Musings of a Snickerdoodle

A Commentary on the Manuscripts and Text of the New Testament, by Philip Wesley Comfort is an interesting and a potentially helpful resource in studying the NT.  I appreciate that summaries are given about the various manuscripts that are referred to in the commentary, including their symbols, which are what Comfort uses to refer to the different manuscripts as he comments on the different readings of any particular verse.  Most of the variants appear to be rather small and do not appear to change the meaning of a verse much, for instance some manuscripts saying 'Jesus Christ' in a certain variant and others reading simply "Christ",  whichever reading a Bible translator chooses to use doesn't make a major difference as either way we know to Whom it refers.   Comfort mentions a variant of Romans 8:28 which I found interesting, he translates the variant as, "God turns everything to good" which of course is different from "all things work togeth...

Perhaps this is odd, but I find the subject of the Sinking of the Lusitania fascinating.   Perhaps it is because so many people's lives were affected and lost at once, and it was interesting to see   their reactions under pressure and fear of death, some were brave, some were cowardly, some were selfish and some were selfless.     Like the first book I've read on the subject, Dead Wake by Eric Larson,   An Epic Tragedy: Lusitania by Diana Preston looks at many people as they travel on the Lusitania and experience her sinking (The Lusitania was a passenger liner torpedoed by the Germans during WW1 before America entered the war).   Preston seems to repeat the accounts of   more people than Larson did, which I appreciate, even though getting glimpses of so many people does make it a bit 'crowded' at times and hard to remember who's who (that's more realistic right?).   It makes it seem like one is getting a 'bigger picture' of the event. ...

When first received my copy of the NIV Zondervan Study Bible in the mail, my first impression was amazement over its size and weight, it is HUGE!   It is quite impressive on the inside as well, the text of the   NIV is laid out in a one column format instead of the usual 2 columns.   The cross references are placed on the side of the column and study notes on the bottom.   I loved the charts throughout, especially in the OT which included charts summing up what was in certain sacrifices and offerings, and charts on the Lord's appointed festivals, census results, Levite Numbers and responsibilities…etc.   Very helpful.   There were many photographs of Biblical areas throughout, and also pictures of various archeological finds having to do with many biblical events and people.   Those are quite fascinating and interesting.    Many of the study notes seem quite intricate and useful and exegetical.   Several of the pages are quite pac...