The New American Standard Version of the Bible NASB was published on July 31th 1971 - This Week in Christian History for the week of July 28-August 3rd, 2013

On July 31^st 1970 the complete New American Standard Version of the Bible was first published by the Lockman Foundation. The Bible is regarded as the most literal 20^th century version. The Revised Standard Version was also an update of the American Standard Version, but was less literal than the original, which was the main reason that people saw a need for a new version of the Bible. The New American Standard Version was designed to be true to the original languages, be grammatically correct, understandable, and give glory to Jesus.  It has been revised to a newer version by the Lockman Foundation mostly because of the discovery of better manuscripts, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls, but also due to some readability issues.

Where did the Lockman Foundation come from? It was during a tent meeting that Dewey Lockman was saved, and a few years later than he underwent a realization based on Malachi 3:10 that giving to the LORD based on faith will bring blessings. He started with a 10% tithe, but the size of the tithe increased as the years went along. He eventually gave 40% of his income to God. When he had a few lean years as a farmer, he kept account of how much he owed and paid it back later.

Lockman was so blessed that he was able to give away 75% of his land to establish the Lockman Foundation. The Foundation was to reach God’s people throughout the world. They taught adult and children Bible classes. The bought Foundation Press to enable them to publish tracs, Gospels, and other Christian literature.

The foundation turned to Bible translation when it published the New Testament Amplified Bible in 1958. But it was obvious that a more general Bible was needed, and this is where the New American Standard Version came from. After it was published, the Old Testament of the Amplified Bible was released. Besides working on English Bibles, the foundation has published original translations of the Bible in many other languages. The Lockman Foundation continues today although its founder has passed away. More study Bibles are based on the NASB than on any other translation.

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It is also available to order now or shortly from anywhere that sells books. It is a creative nonfiction collection of biographies of Martin Luther, Francis of Assisi, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, and Thomas Becket. Come, tame a wolf, flee from the wrath of the king, feel the horror of impending doom on a ship, and the uncertainty of one’s own salvation with these great heroes of the faith. I have excepts of the book on my website williamdeanhamilton.net

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John Newton composer of Amazing Grace was born July 24t, 1725 - This Week in Christian History for the week of July 21-27, 2013

John Newton was born on July 24, 1725 in London. At age 11 he went to sea with his father after his mother died of tuberculosis. He sailed with his father six times before his father retired. He was fired from his first job due to unruly behavior. When John was visiting some friends he was pressganged into service in the Royal Navy. He attempted to escape and was whipped and sent to work on a slave ship. He continued to be a troublemaker and the ship left him in Africa under the care of one of the slave traders, who treated him like one of his slaves. John had to beg for food to survive. John’s father asked a captain to keep on the lookout for him and he was saved and brought back to England.

It was during the trip home while a terrible storm was raging that John first considered Christianity. He became a mate then a captain on several slave ships hoping to restrain the worst of the trade. While he was sick with fever he prayed to God and was saved. John quit the slave trade and became a tax collector. In his spare time he learned Greek and Hebrew and gave Bible studies in his home. He wanted to become a priest in the Church of England and accomplished the goal in seven years. He published a pamphlet against slavery.

John Newton is most famous today for him hymns. He began to collaborate with poet William Cowper to create a volume published as the Olney Hymns in 1779. The song included are "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken," "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds!," "Let Us Love, and Sing, and Wonder," "Come, My Soul, Thy Suit Prepare," "Approach, My Soul, the Mercy-seat.” He is best known for a song he wrote himself based on his own life, “Amazing Grace.”

My new book is now available to order from Amazon.com Would You Do What They Did? - Great Christian Leaders From Our Past
It is also available to order now or shortly from anywhere that sells books. It is a creative nonfiction collection of biographies of Martin Luther, Francis of Assisi, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, and Thomas Becket. Come, tame a wolf, flee from the wrath of the king, feel the horror of impending doom on a ship, and the uncertainty of one’s own salvation with these great heroes of the faith. I have excepts of the book on my website williamdeanhamilton.net

Thank you for reading.

The Great Schism (Eastern-Western) July 16th 1054 - This Week in Christian History for the week of July 14-20, 2013

The Great Schism (Eastern-Western) was when the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church split apart. The date that is chosen, 1054 July 16^th, is when Pope Leo IX sent legates to deliver the excommunication of Michael Cærularius, Patriarch of Constantinople. The Patriarch, the head of the eastern church, reacted by excommunicating the legates. This was not the beginning of the story.

When Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, he gave more authority to the sees of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem.  The Roman Empire was sometimes one country, but at other times it was divided into eastern and western halves. During his reign Constantine effectively moved the capital of Rome to Constantinople in the East.

In the fourth century the emperor took control of the church and the local bishop (in Constantinople) was made Patriarch. This title in time came to mean that his see was considered second, only behind Rome in eminence. The other sees protested this, especially Rome. During this time Rome increasingly saw itself as being the head of the other churches. Then the Roman Empire was permanently split and the former eastern portion of the Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire. This helped create further differences between the two churches.

After the fall of the Roman Empire to Germanic tribes, the Byzantine Emperor declared to have complete authority over the church, but acknowledged he could not influence the church in the former western half of the empire. After the fall of the empire a greater language barrier grew. The western half spoke Latin and the eastern spoke Greek. Most educated men spoke both before the fall, but after the fall very few would learn both languages. Theology and rituals gradually drifted apart. Three of the original five sees fell to Muslim Arabs, thus leaving the two great sees of Rome and Constantinople.

Years after this happened the mutual excommunication took place. Afterwards the churches have largely gotten along, but did not recognize each other’s councils, which was not all that different than what it was like for years before the schism. In 1965 Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I met to declare an end to the schism.

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It is also available to order now or shortly from anywhere that sells books. It is a creative nonfiction collection of biographies of Martin Luther, Francis of Assisi, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, and Thomas Becket. Come, tame a wolf, flee from the wrath of the king, feel the horror of impending doom on a ship, and the uncertainty of one’s own salvation with these great heroes of the faith. I have excepts of the book on my website williamdeanhamilton.net

Thank you for reading.

John Calvin was born July 10th 1509 - This Week in Christian History for the week of July 7-13, 2013

On July 10 1509 John Calvin was born in France. Be broke with the Catholic Church, but eventually had to flee to Switzerland due to religious tensions. It was in Basel Switzerland that he published “The Institutes of the Christian Religion,” which became very influential in Protestant thinking. He was sent to reform the church in Geneva. One of his ideas had been to insist that all member of the church would have to take a vow of confession, but most had not done so yet and they didn’t want to force anyone. Also they didn’t have the Eucharist during the Easter services, which caused quite a tumult. This caused the City Council to reject his ideas.

Martin Bucer invited Calvin to Strasbourg, where he became the minister to a French church. Eventually Geneva became more cooperative and allowed him to lead. Calvin preached over 2,000 sermons when in Geneva, two sermons on Sunday and three other times a week. His sermons would usually last an hour and he did not use notes and although there had been some attempt at recording his sermons by secretaries, very little of these sermons survive.

Being one of the first protestant leaders, Calvin faced much opposition. A group, sometimes known as the Libertines, opposed Calvin from a different angle. They argued that if we were saved by grace then there should not be subject to ecclesiastic or civil authority. This group was composed of the wealthy and powerful, and harassed Calvin through his time in Geneva. With more French refugees coming into the city, Calvin’s political position improved and the Libertines tried to burn down a house filled with Frenchmen, but this backfired and they fled form the city or in some cases tried and killed.

John Calvin was also instrumental in the trial and execution of Michael Servetus, who denied the Trinity and infant baptism. He was wanted by the Inquisition and wrote letters to Calvin. He stopped in Geneva and was recognized, tried, and burned at the stake. Calvin pressed to have him beheaded instead. This helped him to secure a position as a lead reformer and give him political stability at home. He varied with Martin Luther on several points and was dismayed that the reformers were not united. He worked on reforming and expanding his “The Institutes of the Christian Religion,” and finished the final version shortly before his death.

My new book is now available to order from Amazon.com Would You Do What They Did? - Great Christian Leaders From Our Past
It is also available to order now or shortly from anywhere that sells books. It is a creative nonfiction collection of biographies of Martin Luther, Francis of Assisi, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, and Thomas Becket. Come, tame a wolf, flee from the wrath of the king, feel the horror of impending doom on a ship, and the uncertainty of one’s own salvation with these great heroes of the faith. I have excepts of the book on my website williamdeanhamilton.net

Thank you for reading.

Video Version of This Week in Christian History 07 07-13 2013