THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM
with Douglas Jacoby

 

12 May 2026

 

May 12—what does this date stir in your memory? Around the world, nurses honor Florence Nightingale, born on May 12, 1820. Aviation and exploration enthusiasts may recall the first flight over the North Pole, achieved exactly a century ago today. A handful of older Americans may remember the shocking sinking of an American cargo ship by a Nazi U-boat at the mouth of the Mississippi River on May 12, 1942.

For me, however, the date is forever linked to the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In a matter of moments, millions were left homeless, hundreds of thousands injured, nearly 88,000 declared dead, and another 19,000 missing.

Yet how quickly such dates fade from public memory. Events once considered monumental gradually recede into history, remembered only by those personally touched by them—or by those determined not to forget.

What is truly significant? What is the Lord’s will for how we live during our “threescore and ten” (Ps 90:10) in this world? Hopefully we are focused not on the frivolous, but on the eternal. With that in mind, this issue is packed with thought-provoking material in the spirit of our ministry motto: “Think about faith.”

Today you’ll find Q&As on prayer and the early Christians, gender dysphoria, the eucharist, and more. I also recommend two exceptional books: one a richly illustrated, faith-building volume on archaeology (yes—archaeology!), the other a provocative study arguing that key biblical teachings were seriously misunderstood during the Protestant Reformation. Not every Christian group will be comfortable with its conclusions, but the logic and presentation are compelling.

We kick off with a guest article by my friend and fellow international teacher, Andrew Kitchen, on AI and Bible study. And I’ll close out the bulletin with a few personal reflections and updates.

Thanks for reading—and for thinking deeply about faith.

AI is here to stay, but when it comes to studying the Bible, people have.… questions:

Is it useful?
> Is it reliable?
> Is it wise?
> Is there a place for AI at all in personal Bible study?

Read the helpful article by Andrew Kitchen (Sydney, Australia)

Question & Answer

Q: While the NT contains a number of prayers, do we know anything about how the early Christians prayed? I would like to imitate them—if only I could be confident of their practice. Any wisdom you can share?

A: When we read the (abundant) Christian documents from the early centuries of the faith, here is what we find. These observations pertain especially to the church in the middle of the third century.

  • Prayer in the ancient world was normally offered in the standing position.
  • Hands were usually raised.
  • Eyes were open, directed upward.

You might think it wouldn't have been obvious at first glance whether the person praying was a pagan or a Christian. Yet there were several differences.

  • While the pagans focused on precise wording, the Christian style was informal, uneven, spontaneous. They prayed from the heart, and did not make prayers into formulae intended to manipulate the Deity to granting their wishes.
  • While some pagan clergy monitored prayers to ensure the words were uttered perfectly, there was not such oversight in the churches.
  • While pagans prayed individually, Christians also prayed corporately. Faith is not only vertical (in relation to God), but also horizontal (one-another relationships).
  • All social classes were mixed together, praying together, exchanging the kiss of peace, and striving to genuinely love one another. Considering the stratification of society—with two thirds living at or below subsistence level (around half of these were slaves!)—this was a startling phenomenon. READ ON

And here are a few more of the new Q&As:

Q&A 1752—Did the early Christians have sermons?
Q&A 1753—Real Presence reconsidered?
Q&A 1754—Advice when someone has gender dysphoria?

And finally, an informal Q (not for the Q&A bank):

Q: Thank you for your heart to continue learning and growing and sharing so others can learn from you. I was using your website today for my study of Matthew 18, and I had a thought. Why not print a hard copy of your commentary? I would buy a copy for sure! And to take it a step further, I use PocketBible for my mobile Bible. It would be nice to have a copy there as well. — R.G

A: Not a bad idea, brother—and thanks for your endorsement! However, the Living NT Commentary is constantly being revised. For example, in the past four days I have updated at least 25 or 30 pages. Then there’s the matter of length. The book would be well over 1000 pages.

Maybe wait till I’m gone (deceased), then it will have stopped growing. And maybe some folks (like you) will be happy to purchase the massive tome! As for a mobile Bible, with updates in real time, that does sound promising. Perhaps one of the Bible resource publishers would be interested in the material. — D.J.

Tolle, Lege (pick up and read!)

Two books I’ve recently read deserve to be on any serious thinking Christian's reading list. Perhaps I’m biased, having spent several hours with each of these remarkable men. But I think you’ll agree with me once you start reading.

Chris White’s book sheds invaluable light on church history, and explains many of the distortions of Christianity we encounter in our own day.  Regardless of how strong a grasp you have of church history—and esp. the last 500 years—you will learn a lot—as I did—from this short, eye-opening volume. (I ended up buying 10 copies!)

Next, DeSilva’s recent book is a brilliant visual guide taking us through all the places in which the gospel story plays out. As normal with all of David deSilva’s publications, the book is both accessible and beautiful. It is one I will read more than once. It would also be the perfect book to read before you visit Israel—whether as a tourist or even as a guide!

To order either book, just click on the book image.

Personal Notes

Little Beatrix, our Berner (both muscular and affectionate) is growing big — 25 lbs. already, on the way to 90. Her training is going well: not perfection (still occasional nipping with those puppy teeth), but solid progress. A good model for the Christian life (Phil 3:12-16)?

Shoulder physio is going great, and I’m able to play keyboard again. On the concerning side, there’s a chance I’ll need a third knee surgery. The replacements were successful, but the right knee has only half the strength of the left.

Having surveyed the landscape, we've now found a church home: The Northview Church. We already have a number of meaningful relationships there, and are looking forward to leading our small group this summer, based on David Brooks's The Second Mountain.

Last, my personal interview with Nancy Sabato on human suffering is now live at YouTube and Spotify.

I’ll send the next bulletin from Athens, at month-end, en route to the Antioch Seminar. Until then, keep the faith! DJ

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