Author: admin

This week blended classes started at ATS. Since quarantine started, ATS has sought out ways to keep discipleship and learning moving forward. Lots of different ideas have been discussed and debated (quite passionately at times).

After much prayer, ATS is using a blended model. Students will come to ATS for two weeks. In these two weeks, they will be in mentorship, accountability, and attend chapel. In addition, they will be introduced to four courses, the ATS on-line learning mangement system and pick up text books. After these two weeks they will return home for seven weeks of on-line/distance learning.

When the seven weeks are complete, they will return to ATS for more mentorship and accountability along with wrapping up lose ends for the courses and taking finals. The field assignment (a practical ministry application of what was taught in the course) remains a key component.

A few of my USA based colleagues and I are doing our course introductions via Zoom.

Please pray for this new endeavor.

New Testament Introduction Students

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View from Back of the Class

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View from Paul’s End

Here is a four minute video update on Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) and my book.

Many of the students at Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) have limited access to the Internet and to computers. Because of this, ATS did not consider online learning as a viable option. However, in Kenya all educational institutions are still barred from having in person classes. Hence, ATS is evaluating making a number of courses available online.

It is accepted that many students will not have access to these courses. Although for students who do have Internet access along with devices capable of supporting an online course, it makes sense to allow these students to continue their training while in person classes are barred.

The last few weeks, I have been working on evaluating the viability of ATS doing some online classes and how to potentially offer these classes in a more limited bandwidth way. As wonderful as Zoom is, it is bandwidth intensive. In Kenya, most people do not have unlimited Internet plans and pay for the Internet a few gigabytes at a time.

Pray for my colleagues and me as we work through the best way forward for online learning given the constraints of our students. Thanks for your prayers for the partial release of my book. So far the feedback has been positive.

Back in September I wrote a blog “Can my Dissertation Help Those Working in the Arab World?” The last few months I have thrown myself at this task with reckless abandon (likely letting some other critical tasks fall through the cracks). As I was writing, it seemed that much of what I was writing had value not only to those working in the Arab world, but also to anyone working cross-culturally with Bible interpretation. Hence, the initial idea metamorphosed into the book “Culturological Hermeneutics: Understanding Interpretation Through the Lens of Culture,” which should help those working cross-culturally identify, better understand, and adjust for cultural differences in Bible interpretation.

I have written six of the proposed twelve chapters that will make up “Culturological Hermeneutics.” Before going any further, it seemed prudent that I should do a partial release of what I have done for review and to ensure that it is headed in the right direction to help the body of Christ.

I will be emailing copies to a few friends and colleagues for review. If you would also like to review “Culturological Hermeneutics” drop me an email and I will send you a copy.

Praise God with me that I am to the point of doing this partial release. Please pray with me that the feedback received would be honest (many people in an effort to be encouraging and kind fall short in the honesty category). Pray for God’s direction and leading. Pray for the things I have let fall through the cracks (like keeping in better touch and writing a much overdue newsletter).

I am discouraged with social distancing and quarantines. I have spent a good amount of time pondering if my discouragement is appropriate. In the grand scheme of things, I am very blessed. Many people have been able to keep supporting us through COVID-19. Donna has been transfered to the College of Engineering at the University of North Texas and is working in their recruiting office; so she still has a job. All but one of my kids has been able to keep working through COVID-19. We are all healthy. I have made some significant headway on a research project (more about this coming soon). There is much for which to be thankful.

Had everything gone to plan, I would have returned home from teaching at Africa Theological Seminary in Kenya yesterday. I love teaching along with enjoying researching and writing. Although because of the way things worked out in 2017,¹ I only spend four months a year in Kenya teaching and eight months researching, writing and doing development work. When I miss two months of the thing I love and only get to do it four months out of the year,² in addition to having no idea when I will get back to Kenya, it is discouraging.

Given I remain thankful for my blessings, I think it is OK to be discouraged about not being able to do what God has gifted me to do and what I love to do. So here’s to everyone discouraged with social distancing: May we remember our blessings and may the time of unrestricted reunions come quickly.

Notes:

¹In 2017 after waiting for 18 months, my Kenya work permit was not renewed and I moved back to the USA. For those who do not know this story the following blogs will help fill in the missing pieces:
Work Permit Update: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=682
Updated: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=686
Moving to the USA: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=691
Letter from President of ICM about the Cox Family: https://www.cox-net.com/prayer_blog/?p=700

² This is roughly speaking. I do teach a Sunday School class and have other opportunities here and there.

According to the New York Times worst-case estimates for USA COVID-19 deaths are between 200,000 and 1.7 million people.[1] Needless to say, this is a disturbing number of people who could potentially die.

All deaths, no matter the cause, are tragic. The thought of so many Americans dying from COVID-19 is horrendous. However, these numbers need to be put into perspective. In 2018, 380,000 people died from Malaria in Africa.[2] What is more stagering is that 1.5 million people died from Malaria in Africa in 2004; over 1 million of these where children under the age of five.[3]

In Africa when 1.5 million people died from Malaria in 2004 life went on as normal. Dying from Malaria was, and is still, a tragic part of everyday life in Africa. Year after year hundreds of thousands of people die from Malaria in Africa.

Now that the USA is facing the loss of hundreds of thousands, Americans are keenly aware of how a disease can wreck havoc with the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Welcome to the world of disease in developing nations.

Maybe God will use COVID-19 to make America a little more sensitive to the diseases the rest of the world faces.[4]

Footnotes

[1] Fink, Sheri. “Worst-Case Estimates for U.S. Coronavirus Deaths.” New York Times, 13 March 2020. accessed 2 Apr 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/coronavirus-deaths-estimate.html.

[2] World Health Organization. World Malaria Report 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2019. accessed 2 Apr 2020. https://www.who.int/malaria/publications/world-malaria-report-2019/en/. 9.

[3] Murray, Christopher J L, Lisa C Rosenfeld, Stephen S Lim, Kathryn G Andrews, Kyle J Foreman, Diana Haring, Nancy Fullman, et al. “Global Malaria Mortality between 1980 and 2010: A Systematic Analysis.” The Lancet, no. 379 (2012): 413-431. Published electronically 4 Feb 2012. accessed 2 Apr 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60034-8. 415, 421.

[4] The USA (as a whole) has been indifferent to the loss of millions of lives in Africa to Malaria, with two notable exceptions. However, most Americans are unaware of these two. One, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave 750 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2012. (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, “Foundation Commits $750 Million to Global Fund,” news release, 2012, accessed 2 Apr 2020, https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2012/01/Foundation-Commits-$750-Million-to-Global-Fund.) Two, the President’s Malaria Initiative which was started in 2005 and in 2018 gave 723 million dollars to help fight Malaria. (President’s Malaria Initiative. “About.” President’s Malaria Initiative, accessed 2 Apr 2020, https://www.pmi.gov/about. see Funding Tab.) While the above mentioned amounts are significant, they are a drop in the bucket compared to the 2 trillion dollar stimulus package for COVID-19.

I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet, so I rarely make determinations on the things for which God brings judgement. The fault of Job’s three friends (which incurred the wrath of God) was not that they spoke theological falsehood, but rather that their theology was wrongly applied to Job’s character. Hence I now move forward with caution less I tumble into the same pit as Job’s friends. Failure to care for and help the poor, weak and sick has brought about God’s judgement in the Biblical text. Perhaps one should ask if it is possible that God is using COVID-19 as part of His judgement on America’s indifference to Malaria in Africa and other diseases in the developing world?

By God’s grace, my article, “The Realization of Isaiah 61 in Africa,” has been published. Here is the link to the article:

https://www.sats.edu.za/cox-realization-of-isaiah-61-in-africa/

I have tried to make the article accessable to layman. Hence, more “technical” points are in parathesises or footnotes. In addition, Greek and Hebrew words, in the body of the article, have English definitions in parathesises. In other words, you do not need seminary training to read the article.

For those interested in seeing the entire issue of “Conspectus” Volume 28 in which my article is published visit:

https://www.sats.edu.za/conspectus/

This article has been in the works since 2010. Over the years, it has taken various forms along with growing and developing. Praise be to God it is now in “Conspectus.”

Before I left for Kenya, one of my friends asked for some photos of Kenya. Thought you might enjoy them also. Below are a few photos. Enjoy!

Today I start my biannual migration to Kenya to teach classes at Africa Theological Seminary for six weeks. I will be teaching Major Prophets, Old Testament Biblical Theology and New Testament Biblical Theology. Pray that true spiritual growth, and not just the passing of knowledge, will take place.

Some of you have been praying for the publication of an article I wrote on Isaiah 61. By God’s grace, my article continues to find favor with an academic journal. Last week they sent me a typeset proof to review (one of the last steps, if not the last step, before publication). Praise be to God that progress continues. In addition to finding a number of mistakes that I made, some issues crept in during the typesetting process, especially with some of the phrases in Hebrew. Pray for the final proofing process.

Lastly, I love going to Kenya to teach. I do not like being away from my family for these extended periods. Pray for God’s grace to abound over the miles.

Paul at Dallas/Fort Worth airport starting his migration

This past weekend Steve Taylor (a colleague at ATS) and I represented Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) by riding in the annual Jon “Just Get ER Done” Memorial Motorcycle Ride in Minnesota. All the funds raised in this ride go to purchasing motorcycles for pastors in Africa. Over the years, this ride has purchased and given away 244 motorcycles. ATS and “Just Get ER Done” ride have had a long partnership with many of these 244 motorcycles going to ATS alumni. You can read more about the ride at jonjust.com/memorial-ride.html. (And no, I did not ride a Harley. Cindy and David borrowed a Kawasaki 650 for me to ride.)

The ride was started by David and Cindy Just after the tragic death of their son Jon in a motorcycle accident. Jon had a profound love for Jesus that was demonstrated in his life and was passionate about motorcycles. So a memorial ride to raise funds to help pastors in Africa is the perfect way to remember Jon. More about Jon’s life is available at: jonjust.com/jons-story.html

Praise God with me for David and Cindy who have allowed God to take the tragic and work it together for good. Praise God for a successful ride with the largest number of motorcycles that they have ever had: 88. Pray that God would bless their obedience and efforts to help African pastors.

Please continue to pray for the following items:

• Repackaging my dissertation (prayer_blog/_783)
• My role as Vice President Development and low support (prayer_blog/_779)