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The use of Psalm 68:18 in Ephesians 4:8

  For Paul in Ephesians 4:8, clearly there are some changes from the text that Paul is supposedly citing which is Psalm 68:18. Comparing Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8, it is obvious there are differences. I believe Paul was actually using the LXX but has changed its words for the occasion in Ephesians 4. The LXX version of Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8 differs by a few words: Psalm 68:18 (it is actually Psalm 67:19 in the LXX): ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος  ᾐχμαλώτευσας  αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἔλαβες  δόματα  ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ , Ephesians 4:8 ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος  ᾐχμαλώτευσεν  αἰχμαλωσίαν,* ⸆  ἔδωκεν  δόματα ⸀ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Structurally you can see the LXX and Eph 4 is similar but for a few words changes.   The first change is from 2nd person (LXX) to 3rd person (Eph 4) with regards to who is doing the ascending in the first line.  So the English Bible rightly translates the phrase to "When  he  ascended on high" versus Psalm 68, " you  ascended"   The second change is perhaps the most radical, wh
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The Holy Spirit brings to remembrance all that Jesus said

 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (Jn. 14:26) John’s gospel is in fact a demonstration of the Holy Spirit working in him as he writes this gospel: 
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What is Baptism?

 (1) Baptism is a response to hearing the gospel. Typically, when someone hears the gospel, they believe in it and respond by accepting that Jesus really is the Lord and Saviour. Further to accepting, we also respond by repenting and also going through baptism. See these compilation of verses: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/0By4Ezagmg6EWTy12WEdra01VSzJtamtheE5EdUV3ejF6LVhz/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111374184159913339633&resourcekey=0-cXA9zp-rHazCD69t4mpJvw&rtpof=true&sd=true  (2) Baptism is also one of the instruction of Jesus Christ to us. The last words of Jesus Christ in the book of Matthew: "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20) (3) Baptism is also a
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人日

Yesterday was 人日, the 7th day of Chinese New Year. According to Chinese customs, this was the day humans were created. In modern times it is common to see people greet everyone "Happy birthday" on 人日. But what exactly is 人? This is probably the first Chinese character that everyone learns. Scripture tells us: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27) This has tremendous implications. Man was taken from dust and given the breath of life. He or she bears the divine image of the God of the Universe. This simple verse means at least a few things for us: (1) Because humans are made in His image, everyone bears the image of God. This includes people we don't like, or don't get along with. It includes people from a different race. It includes the disabled whom the world considers valueless. It means we should treat everyone by remembering they are a fellow image bearer. (2) In our lives ho
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Some thoughts on Daniel

In Daniel 4:16, Nebuchadnezzar will be given the mind of a beast : "Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him." Subsequently, in Dan 7, Daniel is given a vision of the change of Empires - all depicted as beasts ... except for the one like a son of man who receives it from the Ancient of Days. For the first time perhaps, in his reign, we are no longer under the reign of beasts.
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Darnel

Since I've moved to S's church, I've been reading D.James Kennedy's Evangelism Explosion for their evangelistic training class. In his book, he provided an explanation of the parable of the wheat and tares that is extremely epiphanic. He wrote: "The church in this world is always a mixed multitude of believers and unbelievers. In the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus indicated that this condition would continue to the end of time. In the world to come, at the judgment, the distinction will be made. It is interesting that Jesus draws a contrast between wheat and darnel. The darnel looked exactly like a wheat through all stages of growth until the time of harvest. Then it had no "fruit". Perhaps there is the implication here that those who do not bear fruit are not true believers." I really am no agricultural expert and perhaps listening to this parable in a non-agrarian society means we are unable to appreciate the comparison. This has happ
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Sinking in the Mud (Jeremiah 38)

I was reminded just a week ago that Scripture contains "golden nuggets" if we would spend the time to look into the details. Here is one discovered just today - Jeremiah being thrown into the cistern. Background: Jerusalem on the verge of being invaded by Babylon. Jeremiah preaches to King Zedekiah to surrender to Babylon. The King did not take this message well and decides to throw Jeremiah into a waterless cistern filled only with mud. "So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud ." (Jer. 38:6) Jeremiah is then saved by the unlikeliest of sources - Ebed-melech the Ethiopian. Scripture would go on to describe his faithfulness (Jer. 39:15-18) After Jeremiah is out of the cistern, the King meets with him secretly at the temple (Scripture is oddly specific that this was done
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