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Articles by Mark Ward
What Hath Hermeneutics to Do with Bible Study?
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpretation. Most often, in my experience, the word is used to describe interpreting one specific book, as that book presents a wholly unique set of interpretive challenges. That book is, of course, the Bible. Good hermeneutics is good Bible study. And what is good Bible study? It is, to paraphrase Kevin Vanhoozer, right readers reading rightly. And that means hermeneutics is impossible to codify completely.
Exegesis vs. Eisegesis: Are You Reading Scripture or Reading into It?
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail I went to ten years of seminary and skipped out on fast food to buy Logos books because I wanted to know as best a human could how to interpret the Bible well. I had teachers and mentors—and especially one pastor—who clearly had the tools I lacked for pursuing a careful and confident understanding of Scripture. My desire impelled me into the world of scriptural exegesis—and away from its doppelganger, eisegesis.
“Should James Be Jacob?” & Other Questions About Hebrew Transliterations
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail What do the following people have in common? Jean-Luc Picard Yahya Sinwar Don Giovanni Jannik Sinner Ivan the Terrible The Jonas Brothers Evan Wyant from middle school Answer? They all have the same name. Look again. They all bear variations of the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (yochanan)—in English, our common “John.” Multiple times in my life, I have suddenly realized that a foreign name with which I was familiar was actually just their version of John.
Our mural journey at Rhythm and Read Park
A mural offers the opportunity to create a significant visual impact directly on a permanent architectural surface. Mary and I were given an incredible opportunity to create such an impact for the Derby Public Library Rhythm and Read Park. Creating the large-scale, colorful composition on the Derby library’s northwest wall was a huge challenge. The main wall measured approximately 65 feet long and 15 feet high, plus an additional 150 sq. ft. on the sidewalk and south wall.
What Is God’s Name? The Meaning of YHWH (& Other “Names”)
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail What is God’s name? God answers in Isaiah 42:8: I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other; nor my praise to carved idols. But what kind of name is “the LORD,” and why do most modern English Bible spell it in all caps? The answer is, like many important things in Scripture, complex but worth knowing (though not worth obsessing over.) We’ll travel through biblical Hebrew and back again to find answers.
5 Ways Love Is the Secret to Better Bible Teaching
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail What’s the key to effectively teaching the Bible to others, whether in a Bible study, a sermon, or a Facebook conversation? Love your audience as yourself. Loving God is most important, of course, but it’s possible to love God supremely and yet fail in your efforts at communicating the truths of Scripture to others.
“Only Begotten God”? 9 Ways to Translate John 1:18
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail John 1:18 is one of the few verses in the New Testament which contains both (1) an all-important theological statement about Christ and (2) a puzzling Greek textual problem. In addition, (3) the Greek wording adopted by most modern version is difficult to translate. One theologically significant verse, three separate challenges for the Bible interpreter. If I were to study this verse in Logos, I might start with the Text Comparison tool.
Affordable Theology: Buying in Bulk with Logos
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail My wife recently determined that Costco was, for us, a better deal than Walmart Plus. She saw firsthand that it is economically efficient to buy in bulk. This is true of groceries. It’s also true of paper books—but only on those very rare occasions when you can buy a big chunk of someone else’s existing library. And usually that means a retiring pastor whose books all come from a previous era.
Ding ruk weer in Saldanha ...
BO EN behalwe die uitmergelende rugby wat in die Saldanha Super Top-8 rugbytoernooi opgelewer sal word, gaan dit ook daaroor om geleenthede te skep en legends te vereer. Die twee Superliga-spanne Tygerberg en Hamiltons van die Westelike Provinsie skop verrigtinge vandag in die sesde toernooi in die Transnet-stadion af met Takealot as hoofborg. Edwin Jansen, kaptein van Hamiltons, sê sy span is opgewonde en gereed om sy merk in die toernooi te maak.
What Is the Creation Mandate-and Does It Still Matter?
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail The internet has questions about the creation mandate. I have answers. And when I don’t, I’ll tell you straightforwardly. The creation mandate is God’s original marching orders to mankind. But it is also the original divine blessing that has brought us all of the amazing progress and beauty humans have produced through time. It is both a command and a gift.
My March Matchups Wishlist-Will You Help Me Win These Discounts?
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail Every time March Matchups comes up at Logos, I get selfish—and hopeful. I don’t care what books other people have their eyes on: I know immediately which titles I want and need. Historically, I have reason to hope that those titles will get steep discounts because so many other people want and need them, too. You’re probably a book person or you wouldn’t be here at the back of the party, failing to watch the basketball players.
Is there one Jesus or 4?
Several years ago, I joined the choir for our church’s annual Easter musical drama. Toward the end, I watched actors portray the Last Supper as a Passover meal as in the first three gospels, though John’s gospel places the supper the day before. In the church drama, Jesus instituted the Eucharist and then washed his disciples’ feet. But the John account puts the washing before the meal, has no Eucharist, and features a Farewell Discourse with the commandment to love one another.
Original Language Research: What to Do, What Not to Do
Share FacebookXLinkedInRedditEmail Logos is the only software tool I use to study the original languages of Scripture, and I use it practically every day. I use Logos because it is fast, reliable, and beautiful. And I use the original languages because in my (Protestant) view of Scripture, “in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them” (WCF 8). It is the Hebrew and Greek that provide the ultimate lexical standard for doctrine.
Why Is the Logos Bible App So Expensive?
Share FacebookRedditPinterestEmailLinkedInWhatsApp Why is Logos so expensive? People out there kind of mock us for it, and I’m here to admit that we feel a little sensitive on this point. Babylon Bee, for example, had a headline a few years back: When this came out, my colleagues and I laughed one of those nervous laughs that you laugh when you’re the butt of the joke but find it socially awkward to display your true feelings. Because there are answers to the question of why Logos costs so much.
The Disintegrating Conscience and the Decline of Modernity
Steven D. Smith has a knack for understanding, retelling, and probing the grand stories that guide us. In The Disintegrating Conscience and the Decline of Modernity he does just this for one of the key “theological themes” of our Western grand narrative: conscience. The story Smith tells about conscience is complicated but also clear and compelling. It moves from Thomas More through James Madison to the present day, represented by the figure of William Brennan.
A Theology of AI by a Bible Software Nerd
Share FacebookRedditPinterestEmailLinkedInWhatsApp When I first began teaching others how to use Bible software in the early 2000s, I actually had a stock joke that Logos was building a sermon generator that would produce both exegesis and illustrations. It wasn’t a very funny joke then; now it’s not a joke at all. AI can do this. But what does the advent of AI mean for the sacred task of preaching the Word?
Being a Servant
Speaker: Mark Ward 495 sermons Embed Email To Share Favorites Pensacola Christian College Greek Week This MP3 sermon was last played: 23 minutes ago | more » Featuring a sermon puts it on the front page of the site and is the most effective way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands including all mobile platforms + newsletter. Text-Featuring a sermon is a less expensive way to bring this sermon to the attention of thousands on the right bar with optional newsletter inclusion.
Hot Takes on Top Commentary Sets (Now on Sale) in Logos
Share FacebookRedditPinterestEmailLinkedInWhatsApp The most important thing I have purchased for my Logos library—beyond what the major Logos packages already include—is commentary sets. I want careful, knowledgeable, reasoned opinions on interpretive questions. I want multiple opinions so that I can compare them through the Passage Guide. I do not find that this kind of “opinion polling” mires me in confusion or leaves me with nothing to say.
Dis Town teen Gardens in EPCC in George
Privaatheidsvoorkeursentrum Wanneer jy enige webtuiste besoek, kan dit moontlik inligting oor jou blaaier stoor of herwin, hoofsaaklik in die vorm van webkoekies. Hierdie inligting kan moontlik oor jou, jou voorkeure of jou toestel wees, of gebruik word om die webtuiste behoorlik te laat werk. Die inligting identifiseer jou gewoonlik nie direk nie, maar dit kan jou ’n meer verpersoonlikte webervaring gee. Jy kan kies om sekere soorte webkoekies nie toe te laat nie.
Maties se vroue weer Varsity Cup champs
Privaatheidsvoorkeursentrum Wanneer jy enige webtuiste besoek, kan dit moontlik inligting oor jou blaaier stoor of herwin, hoofsaaklik in die vorm van webkoekies. Hierdie inligting kan moontlik oor jou, jou voorkeure of jou toestel wees, of gebruik word om die webtuiste behoorlik te laat werk. Die inligting identifiseer jou gewoonlik nie direk nie, maar dit kan jou ’n meer verpersoonlikte webervaring gee. Jy kan kies om sekere soorte webkoekies nie toe te laat nie.
40 Best-Selling Books for Baptists
Share FacebookRedditPinterestEmailLinkedInWhatsApp We at Logos looked at the stats, and here are forty of the top one hundred books self-described Baptists have bought from us. Certain trends are quite interesting. For example: Pastor John MacArthur utterly dominates the top hundred books for Baptists.
What Speak Truth in Love Means-and Doesn't Mean
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn What is the most violated verse on the internet? Probably, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” Every online sin draws its nourishment from that root. But right behind that violated verse might be—our second-place winner—Paul’s words: “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). People online don’t have a great reputation for speaking the truth. And even when they do it, it’s just as likely to be spoken in disdain as in love.
Legalism, License & the Tightrope of Bible Application
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn So you want to apply the Bible to your life, do you? That’s wonderful news, since the Lord Jesus (Matt 7:21–27) and his apostles (Jas 1:22–25) want you and me not only to hear the word but also to do it. But what should that “doing” look like? Sometimes people warn of the danger of creating behavioral rules to either attain or maintain God’s favor.
What Is the Spiritual Body in 1 Corinthians 15?
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn The apostle Paul uses the seemingly paradoxical phrase “spiritual body” in 1 Corinthians 15 when explaining what will happen to believers’ bodies at the resurrection. In this same discourse, he also claims that there are many kinds of flesh, including a “heavenly flesh.” These terms—“spiritual” and “body”—reflexively strike us as opposites.
Firmament or Expanse? Two Ways to Interpret Genesis 1:6
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn As a kid growing up in Georgia, my school used to take field trips every year to the Savannah Science Museum. I loved it! We’d run through a two-story replica of the human heart, peer into terrariums of exotic snakes, and lift massive weights using nothing but our own strength (and a conveniently placed series of pulleys). But my favorite part was the planetarium.
The Secret Meaning of YHWH
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn A former coworker of mine, now retired, a very sharp editor and faithful Bible reader, sends me occasional Bible questions. She sent one the other day about the alleged secret meaning of God’s name: My friend continued: Secret meaning I love these questions. And I have some guidance for those who run across such memes.
What Makes a Bible Translation Really Bad?
Home/Biblical and Theological/What Makes a Bible Translation Really Bad? What Makes a Bible Translation Really Bad? No translation is perfect. But really bad translations are idiosyncratic and mislead innocent Bible readers. Written by Mark Ward | Thursday, July 27, 2023 Good Bible translations will demonstrate that they have paid attention to the way God’s gift of language actually works.
What Makes a Bible Translation Really Bad?
If you find an English Bible translation on your Christian bookstore shelf, it’s almost certainly good. Buy it. Read it. Trust it. But there are some “bad Bibles” out there, Bibles you won’t find careful evangelical biblical scholars recommending. In my last article I discussed Bible translations that give in to sectarian impulses. In this article, I discuss the second major category of bad Bibles: crackpot translations.
What Makes a Bible Translation Bad?
If you find an English Bible translation on your Christian bookstore shelf, it’s almost certainly good. Buy it. Read it. Trust it. But there are some “bad Bibles” out there, Bibles you won’t find careful evangelical biblical scholars recommending. Consider this article to be like the list of possible adverse side effects that are rattled off in monotone at the end of drug commercials on TV. Hopefully you’ll never need this information.
3 Powerful Ways the Holy Spirit Is Active in Our Bible Study
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Why do some Christians talk so much about Bible study? If we are truly led by the Spirit (Rom 8:13–17), some may ask, what need is there for something as dry and cognitive as study? Could we be in danger of quenching the Spirit and trusting our own efforts if we focus too much on rigorous, academically responsible study of the Scriptures?
What It Really Means
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn If you’ve spent any time in church you’ve probably heard this verse: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10 ESV). But what does this verse really mean, and how is it even possible to “be still and know”? Let’s find out. 8 different angles on what this verse means What it doesn’t mean So how do we be still? A word about knowing The view from higher up The rest of the Bible: 5 parallel verses What now?
Why Did John Piper Say He Needs Very Few Commentaries?
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn In my previous article in this two-part series, I offered my thoughts on John Piper’s recent off-hand comments about Logos and BDAG. While very appreciative of Piper’s love for Logos, I argued that BDAG may be more useful to more people than his brief words on the topic suggested. I’ll argue something similar about commentaries.
What Is the Moral of the Story of the Good Samaritan?
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Have you ever looked closely at Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan? All knowledge begins with asking basic questions, and through the magic of internet technology, I know what people out there are asking about the Sermon on the Mount. I see your searches, your questions. And as we’ll see, some of these questions can lead to profound truth. It is my task today, internet, to answer your questions about the Good Samaritan.
Spiritual Leader: Mark Ward is April's Hometown Hero
Hometown Hero Independent Newsmedia Posted 4/19/23 After a long career in the pharmaceutical insurance business, Mark Ward heeded a call and is now pastor of the Chandler Heights Community Church. The Queen Creek resident relocated from California … This story requires a subscription for $5.99/month. Already have an account? Log in to continue. Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to subscribe.
Why Did Jesus Appear to the Women Instead of the Disciples?
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn God chose a small group of women to share the greatest news of all time. Why did Jesus appear to the women first instead of the disciples? On Saturday, they rested. But early Sunday morning, the women leaped into action. Motivated by love, they gathered spices and perfumes to honor the body of Jesus. Little did they know that Sunday morning marked a new day in human history.
5 Ways the Doctrine of the Trinity Is Surprisingly Practical
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Even the best metaphors fail to capture the complexities of God’s being. In fact, when Christians attempt to explain the Trinity, they often stumble into metaphors that sound suspiciously like the very heresies Trinitarian theology was developed to counteract! But even if you conquer the intimidating task of explaining the meaning of the Trinity, you may face an even more momentous challenge: demonstrating why it matters.
Studying the Bible? 9 Tips (and the Best Resources)
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Studying the Bible is not as hard as it might seem—in fact, there are so many benefits that the task can quickly become a joy. Through Bible study, we draw closer to the Author of our faith, begin to discern his voice as he speaks to us in a deeply personal and intimate way, and grow in understanding of who God is and what he is doing in this crazy world.
71 Bible Verses on All-Important Faith
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Hebrews 11:6 says “without faith it is impossible to please him.” Not unlikely. Not difficult. Impossible. Thomas a Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ, wrote, “Faith is required of you, and a sincere life, not a lofty intellect nor a delving into the mysteries of God.” The word appears hundreds of times in the Bible—in both the Old and New Testaments.
How to Use Strong’s Concordance and What to Use Instead
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn A friend of mine recently polled his church—both members and pastors—to see which Bible study resources they used. Independently, every single one of them named Strong’s Concordance. Many mentioned nothing else. Strong’s was their only Bible study tool.
Why Does Logos Cost So Much?
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Why does Logos cost so much? People out there kind of mock us for it, and I’m here to admit that we feel a little sensitive on this point. Babylon Bee, for example, had a headline a few years back: When this came out, my colleagues and I laughed one of those nervous laughs that you laugh when you’re the butt of the joke but find it socially awkward to display your true feelings. Because there are answers to the question of why Logos costs so much.
What Lent Is Really about-and How We Miss the Point
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Ps 51:15–17) The Church season known as Lent is here again. Many Christians who did not grow up practicing the liturgical calendar are now becoming very interested in it.
Why the Meaning of Ash Wednesday Matters
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Today is Ash Wednesday. Also called Day of Ashes, Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent—the 40 weekdays before Easter for Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant believers. Many Protestants in less liturgical churches or people outside the faith may not know the meaning of Ash Wednesday. Though not mentioned in the Bible, it has become a day to remember how fleeting life is and focus on the magnitude of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
3 Reasons Not to Mention Greek and Hebrew Words in a Sermon
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn How many times have you heard this in a sermon? How many times have you preached this in a sermon? Or: I’d like to make a case that these kinds of comments are unnecessary at best, counterproductive at worst. I’m here to urge you to remember not to say “the-Greek-word-here-is” in your next sermon. And the next one.
Logos Live: Craig Evans
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn What you’ll see in this Logos Live episode Dr. Tavis Bohlinger interviews Bible scholar, professor, and award-winning author Dr. Craig Evans about his life and writings. Craig A. Evans (PhD, Claremont) is an internationally known and respected New Testament scholar, apologist, and author who serves as the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University.
Logos Live: Elizabeth Woodson
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn What you’ll see in this Logos Live episode Jennifer Lucy Tyler interviews Bible teacher and author Elizabeth Woodson about her soon-to-be-released book From Beginning to Forever. Tune in to hear about Woodson’s life and ministry as well as insights on the narrative of Scripture. Elizabeth Woodson is a Bible teacher and author who is passionate about equipping believers to understand the rich theological truths of Scripture.
Helping Others Learn How to Trust God
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn As a minister of the gospel in any capacity, you often find yourself in the position of needing to help other people learn how to trust God. Sometimes individuals directly ask you: “How can I trust God?
Urban Ministry Today
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn I met once a Latina single mother who’d been experiencing real hardship. She was unable to pay for adequate childcare for her four kids because she had to take on two jobs to make ends meet. She didn’t come from a very religious background. She was raised Roman Catholic, and she went to church a few times a year for religious holidays like Ash Wednesday, Easter, and the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
What Is Spiritual Formation-and Why Does It Matter?
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn I heard the word “discipleship” frequently growing up. My Bible teachers and pastors spoke on this topic, explaining how it bolsters the Christian life. However, not until recently did I hear the related phrase “spiritual formation.” Initially, I wondered if this was some new, contemporary concept, but I soon realized that was not the case.
Engaging the Culture in the New Year: An Interview with Russell Moore
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn With an ever-growing cultural divide in the United States, American Christians may feel the temptation to retreat from the public square. But now more than ever, a truthful, winsome, and loving Christian witness is essential.
5 Words You're Probably Missing
Share FacebookTwitterRedditPinterestEmailLinkedIn Every Christmas Eve growing up, my father read the Christmas story from Luke 2 in the King James Version. And every Christmas Eve, I thought I understood it. I largely did. But I now see little things I was missing—through no fault of my own, nor of the KJV translators, but simply because of the inevitable process of language change. The KJV is 400 years old, after all.
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