Olive Tree LXX Parsed

When I started my doctoral study, I bought my first Bible software, BibleWorks 4 (2000) and now it is BibleWorks 9. Yesterday I purchased Olive Tree LXX with morphology and downloaded it to my ASUS's Windows 8 (11-inch touchscreen) and it works perfectly. The font is clear and adjustable and I can open a side-screen with ESV which makes reading the LXX a lot easier. Whenever I need to parse a word, the Olive Tree LXX is a most convenient tool, more so than the BibleWorks which functions almost the same way but less elegantly set out. My ultra-light 11-inch computer is one that I carry around with me whenever I go out for more than 2 or 3 hours or simply to read biblical texts over a cup of coffee. It's a workhorse outside of home with a battery life of 5 hours while I have another ASUS 14-inch laptop when I work at home.

The Dust has Settled

Moving into the 3rd week of the new Semester, everything falls into a pattern. The add or withdraw period is over. The dust has settled. Now I have 16 students in my Greek 2 class, 21 in my NT 2 class and 23 in my elective on John's Gospel. It is most gratifying that the elective attracted 23 students. Altogether it's good number - 60 students in my 3 classes. I teach on consecutive days from Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. By the time I finish NT 2 today and attended my Family Group I was exhausted, having given 9 hours of lectures on 3 separate topics. But it is really encouraging all round. Even in Greek 2, my students are beginning to see the usefulness of Greek. Today in NT 2 class, some students were talking about my last week's lectures on Romans which I spent about 15 minutes towards the end to discuss the issue of homosexuality. Seeing the students discussing it for a whole week is an encouraging sign. I was just wondering whether my lectures in the past years are making any impact whatsoever but this week had thrown up some answers. My John's Gospel class is the most satisfying of all. I am lecturing something that is not introductory like Greek or NT introduction but something close to my heart. I felt inspired to speak about the new birth in John 3 and I did not even share my personal experience how I was born again more than 30 years ago in Christchurch, New Zealand. Next week will be equally exciting as I shall be speaking about worship in John 4. Lord I bow in worship towards Your throne for there is none like You; You are good and a shield to all who trust in You.

Seminar on Revelation in Kota Kinabalu

I am really looking forward to Chinese New Year. I am heading home to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and the most exciting part is that I shall be preaching on Sunday in my home church, SIB KK in Likas. Further, I shall be conducting a full-day Seminar the day before on the book of Revelation. Imagine being a pastor for 5 years and 3 months (2003-2008) but never really taught much about Revelation. I guess it was not yet time then but the hour is now and the time is near for all things to come to pass. It's homecoming in the reverse like Joseph who could not restrain himself when he saw his brothers in Egypt. Joseph, the most powerful man in Egypt wept a total of 6 times in Gen 37-50. He was a loving and forgiving man, forgave his brothers their wrong and took care of them in every way.

Commentaries on John

There are too many words about the "Word" Logos and in terms of commentaries, publication continues unabated. I am recommending Andrew Lincoln's The Gospel according to Saint John (Black's NT commentaries; 2005) for this Semester's class. F. Moloney has written an article about recent commentaries on John's Gospel and I have asked the class to read this article and decide for themselves which one(s) they would purchase for the course. For older commentaries, the top four in the picture remains my favourites - Lindars, Brown, FF Bruce and Beasley-Murray.

Teaching in the New Semester

My first teaching week has just ended for the new Semester. I taught on three consecutive days, Greek 2 on Tuesday, The Gospel of John yesterday and NT 2 today. I already find it a real challenge to teach three 3-hour courses on three consecutive days. It has been physically demanding. But yesterday's class for John's Gospel was filled with about 25 eager students (I hope). There was a good mixture of 2nd and 3rd year students. A number of Master of Ministry students also enrolled with 2 Master of Theology candidates. I lectured on the Prologue of John 1 and got to verse 14 before time was up. Next week I will be looking at the signs in John 2 and the Christology of John 1.

"Your Grace is Sufficient in Weakness"

I think this year will be a year of grace. I have to learn to trust God more and more and rely solely on His grace and not on my own ability and strength. It was always good to preach first up, first Sunday of the year. But less than 48 hours ago, I was struck down by flu. It was so bad that I could not get up whole of Friday and it was Saturday morning that I rose and made myself some breakfast.