I hope to get one of these beauties and review it in the very near future. Thanks, Between Two Worlds. Watch this spot, or not and just check back.

(HT: Woot)

1. Convene a panel of bishops to determine the correct canonical position on the question of who makes Philly’s best cheesesteak
2. Go to Eastern Orthodox cathedral, ring the doorbell, run away giggling
3. Visit the UN to request that the Papal See be upgraded to a Papal B Minus
4. Trade outfits with a pauper that, for some reason, looks exactly like him
5. Three words: Pontiffs Gone Wild
6. Lay down some tracks for the new 2pac tribute album
7. Hit Nobu 57 with Chloe Sevigny and Jason Schwartzman
8. Try first deep-fried Twinkie
9. Console a young nun named Sarah Marshall, who had spent her life working for peace and never before felt such raw hatred from all directions
10. Find out what’s so funny about his hat, anyway

I was surprised and delighted to find a sermon/talk hiding in my mp3 player in the Capitol Hill Baptist Church podcast folder. The speaker: my pastor, Andy Davis. He took leave last summer to work on a book on sanctification which I guess he’s had incubating for quite some time. Almost a month ago, at the end of March he spoke on spiritual maturity in a talk entitled “The Infinite Journey of Christian Growth” at Mark Dever’s church in Washington, DC.

Andy provides a descriptive outline of areas of sanctification while we find ourselves on two infinite journeys: (1) the internal journey of sanctification and (2) the external journey of worldwide disciplemaking. Listening to Andy run through an overview of what’s contained in his book leaves me thinking one thing about his 600 page forthcoming tome: haste the day! I think people of all stages in their walk will find his sagacious and practical insights extremely beneficial. He might have just thought of everything. Find his talk and handout over at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church audio page.

I’ve decided that I love dagesh even though gutturals don’t so much (though aleph does get its dagesh on inLeviticus 23:17). Today I praise God for the Masoretes and their similar love for the dagesh. For without them today would not even be possible. The dagesh doubles the fun. The dagesh hints at the hiding place of a nun (sneaky nun thought that it could assimilate! Dagesh says, “Think again, silly nun.” [Nun as in the Hebrew character, not nun like the habit. Dagesh isn't so good at pointing out hiding nuns...though who can forget the sneaky, mischievious nuns from the Sound of Music]). Disgress…I mean, dagesh also points out our friend the piel. April 10 is Dagesh Day. If a waw starts gettin’ sad, boom! Dagesh and now you’re a shureq!

[PS. What's the plural of dagesh? Dageshi? Dageshae? Dageshim? Dageshoat?]

1 Timothy 2:13-15 (ESV)

For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
And Adam was not deceived
but the woman was deceived
and became a transgressor
Yet she will be saved through childbearing
if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control

“Yet she will be saved through childbearing” makes the most sense in light of the woman becoming a transgressor and the consequent curse of becoming such: “To the woman he said, ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children’” (Gen. 3:16). Here Paul starts a digression on the order of creation, leaving women by the end of v. 14 in the consequence of her sin. Paul can assure the women that the curse will not keep them from salvation “if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” because the Seed has come and bruised the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15).

The sense of the verse then is that women will be saved despite childbearing (even through childbearing) which is her consequence of being “deceived” and “a transgressor.” This consequence—multiplied pain in childbearing—is not too much to bear and it will not keep them from salvation. Their salvation is rather dependent upon their faith and love and holiness which is evident by self-control. Faith, love and holiness and self-control are all results of regeneration. Salvation is tied to genuine regeneration by the Spirit and unhindered by childbearing.

Interpretations that give childbearing as the means through which women are saved must be rejected as well as interpretations that take “saved” to mean “preserved” and thenceforward posit that the woman’s heritage or legacy is preserved through childbearing. These are not most faithful to the Fall context in which women are said to be saved through childbearing. Similarly, the means of salvation is not in view. Instead, the phrase gives comfort to women who fear that the curse of multiplied pain in childbearing might overshadow salvation.

Matthew 8:23-27:

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Psalm 148:7-8

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling [doing] his word!

What sort of man is this indeed? The God-man. Before Abraham was, he was.