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It's Saturday, April 8, 2023.

This is the pilot issue of Project 18:15. Thank you for being here on Day 1. Today’s edition covers the killings of Christians in Nigeria, sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and more.

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Of Christian Concern

OVER 60 CHRISTIANS KILLED IN NIGERIA

Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed at least seven Christians in Benue State, Nigeria last Saturday, April 1. These killings reportedly bring the total to more than 60 Christians killed in Benue State in the past month.

The herdsmen attacked a Christian community called Ikobi village, located in Apa County, razing several houses and killing at least six Christians. Later that night, Fulani herdsmen invaded a church service in Logo County, killing one, wounding five, and kidnapping five others, including the pastor. As of Sunday, those wounded were receiving medical treatment and the whereabouts of those kidnapped was unknown.

Nigerian Christian leaders speculate that the attacks stem from a desire to take the Christians’ lands and impose Islam. Christians have also been killed in Plateau State and Kaduna State in recent weeks. See a history of reported persecution here.

SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN IN ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE

Maryland attorney general Anthony Brown released a report on Wednesday stating that over 600 children were sexually abused by priests and other personnel of the Archdiocese of Baltimore since the 1940s. The 463-page report includes “156 abusers determined to have been the subject of credible allegations of abuse.”

The number of children abused is likely far higher than 600, according to the report. One deacon admitted to molesting over 100 children. Some victims were targeted by more than one adult. Some locations became hotspots, such as St. Mark Parish in Catonsville, where 11 abusers lived and worked between 1964 and 2004.

The report is the product of a four-year investigation and is “based on hundreds of thousands of documents and untold stories from hundreds of survivors,” Brown said in a statement. He also said, "Time and again, the Archdiocese chose to safeguard the institution and avoid scandal instead of protecting the children in its care."

EXPELLED TENNESSEE REPRESENTATIVES CITE BIBLE

Both of the Tennessee representatives (Democrats) who were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday for joining with gun protestors to disrupt the legislative session on March 30 referenced Scripture in the statements they made on the floor of the chamber prior to their expulsion votes.

Responding to complaints that he and his companions were shouting on the floor of the chamber, Justin Jones said he was reminded of Bible verses about blood crying out and stones crying out. Explaining the chant “no action, no peace,” he referred to Jeremiah 6:14, “‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” Responding to whether he considered his actions disruptive, he claimed that his presence as a young black lawmaker representing his community was itself disruptive, “because you would have us bow down, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, ‘We shall not bow.’”

Justin Pearson, referring to his imminent expulsion as “persecution,” drew a parallel between his situation and the death of Jesus, who he called “my black Jesus,” and claimed resurrection as one of the reasons he still has hope for his political cause.

At least one critic suggested Jones’ actions were opportunistic, and expressed concern that young black people are enraptured with Pearson’s style of delivery despite his hermeneutics.

Also Noteworthy

→ 15 states ban transgender surgeries for children. As of Wednesday, Indiana and Idaho became the latest of 15 states in the U.S. to ban gender-transition surgeries for minors. Other states include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah.

→ Push and pull in the United Methodist Church (UMC) split. On March 26, the North Carolina Conference of UMC announced the closure of a Wilmington church that had plans to disaffiliate from the denomination. Church members were stunned by the news. The NC Conference cited declining membership and community needs as the reasons for the closure. Days later, on March 30, 186 churches in Georgia filed a lawsuit against the North Georgia Conference for suspending their disaffiliation process. Here is an explainer of the ongoing UMC split over LGBT issues.

→ Mother seeking adoption sues Oregon for religious discrimination. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit on Monday against the Oregon Department of Human Services on behalf of single mother of five, Jessica Bates, after she was declined the opportunity to adopt a child on the basis of her Christian beliefs regarding sex and gender identity. Read ADF’s breakdown of the case here.

→ Twitch suspends Alpha & Omega Ministry. Twitch suspended Alpha & Omega Ministry in the middle of a live-streamed episode of The Dividing Line yesterday, wherein James White was discussing “trans-madness” and censorship. The ministry says they disagree with Twitch’s grounds for the suspension and have submitted an appeal.

Content Catch-Up

Recent, notable content by Christian creators.*

→ A Gospel-Centered conversation with a Hindu woman about abortion, by Abolitionists Rising (Video)

→ A review of the film His Only Son, by Whaddo You Meme?? (Video)

→ Is abolishing abortion realistic? with abortion abolitionist Russell Hunter, hosted by The Honest Youth Pastor (Video)

→ Pastor Doug Wilson discusses why men aren’t getting married, responding to a video clip from an episode of The Whatever Podcast, on which Michael Knowles was a guest (Video)

→ The 7 Last Words of Jesus, a video series by Allen Parr (Playlist)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

The Bible, Briefly

For this first issue of Project 18:15, consider the first verse of the Bible.

Genesis 1:1 is traditionally translated, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But in the ancient Hebrew, the phrase that’s translated “In the beginning” doesn’t have “the.”

So, Josh Wilson explains, some recent translators think “beginning” is in construct rather than absolute. That means it would be translated something like this: “In the beginning of God creating…” or “In the beginning when God created…”

This would make Genesis 1:1 only the first part of the sentence (which would continue in verse 2).

It would also mean that “the heavens and the earth” already existed when God started creating, and that Genesis 1:1 does not record the beginning of the universe. That could pose some foundational issues for the doctrine that God created everything ex nihilo (out of nothing).

Wilson observes, however, that in Hebrew the definite article (“the”) does not have to be present for there to be a definite sense. Even in English, the word “beginning” is a “relator noun,” like the words “front, back, middle, left (side), right (side), and end.” This type of noun usually gets paired with another noun to clarify its meaning (“front of the car,” “back of the house,” etc.). The same is true in Hebrew. So, when it’s by itself, “the” is implied.

Plus, he argues, if the Hebrew word for “beginning” was in construct, it would most likely have other syntactical features that it lacks, making the traditional translation more probable.

Church History Tidbit

How Did Christians Become Separate From Jews?

As the New Testament shows, Christianity grew out of Judaism. It was originally regarded as a Jewish sect. The gradual separation of Christians from Jews is commonly referred to by historians as “the parting of the ways.”

How exactly did this parting take place? In the words of Shaye J.D. Cohen, it’s “a complicated and much debated subject.”

Still, this much is clear: by the early second century AD, the Romans viewed Jews and Christians as distinct. The best evidence for this, writes Cohen, is that they did not persecute Jews when they persecuted Christians, and vice versa. At various times throughout the second and third centuries, when Romans arrested, tried, condemned, and/or martyred Christians, Jews were not impacted. So also, the Romans paid no attention to Christians in their squelching of the (Jewish) Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135 AD).

Related, the fiscus Judaicus—a Roman tax on Jews—was not levied against Christians after 96 AD. While that seems positive for Christians, this reclassification as non-Jews resulted in their losing certain legal protections that Jews maintained.

More on the parting of the ways in the next installment of Project 18:15.

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Why "18:15"? The name Project 18:15 is based on Proverbs 18:15: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” The aim is for this weekly email—a Christian news briefing, a Bible study, and a Church history lesson rolled into one—to be one way you keep abreast of current events and acquire knowledge you might not acquire elsewhere.

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