GRACE
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP
P.O. BOX 7187
GULF SHORES, AL. 36547
www.giftdigest.com
Dear Friends & Co-laborers in the
Gospel,
Jan. 20th 2009
Greetings in the blessed name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.
It was good to hear from so many expressing appreciation for the
monthly mailings. Using email certainly saves time and
money. We did notify all on our mailing list that we would no
longer be using snailmail. However, where there are special
requests, we can still send them out by regular mail. We continue to
add to the email list, and would be happy to add addresses.
Occasionally, there are those who for one reason or another prefer not
to receive them. Let us hear from you in this regard.
We are really blessed by the ministry and fellowship down here in
Alabama. We have made new friends and have been invited through a
number of new open doors. One blessing in particular is the
increasing revelation that there are many more Berean-minded Christians
than we had expected.
Shirley is teaching her weekly Ladies Bible Class, and we are both
teaching a new venture in a Couples Bible Class. This past Sunday
I ministered at The New Life in Christ Church in Foley, Alabama.
Enjoyed the blessed fellowship with Pastor Paul and Carolyn Wilde.
Wonderful people! It is refreshing and encouraging to meet those
who boldly stand for the truths of Holy Scripture.
Our dear friends Norman and Carol Gidney will be with us March 11-16.
Norman will be speaking the 12th in Mobile at the Christian
Businessmen’s Luncheon at the Hank Aaron Stadium Restaurant. If
you are in the area join us. He will be at the Genesis Church in
Foley on Sunday A.M., March 15th. Again, join us if you
can. Pray for these meetings. His ministry has been richly
blessed in the past, and we have seen many men come to a knowledge of
Salvation.
Do pray for us. Read the studies in the Revelation. They have
been a blessing to me. Shirley’s “Soliloquies” continue to be
well received by many. They now go out to about 200 people every
week. They are free. Consider the summarized sermon.
Continued blessings, Henry (Jn. 3:30). “Jesus, the Lord, who came
to save is so wonderful.” Amen! And Amen! Do you know this
chorus? I still enjoy singing it. The choruses by Wayne
Webb remain among my favorites.
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REVIEWING THE REVELATION
CHAPTER 1 (STUDY 2)
APPROACHING THE BOOK
REVELATION 1:1-3
The fact that it can be assumed that the original recipients of
Revelation were expected to understand what John was instructed to
write to them is no certain guarantee that they actually did. Some
thing similar could be said of contemporary readers. In fact, it
might be even more difficult for today’s readers because they generally
tend to approach the book under the influence of second hand
preunderstandings such as have been assimilated from either their
teachers, or from extra biblical books. What is more, there have
been over nineteen hundred years of interpretative traditions handed
down and embellished by well meaning expositors. I remind my reader of
this fact because like other traditional embellishments of the Word of
God there can be found basic premises that provide conclusions even
before the facts are considered. Who among us does not realize
that there is always the possibility of subtle psychological
dispositions wherein persuasions are reinforced by desires to believe
what one wants to believe. There can be no doubt that if there is
any book in the Bible that provides an open door to sensational
embellishments it is the Revelation.
However, having said this, I would hurry to add what might seem like a
contradiction. There are difficulties in the book even for sincere
students, and quite frankly, I would be suspicious of any commentator
who evinced a spirit that conveyed a boast that he fully understood
every single jot and tittle in the book. But then, I would
quickly add that I don’t think it is necessary to understand every jot
and tittle in order to have an appreciation of the scope and content of
the book.
I am writing these words on a computer, yet by no stretch of the
imagination do I profess to be an expert on all aspects of this
wonderful invention. Far from it! I do nonetheless avail
myself of the input from those men and women whose expertise with
computers never ceases to amaze me. In a similar manner, knowledgeable
commentators can help in the jots and tittles found scattered
throughout the book. Their expertise can help me to understand and
enjoy a greater appreciation of this intriguing book, a book that
Richard Bauckman called The Climax of Prophecy. For this reason I
suggested a number of commentators who are readily available, and whose
works are worthy of utilization. As these studies progress I will
mention others, but let it be understood that Scripture itself should
always be the final authority. “It is amazing,” as a friend often
reminds me, “how much light Scripture can shed on the commentators.”
APPROACHING THE BOOK
It might be helpful if I explain how I intend to proceed in these
studies. Then I would like to say a word about why I think so
many have so much trouble with its content. And finally, I would
like to share an outline that summarizes the content of the book.
This last objective might be jumping the gun a little, but I cannot
help but think that the failure to appreciate the sweep of the whole
might be one reason why many have problems with the parts.
As far as my approach is concerned, I do not intend to pursue these
studies in a common verse-by-verse manner. I will of course, from
time to time, be focusing on particular verses, phrases, and words in
their respective contexts, but my main concern will be to concentrate
on broad sections and thus attempt to highlight relationships between
the various parts.
The title of these studies, Reviewing the Revelation is one that is
analogous to something common to life in the military. Often
there is an event known as a Reviewing of the Troops, and occasionally
A Pass in Review. A ‘Pass in Review’ would involve a ‘march past’
and a review of the troops would usually concentrate more on an
inspection of each soldier with a Sargent-Major or even the Colonel of
the regiment occasionally stopping and checking on a particular
soldier’s uniform, or taking time even to exchange a little
persiflage. The reviewing of the individuals who made up each
squad is the parallel to the verse-by-verse approach, whereas the pass
in review has the senior officer standing and observing each squad or
section move past the review stand. I once had the privilege, as
an honorary Padre (Chaplain), of being on the parade stand with a
Brigadier General, who was Provost Marshal of the British Army, as a
parade of Veterans marched by with their various association banners
flying in the wind. It was an exhilarating experience. The
analogy, based on this kind of review, comes closer to the approach I
have in mind in the following studies. Although, I will from time
to time pause and give special attention to particular verses as they
relate to the overall “pass in review.”
Maybe another analogy might better explain my approach. Let me call to
mind the image of how trees relate to a forest. It takes a lot of
trees to make a forest, but when walking through a forest one usually
does not stop to examine every single tree. In other words,
rather than concentrating on any single tree, people generally tend to
take in the sweep of the whole forest. Of course, this cannot be
done without looking at certain trees that seem to stand out from the
rest, but even here, such trees are not permitted to block the
appreciation of the whole. This only happens if a person stands
too close to any given tree. A similar phenomenon can happen in
the study of Revelation if one verse (one tree) be allowed to assume a
dominant significance. The same could be said of narrowness of
perspective caused by certain preunderstandings, if they be allowed to
dictate interpretation, for they could tend to obscure the
interdependent relationships between the chapters and the verses (the
many trees).
The preceding thoughts may have weaknesses, but they nonetheless serve
to illustrate, at least to some degree, why a point of departure can be
of great importance. Most serious students of Holy Scripture,
sooner or later, become aware of the perennial problem of allowing the
pendulum to swing too far. Now I am mixing metaphors. What
I mean, as was just implied, is that there is a danger in singling out
certain trees (verses) for special attention, and thus ignoring the
adjacent trees. In other words, certain trees can receive
preferential treatment because they harmonize with preconceptions of
how the whole should be appreciated. This of course is not to say
that one tree can be bigger and more striking than another tree, but it
can only be such when seen against the wider background.
THREE PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
I would add three further observations. First, picking up on the
preceding analogy, I would introduce a word of caution. Like a
forest, the book of Revelation does have variety, but there is also
unity in its overall content. It is not, as sometimes imagined, a
hodgepodge of disjointed phantasmal visions. On the contrary,
there exists an interrelated plot that gives unity to the whole.
The second observation also falls into the category of caution, and
carries a warning sign. It goes back to what was just said about
the possibility of allowing presuppositions to dictate how the book
should be approached and interpreted. I can think of many
examples of this fallacy. One that comes to mind at the moment,
can be seen in how the Roman Catholic Church, guided by the pragmatic
needs to defend the institution of the Papacy, has distorted Matthew
16:18. Even Augustine made it clear that he did not admit any
claim of papal jurisdiction based on this passage. The petra was
not Peter but Christ (See, Garry Wills, Why I Am a Catholic p.
91). Other examples of such distortion will be mentioned ere too
long. There can be little doubt that it is an insidious
ever-present danger to allow presuppositions to dictate
interpretation. In other words, problems are not necessarily in
the Bible itself, as much as they might be in the theories that are
supposedly the keys to its interpretation.
The preceding statements call for additional explanation. Students are
not always aware of the phenomenon in which a given system of
theological thinking can influence exegesis. Supposedly, theology
is the product of the ordinary rules of grammar and logic applied to
the interpretation of Holy Scripture. The problem I am trying to
describe arises when the logic takes its bearings from premises that
some-times are allowed to dictate attempts at exegesis.
Illustrations of this insidious happening will appear in later studies,
but for the moment let the warning be posted.
In thinking about what I have just said, my mind recalls a passage from
the pen of E. W. Bullinger. It can be found in his book, How to
Enjoy the Bible. He contended that much of what Christians
believe comes from various intellectual traditions rather than coming
from the Bible itself. Then, inadvertently, in the process of pursuing
the study of the Bible, much of the consequent dynamic is guided by a
desire to make the teachings of the Bible conform to the various
traditions. When the confirmation cannot be found it results in a
consequent “difficulty.” “But,” as Bullinger wrote, it does not
seem to dawn on the student that, “the difficulty is not in the Word of
God itself.” It does exist, but only in the mind of the
student. Hence, “The real difficulty is in giving up our views
because we fail to make the Bible conform to them.” And, as he
continued, he pointed out: “It does not, at first, occur to our
minds that we may have to abandon some of our views if we would get rid
of the difficulty.” This could of course apply to most controversies;
the interpretation of the Revelation being no
exception.
The third observation comes as a word of encouragement. It high-lights
my opinion that an intelligent understanding of the Revelation holds
practical benefits for those who have “ears to hear, and eyes to
see.” I firmly believe that the book forms an important
part of Holy Scripture and therefore is profitable in “thoroughly
equipping” the man of God unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).
This would apply as much to those who are young in the faith as it does
to those who have traveled the Christian way for many years. I do not
think for one moment that John composed Revelation solely for an
esoteric-ivory-tower-elitist cult. This is not to say that the
book is therefore an elementary primer on prophecy. It does contain
many challenges, not only to those young in the faith, but also to the
more mature believers.
With regard to those young in the faith, it should not come as a
surprise that they should find challenges as they read and study the
Bible. There usually are difficulties in most learning processes.
Therefore the truths of the Bible are no exception. Mortimer
Adler expressed the opinion that the Bible is a very difficult book to
read. In some ways I would tend to agree with him, but then I
would wonder about such passages as Psalm 19:7, and 2 Timothy
3:15. Yes, there are so-called experts who fail to apprehend its
overall message. The Lord Jesus himself ran into this very
phenomena (Cf. Jn.5:39, 40). Even though such experts sometimes fail to
make sense of its content, let it be mentioned that there were humble
fisherman who were able to apprehend its general message and put the
various parts together into intelligent relationships (Jn. 5:39-47; 2
Tim. 2:15; 2 Pet.1:19-21; 3:1-14). This however, does not
necessarily mean that there could be certain parts of the Bible that
might be more difficult than other parts. For example,
Peter mentioned that there were some things in Paul’s epistles that
were “hard to be understood.” (2 Pet. 3:16). So while Adler could
be right to a degree, his statement needs qualification.
ANALYZING THE DIFFICULTIES
What Adler went on to say is interesting. He added that, “the
Holy Book . . . The Word of God is obviously the most difficult writing
men can read; but it is also, if you believe it is the Word of God, the
most important to read.” (How to Read a Book, p. 294). No doubt,
if he had singled out certain sections as far as degrees of difficulty
are concerned, he would probably have put the Revelation near the
top. Nevertheless, his logic cannot be faulted. If it is the Word
of God, and I believe that it is, then there is no more important
book. The Revelation is part of that Word. Hence, it is an
important book and should not be neglected. Perhaps, the question
needs to be asked, what is it that lies behind the difficulties in the
Revelation? If this can be answered, then maybe the light
can be turned on and some mitigation of the difficulties might be
allowed.
For example, do the problems spring from the fact that the book is full
of figurative language? Figures of speech can be confusing,
but they can be explained and thus they can be understood. In
fact when they are understood it soon becomes evident that rather than
water down meaning they intensify it. However, sometimes
apprehending meaning involves an attempt to research the cultural
perspective of writer and reader. I still use figures of speech,
even words that were peculiar to my childhood days in the northeastern
part of England. Every once in a while they need to be explained,
and when they are, “the penny drops!” What do I mean when I say,
“the penny drops?” It was little more than a half century
ago that homes in Great Britain had meter-machines which needed penny
coins to keep the light supply available. When the light went
out, a penny was dropped in the meter and voila, there was light!
If figures of speech are sometimes difficult in one’s own native
language, imagine what they are like when they are found in a
translation. I remember reading about the fateful words of
Gameel el-Batouty when, on October 31, 1999, he, as co-pilot of that
Egyptian Air Flight, careened toward the sea. In Arabic, they are
transliterated: “Tawakilt ala Allah!” The English language news
media learned that the literal meaning of the words could be
translated, “I entrust myself to God!” The hasty conclusion
was that the man at the controls was deliberately committing suicide
and taking the lives of two hundred and sixteen people with
him. However, with the help of those who know the Arabic
language and culture, it came out that the closest dynamic translation
of the words would be somewhat equivalent to an American exclaiming,
“Jesus Christ!” In other words, they were words that express
sudden surprise. There are many expressions that are common fare
in the vocabulary of Americans which sound like a prayer, but in
reality are anything but a prayer. On the contrary, they are
blatant infractions of the commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name
of the LORD thy God in vain.” (Ex. 20:7).
In the case at hand, el-Batouty might have uttered the words, not as a
resignation of his soul to Allah, but rather as an exclamation of shock
when he realized that the plane was out of control, and he was unable
to do anything about it. With such in mind, context and culture
help turn the light on and bring better understanding of original
meaning. The point in this illustration can be applied to
the interpretation of the Revelation. Like the matter of
el-Batouty’s words, there is a need to ask questions and avoid hasty
judgments. In this regard, it might be mentioned that the
Revelation is filled with imagery much of which comes directly from the
Old Testament. I believe it was Bruce Metzger who claimed that
there were over 400 such quotations.
There is also the possibility that frustrations might arise from the
fact that there are scholarly differences of opinion over how the
Revelation should be interpreted. In other words, if the experts
disagree, what hope is there for rank and file people? When I
hear this, I am frequently tempted to respond, “So, what else is
new?” Should anyone really be surprised when this
happens? I think of the times that I have attended
symposiums in the fields of theology, philosophy, and psychology. Not
only do the disciplines have their private domains in which scholars
fight their respective battles, but there seems to be resentment toward
intruders and toward any crossing over between disciplines. But even
apart from these considerations, is there any subject of consequence
that finds universal agreement among scholars?
At the period of time in which I am writing these words, the United
States is witnessing widespread controversy over who should be the next
president. Even among Christians strong differences exist over
the candidates. Interestingly, both candidates themselves claim
to be believers, at least as far as the existence of God and man’s
accountability to him is concerned. I am not for one moment
implying that this question is unimportant. On the contrary, I
agree with Jacob Neusner, a distinguished Talmudic scholar of the
University of South Florida, who said, “I’d rather have a Christian
bound by Scripture, as I am, than a functional atheist, bound by
nothing.” (Newsweek, Feb. 7, 2000, pp. 33, 34). My point here is
simply to illustrate that differences over important issues are really
par for the course and are quite normal.
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To be continued: My apologies to my reader if I have stopped at
what might be judged to be a bad juncture. However, hopefully I
have wet the whistle and created a desire for more. My plan is to
put these studies together in book form by the summer of 2009.
Since it is “A Pass in Review” it will be a book of some 250
pages. Since our monthly mailings are now coming via email the
reader is at liberty to download whatever he deems to be useful.
This is the second study in the series.
In fact, being able to download (studies) from our web page has saved
hours of time and a lot of money. I would encourage those with
computers to download for friends. Even some of my books and booklets
are now available on our web page: www.giftdigest.com. I would
also invite dialogue, particularly on these studies in the Revelation.
Personal email address pastorhudson@giftdigest.com. Regular mail
address till April, 2009: P.O. Box 7187, Gulf Shores, AL 36547.
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EXEMPLO DUCEMUS
A Condensed Version of a
Sermon Preached by Dr. Henry T. Hudson at The Prince of Peace Episcopal
Church during the North American Royal Military Police Reunion held at
Gettysburg, PA. Sept. 13, 2008
May I begin with an exaggerated caricature? My purpose will soon be
evident. There were two Scotsmen, two Irishmen, Two Welshmen, and two
Englishmen shipwrecked on a desert island. The two Scotsmen opened a
bank, the two Welshmen started a choir, the two Irishmen killed each
other, and the two Englishmen were still waiting to be introduced after
twenty-five years! An exaggeration no doubt, but nonetheless
containing distinctive elements of nationalistic traits. What do these
traits have to do with the motto of the Military Police? Very little.
Yet, if the motto of the Royal Military Police is the ideal of the men
and women who wear the Red Cap, then they will exemplify certain
distinctive characteristics that will be a credit to the uniform they
wear and to the Corps with which they identify themselves. These
thoughts came to me when I was reading the words of the apostle Paul
found in his epistle to the church at Philippi. I had been exercising
my brain trying to fathom some of his statements found in chapter
three. He had given his personal testimony and, for argument sake, had
listed his religious accomplishments and cited his boast-worthy
pedigree. He did this in order to combat the damage being done by those
who opposed the gospel of the grace of God that he was preaching. In
other words, if they thought they could boast he could ‘out-boast’
them. What is striking in his testimony is the fact that he heaped all
his accomplishments together and considered them as “but dung,” in
order that he might gain Jesus Christ and be found in him possessing,
“the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (vs. 9). Then, Paul
went on to encourage and exhort those who had come to faith in Christ,
to follow the lead of those who were setting the example of how they
should walk in their newfound faith. I could not help but recall
a certain parallel in how my training at Inkerman Barracks had impacted
my life. I was an eighteen year old street-wise kid from the east side
of London who thought he had all the answers to life, but three months
of square-bashing and discipline knocked off almost all the rough edges
and even altered the way I walked down the street. I was a member of an
elite group of men and was imbued with an esprit de corps that
dramatically changed my life. I was proud to be a Royal Military
Policeman. However, Paul was describing an even greater
transformation. In his second letter to Timothy, his son in the faith,
he used the analogy of what it means to be a good soldier of Jesus
Christ. He is one who knows how to endure hardness and who obeys his
commanding officer. Sadly, in this Philippian passage, after writing
about what it means to be a good example, he went on to say that not
all will follow. In fact, he added that some had become like
insubordinate soldiers, and were virtually enemies of all that their
faith in Christ represented. Some of us have known soldiers like that,
and they bring shame to their uniform and regiment. His final words are
challenging: “For our conversation (our citizenship) is in heaven; from
whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs. 20). Paul
was implying very clearly that the citizenship of a Christian exists
right now in heaven and that while on earth he is to be a walking
example of all that this means. He might be a Scotsman, a Welshman, an
Irishman, or an Englishman, but if he is a Christian then he is also a
citizen of the heavenly realm and thus is be an example of what this
means. Paul would have said a hearty “AMEN” to the R.M.P. Corps’ motto.
He wanted to lead by his own example. He began the next chapter
of his epistle: “THERE-FORE . . . SO (IN QUESTA MANIERA i.e. IN THIS
MANNER) STAND FAST IN THE LORD.” Paraphrased: “Therefore, knowing that
you are a citizen of a heavenly commonwealth, do your best to lead
others by your own example.”
Dr. Henry and
Shirley Hudson
Soliloquy #217 - by Shirley Hudson
Shirley is the wife of our Branch Padre, Dr. Henry Hudson, and she
wrote this soliloquy that seems appropriate
to include in this edition of the Watchdog as it relates to the
Gettysburg Reunion and Henry’s sermon. Please
read and enjoy.
Storms and Wars
“Guess I’d better stop
working for a while, and go out ‘n get some lunch,” a friend was
telling us. Then with his typical dry humour, he said that it was a
good thing he did go out, because when he got back home again, a tree
was laying across the driveway, right where his truck had been parked!
They had experienced high winds, with many trees and branches down. In
some areas, power was still off. I thought to myself, we’re not used to
being without electricity. That’d be difficult! A week ago we
were in St. Louis, Missouri. Henry was due to preach there. But when we
got down to our car to go to church, it was completely dead. Perhaps
the strong wind and rain from the aftermaths of Hurricane Ike got into
the engine. People around were trying to help us, and we did get to the
church with five minutes to spare! It was a blessed day, even though we
heard some people had been turned away because of high water on the
roads and even the Interstate! I thought to myself that maybe it was a
good thing we were delayed. Only the Lord knows. On the road to
Ohio, when I was driving to give my husband a rest, I could feel the
strength of the wind against the car. I had to hold the steering wheel
with both hands! Along the way, we saw branches and trees down.
But we had no trouble getting to our daughter’s home for a couple days
before heading on to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Again I thought it’s a
good thing we have a couple days to relax here.
Then we went to Gettysburg and Washington D.C. for the reunion of the
Royal Military Policemen who had settled in North America. Their
regimental motto is EXEMPLO DUCEMUS. “Lead by Example.”
Requirements for their units were high. They were tall, good-looking,
obviously intelligent men who were interested in continued learning.
Their wives were lovely ladies. I felt honoured to be among them.
As we heard the guides and observed the many historic buildings of
Washington D.C, I was filled with wonder
as I gazed upon them and thought about the role of each in America’s
history. I felt breathless especially as I gazed at the Statue of
Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. He was a man confronted with
enormous problems as he faced the possibility of a divided nation. Also
the acres of tombstones in the Arlington National Cemetery moved my
heart almost to tears. Most of our group, many of whom were former
military men, along with their wives, was emotionally stirred as I was.
This experience was intensified by the changing of the guard at the
tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The next day at Gettysburg, we toured the Battlefields. We had an
excellent guide. In my heart of hearts, I wondered at the futility and
horror of war. Tomorrow we will be worshipping together in an
Anglican Church in Gettysburg. There will be a special ceremony with
these military men in their regalia and colours. My husband will be
delivering the sermon. Afterwards they will be having a little
ceremony of the laying of a wreath on the grave of one of the
servicemen. Henry will have a few words there also. I pray for
him and for all these military men and their wives along with the
members of the congregation. These last few days have given me a great
deal to think about. They have made me realize that the only solution
to the madness and futility of warfare is the return of the Prince of
Peace, for when He returns He will abolish all the weapons of warfare,
and, “Of the increase of His government and of peace, there will be no
end.” Isaiah 9:5-7
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