testament?

Some Christians tend to focus only on the New Testament when studying the Bible, but the whole Bible is the Word of God.  And the New Testament makes references to the Old Testament all the time.  As a matter of fact, Jesus knew the Old Testament by heart, and quoted from it often.

The most commonly quoted books of the Old Testament in the New Testament are:

1. Isaiah: referred to 419 times in twenty-three New Testament books.2. Psalms: referred to 414 times in twenty-three New Testament books.3. Genesis: referred to 260 times in twenty-one New Testament books. 4. Exodus: referred to 250 times in nineteen New Testament books. 5. Deuteronomy: referred to 208 times in twenty-one New Testament books. 6. Ezekiel: referred to 141 times in fifteen New Testament books. 7. Daniel: referred to 133 times in seventeen New Testament books. 8. Jeremiah: referred to 125 times in seventeen New Testament books. 9. Leviticus: referred to 107 times in fifteen New Testament books. 10. Numbers: referred to 73 times in four New Testament books.

DID YOU KNOW: The Feast of Mary Magdalene

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I heard July 22 is the "Feast of Mary Magdalene".  What is that?

Unlike our tradition, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Lutheran churches celebrate feasts for the great heroes of the Faith (whom they call "Saints").  The Feast on July 22 commemorates Mary Magdalene, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.  She is the most commonly mentioned woman in the New Testament, and was at both Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

DID YOU KNOW: Were there ever any misprints in Bible editions?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

Skeptics are often looking for errors in the Bible.  Were there ever any documented misprints in Bible editions?

The Holy Bible, as written, is inerrant and inspired by the Holy Spirit.  But various editions printed by humans - copied from the originals or copied from copies - have had errors over the years.  But, as you'd expect, these errors were quickly discovered and resolved.  This article covers some famous misprints.

The "Placemakers" Bible The second edition of the Geneva Bible, published in 1562 has been given the name the "Placemakers" Bible because it printed: "Blessed are the placemakers" instead of "peacemakers" in Matthew 5:9.The "Wicked" Bible In a 1631 edition of the King James Bible, in Exodus 20 verse 14, the word "not" was left out. This changed the 7th commandment to read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." Most of the copies were recalled immediately and destroyed on the orders of Charles I. But there are 11 copies still remaining. They are known as the "Wicked" Bible. The Bible museum in Branson, Missouri, has one copy of the "Wicked Bible". Fortunately for this interesting Bible fact the printer was fined heavily for his mistake.
The "Sin On" Bible In the 1716 King James Version John 8:11 should read: "Go, and sin no more." However, the printer accidentally inverted the "n" and the "o" in the word "on," so it read, "Go and sin on more."
The "Fool" Bible The printer of the 1763 KJV was ordered to pay £3,000 for his inadvertent printer's error which he made in Psalm 14:1. There he printed: "the fool hath said in his heart there is a God," instead of: "the fool hath said in his heart there is no God." As soon as this error was spotted all copies of this Bible were suppressed.

DID YOU KNOW: Where was the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

Where was the Holy Spirit in the times of the Old Testament?

We previously discussed where Jesus was before the New Testament, but it is even more logical to ask that question about the Holy Spirit.  Jesus and the Apostles are very clear that the Holy Spirit is God and is part of the Trinity (along with the Father and Jesus, the Son).  If that is the case, why did it take until the New Testament to learn about Him?

But it turns out that - like Jesus - the Holy Spirit is all over the Old Testament, once you know what to look for.  The first mention is Genesis 1:2.

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  (Genesis 1:2 ESV)

And it pops up again just a few chapters later in Genesis 6:1-3.

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” (Genesis 6:1-3 ESV)

The "Spirit of God" or "God's Spirit" or "My Spirit" appears all over the Old Testament.  The last reference is in Malachi 2:15.

Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. (Malachi 2:15 ESV)

So, if the Holy Spirit appeared all over the Old Testament, what the special significance of Pentecost?  Before this event, the Holy Spirit would endwell or empower just one person at a time.  For instance, it came upon King Saul when he was anointed king of Israel by Samuel, but then left him and eventually came upon King David when he was anointed king.  After Pentecost, anyone who became a Christian received the Holy Spirit, and could be empowered by Him.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Anytime you think the Old Testament and the new Testament might be in conflict, check again!

DID YOU KNOW: *More* Biblical Stats

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

What are some MORE interesting statistics about the Bible?

People seemed to enjoy the first list of interesting stats about the Bible, so here's a follow-up with even more statistics for your ledger.

• Number of books in the Bible: 66 
• Chapters: 1,189 
• Verses: 31,101 
• Words: 783,137 
• Letters: 3,566,480 
• Number of promises given in the Bible: 1,260 
• Commands: 6,468 
• Predictions: over 8,000 
• Fulfilled prophecy: 3,268 verses
• Number of times the word "God" appears: 3,358 
• Number of times the word "Lord" appears: 7,736 
• Number of languages the Bible has been translated into: over 1,200

DID YOU KNOW: Where was Jesus before the New Testament?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

Where was Jesus before he was born in 1 B.C.?

The Bible is very clear about the identity of Jesus Christ:

1. He is the Son of God
2. He is God (part of the Trinity)
3. He was involved in the creation of the world

So, if Jesus is God and God is eternal (always existing), then where was Jesus before the New Testament begins?  This is a question that has sent Christians from the earliest times searching the Old Testament.

First, nowhere in the Old Testament is there a character known as "Jesus" who is obviously the same person.  ("Jesus" is the same name as Joshua, but the Joshua we know from Moses time is NOT the son of God.)  This is one reason why the Jews of his own time were perplexed when he appeared.  Many had come claiming to be the Messiah, so until there was proof he was just one more potential charlatan.

Second, there is evidence that the Trinity has been there from the beginning.  In Genesis, God refers to Himself as "we" and "us" repeatedly during creation.  (Of course, this is not proof, merely evidence.  The story of Creation is poetry, which allows some linguistic freedom, and there are cases of human kings referring to themselves as "we" and "us", as well.)

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” - Genesis 1:26

Third, there is a character int he Old Testament who shows up again and again, who is always doing God's work, and who appears to have great power.  He is called "the Angel of the Lord" and is always associated with an appearance of God Himself.

• Genesis 16:7–12:  The Angel of the Lord saves Hagar
• Genesis 21:17-18:  The Angel of the Lord saved Hagar and Ishmael
• Genesis 22:11-18:  The Angel of the Lord stays Abraham's hand from sacrificing Isaac
• Exodus 3:2:  The Angel of the Lord speaks to Moses from the burning bush
• Judges 13:3-22:  The Angel of the Lord promises Samson
• Zechariah 3:1:  The Angel of the Lord opposes Satan before God

...and there are many more appearances.  Did you notice a common theme in all of these cases?  The Angel of the Lord is a savior.  He speaks for God and he opposes Satan.  This is almost exactly the way Jesus presented himself in the New Testament.  

It is likely that this Angel of the Lord is in fact Jesus before his birth to Mary.

DID YOU KNOW: Some Biblical Stats

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

What are some interesting statistics about the Bible?

The Bible is a long book (or rather collection of books) and has been around for a long time, so scholars have had plenty of time to crunch the numbers.

• About 50 Bibles are sold every minute.
• There are 66 books in the Bible, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.
• The 66 books of the Bible is divided into 1,189 chapters consisting of 31,173 verses. 
• The Old Testament has 929 chapters, the New Testament 260.
• The longest line in the Bible is Esther 8:9 - 89 words, 425 letters. 
• The longest word in the Bible is Maher-shalal-hash-baz: Isaiah 8:1.
• The shortest verse in the NIV Bible is John 11:35: "Jesus wept."
• The longest book chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, the shortest is Psalm 117.
• There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after it. 
• Psalm 118 verse 8 is in the center of the Bible: "It is better to trust in the Lord than put confidence in man."
• Obadiah, with 21 verses consisting of 602 words, is the shortest book in the Old Testament, and the third shortest in the Bible.
• II John has the fewest number of verses of any book in the Bible - it is the shortest book in the Bible.
• III John has the fewest number of words of any book in the Bible.
• Job is the oldest book written in the Bible - it was written by an unknown Israelite around 1500 BC.

DID YOU KNOW: Where did the word "Christian" come from?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

Where did the word "Christian" come from?

Nowadays, Christ-followers all over the world are called "Christians".  It's so common that we don't even question the meaning of the word.  Our religion is "Christianity" and so we are called "Christians".

But it is not what early believers called themselves.  In Acts, we see the Apostles and earliest followers of Christ referring to their religion as "The Way" and themselves as "Followers of the Way."  In fact, the earliest uses of the term "Christian" are not by believers, but their opponents (Acts 11:26 & Acts 26:28).  And only in 1 Peter 4:16 - written between 60 and 100 A.D. when he was an old man - does a writer of scripture use the term in a positive light.

"Christian" literally means "little Christ".  It was intended as an insult.  But early believers, after initially disliking the term, decided to embrace it as their own.  After all, in the end, what we all want is to be "little Christs" - people striving to be like Jesus in our world, to show humanity the love of God.

DID YOU KNOW: What are the names of God?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

What names does God have in the Bible?

Names are very important things in scripture.  God gave new names to many of His chosen people, to signify the change in their status or identity. Abram ("high father") became Abraham ("father of many nations").  Jacob ("deceiver") becomes Israel ("wrestles with God").  A name isn't just an equivalent for "that guy", but rather defines who we are.

So what names does scripture give for God?  You may be surprised just how many names He has!

• Advocate - 1 John 2:1 

• Almighty - Revelation 1:8 

• Alpha - Revelation 1:8 

• Amen - Revelation 3:14 

• Angel of the Lord - Genesis 16:7 

• Anointed One - Psalm 2:2 

• Apostle - Hebrews 3:1 

• Author and Perfecter of our Faith - Hebrews 12:2 

• Beginning - Revelation 21:6 

• Bishop of Souls - 1 Peter 2:25 

• Branch - Zechariah 3:8 

• Bread of Life - John 6:35,48 

• Bridegroom - Matthew 9:15 

• Carpenter - Mark 6:3 

• Chief Shepherd - 1 Peter 5:4 

• The Christ - Matthew 1:16 

• Comforter - Jeremiah 8:18 

• Consolation of Israel - Luke 2:25 

• Cornerstone - Ephesians 2:20 

• Dayspring - Luke 1:78 

• Day Star - 2 Peter 1:19 

• Deliverer - Romans 11:26 

• Desire of Nations - Haggai 2:7 

• Emmanuel - Matthew 1:23 

• End - Revelation 21:6 

• Everlasting Father - Isaiah 9:6 

• Faithful and True Witness - Revelation 3:14 

• First Fruits - 1 Corinthians 15:23 

• Foundation - Isaiah 28:16 

• Fountain - Zechariah 13:1 

• Friend of Sinners - Matthew 11:19 

• Gate for the Sheep - John 10:7 

• Gift of God - 2 Corinthians 9:15 

• God - John 1:1 

• Glory of God - Isaiah 60:1 

• Good Shepherd - John 10:11 

• Governor - Matthew 2:6 

• Great Shepherd - Hebrews 13:20 

• Guide - Psalm 48:14

And many more.  Click thru the link for the full list!

DID YOU KNOW: What is Memorial Day all about?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

What is Memorial Day all about?

These days, most people think of Memorial Day are one of three things:  (1) the first Summer day off of work, (2) the beginning of "Beach Season", or (3) a day to shop the really good sales.  But Memorial Day was set up for something much more serious and somber.

Memorial Day was first declared by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic of the United States of America in 1868.  The Civil War had ended 3 years before, and he wanted to set aside time to lay flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  The war had cost over 620,000 soldier lives (and a total of over 1,030,000 lives - about 3% of the population).  It was important to take a moment to remember those who had laid down their lives for their country (on both sides).  New York was the first state to formally recognize Memorial Day in 1873, and all northern states had recognized it by 1890.  It wasn't until after World War 1 that the practice was picked up by all of the southern states.

In 1915, the poet Moina Michael came up with the idea of observing Memorial Day with a red poppy, symbolizing the blood shed by heroes, who were only remembered now by the flowers on their graves.Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. In 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts began placing a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights.  In 2000, Congress passed the "Moment of Remembrance" calling on all Americans to observe a moment of silence (and prayer) at 3:00 PM on Memorial Day to remember Americans who died fighting in our wars.

Take a moment today and pray about this.  Thank God for living in a land of religious freedom, and thank Him for those men and women who have died to protect that freedom.


Source:  http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

DID YOU KNOW: Who were the human authors of the Bible?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

Who wrote the Bible, in a human sense?

The Bible is not one book, but a collection of books written by a number of men (as inspired by the Holy Spirit) across the centuries. Did you know just how many people were involved with producing the scriptures you hold today?

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy = Moses - 1400 B.C.
Joshua = Joshua - 1350 B.C.
Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel = Samuel/Nathan/Gad - 1000 - 900 B.C.
1 Kings, 2 Kings = Jeremiah - 600 B.C.
1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah = Ezra - 450 B.C.
Esther = Mordecai - 400 B.C.
Job = Moses - 1400 B.C.
Psalms = several different authors, mostly David - 1000 - 400 B.C.
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon = Solomon - 900 B.C.
Isaiah = Isaiah - 700 B.C.
Jeremiah, Lamentations = Jeremiah - 600 B.C.
Ezekiel = Ezekiel - 550 B.C.
Daniel = Daniel - 550 B.C.
Hosea = Hosea - 750 B.C.
Joel = Joel - 850 B.C.
Amos = Amos - 750 B.C.
Obadiah = Obadiah - 600 B.C.
Jonah = Jonah - 700 B.C.
Micah = Micah - 700 B.C.
Nahum = Nahum - 650 B.C.
Habakkuk = Habakkuk - 600 B.C.
Zephaniah = Zephaniah - 650 B.C.
Haggai = Haggai - 520 B.C.
Zechariah = Zechariah - 500 B.C.
Malachi = Malachi - 430 B.C.
Matthew = Matthew - A.D. 55
Mark = John Mark - A.D. 50
Luke = Luke - A.D. 60
John = John - A.D. 90
Acts = Luke - A.D. 65
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon = Paul - A.D. 50-70
Hebrews = unknown, mostly likely Paul, Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos - A.D. 65
James = James - A.D. 45
1 Peter, 2 Peter = Peter - A.D. 60
1 John, 2 John, 3 John = John - A.D. 90
Jude = Jude - A.D. 60
Revelation = John - A.D. 90

From GotQuestions.Org.

DID YOU KNOW: How long did it take to write the Bible?

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

How long did it take to write the whole Bible?

It was written over a period of some 1,500 years, from around 1450 B.C. (the time of Moses) to about 100 A.D. (following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ)

DID YOU KNOW: How was the high priest selected?

This week, the text talks about Ananias as the "High Priest" of Israel.  How was/is a High Priest chosen?

The High Priest is a unique position for Judaism.  While the High Priest was a major religious leader, his most important function was to enter the Holy of Holies in the temple once a year on Yom Kippur to gain atonement for the sins of the people of Israel.  Since the destruction of the last temple, this act has not been possible.  But many within the modern nation of Israel are ready for when a new temple is built.

There are many requirements to be the High Priest:

• He must be male
• He must be a direct descendent of Aaron (brother of Moses)
• He must be widely recognized as the greatest priest in Israel

Of course, this leaves open the question of "Who decides?"  In any time and any election, the question of who is "the greatest" is a matter of debate.  Historically, there have been different answers to the question:

• God appoints the High Priest (as He did with Aaron)
• The King appoints the High Priest (as Solomon did with Zadok)
• The Sanhedrin appoints the High Priest (as they did for Ananias)
• The next High Priest may be the son of the last High Priest (as Aaron's sons were after him)

The Bible requires a high priest, but Israel has had to maintain the position thru many different historical contexts.

Information largely comes from here:  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/994923/jewish/How-Is-a-High-Priest-Selected.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Priest_of_Israel

DID YOU KNOW: What are "Ash Wednesday" and Lent?

Some of my friends are getting crosses put on their foreheads and talking about "Lent".  What is this all about?

Today marks "Ash Wednesday", which is traditionally the first day of "Lent".  Those are two terms that you don't often hear about in EFCA churches, but which are generally celebrated by Christian churches around the world.  Neither is mentioned in the Bible, so there is no requirement to observe either.  But it can be useful to understand the traditions, at the very least.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent on the church calendar - exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter.  It is celebrated by the placing of ashes on the forehead of faithful Christians, to represent repentance as one looks forward to Good Friday (Jesus's death for our sins) and Easter (Jesus's resurrection from the dead).  More on the holiday can be found here:  http://www.gotquestions.org/Ash-Wednesday.html.

Lent marks a 46 day season (40 days not including Sunday) before Easter, during which many Christians choose to renew their commitment to Jesus and symbolize it with acts of self-denial.  It is traditional among many Christian denominations to give up some beloved thing during this time period to remind themselves that Jesus must come first in their lives.  Often the beloved thing is a favorite food (chocolate, red meat, etc.) or a favorite activity (television, golf, etc.).  More can be found on the observance here:  http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-Lent.html

DID YOU KNOW: Where did all the languages at Pentecost come from?

At the day of Pentecost, there surely were a lot of peoples represented...

And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” (Acts 2:8-11)

...so where did they all come from, geographically?  This handy-dandy map may help you to place them all.

DID YOU KNOW: What is "Pentecost"?

This is a reprint from this summer's "DID YOU KNOW" series.  But it is especially appropriate given this week's chapter.

What is "Pentecost"?

You may or may not have noticed, but today is the traditional observation of the church holiday of Pentecost.  Unlike Christmas or Easter or even Palm Sunday, it is not often noted in Protestant churches (except Pentecostal ones) but it is an important day both for Ancient Israel and for the Church.

Pentecost is literally Greek for "the Fiftieth Day" on the Hebrew calendar and is set aside in scripture as a day to remember the giving of the law and thank God for His gift of the first fruits of the harvest.  It's called "The Feast of Weeks" or Shavuot.  (Exodus 34:22)

But Pentecost is also the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, visible as tongues of fire.  They spoke in other languages they did not previously know, and from that time on did miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-31).

There are many church traditions for Pentecost (none of which are scriptural, but they mark how various churches have regarded the holiday in times past). Many churches decorate themselves with the color red, in honor of the Holy Spirit.  Some do special teaching or scripture reading in foreign languages, to commemorate the speaking in tongues.  And many place a symbol of a dove prominently to remind Congregations to think of the Holy Spirit.  The time between Ascension Sunday and Pentecost is often also marked with Fasting and Praying together, marking the time that the disciples waited patiently for the promised coming of the Holy Spirit.

DID YOU KNOW: The Feast of the Transfiguration

"DID YOU KNOW?" will be a summer series where we review issues of the Bible and the Christian faith of special interest. If you have a suggestion/question that you'd like addressed in a "DID YOU KNOW?" segment, please e-mail the coaches.

I heard today is the "Feast of the Transfiguration".  What is that?

More liturgical Christian traditions than ours put events onto the calendar to remember both heroes of the faith and the major events of Jesus's life.  The "Feast of the Transfiguration" on August 6 (for most denominations, not all) is set aside to remember the events of the transfiguration recorded in the synoptic gospels.

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.  And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.  As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.Luke 9:28-36 ESV

This feast is unusual in not focussing on a single character (in this case Jesus), but is seen as a time to reflect on the mystery of the Trinity where God is one being in three persons.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all worshipped, celebrated, and remembered in this feast.