The tower of Babel is a well-known story but not necessarily a well understood event in redemptive history. In the first blogpost in this series, I argued that the tower of Babel is a reminder of something greater than human pride and divine judgment. It is a testimony to God’s mercy and common grace. God impeded our ability to communicate with each other …
Toward a Theology of Translation, Part 1
Bible translation is about far more than choosing a version. With so many Bible translations in English, it's not surprising that our first question is often about which translation is best. Yet so many ethnic groups don’t even have a first translation in their language. For many, the thought of Bible translation evokes images of missionaries in a remote …
The Tower of Babel, Part 1
The tower of Babel, though never completed, has never been completely forgotten. Babel has endured to this day for most as a fable, an intriguing attempt to explain the many languages spoken around the world and the diversity and disunity that come from language barriers. For those who understand Babel as more than myth, the events surrounding the …
John Calvin on Jesus Christ as Our Mediator, Savior, and Life
In 1534, John Calvin embraced the Reformation and fled France in response to rising persecution. He sought refuge in Basel, Switzerland, arriving in January 1535. While in hiding, Calvin met other French reformers and learned that his cousin, Pierre Robert Olivétan, was producing a French translation of the Bible for the Protestants. Calvin was asked to …
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When John Calvin Went Public
In 1534, John Calvin embraced the Reformation and experienced salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. In response to rising persecution, Calvin fled France and sought refuge in Basel, Switzerland, arriving in January 1535. While in Basel, Calvin took on a pseudonym and sought out other French reformers. It is very likely that he met his cousin …