The New Calvinist Takeover of Southwood Presbyterian Church: Part 10; Jean, Jean, Jean, The Pharisees Were Not Even Good Pharisees—They Were Antinomians Like You
The first sentence of Jean Larroux’s testimony on southwood.org states the following:
““I have worked very hard at being a Pharisee (and was quite successful) and now work very hard at trying to rest in Grace.”
The New Calvinist Bible of Choice, the ESV, quotes Jesus as saying that his contention was with people who relax the law (Matthew 5:19). Sounds like Larroux strives for plenty of “rest” and relaxation. In context, Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees. Jean has it backwards, he has never been a Pharisee, but he is now. Read more here: Jean Larroux III and the Pharisees
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
so what exactly is your bible of choice?
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Actually, the ESV. Ironically, its word choices show contradictions between NC and the truth more than any other translation. But this is typical, NC screw-up just about everything they touch. For example, the attorney they obtained for my wife and paid for with church funds was well noted for being a laughing stock among Montgomery county attorneys (he is also a professing Christian). The settlement obtained by my attorney was unprecedented in Montgomery county courts where husbands are almost always taken to the cleaners financially.
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I’m with you until I read these confusing statements. Help me with your train of thought.
Favorite Bible translation: ESV –> word choices show truth about NC –> NC use of ESV shows they screw up –> for example: details about divorce attorney. I understand your logical connection between the first 3 items, but what does the attorney example have to do with the ESV? I don’t understand your logical leap there. Why would this personal issue be relevant to the question “what exactly is your bible of choice?” I’m confused as to whether you are genuinely seeking reform and if so why your personal issues are so important to the argument.
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Brad,
Their favorite translation reveals their error better than any other translation. This is typical of New Calvinists. They are truly the Keystone cops of elders. The stories I have been told could be compiled into a best selling comedy book. My own personal situation was offered up as an example. This blog has been in existence for two years and my personal situation has probably been mentioned 10 times. Maybe. So, very little importance has been placed on it. In fact, most of the times it has been brought up is because New Calvinists were the ones who brought it up in an attempt to discredit my arguments, a sure sign that the truth is not on their side. Southwood is a good example. They have to make it about me. But other than what Lydia has cited, I like the translation for many reasons. And concerning your last comment: no, I am not “seeking reform.” I was “reformed” when I was born again by Jesus Christ. I seek to be more sanctified daily. I reject the New Calvinist approach that the church is in constant need of reform. That’s great for selling books, but it’s not the truth.
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How about an interlinear?
Here is a great paper on problems with the ESV being a “literal translation”. It is a very good summary and even humorous when you get to “literal translations”. It is not as if word meanings do not change over time.
Click to access improvingesv2.pdf
Here are a few examples:
Rock badgers are people too!
Prov. 30:26 ESV “the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; rock badgers
are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;”
Comment: In addition to the tortured word order, the ESV’s use of “people” is very strange. We sometimes
joke that animals are people too, but surely ants and rock badgers are “creatures” or “species,” not people.
Nice legs!
Ps. 147:10 ESV “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,”
Comment: Taking pleasure in a man’s legs will surely leave readers chuckling. TNIV reads “in the power
of human legs”; NET has “by the warrior’s strong legs.”
Such clean teeth!
Amos 4:6
ESV “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities”
Comment: It sounds like God is distributing toothbrushes to the Israelites. The Hebrew idiom means they
had nothing to eat. The TNIV reads “I gave you empty stomachs,”; HCSB: “I gave you absolutely nothing
to eat.” NET: “I gave you no food to eat.”
Trembling loins?
Psalm 69:23 ESV Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble
continually.
Comment: This translation will surely send twitters through the junior high group. Trembling loins sounds
like someone has to go to the bathroom.
“Double-tongued” deacons?
1 Tim. 3:8 ESV Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not
greedy for dishonest gain
Comment: Sounds like a mock “Indian-speak” (with forked-tongue) or some strange alien creature. The
Greek is dilogoi (etymologically, “two words/messages”), which means “insincere,” “lacking integrity,”
“hypocritical,” or even “two-faced” (NET, GW).
Keep that faith to yourself!
Rom. 14:22 ESV The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.
Comment: The ESV seems to be discouraging believers from sharing their faith. But the word pistis here
refers to personal convictions about food and drink, not about saving faith.5
TNIV So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.
REB If you have some firm conviction, keep it between yourself and God.
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Literal translations are almost never good. If you don’t believe that, try using Google Translate or some other translation program to translate one language into another, You would not believe what a big mess you can make. The same thing applies to biblical translations. On the other hand, we also get into trouble when we get a theological concept in our heads and stubbornly insist on plugging in that preconceived idea every time we find a particular word. For example, the NIV’s translating of sarx as “sinful nature.” They would have been better to have left it as flesh and let us figure out what particular meaning the writer had for it in a given verse.
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