Monday, September 16, 2024

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

 

It is the 16th of September 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis. 

A very happy Monday to you- I’m somewhere in Germany.

No mailbag today as the schedule is wonky and so for my convenience I am writing a bunch of shows before my trip.

And today, well have I got a story for you. Without getting into whatever happens when I make an episode, sometimes alarms start going off *this is Weekend Edition worthy* but our man will get the daily treatment this time.

He was born John Bertram Phillips in London on the 16th of September in 1906. He would go on to attend Cambridge and was ordained in the Church of England in 1930.  

He served as the Vicar of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lee, London, during World War II. The church was hit in the Blitz, and Phillips said: ‘Consequently, every fire-fighting appliance was directed to save our vital food supplies.  No water pump could be spared to save a building, however beloved, and it was poignant indeed for us to stand helplessly by and see the church blaze into ruins.’

While spending time in the bomb shelters, he began work on what he would eventually become famous for. He was concerned that the youth in his parish were put off by the King James language- he wanted to try his hand at a paraphrased translation. The first publication would be a collection of the Epistles in 1947 called “Letters to Young Churches.” By 1958, he produced an entire New Testament called “The New Testament in Modern English,” commonly referred to as the “Phillips” translation. While it suffers from all attempts at being modern (notably, not being ‘modern’ much longer after publication), it offered a fresh look at the text than is usually only known in 17th-century English.

One parallel passage might suffice to give you a taste of his translation.

 

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

 

Becomes:

18-19 When Simon saw how the Spirit was given through the apostles’ laying their hands upon people he offered them money with the words, “Give me this power too, so that if I were to put my hands on anyone he could receive the Holy Spirit.”

20-23 But Peter said to him, “To hell with you and your money! How dare you think you could buy the gift of God! You can have no share or place in this ministry, for your heart is not honest before God. All you can do now is to repent of this wickedness of yours and pray earnestly to God that the evil intention of your heart may be forgiven.

 

For a culture without multiple translations, this was as exciting as it was shocking to others.

This was part of an evangelical push by the Church of England during and after the war- the same push that asked an Oxford Don to give a few radio lectures. And that Oxford Don, C.S. Lewis, was a supporter of Phillips and his translation.

One of the more curious stories in modern church history comes from Phillips- he called himself generally “incredulous,” and he had adopted some of the fashionable anti-supernatural biases of his generation, but soon after Lewis died, Phillips recalled sitting in a room watching television when Lewis suddenly appeared to him. Phillips said he hadn’t been thinking of him- and they were just acquaintances- but Leiws came up with a timely word. Later, he had another vision of Lewis in his bedroom- glowing with health- and he repeated the words: “It’s not as hard as you think”.

Phillips would go on to fame with his book “Your God is Too Small,” a best seller and a translation of part of the Old Testament. What wasn’t widely known was his personal struggles with depression. He was a celebrity priest in the UK and America, he had a best seller and still suffered for over 50 years to get out of bed and get to meaningful work. After his death in 1982, his wife finished his memoirs and revealed the depth of his depression with the book “The Wounded Healer”. Born in 1906 on this day, J.B. Phillips, priest, translator, and author, was 75 when he died in 1982.

 

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary and from Psalm 119:

May my cry come before you, Lord;
    give me understanding according to your word.

May my supplication come before you;

    deliver me according to your promise.

May my lips overflow with praise,

    for you teach me your decrees.

May my tongue sing of your word,

    for all your commands are righteous.

May your hand be ready to help me,

    for I have chosen your precepts.

I long for your salvation, Lord,

    and your law gives me delight.

Let me live that I may praise you,

    and may your laws sustain me.

I have strayed like a lost sheep.

    Seek your servant,

    for I have not forgotten your commands.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 16th of September 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite JBs include Phillips, Johannes Brahms, James Brown, and Justin Bieber… he’s the belieber, Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by  who is today likely near the birthplace of that famous JB- J.S. Bach- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.