Is this Thursday at 7 pm.  Come early for a good seat.  And invite a friend to come along.

Just in time for Christmas

AFP reports today

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a home dating to the time of Jesus in the town of Nazareth where he is said to have spent the better part of his life, the antiquities authority said on Monday. … “The discovery is of the utmost importance since it reveals for the very first time a house from the Jewish village of Nazareth and thereby sheds light on the way of life at the time of Jesus,” Yardenna Alexandre, who is heading the excavation, said in a statement. “The building that we found is small and modest, and it is most likely typical of the dwellings in Nazareth in that period.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has this photo and much more information than the scanty AFP report:

Just to remind everyone of our snow policy at PBC-  we never cancel services due to weather.  If you don’t feel comfortable getting out that’s perfectly understandable.  But if you show up for a scheduled service, someone will always be there.

Tracy’s dad’s family will receive friends Friday night from 6-8 at Schuberts.  Please remember them.

Please remember Carl M’s family- his sister passed away yesterday.  The funeral is tonight (Wed.) and the graveside service is Thursday at 1.

Please be in prayer for Tracy L’s family.  Her father passed away today and the family certainly could use your prayers on their behalf.

Can be downloaded here.

Every year it inevitably happens that someone wants to get a loved on a new Bible for Christmas.  ‘Preacher’, they ask, ‘which translation of the Bible do you recommend’.

Some will suggest that the answer is the King James.  And while the KJV is a fine translation, it was made centuries ago in language simply no longer familiar to most people.  Further, since the Bible wasn’t written in King James English (but in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic), it’s not a bad thing to get another translation (the views of the King James Only crowd notwithstanding).  Besides – 90% of the world doesn’t even speak English and they still read God’s Word in their own tongues, thanks to the work of translators.

So which translation should it be?  It should be a translation that the reader can understand.  There’s no reason to get someone a Bible they can’t use.  And, as Paul said, it’s better to speak 10 words that make sense to the hearer than 10,000 that don’t.

A very readable translation is the New American Standard.  It’s faithful to the originals and easily comprehended.  The Contemporary English Version is excellent.  It’s readable and it’s very, very faithful to the originals.  And there’s also the New King James Version, which abandons the outdated language of the KJV and yet retains much of the rhythm and tone of the KJV.

Whichever version you decide to buy, be sure to buy a version that’s reliable and accurate and understandable.  In fact, those are always the three criteria for buying a new translation of the Bible.  Because if it’s unreliable or inaccurate or incomprehensible, it’s of no use.