tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4257056374166663396.post6965919864034574704..comments2024-01-06T10:54:23.028+00:00Comments on Get Out of Jail Free: Harlots, thieves and murderers...AnneDroidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15381935612631976494noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4257056374166663396.post-61518628600307664892008-12-19T13:23:00.000+00:002008-12-19T13:23:00.000+00:00It says something very sad about our lack of Bibli...It says something very sad about our lack of Biblical knowledge that we should think that "And wash the Æthiop white" has anything to do with race or colour. It is a thoroughly Biblical metaphor referring to sins being washed clean and relates most obviously to believer's baptism by immersion in water as exemplified by Philip's baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch in the water by the roadside in Acts. The choice of the word 'white' has three purposes: 1) to rhyme with light; 2) to contrast with the colour red (not black, as in 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow'); 3) to indicate cleanliness. I would have thought with sensitive explanation there is absolutely no reason why this verse couldn't be used. When we are understandably and rightly sensitive to the use of language, and its racial and gender consequences, we do equal damage by reading meanings into words that are not really there. On the contrary - we should be encouraging people to be able to read poetry, understand the language of the Bible, and to be able to understand our rich and generous Christian heritage. All this is tragically lost in our bland dumbing-down politically correct and often therefore unwise church cultures today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4257056374166663396.post-22012780851749428782008-12-11T22:57:00.000+00:002008-12-11T22:57:00.000+00:00It's been pointed out to me by email by a friend t...It's been pointed out to me by email by a friend too shy to comment (!) that it was tax collectors in the days of the Roman empire that were called publicans, rather than landlords of pubs as today. I knew that once, but had forgotten. The question is, therefore, which definition Wesley had in mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4257056374166663396.post-3243553811029535542008-12-08T21:48:00.000+00:002008-12-08T21:48:00.000+00:00Yes, I thought that was interesting too, but I hav...Yes, I thought that was interesting too, but I have to admit I've met some nice axe-wielding psychopaths, j.AnneDroidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381935612631976494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4257056374166663396.post-37877404373005707592008-12-08T18:35:00.000+00:002008-12-08T18:35:00.000+00:00Publicans on a par with axe-wielding psycopaths? W...Publicans on a par with axe-wielding psycopaths? Well Wesley founded the Methodists after all, pledge signers only surpassed by the Kirk ;-) Our penchants for beer or wine go back to pre-biblical times. Glass of cholera anyone? Small beer, drunk by children, was stronger than the stuff we drink today, with the probable exception of Tennants Super. On the other hand, wine was a lot weaker.<BR/>jAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4257056374166663396.post-43540606957818491142008-11-29T22:50:00.000+00:002008-11-29T22:50:00.000+00:00Wow. I sang this hymn as a child, but not 18 verse...Wow. I sang this hymn as a child, but not 18 verses worth.<BR/><BR/>I guess he took the thousand tongues seriously. You'll wear out about 900 singing such a long song.Ruth Hull Chatlienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08797146501548509911noreply@blogger.com