Blog Archives

CWTI: The Smiths, Silver and Black

9/30/2022

Silversmithing is an interesting craft. It is something I would love to be able to perform myself, but I realize it takes a very steady hand to engrave the intricate designs onto the products. Silver sets were not only a symbol of status to visitors in a person's house, but the pieces could actually be spent or traded for merchandise or cash. One large bowl in the smith's place is valued at over $10,000.

More practical and less precocious products are the ones being produced in the blacksmith's workshop. Piles of black coal are shoveled into the furnace to heat the metal. But don't let the blacksmith's perspiration and coal-smudged countenance fool you: he works hard and invests sore muscles to get his products to the common man. Whether your need is nails, horseshoes, or tools, the blacksmith has something interesting for most of the folks living in and around Colonial Williamsburg.

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Quote: Intentions

9/29/2022

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"Life is simpler when you plow around the stump."
(Unknown)

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CWTI: Let's Make a Harpsichord

9/28/2022

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My two new history sisters, SHARON and JANINE, and I took a moment to visit the carpentry shop and found that the laborers there were constructing harpsichords. A harpsichord works in a different manner than their piano cousins, creating a sound by plucking the strings rather than striking the strings with hammers.

SHARON asked for permission to sit and play, and was soon cranking out the hits - not just the one in the video here, but also Linus and Lucy (The Peanuts Song) and Wrecking Ball, somehow making each sound elegant and Victorian in nature.

With shorter keys and unfamiliarity with the instrument with a very different feel when pressing down on the keys, SHARON made some little mistakes, but it still sounded better than what I could have produced, and I was so proud to be in her company as others sauntered by to see the carpentry.

One must appreciate two talents in the room - the hands that made the instrument and the hands that played it.

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Bible BreakDown: Luke 1:8-10

9/27/2022

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Too often, we rush and we fail to slow down and consider the common sense of a Bible passage - in context.

Like a learner in a reading class, let's break down
a passage to see if we can comprehend it better.

Luke 1 (NASB)

8 Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,

9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.

Some Questions:

Who is the he in these verses (He is identified in previous verses)?
What was this man's profession or role in the community?
How did he come about this role?
What was a duty involved in his job?
What is the mood of the area? What are other people doing?
What is the purpose of burning incense?
Why is admission to the temple reserved for certain individuals?
How many people comprise a multitude?

Let's Think:
Only the priests could enter certain area of the temple, so Zechariah must have been quite respected individual to have been given this special role of burning incense for the people. The priest was an intermediary for the people and God. He must have taken his charge seriously and with much reverence to all parties involved. It is a serious matter to be responsible for the prayers and offerings of the people - to make sure they are presented appropriately to God.

Not much really happens in these three verses, but perhaps Luke is still establishing the setting and characters of his account. The reader still wonders why this man is being selected for attention.

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CWTI: The Public Gaol

9/26/2022

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The Public Gaol (or Jail) is just down from Virginia's colonial capitol. It is the location where some of Blackbeard's crew were held for trial, and out back is a structure that resembles a gallows of sorts. Don't let the little white fence fool you though: in spite of it, the brick exterior and steel crisscrossing bars on the windows are a harsh contrast to the quaint houses up the hill on Duke of Gloucester Street. The entire feeling to the structure is different than that of the courthouse, the capitol, or the governor's palace.

Here is where actual pirates were kept, where they mingled in the yard if allowed the privilege, and where they met with their legal teams (or did they?). It is the last bed and breakfast for many some prisoners - not just pirates, but also people accused of witchcraft and others with more pedestrian offenses.

Inside, one is struck by the raw wood and metal. Color doesn't exist in the gaol - only the sepia tones of days gone by. Chains on the wall. Braced metal bars on the windows. Steel locks and shackles. Heavy doors. Large bolts and nails holding it all together. And steps rising to a hole with a removable lid (Do we wonder at the purpose?).

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Bible Accuracy & Impact: The Culper Spies

9/25/2022

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The following is the third lesson in a historical and faithful study
beginning at 7:00 pm on Wednesdays.
at the church of Christ in Carthage, Missouri, south of the Ford dealership
PLEASE JOIN US!

Washington's Culper Spy Ring

George Washington (Code name: 711) is one of the United States' favorite generals. He was the first commander-in-chief. In continued studies of his effectiveness as a military leader, we find one of Washington's strengths to be his acceptance and strategic use of a spy network. Five spies, in particular, risked everything to serve the cause of liberty. Major George Beckwith, Chief of British Intelligence during the Revolutionary War, remarked, "Washington really did not outfight the British; he simply outspied us."

One primary source we could consider is the Culper Code Book. Mount Vernon's website also provides a more readable copy. Washington's spies had to be acquainted with the code in order to communicate secret information within the network. Try your hand at writing a letter using the Culper Code.

How is this like translating one language to another?
What makes this task difficult?
Do languages get in the way of nations?
When were languages confused in Scripture? What was the reason?

Bible Languages

Introductory Questions

Why might someone be required to obtain a background check?
What might a background check reveal about an individual?
Are there different types of background checks that may be required?
What happens when someone "fails" a background check?

Today, we are compelled to conduct background checks of our own on varying Bible translations. For what are we searching?

Words, Thoughts, and Phrases

The Big Questions

Our focus for this study hinges on answering these two big questions. The goal is to get closer to the answers each week in our class.

How did we we get the Bible?
Is the Bible accurate and dependable?

Guiding Questions

In this lesson, we delve into more recent translations of the Bible with a discussion of Chapter 17 in How We Got the Bible.

What considerations are important in choosing a modern English translation of the Bible?
Is it more important that our preferred translation be easy to understand? Is it more important that it convey the intent of the Spirit? Is there a way to balance the two?
Do you have multiple versions of the Bible? Do you use different translations for Bible class, worship, and personal study? Why?
Have you found any versions that fail to pass the test? Which ones? Why?
Why didn't the Holy Spirit just write the Bible in English in the first place?

Analyze the chart (right). Look for details.

What do you notice?
What inferences might be drawn from the information presented?
What does this piece make you wonder?

While the authors of the Bible are Spirit-inspired, translators into different languages are not, and as such translations are subject to error. A wise student refers to multiple versions of the Bible seeks to understand the shortcomings and strengths of each version considered.

Translation Variables

Chapter 17 of the Neil Lightfoot book, How We Got the Bible, is titled "Modern Translations of the English Bible". It begins by presenting some of the "weaknesses" of the King James Version. Let's discuss these as they are presented in the text.

Other translations are also presented in this chapter, with distinctions being necessary between British English and American English. What from the text stands out for each of the following?

Tyndale - King James Tradition

1885 - English Revised Version
1901 - American Standard Version

1952 - Revised Standard Version
1990 - New Revised Standard Version

Other Available Translations

New English Bible
New American Standard Bible

New International Version
Revised English Bible

New King James Version
Good News Bible

Paraphrases

The Living Bible

The Message

Any More?

The third edition of the book we are using was copyrighted in 2003, and author passed from life in 2012, so newer presentations of Scripture (including the English Standard Version) have and will continue to be made available from booksellers. Still, our list is fairly complete, and our standards for selecting a version of the Bible remain steadfast.

What are some of the variables in play when people, publishers, or groups decide a different or new translation is needed?

Word-for-Word, Literally

Understandably, we hope to know God's Words as God intended. It would seem that translating the original language into our language would be as simple as changing the Greek words to English words, period. However, there are nuances in the Greek that simple do not smoothly translate into the nuances of English.

The late Hugo McCord (1911-2004) provides some commentary concerning a literal, word-for-word approach to translating the Bible. "Is a literal translation possible?" he asks.

The thought of a word-for-word translation initially appears attractive, but right away the idea has to be discarded. Immediately, as one begins such, he retreats. For example, Matthew 1:18 would look like this:

of her having been betrothed to the mother of him of Mary to Joseph before to come together them she was found in womb having the Spirit Holy.

Not only awkward but confusing is a word-for-word rendering of Luke 3:14:

They were asking and him and soldiering saying, what shall we do and we? And he said to them, none shake through nor figshine, and be satisfied with boiled food bought of you.

A word-for-word translation of 2 Corinthians 9:10 is unintelligible:

The one and chorus-leading seed to the sowing and bread into food a chorus he will lead.

...A literal translation, no matter how much admired and desired, would be unintelligible.

McCord introduces the need for paraphrasing (as he calls it), in which the translator changes the order of the words or yields to more of a thought-for-thought approach in order to salvage meaning from the text. Where McCord calls this a paraphrase, another translator terms as smoothing. McCord:

All translations paraphrase...

Paraphrases conveying the thought of the Greek are not wrong, but sometimes the thought is changed: "Easter" (Acts 12:4, KJV); "Drink ye all of it" (Matthew 26:27, KJV); "horses' bridles in their mouths" (James 3:3, ASV); "women" instead of "wives" (1 Timothy 3:11, ASV); "deaconess" (Romans 16:1, RSV); "layman" (Numbers 16:40, NASB); "you are Peter the Rock" (Matthew 16:18, NEB); "the word was a god" (John 1:1, NWT); and "sinful nature" (Romans 8:3,4,5,8,9,12,13, NIV).

For this reason, a strict word-for-word approach is confusing and makes the Bible virtually unapproachable. As we will soon learn, at the other end of the scale, a paraphrase may mislead a student altogether.

Vocabulary Issues

In efforts to render as accurate a translation as possible Hugo McCord eliminated some of the common vocabulary that has found its way into so many versions that came before his. Let's divide our group and conquer two of the common words that he eliminated: church and baptism. The readings for two words (taken from McCord's Everlasting Gospel) may be downloaded in the file here (right).

McCord on Translating
File Size:	57 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Compare and Contrast

We now shift gears away from the conservative, word-for-word approach to the more liberal paraphrase approach to the Bible. An online blogger built a short list of comparison verses between a paraphrase and the word-for-word and thought-for-thought versions of the Bible. Pondering this list of examples reveals some important issues for the Bible student who wants to read what God intends.

New American Standard Bible vs. The Message

Psalm 24:1-3
2 Thessalonians 1:8
1 Corinthians 11:7-15
Galatians 3:24-26

Ephesians 1:11
Ephesians 2:8f
Colossians 2:9

King James Version vs. The Message

Proverbs 16:29
Matthew 7:21f

Romans 8:28
Romans 10:13

English Standard Version vs. The Message

John 14:22f
Romans 3:28f

Romans 9:15f

Application Question

How important is it?

Is it important to you that the Bible comes from reliable sources, or is it just a collection of wise sayings and advice for living? Many atheists agree that there is wisdom in the teachings of Jesus Christ, but they do not believe that Jesus is a Messiah, that He performed miracles, that He walked out of His own grave, or that He prepares a place where His faithful disciples will be rewarded for eternity.

We contend that the Bible and everything it contains is supported by:

textual claims
origins of the text
extrabiblical history
the faith of martyrs
logic

archeology
geography
geology
astronomy

biology
chemistry
physics
mathematics
and more

So how important is it to you that the Bible can be proven true? Do you believe there is irrefutable evidence to its validity? Is proof something that strengthens your personal faith in the existence of God?

Should faith alone be enough to drive you to drive you to your knees? Is "blind" faith a stronger kind of faith? If so, then why did God provide so much evidence?

Go forward with us - or in this case, back to the beginning - as we continue our study next time.

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CWTI: This Old House

9/24/2022

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The Powell House is not on the regular tour at Colonial Williamsburg. Mr. Powell was a building contractor, and he actually built the first mental health facility in the American colonies. While in and around the Powell House, we had to consider the differences between the lives of the Powell family and the lives of the enslaved people working on the property.

We often think of the enslaved as working on large plantations, but here we were in a relatively small house - not a mansion - on a relatively small property - not a plantation. Yet, there would have been a number of enslaved people owned by the family, and they would have worked in some very hot, very cold, very miserable conditions doing some very difficult jobs.

The Powell family, on the other hand, would have spent a lot of time entertaining. After their meal, they would have cleared the room for some dancing. Some of the teachers tried their hand at some 18th Century disco.

In other pictures here, you might notice a couple of irons for smoothing out clothing, one of which is heated in the fireplace and inserted into a cylindrical piece. Delicates are then carefully drawn over the cylinder to iron out the wrinkles.

We also got to look at both mattresses on a bed, the upper of which was filled with feathers, and the lower filled with straw.

I, of course, took to looking at the details of the floors, the minimalist furnishings and considered the open windows as a very light breeze attempted to sweep through from east to west. I had to appreciate the brickwork, looking for the literal fingerprints of enslave workers who must have thrown clay into molds to form them.

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Apply the Word: Stick to the Facts

9/23/2022

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There are references written that help us understand the Bible; there are talented men with a talent to connect portions of the Bible, showing it as the seamless Word of God; and there exist men who preach the truth of God’s Word with eloquence and sincerity. These men and books are apparatuses to help us comprehend any complexity that may exist in the Book of Books.

However, there are men and women for whom the holy, inspired Book of God is not enough. For most of these, even though they haven’t read the Bible, the Bible is simply not enough. They look for signs that God is real. They continue to search for miracles, today. They watch for symbols of the Christ.

Some search for archeological and scientific evidence (and isn’t it nice when these support the case for our beliefs?), but others look for modern prophecy, healings, and gifts, and for direct conversation with God.

Television preachers have propagated this idea with their claims of God coming to them to give them a message outside the Word, changing the Message of the gospel to fit their own agendas; on the radio, callers conclude that if you become ill and don’t receive immediate healing, your faith is weak. Even in our own community, there are those who claim a special anointing, and to prove it they showcase their own talents for the congregation for applause.

This is nothing new: in fact beliefs held by some are based in legends from the olden days. Some believe that the Bible doesn’t provide enough proof for its own infallibility, that nature and history are, in fact, superior to the Bible itself in proving the existence of God. Let’s ponder a few examples:

Lion Cubs
We know, from observation, that many animals are born with their eyes closed. One legend has it that lion cubs are actually born dead, but come to life on the third day when the daddy lion breathes life into them. Is this a sign from God to prove the story of Christ’s resurrection after His third day in the grave?

Donkeys
You’ll recall Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. Some people have noticed a cross-shaped mark on the shoulders of donkeys, which they say, is a symbol that this is the breed that carried Jesus, that day. Nice story, but is it true?

Robins
It is said that a robin picked a thorn from the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, during His crucifixion, and a spurt of blood dyed the bird’s breast red. The robin still sports a redbreast today. Some people have vivid imaginations to make up such tales.

Dogwood Trees
Of what kind of wood was the cross of Christ made? There is no reference to the wood itself in the Bible, but some people have made up their own answers to the question. One camp claims the trees growing in the American West, known as “quaking aspens” quake in shame because the cross was made from aspen wood. Some others believe the wood was from dogwood trees, the official Missouri state trees. They allege that in the past, dogwoods grew as tall as oak trees, but after the crucifixion, the trees never grew tall again. Now, the trees (out of shame, apparently) grow low to the ground with narrow, twisting branches that could never be made into the beams of a cross.

Dogwood Blooms
Some look to the blooms of the tree to strengthen their faith. The white flower has five petals, each tipped with red, allegedly illustrating the blood on the two feet, the two hands, and the head of Christ at His death on the cross.

Redbud Blooms
Supposedly, the blooms of the redbud tree are red either from shame or from blood. It is maintained that the blooms are red because it is from a redbud tree that Judas hanged himself after betraying Christ. In fact, Oklahoma’s state forestry officials had to convince ladies’ garden clubs this was not the tree of Judas before making it the official tree of the state, pointing to the fact that it grows in North America, and not in Israel.

The list continues: people find they need these “signs” and “symbols” in order to keep their faith alive. Clearly, they do not realize that the Word of God is proof of itself. It is the record of miracles and prophecies that can’t be disputed. It is a record of scientific knowledge. If only we would study the facts, our faith will be more firmly established. If we only work to better realize the timeline of Biblical history, our faith will be strengthened. If we only spend time in the Word, wrestling with the Message, our faith will be supported and reinforced many times over.

To establish and support my faith, I don’t need anything other that the Word of God. I love what Paul writes to Timothy in his second letter. He writes, in chapter 4: "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith…" (emphasis mine).

We could not truthfully deny that what Paul says is true. These verses tell us that Paul was able to fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith himself, because he did not pursue futile avenues of strength. Having his ears tickled was not his method of being ready in and out of season. Giving in to his own desires and not following the will of God was not how he remained sober, doing the work of evangelism. Turning to myths and legends was not how he endured hardship and fulfilled his ministry. In a nutshell, Paul practiced what he preached.

On the one-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on our nation, the Pick Three lottery numbers in New York were nine, one, and one. You may have been a part of the water cooler conversation about that coincidence. Are we to read into that happenstance that God is sending us a sign? Perhaps this was a sign that He, too, mourns the loss of life? Perchance He wants to remind us He is still with us even in stressful times? Maybe he wants us to do more gambling?

We build our patriotism by looking on the symbols of the flag, and the Statue of Liberty, and that’s appropriate. It’s also appropriate for us to build out faith, by looking to the Bible, by looking to the proof of prophecy, by looking to the life, the cross, the tomb, and the ascension of Jesus Christ. Just the facts.

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CWTI: History Mystery

9/22/2022

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Well, here we go. This is the closest thing to a break-out room that Colonial Williamsburg offers. Later in the week, our teacher institute group was treated to a "History Mystery". We were led into the back side of a building and separated into groups to visit various rooms and hallways. Each group was provided with a clipboard with a prepared graphic organizer for notes.

Our group - one from California, one from Kentucky, and one from Southwest Missouri - all took to an upstairs hallway where we had to look over a rail into a room. I used my phone to reach in and peak around corners, as well as to enlarge items that were too far away to see the details closer.

There were multiple beds, a fireplace, and a dressing table. One bed, nicer than the other, was a four-poster. Clothes and toiletries were laid out in various locations, including a red coat on the bed in the left corner, just out of clear view.

A tour of the rest of the building showed other bedrooms, and there was even a bed in the hallway. Personal items from the boarders were left in places, dinner plates, scientific equipment, stationery items, and more. It was difficult to see the correlation between rooms. This was not a family house, but it didn't seem like a restaurant either.

Little did anyone know, if you put a Californian, a Kentuckian, and a Missourian in the same room, they become the resourceful types. While we were upstairs in our original room, we had availed ourselves to a peek through the hallway window. Behold, we were in a building that faces Duke of Gloucester Street, and out front, was a sign denoting that this is a tavern - a boarding house of sorts, a bed-and-breakfast. It was interesting to learn more about tavern life.

In some locations sat fancy dishes, full meals presented on expensive platters. In other places, leftovers reflected cheaper tastes. A sign on the wall displayed prices. Apparently, wealthier guests could afford to keep a room reserved all year long, as well as nicer facilities. Poorer classes of people could probably afford a place on a bed, but not an entire bed, for a night.

Other materials included astronomy equipment, a formal meeting room, in-progress card games, and bottles of ale. One fireplace hearth still showed signs of names carved into it by 18th Century guests.

Clearly, alcoholic intake was a portion of the profits in the tavern. The two photos here show the closed liquor cabinet. Someone could serve the alcohol through the window, but when the gate was closed, alcohol could not be purchased. Gates like this are the source of the term bar, which has stuck with us over the centuries. On this day and at this time, the bars were closed.

Enslaved people would have worked the kitchen and garden areas of the tavern. As hot as it was on the day we were there, we could only imagine how much hotter it would be with fireplaces lit and cooking.

Not only that, but take the time to also imagine the smells of cooking meat, vegetables, and unwashed perspiration. The long-gone sounds of pots clanging, fire crackling, voices barking orders, grunts of effort, as well as laughter may have been prominent. I imagine that it could be quite loud during the busiest times of day.

What if the mirrors in this building held their images from the 18th Century. These weren't original to the tavern, but it helps to keep one in the moment.

Outside once again, I wandered further from our group to explore beyond the main building. Storage buildings, a small garden, and even a chicken enclosure, netted to avoid bird escapes, served to supply a working tavern.

Later in the day, our view of the the tavern took on the appearance that most people see (Not everyone gets to go inside.). This tavern is leased to Colonial Williamsburg for educational purposes by private owners.

Rarely was information presented directly to us during the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute. Instead, we always seemed to be presented with mystery objects, locations, people, and situations and made to use the powers of observation and prior knowledge to develop our own conclusions about those items. This one was no exception.

Those powers of observation and prior knowledge are common to many areas of education. They are apparent in science, mathematics, and most certainly in literature and comprehension.

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A Rainbow of Density

9/21/2022

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The Hoggatt Institute of Math and Science at Neosho Christian School was really busy, last week, experimenting with density. The first pictures below show students collecting different colors at different levels in a straw by using a variety of salt levels. Students were amazed with the results, and it was one of those times when the teacher could see the light come on above their heads as they realized their success.

Earlier in the week, Mrs. Hoggatt did a demonstration of density using the following media, listed in the order of increasing density and pictured from top to bottom:

Lamp Oil
Rubbing Alcohol (colored red)
Vegetable Oil
Water (colored blue)
Dish Soap
Milk
Maple Syrup
Corn Syrup
Honey

The next step was to insert solid objects - bolts, a game die, popcorn kernels, beads, and a ping pong ball - to the mixture to see at which levels they would land. They settled where their densities determined they would.

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CWTI: Additional Agriculture

9/20/2022

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One of the activities included in the day of "historic trades" included a visit to the farm where they grow tobacco, cotton, and corn. I reported about tobacco separately because of its centrality in supporting the growth of the area, but one also needs to feed and clothe one's family, so other crops are also vital to the support of the Virginia Colony - not to mention these crops were additions to the overseas trade, as well.

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CWTI: Tobacco Suckers

9/19/2022

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Most of us have no experience with growing tobacco. It is, in fact, an interesting process, and most people, generally speaking, love the aroma of a pipe with modern tobacco burning in its bowl. That's not the case, of course, with modern cigarettes and cigars, which only serve to burn our eyes and pollute our lungs.

The process of growing tobacco, on the other hand, is quite fascinating. The plant itself - the leaf, the stalk and all, is very sticky due to the tar being produced, and in handling them, the cultivator's hands become extremely sticky, as well. This would make for a very dirty day of working as everything would cling to the hands and clothing of the cultivator (We're talking about enslaved people, of course.).

During the Colonial Williamsburg Teachers Institute, when we visited the farm, we were instructed that it was our job to pick the suckers off of the plants. I think most of us assumed the term suckers referred to the worms that might be crawling around, munching on the leaves of the plants. While we were to be on the lookout for caterpillars, suckers actually refer to something else altogether.

The top portions of the tobacco plants are cut off at a certain point, tricking the plant. The plant, still makes enough nutrients for the entire plant, but with three feet cut off of the top, all of the nutrients are concentrated in the leaves remaining, making for a richer, more flavorful, harvest. At the same time, there are so many nutrients that the plant tries to use them to create new leaves. That's a no-no. These new leaves are called suckers, and as they form, they must be pinched off, keeping the nutrients focused into the larger, more desirable leaves.

Eventually the leaves are harvested and hung in a warm, dry barn to dry. Later these are ground into flakes that can be used in habit of smoking.

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CWTI: Racism Hits the Fan

9/18/2022

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Participants were introduced to these two worksheets as examples of teaching the trade-economy from the 18th Century. The second worksheet was quickly labelled controversial with two or three people in our group. Notice the title: "Colonial Resources: Where Do They Come From?" Then notice that just under Tobacco in the left column is Enslaved People. Finally, notice the second and third columns which refer to the resources listed as It.

What ensued was one of those conversations that makes most people uncomfortable. I, like others, was amazed that Colonial Williamsburg could ever be accused of unfairly misrepresenting Black people. In fact, Colonial Williamsburg usually leans to the left in advocating for today's social justice causes, but this worksheet was felt to be presented in a manner that some felt was racist and demeaning.

Now, if the truth be told, had the organizer of this worksheet left Enslaved People off of the worksheet completely, there would be another controversy over that. A solution could easily have been offered, and we could have moved past the controversy, but instead, we hashed and rehashed the complaint with no solution presented. I doubt this lesson will be in the teacher resources after this session, which is a shame. It really reflects the 18th Century opinion that Africans were considered property that could be bought and sold. I suppose the controversy comes in that we did not have the whole lesson before us, but only the worksheets as if we were students in a classroom. The lesson itself may have covered the idea that this was a list of assets or resources from an inventory, which would have included Enslaved People. While the practice of racial slavery is a shameful, ugly part of American history, it is not something we should shy away from. The continuing shame comes when we do not choose to have respectful conversations that offer solutions, but rather allow anger to dictate our behaviors.

I will admit, it is not a page that I would use in its unmodified state. I would not want the paper to be taken home to parents who did not hear an entire, respectful lesson that contained the proper empathy and understanding of the lesson. The paper taken out of context could deliver the wrong message to families and cause the same type of controversy to "hit the fan" for me as a teacher. That could easily be avoided with a few changes to the approach.

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Accuracy and Impact of the Bible: Plimouth

9/17/2022

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The following is a part of a historical and faithful study
beginning at 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings.
at the church of Christ in Carthage, Missouri, south of the Ford dealership
PLEASE JOIN US!

Art Appreciation

Analyze the painting, shown (right). Check out the details.

What do you notice?
What do you think is happening?
What caused the scene in the painting?
What might happen after the scene shown?
What does this piece make you wonder?

"Religious Nutters"

What kind of people were the Pilgrims? Explorers? Pioneers? Rough and tumble politicians and soldiers? Not any of these.

Most of us have learned about the Pilgrim's landing at Plymouth Rock, but the Mayflower Compact is the important part of the story. The agreement is a foundational part of the American government.

Let's look more closely at that document and discuss what it means.

The Mayflower Compact

Describes the Plimouth Plantation website:

When the Pilgrims left England, they obtained permission from the King of England to settle on land farther to the south near the mouth of the Hudson River (in present-day New York). Because they chose to remain where they landed in New England, they needed a new permission (called a patent) to settle there. On November 11, 1620, needing to maintain order and establish a civil society while they waited for this new patent, the adult male passengers signed the Mayflower Compact.

In 1802, John Quincy Adams described the agreement as “the only instance in human history of that positive, original, social compact” and it is popularly believed to have influenced the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

Text of the Mayflower Compact

An additional source for worksheets that aid in the analysis of this document and the events surrounding it may be located at this link: Coming to America.

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together in a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620.

What is significant about the Mayflower Compact?

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

To the left, you will find a copy of the Compact in William Bradford's own handwriting. The original, signed document no longer exists, but according to the town historian, the document was signed by 41 of the male passengers – all but one of the freemen, three of the five hired men, and two of the nine servants.

The Big Questions

Our focus for this study hinges on answering these two big questions. The goal is to get closer to the answers each week in our class.

How did we we get the Bible?
Is the Bible accurate and dependable?

Timeline of the English Bible

We are familiar with the King James Authorized version of the modern English Bible from 1611, but many people would be surprised to hear that this version was really not the first. Timelines posted online can become quite tedious and distracting, so let's stick to our text. Neil Lightfoot, in Chapter 16 of How We Got the Bible, gives us a simple timeline that serves our general understanding. We'll get to that timeline, but first let's consider some questions:

For the longest time, the struggle was whether or not to put Scripture into the hands of the common man. Why would that be the case?
Who benefits from maintaining Biblical ignorance in the general population?
Is Biblical ignorance still an issue in the 21st Century? Explain and discuss why?
Why is it important to read the Scriptures for yourself?

Portions of Scripture were translated into English, or Anglo-Saxon, as early as the first millennium. The year 1066 is a turning point in world history. Many of the world's conflicts, especially involving Europeans, were a result of Holy Wars waged in the name of "Christianity". These conquests, inquisitions, and crusades brought the Bible's lack of availability to the masses into question.

Still, the English language was different in those days. Translating was complicated and access to Hebrew and Greek sources must have been limited. It is not difficult to understand the origin of the term Protestant, especially among the period of the Renaissance and the Reformation. Discuss this vocabulary along with the added terms of Restoration and Revival.

The video above does an excellent job of describing the historical background from which the British colonies in America would emerge. We still feel the effects

Under the chapter title "The English Bible to 1611", Neil Lightfoot provides the following dates in How We Got the Bible. Let's dive into each as we review Chapter 16.

c. 1382 - Wycliffe translation from Latin (Learn more beginning on page 175.)
1525 - Tyndale's New Testament from the original Hebrew and Greek (Learn more beginning on page 176.)
1535 - Coverdale
1537 - Matthew's Bible
1539 - Taverner's Bible and the Great Bible (revisions of Matthew's Bible)
1560 - Geneva Bible (the Bible carried by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower; Read more on page 181.)
1568 - Bishop's Bible (revision of the Great Bible)
1611 - Authorized Version (Learn more beginning on page 182.)

Eighty percent of the King James (Authorized) Bible is a preservation of the Tyndale translation from 1525. Lightfoot wrote, "William Tyndale is truly the father of the English Bible."

These accounts may do little for your faith in the trustworthiness of the Bible. They do, however, show the lengths that people have gone through to get us to our point in history. Undoubtedly, throughout the ages - through the Renaissance, Reformation, Restoration, and Revival, the New Testament church did and does survive (in spite of the major historical record).

Anticipatory, Guiding Questions

In the next lesson, we will delve into more recent translations of the Bible with a discussion of Chapter 17 in How We Got the Bible.

Do you feel that your preferred translation is an excellent representation of God's intention for life on earth?
Is your preferred translation "good enough to get by"?
How important is it for you to understand a translation?
How can we be certain that we have everything we need and that our Bible is accurate?
Have there been mistakes in translation that will affect our salvation?

Application Question

How important is it?

textual claims
origins of the text
extrabiblical history
the faith of martyrs
logic

archeology
geography
geology
astronomy

biology
chemistry
physics
mathematics
and more

So how important is it to you that the Bible can be proven true? Do you believe there is irrefutable evidence to its validity? Is proof something that strengthens your personal faith in the existence of God?

Should faith alone be enough to drive you to drive you to your knees? Or is "blind" faith a stronger kind of faith? If so, then why did God provide so much evidence?

Go forward with us - or in this case, back to the beginning - as we continue our study next time.

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CWTI: Haunted Williamsburg

9/16/2022

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I have not participated in other ghost tours, so I don't have a reference for comparison, but this was basically a storytelling event that could be replicated just about anywhere.

One of the evening offerings at Colonial Williamsburg is a little tour called Haunted Williamsburg. It is the one evening performance that is less historical than the others. I was especially happy to see the fire baskets and candle-lanterns as the only light.

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