Which Bible Translation is the Best? from CCBC Media on Vimeo.

What is the best Bible translation? People frequently ask which translation of the Bible I use when I preach. Also, people question why there are so many different translations of the Bible and which translation is the best.
So let me answer those three questions in today’s blog.
Question #1: Which translation of the Bible do I use when I preach?
I currently preach from the NIV (or the New International Version). The reason is simple. When you look up the amount of dollars spent on Bibles and the units of Bibles sold, the NIV leads the pack and has done so for a long time now.
The top 5 best-selling Bible translations are:
1. New International Version (NIV)
2. King James Version (KJV)
3. New King James Version (NKJV)
4. English Standard Version (ESV)
5. New Living Translation (NLT)

So, I primarily teach out of the NIV because it is the most popular version and the one that a vast majority of my listeners use. However, I suspect that the ESV (or English Standard Version) will continue to move up that list, so I have been reading from that version pretty consistently in my personal devotion.
Question #2: Why are there so many Bible translations?
This answer is both simple and complex. It is simple in that the Bible was not written in English and therefore every translator must take the text from its original version of Hebrew or Greek into the English language. And in doing so, many slight variations occur.
The more complex answer to this question is the “method” of translation used. There are three primary methods used in translating the Bible. The first is what is called “word for word”. The word for word method attempts to take the underlying Hebrew or Greek word in the text and translate it into the closest corresponding English word possible. Translations that use this method are the New American Standard, King James, New King James and the ESV. However, the downside of the “word for word” translation method is that the verses can often times seem to be difficult to read and a bit unclear.
The second method of translation is called the “thought for thought” method. In other words, translators using this method try to capture the original thought of the writer of Scripture and then translate that thought into a more easily read translation while at the same time maintaining faithfulness to the original text and thought of scripture. The NIV and the New Living Translation are good examples of the “thought for thought” translation method. The primary positive of this method is that it is usually much easier to read, but the downside is that it can lose some of the depth of meaning from the words of the original text.
The third type of translation is called “paraphrase”. The paraphrase translation rephrases, rewords or summarizes what has been written in order to be very understandable. In doing so, most of the depth of the biblical text is sacrificed; however, this translation is very applicable and easily understood. The Living Bible and The Message are probably the two most popular paraphrases. One side note is this. If you want to just read the Bible or a passage, a paraphrase is a good way to go. However, if you want to study the Bible, I would not recommend a paraphrase translation unless you are simply reading it for another perspective on the text. And, this leads me to my last question.
Question #3: Which translation is best?
And the answer is, that depends on your purpose. If you are looking to really study your Bible, you will want to choose a word for word translation. Like the New American Standard, ESV, KJV or the NKJV. Many people say the KJV is the best because it was the first English Bible widely available to the public over 400 years ago. However, first is not always best. Take cars for example. Were cars made in 1920 better than cars made today? The answer is simple. The speed, power, technology and safety features in today’s cars are vastly superior to the early model cars. Plus, when it comes to the King James Version, the word for word translation was made into the contemporary English vernacular of that day and not today! If you are a fan of the KJV and can easily read and understand it—stick with it.
If your purpose is to have a Bible that is easy-to-read and you are willing to dig deeper into commentaries, I would suggest a translation that is “thought for thought”.
Finally, I only recommend “paraphrase” translations like the Message or the Living Bible as supplemental reading. You have to see these paraphrased versions as the seasoning—not the meal. They can add spice, but they do not offer much substance.
So which translation is best? It is an individual choice, but from my perspective the best translation for you is either a “word for word” or “thought for thought” translation that you can and will read often.

A Mother’s Day Invitation from CCBC Media on Vimeo.

Creek Connection – 5-2-13 – Introduction to the Book of Ruth from CCBC Media on Vimeo.

On Sunday, I will begin preaching through the Book of Ruth, so I thought I would take some time in this week’s blog to give you a brief overview and summary of this short but amazing book.

The key verse from the book can be found in the first chapter when Ruth tells her mother-in-law, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”  (Ruth 1:16).  It is that simple statement followed by a corresponding obedience that is the setting for this spectacular book.

We do not really know who wrote the book of Ruth, but tradition attributes the writing of the book to Samuel the Prophet.  This Old Testament book derives its name from one of its main characters.  Ruth is more than just a main character—she is a heroine and a shining example of what happens when someone fully trusts in God’s provision and leadership in his or her life.

Second, the date is also unknown, but it can probably be dated between 1,000 – 930 B.C., which happens to be during the time of Judges before Israel had its first King.  The setting for the Book of Ruth begins in the heathen country of Moab, a region northeast of the Dead Sea, and ends in Bethlehem. Because of a famine, Elimelech and his wife, whose name is Naomi, leave the Promise Land and move to the country of Moab. Elimelech dies and Naomi is left with her 2 sons who soon marry 2 Moabite girls, Orpah and Ruth.

Later both of the sons die, and Naomi is left alone in a strange land with her daughters-in-law.  She then determines to return to Bethlehem. Orpah stays in Moab while Ruth determines to make the journey with Naomi back to Bethlehem.  This story of love and devotion tells of Ruth’s eventual marriage to a wealthy man named Boaz, by whom she bears a son named Obed who becomes the grandfather of David and the ancestor of Jesus.

The Book of Ruth was written to the Jewish people and is a picture of God’s redeeming love for those who are broken.  This message is taught through a number of pairs of things we find in the book:

We see a pair of women, Naomi & Ruth.  Naomi has lost everything and is struggling in her heart as to why bad things have happened to her.  Naomi had lost her husband and two sons and felt like God had taken everything from her.  On the other hand, we see Ruth who had lost her husband but instead of becoming bitter she trusted in God and found His amazing provision in her life through the broken times.

We also see a pair of places in the book of Ruth.  The first place is Moab which for the Israelites was a detestable place that was filled with compromise and wretched people.  The other place is Bethlehem, which is a place of promise.

Finally, we see a pair of stories in the Book.  The first story is the one we read, where Boaz becomes the kinsman redeemer to Ruth the Moabite.  It truly is an amazing story, and it follows the natural reading of the words from Ruth.  However, there is a second story that permeates the book. It is the story of God’s love that redeems fallen men and women from their sinful and broken pasts in order to provide amazing futures through God’s grace, provision and love.

The most practical application for the book is that God’s sovereignty is clearly seen in the story of Ruth.  Even when Ruth did not know it, God was guiding her every step so she could become His child and ultimately fulfill His plan of a Moabite woman becoming a grandparent to David and an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

 In the same vein, if you find yourself in difficult circumstances or perhaps in your own personal Moab, you can begin today making your journey back to the place of Promise.  In Ruth’s day, the place of Promise was Bethlehem.  Today, the place of promise is the church.

You might be asking what God can do in your life through the church?  Perhaps the best answer to that question comes from the words of the Apostle Paul, who said, “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

So today, make the same decision Ruth made; head in the direction of the place of Promise this Sunday—The Church, and you will find a God who has been waiting for you all this time.

John Mark Caton, Ph.D

Creek Connection – 4-25-13 – Pastor VLOG – The Trinity from CCBC Media on Vimeo.

Question: If the word Trinity is not in the Bible, is it still Biblical?

Truthfully, one of the most difficult Christian concepts to wrap our human minds around is the idea of the trinity as it relates to God. The concept is so difficult because it tries to describe—God. To try and describe and define God’s being and personality with any human terms is complicated enough, but it is even far more difficult to try and define or describe God in one word. However, this is what we try to do when we refer to God as “Trinity”.

In dealing with the topic of God today, I want to do it by trying to delineate for you who God is by using the word “Trinity”. When we talk about the Trinity, there are naturally two questions that confront us pretty quickly.

Question #1: What does the word “Trinity” mean?

Question #2: If the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, then why is it still considered Biblical?

Both of those questions are really good questions and worthy of study.

First, this question – If the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, then why is it considered biblical?
As we discuss the word “Trinity” do not try to look it up in your Bible; it is not in there. The word “Trinity” is simply used to try and describe the God of the Bible who is a Tri-Unity— Three persons in one, whom we refer to as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are at the same time “One God” and “eternally co-existent”. In other words, the word “Trinity” is the word theologians use to describe ONE God existing in THREE persons. So when we say “Trinity,” we are saying a theological mouthful to say the least.
Maybe these two thoughts will help you. Thought #1 – Although the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, it does accurately describe what we do find in the Bible. Thought #2 – The doctrine of the Trinity was discovered and not invented.

Perhaps an illustration will help you at this point. Three explorers gathered together to discuss three major rivers that flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. After careful deliberation, the three explorers decided to examine these three major rivers flowing into the Gulf. One explorer chose the river on the left, another explorer chose the river in the middle, and another explorer chose the river on the right. All three explorerers started their quests at the three separate points where each river fed into the Gulf of Mexico. Then these explorers set out on their journeys up each of the three rivers. As each man explored his designated river, he kept careful notes detailing every inch of the journey.

As they made their ways north, they walked through different terrains, measured different depths, journeyed through different states, and over different mountains. Then surprisingly, they met up again where all three rivers came together flowing from one major river. In other words, these three rivers were actually one river that was split into three different parts. At that point, they named the river the “Trinity River”—because it was one river that was at the same time three rivers.

Now let’s take that same concept and apply it to the Bible. The explorers are actually called “Theologians” and the Gulf of Mexico is the Bible. The three rivers were named God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three rivers-of-God were actually the One God while also being separate at the same time. As with all illustrations of the Trinity, this one is limited and not meant to do anything more than provide a simple outline of the Trinity that might help you understand how it developed. Ultimately, the word “Trinity” was the natural outgrowth of the Theological Explorers comparing notes on God.

What does the Bible say about the Trinity? It is a massive and complex theological concept, but let me try and simplify:

First, the Bible tells us there is ONE God:
Deuteronomy 6:4 says, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Isaiah 45:5 says, I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.
1 Timothy 2:5 says For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.

Secondly, the Bible tells us that this ONE God has a PLURAL nature – We see this in Creation:
Then God (Hebrew-“Elohim”- Plural…”Our”) said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”(Genesis 1:26).
We also see this in Isaiah 6:8, Then I heard the voice of the Lord (singular) saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

Thus, when we read the “Theological Explorers” map of the Bible, we see that God is both ONE and PLURAL at the same time.

The Bible also tells us:
The Father is God:
In Ephesians 1, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). The Apostle Paul also tells the Corinthians that, “…there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live
(1 Corinthians 8:6).

The Bible also tells us that the Son is God:
John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In the Book of Colossians Paul wrote, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). And Jesus Himself said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

Finally, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is God:
Jesus Himself, declares that the Holy Spirit is God by saying, “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) In the same vein, the Apostle Peter told Ananias, “… you have lied to the Holy Spirit… You have not lied just to human beings but to God” (Acts 5:3-4). In other words, when you lied to the Holy Spirit, you lied to God because God and the Holy Spirit are one and the same.

To summarize this point, we have discovered from the Bible that there is One God, who is plural in nature, and that plural nature is made up of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

If we look deeper into Scripture, we also see “Trinity” represented in specific Bible verses. We see the Trinity present at Christ’s baptism. The Gospel of Matthew describes the baptism of Jesus this way, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16).

We also see the Trinity in the Great Commission when Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19).

And finally, the Apostle Paul tells believers that we have the presence of the “Trinity” in our daily lives by saying, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 3:14).

So, the word “Trinity” refers to a “Tri-unity” between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The word “Trinity” itself is not found in the Bible but the theological concept is evident. While we can’t in our human minds fully grasp all there is to know about God, we are thoroughly biblical in referring to God as a “Trinity”. As one theologian accurately stated, God is like an “unscalable cliff—we may not be able to scale it, but we can stand at the foot of it, touch it and praise its beauty.” So it is with God—even though we can’t fully describe Him or comprehend Him – we can praise Him.

Creek Connection – 4-10-13 – Pastor VLOG from CCBC Media on Vimeo.

Creek Connection – 4-19-13 – Pastor VLOG from CCBC Media on Vimeo.

Why Does a Loving and All-powerful God Allow Evil to Exist?

In truth, this is one of the toughest questions a Christian will ever have to answer.  If God is all good and loving, why  does He not want to eliminate evil?   The Bible tells us that we serve both an all-loving and all-powerful God who desires to and has the power to eliminate evil.  So why doesn’t He?

There are two practical ways to look at God’s possible responses.

1)    God could take away our free will and prevent us from sinning and as a result remove all the evil from the world.  However, in doing that, God would have to remove all free will and all freedom to choose from each of us, and we would be nothing more than robots that have been previously programmed to do good and only good.  The outcome of that option is that we would not enjoy the privilege of choosing right from wrong, and at the same time God would not have free worshippers that choose to follow His will. Instead, God created Adam and Eve sinless and gave them the ability to choose good or evil.  They could have chosen not to sin, but they did not; instead they chose to disobey God and sin.   The result of that sin is evil. (Romans 5:12)

2)    God could intervene at the last moment every time evil is about to happen.  In other worlds, when something bad is about to happen or a sin was about to be committed, God could step in and stop it.  While this initially sounds attractive because this would prevent major tragedies, it still does not ultimately solve the problem of evil because in this scenario God would let the ‘small’ sins and ‘little’ evils continue in the world and only prevent the big ones.  In the same way, when people suggest that God step in and restrain someone from doing some large evil, we are most often talking about someone else who we deem as more sinful or more evil than us.  However, this is a completely self-serving response because we would choose the little sins that please our own flesh but then expect God to protect us from all consequences.  As a result, we are still sinners who would eventually die-just without the terrible consequences.

God did not choose either of the above choices.  God did not choose to make us robots; instead He gave us free will to choose, and we all choose to sin. God did not choose to remove all the harsh sins because we are still sinners. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)  But, God chose a different way—He chose to create people with a free will.  People chose to disobey Him and sin, and as a result, we live in a world with all the pain, suffering and evil.

However, God loved us so much that He sent his one and only son to die on the cross for us. (John 3:16)  In dying on the cross, Jesus did pay the ultimate price for our sins so that we can be forgiven.

The Apostle Peter put it this way, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.  When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.  He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:21-24

Those words, “by His wounds you have been healed” speak of spiritual healing.  Sin broke our relationship with God, but Jesus’ death on the cross provided a way of salvation and forgiveness for all the evil we commit.

So what about the evil in the world?  Will it ever be removed?  Yes, the Bible tells us there is coming a day when God will in fact remove all death, crying and pain from the earth.

The Bible says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:3-4

Truthfully, we all want that to happen and we want it to happen soon. However, the moment God returns and removes all sin from the world, the opportunity for freely sinning humans to receive His son will be over.  Part of God allowing sin to linger in the world is that God wants sinful people to be saved.

That is why Peter reminded us, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

So, how do we live in the meantime?  We must realize that God’s activity in the world does restrain evil from being much worse.  At the same time, God has given each of us the ability to choose between right and wrong and good and evil.  God says the same thing to each of us that He said to the children of Israel before they entered into a Promised Land that was filled with good and evil.

He said, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ^and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

If you find yourself in the midst of pain and suffering and are struggling to go on or figure it out, remember Jesus offered these words of comfort by saying,“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Your Pastor,

John Mark

In today’s blog, I want to offer a biblical answer to the question of suicide.

As many people have heard by now, Pastor Rick Warren’s son committed suicide recently. You probably already know this; Pastor Warren is the Pastor of Saddleback church in California – one of the largest churches in the nation.
As a result some of the same questions surrounding suicide have resurfaced again, so I thought I would share about suicide from both a personal and a biblical perspective. Personally, I have walked in those shoes. Several years ago, my brother, James, took his life. I have walked a lot of hard roads over the year, but that was by far the hardest. The feelings of pain, grief, failure and helplessness were in a word, “overwhelming.”

As a Pastor, the one thing I should have been able to do was to preach at my brother’s funeral, but for those who went, they know that I did not say a word. Honestly, I could not, and that still hurts to this day. No, not as acutely as it did those few days after he took his own life, but the pain, grief and feelings of failure still linger.

When I hear about Pastor Rick Warren’s son taking his life, or anyone else, my heart goes out to those families, and I pray and ask God for strength and compassion in the days ahead.

Today’s blog focuses on answering biblical questions about suicide. I am going to try and deal with several specific questions about suicide that I believe will help you gain a better understanding about what the Bible does and does not say about the topic of suicide.

Question #1: What does the Bible say about suicide?
The Bible mentions six specific incidences of people who committed suicide. Five are recorded in the Old Testament Book of Judges (Judges 9:5), two in 1 Samuel (1 Samuel 31:4-6), 2 Samuel (2 Samuel 17:23), and one in1 Kings. The lone New Testament reference is that of Judas taking his own life after betraying Jesus in Matthew 27 (Matthew 27:5).

Question #2: Is suicide murder?
The Bible says that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die…” However, the matter of life and death is left in God’s hands. Thus, I believe the Bible views suicide as equal to murder, it just happens to be self-murder.

Question #3: Can a Christian commit suicide and still go to heaven?
Probably the question I get asked most about suicide is “Can a Christian commit suicide and still go to heaven?” This question really stems from the fact that some major religious organizations have taught over the years that if Christians commit suicide, they cannot go to heaven because they no longer have the opportunity to repent or confess their sins.
So is this a correct view? Can a Christian go to heaven even after committing suicide?
Here is the Bible Truth: According to the Bible, the manner in which a person dies does not determine whether a person goes to Heaven or not. If an unsaved person commits suicide it was not the suicide that determines where he or she will spend eternity.
Conversely, if a Christian commits suicide, it is not the suicide that determines whether he or she can go to heaven or not. Where a person spends eternity is determined by one factor and one factor only… “Did that person accept or reject Jesus Christ?”

Here is the Good news:
1) We “all” sin (Romans 3:23), but Jesus died for “all” of our sins (Romans 6:23)…and it is our sin that separates us from God.
2) However, the Bible teaches that at the very moment a person accepts Christ he/she is guaranteed eternal life (John 3:16)…that brings forgiveness of sins.
3) Once we have accepted Christ and have been guaranteed eternal life, nothing can separate us from the Love of God (Romans 8:38-39)…neither things present or things to come…even if that includes suicide.
In conclusion, suicide is a serious sin. It is murder, even though it is “self-murder.” However, because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for all my sins, even the most grievous sin I can commit is completely and totally forgiven. It is removed as far as the “East is from the West” (Psalm 103:8-12)
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love…
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

The most important question to be answered about death or suicide is not the manner in which a person dies, but whether or not that person accepted or rejected Christ while he or she was alive.

I hope this helps, and I am honored and blessed to be your Pastor.
John Mark Caton, Ph.D

Recently, renewed concern inflamed over the thought that the very aggressive Asian Carp has made its way in to the Great Lakes. The biggest concern is that the carp might begin to unravel food chains that support the $7 Billion fishing industry and its surrounding ecosystems.

The danger of the Asian Carp is that it feeds on tiny, little animals and plants in the water. The fish consumes the base of the food chain, and when you put carp in the water in large quantities, the native fishes that require those plankton go hungry.  Scientists are hopeful that they have discovered the problem early, but to really fix the problem they have to do two things: 1) acknowledge they have a problem & 2) deal with it.

As I thought about that article, the problem reminded me of the words of John when he said, “8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves…9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9
In other words, being honest with God about our sin allows us to confess it and receive full forgiveness. However, if we deny that we have sin, we only deceive ourselves. Ignoring the problem only brings further problems; whereas, dealing with the problem brings progress.
Take it to God today; He can handle it.
John Mark Caton, Ph.D