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I just returned from teaching in southern India and visiting some schools there. Here's a bit of "scientific" Bible analysis I foun din a Hyderabad paper when I was there to preach one Sunday.
"Samson was a hooligan, scientific study states"--Samson, who pulled down the Temple of Gaza and killed 1,000 Philistines single-handedly, suffered from the earliest recorded case of anti-social personality disorder, a scientist claims.
People with the disorder show at least three out of seven specific behaviors, such as being impulsive, reckless and habitually getting into fights. A study of Sam showed that he had six of the seven behaviors listed in the standard manual of mental illness called DSM-IV. Samson routinely got into fights. When he killed the Philistines, he gloated, showing no remorse. Like many people with anti-social personalities, Samson behaved badly as a child, setting things on fire, torturing animals, stealing, and bullying children.
Whew! That sure provides fresh exegetical insight for me. Reminds me of the turn-of-the-century commentator who was trying to be scientific, and labeled Ezekiel as a "paranoid schizophrenic with narcissistic tendencies." I never cease to wonder at "scientific" Bible studies when disconnected from faith!
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At Southern Asia Bible College in Bangalore, India I taught the graduating class of M.Div. students. Most of them will be fanning out across Southern Asia to pastor, or to teach at the many Bible schools of India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Nepal, and Bangladesh. This group of 34 students was one of the best I've ever taught there in my repeated visits to India.
While there, I also visited a Kanada-language Bible school that's training pastors and church planters for the 45 million Kanada speaking people of the Karnataka and Goa states of southern India. I went back for their graduation a few days later, and watched as 14 men graduated. Seven of them are headed for church planting efforts in towns and willages that don't have any Christian witness, and three of the others are going to pastor existing churches that don't have anyone to pastor them. I think all of them are headed for full-time pastoral or evangelistic ministry. Praise the Lord for the multiplying effect of Bible schools.
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While visiting First Assembly of God in Bangalore, India I saw something more edifying in the church bulletin than I found in the Hyderabad paper. Thought you might enjoy it:
A young lady named Sally, related an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Professor Smith. She said Professor Smith was know for his elaborate object lessons.
On particular day Sally walking in knew they were in for another interesting class. On teh wall was a big target, and on a nearby table were many darts. Professor Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at this person's picture. The girl on Sally's right drew a picture of someone who had stolen her boyfriend. A guy on her left drew a picture of his father. Sally boldly drew a very recognizable picture of another professor at the seminary. She was pleased with her artistic efforts. (Picture in your mind a person you might have drawn for a target if you were in that class.)
This class lined up and began throwing darts, with such laughter and hilarity. Some of the darts were thrown with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, but was disappointed with Professor Smith asked to the students to return to their seats before she got her turn.
As Sally sat down angry at not getting a chance to throw any darts at her target, Professor Smith began removing the targets from the wall.
Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.
A complete hush fell over the room as students looked at the damaged picture of Jesus, with holes and jagged tears marking his face, and his eyes pierced out.
Professor Smith said only these words, "Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
No other words were necessary. The tear-filled eyes of each student focused on the picture of Christ. The students remained in their seats, even after the classs bell range. Then slowly began leaving the class--some with tears in their eyes.
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Thanks for keeping us in your prayers and providing all the financial support for the work that Janice and I do to help Bible schools. Between now and July, we will visit the following place for Bible school work:
- Romania
- Czech Republic
- Pakistan
- Kosova
- Republic of Georgia
- Spain
Some of these visits are for the following things:
- work with large groups of Bible school people gathering for conferences.
- consulation with people working to start new Bible schools in difficult places.
- visits with established Bible schools that are needing the fellowship we offer.
Keep us in prayer as we continue this work.
If you're a supporting or interested church, book us for a missions service during our short furlough. We'll do everything we can to fit you into the schedule between July and December of this year. God bless!
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Scientific Bible Analysis