APRIL 2025 NEWSLETTER

During this Holy Week we remember with gratitude the sufferings that Jesus Christ underwent to save us from our sins. In our churches we sing any number of hymns on this theme, many of which are bequeathed to us by the Lutheran tradition. One that I find especially moving is O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, written in German by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) and based on a hymn by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153). The tune is from Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612). Here is my interpretation of the music of this beautiful hymn:

One more review of my latest book has appeared. This is written by Bob Trube on his Bob on Books blog: Review: Citizenship Without Illusions. I am grateful for another positive review.

On monday, 17 March, I spoke on the subject of my recent book and how I came to be interested in politics to the seniors group ("youth of yesterday") at Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Waterdown, Ontario. This was a particularly meaningful event to me, because I know some of the people there, and others I've known through their children or grandchildren. I brought along copies of my book, all of which I sold—and signed!—to several interested readers. I am, of course, accustomed to speaking to much younger audiences, but it's always rewarding to speak to people with wisdom and experience.

I recently published a brief article, titled, Bible versions. I grew up with the Bible and have loved it ever since I was a small child. But I've made my way through several different versions over the decades, beginning, of course, with the venerable King James Version. The version of which I have probably had the most copies in this time is the Jerusalem Bible and its successors. Here is my review of the latest edition: Revised New Jerusalem Bible, review. Nowadays my go-to Bible is the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha, along with the Concordia Psalter.

Interpreting the Bible is not always easy, and perhaps no passage has puzzled readers more than Revelation 20, with its mysterious reference to a thousand years. Christians have generally divided themselves into premillennialists, amillennialists, and postmillennialists, disagreeing on the nature of this thousand years and its temporal relationship to the second advent of Christ. Not long ago I published this short piece in Christian Courier: Why I'm Not Postmillennial. Of course, 500 words is not really adequate for expressing one's full convictions on the matter, so I refer readers to something a bit more extensive on the subject that I wrote a decade ago: Revelation 20 and the thousand years.

Reformed Christians may not write on eschatology as much as other Christians, who have tended to get bogged down on timelines and other details. However, the two best books on the subject, in my view, are James W. Skillen, God's Sabbath With Creation, and Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth. Both reflect the larger Reformed tradition, with Middleton reflecting some Wesleyan influence as well.

Thanks so much for your ongoing support for my work. If you have contributed financially on a one-time basis in the past, please consider a regular monthly contribution, as it makes it easier for Global Scholars to set an annual budget, including the modest salary I receive from the organization. GSC's page for giving can be found here. Once you are in the page, scroll down to the heading marked DONATION DETAILS, and then choose one of the options under FUND. Americans may donate through our sister organization in the US.

Or, if you prefer, Canadian donors can donate publicly traded securities (shares or mutual funds) directly to charities without having to pay the capital gains tax. This is a cost-effective and painless way to make a donation that comes with a substantial tax incentive. By donating securities, donors pay no tax on capital gains, receive a tax receipt for the fair market value of the securities, as well as reduce their taxes. Watch this video for more information about this option: Link Charity Canada: Donation of Securities. If interested, please visit the Link Charity Canada Inc. website, and call for details at 1-800-387-8146. Link Charity Canada is a partner organization of Global Scholars Canada, so Link Charity can easily direct funds for my work. Thank you!

Yours in God's service,

David Koyzis, Global Scholar