CSB Worldview Study Bible

By CSB Bibles by Holman

The CSB Worldview Study Bible equips readers to discuss, defend, and promote a biblical view of the world in their everyday lives. Featuring extensive study notes and topical articles written by notable scholars and pastors about various worldview issues, the CSB Worldview Study Bible invites Christians to see reality and interpret history through a biblical lens.

Contributors include: David S. Dockery, Trevin Wax, John Stonestreet, Mary Jo Sharp, Albert Mohler, Darrell Bock, and more.

FEATURES

• Extensive worldview study notes

• More than 130 articles by notable worldview scholars

• Center-column references

• Smyth-sewn binding

• Presentation page

• Two ribbon markers

• Two-piece gift box

The CSB Worldview Study Bible features the readable, faithful-to-the- original text of the Christian Standard Bible. The CSB’s optimal blend of accuracy and readability makes it perfectly suited for a lifetime of studying, memorizing, and sharing

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: May 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781433604294

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CSB Worldview Study Bible

Copyright © 2018 by Holman Bible Publishers

Nashville, Tennessee. All Rights Reserved.

Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers.

Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

The text of the Christian Standard Bible may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic, or audio) up to and inclusive of one thousand (1,000) verses without the written permission of the publisher, provided that the verses quoted do not account for more than 50 percent of the work in which they are quoted, and provided that a complete book of the Bible is not quoted. Requests for permission are to be directed to and approved in writing by Holman Bible Publishers, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee 37234.

When the Christian Standard Bible is quoted, one of the following credit lines must appear on the copyright page or title page of the work:

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Proofreading was provided by Peachtree Editorial Services, Peachtree City, Georgia.

Printed in China

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RRD

PREFACE FOR THE WORLDVIEW STUDY BIBLE

The apostle Paul calls followers of Jesus to renew their minds and to offer themselves as living sacrifices to him (Rm 12:1-2). Similarly, the apostle Peter calls believers to prepare their minds for action (1Pt 1:13). These exhortations form the foundation for learning to think Christianly about life and about the world. This is the beginning of worldview thinking.

Immersed in our pluralistic and secular society, Christians often find it difficult to think carefully and coherently about how the Christian faith affects all aspects of life. We fail to connect what we hear on Sunday with what we do on Monday. This disconnect especially affects our consideration of the deepest questions regarding the purpose and nature of human life. At stake is the way we understand the world God has called us to serve.

Christians around the globe recognize there is a great spiritual battle raging for the hearts and minds of men and women. Believers find themselves in a cosmic struggle between Christian truth and a morally indifferent culture. This study Bible is intended to help Christians make progress in developing a Christian worldview that will help them learn to think in a Christian manner and to live out the truth of the Christian faith.

The reality is that everyone has a worldview. Some worldviews are incoherent, attempting to bring together a smorgasbord of options from a collection of different worldviews. An examined and thoughtful worldview, however, is more than a private personal viewpoint; it is a comprehensive life system that seeks to answer the basic questions of life. A Christian worldview is not just one’s personal faith expression, not just a theory; it is an all-encompassing way of life, applicable to all spheres of life.

More than a century ago, James Orr, in The Christian View of God and the World, contended that there is a definite Christian view of all things, which has a character, coherence, and unity of its own, and stands in sharp contrast with counter theories and speculations. The notes and articles found in this study Bible are based on a Christian view of things that bears not only upon the spiritual sphere, but also on the whole of life and thought.

Those who have worked together over the past five years to bring together this project join us in praying that the Lord will use this reference work to help Christians hear afresh the words of Jesus from what is known as the Great Commandment (Mt 22:36-40). In this passage, we learn that Jesus calls on his followers to love God not only with hearts and souls, but also with our minds. The words of Jesus refer to a wholehearted devotion to God with every aspect of our being, from whatever angle we choose to consider it—emotionally, volitionally, or cognitively. This kind of love for God results in taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2Co 10:5), a total devotion to Christian thinking and living. We pray that the CSB Worldview Study Bible will serve Christians well, enabling them to see life from a Christian vantage point, thinking with the mind of Christ.

There are more than 125 contributors to this work, who serve at more than fifty different institutions, organizations, and churches. They come from North America and other parts of the globe. Coming from these diverse backgrounds, they share a commitment to the inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of God’s Word as well as to the importance of developing a Christian worldview.

At the core of a Christian worldview is the truth that Jesus Christ’s life and death revealed God’s love for the world. Moreover, his sinless sacrifice delivered sinners from their alienation and reconciled and restored sinners from estrangement to full fellowship and inheritance in the household of God. Jesus’s death on the cross for the sins of the world is the basis for the call to everyone everywhere to place their faith in him to be reconciled to God. Central to this Christian worldview message is the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Co 15:3-4). The resurrection establishes Jesus’s lordship and deity, as well as guaranteeing the salvation of sinners (Rm 1:3-4; 4:24-25). The resurrection provides new life for believers, enabling them to see, think, and live anew.

The contributors to this study Bible also recognize that developing a Christian worldview is an ever-advancing process in which Christian convictions increasingly shape our participation in culture. Thus a Christian worldview offers a new way of thinking, seeing, and doing based on a new way of being.

In this sense, this study Bible is distinctive. It is not only a study Bible that offers an exposition on the verses and themes of Scripture, but also includes numerous articles that consider many implications and applications of the Bible’s teaching for all aspects of life. Together these study notes and articles attempt to amplify the meaning of the biblical and theological foundations of a Christian worldview, seeking to help believers take every thought captive to Jesus Christ. The notes and articles begin with the affirmation of God as Creator and Redeemer, recognizing that Christian worldview thinking is not only soteriological, but also cosmological as well. The contributors share a commitment to the sovereignty of the triune God over the whole cosmos, in all spheres and kingdoms, visible and invisible, which is the essence of Christian worldview thinking. It is the prayer of each contributor to this project that all of us and all who read and study this Bible will be grown in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and continue to make progress in learning to take every thought captive to the lordship of Jesus Christ in order to serve and edify others, which is a high calling indeed.

We want to thank Thom Rainer and the leadership team at LifeWay Christian Resources and B&H Publishers for their support during the time that this project has been developed. We express our thanksgiving and our gratitude for many through the years who have helped us to develop a deeper understanding of the meaning and implications of a Christian worldview and trust that this work reflects faithfully their influence on our lives. We offer our gratitude for each contributor, and particularly we offer thanks to Con Campbell, Eric Tully, Ray Clendenen, and Jeremy Howard for their participation in this effort. Ultimately, we trust that this work will help to encourage and edify believers, will strengthen the church, will support the advancement of the gospel to the nations, and will bring glory to our great and majestic God.

Soli Deo Gloria

David S. Dockery and Trevin K. Wax,

General Editors

Books of the Bible

THE OLD TESTAMENT

THE NEW TESTAMENT

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

ESSAYS

OTHER MATERIAL

Contributors XI

Introduction to the Christian Standard Bible XV

CSB Concordance 1625

Contributors

GENERAL EDITORS

David S. Dockery and Trevin K. Wax

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Constantine R. Campbell, E. Ray Clendenen and Eric J. Tully

COMMENTARY ON OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

Kevin Chen, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Union University

Eric J. Tully, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

COMMENTARY ON NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS

Michael L. Bryant, Executive Vice President, Charleston Southern University

Constantine R. Campbell, Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Edward D. Gravely, Professor of Biblical Studies and History of Ideas, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ray Van Neste, Professor of New Testament, Union University

ESSAYS AUTHORS

Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Jason K. Allen, President, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Bruce Riley Ashford, Provost, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Mark L. Bailey, President, Dallas Theological Seminary

Hunter Baker, Professor of Political Science, Union University

Mike Barnett, Former Professor of World Missions, Columbia International University

M. Todd Bates, Professor of Philosophy, California Baptist University

Michael D. Beaty, Professor of Philosophy, Baylor University

Gayle D. Beebe, President, Westmont College

John A. Bloom, Professor of Physics, Biola University

Darrell L. Bock, Research Professor of New Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary

Robert M. Bowman Jr., Executive Director, Institute for Religious Research

Elijah M. Brown, Executive Vice President, Twenty-first Century Wilberforce Initiative

William E. Brown, Senior Fellow, Colson Center for Christian Worldview

Theodore J. Cabal, Professor of Philosophy, Boyce College/Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Jeff Carroll, President, Grace Village Retirement Center

Justin Carswell, Dean, School of Christian Ministries, College of the Ozarks

Anthony L. Chute, Professor of Church History, California Baptist University

David Clark, Executive Vice President, Bethel University

Erik Clary, Associate Director, Endosurgical Research, Duke University Medical Center

Graham A. Cole, Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology and Dean, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

C. John Collins, Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Seminary

Paul Copan, Professor of Philosophy, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Winfried Corduan, Professor of Philosophy, Taylor University

Barry H. Corey, President, Biola University

Daniel Darling, Vice President for Communications, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Jimmy H. Davis, Hammons Professor of Chemistry, Union University

William A. Dembski, Retired Senior Fellow, Discover Institute’s Center for Science and Culture

James K. Dew, Assistant Professor of History of Ideas, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Benjamin P. Dockery, Campus Pastor, Christ Church, Lake Forest, IL

David S. Dockery, President, Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Timothy D. Dockery, Executive Director, Principal and Planned Giving, University of Arkansas Medical College

Michael Duduit, Dean, School of Ministry, Anderson University

Jason G. Duesing, Provost, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Philip W. Eaton, President Emeritus, Seattle Pacific University

Michael H. Edens, Professor of Theology and Islamic Studies, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary

Jeremy A. Evans, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Gene C. Fant, President, North Greenville University

Nathan A. Finn, Dean, School of Theology, Union University

Choon Sam Fong, Dean, Singapore Baptist Theological Seminary

Gregory B. Forster, Director, Oikonomia Network, Trinity International University

Zachs Gaiya, PhD student, Intercultural Studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Duane A. Garrett, Sampey Professor of Old Testament, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Christian George, Director, Spurgeon Center, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Timothy George, Founding Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

Joy Greene, Assistant Dean, School of Pharmacy, High Point University

Douglas Groothuis, Professor of Philosophy Denver Seminary

George H. Guthrie, Professor of New Testament, Regent College

Steve R. Halla, Assistant Professor of Art, Union University

Douglas V. Henry, Professor of Philosophy, Baylor University

Christy M. Hill, Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation, Grace Theological Seminary

Dennis P. Hollinger, President, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Eric L. Johnson, Director, Society for Christian Psychology and the Institute for Christian Psychology

Stanton L. Jones, Provost and Professor of Psychology, Wheaton College

Timothy Paul Jones, Gheens Professor of Christian Education, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Michael N. Keas, Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Kenneth D. Keathley, Professor of Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Rhonda Kelley, Women’s Ministry New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Thomas S. Kidd, Professor of History, Baylor University

Glenn R. Kreider, Professor of Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary

Rebekah R. Land, Christian Counselor

Charles E. Lawless, Vice President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Steve W. Lemke, Provost, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Kenneth T. Magnuson, Professor of Christian Ethics, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Jennifer A. Marshall, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Theology and Public Life, Reformed Theological Seminary

John D. Massey, Professor of Missions and Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Kenneth A. Mathews, Professor of Old Testament, Beeson Divinity School

Richard R. Melick, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Gateway Seminary

Shera Melick, Professor of Christian Education, Gateway Seminary

Craig Mitchell, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Criswell College

R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Russell D. Moore, President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Scott H. Moore, Professor of Philosophy, Baylor University

Christopher W. Morgan, Dean, School of Christian Ministry, California Baptist University

Paul Munson, Associate Professor of Music, Grove City College

David K. Naugle, Professor of Philosophy, Dallas Baptist University

Mark A. Noll, McAnaney Professor of History, Notre Dame University

Frank S. Page, President, Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention

Harry L. Poe, Colson Professor of Faith and Culture, Union University

Mary Anne Poe, Associate Professor of Social Work, Union University

Doug Powell, Christian Apologist and Musician

Thom S. Rainer, President, LifeWay Christian Resources

Joy Riley, Executive Director, Tennessee Center for Bioethics

Carla D. Sanderson, Executive Vice President, Chamberlain College of Nursing

Read M. Schuchardt, Associate Professor of Communication, Wheaton College

Walter J. Schultz, Professor of Philosophy, University of Northwestern

Mary Jo Sharp, Assistant Professor of Apologetics, Houston Baptist University

Robert B. Sloan, President, Houston Baptist University

Kevin Smith, Executive Director, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

R. Scott Smith, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Biola University

Robert Smith Jr., Carter Professor of Preaching, Beeson Divinity School

Timothy L. Smith, President, University of Mobile

Aida Besancon Spencer, Professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

John Stonestreet, President, Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview

R. Alan Streett, Research Professor, Criswell College

Carol M. Swain, Professor of Law and Political Science, Vanderbilt University

Alan B. Terwilleger, Retired President, Colson Center for Christian Worldview

Felix Theonugraha, Vice President for Student Life, Trinity International University

K. Erik Thoennes, Associate Professor of Theology, Biola University

Gregory A. Thornbury, Chancellor, The King’s College

Peter Tie, Assistant Professor of Theology, Christian Witness Theological Seminary

Carl R. Trueman, Paul Wooley Professor of Historical Theology and Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary

Preben Vang, Director, Doctor of Ministry Program, Truett Seminary, Baylor University

Andrew T. Walker, Director of Policy Studies, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Bruce A. Ware, Professor of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Micah J. Watson, William Spoelhof Associate Professor of Political Science, Calvin College

Trevin K. Wax, Publisher, Bibles and Reference, B&H Publishers

Jill Webb, Professor of Nursing, Union University

David L. Weeks, Dean, Honor’s College, Azusa Pacific University

Stephen J. Wellum, Professor of Theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Darin W. White, Professor of Business, Samford University

James Emery White, Pastor, Mecklenburg Community Church, Charlotte, NC

Danny Wood, Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL

Taylor B. Worley, Associate Vice President, Trinity International University

Malcolm B. Yarnell III, Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Introduction to the Christian Standard Bible®

The Bible is God’s revelation to humanity. It is our only source for completely reliable information about God, what happens when we die, and where history is headed. The Bible reveals these things because it is God’s inspired Word, inerrant in the original manuscripts. Bible translation brings God’s Word from the ancient languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) into today’s world. In dependence on God’s Spirit to accomplish this sacred task, the CSB Translation Oversight Committee and Holman Bible Publishers present the Christian Standard Bible.

TEXTUAL BASE OF THE CSB

The textual base for the New Testament (NT) is the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th edition, and the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 5th corrected edition. The text for the Old Testament (OT) is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 5th edition.

Where there are significant differences among Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek manuscripts, the translators follow what they believe is the original reading and indicate the main alternative(s) in footnotes. The CSBuses the traditional verse divisions found in most Protestant Bibles.

GOALS OF THIS TRANSLATION

• Provide English-speaking people worldwide with an accurate translation in contemporary English.

• Provide an accurate translation for personal study, sermon preparation, private devotions, and memorization.

• Provide a text that is clear and understandable, suitable for public reading, and shareable so that all may access its life-giving message.

• Affirm the authority of Scripture and champion its absolute truth against skeptical viewpoints.

TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY OF THE CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE

Most discussions of Bible translations speak of two opposite approaches: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. This terminology is meaningful, but Bible translations cannot be neatly sorted into these two categories. There is room for another category of translation philosophy that capitalizes on the strengths of the other two.

1. Formal Equivalence

:

Often called word-for-word (or literal) translation, the principle of formal equivalence seeks as nearly as possible to preserve the structure of the original language. It seeks to represent each word of the original text with an exact equivalent word in the translation so that the reader can see word for word what the original human author wrote. The merits of this approach include its consistency with the conviction that the Holy Spirit did inspire the very words of Scripture in the original manuscripts. It also provides the English Bible student some access to the structure of the text in the original language. Formal equivalence can achieve accuracy to the degree that English has an exact equivalent for each word and that the grammatical patterns of the original language can be reproduced in understandable English. However, it can sometimes result in awkward, if not incomprehensible, English or in a misunderstanding of the author’s intent. The literal rendering of ancient idioms is especially difficult.

2. Dynamic or Functional Equivalence

:

Often called thought-for-thought translation, the principle of dynamic equivalence rejects as misguided the attempt to preserve the structure of the original language. It proceeds by extracting the meaning of a text from its form and then translating that meaning so that it makes the same impact on modern readers that the ancient text made on its original readers. Strengths of this approach include a high degree of clarity and readability, especially in places where the original is difficult to render word for word. It also acknowledges that accurate and effective translation may require interpretation. However, the meaning of a text cannot always be neatly separated from its form, nor can it always be precisely determined. A biblical author may have intended multiple meanings, but these may be lost with the elimination of normal structures. In striving for readability, dynamic equivalence also sometimes overlooks and loses some of the less prominent elements of meaning. Furthermore, lack of formal correspondence to the original makes it difficult to verify accuracy and thus can affect the usefulness of the translation for in-depth Bible study.

3. Optimal Equivalence

:

In practice, translations are seldom if ever purely formal or dynamic but favor one theory of Bible translation or the other to varying degrees. Optimal equivalence as a translation philosophy recognizes that form cannot always be neatly separated from meaning and should not be changed unless comprehension demands it. The primary goal of translation is to convey the sense of the original with as much clarity as the original text and the translation language permit. Optimal equivalence appreciates the goals of formal equivalence but also recognizes its limitations.

Optimal equivalence starts with an exhaustive analysis of the text at every level (word, phrase, clause, sentence, discourse) in the original language to determine its original meaning and intention (or purpose). Then, relying on the latest and best language tools and experts, the nearest corresponding semantic and linguistic equivalents are used to convey as much of the information and intention of the original text with as much clarity and readability as possible. This process assures the maximum transfer of both the words and the thoughts contained in the original.

The CSB uses optimal equivalence as its translation philosophy. In the many places throughout the Bible where a word-for-word rendering is understandable, a literal translation is used. When a word-for-word rendering might obscure the meaning for a modern audience, a more dynamic translation is used. The Christian Standard Bible places equal value on fidelity to the original and readability for a modern audience, resulting in a translation that achieves both goals.

THE GENDER LANGUAGE USE IN BIBLE TRANSLATION

The goal of the translators of the Christian Standard Bible has not been to promote a cultural ideology but to translate the Bible faithfully. Recognizing modern usage of English, the CSB regularly translates the plural of the Greek word ανθρωπος (man) as people instead of men, and occasionally the singular as one, someone, or everyone, when the supporting pronouns in the original languages validate such a translation. While the CSB avoids using he or him unnecessarily, the translation does not restructure sentences to avoid them when they are in the text.

HISTORY OF THE CSB

After several years of preliminary development, Holman Bible Publishers, the oldest Bible publisher in North America, assembled an international, interdenominational team of one hundred scholars, editors, stylists, and proofreaders, all of whom were committed to biblical inerrancy. Outside consultants and reviewers contributed valuable suggestions from their areas of expertise. Working from the original languages, an executive team of translators edited, polished, and reviewed the final manuscript, which was first published as the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) in 2004.

A standing committee was also formed to maintain the HCSB translation and look for ways to improve readability without compromising accuracy. As with the original translation team, the committee that prepared this revision of the HCSB, renamed the Christian Standard Bible, is international and interdenominational, comprising evangelical scholars who honor the inspiration and authority of God’s written Word.

TRADITIONAL FEATURES FOUND IN THE CSB

In keeping with a long line of Bible publications, the CSB has retained a number of features found in traditional Bibles:

1. Traditional theological vocabulary (for example, justification, sanctification, redemption) has been retained since such terms have no other translation equivalent that adequately communicates their exact meaning.

2. Traditional spellings of names and places found in most Bibles have been used to make the CSB compatible with most Bible study tools.

3. Some editions of the CSBwill print the words of Christ in red letters to help readers easily locate the spoken words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Descriptive headings, printed above each section of Scripture, help readers quickly identify the contents of that section.

5. OT passages quoted in the NT are indicated. In the CSB, they are set in boldface type.

HOW THE NAMES OF GOD ARE TRANSLATED

The Christian Standard Bible consistently translates the Hebrew names for God as follows:

FOOTNOTES

Footnotes are used to show readers how the original biblical language has been understood in the CSB.

1. Old Testament (OT) Textual Footnotes

OT textual notes show important differences among Hebrew (Hb) manuscripts and ancient OT versions, such as the Septuagint and the Vulgate. See the list of abbreviations on page XIX for a list of other ancient versions used.

Some OT textual notes (like NT textual notes) give only an alternate textual reading. However, other OT textual notes also give the support for the reading chosen by the editors as well as for the alternate textual reading. For example, the CSBtext of Psalm 12:7 reads,

You,

Lord

, will guard us;

you will protect usA from this generation forever.

The textual footnote for this verse reads,

A 12:7 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read him

The textual note in this example means that there are two different readings found in the Hebrew manuscripts: some manuscripts read us and others read him. The CSBtranslators chose the reading us, which is also found in the Septuagint (LXX), and placed the other Hebrew reading him in the footnote.

Two other kinds OT textual notes are

Alt Hb tradition reads ____

a variation given by scribes in the Hebrew manuscript tradition (known as Kethiv/Qere and Tiqqune Sopherim readings)

Hb uncertain

when it is unclear what the original Hebrew text was

2. New Testament (NT) Textual Footnotes

NT textual notes indicate significant differences among Greek manuscripts (mss) and are normally indicated in one of three ways:

Other mss read ______

Other mss add ______

Other mss omit ______

In the NT, some textual footnotes that use the word add or omit also have square brackets before and after the corresponding verses in the biblical text. Examples of this use of square brackets are Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53–8:11.

3. Other Kinds of Footnotes

In some editions of the CSB, additional footnotes clarify the meaning of certain biblical texts or explain biblical history, persons, customs, places, activities, and measurements. Cross references are given for parallel passages or passages with similar wording, and in the NT, for passages quoted from the OT.

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN CSB BIBLES

AN INTRODUCTION TO A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW

I can’t forget the shoes. Piles and piles of them filled the room. Of all the gruesome images I saw at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, that room filled with shoes from Jewish victims is the one thing I can’t forget. I think about the people who once owned those shoes, and I mourn the human lives lost in a vortex of unspeakable evil.

The tragedy of the Holocaust reminds me of something I heard as a high school student: ideas have consequences. Adolf Hitler did not come out of nowhere. Before there was the Holocaust, decades of philosophical theories advocating superior races were presented, nationalistic laws were written, and the use of eugenics to weed out inferior peoples arose. Throw in a dash of survival of the fittest from Darwinism and perhaps the pursuit of raw power from nihilism and eventually humankind was poised to arrive in the concentration camp—a horrifying concoction built on various falsehoods.

Ideas do indeed have consequences. But sometimes those consequences are beautiful, as in the early days of Christianity when plagues would sweep through cities in the Roman Empire. While many Roman citizens chose to abandon family and friends and flee the city to escape contamination, early Christians stayed behind to nurse the sick. Because of their belief in a Savior who sacrificed himself for others, they were content to give their lives as well.

CHRISTIANITY IN A WORLD OF -ISMS

Capitalism. Socialism. Postmodernism. Consumerism. Relativism. Pluralism. All sorts of -isms exist in our world, each representing a different outlook on humanity, each with different opinions about the way societies should function and how people should behave. Each of these began with an idea.

Some Christians shrug off any effort to study philosophies and isms. They say things like, I don’t worry myself with what other people think about the world. I just read my Bible and try to do what it says. This line of thinking sounds humble and restrained, but it is far from the mentality of a missionary. If we are to be biblical Christians, we must read the Bible in order to read the culture. It’s important that we as a sent people evaluate the -isms of this world in light of God’s unchanging revelation. In other words, we read the Bible first so we will know how to read world news next.

We also read the Bible to know how to engage people around us with the gospel. To be good missionaries, we need to have our own minds formed by the Scriptures, and at the same time, we need to understand how people think—the people we’ve been called to reach. That’s why we need to be familiar with the big questions of life and the big debates in our world.

THREE REASONS A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW MATTERS

A worldview is the lens through which a person looks at the world. At the center of a worldview are the ultimate beliefs an individual holds, foundational convictions that seem so obvious that the one holding them seldom thinks much about them. Each of us has a view of the world. And so do the people around us—even if they’ve never given much thought to it.

I have terrible eyesight and have needed corrective lenses since I was in the first grade. Every morning, I put contacts into my eyes so I can see clearly. A worldview is like a contact lens: it’s the way we view the world. I don’t give a lot of thought to my contacts throughout the day. I don’t look at them when they’re in my eyes. I look through them and see the world. Similarly, we look through worldviews and interpret the world around us.

1. A Christian worldview matters because it sets us apart from the world (Rm 12:1-2).

Christians must be different from the world. Whenever we hear this statement in sermons or read it in books, we usually think about our behavior, right? We nod our heads and think, Yes, our actions must set us apart!

But there’s another application of this statement that is equally important. Christians must be different from the world in the way we think. Our thinking must also set us apart. Yes, our actions ought to make us stand out from the world. But at an even deeper level, our thought processes should be different as well because actions follow thoughts.

Let’s take a look at Romans 12:1-2, a turning point in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans.Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

In chapter 12, Paul launched into specific instructions about how to live. In other words, in light of all that has gone before, in light of God’s promises and the salvation he has provided through his Son, we Christians are told to present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice.

You may question the use of the word bodies here. Aren’t we talking about worldviews? Doesn’t that involve our minds? Yes. And notice how spiritual transformation includes both. In verse 1, Paul wrote that we must offer our bodies. In verse 2, he wrote that we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Mind and matter. Physical and immaterial. Thinking and behavior. Paul didn’t just say, Think rightly. Neither did he simply say, Behave rightly. Paul knew the gospel transforms both our thoughts and our actions.

If we are to keep from being conformed to this age, we’ve got to understand the connection between thoughts and deeds. Paul connected them, and so should we.

What does it look like to be conformed to this age? To think in a worldly fashion? The Bible has the answers. It shows us not only what a Christian worldview looks like, but also wrong worldviews and how they lead us astray.

In the book of Job, we see how a false worldview results in false comfort. Job was a righteous man who went through a severe trial. Along the way, he was comforted by his friends, each of whom accused Job of having sinned. The friends shared a worldview that said, Everything happens because of cause and effect. Do bad things, and bad things will happen to you. Do good things, and good things will happen to you. This worldview was the lens through which they viewed Job’s suffering. The book of Job challenges this perspective in light of an all-powerful, all-wise God who permits things to happen that are beyond our understanding.

Consider Ecclesiastes in the OT. Much of this book expresses the worldview of life under the sun, a life without meaning and purpose in the face of death. The author does end the book with an affirmation of a biblical worldview, but much of the poetry is written from the perspective that death is the only thing we humans can anticipate. Though he had amassed great wealth and power, the author knew everything was indeed meaningless apart from the existence of God. And in reflecting on life under the sun, he wrote a book that helps us understand the mind-set and worldview of someone who lives as though this life is all there is.

Or consider Paul’s lengthy discourse on the resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15. If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die, he wrote in verse 32. In other words, a life of hedonism—the pursuit of pleasure—is acceptable unless the claims at the center of Christianity are true. If Christ has been raised, then there is something more important than immediate pleasure and comfort. Paul contrasted a hedonistic philosophy with Christianity.

The Bible consistently presents a Christian view of the world. Along the way, the biblical authors interacted with and contradicted unbiblical worldviews. We ought to be skilled in doing the same. Developing a Christian worldview will keep us from being conformed to this world.

There is a missional orientation to our nonconformity. Worldviews matter because people matter. Seeking to understand someone with whom we disagree is a way of loving our neighbor. It doesn’t mean we accept every point of view as valid, right, or helpful. Neither does it mean we paper over our differences. We must never conform. But it does mean that we will listen and learn like missionaries seeking to understand the culture we are trying to reach. If we are to present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, we must live in light of the mercies of God, understand our role as Christ’s ambassadors to the world, and answer his call to bear witness to him and his work.

2. A Christian worldview matters because it aids our spiritual transformation (Rm 12:2a).

A Christian worldview is important because it sets us apart from the world. But there’s another reason why a Christian worldview matters: thinking as a Christian is part of the process of sanctification (being made holy). It is an important part of embracing our new identity in Christ. Notice Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

This verse points us back to Romans 1, where Paul laid out the dire situation of humanity before a holy God. There he wrote, For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. . . . They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Rm 1:21-22,25).

This passage shows us what happens when we exchange the truth of God for lies. Our minds are darkened, and then we engage in sinful behavior—as is evidenced in Paul’s list of sinful attitudes and actions: greed, envy, murder, sexual immorality, etc. (vv. 29-31).

But in Romans 12, the situation is gloriously reversed! Because of Christ’s work, our minds are being renewed. No longer are we senseless sinners living in the dark. Instead, we are redeemed people living in the light of Christ’s resurrection. We also live in the light of his regenerating work in our hearts. Through the Spirit, God is changing us, conforming us—not to the world but into the image of his Son. By the mercies of God, we have been given a new identity.

What we think about ourselves matters. It also affects the way we see the world. That’s why thinking as a Christian is a key part of your identity as a follower of Christ. If we have been called the children of God, then surely our new identity should affect the way we think and act.

As a parent, I am proud of my son when I see him growing and maturing. There have been times when, out of a sense of responsibility and love, he has left his toys to go check on his little sister. It warms my heart to see my nine-year-old showing signs of maturity as he grows. In the same way, God is pleased to see us thinking and acting as his children. We bring him pleasure through our obedience (Rm 12:2)—even though we often falter, stumble, and fall. It’s true that we don’t always think clearly. Our sanctification is indeed a process, and it is still incomplete. Yet God delights in seeing his children love him with their minds. He loves to see us embrace the new identity he has given us.

Worldviews provide answers to the fundamental questions of life. How did we get here? Why are we here? Who is in control of the world? Where are we going? What has gone wrong with the planet? What is the solution? People may not ask these questions consciously, but the way they answer such things in their own minds will shape the way they live.

Consider the example of a schoolteacher who goes to work every day convinced that the biggest problem in the world is ignorance. Lack of education leads to crime and is the source of human sorrow. If the world’s biggest problem is ignorance, what is the solution? Education, of course! Salvation comes through learning.

A Christian teacher, by contrast, will see that ignorance may contribute to human suffering, but it’s not the ultimate cause of the problem. According to the Bible, human sorrow comes from sin—our rebellion against God. Sin is the big problem, and salvation through Christ’s atoning death and resurrection is the solution. At the end of the day, the solution is Jesus, not more education.

The answers to worldview questions lead to different outlooks on life. The way you diagnose the world’s problem necessarily affects what you believe to be the solution. That’s why it’s important to have our minds renewed by the power of the Spirit as we study the Scriptures together. We must see the world through the eyes of biblical revelation.

The psalmist wrote, The revelation of your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced (Ps 119:130). Ultimately, if we have understanding, it’s not just because we have attained a natural level of maturity but because we’ve benefited from God’s revelation. Being transformed by the renewing of your mind won’t happen apart from God’s Spirit working through God’s Word. We need the Spirit to illuminate the meaning of the Bible so that we are able to find our place in God’s great story of redemption.

3. A Christian worldview matters because it helps us know how to live (Rm 12:2b).

Romans 12:2 makes it plain what the purpose of our spiritual transformation is. It allows us to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

I mentioned earlier how a worldview is like having contact lenses. What if I put on my contact lenses in the morning and then went back to bed to stare at the ceiling all day? That would be pointless. A waste of my lenses. The purpose of wearing contacts is to see clearly throughout the day as I go about the tasks assigned to me. In the same way, the point of developing a Christian worldview is not so I can stare into space, comforted by my good vision. The point of seeing is that I then walk in a biblical way, according to my new identity in Christ.

Sometimes Christians wish the Bible were simpler, a quick and easy guide that lays out every step of obedience. To be sure, the Bible has lots of do’s and don’ts. But God didn’t choose to detail specific commands for every possible situation we might find ourselves in.

What the Bible does give us is a grand narrative that focuses our attention on Jesus Christ and his gospel. In this story of redemption, we glean principles for living according to our new identity in him. Once we understand our general role in the plan and providence of God, we are called to exercise biblical wisdom in making everyday decisions.

God left us with something better than a simple list of commands. He gave us renewed minds that—through the power of his Spirit—will be able to discern what actions we should take. He is seeking to transform us so that we can determine God’s will in particular situations where explicit instructions are not spelled out in Scripture.

Knowing how to apply the Bible in specific situations is one of the goals of developing a Christian worldview. We see an example of this in 1 Chronicles 12, where we find a list of King David’s supporters. As the author listed the soldiers, he wrote of one tribe, From the Issacharites, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do (v. 32). In the context of this passage, this tribe’s understanding was that David should be made king over all Israel. They knew what Israel should do because they understood the times and who was the rightful king.

In a similar way, we as Christians must understand the times in order to know what to do. We believe Jesus is the rightful King over all the world. And this truth necessarily influences our actions. A Christian worldview is developed in light of who God is and what he has done to reconcile the world to himself.

CONCLUSION

What does it mean to live according to our new identity in Christ? First, we must demolish strongholds and false ideas as we cast down the idols we make of ourselves (2Co 10:4-5). Then, in ongoing repentance and faith, we seek to view the world through biblical eyes. We are the citizens of Christ’s kingdom. We are those who have been reborn by his Spirit and are inching ever so slowly toward maturity, driven by our hope in the final resurrection.

The more we think as Christians, the more we will have the heart of Christ. That’s why we are called to summon others on behalf of the King.

Trevin K. Wax

THE CRISIS OF THE CHRISTIAN MIND

In 1995, Thomas Cahill released the provocatively titled book, How the Irish Saved Civilization. Cahill contended that Ireland had one moment of unblemished glory . . . as the Roman Empire fell, as all through Europe matted, unwashed barbarians descended on the Roman cities, looting artifacts and burning books, the Irish, who were just learning to read and write, took up the great labor of copying all of Western literature (p. 3).

Missionary-minded Irish monks later brought what had been preserved on their isolated island back to the continent, re-founding European civilization. And that, Cahill concludes, is how the Irish saved civilization.

But there is more at hand in Cahill’s study than meets the eye. Beyond the loss of Latin literature and the development of the great national European literatures that an illiterate Europe would not have established, Cahill notes that something else would have perished in the West had it not been for the Irish: the habits of the mind that encourage thought.

WHY WOULD THIS MATTER?

Cahill continues his assessment: When Islam began its medieval expansion, it would have encountered scant resistance to its plans—just scattered tribes of animists, ready for a new identity (pp. 193-194). Without a robust mind to engage the onslaught—and a Christian one at that—the West would have been under the crescent instead of the cross.

The habits of the mind have never mattered more than they do today. As Winston Churchill presciently stated in his address to Harvard University in 1943, The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. Oxford theologian Alister McGrath, reflecting on Churchill’s address, notes that Churchill’s point was that a great transition was taking place in Western culture, with immense implications for all who live in it. The powers of the new world would not be nation-states, as with empires past, but ideologies. It would now be ideas, not nations, that would captivate and conquer in the future. The starting point for the conquest of the world would now be the human mind (The Twilight of Atheism, p. xi).

But this time, we may need more than the Irish to save us.

We may talk of ‘conquering’ the world for Christ. But what sort of ‘conquest’ do we mean? asks John Stott. Not a victory by force of arms. . . . This is a battle of ideas (Your Mind Matters: The Place of the Mind in the Christian Life, pp. 20-21). Yet there are surprisingly few warriors. Those who follow Christ have too often retreated into personal piety and good works, or as one BBC commentator said, Christians have too often offered mere feelings and philanthropy. Speaking specifically to the challenge raised by Islam, he added that what is needed was more hard thinking applied to the issues of the day.

What remains to be seen is whether there will be any hard thinkers to do the work. The peril of our day is that when a Christian mind is most needed, Christians express little need for the mind, and as a result, even less resolve to develop it. There is even a perception that an undeveloped mind is more virtuous than one prepared for battle. Richard Hofstadter, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, identified the evangelical spirit as one of the prime sources of American anti-intellectualism. He points out that for many Christians, humble ignorance is a far more noble quality than a cultivated mind (pp. 55-80).

Such devaluation of the intellect is a recent development within the annals of Christian history. While Christians have long struggled with the role and place of reason, that the mind itself mattered has been unquestioned until now. Even the early church father Tertullian (ca AD 160–220)—who had little use for philosophy and was famed for his question, What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem?—never questioned the importance of the mind (On the Proscription of Heretics 6, 3:246). Tertullian’s conviction was that Greek philosophy had little to offer in terms of informing the contours of Christian thought, akin to the apostle Paul’s quip to the Corinthian church that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men (1Co 1:25). But Tertullian, as well as Paul, would have held in complete disdain any anti-intellectualism that celebrated an undeveloped mind.

Deep within the worldview of the biblical authors, and equally within the minds of the earliest church fathers, was the understanding that to be fully human is to think. To this day we call ourselves a race of Homo sapiens, which means thinking beings. This is not simply a scientific classification; it is a spiritual one. We were made in God’s image, and one of the most precious and noble dynamics within that image is the ability to think. It is one of the most sacred reflections of the divine image. It is also foundational to our interaction with God. As God himself implored through the prophet Isaiah, Come, let us settle this (Is 1:18).

Jesus made it clear that our minds are integral to life lived in relationship with God. When summarizing human devotion to God as involving heart, soul, and strength, Jesus added and mind to the original wording of Deuteronomy. It’s as though he wanted there to be no doubt that when contemplating the comprehensive nature of commitment and relationship with God, our intellect would not be overlooked. The apostle Paul contended that our very transformation as Christians is dependent on whether our minds are engaged in an ongoing process of renewal in light of Christ (Rm 12:2-3).

This is all the more reason to be stunned by the words of Harry Blamires, a student of C. S. Lewis at Oxford, who claimed that there is no longer a Christian mind. A Christian ethic, a Christian practice, a Christian spirituality, yes—but not a Christian mind (The Christian Mind: How Should a Christian Think?, p. 3). More recently, historian Mark Noll concurred, suggesting that the scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind. If evangelicals do not take seriously the larger world of the intellect, we say, in effect, that we want our minds to be shaped by the conventions of our modern universities and the assumptions of Madison Avenue, instead of by God and the servants of God (The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, p. 34).

Even if we do not lose our own minds, we will certainly lose the minds of others. This is the double-edged threat of our day; apart from developing and thinking with a Christian mind-set, we will either be taken captive by the myriad of worldviews contending for our attention, or we will fail to make the Christian voice heard and considered above the din. Either we begin to think or we lose the fight.

It is essential to develop our minds in light of a biblical worldview that is then used to think Christianly about the world. From this we will be able to respond to the culture in which we live, and we will be better equipped to help the culture to respond to the Christ we follow. This was the clarion call of the apostle Paul, who reminded the Corinthian church that we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, . . . We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, as we take every thought captive to obey Christ (2Co 10:3-5).

James Emery White

WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Is there anything you can think of which is indispensable to your personal identity? Perhaps your hometown, family, or friends come to mind. While these are important aspects of what it means to be you, they do not travel physically with you everywhere you go. They are not present during those private moments while you are sitting in your room. But one thing sticks closer to you than your own reputation: it is your worldview.

The term worldview has been around for a long time. First employed by philosopher Immanuel Kant, the concept of worldview (from the German word Weltanschauung) took on new significance for Christians with the publication of James Orr’s book, The Christian View of God and the World. But it has