<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Q:I was wondering about Santa Lucia. I have heard different stories on her death. Some say that she refused to marry and was killed; others say that her husband-to-be was so enraged because she gave the wedding money to a church that he had her killed. Could you clarify this? A: Lucia, or Lucy, lived in the early fourth century. Her name means "light." However, there is little light to shed on her life. The only thing we know for certain is that she died in the persecutions during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. The stories you mention are but two legends about her. Another version is that her fiance was enraged at her rejection and turned her in to the authorities as a Christian. Still another story is that her eyes were put out in pagan torture and God restored her sight. Lucia is especially remembered in Italy and Sweden. Q: I am confused by a practice called "slain in the Spirit" and would be grateful if you could kindly shed some light on this. A: "Slain in the spirit" refers to a trance-like state which appears in certain people during some Pentecostal or Charismatic services. Sometimes the definition is expanded to speaking in tongues, "holy" laughter, convulsions, and the like. While the Bible does have certain instances of people being "numbed" or "struck down" by God, these aren't in the context of Israelite or Christian worship. The concept of being "slain in the Spirit" is an attempt to explain the experience of losing control of oneself and being possessed by a supernatural power. We must ask, however, if the excesses endorsed under the description "slain in the spirit" are not contradictory to what Scripture teaches is the impact of the Holy Spirit's presence one's life. For example, Galatians 5:22--23 reminds us that "self-control" is of "the fruit of the Spirit." Q: Why do people still use the King James Version if they now know that it has a lot of errors in it? A: I'm not sure who "they" are in your question. The KJV has well-served the English-speaking world for centuries. While there may be a few errors in translation, I would say that it is in most places as accurate as any other English Bible. The KJV does differ from many newer translations in the original language texts from which it is translated. In a few areas, differences appear, such as the addition of the doxology "for thine is the kingdom...," to the Lord's Prayer and the so-called "longer ending" of Mark. The main "error" in using the King James Bible is that of reading it and not understanding the meaning of the archaic English words. In fact, some of the terms mean almost the exact opposite of what they did back in the 1600s. Q: I was told that the first five books of the bible were written by Moses. How long did it take him to write these books? A: We have no idea how long it took to write Pentateuch (the first five books). Most likely, he wrote or dictated their content during Israel's forty years of wandering in the Wilderness. Many Bible scholars speculate that the final chapter of Deuteronomy was written by Joshua. Q: Was baptism practiced before John the Baptist? If so, by whom and for what purpose? Was John's form of baptism by total immersion? If yes, how is this known, please? A: There was a ritual baptism practiced in at least portions of Judaism. It was "proselyte" baptism, wherein converts to Judaism or Israelite worship were washed clean of their former lives. This, along with John the Baptizer's call for repentance among the people of Judah, created a double scandal in the minds of the self-righteous. Not only was he accusing Israel (especially the elite of the Pharisees and priests) of having sins which needed to be repented of. He was also causing them to submit to that which was normally only practiced upon Gentiles. As for the form, as I've mentioned previous columns, we have no idea how John did it. It may be that the river was too shallow where he baptized to immerse. This, then, could be reflected in the early church practice where converts knelt in water and had more poured over themselves. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.