Last week we took a virtual tour of the Arab world, “hearing” the call to prayer in Arabic, feeling the drama of Ramadan, sensing the spiritual hunger of Muslims looking for something more.
Our tour guides were David and Carol Wilson, long-time friends from Minneapolis. They served God 12 years in Jordan, seeing him work in difficult circumstances. Here in Sao Paulo, they taught seminary students (4 nights), pastors and church members (2 nights) about Islam and how to point Muslims to Jesus.
There are about 2 million Muslims in Brazil—one percent of the population. Brazilians have much greater access to Muslims than Americans, because there are fewer political barriers to cross.
Did I mention that the Wilsons are “retreaded”? We were challenged by their passion for this group of people which represent the fastest growing religion on the globe. Dave and Carol, thanks for modeling long-term faithfulness to Jesus.
So, what attracts Muslims to Jesus? (It’s definitely not Christianity!) The Master’s love, compassion, kindness and gentleness stand in sharp contrast to the harsh demands of a religion based on submission. Many Muslims are beginning to realize that the imposition of Sharia law does not change the hearts of people.
To learn more about Islam and Muslims, the Wilsons recommend the following resources: Web: http://www.answering-islam.org/ Book: Building Bridges, Fouad Elias Accad (NavPress: Colorado Springs, 1997).
In the photo at right, Lalia interprets Dave Wilson's seminar into Portuguese (the language of the angels).
One of my occasional tasks is to review and evaluate books for possible publication in Portuguese. This post allows you to peek over my shoulder at a recent review I wrote for the Vida Nova publishers in Sao Paulo. It gives an idea of what kinds of things are important in our decision making process.
BOOK REVIEW AND EVALUATION FOR PUBLICATION:
Bruce A. Ware. Their God Is Too Small: Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2003. (142 pages)
Bruce A. Ware. God’s Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2000. (240 pages)
Bruce A Ware. God’s Greater Glory: The Exalted God of Scripture and the Christian Faith. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004. (254 pages)
Bruce Ware’s three books on open theism (most commonly known in Brazil as teologia relacional or teísmo aberto) are a response to the increasing influence of some evangelicals in the U.S. who advocate a limited view of God.Ware has a systematic style characterized by irenic, yet firm, Bible-based reasoning.He does not resort to name-calling, but rather allows the logical force of his argumentation to carry the reader to an irresistible conclusion, i.e., that the God of open theists is severely truncated in comparison to the exalted God of the Scriptures.
As I considered these books for possible publication in Brazil, my first question was: Is open theism an issue for Brazilian evangelicals?At least three indicators seem to point to an affirmative answer.First, Luiz Sayão says that he has been asked repeatedly to speak on this subject.He told me that he considers open theism to be a current topic of concern among pastors and Christian leaders in Brazil.AG Pastor Ricardo Gondim has been one of the most vocal proponents of teologia relacional.
Second, Franklin Ferreira and Alan Myatt devote a considerable amount of ink to the issue in their Teologia Sistemática (see page 308-348). They comment: “O teísmo aberto tem chegado a alguns círculos teológicos no Brasil, notadamente entre os pentecostais...” (p. 310).
Third, according to the bibliography in Teologia Sistemática, there are already a number of books on the Brazilian market which directly address the subject of open theism:
John Frame, Não há outro Deus: uma resposta ao teísmo aberto (Cultura Cristã, 2006).
John Piper et al, Teísmo aberto: uma teologia além dos limites bíblicos (Vida, 2006).
Douglas Wilson (org.), Eu (não) sei (mais) em quem tenho crido: a falácia do teísmo relacional (Cultura Cristã, 2006).
R. K. McGregor Wright, A soberania banida: redenção para a cultura pós-moderna. (Cultura Cristã, 1998).
Therefore, there seems to be a Brazilian context for the publication of good material in this area.It would make sense for EVN to have at least one title on open theism, not just to hop on the bandwagon, but to provide one more conservative theological perspective on the issue.
Of the three books reviewed, I would first recommend publication of Their God Is Too Small.At 142 pages, it is 40 percent smaller than the other two books (maybe less, considering the wider line spacing), yet still provides a good introduction to the issues surrounding the debate.It is written at a popular level, and is therefore accessible to the high school educated Brazilian reader.The table of contents is as follows:
Open Theism and Christian Faith
Open Theism and God’s Foreknowledge
Open Theism and Suffering
Open Theism and Prayer
Open Theism and Hope
If we incorporated the word “Introduction” in the title of the Portuguese edition, we could leave the door open for later publication of the expanded version, God’s Lesser Glory, which is definitely a seminary-level discussion of the debate.
The third book, God’s Greater Glory, is not so much a direct refutation of open theism but an exposition of the doctrine of divine providence.Nevertheless, its underlying (stated) purpose is to provide a sharp contrast to the limited God of open theism.This could be a companion volume to God’s Lesser Glory or, alternatively, could be published in place ofit, after the introductory book.
Did you know that Jesus' miraculous multiplication of bread has an Old Testament counterpart?
I didn't realize this until I started working on a new project for the Vida Nova publishing house: checking and revising cross references for a new study Bible.
[Vida Nova already has a study Bible in its catalog, using a Portuguese translation licensed by the Brazilian Bible Society. The new study Bible will be based on a new translation prepared by our own team of Hebrew and Greek scholars here in Brazil, called the Almeida Século 21 (Almeida Century 21).]
Although painstaking, the work of cross references is fascinating. The New Testament was not written in a vacuum, of course. The Old Testament background is deep and essential to understanding the message of the Gospels, Acts and Letters. If you have any doubts, check out Jesus' encounter with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: And beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:27, NIV)
So where is bread multiplied in the OT? Take a look at 2 Kings 4:42-44 (NIV):
A man came from Baal Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. "Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
"How can I set this before a hundred men?" his servant asked. But Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the LORD says: 'They will eat and have some left over.' " Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
See the similarities to the accounts in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9 and John 6? Even down to the incredulity of the servant and the leftovers! There is, however, an amazing difference in proportions. Elisha feeds 100 men with 20 loaves (5:1 ratio), but Jesus feeds 5,000 men with only 5 loaves (1,000:1 ratio)! Don't you get the feeling that God wanted to emphasize the fact that, in Jesus' case, You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased?
As I had lunch yesterday with a teacher from Stony Brook School in Long Island, NY, I learned of a fascinating lecture series available for free on the web. Lars Brownworth, a history teacher at Stony Brook, uncovers some of the mysteries of the Byzantine Empire as he looks at 12 of its most influential emperors.
I listened to the introductory lecture this morning, and I think I'm hooked. Lars teaches in a conversational style with non-technical language. His lectures are not long--15 to 20 minutes on the average. You can listen in real time on the web or download in mp3 format. You iPod users can also find these goodies on iTunes.
At a time when the East is gaining attention in world affairs, this series promises to give us greater understanding of the issues behind today's headlines.
We discovered this last week when we assisted with translation for a team of optometrists from Alabama, who were here in Sao Paulo on a short term missions trip.
Believers from the Lions Club had received hundreds of pairs of glasses from the unclaimed baggage center in northeastern Alabama. Optometrists and other volunteers classified the glasses according to degree of lens correction.
Armed with portable eye-testing equipment and a suitcase full of glasses, the group arrived in Sao Paulo and went to work. A Brazilian Baptist pastor had contacted the local public school to get permission to test the children's eyesight and fit them with reading glasses, if possible. Adults from a GED-type program were also included in the campaign.
In a 3-day period, several hundred people--who could not afford to purchase eyeware--were tested and fitted with glasses. Gospel tracts were distributed and the local church received greater visibility in the neighborhood.
Curt is pictured here with one of the American volunteers and an eager candidate for "new" reading glasses!
We both continue to edit and translate books for the Brazilian church. (This is not our only ministry activity, but it is probably the main event right now.)
I was the editor for the Manual de primeiros socorros para ministério com jovens e adolescentes (Emergency Response Handbook for Youth Ministries). The book is aimed at youth leaders and parents, providing an overview of 12 different crises facing youth today. Each chapter gives practical ideas for helping students at their points of need.
My job included checking the accuracy of the translation and making some minor adaptations for the Brazilian context. Unlike most books, for this one I wrote an additional chapter which addressed a crisis which is more acute for youth in Brazil: employment.
Lalia's strong suit is translation from English to Portuguese. Another one of her literary "children" just came off the press: Zooclopédia: 52 mensagens e lições bíblicas do mundo animal (Zoopedia: 52 Bible lessons from the animal world). This book is aimed at teachers of children from 6 to 11 years, and provides step-by-step lesson instructions. It is gratifying to know that the many hours invested in crafting a good Portuguese translation are now making a difference for teachers all over Brazil!
There are about 2 million Muslims in Brazil—one percent of the population. Brazilians have much greater access to Muslims than Americans, because there are fewer political barriers to cross.
