Read Better, Preach Better

Anakin & Luke Skywalker = Adam & Christ

Con Campbell — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:59:10 +0000

I’m reading Mike Bird’s great little book, Introducing Paul, and had to share this analogy of Paul’s contrast between Adam & Christ. I’m sure the analogy should not be pushed too far, but it’s great for what it’s worth.

In want of a modern analogy, George Lucas’s six-part saga Star Wars can be called a ‘Tale of Two Skywalkers’, and in many ways mirrors the Adam–Christ contrast of Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15, where Adam and Christ stand for the two respective heads of humanity. They are representatives or types of either a corrupted humanity (Adam) or a redeemed humanity (Christ). The first Skywalker (Anakin Skywalker) faced the temptation to give in to the dark side of the force: he gave in to it and death, destruction and chaos followed. In contrast, the second Skywalker (Luke Skywalker) faced the same temptation, but was faithful and obedient to the Jedi vocation, and consequently hope, life and the triumph of good followed. In fact, Luke was able to redeem the first Skywalker, his father Anakin, from evil through his faithfulness.

Introducing Paul, 43

Posted by Con Campbell

Tagged: Introducing Paul, Mike Bird, Paul

Keep your Greek: Testing some lines 8

Con Campbell — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:45:27 +0000

From the chapter on using your senses:

Increasingly, teachers are harnessing different methods for learning Greek, including catering for different learning styles and utilizing the power of our senses for language acquisition.

Because Greek is normally treated as a dead language (though it is far from it!), there is often little interest shown in pronouncing it or hearing it read aloud. This is a great shame. Speaking Greek out loud can be a very useful way to internalize the language.

It seems that singing Greek is all the rage at the moment.

Personally, some of my fondest Greek memories are associated with Kalamata olives and feta cheese, but that doesn’t really help with paradigms.

Posted by Con Campbell

Keep your Greek: Testing some lines 7

Con Campbell — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:47:26 +0000

From the chapter called Get it right the first time. This chapter is aimed at students learning Greek for the first time, rather than pastors who need to recap.

If you’re a student at seminary, bible college, or university and are currently studying Greek, you will never have a better time to get it under your belt.

Keep in mind that you want to know Greek so that you can teach God’s word with depth of understanding, observing its subtleties and nuances, many of which cannot be conveyed in translation.

The more capable you become with Greek when you first learn it, the easier it will be to keep your Greek in the future.

If you can get yourself to that place, you will find it easy to keep your Greek. And that means that you’ll have years ahead of you to read the New Testament in Greek, study it in detail, and teach it with depth and understanding.

Posted by Con Campbell

Tagged: Keep your Greek

Keep your Greek: Testing some lines 6

Con Campbell — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:22:52 +0000

From the chapter on reading slowly:

While it’s a good thing to practice reading Greek quickly (see the last chapter), it’s very important to balance that with reading slowly. Not because reading slowly is necessarily an inherently good thing, but the point is that you practice reading Greek carefully.

This can be incorporated simply into our daily Greek reading, as can reading quickly. The key is to mix it up so that your daily Greek reading is fast on occasion, and slow at other times.

The irony is that reading slowly and carefully will ultimately enable you to read quickly and easily.

Posted by Con Campbell

Tagged: Keep your Greek