Esther 9
PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS
NKJV | NRSV | TEV | NJB |
The Jews Destroy Their Tormentors | Destruction of the Enemies and Inauguration of the Feast of Purim | The Jews Destroy Their Enemies | The Great Day of Purim |
9:1-10 | 9:1-10 | 9:1-5 | 9:1-4 |
9:5-10 | |||
9:6-12 | |||
9:11-14 | 9:11-15 | 9:11-15 | |
9:13-15 | |||
9:15 | |||
9:16-17 | 9:16-17 | 9:16-19 | 9:16-19 |
The Feast of Purim | |||
9:18-19 | 9:18-19 | The Festival of Purim | The Official Institution of the Feast of Purim |
9:20-25 | 9:20-23 | 9:20-23 | 9:20-22 |
9:23-28 | |||
9:24-28 | 9:24-28 | ||
9:26-28 | |||
9:29-32 | 9:29-32 | 9:29-32 | 9:29-32 |
READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Third paragraph
4. Etc.
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:1-10
1Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king's command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. 2The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3Even all the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king's business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. 5Thus the Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, 7and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
9:1 Although Haman was dead, there was still a large, organized group of anti-Semites (or at least opportunists who wanted their possessions) in the empire.
▣ "the month Adar" See Special Topic: Ancient Near Eastern Calendars at Ezra 3:1.
▣ "on that day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them" This phrase shows that anti-Semitism was pervasive throughout the empire, not just Haman and his family. The reason is unsettled, but usually it is the exclusivism of YHWH and the "separation" from indigenous culture which generates anger, fear, suspicion, and lack of bonding.
▣ "it was turned to the contrary" The VERB (BDB 245, KB 253, Niphal INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE) shows the unseen hand of God which abrogated (1) the king's command; (2) the hatred of Haman; and (3) the hostility of the attackers!
9:2 "The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus" This does not refer to separate cities manned by Jews, but simply to cities which had a Jewish population. The Jews gathered together to combine their strength on this day of calamity.
▣ "no one could stand before them" This was one of the promises of holy war in Joshua and Judges (e.g., Deut. 7:24; 11:25; Josh. 6:2; 10:23).
▣ "for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples" This is another aspect of holy war (e.g., Exod. 15:14-15; 23:27; Deut. 2:25; 11:25; Josh. 2:9).
9:3 Mordecai's place of influence and governmental power (cf. v. 4) even caused the Persian bureaucracy to be supportive of the Jewish issue! Can you imagine the problem these governmental officials faced with two conflicting royal decrees. They chose the latest one, which was supported by the current "second-in-command"—Mordecai.
The Anchor Bible, vol 7B, adds the comment that the author of Esther mentions unexpected help from Persian governmental officials, but purposely does not mention the help of God (p. 86). This is a purposeful literary technique which emphasizes the unseen hand of God in history. There is an eternal redemptive purpose, Israel is crucial to that purpose, she will surely survive.
9:7-10 The ten sons of Haman were killed on the set date of conflict! The will of God in the extermination of the Amalekites was finally complete (cf. Exod. 17:16; Deut. 25:17-19; I Sam. 15:3). The number ten symbolizes completeness!
9:10 "they did not lay hands on the plunder" There are three possible reasons: (1) they did not want their motives to be impugned; (2) this was to show that the enemies were enemies of the state and their property reverted to the crown; and (3) it possibly related to their relationship to Agag and Saul who was commanded not to spare any Amalekite nor take their property, but Saul did (cf. I Sam. 15:3,9).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:11-15
11On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king. 12The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done." 13Then said Esther, "If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows." 14So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were hanged. 15The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
9:11 "those who were killed at the citadel of Susa" The VERB (BDB 246, KB 255) is a Qal PARTICIPLE. The term "citadel" (BDB 108) can be understood in two ways.:
1. the whole walled city, vv. 13-15
2. the inner fortress, vv. 6,11,12
If #2 is correct then these 500 men were part of Xerxes' administration. The second day was granted to eliminate the enemies of the Jews in the larger city itself.
9:13, 14 "if it please the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews" Many have assumed, because of this request, that Esther was a vindictive person, but this seems to be totally out of character with the book of Esther. We do not know the extent of Jewish casualties nor the extent of the battle that raged. Until further evidence is found it seems preferable to give Esther the benefit of the doubt.
The two days of slaughter correspond to the two day feast/fast which later developed.
▣ "let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows" They were already dead as is obvious from vv. 6-10. Therefore, they were to be publicly humiliated by being impaled (possibly on the same gallows as their father). This was not so much vindictive, but a public deterrent to anti-Semitism. The number ten can refer (1) symbolically to all of them or (2) to the literal number.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:16-17
16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75, 000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
9:16-18 There is a cluster of seven INFINITIVE ABSOLUTES in these verses.
9:16 "seventy-five thousand" Although the Septuagint changes this number to fifteen thousand, the MT, Josephus, and the Peshitta have the larger number. This large number is possible in a country as large as Persia (cf. 1:1; 8:9). However, this large number, like so many numbers in Esther, may be exaggerated for literary effect (e.g., 1:4; 2:12; 3:6,9; 5:14; 8:10).
9:17 "This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing." This seems to be the purpose of the book of Esther, which is to document the origin of the Feast of Purim (cf. vv. 23-28; Josephus Antiq. 11.6.13). Verses 18 and 19 explain the two-day feast which later developed into a one day fast (usually the 13th of Adar) followed by a two-day feast. In later Judaism most walled cities observed Purim on the fourteenth of Adar, but in Jerusalem on the fifteenth.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:18-19
18But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another.
9:18-19 Because of the extra day of violence in Susa, Jews observed different days of rest (i.e., rural on the 14th and urban on the 15th).
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:20-22
20Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
9:20-22 The UBS, A Handbook on the Book of Esther, p. 239, gives a good explanation of the seeming contradiction or confusion over which day to celebrate in chapter 9:
1. Some Jews observed one day, some another (cf. vv. 17-19).
2. Mordecai wanted all Jews to observe both days (cf. vv. 20-23, 26-28).
9:22 "and it was a month which was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday" This reversal is the recurrent theme of many OT characters (e.g., Job, Joseph, Jacob, Moses, Naomi, David, Solomon, Daniel, Jesus, Paul). God's unseen hand is involved in this fallen world; choices result in consequences, but God's eternal redemptive plan sets the course of human history. Individuals are caught up in the playing out play of God's ultimate triumph over sin, evil, and suffering (e.g., vv. 1,25).
▣ "gifts to the poor" This was an emphasis of almsgiving which was such an important theological, as well as social, act to the rabbis.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:23-28
23Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25But when it came to the king's attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.
9:24 "and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them" The term "pur" is Akkadian which means "the lot" or "the destiny." Haman cast "lots" to find the best day to destroy Mordecai and his people (cf. 3:7).
Haman's hatred is clearly seen in this verse:
1. "The adversary (BDB 856 III, KB 1058, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) of all the Jews"
2. "Had schemed (BDB 362, KB 359, Qal PERFECT) against the Jews to destroy (BDB 1, KB 2, Peel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them"
3. "Had cast Pur. . ."
a. "to destroy (BDB 243, KB 251, Qal, INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them"
b. "to destroy (BDB 1, KB 2, Peel INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT) them"
Number 3a, is often translated "confuse" and is a metaphor for "holy war" (e.g., Exod. 14:24; 23:27; Deut. 2:15; Josh. 10:10; Jdgs. 4:15; I Sam. 7:10; II Sam. 22:15; Ps. 18:14; 144:6).
9:25 The UBS, A Handbook on the Book of Esther, pp. 241-242, makes an interesting point about the FEMININE PARTICIPLE (BDB 97, KB 112, Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCT), "but when she came," which they assert refers to the FEMININE NOUN "plot" (BDB 364, cf. NIV), not to Esther (since she is not mentioned in this paragraph, really not since v. 13).
9:26 "And because of the instructions in this letter" Mordecai possibly wrote the book of Esther (cf. Introduction), but this phrase refers specifically to his letter (cf. v. 20), which instructed the standardization of the observance of the feast/fast of Purim.
9:27 "all those who allied themselves" This could refer to
1. the people mentioned in 8:17
2. the governmental official of v. 3
3. those who aided the Jews when they were attacked
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 9:29-32
29Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abigail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.
9:29-31 These verses seem to refer to a second letter from Mordecai which specifies that preceding the two days of feasting there should be a day of fasting. This would commemorate the fast of Esther, Mordecai, and all the Jews preceding the unseen hand of God in reversing the fortunes of Haman and the Jews. Most Jews fast on the 13th day of Adar and feast on the 14th and 15th.
9:29 "wrote" This is a FEMININE SINGULAR (BDB 507, KB 503, Qal IMPERFECT), yet two people are mentioned. Possibly Esther wrote to Mordecai who passed it on. This may refer to Esther's royal authority (and influence with the king) behind Mordecai's letter (cf. 9:20-22,23).
Another possibility is that Esther was adopted by Mordecai and Abigail.
9:30
NASB"namely, words of peace and truth"
NKJV"with words of peace and truth"
NRSV"wishing peace and security"
TEV"it wished the Jews peace and security"
NJB"in terms of peace and loyalty"
JPSOA"with an ordinance of 'equity and honesty'"
NET"—words of true peace—"
These are two theologically significant terms:
1. Peace (BDB 1022, KB 1536), which denotes the presence of all good things and the absence of all evil things.
2. Truth (BDB 54, KB 68), which usually means faithfulness or loyalty, can mean faithful trust.
It is possible that the discussion of fast days in Zech. 8:19 has a parallel phrase "so love truth and peace," which is connected to Jewish "joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts." So it might be a standardized greeting/conclusion (like Shalom).
Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International
Esther 10
PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS
NKJV | NRSV | TEV | NJB |
Mordecai's Advancement | Conclusion | The Greatness of Xerxes and Mordecai | Praise of Mordecai |
10:1-3 | 10:1-3 | 10:1-3 | 10:1-2 |
10:3 |
READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired but it is the key to following the original author's intent which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Third paragraph
4. Etc.
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 10:1-3
1Now King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? 3For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.
10:1 "laid a tribute on the land and on the coastlands of the sea" Xerxes I lost the Aegean islands in his Greek campaign, but apparently retained some islands off of the coast of Europe and some off of the coast of Egypt and Palestine. However, this verse is meant to show the greatness of Ahasuerus in his taxing program (only here, later meaning of "tribute" [BDB 586 I], which originally meant "forced labor," e.g., Gen. 49:15; Josh. 16:10; 17:13; I Kgs. 4:6; 5:13-14; 12:18; II Chr. 10:18, cf. TEV, NET), which was desperately needed after the Persian wars. It is a closing comment on Mordecai as a good administrator (cf. v. 2). Mordecai helped his people, but also was a faithful servant of Xerxes (cf. v. 3) and helped the whole nation (like Daniel and his three friends).
In II Maccabees the feast of Purim is known as the feast of Mordecai (cf. II Macc. 15:36), which shows the historicity of the book of Esther and the greatness of Mordecai in Jewish tradition.
Mordecai was not second in command for an extended period of time (possibly only 8 years), if secular history is to be trusted.
10:2 "the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia" This does not refer to the biblical books of I & II Chronicles, but could refer to
1. the official court documents which were kept and archived ("Media and Persia" gives credence to this view)
2. a personal diary of Xerxes (cf. 2:23; 6:1)
3. a Jewish account of Jewish life in Persia (easier access to a Jewish leader)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. What is the purpose of the king's signet ring?
2. Does 8:17 describe a large scale conversion to Judaism?
3. Why did the Jews not seize the plunder of those who hated them (cf. 9:10)?
4. How many people did the Jews kill? What was the Jewish loss?
5. What is the purpose of the chapters 9 and 10?
Copyright © 2012 Bible Lessons International
OCTOBER 2012 BIBLE.ORG NEWSLETTER
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BIBLE.ORG SEPTEMBER 2012 NEWSLETTER
LET OUR FOCUS FOR THIS MONTH BE: FOR HIS GLORY!
Read below about the email we received this month!!!!!!
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Now for our email news this past month:
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AUTHORS OF THE MONTH
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AUGUST 2012 BIBLE.ORG NEWSLETTER
Recently in the Chronological Bible Daily reading selection we came across the prophet Hosea. His claim to fame? Husband of an adulteress wife, [Gomer] and becoming the voice of God to God's own adulterous Israel. Hosea's real life experiences opened his eyes to how God views our spiritual adultery, and the mercy of God in redeeming His people from the marketplace, as Hosea was commanded to redeem his wife. The book of Hosea portrays faithfulness and infidelity both in the physical and the spiritual realm. With his own marriage as backdrop, Hosea contrasts Israel's fickleness: “for your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist…” [Hosea 6:4] with God's heart “I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice;” [Hosea 6:6]. In pondering these words several thoughts come to mind such as integrity, faithfulness, righteousness, blamelessness, Fruit of the Spirit, holiness, fidelity, keeping a vow, being constant in one’s affections, truth, veracity, confidentiality. Throughout the OT and NT we are given examples of those who pondered and lived by these words; people like Hannah, Esther, Noah, Elijah, Zechariah and Elizabeth and scores of others. Our hearts are stirred to realize that as new creatures in Christ, God has actually given us to be partakers of the divine nature allowing us to escape the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. 2 Peter 1:4. Ponder with us what it means to be "partakers of the divine nature" . James reminds us to look in God’s mirror of scripture and to check our reflection. What do we see when we gaze into God’s mirror? How does the fact that as a Christian we are "partakers of the divine nature allowing us to escape the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire" ?. These words should impact our daily lives and people should be impacted by our testimony? Pray with us that Bible.org and its million users are faithful to the call God has given to us and that we demonstrate that we are partakers of God's divine nature.
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OUT AND ABOUT:
Bible.org, attended the ICRS International Christian Retail Show, which was held in Orlando. The convention center was so huge that it took a good 20 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the hall where the ICRS was being held, and that was the indoor walk! At a convention of this size it is exciting to make some wonderful new friends and meet some very nice people. We were able to present the NET Bible and the NET Bible study tool to many people who were looking for a new translation with which to work. Meeting with many different ministries, from Christian Comics to Christian Coffee, gave a fresh view and vision. A new nugget of information: finding ministries that we never even knew existed! It is exciting and refreshing to get out and see what other ministries are doing and how we are all working together to make Jesus Christ known. This week will be spent contacting all the new people and friends and looking forward to seeing how these relationships will grow. Will you pray with us for these interactions and for God's blessing upon each renewed contact?
Gabe Smith is the man behind our Facebook pages/Twitter pages, NET Bible Facebook pages. This past week Gabe attended the ECHO Conference, which is a conference for artists, techies, and all around geeks who serve in churches or non-profits. This was his third year to attend ECHO, and it's always a wonderful experience. The most significant part for him was getting to share ideas with other people who work in social media and helping to illustrate the important role that Facebook and Twitter play in connecting with people. A few people he spoke with said their ministry had a Facebook page, but they weren't using it much and others told him some amazing stories about how they were able to minister to people through social media. As the influence of Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks grow, their importance as key components to ministry will continue to increase. ECHO rekindles Gabe's desire to use the tools to God's glory to increase His fame throughout the world.
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MAILBOX LETTERS
God bless you abundantly and keep you up in this good work!
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Thank you again.
Your sister in Christ
SOCIAL NETWORKING "EYE-OPENERS"
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Sunday School Teachers
If you are teacher using the LifeWay SS materials be sure to check out two new resources for your Fall preparation: LifeWay- Southern Baptist Sunday School Resources – Summer 2012 on the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth as well as the accompanying series of study questions in the forum under SonShine’s Corner’s titled Books of the Bible Study Guides . If you want the answer keys email SonShine
JULY 2012 NEWSLETTER
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MAILBOX NEWS or NOTES FROM OUR BARNABAS BASKET
More News
Recently this article surfaced from shelboese.org praising the NET Bible and for that we are so very thankful! Thought you might enjoy reading it and praising God with us!
Bible.org Visits the Cowboy Fellowship Church in Jourdanton, Texas
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Despite the 6 hours of driving and the heat and humidity this promised to be an awesome experience. In a county with a population of 50,000 people, a thousand of them go to this church. Cowboy Fellowship in Jourdanton, Texas, is located on 18 acres of land with two large buildings. One is the church itself which holds over a thousand people with additional space for an office and classrooms. The other is a fully covered outdoor arena where you can find people roping and doing rodeo. A few smaller buildings are also used as classrooms depending on what events are taking place.
Bible.org had the opportunity to meet Pastor Pete and Pastor Scotty and enjoy a morning of "Cowboy" church. Their praise band played a variety of songs that sounded like a Who's Who of country music. It had to be the best Christian country music heard in a church, and YES--they used a horse trough for their baptisms.
After church Bible.org gave a presentation on how to use the NET Bible Online Study Tool. (A.K.A. The Environment) and showed the congregation how to use all the Bible.org resources that are available. The people were "happier than a pig in mud"
Cowboy Fellowship is a fully "NET Bible Church." Pastor Pete preaches from the NET Bible and you can find NET Bibles in their book store. If your church is interested in becoming a NET Bible church, or would like more information on all the resources available from Bible.org please feel free to contact us.
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Nate Leigh wrote about how Deborah rose to the occasion when everyone else had decided to let the world dictate their walk. Go here and read: “Being what you are, no matter what everyone else is doing…”
AUTHOR CORNER: Focus on Discipleship
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JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER
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Bible.org Store Gets a New Look
Starting today you will see a new look to the Bible.org store. We upgraded our store to add some of the new features that some of our visitors have been asking for, such as:
Multiple address so you can store your friends and families address
- Wish list
- Gift vouchers
- Affiliates
- and more...
However, in order to get all these new features we had to reset our databases and start over.(sigh) If you have not ordered from our new store as of yet, you will be required to register again. You store account is not linked to your Bible.org account. You are encouraged to make it the same user name and password as your Bible.org account but they are two different sites and logging into one doesn't log you into the other (another sigh).
Feel free to register, login and explore our new store, and as always we welcome feedback and suggestions.
Two New NET Bible editions and Two Ways to Buy Them
We would like to announce that we now have two new NET Bibles editions for sale. Our new sized Pew Bible and our very first smyth sewn Paperback.
The Pew Bible was redesigned with a smaller size than our old Pew Bible so that it fits easier in the back of pew or under chairs. Still has a larger print, still durable and still smyth sewn so it will last longer than most Pew Bibles. Now priced to buy in bulk. The Pew Bibles are available at $6 each when bought in cases of 16. Slightly higher when bought individually.
The Paperback follows the same design as our compact Bible. All the same features in a durable paperback cover. Our paperback is also symth sewn which will make it last a long time without falling apart. The Paperback was created for churches to give to new believers or visitors. The Paperback Bibles are available at $3 each when bought in cases of 32. Slightly higher when bought individually.
Both of these Bibles can be found in our new store. By the case or individually. Both a great deal.
New Feature Added to the NET Bible Study Environment
Today we will be adding a new feature to our NET Bible Study Environment. When you click on the search tab you will see 6 icons on the right side of the results section. When you enter a search term or mouse over these icons the will slide out to the left. The 6 icons represent The Bible, Bible.org, The NET Notes, The Journals, Your Books and the Web. Next to each of these sections will also be the number of results available for each.
This is very handy if you ever wanted to know how many times a word is used in the Bible or how many articles are on Bible.org for a certian topic.
As you can see we are constantly adding new features to help you improve your studies.
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'Bible.org welcomes your comments. We reserve the right to edit any received in order to fit the needs of our newsletter format.'
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SOCIAL NETWORKING:
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Bible.org has several avenues that will assist you in sharing the good news of Christ to a lost and dying world. We have forums & blogs written by fellow believers in ministry, service, those in education and in pastoral roles. We have the social media outlets of Facebook and Twitter. And lastly we have the users page where many who are novice authors are able to try their skill at writing. God has graciously given Bible.org the avenues for you as a reader or participant to share, so there is no excuse to not be involved! Come join us on this journey.
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MAY 2012 NEWSLETTER
MOTHER'S DAY FOCUS:
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Partnership News
Bible.org would like to announce a new partnership with Tony Evans. Bible.org recently created a new "Co-Brand" site for Dr. Evans. The new site can be found at http://tonyevans.netbible.org. Tony Evans Ministries is the newest of several Co-Brand sites that Bible.org has created. If your organization has a national or global reach and you think a Co-Brand that we supply free for your use would benefit your ministry please contact us at [email protected]
Major Revision to our Study Environment
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2-Android App Developer (full or part time)
3- Are You a Graphics/User Interface Designer? We need your skills part-time to help us design our mobile app and make a consistent interface from it and the site.
For additional information on these jobs click here
OTHER QUESTIONS Are you involved in distance learning either as a course developer or a technologist? If so, we would like to talk to you and interact with you.
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FORUM
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In continuing our new focus on Discipleship, we encourage you to view the video series of Dr. Bill Lawrence as he teaches: “Forming Davids for the 21st Century: From Discipleship to Leadership. In this series Dr. Lawrence challenges us with two very important questions: Are we aware of how God is forming us? More importantly, are you engaged with Him as He is forming you even now? We thank Dr. Bill for sharing his insights with us and with you!
Interested in learning more about the Glory of God through the study of Revelation? Then Bob Deffinbaugh’s series will interest you: “The Lord’s Letter to the Seven Churches of Asia”.
APRIL 2012 NEWSLETTER
All through the book of Deuteronomy Moses reminds the Israelites to “remember”. Remember is defined as “bring back into one's thoughts, call to mind”. The Israelites were to remember what God did for them in Egypt; they were to remember to keep the Sabbath holy; they were to remember the Covenant that He had made with them and to remember to keep His commandments. In the NT and specifically on the last night Christ was with His disciples He told them to “remember”. (1Cor 11:25). Prior to His ascension Jesus told them to remember that He would always be with them, until the end of the age. Paul told Timothy in 2Ti 2:8 “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,” So what will you remember on Easter? It is hoped that you will remember that Jesus came to earth for one reason: to pay the penalty for your sin and my sin. As Paul wrote: in 1Cor 15: 3-4 “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures” Take time this Easter to “remember”. Share your ideas with us.
NEWS FROM THE CHINESE/ENGLISH DESK
1. The Chinese NET Bible project is well underway. See the new Group for Chinese Testers and join this new group.
2. We released Chinese NET Bible modules for: Sword, e-Sword and TheWord. Please visit the Chinese NET Bible project website to download free modules and buy premium ones.
3. We are pleased to release Rev. Danny Ma’s (馬有藻牧師) Bible commentaries on Isaiah, Zechariah, John, Acts,Romans, Paul’s thirteen letters and 1-3 John
4. We are currently looking for volunteer translators to help us work on the development of Chinese NET Bible study environment. If you are interested and have previous experience in English/Chinese translation, please contact us.
NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK
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SOCIAL NETWORKING NEWS:
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INTRODUCING GABE AND RYAN!
Gabe’s passion is to use the framework of Facebook and Twitter to connect with the global community and provide challenging and engaging content through social media in order to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, and to raise awareness of the variety of Bible study tools and information available from Bible.org.
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FORUM
Have you been to the forum lately? If not check out the sub-forum titled Current Events from the Christian Perspective
BLOG NEWS
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Need a Job? Are you a programmer familiar with Drupal? Bible.org is seeking a Drupal Programmer. If you have a heart for ministry and have the qualifications for this position, please email the Director .
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MARCH 2012 NEWSLETTER
Preview of our 2012 Plans: One of the underlying principles of bible.org is that we are here to be an arm of the church helping them prepare each believer for the work of the ministry by providing trustworthy biblical resources. Bible.org from its beginning said: “We believe there are core essential beliefs that are fundamental to our faith and we strive to ensure all of our resources remain faithful and consistent to those foundational biblical teachings”.
Clearly we are seeing the evidence of the last days with societies unwilling to call sin sin. God calls us to holiness as His witnesses and to be obedient to Christ's great commission command in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples. Therefore, we must conclude that because of what we are observing,it is critical that bible.org become more active in assisting the Church in becoming that disciple making factory that Christ commanded. We need to bring back the fervor and excitement that marked the first century church.
We know that church growth by addition is not the answer. Churches must become disciple producers. Growth must be by discipleship. Increased membership is not the answer, It is a mathematical fact that if you had 10,000 churches adding 1000 people a year they could never reach the world population. But, if you started with one person and he discipled one other person for a year and that person discipled another for a year and this continued unbroken that in 33 years there would be more than 8.5 billion Christians -- and in 35 yrs over 35 billion. Bible.org along with concerned Christians will have to do something different if we are to turn the tide within our nation and the world. We must ourselves be discipling someone and we must be more involved in identifying Christians and churches who are actively discipling people and are producing the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation of disciplers as Paul instructed in 2 Timothy 2:2 when he said
“And entrust what you heard me say in the presence of many others as witnesses to faithful people who will be competent to teach others as well”.
It's time for churches, Christians and bible.org to change course. Thus, we are putting together a team that can help bible.org achieve that direction. We are open for you to join that team if you are passionate about discipleship. We will be communicating our draft plans over the next couple of months and will be posting those plans on the site outlining more fully the strategy. If you are actively involved in discipleship we would like to hear from you and learn from you, share our draft plans with you and get your feedback on what works and what doesn’t in your cultural setting. If you are a church actively producing disciplers and disciples we would like to hear from you. We would like to share your successes and your techniques of "what works" to encourage other churches to follow Christ’s commands. Email us
One of our 2012 goals is to develop tools for nurturing the body of Christ. It is hoped that these tools will assist believers in their next step of faith. Scripture tells us that Christ has commanded us to be responsible stewards of the gifts and talents God has given us for ministering to the body of Christ, starting with discipleship. For the non-Christian, Bible.org is also here to provide resources for those who are seeking Jesus knowing that He is The Way, the Truth, and the Life and no man comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).
- Listen in and learn about Islam along with Kenneth Boa; do a Devotional on Acts or 1Corinthians along with David Colburn or join SonShine in the New Bible Study Methods course. Hint: SonShine is available for this course via Skype should you be interested; send her a note.
- NET Bible Study Environment Testimonial by one of SonShine’s students, Louis, regarding the Study Tool: “I know you're asleep and you won't get this until much later, but I'm up reading and studying using the environment and I'm really enjoying the notes section that I have. It's perfect for the inductive method that we're learning. I'm putting in my observations and I can compare them with the commentary that's provided next to it. I also love how when I entered a Scripture as a cross reference in my notes it automatically hyperlinked it and I'm able to see the verse by scrolling over it.”
NEWS WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT
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FORUM: Our nation has become gripped with the onslaught of ideas, thoughts and topics surrounding our President’s health care decisions for the USA population. The Forum on bible.org has also entered into this discussion with ideas and thoughts on this topic.
We extend our sympathy to one of our Forum Moderators, “Pastor John”, in the homegoing of his dear wife Tina. Please pray for Pastor John in his time of grief.
Want to discuss what it means to Balance your Christian walk? Check out Ozzie Harris’ ideas on this subject. On the main site, you can always check on this page for the most recent uploads. “What’s new”. In addition, check out Pastor Jeff Miller’s series on Acts as well as his completed series on Nehemiah. Check out Dianne Miller’s series on Abraham which is now posted and ready. Interested in a video series? Check out Gracepro’s topic of Christian Manhood.